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Engadget News |
- Comcast shifts some customers to IPv6, promises it won't hurt
- Intel's Haswell detailed: three different GPUs, single-chip solution for ultrabooks
- IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod Classic and Klipsch's Image One headphones
- Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes bugs plaguing battery life and document syncing
- Honey, at home: Phillips urban beehive shrinks your ecological footprint, increases holes on belt
- Assa Abloy developing NFC-enabled key cards for BlackBerry handsets, locked doors
- Ericsson-sponsored 'On The Brink' mini-film puts connectivity in perspective
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 review
- Nokia's Humanform concept phone, not shaped like us (video)
- Packard Bell trims the fat on PB oneTwo all-in-one desktop PC line
- LG flexes its pre-CES design muscle with a cubey AirPlay dock, svelte 3D HDTVs (update)
- China Telecom looking to expand into US consumer market, eyes 2012 launch
- Sony opens registration for PlayStation Suite SDK beta, lets devs build apps for Android and Vita
- Your iPhone 4S's proximity sensor's working overtime -- thank Siri (video)
- Overclock your MSI motherboard using your iPhone, iPad or Touch
- Senate to vote on net neutrality repeal today, Obama counters with a veto threat (update: 52-46 vote in favor of net neutrality)
- Lytro's light field camera hits the FCC, drop-dead simple user manual in tow
- Nokia publishes Lumia 800 'making-of' documentary (video)
- RIM to forge ahead with Flash on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even if it's dead
- ARM's Mali-T658 GPU aims to beat the world in 2013; president Tudor Brown steps down
- T-Mobile USA Q3 2011 earnings: income and smartphone subscribers rise, net income at $332m
- Kinect BeatWheel hack makes you do the windmill
- Huawei MediaPad, Vision get priced in sterling, will arrive in UK within months
- Auto-suggestion keyboard found hiding inside iOS 5
- Adobe abandoning Flash Player for TVs as well
- Samsung outs pink Galaxy S II and limited edition Galaxy Tab 10.1, plays up battle of the sexes
- NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video)
- eRocketry successfully launches Delta II Model 7420-10 rocket, has the video to prove it
- Timber! iOS and Android take 60 percent cut of mobile gaming dollars
- RIM: BBX smartphones will have same resolution, aspect ratio as PlayBook, BES support, too
- Toshiba's Portege Z835 coming to Best Buy for $899, aims for featherweight belt
- Epson's Moverio BT-100 brings some transparency and 3D to head-mounted displays
- Evoluce Kinect SDK hits the web, gives you an alternative to Microsoft's wares
- Sony Ericsson's Xperia Acro and Xperia Arc get PlayStation Certified in Japan
- iOS 5's panorama enabled with backup hackery, jailbreak not required
- Gordon Murray's 350MPG EV sweeps the board and steals our hearts
- HTC Rezound starts shipping early because you can't stop the Beats
- The Engadget Interview: Kobo's Michael Serbinis
- Polaroid releases Z340 Instant Digital Camera, Gaga's Grey Label snapper still on the edge of glory
- Shaw plants 100Gbps fibers in Canada, watches them grow
| Comcast shifts some customers to IPv6, promises it won't hurt Posted: 10 Nov 2011 10:54 AM PST  No sooner have you memorized the IP address of your media server and then your ISP has to go and mess it all up -- in this case, by adding a whole lot of extra digits. It's for a good cause, though: Comcast is launching its IPv6 pilot as part of a long and grueling global transition away from IPv4, whose 4.3 billion addresses are now severely depleted. The pilot will start with customers who have a simple connection straight from their PC to a cable modem and who are running an up-to-date OS. It will also allow old IP addresses to exist alongside the new ones, hopefully avoiding the slowdowns that can result from trying to translate between to the two formats on the fly. The good news? Once it's over, nobody should have to go through this upheaval again until there are 2^128 web-connected devices on the planet, and by then it'll be the last of our worries.[Thanks, Anthony] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intel's Haswell detailed: three different GPUs, single-chip solution for ultrabooks Posted: 10 Nov 2011 10:33 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod Classic and Klipsch's Image One headphones Posted: 10 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.  We almost don't want to talk about our tablets and phones this week, just because one or two show-stoppers here and there have made pretty much everything we own seem wholly inadequate. So we'll tell you about the stuff we won't be trading in anytime soon. For James, that means a good pair of over-ear headphones, for Darren it's a $6,000 camera and for Daniel it's a 40GB iPod with "Dan Cooper is awesome" engraved on the back (19 year-olds, right?). No complaints this time: just a trio of Engadget editors sounding off on what's been worth it. Making other cameras look ordinary Thanks a lot, Nikon. And by "thanks a lot," I mean "thanks for making every camera that's not a D3S seem subpar." I worked alongside Nilay back in 2010 writing up a field review of Nikon's flagship DSLR, and while Canon just recently dished out its newest gun-for-hire, the D3S still remains on top of the heap in Nikonland. For me, it has completely and thoroughly changed my perception of photography. In the worst possible way.Truth be told, I can't even pick up a mirrorless camera or a low-end DSLR without seeing how high I can jack the ISO. The D3S allows me to shoot at 10,000 ISO with practically no noise to speak of when compressed down to a web-suitable size, and even blown-up posters look like gems. In fact, I detest flashes now. Hate 'em. I always wonder: "how much better would this shot look with just natural light and the D3S' ISO range?" But look, I get it. It's a $6,000 camera. It makes sense for a dramatically small amount of people. But in the five-plus years I've been writing for Engadget, I've only seen a smattering of true game-changers. Even two years after the release of the D3S, it remains a champion. It's still changing the game. And it has allowed me to take countless photos (like these and these) that would've been impossible with any other DSLR in the sub-$6K range. I refuse to travel with checked baggage. I was recently gone a month with nothing but a backpack and a roll-a-board. Even though the D3S + lenses takes up a good 50 percent of my carry-on space, it's still worth it. Three shirts, a bodacious camera rig and a prayer that washing machines will come my way -- it's the only way to roll. -- Darren Murph 40 well-kept gigabytes When you grow up poor, you look after the things you have. I still use my fourth-generation 40GB iPod as my primary portable music device and I can't see that changing. It was a Christmas present from the whole family ($600!) in 2004, but no sooner had it been bought it was rendered obsolete by the iPod photo. (Apple seems to time its releases out of contempt for my buying cycles -- I bought both of my iMacs a month before it announced newer and greater models. But I digress.)Life with the 4G is beautiful: it's as responsive as it was the day I opened the box. I can't imagine replacing it because it meets all of my needs. It's currently on its second aftermarket battery pack and as long as they remain available, I'll keep swapping them out. The reflective back scratches very easily but has withstood seven years with me and even bounced back into position when I bent it in my ham-fisted first attempt to replace the battery. The screen and clickwheel all work as well as they did on day one and it's survived numerous drops, bumps and fiancées holding the slip-case upside down. The only effort I have to make is to never leave it in the car overnight, since the temperature drop causes functioning to cease -- to the point where spending two days recharging and then reloading the library is the only solution. It's saved my bacon a few times, too. A 40GB portable hard drive (back in 2005, remember) when your Windows box dies and you've got coursework due is something of a godsend. While I've always got my iPhone with me, I refrain from using it for music in order to prevent wasting its already impoverished battery life -- which is why my antiquated iPod never leaves my side. -- Daniel Cooper Balanced sound, top-notch comfort Headphones are often considered nothing more than just an accessory, not a gadget in their own right. Most people don't get past the pair that came with their media device, and it's such a shame to think about the countless hours of sub-standard audio that has needlessly been tolerated. Worst of all, upgrading your ears is easy so there really is no excuse!As a music-loving tech journalist I've been lucky enough to try