The IT Lounge

And the Windows Phone 7 leaks just keep on flowing. After that mysterious ASUS pre-prodution unit we saw late last week, today we’re being treated to the first sighting of the HTC Schubert. Purportedly a device planned for “day one” of the WP7 revolution, the Schubert is said to have been built using a single piece of aluminum (just like the Legend) with plastic cutouts in the back allowing for that all-important wireless connectivity. Not much else is known for now — hell, there’s no way to even confirm this phone is who it says it is — but the video’s right after the break.

[Thanks, Peter]

Continue reading HTC Schubert: Windows Phone 7 gets an aluminum unibody handset to call home? (video)

HTC Schubert: Windows Phone 7 gets an aluminum unibody handset to call home? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Solo Palmari  |  247 Windows phone  | Email this | Comments

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It sure took ‘em long enough, but Colorware has finally added the Flip Ultra pocket camcorder to its assortment of wares available to be doused in a rainbow’s worth of hues. It’s a fitting addition, of course, and those who’d prefer the HD version will be treated in the near future. For now, it’ll cost you a Ulysses S. Grant (or more) to colorize your existing Flip Ultra, or $210+ to snag a minty fresh unit direct from Colorware. Best of all, you’ll be able to paint the top, ring, bottom, back, cursor and button a different shade if you’ve got the cash, so hit that source link (or hop on past the break) if you’re imagination is already whirring.

Continue reading Colorware finally points the rainbow gun at Flip Ultra, UltraHD up next

Colorware finally points the rainbow gun at Flip Ultra, UltraHD up next originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

We saw our first images of the Desire HD over the weekend, and just as day follows night, video leaks typically follow pictorial ones. You’ll already be familiar with the mooted specs — including 720p HD video recording, WVGA screen resolution, and an 8 megapixel imager — so what else does this handset tour reveal? Well, the family resemblance to HTC’s other 4.3-inchers is inevitably apparent to see, with the Desire HD sticking its headphone port at the bottom just like the HD2, and employing a dual LED flash à la the EVO 4G. Beyond that, it looks like yet another well rounded device from the prolific Taiwanese phone maker — hurry past the break to see it for yourself.

[Thanks, Cj]

Continue reading HTC’s 4.3-inch Desire HD shows up on video

HTC’s 4.3-inch Desire HD shows up on video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

‘Tis true — we don’t often write about massage chairs here, but throw in some gadget connectivity and they’ll have our attention, just like this AcuTouch 9500. Discovered by Zedomax, this luxurious furniture from Human Touch claims to be the world’s first iOS device-controlled massage chair, meaning you can choose and store your desired routines and intensity — via the free HT-Connect app — on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Just to give you more bang for the buck, there are also downloadable massage programs that are individually customized by doctors and sport stars — most of which you’ve probably never heard of. The price? No info yet, so you’ll just have to keep popping into your local massage parlour until later this year. Demo video after the break.

Continue reading AcuTouch 9500: world’s first massage chair to succumb to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (video)

AcuTouch 9500: world’s first massage chair to succumb to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: 3% [?]

It’s rather astounding to believe we’ve come this far without Verizon or Motorola so much as recognizing the Droid 2’s existence, but with leaks like this on a weekly basis who needs traditional marketing? Astute reader Greg from North Carolina tells us his local Best Buy has those leaked dummy units out on shelves, and lo and behold, there’s a set of price tags right next to them. As originally rumored, the phone will launch at $199 with carrier subsidy and $599 should you choose to cart it home without a plan in tow. Still no solid confirmation of that August 12 release date, but at this rate we expect the handset may sell out before Verizon’s PR team breathes a word. Spot the full image after the break.

Update: On a related note, the original Droid is now “out of stock” on Verizon’s website.

Update 2: Oh what the hell, dropped in an official “coming soon” Droid 2 advertising supplement making its way into newspapers.

[Thanks, Greg and Jeremy C.]

Continue reading Best Buy pegs Droid 2 at $199 with 2-year activation, $599 without (updated)

Best Buy pegs Droid 2 at $199 with 2-year activation, $599 without (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

This week Inhabitat showcased the best and brightest new developments from the world of clean tech. Stanford opened up new horizons for renewable energy as they unveiled a solar technology that can harvest electricity from both heat and light — a significant improvement over photovoltaics, whose efficiency wilts in the sun. We also looked at Pocono Raceway, the recently-crowned world’s largest solar-powered sports facility, and an innovative new type of “Wind Lens” turbine that could increase energy generation by a magnitude of three times.

