Tuesday, October 05, 2010

TDK's see-through and curved OLED display eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/tdks-see-through-and-curved-oled-display-eyes-on/

Remember the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness? At a list price of $1,000, it'd be hard to forget -- but with a monochrome see-through display, the whole transparency thing was little more than a novelty on a phone that served little practical purpose. TDK might have the solution with its new transparent QVGA OLEDs, available now to manufacturers in monochrome and in a lovely color variant by the end of the year. At two inches, they offer 200ppi pixel density and are more secure than you might think: the light only shines in one direction, so you actually can't see any data from the back even though you can still see through the display. At a glance, the display's didn't seem as vibrant as the best AMOLEDs on the market, but then again, these are passive matrix -- and you can really tell in our videos after the break where the refresh scans stand out. Guess that's the price you pay for transparency, right? We've also got some video of the 3.5-inch flexible OLED screens TDK's got on hand; they're not transparent, but considering the long, narrow resolution, we can't help but think they'd make for amazing wristwatches (or high-tech glowstick replacements at raves).

Gallery: TDK's see-through and curved OLED display eyes-on

Continue reading TDK's see-through and curved OLED display eyes-on (video)

TDK's see-through and curved OLED display eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi intros Travelstar 5K750 and 7K750 mobile hard drives: 750GB at 9.5mm

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/hitachi-intros-travelstar-5k750-and-7k750-mobile-hard-drives-75/

It's a common story, really. Your puny 120GB mobile hard drive has been overflowing for months, and you've been waiting for what feels like an eternity for an affordable, capacious SSD. It's about time to give up the fantasy and get real, and thankfully Hitachi GST is making said pill a touch easier to swallow. The company's new Travelstar 5K750 (5400RPM; 8MB buffer) and 7K750 (7200RPM; 16MB buffer) have been announced this morning, and they're the company's first to feature Advanced Format. In other news, they're also the industry's largest drives in a standard-height form factor, cramming up to 750GB (375GB per platter) into a conventional 9.5mm shell that'll slip into just about any laptop made in the last decade. Yeah, WD managed to stuff 1TB into a laptop drive earlier in the year, but you'll need a machine that's beefy enough to handle a 12mm height drive in order to take advantage. At any rate, the drives will also be available in 500GB and 640GB sizes for those who can't handle three-quarters of a terabyte, and while the 5K750 family is already shipping in volume with a starting tag of $129.99, the speedier 7K750 crew won't be out until Q1 2011.

Continue reading Hitachi intros Travelstar 5K750 and 7K750 mobile hard drives: 750GB at 9.5mm

Hitachi intros Travelstar 5K750 and 7K750 mobile hard drives: 750GB at 9.5mm originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for! use of feeds.

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Skype app arrives in Android Market, WiFi-only in the US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/skype-app-arrives-in-android-market-still-wifi-only/

Finally, at long last, after so much waiting, Skype has made its debut as a full-fledged Android app. There are no Verizon-related limitations anymore, but Android Police reports that calling through the app is only available via WiFi, you can't use your mobile's data connection -- not yet, anyway. Another note they make is that Skype is using quite a few processing cycles to do its job, so much so that it introduced crackling on a call carried out with the EVO. You'll need to have Android 2.1 installed to run this thing, but if you do, why aren't you downloading it already? Let us know how your own 'droid fares in the comments below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

P.S. -- Skype's press release and video after the break have confirmed that 3G Skype calls will be available to all outside the US. Wow. Also, Skype's acknowledged there are some incompatibilities with Samsung Galaxy S phones and is working to iron those out.

Gallery: Skype for Android hands-on

Continue reading Skype app arrives in Android Market, WiFi-only in the US

Skype app arrives in Android Market, WiFi-only in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm launches augmented reality SDK in beta form, ready to rock your Android devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/qualcomm-launches-augmented-reality-sdk-in-beta-form-ready-to-r/

By now you would've come across at least a handful of inspiring augmented reality apps (with a few exceptions, perhaps), and if you fancy having a go at coding one yourself, Qualcomm may be able to assist. Today, the giant chip maker is pushing out a beta release of its Android AR SDK, which has produced interesting demos like the digital photo frame concept showcased in London last month, as well as the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game pictured above. In fact, Mattel's so confident with the latter app that it's planning on commercializing it, so who knows -- you could be the next Peter Molyneux of the AR scene, or at least a winner of up to $125,000 from Qualcomm's AR Developer Challenge. More details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Qualcomm launches augmented reality SDK in beta form, ready to rock your Android devices

Qualcomm launches augmented reality SDK in beta form, ready to rock your Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gateway intros gorgeous 23-inch FHD2303L monitor, two new FHX LCDs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/gateway-intros-gorgeous-23-inch-fhd2303l-monitor-two-new-fhx-lc/

Whoa, Gateway! Go on and get down with your bad self. The gem pictured above goes by FHD2303L, and it's easily one of the sexiest LCD monitors that we've seen in recent memory. The company engineered the 23-incher with a transparent frame and an asymmetrical stand, and much like the glossy-bezel'd FHX2152L (21.5-inch) and FHX2402L (24-inch), it also packs a 12,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1920 x 1080 native resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The FHD model boasts a five millisecond response time, while both of the FHX panels check in with a two millisecond response time; the whole crew offers 250 nits of brightness, VGA / DVI outputs and reasonable price tags. How reasonable? Try $249.99, $189.99 and $249.99 in order of mention.

Continue reading Gateway intros gorgeous 23-inch FHD2303L monitor, two new FHX LCDs

Gateway intros gorgeous 23-inch FHD2303L monitor, two new FHX LCDs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, October 04, 2010

Internet Dominates Young Adult Media Time

Source: http://feeds.marketingcharts.com/~r/marketingcharts/~3/2qsG8w-u2Io/

American young adults spend more time online than consuming other forms of media, according to [pdf] a new study from Edison Research. Web Time Doubles Radio Time "Radio's Future II: The 2010 American Youth Study" indicates that during an average day, Americans age 12-24 spend two hours and 52 minutes on the internet, making the web the [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingcharts/~4/2qsG8w-u2Io" height="1" width="1"/>

How to Go Completely Wireless in Your Home [Video]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/xt0HLQ4YWQY/how-to-go-completely-wireless-in-your-home

Click here to read How to Go Completely Wireless in Your Home

Whether for aesthetic or practical reasons, most people don't like running wires around their entire home to, say, get online or hook up a home theater. These tips and tricks can help you go wireless in nearly any room in the house. More »

Sharp's New Japanese Android Phone Has a Retina Display Equivalent [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5655197/sharps-new-japanese-android-phone-has-a-retina-display-equivalent

Sharp's new IS03 Android handset has a 960 x 640, 3.5" screen, putting it toe to toe with the iPhone 4's super crisp Retina Display. Oh, and then there's the 9.6MP camera and the TV tuner.

The IS03 employs an Advanced Super View display in lieu of IPS for keeping things visible from all angles, and its 9.6MP camera has autofocus and image stabilization. The 1seg TV tuner and Osaifu-Keitai contactless payment system are just the icing on the cake. It'll be available on Japan's KDDI au network soon, but hopefully the rest of the world will be able to feast their retinas on the display sometime in the future. [Engadget]

Publish Your Own EBook (And Profit!) With Barnes and Noble's PubIt! [Ebooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5655313/publish-your-own-ebook-and-profit-with-barnes-and-nobles-pubit

Publish Your Own EBook (And Profit!) With Barnes and Noble's PubIt! Barnes & Noble just launched PubIt!, a new platform that lets individuals upload their opuses, sell them as real, honest-to-goodness ebooks in B&N's eBookstore, and keep a decent chunk of the profit.

Hopefully you have the Microsoft Word document that sci-fi epic you wrote kicking around on a burned CD somewhere, because PubIt! couldn't make it simpler to get your work to the Nook-wielding masses.

First, you upload your file. It can be in TXT, RTF, HTML, or Microsoft Word. Basically, if you banged it out on a typewriter, you're out of luck, but if it's digital, PubIt! will take it, regardless of file size, and turn it into a nice clean ePub file. Within 72 hours, your ebook will show up in Barnes and Noble's eBookstore. It'll be viewable on Nooks, natch, as well as the Nook apps for iOS, Android, PCs, Macs and the like.

You can sell your book for any price ranging from $1 to $200. A price less than $10 nets you 65% per sale, while anything above $10 gets 40%. B&N says that they won't sneak up on you with any hidden fees anywhere along the line, which, along with its simplicity, is presumably what makes PubIt! competitive with Amazon's 70/30 publishing program. Now go get writing. [PubIt! via Fast Company]

5 Reasons We're Tingly About Google TV [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5655268/5-reasons-were-tingly-about-google-tv

The last time the web smashed into television, over a decade ago, it exploded like poorly made breast implants. So why are we so excited about Google TV?

