Corporate legal teams are so large, so powerful, and often so evenly-matched that when you combine them with the glacial wheels of justice, patent disputes can take years to resolve -- in fact, we'd say it's the rule rather than the exception -- and inevitably, they end in anticlimactic fashion with the alleged offender agreeing to shell out some fraction of the plaintiff's original request in exchange for sweeping the whole matter under the rug. Nokia's had its fair share of such spats, and one that's been dogging the company for a good long while now is with InterDigital, which has been systematically targeting firms in the industry for years with claims that it holds patents inherently required for UMTS -- in other words, if you make UMTS gear, you automatically owe InterDigital money. Of course, Nokia has been politely disagreeing with that claim all along, and the US International Trade Commission has just issued an initial determination in its favor, saying that it doesn't violate the four patents InterDigital's all worked up over. For the record, the US ITC has been investigating this issue for a solid two years now, so yeah, if someone's ripping off your IP, don't expect a speedy resolution. The commission's initial determination will be followed by a final, binding determination this December; in the meantime; Espoo "will continue to present its case." Now that we think about it, we're pretty sure we saw this episode of Law & Order already.
Studies just released by RBC Capital and ChangeWave Research polled iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre owners on their respective levels of satisfaction with their devices -- then compared them. In the studies, 200 iPhone 3GS users and 40 Palm Pre owners were polled. Overall, 99 percent of owners of Apple's phone proclaimed themselves to be "satisfied," while 82 percent of that number declared they were "very satisfied." The poll of Pre owners showed that 87 percent are "satisfied," and 45 percent of those owners describe themselves as "very satisfied." Interestingly, the 42 percent of "very satisfied" customers are the highest score ever attained by a Palm device, and it's a number that's only ever been bested by RIM and Apple. When asked about their respective reasons for buying their devices, Palm Pre owners listed the touchscreen interface, ability to multitask, and ease of use in the top three, while iPhone users cite its touchscreen, ease of use and faster web browsing as its biggest draws. So what about drawbacks? iPhone users (a whopping 55 percent of them, in fact) say that AT&T's network is their main gripe with the device, while Pre owners list short battery life and lack of third party apps as the devices biggest drawbacks. All in all, a pretty good showing for both -- though the microscopic sample size (especially for the Palm Pre) makes us wonder about the validity of the findings a bit.
Read - Apple's iPhone 3GS has 99 percent satisfaction rate Read - iPhone vs. Palm Pre: Satisfaction bakeoff
Look, we're not too proud admit this: that iPod touch with a camera might actually be the real deal. Why do we think that? Video after the break, kids. Update: And... here's a gallery of new pics.
Starline -- a Hong Kong-based PC manufacturer -- has unleashed the netbook you see above, the NB1000. This 10-incher's got all the standard, yawn-inducing specs -- an Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD, three USB ports, plus ethernet and VGA ports. The thing that makes this little guy stand out? Well, it's got a massive touchpad running all along the palm rest beneath the keyboard, and that's enough for us to want one -- or at least to touch one, repeatedly. Sadly, this baby is a Hong Kong-only affair, and runs HK$2,498 (about $322), but there's a video of it after the break.
With the launch of the Zune HD and the CEDIA show just around the corner, we've been hoping this could mean an all new integrated future for Windows Media Center and other Microsoft platforms -- until now. As a few commenters pointed out yesterday, the corrected spec sheet received from Microsoft indicated HDTV and protected Windows Media Center DVR-MS (the files used by Vista Media center) recordings were not supported. We reached out for clarification and received the following:
"Zune HD, and the forthcoming Zune 4.0 PC software, will support and transcode Windows Media Center recorded TV file formats from Windows Vista or Windows 7 that contain MPEG-2 video, in either the DVR-MS or WTV formats. Support is limited to unencrypted SD and HD recordings. HD Files with AC3 audio are not supported by Zune."
