Nook lineup sells millions, Barnes & Noble's best-selling product of all-time

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/11/nookcolor620.jpg
[/img]
You didn't think Barnes & Noble was just going to let Amazon rest
on its "vague sales milestones" laurels, did you? The veteran
bookseller just announced that the Nook lineup -- 3G, WiFi, and the
new Nook Color combined -- has become "the company's biggest
bestseller ever in its nearly 40-year history." That's bigger than
Barnes & Noble's sales (note: not global sales) of DaVinci Code or
any of the Harry Potter novels. Unfortunately, we can't say exactly
just how many that is, as the press release only announces "millions"
being sold. A B&N rep we spoke with told us they likely wouldn't
specify any further, nor would there likely be a breakdown of sales by
individual model.

Other notable factoids include Nook Color's reign as the company's
"number one selling gift of the holiday season" and nearly one million
"Nook books" downloaded on Christmas Day. In fact, the company now
sells more digital books than it does physical books over BN.com (i.e.
not including books sold in brick-and-mortar stores). Wish we had some
hard figures, but hey, if any company is going to mince words in a
sales announcement, it might as well be a book company, right? Press
release after the break.

Growing Up Geek: Vlad Savov

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, a new feature where we take a look back at
our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are.
This week we have our very own Associate Editor, Vlad Savov.

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x12308b35dd.jpg
[/img]
Yes, I grew up in the monochromatic nation of Bulgaria. As geek starts
go, I doubt anyone could come up with a more unlikely one than being
born in a village in the southwest corner of a country known more for
its sporting and culinary exports than any sort of technical
expertise. That's not to say that Bulgaria was a tech backwater, but
it's the sort of place where you spent more time reading about gadgets
than actually using them. Fortunately for me, my mother worked in a
local computer club, where the bright youth of the day would gather to
use Pravetz machines -- finely crafted Bulgarian Apple II KIRFs -- and
it was a spot that I would inevitably retreat to after a thoroughly
regimented school day. That's another thing about growing up in the
former Communist bloc: education was intensive and rigorous, though
you shouldn't let that rebelliously turned up collar in the image
above fool you, I was madly in love with my studies (as any true nerd
should be). Somewhere between that boy pushing buttons and tearing
down floppy diskettes for fun and the current London-based cynic
pumping out copy for Engadget during the American night shift, my life
happened.

Russia's first GLONASS phone an 'iPhone 4 competitor,' except not really (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/russian-glonass-phone-rm-eng.jpg
[/img]
As the story goes, Russia-based AFK Sistema's subsidiary Sitronics
(along with US' Qualcomm and China's ZTE) have developed the first
smartphone to use GLONASS -- specifically one with a 90nm GPS-GLONASS
chip. It's been called, in so many words, the "Russian answer to the
iPhone 4" by the Powers That Be, and without getting into key details
like platform and specs, we know officially the phone is going on sale
in Russian sometime in March for 10,990 rubles (about $360 in US).

For other details on the device, we seek more unofficial (and
therefore not 100 percent confirmed) sources, like the notably well-
connected Eldar Murtazin. According to him, we're looking at the ZTE
model A918, an analog of the A916 with Android 2.1, a 3.2-inch QVGA
screen, FM radio, and 2 megapixel camera -- yeah, hardly an iPhone 4
competitor, if you ask us. That version is supposedly launching on MTS
for 7,500 rubles ($246), meaning the GLONASS-equipped equivalent has a
3,490 ruble ($114) markup. And the March release? Apparently in
limited quantities, with mass production not coming until second half
of 2011. Unfortunately, we're not sure this one'll be making an
appearance at CES for further inspection. Check out the video after
the break for a cameo of the device featuring Putin, Russian
billionaire (and head of AFK Sistema) Vladimir Yevtushenkov, and
Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Chicken-based camera stabilization more effective than the human head mount (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101230-chicken-01.jpg
[/img]
As you're undoubtedly well aware, the chicken's vestibulo-ocular
reflex and gaze stabilizing function (Google it!) is highly evolved,
making it just the thing for steadying your camera. Of course, you
need access to live poultry, a tiny camera, some sort of rubber band,
and the patience and skill to befriend a rooster and bring him to your
film shoots. You've already seen one loyal Engadget reader's fledgling
attempts at the Chicken Powered Steadicam[TM], but you can rest
assured that this fowl gadget (groan) is constantly in development.
Check out our friend Jeremiah's video after the break to see
comparison shots between a rooster cam, a handheld camera, and one
just sort of strapped to Jeremiah's head.

HTC HD2 gets a stable stock Android build for internal storage

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/hd2-nand-android.jpg
[/img]
Running Android on HTC's venerable HD2 is old hat -- but historically,
you've had to run it off microSD storage, which isn't an optimal
situation for an operating system you might hope to use as your
primary. Now we've finally got what appears to be the first solution
allowing you to drop a nearly stock build of Android on the HD2's
internal NAND memory, freeing up external storage for your usual
collection of family photos, showtunes, and PowerPoint presentations
left over from your WinMo 6.5 days. We've no doubt that this hack is a
little dicey -- especially considering the herculean level of hacker
effort that went into making it happen -- but if you've got an HD2
lying around that needs a new lease on life, it might be worth a shot.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/
sl90r756.jpg[/img]
Whether you're taking the wraps off of your first HDTV or your fifth
there's a few easily avoidable hurdles that can prevent you from
enjoying that brand new display at its best. Now, with new internet
connected TVs and 3DTVs in the mix, there's even more to consider, but
we'll walk you through the minefield of figuring out how to hook that
new TV up, what to connect it to and even throw in a few suggestions
on where to find the stuff you like to watch most.

Engadget's biggest stories of 2010

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/ipad-top-stories-mag-2.jpg
[/img]

What a year it's been! It makes us dizzy just thinking about it, so we
did what we do best: we made a list. It was a year of significant
upheaval for the industry, with new categories blossoming and rampant
obsolescence looming for everything else. Still, the usual suspects
seemed to be to blame for most of the hubbub, with Apple, Google, and
Microsoft dominating the headlines. Follow along after the break as we
run you through what happened, just in case, you know, you just woke
up from a 365 day coma. Or maybe you like lists. Or touching
retrospectives. We don't care, just click.

Clear iSpot discontinued already

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/ispot-
sm.jpg[/img]Well, that certainly didn't last very long, did it? Looks
like Clear is already sending its unusual iSpot product to the great
WiMAX network in the sky less than five months after its introduction.
As a refresher, the iSpot's claim to fame is that it was designed to
work only with iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads -- and in exchange for
the crazy restriction, Clear would charge you less than $100 for the
hotspot itself and just $25 a month for unlimited 4G access capped at
6Mbps down. Of course, it's easy to understand why Clear would want to
forget the iSpot ever existed: its MAC address filtering was easily
defeated and plagued with reports that even approved devices were
being denied access, suggesting that the concept probably wasn't a
solid one in the first place. For what it's worth, Clear retail stores
are still selling through remaining stock if you're interested -- and
the company will maintain a supply of units for warranty replacements
-- but otherwise, you're out of luck.

[Thanks, rand]

The Engadget Podcast, live at 4:45PM EST!

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2007/02/engadget-podcast.jpg
[/img]
It's the end of the year, so it's time for the boys to look back and
reflect on the... oh, who are we kidding, we'll probably just do more
skits. Join us below!

P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as
well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based
fun below.

Archos 7 Home Tablet sees revision 2, with Android 2.1 and faster 800MHz CPU

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/03/100329-archos7hometablet-01.jpg
[/img]
The Archos 7 Home Tablet was something of a disappointment, and Archos
has shipped bigger and better things since, but the firm isn't done
with the original affordable Android slate quite yet. We've confirmed
with Archos that a "v2" revision is now shipping in Europe with three
things the original lacked -- an accelerometer, a relatively recent
version of Android (2.1) and an 800MHz Rockchip CPU. Make no mistake,
those are still budget specs, and you'll almost certainly still have
to hack your own Android Market on to get a full quota of apps, but
it's not like you're paying any more for the extra oomph. The updated
version has been spotted at Expansys for the same $200, which might
actually might make it one of the best bang-for-the-buck tablets out
there. Look how far we've come.

[Thanks, Marien]

2010: The Year in Alt

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/05/
althello1.png[/img]
Engadget Alt, the most recent addition to the site, is something near
and dear to our hearts. This a place where we can comment on (and draw
attention to) things that don't exactly fit into the main stream of
our coverage, yet resonate with us as writers -- and with you as
readers. So, what did we learn this year? Spacecraft are prone to
hardware failure, it seems, and Ozzy Osbourne's genome is a wonderful
resource for scientists. And one editor-in-chief really, really digs
eBoy. Aside from all that, this space has seen a number of feature
articles and columns that we're especially proud of. Cruise on past
the break for some of our favorites.

SBN Tech to show off Android-based IP Video Phone at CES

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/sbntech-ces-12-30-2010.jpg
[/img]
Haven't heard of SBN Tech? You're not alone, but it looks like the
company is now set to make the rather valiant attempt of trying to
stand out from the pack of Android tablets at CES next week. Its hook,
however, is that its tablet isn't actually a tablet, but an "IP Video
Phone," which may or may not be similar to the device pictured above
that the company's been showing off recently. Of course, while the
company may be touting it as a "video phone" first and foremost, the
device appears to be a fairly standard Android tablet underneath that
guise -- it packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 screen, an SD card slot for
expansion, and the company notes that you'll also be able to use it
for email, Twitter, Facebook and all your usual Android apps. Still no
word on pricing or availability, but those details should be making
themselves known soon enough.

