Pandigital may have not exactly hit a home run with its first Novel e-reader, but it looks like it might already be coming back for another try with a new model. That device recently hit the FCC with the model name PRD09TW, and it seems to be mostly identical in appearance to the current Pandigital Novel, with the notable exception of four buttons along the bottom. Unfortunately, there's no specs to be found, but it does appear to boast the same 7-inch screen size (here's hoping for capacitive this time around), and the test reports do at least reveal the presence of WiFi. What's more, as the folks at Wireless Goodness have noted, a 6-inch E Ink-based reader from Pandigital has also hit the FCC alongside this new Novel, although it's not clear if it's actually a new model or just an early version of the company's Novel Personal reader (the only different is a slight change in button placement). In fact, the same could be said of the PRD09TW, but the current Novel did already hit the FCC back in May.
Hello, trend. The Crux 360 is the third such device that we've seen in the past two months, and if we had to guess, we'd say it probably won't be the last. That said, it's easily the best looking of the bunch, and it's available to pre-order beginning today. For all intents and purposes, this case transforms your iPad into a netbook (at least, a netbook sans a bona fide operating system), but it's also capable of flipping back in order to become a kickstand. A Bluetooth keyboard is built right into the "lid," and if you're in need of little visual explanation, a video is waiting just after the break. $149 and she's yours... someday.
This, friends, is what happens when convergence is approached correctly. Rather than asking you to keep yet another remote in the hopper, one Phil Irey has crafted DVPRemote -- a lovely iOS app that enables your iPhone or iPod touch to act as your main control mechanism for any Roku set-top box. The app itself has been floating around in the App Store for a tick, but its the newly released version 2.0 that's really of interest. This build ushers in a completely overhauled user interface, and aside from providing the standard Roku shuffle controls, it actually goes above and beyond to make your night easier. There's full integration with Netflix to support automated Instant Queue navigation, full keyboard support for any screen that requires text entry, direct navigation to user-organizable Channels, toolbars for added channel functionality within Netflix and support for the new "Instant Replay", "Info", and "Back" buttons. Heck, it's even compatible with iOS 4's background operation protocol. Head on past the break for a hearty demonstration, and tap that iTunes link when you're ready to ditch Apple's own Remote App and part ways with $2.99.
Okay, we're no Snake Plissken, but let's just say that DC has become something of an interesting town lately, with mock-left and faux-right wing pundits holding giant rallies, political candidates being accused of witchcraft, and various other signs of the apocalypse happening every day. We were glad to make it out with both eyes and we were glad to be doing so in the car of the future that's finally a part of the present: Chevrolet's $41,000 Volt. It's actually (honestly) in proper production now, being delivered to select dealers soon, one of those production models given to us to drive from our great nation's capital to the cultural capital of the world: New York City. We easily managed it on a single tank of gas, but what kind of mileage did we get? You'll just have to read on to find out.
From the outside, the four Volts lined up sitting silently in the pissing down rain don't look much different than the car we spent a little bit of time with this spring. If you haven't seen a Volt yet, well, you should know it isn't a car that will turn heads, but neither is it a one that will sneer lips. It looks like a Chevy compact, from a distance easily mistaken for the company's other new little cruiser the Cruze. In terms of profile nothing stands out -- exactly the point on such an efficiency-minded auto: anything sticking out drags in the wind and drag is a cardinal sin of those who chant at the church of aerodynamics.
Ultimately the Volt is a better looking car going than coming, but get a little closer and the details start to come out.
So it's a boring shape, highlighted only by a very sharp cut-off on the rear that almost gives it the posterior profile of a Nissan GTR -- minus the iconic round lights. Ultimately the Volt is a better looking car going than coming, but get a little closer and the details start to come out. The mirrors are nicely sculpted and profiled, perched atop a subtle metal Volt badge. Headlights are taut and shapely, dissolving into the profile of the bumper without getting lost. The big chrome grille, though, is really the only thing that catches your eye from the front, and not necessarily in a good way.
Getting comfortable
The interior is, as they say, another story entirely. American car interiors have typically been considered the worst in the industry and over the years General Motors has had no small part in shaping that impression. Curious, then, that the Volt has a distinctive and dashing cabin that, despite the garish white center stack, is borderline classy -- if you don't get the one with neon green highlights on the door panels.
The prototype model we drove in the spring had an interior clearly cobbled together with wood, sticks, and bubblegum that looked nice and advanced and cool so long as you didn't have your index finger a half-inch too far to the left when shifting into P. Do so and you'd be quickly shifting back to D again and driving to ER where some kind doctor would hopefully sew that finger back on again. The new shifter is now smaller and unlikely to sever digits against the console when it tucks into park.
Dominating the dash is a mass of cool and creamy white plastic in the center console, peppered by capacitive buttons.
Dominating the dash is a mass of cool and creamy white plastic in the center console, peppered by capacitive buttons. These don't move when you touch them and are nigh-impossible to find by feel. Yes, they do work through gloves, at least the thin ones we tried, but to manage this feat their sensitivity has been boosted through the roof. Wafting a finger anywhere near one is enough to trigger it, which caused multiple accidental adjustments to the HVAC system while reaching for the 7-inch multi-function display perched atop.
On there you can get a real-time view of the flowing of energy from batteries or internal combustion engine to electric motor. It's way fancier than that found in the Prius (think PS3 splash screen to PS1 boot-up) but ultimately shows the same information. You can also get readouts on your personal driving efficiency, see how far you've made it on batteries alone, and interact with the navigation system.
For a factory nav unit the one in the Volt is quite good -- not flashy by any means, the interface is a bit clumsy, and the lady voice is bossy and weird as usual, but she's full of info. Lane closure up ahead? She'll let you know with plenty of time to get out of the way and then tell you just how much stop-and-go traffic you'll sit through thanks to all the schmucks who tried to merge a little later.
A second 7-inch display sits behind the steering wheel, presenting necessary information like speed and fuel tank capacity while also spitting out remaining range, battery charge, and of course telling you that you've left the blinker on -- easy to do here as its chime is awfully quiet. We have some concerns about using a panel like this to display vital car information, as when the temperature drops way south of zero your average LCD turns into a Technicolor dream show, but we're told it'll work just fine even in Fargo.
The top of the dash, where you might expect an expanse of cheap black plastic, is actually tastefully sculpted with grooves flowing outward into the door sills and back from there, a nice aesthetic touch that shows someone actually tried to do something interesting in here, and succeeded.
Front seats are leather-clad, heated, and comfortable, though they show their domestic heritage by being rather flat. They're also unfortunately fully manual and yes, we're sure that power ones would put a tiny hurting on the Volt's efficiency, but this is a $41k car we're talking about here. Throw us some electric controls. Rear seats, meanwhile, are nearly as good as the fronts, with plenty of legroom and plenty of comfort.
Other details include USB and 3.5mm inputs tucked away in the glove box as well as a 40GB entertainment system onto which you can copy tunes or directly from the FM... you know, so you can record that new song by that one girl you heard during the sad retrospective that rolled before the credits of that show you kind of like.
It's only when you're sitting in traffic that you really notice the engine's presence, droning and complaining occasionally as you wait for a light.
The sound system? Quite good. It's a Bose unit, and we'll let you have fun expressing your love/hate for the brand in comments, but here it delivers well-balanced sound that does a more than adequate job of filling the reasonably quiet cabin. In fact you can rarely hear the internal combustion engine at all when on the highway. It's only when you're sitting in traffic that you really notice its presence, droning and complaining occasionally as you wait for a light.
However, this does nothing to help pedestrians hear you coming, and instead of a constant murmuring noise like found on the Leaf GM engineers basically put a second horn mode on the Volt. Pull on the light stalk and the car lets out a string of unobtrusive chirps, useful when slaloming through a couple of texting jaywalkers but not contributing noise pollution the rest of the time.
The drive
If you wanted to obliterate any lingering fears about getting electrocuted while driving an electric car you'd choose a day like we had. It never got torrential, though, ranging from a drizzle to a sprinkle all day. The Volt's wipers and lights, we're happy to report, worked quite well. They were on for the entire 240 miles, which is perhaps why we only managed 27 miles on batteries before switching over to gas.
It's possible that's because we also made liberal use of the bum-sweatening seat warmers, or maybe it's because we weren't using Low gear enough on our trip out of DC. In your average slushbox shifting it into L just keeps the transmission from selecting high gear. Here it hugely boosts the regenerative braking effect so that as soon as you lift off the throttle the car quite rapidly turns inertia into tickle juice for the Li-Ion cells.
It's a little like driving a Formula One car with a high downforce package on, except not really the same at all, but it actually does result in boosted efficiency. With a little planning you can avoid using the mechanical brakes almost altogether.
