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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

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TAG Heuer's Racer smartphone wants to be as ostentatious and flashy as your supercar (video)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:39 AM PDT

Previous endeavors in the stratospheric and ultra-high end phone market have resulted in fanciful hardware made out of exotic materials, often marred by perplexingly outdated innards. If you believe TAG Heuer's latest marketing hyperbole, that's set to change with its upcoming Racer smartphone. Just like its bespoke contemporaries, there's a flashy (and arguably gaudy) carbon fibre and titanium exterior, but underneath that veil is a "high speed" processor and the "latest Android software." So, quad-core silicon and Ice Cream Sandwich, right? Two and a half minutes of flamboyant renders await alongside some very brief PR after the break.

Show full PR text
TAG Heuer RACER - the 1st Luxury Phone Crafted for High Performance

PARIS, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Swiss engineered for ultimate lightness and strength using only high-tech materials. The shockproof rubber chassis is supported and strengthened by the screwed-in titanium and carbon fiber bridges.

Engineered without compromise, TAG Heuer RACER achieves an unparalleled torsion and strength to weight ratio. The result is a fusion of luxury and performance inspired by TAG Heuer heritage in GT cars and Formula 1.

TAG Heuer's strive for excellence is also expressed in the high speed processor and latest Android software. Showcasing for the 1st time is a new customizable 3D user interface to fit the individual needs of each owner.

A true avant-garde innovation made by TAG Heuer.

The new TAG Heuer Racer collection starts at 2800€, and will be available in TAG Heuer boutiques, luxury mobile boutiques and selected watch and jewelry retailers in July.

Google+ mobile site gets UI refresh, now more like its app siblings

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Well, it's not quite the tablet-friendly app we've been waiting for, but, it'll do. Google+ has gotten something of a mobile facelift, bringing the portable site's design more in line with that of the Android and iOS mobile apps. The revamp isn't just visual, it also hides some nice new features, like the ability to reshare posts with just the click of a virtual button. You can check it out now by visiting plus.google.com on your mobile device or by opening m.google.com/apps/plus in your desktop browser.

Walmart in-store disc to digital UltraViolet conversion gets official

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:06 AM PDT

In a press event panel that included almost every big studio executive -- sans Disney -- Walmart announced an exclusive in-store disc to digital conversion service. Starting April 16th, in more than 3,500 stores, you'll be able to bring your DVD or Blu-ray discs in and have 'em added to your Vudu movie collection. The privilege of watching movies, you already bought, online via Vudu will cost you $2, but if you own the DVD, it'll cost you $5 to upgrade your digital copy to HD. In addition, you can now buy UltraViolet movies via Vudu and watch them via other UV supported sources -- we assume this is a two-way street, but it isn't spelled out that way in the press release (after the break). This is easily the biggest news for the, now beta badged, UltraViolet service but most of our complaints persist until there's single-sign on and the standard downloadable CFF (common file format) is a reality.
Show full PR text
Walmart to Unlock America's Favorite Movies with Exclusive Disc-to-Digital Service

BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 13, 2012 – It's time to unlock your DVDs America! The freedom to watch your movies any time, any place is here! Walmart is giving physical DVD/Blu-ray collections across the country a second life by turning them into digital movies. The nation's largest home entertainment retailer is the first to announce an exclusive in-store disc-to-digital service which gives movie lovers the freedom to watch their DVD/Blu-ray collections from Internet-connected devices, including televisions, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and more. The service is powered by VUDU, the industry-leading video streaming service.

Walmart, in partnership with the major Hollywood studios: Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, is increasing the value of movie ownership for its customers. Starting April 16th, 2012 in more than 3,500 stores, Walmart customers will be able to bring their DVD and Blu-ray collections to Walmart and receive digital access to their favorite titles from the partnering studios. An equal conversion for standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs will be $2. Standard DVDs can be upgraded to High-Def (HD) for $5.

The appetite for enjoying movies is strong and growing. Walmart wants to help movie lovers download or stream their movies when they want and where they want. Walmart asked thousands of customers their thoughts regarding movie ownership. Customers want to own physical Blu-rays and DVDs and customers also want to have digital access to those same movies for convenience. Customers also cited accessibility, security, affordability, and simplicity as key decision factors for wanting a digital solution. Walmart listened and is delivering America's first disc-to-digital service.

"Walmart is helping America get access to their DVD library," said John Aden, executive vice president for general merchandising, Walmart U.S. "Walmart Entertainment's new disc-to-digital service will allow our customers to reconnect with the movies they already own on a variety of new devices, while preserving the investments they've made in disc purchases over the years. We believe this revolutionary in-store service will unlock new value for already-owned DVDs, and will encourage consumers to continue building physical and digital movie libraries in the future."

Walmart Entertainment's Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU: How it Works

The process to convert previously-purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to digital copies is quick and simple:

Bring your movie collections from the participating studio partners – Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. – to your local Walmart Photo Center.
A Walmart associate will help you create a free VUDU account.
Tell the associate how you'd like your movies converted:
Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,
Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.
Walmart will authorize the digital copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and you get to keep your physical discs.
Log onto VUDU.com from more than 300 Internet-connected devices to view movies any time, any place.
Walmart Entertainment supports UltraViolet, the movie industry's initiative currently in its beta phase that allows consumers to put their purchased movies into a cloud-based digital library and keep track of them safely and securely. Walmart is able to offer customers the ability to watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles directly from VUDU. These enhancements to Walmart Entertainment's services are the first of their kind from a major retailer and mark an important milestone in the expansion of digital home video ownership.

To learn more about Walmart Entertainment's new services and to view an animated demonstration please visit: www.walmartstores.com/entertainment

Quotes from Walmart's Studio Partners:

"Consumers today want new and flexible ways to enjoy movies and Walmart's disc-to-digital program will be another important avenue to introduce Paramount movies on this new platform to a broader, more comprehensive audience," said Dennis Maguire, president, Worldwide Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures. "The unmatched reach of Walmart – which serves over 140 million consumers every week – means we can quickly grow awareness for this unique technology throughout every region across the country."

"Never before have consumers been able to add value to their existing collections so easily and economically as with Walmart's disc-to-digital conversion service," said David Bishop, president, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "Disc-to-digital will be a milestone through which Hollywood and Walmart are finding ways to create even more value for consumers."

"With Walmart's new disc-to-digital service, there has never been a better time to own movies," said Simon Swart,
executive vice president and general manager, North America, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "There are more than 100 million households in the US that have an existing DVD or Blu-ray library. It is now possible to digitize those movies conveniently and enjoy the benefits that ownership gives at home or any place you go."

"Walmart's disc-to-digital service is a terrific consumer proposition, offering exceptional value, ease and convenience in preserving and enhancing consumers' prized movie collections," said Craig Kornblau, president, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "Now, with the launch of this pioneering service, Blu-ray and DVD buyers are afforded both the opportunity and the affordability to future proof their movie collections and assemble their own digital libraries that can be easily stored and accessed through their own UltraViolet cloud for viewing anywhere, anytime."

"Consumers want value and convenience and Walmart's disc-to-digital service will deliver both while helping consumers realize the benefits of digital ownership," Ron Sanders, president, Warner Home Video. "Between the heavy foot traffic in-store and the aggressive educational campaign Walmart is planning, this partnership is the perfect opportunity for us to reach a mainstream audience much sooner than by more traditional means, while making the process as quick and easy for consumers as possible."

Rdio rolls out redesigned website and desktop apps, promises to make things more social

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 10:54 AM PDT

If you've checked into Rdio's website this afternoon (and are a web or unlimited subscriber) you've probably noticed a message prompting you to try out the "new Rdio." Clicking on it will take you to the redesigned website that the music streaming service has rolled out today -- something the company claims is "faster, simpler, and more social." That includes a completely overhauled layout that puts it slightly more in line with the likes of Spotify and iTunes, and social networking features that are brought to the fore, including a new "People Sidebar" where you can see who's online and what they're listening to (along with suggestions of people to follow). You can also now simply drag tracks to the People Sidebar to share them with friends, or drag entire albums to add them to a playlist. What's more, that overhaul also carriers over to Rdio's desktop apps, which now mirror the web interface quite closely. Hit the links below to take a closer look or try it for yourself.

Marvell launches Kinoma Play app platform for Android

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 10:39 AM PDT

Almost a year has passed since we last saw Marvell's Kinoma platform in person, but the time has finally arrived for its release. We got the chance to sit down with Peter Hoddie, VP of the Kinoma Platform, to learn a little bit more about his software and what Kinoma can bring to your smartphone experience. First, a quick refresher. Kinoma Play is technically an app, but in reality it serves as an entirely new UI for your Android device running versions 2.1 and up. The platform currently has 50 of its own apps -- written in Kinoma Play Script, a Javascript language -- that are obtained through the Kinoma store, and these apps can be accessed on their own or through Play's unique dashboard system.

There are currently five dashboards: Play, Search, Places, Music, and Send, with more to come as users ask for them. These dashboards group related apps and allow you to access them simultaneously in a truncated, list form -- for instance, the search dashboard returns results from Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Bing, and any other Kinoma app you choose to add. In addition to those useful dashboards, the software improves the UX by simply speeding things up. It's a lightweight platform with small apps (many are only 100 - 150KB in size) that launch quickly and run smoothly. Still not sold? Head on past the break to see Peter walk us through a little bit of what Kinoma can do, and read on to learn more about the platform.


