dream

Buzz Out Loud 795: New Zealand judge misses entire point of Internet

In the news today, NBC fails to medal in its online streaming of the Olympics, but Google never fails to meddle (by driving up and down your private roads). OK, that was a Tom joke. Also, the Obama text dissected (but not in a political way), the Pentagon and its fake cat brains, and how to vote better. Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 795

FCC outs HTC Dream’s dimensions: It’s smaller than the iPhone 3G http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/25/fcc-outs-htc-dreams-dimensions-its-smaller-than-the-iphone-3g/

iPhone 3G reception just fine, say curious Swedes with engineering degrees http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/25/iphone-3g-reception-just-fine-say-curious-swedes/ … Read more

Rumor mill: HTC Dream details leaked?

TmoWorld has just published a slew of specs and pricing information about the HTC Dream, most of which has yet to be confirmed. Despite it bordering on rumor territory, the information bears mentioning, if only because it does sound pretty plausible.

First, TmoWorld claims that the launch date is October 13, 2008, with preorders available starting September 17 (preorders are purportedly only available to existing customers with a good history and can only be done online). Second, unlimited data and messaging will apparently cost $35 a month, and the Dream itself is priced tentatively at around $199.

And here are … Read more

Dialed In 45: Palm making a comeback?

Let's be honest. Palm has taken some hits over the past couple of years, what with its stale operating system, and don't even get us started on the Palm Foleo. However, the company made a little comeback with the Palm Centro and things could get better with the just-announced Palm Treo Pro. This week we discuss the pluses and minuses of the new smartphone; plus, more on Google Android and iPhone 3G woes.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

News Palm Treo Pro officially announced

Windows Mobile 6.1 update released for Motorola Q9h

Motorola unleashes W388, W396, and ZN200… Read more

Don't discount the Dream just yet

It's been only a day since the HTC Dream, aka the first Google Android phone, won approval by the Federal Communications Commission. That's why I think it's a little early to start naming reasons why the iPhone is better.

Sure, comparisons between the two devices are obvious, but I'd prefer to wait until I have the Dream in my hands to make my own. Despite the iPhone's success and popularity, it's both possible and acceptable for another cell phone to compete against it.

Here are a few reasons why I'm excited for both … Read more

For now, the HTC Dream is still just a dream

News broke Monday that the FCC has finally given its seal of approval to the HTC Dream handset, which is purported to be the first cell phone to carry Android, Google's open platform for mobile handsets.

It appears that the HTC Dream will feature Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a "jogball"-type navigation toggle (similar to the trackball on the BlackBerry Pearl). There are even indications that it will support WCDMA 1700, T-Mobile's new 3G band.

Of course, the promise of the Android handset lies in its open platform. Earlier Monday, Google finally announced the first beta version of the Android SDK, … Read more

At Siggraph 2008, up close with mobile workstations

LOS ANGELES--This week's Siggraph conference attracted a diverse crowd of graphic designers, animators, and industrial designers, and both HP and Lenovo were on-site to show off their new mobile workstations for graphics professionals. I had a chance to meet with both companies at the show to talk about some of the key features of these new models.

HP started the week by announcing the 17-inch EliteBook 8730w and 15.4-inch EliteBook 8530w, both of which support Intel's not-yet-official quad-core Core 2 Extreme processors, 8GB of RAM, and Nvidia's next-generation Quadro FX cards with up to 1GB of VRAM. In addition, these latest EliteBooks feature a few small design enhancements, such as a new latch designed to reduce stress on the display and a special coating on the keys and touch pad to help prevent wear. Even cooler is the VGA camera on the display bezel, which pairs with included software to double as a business card reader.

The EliteBook 8730w is also the first workstation on the market to include an HP DreamColor display option. The RGB backlit-LED screen can display millions of colors and displays true color even when the screen is dimmed. I got a quick demo of the EliteBook 8730w and I was impressed with not only the stunning color quality but also the ease of switching back and forth between sRGB and Adobe RGB on the display.

Also remarkable: both the 15- and 17-inch EliteBooks were quite thin and sleek, especially for such high-powered machines.

After HP I moved on to get a glance at Lenovo's ThinkPad W700 workstation, which was announced Tuesday. The beast was even larger than I'd imagined; after all, Lenovo representatives have emphasized that it's a workstation first, and mobile computer second. It's obviously larger than HP's 17-inch workstation, but the ThinkPad W700 also packs some bonus features: a built-in color calibrator and an integrated digitizer pad next to the touch pad. … Read more

Google's Android phone to go on sale in September?

T-Mobile USA could put the new HTC Android phone on sale for select customers as early as the middle of September, according to the blog TmoNews.

The news comes as other rumors circulate that Android phones could be delayed into 2009. But TmoNews says it has a reliable source that says the Android device made by smartphone manufacturer HTC will go on sale through T-Mobile USA on September 17.

The price tag will be $399 full retail or about $150 for a subsized phone with a two-year contract. The site also said that only existing T-Mobile customers will be able … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us a pirate-based shooter and two Japanese imports for the Virtual Console. Virtual Console

Super Fantasy Zone (1992, Sega Genesis, 900 Wii points): Super Fantasy Zone puts you in the role of Opa-Opa as you try and avenge the recent death of your father. In this shooter, you'll rack up points to upgrade your weapons and equipment. Gley Lancer (1992, Sega Genesis, 900 Wii points): It's the year 2025 and you must help stop an alien uprising. In Gley Lancer you'll board a starfighter of the same name to help end the battle.

WiiWare … Read more

Intel and DreamWorks go to the movies

Intel and DreamWorks Animation on Tuesday announced a strategic alliance designed to power up the movie studio's 3D authoring tools.

Faced with increasing demand for 3D animated feature films, DreamWorks will receive access to Intel's latest and future high-performance chips, including those with multiple processing cores. Intel's software engineers will also work with DreamWorks to tweak the studio's applications to run on an Intel-based computing infrastructure.

"Technology plays a significant role in enabling our artists to tell great stories. By utilizing Intel's industry-leading computing products, we will create a new and innovative way for … Read more