Engadget Podcast 117 - 11.07.2008: Zune giveaway edition
Yes — it’s happening again. Another installment of the beloved Engadget Podcast has made its way to the virtual airwaves of the ever-loving internet, and now you can listen in for personal enjoyment and edification. Today Josh, Paul, and Nilay get to the heart of our recent “preferred OS” poll, Apple’s treatment of iPhone developers, Amazon’s abandonment of painful packaging, and more. Included in this podcast is a first-ever (for Engadget at least) on-air unboxing. That’s right, hear the sounds of a Gears of War 2 Zune getting ripped open.
As a treat to our faithful listeners, we’ll be giving away that very special edition 120GB Zune! Follow the instructions after the break to learn how to make it yours.
Update: We’ve also included that Best Buy rap discussed in the podcast. Enjoy!
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Smells Like Teen Spirit
01:43 - Poll: Which OS do you prefer?
12:38 - Apple adds OTA podcast downloads to iPhone firmware 2.2, continues to burn developers
27:14 - Amazon takes a stand to eliminate wasteful, hard-to-open gadget packaging
34:30 - Circuit City announces store closure plans, full list of locations revealed
45:51 - Dash cuts 50 employees, drastically changing business model
55:05 - Gears of War 2 canvasses special-edition Zune
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Continue reading Engadget Podcast 117 - 11.07.2008: Zune giveaway edition
Filed under: Podcasts
Engadget Podcast 117 - 11.07.2008: Zune giveaway edition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Analyst confirms Apple slid past RIM to become number two smartphone vendor
So apparently Apple knew what it was talking about after all. Research firm Canalys says that Apple stole the rug out from underneath RIM in the third quarter to become the world’s number two pusher of smartphones, taking a hearty 17.3 percent market share compared to RIM’s 15.2 percent and Windows Mobile’s 13.6 percent. For what it’s worth, the firm says RIM could very well bounce back in the fourth quarter with the Bold, Storm, and Pearl 8220 all ramping up in time for the holidays, but either way, number one platform Symbian needn’t sweat any time soon; Nokia’s baby managed to lose 21.5 percent share year over year, but they’re still sitting pretty with 46.6 percent.
How’d Apple manage to steal so much BlackBerry thunder (pun painfully intended)? Part of the evidence might lie in J.D. Power’s just-released 2008 Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study, revealing that suits adore their iPhones, like their BlackBerrys just alright, and despise their Palms. Amusing to us was the iPhone’s rating of a 5 out of 5 in the Features category — the only contender to get a perfect score there — despite the fact that virtually every other smartphone platform continues to outstrip it for raw capability. Usability, though, well… that’s arguably another story altogether.
[Via AppleInsider]
Read - Apple outsells RIM
Read - JD Power rankings
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Analyst confirms Apple slid past RIM to become number two smartphone vendor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega says iPhone tethering coming "soon"
There’s not exactly a lot of details to go on here (or any, really), but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega has just confirmed during an interview at the Web 2.0 Summit that an AT&T-approved iPhone tethering option will indeed be available “soon.” That lack of detail includes any word on pricing or, of course, an actual release date, though MacRumors is reporting separately that it’s hearing the tethering capability will be built into the 2.2 firmware, which seems like at least a reasonable guess.
[Via MacRumors]
Filed under: Cellphones
AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega says iPhone tethering coming “soon” originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone robot is ambulatory, still wants physical keyboard
Robots are awesome, we can all probably agree on that. Robots made from iPhones are basically an extension of that awesomeness, crossed with an element of unimaginable, ludicrous fun, which is why we’re pleasantly surprised to see that such a device finally exists. Using a jailbroken iPhone 3G running some Ruby code, an Arduino CPU, a TA7291P motor, and 4 AA batteries, the creator is able to pilot the bot via WiFi from a nearby computer, all the while recording its view for later playback. The results look pretty cool, and trust us, you’re definitely going to want to check out the video after the break. As far as we can tell, by the way, the lyrics to the song in the video are “iPhone with keyboard,” which seemingly refers to this, um… iPhone with keyboard we saw earlier today — apparently from the hands of the same craftsman, who seems like a very busy guy. Especially if he wrote the song!
