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Believe it: $70 at Target takes home a new Philips (eh hem, Funai) BDP5010 Blu-ray player that once sold for as much as $250. Hell, it's listed for $139.99 right now on Target's online storefront. If you do manage to track one down in a real life Target store then you'll be getting DivX support, a SDHC card reader, BD Live, and HDMI CEC convenience. While a quick search returns a bevy of mixed reviews (image quality is only so-so), really, for $69.98 you really can't complain if you're looking to finally make the jump to 1080p physical media.

[Thanks, Keith B.]

Philips BDP5010 Blu-ray / Divx player drops below $70 at Target originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get ready for some buyer's remorse if you're one of the thousands who pre-ordered an iPad last Friday: your soon-to-be new toy already pales in comparison to the $19,999 diamond-coated iPad from Mervis Diamond Importers. What you have here is a stock unit of undisclosed specifications that's been coated with 11.43 carats of G/H color diamonds rated VS2/SI1 for clarity -- not exactly top-shelf stuff but chances are you'll be so transfixed with the amazingly beautiful user experience you won't notice the flaws. This poor iPad is just the latest in a long line of ridiculously expensive gadgets made more luxurious (many of an Apple persuasion) and is every bit as tasteless as the rest.

World's first diamond iPad tries to deliver that magical experience originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's successor to the Vaio W netbook made its debut a little prematurely earlier this month, which has now been followed by its first unboxing and preview. Encased in an appealing matte black plastic, the Vaio M is set for an April launch in the UK at the very reasonable £300 ($456) price point. Unfortunately, the drop in price also means a lower-res 1024 x 600 display, while the W's chiclet keyboard has also been replaced with a more conventional typing surface. With 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 250GB storage drive, Sony seems to be giving us the bare minimum here, but that's alright with us -- let's just make sure this thing actually has a battery that lasts, shall we Sony? The original article doesn't seem to be up anymore, but give the Google Cached source a click for some more pictures.

Sony Vaio M and its Atom N450 heart get unboxed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm isn't typically in the business of producing consumer-facing hardware -- the company prefers to just build the chips that make your devices go "vroom" -- but we've come across a patent application that details just such an idea. The multi-fold mobile device can be seen as either a foldable tablet or an expandable cellphone, but in either case its purpose is clearly to act as a hybrid device that performs both roles. With all least two displays on its three panels, this concept will also automatically reconfigure its UI based on a folding configuration sensor, and Qualcomm suggests you might also use it as a widescreen TV display, an alarm clock, a media player, or a web browser. Click past the break for a couple more suggested use diagrams, and feel free to write to Qualcomm with demands that this be put into production pronto.

Continue reading Qualcomm's multi-fold mobile device is the future we keep waiting for

Qualcomm's multi-fold mobile device is the future we keep waiting for originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unless you're a fan of high-tech jewelry, few things are as irksome as an overblown wristwatch design (we're looking at you Tokyoflash). While a binary timepiece will certainly up your geek cred, it's not very useful for providing at-a-glance information. Robert Dabi's Zero concept above, however, remains simple, beautiful, and amazingly enough, useful, all that same time. Practical too if he can coax a batch of round LCD displays into a production run. More pics and video after the break.

Continue reading Zero watch concept perfects the minimal timepiece

Zero watch concept perfects the minimal timepiece originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The good people of Tesla couldn't leave us with just stock studio photography of their new TAG Heuer special edition vehicle, oh no. They've treated us to a full gallery of the car out on the road, sporting its new regalia and that radical paintjob with pride. To remind you, the only special thing about this edition is indeed that TAG Heuer has reskinned its exterior, while a center console mount for a Meridiist phone and room for a Limited Edition Stopwatch can be classified as product placements for the crowd who'd buy things just because there's an allotted space for them. Anyhow, a couple more pictures await after the break (sans that silly flare on the Tesla logo above) or you can hit the source for the full experience.

Continue reading TAG Heuer's Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road

TAG Heuer's Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though cheap Android craptablets were a commodity item at CeBIT 2010, that doesn't mean we didn't find the occasional diamond in the rough. Specifically, the Hanvon Touchpad BC10C, a sleek, multitouch Windows 7 device with specs firmly entrenched in high-end netbook territory. Thanks to our friend jkkmobile, we now know exactly what's powering this thing -- a comparatively juice-gulping 1.3GHz Celeron M ULV 743 CPU and GMA4500 graphics -- and that when it comes to the US and Europe, it'll cost a little more than we thought, hovering around $877. Mind you, that price bump might be worth it when you consider just how smoothly the 10-inch tablet performs (peep 1080p video and Microsoft Surface Globe demos after the break) but also know your YouTube surfing sessions will be limited by a simply sad 3.5 hours of battery life. For when "mobile" isn't an important word in your vocabulary... the BC10C launches in China March 25th.

