Hate to say it but we were right: Emblaze just announced that it's shutting down the First Else handset. $40 million dollars and the hopes of many gone in an instant. In a regulatory announcement issued today, Emblaze states the following:

Due to critical delays in deliveries and the current status of the project, the board has now decided to cease any further investment towards manufacturing of the First ELSE mobile device and to concentrate efforts only on licensing the ELSE Intuition platform and technology in order to realize its potential upside.

So there's still hope that we'll see the First Else user experience applied elsewhere if Emblaze can find a buyer. See the full release after the break.

[Thanks, Yair M.]

Scene: Impossibly mature high school "girls" mingling in front of a locker. Action!

Bitter Barbie: "What are you doing? Is that a new phone?"
Bland Barbie: "Yeah, I'm checking my Kin. I'll just write on Hannah's wall from here."

End scene.

Yes, ABC's new Pretty Little Liars show is the future of American television, where entertainment morphs into infotainment and bakes the minds of an entire generation into a lovely pie of corporate servitude. We blame TiVo. Oh, and just because Palm quit making creepy commercials doesn't mean that they've given up on promoting its Pre to women. Looks like Roger McNamee was right about that backside mirror's appeal. See what we mean in the PLL episode 3 embeds posted after the break.

[Thanks, Dave]

What's this? A new sliver of hope in a dark, lost world? Before you throw your hands up and shut your eyes, you should know that all of this is coming from Digitimes, so taking it all in with an unhealthy dose of salt is highly suggested. According to them, Lenovo is actually planning to eventually ship its Skylight and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid (yeah, the two machines that were kinda-sorta shelved a month ago), but with far different specifications. For starters, they'll rely on Qualcomm's recently announced dual-core processor line, and rather than using the now-nonexistent Skylight OS, they'll both rely on Google's Android. If all goes well, the official launch will occur before the dawn of 2011, but there's no solid word on when they'll actually ship. In related news, there's also word that Toshiba will be readying a smartbook in its long-standing Dynabook line, with NVIDIA's Tegra 250 under the hood, a 10.1-inch panel and Android running the show. Now, who's up for seeing if any of this actually comes to fruition?

The World Cup may still be ongoing (despite what the US, England, and a handful of others may think), but the RoboCup 2010 in Singapore has just closed shop with an edge-of-your-seat display of autonomous action. The final game came down to two German teams, the Darmstadt Dribblers and the FUmanoids. As seen at numerous points, both android teams have even learned the ancient art of diving, toeing the uncanny valley a little to close for comfort. Video after the break -- we won't to spoil the ending, so let's just say Germany won by a sizable margin.

If fierce competition isn't your cup of tea, we've also got footage of DARwin-LC, a low cost (hence the name) humanoid from our friends at Virginia Tech's RoMeLa. These adorable little guys cost about $2,500 apiece and will be going out to 11 of VT's partner universities.

[Thanks, Stefan]

The free Hulu Plus app just hit the iTunes App store, kids, with the promise of 720p streaming over WiFi or 3G to iOS devices including the iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3rd generation iPod touch. They're calling it a "limited preview" release that will ultimately require a $10 per month subscription on top of the commercials you're forced to watch. Oh, and it's still restricted to US-only viewership. Well, at least the Flash barrier has been removed. Huzzah?

[Thanks, MT H.]

Ever since Apple decided to do little about the iPhone 4's pronounced reception issues except suggest that users hold the thing differently and / or buy a nice case, the voodoo engineering remedies have been flying in full force -- sure, we'll admit we tried sticking some tape over the side of our phone (no dice), but we stopped short when people suggested we try a couple coats of nail polish (insanity). Even we have limits, after all. But the latest snake oil fix is definitely the craziest we've heard so far: according to a 13-page (and growing) thread at MacRumors, the iPhone 4's reception issue can be fixed by adjusting or even trimming the micro SIM so the contacts don't touch the metal tray. The popular belief is that touching the side of the phone somehow shorts across the micro SIM, causing (mumble mumble) and leading to dropped signal. Making things more interesting, Apple and AT&T are apparently using several different types of micro SIMs, including one with a significantly larger contact area -- you can check a shot of two of our iPhone 4 micro SIMs side-by-side after the break.

So does all this hocus pocus actually work? In a word, no. We tried it on a few of our particularly bad iPhone 4s -- the ones that consistently demonstrate the issue -- and achieved no meaningful results. We even went so far as to line the edge of one of our trimmed micro SIMs in electrical tape (pictured above) to ensure that no contact was being made, and we were still able to flatline the phone using the "death grip." Sorry folks -- we wanted this to work too, but it looks like people are just being hopefully optimistic. We'd say the real fix is going to have to come from Apple -- and given the growing discontent over this relatively severe issue, the sooner the better.

A visual recap of the day's articles

Jun 29th 2010 | 43 Articles

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/dell-streaks-supposed-us-packaging-is-gorgeous-unboxed-with-el/

1:11 am

133 Comments

Dell Streak's supposed US packaging is gorgeous, unboxed with elegance

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/iwork-for-iphone-revealed-by-applecare-product-description/

12:16 am

53 Comments

iWork for iPhone revealed by AppleCare product description?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/acer-aspire-1551-hits-retailers-with-1-5ghz-dual-core-turion-ii/

2:02 am

42 Comments

Acer Aspire 1551 hits retailers with 1.5GHz dual-core Turion II CPU

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/supersonic-green-machine-sends-greetings-from-the-future/

3:32 am

72 Comments

Supersonic Green Machine sends greetings from the future

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/hp-photosmart-e-all-in-one-with-eprint-now-on-sale-ipad-printin/

5:13 am

44 Comments

HP Photosmart e-All-in-One with ePrint now on sale: iPad printing, solved

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/neato-xv-11-ships-out-next-month-will-assassinate-dust-bunnies/

4:34 am

32 Comments

Neato XV-11 ships out next month, will assassinate dust bunnies for money

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/sprint-halts-evo-4g-update-due-to-reports-of-it-bricking-phones/

5:59 am

175 Comments

Sprint halts EVO 4G update due to reports of it bricking phones

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/fifa-to-again-explore-instant-replay-after-blown-world-cup-offic/

7:05 am

136 Comments

FIFA to again explore instant replay after blown World Cup officiating

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-announces-rugged-xcover-handset-with-67-day-standby-time/

6:47 am

35 Comments

Samsung announces rugged Xcover handset with 67-day standby time

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/budget-compact-shootout-finds-the-best-little-digicams-for-your/

7:50 am

34 Comments

Budget compact shootout finds the best little digicams for your buck

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/infinitecs-infinite-usb-memory-drive-delayed-until-august-sh/

8:53 am

58 Comments

Infinitec's 'infinite' USB memory drive delayed until August, shown streaming to Xbox 360 (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/seagate-busts-out-3tb-external-hard-drive-for-250/

8:18 am

74 Comments

Seagate busts out 3TB external hard drive for $250

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/google-me-to-be-the-googlish-answer-to-facebook/

8:16 am

88 Comments

Google Me to be the Googlish answer to Facebook?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/microsoft-hints-at-touchless-surface-combining-camera-and-transp/

10:01 am

66 Comments

Microsoft hints at touchless Surface combining camera and transparent OLED (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/htc-expect-desire-legend-and-wildfire-to-get-froyo-beginning/

9:32 am

116 Comments

HTC: expect Desire, Legend and Wildfire to get Froyo 'beginning in Q3'

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/lhcsound-brings-the-noise-asks-how-low-higgs-boson-can-go/

11:11 am

18 Comments

LHCsound brings the noise, asks how low Higgs Boson can go

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/stamp-y-digital-camera-concept-doesnt-look-particularly-pocket/

10:47 am

23 Comments

Stamp.y Digital Camera concept doesn't look particularly pocket-friendly

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/3d-displays-and-haptic-interfaces-come-together-in-hiro-iii/

10:22 am

20 Comments

3D displays and haptic interfaces come together in HIRO III

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/envisioning-an-internet-thats-100-times-faster-well-take-two/

