We've already seen leaked images of the Olympus E-PL2, the much talked about follow up to the E-PL1. The Micro Four Thirds is expected to boast a new 14-42mm f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens, a 'direct movie' button, a high-resolution 3-inch display, and an optional Bluetooth model. From the new image above, however, we can see that there will also be an optional 'Medusa' version of the cam with a closeup spotlight for all those insane macro shots you'll undoubtedly be taking. The adjustable LED will also not require an extra battery, so this is one add-on we'll definitely be seriously considering.
Kodachrome film is iconic enough that there have now been several 'goodbye, Kodachrome' news stories, and we just couldn't resist one more. This time, our tale is of Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas (which we've had occasion to reference once before), a film processing store which has the distinction of being the final place to accept Kodachrome for development. The problem? The store has been flooded with packages of undeveloped film from all over the world as the window for its processing comes to an end. It turns out that having that distinction will get you hundreds of rolls of film a day, and Dwayne's Photo said that it would not process any films that arrived after Thursday. Yes, that was yesterday, though the mail is undoubtedly still arriving.
Pardon us if the headline is a little sensational, but this is one that we've personally experienced -- and it's not pretty. For at least the last couple versions, Android has been plagued with a couple extremely serious bugs in its text messaging subsystem that can ultimately end up causing you to text the wrong contact -- even contacts that you've never texted before. There appear to be a few failure modes; the one we definitely experience on the Gingerbread-powered Nexus S involves being routed to the wrong thread when you tap it either in the Notifications list or the master thread list in the Messaging application, so if you don't notice, you'll end up firing a message to the wrong person.
More seriously, though, there's also an open issue in Android's bug tracking system -- inexplicably marked "medium" priority -- where sent text messages can appear to be in the correct thread and still end up being sent to another contact altogether. In other words, unless you pull up the Message Details screen after the fact, you might not even know the grievous act you've committed until your boss, significant other, or best friend -- make that former best friend -- texts you back. There seem to have been some attempts on Google's part over the year to fix it; we can't confirm that it still happens in 2.3, but for what it's worth, the issue hasn't been marked resolved in Google Code... and it was opened some six months ago.
This is akin to an alarm clock that occasionally won't go off (we've been there) or a car that randomly won't let you turn the steering wheel -- you simply cannot have a phone that you can't trust to communicate with the right people. It's a deal-breaker. We're pretty shocked that these issues weren't tied up and blasted to all affected phones as an over-the-air patch months ago, but whatever the reason, we'd like to see Google, manufacturers, and carriers drop every other Android update they're working on and make sure this is completely resolved immediately.
Want to see this fixed as much as we do? Scroll to the bottom of the Google Code page and hit "Vote for this issue and get email change notifications."
Ah, so you've just been given a Windows Phone 7 handset. If that's what you'd been begging for all this time, then many congratulations; but if not, don't hit eBay just yet -- sure, WP7's range of apps is comparatively limited with its recent 5,000 milestone, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Even at its infancy, WP7 has proven to be a nice alternative choice if you want to stand out from the rest of the smartphone crowd, and don't forget its two powerful weapons: Zune and Xbox Live integration. Until WP7 gets its major upgrade early next year, our holiday guide should keep you and your new phone going for a little longer. Go ahead and read on.
Essential apps
Twitter (free) and Seesmic (free). You won't find many Twitter apps on the WP7 marketplace, but fortunately, Twitter's own app isn't bad at all, and Seesmic stands out too (as usual). The usual geotagging and picture uploading are included in both apps, but there's no classic "comment" retweeting in Twitter's official client. Seesmic has a bit of a leg up since you can add multiple accounts (including Facebook -- nice if you want to avoid jumping into and out of a lot of apps). Unfortunately for both, you'll need to manually check in every now and then for new mentions and DMs, as there's no background notification -- here's looking at you, Microsoft. If you're looking for a better solution right now...
Beezz (free). Try Beezz! It's a really classy looking Twitter app that does proper notifications on your WP7 device. Like Twitter and Seesmic, it still feels slow on updating when you're in the app, but it's a slickly designed piece of software that works as advertised... and it's free! Highly recommended.
