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Thursday, January 06, 2011

Microsoft's Next-Gen Surface Uses Every Pixel Like a Tiny Camera [Surface]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5726070/microsofts-next+gen-surface-uses-every-pixel-as-a-tiny-camera

Microsoft's Surface table computers never quite filled the lobbies of hotels and theme parks like we'd hoped, but the next-gen Surface is totally redesigned: smaller, maybe cheaper, and using a new touch technology that's pretty gnarly.

Like the old Surface, it's using infrared for touch detection, but instead of cameras underneath, it's using "pixel sense" technology, so every pixel is effectively a little tiny camera. Meaning it can do crazy shit like you see above—that's a sheet of paper sitting on the Surface. Obviously, there's a lot of possibilities there, from insanely detailed touch detection to something like a living surface that's more in tune to what it's interacting with. The whole process is hardware accelerated, and it's open for developers to tap and come up with even wilder uses.

The whole rig is built by Samsung, and under the hood it's now a regular Windows PC instead of custom hardware—just shoved in a four-inch thick surface. Which is, believe it or not, a more lithe package than before, which was literally table-sized. Now it can be used a kiosk, rather than just a flat table. On top is a giant sheet of Gorilla Glass, the largest touchable one yet.

It's still nothing you should expect to bring into your living room unless you're Bill Gates' cousin, but it's nice knowing that Microsoft is still trying to make it happen.

Avatar Kinect: Now Your Avatar Smiles, Smirks and Talks When You Do [Kinect]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5726091/avatar-kinect-get-cozy-with-your-virtual-xbox-live-friends

Your Xbox Live avatar leads a lonely existence. Or did, anyway, before Avatar Kinect came along. Now, Kinect recognizes your face: When you smile, when you raise your eyebrows, when you talk—and your Avatar uncannily does the same.

We knew Avatar Kinect was en route, but the details are even more impressive than the speculation. Avatar Kinect not only puts your avatar in a virtual conference-type of room with those of your friends, it tracks your facial expressions for an eerily realistic chat experience. (Even eerier when it's Ballmer.)

It'll be available this spring for free—free!—to Xbox Live Gold members.

Oh, and Microsoft has managed to sell 8 million Kinects since launch. Not too shabby!

What Is Gorilla Glass? [What Is]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5726124/what-is-gorilla-glass

The allure of Gorilla Glass is no mystery to anyone with a Droid, an iPhone 4, a Galaxy tab or a Dell Adamo. But for everyone else wondering about all the new Gorilla Glass gear at CES, here's the rundown.

Gorilla Glass is, well, glass...

You'll find it in screens, mostly. This includes smartphone screens, tablet screens, laptop screens, and as of this week, touch-table screens and TV screens.

...that's pretty tough to break or scratch...

Drop it, smack it, or shoot it with an air rifle, and chances are you won't break, or even scratch, a piece of Gorilla Glass. Our own Brian Barrett went hands-on with a panel some time ago, and came away impressed:

Gorilla Glass is an unscratchable, unshatterable material used as a protective window for your mobile phone, PMP, or laptop display. It's in 65 products already, and I can assure you that the very nice man from Corning is not faking it. Your intrepid reporter also gave this several tries with all his blogger strength, and couldn't make a dent. I was, however, able to scratch the heck out of some polycarbonate.

Ok, so it's not literally indestructible, and it still quite possible to shatter your iPhone's screen. But it's harder than it used to be.

...because it's treated differently than most other gadget glass.

Speaking to SmartPlanet, Gorilla Glass engineer Dr. Donnell Walton explains:

When you chemically temper a glass, you immerse it in a salt bath and you stuff larger ions in all the surfaces and put them all under compression.

What's unique about Gorilla Glass is that because of its inherent composition, it can allow those larger ions to penetrate the surface more deeply to increase the compression tolerance and tolerate deeper scratches.

The compression pushes a flaw back. It's harder to break from a deeper scratch.

It's also a bit more expensive than the glass normally used for gadget screens, though given its rapid adoption—it's used in some 300+ devices at this point—its value as a selling point and feature clearly outweighs its monetary cost.

For more on Gorilla Glass, read our previous coverage.

PixelOptics Liquid Crystal Glasses Make Bifocals Obsolete [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5726165/pixeloptics-liquid-crystal-glasses-make-bifocals-obsolete

Bifocal and progressive lenses suck. They're old tech. Like, Benjamin Franklin old. PixelOptics take a more 21st century approach—liquid crystal lenses that adjust their focus in a fraction of a second, for differing focuses when you need them.

All that's required to shift the glasses—which can be fitted into any design of frame—is a tap to their touch-sensitive side. A simple electrical impulse changes the liquid crystal, instantly—enabling or disabling a shapeshifting reading zone in the lenses. Or, for an I-can't-believe-I'm-this-impressed-by-glasses moment, slide your finger along the side of the specs to active a tiny gyroscope that'll adjust the focus as you move your head.

It's a subtle shift that's hard to appreciate without, you know, wearing the glasses. But as you can see from my attempt to test the incredible lenses (look at the shifting pattern on the gent's tie!), it works. PixelOptics hopes to bring the glasses to market by April, but really, as long as they're out by the time I hit 40, I'm content. And I'm hoping the price will have come down from $1,200 [PixelOptics]

Sony reveals 3D capturing Cyber-shot cameras, includes world's first compact capable of 1080/60p video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/sony-reveals-3d-capturing-cyber-shot-cameras-includes-worlds-f/

Sony has announced the DSC-TX100V, DSC-TX10, DSC-HX7V, DSC-WX10 and DSC-WX9 16.2-megapixel Cyber-shot cameras here in Las Vegas, which are the world's first compacts to include a 3D still capture feature using just one lens and imager. This is made possible via a special shooting mode that takes two consecutive shots in different focus positions that are then combined to produce a 3D effect. All also feature so-called Dual Rec technology borrowed from the Handycam line that enables users to capture three megapixel stills while recording video.

Outside of what they have in common, several of the models have a few noteworthy details. The DSC-WX10 is the only digital compact to support full 1920 x 1080/60p video capture. Speaking of firsts, the DSC-TX100V is the first Cyber-shot to to feature a 3.5-inch OLED touch screen. Less revolutionary (but still drool-worthy) is the DSC-HX7V's ability to record the location and direction of a particular photos thanks to a built-in GPS and compass, while the DSC-TX10 is ruggedized to be waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freeze-proof. All of these models will be available this March, and cost between $220 and $380. For more details be sure to check out the full PR after the jump.

Gallery: Sony 3D Cyber-shot Cameras

Continue reading Sony reveals 3D capturing Cyber-shot cameras, includes world's first compact capable of 1080/60p video

Sony reveals 3D capturing Cyber-shot cameras, includes world's first compact capable of 1080/60p video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Freestyle for AT&T hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/htc-freestyle-for-atandt-hands-on/

Like its relative the Inspire 4G, the HTC Freestyle on hand at the outfit's table here at CES this evening unfortunately isn't much more than a paperweight. Still, despite its inability to power on -- no real word on exactly why -- we were able to get a feel for this low-end phone. For starters, it's got a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen and runs HTC's home-brewed Brew MP platform. There's also a FM tuner built-in, and a specialized FriendStream social networking interface -- no doubt an attempt to appeal to the younger set. For now, all we've got to quell your obviously whetted appetite are the hands-on shots in our gallery below.

Gallery: HTC Freestyle for AT&T hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Freestyle for AT&T hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sennheiser's sophisticated CXC 700 earbuds tout three levels of noise cancellation, TalkThrough functionality

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sennheisers-sophisticated-cxc-700-earbuds-tout-three-levels-of/

Sennheiser has a thing for trotting out titillating new wares at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, and this year is proving to be no different in that regard. The audio specialist has just introduced one of the most fully-featured headsets we've seen in quite awhile, with the CXC 700 boasting not one, not two, but three levels of noise cancellation. The newfangled NoiseGard /digital technology gives owners a trifecta of noise-cancelling profiles, with each one optimized for something different. In fact, we'll let Senn do the explaining here:

"Mode 1 absorbs low-frequency noise in particular (100 to 400 Hertz), such as engine noise from trains, buses or small passenger planes. Mode 2 focuses on cancelling noise in the medium frequency range (400 to 3,000 Hertz), which is caused above all by air-conditioning systems in large passenger aircraft or office buildings. Mode 3 has a particularly wide frequency range (100 to 3,000 Hertz), and combines the noise-cancelling effect in the medium and low-frequency ranges. As a result, background noise with different noise components, such as that which occurs at airports, railway stations or underground stations, can be effectively suppressed, although with a slightly lower noise-cancelling performance than in the first two modes."

In case that's not enough to convince ya, these offer a frequency response of 20Hz to 21,000Hz, and they'll function just fine (albeit sans noise cancellation) even if your AAA battery keels over. Controls are embedded in the cabling, and users are able to activate the TalkThrough function if they'd prefer to conduct a conversation with someone without actually removing their earphones. Furthermore, changing between the NoiseGard profiles and activation of the TalkThrough function are indicated by both an acoustic and a visual signal. The company will be shipping these with a 4.5-foot long cable, an in-flight adapter, 6.35mm jack plug adapter, a small carrying case and a diaphragm protector, with sales to start later this month for around $320.

