Engadget News

Skype update for iOS adds anti-shake, Bluetooth connectivity and ads for freeloaders
Mitsubishi Electric to build world's fastest elevator, usher in the death of small talk
A DIY Arduino watch that's actually wearable, still won't win you points with the ladies
Zeo Mobile turns phones into a sleep clinic, aids in advanced Power Rangers dreaming
MetroPCS takes a good look in the mirror, unveils the LG Esteem
ASUS TOUGH 7-inch Honeycomb tablet lands in Japan ready for some corporate abuse
Amazon Kindle family portrait
Amazon Kindle (2011) impressions
Amazon Kindle Touch impressions (video)
Is a 10-inch Kindle Fire coming? Amazon says 'stay tuned'
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 coming to T-Mobile
Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook... Fight!
Amazon discounts 'original' 6-inch Kindle Keyboard: now starting at $99
Amazon Kindle Fire impressions (video)
Microsoft and Samsung sitting in a tree, patent s-h-a-r-i-n-g
Amazon Silk browser spins a faster mobile web, courtesy of cloud servers (video)
Amazon launches Kindle Touch and Touch 3G: starts at $99, ships November 21st
Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today!
Live from Amazon's tablet event in NYC!
Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag
Scientists build digital cerebellum for Roborat: to protect, serve and spook
Lightsquared signs deal with AirTouch, creates its first MVNO
OCZ Z-Drive R4 review roundup: this is what 2,800MB/s looks like
PSA: Force Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to update, right now
Google drops cloud computing lawsuit against US Department of the Interior
Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash
iLuv unveils WorkStation docks, turns your iPad 2 / Galaxy Tab into a PC, sort of
Canonical launches Ubuntu App Developer platform for curious coders
Bose's CineMate 1 SR and Lifestyle 135 soundbar systems are slim, sleek, not particularly cheap
Toshiba adds 23-inch DX735 to its multitouch all-in-one family
OnStar abandons plans to keep tracking vehicles after service cancelation
MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012
Microsoft Research celebrates 20 years of crazy innovation
Acer Aspire One 522 and 722 hit the gym with faster processors and beefier graphics
Hitachi's 4.5-inch IPS HD display delivers 329ppi on the cheap courtesy of amorphous silicon backplane
TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video)
Ben Heck cooks up proximity sensor for cyclists, still no substitute for keeping eyes open
Kisai's Rogue Touch watch displays dual timezones, is mildly confusing to read (video)
Sharp's biggest LCD HDTVs get even bigger with a new 80-inch model
Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video)

Skype update for iOS adds anti-shake, Bluetooth connectivity and ads for freeloaders

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:53 AM PDT

Skype's latest app upgrade brings a few substantial features, some good, one not so. Alongside a new anti-shake video call function (limited to the iPhone's back-facing camera), you can now pair Bluetooth headsets with the VoIP calling service, something apparently "long requested" from Skype fans. However, users will now have to fork out for credit to avoid seeing advertising that's also baked into the new version. The update's now up for grabs on both the iPhone and iPad, though there are reports of a few teething troubles, including missing credit and account details. We've also been experiencing issues, with the app unwilling to play nice with our Bluetooth headsets, though oddly, we can still hear the Skype call ring through. Hopefully we'll see another update that sorts this out soon -- till then, tap the link below for more details, or ogle a bit of smoothed out anti-shake action after the break.

Mitsubishi Electric to build world's fastest elevator, usher in the death of small talk

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:31 AM PDT

Cheer up, ladies, because Mitsubishi Electric is about to make your elevator ride substantially less awkward. Yesterday, the company unveiled plans to construct what it hopes will become the world's fastest lifts, as part of a new project in China. The forthcoming set of elevators will be housed within the still-incomplete Shanghai Tower, where they'll travel between the basement and 119th floor at a speed of 59 feet per second -- a rate that would narrowly eclipse the current Guinness world record, which sits at about 55 feet per second. These elevators, of course, would be significantly slower if they were filled with vomit, which is why Mitsubishi will add active roller guides, vibration-dampening roof covers and pneumatic controls to make the ride a bit easier on the human body. Unfortunately, it'll be a while before these flesh wagons enter the record books, as the Shanghai Tower likely won't be completed until 2014. Willy Wonka, however, has already begun the appeals process. Elevate past the break for more information in the full press release.

[Image courtesy of AMC]

Show full PR text

Mitsubishi Electric to Install World's Fastest Elevators in Shanghai Tower

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today it has received an order from Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Co., Ltd. for the installation of the world's fastest elevators, travelling at 18 meters (or 59 feet) per second, in the Shanghai Tower currently under construction in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China.

The current world record for elevator speed is 1,010 meters per minute, which is approximately 16.8 meters (or 55 feet) per second, according to Guinness World Records.

Three sets of elevators will travel directly between the second basement level and the observation deck on the 119th floor. Including these three units, Mitsubishi Electric Group will supply all 106 elevators for the Shanghai Tower, beginning this autumn. The 632-meter tall skyscraper complex will house offices, hotel accommodations, commercial facilities, convention halls, exhibition halls, restaurants and culture and tourism facilities. It is expected to be the tallest building in China when completed in 2014.

Mitsubishi Electric also will install a group of four double-deck elevators that will travel at a world-record 10 meters (or 33 feet) per second between the ground floor and hotel lobby on the 101st floor. In addition, the emergency elevator is expected to become the world's longest-travelling elevator by operating between the third basement and the 121st floor, a distance of 578.5 meters.

The seven elevators expected to establish new speed records will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies to ensure passenger comfort at high speed, such as active roller guides, sleek roof covers that reduce lateral vibration and noise, and pneumatic control to compensate for rapid changes of atmospheric pressure.

High-intensity ropes and cables will enable the world's longest-travelling elevator to operate over a distance exceeding 500 meters. Ceramic braking material will increase resistance to high temperatures and strong impact for maximized safety and reliability.

All elevators capable of travelling at speeds in excess of 2.5 meters (or 8.2 feet) per second also will be equipped with energy-saving solutions, including regenerative converters and group-control systems.

"It is a great honor to be selected to supply all elevators, including a number of record-breaking units, for the tallest building in China," said Mitsuo Muneyuki, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Electric in charge of building systems. "We believe this historic order reflects the global reputation of Mitsubishi Electric's advanced technologies and world-class service."

In response to growing demands on elevator and escalator systems for high-rise buildings, Mitsubishi Electric is steadily developing transportation systems offering increased levels of safety, security, comfort and sustainability.

A DIY Arduino watch that's actually wearable, still won't win you points with the ladies

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT

Here's a little fashion secret: it's all about the details. Wear cheap square-toe shoes with that $5,000 custom-made suit and people will notice. The same is true of a watch. Your timepiece can say a lot about you, including: "I'm a big nerd, please beat me up and take my lunch money." So, what does an Arduino watch tell your peers? Well, for one, that you have way too much time on your hands. And two, that you're crafty person capable of putting their brain meats to work building actual things. Of course, telling time with a series of brightly glowing LEDs on an exposed PCB also sends the message that being fashionable is not your primary concern. If you're looking to earn some geek cred, and can live with the fact that wearing this will probably cost you that cute girl's number at the bar, hit up the source for instructions. At least this wearable Arduino timepiece is a slightly less conspicuous than the Steampunk version we saw last summer. One more pic after the break.

Zeo Mobile turns phones into a sleep clinic, aids in advanced Power Rangers dreaming

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:49 AM PDT

Much like hope, love and Coconut M&Ms, sleep is one of those things that is both hard to live with and impossible to live without. But unlike the first three, it's evidently possible to throw math into the whole "shut-eye" thing. Like it's bedside-based older brother, the newly-announced Zeo Mobile includes a SoftWave wireless headband that wraps around your grey matter as you sleep, reporting on how well your brain is shutting down. Instead of the custom base-station, the data is sent straight to your iOS or Android device and syncs up with the Zeo site to give you the inside skinny on your dreaming. Best of all, the device can wake you at the peak of a sleep cycle, rather than halfway through that dream about Björk and the melting clock. Of course, if you didn't already know that mainlining Red Bull until 3am isn't healthy, then perhaps you're beyond redemption.

MetroPCS takes a good look in the mirror, unveils the LG Esteem

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:25 AM PDT

It's easy to get caught up in the wireless major leaguers legal kerfuffles, but let's not forget the little guy. MetroPCS is shipping out a "chic," second LTE handset to surf along its contractless radio waves -- LG's Esteem. Formerly codenamed Bryce, the phone is pretty much the carrier's repackaged version of Verizon's Revolution -- specs, and all that 4G jazz -- but let's not be the debbie downer at this network's party, the handset's packing some solid internals. In case you needed a refresher, the phone runs Android 2.3 with a sprinkling of LG's custom UI atop a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and includes 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing / 5 megapixel rear shooter (capable of 720p video capture) and a micro-HDMI port. Your untethered hands can snatch this one up now for $250 after taxes and a mail-in rebate, of course, you still have to opt-in for one of those 4G LTE service plans. Official PR after the break.

Show full PR text

MetroPCS Unveils the LG Esteem, the latest 4GLTE Android Smartphone for Entertainment-Minded Consumers
Feature-rich smartphone and 4GLTE services combine to deliver extreme value with no contract

DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2011

MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS), and LG Mobile today introduced the latest addition to MetroPCS' line-up of 4GLTE - enabled smartphones with the entertainment-packed LG Esteem(TM). Available this week in stores and online, the chic new LG Esteem 4GLTE Android smartphone delivers an incredible entertainment experience for customers including music and multimedia applications like Rhapsody Unlimited Music and MetroSTUDIO(TM). Powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), LG Esteem features a sleek, modern design for style-conscious consumers looking for the latest smartphone technology.

"Our customers want more entertainment services and multimedia, and the LG Esteem delivers all of the multimedia they desire right at their fingertips with the easy access afforded by our 4GLTE network," said Tom Keys, president and chief operating officer of MetroPCS. "By pairing a premium handset with the latest features and our unbeatable service offerings, we are providing our customers with a tremendous value. We're the only no-annual contract, pay-in-advance carrier providing 4GLTE service today, and with our latest 4GLTE smartphone, consumers can take full advantage of our network and the exploding array of Android market applications available today."

At about half the cost of other 4G smartphone service plans today, consumers can truly have it all with MetroPCS' $50 and $60 4GLTE plans, which include all applicable taxes and regulatory fees. For just $60, consumers can choose between unlimited music with Rhapsody or video entertainment with MetroSTUDIO - on top of unlimited Internet access, voice and texting services. With the vast music library provided by the new Rhapsody Unlimited Music service, music lovers can play, download and store or stream as many songs as they want, free from the per-track charges that come with most other music download services.

"LG Esteem is the ideal device for entertainment savvy consumers looking for on-the-go content and the latest Android technology," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. "Together with the MetroPCS 4GLTE network, LG Esteem provides users with a wide variety of features not previously accessible to no-annual-contract mobile consumers and delivers a truly enhanced user experience."

Capturing and sharing personal multimedia has never been easier with a front-facing camera and 5MP rear camera with flash, 720p HD video recording, allowing users to watch videos and view images directly from the handset's brilliant 4.3" WVGA screen or use the micro-HDMI port and DLNA streaming capability to transmit HD content directly to home entertainment units, as well as face-to-face video calling using the Esteem's pre-loaded Google Talk Application. In addition, LG Esteem is equipped with a 1GHz processor, 8GB of internal memory and Dolby® Mobile Surround 7.1 and a Corning® Gorilla® Glass Screen Protector. Combined with MetroPCS' 4GLTE service, LG Esteem provides an unparalleled Internet and entertainment consumer experience.