Ask Engadget: best sound system / soundbar for around $100?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/09/ask_engadget_logo_09.png
[/img]
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the
world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask
Engadget question is coming to us from Colin, who needs his jams on
the cheap. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop
us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I have been looking for a decent set of speakers that can kick out
fairly good sound. Ideally, I'd use these in a bedroom, mostly for
television viewing and Xbox gaming. I don't need anything too powerful
as I'm not filling a gigantic room with sound. I've heard good things
about Logitech boxed kits, but have also heard that soundbars are
great space-saving alternatives. I'm open to pretty much anything:
HTIB, soundbars, etc, but am hoping to spend around $100 or less.
Thank you!"
We know, you're looking to pinch pennies in order to take that special
someone out on a fantastically fine date tomorrow. We get it. But
these days, $100 can actually buy you quite a bit of sound. We'd echo
those positive sentiments on Logitech's boxed kits, but if anyone has
any other input, comments are open down below.

Authentic NASA artifacts, Buzz Aldrin's dinner set for auction

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101230-moon-02.jpg
[/img]
Your long-held desire to own some authentic, Apollo-era vacuum-sealed,
freeze-dried pot roast is about to be fulfilled. That's right: RR
Auction is, well, auctioning artifacts from the Golden Age of the
space program this upcoming January, including Gordon Cooper's
father's gold and diamond 32nd degree Masonic ring and some random
part of a Mercury capsule that's been mounted on a commemorative
plaque. But that ain't all! To see a complete list of all five hundred
items, or to get in on the action yourself, hit the source link.

FastMac U-Socket delayed yet again, now supposedly shipping in January

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/05/fastmac-u-socket.jpg
[/img]
Remember the $10 FastMac U-Socket that first turned up way back in
December of 2009 and was then beset by a number of delays that most
recently led to a promised October ship date and inflated $20 price
tag? Well, it didn't ship then either, but the company is now
apparently telling customers that it's really, finally getting ready
to ship the USB-equipped power socket sometime next month (despite a
note on the company's website that still says it's shipping "mid-
December"). Anyone ordering one now will apparently still have to wait
a bit longer, though -- the company apparently only expects things to
return to "normal" by February.

[Thanks, Greg]

iPhonECG case monitors your heart rate to make sure you're appropriately excited about CES

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1231ui341230.jpg
[/img]
CES isn't just about incrementally thinner or faster hardware, you
know. Some people like to bring legitimately innovative ideas to the
show, such as this iPhonECG case, which does what its name suggests:
it takes an ECG (electrocardiogram) reading of your heart's activity
through a pair of electrodes and then communicates its findings to an
iPhone 4 it can be attached to. We say it can be attached to an iPhone
as communication is done wirelessly, so you'll probably be able to
monitor your ticker's rhythm without the Applephone pressed against
your bosom. Then again, maybe you like that. It's a free world, we
don't judge. We'll be sending out our most hairy-chested editor to
give this thing a proper test at the Las Vegas convention next week.
Until then, scope out the video after the break.

The world's first shipped RED EPIC gets stolen in home break-in

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-18-10-redepic00006-1-1293809157.jpg
[/img]
Remember just earlier this month when OffHollywood studio head Mark
Pederson became the first man to own a RED EPIC? Well, now his $58,000
über camera is gone. According to REDUSER forums, the EPIC was
heisted last night along with some cash from Pederson's chalet in
France while he and his family were sleeping. Pederson shares on the
forum that "there was a forced entry through the front door. The
thieves actually entered the master bedroom while my in-laws were
sleeping, and standing a foot from their bed - emptied wallet and
purse. There were 6 children and 8 adults sleeping in the house."
That's a scary caper worthy of a Hollywood script for sure, but
thankfully no one was hurt. Here's hoping the movie-like storyline
continues now with law enforcement gumshoes actually cracking the
case. In the meantime, maybe Peter Jackson can lend Pederson one of
his 30 RED EPICs until his own baby returns.

[Thanks, Derek]

Just got a Windows Phone 7 handset? The best apps, accessories, and tips

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/wp7holiday-12302010.jpg
[/img]
Ah, so you've just been given a Windows Phone 7 handset. If that's
what you'd been begging for all this time, then many congratulations;
but if not, don't hit eBay just yet -- sure, WP7's range of apps is
comparatively limited with its recent 5,000 milestone, but hey, you
gotta start somewhere, right? Even at its infancy, WP7 has proven to
be a nice alternative choice if you want to stand out from the rest of
the smartphone crowd, and don't forget its two powerful weapons: Zune
and Xbox Live integration. Until WP7 gets its major upgrade early next
year, our holiday guide should keep you and your new phone going for a
little longer. Go ahead and read on.

Game Boy, HTC Aria and fake iPhone 4 combined for your amusement, is also possibly art

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-30-10-gotekingmashup600.jpg
[/img]

European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/02/charger_unification_europe.jpg
[/img]It's been more than a year since Nokia, Apple, RIM, Motorola and
just about every other major cellphone manufacturer agreed on a micro-
USB cellphone charger standard for Europe, but the two key European
standards bodies have just now finally followed up on their end of the
bargain. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have today published harmonized
standards for a universal cellphone charger based on micro-USB, which
has now put the ball back in the manufacturers' court to actually
produce phones that rely on the newly standardized chargers. According
to the European Commission, the first of those are expect to arrive
sometime "in the first months of 2011," and it expects the chargers to
be "predominant" within two years. Head on past the break for the
official announcement.

[Thanks, Pavel]

Samsung's phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1227samsung-1293442148-1293647290.jpg
[/img]
Yes, CES 2011 will be graced by the presence of Samsung's new 4-inch
Galaxy Player, but our pockets, it would seem, might have to wait for
it quite a bit longer. The Wall Street Journal today reports that,
while Samsung intends to roll out the new Android PMP in its home
market of Korea shortly after CES next week, the rest of the world is
unlikely to be able to buy it until "the April to June period." Aside
from its lack of phone functionality and a Super AMOLED panel, the new
Galaxy Player is an almost identical replica of the company's wildly
successful Galaxy S smartphone, which apparently has been no accident.
The WSJ also lets us in on the knowledge that Samsung's phone division
has taken over responsibility for building and selling its portable
media player range, hence why we're now seeing such major overlaps
between the two categories -- something that might very well continue
into the future.

Mayor of Newark, New Jersey starts Twitter blizzard cleanup snowpocalypse revolution

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/corybookerengdec2010yes2.jpg
[/img]
Newark, New Jersey's popular Mayor, Cory Booker, has had a novel
reaction to the problems the blizzard is causing for his people: he's
listening to them, and trying to help. Shocking, we know. Even more
interesting, of course, is the fact that he's using Twitter to do so.
While phone lines all over the tri-state area remain a joke (try
calling an airline or public hotline), Twitter has presented Newark's
Mayor with a unique, and incredibly direct way of interacting with
people who need help with everything from getting their streets plowed
to delivering diapers -- personally in many situations. While it's not
exactly enough to make us consider a move to Newark, it's certainly
impressive.

Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/gigabyte-q2005-12-29-2010.jpg
[/img]
We're guessing we'll see a more official announcement about these soon
enough, but for now we'll have to make do with some product pages that
have quietly turned up on Gigabyte's website for two new Atom N550-
based netbooks: the M1005 and Q2005. As Netbook News notes, the latter
of those (pictured above) looks to be remarkably similar to the
Jolicloud Jolibook, also based on the same dual-core N550 processor,
while the M1005 appears to be a relatively minor update to the
company's M1022 model, right down to the same docking station (check
it out after the break). Still no indication of pricing or
availability for either of them, but you can find the complete specs
for each at the links below.

Wheego Whip LiFe grabs up EPA certification

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/wheego-whip-life-630s.jpg
[/img]
Yes! Another reason to write about the darling and awesomely-named
Wheego Whip LiFe! This time, it's good news indeed, as the all
electric micro-car has received EPA certification. The cars, which are
priced at a reasonably affordable $32,995 (or $25,495 after the
Federal tax credit), are now simply waiting for final approval from
the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration before they
can roll into dealerships. It looks like the cars will ship at the
beginning of the year now, with production well underway for the past
few months. We'll take two, please.

MSI teases Killer NIC integration in Big Bang motherboards

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/killer-circuit-board.jpg
[/img]You won't be coloring us surprised here -- when we spoke with
Bigfoot Networks CEO Michael Howse back at Computex, he didn't
hesitate to disclose his interest in embedding Bigfoot's networking
technology into motherboards and GPUs of the future. And now, it seems
that the future has arrived. Based on a sneaky, nondescript release
posted after the break, it looks as if Bigfoot and MSI will be hooking
up at CES next week to introduce a newfangled version of the Big Bang
motherboard. The announcement doesn't come right out and say it, but
considering that at least one MSI motherboard will be "blazing with
Killer 2100 performance," we'd say it's fair to read between the
lines. Howse is also quoted as saying that he's "pleased to be working
with MSI," and up until now, there's been no public partnership
between the two firms. According to him, the Killer 2100 gaming
network card "is a perfect complement to the MSI Big Bang family of
mainboard solutions," and you can bet we'll be on the hunt for a model
name, price and release date just as soon as we hit Vegas.

