Steve Jobs still involved in 'key aspects' of running Apple, testing out that iTablet you so desire?

According to those ever-quotable "people familiar with the matter," Steve Jobs is still "closely involved" in "key aspects" of running Apple, reports the Wall Street Journal. While Tina Fey's favorite keynote-giver has remained incognito ever since he took a medical leave in January, the WSJ has learned that he's been working hard from home, involved in strategy and key products -- including some nitty gritty of the new interface elements in iPhone 3.0. The article also makes mention of a jumbo-sized iPod touch of sorts (an iTablet, if you will), but it's hard to tell if that word is from these same people familiar with the matter, or if the WSJ is just picking up that perennial rumor from less reputable sources. Apple's of course remaining tight-lipped, merely stating that "Steve continues to look forward to returning to Apple at the end of June." All we know is that we're looking forward to putting all this rampant speculation behind us, and an Apple-involved Steve seems like a great step in that direction.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Steve Jobs still involved in 'key aspects' of running Apple, testing out that iTablet you so desire? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Apple releases iPod Shuffle VoiceOver Kit 1.0.1 upgrade

You know what really gets on our nerves? When we're listening to Van der Graaf Generator (look it up!) on our newfangled iPod Shuffle and it pronounces the band's name wrong. Seriously, this is an important function. Without it working flawlessly, how are we going to know the names of the tracks we purchased on the iTunes store and placed on the device ourselves? Thankfully, someone at Apple has heard our prayers, and as of today the VoiceOver Kit 1.0.1 is available via Mac OS X software update (we're assuming that it'll pop up on the company's website at some point). The 17MB download corrects pronunciations for several artist names, as well as correcting a few "minor bugs." What bugs? Apple hasn't said. They also haven't said which names will now be pronounced correctly in that cold, robotic voice, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that Klaatu is among them. Remember Klaatu? They were pretty sweet.

Apple releases iPod Shuffle VoiceOver Kit 1.0.1 upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Sprint puts a vacation blackout on May -- Palm Pre launch likely?

Well, we're circling in, folks. Hot on the heels of learning that Sprint employees have the Palm Pre in hand for training, there's word from all sides that Sprint has put a vacation blackout on the month of May for retail employees, which would seem to imply that the Pre will be launched sometime in there. We saw similar vacation freezes on AT&T's end for both iPhone launches, and those ended up fairly accurate. We haven't seen this memo personally, or threatened any Sprint employees for confirmation with shivs fashioned out of Samsung Instincts yet, so we'll keep an eye out for any other information to confirm or deny. Meanwhile, check out this Pre holster!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Sprint puts a vacation blackout on May -- Palm Pre launch likely? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Ask Engadget: Best tiny MP3 player for exercise enthusiasts?

No need to twist your dial -- you really have just stumbled upon this week's episode of Ask Engadget. You know, the place where you can send in your question to ask at engadget dawt com and hope to see it plastered for the world to have a think on. This week we've got one from J.S., so we'll let him take it from here:

"The new iPod shuffle is so small you can simply clip it onto your shirt while running or working out. However, I'd never buy it because of two reasons: iTunes and the fact that I'd have to get a new pair of headphones that has the Shuffle controls or use the subpar included ones. So, what's the best small (close to Shuffle-sized) MP3 player for a gym rat like me that doesn't require iTunes?"

We've no doubt that legions of you fitness freaks can chime in here, so next time you take a breather, drop some knowledge in comments below.

Filed under: Ask Engadget

Ask Engadget: Best tiny MP3 player for exercise enthusiasts? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Apple orders 100 million 8Gb flash chips in ramp up for new device(s)?

Oh Apple, what are you up to? Just like we saw right around this time last year in preparation for Apple's new iPhone 3G and updated iPod touch, Apple is placing huge orders of NAND chips thereby threatening the supply in demand by other tier-one vendors. This time we've got DigiTimes confirming earlier reports that Apple is cornering the market on flash memory -- specifically, the Taiwanese rumor rag is reporting orders of "100 million 8Gb (8 gigabit, not gigabyte) NAND flash chips mostly with Samsung Electronics." That's twice the size of the order reported last year. The tiny memory chips are then recombined during manufacturing into the larger 16GB, 32GB, and so on capacities we expect to find in our handheld consumer electronics. Anyone still doubting new Apple handhelds in June?

