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- Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match
- Nest partners with Texas utility, offers intelligent thermostat to energy-conscious households
- Microsoft buying Yammer to beef up enterprise social networking efforts
- Apple sends iOS 6 beta 2 to developers
- Gmail for iOS gets notification support and persistent logins, brings joy to Apple mobile masses
- IK Multimedia iRig MIX review: a mobile mixer built for iDevices
- Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile pops up in claimed press shots, we try to feign surprise
- Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota (video)
- Samsung: Galaxy S III sales expected to total 10 million by July
- Microsoft job posting hints at Connected Car strategy: Azure, Kinect and WP8
- White Sprint Evo 4G LTE rumors given weight by blurrycam snap
- The New York Times is coming to Flipboard Thursday
- HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE may hit Verizon on July 5th
- Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video)
- ICS officially available for AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II beginning tomorrow
- Details emerge of first BlackBerry 10 devices: touchscreen L and QWERTY N-Series
- T-Mobile, Verizon ink spectrum deal, eagerly await regulatory approval
- Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price
- Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th
- AMD outs new G-Series APU, extends platform lifetime until 2017
- Hulu Plus Android app tweaked for 7-inch, high res screens, officially supports more devices
- LG slips out Optimus L3 DualSim for Russia and Ukraine, keeps you in touch with both Kiev and Kursk
- Facebook's Find Friends Nearby: GPS lets you give nearby mobile users a Friendshake
- Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on)
- DirecTV quietly shifts n3D channel from 24/7 to part-time broadcasts
- Nokia Air promo surfaces, teases what could have been
- MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time
- Virgin Media revamps mobile tariffs with Premiere plan, tells Three UK and T-Mobile to keep up
- Lovefilm, Fox UK deal brings more TV shows next month, movie exclusives in 2013
- G-Technology kicks out USB 3.0 G-Drives for Macs, keeps your Retina MacBook Pro well-fed
- ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 review: meet the company's new top-of-the-line tablet
- ASUS' high-end Transformer Pad TF700 is coming to the US next month for $499 and up
- Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is official, aims for mass production in 2013
- Google TV goes international, Sony NSZ-GS7 set-top box up for preorder in the US and UK
- Samsung pegs LTE Galaxy S III for South Korea in July, quad-core quite possibly intact (update: yes!)
- Asus Transformer Pad Infinity shows up at Best Buy, commands $600 price tag, 64GB of storage
- How would you change the GoPro Hero HD 2?
- Refresh Roundup: week of June 18th, 2012
- Inhabitat's Week in Green: Sky City One, remote-controlled light bulbs and the Zero-G Olympic Games
- Switched On: Surface tension
| Toshiba Excite 13 review: a big-screened tablet with a price to match Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Well, this lede pretty much wrote itself. A 13-inch tablet, seriously? Toshiba is pushing the form factor limits with the Excite 13, and while its dimensions make it stand out in a sea of 7- and 10-inch devices, that isn't necessarily what tablet buyers are looking for. More InfoThere's no shortage of skepticism about such a large slate -- "slab" seems appropriate here -- so the Toshiba Excite 13 needs to provide an exceptional experience, with a brilliant display and smooth graphics, to make 2.2 pounds seem more palatable. On paper, its specs are promising: there's a quad-core Tegra 3 CPU under the hood, a 1600 x 900 display at 138 ppi and a clean build of Android 4.0. The company already has the Excite 7.7 and Excite 10 in its arsenal, and their good performance and bright displays make for compelling tablets. But how does a 13-inch tablet that starts at $650 round out that trio? Read on for our full impressions. Hardware As we took this tablet on a trip around the office to snap some photos, several strangers remarked that it's "way too big." And truly, it's only appropriate that we take a moment to note how huge the Excite 13 is. Dimension-wise, we're looking at 13.5 x 8.5 x 0.40 inches. Add in a weight of 2.2 pounds, and you can see how the Excite 13's extreme width and considerable heft could become burdensome. Toshiba thoughtfully includes a stand for propping up the slate at a viewing-friendly angle, which will come in handy if you plan on using the tablet for any extended period of time. Like its smaller siblings, the Excite 13 has a much more polished design than Toshiba's earlier Thrive tablets. That chunky, chintzy build is replaced by a thinner silhouette and an aluminum casing that's elegant but still textured enough to provide a good grip. Though the tablet feels sturdy, it bends slightly when you apply significant pressure. That's not to stay this isn't a solid device; it feels tough enough to take a beating (read: one or two falls off the kitchen counter), and the display is coated in Corning Gorilla Glass for protection against scuffs and scratches. Taking a journey around the tablet starting from the top edge, we have the volume rocker and multi-function toggle (it locks screen orientation, locks hardware buttons or mutes sound, according to your specification under Settings), along with the 2-megapixel front-facing camera. A headphone jack, SD card slot, micro-USB port, micro-HDMI connector and the charging port lien the right side. The bottom edge is bare save for two large external speakers, and the left side hosts the power button. Around back is the 5-megapixel shooter with LED Flash. We can't move on without a word about the Excite 13's power cord: it could easily be mistaken for that of a laptop. Just another reminder that this device is truly huge.
Now, onto that display. The 1600 x 900 LCD is a great canvas for surfing the web, thanks to its ample size and bright, accurate colors. We loved watching full-screen videos on YouTube and scrolling through Tumblr -- everything showed up in full, crisp detail. However, as with many other tablets, glare can be a huge issue, so you'll want to avoid sitting near heavy lighting while watching clips on the tablet. It's also worth noting that plenty of lower-cost tablets (ASUS' whole Transformer lineup, for example) come with easily viewable IPS screens in tow. Software Like the smaller Excite tablets, the Excite 13 ships with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.3, to be precise). We appreciate that Toshiba doesn't deviate much from the standard ICS experience. Yes, there are some pre-loaded apps (more on those below) but the standard Back, Home and Recent Apps buttons in the system bar, along with five home screens to fill, are sure signs that this is a vanilla build of ICS. Toshiba's generous selection of pre-loaded apps includes Adobe Reader, Amazon Kindle, Amazon MP3, Crackle, Hardwood card games, LogMeIn, Netflix and Rdio. Of course, the standard suite of Google apps -- the Play store, YouTube, Search, Gmail and so on -- is here too. In addition to the stock Android keyboard, Toshiba includes Swype. There's also SRS audio enhancement on board, which, when toggled on, can boost volume and voice clarity. Camera Think taking photos with a 10-inch tablet looks ridiculous? Try shooting with the Excite 13. Even if the two cameras were high-quality, the device's size is enough to dissuade most users from bringing it along on a family picnic -- and it's certainly not coming with you for a night on the town. You won't be tempted to stuff it into your bag either, because its 5-megapixel camera and 2-megapixel front-facing shooter are similar to what you'll find on the Excite 7.7 and 10 -- that is to say, quite bad. Photos show washed-out colors, and we found that both auto and manual focus were unreliable in helping us achieve crisp shots. Worse still, pictures are extremely pixelated, and most of our samples have a reddish cast to them. The Excite 13's rear-facing camera is also capable of capturing video in 720p. Much like our experience with still photos, sample clips appear blown out and a little fuzzy. On the upside, we didn't notice any motion blur or jerkiness when moving the camera to follow moving cars. Performance and battery life
On the benchmark front, the Toshiba Excite 13 delivers performance that's on par or slightly duller than other Tegra 3-powered slates. In AnTuTu, for example, it notched 10,873 compared with 12,027 for the new for the new ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. Predictably, too, the Excite 13 leaves tablets without quad-core NVIDIA insides in the dust: its Quadrant score of 4,016 bests Samsung's dual-core Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which managed a score of 2,602. More anecdotally, the Excite 13 is powerful enough to support several apps running simultaneously, along with several tabs open in the browser. We browsed and scrolled through websites with nary a glitch, though occasionally the tablet took a moment to load content on image-heavy sites such as Tumblr.
The Excite 13's large size allows for a 37.2Wh battery, which provides enough juice to get you through a full work day and then some. On our battery rundown test, the tablet lasted nine hours and 51 minutes. We've seen several smaller tablets hold out longer, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (12:01), the new iPad (9:52), the Transformer Pad Infinity (9:25), the Transformer Prime (10:17) and the Acer Iconia Tab A510 (10:23). The Toshiba Excite 7.7, with its smaller 15Wh battery, managed an even longer 10 hours and 34 minutes. Still, with everyday web surfing and light gaming, you'll get at least a day out of this puppy before needing to find an outlet. The competitionThe Excite 13 doesn't have any direct competition. We mean, how many other 13-inch slates do you see on store shelves? Still, there's a handful of other Tegra 3 tablets to choose from, and this is hardly the only device offering a good viewing experience. So although the 13-incher is in some ways a category unto itself (for the time being, at least), we can break down your other options based on those two classifications. We've seen quite a few Tegra 3-powered slates that offer top-notch performance. The ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 ($379) is a strong option, with good graphics performance, an IPS display and an optional keyboard dock that allows for more laptop-like productivity. (The Transformer Pad Infinity, priced at $500 and up, is similar, except it has a higher-res 1920 x 1200 screen, a slimmer design and longer battery life.) Then there's the $450 Acer Iconia Tab A700, which also has a Tegra 3 chip and a 1920 x 1200 panel.
