Not long after Samsung's SGH-i667 "Mandel" looked like it would never see the light of day, the Windows Phone 7.5 device made its official debut at CTIA, dubbed as the Focus 2. As expected, the phone is officially on sale today at AT&T retailers across the US, giving folks another option aside from the flagship Lumia 900 for a fix of LTE and Mango on the network. To refresh your memory, you'll find a 4-inch Super AMOLED display and VGA camera up front, and a 5MP shooter on back that's capable of 720p video. Internally, there's a 1.4GHz single-core CPU (exceedingly par for the course for Windows Phone at this point) and a 1,750mAh battery to hopefully ensure you'll have enough juice to get through the day. Despite the speedy connectivity, we'd be remiss not to mention that the Focus 2 packs a paltry 8GB of non-expandable storage and only comes in Glossy Pure White -- but for fifty bucks under a new two-year agreement, we won't kvetch too much. Our full review is coming soon, so hit the source link for more details in the meantime.

Samsung's Focus 2 arrives at AT&T today, a slice of LTE-equipped Mango for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AT&T  | Email this | Comments [ Filed under Technology & in the Industrial Design category ]

Every household needs a ladder, whether you use it every week or only a couple of times a year. The problem is that even the compact ones tend to take up a lot of space and look pretty ugly. Co&Co came up with an ingenious new design for this ubiquitous household tool.

The Corner Ladder looks and functions just like any other A-frame ladder when it’s fully unfolded. But when you need to store it, there is an extra step to folding it up that sets it apart from other ladders.

Each step folds up in the middle and then slots perfectly into the spaces in the ladder’s frame. Because the hinges in the steps only allow them to fold upward, the ladder is just as stable as any other of similar materials and weight.

The Corner Ladder would probably not be a great choice for someone who uses their ladder extensively – say, a handy person or a house painter. But for the majority of us who pull out a ladder only for occasional light household projects, the clever little folding tool could save a lot of valuable house space.

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[ Filed under Technology & in the Industrial Design category ]

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It's tough being the new kid in town -- ask Voyager Mobile, an up and coming MVNO that had its launch delayed by a "malicious network attack" last week. The tenacious firm may have missed its planned May 15th launch, but managed to pull things together in time for the weekend, piggybacking unlimited talk, text and data off of Sprint's CDMA and WiMAX network for $40 a month. A basic unlimited voice plan is also available to the tune of $20, without data allowances, of course. Phones are available too, albeit without subsidies -- Samsung's Epic 4G Touch or Galaxy S II will each set you back $550, though an assortment of more affordable devices can be had from $120 and up. Tempted to jump ship? Check out the source link below and let all your MVNO dreams come true.

Voyager Mobile shakes off network issues, launches a few days behind schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 16:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still waiting for your HTC handset to make its way through customs? Ratchet your hopes just a smidge higher, because the company says it's making progress. "Some models have gone through inspection and been released to our carriers customers," the firm stated in an investor statement today. HTC explained that each of the contested models needs to be reviewed by officials before release, and assures customers that it is working with customs to speed along the process. Which devices are making it through? "We don't have the status of each specific device at this time," HTC says, "We remain confident that this issue will be resolved soon." Sure, that's not much to go off of, but we'll take what we can get.

Continue reading Customs slowly letting HTC handsets into the US, can't say which ones

Customs slowly letting HTC handsets into the US, can't say which ones originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look out, savvy graphics card buyer: just because it's labelled 'GeForce' and starts with a '6' doesn't necessarily mean it benefits from NVIDIA's premium 28nm Kepler architecture. We've already seen rebadged mobile chips with last-gen 40nm silicon, and now entry-level desktop cards are arriving on shelves that will stretch Fermi's expiry date even further. There are no price tags as yet, but according to AnandTech the 'new' GeForce GT 610 is a repackaged GT 520 with 48 CUDA cores and an ever-so-polite 29-watt power draw. The GT 620 is a GT 530 with a 49-watt TDP and twice as many CUDA cores as the 610 -- although a meager 64-bit memory bus will put a cap on any performance gains. Finally, the GT 630 is a 65-watt GT 440 in all but name, with a 128-bit memory bus width allowing its 96 CUDA cores to be fully exploited. This latter card shouldn't be confused with the OEM version of the GT 630, which does actually pack Kepler. Bewildering, right? We've quizzed NVIDIA over its strange rebadging tradition and were told that the company simply numbers its products according to raw performance, rather than freshness or chip type -- which sort of makes sense so long as you don't dwell on it.

