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While we admire the impulse to best your South Korean neighbor and build the world's thinnest X (in this case, the world's thinnest full LED LCD TV bezel), you can't help but notice the base at the bottom where all the components that used to be in the back have been crammed seems to grow ever larger with each passing tradeshow. Still, LG's LEX8 8.8mm thick LCD is impressively thin and the picture quality, thanks to that localized "Nano LED" dimming, is stellar. Hit up the gallery for a requisite thickness comparo with an iPhone -- next year we're just gonna pack some razor blades for comparison shots.

Gallery: LG LEX8 'Nano LED' TV eyes-on

LG LEX8 'Nano LED' TV eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah, ha! If you'll recall, we happened upon a Lenovo-branded netbook of sorts back in June, but curiously enough, Freescale and Pegatron components were powering the thing. Now, it seems that yet another flavor has emerged as the Efika MX Smartbook. Frankly, we aren't too sure this thing fits into the 'smartbook' category (given the comparatively spacious 10-inch display), but we are sure that the $349 price point is borderline absurd considering the wealth of decent netbook options at or below that very MSRP. At any rate, those still interested should know that there's an 800MHz i.MX515 processor under the hood along with 16GB of NAND Flash, an MMC / SD card slot, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel and enough oomph to power through HD video, supposedly. Tap that source link if you're looking to take a risk, but we'd probably recommend against it.

Efika MX Smartbook now on sale for an exceedingly unattractive price originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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But does it really need it?

Comment Intel has embarked on a major shopping spree to counter the pressures on its traditional businesses, which prompted it to issue a results warning at the end of last week. That was swiftly followed by the announcement that it would acquire Infineon‘s wireless arm, as widely expected, for $1.4bn, hard on the heels of the purchase of security software firm McAfee.…

Looks like Garmin's cellular nüLink! service was something of a success -- it's now become the brand of the company's new top-tier GPS. The Garmin nüLink! 1695 replaces the nüvi 1690 with a model nigh-identical on the outside but for a larger, 5-inch touchscreen, but imbued with the traffic trending features of the 3700 series -- in other words, pretty much just what we expected. Unfortunately for spendthrifts lusting after its connected search functions (including traffic, weather, Google, fuel prices, flight times and more) and new integrated services store, the price is about what we expected as well, starting at $450 for the unit with a year of nüLink data and $5 a month thereafter. However, if that's out of your price range Garmin's not going to let you go without a fight -- it's also introduced no fewer than eleven new nüvi 2200 and 2300 series PNDs with a wide variety of features at nearly every wallet size. Press releases after the break, and find the full lineup at our source link.

Continue reading Garmin's nuLink! 1695 attracts high-end GPS buyers, nuvi 2200 and 2300 mop up the rest

Garmin's nuLink! 1695 attracts high-end GPS buyers, nuvi 2200 and 2300 mop up the rest originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The price of a Tweetbookish Gmail mod

Google has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit claiming it violated the privacy of Gmail users when it released Google Buzz, a Gmail bolt-on that turned the email service into a Tweetbookish social networking tool.…

Remember that big, honking red-and-black HTC slider that dwarfed an EVO 4G? It's back sporting Verizon colors just as we were told, and with a few more confirmed specifications thanks to the ever-reliable FCC. The HTC "PD42100" is still missing a proper internal codename, but test reports confirm it's ready for at least CDMA 2000 and GSM 850 plus EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n WiFi at 2.4GHz frequencies. There's no word on that 1.2GHz processor or 4-inch display, but it's clear we're looking at some chunky chiclet keys and there's definitely a removable battery. We can't wait to get our hands on what surely looks like the new king of Droids.

