SISAREA

Looking for one box to rule them all? If so, you must have glossed right over Monsoon’s Vulkano launch, but lucky for you, there’s a reminder coming in the form of a ‘now shipping’ proclamation. Just weeks after the $379 mega-box — which aims to replace all of those other STBs under your television — went up for pre-order, the earliest of adopters have started to receive their devices. We’re still waiting on a proper critique, but if you’re yearning to have a glance at what the future of media looks like, give those links below a look. Just kidding about that last part, by the way.

[Thanks, Dan]

Monsoon Vulkano do-it-all media box starts shipping, gets unboxed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Zatz Not Funny  |  Uneasy Silence  | Email this | Comments

Looking for a free PlayStation Move setup and a bunch of useless schwag? Too bad you didn’t sign up for Sony’s Ultimate Block Party. In the vein of the hilarious Windows 7 and TiVo promo giveaways of yesteryear, PlayStation’s thrown a virtual bash that actually requires a modicum of interaction to properly enjoy this time. As this isn’t a retail Move package, there’s no traditional unboxing to be had, but soon-to-be-host Phil does show off a demo disk (with eight titles and uproarious setup guide) that we pray will be included in the final kit. Other than that, the promo box includes your standard array of party supplies — PlayStation Move cocktail napkins, Sports Champions mini-frisbees, plastic soda can handles, and the gift that keeps on giving: a bag of Kevin Butler button badges. Because real boxers don’t do Tupperware. Spot all the goodies at our source link.

Sony giving away PlayStation Move for block parties, along with completely wild freebies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  Phil’s Gallery (Picasa)  | Email this | Comments

Based on our experience with the original zenPad — one that we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy’s enemies — we had a feeling that Enso’s latest crop of wares wouldn’t exactly be teeming with high quality components. One kindhearted tipster of ours managed to ignore our advice and order up a $199 zenPad 4, which is just another iPad KIRF for all intents and purposes. Loaded with Android 2.1 and doused in mediocrity, this 10.2-inch tablet actually ships in a knockoff iPad box… one that proudly sports a perfectly random Internet Explorer icon on the front. Trust us, the laughs don’t end there. It was also said to be about half as responsive to key presses as the iPad, and when pressing down on the bezel, it actually leaves momentary indentations that require a tick to flatten back out. Classy. Head on past the break for a purely comedic video unboxing and preview — if you’ve had a rough one, you owe it to yourself.

[Thanks, Michael]

Continue reading Enso’s Android-based zenPad 4 ships, gets unboxed and politely berated on video

Enso’s Android-based zenPad 4 ships, gets unboxed and politely berated on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Logitech’s been making quality peripherals for as long as many of us have been computing, introducing some of us to our first wheel, wireless and infrared mice in the process. But when it comes to the latest in gaming peripherals, the company’s not always ahead of the curve. Razer and Microsoft have had high-end hybrid wireless mice for over a year now, and the 2.4GHz wireless headset isn’t exactly a new concept. That said, the company’s reputation is strong for a reason, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that Logitech’s created a mouse and headset that leapfrog — rather than just catch up to — what competitors have offered. See what we mean in our review after the break.

Continue reading Logitech G700 mouse and G930 headset review

Logitech G700 mouse and G930 headset review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

We don’t know how often this happens, but it seems that AT&T brass are being provided with these ridiculously over-the-top packages for the Samsung Captivate that’s officially launching this weekend, including bundled accessories that us unwashed masses aren’t offered. As they say, membership has its privileges.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

AT&T execs get a better Captivate unboxing experience than you do originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

There can be only one. Wait, wrong franchise — this here is a Netwalker showdown. In the left corner, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-Z1, a 5-inch Ubuntu smartbook powered by the 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU, and at right, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-T1, a 5-inch Ubuntu tablet with the exact same specs. Is the pen mightier than the keyboard? We won’t find out today — but Pocketables invite you to check out a bevy of fresh-squeezed T1 unboxing pics and comparison shots while they work on a review. See an EVO 4G make this tablet squirm at our source link, or check out our more coverage section if the juxtaposition of the words “Ubuntu” and “tablet” had you scrambling for your pocketbook three sentences ago.