out more headphones than one person would naturally ever encounter, and the variety on offer can be somewhat baffling. Despite all of this, there is one set of cans I keep coming back to time and time again: the Klipsch Image One. I already owned a pair of their excellent in-ear S4i headphones, so I made the leap to the over-ear Image One with confidence. The sound quality -- which is obviously of primary importance -- manages to get the balance between clinical and pumped-up just right. While I think headphones should be as transparent as possible, I also think they should allow that transparency to be heard properly, which these do well. Many other headphones are so wrapped up in being transparent, that they forget the basics such as comfort, and blocking the outside world. But the Image Ones are a joy to wear, even for extended periods -- they sit almost perfectly atop your ear providing decent isolation along with that comfort. Looks-wise these aren't exactly head-turners, but they are, at least, modern and ergonomically sound -- cool enough to feel like you're at least a little bit down-with-the-kids. Plus, there is an iDevice friendly remote on the cord which makes quick volume changes and track-skipping easy. Personally, I'm in the habit of controlling things directly on the device, but that's simply a matter of preference. In short, there is no single reason why I keep choosing these over everything else in my collection, but the fact that I do tells me their brilliance lies in their all-around competence. -- James Trew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes bugs plaguing battery life and document syncing Posted: 10 Nov 2011 09:18 AM PST  Get ready to fire up iTunes and plug in that iOS device, because Apple's just released iOS 5.0.1. The release notes are identical to the two beta releases, which include fixing bugs relating to battery life and document syncing, while also re-enabling app switching gestures that developers previously had access to on the original iPad. And for those down under, voice recognition has apparently been improved when dictating with an Aussie accent. Those not interested in the 790MB download from iTunes, can look for a 44.6MB delta -- including only the changes -- from their device Settings. You'll find photographic evidence of the latter after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Honey, at home: Phillips urban beehive shrinks your ecological footprint, increases holes on belt Posted: 10 Nov 2011 09:16 AM PST It's a first-world issue: running out of honey when we need just a little more to sweeten up that bowl of oatmeal or cup of coffee. What we need is a constant supply of the golden stuff, and Philips has thankfully come up with this urban beehive to provide precisely that. It's the latest addition to the company's germaphobe-unfriendly "microbial home" concept. The system is half flowerpot, half hive, with bees able to travel between flower pollination and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assa Abloy developing NFC-enabled key cards for BlackBerry handsets, locked doors Posted: 10 Nov 2011 08:55 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ericsson-sponsored 'On The Brink' mini-film puts connectivity in perspective Posted: 10 Nov 2011 08:32 AM PST  Every so often, a film (or short) like this crops up. Be it from AT&T in 1993, or Microsoft every couple of years, there's just something amazing about dreaming of the future. This go 'round, we've got an Ericsson-sponsored piece dubbed "On The Brink," which touches on the past, present and presumed future of connectivity. Want an informed look at what our planet might look like once ubiquitous broadband is a reality and cats are more powerful than presidents? Hop on past the break and mash play. (After you set aside 21 minutes, not including buffering.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 10 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST  Today we're looking at the Galaxy Tab 8.9. This powerful slate exists because, apparently, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is too big and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is too small. Is the $449 8.9 just right, then? Read on to find out. HardwareIf you're familiar with the Gal Tab 10.1 you'll find the slightly svelter 8.9 a particularly comfortable beast. Where many companies are struggling to find a corporate image and common style to apply to all their devices, Samsung here had no problem simply shrinking down the elder tablet's overall design by about 12 percent. It's only when they're side-by-side that you can see a few subtle differences -- most notable being the repositioning of the speakers from the sides to the bottom where they now flank Samsung's proprietary connector. The 8.9 uses a plastic backing with a faux brushed metal texture. It matches what's currently applied to the 10.1's rear end and definitely has a nicer feel than the smooth plastic we got on some of the earlier 10-inchers. It's given a dark, bluish hue Samsung calls Metallic Gray, though we're not seeing much in the way metal flake. With that as your only color choice your only options for customization lie on the capacity front: 16 or 32GB, neither of which can be expanded through microSD.  Dimensionally the 8.9 is only slightly smaller than its big brother. It measures 9.1 x 6.2 x .34 inches and weighs in at .99 pounds (230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6mm and 447g, if those are your units of choice). That compares to 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.34 inches and 1.24 pounds, making it only moderately more svelte and a hair less heavy. (Our calipers measured it as being thinner, too, but only by a few fractions of a millimeter.) This compares favorably to another 8-inch option, the Archos 80 G9, which is 3mm thicker and 18g heftier. That difference between this and the 10.1 doesn't sound like much on paper, and if you stack them up it doesn't look like much either. But, in the hand, you notice it. It just feels slightly more balanced, slightly more palmable than the bigger one. It isn't as nice to walk around with as a 7-inch tablet -- still our favorite size for tableting while strolling between gates at the airport -- but it is a noticeable improvement in the hand compared to the 10.1.  Though smaller, the 8.9 still packs 1,280 x 800 pixels in its 16:9 PLS TFT LCD, so you're giving up size but gaining pixel density. You are, however, gaining both compared to the 8-inch Archos 80 G9, which makes do with just 1,024 x 768. The three megapixel camera around the back and two megapixel unit up front appear to be the same as the one that came before, while the power button and volume rocker are positioned in their familiar locations -- the upper-left. That 8.9-inch display impresses, not with the stunning contrast of Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus displays but still managing to look quite good. As mentioned above the pixel density is slightly higher than on the 10.1, which does give text and other high-contrast shapes a slightly smoother appearance. Viewing angles are good and, overall, this is definitely a top-notch panel in here. Still, we have to wonder why Samsung stuck this with a TFT screen while reserving its especially stunning Super AMOLED Plus display for that mythical no-show, the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Performance and battery life The 8.9 features the same 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM as its 10.1 inch predecessor, so no surprise, then, that performance here is similar to what we saw on the 10.1 -- though not necessarily identical. Quadrant gave us an average of 2,341, which is surprisingly higher than the 1,800 or so the 10.1 puts down. Linpack Single 26.846, though Linpack Multi wouldn't give us consistent enough scores to warrant inclusion, and Neocore also refused to cooperate. Nenamark netted 38.1, Nenamark2 18.1 and Sunspider clocked in at 2,295, just a tick slower than the 10.1's 2,200. It boots from cold in 35 seconds. Real-world impressions back up the benchmark findings. The 8.9 feels exactly the same to use as the 10.1. In back-to-back testing of the two occasionally the 10.1 would load an app slightly more quickly, sometimes the 8.9, but neither had a conclusive advantage over the other. Unless you had them both sitting side-by-side you'd never tell any difference, and even when we did we had to be really paying attention. When it comes to longevity the 8.9 does not disappoint -- though it doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. The 10.1 (with a 7,000mAh battery) scored a very impressive 9:55 on our intensive video rundown test, almost matching the 10:26 of the iPad 2. The 8.9, with its 6,100mAh battery, managed 9:21. That's well more than the seven hours managed by the Archos, and plenty enough for all but the most punishing of flights.