As you may or may not be aware, at least in the U.S. , and most other countries, any high definition broadcasts you snag from antenna, ClearQAM or otherwise use Dolby Digital AC-3 audio, meaning the Zune software won't be able to convert them. Current workarounds for bringing Media Center recordings on the go should still be a go, but all we can see is the missed opportunity to tie the two platforms together with easy one click transcoding support. Hopefully Microsoft still has something up its sleeve to pull together Zune and Windows 7 Media Center, but portable DVR recordings ain't it.
Palm seems to be making an active, conscientious effort to say as little as it can about the GSM version of the Pre, possibly in an effort to give Sprint as much spotlight as possible before its exclusivity expires -- but as we all know, it's real and it's coming. Thing is, Palm has always implied that it's being limited to European duty with a 3G radio that fails to cover bands that are of any interest to North Americans, so what the heck is this noise all about? Multiple certification bodies are now reporting the existence of a Pre model number P100UNA, as opposed to the P100UEU that's launching in Europe -- and it doesn't take a lot of detective work to gather that those codes on the end stand for "North America" and "European Union," respectively (for the record, the CDMA version on Sprint is P100EWW, so it ain't that). One distinct possibility is that Palm's preparing a version to cover Bell's new HSPA network since the carrier is Palm's exclusive Pre launch partner in Canada and they're smack in the middle of a transition from CDMA -- and needless to say, if that's the case, there'll be an unprecedented effort to get that sucker unlocked on the double.
We know you're jealous of your friends' ability to charge up their RAZRs and iPhones sans wires, so how would you feel if we told you that WildCharge's newest solution -- the PowerDisc -- would allow you to use its WildCharger with literally hundreds of devices? It's true! All you need to charge your previously incompatible hardware wirelessly is this one little wire that attaches the PowerDisc to the PowerLink adapter for your Nokia, Palm, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Micro USB, or Mini USB device. Available on its own for $19.99 or bundled with the WildCharge pad for $64.99. And it looks like the PowerDisc also includes a lanyard -- we know how much you love lanyards! So, have you ordered one yet or what?
Get ready for a wild one, folks -- we recorded this week's Engadget Podcast with a live (chatroom) studio audience, and things got a little rowdy. Join Josh, Paul and Nilay as they run down the new Zune HD, Windows 7, two new Dell machines and three new Samsung cameras before finally -- at the urging of the crowd -- tackling the Apple tablet rumors. Definitely a fun show -- we'll have to do more like this in the future. Until then, what are you waiting for? Get downloading!
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song:Powerglove - Tetris
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
No surprise that the Zune HD announcement has resulted in a flurry of iPod rumors, and there's a couple good ones going around today. Obviously the big news is a set of photos purporting to show a next-gen touch with a camera -- the sourcing and the backdrop in some of the pics make it feel like it's a publicity stunt, but the shots of the motherboard next to a current-gen touch's board seem convincing -- especially because of Apple's recent propensity to leak this sort of thing. The other piece of news? CNET says that whatever Apple does next month, the new Cocktail "next-generation album cover" will be a part of it, at least according to "multiple music industry sources." That might link into the major labels' CMX initiative, it might have something to do with iTunes 9, it might be a fun little Tom Cruise movie, or it might be nothing at all -- but it sure seems like we're in for a hell of a September.
Update:As commenter Joseph pointed out, these look pretty fake when you zoom in Photoshop -- there's a distinct square of pixels around the lens. Nice publicity stunt, guys -- we'll totally start listening to your show now.
Update 2: After seeing some high res versions of these pics, we think we can safely rule out the JPG artifacting as the tell-tale sign that these are fake. You know what we can't rule out? The really bad looking Photoshop work around the lens. Much clearer pic after the break. [Thanks for the pic, Manny]
Read - The Covino and Rich Show blog post with iPod touch photos Read - iPod touch photos on Flickr in higher-res Read - CNET on Cocktail
Paul Teutul Sr. may not be the most eloquent of men, but he's good at what he does and has developed quite a following both on and off the reality TV circuit. Apparently none of those followers work at Fox News, as he got something of an odd reception when going on air there to show off Orange County Choppers' latest creation: the Siemens Smart Chopper. A different sort of bike than either the Zero S or Brammo we've ridden this year, the Chopper has a 27hp electric motor and a top speed of over 100mph while still managing a 60 mile charge. It sports LED lighting and recycled components to further up its green cred, a combination that seems to, for some reason, raise the ire of the hosts of Fox and Friends. Or maybe they're just trained to always sound loud and incredulous. Decide for yourself in the video after the break.