Another new treat is Mountain mode, which we gluttonously sampled despite an unfortunate absence of steep inclines. Normally the internal combustion engine ticks over at around 1,500 or 2,000 RPM when charging the battery, running at maximum efficiency. In mountain mode it runs closer to 4,000 RPM, generating more power so that you can have the necessary juice to tackle any mountain (with a well-groomed access road) that dares cross your path. If you use Mountain mode while cruising the slab it'll just result in extra electricity going back into the pack, which isn't the end of the world.
And then there's Sport mode, which boosts the throttle response and turns the Volt into a respectably quick car. This naturally doesn't do your EV range any favors, but human commuters can't live on superior MPG figures alone. A little fun goes a long way. Similarly the car is quite handy on cloverleafs, with not exactly nimble but positive turn-in and handling that will have you grinning before the front tires start to push, even in the rain.
The Volt isn't a sports car by anyone's definition of the word but it's definitely more fun to drive than the Prius.
The Volt isn't a sports car by anyone's definition of the word but it's definitely more fun to drive than the Prius, and the brakes are generally better feeling as well. There's none of the mushiness in the Toyota, though it must be said the closer you get to the floor on the brake pedal the more vague the Volt's feedback becomes. Over bumps and seams between chunks of pavement the Volt is quiet and composed, no doubt relying on its considerable 3,800lb mass to help push those bumps back into place, but nevertheless not jarring your spine in the process.
That said, we certainly felt the Volt's final impact, the brutal one that broke its wheel just as we were entering the Lincoln Tunnel. A pothole swallowed the left-front and dinged the inner lip of the wheel just enough to set the integrated tire pressure monitors alight. Thankfully we made it through the tunnel, but had to break out the car's trunk-mounted inflation kit to limp the last mile to our downtown destination, milky white coagulant oozing onto the asphalt.
Mileage
Okay, so here's the big of information you've been waiting for: on the 239.7 mile trip from Washington DC to New York City we burned 6.1 gallons of gas. That's 38.8 MPG, a figure that's pretty good for a gas-powered economy car but, for a $41,000 car that's supposed to make the world a better place for our children... well, it's a little unimpressive to say the least.
This kind of trip is basically an example of what the Volt can do, not what it should do.
However, before you dismiss the thing altogether you must keep in mind that the trip we took was a worst-case scenario: a one-way trip that was well past the thing's initial EV range. If this is what your daily commute looks like this is certainly not the car for you. This kind of trip is basically an example of what the Volt can do, not what it should do. This is an EV you can fill up with gas, drive a couple-hours up to your in-laws on the weekend like a normal car, charge it up when you get home, and then go back to commuting gasoline free -- assuming that commute is a less than a 30 mile round trip.
Wrap-up
If that sub-30 mile trip matches your driving pattern, and we're guessing it does for many of you, the Volt is an interesting proposition. It's comfortable to think that you could have a gasoline-free daily driver you can still load up and take into the country on the weekends.
But, clearly if you have a need to go farther than 30 miles between charges on a regular basis the Volt makes no sense. A standard economy car will save you tens of thousands of dollars up front and deliver better mileage in the long-run. Need something a bit more overtly environmentalist? Next year's plug-in Prius we just tested will surely be cheaper, does 15 miles on a charge, delivers 60ish MPG over the rest of your trip, and can still coddle your inner environmentalist.
Or, you could just buy a $16,000, 40mpg Ford Fiesta, put a plant on the dash, and donate the difference to charity.
Update: A lot of people are wondering in comments why this route was chosen when it clearly did not make best use of the Volt's Li-Ion assets, and the simple answer is that it wasn't our choice. We'd hoped to test a Volt over a couple of days of mixed driving conditions, but were told that wasn't possible, and this opportunity was given to us as an alternative.
[Thanks to GM's Larry Wilson for acting as an impromptu cameraman during the trip]
T-Mobile USA has been an oft-rumored darkhorse to help kill off AT&T's iPhone exclusivity in the country -- and for the life of us, we can't think of a good reason that the carrier's corporate stores would be carrying iPhone charge / sync cables now other than in preparation for a launch. It's interesting to note that Deutsche Telekom boss Rene Obermann in part blamed the lack of the iPhone in the States as a driving factor in its third quarter churn rate... a meaningless musing, perhaps, but it could've been a little bit of foreshadowing, too. It's important to note that T-Mobile has carried Nexus One accessories this year, too, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to think that they're just trying to cater to the unlockers who are already using iPhones on T-Mobile -- but then again, we'd argue that the people savvy enough to do that probably aren't shopping for overpriced cables in carrier stores. It's also important to note that T-Mobile literally just took a dig at FaceTime (while blasting AT&T's network in the same breath), so it's hard to say what this means, if anything.
Smartphones make great navigation devices (where still allowed by law), but trying to read the things while they slide about on the dash or peek out of a cupholder is hardly ideal. Universal windshield holders help, but none are as smart as the Parrot's latest. How smart is it? Why, it's right there in the title. The Minikit Smart will hold smartphones "whatever their size" -- so long as that size is between 56 and 70mm in width. It has an integrated speaker and telescoping microphone that connects to your phone over Bluetooth, boosting your celly's paltry internal speaker so that you can better hear directions and, of course, make hands-free calls. There's also a USB pass-through, so that you can not only charge this unit while driving but charge your phone. Imagine how happy and secure your phone would feel when being spooned like this, but at $129 it had better be over the moon.
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Parrot MINIKIT Smart: Get More Out of Your Smartphone!
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In order to fully benefit from telephone and navigation capabilities of Smartphones, Parrot, leader of wireless peripherals for mobile phones, created the first Bluetooth hands-free and multifunction kit adapted to all models and compatible with all operating systems: Parrot MINIKIT Smart.
A docking bay for all Smartphones
The Parrot MINIKIT Smart is a Bluetooth® hands-free kit for the vehicle with a docking bay designed for all Smartphones, whatever their size (from 56mm to 70mm width).
The connection between the two devices is done via Bluetooth and the MINIKIT Smart can simultaneously manage hands-free conversations and navigation applications available on Smartphones. Calls and GPS guidance will be broadcast through the 2W speaker integrated in the MINIKIT Smart.
Depending on the capability of each Smartphone, the MINIKIT Smart could put on hold the GPS functions, and restart them once the conversation ends.
MINIKIT Smart is compatible with all navigation software available (free or paid) and all operating systems: Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Symbian, Bada, etc.
The MINIKIT Smart allows drivers and passengers to always be reachable and not lose their way, even on long trips. When the Smartphone is docked in the MINIKIT Smart, it can recharge via one of the USB cables included in the box. (Micro USB, Mini USB, Apple).
A smart solution, with no installation
The Parrot MINIKIT Smart is equipped with a swiveling suction cup to be fixed on the windshield or the dashboard of the vehicle. The docking bay is equipped with a magnet for quick and easy positioning.
Once positioned, the MINIKIT Smart can be set to portrait or landscape mode so that the screen of the Smartphone is easily seen by the driver.
To enable high-quality conversations, the MINIKIT Smart is equipped with a retractable microphone that can be positioned according to the interior of the vehicle. The Parrot MINIKIT Smart has one-week autonomy on standby, 10 hours of talk time and can be recharged using the in-vehicle DC power outlet.
Advanced hands-free functionalities
Once paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth, the MINIKIT Smart synchronizes and automatically updates its phonebook. The MINIKIT Smart can store up to 10 different phone books (2,000 contacts per Smartphone), and can then be used by several drivers.
Thanks to the voice synthesis of the names and a voice recognition system that requires no prior training or installation, the phonebook is available without changing any settings on the Smartphone.
To call one of the contacts in the phonebook, simply say the name and the MINIKIT Smart will dial the number. If several numbers are associated with a contact, the MINIKIT Smart will offer options and the user can vocally choose one.
Price and availability: Parrot MINIKIT Smart will be available in November 2010 at $129.99 MSRP through BestBuy.com, Crutchfield.com, 6th Avenue Electronics, Car Toys Al & Ed's, ABT Electronics, Car Toys, 6th Avenue Electronics, Fry's Electronics, Bell Canada and ParrotShopping.com.
