Datawind bringing UbiSurfer, PocketSurfer3 to the US

Remember Datawind's PocketSurfer and PocketSurfer2 handheld internet devices? Ever see one out in the wild on this side of the pond? Well, Datawind is hoping that it'll have better luck with its new PocketSurfer3 and UbiSurfer devices, which are both now apparently officially on track for a US release. The PocketSurfer3 (pictured above) is a fairly modest update to the PocketSurfer2, with it adding an improved screen and updated UI and, most perhaps importantly, a lower $249 price tag that also includes a year of free cellular usage (up to 30 hours a month).

The UbiSurfer, on the other hand, is a more traditional netbook-style device (check it out after the break), although it harkens back a bit to the pre-Atom days with a 7-inch screen, 1GB of storage, 128MB of RAM and an unspecified, presumably low-power processor. The good news, however, is that it includes the same year of free service as the PocketSurfer3, and packs an even lower $199 price tag. No word on a cellular partner involved in all of this, but Datawind says both should be available this October.

MoDaCo Android: HTC launch HTC Hero with 'Sense' UI

Time has come for the cell phones to surface with a new OS and HTC Hero happens to be the world’s first Android-based phone with a customized user interface HTC Sense to be integrated across a portfolio of phones beginning with HTC Hero.

In a review at engadget.com, they have stated that HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense™, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero™. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.

HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre, by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly observing and listening to how people live and communicate. ‘HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of today’s phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life,’ said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. ”HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, “it just makes sense.”’

HTC Hero

HTC Hero continues HTC’s leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you’re on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last, beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge-resistance and a longer-lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.
With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content, while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including AGPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a five mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.

HTC Sense

Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance people’s lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

Make It Mine

Make It Mine is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance-view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called ‘Scenes’ that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.

Stay Close

Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view, enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends’ Facebook status updates and photos, along with their Flickr photos are included alongside their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.

Discover the Unexpected

Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes ‘Perspectives’, a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.

Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet hands-on

Looks like the Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet has made it out of the labs (and controlled show floor settings) and into the hands of Crave UK, where thatseemingly-amazing resistive touchscreen continues to impress -- so much so that they initially thought it was a capacitive unit. We actually pinged Crave ed Nate Lanxon to find out what was up, and the real story appears to be a mystery -- either Archos PR is mistaken in telling everyone that it's a resistive screen, or the company has somehow improved the tech to the point where it's virtually indistinguishable from a capacitive display. Given our experience with previous Archos resistive touchscreen devices that felt like mush, we've got to say we're going with Occam's Razor on this and that it's really capacitive, but we're definitely ready to be proven wrong -- hey Archos, you feel like sending us a new toy to play with?

Lurking in the archives of last month you'll find details of the 9-inch Windows 7 tablet PCcoming later this year from French manufacturer Archos. Today, the wait to know how it functions is over, as we spent a morning fingering it. Oh, and we know now that it'll cost £450 for an 80GB model, and £500 for a 160GB.

First, a quick reminder of les autres caractéristiques. This is a tablet PC weighing 623g, featuring a 9-inchcapacitive touchscreen (that's the sexy kind, like the iPhone), an Intel Atom Z515 CPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, plus built-in DVB-T antennas, which should allow it to receive and store Freeview TV in the UK.

It feels like a solid piece of kit. Used as a weapon, you could probably knock a decent-sized mammal unconscious, up to and including a cheetah, though a musk ox would certainly be a step too far and require a full-size laptop. The capacitive screen -- which was running at 1,024x600-pixel resolution -- was responsive and allowed us to click around the Windows 7 release candidate without any real problems.

And because it's capacitive, you can safely ditch your stylus right now. Three of your finest cheers can be released in response to this news.

The on-screen keyboard takes up roughly half of the lower part of the screen when brought up. Again, as this is a touch-sensitive, as opposed to pressure-sensitive screen, tapping on a virtual Qwerty keyboard is relatively painless. Unless you're typing a novel, in which case using a touchscreen is about as enjoyable as having an eyeball removed.

Time was short this morning, so we didn't have an opportunity to benchmark or perform any kind of scientific tests dans le tablette, so check back for our full review in the coming weeks.

