Not everybody needs the world's fastest mobile GPU, so NVIDIA is sagely trickling down its Fermi magic to more affordable price points today. The 400M family is being fleshed out with five new midrange parts -- GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M, to give them their gorgeous names -- and a pair of heavy hitters known as the GTX 470M and GTX 460M. Features shared across the new range include a 40nm fab process, DirectX 11, CUDA general-purpose computing skills, PhysX, and Optimus graphics switching. 3D Vision and 3DTV Play support will be available on all but the lowest two variants. NVIDIA claims that, on average, the 400M graphics cards are 40 percent faster than their 300M series counterparts, and since those were rebadges of the 200M series, we're most definitely willing to believe that assertion. Skip past the break for all the vital statistics, and look out for almost all (HP is a notable absentee, while Apple is a predictable one) the big-time laptop vendors to have gear bearing the 4xxM insignia soon.

Continue reading NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series

NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that we've ever been a fan of paying an additional 99 cents to turn an already-purchased track into a seconds-long ringtone, but if you fancied the option in iTunes 9.2.1, we're sad to inform you that yesterday's update seems to have nixed said option. But hey, look at this way, now you can learn a new skill: how to make iTunes 10 ringtones free of charge with some filename finagling. The old method still seems to work just fine (instructions via More Coverage link below), so turn that .m4-frown upside down!

Ringtone creationism not for sale in iTunes 10, but DIY method still seems to work originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

[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.

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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' speakers

Antec 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.

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We just got to handle the Folio 100, after witnessing it bolted to a wall earlier, and we have to admit that it's lighter and thinner than it looks at first glance. Unfortunately, it still feels pretty cheap, and we're not sure how much we trust ourselves one-handing something this large and fragile seeming. Our brief glimpse of Toshiba's custom skin on here was most depressing -- it's not final, but we're not sure why Toshiba is even bothering showing anything in this abysmal state. The bits we've seen of Toshiba's market (for music, apps, e-books and so forth) look a bit better, but as far as we know there's no official Android Market on this thing -- a kiss of death for almost any Android device. Toshiba's biggest failure here, however, is probably the LCD it sourced for this tablet -- the screen looks as cheap and low res as could be, and while a €399 list price is decent for a tablet this size, it hardly seems a good excuse to stoop to KIRF-level components. Hit up the gallery for all the angles, along with some comparison shots with the mind share monopolizing iPad.

Toshiba Folio 100 preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple certainly took its sweet time releasing iTunes 10 yesterday, and we're beginning to think it's because the company was making a last-second change to its new Ping social-network-for-music: the removal of Facebook Connect for finding friends. Seriously -- although an option to find friends via Facebook was conspicuously present during Steve's keynote demos, it's not there anymore. Oddly, the option was there at the very beginning -- several Engadget staffers definitely saw a Facebook button when they signed up for Ping last night, and there's a whole thread on Apple's support site of people who also saw it and are now wondering where it's gone.

Just to make things even more confusing, Kara Swisher at All Things D got two very different statements from Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller at the event yesterday: Schiller was enthusiastic about finding friends via Facebook, while Jobs said Zuckerberg and co. were demanding "onerous terms" that Apple refused. We're assuming Jobs was talking about something deeper than just finding friends via Connect, but it's still all very strange -- and as it stands, finding friends on Ping right now requires a fair bit of guesswork and searching, so we're hoping this all gets sorted soon. Check the video of Phil Schiller talking about Facebook and Ping after the break, as well as a snap of it (sort of) working from last night.

Continue reading Why did Apple take Facebook Connect out of Ping?

Why did Apple take Facebook Connect out of Ping? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Missing your oldie Xbox 360's bright and airy white finish? Well, Microsoft's still not willing to sell you a slimmified 360 in any color other than black (excepting the limited edition Halo gear), but at least you can gaze upon the singular example of what a white one may look like above. This seemingly repainted Xbox 360 250GB (to give it its official, and ridiculous, name) has been lovingly put together over in China and really makes us wonder why Microsoft is depriving us of such snowy good looks. Perhaps it wanted to draw a clear between the old and the new? Either way, hit the source for the cheapest way to peek an all-white slim 360 without giving the Colorware crew a call.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Xbox 360 slimster made over in white, just for the hell of it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultimate Ears is pushing out a tag team of in-ear earphones that clearly demonstrates the heights (and depths) the Logitech-owned company is willing to scale. Starting at the extreme high end are the Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors. The $999 price tag should help clarify the target audience here (hint: professional producers and recording / mixing engineers on the go). Each handcrafted monitor, developed in partnership with EMI Music's Capitol Studios, contains three individually tuned, balanced armature speakers with an extended wide band response from 5Hz to 18kHz. They provide up to 32dB of noise isolation with a low-distortion braided cable replacing the typical Y-joint connector. Dialing things down just a bit (uh hem) for consumers are the $19.99 Ultimate Ears 100 (pictured after the break). These "trendy" noise-isolating earphones offer 24dBs of noise isolation and ship in five styles, including our personal fave "Blue Robots." Look for each to ship to Europe and the US sometime in September.

