Recent Comments:
Purported Motorola roadmap uncovers Sholes Tablet, Motus and other mythical mysteries {Engadget Mobile}
Oct 14th 2009 1:12PM Exactly. The slide shows that both the "Sholes" and "Sholes Tablet" share the same 3.7" display, so clearly "tablet" doesn't mean something bigger, it just means a tablet shape, as in no sliding keyboard. What's hard to believe about that?
In fact, it implies that they replaced the keyboard with a better camera, which is sensible and common. Witness the difference between the HTC Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2.
Sprint temporarily loses its mind, wants $250 for Samsung Instinct HD {Engadget Mobile}
Sep 24th 2009 1:45PM It captures 720p30 HD video. It also has an 80 fps mode (at lower resolution) and outputs over HDMI (with an adapter cable) at 720p.
Verizon's Samsung Omnia II pictured, drops cubic center button {Engadget Mobile}
Sep 22nd 2009 7:56AM A "shield"? That's generous. The new d-pad shape reminds me of a fat lady in a thong. Eww. I have no desire to be pressing on something resembling camel toe when I use my phone. Pass.
HTC claims Tattoo's screen is too small for capacitive to work well {Engadget}
Sep 8th 2009 10:25PM I think you missed the fact that Android doesn't support stylus input, nor handwriting recognition. Android is designed from the ground up for fingers only, which is precisely why the choice of resistive is so odd on this specific phone.
BlackBerry Storm 2's voodoo-powered screen torn apart, raises more questions {Engadget Mobile}
Aug 25th 2009 12:53PM The big silver discs are piezo elements to create the haptic effect.
The small circles centered ON TOP of the piezo elements - with what look like small interlocking fingers - are button components.
BlackBerry Storm 2's voodoo-powered screen torn apart, raises more questions {Engadget Mobile}
Aug 25th 2009 9:48AM This all seems very straightforward to me.
This looks exactly like the underside of the Motorola ROKR E8's keypad. In other words, it's localized haptics. Localized haptics 100% explains the spongy / stiff-when-off thing. If you've ever used a Motorola ROKR E8, you should know exactly what I mean.
It needs the "buttons" under the display for the same reason there was one under the original Storm's display: so that it can register a touch vs. a press as distinct actions. RIM did all that work on the OS to support that, and it's still a great, unique, innovative feature in the industry. They're not going to give up on that aspect of SurePress.
You need four "buttons" (as opposed to one) because localized haptics only works if the screen is attached to the body *only* via the four piezo elements at the corners. If you also physically connect the screen to the body anywhere else, I imagine it would dampen and ruin the haptic effect (which relies on very precise, carefully tuned vibrations.) It's the same reason a tuning fork doesn't work if you're touching one of the tongs.
Video: Storm 2's new touchscreen tech explained with mindblowing clarity, WiFi confirmed {Engadget}
Aug 23rd 2009 1:34PM Yes! Thank you! The video creator is *clearly* describing localized haptics. Why haven't more people picked up on this?
The Moto ROKR E8 has a stiff glass keypad with piezo elements under it. The piezo elements create the localized haptics, which do a *spooky* good job of making it feel like you're pressing down on a real keypad with travel and feedback. But when you try to press a non-active key, you're just pressing on hard glass. It "stiffens when turned off"? That's exactly how the ROKR E8 keypad feels.
However, I disagree that this isn't a big deal. It's a *huge* deal. Motorola only succeeded in putting it under a keypad. Putting this tech under a display is much harder. In fact, capacitive touch screen + localized haptics is the *holy grail* of touch-screen technology! Trust me, I've talked to actual Motorola and Nokia engineers working on this very same technology, and while they're "working on it", it's "very difficult." If RIM is first to market with this, that will be a nice little coup for them.
Taiwan 'orders' Dell to honor $15 monitor mishap (updated) {Engadget}
Jul 1st 2009 7:34PM I'm all for strict laws about false advertising, but I think a fair solution for something this extreme would be to send each of these people NT$700 / US$20, etc. That would be way cheaper than sending the monitors, yet everyone is still getting a good deal. (I mean really, how could you argue with free money?) Although the government should insist that it come in the form of actual cash (or credit on my bank card, etc.) and none of that store credit nonsense.
Apple iPhone 3G S trouble roundup {Engadget Mobile}
Jun 22nd 2009 9:44AM My activation took over 14 hours.
Also, backup and restore from old iPhone to new did not bring over my apps nor music. A second try brought apps, but only after a strange re-install process that lost all of my app data, such as usernames, passwords, songs tagged in Shazam, etc. That's all gone, and my music is still gone.
Sprint holding Pre "launch lunch" on June 5? {Engadget Mobile}
May 7th 2009 1:57PM They need to get it approved by the FCC first, and soon!
