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Thursday, September 15, 2011

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Citrix Receiver comes to PlayBook, RIM maintains enterprise credentials

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:32 AM PDT

RIM has always been a business thoroughbred, and this lineage continues with the release of Citrix Receiver for its PlayBook slab. Currently in beta, the remote access / virtualization tool is available via the BlackBerry App World, and boasts a smorgasbord of features sure to keep even the most tortured of Sys-Admins happy. Like? The ability to control which of your company's applications are available, multitasking, single sign-on access, and of course secure access to your enterprise systems. This ain't the first slate to offer up the service -- HP's now-defunct TouchPad had it months ago -- but at least it's keeping the enterprise happy while dodging that consumer-focused firestorm.

MSDN previews Windows 8 touch on Windows 7 hardware

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:18 AM PDT

The latest blog from Windows president Steven Sinofsky, ably assisted by Grant George and Jeff Piira, talks about Redmond's testing of Windows 8 touch on current hardware and how touch has changed the way it develops software. Using kit like the Thinkpad X201, HP Elitebook 2740 and ASUS EP121, Microsoft is realizing that the "feel" of touch to the user is more important than simple hardware performance. It's also testing manufacturers' bezel designs, graphics setups and screen cover glass in an attempt to make Windows 8 "feel right" across the wide variety of systems it will run on -- a challenge in every sense of the word. Anyone interested in playing a quick game of "spot the device" should see the pic from inside the Windows testing lab that's after the break.

Samsung Epic 4G Touch user manual leaks, offering 150 pages of glorious diagrams

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:01 AM PDT

It may not be available on Sprint until tomorrow, but the Samsung Epic 4G Touch's trusty literary companion has already made its way to our eyes (and hearts). The upcoming device doesn't hold quite as many secrets as it did merely a couple weeks ago, so perusing through over 150 pages of how-tos and FAQs may not be a tantalizing prospect unless you're dead set on purchasing the phone this weekend and want to be prepared to show it off to your pals at tomorrow night's soirée. Whatever your motivations, head to the source link to begin your adventure.

Pantech Breakout to make its LTE debut September 22nd?

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:46 AM PDT

With a powerhouse like the Motorola Droid Bionic now lodged firmly on Verizon's 4G lineup, we're not expecting very many folks to be downright impressed by the Pantech Breakout. The latest offering on Big Red's LTE network appears to be ready for its emergence in a week. The folks over at Droid-Life not only got their hands on a full spec sheet of the device, they also have come across the user manual, available for download at the source link. It looks like the Breakout will offer a 4-inch WVGA display, Gingerbread, a 1GHz single-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 1,500mAh battery and a 5MP rear camera paired up with a VGA front-facing video chat cam. No pricing is mentioned, though Pantech has a track record of being a budget manufacturer, so we're thinking this is aimed directly at the lower end of the LTE price spectrum. If all goes this doc's way, we'll be seeing the new device on September 22nd. Who's in?

Intel reveals 'Claremont' Near Threshold Voltage Processor, other conceptual awesomeness at IDF (video)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:32 AM PDT

Thought Intel was done busting out new slabs of The Future at IDF? Wrong. Justin Rattner, the firm's chief technology officer, just took the stage here in San Francisco in order to showcase a trifecta of new concepts, all of which were borne out of research in Intel Labs. The first, and perhaps most notable, is the Near Threshold Voltage Processor (code-named "Claremont"), which relies on novel, ultra-low voltage circuits that dramatically reduce energy consumption -- like EnerJ, but not. How so? Well, by "operating close to threshold, or turn-on voltage, of the transistors," it's able to scream when needed or scale back dramatically (below ten milliwatts) when the workload is light. If you're curious as to just how low that is, we're told that it's low enough to keep running while powered only by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. Sadly, the research chip isn't destined to become a product itself, but Intel's hoping that the knowledge gained could lead to "integration of scalable near-threshold voltage circuits across a wide range of future products, reducing power consumption by five-fold or more and extending always-on capability to a wider range of computing devices."

As for demos? A smattering of multicore / multiprocessor sessions aided Intel in upping its bragging rights, and we were informed that coding for multicore setups is "easier than the press makes out to be." The outfit also took the opportunity to release a Parallel JS engine to the open source crowd, adding data-parallel capabilities to JavaScript to purportedly "speed up browser-based services such as computer vision, cryptography, and 3D games by up to eight-fold." Furthermore, a newly revealed Hybrid Memory Cube -- complete with seven times better energy efficiency than today's DDR3 memory -- was also unwrapped. More details can be found in the links below, and we've got your unveiling video embedded just beyond the break.
Intel reveals Near Threshold Voltage Processor, other conceptual awesomeness at IDF (video)


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The Future Accelerated: Multi-Core Goes Mainstream, Computing Pushed to Extremes

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

* New "Near Threshold Voltage Processor" from Intel Labs challenges the computing system status quo with an experimental Pentium®-class Intel® architecture CPU delivering five times the energy efficiency and the ability to run off a solar cell the size of a postage stamp.
* Intel Labs released a "Parallel JS" engine to the open source community, adding data-parallel capabilities to JavaScript™ to speed up browser-based services such as computer vision, cryptography, and 3-D games by up to 8-fold.
* Intel Labs unveiled the Hybrid Memory Cube with 7-times better energy efficiency than today's DDR3 memory along with the highest data rates ever seen in a single DRAM device.
* Intel CTO Justin Rattner highlighted the accelerating impact of multi- and many-core computing, expanding beyond HPC with developers solving a wide range of everyday computing problems on both clients and servers.

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Sept. 15, 2011 – Citing the impact of multi- and many-core computing hitting the mainstream and new developments in extreme scale computing as examples, Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, told an Intel Developer Forum audience that the future of computing is being accelerated.

"Since 2006 Intel and the IA developer community have worked in partnership to realize the potential of multi- and many-core computing, with accelerating impact beyond high-performance computing to solving a wide range of real-world computing problems on clients and servers," Rattner said during his Day 3 keynote in San Francisco. "What we have demonstrated today only scratches the surface of what will be possible with many-core and extreme scale computing systems in the future."

Computing to the Extreme

Intel continues to push tech beyond today's limits, looking for the next big leaps that take computing to the next levels of performance with much less power consumption than is possible today. As an example, Rattner demonstrated a Near-Threshold Voltage Processor using novel, ultra-low voltage circuits that dramatically reduce energy consumption by operating close to threshold, or turn-on voltage, of the transistors. This concept CPU runs fast when needed but drops power to below 10 milliwatts when its workload is light – low enough to keep running while powered only by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. While the research chip will not become a product itself, the results of this research could lead to the integration of scalable near-threshold voltage circuits across a wide range of future products, reducing power consumption by 5-fold or more and extending always-on capability to a wider range of computing devices. Technologies such as this will further Intel Labs' goal to reduce energy consumption per computation by 100- to1000-fold for applications ranging from massive data processing at one end of the spectrum to terascale-in-a-pocket at the other.

The Hybrid Memory Cube, a concept DRAM developed by Micron* in collaboration with Intel, demonstrates a new approach to memory design delivering a 7-fold improvement in energy-efficiency over today's DDR3. Hybrid Memory Cube uses a stacked memory chip configuration, forming a compact "cube," and uses a new, highly efficient memory interface which sets the bar for energy consumed per bit transferred while supporting data rates of one trillion bits per second. This research could lead to dramatic improvements in servers optimized for cloud computing as well as ultrabooks, televisions, tablets and smartphones

Multicore's Many Uses

Multi-core, the practice of building more than one processing engine into a single chip, has become the accepted method to increase performance while keeping power consumption low. While many-core is more of a design perspective, rather than incrementally adding cores in a traditional approach, it's reinventing chip design based on the assumption that high core counts is the new norm.

Rattner highlighted the progress multi-core computing has seen since he introduced Intel's first dual-core processor at IDF 5 years ago. Today Intel's multi- and many-core processors are hosting a myriad of important applications across a wide range of industry sectors, including some surprising new uses in the rapidly advancing world of high-core-count computing.

Rattner described some of the latest applications of this technology along with the software tools and programming techniques that are enabling developers to harness the power of multi- and many-core computing in several key areas, including:

* Faster Web Apps: Extending JavaScript™ with data-parallel programming features, using a just-released experimental Parallel JS open-source engine from Intel Labs, to enable a new class of browser-based apps in domains such as photo and video editing, physics simulation, and 3-D gaming for desktop and mobile personal computers, including Ultrabooks™.
* More Responsive Cloud Services: Best-in-class increases in queries per second for Memcached applications using the multi-core capabilities of Intel's 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ microprocessor to enable the world's largest Internet sites to improve their Web app responsiveness and minimize user wait times for critical data.
* Improved PC Client Security: Parallel cryptographic and facial recognition services to improve security on Ultrabooks and traditional notebook and desktop personal computers by utilizing all of the IA and graphics cores on 2nd Generation Intel Core microprocessors in a heterogeneous fashion.
* Lower Cost Wireless Infrastructure: Collaborative research with China Mobile to replace the custom and costly base-station hardware used on cell towers today with a fully programmable and far more cost-effective, software-based PC alternative.
* Really Big Science: Unlocking the mysteries of the universe by utilizing clusters of Intel multi-core processors at CERN* to greatly improve their high-energy physics app performance and to quickly port their code to Intel's upcoming Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture product family.

Powermat and Duracell forming joint venture to 'globalize wireless charging'

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Duracell has been in the wireless charging business for quite a while now with its myGrid devices, but it's about to make a fairly drastic change of course. Its parent company, Proctor & Gamble, announced today with Powermat that the two companies intend to form a new joint venture in an effort to "advance and globalize wireless charging." That new venture will be called Duracell Powermat, and it's expected to begin operation early next year. As a result of the new arrangement, P&G also intends to make an equity investment in Powermat, although there's no word yet on how the deal will affect everyone's favorite pun-based superhero, Power Matt. The official press release is after the break.
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Procter & Gamble and Powermat Join Forces to Advance and Globalize Wireless Charging
Leaders of wireless power and consumer products align to propel fast growing consumer category globally

BETHEL, Conn. & NEW YORK, Sep 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Procter & Gamble Company and Powermat Ltd., the pioneer and leader in wireless charging, today announced that they intend to form a joint venture (JV) to bring the most innovative and compelling wireless power products to consumers around the world. As part of the strategic alliance between P&G's Duracell brand and Powermat, P&G also expects to make an equity investment in Powermat.

The last decade has seen a sharp growth of smart portable devices, which have become a critical part of our lives. Unfortunately, these same devices have become ever more power hungry, creating the need for a wireless charging technology that keeps those devices 'always ready'.

It is expected that the JV will begin operation early next year. The JV will harness the capabilities of P&G and Powermat to fulfill this common vision through unrivaled innovation and global reach. In combining P&G's strong consumer understanding, brand-building and go-to- market capabilities with Powermat's breakthrough technology, the JV will deliver an ecosystem of best-in-class wireless power solutions, under the aegis of the foremost brands in the field of portable power: Duracell and Powermat.

Wireless charging became a reality with Powermat's retail product launch in 2009, and has gained momentum since then, with millions of consumers joining the wireless power revolution. As part of this ever strengthening wave, Powermat has been chosen by General Motors and will be integrated into its cars as of 2012. Furthermore, Powermat is expanding its technology into public spaces, office furniture and major appliances. The JV's products will seamlessly interoperate with this burgeoning ecosystem.

"Several decades ago, Duracell was a pioneer in a new revolutionary product category, alkaline roundcell batteries," said Stassi Anastassov, Duracell President. "Today it is a multi-billion dollar category. In a not too distant future, we expect wireless power solutions to eliminate the hassle of multiple cords and chargers, creating a major growth opportunity. Innovation to create new solutions that touch and improve people's lives is what P&G-Duracell are all about. The JV between Duracell and Powermat puts us in the driver-seat for this disruptive category creation."

IHS iSuppli, an electronic component researcher and trend forecaster, has estimated that the worldwide retail market for wireless charging will be a multi-billion dollar market by 2015. "Powermat and P&G joining forces makes so much sense," says Marijana Vukicevic, Senior Principal Power Management Analyst at IHS. "Adoption of wireless power is growing fast, and the marriage of a proven technology like Powermat's with the global marketing muscles of P&G promises to propel consumer adoption faster yet."

Ran Poliakine, CEO of Powermat agreed: "Alkaline batteries, led by Duracell, really were one of the first wireless power sources to gain worldwide adoption by the consumer. The promise of wireless power is similarly transformational, and there is no partner more capable than Duracell -- and its parent, P&G -- to help turn this vision into a reality."

About Powermat Powermat, Ltd. is pioneering the wireless power revolution. The first company to bring wireless power to consumers in a widely available, meaningful way via mainstream retail channels, Powermat is leading the charge in helping consumers lose the cords. As the dominant market leader, Powermat's technology is scalable and embeddable, allowing it to be built directly into electronics of all kinds as well as almost any surface to create wireless energy "hubs" within homes, automobiles, airports, offices and other venues. For more information, please visit www.powermat.com .

About Duracell Part of the Procter & Gamble Company /quotes/zigman/238894/quotes/nls/pg PG +0.21% , Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Duracell products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits.

About Procter & Gamble P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Fairy(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), Braun(R), Fusion(R), Ace(R), Febreze(R), and Ambi Pur(R). With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

SOURCE: Procter & Gamble

Fisker Karma pushes deliveries back again as it awaits federal emissions certification

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:16 AM PDT

It looks like those eager to finally take a Fisker Karma EV home will have to wait a bit longer, again. This time, though, the delay is largely out of the company's hands, as it's simply waiting for final federal certification on emissions regulations before it delivers the first test vehicles to dealers. According to the company, the first of those are now expected to be delivered by the end of September, although at least some dealers apparently won't be fulfilling orders until the first week of November.

Skype 5.4 beta hits Mac with added Facebook integration

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:01 AM PDT

Skype brought deeper Facebook integration to its Windows application with version 5.5 this summer, and it's now seen fit to bring the same functionality to Mac users with the beta version of Skype 5.4. As with Skype for Windows, that will let you do things like chat with your Facebook friends, read and update your news feed, and even "Like" posts -- all from right in Skype. What it doesn't bring, however, are any significant changes to the still-controversial UI, which we're guessing will be enough to keep some folks on version 2.8.

Archos G9 tablets doing the pre-sale thing September 20th

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:53 AM PDT

We got our paws on the two upcoming Archos Android 3.2 tablets the other week at IFA -- and now it seems that you'll be able to follow suit in the near future, with pre-sale beginning September 20th. The Archos eight-inch G9 starts at $299 for the 1GHz 8GB version, going all the way up to $369 for a 1.5GHz processor and a whopping 250GB of storage. The 10-incher has a 1.5GHz processor and 16GB of storage for $399 or you can plunk down $469 for the 250GB version. The 1GHz 80 G9 starts pre-sale on September 20th through Archos and goes on sale at select retailers on the 30th. Its 1.5GHz counterpart will be hitting in October. Press info is after the break.
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ARCHOS G9 Tablets Available Starting September 20, 2011

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARCHOS, an award winning technology innovator and pioneer in the tablet market, announce the availability of its new G9 AndroidTM tablets starting on September 20, 2011. The ARCHOS G9 tablets introduced on June 23, 2011 are an unrivaled combination of speed and affordability.

With its 8'' G9 tablet, ARCHOS will be the first to market with a dual-core, Android Honeycomb 3.2 tablet under $300 featuring an OMAP 4 processor with an ARM Cortex dual-core A9 at 1 GHz for $299. Pushing the technological boundaries even further, the ARCHOS G9 "Turbo" will be the first and only Android tablet in the market under $400 to use the OMAP 4 dual-core processor up to 1.5 GHz, which gives it 50% more raw computational power over its 1 GHz competitors.

Powered by Android 3.2 'Honeycomb'

Android™ 3.2 'Honeycomb' is specially designed and optimized for tablets, giving a full web experience for on-the-go web browsing, communication and applications. With Adobe® Flash® 10.3 support for the true web experience and with the constantly growing number of apps in Android Market™, ARCHOS G9 tablets are your versatile tool for your connected life.

ARCHOS G9 tablets will include access to Android Market, which has more than 250,000 applications available for download. Whether you're after games, news, tools or widgets to personalize your Honeycomb experience, there are plenty of apps to make your ARCHOS G9 tablet your own.

ARCHOS G9 tablets also come with a suite of GoogleTM mobile applications including Google Talk™ with video chat, Gmail™, Youtube™, Google Maps™ with Street View and Navigation (beta) and Google Calendar™.

Flash storage or 250GB hard drive storage

To give you more space for your media and apps ARCHOS G9 tablets are available with flash storage and 250GB hard drive storage capacities. Using an intelligent caching system on the hard drive versions, your 250GB G9 will feel as fast and responsive as a flash device but gives you storage space to spare.

Wanting to give users the best of both worlds, ARCHOS paired the Seagate® Momentus® Thin hard drive with a dedicated 4GB flash caching system. This ARCHOS engineered hybrid solution offered on all ARCHOS G9 hard drive tablets is designed to limit spinning and to keep the drive powered down when not in use, which will protect it when on the go as well as preserve battery life.

Price and availability

The ARCHOS 80 G9 tablet featuring a 1 GHz dual-core processor will be on pre-sale starting September 20, 2011 on ARCHOS.com with the following recommended retail price:

ARCHOS 80 G9 8GB – 1 GHZ at $299

Additionally, the ARCHOS 80 G9 8GB tablet will be available online and at select retailers including HH Gregg, Amazon, Newegg, Tiger Direct, Brandsmart and Electronic Express on September 30, 2011.

The ARCHOS G9 tablets running a dual-core processor up to 1.5 GHz will be available in stores and online in October with the following recommended retail price:

ARCHOS 80 G9 16GB - 1.5 GHz at $329
ARCHOS 80 G9 250GB – 1.5 GHz at $369
ARCHOS 101 G9 16GB – 1.5 GHz at $399
ARCHOS 101 G9 250GB – 1.5 GHz at $469

Belkin intros three ways to turn your iPad into a pricey kitchen accessory

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:45 AM PDT

Belkin showed off a trio of accessories last night aimed at incorporating your shiny Apple tablet into your kitchen routine. At the top of the list is the Chef Stand + Stylus, a $40 table top stand with a rubbery stylus that lets you use the iPad without dirtying it up with your greasy mitts. The stylus lives in a holster on the stand's rear. The $40 Fridge Mount turns the iPad into a $500 grocery list, securing the slate to your fridge door with 3M Command Strips. The Kitchen Cabinet Mount is the priciest of the bunch at $50 -- but is arguably the handiest, or at least most versatile, clamping the iPad to a cabinet or shelf.
Belkin kitchen iPad stands
Belkin kitchen iPad stands
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Belkin Cooks Up Convenient Solutions for the Kitchen with Sleek, New iPad 2 Accessories

PLAYA VISTA, Calif., Sep 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Belkin today unveiled a new lineup of kitchen accessories for the iPad 2, including stands and mounts specially designed to protect the tablet from kitchen messes and make cooking more fun and efficient.

"The iPad and other tablets open up a whole new world in the kitchen and we are just now beginning to unlock their potential as the next must-have kitchen gadget," said Jamie Elgie, senior director of product management for Belkin's mobility division. "We're excited to unveil products that will make life in the kitchen easier for everyone from professional chefs and bakers to moms and kitchen novices."

Chef Stand + Stylus (F5L099) - $39.99 Kitchen-safe and made for use with messy hands, the Chef Stand + Stylus allows you to scroll through recipes without getting your iPad 2 dirty. The product features dual angles for easy viewing and a non-slip rubber base, perfect for combating slippery countertops.

-- Magnetic tip wakes up iPad 2 -- Stylus protects from dirty hands and messes -- Hand-washable -- Case-compatible -- Compatible with most tablets Fridge Mount (F5L098) - $39.99 The Fridge Mount allows you to keep your to-do list up-to-date and grocery list handy. Maximum-strength 3M(TM) Command(TM) Strips snap the iPad 2 firmly in place and attach securely to the fridge without damaging surfaces when removed.

The minimalist design stylishly keeps the iPad 2 safe and secure.

-- Easy installation--no tools needed -- iPad is easy to slide in and out -- Compatible with 7--10" tablets -- Case-compatible Kitchen Cabinet Mount (F5L100) - $49.99 Created to help free up valuable counter space, the Kitchen Cabinet Mount helps keep your tablet in view and securely suspended on any cabinet or shelf. It can be easily installed, removed, and stored.

Microsoft's Metro-style IE 10 has seen the future and it's plug-in free

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:31 AM PDT

Microsoft seems intent to push things forward, judging by its recent Build 2011 conference and the Windows 8 goods on display. Now, in an official blog post from the Redmond-based company, comes word that Internet Explorer 10 will be doing double duty, accommodating the web's old architecture and its HTML 5 future. Users who opt for IE 10's Metro-style app will be treated to a plug-in free experience, as MS has its eye on the evolving underpinnings of our information superhighway. Not to worry, though, the desktop app of the company's refreshed browser will still function as it always has, providing compatibility for Flash, and a host of other extensions. The company made the decision after surveying 97,000 internet sites worldwide, deducing that a portion of the 62% sampled defaulted to HTML 5 in the absence of plug-in support. Due in part to this intentional omission, the Ballmer-led co. now claims the new, touch-optimized version of IE 10 will run faster, sustain battery life and offer improved security and privacy. Not convinced? Well, you'll be able to test that out for yourselves when those Windows 8 slates hit the market.

Sony Alpha NEX-7 hands-on preview (video)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT


There are some cameras that we would be willing to use in a bind, some that we wouldn't hesitate to shoot with, and a very select few that would motivate a cross-country journey, just for the chance to spend a few days behind the lens. Sony's Alpha NEX-7 falls within that incredibly unique final category -- in fact, we've done just that, flying from New York to San Diego to go hands-on with one of only a half-dozen pre-production samples to have landed on American soil. After seeing a very early NEX-7 prototype a few months ago, it didn't take much convincing to get us on a plane.

Sony's 24.3 megapixel APS-C masterpiece represents a giant leap forward for the interchangeable lens market, theoretically capable of capturing images identical in quality to its much larger Alpha A77 counterpart, but in a body only slightly larger than the NEX-C3. Pair that image quality with an XGA OLED electronic viewfinder, a revamped tri-navi interface, standard hot-shoe, 1080 / 60p AVCHD video, microphone input, and a built-in flash, and you have one very worthy compact DSLR replacement. That said, the NEX-7 kit's $1,350 price tag is far more than many are willing to spend on a camera. But is that premium pricing justified? Jump past the break to find out.
Sony Alpha NEX-7 Hands-On Preview

Hardware


The NEX-7 may not be unbelievably petite, but it is small. It's not as compact as the NEX-C3 -- a camera which had previously represented the benchmark for this category -- but considering everything that it has to offer, we don't have any complaints about size. The magnesium alloy body isn't as light as you might expect, though it feels quite solid and durable. It's difficult to criticize the camera's construction -- Sony really didn't skip a beat here. If we're really being critical, we wouldn't mind seeing the NEX-7 shed an ounce or two, but if you're used to carrying around a DSLR, you'll probably call foul at the mere suggestion that this camera has too much heft.



The camera grew in each direction to accommodate a handful of new hardware features. The XGA-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder is arguably the highlight here, complimenting the 3-inch articulating LCD with a much-needed EVF. This is the same viewfinder found on the A77 -- it's bright, sharp and beautiful. No EVF will ever replace a top-of-the-line optical viewfinder, but this one comes very close. And you'll receive a few other benefits as well, including a high-res information readout, exposure- and white balance-accurate representation, and a horizontal position indicator.



Other additions include a full-size hot shoe, capable of accommodating the same external flashes as Sony's DSLR series, along with a new shoe-mounted external microphone that connects to the camera's microphone input jack (!). The built-in flash is of the pop-up variety, and is a welcome addition. It's a basic direct flash, however, and we all know how lousy direct flash images look -- those captured with the NEX-7 are no exception, though with great high-ISO performance and a new f/1.8 lens option, you'll probably be able to get away without using it.



Performance


Like full-size DSLRs, the NEX-7 was built with professionals in mind -- and pros need speed. Not only can the camera power on and shoot an image in just over a second, it also captures full-res images at up to 10 frames per second. Even many larger cameras don't offer that. We doubt you'll be using this camera to shoot touchdowns from the 50 yard line or a match-winning serve from the nosebleed section, but with that impressive frame rate and Sony's LA-EA2 Alpha-series adapter paired with a 300mm G-Series lens, you certainly could.

Video capture isn't an afterthought on most cameras these days, and it certainly isn't on the NEX-7. Like the A77, you can capture video at a variety of sizes and frame rates, all the way up to 1080 / 60p in AVCHD mode. You can also shoot 1080 / 60i and 24p AVCHD video, or 1080i MP4 video, should you wish to shoot directly in everyone's favorite web-friendly format. You also have full control over aperture and shutter speed in video mode. Finally. Like with other NEX-series cameras, there's a dedicated video capture button, so you can start shooting moving pictures immediately before and after snapping a still.


Image quality


The NEX-7 uses the same 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor that you'll find in the larger (and pricier) Alpha A77. It goes without saying that photos you'll shoot with both cameras will be huge -- you should budget up to eight megabytes for each full-res, high-quality JPEG. But besides filling your SD card quickly, photos look fantastic as well. Sony confirmed that the camera's "sweet spot" is at f/5.6, so even though you can now shoot photos at up to f/1.8, you'll want to bump down the aperture a bit if you want the absolute sharpest images. Likewise, you'll be able to capture greater depth of field detail at, say, f/10, but images won't appear as sharp at a 100 percent view as they will at f/5.6. You'll find a selection of untouched sample images in the gallery below, and a link to download full-size originals just above the comments section.
Sony Alpha NEX-7 Hands-On Preview Sample Images

We shot video in a variety of conditions with the NEX-7. The first thing we noticed is that focusing in video mode isn't quite as fast as it was with the A77. While that full-size DSLR uses phase detection, the NEX uses slower contrast detection technology. It's not painfully slow, but the difference is certainly noticeable. Pop on that LA-EA2 adapter and an A-mount lens, however, and you'll be able to keep up with the big boys, thanks to the adapter's built-in phase detection autofocus. Beyond that, video looked great, as you'll see in the clips below.




User interface


Besides its slick high-res EVF (and that 24.3 megapixel sensor), the NEX-7's unique user interface is another star of the show. A trio of control wheels let you adjust more key settings on the fly without jumping into menus, and a function button gives these dials even more control, letting you cycle through four additional interface configurations. By default, the top left dial controls aperture, the top right dial adjusts shutter speed, while the rear wheel lets you change the ISO. Some advanced control options include focus mode, exposure points, picture effect options, and the like. We still think Sony has room to improve the main settings menu, but with these new dials, you'll spend much less time digging through it.



Wrap-up


Though a vastly more functional improvement over the early NEX-7 we saw briefly demoed earlier this summer, the camera is still several months away from release, and the model we used this week is not a final production sample. Though it might as well be -- we only experienced one issue with this version (when paired with a 70-400mm A-mount lens, we needed to remove the battery to get it to shoot, on several occasions). As you might have gathered, we really love this camera -- it's the first of its size from any manufacturer that could replace a DSLR for almost any photographer, and, while expensive, offers a tremendous amount of bang for your buck. It's at this point when evaluating a pre-production sample that we'd chalk issues up to the fact that this version is far from final -- but honestly, if the NEX-7 were available for purchase right now, even in its current state, we wouldn't hesitate to pick one up.

AT&T to officially deploy its LTE network September 18th

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:59 AM PDT

Mark this Sunday on your calendars, if you're the kind that still has a paper calendar and a pen lying around somewhere. The magic date has now been declared by AT&T CFO John Stephens to be the official launch of the carrier's LTE network. The exec used the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Entertainment & Communications conference as the company's golden opportunity to announce the upcoming deployment. Just to play it safe, we also reached out to an AT&T spokesperson and received confirmation that the carrier is indeed ready to make the upgrade from "faux G" to true, vanilla 4G. We don't see it pushing any more Jetstreams out the door, but travelers relying on the almighty USB data stick will certainly be hoping for the company's promised speeds of up to 28Mbps.

Livio Radio outs Bluetooth Internet Radio Kit for iPod, iPhone, but you can just call it 'The Kit'

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:41 AM PDT

Livio Radio's Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit may not be the most mellifluous product name we've ever heard, but it's certainly an apt one. Known as "The Kit" for short, this plug-and-play device allows drivers to stream music from their iPhone or iPod Touch, directly through their car's FM radio. The system also boasts hands-free Bluetooth calling capabilities and a set buttons that let you control Livio's Car Internet Radio application, providing access to over 45,000 radio stations with no monthly fees. Interested parties can grab their own Kit at the source link below, for $120. Otherwise, just steer past the break for an espresso shot of PR.
Show full PR text
New Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit for iPod and iPhone will change the way users enjoy car radio

FERNDALE, Mich., Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Livio Radio, a Michigan-based manufacturer and developer of car Internet radio products and services, today announced the arrival of their much-anticipated Bluetooth Internet Radio Car Kit. "The Kit," previewed at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, is a plug-and-play gadget that brings Internet radio and music from your iPod® or iPhone® to any FM car stereo. The Kit also offers Bluetooth hands-free calling, USB charging, and buttons to safely control the Livio Car Internet Radio application, with no monthly fees.

The award-winning application available from the App Store offers more than 45,000 radio stations from around the world when connected to The Kit. The Kit is powered by the Livio Connect API, a middleware framework protocol developed by Livio Radio that allows applications to communicate with hardware through a Bluetooth connection.

"The Kit will change the way you listen to radio in the car," Livio Radio founder and CEO Jake Sigal said. "Access to radio from around the world and to content on your iPod and iPhone in the car is going to give Internet radio a place in every car stereo."

The Kit is now available for sale at Amazon.com and Livio Radio's online shop (http://shop.livioradio.com) at the suggested retail price of $119.99. It is compatible with iPod touch® (2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

Ad-supported Kindle getting AmazonLocal to distract you from all that pesky reading

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:23 AM PDT

Reading's all well and good, but wouldn't you rather be, say, getting a massage or seeing a comedy show? Good news, Amazon is bringing its AmazonLocal service to the ad-supported Kindle With Special Offers and Kindle With Special Offers 3G. The ads are rolling out first to New York City residents, with the remainder of AmazonLocal cities being added before the end of the year. Press release after the break, if you're still into that whole reading thing.
Show full PR text
AmazonLocal Coming to Kindle with Special Offers

SEATTLE – Sept 15, 2011 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Kindle and Kindle 3G with Special Offers are already the bestselling Kindles, and customers report that they love the money-saving special offers. Today, Amazon.com, Inc. announced that Kindle and Kindle 3G with Special Offers customers will soon start receiving special offers from AmazonLocal on their Kindle screensavers when they aren't reading. AmazonLocal on Kindle with Special Offers is launching in New York City and expanding to all AmazonLocal cities later this year.

"Since we introduced special offers and lowered the price of Kindle to $114 and Kindle 3G to $139 earlier this year, customer response has been overwhelmingly positive – these quickly became our bestselling Kindles," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love the new lower price for Kindle and the money-saving special offers that display when they aren't reading. We think customers are going to be thrilled with this new, convenient way to take advantage of AmazonLocal deals – you can view, purchase, and redeem the deals using only your Kindle – no computer, no printer, no hassle."


Upcoming AmazonLocal deals for New York City Kindle customers in Downtown, Midtown, Uptown (including the Upper East Side and Upper West Side) and Brooklyn include:

- $7 for a one-hour bike rental in Central Park ($15 value)

- $5 for $10 at Dangerfield's Comedy club

- $59 for one month unlimited yoga classes at Bikram Yoga Grand Central ($180 value)

- $5 for $10 worth of ice cream and ice cream cakes at Coldstone Creamery

- $45 for lunch at City Winery ($98 value)


Customers can view their city's AmazonLocal deals and purchase the deal directly from their Kindle, without re-entering account or credit card information. Once a customer purchases a deal, they will receive a voucher directly on their Kindle's home screen. Customers can redeem their purchase by simply showing this voucher on their Kindle to the local merchant or by bringing in a printed copy. Customers can print a copy of the voucher by visiting www.local.amazon.com/purchases.

The functionality for receiving AmazonLocal deals on Kindle with Special Offers will be delivered as part of a software update for latest generation Kindles in the coming weeks. To learn more about AmazonLocal, go to www.AmazonLocal.com. Kindle with Special Offers for only $114 and Kindle 3G with Special Offers for only $139 are available for immediate shipment at www.amazon.com/kindle.

For images of AmazonLocal deals on Kindle with Special Offers, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindleimages.

Apple '3D imaging and display' patent was cutting edge in 2005

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:01 AM PDT

An Apple patent for a "3D imaging and display system" staggers out into daylight after seven years buried in the USPTO. Its eyes steadily adjust to the brightness of a Kinect-dominated world and its heart sinks. But then a random guy approaches and says,

"Hey little patent, what's wrong?"

"I'm obsolete," comes the sullen reply. "I'm all about detecting user movements in three dimensions, but the competition has that covered. Sure, people might *think* I've patented some kind of wild holographic virtual reality stuff too, but my paperwork only mentions that in the vaguest possible terms. There's no way I can threaten Microsoft."

"Nonsense!" cries the guy. "Follow me. I know a judge in Düsseldorf."

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon roadmap, 2.5GHz CPUs coming early next year

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:42 AM PDT

We've been hearing about Qualcomm's next generation of 2.5GHz processors for a few months now, but the company's quad-core future has now become a little bit clearer. Speaking at the Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul yesterday, Senior Vice President of Product Management Cristiano Amon confirmed that the chipmaker's S4 line of silicon will be shipped to manufacturers by the end of this year and should appear in consumer products by the beginning of 2012. Available in single-, dual- or quad-core models, the new, 28nm additions to the Snapdragon family will also support Adreno graphics, 3D and 1080p HD, in addition to 3G and LTE connectivity. If all goes according to schedule, then, we could see a slate of S4-equipped handsets at next year's Mobile World Congress in February, though we'll try to contain our excitement until we get a more specific launch date.

HP Envy 14 review (2011)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT

The last time we reviewed the Envy 14, we concluded, by and large, that HP got it right. The company succeeded in delivering good performance and graphics punch, all while correcting a teensy overheating problem and adding an optical drive and backlit keyboard. Then there was that rock-solid, engraved metal chassis that made it one of the most attractive notebooks on the market -- a distinction it still holds to this day. So as you can imagine, when HP refreshed the Envy 14 this summer, there wasn't exactly a lot to improve. What we have here is a nearly identical machine, with the same stunning design -- not to mention, $1,000 starting price. Now, though, HP is selling it with Sandy Bridge processors and USB 3.0 -- the kind of tweaks laptop makers have been rolling out for the better part of this year.