LG Esteem will be available for $249 plus tax, after mail-in rebate, through January 1, 2012. Plus, customers purchasing the LG Esteem will receive Rhapsody Unlimited Music FREE for 90 days through a limited time promotional offer when they activate the $50 4GLTE service plan. Consumers interested in purchasing the LG Esteem can visit their local store or go online to purchase the phone and sign up for service.

ASUS TOUGH 7-inch Honeycomb tablet lands in Japan ready for some corporate abuse

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:04 AM PDT

Not content with offering up merely modular Android tablets, ASUS has revealed a new seven-inch tablet that's water and dust resistant -- perfect for a spot of bath-time browsing or... desert rallying. The ASUS TOUGH-ETBW11AA has rubberized bezel and strips across the back, contributing to the substantial 22.2mm profile, but that hefty frame can survive drops from the heady height of 76cm. Aside from its tough-guy credentials, there's a 1280 x 800 screen, five megapixel camera, Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor, WiMAX connection and the staple WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS medley. It comes with 16GB of well-protected storage, but there's room for more via microSD. For those seeking a slate that'll survive the bumps and scrapes of the business world -- and not look ridiculous -- it'll be available to enterprise customers of Japanese carrier KDDI this November. No news yet on whether it'll canoe its way across from the Land of the Rising Sun, but we can give you a few more photos of the rough and tumble tablet after the break.

[Image credit: Keitai Watch]

Amazon Kindle family portrait

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:39 AM PDT

And golly, don't they look proud. On the left, the new $99 Kindle Touch. On the right, the new $79 Kindle. And, in the middle, the $199 Kindle Fire tablet. So, which would you rather? If you need more help deciding, check out the gallery, which features the third-generation Kindle thrown into the mix.

Amazon Kindle family portrait

Amazon Kindle (2011) impressions

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:35 AM PDT

Price was one of the reoccurring themes at today's Amazon event in New York City, and nowhere was that factor more present than with the new Kindle. At $79, this truly is an entry level device, and certainly the company made some sacrifices to hit that price point -- most obviously, the reader doesn't have the touchscreen featured in both the Kindle Touch and the latest Nook and Kobo devices -- though like those products, the Kindle did lose its physical keyboard, giving it a much smaller footprint than the last generation. In place of the infrared touchscreen are a series of buttons: Home, Menu, Keyboard and Back. In the middle is a toggle button that lets the user scroll through menus -- that activity can be performed pretty quickly with the physical buttons, and flipping through pages is not problem with the familiar page buttons on either side of the screen. Where one really misses the presence of touch, however, is with the on-screen keyboard -- typing is performed by clicking one's way through the virtual keyboard, a familiar task for anyone who has ever entered their name at the beginning of a video game with a console controller. Of course, typing is a secondary task on a device like this, so for many users this may well not be a deal-breaker. For those who foresee the need for such functionality, however, $20 will buy you an upgrade to the Kindle Touch.

Kindle 2011 impressions

Amazon Kindle Touch impressions (video)

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:10 AM PDT

One of the three major devices launched at today's Amazon event, the Kindle Touch is aimed firmly at the latest touchscreen Nook and Kobo devices. Like those readers, the new Kindle is based around an infrared touchscreen, in the place of a physical keyboard, making the device a good deal smaller than the Kindle 3. The touchscreen is fairly responsive, and the thing flips through pages quickly with a swipe or a tap, refreshing about once every six pages or so, a rate about on-par with that of its chief competition. A task like performing a search on the other hand, requires a much larger screen refresh -- still, activities like these and typing are performed quite quickly for an E-Ink device. The search function itself is rather precise, letting the user locate instances of things like character names throughout a text. In all, it looks as though Amazon has produced a worthy competitor to the space-leading touch devices -- and the $99 / $149 price tags for the WiFi and 3G versions certainly don't hurt. Check out a video of the device after the break.

Kindle Touch impressions

Is a 10-inch Kindle Fire coming? Amazon says 'stay tuned'

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:08 AM PDT

We already knew to expect a 7-incher today, and that's exactly what we got in the Kindle Fire. We just asked Amazon Kindle vice president (and thinking man) Russ Grandinetti when we might expect a larger successor. With a smile, Russ said "Stay tuned," and left it at that. If you'll recall, RIM's Ryan Biden told us at a past Engadget Show that there was "no reason" the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook couldn't be shipped in a different size, and given recent rumors that both outfits were working with Quanta, it's not too tough to read betwixt the lines. We also asked about an international release of the Fire, knowing that many of you are lamenting its US-only release in November. We got the same response there. So, it's coming... the only question is when.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 coming to T-Mobile

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 09:06 AM PDT

See that there? That's confirmation from T-Mobile USA that it'll be stocking the Galaxy Tab 10.1 soon. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether the model it hawks will boast a WWAN module (or if it's just a magenta-hued WiFi edition), but you can bet we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for news as it comes. For now, hit the source link to "Like" or "Pretend to Dislike."

Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook... Fight!

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:44 AM PDT

How much does the Kindle Fire look like the PlayBook? It looks this much like the PlayBook.

Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry PlayBook

Amazon discounts 'original' 6-inch Kindle Keyboard: now starting at $99

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:43 AM PDT

Ready for another new Kindle moniker to remember? Here it comes! "Kindle Keyboard." That's the name that was bestowed upon the tried-and-true 6-incher today after Bezos unwrapped a touchscreen model and a low-cost variant that tout no physical QWERTY keys whatsoever. Now, the WiFi-only Kindle is going for as low as $99 with ads (down from $114), while the non-ads edition can be had for $139. Meanwhile, the 3G + WiFi Special Offers edition has fallen from $164 to $139, and the ad-free brother is going for $189. Naturally, all four of 'em are in stock and shipping today if the new blood just didn't do much for ya.

Amazon Kindle Fire impressions (video)

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:25 AM PDT

Alas, we've not been able to get our hands on Amazon's diminutive new 7-inch, $199 Kindle Fire tablet just yet, but we were treated to a lengthy demo of the thing courtesy of an Amazon rep, answering many of our questions and showing us just what how the thing performs. How does it fare? Very well, thank you very much. More details after the break.

Amazon Kindle Fire impressions

The reports we'd heard of the Kindle Fire being very similar to the BlackBerry PlayBook, and you can certainly put any doubt you had about that to rest. As expected, the thing is very clearly related to RIM's hardware, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. We liked the way the PlayBook feels in the hand, and while we only briefly had the opportunity to touch a Kindle Fire, it gives off the same quality impression.

What it won't have, though, is the number of physical inputs. It'll make do with just a power button and nothing more -- if you want to turn down the volume you'll need to dive into the status bar. Whether or not that proves to be an annoyance in the long-run remains to be seen, but we're thinking it will be.

Software performance seems quite smart at this point, switching tasks and apps in rapid fire during the demo we were given. We were only shown a brief glimpse of the new Silk browser, but we must say the thing appears to deliver on its promises. The dual-core 1GHz, TI OMAP processor certainly seems adequate, too, even if it is only paired with 512MB of memory. It also has 8GB of storage on tap -- a bit light these days, but with all your content synced online, in theory there's no need for more. In theory.

Ultimately the Fire is looking like a nice little device, and at $199 it could be a decidedly better option than the Nook Color. Will it be? Well, we'll find out sometime before it ships.

Microsoft and Samsung sitting in a tree, patent s-h-a-r-i-n-g

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 08:04 AM PDT

Microsoft put on its nicest suit when it invited Samsung to the patent-licensing barn dance. Whatever it whispered as the two snuggled close during the slow jams about rescuing the Korean giant from the quagmire of Android litigation, it worked. Sammy has entered into a deal to license Redmond's vast patent archive and, if the rumors are to be believed, it will pay $15 per handset sold for the privilege. (No word on if that includes the $45 million in fees that would just cover sales of the Galaxy S II.) This seems like it could be an implicit vote of no-confidence concerning Google's promises that its acquisition of Motorola would make courtroom drama a thing of the past. There's also a strong reference to the pair collaborating on Mango, and we can only assume that it comes with a significantly less punitive licensing charge in place. Between Android, Windows Phone, Bada and Tizen, it's clear Samsung is hedging its operating system bets. There's a press release after the break, but take our word on it, at no point does it mention Steve Ballmer, lying naked on a bed of money, laughing to himself.

Show full PR text

Microsoft and Samsung Broaden Smartphone Partnership

REDMOND, Wash - Sept. 28, 2011 - Microsoft announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies, providing broad coverage for each company's products. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties for Samsung's mobile phones and tablets running the Android mobile platform. In addition, the companies agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone.

"Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone and we're investing to make that a reality," said Andy Lees, president, Windows Phone Division, Microsoft. "Microsoft believes in a model where all our partners can grow and profit based on our platform."

"Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry," said Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung's mobile communication division. "We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone "Mango" launch this fall."

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Amazon Silk browser spins a faster mobile web, courtesy of cloud servers (video)

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:56 AM PDT

Part of Amazon's new Kindle Fire pitch is its promise of Amazon Silk -- a "split browser" exclusive to the tablet that gets the heavy lifting done on its EC2 cloud servers and promises faster access as a result. Dubbed Silk to represent an "invisible, yet incredibly strong connection", it takes advantage of Amazon's existing speedy connections, and that so many sites are already hosted on its servers to speed up web access. Another feature is its ability to learn from previous web surfers and use their data to determine how to render a page, and which sites to precache on the device before you even select the next link. While mobile browsers like Skyfire and Opera have offered speed boosting proxies before, Amazon thinks its AWS prowess and the addition of "dynamic decisions" about what to render locally or in the cloud takes it to another level. Read our live blog of the event for more details, or check out the video explanation and press release after the break.

Show full PR text

Introducing "Amazon Silk": Amazon's Revolutionary Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser, Available Exclusively on Kindle Fire
Amazon's cloud computing infrastructure and eight years of cloud computing expertise come together in new web browser for Kindle Fire--Amazon's new Kindle for movies, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing
SEATTLE, Sep 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

(NASDAQ: AMZN)--Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm - a "split browser" architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS). The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity and the location of any cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it's available exclusively on Kindle Fire, Amazon's new Kindle for movies, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing.

"Kindle Fire introduces a revolutionary new web browser called Amazon Silk," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "We refactored and rebuilt the browser software stack and now push pieces of the computation into the AWS cloud. When you use Silk - without thinking about it or doing anything explicit - you're calling on the raw computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate your web browsing."

Modern websites have become complex. For example, on a recent day, constructing the CNN.com home page required 161 files served from 25 unique domains. This degree of complexity is common. In fact, a typical web page requires 80 files served from 13 different domains. Latency over wireless connections is high - on the order of 100 milliseconds round trip. Serving a web page requires hundreds of such round trips, only some of which can be done in parallel. In aggregate, this adds seconds to page load times.

Conversely, Amazon EC2 is always connected to the backbone of the internet where round-trip latency is 5 milliseconds or less to most web sites rather than the 100 milliseconds seen over wireless connections. In addition, EC2 servers have massive computational power. On EC2, available CPU, storage, and available memory can be orders of magnitudes larger than on mobile devices. Silk uses the power and speed of the EC2 server fleet to retrieve all of the components of a website and deliver them to Kindle Fire in a single, fast stream.

In addition to having more horsepower than a mobile processor, AWS has peering relationships with major internet service providers, and many top sites are hosted on EC2. This means that many web requests will never leave the extended infrastructure of AWS, reducing transit times to only a few milliseconds. Further, while processing and memory constraints lead most mobile browsers to limit the amount of work they attempt at any one time, using EC2 frees Silk from these constraints. If hundreds of files are required to build a web page across dozens of domains, Silk can request all of this content simultaneously with EC2, without overwhelming the mobile device processor or impacting battery life.

Traditional browsers must wait to receive the HTML file in order to begin downloading the other page assets. Silk is different because it learns these page characteristics automatically by aggregating the results of millions of page loads and maintaining this knowledge on EC2. While another browser might still be setting up a connection with the host server, Silk has already pushed content that it knows is associated with the page to the Kindle Fire before the site has even instructed the browser where to find it.

A typical web request begins with resolving the domain names associated with the server and establishing a TCP connection to issue the http request. Establishing TCP connections for each request consumes time and resources that slow down traditional browsers. Silk keeps a persistent connection open to EC2 so that there is always a connection at the ready to start loading the next page. Silk also uses EC2 to maintain a persistent connection to the top sites on the web. This approach reduces latency that would otherwise result from constantly establishing TCP connections. Further, Silk's split architecture uses a pipelined, multiplexing protocol that can send all the content over a single connection.

Finally, Silk leverages the collaborative filtering techniques and machine learning algorithms Amazon has built over the last 15 years to power features such as "customers who bought this also bought..." As Silk serves up millions of page views every day, it learns more about the individual sites it renders and where users go next. By observing the aggregate traffic patterns on various web sites, it refines its heuristics, allowing for accurate predictions of the next page request. For example, Silk might observe that 85 percent of visitors to a leading news site next click on that site's top headline. With that knowledge, EC2 and Silk together make intelligent decisions about pre-pushing content to the Kindle Fire. As a result, the next page a Kindle Fire customer is likely to visit will already be available locally in the device cache, enabling instant rendering to the screen.

"Silk"

The name "Silk" is inspired by the idea that a thread of silk is an invisible yet incredibly strong connection between two different things. In the case of Amazon Silk, it's the connection between the Kindle Fire and Amazon EC2 that creates a better, faster browsing experience. For more information on Amazon Silk, visit www.amazon.com/silk.

Exclusively on Kindle Fire

Silk is available exclusively on Kindle Fire. To pre-order Kindle Fire, visit www.amazon.com/Kindlefire.

About Amazon Web Services

Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. As one of the world's most reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient web infrastructures, AWS has changed the way businesses think about technology infrastructure--there are no up-front expenses or long-term commitments, capital expense is turned into variable operating expense, resources can be added or shed as quickly as needed, and engineering resources are freed up from the undifferentiated heavy lifting of running onsite infrastructure - all without sacrificing operational performance, reliability, or security. AWS now offers over 21 different services, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon SimpleDB. AWS services are used by hundreds of thousands of enterprise, government, and startup customers in more than 190 countries around the world, powering everything from the most popular games on Facebook to NASA's Mars Rover project to pharmaceutical drug research.

Amazon launches Kindle Touch and Touch 3G: starts at $99, ships November 21st

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:15 AM PDT

Oddly enough, the Kindle Fire already feels like yesterday's news. Why? Because Amazon won't stop launching new products. Jeff Bezos just revealed the Kindle Touch ($99 with ads, $139 without) here in New York City, noting that this guy's using an IR touch system, similar to the latest Nook and Kobo, and there's no keyboard (physical, anyway) to speak of. It's slimmer, smaller and lighter than the existing Kindle, with a muted silver chassis that looks almost nothing like the Kindles of today. The entire user interface has been re-thought out, with "taps" being used in place of buttons. Need another reason to buy? We're told that it's using the company's "most advanced" E Ink display yet, and while no specifics were doled out, "extra long" was the term used to describe battery life. A 3G-enabled model ($149 with free global roaming!) will also be available, with the duo up for pre-order later today and shipments going out on November 21st. Unfortunately, the Touch -- like the Fire -- is a US-only product.

Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.

Update: Orders are live!

Amazon launches Kindle Touch e-reader in NYC!

Amazon Kindle Touch press shots

Show full PR text

Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points
New latest generation Kindle - world's bestselling e-reader now lighter, faster, and more affordable than ever - only $79
New "Kindle Touch" with easy-to-use touch screen - only $99
New "Kindle Touch 3G" with free 3G - the top of the line Kindle e-reader - only $149
New "Kindle Fire" - the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon's new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor - all for only $199

SEATTLE, Sep 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

(NASDAQ: AMZN)--Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world for four years running. Today, Amazon is excited to introduce an all-new Kindle family: three all-new Kindle e-readers that are smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever before, and Kindle Fire - a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading - to movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more.

"We've now reached the magical two-digit price point for Kindle - twice: the new Kindle and Kindle Touch are only $79 and $99. Kindle Touch 3G is the new top of the line e-reader with free 3G - no monthly fees or annual contracts - and is only $149," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we've been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers. With Kindle Fire, you have instant access to all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, the convenience of Amazon Whispersync, our revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, the speed and power of a state-of-the-art dual-core processor, a vibrant touch display with 16 million colors in high resolution, and a light 14.6 ounce design that's easy to hold with one hand - all for only $199. We're offering premium products, and we're doing it at non-premium prices."

New Latest Generation Kindle--Fits In Your Pocket--Only $79

The new latest generation Kindle is for readers who want the lightest, most compact Kindle at an incredible price. The latest generation Kindle features a new design that is 30 percent lighter at just 5.98 ounces, 18 percent smaller, and turns pages 10 percent faster. Kindle is now small and light enough to fit easily in your pocket and carry with you everywhere, yet it still features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

The new latest generation Kindle is only $79. Kindle is available starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

New Addition to the Kindle Family--"Kindle Touch"--Only $99

Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes - still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch is also lighter, smaller, eliminates battery anxiety with extra-long battery life and holds thousands of books.

New "X-Ray" Feature

Amazon invented X-Ray, a new feature that lets customers explore the "bones of the book." With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon's community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. Amazon built X-Ray using its expertise in language processing and machine learning, access to significant storage and computing resources with Amazon S3 and EC2, and a deep library of book and character information. The vision is to have every important phrase in every book.

The new Kindle Touch is only $99. Kindle Touch is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch and ships November 21.

New Top of the Line Kindle e-reader--"Kindle Touch 3G" --Only $149

Kindle Touch 3G is a new addition to the Kindle family for readers who want the top of the line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch - small and light, easy-to-use touch screen, storage for thousands of books, and extra-long battery life - with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle's free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot - you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there's no monthly fee or annual contract.

The new top of the line Kindle Touch 3G is only $149. Kindle Touch 3G is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch3G and ships November 21.

All Kindles have instant access to the Kindle Store with the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices, and Kindle customers can now borrow Kindle books from their public library. Kindle books are "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" - on Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PCs, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows phones, and web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader.

All three new Kindle e-readers also come with special offers and sponsored screensavers that appear when you're not reading. Customers enjoy special money-saving offers delivered wirelessly sponsored by AT&T, the Dove beauty brand and Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card by Chase. Kindle e-reader customers will also receive special offers in their own backyards from AmazonLocal, Amazon's local deals marketplace with discounts on local services, products, and experiences. Customers can also choose to purchase a Kindle without special offers and sponsored screensavers.

New Class of Kindle--"Kindle Fire"--Only $199

All The Content--Over 18 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, and Magazines

Kindle Fire puts Amazon's incredible selection of digital content at your fingertips:

* Over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, including thousands of new releases and popular TV shows, available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime Members enjoy instant, unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Kindle Fire comes with one free month of Amazon Prime.
* Over 17,000,000 songs from Amazon MP3, including new and bestselling albums from just $7.99 and individual songs from $0.69.
* Over 1,000,000 Kindle books, including thousands of bestsellers, children's books, comic books and cookbooks in rich color.
* 100 exclusive graphic novels, including Watchmen, the bestselling - and considered by many to be the greatest - graphic novel of all time, which has never before been available in digital format, as well as Batman: Arkham City, Superman: Earth OneGreen Lantern: Secret Origin and 96 others from DC Entertainment.
* Hundreds of magazines and newspapers - including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Wired, Elle, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan and Martha Stewart Living - with full-color layouts, photographs, illustrations, built-in video, audio and other interactive features are available from the new Kindle Fire "Newsstand." Kindle Fire customers will enjoy an exclusive free three-month trial to 17 Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ and Glamour.
* All the most popular Android apps and games, such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Cut the Rope and more. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire to ensure quality and Amazon offers a new free paid app every day.

Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser - "Amazon Silk"

The Kindle Fire web browser Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm - a "split browser" architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity, and cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it's available exclusively on Kindle Fire. Additional technical details are available in the Amazon Silk press release, released today at www.amazon.com/pr. To see a video about Amazon Silk go to www.amazon.com/silk.

Simple and Easy-To-Use

Amazon designed the Kindle Fire user interface from the ground up to make it easier than ever to purchase, manage, and enjoy your digital content. Just like with Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered to your Amazon.com account so you can immediately start enjoying your digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content. All of your digital content is instantly available to enjoy and manage with a simple, consistent experience across all content types.

Free Cloud Storage

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire offers free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud's Worry-Free Archive where it's available for re-downloading anytime.

Amazon Whispersync Now for Movies & TV Too

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon's popular Whispersync technology to automatically synchronize your Kindle library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across the widest range of devices and platforms. With the introduction of Kindle Fire, Amazon is expanding this technology to include video. Start streaming a movie on your Kindle Fire, and when you get home, you can resume streaming right where you left off on your TV - avoid the frustration of needing to find your spot.

Easy to Hold in One Hand

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire was designed to disappear so you can lose yourself in the content. Weighing in at just 14.6 ounces, Kindle Fire is small and light enough to hold in just one hand and carry everywhere you go. The lightweight, compact design makes Kindle Fire perfect for web browsing, playing games, reading and shopping on-the-go.

Brilliant Color Touchscreen

Content comes alive in rich color on a 7-inch full color LCD touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution and 169 pixels per inch. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology - similar technology as used on the iPad, for an extra-wide viewing angle - perfect for sharing your screen with others. In addition, the Kindle Fire display is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, which means it is incredibly durable and will stand up to accidental bumps and scrapes.

Fast, Powerful Dual-Core Processor

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Right out of the box, Kindle Fire users will experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy - unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video and the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items from Amazon.com.

Only $199

The all-new Kindle Fire - with all the content, Amazon's revolutionary cloud-accelerated browser, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, 14.6 ounce design that's easy to hold with one hand, brilliant color touchscreen, and a fast and powerful dual core processor - is only $199. Customers in the U.S. can pre-order Kindle Fire starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and it ships November 15.

For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.

Amazon reveals $79 Kindle, ships today!