Paul Allen files amended complaint, points out exactly where patent infringement is hiding

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-28-10-allenappleexhibit6002.jpg
[/img]
Left with just two weeks to explain exactly how seven of the web's
biggest properties (and three office supply chains) violated his
company Interval's patents, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen figured
out a plan -- Intervals' lawyers are drawing big, colored boxes around
large swaths of the allegedly infringing websites' real estate. In all
seriousness, a lot of companies may owe Allen a lot of money if
Interval truly has a case, because Interval claims to have patented no
less than the ability for a website to take a user-selected piece of
content and suggest other related pieces of content that might be of
interest. Oh, and it's also apparently patented pop-ups and widgets,
as most anything that displays information "in an unobtrusive manner
that occupies the peripheral attention of the user" is getting the
same treatment. Hilariously, it appears that the co-founder of
Microsoft didn't provide his lawyers with basic scanning technology,
because the PDF of the exhibits they uploaded to the court's web site
is just epically bad -- check out everything they say infringes in the
gallery below.

Disclaimer: We should note that AOL is among the companies being sued
by Allen and Interval, and that Engadget is owned by AOL. So you know,
just think about that a bunch, or something.

Netflix: 'we're going to continue our international expansion next year'

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/09/netflix-canada-09-22-2010.jpg
[/img]
Three months after Netflix invaded Canada with a bizarre combination
of paid actors and $8 instant streaming plans, CEO Reed Hastings the
company has declared the move a success and says it will expand its
service to other countries in 2011. "Based on the early success of
Netflix.ca we're going to continue our international expansion next
year and we're going to allocate significant dollars to it," spokesman
Steve Swasey told The Canadian Press, without specifying which
territories or how many might be blanketed with Albanian soldiers
next. However, Canadians and others hoping to get an experience
completely on par with the original US service shouldn't hold their
breath, as Swasey says there are no plans to establish a movie queue
for the streaming-only service, calling it a "strategic decision."

Update: The above quotes were attributed to Netflix's Steve Swasey,
not CEO Reed Hastings. Our bad.

Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-29-104home2.jpg
[/img]
Looks like home automation may finally be taking baby steps towards
the mainstream -- Verizon's just announced that it'll be demoing that
long-rumored Home Monitoring and Control system at CES 2011, with a
planned beta rollout in New Jersey to follow. The system will allow
users to remotely view security cameras, lock doors, and control
lights, thermostats, and appliances through their smartphones or FiOS
TV boxes -- the same capabilities most other automation systems
offer, but with the added benefit of being integrated and installed
by Verizon. The pilot homes in Jersey will receive an energy reader,
smart appliance switches and thermostats, door and window locks, a
power strip, motion sensors, an indoor pan-and-tilt camera, and a
fixed indoor / outdoor camera when the system launches next month,
but Verizon says that's just the beginning. We're told the system
will use Z-Wave wireless control units and WiFi security cameras, so
we're guessing there'll be a central box that integrates everything
-- and we've got a feeling this whole thing is based on 4Home
(pictured above), which was just acquired by Motorola Mobility. We'll
find out more at CES -- stay tuned.

Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1229ub35intel344.jpg
[/img]
Watch out, Toshiba, your tiny SSD modules aren't the only game in town
for ludicrously small flash storage anymore. Intel's just announced a
new SSD 310 line that offers spectacularly minimal 51mm by 30mm by 5mm
dimensions, while retaining X25-class performance (up to 200MBps read
and 80MBps write speeds). To give you an idea of what those
measurements mean, the industry-standard 2.5-inch form factor, an
already diminutive footprint, is eight times larger than these
newfangled storage chips. 40GB and 80GB variants of the SSD 310 are
shipping out to OEMs already and Lenovo has confirmed it plans to roll
these into its next refresh of the venerable ThinkPad laptop line.
Prices are set at $99 and $179 (depending on size) when bought in
batches of 1,000, though direct sales to end users are predictably off
the table for now. Better start saving up for that next ultrathin
laptop if you want one.

Barnes & Noble Nook trademark applications offer speculation fodder aplenty

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/nook-trademark-12-29-2010.jpg
[/img]
So you're Barnes & Noble and you have a successful product like
the Nook -- what do you do? Trademark the heck out of the name, of
course. As PocketNow has noted, the company's filed a number of Nook-
related trademark applications over the past few months, which may
offer some hints of future Nook hardware, software, or both. That
unsurprisingly includes an application for "Nook2," which was first
filed back in June, as well one for the name "Nook Smart" (possibly
related to the existing Nook Study education platform?), and one for
the impossibly catchy "Nook Cook." Unfortunately, it's not clear which
(if any) of those might actually be the name of a new Nook device --
there's also a trademark application for "Nook Kids" with a
description similar to "Nook2," for instance, but it may well just be
for the company's Nook Kids store and iPad app. The most recent of all
the filings is one for "Nooksellers," which appears to be for a
combination in-store kiosk and online service that would offer
personalized recommendations and various social networking tie-ins. Of
course, there's nothing more than the trademark applications to go on
at the moment, but it does certainly seem clear that the Nook name is
here to stay.

Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/pre2holiday.jpg
[/img]
So you nabbed a webOS device over the holidays? Maybe you got yourself
a Pixi or Pre Plus, or if you were really lucky, someone dropped a Pre
2 in your stocking. We know that Palm isn't exactly ruling the roost
when it comes to smartphones, but that doesn't mean that your new
device isn't plenty powerful given the right apps and proper tweaks.
In fact, webOS can stand toe-to-toe with the iOS and Android devices
of the world, even if the selection of apps and hardware leaves
something to be desired. So how do you turn your holiday cheer into a
year-round workhorse? Read on after the break for the must-have apps,
accessories, and more!

Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-29-10-toshiba-nb550d.jpg
[/img]
Looks like the AMD Fusion netbook strategy may be to supplant Intel's
Atom wholesale in the leadup to CES, as Toshiba has just become the
second manufacturer to swap out an Atom chip for a 1GHz AMD C-50
Ontario APU while leaving the rest of the design practically
untouched. Notebook Italia just spotted this 10-inch Toshiba NB550D
having a grand old time on the company's German website, leisurely
flexing its Harman Kardon speakers and newfound HDMI port, all the
while dreaming about ways to upgrade its scant 1GB of DDR3 memory and
250GB of magnetic storage. Interestingly, Toshiba's actually
forecasting only 9.5 hours of battery life for the AMD version
(compared to 10 hours with Intel's 1.5GHz Atom N550 CPU), but we
suppose that's the price you pay to have Radeon HD 6250M graphics on
board. We'll try to get pricing and availability when we inevitably
spot it at CES next week.

Wii Laptop mod ditches the disc, gets ultra portable (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/wii-laptop-portable.jpg
[/img]
The famed Ben Heckendorn concocted the first Wii Laptop of note way
back in 2007, but ever since, the modding community at large has been
toiling away on ways to improve it. ShockSlayer, a member over at Mod
Retro, has accomplished just that, with his predictably titled Wii
Laptop relying on a 7-inch LCD, an integrated sensor bar, a couple of
polycases and inbuilt speakers. There's hardly anything here that
couldn't be found at your local Radio Shack, save for the SunDriver --
that particular product has enabled him to ditch the DVD drive and
install a SATA HDD within. From there, he burned his Wii game discs
and loaded 'em all inside, making the whole thing extra mobile. Oh,
and did we mention that it's powered by rechargeable batteries?
Because it is. Marvel at the completed device in the video after the
break.

Archos 28, 32, and 70 now available, do not combine to form mythical Archos 130

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/09/archos3215.jpg
[/img]
Archos' line of inexpensive (dare we say "cheap," at times) Android
tablets aren't necessarily on your wishlist, but for the budget-
conscious, they're hard to beat. And now three new models are on sale,
including the 2.8-inch Archos 28, the 3.2-inch Archos 32, and the 7-
inch (of course) Archos 70. The first two will put you back $99.99 and
$149.99, respectively, while the biggun' comes in both 8GB ($274.99)
and 250GB ($349.99) options. What are you waiting for? Honeycomb?
You're adorable.

Gresso classies up the iPad with 18k gold logo and ancient wood case

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x12298g3gfs.jpg
[/img]
We'll openly admit we never knew what African Blackwood was until
Gresso started applying the stuff to its line of extremely luxurious
cellphone mods, but now we can't imagine a new product from the
Russian company without the 200-year old timber making an appearance.
And sure enough, the Gresso iPad's rear is composed almost entirely of
Dalbergia melanoxylon, broken up only by the insertion of an 18-karat
gold Apple logo. Strangely, in spite of its extravagant constituent
materials, this design is a very restrained, dare we say, classy,
affair. It goes on sale on New Year's Eve at an unannounced price, but
you know what they say: if you have to ask or you have to work for a
living, you probably can't afford it.

Wicked Audio's 3D headphones aren't what you think, border on unsightly

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/empire-headphones.jpg
[/img]
Okay, so maybe "border" is being generous. Wicked Audio is well known
for its -- shall we say, vivacious -- line of earbuds and headphones,
but none compare to the outfit's new 3D series of cans. Set to
officially debut at CES next week, this line actually has embossed
logos on each ear cup, enabling you to "feel" the graphics on the
side. Hard to say who exactly this benefits, but for those who love
raised artwork upside their noggins, we suppose it's perfect. As for
specs? Keep dreaming -- all we know is that you'll be choosing the
least offensive design from the three above next month when they go on
sale for $29.99 at FYE.