Continue reading Ultimate Ears announces $999 In-Ear Reference Monitors and $19.99 Blue Robots, because it can

Ultimate Ears announces $999 In-Ear Reference Monitors and $19.99 Blue Robots, because it can originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's no secret that Twitter for iPhone (née Tweetie) is often regarded as the gold standard for mobile apps -- it blends functionality, performance, and usability together with a dash of playful quirkiness that works so well Twitter just bought the app and hired developer Loren Brichter in back in April. That delayed the release of an iPad version, but Twitter's finally come through -- and as you'd expect, Twitter for iPad does things just as uniquely as its sister apps on the iPhone and Mac. In fact, we'd go so far as to say a few of its interface conventions will become as commonplace as slide-to-refresh, which was first introduced in Tweetie for iPhone -- but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Read on for more!

Continue reading Twitter for iPad review

Twitter for iPad review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile is calling it "the fastest smartphone experience in America," but as it turns out, its Qualcomm Scorpion CPU is actually relatively slow -- the cellular carrier's insider newsletter T-Mobile Scoop says the phone's MSM7x30 chip will be clocked at 800MHz, rather than the 1GHz we'd hoped for. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that T-Mobile lying about speed, as anyone who's upgraded from Droid to Droid 2 very well knows -- bloatware can easily clog the pipes even on phones running Froyo, and we've heard that this particular HTC device is running a pure vanilla Android build. Speaking of delectable operating system revisions, T-Mobile confirms you'll indeed find Android 2.2 under the hood accompanied by Flash Player 10.1, as well as "one-touch quick keys" the carrier claims provide Speedy Gonzales-like access to apps and shortcuts. Still waiting to be confirmed: a $200 subsidized price, and the day we'll see it in stores.

[Thanks, james_of_the_jungle]

Confirmed: T-Mobile G2 will have Android 2.2, Flash and 800MHz CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although it's only just been revealed and won't actually go on sale for four long weeks, Apple's new hockey puck is far from the only media streamer on the market -- and with Sony's Netbox and the Boxee Box on the way, the sub-$200 set-top box market is exploding with options. So let's line up the revised Apple TV against the (post-price cut) Roku HD-XR, Popbox, and even an LG Blu-ray player in the same price range and see what you're actually getting -- and more importantly, getting access to -- on each device. Oh, and there's some choice words from Roku after the break.

Device:	AppleTV	Roku XR	Pop Box	LG BD550
Price:	$99	$99	$129	$130 - $150
Form Factor/Size:	3.9 x 0.9 x 3.9	5 x 5 x 1.75	8 x 1.4 x 6 inches	16.9 x 1.8 x 7.9
Available Content:	HD TV shows from ABC & Fox (.99), HD Movie rentals ($4.99/$3.99), Netflix, iTunes, YouTube	Netflix, Amazon VOD, MLB.tv, UFC, NBA GameTime, YouTube, Pandora	YouTube, Revision3, Blip.tv, h.264 / XviD / MPEG-4, MKV / AVI / WMV	Blu-ray discs, VUDU, Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora, Napster
Apps / SDK:	N/A	Roku Channel / SDK available	Popapps Store / SDK available	NetCast widgets
Connectivity:	WiFi N, Ethernet	WiFi N, Ethernet	Ethernet, optional WiFi adapter	Ethernet, Disc
Video Quality:	720p, 5.1 audio	720p (1080p upgrade coming soon), 5.1 audio	1080p, 5.1 audio	1080p, 7.1 audio, DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD audio

Continue reading Apple TV vs. the competition -- how does it stack up?

