Source: http://gizmodo.com/sony-made-the-first-curved-led-tv-and-its-worthy-of-y-1254853239
Sony unveiled a mountain of new gear at its IFA press conference yesterday, but for whatever reason it decided to quietly slip this beauty out under all the noise. Comparable to the 55-inch OLED
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/philips-9000-series/
We heard about that 65-inch, award-winning Philips 4K set a while back, and earlier today, we finally got to see the thing trotted out on stage in all of its ultra high-def glory. Turns out it's also got a bigger sibling, an 84-incher. We managed to get up close and personal with both of the sets on the floor, sitting side by side in Philips' booth. The bezels on the 9000s are reasonably thin, though not nearly as svelte as we've seen on the sort of sets that Samsung and Sony like to trot out. Same goes for the profile -- if you're really interested i! n the th innest 4K sets on the market, you're going to want to look elsewhere -- not shocking, of course, as the company is positioning these as budget sets. Ultra high-definition for the people.
The sets are available today in the UK and Russia, priced at €4,999 ($6,588)and and €14,999 ($19,768), respectively. You can get a bit of a closer look at them in the gallery below.%Gallery-slideshow79655%
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Mobile
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/lenovo-flex-14-15-20-hands-on/
It's pretty much a given that everything we love about flagships will eventually make their way into more affordable products. And why shouldn't that include the form factors themselves? In addition to unveiling the Yoga 2 (as well as the ThinkPad Yoga for business), Lenovo is trotting out two additional convertibles, with prices that put them squarely in the middle tier. Meanwhile, the company also announced the Flex 20, a 19.5-inch, battery-powered all-in-one that's basically a smaller, cheaper version of the Horizon PC announced earlier this year.
Starting with the laptops, the Flex 14 and 15, as they're called, each resemble the Yoga in that the screen folds backward, allowing you to use the notebook in different positions. Here, though, it only goes 300 back degrees, not 360, meaning you can't use these products in tablet mode. Basically, then, your choices are to use it as a traditional notebook, or fold the screen over into "Stand" mode (pictured above), with the screen facing outward, and the keyboard planted face-down. %Gallery-slideshow73860%%Gallery-slideshow73861%
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Lenovo
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/lenovo-vibe-x-ideaphone-s960-mt6589t/
While Lenovo's Snapdragon 800-powered phone has yet to make an official appearance, the Chinese company's gone ahead and unveiled its other quad-core flagship device: the Vibe X aka IdeaPhone S960. Much like most of its recent siblings, this Android 4.2 slate is powered by a MediaTek SoC -- the quad-core 1.5GHz MT6589T, specifically, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. There's also a 5-inch 1080p IPS display and a 2,000mAh internal battery, along with a 5-megapixel, 84-degree front-facing camera plus a 13-megapixel main imager on the back. As you'd expect, the camera app will come with face enhancement features for your bad skin days, and Lenovo also teases a "full-featured" photo app that lets you organize your photos (with tags and folders), as well as making puzzles with them.
Thanks to Gorilla Glass 3 and the "premium polycarbonate body" (with "fabric-like surface" and side chrome accents), the overall package weighs 121g only and is just 6.9mm thick -- the same thickness as the slightly larger but metallic, Intel-powered K900. Also, while the Vivo X3 with the same MediaTek chip and battery capacity is way thinner at 5.75mm (sorry, Huawei!), do bear in mind that its 5-inch display only has a 720p resolution.
There's no price nor a date just yet, but as with most Lenovo phones these days, we've been told that the Vibe X will not be entering either Europe or the US. As the Chinese saying goes: you can quench thirst by thinking of the plums. By "plums" we mean the press release and our first impressions after the break. %Gallery-slideshow79651% %Gallery-slideshow79657%
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Lenovo
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/samsung-reveals-the-world-s-first-curved-uhd-tvs-at-ifa-2013/
You didn't think Samsung was done announcing TVs at IFA yet, did you? This time, Samsung's folded two of its new TV notions into one set, announcing the world's first curved Ultra High Definition TVs. They don't appear to be OLED (so our money's on LED), but the new screens will be available in both 55-and 65-inch sizes. the company saying that differently-sized curved UHD TVs sets will come, "based on consumer response", so if people are buying 'em big, these high-pixel curves could get bigger too -- Samsung's range of flat 4K TVs now stretches to a one-percenter-baiting 98 inches. At almost the same time, Sony has just taken the wraps off its own curved display, a 65-inch LED TV -- but it's not UHD. Hyun-suk Kim, executive VP of Visual Display, reckons the new TVs are another milestone for the company, and will "invigorate" the UHD market, one that's only just taking its first steps.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/hands-on-lg-g-pad-8-3/
LG announced its new slate, complete with specs, ahead of IFA, but the tradeshow is our first opportunity to see the G Pad 8.3 in the flesh -- or in the aluminum package, as it were. The company is positioning this tablet as the first full HD tablet in the 8.0-inch category, and as the device best optimized for one-handed use. Specific as those distinctions may be, they do sound pretty appealing.
First thing's first: the G Pad 8.3 in our hands today is not the final version that will ship at the end of the month. LG likely has some software kinks to work out, but it's safe to say that today's model gives us a good idea of what consumers can expect. The G Pad is part of LG's flagship G series line, which includes high-end handsets like the Optimus G Pro and the recently announced G2. As such, this guy looks like a bigger version of its smartphone siblings, which is to say it looks quite nice. The bezels are almost non-existent, and the backside features a silver aluminum backing -- it's a nice contrast to the Pad's black or white plastic finish. The 8.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS panel provides the vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles that you'd expect; we've seen similarly high caliber displays on other LG devices like the Optimus G Pro.
At 338 grams, the G Pad is extremely light; a rep made sure to point out that some paperback books even weigh more. Less weight means the tablet is easier to hold in one hand -- even with LG reps talking up the device's featherweight footprint, we found it surprisingly insubstantial. More than the weight, though, the device's 126.5mm makes it quite comfortable to use. And guess what? It can also fit in a jacket pocket, which may or may not improve your life dramatically. LG utilized data collected by the Korean government about the average hand size in order to arrive at an optimal width for the tablet. We found the slate quite comfortable to grasp with just one hand; it didn't feel like a stretch to grasp across the device.%Gallery-slideshow79665%
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/t-mobile-to-launch-lg-g2-on-september-25th/
At last, the LG G2 has a US release date: T-Mobile is shipping the Android flagship to stores on September 25th, with online availability starting September 18th. The 5.2-inch smartphone will require a $100 initial spend on a downpayment plan, and costs $630 outright. Both black and white colors will be available, although you'll have to order the white version online; thankfully, you can pre-order either model today. Too expensive for your tastes? You can buy the newly available Optimus F6 instead. The 4.5-inch budget smartphone is now selling online for $50 on a downpayment plan, or $290 at full price. Those who'd prefer a walk-in purchase can pick up the F6 at a retail store on September 11th.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG, T-Mobile
Source: T-Mobile (G2), (Optimus F6)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/eyes-on-lg-55-inch-gallery-oled/
LG's showing off its new 55-inch OLED set here at IFA, and (get this) it's not a curved one. Though it's bucking the trend made so popular by LG itself (along with Samsung), the product is hardly boring; the so-called Gallery comes complete with a sound bar disguised as an art mat. LG's included its canvas speakers all around the panel to pump out 2.2-channel sound, along with a subwoofer.
In theory, the Gallery (model 55EA8800, if you must know) sounds a bit gaudy, but the execution is anything but. For one, it looks sleek despite the soundbar backing -- it won't distract your eye from the 55-inch panel. Colors looked extremely vibrant, and images extremely clear, when we viewed the OLED in LG's booth at IFA. Sound quality is strong as well. This is a straightforward (premium) TV, of course, but if you want to leverage the product's artsy pedigree, you can enable Gallery Mode, which displays a selection of works of art from Van Gogh and others. The set ships with a simple, thin black frame, but other, more elaborate options could become available later on.
The Gallery and the sound bar "art mat" will be sold as a bundle for €8,999. An LG booth attendant told us the TV will launch at the end of the year, though the company has made no official comment. Check out the eyes-on video for a closer look.%Gallery-slideshow79668%
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/haier-tv-stand/
Eye control is all well and good, but what Haier was really pumped about at this year's IFA was its new 55-inch OLED set. And, granted, the set is nice and thin at four millimeters, with a 1.5 millimeter bezel. What the company was really excited about, however, was the built-in stand. Yep, it's a four millimeter thick TV that can stand on its own, making it really difficult to push over in one direction, at least. We appreciate the sentiment, but we'll be more excited when we can start controlling the thing with our brains.
Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
There is a new trend in technology called "the Internet of things."
All your household electronics and appliances are getting connected to the Internet – everything from your lights to your thermostats.
In the long run, connecting these things to the Internet will provide all sorts of conveniences and efficiencies.
But there is a dark side to the Internet of Things.
Forbes, for example, just published a story by Kashmir Hill about a man named Marc Gilbert who woke up on the night of his 34th birthday to hear a sound coming from his 2-year-old daughter's bed room.
Gilbert says he heard a man saying to his daughter: "Wake up, you little slut."
Awful.
The voice was coming through her Internet-connected baby monitor.
Hill says the hacker probably found the baby monitor through a search engine called Shodan, which indexes the "Internet of Things" the way Google indexes the regular Internet.
Shodan can find all kinds of stuff: webcams, traffic lights, glucose meters.
Scary.
Hill says the key to protecting yourself against invasions like the one Gilbert went through is to never buy an Internet-connected gadget that is not password protected. Also, if you buy one that comes with a default password and user name, change it immediately.
Source: http://lifehacker.com/enable-googles-hidden-themes-for-the-stock-android-key-1253487329
If you don't love the look of Android's stock keyboard, Google actually has a few other themes built-in. You just need to uncover them with this trick.
