Wednesday, June 02, 2010

NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/nvidia-shows-16-new-optimus-laptops-at-computex-teases-460m-gpu/

Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We're working on grabbing a picture of that chip for you, but for now, check out the Optimus-ized machines in the gallery below and the full list after the break.

Gallery: NVIDIA Optimus at Computex 2010

Continue reading NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU

NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights [Pointandshoots]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5552422/canon-powershot-sd4000-is-review-no-more-noisy-nights

The Canon PowerShot SD4000, the company's first compact with a back-lit CMOS sensor, achieves an elusive point-and-shoot camera feat: crisp, clean nighttime photography. And it's not even that expensive.

If you already own a DSLR, you probably don't think twice about snapping shots in low-light conditions. But as most point-and-shoot camera owners can tell you, when the sun goes down, shots from compact cameras tend to pick up noise and blur, fast. Some of the highest-end point-and-shoots, like the Canon S90, have risen to the challenge and adopted bigger image sensors for better low-light shots. But, as high-end compact cameras, they're expensive.

The PowerShot SD4000 IS is designed and priced more for the masses, a $350—not quite cheap but far from expensive—camera that shoots respectably in the dark.

The Skinny

The SD4000 is a nice looking, and nice feeling, camera. It's skinny and asymmetrical, and its tapered edges make it an easy fit even in tiny pants.

While the sensor has been beefed up, the SD4000's controls remain simple. The top has a switch for changing modes and a shutter button ringed by a zoom lever; the back has a click wheel with a function button in the middle and two large buttons for entering the menu and playback mode. On one hand it's nice that the handsome camera isn't cluttered up by a bunch of extraneous buttons, but sometimes it feels like it takes one or two too many presses to get to a desired function.

The controls do offer a wide selection of different modes and effects, like foliage mode for shooting plants, smart shutter mode for triggering snapshots when the subject smiles (or, weirdly, when they wink), and a miniature effect for approximating tilt-shift photography.

To those who despise cutesy shooting modes, don't worry, the SD4000 still offers program, aperture, and shutter speed modes.

But what makes the SD4000 a gem of a camera is that, even if you don't really care about any esoteric shooting modes, you can still just pick it up and take great photos. Especially at night.

Night Moves

The SD4000 is the most advanced Digital ELPH to date, with a backlit 10 megapixel CMOS sensor and wide f/2.0 aperture. Sensors and apertures are easy to learn about, but if you just want the Cliffs Notes version, an f/2.0 aperture basically means that the light-allowing hole in the SD4000 can get a little bigger than that of most point-and-shoots, while the backlit CMOS means that the image sensor grabbing light through the aperture is wired from behind, blocking less light. On paper, all of this means that the SD4000 should take clean, noise-free low-light shots

And it does. Nighttime shots were impressive across the board, with the SD4000 kicking out some strong, low-noise night shots that generally held their own with those of the reigning point-and-shoot champ, the Canon S90. Up to ISO 800, shots showed very little noise. Shots with ISO 1600—and even in some cases 3200—still looked fine for the most part. Here's a detail of a shot from both the SD4000 and S90 at ISO 1600.

One annoyance for more advanced photographers: the camera tended to rely on its wide F2 aperture in low-light situations, and without a full manual mode that sometimes meant being stuck with a shallow depth of field and a blurry background. But that's only a minor quibble, and many will like the effect; overall, the new sensor and lens make an appreciable difference for low-light shooting. The built-in optical image stabilization system (that's the "IS" in the product's name) helps counteract those shaky hands, and a maximum shutter speed of 16 seconds will help you get that long-exposure city-street-with-trailing-tail-lights shot.

Here are some more low-light pictures from the SD4000:

The beefed up lens and sensor also make for nicer nighttime video—here's a 1280 x 720, 30fps clip:

Daytime shooting isn't shabby by any means, either, but it doesn't see as much as improvement from the new sensor as night shooting does—in general, the image quality of shots in bright environments isn't too different from those of other cameras in its class, which is to say, pretty good!

The Photography Blog has a super-detailed breakdown of SD4000 shot quality in all scenarios, if you're so inclined.

High Speed

Aside from the strong low-light performance, the PowerShot SD4000 stands out for its high speed shooting—snapping up to 8.4 frames per second in burst mode (though at a sub-cellphone 2.5 megapixels) and shooting 240fps video in Super Slow Motion video mode (albeit at a super crummy 320 x 240 resolution). Such videos don't look great, but it's a fun feature regardless, allowing you to do stuff like check out what squirrels are actually up to or assemble a personal highlight reel that makes any lay-up look several times more impressive:

Too Low a Ceiling?

For a casual photographer—someone who wants to have a camera on hand without constantly being reminded they're carrying one around; someone who's looking for higher quality shots at night without needing to take full control of their composition—the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS is a great camera. But with Canon S90 prices creeping lower toward the SD4000's $350 price point, blossoming photographers looking for a more fully-featured (though less pocketable) point-and-shoot to grow into might be better off making that leap. If you're on the fence, here's a quick rundown of some points to consider for each.

The Canon S90 might be better if...
• you want to get into photography and want to take great pictures
• you don't necessarily know how to use a full manual mode, but would like to know it's there
• video is a bonus, not a priority (S90 only shoots standard def)
• you think to throw your point-and-shoot in a bag or purse before a jeans pocket

The Canon SD4000 might be better if...
• you want to take great pictures but aren't too concerned with how they get great
• you're your group of friends' designated photo-taker when you go out at night
• you crave that HD video distinction
• you wear a lot of Spandex

The SD4000's backlit sensor and bright aperture deliver great low-light shooting.

Slim design and tapered edges will make your pockets happy.

Pared down physical controls make some actions simpler, others needlessly complex.

$350 price point puts it dangerously close to more advanced point-and-shoots.

SanDisk works it harder, unveils G4 and P4 solid state drives

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/sandisk-works-it-harder-unveils-g4-and-p4-solid-state-drives/

Still haven't dropped a speedy solid state drive into your PC? SanDisk might just tempt you with its latest batch. At Computex 2010 the memory manufacturer announced its fourth-generation SSD lineup, consisting of the laptop-sized SSD G4 and the diminutive SSD P4 -- those tiny mini-SATA netbook boards you see chilling outside Jefferson's posh, nickel-plated mansion. The former will arrive in up to 256GB capacities with 220MB / sec read speeds and 160MB / sec writes (a sizable bump from prior numbers) while the latter range in size from 8GB to 128GB. Both feature the usual set of marketing buzzwords indicating speed and reliability, and both are slated to enter the OEM market in Q3 2010. That said, considering SanDisk's recent track record here, we wonder if the company meant third quarter next year. PR after the break.

Continue reading SanDisk works it harder, unveils G4 and P4 solid state drives

SanDisk works it harder, unveils G4 and P4 solid state drives originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA brings a dual GTX 470 prototype to Computex, causes power shortages in Taipei

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/nvidia-brings-a-dual-gtx-470-prototype-to-computex-causes-power/

We'll hit the pause button on all the power-sipping tablet talk for a moment to show you NVIDIA's maddest and baddest beast yet. This is a dual GeForce GTX 470 card, meaning that two Fermi dies reside on the same board, along with the necessary circuitry and an apparently beefed up apportionment of GDDR5 RAM as well. Measuring in at 12 inches long, this prototype is being shown off at Computex by add-in board partner Galaxy -- probably just to prove that the mammoth undertaking is even possible. You'll be forgiven for mistaking it for one of 3dfx's final ill-fated productions, and with a requirement for two 8-pin power connectors and a doubling of the standard 470's 215W TDP, this dualie card sure looks set for a similar future of pretty pictures and no retail viability. All the same, if you happen to have a nuclear reactor and a wind farm in your backyard, this could be just the GPU for you.

NVIDIA brings a dual GTX 470 prototype to Computex, causes power shortages in Taipei originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba flexes its paper-thin LCD muscle, moves the world (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/toshiba-flexes-its-paper-thin-lcd-muscle-moves-the-world-video/

Toshiba's found an interesting use for flexible LCD technology: user input. At SID 2010, the Japanese display manufacturer showed off an 8.4-inch wide, 0.1mm thick SVGA panel that could be grabbed and physically bent to zoom in or out using Google Earth. While it's a far cry from 6DOF and perhaps not as entertaining as controlling the time-space continuum with forefinger and thumb, the bend sensor seems like an obvious addition to the gamut of crisp, rollable, data storing, energy generating flexible tech already in development. It's also worth noting that Toshiba isn't the only one working on the idea; IBM filed a patent application for "flexible displays as an input device" back in 2006. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Lennart]

Continue reading Toshiba flexes its paper-thin LCD muscle, moves the world (video)

Toshiba flexes its paper-thin LCD muscle, moves the world (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp plunges headfirst into 3D market with LV-series Quattron TVs, Blu-ray DVRs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/sharp-plunges-headfirst-into-3d-market-with-lv-series-quattron-t/

Looks like Sharp's keeping its word -- next month, the fourth-largest LCD TV maker will launch a slate of new 3D TVs in Japan, just as planned. Based on the same Sharp Quattron quad-pixel technology that made George Takei's jaw drop, the new LV-series of AQUOS panels will come in 40-, 46-, 52- and 60-inch sizes when they debut July 30th, and feature 1080p resolution, UV²A panels and a high-speed signaling technology named FRED that Sharp says increases brightness and reduces crosstalk. More interesting are the AN-3DG10 glasses that come with them, which reportedly allow each individual viewer decide whether to view content in 2D or 3D -- we're guessing by tweaking the glasses to show either the left or right image to both eyes simultaneously, instead of flipping back and forth. Of course, you'll also need something to watch, and thus Sharp will also release a pair of Blu-ray DVR units, the BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70, which record two simultaneous Japanese television programs onto terabyte-sized hard drives when they're not sending Blu-ray 3D content to the aforementioned displays.

While mum's the word on pricing, Impress Watch believes the TVs will start around ¥280,000 (around $3,067) and top out at a cool ¥600,000 ($6,581) for that 60-incher, and says that US and European variants are expected later this year. While you wait, why not take a deep dive into the details -- you'll find an entire brochure's worth at our source links.

Sharp plunges headfirst into 3D market with LV-series Quattron TVs, Blu-ray DVRs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/amd-fusion-apu-gets-its-first-public-demo-at-computex-video/

Hey, what do you know -- the Fusion lives! AMD's CPU / GPU hybrid, which sounded so revolutionary back when it was first thought up, has finally shown off its Accelerated Processing grunt by chewing through a section of Aliens vs Predator live on stage at Computex. We can't say we were exactly bowled over by the performance -- the demo was just a leisurely walk through some leafy terrain, yet still seemed to dip below 30 frames a second at a few points, showing that the APU wasn't all that comfortable handling the DirectX 11 tasks that were put upon it. This chip is targeted at ultraportables, however, and that's a crowd with distinctly lower standards than your usual desktop gamer, so maybe there's a future for this 2011-bound slice of silicon after all. We've got video of the full AMD presentation after the break -- you'll want to skip ahead 59 minutes to see the AVP runthrough.

Gallery: AMD Fusion APU launch at Computex 2010

Continue reading AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video)

AMD Fusion APU gets its first public demo at Computex (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/motorola-flipout-official-android-2-1-meets-enhanced-motoblur/

Motorola's quirky square-shaped Android 2.1 creation has just become official, courtesy of the company's YouTube channel.The Flipout brings a 2.8-inch, 320 x 240 screen (Kin killer!), a 3 megapixel camera with "one-touch" uploads to Facebook, MySpace and photo-hosting sites, and a refreshed implementation of Motoblur, which now includes resizable widgets, feed filters, and push corporate email. We hear that last feature is a real must-have with the target audience of this device.Video of the Flipout can be found just after the break, and Euro readers can expect it imminently, as the listed Q2 2010 launch date basically means it'll be out by month's end. Wonder how they'll price a curious creature like this.