Processing power and a good viewing experience go hand in hand, but all the Tegra 3 power in the world won't make up for a dull display. The Excite 13's 1600 x 900 panel has a natural rival in the new iPad, which packs a whopping 2048 x 1536 pixels into its 9.7-inch Retina display. But if you're considering the Excite, you're probably looking to stick to the Android side of things, in which case we submit the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 ($500) as a formidable alternative. Its Super AMOLED Plus (1280 x 800) display delivers beautiful, rich colors that make movie watcing and web surfing a pleasure. Still, that tablet comes in a smaller 7.7-inch form factor, so you don't get the expansive screen real estate offered by Toshiba's device. Wrap-up Put simply, the Toshiba Excite 13 is a huge tablet. It's a capable tablet, too, with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor that handles Ice Cream Sandwich well, but we imagine there are many people who won't get past its size and give it a whirl. In that regard, the Excite 13 reminds us of the Galaxy Note, a super-sized phone that never fails to produce a love-it or hate-it reaction. Sizeism aside, Toshiba's 13-incher is prohibitive in another way: cost. Shelling out $650 ($750, if you want the 64GB version) for a tablet that pretty much defies mobility is a bit ... impractical. We also couldn't bring ourselves to pay a premium for a device with such forgettable specs: a Tegra 3 CPU and a garden-variety LCD display. Why, you could easily find a similarly equippped tablet for $500 -- or less, even. Now it's true, Toshiba bundles a stand with this product, which is a big indicator of its unique place in the market: it could live on your desk, ready and able to cater to your gaming and Netflix-watching whims. If that setup suits your fancy, the Excite 13's has the capacious screen and solid performance to cut it. While you're at it, though, you might want to look into getting a wall mount. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nest partners with Texas utility, offers intelligent thermostat to energy-conscious households Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:51 AM PDT What's next for an energy-efficient thermostat designed by ex-Apple engineers? A limited promotion with a utilities provider to make it even more legit, that's what. Now that Nest has broached online mega-retailer Amazon's virtual shelves, the next stop on its trendy household domination tour's taking it to Reliant, a Texas-based electricity company. Bundled into the utility's "Learn & Conserve" plan, qualifying residents that sign-up for a two-year rate will receive one of the stylish, WiFi-enabled units, making the business of managing their energy settings a stylish and remotely controllable (via Android or iOS app) affair. Of course, you don't need to be a resident of The Lone Star state to call one of these your own -- Best Buy, Apple and Lowe's will also eagerly claim your cash in exchange for this home-monitoring wündergadget. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft buying Yammer to beef up enterprise social networking efforts Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:39 AM PDT So, what exactly is a Yammer? Well, it's a simple social network designed not to connect you with family or college roommates, but with with your coworkers. The platform has had some success, but its most high profile moment may be today's announcement that Microsoft had purchased the company. Rumors had been circulating for about a week, but now Redmond has made it official and issued a press release announcing its plan to purchase the startup for $1.2 billion in cash. Yammer will continue to live on as a stand alone service, which should make its 5 million users and countless Fortune 500 customers happy. But Microsoft will certainly be looking to fold its features into its own suite of enterprise offerings, like SharePoint and Office 365. For more info check out the PR after the break. Microsoft to Acquire Yammer REDMOND, Wash., and SAN FRANCISCO - June 25, 2012 - Microsoft Corp. and Yammer Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Yammer, a leading provider of enterprise social networks, for $1.2 billion in cash. Yammer will join the Microsoft Office Division, led by division President Kurt DelBene, and the team will continue to report to current CEO David Sacks. Microsoft and Yammer: Best in Class Enterprise Social Networking Launched in 2008, Yammer now has more than 5 million corporate users, including employees at 85 percent of the Fortune 500. The service allows employees to join a secure, private social network for free and then makes it easy for companies to convert a grassroots movement into companywide strategic initiative. Yammer will continue to develop its standalone service and maintain its commitment to simplicity, innovation and cross-platform experiences. Moving forward, Microsoft plans to accelerate Yammer's adoption alongside complementary offerings from Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype. "When we started Yammer four years ago, we set out to do something big," Sacks said. "We had a vision for how social networking could change the way we work. Joining Microsoft will accelerate that vision and give us access to the technologies, expertise and resources we'll need to scale and innovate." The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. About Yammer Yammer (www.yammer.com) is a leading provider of enterprise social networks with over 5 million verified corporate users including employees of more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500. The basic version of Yammer is free, and customers can pay to upgrade their network to receive advanced administrative and security controls, integrations with enterprise applications, priority customer service and a designated customer success manager. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are any predictions, projections or other statements about future events. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements because of a variety of risks and uncertainties about our business, which we describe in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Forms 10-K and 10-Q. We do not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple sends iOS 6 beta 2 to developers Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:32 AM PDT The wait between iOS 6's unveiling and its planned fall release just got a little bit shorter, as Apple has just pushed out beta 2. If you're in the developer crowd that can try it out, don't expect any revelations: the primarily focus is on the bug fixes that nudge the software closer to a final release. As in past years, multiple additional betas are expected between now and the time the iOS 6 is ready to come to the general public, so there's likely still lots of room left for Apple to polish the release to a shine. Those paid up on their developer accounts can grab the update through the usual means and see just how much luster has been added since WWDC. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gmail for iOS gets notification support and persistent logins, brings joy to Apple mobile masses Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:21 AM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IK Multimedia iRig MIX review: a mobile mixer built for iDevices Posted: 25 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Accessories, iOS has them. Not many devices can boast the same rich and dazzling array of add-ons that the iPhone or iPad enjoy -- from keyboards to docks, arcade cabinets to battery packs. Today's offering? A mobile mixer. The iRig MIX from IK Multimedia, to be precise. It's essentially a mini DJ tool, designed to work with such iGadgets, and brought to you by the same serial audio-accessorizers behind the iRig MIC Cast and AmpliTube. If you think you've seen this fella before, then you likely have, as this got its first glimpse of sunlight back at CES. Now it's here for real, auditioning for your affections as if it were on "American Idol." While it's easy to dismiss some of the more ambitious accessories as as trying to push the limits of iPad / iPhone functionality to the extreme, it's also worth remembering that accessory X isn't always about replacing object Y. No one ever bought a USB webcam thinking it'd turn them into Spielberg, now did they? But, they might have gotten one thinking it would give their PC some skills it never had before. So it's with this short, preemptive missive in mind that we turn on the iRig MIX, plug in and rock out. Hopefully. Hardware
Pop open the box and you'll be presented with a smooth, white, oblong slab of plastic, along with some paperwork, cables and a power pack. Slide out that slab, and the first thing you'll notice is how light this is (about 500g, or 1 pound). Bad if you like heavy gadgets, good if you want something mobile. How big? The answer would be a modest 217 x 110 x 46mm (about 8.5 x 4.3 x 1.8 inches). The top face is where all the action takes place, while the underside has four small, clear rubber feet that stop it from sliding around like a hockey puck, and a very good job they do of it too. The main features, of course, are those sliders and sockets. Starting from the top, on the brow of the unit, you'll find stereo RCA / phono output ports, two 3.5mm inputs, a micro-USB connector for power and an on / off switch. Working downwards you have seven pots / rotary controls: gain, treble and bass for each channel, plus one for master volume. These surround two central switches: one for your input setting, and the other for "x-sync" (more on both of these later). Two cue (assign to headphone) buttons sit beneath the rotaries -- one on either side -- with the respective channel volume controls below. In between these two up-faders are LEDs for visually representing volume. Spanning the bottom is the crossfader, leaving just that lower edge, which has two 1/4-inch jacks, one for aux input, and the other for headphones out – both with a small rotary control for volume / gain.
We mentioned earlier that the iRig MIX is light. This is both a boon and a bind in equal measure. It makes it infinitely portable, and this is, of course, a key feature. It does, however, also make the unit feel a little on the cheaper side. Grasp this thing with two hands and squeeze, and the front flexes in, giving off a few unnerving creaks and groans as you do so. The rotary pots are also hard plastic, nothing super fancy, but they feel solid enough. The resistance / action is smooth and firm, and they don't pull off (at least not very easily) so shouldn't pop off whilst lugging it about. The cue buttons also feel nice and "clicky" and don't give the impression they'd break too easily either. This just leaves the faders. The two channel-faders offers some good travel, which should prevent accidental knocks. The crossfader, meanwhile, is a little looser -- not so much that it bounces back when you flick left or right, but enough to do quick cuts or transforms -- if that's your thing. Software While this is a hardware accessory, there is a companion software component that bears mentioning. Also, as you'll most likely be using this with software in the real world, it's important to see how the two interact. IK Multimedia makes a number of music-related apps, but its DJ Rig iPhone app, in particular, has features designed to work with the iRig MIX.
