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Engadget News |
- Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution
- Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0
- Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly
- HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k
- E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing
- ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS
- GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard
- SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until August
- Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150
- NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices
- Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping
- Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules
- LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 / 14-inch Z450 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD
- Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor?
- Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012
- PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks
- Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast for tomorrow
- Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video)
- Engadget Mobile Podcast 140 - 06.02.2012
- Apple Newton celebrates 20 years of eating up Martha
- US Cellular reduces prepaid plan prices, increases costs for new smartphone owners
- Sony intros Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition, lets your non-PlayStation gear feel the bass (video)
| Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution Posted: 03 Jun 2012 11:14 AM PDT With M. Night Shyamalan already shooting his next movie -- After Earth -- on the F65 4K camera, Sony's PR machine is going all out to assuage remaining doubters in the film industry. One of the more curious aspects of the awareness campaign is that it doesn't focus solely on the exorbitant resolution -- in fact, it gives almost equal weight to other visual promises that Sony hopes will persuade producers, directors and cinematographers to make the leap before anyone else does. What might those eyeball treats be? Philippe Ros, a DoP hired by Sony to shoot a 4K promo film, put it succinctly at a showing we attended in London this week: "Only the first row in the cinema may notice the resolution, but I'm more interested in the colors than in the 4K." According to Ros, every terrabyte that floods out of the F65 per hour of filming contains color and dynamic range info way beyond what you normally get when shooting digital. The end result? Crews on the ground can relax just that little bit more, knowing that any mundane-looking scenes can be given far greater impact later. Now, even bearing in mind that Ros couldn't have said anything bad about 4K without things getting awkward, it's still interesting that he admits to being skeptical of the resolution itself. But if others on independent shoots discover the same post-production flexibility that he did, then the push for 4K might come from filmmakers rather than those further down the food chain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony Xperia P review: a confident, middle-sized smartphone waiting for Android 4.0 Posted: 03 Jun 2012 09:15 AM PDT More InfoAs the middle child from Sony Mobile's NXT family, the Xperia P steps out from behind the Xperia S' shadow with its own 4-inch screen -- and a touch of WhiteMagic. Screen technology aside, the phone's design follows a path very similar to Sony's latest flagship and picks up a few quirks of its own on the way. The see-through button strip is actually touch-sensitive on Sony's 2012 middle-weight -- a curious oversight on the bigger model. It packs Sony's 8-megapixel Exmor R camera sensor (likely to be the same one found in the Xperia Arc S), a dual-core 1GHz processor and just under 13GB of user-accessible storage. But there's one unfortunate Xperia trait here -- we're still playing with Android Gingerbread, even while its ancestors begin to dip their toes into Ice Cream Sandwich. Does anyone want an incrementally smaller Android phone from Sony? And what exactly is WhiteMagic and what does it mean for the battery life? Hardware
The instant you unfurl the Xperia P from its delicately designed (and presumably eco-friendly) retail box, you'll think of the Xperia S. Sony's consciously designed the current Xperia trio to match each other, from the squarish corners to the see-through strip that embellishes the base. The Xperia P can shed its lower cap, although this doesn't open up access to anything -- the micro-SIM slot exists on the left edge and there's no expandable storage option. Unlike the Xperia U, the notion of exchangeable caps has also been overlooked -- the phone will arrive with the single, matching cap -- and you'll have to hope a friend's willing to swap if you're looking to shake up the design. While the majority of the back is hewn from aluminum, both the aforementioned cap and a region on the top edge miss out, coated instead with plastic. It's just off-color from the aluminum bulk, tempering what is otherwise a fine-looking handset. The phone is a little thicker (10.5mm) than what we're starting to become accustomed to, but it's nigh-on identical to the Xperia S. Due to the smaller 4-inch (540 x 960) screen, it feels more at ease in the hand. In general, the phone makes a lot of ergonomic sense. All the physical buttons are placed on the right edge, with the two-stage camera shutter appearing where it would on any typical point-and-shoot. It's joined by the volume rocker, the power switch and a metallic mesh guarding the loudspeaker. The grill is curiously parallel to the curved edge, not the flatter front face, but it's a minor curio. On the opposite side, there's the micro-HDMI and micro-USB port. The micro-SIM slot is accessed by removing a pretty flimsy cover that feels like its made of the same aluminum material of the phone, but looks oddly out of place. The curved backing includes the primary camera sensor (there's a VGA camera on the front) and flash, with a Sony ScreenWhile the phone beams out from a 4-inch TFT display, Sony's added its own additional white subpixel to the typical RGB setup, as design it calls "WhiteMagic." What does this mean in real life? Well, you won't need to swing the brightness level to full whack to use it. Even better, at full brightness, this is the most readable screen we've ever used outdoors. In the middle of a sudden heatwave in the UK, the Xperia P is able to push enough effort into that extra subpixel to make a real difference in tricky lighting. Let's take a (much) closer look: The pixels are pretty densely packed together, explaining the relative crispness, while each RGB group is joined by a white subpixel to improve visibility. The display otherwise behaves like many other recent qHD display. Color reproduction is excellent, viewing angles are good (and are boosted at higher brightness levels) and it thankfully avoids any discoloration issues at off angles, unlike its AMOLED rivals. Camera Sony has a pretty good track record with its camera sensors, especially on its middle-of-the-road smartphones. Thankfully, the Xperia P follows this trend, with an 8-megapixel camera capable of crisp images -- though you can expect some noise when in lower light. The camera's dynamic range could also do with some work -- subjects were often washed out when strong lighting was involved. On the whole, Sony's automatic scene mode is capable of capturing some nice stills without diving into the settings. These include the sweep panorama modes and 3D angled stills courtesy of Sony's myriad electronics verticals. Video recording is similarly pleasing. Despite its size, the Xperia P is capable of capturing 1080p video, presumably due to the dual-core processor not seen on last year's Sony phones. For our sample, we kept to the 720p setting and the result is a crisp video, with the phone both adjusting to focal and lighting changes quickly.
