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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

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Canada welcomes the Galaxy Note, available on Bell and Telus for $199 today (video)

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:39 AM PST

Boom. Just as promised, the large beast that is Samsung's don't-call-it-a-tablet handset has hit available status in the Land of the Maple Leaf. Canadian carriers Bell and Telus have the Galaxy Note up for grabs now on their respective sites at the cost of $199 with a whopping three-year contract, while anything's yet to pop up on Rogers' page (we'll let you know as soon as it does). The launch comes a few days ahead of its expected release on US shores, where it'll require less of a commitment but carry a heavier price tag. Still pondering if the galactic 5.3-inch device is the right fit for you? Give our review one last glance before you decide to make the enormous jump.

Reminder: Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 10:17 AM PST

Emmys? Check. Grammys? Check. Engadget Awards 2011? Almost there. Now that we've gone through the nomination process, it's time for you to let us know who deserves to be crowned king of its category, which in some special cases, might not be something to be completely proud of. The clock's ticking and you have until 11:59PM ET on Monday February 20th to drop your precious ballot in. We'll let you know soon thereafter who's walking away a winner and who's heading back to the shelves empty-handed, as well as who earned our Editors' Choice picks.

Who's got your vote? Fill us in by hitting up our voting page here.

ZTE Light Tab 2 launches in the UK, proudly sporting Gingerbread

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:55 AM PST

If you don't mind your Gingerbread a bit stale, the ZTE V9A Light Tab 2 is now available in the UK. To jog your memory, for £235 you can snag the 7-inch, Android 2.3 slate complete with a 1.4GHz single-core processor, dual cameras, WiFi and 3G connectivity (no word on service providers). You'll also be getting 4GB internal storage alongside a microSD slot for added space. If you're looking to splurge in hopes of a tasty OS upgrade, there's still no word on ICS for the tablet. More details await in the full PR below.
Show full PR text
The ZTE Light II Tablet Coming Soon to the UK
ZTE 7-inch Android 2.3 tablet with dual cameras

14 February 2012, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation ("ZTE") (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has launched its 7-inch V9A tablet, the ZTE Light Tab II, in the UK.

The highly-anticipated device will be ZTE's first own-branded tablet available to UK consumers. Running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) it has a tidy 7- inch TFT-LCD, capacitive touch screen and speedy Qualcomm MSM8255 processor which allows for efficient data usage on the move.

Weighing in at just 402g and small enough to carry around, the portable device comes equipped with popular apps such as YouTube and Google talk. It has an FM radio and battery life enabling 5.5 hours of movie play, ideal for extended commutes.

With 4GB of in-built memory the tablet can hold over 200 photographs taken on either the front facing 0.3MP camera or with the larger 3MP rear camera, or over 500 of users' favourite tracks, which can be bolstered with an external micro SD memory card.

Operating on GSM, UMTS, and HSPA networks, the tablet will be available for purchase through a number of channels in the open market.

"ZTE V9A is ZTE's first own-branded tablet made available in the UK and we are very excited about its entry into the market. We plan to continue our progress in the UK, introducing ZTE branded consumer devices with key capabilities at reasonable prices," said Wu Sa, Director, Mobile Device Operations, ZTE. "Our UK strategy is very much focused on providing quality devices - a factor which is apparent through our growth and development in the handset arena".

ZTE Light Tablets are shipped to more than 30 countries and regions around the world. The V9A is also currently sold in Spain, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Aereo puts TV antennas in the cloud, streams OTA broadcasts on the internet

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:33 AM PST

We've all heard about SlingBox, that nifty bit of kit that lets you stream your cable or satellite television to the mobile device of your choice, and now a new company called Aereo aims to provide a similar service for OTA broadcast television. The service costs $12 dollars a month and will launch March 14th, but is only available to folks in New York City through Aereo's HTML5-powered website. It'll stream all the major networks, and also offers a cloud-based DVR service on the internet-connected device of your choosing, whether it's a media streamer, phone, tablet or TV. Aereo's powered by large devices containing tons of tiny, dime-sized TV antennas connected to the cloud, with individual antennas corresponding to individual users -- giving each the ability to tune into one channel at a time. Intrigued as much as we are? Learn all about Aereo's new service at the source link below.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 spotted at the FCC

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:17 AM PST

Intrigued by Samsung's new petite smartphone? Well, those not gearing up for quad-cores and high-definition screens can now spy some dizzying label placement details and more from its recent FCC visit. Expect the Galaxy Mini 2 to pack both 850 and 1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE radios, meaning it'll be compatible with both AT&T and (EDGE-only) T-Mobile networks. The radios are accompanied by Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and NFC functionality. While the filing adds an extra dose of credence to that mooted February release, US fans may have to wait a little longer; an FCC appearance doesn't always equate to a release on American shores.

The Engadget Show returns Saturday, February 18th with DJ Spooky and Google -- get a ticket to the taping!

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 08:51 AM PST

Yep, it's Valentine's Day. We weren't sure what to get the tech fan who has everything (you're all loaded up on Lumia 710s, right?), so we decided to put together an amazing show for you. And if you're in New York City this week, you can join us live at the Times Center in midtown.

This month, we'll be welcoming DJ Spooky who will discuss his new book, The Book of Ice and perform using his iPad own app. We'll also by stopping by Mountain View to pay a visit to Google's headquarters, swinging by a pinball museum in Asbury Park, NJ and checking out all that Toy Fair 2012 has to offer. Did we mention some hands-on time with the biggest gadgets of the month and lots and lots of giveaways? No, well, we should have, because that's all happening.

If you'd like to be a part of the magic (and who wouldn't?), here's what you've got to do to score yourself a ticket:

The Engadget Show - Saturday February 18th @ 7pm
@ The TimesCenter NYC

Register here, there's limited space so get in there quick. Details will be available upon registration and it's two tickets per person. Limited stand-by seating based on availability starting at 6:30pm right before the show.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Sony prepping power outlet that demands payment, identification

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 08:27 AM PST

Sony Power Outlet
We're already counting down the days until these bad boys find themselves in your local cafe and airport terminal. Sony is working on power outlets that are able to identify a user and determine their permissions at that particular socket. With the quick tap of a card, phone or other NFC device your authentication info is passed to a server over the powerline itself. The tech could be used to manage power consumption or prevent theft, but the more obvious and immediate use will be to make a quick buck. The chips at the heart of the platform are compatible with Sony's FeliCa NFC payment system -- which means travelers waiting at Narita International Airport could soon be paying for both WiFi and to keep their laptop juiced when their flight is inevitably delayed. On the other hand, perhaps being able to charge for a charge will convince New York City Starbucks to give us our outlets back. Check out the source link for some machine translated PR.

NASA activates Robotnaut 2 on board the ISS, watch it live (video)

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 08:01 AM PST

You've already seen it unboxed on board the International Space Station, and now you can watch as the crew of the ISS activates Robotnaut 2 and begins to put it through its paces. The robot was turned on just before eleven o'clock Eastern, but there's still plenty more to see -- head on past the break for the live stream. Naturally, you can also keep up with the robot's progress on its Twitter feed.

Update: And that's a wrap for today. Robonaut 2 has been powered down and put to bed, with additional tests planned for tomorrow.

Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:36 AM PST

This is one of those little projects you wish you could just play with the second you've seen it. Greek Artist Petros Vrellis coded an interactive light and sound show into Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night -- that you can control with your fingers. With a swipe of a single digit (or hand) you can pull the particles of the artists paint daubs to redirect the swirling mass of night sky in any direction, making music as you do so. After the break we've got video that you really, really should watch -- and afterward start begging the creator to get this onto people's iPads as soon as he can manage it.

HP rolls out more open webOS components, new Isis browser and some organization

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 07:12 AM PST

HP rolls out more open webOS components, new Isis browser and some organization While we thought a tasteful retrospective was the way to go, it looks like HP's not finished picking over those webOS bones. The company has now released the UI widgets for Enyo 2.0 (following its source code release last month), details on how webOS deals with the Javascript core and a new Isis web browser. The browser will apparently add "enhanced support" for plug-ins and Flash -- even if its days are numbered. HP also plans to corral dev efforts, organizing projects and assigning management committees -- based on a "meritocracy" -- to different parts of the code. We're promised yet more OS components to reveal themselves in the next few months, with the full open webOS release expected to roll out in September.

Show full PR text
February Releases for Open webOS

Today I am proud to announce delivery of our February Open webOS commitments: extensions to QtWebKit, the release of Isis (our web browser), our integration with JavaScript core, UI Enyo widgets, and our governance model.

The web increasingly provides the best option for cross-platform development. It continues to be rapidly adopted and improved upon by a wide variety of platforms. Developers look to standards-based web development as a way of deploying across the mobile landscape, maximizing the potential market. We're seeing proof of that with the adoption of Enyo, which has been downloaded 40,000 times in only three weeks. With today's release, webOS remains at the forefront of this emerging standard.

With the power of the components released today, a developer can create an immersive user environment that can be built on any web platform. This is another step in fulfilling the promise of Open webOS.

Isis (webOS Browser) and QtWebKit

To stay at the forefront, webOS required a fast, standards-compliant web browser engine to provide the core of both the standalone browser and the rendering technology for the platform and its apps. For this reason, we chose QtWebKit to power the next generation experience for webOS. QtWebKit offers unrivaled speed and standards compliance while providing a powerful and fast platform for Enyo and apps. WebKit is also the point of integration between the underlying System Manager, which will be open sourced later this year, and the web rendering layer of webOS.

QtWebKit (a.k.a. "Cute" WebKit) was originally open sourced by Nokia. We have been in the process of moving webOS to this port of WebKit for some time, with a goal of increasing web site compatibility and overall performance. Today we are ready to release the first part of this effort to the open source community-the Isis web browser.

We've benchmarked the new Isis webOS browser and have found it to be extremely responsive compared to other browsers made for general consumption. It has a fast render pipeline and JavaScript execution profile, which is critical to Enyo and other web technologies. It is extensively supportive of HTML5 and CSS3. Standards-compliance is important to developers because they can use technologies like Enyo to develop cross-platform web applications that already work well on webOS.

We are also providing enhanced support for legacy products like Adobe Flash and other Netscape Plug-in API (NPAPI) plugins to allow them to run in non-X11 environments. In combination with the rest of webOS, we will be providing a complete browsing experience that can be deployed on mobile devices and other form factors.

Stay tuned for future webcasts, videos, and technical documentation on these developments. We have a number of exciting things planned as we continue the march to Open webOS.

Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:49 AM PST

Valentines Day might have passed you by, but for many it's a day of conflicting emotions. Some of you may be screaming EB Browning's Sonnet 43 from the rooftops, others talking about how much you hate smug couples. Either way, if you're tweeting your feelings then (innovative marketing firm Imperial Leisure's) Love Will Conquer will record it. Geotagged tweets are being mapped, in real-time onto a 3D Earth, where an perpetually growing tree maps out who's feeling what and when. If you tell someone you love them freely and the tree will swell with red leaves, whereas hate causes cold blue ones to sprout instead. If you want to watch the world venting its ardor, point your WebGL browser (Chrome and Firefox 10.1 both work) at our source link.

Ainovo Novo 7 Basic review

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST

It's a world's first coming from a company you've never heard of -- if you live outside of China, anyway. Taking Google's newly minted OS and slipping it into an affordable chassis, Ainovo's Novo 7 Basic could very well be a sleeper hit among the tech-obsessed masses. Sure, it may lack the brand equity and tidy content ecosystems that are part and parcel of Amazon and Apple's offerings, but thanks to that $99 price, users may find themselves seduced by the temptation of Ice Cream Sandwich alone. Apart from a small fraternity of devices including the Galaxy Nexus and ASUS Transformer Prime, few devices have officially played host to Android 4.0, lending this 7-inch tab a distinct advantage over the more expensive, Gingerbread-packing Kindle Fire. With a 1GHz Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor based on a MIPS XBurst CPU, an 800 x 480 LED display and VGA front-facing / 2-megapixel rear cameras, this no-frills slate could blaze a bargain trail past Bezos and Co. So, does it manage to hold its own against its well-known competitors? Or will all that corner-cutting reveal this low cost tablet to be just another below-the-bar offering? Follow on past the break as we deliver the answers to these and other burning questions.
Ainovo Novo 7 Basic review

Hardware


There's no beating around this bush: you're getting what you pay for and in this case, the Novo 7 Basic's body underwhelms. That's not to say its build won't hold up to the duress of everyday use, but the constant stream of squeaks and creaks associated with light handling of the device doesn't do much to inspire confidence. Sheathed in a two-tone plastic casing, Ainovo's more premium tab somehow confusingly manages to be less aesthetically pleasing than its uniformly-designed $79 stablemate, the Paladin. Consumers looking for a palm-pleasing, ergonomically sound construction won't find much to cling to here, as the tab's smooth back gives way to hard edges and attracts more than its fair share of fingerprint filth. At 7.4 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches (187.5 x 112 x 12mm), it's nearly indistinguishable from the Fire, coming in at 0.1 inches shorter and 0.3 inches narrower. These two tabs are comparably thick, but the real tell-tale sign of separation is the slate's extra six ounces of weight. Make no mistake: this is a heavy handheld, one that obviously doesn't benefit from the use of luxe, ultralight materials.


