Confirmed: EVO 4G update removes framerate cap
You hoped, you opined, you might have even prayed -- and as it turns out, you win. As many of you have suspected, the
latest firmware update to Sprint / HTC's
EVO 4G does, in fact, let us break past the former
30 frames per second barrier. You know, the one
HTC said couldn't be crossed with software updates alone. At least, it did for our handheld, as you can see above. Good news for everyone bothered by this (now seemingly) artificial limit -- now back to your regularly-scheduled WiMAX enjoyment.
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CEO Jeff Zucker leaving NBC following Comcast merger, exit stage left
Comcast's acquisition of NBC isn't quite
in the bank just yet, but that doesn't mean the upcoming change isn't already dealing an impact. Current CEO and President Jeff Zucker announced today he plans to leave the company sometime following the takeover -- but also noting his final day might not be for another six months from now. "Comcast will be a great new steward, just as GE has been, and they deserve the chance to implement their own vision," he said. We wonder what exactly that new vision might be and how it pertains to the shift in online offerings -- for his part, Zucker's
made a few headlines over the years that seem to suggest hesitation / aversion to the current digital transition. No successor has been named, but again, that could very well be half a year away -- as they say, stay tuned.
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Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 actually doesn't support tethering
We're not exactly sure how this message got so confused, but Microsoft's come out today to let us know that
Windows Phone 7 officially doesn't support tethering at all, despite earlier comments by Brandon Watson that
it'd be a network operator call on whether to enable it. If we had to guess, this is probably a feature that was "on the bubble" as Microsoft moved toward RTM, and it simply didn't make the cut for version 1.0 -- we'd definitely expect to see it in a future release, though there's no guidance from Microsoft at the moment on whether (or when) that'll happen.
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Boxee Box on display at FCC, inside and out
We've already
seen its remote go through the FCC, and now we've got the whole
D-Link-produced
Boxee Box kit and caboodle receiving the same treatment. There's an assortment of pictures both of its shiny exterior and circuit-laden interior (surprise, surprise,
no Tegra 2 in sight). Additionally, we've got the full manual at our disposal. That one's fairly straightforward, no surprises that we can see. All the same, check it out in the gallery below.
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AT&T-branded Motorola Flipout released... on eBay
You might not be able to score a
Flipout in AT&T stores just yet -- in fact, AT&T still hasn't fessed up to the fact that it's coming -- but if you've got $388 and a can-do attitude, you can still grab one. The swiveling Android set in full AT&T livery and packaging has shown up on eBay for $388.88... which, ironically, is probably less than you'll pay off contract once it officially launches. There appear to be a few available at that price, so let us know if you pull the trigger.
[Thanks, Jon]
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Archos 32 Internet Tablet review
With there now being five (
oh yes, five!)
Archos Android Internet Tablets on the market, it's understandably hard to keep 'em all straight, but in our minds the 32 is easy to separate from the rest - it, along with
the 28, is more of an Android PMP than anything else. With 3.2 inches of resistive touchscreen, the 32 packs the specs of a typical media player: 8GB of storage, media player software with support for loads of audio and video formats, and a VGA camera. But unlike most, it runs
Android 2.1 (2.2 will be a firmware update, we're told), which adds quite a bit more functionality in terms of applications and web browsing. And it's also got an accelerometer for playing games. At $150, it seems like a pretty good deal, especially when you consider that it's cheaper than an iPod Touch or even a Zune HD (depending on where you're shopping), but there are a few issues that may hold you back from forking over the cash. You'll want to check out our full review after the break to find out just what those are.
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Google's Schmidt says requiring stock Android would violate 'the principle of open source'
The suggestion has been made countless times that manufacturers who customize their devices' builds of
Android (that is to say, nearly all of them) should have the decency to offer users the option of reverting to a completely clean, stock version of the platform if they so choose. The concept came up at a press lunch featuring Google CEO Eric Schmidt last week, and the dude responded with an interesting explanation for why they don't require that of their partners: "if we were to put those type of restrictions on an open source product, we'd be violating the principle of open source."
Of course, "the principle of open source" is open to wild differences in interpretation, the source of well over 20 years worth of intense debate in the developer community and the reason why countless types and versions of open source licenses exist (GPL, BSD, MIT, and so on). We'd also argue that the fact that Google is allegedly
placing a range of arbitrary restrictions on certified devices (that is, those that feature the Market and other Google apps) gives them the platform they need to impose one more... but hey, Schmidt's an opinionated guy, and until Android stops growing by leaps and bounds, there's probably not a great capitalism-inspired argument that can be made here. Peep the video of the luncheon after the break.
Continue reading Google's Schmidt says requiring stock Android would violate 'the principle of open source'
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Samsung NX100 preview
It's arguable, but we'd say that Samsung's
NX100 is
the news coming out of
Photokina 2010. You could say that Panasonic's Lumix
DMC-GH2 (and its
3D interchangeable lens), Fujifilm's not-yet-released
FinePix X100 or Sigma's Foveon-packin'
SD1 were of equal importance, but it's pretty clear who stands to lose (or gain) the most from their ginormous push in Cologne. You wouldn't know that Samsung even brought another product to the show if you casually glanced at its booth, and we were able to take the outfit's newest starlet out for a spin in order to gain a few impressions. Priced at just $599 (with a 20-50mm lens; the 20mm pancake lens bundle will
run you $50 more), this October-bound camera is certainly positioned to rival the other major players in terms of MSRP. But does it actually live up to the hype? Join us after the break to find out.
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Apple iPad officially hits Target shelves October 3rd
Don't say we
didn't warn you. The Apple iPad is pinching and zooming its way onto Target shelves starting October 3rd, in both WiFi / 3G and WiFi-only options. Those with a Target credit card can get a five percent discount when the rollout for that special begins October 17th. Is this what you've been waiting for? Probably not, but at least you know what to expect on your next expedition to the red-clad retailer.
Update: Press release after the break.
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Clearwire starts selling roaming WiMAX Day Passes in US and Japan, unlimited data awaits
Got some Intel-powered
WiMAX equipment, a Clear subscription, and a yearning to spend some time in Japan? Then we've got great news for you, sailor! Clearwire has just hooked up with
UQ to provide Day Passes over in the land of earthquakes and sushi. These act as one-day roaming permits for your WiMAX needs, furnishing you with unlimited 4G access and costing a measly ¥600 ($7) a pop. So basically, it's the
Clear Rover gone international. Clearwire's also talking business with other global partners and the ultimate idea seems to be for it to hook up with all the big WiMAX purveyors and set up an affordable 4G roaming network for its internationally minded customers. The full press release awaits after the break.
Continue reading Clearwire starts selling roaming WiMAX Day Passes in US and Japan, unlimited data awaits
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MacBook Air suffers another bout of 11.6-inch display rumors
You know a device is due for a refresh when the only thing left to write about it is rumormongering of a
possible upgrade. Today it's the turn of
Apple Insider, citing sources in Taiwan, to declare that an 11.6-inch LED-backlit display will be headlining a long overdue update to Apple's
MacBook Air. We've heard this scuttlebutt before, and the idea that the Air would be shrunken in order to better differentiate it from the MacBook Pro line carries a lot of believability, but we're still a little jaded from previous
misleading rumors on the same subject. At least this one comes with all the
gravitas of
DigiTimes, whose scribes suggest Quanta has an order to build up to half a million 11.6-inch "MacBooks" for Apple in 2010. All that said, we still wouldn't be surprised if Apple let another holiday period go by without updating its unhealthily thin 13.3-inch laptop.
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Editorial: Nokia's not going to switch to Android or Windows Phone 7, so stop it already
I've had it. I can't take all this Nokia operating system speculation anymore. The final straw came with a
VentureBeat piece citing a "trusted source" that claims "Nokia is now likely to use Windows Phone 7 as an additional platform for its phones." Enough already. Nokia has a strategy and hiring Stephen Elop away from Microsoft's Office team isn't going to change that no matter how much the US media (where Nokia has near zero presence) wishes it were true -- if anything, it's going to
accelerate it.
Continue reading Editorial: Nokia's not going to switch to Android or Windows Phone 7, so stop it already
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LG E900 stars in epic 20-minute hands-on video, referred to as Optimus 7
We knew Windows Phone 7 leaks would increase as we got closer to launch, but this is just ridiculous. LG's
E900, or what we knew as the E900 until now, has been subjected to an exhaustingly detailed hands-on overview, courtesy of some intrepid Czech investigators. Alas, the video is voiced over in that language too, so good luck with your Eastern European phonetics. But hey, at least the visuals are universal. Oh, and before we forget, the MobilMania guys are calling this the LG Optimus 7, presumably that'll be the retail name for this handset. Follow the break to see it.
[Thanks, Manu]
Continue reading LG E900 stars in epic 20-minute hands-on video, referred to as Optimus 7
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Nintendo Wii Remote Plus with built-in 'Plus' tipped in FlingSmash bundle?
We've been expecting a Wiimote with built-in
MotionPlus for a while now -- after all, Nyko already builds the
Wand+ with those succulent MotionPlus gyros built-in. Still, Nintendo has seemed slow on the uptake, outside of a
mysterious FCC berth in May, so we were surprised to see this upcoming first party, MotionPlus-required
FlingSmash title arrive on a GameStop order page with "Wii Remote Plus inside!" emblazoned on the box. Interestingly, the product description still mentions attaching the MotionPlus "accessory" to your Wii Remote, but the Wiimote in the picture does look just slightly different than normal with a curved bit of text below the Wii logo, and when Eurogamer pinged Nintendo Europe about it, a spokesperson said the Wii Remote Plus "is real" but "We have nothing to announce on this at the moment." Hopefully this all clears up soon enough so that millions of Wii owners can have an excuse to buy a new game in the noble name of hardware procurement.
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Huawei breaks DSL speed barrier with 700Mbps prototype
DSL cables might not really be the sexiest thing in networking anymore, but what they are is ubiquitous, so let's not begrudge Huawei its feat here. The Chinese telecoms facilitator has shown off a new prototype that can pump 700Mbps of data across a 400-meter expanse. This is done by bundling four twisted pairs of copper wire together and sprinkling in some fairy dust to make them communicate at 175Mbps each. The clever bit here is in how
crosstalk and interference are minimized, and Huawei claims a 75 percent improvement in bandwidth as a result. An immediate opportunity for these new cables will be, ironically, with fiber rollouts, as they could serve as the last connection between fiber hubs and your home. Then again, with
Google and
Chattanooga already looking at 1Gbps lanes, maybe the day of the copper wire has already passed?
Continue reading Huawei breaks DSL speed barrier with 700Mbps prototype
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TomTom PRO 7100 and 9100 formally announced, destined for European trucking fleets
We're afraid we can't tell you any more about the consumer-facing TomTom
Go 7100 and 9100 that
surfaced in FCC filings last week, but if you're interested in
Pro models that sport the same digits for your business fleet, TomTom's being slightly more accommodating. The Pro 7100 looks like it's going to replace the Go 7000 presently used in the company's business-to-business lineup at €329 (about $439), while the Pro 9100 adds an integrated modem and SIM card (letting you ditch the TomTom Link module typically required to monitor your fleet) for €399 ($532). Find both ready to guide trucks across forty-five European countries in the fourth quarter of the year. PR after the break.
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Panasonic's hair-washing robot: rinse, kill, repeat
If Panasonic can build an
exercise horse then surely a robot that washes your hair should come as no surprise. Imagine being lifted from your
robotic bed by a
plush care-assist robot and placed into a chair for an automatic shampoo and scalp massage. That is the future of care for the elderly and sick in Japan, or the rich and lazy everywhere else. Panasonic's hair-washing robot scans each human head three-dimensionally to apply just the right amount of pressure during the shampoo, massage, and rinse phases. It recognizes repeat customers and then applies that person's preferred massage course using its human-like sixteen "fingers." Each arm contains a trio of motors to power swing, press, and massage motions... or to snap your spinal column should you decide to sass.
Continue reading Panasonic's hair-washing robot: rinse, kill, repeat
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Videotron's 120Mbps broadband is Canada's fastest, now available in Quebec City
Fittingly called Ultimate Speed 120, Videotron's latest internet access service is raising Canadian heartbeats today. Starting out in Quebec City and eventually expanding to the whole province, this broadband package will give users access to a 120Mbps information superhighway, complete with 20Mbps upload lanes. There are monthly usage caps, of course, set at 170GB down and 30GB up, but you can break them so long as you're willing to pay the surcharge. The broadband itself costs 160 Canadian bucks a month, though you can cut that down to C$150 by bundling it with a TV or telephony service. That's not exactly a bad deal, but given the choice, we'd still rather go live in
Chattanooga.
[Thanks, Gary]
Continue reading Videotron's 120Mbps broadband is Canada's fastest, now available in Quebec City
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Robots 'to beat world's best' human footballers by 2050 and other things said when high
We're as hopeful about the future as anyone. Sure, we
fear robots, but we're bound to have at least a few years of peaceful co-existence before they grow weary of our human insolence and irrational buffoonery. Claude Sammut, professor of computer science at New South Wales University in Australia (and
RoboCup regular), believes that robots will surpass the abilities of professional human footballers (aka, soccer players) by 2050. For this to happen, he says that the field will require "major advances in perception, decision making, learning, and co-operative behaviours." Of course, looking at the current field of RoboCup contestants or even around the house at the TV (largely unchanged since 1930), telephone (patented in 1876), and iPod (now 9 years old), it's hard to imagine technology advancing that fast. That is, until the rate of technological change accelerates so fast that we achieve
singularity sometime in 2030 or 2050, depending upon who you ask.
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Netflix, NBC Universal content deal brings Battlestar Galactica, SNL and more to Watch Instantly
Just in case a
throwaway mention of a streaming-only subscription for US customers wasn't enough, an agreement adding plenty of recognizable content from
NBC to its Watch Instantly service might help
Netflix distract from a recent
string of PR gaffes. Starting next week, cable shows from the media giant's stable like
Psych,
Battlestar Galactica and others, episodes from the most recent seasons of NBC shows including
The Office and
30 Rock will be available. Not good enough? Why not throw in every season of
Friday Night Lights and
Saturday Night Live, with new eps of SNL added the day after they air for the next three years. Seems like a win/win to us, with many hours of new content for Netflix while NBC cashes a fat check for old seasons of
Monk and
Law & Order:SVU -- as much as we love Tony Shalhoub as a neurotic private investigator, those DVD boxed sets just weren't moving like they used to. The only question left is whether HD streaming for any of these is on deck, until we hear back just check out the full press release after the break.
Continue reading Netflix, NBC Universal content deal brings Battlestar Galactica, SNL and more to Watch Instantly
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Verizon CEO confirms plans for tiered data pricing
We
told you so. The
Wall Street Journal has updated
its recent article detailing disclosures from Verizon Wireless chief Ivan Seidenberg, and the latest news is as bad as it is predictable: VZW plans to consign unlimited data plans to the annals of history over the next four to six months, to be replaced by tiered, consumption-based pricing. Seidenberg says Verizon's prices will surely differ from what AT&T
recently introduced, noting that his company values data differently to the competition -- though he wouldn't say whether that means costs will be higher or lower. Either way,
Droidsters, enjoy your last few months in the unlimited sun.
[Thanks, Tyler]
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Final Fantasy XIV PC controller debuts in dazzling white
Been itching to wrap your mitts around the latest
Final Fantasy chapter? Well, we trust you've already obtained the
FF XIV-endorsed WiFi router from Planex, so why not complete the set with the official PC controller from Sunflex? Coming in a snowy white enclosure, it doesn't stray far from the
Dual Shock recipe that most PC gamepad makers like to cook from, although it does offer curiously elongated hand grips. Are
Final Fantasy players generally larger than the average gamer or is this just a more ergonomic design for those 20-hour grinding sessions in the world that Square Enix built?
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Samsung SGH-i916 spotted cuddling up to an iPhone 4 in the wilds of Canada
Unless our eyes deceive us most cruelly, the Samsung phone we see above looks identical to the
i917 Windows Phone 7 handset we've been seeing
all over the place. Curious then that it bears the title of SGH-i91
6. We can only surmise that there's some minuscule difference between the two phones, with this i916 seemingly set to ride Rogers airwaves up in Canada -- purportedly with none of Samsung's own branding anywhere on its shell. Another common feature it seems to share with the i917 is an AMOLED screen, judging by the deeper than deep black color it's capable of pushing out. See a much larger picture of the i916 after the break, and if you want an even better idea of how a 4-inch Samsung handset compares to the iPhone 4, visit our
screen comparison test starring the Galaxy S.
Continue reading Samsung SGH-i916 spotted cuddling up to an iPhone 4 in the wilds of Canada
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Qualcomm's Peanut challenges ZigBee, Bluetooth for control of your personal area network next year
Perhaps dissatisfied with the glacial pace of
Wibree, Qualcomm's working on an ultra-low-power, short-range wireless transfer tech of its own -- it's called Peanut, and executives claim it only needs "fractions of a milliwatt of power" to push data at several megabits per second.
Computerworld got the scoop on the new low-power radio at EmTech@MIT 2010, and reports that Qualcomm's had these goobers in the oven since 2006 and is looking to trump the likes of ZigBee and Bluetooth by this time next year. Assuming, of course, the Peanut standard doesn't require a molasses-like committee of its own to attain formal approval.
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T-Mobile G2 pre-orders go live for current customers, available to all on October 6
Just
as promised, T-Mobile has started offering its subscribers that "exclusive access" to early G2 pre-orders. There have been a couple of early hiccups with the pre-order page for that select group, but they're being ironed out as we type and there's also word that the rest of us unwashed Android geeks will be able to join in on October 6. One of our tipsters forwarded along a bill for his purchase showing the phone to be valued at $249.99 and an estimated delivery date of September 30. That's quite the steep entry fee, considering Best Buy will have the phone
on October 6 as well for just under $200 and Radio Shack is
undercutting all with a $150 price on the typical two-year contract.
[Thanks, Justin and Wei]
Update: Our tipster's $250 levy is before the standard $50 mail-in rebate, making for the predictable $200 price when all's said and done.
Continue reading T-Mobile G2 pre-orders go live for current customers, available to all on October 6
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Verbatim's Clip-it is a USB drive with paperclip ambitions
It sure is hard to
differentiate yourself in the highly competitive world of
ever-shrinking USB storage. To avoid this trend of disregard, Verbatim has sent its latest offering off to paper management school and the results are now apparent for us to see. The new Clip-it comes with an added incision in the middle of its lilliputian body that allows it to act as a paperclip or maybe even a handsome accessory to your
geek chique outfit. Verbatim makes sure to tell us (about eleventy times) that the Clip-it has scooped up a red dot Design Award for its ingenuity, and prices the thing at eminently affordable €8.99 (2GB) and €11.49 (4GB) levels. Those correspond to $12 and $15.34, respectively, meaning you could have the whole set of seven colors for less than what you'd have to spend on just one
iWatch.
Continue reading Verbatim's Clip-it is a USB drive with paperclip ambitions
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Comcast says additional Clearwire investment is unlikely
Clearwire isn't in the black yet, having bled about $126 million in the second quarter of 2010 -- but should the need arise for additional investment before it can turn a profit, the company shouldn't plan to knock on Comcast's door. Though it doesn't have as much visibility in the 4G marketplace as Clear and Sprint do, Comcast does actually
offer WiMAX service using Clearwire's network and owns about 9 percent of it, but the cable provider's CFO says that the prospects for upping that share aren't good and that its up to Clearwire to "figure this out" -- "this" being its financial pickle. Not exactly a vote of confidence, is it? Obviously,
adding (or converting to) LTE is a possible game plan for Clearwire that's going to require some serious cash to pull off, so staying tight with Sprint seems like a stellar idea right about now.
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Ask Engadget: best ergonomic Bluetooth keyboard?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's
Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Austin, who would love nothing more than to sidestep Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at
ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I'm starting to feel the effects of years of typing on crummy keyboards, so I want to spare myself further hand and wrist pain. I like the Microsoft Natural keyboards, but I'm working with my iPad most of the time, so those aren't really an option. What (if any) is the best Bluetooth keyboard as far as ergonomics is concerned?"
We personally adore Microsoft's
Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, which is about as curved / ergonomic as Bluetooth keyboards seem to get these days. But if anyone in the crowd knows of a legitimately "split" keyboard with a BT radio in... well, give the world a shout in comments below!
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Netflix CEO looking into streaming-only option for US 'over the coming months'
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings may be stumbling over a
publicity misstep or two since launching in Canada just yesterday, but he sure knows the right mea culpa to give. In a blog post entitled "Apologies" -- which, amusingly enough, is published just after "We Blew It" -- the King of the Red Envelope says, "we are looking at adding a streaming-only option for the USA over the coming months." No prices are discussed, but our educated guess would place it parallel to Canada's streaming-only plan, $7.99 monthly. Would we be willing to drop all physical media in exchange for at least one extra dollar per month? Now that's a good question.
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Droid 2 R2-D2 edition dummy units force-arriving at Verizon retail?
The little astromech smartphone that could (pilfer your wallet) is now touching down in at least one Verizon Wireless store, according to spy shots via
Boy Genius Report. The
Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 edition launch kit contains just a dummy unit, not an extremely well-put together little Droid, so you won't find any
lightspeed animation contained within. Still, if it's the faceplate you want see up close and personal, looks like you might get a chance at just that a tinge
earlier than September 30th.
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Pioneer previews its trio of 3D Blu-ray players at CEDIA
Not quite as good as an actual announcement, but at CEDIA Pioneer was previewing its BDP-430, BDP-43FD and BDP-41FD 3D Blu-ray players which are expected to cost the same or less than the current models at $299, $399 and $499. The look and feel is pretty much what we've come to expect from Pioneer and the line includes the usual suspect of streaming options, with one yet to be announced option that should be revealed before they hit the street next spring.
The Entertainment TAP and
Manage Copy demos from last year were no where to be found, sadly, but Pioneer did have a new line of HDMI cables and entry level home theater speakers they were very proud of -- and for good reason considering the price and quality of the items.
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Apple Peel 520 up for preorder, from the man who brought you the MicroSIMCutter
"Dear Sir or Madam," the email began, and we almost deleted it at once, but then we realized the gentleman who wrote that line was hawking the Yosion
Apple Peel 520. A quick visit to his website did nothing to allay our lingering suspicions -- it appeared to be a hastily-cobbled cash-in through and through -- but still, the prospect of an iPod touch case with cellular capabilities sorely tempted our wallet. We evaded the siren call and left Peel520.net without attempting a purchase, but noticed on our way out several references to the practically identical website for the MicroSIMCutter. Google tells us their owners are one and the same, so if you bought one of those sim-cutting devices (not to be confused with the
Cut My Sim) and got your product as promised, we suppose you're liable to get a good deal here. But if you have qualms, well -- wait for Go Solar to
formally bring the product to market, or else steer clear.
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Dell's Looking Glass tablet gets another chance to shine (video)
The elusive
Looking Glass might have dodged the zoom lenses yesterday, but luckily, the good folks at Oracle managed to tape
Michael Dell's lightning demo (
pun totally intended) with a close-up shot. From what we can see, the volume rocker is located at the top side of the tablet, right next to what could potentially be a switch for screen rotation lock or silent mode; the headphone jack appears to be on the left-hand side of the device, which makes sense -- we can't imagine this beastly device fitting into a pocket of any sorts, otherwise. Sadly, we can't confirm whether this 7-inch
Android tablet uses the same
PDMI port as featured on the
Streak, nor can we see what's on the back -- we caught a glimpse of something shiny, but the
leaked spec sheet we came across some time ago doesn't mention a back camera. Anyhow, you can catch this big daddy in action right after the break -- about 1:27 into the clip.
Continue reading Dell's Looking Glass tablet gets another chance to shine (video)
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Orb MP-1 music player pulls Sonos-like tricks for way less than a Benjamin
Streaming music from a computer to all manner of home audio devices is an area
Sonos,
Logitech, and
Apple have been competing in for years. The recently-released MP-1 music player from Orb, though, is a surprise contender that can perform a host of streaming duties for less than $70. Like the competition, it works by connecting to a powered audio device via an in-line jack, and can play music stored locally, on a network, or from services like Pandora when streamed over 802.11b/g/n WiFi through its companion Orb Caster media server software. To sweeten the package, the company is also throwing in their
Orb Controller app for iOS devices -- which normally costs $10 -- for a low price of free, and apparently has plans to release an Android version of the remote sometime in the near future. Sure, it's a little strange for us to see a company known for their free
media streaming software jump in the hardware game so abruptly, but the MP-1's mixture of functionality for the price is a pretty enticing first step. Plus, if the move ignites a price war to the bottom with the aforementioned competition, who are we to complain?
[Thanks, Tom]
Filed under:
Home Entertainment,
Wireless,
Networking
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Motion sensor-equipped HiSAVER power strip cuts power when you leave the room
You probably wouldn't want to use it for
all your electronics, but we're guessing that most folks could find a few uses for this new motion-sensor equipped HiSAVER power strip, which can automatically cut off power when you leave the room. To avoid too much powering on and off, the strip only shuts off power if it doesn't detect any motion for ten minutes, and it includes a master outlet and a second selectable outlet that can be kept on all the time if you like. No word on US availability just yet, but Tomauri has just announced that it'll be distributing the strip in Canada, and it promises that it'll save you between $30 and $50 a year on your power bill -- good thing, considering the power strip itself costs $110. Head on past the break for a quick video demonstration.
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Mitsubishi America offers up two new 3D projectors
The first new projector for the US is the HC4000 (pictured) which is touted as a great price for the performance DIY HT projector and features the 1080p DarkChip 3 DLP light engine. It is capable of 1300 lumens and provides up to 750:1 ANSI contrast ratio. It has support for an optional anamorphic lens for those 2.35:1 movies and is rated at a very quiet 25dBA in low mode. The estimated price is $1495 and should be available immediately. The bigger brother is the Diamond 3D which evidently has no price, but does use the 120hz Sony SXRD light engine, has an auto-iris function for easy setup, only musters 19dBa of noise while it is running and features two HDMI 1.4 inputs and an RS232 port for control.
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Mozilla's Seabird phone concept teaches us how to dream
Look up, peasant, from your soot-stained hands. Drop that shovel into the furrowed ground and gaze upon the magic* that Mozilla has wrought. Concept designer
Billy May, working through Mozilla's "Open Web Concept Phone" project, has gathered community feedback and followed up on some rather mundane visions for the mobile future with this little beauty, the Mozilla Seabird. The completely fictional device has a disturbing initial resemblance to a BlackBerry Storm, but as the video unfolds the functionality is really what sells this thing. The big innovation is the use of dual pico projectors on the side of the handset, which can provide different functionality based on the phone's orientation: flat on a table they pump out the two halves of a QWERTY keyboard, up on a dock they offer the dual purpose of a large viewing screen above and a seamless projected keyboard below. Other features, like the pop-out wireless pointer / Bluetooth headset are slightly less realistic but no less charming. Now, before you get too excited, you should know that Mozilla has no plans to build this or any phone, they're just messing around with some fancy 3D software and the bright imagination of their community of users. Still, for the two minutes and thirty seven seconds that the video after the break unfolds, allow yourself to think: "What if?"
*Actually, it's just a 3D render.Continue reading Mozilla's Seabird phone concept teaches us how to dream
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Epson rolls out new 3LCD projectors for budgets big and medium
Since it's
CEDIA time,
Epson has seen fit to unveil several new 1080p projectors, ranging from price brackets in the (reasonable for this crowd) sub-$7,000 category with the new Pro Cinema 6100 to the Home Cinema 8350 which comes in at less than $1,300. The Pro Cinema 6100 (above) debuts the company's new 3LCD Reflective and UltraBlack tech courtesy of a dual-layered auto iris that is its first to reach dynamic contrast ratios of up to 1,000,000:1, while the Pro Cinema 31000 and Home Cinema 21000 beamers feature similar lens technology with appropriately lower-end chipsets, stats and prices when all of them ship in December. The next jump down is the Home Cinema 8350 and 8700UB models that eschew the new HDMI 1.4 ports and more exotic lens technology of the higher end models while still bringing
improved specs over last year's lineup to retailer shelves when they ship later this month. Detailed specs follow after the break if you're wondering just how far an extra dollar or two will go.
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Panasonic, Charlotte Motor Speedway team up for the biggest HD screen ever
It's been a bad week for Jerry Jones. Not only are the Cowboys 0-2, but Panasonic and Charlotte Motor Speedway have announced plans to take away his
record for the largest HD video screen anywhere. Scheduled to debut in May 2011, the 720p, 16,000 sq ft (200 feet wide, 80 feet tall, 165,000 lbs, more specs are in the press release after the break) LED video wall will be installed along the backstretch between turns 2 and 3 at the race track allowing fans seated on the frontstretch to still see drivers shake and bake all the way around the track. A quick perusal of Wikipedia's list of top videoboards reminds of former contenders for the title -- massive screens at stadiums hosting the
Kansas City Royals,
Tokyo horse racing,
Longhorns football and
Miami Dolphins will all drop one more notch on the list.
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PSA: Sony says counterfeit PS3 controllers could explode
We're not sure why anyone would buy a knock-off DualShock 3 or SIXAXIS gamepad, considering the trouble Sony's taken to
make sure they don't work, but the PlayStation 3 manufacturer has another reason you might want to steer clear of counterfeit pads -- they could be tiny Li-ion bombs poised to explode. Talk about force feedback! Yes, the company that brought us
exploding laptop batteries says that third-party products "which are practically identical in appearance to genuine PlayStation(R)3 wireless controllers" may burst into flame, and as you might expect, Sony suggests that you run out to your nearest retailer and purchase the real deal instead.
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