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Friday, November 4, 2011

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Microsoft-approved Windows Phone 7 unlocker goes live

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:49 AM PDT

Let the great Windows Phone 7 unlocking begin! ChevronWP7, the Microsoft-sanctioned Windows Phone unlocker, went live today. The project is aimed at "hobbyist developers," giving owners of WP7 handsets the ability to run and test unsigned apps on their phones. Interested parties need a Windows Live ID and $9 to sign up -- that price'll give you unlimited unlocks on a single phone. You can grab more info and an unlock token at the source link below.

Which devices will get Ice Cream Sandwich?

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PDT

Android 4.0 is coming, and it's going to be glorious. Now that we know exactly what the Ice Cream Sandwich is made of, only one question remains: exactly which phones will get the green light to upgrade to the newest version of Google's mobile OS? Details are beginning to trickle out from the woodwork, and below the break you can check out our list of lucky devices that have been confirmed to get the official refresh at some point in time. We're still awaiting official word from a few companies regarding their upgrade intentions, so we'll continue to add more to the list as they stream in. For now, join us after the break to find out which ones have been given the stamp of approval -- or the cold hard rejection letter.

ASUS

Official statement:

"Google recently announced the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings some exciting new features and capabilities. At ASUS, we pride ourselves on delivering a great experience with our products, thanks to frequent updates that further enhance our products' capabilities. We're delighted to confirm support for Ice Cream Sandwich on the ASUS Eee Pad Family – our aim is to bring the latest Android update to the Eee Pad Series, but at this time we are unable to set a date for its release. Please stay tuned for more news on our Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade plans."

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified

HTC

Official statement:

We are excited about the latest update for Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are currently reviewing its features and functionality to determine our upgrade plans. Our goal for Android updates is to give every customer an improved user experience, which means balancing each phone's unique hardware, HTC Sense experience and the Android kernel. While our goal is to upgrade as many of our recent devices as possible, we are committed to maintaining every phone's performance and usability first. Please stay tuned for more updates on specific device upgrade plans.

Confirmed: Denied:
LG

Official statement:

LG firmly denies the rumors that claim LG will not be providing the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update for the LG Optimus 2X. These rumors are NOT true. LG is currently in the process of planning the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update for the LG Optimus 2X as well as other LG high-end smartphones. Detailed information on the Ice Cream Sandwich OS update schedule for specific models will be announced, once the Ice Cream Sandwich OS is publicly released by Google. Please stay tuned for more updates from LG.

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified

Meizu

Official statement:

MX market remains unchanged. However, MX and M9 we will soon upgrade to 4.0 (Jack Wong, CEO).

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified
Motorola

Official statement:

We've confirmed that DROID RAZR/ Motorola RAZR, DROID BIONIC, and Motorola XOOM (all editions) will get an upgrade to ICS... we have not confirmed any devices will not get ICS.

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified

Samsung

Official statement:

Samsung Mobile U.S. has not made any official announcement plans for Ice Cream Sandwich software updates to any of our US products. We will let our customers know as soon as we have more information to share.

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified
Sony Ericsson

Official statement:

Sony Ericsson is currently rolling out the upgrade to Gingerbread 2.3.4 across its entire 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio. This software upgrade will be available through a phased roll out in select markets. Beyond Gingerbread 2.3.4, we plan to upgrade our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio to the next Android platform made available to us.

Confirmed: Denied:
  • None specified

Apple seeds iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 to developers, beta 1 was so yesterday...

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:06 AM PDT

If you downloaded yesterdays iOS 5 beta you might want to check that iPhone / iPad / iPod touch for an OTA update. No word on what's new in 9A404 -- a mere two builds from yesterdays 9A402 -- but the updated build should still bring solace to those suffering from battery-drain issues. We're getting errors trying to download the developer notes, but we'll update if we find anything new or noteworthy.

[Thanks, Haseeb]

The Engadget Show returns Wednesday, November 16th -- win a ticket to the taping!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Ona Camps Bay DSLR / laptop backpack review

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:45 AM PDT

Look, when it comes to hunting down a pack for your gadget collection, you've got options. Plenty of options. But not too many options like this. Ona -- a high-end purveyor of handcrafted camera bags -- first caught our eye last year with the markedly functional Union Street, but at the time, we felt that there was an even bigger gap in this universe that could only be filled with a like-minded backpack. So, here it is. The Camps Bay is the outfit's first full-on, back-worn pack designed to carry both a laptop (up to 17-inches, no less), a DSLR and a plethora of lenses and accessories.
Ona Camps Bay DSLR / laptop backpack hands-on

In fact, this here bag holds a downright astonishing amount of kit, while looking decidedly unlike every other backpack that you've ever laid eyes on. For quite some time, Kata's brilliantly constructed 3N1-33 (review) was our go-to multi-mode bag; it's largely a perfect combination of laptop sack and camera organizer. But we always found ourselves hung up on a couple of issues. For one, it wasn't capable of swallowing 17-inch multimedia rigs. Secondly, shoving a full-frame body in there (Nikon's D3S comes to mind) isn't exactly easy when you're also toting a 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 -- two (huge) hunks of glass that any self-respecting pro almost certainly has access to. Read on for more of our thoughts.

Design

That, friends, is why the Camps Bay makes sense. Somehow or another, Ona has managed to construct an absolutely beautiful bag that easily houses a 17-inch MacBook Pro (with ample padding, if you're curious), up to seven or eight lenses, a full-frame DSLR and a few other things you may not think to normally make room for. Things like a lens brush, a Giotto Rocket-air, a wallet, business cards, a smartphone, a couple of flashes, a few ink pens, Advil, chewing gum and a stress-relief ball. If you shoot for a living, you'll know that the aforesaid list isn't too far from what most folks actually have to have within arm's reach. We spent the last week using this bag in place of the Kata, and (perhaps unsurprisingly), this one's without question the superior of the two. Particularly if you aren't willing to give up the screen real estate on your 17-inch mobile workstation.

Internal construction


The same Velcro-laden movable padding pieces found in the Union Street are found here, too, enabling every user to customize how big each padded section should be. It's bloody brilliant, and we always felt that our lenses were well corned and well protected. There's a top, zippered portion underneath that flap up top, and while there's plenty of rooms for odds and ends, we actually found it large enough to stick a backup DSLR (a D90, specifically) with an 18-200mm lens and a SB-600 in there. In other words, this bag is seriously large enough for pros to carry their main rig and a backup, all in one container strapped on your back. There are a pair of side pouches as well, and if we had to gripe at all on the overall design, we'd say that these side pouches aren't "elastic" enough around the lip. Truthfully, we'd prefer an expandable lip that would allow a full-on lens to sit on each side. We would've loved to have our two most frequently needed lenses outside of the bag for easy reaching in the heat of a shoot.

Carry capabilities

The reality of the matter is that no camera bag can hold both an absurd amount of equipment and make every one of those pieces available in a flash. If you're carrying around a third of B&H's warehouse on your back, you can't reasonably expect to be able to grab everything in there in a millisecond. But, we have to say, the Camps Bay does a fantastic job of making as much of that equipment as possible easily accessible. In situations where we didn't need the D90 riding up top, we found it advantageous to remove the "floor padding" entirely and open up a direct line of contact with the bag's heart, right from the top. This enabled us to easily grab the 70-200mm f/2.8 monster lurking in the center, as well as two lenses on either side of it. If we could add a pair of easily-accessible lenses on the side pockets, that'd be five lenses in a bookbag within arm's reach, without any annoying zippers or layers to crawl through. As it stands, we counted drop-dead easy access to three.