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Apple orders 100 million 8Gb flash chips in ramp up for new device(s)? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen

We've seen dual view prototypes for ages now, but you can bank on said technology (dubbed Parallax Barrier) being front and center on Land Rover's forthcoming flagship vehicle. Announced today at the New York Auto Show, the 2010 Range Rover will arrive with a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system that puts off different images depending on the viewing angle. In order words, the driver can check out the route to grandma's house while the lucky soul riding shotgun peeks a DVD -- in theory, at least. The navigation system is HDD-based and also includes a USB socket and a dedicated iPod port. Land Rover even spruced up the voice activation system, giving motorists the ability to voice their concerns about climate and volume (and get instant results). Check the full snippet just past the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Gallery: 2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen

Continue reading 2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen

Filed under: Displays, GPS, Transportation

2010 Range Rover gets 12-inch 'dual view' touchscreen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Elan turns the tables on Apple, sues for multitouch patent infringement

Remember all the fun everyone had watching Palm and Apple's legal wordplay regarding multitouch patents? If you missed it, Apple delivered a very thinly veiled threat to Palm, flouting how it had touch-sensitive intellectual rights up the wazoo to protect itself from the competition. Apple, though, may be due for a heaping helping of humble pie, as it's now on the receiving end of a lawsuit from Elan Microelectronics claiming infringement on two patents -- both involving multitouch. Elan, best known for its keypads found in Eee PCs everywhere (along with some other diversions), won a court injunction against Synaptics for infringement on one of those patents, and seems like it may actually have a shot of shaking down the house of Jobs. It's also seeking an injunction against Apple to prevent it from selling the MacBook, iPhone, and iPod Touch until everything gets legally sorted. That seems like a long-shot, but anything could happen. Oh, and Palm corporate officers, try not to look too giddy today, yeah?

Read -- Apple sued over touch-screen rights
Read -- Injunction quote [Warning: requires subscription]

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Elan turns the tables on Apple, sues for multitouch patent infringement originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

New iPhone parts begin shipping from suppliers for June launch?

At this point there's little doubt that a new iPhone model (possibly two) will at least be announced in June. Now the Commercial Times have chimed in with a report saying that components from Taiwan-based suppliers have begun shipments as Apple (or its China-based assemblers, rather) readies for a "June launch" pegged by said suppliers to reach about 2-3 million units per quarter. A phone that looks to be fitted with a 3.2 megapixel still / video CMOS camera, digital compass (magnetometer), possibly 802.11n WiFi, more storage, and all the MMS, copy/paste, and push-notifications you can shake a gesticulating finger at. Assuming all the firmware sleuthing and rumors are true, of course.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

New iPhone parts begin shipping from suppliers for June launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Sling's $50 rebate on iPhone-compatible boxes rendered useless by stupid pricing

Think Sling Media is partially making up for its ridiculous arbitrary lockout of iPhones on older Slingboxes by offering a $50 credit toward the purchase of a new model? Think again: turns out that the credit is applied against prices in Sling's own online store, which are already jacked beyond reason. Actually, they aren't, they're just MSRP -- but let's be honest, no one pays MSRP for anything anymore, and you can get either the SOLO or the PRO-HD for less from Amazon than from Sling's store after the frickin' credit. It's a pretty backhanded way to say "thanks" to your early adopters -- and it's just a shame that the iPhone version of the SlingPlayer will likely be a strong enough draw to let the company get away with murder.

Read - Slingbox SOLO on Amazon
Read - Slingbox PRO-HD on Amazon

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Home Entertainment

Sling's $50 rebate on iPhone-compatible boxes rendered useless by stupid pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed

	iTunes Store now infected with variable pricing, Amazon still $0.99 As promised, variable pricing has now been implemented at the iTunes music store.		GM and Segway's P.U.M.A. makes its stage debut (with video!) We just lived, breathed and experienced GM and Segway's joint press conference, where they "unveiled" the P.U.M.A. one more time for effect. (See also: Engadget's wild ride in the P.U.M.A.)
	Blockbuster voices "substantial doubt" about ability to survive As depressing as it is to see an American icon come this close to collapse, is it really any surprise?	Other news of import Data Robotics goes large with 8-bay DroboPro Microsoft: New Zune hardware coming this year Microsoft hoping for Win 7 upgraders, reluctantly allowing downgraders
	Gulliver's Travels Blu-ray shows the wrong way to bring animation to HD Disney's approach to handling its animated classics has been a careful one, even down to the inclusion of Disney View to keep older features like Pinocchio in their proper aspect ratio and keep viewers from stretching		Samsung Impression now on sale at AT&T If you were waiting for a big-ass OLED display before pulling the trigger on a new North American handset, go ahead and get your wallet (or coin purse, or piggy bank, whatever) ready.
DirecTV's free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in its first week Cox prepping a multi-room DVR for sometime this year		Google's new Gmail mobile web app sports offline message caching, lots of floaty goodness iPhone 3.0 video recording interface, compass support spotted? (Update: voice dialing, too)

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Google's new Gmail mobile web app sports offline message caching, lots of floaty goodness

