Earnings calls aren't usually that interesting, and that's doubly true when trying to listen via official translators. Still, we couldn't help but give an ear to Sony's fiscals, and sure enough, someone asked about our (still real) PlayStation Phone leak. We're not sure who answered since it's through interpreter, either Executive VP / CFO Masaru Kato or Senior General Manager of Investor Relations Division Gen Tsuchikawa (we're assuming the former).
Citing the aforementioned device, the curious party asked if such a product would come out of Sony or of Sony Ericsson, and no, it wasn't a complete denial. Instead, we're told just how such a device would happen, that a gaming phone would be planned and prototyped under the (recently restructured) Network Services umbrella. We're also told how SCE's move to Sony City headquarters now puts them closer to the planning and engineering group, meaning the company "can better incorporate all these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce to you the new product we have." Ericsson is later cited as a resource "on smartphone and for the games devices," although this might be something peculiar with translation. Again, that's far from a confirmation, but they're certainly entertaining the notion in a very, very detailed response.
But that's not all; there's also apparently a tablet brewing in the background, one that would obviously fall somewhere in between PC and Sony Ericsson's efforts. There isn't much else said, but if you're up for psychoanalyzing executive commentary, we've transcribed and placed the full quote after the break.
...As for the new PSP product, as mentioned, I know that you are not asking me to tell you when we will be coming out with a new product, but there is a gaming market based on [the] cellphones, and there are many changes that are being seen [with] Nintendo, as well as ourselves, in the field of the product for the gamers. And there are smartphones and others or even cellphones gaming markets are very popular here in japan. So the market itself is very... expanding.
It's not that we are not looking into those markets as well. We will look into those markets in trying to develop strategy for the future. Of course, we can't talk about specific products, but smartphones and tablets... it is difficult to tell you how we can put the games on them, but they are not going to be planned in different parts of our company. When we organized ourselves last April, we introduced network services, and within that umbrella, network services, all of these products are handled. Therefore, the planning and the prototypes for various content [are] all carried out within this... one umbrellas.So we are trying to figure out what we can do as Sony in this market. I think this is as far as I can tell you regarding these products at market.
There [are] so many different elements. There is Sony Ericsson and there is SCE. They moved from Aoyama, the design and headquarters had to come to Sony City. Of course this contributes to savings on rent on an office... but they are [also] closer to the planning and engineering group of Sony, and I think we can better incorporate all of these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce [to] you about the new product that we have.
As for tablet, and this, too, we will not be able to tell you when and what kind of product. But obviously as a mobile strategy, this occupies a very important position. On one hand there is PC, and on the other hand there is [the] joint venture with Ericsson on smartphone and for the games devices. And tablets, some fall somewhere in between, and it is true Apple has led the market, but when we are to enter the market, we would like to put a Sony character onto the... a new product, and that is the effort we are making right now. Therefore I think you can hope for a very good product to come out.
Carrier rebate forms have a fun tendency to reveal unannounced hardware, since they cover several upcoming weeks when they're published -- and Verizon's latest for the month of November is a particularly juicy one. Here's what we've got:
There are two new SKUs for the Bold 9650, possibly indicating the release of new versions with BlackBerry 6 pre-installed.
The LG Cosmos Touch is in here, which we imagine will be a touchscreen successor to the Cosmos.
There's a Samsung Zeal listed with a $50 rebate, but we're not sure what it is -- we know that Sammy has a number of Android phones in the pipe for Verizon, and we suppose this could be one of 'em (likely low-end considering it's not a $100 rebate).
More interestingly, the Samsung Continuum is in here, suggesting that the November 8 event could be for this dual-screened (and Galaxy S-branded) beast. $100 rebate here.
Of course, November is a time when retailers of all types and sizes bring out new products in time for the holidays, so we're not surprised to see the mother lode here. Who's excited?
Doesn't get much more "late October" than this, does it? Sony Ericsson has announced that it'll begin delivering Android 2.1 upgrades to its X10 line of phones at long last this coming Sunday, October 31st -- but odds are pretty good you won't be in the first batch. In fact, only unbranded X10s, X10 Minis, and X10 Mini Pros in Nordic countries will be getting boosted at first, followed by "more kits" on Monday and throughout November. As a refresher, these updates will bring 720p video capture on the X10 proper (complete with continuous autofocus), a new backup / restore app, and a bunch of other tweaks that should make your little pal feel a bit less 2009 and bit more 2010. Froyo would be nice, of course... but we'll take what we can get.
Google's taking a big leap with Google TV -- unlike its competitors, who've all focused on delivering curated video content with inexpensive streaming devices, Google's new platform brings Android, Chrome, and Flash directly to your TV in a variety of hardware configurations from Sony and Logitech. But whether you're adding Google TV to your existing rig with a Logitech Revue or starting from scratch with a Sony Internet TV, the basic experience of using each product is the same -- it's the web on your TV, in all its chaotic and beautiful glory. Is this the future of television? Can Google do what no company has ever managed to do in the past and put a little PC in your TV? Read on to find out!
Although all of the Google TV launch devices have their differences, at their core they're all running Android on an Intel CE4100 media processor, which is essentially a 1.2GHz Atom core that's been beefed up with some extra graphics hardware capable of capturing and decoding 1080p video. Google tells us the Intel chip offers the best price / performance ratio right now, but that nothing's written in stone for the future -- just like modern smartphones kicked off furious innovation in the mobile chipset market, Google expects the media-chip market to rapidly become more competitive in the future in response to connected TV devices. But for right now it's Atom, which is a big win for Intel in this space -- and in fact, Intel claims to have written half of Google TV's code.
Obviously, the Android build used for Google TV isn't the same as what's used on phones -- in fact, unlike the phone version of Android, the Google TV stack is still proprietary within Google and hasn't been open-sourced yet. We're told the plan is to open-source things by summer 2011, and that Google TV will follow the same model as Android and the Google apps on phones, with some Google-specific TV apps remaining closed-source and not part of the general distribution. We'd guess Google TV Marketplace will be restricted to Google-blessed devices, but it hasn't launched yet, so we don't know for sure.
Speaking of Marketplace and the fact it hasn't launched... well, it hasn't launched. Google says it's still putting the appropriate APIs together and cleaning up the platform requirements so that app developers will have an easier time of things, but don't expect to see any apps on Google TV until early next year at the soonest. We're honestly extremely curious and excited to see what app developers can do once they can write Android apps for a reasonably quick processor and TV screen sizes, but that's all just potential right now -- at launch, Google TV devices ship with handful of bundled apps like Netflix, NBA GameTime, and (thrillingly) CNBC Real Time, but that's it. We'll revisit Google TV once there are more apps, but for now this part of the platform and the experience is a question mark.
It's more than easy to see Google TV as one large bet on Flash content delivery, at least in the short term.
And finally -- and most importantly -- there's Chrome and Flash. Google's using a new Android- and TV-specific port of its desktop browser on Google TV, and yes, friends, it runs Flash 10.1 beta. In fact, from a broad perspective it's more than easy to see Google TV as one large bet on Flash content delivery, at least in the short term -- almost everything you're navigating to in Chrome is a Flash video. For example, Google's own YouTube -- one of the first sites to provide HTML5 video playback -- loads up its Flash player on Google TV, because that's the only way Google can serve ads during the content. Seriously -- that's what Google told us. YouTube LeanBack, the TV-optimized version of YouTube, is also Flash-based, presumably for the same reason. Obviously things will change once there are apps and possibly more robust HTML5 video solutions, but right now Google TV is an extremely Flash-intensive product.
Those are all the individual pieces, but let's back up and look at the whole picture for a second: you have an Intel processor, Android -- which is Linux underneath -- and a browser with Flash that's controlled with a keyboard and mouse. Yep, Google TV is a Trojan Horse with a home theater PC inside -- and while HTPC's have generally been pretty niche, we've always sort of loved them. But we don't think Google's going for niche here -- and if Google TV is going to be a mass-market success, it has to deliver a much smoother experience than your average HTPC.
Setup and installation
Although setting up each Google TV device is slightly different, the basic process is the same -- you're walked through several steps to configure the device for your TV, screen size, network, and TV source. Although it's not difficult, it's not simple -- setting up the Logitech Revue involved connecting five wires and stepping through 12-15 menus that took about 30 minutes to complete, including a delightful four-step overscan adjustment.
What's more, there are definite omissions that make some setups much harder to pull off than others -- there's no static IP support, for example, so more advanced networking or port mapping setups might not work correctly. The Sony Internet TV is the only Google TV launch product with component inputs, so chances are you'll have to deal with HDMI, and depending on your cable provider and number of HDMI hops you might run into some HDCP issues -- we had problems setting up the Revue during our Engadget Show demo because Time Warner's cable box had an HDCP freakout and kept shutting off. Google says it knows about the problems and is working with cable providers, but it's something to be aware of. Still, most of our installations were otherwise trouble-free.
Unless you're buying a Sony Internet TV and are content to live without a DVR, there's no actual "TV" in a Google TV device -- you'll need a separate QAM tuner, cable or satellite box to actually watch television. Google's been very careful to demo Google TV devices with Dish Network thus far (even going so far to offer reviewers a Dish installation with review units), and there's good reason for it: the Dish VIP 622, 722, and 722K DVRs will communicate with your Google TV device via the network, allowing you to search for, see, and schedule recordings directly from the GTV interface. Setup is relatively quick and easy, as long as you remember to activate your DVR for integration first via the phone or a visit to Dish's site, and once it's working the control is instant, with none of the lag associated with IR blaster control. In fact, we couldn't get the DVR UI to lag while controlling it with the Revue's keyboard no matter how fast we pushed the buttons, which is truly impressive. Unfortunately, Dish's best DVR, the VIP 922 with integrated Slingbox, isn't supported, and there's still very little interface integration -- you still have to use the Dish box's program guide, DVR interface and other controls, so you still have to deal with two UIs. Oh, and Dish charges a $4 monthly "integration fee" to make it all work. Yuck.
If you don't have Dish Network, your experience will be far less integrated -- typing "Modern Family" into the Google TV search box will bring up future program listings and web results for the show, but won't show you that you have a local recording sitting right there on your DVR. You also won't be able to schedule recordings -- selecting a future episode of a show brings up a box instructing you to... program your DVR! It's an extremely disjointed experience, to say the least. It's not all bad though: searching for programming you know is currently on (like "football") will tune your cable box using an IR blaster, and despite our very public reservations about this system, we found it generally worked without issue when set to control a TiVo HD and a Time Warner Scientific Atlanta Explorer, although we experienced some minor occasional glitches.
All in all, everything works reasonably well once you've got it set up, but it's not a novice-friendly procedure -- don't expect to drop this off with your parents on Christmas morning and walk away. We'd much prefer Google or one of its partners build a far more complete device with an integrated DVR -- Dish Network, we're looking at you.
Interface, search, and controls
Google TV offers a wealth of interaction options, all of which serve different purposes and work in different ways. The first and most basic is the home screen's familiar two-pane grid interface, which lives as a transparent layer over whatever TV or app content you were previously watching or using. Depending on which tab you're in, you can select from bookmarks, apps, or currently-playing shows, which are organized into folders like Sport, Movies, and Comedy. The tabs can be reorganized, and this part of the interface works well in general. We rather like using folders to see what's on TV -- they serve as sort of permanent filters for content, and they're really convenient. We just wish there was a more traditional program guide -- sure, you can use your cable box's guide, but that's not optimal, and no TV platform can be complete offering standard TV listings.
The second -- and arguably most important -- way to use Google TV is the search bar, which drops down whenever you press the search key on your remote. This is the heart of the Google TV interface in a very real way -- it's how you find video content, web content, and even how you enter URLs into Chrome -- and quite frankly, we love it. There's something deeply wonderful about having a search drop down on your TV whenever you want it, and it makes even simple things like changing channels so much smoother and better that we can't believe every cable box doesn't already work this way -- you just type in CNN or MTV or NBC or whatever and you're off and running. Want to watch the Packer game but don't know if it's on CBS or Fox? Just type "Packers" and you're there. Yes, we bemoaned the lack of an integrated guide, but if you're the type who knows what you want to watch, you'll never miss it once you try search on Google TV.
Search is the heart of the Google TV interface, and quite frankly, we love it.
Of course, you can do far more than just change channels with search -- you can also find content across a number of sources and services. Typing into the search box brings up Google Instant-style results that include current and upcoming programs, some suggested websites, and other results, as well as options to do a regular Google web search and Google's new video-specific search. (And, obviously, whatever's on your DVR if you have Dish.) Choosing video-specific search launches Chrome and drops you into a special TV-formatted site that displays shows, episodes, and web video content that matches your search string. Depending on what you select, you'll be offered a number of options on how to view it -- Fringe, for example, can be streamed from fox.com or rented / purchased from Amazon, and Google TV gives you both options, as well as letting you know if it's currently on TV and when it's scheduled in the future. It's quite nice, even if TiVo's pulling a similar trick on the Premiere, but what sets Google TV apart is sheer speed -- search isn't instant, but it's fast, and compared to the Premiere it's an insane rocket ride.
Unfortunately, speed doesn't matter if you can't find what you want, and Google TV's search results definitely leave something to be desired. Google says it's still refining video search, and it shows: a search for "X-Men" brought up the original series, Evolution, and just three movie results: X-Men 3, X-Men The Last Stand, and a 1985 German film called "Men" in which Munich advertising executive Heiner Lauterbach secretly rooms with his wife's Ulrike Kreiner's bohemian lover Uwe Ochsenknecht, and hilarity presumably ensues. Unfortunately, two of those movies are actually the same, and while we haven't actually seen "Men," we're going to assume Heiner, Ulrike, and Uwe don't have adamantium skeletons or the ability to control the weather. Given the vast potential of search in this application, we're willing to give Google some time to work out the kinks and get it right, but at this very moment things are pretty hit or miss.
The search bar also displays some quirky UI behavior -- pressing the search key always drops it down over whatever you're doing... except when it doesn't. This leads to some wacky and intense moments of translucent interface mishmash: you can be looking at your DVR's guide, bring up the Google TV homescreen, and then drop the search bar, resulting in three layers of text from two wildly different interfaces on screen at once. That would be fine if hitting the search key always bought up the search bar, but it doesn't -- in some apps, like Twitter, it brings up a service-specific search. That makes a certain amount of sense, but we think it might be simpler -- and better -- if the search key were permanently mapped to bring up general Google TV search, since it's the most important part of the entire product.
The third major Google TV interface is Chrome itself, which offers tabbed browsing that spans the system -- holding down the home button brings up the tab panel and shows you every open app window, including the home screen and TV. It's more like webOS cards than standard Chrome tabs, actually. (We're also definitely amused that "new Incognito tab" is a first-level menu option in Chrome -- wonder what that's for!) We'll get to Chrome in-depth in a moment, but we wanted to mention the browser here because it nicely showcases the various methods of actually interacting with these three interfaces: the arrow keys, the keyboard and mouse, as well as the various smartphone apps.
Google TV features multiple interface paradigms that are competitive rather than complementary.
Google's mandated that all Google TV devices include a QWERTY keyboard and some form of mouse control in addition to a standard arrow key layout, and there are a variety of first- and third-party iPhone and Android apps that can control GTV devices. Here's the thing, though -- none of the input methods really have anything to do with each other, and you can't seamlessly switch from one to another without triggering some unexpected consequences. It's something we noticed right away while demoing the Sony Google TV controller, and we've had similar problems with the Revue's keyboard: you'll be mousing around with the trackpad and then hit the D-pad's select button, which doesn't double as a mouse button, but rather selects whatever you last left the D-pad selection halo around. Oops. Or vice-versa, particularly on the Sony controller. It's jarring and weird, especially since you're almost invited to use both controls at all times -- particularly on TV-optimized websites like Google's video search, which responds to the arrow keys but invites instinctive use of the mouse. We can't dive too deeply into the smartphone apps, since we've only used Logitech's Android app and Google's aren't out yet, but from what we've seen the same problems persist -- you've got multiple interface paradigms that are competitive rather than complementary. There's a simple solution -- the mouse arrow and D-pad selection just have to follow each other -- but for right now we found ourselves mostly using the D-pad and only using the mouse while browsing regular websites.
Lastly, one of Google's TV's most-promoted features is DualView, which is a new riff on old-school picture-in-picture. Hitting the DualView button while watching TV shrinks the TV image down and overlays it over the bottom right of the interface, so you can keep up with TV while browsing the web or using app. Hitting the button again closes the window, and mousing back over it displays a close box and a maximize button that expands the TV window back to full screen. It's a useful and necessary feature, but extremely slow to invoke, and it's also missing a key feature: you can't move the window. That means you're out of luck if the box is obscuring the content or controls you want to see -- anyone who watched The Engadget Show saw us struggle to hit the Twitter app's Send button while it was hidden behind DualView during our demo. What's more, you can't just dismiss DualView to hit controls and then bring it back, since it can only be invoked while watching TV. We'd also like to be able to run Flash video in a DualView frame while browsing other tabs, but it's not currently possible.
Chrome and Flash
Until Marketplace launches, what you're fundamentally buying with a Google TV device is the ability to run Chrome and Flash on your TV. What's more, a surprising number of Google TV features actually happen in Chrome, which serves as almost the default way to expose functionality: there's no Amazon Video On Demand app, for example -- hitting the button on the home screen just loads Amazon.com. Same with YouTube -- you just load the main page in Chrome. That's a lot of responsibility for a browser, and when it works well, it works really well -- we'd say it's the best browsing experience we've ever had on a TV.
But overall it's not quite what you'd expect. First off, it's not just a straight port of Chrome -- although it's labeled as Chrome 7, Google told us it's actually custom version based on Chrome 5, and some important features, like full HTML5 support, are unfinished. Given the rushed ship schedule for Google TV, it makes sense that certain browser features were prioritized over others, but it's definitely a little disingenuous for Google to say it's simply using "Chrome." Google did tell us it's working on a Chrome 7-based browser and it wants to add extensions support, but we weren't given a timeline for any of that.
Google TV's browser is best when you're simply navigating to a page with video content and hitting play.
Performance-wise, the browser is serviceable, although it's definitely quite laggy -- don't expect any smooth scrolling here. The browser is definitely faster and more usable on TV-optimized sites, but we expect to see significant general performance improvements as the software gets updated -- there's no reason Google can't match smartphone levels of responsiveness with the netbook-class internals of the Google TV. We'd also like to see some better zoom controls -- it's pretty hard to read most sites at the standard zoom level, but you can only step in at fixed increments and there's no horizontal scrolling. A little pinch-to-zoom would go a long way. For now, however, you're best off sticking with your laptop for any major browsing needs -- Google TV's browser is best when you're simply navigating to a page with video content and hitting play.
Performance and compatibility issues aside, having a browser on your TV is definitely a useful and interesting feature, especially coupled with the drop-down search overlay and dual view features, which enable Google TV to live "on top" of your regular TV setup and get out of the way when you're not using it. In fact, we eventually stopped thinking of Google TV as a primary interface for our TV and went back to using our TiVo in the usual way, but we still loved being able to quickly and easily jump over to web content or use search when necessary. Until there's more widespread DVR compatibility or (dare we dream) an integrated Google TV DVR, we'd definitely recommend using Google TV as a web-enabled layer over your existing TV setup, not the central control room. Used this way, it's incredibly convenient, and it shows the deep promise of the Google TV concept -- it doesn't matter if content is on the web or on TV, it's just... there. (Well, sort of. But we'll get to that.)
Of course, almost none of this web video would play without a robust Flash implementation, and that's one place where Google TV shines. We're happy to say we had zero problems playing 1080p Flash video on a variety of sites, and we found the controls to be responsive and the quality to be eminently watchable. Flash video playback is arguably the most polished aspect of Google TV -- our only complaint is that tiny player controls tend to get lost and hard to hit with the mouse on larger TV screens, a problem that can be solved by mapping the keyboard play / pause buttons to control video playback.
Unfortunately, Flash video playback is the only optimized part of Flash, as far as we can tell -- other Flash content, like ads and games, ran incredibly slowly, and bogged down the browser in turn. Just watch this video of Canabalt, a Flash game that runs acceptably on average netbooks:
There's a ton of promise for Flash gaming on Google TV, but Adobe and Google desperately need to finish optimizing the rest of Flash to make it happen -- performance like this just won't cut it.
Oh, and just as a note: Flash is the only plugin that's currently supported. There's no Silverlight or QuickTime, obviously, and we doubt Microsoft or Apple will port those over anytime soon. It's not necessarily a killer problem, since Flash is so dominant, but it bears mentioning -- NBC streamed the Olympics using Silverlight, for example. There's also no support for things like NFL.com's HD video plugin, which makes watching those videos on a TV a pretty low-quality affair. We're hoping that'll change if and when Google provides extension support to Chrome on the TV, but that could be a long ways off.
Networks, Netflix, and other apps
Google TV certainly has the features and tools to blur the line between TV and web content, but unfortunately anything that involves the networks just isn't that simple. At the time of writing, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Hulu have all blocked Google TV from accessing their shows on the web, with Fox reportedly considering a block as well. For better or worse, the first thing people think of when they see a browser on TV is streaming shows from Hulu and the networks for free, and having them blocked turns the entire value proposition of Google TV upside down. We've been told negotiations with the networks to remedy the situation are underway, but we don't know when they might bear results.
Google also tells us it's working with Hulu on bringing Hulu Plus to Google TV as an app, but that's another $10 a month on top of the cable or satellite subscription you need to get the most of out Google TV. Obviously Google TV isn't the only product with these problems -- Boxee has infamously run afoul of the networks in the past -- but Google TV devices aren't cheap, and if all you really want is to stream shows off of ABC.com or whatever, you might be far better off with a low-end Windows nettop, which won't ever be blocked. (And yes, we've changed the browser's user-agent string with varying and inconsistent success, but Google can't expect its casual users to mess around with that.)
Of course, you couldn't have a connected TV product without including Netflix, and Google TV is no exception -- Netflix is one of the few apps currently available, and it's bundled on all the devices. It certainly works, and HD content looks fine, but the app itself uses what you might call the first-generation Netflix interface -- it only shows what's in your instant queue, with no search or discovery features. In fact, it's the exact same interface Roku rolled out in 2008 -- and almost every other Netflix experience on the market has far surpassed it. Yes, you can just switch to Chrome and go update your Instant Queue that way, but it's a poor substitute for a competitive Netflix experience.
It's hard to imagine why you'd want to use a pokey TV app when faster smartphone and laptop apps are sitting within arm's reach.
You get several other apps in the standard Google TV installation: CNBC Real-Time plays CNBC content alongside a stock ticker, Gallery shows pictures from your Picasa account, Napster, Pandora, and Twitter offer decent if somewhat basic access to their respective services, and NBA Game Time shows off a list of upcoming games, scores, as well as being able to tune you into games and play (heavily compressed) video highlights. While all of the apps are well-done and functional, none of them are particularly illustrative of the platform's promise -- and to be honest, all of them have pretty slow UIs. Again, it's early, but it's hard to imagine why you'd want to use a pokey TV app when you likely have much faster smartphone and laptop apps sitting within arm's reach.
One thing we're particularly curious about is how deeply future Google TV apps will be able to use the TV feed -- between our HDCP issues and the network content blocks, we can't say we're optimistic that future apps will be able to access TV content directly. What do we mean? Well, we'd love to see a Slingbox app that streams shows to your phone, but that would involve buffering, transcoding, and retransmitting television content from an HDMI input, and that feels like a no-no -- hardware Slingboxes certainly can't do that. We'd also love to see an app that detects commercials and pops up Twitter or Facebook during those times, but we've got a feeling broadcasters might not be too into that. Google told us they wanted to give devs as much access as possible, but they were mindful of HDCP and copyright issues, so we'll see what the final Google TV SDK looks like. Like we said, it's never just that simple when the networks are involved.
Wrap-up
It's always hard to review version 1.0 of a platform -- it's tempting to give concept and potential nearly as much weight as execution. And we'll make no bones about it: viewed in that light, Google TV is a success. Features like the search bar and integrated browser are so fundamentally good on a conceptual level that they seem destined to forever change our perception of TV user experience, regardless of how well Google TV itself fares in the market, and that's no small accomplishment. Other features, like apps and smartphone control, seem equally ambitious and worthy of praise because of promise alone.
The problem, of course, is that it's really execution that counts, and little else. By that much more exacting standard, Google TV feels like an incomplete jumble of good ideas only half-realized, an unoptimized box of possibility that suffers under the weight of its own ambition and seemingly rushed holiday deadline. Had Google simply focused on a few key features -- lightning-fast browsing and perfect search results, for example -- we'd have readily excused the missing pieces with the assumption that they'd soon arrive in an equally polished way. Indeed, the most disappointing thing about Google TV is the immediate realization that it could be so much more if only Google given itself some more time. An integrated DVR, a real program guide, a movable PIP window that opens quickly -- all these things must happen for Google TV to be successful. We're already hearing reports that Google's in talks with cable operators to build integrated Google TV set-top boxes, so perhaps the most difficult hurdle will soon be passed, but until Google TV's sluggish performance and general lack of polish are addressed, it will remain just as niche as the HTPCs from which it sprang. Ben Drawbaugh and Tim Stevens contributed to this review.
Hey, remember when Taiwan's ITRI said that flexible TFT-EPD displays would be ready for smartphones by 2009? Yeah, well, keep that in mind when reading about this new 6-inch flexible display the company says will be released in a line of e-readers "very soon." It's called the FlexUPD, a 1mm thick AMOLED with a 5cm folding radius, 150nits brightness, and "unbreakable" construction. ITRI is also talking up its switchable 2D/3D display that we saw earlier, able to display both types of content simultaneously and do so without the requirement of goofy glasses. That tech is called i2/3DW and is set to "revitalize the [display] industry by revolutionizing the concept of 3D viewing." You keep on believing, ITRI, we'll just keep on waiting.
Show full PR text
ITRI Introduces FlexUPD and i2/3DW, Award-Winning, Breakthrough Technologies That Will Revolutionize the Visual Display Industry
FlexUPD Is the First Paper-Thin, Low-Cost Flexible Display Technology and i2/3DW Allows for the Simultaneous Integration of 2D and 3D Display Visible to the Naked Eye
HSINCHU, TAIWAN--(Marketwire - October 27, 2010) - ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), Taiwan's largest and one of the world's leading high-tech research and development institutions, introduces FlexUPD, the first technology to enable the commercialization of paper-thin, low-cost flexible flat displays for electronic products, and i2/3DW, an innovative technology to integrate 2D and 3D information for simultaneous display on the same screen visible to the naked eye. ITRI will receive the Overall Gold Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award for FlexUPD next week and a "2010 R&D 100 Award" from R&D Magazine in November for both breakthrough technologies.
ITRI's FlexUPD ushers in a new generation of flexible electronics. It is the simplest and most inexpensive technology to allow for the mass manufacture of paper-like, flexible flat panel displays thinner than any displays currently on the market. This flexibility allows for two-sided surface visibility for display or non-display products -- rollable mobile phone screens, e-books, e-maps and medical sensors that can be worn or wrapped around the body, etc. -- to be light, malleable and unbreakable.
"We are on the cusp of a new era of flexible displays," said Dr. John Chen, general director of ITRI's Display Technology Center. "FlexUPD's universal backplane technology allows for many applications to be created, which will go beyond our current imagination. The impact will only be realized as they emerge. FlexUPD will transform visualization as we know it."
Commercialization of the FlexUPD is currently underway. AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) plans to commercially release a line of flexible e-reader products very soon. The technology is available for transfer to companies worldwide.
The key breakthrough in FlexUPD is its simultaneous adhesive and non-adhesive bonding -- the use of a "de-bonding layer" -- between the glass and flexible substrate. The de-bonding layer -- inspired by Taiwan crepe-making techniques -- sticks to the production glass substrate firmly during the entire fabrication process and is completely non-adhesive to the polyimide (PI) film stacked on top during this phase -- much like a layer of non-stick material separating the crepe from the pan. This allows the indispensable active matrix backplane for high-quality color displays to be flexible.
FlexUPD is easily adaptable by panel and display manufacturers and technologically is compatible with mainstream LCD production lines operating now and in the future, and is even compatible with old generations of LCD makers -- manufacturers must only add the de-bonding equipment to incorporate the FlexUPD.
ITRI's award-winning i2/3DW is a next generation 2D/3D switchable display technology that is the first to fully and simultaneously integrate 3D displays for the naked eye with traditional 2D information. This breakthrough solves the problems previously associated with 2D/3D displays -- a lack of integration forcing viewers to switch between 2D and 3D modes -- and 3D displays -- blurry text and specific eyewear. With i2/3DW, 2D texts are as clear as they are on a 2D screen and 3D images are as fascinating as on a 3D screen, but can now coexist on the same screen for optimal viewing quality.
"We are at the brink of the new 3D generation," said Stephen Jeng, ITRI's division director of Electronics and Optoelectronics. "With the rise of 3D technology in the entertainment, video game, mobile device and medical industries, and in Internet applications, ITRI's i2/3DW will revolutionize displays, catapulting them into the 3D era. It will change the way people watch TV and use computers, and is also designed for specialty applications such as endoscopic surgery, digital signage, remote medical care and e-books, among others."
The construction of an enabled i2/3DW display is comprised of three primary component layers: the conventional liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel), the dynamic black-light unit (DBLU) and the 2D/3D switching layer -- that lies in between the LCD and DBLU panels, allowing the 2D and 3D display mode to be switched automatically. This feature differentiates ITRI's i2/3DW technology from its competitors -- to date, similar technologies have only focused on whole screen 2D or 3D display. i2/3DW is the first to make the integration of a partial switch possible. ITRI's switching component is made of two polarization films, one microretarder and one low-resolution LC panel -- all extremely inexpensive to make, making the i2/3DW technology affordable.
The i2/3DW could reenergize the struggling panel and display market. Prices of LCDs used in computers and TVs fell 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2010 for a major manufacturer.1 The i2/3DW could revitalize the industry by revolutionizing the concept of 3D viewing.
ITRI has applied for 62 patents for FlexUPD and 11 patents for i2/3DW, and is currently licensing both technologies. Interested companies can contact ITRI at 1-408-428-9988 or 0800@itri.org.tw for more information.
ITRI, headquartered in Taiwan, has offices in the United States, Japan, Russia and Germany in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote opportunities for international cooperation. In the U.S., it has long-term collaborative arrangements with MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University. Globally, it has 23 international cooperations with major companies such as IBM, HP, Microsoft, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, Kodak, Lucent and Motorola.
To date, ITRI holds more than 14,571 patents and has assisted in the creation of more than 163 start-ups and spin-offs. In 2010, the institute has received five prestigious international awards: The Overall Gold Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award for its FlexUPD technology, runner-up in the Semiconductor category for its MDPS (Micro-Deformable Piezoresistive Sensor Technology) and three R&D 100 Awards for FlexUPD, i2/3DW and Reddex. In 2009, the institute also received four prestigious international awards: The Wall Street Journal's 2009 Technology Innovation Award for its FleXpeaker technology, an R&D 100 Award for the High Safety STOBA Lithium Battery Material Technology, the iF Design Award from the International Forum Design in Germany for ITRA's Fluid Driven Lighting System, and the Red Dot Design Award by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany, for its Flexio Radio Technology.
1 Bloomberg.com, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-06/samsung-profit-misses-estimates-as-prices-of-chips-flat-screens-decline.html October 15, 2010
About ITRI (www.itri.org.tw/eng)
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a nonprofit R&D organization engaging in applied research and technical services. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's economy from a labor-intensive industry to a high-tech industry. Numerous well-known, high-tech companies in Taiwan, such as leaders in the semiconductor industry TSMC and UMC, can trace their origins to ITRI.
Innovative Research
ITRI is a multidisciplinary research center, with six core laboratories, three focus centers, five linkage centers, several leading labs and various business development units. The six fields ITRI focuses on include Information and Communication; Electronics and Optoelectronics; Material, Chemical and Nanotechnologies; Biomedical Technologies and Device; Advanced Manufacturing and Systems; and Green Energy and Environment. ITRI has aggressively researched and developed countless next-generation technologies, including WIMAX wireless broadband, solar cells, RFID, light electric vehicles, flexible displays, 3-D ICs and telecare technologies. In addition, ITRI's Flexible Electronics Pilot Lab and Nanotechnology Lab provide international-level research platforms where R&D can be conducted jointly with partners. ITRI has also seen significant growth in intellectual property business and new ventures in recent years and is devoted to creating a model that would make Taiwan manufacturing even more competitive in the international arena.
Fostering Entrepreneurship and CEO Leadership
ITRI employs 5,728 personnel, including 1,163 who hold Ph.D.s and 3,152 with master's degrees, resulting in an average of five patents produced every day. By disseminating both technology and talent, ITRI has led the technology industry into the 21st century and has cultivated 70 CEOs in the local high-tech industry. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the California Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Berlin and Moscow.
Why yes, yes it is another Windows Phone 7 device review. Not that we're complaining. It's not everyday that a new mobile operating system this polished arrives at our doorstep. Having already gone in depth with Microsoft's entirely new OS and half dozen or so other WP7 devices, it's now time to dive deep into the life and times of the HTC Trophy. And it's about time. We first saw the words "HTC" and "Trophy" on the same page in a roadmap leak all the way back in 2009. Several of the leaked handsets eventually launched -- but not the 3-inch portrait QWERTY Trophy (codenamed, Spark) running Windows Mobile 6.5. Perhaps that original design was scrapped along with WinMo's relevancy to the consumer smartphone market. We don't know and we may never know. What we can tell you is what it's like to live with a production HTC Trophy for a week -- an average speced touchscreen slate offering anything but a middle-of-the-road experience.
This review is primarily of the HTC Trophy hardware. Check out our full review of Windows Phone 7 for our thoughts on the OS.
If you're looking for high-end hardware then you might as well quit reading now. The 0.47-inch (11.96-mm) thick, 4.94 ounce (140 gram) HTC Trophy is not the highest-speced device of the nine new Windows Phone 7 handsets hitting the market in 2010. In fact, there's not a single standout spec in the bunch. To start with, like all WP7 handsets the Trophy starts with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution and 1GHz Snapdragon (QSD8250) processor under a capacitive touchscreen. From there we've got a bright 3.8-inch SLCD, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, GPS, FM Radio, a 1300mAh battery, and 8GB of fixed flash storage with 512MB of ROM and 576MB of RAM. The autofocus camera is also pretty standard with a 5 megapixel sensor, LED flash, and 720p video recording capability. It's also packing a bevy of sensors for gravity, compass, proximity, and ambient light.
Up front, the Trophy is almost bereft of any notable features other than a silver ring that creates a subtle border between the front-side glass and plastic bezel that gently bleeds into the trophy's soft-touch backside. A long pointillistic earpiece is barely visible just above the glass along the upper edge. Hit the power button and the three capacitive keys for back, start, and search ignite with a pleasant pale white glow. A small notification light just to the right of the HTC logo glows amber only when charging then turns green when fully charged. Miss a call and it will flash green every 2 seconds. Sorry, no front-facing camera here.
A stealthy black volume rocker hugs the upper left-hand side (as you face the display) and a microUSB jack waits patiently along the lower left. On the right you have a silver, two-stage camera button near the bottom edge. On the bottom, a single small microphone can be seen on the lower edge, offset just a bit from center. On top, you've got the power button (on the left) and an angled 3.5-mm audio jack (on the right) that disconcertingly exposes a bit of the jack plug. The bundled HTC earbuds feature a rather rudimentary inline 3-button remote to call / pause or adjust the audio volume. Press and hold the call / pause button and the phone's voice recognition feature kicks into action... but only if the screen is unlocked -- otherwise, it just bounces the lock screen. Not very useful for making an impromptu hands-free call while walking down the sidewalk like a Verve miscreant. While the buds combine with the Trophy to create passable sound for your collection of torrented 128kbps MP3s, they're are so comically oversized and ill-fiting that you'll want to replace them straight away.
Things get busy around back (and halfway up the sides) where HTC has applied a soft-touch finish that looks good while making the device easy to handle securely. It's here that you see the camera lens flanked by a single LED flash on the left and a reasonably powerful loudspeaker on the right. Unfortunately, the speaker is blocked, muffling the volume when placed backside down on a flat surface such as a tablet top -- there's simply not enough of a gap to bounce the sound back towards the listener. In other words, you'll need to flip the LCD onto the table to hear the speaker at full volume. Fortunately, HTC provides additional motivation to do exactly that with an app that automatically flips on the backside speaker during a call when it senses the screen being flipped over (more on that later). The back cover peels off with a fingernail embedded into a slot along the top edge. Doing so reveal a rather striking orange battery and matching translucent plastic shell. Removing the battery gives you access to the SIM slot. No, you can't access the fixed 8GB microSD card even if you wanted to, it's nowhere to be found. The backside also plays host to another HTC logo as well as a rather muted Windows Phone flag.
We've been impressed by the Trophy's 1300mAh battery and its ability to power the handset through the day. In general, we're making it 24-hours before reaching for the microUSB charger. That's after using a combination of WiFi and 3G data under real-world usage with our Exchange account set to push Google email, contacts, and calendar data as content items arrive and with Windows Live checking every 30 minutes. That's pretty good considering that we're also downloading and testing a variety apps, sampling games, snapping a few photos, listening to music, and viewing a few minutes of video content while obsessively checking Twitter throughout. As you'd expect, battery life drops quickly when using the camera and video recording functionality even without LED flash support. On one particularly heavy day of usage, we shot about 15 minutes of video and 30 stills forcing us back to the wall charger after about 10 hours.
Call quality is fine (it's neither the worst nor the best we've seen) on the Trophy, with or without the included earbuds, or when going commando and using the Trophy as a speakerphone.
Put it all together and you've got a handset that feels and looks really solid -- not cheap, slippery, and lightweight like the otherwise impressive Galaxy S. It doesn't look premium in that flashy iPhone 4 way but it does feel just as good in the hand as it does slipping effortlessly into the front pants pocket.
Unique Apps
"Unique" is a bit of a misnomer here. While the Trophy ships with 10 apps that are indeed unique to HTC Windows Phone 7 devices, we've already seen them covered on the HTC Mozart, HTC HD7, and HTC Surround reviews. Without going back through them in detail, let's hit the highlights. Like all the brand-specific apps, the HTC Hub is meant to be a differentiator to help prevent Windows Phone 7 devices from becoming commodities. Unfortunately, the HTC Hub app is overwrought with animations that impede its ability to deliver content (primarily the weather) quickly. It's fun the first few times but incredibly annoying thereafter. While this behavior might be forgiven in the Sense layer that HTC slathers upon Android, it comes across as heavy handed when wrapped inside of Microsoft's delicate and meticulously crafted user experience. Sure, it'll impress your friends but it's also one of the first things you'll replace just as soon as you narrow down your weather app choices in the Windows Marketplace (both Microsoft's own Weather app and The Weather Channel app make fine free alternatives). On the other hand, the HTC Photo Enhancer app is useful, especially when enhancing (but not repairing) pics blown out by the Trophy's LED flash (more on that later).
There is one HTC app that we haven't seen before in any of our earlier device reviews: the HTC Attentive Phone app, added to the Windows Marketplace during our review. And unlike most of the other ten HTC apps, this one's well worth installing, greatly enhancing the phone's use. The app adds four new features including, 1) Quiet ring on pickup; 2) Pocket Mode, that's supposed to increase the ring volume when it's in your pocket; 3) Flip for speaker, that activates the loud speaker when flipping the phone over during a call; and 4) Flip to mute ringer, that does exactly what it says. All but Pocket Mode worked for us, which wasn't really a problem given the Trophy's strong vibration mode. It would be missed if carried in a purse or backpack though.
Unfortunately, an update to the HTC Notes app left the software completely unusable on our Trophy, turning the 3.8-inch display into a static pale blue abyss when launched. Fortunately, we could back right out of the app with no damage done. An instance where we're perfectly happy for the OS to not support third-party multitasking.
Our device also shipped with an orange-on-black Vodafone theme that we're quite fond of. It also came preloaded with a completely useless 360 My Web tile that acts as an HTTP link to the Vodafone My Web service. We don't use the service and we suspect most of you don't either.
Camera
The Trophy appears to reuse the same camera hardware found in the HTC Surround that we've already reviewed. As expected, the camera does ok when photographing outdoor daytime shots or when indoor lighting is natural and bright. Even macro shots were processed with a reasonable amount of detail. In those situations, the autofocus is responsive and the shutter snaps quickly to catch the action. Performance isn't anything special but it's not awful either. Images, however, tend to be overly soft.
Things really fall apart when the sun goes down and the lights grow dim. Under these conditions the autofocus struggles and the shutter lag becomes an issue. Photos shot in low-light resulted in a festival of grain assuming we could hold the camera still enough to summon a focused subject. If the LED fires, watch out, anything within ten feet will be completely and irreparably washed out of existence.
The Trophy touts 720p video. Great, right? Unfortunately, that's not the default resolution, presumably because of the measly 8GB of on-board storage (and lack of expansion). Instead, the Trophy shoots H.264 encoded video at VGA resolution to a .MP4 container. While you can change it to shoot MPEG-4 encoded video at 720p resolution to a .MP4 container, the video resolution resets each time you exit the camera app. Setting it back to 720p is another five step procedure that must be repeated each and every time you start the camera. Needless to say, that's not very conducive to capturing spontaneity on video. Having said that, the HD footage was of reasonable smartphone quality when given enough light. However, focusing and image quality again becomes an issue in low light.
VGA (daytime)
720p (nighttime)
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to get the videos off the phone without syncing back to a PC with the Zune desktop software or to the Mac using the beta release of the Windows Phone 7 Connector (which only worked once to sync pictures and video in at least a dozen attempts). Overall, the Trophy's camera pales in comparison to the iPhone 4's own 5 megapixel camera with LED flash in terms of versatility, speed, and image quality (day or night, still or video) and comes up far short of a true cameraphone like the Nokia N8.
Wrap up
HTC's Trophy is not the best smartphone on the market. It's not even the best Windows Phone 7 phone. To make matters worse, you'll often find the Trophy sitting side-by-side with the equivalently priced LG Optimus 7 when shopping for a new WP7 handset in Europe -- both are €49.90 on contract with Vodafone in Germany or free in the UK with monthly plans starting at £25 (our review unit is sold by Coolblue in The Netherlands for $499). And honestly, given our choice, we'd opt for the Optimus 7 given that it matches the Trophy spec-for-spec yet includes a better exclusive software suite, a beefier 1,500mAh battery, and double the internal storage at 16GB. Yet even with middling hardware and a brand new version 1.0 Microsoft OS that is clearly lacking the maturity of iOS or Android, it's simply hard to resist this sleek little lightweight gem of a handset running a very promising -- and dare we say fun -- take on the mobile OS experience. Try as we might, we can't put it down even though we have an iPhone 4 and Galaxy S at our immediate disposal. The HTC Trophy may not be our smartphone champ but it's definitely a winner.
Sony got itself back in black with a $293m profit last quarter courtesy of improved PS3 and Bravia sales, and the good times continue: the company just posted a second-quarter profit of ¥68.7b ($852m). The Networked Products and Services division that encompasses PlayStation and VAIO was Sony's strongest performer, with revenue going up five percent to ¥369b ($4.6b) on top of 3.5m PS3 sales (a slight increase), a 40 percent increase in PS3 software sales to 35m units, and "significant hardware cost reductions." PC sales were up to 2.3m units from 1.4m units last year, and Bravia and digital camera sales also increased, to 4.9m and 6.2m units, respectively. Now for the bad news: PSP sales continued their precipitous decline, down 50 percent to 1.5m from 3.0m last year. By way of comparison, that's the same number of PS2s Sony shipped this past quarter -- maybe it's time to break out a totally new PlayStation Phone, eh, Sony?
Think Hyundai's 70-inch multitouch table concept is hot stuff? Have a gander at this. The Table Connect for iPhone is dangerously close to completion, with a full-on mockup shown above. Put simply, this 58-inch multitouch surface accepts iPhone 4 connections via a 30-pin Dock Connector, and with a bit of magic, the table becomes your iPhone. The crew is currently wrapping up an alpha software release, and while a jailbroken iPhone is obviously necessary to get things going, the end result is bound to be impressive. Or at least hilarious. Here's hoping these eventually go on sale, but for now, feel free to hit the source link for one more shot and a slew of diagrams.
Bummer. Just a few short days after PlayOn support was apparently added to Roku's stable of set-top boxes, it looks as if the fun has come to an abrupt halt. Based on quotes from both PlayOn and Roku staff members, it sounds like the PlayOn channel will no longer work on those who try to get it installed, but those who managed to slip in early may be in the clear. Jim, a PlayOn staffer, stated that his company was "contacted today by Roku and told that they were going to disallow this channel," and because neither the Roku channel developer nor Roku "are affiliated with PlayOn, [they] have no control over the situation." On the Roku side, one Patrick has confirmed that "while... many of you are excited about a PlayOn-compatible Channel and may be using it, it unfortunately presents the possibility of legal exposure for us; as a result, the current PlayOn channels have been removed and are no longer available to add to your Roku player." If your bubble has just been popped in the worst possible way, we'd probably start looking into that 30-day return policy -- for you early birds, is PlayOn still working on your Roku box? Hit us up in comments below.
Looking for some earphones below a $999 reference set of buds but above the mid-range fare filling the shelves at your local department store? Then you can now at Future Sonics' new Atrio Special Edition "professional" earphones to your list of options. Coming at $229, the earphones pack the company's MG7 transducer and so called TrueTimbre technology to provide what's described as "rich, dynamic and full sound" -- in terms of specs, you'll get a frequency response of 8Hz – 20,000Hz, along with a sensitivity level of 112dB at 30Hz, and ambient noise rejection of +/- 26 dB. As a bonus, you'll also also get a carrying case made from reclaimed tires, which is not only environmentally-friendly but one of a kind in appearance. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the link below for a hands-on look courtesy of Gadling.
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Future Sonics Delivers Unparalleled Sound Quality and Performance with the New Atrio® Special Edition Professional Earphones
Following their mantra of BIGGER SOUND @ lower volume™, Future Sonics proprietary studio-grade dynamic drivers help provide a more natural audio experience
New MG7 transducer and TrueTimbre™ audio quality produces a rich and full sound, while the eco-friendly packaging and zipper case make it not only great for your ears, but also the environment
Bristol, Pennsylvania – (October 27, 2010) - Future Sonics, innovators of the original award-winning Ear Monitors® and Atrio® brand of professional earphones, is excited to announce the new Atrio® Special Edition (ASE) professional earphones being introduced at Airport Wireless stores. Equipped with Future Sonics' proprietary studio-grade dynamic driver, the ASE creates signature audio that can't be reproduced by any other earphone manufacturer at any price. The multi-driver and cross-over free ASE's provide remarkable full range audio for use on stage, in-studio, or with your personal MP3 and multimedia pads and players. The ASE's are available today at Airport Wireless, for $229.00.
A recent study by the Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that 1 in 5 children ages 12-19 are suffering hearing loss. A large portion of this loss is credited to unsafe and unhealthy earbud use. People using earbuds with lower sound quality attempt to drown out background noise and enhance audio clarity by increasing the volume to dangerous levels. Future Sonics' natural noise isolation and quality sound at low volumes extends listening pleasure and greatly reduces hearing fatigue. Unlike other earphone manufacturers, Future Sonics designs and produces its own award-winning MG line of dynamic drivers that are used in all of its earpieces. Their Power of 1™ design provides a perfect balance of natural and realistic audio that brings a bigger, richer sound at a lower volume.
Founder of Future Sonics Marty Garcia, firmly believes in the advantage of the Power of 1™ dynamic driver approach to audio. "Our proprietary dynamic drivers produce frequencies below 150Hz more effectively than any multiple driver design. This produces audio with unmatched clarity at much lower volume levels, delivering audio to your ears in a more natural way," says Garcia. Over the last 25 years, Garcia and Future Sonics have partnered with major artists like U2, Phil Collins, Reba McEntire, The Zac Brown Band, Shakira and Keith Urban. These relationships provide Future Sonics with the knowledge to produce healthier and safer professional earphones. "With so much marketing hype in the industry today, we rely on the experts, the artist themselves," says Garcia. "It's their passion for sound quality and hearing preservation, coupled with our award winning dynamic speakers that allow us to deliver the best audio year in and year out, from the stage to the iPod."
FUTURE SONICS: Atrio® Special Edition (ASE) Earphones features include:
• The Power of 1, Future Sonics' proprietary dynamic drivers produce frequencies below 150Hz more effectively than multiple driver designs, delivering audio the way your own ears would naturally hear • New MG7 transducer and TrueTimbre™ audio quality produces rich, dynamic and full sound • Lightweight design with multiple in-ear sleeves creates a custom fit and seal with natural noise-isolation characteristics • A 18Hz – 20,000Hz Response, Sensitivity level of 112dB @ 30Hz, +/- 26 dB Ambient Noise Rejection providing unparalleled clarity and audio range • Eco-friendly packaging and zipper case made from post consumer paper & plastic, plant fibers and reclaimed inner tube truck tires • Available in special edition chocolate color
Each ASE comes stored in a unique case made with reclaimed-rubber taken from old inner tube truck tires. Like Future Sonics signature sound, each case has its own signature design. Being made from post consumer tires, every case has a distinctive pattern and look.
Future Sonics' Atrio® Special Edition (ASE) Professional Earphones with eco-friendly packaging and case are currently available for $229.00 at Airport Wireless stores. For more information on the Future Sonics' Atrio® Special Edition and their other award-winning products checkout www.FutureSonics.com or contact Brad Hobbs at bradhobbs@maxborgesagency.com.
BIGGER SOUND @ lower volume™: Atrio® professional earphones are recognized by H.E.A.R.® (Hearing Awareness and Education for Rockers) as a product offering its full range of sound and performance at even the lowest volumes. Future Sonics continues to support hearing education and conservation as it has for more than 25 years.
The Power of 1™: Atrio® professional earphones use a studio-grade dynamic driver that is designed and manufactured by Future Sonics. This provides superior performance and the Future Sonics audio signature not found in any other product line, or at any price. Unlike two-way, three-way, four-way or so-called "hybrid" armature driver (hearing aid type) earphones, there are no electronic or comb filtering artifacts, no phase issues, and no crossover dropouts. Atrio® professional earphones provide a perfectly balanced, natural and realistic sound with a sense of "feel" and energy from your music.
About Future Sonics: Future Sonics is the award-winning original innovator of professional custom and universal fit earphones for personal monitoring for major tours, venues, artists, engineers, broadcasting and houses of worship worldwide. Their dedication to the finest audio quality, reliability and personal service continue to serve the industry's professionals with their Ear Monitors® brand, Atrio® Series, SofterWear™ professional products, OEM product development and production consulting as they have since 1985. Future Sonics personal monitors are recognized by H.E.A.R.® as products offering their full range of sound and performance at – even the lowest volumes. Future Sonics products are available through their web site at www.futuresonics.com, from their authorized global network dealers or your local audiologists and hearing specialists.
There isn't much to say here, so let's just get on with the facts: Intel, Samsung, and Toshiba are joining forces and pooling R&D efforts in a consortium funded in part by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (an expected 50 percent, or 5 billion yen / US $62 million) and the rest from the members. The goal? Semiconductor chips nearing 10nm by 2016. Ten more companies are expected to be invited once things get sorted out, so major chip-related corporations, please keep checking your mailboxes daily.
Tired of looking at the same, aged, lifeless pixels day-in and day-out? Now you've a way to change it. AOC has just unveiled its latest range of LCD monitors, and the whole lot is seductively thin. Measuring just 12.9 millimeters on the depth chart, this sixpack ranges from 18.5- to 23-inches and offers up a 16:9 widescreen viewing angle. Unfortunately, screen resolutions are being kept secret (we're crossing our fingers for 1080p across the board), but we are told to expect VGA / DVI inputs, a flexible base, five millisecond response times and a laughable dynamic contrast ration of 50,000,000:1. Mum's also the word on pricing, but look, at least you've got a lovely selection of high resolution images to gawk at below.
Slender design: AOC presents a series of ultra-slim monitors with LED backlight
Berlin, 27 October 2010 – The profile of the new monitor series from display specialist AOC measures just 12.9 mm. With its minimalist design it is aimed particularly at sophisticated users who are looking for the latest LED technology as well as an ultimate design statement for their office or home. The six widescreen models range from 47 cm/18.5" to 58.5 cm/23" and have an aspect ratio of 16:9. All monitors impress with excellent image quality, quick response times, generous viewing angles and economical energy consumption.
New slenderness The minimalistic models, kept in a modern white, turn heads above all with their slim design of just 12.9 mm. Due to their clear language of form, the displays are perfectly suited to modern home and office environments. What makes the monitors special is the fact that they do not have any of the usual buttons. Adjustments can be made easily via the touch-sensitive keys integrated into the base which light up as soon as a finger comes near them.
Strong inner values Whether playing fast-paced games, watching current blockbusters or enjoying multimedia applications, the high dynamic contrast ratio (DCR) of 50,000,000:1 and fast response time of just 5 milliseconds always ensure detail-rich and natural images free from delays and ghosting.
Versatile and convenient With this new display series, AOC also introduces an innovative concept for the base: When the foot is folded backwards by approx. 90° it transforms into a wall bracket within seconds. For additional comfort, the screen can be tilted forwards by up to 5 degrees or 20 degrees towards the back. Equipped with an analogue D-Sub and/or digital DVI-D port (with HDCP), the displays provide a matching connector for any application.
AOC e2243Fw
Focus on the environment A resource-efficient production is of high importance at AOC. All monitors, for instance, are manufactured entirely mercury-free, and the economical product packaging is 100 % recyclable. Thanks to the electricity-saving LED backlight technology current environmental standards such as ENERGY STAR 5.0 or EPEAT-Silver are fulfilled. Even the 58.5 cm/23" model makes do with just under 28 watts when in use – and in standby mode the power consumption drops to under one watt in all models.
The new AOC monitors e943Fws (47 cm/18.5"), e2043Fs (50.8 cm/20"), e2243Fws / e2243Fw (54.7 cm/21.5") and e2343F/e2343Fs (58.5 cm/23") are available with immediate effect.
Cowon's X7 still hasn't made its stateside debut, but apparently it's out and about on the streets of France. This 4.3-inch, HDD-packin' portable media player was recently caught in the wild by Le Journal du Geek, with early impressions noting that the UI is pleasant to use, the weight a bit heavy and the build quality something to admire. For those who've forgotten, it manages a 480 x 272 screen resolution, Bluetooth, TV-out, an inbuilt microphone and compatibility with nearly every file format ever conceived. Still, the omission of WiFi is a touch troubling in today's world of converge-or-go-home, but it's tough to argue with 120GB (€299; $414) or 160GB (€329; $455) of storage space. Hit that source link for lots more eye candy.
$599 is a bit pricey for a seven-inch tablet, and while you can get $200 off that at some places by signing your life away to a data contract, that really isn't any fun either. Thankfully Samsung appears to have another option with what looks to be the $499, WiFi-only model that showed up in a Best Buy flier earlier this week. That version has now been cleared by the FCC, indeed with only tests for 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless. The absence of 3G looks like it will save you $100 and obviously make the device a little less flexible than its bar-bearing brethren, but whether that modified cost:inconvenience ratio works out in your favor depends largely on the value of your income:restlessness factor.
They made it. The team from Visilab, which left way back in July, has arrived in China and will now take its place among the various other random things going on at the Shanghai World Expo. As you may or may not recall, a gaggle of autonomous orange EVs left Italy three months ago on a trip that would take them through cities like Moscow and wastelands like the Gobi Desert, all thanks to an array of laser scanners, cameras, and of course GPS. It was a 13,000km journey (8,078 miles) that was made with minimal driver intervention and, thanks to the EV-nature of the vehicles, without stopping once for gasoline -- though they were limited to about four hours of travel each day before having to recharge. Now, remember when you were impressed that Google's autonomous car managed about 1,000 miles on its own?
After seeing quite a few leaks, Acer just made its Liquid Metal handset official. The 3.6-inch slate runs Android 2.2 Froyo atop an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor. Inside all that molten metal you'll find 802.11n WiFi, support for 14.4Mbps HSDPA, DLNA/UPnP streaming support, Dolby Surround technology, and an image stabilized 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash capable of recording video at 720p (30fps). Acer's new handset also features a new Breeze UI and SocialJogger app that aggregates Twitter and Facebook feeds. Look for it to land in brown in the UK starting mid November for £299. A silver version should arrive in early December. Still no word on that AT&T compatible jobbie that passed through the FCC. One more image and the full press release after the break.
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Acer Liquid Metal: Pure technology combing power and style
London, 29th October 2010 – The Acer Liquid Metal is the latest generation of Acer smartphones, featuring the best solutions currently available on the mobile market. Designed for all those who live a modern, dynamic, and fully integrated lifestyle, this is the perfect tool to meet the growing need to be connected anytime and anywhere. Thanks to extremely quick web surfing and an incomparable use of multimedia contents, these dreams become reality.
When we speak about technological evolution, Acer is always one step ahead thanks to its proven capacity to translate the most sophisticated technological innovations into products that are easy to use. Moulding the most advanced technologies and integrating them into the latest smartphone is the logical consequence.
Style and elegance characterise the soft, sinuous, and curvy design for the perfect grip. Liquid Metal is equipped with a rounded 3.6" display especially studied to grant a truly sensational visualization. The materials selected, like the stainless steel of the battery cover, are solid and resistant and the chrome trims give a sense of high quality for extreme tactile and visual pleasure. As in the entire Acer Liquid series, we find the LED signals on the upper part of the telephone notify the user of missed calls, the need to charge the battery, and new incoming messages clearly.
Liquid Metal steps on the gas, ensuring higher speed in all activities, especially in navigating the web, thanks to the combination of: - the Qualcomm 7230 800 MHz process for lightning fast navigation - Android Froyo that responds at a speed 5 times faster than earlier versions - the new browser that enables you to open Internet pages more quickly, thanks to Flash support and the optimization of the JavaScript engine - Connectivity that is super fast both at home or while travelling, thanks to the WiFi n[1] and HSDPA 14.4Mbps[2] - with the multitouch function, resizing web pages, photos, or maps is easier than ever.
Liquid Metal also brings the best multimedia experience and entertainment. - Record video in HD at 720p (30fps) and watch more high-resolution videos in Xvid format - Take photos with the 5MP A/F camera enhanced with LED flash, image stabilizer, and facial and smile recognition - Enjoy the thrilling audio brought by the Dolby Surround technology and customize the sound you hear with the EQ profiles and Dynamic Bass Boost.
Liquid Metal shows its excellence not only in its style and power, but brings delightful user experience by the intuitive interface and software developed by Acer. - Breeze, the new Acer user interface was developed to manage applications even more easily. Information is visible even when the screen is locked; view the application history and quickly start up your most used appliations; customize your homescreen as you like it and re-arrange the way you access your favourite applications according to your own specific needs - Acer SocialJogger Application aggregates your Facebook and Twitter feeds, allowing you to surf through the updates with the trackwheel, receive updates directly through the dedicated widget on the homescreen, and comment or share directly from the user-friendly interface.
Liquid Metal is transformed into a true wireless server for all your home devices through DLNA/UPnP technology. All the multimedia content memorized on the smartphone can be shared with your PC, TV or game console. Moreover, it is capable of providing your computer an Internet connection via USB. This is truly useful for travelling by train or when on vacation. The Acer EasyLink PC software is free of charge and even enables a protected Internet connection (https). Do you want even more? This smartphone of the latest generation can become a WiFi hotspot for all enabled devices, so as to connect them to the Internet via the Liquid Metal 3G connection.
[1] With WiFi n, Liquid Metal is 10 times faster than previous devices
[2] With HSDPA, Liquid Metal is 2 times faster than previous devices
The Liquid Metal will be offered in two colours: silver and brown for a SRRP of £299 inc Vat. The brown will be available first from mid November with the silver arriving in early December.
Leave it to ASUS to blast out an entire series of tablets that saturate the market in a single go. Many of these have already been mentioned, leaked, or even revealed at trade shows. But now we've got company president, Jerry Shen, filling in the launch details. Starting in December, ASUS will begin launching tablets in 7-, 9-, 10-, and 12-inch form factors. The 12-inch model will run Windows on an Intel chipset and be ready for purchase in January. Of interest, Shen says that Microsoft assisted in the development by making several enhancements to related technologies including touch control and the user interface. In March ASUS will launch a pair of 7 inchers (one with WiFi and the other with "3.5G" and phone functions) and another pair of 9-inch tablets (an ARM-based Tegra 2 model running Android and another Wintel tablet) with a price gap of $100. Of course, we've see a 10-incher around as well. That means we should see a grand total of five or six tablets from ASUS at CES in January. Fun.
TeliaSonera subsidiary Ncell has just completed installation of a 3G base station at 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) that will reach the 8,848-meter peak of Mount Everest. Mind you, we've already seen a cellphone call made from the world's highest peak using a temporary base station in a Motorola publicity stunt. This time, however, it's permanent and faster allowing climbers to surf the internet or make 3G video calls. Why would Ncell want to build a base station in such a sparsely populated area? Because it is there.
Can you remember the day when Apple's audacious plan to sell 10 million iPhones in its first year was greeted with extreme skepticism within the cellphone industry. Now the computer company is shipping 14.1 million handsets every three months according to the latest IDC numbers, moving Apple into fourth place on its Top 5 list of mobile phone vendors worldwide. That moves Apple ahead of RIM, thus confirming a Steve Jobs boast made during Apple's Q4 earnings calls. Sony Ericsson has been pushed off the list for the first time since 2004 when IDC began tracking the top 5 vendors.
But that's not the only interesting bit of information we see in the IDC numbers that tally all cellphone shipments, not just smartphones. Overall market leader Nokia, slipped from a 36.5 percent to a 32.4 percent market share since the same quarter last year. IDC notes that Nokia is starting to show some weakness in emerging markets, one of Nokia's last strongholds, with smaller regional handset makers starting to grab market share away from Espoo in Asia / Pacific and Latin America. It's not doing well in smartphones either, with IDC claiming that Android devices are gaining momentum at Nokia's expense. LG is also suffering with a 10.1 percent decline in shipments since the same quarter last year, dropping from 10.6 percent to an 8.3 percent market share globally. Read the full report after the break.
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Apple Joins Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors as Worldwide Market Grows Nearly 15% in Third Quarter, According to IDC
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct 28, 2010 -- The worldwide mobile phone market grew 14.6% in the third quarter of 2010 (3Q10), the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven in part by the fast-growing converged mobile device category. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 340.5 million units in 3Q10 compared to 297.1 million units in the third quarter of 2009.
The growing popularity of converged mobile devices, or smartphones, with consumers and businesspersons is evidenced by the appearance of a second smartphone-only vendor in the top 5 ranking. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in 3Q10, joining Research In Motion (RIM) as one of the world's largest mobile phone suppliers. RIM has spent three quarters on IDC's leaderboard. Apple and RIM also posted the highest-growth rates among the top 5 vendors last quarter.
"The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "Vendors that aren't developing a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow market share in the future."
Apple, RIM, and the vendors producing Android-based smartphones have put noticeable pressure on Nokia, the overall market leader. "Nokia still leads all vendors by a significant margin for converged mobile devices and mobile phones as a whole," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. "However, Nokia's grip on the traditional mobile phone market has been somewhat loosened, as multiple Chinese vendors have gained ground, especially within emerging markets. To bolster its overall competitiveness, Nokia has been focused on improving its smartphone offerings."
Market Outlook
IDC believes the worldwide mobile phone market will be driven largely by smartphone growth to the end of 2014. "The smartphone is becoming the focal point of the personal communications experience," noted Restivo. "As a result, new market growth will be increasingly generated by smartphones. This year, we are expecting the smartphone sub-market to grow 55% year over year."
Regional Analysis
Competitive forces emerged in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region last quarter to the detriment of market leader Nokia. In emerging markets, brands such as Micromax, Nexian, and i-Mobile chipped away at Nokia's market share. Android-powered smartphones also gained momentum across the region at the expense of Nokia. Samsung gained ground in South Korea while Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE launched devices in several markets. In Japan, mobile phone market growth was driven primarily by domestic vendors Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and NEC. The Western European mobile phone market's growth was largely attributable to smartphones, which grew thanks to the iPhone 4 and Android-powered devices from HTC and Samsung. Demand was also stoked by large operator device subsidies that helped to keep consumer interest in smartphones high. At the same time, the CEMA handset market grew slowly in 3Q10. As a result, smartphone volumes are growing substantially but still only comprise one-fifth of total shipments for the regions combined. This is modest compared to more economically-developed regions. The United States mobile phone market was characterized by growth in the smartphone market. Grabbing headlines were the Apple iPhone 4, RIM's BlackBerry Torch 9800, the HTC EVO 4G, and Motorola's new DROID X and DROID 2, all of which were launched last quarter. Not to be overlooked was Samsung's Galaxy S smartphone lineup, which were launched at all of the major carriers last quarter. Traditional mobile phones, meanwhile, fought back with smartphone-like functionality, but saw their overall share of the market continue to decline. In Canada, Android-powered handsets gained momentum as Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola shipped new models. Huawei and ASUS, low-cost providers of Android devices, entered the market. RIM's BlackBerry Torch was announced while the iPhone 4 was introduced to great fanfare. Despite continued economic sluggishness in some countries, the Latin American region grew as a result of higher smartphone adoption. Vendors like Alcatel, ZTE, and Huawei have targeted Latin America aggressively with entry-level models in an effort to steal share from Nokia, the overall market leader in the region. These models are lower-cost product offerings designed to meet the needs of basic users. Motorola's Android-powered devices have also grown quickly in the region due to the popularity of models like the QUENCH, Backflip, and Milestone.
Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors
Nokia maintained the top spot in the overall mobile phone market despite year-over-year unit shipment growth of less than 2% in new chief executive Steven Elop's first quarter at the helm. The company grew converged mobile device shipments 61% in 3Q10, but average selling prices for the device type dropped to EUR136, compared to EUR190 in the same quarter last year. Nokia attributed the plunge to price pressure from competitors and its stated desire to reach more customers. Nokia hopes the C8 and C7 devices will boost ASPs in future.
Samsung marked a new milestone during the third quarter, pushing through the 70 million unit mark for the first time in the company's history. In addition, the company more than doubled the number of converged mobile device shipments from the previous quarter. Driving this was the worldwide release of its Galaxy S i9000 converged mobile device, as well as its bada-based Wave model. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Samsung appears poised to bring more smartphones to market, with a new Wave 2 awaiting launch and more mass-market devices for emerging markets.
LG Electronics missed its 3Q10 total mobile phone and smartphone shipment growth targets, resulting in an overall double-digit shipment decrease when compared to the same quarter one year ago. LG has yet to make a significant impact in the smartphone category unlike its competitors. Although operating margin returned to the same levels as a year ago, sales and profitability both fell significantly. By the end of the quarter, LG replaced its CEO Nam Yong with Koo Bon-Joon, head of LG's trading firm, LG International.
Apple leapt ahead of several vendors in 3Q10 including RIM, which it surpassed by 1.7-million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7-million units. The company's record shipment performance can be attributed to the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last quarter. The record performance came despite "Antennagate," the name used to describe the controversy around alleged iPhone reception problems, in July.
Research In Motion posted a record number of unit shipments in 3Q10. The BlackBerry maker continues to grow in Latin America, for example, due to the success of the Curve 8520 entry-level model, which has helped drive growth in most emerging markets. The vendor's results were also boosted by the introduction of the higher-cost Torch in the United States, a key market due to the size and intensity of competition.
SonyEricsson, which shipped 10.4 million units in 3Q10, fell off the Top 5 list for the first time since the Tracker was conceived in 2004.
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, October 28, 2010
Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.
For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 650-350-6423 or knagamine@idc.com.
About IDC
IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 46 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.
All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Do you have The Need? For Speed? Yeah, so do we, and it just so happens that LaCie does as well. Just weeks after the company properly introduced the "now shipping" status on its d2 USB 3.0 and 2big USB 3.0 drives, it has now expanded the options with a 6TB model. So far as we can tell, it looks as if the outfit placed a rather sizable order for those 3TB HDDs that were just unleashed by Western Digital, and it has tuned up the performance all the while. The 2big has reached 306MB/sec in the lab, representing a 20 percent speed boost over the prior models while making it "the fastest 2-bay RAID solution on the market." As for the d2? It can hum along at 156MB/sec with the inclusion of a 3TB hard drive. Both units are slated to hit retail next month, but asking prices are being kept under wraps for now.
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LaCie 2Big USB 3.0 Breaks 300MB/s Barrier with 3TB Hard Drives
October 28, 2010
Today, LaCie demonstrates technology leadership with the availability of 3TB hard drives and the demonstration of record speeds in two of its professional storage solutions – LaCie d2 USB 3.0 and LaCie 2big USB 3.0.
Thanks to the inclusion of 3TB hard drives and the performance of USB 3.0, LaCie's 2big USB 3.0, now available in 6TB, achieves a dramatic 20% speed boost by reaching 306MB/s –the fastest performance of any 2-bay RAID solution to-date. The d2 USB 3.0 also demonstrates a significant speed increase of 156MB/s with the inclusion of a 3TB hard drive.
"There is no question heavy data users continue to demand higher capacities, and in turn faster transfer speeds," said Erwan Girard, Business Unit Manager for Professional Products. "Today, LaCie answered this challenge by introducing the largest available capacity and fastest transfer speeds in a single solution, providing users with increased backup efficiency and reduced risk for backup interruption."
Availability The LaCie 2big USB 3.0 6TB and LaCie d2 USB 3.0 3TB will be available, worldwide, at the beginning of November. For more information, visit www.lacie.com.
About LaCie With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of storage devices for PC, Apple, and Linux. LaCie has differentiated itself through sleek design and remarkable technical performance. Find out more about our products at www.lacie.com.
Quirky's community has just outed another nifty peripheral that might just come in handy when looking for a few stocking stuffers later this year. Or, you know, right now if you can't make heads or tails of your USB peripheral collection. The Contort is a plug-in 4-port USB hub, and the cord management roll enables users to keep an iPod Dock Connector cable, micro-USB cable and mini-USB cable neatly spooled for charging just about anything. It's up for pre-sale as we speak at $29.99, and we can only offer you the best of luck in resisting.
Contort, Flexible USB Hub Manager, Hits Quirky's Online Store - collaboratively developed by Quirky's community
New York, NY, October 27, 2010 -- Today marks the official release of Contort -- a community-developed USB hub that manages your drives and cables while protecting them.
Your standard USB thumb drive is just one accidental bump away from sending your valuable files into oblivion. Don't fear; the Quirky Contort is here. Contort is a four-port USB hub and cord manager, with a 360-degree flexible rubber neck to protect all your USB devices from accidental damage. Cooler still, Contort has a built-in cord management wrap with four anchors to corral your cables. This super lightweight hub measures 34 mm x 142 mm and transports easily -- just wrap up your cables and go.
Following the success of Pivot Power, Cordies and the PowerCurl, Contort is the latest addition to Quirky's cord management line.
Contort is the 59th product designed and developed by the Quirky community since Quirky's launch on June 2, 2009. Quirky gives everyone the chance to get product ideas out of their heads and onto shelves. Each week, Quirky's community collaborates to select and produce one new product idea. This week ends the development phase of Contort, and it is now available for pre-sale in Quirky's online store for $29.99 (MSRP: $34.99).
Quirky engages participants to collaborate in every aspect of product creation -- from ideation, design, naming, manufacturing, marketing, right on through to sales. Anyone can participate on Quirky.com either by submitting their own product idea for $10, or by voting, rating, and influencing other people's product ideas. Cooler still, 30¢ of every dollar generated from the sale of a Quirky product goes back to these influencers.
The final product becomes available for pre-sale in the Quirky online store (quirky.com/products). Once the product hits its pre-sale threshold, credit cards are charged, and the product goes into production and delivery. At this point, 30¢ of every dollar made from the direct sale of these products goes back to the community. "Community" in this case covers both the ideator as well as all people who voted, commented, and rated the project idea along the way.
We thought the Samsung Focus was the only Windows Phone 7 launch device that could replace its external storage, but the HTC HD7 can apparently do the same -- there's an SD card slot under that Windows Phone logo, and The Unwired managed to replace it while dodging the dreaded "There's a storage error" screen. What sort of black magic did the publication cast to make it recognize the new card? They're not quite sure themselves, but several factory resets and physical reinsertion of the chip seemed to do the trick, if only for an 8GB card. If you're in a daring mood, let us know if it works for you in comments below!
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Brandon, who is fairly interested in ditching his cable subscription. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"Hey Engadget readership. I've been paying way too much for channels I never watch for way too long. I'm about ready to seriously consider my options for ditching cable. Problem is, I've got too many alternatives. Google TV, Apple TV and Roku stick out, but I've also heard of using a new Mac Mini along with Boxee. Given that I have a Netflix subscription to loop in, which of these would be my most satisfying option? Or is there another I'm not considering? Thanks for the assistance."
We feel your pain. Loads of options, and not really one set-top that does it all. 'Course, you could always whip up an HTPC to really cover your bases, but we're sure you'll get some fine input either way in comments below.
It's October 28th, and Verizon's full suite of data plans have changed just as foretold -- if you want to save a few bucks, you can revise your megabyte-munching lifestyle right now. There's no need to fear for unlimited 3G smartphone data, as it's still available for the usual $29.99, but that plan's no longer required when buying a new Droid, as you can opt for a new $14.99 plan if you can bare to live with just 150 megabytes. We'll spare you the full breakdown on mobile broadband plans -- as you can find it at our original post right here -- rght down to that promotional 3GB MiFi and Fivespot plan for $35 a month.
It looks as if we've located the proverbial "ugly stick": behold the Snakebyte Premium Remote XL+ Wii controller. It's not the first third-party Wiimote to have built-in MotionPlus, in fact, Nyko beat Nintendo's own upcoming Wii Remote Plus to market with the Wand+. Still, the Sunflex's Premium Remote XL+ has a certain lack of stylistic direction that may surpass even the drab gray Wand+ for the title of "ugliest Wiimote." The Snakebyte, which includes USB-rechargeable batteries in addition to its traditional duties, is out now for $35, $5 under Nintendo's pricetag.
There are two pacemakers in the picture above. There's the typical clunky, stone shaped device with wires on the right -- and on the left, a device dwarfed even by a one-cent coin. This is the Medtronic wireless pacemaker, just revealed at TEDMED 2010, which can be implanted directly into your heart via catheter and permanently latch itself into flesh with tiny claws. Then, doctors can wirelessly monitor and even control the device from a nearby smartphone. Medtronic's working to make it even smaller still, and we're hoping to get more information soon. Welcome to the future, folks.
Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We'll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine. Dean admitted he's having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it's looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert, with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it's slated to look like this. The Slingshot's seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these sveltetubes, and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries in trials early next year.
Last but not least, the man's got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell -- a la Girl Scout cookies -- he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you're wondering, that's cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we've seen before. Dean says they've already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean.
We already knew that it was ready for testing, and Lockheed Martin has now announced that it has finally begun laboratory tests of its HULC robotic exoskeleton. The testing follows a number of improvements made to the exoskeleton that increased its reliability and performance, including some new environmental sealing that provides additional protection from natural elements and battlefield hazards, and some refinements to the HULC's form and fit that promise to let its wearer adapt to it in less time. While complete details on the testing itself is obviously a bit light, Lockheed Martin says that it will "validate the ruggedized system's capabilities and reliability in a variety of simulated battlefield conditions" -- think Laser Tag with robot legs (at least we will). Head past the break for the full press release, and look for the next milestone to happen sometime next year, when it's expected to see some actual use in the field.
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Lockheed Martin Conducts Validation Testing on the Advanced Ruggedized HULC™ Robotic Exoskeleton
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently began laboratory testing of an improved next-generation design of its HULC™ advanced robotic exoskeleton. The testing brings HULC a step closer to readiness to support troops on the ground and others who must carry heavy loads.
HULC is an untethered, battery powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton capable of performing deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion. It is designed to transfer the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the robotic legs of the lower-body exoskeleton, taking the weight off of the operator. An advanced onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the operator.
The ruggedized HULC system incorporates multiple design changes to increase reliability and performance in operational environments. New environmental sealing and packaging give the system's electronics increased protection from natural elements and battlefield hazards. Lockheed Martin also leveraged commonly-used, military-standard rechargeable batteries to increase operational run time.
The testing now under way will validate the ruggedized system's capabilities and reliability in a variety of simulated battlefield conditions. "Each of Lockheed Martin's enhancements to the ruggedized HULC design was carefully planned to maintain peak system performance and alleviate physical burdens that can hinder the user's mission success," said Rich Russell, director of Sensors, Data Links and Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The design improvements we implemented on the ruggedized exoskeleton prove our commitment to providing the Warfighter with an innovative solution that improves endurance and reduces the risk of injury."
Lockheed Martin further refined the HULC's form and fit, allowing the operator to adapt to the exoskeleton in less time. The ruggedized structure allows for rapid, repeatable adjustments to the torso and thigh length, without special tools, to better suit a wider variety of users. It also conforms to the body and incorporates lumbar padding for comfort and support. Additionally, the upgraded HULC features improved control software to better track the user's movements.
Biomechanical, dynamic load and environmental verification evaluations of the ruggedized HULC are under way. Treadmill testing will measure anticipated decreases in metabolic cost as the HULC assists the user with heavy loads. Sand, wind, rain, temperature and humidity testing will replicate harsh environments and verify combat durability.
HULC is one of several technologies that Lockheed Martin is developing to support ground Soldiers. Lockheed Martin is a total systems solution provider to the military, including wearable situational awareness, a broad range of mobility assistance systems and power management systems. Lockheed Martin is also exploring exoskeleton designs to support industrial and medical applications.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 133,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.0 billion.
