Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

It’s one thing to witness an HDTV under the watchful eye of the company that made it, but it’s an entirely different experience to get out on your own, with your own hand-picked sources, your own food stash and the freedom to really speak your mind. From what we’ve seen under Mitsu’s own conditions, the 65-inch LaserVue is truly a sight to behold, and even when the gurus over at TheTechLounge managed to see this thing in their own element, they were equally amazed. They wouldn’t go so far as to call it the best HDTV ever, but even when compared side-by-side with Pioneer’s heralded PRO-151FD KURO plasma, they found the laser-packed set to be superior in a few instances. The test subjects underwent a few grueling hours of Iron Man and Ice Age: Meltdown on Blu-ray, and at the end of the night, critics didn’t hesitate to recommend the set for anyone with loads of cash.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’ve had iriver’s SPINN laying around the Engadget HQ for a little while, and figure we’ve finally fiddled with the player enough to write down some impressions. If you’re looking for the one liner, here it is: we’re blown away by the beauty of the hardware, but the barebones player software, lack of an “ecosystem,” and hefty price really hurt its chances with the mainstream. Full thoughts after the break.

Continue reading iriver SPINN review

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

If you’re not in the UK, chances are that you haven’t really paid attention to the teeny, tiny fact that Nokia’s long-awaited Comes With Music download service launched today. Regardless of your ignorance to the facts, the all-you-can-eat music service has been activated for users across the pond who forked over the poundage for a CwM-equipped 5310 XpressMusic. Early impressions are actually pretty great, with critics finding themselves pleasantly surprised with just how intuitive the navigation was. MusicAlly did point out that these “free” tunes weren’t transferable to blank CDs — when they tried, they got a message notifying them of epic failure. At any rate, the reviews are sure looking good for Nokia right out of the gate, though only time will tell if people will take notice and buy into yet another music service.

[Via CNET]

Read - MusicAlly impressions
Read - NetworkWorld impressions

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Filed under: Laptops

Late last month, we found that Toshiba’s Satellite NB100 netbook was making a beeline to the UK, and while a press shot is well, fine and good, there’s just nothing like a little hands-on action to get you salivating. The crew over at TrustedReviews made it over to Zurich for Tosh’s first ever Mobility Conference, and the star of the show wasn’t one of those new Portégé machines or the Tecra R10; rather, it was the 2.29-pound NB100. Of note, the unit shown was a pre-production rig that shouldn’t change much before it’s loosed on the public, and contrary to earlier reports, it will boast three USB sockets to bring it in line with most of its closest competitors. Unfortunately, early impressions were that the keyboard was lacking, and the glare-filled display wasn’t exactly smiled upon. Check the read link for additional shots and a few more blurbs.

[Thanks, Patrice]

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Filed under: Laptops

We’ve had a chance to spend a little time with Apple’s new laptop offerings, and we wanted to give you a taste of what’s changed — and stayed the same — in the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Included after the break is a rundown of our impressions. We’re going to be doing a longer, thicker, more exciting review in the very near future, but this should give you an idea of what to expect if you’re planning on diving into one of these anytime soon. If you just want to get into the heavy stuff, you can hit the galleries below for a thorough look at the hardware.

If you’re wondering why the color temperature seems to vary in the photos, we shot it at the Revision3 studios while filming a segment for Tekzilla and they kept changing the lights (lovely folks, lighting changes notwithstanding).

Continue reading New MacBook / MacBook Pro unboxing and first impressions

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Filed under: Cellphones

Oh sure, you’ve already read over our (and Ryan Block’s) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile’s G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he’s penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the “review” is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a “SideKick on massive steriods,” albeit one with a minty fresh OS. Speaking of, he also states that the handset “doesn’t run as smoothly as you would think,” asserting that some of the applications “suttered” upon opening. We’re also told that it requires a reboot from time to time just to keep things humming along, but we’re hoping all of these quirks are just part of the Rev. A rigamarole. It’s glaringly obvious that the user adores Android (and the phone, too), but we can’t help but hope these niggles he speaks of are addressed in short order.

[Thanks, Oscar]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’ll be frank — Mitsubishi’s 65-inch LaserVue L65-A90 was one of the most stunning things we saw at CEDIA 2008, so we’re not surprised to hear that one of the very first production units impressed the lucky folks over at TheTechLounge. Said individuals were able to take a first-hand look at Mitsu’s forthcoming beast, and while the situation was obviously optimal for viewing, they couldn’t help but praise the TV. The demonstration included two LaserVue sets, one of which was displaying 3D 1080p content from an HTPC and another that was setup beside LCDs for comparison. When staring at the aforesaid comparison setup, critics noted that “color performance on the LaserVue was noticeably more impressive.” There’s lots more reaction and images where this came from, so delve on into the read if this here set is on your wish list.

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Filed under: Laptops

It’s not too often we get to toy around with a $4,449.99 laptop (these start at around $2,000), but that’s precisely what we were able to do when Sony’s packed-to-the-hilt VAIO TT (VGN-TT198U to be precise) arrived on our doorstop. The model we received included dual 128GB SSDs, a Blu-ray writer, 11.1-inch LED-backlit display, HDMI output, built-in MOTION EYE webcam, 802.11n WiFi, a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Bluetooth and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. The 2.87-pound unit is essentially a huge thumb of the nose to netbooks everywhere, boasting a frame that’s in the same ballpark (in terms of size) with innards and a price tag that contrast sharply. For those just interested in seeing what south of five large can buy you these days, head on down to the gallery below; if you’re actually considering one of these puppies, hop on the past the break for a few impressions.

Continue reading Sony VAIO TT: unboxing, hands-on and impressions

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Filed under: Robots

WowWee goes out of its way to make one thing very clear about the Rovio: “this is not a toy.” That being said, it doesn’t make the patrolling sentry any less fantastic, as critics over at Robots-Dreams proclaimed that it was “intuitive and a pleasure to use from the moment you first open the box.” From the painless setup process to the unparalleled mobility, reviewers sounded like they were grinning from ear-to-ear during the entire writeup process. It performed its robotic sentry duties with vigor and valor, and the review crew couldn’t help but note that this bugger was “positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come.” In other words, if you’ve been on the fence about dropping three bills on this thing, all your worries about it potentially sucking just got thrashed.

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Filed under: Laptops

We knew the ASUS N10 was a burly fellow when we took some street corner shots of it earlier this month, but we never even thought to toss Call of Duty 4 on there and waste away a solid 12 hours in online war zones. Thankfully, the blokes over at Mobile Computer did think to try that, and the results weren’t half bad. ‘Course, that discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9300M graphics set didn’t hurt, and if you’re sick enough to really buy a netbook for gaming, this one should probably be atop your list. At any rate, a rather in-depth hands-on video awaits you in the read link — go in expecting keyboard impressions, disappointment with the glare, and a few good minutes with an FPS and you’ll leave happy.

[Thanks, Rex]

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Filed under: Robots

Erector’s WiFi-enabled Spykee robot hasn’t even begun to ship to mere mortals just yet, but through some random acts of wizardry, Sven was able to grab hold of one and give it the ole unboxing / impressions treatment (on video, no less). It could be the novelty factor, but he seemed pretty stoked with the whole package, and the clip waiting in the read link gives some real hard-hitting insight as to whether or not this $300 character deserves a spot in your family. Give it a watch, won’t you?

[Via RobotsRule]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/design/T_Mobile_G1_impressions_Engadget’; T-Mobile, HTC and Google stood hand in hand yesterday to debut the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. It felt a bit like a new era for the mobile industry — though the rollerblading seemed a tad out of place — with high-profile companies backing a Linux-based, touch-driven mobile OS, and spouting the word “open” every two sentences. But, naturally, high aims alone don’t build a killer phone; there are a lot details to get right, and a lot more that Google and company have seen fit to leave in the hands of developers. Let’s take a look at what’s working so far, and what might need some more time in the oven:

Continue reading T-Mobile G1 impressions: what we love, what we don’t

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Be honest here, GoLive2’s Stix didn’t stand a chance at being taken seriously, and even when one reviewer attempted to have fun with the unashamed Wiimote knockoff, he failed epically. The Stix 200 looks strikingly like Nintendo’s accelerometer-packin’ controller, though this 2D-only rip was seen as “a set of slightly unresponsive, highly inconvenient arrow keys” rather than an exciting new controller. The PC games that can be played with the device are equally dreadful, and while the 3D-capable Stix 400 might be able to make up for some of the 200’s shortcomings, we can’t wholeheartedly say it’s even worth the effort to check out after reading this review.

[Thanks, Robert]

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Filed under: Laptops

After giving the new IdeaPad U110 its 15 minutes of fame in front of the camera, we got down to business. The 11.1-inch ultraportable is built like a tank — a really, really lightweight tank. The uniquely-designed lid and (overly) glossy motif is a welcome change for Lenovo, but after a good bit of use, it’s easy to see this one won’t appeal to the masses. Click on for the full rundown of impressions and notes (and a video, too).

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad U110 overview and video

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Filed under: Handhelds

You’ve already tuned in to see Nokia’s newfangled N82 get unboxed on video, so here’s yet another one to feast your eyes on. HP’s kinda-sorta delayed iPAQ 100 has finally made its way out (in a non-commercial box, though) to be pored over, and PocketPCThoughts took the time to carefully unbox the unit, spin it around a time or two and toss out a few first impressions for good measure. Granted, you’re not likely to find any edge-of-your-seat suspense here, but those still on the fence about picking this thing up can hopefully get a better feel for it after peeping the video posted beyond the jump.

Continue reading HP’s iPAQ 100 series gets unboxed on video

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