Friday, February 19, 2010

Nokia cancels NFC-equipped 6216 handset

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/nokia-cancels-nfc-equipped-6216-handset/

Visa may be pushing ahead to bring NFC to phones via microSD cards, but it looks like phones with built-in NFC capabilities have now suffered a bit of a setback, as Nokia has officially canceled its already delayed 6216 handset. That phone was a rather unimpressive candy bar in most respects, but it was the first such phone that would have tied NFC payments to a carrier's SIM card, which Nokia had hoped would have been enough to at least give it a foothold, if not kick-start a wave of NFC handsets. For its part, Nokia isn't offering too many details on the reasons for the cancellation, saying only that it felt "the quality of the consumer experience was not what it needed to be," and adding that its "commitment to NFC remains as strong as ever."

Nokia cancels NFC-equipped 6216 handset originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Devour in the wild once again

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/motorola-devour-in-the-wild-once-again/

We've already seen the Motorola Devour in the wild once, but with the official Verizon launch right around the corner and pre-sales underway, it looks like at least one more unit has made it out into the world. Great -- but we'd like a video of this thing and its mid-range processor running Flash, please.

[Thanks, Zach]

Motorola Devour in the wild once again originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RT @wiltonbound - 2010: The Year of Change in the Healthcare Industry - http://bit.ly/92C2kh

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Mitsubishi's upconverting technology takes 1080p to 4K x 2K, you to cloud nine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mitsubishis-upconverting-technology-takes-1080p-to-4k-x-2k-you/

So, there's good news and bad news, and we tend to prefer starting with the former. According to Akihabara News, Mitsubishi has whipped up an upscaling technology to end all upscaling technologies -- one that takes vanilla 1080p material to 4K x 2K without breaking a sweat. Now, for the less-than-awesome tidbit. For whatever reason, the tech is not yet compatible with Blu-ray content, and moreover, you're still nowhere close to being able to afford a 4K television or projector. Here's hoping this breakthrough makes 'em a wee bit more feasible for the layman, though.

Mitsubishi's upconverting technology takes 1080p to 4K x 2K, you to cloud nine originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TuneGlue Helps You Find New Tunes You'd Like by Mapping Music Connections [Music]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YH6rolXRhTY/tuneglue-helps-you-find-new-tunes-youd-like-by-mapping-music-connections

If you'd like to discovery some new music and do it in a visually appealing way, TuneGlue let's you explore the relationship between artists and bands in a connection-based web.

You start building a web by searching for an artist. In our sample web above we started with Iggy Pop. When you click on your first node, you can perform variety of actions with the node but the most important action is expanding the node. Expanding adds more nodes to the web, spun off of the node you expanded. By expanding nodes you can generate connections between artists based on listening patterns. Iggy Pop, for example, links to The Stooge which in turn link to the New York Dolls. Curious how we got from Iggy Pop to Garbage? We went from Iggy Pop through Patti Smith -> PJ Harvey -> Tori Amos -> Alanis Morissette -> The Craberries -> Garbage.

Unlike some other music discovery services you can't listen immediately to the artists' work as you find them but you can click on the "Releases" icon on each node to be taken to Amazon.com to sample music from the artist or purchase an album.

Have a particularly interesting string of connections you made through TuneGlue? Have another favorite music discovery service? Let's hear about it in the comments.



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Meebo Brings Slick Multi-Network Chat to the iPhone, and It's Excellent [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/v2cHCEBBBNM/meebo-brings-slick-multi+network-chat-to-the-iphone-and-its-excellent

iPhone/iPod touch: We've been fans of popular chat app Meebo for a while, so it's great to hear they've released a version for the iPhone that competes with premium chat apps in the App Store but doesn't cost a dime.

Meebo sports push notifications that activate automatically when the app is closed so you can keep in touch even when Meebo isn't running, and it syncs between your iPhone and desktop app so you don't miss a beat communicating with your contacts. It's got all the features its web-based cousin has—like full chat history and integration with Facebook, AIM, and Yahoo.

Landscape mode and other little niceties like the ability to add Away messages make using Meebo on the iPhone a joy. It doesn't have a whole bunch of useless features weighing it down so the learning curve on this app takes about 10 seconds.

