Looks as if the Internet Explorer 9 Beta has now leaked on video, and — surprise, surprise — it looks exactly like Internet Explorer! If you were out hoping for a major overhaul, it looks as if you’ll need to pick a new wish to cross your fingers for. Design wise, the IE9 beta shown in the video past the break is no drastic departure from IE8, though the internals should obviously be revamped quite a bit. The rest of the world is still awaiting that September 15th launch date, but you and your impatient soul can watch an early build peak at 95/100 (so close!) on the Acid3 test with just a couple of clicks. Enjoy!

[Thanks, pradeep]

Continue reading Internet Explorer 9 Beta sees video demo, hits 95/100 on Acid3 test

Internet Explorer 9 Beta sees video demo, hits 95/100 on Acid3 test originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Internet Explorer 9 Beta sees video demo, hits 95/100 on Acid3 test is a post from: ChicagoMicro

We saw it this weekend for a fleeting moment, but thankfully one handy reader sent us copies of the product page for HP’s Photosmart eStation C510, which we can now confirm is the Zeus / Zeen printer and detachable tablet combination we caught wind of back in early August — and we’ve got some more details. Bad news first: as of a month ago, the Gmail app was missing and there was no support for Android Market, meaning the Zeen might not be an official “with Google” Android tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab. (The product page conspicuously lacks any mention of the OS, so we’re thinking Android might simply be the hidden-away base layer for the TouchSmart UI, making this thing super boring.) It does have the default Android browser and at least some custom apps for printing pictures from Facebook, Yahoo, and Snapfish preloaded, but we don’t know about anything else. Major bummer, but we’re told it shouldn’t be too hard for the community at large to root the sucker. Beta testing begins this month, so that all might change before the projected September 20th release. Here’s what else we know so far:

• The Zeen is a capacitive tablet running HP’s TouchSmart skin on top of Android 2.1 — it won’t get shifted to webOS, and it’s not clear if it’ll get upped to Froyo before launch given the development time required. It has capacitive touch buttons, an SD card slot, video support, and at least some prototypes have cameras with a special webcam app installed.
• We’re told TouchSmart will be locked in, but we don’t know how deep that’ll go — right now the standard Android homescreen is still accessible. That’s supposedly going away, so don’t get your hopes up for any native Gmail / Angry Birds use.
• E-reading is a major focus, and the Zeen has “significant” integration with the Barnes & Noble Nook bookstore and ecosystem. Makes sense, as the Nook itself is based on Android, and being able to print e-books from the Zeen would be a huge differentiator — and a great way for HP to sell more ink.
• The touchscreen is apparently not very accurate at all, and we’re told the overall experience is far less satisfying than a competent Android phone. Don’t expect this to replace your Droid Incredible for all at-home use.
• The Zeen will come in two configurations: a $399 bundle with a new printer called Zeus and as a standalone unit for an unknown price. The Zeus has its own “basic” control setup, but when the Zeen is docked it provides a rich interface to the printing functions — presumably a web-connected interface like the one HP’s been moving towards with other printers. (Note: the product page listed $399.99 but provided no indication what price the Zeen might go for solo.)
• Ship date is an estimated September 20th but due to some testing issues this may be pushed back.

Until HP comes clean and inks out the details for all the world to see, check out the product page in pictorial format below.

Exclusive: HP Photosmart eStation C510 is Android-powered Zeus / Zeen, may not run Gmail or Market apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: HP Photosmart eStation C510 is Android-powered Zeus / Zeen, may not run Gmail or Market apps is a post from: ChicagoMicro

Self-repairing solar cells could also fix our energy dependency originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Self-repairing solar cells could also fix our energy dependency is a post from: ChicagoMicro

There are plenty of QWERTY remotes out there, trying to be all fancy and make operating your TV more like operating a computer. They think they’re so clever, but they’ve all overlooked one important point: you’re dead sexy. Do they really expect you to rock a remote that any old ugly person could buy at Sears and point at their more-than-an-inch-thick LCD? Philips understands, and its Home Control division is launching the Dual remote just for you. It’s a pretty simple execution, with a minimal remote on one side and the full QWERTY on the flip. It’s a little hard to tell from the presser, but it sounds like there’s an optical track pad hidden somewhere on here as well. We also don’t have any mention of release date or price, but do details like that really matter? No, they don’t. Because this remote’s sexy. And you’re sexy. Problem = solved.

