We've seen so, so much of the beautiful and crazy Dell Inspiron Duo tablet / netbook hybrid that we must confess we might just need one of our very own. If you're like us, then today is your lucky day, because this wild and crazy laptop is now available for pre-order. The 10-incher boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, and some serious attitude. The Inspiron Duo has a starting price of $549, and you can pre-order it right this minute at Dell. Hit up the source if you care to, and expect your order to arrive around the 15th of December. Full press release is below.
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Dell Introduces the Inspiron duo – a Convertible Unlike Any Other
* Go from Touch to Type to Dock Mode in Seconds with One-of-a-Kind Design * Unique Design Lets Families & Students Switch Seamlessly Between Entertainment and Productivity * Available Today on Dell.com * Inspiron duo Joins Growing Family of Dell Mobility Products
ROUND ROCK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dell today introduced another industry first design – the Inspiron duo convertible tablet. Sporting a unique, flip-hinge design, the Inspiron duo combines the simplicity of a tablet, the functionality of a full keyboard and the convenience of a dock so you can switch seamlessly from touch to type to dock mode in seconds. The tri-mode functionality is perfect for those who crave productivity yet also want the fun, interactive nature of a touch screen offering easy access to movies, TV shows, social-networking sites and more.
"We're committed to delivering the best products and the best customer experience, and we are bringing those twin aspects to life in our marketing campaigns, so our customers will see, hear and feel the Dell difference."
The Inspiron duo is the latest in Dell's growing portfolio of mobility products, which includes the Streak 5, the five-inch, go-anywhere device that fits perfectly in your hands, purse or pocket. With Streak 5, and now the Inspiron duo, Dell is demonstrating its commitment to mobile innovation and meeting the needs of today's on-the-go lifestyle, allowing people to stay connected to their friends, family and favorite content.
"Dell is changing the shape of computing, with products that usher in new experiences and allow people to stay connected to each other and the content they love from almost anywhere," said Sam Burd, vice president, Dell Consumer, Small and Medium Business Product Group. "The new Inspiron duo's dual purpose delivers one-touch access to great content and yet offers the functionality of a full keyboard for more intensive applications. We're excited to offer such an innovative and unique design to our customers."
The Inspiron duo, loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium and a dual-core processor, starts at $549*, $649 with optional dock, and is available today on www.dell.com in the United States, and in the United Kingdom on Dec. 2 on www.dell.co.uk. Through the holiday season, Inspiron duo is also available in retail, exclusively at Microsoft Stores and on www.store.microsoft.com. Availability in other regions will be announced soon.
"The work done to develop Dell's innovative new Inspiron duo is evidence of our close partnership efforts, combining the versatility and adaptability of Windows 7 with the creativity of Dell's unique flip hinge design to create a distinct and exciting new form factor," said Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows consumer marketing at Microsoft. "And, given that the Microsoft Store has been named the exclusive retail partner during the holiday season, we're excited to extend this collaboration to offer this one-of-a-kind design to holiday shoppers."
From Touch to Type in Seconds
In tablet mode, with its screen facing outward, the duo is the perfect entertainment companion. Dell's innovative new duo Stage software provides easy touch access to music, video, an e-Bookstore through the BookStage** application, games and the Internet. The bright and gorgeous 10.1-inch high-definition display is also perfect for viewing videos.
Opening the lid and flipping the screen inward reveals a chiclet keyboard making traditional, productivity applications like e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations a breeze. Additionally, a built in Web-cam, integrated Wi-Fi and optional connectivity choices such as Bluetooth and 4G mobile broadband make it even easier than ever to stay in touch with friends and family.
For even more fun and versatility, Dell offers an optional Inspiron duo Audio Station dock with built-in media card reader, JBL speakers, two additional USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet adapter and battery charger. When docked the Inspiron duo serves as the ultimate alarm clock, digital photo frame or top-notch music player.
For kids, the Inspiron duo is great for play as a touch tablet. Flip the screen and it's ready to help mom and dad organize their calendars. Students can watch videos or listen to music in touch mode on the way to class before flipping the screen to type notes or write a term paper in type mode. Also great for travelers, the Inspiron duo is a perfect on-the-go companion – watch movies or surf the Internet in touch mode, and organize itineraries, write a blog post or manage photos and music in keyboard mode with pre-installed Windows 7 Home Premium.
You Can Tell It's Dell
Dell is supporting its strong product portfolios with a new consumer marketing campaign, "You Can Tell It's Dell." The campaign, which began rolling out earlier this month, highlights the differentiated experiences and benefits of Dell's consumer products. "You Can Tell It's Dell" is part of the company's overarching "Power to do More" branding effort that emphasizes the company's commitment to deliver products and services across all segments, including large enterprise and public, that help customers grow and thrive.
"We are bringing the differentiated aspects of our products to life in new creative that is blanketing the television, as seen in the spot for the Streak 5, and on the web in the viral video for the new Inspiron duo, which garnered more than a quarter-million views in its first 72 hours," said PH Ferrand, Chief Marketing Officer for Dell's CSMB business. "We're committed to delivering the best products and the best customer experience, and we are bringing those twin aspects to life in our marketing campaigns, so our customers will see, hear and feel the Dell difference."
Dell Inspiron duo Specifications
* 10.1-inch HD (1366x768) display with capacitive multi-touch and HD accelerator for smooth HD playback; flips from touch to type * Windows® 7 Home Premium installed * Dell duo Stage software * Integrated 1.3MP Webcam and digital microphone * Two USB 2.0 ports; one headphone port * Intel® AtomTM N550 dual core processor (1.5GHz) * 250GB, 5400 RPM and 320GB, 7200 RPM hard drive options*** (vary by region) * 2GB RAM DIMM DDR3 800 MHz**** * Optional Inspiron™ duo Audio Station dock with 7 in 1 card reader, JBL speakers, two additional USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet adapter; charges battery while displaying photos or digital alarm clock * Additional details provided at product availability
duo Stage: The Perfect Keep-In-Touch Interface
Dell's new user interface, duo Stage, makes using the Inspiron duo in tablet mode even better. Dell duo Stage lets families and students quickly access their favorite content as well as a collection of creative applications. The new interface presents instant access to collections of music, photos, videos, games, e-books** and other applications. For instance:
* Touching the MusicStage tile reveals an individual's personal music collection. * The VideoStage organizes personal videos and downloaded TV shows and movies and gives people the ability to purchase or rent content directly from partners like CinemaNow in the United States. * The PhotoStage includes integrated social networking capabilities through Facebook and Flickr so people can upload their latest photos or view pictures of their friends. * BookStage** provides a central location for storing and purchasing e-books (available in the U.S. and U.K.).
Follow conversations on Twitter and in the blogosphere: #DellDuo
Key Links:
Inspiron duo: dell.com/inspironduo
Inspiron duo Image Gallery
Inspiron duo Direct2Dell blog post
Dell Facebook: Join the Conversation
Video: Dell Inspiron duo on YouTube
About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they need and value. Dell printers are available direct from Dell and from Dell's more than 50,000 partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.dell.com.
*Foggy Night color comes standard. Fastback Red and Marlin Blue available at additional cost.
**BookStage: Not a Dell offer. Customer will be required to set up an account with Blio. e-Book purchases occur between the customer and Blio, and are subject to the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Blio: http://www.blio.com/1000/en/terms.htm. Availability and terms vary by region.
***Hard Drive: GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and operating environment and will be less.
****Graphics & System Memory: GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; significant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors.
We wish we had better news about our hands-on success here at the Acer global press conference, but because all of the company's Android tablets will run Honeycomb / 3.0 or Google's "tablet OS" most of the units just weren't functioning. The 10.1-inch, dual-core Tegra-powered version was the only unit that would power on, and though we did get to see it blaze through some HD video, for the most part it was very sluggish and clearly acting like a pre-production unit. As far as the hardware goes, the display was bright and surprisingly had decent viewing angles. Acer's been notorious for using terrible LCDs, so this is quite a nice change! Oh, and as you already knew, it does have two cameras.
We eventually convinced a very nice Acer rep on hand to bring out the 4.8- and 7-inch devices for a hardware demo -- both of them were also very early units, but they did look nice from afar with glossy black screens and brushed metal backs. The phonlet's 4.8-inch, 1024 x 480-resolution screen (it has a 21:9 aspect ratio!) makes it much wider than a Streak, and reminded us a lot of the LG GW900 (may it rest in peace). We told you we didn't have much in the way of impressions, but hit the gallery below for some more hands-on shots and the break for a quick video of the 10-incher in action. April can't come soon enough, can it?
Acer's Global press event today focused primarily around its Clear.fi content sharing system and a slew of new hardwareintroductions, but there's one tidbit of software news that seems too significant to ignore. Here shortly, Acer will begin pre-loading its newfangled Alive digital content platform onto its machines. Hard to say if that includes tablets and smartphones, but the screens we're seeing today lead us to believe this is a desktop-only affair for now. Acer's playing this up as being "more than an app store," but there's no question that an app store lies at the heart. A cornucopia of partners (Intel, Zinio, Adobe, etc.) will be providing content, and newly pushed material can be easily viewed via Twitter or Acer's own Channel concept. Five main sections will be present: Listen, Watch, Read, Play and Application. Both free and paid content will be supported, with users in the UK and Italy getting first access next month. Mum's the word on how long it'll take to spread elsewhere, and there's no mention at all about an SDK for developers. Something tells us this will end up as more of a collection of apps from various app stores than anything else, but at least we'll know for sure in just a couple weeks.
Discover and enjoy digital content with the Acer Group
New York, November 23rd 2010 - alive is the brand-new platform for Acer Group customers to fulfill their daily needs for relevant digital content discovery and consumption, across all devices and across all operating systems.
It is a unique starting point for users, allowing them to browse, search, access, purchase, stream or download and play any type of digital content.
alive is much more than a traditional content store, as a large breadth of free and paid content is presented to users via real-time feeds directly managed by content providers. Content updates are as instant and discoverable as Twitter feeds, allowing users to be regularly notified when there's something new and interesting for them to discover.
alive is the Acer Group's next generation store where Content Providers can plug in and publish their content directly to Acer Group users, who will then find an extensive offer of both global and local content.
alive is personal. Users can fine tune their preferences and leverage a sophisticated recommendation system that shows content relevant to them. Instead of surfing across a myriad of web sites and online services to get what they want, alive will help users by proposing what they might find relevant.
Content discovery is enhanced via the innovative Channel concept: users can browse, select, subscribe and then follow all their favorite alive Channels, which are related to specific themes, like for example music artists, movie genres, top games, book authors, etc. Content Providers will be able to offer a vast array of Channels, finding new and innovative ways to present their content, differently from what they do via a web site or via a traditional service.
alive addresses five key usages to embrace the whole digital universe: - in the Listen section alive will offer music, audiobooks, radios, podcasts and other types of audio entertainment content - in the Watch area alive will provide movies, TV series, TV Channels, video podcasts and other types of short videos, like Music videos - in the Read section alive will deliver e-books, e-magazines and e-newspapers as well as single news, articles and blogs - in the Play area alive users will be able to find games of any kind - in the Application section alive will offer all the most common application categories, like Business & Finance, Lifestyle & Leisure, Learning, Travel & Navigation, Productivity, etc.
alive is social. Users will be able to post and share reviews and comments about the content they like in one click thanks to a direct interface with all the most popular social networks in each geography.
Customers can keep all their content purchase history in their MyLibrary section and share them across different Acer Group devices.
The unique alive interface will be pre-installed on all new devices or will be downloadable online by existing Acer Group customers and it will offer a unique user experience customized by device type.
