Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts

How would you change Nintendo's 3DS XL?

at 9:03 pm on 11 Sept 2013
How would you change Nintendo's 3DS XL? data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 419};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20703738' !== '') ? 'bsd:20703738' : ''; var postID = '20703738'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"gaming",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"daniel-cooper", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-14d",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});How would you change Nintendo's 3DS XL?BypostedSep 1st, 2013 at 10:10 PM 0
Nintendo's 3DS XL had a bigger screen, was more comfortable to hold and doubled its internal storage. What did it lack? No secondary analog stick, a compelling digital content offering and any sort of oomph under the hood. Those three were nearly deal breakers for our reviewer, who said the handheld was good, but not enough to convince you to upgrade. But was our own Mr. Smith right to damn the console with his faint praise? Share your experiences of owning this device with us in the comments below.
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Nintendo 3DS XL thumbnail image Nintendo 3DS XL Mario Kart Bundle Buy from $199
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Key specs Reviews • 19 Prices Game format Downloadable, Cartridge Screen size 4.88 inches Online features Multiplayer, Store, Browser Direction control D-pad, Thumb stick (1) Motion controls Accelerometer, Camera / optical Dimensions 0.87 x 6.14 x 3.66 in Weight 12 oz Released 2012-08-19 see all specs ? 8.5average user rating Game library 8.9 Graphics 8 Battery life 7.7 Portability (size / weight) 8 Durability 8.7
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HTC's Butterfly s gets official Hello Kitty makeover

at 12:07 pm
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HTC's Butterfly s officially gets a Hello Kitty makeover

Last week, an HTC Butterfly s leaked out sporting Hello Kitty colors, and our Chinese sister site has now had a chance to play with one, in the fur. The celebrated feline's bow is now butterfly-shaped, of course, and it comes with kitty flight attendant and pilot figures wearing EVA Air uniforms, in honor of its Hello Kitty jets -- yes, that's a thing. Fortunately, the 5-inch device has plenty of room for all the stickers on the outside, and there are nine different wallpaper themes for the 1080p screen. HTC is marketing the device in the ubiquitous ladyphone category for China, but c'mon -- the Kitty's appeal transcends such pigeon-holing. It's now available for around $770 in Taiwan only, but you can catch more images at the gallery below. HTC Butterfly s Hello Kitty edition See all photos 11 Photos

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Acer unveils 24-inch all-in-one running Android with a Tegra 3 CPU

at 1:50 am on 8 Sept 2013

Acer Launches a Touch More All-in-One Desktops Designed to Become the Hub of Family Life @ IFA

Editor's Summary:
• A new range of AiO desktop designed to offer an easy and outstanding touch experience
• Introducing the Acer DA241HL, the first Android AiO supporting multi-tasking, web browsing, gaming and video
• Powerful performance and top entertainment with the modern and flexible Aspire U5-610
• Optimized sound and simplified access and terrific visuals with the Aspire Z3 series

BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2013 – Acer today unveiled the Acer DA241HL, the first All-in-One based on the Android OS and NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor from Acer. It's designed to offer users the same familiar experience as with tablets and smartphones. The company also took the opportunity to launch several new All-in-Ones aimed at offering users an improved and more ergonomic full HD touch experience. The range of new models includes the elegant, modern and flexible Aspire U5-610, the Aspire Z3-105 and the Aspire Z3-610, designed to unlock a world of optimized sound, simplified access and full HD touch enjoyment for the entire family.

Acer DA241HL

With the DA214HL, Acer introduces the first Full HD touch 24-inch AiO based on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and featuring NVIDIA Tegra quad-core performance. Users can now find on their home PC the same familiar interface used on other Android devices, such as smartphones and tablets that are increasingly popular for media consumption, web browsing or social media interactions.

