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Friday, February 20, 2009

LG affirms that 12 megapixel cameraphone is in the works

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/lg-affirms-that-12-megapixel-cameraphone-is-in-the-works/

Here at MWC, the only cellphone maker to actually come forward with proof of a 12 megapixel phone was Sony Ericsson. Still, you know that everyone else is apt to follow suit as quickly as possible, and it seems that LG will be one of the first. In fact, said company "absolutely" has a 12 megapixeler in the works. That's according to Jeremy Newing, LG Mobile's head of marketing in the UK, who also proclaimed that the KS360 would be LG's first Android phone. In his words: "We'll very much be releasing a 12MP cameraphone. However, it's important that people realize when taking 12MP images, they'll be using huge amounts of data, and it will be more difficult to do things like send such files." Honestly, we're a bit tired of the megapixel race -- get an optical zoom onto a slim cellphone, and then we'll talk.

[Thanks, Jimb]

Filed under: Cellphones

LG affirms that 12 megapixel cameraphone is in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inspiron Mini 10 finally shows up at Dell's website

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/inspiron-mini-10-finally-shows-up-at-dells-website/

In one of the most bizarre sequences of events we can recall, Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 has finally arrived on its maker's website. And this is after being briefly (and we stress "briefly") unveiled in a 3- x 3-foot cubical at CES, being impersonated at Tecso by the smaller Mini 9 and showing up early on QVC. Yeah, weird. At any rate, we knew that the Round Rock powerhouse was looking to offer this pup up for sale starting on the 26th, so we figure now is a perfect time to host up a holding place in order to get people informed. As we'd heard, it'll sport a 10.1-inch display, 802.11b/g WiFi, optional Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI out, an external DVD drive, upwards of 160GB of HDD space, 1GB of RAM, a keyboard that's 92 percent the size of a standard laptop (that's the same as on ASUS' Eee PC 1000HE, by the way), a multitouch trackpad, 720p media playback, optional WWAN, an internal TV tuner and your choice of a 3-cell (3 hours) or 6-cell (6.5 hours) battery. Yummy!

[Thanks, John]

Gallery: Inspiron Mini 10 finally shows up at Dell's website

Filed under: Laptops

Inspiron Mini 10 finally shows up at Dell's website originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DFusion debuts glasses-free 3DFMax display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/3dfusion-debuts-glasses-free-3dfmax-display/

Forget all those 1080p sets with internet connectivity -- what you really want is an HDTV that does three-dee. Over at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, 3DFusion has announced the market launch of its 3DFMax stereoscopic, glasses free, broadcast ready (get all that?) 3D display. The set is built upon the Philips WOWvx 3D solution, but outside of that, we're really left to wonder what this thing's made of. No resolution, no contrast ratio, no price. Just the hope of a chicken in every pot and a 3D HDTV in every den.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

3DFusion debuts glasses-free 3DFMax display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cameraphone with a Physical Shutter Spotted, Could Improve Image Quality [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uLRmjLVSVnA/cameraphone-with-a-physical-shutter-spotted-could-improve-image-quality

Cameraphone pictures suck, generally speaking. It's because the lenses are tiny and garbage. But this Jabil cameraphone module with a physical shutter could change things.

The module measures 10 x 10 x 8mm and has a moving blade-style shutter that prevents light from entering the lens until you've press the shot button. It also has an autofocus feature.

Of course, problems may very well arise when you try to stick moving parts like that onto a phone that's going to be sharing pocket space with your keychain, but it's good news that they've shrunk a physical shutter module down to a size that would be reasonable on a smartphone. It's advancements like this that are going to kill the point-and-shoot market. [Reg Hardware]

Dealzmodo Hack: Overhaul Your Last-Gen BlackBerry [Dealzmodo Hack]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mHI-jrWR-Ws/dealzmodo-hack-overhaul-your-last+gen-blackberry

For most, cellphone trade shows mean carefree gadget porn. For some, they're an assault on beleaguered gadget egos. Last time we helped straggling WinMo users. Now, dear last-gen BlackBerry users, we're reaching out to you.

Users of the Pearl, Curve and 88xx phones, despite being highly capable devices, are getting it from all angles; on one front, RIM left these handsets behind for OS 4.6, and the touchscreen Storm looks like it's from a different planet. Other phone makers are moving into exciting new territory, releasing totally new hardware and software at steady clip. In short, it can be rough to own a last-gen 'Berry, not to mention one of the older 7000 series handsets. But the theory here is the same as before—just because your handset is technically last-gen device doesn't mean it has to feel like one.