Performance and battery-lifeSony managed to eke out a respectable performance from its single-core phones, but it's made the change to an ST-Ericsson U8500 dual-core processor here. Our renovated benchmarks prove that it doesn't quite match the dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 found inside the Xperia S, but it does give some respectable scores (some less so) that are backed up by our own experiences. Using the Droid RAZR for dual-core comparison, Sony Mobile's new chip choice doesn't quite equal the competition in raw numbers.
During our typical use, the phone kept up with what we needed it to do. It survived our web browsing sessions and lightweight games with relative ease. The SunSpider score reflects our own experiences -- perfectly manageable but not nearly as smooth as other Android phones. It also lacks the graphical punch of the bigger phones. More intensive games could run, but weren't all that smooth. Touchscreen controls on a 4-inch display also felt a little tight in this age of bigger screens. Around 13GB of storage is passable for our apps and photos, but the lack of substantial built-in storage or a microSD slot continues to irritate. That's despite Sony continuing to offer 50GB of free cloud storage through Box if you register the device before the end of 2012. The Xperia P's 1,305mAh battery isn't able to offer up enough hours of on-time for us, though. In our video run-down test, the phone is only able to eke out just over four hours of playback, with brightness set at 50 percent and WiFi on, but not connected. We found ourselves limiting use of the phone during the day for fear it would run out before we got somewhere to charge it -- something it often did when we were using it outdoors at higher brightness settings. The battery is also non-removable, which makes it an even bigger bind for those that like to add some insurance with extra batteries. We level the blame at Sony's WhiteMagic display. Presumably, those extra subpixels really take their toll on battery consumption. You'll have to balance out superb outdoor visibility against reduced battery life. The phone runs on quad-band GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900) and HSPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100), with speeds to 14.4 Mbps down and 5.6 Mbps up. In the middle of London, we got speeds of around 4.5Mbps down and 500kbps up -- not superb, but comparable to our other devices in the same location. Call quality is typically strong, with good noise cancellation on busy streets. If anything, the earpiece could benefit from being a little more potent. While our test calls were fine on the other end, we often had trouble hearing their replies in busy situations. Software And we're back to another frustration -- the spectre of late Android iterations. Again, we're handed a new phone, in the middle of 2012, with Gingerbread. Fortunately, Sony's own tweaks add some extra functionality to it, but theses certainly don't come close to the slickness and joined-up design of Google's fourth mobile OS version. Features like text selection and task switching are greatly improved on the 2.3.7 build to which Sony has added its own app folder function and some middle-weight Facebook integration that neatly dovetails your contacts there with your phone book. Like preceding Sony phones, the app tray navigates from left to right, with the ability to sort them by frequency of use, alphabetically and freshness. Sony's app bloat and widgets were relatively unobtrusive (with the exception of the McAffee antivirus program) and are complemented by Google's stock versions -- at least we had a choice. The phone also packs similar NFC capabilites to the Xperia S, although it lacks the in-box SmartTags of the bigger device. Both Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited media services arrive ready to go on the device, although we have no more willingness to use the stores since we toyed with both on the Tablet P. The Xperia P also misses out on PlayStation certification for some reason -- odd given that older devices are now enjoying a limited selection of Sony's gaming catalogue. Like the Xperia S, the phone is ready to share your media, with a mini-HDMI cable even boxed with the phone -- likely in exchange for those NFC tags. Wrap-up The Xperia P is a confident, middle-sized handset, but new smartphone shoppers may find it difficult to spend £340 (around $530; off-contract) on it. While the Xperia P has more design charm and better build quality, the Xperia S is already being substantially discounted in the UK, with a grander camera, larger screen and more capable processor. However, big phones aren't for everyone and the Xperia P's footprint lies closer to the iPhone than recent pocket-testing smartphones. It's not going to beat the competition on raw benchmark numbers, but nor did any lag or hiccups frustrate us during testing -- something that other Android phones are still capable of. Another concern is that if someone is looking to buy a small smartphone, they easily could go for the smaller-again Xperia U, which has its own (if slightly brash) design quirks. That shouldn't ruin what the P model can offer; a bright qHD screen that's a revelation in sunlight, with a stable -- but tired -- OS that's promised an ICS update soon. If Sony can follow up on that promise, then the Xperia P might avoid slide into obscurity that several of its phones have suffered from. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft buys every 'Smart Glass' domain it can think of, E3 goers nod approvingly Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:56 AM PDT