[Thanks, Martin]

Continue reading Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video)

Motorola Flipout official: Android 2.1 and enhanced Motoblur coming to Europe in Q2 2010 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/intel-demos-android-2-1-on-moorestown-smartphone-video/

Intel's barking up all kinds of trees (ones planted by Qualcomm, NVIDIA and ARM) with its Moorestown Atom platform, and while it'll be quite some time before we see an Atom Inside sticker gracing the face of a smartphone, the company's making sure the world sees what it has ramped up so far with reference builds here in Taipei. Aava Mobile was kind enough to build a number of prototypes for Intel to showcase at Computex, and while the vast majority were running Moblin, a couple were humming along with Android 2.1 underneath. We were able to get our hands around one here at the show, and while performance seemed decent enough, it certainly didn't floor us any more than a 1GHz Snapdragon has in the past. Granted, we weren't able to seriously tax it due to having no internet connection and no pre-loaded HD multimedia, but casual users probably won't notice a significant boost in screen transitions. Don't take our word for it, though -- jump on past the break for a video of Intel doing Eclair.

Gallery: Android 2.1 on Aava-built Intel Moorestown smartphone at Computex 2010

Continue reading Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video)

Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for u! se of fe eds.

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Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/acer-stream-preview-at-computex-2010/

We've seen Acer's Android 2.1-powered Stream a time or two before, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to give it a look ourselves here in Taipei. Acer's full gamut of smartphones were out on display, but this 3.7-inch monster was easily the standout. Build quality was remarkable, and the screen was downright luscious; viewing angles on the AMOLED panel were nothing short of incredible, and the haptic feedback was a nice touch, too. The 1GHz Snapdragon CPU handled the transitions within the OS with poise, and it actually felt a good bit lighter than some of the other touchscreen-based smartphones that we've played with recently. 'Course, we couldn't help but long for Froyo, but with a hardware set this powerful, we wouldn't be shocked to see it handed down shortly. Vid's after the break, vaquero.

Gallery: Acer Stream hands-on at Computex 2010

Continue reading Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010

Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, June 01, 2010

VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/vias-wondermedia-decorates-computex-with-arm-9-powered-android/

Don't let all of the Computex Wintel madness throw you off -- there are a plenty of ARM-based, Android tablets around these parts, too. We stopped by VIA's booth to check out some of its tablets, which we're told are bound to ring up in the $100 to $200 range. Virtually all of the devices on display had 7-inch resistive touch displays, and were running Android 1.6 on the company''s WonderMedia WM8505 ARM 9 based processor. It probably goes without saying that we found most of the plastic slates to be quite chintzy, but the slick Android skin and homescreen dock definitely caught our eye. Also, on display were two smartbook-like devices, which were based on a similar WM8605 chip, but running Android 2.1. That's all the specification details we have for now, but enjoy some of the pics we stole below as well as a short video after the break.

Gallery: VIA WonderMedia Android tablets hands-on

Continue reading VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets

VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's new 11.7-inch OLED panel boasts better colors, longer lifespan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/sonys-new-11-7-inch-oled-panel-boasts-better-colors-longer-lif/

Sony may have killed production of its groundbreaking XEL-1 OLED TV, but that doesn't mean it isn't necessarily working on a followup -- it's just unveiled a new and improved, and similarly sized OLED panel at SID 2010 last week. Apparently, the big advance with this display comes courtesy of the oxide semiconductor TFT (also known as IGZO) used for the OLED panel, which Sony was able to tweak enough to deliver a ten year lifespan -- with average use, we presume. What's more, while the panel still packs the same 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 960 x 540 resolution as the XEL-1, it does increase the brightness to 600 cd/m2 (up from 200 before), and Sony says it has a significantly improved color gamut as well. Of course, it is still just a prototype, and it's not 3D, so any eventual products using it might not be Sony's top priority at the moment.

Sony's new 11.7-inch OLED panel boasts better colors, longer lifespan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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