Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Creative Zii Egg Plaszma: Android-Wielding iPod Touch [PMP]

Creative Zii Egg Plaszma: Android-Wielding iPod Touch [PMP]

Spotted in a recent FCC filing, the now-revealed Creative Zii Egg Plaszma boasts some of the world's first "flexible StemCell architecture" that uses 24 floating-point processors. But you may care more because it's basically an open source iPod Touch.

Being seeded to developers as part of a $399 SDK (final units are expected to ship in bulk at $199), the Zii Egg Plaszma is an Android-friendly "handheld computer" that's like an iPod touch beefed up with more than a few popular requests.

You navigate the platform through a 3.5" 320x480, 10-point capacitive multitouch screen. From there, you can access the rear facing HD video camera, front facing live chat VGA camera, 32GB of integrated storage with SDHC card expansion, Flash Lite support, GPS, Wi-Fi and, oh right, it's powerful enough to output 1080P video.

Of course, its greatest asset, the option to run the open Android OS (the company offers its own Plaszma OS but that's a bit less exciting), means that the hardware begins to resemble a smartphone without the phone. And I'm surprised on a daily basis that anyone is still buying big iPods that can't make phone calls. [ZiiLabs via GeekyGadgets]





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Sprint acquires Virgin Mobile USA for a cool $483m

Sprint acquires Virgin Mobile USA for a cool $483m


Remember Virgin Mobile? Sure you do -- not long ago the last-man-standing MVNO snapped up Helio, and seemed ready to take its place as one of the few boutique prepaid operations still... er, operating. Well that appears to be all but done and done, as Sprint has just announced a "definitive agreement" to purchase the company for $483 million worth of sweet, succulent stock (which looks to be right about what it was valued at to begin with). It looks like Sprint will pair the acquisition with its Boost Mobile brand, which till now was in direct competition with VM. It's not quite rival city, however, Virgin Mobile USA was launched as a joint venture with Sprint, and the MVNO glides on Dan Hesse's network as it is. Still, it does seem to be another indicator that the days of the MVNO are certainly on the wane, though Sprint now looks to own the space -- what little there is.

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Sprint acquires Virgin Mobile USA for a cool $483m originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs

Creative debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs


It's hard to know where to begin with this, but Creative has confirmed that Zii EGG handheld we saw pass through the FCC a few weeks ago, and proceeded to slap every odd marketing term the company has come up with over the past few years on it. The Zii EGG runs the new "Plaszma" platform, which has something to do with "StemCell Computing" and allows developers to simultaneously develop for Plaszma and Android. Since for now the Zii EGG is aimed at developers and OEMs, it runs fairly vanilla Android on top of Creative's ZMS-05 chip. The hardware itself is rather impressive, with front and rear facing cameras, HD playback, 1080p video output, OpenGL ES support, X-Fi audio processing, 32GB of built-in memory and a full SD slot. Other more "run of the mill" features include WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and a 3-axis accelerometer. The 320 x 480 screen sounds strictly ordinary, but on top is some 10-point multitouch capacitive input -- Synaptics' new ClearPad 3000 if we had to guess.

The big drawback here is the lack of cellular data, but hopefully somebody can solve that before long. The Zii EGG is a developer platform, after all, but Creative says the platform is "market-ready" for picking up by OEMs for production -- hopefully they aren't far removed from shoehorning a 3G chipset in there somewhere as well. The Zii Plaszma Starter Kit bundled with the Zii EGG can be had for $400. A video demo is after the break.

[Via DAP Review]

Continue reading ! Crea tive debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs

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Creative debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogers Wireless begins 21Mbps HSPA+ rollout, a first in North America

Rogers Wireless begins 21Mbps HSPA+ rollout, a first in North America

It may not have beaten the likes of Australia's Telstra to the 21Mbps mark, but Rogers Wireless has still earned some pretty impressive bragging rights as the first carrier in North America to move on up to HSPA+, which (theoretically) more than doubles the maximum speeds of the current 7.2 Mbps network. According to Rogers, it'll begin to "progressively increase" download speeds starting in August, with the Greater Toronto Area expectedly first on deck to get a taste of all that bandwidth -- although Rogers does say that it'll "expand quickly over the coming months" in other cities across Canada and eventually cover the entire country. Those south of the border shouldn't feel too glum about the situation however, as last we had heard, AT&T was "likely" to bypass HSPA+ altogether and move straight from 7.2Mbps to LTE and the ludicrous speeds it promises.