Continue reading Philips Home Control’s Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people

Philips Home Control’s Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips Home Control’s Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people is a post from: ChicagoMicro

Google TV set to launch this year, Samsung considering Android for its TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV set to launch this year, Samsung considering Android for its TVs is a post from: ChicagoMicro

Oh, sure — we’ve seen an Xbox 360 enclosure stuffed with x86 innards, but we can’t say we’ve ever seen anything quite like this. Gaming upstart Origin PC has just shattered every preconceived notion about its potential with the Big O, an appropriately titled luxury machine that combines a liquid-cooled gaming PC with a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 Slim. In one box. A pair of base configurations are available (though customizations are limitless), with both of ‘em rigged up to run the PC and Xbox concurrently. In other words, these bad boys can actually crunch SETI@home data while you explore the vastness of Halo: Reach. The $7,669 build includes an overclocked 4.0GHz Core i7-930 CPU, Rampage III Extreme mobo, twin NVIDIA GTX480 graphics cards, 6GB of Corsair memory, a 1,500 watt power support, 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner, two 50GB OCZ SSDs wired up as a boot drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 and bragging rights the size of Texas Alaska. For those still unsatisfied, there’s a $16,999 version that’s frankly too lust-worthy to spell out here (but is in the gallery below). Hit the source link if you’re feeling ambitious, but don’t blame us for blowing your kid’s college fund in one fell swoop.

Continue reading Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle

Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle is a post from: ChicagoMicro

Our eyes were drawn to an FCC filing this morning from a California start-up by the name of Zelfy; a quick glance at Zelfy’s site reveals that they’re in “stealth mode,” but the picture of a woman using an iPhone to control her TV should give you an idea of what these guys are up to. Indeed, digging through the filing shows a product called “Peel” whose central component, the “Peel Fruit,” is a small, battery-powered sphere of an IR blaster that connects to your home network router. Next, you download the Peel app onto the iPhone (or iPod touch) of your choice and control the Fruit over WiFi. The filing reveals little in the way of UI or functionality, but the product’s tagline is “every remote and TV guide now on your phone,” so we would assume that you’ll have access to your cable provider’s lineup and schedule from the app. More on this one just as soon as Zelfy decides to emerge from stealth mode, we suppose.

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you’ve been looking for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you’ve been looking for is a post from: ChicagoMicro

Did you know that Ford’s first electric car, the Comuta, was released way back in 1967? It was a perfectly goofy looking thing, with a top speed of 37mph and a range of 40 miles — if you didn’t go near that top speed. More of a concept than anything, only a handful were made available for sale, and at this point it certainly looks like the company’s immediate plans for EVs are similarly conservative. DailyTech pulled together an analysis of Ford’s future offerings in the electric and plug-in hybrid space and it’s obvious the Blue Oval is taking its time making sure the EV water is warm before jumping in. First up is the Transit Connect, a 100 mile range electric van intended for fleet use and, with a price well north of $30,000, not expected to sell in droves. Next will be the Focus Electric, due next year and, while this one will be substantially cheaper and more consumer-friendly, Ford execs expect it too will have low demand.

The primary reason for this is that Ford still believes that pure EVs are not ready for mainstream adoption, with battery technology unable to provide reliable power at the range of temperatures people actually want to go somewhere. The Focus Electric mitigates this with both liquid heating and cooling, but for now the company thinks the best mix is a traditional, power-split hybrid, where the gas engine can drive the wheels if the batteries can’t cope. That’s unlike the Chevy Volt, which is only driven by batteries. To this end Ford has a new, mystery plug-in hybrid vehicle coming in 2012. What kind of car? All we know is it’s “not a Focus.” That can mean only one thing: F-350 Super Duty PHEV edition.

[Photo credit: Ford Motor Company]

Looking back at Ford’s EV past, forward to the 2012 Focus Electric and a 2013 plug-in hybrid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking back at Ford’s EV past, forward to the 2012 Focus Electric and a 2013 plug-in hybrid is a post from: ChicagoMicro