Gallery: Sennheiser introduces CXC 700 earphones at CES 2011

Continue reading Sennheiser's sophisticated CXC 700 earbuds tout three levels of noise cancellation, TalkThrough functionality

Sennheiser's sophisticated CXC 700 earbuds tout three levels of noise cancellation, TalkThrough functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry 4G PlayBook coming to Sprint network this summer, obviously 4G compatible

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/blackberry-4g-playbook-coming-to-sprint-network-this-summer-obv/

We finally have at least one carrier for RIM's new flagship tablet. The BlackBerry 4G PlayBook, as it's being called here, is heading to Sprint's 4G network (presumably WiMAX, which we guess isn't as big a buzzword) this summer. To be specific, according to the press release, it'll be "available exclusively from Sprint this summer," which leaves plenty of wiggle room for non-4G PlayBooks and other release windows. It also says it'll be the first PlayBook model to include 4G, so an LTE at least will be a little while longer (and a 3G one maybe earlier). Full presser after the break.

Continue reading BlackBerry 4G PlayBook coming to Sprint network this summer, obviously 4G compatible

BlackBerry 4G PlayBook coming to Sprint network this summer, obviously 4G compatible originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aluratek goes boldly where many have gone before, announces Libre Air e-reader and Cinepad tablet (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/aluratek-goes-boldly-where-many-have-gone-before-announces-libr/

In what appears to be Aluratek's latest feat of badge engineering, the company's outing a familiar pair of slates -- a 5-inch reflective TFT LCD e-reader and a 10-inch Android tablet. Aluratek's calling the former the Libre Air, and says it's nigh-identical to last year's Libre Pro save the addition of WiFi, a curved chassis and a $130 price price point. Meanwhile, the spacious capacitive touchscreen at right (which ships with Adobe Flash Lite) belongs to the Cinepad. Last time we saw the Foxconn-sourced tablet, it ran Android 1.6 on a Marvell Armada 100 SoC and a fairly unimpressive screen, so things had better have changed drastically -- Aluratek's pricing it at $300 when it ships next month. PR after the break.

Update: Aluratek tells us the Cinepad now runs Android 2.2 on a 1024 x 600 screen, and has a 2600mAh battery that should last five to ten hours on a charge.

Continue reading Aluratek goes boldly where many have gone before, announces Libre Air e-reader and Cinepad tablet (update)

Aluratek goes boldly where many have gone before, announces Libre Air e-reader and Cinepad tablet (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's 3D head-mounted display prototype face-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sonys-3d-head-mounted-display-prototype-face-on/

Sony went seriously 3D-crazy at CES this year, and in addition to the slew of shipping 3D products, the company is showing off some futuristic prototypes -- including this 3D head-mounted display that features a 720p OLED display for each eye, simulated 5.1 surround audio, and super-slick blue LED piping. No price, no availability, and no practical functionality since there's no way to keep the thing on your face without your hands, but c'mon -- you know you want one. Video after the break.

Gallery: Sony's 3D head-mounted display prototype face-on

Continue reading Sony's 3D head-mounted display prototype face-on

Sony's 3D head-mounted display prototype face-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's Dash gains a battery, not yet Justin Bieber approved

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sonys-dash-given-a-rechargeable-battery-not-yet-justin-bieber/

Oh, Sony Dash, your journey isn't over quite yet. Somehow Sir Howard forgot to mention this one on stage at Sony's CES presser, but the price of the current 7-inch Dash isn't just being dropped to $149, but there will soon be a new Dash with an integrated battery on the market. That's certainly a very welcome addition considering we didn't exactly love having the first one chained to an outlet. Other than the removable battery the "new" Dash seems to run the same Chumby-infused software, but it appears to have a slightly different design. The new battery-powered Dash will be available in orange, brown, and blue, while a version sans battery will only be decorated in a black hue. No word on pricing, but it will be available this summer. Now all we need now is to see it featured in a Justin Bieber video...

Continue reading Sony's Dash gains a battery, not yet Justin Bieber approved

Sony's Dash gains a battery, not yet Justin Bieber approved originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom first hands-on! (update: video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/motorola-xoom-first-hands-on/

Look what we found hanging around the Motorola stand at CES this evening: none other than the just announced Motorola Xoom tablet. While this sleek little device is still running a very early build of Honeycomb, we were able to sneak some peeks at the stuff Google and Motorola don't actually want you to see just yet. The device was looping demo videos of the Honeycomb UI, but a little investigation on our part revealed a bare bones homescreen. We're still trying to decipher just what we saw, but for now check out the first hands-on images in the gallery below.

Update: We went back to do a little more investigation, and this thing is most definitely running Honeycomb. We were able to bring up the app pane, and saw the full suite of Google apps within. We also caught a new app switcher, which is invoked by hitting a little icon that resembles a deck of cards. Check out the UI shots in the second gallery.

Update 2: Now with video after the break!

Gallery: Motorola Xoom, up close and personal