There is a free version of DJ Rig, which has all the essential functions you might need for basic DJ mixing, or you can pay $5 to unlock more advanced features. We'll concentrate on the interaction with the core features of the iRig MIX, so as not get distracted with a blow-by-blow review of the app. With just one iPad / iPhone and DJ Rig -- plus the mixer of course -- you have all the ingredients you need to plug into a sound system and get going. Head over to the apps settings and choose "Split" mode, and that's about as much set up as you need to do. Now, any track on "deck" A in the app will play though channel 1 on the mixer, and, correspondingly, deck B for channel 2. The crossfader will fade between one track and the other (as expected) and there you are, all set with your one-iOS-device / two-channel DJ setup. This configuration is the simplest for getting things going, but there are a few others you can try, depending on your preference. You can, of course, use two separate iOS devices, allowing you to get the full stereo signal from each (rather than the one source, split in two), which will appeal to those with any concerns about losing quality, width and so on. We'd be surprised, however, if people were inclined to buy another iOS device, just for this, so it's likely more relevant when with friends, or if you happen to have both an iPhone and iPad already. If you want to, you can use one iOS device running DJ Rig, and any other audio source -- CD player, Android, MP3 player, etc. The iRig MIX has an "x-sync" feature that works with DJ Rig and automatically matches the song tempo to that of your non-iOS device. In practice, we had mixed results with this. It does work, but not solidly enough that you'd want to rely on it. Also, it doesn't really help you for long if your "other" source has no pitch / speed controls. A nice idea nonetheless. You're not restricted to using IK Multimedia's software solutions though. In fact, pretty much any DJ app with an audio split function (which is most of the good ones) will do the trick. Simply activate that feature, and set one of the decks in the app to "monitor" (i.e., send to headphones). This will send each track down either the left or right channel of a single stereo feed, which the mixer can then treat separately. In our demo video, we're actually using Djay by Algoriddim, set up as shown above. In use
Once you have things set up just how you want them, it's time to get the party started right? Having used several DJ apps on their own -- that's to say, using the on-screen mixer -- the first thing we noticed was how much nicer it is to have tactile, real-world control over the mixer functionality. Fiddling with virtual faders and digital rotaries is a pain in the you-know-what. Sure, you still have to prod about on the iOS device to load tracks and so on, but you definitely feel more liberated, and less like you are just hunched over the single gadget. The second thing you notice is that you feel less like you are using an app. The whole experience feels just that little bit more proper, which goes a long way to helping creativity flow. The lightness of the device can be a bit of an issue. Although those rubber feet do hold it in place when there's some downward pressure, if you take your hands off it can be knocked about quite easily. If you are using this at a party (what we imagine to be one of the main use cases) then this could happen a fair bit. Fortunately the faders have enough resistance that they don't move too freely, so should it get knocked over, it might be enough to avoid things moving around too much. The faders and rotaries all seem to be in reasonably good order - when the crossfader is all the way to one side, no noticeable audio from the other channel can be heard, and the same goes for the channel controls. The EQ rotaries – for cutting treble and bass – don't fully cut off their respective frequencies, offering 15dB in either direction. This means if you turn both all the way left, you still get some signal coming though. Not a major issue, but it means full filter-style sweeps and the like aren't possible from the mixer itself. While so far this has all been DJ-related, there are actually more potential uses for it than just that. Those two inputs can happily receive any line-level audio, so straight away you can use it for pretty much any basic mixing task. Add in the fact that there is a 1/4-inch input (helpfully marked out with a guitar icon) and this could also be useful for a small, bar-friendly live act that wants to have limited control over the vocals, guitar and backing track. Likewise, if you work or play with multiple audio streams at home on your computer, this could happily sit on your desk, letting you control things by hand. Although this is heavily marketed as an iOS accessory at its core, it's still a simple, portable two-channel analog mixer that'll deal with any audio you pipe throw it. Wrap-up You'll note the first word of this review is "accessories." It's important to keep that word very much at the forefront of your mind. People will invariably comment how iPad DJ'ing isn't real DJ'ing, or how this is a "toy." If you weigh it against something like a Pioneer DJM800, or even the lower-end two-channel branded mixers, then sure, it's going to look a little simplistic. But this is the wrong thing to do. Instead, just think of it as a way to enhance your iPad / iPhone. In this regard, it adds exciting extra functionality that will let you enjoy your iOS device so much more. Not everyone wants to take every discipline to the absolute maximum, or even beyond just having fun. The iRig MIX is a great example of this. It's fun, it's a little wacky, and for that we love it.
The key question, as always, is if it's worth the $99 asking price. There will be some performers who were already in the market for a no-frills two-channel solution, so any extra iDevice-compatible flavor is just an added bonus. Then there will be those who just want to have fun with it, and don't care if it's plastic or gold, "pro" or "accessory," as long as it does what they want it to. Perhaps some of you want something for the shelf you can pull out at parties or take around when visiting friends. Then, unfortunately, there will be those who can't resist the inner urge to decry anything that dare to encroach on their serious, serious world of DJ'ing. These people have an easy choice to make, however. Don't buy it! Leave it for those who are actually interested in what this can do for them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile pops up in claimed press shots, we try to feign surprise Posted: 25 Jun 2012 10:46 AM PDT There's been demo units, FCC filings and the obligatory blurry photos, so it was only a matter of time before leaked press imagery completed our picture of a Galaxy Note for T-Mobile USA. As long as they're not cosmetic makeovers by wishful T-Mobile fans, the CellPhoneSignal images portray... well, a Galaxy Note. No exotic colors, no obvious clues supporting talk that it ships with a preloaded Android 4.0 upgrade. Most of the hardware changes, then, should be all about adapting the HSPA+ 3G to support T-Mobile's airwaves. Unconfirmed talk has the Galaxy Note reaching Magenta on July 11th; that's nine months after the original version popped up, but we're sure some will be thankful just to have more choices than AT&T for that phablet fix. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota (video) Posted: 25 Jun 2012 10:24 AM PDT Sony isn't known for rolling out the red carpet when one of its phones arrives Stateside, although that's partly because US carrier-endorsed versions are few and far between. It clearly sees the Xperia Ion as worth the five-star treatment it's giving the rest of the 2012 Xperia line: the company is starting a rare TV ad campaign to pitch its 720p wunderkind to an American audience that might not have noticed the Ericsson badge going away. As you'd expect, the pseudo single-take spot ends up being as much a vehicle for pushing other Sony projects as it does for the Android phone in question; we hope you don't mind getting a brand overdose. With that in mind, there's more action and explosions per square capita than in any other smartphone ad in recent memory, so if you're upset that other smartphone ads are just too... peaceful, click Play and get your fill of danger. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung: Galaxy S III sales expected to total 10 million by July Posted: 25 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Korea's golden goose is on track to drop its 10 millionth Galaxy S III by July, according to Samsung mobile head Shin Jong-kyun. The expectation comes despite limited supply, fueled by a component shortage at the smartphone giant. Regardless of this notable shortcoming, Samsung has wasted no time getting its latest handset to market, and expects to deliver the 4.8-inch Galaxy to some 300 carriers in 147 countries by the end of next month, including all of the major UK carriers, along with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US. The sky-high figure is merely an estimate, however, so investors may want to stay tuned for the official announcement before uncorking the Dom. Full details are at the source link below. [Thanks, Joseph] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft job posting hints at Connected Car strategy: Azure, Kinect and WP8 Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:47 AM PDT Redmond seems to have more grandiose ideas for Connected Car than it's let on before, judging from a recent help wanted ad on its site. Reading more like PR for its car-based plans, the job notice waxes poetically about using "the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem" in an upcoming auto platform with tech such as Kinect, Azure, Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Those products would use face-tracking, speech and gestures to learn your driving habits and safely guide or entertain you on the road, according to the software engineer listing. It also hints that everything would be tied together using Azure's cloud platform, so that your favorite music or shortcuts would follow you around, even if you're not piloting your own rig. All that makes its original Connected Car plans from 2009 seem a bit laughable -- check the original video for yourself after the break.
