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We’ve already seen the SmartQ 5 MID out in the wild, and even sporting Ubuntu, but those sitting on pins and needles for the inevitable unboxing can now finally rest easy, as Kam Leung has stepped up and done the honors. From the looks of it, however, there’s nothing but the bare minimum included with the 4.3-inch MID / PMP although, judging from the pics, SmartQ may have been wise to at least include a dust cloth. Hit up the link below for the full show, and then start figuring out the best way to import one of these if you’re sold on it, as there’s still no word of an official release ’round here.

Filed under: Handhelds

SmartQ 5 MID gets unboxed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As anyone up on their patent fights these days is no doubt aware, Australia’s CSIRO (or the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) has been engaged in a long-standing dispute with seemingly every company that makes use of WiFi in their products, and even the organization responsible for the 802.11 standard itself. Now, following a short lived victory against Buffalo, the group has reportedly reached a settlement in its lawsuit with HP, although all of the parties involved are unsurprisingly staying mum on any specifics for the time being. As Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald notes, however, the settlement will no doubt give CSIRO a boost in confidence as it continues to challenge the remaining companies now entangled in lawsuits, which includes everyone from Microsoft to Dell to Nintendo, and free up a bit more time for the group to get back to creating even rounder objects and more stylish power-generating shirts.

[Thanks, Greg]

Filed under: Wireless

CSIRO settles patent lawsuit with HP, continues fight with everyone else originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d already had some indication that Dell’s Mini 9 and Mini 12 netbooks were headed to AT&T stores, and it now looks like those and a few more are now finally available from the carrier — in Atlanta and Philadelphia, at least. From the looks of it, Atlanta is the real test bed for the trial, with customers there now able to snag netbooks with built-in 3G at prices “starting at $49.99,” assuming they also sign up for AT&T’s “Internet at Home and On the Go” broadband bundle, of course, which itself starts at $60 a month for a 200 MB per month mobile data plan and basic DSL service. AT&T only goes so far as to say that it’s offering “similar mini laptop promotional rates” at eight AT&T stores in the Philadelphia area. In addition to the Dell netbooks, you can also choose from an Acer Aspire One or the little known LG Xenia (apparently an MSI Wind rebadge), or even a full-fledged Lenovo X200 ultraportable, although the latter will set you back between $750 and $850 depending on your choice of plan.

[Via GigaOM]

Update: According to AT&T, that “similar” pricing for Philly actually starts at $99, with the premium apparently resulting from its lack of residential DSL in the area.

Filed under: Laptops

AT&T kicks off $50 netbook-with-a-catch trial originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not ready to go big screen? Just need a medium sized set to handle your bedroom Xbox 360 addiction? ViewSonic’s got a new one ready to splash down in your abode — the 22-inch VT2230. Said panel checks in with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, VGA / HDMI inputs, a built-in ATSC / NTSC / QAM TV tuner and a relatively small price tag. Further specs include a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, five millisecond response time, 300 nits of brightness and twin 3-watt speakers. Sure, nothing mind-blowing or anything, but it’s not half bad for $349.

Filed under: Displays

ViewSonic ships 22-inch VT2230 1080p LCD monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dedicated Palm OS users, it looks like your long, solitary walk through this world might not end in tragedy or violence. According to Dieter over at PreCentral, during a new video demo of the company’s forthcoming phone, an icon of what appears to be an older Palm device with the label “Classic” below it can be seen within the webOS launcher. Since we know they’ve got a forthcoming announcement today at the Web 2.0 conference — and we can be pretty sure Palm won’t be dropping price or release date information without Sprint around — it looks like this might be what all the fuss is about: support for legacy Palm OS apps in the new operating system. Of course, right now this is speculation mixed with hopefulness, but we should know in a few hours when Palm’s SVP of application software and services Mike Abbott gives a keynote at the conference. Until then, just hold tight.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm OS emulation coming to the Pre and webOS? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No, folks — this is no prank. Time Warner Cable really is throwing caution (and public opinion) to the wind and moving forward with its evil consumption-based internet billing. If you’ll recall, we heard that the operator was trialing the method — which imposes premium rates on big broadband users — back in early 2008, but now it seems it’s quietly hoping to roll it out into more major markets. Starting this month, TWC will start gathering information on its customers’ internet use in Austin, TX, San Antonio, TX, Rochester, NY and Greensboro, NC; if all goes “well,” consumption billing will hit those markets this summer or sooner. We’ll point you to the read link if you’re interested in just how outrageous these capped plans look (particularly for internet TV viewers), but we’d be remiss of our duties if we didn’t share this gem of a quote from TWC CEO CEO Glenn Britt: “We made a mistake early on by not defining our business based on the consumption dimension.” Thanks for clarifying, Glenn-o.

[Thanks Kevin, image courtesy of Corbis]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking

TWC moves consumption-based internet billing to more markets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. President Obama met today at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, and our forward thinking commander-in-chief brought along a little tech for gifting purposes. Obama presented Elizabeth II with an iPod containing video from her 2007 visit to the States. In return, the first family received what is apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries to the Palace — a silver-framed photo of the Queen and her husband. At a glance, it seems like Obama has a thing for gadgets (and related media); he recently handed off a set of DVDs featuring classic American films to Prime Minister Gordon Brown… who was unable to play them due to incorrect region encoding. Regardless, the Queen appears pleased with the music player, telling the President during their 25 minute tea that she “Finally has something to listen to [her] Pantera records on.”

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

President Obama offers iPod to the Queen of England originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first machine to rely on AMD’s Neo MV-40 processor has officially been spotted outside of a show floor, though you’ll have to jet to Bangkok if you’re looking to touch one yourself. The atypically well-specced 12.1-inch Pavilion dv2 has been spotted over in Thailand for around $720, and while it doesn’t look drastically (or at all, really) different than what we saw at CES this year, it’s good to see this bugger finally creeping into homes. Check the read link for a few more angles and impressions, and feel free to get your hopes up for a US release in the not-too-distant future.

Filed under: Laptops

HP’s Pavilion dv2 spotted in the wild, on sale in Thailand originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jabra’s making the wireless music game just a little bit more interesting today with the announcement of its stereo Bluetooth HALO headphones, featuring six hours of playback time on a single charge, AVRCP support, Jabra’s Noise Blackout circuitry for improved clarity when making calls, and micro-USB charging. Conveniently, the HALO folds for storage, which also toggles the set’s power. Staying in the Bluetooth theme, the company is also showing off its SP200 speakerphone — a great way to avoid the fuzz, we figure — with 10 hours of talk time, 23 days of standby, and active noise reduction. The HALO hits in May for $129.99; the SP200, meanwhile, gets real in April for $59.99.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wireless

Jabra intros HALO stereo Bluetooth headset, SP200 speakerphone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Given that REDFLY can’t sell its Mobile Companion for free-after-rebate, we’re not at all shocked by this move. If you’ll remember, we actually heard that Celio was looking to dabble in software back at CES, and now the company has selected CTIA to showcase its REDFLY Mobile Viewer. Available as a free download today in beta form, the Windows-only program essentially turns any PC into a Mobile Companion by blowing up smartphone applications on a bigger screen. The software works with all current REDFLY-compatible handsets, and it gives users the ability to surf their WinMo desktop at 800 x 480, 800 x 600, 1,024 x 600 or 1,024 x 768 resolution. We’re struggling to see how Celio is going to monetize this, but who knows, maybe it’s just in it for the fame.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

REDFLY Mobile Viewer removes the need for Mobile Companion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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