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Rogers Wireless begins 21Mbps HSPA+ rollout, a first in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feed! s.

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Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open

Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open

Not long after we first heard about Viewsonic's latest VOT130 and VOT132 nettops, the gang at Netbook News have gotten some hands-on time with the hardware. On the surface, it looks pretty sleek, and the abundance of USB ports is a definite plus, as is the HDMI port on the NVIDIA ION-based VOT132, but unfortunately we're lacking any performance demonstrations or impressions. As we saw previously, the slot-loading optical drive attachment is essentially the same form factor and attaches flush with the unit thanks to some aptly placed magnets, and the bundled stand is designed for the computer with or without the peripheral. So what's not to love? Well, the price for one -- the ION-packed VOT132 costs a hefty $514 US in Taiwan, with the VOT130 priced at a more reasonable $331 -- but perhaps that'll be brought down if / when it ever makes an official stateside debut. Video hands-on after the break.

Continue reading Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open

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Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brand gravity - if your product is awesome, your gravity will attract new customers and keep current ones in orbit -- http://bit.ly/3x5siG

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Mktng is like drive-by shootings; 5 people tried to hand me free stuff on my walk to work. I was the right demo, but I didn't take any.

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LG BL40 caught in the wild, given brief hands-on

LG BL40 caught in the wild, given brief hands-on

We'll admit, we're jealous of this Sina Corporation reporter, who appears to have gotten some hands-on time with LG's very sexy Chocolate BL40 and its 21:9 aspect ratio screen. There isn't much said here aside from details we already knew and the occasional compliment on its form factor and display, but it is good to see this in the wild and not just in the FCC's secret lab facilities. Now if only we can get a better idea of its US 3G capabilities...

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LG BL40 caught in the wild, given brief hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI's $1,800 2GB FirePro V8750 GPU introduced and reviewed

ATI's $1,800 2GB FirePro V8750 GPU introduced and reviewed


Need a quick way to blow 1,800 bones? Looking to single-handedly jump-start this so-called "economy" we keep hearing about? Look no further, friends, as ATI just did you a solid. Just four months after the outfit dished out its 1GB FirePro V7750, the company is now looking to strike it rich once more with the 2GB FirePro V8750. Obviously designed for the workstation crowd, this CAD destroying GPU is equipped with more GDDR5 memory than our own four-year old Quake III server, but as HotHardware points out, the clock speed remains exactly the same as the entirely more affordable V8700. When pushed, this newfangled card did manage to best every other rival on the test bench, but not by a wide margin. What you're left with is a cutting-edge device that's priced way out of consideration for most, and frankly, way outside the realm of sensibility. If you just can't shake the urge to hear more, give that read link a tap for the full review.

Read - ATI FirePro V8750 review
Read - ATI press release

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ATI's $1,800 2GB FirePro V8750 GPU introduced and reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Make Free Outgoing Calls with Google Voice & Gizmo5 [VoIP]

Make Free Outgoing Calls with Google Voice & Gizmo5 [VoIP]

Gizmo5, the Skype-like internet phone service, could already be set up as a Google Voice forwarding number, letting headset callers receive and, through Voice's web site, make calls. Now Gizmo allows for straight-up, convenient dialing through Google Voice numbers.

If you're signed up and registered with Gizmo, you can head to your account settings at Gizmo's main site and provide your Google Voice email and password. Then log into its mobile site or desktop clients for Windows, Mac, or Linux with your 1+10-digit Gizmo5 number and password. Now making outbound calls shouldn't require using any of your Gizmo credit, or heading to Google Voice's site to connect the call—outbound calls from Gizmo setups automatically route through your Google Voice number. That setup can be used for U.S. and/or international calls, depending on your preference.

Google Voice is still in an invite-required semi-closed phase, with invitations rolling out on a first-come, first-served basis. Gizmo5, however, is free to use and sign up for. Thanks Andrew!

Update: Andrew points us to a visual Gizmo5/Google Voice setup guide that details the nitty-gritty of getting going with free Giz/Google calls.



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Unlinker Replaces Thumbnails with Full-Size Images [Downloads]

Unlinker Replaces Thumbnails with Full-Size Images [Downloads]

Firefox only (Win/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension Unlinker fixes those annoying web pages that show you thumbnails, forcing you to click through every single image to see the full-size version.