Yes, true: T-Mobile announced last week by way of Twitter that it would be retailing the HD7 on November 8th -- the same day as AT&T's Samsung Focus and HTC Surround -- for $199.99 on contract. Thing is, it turns out that AmazonWireless is going to be selling it for $169.99 on contract... which, by our calculations, is $30 less for the same product! Obviously, it's the norm for retailers like Amazon and Wirefly to charge less for phones on new two-year deals than their first-party counterparts -- but what's notable here is that Amazon will be undercutting T-Mobile by a nice little margin on day one. Well, at least we think it'll be day one; the site quotes "usually 1 to 3 weeks" for shipping, which should match up with the drop date, give or take.
[Thanks, Collin W.]
Update: Newegg (via seller Simplexity) has 'em for $150... so yeah, needless to say, looks like there'll be no shortage of ways to get this thing for less than the $200 T-Mobile wants. Thanks, Matt!
Aperion Audio's Home Audio Link is already enabling content speaker owners to enjoy the spoils of wireless, but if you're in the market for a set of bookshelf speakers, the outfit's Zona system might just fit the bill. Essentially, these monitors combine high-end audio fidelity with the aforementioned 2.4GHz wireless technology, allowing owners to plug a transceiver into a USB source up to 150 feet away and shoot all sorts of sine waves over to their two speakers. Of course, we wouldn't recommend these to casual listeners given the $499 asking price, but at least that gets you a pair of 20-watt Class D amplifiers, 4.5-inch woven fiberglass woofers, 1-inch soft dome silk tweeters and a feeling of pride that simply cannot be described in mere words. Or so we're told.
Aperion Untethers Your Home Theater with the Innovative Zona™ Wireless Surround Speaker System
Audiophile-grade surround sound system wirelessly expands your home theater, allowing you to reach previously unreachable speaker locations Via USB port, Zona can also double as a high-end wireless solution for music stored on your computer
Portland, Oregon – (October 29, 2010) – Aperion Audio, a direct-to-consumer maker of award-winning home theater speaker systems, is pleased to announce the Aperion Zona Wireless Surround System. Using a compact wireless transmitter and two powered bookshelf speakers with tuned ports and built-in receivers, the Zona system allows access to speaker locations you never thought possible. Zona speakers require a simple power outlet and that's it, no setup and no running wires. Place the speakers where you want, plug them into a power outlet, plug the transmitter into the audio source, and instantly play high-fidelity sound streamed wirelessly. Currently available for $499 at www.AperionAudio.com, the Zona Wireless Surround System is shipping now.
A common problem in home theater systems is wire clutter and setup. "Nobody likes wires snaking throughout their home," says Aperion Audio's Home Theater Guru Jason Hicks. "When speaking with our customers we found that many leave surround or rear speakers unconnected because they couldn't find a simple or neat way to run the wires. Most other wireless solutions on the market suffer from poor fidelity, complex setup, and an unreliable connection." Zona solves all those problems with a self-contained, high-end wireless system that lets home theater enthusiasts add surround sound wherever they want.
Aperion crafted Zona's speakers to work aesthetically and sonically with most home theater systems. The compact transmitter connects to surround pre-out jacks of an AVR or DVD player and the two speakers link automatically when plugged in. Once connected, the system produces uncompressed 16 bit/48 kHz CD-quality audio. Zona can also double as a high-end wireless solution for music stored on your computer or virtually any audio source. Using the USB port you can send audio to speakers located up to 150 feet away.
Aperion Zona Wireless Surround Speaker System
Features: • Wireless receiver built-in to each speaker • Uncompressed 16 bit/48 kHz, CD quality audio • 2- Two-way powered speakers with tuned port for enhanced bass • Wireless range up to 150 feet; up to 300 feet line of sight • Automatic system linking, three selectable channels • USB 2.0 Plug and Play Interface • External power supply per speaker • Connect multiple Zona speakers to a single Zona transmitter Specifications: • 2 x 20W digital Class D Amplifier with DSP per speaker • 2-way design in solid MDF cabinet with tuned port • 1" soft dome silk tweeter • 4.5" woven fiberglass woofer • Frequency range: 55 Hz to 20 kHz • 18ms Latency • 2.4 GHz wireless band • Dimensions: 9.9" H x 6" W x 6.3" D
Ed de la Fuente, VP of Marketing at Aperion, is excited to finally provide a reliable, audiophile worthy option to complete you're home theater speaker system. "Too many home theater enthusiasts miss out on the full surround sound experience. If you don't have the time, the skill or space to run wires, the Zona system makes it easy to remove the clutter and get the high-end audio setup you've always wanted."
Pricing, Availability and Warranty: The Aperion Zona Wireless Surround Speaker System (two speakers, one transmitter) is priced at $499. The One (1)-year limited warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship.
About Aperion Audio: AperionAudio.com Based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Aperion Audio focuses on ensuring customers enjoy a lifetime of great sound. As a direct-to-consumer maker of award-winning audio products for home theaters, Aperion was first in the industry to offer the Totally Risk-Free 30-Day In-Home Audition™. The company's primary storefront, AperionAudio.com, is a fun and informative home audio shopping destination backed by "Home Theater Gurus," who provide generous support both before and after purchase. At Aperion Audio, everyone from newbies to audiophiles can get the help they need to research and select an exceptional home theater speaker system or upgrade for their home audio environment. For more information, visit or call 888-880-8992.
With meetups and Engadget Shows and all the high fashion model parties we've been hanging out at lately, it's been two whole weeks since we had a podcast. So, let's make up for lost time, shall we? Hit up the chat and the stream after the break.
P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.
Update: It's over! Thanks for listening, and if you missed the live stream be sure to watch for the download tomorrow.
Our friends at Joystiq are reporting that receiving an early Kinect unit or a Kinect title is cause for caution and adult supervision, not celebration. Turns out if you attempt to play the game, the Xbox will offer you an update, and if you accept, you'll get pushed an early version of the new Dashboard that not only won't work with Kinect, but also won't let you sign into Xbox Live. Want to update again or revert? Sorry, smart guy, you're stuck. Of course, Microsoft will no doubt be rescuing you on or before November 4th, when Kinect is officially released to the public and it has to push the new Dashboard to everyone, but until then you'll probably be stuck trying to remember what game consoles did before they connected to the internet. We vaguely recall something about gathering stars...
They may not be the highest-function watches you've ever seen, but Phosphor's line of timepieces can make a claim that virtually no other watches in the world can: they've got E Ink displays. Sure, Seiko's been teasing us all with gorgeous pieces of E Ink wrist candy for half a decade, but the critical thing about Phosphor's offerings is that they're easy on the wallet (relatively speaking) and you won't need to embark on a grueling multi-year journey through specialty jewelry shops in Asia to try to find one.
The company just recently introduced its latest line of models featuring world time capability, and we've had a chance to check them out -- all four of them, to be precise. Read on for our quick review!
If you remember our last Phosphor watch review, these new models should look very familiar -- and indeed, they're pretty much indistinguishable unless you look closely. The most notable change is the move of the control buttons to the front directly below the display. It actually looks like there's only one button here, but you can press on either side to trigger different actions, left for changing settings and right for changing view modes (more on these in a bit). On the reverse, a screw-in backing holds the battery tight; you've got 50 meters of claimed water resistance, though as is usually the case with watches, we'd be careful about over-using that capability, especially after changing the battery. The watch is available in four band styles, all of which are permanently affixed to the face: black or white rubber, black leather, and a handsome, heavy stainless steel option. The band style you choose determines the price -- rubber's cheapest, steel the most expensive -- but regardless, you'll get exactly the same metal face, so it's really just a matter of personal style. All four bands felt pretty solid and seem like they'd hold up well in the long term, though the black rubber and leather are virtually indistinguishable unless you're looking at it very closely; we might consider saving the $15 and going with rubber if black was the color we wanted. For our money, we liked the steel best -- it looks a good deal more expensive and luxurious than the other choices, and the added weight feels great on the wrist.
As functionality goes, the segmented display does a good job of clearly communicating date and time -- the most important functions for a watch, we'd argue -- but don't expect any added goodies or functionality. Were this an LCD watch, we think it'd probably be in the $30 to $50 range, so you're really paying for the E Ink here. Viewing modes include dual time, date and time, large time, small time, and a single time mode that lets you rapidly cycle through all the time zones with the left button (they're indicated at the top of the display by an abbreviated city name in that zone, a pretty common practice for digital world time watches). Changing modes requires a full flash of the display, just as with your Kindle or other e-reader; that's the nature of the E Ink beast, though it happens in a half second or so and probably won't annoy you too much. One neat bonus Phosphor has thrown in is the ability to invert any of the modes -- just hold down the left button for a second, and you switch from black-on-white to white-on-black. We're huge fans of the white-on-black just because it looks different -- turn that on with the white rubber band model and you've got a pretty stylish piece hanging off your wrist.
In strictly practical terms, it's hard to recommend Phosphor's watches -- but then again, practicality isn't really what these things are about. Instead, they've done a pretty admirable job of incorporating an extremely geeky feature (E Ink, that is) into a case and band combination that doesn't make you look like a geek. It's almost like you're having your cake and eating it too. And with this latest version, you can have your cake in 24 time zones.
We'll be giving away all four of these watches over the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Traditionally, cameraless versions of smartphones designed for high-security work environments have been the exclusive playground of Windows Mobile and BlackBerry -- the enterprise mobile platforms companies have rallied around the most over the past decade -- but Motorola's Droid Pro seeks to give Android some serious enterprise street cred for the first time thanks to that glorious portrait QWERTY keyboard. To that end, it makes sense that they'd want to release a second version sans camera -- and a new leak speaking of "the new Enterprise-focused DROID phone without a camera" suggests that's exactly what's happening. Our trusted source says they're "99 percent positive" that's what we're looking at here; not a product for everyone, of course, but if you work in the government lab where they keep all the alien corpses, you'll probably be thanking your lucky stars.
Microsoft just beat analyst expectations, announcing $16.20 billion in revenue for the first quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, with $5.41 billion in profit. Microsoft cites Office 2010, the sustained "PC refresh cycle," and 38 percent growth in the Xbox 360 biz for its good news, with overall revenue up 25 percent over the same quarter last year and a 51 percent gain in profit. The Xbox 360 has been at the top of the console heap for four months running, which can't hurt. Microsoft will have an earnings call to discuss its results at 5:30PM EDT, so we'll be keeping our ears peeled for Steve Ballmer to pull a Steve Jobs, hijack the call, and rag hard on the competition -- if only we lived in a world of such beautiful symmetry.
Blink, and you've probably missed it. Just four short months after we saw OCZ Technology's original RevoDrive reviewed (and subsequently adored), along comes revision two. The RevoDrive X2 PCI-Express SSD looks, feels and smells the same as the first, but the performance is obviously looking north. The unit we saw introduced at Computex was capable of hitting 540MB/sec, while the X2 pushes that to 740MB/sec and up to 120,000 IOPS -- "nearly triple the throughput of other high-end SATA-based solutions." Furthermore, this guy packs double the SandForce SF-1200 controllers (four versus two in the original), and it retains the onboard RAID 0 design that you've come to know and love. It's available as we speak in 100GB to 960GB capacities, but there's nary a mention of price; something tells us that you're probably not the target market if you have to ask.
OCZ TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES 'REVODRIVE X2,' A SECOND GENERATION, BOOTABLE PCI-EXPRESS SOLID STATE DRIVE FOR THE HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING MARKET
New PCIe SSD Product Delivers Both Faster Speed and Increased Capacity for High-Performance Computing Applications
SAN JOSE, CA-October 28, 2010-OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, announces the launch of The RevoDrive X2 PCI-Express SSD, a follow-up to the successful launch of the first RevoDrive, with increased performance and capacity to serve high-performance computing consumers. The RevoDrive X2 upgrades the original architecture to deliver unprecedented speed up to 740MB/s and up to 120,000 IOPS, nearly triple the throughput of other high-end SATA-based solutions with a substantial reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO) to the consumer. The product is available now through OCZ's global channel.
"The original OCZ RevoDrive SSD was designed to be the first high-performance, bootable PCIe SSD solution and has become a popular choice for demanding computing applications that require faster, more reliable storage," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology. "Building on the success of the original design, we are excited to introduce the RevoDrive X2, which delivers both increased performance and capacity, making the RevoDrive X2 a viable option for a wide spectrum of applications that include professional graphic design, multimedia rendering, and workstations. With our recently announced new state-of-the-art SSD manufacturing facility in Taiwan, OCZ will continue to be at the forefront of developing and deploying game-changing solid state storage solutions."
The RevoDrive family gets its edge by eliminating the SATA II (3Gbps) bottleneck and leveraging a PCIe x4 interface to exploit the full potential of current flash technology. Like the original RevoDrive, the X2 uses an onboard RAID 0 design, but it also employs four SandForce-1200 controllers versus two in the original to maximize data access and bandwidth. In addition to promoting a faster, more responsive PC experience, the RevoDrive X2 is bootable, unlike competing PCIe solutions, to ensure quicker start-ups and load times compared to mechanical hard drives, a major plus for workstation PCs. The RevoDrive X2 thrives in a wide range of computing environments including demanding database and server applications as well as multi-media creation and management. Available in 100GB to 960GB capacities, the OCZ RevoDrive X2 provides ample room for data warehousing, applications, multimedia files, and operating systems. Additionally, the X2 provides the superior durability, energy efficiency, and reliability of SSDs.