Technical information available at: http://www.parrot.com/fr/produits/kits-mains-libres-Bluetooth-portable
For more information about the Parrot MINIKIT Smart or Parrot hands-free car systems, please visit www.parrot.com
Oh, you know the bandwagon's in full-on rampage mode now. How so? Because Planar -- a company that generally strays far, far away from mere mortals in the consumer market -- has just announced a new 23-inch 3D monitor. It represents a stark break from the company's typical high-end-only approach, and it likely speaks volumes to just how quickly 3D is gaining steam in the PC gaming universe. The SA2311W display will boast a 120Hz refresh rate, 1920 x 1080 resolution, two millisecond response time, a height adjustable stand, VGA / dual-link DVI / HDMI inputs and support for NVIDIA's 3D Vision system. Naturally, you'll need a set of active shutter glasses to enjoy the eye-popping mayhem, and for those who've never tried 'em, they're a step below a welder's mask in terms of exterior visibility. To that end, Planar is also introducing the first keyboard designed specifically for users rocking 3D active shutter glasses -- the ProGlow (shown after the break) boasts seven adjustable light levels (plus off), enabling immersed gamers to still recognize which keys are which. Both devices are expected to ship in the US of A next month for $449 and $185, respectively, though we get the feeling those vicious 3D dinosaurs aren't included. Which is a bummer of epic proportions, if we should say so ourselves.
Put down those iPads, Mercedes owners, and look to the sky. There's a word of wonder up there and, if you had yourself an SLK with the Magic Sky Control vario-roof, you could be looking at it. Well, of course, you could already be looking at the sky if you had an SLK because, you know, it's a convertible. But, let's say you want to do it without actually having to experience nature. Now we're talking. The vario-roof is a glass panel in the center of the SLK's retractable hardtop and now, if you tick the 2000 euro ($2,800) Magic Sky Control option, you can control that sky, tinting the glass panel at will by re-aligning the light-blocking crystals embedded within. It's like a big pixel on an LCD with the whole sun as your backlight and a truly awful dot pitch.
Sneaky Apple... real sneaky. Just as the company announced that it would be axing its rack-mountable Xserve come January 31st, in flies an all-new Mac Pro to effectively take its place. The Mac Pro Server -- which is slated to ship in "two to four weeks" -- has joined the fray this morning on Apple's website, with the workstation equipped with a single 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Xeon 'Nehalem' processor, 8GB (4 x 2GB) of DDR3 ECC SDRAM, a pair of 1TB (7200RPM) hard drives, one 18x SuperDrive, ATI's Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 video memory, and a fresh copy of Mac OS X Server (the unlimited-client license version, for those wondering). Curiously enough, this marks the second time Apple has thrown a "server edition" into the mix, with the Mac mini Server popping up in June. As you'd expect, the $2,999 base price can be pushed far north by slapping in a pair of 2.93GHz six-core 'Westmere' chips (a modest $3,475 increase), 32GB of RAM (only an extra $3,400), a Mac Pro RAID card (pocket change at $700) and a quad-channel 4Gb fibre channel PCIe card (just an extra grand). But hey, financing is available!
In case you haven't noticed, FPD International 2010 is just about ready to hit full-swing, and AUO is on hand with a stockpile of new kit. AUO Optronics just so happens to be a fairly substantial panel maker in the grand scheme of things, so people tend to pay attention when they roll out the planet's largest Cinema Scope (read: 21:9 aspect ratio) 3D LCD TV. A 71-inch version of the aforesaid device is on hand for the public to gawk at, as is a 65-inch QFHD 4K x 2K lenticular lens 3D TV. The former boasts a 240Hz double frame rate, LED scanning backlight and optimized parameters for better motion flow, and unlike most three-dee televisions these days, this one works with polarized glasses -- you know, the ones that are dirt cheap, don't require batteries and haven't been known to give people headaches. The latter is a glasses-free solution, but unlike the company's next generation 3D notebook panels, you'll need to be located in one of eight viewing spots to dig the effect. In related news, AUO is also trumpeting a 4-inch 3D interactive touch panel suitable for use with smartphones, portable game consoles and tablets, but unfortunately, no release information is being doled out for any of this stuff. A heartbreaker, really.
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The World's Largest 21:9 CSHD 3D LCD TV Panel Makes Its Debut: AUO to Exhibit Advanced 3D Display Technologies
HSINCHU, Taiwan, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) announced today that it will soon showcase for the first time a series of the latest 3D display technologies: the world's largest 71" 21:9 Cinema Scope HD (CSHD) 3D TV LCD panel(*); a large, interactive 3D touch panel solution with video game applications; a leading 65" QFHD 4K2K lenticular lens 3D LCD TV panel; and an array of 3D displays for various applications at FPD International 2010 in Japan from November 10 to 12. These products highlight AUO's innovative efforts and breakthroughs in the home theater, entertainment and commercial markets, and demonstrate the Company's ability to provide 3D total solutions.
AUO is presenting the world's largest 71" CSHD 3D TV panel for maximal visual enjoyment. The 21:9 ultra-wide screen offers a stunning, cutting-edge theatrical experience of high quality 3D images. The panel is designed with a 240Hz double frame rate, LED scanning backlight and optimized parameters for better motion flow. The new ultra-narrow border design presents the images in even more delightful proportions. Wearing polarized 3D glasses, audiences will be able to enter a lifelike stereoscopic world filled with images of extraordinary clarity and brightness.
AUO will also exhibit a naked eye 3D display solution: the 65" QFHD 4K2K lenticular lens 3D panel. Its proprietary technology has resolved the problem of uneven brightness that occurs with conventional 3D displays, raising the resolution of a single viewpoint to high definition. The 3D panel has brightness as high as 500 nits, with eight viewpoints. Its fine image quality is suitable for commercial use, making the panel the most eye-catching large-sized public information display currently available.
In response to the growing demand for interactive 3D multimedia, AUO has combined its 65" full HD 3D display with an advanced and accurate 3D interactive solution to provide a superlative gaming experience. The infrared video camera detects the player's movements as he or she interacts with the 3D images. Reacting in real time to lifelike 3D images, players can enjoy the most amazing gaming experience possible with today's technology. For audio-visual entertainment, gamers have no better option.
AUO will also showcase a 4" 3D interactive touch panel suitable for use with smartphones, video game consoles and tablet PCs. The light pen and touch panel are integrated for the first time so that users can move within three dimensions-horizontally, vertically and in depth. For players of interactive 3D games, a fun and interesting 3D world becomes readily accessible. Adding spice to the mobile life, the 4" portrait / landscape barrier 3D touch panel leads the industry by allowing users to freely move their fingers about on the touch panel and switch between 2D and 3D modes in portrait or landscape positions.
AUO works continuously and creatively to achieve innovations and breakthroughs in 3D technology. AUO aims to create products that provide consumers with audio-visual experiences of sensational quality and intense satisfaction. AUO also leverages both its complete production lines and mass production capabilities for more business opportunities in the 3D market, aiming to place itself in a leadership position.
If yesterday's preview of the GF2 wasn't enough for you, here's a little more eye candy to feast upon. We paired up Panasonic's all-new Micro Four Thirds shooter with the GF1 that preceded it and collected a nice little gallery for your perusal below. The major difference between the two is in their dimensions -- the GF2 feels a lot closer to your typical compact camera -- though there are plenty of smaller modifications as well, such as the refashioned grip on the camera's right side, the replacement of the jog dial up top with a stereo mic array, and the introduction of a luminous iA button for switching on the intelligent auto mode. The back of the GF2 is also quite a bit tidier, which has been achieved mostly by eliminating some buttons in favor of the touchscreen interface. Check it all out below or jump past the break for some video action.
A sword, a lightning bolt, a key, a globe, and a bird. These are the symbols of your United States Cyber Command, which you'll be proud to know has "achieved full operational capability." FOC is when a military organization basically has what it needs and knows how to use it, but we're guessing our new cyber-commandos will be a little nervous at first, like a prom date just presented with a room key, or a Modern Warfare player with a new weapon attachment. Surely the USCC will get into its stride real soon, enabling it to "operate and defend our networks effectively." You know what that means: feel free to be a little extra offensive when trolling on foreign soil today. Uncle Sam has your back.
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Cyber Command Achieves Full Operational Capability
Department of Defense announced today that U.S. Cyber Command has achieved full operational capability (FOC).
Achieving FOC involved U.S. Cyber Command completing a number of critical tasks to ensure it was capable of accomplishing its mission. U.S. Cyber Command is responsible for directing activities to operate and defend DoD networks.
"I am confident in the great service members and civilians we have here at U.S. Cyber Command. Cyberspace is essential to our way of life and U.S. Cyber Command synchronizes our efforts in the defense of DoD networks. We also work closely with our interagency partners to assist them in accomplishing their critical missions," said Gen. Keith Alexander, commander of U.S. Cyber Command.
