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TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search

Here lately, Navigon has been crushing it on the iPhone GPS front. Every couple of weeks, it seems that MobileNavigator is getting yet another fantastic update, all while TomTom’s lackluster offering hangs back in the land of complacency. Thankfully for us all, the outfit has just pushed out the v1.3 update, which adds real-time traffic (an unfortunate $19.99 add-on), Google local search, updated roadways, automatic music fading between text-to-speech instructions and the ability to add locations from other apps and websites. We’d still recommend Navigon’s software if you’re looking to buy into iPhone GPS for the first time, but this is certainly a boon for those already locked into the TomTom alternative.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

TomTom iPhone app hits 1.3, gains real-time traffic and Google local search originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget Podcast, live… now!

The Engadget Podcast, live… now! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Tour 9630 gets OS 5.0.0.548 leak

If you happen to own a BlackBerry Tour 9630 and are feeling a little bit more adventurous compared to other smartphone owners, why not give the OS 5.0.0.548 leak a go? After all, this is not an official release, so the chances of things running awry is much higher than that of Iraq carrying WMDs all those years back. Installation of this OS leak is done at your own peril, so make sure you always make a backup! Apparently, this update will come with a Push-To-Talk feature that costs $5 per month over Verizon’s data network. Word has it the official version will be released within the next month, so stay tuned.

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First Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series devices to boast 480 x 800 pixel displays, HD2 owners sigh

Even though Microsoft’s big MIX event is still days away, the Windows Phone 7 Series development platform is already pretty well defined. It’s also clear that Microsoft wants to keep things tidy for developers by requiring all WP7 phones to meet a certain base-level spec. Now, thanks to a post from Microsoft’s Shawn Hargreaves, we know the display resolution for the first batch of Microsoft’s next generation phones: 480 x 800 (WVGA) pixels at launch, with a future update that will introduce a 320 x 480 (HVGA) native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU. That allows game developers, for example, to write to a lower resolution (requiring less horsepower) and then scale up as required while remaining compatible to a variety of screen resolutions.

Now, for those playing along at home, the HD2 getting ready to launch on T-Mobile in the USA is also WVGA and it features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, Microsoft’s WP7 silicon partner. So we can assume (but not guarantee) that it meets the image scaling hardware requirements described by Hargreaves. Man, if only the HD2 had three-buttons.

[Thanks, Cytrix]

First Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series devices to boast 480 x 800 pixel displays, HD2 owners sigh originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Conan O’Brien goes on the road to make people laugh, Leno asks ‘What’s laughter?’

A little update on Conan O’Brien, seeing as though we spent a couple of days there talking about his every move. The man is taking his show on the road, bringing the funny to a city near you in the coming weeks! It’s the called “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour,” and I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.

Asus Eee PC 1005PE updated

Asus has recently announced that they will be updating the Eee PC 1005PE by introducing a more visually pleasing matte lid on the device, which makes the update a purely cosmetic one since everything else inside remains the same. If you’re interested in a better looking Eee PC 1005PE, then you might as well drop $389.99 for one at Amazon.

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PlayStation Move first hands-on (update: video!)

At last, we’ve felt Sony’s long awaited motion controller, now at last officially known as “PlayStation Move,” in our unworthy, sweaty hands. We have a bunch of videos on the way, but for now you can revel in our first close-ups of the controllers in the gallery below. Here are some of our initial thoughts:

• The controllers are light. Much more akin to the DualShock3 than the Wiimote in heft, and we’re guessing that’s due to Sony’s continued love of rechargeable batteries.
• The main controller does have some subtle vibration (not DualShock or Wiimote level, but present), but we’re not sure yet about the subcontroller.
• We hate to say this about “pre-alpha” software, but we’re feeling lag. An on-rails shooter we tried out, dubbed The Shoot, was discernibly inferior to shooting experiences we’ve had on the Wii, both in precision and refresh rate of the aiming cursor.
• The gladiator game is about as fun as it looks, we’ll have video after the break momentarily. Unfortunately, while it’s less of a defined experience than something like the sword game on Wii Sports Resort, you’re still working through a library of sensed, pre-defined actions instead of a true 1:1 fighting game with simulated physics. Not that it isn’t possible with PlayStation Move, just that it’s not this.
• The lightness of the controllers means we might be feeling less of that Wiimote fatigue, always a good thing! There’s an aspect of the controller that feels a little cheap, but at the same time we wouldn’t call it fragile.
• As far as we can tell, the control scheme for Socom 4 is quite similar to dual-controller shooter setups on the Wii, with the camera moving based on your aiming cursor hitting the edge. It’s hard to see this as the preferred hardcore setup, but we’re told it’s configurable, so we’ll try and see what else is on offer.
• The system seemed to have a bit of trouble understanding the configuration of our body in a swordfighting stance: even though we selected “left handed,” it was putting our sword arm forward instead of our shield. Right-handers didn’t seem to have similar problems, and we’re sure this will be ironed out in time, but it certainly shows that the controllers aren’t magical in their space-detection prowess.
• As would be expected, you’re supposed to stand relatively center on the TV, and at a certain optimal distance. The system is forgiving, but there’s a sweet spot that users will undoubtedly have to learn.
• Lag is less prominent on Socom 4, and we’d say we’re pretty accurate with the controller already, though the framerate choppiness of this pre-alpha build obviously hampers that a bit. We did get a slight feel of being in “scene to scene” shootouts instead of a free-roaming FPS, perhaps a design choice to mitigate the limited camera movement offered by the controller, but we’ll have to see more levels to know for sure.