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 07:01 AM PDT

As if a $199 Kindle Fire wasn't enough, Amazon's also launching a Kindle e-reader that'll dip below triple-digits for the first time. You heard right -- a $79 Kindle (or £89 if you're unfortunate enough to be on that side of the pricing insanity). According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the company's Kindle line will "start" at the aforesaid price as of today, a marked decrease from the $114 being charged for its lowest end unit earlier in the week. If anything, that's a huge blow for Barnes & Noble, and we're surmising that a reactionary drop will be coming soon in the Nook family if it hopes to keep pace. We've also learned that this guy has ads built right in -- not a shocker given the price, but notable for those who aren't keen on buying a device that continually serves up commercials to justify the lower up-front tally. If you're looking to avoid the hassle, the non-ads variant is priced at $109.

Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.

Update: We've added the first commercial video after the break.

Update 2: Orders are live!

Amazon Kindle e-reader Refresh

Show full PR text

Live from Amazon's tablet event in NYC!

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT

10:53AM Okay, we're done. Hands-on time!

10:53AM Pick your poison!

10:53AM So, it's Fire for $199, Touch 3G for $149, Touch for $99, and Kindle for $79.

10:52AM Fire ships November 15th. "We're making many millions of these, but I still recommend you pre-order today."

10:52AM This one's much more dramatic, following the evolution of writing through print to the Kindle. "From Kindle, Fire is born."

10:51AM Time for another commercial!

10:51AM "We're building premium products at non-premium prices."

10:51AM "It's $199." Silence in the room, nobody's pretending to be surprised.

10:51AM We already know, but lay it on us, Jeff.

10:50AM Jeff's listing down the specs... and asking the question "What's the price of Kindle Fire."

10:50AM "It's really an incredible achievement."

10:49AM Okay, video over, Jeff is back.

10:49AM "It'll seem like a traditional browser, just a lot faster and a lot better than you're used to working with."

10:48AM "A thread of silk is an invisible yet an incredibly strong connection." You know, in case you were wondering about the name.

10:48AM "We can optimize what we're sending back down to the device" -- basically, if you're looking at a three megabyte image on a WVGA screen, it'll downsample it automatically.

10:47AM But, if those requests are happening in EC2, the requests could be much quicker. Plus, the system can cache it there, meaning you suck it all down in one shot.

10:47AM Each hop across the network is 100ms minimum, and if you're pulling down 80 - 100 files per webpage that's a lot.

10:46AM The browser is smart enough to offload things intelligently as it makes sense to give us the best performance.

10:46AM It's called "Dynamic Split Browsing" -- everything can be done locally or remotely.

10:45AM Shades of Skyfire back in the day...

10:45AM "What do customers really care about? It's the time it takes to get something usable on the screen."

10:44AM "How would you build a web browser in the era of cloud computing." So, you cloud content gets rendered... in the cloud.

10:44AM It's what he calls a "split" browser. We're getting a video demo.

10:43AM "It's called Amazon Silk."

10:43AM "The answer is yes." We knew it!

10:43AM Hmm Jeff, is there?

10:43AM "I wonder if there is some way that we can use the incredible computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate mobile browsing."

10:43AM "It is difficult for mobile devices to display modern web content rapidly."

10:43AM He's showing CNN, now: 53 images, 39 dynamic images, 30 JavaScript files, 29 HTML pages... basically, a lot of stuff going on.

10:42AM ...many of them are not pictures of books.

10:42AM That was 15 years ago. Now it's 630k and, no surprise, a whole lot of pictures.

10:42AM Jeff's showing off the first generation Amazon.com. Homepage was just 10k in size with a whole one image that says "Earth's biggest bookstore."

10:41AM "My Fruit Ninja skills are lacking." That's okay, Jeff. It's not really a skill-based game.

10:41AM Jeff's really putting a hurting on this produce.

10:40AM Okay, time for a little Fruit Ninja.

10:40AM Swipe down from the top brings down the status bar, lets you pause the music quickly.

10:40AM Jeff jumped back home and the music is still playing in the background while he's reading a book. Multi-tasking? Check.

10:40AM We're rolling in the deep here. Bass is thumping.

10:39AM Hey, it's Adele! Go figure.

10:39AM Okay, listening to some music.

10:39AM The tablet has Gorilla Glass protecting the LCD, which is good if you have claws like Beast.

10:39AM Beast is looking on incredulously.

10:38AM We're watching X-Men First Class now, Magneto is yanking a sub out of the ocean.

10:38AM Whatever movie you were watching, music you were listening to, etc.

10:38AM The list is ordered based on what you tapped most recently.

10:38AM ...and it remains to be seen whether you can actually get to Android, but signs are pointing to no.

10:38AM This is a very heavily-customized interface, naturally. It looks nothing like Android.

10:37AM There's a Newsstand fo rmagazines, books, music, video, docs (for personal documents), apps, and web.

10:37AM There's a search bar at the top that allows you to search the device, the web or Amazon itself -- naturally.

10:37AM Pre-registered with your Amazon credentials and has your library already.

10:37AM Again it says "Jeff's Kindle" up at the top, being friendly this Fire.

10:36AM Jeff's showing off the "lay of the land."

10:36AM "You won't have the frustration of needing to find your spot."

10:36AM "What if Whispersync also worked with movies and TV Shows? Well, it does. When you get home, switch to your big screen TV. Your movie will be right where you left it."

10:35AM Jeff's making a not-so-subtle jab at Apple's previous reliance on tethering.

10:35AM "We feel the same thing about syncing. Syncing should be done invisibly in the background -- and it should actually work."

10:35AM "Delete it and get it back when you want" says Jeff.

10:34AM Delete anything any time you want.

10:34AM ...full-color magazines, and all stored for free using Amazon Cloud Storage.

10:34AM 100,000 movies and TV shows, 17 million songs, access to the Android Appstore, Kindle books...

10:34AM 7-inch IPS display, dual-core processor, 14.6 ounces.

10:33AM Sure enough, it looks a lot like a BlackBerry PlayBook.

10:33AM "The answer is yes. It's called Kindle Fire."

10:33AM Wait for it...

10:33AM "Is there some way we can bring all of these things together into a remarkable product offering that customers would love."

10:33AM Okay, now it's time to tie it all together...

10:32AM Don't worry, we won't.

10:32AM It handles 290,000 transactions per second. "Don't try that at home" says Jeff.

10:31AM Now it's Amazon Web Services, with hundreds of thousands of customers in 190 customers. Services like Netflix, ESPn, Twitter run on it.

10:31AM Parnters include CBS, NBC Universal, and Fox. Mrs. Doubtfire is in the house, along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

10:30AM "We're just getting started" says Jeff. Amazon has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to license content.

10:30AM That leads to Prime Instant Video -- 11,000 movies and TV shows commercial-free for no extra cost.

10:28AM And, there's Amazon Prime, with free two-day shipping for $79 a year. Millions of members, says Jeff.

10:28AM And there's the Android Appstore -- each app tested for quality, and you can try 'em out using the online simulator. That is a mighty fine service, if you've never tried it.

10:27AM Then there's the MP3 store with 17 million songs, some as cheap as $.69, and all playable anywhere via the Cloud Player.

10:27AM Okay, moving on to other things. Jeff is talking about Amazon's streaming services. 100,000 movies and shows, connectivity to 300 devices, etc. etc.

10:27AM We just watched a commercial about the new Kindle. It had two perky actors in it. That's about all we need to say about that.

10:26AM It's unclear whether that'll be built into the new Kindle, but that seems to be the case.

10:26AM They appear as screensavers, all with great photos and simple, understated ads.

10:25AM Jeff is showing off some of these ads, and it must be said, they look classy.

10:25AM You know, local spam instead of distant spam.

10:25AM Now they're adding Amazon Local, which will serve up "special offers in your own back yard."

10:25AM Now Jeff's moving on to the Special Offers kindle, which instantly became the best-selling model.

10:24AM Get those credit cards out, readers...

10:24AM Order today, ships today!

10:24AM It doesn't sound like this model will have the X-Ray feature, at least it's not being listed as having it.

10:24AM But hey, $79. That's pretty great.

10:23AM Has even faster page turns, and it does have buttons, but no touch screen and no keyboard.

10:23AM Another new model, this one with buttons. It's under six ounces and 18 percent smaller than the Kindle 3.

10:23AM Ahh, then we get the $79 Kindle.

10:23AM ...what indeed, Jeff?

10:23AM "What if you don't need touch... what if you don't want touch..."

10:22AM Pre-orders start today, shipping on November 21st.

10:22AM $50 for lifetime wireless data in 100 countries? Not too shabby.

10:22AM This one will set you back $149.

10:22AM Works in 100 countries, and has no annual contract, monthly fees, anything. "It's free 3G wireless."

10:21AM Looks exactly like the Touch, but has built-in 3G -- naturally.

10:21AM There's another model! Kindle Touch 3G.

10:21AM There are said to be other new features too, but X-Ray looks to be the big one.

10:21AM "Most advanced" E Ink display and what's said to be "extra long" battery life.

10:20AM Sure enough, the Kindle Touch is $99.

10:20AM Something tells us this Kindle's going to be available for less than $100.

10:20AM Like how bonkers the sales would be if the Kindle would drop under $100.

10:20AM Jeff is talking about what would happen if the Kindle was $99... teasing us a bit...

10:19AM Surely this means the books will be a good bit larger than currently, but perhaps extra storage here will mean it's not a concern.

10:19AM Amazon figures out what's relevant to your book's interests and sucks that down along with the books.

10:18AM The definition popped up almost instantaneously, because the Wikipedia info is actually downloaded with the text.

10:18AM For example, it pulled up a Wikipedia entry on the Versailles Treaty, because that's what's happening on this page in the book, Remains of the Day.

10:17AM This is deeper than simple word lookups, showing up facts about what's happening in the book, not just definitions.

10:17AM Jeff's showing off a new feature called X-Ray that popped up when he tapped the page.

10:17AM The interface looks even simpler than before. Location indicator on lower-left, percentage completed on lower-right.

10:17AM Demo time!

10:16AM It's an "easy reach" Jeff says to get either forward or backward, even with one hand.

10:16AM So, it uses the "easy reach" system. Tap in a narrow strip the left to go back, tap anywhere on the right to go forward.

10:15AM Jeff is talking about page turning buttons, to enable one-handed reading. It looks like the Kindle Touch doesn't have them...

10:15AM Color is a nice muted silver, it's a classy looking thing but, honestly, looks nothing like the current Kindles.

10:14AM "People are going to love this device" says Jeff.

10:14AM That means no keyboard, so the device is smaller and lighter than the current, third-generation model.

10:14AM It has an IR touch system, similar to the latest Nook and Kobo.

10:14AM New device!

10:13AM And here we go, Kindle Touch.

10:13AM And, Jeff of course wouldn't let us off the hook without reminding us that it's the best-selling e-reader in the world, and has been for the past four years.

10:13AM Kindle Singles is a new, "natural length" for content that fits between an article and a novel -- a much cooler term than novella, apparently.

10:12AM Basically, we're getting a run-down of what the Kindle already does. All good stuff, mind, but we're ready for the new goods.

10:11AM And thanks to Whispersync you'll always pick up where you left off, even if you mentally tuned out a page or two before.

10:11AM Jeff's listing off all the platforms which you can read Kindle on, which at this point is just about everything under the sun.

10:10AM "Buy once, read anywhere"

10:10AM She is a friendly lady, but her voice tends to drone a bit.

