Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, January 07, 2013

Zotac refreshes ZBOX range with Ivy Bridge, dual WiFi antennas, improved cooling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/zotac-zbox-id83-id42/

Despite the fact that Zotac's model number sequence appears to run backwards, the company's latest mini-PCs on show at CES appear to contain healthy upgrades relative to the ZBOX ID84 we saw in August. According to a brief report at Hot Hardware, the new range -- including the ID42 and ID83 -- will bring additions like dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual WiFi antennas for better reception and, most importantly, a cooling system that allows for more powerful processors up to a Core i3-3120M. Different configurations will come with either HD4000 integrated graphics or NVIDIA's GeForce 620, and can be purchased as barebones units or with RAM and HDD preinstalled. As for pricing and availability, we'll just have to wait and see --although early retailer listings suggest the Ivy Bridge ID83 could cost around £320 ($520).

Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment

Source: Hot Hardware, Xtrasoft

Belkin announces WeMo Smart, coming to your coffee pot later this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/belkin-announces-wemo-smart/

Sure, Belkin's WeMo technology handles outlets and such with an iOS companion app, but now the company is looking to leverage the system with household appliances. WeMo Smart will allow companies to leverage Belkin's apps and existing tech to add new features to their various wares. At CES, a partnership with Jarden Consumer Solutions (JCS) -- the outfit behind brands like Mr. Coffee, Sunbeam, Crock-Pot and more -- has just been announced that will bring the home automation tech to remotely program an monitor small appliances. From the looks of it, you'll be able to turn off the coffee pot after you get to the office should you leave your house in a frenzy. The first WeMo outfitted products are set to arrive later in the year.

Continue reading Belkin announces WeMo Smart, coming to your coffee pot later this year

Filed under: Household, Wireless, Software

Alcatel intros the One Touch Idol Ultra, the 'world's slimmest phone' at 6.45mm (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/alcatel-one-touch-idol-ultra/

Yes, there's a bit of a contest going on among smartphone manufacturers to determine which one has the thinnest device. As proof that Alcatel can play that game, too, the company has just jumped into the circle with its One Touch Idol Ultra, which measures 6.45mm at its thinnest point and ekes by the previous champ, the 6.55mm BBK Vivo X1. Alongside the One Touch Scribe HD, the device stands as Alcatel's flagship smartphone reveal at CES. Beyond thinness, the Idol Ultra boasts a 4.7-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED (read: PenTile) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Users will also find an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing counterpart, both of which record video at 720p.

In its push to make the Idol Ultra as thin as possible, Alcatel omitted expandable storage from the unit, and with only 8GB built-in, media hungry individuals will need to rely on cloud services. In terms of connectivity, the phone supports quad-band GSM and offers dual-band HSPA (7.2Mbps) in two different configurations: 900MHz / 2100MHz or 850MHz / 2100MHz. The phone is scheduled for availability this month in China for 2,799 RMB ($449). Sadly, the phone isn't destined to hit the US anytime soon -- Alcatel told us that the device couldn't get approved by the FCC due to its thin profile. So what did we think about this record-breaking handset? Hands-on photos are below, and after the break you'll find our impressions, a video and a full press release.

< strong>Gallery: Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra hands-on

Continue reading Alcatel intros the One Touch Idol Ultra, the 'world's slimmest phone' at 6.45mm (hands-on video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Alcatel outs two high-spec One Touch phones: the 5-inch 1080p Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/alcatel-one-touch-scribe-x--and-hd-lte/

Just like CES itself, Alcatel is only just getting started. In addition to the 5-inch 720p Scribe HD that was just announced, there's also going to be a Scribe X version of that handset with a top-end 1080p panel, a slightly faster 1.4GHz quad-core processor and a higher-res 12-megapixel rear camera. Separately, there'll also be an LTE version of the Scribe HD, which we gather will have much the same specs except for the faster modem. So, the crucial upgrade options are there, just not at the same time.

Continue reading Alcatel outs two high-spec One Touch phones: the 5-inch 1080p Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE

Haier HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/haier-hdtv-roku-hxt-qualcomm-snapdragon-s4/

Usually, at this time of year Haier rolls out a bundle of new HDTVs, but at CES 2013 it's upgrading some of its existing product lineups instead of hawking all-new gear. Turns out models from Haier's 2013 Core, Encore and Encore+model lineups will be Roku ready, meaning there's an MHL port round the back just for Roku streaming sticks. Of course, you've gotta bring your own dongle to enjoy this new benefit on most of Haier's TVs, unless you spring for Encore+ set bundled with one.

Additionally, Haier's HXT 3D Smart TVs will debut packing Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad core silicon and running Android 4.2. The MPQ8064 chipset packs an Adreno 320 GPU to provide top-notch graphics, and the TV comes with a WiFi Direct QWERTY remote. Naturally, Haier's not saying how much any of these HD goodies will cost nor when they'll be available, so the info about them after the break will have to do... for now.

Continue reading Haier HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon

Filed under: Home Entertainment

NVIDIA unveils i500 Soft Modem with Tegra 4, capable of pushing 1.2 trillion ops per second

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/nvidia-i500-soft-modem/

NVIDIA's apparently still not out of news from its CES 2013 presser -- the company just unveiled the i500 Soft Modem chip. The soft modem, which is the fruit of the company's purchase of Icera and is utilized with Tegra 4, is a baseband processor that can do 1.2 trillion operations per second and is reprogrammable with software to work with a lot of different networks. The modem, which is 40 percent the size of a conventional baseband chip, is sampling to manufacturers this month.

Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, NVIDIA

HP Pocket Playlist WiFi drive takes video from Hulu or Netflix, shares media with five devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/hp-pocket-playlist-drive-takes-video-from-hulu-or-netflix/

There's no shortage of WiFi storage devices these days, but it's not often that they collect web video -- which makes HP's new Pocket Playlist at least somewhat worthy of a closer look. Through a PlayLater subscription and PC software, the wireless drive can store video from Hulu, Netflix and other sources for playback when it's more convenient. Anyone not keen on trying to snag a local copy of a stream can still share up to 16 movies, 7,600 songs or 10,000 photos to as many as five devices, including Android, iOS and Windows Phone gear. HP ships the Pocket Playlist on February 15th for $129.

Filed under: Storage, HP

Source: SlashGear

D-Link launches a raft of routers, cloud cameras at CES

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/d-link-cloud-camera-router/

Unfortunately for D-Link, the unbroken blue skies of Nevada aren't helping the company promote its latest raft of cloud-connected networking products. It's launching a pair of ~~coke cans~~ dual band routers and cloud-connected cameras that'll let you coat your house in WiFi and broadcast your antics across the internet. The cameras will save VGA footage to a hard drive, while the routes promise to offer speeds of up to 1750Mbps. If you want an impromptu security system, the cameras will arrive in February, the 1050 setting you back $80 and the 1150 a cool $100, while the routers make their way into stores from April -- the AC1200 costing $150 and the AC1750 marked up at $170.

Continue reading D-Link launches a raft of routers, cloud cameras at CES

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Epson adds the Home Cinema 750HD to its line of home theater projectors, ships in March for $899

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/epson-3lcd-powerlite-home-cinema-750hd-to-its-line-of-h/

Looking to finally convert that guest bedroom into an in-home movie theater this spring? If so, you're in luck as Epson has announced the 3LCD Powerlite Home Cinema 750HD projector here at CES 2013. The home theater unit offers 2D and 3D 720p capabilities for viewing at up to 120 inches or larger. Touting up to 3,000 lumens of both color and white brightness, the 750HD sports Bright 3D Drive tech and Easy-Slide image correction to power viewing sessions from DVD / Blu-ray players, cable boxes, gaming consoles, PC, Apple devices and smartphones -- without the need for an additional format converter. Of course, HDMI and USB connections are here as well alongside five color modes for adapting the picture to each viewing environment. Epson's RF 3D glasses are also along for the ride that boasts 40 hours of viewing or up to three hours after a three-minute quick charge. The Home Cinema 750HD is set to arrive in March, hitting wallets up for $899 in order to procure one.

Continue reading Epson adds the Home Cinema 750HD to its line of home theater projectors, ships in March for $899

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Lenovo Horizon Hands On: A Desktop PC That Turns into a Gigantic 27-inch Tablet

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973579/a-desktop-pc-that-turns-into-a-gigantic-27+inch-tablet

This is at once pretty cool and also very, really, incredibly silly and dumb. But that's not a bad thing! Here's Lenovo's Horizon desktop computer. It's half Minority Report, half newjack board game. Oh, and also a full Windows 8 all-in-one computer.

Lenovo's all-in-ones have contorted down to be worked on horizontally for a while now, the Horizon is specifically designed to be picked up, moved around, and used by multiple people. It's got a rubber edge to protect it from bangs, and to make it easier to carry, and its screen is drop-proof (though not spill-proof).

It uses what Lenovo calls the Aura UI, which uses drag-wheels to launch videos, pictures, apps, and games. You can use gestures to isolate one video, zoom or shrink, clean the whole desktop, or close all open files. The Horizon comes with 15 pre-loaded apps, and there are 3000 more in its app store. Lenovo says it's got five major developers making games for the Horizon, headlined by EA and Ubisoft.

The Horizon comes with a bunch joysticks to play its games, and can run on battery power if you want to take it away from its power source—like outside into a club house, if your kids are very rich an insane. It weighs 17 pounds, so they better be strong.

Internally, this is a regular all-in-one. It goes from i3 to i7, can go up to 16GB of RAM, and has discrete graphics. Its cheapest configuration starts at $1000. It's basically the same purchase as if you'd buy any other all-in-one, just with this functionality added. Lenovo has a custom stand for it, so it can be a waist-level console in the middle of your house. Unfortunately, the automated space-age table/desk/gaming center from the video is just a concept for now.

The Horizon is cool—and also very, very gimmicky. It's sort of like the Wii U in that it's deeply centered on in-person, multi-user experiences, but when you're just by yourself, you probably won't use any of this new stuff. Still, it seems like the kind of thing that all your friends might not actually want, but would be more than happy to come over to your house and play with.

A Teeny Tiny Action Cam with a Half Decent Sensor: Must Be for Porn?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973611/a-teeny-tiny-action-cam-with-a-half-decent-sensor-must-be-for-porn

Here's the Ego Mini, the tiniest Wi-Fi enabled action cam around. It's 1.62 x 0.86 x 2.05 inches little, and Liquid Image says it's designed to be less about "fun" and more about "function." Translation: This might be when action cams turn the corner off of Action Replay Avenue and onto Pervy Perv Sex Video Boulevard.

The big difference between the Ego Mini and its big brother is that it doesn't have a basic screen, and its battery is removable. Ostensibly, this makes it good for as a security camera or other boring things. But it's easy to imagine how a super tiny camera that connects to iPhones and Android devices over Wi-Fi with live view up to 400 meters away can be put to other uses. You know, hypothetically.

The Mini has a 130-degree lens (narrower than the 170-degree GoPro), a 7MP CMOS sensor, and shoots 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps. That's the same camera as the larger Ego. It'll come with a few mounts, for actual sports use, as well as a splash guard, for either sports or perv use. It'll be $200, and comes out later this year. [Liquid Image]

USB 3.0 Is Going To Double Speeds

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973613/usb-30-is-going-to-double-speeds

USB data transfer is about to get a hell of a lot faster. The USB Promoter Group is rolling out SuperSpeed USB, a supplement to USB 3.0 due out later this year that should surge your speeds two-fold.

SuperSpeed USB is supposed to give you 10 Gbps USB data rate, which is the same as Thunderbolt. It's also expected to feature better data encoding for transfers, more efficiency power efficient ports, and best of all, compatibility with existing devices. Later this year when you download a movie or a CD, it could take much less time thanks to the new standard. [BusinessWire]

Image credit: Shutterstock/Sean Gladwell

The Tegra 4 Is Here

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973635/the-tegra-4-is-here

Here it is: the next biggest, baddest mobile processor, the silicon monster that'll power your next coveted super-smartphone. It packs 72 GPU cores, 4 A15 CPU cores, and a built-in LTE.

In a (somewhat simulated) head to head test between a Nexus 10 tablet and and a Tegra 4 mystery machine, the latter loaded 25 webpages in only 27 seconds, with the older chip taking 50. Not many of us will be loading up 25 webpages simultaneously, but Nvidia is hammering beefed up browser performance here—as well as topping the iPad 4's A6X processor across the board. Nvidia says it's simply the fastest mobile processor in the world. Nvidia says.

The Tegra 4 will also have supercharged HDR photo rendering, Nvidia says, beating out the iPhone 5's abilities with better capture speeds thanks to all of those aforementioned cores working at once. In actual life terms, Nvidia says it'll be the difference between two seconds of rendering on the iPhone and 0.2 seconds on a Tegra 4-powered mobile camera.

One particularly nifty feature is "live HDR," which actually shows a video preview of the difference between a shot with and without HDR. Very impressive, and nothing we've ever seen before.

Nvidia is banking pretty heavily on the virtue of HDR here! Sometimes it looks nice, sometimes it looks tacky—but at least with a live preview you'll be able to tell beforehand.

A demo of Dead Trigger 2 running on Tegra 4 yielded some highly purty visuals—think early-PS3 era—though there was some slowdown. Still! This is phone and tablet tech. Fancy stuff.

No word on when we'll start seeing these things in our things. Soon!

Kaboom: Nvidia Is Making Its Own Gaming System

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973640/kaboom-nvidia-is-making-its-own-gaming-system

Before today, Nvidia made parts to put inside gadgets other people build. Today, it has its own gaming device: a Tegra 4-powered handheld system with both an integrated controller and screen. It does 4k. And it looks like a hell of a lot more than just games.

Nvidia says the device, nicknamed "Project Shield," will pack a 10-hour battery life, audio quality on par with a Jambox, a console-quality controller (bumpers, triggers, analog sticks, and a d-pad), and of course it runs Android. No skin. In the back you'll find plenty of ports: HDMI, micro-USB, microSD, and audio-out.

But of course, that screen: a 5-inch, 720p display with touch capabilities too. The entire package looks to be about the size of an Xbox 360 controller, plus that screen popped out. This is a serious shot at not only Android gaming, but all mobile gaming, and even the likes of Wii U. Why? The thing isn't just an Android GameBoy—it's a mobile set top box and computer, capable of playing 4k movies to a full 4k TV via HDMI, hopping around Facebook, multitasking with your music in the background, and pretty much everything else you'd want from a modern tablet or smartphone. It just happens to look like a big green x-treme gaming controller.

Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook getting a 1080p screen option later this month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/06/dells-xps-13-getting-a-1080p-screen/

Dell's had a fairly minimal presence here at CES 2013 but it does have this bit of news to share: its XPS 13 Ultrabook is getting a 1080p screen later this month, according to a company spokesperson. In general, it's encouraging to see PC makers step it up on the resolution front, but it's particularly good news here, as the XPS 13's mediocre 1,366 x 768 screen was one of the few things we criticized in our review. Now that the weak display is getting taken care of and the trackpad drivers have been fine-tuned, that leaves just one lingering flaw: no SD card reader. Perhaps we can't have it all, but it does sound like this will be a stronger choice than it had been. No word yet on how much that upgrade will cost or when, exactly, it will become available, but we'll keep you posted.

Filed under: Laptops, Dell

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