Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Gaming, Laptops

Although netbooks seem to be all the rage right now, there’s still a lot of demand out there for laptops that are only able to be labeled as such due to their design. Take a look at Paul’s question as he attempts to locate the best desktop replacement on the market today.

“I am currently looking to replace my desktop PC with a high spec laptop. Portability isn’t a concern as it will spend most of its life on a desk. Here are a couple of things I am looking for: biggest screen possible, plenty of HDD space, plenty of RAM, and plenty of GHzs. Cheaper is better, but my budget is up to around $3,000.”

This fellow didn’t specifically mention gaming as a concern, but we’ll go ahead and assume he’s not buying a 9+ pound laptop to tinker on Minesweeper all day. So, what’s the preferred laptop that weighs more than some mini-towers? And what’s a question that’s been on your mind? Send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Handhelds

Face it, folks — internet browsing shouldn’t be confined to your desktop / laptop. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options out there when looking to get the intarwebz (and we mean the whole intarwebz) in your pocket. For those out there who’ve found the perfect one from the smattering of choices, throw Adam (and countless others) a bone here.

“I have a BlackBerry Pearl and the web browsing on it sucks like a tornado. What I want is a web browsing device that rocks me like a hurricane. I’d rather not have something large, even as large as a netbook like the Eee PC. There are the Nokia tablets. There’s the Archos 605 / 705 WiFi. There are UMPCs like the Q1 Ultra. Then there’s the iPhone / iPod touch. I’m looking for something that I can access the internet on from the couch or the john with a full HTML browser. And I need something that won’t break the bank.”

So, whatcha got? After you’re done posting your answer from the lavatory, send over a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Laptops

This week’s episode of Ask Engadget (you know you can submit your own inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com, right?) poses a beautifully simple, albeit timely question about those bantam laptops that have taken over the world in recent months. What was once a niche market is now a blossoming sector, and the choices are indeed overwhelming.

“With so many netbooks now available, which is the best one out there? I’m mostly concerned with getting the best bang for my buck, so I’m not too interested in any of those higher-end units.”

For those of you who have bit the bullet on one netbook or another, what kind of taste has it left in your mouth? Would you recommend your current unit? Would you suggest looking elsewhere? Let the battle of the bite-sized lappies begin!

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

It’s Thursday evening — do you know what that means? Besides being the unofficial start of the weekend (party people, what’s up?), it’s time for another round of Ask Engadget. This week we’ve got a college freshman who’s scared to death about 8-hour flights between his hometown and his new school… without gadgets.

“I’m about to start college all the way across the country from my hometown. What this means for me, other than unprecedented freedom, adulthood, etc. [and a dose of this thing called the “real world,” might we add] is lots of long flights back and forth. I’m looking for a device to entertain me during these trips. Is there anything out there that the readers can find that can play DVDs (ideally from any region, but that’s not a deal-breaker) along with my AVI files and maybe some audio formats, too? The biggest issue here is battery life. I’m willing to spend $300 - $400 if I have to. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!”

We’re not so sure there’s a portable DVD player / PMP hybrid out there that’s extra longevous, but you can always get those discs onto a vanilla PMP with a little work. So, jet-setters — what’s the best solution here? Video playback really takes a toll on handheld battery life, but are there any hidden gems that just keep going and going? Hook a brother up, and then send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Digital Cameras, Displays, Misc. Gadgets

Frightening though it may be, the fall semester is just around the corner. You know what that means? You’ll actually have to get up at — wait for it — an appointed time. Carissa, being the proactive student she is, posed this question:

“Going to school in the fall, I’m looking for the ideal alarm clock to beat the late nights and what not and noticed a few digital photo frames / alarm clocks. I want a decent alarm clock that has battery backup and good resolution on the screen for viewing photos. An auxiliary audio jack would be a major plus. Which one do you guys recommend that falls under the 200 dollar mark? Thanks a million!”

Look at that — you all even received a thank you in advance! For those who’ve mastered the art of waking up on time and pretending to be a real live adult, which alarm clock / digiframe hybrid have you found to be supreme? Oh, and you know that question you’ve been hitting the snooze on? Yeah, send it on over to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Ask Engadget, Cellphones

We know, we know — this one’s going to be a doozie, but it’s something that just has to be done. For folks out there too far from the reaches of GSM or simply unwilling to cough up the requisite dough to pay for AT&T’s comparatively pricey plans, we figure Kevin’s question will hit very close to home:

“What is the best alternative for the iPhone / iPhone 3G? I am looking for a touchscreen phone that has most of what the iPhone can provide, such as media and decent web browsing. I am also looking for a device with a lower cost (with or without a new plan). Could you please help point me in the right direction?”

