Toys & Gadgets

No, we’re not revealing some great hidden feature here — Nokias have been able to pair with Bluetooth devices since pretty much forever — but throw a complete set of desktop implements together with the Finnish company’s greatest new phone, and sparks of interest do fly. In this case, a pair of keen fellas have hooked a portable keyboard and a Logitech mouse up to the N8 and had some fun videotaping their exploits. If you’re thinking this would make a pretty killer combination with the N8 plugged into an HDTV, well… you’d be right. Catch the video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nokia N8 meets Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, has a good time (video)

Nokia N8 meets Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, has a good time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, Nokia, don’t sweat it: no one could’ve ever predicted that Android would get more awesome, or that Apple would announce another iPhone. Sit down, let us bring you a cup of hot chocolate, you’ll feel better… goodness, the mobile industry is filled with more wild plot twists than a Univision telenovela, isn’t it? Unfortunately, your shareholders might be a little less understanding of the fact that you still haven’t wrapped your noodle around the rapidly-changing smartphone market some three and a half years after the introduction of the original iPhone, or that you’re blaming “shifts in product mix towards somewhat lower gross margin products” in part for your forecast downgrade — even though you’ve been very candid about your desire to move the company’s focus toward emerging markets. Why you can’t manage to cobble together a competitive operating system with your overwhelming market share, cash, and resources is a bit of a mystery, but maybe it’ll all make sense by the time you release second-quarter earnings on July 22.

Follow the break for the somber press release.

Continue reading Nokia downgrades sales forecasts thanks to ‘competitive environment’ (aka, ‘doing business’)

Nokia downgrades sales forecasts thanks to ‘competitive environment’ (aka, ‘doing business’) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve seen parts uno and due already no doubt, so let’s dive straight into the third and final installment of Nokia’s N8 overview. Today we are treated to the Symbian^3 media player, which continues to closely resemble Apple’s Cover Flow, but we’re sure the companies will work it out between themselves. That cover-centric interface gets tugged around a few times to show the phone can handle it without lag, and we also get to see a repeat visit from our friend Mr. Long Press, which functions as a mobile version of a right-click by popping up a menu of contextual options. The video continues into a look at the HDMI connectivity and points out that the N8 will be compatible with Bluetooth keyboards — you know, if you’re in the mood for an Espoo-approved version of Google TV. See the whole thing after the break.

[Thanks, Hythem]

Continue reading Nokia completes its N8 video tour with media player and HDMI demo

Nokia completes its N8 video tour with media player and HDMI demo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Nokia demonstrates N8 video editing capabilities

Nokia demonstrates N8 video editing capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_4_vs_4_of_the_smart_phones_elite’; We know how the iPhone 4 sizes up against the aging 3GS — but how does it fare against its fiercest competitors from all the major platforms? We wish we had some production Windows Phone 7 kit to check out here, but in the meantime, take a look at the results against the gruesome foursome of the EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD2. You might be surprised by some of the results — and sorry, RIM, you don’t get to play until you bring some fresh, media-heavy hardware to the table. Nothing personal!

Continue reading iPhone 4 vs. the smartphone elite: EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD2

iPhone 4 vs. the smartphone elite: EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD2 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard a similar message from Nokia dating all the way back to MeeGo’s introduction at MWC back in February, so it comes as little surprise that Espoo is apparently trumpeting the virtues of ARM for its first MeeGo-powered device that’s still targeted for the tail end of 2010. What might make this particularly interesting is the fact that MeeGo 1.0 is clearly further along for Atom devices than it is for the Cortex A8-based N900, not to mention that Nokia has already warmed up to Intel thanks to its Booklet 3G — but regardless of the silicon, getting the platform solid enough for any sort of retail device by the end of 2010 still seems like a tricky proposition when you figure that the ARM build doesn’t even have a proper user interface yet. Ultimately, it might come down to a question of size; Intel still hasn’t proven that it can scale Atom down far enough to tackle the smartphone market head-on, so if Nokia wants to go small with its first MeeGo hardware, that alone could be impetus enough to go ARM.

Nokia will kick off MeeGo effort with ARM-based silicon, not x86 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 May 2010 21:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Among the Nokia N8’s neater tricks is its support for USB On-The-Go, which basically lets you connect USB peripherals (flash drives, for example) to the phone and have it act as a host — a duty usually reserved for heavier-duty devices like PCs. Though the N8 is still a solid month or three away from release, we’re getting a nice little video demo on YouTube today of an N8 being walked through the paces of connecting both a plain-vanilla USB drive and another Symbian-based Nokia candybar (brownie points for naming the model in comments, by the way). Basically, you can treat the connected hardware as mass storage and browse it just as you would the N8’s internal space, which basically means you’ve got unlimited music capacity as long as you’ve got a pocket full of USB sticks and a micro USB-to-USB adapter cord. Follow the break for video.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nokia N8’s USB On-The-Go support demoed, lesser phones turned into slaves

Nokia N8’s USB On-The-Go support demoed, lesser phones turned into slaves originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 May 2010 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: N8 available now, only not from Nokia

Keepin’ it real fake: N8 available now, only not from Nokia originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 May 2010 06:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, we know, you were banking on taking an N8 with you when you go summering in Cape Cod in July, but that might be a tall order because we’re hearing from a trusted source that August 24 has been pegged as the big release date for Nokia’s Symbian^3-powered beast. Pricing had already been announced at €370 ($465), but if you’re interested in shedding an extra hundred for no apparent reason, Amazon Germany is now officially taking pre-orders for €469.50 ($590) in black — just one of the five N8 shades Espoo will be pushing around the world. We think we’d recommend holding off on signing up for Amazon’s enticing deal here, quite honestly — especially considering the magnetic attraction we’ve got to that totally unapologetic orange version.

[Thanks, Al]

Nokia N8 launching August 24, we hear; Amazon Germany taking €470 pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Research firm Gartner has published the latest quarterly smartphone numbers, and it’s easy to see why the honchos at Google are all smiles at the I/O conference this week. Android grew an impressive 8% of smartphone market share this year, moving it into fourth place overall.