Watch Gadling TV's "Travel Talk" and get all the latest travel news!

Latest Posts

All News
Reviews
Reviews

Sprint fires employee who leaked weak EVO 4G sales numbers

You know the backstory by now: Sprint boasted that the EVO 4G was its fastest selling phone ever a couple of days after hitting the American market, before abruptly correcting itself and admitting that the EVO's sales were in fact in line with those achieved by the Pre last summer. What you, and we, didn't know till now, however, is that Sprint's self-correction was sparked off by an employee with a curious mind and posting privileges over on the xda-developers forum. On June 6, according to MobileCrunch, this unnamed hero of truthiness browsed Sprint's internal inventory system and nailed down a figure of 65,500 sold units from Sprint's own stores -- a stat far south from what Sprint would announce a day later. That number ultimately found its way onto the message board, and though it obviously shouldn't be taken as authoritative (or exhaustive), it was enough to get Sprint to hit the auto-correct button and part ways with the activist member of staff. Harsh.

[Thanks, Carol]

How to: pre-order the iPhone 4 (update: third-party retailers best avoided)

It's now less than twenty-four hours until pre-orders for the iPhone 4 kick off, magic is in the air, and you're feeling good -- but where (and how) do you get your name in the system? There'd be nothing more tragic than waking up on the 24th only to discover that your phone isn't arriving on launch day, so let's get things squared away right now so you know what you need to do tomorrow morning.

Follow the break for everything you need to know!
READ MORE

More Droid 2, Droid X details surface in leaked commercials

We've already gotten a pretty good look at both the Droid 2 and Droid X and some of their purported specs, and it looks like we can now fill in a few more gaps thanks to a set of leaked slides for some new Droid commercials. The most interesting of the lot is the slide / script for a Droid 2 commercial pictured above, which not only confirms an expectedly sci-fi-themed ad for the phone (Gattaca-esque, to be specific), but Exchange support and a 1GHz processor (not 750MHz, as previously rumored). There's comparatively fewer details in the pair of Droid X commercials, but they do offer yet more confirmation of a 4.3-inch screen, and our first indication of a new EyeCon app that will apparently come pre-loaded on the phone and let you access and control media on your home network -- the script for the ad actually mentions a "720 dpi" screen, but we're going to chalk that up to adspeak rather than Motospeak. Hit up the link below for a closer look at the complete set.

[Thanks, Kellen]

Starbucks sets its own Independence Day: free WiFi for all starting July 1st

Starbucks has been providing gratis WiFi to iPhone users and AT&T subscribers for years now, but everyone else has been conveniently shunned. All that's fixing to change on the first of July, with the famed coffee shop announcing via Twitter that WiFi will be completely free to all patrons in around a fortnight. Show up, pop your collar, have a seat, look sexy, sip gently and initiate a single click to get online. It'll be as easy as blowing $7 for a warmed beverage that you've never been too fond of, anyway.

[Thanks, Paul]

White iPhone 4 likely not available at launch

The popular rumor going around right now at the eleventh hour is that AT&T will only be offering the black iPhone 4 models for pre-order tomorrow and at launch, with their white counterparts coming "later this Summer." Considering the fact that the white version of the 4 is quite a bit more distinctive than the 3G / 3GS, that's a bummer if true -- but what we don't know is whether this is strictly limited to AT&T. It's entirely possible that Apple and third-party retailers will be offering the white models, and AT&T's own distribution channel might just be suffering from some sort of buffoonery (that's our hope, anyhow). Lending credence to the rumor is the fact that Japan's SoftBank has already officially announced that it'll only be offering the black models initially -- and when we pressed AT&T on the matter, we got "no comment" in return. It's not looking good, folks.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Editorial: it's not my fault your favorite brand sucks

It's yours. Allow me to explain. Last year, I mentioned in a post that the "C" in "Nokia Cseries" could stand for "crap." Taken alone, it's pretty easy to construe that as a swipe at ...

Xbox 360 250GB first unboxing!

We've unboxed our first 250GB Xbox 360 (the Xbox 360 'Slim' to the layman) and we've gotta tell you: it felt good. Stand by for more shots.

