Ringtone creationism not for sale in iTunes 10, but DIY method still seems to work

Not that we’ve ever been a fan of paying an additional 99 cents to turn an already-purchased track into a seconds-long ringtone, but if you fancied the option in iTunes 9.2.1, we’re sad to inform you that yesterday’s update seems to have nixed said option. But hey, look at this way, now you can learn a new skill: how to make iTunes 10 ringtones free of charge with some filename finagling. The old method still seems to work just fine (instructions via More Coverage link below), so turn that .m4-frown upside down!

Ringtone creationism not for sale in iTunes 10, but DIY method still seems to work originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series

Not everybody needs the world’s fastest mobile GPU, so NVIDIA is sagely trickling down its Fermi magic to more affordable price points today. The 400M family is being fleshed out with five new midrange parts — GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M, to give them their gorgeous names — and a pair of heavy hitters known as the GTX 470M and GTX 460M. Features shared across the new range include a 40nm fab process, DirectX 11, CUDA general-purpose computing skills, PhysX, and Optimus graphics switching. 3D Vision and 3DTV Play support will be available on all but the lowest two variants. NVIDIA claims that, on average, the 400M graphics cards are 40 percent faster than their 300M series counterparts, and since those were rebadges of the 200M series, we’re most definitely willing to believe that assertion. Skip past the break for all the vital statistics, and look out for almost all (HP is a notable absentee, while Apple is a predictable one) the big-time laptop vendors to have gear bearing the 4xxM insignia soon.

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NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s 50-inch 720p PN50C490 3D plasma on sale now for under a grand

Looking to spoil yourself with a fancy new 3DTV? Ain’t got the cash to go all-out? Hello, compromise. Samsung’s 50-inch PN50C490 — which we peeked just a few weeks ago — is now shipping from Amazon, Best Buy and a slew of other local consumer electronic marts if we had to guess. As a refresher, this mid-sized HDTV has a 720p resolution, 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, no internet connectivity to speak of, a USB socket, three HDMI inputs, a pair of component jacks and support for the third dimension. It’s up for grabs today at just $989, but you’ll probably want to budget a few extra hundies for that Samsung 3D Starter Kit (not to mention a few 3D Blu-ray Discs).

[Thanks, James]

Samsung’s 50-inch 720p PN50C490 3D plasma on sale now for under a grand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV

Feel like connecting a HTPC or even one of the many streamers to your HDTV is overkill? Toshiba’s new StorE TV+ is prepared to quietly retain up to 2TB of media (in various formats, check after the break for specs) until called upon, when it can play them back via HDMI, no connected PC required. It can also connect to PCs or other DLNA devices (like, coincidentally enough, Toshiba’s new HDTVs) networked via Ethernet and the included WiFi dongle or load files directly from memory cards and USB drives. Even with all that, a lack of access to internet video sources makes the £199 MSRP a tough sell even ith 2TB of space at the ready, but if it works its way into a TV bundle then there may be buyers willing to bite when it ships next month, while an eSATA hard drive only StorE.D10 model will follow later this year for an unknown price.

Continue reading Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV

Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: best screwdriver kit for DIY computer work?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Calvin, who needs a replacement for his recently broken Switztool 6-piece screwdriver kit. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’ve always used a Switztool 6-piece screwdriver for my computer work. I love how it retracts all the bits into the screwdriver. But it just bit the dust after a very heavy fall. Just want to know from other fellow readers: what’s the best screwdriver (or kit) out there for DIY computer work and electronics hacking?”

Quite an interesting question, indeed. We’d probably recommend a kit with a 00-sized Philips screwdriver for getting those laptop bolts out from the casing, but desktop-specific ones are certainly allowed. And… go!

