Samsung Made a 105-Inch Bendy UHD TV Because Why Wouldn't They
Source: http://gizmodo.com/samsung-made-a-105-inch-bendy-uhd-tv-because-why-not-1677581763
Last year, both Samsung
Monday, January 05, 2015
Sharp's new 4K TVs include a set that acts like it's 8K
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/sharp-4k-tv-at-ces-2015/
Now that 4K TVs are no longer a novelty, manufacturers are bending over backward to show you that their sets are somehow more 4K than everyone else's. Need proof? Just look at the flagship of Sharp's newly unveiled 2015 lineup, the 80-inch AQUOS Beyond 4K Ultra HD TV (yes, that's the name). Its namesake trick both cuts pixels in half vertically and lets subpixels create their own color values, leading to a near-8K (7,680 x 4,320) effective picture. The boasts of extra resolution stretch credulity a bit -- you can't add detail that wasn't in the original picture, folks -- but you'll at least know that your TV isn't to blame for fuzzy imagery. As it stands, this ultimate set has a few down-to-earth upgrades over Sharp's previous efforts, including better upscaling and an improved LED backlight that widens the color range. The company hasn't nailed down pricing, but it'll be reportedly be competitive with other high-end sets when it arrives late this year.
You'll have plenty of options if you're willing to settle for "normal" 4K. The entry-level UB30 series now comes in sizes between 43 and 65 inches with the new upscaler. Spend more on the UE30 (60 through 80 inches) and you'll get a newer version of Sharp's SmartCentral platform with Android TV, LED dimming and a smoother-looking 480Hz refresh rate; jump to the UH30 (70 and 80 inches) and you'll get the color-enhancing backlight, a speedy 960Hz refresh rate and a touchpad remote. All three of these 4K model lines will ship in the spring, with prices ranging from $750 for a 43-inch UB30 to $6,000 for the 80-inch UH30.Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
TV makers and Hollywood team up to save 4K from themselves
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/samsung-lg-hollywood-try-to-not-screw-up-4K/
We've seen at past CES how overzealous money grabs by electronics manufacturers can turn the public off to new technology (hello 3D), but it appears the industry might be learning. A long list of big names just announced they're joining the "UHD Alliance" to "set the bar" for next-generation video. That list includes Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony Visual Product, DirecTV, Netflix, Dolby, Disney and Fox, and they altogether claim it's put together with the consumer in mind first. We've already seen a slew of content agreements and services that only work with a particular manufacturer's devices (DirecTV and Samsung, Sony's UHD streaming box), but things are slowly getting better. The new team-up promises to work on 4K video, High Dynamic Range (which Netflix announced during LG's press conference earlier), Wide color Gamut and Immersive Audio -- we'll see if that's enough to keep the UHD goose laying golden eggs.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung, Sony, LG
ASUS is bringing optical zoom to a reasonably sized smartphone
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/asus-zenfone-zoom-ces-2015/
The last smartphone to feature an optical zoom camera was Samsung's Galaxy K Zoom, but we didn't like it -- no thanks to its inconsistent camera performance plus poor battery life (the bulky body didn't help either). Merely hours away from South Korea, Taiwan-based ASUS decided to have a go at making its own optical zoom-enabled smartphone, which ended up being its surprise announcement at this year's CES: the Lumia 1020 ZenFone Zoom. What we've been told so far is that this $399 device is the world's thinnest smartphone that packs a 3x optical zoom camera, and there's more: It's actually a 13-megapixel f/2.0 imager with optical image stabilization, precise laser autofocus (as used by the LG G3), full manual mode and dual-color LED flash.
While the 3x zoom here may not sound as impressive as the K Zoom's 10x offering, we're pretty sure that most of us would rather pick a slimmer phone instead of sacrificing pocket space for more zoom. In this case, the ZenFone Zoom's thickest point is at 11.95mm, which is quite reasonable when compared to the 20.2mm-thick K Zoom.
The illustration above shows how this camera module works: You can imagine it as a periscope lying flat against the round metallic plate (hence its size), and the front group of moving optics does the zooming, whereas the group behind it is in charge of focusing and optical stabilization. With the mechanics lying flat inside the phone's body, there's no protruding part when you're zooming.
The obvious trade-off with this technology is that the aperture starts from f/2.7 instead of the usual f/2.0 these days, and that 185-gram weight may take some getting used to (the OnePlus One, also packing a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, is just 162 grams heavy). The ASUS rep also admitted that this module costs a lot more to make, and they need to take more precautions to ensure that the mechanism is sturdy, but his team is doing all they can to meet the $399 price point.