Ditch the BlackBerry Browser for Good
RIM's newest browser, bundled with 4.6x and 4.7x handsets, is good. It renders like a modern mobile phone should. NOT SO for the 4.5 and earlier browsers. They might be fine in the exciting world of WAP, but that's yesterday's mobile web.

Opera Mini: This feisty little browser has been backing up RIM's stock software for years, and with good reason. It'll run on almost any BlackBerry, with (old version) support spanning back to the ancient, black-and-white 5810, which was released in 2002. Opera uses server-side optimization! to spee d things up, but the end result is an experience that at least resembles browsing as we know it today.

Bolt Browser: Bolt, which I made note of a while ago for "not looking horrible", is now available to the public, and it's quite good. It uses server-side compression just like Opera Mini, but generally achieves more faithful results in a shorter time. Most of its magic lies in its rendering engine, the same soon-to-be-ubiquitous WebKit found in Mobile Safari, Mobile Chrome and the Pre's new browser.

Dress Your Interface Up Like a New BlackBerry, Or Pretty Much Anything Else
Pre-4.6 BlackBerry OSes share the same awkward aesthetic. It's at once dry and businesslike, pastel and cartoonish. A relic for sure, but one that takes customization quite well. Plenty of themes are floating around on the internet, but loads of them cost money and nearly all reside in horrible, spammy website. Oh, and 95% of them are terrible. But that means that a few aren't—here they are:

Go to Themes4BB. Seriously. Registration is required to access the forums, but once you're done you have access to a huge number of free, occasionally decent BlackBerry themes for almost any model. The obvious iPhone, Mac OS and Windows skins litter the message boards, but the best will give your interface a near-full conversion. If feeling left behind is your problem, there are high-contrast 4.6-inspired skins for most models.

Fill Out Your App List:
While you've got a prime messaging device in your poc! ket, the re are areas where the standard BlackBerry apps are lacking. We've covered browsers, but there are other apps that can have an equally transformative effect on your handset.

Google Apps: Aside from plethora of mobile web apps offered by Google, there are a few native ones as well. Google Mobile provides access to Gmail (possibly a bit redundant), GPS-compatible Maps (a must-have) and Google Sync, which will keep your contacts and calendars neatly paired with Google Apps.

VoIP: BlackBerrys have been sadly neglected by Skype, but that doesn't mean VoIP is out of the question. iSkoot is a surprisingly functional 3rd-party app which uses Skype's network and is able to make and receive relatively clear Skype voice calls, even over 2G networks. Truphone is a simple app that'll route international calls at local call rates. Gizmo5 is one of the better of the sea of second-tier Skypes out there, and their VoIP app, which offers not just free calls to other Gizmo5 users, but instant messaging on a range of popular networks, is worth a download.

WebMessenger Multi-Protocol IM: Some BlackBerrys are blessed with a bundled AIM app; most aren't. WebMessenger does a handy job of combining most popular messaging protocols into an easy interface. And honestly, what is your BlackBerry good for if not furiously typing short messages to all your friends through as many channels as possible?

TwitterBerry: Further facilitating the aforementioned HAVE QWERTY, MUST COMMUNICATE ethos is TwitterBerry, the preeminent Twitter app for any BlackBerry. The iPhone may have seized the attention of the Twitterati, but any BlackBerry, new or old, is better suited to the service that the Apple's buttonless handset. TwitterBerry has the potential to bring upon the world heretofore unseen levels of oversharing, courtesy of you, last-gen BlackBerry users.

Viigo RSS Reader: Viigo is a fantastic RSS reader, able to consolidate any number of feeds—website content, Google Alerts, social networking sites—into a friendly, simple interface.

Dealzmodo Hacks are intended to help you sustain your crippling gadget addiction through tighter times. If you come across any on your own that are particularly useful, send it to our tips line (Subject: Dealzmodo Hack). Check back every other Thursday for free DIY tricks to breathe new life into hardware that you already own.

Haier shows off mysterious "NetBooks," Android phones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/haier-shows-off-mysterious-netbooks-android-phones/

Haier's offerings are always an adventure, and this year at MWC they didn't disappoint. They were showing off an interesting assortment of MIDs, confusingly dubbed "NetBooks," including a mini-laptop of sorts (left) that falls somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, we're totally short on specs, release dates or other sorts of relevant informations, so what you see is pretty much what you get. On a similar note, Haier had two Android-based devices at the show, dubbed the G1 and the G2, along with a BlackBerry 8900 look-alike we didn't see, and another phone that even the PR person wasn't sure what it was. These two "Googlephones" (their word) were sadly out of battery when we went for a demo, but one of them bore more than a passing resemblance to the BlackBerry Storm, though it happens to be lighter, smaller and runs a new OS... maybe RIM can call up Haier for some pointers.

