WSJ: Apple to use Samsung retina displays on next iPad mini

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/01/wsj-apple-to-use-samsung-retina-displays-on-next-ipad-mini/

Earlier this month, there was a rumor that Apple was facing possible delays with its next-gen iPad mini due to supplier issues with an (also rumored) next generation Retina display. Now WSJ is reporting that Apple may have gotten around the problem thanks to, of all companies, Samsung. The ubiquitous "people familiar with the matter" told the journal that Cupertino originally wanted to be supplied solely by LG Display and Sharp for the high res screens (likely to be the same 7.9 inches as the current model). However, to ensure enough supply, Apple has reportedly been forced to resort to Samsung's display division for the next iPad mini, too. It bears noting that such supplier leaks are often unreliable, and as we've mentioned before, Apple frequently tests components before deciding on a final design. If true, though, it would show that despite its best efforts, Apple can't make a clean break from its frequent sparring partner.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Source: WSJ

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Panasonic unveils 16MP Lumix GX7 Micro Four Thirds camera, 45mm f/1.2 Leica Nocticron lens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/01/panasonic-lumix-gx7/

There's not much to reveal about Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GX7 since it leaked (nearly) in full just days ago, but now it's official. This 16-megapixel Live MOS shooter is Panny's latest Micro Four Thirds offering aimed squarely at prosumers. This retro-styled camera is a much svelter option than the video-focused GH-3 ($1,500) thanks to its magnesium alloy casing. Along with in-body image stabilization and a swift shutter that tops out at 1/8000th of a second, the ISO tops out at 25,600. If video is your concern, it'll capture 1080p footage at 60 fps (24 Mbps) in AVCHD.

While the GX7 will burst shoot with autofocus tracking at 4.3 fps, its electronic shutter lets it hit 40 fps if pure speed is what you're after -- while we're on it, the shutter will also operate in a silent mode. Notably, a vertically-tiltable 16:9 Live View Finder is onboard, packing a resolution of 2.76 million dots and the ability to fire off the autofocus once it detects an eye. Two control dials aid in manual settings along with a rear-facing LCD touchscreen, which tilts up to 80-degrees. If all that wasn't enough, built-in WiFi and NFC allow for the likes of remote viewfinder apps and sharing media.

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix GX7 press images

The GX7 will hit the US this November in a silver and black colorway priced at $1,100 with a 14-42mm kit lens, and $1,000 for just the body itself. A sleathier all-black variant will also be available, though only in Japan. Aside from the camera, a new Lumix lens with Leica tech will also hit shelves, offering a 45mm focal length with a speedy f/1.2 aperture -- the fastest in the lineup to date. Hit the press releases after the break for more details.

Filed under: Cameras

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New Michael Lewis Story Makes Goldman Sachs Look Absolutely Ruthless

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-lewis-vanity-fair-goldman-story-2013-7

Financial author Michael Lewis has a sprawling new piece in Vanity Fair about former Goldman Sachs programmer Sergey Aleynikov, who was tried, convicted, and then later acquitted of stealing high-frequency trading proprietary code from Goldman's servers.

Lewis' "Goldman's Geek Tragedy" paints a more nuanced picture of Aleynikov, a soft-spoken Russian computer genius who was picked up by the FBI for "stealing" Goldman code and trotting it off to use at another firm.

Aleynikov, once Goldman's star programmer earning $400,000 a year, felt the full brunt of Goldman's wrath. "Goldman Sachs’s role in the trial was to make genuine understanding even more difficult. Its lawyers coached witnesses; its employees, on the witness stand, behaved more like salesmen for the prosecution than citizens of the state," Lewis writes.

In Lewis' telling, that "secret sauce" code was anything but. Mostly open-source information that wouldn't even help Aleynikov at his new firm.

One of Lewis' sources uses the example of a spiral notebook you keep by your desk to jot down thoughts and ideas. If you left your job for another one, you'd take the notebook with you. It's not that the pages would necessarily give you an advantage in the future, it's that they are your notes.

Goldman disagreed. They alerted the FBI and sought to make an example of Aleynikov, who comes off as a brilliant, misunderstood patsy in the story. Goldman comes off as ruthless.

Here's why. From Vanity Fair:

As one [market insider] put it, “Every manager of a Wall Street tech group likes to have people believe that his guys are geniuses. Their whole persona among their peers is that w! hat they and their team do can’t be replicated. When people find out that 95 percent of their code is open-source, it kills that perception. So when the security people come to them and tell them about the downloads, they can’t say, ‘No big deal.’ And they can’t say, ‘I don’t know what he took.’” 

To put it another way: the process that ended with Serge Aleynikov sitting inside a federal prison may have started with some Goldman Sachs employees concerned about their bonuses.

A source at Goldman viewed the piece as pretty one-sided.

Lewis certainly makes his views known, but breaks down a complicated financial story in a way that only he can. The full story, on newsstands today, is definitely worth a read.

SEE ALSO: Goldman Sachs Threw Cold Water On Michael Lewis' New Vanity Fair Expose Before It Even Came Out

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The UPS Store to offer 3D printing service in select San Diego locations (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/31/ups-to-offer-3d-printing-service-in-select-san-diego-stores-vid/

Today, The UPS Store announced its plan to bring 3D printing services to the masses. The shipping company will soon roll out Stratasys Uprint SE Plus printers to 60 locations in San Diego to test out the new service; it'll be aimed at small businesses, start-ups and retail customers in need of a professional grade model to produce things like prototypes and artistic renderings. At $20,900 a pop, Stratasys printers aren't exactly the kind of gadget you'd purchase for home use, so their availability at UPS stores is a pretty major step towards making high quality 3D printing an accessible option for the common man. Though the company is starting small, it hopes to expand the service nationwide, provided that the San Diego experiment proves successful. For more info, check out the video after the break.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

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Via: GigaOM

Source: UPS

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Canon's 1080p Legria mini camcorder makes it easy to film... yourself

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/31/canons-1080p-legria-mini-camcorder/

Though we got tired of the word "selfie" in about 1/8000th of a second, it's true that snapping yourself can be tricky, especially on video. Canon wants to aid and abet such vanity with the Legria mini, a 1080p camcorder with an ultra-wide angle lens, flipscreen and built-in stand. To make sure that we, er, you look as good as possible, Canon's equipped it with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, DIGIC DV 4 processor, 12.8-megapixel still shooter, stereo audio and 160 degree wide lens (170 degrees for stills). You'll also get built-in WiFi, an iOS app, DLNA support, time-lapse, slow motion and mirror image recording and playback. There's even a decidedly HTC Zoe-like feature which takes a four second video when you snap a photo, and assembles them together when you're ready. All of that should help keep your Vine, Video on Instagram and other filmic pipelines full. Check the PR and video after the break for more.

Filed under: Cameras, Canon

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