If you've got an extra second to whip the bag off and open up the "heart" section (a zippered front pocket that's partially covered by the top flap), you'll have easy access to everything else. There's just a single layer here -- it's not like looking for Christmas ornaments three floors underneath. Thankfully, the flap itself has extendable latches, so you stuff an unrecommended amount of gear into the bag, and still have it all covered up from the weather. Speaking of which, the waxed canvas / leather construction is simply drool-worthy. It's the same type of fabric as found on the Union Street, and it's designed to both look amazing and protect your gear from the elements. It'll shake off a fair bit of rain, and while it's thick enough to protect from most punctures, it's actually highly pliable and lightweight. Even when we loaded it down, the padded straps kept everything feeling nice and comfortable on our back; way more comfortable than loading down a messenger bag and tossing it over a single shoulder.

Wrap-up

This is almost the perfect DSLR / laptop combo pack. Seriously. It's perfect, except for two things. One, those side pockets need to be able to hold a lens apiece, and two, this thing costs $429. To put that in perspective, the aforementioned Kata 3N1-33 is right around $130. Yes, the Kata is mass produced, looks completely forgettable, holds less and can't stomach a 17-inch laptop, but it's also $300 cheaper. The Camps Bay serves an exceedingly narrow niche, but if you're in that group, you'll be hard-pressed to find a backpack that does everything this one can, while looking this freaking good. Nothing screams "pro" like a waxed canvas / leather bag, and in a business where appearances matter, we can understand why some highfalutin' photogs may see the value in splurging.

The long and short of it is this: for professional photographers who are traveling to client sites or shooting weddings, The Camps Bay is probably worth the loot. Especially if you use a 17-inch laptop, which makes your potential alternative pool fairly barren. For the average Joe or Jane, this is way too much bag for you. It just is. We're thrilled that Ona has stepped in to fill a need in the high-end market, though, and we're cautiously optimistic that critical mass could be achieved if production volume increases and prices stoop down a bit. This bag is worth every penny if you're in the target market; if not, we'd recommend against trying to justify the MSRP.

P.S. -- This guy just started shipping, and you can hit the source links below to get your own in 'Smoke' or 'Field Tan.'

Nokia promises tethering for Lumia 800, points finger of blame at FCC

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:28 AM PDT

Nokia's mission to reclaim smartphone competitiveness with its Windows Phone clan isn't over. We may have bemoaned the lack of data tethering in our Lumia 800 review, but it appears the Finnish phone titan has already announced that it will be coming to its Mango-flavored handsets. The apparent reason behind the inability of its flagship Windows Phone to share its data connectivity at launch was due to the FCC's stringent requirements. A Nokia spokesperson explained to WinRumors that Microsoft felt it was important to address "concerns raised by recent FCC regulations" before the feature was enabled, but that they're "optimistic" the convenient data-sharing function will arrive on Nokia's new smartphone through a software update. Dates, timelines and logistics (OTA? Link to Zune?) remain a mystery, but it would certainly make a merry present for anyone not dreaming of a white Christmas.

Acer's Iconia Tab A200 Honeycomb tablet emerges at Bluetooth SIG

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:12 AM PDT

Who's amped about another Honeycomb tablet? Go on, we'll wait for the hands to rise. All jesting aside, Acer's presumably forthcoming Iconia Tab A200 has just surfaced over at the Bluetooth SIG, where a filing has proved that a) Acer's new Honeycomb tablet will look pretty much like every other Honeycomb tablet we've seen, and b) it'll have Bluetooth and WiFi. Sadly, the rest of the details are still under wraps, but you can bet we'll be bringing 'em to you as soon as we hear more.

HP Pre 3 death not exaggerated, FCC autopsy reveals Verizon life that never was

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:51 AM PDT

While we will never see the Pre 3 adorning the AT&T shelves of phone stores, the FCC at least had the courtesy to investigate HP's final webOS device in detail, though we doubt they were able to conclude the precise cause of death. The full devastating teardown reveals some Sandisk flash storage, and a tightly packed interior. There's another interesting detail found in those external images, too. As a previous leak had suggested, this model was destined for the Big Red, with a not-so enigmatic Verizon logo etched into the metallic slide-out backing. The full internal rundown is in the gallery below. Tissues are in that box to your right.
HP Pre 3 FCC teardown

Korean bendy memory could make plenty of trendy tech

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:29 AM PDT

Flexible displays aren't much good unless there's flexible memory alongside. It's been attempted before, but bending memory pushes the individual transistors so close that they begin to interfere with one another -- causing degradation and shortening the device lifespan to just a single day. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has solved the problem by pairing transistors with memristors, which are immune to such annoyances. By fixing both inside a flexible substrate, you can push them as near as you like without any electo-radiation spanners jamming up the works. This also means that the flexible RRAM behaves just like flash memory; maybe in the future it won't just be antennas sewn into our clothes.

Growing up Geek: Sascha Segan

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have the lead analyst for mobile at PCMAG, Sascha Segan.

When I turned eight in 1982, we moved house, I starred on a game show and we got an Atari 800. The modem came a year later, free with the 850 serial interface. I needed it so I could print homework on my new Epson FX-80 printer.

The 830 acoustic modem had two rubber cups: you'd dial your number on a rotary-dial phone, listen for the "whee-ooo!" of the modem and slam it down into the cups, hushing everyone around you because too much noise could break the connection. One favorite game was to try to talk to the modem, figuring out which pattern of your own "whee-ooo"s would create something that looked like words. 300 baud was just about as fast as I could read.

The 830 came with too basic a modem program, unable even to capture to disk. I found a board, chatted to sysop, and had him copy out for me a 12-line BASIC terminal program which I wrote down on paper and later typed into the Atari. You could use that program to bootstrap a better program, and then you were online.

In BBS world, nobody knew you were a kid, but you probably were anyway. The sysop of Greyhawk's Gallery was 15. The Wizard's Chamber had great ATASCII animations: I hit Y, chat to sysop, and found out Jamie was 11, swapping floppies in his own 800 after school. We became friends and spent long hours playing D&D on the phone before our families gave us subway privileges.

Me, at age ten, according to something my mom wrote at the time:

"I notice that Sascha enjoys sitting at his computer, doing some mundane homework such as a handwriting exercise, while his automatic dialer is dialing a bulletin board through his modem, while listening to Scarecrow and Mrs. King."

At the time, most boards had four phone lines, max; you had to wait in line, enduring busy signals for hours if necessary to get those precious ATASCII animations of a knight fighting a dragon, or to chat on the message board with other people who knew how to get all the way through Ultima.

The Atari kids and Commodore kids were different tribes: ask me, and I'd swear our D1: was far superior to their ,8,1 and POKEY just spanked SID. All their games sucked. They just did, because our games were better and their games sucked. (My friend Ben, with the Commodore, felt passionately otherwise.) Later the vast superiority of the Atari platform was conclusively proven by the game Alternate Reality, which came to us first. Case closed.

I'd defect to Apple II at my friend David's house down the street because he had Wizardry, though, and Wizardry was the closest I could get to playing D&D on a computer before I found New York's role-playing BBSes like Ellena Caverns.

