Sponsored
Engadget News |
- Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices
- iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th
- Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract
- iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: what's changed?
- iOS 6 gets official debut on the iPhone 5: Maps, Passbook, iCloud Tabs and more
- Apple details new iPhone 5 dock connector: It's called Lightning and it's 80 percent smaller
- Apple: A6 chip in iPhone 5 has 2x CPU power, 2x graphics performance, yet consumes less energy
- Apple details iPhone 5's new camera: 8MP, 'same as iPhone 4S but thinner'
- Apple announces worldwide carriers for iPhone 5: Sprint, AT&T and Verizon will support LTE in the US
- Apple counts 400 million iOS devices sold as of June
- iPhone 5 officially announced with 4-inch display, A6 CPU and LTE for $199 on September 21st
- Apple: 700k apps available in App Store, 250k for iPad, 100 apps per user
- 7 million upgrades to Mountain Lion sold so far, the fastest-selling version of OS X yet
- Apple's next-generation iPhone liveblog!
- SlickDeals' best in tech for September 12th: Logitech Mice, SSDs and more
- Ubuntu One Music Store comes to mobile and web, skips the plugins
- Just one hour to go until Apple's launch event, here's the scene in San Francisco
- Google Fiber announces qualified areas tomorrow, snags ABC channels including ESPN, Disney
- Skype promising CD quality sound from new 'Opus' audio codec, fewer choppy calls
- PlayStation Plus cloud storage boost landing 'soon' with system update v4.25
- Engadget's iPhone 5 pre-event broadcast: live from San Francisco!
- Neo Geo X handheld gets standalone $130 price tag
- Apple search results turn up iPhone 5 name and LTE connectivity, indications of new iPod touch, iPod nano and iTunes 11
- Lenovo-made Vodafone Smart Tab II passes FCC testing, naturally
- XDA brings voice calls to the 3G-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
- Motorola Droid RAZR M review: a very good ICS handset in a small, Kevlar-wrapped package
- Nexi robot helps Northeastern University track effects of shifty body language (video)
- Apple Store goes down ahead of iPhone announcement
- Acer CloudMobile moves to China, dumps Android for Aliyun
- Nuance and Intel team on Dragon Assistant Beta for Ultrabooks, Dell XPS 13 to lead the charge
- Visualized: World's largest QR code is a Canadian maize maze
- Engadget Mobile Podcast 152 - 09.12.2012
- Nokia reaffirms WP 7.8 support for existing Lumia handsets, announces handful of features
- Galaxy Note II makes first FCC appearance, variant lacks US-friendly LTE bands
- LoveFilm / Aardman deal brings cheese-loving stop motion animation to Amazon-owned UK site
- WSJ gets early, slightly uncomfortable look at Google's Project Glass
- Hasselblad H5D coming December with new focus system, design, up to 60 megapixels
- Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0
- OCZ's new Vector SSD breaks cover at IDF, packs in-house developed Indilinx controller
- Sharp further cuts bonuses and salaries to stay above water, save $180 million
| Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices Posted: 12 Sep 2012 11:10 AM PDT It's gone through quite a few minor revisions as of late, but Apple has today taken the wraps off a fairly big redesign of not just iTunes for OS X and Windows, but iOS devices as well. The latter will be making its debut with iOS 6 on the 19th. You can expect a simpler interface in all incarnations -- "dramatically simpler," according to Apple's Eddie Cue -- with a carousel up top paired with a flattened grid of icons below. The desktop version also sports a new mini player, which now boasts search functionality while staying decidedly minimalistic. Developing... check out our liveblog for the latest from Apple's event. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th Posted: 12 Sep 2012 11:03 AM PDT We know what we're getting from iOS 6 and won't have to wait long for it. Apple's new mobile OS will land on existing phones, tablets and media players on September 19th -- a week from today. As was mentioned when we first saw iOS 6, the cut-off appears to be the iPhone 3GS, while tablets starting from the second iteration will be able to access Apple's new feature set. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract Posted: 12 Sep 2012 11:03 AM PDT Not sure if you want to splurge for that newfangled iPhone 5 just yet? Well, the folks in Cupertino are now offering a handsome discount on the previous model. That's right, the iPhone 4S will now set you back $99 (with a requisite agreement, of course) and the iPhone 4 is free on contract. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: what's changed? Posted: 12 Sep 2012 11:01 AM PDT Its name is enough to send CEOs into cold sweats, which is why the rest of the mobile world spent last week announcing their hardware back-to-back to steal a march on this handset. Now, after all of the rumor, speculation and leaks, Apple's sixth iPhone has finally been unveiled in San Francisco. We've got around 45 minutes before the world begins idly speculating about next year's iteration, so let's spend what little time we have delving into what's changed between now and the last time we were here. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iOS 6 gets official debut on the iPhone 5: Maps, Passbook, iCloud Tabs and more Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:44 AM PDT Now that the iPhone 5 is officially out of the bag, it's time to talk software. Apple hasn't exactly kept its cards close to its chest in regards to iOS 6: Cupertino teased the software at WWDC, letting us in on increased Facebook integration, a new map application, Passbook and "Do Not Disturb" in the process. Today the OS gets official, and Scott Forstall demoed the software running on the iPhone 5. Not too much new here, but the software is up and in action on the new smartphone. One of the most hyped additions to iOS 6 has been the Maps application, which includes Siri navigation, 3D building view and satellite imagery. In Safari, there's now a full-screen mode and you'll be able to share tabs from your desktop with your phone (dubbed iCloud Tabs). We're also seeing Passbook in action once again, bringing up a plane ticket at the lockscreen when you get to the airport, for example. One new thing here: Delta is confirmed as a partner for this digital ticket service. As we've already known, on the Siri front you can bring up sports ranking and Rotten Tomatoes movie ratings via the voice assistant. And, of course, one of the most welcome features is FaceTime over cellular -- no mention of whether that will be supported on all carriers, but it certainly looks that way. iOS 6 will be available on September 19th (also when the iPhone 5 will go on sale), and it's coming to the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch.
Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple details new iPhone 5 dock connector: It's called Lightning and it's 80 percent smaller Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:38 AM PDT The new iPhone deserves a new dock connector. Say hello to the reversible, 80 percent smaller, Lightning. The likes of Bose, BLW and B&O are already working on new compatible docks while the new connector itself is now easier to connect, more durable, all digital, with an adaptive interface which warrants some closer inspection. Naturally, an adapter will also be made available for your existing iPhone peripherals and it sounds like it should pair well with that Thunderbolt connection, right? Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple: A6 chip in iPhone 5 has 2x CPU power, 2x graphics performance, yet consumes less energy Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:34 AM PDT Every new iPhone needs a new engine, and Tim Cook has just made some bold claims about Apple's latest silicon creation: the A6 processor. He hinted at a significant shrinkage in transistor size, allowing the chip to be 22 percent smaller than the A5 and hence more energy-efficient, while at the same time -- he says -- doubling all-round CPU and graphics capabilities. By way of practical benefits, the Apple CEO promises the Pages app will load up 2.1x faster than before, while Keynote attachments will hit the screen 1.7x faster. At this point we're lacking any further detail about cores or clock speeds or indeed who actually fabricated the A6 (still Samsung, after all that bitterness?), but Apple does tend to be close-lipped on such things. In the meantime, bring on the benchmarks! Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple details iPhone 5's new camera: 8MP, 'same as iPhone 4S but thinner' Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:34 AM PDT Apple's got a new camera its brand new iPhone 5: 8-megapixels with a 3,264 x 2,448 backside-illuminated sensor, five-element lens, and f/2.4 aperture sits on the rear of the new device. "Same as the iPhone 4S, but thinner." 25 percent thinner in fact, to match the now slimmer iPhone. The branding remains the same -- it's still the iSight -- but a few new bells and whistles have been added alongside the slimming. A new dynamic low light mode, for one, and a fancy sapphire crystal cover. The phone's new A6 processor also helps out, offering a "smart filter" for better color matching, as well as speedier capture and still capture during video. In terms of functionality, there's a new panorama mode, that allows picture stitching for multiple images into one larger shot (a whopping 28 megapixels in total). Photo sharing is also getting expanded, adding more social functionality -- images can be shared with multiple friends or family members, and then those folks can comment. But you only care about video, don't you? You'll be glad to hear that it's getting expanded as well. The rear camera is identical to the 4S, albeit with better image stabilization. The front facing camera now offers 720p video capture for all your extreme close-ups -- also for FaceTime, which will be available via LTE on the iPhone 5. But on all cellular networks? We're not so sure just yet. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:20 AM PDT If you've got Apple's new LTE-capable iPhone 5, you're going to need some LTE markets. Fortunately, Apple had a huge, global list of carriers that are going to work with Apple's latest. In the US, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will all support true 4G connectivity, while Canada's Rogers, Telus and Bell will also get the hook-up. In Europe, the newly established EE and Deutsch Telekom will gain LTE, while in Asia, KDDI, Softbank, KT, SK Telecom and SmartTone will all be provided for. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple counts 400 million iOS devices sold as of June Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:17 AM PDT Wondering just how well Apple's iOS device sales have been faring versus their Android counterparts? CEO Tim Cook has just revealed that Apple has sold (not just shipped) 400 million iOS devices from the 2007 launch through to June 2012, a hike from the 365 million it reported at WWDC. For context, Google's Andy Rubin mentioned just Tuesday that a total of 500 million Android devices had been activated, although the gap may be closer than implied at first: there's been a few months between then and now, after all. Still, the new tallies show that Google wasn't waiting for the iPhone 5 to quicken its pace, even if Apple's sales are still very brisk. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| iPhone 5 officially announced with 4-inch display, A6 CPU and LTE for $199 on September 21st Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:13 AM PDT Apple may be notoriously secretive and tight lipped, but the company appears to be getting worse and worse at actually keeping things under wraps. The iPhone 5 appears to be the most leaked handset in existence. Thankfully, the suspense is over, the next-gen iPhone is finally here and it does, in fact, go by the numerical title of 5. Just like the parts that have been circulating this is a glass and aluminum two-tone affair and, at 7.6mm it's a full 18 percent thinner than the 4S (though, contrary to what Tim Cook said on stage, one slide has the iPhone 5 at 8mm even). It's even a full 20 percent lighter at 112 grams. It's all those amazing things and it packs a larger 4-inch in-cell display. The new version of Apple's Retina panel is 1136 x 640, which clocks in at a more than respectable 326ppi. It also sports better color saturation with full sRGB rendering. That new longer screen allows for an extra set of icons to be displayed on the home screen, and first party apps have already been tweaked to take advantage of the additional real estate. The iWork suite, Garage Band and iMovie have all been updated. Older apps will still work too, though they'll be displayed in a letterbox format until an update is issued. The tweaked ratio puts the iPhone 5 display closer to 16:9, but it's not quite there.
