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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

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Microsoft drops Windows Phone Store developer registration to $8 for eight days

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:58 AM PDT

Microsoft drops Windows Phone Store developer

How amped is Microsoft to get developers into the Windows Phone 8 Store? The company announced today at Build that it's lowering developer registration to $8 -- that's down from $99. Got to get in there quick, however -- that price is only good for the next eight days. Seems to be some kind of theme here, no?

Microsoft posts Windows Phone 8 SDK, kicks off a new era for apps

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:56 AM PDT

Microsoft posts Windows Phone 8 SDK, lets developers get cracking at last

The word "finally" is often abused (including by us), but here it's deserved: after months of knowing about Windows Phone 8 with little to do but wait or support rival platforms, developers can finally download version 8.0 of the Windows Phone SDK. The kit lets teams get cracking on apps that take advantage of the Windows 8-related code base in Windows Phone 8 and all the hooks that go with the new OS, such as the broader hardware support, ties to the lock screen and Wallet. You'd better be an early adopter on the desktop if you're eager to start programming for the equally new mobile platform, though -- the SDK won't run on anything less than a 64-bit copy of Windows 8. We're still anticipating a much improved ecosystem now that Windows Phone app writers can do more than twiddle their thumbs.

Google Search app for iOS updated with new voice search functionality, iPhone 5 compatibility (video)

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Google Search app for iOS updated with new voice search functionality, iPhone 5 compatibility

Google just released an updated version of its Search app for Android devices yesterday, and it's now (as promised) also delivered a fairly big update to iOS users. That brings with it iPhone 5 compatibility, but the bigger news is the expanded voice search functionality, which promises "faster and significantly improved voice recognition," with spoken responses à la Google Now provided alongside the search results. Those additions also extend to iPad users in addition to the iPhone and iPod touch -- hit the App Store or the link below to take it for a spin yourself.

Microsoft talks up Dropbox, Twitter, ESPN and PayPal for Window 8

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:31 AM PDT

Image

There's plenty of excitement surrounding the release of Windows 8 here at Build. The general consensus around the operating system, however, holds that the key to the OS's success is all about the apps, and CEO Steve Ballmer had no shortage of news on that front. The green-polo-shirted exec made mention of an official tweet from Twitter, noting the service's development plans for a Windows 8 app coming "in the months ahead." Also on the slate is Dropbox -- the popular storage service has an app "coming soon," according to Microsoft's own official blog. ESPN got a little face time at the event, showing off an app that'll deliver news, scores and video to Windows 8 users. Paypal, meanwhile, took the opportunity to talk up an API that'll bring its commerce services to Windows Store apps. More info on the new apps can be found in the source link below.

Windows 8 review

Posted: 30 Oct 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Windows 8 review

It's unusual, to say the least, for us to spend a year with a product before publishing our review. In the case of Windows 8, we've written thousands of words already, starting with our first hands-on in September of 2011, followed by deep dives on the Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, Release Preview and RTM build. Even our readers have had ample time to get acquainted with the OS -- it's been available as a public download since February. And yet, we've never tested a final version of the software running on brand new, made-for-Windows-8 hardware. With the OS now on sale (alongside with dozens of new PCs), it's finally time for us to double back and revisit everything we've previously written in the form a final, comprehensive review.

And what a challenging assignment this was: it's hard enough to give an OS the full review treatment without burying the reader in minute details. It's even tougher when the software was built for so many different kinds of hardware. Combining a traditional desktop with Windows Phone-inspired Live Tiles, Windows 8 was designed to be equally at home on traditional PCs and more finger-friendly devices, like tablets and hybrids. In addition to walking you through the operating system's various gestures and built-in apps, then, we'll spend some time talking about which form factors are best suited to this redesigned version of Windows. Read on to see what we found out.

Windows 8 screenshots
Table of contents












Getting started

It's all about the cloud

The whole boot-up sequence takes not a minute, but just 20 seconds in some cases.

We can remember when we first started using Windows 7; the start-up sequence wasn't that different from Vista, which in turn wasn't unlike versions of Windows that came before that. The chain of start-up screens could be long, sometimes taking more than a minute to complete. Depending on how slow the system was, it could have taken a while longer for the desktop to fully load. Here, booting Windows feels like turning on an Android tablet, or some other mobile device. The whole process takes not a minute, but just 20 seconds in some cases -- a short sequence marked by a brief splash screen and redesigned Windows logo. If this is your first time starting up your Windows 8 machine, you'll see a 30-second video tutorial explaining some of the controls that otherwise might not be so obvious -- the so-called Charms Bar which you pull out from the right side of the screen, for example. (We'll circle back and explain all those new user interface elements in just a moment.)

From there, getting set up is a quick, painless affair. When you first boot up Windows 8 you'll be prompted to sign into your Microsoft account. Yep, the same one you might already be using for Hotmail, SkyDrive and Xbox Live. That means that every time you sign into a Windows 8 PC, your settings and custom tweaks will follow you to that new device. Additionally, because your Microsoft account is linked to your SkyDrive storage, you'll be logged into SkyDrive on any Windows 8 device where you've logged in using your Microsoft ID. So, because Office 2013 backs up to SkyDrive by default, it means any document you edit on your Windows 8 device will automatically upload to the cloud.

If you didn't already have a Microsoft account, you can create one while you're setting up your PC. You can link your account at any time, really, and you also have the option of disconnecting it (in Microsoft's words, "switching to a local account"). Naturally, too, you can add multiple user accounts, as you could on previous versions of Windows.

If you like, you can also cherry-pick which settings do and do not get synced across your various Windows 8 devices. Go into the settings menu, for instance, and you can use on-off switches to sync your settings for desktop personalization, accessibility, language, app and browser settings. You also have the option of syncing your lock screen, account picture and other Windows settings, like those relating to File Explorer or the mouse. Note: to have your passwords follow you from PC to PC, you'll need to "trust" the computer through an online verification process.

Security options

DNP Windows 8 review

Obviously, if you log into Windows 8 for the first time using an existing Microsoft account, you've already got a built-in password for your PC. But in addition to a standard password, you can use a four-digit numerical pin to unlock the device. What's more, with Windows 8, Microsoft is also offering a new "Picture password" option that allows you to pick any photo and make a series of gestures on it. You can make as many gestures as you want, but they do have to be taps, circles or swipes. In addition to the order, though, you'll have to remember where on the picture you're supposed to make each gesture.

We had mixed success here. On the one hand, when we set our password to be one tap in each corner of the picture, we were easily able to replicate this pattern, even if we didn't hit the exact same pixels each time. Still, when our password was a diagonal slash across each corner, we struck out trying to draw the lines in the same spot we did initially. Fortunately, as you're configuring your picture password you'll be asked to repeat the pattern, so if you can't do it then, that might be a sign you need to come up with something else.

User interface

Redesigned Start Screen, and the end of the Start button

Everyone can, and will, figure it out.

It's safe to say the Windows Phone-esque Live Tiles have been the single most polarizing thing about Windows 8. Which makes sense: the new, mobile-inspired Start Screen looks wholly different from anything we've seen on previous versions of Windows. What's more, you can't even interact with these apps the same way: they run at full-screen, and can't be minimized or re-sized like the windows you're used to. In short, these tiles are the cornerstone of the Windows 8 experience, and they're impossible to avoid, even if you plan on doing much of your work in the traditional desktop.

As you've probably heard by now, the Start button is no more. Well, it's there, but you'll have to hover with your mouse in the lower-left corner to make it appear. So, it's exactly where you'd expect it to be; it's just hidden until it's clear you need it. And what if you're using a touchscreen PC, like a dockable tablet? Your device will almost certainly have a dedicated Start button, the same way every Windows-compatible keyboard has a Start key. You can also find a shortcut to the Start menu in the Charms Bar, which you expose by swiping in from the right side of the screen. Not being able to click on the Start button is an adjustment, to be sure, but we're also confident you'll fall into a rhythm pretty quickly. After all, hovering where the Start button used to be isn't that different from clicking it, and hitting the Start key with your pinkie feels natural as well.

When Windows users say they wish Microsoft hadn't axed the Start button, what they're really nervous about is the fact that the Start Menu is presented so differently. When you hit the Start key, you'll no longer see a stack of fly-out menus; instead, you'll be whisked away from the desktop to a full-screen assortment of finger-friendly Live Tiles, which you scroll through from left to right. In other words, that minimal, unfamiliar screen is the new Start Menu.

Back when we first tried out the Developer Preview, we said it felt jarring to switch back and forth between the traditional desktop and this more tablet-optimized Start Screen. And it is -- if you've never used Windows 8 before. What we can say now that we didn't appreciate back then is that while the learning curve is steep, you do get comfortable after a while. No one is a dummy: everyone can, and will, figure it out. It just takes a little time before using Windows 8 feels truly effortless.

Universal search

DNP Windows 8 review

We'd add, too, that once you master this new layout, there are lots of useful things about the OS that feel like clear improvements over previous versions of Windows. If you make the same pinch-to-zoom gesture you'd use to zoom in and out of web pages, you can shrink the Start Screen so that you can see all your pages of apps at once. As you can imagine, that's useful if you have a large collection of apps and don't want to page horizontally through eight home screens.

Additionally, once you bring up the Start screen you can start typing to search for something. As any Windows user will tell you, you can already more or less do this in Win 7, except here you don't even need to find a search bar. The results will immediately pop up on the right side of the screen. From within the search results pane, you'll see the results are divided into files, settings and applications. Admittedly, this method of search isn't obvious to new users, but again, you only need to learn it once. After that, it's quite convenient.

Charms Bar

The Charms Bar is at its best when you have some sort of touch device at your disposal.

We already mentioned the Charms Bar, which appears when you swipe in from the right side of the screen. Here, you'll find shortcuts for the Start Screen, settings menu, a list of connected devices, search and sharing. Lingering on that last point, sharing works much the same as it does on other mobile devices, which is to say if you've got some piece of content -- say, a Word document or a batch of photos -- you can share them in all sorts of way. This includes email, as well as Facebook, SkyDrive, Twitter and any other applicable service you've linked to your Microsoft account. Again, we're used to doing this on our smartphones and tablets, but it's a pleasure to be able to use a Windows PC the same way.

What's more, it's nice that all of these sharing and settings menus are easy to reach with your thumbs, even if you're using a large 11-inch tablet or a 13-inch convertible PC. The Charms Bar is one example of this: you can reach the settings and sharing menus while still cradling your tablet in a natural position. Moving on to the left side of the screen, you can swipe in from the left to toggle through open apps -- a feature known as Switcher. Each time you swipe, a different program slides into place, taking up the whole screen. Here, too, it's easy to control your device, even if you're holding a large-screen tablet and have your hands full.

You can also expose the Charms Bar using a mouse, though it's a less smooth experience. You'll want to hover on so-called hot corners at the upper- and lower-right portions of the screen. This can be frustrating, and definitely has a learning curve. If you're using a PC without a touchscreen, there's a good chance the trackpad has fresh drivers that allow you to replicate key Windows 8 gestures, like swiping in from the right to bring up the Charms Bar. We've also seen accessories like the Logitech Wireless Rechargeable Trackpad T650, which bring this functionality even to people whose older PCs don't support these gestures. Point is: this feature in Windows 8 is at its best when you have some sort of touch device at your disposal. Whether that ends up being a touchscreen or a gesture-enabled trackpad doesn't matter as much.

One other, potentially confusing thing: the Charms Bar holds the shortcut to system settings. If you're inside an app and want to see some options specific to that program, you'll need to perform a different gesture entirely: swipe the top or bottom of the screen to bring up that menu.

Multitasking

When it comes to switching apps, you can use that Switcher gesture, but there are other built-in features designed to make multitasking a bit easier. For starters, Snap allows you to dock a window or app so that it takes up either a third or two-thirds of the screen. That leaves room for a second app, which you can snap into the remaining space. That's actually quite similar to Aero Snap from Windows 7, except here the dimensions are in thirds, instead of half the screen. As in the Win 7 version of this feature, you can't manually re-size these windows: once they snap into place they're going to take up a predictable amount of space (i.e., one third of the screen).

Also, in Windows 8 you can mix up the proportions by sliding the border of a window across the screen. Say, for instance, you're working on a Word document on two-thirds of the screen, with IE 10 sitting off to the side. You might be spending most of your time typing in Word, but if you need to do a web search, you can just put your finger on the border between the two windows, and drag it over so that now the web browser takes up more space. It's also worth noting that you can mix and match traditional desktop programs and Modern (formerly known as "Metro") apps. In some cases, this can mean fewer jarring jumps between the desktop and more touch-friendly apps.

Snap is a trick you can pull off if you're using a touchscreen device or a traditional mouse and keyboard. Whether you're using your finger or a cursor, you need to drag down on the app from the top of the screen before it can be docked into place. If you are using a mouse, you can also hover in the upper-left corner of the screen to expose open apps. What you'll see isn't a list, per se, but a series of preview thumbnails -- miniaturized versions of whatever's going on in that window (your Outlook.com inbox, your SkyDrive home screen, et cetera). From there, you can click on a thumbnail to switch to that app, or you can right-click to close one. Like so many other features in Windows 8, this feels less clumsy with practice, though even after months of testing, we find the swiping Switcher gesture feels smoother, more intuitive.

Personalization options

To some extent, you can control the look and feel of Windows 8. No, there's no bringing back the Start button, but you can select different color themes for your Start Screen. Toward the end of the Windows 8 development process, Microsoft added so-called Personalization Tattoos -- essentially, Start Screen backgrounds with patterns and borders. So long as you're signed into your PC using a Microsoft account, this, too, will follow you to other Windows 8 devices you might log into. Get another Win 8 PC down the line, and it will show your paisley background as soon as you sign in for the first time.

Lock screen

In addition to the Start Menu, you can customize the look and feel of the lock screen. This includes the background photo, as well as which notifications are displayed. For instance, even without entering your password, you can see upcoming calendar appointments, as well as a peek at how many unread messages or emails you have. In the PC settings, you can also choose to display detailed information for one of two things: your upcoming calendar appointment, or the weather forecast.

Desktop

DNP Windows 8 review

For the most part, the desktop should feel familiar to Windows 7 users.

For the most part, the desktop should feel pretty familiar to Windows 7 users, especially compared to that redesigned Start Screen. Still, there are some differences here, too. For starters, the Aero UI is no more, which means windows no longer have a transparent border. Everything here is flat and two-dimensional, not unlike those new Live Tiles.

In a move that will please power users, Windows 8 also ushers in improved multi-monitor support, with the ability to display different desktop backgrounds on multiple displays, as well as have a single picture span those various screens. You also have the choice of expanding the Taskbar across those monitors, or setting it up so that a pinned program only appears on the same screen where that app is running. All told, it's a welcome improvement, though it would be nice if you could run Modern UI-style Windows 8 apps on more than one monitor at a time. Also, if you do have a multi-monitor setup, you'll find it's trickier than usual to pull up the Charms Bar using a mouse.

Other changes: Windows Explorer is now called File Explorer, and bears the same Ribbon UI already used in Microsoft apps like Office and Paint. There's also now a File History feature, which stores versions of files similar to Time Machine in Apple's OS X. The Task Manager has also received a makeover so that when you first launch it, all you see is a list of open apps. Nothing about processes or memory usage; just a list of programs, and an "End task" button. Click "More details," though, and you'll see a half-dozen tabs, showing you everything from performance graphs to CPU usage to running processes. In the processes tab, in particular, there are four columns showing CPU, memory, disk and network usage, with the resource hogs highlighted in a darker color.

One thing that hasn't changed: the keyboard shortcuts. The same ones you relied on in Windows 7 will work here, which should take some of the sting out of getting used to a new user interface.

Built-in apps

Mail
Setting up the Mail app is easy: if the Microsoft ID you use to initially sign in is tied to Gmail, or some other service not run by Microsoft, it automatically prompts you for your email password. In the case of Gmail, we had the option of syncing our Google contacts and Calendar as well (we said yes). There are also easy setup options for Hotmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo and AOL, though you can add accounts from other services too. Even if you don't link a Hotmail or Outlook account, the Mail app will import all your folders and labels -- everything, really, but your starred items, in Gmail. Those folders take up just a narrow pane on the left side of the screen. Next to that is a wider window where you can see each individual message, along with previews and, when applicable, thumbnails of the contact who wrote to you.

The email itself takes up the most space, stretching across the entire right third of the screen. Up top, above the message, you'll find icons for creating a new message, replying / forwarding and deleting. (We always did like the in-line delete button in Outlook.com, so we're glad to see that design touch carries over here too.) If you swipe the top or bottom edge of the screen for the options menu, you can refresh your inbox, or move a message to another folder. Also, if you have more than one email account hooked up, you can pin a particular inbox to the Start Menu.

All told, it's easy to use; we just wish there were easy-access buttons for archiving and marking junk mail as spam. Unfortunately, too, you don't have direct access to certain of Hotmail and Outlook.com's finer features, like the ability to "Sweep" newsletters and other so-called gray mail into out-of-the-way folders. However, if you set up Sweep on Hotmail.com our Outlook.com, the Mail app in Windows 8 will still follow whatever rules you have in place.

Calendar

DNP Windows 8 review

As promised, when we chose to sync our Google contacts and Calendar, our appointments all promptly showed up in the built-in Calendar app. (If you're not a Google user, you can also link your Hotmail, Outlook.com or Exchange / Office365 calendar.) The default view is by month, which is a bit too busy for our tastes -- you can only see two appointments per day, even if there are many more. We highly suggest selecting the daily or weekly view in the menu options hidden at the bottom of the screen. If you're creating an appointment from scratch, you'll have the same options as if you were doing this online: everything from date to time slot to reminder alerts.

People

DNP Windows 8 review

The People app doubles as an address book and a one-stop shop for social networking updates. Using the settings menu in the Charms Bar, you can link all sorts of accounts -- things like Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Obviously, the more of these services you connect, the more contacts will pop up in your People Hub. All told, it works similarly to the People Hub in Windows Phone, which is to say everyone you know gets a contact card that pulls in all available forms of contact -- everything from email to a Twitter handle. Open your own contact card and you can update your Facebook status as well as post, favorite or reply to tweets.

When you open People Hub you'll see your contacts arranged in alphabetical order, and you scroll from left to right to move through the list. As with the Start Screen, you can use pinch-to-zoom to shrink a long list. In this case, you won't see every contact onscreen; just a tile for each letter of the alphabet, making it easier to jump to a certain part of your list.

Also in the People Hub are Live Tiles for social networking / messaging notifications, as well as a "What's new" page, showing a horizontal feed containing your friends' recent Facebook and Twitter updates. Though the People Hub is easy to use in general, we tended not to rely on the "What's new" stream, as a long list of social updates is easier to view in a vertical list than a horizontal one.

IE 10

DNP Windows 8 review

In Windows 8, you get not one, but two versions of the IE 10 browser: one for the desktop, and a more touch-friendly one that lives on the Start Screen. Both versions have a Chrome-like setup, with a single bar for URLs and web searches. The two also sync with each other, which wasn't the case in earlier builds of the OS.

There are, as you can imagine, some UI differences. In the desktop version, though, adding a tab is as easy as pressing a plus sign. In the more touch-optimized version, you swipe from the top of the screen to expose open tabs, or open a new one. IE 10 also has a feature allowing you to either swipe or click an onscreen arrow button to proceed to the next page, whether that's the next page of search results or the next page in a news story broken up into nine pieces.

As far as content goes, IE 10 is HTML5-based, though the desktop version supports Flash and Silverlight as well. In the touch-friendly version of the browser, only certain sites on the Compatibility View list support Flash. So, we can't promise you'll be able to run the site you want, but that Flash exceptions list at least includes popular sites like YouTube and Vimeo. And besides, with HTML5 being as ubiquitous as it is, you really shouldn't run into any issues.

From a privacy standpoint, Do Not Track comes enabled by default, which means sites can only track and collect your private data if you go out of your way to turn off "Do Not Track."

Camera

DNP Windows 8 review

Windows' built-in camera app is simple: a full-screen frame (if you choose a 16:9 resolution), with a few options always visible at the bottom. These include a timer, video mode and a "change camera" toggle (assuming there are front and rear cameras). There's also a "camera options" icon, but from there you can only switch the resolution or choose another audio recording option, if applicable.

Right now, at least, there are no photo filters, like sepia, and nothing in the way of HDR or panorama mode. The camera app is also missing tap-to-focus, which can be a minor nuisance or an unfortunate problem, depending on the tablet you're using. Still, as we saw on the ASUS VivoTab RT, PC makers have the option of adding secondary camera apps that mimic the look and feel of the stock camera application, but add a few more special effects. Without any of these additional features we've come to expect, the native camera app feels like a bit of an afterthought.

SkyDrive

DNP Windows 8 review

In addition to creating a dedicated SkyDrive app for Windows 8, Microsoft made over the browser version of its cloud storage service. As ever, people signing up for a new Microsoft account get 7GB of free lifetime storage. However, if you recall, folks who had previously uploaded files as of April 22 of this year had the option of opting into 25GB of storage. If you're already enthusiastic about Windows and the Microsoft ecosystem at large, chances are this describes you.

Whether you log in online or use the Win 8 app, each folder or file takes the form of a tile. When using the browser, these tiles sit as a grid, with the various thumbnails stacked on top of each other. In the Windows 8 app, you scroll through them horizontally by default, though you can also view them in list format. Whichever app you use, you can upload or download files, as well as create new folders. With the web version, though, you can also create a new Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet or OneNote workbook -- something you can't do in the Win 8 app.

Messaging

DNP Windows 8 review

Messaging is your native IM app. For now, you can link it with Microsoft Messenger (of course) or Facebook chat. Though it would be nice to add Google Talk, the way you can add your Gmail address in the Mail app, we're not surprised that Microsoft has excluded the competition here.

Photos

DNP Windows 8 review

Similar to the People app, Photos pulls in pictures from all sorts of sources: Facebook, Flickr, SkyDrive and your PC's local storage. As a portal for viewing and sharing photos, it's great. You can run a slide show, and use the context-aware sharing feature in the Charms Bar to easily upload pics to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other websites. You can also pull in pics from another PC you may own -- so long as you install the SkyDrive desktop client on that system and select the checkbox next to "Let me use SkyDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC."

Additionally, you can also share photos through email. It's also easy to select photos to upload in batches: just swipe the top of the screen to expose the app settings, and then hit "Select all." If you want to remove an item from the list, just uncheck it. All in all, the app is easy to use, though more editing tools would be nice. Also, we kept trying to select photos by pressing down on them with our finger. The fact that you can't do this feels a bit unintuitive.

Games, Music and Video

DNP Windows 8 review

We'll just lump these together since they all fall under the Xbox ecosystem. Through these apps, you can buy music, movies and Xbox Live games, with the additional option of renting some movies. For now, Windows Phone games are not supported in the way you can play some iOS games on both iPhones and iPads. It would seem logical of Microsoft to eventually make its Windows Phone games available on Windows 8 devices, but for now, you'll have to download different sets of apps for your tablet and smartphone.

Out of the box, Microsoft's Music app includes free, ad-supported streaming, available in 15 markets to start. Though the games compatibility is still somewhat compartmentalized, this music streaming feature will work across Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox. Obviously, Microsoft has been in the business of selling music for some time, so by now its catalog is quite voluminous at 30 million songs. If you like, you can purchase Xbox Music Pass, an ad-free subscription, for $10 a month. Under this plan, your songs will follow you from device to device, just like the rest of your settings. Here, you'll also get the option of downloading music and listening to it offline, which you can't do with the free, ad-supported service. Similar to iTunes, too, Music includes a matching feature that takes music you already had stored on your computer and finds the cloud-based version.

Though it's not installed on Windows 8 machines out of the box, you can download Microsoft's SmartGlass app, which lets you stream music and video to an Xbox, using your Windows 8 device as a remote. All told, it's not unlike Apple's AirPlay, though SmartGlass has the added benefit of not being limited to multimedia playback. You can also use it with Internet Explorer, in which case you also have the option of using an on-screen keyboard within the app.

Bing Apps: Search, Map, News, Sports, Weather, Finance and Travel

DNP Windows 8 review

Peppered around the Start Screen, you'll find a handful of Bing-powered apps: Search, Map, News, Sports, Weather, Finance and Travel. Starting with search, the screen is so minimal that you have to tap to expose the search bar. At the bottom of the screen are a handful of trending topics; you can always click more, and then scroll through them from left to right, as you would with anything else in Windows 8. Maps has aerial and road view options, with a street traffic option. By default, it will show your current location, though you can of course search for any point of interest you like. There are also turn-by-turn directions, which appear as a banner at the top of the screen that you can scroll through from left to right.

Windows 8 screenshots (Bing apps)

Scroll from side to side in the travel app and you'll see featured destinations, panoramic photos and travel-related news stories. If you want more personalized information, though (and you probably will), you can swipe down from the top of the screen to choose a specific destination, or focus on a different part of the travel-planning process, like flight- or hotel-booking.

DNP Windows 8 review

It's a similar story for Bing Sports: when you first open the app, you'll see a featured story, followed by other articles. You'll also see schedules for every in-season sport. Swipe from the top of the screen, though, and you can pick a certain sport. You can also pick favorite teams, and view news stories and schedules that only relate to them. Bing News, meanwhile, is personalized in the sense that you can view specific sources, in addition to a main home screen with top news in every category.

The weather app is a geek's haven, with a mix of hourly forecasts, maps and graphs. You can add a location manually, or let the radios on your device figure it out. Finally, Bing Finance does just what you'd expect: it shows top market news, along with overviews of the major indices, though you can also create a personalized watchlist making it easy to check on your stocks at a glance.

Windows Store

DNP Windows 8 review

This is Windows we're talking about. Developers like Facebook would be wise to come up with something posthaste.

When Windows 8 went on sale a few days ago, Microsoft said the Windows Store was home to thousands of apps, though it declined to provide a precise number. For now, there are no first-party apps for Facebook and Twitter, which remains true on Windows 7 as well. (Twitter, at least, says it will have an app in the coming months.) Other missing biggies include: Foursquare, Mint, PageOnce, TripIt, NPR, Draw Something, Words with Friends, Temple Run, Spotify, Springpad, Remember the Milk, Instapaper, Pocket (formerly Read it Later), Flipboard, Steam, Instagram, Nook and Rdio. Still, there's reason to think many of these will arrive soon enough: in the weeks we spent working on this review, Netflix, The New York Times, Skype, Hulu Plus, Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, Zinio and Bank of America all went live in the store. Dropbox, ESPN and PayPal are all coming soon, according to Microsoft. Other notables, like the AP, Box.net, Pandora and Slacker, have been available for quite some time already. And besides, who are we kidding? This is Windows we're talking about. The operating system that's going to ship on millions and millions of new PCs. Developers like Facebook would be wise to come up with something for Windows 8 posthaste. Still, in the first few weeks or months of owning your Window 8 device, you might find yourself making do with less familiar alternatives, or just loading up the browser version of the app.

Navigating the store feels like using any other Windows 8 app; you'll start off by seeing recommended apps, along with tiles for new releases and the top free apps. Keep scrolling to the right and you'll see apps broken down by category, such as social or entertainment. If you're less in the mood to meander and more in the mood to find something specific, you can search in one of two ways: you can swipe the Charms Bar and select the Search option, or you can just start typing. Yep, in the same way you can start typing to find something on the Start Menu, you can start typing to look up an app. If it's in the app store, it'll show up in the search results as a recommended pick. As convenient as that is, though, you can only do it on the main page of the Windows Store. Select a page like "Top Free Games" and that search method no longer works; you'll have to use the Charms Bar instead.

Once you find an app that strikes your fancy, you can read an overview, along with a summary of permissions you'll be granting the developer. You can also see a list of supported languages and check which processors are supported (this is especially useful if you have an ARM-based device running Windows RT and aren't sure it will run the same apps as an x86-based Windows 8 machine). Lastly, there's a tab for reviews, which you can sort by newest, oldest, lowest rating, highest rating or most helpful (yep, you can weigh in on specific comments). Payment methods in the Windows Store include credit cards and PayPal. Once you buy an app, you can install it on up to five devices at once.

Accessibility

In addition to all the new apps and UI elements, Windows 8 brings some enhancements for people with limited vision or other disabilities. Windows chief Steven Sinofsky gives a detailed overview of these improvements here, but for the purposes of this review we'll stick with a quick summary. Updates include:

  • A redesigned Narrator that's quicker to read selected items out loud.
  • Expanded language support in Narrator, with more voice options available.
  • Updated UI Automation with more text patterns and document content so that Narrator can use it to read the outputs from applications.
System requirements

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 requires 1GB of RAM and 20GB of free disk space. Other system requirements include a 1GHz processor that supports PAE, NX, and SSE2; 1,366 x 768 resolution; and DirectX 9 graphics. If you're upgrading your current machine, you can be running an OS as old as XP with Service Pack 3. Heads up: Microsoft warns that if you're upgrading from XP or Vista, you'll need to re-install your apps.

What's less clear is whether your current laptop's trackpad will support Windows 8 gestures. Some existing PCs will benefit from updated drivers that let you perform all the Windows 8-specific motions from your trackpad, but of course, we can't make any guarantees there.

Pricing and versions

Though you can buy a PC with Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro installed, Win 8 Pro is currently the only version of the OS available for purchase as a standalone piece of software. (The main differences, in a nutshell, are that Windows 8 Pro includes business-oriented features like Remote Desktop Connection, Domain Join for corporate networks, and Device Encryption, which is based on the company's BitLocker technology.) From now until January 31, Microsoft is charging consumers an upgrade price of $39.99, provided they download the software. If you'd rather buy it as boxed software, the price is $69.99. Microsoft says it will provide additional pricing information at some later date. Under the current terms, though, that $39.99 / $69.99 pricing will buy you five licenses of the OS.

Finally, though this is a review of Windows 8, the new version of Windows for traditional, x86-based PCs, it's worth acknowledging Windows RT for ARM-based devices, and also summarizing the differences. In short, the two operating systems have the same look and feel, with the same UI, gestures and native apps. The chief difference is that Windows RT can't run apps written for x86-based PCs. Additionally, not all the apps in the Windows Store can run on both Win 8 and RT devices. Fortunately, all Windows RT devices come with a version of Office 2013 modified for Windows RT. With that major hurdle out of the way, we're hard-pressed to name that many other x86 apps you'd want to run on an ARM-based tablet.

Wrap-up

More Info

Though you could install Windows 8 on an older Win 7 system and use it solely with a mouse and keyboard, the market is filling up with touch-friendly PCs designed to be used with Win 8. These include traditional notebooks with touchscreens, as well as dockable tablets, all-in-ones with articulating displays, slider PCs and convertible laptops whose screens can twist and fold back into tablet mode. In general, we'd strongly recommend any of these over a PC that doesn't have a touchscreen.

What we've learned -- and what we couldn't fully appreciate before testing some of these new devices -- is that Windows 8 is at its best when you have the option of interacting with it using your fingers. It doesn't matter so much if you have a touchscreen, a modern touchpad or an external trackpad that supports Win 8 gestures. The point is, many of Windows 8's most enchanting features (the Charms Bar, etc.) are easy to use this way, but frustrating if all you have to work with is a mouse. If you have an older system whose touchpad won't support Windows 8 gestures, you might want to stick with Win 7 until you're ready to buy a new PC -- without that touch input, many of those new features will be lost on you. For people with more touch-friendly hardware, though, Windows 8 is easier to use than you may have feared. Its tablet-style apps, multitasking features and desktop enhancements add up to a balanced mix. It's an OS you can use seamlessly on a tablet, but with features like Snap, Switcher and File Explorer you might well be more productive than you ever were on an iPad or Android slate. Just don't lose faith as you're climbing your way across that learning curve.