You'll need a custom launcher that can access Android Activities for this to work, like Apex or Nova—which we highly recommend downloading anyway
You can choose from Basic (which is the pre-Gingerbread theme), Stone, Gingerbread, and IceCreamSandwich (the default on ICS and higher), with a few variations. Pick which one you like, and enjoy!
Google Keyboard Themes | Google Operating System
Source: http://gizmodo.com/nikons-tiny-led-light-keeps-darkness-out-of-your-camer-1255317688
Nikon's LD-1000 LED movie light is an inexpensive, portable lighting solution that could make shooting video with company's Nikon 1 mirrorless cameras a lot easier. The always-on light mounts to your camera and keeps the scene in front of you continuously illuminated with what Nikon promises is a natural-looking, diffuse white glow.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/harman-kardon-esquire-bluetooth-speaker-and-conference-system/
Business professionals who've dreamt of having a portable conference system and Bluetooth speaker combo have just had their wish granted. Harman Kardon's aluminum and leather-clad Esquire portable speaker features two drivers, a bass port and noise-cancelling conference microphones. Placing the unit upright adjusts its mics for one person, while laying it flat works best for multiple people. The design is relatively clean, but you'll find physical buttons at its side for power, playback, mute, volume and Bluetooth pairing (NFC-pairing is also an option). An internal battery keeps it juiced for up to ten hours and its wall charger has three USB ports to handle your smartphone and extra gizmos. The Esquire will be available for your business travels later this year in white, black and "camel."
Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!Filed under: Portable Audio/Video
Source: Harman Kardon
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/sonys-vpl-vw500es-projector/
Sony has just announced the VPL-VW500ES 4K projector at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and though it didn't name a price, said it'll be much cheaper than its first 4K projector. Before you start re-arranging your theater room, though, the original VPL-VW1000ES cost a cool $25,000, so "cheaper" might be a relative term. If you're undeterred, though, you'll get full 4,096 x 2,160 4K resolution thanks to native 4K SXRD panels -- technology that Sony lifted from its commercial cinema projectors. Other perks include 1,700 ANSI-lumen brightness (compared to 2,000 for the VW1000ES), a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, "Super Resolution" Blu-ray to 4K upscaling, Motionflow tech for less blur, and support for HDMI 2.0 -- which permits 60fps 4K. Again, Sony hasn't mentioned a price yet, but we did see it at a French retailer for 10,000 euros, meaning a $10,000 price seems feasible.
Sony also dropped a Full HD 3D model, the VPL-HW55ES projector, which replaces the VPL-HW50ES as its top 1080p dog while using the same SXRD tech. It boasts 1,700 ANSI-lumens, a 120,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5,000 hour lamp, an optical engine upgrade and Reality Creation technology. Both projectors offer wireless HDMI compatibility, and will arrive at some point next month. For more minutiae, check the PR after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/05/toshiba-satellite-click-detachable-pc/
We get it: speeds and feeds aren't everything. But this might be a rare case where a chip could actually make the whole story. Toshiba announced the Satellite Click today, and until you get to the spec sheet, it reads like a totally forgettable product. What we have here is a 13-inch detachable tablet with a 500GB hard drive inside the tablet and an extra battery inside the keyboard dock. Sounds like lots of other things you've read about, right? Well, lo and behold, the Click is actually one of the first products to ship with AMD's Temash chip, whose graphics prowess we showed you back at CES. To be fair, this is a dual-core 1GHz A4-1200 processor with AMD Radeon HD 8180 graphics, not the quad-core one we demoed earlier. Even so, the general concept is the same: this is a system-on-a-chip tailored for tablets that makes use of AMD's 28nm Graphics Core Next architecture, which you'll also find inside some of AMD's discrete GPUs. Depending on the exact chip, Temash promises to compete with Intel's Atom processors as well as its Core i3 series. Unlike a Core i3 tablet, though, Temash allows for a fanless design, more akin to what you'd expect from an Atom or ARM-powered device.
Also, it drives down the cost. The Click will go for about $599, making it $150 cheaper than the Core i3-powered HP Split x2, which also has a 13-inch screen, dual batteries and a 500-gig hard drive in the dock. Granted, there are likely to be tradeoffs, and we suspect battery life could be one of them, if not speed. A Toshiba rep estimated runtime at three to four hours for the tablet only, and six to seven hours with the dock. That wouldn't match up well against a new Haswell hybrid but then again, some of its competitors (like the Split x2) are based on Ivy Bridge, which isn't so hot in the longevity department either. The Click will be available later this month exclusively at Best Buy and on Toshiba's site.
Update: We've just seen the Click on display here at IFA... sort of. Toshiba is showing off the European version, the Satellite W30t, which for whatever reason ships with an Intel Core processor, not an AMD Temash chip. So, similar design (save for the fans), but very different performance, we'd imagine.%Gallery-slideshow79645%%Gallery-slideshow77126%
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