Sponsoer by :

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Engadget News

Sponsored

Engadget News

YouTube, Verizon FiOS TV and more video services roll out to Xbox Live

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:45 AM PST

Those in the preview program may have already gotten an early taste of YouTube on the Xbox 360, but everyone else can now download that and more. Microsoft announced today that the first big wave of video services for the console are available in the Apps Marketplace, including Verizon FiOS TV for US users and Rogers on Demand for those in Canada. Those are joined by a number of other services including iHeartRadio and MSNBC.com (both US only), TMZ (US and Canada), and MSN Video (in Canada and some other countries, but not the US). Those outside of North America also have a few other options, including SBS On Demand for Australian users, Blinkbox in the UK, RTVE for Spain, and MUZU TV for a number of European countries. As for the remaining services, Microsoft is still only saying that they'll roll out later in December and in early 2012.

Researchers claim to have developed 'smallest conceivable switch'

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:26 AM PST

A team of researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (or TUM) led by Dr. Willi Auwaerter and Professor Johannes Barth appear to have made something of a breakthrough on the road to the miniaturization of everything. They've devised a molecular switch that measures just one square nanometer, but is able to switch between four distinct states on demand. That was done by placing two protons inside a single porphyrin ring; when one of the protons is removed, the other can then move to any one of the four available positions with the aid of a small current. According to the researchers, that process not only allows for the smallest switch implemented to date, but one whose state to be changed up to 500 times per second. The official press release is after the break.
Show full PR text
The smallest conceivable switch
Targeted proton transfer within a molecule

For a long time miniaturization has been the magic word in electronics. Dr. Willi Auwaerter and Professor Johannes Barth, together with their team of physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), have now presented a novel molecular switch in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Decisive for the functionality of the switch is the position of a single proton in a porphyrin ring with an inside diameter of less than half a nanometer. The physicists can set four distinct states on demand.

Porphyins are ring-shaped molecules that can flexibly change their structure, making them useful for a wide array of applications. Tetraphenylporphyrin is no exception: It likes to take on a saddle shape and is not limited in its functionality when it is anchored to a metal surface. The molecule holds has a pair of hydrogen atoms that can change their positions between two configurations each. At room temperature this process takes place continuously at an extremely rapid rate.

In their experiment, the scientists suppressed this spontaneous movement by cooling the sample. This allowed them to induce and observe the entire process in a single molecule using a scanning tunneling microscope. This kind of microscope is particularly well suited for the task since – in contrast to other methods – it can be used not only to determine the initial and final states, but also allows the physicists to control the hydrogen atoms directly. In a further step they removed one of the two protons from the inside of the porphyrin ring. The remaining proton could now take on any one of four positions. A tiny current that flows through the fine tip of the microscope stimulates the proton transfer, setting a specific configuration in the process.

Although the respective positions of the hydrogen atoms influence neither the basic structure of the molecule nor its bond to the metallic surface, the states are not identical. This small but significant difference, taken together with the fact that the process can be arbitrarily repeated, forms the basis of a switch whose state can be changed up to 500 times per second. A single tunneled electron initiates the proton transfer.

The molecular switch has a surface area of only one square nanometer, making it the smallest switch implemented to date. The physicists are thrilled by their demonstration and are also very happy about new insights into the mechanism behind the proton transfer resulting from their study. Knud Seufert played a key role with his experiments: "To operate a four-state switch by moving a single proton within a molecule is really fascinating and represents a true step forward in nano-scale technologies."

Paul Allen-backed Stratolaunch Systems promises flexible, low-cost access to space

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:03 AM PST

When Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan and private spaceflight proponent Elon Musk team up on something, folks are bound to pay attention -- especially when they're promising nothing short of a "revolution in space transportation." At the center of that ambitious goal is a new company backed by Allen, Stratolaunch Systems, and a massive new aircraft to be designed and built by Rutan's Scaled Composites. If all goes as planned, it will be the size of two 747s (with a wingspan greater than the length of a football field), and it will be able to carry a 120 foot long rocket built by Musk's SpaceX to an altitude suitable for launch into orbit. Stratolaunch hopes to do that for a "fraction" of the cost of current launches, and it intends to eventually send everything from satellites to manned capsules into space.

As you might expect, however, all of that is still in the early stages. According to Spaceflight Now, Stratolaunch currently employs around 100 people (it says it plans a "significant ramp-up"), and complete details on the aircraft itself remain a bit murky (intentionally so, according to Allen). Flight testing is currently slated for the "2015 timeframe," though, with the first launch expected a year later. What's more, while it's not clear how much Allen plans to invest in the project, he has managed to attract some other big names to the project; former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin has joined as a board member, and Gary Wentz, a former chief engineer at NASA, will serve as President and CEO. Head on past the break for a teaser video of what they have planned.


The Engadget Show is live tonight with Boeing, the Tokyo Motor Show and the year's best gadgets

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:41 AM PST

Skype for Android adds support for sharing photos, video and other files

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:17 AM PST

Skype 2.6 for Android
Just in time to really annoy your family and friends with holiday greetings, Skype for Android has updated to version 2.6, bringing with it support for sharing photos, videos and other files with your contacts. Being able to quickly transfer pics of your gifts and clips of children tearing into meticulously wrapped presents to people on your buddy list is just the most notable change to the VoIP client. Plenty of other tweaks have taken place, even if they're primarily under the hood. For one, video quality has improved specifically on devices running NVIDIA's Tegra 2. A bunch more phones have also been added to the app's whitelist, including Motorola's latest super-phones the Droid RAZR and Droid 4. You can head on over to the Android Market now to get the latest Skype update.

Early Atom N2600 benchmark, can't cedar wood for the trails?

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:56 AM PST

It goes without saying that benchmarking something pre-release requires a cavalcade of sodium-chloride, but our curiousity was piqued at the prospect of some Cedar Trail sneak-peeks. Netbook Live has been at it again, pitting a 1.6GHz Atom N2600-touting ASUS Eee PC X101CH, against machines sporting 1.66GHz Atom N570 (ASUS 1015PX) and 1.0 GHz AMD C-50 (ASUS 1015B and Tosh NB550D) chips. The initial reports suggest that the 32nm-based N2600 is a touch behind the N570 in general CPU terms, but forges confidently ahead when it comes to graphics. The C-50 showed mixed results in CPU tests, with the N2600 falling behind on graphics this time round. The take-away being if you need more CPU oomph go for the meatier 1.83 GHz N2800. Hit the source link for the blow by blow breakdown.

Popcorn Hour bulks up for the C-300, can juggle an extra hard-disk or Blu-ray drive (video)

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:33 AM PST

Some people may not be willing just yet to leave the world of physical media. Those circumspect media consumers may be intrigued by the latest Popcorn Hour box. Looking more substantial than the recent A-300, the C-300 model includes a 2.5-inch color TFT display at the front and packs space for both a quick-removable 3.5-inch HDD and an internal 2.5-inch SATA drive. A Blu-ray drive can also be mounted to the removable HD rack and you can expect support for the same plethora of file types we've come to expect from the Popcorn Hour family. Network options have been expanded, with a new built-in aerial supporting an optional Mini MII PCI WiFi N card. Syabas is already offering up a full UI walkthrough at the source below and you can take a peak at the C-300's built-in app market in action right after the break.

Android Market's big sale hits Day 8, sense of deja vu increases

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:06 AM PST

Is the Android Market running out of apps to offer its sales-hungry users? Several of today's downloads have already seen their prices snipped at some point last week -- at least you now have a second chance to grab them. To ameliorate the disappointment of the slightly samey selection, the little green one's pushed the boat out to 12 different apps. Instant Heart Rate Pro could be worth a ten cent investment, if only for some medical showboating. But is it too much to ask for a cut-price Shadowgun before the end? C'mon Google, give us an early Christmas miracle.

Microsoft's Kinectimals lands on the App Store, breaks on through to the other side

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:44 AM PST

Hell's apparently frozen over, pigs are indeed flying and, yes, the gods must be crazy because Microsoft Studios has just released Kinectimals, its Tamagotchi-like "mobile experience" with tiger cubs, to the App Store. The $2.99 app brings the isle of Lemuria directly to your iOS device of choice, letting you nurture these fledgling digital felines, in addition to unlocking a handful of them on a companion Xbox 360 title of the same name. It's not the first time Redmond's made its app wares available to Apple, as both OneNote and My Xbox Live have already hit earlier this month, but it certainly does signal a growing change for MS' attitude towards its mobile competition. If only Steve could see this now.

Apple to buy flash chip maker Anobit for $500 million?

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:21 AM PST

Disclaimer: Delving into Apple's business requires a hefty pinch of salt, okay? Good. Is Apple about to open that $84 billion war chest to make another one of its traditional flash-memory supply-chain land-grabs? Rumors from Reuters suggest it's planning to snap up Israeli outfit Anobit for $400 or $500 million. The outfit specializes in signal processing for the memory chips, increasing volume and performance, which you'll already find bolted onto the Samsung and Hynix flash drives inside the iPhone 4S. Whilst we're having a hard time believing Cupertino would buy a hardware maker (even P.A. Semi and Intrinsity were fabless designers), it seems a logical move from a company who probably see traditional HDDs as an evil to be eradicated from its simplistic designs. We've reached out for comment from the companies and we'll let you know if we get anything more substantial than the regular "no comment."

Update: The initial reports suggested that Anobit had production facilities, but it's since been clarified that the company is a fabless designer in the same vein as P.A. Semi and Intrinsity.

Qualcomm loads Ice Cream Sandwich on Snapdragon S4 tablet, fills our hearts with Liquid

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST

Qualcomm's souped-up Snapdragon S4 Liquid mobile development platform (MDP) tablet just got a major Android boost, in the form of a 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. The maxed-out MDP tablet, which boasts such specs as an on-die LTE modem, dual 1080p cameras and more sensors than you can shake an accelerometer-powered wand at, is now running Google's latest mobile OS. During an Engadget Show visit last month, Qualcomm reps told us that the device will support Android 4.0, but we weren't expecting a port quite so soon, considering Liquid won't ship until next spring. The company says it's working "rigorously" to get ICS optimized not only for the S4, but for other Snapdragon processors as well. Click through the gallery below for an early look.
Qualcomm S4 MDP with Android 4.0 ICS

Verizon's Galaxy Nexus hitting Costco on December 15?

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:42 AM PST

That elusive Samsung Galaxy Nexus is still heading to Verizon, believe it or not, and we may actually be nearing the end of our frustrating quest to get our hands on one. While we're still waiting for an official announcement from Big Red itself, the inaugural Ice Cream Sandwich device has shown up in Costco's internal pricing guides with a starting date of December 15th -- a mere two days away. It's priced at $290 with a two-year commitment, which is exactly the same as what we'd originally heard a month ago. Keep in mind that since Costco is an authorized retailer for Verizon, its release date may vary from the official website and corporate-owned stores; that said, we're sure hoping we can waltz into a store somewhere -- anywhere -- and pick one up this Thursday.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Samsung NX200 interchangeable lens camera review

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST

There are some cameras that we absolutely love, some we find downright disappointing and others that get the job done, albeit with mediocre results. Samsung's digital imaging devices typically fall within that last category -- they're moderately innovative, generally affordable and often well-designed, but when it comes to image quality and performance, we're left... underwhelmed. So, when we first had a chance to try out the CE giant's new NX200 at IFA in Berlin, we weren't expecting a mind-blowing imaging device.

The NX200 is Samsung's latest entrant into the interchangeable lens (ILC) category -- it's a mirrorless model, to be more precise, and a fairly impressive one at that -- at least when you glance at the spec sheet. It's the company's latest ILC to use an APS-C size sensor, which is the largest we've seen in a mirrorless cam. This sensor type implies that the NX200 may have a chance at competing with Sony's NEX-C3, which has been our top pick in the category, and its 20.3 megapixel rating suggests that Samsung wants to be taken seriously here, with a true contender on its hands. But has Samsung delivered a winner? Jump past the break for our take.
Samsung NX200 interchangeable lens camera review

Hardware


The established commitment to high-quality images may bring return customers, but it doesn't sell cameras like an attractive design. And the NX200 has the looks it needs to drive sales -- it'd be tough to argue that this is an unattractive cam. The sleek black housing is curvaceous and smooth, but doesn't come without a few quirks. The most peculiar design element is the NX lens mount, which extends beyond the front face by roughly half an inch, and is level with the front of the rather generous camera grip. In an age where sleek and flush designs have become the gold standard, including a mount that juts out this far from the body is a rather bold move.


The camera is comfortable to hold, with a textured patch just below where you'd rest your fingers and a curved design that feels natural in hand. There's a large Samsung logo positioned in the center of the grip -- it's covered completely when you're holding the camera, so there's no need to worry about eager Samsung fans approaching you on the street with a bevy of questions about your purchase. There's also a standard lens release button up front, along with a green focus lamp -- there's no built-in flash here, though a compact external strobe is included in the box.

Flipping to the back of the camera, you'll find a 3-inch AMOLED VGA display -- perhaps our favorite component on the NX200. In playback, images look fantastic, with accurate color and sharp details, though white balance in preview occasionally differs from what you'll see in instant playback after capturing an image. While the sensor is ultimately the most important component in any camera, the display clearly plays a critical role in verifying exposure and sharpness, and we really have few complaints here. To the right of the screen, there's a dedicated record control for activating 1080p video capture, along with exposure compensation, menu, function, playback and delete buttons. There's also a selection wheel, and a four-position button with dedicated options for display, speed, ISO and AF modes, along with an OK button in the center.


Up top are stereo microphones, a small speaker grill and a full-size hot shoe that's slightly recessed in order to maintain a near-flush top casing (we would have liked to see Samsung employ a similar design with the lens mount). At the far right is a mode dial, with direct access to manual, automatic and scene modes, a combination power slider/shutter release, and a wheel for zooming into images during playback. Flipping open a solid plastic cover on the right side reveals mini-HDMI and micro-USB ports, while the bottom of the camera includes a tripod connector, and a single compartment housing both the 1030 mAh battery and SD card.

The included 18-55mm optically stabilized kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5-5.6, and a rather large 58mm filter size. It's a standard manual zoom/focus rig, but with a twist -- a customizable function button just above the AF/MF switch provides direct access to aperture, exposure compensation, ISO and white balance settings. It won't have a significant impact on your workflow, but it's a welcome feature nonetheless.


Performance and battery life

Sadly, focus is one critical area where the NX200 doesn't shine. The camera will eventually bring your subject into focus, most often with perfect accuracy, but it can be sluggish at times -- naturally in low light, but it was even slow in bright sunlight, where cameras like the Olympus E-P3 excelled. Pre-focusing helps to solve the issue, minimizing shutter lag, but if you have just a fraction of a second to capture your subject, you're likely to miss the action. The camera can also refocus automatically while capturing video, but there's a noticeable delay, followed by a sluggish readjustment. Suffice to say, it's far from ideal.


The camera can power on, focus and fire its first shot in about 1.5 seconds, but in reality, the delay can be several seconds longer when you're trying to focus on subjects in deep, multi-layered scenes, even in bright sunlight. We took the NX200 for many shoots around a handful of different environments on three continents, and had significant issues getting the camera to focus at times. It would still fire either way, but the on-screen focus confirmation indicator that normally glows green when a subject is sharp would appear red, and the image would be noticeably soft.

Beyond this focus issue, the camera did perform quite well, with a speedy seven-frames-per-second burst mode (at full resolution for up to 11 shots in JPEG or eight in RAW). The 1030mAh battery's life was also phenomenal -- even after shooting 700 images and 25 minutes of 720p video over four days, the indicator still displayed three (out of three) bars, though it's difficult to tell how that remaining power would translate to actual shooting time. Considering the Pentax Q only let us capture 230 photos and five minutes of video before going caput, we have no complaints here.


Image quality


One of the greatest benefits of using an APS-C sensor is excellent low-light performance, and we were pleased to see that the NX200 does a fine job shooting at high-ISO settings. Noise is barely visible at ISO 800, and non-existent at ISO 200. Looking beyond noise, image quality was on par with other cameras in this category, including the Sony NEX-C3. Colors and exposure were generally spot-on, but when viewed at 100-percent, some details often appeared soft, even on images where a focus lock was confirmed by the camera.

We only had one lens to try out, so it's difficult to determine whether or not low-quality optics were to blame, but considering most users are likely to use this camera (and any other entry-level ILC) with the kit lens, it's important to evaluate the NX200 as a set. Still, sharpness was where we would expect it to be for a camera in this price range with JPEG compression -- no APS-C camera will be able to match a higher-end full-frame camera with pricey optics, like the Canon 5D Mark II, but the NX200's images will look great on the web (as you can see in the gallery below), or in smaller prints.
Samsung NX200 sample photos

User interface

We're quite pleased with the NX200's interface. The dedicated mode dial up top lets you choose between program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual. Another mode allows you to move control to the on-lens function button, with direct access to a variety of shooting modes, ranging from Backlight to Halftone Dots (though some of these are better left to Photoshop). You can adjust your selection using either the lens-mounted focus ring or the on-camera zoom wheel.


Next up is Samsung's "Magic" mode, which doesn't actually work any magic, per se, but instead offers a variety of filters and frames -- it's not quite clear how the deceptive title came into play. There's also panorama, Scene (which includes the same offering as the lens control mode we outlined above) and Movie modes (though you can use the record button to start filming from most other modes as well), along with Smart Auto, which lets the camera choose the shooting mode automatically based on your subject.

The main system menu is refreshingly simple and intuitive, with settings divided into nine tabbed pages -- you shouldn't have to dig much to make any adjustments. The accessible settings vary based on your current mode, so you only see options for adjustments that are currently available. Three camera pages include options like photo size and Smart Range (HDR), a single page of movie options, two pages of custom options, three pages of general settings and some basic GPS adjustments. Hovering over a setting brings up a vague description, so you'll need to refer to the manual for more detail.

The competition

The mirrorless ILC category is still in its infancy -- we're just about three years in at this point -- but several manufacturers have managed to develop excellent cameras, for every (mid-range) budget. As these compact interchangeable lens cameras become more affordable, and add features that meet, or occasionally go beyond what's available with full-size SLRs, there's much more of an incentive for photographers to look towards mirrorless cams to meet their needs. Nikon took an unexpected approach with its grossly-underpowered (but potentially very profitable) 1 System, and Canon has yet to announce any release at all, but there's no question that mirrorless cams are here to stay, and that we'll see additional offerings in the months and years to come.


We're still standing behind the Sony NEX-C3 as the best value in this category. It can't shoot 1080p video and doesn't offer a 20.3 megapixel sensor like the NX200, but with the Sony, $550 buys you an excellent 16.2 megapixel APS-C ILC with an 18-55mm kit lens, and we have absolutely no complaints at all regarding performance. At $800, the Samsung NX200 is frankly a very tough sell. NX-series early adopters looking to upgrade from the NX10 or NX100 may consider this year's model to be an obvious choice, but if you haven't already made in an investment in Samsung glass, we don't see a compelling reason to start just yet.

Wrap-up

Focusing issues aside, we were generally quite pleased with the NX200. Samsung's latest ILC offers great image quality and performance, with only a few issues. That doesn't mean we'll be making room in our camera bag, though. Sure, it offers 1080p video capture and 20.3 megapixel stills, but unless you need those features, a $800 price tag is simply not competitive enough once you consider Sony's basic mirrorless offering can be had for $549 -- a roughly 30 percent difference in price. In a world where the NEX-C3 didn't exist, we'd be much more excited about taking the plunge with Samsung, but until South Korea's darling delivers a true contender at a more affordable price point, we recommend looking elsewhere.

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

Lenovo LePad S2005 leaps into China

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:36 AM PST

The Lenovo LePad S2005 is now making the rounds over in China. Our crack team over at Engadget.cn saw the above announcement on Lenovo's official Sina Weibo page. If you haven't got a dictionary to hand, we can tell you that the 5-inch Gingerbread tabletphone has a disappointing 800 x 480 display and runs Android 2.3.5 on its dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm chip. Pre-sale prices are RMB 2,499 ($390) or RMB 2,699 ($425) if you turn up on the day. Sadly you won't be able to get your hands on one of these, as it's a Chinese exclusive. If we see anyone begging eBay for a secondhand Dell Streak 5, we'll guess you just couldn't bear the thought of buying a Galaxy Note.

Dell unveils Alienware Aurora gaming rig, will serenade you for $2,200

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:11 AM PST

Dell has just taken the wraps off a brand new addition to the Alienware family, hailing it, rather poetically, as "a serenade to raw gaming power." It's called the Alienware Aurora, and it's staring at you with a Cylon-like grin in the image above. Beneath its menacing veneer lurks Intel's six-core, 3000 series Core i7 CPU, an X79 Express chipset and quad-channel DDR3 memory, all of which are kept in check by Dell's liquid cooling and active venting technologies. The gaming rig also supports both multi-display and 3D configurations, with GDDR5 memory-laced graphics cards. In case you're not satisfied, you can always get under the hood and tinker with it yourself, without even busting out your tool belt. The Alienware Aurora is available now for prices starting at $2,200, so hit up the source link for more details.

CERN: 'Don't believe the Higgs-Boson hype' (update: not yet)

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:47 AM PST

CERN is pouring cold water on the rumor it's gonna announce the discovery of the Higgs at today's seminar in Zurich. For the uninitiated: the Higgs-Boson is the particle that is believed to give all things mass: it surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together. The scuttlebutt is that the ATLAS sensor picked up a Higgs with a mass of 125GeV (gigaelectronvolts) and rated at three-point-five-sigma -- a one sigma barely warrants a mention, a five-sigma is a bona-fide scientific discovery. CERN hasn't confirmed or denied anything, claiming it's still got five inverse femtobarns worth of data (roughly 5 x 70 x 10^12 of individual collisions) to examine before it can be sure, so just chuck the one bottle of champagne into the refrigerator -- better to be safe, eh?

Update: Looks like we don't need to bust out the bubbly, after all. The conclusion from the two-hour presentation is that the ATLAS detector has been able to narrow down the region it believes the Higgs is in to 115.5GeV to 131GeV and that any discovery so-far only has a rating of two point three sigma. The CMS is similarly inconclusive, with results bobbing around the two sigma region. In short, whilst they know where they should look, they haven't been able to find one -- yet.

Google's new Street View feature provides eerie glimpse of post-tsunami Japan

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:44 AM PST

Google has put the devastation of March's Japanese tsunami in hauntingly stark relief, with the release of a new Street View feature that covers the country's most ravaged regions. It's all part of an initiative to "digitally archive" the aftermath of this year's earthquake and tsunami, with Street View images captured across some 44,000 kilometers of Northeastern Japan. The panoramic, 360-degree photos cover both inland and coastal regions, allowing users to retroactively trace the path of destruction across Fukushima and other areas, while placing them at ground level amidst a graveyard of battered homes and abandoned buildings. Google hopes this archive will help scientists to gain a better understanding of the damage wreaked by natural disasters, while preserving the memory of those who suffered most. It's viscerally eerie, powerful and, above all, tragic. Be sure to check it out at the source link below.

PlayStation Vita plays it smart with phone-like UI, we go hands-on

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 05:10 AM PST

We've handled the PlayStation Vita often enough to know our way around its lightweight chassis and petite thumbsticks, but whenever we've tried to explore the handheld's underlying user interface, event staff played interference. Developers at a recent Vita Hill Social Club event were much less shy, however, and let us poke and swipe through the Vita's menu with hardly a shrug.
PlayStation Vita UI hands-on

The Vita's menu navigates exactly as you'd imagine it might -- like a smartphone. The rig's 5-inch touchscreen provided plenty of real estate for the requisite swiping navigation, serving up a crisp view of the system's lightly animated menu. Apps and menu items line the home screen in alternating rows of three and four icons per line, allowing ten icons per screen. Additional icons spill over to a secondary, southbound screen, placing primary application management on a vertical scroll.


Tapping on any of the home screen's bubbly icons will pull up a flat app page, offering users a "start" button that can be used to launch the associated application. The new page also takes its place in a queue of running programs, which can be cycled through by swiping horizontally. Icons for the open apps crowd the screen's headlining status bar, offering a tiny preview of their order in the line-up. At first this seemed like a small, inadequate look at running applications, but we soon found that holding the PlayStation button brought up a more comprehensive cascade of tabbed items, naming each application explicitly. A simple diagonal swipe closes applications with an animated flourish that peels the offending app off of the Vita's screen.

Like any good touch interface, the Vita UI is simple, intuitive and attractive. We mastered the basics of the Vita almost immediately, flicking our way through the system's menus like old pros. Navigating between screens is snappy and smooth, with stimulating animations that give the mundane task of content management a smidge of satisfying flair. It's fast too -- not only did the UI fail to stutter at our hasty swipes and screen jumps, but halted games resumed almost instantaneously.


We were only able to spend a few minutes with the Vita's user interface, but what we saw impressed. The UI makes full use of the system's touchscreen, building an XMB-free interface that plays on our familiarity with smartphones, yet still manages to feel fresh. Event staff warned us that what we were seeing still wasn't final, but considering that the Vita is hitting Japanese retailers in less than a week, we'd wager it isn't far off. Good thing it feels fairly solid, then. We're looking forward to putting the Vita's OS -- and the handheld itself -- through its paces when it heads our way next year. Until then? Peek at our tiny gallery above, and use your imagination.