Continue reading Hanvon's multitouch tablet previewed, surfaces in China March 25th with 1080p playback

Hanvon's multitouch tablet previewed, surfaces in China March 25th with 1080p playback originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not much here in the way of verifiable detail but we're hearing that a CDMAified Nexus One is en route to Verizon (or Google's warehouses, anyway) from HTC's factories. The Economic Daily News (EDN) adds that Verizon will begin to "market" Google's superphone this month or in April at the earliest which lends some credibility to that March 23rd date tossed about previously. As for the Vodafone branded handset; EDN says HTC will ship it "soon" -- something we've been hearing since January.

Nexus One shipments headed to Verizon, Vodafone soon? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been something of a long road to this point (beginning with the company being founded by some laid off OpenMoko employees), but Qi Hardware's ultra-compact, open source Ben NanoNote (actually, 本 NanoNote) is now shipping for just $99. That will get you a bare bones device that can simply be used as a Linux-based "handheld laptop" out of the box or, as the company hopes, be turned into anything from a PMP to an offline Wikipedia device. Something along those lines would seem to be the most practical, considering the device only has a 3-inch 320 x 240 display, along with some similarly basic specs including a 336 MHz XBurst Jz4720 CPU, 32MB of RAM, 2GB of flash storage, and a microSD card slot for expansion. Head on past the break for a look under the lid.

Continue reading Qi Hardware's tiny, hackable Ben NanoNote now shipping

Qi Hardware's tiny, hackable Ben NanoNote now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony intro'd some 3D Bravia HDTVs a while back, and while that didn't really whet our appetite an LCD with built-in storage is always palatable. To be released by Sony Japan, the BX30H is available in in up to 32-inches and packs 500GB of storage -- not particularly earth-shattering, but it should prove useful for DVR-ing episodes of The Marriage Ref. [Did we say that? We meant WWE: Raw.] Available in both colors (black and white), this model is, sadly, only available in Japan. For those of us stuck in the states, the BX300 is available in 22- and 32-inch sizes (and only in black). All of the above feature a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, CCFL backlighting, 720p HD resolution, 5.1 channel audio output and more. Yankees can expect to pay $279 for the 22-inch or $419 for the 32-inch, while prices in Japan TBA.

Sony Japan unveils Bravia HDTVs with 500GB storage, Sony USA unveils no such thing originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now, these may have been around for ages, we can't really be sure because, truth be told, it's pretty rare for us to troll the aisles of Kohl's makeup section looking for KIRFs. Regardless, a helpful, hawk-eyed reader snapped this shot of an eyeshadow palette -- called eyemobile -- that's got the distinct iPhone aura going on, though we're 100 percent certain this is an unauthorized use case. It's hard to say from the photo, but it also looks like there's a lip gloss palette in the background (which we assume is called lipmobile), and that, friends, we would pay money for. Lots of money.

[Thanks, Bill]

Keepin' it real fake: iPhone hits discount retailers as an eyeshadow palette originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you desperate for an iPad-like device, short on cash, and long on the desire to completely jack up your netbook? Well you're in luck, friend, as the proprietor of MSI Wind fansite Insanely Wind has crafted a device which may satiate your tablety desires. By taking a U100, removing the keyboard, relocating a touchscreen display to the bottom half of the unit, and doing some simple rewiring, user alexbates has fashioned a tablet which he says bests a device like the iPad or JooJoo with "10 times the storage, twice the speed, external video (VGA), webcam, USB ports, and built-in multi card reader." Of course, as you can tell by the photos, this mod has a ways to go before it's got the fit and finish of the aforementioned devices, and you'll have rev up a compatible, hackintosh build of OS X to make it appropriately Apple-ish -- but it can clearly be done. While this isn't the first time we've seen this type of modification, it's nice to see the love spreading to various devices (and done in a fashion that doesn't seem overly complicated). From the sounds of things, this project hasn't hit its zenith yet, so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for a more complete variation of the Windlet (our name). For now, hit the read link and keep up with the unfolding saga.

[Thanks, MistaBishi]

Wind U100 magically modded into tablet-thing, iPad UI along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're not going to engage in too much wild speculation on this piece of information, but there are certainly a few raised eyebrows in Engadget-land right now. Apparently Plastic Logic is no longer offering pre-orders of its QUE proReader, as a tipster of ours discovered while trying to push through his order of the $799.99, 8GB / 3G version of the large-screen device. According to the order page "Pre-orders are sold out. QUE will be available online and in select Barnes & Noble stores this summer." This of course comes on the heels of news that the company would be further delaying the ship date from mid-April to summer related to "fine-tuning" and "enhancing the overall product experience." So our minds aren't exactly at ease, as we're trying to understand why a company wouldn't just caveat pre-orders by letting people know there's been a run on supply -- though it's possible that Plastic Logic is doing separate batches for mail order and in-store, and just needs to pace themselves. We've reached out to the company for comment, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear back.

[Thanks, Clive]

Plastic Logic QUE proReader pre-orders halted? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's quietly unleashed three new 1080p resolution-boasting monitors. Up first, the 21.5-inch L2261 Wide LCD, a pretty basic affair with VGA and DVI inputs. The L2361p Wide is 23-inches, with a more stylized look than the L2261, with integrated speakers and microphone, a webcam, and three USB 2.0 ports. Finally, the real star of the show, the L2461X Wide is a 23.6-inch, multitouch display. It also has integrated speakers and microphone, a 2 megapixel webcam. There is no official pricing or availability information for any of these bad boys yet, but there are two more images after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo unleashes three new monitors, one boasting multitouch

Lenovo unleashes three new monitors, one boasting multitouch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Push-up bars for the Wii Balance Board? Now that sounds like a fantastic idea -- just the thing broad-shouldered individuals need to play Wii Fit without backstrain. Too bad this particular set of bars isn't worth the plastic it's printed from. The latest and greatest from the minds in the chintzy plastic peripheral industry, the $25 CTA Digital Wii Push Up Bar is held in place by only your weight and a few foam strips without reinforcement of any kind, meaning it could detach itself with any significant exertion. The only good that comes out of all this is an embarrassing video demonstration after the break, which features a pair of smiling humans pretending to have fun with the contraption. QVC, eat your heart out.

Continue reading Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars

Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We heard back in January that Sony was looking to reface itself somewhat by introducing a minty fresh retail look that takes a note or two from the Apple and Microsoft shops already in existence, and for those lucky enough to find themselves in Nagoya this weekend, you can check it out in person. March 13th marked the opening of the all new Sony Store Nagoya, and with an ample of amount of glass, white demo stands and black overhead signs, it's certainly one of the more seductive retail shops that we've seen. We'd bother knocking Sony for following instead of leading, but considering just how far the brand has fallen over the past couple of years, we're just stoked to see it putting forth an effort to turn things around.

Sony opens idyllic new retail store in Nagoya, Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Longer battery life is high atop our list of gadget prayers, and the brainiacs at Stanford are one step closer to making our dreams come true with a new lithium-sulfur technology. Half of this trick lies in the silicon nanowire anode that the same team developed back in 2007, whereas the new cathode consists of a similarly commodious lithium sulfide nanostructure. Compared to present lithium-ion batteries, Stanford's design is "significantly safer" and currently achieves 80 percent more capacity, but it's nowhere near commercial launch with just 40 to 50 charge cycles (Li-ion does "300 to 500") due to the compound's rapid degradation. That said, we're promised a theoretical quadruple boost in capacity as the technology matures, so until then we'll keep that hamster running in our backpack.

Stanford develops safer lithium-sulfur batteries with four times the charge of lithium-ion cells originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, that was quick. Just weeks after hearing that Tesla would be nixing Roadster production prior to the world ending, it looks as if those planning to blow their life savings in the next 18 or so months took issue with the intentions. So much so, in fact, that Tesla has now "negotiated agreements with key suppliers that will increase total Roadster production by 40 percent and extend sales into 2012." Better still, the iconic electric supercar will soon be hitting Australia and Asia, so even if you hit the relocate button in the next little while, you should still be covered should you choose to buy (or lease) in.

Tesla switches gears, plans to keep Roadster till 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know what's better than a stock 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU? Not much, but we're guessing that a 4.3GHz overclocked version of the same chip just might be. If you're thinking the same, and you've got $1,044 to spare in order to find out, upstart gaming rig maker Origin PC has the means to get it to you. The outfit's Genesis desktop can now be ordered with Intel's freshest slab of silicon for $895, or you can snag an extra gigahertz for another $149. We know you'll make the right call.

Origin PC offers overclocked 4.3GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition on Genesis desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even if your handset of choice won't be eligible for upgrade to Windows Phone 7, there's no reason you can't enjoy the look and feel of Microsoft's latest and greatest with a well-executed skin, right? Looks like Jaxbot's Windows Phone 7 Series Theme is available in passable beta form -- great news for any and all of you jealous WinMo 6.5 users who might be reading this -- and it can be had right now (as in now!) at the XDA Developers forum. Want to see it do its thing? Peep the video after the break.

Continue reading Jaxbot's Windows Phone 7 Series Theme now available in beta (video)

Jaxbot's Windows Phone 7 Series Theme now available in beta (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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