If you're not rocking an iPhone, Meebo hasn't forgotten about you. The service already has apps for Android (and a mobile web site for other smartphones).

Now that instant messaging apps are finding their way off the desktop and onto mobile devices, what features would you like to see in future versions. Dream big in the comments.



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Google Shopper Visual Search App Officially Confuses Me: WTF Is Google Doing? [Google]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hPdshh1OwAQ/google-shopper-visual-search-app-officially-confuses-me-wtf-is-google-doing

I don't understand Google Shopper. Not because the function—searching for books, CDs, DVDs and more by using the cover art or barcode—is confusing. But because they already have a visual search app built into new Android phones, Goggles.

Goggles does the same thing: You take a picture of something, like a book cover, and it searches for it. I get that Shopper is slightly different, with more of a direct Amazon-competitive slant, since you can bookmark products to buy them later (presumably through Google Checkout).

But why not just integrate that into Goggles? Why the hell does this separate other product exist? Like Fake Steve says, WTF is going on over there? Android and Chrome OS? Wave and Buzz? (Okay, Buzz and Wave aren't an entirely fair comparison, though try explaining them to a normal person.) Now Goggles and Shopper? Am I just missing something? [Google]



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New CCFL Lamps Could Outshine LED TVs [TVs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5xoKsGVMds0/new-ccfl-lamps-could-outshine-led-tvs

Cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights are fast disappearing due to the more efficient and brighter LED swaggering onto the TV scene, but the Japanese company Sanken Electric claims its new CCFL technology is 60 per cent cheaper to produce.

Too little, too late for the unfashionable technology? Sanken reckons TVs perform just as well using two of its lamps as opposed to the six normally required. As production won't start until this summer, it's unlikely we won't see them in TV sets for at least another year—and by then, LEDs will reign supreme. [Nikkei via CrunchGear]



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SK Telecom shoves Android onto a SIM, we check it out

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/sk-telecom-shoves-android-onto-a-sim-we-check-it-out/

SK Telecom was showing off some interesting ideas about where it'd like to see SIM cards go in the future here at MWC this week, including a couple particularly juicy ones called Android SIM and the SIM Theme Package. Android SIM shoehorns a CPU, the Android OS, applications, user data, and 1GB of storage into the card pictured above. SK Telecom envisions it being used in dumbphones -- as the CPU is onboard, there wouldn't be a need for the device to have one -- letting consumers move between sets or perhaps to a tablet with even more ease than they already can. SKT's Theme SIMs use a similar smart card to take advantage of the storage space for theme elements, music, pictures, and any variety of apps that vendors or operators care to put in them. Follow on for a quick demo (and some minor failure -- typical demo time Murphy's Law) of moving the themed chips between two handsets.

Continue reading SK Telecom shoves Android onto a SIM, we check it out

SK Telecom shoves Android onto a SIM, we check it out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VTech launches kid-friendly MobiGo handheld gaming system, Flip e-reader

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/vtech-launches-kid-friendly-mobigo-handheld-gaming-system-flip/

You may be 32 36, but that's not to say that the kid in you is long gone. At this week's Toy Fair in New York City, VTech took a welcome step away from the landline handset department and tried its hand with a few swank toys. Up first is the $59.99 MobiGo (shown after the break), a handheld gaming system designed for minds within humans aged 3 to 7. Seen as a little tike's GameBoy, the device supports touch inputs and even features a QWERTY keyboard, both of which can be used to fish, color, draw, play on-screen instruments and generally enrich those malleable brain cells. Potentially more interesting, however, is the Flip; described as the planet's first children's animated e-reader, this $59.99 device has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, a built-in dictionary and a QWERTY keyboard. Look out, Kindle!

Continue reading VTech launches kid-friendly MobiGo handheld gaming system, Flip e-reader

VTech launches kid-friendly MobiGo handheld gaming system, Flip e-reader originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Chip Ch icklets  |  sourcePR Newswire  | Email this | Comments

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OCZ cranks up the performance on Vertex Limited Edition SSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/ocz-cranks-up-the-performance-on-vertex-limited-edition-ssd/

CeBIT gets going next month, but OCZ Technology's not waiting around for the show to begin. Instead, it's pushing out details on its swankest SSD ever ahead of time, which will hopefully make room for some fancy prototypes to take up space in Germany. The Sandforce-based Vertex Limited Edition (LE) is based around an all-new architecture, and the company claims that this drive is its "fastest, multi-level cell (MLC), performance-based drive yet." How fast, you ask? How's about 270MB/sec on the read side and 250MB/sec on the write side, not to mention 15,000 IOPS. Unfortunately, it's still stuck on the SATA 3Gbps interface, but for those indifferent to that lingering 6Gbps alternative, you can be on the lookout for these to ship in 100GB ($399.99) and 200GB ($829.99) flavors for a limited time.