In seventh grade I discovered Usenet, thanks to the Big Electric Cat, the first public-access Usenet site in New York. I was now {bellcore,harpo,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!ssegan -- if you sent email to someone on the network back then, you had to spell out the whole path, because our servers didn't automatically create routings. After the Cat went down, I became a sysop at the Dorsai Diplomatic Mission, and then picked up an account on Panix.

I'd periodically go whole hog on Usenet on and off through high school and college. I found a refuge for a bunch of teenagers and college kids and mastered the "spew," the pre-Livejournal mass whine to a bunch of friends before there was a Web to post it on. I chased a French girl through Minitel in 1989 and met a girlfriend on Usenet in the '90s, but it took nerve.com in the internet-dating heyday of 2001 to finally find my wife.


Internet kids, we were your prototypes, the primitive ASCII-art versions of your Pixar perfection. We grew up OK. Of my old Usenet buddies, one's an HR executive. One is an expert in the behavior of teens on the internet, of all things. One edits technical texts; one runs an arts education nonprofit. And Jamie, the 11-year-old sysop of the Wizard's Chamber? He's the senior mobile analyst at PCMAG.com. We chat all the time.

Sascha Segan is the lead mobile analyst for PCMAG.com, writing about mobile phones and tablets for the past seven years. You can follow his views on mobile phones here, and (please) follow his Tweets at @saschasegan.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

OCZ expects to ship cheap TLC solid state drives in early 2012

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:42 AM PDT

It's about time triple-level-cell NAND came to life in consumer products and it looks like OCZ is blazing that trail. The company expects to release its first TLC drive early next year, with a vaunted 30 percent price reduction compared to current MLC drives, which are themselves much cheaper than SLC. The downside is shorter life expectancy, which will be as low as four years, but more durable forms of the technology are due to arrive later in 2012.

Fujitsu's 10.51 petaflop K supercomputer is fastest in the world

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:28 AM PDT

Fujitsu, sweaty palmed from the construction of the K supercomputer, swore the colossal machine would manage a speed of ten petaflops by the year 2012. The effort has paid off handsomely: the hangar-sized machine has a top speed of 10.51. If you wanted to duplicate that setup at home, you'd only need 864 racks, 88,128 processors and enough cash in your back pocket to front an annual electricity bill of $10 million a year. The company will be spilling all at November's SC11 conference in Seattle, where the K will cement its position as the fastest computer in the world. One last thing -- we have a hunch that this machine can just about play Crysis.

TWCable TV app in development for Android, should drop before the season's first 3-pointer

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:07 AM PDT

It was but a few months ago that we realized an updated TWCable TV iPad app was under development, and this go 'round, the cable giant has figured it best to just go ahead and confess rather than wait for any leaks to do it for 'em. In other words, a TWCable TV app for Android tablets is in production, and amazingly, it might be out before anyone realizes that there's no NBA season to speak of. According to the company, it could be released as early as November, and it'll most certainly deliver "a live streaming TV experience." In the first build, it'll also include an interactive program guide, a remote control function for set-top boxes and a DVR manager for remote programming. Support for live TV streaming is on the way 2012, at some point after Ice Cream Sandwich starts hitting tablets -- we couldn't confirm whether that's completely due to Android 4.0's enhanced DRM underpinnings but it seems likely. Really screws up your New Year's Resolution to drop cable, huh?

AT&T, DirecTV sign deal extension, guarantee bundle services through 2015

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:46 AM PDT

AT&T renewed its corporate vows with DirecTV yesterday, signing a three-year contract extension to bring its suite of co-branded satellite TV, broadband and voice services through March 2015. The bundle will be offered across the 22 states where AT&T currently offers residential broadband and voice services -- and, according to a company spokeswoman, where the carrier's U-verse video service is not yet available. Speaking to Broadcasting & Cable, the rep went on to say that the renewed deal shouldn't be interpreted as an indicator of how rapidly the U-verse rollout is progressing, and that its service may eventually be offered alongside DirecTV's operations -- which, as we found out this week, aren't doing too bad at all. More details can be gleaned from the PR, after the break.
Show full PR text
AT&T and DIRECTV Sign Three-Year Extension Agreement to Deliver AT&T | DIRECTV Service to AT&T Customers

Millions of Customers Continue to Have Access to a Compelling and Exclusive AT&T | DIRECTV Quad-Play Bundle Option

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DIRECTV and AT&T* signed a three-year extension to their commercial agreement and will continue to offer a co-branded version of DIRECTV's satellite television service across the 22 states where AT&T offers residential broadband and voice service. This agreement, which has been extended through March 2015, will enable both companies to provide millions of customers with access to an exclusive quadruple-play bundle of AT&T | DIRECTV service and AT&T broadband, home phone and wireless voice services, as well as bundled discounts when AT&T | DIRECTV service is combined with qualifying AT&T services.

Through a separate agreement, DIRECTV also sells AT&T broadband services, including AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet, through its sales distribution channels and to existing DIRECTV customers.

"Over the past three years DIRECTV and AT&T worked together to deliver a compelling bundled service at a great value," said Paul Guyardo, executive vice president and CMO for DIRECTV. "With this new agreement, we have a lot in the works to expand our partnership."

"We want all of our customers to have the option to receive a complete, integrated bundle of services from us, including TV," said Jeff Weber, vice president of video services, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "AT&T | DIRECTV service allows us to offer customers the best entertainment and communication services in areas where U-verse is not available, including compelling features that enhance their entertainment experience."

AT&T | DIRECTV service customers have access to a variety of DIRECTV programming and services, including:

Access to more than 170 full-time High Definition (HD) channels.
Exclusive sports programming packages, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET™.
DIRECTV Whole-Home DVR service, where customers can watch shows in one room and finish watching in any other room, in up to 15 rooms, all in HD with one HD DVR.
Up to 400 of the newest movie releases, some available months before Netflix® and Redbox®-all in 1080p HD, the same format as Blu-ray™. Plus instant access to up to 7,000 VOD shows and movies at no extra charge.
Superior television service that has received higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for eleven years running according to the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Kinect for Windows SDK beta 2 out now, celebratory celebrations cleared to commence

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:24 AM PDT

It's only been a few months, but already the Kinect for Windows SDK beta is moving from stage uno to stage dos. (That's one and two, vaqueros.) Microsoft's outing it in commemoration of the Kinect's one-year anniversary, and it's also launching a Kinect for Windows site and blog, too. We're told that the Kinect for Windows commercial program is still on track for an early 2012 launch, and to date, some 200 companies have agreed to take part in the pilot program. Ask for the beta 2 piece, the refreshed build includes "faster skeletal tracking, a better accuracy rate when it comes to skeletal tracking and joint recognition, and the ability to plug and unplug your Kinect without losing work / productivity." Hit the source links to get your download on, but be warned -- we've seen it off and on throughout the day.

Transformer Prime gets mysteriously and imperiously benchmarked

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:01 AM PDT

We're getting restless waiting for the Transformer Prime, which is why we'll cling to the meagerest gossip about its performance. Speaking of which, a couple of Asus Eee Pad TF201 devices have cropped up on the AnTuTu benchmarking app, parading scores that apparently crown them lords of the Android mountain. The graph shows a standard 1.4GHz tablet, but the highest result actually purports to come from a Transformer Prime clocked at 1.6GHz, which achieved 12872. By comparison, the top Transformer TF101 score is just 7596. Benchmarks are hard to verify and even harder to translate into real-world talent, but at least our Kal-El hunger has been sated for a while. Nope, there it is again.