Ainovo's kept most of the I/O busy work relegated to just one side of the Novo 7 Basic, with every available input, slot and capacitive button taking up residence on the right side. This neatly bunched array includes ports for headphone, HDMI, mini-USB and power sockets, in addition to a recessed reset button and space for a microSD card. Move along slightly to the front side panel and you'll see the usual assortment of Android soft keys (sans search), as well as volume controls that complement the physical rocker located next to the power button. Branding on the unit is refreshingly sparse and made to be as unobtrusive as possible, with a diminutive logo displayed on the upper left front face, as well as one opposite the speaker on the device's posterior. And if you were wondering about those woefully underpowered cameras, the Basic's plunked them both right where you'd expect, situating that VGA front-facer above the menu controls and the 2-megapixel rear shooter on its upper back.

A multimedia repository this tablet is most decidedly not. Armed with an ample 8GB that's further augmented by a removable 2GB microSD card, the Basic is the company's halfway point between planned 4GB and 16GB iterations. Despite occupying this middle ground, it has just enough dedicated space to harbor a sizable library of music, apps, videos and photos, though it's your perogative to store some of this stuff in the cloud. Most of what this ICS tab can do hinges upon what you, the user, bring to it -- namely, third-party apps and content. Prospective owners looking for always-on connectivity should probably up their budgets and gaze adoringly upon other high-end, network-connected slates. The only 3G option this creaky clunker'll cough up is the ability to connect to an external modem. Mercifully, it does come with support for WiFi a/b/g/n, so as long as you're close by to that home network or even a hotspot, access to the wilds of the world wide web shouldn't be an issue.


We'd love to spin some marvelous tale telling you how pristine and retina-like this display is, but, again, this is a $99 tablet we're talking about. And really, at this wallet-friendly price, you can't complain too much about the subpar 7-inch 800 x 480 LED-backlit display which, when contrasted with the Fire's excellent 1024 x 600 offering, seems like an expected trade-off. It's not like you're going to be consuming much native media on the Basic anyway, considering it's egregious lack of Android market access (which we sideloaded to no avail). So, unless you have a vast arsenal of .apks to install (ones that'll stick, anyway), prepare to dive deep into whatever dregs of quickie clips YouTube you can dredge up and be content with that. Stark loss of contrast, poor viewing angles and a glare-prone screen? Yes, these three dings conspire to make the slate's visual accessibility a less-than-palatable experience. Even indoors, under fluorescent lighting, we had a difficult time angling it just so we could discern the screen unhindered.

Performance and battery life


Alright, so we know it's not the prettiest, and certainly not the most top-shelf tablet PC you could shell out for, but the true measure of the budget Basic's worth is how its 1GHz MIPS-based Ingenic CPU and 512MB of RAM hold up day to day. Spec-wise, this ICS tab in beggar's clothing won't be turning any heads: it's mediocre, at best, with a distinct lack of dual cores. Still, in our time testing the tablet, we were surprised to encounter relatively few performance hiccups, but nothing so bothersome as to disrupt the entire user experience. Occasional stuttering transitions aside, the overall UI mostly flows uninterrupted, demonstrating a satisfying level of responsiveness. It's worth noting that the force of the device's haptic feedback does take some getting used to, seeing as it's strong (and loud) enough to register as a physical jolt in the hand.

Bound by this temperamental tab's fickle acceptance of side-loaded apps, we weren't able to draft a true benchmark tête-à-tête with other devices using the usual suspects. That said, we did have success cramming Quadrant onto it, which generated a puny score of 913 -- and this despite the fact that the test favors lower-resolution gadgets. Stack that up against the Galaxy Tab 7.0's 2,700 and you'll get a clearer picture of just how great the tech divide is here. Ainovo's tab didn't fare much better in SunSpider testing with its score of 5,691.1ms withering at the feet of the Kindle Fire's Silk-rendered browser. Again, this shoddy performance is understandable given the Basic's lowly origins.

Tablet
Battery Life
Ainovo Novo 7 Basic 8:00
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 12:01
Apple iPad 2 10:26
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime 10:17
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 9:55
Apple iPad 9:33
Motorola Xoom 2 8:57
HP TouchPad 8:33
Lenovo IdeaPad K1 8:20
Motorola Xoom 8:20
T-Mobile G-Slate 8:18
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus 8:09
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 8:00
Archos 101 7:20
Archos 80 G9 7:06
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook 7:01
Acer Iconia Tab A500 6:55
Sony Tablet P 6:50
T-Mobile Springboard (Huawei MediaPad) 6:34
Toshiba Thrive 6:25
Samsung Galaxy Tab 6:09
Motorola Xyboard 8.2 5:25
Velocity Micro Cruz T408 5:10
Acer Iconia Tab A100 4:54
Toshiba Thrive 7" 4:42

Tablets are not smartphones and, as such, they don't suffer the draining double whammy of incessant consumer use and network connectivity. True, they can be just as susceptible to a stream of push notifications, but we expect these WiFi-only, mini-computing devices to sip on their charges for two days, at the very least. Despite lacking the extra 400mAh oomph packed into the Kindle Fire, the Novo 7 Basic's 4,000mAh battery holds up with moderate to light usage well over the expanse of three days. Bear in mind, that's with WiFi enabled and one email account set to sync at 15-minute intervals. We weren't able to truly stress the longevity of the charge with data-hungry apps like Twitter due to the lack of market access, but based on our formal rundown test (video looping, brightness fixed at 65 percent), the tab should last you a full eight hours -- right in line with the company's own claims.

Software

In the event you didn't register this tidbit the first few times we mentioned it, we'll remind you once more that Ainovo's tab has been stripped of all essential Googleness -- most distressingly, Gmail account integration. How does that work out for the end user? Rather poorly, to be honest. The most enticing part of Google's mobile software is its seamless integration of GApps across all Android-based devices. But without that built-in suite of software, we're left with two productivity options: web browsing and gaming. It's this second point that the Basic really attempts to drive home, loaded up as it is with a handful of games. As you might expect, that world-famous pack of surly, slingshot birds makes an appearance here, in addition to Spider-Man HD, The Last Defender, TurboFly 3D and Wow Fish. It's a questionably dedicated purpose for this tablet to be assigned when you take into account its pitiful display, dearth of accessible content (PlayStation certification would go a long way here) and the reliance on touchscreen controls.

We don't expect anyone eyeing this tab to devote more than a few misdirected minutes slogging through its spartan offerings. It could double as your go-to eReader, what with Amazon's Kindle app pre-installed, but if that's your bag, why not just spend that extra $100 and pick up the Fire? Or better yet, just grab a cheaper Kindle Touch. As for its web surfing abilities, well, don't expect to be wowed. Full desktop pages took up to 46 seconds to load on a high-speed wireless connection, though once completed, navigation was rather brisk. Pinch-to-zoom also managed to keep pace with the rapid movements of our fingers without resorting to the dreaded white spaces and checker-boarding.

Camera

Let's be honest here, Ainovo's no Samsung, so this slate's combo of cams' tendency to underwhelm is neither disappointing nor shocking. In truth, you should overlook its optical abilities altogether. The Basic claims to capture video at 720p, but as you'll see in our sample above, that's far from the reality. What ends up playing back on screen is a jittery, muddled clip with audio that's clearly overwhelmed by environmental noise.


Photos taken with the device appear much the same, delivering cloudy images with poor contrast and a diminished level of detail. If you've gotten comfortable with the notion of available scene modes to toggle through, then look elsewhere. The only optimization you'll encounter in the settings is the option to adjust white balance. We'd like to call this 2 megapixel rear module workable, but even that is far too much of a compliment. Your phone is likely far better suited to photography than this thing.
Ainovo Novo 7 Basic sample shots



Wrap-up

Tablets. Everyone wants one, no one's quite sure what to best use them for and their typically premium pricing has kept the category from truly permeating every echelon of the consumer space. So, it would stand to reason that a sub $100 tablet running the latest code out of Mountain View would not only appeal to the most frugal-minded, but also overtake the market entirely. Unfortunately, but understandably, without the backing of billion dollar coffers and the desire to sell units at a loss, Ainovo's Novo 7 Basic just cannot compete in specs, build quality or app selection. The company may have aimed to create the one tablet to serve the lowest common tech denominator, but in the end, that promise is more appealing than the product. Yes, $99 is an irresistible prospect on paper, but for an extra Benjamin you can have dual cores, a solid (if unoriginal) chassis, dependable performance and a direct line to Amazon's retail and content hub. Really, it's a no-brainer. Unless you're keen to add the Basic to your collection of misfit gadgets, we'd strongly advise you bite the bullet and take Bezos up on his cloud-connected lure.

Bowers and Wilkins refreshes M-1 speaker and PV1D subwoofer, new Mini Theater bundles coming soon

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 05:36 AM PST


B&W will soon have something new for every corner of your media consumption shrine. The six-year-old M-1 compact monitor is getting improved drivers, offering "enhanced full-range performance," while the PV1D subwoofer benefits from a more complete redesign. It now boasts the same digital platform as the flagship DB1, a new OLED display and other fresh specs including a dynamic EQ circuit and a low 7.5Hz cut off. The only component of the Mini Theater range that'll keep its old guts is the ASW608 subwoofer, which is now available in matte white to match that option with the M-1s. Look to spend $250 on each monitor, $1,700 on the PV1D and $500 on the ASW608, but check the press release first for more details and bundle options. Availability starts "early 2012."
Show full PR text
Take Hollywood Home

Bowers & Wilkins announces dramatically improved new M1 compact monitor and PV1D subwoofer, plus new finish option on ASW608 subwoofer, combined to create powerful Mini Theater systems.

M-1 loudspeaker gets enhanced full-range performance. PV1D subwoofer updates the ground-breaking "pressure vessel" Bowers & Wilkins subwoofer with a new digital platform, improved drive units and amplification. All products are available in stunning new Matte Black and Matte White finishes.

N. Reading, MA-February 2012-Bowers & Wilkins' M1, the heart of the company's Mini Theater packages, has been one of the major success stories in the world of home audio. Since launching six years ago, M1 has garnered many glowing reviews, won numerous awards and achieved top selling status around the world. But Bowers & Wilkins always looks for ways to improve its products and with the all new M1 ultra compact loudspeaker, performance is taken to a whole new level.

The M-1 loudspeaker can be a key component in 5.1 packages, acting as it does as all five speakers in a surround set up – a cleverly designed table-top stand lets the center speaker sit horizontally. But it's also a great stereo solution, as one of the most dramatic upgrades from the out-going M-1 is this speaker's full range performance: it now offers a stereo performance comparable to larger bookshelf speakers.

In order to achieve these improvements the M-1 has been completely redesigned internally, although only subtle styling differences are visible externally. It features all new drive units, including an in-house designed tweeter, and a bass/mid-range driver that uses the new Anti-Resonance Plug first seen on the high-end PM1 loudspeaker.

As well as these acoustic improvements, the mechanics of the M-1 have been updated, with improved speaker cable terminations and a more robust connection to the stands – a table-top stand and wall bracket are supplied in the box, while, a floor stand is available as an optional extra.

The PV1D, easily the most successful Bowers & Wilkins subwoofer globally, gets a dramatic update. While it retains its acoustically principled "pressure vessel" structurally inert shape with opposed balanced drivers cancelling cabinet resonance, the PV1D now moves to the digital platform developed for the flagship Bowers & Wilkins DB1 subwoofer and includes a dynamic EQ circuit. This provides increased flexibility and performance enhancements that, coupled with new drive units and amplification, lead to dramatically improved output. In fact, the PV1D has a +/-3db specification of a truly impressive 7.5Hz! This very low cut off gives the PV1D a much greater ability to display a sense of space and scale that is relevant for both movie effects and music. In spite of its still compact dimensions and elegant appearance, it is comparable to far larger subwoofers from an acoustic standpoint. .

A new OLED display and touch button array provide easy access to a number of pre-sets and tuning options, while a custom version of the SubApp™ PC software provides more advanced set-up options.