Camera Not to sound like a broken record, but the camera assemblies here appear to be identical to what we saw on the 10.1 -- that is to say, it takes acceptable shots, but you won't be retiring your DSLR. Nor your compact, for that matter. See for yourself in the pics below. Software The Galaxy Tab 8.9 runs Honeycomb 3.1, featuring the same TouchWiz customizations found on the bigger 10.1. We already detailed them quite comprehensively before, so we won't waste too much time doing so here again. But, we will say that the additions to the OS here are generally welcome, and the easy to access utilities for taking notes and calendar make this a rather more useful machine than it might be otherwise. Beyond that, the Honeycomb build here has the same quirks as any other build of Google's OS. It's still something of a mixed bag of an OS that we find occasionally clunky and unintuitive to navigate, but again that hasn't changed significantly since before -- and it won't change until these devices are updated to Ice Cream Sandwich. When will that happen? Samsung isn't saying. The competitionThere aren't a huge number of contenders in this, the greater-than-seven-but-smaller-than-nine-inch department. Currently it's really this or the Archos 80 G9, which has a .9-inch smaller screen, a lower resolution, worse battery life and a chunkier construction. But, it is considerably cheaper ($300 for 8GB, $320 for 16GB) and seems to offer slightly improved performance. The strongest competition, though, comes in at 1.9-inches smaller -- in the form of the $430 T-Mobile Springboard (which offers shorter battery life but a nicer display), the $400 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, or the compellingly cheap Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. We'll have full reviews of those last two soon but, at just $200, Amazon's offering is going to be tough to beat.Wrap-up The Galaxy Tab 8.9 exists in a gadget niche so small we weren't convinced it needed to exist. Despite that, the thing fills it admirably well. Given the choice between taking along this guy or its bigger sibling we'd almost universally take the 8.9. The loss in screen size is barely noticeable since the resolution is kept the same but the difference in handheld usability is tangible. That said, those of you buying a tablet exclusively for couch surfing would likely be a bit more comfortable with the slightly larger display. Whichever you choose, cost won't be much of a factor. The 16GB version here is $449 and 32GB $549. Each is just $50 less than its 10.1-inch counterpart. Is a 10 percent price reduction fair for a 10 percent size reduction? Ultimately that decision lies with you. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nokia's Humanform concept phone, not shaped like us (video) Posted: 10 Nov 2011 07:42 AM PST We barely recovered from Nokia's futuristic concept buffet at Nokia World, but a new video has unearthed the deceptively named Humanform. Fortunately not shaped like a dolly, this teardrop device cooked up Nokia's in-house labs supposedly uses some as-yet unexplained nanotechnology, with a bendable transparent display and a fully touch sensitive casing. The segmented design also channels some Wiimote-esque gesture features and twist controls seen on the phone behemoth's Kinetic Device. An inert Humanform shell was also on show alongside it last month, although it didn't do much aside from bending. See if you agree with Nokia's vision of the mobile future after the break. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Packard Bell trims the fat on PB oneTwo all-in-one desktop PC line Posted: 10 Nov 2011 07:19 AM PST  Packard Bell unveils slimmest ever all-in-one PC New 65% slimmer, ultra-chic design London, 9th November 2011 - Packard Bell today announced the arrival of the revamped PB oneTwo, all-in-one PC. Available from November, the new PB oneTwo retains the features that made it such a success, with a stunning new streamlined design that will look great in any home. Now 65% slimmer, the PB oneTwo's cool design looks great wherever you place it. Light enough to carry from room to room, you can adjust the tilt – so you get perfect viewing whether it's mounted on the wall or placed on a desk. The new PB oneTwo is a cinema, digital TV, sound system, photo gallery, meeting point, monitor, DVD player/recorder (including Blu-Ray playback) and more, in just one, super-sleek design. The PB oneTwo is the new interactive hub for the home and the window to your digital world - a place to have fun, play games, listen to music, watch TV, share experiences, video chat and so much more. 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor supplies all the power you need for fast, seamless performance. Stunning graphics from nVIDIA®, AMD or Intel® support the amazing Full HD 16:9 display (1920x1080 resolution); vivid 5.1 Creative® THX® TruStudio PC™ with two 2.5 W speakers immerse you in the surround sound experience. Available in 21.5" or 23", the PB oneTwo offers intuitive touch capability. The PB oneTwo offers an array of cool touchscreen widgets that make the oneTwo experience come alive. Just one touch, and you can connect with friends on Facebook® or Flickr, view YouTube, tweet on Tweeter, share photos, head to your favourite web pages and so much more. You can even handwrite a memo on-screen, set an alarm, or create a slideshow with your own personalised soundtrack. Get creative and enhance your pictures using Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 9-full version. The PB oneTwo is packed with fun, inspiring applications to enhance your interactive experience. Equipped with 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports for extra quick data transfer, a 5-in-1 card reader, HDMI®-in , jacks for audio in and out mean you can connect your digital camera, tablet, mobile phone, hard drive, headphones and more with ease. Luca Rossi, EMEA Consumer Division Director, says "The PB oneTwo has been a sales hit for Packard Bell, and this new version demonstrates the company's firm commitment to the all-in-one market." Price and availability The PB oneTwo M (21.5") and PB oneTwo L (23") will be available in November for respective ESPs of £599 inc and £699 inc. Availability, software offer and technical features may vary according to countries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LG flexes its pre-CES design muscle with a cubey AirPlay dock, svelte 3D HDTVs (update) Posted: 10 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PST  LG has a habit of creating gadgets for everyday use with super-thin and ultra-sleek designs. This year, the company was recently awarded a whopping 12 Innovation Awards for CES 2012, which notably included very light details on three of its upcoming Smart TVs and its cubey Powerful Sound AirPlay-enabled speaker dock. Among the displays are two 55-inch HDTVs, dubbed LED Cinema 3D LM8600 and Nano Full LED Cinema 3D LM9600 -- both are listed as sporting "LG's narrowest bezel and ultra-slim Clear Screen design," but the Nano variant is said to offer "brighter and smoother" picture quality. For the plasma lovers out there, LG's also let details loose on its PM9700 -- a massive 60-inch 3D HD Plasma display, complete with a Magic Motion remote. For those on the audio side, that cubey AirPlay speaker is said to pack 80-watts of power and a 2.1 stereo speaker array, along with an obligatory iDevice dock on its top. We'll let you know if we catch a glimpse of the new gear at CES, but in the meantime, you'll find details in the press release past the break. LG Electronics Honored With 12 CES 2012 Innovations Awards for Smart TVs, Smart Appliances, Smartphones LG Recognized for Innovation Prowess in Five Awards Categories, Including 'Best of Innovations' Honor for Home Appliance Technology NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Living up to its reputation as an unyielding innovator, LG Electronics received 12 prestigious 2012 International CES® Innovations Awards, including the "Best of Innovations" honor in the Major Home Appliance category for its new super-capacity three-door French-door refrigerator (LFX31935), which incorporates LG's unique Blast Chiller technology. LG home electronics, mobile phones and home appliances products were recognized with awards in five highly-competitive categories: Video Displays, Video Components, Audio Components, Wireless Handsets and Major Home Appliances. "We're honored that our refrigerator was selected as a 'Best of Innovations' by our industry's experts, and we're especially proud of the breadth of our recognized products – from 3D and Smart TVs to Smart clothes washers and smartphones," said Wayne Park, president and CEO, LG Electronics USA. "This coveted industry recognition is a testament to LG's commitment to improving our products year after year and provide consumers with intelligent features, intuitive functionality and sleek, stylish design." For home electronics products to be introduced at CES 2012, LG Electronics earned CES Innovations Awards in the Video Display category for new CINEMA 3D HDTVs (models LM9600 and LM8600) powered by FPR technology, which helps provide a crisp 3D image and comfortable viewing experience. LG was also recognized for its flagship plasma HDTV (model PM9700) with LG's Smapanel of prominent industry designers, engineers and journalists who judge product entries on criteria including user value, aesthetics, innovative design, quality and contributions to quality of life. Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America, the CES Innovations Awards highlight product advancements in technology design and engineering. Since 2004, LG has been honored with more than 120 CES Innovations Awards. *Wireless Internet connection & certain subscriptions required and sold separately. The Magic Motion Remote does not come equiprt TV platform, which offers access to virtually limitless online content including premium services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, as well as a new 3D Zone and more*. In the Video Components category, two other products with LG's Smart TV platform were honored – the 2012 flagship Network Blu-ray Disc™ player (model BP720) and Smart TV Upgrader (model SP820). Finally, the new LG iPod Speaker Dock (model ND8520), which incorporates Airplay for streaming audio and video playback, received recognition in the Audio Components category. In addition to the "Best of Innovations" honor for the 31 cubic foot refrigerator that can chill a 12-ounce beverage can in less than five minutes, three other cutting-edge LG products to be introduced at CES 2012 were honored in the Major Home Appliance category. The honored front-load clothes washer/dryer pairs (models WM8000HVA/DLEX8000V and WM9000HVA/ DLEX9000V) feature LG's smart ThinQ™ technology suite, which takes advantage of the appliances' Internet connectivity to help consumers save time and money by managing their tasks and energy use in a more convenient way. Also honored is the next generation of LG's HOM-BOT robotic vacuum cleaner (model LrV5900), which incorporates its advanced dual-eye mapping navigation for smarter, faster and more efficient cleaning. LG received two 2012 CES Innovations Awards for Wireless Handsets including one for the LG DoublePlay, which is noted for its multitasking capability. For example, consumers can update their Facebook page while simultaneously surfing the web or checking email on this new smartphone. The company was also recognized for the Revolution™ by LG with VMware Horizon Mobile™, the world's first LTE virtualized smartphone that enables users to switch between two personas – one for personal use and one for work – on a single mobile device. This technology also helps enable IT departments to fulfill enterprise security and manageability needs without encroaching on employee privacy. The CES Innovations Awards are selected annually by a ped with all LG Smart TV enabled TVs and a separate purchase maybe required. The LG web browser does not support Flash 10 or HTML 5, therefore, access to certain web content may be limited or unavailable. Content and services vary by product and are subject to change without notice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Telecom looking to expand into US consumer market, eyes 2012 launch Posted: 10 Nov 2011 06:27 AM PST  Instead of resting on its laurels as China's third-largest wireless provider, China Telecom is now looking to branch out into relatively uncharted waters -- namely, the US consumer market. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Donald Tan, president of China Telecom Americas, confirmed that his company plans to bring its own branded wireless service to select US markets next year, in the hopes of capitalizing on the large Chinese communities and consumer bases scattered across the country. According to Tan, the proposed service would provide customers with handsets that could be used in both China and the US, theoretically appealing to Chinese-Americans, students or businessmen who travel frequently between the two countries. The exec didn't reveal much in the way of pricing, saying only that it would be "competitive," though he did acknowledge that the service is already undergoing trials with several unnamed wholesale partners. If the trial goes swimmingly, he added, China Telecom may expand it to Canada, as well, and would even consider purchasing or constructing its own network in the States (pending FCC approval, of course). The provider, which has already been marketing its services to US corporations for a decade, also has the capacity to spend "hundreds of millions or billions" on stateside acquisitions, though none are currently on the table. "We want some acquisitions in the U.S. and other countries on this continent," Tan explained. "It's a very quick way to growth." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony opens registration for PlayStation Suite SDK beta, lets devs build apps for Android and Vita Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:48 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Your iPhone 4S's proximity sensor's working overtime -- thank Siri (video) Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:36 AM PST  As far as assistants go, Siri can be rather demanding. In fact, she apparently requires that your iPhone 4S's proximity sensor be on whenever the handset's screen is activated. That's the conclusion iFixit arrived at, upon discovering that, unlike previous generations which flip on the sensor upon firing up a phone call or Skype conversation, the 4S kicks on the infrared detectors whenever the screen turns on. The change would allow Siri to detect just how close your face is as you speak to her without the handset pressed up against your face. More details in the video after the break. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overclock your MSI motherboard using your iPhone, iPad or Touch Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:31 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:25 AM PST  But Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller believes the GOP-led opposition won't be strong enough to overcome his Democratic majority. "There's still 53 of us, and if we stay together we'll win," Rockefeller said. "I think we're going to prevail." Even if they don't, they'll still have the backing of the White House, which has already threatened to veto the resolution, should it survive past the Senate floor. "It would be ill-advised to threaten the very foundations of innovation in the Internet economy and the democratic spirit that has made the Internet a force for social progress around the world," the White House said in a statement, adding that the FCC's rules provide an "effective but flexible" means of preserving the web's intrinsically wild, wild west nature. Rockefeller, however, certainly isn't banking on a presidential veto to bail his party out. "You can take the cheap way out and just say, 'What if we fail, then Obama will veto it,'" he explained. "But that speaks so badly of us." All told, it's shaping up to be another net neutrality showdown on the Hill, but we'll keep you updated on the latest developments. Update: It wasn't an overwhelming victory, but the Senate today rejected the attempt to repeal the FCC's net neutrality rules in a 52 to 46 vote that fell largely along party lines. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lytro's light field camera hits the FCC, drop-dead simple user manual in tow Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:14 AM PST  2011's most outrageously incredible camera just hit the FCC, leaving it a step or two shy of being on retail shelves here in America. The Lytro light field camera (hands-on) -- for those who blinked through late October -- is a rare game-changing device that enables photographers to shift the depth of field after the image has been captured. The downside, of course, is that this functionality is tucked into a pocket-sized toy rather than Canon's incoming EOS 1D-X (or similar), but we're hoping that it's only a matter of time before the company licenses this out to the big boys. The included user guide proves just how simple the $399 device will be to operate, but on the same token, how few options there will be for advanced users. Dig in yourself in the source link below -- looks like that "early 2012" shipping promise might just be kept. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nokia publishes Lumia 800 'making-of' documentary (video) Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:56 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RIM to forge ahead with Flash on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even if it's dead Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:49 AM PST 
It certainly sounds strange for RIM to issue such a ringing endorsement of an ostensibly moribund platform, though it's not entirely unreasonable, considering the fact that Flash is a major component of QNX. Still, it's hard for us to see RIM expanding the medium much further, at a time when virtually everyone else seems committed to an HTML5 future. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ARM's Mali-T658 GPU aims to beat the world in 2013; president Tudor Brown steps down Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:45 AM PST  In more product-related news, the company's forthcoming (and by "forthcoming," we mean "perhaps by the end of 2013") Mali-T658 GPU should provide a 10x improvement in performance over the existing Mali-400. According to a slide hosted up over at AnandTech, it'll offer double the shader cores per GPU, twice the arithmetic pipes per shader core and "extensive" API support. For those unaware, the Mali-400 MP4 is a real barnburner for the Android platform, and given that the T658 can scale to eight cores, we're guessing you may have just made your mind up about timing on your next smartphone purchase. Hit the links below to dig in deeper, but remember -- 2013 is about an eternity from now. Depressing, we know. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T-Mobile USA Q3 2011 earnings: income and smartphone subscribers rise, net income at $332m Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:41 AM PST 
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| Kinect BeatWheel hack makes you do the windmill Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:34 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Huawei MediaPad, Vision get priced in sterling, will arrive in UK within months Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:06 AM PST We're still awaiting further details on the MediaPad's stateside arrival, but Huawei has already spilled the beans for those on the other side of the Atlantic. At an event in London this week, the Chinese manufacturer confirmed that its seven-inch, Honeycomb-plated slate will arrive in the UK by early 2012, with prices for the WiFi only version starting at £275 (around $437). The company also took the opportunity to announce the arrival of its Vision smartphone, which will invade Britain sometime before Christmas. Huawei says it'll cost around £25 (about $40), once provider subsidies are accounted for, though specific operators won't be announced until early next year. Rest assured, we'll keep you up to date. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auto-suggestion keyboard found hiding inside iOS 5 Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:45 AM PST The panoramic camera mode isn't the only thing to be unearthed from within iOS 5. A familiar-looking predictive typing option has been unlocked by iOS tinkerer, Sonny Dickson, who tweeted several shots of the new keyboard in action. Like the rough-around-the-edges panorama mode, jail-breaking isn't necessary, requiring only the iBackupBot program to tweak your configuration settings. Tick yes to Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist, and you're away. We'd advise speed-typing obsessives to back up their devices to iTunes first, naturally. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adobe abandoning Flash Player for TVs as well Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:20 AM PST  In related news, HTML5 could not be reached for comment, but close friends have affirmed that "snickering" and "belly laughs" could be heard coming from his Los Angeles hotel room. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung outs pink Galaxy S II and limited edition Galaxy Tab 10.1, plays up battle of the sexes Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:07 AM PST   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video) Posted: 10 Nov 2011 02:05 AM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| eRocketry successfully launches Delta II Model 7420-10 rocket, has the video to prove it Posted: 10 Nov 2011 01:05 AM PST  Got a hankering for homebrewed aeronautics? You might wanna reach out to the folks at eRocketry -- a self-described "Online Rocketry and Space Community." Earlier this week, at the tenth annual Plaster Blaster event in California, a group of eRocketeers made their grand debut, successfully launching a Delta II Model 7420-10 Rocket into the ether, along with an onboard camera. Constructed by space enthusiasts from Tripoli San Diego and the Diego Area Rocket Team (DART), the 1:9 scale rocket (pictured above) stands nearly 14 feet tall, with a diameter of just 10.75 inches. After eRocketry founder Philip Odegard attached a Contour HD camera to his creation, the beast triumphantly soared above the desert sky, reaching an altitude of 2,272 feet. Fortunately for all of us, the camera survived the journey, capturing some pretty cool footage along the way. Check it out for yourself after the break, or hit up the source link for more images. [Thanks, Keith] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Timber! iOS and Android take 60 percent cut of mobile gaming dollars Posted: 10 Nov 2011 12:03 AM PST  On the other hand, there's a bit of good news for everybody: the overall American mobile gaming market is growing at a rapid pace -- this year's total revenue of $3.3 billion represents a 25 percent increase on 2010, so new devices like the PlayStation Vita and the Transformer Prime should find plenty of room to take seed.  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RIM: BBX smartphones will have same resolution, aspect ratio as PlayBook, BES support, too Posted: 09 Nov 2011 11:01 PM PST  Wondering what RIM's got up its sleeves for its forthcoming lineup of BBX-based handsets? According to the company, it's derived at least some of its inspiration from its very own BlackBerry PlayBook. Speaking to PC Mag, VP of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development Alec Saunders confirmed that the manufacturer's next generation smartphones will boast the same 1024 x 600 display resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio that you'll find on the PlayBook, all squeezed into a smaller frame. He also reassured developers that apps designed for the tablet will be compatible with BBX handsets. "Look, if you build [an app] for the PlayBook, then it will run on BBX," Saunders explained. "We have maintained aspect ratios, BBX also has the ability to upload multiple dimension graphics... [and the standard resolutions] are the same as PlayBook." Oh, and as for those rumors that RIM's first BBX phone (Colt?) would lack BES support? Pure hogwash, according to Saunders, who said the phones will also feature a native e-mail client, and that users shouldn't expect BBX "to be behind the PlayBook." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toshiba's Portege Z835 coming to Best Buy for $899, aims for featherweight belt Posted: 09 Nov 2011 09:59 PM PST  This, readers, is the Toshiba Portege Z835, and it's on its way to a Best Buy near you. As Laptop Magazine reports, the company's new Ultrabook (and latest addition to the Z830 family) is available exclusively at Best Buy for $899, fulfilling Toshiba's promise to break that sub-$1,000 barrier. (At the moment, we're not seeing it on the retailer's website, though we expect it to pop up pretty soon.) By comparison, that's $400 less than the comparably sized MacBook Air and about $300 less than ASUS' Zenbook UX31. Weighing in at less than 2.5 pounds, this featherweight is powered by a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3 CPU, boasts a 13.3-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution and ships with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. But is it worth it? Well, we're currently testing our model, and will have a review for you to consume in the very near future. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Epson's Moverio BT-100 brings some transparency and 3D to head-mounted displays Posted: 09 Nov 2011 08:39 PM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Evoluce Kinect SDK hits the web, gives you an alternative to Microsoft's wares Posted: 09 Nov 2011 07:38 PM PST  Evoluce SDK for Kinect released The Evoluce SDK for Kinect and Windows 7 is now available and enables developers to create noncommercial applications with a natural user experience. The SDK uses depth sensing information like human motion tracking from devices like the Microsoft Kinect sensor and Asus Xtion Pro. Users will benefit from easy and intuitive applications in areas like events and exhibitions, education, digital signage and healthcare. The free Evoluce SDK for Kinect can be downloaded today at http://www.evoluce.com/_win-and-i/en/software/sdk-for-kinect/index.php The Evoluce SDK includes high-quality technical documentation and several samples like the demo application "Motor Sport". This sample shows how users can navigate through a menu and control images and videos by simple hand movements. Users can take control by waving the hand as long as they are within the range of the sensor that allows controller-free interaction up to a distance of 4.5 m. The demo application can be downloaded at http://www.evoluce.com/_win-and-i/en/software/sdk-for-kinect/index.php?we_objectID=64 "The Evoluce SDK enables our partners to explore an unlimited number of inspiring possibilities of depth-sensing devices in combination with intelligent software", says Wolfgang Herfurtner, CEO of Evoluce. "Non-gaming applications can now be controlled by the wave of a hand !" The Evoluce SDK for Kinect, which works with Windows 7, includes drivers and rich APIs for natural user interfaces, installer documents and resource materials and is powered by NITE and OpenNI. The Evoluce SDK provides capabilities to developers building applications with C++, C# using Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010. Evoluce will release a commercial version of the Evoluce SDK for Kinect at a later date. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony Ericsson's Xperia Acro and Xperia Arc get PlayStation Certified in Japan Posted: 09 Nov 2011 06:53 PM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iOS 5's panorama enabled with backup hackery, jailbreak not required Posted: 09 Nov 2011 06:15 PM PST  [Thanks, Brian] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gordon Murray's 350MPG EV sweeps the board and steals our hearts Posted: 09 Nov 2011 05:07 PM PST  Gordon Murray, designer of the truly insane McLaren F1, swept the board at the RAC Future Car Challenge this Saturday -- but for something much more sensible. It's the 1,500lbs T.27 EV, the little wonder in the picture above, which just carried two people the 57.13 miles from Brighton to London on just 64p ($1.20) of electricity. Compared to a petrol car that would be the equivalent of getting 350MPG. It's believed the T.27 can easily make 100 miles on a single four-hour charge and scooped eleven awards on the day, including most efficient and best EV. Murray is still waiting on a manufacturer to sign on to produce the things, but thanks to his super efficient iStream process, they could pop up for sale soon after -- which can only be good news for anyone who wants a commuting vehicle with something of a racing pedigree. Gordon Murray Design's T.27 electric city car achieved a clean sweep in the second running of the RAC Future Car Challenge on Saturday. The T.27 competed against more than 65 entries including the latest technology from 11 major car manufacturers. The lightweight city car won 'Most Energy Efficient Small Car (Prototype)', 'Best Overall Pure Electric Vehicle' and 'Best Overall Entry – RAC Future Car Challenge Winner'. The T.27 covered the 57.13 miles from Brighton to London carrying 2 occupants, inside the allocated time using less than 64 pence worth of energy – Equivalent to 350 MPG (0.81 litres / 100 km) and only 37 gm CO2 / km. On a full charge, taking only 4 hours, the T.27 can do more than 100 miles. Gordon Murray Design chose the RAC Future Car Challenge to be the T.27's public running debut after the car's launch in July this year as "The World's Most Efficient Electric Car". The RAC Future Car Challenge is the most relevant event in the world to demonstrate new automotive green technology as it is run in real world traffic conditions producing easy to understand results and bypassing all the advertising hype. The T.27 design and development programme was a £9 million project, made possible through a £4.5 million investment from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board. Consortium partners include Zytek Automotive Limited, Vocis and Michelin. Gordon Murray Design is currently engaged with 3 possible manufacturers for the city car, one of which is in the UK. The T.27 is the latest vehicle to use Gordon Murray Design's innovative iStream® manufacturing process, which aims to significantly reduce lifecycle impacts and enable low cost, efficient manufacture within the UK. The T.27 sets new standards in weight, footprint, small car dynamics, safety, packaging and efficiency whilst addressing full lifecycle CO2 emissions, congestion, parking and low cost motoring. iStream® - the manufacturing technology on which the T.27 is based - is Formula One technology for the everyday motorist, delivering benefits from 'light-weighting' along with high levels of safety. Gordon Murray Design completed a crash test programme as part of the T.27 project which included the 40% offset frontal crash test, the side impact test and the side impact pole test, achieving results which set new standards in small car safety. The Company has also recently completed a structural durability test which showed the T.27's iStream® chassis to be up to 60 times more durable than a standard steel structure. Professor Gordon Murray, CEO & Technical Director of Gordon Murray Design said: "This win represents a huge step forward in our race to reduce automotive energy consumption and emissions. This year's success in combination with last year's win with our petrol powered T.25, awarded 'Most Economic Small Passenger ICE Vehicle' and 'Most Economic and Environment Friendly Small Passenger ICE Vehicle', proves absolutely that lightweight is our most powerful tool for solving our energy problems. Our team is proud to have worked with the Technology Strategy Board and our other partners on this exciting programme and we look forward to working with a manufacturing partner to make the T.27 with its low running costs available to the motoring public" David Bott, Director of Innovation Programmes at the Technology Strategy Board, said: "Gordon Murray Design and their partners deserve every congratulation. The T.27 is a great example of creative thinking, sustainable vehicle design, clever engineering and innovative manufacturing coming together to deliver an extremely efficient electric vehicle. We are delighted to have been involved in such a dynamic technological innovation." Neil Heslington, Managing Director of Zytek Automotive Limited, said: "It was fantastic to see the T.27 scoop the top prize today, especially knowing the hard work and innovative effort that the combined teams of Zytek and Gordon Murray Design have put in, the remarkable performance from the combination of ultra-lightweight drivetrain and vehicle systems show us the way forward for low energy transport." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HTC Rezound starts shipping early because you can't stop the Beats Posted: 09 Nov 2011 03:54 PM PST  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Engadget Interview: Kobo's Michael Serbinis Posted: 09 Nov 2011 03:15 PM PST  Kobo celebrated the launch of its eReader Touch Edition with a decidedly low-key event, inviting a handful of journalists to a dimly lit brunch place in midtown Manhattan. The company's CEO Michael Serbinis presided over the event, framing his company as a David in the fight against e-reading Goliaths. It was a stark and fitting contrast to the Nook event that Barnes & Noble would hold a few days later and 40 blocks away -- not to mention the increasingly grandiose productions orchestrated by Amazon's Jeff Bezos. In spite of all of this, the company has managed to maintain a high profile in the e-reader space, as it did this week, when between the announcement of the Nook Tablet and the release of the Kindle Fire, it let the world know that it had been acquired by Rakuten, something of an equivalent to Amazon in its native Japan. The announcement followed the bankruptcy and subsequent closure of once giant bookstore chain Borders earlier this year, a company to which Kobo had long been closely tied. In a conference call last night, Serbinis denied a connection between these events, insisting instead that the deal just made good business sense for the Canadian company. How will the deal affect Kobo? Does this move ultimately impair Serbinis's ability to frame his 200-odd person company's battles as an old testament fight against corporate giants? Or does this simply offer a bit of assistance in its sometimes uphill push for market share? We sat down with the executive to discuss the acquisition, the crowded tablet space and the future of e-reading. How long has the acquisition been in the works? We first met the Rakuten team in the summer and we talked about different ways we could partner, and through the course of getting to know them and them getting to know us, it really struck us that this was a perfect fit and a great way to accelerate our growth going forward. So it's been about a few months. What sorts of opportunities does the deal present for Kobo? Well, Rakuten have got over 50 million customers worldwide, they're the number one commerce player in Japan -- I think they are four or five times the size of Amazon there, and they've been making acquisitions around the world, really growing their national footprint. So, it provides us with financial muscle. We've been competing on a shoestring against Goliaths with billions on their balance sheet. Now we've got a Goliath backing us. It gives us reach. We can expand internationally quicker. We've always had the position of being a global player, and now we can just get there faster. There's a lot we can do on the social front between our Reading Life platform and Rakuten's commerce properties around the world. Amazon's strategy has been to provide a device for the lowest possible price and use it as a platform with which to deliver content. Is that the sort of strategy that you guys are looking at as you move ahead with this acquisition? It's absolutely been our strategy from day one. When we introduced our first e-reader, the Kindle was $300. We were the first to introduce a reader at cost with our first Kobo reader in May of 2010. We brought it to the market for $149 -- half of where everyone else was at. It's our way of having a rich connection with our customers so that they can consume content. For us, the business is about the content, and the device is just a great way to connect customer and content. You've cast Kobo as a David amongst Goliaths. Does the Rakuten deal impact that underdog perspective? One of the things that attracted us to Rakuten is their philosophy when it comes to their group of companies. Kobo's going to continue to run as an independent entity based here in Toronto, operating globally. All that really changes is that I have some new shareholders and a new board, but we continue to run our play internationally with financial muscle and geographic reach where we need it. Obviously, Japan's a great market, being the second largest economy in the world. We would have no space but to be number one in Japan with Kobo and e-reading. There's new markets like Brazil that are exploding from an e-commerce standpoint, and a lot of these markets don't have the Seattle-centric e-commerce player. We're working with the number one player in a win-win relationship and we can own 50-percent of the market. Globally? We can dominate, on a country-by-country basis. Two-thirds of the global book market is outside North America. I plan on getting a big share of that two-thirds. Were you seeking out a deal like this? Obviously things changed for the company a bit after Borders shut down. The change in Borders was a bit of a setback. We partnered with Borders, but we also partnered with Best Buy, Target, Walmart and we're now in a bunch of other retailers. Unfortunately, Borders didn't work out. We've recently partnered with Facebook. We're the only e-book partner to deeply integrate with it in the ticker and timeline. MOG and Rdio have doubled, tripled and quadrupled their user bases since working with Facebook, so we expect to be a player in the US. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and look, there's no guarantee that Barnes & Noble has the cash to run their play. You've suggested that the closure of Borders didn't impact the decision to sell to Rakuten. Yeah, the Borders situation was an unfortunate one, but it had zero to do with this. Officially Kobo wasn't for sale, and this wasn't a situation where we said, "there goes the US now that Borders is gone. Time to sell the company." That was absolutely not the situation. We had a number of strategic options in front of us, and when our board came to a conclusion that it wasn't purely about cash and raising cash, it was about winning the game and to win, cash was a piece of it, financial muscle to back us was a piece of it, but so was reach and e-commerce expertise and really being able to connect into an overall global commerce platform. So they were the perfect fit. That was what really drove the ultimate sale. Indigo as a majority shareholder wasn't looking to add to their balance sheet through a sale. It was really a great opportunity. Kobo has obviously expanded into the tablet space recently (with Vox). How much longer will the devoted e-reader space be a viable one? I absolutely see the e-reader space being viable. It's going to be the lion's share of our sales this year. We'll see about next year, but what's clear is that there are customers and segments of the population who want to focus on a great reading experience and don't want to be connected to apps and music and everything else. Then there's the other readers, some of them casual. Some of them want to be connected and want a color experience and are okay with the different benefits and features that a tablet style device brings. I really see the tablet as more of expanding our market and allowing us to reach new kinds of readers, as well as new price points which are important to our retail offering. So the Vox tablet is more the logical extension of the reader experience, rather than an entirely different space? As we looked at the spectrum of customers and their desire for different kinds of content, we felt that it was a must have to bring a color device that gave the reader with the connected life a great affordable product. Now where does that bring us going forward with Rakuten? The possibilities are endless. You've spoken about how stiff the competition is in the e-reader market. You're contending with Amazon and Barnes & Noble in North America and Sony in Japan. But it seems like the tablet space is even harder to crack into these days. Everybody's got a tablet at this point. What are you guys bringing to the table? In the beginning of 2010, I went to CES, and there were 200 e-readers. We'd just launched, and I thought, "Wow, we've got to execute out of our minds to be successful" -- and we did. So, I look at the tablet space now -- around the end of last year there were supposed to be some great hopes entering the market, and all of them chose us to be their e-book partner. Whether it was Samsung, the PlayBook (which was delayed and eventually came out), Acer, Asus, HP. The collective market cap is in the hundreds of billions, or maybe even closer to trillions, and none of them have been successful so far. What that tells you is that the core electronics under the hood are being commodified, and it's really about the overall experience and bringing the content to the customer. This concept that your library, your content is going to be with you forever, but the device will come and go, and you pick up where you left off, whether it's a page of your book or your overall music library, the moment you fire up your new device. That's been a core part of our strategy from the beginning and we've proven that we can run faster cycles to launch these products than our competition. We get better and stronger every time, and meanwhile guys like Samsung and RIM have really struggled to make a dent in what iPad has done. Amazon entered the tablet space around the same time, and the Fire also seems to be an extension of their e-reader, much like the Vox. If you look at this globally, we know that it's not going to be a one-horse race in the majority of the world. Amazon isn't the player there that they are in the US. Secondly, we partner on a country-by-country basis with a leading player that's got the best book-loving customers and develop a win-win relationship. And then, thirdly, we believed from the start that discovery of content and how people connect and express