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- Acer CloudMobile review: an ambitious Android phone that arrived a little too late
- Sprint adding Spotify Premium to carrier billing for Android customers starting November 11th
- Samsung Galaxy Beam review: stay for the projector, but nothing more
- TI-84 calculator with color screen surfaces, geeks giddy with anticipation
- Hisense T770 takes thin-bezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800
- Intel's NUC mini-PC internals exposed, available for around $300 in early December
- Microsoft's November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches
- Google services grind to a halt in China, political transition suspected as the culprit
- Sony ships Xperia advance to the US, offers unlocked ruggedness for $300 or less
- ARM chief tosses Moore's Law out with the trash, says efficiency rules all
- NASA building Space Launch System with laser melting, adapts 3D printing for the skies (video)
- Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video)
- Jelly Bean update starts rolling out to Verizon's Droid RAZR M
- Apple gives App Store categories their own highlights, lets niche apps have 15 minutes of fame
- ASUS, Google offer monetary compensation for Nexus 7 tablets bought before price drop
- PSA: Get your Windows Phone 8 from AT&T starting today
- Mac mini review (2012)
| Acer CloudMobile review: an ambitious Android phone that arrived a little too late Posted: 10 Nov 2012 10:30 AM PST
More InfoIt's been a while since we last took a look at a smartphone from Acer. Today's offering -- the S500 CloudMobile -- however, might not be all that unfamiliar, having first met our eyes way back at MWC in spring. This time around Acer presents us with a leaner, slicker, much more design-conscious handset, one that isn't just about the pretty looks, either. With a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera and a 720p display, all for £289 SIM-free, it's pitched against similarly specced phones like the HTC One S. In short, it's yet another alternative for people seeking a full-featured smartphone, except it comes without the pocket-draining price tag. More importantly for Acer, however, is the chance to get back onto people's smartphone radars. So, now that the CloudMobile has gently drifted over our shores, does it have us looking to the sky, or putting on our raincoats of indifference? Read on to find out. Hardware
The CloudMobile has already enjoyed a rare Engadget accolade: we were so intrigued by it in Barcelona that we felt compelled to take a second look. The phone, which won an iF Product Design award, has a memorable look and feel, with Acer opting for a combination of sharp corners, curved sides and a dimpled matte back that contrasts nicely with the flat, glossy front face. Materials-wise, it's made of plastic but still manages to feel solid -- the kind of build quality we're used to seeing in Samsung's handsets. In fact, when this editor placed it in the same pocket as a Galaxy Nexus, the similar texture on the two phones made the two indistinguishable by feel. The dimpled battery cover not only provides some much-needed personality, it also makes it easier to grip. The metallic accents around the mic and top speaker grille add some visual interest as well. Regardless of whether you think this deserved the iF Product Design award, this is clearly is a handsome phone -- one that won't suffer a case of mistaken identity. The display measures in at 4.3 inches, which should make the CloudMobile easy for most people to grip. In a world where phone screens are getting larger and larger it seems Acer has opted to make its product fit in as many hands (and pockets) as possible. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold, and yet we never felt we were making concessions on screen size. This might -- in theory -- lend itself to easy use with one hand, but the placement of the power / standby button on the upper-left edge requires a modicum of dexterity for right-handers. It's only your index finger you'll need to train to reach that far, though, as the volume rocker sits more comfortably on the right-hand side, with the rest of the input happening onscreen. That leaves the USB port, mic and headphone jack as the only other openings along the edges. (Note: there's no dedicated camera button, but the volume rocker will perform this role in camera mode.) Those edges also create a slight lip around the display, no doubt making it a bit more scratch-resistant when you place it face-down.
The overall design is eye-catching enough, but that screen is what's bound to capture your attention. Acer describes it as an HD720 IPS LCD, which means, of course, that it has 1,280 x 720 pixels. We, on the other hand, would describe it as a bit of a corker. It really is bright, clear and wonderful to look at. Colors are crisp and the whole image just pops. This isn't surprising given that its screen density of 342 ppi bests other current flagships like the iPhone 5 and Nexus 4. Some of this "pop" has to do with the manufacturing technique used: Acer presses the glass up against the digitizer, eliminating any air. The screen is viewable from a broad range of viewing angles, even in direct sunlight. Images and photos are reproduced faithfully with dark blacks and no hint of saturation. Look past that exterior, and you'll find some respectable innards. It might not be the quad-core monster you were hoping for, but the 1.5GHz dual-core chip keeps itself busy without causing any apparent problems -- that is to say, we were never caught cursing its performance. All told, it should be more than adequate for most people, but we'll elaborate on that later once we throw the phone to the benchmark lions. As for the 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, these are fairly pedestrian specs these days, but the option to augment the storage capacity using a microSD card should come as a relief to many people. To get at the SD slot, you'll need to pop off the back cover, where you'll also find the micro-SIM slot and 1,460mAh battery. The rest of the non-radio hardware is made up of a front "HD" (0.9-megapixel) camera and that rear 8-megapixel shooter, along with Dolby Mobile 3 sound enhancement and DLNA. The unit we've been testing supports quad-band GSM / GPRS /EDGE and UMTS / HSPA+, as well as 802.11b/g/n, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. Performance and battery life
You can see right away that the CloudMobile gives HTC's One X a good chase on most of our regular tests -- in fact, it bests it on several of them, including Quadrant. There's not a lot of bragging rights left over for Xperia TL owners with Acer's plucky upstart holding its ground against Sony's flagship. Ah, you say, but with only a 1,460mAh battery to keep the CloudMobile on the road, it probably dies halfway through the day. As it happens, that's not the case. In our regular test (video looping, WiFi and 3G on, display brightness fixed, etc.) it managed a little over six hours. While this isn't exactly marathon territory, it's not a poor showing. With more casual use, the CloudMobile can hang in for almost two days, and that includes being kept on overnight. We know for our readers, though, light use is a rarity. We hear ya, but even then you'll be getting some average runtime to cover a regular day's use. As for data and downloading, based on the UK's O2 network, the CloudMobile regularly got faster speeds than the Galaxy Nexus when we performed side-by-side tests. The CloudMobile tended to get between 4 Mbps and 5 Mbps on our speed tests, while the Nexus peaked at 4 Mbps in the same areas. Voice calls on the other hand were crisp and clear. Audio in general is boosted by the Dolby support. When enjoying music with the phone, this feature really makes a difference. It's hard to gauge whether it's mainly down to the increase in volume it provides, but it's definitely a step up from the meeker sound without it. The small metal Dolby plate isn't just for branding, it also covers the loudspeaker. How does that speaker perform (when used for something busier than voice)? Well, if you're a fan of listening to music this way, you'll like the CloudMobile more than most. Sound is louder than on the Galaxy Nexus, but it's still just a tiny speaker, so don't expect much. The best thing about the audio is that you have more control over it than just a standard Android install. But the same inevitable limitations (e.g., where to put a better speaker?) are still ultimately there. Camera If it's numbers you're after, then for this section, the one you'll care about is eight. That's how many megapixels are crammed inside the camera sensor. But as you likely know, the number of pixels isn't the only measure of a camera's capabilities. In fact, sometimes, it can be a downright rotten one. In any case, what can it do with them? Well, before we get to that part, it's worth noting that even though the CloudMobile's software is fairly close to stock Android, there are some notable additions in the camera department. The main difference is the inclusion of some extra photo modes, with a choice of Panorama, HDR, Low Light and Continuous.
Panorama mode works surprisingly well, with a very simple and clear on-screen display that has you leading a blue ball along a horizontal line, into a central circle. Once you guide it there, it automatically takes the next photo until you tell it to stop. HDR and Low Light modes work as you might expect (i.e., all the magic happens behind the scenes), remaining active for just one photo before defaulting back to normal mode. This is helpful because it keeps you from leaving these modes on accidentally. Still, it's also a chore to activate every time if you happen to be taking a series of similar shots in the same place. Lastly, Continuous mode shoots 10 pictures in a row. There's no way to configure the interval, but it's handy for the occasional action shot, or if you want to be use a scatter-gun approach, and go back to choose the best one. It's worth mentioning that you can tap to focus, if the phone's own autofocus isn't homing in on what you want it to. In general, our sample shots were pleasing so long as light conditions were favorable -- we thankfully didn't notice any compression. When lighting conditions weren't so great, though, quality drifted to the fringes of acceptable.
SoftwareAs we've mentioned, Acer decided to mostly keep its sticky fingers out of the Android experience, which will please many users. While we're not against manufacturers adding a dash of spice and flair to the phone's software, it's much better when it's just a light dusting of features, rather than a heavy-handed attempt at making over the software. Fortunately, the team at Acer liberally sprinkled in a few unobtrusive treats that largely enhance -- or, at least, don't detract from -- the overall experience. As far as the bread-and-butter features go, it's all Android (4.0.4, in this case). The on-screen buttons, WiFi, battery and signal icons remain unchanged. The same is true for the app tray, home screens and core app icons (camera, browser and so on). In fact, you might not even spot the differences immediately. But when you do, the first will likely be the pull-down notification list. Unlike stock Android's slide-to-dismiss notifications, the CloudMobile has its own list, which can be discarded with "X" buttons. When in this screen, you might also notice that there are some quick access controls at the top. These allow you to dive right into the music player, notifier, quick settings (WiFi on / off, Mobile data, etc.) and the alarm clock. Another welcome addition are shortcuts on the lock screen. Press the stand-by button to wake the phone up, and you can either swipe to unlock, or press, then swipe, one of four icons along the bottom to be dropped straight into that app. These can be configured to applications of your choice by long pressing an empty location on the home screen. You might also be pleasantly surprised to find that Swype is installed out of the box, so if you're an ace with that, then you are good to go. If not, you can always turn it off, or install your own preferred keyboard. The last software function we're going to mention is the cloud piece -- you know, the set of features hinted at in the phone's name. Though the handset was clearly named after its cloud-connected services, this functionality actually has a rather low-profile place in the phone's software. Once opened, a pre-installed AcerCloud app will prompt you to register for an account. After you do that, you can set your phone to automatically sync photos, videos, music and documents across any other devices with the app installed. Currently, this is limited to Windows PCs and Android devices. The service works as expected: take a photo, and then it'll appear in your synced folder on other devices. From what we can tell, however, there's no way to view these files online via the browser, which seems like a key feature to be missing. It seems, therefore, that the feature is more about helping you sync your media across different devices. That's nice, but this functionality is already available in several different popular incarnations like Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox, among others -- none of which require a hardware buy-in. It's a shame that this feature wasn't more fleshed-out, but perhaps this is something Acer intends to build on with later releases. Wrap-up If it feels like we've kept the the lid on our enthusiasm throughout this review, well, we have. It's no surprise that a phone we first saw back in February isn't offering swoon-inducing specifications in November. However, there are a few occasions where excitement levels touch the red. That screen, for example, is a delight to look at, and some of the tweaks to Android are good enough that we'll miss them when we go back to our daily drivers. All told, it's a phone that just keeps calm and carries on. Most importantly, Acer has created a device that stands its ground against some pretty big competition. It's just that with Google's Nexus 4 newly on sale for about £50 less SIM-free, it's hard to find a reason to pick this over the other. If there's any consolation Acer can take from this, it's that it's a challenge other Android handset manufacturers are likely to face over the coming months. The big takeaway here is that Acer can deliver Android handsets worthy of your time -- it just needs to speed up the release cycle. Special thanks to Expansys for providing us with a review unit. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sprint adding Spotify Premium to carrier billing for Android customers starting November 11th Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST
A few months back Sprint's Android customers gained the option to charge Google Play purchases to their monthly wireless bill. In an effort to keep the carrier billing party going, the Now Network will soon be adding this option for Spotify Premium customers. An anonymous tipster has shared with us that starting on November 11th, Sprint's Android clientele will be able to add the music streaming service's $10 monthly charge to their bill. While we're sure that some customers will take advantage of this new option, we can't help but long for the good old days when people could bill a new phone to their account. Ah, Sprint giveth and taketh away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung Galaxy Beam review: stay for the projector, but nothing more Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST
With a seemingly endless stream of flagship phones hitting the market before the holiday season, it can be easy to forget some of the other devices that play a more niche audience. The Samsung Galaxy Beam definitely belongs in this category, as it includes a built-in Texas Instruments DLP pico projector. All told, the phone faces a lofty challenge: while the projector could be useful for the PowerPoint crowd, the phone itself falls on the lower end of mid-range, and isn't powerful enough to do business users much good otherwise. With a 1GHz dual-core NovaThor CPU, an overly outdated OS, a 2010-era display and a middling 5-megapixel camera, the Beam's target demographic appears to be ridiculously small. Still, might the projector be enough to carry this device to its full potential? Does a niche device like this have a place in such a crowded market? Read on to get in touch with our thoughts, feelings and emotions regarding the Samsung Galaxy Beam. Hardware The outside is a different story. The Galaxy Beam has a rugged, sporty look, with a black textured battery cover on the back and a large yellow stripe ringing the outside of the device. (Note: a white-and-grey option is also available in certain markets.) While we doubt it's actually as rough as your standard MIL-spec device, it's at least trying to give off the impression that it's not built with run-of-the-mill cheapo plastic. To its credit, it certainly has a solid feel, and its 124 x 64.2 x 12.5 mm (4.88 x 2.53 x 0.49 in) frame is small enough to ensure that the jaws of life wouldn't be able to relax your grip on the thing. At 5.11 ounces (145g), the phone isn't terribly heavy, but the projector still makes it weigh a bit more than your average 4-inch device. The star of the show is perched on the top edge of the phone, and its heft creates a bulge that pokes out the top of the battery cover. Let's give the designers some credit here: we figure it can't be easy to design a phone around a projector (or vice versa), and the team did a good job of somehow incorporating it into the chassis without turning it into an awkward mess. Yes, the phone is much thicker than what we're accustomed to, but it's still comfortable to grip. In fact, this may be a reason the company chose to stick with a 4-inch display -- we could definitely see the thickness becoming an issue on devices with larger screens. Accompanying the headphone port on the left side are the volume rocker and full-sized SIM slot. This is cause for another frustration, as most smartphones released in the second half of this year take advantage of micro-SIMs. If you sport a smaller SIM, you'll need to either swap it out for the super-size option or quickly find a $1 adapter. Be careful though: the SIM port's ejection mechanism can be a bit fickle (the cards go in just fine, but getting them out takes a little more effort), so avoid cheap plastic adapters that snap like twigs. The right side of the phone houses the projector on / off switch, the standard power button and microSD slot. The latter port can support cards up to 32GB, which is important to point out since you only get 8GB internal storage (which ultimately leads to less than 6GB that you can actually play with when all is said and done). A micro-USB charging port sits on the bottom of the phone. The back cover features a soft rubbery finish with a fine texture to offer some extra grip and keep fingerprints away. You'll also see the 5-megapixel camera and LED flash front and center, with the Samsung logo sitting directly underneath. The only other feature on the back is the speaker grille, which is slightly raised to keep the external speaker from being muffled. The back cover and accompanying 2,000mAh battery beneath are both removable. Projector Undoubtedly, the highlight of the Galaxy Beam -- and frankly its sole reason for even existing -- is the 15-lumen DLP nHD (640x360) pico projector built directly into the upper half of the device. Unconventional as it may seem to some, this isn't Samsung's first (or even second) time at the projector-phone rodeo; we've seen the manufacturer attempt this form factor with the AnyCall W7900 (aka the Haptic Beam), the AMOLED Beam W9600 and the original Galaxy Beam I8520. Of course, this is the best of the bunch, and the competitive landscape is virtually non-existent at the moment; most manufacturers haven't even bothered with this particular niche. (Warning: it likely goes without saying, but don't look directly into the projector when it's turned on.) The idea is that you can project movies and images up to 50 inches in size, and maintain its clarity for up to six feet away from the wall or ceiling you're projecting it onto. We were quite pleased with its overall performance: it maintained solid video quality and synced audio smoothly, so that everyone's voice came out at the exact time it was supposed to. The projector itself has adjustable brightness levels, although even at its brightest setting the projection was a little darker than what we saw on the screen. But that's to be expected -- the Galaxy Beam won't be replacing anybody's TV, but it still works well in a dark room (results are mixed in daylight). Also -- and this shouldn't come as a surprise -- but it's worth noting that the projector gets quite hot after extended use. If you're considering using the Beam as a TV substitute, we have some good news: we had no problem watching movies via third-party apps like Netflix, which means you can stream video with ease. There are also a few extra settings that Samsung has thrown into the dedicated projector app, such as a flashlight mode, a "quick pad" mode that lets you take screenshots of your screen and draw on it (ideal for presentations) and an ambience mode that lets you watch slideshows with music playing in the background. There's also a "visual presenter" that uses your phone's camera to act as an overhead projector. Software Think the hardware is a tough sell? The firmware isn't going to help convince you to purchase a Galaxy Beam either, since it's running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. As a quick reminder, this build of Google's mobile OS is about to celebrate its two-year anniversary. There's simply no excuse for a modern smartphone to be running an antiquated OS, even if it is an entry-level device. To be fair, Samsung's confirmed that Jelly Bean will come eventually, but the company hasn't given at ETA. It's quite possible we won't see an update until sometime next year. What you get on the Beam is the same standard-grade TouchWiz 4.0 UI that first shipped on the Galaxy S II. And since it's not tied to any specific carrier, you won't have to worry about any frustrating bloatware -- good thing, too, since it's not so easy to get rid of unwanted apps on Gingerbread. Worst-case scenario, this particular version of TouchWiz allows you to add folders into the standard app menu, so it's much easier to just tuck annoying apps out of the way so you don't have to see them. Camera Looking at the Beam's spec sheet, we're not surprised to see a 5-megapixel shooter and VGA front-facing camera. These are Samsung's go-to modules for lower-end smartphones, and we didn't really expect to see many breathtaking images come out of this phone as a result. Sure enough, our sample shots were okay, but if imaging is your thing you'll want to look to the manufacturer's higher-end options. Spec-wise, the camera has a focal length of 3.54mm and an f/2.6 aperture. In daylight, lighter colors were typically washed out, while the white balance appeared to favor a shift toward yellow. Detail wasn't much of a concern here, and we didn't notice any compression in our photos. Low-light images actually turned out well, so long as we used the dedicated low-light scene mode (standard and backlight shots won't do any good). Additionally, the LED flash enabled the camera to capture more color than we anticipated.
With a lower-res camera often comes lower-res video capture, with 1,280 x 720 being the best you can get here. All movies are recorded in MPEG-4 format at 30 fps (on average) and use a bit rate of 12.3 Mbps. The mic picks up voices well, but the resulting footage is slightly choppy and lacks a lot of detail and sharpness. It doesn't meet our expectations, but it's adequate for the occasional home video. Performance and battery life If you've chanced a gander at the silicon inside, you'll know that the Beam isn't meant to please the high-end power user. It packs a 1GHz dual-core NovaThor U8500 (a 45nm 32-bit Cortex-A9 processor) with 768MB of RAM and a Mali-400 GPU. Samsung's processor selection is a little curious here, as ST-Ericsson's NovaThor brand isn't exactly known for high performance. The Sony Xperia U and Xperia P both share the same chipset but again, we don't think top-notch performance was a priority for the company with this device. Anyone resigned to getting a budget phone will be happy with its speed and responsiveness, but power users will crave something more robust. Also, we'd advise you not to use this device if you're planning to play a lot of graphics-intensive games, though the phone does work fine for casual gaming. Here's how the benchmarks pan out:
The Beam has a 2,000mAh removable battery that performs respectably. Our standard rundown test, which involves looping a video with the screen at 50 percent brightness, yielded nine and a half hours of life before it dwindled down to 10 percent capacity (the video refused to play after that). As for real-world usage, we got a day and a half with moderate use. But how does the phone hold up when you're using the projector? As you might expect, battery life takes a huge hit, but the phone managed to last four hours with the projector running. As an aside, we ran our test as it circulated through the same slideshow over and over, so the battery will likely drain even faster if you're using the projector to stream Netflix or perform similarly graphics-intensive tasks. You'll find above-average audio quality on the Beam when listening to music or watching movies. Before the review, one of our biggest worries was how loud the sound would be when viewing multimedia via the projector (not everyone will be gathered around the phone, after all), but we can confidently say that there's no reason to be concerned unless you're in a crowded room; the external speaker exceeded our expectations, though the audio wasn't all that wonderful when we had our Klipsch Image S4A headphones plugged in. You're not going to get quite the dynamic audio range or fullness of sound that you'll hear on a flagship handset like the Galaxy Note II -- the bass that comes through sounded muddy, and voices were slightly distant. While the Beam's HSPA+ radio is only capable of hitting a theoretical limit of 14.4 Mbps, it actually performs admirably given its constraints. Our unit, which offers quad-band 3G (850/900/1900/2100) and quad-band GSM / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900), was consistently able to reach average download speeds between 6 Mbps and 7 Mbps. It won't access 3G on any AWS networks, unfortunately. Calls came through loud and clear, and we didn't have any struggles hanging onto a conversation since the Beam's reception was quite reliable throughout our tests. Pricing and availability How much of a premium should be placed on a phone that comes with a projector, especially when the rest of the device merits a resounding meh? The Beam's price varies by market, but in the UK, at least, it's available for £270 ($430), while the Galaxy S Advance goes for £250 ($400). It's also available in France, Singapore, India and Brazil. Interested US customers can import an unlocked model with AT&T-compatible 3G. Samsung's still courting other markets as well, so there's a good chance we'll continue to see the Beam become more widely available. Wrap-up There's definitely some excitement to be had when reviewing a device so out of the ordinary, but we found it a little difficult to make a final judgment call. The Galaxy Beam does well at what it claims to be good at (projecting media), but it's otherwise mediocre at best. That's not to say it's a horrible phone, but the low-to-mid-range feature set makes it a tough sell at $430, especially when you can pay the same price for much nicer devices these days. In this situation, it means that you either have to love the projector enough to justify the higher price, or the feature is so important to your business that you're willing to sacrifice a lot of modern functionality to get it. The Beam is interesting as a proof of concept, but we don't see it blossoming into anything more than that at the present time. That's not to say this über-specific category doesn't have a future, but something as unique as a projector would likely find more success in a more premium phone: it needs to be incorporated into higher-end devices without making compromises in components, firmware or size. Only then can it be viable as a mainstream device. Until then, it's a fun gadget to show off to friends, but that's the extent of its strengths. Richard Lai contributed to this review. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TI-84 calculator with color screen surfaces, geeks giddy with anticipation Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:25 AM PST
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| Hisense T770 takes thin-bezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800 Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:16 AM PST
We've seen a few TVs with thin bezels in our time -- some affordable, some not so much -- but they usually sell at prices that have many of us turning to less than elegant screens. If Hisense has its way, the lines between higher style and lower budget will blur with the unveiling of its T770 series. The 42- and 52-inch sets in the range both have extra-narrow 7mm bezels yet cost an entirely reasonable $800 and $1,200 respectively, according to a spokesperson. For the cash outlay, the two TVs share the common foundation of a 1080p LCD with edge LED lighting, active shutter 3D and 120Hz refresh rates. They likewise share a quartet of HDMI ports, WiFi and the seemingly obligatory local media support through DLNA sharing and USB. Although Hisense might not lure some viewers away from bigger or simply more elaborate screens once the T770 is in stores sometime in the undefined near future, it may have given us a friendly reminder that interesting design and sane prices don't have to be mutually exclusive. EDGE-TO-EDGE VIEWING ON STUNNING HISENSE T770 TELEVISION Elevating industrial design to a new level, the virtually bezel-free T770 is more than just a pretty face. Suwanee, Georgia, November 9, 2012 - Hisense USA, maker of 2D, 3D and Smart TV Delivering stunning picture quality and incredible features at an affordable price, the T770 offers the perfect combination of good looks, brains and value-for-money. Offering four (4) HDMI inputs, to connect to multiple sources, the WiFi-enabled T770 brings all video content to life. Available in 42- and 55-inch screen sizes, these televisions offer real-time 2D to 3D conversion in addition to digital LED technology, ensuring exceptionally bright, true-to-life images. The USB and DLNA enabled Digital Media Player supports playback of a variety of Internet music and video formats in addition to photos and e-books. With the Hisense Smart Remote app consumers can use their smartphone as a full-function QWERTY remote. "The elegant design of the T770 is simply stunning," said JoAnne Foist, Director of Marketing, Hisense USA. "No other televisions in Hisense's US lineup have such an Ultra Narrow (<7mm) bezel, making images appear to float in mid air. When people see the T770, they will be delighted with the design, the features and the price tag." Size / Model Key Features 55-inch / 55T770DW 3D, Smart TV, 120 Hz, e-LED, HDMI x 4, 1080p Full HD, Active-SG Glasses x 2 See www.hisense-usa.com for more details. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intel's NUC mini-PC internals exposed, available for around $300 in early December Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:17 AM PST
Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) is just about ready for store shelves, and Anandtech managed to get their hands on the DC3217BY model to provide us an early inside look at the mini-PC. Clearly aimed at enthusiasts, the motherboard and 4 x 4-inch chassis are all you get out of the box; you'll have to get the memory, the mini PCIe cards and even the power cord separately. Luckily installation looks quite easy -- only four screws hold the chassis and motherboard together. The bottom mini PCIe slot accommodates half height cards (for WiFi, presumably) and you can go ahead and put an mSATA drive or full height card at the top. As we saw in our IDF hands-on, the NUC holds a Core i3 CPU, HD 4000 graphics, two SoDIMM sockets, mSATA and mini-PCIe interfaces, one to two HDMI and three USB 2.0 connectors. The DC3217BY eschews Gigabit Ethernet (which is available on the DC3217IYE) in favor of a Thunderbolt port. While we initially thought the NUC would go for somewhere around $400, it turns out it'll cost $300 to $320 and will be available from Amazon and Eggdrop in early December. If you're considering getting one for yourself, we recommend taking a peek at the source to get a more intimate look. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microsoft's November security updates include critical Windows 8 and RT patches Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:15 PM PST
Microsoft recently issued its "Security Bulletin Advance Notification" for this month, detailing which operating systems and software will be updated on November 13th. While many products are being addressed, including Office for Mac, newly released Windows 8 and RT are the most notable entries on the list. The first patches since they hit the market will fix "critical" issues which open them up to "remote code execution." Microsoft hasn't gone into specifics (obviously), but you can register for a webcast being held on the 14th (see source link) should you want enlightening. If you thought your fresh machine or slate was flawless, we're afraid to say it's just another member of the 'Patch Tuesday' club. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google services grind to a halt in China, political transition suspected as the culprit Posted: 09 Nov 2012 08:14 PM PST
As eagerly as Google has gone through routing acrobatics to minimize the Chinese government's ability to censor and spy on its its services, it's still at the mercy of the Great Firewall. The company might have just run head-first into the bricks as of Friday. As confirmed by some of our own staff, all of Google's services stopped working in China for at least the better part of a day despite the search firm verifying that everything was in good working order. Officials haven't confirmed that anything was afoot, but it's easy to raise the specter of possible censorship given local political maneuvering. The once-a-decade Communist Party Congress began on Thursday, and the establishment may have wanted to cut off a relatively unfiltered line of communication for dissidents during a transition of power. We're hearing that access may have ameliorated in at least parts of the country, which would be a pleasant surprise -- not that a sudden improvement in service will cheer up those who know they still face a backlog. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sony ships Xperia advance to the US, offers unlocked ruggedness for $300 or less Posted: 09 Nov 2012 06:15 PM PST