The most exciting news is likely the addition of LTE. There's still HSPA+, EV-DO, EDGE and all that jazz on board, but it's the true 4G that is really generating excitement. In the US Sprint, Verizon and AT&T will all be able to take advantage of the single chip data and voice LTE solution inside. And, if you're stuck on one of those tiered data plans, the 802.11 a/b/g/n antenna should help you keep your wireless usage in check. Notably missing however is NFC, which had been rumored to make its Apple debut with the iPhone 5, but is nowhere in sight. What that means for the burgeoning mobile payment industry remains to be seen. If the brand new radios weren't enough of a raw spec update to get your geek blood pumping, the new A6 CPU inside should push you over the edge. Apple claims its a full two times faster than the chip inside the 4S, but we'll have to wait and see how accurate that assertion is. The A6 is reportedly 22 percent smaller than its predecessor, which probably helped Cupertino achieve such slim dimension on the iPhone 5 and it's also more energy efficient -- allowing the handset to chug along for 8 hours of talk time, despite the addition of LTE. Keeping your data usage to Wi-Fi will allow you to milk up to 10 hours out of the device. As for the camera, it's more or less the same as that in the iPhone 4S, just a little bit slimmer. It's a backside-illuminated 8 megapixel sensor with a 5 element lens and an f/2.4 aperture. The biggest improvement in the image capturing department is the "shutter" speed. Apple is claiming the new set up is up to 40 percent quicker at turning a beautiful sunset into a cold hard series of 1s and 0s. There's also a new panoramic shooting mode that stitches together an effective 28 megapixel photo. And, what camera update would be complete without the ability to capture 1080p video. The front facing cam has also received a might boost, getting its own backside-illuminated sensor capable of capturing 720p clips. Even better, that iSight cam can be paired up with FaceTime for high-res video chats over that fancy new 4G network you'll be surfing on. If you thought there wasn't anything else that could possibly be improved, you're wrong. Apple even gave the microphone an upgrade to a five-magnet transducer that should improve voice quality on networks that support it and enable Siri to better decipher your mumblings. And, as expected, the dock connector has gotten a long-overdue revamp. The eight-pin plug is 80 percent smaller and all digital -- it even has a catchy marketing name: Lightning. If you've got a bunch of accessories designed for the old connector, you're not completely left out in the cold. Apple will happily sell you an adapter. Obviously, no new iPhone would be complete without a new version of iOS, and the 5 will be rocking iOS 6 right out of the box, which packs a boat load of exciting improvements, including tweaks to Siri and the new Passbook. When the iPhone 5 ships, you'll have your choice of two colors, black or white, with the white having a raw aluminum back and the black sporting a dark anodized body. As expected the iPhone 5 will start at $199 for the 16GB model, while the 32GB will cost $299 and the 64GB $399 -- so no changes there. Sadly, we're still waiting on a 128GB version. Shipments in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore start on September 21st, but you'll be able to pre-order starting on the 14th. Apple plans to add 20 more markets in the coming month. Developing... Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple: 700k apps available in App Store, 250k for iPad, 100 apps per user Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:11 AM PDT Does it come as any surprise that Apple would take a portion of its iPhone keynote to crank out a few obligatory numbers touting its overall success? CEO Tim Cook announced today that his company just surpassed the 700,000 mark for apps in the iOS App Store, with 250,000 specifically written for the iPad. Amazingly, 90 percent of those are downloaded every month, and each customer uses more than 100 apps on average. That extra row on the iPhone 5 should come in rather handy, we'd say. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 million upgrades to Mountain Lion sold so far, the fastest-selling version of OS X yet Posted: 12 Sep 2012 10:09 AM PDT Kicking off its huge San Francisco event Apple CEO Tim Cook told the packed auditorium that Mountain Lion OS X is the fast-selling operating system it's ever had. He added that the company's family of notebooks have now ranked number 1 in the US for the last three months, grabbing a 27 percent market share. This equates to an additional 15 percent of growth since last year, compared to a slightly more modest two percent growth in the PC sector -- Apple has outpaced the PC industry over the last six years. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple's next-generation iPhone liveblog! Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:50 AM PDT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SlickDeals' best in tech for September 12th: Logitech Mice, SSDs and more Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:40 AM PDT Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at SlickDeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long. If you're itching to take matters into your own hands, perhaps building a new work machine from the ground up can fill said desire. In today's list of links, you'll find a few of solid buys that will help you do just that. Just in case your current mouse just isn't cutting it or has just kicked the bucket, we've got a couple frugal options for replacements in that department as well. So, let's get right to it. Head on past the break for a fresh batch of links ready to meet your eager clicks, but be mindful of those pesky rebate forms and coupon codes. This offer is available through NewEgg. Use the rebate form found here. Jump on this price over at Tiger Direct. Use the rebate form found here. This discount is available through Amazon. Grab this deal from NewEgg. Use the rebate form found here. Snag this offer via NewEgg. Use the rebate form found here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ubuntu One Music Store comes to mobile and web, skips the plugins Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:20 AM PDT If you'd wanted to shop Ubuntu One's Music Store in the past, you had to use a plugin through an app like Banshee or Rhythmbox. Not very convenient, we'd say. Someone must have been listening up in Canonical's cloud, as Ubuntu One just brought its 7digital-based store to the web and mobile devices. Apart from widening the software scope, it's billed as a more direct interface to shop for tunes and send them to Ubuntu One's cloud for either streaming or syncing. Don't think that's enough of a perk? Early purchasers get half a year's worth of Ubuntu One Music Streaming for free -- as strong an incentive as any to dip a toe into the (music) stream before jumping in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just one hour to go until Apple's launch event, here's the scene in San Francisco Posted: 12 Sep 2012 09:00 AM PDT What does the media queue for a major launch event look like? Picture the line in front of an Apple Store before any new product hits the shelves, add in a few hundred cameras and sat trucks, and there you go. Weather-wise, the scene is a bit dreary outside the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco, but things are undoubtedly heating up inside the relatively petite venue, beyond those black velvet ropes and the white polo shirt-clad security team. The scene outside will be long forgotten less than an hour from now, so click through the gallery below before it fades to irrelevancy, then hit up our liveblog to catch all the action inside. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google Fiber announces qualified areas tomorrow, snags ABC channels including ESPN, Disney Posted: 12 Sep 2012 08:46 AM PDT The official list of the first "fiberhoods" Google's Gigabit internet + TV service will be available in doesn't come out until tomorrow, but it's already looking like an even more attractive option thanks to a few newly announced channel additions. The team's blog post lists several ABC channels that will be available on the HDTV service, not the least of which is sports giant ESPN, along with ESPN2, Classic, Goal Line, Buzzer Beater, Deportes, ESPNews, Longhorn Network and ESPNU. We've confirmed ESPN3 is also included, while WatchESPN and WatchDisney mobile access is planned for the "near future." Overall it appears that ABC has squeezed its entire bundle including the Disney channels into the lineup (check the list after the break). That may not curry favor with those hoping for some revolutionary a la carte options, but should make switching to the $120 bundle easier for sports fans and families. Check the original launch announcement for more details on the Nexus 7-controlled service that blends standard TV and streaming options if you're pondering a move to Kansas City.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skype promising CD quality sound from new 'Opus' audio codec, fewer choppy calls Posted: 12 Sep 2012 08:30 AM PDT Skype's got a new audio codec that it thinks you should be pumped about, and it's called "Opus." It's been kicked around at Skype since March 2009, though work didn't begin in earnest until June of the same year, and it was just certified by the IETF as a standard of online audio. Senior Skype architect Koen Vos lead a team of audio engineers to create the hybrid audio codec, combining Skype's own "SILK" codec with Xiph.Org's "CELT" codec, intending to create a low-bandwidth codec "designed for the internet." But what does that mean for us? It means "CD quality" audio (fullband stereo sound) over Skype, regardless of internet connection. And what about those pesky packet loss issues that cause Skype calls to often sound choppy? "It has multiple mechanics to deal with and recover from packet loss plaguing the network," promises audio/video product engineering director Karlheinz Wurm. So ... uh, less of a chance of sounding like an Autobot then? Great! Wurm says the new codec "will make a quiet but crystal clear entry into the world" without naming exactly when. And yes, Opus is expected to become standard across all Skype platforms. What's that, you want to watch a 45 minute speech about Opus? We've got you covered, just below the break. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage boost landing 'soon' with system update v4.25 Posted: 12 Sep 2012 08:02 AM PDT If you've been sat impatiently tapping your fingers on the desk waiting for that extra PlayStation Plus storage, then you might want to give that hand a break. According to the PlayStation blog, it's coming, and soon. The capacity bump will come in PS3 system update v4.25, and once installed, you'll just need to head over to the Saved Data Utility under the XMB's Game column to see it. Our friends over at Joystiq have pushed Sony for a more concrete time on the update's release, but if you've already maxed out that current 150MB, there's light at the end of the | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Engadget's iPhone 5 pre-event broadcast: live from San Francisco! Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:47 AM PDT Ready or not, it's just about iPhone time. Darren and Tim are ready to get their liveblog on, but not before giving some insight into precisely what to expect. We'll be starting the show at 10:30AM ET. Hit play on the video below to get in on the Apple pregame tailgating party. Psst... after we go offline, you'll be able to watch repeats right here. Also, our liveblog (sans video, of course) will commence at 10:00AM PT, and you can follow along right here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neo Geo X handheld gets standalone $130 price tag Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT If you wanted to relive your past arcade glories, but weren't looking for a whole peripheral package, the Neo Geo X is now going to let you do that. While the forthcoming handheld was expected to arrive bundled with nostalgia-tinged hardware, a lower-priced solo handheld is also on the cards. Priced at $130, the makers aren't divulging any more detail on 4.3-inch handheld's precise launch date, but we'd guess that the single unit will match the pricier bundle's December launch date. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:09 AM PDT Apple offered a hint of the name in its invitation to today's event, but it looks like a slip-up on its own website may have now let the cat of the bag. Searching for "iphone-5" brings up a number of results for (as yet nonexistent) pages related to a device that seems to clearly be called the "iPhone 5." What's more, as 9 to 5 Mac notes, there are also references to a "new iPod touch with Retina Display" and a new iPod nano, as well as a similar indication that iTunes 11 is set to be released today. Update: 9 to 5 Mac has also turned up another search result that would seem to confirm the presence of LTE in the new iPhone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lenovo-made Vodafone Smart Tab II passes FCC testing, naturally Posted: 12 Sep 2012 07:02 AM PDT Vodafone's 7-inch Smart Tab II made a surprise appearance at IFA last month with its 10-inch sibling also in tow, and now it's stopped off at the FCC to pick up its Visa for future trips to the US. The official documents for the chunky, carrier-branded slate aren't giving much away, except that it's got the expected mix of 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth. Most of the specs remain a mystery, but the FCC ID (O57A2107VDF3G) indicates it's Lenovo's IdeaTab A2107 in disguise, meaning it should have a 1GHz dual-core CPU running behind a 1,024 x 600 display. At IFA, the price tag on the 7-inch model was 190 Euros (approximately $245), but with only 4GB storage and no LTE, we expect some heavy, competitive subsidies from Voda when it lands. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| XDA brings voice calls to the 3G-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:33 AM PDT While 3G Galaxy Note 10.1 owners use their Bluetooth-enabled S-Pen to make calls on their tablet, those with the equivalent Galaxy Tab are left out in the rain. Fortunately, the folks over at XDA Developers have leveled the playing field with four roms that bestow call-making powers on 3G variants of that particular slate. Three ICS and one Jelly Bean builds exist, with the only fault that sometimes you'll have to switch to 2G to get calls working properly. If you're really interested in stretching the definition of "phablet" beyond breaking point, head on down to the source links for more information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motorola Droid RAZR M review: a very good ICS handset in a small, Kevlar-wrapped package Posted: 12 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT More InfoFamily trees are monstrous wonders of genetic distillation, alternately yielding grotesque and delightful offspring. And, as is nature's wont, it's within the strongest of these "carriers" that dominant traits are passed on, ensuring a continued legacy for a specific branch marked by beauty, brains or beastliness. And so the same rings true for the RAZR lineage: a once forgotten, but now revived brand that's helping to define the new Motorola (as experienced through Verizon). Tucked safely under the protective wing of Google's guardianship, the manufacturer's embarking on a wireless renaissance and soldering that second chance at relevance to the Kevlar back of its latest Droid progeny. But as with all litters, there's bound to be one runt and here that distinction belongs to the Droid RAZR M. Known internally as the Scorpion Mini, this ICS handset's barebones build can deceive the eye into believing it's smaller than it actually is. But really, its screen is the same 4.3-inch, qHD, Super AMOLED Advanced affair as that of the original RAZR reboot -- just without the considerable bezel. So Moto's engineers have trimmed some fat, but this cosmetic overhaul also goes below the surface. Keeping it fairly current is a gently skinned version of Ice Cream Sandwich (soon to be upgraded to Jelly Bean) that's powered by a souped-up 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 and 1GB RAM. And really, that's about as modern as the RAZR M gets. Put down on paper, that mild spec bump might not seem compelling enough, but let us tantalize you with the device's most attractive tidbit: $99 on-contract pricing. Yes, folks, this formidable Droid RAZR redux has a retail positioning ace up its sleeve, but does that alone warrant two years of Verizon's chains? Can a slimmer form factor, unchanged display and faster processor lure in the style-conscious on a budget? Or are you better off holding out for its bigger bodied (and batteried) Droid RAZR HD siblings? Stick with us as we pass judgment on Moto's little leaguer. Hardware