You know what? The Nokla E97 is not a bad looking handset. Of course, with a 2.2-inch touchscreen, things could get ugly real quick if the UI isn't up to snuff -- and we're guessing it ain't. And sure, the detachable keyboard looks a little flimsy -- but all in all, not too shabby for 800 yuan, or about $117 (before you factor in the flight to China, of course). Also featured: handwriting recognition, dual SIM card slots, FM radio, and an MP3 player. But really, with a device like this what you're paying for is the class and prestige associated with the Nokla name. And how can you put a price on that? More photos after the break.
Big Red's flexing its 4G muscle today, announcing that it has successfully completed the first true tests on its nascent LTE network -- end-to-end data calls that presumably approximate real-world usage. The action actually happened way back on July 15 in Seattle, while Boston just went down today -- the two markets where Verizon said it'd be running the first trials -- both on 700MHz spectrum won not terribly long ago. LG and Samsung provided the mysterious, unspecified "trial devices," but don't worry, Motorola fans -- Verizon says they've got devices in the pipeline as well. Both Seattle and Boston currently have ten LTE cell sites live as the carrier trudges toward a 2010 date with destiny when it'll take "up to 30" markets live, at which point EV-DO and HSPA will theoretically feel like trying to send packets via carrier pigeon. Progress!
We first saw the crazy BrainPort in 2006, but the intervening time hasn't been wasted by its developers, who've brought the quirky visual aid to the cusp of commercial viability. If you'll recall, the device translates signals from a head-mounted camera to electrical pulses that lightly zap your tongue in response to visual stimuli -- early results have shown people can regain a good bit of their spatial awareness and even read large writing. The next step is FDA approval, which is expected by year's end, meaning that the BrainPort could arrive as early as 2010. There is a steep entry fee though, with prices expected to begin at $10,000, but the very fact you'll be able to buy it is a milestone in our book. Edifying video after the break.
12 hours. That, according to LG, is the new benchmark by which all wannabe long-lasting laptops will have to measure up. Of course, we've seen similar aftermarket solutions before, but it's good to see a manufacturer stick a flag in the ground -- and a big rump on the back -- in the race for the highest endurance netbook. And boy is the X130 a netbook: 1024 x 600 resolution, 10-inch screen and the predictable Atom N270 et al. Koreans can grab one now for 789,000 Won ($639), with almost worldwide availability to follow shortly. Check out our review of the X120 for a flavor of LG's history in the market, while we go look for actual benchmarks undermining that legendary battery life claim.
So here's what we know about the Leo with some certainty: it's going to be awesomely high-end. Other than that, though, the sky's the limit; no spec is too wild, no physical design too outlandish until we actually get some official information (or at least some really solid leaks). We wouldn't call these latest renders "solid" by any stretch -- in fact, we're willing to bet it's the result of a daydreamer with some graphic design background -- but we want to believe, especially since the front is basically consistent with what we've seen previously. Imagine a rounded-off Touch HD with WinMo 6.5, a 1GHz Snapdragon, and a 5 megapixel cam accompanied by two high-output LEDs. We love the stylish "Pro.Three" branding (and we guess we're going to forgive the "lorem ipsum" gibberish beneath it since this is a rough, unbranded render), but there are a few holes in this story: for one, we still don't know how this dovetails with Firestone; two, the Touch Pro2 just came out, so we're not sure why they'd release a device with the conflicting "Pro.Three" name so soon thereafter, particularly in a different form factor; and three, this might make more sense as one of HTC's inaugural WinMo 7 devices. Given the rumored pie-in-the-sky October availability date, we'll get this sorted out soon enough.
