Acer Iconia Tab A200 gets sentimental, strengthens families and makes video debut

Acer wants you to know that Apple doesn't have a monopoly on sappy tech commercials -- no Siri, Bob! The Taiwanese manufacturer wants to run with the big boys when it comes to overselling the emotional power of a gadget. Take, for instance, this promotional clip for the upcoming Iconia Tab A200. Yes, we understand that the 10-inch slate can play games and "share memories" but, what exactly Honeycomb has to do with creating family rituals or why you'd bring a tablet camping is lost on us. Sadly, the clip doesn't reveal too much about Acer's new slab. We can see that vanilla Android is out, simply by looking at the navigation icons, and there's a new feature called Acer Ring, which appears to be some sort of task manager with shortcuts to common tasks, like taking screenshots. It also appears to be sporting a full-sized USB port and a microSD slot but, otherwise, we've still got very little info on the spec front. Check out the video after the break.

[Thanks, Manuel]

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A200 gets sentimental, strengthens families and makes video debut

Acer Iconia Tab A200 gets sentimental, strengthens families and makes video debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos software updates bring Android tablet support, Slacker and Spotify upgrades

Wireless music streaming kingpins Sonos rolled out a number of software updates tonight, including System Software 3.6, which brings added controls to Sonos Wireless HiFi, integration with Slacker and some improvements to the service's Spotify offerings. The newly revamped Sonos Controller for Android, meanwhile, offers up support for Android tablets running 2.2 or higher. More info after the jump.

Continue reading Sonos software updates bring Android tablet support, Slacker and Spotify upgrades

Sonos software updates bring Android tablet support, Slacker and Spotify upgrades originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Frankly speaking, the phones that Lenovo have announced so far this week haven't been all that exciting (unless, of course, you're somehow aroused by its 5-inch tabletphone), but it turned out the folks had a little surprise for us: the LePhone K2. What we got here is a 4.3-inch IPS display (resolution of which not yet announced), a powerful dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 chip, 1GB RAM, 1GB ROM and an eight megapixel 1080p camera. Sadly, like the S2 and the S760, this crouching tiger also packs Android 2.3.5 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich, but without a price or a release date, perhaps there's still a small chance that we'll see it eventually launching with the newer OS. Anyhow, that's just our wishful thinking. Chinese hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Continue reading Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Lenovo LePhone K2 to arrive with 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core chip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony updates PS3 to version 4.00 ahead of PS Vita launch

Sony is setting the table for the PlayStation Vita today, with the release of a new PS3 update. With version 4.00, rolling out now, PS3 users will be able to share content like music, video and images with the forthcoming Vita, scheduled to launch in Japan on December 17th. The refresh also allows gamers to save PS Vita games and data on their PS3 hard drives, while updating their handheld software using the PS3's network. There are some more PS3-specific features, as well, including enhanced PSN privacy settings and game patches, among others. Find out more at the source link below.

Sony updates PS3 to version 4.00 ahead of PS Vita launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That rarest of creatures, the white Nokia N9, should appear before Christmas

A poet would say it's like a piece of ivory: both beautiful and sad. Meanwhile, Nokia's official blog says the white N9 is coming to the UK before the end of the year with a rarefied 64GB of on-board storage. We have no idea as to the price, but we suspect dedicated MeeGo memento hunters will hardly care.

Update: Oh hell, sorry Britannia. We actually meant to say it's coming to all those (not very many) countries where the N9 is already available. Nokia confirmed to us today that it's on target to supply white N9s to those markets in December. Everyone else will have to get it via a price-inflated import. Apologies for the bad geography.

Continue reading That rarest of creatures, the white Nokia N9, should appear before Christmas

That rarest of creatures, the white Nokia N9, should appear before Christmas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube

You tried to shoot a quick handheld movie with your smartphone the other night. And it wound up looking like you shot it in the middle of an earthquake. Before putting your video editing application's "Analyze for Stabilization" feature to the test, have a gander at Glidetrack's Mobislyder. Essentially a combination of a roll track and a skateboard, the Mobislyder ships with a variety of mounts to fit a selection of smartphones, camcorders and compact cameras. This, combined with four non-rolling feet and a swivel mount, allow the Mobislyder to be used at almost any low angle. That thing you're peering at above is available for $135, which could be a solid deal for a good, steady, sliding platform to shoot from. Or, it could be $96 more than the parts you picked up from Radio Shack and Home Depot to perform the exact same function. A full video demo awaits after the break.

