Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Viliv's HD5 PMP leaked ahead of CES, packs Windows CE, 32GB of storage

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/vilivs-hd5-pmp-leaked-ahead-of-ces-packs-windows-ce-32gb-of-s/

Viliv's HD5 PMP leaked ahead of CES, packs Windows CE, 32GB of storage
We're just a few days away from the opening of the show and, naturally, we've already seen a few notable leaks. This latest one, courtesy of Viliv, is perhaps on the lower end of the excitement spectrum, but is an interesting one nonetheless. The company that impressed us with a slew of MIDs and UMPCs throughout 2009 looks set to launch another PMP, the HD5. It has a much sleeker looking design than the S5 from last year (just 13mm thick), and higher specs too, packing 8, 16, or 32GB of storage plus SDHC expansion. There's a DMB/DAB tuner, five-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, HDMI output, and support for 1080p content. Somewhat curiously it's running Windows CE, but we're guessing that'll be nicely hidden behind some sort of jazzy UI -- which we fully expect to be experiencing in the next few days.

[Thanks, Gavin]

Viliv's HD5 PMP leaked ahead of CES, packs Windows CE, 32GB of storage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/klipsch-lightspeaker-makes-whole-home-audio-as-simple-as-screwin/

When we walked the sound-filled halls of Klipsch's Indianapolis headquarters last month, the company insisted that it was always looking at possible expansions into new markets. Today at CES, it's proving that those words aren't being uttered carelessly. The all-new LightSpeaker is a unique and potentially game-changing device in the whole home audio market, as unlike similar contraptions, this one requires no external wiring or power. The device is designed to fit into normal 5- to 6-inch light recesses, which enables existing homeowners to easily retrofit these into their ceilings and walls. We were granted some hands-on time with the light, and put simply, you just screw it into a conventional fixture, dial up the desired zone on the bundled remote, and listen. A full-range driver sits just beneath the LED light, and it receives signals via a 2.4GHz base station that can be plugged into just about any source.

Klipsch plans to ship these soon in two main packages: a kit that includes a base station and two LightSpeakers for around $600 and a single LightSpeaker by its lonesome for around $250. The bundled controller allows users to control two zones and two sources, and you can also adjust lighting brightness and volume via the main station or the smaller remote. Each zone can easily support four LightSpeakers, and when we asked if these could withstand the elements, we were told that they'd do fine in a covered patio but probably not within an unshielded pool deck. In other words, some humidity shouldn't be an issue, but you probably wouldn't want 'em to get rained on all night. We also wouldn't be surprised to see a bundle in the future that includes a wireless subwoofer to really round out the audio, but don't say you heard it from us. Peek the gallery for a closer look!

Continue reading Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on)

Klipsch LightSpeaker makes whole home audio as simple as screwing in a light bulb (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo Skylight: its first ARM / Snapdragon-based smartbook, coming in April for $499

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/lenovo-skylight-its-first-arm-snapdragon-based-smartbook-com/

Remember that Snapdragon-powered Lenovo smartbook we peeked back in November of last year? No? Fret not, as the aforesaid outfit has just come clean with the details surrounding the previously elusive device. The Skylight is Lenovo's first-ever smartbook, and while we're still struggling to see what niche these things are designed to fill, we definitely can't knock the internals. It's the industry's first ARM-based, Qualcomm smartbook, and it's powered by a 1GHz processor. Other specs include a 10.1-inch display (1,280 x 720), a customized version of Linux, 20GB (total) of flash storage, 2GB of cloud storage, an 8GB miniSD card, twin USB ports, 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi and a battery capable of humming along for ten hours on a full charge. It's also apt to be a lot like the unorthodox IdeaPad U1 Hybrid on the software front. The clamshell enclosure weighs under two pounds, and the integrated AT&T WWAN module ensures that you can get connected wherever a tower is available. The unit will ship this April with 18 preloaded web gadgets (including portals to Amazon MP3, Facebook, Gmail and YouTube), and pricing is set for $499 (MSRP). We're told that AT&T will offer it up as well, but it's unclear whether or not it'll subsidize the Skylight should you commit to a two-year DataConnect contract. Rest assured that we'll be getting some face time with this bugger in short order, but till then, you can peek the press release and a promo /hands-on video just after the break. Oh, and we should mention that we snapped a! n extrem ely brief hands-on with the machine a small bit ago, and we're still flabbergasted by how thin it was. Expect a more thorough look tomorrow!

Continue reading Lenovo Skylight: its first ARM / Snapdragon-based smartbook, coming in April for $499

Lenovo Skylight: its first ARM / Snapdragon-based smartbook, coming in April for $499 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WirelessHD 2.0 spec speeds up to 28 Gbps to make room for 4K, 3D, portable devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/wirelesshd-2-0-spec-speeds-up-to-28-gbps-to-make-room-for-4k-3d/

Two years after finishing up version 1.0 WirelessHD (WiHD) is still trying to come out on top of the no-cables-necessary high definition streaming dogfight, and it's going to get a boost in that effort now that the 2.0 standard is available. Backwards compatible with existing WiHD hardware, the bandwidth has been upped to 10 - 28 Gbps (up from initial specs of 4 Gbps with a theoretical 25 Gbps limit) - enough to handle 4K resolutions, Deep Color, a newly specified 3D over WirelessHD set of standards, HDCP 2.0 DRM and even 1 Gbps file transfers between devices. Out of this world specs are just a matter of course for new hardware, but our focus is still on the group's ability to get the price down this time around if it ever plans on going mainstream. With an investment from Best Buy just announced and a spot in VIZIO's LCD lineup already confirmed, existing cable manufacturers may want to start developing Monster Air (10x higher transmission speed due to special platinum ionized molecules, of course) to sell sooner rather than later.

WirelessHD 2.0 spec speeds up to 28 Gbps to make room for 4K, 3D, portable devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for! use of feeds.

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Skype HD: 720p videocalling from PCs or directly through LG & Panasonic HDTVs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/skype-hd-720p-videocalling-from-pcs-or-directly-through-lg-and-pa/

Skype has already made an impact on the home phone, mobiles and PC desktops (couldn't do our podcast without it) and now it's taking on the living room. LG and Panasonic are already lined up to deliver new HD webcams for their internet connected plasma and LCD HDTVs that will enable living room-to-living room calling in 720p. With support for the service's standard features like free Skype-to-Skype calling, voicemail, receiving inbound calls and more, using the TV to make calls should be just as easy (but likely more embarrassing, try some HD makeup -- just a tip) as we're used to. PC users haven't been left behind with 720p HD streaming built into the latest client and new webcams on the way from faceVsion and In Store Solutions. Like the ones planned for the TVs, they handle video processing onboard so even older computers or underpowered netbooks can support HD streaming without bursting into flames. Let the good people at Skype explain it all to you in a video embedded after the break, we'll wait to get our hands and made-for-SD faces some time with the new setup this week at CES

Update: We've found a few pics of LG's version of the Skype HDTV experience to go along with the Panasonic rendering above, check the gallery.

Continue reading Skype HD: 720p videocalling from PCs or directly through LG & Panasonic HDTVs

Skype HD: 720p videocalling from PCs or directly through LG & Panasonic HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turtle Beach upgrades, iterates USB soundcard line, adds optical output for true 5.1 surround

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/turtle-beach-upgrades-iterates-usb-soundcard-line-adds-optical/

Turtle Beach upgrades, iterates USB soundcard line, adds optical output for true 5.1 surround
The USB soundcard race may not be the hottest, but it just got a little warmer just the same. Turtle Beach upgraded its Amigo and Micro external cards to be the -- wait for it -- Amigo II and Micro II. Both feature a new design that makes them larger than before but extends the device away from your laptop (or whatever you connect it to), giving a bit more flex room to connect your headphones or microphone. That's all you'll be connecting to the Amigo II, as it sports a pair of 3.5mm connectors: audio output and microphone input. The Micro II ditches the input, but adds S/PDIF digital optical output (via adapter) so you can get proper 5.1 out of your laptop. Both devices are said to be available soon for a very reasonable $24.95.

