Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
So much for the naysayers, huh? Although the hotly-anticipated Pandora is still doing its thang without a case in the most recent videos, the dev board is definitely handling the FinalBurn Alpha arcade emulator and MPlayer video viewer with ease. Yeah, we’re still clueless about a definitive launch date, but feel free to hit the read link for a couple of clips sure to get you even more anxious for this thing’s arrival.
[Thanks, Ben]
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Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops
It wouldn’t be quite right to put everyone through the re-acclimation process if there wasn’t some giveaway gear attached, now would it? So in honor of today’s makeover and the launch of Switched we’re giving away a spankin’ new HTC Shift UMPC. You know the details of the machine already, read the rules below for your chance to take home that $1,500 HTC-made portable.
- Leave a comment below. Feel free to shout out what you’d use this UMPC for. “Browsing Engadget” is a totally acceptable answer.
- You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
- If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you’ll be fine.
- Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winner will be chosen randomly. That winner will get a brand new HTC Shift. Package includes all retail hardware, but may not have manuals or software. Approximate value is $1,500.
- Entries can be submitted until Friday, April 18th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
- Full rules can be found here.
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Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs
Just what we needed, another couple of me-too MIDs dropped into the world without a purpose. USI is naturally putting some fine tech in these devices, like a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, up to 8GB of SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, 512MB of RAM and a 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, but given the lack of proof that an MID is even what consumers want at the moment, we’re having a hard time getting excited about these particular MIDs. The main claim to fame of the MID-200 (keyboard) and MID-150 (no keyboard) is a PCI-express slot for adding 3G or GPS, but the existing four hour battery life is certainly going to strain under the load of any additions. No word on price or a release date just yet.
[Via thegadgetsite; thanks KC Kim]
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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
We already knew what Marshall was capable of when we caught wind of his masterfully assembled portable Nintendo 64, but the modder extraordinaire has really outdone himself this time. As the name implies, The Multari is a portable Atari 2600 with 32 games built right in. The chassis itself was crafted from vacuum-formed styrene plastic, and aside from the colorful buttons and iconic D-pad, there’s also a 5-inch display and what appears to be a set of speakers. Mmm, retro never looked so good. Peek the video after the break (right after you grab your drool cup).
Continue reading The Multari: Atari 2600 gets elegantly shoved in a handheld
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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds, Laptops
Although’s Moore’s Law continues to race along, battery tech hasn’t nearly kept up pace — so we’re excited by developments like the one just announced by Argonne National Labs, which has managed to increase Li-on capacity by 30 percent while making the batteries safer and longer-lasting. The secret ingredients in Argonne’s new juice box are a new composite battery material that’s partially electrically inactive and manganese oxide-based electrodes in place of the traditional cobalt oxide. Argonne says it’s already licensed the tech to Japanese manufacturer Toda Kogyo, which has the capability to produce 30 million laptop batteries a year, but the lab is still working on improving charging rates — while it’s adequate for laptops and cellphones, the battery will need to discharge at least three times faster to work in a car. No word on when we might see these start shipping, but you can bet “manganese battery” is being added to our dream machine spec list right… now.
[Via ExtremeTech]
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Filed under: Handhelds
In a move sure to bring the polygraph haters out of the woodwork, the US Army is issuing a handheld lie detector to select soldiers in Afghanistan in order to “root out potential terrorists” and help “narrow the list of suspects after a roadside bombing.” The DoD isn’t asserting that the device is perfect, but it’s hoping the detection capabilities are accurate enough to save American lives and sniff out allegiances that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Hailed as PCASS (Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System), the underlying unit is a TDS Ranger that relies on three sensors connected to a respondent and integrated software that uses Green to signify truth, Yellow if it can’t decide and Red if it recognizes a filthy liar on the other end. Nevertheless, we’re certain Lafayette Instrument Company is stoked about the deal — you know, considering that the Army has already purchased 94 of ‘em at $7,500 apiece.
[Thanks, ladderless]
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