Some of the critical FOC tasks included establishing a Joint Operations Center and transitioning personnel and functions from two existing organizations, the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations and the Joint Functional Component Command for Network Warfare. U.S. Cyber Command's development will not end at FOC, and the department will continue to grow the capacity and capability essential to operate and defend our networks effectively. There are also enduring tasks that will be on-going after FOC, such as developing the workforce, providing support to the combatant commanders, and efforts to continue growing capacity and capability.
U.S. Cyber Command is a sub-unified command under the U.S. Strategic Command. It reached its "initial operational capability" on May 21, 2010.
For more information, media may contact Col. Rivers Johnson Jr., Cyber Command Public Affairs at 301-688-6584.
Another year, another Splitfish FragFX controller, determined to bring the accuracy of a PC mouse to your frag sessions on PlayStation 3. This one, the FragFX Shark, boasts a thumb wheel to manually set your mouse sensor's dead zone, improved emulation algorithms and 50 hours of solid gameplay (and 500 hours standby) on a pair of AA batteries. As you might imagine, we weren't able to test the latter due to a little thing called work, but we spent a good number of hours putting the peripheral through Call of Duty, Dead Space, Killzone2, The Club and more, and came away fairly disappointed. Find out exactly why after the break, and check out our gallery below.
First off, for a $90 controller, the FragFX Shark feels dirt-cheap. Sure, there's a six-axis motion sensing package in there, a pair of 2.4GHz radios, a USB dongle and more potential for customization than you can shake a stick at, but it's hard to get around the fact that the plastic groans, creaks and has rough edges along every seam. What's more, the mouse has a surprisingly uncomfortable design -- it's got a scalloped, concave indent on the right that makes it easy to pick up, but very difficult to hold down on a nearby surface without constantly (and eventually, painfully) twisting one's wrist. By contrast, the FragChuck (as that's what the left-hand peripheral is called) does far better with a large, comfortable analog stick with the perfect amount of tension, the usual three triggers and a suite of customizable controls, but we have to wonder how Splitfish still hasn't managed to perfect the mouse.
By contrast, setup is a breeze, as all you have to do is plug in the USB dongle and switch both devices on, and we have to give the company props for the incredible speed at which you can customize controls on the fly using just the controllers themselves. Instead of mapping keys in a PC editor, you just hold down the Function and Select buttons, choose "Macro," "Button Remapping," "Rapid Fire" or "Stick Swap" from the directional pad, and then press the button on either controller that you'd like to adjust. Tap the left mouse button, then the right mouse button after a "Button Remapping" command, then approve the change with Function and Select again, and you've swapped the two buttons in five simple moves. The entire assembly works with PC and Mac by flipping a switch on the dongle, by the way, and the FragChuck makes a great substitute for WASD, but we quickly tired of finding the Shark to be the least comfortable mouse we owned.
We've been skirting the main problem with the FragFX Shark so far, but now we'll get straight to the point -- whether due to a sub-par infrared sensor or over-compensating algorithms, the mouse just isn't sensitive enough for most every game we tried. Though it worked wonders in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 where the game itself lets you set sensitivity to extremely high levels, every other game we tried wouldn't let us turn our character around to face a foe directly behind us without lifting the mouse off the surface multiple times, even with the dead zone wheel set to minimum and in-game sensitivity set to max. Bagging sniper headshots in Killzone 2 and dismembering bladed mutants in Dead Space from a distance was easier than it had ever been on a gamepad, sure, but it's all of little use in close-quarters combat or frenetic online shooters where you have to move from target to target quickly, and these days when every gaming mouse worth its salt lets you adjust DPI on the fly, we can't think of an excuse for such an tremendous oversight.
We can't speak for Engadget readers, but what we want is simple enough: a FragChuck with all the same features but an added USB port up top, so we can plug in a tried, trusted and true serious gaming mouse of our choice instead of the existing nonsense. But if you only want a controller for Call of Duty: Black Ops, the FragFX Shark might suit you well enough. You'll find it on sale today for $89.99.
Calvin Klein has never been afraid of associating itself with a bit of cheapmarketing, so it's no surprise that the fashion brand is now slapping its name atop some 3D-capable sunglasses. The patent-pending curved 3D glasses from Marchon3D have been adorned with the CK livery and, erm, we guess they're that little bit more stylish than the usual pair of 3D goggles you might have thrown your way at the cinema. Now you just have to decide where your loyalties lie, Calvin Klein, Gucci, or Oakley?
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ck Calvin Klein Eyewear Announces 3D Sunglasses
With Marchon3D patent-pending 3D technology with RealD certification
Melville, NY(November 4, 2010) – ck Calvin Klein Eyewear has partnered with Marchon3D™ to infuse its patent-pending 3D lens technology into the designer eyewear sector.
The patent-pending M3D lens technology is the only curved 3D lens on the market that is RealD certified. The curved lens, matching the contour of the eye, improves and maximizes a consumer's 3D viewing experience, allowing for a greater image immersion. The photocromic lens technology allows consumers to wear their glasses indoors and outdoors.
"With Marchon3D's M3D technology and ck Calvin Klein Eyewear's sleek, fashion-forward design, we are providing consumers the best 3D-enabled sunglass on the market," said Claudio Gottardi, President of Marchon and CEO of Marchon International. "Having infused technology and fashion only raises the bar in the 3D eyewear field and Marchon is excited and proud to lead the industry."
The ck3D sunglasses will be offered in three men's and three women's styles, each providing:
M3D patent-pending circular-polarized lens technology to provide the best possible 3D viewing experience Photocromic capability, transitioning from indoor 3D glasses to outdoor UVA/UVB/UVC protected sunglasses RealD certified The ck Calvin Klein eyewear, part of the M3D collection, will be available December 2010 with the retail price of $180*.
*ck3D sunglasses are not to be confused with other 3D products on the market, which are not 3D sunglasses.
Marchon3D™was launched in July 2010, after Marchon Eyewear acquired patent pending 3D technology assets from MicroVision Optical. Marchon also signed a global licensing agreement with RealD Inc., the leading provider of 3D technology for cinema, consumer electronics and professional applications, to use the RealD brand for sales of Marchon3D™eyewear. Through the terms of the global licensing agreement, Marchon3D™ will distribute its RealD certified 3D glasses in cinemas, retail locations, e-commerce sites and through electronic equipment manufacturers worldwide.
As if you needed any further confirmation that Apple is a consumer company first and foremost, the Cupertino team has decided to discontinue sales of its Xserve enterprise server offering. The rack-mountable processing powerhouses will no longer be available for purchase after January, though full support of those already sold is promised, meaning that all warranties and extended service programs will be honored. To soften the blow for those who might still insist on using OS X in their servers, Apple has put together a "transition guide," advising that users switch over to the Mac Pro or ... the Mac mini, both of which come with the option to have Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. Honestly, the Mac mini!
You'd think working for a big tech company would have its gadget-related perks and in Dell's case that's very much true. The big PC vendor has demonstrated its commitment to building up its own smartphone services by offering to trade employees' old and busted BlackBerry devices for the shiny new hotness that is the Venue Pro. If everyone takes up Round Rock on its offer, there'll be 25,000 RIM smartphones looking for new homes soon, along with a sprightly start to Windows Phone 7's time in the limelight. The Wall Street Journal reports this'll cut Dell's mobile communications bill by a quarter, thanks to no longer having to support BlackBerry servers, while also noting that Android variants will be made available in the future as well. Where there's Lightning, there's gotta be Thunder, right?
Last quarter was the first time ever that US pay TV subscription rates were down. Now, according to GigaOM's calculations, big cable suffered another set back in Q3, waving goodbye to over 500,000 subscribers in total. Comcast was saddled with over half of the carnage and lost 275,000 customers, while Time Warner took a 155,000 subscriber hit. Charter Communications and Cablevision fared slightly better, but still added 63,800 and 24,500 respectively to the industry pit of despair.
Naturally, the blame game for the poor numbers was aimed squarely at the weak economy and increased competition from over-the-top video providers. Before you call the undertaker away from his wrestling day job, though, remember that cable's traditional backstop is to raise prices for remaining customers -- vicious cycle, anyone? In fact, Comcast shared on its Q3 earnings call that average customer revenue rose by ten percent year over year to $136 a month. Charter's similarly jumped by nine percent to $126, and while Cablevision's didn't increase by the same rate, monthly revenue per customer still amounted to a whopping $149 a month. So whether the reason is cord cutting or simply hard times, it's hard to get worked up over self-inflicted wounds.
