HTC Evo 3D, View 4G available for pre-order at Sprint

Sprint customers holding out for the HTC Evo 3D can now inch slightly closer to that glasses-free display -- without dropping by RadioShack. The carrier has confirmed that you can reserve the WiMAX handset by visiting a Sprint-owned retail store and plunking down $50 for a gift card. There's still no word on when you'll be able to get the device in-hand (and the 3D's exclusive carrier is mum on pricing), but, if you don't mind reserving a phone without any hint as to how much you'll eventually need to pay, then Sprint seems happy enough to swap your Grant for a spot on the list. It's also taking names for the Evo View 4G tablet and, like the 3D, that $50 deposit can be used to take a bite out of a 2D handset. You know, in case you decide that a third dimension is too hot to handle.

[Thanks, Brett]

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Toshiba enters pixel density fray with 367ppi LCDs for cellphones

Toshiba just fired its own salvo in the pixel density wars at SID 2011. The company is showing off a range of LCDs for cellphones that top out at an almost imperceptibly fine 367ppi on its 4-inch HD (720 x 1280) model. Beyond just cramming more red, green, and blue dots in each inch, these panels also top the bar-setting Retina Display in the contrast department with an impressive 1,500:1 ratio. The company also brought a smaller 3.3-inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 864 to Display Week that hits a respectable 300ppi. They're not quite as impressive as these HAST LCDs, but who really needs to put 1080p in their pocket? (Want is a different story.) Of course, Engadget is on the scene and, if you're lucky, we'll let you live vicariously through us as we tour Toshiba's booth -- you know, as a reward for your loyal readership.

source : engadget

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Casio G’zOne Commando review

For years, construction workers, thrill-seekers, and everyone else unfettered by cubicle walls have had rubberized, rugged handsets to keep them company on the road. Until fairly recently, though, the price of durability has been settling for a dumbphone. And frankly, the selection of toughened-up smartphones remains pretty sparse today. Casio’s G’zOne Commando ($199 on contract) isn’t the first quasi-invincible Android device, but it is the first to be sold on Verizon’s network. As expensive as a flagship handset, the Commando offers military-grade resilience against drops, water, extreme cold, and other elements. But is it capable enough for everything else? Let’s find out.

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Android beats out iPhone in Japan, celebrates with buffet of alphabetical desserts

Google's steady march toward global smartphone dominance scored another major victory, this time in the Land of the Rising Sun. According to new numbers from Tokyo-based analyst group MM Research, Android shot to the top of the mobile OS market share heap, nabbing 57 percent of that country's smartphone market for the last fiscal year. That number is up from 11 percent the year prior, increasing from 250,000 to 4.91 million devices shipped -- it's also a good deal higher than the 37.4 and 38.5 percent that Google commands in the US and internationally, according to recent studies. Apple, meanwhile grabbed second place in Japan at 3.23 million iPhones, according to MM -- or 38 percent of the market -- with Windows Mobile and BlackBerry rounding out the top five. Dessert enthusiasts who don't believe numbers until they see them in pie chart form can check out the graphic after the jump.

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Intel refreshes Wireless Display with support for DRM-protected DVDs, Blu-rays

We were bowled over from the start by Intel's Wireless Display technology, which lets you stream HD content from select laptops to an HDTV (with the help of a small adapter, of course). But while WiDi's been good for watching The Colbert Report on Hulu and streaming flicks stored on your hard drive, it hasn't played so nice with DVDs and Blu-rays. At last, though, Intel is supporting HDCP-protected discs (along with some online content) through a free driver update. One catch: it only applies to Sandy Bridge laptops, which just started shipping this spring. If your notebook's a few months too old, well, using an HDMI cable isn't the worst consolation prize.

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DIYer builds his own CNC mill, fabricates a Weighted Companion Cube to show off

So you've built your own homebrew CNC mill and want to test out some recent modifications? That's a question few ever have to ask themselves, but DIYer Jamie Nasiatka recently did, and came up with the bright idea of making his very own Weighted Companion Cube. As you can see above, things turned up pretty well, and you can check out the complete build process at the source link below -- yes, it lights up, and changes colors. Let's just hope no one tries to throw this cube through a Portal t-shirt.

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Nokia Chairman Jorma Ollila to step down next year, complete exodus of old guard

Anssi Vanjoki, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Symbian, and Qt are all either already departed or on their way out of Nokia. It’s of little surprise, therefore, to hear that the company’s Chairman, Jorma Ollila, will soon be following in their footsteps and clocking out of the Espoo office for the final time. Ollila has been a member of Nokia’s Board of Directors since 1995 and in his present position since 1999, however the recent change in direction and leadership at the company has clearly made it unfeasible for him to continue as Chairman. He’s expected to step down at some point next year, with Nokia now commencing the search for his replacement.

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ViewSonic ViewPad 10 is no longer suffering with Android 1.6; gets the Froyo treatment

There are some aspects of the ViewSonic ViewPad 10 that we adore, namely its truly affordable cost as a decent Windows 7 tablet, but what makes the experience sour is the fact that it sports the super outdated Android 1.6 experience. Adding to the misery is the fact that the Android experience is truly marred by a bunch of things, like its confusing set of Android buttons, but thankfully it’s getting its fair share of love.