If you've been losing sleep in eager anticipation of the new Gmail for mobile, rest assured that you'll sleep soundly tonight. With support for both Android phones and iPhone / iPod Touch OS 2.2.1, the gang over at the Google mobile blog are justifiably proud of the new app. Expect nothing less than a more robust cache that utilizes Gears (for Android) and SQLite databases (for iPhones / touches) to allow you to compose messages and access recently read messages without a network connection, an improved look and feel, and the all new "floaty bar" (their name, not ours) that keeps popular menu commands from scrolling off screen, as this bad boy rolls out progressively over the course of the day. Most interestingly, using the new Gmail on your devices doesn't require any tweaks or installs -- it's utilizing HTML5 (and its offline storage APIs) already present in the browser. Google is just turning on the juice behind the scenes. And for those of you who are resistant to change, fear not -- the previous version is still available. Check it out for yourself over at gmail.com, but not before peeping that super-sweet video after the break.

Continue reading Google's new Gmail mobile web app sports offline message caching, lots of floaty goodness

Filed under: Cellphones

Google's new Gmail mobile web app sports offline message caching, lots of floaty goodness originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Latest PSP2 rumor covers familar ground, adds pre-Xmas release date

Not that we needed much more evidence that 2009 would be the year 'o PSP rumors, but Pocket Gamer is now reporting that it has heard from an "insider source" who says that the PSP2 will indeed be released before Christmas of this year. That source, who's supposedly a "developer working on the new hardware," also backs up some of the earlier rumors about the design of the device itself, saying that it will be more like the iPhone than the current PSP, and that it will boast a sliding touchscreen that conceals the buttons and dual analog controls when it's closed. Not much more than that, unfortunately, but who know's what next week's rumor will bring? We're personally hoping for a surprise Atari Lynx rebirth to really shake things up.

Filed under: Gaming

Latest PSP2 rumor covers familar ground, adds pre-Xmas release date originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

iPhone 3.0 video recording interface, compass support spotted? (Update: voice dialing, too)

iPhone OS 3.0 is riddled with hints that video recording is on the way, and the latest is is this supposed screenshot of a revised camera app with a video toggle. MacRumors says it comes up when certain config files are edited to make it seem like a video camera is present, but it's not clear exactly what steps have to be taken, so we're treating this one cautiously until we can confirm it. Other secret features buried in the plists are said to include "auto-focus camera," "voice control," and "magnetometer," which is assumed to be a compass. Yep, all stuff we'd expect from an iPhone revision around, say, June, but nothing earth-shattering -- and if the video features are as mediocre as the current iPhone camera, we don't think the Flips of this world have too much to worry about.

Update: Boy Genius Report has scored some other 3.0-culled goodies, including what appears to be voice dialing ("Voice Control" as they're calling it), a digital battery strength readout, and further evidence of video support. Beta 3, where are you?

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

iPhone 3.0 video recording interface, compass support spotted? (Update: voice dialing, too) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

iPhone 3.0 video recording interface, compass support spotted?

iPhone OS 3.0 is riddled with hints that video recording is on the way, and the latest is is this supposed screenshot of a revised camera app with a video toggle. MacRumors says it comes up when certain config files are edited to make it seem like a video camera is present, but it's not clear exactly what steps have to be taken, so we're treating this one cautiously until we can confirm it. Other secret features buried in the plists are said to include "auto-focus camera," "voice control," and "magenetometer," which is assumed to be a compass. Yep, all stuff we'd expect from an iPhone revision around, say, June, but nothing earth-shattering -- and if the video features are as mediocre as the current iPhone camera, we don't think the Flips of this world have too much to worry about.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

iPhone 3.0 video recording interface, compass support spotted? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Dexim's Shu-Lip for your third-gen iPod shuffle spotted in the wilds of the internet

No, it's not the most terrifically exciting accessory we've ever come across -- but Dexim's Shu-Lip, which plugs into the end of your new iPod shuffle -- conveniently converting it into a thumb drive, is no longer just a render. We'll admit that something about the little guy kind of screams "super cute." It's a bit pricier than we'd first heard -- but $16 is still a really sweet deal, right? Right?

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Storage

Dexim's Shu-Lip for your third-gen iPod shuffle spotted in the wilds of the internet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch

Pogoplug review

When we first caught wind of the Pogoplug -- a small box that essentially lets you turn any USB hard drive (and drives only) into a network device -- we were pretty darn excited. Having a house full of disparate storage boxes and no easy way to connect to them made the prospect of the 'plug seem very enticing. Not only does the Pogoplug make your drive accessible via your PC (with accompanying software), but it -- we think more importantly -- makes the drive accessible via a web front-end and an iPhone app. We finally had a chance to break one of these out and see how it performs, and our findings are below.

Gallery: Pogoplug review

Continue reading Pogoplug review

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Pogoplug review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: iPhone watch