Before today, HP had only expressed that it “will consider a broad range of options” for the future of its Personal Systems Group; and now, said company’s released a series of ads to confirm its intention to spin it off into a separate company. Amidst the lovely (and ironic) mention of HP’s long-lived success with its $40 billion PC business, the underlying message here is all about “staying focused on our customer needs” and to “better anticipate change” — much like being a start-up all over again, as suggested by Executive Vice President Todd Bradley on HP’s website. Of course, the customer in question here is likely from the enterprise sector, as we’ve all learned from CEO Leo Apotheker’s interview at D9, the death of HP’s webOS devices, and the pending acquisition of Autonomy. Still, we’ve yet to hear more concrete plans or even figure out who the potential buyers might be (if any), but for now, you can take a gander at HP’s “sample ad” after the break.

Continue reading HP promotes ‘$40 billion’ PC business spin-off with new series of ads

HP promotes ‘$40 billion’ PC business spin-off with new series of ads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for a way to listen to some sensational beats? Soon, we hope to do so using a Sensation with Beats. According to a document leaked to CNET, HTC is planning a revised Special Edition of its popular Sensation that throws in Beats technology and adds a few other improvements at the same time. On the drawing board is a ramped-up 1.5GHz dual-core CPU (up from 1.2GHz), a massive 1,730mAh battery and four times the internal storage at 4GB. If we can trust the above doc, it appears the phone will be offered with GSM and TD-SCDMA — pegging China as a key market — and has a starting price of $850. We can only hope the high cost is an extreme case and won’t be a precedent set for all future HTC / Beats devices.

Continue reading HTC working on Sensation special edition with Beats and 1.5GHz dual-core CPU?

HTC working on Sensation special edition with Beats and 1.5GHz dual-core CPU? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those Smart Meters may not have went over so well in San Francisco, and Google may have shuttered PowerMeter just a few months ago… but that doesn’t mean that Ma Earth is doomed to live a life a few centigrade higher than she should, right? EnergyHub has just announced that its snazzily designed energy monitoring system is now on sale for eco-minded folk in the USA, with $399 netting you a home base, a socket, a strip and a wireless thermostat (simpler bundles start at $299). According to the company, this kit’s ready to take on shacks, apartments or even houseboats, though no seal of approval from the Old Spice guy has been garnered in the case of the latter. Previously, this here package was only available through utility-sponsored programs, but now the simpleton in your life can see live energy use information, automatically switch appliances off while one’s away and sleeping, and even control settings remotely via the web or an iPhone / Android app. Head on past the break for an introductory video, or visit the source links to get in on the buying frenzy.

Continue reading EnergyHub’s energy management system on sale now to American planetlovers

EnergyHub’s energy management system on sale now to American planetlovers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, you can’t say Cupertino isn’t being consistent. Just like last time, Apple’s gone and released a new beta of iOS 5, less than two weeks after the last one. Not much of interest pops out of build 9A5313E’s release notes, but we’d presume it squashes a fair share of bugs. Hit up settings to begin the roughly 70MB OTA update, or test those browser downloading skills at the dev portal linked below. And while you’re there, don’t forget to snag updated versions of Xcode, iTunes, and an updated firmware for the second-generation AppleTV. Peep a screenshot of the OTA after the break and let us know how you fare in comments.

[Thanks, Darren]

Continue reading iOS 5 beta 7 goes live for developers

iOS 5 beta 7 goes live for developers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most anyone who’s paid attention knows Windows 8 will feature some fancy tweaks, including a revamped Windows Explorer and new copy, move and rename functions. But now Redmond’s given us a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it preview of the new Start Menu, in a video about accessing ISO and VHD files in the new OS. We’ve included a screen capture above — hit the source link if you’d like to see the full (and admittedly quite dry) video. You’ll spot the wily Start Menu about 25 seconds in.

[Thanks, Chris]

Filed under: Software

Windows 8 Start Menu caught on camera, shows off high-contrast design originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phones approved by the FCC are seldom so upfront about the OS they run on, but HTC decided to go against the status quo in its latest filing to the government agency. A quick perusal of the FCC filings show a handset tested for 850 / 1900 GSM — standard 2G bands for AT&T and T-Mobile — and no WCDMA frequencies in the US. There’s one detail in the docs, however, that stands out like a sore thumb: this device, the HTC PI39110, is listed as a Windows Phone. What’s more, the paperwork also mentions the inclusion of a “WiFi hotspot,” which likely is the mobile hotspot feature confirmed to be supported by Mango. HTC hasn’t announced any devices that run on the updated OS yet, but this particular gem could very well be the long-rumored Eternity. While it probably won’t make its way to the US, this is at least a solid indicator that Windows Phone 7.5 is coming soon to more parts of the globe.

HTC pushes a Windows Phone through FCC, Mango launch close at hand? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early 3DS adopters, your smorgasbord of throwback make-goods is now only a day away. Nintendo recently announced via its Twitter account the full line-up of ten Famicom / NES virtual console games headed for the company’s Ambassador Program. Owners of the 3D handheld in Japan and North America can look forward to re-acquainting themselves with such 8-bit classics like Metroid, Super Mario Bros., Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II : The Adventure of Link, Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., NES Open Tournament Golf, Wrecking Crew and Yoshi. Those golden games of yore will be available to download from the eShop tomorrow, but gamers looking for the GBA goods will have to wait until later this year.

Update: Turns out the games are available to download now.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Software

Nintendo’s 3DS Ambassador Program line-up revealed, games available September 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those that haven’t yet gone down the iFaithful portable media player route, there’s always the Walkman. Sony officially unveiled updates to its A, S and E series line of players just last month, and now plans to dole out a free trial of Music Unlimited to owners of the NWZ-A860, S760BT and E460 when they go on sale this September. The streaming service, formerly known as Qriocity, brings with it a catalog of over 10 million songs and will be available gratis for 180 days, after which it’ll run you $3.99/mo for basic service and $9.99/mo for the premium offering. It might be too late in the game for the company to wrestle back the portable audio crown but, hey, you can’t fault it for trying to sweeten the MP3-playing pot. Official PR awaits you after the break.

Continue reading Sony’s new A, E, and S series Walkmans to get Music Unlimited freebie

Sony’s new A, E, and S series Walkmans to get Music Unlimited freebie originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Richard Lawler

Growing Up Geek: Richard Lawler originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re sure there’s at least one person out there who has been itching to shoot boat-loads of video with their iPad 2. Perhaps even a short film or two. After we pointed out how crazy you are, we might suggest looking into a tripod-mountable case like Makayama’s Movie Mount. This simple plastic frame adds a number of things that a budding iPad videographer might appreciate, including a pair of hot shoes for hooking up lights and mics, and a mount for lenses, just in case you prefer wide-angle or telephoto shots. You can even switch between the conversion lenses and the built-in one on the fly thanks to the sliding adapter. The Movie Mount is available to pre-order now for $69.95, with the first deliveries expected to ship in October. Before you go, check out the gallery below, as well as the video and PR after the break.

Continue reading Movie Mount turns your iPad 2 into a serious video-making machine

Movie Mount turns your iPad 2 into a serious video-making machine originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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