Programmer adds IE 9 graphics acceleration to Firefox

November 25, 2009 — gadgetnational

Not so fast, Internet Explorer! We know that you have great things in the works for IE 9 — including Direct2D GPU acceleration, the 2D / vector graphics API that we first laid eyes on in Windows 7. And believe us, that got our attention — as well as the attention of Mozilla programmer Bas Schouten. It seems that over the weekend, the young man successfully loaded Direct2D support into an alpha build of Firefox 3.7 — just days after you announced its inclusion in the next version of your web browser. “Things are looking very promising for Direct2D” and Firefox, said Schouten, although “older PCs with pre-D3D10 graphics cards and WDDM 1.0 drivers will not show significant improvements.” And we thought that accelerometer support was wild!

Posted in Web Browser. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

HP’s Obsidian becomes iPAQ Glisten, officially comes to AT&T

November 24, 2009 — gadgetnational

Wow, talk about digging deep in the memory bank. The same phone that we spotted way back in July (known then as the iPAQ K3 Obsidian) has finally emerged in official fashion on AT&T. Dubbed the iPAQ Glisten, this all-business smartphone boasts a vanilla coat of Windows Mobile 6.5, a 2.5-inch AMOLED display, 3.1 megapixel camera, 256MB of SDRAM, a microSD expansion slot, A-GPS, 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a QWERTY keyboard, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. ‘Course, you’ll still be dealing with a resistive screen and a dated OS, but if you’re turned on in some weird way, it’ll be “available in the coming weeks” for $179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement.

Posted in Cellphone. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Apple hits back at Verizon in new iPhone ads

November 23, 2009 — gadgetnational

Now look, we’re not saying we know for sure that Apple thinks Verizon’s latest round ofmerciless attack ads on its device and US carrier are worth responding to, but these latest iPhone spots would certainly suggest it. A new campaign launching tonight focuses on the iPhone’s ability to carry voice and data simultaneously on AT&T’s network, and each of the two new TV spots ends with the line “Can your phone and your network do that?” From where we’re sitting, it looks like between this new round and AT&T’s Luke Wilson-mannedcomparison spots, both the phonemaker and carrier are fully stepping into the ring. Way to get their attention, guys. See the full clips after the break.


Posted in Cellphone. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Nokia 5230 coming to T-Mobile?

November 22, 2009 — gadgetnational

With the N900 getting AWS support, there’s every reason to believe that T-Mobile USA and Nokia want to make beautiful music together — but in order to do that, they’re going to need some quality hardware in the mix. Whether the S60 5th Edition-based 5230 qualifies as “quality hardware” is strictly a matter of personal opinion, but for what it’s worth, Cell Phone Signal has raised some very good points about a recent FCC filing suggesting that the model is inbound. First off — and most importantly — the SAR report for model code RM-593 indicates that AWS 3G is supported, and overlaying the back of a 5230 with the filing’s label document lines up perfectly. A slam dunk? No, it’s not — but considering how long it’s been since T-Mobile’s sold an S60-based device, the time might be right to get back into the game.

Posted in Cellphone. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Windows drivers for Apple’s Magic Mouse conjured from the ether

November 22, 2009 — gadgetnational

Hey Windows users: what would you risk for a mouse of such mystical persuasions that it has the word “magic” right in the product name? How about $69 for the mouse followed by a few sleepless nights after installing a .exe found in the murky shallows of the internet? That’s what it’ll take to install some hacked drivers, said to enable Apple’s Magic Mouse gestures, on your Windows rig. The drivers were extracted from the latest Bluetooth update targeting Mac owners running Windows under Boot Camp, but now there’s nothing stopping you from trying them too. Let us know how this dark elixir works out in the comments below.

Posted in Misc Gadgets. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Nintendo DSi LL set loose in Japan

November 21, 2009 — gadgetnational

Feels nice when a company keeps its promises, doesn’t it? Nintendo said it’d have the newly bulked up DSi LL out in Japan for November 21, and shockingly enough that’s exactly what’s happened. Eager Japanese upgraders have today gotten their mitts on the 4.2-inch (both screens, of course) device, while similarly inclined European and American Nintendo lovers are once again left to envy from afar. Their helping of jumbo DSi, to be known as the XL, will be showing up some time in the first quarter of 2010, long after bragging rights and gift-giving holiday occasions have passed. We’re not sure whether to consider it consolation or cruelty, but you’ll find a gallery containing close-ups of the new machine at the read link.

Posted in Gaming. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Motorola Motus specs leaked, headed for AT&T?

November 21, 2009 — gadgetnational

Slowly but surely, the Motorola Motus is coming into focus — sort of. Hot on the heels of that super blurry shot we saw yesterday, BGR has some specs for the mid-range Android set, which seem to indicate this one’s not much more than an AT&T-oriented variant of the Cliq: 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 3.1-inch capacitive 480 x 320 display, microSD expansion, MOTOBLUR, and a Qualcomm MSM 7201A CPU, which will undoubtedly be clocked at 528MHz. Unfortunately, there’s no word on what version of Android is on this thing, but we’ve got the sinking feeling it’ll be 1.6, given the last-gen hardware and Blur UI. Not the most impressive first Android set for AT&T — let’s hope there’s a better surprise in store.

Posted in Cellphone. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Microsoft roadmap pegs Windows 8 release for 2012, or just after the world’s end

November 21, 2009 — gadgetnational

It’s somewhat hard to believe that we’re already talking about Windows 8 given that Windows 7 just hit the shelves two months ago, but you know the engineers at Microsoft are already planning ahead. According to a roadmap constructed over at Microsoft Kitchen — based around whispers heard through the grapevine on the eventual release of the next Windows Server — the next iteration of Windows is tentatively pegged for release in the year 2012. Of course, a three-year window between Windows 7 and the next version is totally believable, but we wouldn’t go planning your end of the world party with the assumption that a new OS will be the main attraction. Or you could, but then you might be disappointed, which would be a sucky way to go out.

Posted in OS. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Barnes & Noble’s Nook now sold out for the holidays

November 20, 2009 — gadgetnational

Hoping to put your hands on a Nook this holiday season? Here’s hoping you got in the door early, because bookseller Barnes & Noble claims that the Kindle-competitor has sold out for anyone hoping to gift the thing this year. According to the New York Times, B&N says pre-orders on the device have exceeded its expectations, and the well has now run dry on forthcoming stock. To make up for the loss, the seller is offering placeholder certificates for buyers, with a promise that the next round of devices will be shipping out around January 4th. Are suburban moms to blame? Only B&N knows for sure.

Posted in E reader. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

BlackBerry Pearl 9100 revealed, has lost its gemstone but not its luster

November 20, 2009 — gadgetnational

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 was, and still is, a lovely little phone, pocketable, and rocking that little milky trackball that gave it its name. There’s finally a true successor coming down the pipeline (the flippy 8230 not really counting) though it ditches the iconic pearl for a now-standard (and hopefully more reliable) touchpad. There’s a similarly swoopy SureType keyboard and the overall dimensions look very much the same, meaning this should fill the tiny BlackBerry void once again — whenever it ships

Posted in Cellphone. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts