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- Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues
- TiVo co-founder, CTO Jim Barton resigns
- US Navy LASR research facility builds robots, not ray guns
- Final ITC ruling affirms Motorola Mobility didn't violate Apple's patents
- Wacom Intuos5 touch review
- Pioneer launches RMX1000 Remix Station, now no tune is safe (video)
- Untethered jailbreak for new iPad shown on YouTube, not quite ready for download
- Seagate GoFlex Satellite reportedly getting firmware update on March 19th
- Time Warner Cable brings 26 local NYC channels to iOS app, website
- GeChic On-Lap 1302 is a 'Secret Tool' to give your smartphone dual screens (video)
- Universal ticker hack takes a look back at a time before NASDAQ (video)
- PatchWerk lets you control a monstrous modular synth with your browser (video)
- CyanogenMod disables root access by default, now requires user configuration
- Bunnie Huang builds open-source geiger counter to help Japanese civilians
- Roku 4.3 update tweaks Netflix, device discovery issues
- The new iPad: are you buying one?
- FCC Fridays: March 16, 2012
- Intel drops $21 million for ten percent stake in eye-tracking firm Tobii
- The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET!
- T-Mobile retires Sidekick 4G, but brand will return
- SpaceX Dragon will dock with the ISS in May, for realsies this time
- Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 hits Apple's Developer website, brings more roar to your Friday
- Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!
- Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad
- iPad review (2012)
- China may ship more smartphones than the the US this year
- Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon'
| Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues Posted: 17 Mar 2012 11:20 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TiVo co-founder, CTO Jim Barton resigns Posted: 17 Mar 2012 10:51 AM PDT  Co-founder of TiVo and CTO Jim Barton has long outlasted our deathwatch, but his time as an executive at the DVR maker quietly came to an end this week according to documents filed with the SEC. CEO Tom Rogers thanked Jim for his "commitment to innovation" in a statement, and the filing indicates he will stick around as a $25,000 per month consultant in "patent matters and litigation" among other things -- nice work if you can get it -- until March 15, 2015, but his reason for stepping down is unspecified. As Multichannel News notes, Barton was working with fellow co-founder Mike Ramsay (who left in 2007) at Silicon Graphics on a project for Time Warner when they had the idea for the DVR and eventually founded TiVo in 1997. That early movement may not have resulted in dominance over pay-Tv provided DVRs, but some favorable legal settlements and successful partnerships like its deal with Virgin Media mean he's leaving the company with its prospects looking a bit better than they did back in the dark days of '05.[Thanks, David] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Navy LASR research facility builds robots, not ray guns Posted: 17 Mar 2012 10:24 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final ITC ruling affirms Motorola Mobility didn't violate Apple's patents Posted: 17 Mar 2012 09:38 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 17 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PDT  It's no secret Wacom has a firm grasp on what it takes to make great graphic input devices. Fresh off of its introduction of the Inkling last Fall, the outfit recently unveiled the latest member of its high-end pen tablet line, the Intous5 touch. Essentially, Wacom took what made the Intuos4 a great addition to any designer or illustrator's workflow and refined it, with this latest iteration sporting a new rubber-coated shell. It also implements touch gestures -- much like those on the fresh Bamboo models -- which can be customized to speed up tasks you need to be complete on the regular, preferably without the aid of a mouse. Sure, a new matte black suit and the ability to navigate Adobe Creative Suite without a pen seem impressive at first glance, but is the new model worth investing northward of $229? Are you better off sticking with the Intuos4 you splurged on a while back? Let's see. Hardware We're going to go ahead and get this out of the way early: the Intuos5 touch is a mighty dapper device. Seriously, it looks amazing. The outer frame is coated in a rubberized matte black finish with no text indicators or printed markings interfering with the paint job. The medium-sized version we tested is crowned with an 8.8 x 5.5-inch (224 x 140mm) active area that offers a whopping 48.4-square-inch work surface. Backlit bracket indicators delineate the boundaries of the input area to keep you from swiping a tad too far while working on Illustrator files. The input portion of the topside is coated in a semi-gloss finish, which allowed our hand and fingers to glide along with a bit more ease. The so-called ExpressKeys and Touch Ring are just to the left of the work surface (if you're right handed, of course) but can be easily configured to work from the right side too. Four of these programmable buttons lie above the ring, with another four just beneath it. Here, too, Wacom has done away with any printed text, leaving only some backlit indicators around the Touch Ring to show which of the four commands you've selected. We think the absence of text is a nice touch, and the choice to keep everything on-screen a wise one. Take a closer look at the ExpressKeys and you'll notice the middle two in each set of four have a raised dot and raised bar, respectively. These allow you to navigate the controls by feel, so that you don't constantly have to look away from your PC toward the device.  It's not surprising that most of the action takes place on the device's front face, but there's still more to see as we tour the hardware. Hopping around to the side opposite the ExpressKeys, there's a mini-USB socket for plugging into your work machine. To the left of said port is the resting spot for half of the wireless kit. After removing two small covers on the bottom of the device you'll gain access to both the wireless components and battery slots, both of which allow the kit to be used sans cable (up to nine hours on the medium-sized unit, according to Wacom). Also worth a mention here is the clip attached to the miniature end of the included USB cable. It's a small, but nice touch to keep the excess cable length from getting in your way.  And then there's the pen. That piece of the kit that you'll be touching day in and day out is as comfortable to hold as ever. We didn't notice any change here, as the grip, click buttons and eraser features have all carried over from the previous generation. Another feature Wacom's chose to bring back this go 'round: 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The included desktop stand houses ten different nibs (also brought back from the previous model), which the company recommends you switch out regularly in order to protect your tablet from unnecessary wear. As we noted in our hands-on, both the Intuos4 and Cintiq pens work just fine with the new tablet. You know, just in case you've broken in that pen just how you like it over the past year or so. Setup About 15 to 20 minutes passed from the moment we inserted the installation CD until we were ready to fire up Creative Suite. Of course, this depends on how fast your internet connection can download the latest drivers from Wacom's site. We were then able to use the software to program the ExpressKeys, Touch Ring and touch gestures just how we like 'em. Also, we went ahead and set up mapping so that our dual-display workstation would play nice with the active area of the tablet. Software Using a series of menus, much like what you'd encounter in the preferences window of other applications, we were able to set up custom commands and gestures in a matter of minutes. It wasn't hard to find exactly what we needed and to lay our tools out on the workbench, so to speak. The second ExpressKey from the top brings up the Settings display, and from there we were easily able to navigate to both critical and touch-centric settings without having to open a separate program.  Worried about the absence of OLED indicators on the tablet's surface? Don't be. Sure, there was a bit of an adjustment period for us, but once we got used to the on-screen heads-up display, things progressed nicely. If you forget which ExpressKey did what, resting your finger on top of one will bring up an on-screen reminder for the entire set. When clicking through the Touch Ring's four programmable tools, you'll also see an indicator pop up letting you know which option you're currently using. Honestly, this is a great improvement, and it sped up our workflow nicely once we got the hang of things.  Another nifty feature is the Radial Menu. Access to this HUD can be attached to an ExpressKey for quick and easy task selection. The Radial Menu can house up to eight tasks that you would normally grab from a menu or toolbar with sub-menus for each as an added perk. You can also adjust the pen's sensitivity to your particular workflow. Doing so will ensure that those swipes across the active areas do exactly what you want them to and with the intended pressure for the task at hand. Touch gestures and general use Overall, the Intuos5 performs just as well, if not better than its older siblings. The active surface / pen combo is incredibly sensitive and responds nimbly, and accurately, even to quick motions. And throughout our testing, we never suffered a bit of lag either. Here's where one of our lone issues with the pen tablet lies: the touch gestures. Don't get us wrong, the ability to use our fingers on the active surface is a welcome addition and works quite well in some instances. Pinch to zoom, scrolling and simple navigation work great using multitouch. It was wonderful to carry out some tasks with our non-pen hand to keep things snappy. We were also happy that we never ran into a situation where the tablet got confused between our fingers and the pen. Touch capabilities are automatically disabled when the device senses its native pen is ready to jump in the driver's seat.  However, things like selecting text to be copied or modified and more precise selections / movements left a bit to be desired. This is most likely due to the surface of the tablet being not quite as touch friendly as what you'd encounter on a tablet PC or a Magic Trackpad. The surface isn't quite as slick as those aforementioned devices either, so our swipes were met with some slight resistance. It's clear that Wacom chose to add touch to the active area instead of forgoing a proven technology some other touch-friendly surface. And we can't dock it too much for that. That said, the ability to program these multitouch gestures almost made up for their shortcomings. Not only could we customize the ExpressKeys and Touch Ring, but we also made programs like Corel Draw carry out tasks with just a three-finger swipe. By default, the gestures correspond to stock OS X or Windows functions -- again, similar to Apple's Trackpad. Currently, the software only supports five simultaneous points of contact, but the tablet itself is ready for up to sixteen -- should you need to use both hands (and some toes) at some point in the future. Accessories and size options One of our biggest gripes with the Intuos5 is that the Wireless Accessory Kit is sold separately. Sure, we get that the ability to go wireless usually comes with some added cost ($40 in this case), but we'd at least like to see a bundle so that we don't have to make two separate purchases. We're also well aware that unless you can keep your workdays under eight hours, you won't go far without a USB cable. And for yours truly, at least, those are few and far between. However, if you've already sprung for the wireless kit for your Bamboo tablet, it should work with the Intuos5 as well. Worried the stock pen just won't get the job done for every project? Three additional ones (Art, Classic and Airbrush) are on offer too. The Classic offers a slimmer profile than the stock pen and will set you back $70. Art and Airbrush offer the feel of felt markers and a digital airbrush, respectively, complete with ink / spray simulation. Those cost $100 apiece. If you're looking to stay mobile, Wacom offers cases for each tablet size, with accessory pockets for cables and such. As we mentioned before, we tested the medium-sized Intuos5, which costs $349. If you're in the market for something a little more petite (or expansive, even), small and large options are also available. The littler pen tablet offers an active area measuring 6.2 x 3.9 inches (157 x 98 mm) and will set you back $229. Looking to give yourself plenty of room while working in CS5? You can opt for the large Intuos5 with a 12.8 x 8.0-inch (325 x 203mm) pen pad and an 11.8 x 7.5-inch (299 x 190mm) multitouch area. You'll pay $469 for the privilege of such spacious real estate. All told, that's comparable to what Wacom charged for the last-gen Intuous4. There's also a fourth option reportedly on the way: a medium offering without multitouch gestures. Honestly, we're not so sure that would be worth the investment; however, we expect it to be the least expensive of the bunch. Not that it's our place to guess your preferences, but after spending a week with this thing, we suggest you think twice about grabbing the smallest tablet if you're running a dual-screen system, especially if you're mapping the tablet to both displays. The medium size worked great for us, but we can't imagine being comfortable with fewer square inches. Wrap-up Overall, we're quite pleased with the improvements that Wacom has made between the Intuos4 and the new Intuos5. Its dashing good looks are just the tip of the iceberg, er, pen. The feel of the tablet is much more inviting than the plastic finish of yore. This outer shell makes you want to touch the slim device, which is something you'll be doing plenty of, thanks to those multitouch gestures. Moving the ExpressKey labels to the on-screen HUD was also a solid move. It'll take some getting used to, but we realized it ultimately cured our habit of constantly looking down to find our bearings. Sure, we have some gripes concerning the need to purchase a wireless kit separately and its imperfect response to touch input. For us, though, those two demerits are hardly deal-breakers. The multitouch features aren't flawless, but they add great functionality to the workflow for Photoshop and other design software, and can be used to access tools that without digging through menus. If you're still clinging to an older Wacom model or feel the Intuos4 hasn't run its course, we don't think you'll regret splurging on a new model, especially if you already have the wireless kit lying around. Well, at least you won't mind the expense after you get your hands on one, that's for sure. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pioneer launches RMX1000 Remix Station, now no tune is safe (video) Posted: 17 Mar 2012 07:41 AM PDT  Pioneer has been dishing out its line of digital DJ tools for long enough that you'd hope it knows what the spinners want, and these days it seems that's remixing tools. The RMX1000 is a new effects based unit, that looks like an evolution of the firm's EFX range. It still cooks up those chops, rolls, and reverbs, but also has a companion "Remixbox" software, as well as studio-friendly VST / AU functionality. The software lets you overwrite the default set-up with one of your own, and there's an SD card slot so you can leave yours at home, but still bring your settings to the club. Word is that pro DJ settings will be available for download, so nosey DJs can see how James Zabiela likes his high-pass filters. The effects themselves come in four flavors: Scene, Isolator, Release and X-Pad. Connectivity-wise it's rocking a pair of RCA and 1 / 4-inch plugs for both in-and out-put, and there's USB for the computer / MIDI hook-up. It's set to land in June with a $1000 price tag, but in the meantime if you want to see if it'll be worth your savings, hit-up the video after the break, or click the PR for the full specs. Pioneer DJ presents the RMX-1000: all the potential of software with the hands-on usability of pro-DJ hardware. Pioneer is setting a new benchmark in pro-DJ equipment, with the awe-inspiring RMX-1000 remix station. Taking a totally new direction to effectors and samplers, the RMX-1000 is a three-in-one system comprising editing software, innovative performance hardware and VST and AU plug-ins. Technological innovation is in Pioneer's DNA. So only we could produce a remix station that not only manipulates the input sound, but also lets DJs produce new beats and sounds and trigger personalised samples on the fly. And, thanks to our Quantize function, they'll always be in time with their sets. The RMX-1000 serves up all the possibilities of studio effects and beatboxes, with the added physicality of pro-DJ equipment. Intuitive performance interfaces from Pioneer's flagship mixers and effectors – such as the DJM-2000's Isolator FX, the DJM-900nexus's X-Pad and the EFX-1000's multiple FX chaining – have been evolved and brought together into one unit. Simplifying these concepts even further, the RMX-1000 uses intuitive DJ controls to manipulate several parameters in macro. Each effect has been designed to work in a totally unique way with the interface, for results previously only possible with hours of studio automation or robot-like performance skills. While the unit is incredibly simple to operate, DJs can still create a totally unique sound with Pioneer's remixbox™ editing software. remixbox allows DJs to completely customise the RMX-1000 hardware to their own performance style and load it up with their own banks of samples. And, by saving their settings to an SD card, DJs can effectively take their own personalised DJ rig with them wherever they perform. Plus, Pioneer plans to upload internationally renowned DJs' settings and samples to its website so DJs can give themselves a head start. Using the RMX-1000 as a USB controller for the, included, RMX-1000 VST and AU plug-ins gives DJs the same hands-on feel they get with studio DJ mixes, saving them from hours of editing and breathing new life into studio productions. The RMX-1000 will be available from May 2012 at a SRP of 599 GBP/699 EUR, including VAT. Key features of the RMX-1000 1. Club quality and fully customisable remix station unit The ultimate multi-use unit, the RMX-1000 can be used with mixers, CDJs and laptops in the booth, or with a PC in the studio for recording and producing. With fully customisable settings, the RMX-1000 offers the kind of flexibility never before seen in hardware. The control parameters can be completely modified using the remixbox software included. The hardware offers three ways to access settings. Default activates Pioneer's intuitive factory settings. And User settings can be stored on the unit, or on an SD card to be taken along to the booth – DJs simply plug their SD card in to get immediate access to their personalised controls. And Pioneer plans to make settings from internationally renowned DJs such as Chuckie, Kissy Sell Out, Kutski, James Zabiela, Doorly and Laidback Luke available for DJs to download. The unit's user-friendly, intuitive controls are divided into four categories: Scene FX - The Scene FX wheel allows DJs to build up and break down tracks by combining ten types of effects. - Use the top section to build up, adding effects like Noise, Echo and Spiral Up and the bottom section to break down, cutting sounds with effects like Crush Echo, Spiral Down and Reverb Down. - Twist the central knob to move from Wet to Dry to add pitch and intensity to the effect that's in play. - Plus, two sub-parameter dials allow DJs to manipulate the Time and Resonance parameters for even more character. Isolator FX - Inherited from Pioneer's high-end DJM-1000 mixer, the RMX-1000's isolators allow DJs to change the main audio input's rhythm and timbre using hi-, mid- and low-frequency bands. - Plus, three effects are loaded into the dials for even more flexibility: Cut/Add, Trans/Roll and Gate/Drive. X-Pad – with exclusive Pitch control - DJs will be itching to get their fingers on the RMX-1000's intuitive X-Pad. Evolved from Pioneer's flagship mixer, the DJM-900nexus, the touch-sensitive X-Pad reaches new levels of ingenuity on the RMX-1000. - DJs can instantly get involved with the unit's drum samples by tapping the individual sample buttons (Kick, Snare, Clap and Hi-Hat), or by using the X-Pad to roll (repeat) the samples at different speeds. - DJs can record their own beats and patterns on the fly by switching on Overdub, then use Roll and Mute to manipulate each sample in a variety of impressive combinations. - The Quantize button snaps each tap of the sample pads to the nearest beat, so DJs always sound on time. - And for truly unique performances, DJs can add up to 16 samples across the four sample banks, which they can instantly trigger and manipulate during live performance. - For unprecedented flexibility on the fly, DJs can edit the sample banks through remixbox and even alter them during play. - And, as if that wasn't enough, the RMX-1000's exclusive Pitch knob alters the pitch to add even more character to each repeated beat. Release FX - The DJ's get-out-of-jail-free card, the Release FX allows DJs to elegantly and seamlessly exit complex effect combinations and return to the original track. - Three modes with three customisable speeds – Spin Back, Echo and Break – allow DJs to choose exactly how they want to return to normal play. - For even more flexibility, DJs don't have to exit totally from the engaged effect; they can come partially out and go back in by manipulating the highly sensitive Release switch. Or they can cut the original track out completely so just the engaged effects are heard. 2. Fully customisable with specially designed remixboxsoftware Designed by Pioneer exclusively for the RMX-1000, the remixboxsoftware allows DJs to prepare mind-blowing sets – while the hardware leaves plenty of room for spontaneity on the night. And DJs can use the software to modify the unit's features and change its parameters for a truly personalised DJing experience. By hovering their mouse over the remixbox's virtual RMX-1000, DJs can edit features, change parameters or adjust effects on the hardware itself. 3. First DJ-dedicated controller for Virtual Studio Technology/Audio Units As the first VST/AU controller dedicated to the DJ industry, the RMX-1000 brings the operability of hardware into the recording studio. By just plugging the unit into a laptop, DJs and producers can use the RMX-1000's dedicated controls to manipulate the VST/AU's exciting features. There's no need to fiddle around with the mouse and keyboard: just hit a button, twist a dial, or turn a knob – the RMX-1000 literally puts every effect right at producers' fingertips. 4. Other features - High-quality sound design reduces noise for clear and pristine sound. - The Quantize function can be applied at any stage during play or production for real-time music analysis and automatic synchronisation of the beat. - NEW Auto BPM function automatically measures and follows the tempo of the music. - USB-MIDI connection means the RMX-1000 can be used as a MIDI controller. - Compact and sleek design makes the RMX-1000 highly portable – and it looks good as part of any DJ set-up. Main specifications – RMX-1000 Inputs RCA x 1 6.3 mm jack x 1 Outputs RCA x 1 6.3 mm jack x 1 Other ports USB B port x 1 Sampling rate 48 kHz A/D and D/A converter 24 bit Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz Total harmonic distortion Max. 0.005% S/N ratio 102 dB Head room 20 dB Software remixboxTM, RMX-1000 Plug-in External dimensions (W x D x H) 334 x 157 x 57 mm Mass 1.3 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Untethered jailbreak for new iPad shown on YouTube, not quite ready for download Posted: 17 Mar 2012 06:34 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seagate GoFlex Satellite reportedly getting firmware update on March 19th Posted: 17 Mar 2012 04:49 AM PDT  Still rockin' one of those (cargo) pocket-sized GoFlex streaming drives we showed you a while back? Marvelous. According to Gear Diary, Seagate's given the site intel saying it's getting ready to roll out a Satellite firmware refresh on the 19th of this month. Allegedly, the update will boost the limit on the number of devices that can be connected simultaneously, making the jump from three to eight, as well as promising to double your battery life in the process. The company says the updated firmware will come gratis to all "original devices" (hear that Androids?), while all new GoFlex drives are expected to ship with it on board. And now, you know. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time Warner Cable brings 26 local NYC channels to iOS app, website Posted: 17 Mar 2012 02:41 AM PDT  While it may not be the good news the Android army was hoping for, TWC's got some Big Apple-sized bits to share. Via its Untangled blog, Time Warner announced it's finally adding local channels to its iPhone / iPad app and TWCTV site, including CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC and Univision (because you can never have enough novelas). Unfortunately, the goodies won't be up for everyone's viewing pleasure, as the additions are only for folks within the NYC boroughs. That said, the cable giant plans to add "a few more markets by the end of the year." Want to find out if your favorite local news show made the cut? The full list can be found at the source link below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GeChic On-Lap 1302 is a 'Secret Tool' to give your smartphone dual screens (video) Posted: 17 Mar 2012 12:24 AM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Universal ticker hack takes a look back at a time before NASDAQ (video) Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:45 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PatchWerk lets you control a monstrous modular synth with your browser (video) Posted: 16 Mar 2012 08:08 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CyanogenMod disables root access by default, now requires user configuration Posted: 16 Mar 2012 07:06 PM PDT  Holy crap! CyanogenMod, the custom ROM of choice for many power users, will no longer offer root access upon first install. Now before you panic, let's make this part clear: everyone so inclined may still enable superuser access -- for ADB, apps or both -- from the Developer Options menu. The biggest change, in fact, is that CyanogenMod is making a significant departure from the majority of custom ROM developers, which offer root access to all users by default (and often without their knowledge). The move is an attempt by CyanogenMod leaders to make the platform more secure, and given the number of ROMs that are based on CyanogenMod (or glean its packages), we wouldn't be particularly surprised to see this feature become more commonplace amongst other custom Android ROMs. To learn more about the rationale of the project leaders, be sure to hit up the source link below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bunnie Huang builds open-source geiger counter to help Japanese civilians Posted: 16 Mar 2012 06:04 PM PDT  Chumby co-creator Andrew "Bunnie" Huang was so moved by the Japanese Earthquake and Fukushima meltdown that he felt compelled to help out. Teaming up with nonprofit organization Safecast, he started work on a radiation monitor that was suitable for everyday civilian use, rather than it remain the sole province of officials. As well as its readings being able to stand up to scientific scrutiny, Huang's counter had to remain functional after a natural disaster, last for ages and be small enough for people to carry around. When he had finished building the reference design, he open-sourced the design so companies like Medcom and individuals could build their own. If you'd like to dabble in the arts of radiation monitoring, head on down to the source link for a fascinating insight into how it's done. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roku 4.3 update tweaks Netflix, device discovery issues Posted: 16 Mar 2012 04:58 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The new iPad: are you buying one? Posted: 16 Mar 2012 04:01 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 16 Mar 2012 03:29 PM PDT  Phones
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| Intel drops $21 million for ten percent stake in eye-tracking firm Tobii Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:59 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Engadget Show is live, here at 6:00PM ET! Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT  Are you strapped in? Got your helmets on? Good, because you're gonna need 'em this time out. We've got one action-packed, high-flying episode of The Engadget Show coming your way this month. We'll be testing the latest GoPro and Contour cameras in the deserts of Nevada and the skies above them, paying a visit to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and checking out the latest new 'bots from iRobot. We'll also be talking to Sony Electronics president Phil Molyneux and media theorist Douglas Ruskoff. We'll be live tonight at 6PM ET, and you can join us at this very URL -- so keep your browser locked to this spot. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T-Mobile retires Sidekick 4G, but brand will return Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:09 PM PDT  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SpaceX Dragon will dock with the ISS in May, for realsies this time Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:46 PM PDT  SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has announced that the company's Dragon craft has a NASA-approved date to dock with the International Space Station. With the original mission postponed from November last year, it's now penciled in for launch on April 30th, arriving at the ISS's front door on May 3rd, packed to the gills with fresh supplies. If successful, it'll strengthen Elon Musk's case for SpaceX to send a man into space... and beyond. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 hits Apple's Developer website, brings more roar to your Friday Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:19 PM PDT  Exactly one month ago, Apple pulled back the kimono revealing its next Mac OS release would be called Mountain Lion upon its debut this summer. It also let eager developers registered in the Mac Developer Program partake in the fun a little early. For the latter camp, Cupertino's back with a second helping today, aptly named Developer Preview 2. No word yet on what's changed in build 12A154q -- a scant twenty-six builds from the 12A128p original -- as the accompanying release notes have yet to be updated. But rest assured we'll circle back with anything of interest when they do. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET! Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:01 PM PDT  March 16, 2012 5:00 PM EST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Under the microscope: a closer look at the new iPad Posted: 16 Mar 2012 12:31 PM PDT  Richard Lai contributed to this report. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 16 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PDT  But there's one bigger change here, one that will ripple across the industry as each manufacturer struggles to keep up in this ever-accelerating market. That feature is the iPad's new 2048 x 1536 Retina display. It's the best display ever featured on a tablet, probably the best display ever on a mobile device, but is that enough to keep this tablet ahead of the pack? Believe it or not, the answer is yes. HardwareEver held an iPad 2? If so, suffice to say this new iPad is a wee bit thicker and a teensy bit heavier. You now have our full blessing to skip down to the display section below, which is what you're probably truly interested in reading about. For those looking for the full-on review effect, the new iPad is still a slinky thing. Sure, its 9.4mm thickness won't win it any awards (especially since that's .6mm thicker than the iPad 2), nor will its 652g (1.4-pound) heft (51g / .11 pounds more than before), but it feels neither big nor heavy. It instead feels substantial. Dense. It's carved from a hunk of aluminum and there's a cavity in there where the (now bigger) battery and other internals reside, but if you didn't know any better you'd think it were completely solid. There's none of the flex or the give found in cheaper slates. That solidity certainly helps explain the premium feel, but buyers will have to decide whether that feel is worth the extra space in their messenger bags, or the extra strain placed on shoulder straps. The chassis is hewn from the same matte aluminum as most of Apple's other devices, with a gentle curve on the edges tapering down to a flat back punctuated by a glossy black Apple logo. The shape of that taper is slightly different than before, a bit more rounded on account of that extra girth, but you'll be hard-pressed to notice without a side-by-side comparison. Looking at the back you'll still find the speaker in its same lower-left position, still a rather unfortunate placement. Most of the sound is therefore directed away from where you want it, namely in your ears, and we can't say as we noticed any improvement in the overall aural quality compared to this tablet's predecessor. Next to that is the dock port, still the full-sized 40-pin variety and not the slinky, next-gen connector that we've been hearing is in the works, so your accessories live on for at least one more generation of tablets. Move up to the side and you'll find the same volume rocker and mute / rotation lock as before, situated in the same place, too. Kitty-corner to that is the wide and flat power button, separated from the 3.5mm headphone jack over on the other side by the same expanse of black plastic seen on the iPad 2, making room in the metal chassis for the antennas to do their thing. WiFi-only models get by without this polycarbonate indiscretion.  Swing around to the other top corner and you'll find the door behind which rests the SIM. LTE does need a SIM, even on Verizon, and the new iPad supports LTE on both AT&T and Verizon. (Rogers, Bell and Telus in Canada, too, though Telestra LTE in Australia is sadly not compatible.) There are different devices here, one for AT&T / Rogers and another for Verizon, but either offer comprehensive non-LTE wireless connectivity options, including MTS / HSPA / HSPA+ / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). That means even if you aren't in LTE-land you can expect up to 42Mbps download speeds, which is much faster than the iPad 2. The WiFi-only models naturally lose all that, but all varieties offer 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity along with Bluetooth 4.0. Even the WiFi-only model can make use of the new voice dictation feature here, which adds a microphone button down next to the keyboard. In our testing it's impressively accurate, capturing even odd words like "Schenectady" without pause. It only works when you have an active network connection and, sadly, its no Siri, which is still not available. The new iPad will not find you directions to body hiding spots nor tell you the weather. The one final detail on the back is the slightly enlarged portal behind which the new five megapixel camera assembly peers through. It's rimmed by a bit of polished metal as on the iPad 2, so things don't look noticeably different from the outside, but as ever it's what's on the inside that counts -- and indeed you'll have to look a little deeper in this review to see how that new sensor. The biggest change of all, however, is right there on the front, though tragically for those who like to make appearances the black (or white) glass facade looks exactly the same as it did before. Turn it on, though, and everything changes. Display If you're disappointed Apple didn't do more with the new iPad, that's probably because you haven't seen the new Retina display for yourself yet. Take more than a passing glance and you'll be a believer. Of course, a cynic would say that it's really Samsung who's been doing all the hard work here, as this is (for now, at least) a panel sourced from that company, which should be a strong indicator that Apple's strongest competition on the Android side won't be far behind in launching its own high-res wunderslate. The biggest talking point is, of course, the truly bonkers resolution. 2048 x 1536 means four times the pixels of the previous iPads and, indeed, a full million more than your average 1080p TV. On the 9.7-inch display this works out to a pixel density of 264ppi. That's considerably lower than the 326ppi the iPhone 4S manages and, indeed, below the magic 300ppi barrier Apple had earlier specified for the "Retina" moniker. But, as you're expected to hold the new iPad further from your face than your phone, the perceived pixel density is said to be comparable.  Really, though, the numbers will be quickly forgotten once you get a look at this thing. If you've previously made the leap from a lower-resolution iPhone to one packing a Retina display you have some idea of what to expect here, but the increased scale really makes the difference shine. For example, viewing photos on an iPhone was never particularly pleasant to begin with. It always felt too cramped -- okay for a quick "hey, check this out" kind of experience, but not something you'd want to do for long stretches. Looking at photos on the iPad, however, has always been a very satisfying thing, and with the new iPad it's even more so. Not only are things rendered to a higher definition, they're also presented with greater accuracy. The new iPad screen offers a considerably increased contrast and gamut, meaning colors are not only brighter and more striking but more accurate. No, the reds and greens won't beat you over the head like they do on one of Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus displays, but everything here just looks right. That said, stack it next to an iPad 2 and you'll notice the new display is far more cool, and you're unfortunately given no control over that. A few pictures, like of a bright red Ferrari, actually look slightly more accurate on the old display, but by and large the new panel blows the old one away. This is truly a spectacular display, and in typical IPS fashion it doesn't disappoint at odd angles. It maintains its splendor at broad enough perspectives to ensure your friend on the other side of the couch can also enjoy your latest YouTube fave. Yes, there are a lot of hyperbolic adjectives up there in the preceding paragraphs, but that's simply because this is a genuinely nice display. It raises the bar, and that's a good thing. We can't wait to see how the competition responds. Of course, to make the best use of this new display you'll need new apps that have been up-sampled to take full advantage, and thankfully there are plenty. All of the stock iOS apps have been retooled already, while many big third-party players like Amazon's Kindle app and Evernote have already been upped as well, and the difference is noticeable. 1080p content looks considerably better than on the iPad 2, as you would expect, but even 720p content shows a noticeable improvement. That shouldn't necessarily be a surprise, though, since the old tablet couldn't even manage that resolution. Performance and battery life
So, don't be expecting a revolutionary change when it comes to day-to-day usage, but really we still find the iPad 2 to be far more snappy and responsive than just about anything else on the market. So too, then, is the new iPad. This is the first iPad to offer 4G LTE wireless, and so we were naturally quite eager to load up Speed Test and see what it could do. We received a Verizon model to test and it did not fail to impress, delivering download speeds consistently in the 22 - 25Mbps down range. Uploads, meanwhile, hovered between 16 and 19Mbps with 50 - 70ms pings. That is, needless to say, quite healthy. We also had the opportunity to test an Orange non-LTE model in the UK and saw speeds averaging 3.5Mbps down and just north of .5Mbps up. That too is respectable but will likely leave you pining for the day the cooling rays of LTE to show up in your hood, especially since the iPad can be used as a wireless hotspot for no extra cost.
