Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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Toshiba Excite 7.7 review
Jun 18th 2012, 18:00

Toshiba Excite 7.7 review

In its sophomore attempt at cranking out Android tablets, Toshiba has unleashed the Excite series, a trifecta of thin tablet terror, upon Terran territory. The tiniest of the Thrive-topping trio is the Tegra 3-toting Excite 7.7, a close competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. It's portable, sports a gorgeous AMOLED display and packs plenty of processing power. Unfortunately for consumers, there aren't too many tablets this small with this nice a display, which means it'll be much easier for Toshiba to be noticed.

Coming to the US on June 24th, the WiFi-only version of the 7.7 -- also known as the AT270 -- will be available for $500 with 16GB and $580 for 32GB. It's not the most flattering price tag, but the Tegra 3 and brilliant display help ease the pain your wallet may experience. But is it worth it? You know what to do: head on past the break for our detailed review.

Continue reading Toshiba Excite 7.7 review

Toshiba Excite 7.7 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)
Jun 18th 2012, 17:42

X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)

After more than a year of circling the globe, the US Air Force's X-37B has finally touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The unmanned, reusable space plane spent 469 days in orbit, performing a number of experiments (many of which are classified) before finally ending its lengthy run Saturday. What exactly the military has learned from the extended orbital excursion is unclear, but, like the Mars rovers before it, the X-37B turned out to be far more robust than many had anticipated. Its mission was originally intended to last just nine months, but its operators managed to milk about six more months out of the craft. While we wait to find out what the next step is, enjoy the video of it landing after the break.

Continue reading X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)

X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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InterDigital sells nearly 2,000 wireless patents to Intel, pockets $375 million
Jun 18th 2012, 17:19

InterDigital sells nearly 2,000 wireless patents to Intel, pockets $375 million

InterDigital (we interviewed its CEO last week) is selling off around 1,700 wireless patents and applications to Intel for $375 million. The company is making good on its promise to monetize its vast portfolio of IP, including technologies relating to 3G, WCDMA, HSDPA, HUSPA, LTE and 802.11 WiFi connections. It's a short in the arm for Intel's burgeoning wireless arm, which recently outed its first handset, the San Diego. It'll also strengthen the hand of the company in any litigation relating to the technology should the lawyers come knocking. So far it's not clear if the company is retaining an interest in the files its sold off, but we've reached out for comment and will let you know when we do.

Update: The company let us know that it's not retaining any interest in the patents that it's selling off. It also mentioned that the 1,700-strong portfolio equates to around eight percent of the company's overall IP holdings -- a number that it generates roughly every 18 months.

Continue reading InterDigital sells nearly 2,000 wireless patents to Intel, pockets $375 million

InterDigital sells nearly 2,000 wireless patents to Intel, pockets $375 million originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celestica phases out BlackBerry-related production for RIM
Jun 18th 2012, 17:01

RIM headquarters

If you were looking for signs of a turnaround in BlackBerry market share through the production chain, you'll unfortunately have to keep looking. One of RIM's manufacturers, Celestica, is planning to phase out its production for the smartphone maker through the next three to six months. The contractor is expecting a relatively small cost of no more than $35 million US. Despite the apparent hit, the departure isn't necessarily a sign of mounting trouble for Waterloo: RIM already said that it wanted to streamline its processes to save money, and consolidating its production efforts certainly fits the bill. We'd expect any bounce back in manufacturing levels to come nearer to the BlackBerry 10 launch, when the company hopes to widen its audience once again.

Continue reading Celestica phases out BlackBerry-related production for RIM

Celestica phases out BlackBerry-related production for RIM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China conducts its first crewed spaceship docking, gives southeast Asia its place in space
Jun 18th 2012, 16:42

China docks its first crewed space capsule, gives southeast Asia its place in space

Believe it or not, the only countries to have docked a human-helmed spacecraft in the first 50 years of spaceflight were Russia and the US. That small community just got bigger, as China's Shenzhou-9 has successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 module put in orbit for just such a test. The link-up is being used for experiments in the short term, but it's a key step in a program that will ultimately lead to a full-fledged Chinese space station. On top the wider ambitions, the docking also marks a victory for gender-neutral space travel: Liu Yang, one of three crew members, is the country's first female spacefarer. China's space program has a long road ahead, but it's clear the International Space Station won't be alone for much longer.

China conducts its first crewed spaceship docking, gives southeast Asia its place in space originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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