We can certainly understand why Verizon wants to brand all of its Android devices under the “Droid” label, but at this point we can’t say we understand why it’s launching the
HTC Droid Eris alongside the
Motorola Droid at all —
BGR says it’s going to run Android 1.5 on a
528MHz Qualcomm CPU, which means it’ll be instantly obsoleted by
Android 2.0 on the Moto’s OMAP3 at launch. What’s more, it sure seems like Verizon knows it’s mismanaging this situation, as we haven’t heard a single peep about the Eris in the runup to the
Droid launch tomorrow, even though Eric Schmidt and Lowell McAdam were
waving both devices around a few weeks ago. We’ll see how this all plays out — HTC certainly has
Android 2.0 phones of its own in the works, so the Eris might not be
long for this world.
Filed under: Cellphones
Verizon’s HTC Droid Eris to run Android 1.5 on a 528MHz CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google has its PowerMeter, Microsoft has its Hohm and Obama has his “smart meters.” Got it? Good. Around two years after UK taxpayers began footing the bill for in-home energy monitors, it seems as if America’s current administration is looking to follow suit. While visiting the now-open solar facility in Arcadia, Florida today, the Pres announced that $3.4 billion in cash that the US doesn’t actually have has just been set aside for a number of things, namely an intelligent power grid and a whole bundle of smart power meters. Aside from boring apparatuses like new digital transformers and grid sensors (both of which are designed to modernize the nation’s “dilapidated” electric network), 18 million smart meters and 1 million “other in-home devices” will be installed in select abodes. The idea here is to give individuals a better way to monitor their electricity usage, with the eventual goal set at 40 million installed meters over the next few years. Great idea, guys — or you know, you could just advise people to turn stuff off when they aren’t using it, or not use energy they can’t afford. Just sayin’.
Filed under: Household
US government lays out cash for wall-based, in-home ‘smart meters’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We already know plenty of people who’ve eschewed traditional turn-by-turn GPS systems in favor of plotting it out for free on Google Maps, and now there’s whispers that Mountain View is coming after the rest of the market with a free nav app. That’s at least what nav services providers are saying to Forbes, who think El Goog is gearing up to release a free ad-supported navigation app after making moves to use its own US maps instead licensing data from Tele Atlas and putting ads on the iPhone Maps app. Obviously that would shake things up a ton — and make Android devices a huge bargain — but we’ll see where this all leads over the next few months.
[Via Fierce Mobile Content; thanks Elad]
Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds, Software
Google developing free navigation app? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Well, that was a short honeymoon — Intel’s now pulled its SSD Toolbox and associated TRIM firmware update amid reports that it was bricking drives under Windows 7. We haven’t heard more than anecdotal evidence about this, but we’d definitely pick having a functional drive over the promised 40 percent speed boost from the code, so you should probably hold off if you’ve downloaded but haven’t updated yet. We’re looking into things, we’ll let you know — but man, the X-25M just hasn’t had an easy life, has it?
Update: Intel just gave us its official statement on the matter:
Yes, we have been contacted by users with issues with the firmware upgrade for our 34nm SSDs and we are investigating. We take all sightings and issues seriously and are working toward resolution. We have temporarily taken down the firmware link while we investigate.
[Thanks, Joseph and Ty]
Read – Former SSD Toolbox download page
Read – Intel support forum page
Filed under: Storage
Intel pulls SSD Toolbox for killing drives under Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Shape-shifting chairs may not always be the most attractive additions to your living room, but Taiwanese designer Yu-Ying Wu is hoping to change that with her so-called “Breathing Chair,” which has already won a few prestigious design awards but hasn’t yet snagged any commercial partners. The secret, such as it is, is the array of “professionally calculated” holes spaced out through the three layers of foam plastic, which are designed to compress into the shape of an armchair when someone sits in it and spring back into a cube when they stand up. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any video of it in action, but the chair will soon be on display at Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore if you happen to be in the area.
Update: Thanks to commenter Deny for digging up a video of the chair. Check it out after the break.
[Via MAKE]
Continue reading Shape-shifting ‘Breathing Chair’ looks to make the beanbag fashionable
Filed under: Household
Shape-shifting ‘Breathing Chair’ looks to make the beanbag fashionable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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