Americans who likes the Sony Xperia go's approach to lifeproof smartphone design won't have to live vicariously through their overseas friends anymore. Keeping up its recent habit of selling unlocked versions of niche devices, Sony is selling the toughened smartphone in the US as the Xperia advance. The 3.5-inch handset won't initially be a surprise to those who've had a peek at an international version, right through to the out-of-the-box Android 2.3 installation -- you'll be sitting in line for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean like everyone else. For most, the advantage will rest in a dust- and water-resistant phone that can wield its 3G on AT&T or Straight Talk while being free to use at least basic GSM calling abroad. Be sure to shop around before committing to an Xperia advance, though. While Newegg's $250 price makes a reasonable case, the $300 official cost has our minds wandering to the much more powerful (if more fragile) Nexus 4. Sony Mobile Communications Brings Its Water-Resistant Android Smartphone, Xperia™ advance, to the U.S. o Stylish, sleek and durable smartphone made to withstand whatever life throws at it without compromising on design or functionality o Reality Display for razor sharp clarity and fast capture camera to go from sleep to snap in just over a second What: Sony Mobile Communications brings the Xperia advance to US consumers looking for a full-featured Android smartphone and beautiful design with extra durability and water resistance. Xperia advance has a scratch-resistant display with wet finger tracking to offer functionality and protection against dust and water immersion. As Sony's most durable, water-resistant smartphone, the Xperia advance is built to handle life's unexpected moments. It has a scratch-resistant mineral glass display and meets the IP67 ratings for protection against dust and water immersion** in depths between zero to 39 inches for up to 30 minutes. Xperia advance is a fit for Xperia fans who don't want to worry about protecting their phones when caught in the rain. With Xperia advance, consumers can watch the latest movies and TV shows in razor sharp quality and with fast performance. This powerful device conceals its rugged nature in a slim and attractive design, and, at only .4 inches thick at its thinnest point, users can enjoy its lightweight feel and easily carry it in a pocket or bag among keys, change and other items with reduced susceptibility to marks or scratches. The Xperia advance's sleek and stylish design means durable and water-resistant smartphones no longer have to look bulky and rugged. Xperia advance features easy connectivity through DLNA® technology to share and enjoy content on a TV. It also comes preloaded with Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited from Sony Entertainment Network***, giving access to millions of songs, Hollywood blockbusters, and TV series. *Based on smartphones available in the US as of October 29, 2012. ** An IP (Ingress Protection) rating of 67 means the device is dust tight and is protected against the effects of immersion in water in depths between 0 to 39 inches for up to 30 minutes. Despite your device's resistance qualities, you should avoid exposing it to environments with excessive dust or moisture. Damage to your device, (even if through ordinary use) can limit or lessen resistance to dust or moisture. You should not submerge the mobile phone in water. The water resistance of the micro USB port and the headset connector is not guaranteed in all environment or conditions. All compatible accessories including batteries, chargers, hands-free devices, micro USB cables, microSD™ cards, and so on are not dust and water resistant on their own. Warranty does not cover damage or defects caused by abuse or improper use of your device. ***For Sony Unlimited services, a subscription is required and additional requirements, terms, and conditions, may apply. All apps require compatible wireless service connection and usage rates apply. Pricing & availability: The Xperia advance is available now at Newegg and other online retailers. For additional availability and pricing, please check with each retailer. · MSRP $299.99 (unlocked), in tactile black, pure white, or warm yellow Network compatibility: Xperia advance is compatible with the network bands below. · UMTS HSPA 850, 1900, 2100 · GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Specs:
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| ARM chief tosses Moore's Law out with the trash, says efficiency rules all Posted: 09 Nov 2012 04:27 PM PST
ARM CEO Warren East already has a tendency to be more than a bit outspoken on the future of computing, and he just escalated the war of words with an assault on the industry's sacred cow: Moore's Law. After some prompting by MIT Technology Review during a chat, East argued that power efficiency is "actually what matters," whether it's a phone or a server farm. Making ever more complex and power-hungry processors to obey Moore's Law just limits how many chips you can fit in a given space, he said. Not that the executive is about to accept Intel's position that ARM isn't meant for performance, as he saw the architecture scaling to high speeds whenever there was a large enough power supply to back it up. East's talk is a bit long on theory and short on practice as of today -- a Samsung Chromebook isn't going to make Gordon Moore have second thoughts -- but it's food for thought in an era where ARM is growing fast, and even Microsoft isn't convinced that speed rules everything. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NASA building Space Launch System with laser melting, adapts 3D printing for the skies (video) Posted: 09 Nov 2012 03:17 PM PST
As we know it, 3D printing is usually confined to small-scale projects like headphones. NASA is ever so slightly more ambitious. It's using a closely related technique from Concept Laser, selective laser melting, to build elements of its Space Launch System on a pace that wouldn't be feasible with traditional methods. By firing brief, exact laser pulses at metal powder, Concept Laser's CAD system creates solid metal parts that are geometrically complex but don't need to be welded together. The technique saves the money and time that would normally be spent on building many smaller pieces, but it could be even more vital for safety: having monolithic components reduces the points of failure that could bring the rocket down. We'll have a first inkling of how well laser melting works for NASA when the SLS' upper-stage J-2X engine goes through testing before the end of 2012, and the printed parts should receive their ultimate seal of approval with a first flight in 2017. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video) Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:26 PM PST
There's no doubt that Barnes & Noble in love with the paper-like interface of the Nook HD+. Not all of its new owners are quite so taken with the retro chic, with the proof being XDA-Developers member verygreen's early root for the Android tablet (and possibly its HD cousin). The preliminary code is enough to offer a glimpse of a more digital interface as well as teasers of a CyanogenMod port and booting from SD cards. Before racing to use the instructions at the source, be aware that the root's usefulness may vary wildly in the near future -- as of this writing, a familiar defense mechanism dating back to the Nook Color has kicked in that rejects the root and restores itself to factory stock after eight failed boot attempts. That there's a root at all will nonetheless be a comfort in the long run to those who like the idea of a budget tablet without the enforced nostalgia for dead trees. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jelly Bean update starts rolling out to Verizon's Droid RAZR M Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:52 PM PST
We know not all Motorola handsets will be lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Mountain View's Jelly Bean OS, but the Droid RAZR M, on the other hand, is now being prepped to get a taste of Android 4.1. According to Verizon, the 4.3-inch, Kevlar-sporting device can now be added to the growing list of devices running Jelly Bean, with the carrier noting that the fresh update will officially start rolling out to customers today "in phases." Meanwhile, Big Red also says an option to download the upgrade manually is coming, though that alternative won't be available until later next week. Regardless, proud RAZR M owners can expect a slew of under-the-hood improvements, new features such as Google Now and compatibility with ISIS Mobile Wallet (where the NFC-based payment system's live, of course). Are you seeing the Jelly Bean goods on your Droid now? Do let us know in the comments below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple gives App Store categories their own highlights, lets niche apps have 15 minutes of fame Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:14 PM PST
It's tough to find truly stellar mobile apps, no matter what platform you're running, and that's even truer when delving into categories. Apple has made a gesture towards giving more titles their moment in the sun through a low-key update to the App Store in iTunes and on iOS 6 devices. Jump to at least some categories, such as games or education, and you'll get the same carousels, banners and other promotions that would normally be reserved for the main portal. The shift is a simple one, but it theoretically helps App Store shoppers go beyond the surface -- and developers to reap the rewards. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASUS, Google offer monetary compensation for Nexus 7 tablets bought before price drop Posted: 09 Nov 2012 12:47 PM PST
Bought yourself a shiny new Nexus 7 just before the priced dropped on October 29th and feel a bit slighted? ASUS and Google want to turn your frown upside down, each offering their own compensation. Folks in Europe who purchased any variant of the tablet from ASUS prior to October 30th are eligible to a redeem a 25-pound or 30-euro coupon for its online shop. Apparently, the deal has been in place since October 30th, and you'll have until the 30th of this month to submit your proof of purchase (from sanctioned dealers, naturally) and apply. Sure, it may not be as nice as a Google Play credit for apps or cash in-pocket, but at least ASUS is showing it can share at least some love for early adopters. Europeans should move their cursors over to the ASUS source link below for all the details. Tracking back to Google, Droid-Life notes that Google's price protection policy might have you covered for some cash-back, as well. If you purchased the 16GB model from Google Play between the 14th and the 29th of October, you have until about the 13th of this month to get a refund for the price difference (15 days from the initial price drop). As always, check out the Google link below for more details. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PSA: Get your Windows Phone 8 from AT&T starting today Posted: 09 Nov 2012 12:15 PM PST
Now that we've got the dates and prices sorted, all you need to do is get yourself to the nearest AT&T store (or one of those source links below) today to pick up either of Nokia's Windows Phone 8 handsets (Lumia 920 for $100, or the Lumia 820 for $50) or HTC's Windows Phone 8X, priced along the same lines as Nokia's bigger smartphone. Not a fan of Ma Bell? Then you'll can wait it out with Verizon, which starts taking preorders for both the Lumia 822 and 8X from today. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:30 AM PST
More InfoOctober 23rd was mostly the iPad mini's coming out party; an event with one major headliner. But that newborn product didn't enter Apple's ecosystem alone. Amidst the flurry of announcements, there was one other wee hardware relative on hand ready to join in on the launch festivities: a refreshed 2012 Mac mini. Addressing criticisms of last year's model, Apple added USB 3.0 ports, upgraded to third-generation Ivy Bridge Core processors and boosted the standard RAM allotment to 4GB (you can configure it with up to 16 gigs). Perhaps most interestingly, it's now offering a hybrid storage option, the so-called FusionDrive, which combines flash memory with a SATA HDD. One quirk still remains, though: the product's demographic leanings. Just who is the Mac mini for? Is it the go-anywhere, portable desktop best integrated in yachts, airports, automobiles and living rooms? Or, with a starting price of $599, is it the perfect, low-cost migration assistant (pun intended) for consumers making the switch from a Windows desktop? Follow on to see which hat this not-quite-an-HTPC wears best. Hardware Boiled down to its essence, the mini's brushed aluminum enclosure has a wallflower appeal that's at home in a variety of settings; a dash of modernism that should work in many environments. Much of this is due to the unit's diminutive dimensions, which remain unchanged since the mini was redesigned back in 2010. At 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches, it retains the basic square shape of its two predecessors. It eschews hard angles for softly curved corners, enlivened by the occasional black accent (e.g., the logo on top, the strip around back housing the ports and the removable lid at the base). Users interested in purchasing the optional Apple remote for home entertainment purposes will be glad to know this unit still features an IR receiver. For what's it's worth, you can flip the device on its side should you be faced with space restrictions and need to squeeze it in amongst other office or A/V equipment, but it probably won't look as nice with its circular lid showing. As much as things change, they seem to stay the same, and that's quite true of this Mac mini refresh. Though a quick glance at its back panel might mislead consumers into believing it's business as usual, there's actually a very significant change at play here -- namely, the addition of high-speed USB 3.0. Otherwise, the ports read from left to right exactly as they did on the 2011 model: power (still integrated), Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, full-sized HDMI, Thunderbolt, 4 x USB 3.0, SDXC slot, audio-in and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Last year, we criticized the company for not including a Thunderbolt dongle in the box, but that critique apparently fell on deaf ears. Instead, we again received the lone HDMI to DVI adapter and that, folks, is just history repeating itself. Similarly, Apple remains unmoved in its determination to make just one aspect of the Mac mini swappable, and that would be the unit's expandable memory. Despite the obvious pitfalls associated with HDDs (i.e., the likelihood of potential hardware failure and the like), users that pry open the device's bottom lid will only have access to the two SODIMM slots. The rest is inaccessible (unless you're the DIY type, in which case, have at it!). However, should you require monstrous amounts of RAM, the mini now supports up to 16GB -- so, there's that to smile about. Other than that, this compartment also houses the WiFi radio (AirPort Extreme 802.11n), Bluetooth 4.0 antennas and the cooling fan. Making the leap from last year's Sandy Bridge processors, the 2012 Mac mini now runs on Intel's third-generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7 CPUs. Our $799 review unit packs a a quad-core i7 clocked at 2.3GHz along with an (optional) 1TB FusionDrive and Intel HD 4000 graphics and 4GB RAM. Consumers with more basic computing needs can opt for the base unit with a dual-core i5 CPU and a 500GB hard drive. This features the same clock speed, graphics solution and memory allotment, but for a lower price of $599. There's also a $999 server option geared towards enterprise and power users, which is similar to the high-end consumer model but has dual 1TB SATA drives. PerformanceSince the model Apple shipped us for review is designated as the top-end consumer configuration -- what with its quad-core core i7 and hybrid FusionDrive -- we decided to stress it to the utmost and use it as our daily workstation. From a cold boot off the SSD, it took the system 12 seconds to reach the startup screen, which is on par with the MacBook Air (last year's Sandy Bridge model, even). The mini ships with OS X Mountain Lion pre-installed, as well as the iLife suite, and indeed, that quad-core CPU is more than enough to handle simple OS actions with aplomb. What we were more keen to test out was its stamina when stressed with an Engadget editor's daily workload. On any given day, we keep roughly 10 applications running at all times (e.g.,Photoshop, Tweetdeck, Skitch, Spotify, Evernote and an IRC client, among others), in addition to multiple tabs open within two separate browsers (i.e., Firefox and Chrome). Our jobs depend on this level of multitasking and we're pleased to say that the mini managed that processor strain with a graceful silence. In all instances but one, the unit remained relatively cool to the touch and surprisingly quiet. The only time we ever heard a peep from was when we added Steam and Blizzard game downloads to the active processes load. Even then, the sound of the whirring fan barely registered above a whisper. On the gaming front, it should go without saying that Macs aren't necessarily the go-to platform for the latest and greatest studio efforts. Indeed, we've noticed incompatibility with most newer titles thanks to Apple's choice of graphics chip, but for the sake of this review we fired up Diablo III to get a sense of how the Intel HD 4000 GPU fares. With every quality option set to high (Texture, Physics, Shadow, etc.), resolution at 1,280 x 1,024 and fps at 60, we didn't encounter any slowdown or drops in the frame rate. Note, we didn't have the time to engage clusters of baddies (about 50 to 60 onscreen at a time) to truly tap out the system, but with more than a dozen characters onscreen, we observed a frame rate that peaked around 42 fps.
Benchmark testing backed up our anecdotal assessment: the machine nearly doubles the 2011 model's scores. As you can see in the table above, it yielded average overall Xbench scores of 454, with an average CPU score of 270 and an average thread score of 1,418. In Geekbench, meanwhile, it delivered a result of 10,748. The HTPC factor FusionDrive Say, for example, you're a photo editor who makes heavy use of Aperture, but rarely bothers with iPhoto. Well, over time, the system will acknowledge this usage pattern and relegate iPhoto to the hard disk's slower volume, so Aperture will continue to launch and run quickly from flash. What's more, all of this is done behind-the-scenes when the mini is idle, so users won't notice any changes taking place. In fact, there's no real way to monitor or edit how the system arranges the storage -- it's made to appear as one unified volume. Wrap-up It's fair to say the Mac mini occupies a special place on the consumer spectrum. Consider it a 3 on our appropriated Kinsey scale of tech-to-consumer affiliations. It's the perfect bridge to all things Apple. Designed, initially, to help make Windows users feel at home within the Mac ecosystem, the mini was offered up as an elegant solution -- a compact desktop that would play nice with people's existing peripherals. But as time wore on, this "appliance Mac" (as one rep put it) took on other uses in enterprise and among power users. Eventually, it wormed its way into all manner of server-based applications: digital signage, airport arrival displays and so on. The mini could also charm fairly frugal shoppers, though, packing a quad-core Intel Core i7 into the top-end $799 model. Whether you really need the added boost of the 1.12TB FusionDrive depends entirely on your consumption habits, as you can always opt for a perfectly capacious 256GB SSD and call it a day. In fact, that latter option might be more than enough for most. So, where's the rub? Well, that's just it. If you fit the sort of user profile we've been describing, we aren't quite sure there is one. At the end of the day, the mini is destined to sit outside of Apple's public limelight like all the models that have come before it. It's the company's jack-of-all-trades, but a shining star for those in the know. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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