In our brief time with Kinoma this time around, we were impressed with its speed and smooth operation, particularly because it was running on a Nexus One, which isn't exactly cutting edge hardware. Peter and his team of two dozen developers worked hard to keep Kinoma lightweight and flexible, which is part of the reason that it works through JavaScript. Using JavaScript also makes it much easier and faster for folks to write new Kinoma apps, and combined with its Kinoma Create development environment based on Eclipse IDE, Marvell hopes will make the platform attractive to devs.

DLNA and UPnP support are also baked in -- so Kinoma apps can stream and share media with a bevy of devices -- as is OpenGL hardware accelerated graphics. That hardware acceleration means that Kinoma can scale to just about any screen size, from tablets to TVs, without developers having to rewrite their apps. This framework allows for apps to be written once, and they'll work on any smartphone platform with the Kimona Play app, and yes, that includes iOS. Unfortunately, Kimona isn't coming to Apple folks just yet, but rest assured it's in the works. Marvell isn't stopping with Android and iDevices, either, it has plans to leverage the lightweight platform by putting it on almost any device with a wireless connection -- its already been put on a printer (webOS, eat your heart out). However, its Android-only for now, so head on over to the Android Market for a free download if you want to check it out for yourself, and peep the PR below for more info.

Show full PR text
Marvell Launches Preview of Kinoma Play for Android
Kinoma dashboards automatically organize your media, news, and information

SXSW 2012 – Austin, TX. – March 12, 2012 – Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL), today announced the immediate availability of Kinoma® Play for Android-powered phones. The preview release of Kinoma Play includes a suite of 50 apps enabling digital media, social networking, location, and search. Anyone with an Android phone is invited to experience Kinoma Play as a free download from Android Market.

"Marvell is investing in our Kinoma software platform because we understand the importance of great software to the success of our customers. Our vision of the Connected Lifestyle guides our product development. Kinoma Play truly shows the power of that Connected Lifestyle," said Weili Dai, Co-Founder of Marvell. "I believe our customers can now build on Kinoma to bring increased value to their own products. Android is just the first stop. We're working to bring Kinoma to additional Marvell-powered devices."

Kinoma Dashboards
What makes Kinoma Play special is how it combines information and features from across Kinoma apps into dashboards to simplify and speed everyday tasks. Kinoma Play includes five dashboards:
- Play shows up-to-the-minute information from every Kinoma app with news – social networks, recent photos, stocks, weather, the song you're listening to, upcoming calendar events, and even Kinoma app updates.
- Search uncovers surprising information by quickly collecting results from across every Kinoma app that supports search.
- Places is an in-depth guide to what's nearby, combining information from foursquare, Yelp, YouTube, Wikipedia, and HearPlanet, the world's largest audio guide.
- Music is a music lover's dream, delivering photos, biographies, and videos of the artist you're listening to now.
- Send is the hub for sharing and organizing media: show videos on a television, tweet about a song, upload a picture to Flickr, download a podcast, or add to a playlist.

Media Connect
Kinoma Play's Media Connect app shares media with other devices on the same network, even other phones. It supports the popular Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard built into many televisions, computers, and game consoles including Xbox 360 and PS3. Media Connect allows you to easily:
- Show pictures, music, and video from your phone on DLNA compatible televisions
- Play content from media servers on your phone
- Share content with neighboring devices by turning your phone into a media server

Kinoma Create
Further setting it apart from other mobile apps, Kinoma Play is an open environment: developers are invited to bring their ideas into Kinoma Play, from simply plugging into dashboards to creating full apps. Kinoma Create is the environment for Kinoma development on Mac and Windows. Built on the popular Eclipse IDE, developers can easily edit, debug, and profile their apps in Kinoma Create's unified environment, and test on both the built-in Kinoma Simulator and Android phones over Wi-Fi.

Kinoma apps are written in Kinoma Play Script (KPS) which uses the same JavaScript language as HTML5, providing a familiar starting point for developers. The optimized KPS runtime delivers high performance, media rich, portable, integrated experiences. The biggest innovation in KPS is how it inverts the traditional event driven programming model. KPS apps follow a content-driven model where the primary task is gathering information to display, not displaying information and responding to events. This approach better reflects the focus of today's connected apps, simplifying development.

Coming soon
"Today's preview of Kinoma Play and Kinoma Create is just the beginning," said Peter Hoddie, vice president of the Kinoma Platform at Marvell. "We have big plans for the rest of the year. Our work on a fully hardware accelerated rendering pipeline using OpenGL is delivering beautiful results on tablets. We're making great progress on Kinoma for iOS, which will allow us to deliver the same Kinoma apps on both Android and iOS. And we'll share a significant portion of our app suite under an open source license for developers to learn from and build on."

Availability
Anyone with an Android phone running Android 2.1 or later (Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich) can experience Kinoma Play as a free download from Android Market.

Developers who want to discover how productive and fun it can be to build apps with Kinoma's innovative content-driven programming model are invited to try Kinoma Create on their Mac or Windows-based computer. An Android phone is optional. Kinoma Create is available as a free download at developer.kinoma.com.

SxSW show attendees and media are invited to see Kinoma Play and Kinoma Create, along with a preview of our upcoming work, at the Austin Convention Center, Booth #135.

Join the conversation about Kinoma on Twitter with #Kinoma and follow @Kinoma for the latest news and tips about Kinoma Play and Kinoma Create.

Samsung official claims Apple's releasing a 7.85-inch iPad

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Just six days have elapsed since the unveiling of Apple's third-generation iPad, and the rumor mill is already wildly speculating about what's in store for the next one. Korea Times has quoted an unnamed (yeah) Samsung official who has said that we can expect a 7.85-inch version of the tablet to arrive by the end of the year. As usual, it's fair to point out that the company is famous for producing a wide variety of prototypes, so we won't be delaying that pre-order. On firmer ground, they mentioned that as a key component supplier to the iPad, the Korean giant will earn around $10 billion manufacturing Cupertino's NAND flash chips, displays, mobile DRAM and processors -- so no matter who wins the tablet wars, the manufacturing conglomerate will probably do quite well.

Wanna see HP engineers shoot laptops with electricity? (video)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 09:59 AM PDT

You may think your job is cool, but do you work at Hewlett Packard's Elite PC reliability testing lab? It's the sort of place you'll find robots opening and closing DVD trays thousands of times and levers constantly opening laptops to see if its hinges can withstand your daily commute. Oh yeah, and firing 10,000 volts of static electricity at your notebook, as you do.

Google patent could replace the ringback tone with adverts (updated)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 09:22 AM PDT

It's a patent, so we can't promise it'll appear in the next version of Android, but since Google's filed it, you never know. Mountain View's best and brightest (Ronald Ho and Jennifer W. Lin) have patented adverts that replace the cellphone ringtone. Once it's identified the caller and the location, rather than playing your specially selected "Mom" song, it'll play a relevant advert -- say, for a local florist or the nearest drug store. Advertisers are billed depending on how much of the track gets played: so they'll be paying top-dollar when you take a few seconds to pause before answering to your boss.

Update: Patents, eh? As many of you pointed out, it's less about your ringtone and more about the ringback: so when you're waiting for the other person to pick up, you'll be treated to advertising.

Sprint offering free 3G / 4G Plug-in-connect, clears space for faster dongles

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 08:57 AM PDT

Over the weekend, Sprint announced it's handing out one of its 3G / 4G dongles free of charge to its customers -- with a catch, though. The gratis U602 Plug-in-connect can be yours now if you're rockin' an American Express Prepaid Reward Card, getting a new line or willing to sign a fresh two-year deal. And, if those options aren't tempting enough, you'll unfortunately have to part ways with a mere 50 bucks in order to take one home. However, don't expect this Now Network USB connector to let you surf on those promised LTE waves, since beloved WiMax speeds (with 3G as a fallback option) are all you can get. Sound good? The Plug-in-connect is up for grabs now at your local store or via the source link below.
Show full PR text
Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect USB Available to Sprint Customers March 11

Available beginning March 11, Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect provides flexibility and quick access to Sprint 3G and 4G networks

Beginning, Sunday, March 11, Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect will be available via Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and online (www.sprint.com) for FREE with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1.

With its compact design, Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in Connect USB provides flexible and easy access to the Sprint 3G and 4G networks in one click. With no computer software to install and no application to wait for, Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in Connect USB works just like an Ethernet cable, just plug-in and open the internet browser.

Get work started quickly by plugging the rotating connector into any USB port and auto-connect to Sprint's fastest network available within seconds. Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in-Connect USB provides the convenience that mobile workers need with real-time access to company resources, networks and data.

Key Features include:

No computer software, CD to install – just plug-in and connect
Auto-connect to Sprint's Mobile Broadband 3G and 4G Networks where available
Rotating USB Connector
3G GPS enabled
Supports 3G and 4G DataLink
Supports session based billing giving customers the option to pay for data access on the Sprint 3G and 4G networks by the day, week or month with no long-term contract
External antenna ports
Supports Windows® 7, Windows® Vista, Windows® XP , MAC 10.5,10.6, 10.7 with Intel platform

Sprint 3G/4G Plug-in Connect USB customers have flexibility with their billing with the choice of a two-year Mobile broadband Plan or pay-as-you-go options. Sprint Mobile Broadband Plans for USB devices start at $49.99 per month for 6GB of combined on-network 3G/4G data usage (excludes taxes and surcharges)2. Customers who purchase a monthly recurring plan with a two-year contract also receive discounted device pricing. Customers who prefer not to purchase a recurring plan or sign a 2-year contract may instead purchase the device at full Suggested Retail Price (SRP) and utilize Sprint's pay-as-you-go services.

