Did we just blow your mind with this all-black T-Mobile Dash? Besides sporting a new look, this furtively shot handset seems to confirm details we received from a tipster over the weekend. According to the source, the new phones have been seen in a few T-Mob stores across the country, and they’re sporting Windows 6.1 and a camera upgrade of some sort. We’re light on details, like whether or not this bad boy is 3G, but then again there’s no telling whether or not any of this is even for reals. But that is a picture, isn’t it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

[Thanks, Scott K]

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile Dash may not be getting an overhaul, may not be in stores now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

We’ve been following the roller-coaster ride that Top Gear’s recent test of the Tesla Roadster has turned into with interest. Since Clarkson’s video review first aired, reactions to the way the Tesla was presented have been mixed, and much of the debate has centered on one particular scene where the Top Gear crew can be seen pushing one of their Tesla test-cars into the garage after apparently running out of juice… except that it never happened. The BBC has released a statement admitting that Clarkson’s tester still had power left and the scene was filmed to show what would happen if the battery had actually been depleted. Regardless, “Top Gear stands by the findings in this film and is content that it offers a fair representation of the Tesla’s performance on the day it was tested.”

So far, we’ve heard no word on whether offering “a fair representation” includes future reviews of petrol-powered cars that include scenes of each one being pushed into the garage after not running out of gas. Thanks for the tip, Doug!

[Source: Register Hardware]

Continue reading BBC responds to Tesla’s Top Gear complaints

BBC responds to Tesla’s Top Gear complaints originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

When a recent fake news story claiming that Coby Electronics would enter the netbook market with a $100 PC included a quote I had given two years ago, I smelled something fishy. But before I questioned the validity of the article, I questioned the validity of such a product. Because for at least those expecting some semblance of a modern PC, the fascination with a $100 notebook might turn to disappointment when they realize the considerable compromises needed to achieve that alluring price.

For as life quickly moved to imitate art, the aftermath of Cobygate saw news of the Alpha 400, which is smaller, lighter and, at $170 at Geeks.com, about $100 less than online pricing for the Eee PC 2G Surf. With no hard drive and no fan, it runs so coolly and quietly the only noise the product makes is when you open and close its creaky hinge, which allows the screen to lay flat parallel to the keyboard. Its brand-free top surface is glossy black, but the rest of its plastic body has a finish so dull that the product could pass for one of those plastic laptop props used in furniture stores.

Like the original Eee, the Alpha 400 has a 7-inch screen, an SD card slot, three USB ports, and a keyboard (albeit one that is even smaller than the one on the first Eee). From there, almost all the specs take a dramatic step down. The Alpha 400 has only 128MB of RAM and 1GB of local storage. It has no webcam and supports only 802.11b although it connected consistently to my home network, something that has not been true of some other Linux-based netbooks. With the Alpha 400′s extremely limited driver support, very few USB peripherals will work with the device. Some USB flash drives, for example, would not mount and USB audio is not supported.

Continue reading Switched On: Alpha 400 pays a high price for low cost

Filed under: Laptops

Switched On: Alpha 400 pays a high price for low cost originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Action, Screenshots

Will Batman: Arkham Asylum be the game that fans of the Dark Knight have been waiting for? We can’t answer that yet but the new screenshots for the upcoming third person action game look really impressive. I mean, look at Bats in the above shot. His costume isn’t portrayed as a skin-tight outfit but as a thicker and segmented piece of clothing. Oh, and he looks like he can beat you up.

The game itself is being developed by Rocksteady Studios for Eidos and Warner Bros Interactive for release sometime in 2009. As we reported last week, Batman animated TV vets Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will voice their long-time role of Batman and The Joker, respectively, in the new game.

New Batman: Arkham Asylum screenshots released originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Videos, Lifestyle

Top Gear Australia put together a shortlist of what it considers the three best movie car chase scenes ever: Ronin, Gone in 60 Seconds, and The Matrix Reloaded. Out of those three entrants, we’d probably give Ronin the nod as well, even though DeNiro looks scared and/or sick through most of it, which might be explained by the fact that he’s meant to chase down a BMW M5 in a Peugeot 406. Gone in 60 Seconds isn’t bad, but the Eleanor and Angelina Jolie are cooler than the actual chase. The Matrix Reloaded is, as far as we’re concerned, undeniably cool, but more for the special effects than the lane changing. We wouldn’t mind knowing what happened to some of the other choices, classics like Bullitt or The Italian Job or The French Connection to start. And speaking of the French, even though it has only one car that you never saw, our money is still on Claude Lelouche’s film Rendezvous for the best car “chase” ever. Follow the jump to check out Top Gear’s picks and tell us your own in the comments.