Purchase of premium content or subscription to premium channels will be easy and in one-click. Users only need to create a unique account on alive and register their credit card details only once.
Starting from the initial version available to selected users in UK and Italy in December, alive will then be rolled-out in the first quarter of 2011 and made available progressively across all Acer's consumer devices worldwide, including netbooks, notebooks, smartphones and tablets.
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alive: enhancing the Acer Group consumer experience through a wealth of trusted content
New York, November 23rd 2010 - Stemming from the desire to complete the circle of services and solutions offered by all Acer Group brands, alive is the brand-new platform that adds content, convergence and continuity to the Acer Group product mix.
alive lets users discover and enjoy a rich variety of digital content. But that's not all. alive provides them with content related to their personal interests, whether it's music, movies, books or games. Last but not least, as alive content is managed directly by content providers, it is instantly updated any time there is something new and relevant, allowing users to be constantly up to speed with their interests.
The purpose of alive is to enhance the ownership experience of Acer Group products through a rich and varied choice of content. alive offers content from a variety of trusted Content Providers, that are able to offer high quality content both globally and locally, ensuring the interests of users worldwide will be catered for irrespective of cultural and language differences. In this way, users will always find what is most relevant to them: whether it is the last blockbuster action movie or local news from their area.
This stunning Acer solution is the result of collaboration with key partners with extended and proven experience in their respective fields: Buongiorno, supporting the alive store backend, AKQA for the user experience, and Acxiom, who will work closely with Acer on the alive recommendation engine.
Starting from the initial version available to selected users in the UK and Italy in December, customers will find content published by several trusted Content Providers that stand out for their large and diversified selection.
This is only the beginning, as alive is open, active and dynamic, thus able to grow and adapt to better meet users' personal needs.
The list of content providers for alive include:
7 Digital: gives alive customers access to the largest licensed MP3 catalogue in the world available across 100 alive channels, including soundtracks, best of pop and more.
Acetrax: with over 2,000 titles available from top Hollywood studios to Rent or Buy, to stream or download.
Adnkronos provides alive users with breaking news and real-time up-to-date videos and pictures about Italy and World's main facts and events, along with reports about Health, Labor, the Environment and the Arts.
AudioGo: offers a wide range of audio books, ranging from comedy shows, dramas and factual programs from the BBC radio, to complete readings of best-selling fiction and non-fiction. Initially, the high quality content will be available across 16 channels.
Audiotube syndicates over 8,000 high quality independent music videos via the alive platform. Audiotube's music pedigree, enhanced by its partnership with Dolby, will enable alive consumers to experience exceptional audio and video quality and sets a new industry standard.
Casual Games, a global game supplier, makes thousands of casual games from the most talented games developers available through the Acer platform. The games will be available in several channels to cater for different consumer tastes.
eBooks Thousands of ebooks and top new publications will be available from leading UK and Italian book publishing houses through a leading European supplier of eReading technology solutions, there will be tens of ebook channels hosting thousand of ebooks.
Gruppo Espresso will provide "La Repubblica", a leading Italian national newspaper, in a multimedia edition with photo galleries and videos, including all local editions and weekly attachments.
Muzu provides alive users with free access to 10,000 music videos from a broad range of the Biggest and Best Artists, catering for all music tastes. Muzu will launch with 10 Channels including The Official Top 40 and Artist Of The Week.
Zinio for beautiful photography, in-depth reporting and reliable quality reading, Zinio offers, the most popular magazine titles from around the world, all through alive.
ADOBE alive will be one of the storefronts for Adobe InMarket, delivering thousands of Adobe AIR® applications to consumers.
INTEL Intel provides alive with compelling applications coming from their Intel AppUpSM center.
Acer's dual-screen Iconia laptop is bold, for sure -- eschewing a physical keyboard for another display -- but its LCD panels are also mighty glossy. If you've got a light in the vicinity above you, there's gonna be glare -- we saw it on stage, and we just saw it now in person. That said, the screen is clear and the touch functionality is pretty clever (five fingers open up a widget where you can scroll through other touch-friendly apps). The keyboard, on the other hand, is pretty hard to use -- even the rep admitted there's a learning curve. You can't rest your fingers down without hitting something, of course. We managed to browse to Engadget, but it took several tries. Check out the photos below!
Whoa, what's this? Tucked between a fresh-out-of-the-oven Android tablets is a new 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet from Acer, and it looks as if this fellow will be gracing store shelves long before its Google-based brethren. Boasting an ebony motif and more gloss than a man could ever know what to do with, this (also unnamed) device will measure 15mm thick and weigh under 2.2 pounds, and while we're still left to wonder about the screen resolution, HDD size or memory amount, we are told that it'll use AMD silicon. It's not often you find an AMD-based tablet, so we're more than eager to get our paws around this thing and see how it compares to Qualcomm / Intel-powered alternatives. And judging by this image above, Acer is planning a docking solution in order to make it more useful at home -- an idea we saw revealed at Computex with ASUS' Eee Pad. Other tidbits include a pair of 1.3 megapixel cameras (one rear, one front-facing), inbuilt WiFi and 3G and February 2011 ship date. Now, if only we had a price to pore over...
10.1" Windows Tablet: Versatility in a tablet form factor Acer's range of tablets also includes a 10.1-inch device offering an extremely innovative solution that combines touch screen user-friendliness with the comfortable experience of a physical keyboard. In fact, the tablet comes with a docking device that includes a full-size keyboard and more connectivity options to enhance the user experience.
Thanks to this simple solution, this tablet will provide optimal ergonomics and ease of use both on the go and at your desk. Thin and light (only 15 mm and less than 1kg), and with a 10.1", high resolution display, it's easy to carry around and really unobtrusive. This tablet ensures outstanding entertainment and a superior touch experience.
The tablet will run on the next-generation AMD platform and will be equipped with two 1.3MP cameras, one rear and one front-facing, allowing you to take pictures, record video, chat and videoconference. Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity lets you keep in touch with your world at all times.
Available February 2011
Technological developments are changing the way we interact with devices. No longer a single product but a multitude of instruments with diverse form factors and display sizes designed to meet the specific connection need of that particular moment, allowing the digital individual to stay connected and interact with his world, anytime, anywhere.
Social networks, music, email, instant messages, photos, videos, chat and the web have become essential in everyday life. The content we produce, and the availability and accessibility to it at all times is what drives us towards new instruments.
Interaction, connecting, sharing and mobility. Welcome to the Acer tablet.
Acer may be calling this "100 percent smartphone. 100 percent tablet," but something just doesn't add up there. That being said, we have to agree that a 1024x480 screen resolution on a 4.8-inch smartphone is downright drool-worthy. Clocking in at just a smidgen smaller than Dell's Streak, this here phone (no finalized name has been bestowed quite yet) was just revealed at Acer's Global press event in New York City. It was only shown briefly, demonstrating an unknown version of Android and the "evolution of Acer UI." Specs wise, there's a two megapixel front-facing camera, eight megapixel rear camera (with LED flash), 720p video recording, a six-axis Gyroscope + accelerometer package and LED edge lighting. Per usual, Acer's keeping a lid on any pricing estimates, but it'll be shipping out to gape-jawed customers everywhere in April 2011.
Update: We've got the full PR after the break, which informs us of the atypical 21:9 aspect ratio in use here as well as its "full metal body." Curiously enough, it's also rocking a curved back (is that a trend we spot?), Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n WiFi, HSDPA support, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and an HDMI output. Delicious, all the way around.
New York, November 23rd 2010 - The new Acer smartphone with the soul of a tablet perfectly combines the capabilities of a smartphone with a tablet-like format: a huge 4.8" widescreen with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a super cool chassis.
Its revolutionary design , characterized by a stretched out, thin and slightly curved shape, makes it a fascinating device that will not go unnoticed. Its full metal body, enriched by subtle wavy patterns, conveys a sense of timeless elegance. What's more, it offers a perfect fit in your hand thanks to its smoothly curved back and minimal width (64mm). The front is entirely dominated by the extraordinary, multi-touch, high resolution 4.8" screen, with 4 keys: Home, Search, Back, and Menu. While on the back there is an 8MP camera, complete with LED Flash.
This truly innovative device is perfect for fashion addicts or tech savvy people looking for the latest and cutting edge technology available ensuring superior browsing and excellent multimedia entertainment.
This latest Android smartphone is extremely powerful, guaranteeing long-lasting fun. It will also be able to wirelessly control all the multimedia content of your home environment, thanks to the integrated clear.fi media sharing system.
IDEAL FOR BROWSING • No limit in assessing any web sites with the same user experience as using a traditional PC, so web sites don't need to be resized and adjusted, thanks to its exceptional resolution of 1024x480 and a very large 4.8" screen (12.2cm diagonal), there is no need to zoom in on web pages, or to scroll left & right. The only thing you need to do is scroll up & down, just like on your PC. • Fast and fully featured, the Android browser offers: multi-touch, Java script optimization, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support, and multiple page opening. • Ultra-fast high-speed connectivity via HSDPA @ 14.4 and WiFi N for data connection. • Bluetooth 3.0
GREAT FOR MOVIES On the 21:9 screen you can watch a movie in its original format, for an engrossing cinema-like experience. What's more the LED backlit display uses the same technology as TV showing super bright and vivid images; to top it off, Dolby Mobile technology delivers vibrant, immersive sound. Not enough for you yet? Thanks to DLNA technology or the HDMI cable, you can connect it to your TV to view your content on an even bigger screen!
POWERFUL Inside the product beats the powerful 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which, in addition to the large screen, turns this smartphone into a perfect game console. Together with 6-axis motion sensing (Gyroscope + accelerometer), this smartphone will exceed any gaming expectation. Equipped with an 8MP camera and LED flash, and a 2MP front camera for high quality IP video calling. With a screen resolution of 1024x480, more content can be displayed on screen, in all regular apps, such as, Contacts, Google Maps, Email, Instant Messaging conversations, etc.
100% Smartphone, 100% Tablet: a revolutionary experience for people who want it all!
Shocker of shockers, folks -- Acer's getting into the tablet game, too. With the holidays too close for comfort, the outfit's giving everyone pause that was considering that janky Android tablet on sale for Black Friday. All jesting aside, the flagship 10.1-incher looks quite interesting, boasting a dual-core 1GHz processor, an HDMI output and a native 1280x800 (!) screen resolution. You'll also get a 5 megapixel rear camera, an "HD" front-facing camera for video calling and full multitouch support. Hard to say how many clams it'll cost ya, but at least there's an April 2011 ship date to mark down. Moving on, the 7-inch tablet (also unnamed as of now) packs the same screen resolution, a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm CPU and the same Flash 10.1 support -- so far as we can tell, the "Android Tablet OS" Acer speaks of is Froyo, or Android 2.2. That one's also coming in April of next year, and you can bet we'll be scrounging up more details as soon as we can.
Update: PR's live after the break, and here's what's new. The 10.1-incher boasts a 13.3mm thick shell, 1080p output over HDMI, a ten-point multitouch system and an inbuilt Gyroscope for gaming purposes. The 7-inch sibling seems mostly identical save for the screen size, packing a dual core CPU, DLNA technology, WiFi and integrated 3G.
New York, November 23rd 2010 - Acer enters the tablet arena with a very clear objective in mind: complete its range of products in support of its goal to simplify content consumption – a strategy which began with the development of Acer's multimedia sharing system, Clear.fi.
Acer's strategy is based on the concept of sharing multimedia content and enjoying it across any device, and Tablets are ideal devices for this purpose. With close to 19 million tablets sold worldwide in 2010, 54.8 million units expected to be sold in 2011, and 208 million units forecasted for 2014, the market seems to confirm this idea.