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| White Sprint Evo 4G LTE rumors given weight by blurrycam snap Posted: 25 Jun 2012 09:17 AM PDT A white version of Sprint's Evo 4G LTE was teased late last week when some advertising materials were inadvertently outed on its website -- which were subsequently changed to show the black version. However, one of our secret army of tipsters has sent in a picture that claims to show an internal document that reveals the handset will come in both ends of the gray scale. Of course, there's no official word yet, but those rumors are sounding more convincing with each passing day. After the break we've got a cropped and zoomed version of the image, with the telling claim on the third bullet point if you fancy judging for yourself. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The New York Times is coming to Flipboard Thursday Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:54 AM PDT Well, it's hardly the release of a new summer blockbuster, but getting full length content from the New York Times in Flipboard is certainly going to excite news hounds that also appreciate fine UI design. A lot of content from magazines and newspapers is presented in abbreviated format in the slick app, but now Times subscribers will have unfettered access to the "paper of record's" reporting. Even non-subscribers will be able to read some of the publications articles for free, just as they can through the site. Now all you have to do is wait for the switch to be flipped on Thursday and hope that other outlets follow suit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE may hit Verizon on July 5th Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:22 AM PDT The bad news: if you've been hoping to grab a Droid Incredible 4G LTE so you can show it off to your friends at your local July 4th extravaganza, you're out of luck. The good news: you might be able to cheer up from your post-holiday depression the very next day. According to internal employee docs captured by Droid-Life, we should expect Verizon's first Sense 4 device to arrive at stores on July 5th for $200 with a two-year contract. As always, pricing and availability are never set in stone; after all, internal employee docs gave us false hope that the Motorola Droid 4 would show up several weeks before it actually launched, but that was likely a result of Verizon pulling the launch at the last minute. Provided Big Red doesn't change its mind (or other snafus throw a wrench into the process), we won't be disappointed this time around. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keio University's Kinect-based Haptic VR system lets you roll your own face flat (video) Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:51 AM PDT A research team at Keio University has built a fun haptic virtual reality system that enables you to manipulate pictures with a rolling pin. A vertically mounted Kinect takes a 3D image that is then displayed on the projection surface. Using the rolling pin, the image can be rolled over and flattened as if it was dough -- with a series of motor cranks inside the implement to replicate the necessary feedback so you can feel what it'd be like to iron out your own face. It's been designed as a modern-day update to the penny-squashing machines you found in theme parks, except with slightly more grotesqueness. You can watch the face-mashing in glorious color after the break. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ICS officially available for AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II beginning tomorrow Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:22 AM PDT While it's true a few lucky AT&T Galaxy S II owners were able to get their hands on the official upgrade to Android 4.0 just a matter of days ago, the company wasn't ready to push it out to the masses quite just yet. The initial tests must've gone as well as hoped, however, because AT&T will be ready to make ICS publicly available tomorrow to anyone willing to go through Kies to grab it. Indeed, the one drawback to this wonderful news is the fact that ICS doesn't just come to you... you need to go to it. As in, no over-the-air capabilities. The silver lining to that, though, is that this may actually work out better for anyone that feels better off sticking with the tried-and-true Gingerbread TouchWiz experience. On a sidenote, AT&T also reaffirmed its commitment to bringing the next version of Android to more devices this summer, but refused to specify which ones we can look forward to. Head below (or check out the source link) to learn how to grab the update. The customer experience for AT&T Samsung Galaxy S® II owners is about to get much better. Starting tomorrow, customers who purchased the Samsung Galaxy S® II from AT&T will be able to get an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), the latest version of the Android platform. ICS takes the customer experience many steps forward by making navigation more intuitive with faster user interface and browsing. The many new features include an enhanced Recent Apps shortcut to ease multitasking, new lock/unlock features including Face Unlock, improved home screen folders, a new notifications bar and an app to help you track your data usage. It's easy to get the update (free of charge). Here's how: 1. Visit the Samsung website from a personal computer. 2. Download and Install the Samsung Kies Upgrade Program on your PC. 3. Connect your device to your PC and follow the instructions on Samsung Kies to get the update. For more information, customers can also visit http://www.samsung.com/us/attgalaxys2/update. Through my own personal experience, I have found much improved performance through all the ICS features, especially Recent Apps where I can go back and forth among multiple apps effortlessly. Taken with the features already included in the Samsung Galaxy® S II, ICS is a clear win for our customers. ICS updates are coming this summer for more AT&T Android devices so stay tuned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Details emerge of first BlackBerry 10 devices: touchscreen L and QWERTY N-Series Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:50 AM PDT The launch of BlackBerry 10 and its debut devices is slowly creeping up on us, and some details about the handsets are finally starting to emerge. According to N4BB, RIM has two models up its sleeve -- the all touchscreen L-Series and the QWERTY keyboard-sporting N-Series. The L branded models will be very similar to the dev devices we've already seen, with a 1280 x 768 OLED display (a first for a BlackBerry) that crams an impressive 356 pixels into every inch. The N-Series is more for the BlackBerry purists who cling desperately to their physical keyboards. Originally leaked with the codename Nevada, the N-Series shrinks the display to 720 x 720, but still keeps the pixel density impressive at 330ppi. N4BB's sources say that the L will hit shelves first in September, with the N to follow in Q1 of 2013. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T-Mobile, Verizon ink spectrum deal, eagerly await regulatory approval Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:29 AM PDT Who says wireless carriers can't be friends -- or, at the very least, can't exchange a bit of spectrum here and there? T-Mobile this morning let it be known that it has entered into a deal involving the "purchase and exchange" of spectrum licenses in 218 markets in the US. The magenta-tinged carrier says the deal will help improve its position in 15 of the US's top 25 markets and should help with next year's LTE rollout. All of this is pending regulatory approval, of course, some of which hinges upon Verizon's own license purchasing from the likes of SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap. A full press release can be found after the break.
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| Google Nexus tablet reportedly shows its pre-rendered face, packing Android 4.1 and a $199 price Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:15 AM PDT There's been a longstanding rumor that Google liked ASUS' Eee Pad MeMO ME370T well enough to bestow it with an official Nexus badge and take it underground until it was ready to show its Jelly Bean face. If we're to believe a render and a raft of claimed training documents nabbed by Gizmodo, that face is getting its debut in about two days' time. As it's described, it could largely be what we'd expect from the ME370T being revived as an Android 4.1 reference device: a 7-inch, quad-core Tegra 3 slate with a front 1.2-megapixel camera, NFC, 8GB to 16GB of storage and a 1280 x 800 IPS-based LCD. If you're looking for gotta-have-it features that will have you rushing to fork over the cash, though, they may be limited to the OS and Kindle Fire-busting $199 and $249 prices for the two storage capacities. That image? There's a very distinct possibility that it's still a cleverly-done fake. Nonetheless, the prism-like backdrop has a whiff of Galaxy Nexus about it, and that textured, rounded back lines up neatly with what we've seen in an FCC filing for the ASUS design. We'll know soon enough whether or not it's real or just a fantasy -- if the tip (and others we've been hearing) is right, Nexus slabs will spread 'round the world come July. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:09 AM PDT Forget that "MX Quad-core" moniker, because Meizu's just formally introduced its first quad-core Android phone as the "MX 4-core" in Hong Kong, an event jam-packed with balloons and local celebrities (we really should've brought our sunglasses). For those who care, this is the first time ever for Meizu to collaborate with a carrier -- that being Hong Kong's PCCW, who's offering the HK$3,099 (US$400) 32GB model for free on various tariffs, while details are light on the HK$4,099 (US$530) 64GB version. Once the stage cleared we had a chance to take a closer look at the international variant of the MX 4-core. Aside from the disappearance of the Chinese logo above the screen plus the duller logo on the back (but accompanied by an extra capacity label), the 4-inch HSPA+ phone looks identical to its dual-core sibling. Additionally, Hong Kong and mainland China customers who pre-order between now and the launch on June 30th will get to pick a colored back crystal shell for free, including ivory white, milky lime, lilac purple and misty pink to replace the original white. Software-wise Flyme -- Meizu's heavily customized Ice Cream Sandwich -- is also very similar to its Gingerbread predecessor, except for its slicker responsiveness (especially the camera app) and the odd interface tweaks here and there. There are also a few new features that are worth a mention: on top of the new native stopwatch, countdown timer and multi-segmented timed task lists, there's Flyme Voicemail which is essentially a native recorder for incoming calls that you reject (think of it as a neat alternative to conventional visual voicemail), and there's Flyme Message which is Meizu's take on SIP services like Whatsapp and Line. We shall dig deeper in our full review, but for now, you can check out a quick hands-on video after the break. And for those who still possess Meizu's older Android phones, we were told to expect Flyme to be delivered over the air in early July (as opposed to the original June date), so keep an eye out for that little update icon. Update: We mentioned in our video that the China version of the MX 4-core doesn't come with the Play Store, but it turns out that we were mistaken. Hooray! Update 2: By the way, it's pronounced "fly-me."
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| AMD outs new G-Series APU, extends platform lifetime until 2017 Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:02 AM PDT You may not have thought it possible, but today AMD is introducing a new G-Series APU that's even more efficient than previous models in the series. The G-T16R is built for super-low power, small form factor designs like set-top boxes, medical equipment and industrial control units. These new chips continue the trend of including a multi-core x86 CPU and GPU to ensure compatibility between legacy, current and future technologies. The company has also extended the platform's life until 2017, adding a further five years to its expected lifespan -- ensuring that you won't get left in the cold the next time you need to update your system. AMD Introduces New Low-Power AMD Embedded G-Series APU and Extends Platform Availability through 2017 New APU ideal for industrial control, point-of-sale, medical appliance and transportation markets Delivers three times the performance,i reduces power consumption by up to seven percentii and chip footprint by 58 percentiii compared to AMD Geode™ LX processor SUNNYVALE, Calif. -6/25/2012 AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the latest entry to the AMD Embedded G-Series processor family with the AMD Embedded G-T16R Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). The AMD G-T16R is targeted at very low power, small form factor and cost-sensitive embedded designs that require a combination of x86 compatibility and graphics. The optimized design of the AMD Embedded G-T16R sips power, with power consumption of just 2.3 wattsiv on average or 4.5 watts thermal design power (TDP). Embedded product designers are taking to the industry's green challenge to design a broad range of next-generation applications for the industrial control, point-of-sale, medical appliance and transportation markets. For example, industrial customers can use the APU to help create greener factories based on more power-efficient factory hardware. Additionally, embedded designers can develop applications like point-of-sale order entry stations and tablets, medical bedside terminals and even solar-powered traffic control devices using the AMD G-T16R. The new AMD Embedded G-Series APU also offers embedded product designers a seamless upgrade path for legacy applications with the following features: Fits into small form factor boards by implementing a two-chip platform, the APU and its companion controller hub; "It's critical that the latest AMD Embedded G-Series APUs provide compatibility with existing x86 processors while supporting the latest interface technologies," said Jim McGregor, principal analyst of TIRIAS Research. "Having a simple migration path allows engineers to develop robust designs using the latest DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort display technologies." There are already more than 50 standard form factor motherboards available supporting the AMD Embedded G-Series platform, ranging from the small Qseven computer-on-modules to the versatile and widely available MiniITX form factor. This enhanced compatibility provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a variety of board options to design into their system solutions. The platform consists of both the APU and its companion controller hub, which have a total combined footprint of just 890 mm2 – approximately the size of a square inch. The AMD Embedded G-T16R APU is designed to help reduce product development and life cycle costs through a common scalable platform design that spans the entire AMD Embedded G-Series. AMD's unique approach enables one design to serve multiple product configurations, simplifying the supply chain, helping reduce operational complexity and enabling better platform economics. The AMD G-T16R APU is also available at extremely accessible price points, allowing designers to easily incorporate it into cost-sensitive embedded applications. "With the AMD G-T16R APU, we were striving for that critical balance of performance, power efficiency and cost for power, and cost-sensitive embedded applications, and we've achieved it," said Arun Iyengar, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Embedded Solutions. "This new APU helps to enable small form factor and fan-less designs with power consumption of just 2.3 watts on average." For users of the AMD Geode™ LX processor family, the AMD G-T16R APU offers a cost-effective upgrade path, consuming about seven percent less power and three times the performance of the 2.45 watt AMD Geode™ LX processor, while reducing the overall chip footprint by 58 percent. Support for the latest DDR3 memory helps reduce memory costs for legacy applications while enabling higher memory speed and capacityv. The AMD Embedded G-T16R APU supports Windows® Embedded Compact 7, Green Hills INTEGRITY and Express Logic ThreadX® operating systems, allowing applications that leverage these popular embedded and real-time operating systems to easily migrate to the new platform. Along with the announcement of the new AMD G-T16R APU, AMD is also extending the planned availability for the entire AMD Embedded G-Series processor family through 2017, resetting the five-year clock for both existing and new designs. A variety of AMD customers are announcing small form factor motherboards designed around the legacy I/O and low power support of the AMD G-T16R APU: Advantech PCM-3356 PC/104 CPU module; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hulu Plus Android app tweaked for 7-inch, high res screens, officially supports more devices Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:36 AM PDT The Hulu Plus app for Android has been updated, and after adding tablets in the last update it now officially supports a few more devices, most notably the Galaxy S II family, Galaxy Tab 2 and HTC One S, among others. While sideloading the APK previously worked for some unsupported hardware, now they can be directly installed from the market. Also noted in the changelog for this version are improved support for 7-inch tablets, and high resolution screens. Hey, we wonder if any new 7-inch Android tablets with high resolution screens might be arriving soon? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LG slips out Optimus L3 DualSim for Russia and Ukraine, keeps you in touch with both Kiev and Kursk Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:02 AM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook's Find Friends Nearby: GPS lets you give nearby mobile users a Friendshake Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:29 AM PDT A mobile Facebook feature called Find Friends Nearby, previously code-named Friendshake, is coming out of development and will soon be on its way to your iOS or Android phone. Perhaps springing from the social network's acquisition of ambient social app Glancee, it's still fairly primitive, merely navigating to a browser page on your device, where it will show you a list of other users within a given, undisclosed radius. Presumably, the benefit is to let you quickly add someone in your purview like Find my Friends, although we're interested to see what privacy settings are on offer. You never know, Mr. Zuckerberg could be tempting the privacy gods -- and governments -- once again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on) Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT Garmin is adding a new product to its line-up of fitness watches, and this one is dedicated to workouts of the aquatic variety. The $150 Garmin Swim tracks your distance swum, average pace, workout time and more, and it uploads those stats to the web to help monitor your progress. Though it's meant to be a part of your exercise routine, the Garmin Swim watch looks like your average plastic digi-timepiece. The watch has six buttons with functions for viewing the time of day, scrolling through the menu options, controlling the timer, viewing the menu and entering workout mode. The setup takes some getting used to, but the illustrative icons on the watch helped us get into the rhythm quickly. Getting started with the Swim simply entails entering the size of your pool, with options to measure in yards or meters. Once that info is uploaded, you press the swim button and are ready to get splashing. We spent a solid half-hour doing laps, and the Swim duly recognized and recorded that we varied our strokes. Stopping the timer each time we took a break created a new interval for our workout, with a rundown of the elapsed time, distance in meters, number of strokes, type of stroke, total laps, average speed and calories burned. That's a lot of data to pore over, and Garmin lets you wirelessly upload it all to the Garmin Connect site. To do this, you have to pair the watch with your computer using a USB ANT stick: once it works, it's an efficient, easy way to review your workout, but it took us a few tries before our laptop recognized the watch. Garmin says the watch's battery will last a full year, which is plenty of time to log some serious laps. For more about the Swim, check out the press info past the break. Zach Honig contributed to this report. Dive In and Make a Splash With The New Garmin Swim Slim and attractive enough to be worn as a daily watch, Garmin Swim serves as a personal reminder of swimmers' goals. To help swimmers stay motivated, it displays their weekly accumulated distanceunder the time of day. Watch features include dual time zones and alarm-- so no more early morning excuses for not getting to the pool. Upon completion of a workout, swimmers can upload their swim data to Garmin Connect™ (http://connect.garmin.com), a website for free online analysis. Here swimmers can quickly and easily view their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts and data with coaches, friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 80 million activities around the world. Through the magic of ANT+™ wireless technology and the USB stick that comes with the Garmin Swim, swimmers' workout data automatically transfers to their computer when in range. Garmin Connect is Mac® and Windows® compatible. Garmin Swim is available now and has a suggested retail price of $149.99. Garmin Swim is the latest solution from Garmin's expanding fitness segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' lives and promotes healthy and active lifestyles. Whether it's running, cycling, or other athletic pursuits, Garmin fitness devices are becoming essential tools for athletes both amateur and elite. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin's other fitness products and services, go to www.garmin.com/intosports, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DirecTV quietly shifts n3D channel from 24/7 to part-time broadcasts Posted: 25 Jun 2012 03:17 AM PDT Nearly two years after launching its n3D channel broadcasting 3D content around the clock, DirecTV has reduced the channel to part-time programing hours as of June 1st. Whether the change is due to a lack of fresh content or viewer adoption is unclear and DirecTV's bland statement about waiting for both to grow doesn't hint either way, that the change had gone largely unreported for nearly a month does not bode well. In the meantime, 3Net and ESPN 3D continue to broadcast unabated with the latter going live from Wimbledon this week, and DirecTV has confirmed it will be airing tape delayed 3D footage from the Olympics provided by NBC this summer. After seeing all the early HD-only channels fall by the wayside we're not at all surprised to see this one go dark at least part-time, but the question will be whether 3D uptake is fast enough to keep broadcasters interested going forward. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nokia Air promo surfaces, teases what could have been Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:39 AM PDT In some alternate timeline, droves of Nokia fans are enjoying seamless cloud syncing on Symbian handsets. Here on Earth-One, however, we'll have to settle for watching a leaked preview of the syncing service that never was. The Nokia Air promo (after the break) promises a service that lets you "experience everywhere" by serving your devices from the ever-present cloud. "Apps don't require downloading, installing or updating," the narrator boasts, explaining that updates, notification, apps and other content are delivered directly from the cloud to all of your devices. Sound familiar? Don't get too excited though, between Nokia's commitment to Redmond and the ancient Engadget post we spied in the demo's feed, this project was probably scrapped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:55 AM PDT Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have developed an ambient lighting system for video that would make Philips' Ambilight tech jealous. Dubbed Infinity-by-Nine, the rig analyzes frames of footage in real-time -- with consumer-grade hardware no less -- and projects rough representations of the video's edges onto a room's walls or ceiling. Synchronized with camera motion, the effect aims to extend the picture into a viewer's peripheral vision. MIT guinea pigs have reported a greater feeling of involvement with video content when Infinity-by-Nine was in action, and some even claimed to feel the heat from on-screen explosions. A five screen multimedia powerhouse it isn't, but the team suggests that the technology could be used for gaming, security systems, user interface design and other applications. Head past the jump to catch the setup in action. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virgin Media revamps mobile tariffs with Premiere plan, tells Three UK and T-Mobile to keep up Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:20 AM PDT Virgin Media is announcing a new set of tariffs in order to compete with its UK network rivals. The Premiere plan is an attempt at winning the hearts and minds of customers used to Three UK's One Plan and T-Mobile's Full Monty. For £21 per month, users will get all-you-can-eat data, unlimited texts, unlimited calls to UK landlines and 2,500 minutes to other cellphones. Meanwhile, a lower-spec Starter tariff will offer a teasing deal for new customers for £18 per month, but that figure drops to £13 if you also sign up for the company's other Cable TV and Broadband services. Subscribers will also have free and unfettered access to all of that Underground WiFi when the service starts charging users of other mobile networks in the autumn. Virgin Media challenges mobile operators to keep up Incredible value with unlimited data from just £21 Virgin Media today unveiled an incredible range of mobile tariffs that will set a new standard in unbeatable value which will challenge the rest of the industry to keep up. The star of the show is the hero 'Premiere' tariff which combines all-you-can-eat data, unlimited texts, unlimited calls to UK landlines and 2,500 anytime minutes. To make the most of the largest 3G network in the UK* as well as the hottest smartphones of the summer, Virgin Media has created some of the most competitive tariffs on the market designed to be simple, affordable and flexible, with amped up benefits for loyal Virgin Media** customers 'Premiere' starts at an incredible £21 per month for Virgin Media** customers as the company looks to help people to stay connected on the go and whilst making the most of the benefits and savings to be had from taking a mobile with their existing Virgin Media services. The new tariffs include options for every mobile phone user with prices starting from as little as £18 per month for the new 'Starter' tariff, or £13 per month for Virgin Media customers. Not only do Virgin Media customers enjoy reduced costs, saving £5 per month on each tariff, but they also benefit from unlimited calls and texts to other Virgin Mobiles. Jamie Heywood, director of mobile at Virgin Media said: "When we launched over ten years ago as the worlds first mobile company of its type, we revolutionised the market, and this is another such landmark. As people look for the best value, we're rewarding loyalty with some amazing tariffs with unlimited offerings that our customers can enjoy without worrying about hidden extras, as well as helping to combat bill shock." In a pioneering move, all the new tariffs will include insurance*** for no extra cost for the length of the contract for new and existing Virgin Media customers. It follows a recent study by Virgin Media that found a staggering proportion of Brits (72 per cent) don't have insurance for their mobiles, despite 70 per cent also admitting to breaking or losing up to seven phones in the last decade – often within the typical 24 month contract period****. Smartphones can cost as much as £500 and often contain invaluable data such as contacts, texts, emails and photos, so losing one can be a costly and incredibly frustrating experience. The new insurance service (worth £7.99 per month) provides 24 hour guaranteed handset replacement in the UK if it goes missing or is stolen***** and includes Mobile Rescue which will automatically back-up all contacts as well as lock and locate the handset remotely. Heywood added: "An overwhelming number of consumers don't believe that mobile insurance is necessary and won't consider taking insurance through their mobile provider because it's too expensive. For too long mobile providers have failed to offer insurance that represents value for money. We were astounded to find so many people were prepared to gamble when it came to protecting their handsets, which is why we are now the only provider to offer inclusive insurance as standard for our loyal customers at no extra cost." The new range of pay monthly tariffs are subject to 24 month****** contracts and in order to help ensure they have the perfect tariff for their needs, Virgin Media will automatically text customers when they are nearing the limits of their allowances (where applicable) to help ensure manageable costs. Virgin Media's smartphones also come preloaded with the 'My Account' app so customers can keep track of how much they've used of their monthly allowance, and if needed, customers have the flexibility to move up or down the tariffs at any point in their contract without penalty. For customers already with their own data-hungry smartphones Virgin Media is also launching a new range of flexible 'SIM Only' tariffs. The 'SIM Only' tariffs work on a rolling monthly basis with 'Premiere' starting at £20 for cable and national customers who will benefit from unlimited data, text, calls to other Virgin Mobiles and UK landlines. Virgin Media customers will also be able to take advantage of free WiFi access at up to 120 London Underground stations. For more information on Virgin Media's products and services, head to www.virginmedia.