    Gmail composer goes to a simple pop-up, gives multitaskers freedom to fly

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 09:44 AM PDT

    Gmail composer goes to a simple popup, gives multitaskers freedom to fly

    As much as Gmail shines when it's on the web, some of its most avid users stay in native apps for the multitasking; having to check a past message in the web client has usually meant putting the current draft on hold, or at least maintaining a near-photographic memory. Google wants to translate some of that desktop experience to the web through a new composition interface it's testing as of today. New messages start off in a shrinkable pop-up that lets us find old threads without having to put the new conversation on ice, even we're indecisive enough to leave multiple unfinished e-mail messages open. Other upgrades lurk in the background for the more focused among us, such as a pared-back composition interface, in-line photos and a reply box that dynamically adapts to the space it needs. Only those in the preview will see the Gmail update for now; Google is promising a wider launch in the months ahead that could save us all a few precious minutes each day.

    ARM's Cortex-A50 chips promise 3x performance of current superphones by 2014, throw in 64-bit for good measure

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 09:20 AM PDT

    ARM's CortexA50 chips promise 3x performance of current superphones by 2014, throw in 64bit for good measure

    We knew this was coming, not least because someone let the cat out of the bag (or at least a paw) last night. Nevertheless, it's only today that we're getting the full picture of ARM's "clean sheet" v8 architecture, and you know what? It's pretty astounding. Top billing goes to the Cortex-A57, which is said to deliver "three times the performance of today's top smartphones" without guzzling any additional power. Alternatively, the chip could be designed to deliver the same performance as a current smartphone or tablet but make the battery last five times as long -- which would make that Surface RT just about five times nicer than it is already. How's all this possible? Read on for more.

    ARM Cortex-A50 series official slides

    ARM says the boost is the result of greater parallel processing, a more efficient interconnect between the cores and memory, and various other architectural tweaks. If you chuck in a few bonuses -- like the A57's backwards-compatible 64-bit processing, a next-gen GPU, and the fact that it'll be mass-produced with 20nm transistors -- then ARM tells us that the real-world improvement in next-gen devices could well be higher. We can expect to hold these devices in our hands as early as 2014, at which point the A57 will also appear amid a "sea of cores" within datafarms.

    Finally, we also need to take a look at the Cortex-A53, which will be geared towards low power consumption. Whereas the top-end Cortex-A57 will be more powerful than the current flagship Cortex-A15 (the chip it will eventually replace), the A53 will only be able to match the older Cortex-A9. However, it will still be able to handle 64-bit, and more importantly it'll compensate by being absolutely tiny. ARM says it will be just a quarter of the size of the A9, even when built with same-sized transistors, which could be a boon for big.LITTLE chips that switch between A57 and A53 cores depending on their computational load. If you really can't wait a couple of years, check out the official slides above and the PR below.

    Show full PR text

    ARM Launches Cortex-A50 Series, the World's Most Energy-Efficient 64-bit Processors


    New 64-bit processors set to drive the next era in mobile and enterprise, extending ARM leadership in performance and low power

    CAMBRIDGE, UK and ARM TechCon, Santa Clara - October 30th 2012 - ARM announced the new ARM® Cortex™-A50 processor series based upon the ARMv8 architecture, extending ARM's leadership in performance and low power. The series initially includes the Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57 processors and introduces a new, energy-efficient 64-bit processing technology, as well as extending existing 32-bit processing. The scalability of the processor series enables ARM partners to create system-on-chips (SoCs) that address diverse markets, from smartphones through to high-performance servers.


    The processors launched today will continue the evolution of the mobile computing experience by delivering up to three times the performance of today's superphones and extending today's superphone experience to entry-level smartphones. With a comprehensive set of ARM and ARM partner development tools and simulation models already available to enable faster and easier software development, both processors are fully compatible with the extensive ARM 32-bit ecosystem and integral to the rapidly evolving ARM 64-bit ecosystem.


    The Cortex-A57 is ARM's most advanced high-performance applications processor, while the Cortex-A53 is the most power-efficient ARM application processor. The Cortex-A53 is also the world's smallest 64-bit processor. They can operate independently or be combined into an ARM big.LITTLE™ processor configuration, combining high performance with power efficiency. Both are supported by the ARM CoreLink™ 400 and new CoreLink 500 series system IP fabric solutions.


    ARM partners can scale SoC platforms from single- and multi-core big.LITTLE mobile solutions to massively parallel enterprise solutions for optimal flexibility and energy-efficiency. The Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 processors will target multi-GHz performance on advanced CMOS and FinFET processes technologies, which is supported by early availability of ARM Artisan® Physical IP and ARM POP™ IP for core-hardening acceleration.
    Announced licensees of the new processor series include AMD, Broadcom, Calxeda, HiSilicon, Samsung and STMicroelectronics. Supporting materials and quotes from ARM partners can be found at this link and at http://www.youtube.com/ARMflix
    "Consumers expect a personalized mobile experience, integrating their daily lives, with seamless connectivity providing access to vast amounts of information. The ARM ecosystem will continue its rate of unprecedented innovation to enable diverse platforms. This will deliver an era of transformational computing, from mobile through to the infrastructure and servers that support consumers' connected, mobile lifestyles. This will create massive opportunities for market expansion and a revolution in user experiences," said Simon Segars, executive vice president, processor and physical IP divisions, ARM.


    As smartphones and tablets have become our primary compute devices, mobile performance and capabilities have evolved to drive the computing landscape. In the past five years, the ARM ecosystem has driven a 15x increase in the performance of smartphones, enabling a transformation in how people use their devices. The capabilities of the Cortex-A50 processor series allow it to seamlessly transition from a 32-bit to a 64-bit execution state, enabling today's existing applications, and provides scalability to 64-bit for mobile computing client evolution and future superphone trends.


    Data Explosion The evolution of mobile computing is redefining the infrastructure that drives cloud services and network connectivity. The explosive growth of smart mobile devices, combined with richness of services available to end users, is causing an increase in content generation and consumption. With data consumption predicted to reach 120 Exabytes by 2020 (eight times more than today ), the seamless mobile lifestyle will create a significant strain on network and data centre infrastructure if companies continue to deploy incumbent technologies. The Cortex-A50 processor series is designed with this new era of 'transformational computing' in mind, as well as providing an energy-efficient solution to future infrastructure needs. The enhanced 32-bit execution capability will benefit existing 32-bit cloud server applications, while 64-bit execution extends the applicability of ARM technology-based solutions to enable new opportunities in networking, server and high-performance computing.


    ARM Cortex-A50 processor series:
    • Currently includes the Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 processors
    • Optional cryptographic acceleration that can speed up authentication software up to x10
    • Interoperability with ARM Mali™ graphics processor family for GPU compute applications
    • Features AMBA® system coherency to extend to many-core coherence with ARM CoreLink cache coherent fabric components, including the CCI-400 and CCN-504

    ARM Cortex-A57 processor:
    • The most advanced, highest single-thread performance ARM application processor
    • Delivers the enhanced performance required for smartphones as they continue to transition from content-consumption devices to content-creation devices, with up to three times that of today's superphones in the same power budget
    • Provides computer performance comparable to a legacy PC, while operating in a mobile power budget, enabling cost and power efficiency benefits for both enterprise users and consumers
    • Extended reliability and scalability features for high-performance enterprise applications

    ARM Cortex-A53 processor:
    • The most efficient ARM application processor ever, delivering today's superphone experience while using a quarter of the power
    • Incorporates reliability features that enable scalable dataplane applications to maximize performance per mm2 and performance per mW
    • Optimized for throughput processing for modest per thread compute applications
    • The Cortex-A53 processor combined with the Cortex-A57 and big.LITTLE processing technology will enable platforms with extreme performance range while radically reducing the energy consumption

    ARM and members of the ARM Connected Community® are collaborating to develop a robust 64-bit software ecosystem. The ARM Compiler and ARM Fast Models have supported the ARMv8 architecture since it was announced in October 2011, and are used extensively by public launch licensees of the Cortex-A50 processor series. This functionality is now complemented with support for bare metal and Linux debug in the ARM Development Studio 5 (DS-5™). In addition, open source operating systems, applications and third-party tools are already in development. This is a natural extension to the broad ecosystem already in place that supports existing ARMv7 architecture-based devices.

    Availability: The ARM partnership is expected to ship Cortex-A50 series-based chips in 2014.
    ARMv8 open source operating system, toolchains and foundation models are now available at www.arm.com/products/processors/instruction-set-architectures/armv8-architecture
    Images can be downloaded at this page: www.arm.com/about/newsroom/media-resources/image-downloads

    Ballmer: four million Windows 8 upgrades in four days

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 09:19 AM PDT

    Image

    Greetings in beautiful, gray Redmond, WA. What better time to kick off year's Build event at the Microsoft campus than four days after the launch of Windows 8? CEO Steve Ballmer started the developer-centric event off with a nice little number: four million. According to the enthusiastic exec, that's the number of Windows 8 upgrades MS has seen in the four days since launch -- and there's certainly a lot of excitement around the operating system this tent full of developers.

    Google Play closing in on Apple's store with 700K apps, says Bloomberg

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:52 AM PDT

    Google Play store racks up 700K apps

    Amidst all the Nexus excitement from yesterday, Google just hit the 700,000 Android app milestone in its Play Store, according to Bloomberg. That would put it near par with Apple, who announced just last month that its App Store hit that same figure. Like Cupertino's iOS shop, Play (which started off as the Android Market) has been peddling its robot wares since 2008, though the store opened several months after Apple's. Google may have been set to trumpet the new figure during the Nexus launch yesterday as they did last June at I/O, but a certain Sandy may have wrenched that plan -- so, we're still waiting for a formal announcement.

    Nokia Music gets upgraded for Lumia 920 and Lumia 820: Equalizer, Dolby support, Facebook connectivity

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:45 AM PDT

    Now Windows Phone 8 has arrived with Xbox Music in tow, what's next for Nokia Music? Well, at a press briefing this week in London, it told the assembled tech press that its still going -- and Nokia's even adding features. The music service is apparently continuing to expand, with new tracks being added weekly -- Nokia's mix radio currently houses 338 curated mixes in the UK alone, across pretty broad selection of music genres. And yep, there was a mention of K-Pop.

    New functionality improvements include an immediate share-to-Facebook option, while the Gig Finder feature nestled within the music app picks up improved search skills, capable of checking specific venues and areas, along with the ability to buy tickets for -- and get directions to -- future gigs. The app's new audio equalizer has 18 presets while you'll also be able to tweak the seven-channel system to your own personal preference. On top of that, Dolby tech is also embedded in, with Dolby headphone (a signal processing upgrade) in attendance on both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. Nokia also affirmed that the upgraded app will be included on its hardware that gets bumped up to version 7.8. We're just about to get our review model and will give the new features a full rundown as soon as we can.

    LG Spectrum 2 made official for Verizon, brings Optimus LTE II to the US for $100

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:29 AM PDT

    LG Spectrum 2 made official for Verizon, brings Optimus LTE II to US for $100

    Hints that LG would bring the Optimus LTE II to Verizon have persisted since the spring, which almost led us to wonder if the smartphone was still coming: not to fear, as it's finally here under the Spectrum 2 badge. Other than the expected switch-ups in navigation keys and the mix of both CDMA with global GSM roaming, the design will feel very familiar to anyone who's been on a trip to South Korea lately. The Spectrum 2 preserves the 4.7-inch AH-IPS display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage and support for wireless charging for those who buy a charging pad. We're also expecting a relatively light tweak of the software that keeps it running Android 4.0 for now, with LG's support for Tag+ stickers and QuickMemo being the standouts. We do wish we were looking at a quad-core Optimus G instead. For the moderate $100 post-rebate price, however, we'll take the two fewer processor cores -- especially when the Spectrum 2 is already on sale online and should be in retail stores sometime in the next few weeks.

    Show full PR text

    VERIZON WIRELESS ADDS FAST, POWERFUL, TRUE HD SPECTRUM 2 BY LG TO 4G LTE LINEUP

    Spectrum 2 Offers an Enhanced Wireless Experience, 4G LTE Speeds, True HD Display, Advanced Camera Capabilities and Stylish Design

    BASKING RIDGE and ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. – Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics USA today announced the Spectrum™ 2 by LG. Exclusively for Verizon Wireless, the Spectrum 2 by LG will be available online on Oct. 30 at www.verizonwireless.com and will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the coming weeks for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

    The Spectrum 2 by LG creates a unique wireless experience thanks to an ecosystem of features and accessories, allowing customers to avoid cables. The unique battery cover allows wireless charging, and it's included at no additional cost. Contacts, maps and websites can be shared wirelessly using near-field communications (NFC), by tapping two compatible phones together. NFC can also be used with the included reprogrammable LG Tag+ stickers to create special smartphone modes for the office, home or car by tapping the stickers with the Spectrum 2 by LG. SmartShare also makes it possible to wirelessly view pictures and watch videos on a DLNA-enabled device.

    The 4.7-inch True HD display will make the Spectrum 2 by LG stand out by enhancing the viewing experience when streaming movies, playing games and browsing the Web. The HD display, paired with Corning® Gorilla® Glass, delivers vivid and accurate colors, crisp, sharp text and clear images. Apps such as viewdini, make it easier than ever to find TV shows and movies that users can enjoy right on their Spectrum 2 by LG. Football fans will also be able to take advantage of the screen combined with 4G LTE speeds to watch live games for an unrivaled viewing experience.

    The Spectrum 2 by LG helps to capture precious moments with its 8-megapixel camera and then takes it a step farther with its Advanced Image Editor and Video Wiz features. With these features, customers will have an editing studio in their hands to crop, rotate and add effects to photos and other multimedia documents that they can then share with friends over 4G LTE. The 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera allows customers to video chat with friends and family to easily stay in touch from virtually anywhere. Additional camera features include 1080p HD video recording, Intelligent Panorama Shot and Time Catch Shot to take photos before pressing the shutter button.

    Accessorize and Protect

    * LG Premium Sleeve with Smart Display – provides protection and displays notifications on the screen to show the number of missed calls, text messages, emails and voicemails. Customers can also customize the clock styles that are displayed when the Spectrum 2 by LG is inserted in the sleeve. The Premium sleeve will be available in stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $24.99.

    Additional Features:

    * Wireless charging capabilities thanks to the unique battery cover included in the box
    * 4.7-inch True HD Advanced High Performance (AH) In-Plane-Switching (IPS) display
    * Global Ready™ so customers can have voice and data service in more than 220 countries
    * Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
    * Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
    * Mobile Hotspot to share a 4G LTE connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
    * 16 GB of internal storage (formatted capacity is less) with microSD memory card support of up to 32 GB
    * QuickMemo™ allows customers to capture screenshots and add their own personalized commentary or drawings with a finger
    * Bluetooth® Version 4.0

    Pricing and Availability:

    The Spectrum 2 by LG will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com starting Oct. 30 for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

    Five iPhone 5s in five days: win an iPhone gift card, courtesy of Tanga!

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT

    Five iPhone 5s in five days win an iPhone gift card, courtesy of Tanga!

    Day one has come and gone, but we are just twenty percent of the way through our weeklong mission to give out five iPhones. Today's contest is made possible by Tanga, an e-tailer known for offering tech magazine subscriptions on the cheap as well as closeout prices on just about anything you can think of. Tanga is hooking the lucky winner up with an Apple gift card with enough credit to cover the no-contract cost of an iPhone 5, which means you have more flexibility in choosing a carrier. So head below, read the rules and leave a comment to enter again! You have until Saturday to get your entry in, but the longer you wait, the easier it is to forget -- believe us, that happens to us all the time. (At least, we think it does.)

    Our sponsors:

    The rules:

    • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. Duplicate entries will be filtered out and discarded, so adding additional comments won't increase your likelihood of winning.
    • Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers contest laws if you have to be mad.
    • Winners will be chosen randomly. One winner will win one (1)Apple gift card that will cover the cost of a 16GB Apple iPhone 5 sold at the non-contract price.
    • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
    • This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Tanga, Apple and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
    • The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
    • Entries can be submitted until November 3, 2012 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

    Google offers Enterprise Partner Search to help businesses find local tech support

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:36 AM PDT

    Image

    Business-types! Fancy moving your enterprise onto Google's web-apps, but want some local tech support? Well, Mountain View won't be offering you any official hand-holding, its Enterprise Partner Search will point you in the direction of someone who can. The new service will find your location and offer up the listings of your nearest qualified reseller, leaving your employees more time to make papier-mâché statues of you to line the office.

    Eye-Fi Pro X2 16GB Class 10 hands-on

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 07:00 AM PDT

    EyeFi Pro X2 16GB Class 10 handson

    Technology's always getting smaller, right? As such, it shouldn't be a surprise that Eye-Fi can now cram 16GB of storage and a WiFi radio into one of its SD cards, but somehow, it still is. This is the latest, the Eye-Fi Pro X2 16GB, the company's first Class 10 unit. It'll be landing on the doorsteps of tech-savvy photographers in the next week, so we thought we'd take a quick look at how things have improved with this year's vintage and if it can justify that $100 price-tag.

    Installation

    EyeFi Pro X2 16GB Class 10 handson

    Setting everything up is simple, but time-consuming. Once you've downloaded Eye-Fi Center, connected your card to your computer via the SD card slot or the bundled adapter, the wizard will hand-hold your way through the settings. When you're nearly finished, you'll be asked to grab a separate app for your iOS or Android device to receive the pictures or join the card to your WiFi network to push the images directly to your computer.

    Shooting

    EyeFi Pro X2 16GB Class 10 handsonWe set ourselves taking some studio shots, with the card sending the pictures straight back to the computer. Initially, the images meandered over the WiFi network -- taking 15 minutes to transfer a single 15MB file. It wasn't until we'd disabled automatic photo uploading to Eye-Fi View, the company's cloud service, that speeds began to pick up. Once tweaked, however, and transfers from camera to desktop took just over a minute per picture. Of course, while it's hardly going to save you hours of time

    We then decided to trek outside to take some shots of the harsh landscape in the Cotswolds that would land straight on our phone. Except, of course, you can't make that change on the fly -- so we had to trek back home to change the setting. While that's hardly a chore, we can envisage some moments when we'd like some way of flicking that switch while we're on the road. For example, if our laptop were to fail at a trade show, being able to access the camera menu and switch to our phones or tablets would make a great backup. Once set up, however, and it works like an absolute dream -- just pair your device to its ad-hoc WiFi network (which kicks in once you've taken your first picture) and images are pushed over in a staggeringly short amount of time. During our sojourn through the wintry hills, we found the snaps moved between devices in roughly 22 seconds.

    Wrap Up

    EyeFi Pro X2 16GB Class 10 handson

    From afar, the idea of an Eye-Fi card is a pretty niche proposition. After all, unless you're a professional photographer who can justify the purchase, it's hard to say that the time spent moving your SD card between your camera and computer is worth $100. However, like most other gadgets, it's only when you get them into your hands that you realize their worth. It's only when you've marveled at being able to use smartphone and DSLR in the same workflow, or seeing your images ready and waiting for you on the desktop, that it suddenly becomes clear in your mind. It's at that moment that you're going to start looking for reasons to smuggle the cash out of your account without alerting your bank manager / accountant or significant other.

    N2Acards to let Nook Tablet owners dual boot Jelly Bean in November

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:45 AM PDT

    N2Acards to let Nook Tablet owners dual boot Jelly Bean in November

    If Nook Color owners cast their memories back to last summer, they may remember Nook2Android: a microSD card that could let their Barnes & Noble e-reader dual boot Gingerbread and the hardware's Android-based operating system. Now sporting the moniker N2Acards, they're just about ready to give Nook Tablet (but not Nook Color) devices a taste of Jelly Bean thanks to Cyanogenmod. The cards come in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors and range from $30 to $90 in price, but you can download the OS image for $20 and load it onto a card of your own. While those who'd rather purchase the whole enchilada will have to wait until the cards ship on November 1st, folks who prefer the download can already load their slates with Android 4.1.

    [Thanks, Dmitry]

    Asustek Q3 net profits said to be up 43 percent to $230 million thanks to Nexus 7, convertibles

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:15 AM PDT

    ASUS PadFone 2 handson

    Asustek has just painted a pretty Q3 financial picture, showing a 43 percent jump in net profits -- $230 million compared to $160 million last year, according to the WSJ. Gross revenue also climbed 9 percent to around $3.8 billion, which the company attributes to the popularity of its Google-partnered Nexus 7 tablet, along with convertibles like the Transformer Prime TF201 and a healthy notebook lineup. Asus boosted PC shipments nearly 12 percent according to the last round of Gartner surveys, helping it stay the fifth largest player in that market. The company sees good things ahead for Q4 too, expecting double digit gains in PC and tablet shipments due to its burgeoning Windows 8 lineup finally hitting the market. That'll depend, of course, on how well users gravitate toward the fledgling OS.

    Striiv launches $70 Play pedometer to track your athletics without fatiguing your iOS device

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT

    DNP Striiv Play

    Following the recent launch of its iOS fitness app which proclaimed "no hardware required," Striiv has just announced new hardware for it anyway: the Striiv Play smart pedometer. But unlike the app alone, it lets you set off on your fitness adventures without toting an iDevice by doing the "heavy lifting of tracking activities" with up to a week of battery autonomy, then syncing up with the app using Bluetooth 4.0 later. From there, you'll be able compete with friends on Facebook, gain bragging rights by reaching milestones, play games that let you progress by working out more, and chart weight, calories and exercise progress. We tested Striiv's standalone pedometer awhile back, noting that the "insidiously" addictive games were a great motivator, and the company claims that 60 percent of users lost 13 pounds or more. So, if the little voice in your head isn't enough to egg you on, you can grab it now for $70 -- the PR and video after the break will tell you the rest.



    Show full PR text

    New Striiv Play Smart Pedometer Wirelessly Connects to Free iPhone App and is Available Now!

    With Stair Tracking, Games, Challenges and Social Competition, the Sleek and Discrete Activity Tracker Adds Another Dimension to how People are Playing Hard to Get Fit

    REDWOOD CITY, CA (October 30, 2012) – Striiv, the creators of products proven to motivate activity and inspire fitness, today launches its latest device: the Striiv Play Smart Pedometer. The small, wearable device wirelessly connects with the free Striiv iPhone app. Going beyond just tracking, Striiv Play has fitness-based games, personalized challenges, and social competitions designed to motivate people to be more active and help them reach fitness goals. The device also has a built-in altimeter that senses stairs climbed, making Striiv Play the most powerful device in its price range.

    Striiv Play uses built-in Bluetooth 4.0 technology to link with an iPhone 4s or newer, iPod Touch (5th gen) or new iPad. The always-on, low energy wireless connection minimizes usage of the phone battery and lets people track their activity even when their iPhone isn't nearby. The Play's durable, nickel-plated clip securely fastens to a belt, pocket, bra or purse. Its ultra-bright OLED screen makes the display easily visible in day or nighttime conditions and shows steps, stairs distance, calories, activity minutes, time and trophies.

    "Activity tracking is just the beginning in personal fitness technology," said Dave Wang, co-founder and CEO of Striiv. "Striiv Play, with the iPhone app, adds a highly accurate gaming and social experience that gets people more excited about being active. We want people to stop thinking about fitness like it's work and start enjoying it again – that way, they can make positive, permanent changes in their fitness habits."

    Two weeks ago Striiv released a free stand-alone iPhone app to make its social motivation system accessible to everyone, including people that don't require the advanced tracking capabilities of the Striiv Smart Pedometer or Striiv Play. Early engagement results with the app have been overwhelmingly positive. On average, people interact with Striiv's first fitness-based game, Myland, 250% more than they check their charts. These early statistics show that fitness-based games are more engaging than just viewing progress on a chart.

    The Striiv Play plus app is a new way to access Striiv's motivational features, which are already proven to make people crave activity. It helps people:

    · Get fit with their iPhone, iPod Touch, or new iPad-Striiv Play was designed to give the best experience with the latest iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPad. It automatically syncs wirelessly over Bluetooth 4.0 with the free Striiv iPhone app. Since Striiv Play does all the heavy lifting of tracking activity, it minimizes iPhone battery usage. With a built-in rechargeable Lithium ION battery, Striiv Play keeps going on a single charge for a week on average.

    · Measure all day activity, including Stairs-Striiv's proprietary TruMotion Technology makes it a leader in real-world accuracy. From a purse, backpack, pocket or belt loop, Striiv Play is always on and always measuring activity, whether it's walking, running, or climbing stairs.

    · Reach and share milestones-share records and earn rewards by surpassing real-world milestones. Striiv awards bonus points and trophies for challenges like beating a friend's best record or taking enough stairs to reach the height of the Eiffel Tower.

    · Compete with friends anywhere, anytime-use friends' achievements to inspire movement every day. Striiv Play shows you how you stack up against your friends on Facebook and awards bonus points (and bragging rights!) for beating them.

    · Play games-in MyLand, the more a person moves, the more the enchanted island flourishes. Every step earns energy to grow plants, build structures, and attract new creatures.

    · Count calories with MyFitnessPal-Striiv has partnered with MyFitnessPal, the calorie counter and diet tracker with the largest food database, to help track diet along with activity tracked with Striiv Play.

    · Track Progress with Charts and Stats-Built-in charts and stats display steps and stairs taken, activity minutes, miles walked and calories burned for the last five days or by month.

    · Track weight-Simple daily weight entry shows trends over time and helps users achieve short and long-term goals.

    The new Play device is $69.95 and available at Best Buy stores nationwide, BestBuy.com, Amazon, and Striiv.com. See Striiv Play in action at http://youtu.be/IL2CFx2xuQk.

    Striiv Play joins the family of Striiv products designed to motivate people to move more:

    · The Striiv Smart Pedometer ($99.99)-all-in-one touch screen pedometer with motivational games and challenges built-in. It's a great way for those that don't have or regularly carry a smartphone to stay motivated to move more throughout the day.

    · The Striiv iPhone app (free, compatible with iOS 5 and later devices)-activity tracking with motivational features including social competition with friends and family. Now the benefits of Striiv's motivational features are available right on a smartphone-no separate device required. It is perfect for someone that wants to take the first step towards being more active and is available from the Apple App Store at www.striiv.com/striivapp.

    To learn more about Striiv and its family of products please visit https://www.striiv.com.

    About Striiv:

    Based in Redwood City, Striiv is comprised of a team of world-class game designers, artists, and cutting-edge technologists. Founded in 2010, the company is focused on integrating seamless gaming mechanics across everyday life activities and experiences, especially those that need an infusion of fun to motivate and inspire, like exercise. Striiv aims to start a movement around movement by making activity an integrated part of everyday life.

    For more information about Striiv visit www.striiv.com. Find Striiv on YouTube, Facebook (www.striiv.com/facebook) or follow on Twitter @Striiv.

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

    Nook HD review: a high-def tablet with the heart of a reader

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 05:30 AM PDT

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Barnes & Noble knows where it stands in the tablet race. Sure, the company has been plugging away at the space since the day the Nook Color made its transformation into a full-fledged tablet, but the Nook, it seems, is rarely mentioned in the same breath as the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7, when discussing low-cost tablets. As such, the company seems to rarely mention its devices without discussing the competition -- Amazon in particular. In fact, at the launch event for the Nook HD and HD+, reps trotted out Kindle Fire HDs at every possible opportunity.

    Seeing the two devices side by side, there's no question that Nook trumps the Fire in a number of categories, and the bookseller has gone a ways toward making the Nook HD stand out in a field full of bigger players. For one thing, the device is far more focused on the reading experience than the competition, a fact reflected in both hardware and UI decisions. The company has also taken a more aggressive approach toward marketing the device toward families. The question, then, is whether these features are enough to capture marketshare from the more prominent devices. See how the Nook HD stacks up after the break.

    Nook HD review
    Hardware

    The Nook Color / Tablet scored plenty of points for originality in the industrial design department, polarizing users in the process. The long, plastic-shelled body did a fine job of standing apart from the push toward all-screen slates that has gripped the vast majority of the industry over the past several years. That's thanks in no small part to a carabiner that wouldn't have looked altogether out of place strapped to your trusty hiking backpack. Devotees of that old design will find some solace in the slimmed-down and souped-up arms of the HD+. The HD, on the other hand, wouldn't seem too out of place hanging out at the open bar of a Simple Touch family reunion, with a stubby body, rounded corners and slightly concave back, created by Robert Brunner, the former Apple designer who breathed life in B&N's popular reader series.

    Function over form is what Barnes & Noble is selling this time out. That's not to say the Nook HD is a particularly bad-looking device, but as with the Simple Touches, there's little doubt that the company sacrificed a bit of sleekness in favor of building a slate around the human hand, a noble enough pursuit so far as tablet industrial design is concerned. As with B&N's other recent products, the Nook HD's got bezel to spare -- a plastic affair that shields the sides of the screen from both dings and thumb prints, making sure those greasy digits don't smudge the pristine HD display at the center of the device. Next to this, you'll find a black display bezel that's wider on the top and bottom of the device.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    The area's a bit of a no man's land along the top -- there's no camera to be seen on the Nook's front or rear. It's a sacrifice the company seemingly made in the name of keeping costs low -- one of the few fronts the company seems willing to admit it got beat by the Kindle Fire HD. While most consumers with money to spend on a new tablet are likely not lacking on the devices-with-cameras front, in late-2012 at least one built-in webcam seems like a pretty baseline feature. That's particularly true for an easy-to-hold, high-def product that might have made a nice little Skype device. On the bottom black bezel, you'll find the Nook's signature lowercase "n" physical home button. It's the one truly conspicuous input on the device, placed there, no doubt, for aesthetic consistency and, B&N tells us, so that you'll never forget which way is up -- not that such orientation makes a heck of a lot of difference when the accelerometer is hard at work.

    A small seam splits the front plastic bezel from another, slightly shinier piece of plastic on the side of tablet. This bit houses the Nook's other buttons. You'll find two volume buttons on the right and power on the left (give the screen a second or so to turn on after clicking the power button). It's not quite as intuitive as having a power button on top, but let's face it; the dream of relatively uniform button placement went out the window years ago. Up top, you've got a headphone jack and small mic hole that allows you to, among other things utilize the company's great Read and Record feature for kids' books.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    On the bottom, there's a proprietary charging jack. When asked why it went that route vs. the nearly ubiquitous micro-USB (the choice on the tablet's e-reader siblings), the company claims that it's, in part, due to the ability to speed up charging. Given how many micro-USB cables we've got floating around, that would have been a nice choice -- and hey, it's good enough for the Fire HD and Nexus 7, right? Barnes & Noble's quick to point out, however, that, unlike the Fire, the price of the Nook includes the necessary (again, proprietary) cable, along with a wall adapter. To the charging port's right, a small yellow light turns green when the battery's full. To the left of this port is a microSD door that'll let you expand the device's 8GB or 16GB by up to 64GB, always a welcome feature on Nook devices, particularly in the case of a tablet, where, unlike e-readers, you'll probably actually be storing some HD multimedia files. It's also a boon for those who found past Nook tablet devices such a delight to root.

    The rear of the device has that familiar soft-touch feel, which really feels nice in-hand, and offers a bit of traction for those sweaty palm you get while using the device on the elliptical machine. As with the Simple Touch devices, the rear indents a bit, providing a slot for your fingers to rest in while reading. However, it's far less pronounced here and honestly doesn't really serve all that much of a purpose. In the center of all of this, as per usual, is a large, indented lower case "n," should you ever forget which tablet you bought when it's faced screen-side down.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Along the bottom of the rear, two small speaker grids flank a small "nook" logo and all of the requisite FCC information (interestingly, the pricier Nook HD+ only has a single speaker). (Update: Barnes & Noble contacted us to clarify that the HD+ has two speakers, they're just both behind a single grille.) We prefer the spread-out placement of the stereo speakers on the Fire HD, which make it a bit harder to accidentally muffle the sound while holding the tablet during a movie -- not that the sound on the Nook HD is all that much to write home about, SRS TruMedia or no. It doesn't really get all that loud. For most occasions, we suspect we'll be relying on that headphone jack up top for our multimedia needs.

    On a whole, Barnes & Noble's done a nice job here on the industrial design front, creating a tablet that's easily held, thanks in part to a slim width (7.7 x 5 x 0.43 inches to the Fire's 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.4) and light weight (11.1 ounces to the Fire's 13.9). The 7-inch 1,440 x 900 IPS display really does pop, offering up great viewing angles and the sort of high-definition playback it would have been hard to imagine on a $200 tablet not all that long ago. The Nook also scored a solid 1,271ms score in our SunSpider testing. The plastic bezel on the front provides a nice spot on which to deposit one's thumb and, like the Simple Touch, provides for a design that stands apart from the army of lookalike tablets that dominate the market.

    Software

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    The Nook HD is running, hold onto your hats, Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood. Barnes & Noble is far less cagey about Android versions than Amazon. That's perhaps because, while it's a highly skinned version, it's far less so than the one you'll find on the Kindle Fire HD, which essentially secures that tablet's place as a content delivery device. Click the power button and you'll see a lock screen welcoming you back, along with the date and time. In the center is a lock icon surrounded by faces representing different user accounts. Drag yours to the center and you'll open up access to your content. When switching to a different user, you'll get a split second view of the content on the previous user's desktop, a small bug the company will hopefully fix with the next upgrade.

    Barnes & Noble's calling skin "paper-like" (not to be confused, of course, with Paperwhite), a dull name, we'll admit, but it certainly gets to the heart of the matter. The company's gone a way toward providing a minimalist experience, not overcrowding things with flashy features that are unnecessary to core usage. At top is a black toolbar letting you know whose Nook you're looking at. There are notifications in the center that you can tap to read (rather than the customary notification pull-down), the time, WiFi indicator, batter listing and settings icon. Tapping Settings lets you adjust brightness, switch WiFi networks, enable airplane mode and toggle lock screen rotation.

    By default, the desktop is mostly bare, with visible fibers that really drive that whole "paper-like" thing home. At top, you'll see the date, your account icon and another little welcome message custom-fit to the time of day. Below is the Daily shelf, a small carousel featuring quick, rotating access to your most recent content -- movies, newspapers, books, apps, comics, et al. It's not unlike what you get on the Kindle Fire HD, but it's far less central here. Below this is an open area onto which you can drag content and apps. There are five desktop pages in all, so you've got plenty of area to play around with. Toward the bottom of the page are links to your library, apps, the web browser, email and the Nook store. Down farther still are a search bar and a button that gives you quick access to all your open apps.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Barnes & Noble introduced Your Nook Today for this round of tablets. Clicking this will drop the page down with a cool little animation that breaks the sticker. The first time you launch the feature, the page will take a bit of time to populate -- especially on a lackluster connection. At the top, you'll get the current local weather, along with the current highs and lows, courtesy of AccuWeather.com (a hugely desired feature, according to B&N). The page also features reading recommendations, based on your habits and a quick "Three Minute Read," for the on-the-go person who wants to feel they've accomplished something in an exceedingly short space of time.

    The library page offers up all of your content broken down by category -- books (including comics), magazines, movies and TV, apps, kids (including all content from all mediums that fit in the category), catalogs, newspapers and various methods for refining your own content, live shelves, scrapbooks and files. Content in the different categories is organized into rows that can be advanced with a swipe. Clicking on the header will bring you to a page that features all of that content laid out on grid. As with the homepage, the layout features a lot of white space -- a defining characteristic of the UI, which, compared to the vanilla Jellybean offered up on the Nexus 7, feels a little half-baked. Though for those looking for a simple tablet that doesn't overwhelm the senses, there's perhaps something to be said for Barnes & Noble's approach here. The aesthetic carries over to the Apps page. The icons certainly pop when placed on the dull white background, surrounded by so much white space.

    Browser

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Barnes & Noble's offered up a fairly straightforward browsing experience this time out -- precisely what one would look for in a starter tablet like this. At the top, you've got tabs which can be added to with the click of a plus sign. Below this, you'll find the navigation bar and buttons, and a bookmarks icon that will bring you to a list of browser thumbnails on a plain background. Along the bottom are icons for sharing (via email and Evernote), searching and the ArticleView, which adheres to the device's central reading focus by serving up web stories in a more magazine-like format. Clicking the top right lets you add a bookmark to the page you're currently reading and brings up access to further reading settings.

    Reading

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Reading is still the essence of the Nook line, and in a sense, like the Nook Color before it, the HD can be regarded as a reading device with some extra tricks up its sleeves. After all, the company clearly designed the form factor around the reading experience. Accordingly, in press materials for the company, reading is regularly mentioned ahead of things like movies and apps, in spite of the push toward a higher-definition display. Not much has changed on the prose-reading front. You get a page largely monopolized by text, save for the book title on the top and your progress on the bottom. Page turns default to a standard swipe, though fiddling with the settings make it possible to add a more book-like page curl animation that features some intentional image bleed from the page before it.

    Click the progress at the bottom and you get a slider that lets you flip through the book. You can also get information on the book (cover, reviews, recommendations), word and phrase search, sharing and format adjustments -- which offer up eight text sizes, six font styles and six page colors, among others.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    More visual texts are where the Nook HD really shines. Magazines like Details really do look stunning on the HD display. And while the Nook HD+ offers up a better form factor for such reading, you can home in on text with a pinch. For a more straightforward reading experience, Barnes & Noble is offering up the same ArticleView you get in the browser. Click it and the images disappear, offering up a layout similar to the printer-friendly format offered up by many news sites.

    Tap the bottom of the screen, and you get a carousel of article pages. Below that is a link to a grid layout that offers up the whole book laid out as thumbnails on a single page. You can also view the contents via a more traditional TOC. The whole experience is tied together with excellent transition animations, making for a smooth and seamless reading experience. For all the unfinished feeling one gets navigating through the UI, it's clear that B&N invested a lot in magazine reading this time out.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Comics, too, are a pleasure to read on the Nook HD. The colors really pop and enabling ZoomView Letterboxing makes it possible to read panel by panel, really the ideal way to enjoy sequential art on a tablet device. As with magazines, you can also view a carousel of pages on the bottom of the screen, along with textual and visual tables of contents.

    Barnes & Noble added shopping catalogs to its list of reading options. The viewing options are quite similar to those of magazines, only these get pushed to you for free, because, well, their sole reason for existing is to sell you products. The images feature hotspots, which, when clicked, bring you to product pages where you can purchase products. They look great, sure, but in a world in which catalogs are still widely considered junk mail for most consumers, it's hard to imagine the feature serving as a major selling point for most users.

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Kids' books, meanwhile, have long been something of a secret weapon in Barnes & Noble's tablet offerings. The company has worked closely with manufacturers to offer up an experience that really goes the extra mile to harness the multimedia capabilities of the devices, adding sound effects, animation and music. Opening up the book offers up three different experiences: Read By Myself, which offers up no narration, Read and Play, which features built-in narration and Read and Record, which lets parents record narration for their kids.

    As with other texts, clicking the bottom of the screen offers up a carousel of pages from the book. All of this, coupled with the low price, relatively durable design, small form factor and user profiles make a compelling argument for the Nook HD as a strong device for families. The whole process is extremely simple, and once a profile has been created, it will be synced over to other Nook devices linked to the same account.

    Profiles

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    As evidenced by the lock screen, Barnes & Noble is really pushing the profile feature this time out -- and it's not hard to see why. Families share tablets, particular inexpensive ones. But while you might not mind handing off a $200 tablet, you don't necessarily want to put all of your content into your kids' hands. You can set up to six profiles per device by clicking your user icon on the home screen. From here, it will give you the option to create a profile for an adult or child. You can change the profile image using built-in clip-art or pictures stored on the device and pick a gender (you can also opt for a non-gender-specific version). Filling in the age on the child account helps Barnes & Noble determine "age-appropriate content."

    On the following page is a checklist for different content types you can let the children access, as well as rating levels for movies and TV shows. Once you've filled all this out and picked a few interests, the Nook will recommend free content to you.

    Shop

    The Nook Shop design is fairly straightforward, offering up a rotating carousel of featured content in the upper left, with a list of pages of different content (book, magazines, movies & TV, et al) to its right. Below this are further recommendations broken up by categories like "Passion for Fashion" and "Your Favorite Heroes" (comics). If you know what you're searching for, however, just skip straight down to the search field at the bottom of the page.

    It should be pointed out that, like the Fire, the Nook's skinned UI means you're getting no access to the Google Play store. The company is instead opting to work with developers to create apps that better fit their device. And while B&N claims to have all the popular apps, there are some conspicuous absences here -- searching for Spotify, for example, will only offer up a copy of the $12 e-book, "Spotify for Dummies." Who knew such a thing existed -- and really, without access to the app, who would ever need such a thing?

    Wrap-up

    DNP Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

    Barnes & Noble invested a lot in the hardware, and it shows. The Nook HD has a great little screen, snappy performance and industrial design that stands out from the competition without proving quite as polarizing as its predecessor. Most of all, it's built to be held, a fact that echoes the device's focus on the reading experience. That core functionality spills over onto the software side, making visually interesting magazines, comics and kids' books a pleasure to read. Priced (ad-free) at $199 for an 8GB model and $229 for 16GB, it's a great little piece of hardware for those looking for a reader that can also handle casual gaming and high-def videos. And the addition of profiles makes this a tempting proposition for families with children.

    The "paper-like" UI, on the other hand, doesn't feel as if it got quite as much attention. It's stark and at times buggy (though the company promises that a fix is coming shortly), missing both the content focus of the Kindle Fire and the full functionality (and Google Play access) of the Jelly Bean-rocking Nexus 7. Also, the lack of a camera feels like a strange oversight. All said, however, the Nook HD is a fine little tablet for the price, though in a space where the Kindle and Nexus have been crowned champions, asking people to make the leap feels like a bit of a hard sell.

    Acer's Windows 8 all-in-ones cause big fuss in Taiwan, we go hands-on to find out why (video)

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:50 AM PDT

    Acers Aspire 5600U and 7600U hands-on

    Although Microsoft's Windows 8 launch will very likely go down in history as a positive turning point for the company, it wasn't without it glitches. Specifically, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Microsoft reps in Taipei found it difficult to navigate their own OS due to hardware issues with their demo devices -- namely, new all-in-one PCs from Acer and ASUS. There were said to be issues with opening and closing apps, possibly due to the implementation of touch on such large screen sizes of 23-inches and over.

    Well, we've just been fingers-on with both the 23-inch Acer Aspire 5600U and the 27-inch 7600U in London, and we can report that the touch interface was totally fluid. Moreover, the LCD displays maintained their natural colors very well when switching from an almost vertical 80-degree orientation to an almost-flat 30 degrees. These models come with Ultrabook innards starting with low-voltage versions of the Core i5 and the NVIDIA 630M, and they also come with HDMI-in and optional TV tuners so they can be used in a living room or kitchen situation. Pricing in Europe begins at 1,000 Euros for the 23-inch model, rising to 2,000 Euros for the full-spec 27-incher. Check out the video after the break and you'll see that we asked our Acer rep for his view on what happened in Taiwan and, although he didn't have first-hand knowledge of the event in question, he insisted that it was a storm in a teacup. Given our experience of the devices so far, we're inclined to believe him.

    Acer Aspire 5600U and 7600U hands-on

    Thinkpad Helix appears on Lenovo's Israeli website, lends hope to a stateside or Euro arrival

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:34 AM PDT

    Thinkpad Helix appears on Lenovo's Israeli website, lends hope to a stateside or Euro arrival

    It wasn't long ago that our Chinese language website reported on the Lenovo Thinkpad Helix, a convertible ultrabook that launched alongside other models, but seemed destined for China only. Now, it looks like Israeli folks might also get the device, as it popped up recently on the company's website there. We noted that it would carry Windows 8, an 11.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 detachable IPS touchscreen, NFC 3G module, stylus, 10-hour battery life and optional Core i7 processor for the top model. That would make it a pretty potent ultrabook, let alone a tablet -- making us hope that it'll power its way over to our shores.

    MetroPCS breaks 1 million LTE customers, makes $193 million profit despite losing 312,000 users in Q3

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:51 AM PDT

    MetroPCS breaks 1 million LTE subscribers, makes a $193 million profit in Q3 2012

    MetroPCS might be the smaller of the two parties in the proposed merger with T-Mobile, but it certainly knows how to coin a profit in difficult times. The carrier recorded a massive $193 million net profit this quarter, $44 million more than it made in Q2, despite losing 312,000 subscribers in the three month period. The reason behind the rosy numbers was a combination of cash-saving exercises and canny investments in securities, pushing total revenue to $1.3 billion. The network now has just under nine million customers, with more than a million of those subscribing to one of the company's LTE packages. It's also managed to reduce churn down to 3.7 percent, a reduction of 0.8 percent since Q3 2011. CEO Roger D. Linquist remarked that the next quarter will see the business "re-energize" subscriber growth at the expense of its bottom line -- probably wise, given that it's lost just over half a million customers in the last six months.

    Google's Voter Information Tool hopes to make Election Day a little easier

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 03:29 AM PDT

    Google's Voter Information Tool hopes to make Election Day a little easier

    It's election season and Google is doing its part to help you "rock the vote." No, the search kingpin isn't endorsing a specific candidate, instead it's doing what it does best -- help people search the internet for information. The company's open source Voter Information Tool is designed to help people research candidates and locate polling places. In an effort to reach the masses, Google is partnering with companies such as Foursquare and AT&T. Election Day can be a chaotic event to say the least. Hopefully this powerful new web-based tool will make things run a little smoother for frantic voters trying to beat the clock.

    Intel ships SSD 335 as its first drive with 20nm flash, asks just a little to stay cutting-edge

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 02:42 AM PDT

    Intel SSD 335

    Don't panic, SSD 330 owners: your drive hasn't been immediately rendered obsolete. Intel's new SSD 335 is just the first shipping drive using the company's 20-nanometer flash memory. The shrink down from 25nm is primarily a technological showcase that proves the more scalable, hi-K/metal gate borrowed from processors can fly in NAND-based storage. Buyers will still get the same 500MB/s read speeds and 450MB/s writes in a 2.5-inch, SATA 6Gbps drive that will stuff neatly into many desktops and laptops. Intel is shy about pricing for the lone 240GB variant on offer, although a quick scan finds it selling for a slight premium over its ancestor, at $210. While that's still frugal in this day and age, we're guessing that Intel's vow to "pass along the savings" with the SSD 335 won't truly be realized without a reseller price drop or two.

    Show full PR text

    Intel® Solid-State Drive 335 Series Debuts; Uses Industry-Leading 20-Nanometer NAND Flash Memory

    New Intel Client/Consumer SSD Offers Blend of Performance, Quality and Price

    NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
    * Intel SSD 335 Series is the first Intel SSD to ship using industry-leading 20nm NAND flash memory from IMFT.
    * The 6 Gb/s SATA Intel SSD 335 comes in 240GB capacity and offers a unique blend of performance, quality and price.
    * With 4KB reads up to 42,000 IOPS and writes up to 52,000 IOPS, the Intel SSD 335 offers a speedy replacement to an HDD.

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2012 – Intel Corporation announced today it is shipping its first solid-state drive (SSD) using industry leading 20-nanometer (nm) NAND flash memory process.

    The new Intel® Solid-State Drive 335 Series (Intel® SSD 335 Series) uses the smallest, most efficient multi-level cell NAND flash on the market, allowing Intel to advance its 300 Series client/consumer SSDs to the next-generation technology. SSDs offer users an overall PC performance boost accelerating productivity applications and other computing activities, such as Web surfing, movie watching, video chatting and content creation.

    The Intel SSD 335 Series is a 6 gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) SATA drive that can replace a traditional, slower operating hard disk drive (HDD) for faster access to files and programs. The Intel SSD 335 comes in a 240 gigabyte (GB) capacity that performs 500 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) sequential reads and 450 MB/s sequential writes to provide users a blend of cutting-edge performance and Intel quality at a consumer friendly price.

    The product is Intel's first SSD to use the latest 20nm NAND flash memory jointly developed by IM Flash Technologies (IMFT). Announced last April, with shipping beginning in December 2011, the 20nm IMFT NAND uses a new cell structure that enables more aggressive cell scaling than conventional architectures. The 20nm 64Gb NAND uses a planar cell structure -- the first in the industry -- to overcome the inherent difficulties that accompany advanced process technology, enabling performance and reliability on par with the previous 25nm generation. The planar cell structure successfully breaks the scaling constraints of the standard NAND floating gate cell by integrating the first Hi-K/metal gate stack on NAND production.

    "The Intel SSD 335 uses Hi-K/metal gate planar cell technology, which overcomes NAND process scaling constraints to deliver the smallest-area NAND cell and die in the industry," said Rob Crooke, Intel vice president and general manager for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Solutions Group. "By pushing technology constraints and using process innovation, Intel can continue to progress SSD technology and pass along savings to our customers."

    The Intel SSD 335 Series offers best-in-class performance, quality and value. Measuring Random Input/Output (I/O) Operations per Second (IOPS) using 4KB IOPS, the Intel SSD 335 Series reads up to 42,000 IOPS and writes up to 52,000 IOPS. Available in a 2.5-inch form factor 9.5mm case, it is a speedy replacement to a conventional HDD. Backed by a 3-year limited warranty, the Intel SSD 335 Series is available worldwide beginning today.

    Also available for Intel SSD purchasers is the Intel® SSD Toolbox with Intel® SSD Optimizer, a free utility that provides Microsoft Windows* users with a powerful set of management, information and diagnostic tools to help maintain the health and out-of-box performance of the drive. Available in 11 languages, the Intel® SSD Toolbox is also Windows* 8-compatible. To help ease the installation process, all Intel SSD users can download the free Intel® Data Migration Software to help clone the entire content of a previous storage drive (SSD or HDD) to any Intel SSD.

    For more information on Intel SSDs go to www.intel.com/go/ssd or follow Intel SSDs on Twitter (@intelssd), Facebook (www.intel.com/go/ssdfacebook or communities.intel.com).

    Livestream for Producers Android app update brings live video broadcasts over wireless data connections

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 02:01 AM PDT

    DNP Livestream for Producers Android app update brings live video broadcasts over wireless data connections

    Android users of generation "Hey Look at Me!" can now add another tool to their arsenal of lifestyle sharing. The Livestream for Producers Android application received an update on Monday that introduces "single touch" sign up and logins through Facebook, a new app icon and some unnamed bug fixes. However, the most noteworthy addition here is the ability to run live ad-free videos over 3G and 4G data connections. Requiring Android 2.2 or higher, this free media streaming app might be an ideal companion for folks looking to incriminate co-workers at this year's Halloween costume party -- all in good fun of course. Just be sure to remember who signs your paycheck before you decide to take a broadcast live.

    Show full PR text


    NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Livestream (livestream.com) has released live video broadcasting capabilities to its Livestream for Producers Android App to help reach its goal of providing everyone with the tools needed to democratize live video. Features of the Android App include live video broadcasting and live blogging through posting real time text, photos and video clip. An iPhone app is already available for download.

    The Android app allows anyone to share live video, photos and text updates of significant events in their work and lives. Debuting at the same time as "super storm" Hurricane Sandy, the Livestream android app offers a new way for users to share their experience of a once in a lifetime event in real time with their social networks. The free Livestream for Producers Android and iPhone App (available today) make it all possible at the highest quality performance on every network available - 3G, 4G, and Wifi.

    "We're changing the industry's standards for live broadcasting from mobile devices by focusing on what matters most, video quality in cellular networks," said Max Haot, CEO and Co-Founder of Livestream. "Thanks to our innovative engineering approach, we believe our app is an unprecedented breakthrough in both video quality and reliability when streaming live over 3G and 4G networks making it the perfect tool for coverage under trying conditions."

    Livestream for Producers app users can send their first-hand accounts of Hurricane Sandy to sandy@livestream.com to be featured on Livestream.com's Sandycam
    (http://new.livestream.com/breakinglivenowdirect/sandycam)

    Get Livestream for Producers for Android (Free in Android Marketplace)
    http://livestream.com/android

    Get Livestream for Producers for iPhone (Free in App Store)
    http://livestream.com/iphone

    Full editorial coverage of the storm as it approaches New York can be seen here:
    http://new.livestream.com/breakinglivenowdirect/sandycam

    The full iframe embed along with the app to install on Facebook is available here:
    http://new.livestream.com/breakinglivenowdirect/sandycam/embed

    BBC iPlayer comes to Sky+, Hell reports incoming frost

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:24 AM PDT

    BBC iPlayer comes to Sky, Hell reports incoming frost

    The BBC and Sky may represent polar, warring opposites of the broadcasting business, but that doesn't mean their technology platforms can't get along. Following a promise made all the way back in January, internet-connected Sky+HD boxes will be able to access BBC iPlayer from today. The service has been integrated into Sky's world-class program guide, with users even able to plump to catch available shows in high definition. The announcement also let slip that 4OD, the last remaining holdout to the service, will be added in early 2013. If you've yet to hook your Sky box up to the internet, you just need an Ethernet cable or wireless adapter -- but let's hope for your sake they aren't at opposite ends of your house.


    Show full PR text

    BBC iPlayer comes to Sky+

    Millions of Sky homes can access their favourite BBC shows, on-demand, directly on their TV

    BBC iPlayer, the BBC's video on demand service, has today launched on Sky+, bringing the best of the BBC's TV programmes directly to the living room. Up to 6.7 million homes with a Sky+HD box and broadband connection will be able to enjoy the best of the BBC on demand in a familiar, easy to use BBC iPlayer experience that helps audiences catch up on programmes they have missed.

    Audiences can access BBC iPlayer directly from Sky's on demand programme guide, and choose from many of the BBC's most popular shows, including Doctor Who, Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders. BBC iPlayer is available alongside catch-up TV from Sky, ITV, Channel 5, with Channel 4's 4oD due to be added early next year, completing the line-up of free-to-air terrestrial catch-up TV services on Sky+. Sky On Demand also offers on demand access to shows from a number of other leading channels including UKTV, MTV and Discovery, in addition to movies on demand and drama 'box-sets' such as Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men and Stella.

    BBC iPlayer has been integrated into Sky's existing electronic programme guide and on demand menus. It contains a number of features that make it even easier for Sky customers to find the BBC programmes they want, with content separated into a series of simple categories. Viewers are able to browse through content by channel, day and genre, and can gain easy access to BBC shows in high-definition. Regional and signed programmes are also available through dedicated categories. Once a customer has made their choice, the programme is downloaded directly to their Sky+ planner for them to watch at a time that suits them.

    This landmark deal between the BBC and Sky builds on a substantial history of industry partnerships for BBC iPlayer, which is now available on over 650 platforms and devices.

    In September 2012 alone, BBC iPlayer saw nearly 200 million requests for programmes, including 2.2 million for Doctor Who, 1 million for Citizen Khan and hundreds of thousands for favourites such as Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders and Bad Education. By launching on Sky+, BBC iPlayer is now available on every major UK television platform, at no extra charge, and brings the service to up to 6.7 million Sky homes.

    Luke Bradley-Jones, Director of TV Products, Sky said "We're delighted to have partnered with the BBC to bring the best of the BBC on demand to Sky customers. Providing customers with the flexibility to enjoy their favourite TV on demand, our comprehensive catch-up TV service perfectly complements the genius of Sky+, which already helps millions of our customers take charge of their viewing. We continue to put Sky customers in control, with the addition of BBC iPlayer to Sky+ sitting alongside a range of innovations including remote record, series link and now even being able to use your iPad as a remote control."

    Daniel Danker, General Manager, BBC Programmes and On-Demand, said "BBC iPlayer has had a record-breaking year, with 2 billion requests for programmes in 2011, and nearly 200 million requests in September 2012 alone. Available on over 650 platforms and devices across PC, mobile, tablet and internet-connected TVs, we are delighted that iPlayer is now also available to millions of Sky+ homes. 20% of all iPlayer use is already on the living room TV. By partnering with Sky, BBC iPlayer is available on all major UK TV platforms at no extra charge, making sure our audiences can access the best of the BBC's content at home and on the go, whenever and wherever they choose."

    To enjoy Catch Up, Sky customers simply need to activate their On Demand service and connect their Sky+HD box to their broadband router. Click here for more information.

    EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores

    Posted: 30 Oct 2012 12:50 AM PDT

    EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores

    Today marks the launch of the UK 's first 4G network, with EE switching on its service in 11 cities: London , Bristol , Birmingham , Cardiff , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester , Sheffield and Southampton . If you don't have access immediately, you might not be waiting long, as the company promises 2,000 square miles of 4G network will be added every month from now on. This £1.5 billion investment means five cities will join the exclusive list before Christmas, and in the longer-term, 98 percent population coverage is expected by the end of 2014. Wired services aren't being forgotten -- EE Fibre Broadband is also available from today with the potential to serve 11 million locations with speeds of up to 76 Mbps. Want to learn more about the new services? Then head to one of the 700 EE stores (rebranded Orange and T-Mobile locations) opening this morning. If your bank account can handle it, that is.

    Show full PR text

    EE LAUNCHES SUPERFAST 4G AND FIBRE FOR UK CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES TODAY

    Over 700 EE stores open on high streets across the country

    · 4G mobile services available for British consumers and businesses for the first time ever today

    · Superfast service launches in 11 major cities across the UK

    · 4G network rollout to increase to 2,000 sq miles every month

    · Fibre Broadband from EE available to 11 million premises, with superfast speed typically ten times faster than standard broadband

    · New research reveals around three quarters of businesses (74%) are planning to adopt 4G within 12 months

    30th October 2012. London. Superfast services are available for consumers and businesses for the first time ever today as EE, the UK's most advanced digital communications company, launches its new 4G service in 11 cities.

    The launch is set to offer a timely boost to the UK economy offering firms the opportunity to increase innovation, boost productivity and cut costs, as has been the experience of companies in countries such as the US, Sweden, Japan and Germany since the technology was first introduced.

    Today also marks the arrival of over 700 EE stores on high streets across the country in one of the biggest and fastest transformations in UK retail history.

    Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE, said: "Today is a landmark day for our company, the UK mobile industry and, most importantly, the country's businesses and consumers.

    "But this is just the start as our 4G network will continue to grow stronger and wider by the day. We're investing £1.5 billion in our network to be the first company to offer mobile 4G in the UK, alongside the biggest 3G network. Combined with our Fibre Broadband and revolutionary service model we have a pioneering and unique offer to customers across the UK – superfast speeds in the home, superfast speeds on the move and expert service on nearly every high street in Britain."

    The delivery of 4G and the company's retail transformation has been underpinned by an intensive employee training programme as well as a comprehensive national IT infrastructure upgrade to ensure that EE customers receive expert service.

    In its first phase, the 4G service is going live in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield and Southampton. This will allow users to:

    • Access the web on the go in an instant

    • Download large email attachments quicker than ever

    • Watch live TV on the move without buffering

    • Download high-definition movies in minutes

    • Play live multiplayer games on the go

    • Make high quality video calls on the move

    And today's launch is just the start as 4G coverage from EE will expand by 2,000 square miles every month, both into new cities as well as providing denser coverage in existing areas. This means the service will be available in a further five cities before Christmas, with more cities and rural locations planned for 2013, and 98% of the population due to be covered by the end of 2014.

    On average, 4G mobile coverage will be made available to around two million people in Britain every single month between now and the end of 2014, making this the fastest rollout of any UK network in history.

    EE's Fibre Broadband, typically ten times faster in homes and offices, is available to 11 million premises from today as well. Ideal for households or small businesses with multiple devices, EE Fibre Broadband offers maximum download speeds of up to 76Mbps – allowing customers to stream HDTV, play online games, watch films on demand or quickly upload or download large files.

    EE, T-Mobile and Orange customers will benefit from a new level of customer service, with 10,000 EE experts trained to serve and sell to customers in a new way, designed around specific handset types. These experts can be contacted over the phone, online, or in one of the 700 newly branded EE stores on the high street and in shopping centres.

    4GEE plans come with unlimited minutes and texts as well as revolutionary and exciting new services, including EE Film, Clone Phone and inclusive nationwide BT Wi-Fi.

    4G and the benefits to business

    The world's first global study into 4G business benefits has been released today to mark EE's UK launch.

    The study reveals that:

    · 74% of UK businesses intend to adopt 4G within 12 months

    · Newcastle's business community is showing the strongest demand for 4G, with eight out of 10 Newcastle-based firms (85%) intending to roll out the superfast mobile service within 12 months

    · 78% in London plan to do the same

    · CEOs and sales staff will be first in the business to use the new technology. The study noted a similar trend occurring in America.

    British businesses expect 4G to help increase productivity (58%) and boost employee well-being and motivation (38%). The technology will also help firms compete through innovation - 50% want 4G so they can set up an internet connection quickly without having to wait for a fixed line to be installed. This is a boon for retailers wanting to set up a pop-up shop, or builders looking to set up a temporary office onsite.

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

    Dell XPS 10 lets the FCC get under its skin, into its manual

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 11:40 PM PDT

    Dell XPS 10 lets the FCC get under its skin, into its manual

    We already got a pretty good look at the Dell XPS 10's outward facade, but if it's internal hardware you're after, you may want to take a look at the FCC's latest: they tore the transforming tablet apart. The federal teardown is garnished with the standard trappings: FCC labels, frequency tests and Dell attestations -- one of which notes the WiFi and Bluetooth radios' shared antenna and its inability to simultaneously transmit both signals. The XPS 10's manual is available for browsing, too, in case you need a refresher on how to pinch, zoom or swipe. Check it for yourself at the FCC, or just pop on down to the attached gallery for a gander at the device's innards.

    Dell XPS 10 FCC teardown

    Sony goes Red-hunting with PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 pro CineAlta 4K Super 35mm sensor camcorders

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 11:06 PM PDT

    Sony goes Redhunting with PMWF55 and PMWF5 pro CineAlta 4K Super 35mm sensor camcorders

    Having seen some of its high-end cinema camera thunder stolen by the likes of Red and Arri, Sony has just launched a pair of CineAlta PL-mount cameras with brand new Super 35mm sensors: The PMW-F5 and PMW-F55. Though both pack 4K CMOS imagers, there are some major differences -- the higher-end PMW-F55 has a global shutter, wider color gamut and can capture 4k, 2k or HD video internally, while the PMW-F5 records 2k and HD natively with a rolling shutter (4k requires an optional RAW recorder, as discussed below).

    Depending on the level of quality you want, there are several ways to capture video to each camcorder. MPEG-4 H.264 video or Sony's SR MPEG-4 SStP can be recorded onto Sony's new SxS PRO+ media, or if RAW quality is desired, there's the new AXS-R5 Access Memory System for 2K / 4K RAW capture -- which will also work with the current NEX-FS700. Using the latter system, the PMW-F5 is capable of grabbing up to 120fps slow motion RAW HD video, while the PMW-F55 can capture 240fps at 2k, putting it squarely in Epic-X territory. The new camcorders will arrive in February 2013, and while Sony hasn't outed pricing yet, it'll likely be well under the flagship 4k CineAlta F65's formidable $65k sticker. Check the PR after the break to get the entire technical skinny.

    Sony F5 / F55 pro camcorders
    Sony F5 / F55 pro camcorders
    Show full PR text

    Sony grows large sensor camera family with new 4K camera systems

    New PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 Models -- Plus New PL Lenses, Battery, RAW recorder , Viewfinders, and Recording Media -- Expand Sony's Line of End-to-End 4K Acquisition Solutions

    Basingstoke, 30 October 2012 – Sony is unveiling two new CineAlta™ 4K cameras, complemented by a full line-up of new accessories. The new cameras, the PMW-F55 and PMW-F5, fill a critical gap in large-sensor acquisition between Sony's PMW-F3 camcorder and its F65 CineAlta Premium 4K camera, giving content creators new levels of flexibility and creative options for HD, 2K or 4K acquisition and production.

    With a modular and compact design for easy configuration, each camera features a new type of 4K Super 35mm image sensor with a 4096 x 2160 resolution (11.6M total pixels).

    The 20 megapixel F65 remains the flagship of Sony's large sensor camera family. The 8K sensor-equipped F65 continues to evolve, with new features designed for the most demanding high-end imaging applications. These features include a new high frame rate mode for 4K RAW recording at 120P to deliver stunning 4K images with super smooth slow motion capabilities, and image capture using the SR codec at 12-bits. Future updates to the F65 will deliver 6K de-mosaicing, along with other major new features.

    New PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 Cameras

    The new PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 CineAlta 4K cameras deliver unprecedented creative options for HD/2K*/QFHD*/4K (PMW-F55) and 2K*/HD (PMW-F5) production. Both offer multi-codec support featuring Sony's new XAVC MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format, the SR codec (MPEG4 SStP) and the
    industry-standard High Definition XDCAM 50Mbps 4:2:2 codec. In-camera recording is on Sony's New SxS media, SxS PRO+ (Plus ) – which can be used to record XAVC in HD High Frame Rate and in 4K at up to 60fps (in the PMW-F55), and XAVC HD High Frame Rate in the PMW-F5.

    In addition to on-board recording onto SxS PRO+, the PMW-F55 and PMW- F5 can also be connected to the new AXS-R5 RAW recorder. Slow-motion imagery at up to 240fps** (PMW- F55) and up to 120fps** (PMW- F5) can be captured as 4K RAW files on newly developed AXS memory.

    The PMW-F55 features a global shutter to eliminate rolling shutter skew and flash band, and features a wider colour gamut for exceptional colour reproduction. The cameras are further distinguished by wide (14 stops) exposure latitude, high sensitivity, and low noise.

    New Options for Monitoring

    The PMW-F55 can connect to the new 4K 30-inch LCD monitor, PVM-X300, using four 3G-SDI interfaces to monitor pictures at 4096x2160 resolution at up to 60p, while recording and playing back XAVC 4K images. Similarly, it is also possible to connect directly to the 84" BRAVIA 4K LED TV for large-screen monitoring of the camera's 4K 60P images (at resized horizontal resolution of 3860 pixels).

    PL Lens System – The Second Generation

    The PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 cameras continue Sony's efforts to offer the most flexible lens options. A PL-mount lets users choose cinematic lenses from suppliers such as Angénieux, ARRI, Canon, Carl Zeiss, Cooke, FUJIFILM and Leica.

    Sony is also launching a second generation of cost-effective PL mount prime lenses. Each is certified for 4K capture, and is designed to minimize geometric distortion, vignetting and breathing. A 9-blade iris delivers beautiful bokehs and the focus rings rotate 240°. The new lens series includes focal lengths of 20, 25, 35, 50, 85 and 135 mm. For easy lens changes, each has the same T2.0 aperture, the same external diameter, matte box diameter, and gear locations for follow focus and aperture. All are the same height except for the 135 mm lens.

    Shooters can use stills lenses by removing the supplied PL-mount adaptor to reveal the native FZ mount. This makes it easy to accept commercially available adaptors for third-party lenses, including Canon® EF, Canon FD, Nikon® DX, Nikon G, Leica® M and even 2/3-inch B4 lenses. A third option is the use of Sony FZ-Mount lenses with auto focus servo zoom (model SCL-Z18X140.)

    Viewfinders

    Using a new digital interface, PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 users can take advantage of a new series of high-quality OLED and LCD viewfinders. The DVF-EL100 OLED viewfinder measures 0.7-inches with 1280 x 720 HD resolution, superb brightness, contrast and response. The DVF-L350 3.5-inch LCD viewfinder offers 10 times the contrast of previous Sony LCD viewfinders, with a flip-up eyepiece for direct monitoring. A third option is the full HD DVF-L700. This compact 7-inch LCD viewfinder enables high resolution when shooting in 2K and 4K, with pixel-to-pixel 1920 x 1080 representation of HD images.

    New RAW Recording System

    Sony is also unveiling the AXSM™ Access Memory System for 2K*/4K RAW recording, based on Sony's unique recording technology. Optimised for this new platform is the AXSM memory card (512 GB capacity, model AXS-512S24), using the generic file system exFAT. Users can record 4K RAW data up to 60 fps and 2K RAW up to 240 fps**, with a 300MB/s sustained transfer speed. PC-friendly operation is enabled through use of the AXS-CR1 card reader, offering a USB 3.0 interface for high speed transfer.

    Additionally, the new AXS-R5 RAW recorder directly docks onto the PMW-F5 and PMW-F55, for an extremely elegant and compact recording system for 2K** and 4K RAW recording.

    New Recording Media

    The cameras support Sony's new high-speed, enhanced versions of its SxS PRO memory cards: the "SxS PRO+(PLUS)" series (in 128 and 64 GB capacities, models SBP-128B and SBP-64B). Based on the format long used in Sony's XDCAM EX camcorders, the cards support XAVC 4K and XAVC HD high frame rate recording, and can be directly inserted into the cameras.

    New Battery and Charger

    The PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 cameras take advantage of Sony's new BP-FL75 battery pack, which uses Olivine-Lithium Iron Phosphate-instead of conventional Lithium Ion cathodes. The result is a substantial increase in charge-discharge cycles, compared to previous Sony batteries. The Olivine battery works with Sony's BC-L90 quick charger. The new battery supports outstanding mobility for on-set shooting enabling two times higher speed charging than current chargers and a maximum 150 minutes of consecutive shooting.

    The PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 cameras are also compatible with Sony's BP-GL95A, GL65A, L80S and L60S batteries, which use the BC-L70 and L160 chargers.

    Shoulder Rig

    Delivering advances in ergonomics specifically requested by cinematographers, the PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 feature Sony's newest shoulder rig for extra stability and comfort. The rig is sturdy, lightweight and uses industry-standard rosettes on both sides for quick and easy attachment of third-party hand grips and other accessories.

    Pricing and Availability

    The new cameras are scheduled to be available in February 2013, with suggested list pricing to be announced. For more information, visit www.pro.sony.eu/pro/product/f55 or www.pro.sony.eu/pro/product/f5.
    * 2K/QFHD for PMW-F55 and 2K for PMW-F5 will be available with firmware version up.
    **High frame rate higher than 60fps will be available with firmware version up.

    Alliance for Wireless Power approves its specification, edges closer to truly cable-free charging

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 10:13 PM PDT

    Alliance for Wireless Power

    Design by committee might not be the death knell for technology after all. Over four months after the Alliance for Wireless Power was founded in earnest, the coalition has already greenlit a specification for its partners to work from. The guideline lets device makers start building devices that charge through a magnetic resonance technology more forgiving of distance and material than Qi while simplifying the process through short-range wireless formats like Bluetooth 4.0. While the A4WP group hasn't made all the details public, it's holding meetings this week to speed up the commercialization process -- it's here that we'll learn whether the corporate bureaucracy is just as quick at getting wireless charging hardware into our hands as it is handshaking on standards.

    Show full PR text

    Alliance for Wireless Power Rolls Out Flexible Wireless Power Specification

    - Will support simultaneous charging of multiple devices with different power requirements

    FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), a global and independently operated consortium focused on bringing wireless power to the consumer electronics marketplace, today announced that the technical working committee has approved a more flexible wireless power specification that will allow consumers to charge their mobile devices on a variety of compatible surfaces.

    "The Alliance for Wireless Power and its members have been focused on creating a more flexible wireless power specification that sets the stage for formal standardization in the future," said Dr. Kamil A. Grajski, president of the A4WP. "Approval of the A4WP wireless power specification establishes a true path forward for the commercialization of wireless charging that will satisfy the needs of most consumers. A4WP and its members will now set their sights on building compliant wireless applications that can be integrated by key industries including automotive, furniture and retail."

    The A4WP specification is based on a concept of spatial freedom, which extends wireless power applications beyond the accessory or add-on market to fully integrated solutions in the device as well as surfaces such as furniture and automobiles. The A4WP specification brings a number of unique benefits to the wireless charging ecosystem.

    * For consumers, the A4WP specification supports simultaneous charging of multiple devices with various power requirements such as handsets, Bluetooth headsets, MP3 players, GPS devices and mobile tablets
    * For industrial designers, the A4WP specification leverages a loosely coupled magnetic resonance technology and provides more flexibility for charging applications to be installed into automobiles, furniture and other surfaces
    * For the consumer electronics industry, the A4WP specification takes advantage of broadly adopted wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth 4.0, which will allow manufacturers to minimize hardware requirements

    "We know from our own global research that wireless power is an attractive feature for consumers. But to see it proliferate into our mobile devices, into our cars or at our favorite coffee shop, the industry must see that it can be practically integrated into many different devices and charging surfaces," said Steve Pazol, vice president of business development at Qualcomm. "The A4WP specification gives integrators and manufacturers that clear path forward to integrate wireless charging into almost any type of mobile device or surface."

    "Today's consumer is often running around with multiple mobile devices, and it's clear that wireless charging technology will become critical to powering these devices as they advance further," said KiHo Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics. "We endorse the A4WP specification because it is designed from the ground up to support this multi-device lifestyle and gives consumers the best available wireless charging experience."

    A4WP members will meet October 30 and 31 in Dallas to discuss strategies to bring wireless charging technology to mobile consumers and the mass consumer electronics marketplace. The two-day program will include briefings on technical specifications, certification procedures and global regulatory considerations.

    Nokia Lumia 920 ships first to Rogers, makes Canadians the world's vanguards for $100 (update: still very exclusive)

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 09:10 PM PDT

    Nokia Lumia 920 Rogers

    What, did you think Americans or Europeans would get the first crack at the Lumia 920? Continuing a recent pattern of Canadians getting devices first, Rogers has confirmed that some of its stores will have Nokia's flagship Windows Phone 8 hardware in stock on October 30th -- that's almost immediately, folks. If you call and find you're near one of the choice few shops carrying the 920, it will cost you either $100 Canadian on a lengthy 3-year contract or $550 outright to walk away with Microsoft's poster child. Nearly the only drawbacks to being a pioneer are the black-only color choice (sorry, still no patriotic red) and Rogers' current lock on the initial launch, although Microsoft's own mention of the Lumia coming to Rogers "and others" gives us hope that Bell and Telus will follow soon. It's a small price to pay for making even the Finns slightly jealous.

    Update: Surprise -- Rogers caught the Microsoft page for itself and says the hint of non-exclusivity was a mistake that's being corrected. We don't know if the carrier has a permanent exclusive, but we'd tentatively go shopping for a Samsung ATIV S on Telus if you're looking for a high-end Windows Phone on another Canadian network.

    ZTE's U950 shows how Tegra 3 phone is done under $160

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 08:00 PM PDT

    ZTE's U950 shows how Tegra 3 phone is done under $160

    This might not be the $199 Tegra 3 tablet that NVIDIA's keen to see, but hey, a 999 yuan ($160) quad-core phone is just as impressive. Unveiled in China earlier today, this ZTE U950 smartphone packs a 1.3GHz Tegra 3 chip, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 2,000mAh battery beneath the 4.3-inch display. There's also a five-megapixel camera plus a VGA front-facing camera inside the 9mm-thick body. Pretty standard stuff for an Android 4.0 phone, except for the price-per-performance ratio, of course. The first 100,000 customers who register now will be eligible to order on November 11th, though chances are the quota's all gone by now.

    Chrome Remote Desktop comes out of beta, adds real-time audio feed for Windows users

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 07:11 PM PDT

    Chrome Remote Desktop comes out of beta, adds functionality to Chromebooks

    After a year of living in beta, Chrome Remote Desktop is finally ready for primetime. Similar to other screen sharing services like LogMeIn and Splashtop, Chrome Remote Desktop lets you access other computers remotely. Of course, it is special to the Chrome browser, and by extension, the Chrome OS. The latest version of the app adds a couple of new features like a real-time audio feed for Windows users and the ability to copy-and-paste between remote and local computers. You can use this with any Chrome browser of course, but it could prove especially useful for those with Chromebooks, as you can easily communicate with a presumably storage-laden home PC while still toting around a lightweight notebook.

    Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 06:28 PM PDT

    Steve Ballmer makes his triumphant return to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, this time with less Crazy Eddie video

    The last time we saw Steve Ballmer star in a commercial for Microsoft, he was extolling the virtues of a 286-based PC running the glory that was Windows 1.0 -- in 1986. You can imagine the surprise we got 26 years later when Microsoft premiered an ad featuring the now-CEO during its Windows Phone 8 event. If you were expecting that same kind of unbridled enthusiasm Crazy Eddie once used to hawk underpriced TVs, you may be either pleased or disappointed. It's a very level-headed and well-spoken Ballmer this time around, with the executive calmly highlighting the advice he gets through his HTC Windows Phone 8X from people like his wife and a certain Billy G. Besides evoking nostalgia, the pitch is an illustration of what Windows Phone's live tiles can do as well as a reflection of Microsoft coming full circle -- as it was two decades ago, Redmond is fighting for market attention at a time when new interface concepts are challenging its main business. We're just glad there's fewer plaid business suits in 2012.

    Google Nexus 4 hands-on (video)

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 05:45 PM PDT

    Google Nexus 4 handson

    So here it is at last, the Nexus 4. After countless leaks we finally got a chance to put our dirty little paws on Google and LG's lovechild. The verdict? It's simply phenomenal. By combining the nicest elements of the Optimus G with the latest iteration of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2) the two companies have created something that's better than the sum of its parts. Like its cousin, the Nexus 4 is built around Qualcomm's speedy 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdradon S4 Pro SoC with Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB of RAM. Storage comes in 8GB and 16GB flavors with no microSD expansion. It features the same lovely 4.7-inch 1280x768-pixel non-PenTile IPS display but sheds LTE support for an unlocked pentaband DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps) radio and wireless charging. On the camera front the Nexus 4 inherits the Optimus G's optional eight-megapixel BSI sensor and f/2.4 autofocus lens, instead of the fancier 13 MP shooter. WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, NFC and Miracast round up the spec sheet, and a sealed 2100mAh Li-polymer battery completes the package.