Gallery: Haier shows off mysterious "NetBooks," Android phones

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Laptops

Haier shows off mysterious "NetBooks," Android phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon's latest batch of cameras get the hands-on treatment

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/canons-latest-batch-of-cameras-get-the-hands-on-treatment/

Canon certainly isn't cutting any corners with its pre-PMA batch of digital cameras, and the folks at PhotographyBlog look to be doing their best to keep up with them all, with them now churning out some hands-on looks with just about all of 'em, plus a couple of Canon's new lenses for good measure. Those include the SX200 IS pictured above, which they describe as "bigger and chunkier" than its rival Panasonic DMC-TZ7, as well as the "sleek and sophisticated" A2100 IS, the "toy-camera-like" D10, and a number of other compact shooters that stay a bit closer to their predecessors in terms of appearance. Of particular note to more serious photographers, Canon was also showing off its new TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens, which is replacing the 17-year-old original model, and its new TS-E 17mm f/4L lens, which is apparently the world's shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage. Hit up the link below to check out the whole lot, just be prepared to do a bit of digging.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon's latest batch of cameras get the hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mac mini refresh allegedly caught on camera

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/mac-mini-refresh-allegedly-caught-on-camera/

Well, what do we have here? According to MacRumors, this could quite possibly be the next-gen Mac mini we've been waiting so patiently for. This guy would seem to correspond roughly to other possible "leaks" we've been hipped to in the past, including the presence of five USB ports, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, and Mini DVI. Coincidence? Underhanded Photoshoppery? You be the judge.

Update: Looks like the pic hit both MacRumors and AppleInsider at the same time, but the MR forum poster who put it up included some alleged specs: a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB Level 2 cache, 2GB DDR 3 memory at 1066MHz and a ATA Super Drive. Believe what you will!

[Thanks, iB3nji]

Filed under: Desktops

Mac mini refresh allegedly caught on camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change 3M's MPro110 pocket projector?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/how-would-you-change-3ms-mpro110-pocket-projector/

The pico projector market has practically exploded over the past six months or so, but all the while it was 3M's MPro110 leading the charge. Given that you've now had a few months to toy with it, we're wondering if this thing really has lived up to the hype. Is having a projector in your pocket as awesome as advertised? Is the image quality sufficient for impromptu wall splashings? Would you recommend holding off for round two? We have all ideas we'll hear tons of "make it brighter!" and "where's the 1080p version?" type comments, but if you have something else besides that to add, then -- by all means -- drop some knowledge on us in comments below.

Filed under: Displays, Portable Video

How would you change 3M's MPro110 pocket projector? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS begins shipping ultra-longevous Eee PC 1000HE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/20/asus-begins-shipping-ultra-longevous-eee-pc-1000he/

ASUS' Eee PC 1000HE, which managed to garner some pretty high praise amongst reviewers, is now shipping out to eager buyers. For those that missed it, this here netbook sports a 1.66GHz Atom N280 and a high-capacity battery that could last up to 9.5 hours under perfectly ideal conditions. And for under $400, how in the world can you complain with that? If you too have received your tracking number, feel free to gloat about it in comments below. Might want to hold the actual digits close to your chest, though -- we hear netbook interceptions are on the rise.

[Thanks, Mitchell]

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS begins shipping ultra-longevous Eee PC 1000HE originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Lenovo planning to use Ion for larger netbooks?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/lenovo-planning-to-use-ion-for-larger-netbooks/

Who knows what dark, unreliable alleys the Commercial Times prowled to get this information, but the Chinese newspaper says that Lenovo is planning on shipping 11.6-inch and 12.1-inch NVIDIA Ion-based "netbooks" sometime in the future. Given the currently strained relationship between NVIDIA and Intel, it'll be interesting to see if Intel comes through on its promise to sell Atom chips separately or if that was just the empty PR speak. We'll see how this plays out -- right now all we've heard is that Ion will launch on the desktop, so we wouldn't hold your breath.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo planning to use Ion for larger netbooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ puts its all-in-one where its mouth is, announces nScreen i91

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/benq-puts-its-all-in-one-where-its-mouth-is-announces-nscreen-i/

BenQ puts its all-in-one where its mouth is, announces nScreen i91

Remember when we told you BenQ was hot and bothered for all-in-one computers? That pronouncement wasn't just the soulful yearnings of a lustful suitor; the company has followed through, revealing the i91, first in its nScreen line of (nearly) fully integrated machines. It's an 18.5-inch, 16:9 LCD boasting an AMD Semperon 210U processor, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drive, and some other niceties like a 4-in-1 card reader, integrated webcam, and an average power consumption of just 30 watts. The machine is designed to be incredibly simple to use, like a television, advertising that users can just plug it in, press in the big volume/power knob, and then surf away -- assuming they know to connect the keyboard and mouse first. Sure, it's not half as attractive as Lenovo's A600, but at $517 it is about the cost. No word on US availability, but can be found on store shelves in Taiwan now, with a 21-inch model, the i221, coming soon.

[Via Tech Ticker]

Continue reading BenQ puts its all-in-one where its mouth is, announces nScreen i91

Filed under: Desktops

BenQ puts its all-in-one where its mouth is, announces nScreen i91 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ricoh's CX1 point and shoot combines two shots for greater dynamic range, glory

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/ricohs-cx1-point-and-shoot-combines-two-shots-for-greater-dynam/

Ricoh's CX1 point and shoot combines two for greater dynamic range, glory

While high dynamic range is only recently getting some attention in the gaming and display worlds, for decades it's been a tool of serious photographers wanting eye-popping exposures. Now Ricoh's gone and offered it to the masses with its latest consumer digi cam, the CX1, creating a "dynamic range double shot" mode that takes two images nearly simultaneously with different exposures, then combines them automatically to present the best bits of both. It features a 9 megapixel CMOS sensor fronted by a 7.1x (28-200mm) lens and backed by a 3-inch LCD. VGA videos are a bit disappointing these days, but 120 frames per second can be captured at that resolution, which is good news for slow-mo junkies. UK release is mid-March for £299, about $430, and we expect/hope it'll be lighting up dim photos Stateside around the same time.

Gallery: Ricoh CX1

[Via PhotographyBLOG]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Ricoh's CX1 point and shoot combines two shots for greater dynamic range, glory originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's TL320: the mystery digital camera with analog gauges

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/samsungs-tl320-the-mystery-digital-camera-with-analog-gauges/

Samsung's TL320: the mystery digital camera with analog gauges

We've seen some interesting looking shooters from Samsung before, but nothing quite like this latest charmer, a 12 megapixel mystery model that's just appeared on Amazon's site. It features a 5x stabilized zoom lens on the front, which is nice and all, but the real bits of intrigue are elsewhere. Beaming back at ya will be a 3-inch OLED screen, a rarity for a digi cam, but it's also got a pair of those analog gauges we loved on the NV9 on top that show battery life and remaining storage. Sadly, other than Amazon saying it'll sell for a penny under $330 we don't know a thing about it's availability, but we'll be keeping an eye out for it and its dashing red arrows.

Gallery: Samsung TL320

[Via OLED- Info]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung's TL320: the mystery digital camera with analog gauges originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/stantums-mind-blowing-multitouch-interface-on-video/

We just got a look at some amazing touchscreen interaction, running on a humble resistive touchscreen with some OMAP hardware backing it up. Stantum's technology is a software-based refinement to resistive touchscreens that allows for accuracy beyond the pixel density of the display, a complete lack of touchscreen "jitters" and some fairly incredible input methods. Termed "TouchPark," the multitouch framework provides gesture recognition, cursor management and physics processing for phone builders to stick on top of the phone OS (Symbian, Windows Mobile and Android are currently supported), and works with hardware such as Texas Instruments Zoom, Freescale i.MX and ST Nomadic. The PMatrix multitouch firmware allows for unlimited inputs, detection of any contacting object (a finger, a stylus or even a paintbrush) and pressure sensitivity. We played with the demo unit for a bit and were frankly blown away, it's far and away the best touch experience we've ever seen or felt, and the multitouch functionality is just gravy on top. Stantum is targeting resistive touchscreens because they're still considerably cheaper to build than capacitive ones, and from our perspective there seems to be zero tradeoff -- for sensitivity and accuracy this destroys everything else we've seen on the market, capacitive or not. Sadly, there's no word on when this will make it into real, shipping handsets, but we'll certainly be tracking its progress obsessively. Video is after the break.

Gallery: Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

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Continue reading Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Handhelds

Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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