Normally, that kind of speed bump wouldn't warrant us re-reviewing a laptop. In fact, we probably wouldn't be revisiting the Envy 14 if it weren't for two things. For starters, we've received an unusual number of emails, tweets and comments from readers, imploring us to weigh in on the Sandy Bridge version before they pull the trigger. Secondly, in addition to that processor swap, HP has fine-tuned the touchpad drivers, and assures us the trackpad isn't the flaky mess it was the last two times around. So how much better is the Envy 14 in the year two thousand and eleven? Let's find out.
HP Envy 14 review (2011)

Look and feel


With the exception of screen size, the 14's design has barely changed since the first generation of Envy laptops arrived on the scene two years ago. As always, its tough metal body, black chiclet keyboard and giant clickable trackpad make it near-impossible to avoid comparisons with the MacBook Pro -- a machine HP is surely going after here anyway. Still, the Envy retains its own personality, thanks to a copper-colored body covered in divets arranged in a sort of paisley pattern. Like any MacBook Pro, it has a glowing logo on the lid and a sparse keyboard deck with almost no buttons, though the Envy does have a band of silver-colored metal encircling the chassis -- a touch that keeps it from looking too much like Apple's unibody wares.

A year after the Envy 14 went on sale, we're still seriously impressed by its build quality. Everything -- the lid, the palm rest -- feels rigid, and you've got the added benefit of metal surfaces that both repel fingerprints and aren't likely to get scratched. Over the past year, though, we've seen more 15-inchers like the Dell XPS 15z, 15-inch VAIO S and Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5830 that measure less than an inch thin, making the Envy 14's 1.16-inch-thick body seem a tad plump by comparison. Still, at 5.69 pounds, it's on par with the 5.6-pound MacBook Pro and the 5.54-pound 15z.

HP's kept pace when it comes to port selection, though. This go 'round, a USB 3.0 port takes the place of a UBS / eSATA combo port. In addition, you'll still find two USB 2.0 sockets, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, a Kensington lock slot and dual headphone jacks, one of which doubles as a mic port. As you can imagine, with each year that passes HP is that much less likely to add a VGA port to its Envys, so it shouldn't surprise you that this generation lacks one, too. That's a bummer for the PowerPoint crowd, though if you're dead-set on an Envy, that's a problem you can easily remedy with an HDMI to VGA adapter (we're seeing some for less than ten bucks on Amazon).

Keyboard and trackpad


There's really a lot to like about HP's keyboard, but since we have to start somewhere, let's talk about the sound. Yes, the sound. The panel feels as sturdy as the chassis itself, and typing produces a deep, quiet noise that inspires confidence in the machine's build quality -- an improvement over the bendy keyboards and high-pitched clacks you'll find on lots of cheaper systems. But more than that, the keys' soft finish and balanced spacing make them a joy to type on. And while you wouldn't necessarily look at this keyboard and deem the keys cushier than what you'd find on a Sony VAIO, they do, indeed, have more travel -- a kind of tactility that allowed our hands to fly across the keyboard as we typed. In the end, we chose to write large swaths of our review on this machine, not so much because we felt obligated to, but because we felt comfortable where we were.

The trackpad is, to our delight, much improved, though it's still imperfect. For the most part, it did what we wanted it to, though at times we noticed a little more friction than we would have liked. The buttons, too, generally felt tactile -- ever-so slightly stiff, perhaps, but on the whole, easy to press. Multi-touch gestures -- everything from two-fingered scrolling to pinching and zooming -- work smoothly... most of the time. Our main gripe is that to pull off the scrolling bit, we often found ourselves applying extra pressure with our fingers. We also wish we had a little more vertical room to stretch our fingers, particularly when pinching and zooming.

Like the Envy 14 we reviewed last year, the refreshed model has a sensor tucked in the upper left corner of the trackpad that allows you to disable it entirely. That works as promised, responding promptly even to light taps. That's not to say it's too sensitive, though -- we never once activated it by accident.

Display and sound


Regardless of how much money you sink into it, the Envy 14 has a 1366 x 786 display -- a clear let-down from the 1600 x 900 screen we were treated to last year (those sold out and weren't replaced, tragically). If this were a $700 system we wouldn't be complaining, but on a system that costs northward of a thousand bucks, we'd expect more. 1366 x 768 is the mark of a budget machine, not a premium one.

Given the glossy finish, we were pleasantly surprised by the viewing angles. Which is to say, they weren't terrible. We had the best luck watching head-on, either with the display sitting at a right angle, or dipped forward. When we watched from oblique side angles, though, the contrast became too severe, and a lot of color and detail dropped out.

The Envy 14, like its predecessor and pretty much every other PC that HP makes, it comes loaded with Beats Audio, promising lower lows and deeper bass notes. That's the promise, but the reality is that the sound likely only provides a marginal boost over what you're used to. Even when listening to "Rapper's Delight" we could hear some tinniness creeping through. And when we sampled tracks with a higher-pitched quality ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," for example), instrumental music took on a faintly metallic quality. The sound is loud, but somehow not enveloping. No worse than what you'll find on most laptops, mind you; just not worlds better.

Performance and graphics

Our Envy 14 ($1,080 as configured) came loaded with a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M CPU, 6GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200RPM hard drive and dual graphics cards, including Intel's integrated HD option and AMD's Radeon HD 6630M with 1GB of video memory on the discrete side. Starting with benchmarks, it delivered a score of 6,735 in PCMark Vantage, which is on par with the score we got from HP's Pavilion dv6t with the same processor and 6GB of RAM. And while its 3DMark06 score of 7,214 falls about a hundred points short of the Dell XPS 15z (admittedly, a $1,534 machine with a Core i7 CPU), it's still a healthy improvement over the pricier Sony VAIO S we recently tested (see the chart below).

Even more than raw numbers, though, we continue to be impressed with how HP's managed to keep the heat under control. Even after extended active use, the machine -- meaning, the chassis, the keyboard, the bottom side -- all felt cool to the touch. If you bothered to put your finger on the vent on the right side, you'd notice it gets warm, but even then, it's hardly pants-scorching.

As for anecdotal usage, we were quickly able to settle into a typical routine of juggling YouTube and Grooveshark streaming, and bouncing among myriad open tabs in Chrome, including ones for email and GChat, various news outlets and the service we Engadget editors use to compose stories. The machine also boots in 40 seconds -- a fast time for any Windows machine with an HDD, but especially this one, which comes with a decent amount of software pre-installed.

PCMarkVantage 3DMark06
 Battery Life
2011 HP Envy 14 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000 / AMD Radeon HD 6630M) 6,735 7,214 3:55
15-inch Sony VAIO S series (2.40GHz Core i5-2430M, AMD Radeon HD 6630M) 5,632 6,898
 3:59 (stamina mode) / 8:58 (stamina mode, slice battery)
Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M) 6,475 5,330 6:25
Dell XPS M15z (2.7GHz Core i7-2620M, NVIDIA GeForce GT525M) 8,023 7,317 3:41 (Optimus disabled) / 4:26 (Optimus enabled)
HP Pavilion dv6t (2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, Intel HD Graphics 3000) 6,563 6,563 2:42
Notes: the higher the score the better. For 3DMark06, the first number reflects score with GPU off, the second with it on.

Battery life

Quite average, really. In our standard battery test, which involves playing a movie on repeat with WiFi on and the brightness fixed at 65 percent, the Envy 14's eight-cell lasted three hours and 55 minutes. That's squarely mediocre when you consider the 15-inch VAIO S series lasted a near-identical three hours and 59 minutes with its integrated graphics card enabled, while the Dell XPS 15z made it three hours and 41 minutes with Optimus turned off. The one major exception we've seen lately in this category is the Acer Aspire TimelineX AS5830T, a 15-inch laptop that squeezed out almost six and a half hours of juice. The point is, the Envy 14 should be fine for working on your couch for a few hours, but remember the charger if you're planning on staying out of the house all day.

Software

Now, as with the last generation of Envys, you're going to stumble across more pre-installed software than perhaps you're used to seeing on consumer laptops (and that's saying a lot). The list includes: Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 9, Bing Bar, CyberLink PowerDVD 10, Microsoft Office 2010, Power2Go and RoxioNow Player. There's also a spate of motley HP-branded programs -- everything from Quick Launch to MovieStore to Power Manager. To be fair, though, HP's utilities interrupted us less than they have on past systems we've tested, though we still had to postpone a reboot of the computer (and shoo away a pop-up dialog box in the system tray) more than once.

Configuration options


The Envy 14 starts at $999.99 with that Core i5-2410M CPU, along with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB 7,200RPM drive, an eight-cell battery and the same switchable graphics we tested. If you're so inclined, you can step up to a 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM or 2.3GHZ Core i7-2828QM processor ($100 / $500), up to 16GB of RAM ($560). When it comes to storage, you could opt for larger 640GB or 750GB 7,200RPM HDDs ($40 and $80, respectively), but HP's also offering a 128GB SSD ($350) as well as drives combining solid-state storage with an HDD. These have combined capacities ranging from 580GB to 878GB and add between $175 and $330 to the total cost.

Some things, such as the eight-cell battery and backlit keyboard come standard. However, US customers, at least, are locked into the glossy 1366 x 768 display and Radeon HD 6630 graphics card we told you about. Blu-ray still isn't an option either (you'll have to step up to the 7.3-pound Envy 17 for that amenity). And yeah, we know, Apple has made it crystal clear it won't be adding Blu-ray drives, but we still have hope for Windows machines. After all, when we see systems like Sony's 15-inch VAIO S, it's easy to cling to this expectation that if you're paying enough money for a Windows machine (one with a not-that-small 15-inch screen, at that), you can opt for Blu-ray if you darn well please.

The competition


To keep things simple, if you're considering the Envy 14, we're going to assume you're in the market for something in the 14- to 15-inch range -- preferably something with a built-in optical drive. If you're willing to forfeit that, you could easily find something thinner and lighter. Not just the MacBook Air (an obvious choice in that category), but any of the emerging Ultrabooks about to hit the market.

So let's say you do want that optical drive. You're probably also considering the MacBook Pro -- a machine that looks like this, sure, but is also trying to lure the same performance-minded user. The real problem is that price. The 15-inch MBP starts at $1,799, and even the smaller 13-incher costs northward of $1,199. For the money (we're talking about the 15-inch version here), you get a 2.0GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB 5,400RPM hard drive (c'mon, Apple!) and dual Intel HD / AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics, along with two USB 2.0 ports, a Thunderbolt socket and an SDXC slot. The difference in price should give you pause, and we suggest you think hard about how much you need that quad-core CPU for whatever it is you'll be doing. (We'd also suggest considering the MBP's rated seven-hour battery life, and how much that kind of performance-longevity combo floats your boat.) We're just saying, depending on your routine, the Envy 14's base specs could be enough, and for all we know, the battery life will be acceptable, too. And you know what? Even for those of you dead-set on Macs, we'll say yet again: think twice whether you need that built-in optical drive. After all, the Air excels at the everyday stuff at a more palatable starting price of $1,299 (for the 13-inch model, that is).

Stepping back into the world of Windows, there are more premium 14- and 15-inchers to choose from than you can shake a stick at. Starting with Dell, there's that XPS 15z we told you about, which also starts at $999.99. At that base price, it matches what the $1,000 Envy 14 has to offer with a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M CPU, 6GB of RAM, eight-cell battery and a 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive. At that price, the graphics option isn't switchable cards but rather, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 525M with a gigabyte of video memory. All things considered, you'll get comparable battery life, too, though we can't speak for the difference in performance since the machines we tested weren't well matched in price or specs. And, finally, both look like Macs in their way, except the Envy 14 reminds us of he current model, while the 15z takes after a years-old MacBook Pro or even PowerBook.


We'd also throw Toshiba's Satellite P750-BT4G22 ($899 and up) in the ring, even though some of you are bound to dismiss its design as safe, and its 1.4-inch-thick chassis as chunky. Even at that starting price, you get a quad-core 2.0GHz Core i7-2630QM processor, 6GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive (albeit, a 5,400RPM one), NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics with 1GB of video memory, a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 socket with Toshiba's sleep-and-charge technology. From there, you can upgrade to a 500GB 7,200RPM HDD, Blu-ray player or burner, a 12-cell battery or a 5,600mAH six-cell (the default battery is 4,400mAh). A promising option for people who couldn't care less about forfeiting the Envy 14's engraved aluminum.