Pay-as-you-go allows customers to pay for data access on the Sprint 3G and 4G networks by the day, week or month with no long-term contract. Customers can choose the 3G/4G Day, Week or Month pass that fits their needs:

Day: $14.99 for 150 MB of on-network usage in a 24-hour period (includes 50 MB off-network roaming usage)
Week: $29.99 for 500 MB of on-network usage in a 7-day period (includes 100 MB off-network roaming usage)
Month: $49.99 for 1.5 GB of usage in a 30-day period (includes 150 MB off-network roaming usage)

Related Links:

www.sprint.com/newsroom

PSA: Verizon and AT&T ready to take your money for new iPads on March 16

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 08:27 AM PDT

We've now seen what the new iPad's packaging will entail come Friday, but it doesn't change the fact that elbowing your way to the front of those Apple Store queues isn't for everyone. Fortunately, both Verizon and AT&T are more than willing to sell you their 4G-connected iterations -- alongside a new data plan, we're sure. For the 16GB entry-level model, you're looking at around $630 on Verizon and $530 for AT&T. Before making your choice of carrier, however, we reckon you'll want to read up on those pesky data rates at the pair of source links below.

Engadget Giveaway: win one of three SOL Republic Tracks headphones, courtesy of ColorWare!

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 08:01 AM PDT

The giveaways don't stop coming, and why should they? Everyone loves the chance to win free stuff. This week we have three pairs of custom-designed SOL Republic Tracks HD headphones up for grabs, thanks to our friends over at ColorWare! These guys are all about coming up with cool designs, as you can probably tell just by scoping out the units we're giving away (seen above), and they can add their touch to plenty more than just headphones: laptops, phones and gaming consoles are a few examples. So check out the rules below, and leave a comment to get entered!

The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning.
  • Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winners will be chosen randomly. Three winners will receive one pair of SOL Republic Tracks HD headphones.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. ColorWare and Engadget are not held liable to honor warranties or customer service.
  • The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
  • Entries can be submitted until March 14, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Former Sony exec Phil Harrison takes over for Peter Molyneux at Microsoft (update: confirmed)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 07:25 AM PDT

Phil HarrisonPhil Harrison, former head of Sony Worldwide Studios and the man that introduced the world to Playstation Home and gave one of the earliest public demos of the PS3, is heading to Microsoft. Harrison, also a former member of the board at Atari, will be stepping into the shoes recently abandoned by gaming legend Peter Molyneux. While his role at Lionhead was filled by the studio's co-founder Mark Webley, Molyneux's role as head Microsoft's European gaming efforts was left vacant while the company searched for the right fit. The man for the job is apparently Harrison, who is expected to be officially introduced by the Redmond crew later today.

Update: Well, that didn't take long. Check out the PR after the break announcing Harrison's joining of the Interactive Entertainment Business team.

Update 2: Microsoft has reached out to us to clarify that Harrison joining the team is unrelated to Molyneux's departure and there is still a vacancy for Microsoft Studios Europe Creative Director which may be filled with internal talent.

[Image credit: Rob Fahey]
Show full PR text
REDMOND, Wash. - March 13, 2012 - Microsoft Corp. today announced that Phil Harrison, video games luminary and former Sony executive, has joined the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB) leadership team as corporate vice president with an emphasis on growing the division's European business.

As the senior IEB leader in Europe, Phil will not only lead the Microsoft Studios European organization directly, but will also influence the broader performance of IEB's European business through strategic partnerships and by bringing culturally relevant entertainment experiences to Microsoft platforms, now and in the future.

In addition to the wealth of experience Harrison has in the console gaming space, he has immersed himself in new business models and technologies, particularly in the mobile and social space and will bring that market perspective to bear in the new role. He will also tap his deep experience in studio leadership to grow Xbox's development efforts in Europe, including overseeing UK-based developers Lionhead Studios, Soho Productions and Rare Ltd.

"I am excited to be joining the senior team at Microsoft at a pivotal time for our industry," said Harrison. "I am really impressed with the company's long-term vision for growing the market for interactive entertainment globally and also with the incredible wealth of talent, technology and resources the company has available to succeed."

"We are honored to have Phil join a team that boasts a wealth of talent from across the industry," said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president at Microsoft Studios. "Phil is one of video gaming's true visionaries, and his experience overseeing global studios and deep industry relationships make him the ideal person to lead our European efforts. Under his leadership, we look forward to continuing cultivating the best talent and growing our business in the region."

"Phil has played an instrumental role in shaping modern console history through his keen insights into both hardware and software strategy," said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business. "His addition to our leadership team will impact our global business in innumerable ways, as he aligns our studio development and growing portfolio of entertainment experiences in Europe to drive our continued growth worldwide."

Harrison brings 25 years of games industry and development experience to his new role as the senior leader for IEB Europe. He was a long-time leader at Sony Computer Entertainment, where he held various senior executive positions within the company, most recently as president of Worldwide Studios. After leaving Sony, Harrison joined the board of Infogrames, as president of Atari, where he led the company's transition into online gaming. Most recently, Harrison is co-founder and General Partner of London Venture Partners, LLP the venture capital firm focused

TED launches 'TED-Ed', hopes to make lessons worth sharing

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 07:12 AM PDT

Who doesn't love filling an idle hour with a good ol' bit of TED? Now, the people behind those share-worthy ideas are bringing us TED-Ed: a new lesson-based YouTube channel. Aimed primarily at high-schoolers, the initiative invites teachers to submit their "best lesson" in a youthful mind-friendly ten minutes or less. If chosen, TED will ship out a "portable recording booth" -- which look suspiciously like an iPad in a sound-absorbing flightcase. Once the knowledge has been preserved, it's sent over to a team of animators to bring it to life. If you know a great teacher, or animator, you can also nominate them to the TED-Ed team if they're too humble to put themselves forward. The TEDEducation YouTube channel is up and running right now, but the new original content won't land until a dedicated site is launched next month. There's a typically heartwarming and informative video about the project after the break.

Pain Gun vs. Reporter round two, reporter left feelin' hot, hot, hot (video)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 06:41 AM PDT

You may not recall when 60 Minutes' David Martin took a shot at the Pain Gun, but it didn't end well for the fleshy anchorman. Now Wired's Spencer Ackerman's having a go, with similarly one-sided results. The Pentagon's sanguinely-named Active Denial System turns electricity into millimeter-wave radio frequency, silently pumping out 95GHz of searing hot agony from distances of 2,500 feet. The project's still got a few issues, namely that it takes 16 hours to boot up, uses a heck of a lot of energy and stops working if it's raining, snowing or dusty. But, you know, it'll be back when the air clears up, and you probably don't want to be around when it arrives. If you'd like to see the score go 2-0 to the weaponized microwave, head on past the break.


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

Samsung Galaxy Player 70 Dual Core hands-on (video)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 06:02 AM PDT

Everything Samsung seems to be just a touch better in Seoul, and the South Korean giant's Galaxy Player 70 is no exception. For starters, it ships with a dual-core 1GHz processor -- a first for the WiFi-only Galaxy Player series. The 5-inch capacitive-touch LCD offers 800 x 480-pixel resolution, and can display whatever the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS throws its way, but it also packs a unique Korea-only punch: a DMB TV tuner, for pulling in terrestrial programming only available in Samsung's home country. There's also a requisite 8-inch retractable antenna, in addition to the standard micro-USB port, microSD card slot, headphone jack, built-in mic and stereo speakers around back. Like most Samsung portables, it's also photo friendly, with a 5-megapixel camera with flash on the rear and a VGA cam up front. The 2500mAh battery isn't easily swappable, unfortunately, since the PMP's backplate is screwed to the housing.

Considering that the Player is only going to be available for purchase in Korea, the only opportunity to go hands-on at this point is at Samsung HQ, which we just happen to be visiting this week. We spent some time with the device today, and while there's no chance of this iteration ever making an appearance on U.S. shores, we certainly wouldn't mind if it did. The plastic housing has the same look and feel as most other Galaxy devices, so there were no surprises there. It does bear a striking resemblance to the Galaxy S II, though the LCD here doesn't offer contrast or color reproduction that's anywhere close to the Super AMOLED Plus display on that record-breaking smartphone. Navigating the TouchWiz interface felt snappy, as it should given the processing duo on board, and the DMB television viewer worked flawlessly -- at least once we had a chance to take it away from the rumored-frequency-jamming R&D facility. Join us past the break for a closer look at the Galaxy Player 70 -- for those of you living outside of Korea, this may very well be your only chance.
Samsung Galaxy Player 70 hands-on

Metro-styled build of Chrome in the works for Windows 8

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 05:28 AM PDT

Windows 8's impending metro/desktop split means some programs may be pulling double duty in your task manager -- one for its classic environment, and one for its fancy facade. Google, not to be outdone by Mozilla, recently told Mashable that it's building a version of Chrome optimized for Windows 8's more stylized setting. "Our goal is to be able to offer our users a speedy, simple, secure Chrome experience across all platforms, which includes both the desktop and Metro versions of Windows 8." a Google spokesperson said, "To that end we're in the process of building a Metro version of Chrome along with improving desktop Chrome in Windows 8 such as adding enhanced touch support." The representative didn't say when the Metro version of the app would be ready, but hopefully it won't too far from Windows 8's own launch day.

Miselu Neiro Android-powered synth hands-on at SXSW (video)

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 05:04 AM PDT

This is the Miselu Neiro, a "portable, net-enabled social music device" which was announced this weekend at SXSW. We were able see and handle the first-ever prototype fresh off the lab bench at the SoundCloud Open House in Austin. The app-based, Android-powered synth features a two octave velocity and pressure-sensitive keyboard, a capacitive multitouch widescreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and even a webcam. Battery life is expected to be in the five to six hour range. The laptop-sized instrument features audio I/O, MIDI I/O, two USB ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot. It currently runs Gingerbread on a dual-core TI OMAP processor -- although those aren't the final specs.

While the silicon valley startup is mum on pricing and availability, it's teamed up with Yamaha to outfit the device with an NSX-1 DSP chip (for high-quality synthesis and effects) and with Retronyms to create a powerful suite of touch-controlled, cloud-enabled musical apps in time for launch. The instrument also includes a dock area for accessories (such as a speaker bar) and the company plans to license the interface to third-party manufacturers.

Beyond the Neiro prototype, Miselu also showcased its older, larger, proof-of-concept device (controlling Ableton Live via MIDI / OSC over WiFi) and a USB-powered digital speaker cabinet built in partnership with Onkyo that integrates Trigence's Dnote technology for high-quality audio reproduction using only 500mA of power. Check out the pictures in our gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video -- complete with a walkthrough by CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa and a drum-machine demo.
Miselu Neiro at SXSW 2012


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Miselu to Showcase its Net-Enabled Social Music Device "Neiro" Featuring Yamaha Technology at SXSW 2012

Mountain View, CA - March 8, 2012 - Miselu, a Silicon Valley startup designing innovative musical solutions, announced today that early samples of the upcoming Miselu "neiro" device will be shown at this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas and that it features technology from Yamaha.

The Miselu "neiro" is a portable, net-enabled social music device with a musical keyboard and a wide multi-touch display, and a variety of musical apps and cloud services. This Android-based mobile companion invites users to perform, create, learn, discover and share - from anyplace they go. Social is integral to the Miselu "neiro" and permeates through all applications. The open platform environment will also enable developers and users to build their own custom apps and solutions.

Yamaha is providing the upcoming "neiro" with the Yamaha AudioEngine (TM) Series Sound Chip NSX-1. This powerful synthesizer engine delivers a quality that almost matches the sound of real musical instruments. The DSP chip offers a larger variety of sound effects such as reverb, chorus and EQs that create a rich sound experience.

"The capabilities of the NSX-1 will make our device even more exceptional and give its users endless possibilities in music performance and creation," said Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa. "Overall, we are extremely excited to be part of SXSW this year. It is the perfect event to show the prototype of 'neiro' for the first time."


Miselu Teams with Onkyo and Trigence to Deliver Powerful, Energy-Efficient Digital Speakers for its Upcoming Net-enabled Social Music Device

Mountain View, CA - March 8, 2012 - Miselu, a Silicon Valley startup designing innovative musical solutions to connect people in new ways, Onkyo Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio/video products and home theater systems, and Trigence Semiconductor, the inventor of Dnote™ full digital audio signal processing technology, today announced that they are forging a partnership to deliver the world's first full digital speaker system for electronic musical instruments.

Onkyo is integrating Trigence's Dnote full digital signal-to-speaker processor to manufacture a compact, powerful and low-power consuming digital speaker for the upcoming Miselu neiro, a portable, net-enabled social music device with a musical keyboard and a wide multi-touch display, and a variety of musical apps and cloud services. This innovative full digital speaker reproduces all the information present in digital audio sources to their fullest.

Adding and reproducing digital signals directly from digital sources such as MP3, MP4 and MKV audio/video files and MIDI encoded music make it possible to play the sound from these sources with all the quality they possess, without loss. In addition to delivering powerful sound quality, the jointly developed digital speakers are highly energy efficient. Requiring only a fraction of power consumed by conventional analog speakers, Miselu is able to deliver a powerful sound experience in its small and portable entertainment devices.

"We are very proud to announce our partnerships with leading companies in the audio and digital speaker space," said Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa. "Onkyo and Trigence are synonymous with stellar sound and exceptional audio performance. They will enhance the users experience for the upcoming Miselu 'neiro' by helping us save energy for mobility and provide longer battery life."

Retronyms Developing Music Software for Revolutionary "neiro" from Miselu

San Francisco - March 9, 2012 - Today Retronyms, creators of the innovative iPad music-studio app, Tabletop, is thrilled to announce their partnership with Miselu, in support of the Miselu "neiro," the first net-enabled social musical instrument with wide-touch display. The "neiro" combines best-in-class components from a number of industry partners and a custom-built distribution of the Android OS, tailored specifically for the needs of music & other media-centric apps.

Retronyms co-founder Dan Walton says, "The 'neiro' device fits in perfectly with our company's mission to put everyone in touch with their inner musician and we couldn't be happier to work with Miselu on this truly ground-breaking new device."

Having spent the last several years harnessing the new possibilities of the iPhone & iPad for music composition & performance, Retronyms will be bringing their expertise in designing intuitive touch-based music software to the "neiro" by creating a suite of powerful apps designed to help users start writing & playing full, pro-quality songs within minutes after first touching the device. These apps emulate tools found in professional recording studios & software packages, but even users without any existing knowledge of music production will find them expressive, playable and fun.

Miselu CEO Yoshinari Yoshikawa says, "We are excited to work with Retronyms as they have been part of the touch-based music software movement since the very beginning and have proven time after time that they are among the best in this category."

The Retronyms apps will be included with the device at launch.

Dish buys TerreStar and DBSD, inches towards LTE future

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 04:29 AM PDT

DishDBSD North America and TerreStar Networks probably aren't the first two companies you think of when talking about cutting edge broadband, but they're integral to Dish Network's LTE plans. Both companies were in dire straights, with TerreStar declaring bankruptcy in 2010 and DBSD filing for Chapter 11 in 2009. But, Dish doesn't want them for their customer base or portfolio of services -- it wants their spectrum. The FCC approved the transfer of the spectrum last week, but did not grant the company a waiver to immediately start using its new radio real estate to start broadcasting LTE signals. Still, it was a good enough sign for the satellite company, which completed the purchase of the two properties. Now it just has to put those plans to expand into broadband and cellphone service into action.

New iPad gets benchmarked: 1GB RAM confirmed, no boost in CPU speed

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 04:02 AM PDT

Not only did some lucky gents in Vietnam get their hands on the new iPad while most people are still refreshing their delivery status page, they were also kind enough to run some benchmark tests. The results confirm that the RAM has been upped to 1GB, with the Geekbench score settling at 756. The processor remains at 1GHz, again, which is what we expected, but puts the kibosh on any speculation that there might have been a slight bump in clock speeds. If you want to see the full breakdown, hit the source for the goods.

Amazon sells over 2 million Kindle Singles in 14 months

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 03:34 AM PDT

Amazon's individually-wrapped slices of literary goodness have managed to pull in a few fans since launching in January last year. The company has offered a rare glimpse at its retail figures, trumpeting two million individual sales for its Kindle Singles selection. While authors grab 70 percent of revenue from their middleweight literary missives, Amazon helps itself to the remaining 30 percent -- paidContent pegs Amazon's revenue from the Singles catalogue at around $1.12 million. Those wanting a gentle literary hit can now pick from around 165 existing titles, with some penned by big name writers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. While their accountants probably aren't massively concerned with the royalty checks associated with these one-shots, you can still take a look at some income estimates at the source below.

Sony outs Xperia sola: 3.7-inch LCD, 1GHz CPU, 'floating touch' navigation

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 02:44 AM PDT

So, it turns out the sola isn't a US-specific version of the Xperia S after all, but a new handset in its own right -- albeit one we've already seen under the "Pepper" codename. In some ways, it's a budget version of the S, with a similar appearance minus the glittery translucent strip along the bottom and with various other reductions, including a 3.7-inch 854 x 480 LCD, 1GHz dual-core processor and 5-megapixel rear camera. On the other hand, it's a fully hazed member of the Xperia gang, with NFC SmartTags, an xLOUD "surround sound" speaker, Mobile BRAVIA image processing and, of course, full access to the Sony Entertainment Network. As expected, the sola will ship with Gingerbread but be upgradeable to ICS soon after launch. There's also one completely new spec: "floating touch" navigation for "magic web browsing without touching the screen." What is it? Does it work? We should have answers pretty soon -- the handset is due for a global release in black, white and red colors in Q2. Check the source link for full specs.

Update: More on "floating touch" right here.


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Xperia sola from Sony – the smartphone with a sense of magic

· Introducing "floating touch" navigation for magic web browsing without touching the screen
· Easily open apps and launch actions in an instant with NFC and Xperia SmartTags
· Reality Display with Mobile Bravia engine and fast capture camera boosted by a powerful dual-core processor

13 March, London, United Kingdom – Sony Mobile Communications today announced Xperia™ sola* as the latest addition to its portfolio of Android powered Xperia smartphones. Complete with Sony technology, premium entertainment and innovative floating touch™ navigation, the NFC enabled Xperia sola comes equipped with Xperia SmartTags, allowing consumers to change their smartphone's settings and applications to fit their lifestyle in an instant. Xperia sola will be available to consumers globally in black, white and red in the second quarter.

A floating touch of magic

Making its smartphone debut exclusively on Xperia sola, Sony's unique floating touch lets consumers navigate the web by hovering their finger above the screen so it acts like a moving curser, without actually having to touch the screen. Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page. Floating touch will evolve with new user functionality and applications through software updates and engagement with developers.

Calum MacDougall, Head of Xperia Marketing for Sony Mobile Communications, commented; "Xperia sola comes with the power of Sony and a sense of magic with floating touch, giving consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off. With Xperia SmartTags out of the box and access to the latest content through Sony Entertainment Network, Xperia sola is perfect for consumers looking for ease of use and the best in entertainment in a smart and innovative smartphone."

Simplify the everyday with SmartTags

Xperia sola is NFC enabled and comes with two NFC Xperia SmartTags in the box as standard to simplify consumers' everyday smartphone experiences. By touching an NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, a pre-configured profile in the smartphone will launch. The two SmartTags included with Xperia sola can be personalized with up to 10 commands. Out of the box they are ready for the living room to turn on Wi-Fi™ and launches Google™ news and weather apps, or for the bedroom, which turns on the alarm and switches to silent mode. Xperia sola supports NFC pairing, allowing consumers to enjoy great connectivity with other
NFC smartphones, applications and services by tapping their smartphones together.

Powerful entertainment anytime, anywhere Xperia sola boasts razor sharp clarity with Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, xLOUD™ and 3D surround sound audio technology delivering crisp and loud sound, and a 1GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance. Xperia sola also comes with fast capture to take the camera from sleep to snap
in a little over a second with a single key press.

Consumers can also access premium entertainment experiences with Sony Entertainment Network**, where they can watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters on Video Unlimited or listen to millions of songs*** through
Music Unlimited.

Key features for Xperia sola
• Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience
• NFC enabled and Xperia SmartTags in the box to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing
• 3.7" Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• Powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor for super fast browsing
• xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud listening
• Direct access to Sony Entertainment Network* with pre-installed Video and Music Unlimited** apps
• Launches on Android platform 2.3, upgrade to Android 4.0 during summer 2012

New iPad spotted in the wild, unboxing photos and video in tow

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 02:18 AM PDT

Did Apple actually release a new iPad with LTE and a Retina Display last week? Or did it waft hallucinogens at us while we liveblogged, making us see only what we wanted to see? These doubts should be quashed when the third-gen tablet starts reaching consumers who are too populous to drug effectively. Fortunately, that process has already started, with some folks over in Vietnam claiming they've got hold of the retail version of the new iPad and posting evidence to prove it. Wander over to the video after the break and the images at the source link to catch a glimpse of what your pre-order might look like when it solidifies into reality.

[Thanks, Duonglv]

Sony Xperia Acro HD launches March 15 in Japan

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 01:37 AM PDT

For those confused by Sony's mixed naming conventions, this is the Japan-friendly version of AT&T's incoming Xperia Ion. There's been some additions to the US-bound device we handled back in January, including a built-in TV tuner and mobile wallet functionality. Last time we heard, the LTE-capable Ion was set for a summer world tour, but given this early spring unveiling on the other side of the world, it could pass AT&T's tests this side of 2012 -- hopefully with all four of these color options in tow. Take a tour through the aqua blue and sakura pink palette choices at the source below.

Path vows contact data 'hashing' in next update, chases privacy certification

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 12:52 AM PDT

Path is still trying to pave over those privacy cracks, promising that its next update will "hash" the contact data it previously used to suck up without prior warning. Last month, the app was caught with its digital fingers inside users' address books and while the subsequent (and understandably swift) update allowed users to opt out, the Path devs are still looking to gain privacy certification with TRUSTe. They told The Verge that the next version will still allow contact matching without plucking the precise details at the same time, using a hashing technique that won't identify the data delivered to the social network app. The latest update adds compatibility with Nike+ GPS, plus improvements to the embedded camera and a new music recognition function. It's available now for the mobile OS of your choice at the sources below.

Pentax K-01 and Optio WG-2 cameras now available

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:42 PM PDT

Pentax has been teasing us with its trio of cameras for what seems like an eternity. It's been long enough that we've actually had playtime with the new mirrorless flagship, the K-01. That chunky retro body will turn some heads in the street, so any fashionistas can now pick it up. It'll be winging its way to stores at the same time as its extreme-living WG-2 and WG-2 GPS, which are perfect for recording your Bear Grylls routine. The former will set you back $750 for the body, or $900 with a 40mm kit lens, whilst the Optio WG-2 is $350 or $400 if you want one with built-in GPS.
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Pentax Announces Availability of Marc Newson-Designed K-01 Digital Camera High-style feature-packed interchangeable lens camera in stores now

Denver, CO (March 12, 2012) – PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION announces the availability of the Marc Newson-designed PENTAX K-01 interchangeable lens camera (ILC). The new mirrorless PENTAX K-01 is now shipping to retailers in the U.S. The K-01, first announced last month, continues the tradition from a camera manufacturer that is known for pushing camera size, color, durability, and now, design, to the limit.

Featuring a contemporary yet classic style, the K-01 provides discriminating photographers with a full array of advanced functions and user-friendly features in a camera body with remarkable form and function. Available in black, white and Newson's signature yellow colors, the new K-01 features the designer's autograph logo stamp on the bottom of each camera.

"It's a great honor to have worked with world-renowned designer Marc Newson to bring the PENTAX K-01 to market," said John Carlson, Sr. Manager of Sales and Marketing, PENTAX. "The new K-01 is not only technically superb, it is a design object."

Internationally known for designing a wide range of furniture and household items such as bicycles, cars, aircraft and yachts, various Marc Newson collections have been on display in The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City as well as many other major museums.

The famed designer's touch also is evident in a new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS interchangeable lens. As the world's thinnest interchangeable lens,* the new 40mm combines with the PENTAX K-01 camera body to deliver a unique mirrorless ILC system that is perfect for photographers who are as keen on design as they are on performance. Together, the K-01 and 40mm lens system mark the intersection where high technology and high design meet.

Key features of the PENTAX K-01 include:
• Durable machined aluminum frame under a stylish black, white, or yellow exterior.
• PENTAX mirrorless body design is compatible with 25+ million PENTAX K-mount lenses spanning decades.
• Large, newly-developed, 16 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS image sensor with low noise image capture and multiple aspect ratios.
• Bright, high resolution 3-inch LCD with 920,000 dots.
• Full HD 1080p video capture at 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60 FPS at 720p) features outstanding video capture flexibility.
• A new "PRIME M" imaging engine ensures first-rate movie recording performance in a digital interchangeable lens camera.

* The world's thinnest interchangeable lens for lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras, as of February 1, 2012 (based on PENTAX's research).
• Sensor-shift PENTAX Shake and Dust Reduction system is compatible with every mounted PENTAX lens.
• Fast 6 FPS burst mode is ideal for fast-action photography.
• Flexible ISO range of 100-25600 ensures noise-free imaging in virtually any lighting condition.
• Focus peaking mode provides fast and accurate manual focusing for critical focus applications.
The K-01 is available for $749.95 USD (body only) and $899.95 USD (lens kit including new DA 40mm XS) in Marc Newson-designed packaging and with the Marc Newson-designed camera strap. The smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS unifocal interchangeable standard lens is available for $249.95 USD.

Additional information is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news and product images are available here: www.pentaximaging.com/press/pressfiles.html . A video interview with Mark Newson regarding the K-01 design may be viewed here: www.youtube.com/pentaxian1. Images of other Marc Newson creations are available here.

Samsung patents phone skins, mood swings, Amazon

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:11 PM PDT

See that crazy faceplate with matching wallpaper that sells for two-a-penny on Amazon? Well, Samsung wants to patent something even worse. It's so bad we had to hide it away after the break. (Honestly, don't look at it -- unlike the USPTO, you won't get paid for your trouble.) At first we believed the hype that it was some kind of wild Super-OLED-lenticular-transparent-flexible-display concept for smartphones, but now we're not so sure. The patent application simply refers to a printed "film layer" stuck onto a smartphone's case, which aligns with images on the display and gives the impression of a seamless all-over skin. Refuse to believe that anyone would try to claim exclusive rights over something so old and so commonplace? Go on then, have a gander.

Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 09:01 PM PDT

If that display up there looks familiar, it's because it's already won itself a fancy schmancy iF product design award. But as Prospero would say, 'tis new to thee -- at least if you live on this side of the Atlantic. Acer just announced it's bringing that very S23HL monitor to the US, along with four other models whose screens range in size from 20 to 27 inches. The S235HL is clearly the star of the show here, with a half-inch-thick frame and asymmetrical stand. (It has 1080p resolution and VGA / HDMI ports too, if you're interested in more than just the design.) Intrigued? You can expect to fork over $219 for it when it lands stateside next month.

Moving on, Acer also has two other 23-inch, 1080p monitors -- the S230HL Abd and Abii -- with the former packing VGA and DVI ports, and the latter trading DVI for two HDMI sockets. Look for those in April for $169 and $189, respectively. Of the lot, the most expensive is the 27-inch S271HL, a 27-inch, 1080p monitor with DVI, HDMI and a VESA mount. You can snag one now for a cool $329. Last but not least, if you're on a tighter budget there's the 20-inch S200HL, which has a more modest 1600 x 900 resolution, along with VGA and DVI ports. That's on sale now for $139. More info on all of these in the PR after the break, though we're pretty sure we passed on all the pertinent details already.
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ACER INTRODUCES NEW ULTRA SLIM DISPLAYS

Eco-Friendly High-Definition Widescreen LED Backlit Displays
Provide Stunning Picture Quality for Work or Play

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 13, 2012 – Acer America today announced five new ultra slim LED-backlight displays. Available in 20-, 23- or 27-inches and with adjustable tilt bases, their slim profile and sleek contemporary designs are also packed with top-of-the line features and technologies. They're ideal for viewing family photos and videos, watching the latest DVDs/movies or for business applications that require excellent resolution, contrast ratios and graphics performance.
With a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio, Acer's new ultra-slim monitors radiate the brightest whites and deepest blacks. This advanced technology enables a dramatic improvement of gradation and detail, especially in very dim or very bright scenes, for stunning picture quality. Their quick 5ms response time reduces deviations in transition time, delivering stutter-free moving images.

Included in all the new models, the Acer eColor Management tool lets users optimize image performance under different viewing scenarios at the touch of a button.

The Acer S Series of monitors are also eco-friendly. Their white LED technology minimizes environmental impact by consuming up to 68 percent less power than standard LCD displays, ultimately saving on energy costs. Energy Star® compliant, the displays are also durable and constructed of mercury-free materials, further reducing their environmental impact.

Acer® S235HL -- 23" Widescreen LCD
Winner of a prestigious 2012 iF product design award, the exceptional style of the S235HL bii is sure to impress, providing a high-end luxury feel to any home or professional business environment. It is a true blend of aesthetic appeal, premium performance and earth-friendly functionality.

Its razor-slim profile is just over half an inch, delivering a minimalist, modern look. It is encased in a glossy black bezel and features a sleek asymmetrical design. The silver stand provides elegance, while the embedded ice-blue LED buttons embedded in the stand offer a contemporary feel. To top it off, all the I/O ports are located on the base, eliminating cable clutter and further enhancing the clean and simple appearance.

The S235HL bii LCD offers the ultimate multimedia experience with a widescreen cinematic view that shows off photos and videos, and makes viewing HD content a breeze. Its powerful graphics performance and stunning 1920 x 1080 resolution means 16:9 HD digital content can be viewed without image distortion. Device compatibility is maximized with three video inputs, including one VGA and two HDMI ports with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) that supports 1080p HD and allows for viewing of digital movies and copy-protected media.

The Acer S235HL LCD monitor will be available in April at online retailers and has an MSRP of $219.

Acer® S200HL -- 20" Widescreen LCD
This LED-backlit display combines stylish ultra-thin functionality with 1600 x 900 resolution and dual inputs (VGA and DVI) for greater compatibility with peripherals.

Its rounded glossy, porcelain-like stand looks nice in any environment and its glossy display frame radiates a sense of simple modernism.

The Acer S200HL Abd monitor is available now at online retailers and has an MSRP of $139.

Acer® S230HL Abd and S230HL Abii -- 23" Widescreen LCDs
These 23-inch ultra thin LED-backlit displays will complement any home or office, and combine stylish functionality with powerful graphics performance.

They both provide the ultimate multimedia experience with a widescreen cinematic view that shows off photos, videos and HD content. With stunning 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16:9 HD digital content can be viewed without image distortion.

The S230HL Abd offers two video inputs; one VGA and one DVI (with HDCP). The S230HL Abii maximizes device compatibility with three signal input ports; one VGA and two HDMI (with HDCP) for viewing 1080p full HD graphics.

The Acer S230HL Abd monitor is available now at leading retailers and has an MSRP of $169. The Acer S230HL Abii monitor is also available now at online retailers and has an MSRP of $189.

Acer® S271HL -- 27" Widescreen LCD
With a 1920 x 1080 resolution, this 27-inch display offers an impressive viewing experience and the ultimate multimedia experience. It also delivers widescreen cinematic viewing of HD photos and videos with its 16:9 aspect ratio. DVI and HDMI ports with high-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) support 1080p HD and allows for viewing of digital movies and copy protected media. It is also VESA compliant for easy mounting to a wall.

The Acer S271HL bid LCD monitor will be available in April at leading online and traditional retailers and has an MSRP of $329.

Sony outs Alpha A57 translucent mirror camera with 12fps shooting, improved autofocus system

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 09:00 PM PDT

DSLRs tend to have longer refresh cycles than oh, we don't know, phones with RAZR in the name, but every shooter must eventually go to heaven nonetheless. About a year and a half after introducing the Alpha A55 translucent mirror camera, Sony's putting that model out to pasture to make way for its replacement, the Alpha A57. This time around, Sony's bumped the ISO to 16000 and boosted the continuous shooting rate from 10 frames per second to 12. It's also rolling out some improvements to the 15-point autofocus system, including enhanced object-tracking and quick AF in Full HD movie mode. Like the A55 before it, the A57 packs a 16-megapixel APS HD CMOS sensor, though this guy records 1920 x 1080 video at 60p, 60i and 24p/25p. It also packs the relatively new Bionz imaging engine introduced with Sony's fall 2011 models. Also on board: effects like Auto Portrait Framing (it is what it sounds like) and Clear Image Zoom, which promises an effective two-fold increase in focal length. Design-wise, the A57 takes some cues from the A65, and sports a tilting, 921,600-dot LCD. It'll start at $699 for the body only when it goes on sale next month, though it will also be offered as a $799 kit with an 18-55mm lens. Until then, we've got official press shots below and the PR just past the break.
Sony Alpha A57
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Sony Brings Pro-level Performance to Mainstream SLR Users with New High-Speed α57 Camera Featuring Translucent Mirror Technology
Advanced Feature Set Includes 12 fps Shooting, Full HD (60p) Video Capture, New Auto Portrait Framing and more

SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2012 -- A wider palette of creative options is now accessible to more shooters with the α57 camera, the newest addition to Sony's popular line of A-mount cameras employing Translucent Mirror Technology.

The innovative Translucent Mirror design directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting. Users can also frame, focus and preview shots in real-time on the high-resolution Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder, which offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view. This allows photographers to capture exactly what they see on the screen.

A natural successor to Sony's acclaimed α55 camera, the α57 is positioned for a wide audience of DSLR users. It can shoot still images at up to 12 frames per second, capture full HD video at 60p, 60i or 24p frame rates and has a variety of creative modes including Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology

"Today's DSLR consumer is looking for a higher level of control and flexibility in their camera," said Mike Kahn, director of the Alpha camera business group for Sony Electronics. "With the introduction of the new α57, we're bringing blazing fast response rates, enhanced artistic capabilities and other advanced features to the mainstream DSLR marketplace, offering professional-grade performance at affordable prices."

With the α57 camera, shooting speeds of up to 12 frames per second are achieved in new Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode, maintaining continuous auto focus and auto exposure with fixed aperture. Magnifying the central portion of the sensor's image by 1.4x, it's perfect for capturing split-second action close-ups with a burst of sharply focused images, even when the subject is moving. In this shooting mode, aperture is fixed at either f/3.5 or the maximum aperture of lens in use (whichever is smaller) and image size of photos is about 8.4 megapixels.

Additionally, the α57 camera lets people create powerfully expressive Full HD movies. Responsive full-time continuous phase detection AF ensures that moving subjects stay sharply focused, just like with still shooting. Support for the AVCHD™ Ver. 2.0 (Progressive) format means that Full HD resolution movies can be captured with 60p frame rate: ideal for capturing smooth, blur-free action. Shooting in 24p is also available to give footage a rich, cinematic look. Movie-making options are enhanced further with full control over P/A/S/M shooting modes for virtually limitless creative expression.

The α57 model shares the α65's 15-point AF system with three cross sensors delivering fast, accurate TTL phase detection autofocus. Newly enhanced Object Tracking AF keeps faces or other selected objects in sharp focus – even if a target is obscured momentarily by another passing object.

Even the novice photographers can now easily create pro-style portraits with the α57 thanks to new Auto Portrait Framing, a world's first technology. Using face detection and the compositional 'rule of thirds,' the camera identifies a subject's position, trimming the scene to create tightly framed, professional-looking pictures in portrait or landscape orientation while maintaining a copy of the original image. Saving both the original photo plus the adjusted version allows for easy comparison between the two images, offering photographers inspiration to refine their portrait skills.

To get closer to the subject, 2x Clear Image Zoom digital zoom technology doubles the effective magnification of your lens and is a highly practical alternative to travelling with a bigger, bulkier telephoto lens. The camera uses Sony's "By Pixel Super Resolution Technology" to ensure that cropped and zoomed images retain full pixel resolution.