Once you've installed the extension, simply right-click on the image and choose the new Unlinker option to make Firefox load the full-size image inline on the page, or use the context menu on the page background to load all the images on the page—especially useful for galleries where you'd really like to see all of the images in a full-size view instead of repeatedly clicking through each one. We've mentioned this extension before, but since then it's been simplified into a one-click operation. Unlinker is a free download, works wherever Firefox does.

Unlinker [Mozilla Add-ons via gHacks]


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ImgBurn Updates, Adds Advanced Features, Fixes Bugs [Downloads]

ImgBurn Updates, Adds Advanced Features, Fixes Bugs [Downloads]

Windows/Linux: ImgBurn is the most popular CD and DVD burning tool among Lifehacker readers, and with the newly released version 2.5, it's even better.

You can hit up the full changelog for an in-depth look at the changes, but the biggest feature update is an Advanced mode that gives you more fine-grained control over the layout of files on the disc. You can now rename files, add new folders, and more, directly inside ImgBurn. (As the changelog puts it, "you're no longer limited to burning an existing folder structure on your hard disc as-is.")

Apart from that, you'll notice all kinds of added support for file types and error handling, slightly tweaked or improved features, and a handful of fixed bugs. We already love ImgBurn as is, and while this update isn't boasting any terribly sexy new features, it's great to see that the freeware favorite is still under active development.

ImgBurn is freeware, works on Windows and Linux (using Wine).



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Crazy Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Pilot Ejects For a Hollywood Movie at Mach 2 [Image Cache]

Crazy Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Pilot Ejects For a Hollywood Movie at Mach 2 [Image Cache]

Holy frak. Holy frak. HOLYROLLERBLADINGFRAK! Movie producers paid two Sukhoi Su-35 pilots to fly without a canopy at Mach 2.0, and have one of them eject in what probably is one of the most dangerous stunts ever filmed.

While on this speed I even managed to pull out my fingers in glove for an inch or two outside - it became heated very fast because of immense friction force plane undergoes with the air.

That's what the pilot who remained in the cabin said he did after his crazy comrade ejected, landing safely on the ground. I don't know what this movie is, but I definitely want to see it.

To add even more awesome details, the actual airplane is the SU-35UB prototype, identified by its tail number 801. This is the most advanced Sukhoi fighter ever built. Crazy Ivans indeed. [The Dew Line]




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The Barcode Update You Never Asked For, But Still Need [Bar Code]

The Barcode Update You Never Asked For, But Still Need [Bar Code]

Just a few weeks after celebrating the 35th birthday of the barcode, researchers at MIT have unveiled a promising replacement for the aging standard.

Dubbed the Bokode, the system uses a clever focusing technique that allows a small beam of light to hold a wealth of easily accessible information. Bokodes are based on the "bokeh effect" in photography, where light blurs into a round blob as a lens focuses to infinity. The LED in the center of the image above is actually projecting a series of tiny 2D barcodes through a lens that defocuses the images. Even though these images appear out of focus to the naked eye, when your camera lens focuses to infinity the tiny 2D barcodes can be read. The visual demo in the video below helps conceptualize how the technology works. Because the system is able to hold so many 2D barcodes in a such small space, a Bokode can store thousands of bits of data. There's enough storage space on a Bokode that it can both identify what you are buying at the grocery store and display the entire nutritional facts label.

The cost of the LEDs and lenses involved means that each Bokode runs about five bucks a pop. Researchers claim the price of a Bokode could decrease to as little as five cents each, though, once the LED is replaced by a holographic sticker like the ones commonly seen on credit cards.

The implications of the Bokode could be huge. While traditional 1D and 2D barcodes can be read by cell phone cameras, the camera has to be extremely close to the barcode in order to get a good read. The Bokode is! much mo re robust and can be read from as far as a few meters away. Cameras can even scan multiple Bokodes at once. Imagine how easy comparison shopping at Best Buy would be with a system like that.

Bokodes have the potential to dramatically alter the way we interface with products and each other. The technology can be applied to anything from retail merchandise to augmented reality business cards. Even though the development of a new type of barcode might sound mundane at first, the fact that the Bokode paper was accepted as one of six premier articles to be presented at SIGGRAPH indicates just how exciting the technology is and how far reaching the impact could be. [Press Release via Fast Company]




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Panasonic Lumix FP8, FZ35 and FZ28 Cram Lots of Zoom Into Little Cameras [Digital Cameras]

Panasonic Lumix FP8, FZ35 and FZ28 Cram Lots of Zoom Into Little Cameras [Digital Cameras]

Panasonic's got a trio of new digital cameras—sadly, not a Lumix LX4—with the ZR1 (8x zoom in a tiny body), FZ35 (another 18x followup to the FZ28) and pictured, the FP8, a daintier take on the TS1 toughcam.

They all use the same 12.1-megapixel sensor, so the feature set, from a picture perspective, comes down to differences in the body and lens. The FZ35 carries on the 18x sorta-super-zoom tradition of the FZ28, while the ZR1 uses a "world's first" 0.3mm-thick aspherical lens so it can cram 8x of zoom into the body (as you can see), while the FP8 is standard-for-Lumix 28mm wide-angle.

PANASONIC INTRODUCES NEW LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERA SERIES WITH AN EYE ON STYLISH DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY

New LUMIX FP8 has a 28mm wide-angle lens, 4.6x optical zoom, and records High Definition video

Secaucus, NJ (July 27, 2009) – Today, Panasonic announced the new LUMIX DMC-FP8 digital camera as part of its new FP-Series, which pursues excellence in both design and function. The LUMIX FP8, with 12.1 megapixels, features a high-quality 28mm wide-angle, 4.6x Leica DC lens with folding optics* - encased in a futuristic-! looking stylish body.

In addition to its unique design, the FP8 also features advanced functions including high-speed Auto Focus (AF) and Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) suite of technologies. With a fast AF, combined with a high-speed start-up of only 0.95 seconds, the FP8's fast response catches even the most fleeting shots. Panasonic's iA, a popular feature on LUMIX cameras, now includes POWER Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) which features double the repression power compared to the previous image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S. The hand-shake generated when pressing the shutter button, or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is significantly minimized by the improved POWER O.I.S. to help reduce blurry photos.

"We realize that consumers are looking for fashionable and slim digital cameras that still take high-quality photos and feature advanced photo settings," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "With the LUMIX DMC-FP8, we are giving users that sleek and compact design, while not compromising the advanced, yet easy-to-use features and technology for which the Panasonic LUMIX line of cameras is known."

The FP8's design has intricate detailing which features blue LED cursor buttons that glow when pressed, and its centered back panel gives it an overall ultra-modern and unique look. Additionally, the 2.7-inch large Intelligent LCD offers a dynamic and clear view of the scenes and subjects being photographed. In the Face Recognition** mode, up to three people can be simultaneously recognized to show their names on the monitor once registered. Additionally, the powerful battery life of the highly energy-efficient image processing LSI, Venus Engine V***, allows users to take approximately 380 pictures.

Other features of the DMC-FP8 include:
HD Movies with VIERA Link Networking – Records dynamic HD motion pictures in 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 4! 80)****. With HD component output capability, the user can enjoy watching photos and video in stunning HD quality by simply connecting the camera to a television via an optional component cable (DMW-HDC2).
Scene Modes – Twenty-seven scene modes are available with the FP8, including the High Dynamic mode which helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, even though the scene may contain both bright and dark areas together.
PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 – Included with the FP8, this software allows users to view, edit and archive captured photos and videos with greater ease. The new PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 features dramatic speed-up of operation and also allows users to store and sort for photos by a specific, recognized face in the image.

The LUMIX DMC-FP8 will have a suggested retail price of $299.95 and will be available in September 2009 in black, red and silver.

PANASONIC LUMIX FEATURES WORLD'S FIRST 0.3MM THIN ASPHERICAL LENS*, MAKING SUPER-SLIM DIGITAL CAMERA

New Compact LUMIX DMC-ZR1 Digital Camera Packs 25mm Ultra-Wide-Angle,
8x Optical Zoom Lens** Into Ultra-Slim Design

Secaucus, NJ (July 27, 2009) – Today, Panasonic introduced the new LUMIX DMC-ZR1 digital camera, featuring the world's first 0.3mm thin aspherical lens*, allowing for a compact body that still features a powerful, 25mm-ultra-wide-angle, 8x optical zoom** LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens. Known for its long-zoom, yet compact digital cameras, Panasonic's newest ZR1 compact digital camera gives consumers increased flexibility.

"The ZR1 answers the call of consumers looking for a truly pocketable digital camera, while still featuring a zoom more powerful than typical compact cameras," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "We know consumers want to catch every shooting opportunity, and with the ZR1, this is possible through unique features such as the ultra-wide-angle lens and Panasonic's popular iA Mode."