Sony Walkman Z gets FCC approval, reveals no 64GB model forthcoming

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:44 AM PST

We played with Sony's Walkman Z back when it was still called the "Walkman Mobile Entertainment Player" -- with the power to wirelessly push your media to a compatible Bravia TV. Fortunately the range has just stopped by the FCC's underground bunker, where its 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth radios were soundly prodded. Sadly, it looks like we won't be getting the 64GB edition on these shores, Sony is cheaping us out with a low-end 8GB model instead. In Japan, the 16GB model retails for 27,800 Yen ($360) and the 32GB for 32,800 Yen ($420) -- but given the company's penchant for releasing products after we've emptied our wallets for Christmas, we doubt it'll matter much.

Mango's live tiles get footloose and fancy free with Themes for Windows Phone 7 (video)

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:22 AM PST

If you've freshly fallen off the Android bandwagon to fill your cup with Mango's nectar, chances are you're still coming to terms with a lack of customization. No longer, as Windows Phone Hacker has just released its Themes for Windows Phone 7 application that puts the power of the live tile into your very willing hands. The program, PC-only for now, applies user-selected images, icons, colors and transparencies to a preferred list of apps, nullifying the need for those pre-set accents. But before you rush to download the file, bear in mind this requires an unlocked handset. So, unless you've cozied up to ChevronWP7 with that $9, you'll just have to watch from the sidelines. Check out the tutorial after the break.

xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS devices, makes convincing argument for iPad business expenses

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:00 AM PST

So you have your iPad. You also have some highly important contracts that have just landed in your inbox and needed printing 30 minutes ago. There's no time to faff around with that archaic work PC -- what are you going to do? Well, Lantronix think it's got the answer in xPrintserver. This iPhone-sized box will plug right into your network and give you wireless printing from any iOS device you have hanging around the office. The device supports more than 4,000 printers, connects directly to the print option within iOS and will set back wireless-printing businessmen $150 when it ships January 2012. Anyone unconvinced by alternative methods can investigate the press release below for more details.
Show full PR text
Lantronix Launches xPrintServer™: Wireless Printing Solution for iPad® and Apple® iOS® Devices

New 'Plug-and-Print' Solution Enables iOS Device Printing for Businesses and Consumers with Networked Printers


Irvine, Calif. – December 13, 2011 – Lantronix (Nasdaq: LTRX), a leading global provider of smart connectivity solutions, today announced the launch of its new xPrintServer™, the first Apple iOS® print server compatible with the iPad 2, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and virtually any device running Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The xPrintServer is available for pre-ordering at www.Lantronix.com, and will begin shipping in January 2012. The company will also be showcasing xPrintServer at Digital Experience during the week of the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas.

xPrintServer, roughly the size of an iPhone, is an easy-to-use hardware solution that utilizes the iOS native print menu and requires no additional applications, software downloads, or print driver installations. With automatic printer discovery and no configuration, printing is easy and hassle-free. Simply open the box, plug in the xPrintServer anywhere into the network, and print wirelessly from the iOS device.

Current market estimates peg iPad users at more than 73 million around the world today, with more than 50 percent using the device for business purposes. With forecasts expecting more than 900 million iPads deployed by 2015, xPrintServer is designed to close the loop on what has been missing for driving business usage and productivity for the iPad and iPhone community in office settings.

The xPrintServer currently supports more than 4,000 printers from leading printer families including HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, Dell, Lexmark, and Xerox. In addition to in-house testing at Lantronix and third-party testing, validation was conducted by QualityLogic, Inc., a provider of software quality test tools and testing services for printer and printer-related companies including HP, Canon, Dell, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, AT&T and many more. As new printer brands and printers become available, Lantronix will post updates on www.Lantronix.com.

"The xPrintServer embodies our mission of transforming Lantronix into a marketing-driven, technologically innovative company," said Kurt Busch, president and CEO for Lantronix. "The proliferation of iPads and iPhones in the corporate world has yielded a potentially tremendous opportunity for providing an easy printing solution free of hassles associated with today's work-around solutions. Printing in a corporate environment is a necessity, and with more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies slated to deploy iPads by the end of 2011, this is an ideal time to expand into this market."

How to Buy
As the first product in the xPrintServer family, the xPrintServer-Network Edition retails for $149.95 MSRP, and is designed for enterprises and consumers using network-connected printers. xPrintServer is available for purchase and shipping in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe through Lantronix.com, as well as leading sites including Amazon, NewEgg, Buy.com, and MacMall.

ROCCAT Studios unveils first US peripherals ahead of CES

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:35 AM PST

European peripherals maker ROCCAT is planning a big splash for January's CES, demanding that American gamers get some "serious German engineering." Awkward stereotyping aside, the company's first official foray over here will see it release the flagship Isku illuminated keyboard and the Kone[+] mouse. There's also mention of the ROCCAT Talk system, which will let the devices chat to each other as you play, but didn't say how -- or why it'll improve matters. There's also a tight lid being placed over the pricing, but since its keyboards retail for $150 and mice $100 on the other side of the Atlantic, we wouldn't expect it to stray too far from that particular tree.
Show full PR text
ROCCAT Studios to deliver new level of PC Gaming Engineering and Entertainment to American Players

German gaming peripheral designer to debut aggressive lineup of keyboards, mice and surround sound headsets at CES 2012

Unique ROCCAT™ Talk© technology marks the first time gaming keyboards and mice communicate for advanced in-game functionality

Hamburg, December 12, 2011 – Sporting the claim "Get some serious German engineering into your game", ROCCAT™ Studios – the Hamburg, Germany-based manufacturer of professional PC gaming devices and equipment – today announced the US launch of their gaming device line.

Already the brand of choice for legions of pro gamers in Europe and Asia, ROCCAT™ intends to fill a void in the crowded US gaming peripherals market by offering products with new, highly-innovative features – devices that take advantage of the some of the world's most advanced gaming engineering.

"Pro gamers in other parts of the world already know what our gear can do," says René Korte, ROCCAT™ Founder and CEO. "Now's our chance to share that excitement with American gamers. We're bringing a bold innovation to the table that sets us far apart from other gaming companies."

Korte sees ROCCAT™ as a premium brand built around extreme style and hyper-advanced, German-engineered performance.

"Only ROCCAT can deliver on that promise," Korte says. "Our engineers create the technology and look that today's sophisticated gamers crave. We can't wait to team up with US players and strut our stuff."

ROCCAT™ will make its US debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 10-13, 2012. To mark the event, the company will unveil two of their flagship products – the ROCCAT™ Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard and the ROCCAT™ Kone[+] Max Customization Gaming Mouse. Plus, the company will show off ROCCAT™ Talk© – a unique technology that lets compatible devices, like the Isku and Kone[+], "talk" to one another – giving gamers a host of unprecedented advantages that let them command easier and win more.

And as part of the lead up to the US launch, ROCCAT™ has already begun the "ROCCAT WTF! World Tour" – a Facebook contest that celebrates worldwide gaming, while focusing on the strange and the unexpected, in which fans can submit photos weekly to win exclusive gaming prizes. Fans can get contest info by visiting the official "WTF! Tour" Facebook page: www.facebook.com/roccat

ROCCAT™ will launch its US operations January 10-13, 2012, at the CES in Las Vegas, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 2, Booth Number 25213.

BBC launches iPhone iPlayer app in the UK, adds 3G streaming to its mobile site

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:20 AM PST

While international viewers have had around a week to play with the new dedicated iPhone app, the Beeb has finally launched its iPlayer in its native UK. Replacing the browser-based player of old, it now allows you to stream both radio and TV shows through a 3G connection. The new app also adds HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) which allows itself to tweak the stream quality depending on your signal strength and hopefully allowing you to catch up on Top Gear uninterrupted. Like its overseas version, the new iOS app also throws in AirPlay streaming to Apple TV. Android and Symbian fans shouldn't feel too overlooked; The BBC are promising to enable 3G to all compatible devices through its mobile web version very soon, with a dedicated 3G-friendly Android app being primed for the new year.

[Thanks Michael]

MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video)

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:33 AM PST

A team from the MIT media lab has created a camera with a "shutter speed" of one trillion exposures per second -- enabling it to record light itself traveling from one point to another. Using a heavily modified Streak Tube (which is normally used to intensify photons into electron streams), the team could snap a single image of a laser as it passed through a soda bottle. In order to create the slow-motion film in the video we've got after the break, the team had to replicate the experiment hundreds of times. The stop-motion footage shows how light bounces through the bottle, collecting inside the opaque cap before dispersing. The revolutionary snapper may have a fast shutter but the long time it takes to process the images have earned it the nickname of the "the world's slowest fastest camera."

[Image courtesy of MIT / M. Scott Brauer]

Apple brings iTunes Store to Brazil, Latin America

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:31 AM PST

Apple is extending its sphere of influence south of the equator today, with the launch of the iTunes Store in Brazil and a whole slew of Latin American countries. According to Cupertino, the platform will launch with a catalog of over 20 million songs, from both Brazilian and international artists, as well as a selection of more than 1,000 films for rent or purchase. Also included in today's release are users in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Find more details in the full PR, after the break.
Show full PR text
Apple Launches iTunes Store in Brazil & Latin America
World's Number One Music Store Kicks Off with All Major Labels & Thousands of Indies

SAO PAULO, Brazil-December 13, 2011-Apple® today announced the launch of the iTunes Store® in Brazil (www.itunes.com/brazil) with an incredible selection of Brazilian and international music from all the major labels and thousands of independent labels. Launching with a catalog of over 20 million songs, the iTunes Store in Brazil features local artists including Ivete Sangalo, Marisa Monte and the digital debut of Roberto Carlos' catalog, available to purchase and download along with a wide range of international artists including the Beatles, Rihanna, Coldplay and thousands more. With most songs priced at 99 cents and most albums at $9.99, the iTunes Store in Brazil is the best way for iPad®, iPhone®, iPod®, Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online.

The iTunes Store in Brazil offers over a thousand movies to rent or purchase, with many in stunning HD, from major studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures. The iTunes Store in Brazil now joins the revolutionary App Store™, which offers more than 500,000 apps to consumers in 123 countries, reaching hundreds of millions of iPad, iPhone and iPod touch® users around the world. Customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps to date.

Apple is also bringing the iTunes Store to 15 additional Latin American countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

The iTunes Store in Brazil and Latin America offer music from major labels EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music, and thousands of independent labels. All music on iTunes® comes in iTunes Plus®, Apple's DRM-free format with high-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings.

iTunes in the Cloud lets you download your previously purchased iTunes music to all your iOS devices at no additional cost, and new music purchases can be downloaded automatically to all your devices. In addition, music not purchased from iTunes can gain the same benefits by using iTunes Match℠, a new service that upgrades your music to iTunes Plus when matched to the over 20 million songs in the iTunes Store catalog. iTunes in the Cloud is available today for free in Brazil and Latin America and iTunes Match is available today for a $24.99 annual fee in Brazil.

Pricing & Availability
iTunes 10.5.1 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Store and is available as a free download from (www.itunes.com/brazil). iTunes Store purchases require a valid credit card with a billing address in country.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Carrier IQ issues lengthy report on data collection practices, sticks to its guns

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 12:57 AM PST

After having already tried to explain itself with metaphor, Carrier IQ is now taking its floundering PR campaign back to basics, with an ostensibly thorough primer on its practices and a slightly less convoluted defense of its privacy standards. This morning, the controversial analytics firm released a lengthy, 19-page document that attempts to explain "what Carrier IQ does and does not do." In the report, titled "Understanding Carrier IQ Technology," the company explains the benefit it offers to its clientele of network operators, many of whom rely upon Carrier IQ's diagnostic data to make sure their infrastructure is up to snuff. It also provides a breakdown of how it collects data, as well as a defense against Trevor Eckhart's findings, though, as you'll see, these arguments likely won't put this saga to bed anytime soon. Read more, after the break.

The key ingredient here is the company's so-called IQ Agent -- mobile software that's responsible for "identifying, storing and forwarding diagnostic measurements and data." This agent collects data from a user's handset "once per day" and synthesizes these metrics into user profiles. When embedded, the IQ Agent can capture any URLs a user visits on his or her smartphone, but it cannot "read or copy the content of a website." As Carrier IQ points out, "what is actually gathered by a Network Operator is based on their business requirements and the agreements they form with their consumers on data collection." This is the same strain of "us and them" argumentation used to counter Eckhart's findings, later in the report:

We cannot comment on all handset manufacturer implementations of Android. Our investigation of Trevor Eckhart's video indicates that location, key presses, SMS and other information appears in log files as a result of debug messages from pre-production handset manufacturer software. Specifically it appears that the handset manufacturer software's debug capabilities remained "switched on" in devices sold to consumers.

The firm went on to argue that in Eckhart's video, keystrokes and text messages were being written to Android log files, which the IQ Agent does not use to "acquire or output" a user's diagnostic data. Eckhart only discovered this, Carrier IQ says, because of a handset setting that "should be classified as a vulnerability." The company also provided a list of the data it actually does acquire, and was quick to point out that it never collects nor distributes the "content of multi-media messages (MMS), emails, photos, web pages, audio or video." As for the keystroke logging dimension of this debate, the company is sticking to its guns, claiming that IQ Agent only uses this ability to pick up on specific numeric codes. "Carrier IQ has never intentionally captured or transmitted keystrokes and is not aware of any circumstances where this has occurred," the report states. "Carrier IQ is not a keylogger and no customer has asked Carrier IQ to capture key strokes."

Carrier IQ did issue a small mea culpa in this report, acknowledging an "unintended bug" in a particular diagnostic profile used to determine why voice calls may fail. With these profiles, the IQ Agent gathers so-called "layer 3" signal traffic between a phone and a radio tower. Over the past week, the company discovered that "in some unique circumstances," SMS information "may have unintentionally been included" in this collected data. These messages, Carrier IQ insists, were embedded, encoded and not "human readable." The firm says it has notified its clients of this bug, and that it's already been patched up.

While this report may offer more concrete detail than some of Carrier IQ's previous statements, it's hard to see how a nearly 20-page document could do much to ease the concerns of an already confused Joe Consumer. But with the FTC already on its doorstep and the specter of an investigation looming in Europe, perhaps today's report represents Carrier IQ's attempt at a preemptive strike ahead of any regulatory showdown. Its release is even more intriguing in light of a recent report that the FBI may be involved in the case, as well. According to Muckrock News, the Bureau has received an FOIA request for the "manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ." In response, the FBI said that it has the documents, but confirmed that it could not disclose them, on the grounds that doing so may jeopardize an ongoing investigation. It's unclear whether the FBI is investigating Carrier IQ itself, or whether it's simply using the company's software to pursue a different beat, but either way, it looks like this tale is far from over.

Read Carrier IQ's full report at the source link below, along with the FOIA request from Muckrock News.

Update: Carrier IQ reached out to clarify its involvement with the FBI explaining:

Carrier IQ has never provided any data to the FBI. If approached by a law enforcement agency, we would refer them to the network operators because the diagnostic data collected belongs to them and not Carrier IQ. Carrier IQs data is not designed to address the special needs of law enforcement. The diagnostic data that we capture is mostly historical and won't reveal where somebody is and what they are doing on a real-time basis.

YouTube app for Xbox 360 rolls out to preview program participants

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:28 PM PST

It's only available to those in the Xbox Live preview program at the moment, but you can officially add the Xbox 360 to the list of platforms that offer access to YouTube videos. Beta participants should be now able to download the app from the console's new Apps Marketplace, and find all the usual personalized features you'd expect from YouTube, plus the Kinect controls you'd expect from an Xbox app. Still no word about a roll-out to everyone else, nor is there any word on a firm release date for all those other new video services slated to hit the console (they're still just promised for "later in December").

[Thanks, Jack]

Hitachi outs a pair of 4TB HDDs for your storing pleasure

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:11 PM PST

We here at Engadget believe that, while keeping data in the cloud is certainly convenient, one can never have too much local storage space. Hitachi shares our enthusiasm for commodious HDDs, and has rolled out a pair of 4TB drives to keep all your movies, music, and photos close to home. For those wanting to up the ante in their desktop machine, the Deskstar 5K4000 should do the trick with a SATA 6Gb/s connection and 32MB buffer. Its stablemate, the Touro Desk External Drive, brings the same HDD in an onyx enclosure and connects to your computer via USB 3.0 -- plus you get 3GB of cloud storage free from Hitachi. (Who says you can't eat your cake and have it too?) The 5K4000 is available now for a penny under $400, while the Touro will cost $420 once it hits the market in January.
Show full PR text
Hitachi GST Ships Two New 4TB Deskstar-Based Solutions

New Family Includes a New Hard Drive Retail Kit for the DIY Upgrade Market, and the Hitachi Touro™ Desk External Drive for Easy Add-on USB 3.0 Storage

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For many, the hard drive is the hub of a digital life. It's a workhorse in your Mac® or PC. It's a place where you edit video, store digital memories, watch home videos and movies, and save your most important files. It houses your operating system, programs and games, and can even help you protect all of your digital content. With an award-winning reputation for delivering quality and reliability, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today announced the industry's highest capacity 4TB storage solutions – the Deskstar™ 5K4000 Internal Hard Drive Kit and the Touro Desk External Hard Drive – to help store and protect your growing digital life.

Hitachi 4TB Deskstar 5K4000 Hard Drive Retail Kit with CoolSpin™ Technology

The 4TB Deskstar 5K4000 is a 3.5-inch hard drive with a 32MB cache buffer that provides an exceptional blend of power efficiency and performance, making it an ideal solution for power-friendly desktop computers. Providing 33 percent more capacity compared to current 3TB drives, the Deskstar 5K4000 drive features innovative CoolSpin technology, expanding this class of performance-optimized, energy-efficient drives that run cooler and require less power. The CoolSpin technology, along with other Hitachi power management techniques, gives the Deskstar 5K4000 up to a 28 percent idle power savings over Deskstar 7K3000 7,200 RPM drives and an idle acoustic level of only 2.5 bels. The new 4TB Hitachi Deskstar 5K4000 Hard Drive Retail Kit is currently shipping in limited quantities to online and retail stores with a suggested retail price of $399.99.

The 4TB Hitachi Deskstar 5K4000 Hard Drive Retail Kit comes complete with mounting screws, step-by-step instructions, and a software download that allows 32- and 64-bit Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® OS X and Linux® systems to tap into the full capacity and power of the 4TB drive, as one big massive data drive, without having to install extra hardware¹. Consumers planning to use a Hitachi 4TB drive should consult the Hitachi High Capacity Technology Brief.

The new drive also demonstrates Hitachi's ecological leadership with its halogen-free design and power-efficient operation. These features helped qualify the drive for the Hitachi EcoTrac™ classification, which identifies products that minimize environmental impact in the areas of product design, manufacturing, operation and disposal. It also uses Advanced Format, which increases the sector size on HDD from 512 bytes to 4096 (4K) bytes, thereby increasing capacities and improving error correcting capabilities. Please see the Hitachi Advanced Format Technology Brief for more information.

Hitachi GST will be shipping its Deskstar 5K4000 (bare drives and bulk pack) to OEMs, distributors and channel partners worldwide in Q1 2012.

4TB Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive

Placed vertically or horizontally, or even stacked, the Touro Desk External Drive perfectly fits into any home or office environment. Featuring a smooth black, textured body for solid good looks, the Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive provides easy add-on storage for all your photos, movies, music and documents. Offering colossal storage capacity, it can store hours and hours of high-definition video, thousands of movies, songs and photos, and tons of video games with room to spare². Bundled with the Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive, and offered as a standalone service for anyone to use, every user gets 3GB of cloud storage for free from HitachiBackup.com. Not only does HitachiBackup.com help keep your digital content safe up in the cloud, your online content is available anytime, anywhere, from any smartphone or computer web browser. You can even share your online content with others by simply sending a web link. If you need more online storage, you can quickly and easily upgrade to a paid account and receive 250GB of cloud storage along with Apple® iPhone® and iPad® apps.

Housing a Deskstar 5K4000 hard drive, the new 4TB Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive provides plug and play simplicity and a fast USB 3.0 interface with all the quality and reliability you expect from Hitachi. Both Mac and PC compatible, the Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive now comes in 4TB, 3TB, 2TB and 1TB capacities.

The 4TB Hitachi Touro Desk External Drive will be available in January for $419.99 MSRP.

Computer Space turns 40, video games gear up for mid-life crisis

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:54 PM PST

Computer SpaceIt was November of 1971 that Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney and Computer Space officially ushered in the era of the video game. Before running off to start Atari, the two men created the world's first coin-operated video arcade cabinet and, indeed, the first commercial video game ever -- a full six months before the Odyssey. Computer Space was a relatively simple title in which a player used four buttons to pilot a ship around the screen and do battle with flying saucers. The mechanics and graphics should be familiar to anyone who has ever tried their hand at Asteroids. In fact, it is essentially Asteroids without the titular space debris. Technologizer has a rather fascinating and in depth look at the pioneering game, tracing its evolution all the way back to a 1962 DEC PDP-1 tech demo. Head on over to the source to get the full story.

iLuv outs iSM524 ArtStation Pro, 'world's first' Galaxy Tab compatible audio dock

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:58 PM PST

If you've been in the market for a Galaxy Tab friendly audio dock, your wait could be over. iLuv has debuted it's iSM524 for your Samsung Android slate, calling it "the world's first and only audio docking station" for the Galaxy tablet fam. Equipped with the company's jAura Sound technology, the dock's arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing modes and tilts so you can get the best possible angle for catching up on that Boardwalk Empire season finale. You'll also find an IR remote and a 3.5mm auxiliary input to boot. iLuv promises that this ArtStation will play nicely with the entire Galaxy Tab family, but you can find out for yourself later this month if you're willing to drop $149. So whether you're sporting the 10.1 or the 7.0 plus, hit the gallery below for a closer look or check out the PR after the break for all the details.
iLuv iSM524
Show full PR text
Transform Your Samsung GALAXY Tablet into a Home Entertainment Center with the iLuv ArtStation™ Pro Audio Dock

Port Washington, NY (PRWEB) December 12, 2011

iLuv Creative Technology, the premier provider of the most comprehensive line of accessories for the mobile lifestyle, introduces the world's first and only audio docking station for Samsung GALAXY Tablets, the iSM524, ArtStation™ Pro. The iSM524 combines superior aesthetic design with cinematic sound quality to heighten your Samsung GALAXY Tab experience.

iLuv is the only mobile accessories innovator to deliver an audio docking system that unleashes the full potential of the Samsung GALAXY Tab and transforms the tablet into a home entertainment center that enables users to easily and comfortably enjoy music, movies, TV shows and more. The ArtStation™ Pro is the result of the Designed for Samsung Mobile strategic partnership between iLuv and Samsung, which brings to the market highly differentiated accessories solutions with unquestionable value for Samsung GALAXY mobile devices.

"At iLuv, we continually strive to anticipate and deliver the most comprehensive range of feature-rich solutions for every facet of the mobile lifestyle," said Pia Chon, marketing director at iLuv. "We are proud of our partnership with Samsung, and of the fact that we are the first and only company to offer an audio dock for the GALAXY Tab series.The ArtStation Pro for GALAXY Tab is truly a testament to iLuv's design and engineering prowess and enhances the Samsung GALAXY Tab beautifully."

The ArtStation Pro (iSM524)complements the Samsung GALAXY Tablet line with a sleek design that can fit in with any décor-from a minimalist modern loft to a jewel-toned media room. Just place your tablet in the ArtStation™ Pro and luxuriate in the rich, bold jAura® acoustics that every demanding consumer craves.

The articulating arm rotates for portrait or landscape viewing options and allows tilt adjustment for maximum viewing comfort for GALAXY Tab 10.1/8.9. Additionally, the remote control allows users to skip through audio and video tracks and adjust the volume with ease. For added convenience, the compact remote stores magnetically against the back of the system.

Pricing and Availability
The ArtStation Pro (iSM524) will be available at select iLuv retailers in December and will have a street price (SRP) of $149.99.

Compatibility
iSM524 is compatible with Samsung GALAXY Tab 7" (version 2), 7.7", 8.9" and 10.1". For more information go to: www.i-luv.com.

Nokia N900 gamepad hack dispenses with beauty, sidles up to sore thumbs (video)

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:03 PM PST

Know what's kicking and screaming its way into obsolescence? If you guessed the N900, pat yourself on the back with this hack. Nokia's internetting tablet that simply refuses to quit has already run the multi-purpose gamut, standing in as a brain scanner / replacement, OS dual-booter and Ice Cream Sandwich biter -- just to name a few. Now, a homebrew mod from Polish hacker Emeryth, has that soon-to-be retro QWERTY slider sporting a custom gamepad to make those long hours logged into video game emulation that much more thumb-friendly. The exposed overlay is based on an ATmega8A microcontroller and plugs directly into the device's USB port, giving gamers an eight button solution, plus a PSP-like analog stick. It's a handy, albeit ugly, add-on that'll help get your gaming heros of old through well trodden enemy lines. Video demo lies in wait after the break.

YouTube launches education-only site, won't teach evolution of dance (video)

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 06:12 PM PST

The bandages are barely off after a recent nip-tuck and the internet's biggest time sink is going under the knife again with its new YouTube EDU initiative. Imagine your favorite video site with all the fun stuff stripped off -- it's essentially that. Gone are comments and related videos, and all the non brain-enhancing stuff, leaving just what's good for the grey matter. Why? Well, in the VHS era teachers had control, but now it's a minefield. With its wealth of knowledge, YouTube is an obvious choice for educators, but with so many ways to get RickRolled, or catch-up on the latest keyboard cat, pupils' attention can be lost in seconds. The project has content provided by over 600 educational outlets such as TED and the Smithsonian, with subjects broken down into more than 300 teacher-friendly playlists. We're not sure if "national constitutions"is going to be one of them, but hit the promo video after the break to find out more.

Microsoft on the hunt for original programming head, eyes ex-NBC execs

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 05:21 PM PST

It's not MSNBC, it's MSex-NBC. Or it very well could be, as Bloomberg reports a second marriage of sorts is purportedly on deck for Microsoft and two former Peacock execs, Marc Graboff and Jeff Gaspin. Redmond's already made public plans to expand its Xbox Live streaming platform beyond VOD and into live TV, having announced a trio of content partners at this year's E3, so news of an in-house original programming push comes as no surprise. While it remains to be seen just what types of series, scripted or otherwise, are in the works, the company appears willing to press pause on the entire initiative should a suitable candidate fail to materialize. That's all the rumor mill's wrought for now, folks, but we'll keep you posted on this as it develops. And no, a certain Ms. Maddow likely won't be coming soon to an Xbox 360 near you.

Intel cuts Q4 revenue forecast by $1 billion due to hard drive shortages

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:46 PM PST

We've already seen quite a few companies lower their forecasts in the wake of the Thailand floods and subsequent hard drive shortage, and it unsurprisingly looks like Intel is no exception. The company issued a press release today advising that its fourth quarter revenue is now expected to come in at $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, and not $14.7 billion (plus or minus $500 million) as previously expected. If you do the math, that means the company is taking around a $1 billion hit in revenue, due largely to a reduction in the worldwide PC supply chain that's led to a drop in processor purchases. According to Intel, thing should begin to turn around in the fourth quarter, when it expects computer sales to be "up sequentially," although it notes that hard drive shortages are expected to continue into the first quarter, with a recovery anticipated to take place over the first half of 2012. The company's full statement is after the break.
Show full PR text
Intel's Fourth-Quarter Revenue to Be Below Expectations Due to Hard Disk Drive Supply Shortages

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intel Corporation today announced that the company's fourth-quarter results are expected to be below the company's previous outlook due to hard disk drive supply shortages. The company now expects fourth-quarter revenue to be $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis, lower than the previous expectation of $14.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million.

Sales of personal computers are expected to be up sequentially in the fourth quarter. However, the worldwide PC supply chain is reducing inventories and microprocessor purchases as a result of hard disk drive supply shortages. The company expects hard disk drive supply shortages to continue into the first quarter, followed by a rebuilding of microprocessor inventories as supplies of hard disk drives recover during the first half of 2012.

The company now expects the fourth-quarter gross margin to be 64.5 percent, plus or minus a couple of percentage points, lower than the previous expectation of 65 percent, plus or minus a couple of percentage points. The expectation for a non-GAAP gross margin is 65.5 percent, plus or minus a couple of percentage points, lower than the previous expectation of 66 percent, plus or minus a couple of percentage points.

All other expectations are unchanged.

Intel will hold a public webcast at 8 a.m. PST today on its Investor Relations website at www.intc.com. A webcast replay and MP3 download will also be made available on the site.

Status of Business Outlook

Intel's Business Outlook is posted on intc.com and may be reiterated in public or private meetings with investors and others. The Business Outlook will be effective through the close of business Dec. 16 unless earlier updated; except that the Business Outlook for amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, impact of equity investments and interest and other, and tax rate, was no longer effective as of the close of business on Oct. 25. Intel's Quiet Period will start from the close of business on Dec. 16 until publication of the company's fourth-quarter earnings release, scheduled for Jan. 19, 2012. During the Quiet Period, all of the Business Outlook and other forward-looking statements disclosed in the company's news releases and filings with the SEC should be considered as historical, speaking as of prior to the Quiet Period only and not subject to an update by the company.

Risk Factors

The above statements and any others in this document that refer to plans and expectations for the fourth quarter, the year and the future are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should" and their variations identify forward-looking statements. Statements that refer to or are based on projections, uncertain events or assumptions also identify forward-looking statements. Many factors could affect Intel's actual results, and variances from Intel's current expectations regarding such factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Intel presently considers the following to be the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations.

Demand could be different from Intel's expectations due to factors including changes in business and economic conditions, including supply constraints and other disruptions affecting customers; customer acceptance of Intel's and competitors' products; changes in customer order patterns including order cancellations; and changes in the level of inventory at customers. Uncertainty in global economic and financial conditions poses a risk that consumers and businesses may defer purchases in response to negative financial events, which could negatively affect product demand and other related matters.
Intel operates in intensely competitive industries that are characterized by a high percentage of costs that are fixed or difficult to reduce in the short term and product demand that is highly variable and difficult to forecast. Revenue and the gross margin percentage are affected by the timing of Intel product introductions and the demand for and market acceptance of Intel's products; actions taken by Intel's competitors, including product offerings and introductions, marketing programs and pricing pressures and Intel's response to such actions; and Intel's ability to respond quickly to technological developments and to incorporate new features into its products.
Intel is in the process of transitioning to its next generation of products on 22nm process technology, and there could be execution and timing issues associated with these changes, including products defects and errata and lower than anticipated manufacturing yields.
The gross margin percentage could vary significantly from expectations based on capacity utilization; variations in inventory valuation, including variations related to the timing of qualifying products for sale; changes in revenue levels; product mix and pricing; the timing and execution of the manufacturing ramp and associated costs; start-up costs; excess or obsolete inventory; changes in unit costs; defects or disruptions in the supply of materials or resources; product manufacturing quality/yields; and impairments of long-lived assets, including manufacturing, assembly/test and intangible assets.
Expenses, particularly certain marketing and compensation expenses, as well as restructuring and asset impairment charges, vary depending on the level of demand for Intel's products and the level of revenue and profits.
Intel's results could be affected by adverse economic, social, political and physical/infrastructure conditions in countries where Intel, its customers or its suppliers operate, including military conflict and other security risks, natural disasters, infrastructure disruptions, health concerns and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Intel's results could be affected by the timing of closing of acquisitions and divestitures.
Intel's results could be affected by adverse effects associated with product defects and errata (deviations from published specifications), and by litigation or regulatory matters involving intellectual property, stockholder, consumer, antitrust and other issues, such as the litigation and regulatory matters described in Intel's SEC reports. An unfavorable ruling could include monetary damages or an injunction prohibiting us from manufacturing or selling one or more products, precluding particular business practices, impacting Intel's ability to design its products, or requiring other remedies such as compulsory licensing of intellectual property.

A detailed discussion of these and other factors that could affect Intel's results is included in Intel's SEC filings, including the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Oct. 1, 2011.

Pantech P4100 tablet wanders through FCC with AT&T LTE

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:09 PM PST

A Pantech tablet dubbed the P4100 just hit the FCC, and it appears to have AT&T LTE radios (Bands 4 and 17) as well as the standard 850 / 1900 WCDMA bands. Interestingly enough, the device also comes with support for LTE Band 5, an 850Mhz band currently used in South Korea. The P4100 has been sighted once before in a listing of Nenamark benchmark results, hinting that it will use a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 CPU with Adreno 220 GPU, uses a 1,024 x 720 display and runs on Android 3.2. As always, this never guarantees it'll see the light of day in the US, but having compatible LTE bands on AT&T's network -- not to mention the carrier's friendly relationship with Pantech over the past few years -- definitely gives it a pretty high chance.

Inefficient? MIT's new chip software doesn't know the meaning of the word

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:37 PM PST

Would you rather have a power-hungry cellphone that could software-decode hundreds of video codecs, or a hyper-efficient system-on-chip that only processes H.264? These are the tough decisions mobile designers have to make, but perhaps not for much longer. MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed a solution that could spell the end for inefficient devices. Myron King and Nirav Dave have expanded Arvind's BlueSpec software so engineers can tell it what outcomes they need and it'll decide on the most efficient design -- printing out hardware schematics in Verilog and software in C++. If this outcome-oriented system becomes widely adopted, we may never need worry about daily recharging again: good because we'll need that extra power to juice our sporty EV.