Mobility, which has always been part of Acer's DNA, finds a new form of expression in the range of tablets on offer, which feature various display sizes and models designed to fit different kinds of usage scenarios.
Weight and display size have a huge impact on the user experience. While devices with bigger screens are used to share and enjoy content, smaller devices are often used to create content - taking photos, recording videos or sending messages.
A 10.1" Android tablet for a superb mobile and home entertainment experience Sleek, smart and full of innovative features, the 10.1" full capacitive touch screen tablet with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity ensures an optimal on-screen experience from every angle. Aluminum casing provides a cool look and feel, while its high gloss finish decorated with engraved patterns creates a subtle sophistication. And despite being just 13.3mm thick, it's powerful enough to guarantee fun and productivity whether you need it .
Designed for HD entertainment, this tablet comes with a high resolution, high color contrast display, allowing you to play or share HD video with your friends wherever you are. Complete with a built-in HDMI port and 1080p capability, you can also use it to enjoy multimedia content in Full HD on your big screen TV. But the best of all is that on this tablet you will be able to run and play premium HD arcade games and complex online 3D games, thanks to the 10 point multitouch and gyro meter control, that guarantees an entertainment experience on par with the best game consoles.
Available April 2011 7" Android Tablet: the epitome of mobility Don't be fooled by its ultra-compact size: the 7" tablet is fully featured and takes your mobile experience to the next level. On the 7" (1280x800) 16:10 aspect ratio full touch screen, you can enjoy games, photos, videos while keeping up with your emails or your favourite social networks. Video chat or record a video with the front-facing HD camera. With HDMI support, hooking it up for a big screen video experience is easyier than ever!
The 7" inch tablet will feature a dual core processor with Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support for the fastest HD Web experience and multimedia playback anywhere. And for a truly amazing sound experience, it will come with Dolby Mobile Technology. Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity allow fast and easy connection to available networks, while DLNA support makes sharing your multimedia on other devices easier than ever.
Here in New York at Acer's Global press event, the company's talking touch. Lots and lots of touch. It'll be introducing a veritable smorgasbord of equipment as the minutes roll on, but it's kicking things off with its Windows 7-based Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet. For all intents and purposes, this is Acer's version of the Toshiba Libretto W105 (or that far-flung ASUS concept we saw at CeBIT 2009), boasting a pair of glossy touchscreens and no hard specifications to speak of. Naturally, you won't find a keyboard here -- rather, a virtual one will emerge from the secondary panel. There's also a fairly slick media management system that's obviously gesture based -- some real potential there. We'll be digging for details surrounding a price point and release date, but for now, have a gander at the image above and just imagine how it could revolutionize your life.
In related news, the company also teased its new Clear.fi media sharing system. As the story goes, it's a cloud-based system that's designed to play multi-format content over multi-platform devices, enabling any number of gadgets to talk to one another in order to make content visible and shareable with any other device. So far, it looks as if that could apply to movies, games, photos and music, but it's a single-house affair for now. So long as there's a router and a WiFi connection nearby, any Clear.fi-enabled device should be able to share, search and consume.
Update: The full PR is now after the break, and we've gone hands-on with the device right here! We've also scored the specifications -- she's running Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and is equipped with an Intel Core i5-480M / 560M / 580M CPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, a pair of 14-inch multitouch displays (1366x768 resolution), integrated Intel HD graphics (128MB RAM), VGA / HDMI outputs, an inbuilt microphone and a S/PDIF interface. There's also a 320/500/640/750GB hard drive, Acer's CrystalEye webcam (1280x1024 resolution), 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0+HD, integrated 3G WWAN, gigabit Ethernet, a four-cell battery and a total weight of 6.18 pounds. Closing things out, there are a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 jack and a one-year warranty.
New York, November 23rd 2010 - Not so long ago mobile computing devices with touch screens were only found in science fiction. Now Acer presents ICONIA, a new concept device set to add a brand new tablet experience, combining the versatility of a conventional 14" form factor with a unique dual-screen layout and highly intuitive all-point multi-touch functionality, which means you can use all the fingers of your hands to navigate ICONIA.
If you are looking for a different and innovative approach to personal computing, look no further. With its two all-point multi-touch displays Acer ICONIA offers an enhanced content consumption experience and brings the interaction with the tablet to a new level.
Multimedia, entertainment, communication, web browsing and office productivity seamlessly flow across the dual screen, allowing users to set the best scenario for what they are doing. To improve readability of web sites or documents, the window can be spread across both screens. But the dual screen also means you can do one thing in one screen and something else entirely on the other: you can browse a website on the top screen and view the contents of your favourite folder on the bottom one or you can watch a video on the top screen and check out your multimedia library in the other.
"We took this insight and created a range of easy to use devices with touch technology including Smartphones, Notebooks, AIO PCs, Tablet and our latest addition, the ICONIA Touchbook: this level of commitment to touch technology is something no other PC vendor can compete with." states Jim Wong Acer Inc. Vice President and ITGO President. "The Intel® Core™ i5 processor together with our experience with touch technology has allowed us to completely remap the user experience to create a far more natural interaction with our devices.
"Intel is proud that our close collaboration with Acer has helped to deliver the world's first 10 finger multi-touch dual-screen notebook with an exciting and innovative end-user experience, powered by the Intel® Core™ i5 processor," said Mooly Eden, vice-president of PC Client Group, Intel Corporation. "Combining the adaptable and energy efficient performance of the Intel® Core™ i5 processor with Acer's Iconia provides new and immersive ways to seamlessly view and interact with your favorite videos, photos, websites and movies".
Both 14-inch displays have HD 1366x768 resolution, high-brightness Acer CineCrystal™ LED-backlit TFT LCDs and take advantage of cutting-edge technologies supporting all-point multi-touch for precise on-screen input. Protected by the ultra-thin yet durable Gorilla® Glass, the displays are scratch and fingerprint resistant, easier to clean and offer the same touch functionality.
ICONIA is designed to provide the optimal all-point multi-touch experience on a dual-display tablet. This is why Acer equipped it with a full range of intuitive and easy to use features and applications that fully exploit the countless possibilities of multi-touch technology. The starting point to launch ICONIA's touch features and controls as well as applications is the Acer Ring.
The Acer Ring appears simply by placing five fingers on the screen and making a grab gesture. The Acer Ring allows you to start touch applications by scrolling through the App cards and tapping on the one you choose. The Ring also provides fast access to: Virtual Keyboard, Gesture Editor, Window Manager, and Device Control Console.
The Virtual Keyboard can be launched from the Acer Ring or by placing both palms on the bottom display. The intelligent design senses the position of the user's palms and launches the keyboard. It comes with a full-size QWERTY layout with international language support to give users the same experience of a traditional physical keyboard and features predictive text input for natural-speed typing while avoiding mistakes. The Virtual Keyboard also includes a touchpad and a numeric keypad and can be easily switched to handwriting mode. With all these functionalities you won't miss the traditional physical keyboard!
With the Gesture Editor you can set customized gestures to launch specific applications, open websites, view your desktop or lock your computer. The Gesture Editor offers you a simple and intuitive way to personalize ICONIA to best suit your needs.
Window Manager allows users to organize the various application windows on the double touch screen. Windows and applications can be moved across displays, so you can always have what you need where you need it. Plus, you can browse through a list of running application, and resize, dock or close windows.
A wealth of built-in touch applications designed to easily manage content provides a seamless experience. Besides those already implemented on Acer's touch devices, such as TouchBrowser, TouchPhoto, TouchMusic and TouchVideo, allowing an enhanced browsing experience with on-screen gestures to zoom, rotate, flip and scroll and to access and enjoy your multimedia from an integrated touch-optimized interface, ICONIA includes three new ones: SocialJogger, My Journal and Scrapbook.
SocialJogger lets you gather and check updates from Facebook, YouTube and Flickr in all in the same place, taking advantage of the dual screens to check posts and updates on the bottom display and use the second display for exploring and viewing more content.
You can use MyJournal to collect web clippings on your preferred topics. Web clippings are dynamically updated to display all the latest information and can be categorized and displayed according to your needs. Simply tab on a collected Web Clip to display the full webpage on the top screen for a complete access.
Scrapbook lets you easily store clippings, posts and just about anything else from different sources in the same place. You can capture screen shots from the web or an application, edit them and add notes. You can create photo collections with notes and comments. You can also add your scraps to presentations, and documents. Scrapbook helps you keep track of anything you find interesting, funny or valuable and share it!
Acer ICONIA is based on the Intel® Core™ i5 family of processors, delivering smart performance for multimedia, social networking and other demanding mainstream applications.
A fusion of the latest and best technology, ICONIA can also be equipped with 3G connectivity, for total freedom, while an HDMI™ port guarantees high-definition viewing and the Dolby Home Theater v3 provides vibrant audio for an immersive sound experience.
The result? An outstanding entertainment experience!
ICONIA offers an entirely new computing and touch experience. Are you ready?
***
About Acer Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 7,000 people worldwide. 2009 revenues reached US$17.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com for more information.
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Acer Clear.fi: a new way of saying 'share'
The media sharing system that keeps your multimedia life together
New York, November 23rd 2010 - There's a universe of content that is constantly changing, passing from tangible to virtual and back again. There's also a world of devices, itself under constant change, that allows users to both share and enjoy multimedia files.
Each device spawns a range of different uses and, as a consequence, a range of different libraries. Finding, sharing, storing and transferring these libraries quickly and easily is rapidly becoming an emerging need.
It is one thing to anticipate a new need; responding to it is another thing entirely.
Acer did just that.
Clear.fi is the Acer media sharing system based on the idea that it's easier if all multimedia content is simply brought into a single system with a common interface. No matter where they are.
Clear.fi works straight out of the box, automatically detecting the Clear.fi-enabled devices connected to the wireless home network, and then allowing all digital content stored on any of these to be shared seamlessly with the other devices using the Clear.fi media interface.
There are no limits to the Clear.fi scalability: any Acer branded device will have Clear.fi embedded, and can instantly join the wireless home network and share stored multimedia.
Take a photo on your smartphone and when you get home, it will be available straight away on your notebook or TV. Edit a video on your PC and you can watch it back on your TV straight away. When a friend comes to visit you with his wedding album, Clear.fi immediately detects his notebook and the image library; just select where you want the content appear be played and it's done.
Multimedia content is collected and displayed all in the same window. What's more, it can be played or moved across the network seamlessly, with no need for physical drives (USB key, external hard disk, etc.) The unique interface delivers a common user experience.
Music, Video and Photo icons are always displayed on the top left corner. Beneath these you can find the list of sources where multimedia are stored: • Library – local disks • Shared libraries – Video, Music and Pictures folders from all the connected devices • Web resources – direct access to the most popular social networks (Facebook, Flickr, YouTube).
Once the source is selected, content thumbnails appear in the middle of the screen. You simply click on the one you want to play and the Clear.fi built-in player takes care of the rest.
On the top right corner, a list of actions you can do is always displayed: Play to – reproduces selected content on the connected devices of your choice Save to – saves any content on the PC you are using or another one Publish to – allows you to post videos on Facebook and YouTube or upload images to your Flickr and Facebook accounts
Acer's focus on different PC usages led to the development of a new and rich range of devices that have broken the barriers between people and technology.
Barriers that are not only physical - format, weight, battery life – but also virtual: simplifying the way devices interact with each other means removing virtual barriers and this dramatically changes the way users interact with content.
Thanks to Clear.fi, Acer enables multiple users to keep their multimedia life together, organized and ready to be shared and enjoyed.
12:22PM Liquid Metal in the US? It's been picked up by Rogers, but for the US... while the company is working with AT&T and T-Mobile (no CDMA), no word on what phone might come out.