10:10AM You can download books any time you want, books can be read to you, and you can do Audible.com if you don't like listening to GPS lady.

10:09AM Except that it's not made of paper, of course...

10:09AM The screen on the current kindle is "like a printed page."

10:09AM Four years ago Amazon had 90,000 books. Today we're over a million -- and that doesn't include the copyright-free texts.

10:08AM Jeff is talking about how the Kindle already knows your name, right out of the box. It's a friendly device, that.

10:08AM "The question is: why is Kindle working? Why is this working? I believe it's because Kindle is an end-to-end service, and I believe it is because we have been inventing and improving that service at a rapid pace for the last four years."

10:07AM Physical book sales over the past 15 years have grown hugely, but in just four years Kindle sales have outpaced those.

10:07AM To succeed, Jeff is saying, Amazon had to create demand not only for the device but also for the content within the devices -- e-books.

10:06AM Jeff is talking about the Kindle skeptics, those who predicted that the original model would fail. "And fail terribly" according to one reviewer.

10:05AM "Four years ago we set out to improve upon the book..."

10:05AM "Thank you very much for finding the time to be with us this morning." And thank you, too.

10:05AM Jeff Bezos is on stage!

10:05AM ... but we're thinking there'll be more to love today.

10:05AM "I love my Kindle" is the message.

10:04AM People are talking up the eInk screen, the battery life, the size of the thing.

10:03AM We're getting some feedback from Kindle users, saying how much they love their e-readers.

10:03AM How about you?

10:03AM Okay, lights coming down. The news is out but we're still ready to party.

10:01AM What is confirmed? Whoever picked the music this morning likes Adele.

10:00AM But that's unconfirmed as of yet...

10:00AM We're still listening to some soul music here, waiting for the show to begin, but more news is leaking out. Looks like there's a $79 Kindle coming as well.

9:47AM We'll try to act surprised.

9:47AM Looks like someone just couldn't wait... http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/amazon-fire-tablet-unveiled-7-inch-display-199-price-tag/

9:47AM We're live at the event. Adele is setting fire to the rain and we're getting ready to go.

Okay, so we don't know that we'll be seeing a tablet (or two) today, but that's what we're expecting, and regardless we're eager to see what the company has in store for us. We're getting settled in at Stage 37 here in New York City (a place we're very familiar with) and the event begins soon. Join us as we find out what's next.

Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:42 AM PDT

Okay, so it wasn't much of a surprise, but Amazon finally has a tablet, and as expected its name picks up where the Kindle left off: Fire. Of course, rumors of an Amazon tablet date back to this time last year (if not before), but it seems that Jeff and co. have wisely chosen to get this thing out on the open market before having yet another wild and wacky holiday quarter. Bloomberg has curiously reported on some of the details before the event itself kicks off, noting that the 7-inch device will run a version of Android while acting much like a "souped-up Kindle." The real kicker, however, is the price -- at just $199, it's bound to turn heads, regardless of whether you were interested in a slate before. Naturally, that bargain-bin sticker explains the lack of an embedded camera and microphone, though consumers will find WiFi (no 3G, sadly) and a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. It's also quite clear that Amazon's hoping to make a bigger splash on the content side of things than has been made already by Apple, and with the deals flowing like wine, we wouldn't be shocked if it does just that.

Update: Itching for specs? How's about a 7-inch IPS (!) panel, Gorilla Glass coating, a 1GHz TI OMAP dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a chassis that weighs 14.6 ounces. There's also access to things you'd expect to have access to: Android Appstore (though no access to Google's Android Market!), Kindle books, magazines, etc. -- all stored for free via Amazon Cloud Storage. Per Jeff: "Delete it and get it back when you want." Oh, and Whispersync now works with movies and TV shows! "When you get home, switch to your big screen TV. Your movie will be right where you left it." While it's clearly Android underneath, the actual UI looks effectively nothing like it -- considering TechCrunch's intel that Amazon went and did its own thing without Google's blessing, we guess that makes some level of sense. Oh, and pre-orders are set to start today (but only for Americans... boo), with shipments heading out on November 15th.

Update 2: We've added the first commercial video after the break.

Update 3: Check out our hands-on impressions right here!

Keep up with the unveiling at our liveblog of the Amazon event.

Amazon launches Kindle Fire tablet in NYC!

Amazon Kindle Fire

Show full PR text

Scientists build digital cerebellum for Roborat: to protect, serve and spook

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:31 AM PDT

You'd be forgiven if talk about Cyborg Rats made you think about precision gaming mice, but in this case we're yapping about the real thing. A team from Tel Aviv University has found a way to restore lost motor function in rodents by building a digital cerebellum. As the story goes, they anesthetized a rat, disabled its natural abilities and installed the device -- and were able to teach the chip to make the rat blink when a sound was played. It's all very early-days, but the hope is to develop implants to aid people with long-term disabilities -- or to ensure our sewers are crime free. For those not paying attention, rat-brained innovations are on the up: in June, researchers at the University of Southern California were able to construct an artificial memory, not to mention last year's Tokyo brain-car. After all this mistreatment, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Cyborg Rats sided with the machines in the forthcoming Robopocalypse. Which, you know, is exactly what we need weighing on our conscience.

Lightsquared signs deal with AirTouch, creates its first MVNO

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:07 AM PDT

LightSquared added another name to its list of allies yesterday, with a wholesale agreement allowing AirTouch products to dabble in the world of wireless. The phone manufacturer, which makes telecom devices that work with voice, data and video, looks set to become the first newly created MVNO to use LightSquared's 4G goodness. Of course, all this is assuming that the nascent network actually gets off the ground. But now that it's supposedly solved that pesky GPS interference problem, what could possibly stop it?

Show full PR text

LightSquared Signs Multi-Year Wholesale Agreement with AirTouch Communications

AirTouch will launch bundled mobile services using the LightSquared network

RESTON, Va. and NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., September 26, 2011 – LightSquared™, a wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and drive industry innovation, has signed a wholesale agreement with AirTouch® Communications (OTCBB: ATCH), which develops telecommunications products that can converge various services including voice, data, video and even traditional landline.

Using the LightSquared network, AirTouch will offer its own branded wireless connectivity, opening up an important new revenue stream for the company. Consumers and businesses who purchase AirTouch products can now conveniently sign up for accompanying AirTouch wireless connectivity for those devices. AirTouch will also offer its devices through LightSquared's other wholesale partners.

AirTouch has a rich history of providing next generation high-performance, consumer friendly cellular cordless telephone technology and wireless signal amplification products to businesses and consumers. These include its cell@home, HomeConnex、UFO and FocalPoint products which are and will be sold through various channels.

LightSquared has now signed 15 partner agreements with companies that are eager to develop innovative mobile services, devices and applications on LightSquared's open network. AirTouch represents the first device manufacturer that will sell wireless connectivity over LightSquared's network combined with its communications devices.

"With LightSquared's wholesale-only business model, we can not only provide wireless connectivity to existing customers, but we are now able to tap new revenue streams while generating additional value for our customers and shareholders," said Hide Kanakubo, CEO, AirTouch. "This agreement will help us energize our business model to deliver a much broader range of innovative new products and services."

"We're proud to add AirTouch to our increasingly diverse partner portfolio," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared. "In addition to cellular voice and data products, AirTouch can now add a new source of revenue by delivering a bundled wireless offering to their customers. This represents the true spirit of LightSquared's wholesale-only business model, and we look forward to AirTouch using our network to develop next-generation products and services, and forge new strategic alliances."

OCZ Z-Drive R4 review roundup: this is what 2,800MB/s looks like

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:45 AM PDT

Assuming your local laws give you permission to drool, you might want to smack your lips and read on for some expert verdicts of OCZ's enterprise-level 2.8GB/s Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD. If your statutory position is trickier, then maybe just do it quietly?

Storage Review: the R4 "blew away the competition in nearly every test by a significant margin," even though it costs just $7/GB -- up to 40 percent less than its rivals.
Hot Hardware: benchmarks support the ridiculous speed claims, but thermal sensitivity means the card must be constantly bathed in cool air.
AnandTech: it's hard to compare the Z-Drive R4 because no other SSD comes close, but this type of technology has no track record for reliability and may therefore be a hard sell.

PSA: Force Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to update, right now

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:26 AM PDT

Windows Phone 7.5 has officially landed, but unless you're among a fortunate few, Redmond's tropical getaway might seem like only a twinkle on the horizon. In a wild turn of events, we've now stumbled across (and confirmed) a method that promises instant Mango gratification, and if you're so inclined, we hope you'll find similar luck. Here's the gist: something very special happens when you run the update and then promptly disable your internet connection -- about one second seems to do the trick. We first checked for Mango and kept WiFi enabled; the Zune software dutifully reported that our phone was up-to-date. Then, we executed the process and disconnected the internet... and wouldn't you know it, the update presented itself. Now, we're happily frolicking through Microsoft's latest delights on our Focus. If you're willing to try your luck, you'll find a full list of instructions in the source. Here's one final tip: once it's reported that an update is available, be sure to restore that internet connection.

[Thanks, Rohit]

Google drops cloud computing lawsuit against US Department of the Interior

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 05:01 AM PDT

Last year, Google filed a lawsuit against the US Department of the Interior, on allegations that the government unfairly awarded a $59 million cloud computing contract to Microsoft without conducting a sufficiently competitive auction. Big G won an injunction against the department in January, effectively putting the contract on hold, and it looked as if the company would prevail, with Judge Susan Braden recently declaring that there was a "justifiable basis" for dispute. Last week, however, Google decided to drop the suit altogether, after filing a motion in the US Court of Federal Claims. "Based on the defendant's agreement to update its market research and then conduct a procurement in a manner that will not preclude plaintiffs from fairly competing, plaintiffs respectfully move for dismissal of this action without prejudice," the company's attorney wrote in the motion, filed on Thursday. Federal lawyers, however, responded by claiming that the two sides have not reached an agreement, while confirming that it had no problem with Google's decision to cease litigation. It remains to be seen whether the two sides have truly reached an agreement, or whether the litigation may wear on, but we'll keep you abreast of any future developments.

Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:28 AM PDT

We've been keeping an optimistic eye on the progress of Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) for a few years now, not least because it offers the tantalizing promise of 1.6GB/s read and write speeds and crazy data densities. But researchers at Purdue University reckon we've been looking in the wrong place this whole time: the real action is with their development of FeTRAM, which adds an all-important 'T' for 'Transistor'. Made by combining silicon nanowires with a ferroelectric polymer, Purdue's material holds onto its 0 or 1 polarity even after being read, whereas readouts from capacitor-based FeRAM are destructive. Although still at the experimental stage, this new type of memory could boost speeds while also reducing power consumption by 99 percent. Quick, somebody file a patent. Oh, they already did.

iLuv unveils WorkStation docks, turns your iPad 2 / Galaxy Tab into a PC, sort of

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:28 AM PDT

We've seen all shapes and sizes of iPad cases, with varying degrees of utility. But, if you have use for a desktop PC-style dock / keyboard combo, you may want to check out some of the new offerings in iLuv's WorkStation Series. First up is the iMM737, featuring a wired keyboard with iOS function keys that can be stowed in the dock's base when you're not typing away, a tilting / rotating bracket for easy customization and built-in speakers. Next, the iMM517 boasts an adjustable slate holder of its own, a Bluetooth keypad and jAura Sound technology. Need something a wee bit more portable? Perhaps the iCK826 or the iSK912 Professional WorkStation Portfolio cases will suit your workflow. Both offer a wireless set of keys that are detachable, should the need arise. Only looking for a keyboard? That's an option too with the iBTKB20. You can grab any one of these you'd like for $180 to $50, from top to bottom. You'll have to wait until November to pick up the iMM737, though -- everything else will be hitting stores this month. Check out the gallery below for a look at all the above mentioned add-ons, or peep the full PR after the break.

iLuv WorkStation Series

Show full PR text

iLuv Delivers the Best of Both Worlds In Mobile Computing With The WorkStation™ Series
iLuv's New Line of Docks and Cases Effortlessly Combine Work and Play for a Total Computing Experience

Port Washington, NY–September 27, 2011–iLuv Creative Technology, the premier provider of the most comprehensive line of accessories for the mobile lifestyle, introduces the highly-‐unique and innovative WorkStation™ Series of docks and cases for the iPad, Samsung GALAXY Tab and smartphones. The WorkStation™ Series brings together the portability and convenience of mobile computing with the productivity of PC computing, establishing an entirely new category of tablet and smartphone accessories.