Continue reading Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube

Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Box.net befriends Android, will offer Sony Ericsson Xperia phones 50GB of free cloud storage (update: LG phones too)

How much cloud storage space do you need? 2GB? 5GB? Pah! Box.net scoffs at your puny storage needs, and plan to offer a substantial 50GB of free storage (again) for anyone packing a Sony Ericsson Android phone. While the plans have leaked ahead of schedule, the fine details haven't been hammered out just yet; the official blog tells us that the company's "working to provide this offer very soon to all Xperia customers." When the offer does go live, logging in to (or creating) a Box.net account on any Xperia handset will open the floodgates to 50 gigs of intangible internet storage fo' life. If this keeps up, it shouldn't be long till we're looking at gratis terabytes and are freed of our not-exactly-crippling USB stick addiction, right?

Update: Sony Ericsson's not the only one getting gratis cloud storage -- LG owners can snag 50GB for life, too. PR's after the break.

Continue reading Box.net befriends Android, will offer Sony Ericsson Xperia phones 50GB of free cloud storage (update: LG phones too)

Box.net befriends Android, will offer Sony Ericsson Xperia phones 50GB of free cloud storage (update: LG phones too) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo will launch a Windows Phone in the second half of 2012, says LePhone product manager

We've already been teased by a LePhone S2 moonlighting as a Windows Phone last month, but it was only yesterday that Lenovo confirmed an upcoming product featuring said OS. While boasting a mere total of 700,000 phone units sold since the original LePhone debuted in May last year (which is rather mundane compared to the Xiaomi Phone's 300,000 pre-orders in 34 hours), product manager Chen Yue told iMobile that Lenovo's now aiming to release a Windows Phone in the second half of next year. Well, that was apparently all Mr. Chen revealed -- no specs, no prices, and no mention of international launch. Either way, it looks like Nokia will have a nice head start in China with its Lumia 800. No wonder Elop's so happy these days.

Lenovo will launch a Windows Phone in the second half of 2012, says LePhone product manager originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D Mark is coming to Android phones near you in 2012

Futuremark, father of 3DMark and PCMark, has begun work on an Android edition of its benchmarking software. Wittily titled 3DMark for Android, it'll bring the industry-standard testing tools to all the phones in Google's yard. When finished, users will be able to measure performance by pushing the phone's CPU, rendering, openGL and physics engines to the limits. Results will be comparable against the company's newest software, including the forthcoming Windows 8 build. It's inviting handset makers to join a benchmark development program, an exclusive club that already has AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, Imagination Technologies, Dell and HP on the guest list, you can see the full PR after the break -- just be advised, it's black tie only.

Continue reading 3D Mark is coming to Android phones near you in 2012

3D Mark is coming to Android phones near you in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Urban Ears Plattan headphones prove that quilted isn't just for toilet paper anymore

Talk about padding out a product line. Urban Ears announced a new, quilted addition to its Plattan line of over-the-ear headphones. The Quilted Plattan Edition feature an extra padded headband and ear cushion. They'll run you around $80 and an extra layer of sweat at the gym.

Urban Ears Plattan headphones prove that quilted isn't just for toilet paper anymore originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wind River and Clarion pair up to bring Android to your imported street racer

Wind River, Intel's embedded systems arm has been the subject of some misty-eyed advances from car stereo makers Clarion. Ol' Windy (as we're trying to get it called) will be providing a custom version of its Android implementation to power the forthcoming "Clarion Malaysia IVI" in-vehicle-info-tainment kit. The device will be powered by a Freescale i.MX processor (a heavy duty ARM implementation that can utilize multiple cores) and pack Clarion's usual range of high-end multimedia, GPS and reversing camera functionality. We're excited to see this bad boy roll off the production line, but remember that, at least in Illinois, it's illegal to enjoy the "tainment" part whilst driving.

