Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Call it Nintendo Darwinism: the evolution of the Wiimote over time due to survival pressures (or the simple desire to kick increasing amounts of undead ass). As a further example of the phenomenon, AcidMods’ Wii RapidFire kit adds full-auto functionality to either your A or B button, courtesy of a solitary chip and some pretty straightforward soldering. To sweeten the deal, they’ve added an on / off switch, and the old A button lights up to let you know when you’re in business. For some enticing photos and ordering info hit that read link, and be sure to check out some red hot video of the device in action after the break.[Thanks, Mark]
Continue reading Wiimote RapidFire mod makes it easier to act on your pixel-based bloodlustWiimote RapidFire mod makes it easier to act on your pixel-based bloodlust originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gabon Rep. Calling Cards

Filed under: Transportation
Yachts are usually pretty environmentally unsound, so the DSe Hybrid just debuted by Island Pilot at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show should be a real breath of fresh air (literally) if green is your thing. And apparently it’s really about as eco-friendly as it gets — using a combination of diesel, solar and electric power (when it goes into commercial production it will also boast wind turbines) the vessel can cruise at up to six knots on a sunny day for an indefinite period of time without any fuel and zero emissions. Possibly best of all (for those like us with delicate ears, anyway), it’s virtually silent when not running on fuel. If you need to get somewhere in a hurry however, its Parallel Hybrid Propulsion System in diesel mode will move at up to 13 knots. There are all sorts of “luxury” amenities on board including a 26-inch HDTV and totally ferocious Bose home theater system. Island Pilot is taking pre-orders now (you have to lay down $5,000 just to reserve one) for delivery in 2009, but fair warning: this thing has a price tag of $600,000.[Via gizmag]DSe Hybrid yacht is super eco-friendly, totally unaffordable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

El Salvador - CELL Calling Cards

Filed under: Cellphones
We’ll be completely straight-up with you: we don’t believe this for a second. Okay, maybe for a nanosecond, but not a full-on second. An unnamed source close to Motorola has reportedly informed Register Hardware that in order to maintain the AURA’s appearance of exclusivity, buyers will be required to “sign into a contract that states they can’t sell it on eBay.” As if that wasn’t preposterous enough, this so-called “source” also added that “if an AURA owner wants to sell their phone after they’ve bought it then they’ll only have one option: to sell it back to the manufacturer.” Even if this does miraculously prove true, we can’t imagine Moto actually doing anything should someone decide to sell, and besides, there’s always Yahoo! Auctions the flea market, right?Motorola to prevent secondhand AURA sales on eBay? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Botswana - CELL Calling Cards

Filed under: GPS
It’s hard to say if Amazon’s recent fire sale of the Dash Express was an indicator of all this, but Dash is making some serious changes, regardless. Reportedly, the outfit has slashed 50 employees — or around two-thirds of its workforce — which will leave 30 workers who will operate primarily in engineering and support. According to now-CEO Rob Currie (who has replaced founder Paul Lego by Lego’s choice), Dash “wanted to launch its device in the retail channel, but the economic changes made it rethink its business focus.” To that end, Dash will actually cease making and selling its own hardware, and instead it will “license its platform to makers of automobile on-board navigation systems, smartphones, netbook-style mobile internet devices and other consumer electronics.” So, what does it all mean? It could mean that the connected Dash platform is on the way to an automobile or cellphone near you, but we suppose only time will tell. As for existing Dash owners? Continued software updates and an online Dash Driver Network has been promised.Dash cuts 50 employees, drastically changing business model originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

St. Vincent Calling Cards

Filed under: Desktops
We’ve already seen a few benchmarks of Intel’s new Core i7 processor, but if you’re still craving some more details about Intel’s latest and greatest you now have plenty more than that to chew on, with reviews, overviews, and yet more benchmarks pouring in left and right. As you might expect, most sites are describing the CPU as a very big deal for Intel, with the folks at Maximum PC even going so far as to call it the company’s “most significant CPU launch in, well, ever.” What’s more, as those early benchmarks hinted at, it doesn’t look like there’s too many folks disappointed with the new processors, with even the “low end” Core i7 920 able to defeat the higher clock speed Core 2 Quad Q9650 “over and over” according to TechSpot, a feat due in large part to the CPU’s on-die memory controller and Intel’s new QPI technology. The first few systems shipping with the processor also look to have been fairly well received, with Slash Gear finding that Gateway’s new Core i7 920-based FX6800-01e delivered a reasonable but not revolutionary upgrade over its Core 2 Quad-based predecessor, and Computer Shopper also finding plenty of things to like in new systems from Falcon Northwest and iBuypower, though the price of each of those systems is another matter. That, of course, is just skimming the surface, and if you’ve got a few hours to spare, you can find plenty more to keep you busy by diving into the links below.Read - PC Perspective. “Nehalem Revolution: Intel’s Core i7 Processor Complete Review”Read - Techgage, “Intel Core i7 Performance Preview”Read - Maximum PC, “Core i7 Dissected and Benchmarked”Read - Computer Shopper, “Intel’s Core i7 Debuts: Systems, CPUs, and Motherboards Reviewed”Read - HotHardware, “Getting To Know Intel’s New Core i7, Video Spotlight”Read - HotHardware, “Intel Core i7 Processors: Nehalem and X58 Have Arrived”Read - TechSpot, “Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition review”Read - Custom PC, “Intel Core i7 - all you need to know”Read - SlashGear, “Gateway FX6800-01e Review”
Intel Core i7 review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Equator. Guinea Calling Cards

