събота, 26 февруари 2011 г.

HTC Merge official, coming to 'multiple' US carriers this spring

HTC Introduces the Powerful, Feature-Rich HTC Merge

The HTC Merge™ Smartphone Brings Android™ and HTC Sense™ to HTC's First CDMA Android World Phone

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BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC Corp., a global designer of smartphones, today announced that the new HTC Merge smartphone will be made available through multiple North American carriers beginning in spring 2011. The HTC Merge smartphone combines a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard with the power of Android 2.2, the HTC Sense experience, a large 3.8-inch touch-screen display and a 5 megapixel camera to create a complete mobile experience for those looking for a truly complete smartphone. The HTC Merge is also HTC's first Android-based CDMA world phone.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110225/SF54676)

"HTC prides itself on creating unique solutions that meet the needs of different customers, and with features like a full keyboard and global 3G roaming, the HTC Merge smartphone is the perfect example of this commitment," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Americas. "Combining the functionality of Android with the HTC Sense experience, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for those customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smartphone, whether it's at home or travelling around the world."

Customers will appreciate seamless integration with Exchange ActiveSync, enjoy quick and easy access to Flickr® for sharing and viewing pictures, and find new ways to customize their experience with the Android Market™ with more than 100,000 applications. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, customers will be able to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are, as well as stay in the loop with Flickr, Facebook® and Twitter™ updates through HTC FriendStream™.

In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash that captures outstanding images, while 3G connectivity makes sharing those special moments with friends and family quick and easy. The HTC Merge smartphone also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity and even the ability to capture high-definition 720p video.

Availability

HTC Merge is slated to be available from multiple North American operators beginning in spring 2011.


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Sony PSP dips down to $130, wants to be your cheap thrill until the NGP gets here

PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) System Now Offers Unrivaled Entertainment Value for $129.99

Featuring a Robust Entertainment Offering, Expansive Software Library and Accessibility to PlayStation®Network, the PSP system Continues to Deliver Great Value to Consumers

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system will be available for $129.99 (MSRP) starting February 27, 2011. Since launching in 2005, the PSP system has sold more than 23 million* units in North America and 67.8 million worldwide, offering more than 590 engaging titles in North America as well as access to a vast selection of downloadable content from PlayStation®Network. In addition to the new price point, 13 new games will be added to the PSP "Greatest Hits" and $9.99 "Favorites" software collections, further delivering upon the PSP system's incredible entertainment value.

"The PSP system set the standard for complete portable entertainment and continues to be the premiere destination for gamers on-the-go," said Tim Bender, Senior Vice President, Sales, SCEA. "Nearly six years after its initial launch, demand for the PSP remains strong. This new price point enables us to broaden the PSP platform to a larger group of consumers who are looking for best-in-class handheld entertainment."

As part of the PSP system's extensive software catalogue are its "Greatest Hits" and "Favorites" collections. Available for $19.99 (MSRP), Greatest Hits titles have surpassed an impressive sales threshold and represent the highest caliber of quality software available on the PSP system. With nearly 70 titles to date, two of the latest additions include Assassin's Creed® Bloodlines™ (Ubisoft), DISSIDIA® FINAL FANTASY® (Square Enix, Inc.), LittleBigPlanet (PSP®), METAL GEAR SOLID®: PEACE WALKER (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.), Ratchet & Clank®: Size Matters, Resistance: Retribution™, and Toy Story 3: The Video Game (Disney Interactive).

Favorites titles, valued at $9.99 (MSRP), offer some of the PSP system's most popular games at an incredible price. New PSP Favorites titles include CRISIS CORE® -FINAL FANTASY® VII- (Square Enix, Inc. ), Daxter®, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite™ (Capcom), Killzone®: Liberation, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fire Team Bravo, and Tomb Raider® Anniversary (Square Enix, Inc.).

Acclaimed for being the first truly integrated handheld entertainment system, the PSP system continues to deliver unparalleled gaming experiences only possible on the PSP platform while offering a wide variety of affordable entertainment options to consumers.


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Ask Engadget: best (non-ugly) noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset for drowning out office noise?