Did we say Verizon would dole out $90 million in credits? It seems we spoke too soon, because the US Government is taking its cut of the carrier's apology after charging for data that customers didn't actually use. Verizon says it's settled with the FCC for $25 million and will cut a check to the US Treasury, and put the remaining $52.8 million towards the bills of 15 million affected customers in the form of $2 to $6 credits each. Verizon's not taking any blame in the matter, mind you, as it says the original data charges were "inadvertent" and caused by software pre-loaded on some phones. Yet another reason to ditch the bloatware, we suppose. PR after the break.
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Verizon Wireless Settles Data Charge Issue in Agreement With FCC
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless works very hard to simplify the wireless experience for customers and to ensure that customer bills are accurate. Nonetheless, internal billing processes can be complex and, in this case, we made inadvertent billing mistakes. We accept responsibility for those errors, and apologize to our customers who received accidental data charges on their bills.
We are issuing credits and refunds on our own initiative and because it is the right thing to do for our customers. Fixing this for our customers has been our aim since last year, as we stated publicly at that time. In September 2009, months before the Federal Communications Commission first contacted us, we implemented a free 50 kilobyte allowance to limit further inadvertent charges.
In a settlement with the FCC, we have agreed to a voluntary payment of $25 million to the U.S. Treasury even though the inaccurate billing was inadvertent. The settlement acknowledges our prior announcement that we will reimburse about 15 million current and former customers who may have been mistakenly billed. The company will spend $52.8 million to reimburse those customers. We also will provide targeted information about data usage and tracking to new and existing customers, in both English and Spanish; establish a special internal team to track, identify and address customer data usage complaints; and provide additional training on data charge and credit issues to all of our customer-facing customer care employees.
We have already begun the process of repaying the 15 million customers for accidental past data charges that we discovered through our own investigation in response to customer inquiries. These inadvertent charges affect those customers who do not have data plans and choose to pay for data usage on a per megabyte basis. We are notifying eligible current and former customers that we are applying credits to their accounts or sending refunds in October and November. Current customers will be notified in upcoming bills; former customers will receive a letter and refund check in the mail. In most cases, these credits and refunds are in the $2 to $6 range; some will receive larger amounts. The rest of our customers, 77 million or roughly five out of six, are unaffected. We have taken steps to ensure this does not happen in the future.
By far the single largest problem, involving the vast majority of credits, was caused by a very small data "acknowledgment" session sent by software pre-loaded on certain phones. For customers who did not have data plans and who were not otherwise using data features on their devices, this triggered a "pay as you go" charge of $1.99. We never intended to charge customers for this "acknowledgment" data session. In other cases, we accidentally charged customers for access to website links that were not supposed to trigger data charges. Once again, this affected only some of the customers who did not have data plans, and who were not otherwise intentionally using the data features on their devices.
We have put in place additional improvements to resolve issues that caused these accidental charges. We are changing software on future devices to remove acknowledgments and prevent them from triggering the small data "acknowledgment" sessions. Other steps involve enhancing internal controls on website links that should be free to access, as well as additional software improvements.
We are a company that listens to its customers and in this case we got to the bottom of a problem and resolved the errors. We have taken this action because it is the right thing to do. We value our customers and their trust in us, and we do everything in our power every day to earn and keep that trust.
We're guessing that most Wolfpackers in the greater Raleigh area are in full-on tailgate mode right now, but aside from laying a beating on the Seminoles this evening, NC State faithful are also trumpeting a new DNA discovery that could one day make it easy to get vital drugs to hard-to-reach places within you. Researchers from the university have purportedly discovered the 'Goldilocks' of DNA self-assembly, which holds promise for technologies ranging from drug delivery to molecular sensors. The concept, known as DNA-assisted self-assembly, has been vastly improved by using "computer simulations of DNA strands to identify the optimal length of a DNA strand for self-assembly." You see, perfection occurs when strands aren't long enough to intertwine with each other, yet not short enough to simply fold over on each other. We know, it's a lot to wrap your brain around with half a hot dog shoved in your mouth, but hit the video after the break for a... shall we say, more visual explanation.
When the dream factory that is Northrop Grumman needed to up the "wow factor" at its Association of the U.S. Army's Washington conference booth, it did what plenty of CES exhibitors wished they could do: it weaponized. Hence, the deadliest CaMEL yet. The acronym stands for Carry-all Mechanized Equipment Landrover -- think of the BigDog robot, but with treads instead of legs. The motorized platform will hump up to 1,200 pounds of gear at seven miles per hour, and as Spencer Ackerman at Wired points out, over sixty of them have been sold to the Israeli military. But the above pictured CaMEL is the only one floating around with armaments: in this case, a .50-caliber M2 machine gun. The gun is fired remotely, via touchscreen controls, and the platform itself could support any number of weapons including the M249, the MK19 grenade launcher, or 30mm cannon. Which kind of proves a pet theory of ours: if you build it, eventually someone will mount a gun on it.
Allow us to clarify, the colors are "fresh" as in "new," not as in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Don't get us wrong, though: white almost always looks fresh (in the Fresh Prince sense) on a phone, and the Torch seems to be no exception -- partly thanks to the matching white keyboard. As expected, it'll be coming in red and white and will be available on November 7 (a day before the HTC Surround and Samsung Focus, interestingly) at the same time as a sweet new promotion that'll allow folks to buy any two accessories from AT&T and get a third one of equal or lesser value for free. Don't violate any fire codes stuffing yourselves into your local stores, alright? Follow the break for the press release.
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AT&T Spreads Good Cheer This Holiday Shopping Season With New Red & White Blackberry Torch 9800 Options
Other Items on Customers' Holiday Hot Lists include Windows Phones, Wireless Accessories, Netbooks, and U-verse TV
DALLAS, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
Key Facts
* BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 available in red and white on Nov. 7. * New Windows Phone 7 devices from HTC and Samsung will be available in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide and online for $199.99 on Nov. 8 with the LG Quantum arriving in the following days. * Lineup of netbooks and notebooks available now with AT&T's pay-as-you-go data service. * Beginning Nov. 7, customers can purchase any two accessories and receive a third one free. * Customers that purchase a qualifying U-verse bundle at AT&T stores can, with an agreement to a two-year term, receive an instant $250 in-store credit to use toward a new smartphone, other AT&T wireless device or accessory(s) - starting in select cities Nov. 7.
Smartphones
AT&T* today announced the exclusive availability of new red and white versions of the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone – just in time for the holiday shopping season. With the arrival of three Windows Phone 7 devices in November, hot accessories, and special deals and holiday apps for AT&T U-verse® TV, AT&T is sure to have something for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Adding to the appeal of the best BlackBerry® ever, AT&T will offer two new red and white color variants for the BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800, both exclusive to AT&T customers and in stores beginning November 7.
In addition, new Windows Phones from HTC, LG and Samsung, based on Windows Phone 7, will be available in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide and online for $199.99. The Samsung Focus™ and HTC Surround will be available on November 8 and the LG Quantum will be available in the following days.
Netbooks and Notebooks
Holiday shoppers can also check out AT&T's full lineup of netbooks and notebooks available online through AT&T's new Mobile Broadband Center. The latest devices include the Acer Aspire AS1830 Notebook and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD netbook which are also available at AT&T's more than 2,200 company-owned retail stores. As an added value, AT&T offers the AT&T DataConnect Pass – the pay-as-you-need it data service that does not require a long-term contract to access the nation's fastest mobile broadband network.
Accessories
Shoppers who are nervous about making mobile phone purchasing decisions for others can pick up the perfect stocking stuffers and maybe even earn a holiday treat for themselves. Beginning Nov. 7 through the end of the holiday shopping season, customers can purchase any two accessories and receive a third one of equal or lesser value for free. From new options like an iHome Mini Stereo Speaker System to limited edition holiday skins on cases from ZAGG, AT&T accessories are sure to be a featured item in stockings everywhere.
AT&T U-verse
This holiday season, U-verse TV families can visit the North Pole and follow Santa around the globe with the return of the popular Santa Tracker app on channel 98. U-verse TV customers can play holiday games, vote in the "Naughty or Nice" poll, play sing-a-longs and read-a-longs for popular holiday music and stories, listen to holiday songs on "Reindeer Radio," and on Christmas Eve, they can watch real-time reports from the Santa News Network to see if Santa has left the North Pole and can track his sleigh as he travels around the globe. The app will be available at no extra cost to all AT&T U-verse TV customers with an AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet account.
Beginning Nov. 7, customers that purchase a qualifying U-verse bundle in company-owned retail locations can, with an agreement to a two-year term, receive an instant $250 in-store credit to use toward a new smartphone, other AT&T wireless device or accessory(s). The offer will be available initially in Houston, Chicago, Hartford, Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami, and expanded to all U-verse markets in time for the holidays.
With U-verse Choice bundles, new U-verse TV customers benefit from significant monthly savings for one year. AT&T U-verse Choice bundles let customers, with a one year term commitment, choose U-verse TV, U-verse High Speed Internet, and either U-verse Voice or AT&T wireless - with DVR service and premium features included and a one-year price guarantee.
For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit the AT&T website. To locate the closest AT&T store, customers can visit our store locator. Additional information on the customer experience and service support is available online at About AT&T.
Motorola Earpiece Houston Anker Wireless, Inc. is leading the industry in two-way radio rentals across the country. Communication can make or break any event. We have the experience and inventory to help with any rentals you may need. Our fleet includes digital two-way radios, repeater service, nationwide Nextel cellular walkie talkies, iphones, androids, wireless internet, computers, laptops, & more!
Bummer. Just a few short days after PlayOn support was apparently added to Roku's stable of set-top boxes, it looks as if the fun has come to an abrupt halt. Based on quotes from both PlayOn and Roku staff members, it sounds like the PlayOn channel will no longer work on those who try to get it installed, but those who managed to slip in early may be in the clear. Jim, a PlayOn staffer, stated that his company was "contacted today by Roku and told that they were going to disallow this channel," and because neither the Roku channel developer nor Roku "are affiliated with PlayOn, [they] have no control over the situation." On the Roku side, one Patrick has confirmed that "while... many of you are excited about a PlayOn-compatible Channel and may be using it, it unfortunately presents the possibility of legal exposure for us; as a result, the current PlayOn channels have been removed and are no longer available to add to your Roku player." If your bubble has just been popped in the worst possible way, we'd probably start looking into that 30-day return policy -- for you early birds, is PlayOn still working on your Roku box? Hit us up in comments below.
There isn't much to say here, so let's just get on with the facts: Intel, Samsung, and Toshiba are joining forces and pooling R&D efforts in a consortium funded in part by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (an expected 50 percent, or 5 billion yen / US $62 million) and the rest from the members. The goal? Semiconductor chips nearing 10nm by 2016. Ten more companies are expected to be invited once things get sorted out, so major chip-related corporations, please keep checking your mailboxes daily.
Do you have The Need? For Speed? Yeah, so do we, and it just so happens that LaCie does as well. Just weeks after the company properly introduced the "now shipping" status on its d2 USB 3.0 and 2big USB 3.0 drives, it has now expanded the options with a 6TB model. So far as we can tell, it looks as if the outfit placed a rather sizable order for those 3TB HDDs that were just unleashed by Western Digital, and it has tuned up the performance all the while. The 2big has reached 306MB/sec in the lab, representing a 20 percent speed boost over the prior models while making it "the fastest 2-bay RAID solution on the market." As for the d2? It can hum along at 156MB/sec with the inclusion of a 3TB hard drive. Both units are slated to hit retail next month, but asking prices are being kept under wraps for now. 
Yes, true: T-Mobile announced last week by way of Twitter that it would be retailing the HD7 on November 8th -- the same day as AT&T's Samsung Focus and HTC Surround -- for $199.99 on contract. Thing is, it turns out that AmazonWireless is going to be selling it for $169.99 on contract... which, by our calculations, is $30 less for the same product! Obviously, it's the norm for retailers like Amazon and Wirefly to charge less for phones on new two-year deals than their first-party counterparts -- but what's notable here is that Amazon will be undercutting T-Mobile by a nice little margin on day one. Well, at least we think it'll be day one; the site quotes "usually 1 to 3 weeks" for shipping, which should match up with the drop date, give or take.
Aperion Audio's Home Audio Link is already enabling content speaker owners to enjoy the spoils of wireless, but if you're in the market for a set of bookshelf speakers, the outfit's Zona system might just fit the bill. Essentially, these monitors combine high-end audio fidelity with the aforementioned 2.4GHz wireless technology, allowing owners to plug a transceiver into a USB source up to 150 feet away and shoot all sorts of sine waves over to their two speakers. Of course, we wouldn't recommend these to casual listeners given the $499 asking price, but at least that gets you a pair of 20-watt Class D amplifiers, 4.5-inch woven fiberglass woofers, 1-inch soft dome silk tweeters and a feeling of pride that simply cannot be described in mere words. Or so we're told. 
Motorola Earpiece Houston
ReplyDeleteAnker Wireless, Inc. is leading the industry in two-way radio rentals across the country. Communication can make or break any event. We have the experience and inventory to help with any rentals you may need. Our fleet includes digital two-way radios, repeater service, nationwide Nextel cellular walkie talkies, iphones, androids, wireless internet, computers, laptops, & more!