Sprint and Clearwire have characterized LTE as complimentary to WiMAX time and again, but if that doesn't allay your suspicions of turncoat tactics in the wireless data space, take it from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's lips. "Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!" he told GigaOM, adding that LTE isn't necessarily on Sprint's roadmap. Quizzed about WiMAX partner Clearwire's LTE trials, however, he dropped a very intriguing hint about the possible shape of phones to come: "We have so much spectrum that we decided to do tests so in case we have multi-modal phones with other air interfaces, we can add LTE on top of WiMAX and run both networks," he told the publication. Dual-mode WiMAX / LTE smartphone, anyone?
Best Engadget Podcast Ever? Worst Engadget Podcast Ever? Is there really even a difference anymore? Only to the discerning Engadget Podcast Listener / Bingo player. Test your aptitude with this week's edition of The Engadget Podcast!!!!!!!!!!
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Producer:Trent Wolbe Music: Stan
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Facebook's made no official push into the smartphone universe -- to date, we've been left using various mobile apps to connect with J. Timberlake, Marky Z. and the rest of the crew, but it looks as if the preeminent social networking site of our generation (ahem) is just about ready to clear the air on at least one issue. The invite above recently landed in our inbox, requesting our presence at "a mobile event at Facebook HQ" in Palo Alto, California. Naturally, we'll be on hand from NorCal bringing you the blow-by-blow, and we're interested to know what you think will be on deck. Will we finally see the Facebook phone that it quickly shot down? The Nexus Two with a borderline-criminal amount of Facebook integration? The resurgence of using pastel colored tin cans to connect Jane and Joe? Whatever the case, we're sure It's Complicated.
We've been toying with a Palm Pre 2 for a few weeks now, but given that it's not "final hardware," we can't exactly make any firm judgments on the unit itself. Tim Pettitt, product manager for HP Palm, can. In speaking with MarkGuim.tv (and slyly handling a Verizon Pre 2), he not only confirmed that the company was relying on a layer of the famed Gorilla Glass to keep the front as scratch-resistant as possible, but also that the five megapixel camera is capable of capturing a shot every second. More importantly, however, he made clear that it wouldn't be just the developers nabbing an unlocked GSM Pre 2. According to Tim, that very handset will be "available direct from HP.com," though he stopped short of saying whether it would support T-Mobile's AWS 3G band. For AT&T loyalists, however, we're guessing this may be the best way to nab webOS on the network that's still rethinking possible.
There's a good chance this 3D bandwagon may never stop rolling, so rather than maintaining that bitter beer face for yet another day, you may as well embrace the next dimension. Viewsonic's newest pocket camcorder just so happens to fit into that segment, as the 3DV5 is a 720p shooter with a 2.4-inch autosterescopic display, not dislike that found on Nintendo's 3DS. According to the company, there's a one-touch function to switch between 2D and 3D recording modes, and once they've logged the latter, they can either plug it directly into a 3D HDTV (via HDMI) or watch it on-screen without any 3D glasses. Users can also throw these up on YouTube's 3D channel if they'd rather rather with a set of anaglyph spectacles, but you'd probably budget for an SD card -- you know, considering that the 10MB of internal storage space won't exactly hold a masterpiece. Is this guy really worth £150 ($238)? Can you really live another day without the ability to create 3D content?
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ViewSonic launches new 3D 720p camcorder that helps anyone create their own 3D movies
28 October 2010, London, UK – To address the difficulty that many are facing in creating their own 3D content, ViewSonic has announced the launch of its easy-to-use 3D HD camcorder. With an estimated SRP of only £150, the ViewSonic 3DV5 makes it easy for anyone to record their own 3D movies and watch them back on their 3D-ready TV, monitor or projector.
The ViewSonic 3DV5 is simple to use, featuring a one-touch recording function and the ability to quickly switch between 2D and 3D recording modes. Once users have recorded their content, then they can either plug the camcorder into their computer via USB, or plug it directly into a 3D TV using the included HDMI cable. There is also the option to watch the content in 3D on the device, without the need for 3D glasses, thanks to the built-in 'autosterescopic' display. Videos can also be uploaded directly to YouTube's 3D channel and watched in 3D using the supplied 'anaglyph' glasses, even if using a standard 2D display.
"Everyone has watched 3D movies at the cinema, and lots of people are considering purchasing a 3D compatible display, whether a TV, monitor or projector. However, there is a lack of available 3D content, and people want to create 3D content that they will be able to watch for years to come," says James Coulson, European product marketing manager, ViewSonic. "The ViewSonic 3DV5 makes it easy for anyone to create future-proof, high quality 3D home movies and also shoot in standard 2D. As well as being easy to use, the camcorder is also excellent value for money, and will make a great gift this Christmas."
The ViewSonic 3DV5 features an autosterescopic 2.4" screen, as well as a Li-Ion battery which can be charged via USB. The camcorder is able to film content in MP4 format at HD 720p resolution, and can also take still images. There is 10MB of internal memory, which can be increased using an SD card.
If there's a party, MSI's going. And if there's a bandwagon, MSI's onboard. It's with this knowledge firmly entrenched in our brains that we present the FR600 3D. If you'll recall, Intel actually tossed this name out awhile back when trumpeting its latest integrated graphics chipset, but now it's the proud papa's turn to make things official. This 15.6-incher is equipped with the expected 3D support, a Core i5 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, DVD SuperMulti drive, two USB 2.0 sockets, a 4-in-1 card reader and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. You'll also get 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet socket, inbuilt webcam and a six-cell Li-ion battery, not to mention a bundled set of 3D glasses to really get immersed in whatever it is you're doing. Per usual, the company's keeping quiet on the pricing and release front, but surely it'll be out by Christmastime. Surely.
It's taken quite awhile to go from christening to shipping, but Qi looks just about ready to make its mark on the public. And on Powermat's bottom line. We've known all along that Energizer was a huge proponent of the protocol, and now we're finding that review units are making their way out to the media. YouTube user akaTRENT seems to have gotten his earlier than most, and he's been so kind as to offer up an unboxing of the inductive charging station as well as a sleeve for the iPhone 4. We're planning on giving this same setup a whirl in due time, but if you're interested to see how this guy looks in the flesh, there's a play button with your name on it just beyond the break.
If it's a pocketable PowerShot and its name begins with 'G' you can be pretty sure it'll be a good performer, and Canon's latest is no exception. The $499 G12 is the sequential successor to the G11 and, as is typical for the range, it isn't a revolutionary leap forward. The G12 makes use of its predecessor's 10 megapixel sensor situated behind the same 5x zoom lens and offering the same suite of full manual controls. New this year is a 720p24 video recording mode with stereo mics, finally bringing this camera into the HD age -- but sadly doing so without use of that zoom. Also new is an HDR mode, stitching together three photos to make those vampires hiding in the shadows really pop. According to Photography Blog those improvements plus a few other niceties make this a particularly solid compact, even if its chunky dimensions as ever push the definition of that term.
You've already told us (and the world, we might add) how you'd change just about every other Droid phone out there, so why not? Motorola's Droid 2 has been in the hands of loyal can-doers for a few months now, giving the user base plenty of time to nitpick and stew about things that aren't... quite... right. We had a few bones to pick with the handset during our August review, but as the regulars know, this space isn't about rekindling old flames. It's about you telling us how you'd change things if given the lead design position on this here phone. Would you have upgraded the camera? Changed the slide? Tweaked the Android build? Offered it on another carrier? Hit us with your best shot in comments below.
We felt that Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was a product that would be perpetually evaluated, tweaked and overhauled as time went on, and sure enough, we're already seeing those winds of change blow yonder. Reportedly, Microsoft has now removed the restriction that prevented developers from writing applications that would continue to operate behind a locked screen (without a user's explicit permission, anyway), enabling a whole host of apps to breathe in a manner in which they simply should. Audio apps, for example, will now be able to run in the background without yet another layer of pointless Vista-esque permissions, and Microsoft's Charlie Kindel said in an interview at its Professional Developer Conference that this move "is an example of us continuing to listen to customers." Frankly, it's just more fair -- Microsoft's own ingrained applications could already do this sans user permission (email, Zune playback, downloads, etc.), so it makes sense to give loyal developers that same opportunity. Of course, devs will have to prove that background apps won't burn up an absurd amount of battery life, but that's definitely not an unexpected qualification.
Well, wouldn't you know it? Seems that tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign may actually be working. Way back in April of this year, Sprint decided it would begin offering its own iPad case, despite the fact that even today the iPad isn't sold in Sprint stores. The reason? It's the perfect opportunity to push the Overdrive, a 4G mobile hotspot that's able to take the iPad (and any other WiFi-enabled device) to 4G speeds where available. In a recent interview with GigaOM, the carrier's CEO (Dan Hesse) confirmed that most iPads being sold are of the WiFi variety, and due to that, "the company has seen an uptick in demand for its Overdrive (3G/4G) wireless-hotspot device, as people use it to connect their iPads to the Internet when on the go." He failed to exaggerate on actual numbers, but it's obvious he's in favor of Apple's darling tablet selling like hotcakes -- after all, how else are you going to get an iDevice into 4G territory?
With Steorn's track record, you'd think that the company wouldn't be in such a hurry to put its "free energy" technology under a microscope. Then again, maybe once it has your €399 (roughly $550) your thoughts on the subject really aren't that important anyways. Regardless, we're a wee bit skeptical of anyone who claims to have made a miraculous scientific breakthrough, refuses to explain said scientific breakthrough, and then asks you to cut them a check. But maybe you're a more trustworthy type: In that case, to build an Orbo device for yourself and access to the Steorn Knowledge Development Base, hit the source link. But don't say we didn't warn you.
Sure, different color options and various designer patterns are all well and good, but what gadgets really need more of is moustaches. Thankfully, Flip has now stepped in to fill that void with no less than eleven different moustache designs for the month of Movember. Available on the Flip UltraHD, MinoHD and SlideHD (and in various capacities), the moustachio'd offerings include handsome options like The Professor and The Auteur (pictured above) and, best of all, Flip will donate $10 from each purchase to the Movember Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for men's health. Hit up the source link below to check out all the options available, and to place your order if you find one that suits your style.
Samsung Electronics Announces Third Quarter 2010 Results
Friday, October 29th, 2010
October 29, 2010 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced revenues of 40.23 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2010, a 12-percent increase year-on-year. The figure tops the previous record for quarterly revenue of 39.25 trillion won recorded in the fourth quarter of 2009.
For the quarter, the company posted record consolidated net income of 4.46 trillion won, a 17-percent increase year-on-year. Consolidated operating profit for the quarter was 4.86 trillion won.
Provisions for various patent-related expenses totaling 230 billion won were reflected to third quarter earnings. Without these provisions, operating profit would have been close to 5.1 trillion won.
In its earnings guidance disclosed on October 7, Samsung estimated third-quarter consolidated revenues would reach approximately 40 trillion won with an operating profit of 4.8 trillion won.
The company's increased profitability in the third quarter was driven by the strong performance of its Semiconductor Business, which recorded an operating profit of 3.42 trillion won. The Mobile Communications Business also achieved solid growth with profit supported by increased sales of flagship smartphones such as the Galaxy S.
"In the third quarter, Samsung faced a challenging business environment including declining demand for PCs and TVs, along with a continued economic slowdown in developed markets such as US and Europe," said Robert Yi, Vice President and head of Samsung Electronics' Investor Relations Team. "Despite this, we achieved strong revenue growth and profitability, which was built upon our cost competitiveness in memory semiconductors and increased sales of cutting-edge products such as our latest smartphones."
Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, year-end demand for TVs and mobile handsets will support continued sales growth. However, Samsung expects oversupply in the memory semiconductor market will lead to reduced pricing, while prices for LCD panel will continue to decline. The recent appreciation of the Korean won is also expected to put downward pressure on fourth quarter earnings.
Samsung also announced that total capital expenditures for the year through September 30 reached 15 trillion won, representing 83 percent of the total planned outlay of 18.2 trillion won for 2010. When including investment in subsidiaries such as Samsung Mobile Display, consolidated capex will reach 20 trillion won for the year.
Semiconductor Business Records Highest Ever Quarterly Earnings
Samsung's Semiconductor Business achieved record consolidated sales of 10.66 trillion won in the third quarter, with an operating profit of 3.42 trillion won, representing a profit margin of 32.1 percent.
The Memory Division accounted for 7.49 trillion won in revenue, a 60-percent increase year-on-year. In DRAM, cost competitiveness and strategic investments allowed Samsung to outperform the market, amid a decline in prices due to market oversupply. For NAND, strong demand for embedded products, especially for smartphones and tablet PCs, led to increased profitability.
The System LSI Division also achieved a significant improvement in both revenue and profit, driven by strong demand for mobile application processors and CMOS Image Sensors.
For the fourth quarter, Samsung forecast continued oversupply in DRAM and weak PC demand will weigh on the market, while in NAND embedded product demand is expected to have a positive effect on profitability.
LCD Business Slow Over Weak Demand The LCD Business recorded an operating profit of 520 billion won on revenue of 8.10 trillion won. The operating profit margin declined to 6.5 percent due to a slump in demand, particularly in the United States and Europe.
Across the industry, large-size panel shipments fell quarter-on-quarter to 160 million units from 167 million, including both TV and IT panels. Average sales prices for notebook PC, monitor and TV panels all witnessed declines. For Samsung, total shipments increased slightly year-on-year and remained flat compared with the previous quarter. Performance was driven by sales of premium products including LED TVs panels due to year-end demand in developed markets. Demand for TV and monitor panels is expected to remain weak in the fourth quarter, although demand will pick up for notebook panels stimulated by growing tablet PC sales.
Samsung plans to focus on highly profitable premium products such as LED TV and 3D TV panels, and optimize product lines to respond to the market environment.
Samsung Mobile Handset Sales Up 12 Percent
The telecommunication businesses - including Mobile Communications and Telecommunication Networks - posted an operating profit of 1.13 trillion won on revenue of 11.12 trillion won. The operating profit margin was 10.2 percent.
In the Mobile Communications Business, Samsung sold 71.4 million handsets during the third quarter, an increase of 19 percent year-on-year, outperforming the industry. Average sales price also increased 14 percent quarter-on-quarter. The rollout of Samsung's flagship smartphones, Galaxy S and Wave, were the primary drivers of continued sales growth amid a global demand recovery.
Since its introduction in June, Galaxy S has been launched in 90 countries and has been selected by 210 carriers worldwide. Samsung projects sales of 10 million units by the end of 2010. The Samsung Wave, which operates on Samsung's open smartphone platform, bada, has also shipped more than two million units in 80 countries.
The quarter was also marked by the launch of Samsung's Android-powered Galaxy Tab, which will be available on 140 carriers globally including all four major service providers in the United States.
In the fourth quarter, Samsung aims to increase its market share and maintain double-digit operating profit by meeting seasonal demand with an enhanced product mix of mass market smartphones, full-touch phones and the Galaxy Tab.
Slow Economic Recovery Impacts Digital Media Businesses
Due to an increase in sales of TV and digital appliance products, Samsung's digital media businesses achieved 14.13 trillion won in revenue in the third quarter, a 10 percent increase year-on-year but a three percent decrease quarter-on-quarter.
The businesses - which include Visual Display, IT Solutions, Digital Appliances and Digital Imaging - recorded an operating loss of 230 billion won. This was attributed to reduced profitability in TVs and a loss for Digital Appliance products.
Flat panel TV shipments in the third quarter reached 9.07 million units, a 17-percent jump year-on-year. Sales of premium TVs such as LED and 3D-capable models decreased following the 2010 World Cup, due to weakening consumer confidence amid the slow economic recovery in the United States and Europe.
Samsung anticipates that the seasonal peak in the fourth quarter for TV sales will help sustain the growth trend in both developed and emerging markets. However, severe price competition is also expected. Samsung aims to grow the Smart TV market by providing local market-specific content and developing its reputation as a pioneer, just as the company has done in the LED TV and 3D TV markets.
In the Digital Appliance Business, Samsung achieved growth of 25 percent quarter-on-quarter, but increased costs and investments in production and sales infrastructure pushed the business into a deficit.
Samsung will continue to expand its distribution channels and global production sites while developing highly efficient and environmentally friendly products.
If you're interested in being an early adopter of Google TV, for now you can choose a separate passthrough box like the Logitech Revue or Sony's Blu-ray player, or plop the whole experience into the display with Sony's new Internet TV line. We spent some time with the Sony Internet TV NSX-32GT1, and we're a bit surprised to find that it could feature the best implementation of the Google TV experience of them all. But is that enough? After you've digested our impressions of the platform as a whole, check out our review of the Internet TV to find out.
Strictly as a display, the appearance of the Internet TV is different from most HDTVs on the market, with a white curved back and rather unique stand. Ultimately they're just aesthetic differences, though, and getting it set up wasn't terribly complicated, although the power cord's winding entrance into the back of the TV reduced its length to something slightly shorter than we were accustomed to. Despite packing the Google TV-standard 1.2GHz Intel processor, it's not noticeably deeper or heavier than a standard 32-inch LCD using CCFL backlighting, but relatively chunky compare to an edge-lit LED TV. We didn't pick up on any fan noise, and while there's some warmth at the upper left rear of the unit, we don't anticipate keeping things cool to be problem. As far as what you have to actually look at, the display performance is about average, with good colors and decent black levels. We didn't notice a lot of the bloom or uneven backlighting that can occur in edge-lit units, but negatives included relatively shallow horizontal viewing angles left and a very shiny, glossy, reflective finish. Even though it's a 60Hz display and not 120Hz like many newer TVs, we didn't notice any motion blur issues while watching sports or playing games. In general, the 32-inch Internet TV performs about where it's priced as a mid-range HDTV option, although it's frustrating that buyers who want more features in their HDTV -- faster displays, 3D -- can't get them from the Internet TV line.
Our Internet TV came equipped with four HDMI inputs, four USB ports, two IR blaster ports, optical audio out, integrated WiFi, and an Ethernet jack, plus a couple of elements unique to this hardware from other Google TV implementations: component ins and and coaxial cable jack with an integrated QAM tuner. One of the HDMI jacks includes HDMI 1.4's Audio Return Channel so you can pipe sound back down to a connected receiver while the integrated speakers continue the "adequate, not outstanding" theme. The included IR blaster used easily stuck onto our Comcast-provided DVR unit, but it's not intended to cover the input, so it simply hung over the top of the box, and performed its function adequately. Two of the HDMI jacks and all four USB ports are side mounted for easy access, along with a button for syncing the RF remote and a headphone jack. One notable quirk of this TV is the lack of hardware volume or input buttons on the unit itself. It's a minor omission, but that'll be missed when you can't locate the remote and a commercial starts blasting. The display settings app appears to be fully featured and integrated with Google TV -- it's accessible through the menu or through a function key shortcut on the control pad, and it also allows for the glowing "Sony" logo on the front to be disabled at will.
Oh and the remote, that many keyed monstrosity that has so been derided as 80s-ish, a Jaguar design reject, too complicated, too useless? It's actually pretty easy to get used to. One-handed or two-handed, it's light and well-balanced for a good feel in-hand, and features mostly familiar controls. We're still not in love with the optical trackpad at the upper right -- although we got better at using it to mouse around after a few days, we never got 100% accurate or experienced the level of responsiveness we'd like to see. As a universal remote controlling the cable box via IR blaster, it was still effective, however. The playback keys mapped naturally to the DVR and were very responsive, but we did find a few things that will probably prevent it from being your one and only remote on the living room table: jumping back to a previous channel was confusingly and unintuitively mapped to the Tab key, and while it was easy to use once we found it, there's no indication of what button does what during setup. We also were unable to find a way to replace certain functions of our cable TV remote, like paging up and down through the guide, so it's possible you'll need to keep that around for the time being. The keyboard itself had a quality, responsive feel and we were able to fly though text input when necessary. Unfortunately there's no support at this time for programmable or learning functions, so you're stuck with what it's capable of out of the box. There are no remote apps available currently, so we couldn't test out what control from a phone would be like.
Software
We found Sony's implementation of Google TV worked well, with a relatively easy setup process that anyone could walk through. The main adjustment we had to get used to was treating TV like any other app running on Android. Simply opening something else like Twitter or even Chrome instantly kills whatever you were watching, unless you had the presence of mind to take advantage of the Dual View button on the remote first to put things in picture-in-picture. It's a decidedly different approach to other smart TV platforms like Yahoo! Widgets that are designed to function as a sidebar to whatever is on, and right now, we're not seeing it as a better one. When we're watching TV, we want to keep watching TV until we say otherwise, and there's an extra step that gets in the way. Dual View should be the main selling feature of the Google TV experience, and it's great to have running -- we pumped Yahoo's Flash page of live updating fantasy basketball scores while also watching several games in PiP -- but it's also where we found our biggest gripe. When you hit the button, while it may not be a shift in resolution, it definitely takes a second or so to kick in, during which you're treated to no sound or video at all. It's not the longest pause ever, but it's incredibly disconcerting and breaks up the TV watching experience. After that, the inability to resize or reposition the window are our next major gripes, as well as that apps don't recognize when it's there and may position critical UI elements in a suddenly inaccessible area of the screen.
The Internet TV is unique among Google TV devices in its ability to accept video over component input and also via coaxial cable, though in practice, they're largely the same experience as operating with an IR-controlled set-top box. After letting the QAM tuner find the available channels from our cable company, pressing the guide button launched the integrated Rovi EPG app that asked for our location and service provider before announcing it would download guide data while the TV was off. It integrated into the Google TV search platform just the same way, although the software didn't automatically find and tune to our HD channels, since they're on subchannels (NBC is channel 4, NBC HD is channel 4-1), so we had to find them ourselves. Otherwise, PiP and overlays worked exactly the same on those inputs and with the same responsiveness as HDMI.
Pulling in content from the launch set of apps was largely the same as any other Google TV product, while Sony included its Qriocity movie service and a "Sony Recommends" shortcut. The included media player streamed music, movies and pictures from shared folders on our Windows 7 PC through DLNA and UPnP, and also played back a few DVDRips from a USB stick, although we couldn't manage to switch between two different USB devices when we had them both plugged in. Otherwise it's as barebones as can be: it displays album art, and multitasking allows for it to play music and do a picture slideshow together, but don't expect to create or edit playlists within the app. The other apps are as noted in our original review: we probably enjoyed NBA's GameTime highlights the most, although the heavy compression tended to obscure player faces once they got moving. If you're looking at this as a cord cutting opportunity, as we mentioned in our platform review, it all depends on how much you enjoy the available Flash video sources.
Wrap-up
Whether or not Google TV is truly the future of the television watching experience remains to be seen, but Sony's Internet TV specifically does a good job of leveraging what's there with an existing TV experience and quelled many of our installation fears due to its simple setup process. Unfortunately, the platform's current drawbacks and the television's middling display specs make it a tough one to recommend even to early adopters. If connectivity, web access and the potential of Google TV speak to you, we can see it as a worthwhile purchase. At about a $100 premium over Sony's similarly spec'd EX600 HDTV it's not too expensive of a bet to make if you're already in the TV market, but the problem with buying on potential is that it leaves precious little wow factor for you rely on right away.
We've gotten our hands on some more images of the PlayStation Phone, and gleaned a few more juicy details about the handset. Firstly, as you can see in the photos, the model in question does indeed seem to be codenamed "Zeus" (as we reported on the 27th). Furthermore, the handset pictured is running Android 2.2, though apparently there are multiple devices out there with different versions on board (including at least one packed with Android 3.0). Based on what we know, there's little chance the phone will launch with Froyo -- but it's clear these have been worked on for some time with various versions of the OS.
The device appears to have an 8GB microSD card slotted, and at least 512MB of internal storage (though we're hoping it's the 1GB we've heard would be present). As you can see from the pictures in the gallery below, the device isn't exactly thin -- we surmise that the handset is around 17mm thick, or slightly thicker than HTC's Touch Pro 2 (and funnily enough, about the same as the PSPgo). From a design standpoint, the device seems to have more in common with BlackBerry handsets than previous Sony Ericsson phones; that smoky chrome bezel which surrounds the device is definitely giving us Torch flashbacks. As always, we're hard at work digging up more info on the phone (and potentially more images), but for now, just sit tight and enjoy the exclusive photos in the gallery below.
Though Verizon famously turned down the original iPhone before Apple ultimately signed a deal with AT&T, the company's outspoken CEO -- Ivan Seidenberg -- has been very careful over the past couple years to note that he'd love to eventually have an iPhone in his lineup. With Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam tapped to take over the top job next year, what'd be a better swan song for Seidenberg than to finally pull it off? Fortune's new profile of the longstanding chief exec and elder statesman is reporting in very matter-of-fact terms that a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 will be a reality on Verizon in "early 2011," lining up with most of the rumors the interwebs has been generating over the past few months.
The piece details the phone as the culmination of literally years of careful discussions between Seidenberg, McAdams, and Steve Jobs; Verizon's guys claim that Jobs acknowledged in late 2007 that the two companies had "missed something" by failing to partner up. The first visible fruit of those talks is the MiFi-bundled iPad that just launched, but that's clearly a minor stepping stone on the way to an actual handset. Fortune reports that Jobs has voiced his concerns over CDMA in the past and the fact that it doesn't work in nearly as many countries as GSM does, but the story goes on to say that the first model on Verizon's shelves "probably" won't be dual-mode and presumably won't have compatibility with the company's shiny new LTE network, either. If true, that'll make for an interesting battle for the spotlight in the first few months of 2011 as an EV-DO iPhone wages war with a number of LTE phones -- some of which look downright gorgeous -- and might put Verizon in the awkward position of having to heavily push two almost diametrically opposed handset and platform initiatives. Furthermore, it's hard to deny that a Verizon iPhone would stress the carrier's network in ways it's never been stressed before; they may be prepared for it, but there's no way of knowing until it all goes down and they get a sense for uptake and conquests from AT&T. Translation: McAdam looks to have a busy 2011 ahead of him as he transitions into the new office.
We can only assume that Stuart Hughes will eventually one-up it with a gold-plated, diamond-encrusted model of its own but, for the time being, it looks like this new CrystalRoc Galaxy Tab is the most "exclusive" Android tablet around. While there's no word on a price (we assume it's on a need to know basis), CrystalRoc does proudly boast that the tablet packs 5,700 Swarosvski bright crystals, not to mention a custom logo to match. Head on past the break for a quick video, and look for this one to show up exclusively at Harrods in London on Monday, November 1st.
Scientists in Israel have developed a transparent material with "the hardest organic nanostructure known to man," according to Discovery News. Based on artificial proteins similar to (and simpler than) the beta-amlyoid proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, and covered with transparent nanospheres, the new material is very, very strong: in order to cut it, a diamond-tipped probe would have to apply twice the pressure it would take to cut Kevlar. Researchers see it being used for anything from bulletproof armor to reinforced steel -- but don't throw out your old body armor yet! It could be years (if not decades) before this comes to market.
It may not be quite the same obvious transition that Netflix made, but it looks like DVD kiosk company Redbox will soon be making a push of its own into the streaming business. That word comes straight from the CEO of parent company Coinstar, Paul Davis, who told listeners to the company's recent earnings call that it is in "detailed negotiations with a number of highly interested parties" to launch a "Redbox-branded" streaming service sometime next year. That would seem to suggest that Redbox will be relying on a partner already established in the field rather than rolling its own service, but Davis was otherwise light on details, adding only that streaming represents a "significant opportunity" for the company. That doesn't mean Redbox will be getting out of the kiosk business anytime soon, though -- according to Davis, there's still a "long, profitable life ahead" there.
Sprint and Clearwire have characterized LTE as complimentary to WiMAX time and again, but if that doesn't allay your suspicions of turncoat tactics in the wireless data space, take it from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's lips. "Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!" he told GigaOM, adding that LTE isn't necessarily on Sprint's roadmap. Quizzed about WiMAX partner Clearwire's LTE trials, however, he dropped a very intriguing hint about the possible shape of phones to come: "We have so much spectrum that we decided to do tests so in case we have multi-modal phones with other air interfaces, we can add LTE on top of WiMAX and run both networks," he told the publication. Dual-mode WiMAX / LTE smartphone, anyone?
We've been toying with a Palm Pre 2 for a few weeks now, but given that it's not "final hardware," we can't exactly make any firm judgments on the unit itself. Tim Pettitt, product manager for HP Palm, can. In speaking with MarkGuim.tv (and slyly handling a Verizon Pre 2), he not only confirmed that the company was relying on a layer of the famed Gorilla Glass to keep the front as scratch-resistant as possible, but also that the five megapixel camera is capable of capturing a shot every second. More importantly, however, he made clear that it wouldn't be just the developers nabbing an unlocked GSM Pre 2. According to Tim, that very handset will be "available direct from HP.com," though he stopped short of saying whether it would support T-Mobile's AWS 3G band. For AT&T loyalists, however, we're guessing this may be the best way to nab webOS on the network that's still rethinking possible.
There's a good chance this 3D bandwagon may never stop rolling, so rather than maintaining that bitter beer face for yet another day, you may as well embrace the next dimension. Viewsonic's newest pocket camcorder just so happens to fit into that segment, as the 3DV5 is a 720p shooter with a 2.4-inch autosterescopic display, not dislike that found on Nintendo's 3DS. According to the company, there's a one-touch function to switch between 2D and 3D recording modes, and once they've logged the latter, they can either plug it directly into a 3D HDTV (via HDMI) or watch it on-screen without any 3D glasses. Users can also throw these up on YouTube's 3D channel if they'd rather rather with a set of anaglyph spectacles, but you'd probably budget for an SD card -- you know, considering that the 10MB of internal storage space won't exactly hold a masterpiece. Is this guy really worth £150 ($238)? Can you really live another day without the ability to create 3D content? 
My, how a year changes things. Q3 2009 was a nightmare for mega-corps in terms of earnings, but things have definitely been on the up and up just 12 months later. After Sony pushed out a glowing quarterly report this morning, rival Samsung has done likewise. The company saw record breaking revenues of â‚©40.23 trillion ($35.8 billion) as well as profits (â‚©4.46 trillion; $3.96 billion) in this most recent quarter, with Sammy crediting strong semiconductor performance for the bulk of its newfound fortune. A tip of the hat was also given to its mobile communications business, with the outfit moving a staggering 71.4 million phones during Q3 2010 (a 19 percent boost year-over-year). Reports are noting that between five and seven million of those were of the Galaxy S variety, and it's hoping to sell ten million of 'em before the close of this year. All that said, the firm isn't expecting an equally rosy Q4, noting that a strengthening won and heightened price pressures around LCD panels and DRAM could put a damper on skyrocketing profits. So much for taking a day to celebrate, eh?
Though Verizon famously turned down the original iPhone before Apple ultimately signed a deal with AT&T, the company's outspoken CEO -- Ivan Seidenberg -- has been very careful over the past couple years to note that he'd love to eventually have an iPhone in his lineup. With Verizon Wireless boss Lowell McAdam tapped to take over the top job next year, what'd be a better swan song for Seidenberg than to finally pull it off? Fortune's new profile of the longstanding chief exec and elder statesman is reporting in very matter-of-fact terms that a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 will be a reality on Verizon in "early 2011," lining up with most of the rumors the interwebs has been generating over the past few months.
Scientists in Israel have developed a transparent material with "the hardest organic nanostructure known to man," according to Discovery News. Based on artificial proteins similar to (and simpler than) the beta-amlyoid proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, and covered with transparent nanospheres, the new material is very, very strong: in order to cut it, a diamond-tipped probe would have to apply twice the pressure it would take to cut Kevlar. Researchers see it being used for anything from bulletproof armor to reinforced steel -- but don't throw out your old body armor yet! It could be years (if not decades) before this comes to market.
It may not be quite the same obvious transition that Netflix made, but it looks like DVD kiosk company Redbox will soon be making a push of its own into the streaming business. That word comes straight from the CEO of parent company Coinstar, Paul Davis, who told listeners to the company's recent earnings call that it is in "detailed negotiations with a number of highly interested parties" to launch a "Redbox-branded" streaming service sometime next year. That would seem to suggest that Redbox will be relying on a partner already established in the field rather than rolling its own service, but Davis was otherwise light on details, adding only that streaming represents a "significant opportunity" for the company. That doesn't mean Redbox will be getting out of the kiosk business anytime soon, though -- according to Davis, there's still a "long, profitable life ahead" there.
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