Even as of this writing, we're still torn on the RAZR M's fit and finish. Does it offend with extravagant styling? Nope. Does it entice with a striking design? That's another no. On the whole, the device is best categorized as inoffensive -- it's imbued with a blandness that's neither edgy, nor soft and curvy. Motorola's achieved a design that could very well wind up in your Grandma's hands, or even your hipster younger brother's. It's just not that divisive and, well, therein lies the RAZR M's obvious marketing charm. Seen from the front, the RAZR M presents an expanse of Gorilla Glass ringed by an aluminum frame. Flanking the screen are Motorola's logo up top and Verizon's branding on the bottom. Save for a tapered chin, it's an altogether simple face, uncluttered and nondescript. Only in its white iteration does the phone convey a sense of personality. In black, it's anonymous and indistinct; a no-frills phone for the non-fussy. Ports and hardware keys are placed about the M's four edges with a clear rhyme and reason. Along the right side, you'll find a very solid-feeling power button and volume rocker, both of which have just enough texture so as to make them easy to find by feel. On the opposite edge is the micro-USB port -- along with micro-SIM and microSD slots, both covered by a flimsy strip of protective plastic. Flip the phone around and you'll find the most striking evidence of the phone's RAZR lineage: a smooth, Kevlar-coated back. As you'd expect, it's similar to the backing on the new RAZR HD and RAZR Maxx HD. This time, though, the Kevlar doesn't take up the whole back side; presiding over that patterned mesh is an 8-megapixel shooter capable of 1080p video capture. Power on the display and you'll immediately be greeted by the deep blacks, high contrast and rich saturation common with Super AMOLED Advanced panels. But don't get too close to the screen otherwise the RAZR M's glaring flaw will come to light. And, if you're anything like us, it won't be easy to un-see. Yes, just like with the original Droid RAZR, this mini-me version incorporates a PenTile display that renders all onscreen objects with jagged edges. While its inclusion likely kept production costs down, it's the one area that really holds the M back from being truly great. If you can live with that slight pixelation, then feel free to gloss over this section. This is a $99 phone, after all, and unlike similarly priced handsets with 800 x 480 resolutions, the M at least steps up to qHD. Further distracting us from that minor display misstep are some surprisingly excellent viewing angles, which help make the screen immune to glare. We tested the M outside in broad daylight and had no problem making out the screen. Performance and battery lifeNowadays, most LTE handsets in the US pack a Snapdragon S4 chip. To give you a fair idea of how the RAZR M stacks up, we pitted it against rivals with that exact dual-core CPU inside. But to keep this benchmark fight fair, we also made sure to select devices with a similar 4.3-inch screen size and qHD resolution: Motorola's Photon Q and HTC's Droid Incredible 4G LTE. Of the two, only Sprint's Photon Q is clocked on par with the M, which might explain its near-identical Quadrant score. The only other area where Moto's mini RAZR fell short was SunSpider, where its native Chrome browser ranked last in performance. Still, that doesn't mean it's sluggish: after all, the M otherwise made a clean sweep of its rivals, with a very slight victory in the graphics department.
Need a daily driver that's going to get you through the day and then some? Well, please to meet the Droid RAZR M. And what a delight it is to finally test a compact phone that doesn't skimp on specs, but still manages to last through more than 24 hours of real-world use -- and that's with some heavy use of the browser, Gmail app and Twitter, mind you. It's a truly impressive feat made possible by the handset's non-removable 2,000mAh battery. Put through the rigors of our standard rundown test, which entails looping a video, the M notched exactly eight hours of life -- and that's with WiFi and GPS enabled, Twitter set to sync every 15 minutes and one push email account active. If you're sick of carrying around a spare battery and accompanying charger cable to keep your smartphone alive, you should consider this relatively petite offering to be your new daily driver. We know smartphones don't equate much with voice service anymore, but enough of you use these devices to reach out and touch someone. And for that reason alone, we'll touch upon the RAZR M's call quality merits. In truth, that feature does seem an afterthought as nearly every caller we engaged came across with a tinny, compressed voice. It's serviceable and call volume is adequate, but by no means does the handset excel in this area. As for the LTE waves the M's surfing along, well not much has changed there. Verizon's 4G service is pretty well-entrenched at this point in time and speeds have stabilized for the most part despite growing network congestion. Overall, we averaged 25 Mbps down / 16 Mbps up with uplink maxing out at 26 Mbps while downlink performance topped out at 17 Mbps. Camera Social media types prone to photo oversharing will find much to love about the Droid RAZR M's rear 8-megapixel module. Truly, compared to most of the cameraphones we've tested, the M's sensor and native imaging software do a remarkably fine job together -- so fine, in fact, that you'll be hard-pressed to stop taking shots. Autofocus is handled exceptionally well and only occasionally did we find ourselves tapping onscreen to adjust it. What's more, the camera UI will actually prompt you to switch to HDR mode in low-light settings. Sure, this lends itself to some oversaturated, slightly unnatural images, but there is something to be said for capturing stills you wouldn't otherwise be able to attain. As you'll see in the gallery below, we collected a wide array of photos using plain Auto mode, Panorama, Portrait and even Burst Shot, and the results overwhelmingly please. Colors are vibrant, detail is crisp and the depth of field is impressive whether you're taking macro or landscape shots. Even when fully zoomed in, the resulting images were mostly clear, showcasing a tolerable level of noise. You know what's also lacking noise? 1080p video captured with the M, that's what. When we shot our sample video, we were in the midst of the morning rush here in New York City and, amazingly, you can barely hear the sound of traffic rumbling by in the background. Too bad we're only talking about the audio quality. Video is a much different story, lacking any of the grace, sharpness and clarity of its still photo counterpart. Further compounding the grainy playback is a dearth of image stabilization, which riddles our short clip with noticeable jitters.
SoftwareWhen Google scooped up Motorola, some industry observers hoped the acquisition would signal the end of skinned Android on Moto handsets. That hasn't happened, but the company is moving forward with a considerably lighter touch. Nightmares of its messy and heavy-handed Blur UX are long gone, replaced by a clean font and some subtle but useful homescreen customizations. Let's address that last bit first: swipe to the right from the main screen and instead of cycling through a parade of widget- and app-cluttered screens, you instead get a quick settings menu. It's a welcome surprise the first time you encounter it, but it also takes some getting used to as you'll likely reach for the top down menu to access a shortcut for those very same menu options. The other major change Moto's made to Ice Cream Sandwich is the pane manager (accessible by swiping left), which allows the user to set themed templates replete with associated widgets and applications (e.g., Amazon, Media or Mobile Office). If you're not in the mood to muck up your simplified homescreen, well, there's nothing to worry about. Simply leave it all be and enjoy the third-party silence. At the latest Droid RAZR family launch event, Motorola let the journalists in attendance demo units running Jelly Bean. It was an unfair tease. Stepped down to ICS, the user experience is understandably not quite as 60fps-smooth, as it lacks the buttered-up finesse that makes navigation on Android 4.1 a joy, but even still, the M never stutters, lags or freezes up. No matter, though, because the company's promised an upgrade should be forthcoming very soon -- heck, we saw it ourselves in person, so we're inclined to believe it'll be ready shortly. Beyond all of that, the RAZR M pretty much runs standard-fare Android 4.0.4, and it mostly looks and feels the same way it would on a Nexus. Inside the app drawer, though, you'll find one exception: Verizon's crammed in about 18 third-party apps, none of which are uninstallable. These include Color, Facebook and NFL Mobile, to name a few. Yes, you can disable the bloat and remove it from your app drawer, but make no mistake; they're still there, hiding in the background, sucking up memory. The RAZR M's software suite also marks the bow of Amazon's own pre-installed app suite (IMDB, Appstore, Audible, Kindle, etc.), which co-exists alongside the typical GApps. Management of the M's 8GB of built-in storage is finicky since the device employs MTP for media transfer. This would normally be all well and good if it functioned as effortlessly as most other recent devices that have moved in this direction, but it doesn't. When you first plug the handset into your computer, a prompt will appear asking you to install Motorola Device Manager. The setup is simple, if you can get through it. We say this because the program failed to successfully install on one of our two test machines, despite our repeated efforts at troubleshooting. Once you overcome that hurdle, however, a window will pop up displaying the contents of your phone. Wrap-up
The Droid RAZR M may have not have come as a fresh surprise when it was officially announced, nor was it the wholly original product fruit many would've initially wanted the new Moto to bear, but it seems that's entirely intentional. MotoGoog isn't attempting a mobile revolution with the M. After all, it's merely a refresh of a recent refresh, the Droid RAZR, with a 4.3-inch qHD screen, dual-core S4, 2,000mAh battery and 8-megapixel rear camera. Instead, the companies have set their sights on creating a super-dependable smartphone for the everyperson -- one that's inoffensive in its design, pared down for comfort and easy to use on the software front. Though the M didn't initially get the tech industry's blood pumping, this unassuming and well-crafted phone could prove to be the salve for many frustrated or casual smartphone users accustomed to confusing skins. Motorola's dusting of a UX positions the handset in near-Nexus territory -- and it should only get better from here on out. With Jelly Bean already on display for nosy journalists, a promise for speedy updates publicly made, a make-good trade-in program for non-upgradeable devices announced and the consistency of its day-to-day performance plus that killer battery life verified, we're finding a hard time arguing against the M as Big Red's budget device to beat. For $99 on contract you could easily snare the older and very vanilla Galaxy Nexus, but if that's your bag, it's best to hold out for the next flagship to hit later this winter. No, the Droid RAZR M isn't for the hardcore, but it is well-suited to the wise wireless customer. Which is why Verizon might wind up with a sleeper hit on its hands. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nexi robot helps Northeastern University track effects of shifty body language (video) Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:32 AM PDT MIT's Nexi robot has been teaching us about social interaction for years, and has even done a stint with the US Navy. Its latest role, however, involved studying those moments when society falls apart. Northeastern University researchers made Nexi the key ingredient of an experiment where subjects were asked to play a Prisoner's Dilemma-style game immediately after a conversation, whether it was with a human or a machine. Nexi showed that humans are better judges of trustworthiness after they see the telltale body language of dishonesty -- crossed arms, leaning back and other cues -- even when those expressions come from a collection of metal and plastic. The study suggests not just that humans are tuned to watch for subtle hints of sketchy behavior, but that future humanoid robots could foster trust by using the right gestures. We'll look forward to the friendlier machine assistants that result... and keep in mind the room for deception when the robots invariably plot to take over the world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple Store goes down ahead of iPhone announcement Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:09 AM PDT With the big event only a few hours away Apple has already taken its shop offline. It's become standard practice for the Cupertino crew, so it's hardly a surprise. Still, it's a good sign that some new products will be available, at least for pre-order, starting today. Interestingly, the store isn't the only Apple property out of commission currently -- reports have been trickling in since yesterday that iCloud is out for some customers as well. The down time could just be a bug that needs fixing, but perhaps iCloud will also get some significant updates this morning to accompany the launch of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acer CloudMobile moves to China, dumps Android for Aliyun Posted: 12 Sep 2012 05:03 AM PDT Acer's CloudMobile (A800) has quietly slipped on its September 5th release date in the UK and headed East, where it's swapped its Android front-end for Alibaba's Aliyun OS. The dual-core handset will be released in China this Friday for ¥2,999 (approximately $474), making it the most expensive in the country -- according to the Wall Street Journal. Acer has reportedly chosen the fledgling, cloud-based OS for its Chinese customers because of the easy user experience, especially for smartphone first-timers. The company seems committed to exploring Aliyun in follow-up devices also, with one planned for release next month and more coming in 2013. Meanwhile, the flagship has yet to receive a dollar price or release date at Expansys, which doesn't suggest imminent availability of the Ice Cream Sandwich variant. Unfortunately, we'll probably never see Aliyun make it outside of China and into our eager hands... not without dropping some serious cash on an import, anyway. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nuance and Intel team on Dragon Assistant Beta for Ultrabooks, Dell XPS 13 to lead the charge Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:29 AM PDT Intel at CES promised a partnership with Nuance to give Ultrabooks a taste of ready-made voice recognition, and we're finally seeing the results at IDF in San Francisco through the launch of Nuance's Dragon Assistant Beta. As the name implies, this isn't just a voice dictation engine like that in Naturally Speaking: chatty users can delegate common tasks like playing music, reading social network updates and searching the web. The beta isn't immediately available as of this writing, but it should go live soon and will be a core part of of Ultrabook software bundles in the near future, starting with the Dell XPS 13 this fall. We're wondering why Intel is focusing its Dragon Assistant efforts solely on thin-and-lights -- the company still makes money from portlier PCs, after all -- but we won't mind as much given the simultaneous launch of a Perceptual Computing SDK 2013 Beta, which lets developers work Dragon recognition into their own apps. More details await after the break. Nuance Announces Dragon Assistant Beta, a Voice Application for Intel-Inspired Ultrabooks Dragon Assistant Lets People Speak to their PC to Search the Web, Find Content, Play Music, Check and Reply to Email, Update Social Network Statuses and More San Francisco and Burlington, Mass. – September 11, 2012 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced the availability of Nuance's Dragon Assistant Beta, a voice assistant application for the Intel-inspired Ultrabook ™, the first offering resulting from the two companies' strategic collaboration announcement at CES 2012. Dadi Perlmutter,Intel chief product officer, demonstrated Dragon Assistant Beta today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. The Dell® XPS13 Ultrabook will be among the first PCs to ship with Dragon Assistant Beta in Q4 2012. Intel also today announced the availability of the Intel Perceptual Computing SDK 2013 Beta, which includes the voice SDK components from Nuance, giving developers the ability to leverage the power of Dragon to create applications and experiences that drive natural, intuitive voice interactions. "Dragon Assistant is a direct result of Nuance and Intel's vision for a more human, natural interaction between people and their technology. You speak and the Ultrabook responds. Working closely with Intel, we've created a voice assistant experience optimized for the Ultrabook – incredibly fast, reliable, and with the performance you expect from a combined Nuance-Intel innovation. Dragon Assistant drives productivity, creativity and simply a PC experience that fits today's busy lifestyle," said Peter Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer, Nuance Communications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Visualized: World's largest QR code is a Canadian maize maze Posted: 12 Sep 2012 04:01 AM PDT And why wouldn't it be? That's how the Kraay family of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada gets down, as evidenced by the family's past 13 years of elaborate corn maze designs -- from a logo of the Edmonton Oilers to a 25th anniversary commemoration of Rick Hansen's "Man in Motion" tour. Said QR code sends adventurous scanners to a website for the Kraay's family farm website. The code also got the Kraays into the Guinness Book of World Records for "World's Largest QR Code," which was really what drove this whole project. At approximately 29,000 meters (1.1 square miles), that's quite a bit of carefully crafted corn designing. It's certainly more elaborate than the previously claimed record holder, and a lot more official. "It was something that we didn't think would happen. There were a lot of little things we had to do and Guinness is pretty picky with how you collect your evidence. We were a little bit on edge on whether it would come through so we were very relieved and very excited," Rachel Kraay told CTV News about the project. To verify that the code works, the Kraays had to commission a helicopter to fly them over their own farm, allowing them to scan it while hovering hundreds of feet above. And then, at the end of last week, the Guinness folks sent over a package certifying the bizarre world record. "They didn't even call. I just went to the door and there was a large package and inside was the certificate and a letter. I guess that's how they do it." [Image credit: Facebook] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Engadget Mobile Podcast 152 - 09.12.2012 Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:31 AM PDT  Myriam may have Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen 00:02:56 - Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on: the dual-core, HD Windows Phone 8 flagship to take on the beasts Hear the podcast This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nokia reaffirms WP 7.8 support for existing Lumia handsets, announces handful of features Posted: 12 Sep 2012 03:00 AM PDT Nokia's legacy Lumia devices won't be graced with Windows Phone 8, but the company has reaffirmed its support for keeping them fresh with version 7.8 of Microsoft's handset OS. In addition to a revamped start screen, the introduction of City Lens and other expected perks, Espoo is tossing in a few extras. Among the new additions are the Cinemagraph GIF creator, a ringtone maker app, updates to Smart Group Shot and Bluetooth support for both file transfers and the firm's Contact Share application. Yearning to load up your smartphone with the raft of new features? Elop and Co. say the upgrades will be be rolled out in phases for the Lumia 610, 710, 800 and 900 models, but promise more details when their ETAs close in. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy Note II makes first FCC appearance, variant lacks US-friendly LTE bands Posted: 12 Sep 2012 02:16 AM PDT Samsung pegged its new Note for an October launch in Europe and Asia, in typical FCC fashion, it's passed through those wireless testing labs ahead of its arrival in stores around the world. For US readers, there's a severe lack of compatible US LTE bands on this Galaxy Note II, which suggests this is a global model we're dealing with, likely to connect with other 4G networks -- there's a whole lot of them out there. Aside from that, there's a typical selection of 850/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 850 WCDMA/HSPA radios inside this GT-N7105 model. However, we're expecting another Note II iteration -- packing friendlier LTE frequencies -- will make an appearance at the FCC pretty soon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LoveFilm / Aardman deal brings cheese-loving stop motion animation to Amazon-owned UK site Posted: 12 Sep 2012 01:38 AM PDT Great news for UK movie lovers who just can't get enough of eccentric inventors and clever sheep: Amazon-owned LoveFilm has struck a deal to bring Aardman content to its service. The agreement adds properties like Wallace & Gromit, Morph, Creature Comforts, Shaun the Sheep and Rex the Runt to LoveFilm's offerings, letting users stream content on their computers, PS3s, Xbox 360s, iPads and more. For more information, please consult the press release after the break.