themselves around that concept is fundamentally going to change. This whole idea of the 383rd Harry Potter review being what moves me to make a purchase and read a book has really gone the way of the dodo. Can you give numbers in terms of how many readers have been sold this year? We don't disclose the numbers on the hardware but I can tell you that from a user base of people downloading and buying books on a weekly basis with Kobo, we've gone from just north of 2 million at the end of Christmas last year to just shy of 6 million right now. Has the Touch reader become your most popular device? The Touch reader has been a great seller this year, but we're now a week or two into Vox, and we're probably going to run out at some point before Christmas. Kobo currently has three devices on the market -- the Vox, the Touch and the previous generation reader. Is that going to continue to be a comfortable number? What's really key is having a lineup in order to reach your different segments of your customer base, and price point is a point of that, usage profile is a point of that. I'm not sure it's as much the number as much as it is whatever we need to reach the customers that we want to attract to Kobo. Again, going country by country makes for a more complicated answer, but three to five devices in the next year is probably the right range. So, are there are new areas opening up in the reader space that you haven't quite hit yet? Yeah, there's a ton of opportunity. There's categories that really haven't even been touched yet. Kids is a great example. Kids sub-12 and adolescents -- there's great opportunity in those categories. There's opportunity for college students, and there's opportunity for different form factors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polaroid releases Z340 Instant Digital Camera, Gaga's Grey Label snapper still on the edge of glory Posted: 09 Nov 2011 02:33 PM PST  POLAROID ANNOUNCES THE Z340 INSTANT DIGITAL CAMERA Available Today, The New Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera Reinvents Instant Photography for the Digital Age, Marrying the Flexibility and Convenience of a Digital Camera with the Classic Polaroid Instant Experience MINNEAPOLIS, MN, November 8, 2011 - Today Polaroid announced the Z340 Instant Digital Camera, the next step in the evolution of the famed instant camera. Featuring a full-function 14.0 megapixel digital camera and integrated ZINK® printer, the Polaroid Z340 camera delivers a new twist on the instant experience. The Polaroid Z340 camera allows users to customize each individual photo between snap and share - making the newest product from the Polaroid family a digital photo booth that turns your images into a new social currency in less than one minute. Since the launch of the Polaroid Land Camera in 1948, the first instant camera, people around the world have enjoyed the magic of Polaroid instant photography. The Polaroid Z340 camera delivers the same instant experience that is synonymous with the Polaroid brand: a simple, quick and easy way to capture, print, share and create with snapshots from our lives. Unlike any other camera available today, the Polaroid Z340 pays homage to its analog predecessors, yet contains an advanced, easy-to-use digital feature set. Designed for portability, the Z340 combines a 14.0 megapixel digital camera with a ZINK-enabled printer using the ink-free Zero Ink Printing Technology from ZINK Imaging to deliver a 3x4'' print - the same size as the classic Polaroid photos that captured millions of special memories over the past 63 years. The Polaroid Z340 camera gives you even more options for instant printing: choose the iconic Polaroid Classic Border Logo or full bleed and contemporary 3x4'' photos. "Polaroid photos connect people together in a way that is more personal than any photo tag, slideshow or comment box, yet digital images shape our stories," said Scott W. Hardy, President, Polaroid. "The Z340 brings these two worlds together in harmony by merging the excitement of the instant printing experience with the ease of digital photography and sharing. We're very excited to share the wonders of instant photography with a new generation." Designed to be both a digital and instant camera, the Z340 is a part of the Polaroid experience that injects more life, meaning and features into your photos than any other imaging device: Fuses the digital and analog worlds: Featuring a 14.0 megapixel digital camera and integrated ZINK printer, the Z340 camera produces vibrant photos with the patented ZINK Paper®, an advanced composite material with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals embedded inside. Before printing, the embedded dye crystals are clear, so the ZINK Paper looks like regular white photo paper. The Z340 uses heat to activate and colorize these crystals. Superb Print Quality: The Polaroid Z340 camera uses ZINK Imaging's second generation of the ZINK Technology, delivering vibrant and highly saturated prints. ZINK prints emerge fully developed and protected by a smudge-proof, water-resistant coating. Made to be mobile: Designed for old and new fans of Polaroid, the Z340 camera's one pound, seven ounce, simple and intuitive features make instant printing and digital photography effortless with its rechargeable lithium-ion battery that prints up to 25 photos and 75 captures. Snap, view, share and store: Simply snap, check out images on the Z340 camera's 2.7'' LCD screen and choose photos for printing - just like that, favorite images are instantly shared, no connections required. Just like a regular digital camera your images can be automatically saved to the on-board SD card. Various settings allow you to automatically print every picture or be more selective and wait for that right picture so there are no more wasted prints. Get creative: No need to phone a friend to ask for help with computer upload and editing tricks - on-board editing features allow review and cropping prior to printing. Unique border options give your photos even more of a voice. You can even upload your own custom borders to the camera. Aesthetically Pleasing and Environmentally Responsible: Reminiscent of Polaroid cameras of the past, the Polaroid Z340 camera is clearly a significant departure from a typical camera. Designed for both form and function, photo printing is now as portable as photo taking: ZINK Technology does not require messy ribbons, toner or inkjet cartridges. The Polaroid Z340 camera is available starting today (US, $299.99 MSRP) at Polaroid.com, B&H, Adorama and Amazon.com. Thirty sheets of Polaroid ZINK 3x4'' Paper (US, $19.99 MSRP) is also available at the retailers listed above. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shaw plants 100Gbps fibers in Canada, watches them grow Posted: 09 Nov 2011 01:42 PM PST  Shaw Launches Canada's Fastest Inter City Fibre-Optic Network Network makes Shaw first provider in Canada capable of carrying Internet, voice, video and data at 100 Gigabits per second CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Shaw communications announced the next generation of Canada's fastest Internet, with the launch of the nation's first 100 Gigabit per second (Gbit/s) fibre-optic network. The network, delivered by Alcatel-Lucent, has the capability of carrying up to eighty-eight 100 Gbit/s channels over a single pair of fibres. The result is a game-changing network able to handle up to 133 million voice calls, 440,000 HDTV channels, or transmit 44 Blu-ray Discs in one second. "People are demanding more from their Internet experience, and as a leader in Broadband Internet, Shaw continues to upgrade to bring Canadians the best Internet experience," said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications Inc. "The launch of this fibre-optic network allows us to lay the foundation in delivering a new Internet experience for our customers." The technology delivers services at a rate of 100 Gbit/s – 10 times faster than Shaw's existing fibre-optic network. The launch follows a field trial over a 350-kilometre network between Calgary and Edmonton. Enhancements to the fibre-optic network will benefit both residential and business customers by providing new services, speed and reliability that is part of the Shaw Internet experience. Shaw was also the first provider in Canada to trial Gigabit Internet in April 2010, delivered through Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) and will be able to support new and emerging Internet applications that require faster download speeds over the new fibre-optic network. |
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