The DPRK's not exactly the world's healthiest economy. So it's with some surprise that we're now presenting you with North Korea's newest (only?) touchscreen slab. Apparently, it's available "in all the computer shops" and is being touted locally as something of a big deal by a Russian blog operating within Pyongyang. Unfortunately, it's void of any radios of any kind -- no GPS, no WiFi, no cellular, no Bluetooth. So really, it's just an old school Windows CE (judging by the icons) PDA with an electronic dictionary, map of the country, games, media player, and word processor. It also features a handy stylus for poking about the resistive touchscreen and to identify enemies of the state in a crowded room. The high-end 8GB model with microSD slot is said to cost $140 in a country where the average worker is estimated to earn about $1 per month. And here we thought that our gadget addiction was bad.
You might have noticed in our Galaxy Tab review that a number of pretty significant Android apps failed to scale to fully utilize its real estate, leaving an unpleasant black border surrounding their content. Well, you can now take that issue off your list of cons for this otherwise delectable tablet as our buddy JKK has figured out a way to overcome the scaling problemo. Using Spare Parts, a free app available in the Android Market, and a couple of reboots, he was able to convince the Engadget app to run in full screen on the Tab. He's right in guessing that we'd be happy about that, though we imagine owners of Samsung's slate will be the ones with the biggest grins on their faces right now. See the how-to video after the break.
Remember this guy? He's back, and better than ever before. In fact, he's bringing all sorts of good news for digital sheet music readers, namely that the AirTurn BT-105 is just weeks away from shipping. This Bluetooth-enabled system -- which links up with standard page-turners and connects with your iPad, Mac or PC in order to flip from page to page without ever taking your hand away from your McCartney replica bass -- even includes a debounce filter to prevent multiple page turns for each foot switch press. The system plays nice with forScore, MusicReader, and unrealBook, and the rechargeable battery is said to be good for a solid 100 hours. It'll ship to Americans on November 16th for the tidy sum of $69, but before you rush away and jot down the date on your pocket calendar, head on past the break and mash play. It's worth it, trust us.
Bluetooth AirTurn BT-105 for iPad Launching November 16, 2010
AirTurn BT-105 with iPad and Guitar Player
iPad users will soon be able to turn pages hands free. AirTurn, Inc.is launching the BT-105, its hands free page turner for the iPad and other Bluetooth-equipped Mac and PC computers on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. The BT-105 is perfect for musicians who need to keep both hands on their instrument while using apps for reading sheet music and guitar tabs. The BT-105 is super compact and can connect to one or two foot switches. A simple tap on the right foot switch will turn pages forwards, and a tap on the left foot switch will turn pages backwards.
The BT-105 works with a growing number of iPad apps, including forScore, MusicReader, and unrealBook. It can also be configured to work with programs running on Bluetooth-equipped Mac and PC computers that can accept Page Down and Page Up keyboard commands, such as Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Keynote, and most other document and presentation programs.
The BT-105 features a power switch, status indicator light, and an internal rechargeable battery with a mini USB recharging port. Battery life will vary, but users can expect up to 100 hours of standby usage. The BT-105 also features automatic Bluetooth pairing with the iPad for easy connections and fast page turns, as well as a built-in debounce filter to prevent multiple page turns for each foot switch press.
The BT-105 will be available for purchase from the AirTurn web store at a retail price of $69 US.
More and more musicians are discovering the ease and convenience of being able to carry their entire sheet music collections in digital music reading devices like the iPad and forgoing the bulk of paper scores. The BT-105 finally makes the iPad a practical sheet music reading tool for musicians who need to keep their hands on their instruments and their focus on the music.
iPad developers who are interested in integrating the AirTurn into their apps can submit applications for the AirTurn Developers Kit at http://airturn.com/ipad/ipad-airturn-developer-kit-application
AirTurn, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado based company, creates and markets technologies to enhance the study, practice and performance of music. AirTurn was formed in 2008. Its co-founder and VP of Communications, Hugh Sung, is also a professional pianist on the faculty of the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music and one of the most sought-after collaborative pianists in the classical music field.
More details on AirTurn and its current line of page turning systems can be found at http://airturn.com
Okay, so executives at Panasonic probably aren't in any big hurry to get ahead in the long, long wait for a Model S, but a $30 million gift could probably get 'em just that. Panny has this week sunk quite a few bills into Tesla by way of a common stock purchase, and while the two have expressed fondness for each other before, this kind of investment doesn't happen without a serious tie-up being in the works. Of course, Panasonic just so happens to be the planet's leading battery cell manufacturer, and as of now, it's being called Tesla's "preferred lithium-ion battery cell supplier for its battery packs." So yeah, you know where to look first when things start overheating, melting or spontaneously erupting in flames.
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Panasonic Invests $30 Million in Tesla: Companies Strengthen Collaborative Relationship
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Panasonic Corporation and Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) today announced that Panasonic has invested $30 million in Tesla. The investment was made through the purchase of Tesla common stock in a private placement at a price of $21.15 per share. The investment builds upon a multi-year collaboration of the two companies to accelerate the market expansion of the electric vehicle.
Panasonic is the world's leading battery cell manufacturer and a diverse supplier to the global automotive industry. Tesla currently uses Panasonic battery cells in its advanced battery packs and has collaborated with Panasonic on the development of next generation battery cells designed specifically for electric vehicles. While Tesla's current battery strategy incorporates proprietary packaging using cells from multiple battery suppliers, Tesla has selected Panasonic as its preferred lithium-ion battery cell supplier for its battery packs.
"Panasonic aims to be the number one Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry by 2018, the 100th anniversary of our founding," said Naoto Noguchi, President of Energy Company, a unit of Panasonic responsible for the battery cell business. "Our sophisticated lithium-ion battery cell technology, combined with Tesla's market-leading EV powertrain technology, helps us fulfill this goal by promoting sustainable mobility. We are proud to strengthen our relationship with Tesla Motors."
"It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Panasonic, the world's leading battery cell manufacturer, would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla," said Tesla CEO and cofounder Elon Musk. "Panasonic offers the highest energy-density cells and industry-leading performance with cutting edge Nickel-type cathode technology. We believe our partnership with them will enable us to further improve our battery pack while reducing cost."
In addition to producing its own vehicles, Tesla also builds electric powertrains, including battery packs, for other automobile manufacturers. Panasonic and Tesla intend to explore joint marketing and sales of battery packs that would be designed and assembled by Tesla using Panasonic's battery cells.
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.42 trillion yen (US$79.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2010. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
About Tesla Motors
Tesla's goal is to produce a full range of electric cars, from premium sports cars to mass market vehicles - relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicles. It is currently the only automaker in the U.S. that builds and sells highway-capable EVs in serial production. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs and EV powertrain components. Tesla has delivered more than 1,300 Roadsters to customers in North America, Europe and Asia. The Tesla Roadster accelerates faster than most sports cars yet produces no emissions. Visit Tesla online at www.teslamotors.com.
Not that we haven't seen a 12x Blu-ray burner before, but it'll be a cold day in the underworld before you hear us griping about a little friendly competition. Sony Optiarc has taken the cellophane off of its newest crop of half-height writers, the BD-5300S, BWU-500S and BWU-500S. These guys will soon be shipping in a variety of retail and OEM configurations, offering up Blu-ray 3D playback, 12x toasting of BD-R media (dual-layer steps down to 8x) and a copy of CyberLink's Media Suite 8 with the latter unit. The outift's not talking dollars and cents, but you can judge the value for yourself when they start filtering out in the next few weeks.
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SONY OPTIARC AMERICA INTRODUCES NEXT-GENERATION BLU-RAY DISC REWRITABLE DRIVES
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 4, 2010 – Sony Optiarc America today announced its next-generation half-height internal Blu-ray Disc® (BD) rewritable drives for the computer aftermarket.
Available in a retail and OEM configuration, the new drives are an ideal replacement burner for a standard DVD drive while offering all the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology, including Blu-ray 3D™ high-definition playback.
The drives write single BD-R media at up to 12X and dual layer BD-R media at up to 8X speeds, recording a full 25GB disc in about 10 minutes. The 12X recording speed is achieved using 6X compatible BD-R media.
The BWU-500S retail branded model comes with CyberLink's Media Suite 8 software for capturing, authoring, editing, backing up, viewing high-definition personal content and playing back Blu-ray Disc movies including 3D Blu-ray movies. Also included in the retail box is one 25GB Sony BD-R blank disc.
The new drives can record up to 50GB of data for random access storage and backup on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs, or up to 220 minutes of high-definition 24M bps MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video on a BD-R/RE 50GB disc.
The drives also record standard 4.7GB DVD+/-R discs at up to 16X speeds, 8.5 GB DVD+/-R Double/Dual layer at up to 8X, DVD+RW at up to 8X, DVD-RW at up to 6X, CD-R at up to 48X, CD-RW at up to 24X, and support DVD-RAM recording at up to 12X speeds.