Specifically, the dual-boot tablet is getting its tasting of Android 2.2 Froyo, which provides plenty of new and recent features that should make it a more tolerable Android tablet. However, there’s no mention if it’ll be getting any official Flash 10.2 support, but then again, Internet Explorer on the Windows 7 side is a true desktop web browser.

Unfortunately, getting Froyo onto the tablet isn’t as easy as you’d expect, especially when most things nowadays go through the usual over-the-air process. Instead, you’ll have to read the instructions provided in the PDF file, then load an image of the Android 2.2 install on some sort of flash media, and finally get access to the BIOS to install the new firmware.

Once all of that is squared away, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it’s no longer sporting an aged Android experience.

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LG Blade P430 Laptop

Laptops are getting thinner and lighter without having to change their size in terms of viewing displays. This may be an appropriate route for laptops to go since they need to compete in a market now shared with those for tablets and netbooks. And with manufacturers like LG of Korea, laptops get even thinner and lighter with its new Blade P430 laptop.

The new LG Blade P430 Laptop is an ultra-thin notebook that has a depth of 23.8mm and only weighs 1.94kg. It is significantly lighter than the conventional notebooks with 13 inch display screens. This makes the notebook quite handy to bring along and comfortable enough to carry around.

Despite its slimmer profile the LG Blade P430 Laptop features a second generation Intel Core i7 processor. It also comes with a NVIDIA Graphics GeForceGT 520M with 1GB DDR3 RAM. Additionally, the notebook comes with a maximum of 8GB memory, a 1.3 HD webcam, up to 750GB 2.5 SATA HDD, DVD optical drive as well as Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. The new LG Blade P430 Laptop is expected to be available in the market by the end of May. Pricing for this new ultra thin notebook has not yet been provided.

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Olympus LS 20M PCM Recorder

Live recording may be something that people wish to get right. PCM recorders seem to provide the best quality live recording for ordinary folk without access to more advanced gadgets. Interviews, live recitals and other similar recordings can have CD quality audio in the using PCM recorders. But Olympus may be offering something different with its new LS 20M PCM Recorder. This time, HD video might be added into the mix.

The new Olympus LS 20M PCM Recorder is a hand held recorder that can now record live audio as well as video. Aside from recording in CD quality audio, the Olympus LS 20M is now equipped with a 4.1mm auto focus lens with 4x digital zoom that can record video in HD quality. Audio recording in better than CD quality is possible by the integrated studio grade condenser mics on the device. The Olympus LS 20M also features a 2 inch color LCD screen that displays the video as it is being recorded. A separate 1.46 inch display displays data like time, audio levels and battery life. The Olympus LS 20M is expected to be available in the market by June of this year. It is estimated to cost around US$300 to have one.

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Thunderbolt update ready, OTA rolling out soon

Though the HTC Thunderbolt is a great device, we know that you may still have some grudges about Verizon’s 4G outage this week. If you need something to improve your mood, you will be happy to know that Verizon is ready to push out a software update for the HTC Thunderbolt.

This update was actually leaked through a rom last week, which led us to believe that this was coming soon, but with Verizon posting a pdf file on their website, things are now starting to look good. As you can see, the first improvement is “Enhanced data connectivity when accessing the Verizon 3G network,” which could have probably helped many users during the outage, but regardless, it is nice to hear that better days are coming. Aside from the 3G enhancement, the update includes better organization for text messages, and better access to some apps, as well as some other performance improvements.

Verizon’s PDF is posted below if you would like to check out the specific details on this update, and stay tuned for your next OTA, which should be here anytime. Don’t forget to share your comments and opinions below, and let us know when you start seeing your updates!

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Apple: iWeb For iPad Patented

Apple finally brought popular Mac apps like Photo booth and Garageband to the iPad. iWork has already been there, and it looks like Apple may be bringing iWeb to the iPad as well, according to PatentlyApple.

Obviously, details regarding iWeb for iPad are shady at the moment. However, its highly possible that Apple will port iWeb to the iPad, considering the fact that Photo booth, Garageband and iWork have all made their way to the iPad 2.

People are hoping that iWeb for iPad will sync with its Mac counterpart, thus offering similar set of features across both devices. Also, a new iWeb for iPad means that a new iWeb for Mac is in the works as well.

Nevertheless, one can not be too sure about the expected release of iWeb for iPad.

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T-Mobile Use Dual Core Android Powered G2X

T-Mobile have lifted off the covers of their latest Android phone addition and they are calling it G2X. Does the name G2X ring any bells? Yes it is the T-Mobile variant of world’s first dual core smartphone LG Optimus 2X which was announced back in February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

As always, lets take a look at the hardware profile of the seemingly speedy device. LG Optimus 2X has a 1 Ghz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor, a gigantic 4 inch capacitive multi-touch screen, 8GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot with support for expandable memory up to 32GB.

If you love snapping pictures and recording videos, then you are going to love T-Mobile G2X as it has a rear facing 8 MP camera with LED Flash, autofocus and HD video recording capabilities. On the front lies a 1.3 MP camera that will allow you to engage in video chats using Qik which will come pre-installed with the phone.

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