Update: Here they are, we've got video on the way as well. Here are some initial thoughts:
  • The touch sensitive buttons quickly asserted themselves as not-the-best-thing-ever when we were unable to tell if we'd turned the Xbox on under the bright lights of Microsoft's setup. We're sure we'd see the green glow easily in our dark entertainment center at home, but it's a small little inconvenience -- one that PS3 owners are well aware of.
  • The touch sensitive eject button isn't so bad, because the tray seems uber fast -- we didn't clock it, but we'd say it pops out faster than our existing Xbox.
  • The Xbox feels just about as heavy as the existing Xbox, although the power adapter is smaller and much lighter.
  • We booted up Alan Wake and while we were in a relatively loud room, we didn't find the Xbox to be loud at all. We'll have to get it in the labs to see how it stacks up with the original, but Microsoft obviously had noise pollution in its sights here. They worked directly with the drive manufacturer to reduce every source of noise (including air turbulence!), and dub their accomplishment "whisper quiet."
  • This is a personal opinion, but we think it looks pretty badass in person, though not at all a wild shift from the existing look.
Update 2: We've got video after the break! It's very exciting, we assure you.
READ MORE

Sprint's 4G-equipped Samsung Galaxy S Pro in the wild?

The Moment just got a whole lot less interesting, didn't it? What you're looking at is allegedly Samsung's Galaxy S Pro for Sprint, a potential blockbuster of a phone that's said to have WiMAX support and a front-facing cam -- basically, the QWERTY answer to the EVO 4G (and this one's presumably got a Super AMOLED display, to boot). It doesn't look exactly like a standard Galaxy S with a keyboard grafted on, so we're not sure how confident we are that the "Galaxy S Pro" name is going to stick by the time it hits retail -- but you could call it "ball of dung" and we suspect it'd still sell like hotcakes. Stay tuned for more on this one as we get it.

News Corp buys Skiff e-reader platform, invests in online journalism

When Rupert Murdoch was asked whether or not News Corp would be launching an e-reader of its own, he answered: "I don't think that's likely." It seems that what he meant was: "Why bother? We can just buy Skiff." And for good measure the world's second largest media conglomerate has just launched something called Digital Journalism Initiatives (which is responsible for News Corp's new business efforts in premium digital journalism) and dumped some money into Journalism Online, LLC -- the startup that Steve Brill and co. founded to try and figure out how, exactly, news organizations can keep afloat these days. But don't worry: you're not likely to see a Fair & Balanced e-reader just yet. Apparently, the purchase merely covers the platform and intellectual property. Which leads us to our next question: why is this man smiling? PR after the break.
READ MORE

The new Xbox 360 Kinect port, up close

Microsoft has always said Kinect will work with every Xbox 360, but the new black Xbox has a special trick move -- that ExtUSB-ish port marked Aux up there is actually a special Kinect port that handles both data and power for the new motion control system. That means you'll only need one cord to set up a new Xbox + Kinect system, while Xbox 360 original owners will have to connect over USB and plug in a separate power cord for the Kinect unit. And now you know.

Update: We just spent some quality time with the Stealthbox in person, and the real port is a tiny little bit different -- it's got an orange line above it. Check it below.
READ MORE

Xbox 360 naming guide: the new Xbox 360 vs. the Xbox 360 Original

It wasn't totally clear during Microsoft's E3 keynote, but the new Xbox has brought some name changes with it: the new shiny black console is officially "the new Xbox 360," while Microsoft's fact sheet refers to the original Xbox 360 as the... Xbox 360 Original. Clever, clever. The Original will still come in Elite and Arcade versions, which have new lower prices, so there's a chance we'll see something like the Xbox 360 Original Arcade, but hey -- that sounds like a Microsoft product name to us. We'll let you know if things change, or you can just call the new one the "Stealthbox" like us and avoid all this confusion entirely.

Update: Things are changing fast -- according to a Microsoft representative, the Xbox 360 Original will still be sold while there's stock, but they're not making any more of them. Once they're gone, they're gone -- and we'd assume a new $199 variant of the new design will eventually be released to fill the void.

New Xbox 360 gets official at $299, shipping today, looks angular and ominous (video hands-on!)

