this WEEK in GADGETS!

#blackberry Driphter.com's back with another leaked BlackBerry video, this time the Bold 9780 that we've been hearing so much about. It'll be one of the first to ship with OS 6.0, and could be why RIM's holding an event next week. More »

#design Must not buy these Panasonic RP-HJE 130 headphones for the packaging alone. Must...not...buy...headphones...[Coloribus via Scary Ideas via OhGizmo] More »

#apple The alien autopsseurs over at iFixit pried the Magic Trackpad apart like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone. The big surprise? ...there weren't any. It does use the same touchscreen controller chip as the iPhone, however. What's that mean? More »

If you're an iPhone user, the only privacy notice you'll see from an app regards your current location -- as much a warning about the associated battery hit from the GPS pinging as anything. If you're an Android user, however, things are different, with a tap-through dialog showing you exactly what each app will access on your phone. But, do you read them? You should, with Lookout running a sort of survey across 300,000 apps on those two platforms, finding that many access personal information even though they seemingly don't need to. One particularly scary instance, an app called Jackeey Wallpaper on Android, aggregates your browsing history, voicemail password, text messages, and even your SIM ID and beams it all to a server in China. That this app has been downloaded millions of times is a little disconcerting, but it's not just Android users that have to fear, as even more iPhone than Android apps take a look through your contact infos. What to do? Well, be careful what you download to start, on Android read those privacy warnings... and we're sure Lookout wouldn't mind if you took this opportunity to download its security app.

Lookout's App Genome Project warns about sketchy apps you may have already downloaded originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's a good day here, because rather than poor 'ol Sad Moto we get to bust out Happy Moto, as Motorola has released some good news in its Q2 financial report. Earnings were $162 million, up from $26 million this time last year. That sounds like a big jump, but compared to overall sales of $5.4 billion you can see things are still rather tight -- especially since those sales were down from $5.5 billion the year before and all-important mobile device sales figures dropped six percent to $1.7 billion. Also, these numbers were boosted by a "significant legal settlement" valued at $228 million. Maybe intellectual property wasn't the only thing Moto got from RIM?

Motorola manages $162 million Q2 profit, turns that frown upside down originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#androidapps Does "Jackeey Wallpaper" sound familiar to you? If you downloaded one of their Android apps, then there's a good chance your privacy was compromised. According to telecoms security company Lookout, the app was sending users' info to a Chinese website. More »

Did the recent reappearance of the Phantom console spark a tiny bit of nostalgia in you? If so, you'll be happy to hear that NZXT has picked up the moniker for its latest full tower chassis, and it's a fittingly futuristic-looking beast of burden. The angular steel enclosure provides tool-free access to five 5.25-inch drive bays plus the room to fit in 7 HDDs, 7 fans (up to a mammoth 230mm size), and a dual radiator within its walls. A top-mounted mesh window is accessorized with a slightly more useful array of USB, E-SATA and audio ports, while the innards are specifically designed to accommodate the bulkier graphics cards and CPU coolers out there. Sounds like a winner to us, and the $139.99 price seems about right for a flagship product that aims to tick all the boxes -- see the Phantom on video after the break and expect it to arrive, in all its glorious hues, this September.

Continue reading NZXT Phantom proves there's still life in chunky desktop towers

NZXT Phantom proves there's still life in chunky desktop towers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#android That mysterious Optimus Z phone from the other week has been formally introduced by LG, but for now it's only getting a release in the land of kimchi and soju—Korea. A global release is expected later, however. More »

Clearly dissatisfied with what it sees in the mirror, Panasonic has today announced its decision to bulk up. A new share issue expected to raise ¥500 billion ($5.7 billion) will be enacted soon as part of raising the cash to complete the buyout of Sanyo Electric and Panasonic Electric Works. Don't ask us why a company named Panasonic has to buy another company with Panasonic in its name, but them's the facts. The total outlay is expected to come in at around $9.4 billion and is justified by Panasonic as fundamental to its future strategy of expanding into environmentally friendly tech and developing a three-pronged operating paradigm by 2012. The Osaka-based company is also reporting a ¥43.7b ($498 million) profit for the last quarter -- a major upswing from a ¥53b loss in the same period last year -- though that's information the market seems to have ignored. Panasonic shares have plunged down 7.7% in the immediate aftermath of the acquisitions being announced, while Sanyo's have shot up. Click past the break for the novella-sized press release explaining the details of the deal.

Continue reading Panasonic to spend $9.4b on buying out Sanyo and PEW shares, posts robust quarterly profits

Panasonic to spend $9.4b on buying out Sanyo and PEW shares, posts robust quarterly profits originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I haven't done one for a couple of days so here is how I'm using my iPad & iphone 4 this week. As always my iPhone alarm goes off and I'm up, reach for the iPad, check emails and Twitter,... sam mcloughln

#radios A few years ago, PURE had a real hit on their hands with the limited edition Marshall radio. Made in partnership with Marshall, this new EVOKE-1S goes all the way up to 11—digitally. More »

#nintendo Nintendo works in strange ways. They first announced in March that they'd be announcing the 3DS (which we saw in June), and today they announced they'll announce the release date on September 29th. Got it? Phew. [Bloomberg via Kotaku] More »

[From Harold Arnold, Berkeley, CA] Hi Sammy! I noticed that several Palm Addicts have bemoaned the loss of their Palm TXs, and I wanted to remind them about the souped up Palm TXs available at eBay from the vendor itsnothere.... sam mcloughln

[From Wallace Matsen, Sent from my iPad] i bought an apple keyboard to use with my ipad and it is taking some getting use to ... but i really like it ... if the ipad had a camera for Skype... sam mcloughln

[From Dave in SF] Sammy: Thanks for running such a great site! Usually I'm using my Palm Pre Plus at work- keeping schedules, using contacts to reach consultants, checking things on a few reference apps and documents. This past weekend... sam mcloughln

[From Andrew] Sammy, Hope you had a good holiday and glad you're back. Love the PalmAddicts site as always. I am gradually exploring the capabilities of the iPad and how I can use it for work. My boss doesn't like... sam mcloughln

[From Alvaro Flores, Costa Rica] Hi Sammy. Surely recently installing PDANet and PDAReach on my Treo 680 has given it a new life. Not only I have the convenience of an always-connected-to-my-laptop Treo, which is really good since I still... sam mcloughln

Find the headline confusing? Well, the explanation won't help to assuage the muddle much. A Nintendo spokesman told Bloomberg Japan that Ninty plans to announce the Nintendo 3DS price and release date on September 29th. Thus far, we've only seen speculation about pricing (between $249 and $299) and release dates (between October and March, 2011). So yeah, we still don't know when or for how much but at least we know when we'll find out when and for how much. Make sense?

Nintendo issues a 3DS release date date originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this summer, Sony closed another fiscal year of being in the red, but it's starting the 2010/11 ledger with its quill dipped firmly in the black inkwell. For the quarter ending June 30, the Japanese megacorp clocked up ¥25.7 billion ($293 million) in pure, unadulterated profit off the back of a ¥67 billion operating income. When you compare that to the performance this time last year, a ¥37 billion loss, you have to agree that the Stringer purse-tightening program seems to have delivered the desired effect. The primary drivers for the current resurgence are pinpointed as the PlayStation 3 and Bravia lines (frankly, we consider the two utterly inseparable), and Sony's feeling so buoyant about it all that it's revising its projection for the coming year's revenues upwards today. The good news is tempered, however, by the threat of a rising Yen, which has already claimed Nintendo's profits as its first victim.

PS3 and Bravia sales boost quarterly Sony profits above expectations originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#android I was deluged with submissions after yesterday's Android-pissing-on-Apple t-shirt. This is by far the best—but is it pro-Apple, or pro-Google? If we're going to put Android in King Kong's place, I'm leaning towards this being pro-Android apparel. More »

Site ChipChick nailed it when noting the similarity between this 8GB steampunk USB drive and Rosie the Robot of Jetsons yore. The drive's creator, however, says it was inspired by a "narrow bridge" sign seen on a old country road. Really? Just look at that barrel-shaped cap staring down at you from atop a frilly gear collar; hands on hips in a tempestuous pose that makes us feel like we've somehow wronged her. Regardless, for $300 she'll make a fine addition to your alternate-history abode.

A steampunk USB drive that could clean H. G. Wells' house originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#microsoft Some of those Office for Mac 2011 features first shown off in February have appeared in a teaser video on YouTube. Word, PowerPoint, Excel and even Outlook (yes! Real Outlook!) all make appearances, as does the redesigned MSN Messenger. More »

Although foreshadowed, it's hard to believe that the once mighty Ninty, a company with unshakable profits even during last year's global economic downturn, just recorded a Q1 net loss of ¥25.22 billion ($288 million) compared to a net profit of ¥42.32 billion during the same 3-month period a year earlier. Revenues dropped from ¥253.50 billion to ¥188.65 billion. Lower DS portable gaming machine prices coupled with a strong Yen (86.5 percent of its sales were outside of Japan) helped pull Nintendo into the red. Regardless, Nintendo continues to forecast a full year net profit of ¥200 billion on revenue of ¥1.4 trillion. We'll see.

Nintendo posts Q1 loss on strong Yen and lower DS prices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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#faucets We're no stranger to well-designed faucets here, but usually they're in homage to a Henry Moore sculpture or B&O design. Fluid Faucets is inspired by a completely different kettle of objects—as shown below in their comparison photos. More »

The Sky 3D channel has so far been officially available only in 1,500 or so UK pubs, but now its residential launch for all Sky+HD customers is slated for October 1. The 2010 Ryder Cup will serve as a launch event with three days of live coverage from Celtic Manor as the US and European teams do battle; the first ever in 3D, but the third such event it's covered in high definition. Golf fans won't be the only ones catered to, Premier League football will be returning once the season starts and today's announcement coincided with a SkyArts 3D filming arranged by the English National Ballet. Hollywood's major studios have already agreed to provide 3D movies including Bolt, Monsters vs. Aliens, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince and more, while Sky has commissioned its own original 3D flick, Flying Monsters presented by Sir David Attenborough. Not quite ready for the 3D revolution? Feel free to put that on the backburner -- at least until the 2012 London Olympics -- as the network is also adding content from HBO, a large slate of new comedies, Anytime+ VOD, and a Sky Mobile TV iPad app. With an HD channel count of 43 and plans to reach 50 by year-end, there should be a little something there for everyone to enjoy.

Continue reading Sky 3D channel comes home October 1 with Ryder Cup, EPL, movies and more

Sky 3D channel comes home October 1 with Ryder Cup, EPL, movies and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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