12:18PM Q: "Do these tablets have names?" A: It' something we need to register. Some tentative names, internally. Should be figured out in the next few weeks.
12:15PM Q (from us!): Anything on Chrome OS? A: Google has its own agenda on when to announce before commercial launch. Google is doing "something" in December, Acer is joining with consumer launch early next year.
12:07PM All tablets will start under Acer brand. In the future, Gateway tablets are in the cards.
12:06PM Q: How many tablets do you want to sell next year, and what was the availability? A: Plan to see them available from February / March, Q1. Windows probably February. Android, "depends when Android tablet will release / be available." Don't want to introduce Android with a phone OS>
12:05PM Q: Will it work on other operating systems? A: Not sure, but we think so. Wong was pretty vague.
12:03PM Q&A time! All the execs have taken the stage.
12:02PM We're now getting a presentation of the alive store on touch. Decently smooth, albeit some bit of lag.
12:01PM Alive is launching in UK and Italy starting December 20th (Windows 7 clients), followed by "several European, Asian countries and Americas" by Q2 2011. And then cross-device and cross-platform by end of first quarter next year.
12:00PM Initial content providers include Adobe, 7digital, Acetrax, Intel, Kowalski, CMS, Zinio, La Republica, URRA, APogeo, Muzu.TV, AudioGo, and more.
12:00PM 2,000 titles "from Top Hollywood studios." More than 15,000 music videos. 8 million songs. Thousands of e-books, top news pubs, newspapers, magazines, and "thousands casual games."
11:58AM Alive recommends: "the mroe you use alive the better it'll become at suggesting things you'll like." It's smart functionality, we'll admit, but next-generation?
11:57AM Price note: Iron Man 2 is 10.99 British pounds, and expires 2013. Better watch soon!
11:56AM Purchases are stored as meta-data in the cloud, so you can access from wherever.
11:55AM Acetrax is a launch partner for movies / video.
11:55AM Can also sort by categories, and... well, you know how this works. It's a pretty standard app store presentation, although we will say the user interface is pretty slick.
11:53AM It's very... colorful. Listen, watch, read, play, "get apps" and "See everything" are the top functions. Some highlights below, and various content selections below that.
11:53AM Cloud management -- you can watch what you purchase whenever. We're now being treated to a screenshot.
11:51AM "It's feeding the user interface where you're in, in real-time." Also, "global-local," in the sense that Acer is a global company that understands local needs. Or something. "We're only relying on famous and well-known content providers [globally and locally]."
11:49AM "What's different compared to the thousands of stores you can find around?" Yes, we would love to know that. Apparently that's "real-time."
11:48AM "People need to enjoy their relationship and interaction with their devices." People are losing the interaction. Lamenting over the Old Times, when one would go to the music store and get new purchase suggestions.
11:47AM "Introducing the concept of a new, next-generation store." He'll explain why it's called "next" generation... soon. Not yet. Don't keep us waiting!
11:47AM "The definition of product is something tied into your personalities. Something that's impacting your experience, everyday interacting with the world." Lanci looks bored.
11:45AM Gianpiero Morbello, Acer's VP for Marketing and Brand, to talk about the store -- alive.
11:44AM "I am..." free, fun, expected, everywhere. Lots of hip kids interspersed with bouncing text. Sensory overload. "I am... alive."
11:44AM Now to discuss the "next-generation store," here's... a promo video.
11:43AM Jim Wong is off the stage.
11:42AM A "thank you" is now in order.
11:41AM Aceer Revo touted as a multimedia center. "Connect it to your LCD display and enjoy any of your multimedia contents directly to your TV."
11:40AM YouTube is listed as a source but not a destination (Facebook and Flickr are considered both). Local storage and connected devices are also filed under the sources.
11:39AM The UI puts the sources in the left column, the destination in the right column, and that chunk in the middle? All the content (video, photo, music -- note: not games) is in the middle.
11:38AM "All you need is a router and a WiFi connection." Auto-discovers connected devices, and from there it's easy to search media files. "No more than a simple 'drag and drop' to play,s ave media files to the connected devices or publish to social network." We see icons for Flickr, Facebook, and YouTube.
11:36AM ... and "sharable" with any device in the house (i.e. same WiFi network).
11:36AM Clear.fi is a media sahring system. "No more DVDs / CDs / USB keys." Seamless streaming. Content is immediately "visible" on any device.
11:34AM "With clear.fi, when you download content to one device, it's immediately available to all others. Clear.fi also works with touch technology computers." Simply download what you want to any clear.fi-enabled device. You can assign to a compact storage device. "Within seconds, you can enjoy your own personal library." Looks like that applies to games as well as movies / music.
11:33AM Hardware's over -- that's so 45 seconds ago. And now we're onto clear.fi. Promo video time!
11:33AM 1.3MP front camera, 8MP back camera with LED flash, HD 720p video recording. 6-axis motion sensing. LED edge lighting.
11:32AM Not slowing down! "100 percent smartphone. 100 percent tablet." Launching April 2011. Ultra-wide 4.8-inch screen with 1024 x 480 resolution. Android (doesn't say what version). "Evolution of Acer UI."
11:32AM A 7-inch tablet -- still aptly called "7-inch tablet." Same resolution, 1280 x 800. Also launching. April 2011. 1.2GHz Qualcomm dual core with Flash 10.1 support.
11:30AM Something tells us this isn't the "Android Tablet OS" at the moment; looks like a stretched-out Froyo. HDMI output (720p), 1280 x 800 resolution.
11:30AM April 2011 launch time. 1GHz processor with Flash 10.1. "Google Android Tablet OS" and Acer UI 4.5, 4MP rear-facing camera.
11:29AM Now at the next table, all the way down the catwalk (yeah, the catwalk -- last time we use that joke, we swear). A 10.1-inch Android tablet.
11:29AM It shows the keyboard coming up with only five fingers this time, before the second hand pops in, although we suspect that's just a commercial error. We'll know for sure when we get some hands-on time soon.
11:28AM Time for an Iconia promo video!
11:27AM HDMI output, the screen is 10.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800 resolution). Promotes 720p.
11:27AM Coming February 2011. A Windows 7 machine. Dual cameras (1.3 megapixel), pretty slim, we gotta say. AMD dual core processor.
11:26AM Next up, a 10.1-inch convertible tablet.
11:26AM "A more direct and engaging experience" to allow users to use fingers to interact with the system. Wong: all touch gestures are created by Acer on top of Windows 7. SDK for that being offered beginning of December.
11:24AM "What we want to highlight here is one more thing." A touch browser. The page bleeds from the top screen to the bottom, and there's controls on the very bottom of the secondary display.
11:24AM Media management on the bottom, video on the top screen.
11:23AM "When I put five fingers on display, it shows Acer menu." Access to touch-friendly video, photo, and browsing pages. Slides along a circular pop-up.
11:21AM "Essentially you have an intelligent touch engine. Intelligence to know what you're doing." Which is a nice way of saying, ten fingers equates to "I want a keyboard." Stretches across entirety of bottom display.
11:21AM Put both hands on bottom display, and it responds to the gesture to pop up the keyboard.
11:20AM When not used as a second traditional dispaly, there's a horizontal windows management function for the bottom screen.
11:20AM The second LCD is in lieu of the keyboard. Looks very glossy from here. Running Windows 7. Management tools in place to allow windows management.
11:19AM First up is Iconia, "a true touch excellence. Looks like a dual-screen notebook with two LCDs.
11:18AM Five devices to be introduced, all with touch.
11:18AM Touch lineup! Here we go. "Rather than tablet-only, there's a lot of uses for touch. We think about touch. It should have the complete experience itself." Productivity, entertainment, information accessing.
11:17AM A platform for how the devices will interact with each other.
11:16AM "A change in behavior, and a change in what consumers want." Two tables have been set up on the catwalk. Jim Wong, senior corp VP of Acer / President of ITGO, takes the stage to talk "interact."
11:16AM Important to make sure same user experience across all platforms. And with that, Lanci is dropping from the stage. Next!
11:14AM "We're also going to announce today... a new generation of store." For music, video, newspapers, gaming. You hear that? Another new store! O, calloo callay! Will work on any Acer device.
11:13AM Cloud computing lesson. "Doesn't matter where the content is stored. From one devices to another. Not only traditional PC or smartphone world." Last, when you talk about content, people are becoming a lot more demanding. "When you look at the internet user, big percentage is browsing and emailing, but then you start to see music, video, gaming."
11:12AM "First concept, but you will see the level of different application that you can do with it." Still no hardware to see, but hey, we know it's coming!
11:12AM Tegra CPU -- "very good with video management and gaming." Also going to introduce a totally new concept. "It's what we call dual PC tablet." Redesigned completely for touch experience. Ten-finger detection, gestures.
11:11AM "Today we're going to announce an entire family of tablets." Five, seven, and ten inches. Variety of systems. Productivity, gaming.
11:10AM "With the combination of devices on one side, and content on another. Different form factor, different solutions. Customers require different solutions." Much more dynamic that what we've seen in the past... can we get to the tablet now?
11:09AM "I think we will see the next years, 500 to 600 million new internet user. And more than two-third of these users will be mobile users. If you think about mobile devices, smartphone / netbook / tablet... something of a half billion units."
11:08AM "User they want to control and manage the media they get." We get the feeling this is going to be a long event, grab some popcorn.
11:07AM "When you think about content consumption, you might start to think about a number of different devices. Because the needs are different." Music, news, gaming, reading. "I think we will see the future a variety of form factors and devices." And you know what that means -- yes, likely a multitude of new Acer products with a dizzying number of model numbers. Or so we guess.
11:06AM Acer is number one in PC, "almost" number one in mobile.
11:05AM "Technology is part of work, is part of social life, but people can have very different perceptions... of technology. And this is why define the theme of these event 'interact.' Whether they like it or not, they always use technology. They use it in a lot of different ways."
11:04AM "Today we are here to see what we want to do in terms of digital convergence."
11:03AM CEO Gianfranco Lanci takes the stage! "Welcome to New York again." Third time Acer's been here and have had global press conference.
11:02AM "We've reached yet another level" with the upcoming device. Three speakers are being planned to talk about "our vision, our strategy, our devices. And how those devices are being tied" with services.
11:02AM First Acer exec takes the stage to talk about -- what else -- the catwalk. "Beautiful people in beautiful clothes" with unhappy model faces. "Hopefully today will be happy."
11:01AM In case you haven't noticed, there's a cat walk. Yeah, there's a catwalk. We're just about to begin!
10:58AM We're here and in our seats. Gianfranco Lanci is just chillin' right across from us.
Hey, remember the time when Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci got on stage, ripped a netbook in two and unveiled its Android tablet? Us neither, but who knows, it might all happen in the next hour or so. We're there covering it live, and the action is supposed to start around 10:15AM 11:00AM ET. Join us!
HP's unceremoniously added the G62x to its previously released G62m and G62t models. The 15.6-incher boasts an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU unlike the Core i3s that the G62m and G62t models pack. Other than that, all three are identical, with 16:9 aspect ratio panels, WiFi, an HDMI reader, three USB 2.0 ports, and a 6-cell battery. The G62x is the lowest end, budget-minded laptop of the group, and has a starting price of $430. It's available now over at HP.