What's more, the Android OS unlocks a world of exciting games and affordable productivity solutions, and the same 1 million+ apps from the Google Market can be accessed across multiple Android devices under the same user account. This provides a simplified and convenient user experience, as content can easily be synchronized across devices. The Tegra processing power provides access to the top sold emulated games and features on Google Play that are not supported or slow to play with other processors. On top of it, the DA241HL can offer a personalized experience to each family member, as it allows the customization of settings and apps for up to 5 users.

Thanks to MHL connectivity, the DA241HL can easily transmit smartphone content to a larger display for more comfortable viewing. It can also connect to any PC with Windows 8 via an HDMI port or USB cable becoming a 2-point Touch Display. In addition, the tilting angle of 20° to 75° enables a comfortable touch experience.

Acer Aspire U5-610

Elegant, contemporary and flexible, the Aspire U5-610 is the perfect home AiO for modern day explorers. Bundled in a stunning, futuristic design, the Aspire U5-610 is engineered to deliver top performance for first-class entertainment and maximum productivity. It couples the latest 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors, providing better CPU performance and enabling applications to load faster. And NVIDIA's® GeForce® GTX 760M allows faster content creation, smoother gaming and better digital entertainment; plus up to 16 GB DDR3 memory provides faster multitasking.

Besides great performance, the Aspire U5-610 offers users a top of the range entertainment experience. On the 23" Full HD touch display that touts wide viewing angle colours, saturation and contrast are fine-tuned by Acer's CineBoost Color Engine (ACCE). CONEQ™ Sound Technology, designed to improve sound direction towards the user, expands the sound images to better match visual movie effects and maximise sound coverage regardless of users sit. Acer Remote helps to control Windows 8 via iOS or Android mobile devices. Pairing an iOS or Android mobile device with the Aspire U5-610 via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth instantly unleashes a series of remote applications over the touchpad, media, keypad, Windows 8 Metro, Power point and Laser control.

Optimized to allow users to capture and share more, the Aspire U5-610 features a Full HD webcam with up to a 75° wide Field of View (FOV) enabling a larger coverage of visuals during video chats. Moreover, to let family, friends or business contacts clearly hear what users are saying, the Acer Purified.Voice provides clear communication with no volume reduction by tracking the speaker's voice and eliminating background noise. The HDMI with MHL support lets users easily access and share content on a bigger screen from their mobile devices while charging.

Aspire Z3-105

The Aspire Z3-105 is powered with AMD's latest A series quad-core processors and Radeon graphic solutions to offer best performance and let families enjoy enhanced entertainment. The 23" full HD touch display with IPS technology grants amazing images and life-like colours, while premium front-facing Harman Kardon® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4 surround sound unlock a world of fantastic cinematic audio. The front-facing ports and webcam make it easy for customer to connect external devices or chat with friends.

Aspire Z3-610

The Aspire Z3-610 all-in-one desktop is designed to offer the best performance and an all-round entertainment to the entire family. Now available with Intel's 4th generation processors, it can pack either integrated graphics from Intel or Nvidia's GeForce GT 740M graphic solution to ensure a fast multimedia experience. While the 23" full HD touch display with IPS technology presents stunning images and natural-looking colours, premium front-facing Harman Kardon® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4 surround sound for crystal clear, accurate sound.

A touch IFA 2013
Acer International Media & Partner Lounge
Where: Die Kunztschule, Schuetzenstrasse 6, 10117 Berlin
When: September 3 – 7, 2013, 15:00 – 22:00

Acer Booth
Where: Hall 12/101
When: September 6- 11, 2013

Availability and Pricing
The Acer DA241HL will be available mid-October with a starting price of €429.-.
The Acer Aspire U5-610 will be available in December with a starting price of €1,129.
The Acer Aspire Z3-105 will be available in December with a starting price of €799.
The Acer Aspire Z3-610 will be available in January with a starting price of €799.