[Thanks, Timlot]

FCC Fridays: November 4, 2011

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:39 AM PDT

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones

Tablets and peripherals

Engadget Distro Issue 11 is go! Download it now

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:15 AM PDT

You've been waiting all week, and the 11th Issue of Engadget Distro is finally here. For those of you experiencing that nasty crash bug overseas, the fix is in. We released version 1.0.2 of the app earlier this week, so if you've got an iPad (or a way to view PDFs) go on and download it. Taking center stage this week is the half-phone-half-tablet hybrid with a stylus -- pardon, S Pen -- the Samsung Galaxy Note. We'll also take you on a ride with the Grace One City e-motorbike; pick apart HTC's lady phone, the Rhyme; find out what's inside the Motorola Atrix 2; and take a couple shots at (and with) the Pentax Q, a tiny ILC with a massive price tag.

But that's not all, if you've been dying to tell us how it is, we're giving you a soapbox to stand on. Yup, we're opening our little weekly to your scrutiny, so if you've got something to say about Distro send your thoughts to distroletters@engadget.com. Provide your name, city and state / country and you might just make it into Issue 12. So, hit that PDF download link below or pick up your iPad and give Engadget Distro a go.

Distro Issue 11 PDF
Distro on the iTunes App Store
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Yahoo launches IntoNow for iPad, recommends telling it how it is

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:51 AM PDT

TV companion app IntoNow has made its first major foray since it was snapped up by Yahoo earlier this year. Its new iPad app is now up for grabs and brings the same contextual magicks found on the iPhone version, expanded to make the most of the Apple tablet's 9.7-inch screen. The app picks up on audio cues made by whatever you're watching on TV and then displays websites, game scores, even Twitter feeds of musicians and other famous types shown on the big(ger) screen. Now you can tell those overpaid athletes and awful, awful actors exactly what they did wrong. Trolling's never been so convenient.

Zinio arrives for the Touchpad, with fashionable lateness

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:23 AM PDT

The Touchpad may no longer be with us, but that hasn't stopped Zinio from launching its reader app on HP's abandoned tablet. The tool hit the App Catalog earlier this week, bringing magazine subscriptions and single-issue purchases to users still clinging to their 9.7-inch slates. The newsstand is available as a free download, and, by all appearances, doesn't stray too far from the layout and functionality found on previous iOS and Android releases. News junkies can grab the app now, though according to some early users on PreCentral's forums, it may act a little buggy.

Samsung Focus S hands-on

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Samsung Focus S
The Focus S is just a few short days away from hitting shelves, so Samsung invited us over to get acquainted with the company's AT&T-bound Mango device. If you're not already familiar with the specs, under the hood is a 1.4GHz CPU that pushes all those delicious Metro-themed pixels to a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Right above the screen is a 1.3-megapixel shooter and around back you'll find an 8MP cam also capable of capturing 720p video. It's all put together in an amazingly light, 8.55mm thin package that is (for better or worse) distinctively Samsung. While the all plastic construction doesn't exactly make it the most robust handset on the planet, it's not cheap feeling either. The lack of heft in the hand was somewhat shocking, especially given its size. In fact, the Focus S is lighter than its smaller and more budget-friendly sibling the Focus Flash. Thankfully, Sammy continued its recent trend of using textured, matte-finished backplates that sport a more premium feel than the glossy plastic of devices past.
Samsung Focus S hands-on

As you'd expect, Windows Phone 7.5 hums along beautifully, even if the Snapdragon inside is only single core. Then again, we didn't have a chance to load it up with a slew of apps and countless accounts. The star though, is clearly the screen. Even at only 480 x 800 the Super AMOLED Plus panel is gorgeous. It's not quite as sharp as the iPhone 4's, but it's plenty bright, pleasantly contrasty and puts our aging Droid X to shame. We're also big fans of the dedicated camera button -- a feature we think all phones should have. No matter where you are in the OS, press it down and up pops the WP7 camera app. The dual-stage button easily lets you focus and snap shots, but you can always tap to focus too. And the camera is speedy -- not quite as fast as the Galaxy Nexus, but there's definitely less of a lag between shots than there is with the iPhone and just about every other Android phone out there. You can get your own greasy mitts on one starting November 6th for $199 with a two-year contract. But, while you wait, check out the gallery for a sneak peak at the device.

Philips InstantTrust water purifier offers immediate bug-free hydration

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:58 AM PDT

Well, if you can boil a kettle with a bulb, why not crank up the dial and zap bugs with UV? Philips is doing exactly that with InstantTrust, a new instant water disinfection solution that is petite enough to be used in household appliances like taps, water filters and even water pitchers. The ultra-violet system is able to nix those nasty microbes at a rate of around four liters of water per minute and, unlike other bacteria-zapping systems, at any water temperature. Hopefully, the new system will put an end to the watery adage, "If it's brown drink it down, if it's black send it back."

ViaSat-1 moves into fixed orbit, aims its broadband ray gun

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 03:54 AM PDT

To advanced aliens and Europeans, ViaSat-1 is no big deal. To Americans and Canadians, however, it's their ticket to more affordable satellite broadband coverage at speeds of up to 10Mbps, as well better in-flight connectivity. The satellite's plasma thrusters have moved it into geosynchronous orbit and its payload has been switched on, so the initial service is on track to begin by Christmas time, with further services in 2012. Want to know more about the tech involved in such extraterrestrial feats? Then look for the detailed PR after the break.
Show full PR text
Post-launch operations on schedule with satellite ready to begin in-orbit testing

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) has announced that ViaSat-1, the highest capacity satellite in the world, is now positioned in geosynchronous orbit where it will begin in-orbit testing. Since launching on October 19, ViaSat-1 has successfully completed all scheduled maneuvers:

• Deployment of solar arrays

• Six apogee motor firings, lifting the spacecraft from transfer orbit to geosynchronous orbit

• Deployment of main reflectors and sub-reflectors

• Deployment of stationary plasma thrusters for satellite positioning

On Wednesday the satellite's payload was switched on, enabling the first high-capacity satellite over North America to begin a series of in-orbit tests. Those tests will be followed by a move to its operational orbital location. The 140 Gbps capacity satellite is scheduled to enter service in late December. At that time the initial ViaSat-1 service will launch and then services will sequentially expand across the United States over the following months.

ViaSat -1 is the second multi-spotbeam satellite to use ViaSat's transformational high-capacity satellite system architecture, following the launch of services on Eutelsat KA-SAT in Europe earlier this year. The satellite was built for ViaSat by Space Systems/Loral, and launched by International Launch Services.

ViaSat-1 is designed to transform the economics and quality of service that satellite broadband can provide. The technology is expected to elevate satellite into a much more competitive position in the broadband service marketplace, with the capacity to serve the accelerating growth in bandwidth demand for multimedia Internet access over the next decade. The high-capacity Ka-band spot beam satellite includes coverage over North America and Hawaii, enabling a variety of new, high-speed broadband services for WildBlue in the U.S., Xplornet in Canada, and JetBlue Airways on its domestic U.S. fleet.

About ViaSat
ViaSat delivers fast, secure communications, Internet, and remote network access to fixed sites or on-the-move. The company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies and products to the U.S. and allied governments; is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services; and offers high-speed Ka-band satellite broadband services under the WildBlue brand. ViaSat also offers design capabilities and a number of complementary products including monolithic microwave integrated circuits and modules, DVB-S2 satellite communication components, video data link systems, data acceleration and compression, and mobile satellite antenna systems. Based in Carlsbad, Calif., ViaSat has established a number of worldwide locations for customer service, network operations, and technology development.

