Tag Archives: specs

Droid 2 drops tomorrow on VZW for $200 (R2-D2 edition coming soon)

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

Just when you started noticing age spots on the original Droid, Motorola decided to officially unveil Droid 2.  Though its large 3.7-inch multitouch display cannot out-match Droid X’s enourmous 4.1 inch screen, the Droid 2 does boast great specs.  The improved slideout QWERTY smartphone runs the latest build of Android OS (that’s 2.2 aka Froyo, for those of you counting), has a 5 megapixel camera, and comes preloaded with 8GB of onboard memory and packaged with an 8GB microSD card (expandable up to 32GB).  It supports Flash 10.1 for “access to the full web”, DNLA streaming, and Swype input for the on-screen keyboard.  If you choose to pay an extra $20/month the device becomes a 3G mobile hotspot with support for up to 5 devices over WiFi.  Droid 2 is up for preorder today and will be made available for purchase tomorrow August 12 for $199.99 with an obligatory new two-year contract on Verizon Wireless.  If your current VZW contract ends by December 31, 2010 you are eligible to upgrade to Droid 2 or any other VZW smartphone for that matter.

In the official PR posted after the break, Verizon and Motorola tease a limited edition “R2-D2 DROID 2” inspired by the iconic Star Wars Astromech Droid.  “The special version of the phone will feature exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.”  Expect the R2-D2 Droid to release this September.  It will only be available to purchase online.  View the teaser page here.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Droid 2 drops tomorrow on VZW for $200 (R2-D2 edition coming soon) →

BlackBerry Torch slider QWERTY smartphone runs BlackBerry 6, hits AT&T August 12 for $199.99

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

On Tuesday RIM and AT&T formally announced the latest BlackBerry handset and it’s called the BlackBerry Torch.  It’s BB’s first slider smartphone, and it comes with a full QWERTY keyboard BB users are accustomed to.  Let’s run through the specs, shall we?  The Torch packs a 3.2″ (360 x 480) capacitive touch screen display,  5.0MP camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization and geo-tagging, built-in GPS and 802.11n WiFi, quadband 3G radio, and 512MB of Flash memory with 4GB on-board and a microSD/SDHC memory card slot for additional storage (up to 32GB supported).  It measures 4.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when closed and 5.8″ x 2.4″ x 0.57″ when the slider keyboard is out.  Face buttons include start/end calls, main menu, back, and an optical trackpad.  The Torch will be the very first BB to run the just detailed BlackBerry 6 operating system.  This means it will include the fast Webkit browser (for which it was named after–RIM recently bought a company named Torch Mobile), integrated social feeds, a new multimedia experience, and universal search.  The phone will be made available to purchase on August 12 for $199.99 on a new two-year contract with AT&T at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, RadioShack, and AT&T stores.

The brand new form factor is extremely compelling.  It’s the new OS, which seems to be following the pack and not making its own strides, that I am worried about.  Look in the gallery below for press shots and after the break for the PR and two “launch videos”.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading BlackBerry Torch slider QWERTY smartphone runs BlackBerry 6, hits AT&T August 12 for $199.99 →

Droid X by Motorola hits Verizon Wireless July 15 for $200

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

Droid X by Motorola joins siblings Droid by Motorola, Droid Eris by HTC, and Droid Incredible by HTC on Verizon Wireless later this summer.  Check out these spectacular specs: 4.3-inch 854 x 480 display,  1GHz TI OMAP3630 processor, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and 720p video recording, and 8GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB (it comes with a 16GB SD card).  All of that’s packed inside a sleek, black 9.9mm thin device.  It will come preinstalled with Android 2.1 and a brand new UI skin overlay (it has not been confimed if this is MotoBlur).  Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 support is expected to make their long-awaited debuts on Droid X via an OTA update “in the latter half of the summer.”  And there’s more.  Droid X will act as mobile hotspot, supporting up to 5 other devices over WiFi.  It also features DNLA and HDMI connectivity “to download, stream and share personal HD content.”  A preinstalled Blockbuster On Demand app will allow users to rent and watch movies right on the device.  Last, let’s talk pricing and availability.  Droid X becomes available to the masses July 15 for $199.99 (that’s with a new two-year contract with VZW and after a $100 mail-in rebate).  If you opt for the 3G Mobile Hotspot service be prepared to cough up an additional $20/month.  VZW is pulling an Apple with this one: All VZW customers whose contracts end by December 31, 2010 will get their early termination fee waived if they want to upgrade to the X (or any other smartphone for that matter).  Be sure to look after the break for the full PR and the awesome Droid X commercial that has been making waves on the boob tube.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Droid X by Motorola hits Verizon Wireless July 15 for $200 →