NVIDIA outs budget GeForce GT 610, GT 620 and GT 630, no Kepler in any of 'em originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AnandTech  | Email this | CommentsT-Mobile this weekend started offering a data solution for those that don't like to commit to contracts.

The at times very heated legal battle between Apple and Samsung might be softening just a bit ahead of truce talks on May 21st. Samsung's mobile head JK Shin just left Seoul for the mediated discussions saying there were still "several negotiation options" on tap, including the possibility of cross-licensing patents. He warned that there was still a "big gap" between the two sides, and we'd tend to agree -- neither Apple nor Samsung is exactly backing off just yet. However, it's a definite shift in language from March, when Shin was vowing "no compromise," and it parallels Apple CEO Tim Cook's own disdain for lawsuits. We just wouldn't bet money on the two singing "Kumbaya" this week.

In same breath, Shin added that an ongoing 4G chipset shortage wasn't letting up: he didn't see things getting better until the start of the fourth quarter, or October for us common folk. That's a problem for Samsung's phones and tablets most of all, of course, and in a dire case could see LTE-packing American Galaxy S III variants rely on other vendors' chips to stay on the 4G bandwagon. There's also a chance of a ripple effect on other companies that want Samsung's parts, but short of getting a peek at Samsung's inner workings, we won't know the full impact for awhile yet.

Samsung chief: we're open to a cross-licensing deal with Apple, but 4G chip shortage might last until the fall originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last summer, try as we might, we couldn't get too much out of Microsoft's creative director for Kinect Games, Kudo Tsunoda, about what's next from the interactive peripheral. More recently, in an interview with Venture Beat, Tsunoda was a little more verbose about what he thinks the next big thing in Kinect is -- and it isn't a Kinect 2. The good news is, he believes that no new hardware will be required, and the innovations will likely come from developers, as they better understand and utilize the capabilities. A combination of voice, tone and facial recognition along with motion detection will likely be the tools that push the experience into the next era -- such as allowing users to participate in a game's story like an actor. Hit the source if you want to read the full interview, but you can be sure we'll be at E3 again this year to beat him, and others, with the question stick once more.

Kudo Tsunoda: 'Waiting for the next big thing isn't about waiting for the Kinect 2' originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GamesIndustry  |  Venture Beat  | Email this | Comments [ Filed under Transportation & in the Mods & Custom category ]

Three-wheeled auto rickshaws, or tuk-tuks, aren’t a common sight in America…but in other parts of the world, they’re everywhere. Typically, they are propelled either by cycling or by petrol or diesel fuel. Dutch company Tuk Tuk Factory has taken this unique type of vehicle and turned it into a fully electric food truck.

The E-Tuk Vendo seems to be the first electric tuk-tuk to be produced specifically for food service. The adorable vehicle is deceptively small; in its cargo area it sports a refrigerator, sink, plenty of storage and a counter that pulls out to become the working/selling area.

Operated by a lead-acid battery, the truck can go nearly 40 miles on a single charge. It is designed to be plugged in while it is stopped, both to recharge the battery and to power all of the internal systems. While stopped, the side panel lifts up and locks into place to become a lighted canopy.

After a hard day of street food sales, the truck’s battery fully recharges in about 10 hours. Dutch smoothie vendors Toeti Froeti received the first version of the E-Tuk Vendo, the saucy orange number pictured here. According to Tuk Tuk Factory, there is a huge demand for eco-friendly electric food trucks all over the world – and their particular type of truck inspires smiles in everyone who sees it.

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[ Filed under Transportation & in the Mods & Custom category ]

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Our hopes of taking the Fisker Atlantic for a spin next year just got dampened considerably: a big document leak has revealed that the more reasonably-priced alternative to the Karma won't be rolling off the production lines en masse until mid-2014, a year later than we'd expected. Thanks in part to a factory overhaul, the only Atlantics rolling on their hybrid-powered wheels in mid-2013 will be prototypes. On the upside, we've learned more about the car itself, including a fairly brisk 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds courtesy of a 300HP-equivalent motor. Green drivers who thought that the promised lower price would put it into entry-level luxury will nonetheless get a reality check with that $50,000 to $60,000 target, even if it's still a big savings over the six-digit Karma. There's still a huge amount of leeway for things to change, but with our compatriots at Autoblog having confirmed that the documents were real and "highly confidential," they may be a sign that the Tesla Model S will have free rein in the green luxury sedan world for a good year or more.