Continue reading Turtle Beach upgrades, iterates USB soundcard line, adds optical output for true 5.1 surround

Turtle Beach upgrades, iterates USB soundcard line, adds optical output for true 5.1 surround originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iomega v.Clone turns your whole computer into a portable, bootable VMWare image

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/iomega-v-clone-turns-your-whole-computer-into-a-portable-bootab/

We're not used to thinking of Iomega as a software company, but with EMC -- the maker of VMWare -- in the background now, some sort of synergy was bound to happen. Iomega's new v.Clone software is the result, and it sounds pretty great. Basically it backs up your C: drive into a bootable, standalone app-wrapped VMWare image, which can run off of a compatible Iomega drive (new eGo and Prestige lines, for starters) on any other Windows computer. Any changes you make to your system in VM mode will then be synced back to your main machine when you return. We're guessing there will be some performance implications to the setup, and it'll take some using to know just how practical this might be, but it presents an intriguing opportunity for people to untether from their increasingly bulky, store everything desklaptops if it works -- and their friends don't mind them jacking in.

Iomega v.Clone turns your whole computer into a portable, bootable VMWare image originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD media player gets busy with CinemaNow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/iomega-screenplay-director-hd-media-player-gets-busy-with-cinema/

Iomega's making a Full HD play for the living room at CES with the introduction of its new ScreenPlay Director device. The 1TB HD media player brings a bevy of TV connectivity options including HDMI composite video, component, and more. It's also DLNA- and DivX-certificated in addition to boasting H.264, WMV, AVCHD and MKV format support at 1080p. A trio of USB ports give you room for external capacity growth while baked in 10/100 Ethernet (or optional 802.11n USB WiFi Adapter) gets the pup online where you can rent or buy movies from CinemaNow or browse content on Flickr, YouTube, Shoutcast radio, and RSS feeds. ScreenPlay Director HD lists for $250 when it goes on sale, well, today if you order through Dell.

Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD media player gets busy with CinemaNow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netgear to stream Full HD anywhere in the home over 4x4 MIMO WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/netgear-to-stream-full-hd-anywhere-in-the-home-over-4x4-mimo-wif/

Hey Netgear, did you have a surprise for us at CES? Say the world's first 4x4 MIMO 802.11n WiFi HD Video bridge? Sorry, but Quantenna just revealed your partnership that promises to deliver Full HD video quality streams across distances of "100 feet or more, regardless of signal interferences and dead zones." According to the Quantenna press release, anyway. That's up to 5x the distance of existing wireless HD solutions thanks to Quantenna's 4x4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, adaptive transmit digital beamforming, and wireless channel monitoring and optimizing; a lot of scary sounding jargon that should allow the device to carry up to four streams of full HD video pretty much anywhere in the house with claimed "near-perfect transmission performance." While we don't have pics yet you can expect Netgear's baby to be sporting 4 antennas (like the Quantenna reference design pictured) when it's announced proper in the next few days.

Netgear to stream Full HD anywhere in the home over 4x4 MIMO WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eye-Fi announces 802.11n Eye-Fi Pro X2 memory card

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/eye-fi-announces-802-11n-eye-fi-pro-x2-memory-card/

Eye-Fi just busted out at CES with its next generation WiFi-enabled SD card, the Eye-Fi Pro X2. The big features of the new 8GB Class 6 SD card are 802.11n support and the Endless Memory mode, which automatically clears photos and videos as they're uploaded to your machine over WiFi, and there are also some new sharing options in the mix, as well as geotagging support. No word on a ship date, but it's up for pre-order on Amazon and other retailers now for $149. Eye-Fi is also launching its new Eye-Fi Center software, which should make managing media delivered from Eye-Fi cards a little simpler -- it'll be out later this month. Couple more images in the gallery, full PR after the break.