Continue reading Wind River and Clarion pair up to bring Android to your imported street racer

Wind River and Clarion pair up to bring Android to your imported street racer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung draws in developers with S-pen SDK for Galaxy Note

Ever since the mighty Galaxy Note first popped up at IFA we've been curious about that S-pen and how it'll make its way into our real-life workflow. Samsung promised there'd be an SDK back at its October London launch and it's finally here, letting developers get busy adding some S-pen magic to their apps. Version 1.0 lets you add a basic canvas, a pop-up for pen settings (opacity, line color and so on) as well as erase and un/redo. Sure, ICS might natively support stylus input, but as Samsung is keen to point out -- with its capacitive tip and configurable button -- a simple stylus this is not. And remember: until the Note gets an ICS update, you'll be scribbling all over that snappy Gingerbread install anyway. Tap that source link if you want to get your hands on the goods, and let the tic-tac-toe commence.

Samsung draws in developers with S-pen SDK for Galaxy Note originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola MotoActv coming to the UK to motivate armchair marathon runners

We feel strongly about exercise -- the only time you ever need to run is to escape from violence or, you know, Black Friday mobs. Others think it's an acceptable recreational activity, and it's these people who will be excited that the Motorola Motoactv's arriving in the UK. It's packing the same features we showed you before, including GPS tracking, 4,000 song capacity and being able to connect calls on your compatible Moto phone. It's an exclusive at specialist retailer Sweatshop for £250 and will be hitting shelves on December 1st. Just don't make us go in there, we might fall faint from thinking about all the exertion.

Continue reading Motorola MotoActv coming to the UK to motivate armchair marathon runners

Motorola MotoActv coming to the UK to motivate armchair marathon runners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere

What sorts of mysteries does the Samsung Galaxy Nexus hold? Only the folks at iFixit and their trusty screwdrivers know for sure. Thankfully, the site is willing to share. Check out a teardown of one of the year's most eagerly anticipated smartphones. Thrill to the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, marvel to the five megapixel rear-facing camera and be astonished by the NFC antenna in the source link below.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus torn down, Ice Cream Sandwich gets everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video)

What's this oddly curved box we see before us? Ah, yes, it's Motorola's (joint) second attempt at the Android tablet game. The Xoom 2 is another 10.1-inch widescreen Honeycomb offering, looking to make up for the lost opportunities of its predecessor -- slimmer, faster and certainly packing more vertices. While we put it through its paces, we thought you'd appreciated some close-up shots with what appears to be the final retail model. First impressions? Those corners certainly do help keep it in our hands, and performance seemed suitably speedy. It's worth noting that -- at least on first impressions -- Motorola hasn't tampered excessively with the Honeycomb, something we weren't too happy about on Moto's Droid RAZR. We also suspect that splash-proof nanotech coating could also be acting as fingerprint magnet. Delve into the secrets of the fitted retail box, some tablet comparisons and a touching reunion with its smartphone sibling in our gallery below, or catch a brief video tour after the break.

Gallery: Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing

Continue reading Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video)

Motorola Xoom 2 unboxing and first impressions (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kindle Fire gets first taste of CM7, needs work on its hand-eye coordination

Well, with source code and root firmly in hand, it was only a matter of time before someone got a custom ROM up and running on the Fire. Of course, the first contestant for your hacked Kindle dollar is the reliable, and damn-near ubiquitous CM7. XDA Developers Forum member JackpotClavin posted a pair of images showing the Gingerbread-based ROM booted up on his 7-inch Amazon tablet. He isn't offering the code for download yet, primarily because there are still a host of bugs to work out -- including a severely mixed up touch panel thats about 90-degrees out of sync with actual display. On the plus side, it does appear that WiFi is working. We suppose if you're impatient you can join the frothing masses begging Clavin to release the code, but we'll be waiting for something a little more polished before risking our shiny new slate. One more pic after the break.