5 Reasons We're Tingly About Google TV

One Word: Apps

A desktop interface doesn't work on a television. It's half the reason the web on TV bombed the last time around. But the industry seems to have learned its lesson: TV apps need a TV interface. Check out the apps on the Xbox 360. They're not a bad start. The same way it took thousands of developers to unlock the potential of the 3.5 inch screens inside our pockets, developers can turn the 50-inch displays in our living rooms into something else entirely. Being able to look at actual stock quotes on CNBC while Jim Cramer's head turns red and pops like a pimple, or tweeting about how crazy it is that Don Draper's secretary just said that thing about black people is just the beginning of what apps on a television can be. And Google TV's the first TV platform to make that a real possibility.

5 Reasons We're Tingly About Google TV

It Plays Real Nice With All Our Phones

AirPlay, AirPoop. Google TV doesn't have Apple TV's xenophobia—in addition to letting you control it with your Android phone, it has love for iOS devices as well. And it's got streaming powers on steroids, like Chrome to Phone plus Apple's AirPlay. You can "fling" websites, photos, songs and videos from your phone to your TV instantly. (Though I suspect Android phones will have the most phone-to-TV superpowers, for obvious reasons, thanks in part to things like integration with Google Music.) Like we've said before, touchscreen phones are basically the best remotes in the world, since they can display any kind of control scheme, and shift to the best one for the task—keyboard, media controls, whatever.

It's a Platform

Here's the thing about Apple TV or Roku or most of the other boxes out there: They're just one box, or a couple at most. Google TV, on the other hand, is a full-on platform. It's in Logitech boxes and Sony TVs to start. But it's going to be in lots of other boxes and TVs too. Which means there's a much bigger chance Google TV's going to be the first computer/web thing in the living room to have critical mass. (With the exception of gaming consoles, which aren't trying to do the same thing.) That's potentially a huge opportunity, which gives a lot more incentive for developers to work on apps and for media companies to bring their content to Google. And if you've watched the App Store for iOS devices grow, you know how these things snowball.

It Looks Polished (for a Google Product)

Anybody remember Android 1.0? Google Wave? The permafrost beta label on half the products Google rolls out? Google TV doesn't look like any of the half-assed initial efforts Google usually produces and quickly iterates into something better, jerking forward with a crazed momentum. Nope, it looks polished and slick and well thought-out, right now. And, it looks like all of that stuff is organized in a way that makes sense to anybody trained to use Google—pretty much anybody who'd buy a Google TV. I don't always know what channel or website Dexter is on, I just want to watch it, wherever it comes from. Google TV makes it so that doesn't matter.

And If Google can improve the service as fast as it made Android better, rapidly integrating lessons learned from the way people use the product? That would be a serious change of pace from the way the TV business usually works. I mean, hell, it takes a month to get the cable guy just to swing by your place to fix your box. Google could change everything on your box in half a second.

It's Got a Ton of Content Already

It's ready to compete with every other box out there, right off the bat. Netflix, Amazon Video. Specialized content from TBS, Cartoon Network, CNBC, HBO Go. Pandora, Twitter. The NBA. All it's missing are the major networks and ESPN, and by and large, they haven't been too friendly with the most of the other boxes either. But all that stuff could very well come in time (Hulu Plus is spreading almost as fast as Netflix), especially if Google TV establishes a monster-sized footprint in people's living rooms.

Google also gets the internet in a way that most of the other guys trying to get into your living room don't. Which means everything that's great about the cloud—seamlessly moving stuff from device to device to device, pulling your content from anywhere, it's gonna work better on Google TV than anybody else's box. Google's got no reason to keep you inside the box. Google wants you on the web.

Boxes next to our TV don't make us excited very often anymore. But Google TV is a lot more than a box.

TDK flexes its transparent OLED muscles with CEATEC demonstrations

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/tdk-flexes-its-transparent-oled-muscles-with-ceatec-demonstratio/

Finally a bit of competition to pep up the transparent OLED market. Samsung and LG seem to have had this party all to themselves until now, but TDK is stepping in with a 2-inch passive matrix screen and a humble QVGA (320 x 240) resolution. Sure, those aren't groundbreaking specs, but a claimed 50 percent transmittance -- meaning that half of what's behind the screen can be seen through it -- beats its Korean competitors rather handily. Another prototype being shown off by the company is a 3.5-inch flexible OLED panel that redefines thinness with a slinky 0.3mm profile. It's made using a resin substrate and covers an unimpressive 256 x 54 pixels at the moment, but again, that's just how good things get started: with small steps of awesome. We'll keep an eye out for both of these as we prowl the halls of CEATEC 2010.

