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Likely a direct counterstrike to Verizon’s $79.99 Pixi Plus , Sprint has dropped the retail price of its original WiFi-less Pixi all the way down to $49.99 after $100 mail-in rebate on a new two-year contract. As you might recall, the Pixi debuted at $100, but now that the Pre’s leaving it in the dust with both high-quality gaming and Flash support, a little more price separation between the two makes a lot of sense. Alright, Sprint, strong work — now you’ve just got to drop the Pre a few bucks to distance it from Verizon’s Pre Plus and you’ll be good to go. Palm Pixi now $50 on Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink …

If you’re a designer with a need for three-dimensional printing and $20,000 to spare, the uPrint Plus is right up your alley—it’s 33% bigger, 69% faster, and 40% more efficient than its predecessor. It may not play Daft Punk like the MakerBot —and it costs a whoooole lot more — but Dimension’s uPrint Plus is professional grade, small enough for desktop use and gives users resolution settings of either .010 inches or .013 inches and prints materials in nine colors. It’ll ship in March, hopefully by which time they’ll have figured out how to get me that 4D support I’ve been holding out for. World’s Best-Selling 3D Printer Line Expands Dimension uPrint Plus offers material colors, larger build volume, resolution …

With Google days away from unveiling its unlocked, HTC-built smartphone, the devil is in the details. The Nexus One handset, which has been revealed to have some intriguing features, is said to pack a $530 price tag. But without an exclusive phone carrier and multiple price plans, consumer reaction is hard to predict. “It will all depend on how the device is rolled out,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless service analysis at JD Power and Associates. “Will it be picked up by a carrier or sold separately? What are the price points for the device? All these decisions will definitely impact consumer reaction and, ultimately, its popularity.” As a …

The 3G version of Apple’s iPhone was the single top-selling mobile device in 2009, according to a new study by Nielsenwire. Since Apple only makes one smartphone, the top ranking is impressive. But the company still falls behind Research In Motion and LG in overall market share. Three RIM devices made the top 10, amounting to 6.3 percent of all phone usage from January through October, while four LG devices amounted to 6.4 percent of the market. At number two on Nielsen’s list, the 8300 BlackBerry series, which includes the Curve and four other models, were the most popular RIM devices. The VX9100 topped LG’s inventory. Other companies that made the list are Motorola, whose RAZR V3 series snagged third place, and Samsung, whose Rant series came in sixth. In …

Remember the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project? It’s a US-based, non-profit organization which aims to create a cheap, mobile personal computer for kids in developing countries. And while their XO-1 laptop is still being shipped to countries such as Rwanda and Uruguay, the folks at OLPC are working on a next generation device, and (surprise) it’s a tablet. Originally, the next OLPC XO was supposed to be a two-screen foldable device named XO-2, but plans for it were scrapped. The XO-3 is a bit more conventional beast, falling in line with the current tablet buzz that originated…

You’ve been scouting out the android market (we’re talking about a human-like robot here, not the mobile OS) for a while now, but you never found one whose looks you like? Those days are over: Japanese department store Sogo & Seibu plans to sell two Actroids which can be modeled after the buyer for a meager price of $225,000. If you weren’t scared off by the price, or the fact that having an android that looks just like you is super creepy, read on. The Actroids (we’re not entirely sure , but it seems they’re only available …

Thought Mitsubishi’s LaserVue set was pricey ? Hah. HDI, the California startup with dreams of producing a 100-inch 3D HDTV that’s driven by lasers, has just released the first hint of a price range, and as predicted, it ain’t cheap. The set — which has already been deemed a favorite by The Woz — has reportedly had its first batch manufactured over in China, and we’re told that a smattering of ‘em should be available by May. If all goes well, the HDTV should be in full-scale production mode by Christmas of next year, and we’ve learned that the whole thing …

Quietly unveiled alongside the 27-inch iMac and the Magic Mouse was this: Apple’s attempt to force the unibody construction that we’ve already seen used on its MacBook Pro into the lowly MacBook line. This 13-incher didn’t revolutionize Apple’s low-end laptop line, but it did add a pinch of style and an integrated “7-hour” battery while keeping the price tag steady at $999. We certainly had our fair share of gripes when testing this scuff-magnet out, but now that you’ve had nearly two months to toy around with your own, we’re anxious to hear what you’d do different next time. Is the build quality up to your standards? Are you still weeping uncontrollably as you search in vain for a FireWire 400 port? …

Most agree that the original TomTom iPhone app is a tad overpriced at $99 for just the app. That doesn’t include the $119 windshield mount . Esspecially now that Google has made its mark on the GPS market with the free Google Maps Navigation app. And so that brings us to the latest TomTom GPS app. This one is US-only, but only costs $50. Actually it’s somewhat of a smart marketing move by TomTom. The company probably didn’t plan this from the start, but at least now there is some justification thanks to the international maps as to why the $99 app costs so much. It’s like the company is stating buy the cheap app if you don’t plan on leaving the States…

The cellphone market in Shenzhen is like a flea market where everyone is selling the same thing. If it looks like an iPhone, it’s here. There are hundreds of models, hundreds of odd names, and hundreds of people arrayed along the inside of a huge room. There are four or five floors of this mess. This is the Shanzhai market. Shanzhai is a strange amalgam of counterfeiting, national pride, and Robin Hoodism. The word itself means “mountain fortress” and suggests a romantic image of brigands working together to outwit the rich and powerful. It’s been called a reaction to the cellphone monopoly but in reality it’s a sort of personal test, more akin …