While the world waits for a tried-and-true navigation app from Apple, XRoad is taking advantage of the situation by offering up its G-Map app in the interim. Kicking Tires decided to take the new software for a spin, and while the map quality took a pretty harsh beating, the overall offering was highly praised. More specifically, not every street name was present during testing, meaning that you had to rely implicitly on the turn-by-turn instructions if you weren’t familiar with your surroundings. Outside of that, however, it seemed to nail all the important points. Accuracy, routing, ease of use and design were all smiled upon, and it seems critics gave the street name snafu a bit of a break with the hope of future updates solving the issues. If you’re still a touch hesitant to drop your hard-earned cash, give that read link a gentle tap.

[Thanks, Ronald]

Filed under: Cellphones

XRoad G-Map iPhone navigation map gets reviewed, patted on the back originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s curiously cute IdeaPad Y650 has been shipping out to multimedia lovers everywhere for just under a month now, but if you’ve been holding tight until a legitimate review hit the tubes, here’s your sign. Computer Shopper managed to get ahold of one of these 16-inch beauties, and while it was disappointed in the lack of a Blu-ray player and 1080p screen option, it generally had positive things to say. The screen, though limited in resolution (1,366 x 768), was deemed “brilliant,” and the gesture-enabled touch pad was also a joy to use. It was found to be “surprisingly light” for a machine this large, and the attractive pricing made it all the more, um, attractive. All in all, it seems the Y650 is a solid choice for those looking for decent power, good looks and a large panel, but gamers and high-def junkies should probably turn their eyes elsewhere.

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo’s 16-inch IdeaPad Y650 reviewed: not bad at all originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yeah, we already heard that Dell’s Phenom II-equipped XPS 625 was a solid value, but what does that really mean? The testing fiends over at HotHardware sought to find out, and after putting this gaming beast through more tests than it ever wanted to endure, they mirrored most of the earlier (positive) sentiments. In fact, it was found to boast one of the best price-to-performance ratios out there, and the “minimalist” software installation definitely earned brownie points in our book. One thing that bothered critics, however, was the excessive amount of noise. We too have noticed that Dell’s ginormous XPS towers — which, by the way, reviewers also found to be unnecessarily heavy and unwieldy — can emit some serious decibels under heavy loads, but you’d think the engineers in Round Rock would’ve figured out a solution by now. Still, those quirks are probably small hassles to deal with given the savings compared to similar rigs, but we’d highly recommend digging into the read link just to be sure.

Filed under: Desktops

Dell’s Phenom II-equipped XPS 625 benchmarked to the hilt originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer’s Carcharias headset is yet another audio-related diversion for the input peripheral company, and as with its mighty impressive Mako 2.1 sound system, this here headset was remarkably solid. Originally announced at CES this year, this gaming headset is a multi-functional tool that works first and foremost as a two-way communication device for gamers who love to yap while fragging. Secondly, it can double as a really, really decent set of cans. The flip-down microphone can easily fold up and out of the way, and considering just how light these are, they can be worn for hours on end (trust us, we tried) without any sort of ear pain and unusual pressure on your dome.

The lengthy braided cable was slick, the in-line remote was a thoughtful touch and the headband was amongst the most comfortable we’ve had the pleasure of coming into contact with at this price point. When speaking with Razer CEO Robert Krakoff, he confessed that these were specifically designed to be worn comfortably for upwards of 10 hours, and we believe it. He also noted that customers were clamoring for deeper bass response in its headphone products, and yet again, it delivered in bringing the low-end to these cans. Not once did we feel the bass was magnified out of proportion, and while it’s obviously designed to let gamers feel the “booms,” we thoroughly enjoyed how it handled good ole rock ‘n roll.

