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| iPod Touch Features Vibrating Motor for FaceTime Notifications At the announcement of the new iPod Touch from Apple, Steve Jobs made plenty of folks out there happy with the revelation that the phone-less iPhone would feature FaceTime — the video calling function that was made famous by the iPhone 4. Considering FaceTime doesn’t need 3G, and in fact (officially) requires WiFi access to work, the iPod Touch’s ability to do the same thing made perfect sense. But, how would you get notified of incoming FaceTime calls? How about a vibrating motor? We’re sure that there’s going to be some kind of auditory notification, too (and, a pop-up), but if you’ve got your device on silent, you still want to be informed that a FaceTime call is on its way. That’s why we’re happy to see that a vibrating motor has been installed in the new iPod Touch. It’s small, which isn’t surprising at all, but it’s probably got enough oomph to get the point across, if you were to have your device in your pocket. [via CrunchGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple iPod Touch Features Retina Display and A4 ProcessorNew iPod Touch Won’t Have 5MP Camera, 3.2MP Instead5MP iPod Touch with FaceTime Rumor Heats up With Parts Listed on Online Trading SiteFaceTime to use Apple ID & email for iPod touch & iPad users?Supposed images of iPod touch 4 screen leak Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung NX100 Official Press Shots Revealed Samsung’s newest edition to their micro-four-thirds line-up, the NX100, is still unannounced (but previously teased, but that’s not stopping some folks from revealing the official press shots of the device ahead of any kind of announcement. No surprise here, though, right? It’s almost impossible to keep a secret ahead of an official announcement, after all. And while the photos are indeed drool-worthy, there’s still plenty of information missing about the upcoming camera. The NX100 will be Samsung’s smallest mirrorless interchangeable camera, but it will be wide enough for you to notice in your grip. The press shots came courtesy of a forum poster over at DPReview, and they point out that the lens features just 2.5X zoom. As for the other features, there’s still a lot of speculation — especially considering Samsung hasn’t officially announced the camera yet. Some believe that, much like the NX10 (also by Samsung), the NX100 will feature a 14.6MP APS-C sensor. And there won’t be a built-in flash, as Samsung will apparently rely on a hot shoe to have you add it later, if you see fit. As for anything else important, like pricing and availability, that will have to wait until Photokina, where Samsung is believed to make the official announcement. So, stay tuned. [via Electronista] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung NX100 micro-four-thirds camera spotted?Samsung tease Photokina NX camera reveal: NX100 ahoy?Q1 Ultra gets official press release, priced from $799ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Shell poses for press shotsSamsung vanilla digicam ES10 with 8.1MP Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sennheiser HD598, HD558, and HD518 Announced, Launching Some Time in September When you’re releasing some headphones, the best way to do it is to release a bunch of them, preferably in the same line-up, so as to speak to as many headphone-fans out there as you can, all in one fell swoop. Thankfully, Sennheiser understands this, as they’ve just announced a new line of ‘phones in their 500-series. The HD598, HD558, and HD518 all offer up the same main features, but differ just enough to warrant different model numbers. And, we imagine, different pricing. The company known for their high-profile headphones has just officially announced the new 500-series. And while there’s plenty of features that sound familiar, Sennheiser is promoting one feature that’s new to these ‘phones. It’s called EAR, and it’s short for eargonomic Acoustic Refinement. Yes, eargonomic. The new addition to the feature list is designed to make your listening that much more clear and defined. You’ll also find neodymium magnets, as well as Duofol diaphragms. The 6.3mm audio jack is gold-plated, and you’ll find a frequency response that ranges from 12, all the way up to 38,500 Hertz. More specifically, the HD598 features a frequency response all the way to that 38,500 Hertz range; while the HD558 goes up to 28,000 Hertz, and the HD518 makes it up to 26,000 Hertz. The headphones themselves definitely look unique. There’s no word on pricing quite yet, but the ‘phones are supposed to reach UK stores by teh end of September, so it shouldn’t be too long before that little missing piece reveals itself. [via TechRadar] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sennheiser PC-163D & PC-333D Gaming Headphones Due by Early SeptemberSennheiser Announces Bluetooth Headphones for Music and CallsSennheiser announces MX W1 unconnected ear budsCES 2008: Sennheiser unveils new IE headphone rangeThree new wireless headphones announced by Sennheiser Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung to Boost Production of Displays from 3 Million to 30 Million in 2011 We’ve heard word about Samsung’s intentions of opening a new plant all the way at the end of 2009, but it’s finally getting official. Samsung Mobile Display’s Vice President of Marketing, Lee Woo-Jong, has confirmed in an email to Down Jones Newswire, that their upcoming plant (which is scheduled to open mid-2011) will boost the display production from a reported 3 million, to a projected 30 million per month. The shortage of AMOLED displays is something that hit manufacturer HTC pretty hard. Not only have they been unable to keep up with demand from customers due to production, but also due to shortages in supplies. Smasung Mobile Display expects that the new plant will help in the overall production amounts, making it possible for other companies to take advantage of the coveted displays. Truth be told, many believed that the shortages for other companies, like HTC (which lead them to use Super LCD displays from Sony in devices like the HTC Incredible (for Verizon)), meant that Samsung was reaping the rewards (so to speak) in the fact that their plants were manufacturing the AMOLED/Super AMOLED panels that so many people wanted. Woo-Jong finally came forward on that belief, and said that the shortage not only affected other companies, but also Samsung. The high demand for the displays made it hard for Samsung to produce their own handsets, too. Which is good news — it means that Samsung wasn’t hording their own product. If the plant does come into play next year as Samsung intends, then it will certainly be a good year for devices and their manufacturers. [via OLED-Display.net; thanks, Erik!] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung AMOLED plans will boost availability in 2011Apple iPad Sales Hindered by Display ShortagesSamsung: AMOLED laptop displays in 2009, flexibles in 2010Solid gold coin worth $1 million createdSamsung AMOLED displays to be economically feasible in 2009 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Takara Tomy’s 3D Shot Cam is 3D Photo Taking for Kids You really can’t get away from the 3D drive anymore. You know you can’t when it hits the toy market. And that just means they’re getting the technology into the mind state of our younger generation. Good plan, 3D industry. Good plan. In any event, Takara Tomy has just announced the 3D Shot Cam, and it’s specifically designed to be a cheap option for all the kids out there, age 12 and older. The camera is of simple origin, and it houses two separate lenses. The toy is actually supposed to be a kid version to Fujifilm’s FinePix Real 3D W3 camera, but you’ll have to use a special viewer to see the 3D goodness. To use the special viewer, you’ll need to print out the images first, as the picture above shows. The camera has a slot for a microSD card, but it can only be expanded to 8GB. The sensor for shooting the images is 0.3MP, so don’t expect the greatest of images. But, you get two 3D viewers in the box with your purchase, so that’s good. There’s no word on an international release quite yet, but the designer expects to sell somewhere near 50,000 untis in Japan alone, after it launches next Spring. The price? Only $70. And, for a kid’s toy that takes 3D pictures (even if you do need a special viewer), that’s a good deal. We’ll see how popular it gets, which may mean a US-based launch some time next year. [via Ubergizmo] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Osaifu Saver – an RPG Game Based on Your FinanceSony Ericsson K770 Cyber-shot phoneCool camera app puts historical scenes into modern picsDigital Photo frame receives RSS and e-mail photosTakara Tomy Minutes Gym: digital fitness trainer Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Droid 2 Review It’s been over nine months since we reviewed Motorola’s first DROID smartphone, the Verizon handset that arguably reversed the company’s fall from grace and set their foundations as a key player in the Android segment. Now, in an increasingly competitive smartphone market, Motorola have returned to their pivotal handset for a much-anticipated makeover, the Motorola DROID 2. Question is, have they done enough to maintain their pace? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut. Physically and aesthetically the DROID 2 is very much an evolution of its predecessor, itself a particularly distinctive device. Motorola has toned down some of the more dramatic hard lines and eye-catching detailing – gone, for instance, is the gold grill-work, replaced by more traditional silver – and the result is an altogether smoother, slicker device. The most noticeable physical change is to the keyboard, and welcome it is too. The original DROID’s QWERTY was frustratingly flat and even more annoyingly offset, with Motorola choosing to put a large D-pad on the right hand side and forcing users to stretch their thumb across. On the DROID 2, however, the D-pad has been relegated to a small, far more usable arrow key cluster integrated with the keyboard itself, and the buttons are now all slightly domed. The layout itself is improved, with no blank placeholder keys left wasted, and the typing experience on the whole is significantly improved. Not as good as, say, the Samsung Epic 4G (review) – which benefits from being a bigger handset and thus having more room for its keyboard – but certainly enough to put the original DROID to shame. Other changes between the two handsets are more subtle, certainly when viewed from the outside. The same 3.7-inch 854 x 480 capacitive LCD touchscreen is used, and it remains a strong panel (though pales these days in comparison to the Galaxy S’ Super AMOLED screen or the iPhone 4′s Retina Display). Motorola has changed the order of the touch-sensitive buttons under the screen – search is still on the far right, but menu, home and back have all been shifted, meaning DROID 2 upgraders will have to do a little muscle-memory retraining – but the overall shape of the new phone is generally the same. That means you can use the same accessories, the Desk Dock and Car Dock, as for the original DROID, rather than spending on new ones. Inside, Motorola has used a 1GHz OMAP 36×0 series processor, almost twice as fast as the original, and that – coupled with Android 2.2 Froyo being loaded as standard – makes for a generally swift moving software experience. It’s the same CPU as in the Motorola DROID X (as well as 512MB of RAM) but of course the touchscreen-only phone ships with Android 2.1 Eclair. We’ve seen the improvement Google’s more recent Android release makes to day-to-day performance on other devices, and indeed the DROID 2 felt a little snappier completing regular task than the DROID X did. It’s worth remembering, however, that the original DROID is getting an Android 2.2 update right now, potentially smartening up the existing phone to the point where current owners might not choose to upgrade to the DROID 2. Also in their favor is the original handset’s unmodified OS; in contrast, like the DROID X, Motorola has customized Android 2.2. The latest, relatively pared down version of MOTOBLUR makes an appearance, together with dynamically resizable widgets, for pulling in social networking updates from Facebook, Twitter and others. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen before (from Motorola and other device manufacturers), when the OS is modified from stock it usually takes longer for handsets to get newer Android versions. As we felt with the DROID X, the customizations Motorola have chosen simply don’t deliver enough extra usability, for us, to warrant the likelihood of later delays. The DROID X’s camera UI is carried over to the DROID 2, but unfortunately the hardware hasn’t come with it; instead there’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, just as you’d get on the first DROID. It pales in comparison to modern rivals, too. Indoor stills, despite the dual-LED flash, are fuzzy and prone to blurring, while outdoor shots have decent color balance but still lack fine detail when blown up. It’s not a terrible camera, no, but rivals like Samsung are definitely doing better. As for the camcorder, it falls short of the 720p HD video commonly found on high-end alternatives, instead maxing out at 720 x 480. Clips tend toward the blurry, though the exposure and color-balance is reasonable. Motorola’s other main changes to the software are to preload Swype, the gesture-based onscreen keyboard gaining momentum on Android phones, and a Mobile Hotspot app, which allows you to share your 3G connections among up to five WiFi clients. However we wish the company had spent some more time finessing their Microsoft Exchange integration; the problems with sync we experienced on the original DROID are still apparent on the second-gen model, despite an update to ActiveSync 12.0. There’s now Flash 10.1 support in the Android browser, which worked reasonably well, though certain games are obviously written for keyboard and mouse control and don’t lend themselves so well to touchscreens. We were able to stream in-page video, but higher bitrates content did tend to choke the DROID 2. More worrying, though, were the persistent signal and call issues. We praised the original DROID for its strong audio quality and tenacious grip on Verizon’s network, but the same really can’t be said for the DROID 2. Without physically moving the handset we saw it flick between various levels of Internet connection speed, and minor changes in position were enough to prematurely end conversations. It’s a shame, because when we had a solid connection the in-call audio was strong and clear. Hopefully Motorola will release a firmware update to address reception, since we’re not the only people to have complaints about the DROID 2′s abilities in this area. Finally, we’d like to have seen Motorola make this a world-phone, rather than CDMA-only; as with its predecessor, take the DROID 2 outside of North America and you won’t be able to roam onto the more common GSM networks. With the DROID 2′s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR turned on, we managed to get through a regular workday on a single charge of the 1,400mAh battery. Still, as with most other recent smartphones, you’ll be charging nightly: Motorola’s Desk Stand – which automatically puts the DROID 2 into a clock/media player mode – makes this more palatable, at least. When we started, we asked whether Motorola had done enough with the DROID 2 to maintain their momentum, or whether they’d perhaps been too conservative in their changes. The outcome is certainly less clear-cut than back when we reviewed the DROID. In the new handset’s favor are the improved keyboard, faster CPU and boosted RAM; however the mediocre camera and customized Android 2.2 OS count against it. That’s before you get to aberrations of the cellular wireless, which we’re hoping will be addressed soon. For original Verizon DROID owners, we don’t see any great push to upgrade; the keyboard is improved, yes, but if physical QWERTY is your priority then there are better ‘boards out there, and the Android 2.2 update for the first phone closes the gap when it comes to functionality. In the context of the rest of the market, meanwhile, the DROID 2′s 3.7-inch display is beginning to feel a little small. The DROID X’s 4.3-inch panel is huge in comparison, and even 4-inch phones leave the DROID 2 feeling cramped. Still, there are plenty of people who prefer physically smaller devices. We’re glad to see the Android smartphone segment continue to grow – we’re all for more choice, after all – but Motorola will likely find the Verizon DROID 2 makes less of a splash than its illustrious predecessor managed. Relevant Entries on SlashGear HTC DROID Eris for Verizon gets prematurely unboxedHTC Droid Incredible and Motorola DROID X stock delayed until AugustMotorola DROID OTA update fixes autofocus, moreVerizon DROID X hits virtual shelves for $200Droid goes out of stock, likely for good Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| iPhone 4 Joins the Ranks of Gadget Tables We can’t really say for sure when, but at some point someone gave the go-ahead for gadgets to be made into tables (or, what makes them tick). We understand that you want to show off how awesome your favorite gadget is, but there’s got to be a better way. That didn’t stop this designer from making the iPhone 4, the latest iPhone from Apple, into a centerpiece that all of his friends would be jealous of. Unlike most of the other gadget-centric tables out there, this one’s not for sale. And, you shouldn’t expect to see it in your favorite store any time soon. But, you can make it yourself. The designer has mentioned that they will make the plans “public” soon enough, but for now they seem to be keeping it to themselves. It certainly does have a striking resemblance to the iPhone 4, doesn’t it? That is a lot of glass up there. And hey, it’s not nearly as imposing (or as bad) as the PlayStation controller table, is it? [via MacStories] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Debrand your iPhone with DIY polishing tutorialInspector Gadget DVDNew gadget powers your devices while you flyDior iPhone case more expensive than the phoneThree iPhone 4 confirmed as fifth UK carrier joins in Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Nokia E7 to be Announced at Nokia World 2010, Sources Say It looks like Nokia is ready to take on the end of 2010 with some heavy hitters in their smartphone line-up. With word that the N8 is set to launch by the end of this month, Nokia is ready to make some waves. That is, if these rumors, coming from two separate sources, turns out to be true. According to Reuters, it looks like Nokia is set to officially announce the recently leaked Nokia E7. Not only that, it looks like Nokia is set to put the device as their flagship device. The report is citing two sources that are intimately familiar with Nokia’s plans for the future, as it comes in regards to their announcements at Nokia World 2010. The sources also confirmed that the device will have a large touchscreen, as well as a full, physical QWERTY keyboard. That sounds just like the Nokia E7 that leaked out into the world a few weeks back. However, there’s no word on what other features the device will feature. Speculation is pretty robust at this point. There are some who believe that the E7 will be running Symbian^3, while still others believe that MeeGo could indeed find its place on this flagship device. If Nokia is indeed hoping that this will be the device to save them in the smartphone market, we imagine that it would be a great device to showcase MeeGo on. As for the physical attributes, word has it that it could feature a four-inch display, and an 8MP camera on the back with dual-LED flash. Rumors have it that the device will launch in November, after Nokia World 2010 in mid-September. And of course, keep in mind that SlashGear will be there, keeping tabs on all the announcements. So stay tuned. [via The Nokia Blog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nokia 12-megapixel cameraphones with optical zoom in 2010?Nokia N97 smartphone expected at Nokia WorldNokia C6 on sale; N8 release to coincide with Nokia World?Nokia 5530 XpressMusic to launch for Nokia World?Nokia Money enables payments from mobile phones Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Magic Bulb’s LED Bulb Features Rechargeable Battery, Ability to Become Flashlight IFA is great for the tech industry. Every facet of the market has a space to show off their latest and greatest. And while Samsung and LG both took plenty of time to show off their glorious devices, smaller companies tend to hide in the shadows. Which is a shame, especially when it comes to a small company out of China called Magic Bulb. They’ve managed to create an LED bulb that has a rechargeable battery inside, but that also has another trick hidden up its sleeve. Magic Bulb did manage to show off their rechargeable bulb at IFA, so there’s thankfully pictures to go along with the text. As you can see above, the bulb itself looks like your ordinary, run-of-the-mill bulb on the left, which is exactly what you’ll use it for most of the time. It has an estimated life expectancy of 20,000 hours, so it should last you quite awhile. As for that rechargeable battery. It’s built-in, and will make sure that your bulb displays its light for up to 3 hours after a power outage. And considering the bulb has the ability to output 50W of energy in just 4W, you should be able to see everything around you just fine even if the power does go out. And, if you’re in an emergency, where you’ll need a flashlight? You can actually unscrew the bulb form the housing, extend the neck, and use it as a handheld flashlight. Apparently they figured out a way to make it so that you’re hand doesn’t melt off while you hold it. There’s no word on exactly when the LED bulb will make it to retail shelves around the world, but word has it that the price will be somewhere between $30 and $40. [via OhGizmo!] Relevant Entries on SlashGear LED Light Bulbs Last For 11 YearsHome Depot offers EcoSmart LED light bulbsBelkin Battery Backup with FlashlightFlashlight with a compact DVR insideUSB Rechargeable Clip Torch won’t light your fire Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Windows Phone 7 Ad Points Out That the Revolution is Coming A good indicator that a product is getting ready to launch? You start seeing advertisements for it. In the case of this brand new Windows Phone 7 advertisement, you might notice that it’s a bit quiet. And, it’s missing any semblance of “information” about the particular product. But, when the ad is being showcased in front of Lawrence of Arabia, and it’s supposed to be a theme ad, then it will probably start to make sense. The ad does show a Windows Phone 7 device, but we’ll point out here that it’s just a render. On top of that, the first thing the phone tell us, in delicate handwriting, is that the revolution is coming. There’s probably a few people out there that would love to say the revolution is indeed coming, but that Windows Phone 7 has nothing to do with that. Then there’d be the others that believe this revolution is meant for Microsoft internally, and not the phone market in general. It’s anyone’s guess, but we imagine that Microsoft is certainly aiming high. Check out the ad below in all its silent (save for some music) glory. You’ll get to see the Windows Phone 7 home screen again, just as we’ve seen plenty of times before, but that’s not a bad thing, right? [via WindowsPhoneUK] Relevant Entries on SlashGear New Nintendo Wii RevisionsAchievement points coming to two more Blizzard gamesNintendo Revolution PricingHTC confirms full portfolio of Windows Phone 7 handsets are comingWindows Phone 7 to “democritise” the smartphone; TV integration coming? Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba AC100 arrives in UK; no sign of 3G version Toshiba are finally offering their AC100 MID, the Tegra 2 based smartbook running Android 2.1 with the company’s own custom UI. Priced at £292.52 including tax ($449), so far only the non-3G AC100-10Z model – with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and 8GB of flash storage – is available. Its 3G sibling, the Toshiba AC100-10U, is still unavailable for order. It will have a 2100MHz UMTS/HSPA modem for use in Europe, along with quadband GSM/EDGE. Both get HDMI ports, 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 displays and 512MB of RAM. The AC100 has also been listed at Amazon, though the retailer is still showing shipment delays of 1-2 months. Last week at IFA 2010, Toshiba unveiled the Folio 100, a touchscreen slate version of the AC100 expected to be priced at £329 when it launches in a couple of months time. Toshiba AC100 hands-on: Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba AC100 gets played with: hardware good, Android lacking [Video]Toshiba AC100 Tegra 2 benchmarks tip the performance we’ve been waiting forToshiba AC100 Tegra 2 MID/smartbook sneaks on sale?Toshiba AC100-114 Android 2.1 netbook with Tegra tippedToshiba Smart Pad tablet prototype shown; due before October 2010 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab gets €799 unlocked German pricing Samsung’s Galaxy Tab was always expected to have a high sticker price for the unsubsidized European model, and it seems Amazon Germany has dashed any hopes that it might not be the case. The online retailer is now listing the Froyo slate for a whopping €799 ($1,030). That gets you the 7-inch Super TFT display, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and an unlocked HSDPA/HSUPA modem, of course, but it’s still considerably higher than we’d hoped it might be. Subsidized prices are tipped at somewhere in the region of $200 to $400, according to the latest leaky figures, still leaving plenty of room for an expensive US SIM-free model. Samsung told us that they plan to launch variants of the Galaxy Tab on multiple carriers in the same territory, as they’ve done with the Galaxy S in the US, so the one hope might be that competition between operators pushes the subsidized price down. However, that’s still likely to leave anyone looking for a contract-free Galaxy Tab paying through the nose for the privilege. Samsung Galaxy Tab hands-on: [via NetbookNews] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Galaxy S Power Pack surfaces in German newsletterGerman iPhones unlocked using iTunesVodafone 16GB Samsung Galaxy S preorders open; due June 15thSamsung hints that Galaxy Tab will cost $200 to $400AT&T Captivate, T-Mobile Vibrant & Galaxy S simple unlock unearthed Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Efika MX Smartbook available to purchase A smartbook running a Freescale i.MX515 ARM Cortex-A8 CPU at 800MHz has landed for purchase. The smartbook is called the Efika MX Smartbook and has features built around battery life at a price that will get you a more powerful and mainstream netbook. The Smartbook has a 10.1-inch screen that is LED backlit with a resolution of 1024 x 600. The machine also has a multi-format HD video decoder and a D1 video decoder inside. Storage is to 16GB of flash and the machine has an external SD card slot and an internal microSD card slot. Other features include 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, dual USB ports, a 1.3MP webcam, and a headphone jack. The machine also has integrated stereo speakers and a built-in microphone. The Efika MX Smartbook says 10.87 x 7.13 x 0.83-inches and weighs 2.05 pounds. You can order one now for $349. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Qualcomm in legal hotspot in Germany over “Smartbook”Sony Ericsson developing Smartbook claims insiderIntel’s Netbook goes bye bye – now called SmartBookASUS Eee Smartbook dropping Q1 2010 for around $180Multiple Smartbooks arriving in Q1 2010 claim Pegatron Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Aussie judge makes ban on PSJailbreak USB dongle permanent Last month I mentioned that a new USB dongle called PS Jailbreak had surfaced that promised to jailbreak your PS3 without having it open the chassis or void your warranty. The flash drive plugged into the USB port on the PS3 and hacked the console to allow you to play games off the hard drive directly. Sony was fast to fight the dongle in Australia with a court battle that resulted in a preliminary injunction against the sale of the PS Jailbreak dongle. The preliminary injunction was issued on August 27 in Australia. The judge has now come back and made the injunction on the PSJailbreak dongle permanent baring it from sale in Australia. The bad news for Sony is that the software code for a hack that works the same way is now available free on the internet meaning Sony just got pwned. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Judge recommends permanent disbarment for Jack ThompsonPS Jailbreak hacks your PS3 for playing backup games via USBElgato Turbo.264 HD USB dongle gets 1080pJudge recommends guilty charges for Jack ThompsonHuawei D100 Router transforms 3G dongle into WiFi network Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| ExoPC Slate 64GB up for pre-order If you have been following the cool ExoPC Slate tablet computer that we have been, covering for a while now it is getting closer to reality. As of the September 4, the ExoPC Slate is up for pre-order in 64GB flavor. The pre-order process is a bit different from most we have seen; you have to sign up on the ExoPC forums to be able to access the pre-order link. The company points out that the pre-order process is launching before the final product is ready and there is a bit of bad news. The Slate was expected to have GPS, but the 64GB version on pre-order will not offer GPS. ExoPC says that GPS is not working with the current provider and if they can’t get it working, the final product will lack GPS. The company hasn’t ruled out fixing whatever the issue is through so GPS is a question mark right now. The pre-order price has been cut a bit in light of the fact that GPS is unknown. The price will be 749 CAD and if GPS is fixed in time for the slate to ship the price will remain. The SSD inside the 64GB version is from SanDisk making it very fast. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ExoPC Gets Caught on Video, Still Features Windows 7 [Video]French ExoPC Slate tablet machine tips up with Windows 7ExoPC Win7 tablet due Sept 7th with Broadcom Crystal HDHP Slate Gets Detailed and Priced Thanks to HP DocumentSamsung 64GB SSD is now available on Alienware and Dell Laptops Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Dyson Air Multiplier knock off surfaces In October of 2009 Dyson, the guy famous for new vacuums pulled the wraps off a new fan that has no blades called the Air Multiplier. The fan was cool and all, but the thing was very expensive with a smaller desktop version of the fan selling for $299. That is a lot of scratch for a fan and I bet there were many folks that liked the idea of the bladeless fan, but wished it were cheaper. A knock off of the Air Multiplier has surfaced made by an Asian company called Abiko. The fan was on display at the Comex 2010 booth the company had. The Abiko fan looks almost just like the Dyson offering with a different style intake vent and the lack of the Dyson logo being the only major visuals differences between the two. The Abiko fan is not that much cheaper though at $223. CNET News reports that the Abiko knock off can be found for about $50 each at wholesale. I might pay $50 for one, but at $223 they can keep it. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Dyson Air Multiplier AM02 and AM03 bladeless fans debutDyson Root 6 vacuum reviewedTreadway Wearable mobility motorized shoes debutDyson Air Multiplier fan hides blades, swallows your moneyDyson unveils small City DC26 vacuum Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| LG and Best Buy to show off 3D TVs at FedEx field during college football game today The public hasn’t responded nearly as well to 3D TVs as many manufacturers of the sets had hoped. Many TV makers expected people to rush to buy the sets for their homes and that just hasn’t happened mostly because of the high cost, the need for glasses, and the lack of 3D programming. LG and Best Buy are teaming up to show college football fans that are watching the game today between Boise State and Virginia Tech at FedExField what they are missing The partners will be putting 300 LG 3D TVs in the stadium for people at the live game today to watch. Best Buy kiosks on the club level of the stadium will available too. Those Best Buy Kiosks will be built around eight 55-inch LG Infinia LX9500 screens with Best Buy staffers to answer questions. Am I the only one who finds it odd that they are setting up 3D kiosks for watching the game in 3D for people who are already at the game? Those kiosks would be better in stores for people not at the game I think. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Smart soccer ball can tell you when it’s crossed the lineFootball Manager 2009 demo is available nowWorld’s Largest LED screenKeyscaper offers Pac-10 custom keyboards and othersNFL first 3D HD Live Game aftermath Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| TI unveils industry’s first 2.4GHz SoC for ZigBee RF4CE remote controls TI has unveiled a new SoC that is the first in the industry to use 2.4GHz tech for a fully optimized ZigBee RF4CE remote control. The new SoC is the TI CC2533 and it will enable single chip remote controls to be constructed that need low power and offer higher reliability and are cheaper to construct. The chips will provide new out of the box solutions for the control of all manner of entertainment devices in the home like TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players and other home theater gear. TI will also be offering free software with a RemoTI protocol stack offering reference designs to make it faster for makers to get the new gear to market. Features of the CC2533 SoC include on-chip memory with 64KB and 96KB of programmable flash optimized for ZigBee RF4CE applications. The SoC also offers four flexible power modes with the lowest consumption around with a 1uA sleep mode for up to ten times longer battery life than a comparable IR-based remote. The SoC is in production now and will start at $1.99 in 10K unit quantities. Relevant Entries on SlashGear SideShow to be included in Windows Media Center remote controlsNEC unveils new ZigBee Pro evaluation kit for HANsMotionBee platform for remote motion control debutsZigBee health care profile gets ratifiedSkydigital X902, m3, and Presenter 2.4G Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Nuu drops interesting iPhone clamshell with keyboard at IFA 2010 Back when the original iPhone launched for the first few weeks I though the onscreen keyboard really sucked. Then I became used to it and now I can type faster on the onscreen keyboard than a real one. If you never got used to that onscreen keyboard, an interesting case surfaced at IFA from a company called Nuu. The device is called the Mini Key and it is a case that promises to fix the antenna issue the iPhone 4 suffers from, protect the phone, and it adds a physical keyboard as well. The iPhone becomes a fat clamshell phone when inside the case and you can flip it open to access the keyboard for typing messages and notes. The keyboard has raised keys in the familiar QWERTY layout. The thing uses Bluetooth to connect to the iPhone and has a HID compliant Broadcom chip inside and it runs off a rechargeable internal lithium-ion battery. The price for the case is $69 and it should be in stores in time for Christmas. Via Jezlyn Relevant Entries on SlashGear Can you hear me now? – The silent keyboard from ThankoApple’s iPhone app dev agreement drops hint, “update for 27th launch”BlackBerry 9670 OS 6.0 clamshell leaksiTwinge iPhone keyboard set for NovemberiOS4 iPhone 3GS works with iPad Keyboard Dock [Video] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| O2 updates Dell Streak to Android 2.1 Geeks in the UK that bought the Dell Streak on the O2 network have a new Android update that can be added to the device. The new update takes the Streak to Android 2.1. There are a few steps that you need to take before applying the update, lest you lose all your data. O2 points out that any data not stored on an SD card will be erased during the update. Apps will have to be downloaded again from the Downloads tab in the Android Market says O2. The carrier also suggests downloading an app for the Android Market that can back up your SMS messages, contacts and other important items on the phone. The update can be started manually via settings, about phone, system update on the Streak. The first page of the update process reminds again that data will be deleted with the update. Once the update is downloaded, the user will be promoted to start the install, which takes about 15 minutes. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Dell Streak available unlocked in UKAndroid 2.1 for O2 Dell Streak coming Sept 1stUnlocked $500 Dell Streak due in US come JulyDell Streak gets “Superboot” rootedUnlocked Dell Streak release imminent Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Apple to up iPad production to meet demand Generally when a device is hard to buy in stores it’s due to higher popularity. Once you can walk in and buy whatever gadget you are wanting in the store it generally signals that the device isn’t as popular as it was at one point. However, when it comes to the iPad availability doesn’t mean low demand. According to analyst Katy Huberty from Morgan Stanly, Apple is set to pump production of its iPad up to 3 million units per month during the holiday shopping season. That will be an increase for the 2 million units per month Apple is already building. The 2 million unit per month mark was able to get that once long shipping delay at the Apple store down to 24-hour ship time. Apple is still selling all of the devices it builds. Some analysts expect Apple to sell every iPad they build even at 3 million per month and expectations are that Apple could ship as many as 10 million iPads this year alone. Via MacWorld Relevant Entries on SlashGear LG Display can’t meet Apple demand yet may cut productionLG can’t keep up with Apple’s screen demandApple iPad Sales Hindered by Display ShortagesApple iPad orders “so overwhelming” new in-store collections frozen?iPad dropping March 26th; “special gift” for store campers? Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung hints that Galaxy Tab will cost $200 to $400 Samsung’s Galaxy Tab has been making the rounds for a while now with more and more information about the tablet coming forward. One of the key bits of info that we still aren’t 100% on is the price of the tablet. Samsung is hinting that the Galaxy Tab will sell in the $200 to $400 range. That is a very large range and which end of that scale the price comes in at will have a lot to do with the success of the Tab. I would bet we are looking at the higher end of that scale in the $350 range. Surely, Samsung will bring the thing in at a price considerably less than the iPad. The Galaxy Tab is also said to be coming to Vodafone over in the UK. The reason for the large range in pricing is that the final price depends on carrier subsidies for the Tab. I say $400 and a contract will be hard to swallow for many geeks. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Galaxy Tab gets €799 unlocked German pricingSamsung Galaxy Q QWERTY Android phone due in US by end of 2010Samsung Galaxy Tab spotted on Australian outing [Video]Samsung Galaxy Tab gets officially teased [Video]T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant pictured ahead of July 21st debut? Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Fujitsu outs Lifebook T580 convertible tablet Fujitsu has announced a new notebook that converts into a tablet called the Lifebook T580. The new tablet machine has a 10.1-inch screen and gets a pair of USB ports, SD card reader, SmartCard reader, a webcam, and outputs for VGA and HDMI. The machine weighs in at 1.4kg and the screen rotates allowing the tablet to be used like a netbook as well. The screen is LED backlit and the machine has an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust screen brightness depending on the environment to save battery power. Other features include optional embedded 3G/UMTS combined with GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The machine is sized like a netbook but gets an Intel Core processor rather than the lower power Atom. Pricing will vary by region says Fujitsu with availability set for November around the world. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Mysterious Fujitsu LifeBook Tablet PC on show in GermanyFujitsu updates super-compact Lifebook range with P8240 Tablet PCFujitsu LifeBook TH700 convertible dual-mode tablet PC quietly outedFujitsu’s super-compact LifeBook on sale as U810 in USLovely new Fujitsu Tablet PCs Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| IFA 2010 Wrap-Up IFA 2010 isn’t quite finished yet – the show continues through until midway next week – but it’s had its stab at the major headlines. Would-be iPad “killers” and 3D were this year’s themes, with Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and others all trying to convince us that the 1080p HDTV we bought a couple of years ago should really be traded in for a new, 3D-capable set. Product of the show, though, has to be the Samsung Galaxy Tab, with the Korean company delivering a slate that we consistently heard people say was significantly more appealing than they expected. With no shortage of Android tablets shown over the past six months (though a relatively small number actually making a commercial debut) it was easy to sideline the Galaxy Tab in the run-up to IFA as just another Froyo slate. If anything, though, Samsung has demonstrated that it’s not enough to slap Google’s fashionable OS onto some multitouch-capable hardware and call it a day; their third-party software message still needs to be fleshed out, but the company does at least have the research to justify the design, hardware and functionality decisions they’ve made. More than once we heard from iPad owners frustrated at being unable to make voice calls using the slate’s optional 3G connection, something backed up by Samsung’s numbers and offered on the Tab. Samsung Galaxy Tab hands-on: They’re not just dipping a toe, either, instead pushing ahead full-throttle with what Samsung told us will be a range of tablets. Variously sized, and with intra-segment differentiation for media consumers, creators and others, the Galaxy Tab’s broad launch this month and next will only be the start of a number of models to be released in 2011. This first may have taken them roughly twelve months of development from conception, but we’re guessing future examples will come thick and fast as they refine their design approach. Software aside, the biggest challenge is price: Samsung insists they’ve not finalised the numbers, and that any publicly mentioned prices right now are simply speculation, but the inevitability is that, if they’re to position the Galaxy Tab alongside their Galaxy S family smartphones (which retail unlocked for around $400) then it will undoubtedly command a significant premium over cheaper rival slates. Whether consumers are willing to stomach a data plan in return for a subsidised upfront price remains to be seen. 3D‘s future is, if not quite so niche as that of the Galaxy Tab, still with its fair share of doubters and confusion – both among consumers and industry alike. Billed as the next step in HDTV, most manufacturers had some degree of answers to questions over crosstalk, glasses technology and even health concerns of longer-term 3D viewing. They’re also supremely confident about 3D adoption: one company exec predicted 3D-capable sets would account for 40- to 50-percent of new sales within the next couple of years. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty of confusion still to be addressed. 3D glasses standardisation, for instance, is on the table but nobody could give us a firm guesstimate as to when it might be decided upon: until then, consumers buying 3D HDTVs today (or indeed for what looks like the next twelve months at least) can’t necessarily expect to use the expensive shutter glasses from the first set with whatever they later upgrade to. The early-adopter premium is definitely evident, too; talk of practically weightless 3D glasses hitting the sub-$40 range was widespread, but right now they’re clunky, relatively heavy – especially if you already wear prescription glasses – and are around $150 a set. The biggest drawback, though, is the lack of content, and that’s something the industry only has partial answers to. As they highlight, you need a tipping point of hardware adoption before media producers take notice in a significant way, but the 3D entertainment on offer right now is underwhelming in both quantity and, more concerning, quality. At keynote presentations for Sony, Panasonic and others – times when you’d expect the most convincing of demonstrations – the content felt formulaic. Philip Berne has written before about 3D film gimmicks such as characters or objects being flung out of the screen at the viewer, and these were in full effect this week. Most footage had the staggered, layered quality of a cardboard theatre playset; ironically, some of the best video to avoid the effect came from Panasonic’s consumer-centric 3D camcorder (which pairs a 2D HD camcorder with a detachable 3D lens), though the 3D effect in that leaned heavily on the subtle side. Avatar was regularly highlighted as a best-of-breed example of what the 3D industry is capable of, generously skirting the huge investment in time and money the film demanded. Even sports, suggested by some as the “killer app” for 3D, was underwhelming in practice, with fast-moving balls blurrier and more difficult to track in 3D than they were in 2D. According to the industry, would be 3D HDTV buyers will – when faced with a few hundred dollars premium over a regular 2D set – likely opt to “future proof their investment”, even if they don’t expect to make much use of the 3D functionality. “Try it and experience the content” is the message, though it skirts the fact that so far there’s not much content to try, and even less so if you limit yourself to 3D “done right”. Panasonic and ViewSonic both showed 3D capable camcorders, offering consumers the chance to bypass the entertainment industry and fuel their own content creation, but right now it feels more gimmick than anything else. Better technology was promised in the pipeline, but that’s unlikely to reassure anyone who’s picking up a new TV today. If IFA 2010 had a third theme, it was competition with its most significant US counterpart, CES. On this 50th anniversary of IFA, the organisers were bullish about the scale and success of their expo in comparison to the perennial Las Vegas show. It’s an approach that courted criticism; IFA’s claims to floor space sold, exhibitors involved and visitors through the door were all widely argued, and we imagine CES will be preparing some glowing numbers of their own in response. What’s interesting about IFA, though, is that it’s a press, trade and public event: an opportunity for the tech-curious to rub shoulders with journalists and bloggers as everybody hunts out the latest and greatest in not only HDTVs, laptops and tablets, but washing machines, irons and SodaStreams. It can make for a frustrating time when you’re trying to dash between tightly-scheduled keynotes, meetings and presentations, dodging groups clutching swag-bags of t-shirts, USB sticks and branded lanyards, but it’s also a barometer of what has public appeal among the shininess on offer. 3D held its fair share of attention, with plenty of people crowding the gaming stations, though while new technologies such as OLED – LG’s 31-incher stands out in particular – were eye-catching, it was clear that size still came before panel technology. The wedge-shaped groups in front of larger glasses-free 3D screens were telling indicators of their narrow sweet-spots and, more broadly, unsuitability for the average living room. Ereaders and netbooks – until relatively recently a tradeshow staple – had a minimal presence, overshadowed by numerous iPad rivals (such as the Toshiba Folio 100, ViewSonic ViewPad 7, Archos 70 and 101, E-Noa Interpad and Huawei Ideos S7), while Samsung’s expansive Galaxy Tab display was generally several people deep. We expected more iPad-compatible speaker docks, though, pretty much making do with Philips’ Fidelio. We also thought we’d see more of Google TV, though several companies had rival systems, such as LG, Philips and Loewe’s collaboration on NetTV. Rumors of an LG Google TV set-top box announcement failed to pan out, and while 3D-capable Blu-ray players were common, there were also some high-profile content-on-demand announcements by Panasonic and others. The Apple TV launch, thousands of miles away in San Francisco, managed to overshadow much of the early IFA news, though the concept of streamed rather than physical media was the same. There’s certainly more of a European flavour at IFA than you’d get at CES, though much of the truly attention-grabbing stuff is the same: big TVs and expensive home theatre kit. What’s interesting this year is that both key technologies from the show – 3D and tablets – feel on somewhat unsteady footing. 3D has the success of High Definition to follow, while tablets are yet to demonstrate whether the iPad is a segment opener or a sales aberration. As products from both niches filter out in force into the market over the next couple of quarters, it’ll be interesting to see whether consumer reception matches IFA booth hype. IFA covered our travel costs for the trip, and we took part in panel discussions while at the show. As always, no requests for preferential or specific coverage were made or accommodated. You can find all of our show coverage by following the IFA 2010 tag. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Electronic Bubble Wrap Keychain – just when you thought FedEx was SantaBubble Wrap Calendar lets you pop a bubble each dayVuzix Wrap Fashion Shades probably won’t make video eyewear glamorousVuzix WRAP 920AR augmented reality eyewear is geeky coolVuzix WRAP 920AR eyewear hands-on Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| SlashGear Week in Review – Week 35 2010 Welcome to the special holiday weekend edition of the SlashGear Week in Review. It was another busy week in the world of things electric and geeky so let’s get right to it. We heard early in the week that YouTube was in talks to offer PPV movie rentals. Those streaming flicks were said to be coming at $5 per rental. Xbox 360 online gamers got some bad news early in the week when word of a price increase surfaced. Starting this November the price for a yearlong Xbox LIVE gold membership moving up by $10 to $59.99. A new feature for Gmail surfaced called Priority Inbox that will look at your email and put messages that are important to you in a different box so you don’t have to wade through so much to find the really good stuff. The feature will be rolled out to all Gmail users in the coming weeks. The Aluratek Libre and Kobo eReaders finally for a price cut thanks to Borders. The new readers are selling for $130 for the Kobo and $100 for the Libre. That Sena Keyboard Folio for the iPad went official this week with its Bluetooth keyboard on one side. The case surfaced last week at the FCC. The Viewsonic ViewPad 7 went official early in the week. The device will run Android 2.2 and sell in the UK for the equivalent of $541. Several Archos Android tablets were unveiled early in the week in different screen sizes. The new tablets include the Archos 28, 32, 43, 70 & 101. The big news of the week was the announcements from Apple. One of the big unveilings was iOS 4.2 that will come to the iPad later this year. The new version of the Apple TV was shown off and the new version doesn’t suck nearly as bad as the old version did. Apple iTunes 10 was announced at the Apple event Wednesday. One of the key new features was the Ping social Network feature. A new Apple iPod touch was unveiled at the event mid-week with the Retina display from the iPhone 4 and a new A4 processor. The new touch starts at $229. Apple also refreshed the iPod nano with the promise of 24 hour battery life and compatibility with Nike+. The new nano gets a square shape and a touchscreen. The Samsung Galaxy Tab was made official this week with a ship date in September. The device has a 7-inch screen and a 1GHz processor. We went hands on at the Apple event with the new iPod Shuffle. The little Shuffle is a square device with easy to use controls in a smaller and lighter chassis. We also spent some hands on time with the fourth generation iPod touch. The new device is thinner than before at 0.28-inches thick with the iPhone 4 retina displays. We also got hands on with the Toshiba Folio and put the process on video. The Folio runs Android 2.2 and has NVIDIA Tegra 2 inside. We found out late in the week that Sony had beat Apple in number of MP3 players sold with its Walkman. Sony was only able to beat Apple for one month and the feat was done a year ago so it wasn’t tied to the anticipated new gear launched this week. Toshiba issued a recall on some of its T series notebooks Friday. The recall was due to a burn hazard with machines overheating where the AC adapter plugs in. A really cool and very thin Native Union Moshi MM04 Bluetooth speaker turned up late in the week. The speaker is crazy thin and makes me think of honeybees. Facebook has blocked one of the new and major features of iTunes 10, the Ping social network. The reason for the blocking of the API was that Apple didn’t have permission to use the feature. Apple removed the feature altogether. We spent some hands on time with the Archos 70 and Archos 101 tablets this week. The tablets went official at IFA 2010. Hands-on time was spent with the ViewPad 100 that dual boots Android and Windows 7. The tablet is more like a netbook than most tablets. LG offered up a sexy new 31-inch OLED TV at IFA and I want one really bad. The set is only 2.9mm thick. That’s it for this week and have a good holiday weekend! Relevant Entries on SlashGear SlashGear Week in Review – June 23rdApple MacBook and MacBook Pro Could Show Up Next WeekNew Canon Rebel DSLR with better video capture, incoming next week?SlashGear TV Week in review Episode 1SlashGear week in review, issue 1 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| iriver Cover Story hands-on iriver’s Cover Story (aka the iriver Story Touch Edition) has a tough slog ahead of it. On the plus side there’s the resistive touchscreen over the 6-inch E Ink display, all in a relatively compact body that our hands-on at IFA 2010 found to be pleasantly thin and light; on the downside, it’s set to cost more than €200 ($258) when it arrives in Europe and Asia, a fair chunk more than a Kindle yet lacking either 3G or WiFi connectivity. What you do get is a note-taking app that works with the thin pull-out