The third element in the Mini Theatre series is the ASW608 subwoofer. While this model remains the same acoustically, it is now available in the same stunning Matte White finish as the M-1 loudspeakers.

Two possible 5.1 system configurations of the upgraded Mini Theater series are the MT-60D and MT-50. These systems provide users with an immersive experience, but in relatively compact, discreet packages that fit easily into people's lifestyles. Both systems offer excellent performance, but the MT-60D sets new standards for what can be expected from a compact, stylish speaker package. This jump in quality is a result of partnering an up-graded M-1 loudspeaker, with the new PV1D, a dramatically improved version of the highly acclaimed opposed-drive-unit subwoofer. The MT-50, a more affordable system option, sees the new M-1s partnered with the ASW608 subwoofer.

Mini Theater is available early 2012 and costs:

M-1 - $250/ea.
PV1D - $1,700
ASW608 - $500
M-1 floor stand - $150/ea.
MT-50 - $1,750
MT-60D - $2,950

Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic brings a slice of tilt-shift to your life (sample photos)

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST

C'mon, admit it -- if you won one of many lotteries, you'd be purchasing a legitimate tilt-shift lens right after picking up a new Ferrari and buying a chocolate factory. Given that said scenario is highly unlikely to pan out, Lensbaby is stepping in to make the letdown a bit easier to stomach. The Edge 80 Optic is the latest in the outfit's growing Optic Swap system, which is compatible with the Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and it's capable of transforming those bodies into "a tilt lens that delivers a slice of sharp focus through an image that falls off to a soft blur." There's a 12-blade adjustable aperture (f/2.8 through f/22), and when not shifted, it's fully capable of taking flat (read: standard) photographs. As the name implies, there's an 80mm focal length, but macro lovers should be aware that you'll need at least 17-inches to focus on your subject(s).

We've been toying with one on our D3S over the past few days, and it certainly does what it says; moreover, it's far easier to justify at just $300. (For those unaware, dedicated T-S lenses can easily top $1,500.) And if you're already invested in the Optic Swap system, it makes even more sense. Granted, it takes some work to compose a shot. You'll need to rely on manual mode, and you'll need to tweak your ISO to match your desired aperture and available light. Leaving the ISO too high while using f/2.8 in broad daylight will result in white captures, while not boosting the ISO enough after dark will leave your shot murdered out. Once you've got your settings right, though, the lens couldn't be easier to operate, and the shift + lock mechanism is as smooth as butter. We threw together a gallery of our favorites taken recently in Hawaii and French Polynesia, so dive in below to see if this piece of kit is deserving of your attention.
Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic sample shots [O'ahu, Hawaii]
Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic sample shots [Moorea, French Polynesia]
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Lensbaby® Introduces the Edge 80 Optic

Edge 80 gives photographers extraordinary creative control over depth of field

Portland, OR – EMBARGOED for February, 14, 2012 @ 9AM EST – Lensbaby, announces today the availability of its 80mm Edge 80 Optic, the newest addition to its Optic Swap System. This new optic is compatible with the Lensbaby Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and will transform any of these bending lens bodies into a tilt lens that delivers a selective slice of sharp focus through an image. Like the Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic, the Edge 80 features Lensbaby's internal 12-blade adjustable aperture.

"The Edge 80 Optic allows photographers to create images with quality that is on-par with some of the best lenses I've ever used. Like a great lens mounted on a view camera bellows, you can make spectacular 'straight' photos with the Edge 80 pointed straight ahead and then, when you want a different look altogether, fluidly tilt the lens to create a razor sharp slice of selective focus through your image," said Craig Strong, Lensbaby President and Co-Founder. For more information, visit the Edge 80 hub.

The Edge 80 provides a flat field of focus that, pointed straight ahead, takes photos that are sharp from edge to edge. Tilting the Edge 80 allows photographers to create vertical, horizontal and diagonal slices of focus through the image. Objects in both the foreground and the background can be in focus within that slice. Photographers can control the size of the slice of focus by changing the 12-blade aperture. For example, f/2.8 will produce a thin slice of focus with abundant blur. F/22 will produce a very wide slice of focus with just a small amount of blur. The Edge 80 allows photographers to quickly and seamlessly change the 12-blade aperture from f/2.8 through f/22, simply by rotating the dial on the front of the optic. An incredibly versatile portrait lens, Edge 80 can also be used to great effect in any situation that lends itself to selective focus – from food photography to giving landscapes a "miniature" appearance. To better understand how tilt, aperture, and focus affect an Edge 80 image, visit the Edge 80 Optic simulator.

With the addition of Edge 80 to the Optic Swap System, Lensbaby provides photographers with yet another way to creatively control depth of field. A photographer needs only to buy one Lensbaby lens to gain access to a system offering 8 interchangeable optics that each give different ways to control depth of field and other creative effects – an unprecedented system within the world of photography.

With the Edge 80, photographers can control a flat field of focus that becomes a slice of sharpness through the photo when the lens is tilted. With Lensbaby's Sweet 35, Double Glass, Single Glass, and Plastic Optics, photographers can control a curved field of focus that brings one area of the photo into sharp focus with other areas at the same depth of field falling off into blur. The Pinhole/Zone plate provides infinite depth of field, the Soft Focus optic delivers a sharp image with a soft overlay from edge to edge, while the Fisheye Optic provides a 160 degree angle of view on the world.

The Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic is available for $300 (MSRP) from www.lensbaby.com, and Lensbaby-authorized photo specialty stores worldwide.

NASA eyes waypoint near moon, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers not in plans ... yet

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:37 AM PST

Not content with its Foursquare badge from the International Space Station, NASA is now setting its sights closer to the moon, with plans for a deep space outpost near our celestial neighbor. NASA is looking at setting up an outpost near the recently filmed far side of the moon that could serve as a jumping point to other more exotic destinations like lunar space, asteroids and Mars. The waypoint could even serve as a place for assembling and servicing satellites and large telescopes, as well as robotics research on crashed Transformers. The leading location so far is "Earth-moon libration point 2," a more gravitationally stable area in space that serves as an ideal parking spot for space craft. Echoing recent talk by Russians about a joint moon base, NASA also hopes to get by with a little help from its friends -- well, actually a lot of help from the international community -- by using the partnerships it has formed through the International Space Station.

Nintendo brings Mobiclip on board to help with Wii U development

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:44 AM PST

Nintendo beefed up its proprietary arsenal yesterday, with the acquisition of Mobiclip -- a Paris-based video codec provider. As Gamasutra reports, the deal was actually finalized back in October, but only became public this week, when Mobiclip confirmed its new ownership on its website. The company already has a history with Nintendo, having lent a hand with video rendering and playback on the DS and Game Boy Advance. Now that it's officially under its wing, Mobiclip will reportedly collaborate with Nintendo on its forthcoming Wii U, as suggested by a recently posted job listing for a "console software engineer."

HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012?

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:21 AM PST

Anonymous sources have told Pocket-lint that Sony will be allowing rival smartphone maker HTC to have PlayStation Certification for its devices. An official announcement is expected at MWC at the end of the month, with devices able to play PSOne games and access to the Android-flavor of the Sony Entertainment Network. Former SCE Chairman (now company president) Kaz Hirai introduced the program open to non-Sony devices at AsiaD last year, possibly to the raised eyebrows of those in the company's revamped mobile division.

Facebook app for Windows Phone gets upgraded, redesigned

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:35 AM PST

Here's some news to brighten up your day: the Facebook client for Windows Phone has just been updated to version 2.3, bringing with it a host of enhanced features. Precise details remain a bit fuzzy at the moment, though in an announcement on its Facebook page, the app maker confirmed that the refresh will bring a redesigned profile and panoramic design, along with "news feed performance improvements," including support for filters. Other "focus areas" include support for Facebook Groups, pages and banner images, which can now be changed directly from a user's handset. The update is supposed to be available today, though at the time of this writing, it has yet to appear on the Marketplace. Once it hits, you'll be able to grab it from the coverage link below.

Mattel's hoverboard keeps McFly planted on terra firma, away from water

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:00 AM PST

There's no need to worry: your eyes aren't deceiving you, and the year most certainly isn't 2015. Still, that isn't stopping Mattel from teasing the iconic hoverboard at the New York Toy Fair. First made famous by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II, the product became something of Hollywood lore when the movie's director, Robert Zemeckis, insisted the contraption was real. While the claim later proved to be a prank, the desire for a genuine hoverboard has lived on. Now, following in the footsteps of McFly's MAG shoes from Nike, Mattel suggests it'll begin accepting preorders for the hoverboard replica next month. While the toy doesn't actually fly (but rather glides), it's said to emit a whooshing sound so that riders can pretend they're surfing through the air. Should Mattel solicit enough interest, the product will ship by year's end -- otherwise the company will merely scrap the idea and return to churning out Barbies.

Cisco: mobile connections will hit 10 billion by 2016, helped by tablet boom

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:00 AM PST

That Cisco's always been prescient. Three years ago, the networking giant predicted a 66-fold increase in worldwide mobile data traffic -- a surge that was expected to dovetail with the spread of 4G networks. With us so far? Sounds pretty obvious sensible, right? Well, the company's got more wisdom to share from its crystal ball: the outfit's just released its annual mobile data traffic forecast, and the marquee stat is that there will be an estimated 10 billion mobile connections by 2016. And though Cisco expects the bulk of these (8 billion) to take the form of cell phones, it also foresees a rise in tablets: there will be 5 billion of them, the company says, and that's not even counting all those WiFi-only models floating around (Cisco tallies WiFi traffic in a different forecast, released later in the year). If the market does indeed swell to 5 billion cellular-connected tablets, that would represent a 25 percent jump over today's global figure. Moreover, Cisco estimates that by 2016 21 percent of those 5 billion tablet owners will be relying solely on mobile data to get their internet fix.

All told, whatever the mix of smartphones and tablets, we're going to be chugging down an insane amount of data: 10.8 exabytes per month, worldwide, or 130 exabytes annually -- a lofty sum that breaks down to 33 billion DVDs, among other cutesy equivalents. One last figure before we sent you off into a statistic-laced coma: 4G will account for only six percent of mobile connections by 2016, but is expected to generate 36 percent of mobile data traffic. We'll let you newly minted LTE adopters chew on your piggy data-hogging habits; the rest of you can find more numbers in the PR after the break.
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Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast Projects 18-Fold Growth in Global Mobile Internet Data Traffic From 2011 to 2016
Mobile Cloud Traffic to Account for 71 Percent, or 7.6 Exabytes per Month, of Total Mobile Data Traffic by 2016, Compared to 45 Percent, or 269 Petabytes per Month, in 2011
SAN JOSE, Calif. and LONDON – Feb. 14, 2012 – According to the Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2011 to 2016, worldwide mobile data traffic will increase 18-fold over the next five years, reaching 10.8 exabytes per month -- or an annual run rate of 130 exabytes -- by 2016.

The expected sharp increase in mobile traffic is due, in part, to a projected surge in the number of mobile Internet-connected devices, which will exceed the number of people on earth (2016 world population estimate of 7.3 billion; source: United Nations). During 2011−2016 Cisco anticipates that global mobile data traffic will outgrow global fixed data traffic by three times.
The forecast predicts an annual run rate of 130 exabytes of mobile data traffic, equivalent to:

- 33 billion DVDs.
- 4.3 quadrillion MP3 files (music/audio).
- 813 quadrillion short message service (SMS) text messages.

An exabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to 1 quintillion bytes.

This mobile data traffic increase represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 78 percent spanning the forecast period. The incremental amount of traffic being added to the mobile Internet between 2015 and 2016 alone is approximately three times the estimated size of the entire mobile Internet in 2012. The following trends are driving these significant increases:

1. More Streamed Content: With the consumer expectations increasingly requiring on-demand or streamed content versus simply downloaded content, mobile cloud traffic will increase, growing 28-fold from 2011 to 2016, a CAGR of 95 percent.
2. More Mobile Connections: There will be more than 10 billion mobile Internet-connected devices in 2016, including machine-to-machine (M2M) modules -- exceeding the world‟s projected population at that time of 7.3 billion. (One M2M application is the use of wireless networks to update digital billboards. This allows advertisers to display different messages based on time of day or day-of-week and allows quick global changes for messages, such as pricing changes for gasoline).
3. Enhanced Computing of Devices: Mobile devices are becoming more powerful and thus
able to consume and generate more data traffic. Tablets are a prime example of this trend generating traffic levels that will grow 62-fold from 2011 to 2016 -- the highest growth rate of any device category tracked in the forecast. The amount of mobile data traffic generated by tablets in 2016 (1 exabyte per month) will be four times the total amount of monthly global mobile data traffic in 2010 (237 petabytes per month).
4. Faster Mobile Speeds: Mobile network connection speed is a key enabler for mobile data traffic growth. More speed means more consumption, and Cisco projects mobile speeds (including 2G, 3G and 4G networks) to increase nine-fold from 2011 to 2016.
5. More Mobile Video: Mobile users want the best experiences they can have and that generally means mobile video, which will comprise 71 percent of all mobile data traffic by 2016.
The Cisco study also projects that 71 percent of all smartphones and tablets (1.6 billion) could be capable of connecting to an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) mobile network by 2016. From a broader perspective, 39 percent of all global mobile devices (more than 4 billion), could be IPv6-capable by 2016.

Impact of Mobile Devices/Connections
- The increasing number of wireless devices and nodes accessing mobile networks worldwide is the primary contributor to traffic growth. By 2016, there will be more than 8 billion handheld or personal mobile-ready devices and nearly 2 billion machine-to-machine connections, such as GPS systems in cars, asset tracking systems in shipping and manufacturing sectors and medical applications for making patient records more readily available.
- Smartphones, laptops and other portable devices will drive about 90 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2016.
- M2M traffic will represent 5 percent of 2016 global mobile data traffic while residential broadband mobile gateways will account for the remaining 5 percent of global mobile data traffic.

Impact of Traffic Offload from Mobile Networks to Fixed Networks
- To address the rise in demand for the mobile Internet, service providers are increasingly looking to offload traffic to fixed/Wi-Fi networks.
- In 2011, 11 percent, or 72 petabytes, per month of total mobile data traffic was offloaded. By 2016, 22 percent, or 3.1 exabytes, per month of total mobile data traffic will be offloaded.
- Without offloading, the 2011-2016 global mobile data traffic CAGR would be 84 percent
instead of 78 percent.
- Should all aspects of mobility be taken into consideration, such as cellular traffic, traffic
offloaded from cellular networks and fixed/Wi-Fi traffic generated from portable devices, the total amount of mobility traffic would be more than four times the Cisco Mobile VNI forecast‟s 2016 cellular traffic level.
1. In 2011, the sum of cellular traffic; cellular offload traffic; and fixed/Wi-Fi traffic from portable devices totaled 11.5 exabytes per month:
- Cellular is 5.2 percent or 597 petabytes per month
- Cellular Offload is 0.6 percent or 72 petabytes per month
- Fixed/Wi-Fi is 94.2 percent or 10.9 exabytes per month
2. In 2011, fixed/Wi-Fi traffic was more than 18 times greater than cellular traffic.
3. In 2015, the sum of cellular traffic; cellular offload traffic; and fixed/Wi-Fi traffic
from portable devices totaled 44.1 exabytes per month:
- Cellular is 16 percent or 6.9 exabytes per month
- Cellular offload is four percent or 2.0 exabytes per month
- Fixed/Wi-Fi is 80 percent or 35.2 exabytes per month o In 2015, Fixed/Wi-Fi traffic will be more than five times greater than cellular traffic.

Key Regional Growth Projections
According to the updated forecast by Cisco, the following regions are experiencing the greatest growth.
- Middle East and Africa will have the highest regional mobile data traffic growth rate with a
CAGR of 104 percent, or 36-fold growth.
- Asia-Pacific will have an 84 percent CAGR, or 21-fold growth.
- Central and Eastern Europe will have an 83 percent CAGR, or 21-fold growth.
- Latin America will have a 79 percent CAGR, or 18-fold growth.
- North America will have a 75 percent CAGR, or 17-fold growth.
- Western Europe will have a 68 percent CAGR, or 14-fold growth.

Impact of Faster Global Mobile Network Connection Speeds
The average mobile connection speed doubled last year and is expected to increase nine-fold by 2016. Mobile connection speeds are a key factor in supporting and accommodating mobile data traffic growth.

Cisco Mobile VNI Forecast Methodology
The Cisco mobile VNI study relies upon independent analyst forecasts and real-world mobile data usage studies. Upon this foundation are layered Cisco‟s own estimates for mobile application adoption, minutes of use and transmission speeds. Key enablers such as mobile broadband speed and device computing power are also factored into Cisco VNI projections and findings. A detailed methodology description is included in the complete report (see link below).

The results of the current forecast represent increased amounts of traffic for the years 2011 to 2015, reflecting faster-than-expected growth from the previous Cisco VNI mobile forecast released in February 2011. In last year‟s study, 2011 mobile Internet traffic was forecast to grow at 131 percent. This year, actual mobile Internet growth 2011 was estimated to be 133 percent.

WSJ: Apple testing 8-inch iPad

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:56 AM PST

The invites haven't even been sent out and yet the frenzied speculation about what Tim Cook will whip out on stage at next month's purported announcement has begun. The Wall Street Journal believes Cupertino's planning to produce a smaller, 8-inch slate to partner its 9.7-inch flagship. Unnamed sources at the company's suppliers say it'll pack a screen with a resolution close to the 1024 x 768 display on the current model. This jibes with what we've heard about the iPad 3 toting a Retina Display -- unless the smaller unit is aimed at budget buyers. The report claims test panels are being produced by AU Optronics and LG Display and that this model might also run on LTE. It's probably fair to point out that Apple is famous for producing prototypes in a wide variety of sizes that will never see the light of day, so don't get your hopes up too soon.

Scalado Remove clears up your photos, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:00 AM PST

It's a familiar scenario. You're traveling with a friend and she poses in front of a famous monument. You're ready to take her picture with your phone but there's a constant stream of people and vehicles getting in and out of your shot. What are your options? You could wait for the right lull in traffic to press the shutter key or you could use Remove -- Scalado's patented new object removal technology. Remove captures several images in a row, analyses them and automatically creates a composite photo devoid of unwanted details. Better yet, it highlights potential objects and lets you eliminate them manually. The folks at Scalado -- best known for such camera innovations as zero shutter lag and Rewind -- are planning to showcase Remove at Mobile World Congress later this month but luckily for you, we got an exclusive first look at an early build of the Remove app for Android.

We installed the app (designed for Gingerbread) on two of Samsung's flagship devices -- our Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ and our global Galaxy S II. The primary UI is simple and looks pretty much like any other basic camera app. Just tap the on-screen shutter key and Remove quickly takes several pictures in a row (the Nexus is about twice as fast as the GS2 here, interestingly). You can touch a second time to stop capture or let the app finish on its own. Remove then magically displays the resulting composite shot which you can save to the gallery by tapping the checkbox at the top right corner of the screen. There's also a toggle in the same location which lets you switch to a secondary UI that allows you to pick which unwanted details to remove (or keep) from each frame. Of course you can load and re-tweak previous captures at any time to restore (or eliminate) objects after the fact.

Remove introduces a completely new way to capture that special moment, and while we experienced occasional issues with the responsiveness of the UI and noticed a couple minor bugs, the app is relatively intuitive and works rather well for a prototype. Take a look at our gallery of sample images and screenshots below and hit the break for the full PR treatment, including Scalado's concept video.
Scalado Remove hands-on

Scalado Remove press shots
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Scalado excitedly introduce the world's first object removal innovation in a mobile device

"Remove" automatically deletes unwanted details in captured imaging

Scalado, a world-leading provider of high-performance imaging technologies, applications and services for the mobile industry, have today announced the release of a new revolutionizing product named Remove. Remove is a technology that automatically highlights and removes any unwanted object from a captured photo. It is the world's first Object removal software to be released on a mobile device.

Remove solves common photographic problems with unwanted objects in captured images, such as people getting in the way of our camera shot. Remove detects and selects the unwanted objects which simply can be removed automatically or by touching the selections on the screen or after capturing the image.

"After Zero Shutter Lag, Burst, and Rewind Scalado continue leading and changing the capturing landscape by bringing in new unique and needed capturing innovations", says Fadi Abbas, CMO/VP BizDev and Co-founder of Scalado, -"What differentiate us is the combination of customers who believe in our superiority, leading industry partners and continuous innovations".

Last year Scalado released several innovations, e.g. the Rewind technology which allows the users to capture perfect group shots by automatically selecting the best shots in a burst and merging them into one perfect image. Rewind is already shipping in millions of mobile phones.

"Our team has been working hard to maintain its leading innovation position in the camera capturing field", says Sami Niemi, CTO and Co-founder of Scalado, -"Remove shows that our technologies are setting the guidelines for the whole market".

Scalado will premiere showcase Remove, the first of many new innovations planned this year, at the 2012 Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, February 27th to March 1st.

Huawei R&D department gets new home, sets up shop in Silicon Valley

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:32 PM PST

Chinese manufacturing giant Huawei has been calling Plano, Texas its North American home since 2010, but now it seems the company's ready to explore a different business territory. Huawei's just announced its Research and Development squad -- in which it invested about $3.6 billion dollars last year -- is setting up shop in Silicon Valley in a move that could certainly be seen as an effort to rub elbows with the big players this side of the pond. According to the Dallas Business Journal, the company piled up $30 billion in sales last year, and while the new 600-plus human R&D operation will be calling California home, Huawei's Honorary headquarters won't be moving away from the state where "everything's bigger" anytime soon.

DARwIn-OP learns to skate, contemplates NHL career (video)

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:22 PM PST

On the list of dangerous humanoid bots DARwIn is easily topped by the bow-happy iCub. Still -- we don't trust this thing one iota. While we haven't seen it pick up any weaponry just yet, our friends to the north are teaching it one of man's most notoriously violent sports: hockey. Researchers at the University of Manitoba have managed to train the former RoboCup star to stay upright while shuffling about on skates. Smacking a puck into a goal, on the other hand, has proven somewhat trickier. Eventually Jennifer, as the autonomous hockey-bot has been dubbed, managed to get the hang of it, but we don't think the Flyers or Rangers will be offering her the big bucks just yet. And, honestly, before this little guy gets too good and turns into a bully on the ice, we'd get it to switch games -- curling suddenly seems like a perfectly acceptable past time. Check out the video after the break.

NASA pulls the plug on the mainframe computer era

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 09:12 PM PST

It's the end of another era at NASA, although this one was perhaps more inevitable than others. Chief Information Officer Linda Cureton announced in a blog post over the weekend that the agency's last mainframe computer was shut down this month, marking an end to decades of room-filling computers. Of course, that last mainframe was considerably more recent than that pictured above. It was an IBM Z9 (pictured at the source link below), still quite a behemoth and useful for certain applications, but deemed unnecessary by NASA in the face of other more flexible alternatives. Feeling nostalgic or curious about those days gone by? You can find a bit of mainframe history at the links below.

Bell & Howell Apple II Plus appears on eBay, like a foundling carved out of onyx

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 07:58 PM PST

You wouldn't know it by the never ending barrage of black PowerBook's throughout the '90s, or even the onyx MacBooks in the mid-00s, but dark-clad casings from Apple were pretty much non-existent until Cupertino got serious about laptops, excluding of course the ill-fated Macintosh TV. Exempt from the prevailing 'Snow White' design ethos however, were clones machines sold by other companies, like the Bell & Howell's variant of the Apple ][ Plus above. Per Wikipedia, the machine in question was only available through educational channels, notable for its A/V outputs (which you can espy after the break) especially for that purpose. Typical eBay caveats apply, with the buyer selling the machine "as is" -- read sans power supply -- but we can't imagine it'll be long before an Apple collector swoops in and steals the pooch. More pics and your chance to bid on a piece of history await at the source below.

WSJ: AT&T and Verizon will sell LTE iPads

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 07:11 PM PST

Citing sources "familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal is now stating rather unequivocally that both AT&T and Verizon Wireless are set to begin selling LTE versions of Apple's iPad. The latest revelation is hardly a leap of faith, as rumors to this effect have been swirling for a month now. Still, it coincides rather nicely with the recent chatter surrounding the launch of Apple's next iPad, which is currently thought to launch during the first week of March. It remains unknown whether Sprint will be stocking a 4G version of the iPad to call its own. Perhaps Mr. Hesse and crew will be forced to sit this one out.