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DICE+ digital gaming cubes now shipping

at 5:05 pm on 7 Sept 2013

A New Way to Play Together

DICE+ Launches at Gamescom

5000 Years of Board Game History Has Come to This: DICE+ Now Available

Game Technologies Brings the Social Back to Digital Gaming with Revolutionary Board Game Controller

DICE+, the universal board game controller that brings real-world social interaction back to digital gaming, launches today at Gamescom 2013, the world's biggest gaming convention. DICE+ can be purchased for $39.99 at www.dicepl.us

The revolutionary DICE+ controller interacts with Bluetooth-enabled smart devices and combines the physical touch and feel of a gamedice with the potential for unlimited digital game ideas. DICE+ has the power to make board games appealing to a new generation of players: Powered board games application will enable you to get together with friends around the same device and experience a wealth of new gaming opportunities that combine the power and visual excitement of tablet gaming with the joy of playing games in a group.

From digital renditions of classic board games to new gaming experiences that leverage the built-in gyroscopic motion control, DICE+ comes with a host of dedicated games to show off its capabilities. Also coming 2013 and early 2014 are a wide range of titles based on popular franchises, including family-friendly fare, top-quality edutainment titles and intense classics that are sure to please even the most hardened board game aficionado. Developers can also unleash their creativity with the DICE+ development kit, dreaming up new ways to utilize this versatile controller for a wide range of games.

Developed in Poland by Game Technologies, DICE+ will be available for $39.99. You can learn more about Game Technologies and its exceptional new product at http://www.game-technologies.com.


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Canon's Legria mini camcorder wants to be best friends with your social media (hands-on)

at 4:51 am on 6 Sept 2013
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Canon Legria mini goes on sale this month, ready to record fullmotion selfies handson

It's a strange one. Canon's new pocketable camera certainly isn't your typical video camera. Aimed squarely at those looking to capture themselves, the Legria mini records up to 1080p video through a special wide-angle (170-degree) lens, ensuring you can fit your whole family (or dance crew?) into your clips. With a 180-degree flexible display on board too, you can adjust the camera's position as needed. When we tested an early unit in Canon's home turf in Japan, the combination of both a posable screen and a stand beneath the unit meant getting a good angle from the floor or work surface was a simple task. Behind that wide-angle f/2.8 lens, there's a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, mechanical shutter, Canon's DIGIC DV 4 processor and (in case you needed it) a 12.8-megapixel sensor for stills. Looking to improve your video coverage of, well, you? We've got more details and impressions after the break. Canon Lexia mini / iVIZ mini hands-on See all photos 15 Photos

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Testing out the video recording option, there's a visible fish-eye effect in action if you're too close to the video cam, but we reckon it adds to the appeal -- you certainly didn't shoot this video on a phone. We didn't get time to share our videos to other device, but the unit throws in WiFi connectivity, HDMI-out and both Android and iOS apps to link up with. From the video playback we've seen, it might not rival Canon's dedicated camcorder division, but it's more of a distant, more flexible, relative.

There's also more to the 160-gram camera than just the ability to comfortably capture antics at the park or at home, though, with an interval recording mode, slow (half speed at 720p, quarter-speed at VGA) and fast (up to four times) video capture all built-in. Through the companion smartphone apps, it can even live stream to the web -- and be controlled wirelessly. Hopefully, then, there's plenty of new creative options for those looking to up their game on Vine or Instagram. There's no built-in storage, but the camera uses microSD cards (up to 64GB), which makes sense, given the footprint of the camera.

Canon's Legria mini wants to be best friends with your social media, is ready to record fullmotion selfies handson

Along the right edge, you'll find the HDMI-out, a DC port for charging, power switches and a play button, while on the opposite side there's the microSD slot, micro-USB port and shutter button. Otherwise, video controls and settings are all done through a bright, 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen, which was responsive during our testing. Menus will also be familiar to anyone that's handled Canon cameras prior. The Legria mini (or iVIS mini in Asia) is still set to launch both in Europe and Japan mid-September. Canon's Japan branch has offered up a specific date (September 17th) and more importantly, a price of 29,980 yen -- that's roughly over $300. It's definitely pitched towards social media addicts, but given the high-level recording chops of recent smartphones (and that price) it may run the risk of niche appeal.