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Anyone remotely familiar with the KURO brand knows that with it comes the expectation of awesomeness (and a large price tag), and the question on everyone’s mind has been: will the KURO LCD line live up to the name? According to TrustedReview’s critique of the 37-inch KRL-37V, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The reviewers put together five long-winded pages detailing the ins and outs of this here set, but in general, they found that it produced better pictures than most other LCDs on the market today, and that’s saying something. Sure, it wasn’t without its flaws — there were occurrences where odd color tones popped up in SD footage, black levels weren’t astonishing and the viewing angles weren’t the greatest — but the colors in HD were simply terrific. ‘Tis a shame we North Americans will have to wait until sometime next year before we can even have a look for ourselves, but those in Europe may want to give this one some serious attention.[Via HDTV Lounge]Pioneer’s 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD reviewed: other LCDs should be scared originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nigeria Calling Cards

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
Yes, you’ve seen the unboxing and all other manner of granular coverage for Nintendo’s new DSi handheld, but now you can see the thing in action via the magic of YouTube. Embedded below is the requisite unboxing, a helpful browser speed test and a hopeless attempt at sticking in the R4 cart for a bit of homebrew. The good news is that the Japanese DSi fires up an English DS game just fine, so those slightly-confusing region lock concerns can be put to rest — certain DSi-specific games won’t work for everybody else, but the DSi fires up regular DS games from wherever with no problem. Import away![Via DS Fanboy]Continue reading DSi taken for a spin, wept over for lack of homebrewDSi taken for a spin, wept over for lack of homebrew originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bulgaria Calling Cards

Filed under: Cellphones
Why yes, FastMac — we want 24 hours of talk time, 72 of audio, 20 of video, and 31 days of standby on our iPhones and iPhone 3Gs. Throw in a camera flash that doubles as a flashlight, and the ability to charge a USB device like a Bluetooth headset right off the phone, and you’ve got a deal on this iV charging kit of yours! Oh, there’s a catch? It’s a wee bit bulky, with an aesthetic similar to that of mophie’s Juice Pack? Hey, it could be worse. This largification — along with $79.50 — is apparently the price you pay for digital endurance.[Via Macworld]iPhone gains battery life, camera flash, loses sex appeal with FastMac’s iV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Madagascar Calling Cards

Filed under: Transportation
It started out with allegations of stolen secrets and quickly gave way to plenty of jokes involving “bad karma” before ultimately winding up an in arbitration, and it now looks like the legal tussle between Tesla Motors and Henrik Fisker of Fisker Automotive has finally come to a close. That lawsuit, as you may recall, had accused Fisker (who worked on Tesla’s WhiteStar sedan) of stealing Tesla’s hybrid technology and using it in Fisker’s own car, the Fisker Karma. The judge in the case apparently couldn’t disagree more with Tesla’s claims, however, and has now cited “overwhelming” evidence in ruling in Fisker’s favor. For it’s part, Tesla simply said that, “we disagree with the ruling, and we’re focused on producing and shipping cars to our customers,” while Fisker is expectedly taking the opportunity to gloat a bit, saying that the ruling “completely vindicates” Fisker.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Judge sides with Fisker in Tesla arbitration case originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ukraine - Lvov Calling Cards

Filed under: GPS, Wireless
First comes the fallout at Dash, and now this. Apparently GPS manufacturers are finally caving to the realization that the vast majority doesn’t want yet another monthly fee tacked on in the form of a connected GPS — particularly when so many of the non-connected navigators work so well. TWICE has it that Magellan has “suspended development” on its Maestro Elite 5340 with Google Local search, noting that even though it “believes there is great promise in connected navigation, in the near term, consumers have shown an unwillingness to pay a steep price for PNDs, especially with the recent economic downturns.” If you’ll recall, we actually toyed with this very unit back at CES, and sadly, it seems those hands-on shots are as close as any citizen outside of the company will ever get to it.[Via GPSTracklog]Magellan suspends development on Maestro Elite 5340 connected GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lebanon Calling Cards