Texting has taken over mobile networks, and now it's destined to overwhelm our emergency responders as well. According to Wired Epicenter, the FCC is looking to follow in the footsteps of those trailblazing Iowans and expand its 911 services to allow emergencies to be reported via text message, and while at first glance that may sound silly, we can think of some times when it could make a lot of sense. Let's say there's someone in the house and you don't want them to know where you are -- texting is a lot quieter than talking. Or let's say the aliens are attacking and you don't have time to stop running -- a text is a lot quicker, too. The FCC is also apparently looking at receiving MMS and even streaming video so that you could send pictures and footage of their hugely advanced tactics. If these efforts are successful perhaps we can survive the coming trans-dimensional menace for just a little longer.
We knew good and well that Android 2.2 was sneaking out and making itself active on Dell's unlocked Streak units, but now it seems that the backlog of older units has been cleared. That has made way for new stock over at Dell's US site, with a 16GB Carbon Black unlocked Streak going for $579.99 with Froyo from the factory; the 32GB model is listed at $678.99. Curiously, that 16GB model is $30 more than what the unlocked Android 1.6 model went for back in August. Also, we're left to assume that even the "unlocked" models will still be SIM-locked to AT&T, though Dell does play up the fact that unlocked Streaks can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to eight WiFi-enabled devices without ponying up extra to Ma Bell. In related news, the long-awaited Cherry Red Streak is also on sale in the US of A, but you'll have to flip to page two down in the source link in order to find the 32GB and unlocked variants. Good luck wading through the options, champ.
Dish Network took another step towards its ambitious TV Everywhere plans -- not to be confused with Comcast's and Time Warner's TV Everywhere partnership -- by releasing the Android version of its Dish remote access app late last week. This nicely completes the provider's suite of mobile offerings, which have already been available on the iPhone, iPad and certain BlackBerry phones. The catch is that to take advantage of the app, Android users must own a Sling-enabled Dish device like the ViP 722 / 722k HD DVRs or the recently released Sling adapter. With the necessary hardware though, the app turns smartphones into a control freak's best friend, working as a remote control, a DVR manager, and a Sling-powered media streamer to view recorded or live programming over Wi-Fi or 3G. That's a pretty nifty feature set considering it costs a lovely low price of free, and it's certainly more robust than mobile offerings from Comcast, Time Warner, or DirecTV. In other words, when it comes to getting the most from your your paid TV service while on the go, it appears the underdog satellite company can certainly dish it out.
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DISH Network Introduces America's First True TV Everywhere Offering Newly-Introduced Sling Adapter Allows Live TV Viewing on iPhone®, iPad™, Android™ and BlackBerry® Devices
November 18, 2010
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- DISH Network L.L.C. today became the first pay-TV provider in America to introduce a true TV Everywhere™ offering, giving DISH Network subscribers the ability to watch all of their live and recorded television programs on compatible smartphones, tablets and laptops. DISH Network subscribers can access these features when they download and use the DISH Remote Access application in concert with their broadband-connected, Sling®-enabled receiver.
"DISH Network is proud to be the first pay-TV provider to bring our customers the ability to enjoy their TV anywhere, anytime on a variety of popular devices," said DISH Network Chief Marketing Officer Ira Bahr. "Unlike mobile viewing from cable and telcos that limit access to select programs, our TV Everywhere services give consumers 24 x 7 access to all of the live and recorded content included with their DISH Network programming subscription."
Introducing Sling Adapter
To enjoy the live viewing capability of DISH Remote Access, consumers need to be DISH Network subscribers and have a Sling-enabled device such as the newly-released Sling Adapter™ – a small placeshifting device that pairs with DISH Network's ViP® 722 or 722k HD DVRs. With a Sling Adapter, customers can then view their high-definition or standard-definition DISH Network programming, including live and recorded shows, on compatible mobile devices or laptops. The award-winning Sling Adapter is powered and operated through a USB connection, offering an easy, plug-and-play set-up without the need for any other wires or connectors. The Sling Adapter is available for $99 to new and current DISH Network customers.
The DISH Remote Access app is free.
Mobile Applications, Available Today
The DISH Remote Access app provides the following features:
* Enjoy live TV programming from all subscribed channels, * View all DVR recordings, * Manage recordings and delete shows, * Use a mobile device as a remote control.
DISH Remote Access is powered by SlingPlayer Mobile™ technology for support of 3G and WiFi-enabled phones, laptops or tablets, including the following devices*:
* iPhone® & iPod touch®: Watch your TV on your iPhone's Retina display. You can download the app now through the iTunes Store®. * iPad™ (TV viewing coming soon on iOS 4.2): Catch your favorite TV shows, live and in HD, on the iPad's crystal-clear 9.7 inch screen. The DISH Remote Access app is currently available through the iTunes Store and will soon be updated to provide full-screen TV viewing for the iPad. * Android™: DISH Network offers full support for the fastest-growing smartphone OS in the world. DISH Remote Access for Android devices is available for 4.3-inch display smartphones and tablets, and can be downloaded through the Android Market using your device. * Windows® & Mac® Computers: DISH Remote Access allows high-definition TV viewing on Windows and Mac systems. DISH Network subscribers can log in to DISH Remote Access at DISH Network's website to use the service. * BlackBerry®: DISH Remote Access means your BlackBerry is no longer just for business, unless your business is watching your TV anywhere and anytime. The beta app is available for Bold (Models 9700 & 9000) and Curve (Models 8520 & 8900) through the TV Everywhere section on DISH Network's website.
*DISH Network will continue to expand its menu of compatible devices.
For more information about the Sling Adapter, DISH Remote Access and other DISH Network TV Everywhere products, visit www.dish.com/tveverywhere.
About DISH Network
DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides more than 14.2 million satellite TV customers, as of September 30, 2010, with the highest quality programming and technology at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy industry-leading customer satisfaction, the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.
About Sling Media, Inc.
Sling Media, Inc., an affiliate of EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is the leading provider of video placeshifting products and services for consumers and television service providers. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox® that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones. For more information, visit www.slingmedia.com.
SOURCE DISH Network L.L.C.
For further information: Francie Bauer of DISH Network L.L.C., +1-720-514-5351, press@dish.com
We've never been on the volunteer cheerleading squad for FM transmitters; in our experience, they're downright useless in cities or other areas that actually have a large amount of radio stations nearby. But we'll hand it to New Potato Technologies -- this may be the slickest implementation yet. The newly announced TuneLink Auto looks like a typical cigarette adapter charger at first glance, but within, there's technology that accepts audio over Bluetooth and then sends it out over FM. This prevents users from having to connect a dongle of any kind to their iPad, iPod touch or iPhone, but the built-in USB port is actually capable of charging all three should you choose. There's even a 3.5mm output jack for channeling the tunes to a 3.5mm input on your head unit, and the (necessary) accompanying iDevice app should hit the App Store soon for absolutely nothing. The hardware itself is available now from New Potato for $99.99, and it'll hit "select retail locations" in a fortnight or so for the same amount.
TuneLink™ Auto [App]cessory™ is the First True Wireless Car Bluetooth to FM and Direct Audio Input Solution for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
WILMINGTON, NC - (MarketWire - November 23, 2010)-New Potato Technologies, an innovator and developer of iPod, iPhone and iPad accessories, today announced the release of TuneLink Auto for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
The TuneLink Bluetooth interface for in-vehicle audio is the first car audio solution that provides a wireless link between the user's iOS device and vehicle sound system. TuneLink is universal, operating over FM or direct connect to your auxiliary (AUX) input.
TuneLink allows users to experience their music through their car speakers without the hassles of wired connections while providing an all-in-one car audio experience. Incorporating a best-of-class Bluetooth transceiver, FM transmitter and advanced fast-charge isolated USB charging port, TuneLink brings real innovation to a digital audio accessory market that is crowded with clunky docks, cabled solutions and poor-performing dongle-based FM transmitters. The TuneLink hardware device is controlled by a free application downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Once the app is downloaded, using TuneLink is as easy as PLUG IT, PAIR IT, PLAY IT, SHARE IT! ™ Innovation is at the core of TuneLink and many of the features in both the hardware and the software app have never been attempted before.
In addition to providing convenience and quality, TuneLink addresses driver safety by keeping users' focus on the road. "New Potato is addressing the hot-button topic of distracted driving head-on in TuneLink. It switches from music to your existing Bluetooth headset when a call comes in. When the call is finished, TuneLink switches back to playing your music. The Bluetooth switching is all done without the user having to do anything. It's great, you never miss a call or a tune and you do it all without taking your eyes off the road" said Rick Case, Vice President of Sales for New Potato.
Unlike existing car audio solutions that connect to only one device, TuneLink features a "Share" function, allowing multiple users to share the same TuneLink Bluetooth connection and play their music wirelessly through the same car speakers.
TuneLink features a 2.1 amp fast charge port to allow users to connect and charge their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad on the go. Innovative "humbuster" noise elimination technology from New Potato ensures that users experience the highest level of audio quality possible while using TuneLink. In an industry where true innovation has been lacking, TuneLink provides users with a feature set and level of quality that is unmatched and sets the bar for in-car audio experiences. "In our view, a great car solution should be heard and not seen. We have created TuneLink to be small, portable and stealthy to serve this vision. We have delivered a high fidelity Bluetooth car audio solution with new innovations such as automatic reconnect, our audio sharing modes, and our exclusiveHumbuster noise eliminator that will dazzle and delight even the most discriminating audiophile" says Stuart Ross, CEO of New Potato.
TuneLink works with all A2DP Bluetooth capable iPhone, iPod touch and iPad models. For more information on TuneLink, please visit www.newpotatotech.com. The TuneLink [app]cessory is available now at www.newpotatotech.com and in mid-December at select retail locations for $99.99.
About New Potato Technologies
New Potato Technologies is a consumer electronics company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, and focused on extending the amazing iPhone, iPod and iPad platforms into new innovative areas.
For more details on TuneLink and New Potato, visit newpotatotech.com
Mmm, overclocking. If you've been looking to treat yourself this holiday season, there's hardly a better way than with a shiny new gaming PC. Better still, a shiny new gaming PC with a liquid-chilled processor... one that just so happens to be warrantied with a 4.6GHz clock speed. Digital Storm's Hailstorm desktop is now available with a so-called Sub-Zero cooling system, which is described as a series of TEC peltier coolers that work in conjunction with other high-end liquid cooling components to keep Intel's Core i7-980X from boiling over. On the high-end rig, you'll also get 6GB of DDR3 memory, a trio of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (1.5GB) GPUs, a 1200-watt power supply and a bank-breaking $6,903 price tag. Cost-conscious consumers can opt for two lesser systems, with a $4,390 build being equipped with a Core i7-950 and the $3,899 unit creeping by with only a single GTX 460 GPU. But hey, what's a few grand among friends? Promo vid is after the break.
Digital Storm Debuts Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System
Innovatively designed cooling apparatus pumps a deluge of below 0ºC freezing liquid enabling overclocks of 4.6GHz & beyond
Fremont, Calif. - (November 22, 2010) – Digital Storm, the predominant name in computer system integration and engineering, proudly debuts the Formula 1 of high-performance computing: the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System. With this new system, Digital Storm offers an unrivalled PC gaming experience that unlocks overclocks of Intel's i7-980X CPU up to 4.6GHz, while idling the processor below 0ºC.
Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System The Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System delivers freezing liquid to the CPU, completely smothering any heat it encounters. Designed and tested over months of research by the industry's most performance focused engineering team, the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System is specifically designed for enthusiasts and hardcore gamers who are driven by the pursuit of more performance and power.
At the core of the Sub-Zero is a series of TEC peltier coolers that work in conjunction with other high-end liquid cooling components. Previously, enthusiasts were relegated to bulky phase change systems to achieve radically low temperatures to maximize performance. Now enthusiasts can achieve unmatched overclocking potential with increased reliability since the core of Digital Storm's Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System has no moving parts.