We had high expectations for battery life, despite those substantial improvements to both the built-in radios and display. The new pack inside the iPad is rated at a massive 42.5 watt-hours. That's nearly double the size of the 25 watt-hour pack found in the iPad 2. The reason for the boost is to make sure there are plenty of electrons to shovel into the LTE antenna and the new A5X processor, both of which are presumably quite hungry. Apple rates the new iPad at 10 hours of casual surfing on WiFi or nine hours if you're doing it using cellular data and our own video rundown test gave a similar rundown time. At 50 percent brightness, our HSPA model pushed out just under 10 hours of constant playback, with 3G and WiFi on. That's barely half an hour behind its predecessor, despite this year's hardware improvements. We'll be throwing our LTE test unit onto the very same treadmill as soon as possible and will update this review as soon as we can. Cameras We called the cameras on the iPad 2 "pretty bad" and, well, they are. Thankfully Apple has finally raised the game on the rear shooter for the new iPad, but it's unfortunately left the front-facing VGA FaceTime camera alone. If you're sick of looking murky when FaceTiming with loved ones from a dimly lit room, we're sorry to say it might be time to finally invest in that extra lamp. Obviously, the company's time and effort was spent focusing on the lens poking out the back, but in some ways that, too, is a bit of a let-down. It's a five megapixel unit consisting of the same five-element, f/2.4 lens and stabilization processing wizardry found in the iPhone 4S. But, curiously, the bigger iPad takes a step down to a more lowly five megapixel sensor. Day time video test Night time video test (done alongside an iPad 2) But, move past megapixels (as we encourage most digital shooters to do) and you'll find the image quality to be very high here. We found it very easy to take pleasing photos with the new iPad but we didn't see the drastic increase in shot-to-shot speed that we did on the 4S. That phone wowed us with its rapid-fire prowess, and indeed the iPad 2 is quite snappy moving from picture to picture. The new iPad is much slower. It's still plenty quick, on the order of two shots per second, but we'd estimate the iPad 2 is roughly twice that fast. Still, we'll take quality over quantity, and the new iPad shots are far more pleasing to the eye.  Video has stepped up a good bit to, to 1080p from the previous 720, and again we saw a nice increase in quality over the former iPad. While we still hate the idea of taking pictures or videos with something packing a 9.7-inch display, if you must you will at least have great results now. Accessories So width and height are the same as the iPad 2, but as we mentioned above thickness is now .6mm greater than before. That's but a sliver of a difference and difficult to notice unless you stack the two next to each other, but if you're dealing with a finely-crafted case made to exacting specifications that increase is more than enough to cause issues. Thankfully, most cases aren't made to such high standards, so there's a very good chance your old sleeve will do just fine. We tried a few different sleeves and loose cases and there was no issue with the majority of them. Some plastic-backed cases that clip on refused to hold on very securely, but for the most part this new iPad is backwards compatible. Indeed, Apple's own Smart Cover clips on to the side magnetically just like on the iPad 2. In fact all the other first-party iPad accessories should be perfectly compatible, thanks in large part to the continuation of the 40-pin dock connector. And, thanks to the hugely useful iOS version of iPhoto, the SD Card Reader and Camera Connector are of particular value now. But, the best accessory for the iPad will likely prove to be the new Apple TV. This guy features a friendlier UI and, finally, 1080p support. It isn't the iOS-having, app-running update that we've been hoping for, but beaming 1080p content straight to your TV over AirPlay is about as easy as it gets and, for many, worth the $99 price of admission. Price, options and data plans The new iPad is priced exactly the same as the old iPad used to be. That is to say, a 16GB model starts at $499. 32GB costs $100 more and 64GB is another $100 on top of that, for a range-topping price of $699. Rather unfortunately there's still no 128GB option, a particular shame given the size of the textbooks Apple is now hawking. More storage is a must for whatever the next new iPad turns out to be. The 3G / LTE models, whether you choose AT&T or Verizon, will cost you $130 more. So that's $629, $729 or $829. Cheap? No, but those are at last off-contract prices. As before, data plans are all month-to-month, so no worries about signing away the next two years of your wireless freedom. You'll simply buy your data at the beginning of the month and next month, if you want more, you'll have to pay again. On AT&T you're looking at 250MB for $14.99 monthly, but on LTE we could see blowing through that in a day. A more realistic 3GB will cost you $30 while 5GB is $50. AT&T does not offer tethering yet (though it intends to in the future), so if you want your slate to also be a portable hotspot today you'll need to go to Verizon. There you'll be paying $20 for 1GB, $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB and $80 for 10GB on the top end. If you opt to buy your iPad pre-activated through Verizon they'll also give you the option of paying $10 for every GB over your allowance. Wrap-up With the new iPad, Apple has chosen to take small steps in many areas, making a logical upgrade on the camera, a modest improvement in graphics performance and the perfectly natural addition of LTE wireless. Other things have been left the same, like the overall size and form-factor, speed, the selection of capacities and, most importantly, the pricing. It's only with the display that Apple made a truly big step forward here over the iPad 2, and for many that's enough to make an upgrade worthwhile. The new iPad doesn't do anything substantially better or particularly different than the iPad 2, offering the same rich world of content as before. But, it's the amazingly high quality window into that world the new iPad offers that is completely unmatched -- for the moment. We have no doubt that others will be bringing similarly high-res offerings to market soon, but for now the new iPad takes the cake. Is it worth a purchase if you still have the original iPad? Yes, absolutely. The iPad 2? That, dear readers, largely depends on how much disposable income you're swinging around, but if you have the means... Mat Smith, Richard Lai and Zach Honig contributed to this review. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China may ship more smartphones than the the US this year Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:41 AM PDT  China to Become the Largest Market for Smartphones in 2012 with Brazil and India Forecast to Join the Top 5 Country-Level Markets by 2016, According to IDC 15 Mar 2012 FRAMINGHAM, Mass. March 15, 2012 – Smartphone shipments to emerging markets will drive growth in the worldwide smartphone market in the years ahead. According to the latest smartphone forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, China will become the leading country-level market for smartphone shipments in 2012, moving ahead of the current leader, the United States. Looking ahead to 2016, two additional emerging markets, India and Brazil, will enter the top 5 country markets for smartphone shipments. "Due to their sheer size, strong demand, and healthy replacement rates, emerging markets are quickly becoming the engines of the worldwide smartphone market," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Users in emerging markets seek more than simple voice telephony, and smartphones offer the ideal platform for mobile entertainment, social networking, and business usage as seen in developed markets." Meanwhile, mature markets, such as Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, will experience continued growth in smartphone adoption, but volumes will not keep up with those destined for emerging markets. At the same time, smartphone growth within emerging markets presents its challenges. "The total cost of ownership remains a hurdle for potential smartphone buyers," added Llamas. "Smartphones still represent a significant investment for consumers in many countries. This fact was acknowledged by a number of industry executives at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, who stressed the need for low-cost devices – as low as sub-US$50 – to spur widespread adoption. Another notable barrier to adoption is the cost of a monthly data plan. To realize the full potential of emerging markets, smartphone vendors need to develop low-cost smartphones that provide a full, robust experience while mobile operators will need to creatively subsidize device cost and data plans." China Highlights After surpassing smartphone shipments in the U.S. for two consecutive quarters in the second half of 2011, China will carry that momentum into 2012 and beyond. "PRC smartphone shipments are expected to take a slim lead over the U.S. in 2012 before the gap widens in the coming years," said Wong Teck Zhung, senior market analyst with IDC's Asia/Pacific Client Devices team. "There will be no turning back this leadership changeover." Android smartphones priced below US$200 were a hot segment in 2011 and these low-cost smartphones are expected to remain a key driver for smartphone growth, with prices becoming even more affordable on falling chipset prices and increased competition. "Emerging domestic vendors will be another important engine of smartphone growth as giants Huawei, ZTE, and Lenovo continue to ramp up with big carrier orders due to their willingness to produce customized handsets," added Teck Zhung. "International players such as Samsung and Nokia are also expected to drive volume at the low end with cheaper smartphones." India Highlights The Indian smartphone market will witness galloping growth throughout the forecast period. Carriers are expected to aggressively roll out 3G networks and data plans while domestic vendors such as Micromax, Spice, Karbonn and Lava have already launched low-cost smartphones in a bid to drive future demand as they attempt to move up the value chain from low-cost feature phones. In 2011, growth has been largely driven by top-tier brands like Samsung and HTC, and international vendors will look to invest further in local manufacturing in the coming years as the high-growth Indian market becomes a top priority. "Demand for smartphones will also grow as urban and enterprise users mature in their handset preferences and usage," says G. Rajeev, senior market analyst for mobile devices with IDC India. "Consumers are growing accustomed to higher data usage and using handsets for entertainment and other content, instead of just as a communication device." Brazil Highlights A booming economy combined with low inflationary pressures have helped lower the poverty rate in Brazil and improved the discretionary income of the Brazilian population. The resultant growth in Brazil's consumer and business segments has been felt in products beyond mobile phones, with Brazil moving past Japan in 2011 to become the third largest country-level market for PCs. The shift from feature phones to smartphones is well underway in Brazil. Mobile phone subscribership has exceeded the country's population, smartphone prices have dropped to less than US$300, and carriers have introduced prepaid data plans. This last piece has been especially critical as four out of five mobile phone users in Brazil use prepaid phone lines. It has essentially opened up smartphones to a new world of customers that otherwise would not have been able to reap the benefits of smartphones. Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, March 2012 Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors. About IDC IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 48 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon' Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:13 AM PDT  |
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