AT&T brings free WiFi to eleven NYC parks, untold pigeon ladies

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 03:19 AM PDT

There was once a time, believe it or not, when New Yorkers would go to public parks to engage in long strolls, unfettered cigarette smoking, and neurotic conversations with Diane Keaton. Recent years, however, have seen a sudden change in this behavior due to a variety of factors -- including AT&T. Yesterday, the provider announced an expansion of its ongoing New York City WiFi initiative, bringing free connectivity to eleven new sites across the five boroughs, including Prospect Park, Tompkins Square Park and Marcus Garvey Park, among others. With these new additions, AT&T inches closer to its stated goal of bathing 26 park locations in WiFi, though the Grand Poobah, Central Park, remains in the dark. As with its earlier rollout, visitors won't need an AT&T account to get online. In fact, they won't need any contract at all -- just a WiFi-enabled device, a cozy bench and bountiful downtime. Full PR after the break.
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AT&T Announces Launch of Free Wi-Fi in Several of New York City's Most Iconic Parks

Free Wi-Fi Now Available at Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park Picnic House and Manhattan's Marcus Garvey Park

Visitors to two of New York City's most iconic parks-Brooklyn's Prospect Park Picnic House and Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park-can now access free AT&T Wi-Fi service beginning today. Free Wi-Fi is also available at Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan, where thousands of marathoners will run nearby on Sunday. The launch is part of a five-year digital initiative with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the City of New York to provide free Wi-Fi at 26 locations in 20 New York City parks across the five boroughs. New Yorkers can now stay connected at more than half of the 20 parks.

AT&T Announces Launch of Free Wi-Fi in Several of New York City's Most Iconic Parks

"We want to keep New Yorkers connected wherever they are and both Prospect Park and Pier 1 are among the city's most popular parks all year round," said Tom DeVito, AT&T vice president and general manager for New York and New Jersey. "We're excited to be able to enhance the visitor experience at these locations, as well as in Marcus Garvey Park where thousands will gather this weekend to watch the New York City marathon."

"Sun, rain or snow, Brooklynites love their parks and I'm thrilled that AT&T, Mayor Bloomberg NYC Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffery have now connected two of our most popular destinations," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "This free Wi-Fi initiative is just one more reason why New York City-and Brooklyn especially-is home to the greatest parks in the world."

Prospect Park gets 8 million visitors a year, according to the New York City Parks Department. Brooklyn Bridge Park, located on the Brooklyn waterfront, draws visitors from across the city and world for its unique landscapes and views of Manhattan, the East River and Statue of Liberty. In addition to Prospect Park Picnic House, Pier 1 and Marcus Garvey Park, New Yorkers can now access free AT&T Wi-Fi at many other park locations across all five boroughs including:

Herbert Von King Park and McCarren Park Field House in Brooklyn
Astoria Park in Queens
Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan
Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island
Battery Park (Battery Bosque and Ferry Landing)
Rumsey Playfield
Areas of Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem
Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx

AT&T Wi-Fi at city parks will be free for all users. From most AT&T smartphones and devices, customers will be able to automatically connect and switch seamlessly between AT&T's Wi-Fi and wireless networks. Virtually all new AT&T smartphones come equipped with Wi-Fi technology, and Wi-Fi use doesn't count toward customers' smartphone data plans. Consumers are increasingly relying on AT&T Wi-Fi to connect in more places from more devices. New York City consumers made 24.5 million AT&T Wi-Fi connections in the third quarter of 2011 – more than all the connections made in all of 2008.

In addition to New York City parks, AT&T offers Wi-Fi hotspots and hotzones across the city. New York City Times Square was the site of the very first AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Zone, and AT&T has added hotzones near Rockefeller Center, near St. Patrick's Cathedral, along Park Avenue and near the Ed Sullivan Theater. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Zones supplement mobile broadband coverage in areas with consistently high traffic.

AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 29,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, including more than 1,250 hotspot locations in the New York metro area.

For more information on AT&T Wi-Fi locations and instructions on how to connect, visit AT&T Wi-Fi Access.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Google might offer TV / phone service over its fiber network

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:45 AM PDT

Google has mentioned more than once that its Google TV platform isn't about replacing traditional pay-TV services, and now the Wall Street Journal reports it might be about to offer one of its own. Don't cancel your cable, satellite or IPTV service just yet though, as this would merely be an expansion of the fiber internet it will offer in the Kansas Cities, offering video and phone service as well. Reportedly it's looked into offering channels from the families of Disney, Time Warner and Discovery, but nothing is set in stone at this point. As CBS' attitude towards Apple TV makes clear, actually getting into the service biz can be complicated and costly, but we figure Mountain View has to fill those 1Gbps pipes with something other than Turquoise Jeep videos.

Microsoft releases Bing app for Android, iOS, not Windows Phone 7

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:52 AM PDT

In a move that can be simultaneously described as puzzling and pragmatic, Microsoft has decided to bring its Bing for Mobile app to Android and iOS before launching it on its very own Windows Phone platform. The company announced the release in a blog post this week, highlighting the app's most noteworthy features, including a revamped maps module, a new deals service and real-time transit feeds. Interestingly enough, Redmond also based its app on HTML5, rather than Silverlight, in the hopes of providing greater continuity across mobile browser and app interfaces. Only at the very end of the post did Microsoft mention Windows Phone 7: "We're working to release the same consistent experience for RIM and Windows Phone 7 devices in the future, and will share more details as they become available." At first glance, this decision may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but it also makes a lot of sense, considering the fact that Android and iOS comprise the bulk of the consumer market (and, of course, the fact that Bing is already integrated within Windows Phone 7). It appears, then, that Microsoft is simply trying to get Bing out to the widest initial audience, which seems pretty logical. Android and iOS users can grab the app now, at the coverage links below.

BBC celebrates 75 years of 'high definition' TV this weekend

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:12 AM PDT

While you're enjoying all your 720- and 1080-line television broadcasts, this weekend it's time to reach back and remember the first "high-definition TV" that went into service at Alexandra Palace in London 75 years ago. Back in the '30s "HD meant an upgrade over the original systems, to resolutions of more than 240-lines. When the BBC debuted service (to some 400-odd viewers) it actually used two systems, one with 405 interlaced lines, and another mechanical system with 240 progressive lines of resolution. The studios are still there and open for tours so if you're in town you may want to stop by and pay respects Saturday or Sunday. If you're looking for more historical background from a distance, there's a magazine article with a breakdown and plenty of pictures of old cameras and sets linked below.

Bulldozer world record re-broken by Andre Yang with a 8.58GHz victory lap

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 12:04 AM PDT

There you have it, folks. Floating over this text is the CPU-Z record that proves it: four days after Andre Yang broke the chip speed overclocking record with AMD's Bulldozer, he's done it again. The chip maker was eerily prescient when it said it expected others to beat the record and that unnatural confidence in the silicon has paid off. Last time, Yang managed to push only 30MHz over the previous record, this time he's found a further 123.3MHz -- making the total chip speed 8.58GHz. The secret to his success was in increasing his chip voltage (2.076v compared to 1.992 last time) and over-liberal use of liquid nitrogen. Maybe he could convince Sunnyvale to loan him a massive vat of liquid helium to get ever closer to the goal of 9GHz -- just make sure you don't pick up the check for the shipping and handling, okay?

Sprint bringing Samsung Transform Ultra, Kyocera DuraCore to life November 13th?

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:27 PM PDT

Here are a couple more devices that will probably add another page to your Black Friday ads: the Samsung Transform Ultra and the Kyocera DuraCore. The leaked images above and below don't show any super-secret phones that we didn't already know about, but we do learn that November 13th is a likely launch date for both of them. The Transform Ultra, a QWERTY-packing Android 2.3 slider which already made its debut on Boost Mobile, looks destined to start off at $80, while the Direct Connect-capable DuraCore will go for $70. Anyone getting up early the day after Thanksgiving for either one?

[Thanks, Mike]

Apple now requiring Mac App Store applications to be sandboxed by March 2012

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:16 PM PDT

Apple's already made OS X more like iOS in more ways than one, and it looks like it will soon be taking another step in that direction. As of March 1st, 2012, Apple will require all apps available in the Mac App Store to be "sandboxed," which Apple says is "a great way to protect systems and users by limiting the resources apps can access and making it more difficult for malicious software to compromise users' systems." The other side of that coin is that by limiting access to said system resources, applications are also more limited in what they can do, which has left some developers facing a tough decision: either comply and get in the App Store, or go it alone. They will be able to request access to some resources, but they'll have to provide a justification for it to Apple as part of the submission process. As TUAW notes, however, this isn't a completely new development -- Apple had actually intended to implement the requirement this month, but it's apparently decided to give devs a bit more time to get used to it.

College students unveil the Kiira EV, Uganda's first electric car (video)

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:23 PM PDT

Take a good look at that lime green hornet pictured above, because it may just herald the dawn of a new era in Ugandan transportation. Known as the Kiira EV, this plug-in was designed by students at Makerere University in Uganda, where electric cars, as you might imagine, are something of a rare commodity. In fact, local media outlets are heralding the Kiira as the first EV ever produced within the central African country, and it's not too shabby, either. On Tuesday, after nearly three years of development, the two-seater successfully completed its first test run, reaching a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour and nimbly making its way up a 55-degree incline. According to Paul Isaac Musasizi, who oversaw the project, the Kiira is capable of maxing out at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and can run for up to 80 kilometers on a single charge. Aside from its steering wheel and other accessories, every other component was designed and constructed domestically.

Perhaps more important than the Kiira EV's specs, however, is what it symbolizes for Uganda. "When we started the project, we wanted to demonstrate that Uganda has as good talent as that in the US or Germany," Musasizi told Uganda's Daily Monitor. "Now that this is over, we expect and want it to be taken up." It remains to be seen whether the Kiira actually enters production anytime soon, but Musasizi says his team is already working on a 28-seat EV for public transportation, underscoring their commitment to bringing green technology to their country. Hum past the break to see video of the momentous occasion, along with coverage from Uganda's NTV.

[Thanks, Roger]

Motorola Facebook phone resurfaces as Motokey Social, destined for Telus? (Update: official product page found)

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 08:59 PM PDT

If you thought we'd forgotten all about Motorola's little Facebook Phone that could, you'd be incorrect. Only known previously as the EX225, it appears the portrait QWERTY may have a final destination and name. According to YS Tech, the device seems set for a collision course with Telus as the Motokey Social, a prepaid feature phone that offers basic access to Gmail, Facebook and Twitter. The leaked specs are right on the money with what we've heard already: 2.4-inch touchscreen, 3MP camera and a proprietary platform (read: not Android), which means this could be an inexpensive option to appease the kiddies during the holidays. No official announcement has been made yet, so we don't have any idea of pricing or availability. Time will tell, as always.

Update: It turns out that Motorola does, in fact, have an official product page up for the Motokey Social. We've added the link to our sources below, so feel free to peruse the specs if you're so inclined. [Thanks, Faaris]

CBS boss reveals why the company is 'against joining Apple TV' (or Hulu)

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 08:39 PM PDT

There's been a fresh round of "Apple is building a TV" rumors lately, and now comments by CBS CEO Les Moonves during his company's earnings call may reveal more about what Cupertino would like to do. Many of the rumors are based on quotes by Steve Jobs in his biography that he "cracked" a way to make an integrated TV set that was easier to use -- a major jump from the current Apple TV add-on box. While responding to analyst questions about why CBS isn't on Hulu, Moonves mentioned the network did not join in "Apple TV" for the same reason: because it (like Hulu) was an advertiser split.

As we've discussed at length on the podcast, any efforts to remake how the TV business works won't get far without content, and so far CBS and its fellow studios have not been interested in playing ball. Why is that? According to Moonves, current deals (with cable and satellite, for example) are worth "hundreds and hundreds of millions" in guaranteed cash payments, and rather than seeking a share of advertising down the road, he thinks a "guaranteed revenue stream is a good way to go." Hit the source link to read the full transcript at Seeking Alpha or check after the break to read his words for yourself. It's a revealing look at why the potential task left to Tim Cook (or his counterparts at Google, Microsoft, and wherever else) of negotiating a new business model for home video may be even harder to crack than designing the perfect UI.

Leslie Moonves:

"We -- frankly, we don't believe in them. We're not going to go out and we've sort of -- we've even been against joining Apple TV, which was an advertiser split. And these deals are significant in that we are getting guaranteed cash payment. We like operating on that basis. And as you said, we've been able to do deals worth hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on that basis. That is our position right now. Will we ever make a statement that, that never could happen? I wouldn't right now because we don't know how the world evolves, but I like the way we played our hand and getting this guaranteed revenue stream is a good way to go."

RED makes the Scarlet official, 5K stills and 4K video for $9,750

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 07:11 PM PDT

It's been quite a day for all you cinephiles out there. First Canon outed its pair of Cinema EOS cameras, and now RED has finally released the Epic's baby sister Scarlet. Scarlet packs a similar punch as her older brother, so she takes 5K (5120 x 2700) resolution stills at 12fps, or can shoot your next cinematic masterpiece in 4K (4096 x 2160) at 25fps. The Scarlet also can use all of the Epic's accessories and comes with a Canon mount so there's plenty of glass to choose from, too. Best of all, Scarlet can be all yours for the low price of $9,750. That's right, for the price of a used Honda Civic, you can shoot video that essentially looks as good as those made by pros like Peter Jackson and John Shwartzman (assuming you've got their moviemaking skills). We're about to get our hands on one, so stay tuned for our first impressions.

When she's all by herself, Scarlet cuts a rather petite figure. She weighs the same as an Epic, but trades her elder brother's ebony exterior for one that is, according to RED founder Jim Jannard, "battleship gray." Not the most feminine color, but we must admit we like the two-tone appearance when you start adding on extras like a RED remote or an external view screen. Unfortunately, we didn't get to shoot any video with Scarlet, but we did get to hold her for a bit and found the build quality to be top notch. The camera has a solid feel, and while we wouldn't want to lug it around all day by hand, it's easy enough to maneuver for several minutes at a time. We're hoping we can do some serious shooting with Scarlet with sometime soon for a fuller impression -- RED aims to start shipping them on December first -- but given her low price point and copious cinematic capabilities, we imagine her dance card will be filled for quite some time.
RED Scarlet hands-on

Canon C300 cinema camera hands-on (video)

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:55 PM PDT

Man, is this thing ugly. But when it comes to cinema cameras, looks are the last thing on a cinematographer's mind -- performance is where it counts, and with the Canon C300, its compact size is an asset as well. We haven't had a chance to shoot with Canon's new flagship cinema cam, but we've heard from plenty of folks who have, including director Vincent Laforet. The C300's incredibly compact size allows cinematographers to work in environments that aren't typically accessible to big rigs -- you can shoot with this camera just as easily as you can with a DSLR, hand-holding it for quick shots, with a waist-mounted Steadicam system for walk-around shoots or even mounting it on a small remote-controlled helicopter, as Laforet did during his three-day Mobius shoot.

The C300 will be more familiar to cinematographers -- photojournalists may have access to the cam, thanks to its $20,000 price tag (that's a relative bargain, believe it or not), but you can't pick this up and fire away without taking some time to learn the interface. It has quite the solid feel, as you'd expect from a camera in this price range, though it's not as heavy as it looks -- you won't want to hold it in your hand for a full day of filming, but quick shots probably won't be an issue. The system is modular, so you can add and remove components as you wish -- industry standard connectors let you hook up cinema gear, which is something you could never do with the 5D Mark II. The small form factor and price tag to match should help Canon gain some ground in Hollywood, but we'll wait for a chance to shoot some footage before drawing any firm conclusions. In the meantime, we'll have to take Laforet at his word -- which you'll find just past the break.
Canon C300 hands-on

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Canon has a new 'EOS Movies' DSLR on the way too: 4K video, 35mm full frame sensor

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:37 PM PDT

Canon has more on the way from its newly launched EOS Movies lineup than just the C300, as shown by this new prototype DSLR. Promised to be "ideally suited for cinematographic and other digital high-resolution production applications" this camera packs a 35mm full frame image sensor capable of shooting Motion-JPEG encoded 4K video at 24fps. The press pics show it fitted with both EF 50 and new Cine 24 lenses, as Canon looks to blend the success of the 5D MK II with RED-rivaling video capabilities. The director of House shot an episode on that camera already and called it the future, which appears to be arriving sooner rather than later. Check out the press release after the break for the spec breakdown, just don't expect to hear anything about a name, price, or release date.
Canon 4K Movies DSLR concept
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Coming Attractions: New Canon Digital SLR Camera Under Development


HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011 – Canon Inc. today announced that the company is developing a new-concept EOS-series digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. Incorporating an enhanced version of the video-capture capability offered in the current EOS-series lineup, the new camera will be ideally suited for cinematographic and other digital high-resolution production applications. The model will be equipped with a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and, enabling the recording of 4K video* (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression), will make possible the type of exceptional image quality and sublime imaging expression to be expected from the next generation of "EOS Movies."

The announcement coincides with the launch of the Cinema EOS System, marking Canon's full-fledged entry into the digital high-resolution production industry. The new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital cinema camera and digital SLR camera product categories.

Further details regarding the new EOS digital SLR camera currently under development, including the product name, specifications and scheduled launch date, have yet to be decided.

EOS Movie: A New Industry Standard
Movie recording has been a standard feature in all newly introduced Canon EOS-series digital SLR cameras since the launch of the EOS 5D Mark II in November 2008. Coupled with the diverse array of lenses in Canon's current interchangeable EF lens lineup, this feature has heralded rich visual expressive possibilities, delivering such characteristics as beautiful image blur and low noise while also garnering kudos for the mobility and maneuverability made possible through the cameras' compact and lightweight body designs.

The impressive images created by the combination of Canon EOS digital SLR cameras and EF lenses, known as "EOS Movies," have already earned their screen credentials on the sets of multiple productions, from television commercials and artist promotion videos to episodic dramas and even major motion pictures.

For more information and to view online demonstration footage of the new products please visit: www.canoncinemaeos.com

###
* Cropped to APS-H-equivalent size (dimensions measuring approximately 80% vertically and horizontally of a 35 mm full-frame sensor) when recording in 4K.

Canon C300 makes an appearance in Vincent Laforet's Mobius, find the short and behind the scenes right here (video)

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:28 PM PDT

A New York Times photojournalist turned Hollywood director, Vincent Laforet has become synonymous with DSLR video, after his short film Reverie helped catapult Canon's 5D Mark II into the world of digital filmmaking. And after playing such a significant role in launching that camera, we certainly weren't surprised to see Laforet make an appearance at today's Canon Cinema event, with his short film Mobius getting some time on the big screen. The film follows a photojournalist who stumbles upon a Cartel execution, but it also tells the story of Canon's tightly-veiled C300 cinema camera, which the company launched just moments ago. Laforet used a pre-production C300 (note the green tape button labels) to shoot Mobius in the Mojave Desert under a variety of harsh conditions, including powerful sunlight and near-darkness, in both extremely hot and chilly temperatures -- the camera appears to have performed extremely well, given both the remote shooting environment and tight production schedule.

Canon has yet to reveal the C300's price tag, which we expect to far undercut the $120,000 Arri Alexa kit, but its sheer portability makes it a more appealing option for filmmakers -- especially those with limited time and other resources. Laforet was able to shoot his film with a very small crew, since the C300 can be operated by just one photographer. The director used the camera mounted on a tripod, tethered to a variety of helicopters, sitting on the road and even hand-held, like a camcorder or DSLR. Laforet shot with Canon's new FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom PL-mount lens, along with a variety of EOS mount lenses, and notes that the camera's form factor makes it even easier to shoot with than a DSLR like the 5D Mark II. Its cost -- somewhere in the range of $20,000 -- should also put it within reach of not only Hollywood cinematographers, but also television directors and even documentary filmmakers and news photojournalists. We won't see the C300 hit the market until late January 2012, so jump past the break for a sneak peak at Mobius to see Canon's new cinema flagship, along with a rather comprehensive behind-the-scenes video.
Canon C300 shoot with Vincent Laforet

Sky mobile apps on the way include Movies channel companion for iOS, Go for Android

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:19 PM PDT

Back in June,the UK's Sky TV said we would see an Android version of its mobile viewing Sky Go app, and while it may not have arrived in time to fall back (in Europe, don't ask us to explain DST around the world, it makes our heads hurt) the company says it's still on track. Telling Tech-Radar the app is still due "in the coming months", Sky has already indicated in a recent earnings report that it has more than 1.6 million viewers of its aggregated mobile VOD on iOS. Speaking of, iOS users will be getting a new app designed to work alongside the Sky Movies channel. It can show what movies are on the channel at the moment, schedule recordings, display info on movies in theaters, and even launch streaming flicks in the Sky Go app when it hits iTunes next week. The screenshot above gives a hint of what it will look like and expect more like it -- the company plans more individualized companion apps that work together, as opposed to the all-in-one approach of a DirecTV or TiVo.

Excelsior! Marvel Comics to offer digital releases same day as print

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:06 PM PDT

Sure, we may have established that Stan Lee doesn't really know what to do with his iPhone on the last Engadget Show, but that doesn't mean your friendly neighborhood Marvel employees aren't ready to embrace the digital wave with full-force. According to Gizmodo, the comics publishing powerhouse will be bringing its full line of books (save for some third-party licensed titles) to digital platforms the same day they're released in stores, a move that comes as the company's chief competition, DC, has been aggressively establishing itself in the digital space. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of March. 'Nuff said.

Canon launches C300 cinema camera, prepares to take on Red Scarlet and Arri Alexa

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Well, we have to hand it to Canon -- this was one tight-lipped product launch. The imaging company just unveiled its C300 cinema camera at Hollywood's Paramount Studios, in front of a crowd of hundreds of journalists and film industry elite, including Martin Scorsese. Canon is no stranger to the professional photography community, but it has yet to make a name for itself in Hollywood, where cameras such as the Arri Alexa and RED EPIC dominate the digital filmmaking world. The C300 may not appear to be overwhelmingly powerful on paper -- stock features include an EF or PL mount (not both), 1080p capture, a pair of CF card slots, timecode and HD-SDI output -- but judging by the sample films we saw today, its incredibly powerful sensor and versatile form factor are likely to play a more significant role in making this camera a success.

Fujio Mitarai is saying that the camera is especially well-suited to accurate color reproduction, particularly skin tones. We're also receiving word that the C300 will cost somewhere in the range of $20,000 -- how's that for affordable? It contains a Super 35mm CMOS sensor and delivers up to 4K resolution with the outfit's new "top-end" EF zoom lenses, which come in four flavors: two 14.5-60mm lenses and two 30-300mm. And the lenses keep on coming, with three EF prime lenses in 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm variations. That CMOS sensor offers 1920 x 1080 pixels for the reds and blues and 1920 x 2160 for greens. Like we said before, list price for the C300 will be $20,000 when it hits stores in late January 2012. And that appears to be it for this very long announcement, but we'll have our first impressions soon. Full PR awaits you after the break.
Canon C300 keynote
Canon C300

Christopher Trout contributed to this post
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A Star Is Born: Canon Launches New Digital Cinema Camera For High-Resolution Motion Picture Production

HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011 – Canon Inc. and Canon U.S.A., Inc. today raised the curtain on an all-new interchangeable-lens digital cinema camera that combines exceptional imaging performance with outstanding mobility and expandability to meet the demanding production needs of today's motion picture industry. The camera, which features a newly developed Super 35 mm-equivalent approximately 8.29-megapixel CMOS sensor, will be available in two models: the EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera*, equipped with an EF lens mount for compatibility with Canon's current diverse lineup of interchangeable EF lenses for EOS single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras and new EF Cinema Lens lineup; and the EOS C300 PL Digital Cinema Camera*, with a PL lens mount for use with industry-standard PL lenses.

The introduction of the EOS C300/C300 PL coincides with the launch of the Cinema EOS System, marking Canon's full-fledged entry into the digital high-resolution production industry. The new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital cinema camera and digital SLR camera product categories.

Star-Studded Supporting Cast
Equipped with an EF lens mount, the EOS C300 is supported by an all-star cast of high-performance EF lenses, not only the wide array of interchangeable EF lenses for EOS SLR cameras that have earned the trust and respect of photographers around the world, but also the EF cinema lenses in the newly announced Cinema EOS System. When outfitted with a Canon EF lens, the C300's peripheral illumination correction automatically corrects for vignetting in accordance with each lens's optical characteristics, and enables iris control from the camera. Canon EF lenses also enable the recording of such metadata as the name of the lens used, aperture setting and shutter speed.i

Show-Stopping High-Resolution Full-HD Performance
The Canon EOS C300/C300 PL's newly developed Super 35 mm-equivalent CMOS sensor incorporates approximately 8.29 million effective pixels and has a pixel size that is larger than that for conventional professional camcorders, enabling greater light-gathering capabilities for enhanced sensitivity and reduced noise. The sensor reads Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) video signals for each of the three RGB primary colors, decreasing the incidence of moiré while realizing high resolution with 1,000 horizontal TV lines.

Supported by a heightened signal read-out speed, the CMOS sensor reduces rolling shutter skews, a phenomenon prevalent with CMOS sensors in which fast-moving subjects may appear diagonally distorted. Additionally, the powerful combination of the sensor with Canon's high-performance DIGIC DV III image processor facilitates high-precision gamma processing and smooth gradation expression.

In addition to MPEG-2 Full HD (MPEG2 422@HL compliant) compression, the EOS C300/C300 PL employs 4:2:2 color sampling for high-resolution performance that minimizes the appearance of "jaggies" at chroma edges. Additionally, with a maximum recording rate of 50 Mbps, the camera supports the recording of high-quality video.

The camera's video and audio recording file format adopts the industry-standard MXF (Material eXchange Format), an open source file format ideally suited for non-linear editing systems. Recording to versatile, readily available CF cards, the EOS C300/C300 PL realizes high cost-performance and, equipped with two CF card slots, makes possible the simultaneous recording of video data to two CF cards.

Ready for Action
With a compact body design measuring 5.2 (w) x 7.0 (h) x 6.7 (d) inches, the Canon EOS C300/C300 PL delivers exceptional maneuverability, enabling shooting from vantage points all but inaccessible to large cinema cameras, such as close to the ground for high-impact low-angle shots, and alongside walls. In accordance with on-location shooting needs, the camera can be outfitted with a handle, grip, thumb rest and monitor unit, and offers an array of industry-standard terminals, including HD/SD-SDI video output for the external recording of high-quality video content. When using a WFT-E6B wireless file transmitter for EOS digital SLR cameras (sold separately), the EOS C300/C300 PL can be controlled remotely by means of such common devices as smartphones or tablet PCs.

The camera is equipped with four start/stop buttons positioned at various locations to satisfy any preferred camera-holding style, and can be outfitted with a variety of third-party accessories, including matte boxes, follow focuses and external video and audio recorders. The unit also achieves seamless integration with third-party editing systems and provides added peace of mind through its dust-proof, drip-proof construction and built-in cooling system.

The new camera allows users to adjust image quality to match that of professional camcorders and EOS-series digital SLR cameras, and offers Canon Log Gamma, enabling flat image quality with subdued contrast and sharpness for maximum freedom in post-production editing and processing. In addition to frame rates of 59.41i, 50.00i, 29.97P, 25.00P and 23.98P, the EOS C300/C300 PL features a 24.00p mode, matching the 24 frame-per-second frame rate of film cameras for high compatibility with common film-production workflows.

Other features include fast-motion shooting, achieved by capturing fewer frames per second to create action up to 60x normal speed, and slow-motion down to 1/2.5xii made possible by capturing more frames per second. Frame rates between 1 and 60 frames per second (fps)iii can be adjusted in increments of 1 fps. Additionally, a selection of Custom Pictures lets users freely adjust image quality for greater control over how content looks.

Pricing and availability
The Canon EOS C300 (EF mount) digital cinema camera is scheduled to be available in late January 2012 for an estimated list price of $20,000. The Canon EOS C300 PL (PL mount) digital cinema camera is scheduled to be available in late March 2012 for an estimated list price of $20,000.

For more information and to view online demonstration footage of the new products please visit: www.canoncinemaeos.com

About Canon Inc.
Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leader in the fields of professional and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. Canon's extensive range of products includes copying machines, inkjet and laser printers, cameras, video equipment, medical equipment and semiconductor-manufacturing equipment. Originally established in 1937 as Precision Optical Industry, Co., Ltd., a camera manufacturer, Canon has successfully diversified and globalized to become a worldwide industry leader in professional and consumer imaging systems and solutions. With over 195,000 employees worldwide, Canon has manufacturing and marketing subsidiaries in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania; and a global R&D network with companies based in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. Canon's consolidated net sales for fiscal 2010 (ended December 31, 2010) totalled $45.8 billion (at an exchange rate of ¥81 = US$1). Visit the Canon Inc. website at: www.canon.com

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010†, and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.
at 12:16 PM

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