"The R&D conducted on this liquid chilled system has been the most labor intensive, but rewarding initiatives ever attempted by our engineers," commented Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development. "With constant innovation happening in the hardware space, the demands on our engineers to design systems that optimize these components are unyielding. The Hailstorm gaming computer with the new Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System fully maximizes the potential for each component like no other system we've ever built."
Digital Storm's Hailstorm gaming PC with the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System is available for purchase at www.DigitalStormOnline.com. The base configuration for the Sub-Zero Liquid Chilled System configuration has a starting price of $3,899.
"I think everyone in the known world will want them!" That's a potent, soul-stirring quite from Honolulu's own Becky Gray, and her emotions tend to mimic our own. We mean, who wouldn't want a pop-up MicroLite dongle affixed to the bottom of their remote? For a limited time of indefinite nature, free-spending consumers can actually get not one, not two, but three of these miracle workers for the tidy sum of just $19.99*, enabling them to light up a full trio of cut-rate remotes. Better still, you can use two of 'em to illuminate the keyboard of your shiny new 13-inch MacBook Air -- you know, because Apple decided this solution was better than its own integrated one. There's an unrealistic video demonstration embedded just past the break, and it's just a Billy Mays (rest his soul) short of awesomeness. Order now!
*Along with a likely laughable shipping and processing fee, of course.
The Dev-Team Blog was just updated with a new redsn0w version 0.9.6b4 jailbreak (based on Geohot's Limera1n bootrom exploit) for iOS 4.2.1. Unfortunately, iOS device owners won't find jailbreaking as easy as navigating to a website. And the 4.2.1 jailbreak is currently "tethered" so owners of the iPhone 4, iPad, and newer iPhone 3GS and iPod touch models will have to reattach to a PC or Mac to boot into a jailbroken state each time your device loses power or needs a reboot. Those of you who rely on the ultrasn0w unlock should hold off for now -- good advice for anyone not comfortable with terms like "SHSH blobs" or "Cydia." Everyone else can hit up the link below with a detailed how-to provided by Redmond Pie.
Remember how confusing it was back in May when ASUS introduced a bunch of tablets it called Pads and a sort of digital notepad it called a Tablet? At least some of that messy naming scheme has now been rectified thanks to the merciful renaming of the Eee Tablet to the new Eee Note EA800 moniker. It's stil the same 8-inch (768 x 1024) monochrome display, offering 64 levels of gray and 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, backed by 4GB of integrated storage, a 2 megapixel camera, voice recorder, and built-in stylus silo. WiFi is of course a given, and there's a microSD slot and a 3700mAh battery somewhere inside that matte black shell as well. If things do go to plan this time, we should be seeing plenty more of the Eee Note at January's CES. We're penciling it in already.
A tipster is shopping this device around the tech blog circuit this morning claiming it's the first of two "iPhone killer" Olympus Tegra 2 smartphones from Motorola. At first glance, it looks like a Motorola Defy. Closer inspection, however, reveals a slightly elongated speaker above the Motorola logo, different volume controls down the right-hand side, and possibly a front-facing camera top-left. We've already seen the words "Motorola" and "Olympus" cohabiting in the official UPnP Forum with bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi confirmed by the Bluetooth SIG and WiFi Alliance. What this is, we can only guess. See a second snap after the break.
Still holding out on nabbing a pico projector? We know, we know -- you'll leap when there's 1080p. But if you're kosher with baby steps, Microvision's newest entrant might just fit the bill. The SHOWWX+ is a revamped version of the ouftit's original PicoP-based SHOWWX, and it seems that a full year in the engineering lab has enabled the company to pop out a device that's 50 percent brighter, yet the exact same size. The internal battery can keep the 15 laser lumens shining for two solid hours, and there's also a 5,000:1 native contrast ratio. iDevice users will be elated to know that this guy is a Made for iPod, iPhone and iPad product, enabling it to output Netflix content without any DRM issues (or so we're told). The native resolution still checks in at 848 x 480, and if all that sounds just peachy, you can get one headed your way today for $449. Head on past the break for Netflix and Rage HD demos.
Mobile Device Users Break Free from the Screen with 50 Percent Brighter Display and Simple Connection to Apple Devices
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MicroVision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS), the leader in innovative ultra-miniature laser display technology, today unveiled SHOWWX+®, the second-generation of its award-winning laser pico projector. With a 50 percent brighter display within the same slim size, SHOWWX+ enables mobile device users to break free from the small screen and project large, clear 16:9 widescreen content wherever they are, on any surface.
"We're on a mission to eliminate the squinting and huddling that occurs when mobile device users share content"
"We're on a mission to eliminate the squinting and huddling that occurs when mobile device users share content," said Alexander Tokman, president and CEO of MicroVision. "SHOWWX+ is designed to simply and quickly connect to today's hottest new portable devices so users can display and share large vibrant images and video with ease."
Taking the Mobile Experience Beyond the Small Screen
SHOWWX+ is the first laser pico projector to offer a big-screen, movie-length experience that easily slips into a shirt pocket. Boasting two hours of battery life, 15 laser lumens, a contrast ratio up to five times higher than competing products, and the shortest throw ratio of any pico projector on the market, the SHOWWX+ is the perfect accessory for expanding viewing experiences beyond a palm or pad-sized screen. Its category-leading 5,000:1 native contrast ratio ensures the SHOWWX+ produces the deepest blacks and most brilliant whites.
Touting a super short throw ratio, the SHOWWX+ displays large, bright images even in close or cramped environments, such as on the back of an airplane seat, a hallway or even an elevator. The shorter "throw" of SHOWWX+ allows users to project images that are twice as big as images from competing products from the same projection distance.
SHOWWX+ is a "Made for iPod, iPhone, and iPad" product that easily connects using the included high-quality video component cable. Users simply play media from their own device and it instantly projects. Combine an iPhone with an application such as Netflix and SHOWWX+ to get a big-screen movie experience virtually anywhere. SHOWWX+ works with many other devices as well, including mobile phones, notebooks, cameras and camcorders-anything with Video-Out or VGA functionality–casting a 12-inch to 100-inch diagonal image depending on lighting conditions, at resolutions up to WVGA (848 X 480).
Laser Displays Enable New Experiences
The SHOWWX+ is powered by MicroVision's PicoP® display engine, which uses patented laser-scanning technology to create large, vivid, uniform images that are always in focus, in the highest contrast, within the widest field of view. Unlike other pico projectors, SHOWWX+ does not require complex lenses, color wheels, lamps or LEDs. The architecture of the PicoP display engine not only contributes to the slim size of MicroVision's SHOWWX+-about the same size as an iPhone-it also allows for efficient power consumption enabling a longer battery life. The SHOWWX+ laser images are always in focus, regardless of variations in projection distance or display surface-a critical requirement for emerging ultra-mobile applications like iPhone games that use accelerometers and gyroscopes or augmented reality.
With MicroVision's laser-scanning technology, every pixel is the same intensity, creating vivid, saturated colors and brightness that are uniform from the center of the display to the edges. Lasers also produce all colors simultaneously, in a hundred-millionth of a second, avoiding color break-up or rainbow artifacts that are commonly experienced with other technologies in fast-moving video scenes, or when the projector or the viewer's head moves.
For a video overview of SHOWWX+, please visit the MicroVision SHOWWX+ micro-site.
Availability
SHOWWX+ is available now at an MSRP of $449. A full suite of optional accessories, including tripods, spare batteries, VGA connectors, car chargers and carrying cases are available on the MicroVision online store.
Playing catchup, are we? Sony's hot on the trail of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, who already have e-reading apps for the Android and iOS platforms, with its own freshly announced Reader offering set for release next month. The functionality in this upcoming slice of software will be familiar: you get to access books already purchased at the Reader Store or pony up cash for new ones, while making bookmarks, notes and highlights on your mobile device. Throw in adjustable fonts and you've got your boilerplate beginning to a decent mobile e-reader. Now you just need to pick your fave ebook purveyor.
Remember the leaked promo material for the $499.99 WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab headed to Best Buy? Well, SKU 1409447 of the 7-inch Android tablet is being promoted right now in the weekly ads on Best Buy's very own mobile site. Unfortunately, our urge to celebrate is tempered by a sneaky pic of a Best Buy "pullback" (found after the break) noting that the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab is not in fact available due to manufacturer delay. The whole Best Buy listing turns out to be an unhappy comedy of errors showing a non-existent "silver" 3G model on Sprint and wishful "Super AMOLED" display. Ugh.
You've seen it announced and teased on video, and you can now finally light up your own desk with Razer's new Tron gaming mouse. It's available right now for $100, which will buy you more what appears to be more than just a novelty mouse --you'll get a 5600dpi 3.5g laser sensor, seven "Hyperesponse" buttons, an ambidextrous design and, yes, some Tron-inspired light and sound effects. Still no indication on a release for the accompanying Tron keyboard, unfortunately, nor is there any word on that matching mousepad, which will apparently be sold separately.
Everyone knows that the only way to prove your non-conformity is to wear multi-colored headphones. At least that seems to be the theme Urban Ears is hinting at via its Tanto headphones, which are assembled from randomly colored parts at the factory -- if that somehow wasn't clear enough from the image above. Besides a terrible aftertaste of the 80s, these cans feature handmade 40mm drivers, an inline remote with a multi-function button for answering calls / controlling music, and even a microphone -- making them ironically friendly for modern-day smartphone owners. Urban Ears even includes a few additional cables to ensure the headsets work with stereo sources and Nokia phones. These vivacious fellows are on sale now for $47 in limited quantities -- if you like what you see, grab a pair before the remainder-part supply bins run dry.
Here at the Engadget HQ we're very serious about articulating the noise and action of a bow when it comes to our synthesized string instruments, and the O-Bow looks like it could be the low cost solution we were dreaming of. (No, Smule Magic Fiddle doesn't count, it's a devil "instrument" and it lies). Hacker / musician Dylan Menzies has devised a method using the optical sensor from a mouse for tracking anything with a grained surface, like a wooden stick, and using it to make a single sample synthesizer "sing" like a real bowed instrument. Unfortunately, that single sample sounds pretty terrible right now, but Dylan is working on a more sophisticated method of modeling the instrument. Until then, we'll just have to resort to giving Smule dirty looks and messing around with our Korg joystick. There's a video after the break, but don't say we didn't warn you about that sample.
Is the future of photography painted in Kubrick white? It is if you believe Nikon and Canon. We've seen the latter's concept in much more detail, and now a handful of pics from the Nikon Sapporo Showroom have surfaced, showcasing at least one similarly unpigmented design. The other two models, snapped and found via burner-images, look like more run-of-the-mill DSLRs, but the one that's causing a stir online is the all-white model that originated from DCHome forums. The original poster chimes in to say it might be the EVIL camera, but we're not exactly convinced. For starters, the body doesn't look much smaller or different than the rest of its lineup -- not exactly what we'd expect for a "new market" product, as the company reportedly wants its mirrorless shooter to be. Additionally, as noted by a number of Nikon Rumors commenters, that apparently 18-55mm lens implies it's rocking an APS-C sensor. Of course, if we saw the other side, we could see whether or not it had a viewfinder, which does narrow down the possibilities. So in conclusion, we still don't know what it is, or if we ever will with any certainty, but we're making an educated guess as to what it isn't. Got that? Good.
It doesn't appear to be especially widespread, but a sizable number of reports are cropping up on the official Apple support forums of some pretty wild issues affecting the new Apple TV when paired with certain Sony and Philips TVs. As you can see above, those issues can include a rather unfortunate pastel color scheme (apparently common on Philips TVs), while others are also reporting inverted colors, and green or black screens. As for Apple, at least some users who've contact the company about the problem say it is aware of the issue, but early reports from those who've applied the Apple TV 4.1 update suggest they haven't fixed the problem just yet. Has your Apple TV taken on a new hue? Let us know in comments, and check out a psychedelic video of the problem after the break.