We've known for a while now that "snackable" content (inexpensive apps for instant gratification) was in the cards for the PSP, a fact that supports rumours reported by Pocket Gamer that handheld games for the PlayStation Network will be priced in the €1-5 range -- on par with Apple's App Store. In addition, it seems that the company has been "actively sourcing" iPhone developers to bring their existing titles to PSN. Who knows? Maybe the quick'n'easy approach to games (and someday apps?) will take some of the sting out of the PSPgo's "premium" price point. Either way, if all this is true it's turning out to be a red letter day for iPhone devs.
Well, well... it looks like Microsoft isn't the only company overhauling, upgrading, and generally "swankifying" its handheld devices. We just received a dispatch from iMP3.net detailing the new V8000HD line from Ainol and, while we doubt we'll be seeing one of these guys in the States any time soon, they do manage to pack a lot in a little package. Available in three flavors, the V8000HDA（4.3-inch / 800 x 480), V8000HDB (4.3-inch / 480 x 272), and V8000HDG (5-inch / 800 x 480) are being billed as PVPs (Portable Video Players) -- because, you know, there aren't enough arbitrary product categories out there as it is. According to the company, the PVP concept centers around full support for the H.264 codec (up to 1280 x 720), HDMI output (in addition to your standard component and A/V outs), and hi-def audio support. Also included is a USB port for access to external storage. No word on prices or release date, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, feel free to feast your eyes on some Chinese-language PR in the gallery below.
China's efforts to preload the Green Dam censorware on all PCs in the country have been going pretty poorly so far, with accusations of software piracy and manufacturer displeasure causing delays. Now the government is backing down from that stance, stating that the original regulation wasn't "expressed clearly, and gave everyone the impression that [Green Dam] was mandatory." For home computers, that means the internet filtering software will likely continue to be bundled as an optional (and inactive) extra -- something Acer, ASUS, Lenovo and Sony have been doing since early July -- but if you're at school, an internet cafe or some other public access point, expect to see Green Dam running, alive and well. Censorship is dead, long live censorship.
Sometimes mods go to such lengths that words like 'homebrewed' and 'DIY' no longer do them justice. Presenting the Nintendo SNES Portable. Not the first, and probably not the last of its kind, this bad boy mobilizes Nintendo's venerable console with a few buttons from a PSOne controller and a ridiculously detailed skinning job -- yes, even the packaging gets a makeover. The sheer nostalgic overload at the sight of it must be worth something to Nintendo, no? There's not a person, with both a heart and a history of gaming, that can glance at that bulky unwieldy-looking thing and not break into a wistful smile. Really, we dare you. More snaps after the break.
Well well, it looks like the mythical Sony Ericsson Satio is soon to go from beautiful fever-dream to actual reality -- it's popped into the FCC database with test results on GSM 850 and 1900, otherwise known as EDGE. Yeah, that sort of sucks, but we're still holding out hope, since we don't know the full story -- it could be destined for a lame existence on AT&T, it could be sold unlocked, or it could be a Canadian or Latin American model. Seriously, though -- it's the Satio, and the government has one. You know what that means.
As fans of Real Genius, we're as intrigued as you are by the concept of a flying laser the size (and shape) of a Boeing 747-400F, and have been tracking Boeing's test-flights of its Airborne Laser platform quite closely. The jet is designed to intercept and destroy missiles mid-flight, and a recent test showed that it can manage that first bit -- but it still hasn't achieved the second. In a test on August 10, it tracked and fired upon an in-flight target that was packing sensors; the sensors confirmed the hit and so the test was successful, but for some reason Boeing opted to not crank it up to the gigawatts and knock the thing down. That test is apparently planned for a "lethal demonstration against a boosting threat-representative ballistic missile target" later this year, so until then this thing is little more effective than a multi-billion dollar Care Bear. Boeing, we dig that targets of this sort are probably not cheap, but get on with the program already, yeah?