Fisker leak shows Atlantic production delayed to mid-2014, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does the word ReRAM ring a bell? No? Well, the key point is that it's much faster than NAND memory, and it's making its way into chips from Elpida, Sharp and Panasonic. Further proof that ReRAM is on the up and up? Researchers at University College London have used this technology to make a chip that operates at 100 times the speed of standard Flash memory. The device is composed completely of silicon oxide, which improves the chip's resistance, and it doesn't require a vacuum to work (which makes it cheaper to produce). But this new chip is more than just a faster alternative to Flash; its ability to move between different states of conductivity means it can be configured as a memristor, or a device that handles both data-processing and storage tasks. In the long term, researchers hope this technology can pave the way for silicon oxide CPUs -- and UCL is already using this design to help develop transparent memory chips for mobile devices. Need to know more? Feast your heart on the gritty details via the link below.

Researchers develop silicon ReRAM chip, send warning shot to Flash memory originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 06:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As much as we're familiar with mobile device torture tests, they're normally inflicted by us or otherwise not-so-voluntary. Nokia, however, has stepped up to the plate and doled out the abuse to the Lumia 900 itself with a hammer and nail, all based on a wager that the Windows Phone's use of Gorilla Glass would hold up to Sonim-level punishment. The company's Chris Ruble and Mike Meyers (not that Mike Myers) used a Lumia 710 as a dry run before an on-camera demo that not only saw the 900 assaulted with the hammer, but used as a blunt instrument itself -- all without a crack or scratch. We imagine that other toughened-glass phones would survive the hit, and there's every possibility that smacking the polycarbonate plastic would leave more than a scuff mark. Nokia's test still proves that its pride and joy can withstand more than just a casual roughing up, and you can see the slightly cringe-inducing test in the video below.

Continue reading Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video)

Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 04:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Excited for Nintendo's new tablet-esque controller? So are the kids in TT Games' QA department. An over-excited tester tweeted out an image of a slightly different Wii U slab than the one we laid hands on at E3 2011, teasing "look we what we have at work!" Answering the call does indeed reveal something worth looking at -- a somewhat wider looking Wii U slate featuring two full-sized analog sticks (as opposed to 3DS-like circle pads), a pair of unmarked button-like squares, and a new starboard home for the controller's plus and minus buttons.

The tweet was summarily pulled, of course, but not before our friends at Joystiq nabbed a screenshot. Naturally, the rumor mill started right up, churning out speculation of developer specific slabs, early prototypes and late redesigns. The truth? We'll probably need to wait until E3 to find out, but we reached out to Nintendo for a comment all the same. We'll let you know if we hear anything more than the usual "Nintendo doesn't comment on rumors and speculation" line.

Alternative Wii U controller design makes brief appearance on Twitter, goes into hiding originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think the Wii has the market cornered on gaming rehab? Think again -- neuroscientists at Newcastle University are developing a series of motion controlled video games to make stroke rehab more fun and accessible. The team's first title, dubbed Circus Challenge, lets patients digitally throw pies, tame lions and juggle to help them build strength and regain motor skills. As players progress, the game ratchets up its difficulty, presumably to match pace with their recovery.

Although Limbs Alive, the game's publisher, has only described their motion controller as "next-generation," it affirms that the game will be playable on PCs, laptops and tablets later this year. In an effort to lower costs and provide at-home therapy, the team hopes to leverage a £1.5 million award from the UK's Health Innovation Challenge Fund to build a system that will allow therapists to monitor patient progress remotely. The whole enchilada still needs some time to bake, but you can hit the break for a video and the full press release.

Continue reading Neuroscientists develop game for stroke rehabilitation, give the Wii a run for its money

Neuroscientists develop game for stroke rehabilitation, give the Wii a run for its money originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 00:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 inquiry is from is from Warren, who wants to find an electrical moped within his budget. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"What's the cheapest two-wheeled electric vehicle that goes over 45mph available in the US? I looked at the Gas-powered $2,500 Sym Symba, but as far as I can tell, I'd have to spend four times that much for an electric equivalent. Am I missing something? Thank you!"