Here's something you don't see every day: Verizon just put out a press release titled "Congress Needs to Update the Nation's Antiquated and Anti-Competitive Telecom Rules." Yeah, no tip-toeing around here -- Verizon public policy VP Tom Tauke straight-up says that the government should completely rewrite the Telecommunications Act, and give a single federal agency "clear jurisdiction" to enforce the law on a case-by-case basis. That's a direct shot at the FCC, which lost the Comcast BitTorrent case when the court ruled it didn't have the power to enforce net neutrality, and then provoked the ire of both industry and Congress alike when it tried to reclassify internet communications in a way that gave it the power it needed. That's also way beyond the joint Google / Verizon net neutrality proposal from August -- Verizon's gone from suggesting that the FCC make some policy tweaks to demanding that Congress start over with the law that governs the FCC itself, which is something like the difference between a screwdriver and a sledgehammer.
Now, Congress actually started to consider a revamp of telecom law in May after the FCC's net neutrality plan backfired, and while we haven't heard much about it, we're certain Verizon's emphatic support (and lobbying dollars) are sure to inject some momentum into the process. Truth be told, we'd actually welcome a wholesale rewrite of the current Telecom Act, which was last seriously revised in 1996 and in large part dates back to 1934. But why listen to us when we've got a pithy quote from Verizon? "The grinding you hear are the gears churning as policymakers try to fit fast-changing technologies and competitive markets into regulatory boxes built for analog technologies and monopoly markets." Yeah, this one's going to get good. Full PR after the break.
Congress Needs to Update the Nation's Antiquated and Anti-Competitive Telecom Rules
Verizon's Tom Tauke Calls for a Federal Framework for Policies That Protect Consumers and the Innovative and Competitive Internet Marketplace
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With a highly innovative and competitive Internet eco-system now a critical resource for consumers and increasingly important to America's economic growth, Congress must act to address telecommunications policies that are broken.
"The grinding you hear are the gears churning as policymakers try to fit fast-changing technologies and competitive markets into regulatory boxes built for analog technologies and monopoly markets," said Tom Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, in discussing the Federal Communications Commission's outdated policies. Tauke pointed out that on the issue of net neutrality, the FCC's focus was limited to how Internet service providers might degrade or block Internet traffic, and not on other sectors of the Internet marketplace where similar consumer harm could take place.
"A key reason why the FCC doesn't consider the activities of those who control operating systems or applications is that the FCC looks at the world from the standpoint of its jurisdiction rather than from the perspective of the consumer," Tauke said. "Given the outdated statute, that's somewhat understandable. But from a reasonable person's perspective, that approach makes no sense. That is why we need Congress to update the law."
Tauke spoke on Saturday (Nov. 20) at a panel called "Rewriting the Telecom Act: Has the Time Come?" at the Federalist Society's National Conference in Washington.
Tauke laid out four components to a new policy to guide the Internet eco-system: The policy should be a federal framework. Because of the innovative nature of the marketplace, the framework should not involve anticipatory rulemaking, but rather principles that allow for case-by-case adjudication. The test for government intervention in the marketplace should be to prevent either harm to consumers or anti-competitive activity. And a single federal agency should be given clear jurisdiction.
As part of any regulatory overhaul, Tauke said, safeguards surrounding cyber security and privacy need to be addressed. He also called for a revamping of the subsidy programs for universal access to communications.
Tauke concluded: "This amazing Internet eco-system is not only an economic engine for our nation, it also holds great promise for improving the delivery of health care, revolutionizing our approach to education, and improving our transportation systems and electric grids.
"That is why we cannot allow regulators to impose limits or outmoded regulatory structures on this dynamic eco-system. That is why we do need Congress to replace the current statute with one that is in sync with today's communications technology and marketplace."
Who says Intel deserves to have all the fun, huh? If you're looking to go a little counter-culture, or you just genuinely prefer AMD's silicon, iBuyPower has a new rig for you to consider. The outfit's Mage XLC X1 has been introduced into its range of liquid cooled solutions, packing a NZXT Phantom enclosure (in black or white, mind you) and a host of configuration options. AMD's Phenom II X6 1055T, 1075T or 1090T can be selected, and the whole lot of 'em will be cooled by Asetek's maintenance-free 240mm large radiator liquid cooling system. Prospective customers can also load it up with 8GB of DDR3 memory, AMD's Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, 1TB of storage space and Windows 7 Home Premium -- among other niceties, of course. Hit the source link if you're looking to say goodbye to (at least) $1,099.
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iBUYPOWER Launches Mage XLC M1 -- AMD Version of Popular XLC (Extreme Liquid Cooling) Gaming PCs
All XLC Systems now available in Black and White Phantom enclosure
El Monte, CA – November 18, 2010 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce it is adding an AMD powered system to its popular new super-cooled XLC (Extreme Liquid Cooling) line of gaming systems. The Madge XLC M1 can be configured with a AMD Phenom II X6 1055T, 1075T or 1090T six core processor cooled by Asetek's maintenance free 240mm large radiator liquid cooling system. The new Mage XLC also comes ready to do battle out of the box with 8GB of DDR3 memory, AMD Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, 1TB of storage space and Windows 7 Home Premium.
"We try to offer the highest level of customization possible across all our product lines," said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. "AMD's powerful six core Phenom processors are a natural fit with the XLC line's commitment to best in class performance through advanced cooling solutions."
iBUYPOWER is also now offering Black and White Phantom case options with the XLC line. Previously available only in red, the NZXT Phantom offers exceptional cooling solutions that include up to 7 fans - dual 200mm, single 230/200mm, triple 120mm and a front 140mm fans.
Gamers looking to get the most out of their new Paladin XLC system can take advantage of the iBUYPOWER Labs' Power Drive Overclocking Service, which overclocks the CPU by as much as 30%.
The Mage XLC system starts at $1,099, and is available now exclusively at www.iBUYPOWER.com.
Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable system at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems also come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.
For the latest iBUYPOWER news follow us on twitter.com/iBUYPOWER and facebook.com/iBuypowerPC .
John Gruber of Daring Fireball has synthesized some of the swirling rumors about Rupert Murdoch's latest News Corp venture: The Daily, an iPad / tablet-specific publication that will cost real US money dollars. Add in a touch of his own sources and it's a pretty interesting story, particularly when it comes to the future of publications and other "recurring" services on iOS devices. Gruber says that his sources (and he makes sure to clarify that his sources on this particular bit aren't from Apple) say Apple is brewing up a new billing option for apps to allow for subscription payments through the App Store. That sounds kind of boring, but the lack of real automated payment has held back some publishers. Right now a user has to knowingly tap an in-app purchase every time they want to continue their subscription, instead of letting that monthly payment float into the back of the consciousness where publications want it, and Apple also restricts app builders from getting their payments outside of the Apple ecosystem. Word is that there could be an Apple event within the next few weeks to announce all this, though it seems a stretch for Apple to rally the troops for just subscription payments and a new pub that flaunts them. Maybe they'll throw in a Verizon iPhone just for kicks!
America can't say that it wasn't sniped by Malaysia Airlines when it comes to having iPads in the airport, but we'll take late over never any day of the week. New York's JFK airport is now home to 200 iPad tablets, all of which are located within Delta's terminal. They're being installed in cooperation with OTG Management, mostly in eateries -- "Croque Madame, a French restaurant at Gates 21 and 22 in Terminal 2; and Bar Brace, a casual Italian restaurant at Gate 15 in Terminal 3." As you'd expect, customers can order food from the iPad in order to have it delivered directly to them. It lacks that certain Sonic Drive-In appeal, but the ability to also use the iPad to check your email, have a look at the latest sports scores and attempt to jailbreak it for the next patron more than compensates. OTG doesn't plan to put a time limit on the usage here (you'll still need to make your connecting flight, remember?), and its hoping to engage in a similar installation over at LaGuardia in due time. No word on whether these things will censor any and all Google searches on "uncomfortable TSA pat-downs," though.
Hold your horses, Bubsy. While it looked like there were but a few Is to dot and Ts to cross before Comcast's takeover of NBC Universal was official, folks in high places are now shaking their heads at a recent decision by the carrier. As the story goes, Comcast and NBC Universal are still in talks with the government over the proposed takeover, and it seems that a few wires were crossed in recent days; Comcast decided to announce a new management slate for NBC Universal just a few days ago, despite the fact that the takeover hasn't actually been green-lit. According to an inside report over at The New York Times, one unnamed official in Washington had this to say: "For a deal this large, and one that hasn't been approved, Comcast's behavior is presumptuous and arrogant." Of course, it's not like this trigger-pulling in and of itself is reason for the whole deal to collapse, but it certainly won't make things any easier on either company. So much for taking on those new roles (and accompanying raises) prior to Turkey Day, huh?
Show of hands: how many of you bought an Xbox 360 in its first month or so of release, five long years ago? Alright, now how many of you still use that same Xbox regularly, with zero RRoDs getting in your way? Yeah, we thought so. The Xbox 360 has been an astounding success for Microsoft and for gamers, a particularly strong feat when you consider that it was Sony's race to lose going into this console generation. Still, when you talk Xbox history, it's hard not to see that huge red smudge on an otherwise stellar record. In hindsight, perhaps it was wise for Microsoft to do such a stellar job of taking the console online, beyond all the obvious reasons: the overheating hunk of plastic and silicon in our entertainment center didn't really mean much anymore, sentiments-wise. Instead it was our Gamertags and Gamerscores and cutesy Avatars that really mattered, the true "heart" of our console.
We can't even count how many Xboxes we churned through in the past five years, with only Microsoft's most recent attempt finally solving some of the machine's egregious noise issues, but most of us stuck with the Xbox all the way through because that's where our friends were. Cute trick, Microsoft, but let's pick a slightly less expensive way to fail for the next generation, alright? Oh, and happy birthday Xbox; we'll meet you at 8pm with the pizza and the wine and the Black Ops... you just bring the sexy.
Want to re-live a bit of the launch day insanity? Check out this little trip down Engadget memory lane:
Barnes and Noble's just made version 1.5 of its Nook e-reader's firmware available. What can Nook owners expect from this latest upgrade? Well, the company says it boasts improved page refresh rates about 50 percent faster than the previous version -- which is good news as we found it to be slower than its competitors. The update -- which is available for both the 3G and WiFi versions -- is also Barnes and Noble's largest to date for the readers, and includes other fixes such as syncing across devices like the Nook's various apps (finally!), customizable folders for your library, password protection options, improved search functions and battery performance. That sure does sound like a big update to us, so go get it if you're a Nook user! Full press release is below.
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NOOK eReader Firmware Update v1.5
As previously announced, Barnes & Noble is making the largest-ever update to NOOK 3G and NOOK-Wi-Fi firmware, which is now available. The update delivers the most-requested features and performance enhancements from NOOK customers, including:
· New Features
o Sync current reading position across devices. Sync across all NOOK eReaders and devices enabled with NOOK software and apps, including iPad, iPhone/iPod touch, Android smartphones and PC.
o Customize folders and group content for My B&N Library. The My Shelves feature enables users to organize B&N Libraries by a particular subject or theme, on easy-to-organize, easily-accessible Shelves .
o Password protection option for purchases made on a NOOK device. Customers can require their Barnes & Noble account password be entered before NOOK authorizes any content download (purchases, samples and free books). This is a helpful feature customers requested for NOOKs that are shared among family members, students in a class and company employees).
o Pass code security for the NOOK. Customers can configure NOOK to lock the screen after a certain number of minutes and then require a pass code to unlock it. The pass code security feature will activate each time the NOOK does powers on, awakens form Sleep Mode.