Finally, there's the Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402, which undercuts 'em all at $800. For the money, it offers the same processor and 6GB of RAM as our HP Envy 14, though its 640GB has a slower speed of 5,400RPM. In our tests, we found it kept pace with the Envy 14 in the benchmark PCMark Vantage, though its NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M lagged by almost 2,000 points in 3DMark06. The big draw here, as we said, is the battery life. Although its six-cell would appear to pale against the Envy 14's eight-cell, it lasted two and a half hours longer in the same rundown test, and steamrolled pretty much every other 14- and 15-incher we've handled recently. In short, we'd recommend this for the battery life or that aggressive price. For design panache and overall performance, the Envy 14 still wins.

If you wait until next month, you'll also have Sony's 15-inch S series to think about. Suffice to say, when we tested a $1,230 system we dug its performance, which comes courtesy of a 2.4GHz Core i5-2430M processor, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive. We can also get behind its bright 1080p display, though depending on whether you opt for the $150 battery slice, you might find its longevity to be disappointing -- to say nothing of its ho-hum design. It's not without merits, but its price might be a tough pill to swallow when the Envy 14 and XPS 15z offer similar specs for hundreds of dollars less and -- in the case of the Envy, at least -- are arguably better-looking.

Wrap-up


It's been thirteen months since we first reviewed the Envy 14 and while that's dog years in the gadget world, we're still pretty pleased with the thing, though we'd be exaggerating at this point if we said we were smitten. On the one hand, its well built, beautiful design hasn't changed and frankly, most competitors haven't delivered anything as memorable in this size / price class. The performance remains more than adequate for everyday use and while the battery life isn't anything to write home about, it at least keeps pace with the competition. This time around, too, the trackpad is actually usable, even though it's not without its quirks.

And yet, one of the things we loved most the first time around -- that stunning display -- just ain't what it used to be. Its resolution is lower, for one, and the entire screen simply isn't as eye-popping now that HP has discontinued its 14.5-inch Radiance panels. Also, it's worth repeating that 2011 has turned out to be the year of the skinny, surprisingly capable laptop, so if you can do without that built-in optical drive, you might find the Envy 14 a bit clunky -- not to mention, lackluster in the battery life department. But who are we to tell you what you need or don't need in a laptop? If what you want is a well designed, strong performer with all the screen real estate of a 15-incher, it's still tough to argue against the Envy 14.

Canon unveils PowerShot S100 and SX40 HS high-end point-and-shoots

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:42 AM PDT

Canon PowerShot S100 and SX 40 HS
Today, we've got a pair of Canon point-and-shoots to show you. The S100 is the successor to the highly regarded S95, while the SX40 HS takes on the super-zoom market with its 35x lens. Both cameras use the company's new DIGIC 5 image processor, which brings high-speed burst shooting and 1080p video to the party. The S100 features improved low-light performance thanks to its f/2.0 lens and new, larger 12.1 megapixel CMOS censor (gone is the CCD of yore). It also has a GPS receiver for embedding location data in your photos. The SX40, more or less, slaps the new processor and sensor into last year's somewhat disappointing SX30 IS. Hopefully, those internal upgrades will solve some of the SX line's problems with image quality and noise. Both cameras will cost $430, with the S100 set to ship in early November and the SX 40 HS in late September. Check out the gallery below as well as the PR after the break.
Canon PowerShot S100 and SX40
Show full PR text
Canon U.S.A. Announces PowerShot S100 and PowerShot SX40 HS Models with New DIGIC 5 Image Processor Providing Enhanced Resolution and Faster Shooting Speeds
Featuring Full HD Video Recording, High-speed Burst HQ and Intelligent IS

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Sep 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announces the addition of two feature-packed digital cameras, the PowerShot S100 and PowerShot SX40 HS, to its award-winning lineup of point-and-shoot models. In addition to superb low-light performance and increased overall speed, these two cameras include a new DIGIC 5 image processor, HS SYSTEM, Full HD video capture, High-speed Burst HQ and Intelligent IS providing clearer, smoother looking images.

"Photo enthusiasts are always on the search for that next great camera to help them achieve the best results," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies and Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. "The inclusion of the new DIGIC 5 image processor and Full HD recording capabilities on both new models will provide users with the tools needed to capture brilliant images and videos as they continue their photographic journey."

A challenging task for the photographer on assignment or appointed family photographer is working under low-light conditions. Helping improve the quality of images from those situations is Canon's HS SYSTEM, where the camera's image processor and high-sensitivity image sensor work in tandem to enhance low-light image quality. With the PowerShot S100 and PowerShot SX40 HS, Canon has introduced a new DIGIC 5 image processor, maintaining the cameras' superb low-light image quality while improving overall camera operation and color accuracy. The new image processor has improved noise reduction and advanced Multi-area White Balance optimizing color tones of both subject and background under multiple light sources.

High-speed, High-quality, High-performance

An added benefit of the DIGIC 5 image processor is the incorporation of the new High-speed Burst HQ(1) providing users with the ability to continuously capture a maximum of eight frames. This new feature will allow the story of a child scoring the winning goal on the soccer field or a marathon runner crossing the finish line to be told frame-by-frame through the eye of the photographer.

Intelligent IS

One of the most important innovations for a point-and-shoot camera has been Image Stabilization (IS) since it helps improve image quality by reducing camera blur for both images and videos. Canon has taken this technology one step further with the new Intelligent IS which automatically chooses from six different modes (Normal, Macro, Panning, Dynamic, Powered, Tripod) to optimize image stabilization and help achieve crisp, blur-free images for various shooting conditions.

It's an HD World

When the time comes to share one of those "can't miss" moments from a family day at the park or of a pride of lions on a safari expedition, the use of HD video is becoming more popular than ever. As a leader in HD video capture, Canon has incorporated Full HD recording (1920 x 1080) capabilities for both new models. Providing exceptional resolution for crystal clear HD video, both cameras have a dedicated movie record button in addition to having the ability to zoom while recording, further enhancing the overall user experience. An HDMI terminal output has also been included for easy sharing of videos with stereo sound on HD ready televisions

PowerShot S100 Digital Camera

When the PowerShot S95 Digital camera was announced in 2010, it received critical praise for having an impressive feature set and superb low-light capabilities. Building upon the success of this model is the PowerShot S100, featuring a host of upgrades making it a must-have for any photo enthusiast. Featuring a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor -- part of the HS SYSTEM -- this versatile camera has a 24-120mm wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom, GPS functionality and is capable of achieving improved low-light performance of up to ISO 6400. Additionally, the camera utilizes an f/2.0 lens increasing the camera's low-light performance by allowing additional light to reach the sensor while creating a shallow depth-of-field for portraits with dynamic, soft backgrounds. The PowerShot S100 will also now be available in either black or silver. Other features of this camera include:

-- A large 3.0-inch wide LCD screen for easy viewing of those images and menu options.

-- GPS capabilities(2) where satellites collect data of the latitude, longitude and altitude of an image's location, which is then stored to the image's EXIF data (3). A map utility software is included with the camera to view the locations where images were captured. There's also an internal GPS logger to track the day's photographic route.

-- A full range of shooting and recording modes similar to those found in DSLR cameras including RAW + JPEG and a control ring on the front of the camera for quick, manual adjustment of key functions such as ISO, zoom and focus.

-- Compatibility with the HF-DC2 High-Power Flash, which is an optional flash accessory that operates wirelessly and increases the effective flash range up to approximately 30 feet.

The estimated selling price of the PowerShot S100 Digital camera is $429.99 and is scheduled to be available in early November.*

PowerShot SX40 HS

When visiting the local zoo or sitting in the stands of a youth football game, having a camera that has the flexibility to capture images at close-up and far-off distances is a necessity. Canon's PowerShot SX40 HS is just the camera one would need to ensure those images are of high-quality. Other features include:

-- An incredible 35x optical zoom range (24mm-840mm) with image stabilizer and a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor -- part of the HS SYSTEM -- the camera can capture low-light images of enhanced image quality up to ISO 3200.

-- A 2.7-inch wide vari-angle LCD has been included for easy viewing of images and menus from almost any angle.

-- Improved Smart AUTO settings to ensure the settings are intelligently selected based upon the cameras 32 predefined shooting situations. .

-- The Zoom Framing Assist button, which helps the user steady the camera when tracking a moving subject at extreme telephoto settings keeping it in focus.

The estimated selling price of the PowerShot SX40 HS Digital camera is $429.99 and is scheduled to be available in late September.*

Samsung Transform Ultra hitting Boost Mobile in October, we go hands-on

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:23 AM PDT

Pay as you go / QWERTY keyboard enthusiasts rejoice -- Samsung today formally announced the Transform Ultra. The familiar-looking Android 2.3-packing slider is destined for the contract-free world of Boost Mobile, featuring a 1GHz processor, a 3MP rear-facing camera (plus a front-facing VGA) and the content-happy Mobile ID preloaded. The handset is a bit on the bulky side, which is to be expected with a full keyboard inside -- but all in all, not a bad looking piece of hardware, particularly for the world of pre-paid, where selection is sometimes limited. The Transform Ultra will be hitting Boost on October 7th for $230.Press release after the break.
Samsung Transform Ultra hands-on
Samsung Transform Ultra hands-on
Show full PR text
"Transform" Your Communications with the new Android-Powered Slide-Out QWERTY Phone from Boost Mobile and Samsung

IRVINE, Calif. – Boost Mobile, ranked Highest in Customer Service Performance and
Purchase Experience among Non-Contract Wireless Providers by J.D. Power and Associates1, once again enhances its smartphone lineup of Android™ devices with the launch of the Samsung Transform™ Ultra. The Transform Ultra complements the existing Samsung Galaxy Prevail™, which in four months has become the best-selling no-contract smartphone in Samsung's history. The Transform Ultra is the perfect device for the consumer who desires an Android touchscreen along with a text-friendly full QWERTY keypad.

"If you have been sitting on the sidelines considering no-contract plans or Android
smartphones, it's time to upgrade with the latest Samsung Android devices paired with the award-winning Boost Mobile plans and customer experience," said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile. "The Transform Ultra device includes the innovative Mobile ID platform, allowing customers to get a running start in exploring Android applications and widgets based on their personal interest."

The Transform Ultra, powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, features access to Google Mobile™ services and more than 250,000 applications through Android Market. The device has a 1GHz processor, a 3MP rear-facing camera, and VGA front-facing camera for video chat while on the go.

Mobile ID The Transform Ultra is Boost's first Android-powered smartphone to come preloaded with Mobile ID, an exclusive service from Boost that allows customers to download and install "ID packs." The packs deliver a complete mobile experience, including applications, widgets, ringtones and wallpapers, in a couple simple clicks. ID packs are designed to meet a customer's individual lifestyle or interests, such as sports, entertainment, fitness and music.

As only one example, the MTV Music pack is a complete music experience, bringing together the best music and pop culture apps, widgets and content on your Boost smartphone. The MTV Music pack gives customers access to the biggest stars and newest artists around the clock. Plus MTV has selected the best music apps to stream, download, identify, search and discover all your favorite music.

Other ID packs that can be loaded on the device include: E!, Socially Connected,
Professional, Entertainment, Lo2Yo Latino, Lo2Yo Mujer and Lo2Yo Futbol.

Other Transform Ultra features include:
• Android 2.3 with Access to Android Market™
• Touchscreen
• Full QWERTY Keypad
• 3MP camera with video
• Wi-Fi®, GPS and Wireless Web enabled
• Front-facing VGA camera
• Easy access to Gmail™ and Google Talk™
• Bluetooth® capable
• Speakerphone with voice-activated dialing
• Supports microSD® cards up to 32GB (2GB card included)
• Voice mail, caller ID, call waiting and three-way calling

Samsung Transform Ultra will be available Oct. 7 for $229.99 (excluding taxes) at Boost Mobile's exclusive retail stores, select independent wireless dealer locations across the country and at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping. The Transform will be rolling out in select retails nationwide later this year.