Unfortunately, you are. The biggest barrier to joining the EV parade is the price of batteries, which are often more expensive than the vehicles they're situated inside. For example, even a motorized bicycle like the Grace One is $6,000 -- but that's as far as our knowledge goes on the subject. Perhaps there is a solution out there, all it needs is for one of our friendly commenters to tell all in the river of text below.

Ask Engadget: Electric commuting on the cheap? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 22:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you find yourself with nothing better to do this weekend, then you might have a bit of fun playing around with Samsung's soon-to-be-released S Voice application on your rooted Android 4.0 smartphone. The APK has now made its way into the wild, and we couldn't help but take it for a spin on our Nexus S. First off, while we can't vouch for the security of the file, we can confirm that it's indeed functional. Secondly, while some of the S Voice features work just fine -- such as search or contact queries -- other requests such as navigation repeatedly caused the app to crash. In other words, if you're expecting this app to behave as it should on the Galaxy S III, you might be in for a disappointment. If you're merely looking to poke around with the S Voice functionality, however, the download seems quite worthwhile. At this point, we're most curious to know whether non-Samsung owners have similar luck. If you're willing to give 'er a go, let us know your experience in the comments below.

Update: We've also now tested the leaked APK on our Galaxy Nexus, and are happy to report that S Voice works quite flawlessly. As always, your mileage may vary.

Samsung Galaxy S III S Voice APK leaked online originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 14th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hasselblad is typically known for everything but price cuts, and sometimes goes in the opposite direction. As such, we're more than a little caught off-guard by a round of price cuts on what's usually considered the definitive medium format camera line. The 'entry' H4D-31 has been cut down by as much as 23 percent; we're not sure we'd call it a steal at $11,995 without a lens, but it's now an option if you think even a Nikon D800's full-frame sensor is puny. Price slashes aren't reserved for the bargain models, either, as even the 200-megapixel, status symbol H4D-200MS shaves enough off the cost (now $35,995) to be a worth look for those sitting on the fence. You can get the full details at the source link, and you won't have to survive on ramen noodles for a year to shoot billboard-sized photos.

Hasselblad cuts H4D prices by up to 23 percent, might let you afford rent originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Borders. Here at the Engadget Mobile Podcast, we're so over them. That's why we let former Engadget Mobile CEO-in-chief Chris Ziegler come back and hang out on our side of the fence for a few hours, no matter where he comes from. You know who's NOT over border? The United States Border Patrol, Division of Potential Patent Infringements on Apple Intellectual Property. Be a fence-sitter with us for a little while: it's not so bad up here (and we get great reception).

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guest: Chris Ziegler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

00:01:06 - Best Buy expects EVO 4G LTE to land May 23rd, HTC remains cautious
00:03:00 - Apple, HTC ordered by judge to sit down, try and make nice on August 28th
00:07:00 - HTC One X and EVO 4G LTE delayed at customs due to ITC exclusion order (updated)
00:13:15 - HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint review (updated)
00:30:00 - T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm issues memo discussing restructuring plans, more jobs affected
00:48:06 - HTC confirms One X multitasking tweaks in Sense 4
00:51:30 - NTT DoCoMo's Galaxy S III to ship with 2GB RAM?
00:59:27 - LG shows off UI 3.0 for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, says it's 'unobtrusive and simple'
01:06:22 - Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct
01:15:48 - Verizon CFO says grandfathered unlimited plans on the way out
01:18:07 - WSJ: Apple moving towards larger iPhone screens
01:30:05 - Report: Apple dumping Google for own Maps app in iOS 6 (update)

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Engadget Mobile Podcast 138 - 05.19.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going by Microsoft's Greater China COO Michel van der Bel, the launch of Windows Phone in China is off to an auspicious start -- enough to give Apple the shakes. He claims that devices like the Nokia Lumia 800c have helped Windows Phone reach seven percent of the Chinese market, or just enough to get past the six points of the iPhone. We're waiting on hard data before we take van der Bel's word: the top smartphone makers worldwide aren't depending much or at all on Windows Phone, and the iPhone has a thriving gray market in China that masks some of its real numbers. Having said this, we've seen signs of Windows Phone enjoying a bit of a surge even in an iOS- and Android-loving Europe, so we'll be watching to see if there's an uptick in the number of buyers saying ni hao to Microsoft in the near future.