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IRL: JBL PlayUp speaker and the BlackBerry Q5 on Telus

at 6:42 am on 4 Sept 2013
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Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
IRL: JBL PlayUp speaker and the BlackBerry Q5

Is it pandering to have one of our Canadian writers play with every new BlackBerry? Perhaps -- not that we could've stopped him anyway. In this week's issue, we have Mr. Jon Fingas sharing his thoughts on the Q5 and its physical keyboard, while Philip splurges on JBL speakers to match his new Lumia 1020.

JBL PlayUp speakerIRL JBL PlayUp speaker and the BlackBerry Q5

I can't be the only one who follows up a significant purchase with a bit of accessorizing. And so it was with my recent acquisition of a banana yellow Lumia 1020; shortly after that purchase, I caught wind of a discount on JBL's Nokia-branded PlayUp speakers (normally around $150) and decided to take one for a spin.

Despite the Nokia branding on the front and the Lumia-themed colors, JBL's PlayUp worked with every Bluetooth-equipped audio source I tried (Lumia 1020, Nexus 4, iPad mini, MacBook Air). My NFC-toting Lumia had little trouble connecting with the PlayUp once I found exactly where on my phone to tap. (Pro tip: practice this before you try wowing loved ones with your NFC magic.) Beyond that, a removable bottom panel houses an audio cable to use with the PlayUp's 3.5mm jack. A replaceable, rechargeable battery also hides behind that panel and powers the speaker for a claimed 10 hours.

The unit itself is shaped a bit like the bottom half of a 2-liter bottle of Coke, with a large speaker grille covering the top. Sadly, my particular unit arrived with a small dent in said grille, but the device appeared otherwise unmarred. Peer into that large grille and you'll spot a trio of upward-facing drivers, providing what JBL bills as "room-filling, 360-degree sound."

As it turns out, JBL's claims aren't far off the mark. Even short of full blast, the PlayUp capably produced room-filling, though not quite room-shaking sound. It had no trouble supplying audio to every corner of the largest rooms in our house and kept up outdoors as well. A bass port on the side helped keep lower tones from becoming a muddled mess, but the PlayUp obviously can't compete with a dedicated subwoofer. That said, this little speaker handled everything from the Pacific Rim soundtrack to Daft Punk to Metallica's notoriously compressed Death Magnetic. Unfortunately, the PlayUp lacks the nifty pairing option seen on the earlier Play 360 speakers, which enabled two devices to connect for stereo sound. Oh, and that "10-hour" claim? Spot on, so far. After just over 10 hours of elapsed playback, a little light began flashing to warn me the party would soon be over. After a quick recharge with the supplied micro-USB / power adapter, I'm ready to rock some more.

-- Philip Palermo

BlackBerry Q5 on Telus

IRL JBL PlayUp speaker and the BlackBerry Q5One of the knocks against the BlackBerry Q5 has been its relatively high off-contract price -- a big obstacle in countries where prepaid service is common. However, it's now on sale at larger Canadian carriers for an easier-to-swallow price of $50 with a two-year contract. With that in mind, I've been trying the Q5 on Telus to see whether I can recommend the mid-range QWERTY phone when it's discounted through a steep subsidy.

In some ways, I've enjoyed using it. Although my colleague Dan ragged on the Q5 keyboard's low quality, I don't mind it; to me, the keys have that same reassuringly clicky feel as better Curve models of years past. We're in agreement regarding the above-average battery life, at least. Where I couldn't even get through an afternoon with the Q10 when it launched, the Q5 really can last all day with moderate use on Telus' LTE network. Friends with Q10s say that the battery life gap has narrowed through software updates, but I'd be tempted to pick the Q5 over the Q10 just because I know it would still carry a charge by the evening.

