Monday, February 25, 2013

LG Shows Off Wireless 4K Streaming, From Phone to TV

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5986642/lg-shows-off-wireless-4k-streaming-from-phone-to-tv

LG Shows Off Wireless 4K Streaming, From Phone to TVLG has been showing off the first example of wireless Ultra HD steaming at MWC: it can take video from a phone, playing at 1080p, upscale it on the fly, and show it off at 4K on a TV.

The technology uses Wi-Fi and Miracast to mange that, essentially mirroring phone content on a big screen, be it video, games, or whatever. According to the Verge in the video below, the streaming is pretty smooth, with only extreme panning causing frame rates to drop. Still, it's early days for this kind of streaming—and this already looks pretty damn promising. [Verge]

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Samsung hands out paper invitations to Galaxy S IV launch at MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/samsung-galaxy-s-iv-invite/

Samsung hands out paper invitations to Galaxy S IV launch at MWC

Didn't receive an emailed invitation to the Galaxy S IV event in Manhattan? You're not alone. It looks like Samsung is shaking things up a bit this time around, handing out paper invitations to the NYC shindig at its decked-out booth at Mobile World Congress. The note confirms the earlier news: March 14th is the big day, and unlike last year's kickoff, which was held in London to coincide with Olympics coverage, 2013's flagship will make its debut at 7PM ET at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. And we've got the golden ticket. We'll be liveblogging the event, of course, so mark the date!

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General Dynamics locks down Android, demos ultra-secure LG Optimus 3D Max

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/general-dynamics-locks-down-android/

GD Protected suite locks down Android, demos ultrasecure LG Optimus 3D Max

General Dynamics doesn't exactly make the sexiest gear in the world. But, it sure has this secure gadget thing on lockdown. The NSA contractor is moving to ensure that Android is as snoop proof as can be with its new GD Protected software. The heart of the system is a sandboxed virtual instance of Android that delivers the sort of security features demanded by governments and the military (and some particularly paranoid businesses). That isolated OS runs alongside a standard Android install that you can use for personal purposes, while keeping your sensitive data on the secure side -- not unlike BlackBerry Balance. There's two layers of encryption separating the virtual install from the standard one, along with hardware security provided by Fixmo. The company has worked with LG, the DoD and the USMC to build a customized version of the Optimus 3D Max to showcase how the software works. The device even has a dedicated button that lets you quickly and seamlessly switch between the personal and secure personas, indicated by green and red borders, respectively. If you're not really keen on equipping your foot soldiers with last year's mediocre LG handset (and have no need for super secure stereoscopic snapshots) then you'll probably be happy to hear that General Dynamics will be bringing GD Protected to the Galaxy S III as well. The platform has been integrated into Samsung's own security solution, dubbed KNOX, and will be available ! sometime in Q2 of this year. For a few more details, check out the video demo and PR after the break.

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Duracell Powermat adding mesh network, scaleable power to its wireless charging plates

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/duracell-powermat-mwc-features/

Duracell

Duracell Powermat is announcing a pair of new features to encourage sales of its wireless charging gear. The first is "Mesh Network," a set of controls that let multiple hotspots be centrally monitored -- so if you're stealing all the juice in the Wall St. Starbucks, central office can cut you off. On the upside, those same network features will enable you to find another charging hotspot on your smartphone, including Madison Square Garden and Jay-Z's 40/40 club. The second feature is that the latest mats will be able to vary the power on offer between 5 and 50 watts, making them capable of recharging smartphones, tablets and (potentially) Ultrabooks. Now all we have to do is work out how to power all of our electronics without arousing the suspicions of Jay-Z -- we'd hate to add a 100th problem to his worry list.

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Huawei Ascend G526 hands-on: a midrange 4.5-inch LTE handset

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/huawei-ascend-g526-hands-on/

Huawei Ascend G526 handson a midrange LTE handset

The Ascend P2 is getting the bulk of the attention at Huawei's booth at MWC 2013, but the Chinese company has a history of hiding an unannounced phone or two in less-visited corners of the booth. This time around it's the Ascend G526 that blends into the background, hanging out with a few other LTE-enabled devices. The G526, which hasn't been assigned any pricing or timeframe for availability (we've reached out to Huawei for more information), features a 4.5-inch qHD IPS display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor paired with 1GB of RAM. Additionally, it enjoys a 5MP rear camera and VGA front-facing cam, as well as a 1,950mAh battery and WiFi Direct support. There appears to be three variants of this device -- L11, L22 and L33 -- each one offering different frequencies for various carriers and markets. More details are forthcoming, but we'll update this post as we hear more.

The phone, which measures 133 x 67.5 x 9.9mm, is actually rather comfortable to hold in the hand. It's about par for the course when it comes to midrange handsets, with a slick plastic back that curves inward on each side so as to hug the edges. A 3.5mm jack can be seen up top while the power and volume buttons are on the right. Tragically, the micro-USB charging port is located on the upper left side of the phone, which is an incredibly awkward place when you're trying to use the device whilst it's chained to an outlet. We have a full gallery of images of the new device below.

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Samsung puts latest Exynos 5 Octa chip into a prototype tablet, we go hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/samsung-exynos-octa-hands-on/

Samsung puts its latest Exynos Octa chip into a prototype tablet, we go handson video

The Exynos 5 Octa was definitely one of the biggest things to come out of CES. Given how well the regular dual-core Exynos V performs in the Nexus 10 and Chromebook, devices containing the souped-up Octa version could be really special. As you probably know already, we're looking at four Cortex-A15 cores for when you need raw performance for gaming or media creation, and then four energy-saving Cortex-A7 cores for less demanding tasks like surfing or watching video. We've just seen how fast and fluid this big.LITTLE core-switching technology is, courtesy of a Samsung reference tablet on show at ARM's booth at MWC -- check it out for yourself after the break.

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Build Your Own Power-Efficient DIY Remote Storage System

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5986177/build-your-own-power+efficient-diy-remote-storage-system

Build Your Own Power-Efficient DIY Remote Storage SystemCloud storage is everywhere, but if you don't want to mess around with keeping your data on someone else's computer, or you simply don't want to pay for it, DIYer Dominic came up with a solution to use his own computer as a DIY remote storage system over Wi-Fi.

Wake-on-LAN has existed for a while to make it easy to access your computer from anywhere, but it doesn't always work that well unless you have the right hardware, and waking on Wi-Fi is still a little iffy. Dominic needed a system to remotely back up his photos on vacation to safe space on his phone, so he installed Open WRT on a cheap router, and then wired the router to power up the PC when it's pinged. It's an interesting way to roll your own power-efficient storage system, but it's certainly not the only solution. Head over to Dominic's site for a full guide.

Dropping Dropbox + Hardware Hacking | Dom's blog via Hack a Day

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Samsung's HomeSync Android Box Brings a Whopping 1TB of Storage to Your TV

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5986544/samsungs-homesync-brings-1tb-of-android-to-your-tv

Samsung's HomeSync Android Box Brings a Whopping 1TB of Storage to Your TV Set top boxes aren't exactly mobile tech, but Samsung has unveiled its new one at this year's Mobile World Congress. The HomeSync aims to work with your mobile devices and serve has a hefty little Android-powered box for all your media. A 1TB box.

Running Android Jelly Bean (version unspecified) the HomeSync will let users push apps, games, and other media to the an HDTV. No one's actually saying "Google TV" here, but the box will have access to the Google Play store, and can push all that goodness through to your TV at 1080p through its HDMI 1.4 connection.

Inside, the HomeSync has an 8GB SSD for OS and basic storage and a gig of RAM, but behind that sits a massive 1TB hard drive that should be enough to satisfy even the most ardent digital pack-rats. Samsung has no illuisions that one person would endeavor to fill that space (or should endeavor), so the HomeSync can support up to 8 different accounts, each of which gets its own little slice, separate from the others, complete with encryption if you want.

The HomeSync will be available in the US sometime April 2013, but there's no world on how much it'll cost, or whether or not it can handle streaming protocols like Miricast, so don't lay down all your judgement quite yet. But if nothing else, it's bound to be the spiffiest 1TB hard drive out there. [CNET]

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Benchmarks Are In: Nvidia's Tegra 4 Really Cooks

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5986554/benchmarks-are-in-nvidias-tegra-4-really-cooks

Benchmarks Are In: Nvidia's Tegra 4 Really Cooks When Nvida announced the Tegra 4 back at CES, they laid down the claim it was the world's fastest mobile processor. Now Nvidia's got some prototype devices at Mobile World Congress, the benchmarks are coming in and there's no questioning it. The Tegra 4 is a total speed-demon.

A generation better than the Tegra 3 and Qualcomm S4 processors common now, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Tegra 4 can demolish the processor in just about every other phone on the market, but now the proof is in. And Apple's peppy A6 is no exclusion. Then again, the Tegra 4's got a bit of a head start.

Benchmarks Are In: Nvidia's Tegra 4 Really Cooks

Samsung and Qualcomm have competition in the works though, with the Exynos 5 Octa and Snapdragon 800 respectively. And like Nvidia boasted with the Tegra 4, Qualcomm is behind its Spadragon 800 as "the fastest." But until we see some benchmarks, the Tegra 4 is taking the cake, and handily. You can expect to see that puppy in Nvidia's Project Shield when it launches in this spring, and you'll find its cousin, the T4i, folded into mobile phones late this year. Get ready for a rocket ride. [PC Mag]

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Alcatel Idol X hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/alcatel-idol-x-hands-on-video/

Alcatel Idol X handson video

Alcatel converted its One Touch Idol line from a duo to a trio with today's launch of yet another set at Mobile World Congress: the Idol X. While not quite as thin as its 6.45mm-thin Idol Ultra sibling, at 7mm thick with a tiny 2.4mm bezel it is definitely is about as small as a 5" set can get. The Idol X's giant 1080p IPS display is fantastic to look at and Jelly Bean is snappy driven by a quad core MediaTek MT6589 1.2GHz CPU. Like many of Alcatel's other sets the range of config option varies by market and the same is true here as we'll see both 13 and 8-megapixel variants -- both with 1080p front facing cameras -- and dual or single-SIM, with the single variety getting a bonus microSD slot. While the Idol X is not equipped with LTE it does have 42Mbps HSPA+ connectivity, quad-band GSM and offers dual-band UMTS in both 900MHz / 2100MHz or 850MHz / 2100MHz frequencies.

Alcatel's all about mass market, it isn't chasing the likes of Apple or Samsung but rather is quite happy to simply make "devices for people." So while 2012 marked its first foray into smartphones, judging by what we've seen so far in 2013 from them it seems they've nailed affordability while maintaining a surprising amount of quality, a great combination. Join Myriam just after the break for a quick video tour.

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PowerbyProxi debuts wireless charging solution, aims to fully integrate it into future smartphones (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/powerbyproxi-wireless-charging-solution-demo-mwc-2013-video/

PowerbyProxi debuts wireless charging solution, aims to fully integrate it into future smartphones video

The pathway to innovation is paved with failed attempts to produce wireless charging solutions that a) actually work and b) people genuinely want to use, but we've got yet another upstart here at Mobile World Congress willing to give it a go. PowerbyProxi's solution looks pretty similar to renditions we've seen from Fulton Innovation, but it's quick to point out the differences. The loosely-coupled method uses a bantam receiver that's "efficient enough to be integrated into the processor board of a smartphone without causing over-heating."

While previous industry designs have resulted in longer charging times than if the device were plugged into a wall socket, PowerbyProxi's solution reportedly "provides charging at the same speed as wired charging." In fact, it claims to offer the only system that can rejuvenate up to three devices at the same time at full power. If you're wondering what working group these guys are going to side with, that much is still up in the air -- it's remaining "agnostic towards the selection of an ultimate standard" for now.

We spoke with the company here at Mobile World Congress, and it confirmed to us that it's working with the top five major battery manufacturers, and we should see wireless AA and AAA cells "within 12 months." It wouldn't confirm how soon we'd see it in phones, tablets or laptops (yeah, it'll work in all of 'em), but it's clearly working with some of the ! top OEMs and hoping for the best. In the demo we witnessed, specially equipped Galaxy S III handsets charged alongside one another, even when barely clinging to the charging pad. Despite a bunch of metallic objects being heaped on the pad, it was intelligent enough to only send power to the phones, keeping gum boxes and coins cool, calm and collected. Head on past the break for quick video tour as well as a press release.

Dana Murph contributed to this report.

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Source: PowerbyProxi

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NVIDIA Tegra 4 benchmarked, breaks all sorts of speed records (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/nvidia-tegra-4-benchmarked/

NVIDIA Tegra 4 benchmarked, breaks all sorts of speed records video

When NVIDIA unveiled Tegra 4 back at CES, we scrambled to get hands-on with a reference device. And though our initial performance impressions were positive -- it runs 1080p video and games smoothly -- there was only so much we could say to illustrate how fast the performance is. After all, Tegra 3 already does a fine job handling games and full HD movies. What we really needed were benchmarks, some quantitative data to help show the difference between Tegra 4 devices and whatever's currently on the market. Fortunately for all of you, we just got our chance: here at Mobile World Congress, the company has reference tablets set up expressly for the purpose of running tests. So, we did just that... over and over and over until we had a long list of scores. Meet us after the break to see how it fared.

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Switched On: Moving forward with leaning back

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/moving-forward-with-leaning-back/

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

DNP Switched On Moving forward with leaning back

Just a few months have passed between the introduction of the Droid DNA and the new HTC One, but it seems that HTC has been turned upside down in that time. While the Droid DNA was introduced in conjunction with Verizon and can't be a wholly representative picture of how HTC might have introduced the device otherwise, it was a spec- and design-driven product -- a 5-inch, 1080p display with a 440-ppi density that appeared to spill over onto sides that included a microperforation.

In contrast, little was said about the HTC One hardware itself until later in the device's introduction, surprising because the HTC One is not only the most attractive handset the company has ever built, but also certainly one of the most attractive on the market. While it is an Android device, the casing builds upon the tapered, Windows Phone-inspired 8X, substituting aluminum for polycarbonate. That said, there is also the spillover glass effect found on the Droid DNA. The HTC One retains the 1080p display found in the Droid DNA. However, since the screen is smaller, the pixel density is even higher (468 ppi) than in that record-breaking device.

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Samsung's comically large Galaxy Note 8.0 smartphone: purely a brand play, if nothing else

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/samsung-galaxy-note-8-is-a-brand-play/

Samsung's comically large Galaxy Note 80 smartphone purely a brand play, if nothing else

The doors to this year's Mobile World Congress have just barely been opened, but you might say the show is already won. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's Samsung doing the winning. For those who were far too busy enjoying their Saturday evenings to notice, I should point out that Samsung has just taken the wraps off of the world's largest smartphone. The global version of Galaxy Note 8.0's fantastically (hilariously?) large display is indeed embedded onto a device that will not only surf the soothing waters of the world wide web, but also make phone calls for those brazen enough to toss it upside their noggin'.

The question, obviously, is "Why? But as I let the announcement wash over me, the answer became all too clear: "Because it can."

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Finally, an LTE Chip That Will Work Anywhere in the World

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5986141/finally-an-lte-chip-which-will-work-anywhere-in-the-world

Finally, an LTE Chip That Will Work Anywhere in the WorldQualcomm has announced something that will make travellers everywhere very happy: a new radio chipset that can support every LTE network in the world.

More accurately, the RF360 chips provides connectiviry for LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD, WCDMA, EV-DO, CDMA 1x, TD-SCDMA and GSM/EDGE networks. That should be enough, though, as it currently covers every LTE network in use across the globe.

That'll be of interest to manufacturers and consumers alike. Not only will it make travelling easier, it will allow companies to make a single phone to ship around the world, instead of having to make different phones for different markets. Qualcomm also claims that the RF360 (which isn't the chip pictured above) wll provide improved antenna performance, battery life and connection reliability, too—but those improvements are likley marginal. [Engadget]

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