Gallery: HTC's dual-mode Android slider at the FCC

Update: As it turns out, the size of the screen has been staring us in the face for hours -- we just had to think back to high school geometry class, specifically the Pythagorean Theorem. Starting with the FCC's handy-dandy picture of the phone's rear next to a square ruler, we had only to superimpose an image of the front on top, then calculate the diagonal (after translating to inches, of course) to discover it was a 4-inch display all along. Oh, and the phone has EV-DO Rev. A for data. [Thanks, Mark]

HTC's dual-mode CDMA / GSM Android slider hits the FCC, decked out in shades of Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Chairman JT Wang is quick to say that he thinks that iPad sales are only going down from here, but maybe he should listen to that age-old idiom: people in fragile economies shouldn't throw stones. According to iSuppli's latest report on the global PC market, Acer slipped down to third place after losing 6.2 percent of its market share compared to last quarter. Dell, meanwhile, lost a relatively slim 1.2 percent of its share, bumping it back up to second place -- a position it had previously given up to Acer. Meanwhile HP still sits on top, commanding 18.1 percent of the market share, though that too is down, 6.3 percent over last quarter. Still, all three are well up over last year, an encouraging sign in these supposedly troubling times.

Dell moves back up to #2 position in global PC sales, Acer slips to 3rd, HP still reigns supreme originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all outta gum."

More than ever, BlackBerry sales are skewing towards the Curve; the 8500 has been so popular that it's seen shortages that are rare for a company built on ho-hum phones. The Curve 3G is an attempt to massage that formula to perfection with a refined design and a mix of 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi that GSM BlackBerry owners haven't seen before. We're gauging in our BlackBerry Curve 3G review if that's all that's needed, or if RIM should still be looking over its shoulder at Apple and Google....


Smartphone - BlackBerry - Handhelds - Wallpapers and Themes - Protocols

An uncertain rumor on Saturday has what's purported to be a future iPad in testing with a front camera. The partial shot allegedly shows the tablet in a debugging mode for video calls. 9 to 5 Mac in obtaining the shots noted that the mode is the same seen on field-tested iPhone 4 units but hidden from everyday users....


Programming - Jamaica - Pets - Dogs - Breeds

So look -- RIM's BlackBerry Torch 9800 isn't exactly the barnburner-of-a-smartphone that we were hoping it'd be, but at least it looks snazzy, right? Right? Regardless of your answer to that, it's a bona fide fact that Colorware has outdone itself on this one. Usually, it's most fun to toy around with the company's endless array of hues in order to create the most hideous version of your favorite gadget before pretending to hit the order button, but for whatever reason, the first handset to ship with BlackBerry OS 6 actually looks dapper in red and white. Or maybe that's just the Wolfpack in us talking. Either way, it's available to customize now in the source link for $250 (send your own) or $1,050 (buy new sans a contract). Video's after the break, should you need one.

Continue reading BlackBerry Torch 9800 gets the Colorware treatment, sees value increase infinitely

BlackBerry Torch 9800 gets the Colorware treatment, sees value increase infinitely originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honestly, from this distance it's hard to tell what's going on, but 9 to 5 Mac says we're looking at a next-gen camera-equipped iPad fielded specifically to test video calls. As you may recall, iPhone software surfaced with a very similar menu just weeks before the iPhone 4 came out, which either means someone was inspired to create a clever 'shop, or that we just got our first real glimpse at iProd 4,1. Oh, and Mr. Extreme Closeup? He's our friend Blurrycam's old college roommate, didn't you know?

Mr. Extreme Closeup suggests next-gen iPad is testing FaceTime... right now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're not sure why, but Panasonic loves to trot out human exhibits whenever it wants to promote new additions to its camera line. Here's what they used at IFA 2010 in Berlin. Unfortunately, we're too freaked-out to remember anything about the camera.

An IFA 2010 moment of Zen originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/04/android-accounts-for-one-quarter-of-mobile-web-traffic-says-qua/'; It's terribly difficult to get reliable statistics, as numbers tend to vary drastically depending upon whom you ask, but if you're inclined to believe that Android is mopping up Apple and RIM's declining mobile mindshare in the US, you'll find nothing but corroboration from Quantcast. The analytics firm reckons a full one-quarter of mobile web traffic stateside comes from devices running Google's OS, though it's important to know that the iOS tallies apparently don't include the web-friendly iPad. You also might want to note that this is mobile web traffic here -- these days, we spend an increasing amount of our internet time in apps -- and since we're on a roll with the disclaimers, let's just add that these numbers have nothing to do with a company's financial success. Nokia can attest to that.

Android accounts for one-quarter of mobile web traffic, says Quantcast originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and mighty oaks from little acorns grow. What do these two phrases have in common? Not much, really, but we'd say Logitech's new line of gamepads have rather a lot in common with not only Sony's line of dual-analog controllers but also gamepads from Microsoft. Logitech itself says these have a "familiar, comfortable" design, and that's obviously in reference to the DualShock-aping style. Meanwhile, those buttons are a dead ringer to the Xbox 360's candy-like inputs, and the shape of the grips looks to have been lifted from there, too. But, hey, nothing wrong with a little inspired design, and the Gamepad F310 is the lowest end, selling for around $25. The Rumble Gamepad F510 offers dual vibration for about $35, and the Wireless Gamepad F710 moves up to 2.4GHz wireless and an MSRP of $50. You can pre-order yours at Logitech's site -- or just connect one of your existing Xbox 360 controllers to your PC and get the real deal.

Gallery: Logitech gamepads

Logitech's new PC Gamepads offer a 'familiar' design originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After months of pressure from state attorneys general, Craigslist pulled its adult services listings offline over the Labor Day weekend. Visitors to the site were greeted with a black bar with the word "censored" in white text (as seen to the right) where the link to the adult services listings would normally be.

The adult services listings have been a perpetual source of concern for law enforcement, including numerous state attorneys general, who have said that listings facilitate prostitution and that children are often victimized by the ads. Craigslist originally had an Erotic Services section, but shut it down in May 2009 in response to pressure from law enforcement. The company had previously attempted to stave off criticism by verifying listings over the phone and working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but decided that having an entire section of the site devoted to the sex trade was a bad idea. Shortly after the erotic services section was yanked, it was replaced with the adult services section.

The new section, which required credit card payments for listings that were reviewed by moderators before going live, failed to mollify critics. The attorney general of Connecticut and 37 of his colleagues across the country subpoenaed the classified site over what they described as its brothel business. In late August, Kansas attorney general Steve Six called on Craigslist once again to shut down adult services, saying that the site had not done enough to fight "illegal sexual activity on the Internet."

At this time, it's not clear whether craigslist is going to get out of the adult services business altogether. The classifieds giant has remained silent so far, not offering any rationale for its move. If this does indeed mark the end of the line for the adult services section on Craigslist, it doesn't mean that all adult services ads will magically vanish; they're likely to migrate to other parts of the site. That said, the attorneys general will no doubt view the apparent shutdown of the adult services section as a victory in their war against the online sex trade.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Perhaps the most-predicted announcement from Apple's September 1 press event is the addition of two cameras to the iPod touch. Long before Apple revealed its FaceTime videoconferencing software with the iPhone 4, various disassemblers noticed that there seemed to be a place left open for a camera in the last iPod touch, despite Apple's claim that the product didn't "need more stuff." Nonetheless, few could deny the usefulness of such an add-on, particularly when paired with the touch's relatively generous internal memory capacity.

Now, though, adding image and video capture to the touch makes even more sense. Apple's FaceTime video chat software is Wi-Fi-only, and while 3G support would certainly make It more useful on the go, imbuing the iPod touch with the ability to make video calls greatly expands Apple's addressable market with FaceTime, brings the touch into a whole new category and possibly makes it the first affordable, carrier-independent mass market videophone.

Continue reading Switched On: FaceTime prepares for prime time

Switched On: FaceTime prepares for prime time originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you have two hours to spare? Maybe you're taking a road trip. Maybe you have an hour commute and can listen to one half on the way to work and one half on the way back. Maybe you're a marathon runner. Whatever. Obviously, there was a ton of stuff to talk about this week in the World of Tech and the Engadget Podcasters have got it all covered - just for you. Complete with Neo Geo, TurboGrafx 16 and Atari Lynx + Jaguar references.

Update: We had a bad link in here for one of the files, it should be fixed now. If you got the last podcast instead of the new one, try again!

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Monkey Wrench

00:03:40 - Live from Apple's fall 2010 event
00:04:04 - The new Apple TV for $99
00:10:40 - Apple's AirPlay music streaming coming to third party speaker docks, receivers, and stereos
00:12:45 - iHome teases first AirPlay-compatible portable speaker dock
00:18:50 - Amazon streaming 99-cent ABC and Fox shows... right now (update: purchases, not rentals!)
00:19:20 - Roku lowers prices across the board: HD box now $69, $99 HD-XR to get 1080p support
00:21:15 - Apple claims 50 percent of portable gaming market, iPod touch 'outsells Nintendo and Sony combined'
00:23:00 - Apple TV (2010) first look / hands-on! (updated with video)
00:25:00 - Apple TV vs. the competition -- how does it stack up?
00:29:19 - iPod nano redesigned: smaller, lighter, better and costing $149 for 8GB or $179 for 16GB
00:29:51 - iPod nano (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!)
00:36:00 - Apple announces redesigned iPod shuffle, brings the buttons back
00:35:26 - iPod touch gets revamped: retina display, FaceTime, HD video recording
00:37:28 - iPod touch (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!)
00:38:52 - Sony Bloggie Touch preview: an actually simple 'simple camcorder'
00:44:33 - Confirmed: the iPod Classic is alive and well
00:44:55 - Apple announces iTunes 10 with Ping social network
00:45:55 - iTunes 10 (with Ping) mercifully becomes available for download (update: iOS 4 has Ping, too)
00:46:10 - Why did Apple take Facebook Connect out of Ping?
00:46:47 - All Things D: Facebook blocked Apple's Ping service for unauthorized use
00:52:50 - We're live from IFA 2010!
00:53:00 - Samsung Galaxy Tab preview
00:56:30 - Samsung Galaxy Tab rooted, just for bragging rights
01:00:14 - The Samsung Galaxy Tab: more relief on the go
01:02:40 - Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at €699 and €799 in Europe (update: O2 Germany pricing)
01:04:18 - Galaxy Tab with WiMAX coming to Sprint this November?
01:12:18 - Toshiba Folio 100 preview
01:18:00 - ViewSonic 10-inch dual boot ViewPad preview
01:25:13 - Archos unleashes five (five!) new Android Froyo tablets, we go hands-on
01:27:55 - Palm puts webOS 2.0 SDK into limited release starting today
01:37:55 - Windows Phone 7 goes gold master, begins rolling out to partners for final launch preparations
01:40:05 - Clearwire's Rover service goes live, offers $5/day 4G service
01:44:00 - Verizon officially announces prepaid smartphone data packages
01:47:52 - Shocker! Google's Android logo boosted from Atari Lynx title 'Gauntlet: The Third Encounter'



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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 211 - 09.04.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember back when Google's Buzz social networking app shared user's private information without their consent? Heck, do you remember Buzz at all? Suffice it to say that some unhappy folks sued, and it looks like they're about to accept a hefty settlement in place of their day in court. Though no money's exchanged hands quite yet and a judge has yet to approve, Google's agreed to drop $8.5 million and "disseminate wider public education about the privacy aspects of Google Buzz" as part of a class-action settlement, according to court documents. While there's certainly a chunk of dough potentially being doled out here, we have to imagine individual Gmail users won't be seeing much -- most will go to "organizations focused on Internet privacy policy or privacy education" -- which makes us wonder if $8.5 million isn't a small price to pay to get Buzz back into the national news feeds.

In related (or possibly completely coincidental) news, Google took the opportunity today to revamp its master Privacy Policy. Read all about it at our more coverage link, if you're into that kind of stuff.

Google agrees to pay $8.5 million to make Buzz privacy lawsuits go away originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Associated Press didn't need any help from a bunch of unshowered bloggers pecking away at their keyboards from the basement offices in which they play "reporter," thank you very much. Now it knows better.

At the AP's 2009 annual meeting, Chairman Dean Singleton reminded his audience (read the speech) that the AP and its members "are the source of most of the news content being created in the world today." The collective remains "the gold standard of newsgathering and reporting throughout the world." And with 62 journalists killed, beaten, or detained in 2008, journalism "is not a profession for the fainthearted, or those who work in their pajamas."

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