    Aesthetically, the Nexus 4 blends aspects of the Optimus G and Galaxy Nexus designs, with a glass-covered back and rounded-off top and bottom edges. This phone looks and feels great -- materials and build quality are much improved over last year's handset. At 9.1mm (0.36 inches) thin and 131g (0.31 pounds), it's also very comfortable in hand. Most of the controls are unchanged from its cousin -- you'll find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and secondary mic on top, a volume rocker and micro-SIM tray on the left, a micro-USB port and primary mic on the bottom, and a power / lock button on the right side. The Optimus G's capacitive keys give way to on-screen buttons and the RGB notification light moves below the screen (from its former position near the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera). Overall we're really impressed with the Nexus 4, and that's just from playing with the hardware. Sadly, we spent very little time exploring the software, which includes a plethora of improvements, so keep an eye out for the details in our full review.

    You'll be able to purchase the Nexus 4 unlocked in the Play Store starting November 13th for $299 (8GB), $349 (16GB) or $199 with a two-year contract on T-Moble (16GB). Until then, check out the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video.

    Google Nexus 4 hands-on

    Brad Molen contributed to this report.

    Google Nexus 10 hands-on (video)

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT

    Nexus 10 handson

    The Samsung-made Nexus 10 just landed in our hands, and we had a little time to take it for a spin. It's no secret that this particular tablet is ready for some serious hand-to-hand combat against the iPad, possessing a rather stunning set of components and solid build quality. First, let's go over the laundry list of specs. The Nexus 10 has a dual-core 1.7GHz dual-core Exynos 5250 under the hood -- these are Cortex-A15 processors -- as well as a Mali T604 GPU and 2GB RAM. There's little doubt in our minds that this is more than sufficient to please power users, especially now that we've had some time to see how incredibly speedy everything is. We were even more impressed than we had anticipated, as the tablet features some of the most detailed and smoothest graphics we've seen.

    Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Nexus 10 offers a 2,560 x 1,600 display, which equates to just over 300ppi. For comparison, the new iPad packs a 2,048 x 1,536 panel for a pixel density of 264. Numbers are just numbers, of course, but the "True RGB Real Stripe PLS" screen is definitely one of the nicest we've gazed upon. Pixelation was nearly non-existent, viewing angles were great and colors were amazingly vibrant. It's also supported with Gorilla Glass 2.

    There's plenty to say and see, so check out our gallery below and head past the break for a video and more impressions.

    Google Nexus 10 hands-on

    Rounding out the hardware specs, the Nexus 10 has plenty to keep us intrigued: stereo speakers (both front-facing), dual NFC (yes, two), a five-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video recording and 1.9MP front-facing cam with 720p, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band WiFi b/g/n (MIMO + HT40), a full 9,000mAh lithium-polymer battery that Google promises will deliver nine hours of video playback and 500 hours of standby. It's thinner and lighter than an iPad, registering at 8.9mm thick and 21.2 ounces (603g), but it doesn't seem to be cheaply built -- in fact, its soft-touch finish felt quite sturdy and solid to us. We also liked its rounded corners and slight curves. On the flipside, however, it's a huge fingerprint magnet, and we had a difficult time lasting more than a few seconds before cluttering both sides of the tablet with our fingerprints.

    Looking at software, the Nexus 10 runs the newly announced Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which provides plenty of new features like quick settings, more Google Now features, Photo Sphere, widgets on the lock screen, the ability for devs to add maps into their tablet-optimized apps, a screen saver-style photo viewer called Daydream and a music explorer that quickly finds artists similar to the ones you're listening to. The stock keyboard also offers Swype-style typing and even throws in an extra bullet point for good measure: as you drag your finger from letter to letter, a box pops up showing you the word you're currently typing.

    The button layout is also different, as it uses the standard three capacitive buttons for navigation instead of the special tablet-specific menus found in Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich. Quick settings can also be accessed by pulling it down from the top right portion of the screen, whereas the notifications menu is hidden in the top left.

    Multi-user support is another new feature for Android 4.2, and while it's restricted to tablet use for now, it's one of our favorite additions to the new firmware. A toggle switch is easily accessible in the quick settings menu, and when pressed, you're taken to a lock screen similar to a login screen similar to what you'd see on a PC or Mac. Choose the user, swipe to unlock and you're in. Just as you'd expect, apps can be downloaded to specific users, keeping each account completely unique -- but if another user wants the same app, it's easy enough to just install it, since it's technically already on the tablet. Even when multiple users share an app, however, you are still able to keep your settings individualized.

    Lastly, the Nexus 10 is quite reasonable when it comes to pricing, considering what you're getting. Available starting November 13th, the 16GB version will be offered on the Play Store for $399, while the 32GB model will be $499.

    Myriam Joire contributed to this hands-on.

    AUO builds cellphone display with 'world's thinnest border'

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:38 PM PDT

    DNP Auo

    Is that 3mm bezel getting you down? AUO says it has created the "world's narrowest" smartphone border on a new 4.46-inch 720P touch display -- just a single millimeter in width. That would put it in the same league as LG's Cinema Screen TVs, but in a smaller form factor, allowing manufacturers to reduce handset sizes without losing screen area. In related news, AUO also says it's developing Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle (AHVA) tech, along with small form-factor IGZO displays, and that it's started shipping 4.97-inch 1920 x 1080, 443ppi screens. If all that means we have to squint less at our display, let the pixel density wars rage on.

    Show full PR text

    AUO Presents World's Narrowest Border on 4.46-inch Panel Integration Technology

    Ultra high resolution, ultra wide viewing angle and super narrow border technologies to reveal a whole new world of vision for mobile device displays

    AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), today announced the world's narrowest border (*) on its 4.46-inch cell phone and touch panel integration technology. AUO's proprietary super narrow border technology and low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) method are applied to reduce the border width to just 1mm when touch panel is placed on the module surface, allowing the screen to appear in its largest at the cell phone's display area. In addition, AMOLED, IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) and AHVA (Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle) technologies are being developed by AUO to constantly drive the trends for ultra high resolution, ultra wide viewing angle and super narrow border technologies.

    "As portable smart devices become prevalent and the size of mobile displays grow larger, audio-video entertainment, interactive games and content downloading have emerged at the top of consumers' demand list," said Mr. T.K. Wu, AUO's VP & GM of Mobile Solutions Business Group. "AUO proactively develops the latest technologies including AMOLED and IGZO and excels by introducing ultra high resolution, ultra wide viewing angle and super narrow border technologies. Mobile devices in the future will become lighter and smaller, color and image quality will also be all the more impressive, offering customers even more innovative solutions to choose from."

    AUO has successfully developed AHVA panels ranging from 3 inches to 15.6 inches and has included them to a full array of mobile device applications, such as digital camera, smartphone, e-reader, car display, tablet and Ultrabook. AUO's 4.97-inch Full HD AHVA Mobile Display, which has entered mass production, is made with LTPS process and has full HD resolution of 1080x1920 (443ppi). The display is to satiate consumers' ultimate quest for exquisite image quality.

    Industry-Leading Ultra High Resolution, Super Narrow Border and Ultra Wide Viewing Angle Technologies

    AUO is the first to present the world's narrowest border on its 4.46-inch cell phone and touch panel integration technology, with a high resolution of HD720 and the width of mere 1mm from display area to touch panel border, maximizing the display area available. Image and video content appear larger in frame size, and also better in quality.

    With the resolution of current OLED panels ranging from 200 to 300ppi, AUO reveals 4.65-inch AMOLED panel technology which employs the Company's proprietary pixel design with resolution as high as 317ppi. The panel is capable of exhibiting sharper quality for texts, and refined and realistic image property. Meanwhile, power could be saved to prolong the OLED lifetime.

    AUO is also introducing its ultra-slim high resolution 10-inch panel technology with application to tablets. The IGZO method is adopted to achieve a high resolution of 2560x1600, which delicately demonstrates the fineness and details of the image. With transmittance increased by 12% and thickness of the backlight unit reduced by 60% (as compared to conventional models), the panel is only 1.5mm thick and saves more power. The features herald the trend towards power-saving slim displays with high resolution.

    * Based on the available market research information as of October 29, 2012.

    AMD promises 64-bit ARM-based Opteron server CPUs coming in 2014

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 04:04 PM PDT

    AMD promises 64-bit ARM-based Opteron server CPUs coming in 2014

    AMD has long stuck to x86 architecture for its server processors, but its gearing up to add 64-bit ARM-based Opteron CPUs to its arsenal in 2014. Sunnyvale also plans to reap the fruits of its SeaMicro acquisition by employing the company's "fabric" tech to link its ARM-based processors in clusters for maximizing efficiency. Where might these new processors come in handy? AMD thinks they'll fit nicely into clouds and "mega data centers" thanks to their power efficiency, but it'll let its x86-based hardware do the heavier lifting such as video encoding and rendering. Other details on the CPUs are scarce, but we suspect that'll change as 2014 approaches.

    Show full PR text

    AMD Changes Compute Landscape as the First to Bridge Both x86 and ARM Processors for the Data Center

    Company to Complement x86-based Offerings with New Processors Based on ARM 64-bit Technology, Starting with Server Market

    SUNNYVALE, Calif. -10/29/2012
    In a bold strategic move, AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced that it will design 64-bit ARM® technology-based processors in addition to its x86 processors for multiple markets, starting with cloud and data center servers. AMD's first ARM technology-based processor will be a highly-integrated, 64-bit multicore System-on-a-Chip (SoC) optimized for the dense, energy-efficient servers that now dominate the largest data centers and power the modern computing experience. The first ARM technology-based AMD Opteron™ processor is targeted for production in 2014 and will integrate the AMD SeaMicro Freedom™ supercompute fabric, the industry's premier high-performance fabric.

    AMD's new design initiative addresses the growing demand to deliver better performance-per-watt for dense cloud computing solutions. Just as AMD introduced the industry's first mainstream 64-bit x86 server solution with the AMD Opteron processor in 2003, AMD will be the only processor provider bridging the x86 and 64-bit ARM ecosystems to enable new levels of flexibility and drive optimal performance and power-efficiency for a range of enterprise workloads.

    "AMD led the data center transition to mainstream 64-bit computing with AMD64, and with our ambidextrous strategy we will again lead the next major industry inflection point by driving the widespread adoption of energy-efficient 64-bit server processors based on both the x86 and ARM architectures," said Rory Read, president and chief executive officer, AMD. "Through our collaboration with ARM, we are building on AMD's rich IP portfolio, including our deep 64-bit processor knowledge and industry-leading AMD SeaMicro Freedom supercompute fabric, to offer the most flexible and complete processing solutions for the modern data center."

    "The industry needs to continuously innovate across markets to meet customers' ever-increasing demands, and ARM and our partners are enabling increasingly energy-efficient computing solutions to address these needs," said Warren East, chief executive officer, ARM. "By collaborating with ARM, AMD is able to leverage its extraordinary portfolio of IP, including its AMD Freedom supercompute fabric, with ARM 64-bit processor cores to build solutions that deliver on this demand and transform the industry."

    The explosion of the data center has brought with it an opportunity to optimize compute with vastly different solutions. AMD is providing a compute ecosystem filled with choice, offering solutions based on AMD Opteron x86 CPUs, new server-class Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) that leverage Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA), and new 64-bit ARM-based solutions.

    This strategic partnership with ARM represents the next phase of AMD's strategy to drive ambidextrous solutions in emerging mega data center solutions. In March, AMD announced the acquisition of SeaMicro, the leader in high-density, energy-efficient servers. With this announcement, AMD will integrate the AMD SeaMicro Freedom fabric across its leadership AMD Opteron x86- and ARM technology-based processors that will enable hundreds, or even thousands of processor clusters to be linked together to provide the most energy-efficient solutions.

    "Over the past decade the computer industry has coalesced around two high-volume processor architectures – x86 for personal computers and servers, and ARM for mobile devices," observed Nathan Brookwood, research fellow at Insight 64. "Over the next decade, the purveyors of these established architectures will each seek to extend their presence into market segments dominated by the other. The path on which AMD has now embarked will allow it to offer products based on both x86 and ARM architectures, a capability no other semiconductor manufacturer can likely match."

    Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 03:20 PM PDT

    Windows 8 upgrade diary: a defiantly successful installation

    Nothing's nicer than a happy ending. Except maybe a happy beginning, which is precisely what you're looking at above -- Microsoft's new OS captured in all its glory within minutes of completing the installation. What's more, if you saw the first part of this upgrade diary, then you'll know I was aiming for a trickier-than-average setup, with Windows 8 Pro running on a brand new and untouched SSD, alongside Windows 7 Ultimate running in dual-boot mode on my old HDD. As it turned out, this configuration was a breeze -- so long as I totally ignored the Getting Started instructions that came in the box. Read on if you'd like to know more.


    DNP Windows 8 upgrade diary a defiantly successful installation

    My problems started and finished with Microsoft's assumption that I wanted a regular in-place installation, effectively replacing Windows 7 on the same drive and partition. This assumption underlies (and undermines) the advice on the single-page Welcome pamphlet that comes in the box, which told me to run the Windows 8 disc from within my current OS. I gave this a shot, but it never once offered me the option of a custom or advanced installation to a drive partition of my choice, so I eventually hit "Cancel" and tried a different tack: booting from the Windows 8 disc itself.

    This initially looked like a dead-end, because after booting the disc simply threw a Windows logo onto two of my three monitors and hung there. I tried this three times with the same result, until being ordered to take out the trash -- an inconvenience which rescued me, since when I came back after about five minutes I found evidence of movement on the screen. The disc was finally working!

    This new setup program immediately saw that I had an empty and idle 240GB drive (already formatted as NTFS using Windows 7's stock disc management utility) and allowed me to install Windows 8 there. The next thing I knew, I was looking at a lovely Windows 8 personalization screen. There was no Internet connection, which made my Belkin N300 USB WiFi adapter the only piece of hardware that needed to be re-installed from its CD before I had a basically operational system.

    And what a system! It's super-fast running off my SSD, and seeing as most of my Engadget workflow is cloud-based anyway, I was able to install just a couple of browsers and applications and then get right to work. The next episode in this journal will cover personalizing and learning the new OS, which will definitely be the most exciting part of this upgrade process -- not least because much of what happens at this stage will be linked to my Microsoft ID and will therefore carry over to other Windows 8 devices I work with in the future. Upgrading my Trinity-powered HTPC is also high on my to-do list, and will give me a chance to do some benchmark comparisons, since switching the OS will be the only variable on that machine. Anyway, that's it for now -- I'm off to download me some Catalyst drivers.

    (My current rig, for the record: a Sandy Bridge i5 running on a Gigabyte Z68 motherboard; NZXT Switch 810 case; Gelid Tranquillo Rev. 2 cooler; Seasonic 600-watt PSU; Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 7970; 8GB Crucial XMS3 RAM; ASUS Xonar Phoebus sound card; three 1080p ViewSonic VX2336S LED monitors; 240GB SanDisk Extreme primary drive; 1TB 5,400 rpm media drive.)

    Google removes Nexus Q from landing page, further distances itself from a curious launch

    Posted: 29 Oct 2012 02:59 PM PDT

    Google removes Nexus Q from landing page, distances itself further from a curious launch

    Google had already yanked the "In Stock" status from its Nexus Q as we awaited a re-envisioning of its purpose, but today's Nexus launch is making it ever clearer that we may never hear from the bizarre orb again. Launched in July with an almost unbelievably small set of features, it took but a few weeks for Google to postpone the proper launch while sending free units to those who pre-ordered. Now, its placement on the Nexus landing page has been removed entirely, with the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 roaming the page alone. The Q's placement in the Play Store remains, but an ominous "This device is not for sale at this time" message accompanies it. Google had not returned a request for comment at the time of this article's publication, but we'll update should we hear back.

    Update: Google returned a comment, but it's certainly not much to go on: "We don't have anything to share at this time."
    at 11:20 AM

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