| OCZ Vertex 4 SSD released, wins calm praise on the review circuit Apr 4th 2012, 14:36  The Vertex 4 is a big deal for OCZ, because it's the company's first top-end SSD to come with an in-house Indilinx controller. We first saw this proprietary silicon put to good effect in the Octane drive a few months ago, and by most accounts the controller continues to hold its own in this new performance model. The drive will ship in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB varieties, with MSRPs of $179, $349 and $699 respectively, which stacks up well against Intel's 520 series. Bearing in mind that only the larger two variants have been sent out for review so far, the general feedback is that the Vertex 4 is reliable and indeed excels in certain key benchmarks like random write performance, which Anandtech describes as "incredible." On the other hand, read performance and some other real-world benchmarks were less earth-shattering, and most reviewers have been quite measured in their conclusions. Storage Review, for example, suggested that the new Vertex's attractiveness will grow over time, as pricing gets more aggressive and OCZ's decision to use its own controller pays dividends in terms of support and firmware tweaks. Check out the source links for all the usual benchmark graph goodness. OCZ Vertex 4 SSD released, wins calm praise on the review circuit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Storage Review, AnandTech, TechReport | Email this | Comments | | PlayStation Vita 1.66 firmware update rolling out now, minor UI tweaks in tow Apr 4th 2012, 14:23 Shortly after unleashing (and quickly pulling back) the PS Vita's v1.65 firmware update, Sony's rapidly rolling out a followup release. Version 1.66 brings with it a few UI tweaks, including tidbits such as the addition of a progress bar during app installs, notification alerts now only popping up for three seconds, plus the option to tap Retry / Cancel when running into troubles during location search. Games like Unit 13 and Gravity Daze will also see "functional improvements," while the Near app is getting a direct link to the PlayStation Store, making it easier to grab apps that other folks are toying with. The refresh is up for grabs now, so be sure to hit that System Software on your quad-core beast, or head over to the source below if you're in need of some guidance. PlayStation Vita 1.66 firmware update rolling out now, minor UI tweaks in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  The Sixth Axis | PlayStation Blog Europe | Email this | Comments | | SwiftKey 3 Beta launches, no space bar required (video) Apr 4th 2012, 14:00  Just when we thought our favorite Android virtual keyboard couldn't get much better, TouchType decided to prove us wrong by launching SwiftKey 3 Beta. If you're one of the product's 30,000+ VIP users, you'll want to get your hands on the company's newest creation right now, for free. What's new? The space bar is no longer required, for one -- Smart Space detects and corrects "miss-typed or omitted spaces across whole phrases." Paradoxically, that same space bar is now wider, just in case you're feeling nostalgic. Smart punctuation further enhances the UI, with language-specific improvements in tow. In fact, SwiftKey 3 offers support for seven new languages -- Korean, Estonian, Farsi, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian and Serbian (for a total of 42). Finally, you'll find two lovely new themes, Cobalt and the Ice Cream Sandwich-inspired Holo. We've been playing with TouchType's latest and greatest for a few hours now on both our HTC One X and our Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and we've stopped using the space bar completely. Did you notice? Wedidn'tthinkso. Check out the gallery of screenshot below, hit the break for a demo video and the full PR, then follow the More Coverage link to sign up as a VIP. Continue reading SwiftKey 3 Beta launches, no space bar required (video) SwiftKey 3 Beta launches, no space bar required (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video) Apr 4th 2012, 13:36 People used to say that cars in the '50s and '60s had fins, giant wing-like protuberances that designers grafted on to capitalize on the fledgling concepts of aerodynamics. Your fist impression of the Terrafugia Transition is much the same as standing next to a 1959 Coupe de Ville -- it's huge, and the giant vertical stabilizers on the back have a distinctly Cadillac feel. This, however, is different. Sure, it too is made in the US, but it's crafted of carbon fiber, titanium and aluminum, costs $279,000 and seats only two. Oh, and did we mention it can fly? It's making its major auto show debut this week and we got a chance to check it out. Follow us after the break for some grounded impressions. Continue reading Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video) Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Sonos listens to reason, drops dedicated controller in favor of smartphone apps Apr 4th 2012, 13:23 
Sonos will halt the sale of its pricey CR200 remote control from June 1st, after acknowledging that it's been nudged into obsolescence by free software controllers for Macs, PCs, tablets and smartphones. It'll honor warranties and issue software updates for the "foreseeable future," but CEO John MacFarlane indicates the decision was inevitable, having been brewing ever since the "early days of the iPhone explosion." That never stopped his company from selling the CR200 for a hefty $349, but then again he probably deserves some respect for finally making the call. After all, rival Logitech charges a premium for its own touchscreen-equipped Duet and Touch controllers, even if you only use them once during installation and then never go near them again.
Sonos listens to reason, drops dedicated controller in favor of smartphone apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | The Verge | Email this | Comments | |