[Thanks, Matthias]

Continue reading Kindle Fire gets first taste of CM7, needs work on its hand-eye coordination

Kindle Fire gets first taste of CM7, needs work on its hand-eye coordination originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developer teases voice control of Zune, using PC and Windows Phone (video)

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The great thinkers of the world have long known a secret that we're now happy to disclose: it's not necessity that's the mother invention, but rather laziness. Fortunately, expending a great deal of effort on a project -- simply to perform a task effortlessly -- sometimes brings very cool results. A concept app known as ZuneVoice easily passes muster in this realm, which is used to control Zune software on the PC with only a standard microphone and spoken commands. As you can see in the demo video, its creator, keyboardp, is able to play individual songs, issue commands such a "pause" or "next song", and even display full-screen music videos from YouTube. The developer even crafted an app for his Lumia 800 known as PhoneZune, which serves as a remote control for times when he's away from the box. Neither application is yet publicly available, though feedback is welcome. Next, we're told to expect Kinect integration. Perhaps one day, these gems will see the light of day.

Continue reading Developer teases voice control of Zune, using PC and Windows Phone (video)

Developer teases voice control of Zune, using PC and Windows Phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo LePhone S760 shows up with Android 2.3.5 and 3.7-inch AMOLED display

Alongside the LePhone S2 and the two-and-a-half tablets from earlier today, Lenovo also showed off a 3.7-inch Android 2.3.5 phone dubbed the S760. Packed within is a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, a vibrant AMOLED display, five megapixel camera and Lenovo's usual customised UI. Externally the phone looks very much like the S2, though the former's shiny plastic backside gives out more of a toy-like feel. No prices just yet but expect this to hit the Chinese market at the end of December.

Gallery: Lenovo LePhone S760 shows up with Android 2.3.5 and 3.7-inch AMOLED display

Lenovo LePhone S760 shows up with Android 2.3.5 and 3.7-inch AMOLED display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's latest Xperia update brings WebGL support to 2011 smartphone lineup (video)

Why Sony chose to sit on this one, we have no idea, but the company just revealed that its software update for the 2011 lineup of Xperia phones -- which was released last month -- also adds browser support for WebGL. This means that if you're holding an Xperia Arc, Mini, Neo, Play, Ray... or any other of its most recent handsets, then there's a good chance you're wielding one of the first Android phones to support this modern graphics platform. Designed to bring advanced visuals and gaming to the web, the API holds roots in JavaScript and has been used to develop everything from Angry Birds to far-out music videos. Sony Ericsson first previewed its WebGL efforts back in February, and after all these months, its official arrival is a welcome one, indeed. For a quick demo video, be sure to hop the break.

Continue reading Sony's latest Xperia update brings WebGL support to 2011 smartphone lineup (video)

Sony's latest Xperia update brings WebGL support to 2011 smartphone lineup (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

It's inevitable that these two 5-inch tabletphones -- the Dell Streak 5 on the left and the Lenovo LePad S2005 on the right -- are to meet in the Chinese capital. With the exception of the slightly taller body on the S2005 everything else are suspiciously similar, especially the button and camera layout. Well, there's a good explanation for this: we've been informed that this new tabletphone hails from the same ODM, Qisda, as Dell's counterpart. Too bad Lenovo decided to keep the same screen resolution though.

According to Stone Ip from Engadget Chinese, he found that the S2005 has a nicer grip than the Streak, and he also digs its more masculine appearance -- obviously this is open to debate. Performance-wise this slate responded well to our input, but the lack of promise on an Ice Cream Sandwich update will probably make potential geeky buyers think twice. Well, good thing we have some awesome modders around the interwebs these days.

Gallery: Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle!

Lenovo LePad S2005 vs. Dell Streak 5... cuddle! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video)

Sure, we've seen Siri used to do a host of things, including controlling the temperature in a hacker's home. But the folks over at Autoblog were curious to know just how well the virtual assistant would work with Bluetooth-enabled car stereos. Once your iPhone 4S is properly tethered, holding down the handset's home button will activate Siri. Treating her as an incoming call, your Notorious B.I.G. playlist will pause before the ready-for-command chime sounds. The in-car assistant was tested on two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima, with the Maxima showcasing the best results. It comes as no surprise that mic placement on each stereo and in-cabin background noise provided a noticeable difference in Siri's listening abilities during the test. For a glimpse of the action before trying it out yourself, hit the video just past the break.

Continue reading Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video)

Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250

This may take a bit of steam out of LG's announcement this Thursday night, but AT&T has gone ahead and clicked "submit" on its press release for the LG Nitro HD, its version of the Optimus LTE. As we were expecting, the new arrival on AT&T's network offers a 4.5-inch HD (1,280 x 720) IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm APQ8060 CPU, LTE and an 8MP camera with a 1.3MP front-facing cam. The device, measuring 10.4mm thick, should be showing up in stores and online December 4th for $250 with a two-year commitment. So, did AT&T just steal LG's thunder here, or should we be expecting something completely unrelated? Full presser's after the break.

Continue reading AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250

AT&T officially adds LG Nitro HD to its LTE fold on December 4th for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp AQUOS SH-01D appears on NTT DoCoMo, offers up glasses-free 3D

Not content with brandishing a medley of LTE-packed smartphones this season, Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has confirmed a December release for Sharp's AQUOS SH-01D. While it lacks any 4G chops, the Android phone is cocooned in waterproof protection and packs a 12.1 megapixel camera on the back. An OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor runs Gingerbread on the 3D-capable 1280 x 720 ASV display -- all crammed inside a waifish 9.7mm frame. Despite a recent visit to the FCC, there's no word on whether the water-defiant device will brave the Pacific ocean to arrive on these shores. However, any ex-patriots gasping for the SH-10D's potent screen will be able to grab one on December 2 and can unravel more specification mysteries in the Google-translated press release below.

Continue reading Sharp AQUOS SH-01D appears on NTT DoCoMo, offers up glasses-free 3D

Sharp AQUOS SH-01D appears on NTT DoCoMo, offers up glasses-free 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Wave 3 crashes onto French shores

Samsung's new Bada flagship has just docked into our illustrative French port. Announced back in the summer, the Wave 3 arrives on the refreshed Bada 2.0 OS, powered by a 1.4GHz processor and packing a four-inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED display. Storage matches the watery iteration, with 3GB of memory baked-in, with expansion possible through microSD. Meanwhile, an auto-focus five megapixel shooter will do its best to fill all that space. Not content with France (where Bada-powered handsets have established a niche fanbase), the HSPA-connected smartphone is also penned to hit Germany, Russia and Italy before the end of the year.

Continue reading Samsung Wave 3 crashes onto French shores

Samsung Wave 3 crashes onto French shores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK boards the Acer Liquid Express, Tom Hanks not embedded with NFC

Because phones, like fashion, must always look to the future, Acer's hitching its ride to NFC. The oft-talked about, but still sparsely used tech gets top-billing here as the company refreshes its Liquid line for T-Mobile UK and Orange UK with the Express. It's a solidly mid-range Gingerbread affair, packing an 800MHz Qualcomm 7227 processor, Android 2.3 and 5 megapixel shooter into a 3.5-inch package. Okay, so it's not the best of what's around in wireless, but can you really argue with free (on a two-year contract)? We didn't think so. Follow on past the break for the official presser.

Continue reading UK boards the Acer Liquid Express, Tom Hanks not embedded with NFC

UK boards the Acer Liquid Express, Tom Hanks not embedded with NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Wallet unofficially finessed into Galaxy Nexus, complete with complimentary cash

Galaxy Nexus owners may start looking to their phone whenever that pesky bank account is dying for some hurt. Although Google's latest smartphone doesn't officially support its mobile payment scheme, a few clever developers have introduced a functional workaround. Early reports suggest that Citi MasterCards can't be added (yet), but thankfully, the gratis Hamilton courtesy of Mountain View comes without a hitch. To get started, you'll need to unlock your phone's bootloader and install MoDaCo's custom ROM. From there, a Google Wallet patch must be applied, and its permissions then changed. The process isn't exactly for the faint of heart, but we know our readers are more than capable -- you'll find instructions in the source. Best yet, the crew at BGR verified this newfound functionality by purchasing enough sugar to make our teeth hurt. And why not? After all, it was on Google's dime.

Google Wallet unofficially finessed into Galaxy Nexus, complete with complimentary cash originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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N900 takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, suffers Android brain freeze (video)

Espoo's freshly dug some graves for its operating systems past, but that doesn't mean the mobile underground's leaving its antiquated wares behind. A hacker going by the winsome moniker of Drunkdebugger has kept the NITDroid project chugging along on the N900 with a port of Android's latest 4.0 frosty delight. Fair warning -- this is an extremely early build and is even referenced as being "pre-pre-alpha," so don't expect the overhauled, pure Google experience to be running seamlessly. Still, it's a bright spot for Nokia fanboys and girls that simply refuse to make peace with the wireless days of old. Jump past the break to take a brief look at this buggy ROM force closing.

