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Friday, March 05, 2010

ASUS O! Play HD2 spotted, spec'd, explained

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/asus-o-play-hd2-spotted-specd-explained/

While we weren't able to see the "wealth of cloud infotainment" touted in the official release, we did get a chance on the CeBIT show floor to see up close and personal ASUS' new O!Play HD2 media server. The design's a beaut and it's actually quite small in form factor. As for precisely what's running under its hood, the local ASUS rep was pretty mum -- what we do know is that it's HDMI 1.3 compliant and also boasts Composite / Component / Optical outputs and USB 2.0 / eSATA inputs, card readers for CF, SD, and Memory Stick, and that coveted USB 3.0 PC link. We'll try to dig deeper on a return trip, but in the meantime, check out our images and video below!

Gallery: ASUS O! Play HD2 hands-on

Continue reading ASUS O! Play HD2 spotted, spec'd, explained

ASUS O! Play HD2 spotted, spec'd, explained originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mio's Tegra-powered Moov V780 puts maps, 720p video, and the interwebs on dashboards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/mios-tegra-powered-moov-v780-puts-maps-720p-video-and-the-int/

We're not suggesting playing a 720p vid while at the wheel, but Mio's Moov V780 -- or "premium PND," as they call it -- sure is a jack of all trades. We spent sometime playing around with the 7-inch tablet at the company's CeBIT press conference and came away surprisingly impressed with the entire experience. It's tapered edges and smooth plastic back remind us a lot of the Dell Mini 5, though Mio's gone with a NVIDIA Tegra chip (we were told Tegra 2, but our friends at jkkmobile sneaked a peak at the device's console and discovered it was apparnetly rocking the progenitor Tegra chip, at least on the show floor) and created a nice 3D user interface on top of Windows CE. Though it doesn't support multitouch, the capacitive screen made flicking through the coverflow-like interface a breeze and the virtual keyboard was a pleasure -- those who wish to use the device to fire off e-mails can always pick up the carrying case pictured above. So yes, overall we definitely like the Moov V780 and its Internet tablet/PND capabilities... but not enough to pay the 599 euros the company expects to sell it for. Perhaps the video below will convince you, but for now we'll be waiting for this one to drop in price when it starts shipping this summer.

Gallery: Mio Moov V780 hands-on

Continue reading Mio's Tegra-powered Moov V780 puts maps, 720p video, and the interwebs on dashboards

Mio's Tegra-powered Moov V780 puts maps, 720p video, and the interwebs on dashboards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 leaks out with Fermi on board

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-leaks-out-with-fermi-on-board/

Well well, what's this? After months of whispers and small leaks, it seems the Fermi-powered NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 is starting to leak out into the wild before it launches on the 26th. Obviously the pictures don't tell us much about performance, but we can tell you that you'll need a serious power supply to juice this thing up -- and a serious fan to cool it down. We'll see how the GTX 480 and little brother 470 stack up against ATI's latest when they finally arrive, but for now hit the read link for a few more shots.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 leaks out with Fermi on board originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SlashGear, HardMac | source

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InFocus rolls out three new large, thin displays for business, education

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/infocus-rolls-out-three-new-large-thin-displays-for-business-e/

Don't count on these being available at your local mega-electronics retailer, but InFocus' new series of large, thin displays aimed at business and education users may just have you wishing they were. Available in 42, 55, and 65-inch varieties, the slim, professional-grade displays all pack a full 1080p resolution, a generous supply of inputs (including HDMI, VGA and RS232 for Crestron and AMX integration), a split screen feature to accommodate two separate video sources, and some anti-burn-in technology that will let you leave a pie chart up on the screen all day without any worries (if that's your thing). Of course, professional-grade also come with professional-grade prices, and these are no exception, with them running $1,399, $2,599, and $7,499 -- although InFocus insists they are aimed at the "budget-conscious professional."

InFocus rolls out three new large, thin displays for business, education originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1015PE, 1015P and 1001PQ hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/asus-eee-pc-1015pe-1015p-and-1001pq-hands-on/

Oh, you thought we were done with ASUS' new Eee PC models at CeBIT. That's cute. In addition to launching the aluminum 1018P and 1016P, ASUS has also quietly released the 1015PE and 1015P (or Diary series as it says on the units), which look to be joining the Seashell line with some minor design tweaks. The 1016PE's faux dark wood lid has a more professional look, and its shape reminds us somewhat of HP's Mini 5102. On the other hand, the 1015P has a white, softer-looking matte lid and an updated touchpad with integrated mouse buttons. Inside it appears they will be available with Intel's Pine Trail Atom N450 and N470 processors, and apparently the forthcoming N455 and N475 CPUs. Last but not least, ASUS also seemed to whip out the race car-inspired, kid-intended 1001PQ that has the same specs as the 1005PE we reviewed awhile back. We don't know about you, but we'd actually dig that design for ourselves. Until the next Tales from ASUS' Eee PC booth update, we leave you with the hands-on pictures below.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015PE hands-on