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| HUBO 2 has articulated hands, can walk 2 km on a charge: yours for $400k Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:13 AM PDT HUBO has come so far from mastering the basics of mobility. The latest from KAIST is HUBO 2, a robot with flexible limbs that allow it to bend down and even do push-ups. The HUBO 2's hands are another big improvement, now allowing the humanoid to open car doors, operate a gear shift and hold up to 7 kg. KAIST used "individually actuated" fingers that adapt to the shape of whatever HUBO 2 is holding, a la Honda's new ASIMO. The robot can walk 2 km on a charge, and it looks like it's a little less of a slow poke now, too: KAIST increased its running speed to 4 kph from 3 kph. Check out the source link and video below to see the HUBO 2 in action -- if you're impressed, it can be yours for a cool $400,000. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| E3 predictions: what to expect when you're Electronics Entertainment Expoing Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:20 AM PDT Happy June! We're out holding things down in sunny, smoggy downtown Los Angeles, preparing for the on-coming storm of video game goodness. It's shaping up to another exciting year for all things Electronic Entertainment Expo, albeit one a bit less focused on the hardware side. Things unofficially kick off on Monday, with press conferences from two of the big three -- Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo will round things out on Tuesday morning, officially opening the show. So, what sort of action can we expect to see over the week in LA? We've compiled a quick list of what we're looking forward to over the next several days. Nintendo Will E3 2012 be the year of the Wii U? From a hardware perspective, most signs seem to be pointing to "yes." The console formerly known as Project Cafe had its official unveil this time last year, in prototypical form. Nintendo has trotted it out a few times in the ensuing year -- including CES back in January, but the company has yet to give a full picture of the console it seems to hope will help it recapture the non-casual market it somewhat alienated with the family-friendly original Wii. Late last year, the gaming giant's president, Satoru Iwata, promised a more complete picture of the console and its tablet-esque controllers at E3 2012. Also, the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox still seem a ways off -- all of this, coupled with with a loss of steam behind the Wii and a general feeling of disappointment surrounding the 3DS mean that Nintendo's really got to deliver the goods this time out. And certainly the company's doing all within its power to make sure word gets out -- including an early bird press conference. Microsoft Odds seem pretty good that Microsoft will be the least buzzy of the big three press conferences this year. There's not likely to be a heck of a lot in the way of hardware coming out of Redmond. Xbox multimedia may take center stage, courtesy of products like the Spotify-esque Woodstock music streaming service. We may also see some face time devoted to Windows 8 / WP8 and their gaming potential. Also on the list of Microsofty rumors is Smart Glass, an AirPlay-like media streaming app for the Xbox 360. Sony Again, likely no major new hardware on this end, but the company is expected by some to give a jolt to flagging Vita sales with a significant -- and permanent -- price cut. On the PC side of things, we've already seen a preview of the cool SOEmote, which brings some excitement over the MMORPG world, by delivering things like facial recognition to EverQuest II. Unreal Engine 4 Epic Games has been promising some big things from its latest gaming engine -- and after countless years in development, expectations are extremely high. The gaming technology got a brief demo running on an Nvidia Kepler GTX 680 card for a small and fairly impressed crowd back at GDC. Expect to see some more of that glorious action -- and, if Epic gets its way, some console-based hardware improvements to match down the road. The Sequels No one loves a good sequel more than the gaming industry -- and surely this year won't disappointed on that front. Titles like Halo 4, God of War Ascension, Far Cry 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will all likely be given their time to shine at the show, leading what will surely be a long list of franchise-bolstering titles. Mobile / Casual Gaming Yep. Expect this creeping to continue, try as the Nintendos of the world might to keep the focus on the console, major industry dollars have shifted into the phone-based casual gaming market, and as such, we only expect the space's influence on the show to continue. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROCCAT's new Lua three-button mouse is thirty dollars away from your FPS Posted: 03 Jun 2012 05:01 AM PDT How many buttons does a gaming mouse need? If you ask ROCCAT -- for today at least -- the answer is three. Evidently not happy with the current choice of tri-buttoned peripherals, it's launching a new "Lua" model at both Computex and E3. As well as the aforementioned triplet of clickable appendages, it houses a Pro Optic R2 sensor which will let you jack the DPI setting from 250 up to 2000 and back again on the hop, battlefield, or wherever you may be. The ambidextrous device launches internationally sometime in late July early August, with a $30 price-tag. ROCCAT to Reinvent the 3-Button Mouse with Lua Launch at Computex and E3 Hamburg, 1 June 2012 – German gaming peripherals manufacturer, ROCCAT Studios, is set to unveil the ROCCAT Lua Tri-Button Gaming Mouse at the Computex expo in Taipei and E3 in Los Angeles, June 5. Described as "The Classic 3-Button Mouse: Re-Mastered", the Lua packs advanced gaming engineering into a sleek and clean ambidextrous form that offers a comfortable fit for every gamer's hand. "We took the beloved three-button mouse design and injected it with our innovative gaming engineering – and created a killer tool that gives props to the past while heading boldly into the future," says René Korte, ROCCAT Founder and CEO. "The Lua delivers everything gamers need for control, comfort and style – all in a sleek and slim design that offers perfect comfort for every hand." The Lua's advanced Pro Optic R2 sensor features a choice of seven DPI settings – 250, 500, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750 and 2000 – so gamers can play with accuracy at the speed that matches their style. It also has a dedicated DPI button that lets players easily change speeds in the heat of battle. Gamers can even program the button to switch only between the DPI settings they use most. The Lua's ultra-precise 2D scroll wheel also lets gamers give every wheel command with absolute precision. Every incremental step locks securely into place, so users won't have to worry above over-scrolling. When weapon 2 is what's needed, a player won't accidentally scroll too far and end up with weapon 3 or 4 – security that can mean the difference between life and death in a lightning-paced FPS. Plus, the Lua's advanced scroll wheel delivers solid tactile feedback, so gamers can actually feel their way to more accurate gaming. Thanks to its perfectly-balanced, ambidextrous V-shaped design, the Lua delivers supreme comfort to both left- and right-handers. Plus, it features No Sweat side grips that ensure a steady hold even when the action gets hot – as well as a soft touch surface that lets gamers play comfortably even during extended sessions. The Lua also features a large ROCCAT logo illuminated in arctic blue – a stylish boost to gaming atmospherics that also perfectly complements other ROCCAT gear. The logo even has a "breathing" effect, so gamers will always know that their Lua is alive and well and awaiting the next command. The Lua comes standard with ROCCAT Driver software, which lets users easily customize their mouse buttons. And all Lua tweaking is fun and easy thanks to the program's gorgeous and simple-to-use interface. And last, but certainly not least, the Lua is built mega-tough and state-of-the-art using only the highest-quality materials and most advanced technology. From its premium electronics – featuring Omron switches and cutting-edge encoder – to its PTFE feet that deliver low-friction gliding, everything on the Lua is built to last and designed to give players a competitive edge. The ROCCAT Lua will hit shelves internationally July / August 2012 for a MSRP of $29.99. For further information: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAEMS announces new Sentry Xbox 360 suitcase, teases Project Vanguard Posted: 03 Jun 2012 03:30 AM PDT How could we forget the GAEMS personal gaming environment? Looking something like a cross between a laptop from the eighties, and a bomb disposal unit, the all-in-one Xbox system was always going to make an impression. Well, with E3 just around the corner, it looks like there might be another model on the way. All we know at the moment is that it's called "Sentry," and will have more of a personal entertainment leaning. This being based on the fact that on top of the Xbox gaming, GAMES only went as far to tease that services like Netflix, HULU and YouTube will be increasingly central to it. The firm is also revealing a new device with the working title "Project Vanguard," about which it's even more secretive. Either way, better make more room on that luggage rack. GAEMS, Inc. announced today they will show the latest innovations in their lineup of award-winning personal gaming and entertainment environments (PGE(tm)) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, June 5-7, 2012. The GAEMS booth will be located in South Hall, #247 (right next to the G4TV stage). GAEMS recently partnered with Microsoft and will unveil the new G155 Sentry, a Microsoft-licensed device that provides individuals and families with a completely customizable personal entertainment solution to enjoy games, DVDs or even stream media like Netflix*, HULU* or YouTube* anytime and just about anywhere. The Sentry and an Xbox 360 lets anyone transform any space into their own Personal Gaming Environment(tm) (PGE(tm)). Behind closed doors, GAEMS will unveil their latest device, code named Project Vanguard. A prototype of Project Vanguard will be available for viewing by the media by invitation only. GAEMS will also unveil 3 new accessories enabling users to transport their PGEs. The Sentry Sling, the PGE Battle Bag and the PGE B.O.T. will soon join the GAEMS accessory lineup that already includes licensed skins, remote controls and custom badges. GAEMS first device, the G155 self-contained personal gaming and entertainment environment, was initially shown at E3 2011, and received critical acclaim from media outlets such as Associated Press, USA Today, and IGN.com. Additionally, the G155 was selected by the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SteelSeries announces Sensei Major League Gaming edition, keeps palms eager until August Posted: 03 Jun 2012 01:42 AM PDT For most of us, the humble mouse is but a tool for effective computer navigation, for gamers though, it's a matter of life and (virtual) death. SteelSeries knows this, and hopes its new Sensei Major League Gaming edition mouse will keep a few more of its faithful out of the MASH. It looks like much of the credentials of the original Sensei have been kept intact, the same 10.8-megapixel sensor, the 150 inches per second movement detection, 32-bit ARM processor, LCD display and so on. What's new then? For the main part, the CPI, which can now go from one to 8,200, or all the way to 16,400 if you use the double CPI feature. You'll have to wait until August to get your hand on it, with pre-orders (but no price as yet) set to open at the MLG Championship next week. STEELSERIES AND MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING INTRODUCE THE STEELSERIES SENSEI MLG EDITION GAMINGMOUSE World's Most Customizable And Fastest Mouse Optimized for Major League Gaming; Features Highest, Premium-Quality Sensor, 32 Bit ARM Processor And MLG Illuminated Logo CHICAGO – June 1, 2012 – SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of premium-quality peripherals, and partner Major League Gaming (MLG), the world's largest competitive video game league, today introduced the SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition Gaming Mouse. As the official, licensed mouse for Major League Gaming, the SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition brings competitive players the