[Via iPhone World]
Continue reading iPhone robot is ambulatory, still wants physical keyboard
Filed under: Cellphones, Robots
iPhone robot is ambulatory, still wants physical keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jailbroken iPhone 3G gets external keyboard, says "Hello"
If you’re one of those people always complaining about the iPhone keyboard (the lack of one, that is), then this is probably a vital piece of news, even if it’s not totally practical. Or practical in any way, actually. Some very enterprising citizen of the world seems to be running a chunk of Ruby code on his jailbroken iPhone 3G, which allows it to recognize what appears to be a Palm / Visor external keyboard connected via a custom cable. The results of this intense bit of modification? Well — not much, honestly, but it’s still kinda cool. “Hello Keyboard,” indeed. Check out the video of it in action after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Jailbroken iPhone 3G gets external keyboard, says “Hello”
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals
Jailbroken iPhone 3G gets external keyboard, says “Hello” originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone gains battery life, camera flash, loses sex appeal with FastMac’s iV
Why yes, FastMac — we want 24 hours of talk time, 72 of audio, 20 of video, and 31 days of standby on our iPhones and iPhone 3Gs. Throw in a camera flash that doubles as a flashlight, and the ability to charge a USB device like a Bluetooth headset right off the phone, and you’ve got a deal on this iV charging kit of yours! Oh, there’s a catch? It’s a wee bit bulky, with an aesthetic similar to that of mophie’s Juice Pack? Hey, it could be worse. This largification — along with $79.50 — is apparently the price you pay for digital endurance.
[Via Macworld]
Filed under: Cellphones
iPhone gains battery life, camera flash, loses sex appeal with FastMac’s iV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Marware’s Game Grip for the iPhone complicates what should be simple
We’ve seen a few accessories for augmenting the gaming experience on the iPhone which would give the device awesome functions similar to a game controller, such as the elusive and yet-to-materialize iControlPad and the totally fake JoyPod. Well, Marware’s Game Grip is sort of like that — silicone sleeves that your phone fits into — except that it doesn’t actually do anything beyond providing ‘handles’ for your phone while you game. Oh, and it exists. So let’s refer to it as the ‘enjoyment enabler’ of your iPhone 3G or iPod touch 2G which can be used with headphones (just like normal), can be charged while gaming (just like normal), and has a ‘cord management system’ (kind of not normal). If that’s not enough to convince you to reach for your wallet, the “lifetime guarantee” and ludicrously zany look of the thing will probably get you to bite… it’s $49.99 and available for pre-order right now.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming
Marware’s Game Grip for the iPhone complicates what should be simple originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T officially delivers free WiFi to BlackBerry / iPhone users
We thought we’d heard the last of this whole AT&T / Starbucks WiFi deal yesterday, but alas, we were terrifically mistaken. AT&T has come forth today with two fluffy press releases that flesh out the details, and amazingly, there are some inclusions that we weren’t made aware of yesterday. For starters, all iPhone / iPhone 3G customers will now have free (and seemingly limitless) access to AT&T WiFi hotspots across the US — we’re talking Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, the whole lot. Additionally, the carrier has welcomed select BlackBerry users — that’s the Bold for now, the Pearl 8120 / 8820 “later this year” — into the same deal, though the official verbiage mentions that an “unlimited data plan” is required. If you didn’t make the cut this time, fret not — AT&T has plans to invite “more mobile devices” into the fold here shortly.
Read - Free AT&T WiFi on iPhone / iPhone 3G
Read - Free AT&T WiFi on BlackBerry
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
AT&T officially delivers free WiFi to BlackBerry / iPhone users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T sending out SMS to confirm free iPhone WiFi at Starbucks
Oh, so you know what’s hot, huh AT&T? Is flipping the on / off lever back and forth a gazillion times on this finicky Starbucks iPhone WiFi plan hot? Because it feels downright cold over here. While we can only hope and pray that this is the signal to finally close the book on this ridiculous saga, AT&T users all over the US are receiving text messages from AT&T confirming that free Starbucks WiFi (for iPhone owners) is on. Reportedly, the message indicates that their iPhone purchase gives them access to two hours of gratis use per day, though we’d go in with the lowest possible expectations in order to not be let down (again). Good luck, mettlesome ones.
[Thanks, Boy Genius]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
AT&T sending out SMS to confirm free iPhone WiFi at Starbucks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Greatest projector / iPhone clone combo handset in the world now up for sale
Look, here’s what you need to do: reach into the appropriate pocket on your personage, take out your phone, and throw it into the nearest wall. It sucks. The N70 from Lanye (or ChinaKing, or… somebody from China), which we’ve drooled over previously, is a candybar phone with a 2.4-inch screen, Bluetooth 2.0, and a little bit of dual-band GSM. Oh, and a built-in projector. And an interface that almost perfectly mirrors that of the iPhone with the addition of voice recording and MMS. It’s awesome, and it’s now available for import for a mere $345. A bargain at any price.
[Thanks, Andrew]
Filed under: Cellphones
Greatest projector / iPhone clone combo handset in the world now up for sale originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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