Oddly, ASUS has left us in the dark with the type of chipset this phone uses, but we do know that it'll carry Android 5.0 when it lands in Q2. Let's just hope that ASUS will actually push this out before others catch up.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS
Lenovo's skinny new ultraportable claims to be the lightest 13-inch laptop
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/lenovo-lavie-hz550-hz750/
It's impossible to convey in a photo how light Lenovo's new ultraportable, the LaVie HZ550, is. So instead I'll say this: When I first picked it up, I was sure I was handling a prototype; some sort of dummy unit without any actual components inside. In fact, though, the HZ550 is very real, and at 1.72 pounds, it's stupidly, record-breakingly compact; in fact, Lenovo claims this is the world's lightest 13-inch laptop. What's more, the company just announced what it says is the lightest 13-inch convertible notebook: a machine called the HZ750, which has a 360-degree hinge that allows it to fold back into tablet mode. At 2.04 pounds, it's lighter than any laptop with a touchscreen and rotating hinge has the right to be. Either way, even in a field of increasingly skinny notebooks, both of these stand out.
But let's back up for a minute. If the name "LaVie" rings a bell, it's because it was originally the brainchild of Japanese computer maker NEC, which is already known in its home country for making some pin-thin noteoboks. For four years, the two companies have been building laptops together as part of a joint venture, a deal that has allowed Lenovo to take a bite out of the Japanese PC market, the fourth largest in the world. What we're seeing now, though, are the first machines NEC and Lenovo are planning to sell outside the land of the rising sun. So while laptops this thin might already be commonplace in Japan, they're likely to be received in the United States as something of an oddity.
And odd they are. Not just because they're thin and light, mind you, but because they're actually quite powerful. Under the hood, you'll find surprisingly muscular parts -- none of this low-powered Core M business, but full-fledged fifth-generation Intel Core processors. Battery life, meanwhile, is rated for somewhere between seven and eight hours of video playback, which, if true, would put it on par with some significantly thicker and heavier laptops. An impressive thing, that -- especially since both machines will be offered with 2,560 x 1,440 screens. It isn't easy achieving long battery life when you have to light up quite that many pixels.
The two LaVies also surprisingly sturdy, considering how insubstantial they feel in the hand. That's largely thanks to a magnesium-lithium alloy, which makes the machine light, but nigh on impossible to bend in your hand. In addition, Lenovo had to get creative with the display. According to the company, the HZ750's touchscreen is directly bonded, and uses film instead of cover glass. Additionally, Lenovo used one of Sharp's IGZO displays, which at least partially explains those big battery life claims -- after all, Sharp panels are known for being energy-efficient.
On paper, then, at least, the LaVies seem like the ultimate no-compromise machines: super thin, super light and still very powerful, with long battery life, to boot. If there are any tradeoffs we can glean just by looking at the spec sheet, it's that the HZ550 -- the 1.72-pound machine -- doesn't have a touchscreen. Meanwhile, the HZ750, the one with the 360-degree hinge, can't pull off quite as many poses as the Yoga line. In this case, you can use it as a notebook (natch), or fold it back into tablet mode, but you'd be putting it into Stand or Tablet mode at your own risk. The reason: The HZ750 is missing the sort of rubber bumpers you'd typically find on a Yoga. Because rubber bumpers make a machine thicker than it needs to be, don'tcha know. Interested? These arrive in May, and yes, they're priced like the no-compromise machines they are: $1,299 for the HZ550, and $1,499 for the HZ750.
Panasonic's new 4K TVs will run Firefox OS under the hood
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/panasonic-4k-tvs-with-firefox-os/
Panasonic's promises of Firefox OS-based TVs in 2014 didn't amount to much, but the company is back with much more concrete plans for Mozilla's web-based platform. The electronics giant has revealed that all of its 2015 Life+Screen 4K TVs (the CX600, CX650, CX800 and CX850) launching this spring will run Firefox OS. You can not only run web apps, but also send content to your TV from any device with a Firefox browser or a compatible app. You'll even get notifications from smart appliances connected to your home network, Panasonic says. It's hard to know if the new software will help Panasonic compete with the likes of LG's webOS sets or Samsung's Tizen models, but it's clear that simply making a smart TV isn't enough in the tech world these days -- you need to have a full-fledged software ecosystem to back it up.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD
Source: Panasonic (PR Newswire 1), (2)
Sunday, January 04, 2015
OnStar Can Now Assess Your Driving For Cheaper Insurance Rates
Source: http://gizmodo.com/onstar-can-now-assess-your-driving-for-cheaper-insuranc-1677279938
Starting this summer, OnStar will become the electronic version of nervous parents in the back seat of a teenager's car, providing drivers with an opt-in program that will evaluate their driving over a 90-day period. Once complete, it will not only give drivers an objective assessment of their skills behind the wheel and tips on how to drive better, it could also lead to cheaper premiums and rates with Progressive Insurance.
DJI Inspire 1 Mount Puts An Incredible 4K Drone Camera In Your Hand
Source: http://gizmodo.com/dji-inspire-1-mount-puts-an-incredible-4k-drone-camera-1677423406
Announced this past fall, DJI's Inspire 1
Oh Hell Yes: A Phone With Glasses-Free 3D and Joysticks Built In
Source: http://gizmodo.com/oh-hell-yes-a-phone-with-joysticks-and-glasses-free-3d-1677424608
The Obox W3D looks a little but like a PSP at first glance, but inside it's a completely different beast. Running Android 4.4, the W30 isn't just a gaming device, it's also an actual phone. Its best tricks have nothing to do with that though, and the leading one is a glasses free 3D screen.
These Crazy Powered Skates Accelerate Your Steps As You Walk
Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-crazy-powered-skates-accelerate-your-steps-as-you-1677425665
Ever since the Segway made its grand debut, mankind has been looking for crazy ways to take the work out of walking. And the Rollkers, a pair of powered skates, promise to make it much easier to get from point A to point B by accelerating every single step you take.
I Used My Finger As a Mouse... And It Made Me Miss My Mouse
Source: http://gizmodo.com/i-used-my-finger-as-a-mouse-and-it-made-me-miss-my-mo-1677429525
There is an all-out war against the mouse, and this year, it's in the form of Motix. Instead of your standard point-and-click affair, your pointer finger becomes the mouse.
Up Close with Ring: Maybe Smart, Definitely GiganticÂ
Source: http://gizmodo.com/up-close-with-ring-so-huge-on-my-hand-1677431362
In the wide world of crowd-funding unicorns, smart rings have been hustling
D-Link's New Wi-Fi Routers Look Like Reverse-Engineered Alien Technology
Source: http://gizmodo.com/d-links-new-wi-fi-routers-look-like-reverse-engineered-1676131189
At one time when all you needed to connect was a couple of laptops, a cheap wireless router would more than suffice for most homes. But these days, when there's everything from phones to tablets to TVs relying on your Wi-Fi network, it makes sense to splurge on your hardware. And D-Link's new 11AC Ultra Performance Series routers promise speeds of up to 5.6 Gbps optimized for the myriad of different devices constantly hopping on and off your network.
With a 2-Year Battery, This Wireless Motion Sensor Can Go Anywhere
Source: http://gizmodo.com/with-a-2-year-battery-you-can-put-this-wireless-motion-1676116530
The best way to protect your home from intruders is a network of motion sensors monitoring every square inch of your abode. D-Link's new Z-Wave Motion Sensor not only makes that possible, it makes it impossibly easy, since the wireless sensor features a built-in battery that's good for up to two years of continuous operation. So you can mount it in obscure and hard-to-reach places, and not have to worry about running wires or constantly changing batteries.
Linksys unveils networked storage and its fastest WiFi router yet
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/04/linksys-ea8500-and-network-storage/
You knew that Linksys wouldn't sit idly by while competitors like ASUS and Netgear rolled out extra-fast WiFi routers -- sure enough, the Belkin-owned networking giant is coming to CES 2015 with some speedy wireless of its own. The company's EA8500 promises brisk, interruption-free 802.11ac at 1.73 Gbps thanks to both multi-user antennas (which keeps the speed up when the network is crowded) and a relatively quick 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. It's also loaded with frills, such as four Gigabit Ethernet jacks as well as ports to share your eSATA and USB 3.0 storage. The EA8500 will be expensive at $280 when it ships in the spring, but it'll be accompanied by the $180 WRT1200AC if you're willing to settle for "just" 1.3 Gbps while maintaining similar features.
To top it off, Linksys is also diving into network attached storage through its new WRT Network Storage Bay. The enclosure will share two desktop hard drives (plus any drive you hook up through eSATA or USB 3.0) with your home network. The $130 box won't break new ground when it arrives in the spring, but it's worth a look if you want your backup hub or media server to match a Linksys router sitting on top.
Filed under: Peripherals, Networking
Source: Linksys (EA8500), (Network Storage Bay)
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