"Tablets and smartphones are no longer devices used exclusively for entertainment," said Pia Chon, marketing director at iLuv. "For many, these smart devices have become the primary systems for both work and leisure activities -‐-‐ and that's a trend that will only continue in the future. iLuv recognizes the clear and growing need for solutions designed to unlock the full potential of mobile computing devices, both from a leisure and a productivity standpoint. The WorkStation™ Series is that line of accessories."

Current research indicates that over 75% of today's tablet owners have increased their mobile device usage over the traditional laptop or desktop computer for both work and play. Tablet users are now spending more than 5 hours a day on work-‐related activities such as emailing and web research, for example. In addition, one in three tablet owners spend more time with their tablets than they do watching TV. The WorkStation Series™ is the first range of accessories specifically designed to take user's mobile devices from an entertainment system to true a business and productivity solution.

The WorkStation™ Series is highlighted by the flagship iMM737, The WorkStation™, the ultimate upgrade for the iPad/iPhone/iPod. The iMM737 is a productivity solution for work and a sophisticated audio system for entertainment. The WorkStation™ features a wired keyboard with dedicated keys specifically for Apple functions and which conveniently tucks away into the base of the unit when not in use. Its laptop-‐style keys improve the user's typing experience, making emailing, chatting and web research easier and faster than with the touchscreen keypad. The tilting and rotating bracket provides a range of working options including portrait for reading, landscape for movie/video watching and tilt angles for working. The iMM737 is the mobile computing station for work and play.

The iMM517 WorkStation™ Pro represents the next era in mobile computing. So much more than a docking system, it is a hub for converging and emerging communications technology. The Bluetooth® keyboard easily pairs with an iPad/iPhone/iPod for an improved typing experience and greater flexibility. Additionally, its rotating bracket enables easy viewing in either portrait or landscape mode. Best of all, WorkStation™ Pro boosts the sound potential of Apple devices with patent-‐pending jAura® Sound technology, delivering unmatched audio fidelity, bar none.

The iCK826/iSK912 Professional WorkStation™ Portfolio case is designed with pride in New York, and transforms the iPad and/or Samsung GALAXY Tab into a powerful portable business device. The folio jacket features a detachable Bluetooth® keyboard that seamlessly connects to an iPad or GALAXY Tab for exceptional flexibility. The laptop-‐style keys provide an improved typing experience and also feature dedicated keys specifically for important iPad or GALAXY Tab
functions. The Professional WorkStation™ Portfolio delivers productivity enhancements that improve your mobile computing experience.

The iBTKB20 WorkStation™ Bluetooth Keyboard brings more mobile benefits to your iPad. With a Bluetooth® wireless connection, the iBTKB20 is ideal for anyone who needs real typing capability. Perfect for travel, business or any kind of writing tasks, the iBTKB20 adds flexibility to mobility.

Pricing and Availability
Prices for the iLuv WorkStation™ Series range from $49.99 to $179.99. The iMM737 WorkStation™ Dock will be available at select iLuv retailers in November. Other items in the WorkStation™ Series will be available at select iLuv retailers in September.

Canonical launches Ubuntu App Developer platform for curious coders

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 02:37 AM PDT

Creating apps for Ubuntu is about to get a lot easier, now that the folks over at Canonical have launched the Ubuntu App Developer platform. On the new site, developers will find guides, tutorials and other resources to help them create apps specifically for the Linux OS, or to port other apps to the platform. Once finalized, these apps can then be published on the Ubuntu Software Centre, where developers can choose to either offer them for free, or at a price. In announcing the new platform, community member David Planella predicted that it will offer a "unified and consistent journey for both open-source, non-commercial and commercial app authors." He went on to acknowledge, however, that there's still plenty of work to be done: "For all its current awesomeness, we are aware that the site needs to pass the test of a wider audience, adapt to their needs, and grow." Find out more at the source link, below.

Bose's CineMate 1 SR and Lifestyle 135 soundbar systems are slim, sleek, not particularly cheap

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 01:46 AM PDT

Bose is offering up two new soundbar systems for folks with a few extra bucks in their bank accounts. The Lifestyle 135 is a single speaker system with a soundbar that can either be laid on a flat surface or mounted on a wall. The system also features a control console with six HMDI inputs, an iPod dock, AM/FM radio, a wireless Acoustimass module and a universal remote, all for $2,500. The 1 SR features only the soundbar, remote and Acoustimass for $1,500. Info on both systems can be found in the source link below.

[Thanks, Anders]

Toshiba adds 23-inch DX735 to its multitouch all-in-one family

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:50 AM PDT

Of all the "TV-like" all-in-one PCs we've seen, this Toshiba is perhaps the most convincing. Something about its glossy black, consumer electronic packaging and Onkyo soundbar just screams (tiny) HDTV. But, behind that 23-inch 1080p, multitouch panel is a Windows 7 PC powered by a Core i5 or i7 and 4GB of RAM. You also get a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, a 1TB hard drive, a DVD drive and a lone USB 3.0 port. There's also an HDMI in jack for use with a game console or cable box -- not bad for the oddly specific starting price of $957. When the DX735 starts shipping exclusively from Best Buy on October 2nd you'll also have the option of adding on a TV tuner for a truly all-in-one entertainment solution. Check out the gallery below, as well as the PR after the break.

Toshiba DX735 multitouch all-in-one

Show full PR text

Toshiba Expands Line of All-in-One Desktops with New 23-Inch Model

Toshiba DX735 Blends Innovative PC Technology with TV Styling and Entertainment for Any Room

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today expanded its line of All-in-One PCs with the introduction of the Toshiba DX735, featuring a 23-inch Full HD multi-touch display1. A complete entertainment hub for the home or dorm room the DX735 offers high-end audio, video and computing performance as well as premium computing capabilities to manage and create content.

"Our All-in-One systems blend the best of Toshiba's PC and visual product expertise for families and students looking to enjoy TV, watch DVDs and play games," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "Featuring a stylish and space-saving TV-like design, the DX735 is a great add to almost any room, enabling users to interact with their media, while acting as an ideal hub for family photos, videos, music and more."

Space-saving Stylish Design

The DX735 features a vivid 23-inch diagonal touchscreen display that supports full 1080p HD content surrounded in a glossy black finish and sits on a modern aluminum pedestal stand that can be easily angled for the best viewing and touch experience. The matching Bluetooth® wireless keyboard with 10-key numeric keypad can be easily stored on the base of the stand for additional space savings. The DX735 also includes a glossy black Bluetooth wireless mouse. Both the keyboard and mouse are pre-paired with the All-in-One, allowing users to get up and running right out of the box.

The DX735 can easily serve as a home media hub with generous storage for photos and videos and easy connectivity options. Via the HDMI®-In port, users can also connect to a gaming console and enjoy the latest games on the PC's bright and responsive display. The DX735 also includes a premium audio system with Onkyo® stereo speakers professionally tuned by experts at Waves and feature Waves MaxxAudio sound processing that provide users with unparalleled performance, delivering sound that is louder, clearer, fuller and more intelligible.

High-performance Computing

The All-in-One comes equipped high-performance computing technologies, including a 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 or Core i7 processor2, 4GB of DDR3 memory3, a 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive4, one USB 3.0 port5 with USB Sleep & Charge6, one USB 3.0 port and four USB 2.0 ports. The DX735 also includes a built-in DVD SuperMulti Drive and unique Toshiba technologies, including Sleep & Music7, which enables users to take advantage of the speakers even if the PC is off and Resolution+® video upconversion technology8 that breathes new life into standard-def video and DVDs. The PC will also be available in a configuration with a TV tuner.

Availability

The Toshiba DX735 will be available exclusively at Best Buy stores nationwide and at BestBuy.com, starting at $956.99 MSRP9 on October 2, 2011.

Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/ToshibaDX735

Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaUSA, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaUS, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ToshibaUS.

About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide digital products, services and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; televisions, TV/DVD Combination products, Blu-ray Disc and DVD products, and portable devices; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and IP business telephone systems with unified communications, collaboration and mobility applications. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. For more information on TAIS visit us.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba Corporation

Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 490 companies, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$77 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm.

© 2011 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice.

1 Display. Any small bright dots that may appear on your display are an intrinsic characteristic of the thin film transistors manufacturing technology. See Display Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com

2 Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com

3 Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com

4 Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com

5 USB 3.0. 5Gbps is the maximum theoretical interface transfer rate per the specifications of the Universal Serial Bus 3.0. Actual transfer rate will vary depending on your system configuration and other factors.

6 The "USB Sleep & Charge function" may not work with certain external devices even if they are compliant with the USB specification. In those cases, turn the power of the computer ON to charge the device.

7 Toshiba Sleep & Music. In this mode, the headphone jack and mute functions are disabled. The volume and sound quality will diminish as the speakers not tuned in Windows® mode. Use the volume control on your audio device to adjust sound. Audio line-in cable is not included.

8 Upconverter/Upconversion Technology (Resolution+® Technology). Viewing enhancements may vary depending upon content quality and display device capability/functionality/settings. Depending on the quality of the content, some video noise may be visible.

9 Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price."

OnStar abandons plans to keep tracking vehicles after service cancelation

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:21 AM PDT

OnStar found itself at the center of a firestorm after it sent out an e-mail notifying customers that it planned to collect data from vehicles even after service had expired or been terminated. That is, unless the (soon to be former) users specifically opted out. Well, in a statement today, President Linda Marshall changed course and announced the post-subscription data collection would be opt-in only. The company still hoped some departing customers would volunteer to maintain a connection so that it can "provide former customers with urgent information about natural disasters and recalls affecting their vehicles." (They're just looking out for you buddy.) Even if OnStar loses out on boatloads of valuable data, at least the company won't have to listen to Chuck Schumer's public chastising any more -- that man lays a better guilt trip than your mother and grandmother combined. Check out the full announcement after the break.

Show full PR text

OnStar Reverses Decision to Change Terms and Conditions

Will continue to protect customer and vehicle data privacy

DETROIT – OnStar announced today it is reversing its proposed Terms and Conditions policy changes and will not keep a data connection to customers' vehicles after the OnStar service is canceled.

