Tag Archives: price

Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris out now on Verizon Wireless

Images, News, Technology, , , , , , , , ,

We already know all about the Droid by Motorola.  Now you can pick it up (or order it online) for $199.99, after a $100 rebate and under the obligatory two-year commitment.  Verizon has stated that tethering (connecting your phone to your computer to gain Internet access) will be made available for Droid customers in 2010 and will add an addtional $30 to the data plan.

If that price is too steep for you VZ is giving you the option to select a similar handset with the Droid Eris by HTC.  Basically it’s a rebranded Sprint Hero (also by HTC) with a few aesthetic and UI changes.  Compared to its older and more sophisicated brother, the Droid Eris runs Android 1.5 (not 2.0), it does not have a physical keyboard, it packs a slower processor (528MHz Qualcomm), and its screen size and resolution is lowered.  It does, however, feature a 3.2-inch capacitive display, 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, 8GB microSDHC card (with expansion up to 16GB).  It will be the first Verizon phone to run HTC’s personalized user interface called HTC Sense on top of Android 1.5.  You can also pick up the Droid Eris now (or order it online) for $99.99, after a $100 rebate and under a two-year agreement.  Take a look at the Droid Eris in the gallery below and peek after the break for the full press release.

Here’s the bottom line: The Droid by Motorola is the next best phone on the market after the iPhone.  If you are in the market for a new cell phone and you are a Verizon Wireless customer, getting the Droid is a no-brainer.  If the Droid’s price and fierce looks are too much for you, saving one hundred dollars and purchasing the Droid Eris by HTC is a worthy sacrifice that can be made.  All in all, the new family of Droid phones is a win for all Verizon customers and finally brings some worthy competition to the current king of smartphones, the iPhone.

[Via Engadget, here & here; Gizmodo, here & here]

Continue reading Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris out now on Verizon Wireless →

The impossibly thin Dell Adamo XPS gets official

Images, News, Technology, , , , , , , ,

Dell Adamo XPS.

The specs: LED-backlit 13.4-inch 720p widescreen display, 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, GS45 integrated graphics, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 128GB SSD, 20WHr Li-Ion battery, Windows 7.  Connectivity: 802.11a/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, location awareness, DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports.  It features a touch-sensitive lid and a unique hinge design.

Measures 13.39 x 10.71 inches and weighs just over 3 pounds.  And it can proudly claim to be the world’s thinnest laptop at 0.4-inches thin.

It will be available to purchase “in time for the holidays” for $1799.  And FYI–this is a computer to purchase for its looks, not for its power (or lack thereof at this price-point).

Check out this beauty of a laptop in the gallery below.  Engadget and Gizmodo got some hands-on time with it, so take a look!

P.S. – The second gallery is pictures of some prototype versions of the Adamo XPS.  The protptypes included far-fetched ideas like a touchscreen trackpad and a full touch-capacitive keyboard.

[Via Engadget, here & here; Gizmodo]

 

Continue reading The impossibly thin Dell Adamo XPS gets official →

Barnes & Noble announces Nook, the coolest e-reader yet

Images, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , , ,

Step aside Amazon Kindle 1, 2, DX and make way for the most innovative and stylish e-reader yet.  Barnes & Noble invites us to indulge in what they are calling the Nook, a 11.2 ounce (7.7- x 4.9- x 0.5-inches) e-reader device that will surely change the game in the e-reader realm.  Priced at a competitive $259, the Nook features two displays, a top 6 inch e-ink display from Vizplex and a 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen below it.  It includes 2GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for expandable storage (you can load up pictures, music, and personal PDF documents), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port for charging.  B&N claims the Nook will run for up ten days before it needs a recharge (which takes 3.5 hours).  And oh yeah, it runs Google’s Android OS.

The Nook allows you to browse the B&N e-book store and choose from over one million titles.  Browsing can be done cable-free via Wi-Fi (for free at Barnes & Noble stores, and onlyat B&N stores at launch) and over AT&T’s 3G data service.  All books can be previewed for free and most bestsellers and new releases cost $9.99.  You can also keep updated with the latest news by receiving  newspaper and magazine subscriptions.  Nook’s LendMe technology allows you to share your purchased books with others by wirelessly “lending” a copy of your book to their e-reader, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, select Blackberry and Motorola phones, and soon Windows Mobile phones.  All you need is the eReader Software (free) installed on your particular device.  A lent copy of a book expires after 14 days.

B&N is taking preorders for the Nook today and the expected ship date is November 30.  Look after the break for a video demo; see the Nook in action.

