BlackBerry PlayBook first hands-on! (video)

RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie actually declined to show off the his company’s tablet today on the Web 2.0 Summit stage, but in private he was more than kind, treating us to a nice long glimpse at the BlackBerry PlayBook in a quaint hotel hallway. We only got to heft the one-pound slate for a few seconds, but we got the basic feel of the device in the hand — warm to the touch, solid if a little plasticky, with a responsive glass touchscreen up top and a bottom that’s mildly rubberized. Balsillie didn’t bother to locate the “module cavity” for us, but he did try to explain where those 5300mAh lithium ion cells might hide — we suspect the CEO exaggerated only slightly when he told us “it’s all battery and glass inside.” He then wrenched the device forcefully from our unprepared hands (at least that’s how we like to think it went down) and proceeded to let us film a brief film showing off the QNX and Air-based OS juggling a spreadsheet, photo gallery and some beautiful underwater footage all at the same time. Hit the break for that hastily-shot video.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook first hands-on! (video)

BlackBerry PlayBook first hands-on! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry PlayBook and iPad go head-to-head in a browsing showdown

We’ve only ever seen brief glimpses of the BlackBerry PlayBook in action so far, but a new video posted up by RIM comparing its tablet’s web browsing performance to the iPad certainly has us hungry for more. Seriously — PlayBook pretty much run laps around the iPad while loading pages, and even its Flash performance seems decent, which is a first for a mobile device in our experience. Of course, the video was made by RIM and we’re sure the specific pages were picked to make the PlayBook look as good as possible, but that’s fair enough — now if we could just get our hands on one to verify these claims for ourselves, we’d be happy as clams. Video after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook and iPad go head-to-head in a browsing showdown

BlackBerry PlayBook and iPad go head-to-head in a browsing showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Hack turns Kinect into 3D video capture tool

We all knew this would inevitably happen, but seeing it in action is something else — the Kinect transformed by the power of open-source drivers into a true 3D video camera for capturing oneself. UC Davis visualization researcher Oliver Kreylos fed the streams from his peripheral’s infrared and color cameras into a custom program that interpolated and reconstructed the result, generating a mildly mindblowing 3D virtual reality environment he can manipulate at will. And if it makes him look a little bit like the proficiently penciled protagonists in Take On Me, that’s just the cherry on top. Don’t miss the videos after the break to see what we’re talking about.

Continue reading Hack turns Kinect into 3D video capture tool

Hack turns Kinect into 3D video capture tool originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrunchGear  |  sourceOliver Kreylos  | Email this | Comments

Dell Inspiron Duo flips its lid on official video

Blink really slowly and you might miss it. Seriously, though, Dell’s 35-second Inspiron Duo teaser plays up the tablet angle for quite a bit — even prominently showing off a JBL speaker dock — before getting to the really awesome part. Oh, you know, where it totally flips its screen over and becomes a netbook. Coming soon, and last we heard it was by the end of the year, so that gives them around 57 days to make it happen. Video after the break.

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo flips its lid on official video

Dell Inspiron Duo flips its lid on official video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceYouTube  | Email this | Comments

Table Connect for iPhone demonstrated on video, makes us want

Sure, showing an image and boasting wildly is one thing, but it’s another thing entirely to see something as outlandish as this functioning on video. The gurus behind the Table Connect for iPhone have returned, using a jailbroken iPhone, a dedicated app (for now) and a freshly washed hand to demonstrate what iOS looks like on a 58-inch multitouch table. We’ve got to say — for early software, it sure is snappy. Of course, practicality is still in question, but who ever cared about that? Head on past the break and mash play.

[Thanks, Bogdan]

Continue reading Table Connect for iPhone demonstrated on video, makes us want

Table Connect for iPhone demonstrated on video, makes us want originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW  |  sourceTable Connect for iPhone  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy Tab review

The story of the Galaxy Tab has been quite a saga, to say the least. In fact, it was actually back in May that we first heard rumblings of Samsung’s plans to unleash a 7-inch Android tablet much like its Galaxy S phones, but it was only after months of painful teasing — including a cruel look at just its packaging on the Engadget Show — that Sammy finally unveiled the Galaxy Tab to the world at IFA. The Tab certainly packed the specs — a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity — to put other Android tablets to shame, and our initial hands-on with it only had us yearning for more. Without pricing and availability, however, the story was at a cliffhanger. Of course, those details trickled out over the next few months, and here in the US, Samsung finally announced that all four major US carriers would be getting Tabs to call their own. Verizon then finally took the lead in announcing pricing, and revealed that its Tab would hit contract-free for $600 — Sprint followed with the same no-contract pricing along with a $400 two-year contract option.

Indeed, it’s been quite a long journey, but even after all of that, some of the major questions are still left unanswered. Does the Tab provide a more complete and polished experience than all the other Android tablets out there? How are Samsung’s specially tailored apps? And ultimately, has a tablet finally hit the market that can rival Apple’s iPad? We think it’s about time we answer those questions and finally open what might be the most important chapter of the Galaxy Tab story — the official Engadget review. We knew you’d agree, so join us after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab review

Samsung Galaxy Tab review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

HP Slate 500 finally (finally!) official, rings up at $799

Nope, you’re not dreaming, but feel free to pinch yourself, rub your eyes or take a cold shower! You’ve read right — the HP Slate is finally official, and after all the teasing, back and forth, and (very recent) leaks, the Atom-powered, Windows 7 Slate will finally see the light of day — though in a different way than originally intended. While the first videos released by HP may have made it seem like it would be for consumers, HP’s tactfully changed its tune (don’t forget it’s got Palm / WebOS tablets on the way) and is now aiming the Slate at the enterprise and business market. Still, it will be available on HP’s site for $799 to anyone who wishes to purchase one.

So, what does $800 of your hard earned cash buy you? Well, in addition to the dock and case, which are included in the box, the tablet packs pretty much everything we’d heard over the last year — it’s powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD and packs Broadcom’s Crystal HD accelerator for handling 1080p video. (The included dock has an HDMI-out port if you want to hook it up to the big screen.) Obviously, the 8.9-inch capacitive touch Slate runs Windows 7 Professional, but it’s got a Wacom N-Trig active digitizer for taking notes, which certainly sets it apart from the other Win 7 tablets we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks. Oh, and don’t forget its front facing VGA cam and 3 megapixel camera on its back. We got a chance to finally grope the tablet earlier this week, so hit the break for our early impressions and a short video.

Continue reading HP Slate 500 finally (finally!) official, rings up at $799

HP Slate 500 finally (finally!) official, rings up at $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHP  | Email this | Comments