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015P hands-on

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1001PQ hands-on

ASUS Eee PC 1015PE, 1015P and 1001PQ hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/switched-on-why-its-time-for-an-itunes-tv-subscription/

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

In the 10 billionth song that Apple sold through iTunes, Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way", a man other than Steve Jobs famous for black attire bemoans the happenstance of his romantic misfortune. But nothing could be further from the story of iTunes, in which Apple's meticulously crafted ownership of the end-user experience led to a dominant position in music sales. Now, on the dawn of releasing a new device that could be to television shows what the iPod was to music, Apple has an opportunity to create as commanding a lead in TV distribution -- if it is willing to again capitulate to consumers' media consumption habits.

Apple has enjoyed great success with iTunes in part because it adopted the purchase-to-own model that had been so successful with CDs and records before them. However, Apple didn't simply mirror that model. By allowing consumers to purchase the vast majority of songs as singles, it provided better perceived value, Such an option was also a natural fit for the iPod, where playlists made it trivial to create the digital equivalent of "mix tapes." The iPod's capacity for thousands of songs was also no match for most albums that typically had a dozen or so songs.

Continue reading Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription

Switched On: Why it's time for an iTunes TV subscription originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/panasonic-leaks-own-g2-and-g10-micro-four-thirds-cams-in-macro-f/

Whoopsadaisies. Seems Panasonic "accidentally" posted specs and images of its upcoming G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cameras to its web site just long enough to be snagged by a few different photog sites. While there's no denying that the incident occurred (the pics are certainly legit), there's some speculation at 43rumors that the specifications are still "work in progress" and should be considered only partially correct. Nevertheless, let's go with what we've got keeping in mind that some of this might change. Both cams are said to feature a 12.1 megapixel sensor, touchscreen with touch shutter and touch MF Assist, and ISO 100 to 6,200 sensitivity. The G2 differs with its one-touch AVCHD Lite movie mode (1,280 x 720, 60p) and 3-inch articulating display with live view. The G10 then, offers a "double live view" (LCD and live view finder) glimpse at the action while recording 1,280 x 720p motion JPEG videos at 30fps. However, the leaked spec sheet inconsistently mentions an AVCHD Lite recording format for the G10 as well... so who knows. Panasonic is expected to make an announcement on March 7th; surely you can wait you a few days?

Gallery: Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion

Panasonic leaks own G2 and G10 Micro Four Thirds cams in macro fashion originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/nokias-limited-edition-oakley-n97-mini-a-match-made-in-dog-hea/

Nothing says, "I don't play sports but I want you to think that I do" quite like wearing a pair of Oakley shades. And no smartphone has had a tougher time earning respect than the mini version of Nokia's N97 debacle. To its credit, the N97 mini has become a very successful device for Nokia despite its namesake with not one, but two special edition runs already under its belt. Now we've got three with this limited edition model handed out to Oakley-sponsored Winter Olympians. Other than a laser-etched back, the Noakleyia mashup also comes packed with exclusive Oakley team content. Just 200 were produced so if you see it on eBay, you'd better be fast with the snipe. Gratuitous N97 mini video of Shaun White after the break because over-saturated is not in your vocabulary.

Continue reading Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven

Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microring-transmissions-are-sure-to-resonate-with-people-who-hat/

You've probably seen sketches like the one above promising you complete cable independence since what, 1996? We're not about to tell you this is the one technology that finally delivers on that utopian dream, but it's surely one of the zanier attempts at it. By converting "ultra fast laser pulses" into radio frequency waves, the researchers claim they've overcome a significant hurdle to making wireless communications ubiquitous -- signal interference. The rapid (each laser burst lasts a mere 100 femtoseconds), pulsing nature of their approach purportedly makes their signal extremely robust, while intended operation at around 60GHz means their microring transmitters (diagram after the break) will be able to operate within spectrum space that does not require a license -- neither from the FCC nor internationally. Applications for the microrings would include things like HDTV broadcasts and piping data into vehicles, although we won't be seeing anything happening on the commercial front for at least another five years. Typical. If you just can't wait that long, a few Japanese companies you may have heard of are preparing their own 60GHz wireless devices for the second half of this year.