With that said, it's clear that the Q5 is a lower-end device. It's chunky, and it isn't quite as reassuring to grip as the Q10. The 5-megapixel camera performs well enough in bright light, but it's otherwise nothing to write home about. And while the 3.1-inch AMOLED screen is vibrant, its size and square aspect ratio are frustrating for those who love movies and social networking. For that reason, I'd rather have the Z10 -- it gives app content the room it needs to breathe, and BlackBerry's touchscreen keyboard is good enough that I don't miss hardware keys at all.

In isolation, the Q5 feels worth the $50 contract price. However, it's a much tougher sell when you see what else is on offer. As of this writing, bigger Canadian carriers are selling the more capable Z10 for that same $50. On Telus, you can buy a Nexus 4 or Galaxy S III for less; hop over to Bell and you can pick up the Q10 for $80. Fans of hardware keyboards will still want to give the Q5 a close look, but it really ought to be free on contract given its competition.

-- Jon Fingas

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Major Nelson: Xbox One won't support external storage at launch

at 10:06 pm on 3 Sept 2013
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Major Nelson Xbox One won't support external storage at launch

We hope you weren't counting on using the Xbox One's USB ports for external storage from day one; as it turns out, you'll likely have to be patient. Speaking at the PAX Prime expo this weekend, Microsoft's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) mentioned that external drive support wouldn't be available at launch because the Xbox team was "working on other things." It's not certain when the feature will arrive, Hryb says. We've reached out to Microsoft to verify the statement. If it's accurate, though, you'll want to be cautious when filling the Xbox One's built-in 500GB drive with Xbox Game Store downloads.

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Daily Roundup: Meizu MX3 hands-on, IFA 2013 preview, CBS / TWC end blackout, and more!

at 1:31 pm
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DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Lenovo IdeaTab A1000 review

Today the 7-inch tablet market is over crowded with relatively inexpensive top of the line devices, like the recently refreshed Nexus 7 and the ASUS MeMo Pad HD 7. Competition is fierce, and Lenovo hasn't had much luck thus far in delivering quality tablets. With its latest offering -- the 7-inch IdeaTab A1000 -- Lenovo focused on audio quality, but the device's poor performance and disappointing display are a letdown. Read on for more.

Daily Roundup Meizu MX3 handson, IFA 2013 preview, CBSTWC end blackout, and more!

Meizu MX3 hands-on: a significant improvement from the MX2

Meizu lost its way a bit with the MX2, but the MX3 shows us that Jack Wong's team may have finally put the Chinese company back on track. The new flagship offers a Wolfson audio chip, third-gen Sony 8-megapixel sensor, and Android 4.2-based Flyme 3.0 along with a TOL (touch-on-lens) display with a 1,800 x 1,080 resolution. Some of these features we couldn't comment on based on our limited time with the device, but just the presence of these components suggests that Meizu may be once again headed in the right direction. Click through for our full hands-on.

IFA 2013 preview: what to expect

IFA 2013 is fast approaching, and this year's event is shaping up to be everything CES 2013 wasn't. We've yet to see any official announcements from the big contenders, but through chatter, leaks, and teases we have a fairly full picture of what to expect starting September 4th in Berlin, Germany: smartwatches and wearables, Haswell hardware and phones with 4K shooters. Head on up for the full details of what we might see come Wednesday.

iPhone 5C glimpsed in blue and other colors

As September 10th grows closer, rumors of Apple's newest iPhone -- dubbed the iPhone 5C -- have only ramped up. Today we got a glimpse of the new budget smartphone in blue, white, yellow, and even a salmon pink. The latest leak comes from Chinese site iapps.im, before being deleted at the request of a "relevant party." Read on for more information, and a few choice shots of the new device in its translucent packaging.

You also might like:Engadget's back to school guide 2013: bags and casesCBS and Time Warner Cable end blackout, programming to resume at 6PM ET todayIRL: JBL PlayUp speaker and the BlackBerry Q5 on Telus when.eng("eng.perm.init")
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