Origin PC's EON17-X laptop assures gaming glory, regular chiropractor visits

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 06:51 PM PST

For all you hardcore gamers who refuse to sacrifice performance but demand quasi-portability, prepare your eyes for the EON17-X from Origin PC. The laptop is based on Intel's X79 platform and delivers a significant bump from the original EON17. Insane customization options include the Core i7-3960X Extreme CPU and two overclocked 2GB GeForce GTX 580M GPUs in an SLI bridge -- just for note, this particular configuration requires two 300 watt power adapters. It'll also accommodate up to four hard drives and 32GB of memory. If that's not enough to impress, the beastly creation also features a backlit keyboard with two lighting zones and seven customizable colors, along with a 17.3-inch 1080p display. Of course, all this power doesn't come without sacrifice. The EON17-X starts at $2,818, weighs over 12 pounds and measures over two inches thick. Those undeterred can place an order for Origin PC's latest gaming rig today. You'll find a few more tidbits in the PR after the break.
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ORIGIN PC EON17-X Now Offering Intel 2nd Generation Hexcore Processors, Quad Channel 1866MHz Memory, and a Customizable Backlit Keyboard

World's Most Powerful Laptop for Gamers, Artists, Enthusiasts, and Professionals

Miami, FL – February 13, 2012, 8:00AM Eastern - ORIGIN PC announced today the availability of their new EON17-X desktop replacement laptop. Featuring the latest Intel X79 chipset, 2nd generation Intel hexcore processors, and overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI the EON17-X is the most powerful laptop on the market for gamers, artists, enthusiasts, and professionals. The EON17-X marks the first laptop from ORIGIN PC with a customizable backlit keyboard with two lighting zones and seven color options.

The ORIGIN EON17-X is available now with a 3D model including a built-in 3D emitter coming in early Q2.

ORIGIN PC's EON17-X Laptop features: Customizable Backlit Keyboard with Two Lighting Zones and Seven Colors
Intel X79 Chipset with 2nd Generation Intel Hexcore Processors
Up to 32GB 1333MHz Corsair Quad Channel Memory
Up to 16GB 1866MHz Corsair Vengeance Quad Channel Memory
Up to Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M Graphics Cards with ORIGIN Professional Overclocking
Up to Three Hard Drives with up to 3TB's of Hard Drive Space
Industry Leading Free 24/7 Lifetime Support Based in the United States
Fully Customizable starting at $3,159

"ORIGIN is thrilled to answer our customers' requests by adding a customizable backlit keyboard to the EON17-X." said Kevin Wasielewski ORIGIN PC CEO and co-founder. "The EON17-X is more powerful than a lot of desktops on the market. With an Intel X79 chipset and dual overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580Ms in SLI you won't find a more powerful laptop anywhere else."

"We are pleased with ORIGIN PC's choice of Vengeance® high-performance memory for the EON17-X," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "It's designed to automatically take advantage of the faster memory speeds made possible with Intel 2nd generation processors and helps fulfill ORIGIN PC's mission of building a premium performance laptop."

All ORIGIN systems come with free life-time 24/7 phone and online service based in the United States. Each customer has a dedicated support team and free life-time labor for upgrade needs. ORIGIN PC features a 1 to 3 free part replacement warranty combined with the best in class integration, quality testing and support.

Samsung's crystal-studded Series 9 laptop to make its QVC debut tomorrow

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 05:58 PM PST

Been waiting patiently to get your hands on Samsung's limited edition Series 9 laptop since its first showing at IFA in the fall? Then you really should have been looking into some other more sensible options in the interim. But if those non-crystal-studded alternatives didn't strike your fancy, you'll be glad to know that the laptop will finally be available in the US, exclusively on QVC, beginning tomorrow at 10PM. Unfortunately, the sure-to-be-premium price will only buy you a last-gen Series 9, with a Core i5-2467M processor and Windows 7 Home Premium for an OS.

MediaTek sees no reason cheap phones can't have Ice Cream Sandwich too

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 05:12 PM PST

If you don't want to drop $300 on a phone we don't blame you -- honestly, the idea makes us feel a bit dirty too. MediaTek doesn't seen any reason for it either. The company has been working its way in to the mobile chipset business for a little while now, and its latest is aimed squarely at the lower end of the handset spectrum but still promises to deliver the latest in dessert-themed operating systems. The MT6575 is a single core Cortex-A9 solution with an unidentified 5-series PowerVR GPU on board and an HSPA modem. The 1GHz core probably won't win and benchmark competitions, but it's enough to push Android 4.0 to a qHD screen, power through 720p video and capture shots with an 8 megapixel sensor. It even is capable of supporting 3D displays and DTV broadcasts -- not too bad for something destined to wind up in $50 smartphones. Checkout the complete PR after the break.
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MediaTek Launches MT6575 Android Platform
2012-02-13

New platform addresses the growing market for mid and entry‐level smartphones

TAIWAN, Hsinchu – 13 February, 2012 – MediaTek Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions, today announced the availability of the MT6575, its 3rd generation platform for mid and entry‐level Android smartphones. The MT6575 platform offers a 1GHz ARM® CortexTM‐A9 processer, a proven 3G/HSPA modem and runs the latest "Ice‐Cream Sandwich" Android 4.0 release.

"We expect significant growth in entry and mid‐level smartphones, with wholesale prices under US$190, over the coming years. We forecast that this segment will almost triple in size from 191 million shipments in 2012 to 551 million by 2016. At that time, we also expect approximately 75% of those entry and mid‐level smartphones to ship to emerging markets" said Neil Mawston, Executive Director, Global Wireless Practice, at Strategy Analytics. The MediaTek MT6575 platform is ideally suited to cater to a wide range of smartphone devices that target this growing segment in multiple markets around the world.

"Leveraging the energy‐efficient, high‐performance Cortex‐A9 processor in Android smartphone applications is an extremely compelling proposition and a great proof point for the scalability of the ARM architecture. During 2011 the Cortex‐A9 processor has powered many of the most up‐to‐date and highest performance smartphones. The proliferation of Cortex‐A Series processors into lower cost, mainstream mobile devices will deliver a significant uplift in the user experience," said Laurence Bryant, Director of Mobile, ARM.

For mid‐range smartphones, the MT6575 platform supports 720p high‐definition video playback and recording with an 8MP camera and qHD (960x540) high‐resolution displays via a PowerVRTM SGX Series5 GPU (graphics processing unit) from Imagination Technologies. In industry‐standard benchmark testing, the MT6575 offered over 35% improvement for browser applications and over 20% improvement in graphics capabilities for gaming when compared to competitors' best offerings in these segments.

Additionally, the MT6575 platform provides built‐in support for advanced features such as integrated capabilities to drive 3D displays and proprietary algorithms for mobile display picture processing. In sum, the MT6575 provides DTV‐grade picture quality on a smartphone by leveraging MediaTek's proven technology as a world‐leading DTV platform provider.

The MT6575 platform also supports entry‐level smartphones with smaller display sizes, lower resolution, less memory and reduced multimedia requirements. In addition, the MT6575 boasts the world's lowest power consumption and most comprehensive integration of hot swap dual‐SIM capability compatible with the Android platform. With the MT6575 dual‐SIM solution, consumers will no longer have to worry about dropped calls while active data transfer is happening on either SIM card, and will experience automatic resumption of data exchange once calls on the other SIM card have ended, in addition, with the hot swap feature enabled, the SIM card can be inserted without switching off the mobile.

The 3G/HSPA modem integrated in the MT6575 platform has been qualified at major 3G operators world‐wide.

The MT6575, delivered in 40nm CMOS technology, builds on the proven track record of the 2nd generation MT6573 platform – i.e., the platform that powers the Lenovo A60, China Unicom's top selling handset in the sub‐RMB 1000 (approx. $160 USD) smartphone category.

"We are very excited by the prospects of the MT6575 platform. It combines MediaTek's innovative chipset technology with our proven reference design and complete software solution model. We believe this platform is ideally suited to enable our customers to address mid and entry‐level smartphone cost and performance needs on a global basis – today and tomorrow," said Ching‐Jiang Hsieh, President of MediaTek.

The MT6575 is currently being incorporated into the latest smartphone offerings by many of MediaTek's leading customers and the first smartphone models based on this new platform will hit the market in the first quarter of 2012.

About MediaTek Inc.
MediaTek Inc. is a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and
digital multimedia solutions. The company is a market leader and pioneer in cutting‐edge
SOC system solutions for wireless communications, high‐definition TV, optical storage, and
DVD and Blu‐ray products. Founded in 1997 and listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange under the
code "2454", MediaTek is headquartered in Taiwan and has sales or research subsidiaries in
Mainland China, Singapore, India, U.S., Japan, Korea, Denmark, England and Dubai. For more
information, please visit MediaTek's website at www.mediatek.com.

Live from Camp Pendleton with ViaSat SurfBeam 2 Pro Portable (video)

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 04:34 PM PST

There's no power outlet, land-based internet connection or even a decent cell signal in sight, yet we're posting this live, at fast broadband speeds. We're miles deep into Camp Pendleton, connected to ViaSat's SurfBeam 2 Pro Portable mobile satellite transceiver and sending data to and from ViaSat-1 located more than 20,000 miles above our heads. SurfBeam 2 wasn't designed for us to kick back and surf the web in the middle of nowhere at speeds that we could barely achieve while tethered to a cable connection just a few years ago, but we're doing just that, with ViaSat's roughly $20,000 go-anywhere satellite broadband rig. We first heard about Pro Portable last month at CES, which the company is marketing towards military, emergency management personnel and even broadcasters -- that's right, the sat truck of the future fits inside a hand-carry suitcase, and sends HD video from the world's most remote locations right back to broadcast centers at record speed, nearly eliminating that lag that makes certain CNN reports painful to watch.

Pro Portable really can go anywhere -- disassembled, it fits inside a fairly modest suitcase, but screw it together and you have a full-size dish. There's also a four-port Ethernet router and an optional battery pack, which provides up to four hours of juice. Think of it as Exede broadband for far-off-the-grid types. Sadly, Pro Portable isn't priced low enough to make its way into your on-the-go blogger kit, but it costs a small fraction of the million dollars you can spend on a sat truck, which rents for thousands of dollars a day. It's also far more transportable and discrete, offering consistent 12 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds nearly anywhere in North America. How can SurfBeam 2 hold up during a bandwidth-intensive HD upload? See for yourself just past the break -- our 230MB hands-on video made its way from the ground to space and back to Viddler in just shy of 13 minutes, and our Skype video call looked fantastic, without any noticeable lag.
ViaSat SurfBeam 2 Pro Portable hands-on

Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 10PM

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST

It's Monday, and almost as regular an occurrence as the day itself, we're here to help by letting you listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 10PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participating in the live chat as you listen in.


Virgin Media's Q4 2011 report: Brits love TiVo
Arris brings Moxi HD DVR sales to an end, plans to cut off guide data after 2013
AT&T U-Verse iPad app combines DVR control and companion features
Roku adds BBC iPlayer channel as it starts shipping in the UK
2012 HDTV pricing leaks out for Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and Samsung
Google reportedly working on wireless home entertainment system
Google TV Facebook page teases new announcement (Update: It's a new YouTube app)
Super Bowl internet debut breaks records, disappoints some viewers
Disney considering 28-day rental window
Amazon, Viacom deal brings more TV shows to Prime
Globe and Mail reveals early details on Apple iTV
Must See HDTV (February 13th - 19th)




Online video chat by Ustream


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

Must See HDTV (February 13th - 19th)

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 03:16 PM PST

This week sees the annual return of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show alongside other premieres sprinkled among the Whitney Houston tributes. Still, even with football off the schedule we're focused on sports, whether it's New York's newest star or a fictional player in an HBO series. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Mavericks/Knicks
One word: LINSANITY. Jeremy Lin mania has swept the nation and we are completely caught up in it. The Harvard star turned Knicks starting point guard brings his show back to national TV Sunday afternoon against the defending NBA champions -- catch the fever.
(Sunday, ABC, 1PM)

Survivor, The Amazing Race
The two big reality show / travelogue contenders both return with new seasons this week. While we prefer The Amazing Race for its varied locales, we're sure whatever island Survivor sticks its collection of money-hungry individuals on this time will be quite beautiful as well.
(Wednesday, CBS, 8PM) (Sunday, CBS, 8PM)

Eastbound & Down
Kenny Powers returns for the final season of Eastbound & Down Sunday night, as he joins a minor league team and attempts to make it back to the major leagues. If you haven't been watching this comedy, you've been missing out. One of our managing editor's favorite shows, Kenny is not exactly a role model, but that's what makes him so hilarious as a disgraced former star who goes from big time baseball to gym teacher. Check out the trailer for the new season embedded after the break.
(Sunday, HBO, 10PM)


Blu-ray & Games
  • The Rum Diary
  • The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence
  • UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Twisted Metal (PS3)

Monday

  • 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show (special presentation), USA, 8PM
  • American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior (season premiere), Discovery, 9PM
  • Martin Luther King Jr.: More Than A Dream, DirecTV, 9PM
  • Kentucky/Tennessee women's college basketball, ESPN & ESPN 3D, 7PM
  • Timberwolves/Magic, NBA TV, 7PM
  • Red Wings/Coyotes, NBC Sports, 8PM
  • How I Met Your Mother, CBS, 8PM
  • House, Fox, 8PM
  • The Voice, NBC, 8PM
  • Gossip Girl, CW, 8PM
  • The Bachelor, ABC, 8PM
  • Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family, 8PM
  • 2 Broke Girls, CBS, 8:30PM
  • Alcatraz, Fox, 9PM
  • Two and a Half Men, CBS, 9PM
  • Being Human, Syfy, 9PM
  • WWE Raw, USA, 9PM
  • Hart of Dixie, CW, 9PM
  • The Lying Game, ABC Family, 9PM
  • Mike & Molly, CBS, 9:30PM
  • Castle, ABC, 10PM
  • Smash, NBC, 10PM
  • Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 10PM
  • Lost Girl, Syfy, 10PM
  • Rock Center with Brian Williams, NBC, 10PM
  • Suns/Warriors, NBA TV, 10PM

Tuesday

  • Cougar Town (season premiere), ABC, 8:30PM
  • Top Gear (season premiere), History, 9PM
  • Top Shot (season premiere), History, 10PM
  • 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (special presentation), USA, 8PM
  • The Loving Story (special presentation), HBO, 9PM
  • Doomsday Preppers, National Geographic, 9 & 10PM
  • Heat/Pacers, NBA TV, 7PM
  • All Star Dealers, Discovery, 8 & 8:30PM
  • Glee, Fox, 8PM
  • Switched at Birth, ABC Family, 8PM
  • NCIS, CBS, 8PM
  • Last Man Standing, ABC, 8PM
  • New Girl, Fox, 9PM
  • The River, ABC, 9PM
  • Jane By Design, ABC Family, 9PM
  • Ringer, CW, 9PM
  • Dirty Jobs, Discovery, 9PM
  • Raising Hope, Fox, 9:30PM
  • Justified, FX, 10PM
  • Parenthood, NBC, 10PM
  • Unforgettable, CBS, 10PM
  • Southland, TNT, 10PM
  • White Collar, USA, 10PM
  • Ink Master, Spike, 10PM
  • Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Key & Peele, Comedy Central, 10:30PM

Wednesday

  • Survivor (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
  • The Slap (season premiere), DirecTV, 10PM
  • The Middle, ABC, 8PM
  • American Idol, Fox, 8PM
  • One Tree Hill, CW, 8PM
  • Whitney, NBC, 8PM
  • Suburgatory, ABC, 8:30PM
  • Are You There, Chelsea?, NBC, 8:30PM
  • Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
  • Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
  • Beast Tracker, Discovery, 9PM
  • Remodeled, CW, 9PM
  • Happy Endings, ABC, 9:30PM
  • CSI, CBS, 10PM
  • Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 10PM
  • Royal Pains, USA, 10PM
  • Revenge, ABC, 10PM
  • Face Off, Syfy, 10PM
  • Warriors/Trail Blazers, ESPN, 10PM

Thursday

  • Bulls/Celtics, TNT, 8PM
  • Clippers/Trail Blazers, TNT, 10:30PM
  • Exporting Raymond (special presentation), HBO, 8PM
  • Heart of Stone (special presentation), Showtime, 8:30PM
  • American Idol, Fox, 8PM
  • 30 Rock, NBC, 8PM
  • The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
  • Wipeout, ABC, 8PM
  • Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
  • Parks & Recreation, NBC, 8:30PM
  • Rob, CBS, 8:30PM
  • The Office, NBC, 9PM
  • Person of Interest, CBS, 9PM
  • Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 9PM
  • Impact Wrestling, Spike TV, 9PM
  • NY Ink, TLC, 9PM
  • Up All Night, NBC, 9:30PM
  • Archer, FX, 10PM
  • The Mentalist, CBS, 10PM
  • Private Practice, ABC, 10PM
  • Unsupervised, FX, 10:30PM
  • I Just Want My Pants Back, MTV, 11PM
  • Inside Comedy, Showtime, 11PM
  • Delocated, Comedy Central, 11:59PM

Friday

  • NAACP Image Awards (special presentation), NBC, 9PM
  • Knicks/Hornets, ESPN, 8PM
  • Undercover Boss, CBS, 8PM
  • Shark Tank, ABC, 8PM
  • WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
  • Nikita, CW, 8PM
  • Fringe, Fox, 9PM
  • Supernatural, CW, 9PM
  • A Gifted Man, CBS, 9PM
  • The Life & Times of Tim (season finale), HBO, 9PM
  • Merlin, Syfy, 10PM
  • Blue Bloods, CBS, 10PM
  • Portlandia, IFC, 10PM
  • Spartacus: Vengeance, Starz, 10PM
  • The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, IFC, 10:30PM

Saturday

  • NASCAR '12 Budweiser Shootout, Fox, 8PM
  • Ohio State/Michigan college basketball, ESPN & ESPN 3D, 9PM
  • The Ride (special presentation),
  • The Firm, NBC, 9PM
  • The Fades (season finale), BBCA, 9PM
  • Hawks/Trail Blazers, NBA TV, 10PM
  • Saturday Night Live: Maya Rudolph/Sleigh Bells, 11:30PM

Sunday

  • Eastbound & Down (season premiere), HBO, 10PM
  • The Amazing Race (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
  • The Apprentice (season premiere), NBC, 9PM
  • The Shadow Line (series premiere), DirecTV, 9PM
  • I Ain't Scared Of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac (special presentation), Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Mavericks/Knicks, ABC, 1PM
  • Magic/Heat, ABC, 3:30PM
  • 60 Minutes, CBS, 7PM
  • The Cleveland Show, Fox, 7:30PM
  • The Simpsons, Fox, 8PM
  • Nuggets/Thunder, ESPN, 8PM
  • Once Upon a Time, ABC, 8PM
  • Napoleon Dynamite, Fox, 8:30PM
  • Desperate Housewives, ABC, 9PM
  • Luck, HBO, 9PM
  • Shameless, Showtime, 9PM
  • Family Guy, Fox, 9PM
  • The Good Wife, CBS, 9PM
  • The Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
  • American Dad, Fox, 9:30PM
  • House of Lies, Showtime, 10PM
  • Comic Book Men, AMC, 10PM
  • Pan Am (season finale), ABC, 10PM
  • CSI, CBS, 10PM
  • Full Metal Jousting, History, 10PM
  • Californication, Showtime, 10:30PM

NPD: Hardware sales hit $144 billion in 2011, PCs lead the moneymaking pack

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 02:44 PM PST

Canalys recently announced that smartphone shipments surpassed those of PCs for the whole of 2011. Well, NPD's just released its own set of hardware numbers, this time focused on revenue shares, and it appears PCs (that's laptops and desktops for NPD's purposes) are still far and away the biggest moneymakers around, bringing in about 19 percent (or $28 billion) of the reported $144 billion in hardware sales last year. TVs, PCs and gaming hardware each saw a decline in revenue share while smartphone and tablet sales grew -- slates and e-readers experienced a five percent increase, taking up nearly 11 percent of the hardware pie and raking in $15 billion. Unsurprisingly, Apple topped the chart for sales by manufacturer, seeing a 36 percent increase over 2010, while HP, Samsung, Sony and Dell rounded out the top five with varying levels of sales declines. For more number crunching and statistical whatnots, check out the full PR after the break.
Show full PR text
Apple tops 2011 as the #1 Brand and Best Buy is the #1 Retailer

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 13, 2012 – U.S. consumer technology hardware and consumable sales* fell just one half of a percent in 2011 ending the year at nearly $144 billion, according to leading market research company The NPD Group.

Nearly 60 percent of all sales in 2011 were driven by the top five categories; PCs, TVs, tablets/e-readers, mobile phones, and video game hardware, according to NPD's Retail and Consumer tracking services and Mobile Phone Track. PCs (notebooks and desktops) generated the most revenue with nearly $28 billion in sales, accounting for almost 20 percent of sales, but that figure was a decline of 3 percent from 2010. Tablets/e-readers were the clear winner in 2011, nearly doubling sales to $15 billion in 2011.

"U.S. hardware sales growth is becoming harder and harder to achieve at the broad industry level," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "Sales outside of the top five categories fell by 8 percent in 2011 as consumers shifted spending from older technologies to a narrow range of products."

Apple benefited from this shift as it was the leading consumer electronics brand for the second year in a row. Among the top five brands Apple was the only one to experience a sales increase, posting a 36 percent rise over 2010. By the critical fourth quarter Apple accounted for 19 percent of all sales dollars, almost twice as much as number two Hewlett-Packard.

At the retailer level, Best Buy came out on top once again, followed by Walmart and Apple. Staples and Amazon tied for fourth place to round out the top five, a repeat of 2010.

Sales through online, direct mail, and TV shopping channels jumped 7 percent and accounted for 24 percent of all sales, up from 22 percent in 2010. Sales through these non-retail channels captured 25 percent of industry revenue in the fourth quarter of 2011.

"While in-store sales fell about 2.5 percent in 2011, the growth in online volumes for retailers meant that retail name plates still accounted for well over four of every five dollars spent on CE hardware in the US," said Baker. "Despite their sales strength, retail stores still face serious challenges in 2012 as volumes in the traditional CE categories, which once carried these stores, continue to slide. It shouldn't be forgotten, however, that a large majority of mobile phones and tablets/e-readers (the two fastest growing CE categories) have mostly been driven through in-store experiences."

*U.S. Consumer Technology sales include CE hardware and consumables from NPD's Consumer Tracking Service, mobile phones from NPD's Mobile Phone Track, and video game hardware sales from NPD's Retail Tracking Service.

DOJ greenlights bid by Apple, Microsoft and RIM to buy Nortel patents

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

The US Department of Justice didn't just give the go-ahead to Google's acquisition of Motorola today, it also gave the greenlight to a $4.5 billion bid on Nortel's patents from a consortium of companies including Apple, Microsoft and RIM (who have dubbed themselves Rockstar Bidco). Nortel's portfolio includes some 6,000 patents, and the DOJ says the approval comes after it received clear commitments from Apple and Microsoft to license so-called standard essential patents on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, as well as their commitments not to seek injunctions in disputes involving SEPs." To round things out for the day, the Justice Department has also given its clearance to Apple's acquisition of certain Novell patents, which have been held by CPTN Holdings pending approval. Its full statement can be found after the break.
Show full PR text
Statement of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigations of Google Inc.'s Acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and the Acquisitions of Certain Patents by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice's Antitrust Division issued the following statement today after announcing the closing of its investigations into Google Inc.'s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the acquisitions by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) of certain Nortel Networks Corporation patents, and the acquisition by Apple of certain Novell Inc. patents:

"After a thorough review of the proposed transactions, the Antitrust Division has determined that each acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition and has closed these three investigations. In all of the transactions, the division conducted an in-depth analysis into the potential ability and incentives of the acquiring firms to use the patents they proposed acquiring to foreclose competitors. In particular, the division focused on standard essential patents (SEPs) that Motorola Mobility and Nortel had committed to license to industry participants through their participation in standard-setting organizations (SSOs). The division's investigations focused on whether the acquiring firms could use these patents to raise rivals' costs or foreclose competition.

"The division concluded that the specific transactions at issue are not likely to significantly change existing market dynamics.

"During the course of the division's investigation, several of the principal competitors, including Google, Apple and Microsoft, made commitments concerning their SEP licensing policies. The division's concerns about the potential anticompetitive use of SEPs was lessened by the clear commitments by Apple and Microsoft to license SEPs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, as well as their commitments not to seek injunctions in disputes involving SEPs. Google's commitments were more ambiguous and do not provide the same direct confirmation of its SEP licensing policies.

"In light of the importance of this industry to consumers and the complex issues raised by the intersection of the intellectual property rights and antitrust law at issue here, as well as uncertainty as to the exercise of the acquired rights, the division continues to monitor the use of SEPs in the wireless device industry, particularly in the smartphone and computer tablet markets. The division will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to stop any anticompetitive use of SEP rights."

BACKGROUND

Google/ Motorola Mobility

On Aug. 25, 2011, Google entered into an agreement to acquire Motorola Mobility, a manufacturer of smartphones and computer tablets and the holder of a portfolio of approximately 17,000 issued patents and 6,800 applications, including hundreds of SEPs relevant to wireless devices that Motorola Mobility committed to license through its participation in SSOs.

Rockstar Bidco

Rockstar Bidco, a partnership that includes, among others, RIM, Microsoft and Apple, was formed to acquire patents at the June 2011 Nortel bankruptcy auction, and to license and distribute them to certain partners. Nortel's portfolio of approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications includes many SEPs that Nortel committed to license through its participation in SSOs and that are relevant to wireless devices (the Nortel SEPs).

Apple/Novell

Apple also proposes to acquire patents held by CPTN Holdings LLC, formerly owned by Novell, following CPTN's acquisition in April 2011 of those patents on behalf of Apple, Oracle Corporation and EMC Corporation. As a member of the Open Invention Network (OIN), Novell committed to cross-license its patents on a royalty-free basis for use in the open source "Linux system," a defined term in the OIN.

Competitive Landscape

Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM have each developed mobile operating systems for smartphones and tablets. Apple and RIM manufacture and sell the smartphones and tablets that run on their proprietary mobile operating systems. In contrast, Microsoft licenses its proprietary mobile operating systems, Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile, to non-affiliated wireless handset original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Google, in turn, sponsors Android, a mobile operating system that it distributes to OEMs without monetary charge under an open source license. These operating systems provide platforms for a variety of products and services offered by competing handset and tablet manufacturers, as well as, application developers.

At the end of 2011, Google's Android accounted for approximately 46 percent of the U.S. smartphone operating system platform subscribers and Apple's iOS was used by about 30 percent of subscribers. RIM and Microsoft accounted for approximately 15 percent and 6 percent of the share of smartphone subscribers, respectively.

Apple's iPad is the leading tablet in the market, although the recently introduced Android-based tablets are rapidly gaining share. Thus far, tablets running RIM's and Microsoft's operating systems have a minimal presence in the marketplace.

The Importance of Standard Setting in the Wireless Industry

Today's wireless device industry, which includes smartphones and tablets, relies on complex operating systems that allow seamless interaction with wireless communications technologies while providing audio, video and computer functionalities.

To facilitate seamless interoperability, industry participants work through SSOs collectively to develop technical standards that establish precise specifications for essential components of the technology. For example, wireless devices typically implement a significant number of telecommunication and computer standards, including cellular air interface standards (e.g., 3G and 4G LTE standards), wireless broadband technologies (e.g., WiFi and WiMax) and video compression technologies (e.g., H.264). As with other industries, these standards facilitate compatibility among products and provide consumers with a wider range of products and capabilities than would otherwise be available.

Often, many technologies adopted by the SSOs fall within the scope of existing patents or patent applications. Once a patent is included in a standard, it becomes essential to the implementation of that standard, thus the term "Standard Essential Patent." After industry participants make complementary investments, abandoning the standard can be extremely costly. Thus, after the standard is set, the patent holder could seek to extract a higher payment than was attributable to the value of the patented technology before the standard was set. Such behavior can distort innovation and raise prices to consumers . A comparable harm may also arise in situations outside of the SSO context where a patent holder's prior actions, such as open source commitments, lead others to make complementary investments (See U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, Antitrust Enforcement & Intellectual Property Rights: Promoting Innovation and Competition, April 17, 2007 at 35-6).

Most SSOs therefore require the owners of patents essential to the proposed standard that are participating in the SSO's standard-setting activities to make disclosure and licensing commitments with respect to their essential patents. These commitments are intended to reduce the subsequent inappropriate use of the patent rights at issue, and thus prevent disputes that can inhibit innovation and competition. One com mon licensing requirement is to require SSO members to commit to license patented technologies essential to a standard on reasonable and nondiscriminatory (RAND) terms (for SSOs based in the United States) or on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms (for SSOs based outside the United States) (collectively F/RAND). In practice, however, SSO F/RAND requirements have not prevented significant disputes from arising in connection with the licensing of SEPs, including actions by patent holders seeking injunctive or exclusionary relief that could alter competitive market outcomes.

ANALYSIS

The division's investigations regarding the acquisitions of the Motorola Mobility and Nortel SEPs focused on whether the acquiring firms would have the incentive and ability to exploit ambiguities in the SSOs' F/RAND licensing commitments to hold up rivals, thus preventing or inhibiting innovation and competition (The division's analysis was limited to SEPs encumbered by F/RAND commitments). Such hold up could include raising the costs to rivals by demanding supracompetitive licensing rates, compelling prospective licensees to grant the SEP holder the right to use the licensee's differentiating intellectual property, charging licensees the entire portfolio royalty rate when licensing only a small subset of the patent holder's SEPs in its portfolio, or seeking to prevent or exclude products practicing those SEPs from the market altogether. In this analysis, the critical issue is whether the patent holder has the incentive and ability to hold up its competitors, particularly through the threat of an injunction or exclusion order. The division's analysis focused on how the proposed transactions might change that incentive and ability to do so.

The division concluded that each of the transactions was unlikely to substantially lessen competition for wireless devices. With respect to RIM's and Microsoft's acquisition of Nortel patents, their low market shares in mobile platforms would likely make a strategy to harm rivals either through injunctions or supracompetitive royalties based on the acquired Nortel SEPs unprofitable. Because of their low market shares, they are unlikely to attract a sufficient number of new customers to their mobile platforms to compensate for the lost patent royalty revenues. Moreover, Microsoft has cross-license agreements in place with the majority of its Android-based OEM competitors, making such a strategy even less plausible for it.

Apple's and Google's substantial share of mobile platforms makes it more likely that as the owners of additional SEPs they could hold up rivals, thus harming competition and innovation. For example, Apple would likely benefit significantly through increased sales of its devices if it could exclude Android-based phones from the market or raise the costs of such phones through IP-licenses or patent litigation. Google could similarly benefit by raising the costs of, or excluding, Apple devices because of the revenues it derives from Android-based devices.

The specific transactions at issue, however, are not likely to substantially lessen competition. The evidence shows that Motorola Mobility has had a long and aggressive history of seeking to capitalize on its intellectual property and has been engaged in extended disputes with Apple, Microsoft and others. As Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility is unlikely to materially alter that policy, the division concluded that transferring ownership of the patents would not substantially alter current market dynamics. This conclusion is limited to the transfer of ownership rights and not the exercise of those transferred rights.

With respect to Apple/Novell, the division concluded that the acquisition of the patents from CPTN, formerly owned by Novell, is unlikely to harm competition. While the patents Apple would acquire are important to the open source community and to Linux-based software in particular, the OIN, to which Novell belonged, requires its participating patent holders to offer a perpetual, royalty-free license for use in the "Linux-system." The division investigated whether the change in ownership would permit Apple to avoid OIN commitments and seek royalties from Linux users. The division concluded it would not, a conclusion made easier by Apple's commitment to honor Novell's OIN licensing commitments.

In its analysis of the transactions, the division took into account the fact that during the pendency of these investigations, Apple, Google and Microsoft each made public statements explaining their respective SEP licensing practices. Both Apple and Microsoft made clear that they will not seek to prevent or exclude rivals' products from the market in exercising their SEP rights.

Apple outlined its view of F/RAND in a letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) on Nov. 11, 2011, stating among other things:

"A party who made a FRAND commitment to license its cellular standards essential patents or otherwise acquired assets/rights from a party who made the FRAND commitment must not seek injunctive relief on such patents. Seeking an injunction would be a violation of the party's commitment to FRAND licensing." (emphasis supplied)

Microsoft stated publicly on Feb. 8, 2012, among other things:

"This means that Microsoft will not seek an injunction or exclusion order against any firm on the basis of those essential patents."

If adhered to in practice, these positions could significantly reduce the possibility of a hold up or use of an injunction as a threat to inhibit or preclude innovation and competition.

Google's commitments have been less clear. In particular, Google has stated to the IEEE and others on Feb. 8, 2012, that its policy is to refrain from seeking injunctive relief for the infringement of SEPs against a counter-party, but apparently only for disputes involving future license revenues, and only if the counterparty: forgoes certain defenses such as challenging the validity of the patent; pays the full disputed amount into escrow; and agrees to a reciprocal process regarding injunctions. Google's statement therefore does not directly provide the same assurance as the other companies' statements concerning the exercise of its newly acquired patent rights. Nonetheless, the division determined that the acquisition of the patents by Google did not substantially lessen competition, but how Google may exercise its patents in the future remains a significant concern.

For these reasons the division continues to have concerns about the potential inappropriate use of SEPs to disrupt competition and will continue to monitor the use of SEPs in the wireless device industry, particularly as they relate to smartphones and computer tablets. The division's continued monitoring of how competitors are exercising their patent rights will ensure that competition and innovation are unfettered in this important industry.

All three of the transactions highlight the complex intersection of intellectual property rights and antitrust law and the need to determine the correct balance between the rightful exercise of patent rights and a patent holder's incentive and ability to harm competition through the anticompetitive use of those rights.

Agency Cooperation

During the course of its investigation of the Google/Motorola Mobility transaction, the Department of Justice cooperated closely with the European Commission. In addition, the Department of Justice had discussions with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Canadian Competition Bureau, Israeli Antitrust Authority and the Korean Fair Trade Commission. In connection with the investigations relating to the Nortel patent assets, the division worked closely with states of New York and California and with the Canadian Competition Bureau.

The Antitrust Division's Closing Statement Policy

The division provides this statement under its policy of issuing statements concerning the closing of investigations in appropriate cases. This statement is limited by the division's obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations. As in most of its investigations, the division's evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public. Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the division is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the division in any future enforcement actions. Guidance on the division's policy regarding closing statements is available at: www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/guidelines/201888.htm.

US gives its blessing to Google's Moto purchase

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 01:31 PM PST

When it rains, it pours. Just hours after European regulators gave the green light to Google to snatch up Motorola Mobility, the US Justice Department gave the couple its own blessing. The $12.5 billion purchase has drawn serious scrutiny from both regulators and Big G's own partners, though, consensus seems to be that Mountain View is more interested in Moto's patents than in entering the hardware business. Though the Justice Department doesn't see the merger as an immediate threat to competition, it did issue a stern warning that it "will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to stop any anticompetitive use of SEP (standard essential patent) rights." The concern is an understandable one since all the major players in the mobile space, Motorola included, have been at each other's legal throats for some time now. There are still a few more interested parties who will have to give their own consent to the combination including China, Israel and Taiwan. But, with two of the biggest potential blockades giving Google the thumbs up, it's looking more and more likely that the purchase will go through.

VLC hits version 2.0: brings presents to all the platforms (update: it's the RC version)

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 01:22 PM PST

Open-source friend to all the video codecs, VLC media player, has hit version 2.0, bringing with it a raft of new features across Mac OS, Windows and Unix versions. VideoLAN's also brought the player kicking and screaming into this decade with a better (read; less Windows 98-looking) makeover. The PC version will include a new 64-bit edition, while Mac OS X users will get a new iTunes-esque look, playback for Blu-ray and a new native full screen mode for Lion. There's also a new subtitle manager and support for multiple videos inside RAR files. There's also two extra surprises; an iOS version makes a return to the fold, with the development of an Android version appearing in the change log. Willing to give the first release a try? The files are available for your platform of choice at the source link below.

Update: This is the release candidate version, so you won't be able to update your existing version. And it looks like 64-bit Windows users will have to wait a little longer.

Image credit: Felix Kühne

Tesla's Model X struts its stuff on video, gets serenaded by Elon Musk

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:50 PM PST

We may have attended the Model X premiere, but despite us pleading for a ride-along, Tesla PR insisted only those who'd plunked cash for a pre-order that evening would get the chauffeur treatment. Thankfully there's YouTube user TheSpeedRead, who either threw down enough cash or was swift enough to evade security, slipping into a Model X and gratuitously posting it for all to see. In the video above you'll catch a glimpse of the interior, which features the same 17-inch touchscreen as in the Model S. In addition, a Tesla employee muses about the advantages of its dual motor AWD system and low center of gravity as he sashays the crossover through a slalom course outside Tesla's design HQ. Our friends at Autoblog Green also culled a video from SmartPlanet featuring the company's CEO, Elon Musk, reflecting on the advantages of the Model X's unique "Falcon Wing" rear doors and touting the advantages of not having a space-hogging combustion engine in its front -- enabling the front trunk, or Frunk, to serve as a crumple zone "two to three times longer" than in competing vehicles. Get the full sales pitch from the entrepreneur extraordinaire after the break.

ESA's Vega rocket takes flight, delivers low-tonnage objects to high places

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:24 PM PST

On Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted a successful test of its newest projectile, the Vega rocket. Designed to carry up to nine objects totaling less than 2.5 metric tons ("tonnes," for those in the know) into orbit, the four-stage vehicle stands 30 meters tall and weighs in at just under 140 metric tons when fully loaded. The rocket aims to solve a key -- if slightly humdrum -- problem: at present, European researchers send their instrumentation into space on retrofitted Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The Vega platform should provide greater launch flexibility and reduce the delay (which can be months) scientists experience while waiting to hitch a ride on an ICBM. Although still in the testing stage, Monday's maiden voyage was a promising first step for the new spacecraft. Hit the source for more rocket-related excitement.

Canon PowerShot G1 X review

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST

Canon's G1 X boasts a beefy 14-megapixel resolution and a tank-load of ambition. Its mandate, no less, is to deliver the image quality and control of a DSLR inside the discreet body of a compact, aiming to attract serious photographers who want to travel light or supplement their main kit. That's why the G1 X houses a substantial 1.5-inch CMOS sensor, stretching to around 80 percent of the size of APS-C, along with an anti-minimalist array of dials, knobs and buttons to provide quick access to manual settings. It also explains why the G1 X is 30 percent heavier than both its evolutionary ancestor and some of its competitors, and why its price tag is equally hefty: $800, which is SLR-like in all the wrong ways. We've had this shooter long enough to gather our thoughts, but as to whether it deserves a smile or a snarl, you'll have to read on to find out.
Canon G1 X review

Hardware



So, the G1 X is technically a compact, but it's certainly not a compact compact. We admit to being slightly taken aback by this guy's size, weight and overall "blockiness" during un-boxing, even bearing in mind that the form factor hasn't changed much since the G12. The official weight including battery is 535g (19 ounces), whereas the G12 is 400g (14 ounces) and the PowerShot S100 is a mere 200g (seven ounces).

We measured the total protrusion, from the back of the closed LCD to the tip of the lens cover, at around 75mm (three inches) with the camera switched off. This is very similar to the camera's height, which helps to explain why the G1 X feels so cube-like. Powering the camera on immediately causes the lens to extend out 30mm (1.2 inches), even though that's maximum wide, while full zoom lengthens it by roughly the same amount again. Single-handed operation is easy enough, particularly when using the optical viewfinder, but the weight, long lens and 117mm (4.6-inch) width prevent this from feeling particularly natural or comfortable. In terms of pocket-ability, you'll require a deep coat pocket and even then it might look as if you're carrying a grenade.


If you take your photography seriously, then none of this size-ist talk should put you off. Neither should you be deterred by the fact that this camera demands to be stored and transported properly. Although the body and top dials are sturdy metal, the flip-out display and most of the buttons on the back are plastic, so you don't want this this thing flinging itself around in your luggage. A lighter, cheaper camera will happily be shoved into the general zip-up pocket on your rucksack, but not the G1 X.


Treat the G1 X right and its design will reward you generously. You can do things with a compact like this that would be too awkward with an SLR. Want to take some snaps of your kid in the toy store? A big, pro-looking SLR will not be your buddy in that situation, but the G1 X will barely attract a cursory glance from the guy on security.


Don't take that optical viewfinder for granted either. It's pokey, imprecise, lacking in any sort of visual aids, and at maximum wide it displays an intimate close-up of your lens barrel, but it's still handy for quick-trigger snaps when you don't want to mess with the flip-out LCD. Just bear in mind that shots through the OVF will leave you utterly reliant on auto-focus and you won't even know if it's accurate until you preview at the resultant image. Nevertheless, the grubby-faced image below was taken in this fashion, with flash too, and it turned out fine.


Directly below the OVF sits the large f/2.8-5.8 lens, which simply wouldn't fit on a smaller body. The large maximum aperture compares well with, say, the kit lens you might get with a similarly-priced DSLR or the Olympus E-P3, but the obvious flip-side to this is that you can't upgrade it. While NEX users can save up for a $1000 f/1.4 prime, and DSLR users can enjoy much cheaper and older fast lenses, the G1 X is stuck in it's birthday suit. Another bugbear: there's no in-built lens cap and we don't like lens caps that dangle off bits of string, because they get in the way.

Aside from everything else, the biggest boon offered by the G1 X's chunky design is the quantity and placement of manual controls, which put more fashion-conscious shooters to shame. You've got the wonderful stacked dials on top, giving immediate access to shooting modes and exposure compensation (to plus or minus 3EV). There's another dial on the front of the camera, just below the shutter release, which gives you SLR-style control over aperture and helps to make full manual mode feel entirely normal. The hot shoe mount is a major asset, even if it does protrude a couple of millimeters too far. The position of the flash and its switch will cause you no problems, while the power, shutter release and zoom knobs are precisely where you'd expect to find them.


Shutter speed is controlled via a scroll wheel on the rear of the camera, which also functions a D-Pad. Including this hybrid wheel and its four-way buttons, there are no fewer than thirteen separate physical controls on the back of the camera. Many of these buttons have multiple functions depending on your shooting mode and settings, which makes for a pretty intimidating array. A DSLR user will feel right at home, however, and compact users will owe it to themselves to become proficient with these controls -- after all, this is an $800 investment.

User Interface

The centerpiece of the UI is the bright and effective three-inch, 922,000-dot LCD, which displays an overlaid histogram and spirit level by default. Beyond those indicators, you get numbers and symbols for all the usual bits of information, and these can be readily understood without referring to the manual. Especially helpful are the visual indications of which dial you need to turn to change a setting -- that's a very friendly touch, especially since you can re-assign the dials to different functions and potentially lose track of what they each do. Oh, and good news for videographers and the vanity-afflicted: the LCD flips out completely allowing to check framing even when you're in front of the lens. It's an identical system to that on Nikon D5100 and you'll quickly come to rely on it.


At the top left of the LCD you'll find a shortcut button, which can be assigned to a range of controls to speed up access, such as white balance or whether you want to capture a RAW image to go along with your JPEG.


To get the most out of this camera, and despite the abundance of bells and whistles, you'll still need to enter the menu system for some crucial settings. For example, for reliable focusing you should pick the right mode -- FlexiZone lets you choose which part of the frame to focus on, while other modes prioritize faces or track moving objects. Whichever mode you choose will have a knock-on effect on what happens when you press the focus button, immediately top-left of the scroll wheel. It's a logical system, and a necessity for giving you complete control, but it's a language that can takes some hours of shooting to master -- even if you're an experienced photographer.

There's one omission that we can't gloss over: the dedicated ISO button from the G12 has evaporated. This means changing ISO is now a three-stage process, where you press 'up' on the D-pad, then 'left' or 'right' to the desired setting, then 'FUNC.SET' to accept it. There has to be a limit to how many dials you can fit on a camera this size, so we're not going to make a huge fuss. Besides, you can tell the camera your maximum acceptable ISO and let it take care of the rest. All in all, you won't find us grumbling over any aspect of this camera's UI.

Performance and battery life

Grabbing a shot in a rush was no problem with the G1 X. We could power up, frame a shot using the optical viewfinder, focus and release the shutter in 3.1 seconds. Flipping the LCD viewfinder around to use that instead of the OVF added a one-second delay due to the extra fumbling and time for framing.


Canon claims 4.5 full-res shots per second, but that's only with the Burst mode that lasts for six shots. With continuous shooting, we fired off nine shots in the space of five seconds (i.e., just under two frames per second) with fixed focus, full-res JPEG files, shutter at 1/125 and a SanDisk Extreme Pro 45MB/s SD card. With continuous AF shooting as we moved towards a stationary target, it took ten seconds to get nine shots, or less than one frame per second. Capturing RAW as well as JPEG files during continuous AF yielded six shots in ten seconds. For comparison, using a Nikon D5100 used in the same conditions, with the same SD card and the same settings (RAW+JPEG, Continuous AF) produced 17 shots in ten seconds, which means the G1 X can be up to three times slower than a similarly priced DSLR, and also slower than many other compacts on the market.

Battery life was acceptable, but not impressive. We achieved 230 shots (or 300 files, as many were RAW+JPEG), captured over the space of three hours, before the camera died. This did include an obscene number of self-timer shots, long exposures and also a few 1080p video clips totaling around two and a half minutes, and absorbing around 3.3GB of data on a single charge should be sufficient for most users. However, it has to be said that the Sony NEX-7 managed 700 stills and 45 minutes of 1920 x 1080 video on a charge. (Bear in mind, though, that various settings will have been different between our two reviews, so this can't be treated as a benchmark -- it's merely a broad-brush comparison.)


Macro mode on the G1 X leaves also much to be desired. Autofocus during macro was slow and unintelligent, and we could only achieve proper focus with the lens at full wide, which severely limited just how "macro" we go.

Image and video quality
Canon G1 X sample shots

We loved the vast majority of the stills we took with this camera, and especially those with bold colors and plenty of light. The camera itself doesn't produce particularly vibrant colors, but when we supplied the vibrancy our shots came out nicely. The contribution of the large sensor is obvious, especially in shots that benefit from shallow depth of field.


The camera made smart adjustments to white balance and it's auto-exposure was usually right on target -- although once or twice the camera showed an inclination towards over-exposure when in evaluative mode. Moreover, due to excellent image stabilization, we were just about able to scrape through with a clean-ish portrait shot of the security guard above at an eighth of a second shutter speed (with evaluative metering and everything on auto).

We generally avoided the various post-processing modes within the camera, but one shooting mode that quickly proved its usefulness was the in-camera HDR processing, which merges three different exposures into a single image give a much greater dynamic range.


Low-light performance was one area where our high expectations of the large sensor were slightly disappointed. Perhaps we've been spoiled by our experience with full-frame cameras, but it's important to acknowledge that you can't shoot ISO 1600 on this device and expect to be able to heavily crop or blow up your images.


Noise was less apparent in JPEG images, because the processing blurred out speckle with the sacrifice of detail. If you look at Cyclop's cheek below, you can see how details fade at the higher ISOs. Despite our criticisms, however, noise is very scene- and exposure-dependent and there'll be times when you can pull off a shot at maximum ISO and still feel pleased with the results, so this issue can't be considered a deal-breaker.



Video quality was par for the course for a still camera -- but that's still a rookie course. Audio was good and adjusted cleverly to extremely loud and quiet sounds, and there's a 3.5mm mic jack a cable release port and mini HDMI output to help matters further. Zoom works while recording, but it'll often highlight bad focusing. While the continuous auto-focus during video was better than some stills cameras we've seen, it still couldn't quite keep up with quick changes in distance. There wasn't much hunting, at least: the focus shifted gradually before settling on the right subject, which made for nicer viewing. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for auto-exposure, which adjusted itself far too abruptly and became a distraction. So, while this camera fared well compared to the competition, we still wouldn't use it for anything other than relatively static shots, or short and casual clips for remembering a moment in time.





The competition

For all its foibles, the G1 X still holds up well against its rivals. While the Nikon P7100 may look similar, it has a much smaller sensor and lower resolution -- as reflected by the fact that it's $300 cheaper.

At closer quarters sits the Olympus E-P3, which has similarly intuitive design and manual controls along with the added advantage of interchangeable lenses, but it has a slightly smaller sensor and it's $100 more expensive. Meanwhile, the Fujifilm X10 can be ruled out of this comparison because of its comparatively tiny sensor.


If you want interchangeable lenses and manual controls and a lovely huge sensor, then you need to seriously magnify your budget, since the Sony NEX-7 goes for $1,200, the Fujifilm X100 fetches $1,400 and the X-Pro 1 is expected to roll in with a $1,700 ransom demand. You could also check out Ricoh's GXR modular system.


Going the opposite way down budget highway brings us to the wonderful NEX-C3, which we've worshipped aplenty on this site. It's just $600 with an f/2.8 fixed lens, has a full APS-C sensor with greater resolution than the G1 X, and it has better battery life too. On the other hand, the C3 is more geared to automatic shooting and the lack of buttons and dials makes manual controls more fiddly in comparison. We actually tried switching to NEX-C3 after a day of manual shooting with the G1 X and it was an intensely frustrating experience.


One other option you have to consider is going right up to a full-blown DSLR. You may reject this notion out-of-hand if you're a seasoned shooter and the whole reason you're looking at the G1 X is because it's a compact. On the other hand, if you're just starting out with manual-mode photography and you're open to the idea of something three times bigger and heavier, then a camera like the Nikon D5100 offers a larger sensor, better controls, interchangeable lenses, the same flippable LCD, a far superior optical viewfinder, better low-light performance, and more shots per second, and all for just $900.

Wrap-up


If you demand that an $800 camera contributes to your photography with "extras" like high ISO, interchangeable lenses or exceptional macro prowess, then the G1 X has rivals that are perhaps more worthy of your consideration. However, having used the G1 X heavily for a few days, we can look past its weaknesses -- even its underwhleming battery life and uninformative OVF -- and admit we've become quite attached to it. Our affection has everything to do with the large sensor, fast lens and the overall physicality of the camera -- its design, feel, and the accessibility of its controls. If you want a tool for capturing high-impact images, and not necessarily for adding impact to your images, then the G1 X ought to suit you fine.
at 12:00 PM

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