Barnes & Noble deserves a round of applause.  After waiting in the shadows as companies like Amazon and Sony pumped out e-reader devices year after year, B&N has gone and surprised us all and rocked the e-reader industry with its latest creation in the Nook.  Its dual-screen format looks like a winner; easy touchscreen navigation on the bottom and clear, glare-free reading on the top.  It’s simple yet efficient design makes B&N’s Nook a new and worthy competitor in my book (pun intended).

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo]

1 2

Continue reading Barnes & Noble announces Nook, the coolest e-reader yet →

The Xbox 360 just got even cheaper

News, Technology, , , , , , , , ,

Though the Xbox 360 Elite recently saw a dramatic price drop (from $399 to $299), it seems like Microsoft was not fully content with this sweet spot.  Starting today, the Xbox 360 Elite console will be sold for $299 with a $50 mail-in rebate.  So that’s $249 for the best next-gen console on the market; what a deal!  This mail-in rebate offer runs through October 5; Microsoft has not specified what will happen to the standard price of the console after that date.  Looks like Christmas may be coming early for some folks; get on this!

Get the rebate here.

[Via Gizmodo; image via Xbox]

Apple Keynote [September 2009] roundup

Images, News, Technology, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guess who’s back, back again?  Steve Jobs graciously owned the stage in San Fransisco on Thursday during the latest Apple keynote presentation.  There was lots of discussion and reveals on the iTunes and iPod front.  Let’s not waste any time and get right to it.  Read on for all the juicy details of the keynote.

  • iPhone OS 3.1
    • Genius will now “automatically make recommendations from the App Store based on the applications you own.”  Think of it as iTunes Genius for your music, but now for your purchased apps.
    • Ringtones – over 30,000 ringtones available to purchase at $1.29 each.  All four major record labels are on-board.
    • 3.1 firmware update is a free download available now for iPhone and iPod touch owners (there is a $5 upgrade price for those iPod touch users who have not upgraded to 3.0)
  •  iTunes 9
    • Features a cleaner, easier-to-navigate UI with a redesigned store
    • Genius Mixes – Think of this as your own personal DJ spinning your favorite songs continuously.  Genius Mixes takes your current music library and groups songs/artists/genres together for you to listen to; it’s like listening to your preferred radio station.
    • Improved syncing – Now you have the option to manually sync exactly what you want (for example, you can sync specific artists, genres, albums, etc.)
    • App organization – You can arrange your apps in iTunes.  Plug in your iPhone or iPod touch and you get a visual copy of your home screen and your multiple pages; you simply drag and drop 1 or more apps at a time.  This couldn’t be any simpler.
    • Home Sharing – Allows you to “manage your family’s iTunes collection between computers in your home.”  You can copy songs, movies, TV shows, etc. with up to 5 computers.  For example, say you have 5 family members each with their own computer and iTunes accounts.  Now you can all easily share your iTunes content by dragging and dropping other family members’ songs into your library.  The files copy right over and viola–you now have songs in your library that originally resided in your brother’s music library.
    • iTunes LP – Tools are now given to record labels and artists to create and distribute  many album extras in their digital music albums.  These extras include behind-the-scenes videos, photos, liner notes, lyrics, chronology of albums, credits, animations, and more.  Although digital downloads will never be the same as buying a physical CD or record in a retail store, iTunes LP is a step in the right direction for those who have switched to digital music and who miss receiving the entire “album experience” you get when you purchase your favorite artist’s latest album.
    • iTunes Extras (for movies) – Think of the extras you would find on a DVD; they will now be included when you purchase a movie from the iTunes Store
    • Facebook and Twitter integration – You now have the option to share your favorite songs and artists with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.  There is an embedded option that allows you to link a song, artist, or album information to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
    • iTunes 9 is available today as a free download
  • iPod
    • iPod touch
      • Lineup: $199 (8GB); $299 (32GB); $399 (64GB)
      • cheaper and new storage capacity
      • up to 50% faster; OpenGL|ES Version 2.0 (adds more realism in games)
      • Publishers discuss upcoming games for the App Store – Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II Discovery; Tapulous’s Riddim Ribbon (an awesome music game that incorporates racing and DJ control); Gameloft’s Nova; EA’s Madden NFL 10
    • iPod classic
      • Lineup: $250 (160GB) (holds 40,000 songs)
      • Same price, capacity upgrade from 120GB
    • iPod shuffle
      • Lineup: $59 (2GB); $79 (4GB); $99 (4GB Special Edition in stainless steel, Apple Store exclusive)
      • all new shiny colors: black, silver, pink, green, blue
      • expand range of headphones with an adapter that will allow you to change volume/tracks
      • new VoiceOver features ( reads statuses, like battery level)
    • iPod nano
      • Lineup: $149 (8GB) and $179 (16GB)
      • all new colors in polished anodized aluminium: green, blue, purple, black, silver, pink, red, orange, yellow
      • larger 2.2 inch display
      • new included apps: FM radio, Voice Recorder, pedometer (syncs with Nike +)
      • VIDEO CAMERA (the one more thing) – Integrated video camera; only shoots videos (no picture stills); VGA resolution (640×480); includes microphone and speaker

Note:  When asked why Apple did not include a video camera in the new iPod touch, Jobs responded: “Originally, we weren’t exactly sure how to market the Touch. Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine.  We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don’t need to add new stuff. We need to get the price down where everyone can afford it.”