best-in-class hardware as well as a color design and surface that was chosen in cooperation with the MLG community - based on interviewing visitors at the MLG Winter Championship in Columbus. Key features include a 32-bit ARM processor that allows for advanced SteelSeries ExactTech calculations to bedone directly on the mouse, easy driverless setup at tournament computers via an on mouse LCD display and menu, and the newest, premium-quality sensor, which increases the CPI to 8,200 and 16,400 DCPI. Attendees at the MLG Spring Championship in Anaheim, CA, June 8-10 will be the first to get an advancedlook and can pre-order the sophisticated mouse which will be be available beginning this August for $99.99 / €99.99 MSRP. The SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition Gaming Mouse is ambidextrous with a gunmetal, non-slip grip coating, three areas of illumination with 16.8 million color options to choose from and 4 levels of illuminating pulsation. Compatible for both PC and Mac® users, the mouse can be further modified through the SteelSeries Engine software suite, which allows for multiple layers of customization and extended programmability. "MLG partnered with SteelSeries because of the impressive products they build for gamers," said Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO and Co-founder of Major League Gaming. "We are excited to introduce the Sensei MLG Edition, which has been crafted with the best hardware available and technology that makes sense to gamers who are looking for the best products to help their competitive play." "The professional gamers that compete in MLG tournaments and the competitive players who watch competition streams that are practicing towards getting to tournaments in person and ultimately play to win, are who we have built this co-branded mouse for," said SteelSeries CMO, Kim Rom. "We believe the MLG community and its supporters bring together some of the most passionate competitive players out there and we're excited to bring those players a mouse with the fastest, most customizable and best-in-quality features." Customization for Competitive Gaming The SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition Gaming Mouse features a state of the art 32-bit ARM processor that provides both speed and precision. The best, premium-quality laser sensor makes this mouse the fastest on the market, with true hardware-based sensitivity settings from 1 to 8,200 CPI, and an "overclocked" Double CPI feature that allows the user to go all the way up to 16,400 DCPI - a setting that is ideal for multiple monitor use. The sensor boasts 10.8-megapixel image correlations at up to 12,000 frames per second and the ability to handle tracking movements of up to 150 inches per second. The SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition Gaming Mouse features a unique on-mouse LCD display and menu that allows users to quickly and easily set, store and configure profiles and settings directly on the mouse. SteelSeries' industry leading ExactTech settings, such as ExactSens, ExactAccel, and ExactAim, can be calculated directly on the hardware via the LCD menu screen, which leaves the user with a mouse that is completely free of any interpolation or extrapolation, delay, filtering and without using up memory or resources on the user's computer. All of these features make set-up during tournaments fast and easy. The LCD also allows users to create bitmap illustrations to depict team names and logos, some of which will be downloadable on the SteelSeries Website. Optimized Design, Grip and Illumination The community chosen non-slip grip, dark metal coating encases the Sensei MLG Edition, while the ambidextrous shape makes all 8 ergonomically placed buttons comfortably reachable for the 3 grip styles – palm, claw and swipe. The mouse hosts three areas of illumination – at the wheel, at the CPI indicator and at the MLG logo, in 16.8 million color options including an OFF setting. The default colors are MLG-inspired with a blue illuminated wheel, red illuminated logo and white illuminated CPI indicator. The illumination also identifies specific functions like different colors for profiles or to represent team or player colors. Connecting to the computer through a gold-plated USB, its double-braided black nylon cord - with specks of red, white and blue - is meant to withstand serious punishment, from even the most aggressive tournament pulls. The Power of SteelSeries' Engine While the SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition Gaming Mouse can be configured without the need for software drivers, it also can be modified through the SteelSeries Engine software. It's up to the user to decide how much customization they want or need; SteelSeries is purely supplying the possibilities. The SteelSeries Engine can allow users to: · Easily configure settings. The effortless drag-and-drop, easy to navigate features and directions make the software well suited for all levels. · Create profiles. Users can quickly activate multiple profiles for peripherals fromdifferent characters in one game to multiple profiles in all of the games and programs they're using. · Improve set-up through statistics. Users will be able to record sessions and identify how to improve their button layout and macro settings through a visual heat map of the users peripheral. · Have the freedom to play. The SteelSeries Engine makes the Sensei MLG Edition ascustomizable as technologically possible. The software will even recognize what game a user is playing and will open the appropriate, saved profile. It allows the user to have complete control on how their mouse can function. To ensure maximum performance in all gaming scenarios SteelSeries enlisted help from world-class StarCraft® II, Counter-Strike®, QUAKE® Live, DotA™, League of Legends™, Heroes of Newerth™, WarCraft® III and Doom® players who helped with the testing and refinement of the Sensei. They provided input on everything from grip styles to the needs for customizable technology; the Sensei MLG Edition evolved from hours of gameplay.