All in all, we’re comfortable recommending these to PC gamers who could also use a new pair of headphones for music alone. At $79.99, these are solid enough to last you for quite some time, and the superior comfort level here is really what sets it apart. Razer may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think audio, but these are definitely worth a listen.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Razer Carcharias headset: unboxing and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba’s Qosmio X305-Q725, which was unveiled amidst a flurry of other gizmos at CES, boasts the same incredibly controversial motif as the higher-end X305-Q708, but with an MSRP of $2,700 (versus $4,200 on the Q708), it’s at least a wee bit more affordable. The benchmarking crew over at HotHardware decided to put this newer, marginally more affordable iteration to the test in order to see if it still performed under pressure, and by and large, it did. While it couldn’t go toe-to-toe with higher-end desktops, the GeForce 9800M GTX GPU, quad-core processor and SSD helped it to blaze through everyday tasks and hold its own in the gaming arena. Our biggest issue is the omission of a 1,920 x 1,200 display, but we suppose that’s why there’s the more expensive alternative. Hit up the read link for pages upon pages of test results and impressions.

Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 reviewed: a nice performer, but it’s still ugly originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP’s Mini 1000 Mi has been up for order since CES, but for those still waiting (and waiting) for a proper overview of the system before buying in can finally say that their patience has paid off. The netbook lovin’ crew over at jkOnTheRun has taken the time to showcase the aforementioned machine on video, going over the basics, the not-so-basics and the pros / cons of ownership. We’re going to warn you up front, though — the clip is darn near 20 minutes long, so you’ll certainly want to snag some cookies and milk before diving into the read link. That said, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better look at the Mi software without actually removing your keister from your chair, so it’s probably worth your while.

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 1000 Mi gets video review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanyo’s Xacti line of pocket-friendly HD camcorders have been almost universally praised… when shooting outdoors. When trying to log clips in dim light, however, the story has been quite different. The outfit’s VPC-HD2000, which was unveiled at CES this year, came out looking decently strong from PhotographyBLOG’s review. The handheld packed in “more features than you’d expect,” but the lofty price tag kept it from being a real contender. Sadly, the poor low light performance was grandfathered in, though the broad range of selectable ISO options were appreciated nonetheless. All in all, reviewers seemed to hold back on giving their wholehearted recommendation due to its price and the so-so image quality; in other words, you should probably avoid this one until its successor comes out, after which the MSRP may better reflect the benefits.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-HD2000 pocket camcorder gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C’mon, did you really expect Archos to knock this out of the park on its first go? Okay, so we sort of did too, but we’re not baffled to hear that the Archos 10 could’ve used a few more days in the oven before hitting primetime. According to a review at Laptop, the unit does have one of the better software stacks, and the speedy hard drive led to some remarkably hasty boost times. That said, the $399 admission price puts it up against some pretty stiff competition, with the Aspire One D150 and the Eee PC 1000HE both offering up more longevous batteries and more comfortable keyboards. In the end, it boiled down to critics preferring the long life and comfy typing over the above-average software suite, but true Archos fanboys may be willing to overlook its drawbacks to still fall in love.

Filed under: Laptops

Archos 10 netbook reviewed: a little rough around the edges originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Many wondered whether the unique LiveSpeakR would ever break through the concept stage; clearly, it has succeeded in hitting mass production, and our pals over at TUAW were able to spend some quality time with it. Hailed as a “super cradle,” this device can latch onto an iPhone (original or 3G), iPod Classic and iPod Touch. Once attached, it can provide audio horizontally or vertically, depending on how you’d like to spin it. During testing, critics found the audio quality to be surprisingly nice, with them even being “astonished that such a big sound was produced by such a small speaker system.” As expected, bass notes were a bit hush-hush, but reviewers did appreciate the RF shielding that enabled iPhones to remain on while not introducing buzz. All in all, they felt it was a bargain at $129.99 (and even more so at the sale price of $99.99), but we’d suggest reading the full spill before handing over your hard-earned dollars.

