Toys & Gadgets

We've already seen a Samsung Galaxy Tab in the wild with a not-so-subtle CDMA sticker on it, and now BGR has a leaked screenshot that shows the seven-inch tablet headed to Verizon. That certainly sounds like it could be the Samsung i800 tablet we've seen on Verizon's well-leaked roadmap, and we can also say that we've heard (but not confirmed) that the Tab will have 512MB of RAM, that the interface is quite smooth but still stuttery in areas, and that battery life is about six hours -- but we'd take all that with a grain of salt, since anything can change before release. We're definitely poking around for more, we'll let you know.

Samsung Galaxy Tab headed to Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can't say this is a surprise, but Motorola posted a note on its support forums today warning users Droid X users against upgrading to that leaked Android 2.2 build or any of those custom ROMS that're out there -- they'll be cut off from the official upgrade when it hits in early September and potentially "stuck on the leaked version." Ouch. Of course, that's the risk you take when you start flashing your phone with unofficial firmware, but between this, eFUSE, and those cease and desist letters, it certainly feels like Motorola is decidedly unhappy that anyone would have the gall to hack or tweak one of its handsets, even if the phone in question is the size of a small tank and marketed by aggressive murderous robot hands insisting that it "does" everything one can think of with no restrictions. Contrast that with HTC, which is not only at peace with the hacking community, but even takes the initiative to resolve similar problems.

Of course, no one would care about any of this if Motorola would just release stock Android builds for its devices as soon as they're ready, but why learn that lesson when it's possible to waste money developing Blur and adopting painfully annoying staggered OTA rollout schedules at the behest of carriers? That would just be silly.

[Thanks, Matthew]

Motorola says leaked Droid X Android 2.2 build won't be updated to the official release originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every two weeks, CNET editor Nicole Lee answers your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories in The 411.

Originally posted at Dialed In

The fine people at iFixit have taken the extremely awesome step of tearing down some very retro gear this week, and up first, they've got the Magnavox Odyssey 100 which dates from 1975. The gaming console, which boasted two (count them ) games -- Tennis and Hockey -- was built around four Texas Instruments chips and powered by six C batteries. It was also the first home gaming console, so we were pretty interested in seeing its insides. What struck us in looking at the photos was the most obvious thing: how much emptier it is than modern gadgets. It was also completely dismantled in just seven steps. Hit the source for more photos and keep your eye out for more vintage disassemblies as the week progresses.

iFixit tears apart a Magnavox Odyssey 100, doesn't find a disco ball inside originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung is set to ride its latest Wave smartphone into Europe, starting with Germany, before it rolls out the Bada-based handset to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Originally posted at Dialed In

CNET compares 10 megazoom digital cameras that cost less than $250 each.

Marketing duo has picked Yom Kippur as the day for the latest push in their Offlining campaign for consumers who might be too involved with their gadgets.

What makes a good messaging phone? We compare these five picks from AT&T.

Originally posted at Dialed In

Continue reading Robotic Yale Aerial Manipulator grabs a can of Guinness

Robotic Yale Aerial Manipulator grabs a can of Guinness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've seen these kinds of Verizon launch decks before, so we tend to believe the September 8 date we're seeing for the Fascinate here is legit -- granted, Wednesday is an odd day to launch a phone, but not a lot weirder than the Thursday, September 9 date we'd had before. Either way, it's looking like a sure thing that we're going to see this on shelves come next week, completing Sammy's impressive four-way coup to get its high-end Galaxy S line launched on all of the US nationals. Like the Droid 2 and Droid X, the Fascinate will feature Blockbuster Mobile to let you download full-length movies on the go -- in other words, that's a feature that won't be a Droid brand exclusive -- and Bing search will be installed out of the box, giving Microsoft a fun little foothold in Google's kingdom. So, who's buying? And while we're on the subject, why isn't this thing called the "Droid Fascinate?"

[Thanks, Bryan]

Samsung Fascinate launching on September 8? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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