For now, enjoy the plateau of visual treats over the next few pages, as we explore the physical attributes of one of the most interesting French inventions since Madame Guillotine.

Update: We discussed the Archos 9 having a capacitive touchscreen, but Archos's Web site specifies a resistive screen that uses a stylus. This is causing us some confusion, so we're looking into it. If that screen was resistive, it may be one of the best resistive screens we've ever seen -- so good, and so sensitive, it had us believe it was capacitive. We'll update when we get confirmation either way.

Energizer USB clip to charge camcorder / DSLR batteries via USB

Energizer's Energi To Go catalog just keeps getting sweeter. After introducing a new range of XPAL battery chargers last month, the company is evidently gearing up to reveal what's likely to be its most convenient and altogether useful product yet. The USB clip you see above is designed to make contact with DSLR and camcorder batteries and provide juice via USB; in other words, it's like a portable, highly mobile DSLR battery charger.OhGizmo points out that you may need one of Energizer's USB-equipped battery packs to charge up the 7.4V cells, but at least we're still talking about a non-proprietary charging connector. Per usual, there's no mention of dollars and cents, but hopefully it'll be rolled out for less than a song

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 CPU Review

It was not too long ago that the web was buzzing with dual-core versus quad-core debates. Sides were taken and lines were drawn. At that time, one of the main arguments against quad-core processors was their high asking price. But as time passed and manufacturing refinements were made, costs steadily decreased and quad-cores found their way into the more mainstream market segments. And before you knew it, a price war was imminent.

Intel and AMD have been going at one another for years. With AMD unable to compete well at the ultra high-end of the market, however, their focus shifted towards the mainstream market segments. As always, Intel responded and their most recent salvo comes in the form the affordable Core 2 Quad Q8400 processor. Since the Q9400, a 2.66GHz Yorkfield quad-core, was already on the market, why did Intel feel the need to release another, affordable quad-core model? One reason could be to increase yield and utilize dies that would otherwise be discarded. Another reason would be to position another product at the same price point as AMD's. Whatever the case may be, competition is always good for the consumer as it usually drives prices lower and provides more options to choose from. With that in mind, let's take a look at the Intel Core 2 Quad8400 to see if it's worthy of consideration for your next build...

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Close Up

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Processor Specifications & Features

	Q8400
sSPEC number Core Frequency System Bus Frequency Clock Multiplier TDP (Thermal Design Power) Thermal Specification Number of CPU Cores L2 Cache Max Processor Input Voltage (VID) Manufacturing Process Total Die Size Packaging Instruction Set Extensions Extended HALT State (C1E) Enabled Execute Disable Bit (XD) Enabled Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) Demand Based Switching Turbo Boost Technology Hyper-Threading Technology Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) MSRP	SLGT6 (R0) 2.66 GHz 1333 MT/s 8x 95W 71.4C 4 4MB (2 x 2MB) 1.3625V 45nm 2 x 107mm² Flip Chip LGA775 MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1 Enabled Enabled Enabled Enabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled $183

---

45nm Yorkfield Quad-Core

There isn't a shortage of options for those on the market for a 45nm Intel quad-core CPU. From the 3.2GHz Extreme Edition QX9770 to the 2.33GHz Q8200, Intel has the entire price spectrum covered. Those looking for a low power option can also choose from the S-series processors, which sport lower 65W TDPs. Where exactly does the Q8400 fit in to the mix?

The Q8400 operates at 2.66GHz with a 333MHz front side bus speed. It is manufactured using Intel's 45nm process technology and has a 95W thermal design power (TDP). The CPU can operate using core ratios from 6 to 8 and has 4MB of L2 cache.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Top & Bottom

Intel's Q8400 fills the $180 price point in Intel's line up that competes directly with AMD's Phenom II X4 940 BE processor. But the Q8400 has a tough fight on its hands as the X4 940 BE runs at 3GHz and offers an unlocked multiplier.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 CPU-Z Details

CPU-Z reveals the processor's details and settings. Note the 4MB (2MB x 2) L2 cache shown above. This is the only difference between this processor and the more expensive 2.66GHz Q9400, which has 6MB of L2 cache. We will show you the performance difference between the two chips later on in this review.