OnStar recently sent e-mails to customers telling them that effective Dec. 1, their service would change so that data from a customer vehicle would continue to be transmitted to OnStar after service was canceled – unless the customer asked for it to be shut off.

"We realize that our proposed amendments did not satisfy our subscribers," OnStar President Linda Marshall said. "This is why we are leaving the decision in our customers' hands. We listened, we responded and we hope to maintain the trust of our more than 6 million customers."

If OnStar ever offers the option of a data connection after cancellation, it would only be when a customer opted-in, Marshall said. And then OnStar would honor customers' preferences about how data from that connection is treated.

Maintaining the data connection would have allowed OnStar to provide former customers with urgent information about natural disasters and recalls affecting their vehicles even after canceling their service. It also would have helped in planning future services, Marshall said.

"We regret any confusion or concern we may have caused," Marshall said.

About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar soon will be available for installation on most other vehicles already on the road through local electronics retailers, including Best Buy. The OnStar Mobile App is a recipient of the 2011 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Remote Driving Aids segment and OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology segment. OnStar safely connects its more than 6 million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.

MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 11:11 PM PDT

The future of Meego has become a little clearer this morning, now that the Linux Foundation has announced that it'll be replaced with Tizen -- a new Linux-based, open-source OS. Samsung and Intel have been tapped to lead the development of the platform, in collaboration with the LiMo Foundation -- a consortium of companies including Panasonic Mobile Communications, NTT DoCoMo and SK Telecom, among others. According to its stewards, Tizen will support HTML5- and WAC-based apps and will be designed to run across a wide spectrum of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-car infotainment systems. The MeeGo project, for its part, already seems to be on board with the initiative, promising to "make sure that users of MeeGo can easily transition to Tizen," while assisting MeeGo developers, as well. The new OS is slated for release during the first quarter of 2012, with the first Tizen-laced devices scheduled to hit the market around the middle of next year. For more details, hit up the source link below, or trek past the break for the full PR.

Show full PR text

LiMo Foundation and Linux Foundation Announce New Open Source Software Platform, Tizen(TM)

New Cross-Device and Cross-Architecture Platform Will Drive Standards-Based Web Applications

LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Sep 28, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- LiMo Foundation(TM) and The Linux Foundation today announced a new open source project, Tizen(TM), to develop a Linux-based device software platform. Hosted at The Linux Foundation, Tizen is a standards-based, cross-architecture software platform, which supports multiple device categories including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle infotainment systems. The initial release of Tizen is targeted for Q1 2012, enabling first devices to come to market in mid-2012.

Tizen combines the best open source technologies from LiMo and The Linux Foundation and adds a robust and flexible standards-based HTML5 and WAC web development environment within which device-independent applications can be produced efficiently for unconstrained cross-platform deployment. This approach leverages the robustness and flexibility of HTML5 which is rapidly emerging as a preferred application environment for mobile applications and the broad carrier support of the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC). Tizen additionally carries a state-of-the-art reference user interface enabling the creation of highly attractive and innovative user experience that can be further customized by operators and manufacturers.

"LiMo Foundation views Tizen as a well-timed step change which unites major mobile Linux proponents within a renewed ecosystem with an open web vision of application development which will help device vendors to innovate through software and liberalize access to consumers for developers and service providers," said Morgan Gillis, Executive Director of LiMo Foundation. "LiMo will maintain its focus on providing the industry with a broadly backed vendor- and service-neutral ecosystem grounded in the spirit of open and unconstrained opportunity that is embodied by Linux."

The mobile industry continues to embrace Linux and open source technologies as key factors in lowering device realization cost, increasing flexibility and improving time to market and it is expected that Tizen will further enhance these effects due to its cross-category reach and strong focus on open standards.

"The Linux Foundation is pleased to host the Tizen platform," said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of The Linux Foundation. "Open source platforms such as Tizen are good for Linux as they further its adoption across device categories. We look forward to collaborating with the LiMo Foundation and its members on this project."
To participate in the project, please go to http://www.tizen.org.

About LiMo Foundation LiMo Foundation(TM) is a dedicated consortium of mobile industry leaders working together within an open and transparent governance model -- with shared leadership and shared decision making -- to deliver an open and globally consistent handset software platform based upon mobile Linux for use by the whole mobile industry. The Board of LiMo Foundation comprises ACCESS, Panasonic Mobile Communications, NEC CASIO Mobile Communications, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung, SK Telecom, Telefonica and Vodafone. A full description of LiMo Foundation can be found at www.limofoundation.org.

About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source development community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original Linux research and content that advances the understanding of the Linux platform. Its web properties, including Linux.com, reach approximately two million people per month. The organization also provides extensive Linux training opportunities that feature the Linux kernel community's leading experts as instructors. Follow The Linux Foundation on Twitter.

The Linux Foundation and Tizen are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. LiMo is a trademark of the LiMo Foundation.

Microsoft Research celebrates 20 years of crazy innovation

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 10:14 PM PDT

Microsoft Research was founded way back in 1991 as a way of turning cutting edge concepts into products. Over the years, the division has been behind some of the most exciting ideas that have come out of Redmond, from fluffy mice to HIV / AIDS research. The department is celebrating its 20th anniversary by highlighting some of its favorite projects over the next four weeks, so we're beating it to the punch with some of picks. Check out our list below.

08.11.11 - Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before
05.14.11 - Microsoft Research-backed e-reader prototype can't keep its text to itself
05.11.11 - Microsoft motion controller concept kicks sand in Kinect's puny face
03.28.11 - Microsoft's SpecNet promises to seek out unused wireless spectrum
02.25.11 - Microsoft Research shows off next-generation gesture interfaces, Kinect integration, other neato stuff
02.25.11 - Microsoft Research teases Windows Phones controlling Surfaces and crazy desktop UIs
11.09.10 - Microsoft aims to improve maps with GPS data from 33,000 Beijing cab drivers
10.04.10 - Microsoft LightSpace brings Surface (plus shadows) to any table
08.10.10 - Microsoft Research reveals RearType, puts QWERTY back where it belongs
08.04.10 - Microsoft's experimental English-Chinese dictionary mines the web for data
07.28.10 - Microsoft Street Slide: it's electric!
05.31.10 - Microsoft Research toys with the cosmos... using forefinger and thumb
11.06.09 - Microsoft messes with 'natural' user interface, featuring eye tracking, voice control and wild body gestures
10.07.09 - Microsoft's office of the future features interactive walls and Surface but, sadly, no Clippy
10.07.09 - Microsoft multitouch mouse prototypes in action
10.01.08 - Microsoft Research Codex project tries two screens on for size
07.23.08 - Microsoft Research thinks telescopic pixels will rival LCDs
05.23.08 - Microsoft's LaserTouch prototype brings hand control to any display
04.19.08 - Microsoft adds twist to handhelds with force-sensing technology
08.25.06 - Fluffy Soap mouse works without a desk

Acer Aspire One 522 and 722 hit the gym with faster processors and beefier graphics

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 09:08 PM PDT

Acer's Aspire One 522 and 722 were among the first netbooks to pack AMD's Fusion Ontario APU, debuting with the 1GHz C-50 model and its built-in Radeon HD 6250 graphics inside. However, Acer wanted to outfit both with some new silicon on the sly, and now each can be had with a 1GHz (with turbo boost up to 1.33GHz) C-60 APU packing upgraded Radeon 6290 graphics. The catch? Those aspiring for one with the upgraded internals must cross the pond to grand Europa, as the powered-up pair isn't available in the US. What gives, Acer?

Hitachi's 4.5-inch IPS HD display delivers 329ppi on the cheap courtesy of amorphous silicon backplane

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 08:11 PM PDT

It's been awhile, but earlier this year Hitachi unveiled a beautiful new 4.5-inch IPS LCD sporting 1280 x 720 resolution, a 1,100:1 contrast ratio and a retina display-like 329ppi. Well, in the time since, Hitachi's been hard at work on a virtually identical version of that screen that uses amorphous silicon instead of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) as its backplane material. What's the difference? Well, amorphous silicon's much cheaper to produce than LTPS, and the company figured out a way to use it in its new panel with only a scant drop in performance -- the new one's got a lower 1,000:1 contrast ratio, but all the other specs are the same. So, the screen's a comparative bargain while still providing 4.5 inches of 500-nit HD goodness. Thanks, Hitachi, we always did like eating our cake and having it too.

TeamWin demos TWRP 2.0 recovery manager for Android, scoffs at your volume rocker (video)

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 07:22 PM PDT

It's pronounced "twerp," but don't mistake TeamWin's Recovery Project for a run-of-the-mill chump. The software is intended as a touchscreen replacement for ROM managers such as TWRP 1.0 and ClockworkMod Recovery. In addition to the all-important backup, restore and install functions, the utility now provides a full GUI for touch input that's fully customizable with XML themes. As a particular boon, developers will have the option to design custom installation processes unique to their particular ROMs, which is a lovely (though very metaphorical) cherry on top. As you'd expect, the software supports both phones and tabs, and if you're interested to see more, just check the full demo video after the break. According to the developer, the utility still needs some work before it's ready for prime time, but it's rather nice to see the group stay productive as it matures.

[Thanks, Ian]

Ben Heck cooks up proximity sensor for cyclists, still no substitute for keeping eyes open

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 06:43 PM PDT

Ben Heck's been busy -- again. In the latest episode of his bi-weekly show he puts his considerable brain power to work on cycle safety. He uses Parallax ping sensors connected to an Arduino to measure whether you're in any danger from nearby obstacles and traffic. The red and green LED indicators are hooked up to ambient light sensors so they don't blind you while riding at night -- looks like Mr. Heck's thought of everything. This week's episode also includes more secrets behind the prolific modder's Android APK-based baby seat. Check out both projects after the break.

element14's Tour de Ben Heck presents a cycling safety mod on latest episode of "The Ben Heck Show"

CHICAGO – Sept. 26, 2011 – element14, the first collaborative community and electronics store for design engineers and electronics enthusiasts, and modding guru Ben Heck, bring attention to cycling safety by outfitting an ordinary bicycle with electronic, light-up ping sensors to alert bicyclists if they ride too close to cars or other objects on the latest episode of "The Ben Heck Show."

"Learning how to ride a bike is a major milestone," said Ben. "I made it my duty with this build to keep cycling both fun and safe by channeling my inner MacGyver to build a rugged bicycle danger sensor enabling any biker to explore the streets virtually worry-free."

In his quest to make bicycling safe for all, Ben covers major elements of the alert system build-from measuring timing and distance with the Parallax ping sensors and connecting the LEDs, to writing the code for use with an Arduino chipKIT™ and routing the holding case. The final result is a big success with a small footprint, complete with ping sensors, red and green LEDs that light up to keep you in the safe zone and photo sensors that regulate the brightness of the LEDs based on ambient light.

"Similar to front and rear parking sensors on vehicles, Ben's mod gives cyclists a sense of safety as they navigate urban streets and activities," said Kevin Yapp, chief marketing officer, Premier Farnell. "This build is yet another example of how Ben inspires design engineers and enthusiasts to take their creative ideas to the next level, and underscores element14's commitment to serve as a resource for innovative design solutions and peer collaboration."

Ben rounds out this episode with the reveal of his completed baby rocker seat that automatically simulates a car's motion using data from a Google ADK. In addition, the winner of the "Hak5" PC case mod-off challenge is announced!