12:14 pm

68 Comments

Envisioning an internet that's 100 times faster: we'll take two

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/keepin-it-real-fake-air-phone-no-4-out-kirfs-the-kirfs-with-f/

12:03 pm

53 Comments

Keepin' it real fake: Air Phone NO. 4 out-KIRFs the KIRFs with FaceTime app

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/iphone-lines-crop-up-at-atandt-stores-as-humanity-slips-ever-furth/

11:33 am

274 Comments

iPhone lines crop up at AT&T stores as humanity slips ever further toward its inevitable destruction

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/is-the-iphone-4-having-proximity-sensor-troubles/

12:56 pm

502 Comments

Is the iPhone 4 having proximity sensor troubles?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/book-review-how-to-wreck-a-nice-beach-the-vocoder-from-world-w/

2:00 pm

14 Comments

Book review: How To Wreck A Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/hulu-plus-announced-ipad-iphone-sony-and-more-on-board/

1:50 pm

355 Comments

Hulu Plus announced: iPad, iPhone, Sony, and more on board

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/google-modifies-its-policies-in-china-resumes-hosting-some-cont/

1:23 pm

44 Comments

Google modifies its policies in China, resumes hosting some content on Chinese servers

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/sonys-yoshida-says-ps3-is-now-turning-a-profit-no-plans-for-a/

3:14 pm

65 Comments

Sony's Yoshida says PS3 is now turning a profit, no plans for a price cut

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/fujitsu-lifebook-th700-brings-convertible-tablet-magic-at-a-more/

2:46 pm

23 Comments

Fujitsu Lifebook TH700 brings convertible tablet magic at a more affordable price

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/cisco-unveils-cius-android-tablet-with-hd-video-capabilities/

2:21 pm

116 Comments

Cisco unveils Cius Android tablet with HD video capabilities

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/epson-shows-off-iu-01-interactive-whiteboard-module-for-projecto/

3:56 pm

18 Comments

Epson shows off IU-01 interactive whiteboard module for projectors

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/verizon-iphone-in-january-claims-bloomberg/

3:30 pm

346 Comments

Verizon iPhone in January, claims Bloomberg

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/pages-for-iphone-gets-a-full-walkthrough/

5:07 pm

88 Comments

Pages for iPhone gets a full walkthrough

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/community-developed-pivot-power-strip-now-available-to-order/

4:49 pm

29 Comments

Community-developed Pivot Power strip now available to order

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/capacitors-and-diodes-lovingly-tooled-together-to-form-a-fantast/

4:20 pm

31 Comments

Capacitors and diodes lovingly tooled together to form a fantastical steampunk necklace and earring set

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-epic-4g-preview/

6:05 pm

167 Comments

Samsung Epic 4G preview

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/apple-telling-reps-to-smooth-over-iphone-4-reception-complaints/

5:52 pm

329 Comments

Apple telling reps to smooth over iPhone 4 reception complaints, not to offer free bumpers?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-intercept-to-replace-the-moment-on-sprint/

5:29 pm

41 Comments

Samsung Intercept to replace the Moment on Sprint?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-says-all-galaxy-s-phones-will-get-android-2-2/

7:00 pm

75 Comments

Samsung says all Galaxy S phones will get Android 2.2

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/optimus-popularis-keyboard-finally-pictured-still-on-track-for/

6:44 pm

51 Comments

Optimus Popularis keyboard finally pictured, still on track for sub-$1000 release

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/switched-on-token-gestures/

7:36 pm

32 Comments

Switched On: Token gestures

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsungs-american-galaxy-s-phones-pose-for-family-portrait/

7:18 pm

117 Comments

Samsung's American Galaxy S phones pose for family portrait

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/palm-retroactively-refunding-50-webos-app-submission-fee-eac/

9:10 pm

40 Comments

Palm retroactively refunding $50 webOS app submission fee -- each and every one

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/self-folding-origami-folds-itself-so-that-you-dont-have-to/

8:21 pm

24 Comments

Self-folding origami folds itself, so that you don't have to

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-t-mobile-vibrant-and-verizon-fascinate-preview/