Continue reading Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China

Microsoft exec says Windows Phone outselling iPhone in China originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What does one do after generating billions from an initial public stock offering? Go shopping, of course. After falling short of expectations following its somewhat helter-skelter IPO debut, Facebook simply shook off the whole thing and acquired itself some good Karma. No, we're not talking about that Karma. Instead, Facebook purchased the startup responsible for the Karma social gifting app. The move was apparently made to bolster Facebook's mobile chops -- an area the company considers ripe for opportunity. Just recently, Facebook also acquired mobile stalwart Instagram and the Lightbox team, for example. As for its newest purchase, Karma will be allowed to "continue to operate in full force" despite its recent status change, according to a blog post by co-founders Lee Linden and Ben Lewis. Details weren't disclosed about how much the deal was worth but judging from celebratory nature of their post, it doesn't look like Linden and Lewis will "Unlike" the agreement any time soon.

Facebook likes Karma app, buys the whole darn thing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The final significant roadblock to Google's buyout of Motorola has been cleared, as Chinese regulators have just given their rubber stamp. Their approval follows a few months after the simultaneous American and European clearances, and virtually all that's left now is to formally close the deal and start integrating the two mobile giants. It might still come too late for the combined entity to present a united front at Google I/O, but at least they won't have any awkward glances at each other across the room. We're just trying to decide on whether or not Googorola is the best pet name for the loving, $12.5 billion-dollar Android union.

Update: Google has since told the AP that the deal will likely wrap up early next week, so Motorola should be part of the family well in advance of Google I/O. Also, Google has to keep Android freely usable by anyone for at least five years, although no one was expecting that to change anytime soon.

China clears Google acquisition of Motorola, eliminates last barrier to Googorola bliss (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking through Engadget's annals of robotic achievements, we see droids juggling, dabbling in competitive sailing and even manning prisons. Cool as they are, those functions aren't going to mean a thing when Mr. Automaton is lost in the wilderness, damaged and without a helping human hand in sight. Researchers at ETH Zurich are working to change that scenario, as they're currently developing a "self-reconfigurable" device that packs a glue gun for creating the tools it needs on the fly. It might not be the quickest method -- as you'll see in the video below, making a glue cup takes a good hour -- but it's effective enough for transporting and pouring water. That's not to say that the prototype is ready to fend for itself; it built the cup, but only under human direction. The researchers' next step is adding in autonomous capabilities so the bots can repair things -- and even build other robots -- without being told to do so. A sea of self-regenerating droids? Sounds harmless to us.

Continue reading Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101

Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

On average, North American consumers will spend a lifetime total of five days on failed attempts to pair their dock connector cable with an iPad or iPhone. Yeah, that's not true, but we can certainly sympathize with frustrated device owners -- fitting a tiny connector to any gadget can be a chore, especially in the dark. Scrap Pile Labs' CordLite sets out to point the way to a successful connection with its built-in LEDs. The illuminated cable is quite simple to use -- with no buttons or switches to fuss with, the connector lights up when you touch the aluminum plates, and powers off the moment it's secured to your device. There's really not much else to it -- CordLite functions identically to an Apple-manufactured cable, though the dock connector itself is significant larger than the OEM variety, at least in its current prototype form.

The design team has turned to Kickstarter to get their project funded, with a $70,000 goal. If all goes to plan, they expect to ship black or white CordLites beginning in September at $35 a pop, but as always, getting in during the "pre-order" phase will net you a hefty discount. The first 200 backers can get an early-bird cord in the color of their choice with a $25 pledge, with the required amount jumping up to $30 from there. A $45 pledge gets you an exclusive laser-etched model, while $50 will be met with a pair of early-bird cords. As you may have gathered from the picture above, the first version will only function with Apple devices, though a microUSB cord is also said to be in the works. See it in action in the video demo just past the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: CordLite illuminated iPhone cable (video)

Insert Coin: CordLite illuminated iPhone cable (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  CordLite (Kickstarter)  | Email this | CommentsJust one word: oops.