Check out the gallery below for some official press shots of the new products and services.

[Gallery images via Apple]

Cheaper, slimmer PS3 is official, finally!

Images, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Let’s get right to the details of the PS3 Slim:

  • 32% smaller, 36% lighter, 34% less power than its chunkier brother, the original PS3
  • Boasts all the same features of the bulkier PS3, so still no backwards compatability with PS2 games
  • Adds one feature: BRAVIA Sync – you can browse the PS3 XMB with your Sony TV remote, PS3 will power down when TV shuts off (if both devices are connected via HDMI)
  • Removes one feature: The ability to install an operating system (like Linux) is gone.
  • Matte finish
  • 120GB HDD
  • 2 USB ports (down from 4)
  • Price- $299; release date – early September
  • UPDATE: According to Engadget, the power and eject buttons on the front of the console are physical buttons that press down now; the HDD is swappable; the PS3 logo does not rotate; feels siginifcantly lighter in hands compared to the old PS3.  Also, according to Gizmodo, Sony plans to change the PS3 logo and reformat the PS brand name from PLAYSTATION 3 to Playstation 3.  That’s better!

Arriving concurrently with the PS3 Slim hardware is the 3.0 firmware update:

  • XMB redesigned
  • Information Board replaced with “What’s New” – populated with news and information from the world of Playstation (latest and greatest games, videos, etc); you can launch immediately from recently played games
  • Playstation Store game and video sections placed under the Games and Video icons in the XMB, respectively
  • Animated themes are available in the PS Store (themes can change with time of day, etc.)
  • Upper right hand corner – space for avatar, friend icon w/ # of friends online, mail
  • More avatar selections available through the PS Store (free and premium)
  • Available via a free download on September 1

At the GamesCon in Germany, Sony had additional announcements concerning PS3, PSP, and the Playstation Network (PSN):

  • Effective today, all PS3 systems will cost $299; that is a $100 price drop.  Once the PS3 Slim releases in early September it will take the place of its thicker older brother.
  • Sony introduced Minis; they are “bite-sized” games that will be made for the PSP & PSP go! and will sell as digital downloads only in the PS Store.  The titles will have a 100MB size limit.  The first bunch of Minis will be made available on October 1, the same day as the release of the PSP go!  Sony has planned to release 15 Minis for launch, and about 50 games for the remainder of 2009.  Some of these games include Tetris, Field Runners, Hero of Sparta and Minigore.
  • PSN video store and PSN cards will be available to access and sell, respectively, in Europe this fall.  The video store will initially sell movies only, and will expand its library from there.  The PSN cards will sell in 20 and 50 euros demoninations.
  • Sony announced the PSP Digital Reader; the plan is to digitize a bunch of comics, sell them in the PS Store, and make them available to read on the PSP.  Sony’s first major partner is Marvel and they plan to have “hundreds available, including the Marvel Comics stable.”
  • Three new PSP color variations will be sold in Europe this November: “Turquoise” blue, “Lilac” purple, and “Blossom” pink.

See the galleries below for: (1) official PS3 Slim shots; (2) Engadget’s PS3 Slim unboxing shots

Look after the break for: (1) a video tour of the PS3 3.0 software; (2) firmware 3.0 full details; (3) a video of PS President Jack Tretton talking about the new announcements; (4) PS3 Slim spec sheet

[Via Engadget; Gizmodo; Joystiq; PlaystationBlog]

1 2

 

Continue reading Cheaper, slimmer PS3 is official, finally! →

Leica S2: A $26,000 DLSR

Images, News, Technology, , , ,

This is one expensive camera.  Some specs include: 37.5 megapixels and 30 x 45 mm sensor built into a 35mm-sized body.  At $26,000, this camera sits at the top of the digital camera food chain.  That price only covers the body of the camera, mind you; a lens costs extra!  And believe it or not, this is the “low-end” version of the camera.  There will be another edition that includes a sapphire-glass LCD screen and “Platinum Service.”  These upgrades add another $5,100 to the total price.  What does a spare battery charger cost, you ask?  You guessed it, $425!  All you fervent digital camera aficionados, start salivating.  The Leica S2 releases this October.  Check out additional images of the S2 below.

[Via Gizmodo; Wired; DPReview]