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Samsung just grew its Bada line with a low-end foil to the original Wave, the so-called Wave 723 -- and we just happened to catch it hanging out tucked away in a distributor's booth at IFA this week. Though the leather-grain flip cover is a classy touch, make no mistake that this one is destined for the bottom bits of the full-touch featurephone market segment thanks to a middle-of-the-road TFT LCD that looks pretty washed out and low-res compared to the Wave's Super AMOLED (interestingly, the 723 is the first Bada phone to use version 1.1 of the platform, whose major addition is support for auto-scaling between multiple resolutions). We were also surprised at how poorly responsive the screen was to touches and swipes; we even thought for a moment that it might be resistive, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Then again, 802.11n support ain't bad, and Samsung certainly seems as committed to Bada as ever, so we imagine they'll sell a few. Hit up the gallery!
Gallery: Samsung Wave 723 flaunts Bada, little else at IFA Samsung Wave 723 flaunts Bada, little else at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Back in the early 90's whilst playing our Atari Lynx -- friendless and alone, of course -- we couldn't have imagined that a second-rate spinoff of the popular Gauntlet franchise would unlock the secrets behind the birth of Google's Android OS. But, lo and behold, what has one of our faithful tipsters found down here, amongst the ruins of Gauntlet: The Third Encounter? That's right, nearly irrefutable proof that the Android team (or at least its graphic designers) have plumbed the depths of Epyx's not-quite-masterpiece for the iconic droid logo we've come to know and love. Sure, the top-down scroller provided all kinds of new character classes like the "Nerd," "Punkrocker," and "Pirate," but only one of these fresh faces would provide the blueprint for Android's public face. It's hard to argue that there isn't some level of appropriation here, given the multiple similarities between the two pieces of art, right down to the antennae, dotted eyes, general size and shape, and even the strip which cuts across the midsection of the bot. Oh yeah, and the character is named Android. We personally would like to hear what Google has to say for themselves in regards to this blatant theft of intellectual property, and as for the Epyx artists who slaved over a hot Amiga to bring this image to life -- the taste of sweet justice is yours.
Gallery: Android / Android transformation

[Thanks, Davey]Continue reading Shocker! Google's Android logo boosted from Atari Lynx title 'Gauntlet: The Third Encounter'Shocker! Google's Android logo boosted from Atari Lynx title 'Gauntlet: The Third Encounter' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Toshiba's announced a worldwide, voluntary recall of about 41,000 T Series laptops because of a burn hazard. The laptops apparently carry the risk of overheating AC adapters which can then... burn you. Toshiba has reported that its received 129 complaints, including two minor burns, about the laptops, which include the Satellite T135, Satellite T135D and Satellite Pro T130, which were sold between August of 2009 through August of 2010. If you happened to buying one of these burn-prone babies, hit up the source to contact Toshiba for more information. Toshiba issues recall for 41,000 T Series laptops because of burn hazard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink US Consumer Product Safety Commission  |  Toshiba  | Email this | Comments

We caught the LumiRead set up and ready for some serious page-turning action as Acer set up its booth at IFA today (yes, it's true, the show still hasn't technically started), which marks the first time we've actually been able to hold the upcoming e-reader -- previously, the closest we'd gotten was the impersonal touch of a glass enclosure back at Computex. The verdict? After having touched one of those newfangled Kindles, we've got to say that pretty much every other e-reader out there feels like a ridiculously overweight beast, and the LumiRead gets swept up into that classification. The barcode scanner is still there (you can see it in our gallery below) and it's still as awesome of a concept as ever, but Acer has replaced the smooth plastic back with a ridged, patterned one on this newer prototype -- and considering that the launch is scheduled for October, we imagine this is nearly final or final spec. The thumbstick feels decent, but we don't really think it's the best way to navigate... which is a lesson Amazon already learned with the last version of the Kindle, by the bye. So here's your recipe for success, Acer: soft-touch back, cut the thickness by a third, eliminate the wasted space above the keyboard, and keep the barcode reader. Boom.
Gallery: Acer LumiRead makes IFA appearance, launch not far awayAcer LumiRead makes pit stop at IFA prior to launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Yesterday it was Corsair, today it's the turn of Antec to step into the world of PC audio components. Best known for building cases and power supplies, the company's aiming to make a splash in this unexplored pool with its all-new soundscience brand and first product, the rockus 3D|2.1 speakers. We're guessing capital letters weren't high on the priority list here, with Antec instead opting to focus on delivering "immersive 3D soundscapes," the supposed aural equivalent of three-dimensional visuals. Beyond the marketing exaggerations, you'll find anodized aluminum satellite speakers, both digital and analog input options, and that cute little control pod for adjusting volume and toggling between stereo and Antec's proprietary 3Dsst mode. This rockus 2.1 set certainly looks stylish enough, but the asking price of $250 makes us think we'll probably have to make do without one this fall.Continue reading Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakersAntec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

If your current WindBox is growing a bit long in the tooth, MSI has a newcomer with somewhat more respectable internals. Since it's a fanless machine designed to live on the rear of your LCD, you won't be ordering one with a Core i7, but the included Core 2 Duo chip is certainly a step above what's been offered in the past. It's designed primarily to be used as an ultra-low power solution for folks needing to handle the simplest of simple tasks, though the integrated graphics are purportedly capable of HD playback (on a good day). It's packing DVI, VGA and HDMI outputs, six USB 2.0 sockets, a pair of mini-PCIe slots, inbuilt 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a Bluetooth module, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to price or availability.MSI WindBox III gets a bit more oomph, still lives on your LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  MSI  | Email this | Comments

An increasing number of Euroland news outlets are reporting an eye-watering set of prices for Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Although still unofficial and therefore not yet to be trusted, the values we're hearing are €699 ($890) in France and €799 ($1,020) in Germany. Those presumably represent the cost of the 16GB and 32GB Tab, respectively, and align perfectly with Apple's iPad WiFi + 3G pricing -- aside from the fact the iPads have double the storage at each price point. Oops! That does make us wary to believe these numbers just yet, but if you want a laugh, why not check out UK importer Expansys today, which is offering a cracking deal for the 16GB Galaxy Tab at £680 ($1,050). And with only a 39-day wait!