Facebook (free). WP7 may have a pretty good Facebook integration, but that only covers the very basic features, so hardcore Facebookers will be needing this official app to get the most of out of Zuckerberg's beast of a social platform. The latest version also comes with Places and photo tagging, if you dig those things.
Flixster (free). If you're residing in supported cities, this handy app can help you decide which film to watch in nearby cinemas. In fact, out of all the Flixster mobile apps, this is probably our favorite flavor here in terms of style and intuitiveness.
The Weather Channel (free). We've been through a handful of weather apps for Windows Phone 7, but the Weather Channel provides the best and most consistent experience for getting basic weather info quickly. We're big, big fans of the live tile, which seems to update with a decent amount of frequency. If we had one complaint, it's that the app is a little on the... er, ugly side, but we can live with it.
GoVoice ($2.99). If you're a Google Voice user, you need to get this app. Not only does it give you a clean, clear interface for checking and managing your Voice account, but if you buy the full version and go through a slightly complicated setup process, you can get push notifications to your device when new voicemail or messages arrive. Well worth the money.
Pictures Lab ($1.99). We had some trouble with this during our review period with Windows Phone 7 at launch, but the app seems to be working fine, and has become a must-have for WP7 devices. Basically, the program provides a set of amazing effects and tweaks for your photos, but the nicest thing about Pictures Lab is the way it integrates with the native photo browser, allowing you to quickly jump into a photo and start messing around.
Netflix (free). If you're a Netflix account holder, you'll want this app. We've actually found that videos tend to start playback quicker than on other mobile devices we've tested, which may be a testament to the company's heavy use of Silverlight. Regardless, getting all of your Instant Queue goodness on the go with your new phone is really, really amazing.
WPTumblr ($1.29). There's no official Tumblr app for WP7 just yet, so here's a third party release that we recommend. It's not perfect, though -- there's no way to browse through each person's own posts within the app; but other than that, all the essential features are there to keep you Tumblring.
Kickbox ($3.99). In case you're not already familiar with Dropbox, it's a popular file hosting service offering 2GB of storage space for free, and then 50GB or 100GB for $9.99 per month or $19.99 per month, respectively. As a third party Dropbox app, Kickbox is surprisingly well made -- you can view many files (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, text, and audio files; unsupported formats can still be opened as text files), although uploading is limited to pictures only due to WP7 restriction.
Morfo ($1.99). This app is simply hilarious -- get a close-up shot of someone's face, then map the various facial features and you get a 3D avatar that blinks and nods. You can even watch it headbanging to your music collection as well.
Fruit Ninja ($2.99). Until Angry Birds lands on WP7, this is probably the next best thing to fuel your game addiction for the time being. Strike as many fruit combos as possible without triggering the bombs to score.
Bejeweled ($4.99). Classic addictive puzzle game from the PDA era, never gets old. Simply line up three or more gems of the same color to eliminate them before time runs out, or switch to classic mode to work on your score until there are no more moves.
Monopoly ($4.99). This needs no introduction. Perfect time killer despite the price.
Trine's Hangman ($2.99). Hangman! We didn't expect much from this game, but surprisingly, it didn't take long before the built-in leaderboard sucked us in as we progressed up the ladder. The background music (although repetitive) and Wikipedia look-up feature are also nice additions.
Daisy Mae's Alien Buffet ($3.99). Girl, guns, and aliens. Yep, sounds like a fun recipe for an action game. The objective is simple: just run and shoot, so your two thumbs will be hard at work throughout this game. Too bad this isn't an Xbox Live game, but on the bright side, there's no better way to ease your stress than shooting aliens while listening to some funky electronic soundtrack.
Twin Blades: The Reaping ($2.99). We love a good zombie slasher, and Twin Blades doesn't disappoint. There aren't many traditional platformers for Windows Phone 7 just yet, but even if this was a crowded category, we're pretty sure this title would stand head and shoulders above others. A really solid Arcade entry.
Accessories
External battery. You won't find many dedicated internal high capacity batteries and cases for the few WP7 devices right now, but we do recommend getting a USB external battery like the PhoneSuit Primo Battery Cube or a small HyperMac that'll also play nice with your other gadgets. Seriously, you'll never regret having a little backup power source in your bag -- there's no telling how much juice those Justin Bieber OTA downloads might suck up.