Overclocking The Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Pedal To The Metal

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Overclocked to 3.92GHz

We love free upgrades. One of the best ways to get more performance from your PC is to overclock the processor. From a stock frequency of 2.66GHz, we overclocked the Q8400 to an impressive 3.92GHz using a TRUE 120 and 1.36V. We started with a 333MHz FSB and raised it slowly while testing for stability along the way. It wasn't until we passed 490MHz FSB that we ran into any issues so we backed it back down and settled for the 3.92GHz overclock. We would like to note that we stayed within Intel's recommended operating voltage (0.85V - 1.3625V) to achieve this overclock. With higher voltages and more powerful cooling, even higher frequencies are likely possible.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a VTech IS9181 WiFi radio

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a boomin' VTech IS9181 internet radio on offer, ready to stream jams from the world wide web when not playing back your MP3 collection. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Check after the break for some photos of the prize!

Special thanks to VTech for providing the gear!

The rules:

• Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
  
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) VTech IS9181 WiFi radio. Approximate retail value is $199.99.
  
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Wednesday, July 1st, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here

iBuyPower Intros Paladin XLC Gaming Desktops

Its a month since iBUYPOWER launched its gamer-centric M865TU gaming laptop, the outfit has now given the desktop gamers in attendance something to consider. So the gamers dreams are being answered? Wait till the end of this article which was originally posted at engadget.com to find it out. The liquid cooled Paladin XLC series is comprised of three well appointed models, the XLC V1, XLC V2 and XLC V3. All three of 'em are stored in the monstrous Coolermaster HAF 922 (the V3 gets a HAF 932), while even the lowest end model gets a Core i7-920 processor. Other specs include up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, as many as three NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, optional Blu-ray support and Windows Vista Home Premium. The trifecta can be ordered now for $1,399, $2,159 or $4,299 in order of mention.

iBuyPower has a thing for pushing out high-end gaming rigs, and its newest desktop is "extreme" exemplified. The Paladin XLC, which stands for Extreme Liquid Cooling," features a Coolermaster HAF 932 tower (which is truly monstrous), Intel's Core i7-975 processor and three NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs in a triple-SLI configuration.

The super-cooled machine is equipped with Asetek's 240mm radiator liquid cooling solution, which is paired with a pair of 230mm fans. In other words, you've got ample cooling in this thing, which is certainly good given the sheer amount of horsepower. There are three basic configurations, each of which pack a Core i7 CPU, 6GB+ of DDR3 memory and 1TB+ of hard drive space. There's also an optional 80GB SSD, a Blu-ray drive and choices for painted cases.

The Paladin XLC V1 gets started at $1399, while the V2 is priced at $2149 and the ultra-specced V3 sells for $4299.

iBUYPOWER Launches Paladin XLC “Extreme Liquid Cooling” Gaming Systems with Oversized Fans and Double-sized 240mm Radiator Liquid Cooling System

Paladin XLC V3 Features Coolermaster HAF 932 Full Tower, Intel Core i7-975 CPU, and three NVIDIA Geforce GTX 285 in Triple-SLI configuration

El Monte, CA – July 01, 2009 – iBUYPOWER one of the largest gaming PC manufacturers in the world, is excited to announce the super-cooled Paladin XLC line of gaming PCs. iBUYPOWER outfitted each system with Asetek’s 240mm radiator liquid cooling solution to keep the Paladin XLC running long and cool in a tundra-esque state. The double-sized radiator is paired with 2 massive 230mm fans, which turn at a virtually noiseless 800RPM.

“PC Cooling is a fairly simple concept, the cooler a system runs the better and longer it will perform,” said Darren Su, Vice President of iBUYPOWER. “The Paladin XLC systems were designed with advanced cooling systems to increase component lifespan, allow for higher clock speeds, and ensure a better gaming experience for our customers.”

The three configurations each feature an Intel Core i7 processor, 6 GB or more of DDR3 memory, and at least a terabyte of storage space. Paladin XLC customers also have the option of supping up their system with an 80 GB solid state drive for lightning fast boot times, a Blu-ray drive, a second 1 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive, or choosing from one of six iBUYPOWER exclusive custom painted case designs.