Hackers obtain PS3 private cryptography key due to epic programming fail? (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-29-10-ps3publickeyrandomization.jpg
[/img]
The 27th annual Chaos Communication Conference already hacked
encrypted GSM calls with a $15 cellphone, but there was a second
surprise in store this morn -- the souls who unlocked the Nintendo
Wii's homebrew potential (and defended it time and again) claim to
have broken into the PlayStation 3 as well. Last we left the black
monolith, Sony had won a round, forcing the community to downgrade
their firmware for any hope at hacking into the console. Well, the
newly formed fail0verflow hacking squad says that won't be a problem
any longer, because they've found a way to get the PS3 to reveal its
own private cryptography key -- the magic password that could let the
community sign its very own code.

So far, the team hasn't provided any proof that the deed's been done,
but they have provided quite an extensive explanation of how they
managed the feat: apparently, Sony didn't bother generating any random
numbers to secure the blasted thing. (We don't really know how it
works, but we have it on good authority that dead cryptography
professors are rapidly spinning in their graves.) The group intends to
generate a proof-of-concept video tomorrow, and release the tools
sometime next month, which they claim should eventually enable the
installation of Linux on every PS3 ever sold. Catch the whole
presentation after the break in video form, or skip to 33:00 for the
good stuff.

Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/olympus-xz-1-rumor-rm-eng.jpg
[/img]
It's no secret that CES is the stage from which camera companies
unleash more compact shooters than you can shake a tripod at -- and
preceding those come a glut of rumors, naturally. 4/3 Rumors has heard
Olympus will unveil the XZ-1 (pictured), which boasts the LX5's 10
megapixel sensor and a none-too-shabby 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 lens. The
site also heard that a few Panasonic model numbers that at this point
really don't tell too grand a story: DMC-S1 and S3, DMC-TS3, FH2, and
FH5. Meanwhile at Sony Alpha Rumors, the eponymous company will
reportedly launch a number of compact cameras (go figure) including a
Cybershot DSC-HX1 successor, some new Bloggies, and new 2D and 3D
video recorders... and though no Alpha and no NEX models will be on
the show floor, the site is also suggesting the future NEX-7 and Alpha
A77 models have 1080p60 AVCHD and a 0.1-second autofocus. Latter
tidbit notwithstanding, we'd wager by mid-January everything else here
will be either confirmed or forgotten.

3D printed concert flute rapidly prototypes sound (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-29-10-3d-printed-flute-600.jpg
[/img]
The world's first store for 3D printed goods just opened in Brussels,
and while we imagine they've already got a fair selection of
prototyped merchandise to choose, might we suggest they invest in a
few production runs of this fabulous new flute? Amit Zoran of the MIT
Media Lab -- yes, the same soul who helped dream up a 3D food printer
early this year -- has now printed a fully-functional concert flute
with a minimum of human intervention. Directing an Objet Connex500 3D
printer (which can handle multiple materials at the same time) to spit
out his CAD design, dollop by tiny dollop, in a single 15-hour run, he
merely had to wash off support material, add springs, and assemble
four printed pieces to finish the instrument up. The proof of the
pudding is in the eating, of course, so how does it sound? Find out
for yourself in the video below.

Sony files ITC complaint about LG, adds another patent infringement lawsuit to the stack

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-29-10-sonylglawsuit.jpg
[/img]
Did the world's tech giants just discover they have lawyers on
retainer? That's certainly how it seems, as company after company has
decided 'tis the season to target the competition with patent
infringement allegations. Sony, the latest, is aiming squarely at LG,
claiming that the Korean manufacturer's violating eight patents with
its mobile devices -- including the LG Fathom, Xenon, Neon, Remarq,
Rumor 2, Lotus Elite and VL600 LTE modem -- claiming that these
devices transmit variable-bandwidth audio streams, live-preview camera
snapshots, hand off cellular calls and more in ways that infringe
Sony's intellectual property. Sony's now filed both an ITC complaint
in an attempt to ban new product shipments from the US, and a lawsuit
in federal court that will no doubt seek monetary damages. Now, if
recent history is any indication, LG will turn around and smack Sony
with a patent stack of its own, and we'll all go back to dreaming
about LG devices we'd actually care to purchase.

The Canon DSLR / MP3 player / speaker is both more and less than it seems (but mostly less)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/caoon-dslr-12-29-2010.jpg
[/img]
A DSLR / MP3 player / speaker for a mere $83? Well, two out of three
ain't bad.

Ford launches SYNC Destinations, the free app for people who go places in cars

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/sync-dest-2010-12-29-296.jpg
[/img]
Smartphone user? Regardless of platform you have no shortage of
navigation options, and now Ford has added another way to get where
you're going -- if you're also an owner of a SYNC TDI-compatible car,
anyway. Using the new SYNC Destinations app (available today for iOS
and Android, with BlackBerry coming soon) you can more efficiently pre-
plan your route. The app lets you pick a destination, view real-time
traffic updates, even check out congestion predictions based on
weather, time of day, and holidays. It's a feature that would have
been pretty handy last week when we were simultaneously dealing with a
heck of a blizzard and a whole lot of people trying to flee their in-
laws.

The app will even suggest what time you should leave to avoid the most
headaches, a potential boon for those desperately seeking any excuse
to hit the road a little early. It is, however, just for planning,
sending your route to the car and then disabling the phone's display
when you cross the magic 5mph threshold. It's safer that way, after
all. Full details are in the PR below and if you're on the lucky two
supported platforms with a suitably compatible car you can download
today for free.

Skype video calling for iPhone is official, available now (update: hands-on)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/skype-video-hands-on-rm-eng.jpg
[/img]
All signs have been pointing to this release for a few days now, but
we'll admit: we expected Skype to wait until CES next week to pull the
covers off what could become its crown jewel service over the coming
months. Skype's official iOS client has finally sprouted the ability
to make video calls, allowing iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and fourth-
generation iPod touch users to share real-time video amongst each
other and users of Skype's Windows, Mac, and Linux clients along with
the ASUS Videophone (obviously, 3GS users won't have the convenience
of a front-facing camera, but they'll still be able to broadcast video
from the rear-facing one). Additionally, you'll be able to receive
video from others if you're using an iPad or a third-generation iPod
touch. The service is free and works over both WiFi and 3G -- and
considering Skype's existing PC footprint, we'd argue this stands a
very real chance of putting the hurt on FaceTime usage. No word on
when Skype will be making video-capable clients available for Android
or other mobile platforms, but Skype says that there'll be "plenty
more" announcements in Vegas next week, so we wouldn't be surprised.

Update: So we just gave 3.0 a spin, calling iPhone-to-iPhone (both
WiFi), iPhone-to-desktop (both WiFi), and again iPhone-to-iPhone (both
3G). The first two worked great, although the desktop camera produced
better quality. As for the worst-case scenario, 3G-to-3G video
calling, well... we wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely necessary.
Video after the break, and be sure to note the battery life -- after
about 10 minutes of use, we dropped from 66 percent to 61.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

China tightens hold on rare earth exports, markets soar

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/china-rare-earthexports.jpg
[/img]
If you own a flat screen TV, a hybrid, a PC, or any number of cell
phones, chances are you own a small but very sought after piece of
China. The country accounts for 97 percent of the world's rare earth
production, which is used in all manner of gadgets, and it recently
announced plans to scale back exports by 10 percent in 2011. The move
probably won't have a big impact on the average consumer, but it's
certainly gained a lot of attention on the world market: the US
threatened action in the World Trade Organization, stocks for rare
earth mining companies spiked significantly, and Sony Corp. vowed to
decrease its dependence on the minerals. It's actually not like the
rest of the world is lacking for rare earth resources -- American's
are actually sitting on 13 million metric tons of the stuff, which
companies in the US and Canada are making a mad dash to mine. Trouble
is, just getting the stuff out of the ground isn't enough -- China
still has a monopoly on rare earth processing, and US companies are
reluctant to spend the eight years and minimum $500 million necessary
to construct a chemical separation plant. So what does all this mean
for you? Well, not a whole lot, unless you happen to be China's
Minister of Commerce, in which case you should probably stop surfing
the web and get back to work.

LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader brings DLNA, apps, and a web browser to formerly dumb displays

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1230ub35vfsddd.jpg
[/img]
If you buy any of LG's latest HDTVs, you're pretty much assured it'll
have a big sticker saying "Smart TV" somewhere along its fascia
assuring you of its internet connectivity and compatibility. But, if
you're still rocking some old school piece of visual tech that isn't
yet past its "watch by" date, you'll be needing a set-top box of some
kind to get on the web without leaving your couch. Naturally, LG would
like to be the one to Smarten up your viewing habits there too, and so
it's just unveiled its new ST600 sidekick for older television sets.
It adds DLNA connectivity for some wireless media transfer fun, grants
access to a "vast range" of premium content as well as local
programming, throws in a web browser, and finishes things off with
LG's TV Apps selection. Of course, this is the week of the pre-CES
announcement, hence we've no pricing to share yet, but the way the
company's talking about it, the ST600 sounds like it might make an
aggressive MSRP its standout feature. Sadly, that's a bit of a distant
hope for now as this Upgrader isn't expected in shops until Q2 2011.
Who knows if we'll even be watching TV by that time?