[Image courtesy of MIT / Melanie Gonick]

P.S. it's not a Vita: Yinlips' Android-based YDPG18

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:11 PM PST

Don't call it a KIRF -- it's a Yinlips "Android Smart Game Player." Which is to say, it's an Xperia Play-like experience wrapped in PS Vita clothing. So basically, yeah, it's a KIRF. This form factor doppleganger hails from China and lacks the internal quad-core pizazz of the Sony next generation handheld it purports to be. Instead of standing on the precipice of portable gaming, this 5-inch pretender will net you a hum drum FroYo / Gingerbread-based (even its own website couldn't decide) OS packed with a slew of old school gaming emulators (from NES to N64), an array of ports including HDMI, a single core 1.2GHz processor complemented by 512MB of DDR2 RAM and WiFi. It's a must have device for, well, no one. But if you're the type who likes to burn money and carry about a virtual collection of video games past, then by all means, import away.

Download leaked BlackBerry OS 7.1 now, make your mobile hotspot dreams come true

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 02:46 PM PST

BlackBerry Torch 9810
An early peek at BlackBerry OS 7.1 revealed that RIM's handsets would finally be getting mobile hotspot capabilities. Now you can download the leaked update yourself and start sharing your Torch 9810's data connection. Of course, it goes without saying, this is not an official update yet and the usual caveats about stability and the danger of bricking your device apply. Then again, that might seem like a small price to pay for a feature that's become standard on practically every other mobile OS. Hit up the source link to get your hack happy hands on the unsanctioned 7.1 upgrade for the sliding BlackBerry.

EZ-Robot releases build-your-own kit, realistic Cylons due any time now (video)

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 02:17 PM PST

DJ Sures' homemade Wall-E was the beginning of his project to bring personal robotics to the masses: thanks to his company, EZ-Robot. The startup sells kits that let you retrofit that Teddy Ruxpin doll in the garage into a fully-functioning killbot. $235 will buy you a wireless controller, ultrasonic distance sensor, wireless tracking camera, three standard servos, two continuous rotation servos, battery pack and software that'll let you control the bot without having to learn to code. The software also includes vision tracking (facial, motion and color), speech recognition and the whole thing will even integrate with your Roomba -- although we're not sure how far you'll get if you ask it for a sandwich.

Must See HDTV (December 12th - 18th)

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:52 PM PST

This week sees even more shows saying goodbye before a holiday break, but as usual cable and reality TV are around to try to pick up the slack. While Fear Factor returns on network TV, Discovery fans can check out the season premiere of Dirty Jobs. The Blu-ray release schedule has a little something for everyone as well, with cult classic The Rocketeer joining City of God and two very different 3D flicks in Kung Fu Panda 2 and Fright Night. Check below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listings of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

City of God
When Lionsgate announced its deal to distribute Miramax's movies in the US, long delayed Blu-ray releases like Pulp Fiction (deservedly) received a lion's share of the attention, but this week another one of our favorites, City of God, emerges from the vaults at last. Released in 2002 and previously available in HD internationally, this Brazilian flick tells the story of two boys growing up in Brazil's slums as one grows up to lead one of the local gangs and the other becomes a photographer. A crime epic on par with any of the other classics, it has characters that will stick with you long after the movie is over, and has a story that unfolds with more layers than can be described in this space. If you're not familiar, check out the trailer after the break.
(December 13th, $14.99 on Amazon)

Fear Factor
One of the shows that started off the reality TV craze is back this week, as Fear Factor returns on NBC. Airing for the first time in HD, host Joe Rogan will once again cajole, encourage and tease a group of contestants through a series of increasingly gross / thrilling / dangerous stunts until they are eliminated. High-brow entertainment it ain't, but it can still be a fun watch. Check out a trailer showing what's in store this season embedded after the break.
(December 12th, NBC, 8 & 9PM)


Always Sunny in Philadelphia
This week sees the season finale of Always Sunny, and as usual the gang is up to no good. This is the second of a two-part episode as they attend a high school reunion, and to recap, Dennis misguidedly believes he was one of the cool kids and is ducking his dead-toothed ex wife, Dee unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate the cool table by slinging insults around, Mac's real name has been revealed and Charlie is unconscious after huffing chemicals. So, they're up to their usual antics.
(December 15th, FX, 10PM)






Blu-ray & Games
  • Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  • Kung Fu Panda 2 (3D)
  • Fright Night (3D)
  • City of God
  • The Rocketeer (20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Heavenly Creatures
  • Velvet Goldmine

Monday

  • Fear Factor (season premiere), NBC, 8 & 9PM
  • Stephen King's Bag of Bones Part 2 of 2 (series finale), A&E, 9PM
  • Enlightened (season finale), HBO, 9:30PM
  • Rams/Seahawks Monday Night Football, ESPN, 8:30PM
  • 2 Broke Girls (fall finale), CBS, 8PM
  • Two and a Half Men (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
  • Mike & Molly (fall finale), CBS, 9:30PM
  • Hawaii Five-0 (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
  • Terra Nova, Fox, 8PM
  • The Closer, TNT, 9PM
  • WWE Raw, USA, 9PM
  • American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, Discovery, 9PM
  • You Deserve It, ABC, 9PM
  • Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 10PM
  • American Guns, Discovery, 10PM
  • Rock Center with Brian Williams, NBC, 10PM

Tuesday

  • Dirty Jobs (season premiere), Discovery, 9PM
  • Good Morning Killer (special presentation), TNT, 9PM
  • Knights of Mayhem (season finale), National Geographic, 9PM
  • Last Man Standing (fall finale), ABC, 8 & 8:30PM
  • NCIS (fall finale), CBS, 8PM
  • NCIS: LA (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
  • Unforgettable (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
  • Glee, Fox, 8PM
  • New Girl, Fox, 9PM
  • Raising Hope, Fox, 9:30PM
  • Flashpoint, Ion, 10PM
  • Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan, G4, 10PM

Wednesday

  • The Real World (season finale), MTV, 10PM
  • Psych (fall finale), USA, 10PM
  • Criminal Minds (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
  • CSI (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
  • Debra DiGivoanni: Single, Awkward, Female (special presentation), Showtime, 10PM
  • America Caught on Camera, Travel, 10PM
  • Survivor, CBS, 8PM
  • The X-Factor, Fox, 8PM
  • Inside The NFL, Showtime, 9PM
  • I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Fox, 9:30PM
  • State of Play, BBC America, 10PM
  • Moonshiners, Discovery, 10PM
  • American Horror Story, FX, 10PM

Thursday

  • It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (season finale), FX, 10PM
  • Rules of Engagement, CBS (fall finale), 8:30PM
  • Person of Interest (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
  • Burn Notice (fall finale), USA, 10PM
  • The Mentalist (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
  • Jaguars/Falcons Thursday Night Football, NFL Network, 8PM
  • The X-Factor, Fox, 8PM
  • The Year The Earth Went Wild (special presentation), Discovery, 9PM
  • Less Than Kind, DirecTV 101, 9PM
  • Call Me Fitz, DirecTV 101, 9:30PM
  • Prime Suspect, NBC, 10PM
  • Beavis & Butt-head, MTV, 10 & 10:30PM
  • Big Shrimpin', History, 10PM
  • Good Vibes, MTV, 11, & 11:30PM
  • The League, FX, 10:30PM

Friday

  • Christmas in Washington (special presentation), TNT, 8PM
  • Chuck, NBC, 8PM
  • Grimm, NBC, 9PM
  • WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
  • The Take (part 3 of 4), Encore, 9PM
  • Sanctuary, Syfy, 10PM
  • Invention USA, History, 10PM
  • X-Men Anime, G4, 11PM

Saturday

  • Cowboys/Buccaneers football, NFL Network, 9PM
  • Earth's Final Hours (special presentation), Syfy, 9PM
  • Primeval (season finale), BBCA, 9PM
  • WWE Salute to the Troops (special presentation), NBC, 9PM
  • Saturday Night Live: Jimmy Fallon / Michael Buble, NBC, 11:30PM

Sunday

  • Survivor (season finale), CBS, 8PM
  • Allen Gregory (season finale), Fox, 8:30PM
  • Dexter (season finale), Showtime, 9PM
  • Homeland (season finale), Showtime, 10PM
  • Luck, HBO, 10PM
  • Ravens/Chargers football, NBC, 8:15PM
  • 60 Minutes, CBS, 7PM
  • Leverage, TNT, 9PM
  • Hell on Wheels, AMC, 10PM
  • Pan Am, ABC, 10PM
  • Survivor: The Reunion, CBS, 10PM
  • All-American Muslim, TLC, 10PM
at 12:49 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Blog List