Lenovo's issued a recall for the batteries on six of its ThinkPad models. The batteries are apparently causing a range of problems, including bringing up the error messages "irreparable damage" and "battery cannot be charged," and causing overall short capacity batteries, or those than cannot be charged or experience massive drops on the fuel gauge quickly. The recalled models are the R60, R61, T60, T61, X60, and the X61, and Lenovo's got a free diagnostic tool on its website that you can use to check and see if your model is one of those affected. While there's no word on how many users have been affected, If you areone of the unlucky, the company is offering free replacements.
Update: A representative for Lenovo has contacted us and let us know that the company has not, in fact, issued a recall for the batteries associated with the models listed. "This is a service extension program to provide (bonus 12-month) coverage above and beyond the normal warranty to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Recalls tend to imply a safety issue, which is not the case here, as you noted in your article."
We've all been a bit up in arms about the apparent lack of a push for apps on the Zune HD given the platform's obvious strengths, but news from Daring Fireball seems to suggest that may not be the whole story. According to John Gruber, after publishing a short story on the ZHD and Microsoft's seeming lack of developer interest, he was contacted by an iPhone dev who claimed to have been pinged by Redmond to code for the new device. According to the source -- a Twitter client-maker -- he was asked to port his software to the Zune platform for "a bucket of money," though he ultimately declined the offer. Details beyond that fact are scarce, though apparently this dev is "certain" the offer was for the Zune. We won't argue for the benefits of having your application on two high-profile devices (clearly a personal decision), but it is extremely encouraging to hear that Microsoft sees the need to bring more than just basic functionality to a device like the Zune HD. Now, it's just a question of how smartly they go about it.
If you know anything about European retailer Fnac, you know it's not the go-to place for bargains. However, it's this very outlet that's now selling an 80GB PlayStation 3 bundle (which includes the console, a single controller and inFamous) for €100 less than its "everyday low price" as of yesterday. Of course, one major French retailer slashing the price on a system that's long overdue for a break isn't reason in and of itself reason to believe anything's on the horizon, but pair this up with everything else we've heard over the past few weeks, and we'd say all the vague omens are pointing to a leaner, cheaper and altogether more dashing PS3 on August 18th. In our magical fantasy land, anyway.
Two weeks into the campaign, David Pogue has an update about Take Back the Beep. So far we'd say the winner by far is Sprint, who lets you remove the pre-voicemail instructions with a relatively small amount of hassle (we're upgrading to green because Pogue has taken the carrier off his hit list). The other carriers have yet to get on board, however. T-Mobile says that "these comments are being taken into consideration in our planning," but hasn't promised any specific action -- sort of promising, but hardly a win. Meanwhile, Verizon was quoted by ABC News as saying that you could already turn off the message, but apparently what the rep meant to say is that if you don't like the message you can turn off voicemail altogether. Great. So far no hints of real action have come from big red, but the company is responding to complaints with a canned, "The voice mail instructions are there to assist the many callers who may be unfamiliar with the correct prompts." so at least we know they're getting the emails. AT&T is perhaps the most promising of the remaining carriers, saying that while Visual Voicemail (which doesn't suffer in this way) is the true hotness, and it hopes to get that to other devices soon, "In the meantime, we are actively exploring how to shorten the voicemail message on our other handsets." That sounds promising. In the mean time, we literally have no idea why these carriers haven't gotten together over coffee and at least figured out a unified button for skipping over the messages. It's true madness.
Well, clandestinely is perhaps too strong -- and long -- a word for it, but the fact is that Intel's thoroughly roadmapped and unnecessarily delayed desktop refresh has already happened for folks in Taiwan. Our buddies at TweakTown even went to the trouble of putting together a video of Taipei's computer market, which didn't seem to suffer any shortages of Lynnfield parts. In US currency, the prices above are $204 for the Core i5-750, $296 for the i7-860 and $593 for the i7-870, which at least confirm earlier indications on the matter, but come on Intel, if you're not going to announce these things, at least start selling them on the sly over here too.