With a zoom range of 25-200mm, the ZR1 a! llows fo r both expansive scenery photos as well as close-ups. This powerful zoom also works during video recording. The 12.1-megapixel resolution allows photos to be greatly enlarged while still retaining outstanding detail.

Another key feature of the ZR1 is its fast, high-speed Auto Focus (AF). This, combined with a high-speed start-up of only 1.1 second, helps the ZR1 to catch even the quick action shots. Making this camera even more versatile and easy-to-use, the ZR1 has a 2.7-inch Intelligent LCD, and a powerful battery life with the highly energy-efficient image processing LSI – Venus Engine V*** – which takes approximately 330 pictures during a single charge. As found in all Panasonic LUMIX cameras, the ZR1 features Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode, now with POWER Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.), which features double the repression power, compared to MEGA O.I.S., the previous image stabilization system, to help capture blur-free images.

Other features of the DMC-ZR1 include:
Additional Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode Features
Hand-Shake Component – Answers the problem of natural hand-shaking that goes along with pressing the shutter button.
Face Recognition – Up to six faces can be registered, and up to three can be simultaneously recognized to show their names once registered.
Travel Mode – Users can quickly organize information related to travel, including destination, date and time. Playback of these photos is just as easy, by designating the date or period of travel on the calendar menu interface.
High Dynamic Mode – Helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure even when the scene may contain both bright and dark areas.
PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 – Included software allows the user to view, edit and archive captured photos and videos. It features dramatic speed-up of operation and also allows users to store and sort photos by a specific, recognized face in the image.

The LUMIX DMC-ZR1 will have a suggested retail price of $279.95 and will be available in Se! ptember 2009 in black, red, blue, and silver.

NEW PANASONIC LUMIX, 18X OPTICAL SUPERZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA FEATURES HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO RECORDING

LUMIX DMC-FZ35 Features New POWER O.I.S. and HD Motion Zoom Video Capture

Secaucus, NJ (July 27, 2009) – Today, Panasonic announced the new LUMIX DMC-FZ35, a digital camera featuring AVCHD Lite, High Definition (HD) video recording capability, combined with a powerful 27mm wide-angle, 18x optical zoom LEICA DC lens. A successor to the popular FZ28, the FZ35 packs enhanced creative features combined with the power to shoot HD videos, including motion zoom capabilities to take full advantage of the 18x zoom. The operational layout of the FZ35 includes a dedicated video record button, making it a true hybrid – a single model that performs seamlessly at capturing both still and motion images – while still providing smooth and easy operation in either mode.

"The LUMIX FZ35 is truly unique as it includes advanced features like HD video recording, but still resembles and functions like an intuitive point-and-shoot with the ability to capture beautiful photos and video," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "This model's versatility makes it a great choice for a new or advanced user who wants a hybrid device that shoots high-quality still and motion images."

For users looking for increased creativity while shooting both video and still images, the LUMIX FZ35 delivers. New manual controls and creative options, include:

Creative Movie Mode – Allows the user to set the shutter speed and aperture manually to make even more impressive movies. Changing the shutter speed brings special effects to movies, which is especially suitable for shooting fast-moving subjects. The ability to control the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances.
My Color Mode – This special option gives free reign to the user's creativity. The color, brightness and! saturat ion parameters can be freely adjusted while seeing how the adjustments affect the picture, live on the monitor.
High Dynamic Mode – Helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure even though the scene may contain both bright and dark areas.

The 12.1 mega pixel-FZ35 features the upgraded POWER Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.), which allows for double the repression power compared to the conventional image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S., and ultra high-speed Auto Focus (AF) for capturing action scenes as they happen. Additionally, with the super-powerful 18x optical zoom lens, it is easy to capture subjects that are far away or take dramatic close-ups.

With the enhanced energy-efficient image processing LSI – the Venus Engine HD* – the FZ35 has an extended battery life of approximately 470 pictures, making it the ideal choice for active photo enthusiasts. As with all Panasonic LUMIX cameras, the FZ35 features Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode, a suite of intuitive technologies including Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector, Intelligent Exposure and Face Recognition. With the improved Face Recognition, the FZ35 recognizes up to three faces simultaneously while taking photos** and allows users to specify the age of the registered subject. When babies under 3 years-old are registered, the camera will automatically switch to Baby mode if the baby appears to be in the frame.

The LUMIX DMC-FZ35 will have a suggested retail price of $399.99 and will be available in September 2009 in black.




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