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lovefilm, Fox UK deal brings more TV shows next month, movie exclusives in 2013 Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT Now that Amazon's Lovefilm has become a modernized internet video service by offering HD quality streaming to European customers, it's adding more ammo in the form of a content deal with Twentieth Century Fox. The deal kicks in right away for TV shows, with early seasons of Sons of Anarchy plus complete sets of 24, Prison Break and more becoming available starting next month. For movies, Lovefilm will have exclusive on demand access for the "second pay television window",with the first movies available under the deal coming online in March 2013, similar to its agreement with NBC Universal. Now that Netflix UK has been available for a little while, and Lovefilm has upped its resolution (and content), we're interested to know if any punters have switched sides in the streaming battle so far. AMAZON'S LOVEFiLM SIGNS TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTENT DEAL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| G-Technology kicks out USB 3.0 G-Drives for Macs, keeps your Retina MacBook Pro well-fed Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:01 AM PDT If you've just picked up a MacBook Pro with Retina display or a 2012-era MacBook Air, you may be jonesing for a matching external hard drive to take advantage of that much-awaited USB 3.0 support. G-Technology has you covered -- and how. Updated versions of the laptop-oriented G-Drive Mini, Mobile and Slim (you're looking at the Mobile up top) all roll in the higher peak speeds and progressively trade raw speed as well as 1TB capacities for sleekness, while the twin-drive, 1.5TB G-RAID Mini will tax that 5Gbps bandwidth without becoming too ungainly. Not taking your external storage on the road? The single-disk G-Drive now climbs to 4TB in addition to jumping on the USB 3.0 bandwagon, and the dual-drive G-RAID will serve up as much as 8TB at the newly brisk speeds. All but the G-Drive Slim support FireWire to ease those jitters over transitioning from old to new, although they won't all arrive at the same time. Most of the G-Drive and G-RAID gear will be showing up in August at prices between $110 and $810, but the two Mini-labelled drives could be a bit late to the party with a less defined summer target. You can get the full scoop after the break. G-TECHNOLOGY™ LAUNCHES NEW USB 3.0 EXTERNAL STORAGE SOLUTIONS G-DRIVE™ slim: Ideal for any laptop user, theG-DRIVE slim is the ultra-slim, ultra-stylish portable solution. Featuring a high-performance USB 3.0 interface and a thin design, the G-DRIVE slim is the Mac user's sleekest answer to superior data storage. Its slender, lightweight aluminium case packs up to 500GB of storage for photos, videos, music and more. The drive is also USB 3.0 bus-powered, eliminating the need to carry an external AC power supply. The 500GB G-DRIVE slim will have a MSRP of $109.99. G-RAID:Leveraging two 7,200 RPM drives, the G-RAID drive is a blazing-fast, dual-drive RAID 0 storage solution with capacities up to 8TB,with USB 3.0 and FireWire 400/800 interfaces. Ideal for professional content creators, it supports simultaneous playback of multiple layers of HDV, DVCPRO HD, XDCAM HD and ProRes 422 HQ with the leading video editing applications including Final Cut Pro™, Adobe® Premiere® and many more. Its soft-touch On/Off switch and thermo-regulated "smart" fan keeps the G-RAID drive reliable, cool and quiet in the editing suite. The 8TB G-RAID drive will have an MSRP of $809.99. The G-Technology G-DRIVE slim and G-DRIVE mobile external drive family will be available in Apple Stores in July. The G-DRIVE and G-RAID solutions will be available in August 2012. The G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini solutions will be available in Q3 2012. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 review: meet the company's new top-of-the-line tablet Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:01 AM PDT More InfoWhen ASUS first teased the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 back at CES, many customers looked on, simmering with rage. You see, only several weeks earlier the company started selling the Transformer Prime, a top-tier tablet priced at a not-so-cheap $500. It was a state-of-the-art product... until ASUS unveiled the TF700, a tablet that was similar, only better. It, too, has a Tegra 3 chip and 8-megapixel camera, but it adds a higher-res, 1920 x 1200 display and promises improved signal reception, a pain point for the Prime. Little did those disgruntled Prime owners know it would actually be a long time before the TF700 ever became available. Now, we're finally hearing it will go on sale in the US in mid-July, at which point the Prime is expected to drop in price before it gets discontinued. But is the TF700 all that much of an improvement over the original? And how does it stack up against comparably priced tablets, such as the new iPad, Acer Iconia Tab A700 and Toshiba Excite 10? Check out our early review to find out. Hardware
You've seen this tablet before -- and no, we're not referring to the time we handled it at Mobile World Congress. Everything about the TF700 -- the thin shape, that spun metal lid, the gold and purple color options -- is reminiscent of the original Transformer Prime. With the device powered off, the only noticeable difference is that the back cover now has a thin strip of plastic stretching across the top, presumably to improve signal reception. Otherwise, it's as sturdy and well-built as any other Transformer tablet, though it's slightly chubbier at 1.3 pounds / 0.33 inches thick (versus 1.28 pounds / 0.32 inches for the Prime). Does that extra hundredth of an inch make a difference? Not for us, anyway. Taking a tour around the device, the selection of ports hasn't changed either. On the bottom, there's a trio of connectors allowing the tablet to fit snugly in the optional keyboard dock. The left landscape side is home to a micro-HDMI socket, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and uncovered microSD slot. On the top edge, meanwhile, you'll find a volume rocker and the all-important power / lock button. Flip the tablet around and you'll find the same 8-megapixel, f/2.2 camera used on the lower-end TF300, along with an LED flash. As with other Transformer tablets, there's also a 2-megapixel webcam tucked into the front bezel. Display and sound So what has changed? The display, for starters. Yes, this has a 10-inch, FHD IPS (make that Super IPS+) screen, just like the Prime, but this time it trades a 1280 x 800 pixel count for 1920 x 1200 resolution. Yes, it's crisp, even if it is not quite as stunning as the 2048 x 1536 Retina display. The viewing angles are wide -- so wide, in fact, that you can easily watch a movie with the tablet placed face-up on a table in front of you (not that you'd need to do this with the keyboard dock). Still, with the default settings enabled, the screen glare sometimes overpowers whatever's on screen. In situations like that, you'll want to flip on Super IPS+ mode, which bumps the brightness to a staggering 600 nits. Once we did that, we had no problem framing still shots while standing in direct sunlight. And hey, even if you don't plan on taking this outside the home, you might find that the Super IPS+ feature makes it a bit easier to use the tablet near a window, or in an office with harsh overhead lights. We did find one flaw with the display: it's bonded in such a way that if you press down on the screen you'll see air pockets form beneath your fingers. This isn't the first time we've seen this on a tablet, but it's also not the sort of thing we'd expect to find on a premium $500 product. Like ASUS' other tablets, the TF700 comes endowed with SonicMaster audio, which makes for some loud, though not exceptionally rich sound. Just keep in mind that the speaker is located on the back side, which means if you set the tablet down on a table any songs or movie dialogue will sound muffled. Then again, if you plan on watching movies with the tablet propped up in its dock, this is a moot point. Keyboard dock The optional dock offers the same features it always has, but for any first-time Transformer buyers who might be reading this, here's a quick primer: in addition to being an external keyboard, the dock is home to an SD card slot, a full-size USB 2.0 port and a built-in 19.5Wh battery, allowing you to go longer without charging your tablet. As you see in our photo gallery, the tablet is roughly the same size and thickness of a netbook when combined with the keyboard dock, and we never felt like the slate was about to tumble out of its cradle. The whole setup is actually rather sturdy, but we've always felt the dock is a little too scratch-prone; it tends to scuff more easily than the tablet itself. We'd also caution you that when the tablet is docked inside the keyboard the weight distribution becomes lopsided -- so much so that unless you angle the display just so the whole thing might tumble backward off your lap. Thankfully, this should be less of an issue if you place the dock on an airplane tray, or some other flat surface. And by the way, we're using that flight scenario quite deliberately. As cramped and flimsy as this keyboard is, it feels like an improvement over the touchscreen when it comes to pecking out short web searches and answering emails on the go. But we would never suggest a student use this to bang out 10-page term papers -- heck, we're loathe to even write 3,000-word reviews on it. Keys this shallow and this crowded simply can't take the place of a standalone laptop, but they're at least convenient when you find yourself with no other options. So go ahead and splurge on the keyboard, but think of it as a travel accessory and not the missing ingredient for some magical, low-cost laptop replacement. As for the keyboard dock's built-in trackpad, it responds surprisingly well to two-finger scrolls, but the pad's tiny size means you won't actually have much space to pull off those kinds of gestures. As we hinted at earlier, the best thing about the TF700's keyboard dock is that, well... you don't necessarily need it. Back when we reviewed the mid-range Transformer Pad TF300, many readers were upset to learn that they couldn't re-use their OG Transformer dock, meaning if they wanted to upgrade they'd have to buy a new tablet and a new keyboard, to boot. Here, there are no such compatibility issues: the TF700 will work with the dock belonging to the original Prime. That's good news for fed-up Prime owners who've had enough of the GPS issues but don't have a reason to trade in the dock, per se. Performance
Like last year's Prime, the TF700 packs a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, though this time the clock speeds reach 1.7GHz with single-core performance and 1.6GHz when two to four cores are in use. (Compare that with 1.4GHz and 1.3GHz, respectively, for the Prime.) This tablet, too, has 1GB of RAM, but the memory is now of the DDR3 variety. So what does that mean in terms of actual performance? Well, if benchmarks are to be believed, the TF700 is faster than the Transformer Prime and Tegra 3-packing Toshiba Excite 10, but only slightly. Heck, on Vellamo, it beat the Excite 10 by a mere four points, and actually lost to it in SunSpider by about 50. Unarmed with raw numbers, it's near-impossible to tell the difference. As we've said in previous reviews, Tegra 3 shines most in gaming. When we played titles like Temple Run, Big Top THD and Zen Pinball, we enjoyed smooth graphics, though more than once the screen failed to respond to our swipes (so much for sliding under a tree trunk to escape those monkeys). In fact, finger input sometimes didn't register when we were simply navigating the OS (fortunately, this wasn't too frequent). We also observed a few other hiccups: apps were sometimes sluggish in opening and closing, and the camera application downright halted when we tapped the home button to exit.