Show fans are invited to join the element14 community to send Ben a challenge for a future build, engage with community members, and enter for a chance to win one of Ben's builds featured on the show, including his portable LAN computer from the mod showdown.

About "The Ben Heck Show"

"The Ben Heck Show" is a bi-weekly online television series aired in English that's dedicated to the science and art of system and hardware modding with a global audience of design engineers, students and electronic enthusiasts. Sponsored exclusively by element14, each episode spotlights Ben's mods of popular electronic devices while educating viewers on the underlying technology powering each project.

About element14

Launched in June 2009, element14 is the first, innovative information portal and eCommunity specifically built for electronic design engineers. It provides product data, design tools and technology information, while incorporating Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate communication, interaction, collaboration and information sharing between colleagues around the world. element14 is an innovative offering from Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), FTSE 250, a leader in multi-channel electronics distribution trading throughout Europe (Farnell), the Americas (Newark) and Asia Pacific (element14). The company had group sales of £990.8m and underlying profits of £93.3m last year.

Kisai's Rogue Touch watch displays dual timezones, is mildly confusing to read (video)

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT

Need to keep track of time for two locations at once? Fret not, because the Tokyoflash-designed Kisai Rogue Touch's dual timezone watch has got your back (if you can read it, that is). Being a Rogue variant, you'll notice a backlit-LED/LCD dial with a familiar multi-circle layout, but with more layers for the additional time. Aside from hours and minutes, it displays the current date and progression of seconds and notably, features an animation mode for showing it off to your buddies. Of course as the name implies, the readout is adjustable using four touch-sensitive hotspots for the alarm, date and time, or to simply light up the display. If you're up to the task of using it, the Kisai Rogue Touch is available from Tokyoflash in a choice of four dial colors for $200. While you're still here, peek the gallery, along with the video demo past the break below to get a better idea for how it works (Pro tip: if you order in the next 48 hours, it'll be 20 bucks less for that Starship Enterprise feel you'll get with every glance).

Tokyoflash Kisai Rogue Touch press photos

Sharp's biggest LCD HDTVs get even bigger with a new 80-inch model

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 05:41 PM PDT

When is big not big enough? Apparently when it's Sharp's "spectacularge" 70-inch AQUOS LCD HDTVs that were introduced earlier this year, and have now been surpassed by a new 80-inch model the company showed off today. The LC-80LE632U isn't an Elite branded model, but it brings all the features of its smaller brethren including full LED backlighting, 120Hz motion processing, built-in WiFi and access to services like Netflix and Vudu. All that is nice, but it's standout feature is that extra viewing area, which can be yours for $5,499 (MSRP) when it starts shipping in early October. Preorders are already popping up for sub-$5k prices, if you need a big screen and can't go the projection route (front or rear) this might be a good value -- check out the details in the press release after the break.

Show full PR text

SHARP UNVEILS WORLD'S LARGEST LED LCD TV
80-inch Model Reinforces Sharp as Industry Leader in Large Flat Panel TVs
09/27/2011

MAHWAH, NJ (September 27, 2011) -- Continuing to build on its leadership in large screen LCD TVs, Sharp today introduced the largest LED LCD TV to date, the 80-inch AQUOS (80-inch diagonal) LC-80LE632U. This new TV is a full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Smart TV, equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and access to apps like Netflix®, CinemaNow® and VUDU™ as well as Sharp's exclusive AQUOS Advantage Live℠ online support.

"Our 80-inch AQUOS TV delivers more than double the screen area of a 55-inch TV, for an amazing viewing experience," said John Herrington, president, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America. "It's truly like nothing else on the market. Consumers want bigger flat panel TVs for deeper, more immersive viewing experiences and that's exactly what Sharp's delivering here," Herrington continued.

The AQUOS 80-inch LED LCDTV offers stunning picture quality and sleek design. The full array LED backlighting system ensures uniformity in both color and brightness from edge to edge and corner to corner while also enabling an incredible dynamic contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1. Additionally, the LC-80LE632U employs 120Hz Fine Motion Enhanced which virtually eliminates blur and motion artifacts in fast-moving video. At an incredible depth of less than four inches, the new AQUOS 80" is a stylish replacement for similar screen size rear-projection TVs, with depth of almost two feet.

With AQUOS Advantage LIVE℠, Sharp AQUOS Advantage Advisors can remotely connect to the TV through the Internet to assist with TV setup, troubleshoot and optimize the picture quality.

The LC-80LE632U is the latest expression of Sharp's goal of providing a large screen TV to fit virtually any need or budget. It is the centerpiece to Sharp's large-screen push of 2011, following the release of five Sharp AQUOS 70-inch class TVs, and 10 AQUOS 60-inch class TVs.

The AQUOS LC-80LE632U Television features:

80-inch Class (80-inch diagonal) – more than double the screen area of a 55-inch Class TV;
Smart TV - delivers Netflix®, CinemaNow® and VUDU™ streaming video, customized Internet content and live customer support via built-in Wi-Fi;
AQUOS Advantage LIVE℠ - a suite of premium connected services featuring the ability for AQUOS Advantage Advisors to remotely assist customers with setup and settings management directly over the Internet, right in the comfort of their own home;
Full HD 1080p X-Gen LCD Panel – with 10-bit processing is designed with advanced pixel control to minimize light leakage and wider aperture to let more light through;
Vyper Drive - game mode eliminates perceptible lag between video game consoles and the TV display;
Dual USB Inputs - enable viewing high-resolution video, music and digital photos on the TV; 120Hz Fine Motion Enhanced – for improved fast motion picture quality

LC-80LE632U will be available in early October with an MSRP of $5,499.99 (US).

For more information on AQUOS TVs and Sharp's full line of consumer products, contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, NJ, 07495-1163, or call 800-BE-SHARP.

Toshiba announces 7-inch Thrive tablet, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT

It looks like the AT200 isn't the only Toshiba tablet poised to land in time for the holidays. The company just announced the Thrive 7", a (surprise!) 7-inch version of the original. Like its big brother, it runs on Tegra 2 and packs twin 5 MP / 2 MP cameras, though this time around that textured, rubberized back isn't removable, and the rear-facing camera comes paired with an LED flash. As you'd expect, in exchange for a smaller form factor (0.88 pounds, half an inch thick), you'll be giving up the full-sized ports that made the original so unique. Instead, it offers a more typical selection, including mini-USB and micro-HDMI sockets, a headphone jack, docking connector and a microSD slot. Like pretty much every 7- and 8-incher trickling into the market, it runs Android 3.2, and Toshiba did us the favor of leaving it completely unskinned (it did include Swype as a keyboard option, though). No word yet on pricing or availability, though a Toshiba rep confirmed that 16GB and 32GB models will go on sale by early December with a starting price of "less than $400." How low is Toshiba willing to go? Your guess is good as ours but until then, you can meet us past the break for some early impressions and a short vid, too.

Toshiba Thrive 7"

Toshiba Thrive 7" hands-on

This thing's called the Thrive for a reason: it looks like a shrunken version of the 10-inch model we reviewed over the summer. Like its big brother, it has a rubber-coated back with indented lines that cross the lid at different angles. It, too, has 5MP and 2MP cameras, set off by a metal piece with Google branding. This time, though, neither the lid nor the 15Wh battery is removable, and black is your only color option. We didn't have a chance to test out the improved 5 MP camera 'round back, but suffice to say, we consider that more than a cosmetic change.

In the case of the original Thrive, there was no getting around the fact that it was big. Chunky, and leaden, at 1.6 pounds. And there was a reason for that: it had full-sized USB and HDMI ports, along with an SD slot, all of which were going to add heft. But the Thrive 7" doesn't offer anything surprising in the way of ports, which might explain why it doesn't feel particularly heavy. Now that full-sized sockets aren't an issue, Toshiba seems to have narrowed the skinniness gap. Put simply, it doesn't feel materially heavier than other 7- and 8-inch slates we've handled recently.

And though we've only spent a few minutes with it so far, we have to say we were impressed by the 7-inch 1280 x 800 display, which looked bright and crisp and responded briskly to our various taps and swipes. We're also looking forward to testing Swype on it, but that's a project for a later day. In general, we'll reserve judgment until we can spend more than five minutes with it (knowing how much it'll cost and what other 7-inchers are on the way would help too!). In the meantime, have a gander at our gallery and walk-through video, and feel free to play armchair reviewer.

Show full PR text

TOSHIBA EXPANDS TABLET FAMILY WITH NEW 7-INCH MODEL
Thrive 7" Tablet, Powered by Android, Features Brilliant Hi-Res Display in Compact, Lightweight Design for Consumers On-the-Go
IRVINE, Calif. - Sept. 27, 2011 - Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the addition of the Thrive 7" Tablet to its expanding line-up of consumer tablet devices. Featuring a brilliant hi-resolution seven-inch diagonal touch display1, the Thrive 7" Tablet offers a complete tablet experience with entertainment-optimized features in an incredibly portable design that weighs under a pound2 and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.

"This is a seven-inch tablet done right," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "The Thrive 7" Tablet is the first seven-inch tablet in the U.S. market to offer a true HD display that when combined with the selection of ports, premium audio, and a better, more robust Android experience make it a great choice for on-the-go consumers looking for a no-compromise tablet."

Optimized for HD Entertainment
The Thrive 7" Tablet's LED backlit AutoBrite multi-touch display features a stunning 1280x800 resolution, putting bright and crisp images from movies, photos, books and games right in your hand. The tablet also incorporates Toshiba's exclusive Adaptive Display and Resolution+®3 video enhancement technologies. The tablet includes stereo speakers tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Toshiba and SRS® Labs that deliver richer audio in music and movies with more natural sound and enhanced clarity.

Powered by Android 3.2 and the NVIDIA® Tegra 2 platform, this tablet delivers a dual-core processor4 for blazing-fast performance for web browsing and multitasking, plus NVIDIA GeForce® graphics5 for console quality gaming. A built-in Gyroscope offers hands-on motion control for the latest Android games. The tablet also includes two HD cameras: a five megapixel camera with an LED flash on the back for capturing high-quality pictures and video on the go, plus a two megapixel camera on the front for video chatting. Toshiba will offer the tablet in two configurations, 16GB or 32GB.

Compact, Lightweight Design
The Thrive 7" Tablet weighs only 0.88 pounds2 and measures just under half an inch thin (0.47 inches), allowing it to fit easily into a bag or jacket. Not just lightweight and easy to carry, the tablet is built for handheld comfort and on-the-go durability, featuring Toshiba's stylishly durable and slip-resistant Easy Grip finish.

Better Connected
Designed for continuity with other digital devices, the Thrive 7" Tablet includes a selection of built-in ports, including Mini USB, Micro HDMI® and a Micro SD card slot, giving consumers the ability to easily sync and share their content. The tablet also includes Toshiba's exclusive File Manager utility that gives users the power to easily move and manage files.

Offering convenient Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity, the Thrive 7" Tablet delivers all the essentials needed to stay connected at home or away. Users can browse the web with Adobe® Flash support, take advantage of maps and location-based apps with integrated GPS and enjoy the full suite of popular Google Mobile Service applications and Android apps via the Android Market.

Availability
The Thrive 7" Tablet will be available in December at major U.S. retailers, e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

Technet

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Engadget News

Engadget News

No comments:

Post a Comment

My Blog List