Creative Zen Touch 2 passes FCC, adds yet another new button arrangement to Android world

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1230ub2345cz.jpg
[/img]
Oh Android, is there any device you won't grace for the cheap thrill
of adding to your army of followers? Creative's Zen Touch 2 served up
most of its specs a couple of months back, including a resistive
touchscreen and the use of Android 2.1 as its OS, but today it's
formalized its US intentions with a bit of FCC certification action.
The 3.2-inch PMP's 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless
transceivers all checked out okay, though the exhaustive teardown also
revealed a "vibrator" module and an 1150mAh battery contained within
its plasticky walls. Another note of import was that two variants, one
equipped with GPS and one without, were offered to the FCC, in line
with the company segmenting the Zen Touch 2 into "standard" and
"enhanced" editions. If you're in the UK, you can have one of these
music players shipped to you tomorrow, but the US online store only
lists it by name and doesn't yet have a full page for it. Shouldn't be
long now.

RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook battery life is still being optimized, won't cause delays

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/playbook-max-2.jpg
[/img]
If you've been keeping an ear to the techie ground, you'll probably
have heard some analyst chatter suggesting RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook
may be delayed due to issues relating to its supposedly poor battery
life. That scuttlebutt has now turned out to be mostly unfounded, with
RIM clarifying the situation through a communiqué sent to
Erictric:

"Any testing or observation of battery life to date by anyone outside
of RIM would have been performed using pre-beta units that were built
without power management implemented. RIM is on track with its
schedule to optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook's battery life and looks
forward to providing customers with a professional grade tablet that
offers superior performance with comparable battery life."
To be sure, it's not an outright denial that there may be PlayBooks
floating about with disappointing battery performance, but the
immaturity of the software on them is clearly such as to invalidate
any conclusions drawn. Perhaps more important than the imprecise
discussion of battery longevity (what does "comparable" even mean in
this context?) is the note that the company is still on track to
complete its software optimizations and deliver its first tablet on
schedule. Guess we can all quit worrying now.

Sharp Galapagos media tablets will bring 3G and EPUB content to US e-reader market in 2011

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1230u8b35fsa.jpg
[/img]
We like a bit of ambition around these parts and Sharp's plans for
entering the US e-reader battlefield reek of the stuff. The Galapagos
tablets that recently enjoyed their Japanese debut are going to be
retooled, according to the Mainichi Daily News, to include new 3G
radios for the internet-addicted US consumer, while the primary
content format will also be switched from the proprietary XMDF in
Japan to the almost universally compatible EPUB. Content partnerships
are said to be brewing as we type, because, quite naturally, Sharp
intends to have its own e-bookstore for Americans as well. After the
Yanks, the company's said to be looking into bringing its 5.5- and
10.8-inch tablets to China, India, and Brazil. Highly ambitious indeed.

Grace Digital adds color displays on new Solo Touch, Bravado X, and Mondo WiFi radios

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/grace-mondo-radio.jpg
[/img]

Can't say we had the best of times with Grace Digital's Allegro, but
the dawning of a new year means the dawning of a new effort. Three
efforts, in this case. Poised for an official unveiling next week at
CES, the outfit's new trio of internet radios have all been upgraded
with color displays. Up first is the Solo Touch, a $249.99 device with
an expansive 4.3-inch touchpanel, bundled remote, Ethernet connection,
RCA outputs and a headphone jack. Stepping down a notch, there's the
Bravado X ($179.99), which offers a 2.7-inch color display, RCA in /
out and a USB connector. Finally, the $169.99 Mondo packs a 3.5-inch
color display, a full-on alarm clock (with snooze!) and a USB port of
its own. The whole lot can be controlled via a free iPhone app, and
they're each capable of tuning into iheartradio, Pandora, Sirius XM,
WeatherBug, CBS Radio, MP3Tunes and more. Now, off to Vegas to see if
those user interface quirks have been cleared up...

UK and French carriers working on cellular coverage for Channel Tunnel, aim to finish by 2012 Olympics

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x123085ei.jpg
[/img]
If you live in a technophile city like Taipei, you'll have been
enjoying underground 4G for a long time now, but in London the rule is
that you have to bid adieu to your mobile connectivity when diving
into a tunnel. The city's Mayor has been active in encouraging
(forcing?) the major British carriers to install the necessary
equipment to provide coverage on the Tube, and now we're hearing that
ambition has stretched beyond the nation's borders as well. The Daily
Telegraph reports that Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere, and Three
from the UK along with Orange, SFR and Bouygues from France have
agreed to share the cost of putting together a £20 million
($30.8m) project for making cellular coverage possible while traveling
through the 31.4-mile Channel Tunnel between the two countries. The
goal is to get things up and running by the Olympics in 2012, though
we've no indication as to what speeds those wireless data transfers
will reach. Still, having some bars is better than none, right?

Ford MyKey adds radio censorship to further control teen driving habits

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/ford-mykey2001-sirius-1293660623.jpg
[/img]

Daddy doesn't have to take the T-Bird away, he can just take all the
fun out of driving it. That is, if the T-Bird is actually a Taurus.
Ford's MyKey system has been engendering teen resentment since the
release of the 2010 Focus, allowing parents to limit max speeds and
cap radio volume, but parental control doesn't stop there -- the 2011
MyKey can selectively block radio stations. Starting next year,
parents will have the option to block 16 Sirius radio channels from
the car's dial, among them Howard Stern, Playboy, and Hip-Hop Nation.
Optional radio censorship isn't the only new feature for MyKey, which
allows owners to program a key to fit their specific level of paranoia
-- the new version allows parents to set top speeds between 65 and
80mph, instead of the previous fixed cap of 80mph. Other controls
carrying over from the original system include a chime that sounds at
10mph intervals, starting at 45mph, and an advanced notice when fuel
levels are low. The new features will come standard issue on the 2011
Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer, and will eventually reach across both
the Ford and Lincoln brands.

Why did Pluto lose its planet status? Because it never mattered enough

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1230ub379luto.jpg
[/img]It's kind of hard to accept, Pluto has always been our favorite
underdog, but the truth is that the Solar System's ninth planet was
never really significant enough to earn that designation. Such is the
coldly logical reason given for its removal from the planetary annals
by a man who had a lot to do with its demise. Caltech astronomer Mike
Brown discovered Eris, what he'd hoped was the tenth planet, back in
2005, but its extreme distance from the Sun and diminutive (by
planetary standards) dimensions disqualified it from consideration.
Unfortunately, its discovery is what doomed Pluto to be downgraded to
a "dwarf planet," though Mike's not shedding too many tears over it.
In fact, he's gone and written a book about the whole thing, the smug
planet destroyer that he is. You don't have to buy it to learn more,
however, as the source link has an interview with Mike all ready and
waiting.

LucidLogix virtualization tech enables AMD and NVIDIA GPUs to play together with Sandy Bridge

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/lucid-chip.jpg
[/img]It's baaack. We've gone well over half a year without hearing a
peep from black magic makers LucidLogix, but here on the doorstep of
CES 2011, the company has resurfaced just in time to ride on the
coattails of Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge platform. Sandy is
expected to take over CES when companies start to introduce new PCs in
just a few days, and thanks to Lucid's virtualization software, we
wouldn't be surprised if a few are served with NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.
This here technology enables the two to play nice, making the
outlandish fantasy of using a multi-GPU, multi-vendor setup a reality.
DirectX 11 is also supported, with the only real requirement being to
"connect the display screen directly to the motherboard's Sandy Bridge
display output." We'll be taking a closer look at the peacemaker once
we land in Vegas, but for now, go ahead and prepare yourself for a
beta version of 'Virtu' -- it'll hit at some point next month.

Santech can't wait for CES, lists a bunch of Sandy Bridge CPUs on new N67 laptop

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x12308b435santech.jpg
[/img]
Man, who needs to go to CES anymore? Intel's frailly maintained
secrecy around Sandy Bridge processor identities has been blown to
smithereens today by Italian systems integrator Santech. The company
lists a now familiar Core i7-2630QM (quad-core, 2GHz) alongside an
i7-2720QM (2.2GHz), an i7-2820QM (2.3GHz), and an i7-2920XM (2.5GHz),
confirming once and for all that Intel has completely lost its mind
when it comes to naming chips. Other specs include up to 16GB of DDR3
RAM, up to 750GB of magnetic storage or 160GB of the solid state
stuff, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a 15.6-inch display that can be
either glossy or matte, with a resolution of either 1366 x 768 or 1920
x 1080, depending on your preference and budget. Deliveries are said
to start on January 27th and prices range between €1,200 ($1,577)
and €3,000 ($3,943).

ASUS EP121, EP102, EP101, and EP71 tablets get diagramed in latest teaser

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x12308b35fgfb.jpg
[/img]
Haven't had enough CES titillation yet? Good. ASUS has apparently been
up to some mischief overnight in uploading and then pulling a new
version of its teaser video from a week ago, though this time it also
included explicit product names attached to some quite informative
diagrams. It looks to be the full family of upcoming CES tablets, with
the EP121 touting stylus input and a wireless keyboard, the EP102
showing that there will indeed be a slider in ASUS' Pad family, and
the EP101 looking like, well, a laptop. There's also a media-centric
EP71, whose proportions make it seem likely to be a sort of oversized
PMP. Skip past the break for a closer look at them all and don't
forget to grace our comments with your theory as to why ASUS feels
compelled to have such a segmented product offering.

HTC Media Link DLNA streamer review

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/htc-media-link-review-htc-media-link-with-desire-z-engadget.jpg
[/img]
Apple's AirPlay might be getting all the attention lately but it's
hardly the first solution for wirelessly streaming media to the
television. Far from it. In 2003, the Digital Living Network Alliance
(DLNA) formed with its first set of interoperable products hitting the
market in 2004. Since then, the alliance has certified thousands of
products supported by more than 245 member companies, 29 of whom are
listed as "promoter members" including such heavyweights as Sony,
Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Verizon, AT&T Lab, LG, Qualcomm, Cisco,
Microsoft, Panasonic, Intel, HP, and Motorola. Pretty much everyone
but Apple. Recently, HTC joined the DLNA ranks with the introduction
of two smartphones -- the Desire Z and Desire HD -- and a tiny media
streamer known as the HTC Media Link, HTC's first attempt to gain a
foothold in the living room. Over the last week we've been testing the
Desire Z (a Eurofied T-Mobile G2) with the Media Link, lazily
streaming video, music, and images around the house using a myriad of
sources and controllers from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Western
Digital. How did it perform? Click through to find out.

Sprint's 3G / 4G MiFi 4082 revealed?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/sprint-4g-mifi-r0fl.jpg
[/img]
Wasn't long ago that we found hard evidence of a WiMAX-capable MiFi
from Novatel in the FCC -- and now, we might have the first press shot
of it. Of course, press shots are always prettier than the actual
devices, but even if you beat this image with the ugly stick for a
minute or two, we're pretty sure it'd still be a good deal more
handsome than the first-gen 3G MiFi that Sprint, Verizon, and others
are using currently. No word on when this might launch, but with FCC
certification under its belt, it's plausible that we'll see it next
week at CES -- probably without the tipster's own professionally-
Photoshopped status light below the battery indicator, we'd bet.

[Thanks, r0fl]

Amazon enables Kindle e-book lending

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101230-kindle-02.jpg
[/img]
This is great news for the mom of at least one Engadget editor (who
has been despairing at her inability to share e-books with Aunt
Kathy). That's right: Amazon has enabled Kindle book loaning on select
titles. Of course, there are caveats: books can be loaned only once,
for a period of fourteen days. As you'd suspect, the loaned books can
be read using the e-reader itself or the free Kindle app for any of
your various devices (including iOS, BlackBerry, Android, PC, and
Mac). While a book is being borrowed you can't read it yourself, and
the publisher has the final word on which titles are eligible for
lending. Exciting, right? At least as exciting as the opportunity to
finally discover what The Secret Life of Bees might be.

HTC Scribe turns up in US trademark filings, could be a tablet

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/htc-scribe-trademark.jpg
[/img]
It's an open secret at this point that HTC is almost certainly working
on one or more tablets for introduction in 2011 -- and with
heavyweights like Samsung, Motorola, and LG all playing the game (or
about to play the game), really, how could they not? PocketNow has
unearthed a very fresh trademark filing with the US PTO -- filed this
past Sunday -- for "HTC Scribe," described as a "handheld wireless
device, namely, a tablet computer." Doesn't get much more definitive
than that. Of course, companies file for marks that they don't
ultimately end up using all the time -- from their perspective, it's
better to shoot first and ask questions later -- so it's not a slam
dunk, but when you think about it, Scribe could actually be an awesome
name for a little Honeycomb tablet. Only question is, are we going to
see this stuff next week at CES or in February at MWC?

App store milestones: Windows Phone 7 hits 5,000 as Android passes 200,000 available apps

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1228b734andro.jpg
[/img]
Apps, apps, apps! Everywhere you look, more apps. Both Android and
Windows Phone 7 have reportedly crossed a couple of round number
milestones recently, giving us a decent idea of the maturity gap
between the two. Microsoft's brand new OS with an old OS' name has
rounded the 5,000 available apps corner -- that's according to two
sources keeping track of what's on offer in the Marketplace -- while
AndroLib's latest data indicates Android's crossed the 200,000
threshold when it comes to apps and games taken together. We're
cautious on taking either of these numbers as hard truth, particularly
since AndroLib was reporting 100,000 Android apps when there were only
70,000 -- but they do provide rough estimates as to where each
platform is in terms of quantity, if not quality. Now, where do you
think each will be this time in 2011?

ProForm Trailrunner 4.0 treadmill tricks you into exercising with 10-inch Android tablet

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/proform-android-treadmill.jpg
[/img]
Looking for a New Year's resolution to break? Look elsewhere. If you
commit to banging out three solid miles on a Trailrunner 4.0 treadmill
each day, there's a better-than-average chance you'll actually be able
to do just that throughout 2011. In a presumed effort to keep nerds
and internet junkies "in shape," ProForm has slapped a 10-inch Android
tablet (non-removable, sadly) up top, offering users the ability to
check the news, browse their email and surf the web so long as a WiFi
network is within range. Once you're done with that, you can scroll
through workout stats and options including speed, time, distance,
calories burned, pulse, incline and pace. Moreover, it's integrated
with iFit Live in order to give users the ability to map their
progress, and the inbuilt speaker system and auxiliary input lets you
jam to your heart's content, too. At $2,999, it's hardly an impulse
buy, but considering that you were already budgeting $500 for a new
Android device... actually, nah, it's still no bargain.

[Thanks, Justin]

Just got a BlackBerry? The best apps, accessories, and tips

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/torchholiday.jpg
[/img]
So you just got a BlackBerry, huh? First off, welcome to the world of
glorious hardware keyboards and the holy grail of mobile messaging we
mortals call BBM. Once you get past the novelty of sending the
obligatory "mypin" texts to everyone you know, you're probably
thinking to yourself -- what now? Luckily for you we've compiled a
list of our favorite apps and accessories, as well as some veteran
tricks of the trade, so head past the break for a crash course in
doing more than just playing BrickBreaker on a BlackBerry.

Hey Android friends, we got you covered, too! Did you get an iPad?
Check out our guide here! Found an iPhone in your stocking? Read our
list of must-haves!

South Korea rolls out first commercial electric bus service, we are green with envy

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/seoul-electric-bus-service-begins.jpg
[/img]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has just rolled out a world first by
instating commercial, all electric bus service in the city. We've
previously seen pilot programs and trials, but actual working
commercial service has never been previously implemented. The program,
developed in agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hankuk Fiber,
and the buses themselves can run up to about 52 miles on a single
charge (which takes about 30 minutes), and have a maximum speed of
about 62 miles per hour. Though several other cities have small fleets
of electric public transportation, Seoul has announced that half of
its massive fleet of buses will be electric by 2020.

Cowon D3 Plenue PMP runs Android, looks like a phone, totally isn't

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/cowon-plenue-2010-12-28-600.jpg
[/img]
Ever find yourself wanting a phone that, you know, couldn't make
calls? Welcome to the Cowon D3 Plenue, an Android-having PMP that
looks so good we want to press it to our cheeks and say "Hello." Sadly
there'd be nobody there, nobody but up to 32GB of Britney, Katy,
Mandy, and whoever else you'd like stored on microSD and played back
over a 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED. That display isn't capable of doing
your 1080p files justice, but the PMP itself is, and with HDMI output
it can send that footage to an external panel. There's also WiFi, a T-
DMB tuner, Bluetooth, and even an accelerometer. In case you're
wondering it's Android 2.1 hiding behind that skin and, while Cowon
promises "Apps," we're a little doubtful they'll be of the Market
variety.

MSI Wind U270 netbook emerges with 1.6GHz AMD Zacate processor

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/msi-wind-u270-netbook.jpg
[/img]
We weren't actually expecting to see any Zacate-based machines until
CES 2011 kicked off in earnest, but it looks as if MSI is hoping to
snag a little wind from the sails of its competitors. In a small
Taipei-based event, the outfit quietly snuck out a machine that we can
only assume will become official in the coming days -- the Wind U270
netbook is an 11.6-incher with a 1.6GHz Zacate processor, 4GB of RAM,
a 320GB hard drive and no optical drive to speak of. Other specs
include a VGA output, two USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 socket, a
Kensington lock port, 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet jack and an overly
glossy 1366 x 768 resolution panel. Courtesy of Netbook News' hands-
on, we've spotted a traditional chiclet keyboard, a split mouse button
(huzzah!) and a trackpad that may very well not exist if it were any
smaller. MSI wasn't about to spill any details on a ship date or
price, but feel free to get yourself acquainted with the aesthetic in
the video just past the break.

Porsche promises to unveil 'new model' in Detroit, could it be the 918 Spyder plug-in?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/918-spyder-2010-12-28.jpg
[/img]
Maybe this is wishful thinking and maybe we're optimists, but maybe,
just maybe, Porsche could be ready to unveil to the world the final
version of its supremely hot hybrid. We already know the company has
given the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid a green light for a run down
assembly lines, a legitimate supercar with a 700+ horsepower on tap
despite achieving near 80mpg. But, we don't know the when nor the all-
important how much. With Porsche promising to give "a new model its
world debut" at the North American International Auto Show we can't
help but hope that this is it. Want to be the first to find out? When
the time comes you can watch the unveil yourself, live streamed at www.porsche.com/detroit
.

Update: Marco wrote in to let us know the spoil-sports at Autobild are
indicating this will be just the relatively plain 918, neither a
spyder nor a hybrid. We'll just have to wait a few weeks to see.

Disney imagineering long lines out of theme parks with military-grade monitoring systems

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/
spacemtn.jpg[/img]
They've got a monorail system, IRL Muppets, and a house from the
future, so we're not surprised that Disneyland is kicking its line-
monitoring system into technological overdrive. Beneath Cinderella's
iconic castle, a NORAD-style operation dedicated to eradicating
downtime for visitors to the Magic Kingdom has sprung up, with a whole
team tracking wait times, average number of rides ridden, and a whole
bevy of other visitor-happiness metrics all over the park. From there,
they can do things like re-route foot traffic to less-populated areas
of the park with a mini-parade, adjust personnel at different
attractions, or dispatch Jack Sparrow himself to liven up a Pirates
line-waiter's afternoon. Chief Creative Executive Imagineer Bruce E.
Vaughan dreams of "a day where there is memory built into these
characters - they will know that they've seen you four or five times
before and that your name is Bobby." Sounds delightfully frightening
to us. But hey, it's all in the name of increasing visitor happiness,
which we're sure goes hand in hand with visitor brokeness by the time
they leave the park.

HTC Thunderbolt with LTE for Verizon pictured ahead of CES unveiling?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-28-10-htcthunderboltdroidlife.jpg
[/img]
So, that lovely 4.3-inch LTE smartphone with Android for Verizon we've
been calling the Mecha and the Droid Incredible HD? Looks like it
might come to market as the Thunderbolt, so says Droid Life -- and we
tend to put some weight on the rumor considering that they've just run
twelve leaked shots of the thing. As you can see, this is clearly
Verizon's head-on answer to the EVO 4G, featuring similar stylings
and, in all likelihood, an LTE modem swapped in for the EVO's WiMAX
one. Sure looks like that "controlled" leak from a few days back,
doesn't it? More on this at Verizon's press conference next week, we
presume.

Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2... fight!

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/20101223-10381034-jamboxvsfoxl-img2006.jpg
[/img]
Two portable speakers clamber into the ring, each boasting big,
beautiful sound for their diminutive size. Both cost $200. Both have
the same technology inside. The Jawbone Jambox and the Soundmatters
foxL v2 with Bluetooth each want to be your wireless audio wunderkind,
blasting music and taking Bluetooth calls. At best, you're only going
to buy one. Which speaker should you choose? Following our Jambox
review, we got our hands on a foxL and put the two head to head, and
after the break you'll see which one came out on top -- both literally
and figuratively.

Sanwa trots out a multitouch mouse of its own, the MA-TOUCH1

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-28-10-sanwamagicmouse.png
[/img]Not so fond of the Magic Mouse, are you? How's about a flattened
version, sans Bluetooth? That's exactly what we're being presented
with here, as Sanwa's MA-TOUCH1 looks like the lovechild of Apple's
own multitouch critter and Logitech's M505. In truth, the only real
design cue this guy snags from the Logi is its Unifying Receiver,
signifying that it relies on wireless USB rather than BT. The design
scheme is definitely of interest -- rather than being curved to fit
the shape of a relaxed palm, it's totally flat up top, supporting four-
direction scrolling and two-finger swipes. She's on sale now in four
different colors (red, white, black and silver), with ¥4,300 ($52)
standing between you and something you may or may not ever actually
use to control your cursor.

Samsung unveils i-Functional NX11 mirrorless camera, WB700 with 24x zoom (update: pictures)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/12-28-10-nx11side600.jpg
[/img]
Just when you thought it'd be a week devoid of notable announcements
-- what, with CES less than a week away -- along comes Samsung with
two new cameras. The first one is an upgrade to the mirrorless NX10,
naturally called the NX11, that boasts a change in grip design and
compatibility with the i-Function lens found on the NX100. The other
nitty-gritty details for the 14.6 megapixel shooter: a 3-inch AMOLED
LCD screen, VGA viewfinder, 720p 30fps HD recording, and an APS-C
sensor. Price and date? $649 with a bundled 18-55mm zoom lens,
available in February.

In smaller news -- volumetrically, at least -- the 16 megapixel
Samsung WB700 sports a 24x zoom (that's 18x optical and 1.3x smart
zoom), a 24mm ultra-wide Schneider Kreuznach lens, CCD sensor, and
1080p HD video. You're gonna have to wait a little bit longer for that
one -- April, to be more specific -- for a penny under $300. Press
releases are after the break, and we'll get you the pictures as soon
as Sammy sends 'em.

Update: We found the pictures!

DIY pinhole camera goes automatic with Lego Mindstorms (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/lego-pinhole-12-28-2010.jpg
[/img]
As you may be aware, you can build a pinhole camera out of just about
anything and, as we've seen, you can build just about anything with
Lego Mindstorms -- so it makes sense the two should finally meet,
right? Thanks to DIY-er Basil Shikin, they now have. He didn't just
settle for a simple pinhole camera, though -- he created a fully
automatic camera that's able to wind the film and control the shutter
(and look good while doing so). Head on past the break to check it out
in action, and hit up the link below for the complete details to build
your own.

Robot Safety Center opens up in Japan, Crash Test Dummies still an unfortunate name for a band (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101228-robotsafety-01.jpg
[/img]
The fair city of Tsukuba, which (as you know) is located in Ibaraki
Prefecture, Japan, has recently become home to the new Robot Safety
Center. A collaboration between a number of organizations including
Japan's Automobile Research Institute (JARI), the center has areas for
testing various robots and exoskeletons for things like obstacle
detection, electronic jamming resistance, durability, and more. As
well as developing safety standards for the devices, it is hoped that
within the next five years it will provide certification services for
new robots as they become commercially available. Some eighteen tests
have been installed at the facility thus far, and we must say that it
looks like fun! See some examples after the break.

Thermaltake's Max 5G dual-fan USB 3.0 HDD enclosure cools your platters with style

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/thermaltake-max-5g-small-1.jpg
[/img]We know what you were thinking: my external hard drive enclosure
is nice and all, but why is it so quiet? Well, Thermaltake is here to
fix that with its new Max 5G dual-fan enclosure. Outside the fans and
the fancy LED lights (which can be switched off, if you're feeling
unextreme one particular morning), the enclosure is pretty great
itself, with a smokin' USB 3.0 plug and support for high-end 3.5-inch
SATA 3.0 drives. The fans are to promote long life on your hard drive
and "data integrity" and all that, but pretty much they just say to
your SATA drive: "I care." And isn't that all that matters? The
enclosure is available for pre-order right now for $52, no word on
release.

EngKey telepresence robot teaches English to Koreans by way of the Philippines

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101228-engkey-01.jpg
[/img]
You know, for all the hubbub we've been hearing about le robots (the
robots), you'd think we'd see them put to better uses than chasing our
pets and killing people. Right? Right. Well, the best use we can think
of is education, and that's exactly what they're doing at an
elementary school in Daegu, South Korea. Developed by the Korea
Institute of Science of Technology (KIST), EngKey is just under three-
and-a-half feet high, features a video display for a face, and seems
hell bent on taking all those "teach English in Korea" jobs away from
shiftless American college grads looking to postpone responsibility
for one or two more desperate years. There are currently twenty-nine
such devices, which -- get this -- are actually operated remotely by
teachers in the Philippines. Is this the end result of globalism? Not
quite yet: for the time being, the robots are still too cumbersome to
operate and expensive to justify putting into production. But who
knows? Maybe someday, kids.

Thimble concept translates real-world input into real-time Braille (video)

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/thimblegrab.jpg
[/img]
From the great tomorrowland of concept videos comes yet another
potentially life-changing product: a thimble (looks more like a one-
finger glove to us) that takes ambient input and relays it in via an
electro-tactile grid to the wearer's finger in Braille. It gets text
input from an embedded camera, like in the picture above, or pulls RSS
feeds, books, or presumably any other text via a Bluetooth-paired
smartphone. We are, of course, addicted to the flow of info our mobile
devices feed us throughout the day, and this little guy seems like the
perfect tool to bring that flow more easily to the visually impaired.
Now, venture capitalists, work your magic -- we'll be expecting to see
this thing on shelves just in time for holidays season 2012. Video
after the jump.

Motorola Cliq 2 pictures hit the outside world?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/cliq-2-rumor-rm-eng-1.jpg
[/img]What, you didn't forget about the Cliq series, did you? The
followup to Motorola and T-Mobile's slider's been long rumored -- we
heard a few morsels of information back in September -- and now
CellPhoneSignal has a few pics of what it claims is the Begonia, aka
Cliq 2 (for T-Mobile, naturally). The keyboard here is, well,
interesting, to say the least, and there's also apparently a five
megapixel camera on the back. We're not really sure how our thumbs
feel about the layout, but if this is legit, we'd reckon they'll get
to try it out themselves sooner or later. That's what giant gadget
trade shows are for, right? Right. More pictures via the source link.

.MGX opens world's first store dedicated to 3D printed goods

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/mgx-3d-printed-1-1.jpg
[/img]
Is your Matter Compiler broken? Well, step on down to the local .MGX
for all your 3D printed needs! Materialise's .MGX brand has just
opened its very own flagship store in Brussels, and it professes to be
the first physical store solely dedicated to 3D printed wares. It's
primarily high design baubles right now, but we're sure it won't be
long before we're chucking our old and busted cutlery into the deke
bin and churning out new sets with our at-home M.C. we bought at
Target. Right, Neal?

BYD Motors to debut e6 Premier, S6DM plug-in vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/byd-motors-12-28-2010.jpg
[/img]
China's BYD came out of nowhere in early 2009 to debut a MID / phone
running Windows XP, but consumer electronics are just one arm
(actually spun off) of the relatively young mega-corporation. Its BYD
Motors division has also been working on various plug-in vehicles for
the past few years, and it's now set to roll into the Detroit Auto
Show next month with two new models. Those include the all-electric e6
Premier crossover, and the S6DM dual-mode plug-in hybrid SUV, the
former of which promises a range of 300 kilometers and a top speed of
140km/h, while the latter can eek out 60 kilometers solely on electric
power or close to 500 kilometers when the 2.0L gasoline engine comes
into play. What's more, the company is apparently also promising a US
launch announcement of some sort, although Autoblog Green suspects
that will involve the earlier F3DM hybrid (pictured above), which has
already begun testing in California, and the E6 electric crossover.
Head on past the break for the full press release.

Fujifilm explains how its X100 hybrid viewfinder works, we nod and pretend to understand

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/x100-hybrid-viewfinder-1.jpg
[/img]
If you just tried to tell us the FinePix X100 was a bog standard
digital camera, we'd still probably pay any price for those amazing
retro looks, but Fujifilm has more in mind. Specifically, the X100
harbors an all-new viewfinder setup, that can switch between a full-on
optical view (something that's currently impossible in similarly sized
Micro Four Thirds cameras), and an electronic viewfinder. The optical
mode also includes overlaid shooting data, which isn't typical for a
straight compact viewfinder (since it's looking through its own lens,
not the camera's main lens). You'll have to read Fujifilm's full-on
explanation to really know what's going on here -- it gets a little
technical -- but basically there's a half mirror prism that lets the
mini LCD project info on top of the optical image that's coming
through to your eye, but that half mirror prism becomes a straight up
mirror when the viewfinder's front lens is blocked, allowing for a
full electronic image of the actual image being captured by the lens
to bounce to your eye. See? That wasn't so difficult. We don't know
what we were so worried about.

Putin orders Russian federal agencies to switch to open source software, galavant topless in the out-of-doors

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/101228-putin-01.jpg
[/img]
Never one to pass up the opportunity to run a hunkitudinous (look it
up!) picture of Vladimir Putin, we were thrilled to hear that the
Russian Prime Minister and ex-KGB man has signed an order specifying
that "federal executive bodies and agencies of the federal budget"
should transition to open source software beginning in Q2 2011. That's
right -- it looks like there is something, at least, to those recent
rumors that the country was dissing Redmond and contemplating a
national open source OS. There's a lot more to it that appears to be
of little interest unless you're a member of the apparat, in which
case you'll probably be reading this thing in the original in Russian
soon enough. As for us, we're just curious to see how the new software
will be used to bedevil dissident groups once Microsoft is out of the
picture.

HP slashes Envy 13 price to $999 with $450 rebate

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1229bu7345hp.jpg
[/img]
First it was the Adamo, now it's the Envy. HP has joined Dell in
deeply discounting its aging 13-inch ultrathin, though unlike its
Round Rock competitor, it hasn't bothered to give it any spec bumps.
Consequently, even with this interest-building $450 rebate, the Envy
13 loses out to the Adamo 13 in a straight spec fight -- a 1.6GHz CPU,
3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive are all either slower or
smaller than Dell's offering -- but it does still have a pair of aces
up its sleeve to get latecomers to part with their cash. Those include
an external SuperMulti DVD rewriter and a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon
HD 4330 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory. Sure, it's not much, but
then neither is the new price.

Another Sony Ericsson Android leaked in China, successor to the X10 Mini Pro?

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/x10mini2-1-12292010.jpg
[/img]
Once again, here's proof that China is the place to be for piping-hot
gadget leaks. The latest delivery is yet another mysterious Sony
Ericsson handset, which is allegedly the Android 2.3 successor to the
much loved X10 Mini Pro slider but with an X8 screen size. Despite its
modest dimensions, this little gem packs a 1GHz chip with an Adreno
205 GPU, scoring an impressive 1,553 on the Quadrant benchmark app --
coming close to the Nexus S' score -- and 42.5fps on Neocore, as
pictured on the 3-inch 320 x 480 multitouch LCD above. It sure sounds
juicy, except for one thing: the buttons are in reverse order of the
current Xperia layout. Very funny, Sony Ericsson, now just give us a
date. One more shot after the break.

LVX System launches visible light communication in the US, finally

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/lvx-systemledcomm.jpg
[/img]
Ever wonder what happened to LEDs as a WiFi alternative? Well, wonder
no more, because visible light communication is here -- in the
municipal offices of St. Cloud Minnesota, at least. Starting tomorrow,
LVX System, a Minnesota start-up, is installing the first of a series
of LED fixtures that will use flashing lights to connect office
workers to the internet, while saving big on the electric bill. The
fixtures also function as regular overhead lights, using 36 watts of
energy where 100 watts were once necessary. The setup consists of
clusters of LEDs that switch on and off thousands of times per second
at intervals undetectable to the human eye. The flashes emit binary
code data -- off equals zero and on equals one -- that is received by
special patented modems. Lights on these modems then transmit data
back to the fixtures, and voila, you've got internet. According to
LVX, light-powered networks are far less crowded and far more secure
than their predecessors. Unfortunately, LVX's current incarnation
transmits data at about 3Mbps -- a mere pittance compared to standard
WiFi or Ethernet. Then again, 3Mbps is certainly fast enough for a
city employee to perform really important tasks like keeping track of
their favorite gadget blog, so we'll take it.

[Thanks, Andrew]

MSI reveals mad Sandy Bridge motherboard with eight PCIe slots, eight USB 3.0 ports, and three BIOS chips

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x12297g24eng-1293620660.jpg
[/img]
Straighten up and salute the Big Bang Marshal, MSI's attempt at
redefining the term "overkill." This XL-ATX board packs a total of
eight PCI Express lanes (though it only has the bandwidth to
simultaneously feed four x16s or eight x8s -- relevant if you're crazy
enough to think about using more than four GPUs), three separate BIOS
chips, extra 8-pin and 6-pin 12V power intakes, and a thoroughly
excessive set of power regulation components. The less extremely
minded among you will appreciate having a full array of eight USB 3.0
ports on the back, though we can't get over the measly four DIMM slots
on offer. Word is that features might change before the Marshal goes
to market in the first quarter of next year, so let's hope more room
for your RAM sticks is among the tweaks between now and then.

LG's LW6500 Cinema 3D TV is certified flicker-free, launching at CES

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1229734lg.jpg
[/img]
Oh LG, you infernal tease. Instead of politely revealing its full set
of plans for CES 2011, the Korean company keeps gently peeling away
the layers of ignorance, with today marking its pre-announcement of a
new Cinema 3D TV set. The LW6500 opts for passive 3D glasses, in place
of the currently popular active shutter goggles, which has garnered it
a couple of industry certifications to say that its 3D is guaranteed,
definitely, totally flicker-free. Aside from that, you get a neat
brightness booster to ensure that switching on the third dimension
doesn't dim the picture unduly, while the rest of the specs and extras
on this 200Hz panel seem mostly unremarkable. We'll be casting our
eyeballs over it at CES next week, which will be followed, we're told,
by a rollout in select markets shortly thereafter.

VerbalVictor app gives voice to disabled

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/ipad-verbalvictor.jpg
[/img]
With iTunes overrun with apps that do little more than find creative
ways to promote products or otherwise suck time, it's nice to see
mobile technology doing something that's, well, not so trivial.
VerbalVictor, a $10 program, which should be available in the App
Store next week, uses iPhone and iPad touch screens to allow people
with disabilities to communicate with the outside world. Paul Pauca --
whose son suffers from Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder
that causes delays in cognitive development, motor skills, and verbal
communication -- developed the app as an affordable alternative to non-
verbal communication devices. It touts functionality similar to the
device used by Steven Hawking, but is far more accessible than the
professor's $8,200 setup. VerbalVictor allows parents and caregivers
to take pictures and record accompanying audio; the entries are then
turned into buttons, which the user presses when they want to
communicate -- sort of like a very advanced and customizable See N'
Say. The device can be used for simple expressions, like an image of a
dog that speaks "dog" when pressed, or for recording commonly used
phrases and complete sentences. It may never reach the popularity of,
say iFart, but it's sure to win some dedicated users.

HTC EVO Shift 4G headed for a January 9th launch at $150, according to RadioShack leak

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1229ub35htc.jpg
[/img]
HTC's worst kept secret (this side of the Thunderbolt) has popped up
online again, this time as part of some RadioShack promo materials,
which list its price, launch date, 4G capabilities, and screen size.
Earlier indications had this Android slider launching on January 9th
at a $150 price point with a two-year contract and now, lo and behold,
both data points seem to have been confirmed. $450 is the price for
the EVO Shift 4G sans any carrier obligations, though you'll probably
want to stick with Sprint to make use of that WiMAX radio contained
within. Bring on 2011 already!