Ask Engadget: best screwdriver kit for DIY computer work? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Places to deliver web content across all Toshiba screens

Great devices aren’t great without content and if you want it done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself. For Toshiba that means a new online content and services portal called Toshiba Places. The point of this companion software is to ensure that all said company’s screens have a similar look and feel which will bring a consistent experience to every size screen while still being optimized for a TV or mobile phone (for example). Places will help you gain access to your own content or share it in your social networks as well as offer access to applications and various other online content. Exactly what premium content is available wil vary region by region and so until the US announcement comes we’ll have to wait to learn which of our favorite sources will be included.

Continue reading Toshiba Places to deliver web content across all Toshiba screens

Toshiba Places to deliver web content across all Toshiba screens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug

Toshiba’s new LED-based pico projectors won’t shake the world with VGA resolutions, 14 lumens and just 80 minutes of battery life, but we have to admit the Lumileo P100 and Lumileo M200′s focusing dial and keypad do look a spot more stylish than some of the cubes and rectangles we’ve tried. And while we’ve just pretty much described the P100 model in full, the M200 has an additional feature that might be worth your while — like the 3M MPro, it plays back video (including DivX), Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF files directly from 2GB of internal memory or your microSD card of choice, with no attached PC required. Otherwise, both project up to 60-inch pictures from VGA or “TV in” ports not shown here, and both will appear in Europe to claim an unspecified amount of that continent’s discretionary cash during the fourth quarter of this year. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug

Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iFixit continues its retro gaming rampage, reduces an innocent Atari 2600 to bare components

iFixit, is no device safe from the scars of your screwdriver? These eyes have been scarred, forced to witness the destruction of yet another childhood icon. Previously it was the RCA Studio II and the Magnavox Odyssey 100 before that. Now it’s the rather more memorable Atari 2600 going under the scalpel, four simple screws removed to reveal an eight-bit, 1.19MHz processor featuring 128 bytes of RAM (yes, a massive 1,024 bits) and a graphics adapter capable of 192 x 160 resolution with 128 colors — though only four could be used on any given line. Through these humble beginnings the cartridge-based console was born… and now here it rests.

iFixit continues its retro gaming rampage, reduces an innocent Atari 2600 to bare components originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at €699 and €799 in Europe (update: O2 Germany pricing)

An increasing number of Euroland news outlets are reporting an eye-watering set of prices for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. Although still unofficial and therefore not yet to be trusted, the values we’re hearing are €699 ($890) in France and €799 ($1,020) in Germany. Those presumably represent the cost of the 16GB and 32GB Tab, respectively, and align perfectly with Apple’s iPad WiFi + 3G pricing — aside from the fact the iPads have double the storage at each price point. Oops! That does make us wary to believe these numbers just yet, but if you want a laugh, why not check out UK importer Expansys today, which is offering a cracking deal for the 16GB Galaxy Tab at £680 ($1,050). And with only a 39-day wait!

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]

Update: So we’re hearing some conflicting information here. Samsung itself is telling us at IFA that no pricing has been announced and that any prices floating around are speculation — but it seems the company has already announced a suggested retail prices of SEK 9,000 in Sweden including VAT, which works out to about $1,240 (or $930 without VAT). In other words, even after taxes have been removed from the equation, you’re looking at a pretty pricey option for an unsubsidized device here. Let’s hope we see some steep discounts on contract, eh? Thanks, Rasmus!

Update 2: O2 Germany’s official Twitter account informs us that the Galaxy Tab will cost the Bundesrepublik roughly €759 (about $972) in all — a €99 ($127) deposit to start off and then €27.50 ($35) a month likely over two years.

Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at €699 and €799 in Europe (update: O2 Germany pricing) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo’s not your style

Seems like Toshiba bit off more Blu-ray 3D than it could chew this year — the Japanese firm’s just announced that the new BDX3100KB will be its first set-top stereoscopic player, never mind the BDX3000 it announced at CES. Still, we’re willing to forgive and forget if the new machine (replete with DivX and MKV playback, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround, and instant playback of AVCHD footage from connected camcorders) makes it stateside sometime soon — both it and the relatively boring BDX1100 standard Blu-ray unit are presently slated for a UK release (at unspecified prices) in October of this year. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo’s not your style

Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo’s not your style originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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