The internal drives feature a Serial ATA (SATA) interface and standard 5.25-inch form-factor for easy installation inside a desktop PC. They also incorporate intelligent monitoring for consistent recording, and adjusting read-speed technology which enhances smooth playback.
Availability
The BWU-500S retail branded drive and the OEM BD-5300S drive are available this month through authorized distributors, resellers and select online sites.
There's nothing quite like coming home with a shiny new laptop only to find tiny black and white dots peppering your LCD, especially when the screen's manufacturer tells you that you're plumb out of luck. If you buy Apple, that scenario might honestly play out just the same, but the chart above could save you an embarrassing argument at your local Genius Bar. According to the allegedly leaked internal document, Apple has a set of precise charts that determine whether or not it will replace your LCD -- a single dead pixel will save an iPod or iPhone, for instance, and Apple will tolerate only two on an iPad IPS screen. We're sorry to say it's not the same if you buy Mac, as you could have a staggering fifteen dead pixels on that pricey Cinema Display and still have to pick up the tab. Hang on to those receipts, folks.
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 Alex, who just can't take the noise, dude. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"Hello Engadget. I've always been a fan of high quality audio but I have a problem. I need noise cancelling headphones, but active noise cancelling gives me a headache and my ear canals aren't round enough to use in-ear earphones. I've also looked into custom earphones but I can't afford paying $400 or more for a set. What are your recommendations for the best pair of passive noise cancelling headphones? My ears thank you."
We will say that Klipsch's oval ear tips tend to fit in funky ear canals that typically reject round ones, but if you're still hellbent on a pair of cans, we're hoping our audience below can toss out some advice. If they can hear us from underneath their noise cancelling headphones, of course.
We'd heard Google Instant was quietly popping up in mobile form for a lucky few, but it's officially widespread now -- the query-while-you-type search technology's just hit open beta on Android 2.2 and iOS 4. Just go to Google in your favorite mobile browser and press the "Turn on" link, and you'll be able to rush into the arms of your favorite technology blog with four fewer clicks. We maintain that it's nigh-useless on most standard-sized mobile devices, as you can only ever see the top result without scrolling up and down, but it won't cost you a penny to pick up your handset and form an opinion for yourself. Video demo after the break.
Ah, ha! So there it is! After waiting for months and months (and months), it seems as if ASUS has quietly started shipping its ginormous DR-900 e-reader. At least in some sectors of the world, albeit in "non-final" form. Hispazone managed to get their paws around one recently, and they did the world a solid by writing up a lengthy list of impressions and filming a hands-on video (embedded after the break). Critics seemed to admire the build quality, and they felt that the inbuilt web browser certainly has potential. But most of all, they seem concerned about the estimated price; it's bruited that the DR-900 will start shipping to consumers in Q1 2011, but the €300 ($426) asking price probably won't sit well with most. Hit the source for more of the translated goodness.
You may have more e-reader choices than ever these days, but if you primary concern is a device with a color screen that's also available in a number of different colors, you might just want to consider Energy Sistem's new Color Book Series e-reader. Of course, you won't actually get a touchscreen (just a regular 5-inch, 800 x 480 LCD), but there are plenty of buttons to make up for that shortcoming, and you will get a few decent features like audio and video playback, support for comics, a microSD card for expansion, and a case that doubles as a stand -- nothing crazy like a web browser or WiFi, though. Look for the 2GB model (available in red or blue) to set you back €129, or about $180, while 4GB white model and 8GB black model will run you €145 and €159, respectively.
So, the mystery's solved. If you'll recall, we spotted ASUS' Eee PC 1015T sittin' pretty at Computex, but considering that the OS was wiped by the time we got to it, we were left to take the placard's word for it when it came to specifications. Now, B&H has begun to offer this bad boy here in the States, with $349.99 nabbing you a 1.2GHz AMD V105 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive, ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 4250, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit panel, inbuilt webcam, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 Starter and a six-cell battery. All told, it rings up at 2.8 pounds and should last anywhere between three and six hours on a full charge, but we're guessing real-world performance will swing towards the former. It's available right now in blue, black and white, and if you're looking for a way to stick it to Intel's sluggish Atom line, here it is.
If you ever doubted that Microsoft's Kinect was based on PrimeSense technology, you can leave those suspicions at the door -- iFixit's separated the twin-eye motion sensing camera into its constituent parts, and there's definitely PrimeSense silicon on board. To be precise, there's a PrimeSense processor that handles images from the color and infrared CMOS auto-focus imagers, a Marvell SoC to interface with those cameras,64MB of DDR2 memory and 1MB of flash plus an accelerometer of all things. (Perhaps game developers intend to break the fourth wall when you inevitably knock the unit off your TV.) Filled with four different kinds of security screws and a fair bit of glue, Kinect's a tough nut to crack. Seems like a small price to pay, however, when it's so wonderfully robotic underneath. Oh, and speaking of the Kinect -- don't suppose you've read our full review?
Although Skyfire for iPhone is almost exactly like its Android counterpart, it's still not available for download in the App Store due to server issues, so we thought you might want to see how it works. We've seen improvements on the Flash-to-HTML5 conversion servers in the past day or so, which makes watching videos a breeze. The app itself serves as a fully functional browser with the usual features you'd hope to find: bookmarking, a dedicated search bar, custom homepage, and even private browsing. Pages render rather quickly, although scrolling and pinching to zoom is a little rough around the edges. As for actually watching Flash videos, it couldn't be easier -- once you've navigated to a page embedded with a video, a popup window will appear and you're good to go. Sadly, though, the browser lacks the ability to scrub videos. But hey, if you've been waiting three-plus years to play flash videos on your 3.5-inch display, Skyfire might (or might not) be the solution to your burning desire. Be sure to check out the browser in action after the break!
Let's be honest, Apple's claim that it neglected to preload Flash on the new MacBook Airs so that users themselves could download and install the latest (and safest) version was a bit of a red herring. Behind that thin veil of corporate courtesy, we're now seeing a pretty potent cause for Apple's dumping of Adobe's wares. Ars Technica's review of the 11-inch Air discovered that the machine could crank its way through six hours of web browsing when Flash was nowhere near it, but only four hours with Flash installed and giving it "the full web experience." The primary culprit was Adobe's penchant for using CPU cycles to display animated ads, which were typically replaced by static imagery in the absence of the requisite software. So yeah, it's not a surprise that a "richer" web would require more resources, but it doesn't speak well for Flash's efficiency to find a laptop loses a third of its longevity when running it.
For all intents and purposes, every single flexible display we've seen over the past few years has eventually been filed in the "awesome things that'll never materialize" drawer. There are exceptions to that rule, mind you, but we've largely been frustrated by how often these things pop up at trade shows and then vanish forever. Samsung Mobile Display, however, is hoping to change that. According to reports stemming from FPD International 2010, this here 4.5-incher is dangerously close to production, and given the lustworthy 800 x 480 resolution, we couldn't be more excited about the possibilities. We're told that Samsung is eschewing the traditional glass substrate in favor of a newfangled plastic version, and evidently it's a heck of a lot easier to mass produce. After all, we're still waiting for this thing, guys.
Tablet sales affecting netbooks? Seems everyone's been suggesting that lately, from Best Buy to ASUS, with much of the blame placed on Apple's iPad for mining the gap, so to speak. Add Microsoft to that chorus -- specifically GM for Windows Product Management Gavriella Schuster. Referencing the pink netbook sitting between her and Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Nick Eaton, Schuster said, "These are definitely getting cannibalized... these are really a second device. But they are getting cannibalized" (SPI's emphasis, not ours). Given Windows' dominance in the netbooks, she's probably got some hush-hush numbers that color her opinion. Then again, speaking of color, perhaps she just doesn't like pink.
At first glance, sitting all on its lonesome like that, the GF2 might forgivably be perceived as just another mundanely incremental upgrade on what was already a lauded predecessor in the Lumix GF1. But, for once, our pessimism was not borne out by the facts -- far from it. With the GF2, Panasonic has somehow managed to shrink its smallest Micro Four Thirds shooter even further, by a reported 19 percent, and the difference in handling is tangible. The Japanese giant has also lightened the load by seven percent, thrown in a new touchscreen-centric UI, and, predictably, upped the video ante to 720/60p or 1080/60i recording in AVCHD format. Join us after the break to see what we thought of this delicious new recipe for pseudo-pocketable large-sensor shooting.
Please note: Panasonic has not yet finalized the GF2's firmware, meaning that the sample images and video below may not necessarily be indicative of the quality you'll get from the final product.