Update: We added in a longer video — are you ready for three minutes of nonstop excitement?

Update, final edition: We’ve got a new video with close-up walkthroughs of the controllers and some in-depth gameplay of Socom 4.

Continue reading PlayStation Move first hands-on (update: video!)

PlayStation Move first hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is The Motorola Opus One The Motorola i1?

Pictures of the upcoming Motorola Opus One for iDEN networks have been going around for a while now, but now a little update on the device seems to have surfaced. Apparently it could be called the i1, instead of the Opus One, and it will sport a 5-megapixel camera, instead of the initial 3-megapixel rumor. The more interesting bit is that Opera Mini will be the default browser on the i1, which is probably indication that Google’s default Android browser isn’t performing up to standards for certain parties. If you’re on an iDEN network, are you looking forward to this phone?

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Spying school district update: remote webcam functionality disabled, two IT monkeys suspended

We’re still waiting for all the legal fallout from the Pennsylvania’s Lower Merion School District webcam spying case, but more news is slowly trickling out about the whole thing, including the technology that the school used: a remote administration suite called LANrev. An update to the software, releasing this week, will disable the option for admins (or pervy IT workers) to remotely switch on a computer’s webcam, hopefully preventing a replay of this situation. Beyond that, two unnamed (possibly pervy) IT workers have been suspended for their involvement in this whole situation. Are they the ones who went too far, or was it their managers who ordered them to do it and are now throwing their dutiful peons to the fire? We may never know the truth, but at least we can now frolic naked in front of our MacBooks without fearing that dreaded green light.

Spying school district update: remote webcam functionality disabled, two IT monkeys suspended originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPad introduction video, as captioned by Google

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/The_iPad_introduction_video_as_captioned_by_Google’; Hey remember that feel-good iPad introduction video with the Ben Folds cover of “In Between Days” Apple posted on launch day? Yeah, well you’re going to remember the hell out of it once you watch it with Google’s auto-transcription enabled on YouTube. Trust us, you owe yourself these few moments of absurdity.

Update: Video after the break!

[Thanks, Jeff]

Continue reading The iPad introduction video, as captioned by Google

The iPad introduction video, as captioned by Google originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile invites us to ‘come experience the HTC HD2′ on March 16; release on the 24th? (update: or 23rd!)

Like clockwork, we’ve just been dropped a line by T-Mobile USA asking us to join them for a very special media event to check out the HTC HD2 — “a larger than life entertainment powerhouse” — in fabulous New York City on the evening of March 16. That lines up nicely with the company’s earlier assurances that we’d see a launch in March — but what day in March, exactly? Well, we’re hearing from a number of tipsters (including trusted sources) that the 24th is the day this thing breaks loose at retail, so set your watches and calendars accordingly — assuming you haven’t been wooed into Windows Phone 7 Series’ tender, loving grasp, that is.

Update: MobiTV — which has an app bundled with T-Mobile’s version of the HD2 — says the HD2 is launching on the 23rd, and frankly, they’re probably in a position to know. Thanks, Stephen!

T-Mobile invites us to ‘come experience the HTC HD2′ on March 16; release on the 24th? (update: or 23rd!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High-speed, medium-format DM40 DSLR puts Mamiya back in the money again

The last time we heard from Mamiya it was doing something rather shocking: selling a camera for less than $10k! For a moment we were worried that this medium-format camera company with large-format MSRPs was letting the economy dictate its designs, but its latest entrant quashes those fears, priced at a solid $19,990 ($21,990 if you want the 80mm lens). It’s the DM40, a 40 megapixel medium-format body that can manage 60fps frames per minute, making it the fastest in this class of sensor. As per usual for Mamiya it sports CompactFlash storage along with FireWire output for those doing it live from the studio. Bodies are shipping soon, so get ready to sign that mortgage over.

Update: As many commenters pointed out, that’s 60 frames per minute, not per second. Still the fastest, believe it or not.

High-speed, medium-format DM40 DSLR puts Mamiya back in the money again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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