stylus in the top right hand side, a straightforward four-way navigation control (suited to left- or right-handed users, since the Cover Story has an accelerometer for page rotation) and a fast enough processor to make sure the only lag involved is the e-ink’s inherent pauses. There’s the usual, slightly cutesy UI too, with the added bonus of some swipes and taps thanks to the touchscreen. iriver does have a WiFi model coming, which will apparently get basic browsing functionality (though probably not the same sort of Webkit browser as the third-gen Kindle totes) though there’s no mention of pricing for that. It seems they’re looking more at Sony as their rivals: the 6-inch Cover Story lines up against the similarly wireless-free PRS-650, which is €229. It’s nice enough, but unlikely to lure Amazon users away from the more well-rounded Kindle. Relevant Entries on SlashGear iRiver Story gets WiFi version and big price tagiriver Story hands-oniriver Story Touch Edition dumps QWERTY for touchscreeniRiver Story eReader set for CES debutiriver Story caught in wild Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| TerraTec NOXON iRadio 500 hands-on TerraTec have plowed away at the internet radio segment, and their new NOXON iRadio 500 is a slick example of the breed. A €299 ($386) standalone model, with both WiFi and a wired network option, the iRadio 500 has a 2.1 speaker system, large 3.8-inch color display and straightforward controls. As well as playing internet radio, it can also stream locally-stored music across your network from a computer or NAS. While TerraTec supply a remote control, the easiest way to use the iRadio 500 is the large click-knob on the front; the bump to the upper left is the back button. It’s certainly easier than scrolling through a long list of internet radio stations manually, though of course there are touch-sensitive preset buttons on the top, too. Sound quality – over the din of the IFA 2010 show floor – was good, with the compact 2.1 speakers managing to put out a decent amount of sound; of course, you’re also at the mercy of whatever bitrate your station of choice is using. As well as the iRadio 500, TerraTec has two new entry-level NOXON units – the iRadio 300 and 360 – with internet radio streaming and a mono or stereo speaker setup respectively, together with the NOXON iRadio 700 and NOXON A540. The iRadio 700 adds an iPod docking station and PMP-compatible USB port to the iRadio 500, while the A540 is a standard 19-inch wide HiFi component designed for inclusion in your rack. Press Release: NOXON Debuts New NOXON Internet Radios at the IFA Show NOXON has become the synonym for Internet radio, which continues to find its way into ever more living rooms. Aiming to train the public spotlight on Internet radio output devices, the Nettetal-based NOXON will debut a series of new NOXON tuners at this year’s IFA show. And with good reason: Some 14,000 stations are already broadcasting across via the World Wide Web. There is bound to be something for everyone in an offering as extensive as this. Every NOXON receives Internet radio signals, streams podcasts (pre-recorded audio programs posted on websites), and plays music archived on hard disk via a networked link. A broadband connection is all it takes to get in on the action because every NOXON device readily connects with the Internet via a wireless or Ethernet link. The company put a premium on design when it developed this new range, even improving on the NOXON line’s already very user-friendly handling and menu navigation. The devices to be unveiled at the IFA show also feature enhanced audio. Users seeking to explore the all but infinite possibilities of Internet radio are sure to find the right device in NOXON’s new line. You will see the NOXON products at the TERRATEC booth in hall 12, stand 101. NOXON iRadio 300 / NOXON iRadio 360 NOXON iRadio 300 and NOXON iRadio 360 are the successors to the popular NOXON iRadio and NOXON 90elf radios. Both new models feature high resolution displays and a two-way sound system, whereby NOXON iRadio 360 comes with stereo sound. Like their predecessors, both devices offer five favorites buttons and one each loudspeaker and headphones output. Slated to ship in November, NOXON iRadio 300 will be priced at 169 euros, and NOXON 360 at around 200 euros. NOXON iRadio 500 NOXON iRadio 500 receives Internet radio signals, streams podcasts and plays music archived on hard disk via a networked link. Designed to handle intuitively and featuring the trademark NOXON look and feel, this device delivers all these audio signals via a great-sounding 2.1 speaker system. The high-contrast color display is 3.4 inches (8.8 cm) tall. NOXON iRadio 500 will hit stores in November with a price tag that reads 299 euros. NOXON iRadio 700 A step up from NOXON iRadio 500, NOXON iRadio 700 also comes with a very accommodating iPod docking station. This integrated universal dock is turns the device into a sweet-sounding jukebox that charges the inserted iPod or iPhone. Dialing in any of some 14,000 Internet radio stations worldwide could not be any easier. A list sorted according to various criteria (genres, countries) provides a very good overview of this very extensive offering of stations. A USB port lets users pipe in music from external hard disks and USB memory sticks. Active loudspeakers or even a full-fledged hi-fi system may be connected to the line out or digital output. A 2.1 system and a 3.4-inch color display (8.8 cm) are integrated. NOXON iRadio 700 will cost around 399 euros. NOXON A540 Catering to the audiophile crowd, NOXON will launch the NOXON A 540 Internet receiver in November. Housed in a classy 19-inch (43-centimeter) chassis, the standard format for sound systems – this device’s elegant look is sure to impress. Other key features include a monochrome display, favorites buttons, and a digital output. It will be priced at around 250 euros. Relevant Entries on SlashGear TerraTec add iPod dock to wireless media streamerRevo’s WiFi radio cuts the power-cordDoubts cast on Sirius & XM merger; are they the only winners?Review: TerraTec NOXON iRadioTerraTec NOXON M520 HD media-player arrives Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| E-Noa Interpad Tegra 2 tablet hands-on E-Noa’s Tegra 2 based Interpad was one of those tablets we harboured quiet doubts over back in July, uncertain whether the company could beat big-name rivals to the market with their Android 2.2 slate. Having met the company at IFA 2010 this week, though, it seems they’re well on their way to making some sales. The Interpad isn’t quite ready – E-Noa are apparently still working on a custom UI that will suit the 10-inch 1024 x 600 multitouch display – but it was certainly functional enough. In its unfinished software state, there are still some obvious glitches. The presence of a phone icon on the homescreen is one, since while the Interpad will be offered with optional 3G/UMTS it won’t make voice calls, instead using only cellular data. E-Noa are keeping the details of the UI close to their chest, too, since there’s no sign of any screenshots or mockups on the company’s site and they couldn’t tell us at the show exactly what will change. Tegra 2 kept things running smoothly, though with no wireless connection for the Interpad’s WiFi b/g/n (paired with Bluetooth 2.1 as standard) we couldn’t try out the browser. It’ll play back up to 1080p video (supporting MPEG2, H.264 and VC-1 codecs, among others) and E-Noa are still claiming an ambitious 8-12hrs of battery life from the 3,500mAh pack. That sizeable battery adds up to a hefty slate, though it’s a little thinner and a little lighter than Toshiba’s Folio 100. It’s hard to pass judgement until we see the final software, since so much hangs in the balance of how user-friendly the core Android OS is on a significantly larger display than a smartphone. At €399 ($515) for the non-3G version, it’s priced the same as the Folio 100, though we’ve a feeling most users would opt for the recognizable brand name. As IFA 2010 has shown, the tablet segment is hotting up and within a couple of months there’ll be no shortage of above average hardware that the Interpad may have trouble standing out from. Relevant Entries on SlashGear E-Noa Interpad Tegra 2 Android tablet spotted [Updated with video]ICD Ultra Android tablet gets fondledNVIDIA Tegra 2 to go big timeTegra 2 “serious issues” delaying Notion Ink, ICD & Compal tablets [Updated]NVIDIA demo digital mag & Farmville on Tegra tablet Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Why I pre-ordered the new Apple TV Let me just get this out of the way now: I don’t like the new Apple TV. I don’t like that it doesn’t feature on-board storage. I don’t like that I can’t buy songs on it. I don’t like that I can’t buy movies and television shows. And I don’t like that it’s a hobbled alternative to even my least useful set-top boxes. But within hours of Steve Jobs announcing the new Apple TV, I surfed to Apple.com, found the new Apple TV, and pre-ordered it. I didn’t even think twice about the purchase. I simply ordered it and moved about my day. So, why did I decide to go against my better judgement and buy a device that I just don’t like? Two reasons: it’s cheap and I have some hope for the future now that the device is not a “hobby.” The fact that Apple is able to offer its new set-top box for just $99 tells me everything I need to know about the hardware company. Apple is feeling pressure from the Google TV and it realizes that investing in a decidedly “Apple” idea just doesn’t make sense at this juncture. So, rather than cannibalize the Mac Mini, which is a fine set-top box, the company instead decided to create something for those of us who want something simpler. And in the process, it sold us on a device that, for all intents and purposes, is an underpowered alternative to just about everything else. But for some reason, that didn’t matter to me as much as I thought it would. See, I like the idea of being able to pay just 99 cents for a television show. And although the selection isn’t as nice as it could be, I still have Netflix to fall back on when Apple’s offering doesn’t deliver what I’m looking for. I’m also intrigued by the potential that AirPlay has. Sure, right now I can just stream content from other devices in my house to the Apple TV, but what if Apple does something truly revolutionary with AirPlay? The way Steve Jobs was talking, that seems more possible now than ever. And to be honest, I don’t really need my music on every device in my house if I can stream from one of the others. And then there is the possibility of multi-room entertainment. Say what you will about the Apple TV, but its aforementioned cheap price makes it an ideal choice for those that want access to streaming content in the living room and all the bedrooms. For just $100 per room, just about all the entertainment content consumers want can be had. And as more consumers see that, Apple will be able to tout sales figures, which will then get the rest of the TV networks onboard. And when that happens, the Apple TV will be even more of a viable device. So, maybe it’s just me, but I have faith in Apple products. And although the Apple TV won’t win any innovation awards out of the box, I think it has the kind of potential that other devices just don’t. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple has supposedly ordered another 10 million iPhones – I want mine delivered nowMacBook Airs headed your wayNow shipping: the Apple TVQUE proReader delayed until summerApple new 24-inch Cinema Display shipping early Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sleek Audio SA7 and SA6-R “ears-on” We’re big Sleek Audio fans here at SlashGear, and we’ve known the company has been cooking up something special for the past six months or so. That project – the new flagship Sleek Audio SA7 in-ear monitors – has come of age just in time for IFA 2010, along with their upcoming refresh of the original SA6‘s, in the shape of the SA6-R (where the “R” stands for “Reference”). We jammed the carbon-fiber and machined aluminum SA7′s into our ears for a preview. Unlike the plastic-bodied SA6 earphones, both the SA7 and SA6-R use the same solid aluminum core. Around that core are bolted the shells: aluminum on the SA6-R’s (either brushed or a soft-touch blasted finish; what you can see in our photos are still non-final) while the SA7′s get custom carbon-fiber. The latter is worth examining; it has the tightest weave of any carbon-fiber we’ve seen, and is in fact manufactured for Sleek by a military composite specialist responsible for producing drones for the US government. Tricky to photograph, but it looks brilliant in real life. The SA7′s get a dual armature driver to differentiate them from the single armature driver of the SA6-R’s. As with the SA6′s, you can adjust the treble and bass response of the SA7′s and SA6-R’s using various tube and plug inserts as part of the company’s VQ System. There are also various silicone tips (and you’ll still be able to get the CT6 Customs which are specifically molded to a cast of your ear canal) and you can detach the audio cables for easy replacement or to use the Kleer wireless system. It’s too soon to say conclusively about audio quality, but our first impressions of the SA7′s are certainly positive. We’re used to Sleek offering airy, twinkling high end frequencies paired with distinctive, clear bass (and you can tweak those, of course) but the new set seems even more precise. We tried a broad range of musical styles – from classical through to pounding dance – and the real takeaway was the delineation of the different components of the audio. Bass was powerful but wasn’t an overwhelming thump, coexisting well with other elements rather than drowning them out; mids and trebles, meanwhile, were piping clear and crisp. The end result was more enjoyable music at quieter volumes (though that’s not to say the SA7′s can’t handle high power). We’ll save anything more in-depth until review samples are available, which should be sooner rather than later: Sleek say the new sets are almost ready for release. The SA6-R’s will be priced at roughly the same as the SA6′s they replace, around $200, while the SA7′s will be $350-400, still cheaper than rivals from Shure and others (and which are often made of plastic not metal). Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ultimate Ears UE 4 Pro earphones revealedCES 2009: Sleek Audio Custom earphones: Moulding GallerySleek Audio Custom earphones: Video UnboxingSleek Audio giveaway reminder!Sleek Audio SA-1 earphones: custom tuning, bargain price Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| LG 31-inch OLED TV eyes-on [Video] LG’s 31-inch OLED TV may not be the biggest set at IFA 2010 this week, but it certainly stands a chance of being the brightest and most color-rich. It’s just 2.9mm thick, and uses an OLED panel capable of Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution with a contrast ratio LG reckon is infinite. Video after the cut Of course, part of the way LG manage to make the set so thin is that they strip out the tuner, connectivity and everything else and dump it into the box at the bottom. That has a couple of HDMI ports and a USB port, along with the regular digital TV tuner. LG 31-inch OLED TV: LG actually had two versions of the 31-inch OLED HDTV on show, differing only in their stand arrangement and controls. Both had incredible image quality, too bright at times, but we’re guessing you could easily notch that down should you be able to afford the HDTV when it goes on sale in the first half of next year. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Wants a 42-Inch OLED TV Ready to go in 2011LG reveal 15-inch OLED TV to cost $2.5k-$3kProject TOPLESS demo OLED desk lamp [Video]Panasonic confirm OLED work; 40-inch production in 2010?Kodak $999 OLED Wireless Frame gets video review Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Is Ping the Future of Social Networks Apple announced today that in less then 48 hours since its launch on Wednesday, more than one million consumers have joined Ping. It may have gotten lost with the LaLa acquisition’s focus on streaming music that at its core LaLa.com was a social network for music lovers. I remember the first briefing I had with Bill Nguyen the founder of LaLa.com back in 2006. After sharing his vision and a demo of the service I knew they were on to something. The premise of LaLa.com back then was that people needed new ways to experience and discover new music. They pointed out correctly that most people trust recommendations of things like music, movies, food, electronics etc from people they trust who they know share similar tastes. This is what made LaLa’s network so interesting. As soon as you signed up you told the service what music you had and or liked. Instantly you were placed into a network of people who shared your musical interests. Bill explained to me that in their beta they were finding that consumers of LaLa.com were spending on average upwards of 2 hours a day discovering new music. Given the passion people have for music it made sense that when a social network focused simply on a vertical market, it would generate strong consumer engagement. Another good example of this is Dogster.com, which is a social network for dog lovers. Consumers of Dogster maintain a very high engagement due to the passion dog lovers have for their pets. People can get into networks even as specific as their type of dog and even their location. As more people and more artists get active with Ping I believe it will get even more interesting. I am going to watch Ping very closely because it may very well give us a glimpse into the kind of social networks we will see in the future. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ping concept garments tell Facebook pals where you areFacebook Blocks API Access to Apple’s Ping, Apple Removes Feature AltogetherPing Pong Door – Great for small placesApple iTunes 10 Announced, Features Ping Social NetworkiTunes 9 getting Apple Social app integration? Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| MeeGo Screenshots Appear Again, Still Looking Good It’s been a couple of months since the last batch of MeeGo User Interface screenshots broke cover. And with these new ones showing off their pretty images, we can say that it was well worth the wait. Despite the fact that MeeGo isn’t quite ready for prime time yet (so they say), it’s looking like the development cycle is turning the upcoming mobile Operating System into something we could really get into. Of course, these are just development builds, and there is something strikingly Nokia in there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing. This time around, it looks like these were pulled from a device proper. The new screenshots show us what mulittasking is going to look like on our MeeGo devices of the future. We wish we could see it in motion, but we’ll take what we can get for now. As you can see, there’s a sort of hybrid between Android and webOS in there, which means if they can find a nice in between, bringing both features together to make something better, it will definitely grab the attention of users. What we’re noticing right off the bat, though, is that lower menu bar, where applications are present. There is an obvious, striking difference between the two screenshots presented here. Even the icons are different. And the stylized bar, too. Will there be an option to change these settings on the fly, whenever you want on your device? Or are these stylized skins for particular devices? We’ll have to wait and find out. [via My Nokia Blog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear MeeGo UI Screenshots Break Cover, Due to Release in October [Video]Nokia to use ARM chip in first MeeGo deviceIntel MeeGo demo shows netbooks, media sync across HDTVs & smartphones [Video]MeeGo v1.0 for netbooks and N900 launches, gets video demoIntel and Orange to collaborate for MeeGo devices Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| For Apple iOS is Key Steve Jobs rattled off a lot of numbers at Wednesday’s event. As an analyst I like statistics and making sense of statistics. That’s why the platform strategy of iOS struck me when I thought about Apple’s product lineup, specifically iPads, iPhones, iPod Touches, and even Apple TV. Since these products run iOS, iOS as a platform is experiencing rapid growth and tremendous momentum. Sometimes people only think of iOS as a platform as it relates to the iPhone in terms of growth. The reality is there will continue to be a growing number of iOS devices on the market as Apple could potentially approach 1 billion iOS devices in the next five years. Apple shared that to date they have shipped 120 million iOS devices. My companies’ numbers estimate that Apple sells at least 50 million iOS devices every year. We estimate that number to grow next year, particularly as we are forecasting that Apple will sell upwards of 20M iPads alone next year. We also anticipate demand for iOS devices to grow next year significantly since the whole market is experiencing tremendous growth. To further showcase the momentum of iOS – Net Applications, a company that tracks worldwide web usage by hardware, released figures showing that iOS devices have surpassed Linux as the third most used operating system to browse the web. According to their numbers iOS devices represented 1.1% of worldwide Internet traffic last month behind Microsoft with 91.3% and OS X with 5%. Linux fell to fourth with .085%. We believe is it also not unreasonable to believe that iOS could surpass OSX in the above figures in the next two years if not sooner. What is even more interesting is that Net Applications shared that mobile device hardware represented 2.6% of all Internet traffic. With iOS devices having the largest share of that mobile device Internet traffic. This validates the trend we are seeing and predicting that in the very near future Smartphones / SuperPhones will surpass PC’s in global annual shipments. Tablets and other pocket computers like the iPod touch are not included in our estimates of when Smartphones / SuperPhones will surpass PC’s but if they were it would happen much sooner. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple Bluetooth headset approved by FCCComing soon to a Target near you: Apple TVIs Apple losing money on the Apple TV?Apple Remote By SonyHack your Apple TV worry-free Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| LG Display’s 31-Inch OLED TV Showcased at IFA 2010 It was the middle of August when we brought your attention to LG’s highly-anticipated 31-inch OLED TV. There was some speculation that the set would make an appearance at this year’s IFA, and sure enough it looks like the company managed to sneak it in and put it on display for everyone to look at. Actually, just by looking at the image below, we can safely say that they put it out there for everyone to stare at. Coming in at 31-inches, it may not be the biggest TV out there, but in terms of OLED displays, it’s ridiculously impressive. And, that’s not all. It comes in at only 2.9mm thin, which is just down-right ridiculous. Put this thing in your living room, and we’re pretty sure that everything else in there will look way too big for its own good. As for the other features? This OLED TV packs in full HD resolution, at 1920 x 1080, and it has a contrast ratio of . . . Infinite. Yes, you read that right. That means you can pretty much view the clear image from any angle you want. You’ve probably already guessed the bad news, though. Considering the earlier OLED TVs that were released this year were expensive, you can already guess this one is, too. Though, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be. LG says that the 31-inch OLED TV is set to hit retail shelves by March of next year, and it will come with a price tag of about £6,000. Like we said: it’s not as bad as it could be. Relevant Entries on SlashGear LG 31-inch OLED TV eyes-on [Video]LG OLED promised “by end of 2009″Mitsubishi unveils massive 149-inch OLED displayNeoView KOLON T-OLED Display Makes a Great Heads-Up DisplayTVLogic debuts new LEM-150W 15-inch OLED monitor and TDM-150W 3D OLED Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Antec Soundscience Virtual 3D Speakers Coming This Fall for $250 If your living room is usually being used to watch movies or play video games, then you know that having the best sound is critical to a fully enjoyable experience. There are plenty of options out there for speakers, especially if money is no worry and you have a system that can handle 5.1 or 7.1-channel experiences. But what if you just want a simulated 3D experience? An experience that doesn’t come with a huge price tag? Then you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to get your hands on Antec’s Soundscience speakers. Shown off over there in Europe today, at this year’s IFA show, this new speaker is of the 2.1-channel system variety. Antec says that, despite the limited channels, that the Soundscience speaker will deliver realistic 3D sounds, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much. The Soundscience features anodized aluminum satellite speakers, which can accept digital or analog input. And, if you want to use 3D only depending on what type of media your watching, there’s an external toggle that will let you choose between 2D and Antec’s very own 3D sound. While Antec is confident that the speaker will be set to launch this year, they couldn’t give a precise date. They do say that it will be out some time this Fall. But the best part comes in the fact that it won’t cost an arm-and-a-leg to get your hands on the Soundscience. Only $250, and you can have all the simulated 3D sound you need. [via Electronista] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Antec Skeleton case: a Convertible for your CoreR2-D2 DVD projector will be available in limited supply this fallAntec Skeleton case mod contest: predictably unpredictable resultsAntec HTPC case and easy Media Center upgrade kitsClone Wars coming to Wii and DS this Fall Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Google Music Available by Christmas This Year, Sources Say Google’s answer to Apple’s iTunes is coming. Or, perhaps not an answer, but part of the conversation. When Google showed off the idea of Music at this year’s I/O conference, people were eagerly awaiting its official unveiling later in the year. Unfortunately, despite the fact it’s already September, we’re still waiting. But, if the sources speaking toReuters are indeed accurate, we don’t have much longer to wait at all, as this Christmas may indeed be a holiday to remember. In the past, we had actually heard that Google was getting ready to launch Google Music in sync with their latest build for Android, or Android 3.0. And, with this new report from two separate sources, it looks like that is right on track. The sources also report that none other than Andy Rubin is at the head of the charge to get Google Music off the rack, and into the hands of consumers all over the world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Rubin is currently having any luck. Despite the fact that no one, except a few at Google, really knows how long Google has been in talks with record labels about this endeavor, we can imagine that it’s been at least a little while now. And, as of this writing, it seems that they’ve been unable to sign any deals with record labels. Two out of the three sources that Reuters spoke to confirmed that Google intends to launch the music service by Christmas this year. It seems that Google will need to kick the talks into overdrive if they plan to launch Google Music with any kind of bang — other than their own implosion. [via Reuters] Relevant Entries on SlashGear 101 Christmas videos onlineThe G-Phone from HTC?GE displays First-Ever OLED Christmas TreeSolar powered Christmas lights alleviate wiring issuesGold and Diamond Christmas Tree – The Worlds Most Valuable Christmas Tree Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Billboard in Japan Can Determine Your Age and Gender, Recommend Soft Drink Based on Profile It seems that Japan is taking these interactive billboards seriously. When the idea was first postulated, it seemed that only vending machines would be getting the makeover, and the interactiveness would be limited to simply getting directions and picking your favorite drink. But, now a 47-inch (the vending machines were “only” 46-inches) billboard in Shinagawa is showing us that the future is indeed already here. As with many other demonstrations of technology and future tech, the movie Minority Report generally gets brought up. There was not only a lot of technology in that movie, most of it set in the future, but it showed what it may look like in the “real world,” as opposed to being completely ridiculous. We’ve already seen some aspects of the movie come to life, and now it seems that intelligent billboards is the next logical step. Researchers managed to team up and create a 47-inch billboard that utilizes not only a camera, but also sensors to judge a person that stands in front of it. The camera and sensors then work together to formulate your profile: your age and gender, and then subsequently proffer you a soft drink, based on that profile. The General Manager of sales at an East Japan Railway subsidiary, Toshinari Sasagawa, said that now they can finally see what people are buying, all over the age range, instead of just making “educated guesses.” We’re not exactly sure that, say, a Coke is generally marginalized to one specific profile or age, but apparently that may be the case. The 47-inch billboard will interact with you, based on your age and gender, too. And, considering it’s already making decisions simply based on your profile, we can see how this may become exactly like those Minority Report billboards, that recognize repeat customers, and start offering you what you may like, based on previous purchases. Doesn’t seem too far off, does it? [via Wall Street Journal] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Digital Beverages MyFountain – For the heavy drinkerStainless Steel Egg Drink Cooler by Piet HeinMario Power Up! Energy DrinkNEC Eye Favor is High Tech Marketing tool with Face Recognition appsJVC turns on first HD display in NY Times Square Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| iSAVE External Air Bags for Cars Meant to Keep Pedestrians Safe We can’t say for sure, but there must be a lot of cars hitting a lot of walking people in Japan, because they have a very, very “healthy” fascination with keeping cars from hitting them. Or, in this case, if they are going to hit them, they might as well hit them without much damage to their face (or rest of their body). Though, depending on how fast the car is going, we’re not sure airbags on the outside of the frame will do much to save anyone. The exterior air bags are actually specially crafted car body panels, and they are the design project from many researchers, and was the idea of several companies based out of Hiroshima, as well as the local university. iSAVE is designed to rapidly deflate the airbags upon collision, just like the airbags you have in your car right now. There’s only one car in the world right now equipped with iSAVE, and it’s just a prototype right now. And, while it may be a good idea enough to put it on every car out there, it seems that the researchers are claiming it only works with electric cars. The researchers plan on having iSAVE fully commercialized by 2011. Until then, though, they plan to sell upwards of 50 units for 3-wheeled vehicles. Pricing on four-wheeled cars was revealed though: $17,800. So, it’s not a cheap option, but if you know that you aren’t all that safe about staying in your lane (or not on a sidewalk), maybe you should think about getting yourself a new (electric) car next year. Obviously, sound isn’t good enough to keep those pedestrians safe. [via CrunchGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear The very chic Portobello laptop bagsStarChase offers cops a way to track runaway carsLexie Barnes creates brightly colored laptop bagsGabriel & Schwan’s Laptop Bags – fun for both sexesThink Geek’s new line of girly laptop bags Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Coolermaster’s Choiix Boom Boom Portable Speaker Unveiled, Offers Acceptable Sound As far as portable speakers go, it’s good to know that while the expensive ones are still getting attention, the little guys out there are still producing attractive options for not a lot of cash. That’s exactly where Coolermaster’s Choiix Boom Boom portable speaker comes in. When compared to, say, iHome’s brand new (upcoming) offering, this little speaker definitely seems like something we could sink our teeth into, given the fact that the price tag isn’t going to kill the pocketbook. The company doesn’t beat around the bush when trying to sell this little, portable speaker. They go as far as to say that it will provide you with high volume, and a high quality acceptable sound. We figure that “acceptable sound” is probably supposed to sound better than it really does, but that will more than likely be the part that hangs with potential customers. Acceptable sound is just . . . acceptable. The slimmed size, along with its lightweight profile means that you’ll be able to take the speaker with you wherever you go, whenever you want. It’s power comes from the USB connector that you’ll plug into your laptop, which is probably exactly what you’ll be utilizing with the speaker. So, as long as your laptop is good to go, your external speaker will bleat out the tunes. The Choiix Boomb Boom portable speaker is due in the UK by mid-September, and should cost £16.95. See? We told you it was cheap. [via TechRadar] Relevant Entries on SlashGear The portable Card Mini Boom BoxZivio Boom Bluetooth headset is pretty but lacks substanceThe Cigarette Tin Boom BoxPopblaster the “Perfect Travel Companion?”CES 2008: Etymotic Research etyBLU Bluetooth headset Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Huawei Ideos U8150, S7 tablet & Hx concept hands-on [Video] Huawei are another company going in for Android in a big way, already behind several of the operator-branded budget smartphones on the market and hoping to follow up that success with the new Ideos U8150, a Froyo 2.2 smartphone with what’s tipped to be a roughly $150 unsubsidized price tag. As well as playing with the U8150 at IFA 2010 today, we also grabbed a fleeting moment with the Ideos S7 tablet and a (non-functional) Huawei prototype for their idea of a potential gaming MID. Video demos after the cut The U8150 is largely what you’d expect from a budget Android smartphone – a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel camera and relatively bulky chassis – though there are some moderately unusual features. The touchscreen is capacitive, not resistive, and there’s 3G mobile hotspot functionality for up to eight WiFi-connected devices. Build quality is fair, too, with only the D-pad being a little less than responsive, and there was no apparent sluggishness despite the absence of a cutting-edge 1GHz processor. Huawei Ideos U8150 hands-on: As for the Ideos S7, unfortunately that had no network connection and so we couldn’t really put the internet tablet through its paces. However, responsiveness of the homescreen alone was mixed, with navigation tabs sometimes requiring two or three taps in order to respond. Had Huawei managed to get the S7 to the market back when it was first announced in May, they could have stood a chance, but with Froyo rivals like the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 and the larger Toshiba Folio 100 fast approaching, it’s hard to see how the Ideos S7 could carve a niche. Huawei Ideos S7 Tablet hands-on: Finally, Huawei were showing the Hx, a concept “media terminal” which would supposedly have a modular gamepad/keypad/kickstand attachment. Seeing as it was non-functional, Huawei didn’t have to actually worry about fitting in all the necessary components – it’s as slim and slick as any concept design – but we’d like to see the company turn some of the budget imagination shown in the U8150 to a working model with a similarly low price. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Huawei S7 shows up at Computex for some praiseHuawei S7 gets previewed: multimedia good, battery bad? [Video]Huawei S7 Android tablet up for £300 preorderHuawei E583X MiFi-rival gets video demo; coming JulyHuawei D100 Router transforms 3G dongle into WiFi network Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| iHome Shows Off Portable Speaker with Apple’s AirPlay Built-In A company like iHome is probably supposed to showcase something that Apple shows off only days before. The company makes a killing off creating some of the best accessories for Apple’s line-up of mobile media devices, so why shouldn’t they showcase a brand new portable speaker, featuring Apple’s just-announced AirPlay feature? This is the first speaker to feature the wireless media feature. The new feature will be made ready by the release of iOS 4.2, which is set to hit the iPad, and other iDevices, in November this year. As you can tell from the picture, it’s not a complicated piece of equipment. A single-piece design, the speaker is specifically manufactured to accept audio input over a WiFi connection. What you’ll also notice is that the iHome speaker doesn’t have a dock of any kind. It’s meant to proactively promote the WiFi streaming, from your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. It also has a built-in battery, so that means that at particular points in the day, like when you’re not charging it some how, it will be completely wireless. That’s probably where that “portable” aspect comes from. Unfortunately, iHome isn’t saying when the speaker will be released, or how much it will cost. They do say that it will be ready to buy by the holidays, though, so that’s good. It probably won’t be the cheapest speaker out there, but if you’re looking for that wireless home, this is one step towards that goal. [via iPodnn] Relevant Entries on SlashGear iHome iP1 iPhone dock speaker system now availableiHome iP46 Portable Stereo Dock for iPhone and iPod is perfect for summer funiHome Announces the iHMP5 HeadphonesiHome iH41 Alarm Clock Rotates Like iPod DisplayKorean firm S&J shows off Eggy and Bike Speaker systems Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Archos 28, 32 and 43 hands-on [Video] Though Archos’ larger internet tablets grabbed our attention first, we spent some time playing with the French company’s three smaller models too: the Archos 28, 32 and 43. Ranging in size from 2.8-inches QVGA, through 3.2-inches WQVGA, to 4.3-inches FWVGA, the three palm-sized tablets are Archos’ attempt at hybrid PMP/MIDs, hitting price points from $99.99 to $149.99 to $199. All three support a broad range of video codecs (AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, WMV) and will run Android 2.2 Froyo when they launch in the next couple of months (Archos’ demo units were loaded with a 2.1 test build). The Archos 28 and 32 both use an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and the 43 gets a 1GHz version; all have WiFi b/g/n plus USB Host and Bluetooth 2.1. None have Android Market access, instead using Archos’ own AppsLib download store. The baby of the bunch, the Archos 28, has 4GB or 8GB of flash storage, and feels a lot like a cheap Android smartphone. The display is pixelated and, despite the long list of codecs, the PMP lends itself more to audio playback. Responsiveness is fair, and Archos’ new media app looks good, but we can’t see buyers picking this over a comparably priced iPod. As for the Archos 32, that’s got 8GB of storage as standard and comes with a 720p-capable camera. The bigger display is low-resolution for its size, however, which undermines browsing and video playback, and makes for a tricky typing experience with the onscreen keyboard. Archos 43 hands-on: Of the three, the Archos 43 is the most successful, though the company’s choice of a resistive rather than capacitive touchscreen may lose them sales in comparison to the iPod touch. Still, you get a bigger display than the iPod, larger than most smartphones in fact, and the functionality is packed in too: 720p video recording and playback (with a camera on the back), an HDMI output, up to 16GB of storage (with a microSD slot) and the same processor as in the bigger Archos 70 and 101. That keeps things moving swiftly, and it’s actually a decent browsing experience (and will be improved with Froyo and its Flash Player 10.1 support). Relevant Entries on SlashGear Archos 7 Home Tablet gets hands-on video: surprisingly goodArchos 5 gets OpenGL gaming chopsArchos 9 PC Tablet finally shipping: gets video unboxingArchos 9 Internet Tablet dropping October 22ndArchos 5 Android Internet Tablet up for Amazon preorder Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Stealth Rugged USB Keyboard Features Optical Trackball Mouse, Costs $695 Stealth isn’t a stranger to the tech community, so when they go ahead and introduce something like their brand new rugged keyboard, we hope that they’re not immediately scoffed at and ignored. Even if it is pretty thick, and, well, rugged. Luckily for those who are curious enough to check it out, the new USB keyboard does feature plenty of features, and a very unique optical trackball mouse, right up there near the right corner. First, we do have to say that that trackball looks like a crystal ball. Now that we’ve got that off our chest, we can move on to the other features. First and foremost, and what you’ll probably notice right off the bat, is the fact that the keyboard is perfectly housed within a nice, stainless steel package. The other thing you’ll notice, are those red keys. They happen to be NVIS-compliant red adjustable backlighting. But, what about the protection specifications, right? How “rugged” is this “rugged” USB keyboard? Well, it’s NEMA 4, 4X, and IP65 specified, which means (at least in the latter part) that the keyboard will be able to handle dust, and water being ejected at it in powerful jets. We’re not exactly sure when you’ll have your keyboard around powerful jets of water, but hey, at least it will be protected. The keyboard is available right now if you’re interested, and it will cost you $695. Not cheap, is it? [via Stealth] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Stealth 2000-DT-TB – One Tough KeyboardGenius Traveler 350 trackball mouse for those on the goKensington SlimBlade Lifestyle Collection of peripheralsThe Optical Liquid MouseRugged Mac mini designed for military use Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Pogoplug iPad App Now Available in iTunes App Store, Showcases Wireless Printing When Steve Jobs stood on stage just a couple of days ago, and announced the upcoming iOS 4.2 update, which is making its way to the iPad in November of this year, one of the features he was proud to show off was wireless printing. Considering the tablet device was missing the feature from the get-go, it’s about time it’s making an appearance in the native Operating System. But, what if you don’t want to wait until November? Then hopefully you’ve got yourself a Pogoplug, because thanks to the app that they’ve just released into the App Store, you can get yourself some iPad printing right now. Pogoplug officially announced the application, along with its release into the App Store, today. The application itself is a full-featured app, bringing with it all the functionality that you might expect from anything Pogoplug-related. Users can now access and share media, files, and whatever else they’ve got saved right from their Pogoplug-attached storage device. You can turn your 16, 32, or 64GB iPad into a memory juggernaut — the ability to hold media and files into the cloud, and the fact you can stream them from the iPad itself, means that you’ll now have access to Terabytes of storage. And, as we mentioned above, the Pogoplug iPad will let you wirelessly print. And not just documents, either, but pictures can also be printed. You can view and edit documents as well, right from within the iPad app. And, with the ability to play music by artist, genre, or albums — you can even find songs just by album cover art. It will also show you what’s Now Playing, just to make everything easier for you. You can get the application right now from the iPad App Store. And the best part? It’s totally free. Press Release Pogoplug Comes to the iPad iPad Users Can Now Access Own Personal Cloud Services, Including Printing Today the Pogoplug iPad app is available for free in the iTunes App Store! The new app offers full Pogoplug functionality on the Apple iPad. Users can now access and share their files or stream their media from their Pogoplug-attached storage, taking full advantage of the multi-touch surface, immersive high-resolution screen and the extreme ease of portability of the iPad. Pogoplug is a multi-media sharing device that web-enables up to four USB hard drives, allowing upload and making content accessible to the user both locally or via the Internet. With the new iPad app, users can eliminate storage limits on their Apple tablet device. In conjunction with a Pogoplug and a large hard drive, the iPad’s effective storage can go from the standard 16, 32, or 64GB to a number of Terabytes. With the Pogoplug iPad App, users can also: -Print from the iPad: The Pogoplug allows printing pictures, documents, emails and more, straight from the iPad -Browse and open files, including MS Office docs and PDF files: View and edit docs from your iPad -Watch movies: stream your movies from your Pogoplug to your iPad -Play music seamlessly from your iPad: Plays entire genres/artists/albums; shows now playing information and finds songs by album cover art Share files straight from your iPad: Share videos, pictures, docs and more to family, friends, and coworkers using the my.pogoplug.com site The Pogoplug iPad App is available today for free in the iTunes App store. There are also iPhone and Android Apps for Pogoplug. The Pogoplug is available at retail locations such as Frys and Amazon for $99 Relevant Entries on SlashGear Pogoplug Now Supports Cloud Printing with New Firmware, Wireless Adapter and Biz Model Now ShippingPogoplug cloud printing support due this summerPogoplug gets WiFi b/g/n Wireless Extender; Pogoplug itself cut to $99Pogoplug iPhone app makes external HD’s accessible from anywhereiPad Apps Hit the iTunes Store Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| NES Controller Used to Play Nintendo Emulator on HTC EVO 4G There’s an emulator of every kind on the Android platform right now. Ranging from old-school consoles, to newer (yet still old-school) models, you can find all types of games to play while you’re on the move, without having to get your hands on the old-time console. The Nintendo emulators seem to be some of the most popular, and considering the titles available, that’s not a surprise at all. But, while playing your favorite games of yester-year may be fun, sometimes playing with your fingers blocking the screen isn’t (if you don’t have a physical keyboard, of course). So what would be better? How about the original Nintendo Entertainment System’s controller? Yeah, we thought it might. Thanks to a promising hacker out there, we can now safely say that it is indeed possible to play your favorite Nintendo games, through your emulator, on your Android-based device. Well, if that Android device happens to be the HTC EVO 4G for Sprint, that is. The specifics mean you need to plug the NES controller into a Sparkfun prototyping shield, which has a BlueSMIRF Bluetooth modem attached to it. Courtesy of the Arduino programming language therein, the controller (connected to that Bluetooth modem) will seamlessly playing nice with the Android device. There’s a few technical steps needed to get the process finished, but considering the end result, it would be worth it, right? As of right now, the hacker’s project is still in Alpha mode, but if you really want to give this a shot, you can head on through this link, and find the instructions you need. But, enough of us talking about it — check out the video below. [via IntoMobile] Relevant Entries on SlashGear iPhone Can Now Play Nintendo GamesNintendo sends out SNES controllers for the WiiThe Nintendo Controller BackpackNintendo Classic Controller PRO for Wii announcedNintendo Wii Classic Controller in Gold Included in Goldeneye 007 Classic Edition Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Archos 70 and Archos 101 hands-on [Video] Archos weren’t short of new internet tablets for IFA 2010, though it’s their Archos 70 and Archos 101 which stood out when we stopped by their booth earlier today. Measuring in at 7- and 10-inches respectively, the two Android slates (running 2.1 right now, but set to launch with 2.2 Froyo) are certainly thin and reasonable feature-packed, each toting a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 3D OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics accelerator and WiFi b/g/n. Video demo after the cut Both use capacitive touchscreens – 800 x 480 resolution on the Archos 70, 1024 x 600 on the Archos 101 – with multitouch (that proved more than a little glitchy in the photo viewer app) and have HDMI outputs for squirting 720p video out to your HDTV. As you’d expect from Archos, there’s plenty of codec support too, including AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF and 3GP. Archos 101 and 7 Internet Tablets hands-on: The Archos 101 is an interesting beast; at 12mm thick, it’s very flat and, at 480 grams, surprising light, though the French company’s choice of plastics mean it doesn’t feel cheap. It also doesn’t flex as you hold it, and there’s a two-position kickstand on the back: first, it props it up for video viewing; second, it lowers the angle for more comfortable on-screen typing. Archos demonstrated a number of games on the slate, and the CPU could certainly keep up, using the accelerometer to navigate in racing titles. As for the Archos 70, that’s a more pocketable model, measuring in at 201 x 114 x 10/14 mm (the 250GB hard-drive unit is thicker than the 8GB flash version); that makes it longer but narrower than the Galaxy Tab, with the Samsung slate slotting in-between in terms of thickness. The touchscreen felt more responsive than that of the Archos 101, though things like webpage rendering and pinch-zooming weren’t as slick as on the Samsung. The Archos 70 lacks the two-stage kickstand, too, only having a single arm for video viewing. Unfortunately, there’s no rear camera on either model, only the VGA webcam. Unfortunately, Archos has decided to abandon the multimedia docks of previous models, and there’s no DVR dock option for either. That, on early internet tablets, allowed for direct audio and video recording straight to the slate’s internal storage, but from now on you’ll have to sideload content. Given the pre-production hardware and non-Froyo software, we won’t draw too many conclusions about the Archos 101 or the Archos 70, but we have to say the price tags for each slate are encouraging. The French company expects the Archos 101 to retail for $299.99 when it lands midway through next month, while the Archos 70 will be $274.99. That certainly keeps them competitive against the other Android tablets we’ve seen at IFA 2010 this week. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Archos 5 gets OpenGL gaming chopsArchos 7 Home Tablet gets hands-on video: surprisingly goodArchos 605 WiFi recieves go-ahead from the FCCArchos 9 Internet Tablet dropping October 22ndCould the Archos 604 be the core of your AV world? Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Carnegie Mellon’s Modular Snake Robot Can Climb Trees, Pipes, and Your Body When robots take over the world, it’s always because a certain robot was created to help mankind, or at least a facet of mankind’s life. That’s what it seems like, anyway, in those Sci-Fi movies that seem more like future told than fictional creation. In the case of Carnegie Mellon’s modular snake robots, which are being create to be helpful to the human race, we’re wondering if creating a(n) (evil) snake robot that can climb up our torso and peer into our soul is a good idea. In truth, the modular robotic snakes are being created out of Carnegie Mellon’s Biorobotics Lab, and they’re part of a dedicated program that’s completely focused on manufacturing robotic snakes. Making them better. Making them faster, and making them ultimately more useful. Or, as some may think, better equipped to roll over the world. The video below will show that while some can “slink” forward like a snake, others move more like a rolling Sidewinder. That is, until they find your leg, and climb you. The developers, researchers, and scientists behind the modular robotic snakes say that their inventions will be able to help in search and rescue operations, inspect bridges, and get to other small places that we currently have a hard time getting into. Like we said: it always starts with the best intentions. Check out the videos below, and let us know what you think in the comments. [via GearLog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Omnitread Robot: Awesome!Watch where you step – WowWee’s Roboboa!Innovation First selling ROBOTC programming kits for VEX robotsSurena II humanoid robot unveiled in IranVoltree Power makes trees sensitive Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab: second helping [Video] Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is shaping up to be the device of IFA 2010, and while we spent some hands-on time – complete with video – with the Froyo slate right after the launch yesterday, we thought we’d head back today to see if our positive first impressions held true. After the cut, more hands-on video and pictures of the Galaxy Tab, plus details on launch plans, Samsung’s intentions for future tablets, and more! Second time round, the Tab proved equally appealing. It’s well-sized for the hand, and, unlike the iPad, you can actually slot it into an inside jacket pocket without tearing the seams. Side by side with the Galaxy S, and the Tab’s LCD panel does a decent job holding its own against Super AMOLED. Although 4-inches versus 7-inches doesn’t sound a vast difference, as you can see in our comparison photos it’s actually a considerably increase in screen real-estate. That’s allowed Samsung some extra flexibility in their custom software, with the email app – that supports multiple accounts, including POP, IMAP and Exchange among others – offering a two-column view in landscape orientation that’s similar to the iPad. You can pick from a unified inbox or separate views by account, and you can adjust the split between the two columns to resize as preferred. The calendar app, too, pulls in appointments from multiple accounts, all color coded, including Facebook dates and others. Samsung Galaxy Tab hands-on: For multimedia, meanwhile, Samsung has partnered with 7digital to offer on-device DRM-free audio files. That can obviously be mixed with side-loaded content. 7digital doesn’t offer video, but you can view content via Samsung’s AllShare streamed over wireless connections. Thanks to the HDMI dock you can output 1080p Full HD video to your HDTV, complete with 5.1-channel surround sound, and there’s also Samsung’s free “QWERTY Remote Control” app for operating their IP-connected TVs. While Samsung has ticked all the boxes for Android Market inclusion, of course most current apps aren’t scaled appropriately for the slate’s 1024 x 600 display. To accommodate that, the company has built in some clever app-resizing that stretches standard software (say, designed for WVGA smartphones). While you might expect apps to look blocky, the end result is actually pretty impressive; we’d say it looks better than, say, iPhone apps running on the iPad, and it’s all done automatically and supports screen rotation (if the app itself does). In terms of accessories, Samsung will be of course offering the HDMI Dock we spotted yesterday, together with a regular desk dock and a keyboard dock for those wanting to enter large amounts of text. A stylus suited to capacitive touchscreens will also be on offer. They also confirmed the unusual Bluetooth stylus spotted last week; it turns out that the stylus works as a Bluetooth handset – a pen-sized Moshi Moshi, as it were – which can be kept in your shirt or jacket pocket and then used as a hands-free kit when calls come in. Despite the rumors and speculation seen online, Samsung told us that the Galaxy Tab’s price has still not been finalized. That’s because they’re still in talks with carriers, negotiating subsidies and data packages. The Galaxy Tab will actually launch in Italy first, later in September, shortly followed by the UK before the end of the month (we’ve heard Vodafone are the likely carrier, though obviously Samsung wouldn’t confirm that). The expectation is that broader availability – including the US – will happen in October 2010, with Samsung preparing multiple versions of the Galaxy Tab for different US carriers, just as they have done with the Galaxy S smartphone. Samsung told us that the Galaxy Tab is, unsurprisingly, just the first in what they see as an expanding range of tablets that will launch throughout 2011. That range will include larger and smaller versions – the company wouldn’t tell us which is coming next, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see a bigger-screen Tab intended to directly challenge the iPad and potentially running Android 3.0 Gingerbread or 3.5 Honeycomb – as well as models that target different sub-segments. This first Galaxy Tab, for instance, has a 3-megapixel camera, partly because of size restraints but also, we were told, because the model is intended predominantly for media consumption and browsing, rather than content creation. Future Tab slates could approach things differently. Samsung is also working closely with Google on Android development, with regular “high level meetings” and plenty of shared code. That bodes well for how much work they – and indeed other tablet manufacturers – may have to do to finesse Android for larger-screen devices, reducing the amount of customisation and thus helping cut down on OS upgrade delays. The company couldn’t say, though, whether developers would have access to their own particular customized apps on the Galaxy Tab, such as the new calendar app, but they will be able to easily produce their own software suited to the 1024 x 600 display. Head over here for our first Samsung Galaxy Tab report, including more video! Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Galaxy Tab gets officially teased [Video]Samsung Galaxy Tab spotted on Australian outing [Video]Samsung Galaxy Q QWERTY Android phone due in US by end of 2010Samsung Galaxy S torn down and snappedSprint’s Samsung Galaxy S Pro gets detailed Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| ViewSonic ViewPad 100 dual-boot Android/Win7 slate hands-on ViewSonic’s second tablet is more of a work-in-progress than the ViewPad 7, with the ViewPad 100 being a 10-inch dual-booting Android/Windows 7 tablet that’s still undergoing plenty of finessing. With a 1024 x 600 two-point multitouch capacitive touchscreen, Atom N455 processor and 1GB of DDR3 memory, it makes for a reasonable netbook replacement (as long as you don’t mind losing the hardware keyboard) but, thanks to the presence of Android, also doubles as a quick-loading multimedia player and general entertainment slate. Still, the current state of the prototype isn’t anywhere ready for store shelves. ViewSonic has had to use Android 1.6, simply because that’s the most recent version of the Google platform that’s compatible with Intel Atom CPUs; the company’s reps told us they do have plans to update that as soon as possible, and indeed they’re also looking at Google Chrome OS as a potential alternative. In Windows mode – running Windows 7 Home Premium – the ViewPad 100 is reasonable, though it’s still obvious that Microsoft’s OS still isn’t ideal for touch-only devices. ViewSonic compound that by not including a stylus of any sort; while they’re unfashionable right now, they’re still the best way to interact with the Windows 7 TIP (Tablet Input Panel) that pops up automatically whenever you’re in a text-entry box such as an address bar or form. Handwriting recognition – which in Windows 7 is actually pretty accurate – is scuppered by the difficulty of trying to write with your finger, and instead ViewSonic expect users to flip over to the onscreen keyboard. There’s WiFi but no 3G, and a 16GB SSD together with a memory card slot for adding to that. ViewSonic says the ViewPad 100 will launch in Europe in October 2010, priced at under £500 ($769). Relevant Entries on SlashGear ViewSonic ViewPad Android tablet & dual-booting Android/Microsoft slate tipped for IFA 2010ViewSonic ViewPad 7 hands-on [Video]Viewsonic Android ViewPad tablet gets picturedViewSonic Viewpad 7 gets official: sub-£350 Android 2.2 tabletSlashGear Week in Review – Week 35 2010 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| ViewSonic ViewPad 7 hands-on [Video] With a sub-£350 price tag for a 7-inch Android 2.2 Froyo tablet, with 3G voice and data, a capacitive touchscreen and digital camera, we were wondering where the catch was with the ViewSonic ViewPad 7. Having used the compact slate at IFA 2010 this morning, we’re still left searching for the compromise: on the face of it, you’re getting much of what Samsung is delivering with the Galaxy Tab, only at (perhaps) half the price. Despite the budget tag, the ViewPad 7 feels solid and well made. The rear panel is glossy, fingerprint-loving plastic (and had already acquired a few scratches) but the metal-effect surround seems sturdy and the capacitive touchscreen itself was reasonable responsive. A 3-megapixel camera is the only thing on the back, aside from the company’s logo, and lacks any sort of flash, but there’s also a second camera, on the front, for UMTS video calls. ViewSonic ViewPad 7 hands-on: Like the Galaxy Tab, you’ll be able to use the ViewPad 7 as a phone – Samsung told us yesterday that around 70-percent of people they questioned said they’d like to use their tablet as a cellphone too, so it seems a sensible feature-addition for ViewSonic to make. It’s worth noting that the sub-£350 price is unsubsidised and unlocked, so if ViewSonic can find a carrier partner then it might easily drop down to free with a new contract. Viewsonic have sensibly left Google’s own UI to do its thing, rather than mess with customisations, though they couldn’t tell us what Gingerbread 3.0 plans they might have. The 600MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor isn’t as speedy as some of the 1GHz slates we’ve been seeing at IFA this year, but Android itself doesn’t appear to have suffered too greatly. Page rendering in the browser was quick, and games played with no lag. It may be a rebadge of the OlivePad, but that doesn’t appear to have hurt ViewSonic too much. There’ll be plenty of competition by the time they reach the market later in a month or two, but given the price and the recent version of Android they’ll likely find plenty of buyers. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ViewSonic ViewPad 100 dual-boot Android/Win7 slate hands-onViewSonic ViewPad Android tablet & dual-booting Android/Microsoft slate tipped for IFA 2010ViewSonic Viewpad 7 gets official: sub-£350 Android 2.2 tabletViewsonic Android ViewPad tablet gets picturedHuawei Ideos U8150, S7 tablet & Hx concept hands-on [Video] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba unveils Lumileo P100 pocket projector I am glad to see that there are more and more projectors coming onto the market. The downside is that all of these small pocket size projectors are still not bright enough to use in rooms that are moderately lit. Toshiba has announced its own new pocket-size projector called the Lumileo P100. The little projector measures in at 116 x 50 x 18mm and weighs 96g with the battery installed. The little projector has a resolution of 640 x 480 and it has a scant 14 lumens of light output. That battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion unit and the projector has a contrast ratio of 200:1. Inputs include RCA and VGA and the P100 has manual focus and a 0.5W stereo speaker. The projector is good for an image up to 65-inches in a dark room. Pricing is unknown at this time. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba P100 – The portable powerhouse3M MPro110 Pocket Projector on sale September 30thPantech DM-P100Toshiba TLP-X200U is a projector that talksToshiba’s WiFi projector falls short of ideal home use Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Energizer debuts InductiveCharger for smartphones Having to dig around and find the charger that fell behind your desk to plug in your phone sucks. We have all been there at one point or another. Thankfully there are all sorts of wireless induction chargers on the market that let us just sit our smartphones on a pad to charge them up. Energizer has jumped into the inductive space with a new product called Energizer InductiveCharger. Other than the world’s most unoriginal name, the product looks like most of the other similar chargers on the market with no cords and a charge plate large enough for two gadgets. The inductive plate measures 7.27″ W x 0.93″ – 0.39″ T x 7.918″ L and weighs 0.8 pounds. The inductive charge plate works with cases and battery doors for the Blackberry Curve 8900 and a sleeve that fits the iPhone 3G/3GS smartphone. Both the Blackberry and iPhone accessories are Qi-enabled. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone ChargerCES 2008: Energizer keeps going with several new productsEnergizer to reveal Zinc Air Prismatic batteries at CESMajor PC security issue with Energizer Duo Charger and USB ChargerWhen packaging sells a product: Energizer’s emergency charger Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| PadTab lets you hang your iPad on any flat surface I get a lot of use out of my iPad for all sorts of stuff from surfing the web on the couch to reading books. I know some folks like to use the thing a lot for recipes in the kitchen and so on too. Once Hulu Plus lands for us all I will probably use the thing to watch some of my favorite TV shows. If you want to mount your iPad on the wall or another flat surface in your home like the fridge, a new mount system called the PadTab has surfaced. The PadTab appears to be a plastic tab of some sort that interlocks with a squareish wall tab. The wall tabs are small and can be painted to match your wall to blend in with the décor. If you have a home automation system that has an iPad app to control it, this might be the perfect way to mount the iPad as a wall control. The Wall Tab has an industrial strength adhesive so you can mount it without having to drill. Each kit will cost you $29.99 and includes two WallTabs. Shipping of the PadTab system starts today. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Quirky Cradle for iPad debutsiPad camera adapter unlocks other tasty USB capabilitiesLapWorks offers up new iPad and eReader standBelkin unveils Vue, Max, and Grip iPad sleevesHyperMac stand holds your iPad and gives it more run time Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| LaCie debuts tiny MosKeyto flash drive For a long time the wireless dongles that we needed for things like wireless keyboards and desktops were long and fat adapters that often blocked the surrounding USB ports. Thankfully manufacturers have started making those dongles so small you can plug them in and just leave them there. Flash drives today are mostly like those old wireless dongles. They are long and fat and when used on a notebook or netbook with USB ports close together you may lose one of the scarce ports. LaCie has unveiled a new flash drive that is a lot like those nano wireless adapters. The new flash drive is called the MosKeyto. The little thing comes in 4GB and 8GB capacities. The scant size of the flash drive at 21 x 16 x 10mm and 10g of weight means you can plug it in and just leave it in the USB port if you want. The 4GB version sells for $17.99 and the 8GB version will cost you $27.99 with both available right now. Relevant Entries on SlashGear LaCie CurrenKey flash drive announcedLaCie Little Disk makes use of 1.3-inch hard disk drivesTranscend launches tiny 8GB 40-pin IDE Flash DriveLaCie d2 Blu-ray drive boasts 8x BR recording speedOlinari – The USB drive necklace Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung PN50C490B3D 50-inch 3D Plasma TV under $1000 at Best Buy If you have been holding out for a good deal before you jumped into the 3D TV realm with your own set today may be that day. Best Buy has the cool Samsung PN50C490B3D 50-inch 720p 3D plasma 3D TV on sale for $989. The set has a 600Hz refresh rate and is 2 ¾” deep. Naturally, the big downside here is that the set apparently lacks any 3D glasses. You will have to buy them separately and Samsung gouges to the tune of $150 to $200 per set for the active glasses you need. If you have four people in the family, the glasses will be almost as much as the TV. Other specifications of the set if you are still interested include a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, USB port, three DVI inputs, dual component inputs, 20W internal speakers, and a V-chip. The set measures 31″ tall on the stand, 11-3/4″ wide on the stand, and 2-3/4″ deep on the stand. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung reveal latest LCD & Plasma price-listCES 2008: Samsung Series 4 & Series 5 3D-ready entry-level Plasma TVsMatsushita Readies 103-inch Plasma TV for SalePioneer shows off new 8G plasma TVsSamsung SENS G25 – 19-inch notebook Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba to offer world’s fastest SDHC memory card Toshiba has announced that it is set to offer a blazing fast SDHC memory card that it claims to be the world’s fastest. The new memory cards are being offered in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities and are compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard Version 3.0, UHS104. Toshiba claims that the new memory cards are good for read speeds of 95MB/s and write speeds of 80MB/s. The new fast cards will be offered in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities. Toshiba also claims more world’s firsts in the memory card market with the unveiling at IFA of several new microSD cards. The new microSD cards are offered in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB and are UHS-I cards with SD 3.0, UHS50 compliance. The new microSD cards are the first SD 3.0, UHS50 compliant cards, have read speeds of 40MB/s, and write speed of 20MB/s. Mass production for the microSD cars is set for November. Relevant Entries on SlashGear IFA 2007 – Thanks for the memory, Toshiba32GB SDHC cards from Toshiba trump the competitionToshiba 64GB SDXC memory card announced: lands Spring 2010SD Association offers new symbols for high performance SDXC and SDHX memory cardsSilicon Power unveils new SDHC card for HD video recording Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba issues recall on T series notebooks for burn hazard Toshiba has issued a recall on its T series line of notebook computers in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. The recall is voluntary and covers the Satellite T135, T135D, Satellite Pro T130 machines. In all the recall covers about 41,000 notebooks that were sold globally. The reason for the recall is that the computers can overheat at the connection to the AC adapter and pose a burn hazard to users. Toshiba states that so far 129 reports of the computers overheating and deforming in the plastic area around the AC adapter including two minor burn injuries that didn’t require medical attention and two reports of minor property damage. The notebooks were sold globally direct from Toshiba and via other retailers between August 2009 and august 2010 for $600 to $800. To fix the issue Toshiba says consumers need to download a new BIOS that will detect when the machine is overheating and disable the external power and display a message to the user. Machines that get the error message will be repaired free according to Toshiba. Relevant Entries on SlashGear HP has expanded a battery recall on some of its notebooks for fire hazardToshiba to Recall Faulty Batteries on Satellite and DynabookBelkin issues recall on F9G930-10, F9G930v10, F9G930-10-W and F9G930-10-SN surge protectorsToshiba announces first HD-DVD burner for notebooksToshiba announces a new battery recall Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| NASA HD iPad app launches with free content NASA is always out to get the American public behind one of its plans for research or exploration in space. If you are an iPad user NASA has announced a new iPad application and the app looks very cool with lots of interactive features. The app is called NASA App HD and it has all sorts of content like streaming video from NASA TV, an interactive map with links to NASA filed centers, quick links to feature stories and launch schedules and more. The landing page for the app has the solar system and users can touch the planets to learn more about them. Using the app iPad fans can also search through updated high-resolution images from the NASA Image of the Day and the Astronomy Picture of the Day collection as well as watching videos on demand. The NASA App is free and can be downloaded right now. Relevant Entries on SlashGear NASA turns 50 todayNASA unveils Moonbase Alpha 3D game via SteamGM and NASA team up on Robonaut 2 humanoid robotD-Wave quantum computing claim backed by NASARobonaut 2 to catch a ride to ISS and Tweet the trip Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| SD Association unveils dual-row pin memory card design for SDHC and SDXC cards When it comes time to buy a memory card, many people just grab up the largest capacity card they can afford without thinking too much about the speed of the memory card. Speed is an important factor though, especially if you are shooting images with a camera that can take fast bursts. The SD Association has unveiled a new memory card design for much faster SDHC and SDXC memory cards. The new design uses dual-row pin design that will allows a bus speed of up to 300 Mbps in both formats and is backwards compatible. The new interface will be offered in full size and micro form factor cards and will not change the physical size of the memory cards. The new dual-row pin design is part of the coming SD 4.0 specification expected in early 2011. Current UHS-I technology allows for transfer rates of up to 104 Mbps. Relevant Entries on SlashGear SD Association offers new symbols for high performance SDXC and SDHX memory cardsLenovo, HP, and Dell to build SDXC readers into Arrandale notebooksPatriot unveils 64GB UHS-I SDXC memory cardTeam to unveil new 64GB SDXC card at ComputexToshiba 64GB SDXC memory card announced: lands Spring 2010 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| LG offers a look at new 3D plasma PX990 TV and other gear at IFA LG is on hand at IFA in Berlin and the company is showing off some of its new 3D TV offerings. LG has its first Plasma 3D set on hand at the show called the PX990. The set has active 3D tech and is the first set in the world to get the 3D THX certification. It also has a 600 Hz refresh rate. LG is also showing off its existing 3D Blu-ray player the BX580. LG has its new LE4900 and LD490 sets at the show with integrated Freeview HD tuners. The LE4900 uses edge lit LED backlighting, supports full 1080p resolution, and has integrated NetCast broadband TV. The set is DLNA ready and has a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It will come in 32-inch, 37-inch, and 42-inch sizes starting this month. The LD490 is a LCD set with 1080p resolution that also has NetCast broadband TV, DLNA support, and a 60,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It will also come in 32-inch, 37-inch, and 42-inch sizes starting in September. The details of the PX990 I mentioned before include Bluetooth, 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, NetCast with a wireless broadband dongle, and it will come in 50″ and 60″ sizes starting in October. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Hitachi adds 11 new plasma and LCD sets to TV linePocket PlasmaPioneer shows off new 8G plasma TVs125-inch flexible plasma display just 1mm thickSamsung reveal latest LCD & Plasma price-list Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| SageTV HD Theater 300 Lands for Purchase Those out there who want to be able to stream their media content over to the TV and need a new device to do that with may be glad to hear that the SageTV HD Theater 300 is now available to purchase. The network media device sells for $149.95 and supports full HD resolution. The new device has HDMI 1.3 and supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD/MA sound formats. The device can stream video from online sites like YouTube, TV network websites, and Google video at the touch of a button on the remote control right to the TV in your living room. The device can also stream your personal media library and can be connected to a wired network or to a wireless network with the addition of an optional wireless adapter. The HD Theater 300 can also be used in conjunction with optional SageTV Media Center software to watch and record live TV from a PC or Mac that has a HD Tuner Card inside. In addition to HDMI 1.3 the device also has a component and composite input. All cables needed including HDMI are included and the device ships with a remote control. Relevant Entries on SlashGear SageTV HD Theater internet-enabled media streamerThe Sleek Portable PC Theater ConceptCustom Bat Cave inspired home theaterStar Wars fans create ultimate Death Star theaterThe Ultimate Indiana Jones theater Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sound Freaq SFQ01 hands-on Is there still room for more iPod speaker docks? New company Sound Freaq reckon so, and their SFQ01 is an attempt to take a slice of the lucrative market. Designed with – as they themselves said – love-it or hate-it aesthetics, the slab-sided dock system promises above-average sound quality thanks to the company’s own UQ DSP system. Meanwhile, a companion iPad app allows for straightforward remote control, together with streaming from the Apple slate itself. Download the app, and you can switch between the SFQ01′s sources – an iPod docked in the speaker itself, the iPad streamed via Bluetooth, an FM radio or an aux-in source – together with remotely controlling the docked PMP or choosing from the iPad’s own audio files. Alternatively, you can pipe through music, soundtracks or game audio from the iPad, if you’re unhappy with the quality from the Apple tablet’s own speaker. On the crowded ShowStoppers floor, the SFQ01 certainly sounded loud enough, though we’ll need to spend some proper one-on-one time with it to see if it lives up to the sales pitch. We’re also cautious about audiophile-style claims, whenever regular Bluetooth A2DP is involved, since the format generally involves plenty of compression along the way. The SFQ01 will land first in the UK, priced at £199.99. In the US, the Sound Freaq SFQ01 will launch arrive in mid-October, in time for a November sales promotion in Target. There it will be priced $199.99. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sound ID 510 Bluetooth headset gets its own iPhone AppSoundClip is a passive Iphone amplifier, only $8Concept: JVC Quasar, 360 Degree SoundAlpine OEM Audio Processor: PXE-H650Sound ID unveils new 400 Bluetooth headset Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Native Union Moshi Moshi MM04 Bluetooth handset/speaker combo We’ve written about Native Union‘s range of Moshi Moshi handsets for cellphones before, and while they’ve always been endearing in a retro way, you could easily dismiss them as pretty gimmicky. The company’s latest models, though, are a little more usable in their functionality however; the new MM04 is a combination stereo Bluetooth speaker and handset, while the MM03 is a more traditional Bluetooth handset and there are brand new colors of the original Pop handsets. Of the new range, the MM04 is the most interested. Designed by upcoming Brit designer Michael Young, it hooks up – like the MM03 – via Bluetooth 2.1 and works, via the A2DP stereo profile, as a wireless 2W stereo speaker system. It can either sit on its charging dock, or be used wirelessly: a full charge is good for up to 2hrs of music playback. Pick it up, however, and a motion sensor automatically kicks it into handset mode, turning it into a private way to take calls rather than using a Bluetooth headset. The battery is good for up 6hrs talktime or 120hrs standby. The Native Union MM04 is available for £150 ($230), while the MM03 is £90 ($152). Relevant Entries on SlashGear Native Union Moshi Moshi want to give your cellphone a handsetMoshimy mobile phone dock concept spiedMoshi Voice Control Digital Clock Radio Makes Waking Up a Lot HarderMoshi IVR Alarm Clock features spoken TimeSet techMoshi Bluetooth Car Speakerphone Available Now for $79.99 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Facebook Blocks API Access to Apple’s Ping, Apple Removes Feature Altogether So, there’s been a bit of a controversy swirling around today. After iTunes 10 officially launched late last night, after the announcement from Apple, there were plenty of people wanting to get to try out the new social networking feature, Ping. Through Steve Jobs’ presentation, Facebook was definitely included in the whole “social” aspect of the feature. But, people began to find out quickly that, oddly enough, Facebook was missing from the final product. There’s now some clarification as to why that is. Thanks to Kara Swisher of All Things D, who has been speaking to some sources familiar with the matter, it seems that after some talks, Apple and Facebook couldn’t come to terms. The results? Facebook subsequently blocked Ping from accessing the API necessary to link the social networking giant with the new social networking, music-specific tool. The result is the inability to search for an iTune user’s friends on Facebook, who are also connected to Apple’s Ping. Apparently, the API itself is open, and generally speaking anyone can use it if they need to. However, if the application in question is going to access it quite a bit, then Facebook requires an agreement, which is made to primarily protect Facebook’s user data and infrastructure. Negotiations were certainly struck, and there was plenty of conversation, but the end result wasn’t good, and now you can’t use Ping with Facbook, and vice versa. Apple did indeed pull the feature right after its public feature — that’s why some are saying they did have access, but don’t anymore. [via All Things D] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ping concept garments tell Facebook pals where you arePing Pong Door – Great for small placesFruit slide is better than tossing your apples in a bowlApple App Store arrives on Facebook: downloads, sharing & more3G iPhone 2 predicted for Apple Special Event Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba StorE TV+ Features 2TB HDD and Integrated WiFi While not necessarily shown off at this year’s IFA, we can say that it was by proxy. Considering the presence that the company has at this year’s show, we think it counts. In any event, they’ve just officially announced that their brand new StorE TV+ is coming to the market soon, and it offers up plenty of goodies for anyone who wants to get their streaming media on. Especially if you’re not a fan of watching TV on your computer, and prefer to see it right there, on your TV, where it should be. The StorE TV+ is, first and foremost, a media drive that features a 2TB hard drive. It will connect directly with your TV, as long as your TV can, you know, connect to something like this. Other features include 10/100 Ethernet port, and integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. And, if you’re one of those people that doesn’t like to turn your TV on just to see what’s on, you’ll be happy to know that there’s an LCD on the front panel, which will tell you what’s going on even if your TV isn’t on. If you’re curious to know about file formats that the StorE TV+ supports, you’ll be happy to know it has many of them handled. For audio, it can play Ogg and Flac, as well as others. As for video, you’re looking at support for MPEG-1, 2, and 4, as well as H.264. You also get support for VC-1 codecs, MOV, MP4, MKV, WMV, and AVI. You’ll notice that there’s DivX and XviD missing, unfortunately. The media drive will be available some time in September for about $307, or £200. [via CrunchGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Satellite U305 and X205 – Toshiba’s newest Penryn notebooksToshiba Gigabeat T400 comes to USToshiba misquoted, new Xbox 360 after all?Toshiba’s WiFi projector falls short of ideal home useToshiba unveils the dynadock wireless U USB docking station Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sony’s Digital Comics Service Could be Launching on PlayStation 3 Digital reading is one of those markets that’s not so much a niche, anymore. There’s plenty of people out there that still wish it was, surely, but the simple truth is that while reading a physical book (or in this case, a comic book) may be nostalgic, getting your reading done in the digital landscape is becoming more common place than anything else. The iPad’s launch may have made it harder for the physical media to make its case, especially when Marvel launched their comic book service for the tablet device, but we can’t forget about Sony’s own offering for the PSP. Their Digital Comics service, which has seen a steady growth on their mobile video game console, might be heading to the big screen, after all. According to a PlayStation enthusiast site called Addicted to PlayStation, there’s a survey being tossed around right now that kicks around the idea of the Digital Comics service heading to the PlayStation 3. The survey is just wondering if the service would succeed or fail, and there’s a chance that, depending on the reaction of the survey takers, that the service does indeed launch for the home console. Digital comics on the go makes sense. On the iPad, it makes sense. But, perhaps reading a comic on your home TV doesn’t. We’re not sure anyone would want to read a novel on their TV, but maybe all the pretty, colorful, and attractive pictures, with those small text bubbles, will make it a difference experience altogether. What about you?Do you want Sony’s Digital Comics service on your PlayStation 3? [via Joystiq] Relevant Entries on SlashGear DC Comics iPad app joins MarvelThe PlayStation phone – Sony’s next big thing?Sony’s Home gets delayed, open beta coming in the FallSony’s PlayStation Network+ Could be Announced at E3Sony Finally Gets Around to Officially Announcing Slim PlayStation 3 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung Will Push Android, Keep Bada and Windows Phone 7 in the Backseat Being a phone manufacturer first, and a software developer second, means that you get options. Especially when you’re in the smartphone market. For Samsung, who just recently unveiled Bada as their proprietary mobile Operating System, they’ve still got other platforms to jump onto and show off to the world, even if Bada isn’t the success they’d probably like it to be. And, while Windows Phone 7 has been shown off (almost primarily) on a Samsung-manufactured device, it looks like the company has other plans: they’re going to focus on Android, and put Windows Phone 7 and Bada in the background. This comes to light in an interview that Samsung Mobile marketing head, YH Lee, had with Reuters. According to Lee, Samsung is promising only one Windows Phone 7 device, and that’s only because there’s some “professional, specialized demand” for the device. As for Bada, Samsung is going to continue to make hardware with the new mobile software, but they’re still going to give the lion’s share to Android, as it is “open and flexible” to Samsung’s customizations. And, simply put, it’s far more popular. It’s certainly an interesting development, especially considering that the manufacturer that brought the Samsung Galaxy S devices to market is slated as one of Microsoft’s premiere partners when it comes to the launch of Windows Phone 7. Apparently, Samsung doesn’t have any plans to be a “long-term” partner, so to speak. Of course, this does give Samsung a bit of maneuverability. We wouldn’t be surprised to see, if Windows Phone 7 does become a hit, Samsung pronounce that they’ve got a ton of other WP7 devices in the making, and that they’re going to give it a strong push in the market. Like we said above, manufacturers have options, and using the most popular option to sell your device makes perfect sense. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Bada mobile devices surface for mid-range marketSamsung Galaxy Q QWERTY Android phone due in US by end of 2010Samsung bada SDK open to allSamsung may drop Windows Mobile for AndroidSamsung bada SDK unveil on December 8th Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sony Beats Apple in Sheer Numbers, Walkman Outsells iPod for One Month Even in Japan, where Sony’s name is synonymous with many different gadgets and pieces of technology, as well as people’s lives in general, Apple plays a huge roll. So, when news breaks that Sony has officially managed to outsell Apple in their Personal Media Player line, even for just a month, our ears perk up. According to researchers at BCN, that’s exactly what has happened. But, of course, while the news is great for Sony, there’s plenty of reasons to think it’s a short-term effect. According to the new report, Sony’s players like the basic S640 made it possible for Sony to creep up the ladder, and ultimately out-sell Apple for one month. As they put it, it basically just comes down to numbers, and the variety and price variation that Sony offers may have just caught up with Apple. In the month of August, Sony racked up 47.8 percent of sales, while Apple fell to 44 percent. While the 8GB and 16GB iPod Nano were still the top sellers, it’s the fact that Sony had so many offerings, that they managed to beat out Apple by numbers. This event actually happened a year ago, too, which has the researchers believing that Apple’s refresh cycle has something to do with the phenomena. Since Sony is in its mid-cycle right about now, with no new hardware to announce and show off (and ultimately tease customers into waiting for “what’s coming”), the company was safe to sell what’s on the retail shelves now. Apple, though, typically refreshes their hardware in September, so that may have made people wait to see what was coming around the corner. Will Sony ever be able to reclaim the thrown in their home country? It’s a tough call, but we can’t help but root for the underdog (at least for a little while). [via iPodnn] Relevant Entries on SlashGear New Walkman B100 series from Sony makes a good alternative to AppleSony Walkman NWZ-X1000 complete with touchable AMOLED Display?Sony OLED Walkman X priced: $399.95 for 32GBSony OLED Walkman X arrives in UK WednesdaySony Walkman B100 – Bye Bye ATRAC Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Nintendo Famicom Torn Asunder by iFixit While some people may like to put things together, in little Do It Yourself projects, there’s others that get their kicks by tearing things apart. The fine folks over at iFixit are some of those people that would fit quite nicely in the latter category. Well known for tearing apart some of the most high-profile devices out there, all in the hopes of figuring out how they tick, it’s good to see that they’re going back in time, to find out how some of the ancient pieces of tech out there, that helped shape today’s day-and-age, worked. That’s where Nintendo’s classic Famicom comes in. The Famicom is Nintendo’s family computer. But, it’s also called the Nintendo Entertainment System here in the States, when it debuted years, and years ago. Notable features include: a 4W power supply — which is about 2.5% of what the current generation Xbox 360 consumes. Other than that, as you can imagine the technology inside the Famicom is notably dated, and yet interesting all on its own. We definitely feel that, if you’re a fan of looking how things work, or a fan of gaming at all, you’ll need to go through the source link below and check out iFixit’s full run down of their tear down. [via iFixit] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Super Famicom prototype discovered27-inch iMac torn asunder, geeks everywhere cry a little bit5 Nintendo lines of hardware support being droppedCyber Familator Lite loads 8-bit Famicom games on your Nintendo DS LiteNintendo sends out SNES controllers for the Wii Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Altoids Tin Becomes DIY Miniature BBQ Part of the fun of doing something yourself is the fact that, sometimes, you get to use things that you might not normally think about using. Doing it yourself means, sometimes, more than anything else, that you get to tinker while you create. And thanks to Instructables, you can now safely say that you can put together something awesome from a very simple thing: an Altoids tin. And let’s face it. When you’re creating something from random pieces lying around you, you’ve got the theme song to MacGuyver playing in the back of your head, don’t you? It’s hard to escape, really, especially when you’ve got something like this laying in front of you. If you’ve got an Altoids tin next to you, two computer fan guards, and a toolbox (with tools), you can actually create a working mini-BBQ. And, apparently this little thing can actually cook a hamburger patty, and a hot dog, as long as they’re trimmed down to fit onto the BBQ. We’re not sure that you’ll actually eat anything that small for a meal, but if you’ve got plenty of mini-hot dogs in your refrigerator, just waiting to be cooked, this might be the perfect way to get that done. And considering the whole thing’s powered by a standard-sized briquette, there’s no reason not to give this a shot, right? Cue that MacGuyver music, folks. [via GearLog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Mini Weapons – Miniature Bazooka and Samurai Weapons3M ultra portable projector with Lcos miniature projection technologySteampunk flash drive is massive and expensiveAd-Tech MP15A is a Full-Blown Mobile ProjectorDIY iPod speakers Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sharp Quattron-based 3D TV Introduced, 60-Inches of Increased Brightness This year’s proving a good year for in-home 3D TVs. Sharp, which has yet to make a real splash in the market, has just pulled the curtain off their brand new 3D TV, which features their Quattron technology. If that sounds familiar, it should. It was formerly known as QuadPixel, and it’s meant to expand the colors displayed on your set, while also increasing the overall brightness. In essence, it’s supposed to make the picture you’re looking at so much better. At its most basic level, Quattron technology adds yellow, to the already stalwart blue, green, and red hues used in traditional televisions. What this does, is make the colors on the screen far more “realistic,” while expanding them. It also increases the brightness by an estimated 1.8 times, when compared to other non-Quattro-fused sets. The TV is 3D-ready, and like most of the competition out there, you’ll need 3D Active Shutter glasses to take advantage of it. The 3D TV will be an Internet-ready set, featuring Aquos Net Plus, which will let you access things like Flickr and YouTube. Additionally, it will utilize Sharp’s Super Edge LED backlighting. There’s talk that a US-based launch could happen in the future, but an announcement of that sort will probably come in time with CES 2011, this January. As for the UK? Word has it that it will cost the equivalent to $5,385. Certainly not as bad as it could be, especially considering it’s 60-inches. [via Electronista] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sharp RD-CMP2000R – Linux Based PDASharp AQUOS A-Series HDTVs hit JapanSharp Reveals World’s Thinnest LCD Flat Panel TV with AQOUS X SeriesSharp Five-Color LCD over 99% of visible colorsSharp announces more efforts to become greener Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Life on Facebook I almost added a comment to the long, growing list of comments on Stephen’s wall. I sat for a few minutes, trying to think of what to say. I’m sorry? I’m thinking of you? I read through the thirty-five or so comments that were already posted, and most of them repeated the same thoughts over and over again. Condolences piling up under Stephen’s status update, saying that he had just lost his brother, Mike, and he would be flying home to New York City for the first time in years to be with his family. [Image credit: Adib Roy] I’m embarrassed that this was my first instinct, to reduce my sympathies and caring words for a good friend to a few hundred characters typed below a pile of similar notes. I scanned through the names of people who had already left their message and didn’t recognize any of them. I consider Steve a friend, but our circles never overlapped. Still, the only name on the list that seemed familiar was the wife of one of his oldest buddies from the neighborhood where he grew up. Ed’s wife had left a message, but Ed had not. Close friends don’t leave a message on a Facebook page, not for something like this. Close friends call. I picked up my phone and searched my contacts for Steve. The first number I found was a local New York exchange, from when we met back in Brooklyn. I knew he had a local number for California, where he moved almost ten years ago. I tried the other number in my contact list and listened as the phone rang and rang. No answer, no message. My numbers were all incorrect. At one point, I’m sure I had the right number for Stephen, but I’ve switched phones a few times, and I’ve changed the online account I use for contact sync. My phone pulled his contact info from Facebook, and Stephen hadn’t updated it with his new number. I called my cousin Bill, who had introduced us. Bill’s a bright guy, a nerd even, but he doesn’t use Facebook. When I asked about Steve, he didn’t ask where I had heard the bad news. It would have never occurred to him to leave a message on a Facebook wall. “Steve’s in the air. He’ll be in New York City around 4:30. Call him soon after he lands, because his family is Orthodox and they’ll stop answering the phone at sunset.” It’s Friday, and Steve’s family, like all Orthodox Jews, unplugs for the Jewish Sabbath. If death is a natural part of living, then death has also become a natural part of life on Facebook. Some of my favorite moments on Facebook have been watching my friends grow their families with marriages and births. Who doesn’t post pictures of their wedding? I have a friend who posted a wedding picture between the ceremony and the reception. As far as I know, I’ve seen every baby born to a Facebook friend, with a message that usually gives the baby’s name, the weight, and the mother is doing just fine. There have been moments of immense sadness, as well. I can’t imagine the pain of miscarriage, but I’ve seen the status updates. It’s a sad necessity, I think. For weeks and months, Mom looks for comfort from the aggravations of pregnancy. Friends look for advice from other moms, report their progress. In my family, we keep the baby’s name to ourselves until the day he’s born, but I’ve known the names of babies who didn’t complete their journey into this world. As one Facebook friend who had to endure this suffering explained, if you give people constant updates on your progress through pregnancy, you have to expect the questions will come around the time the baby is due. I don’t know how I could have been so selfish and stupid to ask one of my friends, expecting triplets, how her boys were doing. Obviously, if she had good news to report, there would be updates, pictures, elation. She had lost all three. Her answer to me was mournful and vague. She and her partner tried to cherish the brief time they had spent with their little ones, and then they were called away. This is one reason I keep Facebook personal and Twitter professional. Twitter is a stream of voices shouting over each other, not really expecting to be heard. Facebook is a window into my life that I’ve opened to the world. Here is my history. Here are my pictures. These are my other friends. I’m not friends with anyone on Facebook whose company I haven’t enjoyed somehow. I’m not friends with anyone I couldn’t try to stand by at the worst of times. One of the frustrating aspects of Facebook is that permanent information exists only temporarily. What if I miss the most important messages? It makes me wonder if we’re all just fools to rely on a social network, an online service, to help us manage our relationships in the real world. Sure, for dating and vacations and complaining about work, Facebook is a wonderful tool. But I’m not ashamed to say that the part of my life I manage and sustain on Facebook has become important. Important things happen on Facebook. Life changing events occur and we don’t want to repeat them over and over so we post them once and let them float on the ether to be seen, or to disappear. We share until we don’t. Some of us are brave enough to keep sharing, even at the worst of times. I’m friends with a family of siblings whose father had been fighting cancer for a decade. He was winning, until he wasn’t. They all kept posting messages on Facebook, and it was heart wrenching, but I admired their courage. They posted messages to him, messages to each other. They posted messages to God, pleading. They posted memories and pictures. They were all so different in their grief, just as they are all so different in life. But together they painted a portrait of a family losing someone they loved. I wouldn’t presume to know what they found in the end, but from my perspective, I hope they found the catharsis that seemed to appear in their status updates. I never responded, I never felt my immediate presence was necessary or appropriate. But they weren’t posting for me, obviously. They were posting for the same reason that we want friends around when we express our grief. It helps to mark the passing time. It helps to see our emotions reflected in the faces of others, to remind us that we’re not alone. Most of all it helps to get the words out and know that they are floating away. Like placing a candle on a paper boat and letting it go. We turn around and walk away, and we don’t forget what the candle looked like, but we don’t need to watch as it burns down and slowly sinks below the surface. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Facebook Android SDK Now Available to DevelopersNetflix Updates hit FacebookErick Tseng Begins a New Exciting Career With FacebookFacebook Lite Trims the Features Starting TodayNokia S40 Facebook app; new Facebook Connect for Mobile announced Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba BDX3100KB 3D Blu-ray Unveiled, Due in the UK This October There’s no denying that companies all over the place are jumping onto the 3D bandwagon. Obviously someone, somewhere up on the corporate food chain in all of these manufacturers believe that 3D is the way to go. And, as long as that means we don’t have to pay a hefty price tag at the theaters every time we want to enjoy some 3D goodness, we can see where they’re coming from. (Of course, 3D in the home is still pretty expensive too.) With that being said, Toshiba is making another push into the 3D Blu-ray market today, with the announcement that the BDX3100KB 3D Blu-ray player will be released later this year. There’s a couple things to take note here, when announcing a 3D Blu-ray player. The first is that, thankfully, it will still play your favorite 3D-less Blu-ray movies. The second, is that if you want to really enjoy any kind of 3D player, you’ll need to also have yourself a 3D TV, too. With that in mind, though, we can move onto the features. The BDX3100KB will showcase full 1080p HD resolution at 24fps for you without a problem, as well as showcase your 3D movies to the best of its ability (which is very good). But, if you’re someone who loves to partake in all sorts of media, ranging in all types of file formats, then you’ll also be happy to know that there’s a USB port on the back of the 3D Blu-ray player, which will allows for support of AVCHD, DivX, JPEG, MKV, and MP3 files. The player supports Dolby’s TruHD, as well as the DTS Master Audio Essential. And, if you’ve got plenty of speakers in your living room, it will offer support for 7.1 channels. The HDMI port is also 3D compliant. And, as you might expect, it also offers upscaling for standard definition viewing, all the way up to 1080p. Unfortunately, while Toshiba confirmed that the 3D Blu-ray player will be released in October, there’s no confirmation on pricing. [via Pocket-Lint] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Third-gen HD DVD players unveiled by ToshibaToshiba Camileo S30 & P20 Unveiled, 1080p Recording in One HandToshiba 256GB SSD is 3mm thickToshiba NB100 netbook coming to UK in OctoberIFA 2007 – Thanks for the memory, Toshiba Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Verizon Begins Offering Unlimited Data in Prepaid Fashion, 3G Smartphones Included Prepaid services have been around for awhile, but for the longest time they were never good enough to catch the attention of the average consumer. After all, there’s a lot hanging on that contract-free plan. You not only miss out on minutes, but it used to be that you didn’t even get the same reception as the customers who signed a contract. Furthermore, you had to buy the phone out-right, without that discounted price tag. Well, while you still have to buy the phone out-right, prepaid plans have certainly become more popular, and Verizon has just made it even more attractive with the announcement that unlimited prepaid plans are now available. Oh, and you can use a Droid X, too. Straight to the point, beginning today Verizon has pulled the curtain off their brand new unlimited monthly prepaid data packages. What they are also doing, is offering up their full line-up of devices at the same time. Meaning, you’re not longer tied to getting some flip-phone that no one wants. Now you can show off that brand new Droid Incredible, Droid 2, or Droid X (amongst others) while you still rock a contract-free life. As for the pricing, that will run you $30 per month (so, the same price those contracted people pay). Multimedia phones can also tap into the $30 per month prepaid plan, but they will also have the ability to pay a little less ($10 per month) for 25MB of access per month. If you’re interested in getting your hands on the prepaid action, you can head into any Verizon Wireless store today and start it up. Or, you can wait until September 28th to order it online. Check out the full press release below to get the list of devices being accepted as of now. Press Release AVAILABLE TODAY: VERIZON WIRELESS OFFERS NEW PREPAID DATA PACKAGE ON 3G SMARTPHONES AND MULTIMEDIA PHONES Unlimited Monthly Prepaid Data Package Brings Budget-Conscious Customers the Benefits of Popular 3G Devices without a Long-term Contract BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless today announced it will be expanding its portfolio of prepaid offerings to include a new 3G Prepaid data package that lets customers access unlimited data on select 3G Smartphones and Multimedia phones for $30 monthly access. Multimedia phone customers also have the option of selecting a new $10 monthly data package for 25 MB per month ($.20/MB overage). These new prepaid data packages will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Store today and online atwww.verizonwireless.com beginning Sept. 28. “These new data offerings will help our prepaid customers experience the full breadth of Verizon Wireless’ robust device portfolio and the many engaging, informative and helpful applications that depend on a data plan,” said Jim Sullivan, director of marketing for Verizon Wireless. “Our prepaid customers will now have the freedom to enjoy all of the capabilities that these phones have to offer, while controlling costs and without being tied to a contract.” Following are the 3G Smartphones and Multimedia phones eligible for the new data packages: 3G Smartphones · BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 · BlackBerry® Curve™ 8530 · BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530 · BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9550 · BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630 · BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 · Palm® Pre™ Plus · Palm Pixi™ Plus · DROID by Motorola · Motorola DEVOUR™ · DROID X by Motorola · DROID 2 by Motorola · DROID Eris™ by HTC · DROID Incredible by HTC · LG Ally™ 3G Multimedia phones · LG enV® TOUCH · LG enV®3 · LG Chocolate® TOUCH · LG VX8360 · Samsung Alias™ 2 · Samsung Renown™ · Nokia Twist™ · Casio® EXILIM For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. For additional information on Verizon Wireless prepaid plans, visitwww.verizonwireless.com/prepaid. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Verizon drops data plan prices before release of iPhone competitorsVerizon rolls out new unlimited wireless voice plans“Unlimited” means “less than 5GB” to VerizonMetroPCS expands nationwide unlimited service areaVerizon prepaid mobile data launches; still not the cheapest Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba Camileo S30 & P20 Unveiled, 1080p Recording in One Hand Having a camera small enough to hold in one hand comfortably, but pack enough recording power to make it worth your while isn’t a new feat, but it is indeed something that we still look forward to. Not that there’s plenty of options out there, mind you. But, when something like the Camileo S30 and P20 break cover, and look as attractive as they do, we can’t help but get excited about the future of our 1080p recording endeavors. Today, Toshiba officially unveiled their pair of new handheld camcorders. Both cameras feature the ability to record video at 1080p, which should make all of the HD fans out there plenty happy. Both cameras also promote the fact that you’ll be able to upload images to YouTube with ease. And, when you’re recording everything that you can, why wouldn’t you want to show it off, right? The S30 is the high-profile device of the two. It features the ability to shoot still images at 8MP. It also features image stabilization, and a touch-sensitive menu system. As for the P20? That will offer you still images at 5MP. The pair of cameras only have a UK release date at this point. The S30 is set to launch some time in January of next year, while the P20 will hit retail shelves in October of this year. You’ll be able to buy the latter for £199.99, while the S30 will run you a cool £139.99. [via TechRadar] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba unveils new Camileo BW10 waterproof camcorderToshiba CAMILEO S20, H30 & X100 make belated US debutToshiba Camileo SX500 & SX900 camcorders outedThird-gen HD DVD players unveiled by ToshibaToshiba Camileo S10 Ducati camcorder breaks cover Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| NERF Machine Gun Tracks Heat, Shoots on Contact [Video] NERF guns are fun. Sure, they might be crafted for the kids out there, but let’s face it — they’re fun. But there’s always a way to make something that’s cool, even cooler. And that’s exactly what one man did. With a bit of ingenuity, and probably watching one too many movies with heat-tracking weapons, he managed to create a NERF machine gun that can track your body heat, and shoot you when it does. The designers name is Rick Prescott, and he managed to wrangle up an IR sensor, and connect it to a rather large plastic machine gun. The NERF weapon is the Vulcan EBF-25TM, and as you can see from the video below, it means business. And, while the NERF Vulcan with heat-tracking ability may not be on the military’s list of must-need weapons, it does offer up quite a bit of fun. As for Prescott, he intents on putting the automatic weapon at the front of his cubicle, and letting it loose on those “less desirables.” Of course, unless it gets some face recognition, Prescott may find himself quite a lonely person at work from this point on. [via DVICE] Relevant Entries on SlashGear NERF Switch Shot EX-3 shoots darts and plays WiiNerf Sentry Gun checks badges, shoots intrudersNerf Wii-mote on the wayNerf Sniper Rifle for budding assassinsNerf Vulcan EBF-25, the world as you know it as at an end Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Philips Fidelio iPad speaker dock It’s not exactly a stretch: the iPad has the same dock connector as the iPhone and iPod, so why not make a speaker-dock that will accept Apple’s slate as well as its smaller PMPs? That’s what Philips has done with the Fidelio [PDF link], a stereo speaker dock that takes the iPad not just the smaller models, and also packs Bluetooth so the music can continue even when the tablet isn’t in place. Philips claim the Bluetooth makes for much better video enjoyment – you can watch with the iPad in your lap, but not have to make do with the tablet’s mediocre integrated speaker. Happily there’s a rechargeable battery to make moving it around easier (together with an integrated carry handle) which the company expects to last for up to 5hrs from a full charge. A remote is bundled, and there’s an aux-in socket for non-Apple sources. Meanwhile a free app in the App Store – called Fidelio+ – lets you use it as an alarm clock, change equaliser settings, and more. The only thing Philips could do to improve the Fidelio is make it wall-mountable – we still like the idea of a wall-dock for the iPad, which would be clearly visible from across the room – but perhaps that’s too much to ask Relevant Entries on SlashGear iPad dock looks like an old TVElecom ASP-P100 Compact iPod Speaker-DockiBeam Speaker DockFocal iPod set can collapse to form a sphere-shape speakeriPad takes on Philips LivingColors for mood lighting crown [Video] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Toshiba Folio 100 hands-on [Video] Toshiba launched their Folio 100 smartpad earlier this week, and we grabbed some hands-on time with the Android 2.2 Froyo table at IFA 2010 today. The second significant Android slate of the day – after we played with the smaller Samsung Galaxy Tab earlier on – it’s a bigger beast too, with a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen (with 4-point multitouch) and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chipset like its AC100 sibling. The good news is that it’s a reasonably decent slate; the bad is that it looks like it won’t be reaching the US. Hands on, it’s a broad and wide beast in comparison to the Galaxy Tab, though slim with it. Toshiba . The touchscreen proved patchy in its responsiveness, sometimes taking a couple of taps before registering, though the units we were using were production-ready hardware running non-final software. The UI from the AC100 has been carried over to the Folio, and makes far more sense in a touch-based machine, with a row of shortcuts – to apps, bookmarks, etc – along the bottom of the homescreen. Still, it’s pretty obvious that Android still isn’t 100-percent ready for tablet deployment, and that shows. Toshiba have produced their own workarounds – they described them as “wrapping” the OS – but some tasks are simply trickier or less intuitive than, say, an iPad. Media playback, though, is strong, with a high-resolution video looking smooth and slick on the bright LCD display. Connectivity includes full sized and mini USB, a headphones socket, HDMI and an SD card slot to augment the slate’s 16GB of internal storage. There’s a webcam on the front, together with four touch-sensitive buttons, and the back panel is textured which makes it relatively easy to grip. Battery life is rated at around 7hrs, based on predominantly web-browsing and a little video playback. As for upgrades, while the Folio 100 will launch in Q4 2010 with Android 2.2 Froyo, there’s also talk of Gingerbread 3.0 in Q1 2011. That’s not definite, yet, though the Toshiba people we spoke to said they expected it to be the case. In the UK, Toshiba expect the Folio 100 to be priced at £329 ($505); however they don’t expect it to go on sale in the US, since the American market isn’t apparently open to it. Now’s the time to start petitioning your local Toshiba rep if you feel different. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba Folio 100 Smart Pad packs Tegra 2 & Android 2.2Periscope Lighted Folio is great Kindle companionSlashGear Video: Palm FoleoPeriscope Lighted Folio now fits Kindle 2 and Nook in black or pinkToshiba TG01 hitting O2 Germany over Summer Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Apple TV First Generation Won’t Get Netflix Streaming At yesterday’s Apple event, the Cupertino-based company unveiled the brand-spanking new Apple TV. It’s a vast improvement over the original, surely, and that’s all well and good. But what about the old version? One main feature of the new box has just been confirmed to be missing from the old version: Netflix. Actually, while Netflix may be the main focus for some customers out there, if you’ve got yourself an older Apple TV, you’re not getting a software upgrade to bring you any of the new additional features. Sad, to be sure, but apparently Apple must feel that the new software will not run well enough on the older model. And, if that really is the case, then it’s probably better that they’re not including it. But, if you do have an older Apple TV, you’ll be happy to know that it will continue to work just fine — it won’t blow up on you or anything. So hopefully that $229 investment you put out isn’t looking like a complete waste now — unless you plan on dropping the $99 to get your hands on the new, Netflix-packing version. Your call. [via 9to5 Mac] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Netflix streaming officially hits PS3 todayApple TV to Feature Netflix Streaming in New IterationNetflix lands more streaming rights to Warner Bros. TV showsNetflix streaming headed to Wii this springNetflix for Wii instant-streaming discs shipping now Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Philips 3D Cinema 21:9 Platinum live at IFA 2010, plus NetTV & flagship BDP-9600 Blu-ray deck Philips’ Android PMP was eye-catching in its own special way, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the company’s latest 3D Cinema 21:9 Platinum LCD HDTV. As the name suggests, it’s Philips’ Cinema 21:9 HDTV with an added shot of 3D alongside Ambilight. Meanwhile there are also the new NetTV IP-connected sets, Blu-ray boxes and speaker systems. The concept behind 3D Cinema 21:9 remains the same: rather than having true cinema-scale content be sandwiched between black bars, even on 16:9 widescreen TVs, the Philips’ set is properly sized for films. That makes for an enormous, broad picture, that still manages to be impressive even among the huge scale HDTVs you see at shows like these. As for the 3D, well, that’s just as useful – or pointless – as everyone else’s 3D technology, requiring glasses of course and working terribly well with Philips’ new BDP-9600 Blu-ray player. That slots in at the top of the company’s range, and also features NetTV, Philips’ new streaming online content service. Philips has partnered with Sharp and Loewe to produce a standardized IPTV platform which allows for access to YouTube, Picasa, Dailymotion, TomTom, eBay and other content. It’s available not only through Blu-ray players but integrated into several home theater audio systems and HDTVs themselves, and the trio of companies are hoping to get other manufacturers onboard so that content or apps from one set will work across the board no matter what brand you pick from. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Philips teases World’s first ultra wide 21:9 Cinema LCDPhilips 21:9 52-inch LCD gets priced and dated in UKPhilips NET TV breaks cover in UKPhilips Xenium 9@9 – 17 hours of talk timePhilips TSU960 Pronto Professional Is the Mother of ALL-Remote Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Philips GoGear Connect hands-on [Video] Philips’ GoGear Connect PMP was meant to make its debut here at IFA 2010, but the company took the wraps off a few days early after leaks. We grabbed hands-on time with the Android-based media player today, and – after a somewhat glitchy start – found it’s actually a decent attempt to twist Google’s OS into a more narrow focus of device. Check out our first impressions and some video after the cut. Video demo after the cut Smaller than an iPod touch and, at 3.2-inches, using a smaller, non-multitouch display, the GoGear Connect feels more phone than PMP in the hand. In fact, with a microphone and speaker, together with full access to the Android Market, it’ll happily load a VoIP app and allow for calls over WiFi b/g/n. Other connectivity includes Bluetooth 2.1 and USB 2.0, plus there’s a microSD slot (for up to 32GB cards) that augments the 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. Philips has included a trackball for navigation, but most of the time it’s easier to use the touchscreen. The homepage has three swipe-sliding panes onto which you can place shortcuts in the usual way, but there’s no dragging down on the status bar like on an Android phone. Preloaded are Google’s own apps, together with Philips’ own media software for audio, video and images. The former is a brilliant example of how music management can be done right – three columns shift intuitively through artist, album and tracks – and we wish Google would “borrow” it for native Android. Other neat touches include the equaliser, which maps the various presets on a pane suggesting which frequencies they emphasize and minimize. The browser is pretty standard, though of course misses multitouch, while Google Maps gets the benefit of true GPS. You’ll obviously need a WiFi connection, which does somewhat limit its effectiveness on the move. App switching performance is reasonable, with only minimal lag, though the demo units we tried did show a tendency to crash; still, given Philips only had a couple of GoGear Connect models on hand, they were probably feeling the strain. Philips preload Android 2.1, but say they’re working on Android 2.2; no timescale for that, and they wouldn’t comment on any possible plans to produce an Android tablet. With prices set to kick off at €249 ($320) it’s not cheap, but we’re looking forward to playing with a review unit for a longer period to see if it can live up to the high standard set by Apple’s iPods. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Philips GoGear Connect Android 2.1 PMP/PNDPhilips GoGear Connect Android PMP gets officialPhilips GoGear Muse PMP unleashedPhilips GoGear Spark PMPs with OLED displayPhilips GoGear LUXE Bluetooth A2DP headset & 2GB PMP Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung confirm Android 3.5 Honeycomb for tablets Samsung weren’t content outing their Galaxy Tab slate at IFA 2010 this morning; they also decided to scoop Google on the next version of Android after Gingerbread 3.0. During a Q&A session, the company’s executives revealed that Samsung plans to release a larger tablet based on Android 3.5 Honeycomb, a version of the platform that Google are yet to publicly confirm. It was also mentioned that the Galaxy Tab would eventually get an upgrade to Android 3.0 Gingerbread (which is expected later in 2010), though no 3.5 Honeycomb update was mentioned. No actual features or specifications for Honeycomb were confirmed, though it was said that it was tailored to larger-screen tablets. The Galaxy Tab will launch running Android 2.2 Froyo, and is expected to drop later this month in the UK and then follow on in Asia, the US and Korea. For more details, check out our hands-on report from IFA earlier today. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung rumors point to three Android tablets by year’s endSamsung Galaxy Tab 7-inch Android tablet breaks coverSprint HTC Hero & Samsung Moment jumping to Android 2.1 in 1H 2010HP delays Android tablet plansDawa D7 Tablet Drops Windows CE for Android 2.1 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung HMX-T10 camcorder hands-on Samsung’s HMX-T10 camcorder is certainly light and pocketable, but it sure does feel cheap. The company’s new Full HD camcorder shoots 1080p to SD/SDHC memory cards and was announced at IFA 2010 this morning; in the hand, the plastics simply don’t live up to the spec sheet. Inside there’s optical image stabilisation and a 3-inch touchscreen, but from the outside you might think it was a bargain webcam. The display is reasonably bright and clear, with Samsung’s normal iconography and menus, and the touch layer is decent. Hardware controls are therefore minimal, and fall into place under your fingers well. We haven’t had the chance to see the video quality from the T10, so it’s hard to judge it at this stage, but we hope Samsung decide to bundle a case in the box. Expect the T10 to drop later in the month, priced at $299. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung SC DC164 camcorderSamsung HMX-R10 HD camcorder to be released soonIFA 2007 – Samsung shows off tiny VP-HMX10A camcorderSamsung HMX-R10 Full-HD camcorder ships May 15thSamsung’s VM-X300: Solid-state sports camcorder Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung SF and NF notebooks hands-on Samsung’s SF and NF series notebooks and netbooks are those odd breed of gadgets that simply don’t look their best in press shots. We checked out the curvy, wavy laptops after Samsung’s press event; check out our first-impressions after the cut. The netbooks have a reasonably premium feel, with decent travel to the chiclet keyboard. Unusually, because of the curved side wall, there’s a ridge that borders the two sides of the ‘board; we didn’t exactly find it a great hinderance during typing, but sometimes we did hit against it. The 10.1-inch screen is reasonable though not the brightest or most color-saturated we’ve seen. As for the SF Series notebooks, they unsurprisingly have a far more expensive feel to them, with the matte black chiclet keys contrasting nicely with the brushed aluminum of the palm rest. The largest model has a separate numeric keypad, and key feel is good. In contrast, the black plastic screen surround looks a little cheap, and the glossy plastic of the lid – although solid and flex-free – doesn’t look as high quality as, say, the numerous all-metal notebooks the SF Series will go up against. Still, they’re distinctive, and how often can you say that about a new notebook or netbook? Samsung expect them to launch in the next few weeks, priced from $379 for the NF netbooks and from $749 for the Core i3 SF series. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung SENS G25 – 19-inch notebookSamsung developing color-accurate notebook LCDSamsung R480, R580, and R780 notebooks head to Best BuyUnboxing the Samsung D900 – slender slider hands-onHands-On with Samsung’s BlackJack smartphone Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Ultimate Ears 100 Noise-Isolating Earphones debut Logitech has added new and colorful headphones to its Ultimate Ears lineup called the Ultimate Ears 100 Noise Isolating Earphones. The new earphones are available in numerous colors with different designs on the top of the earpieces. Each set of earphones comes with four pairs of silicone ear cushions in sizes from XXS to M to get the right fit for all users. The headphones have 115cm long cables and weigh 12g. The sensitivity is 105dB/Mw with frequency response from 20 Hz – 20KHz. The impedance for the headphones is 16 ohms and they block up to 24dB of sound. The connector for the earphones is the standard 3.5mm so they will work with most mobile devices. The UE 100 earphones are among the cheapest in the Ultimate Ears line at $19.99 per pair. They will ship in Europe and the US this month. Relevant Entries on SlashGear The Ultimate Ears UE-11 Pro earphonesUltimate Ears UE 4 Pro earphones revealed$249.99 for Earphones?! Ultimate Ears get put through their pacesLogitech Ultimate Ears 700 earbuds announcedUltimate Ears again prove their worth – all $250 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Creative D220W Wireless Speaker Surfaces at IFA 2010 Creative has announced a new low price wireless speaker for a whole home audio system at IFA 2010. The new speaker is called the D220W and it ships with the Sound Blaster Wireless transmitter that plugs into a USB port for streaming from your computer. The USB transmitter works with both Mac and Windows computers and streams high quality wireless music up to 100 feet from the computer. The D220W works with iTunes and any other digital music service on your computer. It can also stream audio from video sites like Hulu and YouTube. The D220W is a sound bar style speaker with a glossy black case and Euro style. The transmitter included with the D220W is compatible with any of the other Creative wireless speakers or headphones. The D220W and its wireless transmitter will ship in Q4 in the US for $169.99. The transmitter alone is $69.99. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Creative rocks out with new Wireless Rock SpeakerCreative unveils T12 wireless speaker systemCreative D100 and D200 Outed for Your Wireless PleasureCreative Zen Wav – iPod Nano gets some more competitionCreative wants to matchup Zen Stone against iPod Shuffles Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab hands-on [Video] Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is official, and we have to say we’re impressed. We grabbed some hands-on time with the 7-inch Android 2.2 slate right after Samsung announced it, keen to see whether it’s actually the filofax replacement they suggested it was. Turns out, though it may be down three inches on the iPad, that doesn’t mean it’s especially less usable. In fact, the Galaxy Tab nestles into the hand quite nicely, with all but the smallest hands probably able to grip it with the tips of their fingers. The 1024 x 600 touchscreen is bright, colorful and responsive, while the TouchWiz 3.0 UI is familiar for anyone that has used the latest Galaxy S family of smartphones. We’re still not huge fans of Samsung’s custom UI, but it makes more sense dealing with the bigger display real-estate on offer on the Tab. Samsung Galaxy Tab hands-on: The hardware is a little on the plasticky side, but still feels solid and creak free. It’s light, too – 380g on the spec sheet generally means very little, but in the hand it hardly feels more than a large-screen smartphone. You can certainly hold the Tab in landscape orientation with one hand, without feeling the strain in your wrist as you would with the metal-bodied iPad. It’s slim, though we reckon it might not actually fit into an inner jacket pocket unless it’s particularly wide and deep. Samsung has tweaked various parts of the native Froyo experience to better suit the Tab’s display and form-factor. There’s a new email and calendar app – the latter far better than what comes as standard on Android smartphones – together with a Kobo/Zinio ereader app that looks pretty good in portrait mode (the screen is simply too cramped for the two-page layout). Android’s regular camera app is present, and you can flick between the main 3-megapixel camera and the front-facing video camera. Samsung operate their own application store alongside the usual Android Market, though currently the only title listed is “QWERTY Remote Control”. Intended to be used with Samsung’s IP-connected HDTVs, it turns the Galaxy Tab into a wireless remote. While we couldn’t try it out – several Samsung TVs were listed, but you need to authenticate them on the screens themselves and we didn’t have access to them – it’s just the sort of app tablet manufacturers should be offering to further bed the slates into consumers’ digital homes. The only accessory we spotted was Samsung’s HDMI dock, a simple stand with an HDMI port on the side and the Galaxy Tab’s dock connector on the back. No word – like for the Tab itself – on pricing, though we’re guessing the company will be looking to offer it alongside the slate when it reaches the UK in September 2010. Is it “better” than the iPad? That’s one of those questions everybody will be asking, but in our experience this is a very different device to Apple’s slate. While plenty of people are using the iPad as a notebook/netbook replacement during travel, for everyday use it’s a large and perhaps cumbersome thing to be carrying. Instead, the Galaxy Tab feels more like a Dell Streak rival, though we’ll need to get them side-by-side to see how the hand-feel (and pocketability) compare. Nonetheless, we’re very impressed by Samsung’s first attempt at an Android slate, and we’re looking forward to getting our hands on a review unit for a longer play. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S Pro gets detailedT-Mobile Samsung Vibrant pictured ahead of July 21st debut?Samsung confirm Android 3.5 Honeycomb for tabletsSamsung Galaxy Q QWERTY Android phone due in US by end of 2010Samsung Galaxy Tab spotted on Australian outing [Video] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Creative Unveils new HQ-1450 and HQ-1600 headphones Creative has announced a couple new headphone offerings included HQ-1600 and the HQ-1450. The 1600 headphones are being shown at IFA 2010 for the first time and use an over the ear design for noise isolation and lightweight materials for better portability. The headphones weigh in at 180g. Inside the headphones is a pair of 40mm drivers with Neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wires. The headphones will be offered started at the end of the month for S$69.99. Creative is also showing off the 1450 headphones that are offered in several colors. All of the colors have the same checkerboard design on the ear cups in black, blue, green, and red colors. The headphones are aimed at mobile users with media players like the Zen line. The adjustable headband is made from a black alloy metal and can be worn over a hat or sunglasses. The units have 30mm slim drivers with Neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wires. A 3.5mm plug means the headphones will work with almost all mobile devices. The headphones will ship at the end of September for S$49. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Creative Sound Blaster WoW headsets now shippingCreative Music Enhancement via XmodCreative Aurvana Air earphones announcedGarmin silently drops the nuvi 1450Aiaiai unveils cool minimalist TMA-1 headphones Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Creative unveils T12 wireless speaker system Creative has been unveiling some new gear at IFA this week and among that new gear is the T12 Wireless 2.0 Speaker System. The new speakers are a slim 2.0 system that promises to deliver strong bass without taking up as much space on and under the desk as a 2.1 speaker system. The T12 speakers will work with any Bluetooth stereo device including your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Creative claims that the T12 Wireless speakers stream high-quality audio and use BassFlex technology to improve bass with no subwoofer. Creative equips the speakers with apt-X audio codec for better audio quality when streaming with Bluetooth devices. The controls are mounted on the front speaker with volume, power, and a headphone port for private listening. The speakers will ship at the end of September for $129. An adapter for streaming from non-Bluetooth iPods will be offered separately. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Creative rocks out with new Wireless Rock SpeakerCreative D220W Wireless Speaker Surfaces at IFA 2010Sharper Image Wireless Outdoor Monophonic One-Speaker SystemCreative D100 and D200 Outed for Your Wireless PleasureCreative Zen Wav – iPod Nano gets some more competition Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Twitter lands on iPad If you are one of the hoards of people who love Twitter and Tweet just about every aspect of your life you will be glad to hear Twitter is heading to the Apple iPad. With the popularity of the iPad, we all knew this was just a matter of time. The Twitter for iPad app is now available on the app store for you to download. Twitter for iPad uses the touch interface of the tablet to allow the user to move information quickly and easily say Twitter. The user doesn’t have to open or close windows or click buttons. Features of the app include Panes where you can tap on panes in the right and see the content in the Tweet such as video or a photo or any other content. The panes can be navigated by swiping left or right. When the user taps a video link or opens a webpage with embedded video that video can be played inline. The app also supports gestures for navigating the content like pinch to view author details, pulling down with two fingers shows comments on a tweet and more. The app doesn’t require the user to sign up to use, you can download and use the app even if you are more a lurker than a Tweeter. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple iPad jailbreak already achieved [Video]Rumor says 7-inch iPad 2 lands by ChristmasBoingo WiFi will support iPad from day oneiPad 3G SMS hack gets video demoSeesmic for iPhone cranks up Twitter competition [Video] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| FCC guts new iPod touch Typically when a new gadget comes out that is of note, particularly if the gadget has the Apple logo, we see tear downs of the thing coming in short order. iFixit is the company we generally see these teardowns from and while we may cringe at seeing new gadgets killed for science, the teardowns are interesting. The geeks at iFixit have to be a bit forlorn this morning with the pics from the FCC’s gutting of a new iPod touch surfacing. The FCC has taken the new touch apart bit by bit and shop some photos of the teardown that are surprisingly good considering the FCC isn’t known for its photography. If you could just get the FCC to shoot video teardowns, we would be golden. The FCC labels the new iPod the Apple A1367 and you can check out the gallery and the source for more of those gutted pics. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Optimus Touch is an iPod Touch wannabeUnboxing – Apple iPod TouchiPod Touch to iPod Video hack makes your old iPod look new againRumor – iPod Touch on the wayiPod Touch – Stripped down to bare silicon Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Spotify and Sonos team to stream Spotify tracks all around the house Sonos has been streaming music all around people’s homes without any wires for a long time now. At the same time, Spotify has been around and streaming tunes that music fans really love. Sonos and Spotify have announced that they are teaming up for a new offering. The Sonos S5 wireless music system will get the ability to stream Spotify all around the house without needing a computer and with no need to dock a music player. Exactly when the new feature will be added is unknown, Sonos only says, “coming soon.” Spotify on the Sonos S5 will require a premium account with Spotify and will let the user search for any artist, album, and track to play in whatever room the S5 is plugged into. The Spotify music will stream at 320 kbps. The service will only work in the countries where Spotify is available. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Spotify for Linux launches for premium subscribersSpotify for iPhone yanked from App StoreSpotify iPhone and Android apps releasedSpotify Unlimited and invite-free Open options addedSpotify Mobile App for iPhone submitted for Apple approval [Updated] Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Boxee comments on new Apple TV Yesterday Apple unveiled the new Apple TV that doesn’t suck nearly as much as the original. The new device is much more of a direct competitor to the Boxee Box that is due for an update this November. Boxee has commented on the new Apple TV and defends its coming update and the roughly $100 more expensive price point. Boxee reckons that people will want to be able to watch anything from their computers on the TV, and they are right for the most part. Perhaps the biggest thing that the Boxee Box has over the Apple TV in the minds of the makers and many consumers will be the open nature of the Boxee device. Boxee will let you play whatever you want on its Box in 1080p resolution and it is an open device. We all know that anything Apple is far from open. In the end, Boxee reckons that there is room left for the updated Box in the market despite the fact that it will be $100 more expensive than the Apple TV. I think we will have to wait until November when the new Boxee Box launches to find out if that is true. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Boxee Beta lands on Apple TVApple TV v2.3.1 update yanks BoxeeBoxee Box official: debut on December7thBoxee gets Netflix in latest updateBoxee add App Box, API, Pandora & Hulu-happy browser Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sony outs new DPF-XR100, DPF-VR100 and DPF-D830 digital photo frames Sony has trotted out a trio of new digital photo frames for those with lots of digital pics that they want to show off. The new digital frames include the DPF-VR100, DPF-XR100, and the DPF-D830. Both the XR100 and VR100 frames have AVCHD video playback capability and WSVGA resolution LED backlit screens. The D830 is the first battery operated digital photo frame allowing it to be placed wherever you want in the home or office. The XR100 and VR100 have 10.2-inches screens and internal image processor inside to handle the high-resolution photos and HD video cameras are capable of producing today. The frames also have a special Sweep Panorama mode to let you show off those panoramic shots that the Sony digital cameras can shoot today. The D830 is the first digital photo frame that is powered by an internal rechargeable battery. That battery can power the frame for 100 minutes with photo playback only. It has an 8-inch SVGA LED backlit screen. All three frames have 2GB of internal storable. The three frames will ship in November with the XR100 for $250, the VR100 for $200, and the D830 for $150. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ViewSonic TrueView digital photo frames revealedStory digital photo frame wall concept is so coolMore Myopic Digital Photo FramesCEIVA announces service enhancements for its line of digital photo framesPandigital shows off new digital photo frame with picture email service for Europe Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| iLuv offers new cases and films for updated iPod touch and iPod nano Yesterday marked the official unveiling of the new iPod touch and iPod nano by Apple. The new touch gets a camera, the nano got a new touch interface, and as is the case anytime Apple offers up new devices, there are hoards of new accessories on the market now. iLuv is big in the Apple accessory market and it has unveiled a complete line of new cases for the touch along with new screen protector films for the nano. The prices for the new accessories ranges from $14.99 to $34.99 and all will ship this month. The new cases for the touch include the iCC618 Tinted PC Case with Soft Coating, which is a soft feeling rubber case with edge protection. The iCC617 is a PU coated two-piece case with edge protection for the touch. The iCC615 and iCC61 are both made from flexible TPU material with the 615 being clear and the 616 having a tinted metallic finish. The iCC613 is a silicone case with a 3D pattern to it. The nano gets a new screen protection film and there are several screen film options for the touch as well. Relevant Entries on SlashGear iLuv Unveils New iPod Audio SystemBelkin whips out new iPod casesiLuv gets official with i1166 digital media playeriLuv announces new 3rd Gen iPod Shuffle casesRumor – New video-capable iPod nano on the way Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Sharkoon unveils Bandit ATX chassis with SATA HDD dock on top I have talked about some of the gear that Sharkoon makes before including cases and other little goodies for the computer geek. Today the company has unveiled a new computer case called the Bandit that has one very cool feature that I could really use. The Bandit has a SATA HDD dock built into the top of the case right behind the top controls for the system. With the SATA dock you can take any SATA HDD you have lying around , cram it into the dock, and access whatever you need off the HDD. That means that you will be able to get data off old HDDs without having to cram them inside the computer. The Bandit chassis also has five external 5.25″ bays, three internal 3.5″ drive bays, and a memory card reader that ships installed in the case. The cooling system includes a single front 120mm fan with LEDs, a pair of optional 140mm or 120mm side fans, a single optional back fan, and an included 180mm LED fan on the top panel. The case will sell for a bit over 69 Euro when it launches. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sharkoon unveils SATA and IDE HDD combo docking stationSharkoon unveils QuickStore Portable USB 3.0 enclosureSharkoon unveils black edition of FireGlider gaming mouseSharkoon USB 3.0 packing Rapid Case dropsCirago CDD2000 USB 3.0 HDD docking station breaks cover Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung HMX-T10 Full HD camcorder packs touchscreen & OIS Samsung’s latest Full HD camcorder has been revealed, the Samsung HMX-T10, with a 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen, 20-degree slanted lens for easier shot framing, and a Back-Side Illuminated (BSI) sensor promising twice the sensitivity of a regular CMOS. Meanwhile there’s also optical image stabilization and 4.7-megapixel (interpolated) shots, plus a 10x zoom. Storage is via SD/SDHC memory card, and while Samsung expect most people to shoot in the Smart Auto mode, they do bundle a copy of intelli-studio 2.0 for later editing. The whole thing measures 54 x 56.5 x 115.5mm and will be available in white, black and red. The Samsung HMX-T10 will arrive later this month, priced at $299. Press Release: Samsung’s New Full HD Camcorder Reinvents the Way Users Record Memorable Moments Samsung HMX-T10 features a 20-degree slanted lens for unprecedented user comfort IFA – BERLIN, Germany – September 2, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled its groundbreaking HMX-T10 camcorder. The full HD HMX-T10 features an innovative and pioneering 20-degree Slanted Lens that ensures that the user can truly enjoy their recording experience without any discomfort to their arm or wrist, a common occurrence in standard camcorders currently on the market. The HMX-T10 is part of Samsung’s next-generation line up of compact digital camcorders that make it easier than ever for consumers to shoot and capture in high-quality, full HD video. Small enough to carry anywhere and everywhere, the HMX-T10 provides unmatched portability and simplicity for capturing and editing video content on the move, without compromising on quality. The HMX-T10 has a stylish finish and slim design to make it a camcorder to be proud of, while incorporating features for maximum fun and usability, such as a bright 2.7-inch touch screen LCD and the ability to capture still images and video footage at the same time. And, due to its compact nature, the HMX-T10 can be carried with ease in any environment to capture those all-important movie moments – from a friend’s birthday party to that memorable family holiday at the beach. “The HMX-T10 offers not only a stylish, compact design and fantastic recording quality at an affordable price, but also demonstrates the thoughtfulness and innovation Samsung brings to making movie and image capturing a truly enjoyable experience for everyone,” said Mr. SangJin Park, President of Samsung Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. “The HMX-T10’s convenient features, such as the 20-degree Slanted Lens, perfectly encapsulate the innovative and easy-to-use nature of our camcorder range, as well as our aim to remain at the cutting edge of innovation and design.” Quality Recording Capabilities Despite the compact design of the HMX-T10 camcorder, it offers innovative, cutting-edge shooting capabilities to guarantee the highest quality photos and videos. The camcorder boasts full HD technology for all video footage to ensure crystal clear recordings and 4.7 megapixel still images, plus Optical Image Stabilization so that whatever is captured remains blur-free. Consumers never have to hesitate when it comes to creating quality movies with this groundbreaking point-and-shoot Samsung camcorder. To enhance the consumer’s experience and achieve professional recordings, the HMX-T10 incorporates an advanced BSI (Back Side Illuminated) CMOS sensor which provides twice the sensitivity of conventional CMOS sensors. This innovative feature dramatically reduces image distortion and delivers clear video and images, even in low light conditions. Innovative and Easy to Use Design and Features The HMX-T10 camcorder comes equipped with an innovative 20-degree Slanted Lens, making it easy to handle and ensure that quality images are captured and recorded through a convenient experience for the user. Further enhancements to the overall recording experience can be found through the camcorder’s Smart Auto functionality, to make shooting all the more straightforward, plus its 2.7-inch Touch Screen LCD, meaning consumers can enjoy a clear and detailed view of the footage, and edit their videos instantly. The HMX-T10 also comes with intelli-studio 2.0 software, allowing for seamless managing and editing of movies and images. Price $299.00 Sensor 5.1M BSI CMOS (Effective : 2.07M) Lens 10x LCD 2.7-inch 230K Touch F.No F1.8 Video Resolution 1920×1080 60i Photo Resolution 4.7 Megapixels Image Stabilisation OIS Size 54X56.5X115.5MM Storage SD/SDHC Slot Special Features BSI CMOS Compact Design Smart Auto 20-degree Slanted Lens Full HD Technology Smart OIS Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung HMX-T10 camcorder hands-onSamsung SC DC164 camcorderSamsung HMX-R10 Full-HD camcorder ships May 15thSamsung HMX-R10 HD camcorder to be released soonIFA 2007 – Samsung shows off tiny VP-HMX10A camcorder Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung SF Series laptops & NF Series netbooks revealed Samsung has outed a pair of new notebooks, the wavy SF Series and NF Series, each using the Korean company’s new, unusual design language. The Samsung SF Series comes with a choice of Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, with three screen options – the 13.3” SF310, 14” SF410 and 15.6” SF 510 – and battery life of up to 7.5hrs with the standard 61Wh battery. The SF Series also get sleep-and-charge USB ports, a chiclet keyboard and an Express Charging Mode, capable of fully charging a battery in 2-3 hours. There’s a Fast Start mode, too, for quickly getting online. Meanwhile the Samsung NF310, NF210 and NF110 all use Intel’s dual-core N550 processor and Windows 7. The NF310 gets a 1366 x 768 16:9 widescreen for HD videos, while the NF210 prioritises battery life with a 6-cell 8850mAh battery good for up to 14hrs runtime. Finally, the NF110 is the budget option. No word on pricing or availability, but we’re guessing they’ll all be on sale soon. Press Release: Samsung Sets a New Standard in Mobile Computer Design with the launch of new SF Series NotePCs and NF Series Netbooks With a distinctive design and powerful features, the SF and NF series targets youth-minded and style-conscious consumers. Sept. 1st, 2010, Seoul, Korea – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the SF series of ultra-portable notePCs and NF series netbooks. Without compromising on powerful performance and enhanced features, the Samsung SF Series notePCs and NF Series netbooks set a new standard for design in mobile computing. Coupling a unique, streamlined design with optimal features for mobile convenience, the new lineup of SF series notePCs and NF series netbooks have been designed to match the dynamic and ever-changing lives of mobile users. Smooth and refined body design attracts the most sophisticated of today’s computer users. Seongwoo Nam, Executive Vice President and Head of IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “Inspired and elegantly crafted, this new lineup is truly representative of our efforts to come up with a new style in mobile computers.” He added, “I believe that Samsung’s new mobile computer designs are fresh and will drive design trends across the computer industry and satisfy style-conscious users.” Samsung SF Series – Samsung SF310, SF410, SF510 Samsung SF series notebooks have a distinctive design that offers style-conscious users the ultimate in mobility. The Samsung SF series will be available globally from October 2010. The SF series will draw admiring glances from everyone around you with its tactile, glossy ivory exterior, stylish mat-black interior and comfortable island keyboard. It is available in three screen sizes (13.3” SF310, 14” SF410 and 15.6” SF 510) and shows refined craftsmanship with a durable case that has been constructed to be both ultra-light and scratch resistant. Powered by Intel Core i3 / i5 dual-core processors, the SF series delivers performance as well as power efficiency, keeping users connected on the road. Battery life is essential for working on-the-go, so Samsung has included a premium Lithium Polymer Battery that provides up to 7.5 hours of battery life (61Wh battery). For additional convenience, the SF series also features Samsung’s Express Charging Mode, reducing charging times and delivering a full battery in just 2~3 hours. Samsung’s Fast Start technology enables users to open the note PC and be ready to go in seconds. The Fast Start feature eliminates the waiting around for a laptop to start. The SF series’ one-touch wireless control button allows you to connect immediately without any complicated steps. The combination of Samsung’s Fast Start technology with its one-touch wireless capability means that you are up and online quickly and efficiently. As well as enabling you to get started as soon as possible, the SF series helps you to stay connected using all of your devices. If you are caught short and find your smart phone, camera or other electrical devices low on power when traveling, Samsung’s convenient Sleep & Charge USB lets you plug in your external devices via the USB connection, to charge without turning on your notebook. Samsung NF Series – Samsung NF310, NF210, NF110 Samsung NF series netbook is a powerhouse of practical technology to help you stay connected without compromising on a stylish design. Sharing its unique design concept with the SF series, the NF netbooks deliver enhanced mobility and eye-catching design. NF series netbooks will be available in Europe in October and then expanded globally. Equipped with enhanced mobility and innovative design, the Samsung NF310 netbook is just what you need to express yourself. A crystal clear HD LED display and unique surround sound system, together with the new Intel® Atom™ N550 (Dual Core) processor*, DDR3 memory and Windows 7, take netbook computing into a whole new dimension of multimedia performance. NF 310 is also design to enjoy HD movies and images that are clear and picture perfect even in bright light with a high resolution (1366 x 768) widescreen and a proper 16:9 aspect ratio. NF210 makes anytime, anywhere mobile computing convenient by uniting an extensive battery life of up to 14 hours (6 cell 8850mAh battery) with its ultraportable and stylish design. NF110 gives trendsetting consumers all they want in a netbook at an affordable price. With extensive quality assurance testing and a majority of its components manufactured by Samsung, it affordably delivers exceptional reliability and long-term value. Sharing content from PC-to-PC over a network can be complex and require a lot of IT knowledge, however, with Samsung’s Easy File Share it’s very simple and intuitive to make a direct PC-to-PC connection over an ad-hoc Wi-Fi connection. The new notebooks also come equipped with Samsung AllShare™ allowing users to share and play videos, photos, and music across a full range of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certified Samsung devices, including cameras and handsets. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung SF and NF notebooks hands-onSamsung reveal latest LCD & Plasma price-listSamsung’s 76, 87, and 89 DLP Line-Ups Get 2007 UpdateRumor: Samsung GX-30 or NX-series set for July 7th launchCES 2008: Samsung Series 4 & Series 5 3D-ready entry-level Plasma TVs Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab makes official debut: due September 2010 We’re waiting for Samsung’s IFA 2010 press conference to begin, but the company has already outed its much-anticipated Galaxy Tab slate. As we’ve seen from the teaser, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen, Android 2.2 Froyo and integrated 3G. The iPad rival also supports Flash Player 10.1 and runs on Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor paired with either 16GB or 32GB of flash storage. The 3G is an HSUPA-capable triband 900/1900/2100 modem (along with quadband GSM/EDGE), paired with WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. There’s also a 3-megapixel autofocus camera on the back (with an LED flash and capable of 720p HD video), and a 1.3-megapixel webcam up front for video calls. A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, integrated speaker and microSD card slot round out the main specs. Samsung reckon the Galaxy Tab will last for up to 1,000 minutes of talktime on its 4,000mAh battery (or 1,500hrs standby); they’re positioning it as an iPad and iPhone 4 replacement, after all, so voice calls are just as much of the package as data is. The usual Android apps are loaded, together with Swype, Gmail, an HD video player capable of 1080p, ThinkFree for document editing and Google Maps Navigation. It weighs in at 380g and measures 190.1 x 120.45 x 11.98mm. No word on pricing yet – we guess they’ll tell us that during the conference itself – but Samsung says the Galaxy Tab will land in Europe in mid September, followed by Korea, the US and Asia in “the coming months”. We’ll be grabbing some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy Tab as soon as we can after the press conference finishes. Press Release: Samsung GALAXY Tab Opens a New Chapter in Mobile Industry A New Smart Media Device, surpasses mobile boundaries, allowing you to enjoy more possibilities on the go Berlin, Germany, September 2nd, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Tab (Model: GT-P1000). Powered by Android Operating System 2.2, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the first of the company’s tablet devices, representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung. The Samsung GALAXY Tab brings together all of Samsung’s leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities while on the move. Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the perfectly sized 7-inch display, wherever they go. Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimized user interface. “Samsung recognizes the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market. There is a new and emerging consumer demand that Samsung can satisfy since mobile is in our DNA. This demand continues to grow and develop as users tap its limitless potential,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “The Samsung GALAXY Tab has been designed to enable consumers to maximize their online experience wherever that may be. The Samsung GALAXY Tab is pushing the market in new directions and Samsung believes this is only the beginning of its innovations as pioneers in smart media devices.” A new concept of mobility for media As a new category of device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a wealth of mobile experiences. Its striking 7” TFT-LCD display delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. In design, its light (380g) build provides perfect portability, with its svelte dimensions making it easy to grip and use. Supporting the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web. The ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials. At the same time, Samsung unveils ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes. The Samsung GALAXY Tab has made rich communication truly mobile; it presents a level of converged technology that moves beyond mobile or PC to an entirely new category. Users have new powers to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are. Powerful, always-on communication With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® 3.0, the Samsung GALAXY Tab enhances users’ mobile communication on a whole new level. Video conferencing and push email on the large 7-inch display make communication more smooth and efficient. For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth® headset. Powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is designed to deliver high performance whenever and wherever you are. At the same time, HD video contents are supported by a wide range of multimedia formats (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 and more), which maximizes the joy of entertainment. While the front-facing camera allows face-to-face video telephony over 3G, the rear-facing camera captures still images and video that you can edit, upload and share, all without any hassle. As online content explodes, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is the best portable solution for every lifestyle that needs a constant connection. The Samsung GALAXY Tab will be launched in Europe in mid September, and in other markets including Korea, the US and Asia in coming months. Note to Editors: For multimedia content of the Samsung GALAXY Tab, please access to the Samsung GALAXY Tab Social Media News Room (http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/press) Applications of the Samsung GALAXY Tab The Samsung GALAXY Tab is packed with services to complement and enhance your life in different ways. Access to Android Marketplace lets users download apps and personalize their device infinitely. In addition, there are pre-loaded applications uniquely designed and optimized for Samsung smart phones and smart media devices. Readers Hub – Samsung Readers Hub consolidates e-reading applications such as eBooks, magazines, and newspapers. Users can enjoy ‘reading’ with unified and intuitive user experience powered by global eReading service leaders, Kobo, PressDisplay and Zinio. More than 2 million books including today’s best sellers, over 2,500 titles of magazines in 20 languages and more than 1,600 newspapers in 47 languages are available at launch and will grow the library gradually. Google Mobile Services – Services like Google Maps™ Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles are available on Google’s Android platform. With useful location-based services like Google Maps, consumers can search in Standard English instead of entering an exact address. A search-by-voice function is just as intuitive, meaning searches can also be completed easily on the go. Google Goggles is a powerful, visual search tool that uses the Samsung GALAXY Tab’s camera to uncover information – an image of a landmark or artwork is automatically used to perform a search, delivering relevant content like a description or history. In addition, with a camera, users can enjoy various augmented reality services which are downloadable in the application market. More applications will be available from Samsung Apps. The Samsung GALAXY Tab (GT-P1000) Product Specifications Network: 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE) : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz 3G (HSUPA 5.76Mbps, HSDPA 7.2Mbps) : 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz OS: Android 2.2 (Froyo) Display: 7.0 inch TFT-LCD, WSVGA (1024 x 600) Processor: Cortex A8 1.0GHz Application Processor with PowerVR SGX540 Camera: 3 MP Camera with Auto-Focus and LED Flash 1.3MP front camera for Video Telephony Value-added Features: Android Market™ and Samsung Apps for more applications and contents Readers Hub, Media Hub* , Music Hub*, Social Hub *Availability will be decided by market preference. Adobe Flash 10.1 player support Full HD video playback, Thinkfree Office, Swype, Hybrid Widget Connectivity: 30 pin connector WiFi 802.11n / Bluetooth® 3.0 Sensor: Gyroscope sensor, Geo-magnetic sensor, Accelerometer, Light sensor Memory: 16G / 32G internal memory with up to 32G external memory slot RAM: 512 MB Size: 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, 380g Battery: 4,000mAh (7 hour movie play) * All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. * Android, Android Market, Google, Google Search, Gmail, and Google Maps are trademarks of Google, Inc. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Galaxy Tab gets officially teased [Video]Samsung Galaxy S Power Pack surfaces in German newsletterT-Mobile Samsung Vibrant pictured ahead of July 21st debut?More Samsung Galaxy Tab accessories outed: Bluetooth stylus, USB dongle, moreSamsung Galaxy Q QWERTY Android phone due in US by end of 2010 Read the full article on SlashGear » |
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iPod Touch Features Vibrating Motor for FaceTime Notifi...