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WSJ gets early, slightly uncomfortable look at Google's Project Glass Posted: 12 Sep 2012 12:55 AM PDT It's about time someone got the chance to test-drive Google's $1,500 smart-glasses independently, without any rose-colored lenses getting in the way. The Wall Street Journal's Spencer E. Ante just became that lucky person -- he played with prototype specs for 10 minutes and described them as a "wearable smartphone" that weighs just "a few ounces" and is smoothly controlled by voice commands. Saying "OK, Glass" brought up a menu in front of his right eye that made it "easy" to record stills or video, although unfortunately the device wasn't quite ready to show off any phone, messaging or navigation functions. Overall, Ante acknowledged the "long-term potential" of Project Glass, but in its current form he found the HUD to be "disorienting" and "uncomfortable" -- partly because he instinctively kept closing his left eye to make it all work. Clearly Google still has some work to do if the device is to make a better first impression, but no doubt there's also room for acclimatization on the wearer's part. If the military can get along with this type of eyewear, then hopefully so can everyone else. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hasselblad H5D coming December with new focus system, design, up to 60 megapixels Posted: 12 Sep 2012 12:30 AM PDT Medium format camera fans, brace for impact: there's a new Hasselblad coming. The H5D supercedes the ages-old H4D with a True Focus II system that -- we're told -- is both more accurate and immediately confirms its lock. Hasselblad has also reworked the body for a more rough-and-ready feel, giving the H5D bigger controls, an extra-bright viewfinder and better weatherproofing. A new RAW + JPEG capture mode, improved wide-angle-to-macro lens conversion and a fresh 24mm f/4.8 lens have also been added to tempt studio photographers. If all this sounds alluring, H5Ds will be available in 40-, 50- and 60-megapixel versions (plus 50- and 200-megapixel Multi-Shot variants) this December. We likely won't know the effect on our bank accounts until at least a September 18th media event, but we wouldn't assume any kind of populist pricing -- Hasselblad's tendency towards five-digit figures may limit any first-hand exposure to a rental. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0 Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:15 PM PDT Having somewhere to dock your laptop is insanely convenient. Of course, each manufacturer tends to have their own proprietary solution. And usually a different dock is needed for each model. Fun, right? Well, Kensington has their own universal solution that makes the most of the ubiquitous USB port and the unfortunately less ubiquitous DisplayLink. The company unleashed an update to its line of universal laptop docks today that takes advantage of the bonus bandwidth provided by USB 3.0. The Office Dock (sd3500v) and Home Dock (sd3000v) both offer USB 2.0 and 3.0 expansion slots, a gigabit Ethernet port, audio out as well as DVI and VGA ports for plugging in an external monitor. The Office dock ups the ante by supporting 5.1 surround sound via HDMI which, obviously, also gives you an additional video port option. Both are available now world wide, with the Home Dock retailing for $170, while its slightly more premium brother commands a $200 price tag. Check out the PR after the break. Kensington Launches Two New USB3.0 Docks Based on DisplayLink's Leading USB Graphics Technology PALO ALTO, Calif. & REDWOOD SHORES. Calif--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DisplayLink®, the world leading provider of solutions that simplify the connection between monitors and computing devices, and Kensington® Computer Products Group, the technology division of ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE:ACCO) and a world leader in branded office products, today announced the launch of their latest generation of Universal Docking stations, powered by DisplayLink's SuperSpeed™ USB3.0 graphics technology, which integrates Graphics, as well as Gigabit Ethernet and Audio. "Migrating to the latest SuperSpeed™ Graphics Technology is the obvious choice for us to keep the technology edge that business users and consumers demand" Kensington today announced two new SuperSpeed™ USB3.0 docking stations including an Office Dock and a Home Dock. The Office Dock sd3500v provides the ultimate hot desk expansion and productivity solution with dual-head video support for HDMI and DVI/VGA displays, Gigabit Ethernet, up to 5.1 channel audio via HDMI, and USB3 and USB2 expansion ports, all powered by DisplayLink's highly integrated DL-3900 IC. The Home Dock sd3000v is the easiest and most efficient way to expand the home desktop with a single SuperSpeed™ USB3.0 connection, notebook users get a DVI/VGA display connection, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, and USB3 and USB2 expansion ports, all enabled by DisplayLink's DL-3700 IC. Both docks feature "hot plug" functionality for audio and video, automatically detecting and routing sound and graphics to the peripherals as they are connected to the dock, ensuring the ultimate seamless user experience. "Migrating to the latest SuperSpeed™ Graphics Technology is the obvious choice for us to keep the technology edge that business users and consumers demand," said Matt Evans, Global Product Manager at Kensington. "With DisplayLink's USB3 technology and compatibility certification program, our customers can be confident that they have chosen the most feature rich, reliable, and easy to use dock to expand their notebooks." "Kensington has long been a partner of DisplayLink and their new USB3.0 docks for home and office really meet the needs of users today," said John Cummins, VP of sales and marketing for DisplayLink. "We're confident these will be winning products for Kensington and are happy to be jointly announcing this latest product family to their portfolio." Pricing and Availability The new Kensington USB3.0 Office Dock (sd3500v) and USB3.0 Home Dock (sd3000v) are available worldwide, with an MSRP of $169.99 and $199.99 respectively. For more information, visit www.kensington.com. About DisplayLink – Plug and Display Solutions. DisplayLink® (www.displaylink.com) develops hardware and software solutions to enable easy connectivity between monitors and computing devices over standard interfaces such as USB, Ethernet, and wireless networks. DisplayLink's technology increases productivity and ease-of-use in the multi-display workspace and is deployed to millions of users through globally branded PC products including universal docking stations, monitors, projectors, zero client systems and display adapters. For more information and product details, visit the DisplayLink Shop and follow DisplayLink on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OCZ's new Vector SSD breaks cover at IDF, packs in-house developed Indilinx controller Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:19 PM PDT As we were wandering the floor today at IDF 2012, we happened upon an OCZ rep who pulled the company's new 2.5-inch SATA 3 SSD out of his pocket and let us get our mitts on it. Called the Vector, it will replace the well-received Vertex 4 at the top of OCZ's lineup. Like its predecessor, the Vector packs an Indilinx controller, but this time it's the Barefoot 3, which was developed totally in-house without any assistance from Marvell designs. You can expect to see 256GB and 512GB versions of the drive hit the market in Q4, with other sizes possibly showing up after. Of course, IOPS, read/write speeds and pricing remain a mystery, but at least we can share the gallery of shots below. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sharp further cuts bonuses and salaries to stay above water, save $180 million Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:15 PM PDT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You are subscribed to email updates from Engadget News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment