Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, January 07, 2011

6 studios seek to lift barriers to online sales of films and TV shows

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-studios-barriers-online-sales-tv.html

With fresh data showing that Hollywood's crucial home entertainment market shrank yet again in 2010, six of Hollywood's biggest studios are rolling out plans for boosting online sales of movies and TV shows.

Digitizing makes government reports more available to public

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-digitizing.html

(PhysOrg.com) -- The University of Arizona Libraries is part of a growing, nationwide collaboration working to document, digitize and make publicly available technical reports commissioned by the federal government before about 1975.

Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series hands-on preview (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/samsung-sliding-pc-7-series-hands-on-preview-video/

If you're an avid Engadget reader, you're familiar with a dream of ours -- we have always wanted a netbook / tablet hybrid (netverible as we like to call 'em) that actually works really well. We don't want to get our hopes up too much, but the Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series could be it. While we got a chance to see the 10.1-inch tablet with its slide out keyboard just a few days ago, we caught some one-on-one time with the device behind closed doors here at the show and came out having a lot of hope in the product. The unit we saw, and the one being shown on the show floor here at CES, is still pre-production, but even so the sliding mechanism worked pretty smoothly. That's not to say it doesn't still feel delicate, but it actually auto-slides open once you start to push up the screen. As you'll see in the video, it's a rather exhilarating process, although, we were slightly worried that the back of the screen was going to shave off a keyboard key or two. Speaking of the keyboard, those smooth, shiny chiclet keys feel pretty good, though as you'd expect the layout is a little bit cramped.

When held in tablet mode the 2.18-pound device is a little heavy for one-handed use, but it's nowhere near as thick or bulky as the Dell Inspiron Duo. However, to maintain those trim dimensions, Samsung has had to cut out a full sized USB port, and instead, the device will use its mini-HDMI port -- it will come with a mini-HDMI-to-USB 2.0 adapter. It also has a MicroSD slot and 3G-card insert, and both front- and back-facing cameras. We didn't get to spend too much with Samsung's Touch Launcher, but it's one of the nicer looking Windows 7 layers we've seen in our day, and it can be launched by just touching that bright blue strip on the screen bezel. Of course, we're slightly worried that it will be sluggish, but Samsung is using Intel's forthcoming 1.5GHz Oak Trail processor, which we've heard will speed up Win 7 and improve battery life. As for the 340-nit, 1366 x 768-resolution screen itself, it was nice and bright on maximum setting, and the viewing angles seemed to be fairly decent. Unfortunately, it's also fairly glossy, so we'll have to see how it holds up outdoors. It also supports up to 16 points of contact -- we're not sure how useful that is on a ten-inch screen, but it's a nice bragging point. Samsung maintains the Sliding PC 7 Series should be hitting for $699 in May -- don't let us down Sammy, we've got dreams.

Gallery: Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series hands-on

Gallery: Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series show floor hands-on

Sam Sheffer and Sean Hollister contributed to this report.

Updated: The price is said to be $699, not $599. We've heard different things on the release time frame so we're sticking to May at the moment.

Continue reading Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series hands-on preview (video)

Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viewsonic announces LED display-equipped monitors, HDTVs and all-in-one PCs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/viewsonic-announces-led-display-equipped-monitors-hdtvs-and-all/

We've already seen a handful of new Viewsonic products announced here at CES, but the company's now finally pushed out its first mega press release of the show, which encompasses its new range of LED display-equipped devices. That includes 32- and 42-inch models in its new VT10LED series of HDTVs, six new monitors in its VA48m-LED and VX53mh-LED series ranging in size from 19- to 27-inches, and its new 22-inch VPC221 and 19-inch VPC191 all-in-one PCs, the first of which packs a Core i3 processor, while the latter relies on an Atom D525. Look for the all-in-ones to be available sometime in the first quarter of the year for $1,049 and $629, while the monitors and HDTVs will roll out between mid-January and March at prices ranging from $149 to $799.

Gallery: Viewsonic LED display lineup

Continue reading Viewsonic announces LED display-equipped monitors, HDTVs and all-in-one PCs

Viewsonic announces LED display-equipped monitors, HDTVs and all-in-one PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung shows off Google TV companion box and Blu-ray player

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/samsung-shows-off-google-tv-companion-box-and-blu-ray-player/

So, the word is that Samsung was planning on showing off Google TV at its presser, but switched things up at the last minute and stuck to its first party Smart TV offering. Still, that didn't stop two Samsung Google TV boxes from showing up at the show floor, a Blu-ray player and a standalone "companion" box. They both look pretty svelte, and the companion box is particularly smaller than the standalone Logitech and Sony boxes. Samsung's explanation of the showing was the idea that Samsung was "capable" of supporting other platforms, though they didn't have any promises of a release, a release date, or a price range. We also saw a Samsung Galaxy S running the Google TV controller app, which isn't much of a stretch, and there wasn't any sort of physical remote or keyboard on display. Basically, Samsung is showing the bare minimum of a Google TV offering, which seems to be sort of appropriate with Google TV's current feature set, if you want to get all "deeper meaning" about it.

Gallery: Samsung shows off Google TV companion box and Blu-ray player

Continue reading Samsung shows off Google TV companion box and Blu-ray player

Samsung shows off Google TV companion box and Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TRENDnet TEW-692GR 450Mbps concurrent dual band router, yet another first

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/trendnet-tew-692gr-450mbps-concurrent-dual-band-router-yet-anot/

We told you to keep an eye out for TRENDnet at CES this year, and guess what? They delivered. The kings of first-to-market WiFi devices will demo another first this week: the first 450Mbps concurrent dual band wireless router, or TEW-692GR. TRENDnet will be the first to tell you that their new router is the first to offer full 450Mbps on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless bands, simultaneously. As with the company's TEW-690AP, the TEW-692GR delivers a max theoretical throughput of 450Mbps, with three spatial streams per antenna, and can hit a whole gigabit via wired ethernet port. The TEW-692GR goes to market in April and will retail for about $250. If you want to be the first on your block to see the power router in action, check out the TRENDnet booth at CES.

TRENDnet TEW-692GR 450Mbps concurrent dual band router, yet another first originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FreeOCR Is a No-Hassle Scan-to-Text Converter for Windows [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5726454/freeocr-is-a-no+hassle-scan+to+text-converter-for-windows

Windows only: Your scanner probably came with OCR software. Chances are, though, it's both awkward and space-hogging. FreeOCR is an slim, efficient app that has just four main buttons, and performs well at converting scanned images and PDFs into edit-ready text.

Since so many scanners these days come as part of an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier combo, avoiding the installation of gigantic, auto-starting, self-promoting printer drivers is something we should all strive for. FreeOCR is a great alternative if you need to occasionally rip some text from a letter or other document. The app can grab text right off the scanner, or you can feed it a PDF file. Either way, your PDF shows up in the left window, and your text is ready to edit or copy in the right. Why more OCR apps aren't like this, we can't quite say.

FreeOCR is a free download for Windows systems only. Look for the download link a bit down the page. The app needs an internet connection active during installation, because it seems to be grabbing updated files from its server.

FreeOCR Software [via FreewareGenius.com]

Google Docs Now Allows Streaming of Uploaded Videos [Video]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5726965/google-docs-now-allows-streaming-of-uploaded-videos

Ever since Google Docs started allowing file uploads of any type, it's been a great way to store and share files in the cloud. As of today, though, you can not only store, but play uploaded videos right in Google Docs.

It's actually a pretty nice feature if you want to, say, share videos with friends without uploading it to YouTube. To play a video in Google Docs, just navigate to it in your documents list—it should already be processed through a YouTube-like player and be streamable. Video files can be up to 1 GB, and will need to be in one fo the following formats:

WebM files (Vp8 video codec and Vorbis Audio codec)

.MPEG4, 3GPP and MOV files - (h264 and mpeg4 video codecs and AAC audio codec)

.AVI (many cameras use this format - typically the video codec is MJPEG and audio is PCM)

.MPEGPS (MPEG2 video codec and MP2 audio)

.WMV

.FLV (Adobe - FLV1 video codec, MP3 audio)

You will need Flash installed to stream the videos. Any videos you've uploaded in the past should be playable, though Google's still processing all the videos on their servers, so it still may take a little while for all of yours to show up (depending on when you uploaded them). Hit the link for more info.

Play Your Video Files in Google Docs [via Google Docs Blog]

Verizon's First LTE Wi-Fi Hotspots [4G]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5726567/verizons-first-lte-wi+fi-hotspot

Until now, all of Verizon's 4G has been packed inside dongles. Samsung and Novatel's LTE hotspots will let you spread the 4G around with Wi-Fi. Slightly thicker than the old MiFi, but you need the space for all them Gees.

No price or date—or battery life spec—for Samsung's 4G Hotspot or Novatel's MiFi 4510L yet, unfortunately. Just that they'll support up to 5 devices.

Samsung's also got a new LTE version of Galaxy Tab as well. It's prettier, but basically the same inside (even still running Android 2.2) and they're not talking price difference (if any).

ContourGPS Uses Your Smartphone as a Viewfinder [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5727221/contourgps-uses-your-smartphone-as-a-viewfinder

Hey, people with ContourGPS sports cameras: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE WON A PRIZE! That camera you've got strapped to your helmet has been hiding a secret Bluetooth chip, which you'll soon be able to use to stream live video to your smartphone.

By applying a firmware upgrade for the camera and downloading a free phone app, Contour GPS users can stream their cameras' view (at 8FPS) to their smartphones over Bluetooth. Having a viewfinder for one of these cameras is a huge deal—it's easy to end up with a poorly-framed video with one of these cameras, since you typically can't preview your shot before recording—but with a range of 30+ feet, there's a lot of room for creative use (Think super simple surveillance, a rear-mounted car camera, confessional-style video, etc.) Here's how it works:

The Android app should be available in Spring, and the iPhone app should follow soon after. Unfortunately, due to differences in Bluetooth handling between Android and iOS, the iPhone version will require a $30 transmitter that slips into an expansion port on the ContourGPS camera.

Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card Can Use Any Phone's 3G Connection to Upload Photos [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5727237/eye+fi-wireless-sd-card-can-use-any-phones-3g-connection-to-upload-photos

Having an Eye-Fi wireless SD card in your camera is useful, but only if there's a wireless network to connect to. Soon, though, anyone with an Eye-Fi X2 will be able to upload photos through their phone's 3G connection.

Here's how it works: The Eye-Fi sets up a little ad-hoc network; the smartphone app connects to it; pictures are transfered to the smartphone; pictures are uploaded to anywhere and everywhere, via the phone's connection. It's pretty quick:

It's a simple concept that probably wasn't too difficult to pull off, but the effect is totally transformative. With this app, every photo you take with any Eye-Fi-equipped camera can be uploaded as long as your phone has an active data connection. Your DSLR is a cellphone camera, now.

The Android and iPhone apps are due later this year (Eye-Fi couldn't get more specific than that) and will be a free update.

Amazon's Selling Three Windows Phone 7 Handsets For 1Â¢ Each [Cellphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5727446/amazons-selling-three-windows-phone-7-handsets-for-1-each

Amazon's Selling Three Windows Phone 7 Handsets For 1Â¢ Each There may've been a bunch of handsets shown off this week, but if AT&T customers have been debating an upgrade to WP7, AmazonWireless' slashed Samsung Focus, LG Quantum and HTC Surround prices to 1¢ for the next two weeks. [BGR]

Samsung launching RVU-compatible D6000 series TVs in March

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/samsung-launching-rvu-compatible-d6000-series-tvs-in-march/

Remember the RVU Alliance from last year? The idea is to use standard tech like DLNA and UPnP to move live TV and DVR'd content around the home and straight to your screens, instead of having to plug a separate set-top box into every television. Well, Samsung is about to ship the first TVs in the world that support the RVU protocol, the Samsung LED D6000, LED D6400 and LED D6420. When networked with DirecTV's RVU server (the first of its kind), the TVs will display the UI and features from the DirecTV box, with ability to pause live content, share DVR storage, and record up to five shows simultaneously. No word on cost for the sets, but can you really put a price on the future?

Continue reading Samsung launching RVU-compatible D6000 series TVs in March

Samsung launching RVU-compatible D6000 series TVs in March originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch Monitor2Go hands-on at CES 2011 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/mmts-displaylink-equipped-15-4-inch-monitor2go-hands-on-at-ces/

We just happened upon MMT's Monitor2Go at CES's ShowStoppers event here in Vegas, and... well, it's a Mimo monitor, but huge. The new version -- which is expected to ship in a few months here in the US for $279 -- lacks the number pad that was on last year's model. That one was aimed primarily at accountants on the run, whereas this DisplayLink-equipped version is aimed at everyone else. You can catch up on all of the specifications and such here, but the actual display felt satisfactorily light, the swiveling hinge was rock solid and the screen itself was acceptable for a secondary solution. The low resolution won't dazzle anyone, and it's certainly no replacement for a legitimate monitor, but it's definitely easier to lug around than a new ST2220T. Head on past the break for a quick video demonstration.

Gallery: MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch Monitor2Go hands-on at CES 2011

Continue reading MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch Monitor2Go hands-on at CES 2011 (video)

MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch Monitor2Go hands-on at CES 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Series 9 hands-on preview (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/samsung-series-9-hands-on-preview-video/

Do we deliver or what? Just as promised, we went back for seconds with the Samsung 9 Series laptop, and man, it is one beautiful laptop. As you already know, it is incredibly thin, but it also has a very rigid construction thanks to its duralumin build. (Fun fact: apparently they build planes out of the same stuff.) As you will see in the video below, the design is very clean and the sharp edges have been designed to make the system look even slimmer. The lead designer of the system YeoWan Yun told us that the 9 Series was inspired by nature's beauty, including waves, leaves, and water. But it's not just the outside of the system that's beautiful -- the matte 400nit, 13-inch display is incredibly bright and crisp and the viewing angles are just top notch. Below that screen is one very nice chiclet keyboard with matte keys. Sammy's gone with a single button ClickPad, which in our short time with the laptop seemed fine for navigating with our index finger while keeping our thumb on the bottom. Naturally, we weren't able to get a real sense of the Core i5 performance, but we did notice that the system resumed from sleep rather quickly thanks to its 128GB SSD. Truth is we haven't been this excited about a Windows ultraportable since the Dell Adamo XPS, we just hope the 9 Series really brings the brawn and battery life with the beauty.

Gallery: Samsung Series 9 hands-on