Have you heard of Evolio? Neither have we, but it might be time we all start paying attention to this Romanian start-up if its grandiose claims of tech stardom prove true. Heralding it as the “most powerful Android tablet” — and the one ring to rule them all — the Neura is a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor-packing, 9.7-inch full HD displaying, Flash-capable slab of Eastern European engineering. Since its been (self-)declared king of the little green robot OS hill, the company’s aiming this market entry squarely at Apple’s iPad 2 — hoping its powers of 1080p and expandable memory can best that category titan. Unfortunately, the company’s proud boast only covers its hardware specs, leaving Froyo to underpower what could be a truly premium experience. A September update to Honeycomb is loosely mentioned, but with 3.2 already rolling out to Xooms, this baby’s starting to look dated. If owning an exotic tablet strikes your cooler-than-thou fancy, get your credit card set to import mode on July 25th. Informational video and its excellent Romanian-electro intro after the break.

Continue reading Evolio’s Neura making a foolio of other Android tablets (video)

Evolio’s Neura making a foolio of other Android tablets (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has seen the future of personal computing, and it’s a world with a single Windows ecosystem. Windows Phone head honcho Andy Lees — who said that we won’t be seeing WP7 on tablets during Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday — still sees slates, phones, consoles, and PCs playing together in perfect harmony. His plan is to provide users with a consistent experience across all Microsoft-powered devices, though he didn’t flesh out exactly how this singular ecosystem will work. Given recent evidence indicating Xbox integration in Windows 8 and the UI similarities between the forthcoming desktop OS and WP7, it seems that Microsoft is well on its way to a consolidated future. But, only time will tell if Mr. Lees’ can deliver us from fragmentation with a unified Windows.

Microsoft’s Andy Lees on Windows’ future: one ecosystem to rule them all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T might be done teasing us with their fake '4G'. Well, hopefully. Today, AT&T unveiled their first two 4G LTE products: the Momentum 4G and Elevate 4G. It's the real LTE, super fast, blazing speed 4G we want. More

A machine that builds other machines? Sounds like robot apocalypse time — except it’s not. This component-building, space-mimicking chamber of liquid nitrogen-cooled sterility gives birth to LEDs, not that kid from A.I. Housed in Sharp’s Oxford Laboratory, the Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine moves atoms “almost individually…to build the basis of high tech electronics.” Through the use of magnetic poles on the contraption’s exterior (kind of like in foosball), researchers can virtually manipulate substrates and elements, allowing for precise control and untainted crystal growth. While this MBE isn’t exactly new tech — larger commercial-grade versions already exist — it is noteworthy for its innovative petri-vaccum abilities. After all, progress has to start somewhere. Click past the break for the ominously toned video explanation.

Continue reading Sharp’s Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine births components in its space-like womb (video)

Sharp’s Molecular Beam Epitaxy machine births components in its space-like womb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The fabled Amazon tablet: Oh how you tease us so. You come from the maker of the world’s most beloved ereader and are said to run the versatile Android OS. (hopefully skinned, though) But there’s just so much we don’t know about you. When are you coming? How much are you going to cost. What’s your name? Are you even real?

The Wall Street Journal thinks it’s real. In fact they just named October as the release month and state new Kindle models are coming soon, too. Details are understandably on the light side, but there are some interesting specs concerning the tablet: 9-inch screen, no camera, and running an unnamed Android release. Doesn’t sound like an iPad killer to me.

Chances are it won’t be positioned as an iPad killer but more as a Nook Color competitor with a major focus on the Amazon marketplace. Amazon has made a big push over the last year to bolster and better position its streaming video content. A tablet would be a great outlet for that service.

The same WSJ report states that Amazon is prepping two new Kindle models. This is less of a surprise giving that the current Kindle is nearing its first birthday. Reportedly, two Kindle versions are on tap: a low-cost retooling of the current version and then a high-cost touchscreen model. (sigh)

Still, you may want to keep your current Kindle 3G away from ebay for the time being. As likely as this report is, it’s still a rumor until Bezos does his best Steve Jobs impression and unveils the Amazon tablet to the world.

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Not So Crazy Rumor: Amazon To Release An Android Tablet And Two New Kindles This Fall

A Retrevo survey found that 34% of iPhone owners think the “4″ in iPhone 4 stands for 4G. Admittedly, they could have been fooled by the previous 3G moniker, but still…

Twenty-four percent of Blackberry owners think their phone is 4G (which is also impossible). 61% of iPhone owners don’t actually care about 4G and will buy a next-gen iPhone with or without the service. Blackberry and Android users are also interested in the new iPhone, regardless of 4G speeds.

Retrevo’s ultimate conclusion? That 4G is confusing and not many consumers quite understand it, want it, or believe they can afford it. Sadly, given the prevalence of marketing around the 4G concept I wonder if it isn’t too soon to be flogging this technology to a world that has just gotten comfortable with Wi-Fi.

via MacRumors

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34% Of iPhone Owners Think Their Phone Is 4G

HumansInvent has an interesting piece on a laboratory at Oxford University that can “grow” electronics using a process called Molecular Beam Epitaxy. The system, which uses devices straight out of Dr. Bizarro’s Lab, creates a thin substrate of molecules and then builds it up over time, creating circuit boards, solar panels, and the like with lasers.

The system operates in a complete vacuum and can make almost any piece of electronics, including devices that can’t be made by hand.

James Holland writes:

A laser, for example, requires layers of material to be applied with molecular precision to a wafer, or substrate. It’s the nature of that material which gives the laser its colour, and is the building block for CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and many other electronics.
Red lasers, like those used in CD and DVD players, are built on top of gallium arsenide wafers, while blue lasers for Blu-ray devices require a sapphire base on which to grow.

You can read more about the system here and check out photos below.

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This Wild Machine “Grows” Electronics

Good news: now you can pick up an Amazon Kindle 3G for the same price as the Kindle WiFi. Naturally, there’s a catch here: ads, ads, ads — but you’ve gotten pretty good at tuning those things out anyway, right? The online retail giant announced today the availability of the Kindle 3G with Special Offers, priced at $139 (down from $189 for the ad-free version) — best of all, that price includes the 3G subscription, which won’t cost you a thing, if you’re willing to wade through “money saving offers” and some adtastic screensavers. The new option joins the already announced ad-support WiFi model, which will run you $114 and replaces the $164 non-AT&T-sponsored 3G version. Press after the break.

Update: As Ahecht pointed out in comments, this new, cheaper Kindle is actually a replacement for the older ad-supported 3G model.

Continue reading Amazon Kindle 3G gets AT&T-sponsored ad-supported option priced at $139

Amazon Kindle 3G gets AT&T-sponsored ad-supported option priced at $139 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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