Like every other Transformer tablet ASUS has produced, the TF700 has not one, but three battery modes: Power Saving, Balanced and Performance. For the purpose of making comparisons with other devices, we used the default Balanced setting, but we were also curious to see how each of these three power management profiles had an impact on overall performance. Running the same benchmarks in each mode, we found that there's not much of a benefit to using the Performance settings: the battery will drain faster, and the difference in scores between this and Balanced mode is actually quite modest. On the other hand, if you flip to Power Saving mode you can expect your scores to plummet, sometimes by more than half compared to what you'd otherwise get in Balanced mode. Battery life
The TF700 packs a 25Wh battery rated for up to nine and a half hours of runtime. Indeed, it lasted nine hours and 25 in our battery rundown test, which involves looping a video with WiFi on and the brightness fixed at 50 percent. That's still not as impressive a showing as the Prime, whose 25Wh cell lasted 10-plus hours in the same test. It also doesn't match the Acer Iconia Tab A510, new iPad or last year's iPad 2. That said, 9.5 hours should be plenty for most users, and it's longer than many other 10-inch tablets are capable of. Meanwhile, the 19.5Wh battery inside the keyboard dock promises to add an extra five hours or so of runtime. We're in the process of running our battery test with the dock and will update our review once the results are in. In the meantime, remember that if you choose to use the OG Prime's dock you should enjoy even longer runtime, as the battery there is rated at 22Wh, compared with 19.5. A quick note on charging: though you can use the included cable to charge the tablet over USB, that convenience doesn't apply to the keyboard dock. To charge that piece of equipment, you'll need to find yourself a power outlet. Camera As we mentioned back in the hardware walk-through, the TF700 has the same 8-megapixel, f/2.2 camera module as the TF300, except this guy also includes an LED flash for slightly better low-light shots. As you'll see in that gallery down there, the image quality is hardly perfect, but it's certainly better than what you'll get from most tablets. Though the camera struggles in harshly backlit situations, it does a better job of capturing close-ups than pretty much any other tablet we've tested. The autofocusing camera is also quick to lock in on subjects, and though we had the option of tapping to focus, we found we rarely needed this feature; the camera usually identified the most salient aspect of the shot on its own. Predictably, the auto-focusing sensor was most likely to stumble in dimmer conditions, though our low-light samples weren't actually that grainy. As it turns out, this wasn't just us being optimistic: ASUS has indeed tweaked the flash since releasing the original Transformer Prime.
That 8-megapixel camera is also capable of recording 1080p video, and we were similarly pleased with the level of detail in slower-moving clips. Unfortunately, though, you're likely to notice some ghosting once you start recording more high-octane scenes, like bicyclists riding by at a fast clip. As for audio quality, we appreciated that the dual mics picked up on background noise such as conversations and street music, but unfortunately they don't do nearly as good a job canceling wind noise (or, in our case, the sound of a mild breeze). SoftwareAs you'd expect of any mid-2012 tablet, the TF700 ships with Ice Cream Sandwich (version 4.0.3, to be exact). But whereas Samsung has been known to TouchWiz a tablet or five, ASUS' tabs are among the few tablets we've seen lately that run vanilla Android. Boot up the Transformer for the first time and you'll see a weather widget waiting for you, but rest assured that you can chuck it in the trash if you find it really offensive. Ditto for the raft of pre-installed apps, which include Amazon Kindle, App Backup, App Locker, separate download and file managers, Glowball, Movie Studio, MyCloud, MyLibrary, MyNet, Netflix, a so-called People hub, Polaris Office, Press Reader, TegraZone Games and Zinio's magazine reader. A heavy load, but at least everything here is uninstallable. And hey, you could do much worse than bloatware: ASUS at least didn't muck with key UI elements, such as the clock or settings tray. Also, as a nice added bonus, you get 8 gigs of complimentary lifetime ASUS WebStorage (the company used to offer unlimited space, but it was only free for the first year.) The competition
With a 1920 x 1200 screen and a $499 starting price to match, there's little question that the TF700 was intended as a top-shelf device. By now, most tablet makers have lowered the price of their goods, leaving the Infinity with only a handful of competitors in the five-hundred-dollar range. Starting with the obvious, there's the new iPad, whose 2048 x 1536 Retina display is the densest you'll find on any tablet. Spec watchers will note the entry-level iPad comes with 16GB of storage, not 32GB, and that it wasn't designed to be used with a keyboard dock, per se (not that there's any shortage of third-party options). Still, the iPad's screen is definitively the nicer of the two, and the iPad also delivers smoother performance; it just doesn't stumble the way the TF700 sometimes does. Prefer an Android device, after all? The new Acer Iconia Tab A700 also has a 10-inch, 1920 x 1200 screen, along with a Tegra 3 processor and 1GB of RAM. All told, these are similar specs, except Acer's model costs $50 less and runs a slightly more skinned version of Android. As it happens, we're in the process of testing one now, but aren't quite ready to post our impressions and benchmarks results. In the meantime, then, it's at least safe to say that the A700 sits in the same class as the Infinity TF700 and is definitely worth your consideration. You know who hasn't given up on $500 tablets either? Toshiba, of all companies. After striking out with its Thrive lineup, the company has mostly found its way with the Excite 10, a $450 tablet that offers longer battery life and a slimmer design. Without question, it's the best tablet Toshiba has made to date, but is it the best Ice Cream Sandwich tablet at this price? Not really -- not when you take into account the Excite's performance hiccups and lackluster camera. It's also worth noting that the TF700 could face competition from within the Transformer line: the original Prime is likely to see price drops, and we still recommend it on account of its epic battery life and similarly strong camera. (Cons: it has a lower-res display and has been known to have unreliable reception, not that that has ever been an issue for us.) Meanwhile, the TF300 costs $120 less than the entry-level TF700, and its performance and battery life aren't so far off what you'll get from this new top-shelf model. Wrap-up Gosh, it would have been nice if the TF700 were around last fall. Compared to the Prime, the TF700 is an upgrade on most counts: it's slightly faster, the screen is sharper and there's now a plastic strip on the cover designed to give the underlying antennas more breathing room. As it is, though, the TF700 doesn't offer many reasons for Prime owners to upgrade, given that the battery life is actually longer on the original, and given the similar camera performance. Unless your Prime has signal reception issues, or you just have to have that higher-quality screen, you're better off sticking with what you already own. If it is a crisp display you're after, you'd be foolish not to at least consider the new iPad: for the same money, it offers a lifelike 2048 x 1536 panel -- and it doesn't suffer from performance hiccups like the TF700 either. And you could easily find a third-party keyboard if the typing experience is so important to you. Still, if you're in the market for a new Android tablet, specifically, the TF700 should definitely be on your shortlist: it's not perfect, but it's among the best Ice Cream Sandwich tablets you'll find at any price. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASUS' high-end Transformer Pad TF700 is coming to the US next month for $499 and up Posted: 25 Jun 2012 12:01 AM PDT The last time we heard from ASUS, the company was on a tear at Computex, unveiling Windows 8 device after Windows 8 device. Looking back, it seems quaint that its mobile lineup was so recently dominated by Android tablets -- and that the Transformer series was once regarded as unique for having detachable keyboard docks. But this week, at least, it's back to Android for ASUS: the company just announced that the Transformer Pad Infinity announced back at Mobile World Congress is finally going on sale here in the US. It's expected to hit shelves the week of July 16th, starting at $499 for the 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB version. Like other Transformer tabs, the accompanying dock will sell separately for $149. We've got a rundown of the full specs after the break, and as it turns out, we've also been testing one for the past week. So once you're done browsing those official press shots, head on over to our full review for benchmarks, impressions and many, many more photos. Need us to jog your memory after all these months? Well, remember that ASUS launched multiple Transformer tablets at MWC, but the Infinity (aka TF700) was the higher-end of the two, with a 10-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display that's coated in Gorilla Glass and rated at 600 nits of brightness. In an unusual move, ASUS used different chips in the WiFi-only and LTE-enabled versions. The WiFi models announced today have a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC inside, but if the 4G version ever comes to your corner of the world, it'll have a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor instead. Either way, the best silicon NVIDIA and Qualcomm have to offer at the moment. Some good news for folks thinking of trading in their six-month-old Primes: the older TF201 dock is fully compatible with the TF700, so you won't need to drop a hundred and fifty bucks on a fresh keyboard. Which makes sense, given how similar the dimensions are: the Infinity weighs 1.31 pounds and measures .33 inches thick, compared with 1.28 pounds / .32 inches thick for the Prime. As for performance, the TF700 has 1GB of DDR3 RAM and 25Wh battery, rated for about eight and a half hours of juice. (The dock has a 19.5Wh battery that promises to add an extra five hours or so of runtime.) All told, that sounds similar to what you'll get from the lower-end Transformer Pad TF300 -- which is to say, the battery life will be long, but not quite as epic as what you'd get from the original Prime. Rounding things out, the TF700 features Bluetooth 3.0 (compared with 2.1 in the Prime), an 8-megapixel, f/2.2 rear camera and a 2-megapixel webcam up front. As with other Transformer tablets, this ships with Ice Cream Sandwich and comes with 8GB of free lifetime cloud storage. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is official, aims for mass production in 2013 Posted: 24 Jun 2012 11:49 PM PDT The rumor that Japanese electronic giants Panasonic and Sony would team up on OLED HDTV technology has been confirmed by a press release (included after the break), and the two plan to establish mass production in 2013. Together, they'll be able to utilize the core and printing techniques that each has so far developed separately to roll out HDTV-sized OLED panels. Still, while they will be BFFs behind the scenes don't expect any crazy cross-branding of releases, as the release notes each company plans to "develop and commercialize its own competitive, high-performance, next-generation OLED televisions and large-sized displays." Can this combination help them catch up to Korean counterparts Samsung and LG? Those two will individually put super-skinny, ultra high contrast ratio OLED HDTVs on store shelves this year, but if Panasonic / Sony can get prices down from the $10k~ range then we're sure most consumers will be able to overlook their tardiness to market. Sony and Panasonic to Collaborate on the Joint Development of Next Generation OLED Panels for TVs/Large-sized Displays Japan, June 25, 2012 – Sony Corporation ("Sony") and Panasonic Corporation ("Panasonic") today announced that they have signed an agreement regarding the joint development of next-generation OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels and modules for TVs and large-sized displays. Sony and Panasonic plan to jointly develop next-generation OLED panels and modules by each utilizing their core and printing technologies. They plan to jointly develop printing method-based next-generation OLED technology, which will be suitable for low-cost mass production of large, high resolution OLED panels and modules. Sony and Panasonic aim to establish mass-production technology during 2013, by integrating their unique technologies to improve the overall efficiency of development. Sony launched the world's first OLED TV in 2007 with its 11-inch model. Sony also released a 25-inch professional OLED monitor in 2011, and continued to develop products and mass-produce OLED displays utilizing deposition technologies. Further, Sony has actively promoted the research and development of next-generation OLED technologies such as hybrid OLED element devices and processing (manufacturing) technologies that combine deposition and printing methods, thin film transistor (TFT) drivers such as oxide TFTs, and flexible organic TFTs, and has presented its development results at academic conferences. Panasonic is a leader in the technology development of large-sized screen, high-resolution OLED panels and utilizes the cutting-edge "all printing method", among other printing methods which have the advantage of being competitive for producing large-sized screens at a lower cost. Panasonic owns the unique production and equipment technologies which enable the production of OLED panels through this method. Panasonic is also pursuing the future possibility of OLED panels, and is carrying out research and development of advancements in flexible OLED panels and aiming to develop large-sized, high quality sheet-type displays. In parallel with the joint development of the next-generation technologies of the OLED panels and modules, Sony and Panasonic plan to continue to study collaboration in the mass production of OLED panels and modules. Also, each company plans to utilize its own strengths to develop and commercialize its own competitive, high-performance, next-generation OLED televisions and large-sized displays. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google TV goes international, Sony NSZ-GS7 set-top box up for preorder in the US and UK Posted: 24 Jun 2012 10:30 PM PDT Sony mentioned during CES 2012 that its Google TV-powered hardware would come to Europe this summer, and now it's official. Along with Google, it's announced preorders are available for the $200/£200/$199 NSZ-GS7 internet streaming set-top box in the US and UK (showing a ship date of July 9th, Sony says it should hit stores July 22nd), with plans to launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico and Netherlands later this year. The NSZ-GP9 with integrated Blu-ray player will arrive in October, priced at £280/€300/$299. UK users can expect localized content from The Guardian among other sources, and more reveals are promised at Google I/O this week. There's an internationally-aimed trailer (embedded after the break) and more information from Sony and Google at their respective sites, we'll see if the mix of reworked hardware and updated software makes this venture more successful than the last round. Google TV from Sony Arrives in Store July 2012 25 June 2012 Sony Europe today announced the availability and pricing of the NSZ-GS7, Internet Player with Google TV, originally introduced in January at CES. Powered by the Google TV platform, the Internet Player will be available to buy in store from July, priced at £200/€200. Pre-orders begin in July online at www.sony-europe.com. In 2010, Sony pioneered the internet-TV convergence as one of the first manufacturers to launch products powered by Google TV. With the new Internet Player with Google TV, Sony will also be the first manufacturer to launch Google TV products outside of the United States, initially starting with the United Kingdom in July, followed later by Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico. The NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray Disc player with Google TV will be available in October initially in the United States, followed by Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Netherlands. In addition to the NSZ-GS7 Internet Player, Sony's newest Internet Blu-ray Disc™ player with Google TV, the NSZ-GP9, will be available in October priced at £280/€300. "Expanding the reach and interoperability of the powerful Android platform with Sony's smartphones, tablets and renowned Audio & Video products, we are proud to continue our relationship with Google through the introduction of the new Google TV Internet Player," said Gildas Pelliet, European Head of Marketing. "Entertainment content is available through so many channels and sites, and Google TV helps consumers easily find what they want to watch, listen or play with the freedom of the internet and using the familiar Chrome browser" TV and Internet, together as one Total control at a touch Fun at your fingertips with Google Play
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| Posted: 24 Jun 2012 09:49 PM PDT Remember that dream version of the Galaxy S III that melded the Exynos 4 Quad, LTE-based 4G and 2GB of RAM all in one ultimate device? It now looks much closer to reality. Just as the 3G version is landing on the country's shores through SK Telecom, Samsung is sending word that the Korean LTE version is due in early July -- and Chosun claims it should have the best of all worlds in terms of performance. There should even be DMB TV tuning and a 500-title Video Hub for local movie lovers. We're anxious about just what that combination could do to battery life and the price, neither of which were mentioned up front. There may be good reasons why the US versions run on the dual-core Snapdragon S4, after all. Still, if the Korean LTE version doesn't have to make any sacrifices and is just a few weeks away from stores, it'll be hard not to turn a deep shade of green watching our friends in Seoul get what could easily be the better deal. Update: The company has since piped up and confirmed to The Verge that the Korean LTE version is, in fact, quad-core. The LTE sits on a discrete modem chip where it's normally more tightly integrated on the Snapdragon, however -- and that means a potential knock against the runtime given that the 2,100mAh battery hasn't been beefed up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asus Transformer Pad Infinity shows up at Best Buy, commands $600 price tag, 64GB of storage Posted: 24 Jun 2012 09:01 PM PDT You didn't think ASUS pushed its souped up Transformer slate through federal approval for the sake of its health, did you? No, if Best Buy's online store has anything to say about it, the Transformer Pad Infinity's FCC excursion was preparing it for sale. It's not quite ready yet, but when it is, Best Buy will apparently be handing the slab out for $599 and change, netting buyers 64GB of storage, NVIDIA's Tegra 3 processor and a 1,920 x 1,200 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display. The listing appears to be for the WiFi-only version of the tablet, with no mention of the Snapdragon S4-equipped LTE variant that ASUS announced earlier this year. According to the product page, the unreleased hardware is currently "sold out online," but at least you know how many pennies you'll need to pinch. Check it out at the source link below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How would you change the GoPro Hero HD 2? Posted: 24 Jun 2012 07:23 PM PDT You can strap the GoPro HD Hero 2 to any number of things to document your extreme adventures in high definition. However, for all of the improvements in the second version, we found it to be distractingly heavy, difficult to mount and with audio that left plenty to the imagination. Still, a few days of testing, even with some aerial combat thrown in, can't match constant use over the last six months. So, why not tell us how you've found using this thing on a daily basis and if you could, what would you change about it? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Roundup: week of June 18th, 2012 Posted: 24 Jun 2012 05:58 PM PDT Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android updates
Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery
Other platforms
Refreshes we covered this week
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| Inhabitat's Week in Green: Sky City One, remote-controlled light bulbs and the Zero-G Olympic Games Posted: 24 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 24 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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