Sharp Netwalker PC-T1 unboxed, now available originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Pocketables  | Email this | Comments

Nary two full months after we first caught wind of Cowon’s dainty (albeit super sexy) J3 portable media player, the award-winning device has both gone on sale and arrived on our doorstep (along with a few others, according to a few jovial tipsters). As of today, prospective consumers in the US can order one for $199.99 (8GB) or $239.99 (16GB), both of which have microSD slots for capacity expansion. Per usual, Cowon’s packaging here was nothing short of delightful, and the 3.3-inch AMOLED display struck us just as the S9 did oh-so-many months ago. Unlike the larger V5 we reviewed back in March, we greatly appreciated the capacitive nature of this touch panel, and finger presses were accurately and immediately recognized. The user interface was also far more streamlined, and whizzing about from area to area was no issue.

As with every other Cowon player we’ve ever laid ears on, the audio quality out of this one was second to none; if you’re a self-proclaimed audiophile, yet can’t exactly accommodate your Marantz KI Pearl on the subway, this is about as good as it gets. The video player was similarly impressive, loading up clips with minimal fuss, and showing no lag whatsoever during playback. Unfortunately, for all the things this gorgeous unit does right, the only spec that matters to some is wrong: pricing. We hate to point out the obvious, but an 8GB iPod touch is also just $199, and unlike the J3, Apple’s alternative can surf the web over WiFi and bring you face to face with 100,000 (or so) apps. From a value proposition standpoint, there’s simply no comparison. ‘Course, the J3 may still stand out if you’re all about audio quality (and nothing else), but we’ve yet to actually meet someone who didn’t care at least a smidgen about the extras. Vote with your wallet, as they say.

Cowon J3 ships to America, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  JetMall  | Email this | Comments

So you go and pre-order the Archos 7 Home Tablet, thinking it would ship by the end of April. Our deepest apologizes, but according to the official press release below, the 7-inch, Android 1.6 tablet won’t be shipping in the US until early June — though an Archos spokesperson told us that those who pre-ordered may get units before the end of May if they count their lucky stars. The rest of the release doesn’t reveal much, but does confirms that the resistive touchscreen device won’t have access to the Android Marketplace. Instead — and as you can see in the unboxing pictures below — it comes with Archos’ AppsLib store and is preloaded with a few apps, including eBuddy and Aldiko’s e-reader software. Still, we know the $199.99 tablet sounds tempting, but our review should be up in the next few days. In other words, you should probably hold off on sliding that credit card out — after all, she ain’t shipping ’til June.

Continue reading Archos 7 Home Tablet ships to Android lovers in June

Archos 7 Home Tablet ships to Android lovers in June originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Now here’s an innovative concept — instead of doing separate videos for an unboxing and a disassembly of the Droid Incredible, why not combine them into one? And while you’re at it, turn that into a stop-motion animation and include well timed sound effects for comedic relief. Make sure to include intimate closeups of the Incredible’s spectacularly red innards, then finish off with a sped-up reconstruction and reboot of the handsome Nexus One killer. Got all that? Good, now drop the video after the break and let the people enjoy it.

Continue reading Droid Incredible torn down to its constituent elements, reassembled in a flash (video)

Droid Incredible torn down to its constituent elements, reassembled in a flash (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 05:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TechRestore (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Aw, Suki Suki now! Nearly a fortnight after heard that Viliv’s S10 Blade had been delayed by the factory, in flies this. Tipster Anthony seems to be on Lady Luck’s good side, as his unit not only shipped, but fell into his lap today. He ordered up the 1.6GHz version with a 64GB SSD and integrated 3G, and just to prove that he wasn’t yanking our chain, he offered up a gallery’s worth of unboxing shots. We can’t say for sure that the backlog has cleared, but it’s pretty evident that the earliest of pre-orderers are seeing their units trickle out. With that said, we’d encourage you to refresh that inbox once more and make sure a package isn’t headed your way — and when it does, let us know how you like it in comments below.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Viliv’s S10 Blade starts shipping out, gets its first customer unboxing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments