Droid R2-D2 gets docked — not in a X-Wing
Verizon’s teaser site for the Droid 2 R2-D2 edition has been teasing a series of locked spokes, accessible by all as soon as anyone in the community solves the “puzzle.” We don’t know exactly what the magic code was, but regardless, thanks to David H. yesterday, we’ve got a new gallery of devices pics and — oh, lookie — a special edition Droid R2-D2 dock. We don’t see room for a hyperdrive anywhere, nor wings, photon torpedos, or a cockpit for future Jedis to blast orbital space stations. So, let’s just call it a vacation home for astromechs needing a respite.
Gallery: Droid 2 R2-D2 edition dock
Droid R2-D2 gets docked — not in a X-Wing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Phandroid | 
Verizon | Email this | Comments
Engadget's back to school guide: Printers
New official MeeGo screenshots show promise, influence
MeeGo’s official user interface guidelines could easily end up determining whether the platform sinks or swims — no one wants a phone whose UI looks like junk, after all. The minions at Nokia and Intel’s little pet project have posted new OS shots as examples of how to properly implement the interface in third-party apps, and we’ve got to admit — things are looking a lot cleaner, prettier, and generally more modern than the first round of pictures we saw back in June, thanks in part to a demonstration of the platform’s comprehensive theming capability that can totally revamp how UI elements look. We’re definitely seeing shades of webOS in the task switcher (pictured above), but then again, Nokia’s no stranger to borrowing ideas it likes. That’s all well and good as long as it makes for a great platform… and obviously, we’d need some hardware to do that. O N9, where art thou?
New official MeeGo screenshots show promise, influence originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink My Nokia Blog | MeeGo | Email this | Comments
Xbox 360’s transforming D-pad controller gets handled on video
Boy, we’ve gone from rumor to hands-on experience in just a couple of days with this thing. Microsoft’s November 9-bound Xbox 360 controller refresh couldn’t escape the clutches of Joystiq, who have put together a neat photo gallery and video overview. That chrometastic new D-pad is clearly the headliner here, and the early feedback is that it works well — it takes a bit of effort to transform from a flat button to the elevated four-way navigator you see above, but that’s apparently a good thing as it means you’ll never flip modes by accident in the middle of a hot and heavy gaming session. The analog buttons have also been subjected to some nipping and tucking and there is of course a new desaturated color scheme to explore as well. You’ll find a shot of the retail packaging after the break and a lot more at the source.
Continue reading Xbox 360’s transforming D-pad controller gets handled on video
Xbox 360’s transforming D-pad controller gets handled on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Joystiq | Email this | Comments
Rydeen hopes to cash in on tablet fever with Android-based, Armada-powered PND
You may never have heard of auto electronics provider Rydeen Mobile, but it certainly knows of you — or more specifically, your desire to obtain a slick new tablet PC — and has thus created an 7-inch Android tablet that integrates the dedicated map functionality of its GPS machines. The “gPad” GCOM701 won’t be a terribly high-end device, mind you, with an 800MHz ARMADA 166 SOC, 256MB of RAM, bring-your-own-microSD-storage and what we’re led to believe is a resistive touchscreen, but it sounds like at least Rydeen isn’t being stingy on the software front. You’ll find a full suite of Google Apps, Adobe Flash Lite 4 and AVI support, not to mention 4 million points of interest thanks to the integrated Navteq client. Connectivity include GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, both mini and full-sized USB ports, plus a front-facing camera for video chat, and there’s a 2400mAh battery the company claims will provide six hours of solid use. Find it this November at an unspecified price, no doubt alongside the pictured (but not mentioned) car dock.
Continue reading Rydeen hopes to cash in on tablet fever with Android-based, Armada-powered PND
Rydeen hopes to cash in on tablet fever with Android-based, Armada-powered PND originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Rydeen | Email this | Comments
New Jersey transit looks to add WiFi to its rail lines and stations, New Yorkers to pretend they didn’t hear that
A New Jersey Transit spokesperson has announced that its seeking a company to install WiFi on its rail lines and at its train stations. The installation would make New Jersey one of the few major transit systems in the country to have WiFi on its 165 stations and 12 lines. The spokesperson also said they hope to get the installation under way quickly, and to have the hotspots available to riders by next year.
New Jersey transit looks to add WiFi to its rail lines and stations, New Yorkers to pretend they didn’t hear that originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | The Philadelphia Inquirer | Email this | Comments
iHome teases first AirPlay-compatible portable speaker dock
No surprise that iHome is first out of the gate with a speaker dock that’s compatible with Apple’s newly-open AirPlay music streaming system, but unfortunately the teaser page is maddeningly light on details — all we know is that it’ll have a rechargeable battery and be available for the holidays. We’re actually pretty stoked for AirPlay gear — the idea of setting up a quick mix-and-match whole-home audio system that can stream lossless audio straight from iTunes seems awfully hard to resist — so we’re eager to hear more about this thing, as well as the other third-party AirPlay devices like receivers and stereos that have been promised. We’ll keep digging for more, so stay tuned.
[Thanks, Fred]
iHome teases first AirPlay-compatible portable speaker dock originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | iHome | Email this | Comments
Stealth’s rugged USB keyboard is extremely tough, extremely pricey
There are no hard and fast rules in the gadget game, but there is one bit of wisdom we generally stand by: everything benefits by being ruggedized. Sure, we know this speaks to a deep-seated need to smash things, drown things, run ‘em over in a truck or shoot them — and we’re not making any excuses. Housed in vandal resistant stainless steel, the Stealth KYBX-400-DT-BL-TB-USB keyboard feature an optical trackball mouse, and NVIS-compliant red adjustable backlighting (just the thing for when you dig out the night vision goggles). If that weren’t enough, the whole thing is environmentally sealed to NEMA 4, 4X, IP65 specifications (whatever that means). Yours now for $695! Get a closer look below.
Gallery: Stealth Desktop Industrial Keyboards
Stealth’s rugged USB keyboard is extremely tough, extremely pricey originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Stealth | Email this | Comments
Guitar Sidekick brings your phone to your guitar, while your guitar gently weeps
Guitar Sidekick brings your phone to your guitar, while your guitar gently weeps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Castiv | Email this | Comments
Kodak PlayTouch preview
While Sony’s new Bloggie Touch provides the template for how simple and easy a touchscreen camcorder could really be, Kodak’s similarly well built and attractive PlayTouch provides a stark contrast, with a modicum of simplicity on the surface, but a megaton of functionality to uncover. The PlayTouch isn’t as pick-up-and go as the Bloggie, but the basic touchscreen controls can be quickly mastered. What sets the PlayTouch apart are the in-depth features like an external microphone jack (complete with gain control), video effects (like black & white and sepia modes), and the particularly ambitious video editor. You can only trim shots and extract stills from that latter mode, but paired with the newer generation EasyShare functionality that lets you pre-assign photos and videos for upload to YouTube and Facebook, among other services, you can almost completely avoid using your computer as anything but a dumb pipe to the internet.
The PlayTouch really isn’t a “gift it to your grandma” sort of camcorder; even with a $230 pricetag you still have to bring your own SD card, there’s no built-in storage, and most of the higher end functionalities like the external audio jack will be lost on the general populace. Still, if you’re looking for a pocket camcorder that is more than just a dumb pocket camcorder, Kodak seems to be continuing the niche it carved out for itself originally with the Zi8.
Gallery: Kodak PlayTouch preview
Kodak PlayTouch preview originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
