LG’s latest 4.7-inch wunderphone may not have penned in an official release this side of the Atlantic, but that doesn’t mean the Feds aren’t putting it through its paces. A global version of the LG Optimus 4X HD made its way through the FCC test labs recently, revealing a quad-band GSM / EDGE radio with 3G support over AT&T’s 1900 / 850 bands. In other words, feel free to import an unlocked slab when they hit Europe next month. Check out the federal filings yourself at the source link below, or check out our own hands-on coverage right here.

LG Optimus 4X HD stops in at the FCC, flaunts AT&T bands, global support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 20:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Needless to say, Ivy Bridge is here to stay — at least until Intel takes us on a different road. That being said, Acer just announced a business-oriented machine of its own with Intel’s latest chips onboard. Part of the outfit’s TravelMate lineup, this 14-inch (1366 x 768) P243 rocks some pretty standard features, including a Core i5, Ivy Bridge processor, an HD webcam for all those Skype calls and a USB 3.0 port. As expected, depending on configuration, you’ll also be able to choose up to 8GB of RAM, as well as NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M graphics if you don’t mind shelling out the extra cash. Speaking of, Acer’s pricing the TravelMate P243 starting at £339 (about $536) once it hits UK shelves — though, there’s no word on when that’ll be. In the meantime, you can check out some additional eye candy after the break.

Continue reading Acer outs Ivy Bridge-packing TravelMate P243 notebook series in the UK

Acer outs Ivy Bridge-packing TravelMate P243 notebook series in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel had already promised that it would avoid using conflict minerals, and now it’s giving itself a more concrete timetable for that to happen. It wants to have at least one processor that’s proven completely conflict-free across four key minerals — gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten — by the end of 2013. Lest you think Intel’s not taking swift enough action, it wants to reach the tantalum goal by the end of this year. The effort’s part of a wider array of goals that should cut back on the energy use, power and water use by 2020. Sooner rather than later, though, you’ll be buying a late-generation Haswell- or Broadwell-based PC knowing that the chip inside was made under nobler conditions.

Continue reading Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013

Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should the robots ever form an alliance and turn against us, all we need to do is call on people like Anand Jin to save us. Why? Because it’s folk of his ilk that are the pied pipers of the machine world. We’ve seen disk drives coerced into recreating Daft Punk, and Bo-Rhap extorted from an Atari 800XL. Now, we can watch the aforementioned Anand eke the theme from Game of Thrones out of eight floppy drives. There’s more info on his YouTube channel if you’re curious to know the hows and whys. Much as we enjoy the performance, hearing the theme again just brings up bad memories of last week’s ending.

Continue reading Eight floppy drives recreate the theme from Game of Thrones, stake claim to the seven Kingdoms

Eight floppy drives recreate the theme from Game of Thrones, stake claim to the seven Kingdoms originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Music just isn’t the same without a host of flashing colors to go with it, right? iHome, at least, seems to think so. Its first Glowtunes speaker tower, the new iP76, comes packed with LEDs in seven different hues that can fade, pulse or strobe as your playlist requires. The three-foot iP76 sports a dock for your iPhone or iPod and packs four speakers with Reson8 technology. There’s also Bluetooth for streaming from other devices. The iP76 will go on sale for $200 in July. Already dreaming about all the sonic light shows you’ll host? Jump past the break for some press info to tide you over.

Continue reading iHome iP76 LED color-changing speaker indulges your love for pretty colors

iHome iP76 LED color-changing speaker indulges your love for pretty colors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIA is planning to get some serious mileage out of its Eden X2 processor — in the most literal sense possible. It’s now producing the AMOS-3002, a Pico-ITX-sized PC intended for in-car infotainment and other situations where an embedded PC needs to have a little more juice for media tasks. The Eden X2 in question comes in a dual-core 1GHz flavor that’s completely fanless, but it’s fast enough to show 1080p video (when your car is parked, we hope) and can handle more intensive work like dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, optional 3G and even a 2.5-inch hard drive. That breadbox-sized shell can also take a lot of abuse, surviving temperatures between -4F and 140F as well as 50 Gs’ worth of shock. You’ll have to wait until your favorite car designer or digital sign maker uses the AMOS-3002 to see it in action, but until then, you can get the full details after the break.

Continue reading VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car

VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CSI: Waterloo? We’re not sure how compelling that spin-off would be (inexplicable popularity of the David Caruso-headlined Miami version aside). So, you’ll excuse us for scratching our collective tech head over this recently surfaced patent application filed by RIM in November of 2010. The claims of this bizarre USPTO doc describe an apparatus containing some form of a “display element” attached to a portable electronic device that would generate light on nearby objects, snap photographs and then display results indicating potential contamination. Sounds a lot like those UV wands forensics researchers use on crime scenes, non? Well, whatever it is Heins and co. may have brewing in their Canadian R&D labs, we just pray this isn’t BB 10′s killer feature. Hit up the source below to peruse the legalese for yourself.

RIM patent application shines a light on unseen filth, might make forensics mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve received a boatload of tips that folks who have pre-ordered the EVO 4G LTE at Best Buy are now seeing a new release date of May 23rd. Does this mean Sprint’s flagship handset is getting close to leaving those dreaded customs halls? Here’s HTC’s take on the matter:

HTC is working closely with U.S. Customs to secure approval for shipments of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE. We have not made any announcements about a new launch date and will provide an update on availability as soon as we can do so confidently.

While it’s quite possible Best Buy knows something we don’t, perhaps it’s best to take this new release date with a grain of salt. Let us know what you think in the comments and hit the break for a screenshot of an updated pre-order.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Best Buy expects EVO 4G LTE to land May 23rd, HTC remains cautious

Best Buy expects EVO 4G LTE to land May 23rd, HTC remains cautious originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last February, Apple came clean about its efforts to clean up the environment, detailing intentions to make its Maiden, NC data facility a greener place. That site, already home to one solar farm, is now set to host a second 20 megawatt photovoltaic array spanning 100 acres, a one-two power punch that’ll jointly generate 84 million kWh annually. Combined with the company’s in-development biofuel cell plant, scheduled for opening later this year, that theoretic yield should hit the 124 million kWh mark — an amount sufficient to power nearly 11,000 households — providing 60 percent of the center’s electric demands. Still, that’s not enough to adequately keep operations afloat, so for that very necessary, leftover 40 percent, the house that Jobs built plans to purchase similar clean energy from outside local sources. When all is finally up and running smoothly, the southern facility will earn the distinction of “most environmentally sound data center ever built.” Or, at least until another well-heeled competitor comes along to contest that title. Now that’s a friendly competition we can get behind.

Apple breaks ground on second solar farm for North Carolina data center originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The FCC has been making a big push towards freeing up the airwaves for medical uses, and it just took one of its biggest steps on that front by proposing to clear space for wireless body area networks. Agency officials want to let devices operate in the 2.36GHz to 2.4GHz space so that patients can stay at home or at least move freely, instead of being fenced in at the hospital or tethered to a bed by wires. Devices would still need the FDA’s green light, but they could both let patients go home sooner as well as open the door wider for preventative care. Voting on the proposal takes place May 24, which leaves our tech-minded hearts beating faster — and if the proposal takes effect, we’ll know just how much faster.

FCC wants to set aside wireless spectrum for medical body area devices, our hearts are literally aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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