Continue reading TDK flexes its transparent OLED muscles with CEATEC demonstrations

TDK flexes its transparent OLED muscles with CEATEC demonstrations originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple loses, challenges patent verdict surrounding Cover Flow and Time Machine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/apple-loses-challenges-patent-verdict-surrounding-cover-flow-an/

Remember that one random company who sued Apple back in March of 2008 for ripping off its display interface patents? Turns out it was filed in the Eastern District of Texas, a hotbed for patent trolls who know that they stand a better-than-average chance of winning simply because of where their issues are being taken up. Sure enough, Cupertino's stock of lawyers is today being forced to challenge a loss after a jury verdict led to Apple being ordered to pay "as much as $625.5 million to Mirror Worlds for infringing patents related to how documents are displayed digitally." Ouch. Naturally, Apple has asked U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis for an emergency stay, noting that there are issues on two of the three; furthermore, Apple has claimed that Mirror Worlds would be "triple dipping" if it were to collect $208.5 million on each patent. In related news, the Judge is also considering a separate Apple request (one filed prior to the verdict) to "rule the company doesn't infringe two of the patents" -- if granted, that would "strike the amount of damages attributed to those two patents." In other words, this whole ordeal is far from over. We can't say we're thrilled at the thought of following the play-by-play here, but this could definitely put a mild dent in Apple's monstrous $45.8 billion pile of cash and securities. Or as some would say, "a drop in the bucket."

Apple loses, challenges patent verdict surrounding Cover Flow and Time Machine originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electric Bike Runs on Water and Magic Powder [Bikes]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5654907/this-electric-bike-runs-on-water-and-magic-powder

The Signa bike runs on fuel cells. But instead of having to carry hydrogen next to your butt, it uses a new clever safe method: It runs on cells full of a sand-like powder. You just have to add water.

The powder is sodium silicide, an inert, safe substance that is not dangerous at all. When you add water to the cell, hydrogen gas is produced, which generates electricity. The cells are 1.5 pounds and they are hot-swappable, which means that you can plug another right in after you reach its maximum 30-mile run.

According to the company, they are working in making this cells more powerful, so they can be integrated in cars. [Wired]

Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder Shoots 1080p and Has Stereo Mics to Match [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5654906/zoom-q3hd-handy-video-recorder-shoots-1080p-video-and-has-stereo-mics-to-match

Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder Shoots 1080p and Has Stereo Mics to Match While pocket cams video quality has improved incrementally from "good enough" to really actually pretty damn good, audio quality has largely been ignored. The new Zoom Q3HD combines 1080p, 30fps video with stereo mics for the full pocket cam package.

Zoom is known for their audio recorders, and the Q3HD is a nicer-looking refresh of their Q3 pocket cam. It shoots 1080p video in 30fps or 720p in 30fps or 60fps, has an HDMI port, and runs on two AA batteries.

But what sets it apart are its built-in stereo condenser mics, capturing 24-bit/96kHz audio that can hold up even if you're at a concert hoisting the thing above a mosh pit. Audio meters let you check your levels while you're recording, and gain can be switched between high and low settings or left on auto. The Q3HD will be available this fall for $299. [Zoom]

Upcoming Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 card to support WHDI streaming courtesy of Amimon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/02/upcoming-galaxy-geforce-gtx-460-card-to-support-whdi-streaming-c/

Most of what we're seeing on the WHDI front has to do with getting basic HD video playback off of the laptop or out of the den and onto the TV, but video games are people too -- don't they deserve the same treatment? Galaxy seems to think so, and it's building Amimon's WHDI tech into its upcoming Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 WHDI Edition video card. A receiver adapter for plugging into your TV is of course included, and perhaps the mixed incentive of Blu-ray and DRM'd content streaming (WHDI is HDCP 2.0 compatible) and 1080p 60fps big screen shoot-em-ups will be exactly what PC gaming needs to sneak into the living room. We doubt it, but we appreciate the effort all the same. The card ships in October for an undisclosed, totally radical price.

Continue reading Upcoming Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 card to support WHDI streaming courtesy of Amimon

Upcoming Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 card to support WHDI streaming courtesy of Amimon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 10:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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