The Paladin XLC systems start at $1,399, and are available now at www.iBUYPOWER.com.

U2H-TC410B wall socket USB hub

While there's a place for USB hubs that double as a mousepad and calculator, it's sometimes best to just keep things simple, which is what Elecom has thankfully done with its new U2H-TC410B "wall socket" USB hub. Contrary to what that name might suggest, however, this one doesn't actually plug into a power outlet, but is instead designed to be mounted on a wall or the side of the desk and become a wall socket of sorts itself. Apart from that, it's basically just your standard four-port USB 2.0 hub and, as you can see above, it's available in your choice of black or white. Unfortunately, it's not priced like a run-of-the-mill USB hub, with this one running a somewhat hefty $39.99.

AMD's Phenom II X4 TWKR CPU for extreme overclocking lunatics

A new review and inside of X4 at engadget.com got released the other day. They state that AMD has recently cooked up a little something they like to call the Phenom II X4 TWKR Black Edition, a hand-picked, limited edition processor that is designed to be overclocked "to the extreme." Currently labeled "Not for Sale," with no serial numbers and only one hundred of these bad boys in existence, just a few lucky folks have got their hands on one, so we've dug up some reviews (and previews) so you can see what the fuss is all about.

According to the company, one of these guys could be pushed by 100MHz with air cooling, which doubles to about 200MHz with "extreme cooling." As far as impressions go, the reviewer at Neoseeker quickly decided that the units aren't meant to be overclocked on air only, and that dry ice isn't much better. Hot Hardware says pretty much the same thing. Though they weren't able to test with liquid nitrogen or liquid helium (the only way to get real speed) they did put a Koolance LN2 pot (and about 20lbs of dry ice) to the test for 4.73GHz. For best results, according to Tom's Hardware Guide, bench the the processor at -190°C or cooler.

New wireless "Broadband Bonding" technology

Mushroom Networks has been in the "broadband bonding" business for quite a while now, but we're guessing they're going to find a few more fans with their new wireless broadband gear, which promises the fastest cellular-based internet connection to date. Like the company's previous PortaBella device (pictured above, not exactly to scale), its new rig can combine up to four different cellular data cards into a single high-speed connection, but this one is fully portable (just over a pound) and, perhaps most importantly, it has an optional battery pack that'll let you be truly mobile with it. That, Mushroom says, makes the device ideal for a whole range of applications that can be a bit tricky with a single modem, like mobile TV broadcasting or temporary offices set up in a disaster area. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing just yet, but it doesn't exactly take much guesstimating to figure out that it's likely not the most cost-effective solution around.

PortaBella is now shipping and caters to markets demanding fast, reliable and secure portable Internet access such as:

• News-gathering agencies (DNG / ENG crews, outside broadcasting trucks)
• Mobile TV broadcasting
• CCTV
• Security and remote monitoring video cameras (business and consumer)
• Transportation and specialty vehicles (buses, trains, taxis, limousines)
• Maritime (commercial, private, and military)
• Point of sale / information kiosks (Internet kiosks, banks, gas stations, digital signage)
• Government agencies (FEMA, Department of Homeland Security, Office of National Capital Region Coordination – NCRC, and Department of Emergency Response)
• Temporary Offices (construction trailers, portable tent offices, unconnected commercial offices)
• Cellular backhaul to WIFI hotspots

Mushroom Networks is actively pursuing channel partners to expand PortaBella’s reach across its targeted verticals. For more information on PortaBella including a brochure available for download, visit the products section of the company’s website at http://www.mushroomnetworks.com.

Worlds Smalled LCD From Epson In Market

Epson's started volume production of what it believes to be the "world's smallest" XGA high temperature polysilicon TFT (HTPS-TFT) panel. The chip used (an L3P05X-91G00) is approximately 23 percent smaller than its predecessor, and the 0.55-inch panel boasts natural XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. Epson says they're working to increase the resolution on these types of displays, which are currently being manufactured only for 3LCDdata projectors. Pretty impressive -- though, we'll just hold out until they start putting these babies into really tiny television sets