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| Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150 Posted: 03 Jun 2012 12:35 AM PDT Agility 4 SSDs Deliver an Excellent Combination of SATA 6Gbps Speed, I/O Performance, and Endurance for Value-Conscious Consumers SAN JOSE, CA – May 29, 2012 - OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today unveiled its new Agility 4 SSD series that delivers an ideal balance of 6Gbps SATA III interface speed, exceptional input/output operations per second (IOPS) performance, and enterprise-grade endurance and reliability all in a value-oriented SSD. Utilizing OCZ's cutting-edge Indilinx Everest 2 controller platform (first introduced in the flagship Vertex 4 SSD series), Agility 4 SSDs offer a cost-effective alternative to other SATA III SSD solutions in the market making them ideal for mainstream entertainment, gaming, and mobile storage applications. Powered by its Everest 2 controller platform, the Agility 4 excels in real-world compressible and incompressible workload performance. The series consistently delivers transfer rates of up to 400MB/s, and up to 85,000 random write IOPS. In comparison to first generation Everest controller platform, the transactional performance of Everest 2 doubled under typical use case scenarios. Leveraging an industry-leading feature-set, the Agility 4 SSD series offers superior endurance and reliability without the need for internal data compression (that typically leads to decreased performance of ubiquitous files types). The dual core controller architecture also includes an advanced error correction code (ECC) engine, dynamic wear-leveling, auto encryption, and Indilinx Ndurance™ 2.0 technology that addresses and overcomes specific shortcomings of NAND flash memory to extend flash life well beyond the manufacturer's rated program and erase cycle specifications. "For mainstream storage applications, there is no product better suited in the industry than our Agility 4 SSDs, providing the ultimate in access speed, application performance, endurance and reliability, at price points that most cost-conscious users will find appealing," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology. "As mobile users and applications continue to grow, adding to the deluge of data being generated on a daily basis, our Agility 4 SSD series provide great IOPS performance at a reasonable price enabling the user experience to be heightened especially for video streaming, music, photos, gaming, and online transaction processing (OLTP)." With the incredible responsiveness and reliability benefits that OCZ SSDs offer over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), the Agility 4 is ideal for mobile and desktop users seeking exceptional speed and endurance at an exceptional cost per gigabyte. Available in a boot-drive sized 64GB model, up to 512GB capacity for mass storage, Agility 4 SSD solutions are backed by a 3-year warranty and will be available through OCZ's global channel. For more information on the Agility 4 Series, please visit our product page here | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NTT DoCoMo launches free Concier mail translation app for Android devices Posted: 02 Jun 2012 10:34 PM PDT Not content to simply dabble in double-sided transparent touchscreens, Japanese mobile provider NTT DoCoMo continues its efforts to break the language barrier -- this time with a new Android app. "Mail Honyaku Concier" (honyaku means "translation" in Nihongo, while that last word is a play on "concierge") is a free app that lets users translate text into different languages. The software is compatible with smartphones and tablets sporting Android 2.2 or higher and accepts both keyboard and voice input for text. As part of its translation, the app sends a copy of the source material in its original language -- you know, just in case the thing does a Sheldon Cooper and coughs up "Oxen are in my bed." In addition to working with NTT DoCoMo's "sp Mode Mail" service, the software also plays nice with other apps. Languages supported so far are Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. As with any translator, you might want to use this with caution when dealing with important people -- like potential business clients or fathers-in-law, for example. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maingear's 11.6-inch Pulse 11 gaming laptop starts shipping Posted: 02 Jun 2012 09:01 PM PDT Alienware's M11x may be history, but as these things tend to go, there's always someone willing to carry the torch. Maingear's recently-introduced 11.6-inch Pulse 11 just so happens to be that rig in this here story, and those that've been waiting won't have to twiddle their thumbs any longer. The company is shipping the bantam gaming rig in the US starting this week, offering a Core i7 CPU (or a Core i5, if you'd rather), NVIDIA's Optimus graphics switching (tied to a GeForce GT 650 'Kepler' GPU), 11.6-inch LED-backlit panel (1366 x 768), up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 9-in-1 card reader, six-cell Li-ion battery and plenty of ports. It's starting at just $999, but speccing it out all proper like will send the asking price well north of that. (But trust us, it's worth it.) MAINGEAR LEADS THE MARCH OF ULTRAPORTABLE GAMING WITH THE NEW PULSE 11 MAINGEAR Pulse 11 MAINGEAR begins shipping the 11.6-inch Pulse 11 powerhouse delivering the best in 3D graphics and small form factor mobile computing. The MAINGEAR Pulse 11 was made for gamers looking for a powerful ultraportable that delivers the best of mobile entertainment in its size, and can go from the bedroom to car to a 60" HDTV in a living room via the HDMI output offers. Pulse 11 custom laptops offer clean and simple design along with great added features such as built-in THX TruStudio Pro Sound-certified speakers that deliver a richer mobile sound stage. The MAINGEAR Pulse 11 was designed to meet the needs of gamers, students, on-the-go digital warriors, and anyone looking for power in the smallest package possible. Technical Specification:
"The MAINGEAR Pulse 11 offers it all; the best of a desktop in a ultraportable form factor." Said Wallace Santos, CEO and Co-founder of MAINGEAR Computers. "With the power of the latest 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 and i5 Mobile processors, dedicated discrete GPU and high performance wireless, this system is packed with amazing gaming and 3D performance; giving our customers the best mobile experience they have come to expect from MAINGEAR." "With the Intel® Core™ i7 mobile processor in MAINGEAR's Pulse 11 offers unrivaled PC performance that gives gamers what they are looking for; power and lightweight mobility with desktop like performance." Said Joakim Algstam Gaming Segment Ecosystem Marketing Manager for Intel Corporation. "MAINGEAR has always been in the forefront of adopting new technologies and providing innovative options to meet the demands of PC enthusiasts, the MAINGEAR Pulse 11 is the perfect example of this." All of MAINGEAR products are supported with lifetime labor and phone support with one to three year hardware warranty. For more information about MAINGEAR's Pulse 11 custom laptop, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook to put privacy changes to vote thanks to policy group, its own rules Posted: 02 Jun 2012 08:09 PM PDT A vote on Facebook privacy rules prompted by 45,000 comments plastered on its governance page is likely to trigger consequences -- maybe some not intended. With Max Schrems' Our Policy site easily egging the number past the 7,000 threshold, the now-public social company must wait to see if 30 percent of its user base will object to the seemingly modest revisions. With the flock now numbering nearly 800 million, it seems unlikely that 230 million of them will bother to even vote, let alone strike the changes down. Given that and Facebook's privacy Czar Erin Egan saying that it will now revisit the vote policy, it's possible the only result will be a change in terms which could stymie future privacy efforts. Want to have your say? Check the more coverage link to find out where to go. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Jun 2012 07:36 PM PDT Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Update: Looks like a 14-inch Z450 is also on tap, but outside of the diagonal screen space, mum's the word on specifications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ask Engadget: best cheap external Macbook Air monitor? Posted: 02 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Neil, who wants a display for his Macbook Air that costs less than a cinema display. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
The first thing that came to our mind was one of Dell's high-end offerings, the 27-inch U2711 is available for $815 (a little cheaper) and comes with the same 2560 x 1440 IPS panel. But we suspect there's an even better option out there, tucked away in the brains of our commenters. So why not share your knowledge with the group and add a note below? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012 Posted: 02 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned of another possible prepaid destination for the iPhone (hint: it's a subsidiary of Sprint), and Samsung announced a combined sales total of 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 28th, 2012. iPhone 4 / 4S reportedly coming to Boost Mobile this fall Cricket may have been the first US prepaid carrier to snag Apple's smartphone, but according to TechnoBuffalo's Mark Hearn (previously of SprintFeed), Boost Mobile is also set to snag both the iPhone 4 and 4S in early September. Hearn stated that it's unclear whether the latest addition would qualify for the carrier's $50/month unlimited plan -- athough anything more expensive would be quite the folly if Boost expects customers to purchase the phone outright. [TechnoBuffalo] Virgin Mobile launches unlimited WiMAX hotspot plans, starting at $35/mo With services from Freedom Pop, NetZero and H2O Bolt cropping up, it's becoming quite obvious that Clearwire and Sprint have a bit of excess capacity on the WiMAX network. Now, Virgin Mobile is jumping into the game with its offer of an unlimited 4G hotspot data plan for just $35/mo. The plan carries a restriction of just 2GB of data usage on Sprint's 3G network, but for those needing more of that slow, slow connection, Virgin is also offering a $55/mo plan that carries a 5GB limit on the 3G network -- also with unlimited 4G. The MVNO currently has two devices that'll support WiMAX: a USB dongle for $100 and a mobile hotspot for $150. [Phone Arena] Samsung announces 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones sold It's a bit of a PR stunt and a worthwhile milestone at the same time, but Samsung has officially sold a combined total of 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones. Broken down, it works out to 24 million units for the Galaxy S and 28 million for its more powerful sibling. Also of note -- no pun intended -- Samsung has announced that Galaxy Note's sales have now exceeded seven million. When we last checked in with the Galaxy Note at the end of March, it'd topped just five million -- not bad for a phone so large that the term 'phablet' was coined. [Samsung PR (translated)] Leak suggests Virgin Mobile Canada to launch BlackBerry Curve 9320 Brace yourselves for mediocrity, but internal documents suggest that Virgin Mobile Canada is set to make the BlackBerry Curve 9320 official on June 4th. According to MobileSyrup, the phone will sell for a very reasonable $150, which seems rather necessary given it's non-touch QVGA display. For what it's worth, its integrated BBM button can now be called... well, the BBM button. [MobileSyrup] Telus now offers iPhone unlock service, fee said to be $50 MobileSyrup recently reported that Telus would soon offer its services to unlock the iPhone for its customers, and sure enough, the carrier's site now confirms it. You'll need to place a call to Telus customer support to get the wheels in motion, and it's claimed that you'll be charged $50 for the assist. [MobileSyrup, Telus Mobility] Other random tidbits
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| PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks Posted: 02 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT Already prepping to share oodles of horribly blurry and underexposed Independence Day photos via PicPlz? Go ahead and burst your own bubble, bub. The aforesaid photo sharing app / site has decided to throw in the towel, with a brief blurb posted on its site today describing that July 3rd will be its final day of operation. To quote:
Users are encouraged to login prior to that day in order to download their photos, including those ones of you shooting Instagram and Facebook Camera in the face. Violence isn't cool, but who are we judge how your grieve? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nintendo can't wait for its own E3 press conference, schedules pre-E3 broadcast for tomorrow Posted: 02 Jun 2012 04:32 PM PDT Remember that wall of coverage Nintendo promised for next week's E3 festivities? Yeah, well, apparently that extends to scooping itself a bit with a Pre-E3 event, two days ahead of its official, real deal Tuesday press conference. Tomorrow, the company's president Satoru Iwata will be hosting a web broadcast with information about the Wii U. According to Nintendo, the early bird event will offer up some more info with regards to games for the much awaited next generation console -- and we'll be liveblogging the news, for your reading pleasure at 6PM ET, so get those plumber caps ready. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keep your bands straight with Adafruit's Ohm Sweet Ohm cross-stitch kit (video) Posted: 02 Jun 2012 03:52 PM PDT Doesn't it just seem like yesterday when Grandma used to embroider your resistor charts for you? But now that you're grown up, Adafruit wants you to cross-stitch the Ohm Sweet Ohm color band guide yourself with their handy kit (dog not included). Spec-wise, it's loaded up with 16 skeins of floss, two size 24 tapestry needles, 15 x 18-inch 14-count aida cloth and a 6-inch "super grip lip" embroidery hoop, all for $29.95. You'll also get a full color printed pattern with instructions on making the project, then how to mount it on the wall or sew it onto Spot's favorite pillow. So if you can never remember whether yellow in the C-band is four significant figures or five, and want an Ohm-y reminder -- then check the video after the break for more info.
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| Engadget Mobile Podcast 140 - 06.02.2012 Posted: 02 Jun 2012 03:14 PM PDT  As Myriam stuffs an unearthly spaghetti of cables into her duffle on the way to Taipei, she sneaks in two more hours of stateside Engadget Mobile Podcast with Brad. Listen intently as they discuss, fireside-chat style, the lowest of the mobile lowdowns before they even bubble up to the surface. 00:09:55 - Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on video) Hear the podcast This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple Newton celebrates 20 years of eating up Martha Posted: 02 Jun 2012 02:41 PM PDT History hasn't been particularly kind to the Newton. Apple's early play at the mobile device market has largely been a source of ridicule, considered a low point in the company's catalog. For every suggestion that the device was ahead its time, there are countless "eat up Martha" jokes. It's not hard to see why -- in spite of tenacious commitment on the part of John Sculley and co., the PDA never really took off, a fact blamed, in part, to hardware and software limitations. To mark the 20th anniversary of the device's on-stage debut, Harry McCracken picked a first-gen MessagePad H1000 and some accessories up on eBay, living with the device for six weeks, as part of an attempt to "reconsider" the Newton. So, how does the product hold up in the harsh light of 2012? At the very least, it offered up the opportunity for great shots like the one above. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Cellular reduces prepaid plan prices, increases costs for new smartphone owners Posted: 02 Jun 2012 01:33 PM PDT US Cellular has shuffled around its prepaid plans once again, and unfortunately, it's a bit of a mixed bag for those without a contract. As it stands, customers may choose between three plans that range between $35 and $65 per month. Unfortunately for smartphone users, the most expensive plan is now a requirement, which really stinks. The $65 plan (which used to cost $70), brings unlimited voice and messaging, along with 2GB of data usage. The mid-tier plan has seen a similar reduction from $60 to $50, and now brings unlimited voice, messaging and 1GB of data usage. Unfortunately, it only applies to feature phones, even for those who tend to use WiFi on their smartphones. Meanwhile, the entry level plan now stands at $35, and it'll be useful for those who keep their phone turned off most of the time: it includes 400 voice minutes, along with a 400 / 400 allotment for text and picture messages. If it's any solace for US Cellular's current prepaid customers with smartphones, just know that you may keep your current plan, as you aren't required to switch to the new tier. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 02 Jun 2012 12:06 PM PDT Sony's PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset made a splash when it landed last year, but there were two inescapable quirks: a lack of bass and a lack of any wired fallback for your other devices. The brand-new Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition should solve both. Its earcups now carry a new trick, BassImpact, that reportedly delivers the headset's eponymous pulses and just that bit more punch at low frequencies. We also can't help but appreciate having a 3.5mm headphone jack (and cable) to plug in an Xperia S or, if you're daring, a device that goes without Sony's logo. The noise-cancelling microphones and the overall headset are considerably subtler as part of the remake, to boot. Gamers will have to go without the Pulse-upgraded headset until the fall -- not to mention pay a higher price, at $150 -- but they can get a video overview after the break to bide their time. |
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