By Darren Murph posted Feb 24th 2011 11:59PM We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Simon, who seems to be not-so-secretly hoping to drown out his entire office. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I need a headset which can block out the background from a busy office. I'm talking repetitive noises such as drilling, background chatter, keyboard clattering, computer fan whirring and the endless static from our building's air conditioner. I would love if this headset had a fair to good quality of sound for MP3s, and it would of course have to have a good microphone for IP phone telephony and Skype. If it didn't look like something from Radio Shack that would be a bonus, and if the microphone was a bit discreet for street and airplane use that would be an added benefit. Lastly the connection to a workstation could be both USB and Bluetooth, with a preference for wireless. Thanks!"
Bluetooth headsets have evolved quite a bit since the last time we had this discussion, so we're curious what you're currently using to make work a wee bit more bearable? No need in keeping secrets, right? Speak out in comments below!
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Xtreamer Prodigy features AirPlay support, USB 3, and a GUI that will delight fans of Flash (and fans of GUIs)

Looks like the folks at Xtreamer have a few tricks up their sleeves! Following hot on the heels of the company's Ultra HTPC comes Xtreamer Prodigy, a Realtek 1185-based media player and streamer that sports USB 3.0 connectivity, 256MB RAM, 512MB NAND flash, HDMI, an integral IR remote control, a multi-card reader and a 3.5-inch HDD bay. But the real fun here (or so we've heard) is the Adobe Flash GUI, as well as support for such services as Apple AirPlay, Mediafly, Google Talk, Last FM, Pandora, Facebook, and more. The rumored price is €119, which will have to suffice until we find something more concrete (which should be about five days from now). Get a closer look below.

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HTC Freestyle for AT&T hands-on

By Chris Ziegler posted Feb 25th 2011 10:35PM Last time we checked in with the Freestyle back at CES, we couldn't turn it on -- but things are a little different here at our luxe meetup in San Francisco this evening. Honestly, the phone looks and feels great, doing a great job hiding its Brew MP-based, not-quite-smartphone underpinnings; pricing is still a concern, but the month-to-month dumbphone data is a bonus, and you've still got a full HTML browser plus a capacitive display at your disposal. Check shots below -- video after the break!

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Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy?

By Vlad Savov posted Feb 25th 2011 3:41PM With Sprint starting up its Windows Phone 7 adventure on March 20th with the HTC Arrive, Verizon is now said to be matching its CDMA competitor with its own offering, the HTC 7 Trophy. We already knew this particular handset would be coming to this particular network in "early 2011," but now WinRumors has narrowed that down to a launch at some point in late March. Verizon's announcement is expected as early as February 28th, this coming Monday, and we're hearing the NoDo update -- the one with copy and paste -- should be preloaded on the device from the start. Should this solid-sounding rumor bear out as foretold, Microsoft should finally be on all US carriers by the start of April.

[Thanks, Mike]


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Sources: iPad 2 lands in thinner body with spec bump and cameras, SD slot and higher resolution display are out

By Joshua Topolsky posted Feb 24th 2011 9:11PM The Apple rumors game can be a volatile thing. Just as we'd heard about last minute alterations to the Apple TV before it hit the market, we've gotten word from sources that the iPad 2 slated to be announced next Wednesday will be sans a few of the features we'd previously reported. Notably, that SD card slot and higher resolution display won't make it into the new model (the latter we'd been hearing rumblings about for a little while). What's the cause of the switch? Well our sources weren't crystal clear on the exact reasons, but the gist of what was explained to us centered around vague "engineering issues" which may have forced some changes at the eleventh hour. It's worth noting once again that these sources have been dead right on specific Apple plans and specifications for unannounced products in the past, and we have no reason to believe these changes are due to anything more than legitimate engineering decisions made close to launch.

So what will we see on March 2nd? We're hearing it's most likely a thinner, spec-bumped variation of the original iPad with a screen size and resolution identical to the current model. More RAM (512MB) and a more powerful CPU (the A5) are expected as well. It's also a pretty safe bet the tablet will be sporting at least one camera up front -- though if some of those case mockups we've seen tell us anything, expect a shooter around back too. It's also almost guaranteed that we'll see the next version of iOS (number 5 in all likelihood, along with its SDK for devs), and an expansion of Apple's cloud services (that part is a little... foggy right now). Of course, that will perfectly set up Apple's announcement of the iPhone 5 in June, which is when iPad owners can likely expect to be using the new software. Regardless, we'll have the goods come next week, so stay tuned!


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