When we asked how you'd change Palm's Pre, one group of respondents requested a virtual keyboard, a group that should really quit its bellyaching because the phone already has one... it just doesn't offer any particularly useful keys. That's changing thanks to the modders at WebOS Internals, who are taking the control that pops up when you hit the "sym" key and expanding it to actually contain some symbols you might use more than once a week -- like, you know, letters and jazz. They have a functional keyboard operational at this point that works in both phone orientations, but it's still decidedly pre alpha, meaning only those whose delicate thumbs are blistering on the Pre's soft, smooth, physical keys should even think about this modification right now. The team has made huge strides in just the past few days, though, so perhaps before the end of the month everyone can be soft-typing pain-free.
We know, we know -- we're a little harsh on these so-called "personal media viewers," but really, when's the last time you saw someone you would actually speak to wearing these in public? Precisely. For the introverts and social outcasts who just couldn't care less about public perception, Myvu is introducing its very latest in video eyewear: the Crystal EV. Sporting the same SolidOptix technology as the original Crystal, these buggers boast a 64-inch equivalent screen size, which amounts to a 30 percent uptick over the originals. Curiously enough, Myvu asserts that these are available to purchase right now, but it completely failed to dish out a price. Bollocks.
How do you cook up the perfectKIRF product? Well, you take a well-loved device, say the Nokia N810, and start chopping off the things that made it a winner, like that oh-so-bulky QWERTY keyboard, until you get a device cheap enough to be sold as "the world's first MID under $300." The painfully unoriginal Inkia 500 -- which isn't even the first to rip off Nokia's internet tablet -- isn't entirely without merit, as it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen plus a ULV Atom processor, and once you pony up for 3G and GPS options it might even be useful. All that's holding it back now is the tiny issue that you can get a real N810 for the same price.
Joey Roth blew our collective minds way back in 2007 with his conceptual Felt Mouse, but now the designer is taking his creations to the next level by actually shipping a few. The simply named Ceramic Speakers boast only 10 watts of output per channel, though each 4-inch full-range driver is housed in an acoustically dead porcelain and cork chamber that should do quite a lot with quite a little. We can't say we're totally fond of the expected $400 to $500 price tag when these go on sale in October, but toss in a similarly designed subwoofer and we just might bite.
Okay, so maybe "new" is being a bit generous here, but whatever the case, MSI has a fresh five piece of C Series laptops ready and willing to be purchased, opened and openly abused. The C Series never has been much to look at nor swoon over, with the whole lineup packing only decent specifications and a rather unexciting motif. Not that there's anything wrong with the all-business approach, but nothing here is going to set the world ablaze like, say, Toshiba's inglorious X305. The CX600, CX700, CR600-013, CR600-017 and CR700 are all either being introduced or mildly tweaked, with the 600 models packing a 16-inch display and the 700 flavors getting things done on a 17.3-inch panel. The CR600 and CR700 offer up a discrete GeForce 8200M GPU and optional Blu-ray drive, while the other guys get by with a Mobility Radeon HD 4330 and DVD burner. Hit the read link for the full specs list, and feel free to select one to call your own starting at $549.99.
Oh sure, Joby may have reinvented the camera mount with its now-iconic Gorillapod lineup, but we're giving DigiDude the edge on personality and pizazz. From the same Quirky Community that brought us the delightful Split Stick comes this, a zany new camera mount that's easily portable (via keyring, y'all) and even easier to love. Users simply yank their Dude's head off, tug on the retractable legs and find something of a surface to sit him on. At least initially, a fivesome of guys will be available, all of which pack more character that you're used to dealing with when it comes to camera accessories. Feel free to select from Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, iChomp, G-bling-Money-Son, and BoltBot, all of whom are available right now for $19.99 apiece. Full release is after the break.
After the lustrous ManMan and retro Cool Man, Newsmy has now surprised us with a straight-laced number in the form of the 8GB 4.3-inch A8HD. Packing a pair of serious-looking speakers and a "high definition" microphone, this has all the intent in the world to break away from the cheap knockoff label, but you already know what you're gonna get: a shiny pretty paintjob outside and someone's leftover parts on the inside. Common audio and video formats are supported, and there's even a rather dubious claim of 720p playback. Maybe once the price and release date are cleared up, we'll saunter over to China and check it out for ourselves. Or not.
So, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that Qik for iPhone 3GS is now available, and it's completely gratis to download. The bad news is that it probably won't do exactly what you want it to. You see, those on Symbian S60 have grown used to a Qik that can actually stream live video to the internet, whereas this app is currently just a "capture and upload" piece. Moreover, it only works via WiFi, so if you're not near a hotspot once your video is done, you'll have to wait until you wander back over to one before it automatically begins uploading. Though, you can let the app automatically inform viewers of where the video was taken (in case you feel like pampering guests who show up unannounced), and you can also frame the video horizontally or vertically. The Qik team assures us that an update is in the works to add 3G uploading, but for now, it's WiFi or bust. Which is kosher so long as it's free... we guess.
in the market for a high-speed camera that's compact but definitely won't be mistaken for a regular point-and-shoot? Then you may want to look no farther than one of Vision Research's new Phantom Miro eX-series cameras, which boast a "DSLR-like" design and a spec list intended for high-speed video and not much else. That includes your choice of 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 resolution cams, video frame rates from 500 fps to "over" 100,000 fps (at a reduced resolution), ISO settings up to ISO 1200 for color or ISO 4800 for monochrome, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, and 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of internal memory, plus a CompactFlash card slot for expansion. Of course, these also won't be mistaken for a point-and-shoot when it comes to price, with the base eX1 model starting at just under ten grand.
Though capacitive displays are generally regarded as the easier-to-use technology for mobile touchscreens, their finger-friendliness comes at a dear price: accuracy. Because capacitive tech is incompatible with traditional styli, you're stuck fudging things with your fat digits or settling for a high-tech finger alternative that arguably creates as many problems as it solves. Don't worry, though -- HTC feels your pain, and it seems like they're looking to keep the classic stylus in the game as the company's lineup makes the inevitable transition to capacitive over the coming years. A new patent application describes a stylus with some sort of magnetically charged tip -- at first, we thought that sounded suspiciously like what Wacom does for its tablets, but unlike Wacom's tech, this would function with a traditional, seemingly unmodified capacitive display. It's funny how we've all written off styli in the past couple years and now we've got HTC over here doing everything it can to save 'em -- but hey, if this means we're going to get the best of both worlds, we're all for it.
So concerned with the quality of the liquor you binge-drink that you think a testing device that looks just like a pregnancy test is in order? Sweet -- Rotgutonix has got you covered! Just uncap the tip, dip it in your drink for a few seconds -- and you'll have an answer in under a minute -- and while the device is only capable of recognizing five liquors at this point, the company hopes future iterations will include up to twenty. Sure, it's a novelty item, and likely won't actually be able to tell you if that Johnnie Walker you're swilling is "rotgut," i.e., poison, but it's fun, right? Of course, you could just do what we do -- subsist entirely on seltzer -- and save yourself the trouble of having to wonder if your alcohol is poison (probably). Sadly, it seems to be unavailable for purchase yet, but we're going to keep our eyes out for this one, we assure you.
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 Lulu, who can't seem to select a camcorder worthy of being carried around in her Fifth Pocket[TM].
"I need help! I want a small pocket camcorder but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't want to fall into the hype of the Flip because I worry two hours won't be enough. What should I be looking for when considering a small camcorder and where can I get a good quality one with expandable memory? Thanks!"
The pocket camcorder arena has blossomed into something of a small giant here recently, with entries from Sony, Samsung, Kodak and Creative flowing in to compete with the Ultra HD. For those of you who've laid down the cheddar, why not share your experiences here in order to direct Lulu to making the right choice? Surely you won't pass on an opportunity to help a fellow nerd. Surely.
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