Feel free to dish our your best options for GSM and CDMA, particularly if you’ve wondered this yourself and found your answer. Keep it civilized down there, alright? Got a question you’d like to pose to Engadget’s fine, fine readers? Shoot it over to ask at engadget dawt com and hope for the best.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

Not to crack open a can of worms or anything, but we’re honestly curious to see what the legions of Area-51 m15x / m17x owners would change about their machines. When launched, both rigs were fawned over for their top-notch specifications, but the m15x hasn’t seen the warmest of receptions from its owners. As you well know, the 17-inch sibling just now started landing on doorsteps everywhere, and we’re genuinely hoping that it doesn’t present those same cracking issues as found on the aforesaid m15x. Beyond defects, we also want to hear what you’d change about a flawless m15x / m17x. Whittle down the weight? Change up the style? Swap out a few components? Go on and let ‘er rip in comments below.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

If your neighbor ordered one of these monstrosities, you probably felt the ground shake when the freight carrier dropped this bad boy off at his / her doorstep. If you were stuck in the cubicle during that whole ordeal, however, here’s a gentler news flash: Alienware’s brawny m17x gaming laptop is shipping right now. Initial reports from early adopters include phrases like “So huge!” and “Brobdingnagian!,” which is pretty much right in line with what we were expecting to hear.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

Judging by the multitude of problems experienced by Area-51 m15x owners, we can’t say we’d recommend said laptop without reservations, but those dead set on picking one up now have yet another design option to choose from. Yeah, the sleek Ripley motif is peachy for the milder sect, but those seeking something a bit more flamboyant will certainly appreciate the new Skullcap option (pictured). Initially, Skullcap will only be offered as a free option in silver, but if demand necessitates, we can certainly envision the company busting out the paint gun.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

NVIDIA just launched its new GeForce GTX 280 graphics cards earlier today, but you know the crazy kids over at Alienware don’t like to wait for the latest and greatest — Dell’s gaming division has already announced Area-51 configurations that include the new cards. The Area-51 7500 will support one GTX 280-based card, while the top-of-the-line Area-51 ALX will offer a three-way SLI option that’s sure to render an image of your empty wallet in no time — it’s a $1,700 option. No word on when these are scheduled to ship, but seeing as the cards are out tomorrow, we’d guess it’ll be soon.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Desktops

Hold onto your frame rates folks, as Alienware has just relaunched its more-potent-than-ever Area-51 ALX desktop. The bona fide gaming rig packs a 3.2GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9770, but rather than being satisfied with Intel’s work, this thing comes overclocked to 4GHz — it’s “maximum stable output.” As expected, you’ll find the outfit’s own High-Performance Liquid Cooling solution to keep things from turning into molten hot lava, and you’ll also have your choice of twin NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GPUs or an ATI CrossFireX configuration with dual ATI Radeon 3870 X2 cards. Furthermore, you’ll notice 4GB of DDR3 RAM, dual Ethernet ports, an optional Blu-ray burner, oodles of hard drive space and all the other high-end niceties you’ve come to expect from the company. Only problem? The $5,549 starting price that comes along with the 4GHz CPU and required 1,200-watt PSU.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: GPS

Really, QSTARZ? You’ve actually had independent testers confirm that your BT-Q818 eXtreme is the most powerful GPS receiver on the entire planet? We’re guessing not, but for what it’s worth, the second incarnation of the BT-Q818 features 51-channel tracking, 32-hours of navigation time, -158dBm sensitivity, USB connectivity, built-in Bluetooth, adjustable 1 to 5Hz update rate and a 36-second signal acquisition time (when cold). Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill from here, but QSTARZ wouldn’t fib about this thing’s world ranking, now would it?

[Via NaviGadget]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Handhelds

In a move sure to bring the polygraph haters out of the woodwork, the US Army is issuing a handheld lie detector to select soldiers in Afghanistan in order to “root out potential terrorists” and help “narrow the list of suspects after a roadside bombing.” The DoD isn’t asserting that the device is perfect, but it’s hoping the detection capabilities are accurate enough to save American lives and sniff out allegiances that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Hailed as PCASS (Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System), the underlying unit is a TDS Ranger that relies on three sensors connected to a respondent and integrated software that uses Green to signify truth, Yellow if it can’t decide and Red if it recognizes a filthy liar on the other end. Nevertheless, we’re certain Lafayette Instrument Company is stoked about the deal — you know, considering that the Army has already purchased 94 of ‘em at $7,500 apiece.

[Thanks, ladderless]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Transportation

You know how we love the electric cars around here, but internal combustion sure does sound sexy — a big V-8 literally brings the noise in a way the nearly-silent whir of an electric motor can’t hope to match. Well, it looks like the mad geniuses behind the $80,000 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid have hit upon an appropriately high-tech solution: speakers placed inside and out that allow drivers to give their rides any sound they want, including one described as “like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane.” Interesting, to be sure — but seeing as the Karma can hit 125mph and go from 0-60 in six seconds, we’d be happier if that rig just screamed at people to get out of the left lane.

[Via Autoblog]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you’ll recall, Samsung announced plans last November to expand an 8G LCD plant sans Sony — now, Reuters is reporting that Sony is aiming to start procuring LCD TV panels from Sharp, possibly within the next business year. Apparently, the deal with Sharp would allow it to “secure enough panels to meet fast-growing LCD TV demand without heavy capital investments,” and considering that Sharp is already planning to construct the world’s largest LCD factory by 2010, we’d say this works out quite nicely for it, too. Needless to say, the global demand for all things LCD seems to be going nowhere but up, but here’s to hoping those prices continue to head in the opposite direction for the consumers’ sake.

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Original post by Darren Murph