Digg this! At first we were doubtful that a edgy box appearing in a little Flash ad from Italy last night could be legit, but Microsoft just got real with the new Xbox 360. (That's all it's officially called -- just "the new Xbox 360.") It'll launch today priced for $299, while the old Elite will stick around for $249 and the Arcade will drop to $149. The new box is crazy sexy in glossy black with touch-sensitive buttons, and Microsoft says it's "whisper quiet," with one large fan instead of two -- the new 45nm chipset undoubtedly generates less heat to begin with. On the features front, it's got integrated 2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi, five USB ports, and 250GB of storage on a removable hard drive, although it's not a standard drive or same drive as the old console, and older Memory Units won't work, either. Upgraders can use a USB-to-Xbox hard drive connector cable to migrate to the new box, however. There's also a "custom Kinect port" on the back that looks like an HTC-style ExtUSB port, and it also seems like the power supply has moved inside the case, which is a welcome change. New Xbox 360 units are shipping to retailers now, with availability expected later this week, and MS conference attendees are actually getting theirs shipped today.

If you're in Europe, don't fret, as yours is coming soon. Microsoft's official Xbox Twitter account has confirmed the console hits there on July 16.

Update: We just got the official fact sheet, check it after the break. Oh, and we're calling it the "Stealthbox" to keep all the models straight. It just feels right, you know?

Update 2: According to a Microsoft representative, the Xbox 360 Original will still be sold while there's stock, but they're not making any more of them. Once they're gone, they're gone -- and we'd assume a new $199 variant of the new design will eventually be released to fill the void.



READ MORE

Netflix for Xbox 360 adds search in November

Digg this! It didn't get a slot during Microsoft's just-concluded Xbox 360 press conference, but the Netflix streaming app will finally add one of the most often requested (and denied) features: the ability to search through the entire Watch Instantly library and add movies to your queue, right from the console. Proudly stating it's the first gaming console to let you update your queue without a computer (Roku does it too, but try playing Gears of War on that) there's no word on any Kinect tie-ins, probably the reason it didn't get any higher billing than a bullet point in Marc Whitten's 2010 letter to Xbox Live members.

Kinect priced at GameStop: $149, $399 for Elite bundle

Digg this! Microsoft didn't say a peep about Kinect pricing at its E3 keynote, but GameStop isn't being shy: Kinect is now listed on the retailer's website for $149.99. The page is dead if you try to click through from search results, so it looks like the listing may have gone up in error -- we'll see if this is the real price come November 4. We'll let you know if we can confirm anything.

Update: And the hits keep coming: GameStop is now listing a $299 "Arcade Bundle" which obviously pairs a $149 Kinect with the now-$149 Arcade, as well as a $399 Elite bundle that seems to pair a $149 Kinect with the older Elite, which is now $249. So where's the bundle with the hot new 250GB Stealthbox? And are these the real prices? We'll have to wait and see.

Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 launches on November 4

Digg this! What, a launch of November 2010 wasn't specific enough for you? Well, how about a Kinect launch of November 4? Microsoft just confirmed that's the day, and as of now it's looking like a worldwide launch. It will drop with 15 titles, including:
  • Kinectimals - Nintendogs but with wild and impossibly cute animals
  • Kinect Sports - Soccer, bowling, track and field games, a bit like Wii Sports
  • Joyride - "Thrill of high speed kart racing, with the joy of controller-free gaming"
  • Kinect Adventures - Jumping around and stuff
  • Your Shape: Fitness Evolved - most amazing looking fitness game we've seen yet, from Ubisoft
  • Dance Central - an actual, honest to gosh dance game without stupid pads -- from Harmonix
So far Your Shape and Dance Central are looking the best, but Microsoft is still showing us more, and we're thinking a few of you are going to like that Star Wars game from Lucasarts. Interestingly, no price was announced, meaning Microsoft seems to be waiting to see how many US dollars the competition decides to charge. Your Move, Sony.

Update: We have the full list of 15 titles after the break, courtesy of Joystiq. , which includes a new EA Sports Active.
READ MORE

Live from Microsoft's E3 2010 keynote!


After last night's Kinect-ic event, what on earth could Microsoft have in store for its big E3 2010 press conference? A slimmer Xbox 360? Valhalla motherboards? Hulu integration? Surely there's gonna be a new game or two in store. Stay tuned -- doors open at 10:00AM PT / 1:00PM ET and the magic starts shortly after!
READ MORE

ESPN3 comes exclusively to Xbox 360

Digg this! The recently relaunched ESPN3 online portal is coming to Xbox 360 , as just announced during Microsoft's pre-E3 press conference. Trey Wingo and Josh Elliott from SportsCenter are on stage demonstrating with footage from a USC / Ohio State game, and of course it has built in Kinect controller support. 3,500 live sporting events, instant replays, highlights, polls all at your fingertips or by the sound of your voice. The PiP stuff will be familiar to fans who have already indulged online, but with the new control aspects (and of course, HD streaming) it could give a reasonable alternative to the existing channels. The usual requirement of Xbox Live Gold just like Netflix, Facebook, etc. is present, but beyond having a TV provider / ISP that's signed up for the package, there's no additional charge.

Update: Wondering if you'll have access? Check the list of ESPN3 affiliates to see if your ISP is playing ball.
READ MORE

Video Kinect: video chat and stream sharing over Xbox Live and Live Messenger

Digg this! Xbox Live and Windows Live Messenger are about to meet up in a very personal way -- Microsoft has just announced a new video chat service called Video Kinect, which serves as a logical extension of its brand new Kinect voice- and motion-sensing control system. But it's not just video calling, no sir, you'll be able to watch movies, news, sports, and the like together with whoever you're chatting with. Additionally, thanks to a motorized base and a new skeleton-tracking feature, the Kinect unit will also follow users as they move around the room. Yup, not creepy at all.

Microsoft demos new Kinect dashboard and voice control

Digg this! Thought Kinect was just for kicking balls and making a fool of yourself? Oh now, you can now use it to do everything from find your friends and to control media playback. With a wave the Xbox 360 pops into a new Dashboard which you can manage by moving your hands around. It also supports voice control, enabling you to say "Xbox Play" or "Xbox Pause" or, you know, whatever. Easy!

Zune music heads to Xbox 360

Digg this!
It's not all games and motion control for Microsoft at E3 this year-- the company has just announced that the complete library of Zune music is joining the video options already available on the Xbox 360. Details are still a bit light otherwise, but you can rest assured that it's both Kinect and Bieber compatible.

Update: Microsoft has now at least revealed a few more details, confirming that Zune Pass subscribers will have on-demand, instant streaming access to a full seven million tracks, and that the service will "seamlessly" integrate with the 16,000 music videos already available on Xbox Live -- if you own a video, it'll automatically start playing during the corresponding song.

Engadget Apps

Download a native Engadget app for the platform of your choice. If you want. No pressure.



June 2010
1
Jun 1st 2010
62 POSTS
2
Jun 2nd 2010
61 POSTS
3
Jun 3rd 2010
50 POSTS
4
Jun 4th 2010
48 POSTS
5
Jun 5th 2010
25 POSTS
6
Jun 6th 2010
23 POSTS
7
Jun 7th 2010
55 POSTS
8
Jun 8th 2010
49 POSTS
9
Jun 9th 2010
51 POSTS
10
Jun 10th 2010
47 POSTS
11
Jun 11th 2010
45 POSTS
12
Jun 12th 2010
12 POSTS
13
Jun 13th 2010
17 POSTS
14
Jun 14th 2010
47 POSTS
15
Jun 15th 2010
0 POSTS
16
Jun 16th 2010
0 POSTS
17
Jun 17th 2010
0 POSTS
18
Jun 18th 2010
0 POSTS
19
Jun 19th 2010
0 POSTS
20
Jun 20th 2010
0 POSTS
21
Jun 21st 2010
0 POSTS
22
Jun 22nd 2010
0 POSTS
23
Jun 23rd 2010
0 POSTS
24
Jun 24th 2010
0 POSTS
25
Jun 25th 2010
0 POSTS
26
Jun 26th 2010
0 POSTS
27
Jun 27th 2010
0 POSTS
28
Jun 28th 2010
0 POSTS
29
Jun 29th 2010
0 POSTS
30
Jun 30th 2010
0 POSTS
"The user interface is modern and sleek with a focus on cover art -- it seemed snappy from our brief time with it."
Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"My brother is about to leave for the Marines, and I (the geeky brother) want to send something with him to keep him busy. What is a very rugged PMP or similar, with WiFi and a nice UI? A camera is definitely a plus."
15%

The percentage of electronics at the end of their lives which were recycled.

The EPA found that the percentage remained consistent from 1999-2005. Even as recycling rates went up, the amount of electronics reaching end of life outpaced the increase, leaving the figure static. (source: EPA, July 2008)

A Core i3 laptop with NVIDIA's Optimus discrete graphics that boasts 9.5 hours of battery life? Well, now that sounds new, and that's exactly what the 13.3-inch ASUS's U30Jc promises to be – that perfect chocolate vanilla swirl of portability and performance.

Boss of the Year Entry Form

Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.