Piictu survives Google's Photovine, launches out of public beta

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT


There's been a fair amount of news on the Photovine front recently -- none of it particularly flattering for Google, or its now shuttered Slide branch. But users of the mobile app-based photo service can now continue sharing their pics using Piictu -- a slightly different, yet remarkably similar service that launched well before its Google counterpart. What initially began as a fun side project for co-founder Jon Slimak, Piictu has apparently gained quite a following, prompting its creators to add some polish to the service and push it out of beta. We're not quite sure what to expect for its future, but Google's involvement with its Piictu competitor appears to have helped the original service gain some traction, despite its indy status. Jump past the break for the announcement from Piictu, or hit up our source link to download the iOS app.
Show full PR text
Piictu - officially out of beta!

"a fun and simple way to talk and play with piics"

New York City, NY – September 15, 2011 – After a spectacular two months of beta testing, Piictu is ready for its official launch. Piictu is a new kind of visual network where every interaction happens though the exchange of a piic. As an app, piictu is a powerful and simple way to engage and connect with people, friends and places all around the world through direct "picture conversations".

Piictu explores a change in the way pictures are being used and consumed online. Call it "a shift from memory to interaction." As Jonathan Slimak, one of the founders, says: "In Piictu, your photos are more about a conversation medium than a keeper of memory. We call them ʻobjects of interaction.ʼ Your phone becomes your eyes for short, live, picture interactions."
The basic premise in the app is you upload a picture, give it a caption, and start getting picture responses, forming a "picture stream". Streams can be in the form of a sequential game, a meme like "planking", or a simple question like "what are you drinking?" The "number game," for instance, is about finding the next number in the sequence. One person takes a picture of a license plate with the number 1, the next person takes a picture of a two dollar bill, and so on.

TechStars NYC

Piictu is one of the hottest NYC startups this summer. It was 1 of only 12 companies accepted to the TechStars accelerator program in NYC. Over 1000 companies apply, making it one of the most prestigious and competitive programs of its kind. Thanks to TechStars, Piictu has been working with an incredible group of mentors to help them jump-start their operations, including people with highly relevant experience like Jon Steinberg from Buzzfeed.

Fluid, short, changing

Piictu is designed and modeled after core behavioral social dynamics, in the same way any "social conversation" is organized around fluid, changing subjects where each individual adds their perspective. Users organize streams around emerging and changing subjects, leading the conversation with merely an initial picture and a simple caption. Picture conversations develop and evolve through direct human interaction, giving creativity a primary role in the experience.

Where the idea originated

The idea came about while Jon Slimak was watching the World Series from home. Many of his friends were posting pictures of themselves wearing their favorite teamʼs jersey to their MMS group. He noticed that most of these pictures were never going to be seen again, yet still had great value in the context of the conversation they created. This led him two to the identification of a new trend in photo sharing; pictures as a medium for a conversation.
Another photo sharing app?

Piictu is more about "photo interaction" than "photo sharing". "It's not another photo sharing app," cofounder Jonathan Slimak tells us. "Instagram does that perfectly". Piictu
uses pictures as a primary form of communication. In this light, Piictu is the first "photo interaction" app of its kind.

Piictu is free and open to everyone

Piictu is currently available via the Apple App store and will soon be available for Android. It follows the belief that the open exchange of information can have a positive global impact. As such, it is completely free to download and use. All content on Piictu, is the sole responsibility of the person who originated it. Piictu relies on real-life social etiquette and accountability for all our community standards.

More about piictu

Piictu is a visual network that challenges our notions of community, social exchange and communication via interactions though pictures. It is being built in NYC by a passionate and inquisitive team of 7 designers, engineers and entrepreneurs with proven track record. To learn more about Piictu visit http://www.piictu.com

Netflix admits it will end up with fewer subscribers than predicted, shrinks DVD-only count

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 05:50 AM PDT

Back in July, after announcing it would decouple unlimited movie streaming from unlimited DVD rentals and charge more to keep both, Netflix predicted it would end up with 25 million subscribers at the end of Q3. This morning it advised investors that prediction has been slashed by 1 million, however most of that shortfall is predicted to come from fewer DVD-only customers than expected, which is expected to come up 800,000 short. While we'll still have to wait for the actual Q3 results to see how things pan out, the company still claims its projection of 12 million subscribers to both services is right on. While it backtracked on the total numbers, it also outlined its reasoning for raising prices by improving the DVD business, raising more cash to spend on streaming licensing and ultimately "remain price aggressive" and keep its individual offerings at $7.99 each. Much of the kicking and screaming online indicted Netflix's streaming library for failing to live up to the new price, anyone surprised many cutters seem to be coming from the DVD-only side?

Bentley demos 100,000 euro Executive dual-iPad interior for Mulsanne, we take a seat (video)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 05:39 AM PDT

Bentley demos outrageous 100,000 euro, Executive dual-iPad interior for Mulsanne, we take a seat (video)
Lots of people do lots of things to make their cars and interiors more distinctive, but when Bentley does something to make the interior of one of its cars stand out, you know it's going to be special. And expensive. Welcome to the Executive Interior Concept, inserted in the Mulsanne. The Mulsanne is a big, luxurious auto with a twin-turbo V8 slung out front, and with this very special (100,000 euro option) package the interior's received some twin-augmentation as well: two iPads. Join us as we get comfortable.
Bentley Mulsanne with Executive Interior Concept

Let's start in the trunk, where you'll find a Mac Mini installed. This is connected to an LCD that pivots down from the ceiling in the interior, controlled by a Magic Trackpad that sits in between the rear seats, slotted neatly into a little leather pouch. (There's a keyboard tucked in there too.) And that's just the beginning.


Press a button in the center console and a wood-encased tray gently folds down from the back of the seat in front -- there's one in each. Once folded down you can hit another button on the right side and the tray automatically (and noisily) splits in two, exposing an iPad 2 in the top and a Bluetooth keyboard in the bottom. From here you can make some last-minute adjustments to your hostile takeover proposal -- or maybe play a little Angry Birds -- while Jeeves up front whisks you in comfort to the office.

Right now this is just a concept and it's unclear whether Bentley will actually offer the thing, but if it does you'd again be looking at a cost of 100,000 euro. That's on top of the 250,000 the car itself will set you back, of course. Start saving.

Google Goggles Android update makes your vacation photos slightly more interesting

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 05:02 AM PDT

Google Googles' powers of perception have become a little more perspicacious, thanks to a new update for Android users. With version 1.6, tourists can use their smartphones to take a picture of a given area, while Google's visual search app works in the background to identify any notable landmarks, paintings or other objects. If it picks up on anything of interest, it'll automatically notify the user, instantly endowing him or her with gooey chunks of knowledge. It seems like a pretty user-friendly refresh, though things will really get interesting if faces ever get involved. Hit up the source link below to download the update for yourself.

AT&T Foundry innovation center opens its doors in Palo Alto to help devs do what they do

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 04:31 AM PDT

We've heard of keeping up with the Joneses, but this is getting ridiculous. First it was Verizon, then Vodafone, and now Ma Bell -- with an assist from Ericsson -- has built an innovation center in Silicon Valley. This new center completes the triumvirate of AT&T Foundry facilities (the other two are in Texas and Israel), and is a part of the company's strategy to accelerate the process of developing and delivering new products to its customers. Right now, there are over 100 projects in development in Palo Alto, and AT&T is looking to add more. Those who are chosen gain access to AT&T's networks and expertise to ensure that new projects play nice with all of the company's gear, and it's already produced a few things that were on display at the center's grand opening. Want a sneak peek at what's in AT&T's innovation pipeline? Read on past the break to get it.
AT&T Foundry grand opening in Palo Alto, California
The center is focused on innovation and providing developers with tools to produce new apps and services, so it's no surprise that we saw a couple of projects squarely aimed at accomplishing both of those goals. One of these is the new developer API Platform, currently in beta, that seeks to make it simple and easy to develop new HTML 5 apps. As a part of AT&T's developer program, the platform streamlines the process for getting access to the API library, including those for app development, payments, and in-app ads.

Another project, called mHealth, provides APIs to access medical and wellness data so that app developers can create more comprehensive personal health applications. These APIs have all of the necessary security layers built in to ensure that sensitive info can only be accessed in a way that the end user wants (and that federal law requires). It essentially gives plug and play access to all of the back end infrastructure needed to pull data both from devices like the Fitbit or Zeo and from your medical records. That way, developers can come up with creative ways to use the data and make it easier than ever to get a complete picture of your current physical well-being.


While most of the projects on hand were app-oriented, we got some hands-on time with a nifty gadget named Ringbow. The Ringbow is (surprise, surprise) a ring that clamps to your index finger to provide an additional way to input commands to a touchscreen device via Bluetooth. In its current iteration, the gadget has a small nubbin d-pad that's operated by your thumb to provide direct access to menus and other functions depending upon the app. We got a brief demo of the ring in action, and came away fairly impressed. It's lightweight, and we can see its secondary input functionality being put to good use in both games and productivity applications. Of course, we only saw prototypes that were tethered to an external power source -- though company CEO Efrat Barit said to expect 5 hours of battery life when it goes into production -- and it's also considering replacing the control nub with an optical pad or trackball. There's no word on when it'll hit the market, but the plan is for it to work with any and all touchscreen devices, and the Foundry aims to make that happen.

We also got to see some new U-Verse apps in action, including social TV platform Miso (which lets you share what show you're watching via check-ins or on Facebook and Twitter), and an AT&T Radio app that lets you push whatever you're listening to on your phone to your TV. In addition, there was a finger-painting app (for adding a sweet 'stache to your favorite talking heads, we presume), and an application that lets you flick Facebook videos from your handset onto your flatscreen. All in all, AT&T's fresh new Foundry showed off quite a few promising projects, all that's left is to turn that promise into production.

Show full PR text
AT&T Ups the Innovation Ante With New Collaboration Center in the Heart of Silicon Valley

Dozens of collaborative innovation projects currently underway as Palo Alto joins locations in Texas and Israel to expand AT&T Foundry constellation

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- What happens when you open the network to developers from around the world with new tools and services, establish a collaborative infrastructure in which dedicated project teams have direct access to decision makers that can quickly make the right connections and open a new facility in the heart of Silicon Valley that's directly linked to innovators across the world?

You get increased velocity and a broader range of innovation, with new apps and services 3x faster.

That's what AT&T* has done with its AT&T Foundry innovation centers, including the newest center, which opened today in Palo Alto, Calif. AT&T Foundries are fast-paced and collaborative environments where AT&T and technology providers team with developers to deliver the latest applications and services to customers more quickly than ever before.

"AT&T's approach to the innovation center concept is unique for the industry," said Jim Goetz, general partner with Sequoia Capital. "Their strategy embraces how development gets done in the Valley. AT&T understands where it brings value to collaborations and how they can help others innovate in new ways to bring new ideas to market quickly."

The AT&T Foundry is one part of AT&T's overall innovation strategy that aims to accelerate technology development by collaborating with third party developers, venture capitalists and technology providers – sometimes by taking lead on a project, other times by contributing expertise, connections and resources to help developers bring an idea to reality.

"The AT&T Foundry is a core component of our innovation strategy," said AT&T Chief Technology Officer John Donovan. "This isn't a technology showroom or testing facility. It's a place where real innovation is occurring at an unprecedented pace in order to bring new services and products to our customers in a fraction of the time."

"In here, we're collaborating to open up our network with tools and know-how so that developers can more quickly add new capabilities to their apps," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "We're also developing ecosystems and platforms such as mHealth to help drive further innovation and provide new wireless experiences for our customers."

The teams at the AT&T Foundry look for ways to speed ideas to market by identifying and eliminating common inefficiencies or bringing the right people together to deliver access to new technologies. One project currently in development focuses on ways to eliminate developer frustration with the wide range of business and technical relationships required to create applications. The team is collaborating on a concept that opens the network to developers through services such as messaging, location, payments and advertising accessible via HTML5. The result is significantly reduced complexity so that developers can more quickly build cool new apps.