Whereas the GF1's dimensions sometimes betrayed the fact that it was composed of professional internals downsized to a more portable form factor, the GF2 truly feels like a compact camera, albeit a bulky one. It may seem odd to suggest there's a significant difference between a small pro camera and a large point-and-shoot, but the weight and feel of the GF2 definitely make it easier to handle with just one hand. Its improved ergonomics aren't without compromise, however, as the new GF has dropped the jog dial adorning the top of its elder sibling. We can't yet judge how big a sacrifice that'll be, mostly because we kept the GF2 in its iA fully automatic mode and relegated our own duties to pointing and shooting.
It's worth saying that our sample shots were taken late on an overcast day, yet still the GF2 managed to focus remarkably quickly and generally made the right decisions for us. Startup time is also fabulously fast -- we were able to go from turning the camera on to taking our first shot within about a second -- and the sheer responsiveness of the GF2 makes it a pleasure to operate. The dedicated video button kicks you straight into recording from the moment it's pressed, which makes accessing it an instantaneous and hassle-free affair.
We were taken aback a little by the difficult-to-decipher icons gracing the touchscreen UI when we got into it, but Panasonic has implemented a customizable quick menu where you'll be able to curate your favorite functions and thereby simplify operation. On the whole, we get the feeling that moving to the touchscreen and abandoning the physical dial will make this a less accessible and familiar camera for most, but it also seems that some judicial use of the manual would heal any ailments that arise from this shift. Where the newly responsive 3-inch display really shines is in allowing you to swipe between photos. It requires a firmer touch than your typical smartphone, but it behaved very nicely and there's just something a lot more natural about flicking images with your fingers instead of pushing a button.
The GF2's construction also merits praise, as its aluminum body looks to have been finished to a very high standard, offering us pretty much nothing to criticize. Its pop-up flash jumps open in a satisfyingly aggressive manner and can be retracted manually, while a couple of your standard-issue covers protect output ports and the battery and memory card slots. Speaking of the battery, it has a capacity of 1010mAh, which seems just about right for a device that'll be relying on its LCD for both picture composition and review. In fact, we might have wished for an even bigger cell, but then that might have come at the expenses of the GF2's delightfully streamlined proportions.
The 14mm kit lens is as light as a feather and a little bit smaller than the 20mm pancake unit typically provided with the GF1. We also got our hands on Panasonic's 3D lens (which the GF2 is also compatible with) and it too was light enough to be confused for a component of a toy, rather than semi-pro, camera. Hey, if you can get great image quality from something that doesn't weigh as much as a ripe water melon, more power to you, Panny.
We only tested out the GF2's flash with a couple of shots, but it seemed to handle itself well, illuminating the subject without washing out (too much) detail. Professional users will always be better off with a separate bit of kit, but for use in casual or emergency circumstances, it looks to be more than sufficient.
This is a pretty easy one to summarize, really: Panasonic has ticked the major boxes of reducing bulk and including HD video (at 60fps, no less) while seemingly sacrificing little of what made the GF1 such a richly appealing camera in the first place. Our biggest complaint, therefore, has to do with the GF2's January release date -- it's too far away, dammit!
Though it reported record growth in both revenue and subscriber count, Clearwire's bad news outweighed the good as it announced its fourth quarter earnings today. Here's the meat of it:
"The Company is actively pursuing a number of options to resolve its need for additional capital. The Company is in discussions with a number of its major shareholders and other third parties about a number of options, including potential strategic transactions, additional debt or equity financings and/or asset sales. While the Company is cautiously optimistic it will resolve its short-term funding needs in the near future, there can be no assurances. Thus, it is implementing a series of significant cash conservation measures to reduce costs, including: a substantial reduction in sales and marketing spending, a suspension of additional retail channel market launches of the CLEAR-branded operations in select markets including Denver and Miami, delays in the introduction of CLEAR-branded smartphones, a substantial reduction in the contractor workforce, a 15% reduction in the number of employees, and the discontinuation of development activities for sites not required for its current build plan. The Company currently has thousands of sites in various stages of planning and construction beyond its current build plan, and it intends to suspend zoning and permitting in a portion of those sites until such time as additional funding becomes available."
Translation: they're running low on cash, they're looking for ways to raise more of it, and until they do, they aren't launching those promised Clear-branded phones or opening any more retail locations. They're also cutting staff by 15 percent, scaling back Clear marketing, and suspending network planning beyond stuff that's already in the works -- a pretty drastic step considering how much build-out Clearwire's network still needs. Though Sprint depends heavily on Clearwire for its current WiMAX setup, it's unclear whether Sprint would be willing to continue to dump cash into the partnership -- particularly considering the recent rumors that they're looking to reach out to other carriers -- and Comcast has already gone on record saying they don't see themselves turning into a Clearwire ATM.
Obviously, both Clearwire's spectrum holdings and its infrastructure are extraordinarily valuable and we wouldn't sound any alarms that Sprint's WiMAX network is in any danger of disappearing, but we're sure this is sounding some alarms at Sprint headquarters that it's time to make some strategic moves. Should be interesting to see how this all plays out.
A bottle of ink may not exactly seem like the key to bigger, better, and cheaper OLED displays, but that's just what Plextronics is promising will result from its new "next generation" Plexcore OC NQ ink. That's particularly notable because it's a non-aqueous, inkjet-printable ink, and is intended specifically for use with so-called solution-processed, phosphorescent OLED technology (as opposed to the vapor processing now commonly used), which at least some folks are betting on as the next big thing for OLED manufacturing -- recent tests have also shown significant advances for the technology, including a lower operating voltage and boost in lifetime over previously tested systems. What's more, while it's still in the testing phase now, Plextronics says it expects the ink to be broadly available to manufacturers sometime next year, which should mean that actual OLED displays using it will follow sometime thereafter.
Show full PR text
Plextronics Announces Availability of Next Generation OLED Ink: Early Sampling at Universal Display Corporation Shows Boost in Lifetime and Lower Operating Voltage
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Plextronics announced today that its Plexcore® OC NQ ink is now available for limited sampling, with more broad availability expected in 2011. The non-aqueous-based Hole Injection Layer (HIL) ink augments the company's existing aqueous-based HIL, and is geared specifically for solution processible phosphorescent OLED emitters. The company also expects to introduce ink-jet (printable) inks for limited sampling early in 2011.
Mary Boone, Director of Ink Business Development at Plextronics, said, "The ability to solution process OLEDs, especially displays, is a fundamental hurdle that the industry needs to overcome in order to more broadly commercialize OLED technology. The technology has advanced to the point where we are getting that much closer to fully solution-processed OLED devices, and new materials such as our non-aqueous HIL are a key requirement in the transition from vapor to solution processing."
Boone added, "Plextronics prides itself on its platform approach to our product offerings. We offer both aqueous and non-aqueous inks so that customers can select the exact material that they need. Plextronics is the only company that is currently offering a full line of OLED HIL inks for a variety of solution emitters."
Results at UDC
Early sampling of Plexcore® OC NQ assisted Universal Display Corporation to achieve low voltage and long lifetime in recent performance testing of their P2OLED™ solution-processed, phosphorescent OLED technology.
On October 13, Universal Display issued a press release announcing significant advances in the performance of its UniversalP2OLED™ solution-processible, phosphorescent OLED material systems. Plextronics was the HIL provider, and its Plexcore® OC NQ ink helped UDC to achieve a lower operating voltage and a boost in lifetime over previously disclosed results.
The UDC results were announced by Dr. Kwang Ohk Cheon, Senior Research Scientist at Universal Display, during the 10th International Meeting on Information Display (IMID 2010), from October 11 to 15 in Korea.
During his talk, Dr. Cheon reported on a new green P2OLED system with 66 candelas per Ampere (cd/A) and 130,000 hours of operating lifetime to 50% of an initial luminance of 1000 nits - representing approximately a two times improvement in luminous efficiency and lifetime over Universal Display's results reported a year ago.
About Plextronics, Inc.
Plextronics, Inc. is an international technology company that specializes in printed solar, lighting, display and other organic electronics. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, the company's focus is on organic light emitting diodes (OLED) and organic solar technology, specifically the conductive inks and process technologies that enable those and other similar applications.
The privately held company was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University, based upon conductive polymer technology developed by Dr. Richard McCullough. Over the past eight years, Plextronics scientists have refined and further developed this technology to deliver exceptional performance for printed electronics. In January 2010 the company earned ISO 9001:2008 certification of its quality management processes.
For more information about Plextronics, visit www.plextronics.com.