OCZ cranks up the performance on Vertex Limited Edition SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceOCZ Technology  | Email this | Comments

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Mitsubishi's upconverting technology takes 1080p to 4K x 2K, you to cloud nine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mitsubishis-upconverting-technology-takes-1080p-to-4k-x-2k-you/

So, there's good news and bad news, and we tend to prefer starting with the former. According to Akihabara News, Mitsubishi has whipped up an upscaling technology to end all upscaling technologies -- one that takes vanilla 1080p material to 4K x 2K without breaking a sweat. Now, for the less-than-awesome tidbit. For whatever reason, the tech is not yet compatible with Blu-ray content, and moreover, you're still nowhere close to being able to afford a 4K television or projector. Here's hoping this breakthrough makes 'em a wee bit more feasible for the layman, though.

Mitsubishi's upconverting technology takes 1080p to 4K x 2K, you to cloud nine originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAkihabara News  | Email this |&nbs! p;Comments

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Atlona's VGA to HDMI adapter ditches the brick, does 1080p on USB power

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/atlonas-vga-to-hdmi-adapter-ditches-the-brick-does-1080p-on-us/

Atlona's VGA to HDMI adapter ditches the power brick, does 1080p on USB power
Laptops or desktops stuck with only VGA output often need a little help to get their content onto an HDTV, and Atlona is there for them. It's introducing another in a storied line of HDMI adapters, this one taking VGA input and turning it to HDMI output. That's not particularly special, but that this one does it powered only by a single USB port is. It'll also pull in analog audio over a 3.5mm plug and add that to the mix, then pump the results at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200. Of course, all that functionality is going to cost you: $120 for the adapter, but it does at least include a six-foot HDMI cable. They're up for order now ahead of a date with the postman next week, and there's another picture waiting for you after the break if you're really into the orange and black scheme.

Continue reading Atlona's VGA to HDMI adapter ditches the brick, does 1080p on USB power

Atlona's VGA to HDMI adapter ditches the brick, does 1080p on USB power originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sony Cybershot H55: Big 10x Zoom, Small(ish) Camera [Digital Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rd5UniMCVR0/sony-cybershot-h55-big-10x-zoom-smallish-camera

Sony's other new camera is the H55, which goes for the "stuffing a fat zoom lens into a tiny body" party trick (like Nikon's S8000). It's a 10x zoom, starting at a 25mm wide-angle. (I'm curious to see what kind of lens distortion we might get here, if any.)

It shoots 14MP photos and 720p video, plus it has the Sweep Panorama found in some of Sony's other point-and-shoots that lets you shoot a panorama with one sweeping motion. It's $250.

Sony also is introducing the H55 model, which offers high zoom in a compact design. The H55 camera's 10x optical zoom Sony G lens with 25mm wide-angle (equivalent) takes better shots from greater distances and of wider landscapes. With a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor, this camera lets you take panoramic shots in one sweeping motion with Sweep Panorama™ mode. You can also frame and view photos on its three-inch (measured diagonally) Clear Photo™ LCD screen (230,400 pixels).

Featuring 720p movie recording, the H55 model offers Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization to help reduce blur in photos without compromising image quality. It also adds Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode, which lets you shoot smoother movie clips even if you are walking while shooting. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode allows a moveable lens element inside the camera to shift with greater range of motion-10 times the range of the Optical SteadyShot feature at wide end in standard mode-to compensate for camera shake.

The TX5 and H55 cameras share intelligent features including HD movie recording (1280 x 720 at 30p). Additionally, these cameras have a Self portrait timer that automatically takes the shot two seconds after one or two faces are detected, making hand held self-portraits easy. They also offer Smile Shutter™ technology to automatically capture smiles and iAUTO and Easy modes, which make it easy to get the best shot in nearly any lighting situation.

To give customers greater choice and enhance the overall customer experience, the TX5 and H55 cameras feature a memory card slot compatible with both Memory Stick® (PRO Duo™) and class-four and above SD/SDHC formats.

Pricing and Availability
The TX5 camera will be available in silver, black, pink, green, and red this April for about $350, and the H55 camera will be available in black and silver this April for about $250. Pre-sales begin in February.



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Sony DSC-TX5 Rugged Camera is Slim, Slightly Wimpy, But HDR and Panoramic Ready [Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6BDwGeNKxSU/sony-dsc+tx5-rugged-camera-is-slim-slightly-wimpy-but-hdr-and-panoramic-ready

Welcome to the rugged camera game, Sony. Your TX5 impresses me with its deck-of-cards size Zeiss lens, and 14-degree rating, but at 10 feet of waterproofness and 5 feet of shock resistance, you're a little fragile.

Other cameras, like the just released Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2, are rated to around 30 feet of depth with respectable image quality. And the Casio EX-G1 is practically as small, although not nearly as capable of a camera.

Still, I respect Sony point and shoots, and this one could be one of the most street friendly because of its sensor and some neat software. The camera has a 10.2 megapixel "Exmor R" CMOS low light sensor, has optical stabilization (handy in a rugged camera) and 10 fps burst modes. (We suspect it has similar guts to the WX1.) Another neat trick is the Intelligent Sweep Panorama, which can stitch together up to 100 separate captures by face matching and judging motion, adjusting them for lens warp to make a huge single image. There's also built in high dynamic range processing which combined bracketed photos. Ideal for capturing detail in sunny or snowy scenes. And smile capture which triggers the shutter when the camera detects a toothy grin or a timer mode that snaps the shot when heads show up in frame. The camera also captures 720p video at 30 frames per second with a special mode that'll allow for 10 times the lens movement to adjust for shake.

Without having used this camera, I'd say it's ideal as a good solid slim point and shoot that can occasionally hit the outdoors. It'll go for $350 this April.

SONY INTRODUCES WATERPROOF DIGITAL STILL CAMERA WITH PERFORMANCE AND STYLE

Model Offers Outstanding Low-Light Performance, High Speed,
Intelligent Sweep Panorama and More

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17, 2010 – Leading the industry in innovation and design, Sony today unveiled two new Cyber-shot® digital still cameras (models DSC-TX5 and DSC-H55).
Slim enough to fit in your pocket or purse at less than an inch thin — about the size of a deck of cards — the TX5 is the world's thinnest and smallest certified waterproof (up to 10 feet deep) digital still camera with Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization and touch operation. Additionally, the 10.2 megapixel model is Sony's first digital still camera with an "Exmor R" CMOS sensor that is also certified to be freeze proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, shockproof up to about a 5-foot drop and dust proof.
"Only Sony can deliver a technology-packed, ultra slim, fashionable T-series camera that is also durable. Until now, you couldn't have it all in one camera" said Kelly Davis, director of the Digital Imaging business at Sony Electronics. "It is so versatile because it's a great camera for both indoor and outdoor usage. You can easily take it from a day at the beach with the kids to a cocktail party with friends. This camera is also great for activities such as snorkeling, snowboarding or boating."
Waterproof, Freeze Proof, Shockproof and Dust Proof
Waterproof in up to 10 feet of water for an hour, the TX5 lets you take high-quality photos, including panoramic pictures, and 720p high definition videos of your friends, family or pets underwater. From the tropics to the top of the mountain, the camera is also freeze proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can take pictures of the kids sledding or snowboarding. Not only is it ready for cold weather, but the TX5 is durable enough to withstand an accidental drop from up to approximately 5 feet. Additionally, it is dust proof, so you can take it with you on a camping trip or a mountain bike ride.
The camera features an "Exmor R" sensor and offers 10fps continuous burst shooting for capturing action shots, so you can get great photos of the perfect moment such as when your kids are in mid air while jumping into the pool. Additionally, the sensor provides outstanding low-light performance so you can take high-quality photos even after the sun sets.
In one easy press-and-sweep motion, take panoramic photos of the underwater landscape or breathtaking views from the top of the mountain using the Intelligent Sweep Panorama™ feature. Another benefit of the "Exmor R" sensor, this innovative feature combines separate captures, detects faces and subject motion and intelligently adjusts the width while stitching the images together, resulting in natural looking panoramic photos.
The camera features a three-inch (measured diagonally) Clear Photo LCD Plus™ (230,400 pixel) wide touch screen display that functions-even underwater. You can focus on your subject, operate the menu and share photos and videos with a touch of the screen-wet or dry. Additionally, you can decorate your photos using the paint feature or scroll through images by simply sweeping your finger across the screen.
Shadows and Details Made Easy
In addition to making it easy to capture entire landscapes or tall buildings, the TX5 camera also helps to manage difficult lighting situations. The "Exmor R" CMOS sensor lets you take high-quality photos in low light without a flash. Additionally, the TX5 has a solution for backlight situations.
With in-camera multi-shot Backlight Correction High Dynamic Range (HDR), the camera combines highlight and shadow detail of two separate captures into one remarkably natural looking image-even without a tripod. HDR offers a solution for strong backlight situations which typically result in either dark shadows in the foreground or a washed out background. Sony's "Exmor R" sensor and BIONZ® processor help to correct these issues.



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Are Nokia and Intel Working on a Chip Together? [Guts]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Jo9_KnrqGrU/are-nokia-and-intel-working-on-a-chip-together

Both companies are dropping clues that Nokia and Intel are working on a new mobile chip—a move that could solve serious problems for both. Intel and Nokia's love affair, it seems, is bigger than Meego.

The theory congealed after Monday's announcement of Meego, an awkwardly named laboratory child of the Nokia's Maemo mobile OS and Intel's Moblin netbook/tablet platform, and runs thusly:

1. Intel and Nokia are now working together in some capacity, obviously
2. Nokia has been reticent to voice solidarity with Qualcomm as the chip provider for certain forthcoming hardware
3. SemiAccurate actually reported that Nokia and Intel are working on an Atom-based SoC called Penwell, which for various technical reasons (including extra room for extra components created by the 32nm manufacturing process) looks like its shaping up to be a system-on-a-chip, in the style of Qualcomm's Snapdragon or Apple's A4.
4. This would make sense for both companies, therefore, well, it would make sense for both of these companies.

Nokia's current smartphone lineup hasn't found a foothold in the US, and their netbook business is just learning to walk, so a partnership with Intel could help them develop high-end, unique hardware to power flagship handheld devices and new lines of netbooks, which, unlike last time around, might actually be worth their sky-high price tags. For Intel, well, Nokia is huge—the biggest cellphones manufacturer in the world—so having an in with them can't be a bad thing.

It's worth stressing that while a partnership here makes sense, it's by no means vital: Intel would be fine without Nokia, and Nokia would be fine without Intel. But just think of the things they could do together! They are... mildly exciting, for some people! [Ars Technica]



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Samsung R430 / R540 laptops now partying stateside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/samsung-r430-r540-laptops-now-partying-stateside/

That might pretty Touch of Color aesthetic Samsung's been rather fond of is popping up on the virtual US retail shelves by way of the 15.6-inch R530 laptop. Both it and the black 14-inch R430 are sporting a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, and Intel's stock-in-trade GMA 4500MHD graphics. Interestingly enough, both are priced at $654, so 15.6 inches of screen space is just a tinge too big or you think ToC is a rather silly look, you're not being punished.

Samsung R430 / R540 laptops now partying stateside originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Laptoping (1), (2)  |  sourceAmazon (R530), (R430)  | E mail this | Comments

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Android-powered Motorola Backflip headed to AT&T on March 7 for $100 on contract

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/android-powered-motorola-backflip-headed-to-atandt-on-march-7-for/

AT&T just got its first Android-powered smartphone (four more coming this year) in the HSPA 7.2-capable Motorola Backflip. The Motoblur device with reverse flip design and 3.1-inch touchscreen packs GPS, WiFi, and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash and camcorder function that neatly integrates with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter or photo sharing sites like Picasa. It lands March 7th for $100 after $100 rebate and two-year contract with smartphone data plan. AT&T promo video after the break.

Continue reading Android-powered Motorola Backflip headed to AT&T on March 7 for $100 on contract

Android-powered Motorola Backflip headed to AT&T on March 7 for $100 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePR Newswire  | Email this | Comments

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