Filed under: Portable Audio

LiveSpeakR iPod / iPhone sound system gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s HDC-HS300 was unleashed amidst a flurry of other camcorders at CES this year, but according to Trusted Reviews, it won’t be hiding under the shadows of everyone else for long. Rather than bogging you down with details, we’ll just get right to the punch — critics didn’t hesitate to suggest that this “could well be the best [consumer] camcorder released all year.” The most important aspect (yes, we’re talking about image quality) was said to be “nothing short of stunning in virtually all conditions,” and low light performance was deemed “particularly amazing.” There were plenty of outputs, a swank touchscreen LCD and a very impressive cross-shaped array of microphones that could record 5.1 audio. Add all that up, and you’ve got a real winner; in fact, these guys suggested that even Canon’s stellar line of VIXIA camcorders should watch closely, ’cause the HS300 is stepping all up in that rarefied air.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic’s HDC-HS300 HD camcorder reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the world of low-end DAPs, it’s incredibly tough to find anything worth its salt. Believe it or not, Philips’ GoGear Spark is a so-called “diamond in the rough,” with reviewers at CNET noting that the respectable feature set and skimpy price tag ($49 for 2GB; $59 for 4GB) made it a good bet for those scouting a simplistic player for the gym. Specs wise, the 1.5-inch OLED display and “squeezable edges” make for a unique package, and unlike most bite-sized DAPs, navigating this one proved to be doable, if not enjoyable. We’re personally a bit more upset by its limited format support (MP3 and WMA only) than these critics, but again, this probably isn’t going to be your primary / only music player. Finally, the stellar sound quality and impressive 27 hour battery life really put the cherry on top, with the Spark netting a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Philips GoGear Spark gets reviewed: a diamond in the rough originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s 15.4-inch IdeaPad Y530 has been around the block a time or two, but if you’ve been putting off a buy as you wait for someone to test this puppy out good-fashion, your day has arrived. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware have abused (in a good way, of course) the Y530 in pretty much every way possible, even straining the Core 2 Duo CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M to see how they fared in gaming scenarios. Critics were particularly wowed by the display’s crispness and overall stability of the machine — not once during the gauntlet of tests did this bugger crash or weep under pressure. Of course, serious gamers should probably look elsewhere, but those scouting a do-it-all laptop at a sub-$1,000 price point should definitely dive into the read link below.

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 tested in every way imaginable originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a remarkably lengthy review penned in Russian, the NC20 is a real stunner. Somehow, Samsung managed to stuff six hours of battery life into a machine with a 12.1-inch display, which ought to please anyone truly looking for ideal netbook functionality. Of course, it didn’t fare so well under intense gaming pressure, and even the art of multitasking with three or more applications seemed to bog it down. That said, we are talking about a netbook (and not an ultraportable), and its ability to handle HD video was rather impressive in its own right. So far as we can tell, reviewers were pretty pleased with the overall package given the relatively low anticipated price (we’re hearing $500 or so for the US market), but you can draw your own conclusions by giving the read link a visit.

[Via Slashgear, thanks Brian]

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung NC20 sees foreign review, universal appreciation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know what you’re thinking — “great, another SSD.” Right though you may be, OCZ’s Apex line is rather unique. It manages to combine the low cost of MLC technology with the high performance more commonly associated with SLC designs by instituting a dual-controller RAID-0 configuration. The 250GB version that was tested by PC Perspective managed to hold its own, and while it still didn’t wow critics the way Intel’s X25-M did, it seemed to notch a very solid second place. In fact, they couldn’t help but recommend it (and the much, much cheaper 120GB sibling) for those scouting a speedy upgrade without completely decimating the bank account. We couldn’t possibly run down the results from the litany of benchmarks this thing endured, so we’ll just point you to the read link and suggest you slice out a solid half hour to really look this over.

Filed under: Storage

OCZ’s 250GB Apex SSD reviewed, recommended originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus’ E-30 just recently began to hit store shelves after being announced last November, and the shutterbugs at DigitalCameraReview have taken the liberty of critiquing it for all prospective buyers to see. The cam maintained the quirkiness that tends make an Olympus, well, an Olympus, but when it came down to actual performance, the DSLR didn’t disappoint… much, anyway. It should be noted that it couldn’t hold a candle to the D90 at ISO 3,200, so low-light fiends may want to look elsewhere. That aside, critics were more than pleased with the copious amount of features, the top-shelf focusing speed and the remarkable build quality. If it were priced a few hundies lower, it’d almost be a no-brainer, but with an asking price of around $1,300 at present time, it’ll be hard to sway the eyes of those already focusing on another shooter. Have a look at the read link for a few sample shot comparisons and the full writeup.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Olympus E-30 DSLR reviewed: distinctly different, but that’s a good thing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for something to pass the time, scratch that robotic itch and come in at under a Jackson? Look no further than WowWee’s Lightstar, the latest and greatest addition to the outfit’s growing FlyTech family. The robot lovers over at RobotsRule were able to get their grimy hands around this here flying blade, and while they weren’t expecting much for just $20, they came away delightfully enthralled. Essentially, there’s no way to steer the chopper, but you can vary the acceleration and bounce it off of walls in order to keep your brain stimulated and a grin on your face. The real excitement kicked in when all the lights were flipped off and the Pink Floyd was cranked to 11. For a look at what we mean, check out the demonstration vid just past the break — looks like $20 well spent from here.

Continue reading WowWee’s Lightstar flying blade reviewed: a cheap thrill

Filed under: Robots

WowWee’s Lightstar flying blade reviewed: a cheap thrill originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C’mon — you could tell from the product description that the 2Wire-built BlockBuster MediaPoint player would be a disappointment, now couldn’t you? A full month and change after getting unboxed, the latest entrant in the surprisingly meaty movie set-top-box arena has been reviewed by the AP. You know things are headed south when the reviewer starts off by stating that “three similar devices he tested over the past two years were all better than the MediaPoint.” In fact, he straight up called BlockBuster out for not being at least as good as units that came out years ago. What could possibly be so wrong, you ask? You can’t fast-forward or reverse content until a download is complete. The on-screen interface is downright “unattractive,” and it even looks blurry on HDTVs. The remote is said to be “cluttered with cryptic buttons.” Oh, and the critic couldn’t even figure out what content was in HD and what was in SD. We’d elaborate further, but there’s really no need.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Blockbuster’s MediaPoint player reviewed: unsurprisingly dissapointing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C’mon — you could tell from the product description that the 2Wire-built BlockBuster MediaPoint player would be a disappointment, now couldn’t you? A full month and change after getting unboxed, the latest entrant in the surprisingly meaty movie set-top-box arena has been reviewed by the AP. You know things are headed south when the reviewer starts off by stating that “three similar devices he tested over the past two years were all better than the MediaPoint.” In fact, he straight up called BlockBuster out for not being at least as good as units that came out years ago. What could possibly be so wrong, you ask? You can’t fast-forward or reverse content until a download is complete. The on-screen interface is downright “unattractive,” and it even looks blurry on HDTVs. The remote is said to be “cluttered with cryptic buttons.” Oh, and the critic couldn’t even figure out what content was in HD and what was in SD. We’d elaborate further, but there’s really no need.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Blockbuster’s MediaPoint player reviewed: unsurprisingly disapointing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C’mon — you could tell from the product description that the 2Wire-built BlockBuster MediaPoint player would be a disappointment, now couldn’t you? A full month and change after getting unboxed, the latest entrant in the surprisingly meaty movie set-top-box arena has been reviewed by the AP. You know things are headed south when the reviewer starts off by stating that “three similar devices he tested over the past two years were all better than the MediaPoint.” In fact, he straight up called BlockBuster out for not being at least as good as units that came out years ago. What could possibly be so wrong, you ask? You can’t fast-forward or reverse content until a download is complete. The on-screen interface is downright “unattractive,” and it even looks blurry on HDTVs. The remote is said to be “cluttered with cryptic buttons.” Oh, and the critic couldn’t even figure out what content was in HD and what was in SD. We’d elaborate further, but there’s really no need.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Blockbuster’s MediaPoint player reviewed: unsurprisingly disappointing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell’s 2209WA just surfaced a few days ago, and already we’re seeing the first review of said panel courtesy of CNET’s Australian branch. The 22-inch IPS display was said to boast “excellent color and viewing angles and great gaming performance” at a fantastic price point, with the only real knocks being the omission of 1:1 scaling and the inset design which occasionally caused reflections. Yeah, minor quibbles indeed. In fact, reviewers struggled to even find those, and they were downright giddy to hand out a 9 out of 10 rating along with this strongly worded quote: “This is the best 22-inch monitor we’ve seen.” ‘Nuff said, huh?

Filed under: Displays

Dell’s 2209WA LCD monitor reviewed, deemed king of 22-inchers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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