Who'd have thought that a little thing like the inclusion of USB Host capabilities could open the door to such wonders as an SNES controller dock? That's exactly what we have here. The Dell Streak's ability to work with standard USB keyboards has enabled it to also work with a suitably modified SNES controller, having had a cablectomy and the addition of a PDMI connector on top. That, with the addition of a USB board, turns the controller into a keyboard and, hey presto, it's Super Mario World time. Modder 0TheRain0 did the handiwork here, which you can watch him demonstrate after the break.
Maybe it's the green carpet in the background here, but dare we say that this is the most amazing thing we've seen in recent history. Or at least the past 24 hours. The Unconventional Hacker has gone above and beyond the call of duty with his latest hack job, the NES Cartridge Wireless Router. As the title implies, there's an actual Belkin Wireless G router (the F5D7230-4, for those curious) shoved inside of an authentic NES game cartridge. Better still, the instructions to whip this up yourself are just a click away in the source link, giving you precisely zero reasons to continue using the horrifically unsightly WLAN router that you currently are. Oh, and if it sporadically disconnects, we're hearing that a brief (albeit powerful) blow across the Ethernet jacks will fix things right up.
Although musicians were quick to pick up on the iPad's possibilities as a control surface, the audio production corner of the App Store is still overwhelmingly devoted to things like guitar amp models and soft synths -- that's because until recently there was no way to send MIDI commands from iOS (not that some folks didn't figure out workarounds). That's why we were excited to hear about the appearance of MIDI APIs in iOS 4.2. What does this mean for all of you would-be Brian Enos? The gang over at Create Digital Music have put together a handy guide to what we might expect from a world where all out iOS devices can communicate via MIDI, whether through the USB cable or over WiFi -- and it is a brave new world, indeed. Intrigued? We were too! And we were pleased to find out that yes, the M-Audio Uno works with the iPad, and that the accelerometer can indeed be used to pitch bend. Unfortunately, we also learned that the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer is a lot less exciting than we thought it might be (that is, until third party devs go to town on the thing). Hit the source link for all that stuff and more. Or just peep the video after the break, if you wonder what the next version of Pianist Pro holds.
Apple isn't acknowledging any of the apparent issues with the new MacBook Air publicly just yet, but BGR is reporting that it's heard from a source who says the company is at least now confirming some of the problems internally. That's further backed up by some screen shots said to come from Apple's internal support system, which tell Apple employees what to in the event of a buggy MacBook Air, and say that Apple is aware of the problems and is working on a software fix. Of course, that's still far from a sure thing until Apple confirms it itself, but it does seem safe to assume that it at least knows something is going on.
Another new treat is Mountain mode, which we gluttonously sampled despite an unfortunate absence of steep inclines. Normally the internal combustion engine ticks over at around 1,500 or 2,000 RPM when charging the battery, running at maximum efficiency. In mountain mode it runs closer to 4,000 RPM, generating more power so that you can have the necessary juice to tackle any mountain (with a well-groomed access road) that dares cross your path. If you use Mountain mode while cruising the slab it'll just result in extra electricity going back into the pack, which isn't the end of the world.
In case you haven't noticed, FPD International 2010 is just about ready to hit full-swing, and AUO is on hand with a stockpile of new kit. AUO Optronics just so happens to be a fairly substantial panel maker in the grand scheme of things, so people tend to pay attention when they roll out the planet's largest Cinema Scope (read: 21:9 aspect ratio) 3D LCD TV. A 71-inch version of the aforesaid device is on hand for the public to gawk at, as is a 65-inch QFHD 4K x 2K lenticular lens 3D TV. The former boasts a 240Hz double frame rate, LED scanning backlight and optimized parameters for better motion flow, and unlike most three-dee televisions these days, this one works with polarized glasses -- you know, the ones that are dirt cheap, don't require batteries and haven't been known to give people headaches. The latter is a glasses-free solution, but unlike the company's next generation 3D notebook panels, you'll need to be located in one of eight viewing spots to dig the effect. In related news, AUO is also trumpeting a 4-inch 3D interactive touch panel suitable for use with smartphones, portable game consoles and tablets, but unfortunately, no release information is being doled out for any of this stuff. A heartbreaker, really. 
Remember this guy? He's back, and better than ever before. In fact, he's bringing all sorts of good news for digital sheet music readers, namely that the AirTurn BT-105 is just weeks away from shipping. This Bluetooth-enabled system -- which links up with standard page-turners and connects with your iPad, Mac or PC in order to flip from page to page without ever taking your hand away from your McCartney replica bass -- even includes a debounce filter to prevent multiple page turns for each foot switch press. The system plays nice with forScore, MusicReader, and unrealBook, and the rechargeable battery is said to be good for a solid 100 hours. It'll ship to Americans on November 16th for the tidy sum of $69, but before you rush away and jot down the date on your pocket calendar, head on past the break and mash play. It's worth it, trust us. 
Okay, so executives at Panasonic probably aren't in any big hurry to get ahead in the long, long wait for a Model S, but a $30 million gift could probably get 'em just that. Panny has this week sunk quite a few bills into Tesla by way of a common stock purchase, and while the two have expressed fondness for each other before, this kind of investment doesn't happen without a serious tie-up being in the works. Of course, Panasonic just so happens to be the planet's leading battery cell manufacturer, and as of now, it's being called Tesla's "preferred lithium-ion battery cell supplier for its battery packs." So yeah, you know where to look first when things start overheating, melting or spontaneously erupting in flames. 
Not that we haven't seen a 12x Blu-ray burner before, but it'll be a cold day in the underworld before you hear us griping about a little friendly competition. Sony Optiarc has taken the cellophane off of its newest crop of half-height writers, the BD-5300S, BWU-500S and BWU-500S. These guys will soon be shipping in a variety of retail and OEM configurations, offering up Blu-ray 3D playback, 12x toasting of BD-R media (dual-layer steps down to 8x) and a copy of CyberLink's Media Suite 8 with the latter unit. The outift's not talking dollars and cents, but you can judge the value for yourself when they start filtering out in the next few weeks. 
So, the mystery's solved. If you'll recall, we spotted ASUS' Eee PC 1015T sittin' pretty at Computex, but considering that the OS was wiped by the time we got to it, we were left to take the placard's word for it when it came to specifications. Now, B&H has begun to offer this bad boy here in the States, with $349.99 nabbing you a 1.2GHz AMD V105 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) hard drive, ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 4250, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit panel, inbuilt webcam, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 Starter and a six-cell battery. All told, it rings up at 2.8 pounds and should last anywhere between three and six hours on a full charge, but we're guessing real-world performance will swing towards the former. It's available right now in blue, black and white, and if you're looking for a way to stick it to Intel's sluggish Atom line, here it is.
For all intents and purposes, every single flexible display we've seen over the past few years has eventually been filed in the "awesome things that'll never materialize" drawer. There are exceptions to that rule, mind you, but we've largely been frustrated by how often these things pop up at trade shows and then vanish forever. Samsung Mobile Display, however, is hoping to change that. According to reports stemming from FPD International 2010, this here 4.5-incher is dangerously close to production, and given the lustworthy 800 x 480 resolution, we couldn't be more excited about the possibilities. We're told that Samsung is eschewing the traditional glass substrate in favor of a newfangled plastic version, and evidently it's a heck of a lot easier to mass produce. After all, we're still waiting for this thing, guys.
Tablet sales affecting netbooks? Seems everyone's been suggesting that lately, from Best Buy to ASUS, with much of the blame placed on Apple's iPad for mining the gap, so to speak. Add Microsoft to that chorus -- specifically GM for Windows Product Management Gavriella Schuster. Referencing the pink netbook sitting between her and Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Nick Eaton, Schuster said, "These are definitely getting cannibalized... these are really a second device. But they are getting cannibalized" (SPI's emphasis, not ours). Given Windows' dominance in the netbooks, she's probably got some hush-hush numbers that color her opinion. Then again, speaking of color, perhaps she just doesn't like pink.
Though it reported record growth in both revenue and subscriber count, Clearwire's bad news outweighed the good as it announced its fourth quarter earnings today. Here's the meat of it:
A bottle of ink may not exactly seem like the key to bigger, better, and cheaper OLED displays, but that's just what Plextronics is promising will result from its new "next generation" Plexcore OC NQ ink. That's particularly notable because it's a non-aqueous, inkjet-printable ink, and is intended specifically for use with so-called solution-processed, phosphorescent OLED technology (as opposed to the vapor processing now commonly used), which at least some folks are betting on as the next big thing for OLED manufacturing -- recent tests have also shown significant advances for the technology, including a lower operating voltage and boost in lifetime over previously tested systems. What's more, while it's still in the testing phase now, Plextronics says it expects the ink to be broadly available to manufacturers sometime next year, which should mean that actual OLED displays using it will follow sometime thereafter. 
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