[Source: Top Gear]

Continue reading VIDEO: Top Gear Australia picks top three movie chase scenes

VIDEO: Top Gear Australia picks top three movie chase scenes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Culture, Business

Topping the list of GameDaily BIZ’s “Persons of the Year 2008″ were Nintendo power couple Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto. President Satoru Iwata received it for his vision in expanding to “non-traditional” audiences, while Miyamoto got the nod for continually innovating on whatever gets thrown his way. Nintendo has been on a money-making rampage the last couple years, and even during the recent economic crisis, has filled its coffers with bagiggles of cash.

Taking the #2 spot were Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, while Tim Sweeney and Mike Capps of Epic Games took the bronze. Kotick and Morhaime took their rightful place for being part of The Merger which eclipsed Electronic Arts. Sweeney and Capps received the honor for having the Unreal Engine 3, the little piece of tech that seems to be what makes this generation’s games run. Check out the full list of winners by following the links below.

Source – Persons of the Year 2008: Part 1 (GameDaily)
Source – Persons of the Year 2008: Part 2 (GameDaily)

Iwata and Miyamoto top GameDaily ‘Persons of the Year’ list originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though not much of a looker — feel free to insert your own beer goggles joke here — Basil the Robot is an experiment by Jim and Louise Gunderson to train an AI to identify its surroundings symbolically. That way, the couple hopes, he can react dynamically in new environments. Basil was intended to be shown off at a Cafe Scientifique meeting by having him go to the bar and order drinks for his creators, but that proved unsuccessful when Basil’s battery died. The couple did videotape a successful trial run from the night before, which you can see after the break. Basil will next receive a microphone for voice commands and be upgraded from his current sonar navigation to a video sight system. The eventual goal is to teach Basil to go to the local brewery and pick up beer. Sure, we’re still terrified of the robot revolution, but let’s get serious here — who are we to deny our mechanical overlords if they keep proffering us six-packs? Hit up the read link for the full story.

[Via Metafilter]

Continue reading Basil the Robot trained for symbolic recognition, beer toting

Filed under: Robots

Basil the Robot trained for symbolic recognition, beer toting originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Autoline on Autoblog

BIG THREE BAILOUT: NOW THE HARD BARGAINING BEGINS

The good news for the Detroit automakers is that they finally got part of the bridge loan they so desperately need. But if they thought getting the money was hard, now the hard part really begins.

General Motors and Chrysler face the tough task of having to bargain with all the stakeholders who must make sacrifices if these companies are going to truly restructure. And while they all may agree in principle that they have to give something up, they are going to fight like Hell to make sure everyone else gives up more than they do.

The problem with a bargaining situation like this is that if you have just one holdout the whole deal can fall apart. All it takes is one creditor to say that they want their bill paid in full, instead of taking something less than that, and then no one else will be willing to make any sacrifice.

And make no mistake about it, everyone’s going to have to sacrifice: management, labor, creditors, bondholders, shareholders, dealers, and suppliers. It’s going to be painful for everyone involved, but that’s what it’s going to take to save these two corporations.

John McElroy is host of the TV program “Autoline Detroit” and daily web video “Autoline Daily”. Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.

Continue reading Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy

Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Japan, Honda, Earnings/Financials

Corporate posturing or not, Honda’s Takeo Fukui made his opinions perfectly clear regarding the Japanese government’s recent lack of currency manipulation. Fukui, CEO of Honda Motor Co., suggested that the yen’s rise in value relative to the currency in the United States and Europe is causing major damage to the automaker, and he’s willing to take drastic measures to stop the hurt, including relocating the automaker’s corporate headquarters to another country. Other possible actions include a major reduction in workforce, including the type of permanent lay-offs that the automaker has typically avoided in the past, as well as moving more production out of Japan and into overseas markets.

Fukui might get exactly what he wishes for, as many economists are predicting that the yen will sink in value in relation to the dollar within the next few days. If not, many, like Fukui, are calling on the Japanese government to step in and devalue its currency for the first time in four years. Thanks for the tip, BenS!

[Source: Japan Probe]

Honda could move headquarters outside of Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Linux

Everybody loves a good “I’m a Mac” ad spoof, right? I mean sure, the meme is well over a year old on YouTube, and even Microsoft has fired back with an “I’m a PC” campaign. Now the Linux Foundation wants in on the action.

The group is asking people to submit video ads that run 60 seconds or less, with the theme “I’m Linux.” Ads don’t have to directly take on Apple and Microsoft’s iconic ad campaigns. But somehow I get the feeling that many of them will.

The winner will get a free trip for one to Narita, Japan for the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit in March. There’s no guarantee anyone who’s not already a Linux enthusiast will ever see your ads.

Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of memorable ads for Linux, some created on a shoestring budget by amateurs, others published by big name companies like IBM and Novell. You can check out a few of our favorites after the break.

[via Gizmodo]

Continue reading Linux Foundation wants to see your Mac ad spoofs

Linux Foundation wants to see your Mac ad spoofs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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