If you’ve been getting bored of your Versa’s QWERTY module, boy, have we got some splendid news for you: as promised , the snap-on game pad is now available. It slides along the back of the phone’s body for storage (unlike the QWERTY, which requires that polarizingly-designed brown pleather wallet) and features an 8-way directional pad, four dedicated SNES-style gaming buttons, and the envy of absolutely everyone you’ve ever known. Grab it now for $29.99 — you wouldn’t want to be that one chump Versa owner who doesn’t buy it, would you? [Thanks, Daniel] Filed under: Cellphones , Gaming LG Versa game pad module now available originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Society’s bad eggs are increasingly turning to the use of BlackBerry devices to skirt detection from law enforcement. Authorities report they have trouble intercepting illicit emails and conversations because of the relatively secure BlackBerry Enterprise Server . Developed by Research in Motion (RIM), the BlackBerry Enterprise Server works on a secure network that encrypts data. It was designed with the intention of keeping the security legitimate business communications intact. Faced against such a highly secure means of transmitting of information, however, it’s near impossible for law enforcement to listen in on and nab suspected criminals. The roadblocks have undoubtedly lead to the upward trend in gangs and other malefactors choosing the BlackBerry over other devices, where conversations can be more easily intercepted

Verizon’s original Alias U740 dual-hinge phone may not have rocked any worlds, but it was a clever attempt to provide the best of both a QWERTY keypad and a standard clamshell number pad in a single device — and it sounds like the Alias 2 we’re seeing leaked here improves on that concept by using dynamically-changing button labels to hammer home the mode switches. It’s not clear what tech is being used to switch layouts — there are some whispers that it’s an E-Ink display, since the labels apparently remain even without power — but given this phone’s expected price point, we’ll say we’re expecting more along the lines of one of those segmented LCDs found in cheap universal remotes. In other words, garbage. Hopefully we’ll be proven wrong at CTIA, we’ll let you know. Slightly bigger pic after the break.

Lenovo ’s breaking some serious molds with the IdeaCentre A600 , and if you’ve been waiting anxiously ever since we got up close and personal with one back at CES, the patience has (nearly) paid off. As of now (like, right this very moment in time), three varients of the all-black machine are up for ordering, with base prices sitting at $699.99, $799.99 and $999.99. They each show that shipping won’t happen for another few weeks, but we’ll bet Lenovo’s just being conversative. Filed under: Desktops Lenovo’s IdeaCentre A600 now available to order, should ship soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Who knows if it will work, but Asus wants to put “an end to the keyboard.” So a variety of Eee products will roll out with voice recognition capabilities later this year. According to Asus CEO Jerry Shen: …internally we have one team dedicated to studying voice recognition. Touch and gesture input is universal, whereas language is not universal…The first Eee PC or Eee Top products implementing voice-recognition and features will be ready by Q3/Q4 2009 – with our dedicated development team working with third parties in both Japan and the US and reporting directly to me. So this is something we will see very soon… Hmm, it’s a fine idea for home (if it works). But I’d rather not be talking to my netbook at Starbucks

Nikon’s F lens mount turns 50 years old this year . It brought SLR cameras into the mainstream, and all Nikon’s DSLRs still use it, meaning you can (usually) use lenses that are 50 years old. Its longevity is nifty, as its 50-year history means you can take advantage of lenses crafted long before your DSLR. But as BoingBoing Gadgets reader Mat Halprin points out , Nikon yet to do anything wicked like release an anniversary DSLR that looks like the old school F-series camera pictured above, but stuffed with a D700 sensor, or something else that would tap that history while making us drool at the same time. We demand sexy history, dammit.

You’ve got to love it, don’t you? Just a day after we caught wind of Logitech’s Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 (via the always informative FCC ), the aforesaid company has come forward and confessed to its plans. The good news is that the adapter is for real, and while we’re still not being told too much about the device itself, we do know that it will operate with any Harmony remote and it won’t take up a USB port on your console. In other words, it’s a simple Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter , though it promises to give Harmony remote users “complete control (including power on / off) over the movie-watching experience on a PS3.” We’re pleading for more information on pricing and availability, but until that’s received, just enjoy your weekend knowing that you’ll be able to buy one soon enough. Filed under: Home Entertainment , Peripherals Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 gets official originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:48:00 EST

Here she is — the world’s very first universal Blu-ray player. Oh sure, we may have heard of Denon’s absurdly expensive DVD-A1UD first, but that bad boy just got delayed for a second time over in Japan. OPPO , on the other hand, has managed to push out a few hundred of these BDP-83 decks to brave beta testers across America, and we were fortunate enough to score one. The player came boxed in what was far and away the most elaborate packaging we’d seen for a BD player — particularly one that’s priced at just $499 for the beta users (an MSRP for production units has yet to be finalized). All the goods you want are here, including Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, SACD playback and the promise of DVD-Audio compatibility in the future.

Back at CES, Panasonic was demoing a brilliant touchpad remote control —but I didn’t spot it until my way out. Luckily, Elan has designed something very similar and posted this clip. In fact, Elan’s Smart Remote is so close to what I remember seeing that it might be the same hardware. Regardless, what’s brilliant about the remote is/was not only the laptop-like touchpad allowing for a new level of universal functionality, but its smartphone-like ability to orient function based upon portrait or landscape positioning. In other words, when you hold the remote like a remote, it acts as a remote

End of Titanic . Rose floating on debris, Jack in the water. You want to cry but can’t. Philips’ new concept jacket gives you a little hug (out of sympathy? pity?) and there go the waterworks. Philips senior scientist Paul Lemmens and a team of researchers have devised a jacket—but sorry dudes, no matching pants—that augments your emotions with gentle nudges, squeezes and taps