"AT&T has the resources and the vision to make real innovation happen," said Michael Mullany, CEO of Sencha, which collaborated with AT&T to develop the HTML5 interface at the AT&T Foundry. "Together, we're working to provide developers with the tools and access to network services that help them bring new ideas to reality in months rather than years. That means AT&T customers will have the latest and greatest apps at record speed."

The Palo Alto center, sponsored by Ericsson, is the third permanent AT&T Foundry facility to open worldwide, adding to a global network that includes facilities sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent and Amdocs in Plano, Texas, and Ra'anana, Israel, respectively. The new location will join two temporary facilities in the Bay Area where collaborative projects are already underway, many on display during today's opening day festivities.

"AT&T and Ericsson are working to transform the way telecommunications companies develop concepts that will form tomorrow's networked society," said Hakan Eriksson, Ericsson Group Chief Technology Officer and President of Ericsson Silicon Valley. "AT&T is actively engaged with us to combine local insights with global ecosystems to help entrepreneurs bring innovative ideas to market as quickly as possible."

Projects are funneled to the AT&T Foundry in several ways:
Fast Pitch, or "speed date" reviews, where companies or developers meet with key AT&T decision makers to evaluate projects or technologies. AT&T is on track to hold 400 of the fast-pitch sessions in locations across the globe this year.

The Innovation Pipeline (TIP), AT&T's crowd-sourcing idea-generating platform, where more than 100,000 employees gather to share ideas and collaborate on bringing new products and services to market.

AT&T Labs, with 135 years of history in innovation and technology breakthroughs, which provides the starting point for many AT&T Foundry projects. Many of the organization's 1,200 researchers also provide expertise to projects currently underway.

'Phantom sensation' haptic tech recreates the feeling of getting virtually stabbed

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:58 AM PDT

When it comes to gaming, the more realistic the better, right? Sure, it's all fun until we start talking about being virtually sliced with a battle axe or pelted with a rocket launcher -- exactly the idea behind a new technology dubbed "phantom sensation." Researchers at the University of Electro-Communications know that to virtually recreate the feeling of touch, they need to apply vibrations to two points of skin. Taking the idea one step further, they applied the stimuli to either side of the body to mimic what it might feel like if the object actually passed through. Using a tweaked Wii, as an item in the game travels through the player's hand, the top sensor vibrates intensely at first, then subsides to zero. At this point, the bottom probe kicks in, going from zero to strong until the object is cleared -- leaving the player feeling slightly violated and virtually gored. Check out the (relatively) painless demonstration video after the break.

Ballmer: Windows Phones aren't selling very well, but we're not worried

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:05 AM PDT

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer was his usual frank self when he met financial analysts yesterday, admitting that the world isn't yet as keen on Windows Phone as he'd hoped. To be precise, AllThingsD reported him as saying: "We haven't sold quite as many as I would have liked in the first year." His cunning plan? Well, that's easy: make it all Nokia's problem. Or, as he put it: "With Nokia we have a dedicated hardware partner that is all-in on Windows Phones." Indeed, the Finnish manufacturer has now staked far more than Microsoft on the success of this "third ecosystem" and, if its imminent Mango handsets fail to turn things around, we may eventually see Stephen Elop standing behind that silent cash register.

HTC Bliss to be called the Rhyme, launching September 20?

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:30 AM PDT

The HTC Bliss is a phone we've seen so much of that new press renders don't necessarily show us anything we haven't seen before -- there have been enough hands-on photos, walkthrough videos and leaked Sense 3.5 screenshots that there's really no questioning its future. The image you see above was leaked with a few new pieces of quality information: the Bliss will inevitably become the Rhyme once it hits stores -- which plays right into HTC's infatuation with Beats, though the tech probably won't be incorporated here -- and will likely be announced at the September 20th event (the date on the press image is often a solid indicator). HTCInside is also reporting that the Rhyme will be available in silver / white, pink / yellow and dark blue, so perhaps it isn't completely for the ladies, no?

Sharp to discontinue original Galapagos e-readers, 7-inch species survives

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:48 AM PDT

We're raising our glasses to the original Galapagos e-reader this morning, because Sharp has decided to discontinue it. Today, the manufacture announced that it will stop taking orders for its 5.5- and 10.8-inch Android tablets on September 30th, just nine months after they first launched. A company spokeswoman, however, confirmed that Sharp isn't leaving the market altogether, as it plans to continue churning out the 7-inch A01SH that launched last month. The Japan-based firm is confident that "the market for electronic books will continue to expand," but decided to terminate its older slates because they've already "fulfilled the purposes that they were designed for." Sharp declined to disclose sales figures for the doomed devices, though local media outlets are reporting that they may have been squeezed out of the Japanese market by the iPad -- a decidedly Darwinian explanation.

Razer unveils arcade fightstick prototype at TGS, looks to gaming community to hammer out the details

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:54 AM PDT


It seems like the folks at Razer are taking the company's "for gamers, by gamers" motto to heart, today unveiling a new customizable PC / Xbox 360 arcade stick at Tokyo Game Show that won't even hit production until the fightstick community disassembles, mods, and judges the heck out of it. The yet-to-be-named arcade controller will first make its way to select applicants of a closed beta program, putting the rig in the hands of some 200-plus gamers who, after having their way with it, will provide the outfit with tips on how to fine-tune the final product.

Razer's TGS staff gave us a brief overview of the unit, and let us swap around wires, pop out buttons, and fiddle with the rig's faceplate. The prototype unit is built with Sanwa Denshi components, but Razer tells us that mod-minded gamers are free replace, modify, or otherwise tinker with any of the controller's major parts without fear of voiding its warranty -- only the stick's control board is off limits. Beta registration is already open, and the first test units should ship out sometime next month. Check out the gallery below for an eyeful, or point your peepers up top for a demo straight from the TGS show floor. Want more text? Hit the break for an official press release.
Razer's unnamed mod-friendly fight stick, first look
Show full PR text
Tokyo Game Show, Japan – September 15th, 2011 – Razer™, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, just announced a program to co-develop the ultimate arcade stick for the Xbox 360® together with the arcade stick community. The arcade stick, developed with pro-gamer feedback, is currently at the prototype stage. For the finishing touches, up to 200+ specially selected top-seed Street Fighter™ IV pro-gamers, influential modders, and members of the arcade enthusiast community will each be given a Razer arcade stick to test and provide feedback to further improve it to perfection, whereupon the final design will then proceed to production.

Since the company's beginnings in '98, Razer has continually taken pro-gamer feedback and validation during the product development phase to ensure that the design for every gaming product shipped is the absolute best for the competitive edge in tournament-grade play. But in an unprecedented move in the gaming hardware space, Razer is now reaching out to the entire arcade stick community to help make this yet-to-be-named product the best arcade stick in the world. Their feedback will be a huge influencing factor in the design of the final product.

"Razer is for gamers, by gamers. We've been taking feedback from our professional players on products for years and now we want to open it up to the community. That's why we want every arcade enthusiast and modder's input in the development of this special arcade stick," said Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, President, Razer USA. "In this way, it's not just our arcade stick; it's the community's arcade stick. Together, we will create a weapon that delivers the best fighting performance for every gamer and allows modding to the individual's exact specifications. We're not just asking people for input on the paint job, we're after serious hardware feedback."

Members of the arcade community worldwide interested in participating in this beta program are encouraged to contribute ideas at www.razerzone.com/bredtofight, along with a short description as to why they should be selected for prototype testing. Registrants can also nominate other people to the program. Up to 200+ successful applicants worldwide will receive an arcade stick prototype delivered directly to their homes.

Razer will be launching this non-retail arcade stick closed beta community program at Tokyo Game Show, the heart of the professional console fighting scene. Select pro-gamers and key modders will also be approached very soon to begin beta testing the prototype.

TomTom announces Z.E. Live navigation system to measure EV battery juice, keeps you truckin'

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:51 AM PDT

There's nothing worse than going for a late-night chili dog run only to find your EV sucked dry in a 7-11 parking lot. To reduce so-called "range-anxiety," there's the Carminat TomTom Z.E. Live, an in-dash navigation system that not only keeps drivers from getting lost, but also offers a visual cue to how much power's left. Sticking with the green theme, the device provides the most eco-friendly and efficient routes (with nearby charging stations) -- leaving drivers feeling good about putting the pedal to the metal. The nav will come pre-baked in all future Renault Fluence Z.E.s -- but we wouldn't be surprised to see other EV manufacturers implement similar add-ons in the future. Check out the full PR after the break.
Show full PR text
TomTom and Renault launch their first electric vehicle's in-dash navigation system
IAA 2011

AMSTERDAM & FRANKFURT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the IAA Frankfurt Motorshow TomTom and Renault today, launch their first in-dash navigation system, specifically designed for electric vehicles and standard fitted on the Fluence Z.E.

The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE receives information from the battery on its current state of charge, which is used to determine the available range of the vehicle. This information is then visualised on the navigation screen, showing the journey against the available range and the routes to the charge stations. This will help to effectively plan charging and remove drivers' "range anxiety", giving them confidence that their journey can be completed. The system also includes an eco-routing - providing the driver with an option to select the most energy efficient route.

Finding the right charging station information and location (amongst the 5000+ that will be available in Europe at the end of 2011) is critical to drivers. The TomTom Home application will provide users with the latest charging station list each time they connect their SD card to their computer. The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE will inform the users in real-time about the availability of charge stations en route, allowing them to stop and 'fill-up' when needed.

"This is the first navigation system TomTom is launching in the area of electric vehicles and it represents a great milestone for us as a company in this exciting new market. The Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE for Fluence Z.E., is also the third major development in the already successful Carminat TomTom series and underlines our fruitful relationship with Renault," says Giles Shrimpton, Managing Director TomTom Automotive.

"We are very happy with the strong partnership we have developed with TomTom over the years and that we are able to give birth today to the next evolution of our product – the new Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE. This solution is a key feature of our new Fluence Z.E. The electric vehicle programme is of great importance to us at Renault and the Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE plays a significant role in its success", says Stephen Norman, Global Marketing & Communications Director, Renault.

In addition, the Carminat TomTom Z.E. LIVE comes with LIVE Services including HD Traffic, providing drivers with its unique dynamic routing; giving them the fastest route to their destination based on the latest traffic situation.

Key Features

* Electric vehicle routing functionality, including routing to and via charge stations, and integration with battery management solution
* Eco-routing function
* Visualisation of available range on the map and navigation display
* Automatic updates of charge stations via TomTom Home with search functions for locating of nearest charge station, as well as those around destination or other location
* HD Traffic – unique combination of real-time traffic, based on a network of over 80 million probes in Europe and dynamic routing
* Local Search
* Weather
* Safety camera alerts, to help the customer to drive more safely and responsibly.
* IQ Routes technology so the user always gets the best route to his destination. This technology calculates your routes based on the real average speeds measured on roads. Always providing you with the fastest route, and most accurate travel time, hour-by-hour, day-by-day, saving you time, money and fuel.
* Advanced Lane Guidance shows which lane to take at junctions so you don't miss your turn. On the most difficult highway intersections, realistic 3D representation of the junction keeps customers relaxed and safe.
* TomTom Map Share allows the user to make corrections to his/her own map and able to benefit from thousands of corrections made by TomTom users every day.

Google loads up on IP again, buys 1,000 more patents from IBM

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:28 AM PDT

Seems like we've heard this story before -- Google buys a bunch of patents to protect its cute little green baby from all the big, bad patent lawsuits. Only this time, instead of buying a hardware manufacturer to expand its patent warchest, team Mountain View merely purchased 1,023 bits of IP from IBM. Covering everything from a method for filling holes in printed wiring boards to a method for file system management, Google seems to have grabbed quite the eclectic collection -- one we're sure Big G will put to work for itself and its buddies in no time. Those looking to see the full results of this latest patent shopping spree can hit the source link below.