Continue reading Eye-Fi announces 802.11n Eye-Fi Pro X2 memory card

Eye-Fi announces 802.11n Eye-Fi Pro X2 memory card originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIZIO's 2010 XVT LCDs go up to 72-inches with 3D, LED, WiFi & WirelessHD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/vizios-2010-xvt-lcds-go-up-to-72-inches-with-3d-led-wifi-and-wi/

Remember VIZIO's LED backlit 55-inch XVT LCD with WiFi and widgets that debuted for two grand last year and seemed like such a value? Great, now go ahead and forget it because the company's top of the line model in August will switch over to a monster 72-inch 480Hz LCD (above) with 3D, WirelessHD, VIZIO Internet Apps widget platform and Wireless-N for $3,499. If that's too big to fit your budget (or in our case, tiny shoebox apartment) there will also be 55- and 47-inch versions available, with all the same features plus a new antireflective panel for those of you who like to keep the lights on during, they'll cost $2,499 and $1,999, respectively. These 3D displays feature SENSIO technology and Bluetooth-synchronized active shutter LCD glasses from XpanD, while a VIZIO XVT Pro Wireless HDMI Adapter is available separately with 4 HDMI inputs to blast HD signals across the room on the 60Ghz band. Cinema enthusiasts also have something to look forward to, check the gallery below for shots of the 58-inch ultrawidescreen 21:9 aspect ratio XVTPRO580CD, no word on a ship date or price but when it appears later this year you can kiss black bars during movies goodbye. We're sure we'll see more models from VIZIO before CES is out for the smaller, less 3D friendly homes, but right now it doesn't look like the company plans on giving up its LCD sales crown anytime soon -- these combinations of features and pricing may prove very difficult to say no to. PR with other details is after the break.

Continue reading VIZIO's 2010 XVT LCDs go up to 72-inches with 3D, LED, WiFi & WirelessHD

VIZIO's 2010 XVT LCDs go up to 72-inches with 3D, LED, WiFi & WirelessHD originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung flirts coyly with 7-inch AMOLED Digital Photo Frame

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/samsung-flirts-coyly-with-7-inch-amoled-digital-photo-frame/

We know exactly what you were thinking when you first heard the news that Kodak was selling its OLED business to LG: 1) wait, Kodak had an OLED business, and b) who the hell will I buy my $1,000 OLED digital photo frame from now? The latter part of this conundrum has just been answered by Samsung who will unveil its 700Z Digital Photo Frame here at CES. Sammy's offering boasts a 7-inch AMOLED display, 4GB of internal memory, Bluetooth with video support. Unfortunately, the frame's million-to-1 contrast ratio isn't enough to distract this product model from her dreams of beauty pageant stardom.

Samsung flirts coyly with 7-inch AMOLED Digital Photo Frame originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omnivision illuminates the dark side with new 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/omnivision-illuminates-the-dark-side-with-new-14-6-megapixel-cmo/

Look, we know that a sensor announcement falls on the dull side of magical, but without them there wouldn't be any new cameras now would there? So listen in when we tell you about the 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor from OmniVision capable of shooting stills or 1080p video at 60 fps (with some pixel binning). The 1/2.33-inch OV14810 sensor features an active array of 4,416 x 3,312 backside illuminated pixels capable of 15fps at full resolution. Omnivision is also sampling its new OV14825 for mobile applications. Both should start appearing in still / video cams and mobile phones shortly after they hit mass production in Q2 of the year twenty-ten.

Omnivision illuminates the dark side with new 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo University's touchless pointing system could wipe out smudgy screens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/05/tokyo-universitys-touchless-pointing-system-could-wipe-out-smud/

Tokyo University's touchless pointing system could wipe out smudgy screens
Touchscreens are wondrous things, but nobody likes smudges, and attempts to magically prevent oil from sticking haven't always found success. The proper solution might not be in fancy screen coatings but rather in removing the touchability together. Tokyo University has developed a system that uses a high-res camera to identify where a finger is in 3D space, so moving around and even air-clicking is detected. Multitouch seems to be right out at this point, and while the video after the break shows some rather deft looking typing on a dinky virtual keyboard, we're not entirely convinced that this is the most enjoyable or ergonomic way to interact with a cellphone. That said, if it makes the compulsive anti-smudge pantleg swipe motion a thing of the past, we'd give it a shot.

Continue reading Tokyo University's touchless pointing system could wipe out smudgy screens

Tokyo University's touchless pointing system could wipe out smudgy screens originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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