Apple TV vs. the competition -- how does it stack up? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, what's this? Our homey Avner Ronen from Boxee just posted up a little response to Apple's $99 next-gen Apple TV announcement, and he's letting it slip that the much-anticipated Boxee Box will be $100 more than Apple's device, or $199. Avner says Boxee has a "different view of what people want in their living rooms," and that while his device might be more expensive, it'll let you watch anything you can watch on your computer on your TV in 1080p -- the ATV is still limited to 720p. We certainly know a lot of passionate Boxee fans who agree -- now all Avner's got to do is ship the damn thing and let this play out in the actual market.

P.S.- Yes, we will cover almost anything that includes a YouTube embed of "Rudie Can't Fail." Well played, Mr. Ronen. Well played indeed.

Boxee Box priced at $199, Avner Ronen says it'll give users 'freedom to watch what you want' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony has just informed Euroland that its Qriocity on-demand ecosystem will be showing up in the continent's wealthier regions this fall. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK will get a chance to savor the Video On Demand option, which will form the vanguard of a wideranging content streaming service, available on Sony networked devices -- yes, that includes the do-it-all PlayStation 3. The heavyweight movie studios behind the venture include 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, NBC Universal, Paramount and, of course, Sony's moviemaking arm. But you already knew that, given that the whole enchilada's been available to American gringos since April. All Qriocity participants will get to use a new Music Unlimited service, which is launching by the end of the year with as yet undetermined pricing. Plans are also afoot to offer Qriocity on third party devices, but until then you'll wanna make sure to have one of them newfangled web-connected Bravia TVs or any of the litany of Blu-ray players and home theater setups Sony is busy promoting right this minute.

Continue reading Sony Qriocity on-demand movie service extends into Europe, 'Music Unlimited' coming by year's end

Sony Qriocity on-demand movie service extends into Europe, 'Music Unlimited' coming by year's end originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You noticed, we noticed, everybody noticed. The Apple Store is unsurprisingly down. Look for new stuff to hit it later, after our live coverage of Apple's fall event is all over.

The Apple Store is down... move along originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Poor, poor Sony. First PSJailbreak splayed wide the PS3's security model, now PSGroove has arrived calling itself the "open source PSjailbreak." The code must first be downloaded and installed onto a $30ish AT90USBkey or a $25ish Teensy++ USB development board. After that, homebrew enthusiasts can then execute unsigned third-party apps and games on their PS3. At the moment, the ability to boot ISO files (read: pirated or "backup" games) is temporarily disabled. But we're sure that some of the internet's more nefarious types will find their way around that. Cat, welcome to the world outside of the bag.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

PS3 homebrew jailbreak released into the wilds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative's latest cans may not have the pizazz of a wireless World of Warcraft rig, but they've got one feature guaranteed to make hardcore PC gamers swoon -- they claim to be the very first to offer truly three-dimensional surround sound. Embued with the latest revision of Creative's THX software collaboration (dubbed THX TruStudio Pro) the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D series "delivers a 360 degree surround sound gaming experience so gamers can hear sounds clearly from the front, back, above and below." There's also a set of customizable audio profiles so you can tune all the other presumably-more-powerful TruStudio algorithms just the way you like, though it's not clear whether Creative's included on-board memory or just has a desktop app. In terms of hardware, the $60 Tactic 3D Alpha comes with 40mm drivers, a USB audio adapter and a detachable noise-canceling microphone, while $90 buys you the Tactic 3D Sigma with larger 50mm drivers and a steel headband as well when both debut later this month. We have to admit, we're curious to hear for ourselves whether they work as advertised -- they sound like just the thing for a nice, relaxing Portal speedrun. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Creative's new gaming headset can tell up from down

Creative's new gaming headset can tell up from down originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We have to say it's a bit odd for HP to be announcing its own wireless streaming peripheral -- it seems like something more up IOGEAR or Belkin's alley -- but the $199 Wireless TV Connect is exactly what we've been waiting for in some respects. Sure, the box that you have to connect to your laptop via HDMI and USB for power is a bit on the large side, but it's capable of streaming 1080p content, including Blu-ray movies or protected content, to your TV and there's absolutely no lag when controlling the desktop on the big screen. We're not exactly sure what technology HP's using here -- we're thinking WHDI, though the company wouldn't confirm -- but the two box set can be used with any laptop on the market that has an HDMI port. Take that Intel WiDi! This is one we're absolutely planning to test out, but in the meantime check out the pics below.

Continue reading HP Wireless TV Connect streams 1080p video, hits Intel WiDi where it hurts

HP Wireless TV Connect streams 1080p video, hits Intel WiDi where it hurts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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