YouTube unveils post-production suite, includes Instagram-like effects and shake reduction

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:04 AM PDT

Nothing says 'YouTube' like a grainy handheld shot that acts as a catalyst for nausea; sadly, this may all be set to change. The digital home of Home Videos has introduced a suite of new effects that lets you patch up your candid classics, even after you've uploaded them. What's more, the changes you make are non-destructive, so if your grand idea proves dreadful in reality, you can go back and undo all your meddling. The usual family-friendly sepia, cartoonify and vignette type fare -- courtesy of photo editing amigos Picnik -- are joined by some more practical tools such as brightness, rotate and the aforementioned sickness-solving stabilization. However, if your clip has more than 1,000 views you'll need to save it as a new one -- wouldn't want the next Numa Numa vid to get all discolored after going viral, now would you?

Sprint begins iPhone briefings, exact model number remains questionable

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:44 PM PDT

Are you a Sprint subscriber? Super stoked about possibly getting your hands on an iPhone? It seems as though you're finally about to be in business. After a chat with a freshly-briefed, forthcoming sales associate, TUAW is reporting that the carrier will start offering an Apple device of some sort next month alongside existing data plans -- providing some confirmation for the recent Wall Street Journal report. Things get a bit cloudy after that in regards to exactly which handset the carrier will obtain, but the sales force is currently getting familiar with the iPhone 4. Regardless of which iPhone Sprint ends up procuring, it's getting fairly impossible to shake the (seemingly) obvious. We'll see in a month, eh?

PlayStation Vita's Torne app pulls in live TV streams served up from a PS3

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:19 PM PDT

Need another reason to be interested in the PlayStation Vita? Sony announced during tonight's press conference that it will tie in with the only-available-in-Japan Torne DVR adapter (PlayTV in Europe and nonexistent in NA) for the PlayStation 3. Once synced up, it allows users to remotely tune into live TV streams Slingbox-style, browse listings and remotely schedule recordings via an app on the portable device. It should be ready to go at launch, while the ability to export recorded shows to the Vita like one of Monsoon's boxes will be added later. For now however, we can only look on in envy and hope rumors of a PlayTV 2 eventually come true, and come out here.

Motorola Admiral outed as mystery Sprint Direct Connect device, strikes a pose for the camera

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:55 PM PDT

That unnamed Motorola smartphone coming this fall to help usher in Sprint's new CDMA-based Direct Connect service? It appears to be the Admiral. If the name sounds familiar, its trademarked logo actually appeared simultaneously with the Samsung Epic 4G Touch. But it's so much more than a name now, thanks to a tipster who sent in an image of the device next to some well-detailed specs. The Admiral will likely be a portrait QWERTY Android 2.3 device powered by a 1.2GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, and will feature a 3.1-inch VGA display, 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and a stellar 1,860mAh battery. Oh, and it's a rugged phone that's built according to 810G military specifications. If this truly is the mystery Motorola Direct Connect smartphone we've been waiting for, it's bound to turn a few hard-hat-donning heads.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

PlayStation Vita's slick augmented reality demoed in Reality Fighters, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:31 PM PDT


Back in January, we caught a glimpse of a hilarious PS Vita title dubbed Reality Fighters, and as the name suggests, it's a Street Fighter-like game that makes use of the device's augmented reality feature. Well, SmartAR, to be precise, which has already been proven to deliver slick AR in large space without the need of a marker, and that's exactly what we experienced earlier today at TGS 2011.

What happens in this game is that you can first create your own fighting avatar -- not only does it let you map your face using either camera on the Vita, but there's also a whole range of body shapes, facial features, weapons and fashion accessories to add to your character. Once you have your fighter ready, you then have three options: use the current surroundings as your battle backdrop, or use one of the many default backdrops (and the final version of the game will allow players to create their own backdrop), or use a marker. We only managed to try the first two AR modes with the brief hands-on time we had, but both worked seamlessly for us -- see for yourself in our hands-on video above.

Surprisingly, this game only uses just one of the four CPU cores on the Vita! But then again, we've already seen SmartAR running smoothly on the Xperia Arc, which goes to show how relatively little number crunching power is required for SmartAR. Expect to see this funny game to come out in February.

JetStreamHD starts shipping, leaves iPad media streaming vapor trails in its wake (video)

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:51 PM PDT

With Pogoplug Video out of the picture, Nuvyyo's JetStreamHD is ready to become your default iPad media streamer. The tower plugs into your router and delivers streaming content like hi-def videos, music and photos from your home network to your Apple tablet. And the free JetSteamHD iPad app makes it easier to sort through your content, while promising the best available resolution for seamless entertainment streaming. The device is shipping now, for a suggested price of $199. Video and PR after the break.



Show full PR text
JetStreamHD - the World's First Mobile Media Streamer for the iPad - Now Shipping in North America

Ottawa, Canada – Sept 14, 2011 – JetStreamHD, the only consumer electronics product to stream all of your digital media stored anywhere on a home computer network to the iPad, is now available to buy from the JetStreamHD web store at www.jetstreamhd.com and from Amazon at www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. JetStreamHD enables iPad users to instantly access and stream any video, song, or photo from their home network while traveling for business, visiting friends and family, or simply relaxing anywhere – without upfront planning, conversion headaches, download time, sync hassles, or iPad memory limits.

JetStreamHD generated enormous consumer and media interest when it was previewed at the prestigious DEMO launch event earlier this year. "The iPad can hold pictures, movies and lots of music, of course," reported Edward C. Baig, Personal Tech Writer for USA Today. "But chances are, it can't hold your entire multimedia library. That's where JetStreamHD comes in."

"Consumers have been eagerly waiting for a solution that gives them access to all of their media instantly, wherever they go," said Grant Hall, JetStreamHD company CEO. "Other solutions require hours of difficult setup and format conversion for each mobile device, require a powerful home computer to act as the streaming server, and deliver a grainy, stuttering viewing experience. JetStreamHD is the first product to solve this problem."

Now, using JetStreamHD, a person at a coffee shop, on the train, a business trip, or at a friend's place,can use their iPad to easily find and instantly play videos, listen to music, or show off some photos from their home-based media collection – at the highest possible resolution without stuttering.

How it Works:

Plug and play setup in minutes – you simply plug the sleek, silent JetStreamHD box into your home router and download the free app to your iPad. Within a few minutes, it discovers all of the media that resides in any format, including 1080p HD, on any computer, USB drive, media server or NAS attached to your network. All of your media is immediately available for viewing on your iPad.

Easily and quickly find any media with the beautiful iPad app – powerful search, sort and filter
controls make it easy to quickly find any item in the largest of libraries. You can quickly sort and filter by movie, genre, rating, date added and much more, and JetStreamHD takes it a step further by automatically adding media cover art, plot summaries and other important data to ensure a rich viewing experience.

Instant access to your media without any upfront work – as anyone who has worked with digital video knows, video format conversion and streaming are computationally intensive and time consuming.

With JetStreamHD, just one touch on the app starts the selected media playing in the best possible resolution without stuttering.

The best possible mobile viewing experience over any connection – JetStreamHD's powerful hardware takes care of everything automatically as it streams in real-time: converting any format to accommodate your mobile device and adaptively adjusting the streaming bit-rate to make best use of your available Wi-Fi or 3G connection strength. Unlike other solutions, you don't consume one of your home computers to act as the streaming server.

Sprint changing return policy tomorrow, nixing Premier program at year's end

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:20 PM PDT

Sprint's been making mondo policy changes over the last two weeks in the form of increased fees, so what's a few more cuts? We've received tips over the last day or so that suggest the Now Network up to its shenanigans again, making immediate changes to its return policy and soon putting the kibosh on its Premier program. Effective tomorrow, Sprint's trimming its return period from 30 days to 14 and the risk-free trial offer -- which ultimately allows you to walk away from your service within a month without being charged a penny -- is vanishing into thin air. Reaching out for confirmation from a carrier spokesperson, we were told: "Beginning Sept. 16, Sprint is updating its return policy for new lines of service, upgrades, accessories and devices. We will share more details of the new Sprint Satisfaction Guarantee at a later date." This doesn't fully answer our query, of course, but it at least confirms that the return policy will fall victim to a few adjustments on Friday.

We also began receiving tips today foretelling the upcoming demise of the Sprint Premier program -- the company's two-tiered VIP program that offers annual upgrades and other perks. Premier members will apparently be notified as early as tomorrow (or as late as October) that they have until year's end to cash in on their remaining benefits. The only reasoning given: "to help us focus on the areas that customers value the most, such as unlimited data plans." Interpret that how you will, but ginormous things are going down in Overland Park, and we haven't even heard the wondrous news about the carrier's "Strategy Update" yet. Unless, of course, it's all tied together somehow...

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

PlayStation Suite SDK beta coming in November, offering new games in spring 2012

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:06 PM PDT

We haven't heard much about the PlayStation Suite for quite some time, but at the TGS 2011 opening keynote today, Sony announced that it'll finally be rolling out an SDK for said cross-platform framework in November. Furthermore, Sony's expecting new games and apps to be available for the PlayStation Suite in spring, which means willing C# developers will be busy over the next few months should they wish to deploy their software across certified devices -- these currently include the PS Vita, Xperia Play, Tablet S and the upcoming Tablet P. Of course, we're also hoping that Sony will convince at least one other manufacturer to get its NVIDIA Tegra devices certified for the PlayStation Suite, otherwise it'll be tough to get the ball rolling for everyone.
Show full PR text
Sep 14, 2011 23:37 ET
Sony Computer Entertainment to Offer Software Development Kit for PlayStation®Suite Starting This November

SCE to Provide Strong Support to Content Developers for PlayStation®Suite With the Distribution of the Newly Developed Content Starting Next Spring

TOKYO, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that it will offer software development kits (SDK) for PlayStation®Suite (PS Suite), called "PlayStation®Suite SDK," *1 for content developers starting this November. PS Suite is an initiative solution to deliver the world of PlayStation® to Android™ based portable devices.

Through PS Suite SDK, content developers can create content for PlayStation™Certified (PS Certified) devices, hardware certified through the PS Suite license program, as well as for PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita).

Supporting C# as the programming language, PS Suite SDK can run programs developed in C# on virtual machine equipped on both PS Certified devices and PS Vita. By supporting development for multiple devices and by adopting libraries to create a variety of content not only limited to games, PS Suite SDK will not only help developers save their cost in creating new content but also allow them to efficiently create their content on one SDK and without having to create on several different SDKs.

Through PS Suite SDK, SCE will provide to game developers and publishers the potential to further expand their business opportunities to Android based portable devices. In addition, SCE can approach to a wider range of content developers, non-gaming developers and individual programmers. The detailed information of PS Suite SDK, including how to download, will be announced via a dedicated PS Suite section on SCE's official website.

As of September 15th, 2011, PS Certified device line-up includes Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB's Xperia PLAY, Sony Corporation's "Sony Tablet" S, "Sony Tablet" P, and SCE will continue to further accelerate the expansion of PS Certified devices in addition to the current hardware line-up.

Furthermore, SCE will provide a variety of content towards these PS Certified devices from end October through PlayStation®Store*2 on PlaySation®Network, starting with original PlayStation games (PS one® classics). The service will start in nine countries including Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia and with more countries to follow. In next spring, SCE will enhance the PS Store for PS Certified devices and provide content created by PS Suite SDK, further prevailing the world of PS Suite.

Through PS Suite, SCE will deploy various measures to support content developers in their business for rapidly prevailing Android based portable devices and will expand the PlayStation entertainment experience on an open operating system.

*1
Software Development Kit is a set of development tools and software libraries. Developers are able to obtain this SDK by signing a license agreement with SCE and by purchasing tool products.
*2
Users can download vast digital content including games through PS Store for PS Network for PS3, PSP, PS Vita and PS Certified devices.
*3
Number of content differ by regions.


About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufacturers, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is an innovative handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

PlayStation, PS one, PS3, PSP are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xperia is a trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. "Sony Tablet" is a trademark of Sony Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
at 11:42 AM

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