Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Your 2 hourly digest for Engadget

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Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network
Aug 21st 2012, 18:48

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review

The future of Motorola post-acquisition may still be a mystery, but the manufacturer has managed to stay quite active over the last few weeks: it unveiled the Atrix HD, its first smartphone with an HD display and native ICS build, and there's already much anticipation around Verizon's Droid RAZR HD ahead of the holiday season. For the here and now, however, it's Sprint's turn to soak in the Moto love with the Photon Q 4G LTE. (Say it five times fast.)

Naturally, the name of the phone doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. As you'd expect, it's a follow-up to last year's Photon 4G that trades WiMAX for LTE and adds a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. What the name doesn't tell you, though, is that this phone costs a lofty $200 on contract, and features a qHD ColorBoost display (not to be confused with the Atrix's 720p screen, which uses the same branding). In other words, it's gotta be pretty good to have any success at that price point. How does the latest Googorola device hold up against the rest of Sprint's LTE lineup? Is it worth the premium? Follow us southward to find out.

Continue reading Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network

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Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Play gift cards officially announced, now rolling out to Target, RadioShack and GameStop
Aug 21st 2012, 18:28

Google officially announces Google Play gift cards, now rolling out to Target, Radio Shack and GameStop

We've seen hints of them in the Google Play app and some pretty clear evidence of them in the wild, and now Google has finally officially announced the availability of Google Play gift cards. Those are available in $10, $25 and $50 denominations, and will be rolling out to Target, RadioShack and GameStop retail stores in the United States over the next few weeks (no word on availability outside the US just yet). According to Google, they'll also be available on Walmart.com later this month, but not in Walmart stores for the time being. As you'd expect, the cards can be used to purchase anything on Google Play, including movies, music and books in addition to apps (or in-app items).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google Play gift cards officially announced, now rolling out to Target, RadioShack and GameStop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swann TrueBlue 4000 series D1 DVRs pack up to 8 cameras, 1TB of storage for home security
Aug 21st 2012, 18:11

Swann TrueBlue 4000 series D1 DVRs pack up to 8 cameras, 1TB of storage for home security

Home security may not have reached all-seeing aerial eye proportions, but Swann's TrueBlue 4000 series of D1 DVR systems can place up to eight digital peepers throughout your island fortress or humble abode. With a resolution of 480 x 704 pixels, the cameras offer "DVD-quality" video and feature night vision with up to 65 feet of visibility. Those hankering to remotely keep tabs on their homestead can load up the free SwannView app for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian to watch live video on mobile devices. Footage can also be viewed on monitors using HDMI or VGA connections and can be backed up through USB, eSATA or over a network. The maximum one terabyte of storage space nets continuous recording for up to 30 days -- or longer if the device's motion detection settings are flipped on. A 500GB base model with a quartet of cams rings up at $549.99, while the more expensive $649.99 and $749.99 models each pack 1TB hard drives and eight channel support. However, only the priciest of the trio comes packaged with the octet of cameras. Head past the break for the full PR and a glimpse of the rig in action.

Continue reading Swann TrueBlue 4000 series D1 DVRs pack up to 8 cameras, 1TB of storage for home security

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Swann TrueBlue 4000 series D1 DVRs pack up to 8 cameras, 1TB of storage for home security originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Motion 4G for MetroPCS hands-on (video)
Aug 21st 2012, 17:49

LG Motion 4G for MetroPCS handson video

The recent unveiling of that LTE-loaded Galaxy S Lightray doesn't appear to have slowed down MetroPCS, as the Texas-born carrier's quickly following up with yet another 4G handset to bring to its growing smartphone portfolio. Enter the economical 3.5-inch LG Motion 4G. Unlike the aforementioned offering from Samsung, however, the wallet-friendly network's now betting high on selling this new handset on the cheap and, naturally, is flaunting the "4G LTE For All" unlimited access as one of the device's biggest traits. But how exactly does it stack up in the real world? Well, the good news is we were amongst a select group of folks gathered at Manhattan's Andaz, and were lucky enough to take it for a quick spin. So head on past the break to get a better feel for our first, early-on impressions of MetroPCS' newest Android slab.

Continue reading LG Motion 4G for MetroPCS hands-on (video)

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LG Motion 4G for MetroPCS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face, protects grey matter (video)
Aug 21st 2012, 17:20

All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face

Bob Averill, who introduced us to the world of underwater hamster care, had a couple of other projects to show us during our visit to Portland, Oregon, including the All-Weather Motorcycle Helmet. What, you ask, makes a motorcycle helmet "all-weather?" Why, built-in heating and cooling, of course. Averill started with a standard Vega modular helmet, adding an evaporative cooler powered by a solar panel on top. The cooler pulls air from an intake on the helmet's side, sucking up more air at higher speeds and blowing it through a sponge, across the wearer's face. When things get too cold, there's a heater built into the liner, created from a heated mouse pad and powered by a lithium battery. Averill is looking to get the project mass-produced, but that's easier said than done, when it comes to a safety products like this -- and Kickstarter, apparently, isn't playing ball. Check out a video of the helmet after the break.

Continue reading All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face, protects grey matter (video)

All-weather motorcycle helmet heats and cools your face, protects grey matter (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET!
Aug 21st 2012, 17:00

Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET!

As Leno and Letterman always say, we've got a great show for you coming up as Richard Lai joins the mobile podcast crew to opine on phones from the other side of the Pacific. Okay, Leno and Letterman don't say that last part, but definitely the first. Regardless, tune in to today's mobile podcast for fresh news, reviews and rants from the week that was.

August 21, 2012 2:00 PM EDT

Continue reading Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET!

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Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Defy Pro arrives in Rogers stores for $275
Aug 21st 2012, 16:38

Motorola Defy Pro arrives on Rogers for $275,

Canadians who need a handset capable of withstanding the frantic hustle of life can now avail themselves of Motorola's Defy Pro. The "lifeproof" smartphone should be able to withstand water, dust and hockey sticks, with a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard working together in perfect harmony. While it's not yet online at Rogers, the chaps at MobileSyrup found units available in store -- setting you back $275 outright or from as low as a few pennies on the right contract.

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Motorola Defy Pro arrives in Rogers stores for $275 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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