9:52 pm

59 Comments

Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant and Verizon Fascinate preview

All About Android Hulu Plus announced with support for iPad, iPhone, PS3, Xbox Live, and more Apple telling reps to smooth over iPhone 4 reception complaints, not to offer free bumpers? Pages for iPhone gets a full walkthrough FIFA to again explore 'goal-line technology' after blown World Cup officiating Sony's Yoshida says PS3 is now turning a profit, no plans for a price cut	Other news of import Is the iPhone 4 having proximity sensor troubles? Sprint halts EVO 4G update due to reports of it bricking phones HTC: expect Desire, Legend and Wildfire to get Froyo 'beginning in Q3' Google Me to be the Googlish answer to Facebook? Verizon iPhone in January, claims Bloomberg
Original features Switched On: Token gestures Samsung T-Mobile Vibrant and Verizon Fascinate preview Samsung's American Galaxy S phones pose for family portrait Samsung Epic 4G preview Book review: How To Wreck A Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop

Looks like the Android-toting Cius wasn't the only tablet out of Cisco this week -- the company's also announced a countertop unit for home energy management with a 7-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen. Running Ubuntu Linux for MID on a 1.1GHz Intel Atom chip, the Home Energy Controller connects to smart thermostats and appliances over 802.11n WiFi or gigabit ethernet using protocols including ZigBee. It then lets you keep tabs on your electricity usage, and suggests ways you could improve -- assuming you're using the tablet for its intended purpose instead of watching hardware-accelerated videos on Mediafly, browsing the included app store, or (potentially) using it as a phone of some sort. Forbes reports the device will run $900 per installation, though it's more likely it'll arrive subsidized by a monthly power bill. See it in action right after the break, and hit up that PDF at the more coverage link for a full spec sheet.

You'd think we'd be totally sick of Samsung's Galaxy S phones after seeing AT&T's Captivate and Sprint's Epic 4G, but we're just not done lovin' the 4-inch Super AMOLED, Android devices. Verizon's Fascinate and T-Mobile's Vibrant happen to be the last two Sammy phones to jump into our hands-on, but coincidentally, they're also the most alike. Design-wise, both remind us of the iPhone 3G / 3GS -- they're all screen on the front, strikingly thin, and have black shiny backs. And just like the Captivate and Epic 4G, they've got four touch sensitive buttons along the bottom edge. The Super AMOLED screens continue to impress, and watching a clip of Avatar on both versions was pretty breathtaking. (No, we didn't have an iPhone 4 on hand for comparisons, but make sure to check out the post where we put them head-to-head).

We didn't get to put the 1GHz Hummingbird CPU to the test in our short hands-on time, though both Android 2.1-running phones seemed to perform briskly when opening videos and pulling up the browser. Beyond Samsung's TouchWiz skin, both are preloaded with Swype and other carrier apps -- Verizon's version had Skype Mobile as well as a number of VCAST applications. Oh, and unlike most of the other Galaxy S phones, the Fascinate had a flash on its backside. We don't have much more on these bad boys for now -- we're still waiting on pricing and availability -- but the pictures and videos after the break should hold you over.

Note: Pay no attention to the background -- there isn't any intended symbolism to draw here, it was just the best lighting arrangement we could muster.

Palm's made a few half-baked attempts at wooing developers in the past, like that time in October when it waived the fees and review process for open-source apps (but not App Catalog entries) or when it provided discounted handsets that happened to carry a large carrier-specific ball and chain. This week, Palm's decided to be a bit more generous -- it's eliminating the $50 App Catalog submission fee entirely and putting every last cent back where it came from. With only 2,684 apps in the store, that's just $134,200 in total, but symbolically it's a very welcome gesture, no? According to the official Palm Developer Center Blog, developers should see credits appear in their PayPal accounts soon -- though perhaps not soon enough to spend it on the fruit of their fellow man's labor at 50 percent off.