· Enhancements
o Faster page turns. Customers can enjoy a 50% faster turn rate than the previous version.
o Improved search functionality that includes My Documents (side-loaded content) in the results.
o Additional battery and other performance enhancements
NOOK version 1.5 software is available at no cost to all current and new NOOK owners via Wi-Fi or manual download at www.NOOK.com/support. You'll find images and additional information about NOOK at www.bn.com/nook/media.
NOOK for Android v2.4
NOOK for Android v2.4 adds makes it even easier for customers to quickly browse and download new great reads from the NOOKbook Store with in-app shopping. Browse more than 2 million digital NOOKbooks and more from the NOOK for Android app, and with a couple of taps, your title or sample is downloaded and ready to read on your Android smartphone or across the complete line of NOOK devices and software.
The updated NOOK for Android also gives customers the ability to take notes and make highlights in their NOOKbooks. These highlights and notes will also sync on other NOOK apps and devices.
More information is available at www.bn.com/NOOKforandroid or download the new version from Android Market. We'll continue to provide you with news of NOOK device and software updates.
Well, SpaceX just scored a huge milestone in space travel for the proletariat: we get to come back now. The FAA just gave SpaceX's Dragon capsule a reentry license, paving the way for it to make round trips to the International Space Station and eventually even take people up there. NASA, who already has some hefty contracts with SpaceX for launches, has congratulated SpaceX over Twitter on the good news, though we're sure the few billion dollars in future business speaks volumes already. Engadget's own Chad Mumm, resident Space Destiny Enthusiast, had this to say about the momentous occasion:
"We're standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, reaching out a small, child-like hand at the stars. And then returning safely to earth thanks to FAA certification. We're on the verge of the impossible."
Sorry, there's something in our eye...
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NASA Statements on FAA Granting Reentry License to SpaceX
WASHINGTON Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA issued the following statements Monday after the Federal Aviation Administration issued SpaceX a license for spacecraft reentry:
"Congratulations to the SpaceX team for receiving the Federal Aviation Administration's first-ever commercial license to reenter a spacecraft from Earth orbit," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said. "With this license in hand, SpaceX can proceed with its launch of the Dragon capsule. The flight of Dragon will be an important step toward commercial cargo delivery to the International Space Station. NASA wishes SpaceX every success with the launch."
"Milestones are an important part of space exploration and SpaceX achieved a very important one today," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. "I congratulate SpaceX on this landmark achievement and wish them the best with their launch of the Dragon capsule."
Tethering a smartphone to get data on the go is a great way to stay online without lugging around a separate device. However, lugging around a separate device exclusively for the purpose of tethering your phone seems a bit less great, especially when that device must be plugged into a wall. Such is the Nexaria BC2, an 802.11b/g/n router that can be connected to compatible iPhones (namely the 3G, 3GS, and 4). Pop one in and, assuming you're paying AT&T the requisite extra $20 a month, it'll start beaming sweet, sweet internets out to all of your devices. Performance naturally depends on the strength of your signal, but getting a couple megabits down and one megabit up are entirely believable and respectable, though ping rates in the hundreds of milliseconds ensure you won't be racking up the headshots when connected thusly. It's yours for $189 right now if you're feeling the need.
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3G/4G Router That Supports Tethered iPhone
Posted: 21-Nov-2010 [Source: 3G Store]
[The Nexaira Business Class 2 3G/4G Router lets AT&T iPhone users create a WiFi HotSpot using an iPhone for $20 per month.]
Cary, IL -- 3Gstore.com and Nexaira are announcing the immediate availability of the new Nexaira Business Class 2 (BC2) 3G/4G Router that supports iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G tethering. Plug your iPhone into the Nexaira BC2 Router and you can instantly create a secure WiFi hotspot using the 3G connection from your phone. As an added bonus, the Nexaira BC2 Router will charge your iPhone while it is plugged in. 3Gstore.com is the exclusive distributor for Nexaira's iPhone tethering solution in the USA.
Unlike other iPhone tethering solutions, this method does not require you to jailbreak your iPhone, which can void your warranty. Simply add the appropriate data plan from AT&T's web site or the free MyWireless App and enable tethering on your iPhone (adds $20/month to your bill; can be disabled when you don't need it). Once tethering is enabled, connect your iPhone 3G, 3GS or iPhone 4 to the Nexaira BC2 Router via your iPhone USB cable and within a few seconds, your iPhone will indicate that it is in "Internet Tethering" mode. The BC2 router then serves as a WiFi hotspot that multiple WiFi-capable devices like the iPod Touch, iPad, laptop, and more can use to connect to the internet; ethernet devices can also connect via the router's LAN port. While using your iPhone as a modem, you can continue to make and receive calls as well as access all the applications that are installed on your iPhone, including send/receive email/text messaging or any other internet app.
"We are excited to partner with Nexaira and offer this exclusive feature for our customers," said Michael Ginsberg, President of 3Gstore.com. "Customers have been asking for this feature ever since tethering was officially supported by Apple last year."
The iPhone/Router tethering solution is ideal for a variety of situations:
Simple and cost-effective failover solution for home or work
Does your DSL, Cable or T1 line go down occasionally? What is your backup plan? Purchase a Nexaira BC2 Router and next time your internet goes down, you can be back up and running in a matter of seconds. Just plug your iPhone into your BC2 router and you are back online. No need to sign a 2-year contract and pay $60/mo for a data plan, simply enable or disable the tethering feature as needed and only pay when you need it.
Convenient WiFi hotspot for your home, hotel, business meeting or car
Keep the Nexaira BC2 in your briefcase and next time you need internet access on the go, you have everything you need. Open the MyWireless app and enable tethering, plug the iPhone into your BC2 Router and a few seconds later, you have a hotspot. The BC2 also provides one ethernet port, so if you have an ethernet-only device, just plug it into the router.
Affordable temporary/occasional mobile broadband option for travelers
Tethering your iPhone is a great alternative to expensive hotel WiFi, un-secured and unreliable free hotspots, or signing a 2-year contract for mobile broadband service that you only need from time to time. Pairing the tethered iPhone with the BC2 allows you to easily provide internet access to all of your devices wherever you need internet access, on your terms.
Allow iPad and iPod Touch internet access from your iPhone
On vacation and the kids have an iPad or iPod Touch? Plug your iPhone into the BC2 router and a few seconds later, all your iPads and iPod Touches can easily access the internet, even while traveling in a car.
International Customers with iPhones
As long as your carrier officially supports tethering, all you need is the Nexaira BC2 and international power adapter (sold separately) and you are ready to tether your iPhone and create a hotspot. 3Gstore.com ships to over 200 countries worldwide via FedEx.
What, you didn't think the Kinect open source community would just take a break for the weekend, did you? Microsoft certainly wouldn't want that, and after seeing how much shadow puppetry warmed our hearts, we wouldn't want it either! Thankfully, someone in this world can now track a wooden stick to emulate a lightsaber in real time, bringing one classic meme that much closer to actuality (and the promised Star Wars Kinect game not even parsec closer to release). If that's not enough, we also have a demo made that converts hand-waving to MIDI notes -- which, as creator Ben X notes, puts him one step closer to Ableton Live integration -- and a pretty pretty wild visual of body dysmorphic disorder (and a chubby cat) courtesy of the powerful open source Cinder library and a Vimeo user who goes by "flight404." If those were appetizer and two-part entree, respectively, our post-meal coffee would be a pretty sharp critique on Kinect Joy Ride -- where it seems, on at least one track, you can nab a bronze trophy by staying as still as humanly possible. All the footage you seek is after the break.
Get ready humans, because we have an all new, amazing Engadget Show fresh out of the box. First up, Josh and Paul sit down with Sprint product chief Fared Adib to talk about the birth of the EVO 4G, what exactly defines "4G," where Sprint sees itself in relation to Verizon and AT&T, and why skinning Android devices might be a necessary evil. Next, Nilay goes hands on with the fully-automated house of the future at the Savant Experience Center in an exclusive new Engadget Show segment, then joins Josh on stage for a in-depth chat with Salahuddin Choudhary, a Google TV product manager who helped create Google TV in his 20-percent time. Then, Paul, Nilay, and Josh discuss all things tablets in a raucous roundtable featuring the iPad, Galaxy Tab, and Nook Color. To round it all out, exileFaker rocks the house with some killer chiptunes music with visuals by HN_i_C. What are you waiting for? Watch it now! Hit up the video stream after the break or download the show in HD below!
Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Special guests: Fared Adib, Salahuddin Choudhary Produced and Directed by:Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Editedby: Danny Madden Music by:exileFaker Visuals by: HN_i_C Savant segment music by: Kris Keyser and exileFaker Opening titles by:Julien Nantiec
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Finished your holiday shopping already? That's good news, but if you've made any purchases from the following list of goods you might just want to think about just going ahead and taping that gift receipt right to the bottom of the box. A survey from the British Video Association shows that digital photo frames are the least-wanted holiday gadget among those who consider themselves worthy of receiving gifts this year, beating out all-time flops like foot massagers, electric shavers, and those poor bread makers destined to make a single, crusty loaf before being permanently relegated to their box. Granted this was a survey of British holiday folks and so Ma and Pa Apple Pie may have somewhat different desires, but a quick poll among Engadgeteers confirms that digi frames do indeed fall squarely in the "no, really, you shouldn't have" category. Oh, and if you're wondering what you should get your loved ones this holiday season, we can help.
Why should iOS 4.2 users have all the fun? HP has announced a deal to bring wireless printing to select FedEx Office locations, Hilton hotels, Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges, and PrinterOn guest printing locations via the ePrint app for BlackBerry. The whole affair looks pretty straight forward: Download the app from App World (or from the source link), select your email or attachment, select a location, send the print job, stop by Gadzooks for a chain wallet and a pair of JNCOs, and then swing by your ePrint site to grab your documents. Simple, right? What are you waiting for? Go, get!
Who says Intel deserves to have all the fun, huh? If you're looking to go a little counter-culture, or you just genuinely prefer AMD's silicon, iBuyPower has a new rig for you to consider. The outfit's Mage XLC X1 has been introduced into its range of liquid cooled solutions, packing a NZXT Phantom enclosure (in black or white, mind you) and a host of configuration options. AMD's Phenom II X6 1055T, 1075T or 1090T can be selected, and the whole lot of 'em will be cooled by Asetek's maintenance-free 240mm large radiator liquid cooling system. Prospective customers can also load it up with 8GB of DDR3 memory, AMD's Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, 1TB of storage space and Windows 7 Home Premium -- among other niceties, of course. Hit the source link if you're looking to say goodbye to (at least) $1,099. 
Hold your horses, Bubsy. While it looked like there were but a few Is to dot and Ts to cross before Comcast's takeover of NBC Universal was official, folks in high places are now shaking their heads at a recent decision by the carrier. As the story goes, Comcast and NBC Universal are still in talks with the government over the proposed takeover, and it seems that a few wires were crossed in recent days; Comcast decided to announce a new management slate for NBC Universal just a few days ago, despite the fact that the takeover hasn't actually been green-lit. According to an inside report over at The New York Times, one unnamed official in Washington had this to say: "For a deal this large, and one that hasn't been approved, Comcast's behavior is presumptuous and arrogant." Of course, it's not like this trigger-pulling in and of itself is reason for the whole deal to collapse, but it certainly won't make things any easier on either company. So much for taking on those new roles (and accompanying raises) prior to Turkey Day, huh?
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