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BIS 3.0 coming to North American BlackBerry users next weekend?

Gadget Boy — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:01:00 +0000

It seems almost too good to be true, but it looks like the era of usable Gmail integration on BlackBerry might finally be upon us. CrackBerry is citing information that BIS 3.0 will be rolled out to North American customers in the wee hours of Sunday, March 28, when most of us are in a peaceful slumber (a good thing, considering that data services will be mostly down during the four-hour window). Out of the gate, 3.0 will offer Gmail label creation and deletion when using the plug-in along with support for OpenDocument file types and WMA audio, but the real meat should come shortly thereafter as two-way synchronization of read status and sent messages "will be added throughout the Spring 2010 by region." Technically, Spring starts today, so this could show up the moment BIS 3.0 goes live -- but given that we've waited literally years for this to happen, we're not getting our hopes up prematurely.

BIS 3.0 coming to North American BlackBerry users next weekend? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers

Gadget Boy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:39:00 +0000

We knew it was only a matter of time before Lenovo finally started shipping the larger and more powerful relatives of the ThinkPad Edge 13. Available from retailers now and Lenovo's own webstore in early April, the 14- and 15-inch Edges have the same design as the Edge 13 -- including the same spill-resistant chiclet keyboard we adore -- but boast more muscle under the hood. While the $599 models pack Celeron processors, they can be configured to your heart's content with Core i3 or i5 CPUs, 5,400 / 7,200rpm drives, Blu-ray and mobile broadband options. And if having a red ThinkPad has always been a drunken fantasy of yours, the Edge 14 and 15 come in a glossy black or red, and a matte black option is there for the traditionalists. Wondering what the Edge 14 and 15 have to do with cupcakes? Apparently Lenovo sent the Edge 14 to a true small business owner -- Lev Ekster, founder of NYC's Cupcake Stop -- a few months ago, and he's been wearing out the AT&T 3G ever since as he gets work done on the go. We've no icing for you, but you can salivate over the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses, cupcake lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Will Surface ever surface?

Gadget Boy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I'd paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke's famous quote for the CE market by saying that any sufficiently advanced new product needs to look like it just came off the Starship Enterprise. I'd say Microsoft Surface was a product that met my definition as well as Clarke's when it launched a few years back -- and it should have changed computing quite a bit. Sadly, I haven't spoken to the Surface team in a long time and it looks like it may never go anywhere in the end.

The Surface concept was great. It was a Windows PC inside a table with a 30" touchscreen on top, and cameras that could sense what's happening on screen. The result is you could use a Surface device just by touching the screen with your finger -- but unlike other large touch screens at the time, Surface was multitouch, so you could use all your fingers at the same time. More importantly, multiple users could engage with each other. It was a PC but didn't look or run like a PC, which was genius -- you'd never know it was running Windows, but there was no development learning curve. It was totally optimized for that big honking touch surface area, and applications that worked with it -- I'm sure it could run Office, but that's not something it's was ever likely to do. Surface was PC evolution happening in real time. It's really something you needed to see up close and in thirty seconds before the light bulb went on. Sadly, most people have never seen or worked with a Surface unit. Beyond a small retail rollout at AT&T stores in NY that seems to have ended, the last time I saw one was the Edelman PR offices, where it sat like a large coffee table and did pretty much nothing.

Continue reading Entelligence: Will Surface ever surface?

Entelligence: Will Surface ever surface? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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State of the Art: Playing It Cool With a Jawbone in Your Ear

Gadget Boy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:32 +0000

A new phone earpiece strives to be smaller and more stylish than its predecessors. Does it succeed?

IBM 305 RAMAC: The Grandaddy of Modern Hard Drives [Memory Forever]

Gadget Boy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:20:00 +0000

The IBM 305 RAMAC, which debuted in 1956, was the first computer with a hard drive. It was 16 square feet, weighed over a ton, and had to be transported by plane. But it sure as Hell beat punch cards. More »

Microsoft confirms accuracy of old, pre-’reboot’ Windows Mobile 7 leaks

Gadget Boy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:35:00 +0000

Remember those old, allegedly leaked Windows Mobile 7 screen shots from way back in 2008? You know -- those ones that look absolutely nothing like the so-called Metro UI that Windows Phone 7 Series is actually using? Well, Microsoft's Albert Shum -- one of WP7S' chief designers who we had the pleasure of meeting back at MWC -- just confirmed the accuracy of those leaks in a session here at MIX10. Discussing the reboot of the WinMo 7 program that happened inside Microsoft about a year ago, Shum flashed a slide showing eight of those infamous shots featuring those crazy bottom-aligned battery and signal meters along with WinMo 6.x-ish ID oozing from every nook and cranny. Needless to say, a clean-slate approach was sorely needed, and that's exactly where Metro ended up coming into play -- but be honest: is there anyone out there that would've still preferred the old leak in a production device?

Microsoft confirms accuracy of old, pre-'reboot' Windows Mobile 7 leaks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T Confounds Expectations by Not Ruining SXSW [Att]

Gadget Boy — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:41 +0000

Way to go, AT&T! It was nerve-wracking after last year's troubles, but reports are coming in that the oft-maligned network is holding up to the stress of SXSW better than expected. More »

Dell introduces $339 G2410H 24-inch 1080p LCD monitor, we go hands-on

Gadget Boy — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:59:00 +0000

Just over a year ago, Dell pushed out its latest and greatest 24-incher, the energy-sipping G2410. Today, the Round Rock powerhouse has introduced that very unit's successor (complete with a height adjustable stand), the G2410H. Still sized at 24-inches, this 1080p LCD monitor sports a variety of eco-modes, 5 millisecond response time, 160-degree (horizontal) / 170-degree (vertical) viewing angles, a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, ambient light sensor, 250 nits of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and DVI / VGA inputs. We've had one in-house for around a week now, and for $339, it's not a bad replacement to that 21-inch CRT that's still weighing heavily on your desk. It's not as sharp and brilliant as the (admittedly more expensive) UltraSharp U2711, but it was certainly clear enough for the average home user. It's shipping now if you just can't resist.

Gallery: Dell G2410H 24-inch 1080p LCD monitor

Dell introduces $339 G2410H 24-inch 1080p LCD monitor, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zoom G2Nu and G2.1Nu guitar effects pedals offer direct USB recording

Gadget Boy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:11:00 +0000

Zoom is kind of like Mitsubishi -- it sort of does it all. Months after shipping one of the greatest pocket audio recorders every known to man, the company is now hitting back with none other than a pair of guitar effects pedals. The G2Nu and G2.1Nu boards both feature 100 preset guitar sounds, 20 of which have purportedly been given the almighty thumbs-up from Steve Vai. If you're curious about differences, the latter adds a built-in expression pedal for additional control, but frankly, the expected capabilities aren't what we're interested in. Both devices sport integrated USB ports that enable them to operate as audio interfaces; in other words, axe slingers can record directly to their computer through this box, and the 1.9-inch display helps you keep track of what's going on. Regrettably, pricing and availability details have been conveniently omitted, but we suspect it'll be hitting Sam Ash, Sweetwater and the rest of the gang soonish.

Gallery: Zoom G2Nu and G2.1Nu guitar effects pedals

Continue reading Zoom G2Nu and G2.1Nu guitar effects pedals offer direct USB recording

Zoom G2Nu and G2.1Nu guitar effects pedals offer direct USB recording originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that

Gadget Boy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:00 +0000

What do b-boys, random celebrities like Mark Sanchez, Andy Samberg and Hillary Duff, and the Black Eyed Peas have to do with 3DTV? We're not sure either, but that didn't stop Samsung from mixing them up during its "worldwide launch event" yesterday in NYC. Check the video (embedded after the break) for the above revelation about 3D from the JIMP troubador himself, but what was going through the heads of our friend Jimmy C and the BEP when this picture was taken?

Chris: "And see, just by turning this knob to the right, we can give Avatar a plot."
Richard Lawler: "If everyone starts wearing these, we're going to need new outfits."
Nilay: "Fascinating. You say this is called a 'lady lump?'"
Joe: "What? Bono beat us to it?"
Joanna: "That Neytiri, she's a handful..."
Paul: "I've gotta feeling that nothing of intellectual importance is happening here."

Continue reading Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that

Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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