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
In early 2005, even after the launch of the Nintendo DS, Switched On critiqued pen computing, noting that it was too cumbersome and unnatural to become a mainstream input method. That column was validated by the launch of the iPhone, which banished the stylus to "blown it" status and popularized "finger-friendly" handset designs from all major smartphone OS developers.

Many have described the user interfaces of products such as the iPhone and Surface as ushering in the post-WIMP (windows-icon-mouse-pointer) era. Former Windows Magazine editor Mike Elgan has referred to the new paradigm as "MPG" (multitouch, physics, gestures) However, while these user interfaces feature streamlined designs and more direct manipulation, they still form a bridge with the graphical user interface. The main shift has been to more direct manipulation as the device processes more natural inputs.

The same can be said for Kinect. For a tidy sum and some untidiness, Kinect enables the kind of motion-sensing gameplay that has become the Wii's hallmark without having to strap the controller to various limbs (as with EA Active for Wii). In fact it eliminates the need to hold a controller entirely, just like the iPhone and iPad free users of mice and styluses. Beyond Soviet Russia, the input device uses you.

Samsung's US team held a swanky event in NYC this evening to launch all four of its new US-spec Galaxy S phones in style. If you haven't been brought up to speed on Samsung's stateside Android invasion, the Captivate is headed to AT&T, the Fascinate to Verizon, the Epic 4G to Sprint and the Vibrant to T-Mobile. Each of the phones have 4-inch Super AMOLED screens, 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 CPUs, and cams that can capture 720p video. We've already got detailed hands on impressions of the Captivate and Epic 4G, but stay tuned for Fascinate and Vibrant previews tonight. In the meantime, check out the family all together in the pictures in the gallery below.

Art Lebedev doesn't have a fantastic track record when it comes to timing, but we'll be damned if those boutique devices don't look hot when they hit the scene -- just check out this first render of the Optimus Popularis keyboard, which the studio informs us will still (despite years in the making) cost less than $1000 when it eventually arrives. We're loving the new chiclet keys with typewriter spacing, even as we mourn the loss of a dedicated numpad in favor of industrial design -- though Art Leb says a press of the FN key will remedy that issue. When every button has a screen built into it, you can put that ten-key wherever you want, right?

We've seen our fair share of Samsung Galaxy S phones in the past few weeks, but the Sprint Epic 4G version (or the Galaxy S Pro, as we'd previously suspected it would be known) looks like it could take the cake. The phone has all the same specs as the others family members -- including a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 5 megapixel cam, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, and Android 2.1 -- but it also boasts a front facing camera and a physical keyboard. So, is the new slider as epically amazing as we've been imagining? We got to spend some time with a unit this afternoon, so hit the break for some early impressions and a quick video.

BGR appears to have nabbed a document being distributed by Apple corporate to AppleCare reps tasked with handling iPhone 4 customers miffed with the antenna performance fiasco -- and for the time being, the recommendations are focusing on managing expectations, not fixing the problem. In a nutshell, reps are being instructed to pass on a more politically correct version of Steve's email by telling customers that they should "avoid covering the black strip in the lower-left corner of the metal band." Interestingly, they agree that bumpers might fix the problem, but they're emphatic in saying that they "ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON'T promise a free bumper to customers." And yes, that statement is complete with caps and bold in the source document, so they mean business, it would seem. If it's any consolation, Apple says that "the iPhone 4's wireless performance is the best [they] have ever shipped," but let's be honest: for those zapping their calls into the afterlife every time they brush their phone the wrong way, it's not much consolation at all.

Looks like the Moment's over for Samsung and Sprint -- check out these leaked shots of the SPH-M910 Intercept, said to be the carrier's new mid-range Android slider. Screen size is said to be the same at 3.2 inches, and the keyboard certainly looks much nicer, but we can't help but be bummed to hear this thing will launch Froyo-free with Android 2.1 -- a 2.2 update is said to be a "high probability," but it took Samsung and Sprint some seven months to update the Moment to 2.1, so we're not holding our breath. The rumored launch date is July 11, so we'll see how much of this is true around then -- for now, we're betting Samsung will be doing its best to keep us focused on Galaxy S sets like the Epic 4G.