Continue reading N900 takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, suffers Android brain freeze (video)

N900 takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, suffers Android brain freeze (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo launches LePad S2005, a 5-inch Gingerbread tabletphone for China

You may recall that last week we had a cheeky peek at Lenovo's upcoming tabletphone, and now our brethren at Engadget Chinese are actually touching one in Beijing! Dubbed the LePad S2005 in China (and to be branded under the IdeaTab series elsewhere), this Android 2.3.5 slate packs a 5-inch 800 x 480 LTPS display with 178-degree viewing angle (but same resolution as the Dell Streak 5's LCD, sadly), a Qualcomm dual-core 1.2GHz chip, 1GB RAM, a five megapixel 1080p imager on the back, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 1,680mAh battery. In terms of connectivity and expansion we have a micro-USB port, micro-HDMI port and HSPA+ radio (so it's ready for China Unicom's network). All of this is packaged in a 9.95mm-thick body, weighing a total of 198g. Just as thick as the Streak 5 but lighter, even with the slightly larger battery capacity.

There aren't any prices just yet, but given that this device is entering the Chinese market in two days' time, it won't be a long wait for those obsessed with tabletphones (and speaking of which, it's rather odd that Lenovo's marketing this as a tablet rather than a phone). Stay tuned for our hands-on photos.

Lenovo launches LePad S2005, a 5-inch Gingerbread tabletphone for China originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS system update pushed back to December 8th, Nintendo confirms

November is just about over and 3DS users are still without that firmware update announced last month. They needn't worry, though, because Nintendo says it's on the way. In a statement posted to its site yesterday, the company confirmed that the refresh "is in the final stages of internal testing," and that it will be released by December 8th -- not the end of November, as previously indicated. When it finally hits, users will be able to record 3D video, access new StreetPass games, and transfer data across their 3DS systems. These all sound like good things, but they'll only come to those who wait.

3DS system update pushed back to December 8th, Nintendo confirms originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo unveils the LePad S2007 and LePad S2010, both with Honeycomb and 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Oh no, it isn't just about the 5-inch tabletphone today. Announced at the same event in Beijing just now are a couple of larger tablets from Lenovo: the LePad S2007 and the LePad S2010. Interestingly, the latter 10.1-inch device isn't quite the same as what we saw in our exclusive scoop from two weeks ago: it's 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core rather than 1.6GHz NVIDIA quad-core, 1GB RAM instead of 2GB, no funky fingerprint scanner on the back, and it's launching with Android 3.2 instead of Ice Cream Sandwich. But fret not, as we've been informed that its international counterpart -- aka the IdeaTab K2 in our scoop -- will launch with the latest Android OS; so we're just waiting for a release date.

Both of these Honeycomb tablets share many similarities: Qualcomm's dual-core 1.5GHz chip, 1GB RAM, 1,280 x 800 IPS display (pretty nice on a 7-inch form factor, with 216ppi density), eight megapixel main camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, dual-mode 3G (China Telecom's EV-DO plus China Unicom's WCDMA) for data plus voice calls, and plans to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich in the future. Aside from the obvious physical differences, these tablets also come with different battery capacities: the 360g-heavy, 9.7mm-thick S2007 comes with 3,780mAh that can last up to eight hours on WiFi; whereas the 670g-heavy (almost the same as the original WiFi iPad, uh-oh), 9.9mm-thick S2010 has a generous 7,560mAh that can push it to 11 hours. Like the S2005 tabletphone, both tablets will be available in China next month; so for now, stay tuned for some hands-on photos from our folks over at Engadget Chinese.

Update: It turns out that there was a slight misunderstanding regarding the voice call feature -- the Chinese press release meant using Skype-like software to enable this. Pah.

Lenovo unveils the LePad S2007 and LePad S2010, both with Honeycomb and 1.5GHz dual-core chip originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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