Continue reading Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires

Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Please euthanize this big boy already! Buh-bye - http://bit.ly/9mH22a

@acfou Another 8 Immutable Laws can be thrown out the window - http://bit.ly/95byeB

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Ookong Tracks Amazon Prices and Issues Deal Alerts [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/mfYNTY-mE-s/ookong-tracks-amazon-prices-and-issues-deal-alerts

Ookong Tracks Amazon Prices and Issues Deal Alerts Firefox: Sure it's fun to hunt for deals online, but it's even better to be alerted when an item you want is at its lowest price. Ookong is an Amazon.com price comparison tool you can use to track price histories.

You can use Ookong as a stand-alone web site, but it's not as convenient as using the Firefox extension. Once you install the Firefox extension every item on Amazon will have a "Follow" button, as seen in the screenshot above. When browsing you can click the follow button to add the item—as we did with the game Dominion—and it's added to your watch list. You can click on the item in your watch list to see the price history, seen below:

Ookong Tracks Amazon Prices and Issues Deal Alerts

You can tweak the Ookong options to specify when you want price drop alerts. You can specify a dollar amount, a percentage, and how many times you'll be alerted to the price drop before Ookong stops notifying you. If you frequently shop at Amazon, Ookong is invaluable for keeping an eye on prices. If you keep a wish list at Amazon the first thing you should do after installing Ookong is to go and "follow" all your wish list items to keep an eye on falling prices.

Ookong can be used as a stand-alone web-based tool or integrated into Firefox. Have a tool for finding the best price online, Amazon-related or otherwise? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Ookong [Mozilla Add-ons via MakeUseOf]

ASUS' Three 3D Monitors Range In 23 to 27-Inch Options and Will Likely Be Dirt Cheap [3dTv]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/tUHWjIMK1eo/asus-three-3d-monitors-range-in-23-to-27+inch-options-and-will-likely-be-dirt-cheap

ASUS' Three 3D Monitors Range In 23 to 27-Inch Options and Will Likely Be Dirt Cheap ASUS has a habit of pricing its products very fairly, and while 3D technology is still in its infancy, I can't imagine them charging too much for their three monitors shown off this week at CeBIT.

All three of the monitors will use NVIDIA's GeForce 3D Vision glasses, with the first monitor launching being the 23-inch MG236, which has dual-link DVI connectivity so all that 3D video is played at full 1080p resolution. A 23.6-inch PG246 and 27-inch PG276 will also go on sale, but much later in the year apparently. ASUS hasn't been forthcoming with the prices on these three monitors, but as I said before, expect them to be loooow. [TechInStyle]

RT-N56U Router From The Starship Enterprise Lands...Err, From ASUS, I Mean [Routers]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MVkU5Soe40s/rt+n56u-router-from-the-starship-enterprise-landserr-from-asus-i-mean

RT-N56U Router From The Starship Enterprise Lands...Err, From ASUS, I Mean I just don't know what to think about this router. I've been staring at it for minutes now, wondering how in 802.11n's name it was created in ASUS' laboratory.

ASUS hasn't been too forthcoming with details on the RT-N56U, which was announced at CeBIT this week, and until we hear back from them we'll just have to entertain you with these small slivers of detail: it has dual band support with the 5GHz band being used, is compatible with both printers and scanners, and is very fast apparently—with 300,000 concurrent sessions available.

Time to go back to boggling over that inconceivably thin frame. [ASUS]

Android 2.1 looking fast, furious on Motorola Droid

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/android-2-1-looking-fast-furious-on-motorola-droid/

Alright, Droid owners, decent multitouch performance isn't the only thing you've got to brag about. As you likely know by now, 2.1's in the works for you -- and from the latest video we're seeing of an official test build running in the wild, we're cautiously optimistic that it's going to be a fantastic little update. As we'd reported some time back, the Nexus One's revamped app launcher is missing, but multitouch appears to work like butter in both the browser and revamped Gallery app and the new news and weather widgets have made the cut as well. Most notable, though, might simply be the fact that everything flies -- home screen switches, opening of the app drawer, zooming, it's all mega-fast. Granted, anyone with an Android device knows that the speed of the device depends on the number of apps you've got running, the moon phase, and the direction of the wind, but it's an encouraging sign nonetheless. Now if only Moto would stop fumbling the launch, we'd be good to go; in the meantime, though, check some video of the update after the break.

Continue reading Android 2.1 looking fast, furious on Motorola Droid

Android 2.1 looking fast, furious on Motorola Droid originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhoneArena | source

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