We also saw green tech take to the skies as Boeing unveiled a super-efficient airplane that could cut fuel consumption by 70% and scientists floated a plan to create gigantic orbiting balloons that could solve our space junk problem. It was a big week for alternative autos as well — Paris announced that it will be launching its Autolib electric car sharing program next year, and a poo-powered VW Bug burned… rubber on the streets of Bristol.

In other news, we showcased an ultra-efficient Danish home that produces more energy than it needs. Future-forward biotech couture was a hot topic as well as scientists found a way to produce spider silk from metabolically engineered bacteria. And we couldn’t help but want to share these adorable and amazingly detailed little LEGO CubeDudes created by PIXAR animator Angus MacLane.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: lenses that magnify wind, spider silk bacteria, and the largest solar sports facility originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Western Digital has quietly revealed the Elements Play on their site, which combines pared-down playback features of the WD TV series with up to 2TB of internal storage right out of the box. It’s about time, considering competitor LaCie has offered integrated drives in its LaCinema line for more than a year, though we wish WD would have included the Netflix streaming capabilities of the WD TV Live Plus here — or any streaming at all, for that matter. If an unconnected box with 1080p playback via HDMI and fabulous codec support (including Monkey’s Audio!) is appealing to you though, then this latest offering might be worth your while — especially if it’s priced in line with its “value conscious” featureset, a fact we haven’t been able to verify. To be competitive, it’ll have to cost below LaCie’s LaCinema Classic HD, which throws in UPnP / DLNA server support on top of similar features for as little as $229. If you’re curious, find the user’s manual (including a full codec list) at our more coverage link.

[Thanks, Steve]

WD’s Elements Play media streamers bring internal HDDs at a presumably good price originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electric Echoes  |  Western Digital (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

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We may never know the truth about the ousting of Mark Papermaster, Apple’s VP in charge of the iPhone and a direct report to Steve Jobs. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal co-authored by Yukari Iwatani Kane — widely considered to be Apple’s favorite go-to source when it wants to control a story in the press — is as close as we’re likely ever going to get, from Apple’s perspective anyway. Citing several anonymous sources familiar with Papermaster’s downfall, the WSJ says the following:

Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn’t been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn’t appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn’t used to Apple’s corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them.

In other words, it wasn’t just about the iPhone 4’s antenna. In fact, the WSJ claims that Jobs knew about the risks of the antenna design as much as a year ago and it was his decision, not Papermaster’s, to move forward with its development. Whatever the real story is, we’re sure that Steve, visibly agitated at having to host an antennagate press conference, wasn’t too pleased at having stood in front of the media promising an “end of July” ship date for the already delayed white iPhone 4 only to delay it again just a few days later. Straw, meet camel.

WSJ: Apple lost confidence in Papermaster months ago, Jobs accepted iPhone 4 antenna risks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: unranked [?]

You can tell a product ranks high in the public consciousness when something like this is news: AT&T’s quarterly earnings report makes it sound like the telecom may finally lose its iPhone exclusivity deal. While a class-action lawsuit recently confirmed the handset was originally locked to AT&T / Cingular for a full five years, the company’s Q2 SEC filing has the company making a considerable number of familiar excuses why AT&T’s cellular business will thrive even “as these exclusivity arrangements end.” While the iPhone isn’t mentioned by name, it’s hard to imagine sentences like “We believe offering a wide variety of handsets reduces dependence on any single handset” could refer to anything else — but before you start defecting to Team Red, know there’s nothing in there that suggests a date, much less proof of the fabled CDMA iPhone.

AT&T’s bullish earnings report suggests iPhone exclusivity is almost over originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  US Securities and Exchange Commission  | Email this | Comments

Popularity: unranked [?]

The floodgates are open, and another country has washed in — though unlike Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE, this one’s not threatening a BlackBerry messaging ban… yet. Kuwait has publicly announced that it has requested RIM to deal with “moral and security concerns” — namely, blocking pornographic websites — and that RIM has requested four months to comply. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s deadline-driven local server tests are reportedly continuing apace; three servers, one for each national cellular carrier, must “meet the regulatory demands” of the country by Monday.

Kuwait wants RIM to filter BlackBerry traffic, Saudi Arabia testing three servers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popularity: unranked [?]