Mac mini refreshed with aluminum unibody design

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

On June 15 Apple gave the aging Mac mini a much needed refresh, both in appearence and internals.  The new Mac mini comes packaged in an aluminum unibody enclosure and now fits in much better with its iMac and MacBook Pro cousins.  It’s very compact sizing in at 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches thin.  It delivers twice the graphics performance than its predecessor with an NVIDIA GeForce 320M chip.  The base model come standard with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM for $699.  This model can be customized with a 2.66GHz processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive.  Additionally you can opt for the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server which does away with the SuperDrive but comes standard with the faster processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 7200RPM HDD for $999.  And check this: the new models include HDMI and SD card slots!  It also features an integrated power supply meaning there’s no need for an external power brick.  Other ports include power, Ethernet, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, 4 USB 2.0 ports, and headphone and audio line in jacks.  802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 get nods as well.  The new Mac minis are available today.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Apple]

Continue reading Mac mini refreshed with aluminum unibody design →

Google Chrome OS netbook specs leaked (looking good!)

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

Out of the boring status quo comes a netbook with specs that don’t mention Intel Atom, NVIDIA Ion, HDD, and standard def.  Chrome OS, that browser-as-your-operating-system concoction from Google, is coming soon and it will come installed inside a Google-designed netbook of their own.  According to the IBTimes, the “Google netbook” looks to be one beast of the netbook: it will be powered by an ARM CPU and NVIDIA’s Tegra graphics chip; it will feature a 10.1-inch TFT HD multi-touch display, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, and other goodies such as WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, an Ethernet port, USB ports, a webcam, a 3.5mm audio jack, a multi-card reader, and more.  According to the latest rumors, the device will be subsidized with a 3G plan and will end up in the sub-$300 category.

I really hope these specs are fact, not rumor.  A netbook with an ARM CPU and NVIDIA’s sweet Tegra graphics would be a welcome addition to the netbook mix.  Tegra can only be found inside Microsoft’s Zune today, and it deserves more than that!

In related Google news, Google will be holding a press conference on January 5 where they will likely announce the coveted “Google phone,” the Nexus One.  Search, browsers, cell phones, netbooks, oh my!  Google world dominance is starting to gain hold.

[Via IBTimes; Gizmodo; Engadget]

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 →

Motorola Droid specs leak out; Droid is a brand

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

 

Someone over at Motorola accidently spilled with beans the other day when they accidently revealed the product specs of the upcoming Motorola Droid (codename Sholes) smartphone (of “Droid Does” fame).  Though the product page was taken down shortly after it was posted, the guys over at Boy Genius Report were able to screen capture all the juicy details: “550MHz Texas Instruments OMAP3430 processor, separate PowerVR GPU, 256MB of RAM, CDMA Rev A., Wi-Fi, GPS, a digital magnetometer, accelerometer, proximity sensors, a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, notification LED, four touch-sensitive navigation buttons, a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, 3.5mm headset jack, microUSB port.”   It sports a 3.7 inch, 16:9 capacitive touch screen with 480 x 854 resolution, a 1400 mAh Li-ion battery (up to 385 minutes usage time/ 270 hours standby  time), and comes pre-installed a 16GB microSD card.  It weighs six ounces and has measures 2.4 x 4.6 x 0.5-inches.  Also, BGR says that the browser supports HTML5 and Flash 10 is coming in 2010.

Here’s some even more interesting news.  Apparently “Droid” is not just a device; it also represents a brand–Verizon’s Android-powered devices.  Although the discussed device here is called “the Droid” the name will be carried with other Verizon/Android phones.  In fact, the second phone in the line-up has been leaked.  According to Engadget’s source, what the tech world has been calling the HTC Desire will be the “Droid Eris.”  The source claims that the Eris will be released on November 6, shortly after the Droid will likely be released.  Speaking of release dates, an official date has not been pegged yet, but Verizon is holding a special event for the press on October 26.  More information will be relayed then.  For now, indulge yourself in BGR’s up close and personal shot of the Droid in the gallery below.

[Via BGR; Engadget]

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 →