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at €699 and €799 in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  ARMdevices.net, Journal du Geek, Expansys, Chip.de  | Email this | Comments

We'd already heard whispers that Apple had to yank Facebook Connect integration from its new Ping music network because the connection was being denied by Facebook, and now Kara Swisher at All Things D is confirming it -- and she's saying Facebook shut down access on purpose after Apple used the find-your-friends API without permission. Juicy! Here's the deal: Facebook's friend-finding API is generally open access, but anyone that wants to hit it an extreme number of times has to sign a deal agreeing to protect Facebook user data and limit network impact. Given the sheer size of the iTunes customer base, it's no surprise that Facebook wanted such a deal, but apparently negotiations broke down -- possibly over what Steve Jobs referred to as "onerous terms" -- and Apple decided to just go ahead and use the API anyway. (Which, truth be told, is pretty in character for Apple.) Facebook then blocked access, Apple had to scramble to clean up all the Facebook references, and here we are. Only possibly not for long: Swisher also says Apple and Facebook are still negotiating, and Facebook Connect might eventually reappear in Ping. There is no word when Ping might actually be useful or interesting, however.All Things D: Facebook blocked Apple's Ping service for unauthorized use originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  All Things D  | Email this | Comments

Canon had a lot to show for itself at its annual expo today, from the EOS 60D to the (working!) Multipurpose 4K concept, but the best goodies are of course the ones just a few steps outside of today's technological limits. One display in particular that caught our eye was the 2010 Image Creation set, featuring the bold Wonder Camera Concept from July. Nothing functional here, not even in sleight-of-hand video render form, but the models are quite the lookers. Joining the "SLR Style Concept" (as it was being called here, according to the accompanying placard) were the 3D Cam, Image Palette (display), Image Navi Cam (point and shoot), and MR HMD (helmet) -- all aesthetically Kubrick in nature. Not that we mind, of course; we find it best to go ahead and accept our future for the glossy white design motif that it'll assuredly become. Elsewhere, we happened upon the purported "world's largest CMOS sensor" -- not that we'd argue with what we saw -- and the more compact 120 megapixel CMOS, along with (separately) its panoramic camera prototype body. You can live vicariously through us in the photos below. Gallery: Canon's 2010 future concepts Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

You're looking at Canon's new 4k "Multipurpose" concept, a wondrous amalgamation of still and video cameras pumping 60 frames per second at 4k resolution out of an 8 megapixel 2/3-inch CMOS sensor. Yep, we said 4k video, approximately quadruple the resolution of 1080p. We had a chance to go hands-on with the prototype at Canon Expo 2010, and believe us when we tell you that it's really, really sharp, both in terms of hardware and the images it produces. The hardware is essentially a giant SLR body packing a fixed video-style lens complete with zoom and focus controls and a high-def flip-out LCD viewfinder (we're told it's the same LCD found in Canon's new XF-300 and XF-305 video cameras).

We were told by a Canon rep that, unlike competing camera-maker RED's offerings, the Multipurpose concept is not specifically designed for digital cinema. Instead, it's intended to offer "multipurpose image capture," which seems to imply something like the continuous photography promised by Canon's other futuristic prototype. And although we're told that the 4k Multipurpose camera will never come to market, it certainly sends a bold message to an industry content with 1080p that higher resolutions like 4k are coming down the pipe and aren't just the realm of boundary-pushing cinema nerds. But don't take our word for it, check out our hands-on video with this beast after the break.
Gallery: Canon Multipurpose 4K concept camera hands-onContinue reading Canon's 4k Multipurpose Camera concept weakens knees, shoots video. We go hands-on! (Video)Canon's 4k Multipurpose Camera concept weakens knees, shoots video. We go hands-on! (Video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The last bastion of Applephone exclusivity in Europe is about to be toppled, according to the Wall Street Journal, as Deutsche Telekom is said to be preparing for the loss of its iPhone 4 monopoly ahead of this year's holiday shopping season. Citing separate sources familiar with the matter, this report suggests that Vodafone and O2's German arms are earnestly reaching out for Apple's latest and greatest, and while distribution deals haven't yet been finalized, negotiations have reached an "advanced stage." Much as with O2's UK exclusivity deal, Apple looks to have opted against extending its arrangement with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile in an effort to reach the widest possible consumer base. Makes a lot of sense to us, now how about doing the same back home?WSJ: iPhone 4 to be offered by Vodafone and O2 in Germany as T-Mobile loses exclusivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Samsung may be one of the big players that Microsoft is pinning its hopes on for Windows Phone 7, but you wouldn't know that from listening to the company at IFA. Speaking to Reuters at the show, Samsung's head of marketing for its mobile division, YH Lee, said flatly that "we are prioritizing our Android platform," adding that, "Android is very open and flexible, and there is a consumer demand for it." Lee further went on to note that the company will continue to focus on its own Bada platform (at least outside of North America), but seemingly downplayed Windows Phone 7 when asked about it, saying only that "there is still some professional, specialized demand there." Ouch. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Samsung also says it's "not seeing visible demand for Symbian." Samsung: 'we are prioritizing our Android platform' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Reuters  | Email this | Comments