Additionally, the model's range of popular in-camera Picture Effect modes includes 11 different effects and 15 total variations – offering a generous palette of 'PC-free' artistic treatments, including Pop Color, HDR Painting, Miniature Mode and much more. Results can be previewed directly in live view mode on the LCD screen or in the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder while shooting either Full HD video or stills.

Still and video shooting, framing, focusing and real-time preview of exposure adjustments are a pleasure with the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. With ultra-detailed 1440k dot resolution and a 100% field of view, it rivals quality optical viewfinders. There's a choice of selectable high-resolution information displays with a wide viewing-angle to help consumers shoot with confidence, including a digital level gauge and framing grid. Information can be displayed either directly in the viewfinder or on the angle-adjustable 7.5 cm (3.0-type) Xtra Fine LCD™ display.

Ensuring detail-packed images, the 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor® APS HD CMOS sensor is teamed with a latest-generation BIONZ® engine. Refined by Sony during the development of its flagship α77 and high-end α65 cameras, this powerful processor effortlessly handles large amounts of image data for flawless, low-noise images and Full HD video.

Thanks to the BIONZ processor, creative shooting opportunities are boosted by an outstanding sensitivity range of ISO 100-16,000. Users will experience consistently natural, low-noise images – whether shooting at fast shutter speeds to freeze dynamic action or handheld without flash in low light.

Pricing and Availability
The new α57 interchangeable lens camera will be available this April with an 18-55mm kit zoom lens for $800 (model SLT-A57K). It will also be offered as body-only for about $700 (model SLT-A57).

Sony will also be introducing a new battery-powered LED video light, model HVL-LE1, which broadens options for recording video indoors or in low light. This new accessory will be available this month for about $250.

The camera, camera kit and a wide variety of Alpha accessories are sold at Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.

Gartner pegs Samsung as China's top smartphone maker, ranks Apple fifth overall

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 08:24 PM PDT

Analysts at the research firm Gartner have come out and crowned Samsung as the most popular smartphone producer in China. The Korean manufacturer beat out others such as Nokia, Huawei, ZTE and Apple to score the title, and now boasts a rather impressive 24.3 percent market share in the country. While the iPhone 4S is portrayed as the most desired handset in China, Gartner suggests its limited availability with carriers played a large role in Samsung's achievement. The report provides a stark contrast with Apple's global success, which was recently named by Gartner as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world. The importance of China can't be overlooked, however, which is now projected to overtake the United States as the largest smartphone market. Until Apple further expands its carrier reach, it appears to be smooth sailing for Samsung -- unless Nokia is able to apply some pressure from its new Windows Phone handsets, that is.

Stephen Elop: Nokia Lumia coming to China on March 28th

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:38 PM PDT

China recently greeted its first Windows Phone (on pre-order, anyway), but if Stephen Elop has his way, Nokia will be hot on HTC's heels. The company's CEO has revealed that Nokia will unleash its Lumia handsets upon the People's Republic on March 28th. While Elop offered no clues to suggest which models will be available, recent regulatory approvals hint that the Lumia 800 and 710 are both top candidates -- though personally, we'd be shocked if the Lumia 610 didn't rear its head sooner rather than later. Both China Telecom and China Unicom are said to be partners with Nokia, which is undoubtedly eager to offer something other than Symbian to its Chinese fan base.

Terahertz bandwidth: the key to 1,000x faster smartphones, laptops and pipe dreams

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 06:57 PM PDT

Much like carbon nanotubes and quantum computing, terahertz technologies have been promising miracles for nearly as long as humans have been able to distinguish water from fire. We exaggerate, but barely. A crafty team assembled at the University of Pittsburgh seems to have no qualms with moving forward, however, recently announcing a new physical basis for terahertz bandwidth. Those involved managed to have success in generating a frequency comb -- "dividing a single color of light into a series of evenly spaced spectral lines for a variety of uses -- that spans a more than 100 terahertz bandwidth by exciting a coherent collective of atomic motions in a semiconductor silicon crystal." For those who managed to make it through the technobabble, we're told that the ability to modulate light with such a bandwidth could "increase the amount of information carried by more than 1,000 times when compared to the volume carried with today's technologies." Smartphones, computers and even airline check-in kiosks that operate 1,000 faster than they do today? Sure, we'll take that. But, how about give us a ring when Wally World deems it ripe for commercialization? We'll be waiting -- pinky promise.

Samsung heralds European arrival of Ice Cream Sandwich for Galaxy S II (updated)

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 06:28 PM PDT

After that March 10th mishap, Samsung reaffirmed to us that it'd deliver Android 4.0 for its GT-I9100 Galaxy S II when it was darn good and ready -- well folks, the company appears ready. It's just announced both via Facebook and Twitter that the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade that so many have lusted after is now available and will begin its rollout to users in Poland, Hungary, Sweden and Korea today, and will move onto other markets from there -- subject to carrier requirements, of course. Better yet, Samsung has affirmed that its Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 will follow shortly. So, if you're one of the lucky ones to receive the upgrade, let us know how it fares for you in the comments below. Otherwise, feel free to keep clicking that update button.

Update: Pocket-lint reports that the UK can expect the update to arrive on March 19th. Don't forget your Kies.
Show full PR text
Samsung Offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrade for GALAXY S II

SEOUL, Korea – March 13, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the global leader in Android™ smartphones, today announced the availability of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software upgrade for GALAXY S II. The upgrade will begin in the European countries including Poland, Hungary, and Sweden, as well as Korea today and gradually roll out to other markets. Android 4.0 ICS software upgrade for GALAXY Note, GALAXY SII LTE, GALAXY R, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9 and 10.1 will follow soon.

Samsung Electronics has completed upgrading the GALAXY devices to Gingerbread last year by providing software upgrades to both Froyo and Gingerbread. With the ICS upgrade, Samsung Electronics has solidified its position as the leader of Android devices.

Samsung Electronics will also offer Android 2.3 Gingerbread firmware upgrades for GALAXY S, GALAXY Tab 7", GALAXY S Plus, GALAXY S SCL(Super Clear LCD), and GALAXY W from end of March. The firmware upgrades for GALAXY S, for example, include Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and others.

"We expect that our customers will enjoy an enhanced experience with their GALAXY device through this upgrade. Samsung is committed to satisfying our customer needs", said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

The availability and scheduling of the software upgrade and specific models upgradable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements.

Nook Simple Touch gets upgrade to fix WiFi issues, offers 'minor enhancements'

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 06:14 PM PDT

Remember the Nook Simple Touch WiFi issues we told you about, way back when? Barnes & Noble promised that it was working "diligently" to address the connectivity problems, and now it seem that help has arrived. A rep for the company confirmed that a fix is among the "minor system enhancements" promised in the 1.1.2 upgrade for the e-reader. WiFi connected devices will start receiving the upgrade this week. If you're amongst those who can't connect -- or if you're just a bit antsy -- click the source link for a manual download. Let us know if the upgrade did the trick in the comments below.

GTVHacker teases Boxee for rooted Sony Google TVs

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 05:52 PM PDT

Since the Boxee Box and original Google TV v1 hardware share Intel Atom processors at their heart users have wondered about the opportunity for a port, and as seen above, that may have been achieved. GTVHacker tweeted out the picture tonight, promising "big things" in store for owners of rooted Sony Google TV devices while showing Boxee running on a Sony NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player. There's no other details mentioned so far, but if you managed to open up the capabilities of your hardware before an update put the kibosh on rooting, you should have some extra capabilities coming your way shortly.

ASUS Zenbooks to get Ivy Bridge refresh, optional 1080p and backlit keyboards in tow?

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 05:13 PM PDT

Bad news if you've recently acquired either of ASUS' gorgeous Zenbooks, as alleged spec sheets for their successors have just surfaced. According to documents obtained by The Verge, the upcoming refresh will be significant for both the 11.6-inch UX21 and 13.3-inch UX31. Dubbed the UX21A and UX31A, respectively, both supposedly make do with Ivy Bridge silicon (spanning from Core i3s all the way to i7s) which also means a free update to Intel's HD Graphics 4000. Brawny internals aside, most interesting are the optional 1080p IPS panels on both, which should be particularly gorgeous and pixel-dense in the smaller 11.6-inch beaut. Also rumored is the inclusion of WiDi, alongside backlit keyboard decks -- all stuffed into the same svelte footprints as their predecessors. Naturally, there's no word on when they'll land, but you'll know more when we do. Catch the full spill at the source link below.

Must See HDTV (March 12th - 18th)

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 04:54 PM PDT

Community
After an all-too-long midseason hiatus, everyone's favorite group of community college misfits returns on Thursday. Community has a significant online following that reacted noisily to its sudden disappearance from NBC's schedule a few months ago, although if so many people are watching it, you gotta wonder why the network seems like it's in such a hurry to press the cancel button. Oh yeah, it's NBC, the people that ruined Heroes.
(March 15th, NBC, 8PM)

Frozen Planet
The latest series from the Discovery/BBC team up that brought you Planet Earth starts airing Stateside Sunday night so queue up the DVR and prepare to be wowed by nature. As usual, there is a downside -- the British narration by Sir David Attenborough is not in place for the US audiences, swapped out for Alec Baldwin. Check after the break for a quick preview clip featuring the underwater "Icy Finger of Death" and a standard trailer.
(March 18th, Discovery, 8PM)

March Madness
College hoops will be in effect all week on CBS and various Turner owned networks, with the 68-team tournament kicking off Tuesday night and continuing through three weekends of single elimination ball. Kentucky is the clear favorite to take it all, but with an odd mix of young/talented and older/experienced teams, this could be anyone's year.
(All Week, CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV)





Blu-ray & Games
  • The Descendants
  • The Adventures of Tintin (3D)
  • The Three Musketeers (3D)
  • American Pie
  • American Pie 2
  • American Wedding
  • My Week With Marilyn
  • Young Adult

Monday

  • Knicks/Bulls, ESPN, 8PM
  • The Voice, NBC, 8PM
  • The Bachelor (season finale), ABC, 8PM
  • Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family, 8PM
  • Alcatraz, Fox, 9PM
  • Being Human, Syfy, 9PM
  • WWE Raw, USA, 9PM
  • American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, Discovery, 9PM
  • Smash, NBC, 10PM
  • Lost Girl, Syfy, 10PM

Tuesday

  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament First round, TruTV, 6:30PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament First round, TruTV, 9:10PM
  • Raising Hope, Fox, 8PM
  • 90210, CW, 8PM
  • Switched at Birth, ABC Family, 8PM
  • I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Fox, 8:30PM
  • Cougar Town, ABC, 8:30PM
  • New Girl, Fox, 9PM
  • Top Gear, History, 9PM
  • The River, ABC, 9PM
  • Ringer, CW, 9PM
  • Doomsday Preppers, National Geographic, 9PM
  • Breaking In, Fox, 9:30PM
  • Justified, FX, 10PM
  • My super Psycho Sweet 16 3 (special presentation), MTV, 10PM
  • Body of Proof, ABC, 10PM
  • Top Shot, History, 10PM
  • Southland, TNT, 10PM
  • Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Key & Peele, Comedy Central, 10:30PM

Wednesday

  • South Park (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Ugly Americans (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10:30
  • Monster Man (season premiere), Syfy, 11PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament First round, TruTV, 6:30PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament First round, TruTV, 9:10PM
  • Bulls/Heat, ESPN, 8PM
  • Survivor, CBS, 8PM
  • American Idol, Fox, 8PM
  • One Tree Hill, CW, 8PM
  • The Middle, ABC, 8PM
  • Whitney, NBC, 8PM
  • Are You There, Chelsea?, NBC, 8:30PM
  • Suburgatory, ABC, 8:30PM
  • Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
  • Car Warriors, Speed, 9PM
  • Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
  • Happy Endings, ABC, 9:30PM
  • CSI, CBS, 10PM
  • Psych, USA, 10PM
  • Doomsday Bunkers, Discovery, 10PM
  • The Slap, DirecTV, 10PM
  • Rock Center with Brian Williams, NBC, 10PM
  • Face Off (season finale), Syfy, 10PM
  • Jazz/Suns, ESPN, 10:30PM

Thursday

  • Community (spring premiere), NBC, 8PM
  • Missing (series premiere), ABC, 8PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, CBS, 12:15PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TruTV, 12:40PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TBS, 1:40PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TNT, 2:10PM
  • American Idol, Fox, 8PM
  • 30 Rock, NBC, 8:30PM
  • The Office, NBC, 9PM
  • Impact Wrestling, Spike TV, 9PM
  • Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 9PM
  • Up All Night, NBC, 9:30PM
  • Archer, FX, 10PM
  • Awake, NBC, 10PM
  • Private Practice, ABC, 10PM
  • All Star Dealers, Velocity, 10PM
  • Unsupervised, FX, 10:30PM
  • I Just Want My Pants Back, MTV, 11PM
  • Inside Comedy, Showtime, 11PM
  • MMA Junkie Live!, Spike TV, 11PM
  • Delocated, Comedy Central, 11:59PM

Friday

  • Fairly Legal (season premiere), USA, 9PM
  • In Plain Sight (season premiere), USA, 10PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, CBS, 12:15PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TruTV, 12:40PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TBS, 1:40PM
  • NCAA Div 1 Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round, TNT, 2:10PM
  • Shark Tank, ABC, 8PM
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network, 8PM
  • Nikita, CW, 8PM
  • WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
  • Grimm, NBC, 9PM
  • Supernatural, CW, 9PM
  • Merlin, Syfy, 10PM
  • The Ultimate Fighter, FX, 10PM
  • Spartacus: Vengeance, Starz, 10PM

Saturday

  • Leprechaun's revenge (special presentation), Syfy, 9PM
  • Being Human, BBCA, 9PM
  • Spurs/Mavericks, NBA, 9PM

Sunday

  • Frozen Planet (series premiere), Discovery, 8 & 9PM
  • The Walking Dead (season finale), AMC, 9PM
  • Unchained Reaction (season premiere), Discovery, 8PM
  • 60 Minutes, CBS, 7PM
  • The Cleveland Show, Fox, 7:30PM
  • Once Upon a Time, ABC, 8PM
  • The Simpsons, Fox, 8PM
  • The Amazing Race, CBS, 8PM
  • Harry's Law, NBC, 8PM
  • Bob's Burgers, Fox, 8:30PM
  • The Apprentice, NBC, 9PM
  • The Shadow Line, DirecTV, 9PM
  • Family Guy, Fox, 9PM
  • The Good Wife, CBS, 9PM
  • Luck, HBO, 9PM
  • Inside West Coast Customs, Velocity, 9PM
  • Desperate Housewives, ABC, 9PM
  • American Dad, Fox, 9:30PM
  • Trail Blazers / Thunder, ESPN, 9:30PM
  • Comic Book Men (season finale), AMC, 10PM
  • House of Lies, Showtime, 10PM
  • GCB, ABC, 10PM
  • CSI: Miami, CBS, 10PM
  • Breakout Kings, A&E, 10PM
  • Eastbound & Down, HBO, 10PM
  • Full Metal Jousting, History, 10PM
  • Californication, Showtime, 10:30PM
  • Life's Too Short, HBO, 10:30PM

Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer gets closer to Real Steel with motion sensing (video)

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 04:19 PM PDT

Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer, the boxing robot to end all boxing robots, has been around for a hot minute, but the latest upgrade is bound to make even Wolverine Hugh Jackman take notice. The Real Steel-like setup was created when an Xtion Pro Live sensor (hint: it's like Kinect) was thrown into the equation. The 3-foot, 2-inch boxer was then allowed to reproduce the motions of Maru's kid, and unlike prior iterations, this one doesn't require a physical harness to transmit commands. Enough talk -- head on past the break to see the thing in action (but don't expect any commercialization details).

Intel plans branded IPTV service, could launch by end of 2012

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 03:47 PM PDT

In a shift that would see its familiar brand move from the inside out, Intel's reportedly in talks to create an IPTV service that could rival current subscription offerings from cable and satellite. According to the Wall Street Journal, the venture would deliver programming via household internet connections and has the personal backing of CEO Paul Otellini, signaling a consumer-facing shift for the typically behind-the-scenes company. The proposed service, which would bear the Intel brand, is still far from a concrete reality, but the chipmaker has held several talks with content companies to secure carriage deals, as well as demo its proprietary set-top box and navigation UI. So far no programmers have signed on for the "virtual cable operator," putting the outfit's tentative end-of-year 2012 date into question.

DARPA director exits agency for Google, assumes mysterious role

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 03:14 PM PDT

Not even the federal government's factory of scifi dreams can hold off the likes of Google's recruiters. According to Wired, Regina Dugan, DARPA's current director, will be moving on from the Department of Defense's fantastical research arm for an unspecified "senior executive position" with the folks from Mountain View. Dugan's served in her role for the past three years, winning over the likes of the Pentagon by shifting her agency's focus from out-there R&D experiments to more practical military applications, while also ruffling a few feathers with her brazen statements. No word was given on when exactly she'll officially join the search giant's ranks other than a vague mention of "sometime in the next few weeks." Look out Uncle Sam, the Google brain drain's got its sights set on you. Now, no government sector is safe.

Engadget Mobile Podcast 129 - 03.12.2012

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 02:44 PM PDT

Feel like you're the only one not tweeting about staring into a gigantic retina display whilst galavanting through the streets of the Texas capitol? Hang out with us! Please be advised that Myriam's hotspot and microphone got along miserably, so it's a little crackly on her end, but it's nothing you can't manage. We trust you.

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Tycho - Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)

00:14:29 - The new iPad puts the camera back in focus: 5 MP sensor, AF lens, 1080p video
00:40:02 - Verizon will support Mobile Hotspot on the new iPad, AT&T still working on it
00:44:00 - Got an AT&T iPhone? iOS 5.1 now gives you '4G'
00:55:28 - Sony Xperia S review
01:08:49 - HTC rolls out Sense 3.6 to the Nordics, Sensation users get first crack at ICS
01:12:30 - Samsung Galaxy S II (GT-I9100) to get ICS on March 10th (update: recalled)
01:14:43 - Got an AT&T iPhone? iOS 5.1 now gives you '4G'
01:18:28 - Verizon-bound LG Lucid reveals itself in leaked press shots
01:21:30 - PSA: Nokia 808 PureView not coming to North America
01:23:55 - Samsung confirms pink Galaxy Note coming soon, we go hands-on (video)

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