Cleaning. There's nothing wrong with giving your phone some extra TLC, so it's totally acceptable for you to buy dedicated gadget cleaning kits. We've already shamelessly confessed our love for the Brasso Gadget Care polish, but even a handy lint-free cloth will do for some post-meal buffing.
Tips and tricks
In case you haven't already noticed, WP7's camera app captures VGA video by default, so always remember to switch to 720p before you film your precious moments. Hopefully this will be fixed in the next OS update.
Some people don't realise this, but the back button can take you from the home screen back to the previous running app or settings page or web page. Pretty handy, eh?
Most of the games on the marketplace let you try before you buy, which is very useful considering not many publishers offer limited-time refunds like Android does.
You WP7 handset's camera roll is automatically backed up to your Windows Live SkyDrive, which gives you 25GB of storage space for free.
You can jump right into the camera on a locked device by holding down the camera button
Like iOS and Android, you won't be charged again for apps that you've already paid for previously.
Syncing media files with the Zune desktop client can be tedious sometimes, but a simple Windows registry hack can allow you grab or drop media files as if your WP7 device is a mass storage device. Sorry, no hack for Macs yet.
The above selection of apps, accessories, and tips are just a smattering of what's out there. If you've got some picks or tweaks you'd like to share, sound off in comments!
Remember just earlier this month when OffHollywood studio head Mark Pederson became the first man to own a RED EPIC? Well, now his $58,000 über camera is gone. According to REDUSER forums, the EPIC was heisted last night along with some cash from Pederson's chalet in France while he and his family were sleeping. Pederson shares on the forum that "there was a forced entry through the front door. The thieves actually entered the master bedroom while my in-laws were sleeping, and standing a foot from their bed - emptied wallet and purse. There were 6 children and 8 adults sleeping in the house." That's a scary caper worthy of a Hollywood script for sure, but thankfully no one was hurt. Here's hoping the movie-like storyline continues now with law enforcement gumshoes actually cracking the case. In the meantime, maybe Peter Jackson can lend Pederson one of his 30 RED EPICs until his own baby returns.
CES isn't just about incrementally thinner or faster hardware, you know. Some people like to bring legitimately innovative ideas to the show, such as this iPhonECG case, which does what its name suggests: it takes an ECG (electrocardiogram) reading of your heart's activity through a pair of electrodes and then communicates its findings to an iPhone 4 it can be attached to. We say it can be attached to an iPhone as communication is done wirelessly, so you'll probably be able to monitor your ticker's rhythm without the Applephone pressed against your bosom. Then again, maybe you like that. It's a free world, we don't judge. We'll be sending out our most hairy-chested editor to give this thing a proper test at the Las Vegas convention next week. Until then, scope out the video after the break.
We're not sure what happened to Japanese tech mashup artist Goteking that inspired him to stuff an Android phone and a KIRF iPhone 4 into the back of a Game Boy Pocket, but stuff them he did, along with a bank of battery-powered LEDs that -- if we're not mistaken -- spell out a Tokyo train schedule. Perhaps it's designed to be a mind trip through and through, or perhaps it's a homage to the joint forces of nostalgia and geekdom that spark daily flame wars all around the world.
Remember the $10 FastMac U-Socket that first turned up way back in December of 2009 and was then beset by a number of delays that most recently led to a promised October ship date and inflated $20 price tag? Well, it didn't ship then either, but the company is now apparently telling customers that it's really, finally getting ready to ship the USB-equipped power socket sometime next month (despite a note on the company's website that still says it's shipping "mid-December"). Anyone ordering one now will apparently still have to wait a bit longer, though -- the company apparently only expects things to return to "normal" by February.
Your long-held desire to own some authentic, Apollo-era vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried pot roast is about to be fulfilled. That's right: RR Auction is, well, auctioning artifacts from the Golden Age of the space program this upcoming January, including Gordon Cooper's father's gold and diamond 32nd degree Masonic ring and some random part of a Mercury capsule that's been mounted on a commemorative plaque. But that ain't all! To see a complete list of all five hundred items, or to get in on the action yourself, hit the source link.
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Colin, who needs his jams on the cheap. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I have been looking for a decent set of speakers that can kick out fairly good sound. Ideally, I'd use these in a bedroom, mostly for television viewing and Xbox gaming. I don't need anything too powerful as I'm not filling a gigantic room with sound. I've heard good things about Logitech boxed kits, but have also heard that soundbars are great space-saving alternatives. I'm open to pretty much anything: HTIB, soundbars, etc, but am hoping to spend around $100 or less. Thank you!"
We know, you're looking to pinch pennies in order to take that special someone out on a fantastically fine date tomorrow. We get it. But these days, $100 can actually buy you quite a bit of sound. We'd echo those positive sentiments on Logitech's boxed kits, but if anyone has any other input, comments are open down below.
Haven't heard of SBN Tech? You're not alone, but it looks like the company is now set to make the rather valiant attempt of trying to stand out from the pack of Android tablets at CES next week. Its hook, however, is that its tablet isn't actually a tablet, but an "IP Video Phone," which may or may not be similar to the device pictured above that the company's been showing off recently. Of course, while the company may be touting it as a "video phone" first and foremost, the device appears to be a fairly standard Android tablet underneath that guise -- it packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 screen, an SD card slot for expansion, and the company notes that you'll also be able to use it for email, Twitter, Facebook and all your usual Android apps. Still no word on pricing or availability, but those details should be making themselves known soon enough.
The Archos 7 Home Tablet was something of a disappointment, and Archos has shipped bigger and better things since, but the firm isn't done with the original affordable Android slate quite yet. We've confirmed with Archos that a "v2" revision is now shipping in Europe with three things the original lacked -- an accelerometer, a relatively recent version of Android (2.1) and an 800MHz Rockchip CPU. Make no mistake, those are still budget specs, and you'll almost certainly still have to hack your own Android Market on to get a full quota of apps, but it's not like you're paying any more for the extra oomph. The updated version has been spotted at Expansys for the same $200, which might actually might make it one of the best bang-for-the-buck tablets out there. Look how far we've come.
Engadget Alt, the most recent addition to the site, is something near and dear to our hearts. This a place where we can comment on (and draw attention to) things that don't exactly fit into the main stream of our coverage, yet resonate with us as writers -- and with you as readers. So, what did we learn this year? Spacecraft are prone to hardware failure, it seems, and Ozzy Osbourne's genome is a wonderful resource for scientists. And one editor-in-chief really, really digs eBoy. Aside from all that, this space has seen a number of feature articles and columns that we're especially proud of. Cruise on past the break for some of our favorites.
Growing Up Geek
A consistent fan favorite, Growing up Geek is where Engadget editors and friends of the site reflect on their youth, and help answer the one question we get asked almost every day: "how did y'all end up like this?"
Travels and (mis)adventures Our editors have chatted it up with Google's Amit Singhal, traveled to San Jose to ferret out the state of the electric auto at Plug-In 2010, and finally learned the correct pronunciation of ASUS.
And finally, geek downtime... Even confirmed workaholics like ourselves have to put down the breaking news and gadget reviews once in a while and just... you know, chill out for a while. Sometimes that might mean that it's time to switch gears and indulge our fancies for Photoshop trickery, literature, or just kickin' back and playing some tunes.
Well, that certainly didn't last very long, did it? Looks like Clear is already sending its unusual iSpot product to the great WiMAX network in the sky less than five months after its introduction. As a refresher, the iSpot's claim to fame is that it was designed to work only with iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads -- and in exchange for the crazy restriction, Clear would charge you less than $100 for the hotspot itself and just $25 a month for unlimited 4G access capped at 6Mbps down. Of course, it's easy to understand why Clear would want to forget the iSpot ever existed: its MAC address filtering was easily defeated and plagued with reports that even approved devices were being denied access, suggesting that the concept probably wasn't a solid one in the first place. For what it's worth, Clear retail stores are still selling through remaining stock if you're interested -- and the company will maintain a supply of units for warranty replacements -- but otherwise, you're out of luck.
It's the end of the year, so it's time for the boys to look back and reflect on the... oh, who are we kidding, we'll probably just do more skits. Join us below!
P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.
What a year it's been! It makes us dizzy just thinking about it, so we did what we do best: we made a list. It was a year of significant upheaval for the industry, with new categories blossoming and rampant obsolescence looming for everything else. Still, the usual suspects seemed to be to blame for most of the hubbub, with Apple, Google, and Microsoft dominating the headlines. Follow along after the break as we run you through what happened, just in case, you know, you just woke up from a 365 day coma. Or maybe you like lists. Or touching retrospectives. We don't care, just click.
The iPad arrives. The iPad would've been the biggest tech story this year even if it hadn't been a runaway success. No product has been more heavily rumored in the short history of gadget blogging, or in the slightly longer history of gadget punditry. Look, we even made a chart. What was perhaps more interesting than the fact that it actually launched, however, was the fact that consumers actually wanted to buy it. The iPad has been a major success, and has proved surprisingly difficult to replicate. Big challengers are on the horizon, however, so we'll see how long Apple can reign alone.
The PlayStation Phone leaks out. We've been waiting on a PSP 2 for a long while, but our first glimpse at a true PSP sequel (no, the PSP Go doesn't count), turned out to be an Android phone. We started out with a description and mockup of the slider handset, but before the year was out we had photos and video. The device has been all but confirmed by Sony at this point, and now all we have to do is wait.
Windows Phone 7: the comeback kid. Microsoft did it. After taking a long, serious look at itself in a cracked Windows Mobile 6.5 mirror, Microsoft threw everything out and started fresh. Its brand new phone operating system, Windows Phone 7, has received strong reviews and moderate early commercial success -- now we'll see if Microsoft can keep the momentum going and truly compete with the titans of Android and iOS.
The life and death of the Courier. Microsoft giveth and Microsoft taketh away. After months of leaks and premature anticipation, Microsoft confirmed this year that it had been working on a dual-screen tablet project dubbed Courier, but that it wasn't going anywhere. And there was much weeping.
Android takes off, the superphone cometh. Last year's Droid might've been the platform's first runaway success, but this year it seemed like every Android phone was a runaway success. "Superphones" like the EVO 4G showed the lust of the Android base for specs, and delivered a multitude of exclusive features (front-facing camera, 4G data, screen as large as a football field). Google also launched "Froyo," a significant update to the OS that really set Android apart. Sales followed, and Android's market share has ballooned to rival just about everybody.
Motion gaming goes next-gen. If you ask Nintendo, motion gaming is so 2006, but Microsoft and Sony finally got on board with their own competing products: Kinect and PlayStation Move. Both are system add-ons, and both have been selling great, though truly great games have still yet to arrive.
The internet TV box breaks through. The internet has been threatening to take over our TV viewing experience for decades, but this year it finally got a taste of victory. Thanks primarily to the ubiquity of Netflix, we've been watching a lot less cable this year. Of course, hardware helped as well, with Google TV, Apple TV, Boxee Box, and Roku products all making a bid for living room primacy. No one has the perfect box just yet, but it feels so close we can taste it.
The infamous rise and fall of the Kin. While Microsoft's cancellation of the Courier was a disappointment, the entire Kin saga is just plain embarrassing. Microsoft's splintered, competitive corporate culture pushed a sub-par product to market, and nobody but Microsoft's top brass seemed surprised that it was an utter failure at retail and as a product.
Foxconn and a little bit of perspective. While we got plenty of goodies this year, we also saw a bit of the "seedy underbelly" of how our $200 supercomputers get made. Reports of suicides at Foxconn (who produces most Apple products, among many other things) raised the issue of low wages, long hours, and difficult working conditions. After months of bad press (and innumerable "exposes"), Foxconn raised wages and improved conditions somewhat. It's still hard to feel fully satisfied with the results, but our prickly collective conscience seems somewhat sated for now.
Google's little Nexus experiment. When we scored the very first Nexus One review it was hard to tell where we were going with this phone: was Google really going to reinvent the phone distribution model and circumvent the carriers at last? Turns out, not so much. Google backed off its "experiment," and has been playing super nice with carriers ever since. Now the Nexus S is here, a T-Mobile and Best Buy exclusive, to show that Google isn't out of the self-branded phone game, it's just not planning on winning.
HP buys Palm, disinherits the Slate. HP has been chafing at its Windows bonds for a while now, and 2010 made the tension clear. After letting Steve Ballmer show off the Slate tablet at CES, in a weak sort of "we have a tablet, too" before the iPad arrived, HP ended up buying a struggling Palm and changing its tune entirely. The Slate turned into an enterprise-oriented device (after being shown displaying a copy of Twilight at CES, as pictured above), and HP started gearing up for webOS-based tablets. We're still waiting for Palm to build a phone that can fulfill the promise of webOS, and the jury's still out as to whether HP is a knight in shining armor, or a too-large, printers-obsessed millstone for this once darling of the industry.
Android tablets crowd at the gates. Apple re-purposed its touchscreen operating system for use on the iPad, so it made sense that Android tablets would rise as a natural competitor. The story has been much more complicated than that, however, with a tension between manufacturers who are perfectly capable of building tablet hardware (and boy are they trying), and Google, who has yet to realize a tablet-specific version of Android. Caught in the crossfire was the Galaxy Tab, a good tablet that wasn't quite a great tablet. Next year will bring Motorola's first tablet and the major Android overhaul dubbed "Honeycomb," but for now the time of the Android tablet is not at hand.
The e-reader price war. While innovations like the Nook Color and the ever-improving Kindle did much to bolster e-reader sales, the biggest innovation was much more simple: price. Amazon and Barnes & Noble engaged in a bloody price war, and the consumers won. Amazon just announced that its latest Kindle (now as cheap as $139) has vaulted past the seventh Harry Potter book as Amazon's best selling product ever, a mark well into the tens of millions.
3D tries for the living room. This was the year that you thought about buying a 3D TV but didn't. Or, this is the year where you bought a nice TV and later found out it was 3D-capable. For the most part, none of us could afford the premium 3D models, or the 3D glasses necessary to enjoy them, but we all could've bought a 3D TV set, 3D Blu-ray player (like a PS3), and a set of glasses and gone to town if we'd wanted to. And that's gotta count for something, right?
Nintendo's 3DS takes off the glasses. We might look back on 2010 and 2009 as the years that Sony and Nintendo lost their duopoly on the handheld gaming market, as iOS and Android entered scene, but Nintendo is hardly out yet. It unveiled the 3DS this year, a handheld gaming device with a glasses-free 3D screen. It was a sign of significant innovation and risk taking from a company that seems to do those things only a few times a decade.
4G and "4G." So 3D is a tough sell -- we have to pay for it outright -- but we've been paying carriers for years (in the form of big, hefty margins) to build out next-generation networks, and it really started to happen this year. Sprint launched its WiMAX network in a big way (including phones like the EVO and Epic), T-Mobile redubbed its HSPA+ efforts "4G," and Verizon just turned on some LTE. It's a whole lot of bandwidth, and we're finding plenty of use for it, trust us.
Nokia stumbles and bumbles. If you took a cursory glance at our year in coverage of Nokia, you might think we have it in for the company. Unfortunately, it's really been that bad of a year for the Finnish giant, struggling to maintain mindshare in the smartphone market, even as it dominates the low-end. CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo was pushed out, The Symbian Foundation failed in its shepherding of the OS, and Nokia's flagship N8 handset was received poorly by reviewers and consumers who wanted something a bit more modern. The great hope for next year is MeeGo, but Nokia has a lot of ground to cover in a smartphone market that already feels overcrowded.
Video calling is cool again. Just when we thought we were bored with video calls and the awkward faux-eyecontact they entail, phones started getting front-facing cameras and putting us back in the video call saddle. Sprint was at the forefront, with its EVO 4G and Epic 4G, while T-Mobile's MyTouch 4G joined in later on (all relying on Qik for service). Apple's lack of 4G kept the iPhone 4 to WiFi calls only (at least, unless you hack it), but Apple easily won the award for "most adorable video calling ad."
And that's it from us, but we're sure there's something you'd like to add. That's what comments are for! Let us know what stories made 2010 for you.
Whether you're taking the wraps off of your first HDTV or your fifth there's a few easily avoidable hurdles that can prevent you from enjoying that brand new display at its best. Now, with new internet connected TVs and 3DTVs in the mix, there's even more to consider, but we'll walk you through the minefield of figuring out how to hook that new TV up, what to connect it to and even throw in a few suggestions on where to find the stuff you like to watch most.
Cables
First on your list? Making sure everything is hooked up correctly. Surveys show an appalling number of HDTV owners have the right TV and the right services, but despite thinking they're watching high definition television, they actually aren't. When it comes to HD video cabling, these days you have two options, HDMI or component (red/green/blue) and in most cases, HDMI is going to be the only one you need/can use. If you haven't purchased a new display or receiver yet, figuring out how many HDMI inputs you'll need going in is one of the most important questions to get answered. HDMI carries audio and video on the same cable, so if you go that route, you'll just need one cable per device. Make sure they're long enough and able to fit your setup -- specialty connectors like ones with 90-degree L shaped heads designed for wall mounted displays are easy to find as long as you check before you order.
Once you're committed to procuring the proper connectors, the biggest danger is being ripped off on the pricing. While any experienced buyer will tell you to stick to online sources (Monoprice, Amazon) for cheap wiring, if you're pressed for time you can look locally but beware -- for HDMI, if you're paying more than $10 for a typical 2-3m cable you've overpaid, if the pricetag is over $20 you're being robbed and the same scale applies for most analog component wires. In the case of HDMI, its digital signal will either work or not work, it doesn't get "better" because of what the cable is made from, and unless your wiring is stretched an incredible distance the only one who sees a benefit from premium wires is the person selling them. Feel free to go back and review our mentions of various forms of cable scams but just remember -- friends don't let friends buy Monster.
Wondering about plugging in one of the new 3D capable TVs? Don't worry, your old HDMI cables will likely still work just fine (component works for older devices, but for any sources of 3D, you'll want to go digital.) During our roundup we threw more than one set of the cheapest, specless wires we could find at 3DTVs and none of them broke a sweat. Your main consideration could be elsewhere in your home theater, if you have a receiver that's not HDMI 1.4a compatible, it won't be able to pass through the 3D video properly and you'll need to replace or work around it.
Source
Just as important as how you plug in your new HDTV is what you're connecting to it -- more than a decade after high definition first came on the scene there's more ways than ever to watch. If all you want to do is watch broadcast TV, there's antenna (try AntennaWeb to see what your options for reception are like), or cable (don't assume you need a set-top box everywhere, most HDTVs have integrated tuners that can pull a few stations directly from the coax, though which ones you get will vary by area and service provider check out our explanation of what QAM means for more details) and of course satellite. Even if you have it set up by your service provider or another professional, you'll need to make sure it's been done right.
Did they use the right cables? (See section above) Yellow composite video or S-video won't get the job done. Are you tuned to HD channels?
They should be marked in the channel guide, and HD programming will usually say so as well
Make sure they're truly widescreen, and not just the standard definition channels stretched to fit -- faces and logos are the easiest indicators. (note - channels like TBS, TNT, FUSE, HGTV and far too many others frequently stretch video by themselves, so pick one of the major network, movie or sports channels to check.)
Check if you're seeing the whole picture and that it's not cropped, station IDs and tickers should be all the way within the viewable area
If you have surround sound, is it activated, is there any sound coming from the rear channels?
Blu-ray players are actually easier in their basic setup since they're designed specifically to work with HDTVs. There's remarkably little chance of messing things up and in almost all situations they'll automatically detect the capabilities of whatever you plug them into and deliver the appropriate content. If you're ready for the best in audio quality, make sure you've selected the lossless audio tracks on Blu-ray discs that include them. For the most part this applies for videogame consoles as well -- with one centralized setting for HD, every game you play afterwards will follow it on Xbox and PS3 without having to check the configuration each time. The only thing to be wary of is that neither console ships with HD cables in the box, so if you didn't grab some already then guess what, you're not playing in high definition.
If you're making the jump to 3D, things get a little more complicated. As mentioned above, cable requirements won't be any different but each device in the chain (source, receiver, display) will need to support 3D for it to work. Many of the new Blu-ray players released this year support 3D out of the box or after an upgrade, all PS3s do 3D gaming and Blu-ray 3D (with a few restrictions) and HDMI-equipped Xbox 360s will play 3D games. Getting 3D via satellite or cable can require a new box, but it doesn't always so check with your provider first. Newer hardware like the PS3, DirecTV's satellite receivers and most Blu-ray players will automatically detect and configure your display to play whatever form of 3D content you're watching so all you have to do is put on the glasses and lean back, but some older cable boxes and the Xbox 360 won't. This means manually selecting the right format each time, which can vary from one channel or game to another.
The most common and yet avoidable 3D mistake we've seen novices make? Switching on 2D-to-3D conversion on your display and thinking that's real 3D. While many TVs -- most notably those from Samsung but also newer ones from other manufacturers support the feature -- it just won't compare to anything that was originally made in 3D. Double check your settings to make sure you're getting the real thing -- The Daily Show isn't in 3D...yet.
Calibration
Once you've got the right hardware and it's all connected correctly, the next big step to make sure you're getting the most out of your TV is to calibrate it all properly. The easiest choice you can make is to be sure your TV isn't set to the wrong display mode. While some displays have decent settings out of the box, it's possible yours arrived in a mode probably marked "vivid" or "bright." While cranking up the brightness might help it stick out on store shelves under huge halogen lights, it's just blowing out the picture and wasting electricity in your more reasonably lit living room. Switching to "natural" or "movie" mode when applicable is the absolute least you can do, although you probably already have the tools to go a step or two further. THX certified DVDs and Blu-ray like the ones from Pixar come with calibration software built in that can help get all the settings at their best levels, while gamers can look for calibration help in the menus of many games they play (preferred settings often vary widely from one title to another) and Xbox 360 owners can find a calibration app in the indie game marketplace.
One other wrinkle for gamers is processing lag, while some screens are faster than others, check to see if your has a game mode that should minimize the time between when the video signal arrives and it appears on screen as it could add a kill or two to your score and definitely make a difference in games like Super Street Fighter IV. If you're not sure whether or not lag is affecting your setup, music games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Def Jam Rapstar all have built in tools to measure the difference that can come in handy.
If you have one of the new connected TVs with widgets or other internet features built in, it's probably best to check for the latest firmware updates before doing anything else. Not only can it potentially affect the results or options available to you, but with some manufacturers updates can wipe out your customized settings (Samsung we're looking at you here.) Another function to look out for is motion processing, while 120Hz and 240Hz TVs often have technology that can blend one frame into another, over 50% of our readers say they prefer life without it, so unless you like "soap opera effect" -- turn it off.
The next step beyond that is to use a special purpose calibration disc to configure all aspects of your home theater and there's more than few options to choose from. The Spears & Munsil, Digital Video Essentials andDisney: World of Wonderdiscs come to mind as effective options usable even by relative novices. If seeing helps you get an idea of the benefits of calibration better than just us telling you about it, in the following video, our friend Robert Heron from HDNationgoes over some of the options available, using the free AVS HD 709 test disc to check for 1:1 pixel mapping and measuring colors.
Pardon us if the headline is a little sensational, but this is one that we've personally experienced -- and it's not pretty. For at least the last couple versions, Android has been plagued with a couple extremely serious bugs in its text messaging subsystem that can ultimately end up causing you to text the wrong contact -- even contacts that you've never texted before. There appear to be a few failure modes; the one we definitely experience on the Gingerbread-powered Nexus S involves being routed to the wrong thread when you tap it either in the Notifications list or the master thread list in the Messaging application, so if you don't notice, you'll end up firing a message to the wrong person.
External battery. You won't find many dedicated internal high capacity batteries and cases for the few WP7 devices right now, but we do recommend getting a USB external battery like the PhoneSuit Primo Battery Cube or a small HyperMac that'll also play nice with your other gadgets. Seriously, you'll never regret having a little backup power source in your bag -- there's no telling how much juice those Justin Bieber OTA downloads might suck up.
Well, that certainly didn't last very long, did it? Looks like Clear is already sending its unusual iSpot product to the great WiMAX network in the sky less than five months after its introduction. As a refresher, the iSpot's claim to fame is that it was designed to work only with iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads -- and in exchange for the crazy restriction, Clear would charge you less than $100 for the hotspot itself and just $25 a month for unlimited 4G access capped at 6Mbps down. Of course, it's easy to understand why Clear would want to forget the iSpot ever existed: its MAC address filtering was easily defeated and plagued with reports that even approved devices were being denied access, suggesting that the concept probably wasn't a solid one in the first place. For what it's worth, Clear retail stores are still selling through remaining stock if you're interested -- and the company will maintain a supply of units for warranty replacements -- but otherwise, you're out of luck.
