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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Motorola CLIQ: first hands-on impressions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/motorola-cliq-first-hands-on-impressions/

The wait's killing us for a proper hands-on with this thing, but we just had a chance to very briefly touch -- yes, touch -- the CLIQ as we wandered the show (and ran into tnkgrl in the process). Here's what we can tell you:

Despite the MSM7201a core, the UI is definitely faster than any factory ROM we've used before on any Android device. A good test of this is to quickly swipe open the app drawer -- the action's smooth on the CLIQ, whereas most Magic ROMs would stutter.
The screen is glass capacitive, and it feels that way. There's no "give" like you've got on a G1 or Magic, for example.
Expanding on the glass screen, the device feels absolutely fantastic overall. Through Motorola's thick and thin, you've got to admit that the company has a reputation for building ridiculously rock-solid phones, and we're pleased to say that the trend is continuing with the CLIQ. Pictures don't do it justice -- the white model looks particularly cheap at a glance -- but in the hand, it feels like it's fashioned from a solid block of metal.
The camera button has a focus detent, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to properly harness the power of your 5 megapixel autofocus optics. The jury's still out on photo quality, but it seems promising and focusing is relatively quick (though our disappointment in QVGA 24fps video still runs pretty deep).
This probably blew Google's mind, but MOTOBLUR has five home screen panels along with a small indicator similar to the iPhone's to show you which one you're currently on. Who knew that someone might want more than three?
The keyboard feels great. Truly stellar, actually -- and we don't think there's much room for complaints about layout, unless you're really into the dedicated horizontal number row.

We'll have more thoughts this evening once we've spent more quality time... you know, "clicking" with the CLIQ. Sorry.

Gallery: Motorola CLIQ quick hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Motorola CLIQ: first hands-on impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPod nano unboxed, camera gets tested against the mean streets of Manhattan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/ipod-nano-unboxed-camera-gets-tested-against-the-mean-streets-o/

We know you come here for the hard, gritty, "$2 slice" end of the gadget news spectrum, and we've got that in spades in our video hands-on of the new iPod nano. We start out shooting the iPod with our regular Sanyo Xacti rig, and then dive in to the nano's shot -- real movie magic at work. Granted, the nano's camera isn't that magical. Apple's piled on a huge complement of effects to disguise this fact, and in truth, some of the Photo Booth-style filters and distortions really do make the video more interesting (cyborg and kaleidoscope were a couple of our favorites), but the basic video mode is much lower quality than the recent crop of cheap pocket video cameras, and a far cry from the iPhone 3GS's quality. Motion is shaky, the video is pixelated and oversaturated, and the mic is horribly easy to distort, especially when you're talking into the back while shooting. But really, we suppose we couldn't expect much out of such an offering, and it certainly does spice up the traditional PMP formula. Video is after the break, with the second video offering up the few non-conformist videos that happened to be shot vertically (it's a little difficult to tell how the video is recording, or even if it's recording, since the indicator is pretty small). By the time they made it to Viddler they ended up stretched wide and inexplicably upside down. Magic, we tell you.

Gallery: iPod nano unboxing

Continue reading iPod nano unboxed, camera gets tested against the mean streets of Manhattan

iPod nano unboxed, camera gets tested against the mean streets of Manhattan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Packard Bell debuts oneTwo line of all-in-one PCs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/packard-bell-debuts-onetwo-line-of-all-in-one-pcs/

It seems like a no-brainer, introducing small footprint, multitouch Windows machines to rooms usually off-limits to PCs. HP's certainly taking a stab at it, and now the "trendy lifestyle brand" (ugh) Packard Bell is going for the gold in Europe. First up, the oneTwo L sports a 23-inch (1600 x 900) display, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics, E-SATA, and optional Blu-ray drive and DVB TV tuner. For the more budget-conscious touchscreen fiend, the oneTwo M comes in with a 20-inch (1920 x 1080) display, Intel Core 2 Duo T6600, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD series 4500. Both will ship with Windows 7, up to 8GB RAM, PacBell's TouchGadgets (including TouchFriends social networking integration for Flickr and Facebook, TouchMusic media player, TouchMemo, and TouchMediaShare), a 5-in-1 memory card reader, and a webcam. You can expect to pay €999 ($1,452) for the former, or €599 ($872) for the latter. On sale October 22. Video after the break.

Continue reading Packard Bell debuts oneTwo line of all-in-one PCs

Filed under: Desktops

Packard Bell debuts oneTwo line of all-in-one PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embed PDFs and PowerPoint Files for No-Software Viewing [PDFs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/sV7NrTI_Foo/embed-pdfs-and-powerpoint-files-for-no+software-viewing

Want to show off a PDF or PowerPoint presentation on a web space without having to include an obligatory link to Adobe's PDF viewer for the link-doesn't-work crowd? You can embed those documents anywhere using Google's document viewer.

Google Operating System points out an embed code that works for any PDF or PowerPoint file that's hosted somewhere, anywhere online, and can be pasted into just about any web space that tolerates frames. Here's an example of what that embedding looks like with an old 1040 tax form:

Hit the link for the cut-and-replace embed code, and check out the previously mentioned Scribd iPaper embedding for another no-software-needed document sharing solution.

Embeddable Google Document Viewer [Google Operating System]

JVC's LT-32WX50 Is Insanely Thin, Insanelier Expensive [Displays]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/eaTV0_rbxLg/jvcs-lt+32wx50-is-insanely-thin-insanelier-expensive

I'm not sure you could ever call a 32-inch monitor portable, but if you could, the JVC LT-32WX50 fits the bill. Aside from the LCD's 1/4-inch (6.4mm) depth, the display weighs but 12.5 pounds.

And with a 4000:1 contrast ratio along with a 90 percent of Adobe RGB color gamut, the picture should be pretty great, too, fed into 2 HDMI inputs along with a VGA if you'd prefer.

Of course, there's always a catch.

For one, we don't know the resolution beyond that it's "exceptionally high." That could mean 1080P. That could mean 4-bajillion-K. That could mean...you know, it's not defined. Plus, it's $3,000 this November. I'm can't know the precise amount of satisfaction you receive after inviting friends into your office only to turn your monitor on its side so that your guests can pretend to ooh and ahh at your extravagance, but it can't be better than what $3,000 can buy you in the recreational chemical and escort industries. Trust me.

JVC Announces Super Slim & Light Flat Panel Monitor

32-inch LED backlit monitor measures just ¼-inch deep

ATLANTA, September 10, 2009 – JVC today announced a super slim LCD monitor for home theater use that measures a mere ¼-inch (6.4mm) deep across most of the panel and weighs just 12.5 pounds (5.7kg). The new 32-inch class LT-32WX50 will be available in the U.S. in November.

The new monitor's super slim profile is made possible by the use of JVC's edge LED backlighting system.
It offers a 4000:1 ! contrast ratio and wide color gamut for exceptionally high resolution of both video and still images.

The monitor's shallow depth makes it ideal for consumers who want the design flexibility such a slim design allows. It also lends itself to a variety of commercial applications. Another attribute is that fewer material resources are used in making the monitor, reducing the product's environmental impact.

Key features of the LT-32WX50 are:
• Taking advantage of JVC's unique LCD panel edged-light LED backlight system, the LT-32WX50 is stunningly thin - just 1/4-inch* (6.4mm) deep at its thinnest point, with a slim module inset along the bottom third that houses the monitor's inputs and other connections;
• Six picture settings: home, retail, movie, monitor, SLR photo mode, game;
• It covers a wide color gamut – 100 percent of sRGB and 90 percent of Adobe RGB;
• It uses approximately 50 percent fewer material resources and eliminates the use of mercury;
• JVC's high definition picture engine is designed for reproducing both video and still images;
• It includes two HDMI connections along with analog RGB (D-Dub, 15-pin); the display can be controlled externally via RS-232C;

* When measured from the front surface of LCD panel to the rear surface of the cabinet.
The JVC LT-32WX50 will be available in November for less than $3,000.00.

WD's Ever-Smaller External Hard Drives Bring Better Security and Incremental Backups [Storage]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-JXq_O7etmI/wds-ever+smaller-external-hard-drives-bring-better-security-and-incremental-backups

Western Digital's new line of hard drives have the expected upgrades (higher capacity, smaller size) but also feature tough-as-nails hardware security and incremental backups.

The lines are still separated by size, with the My Passports being portable 2.5-inch drives and the My Books taking the larger-capacity 3.5-inch size. My Passport now goes up to a 1TB capacity in a portable, USB-powered drive, and because of a few innovations they're remarkably small. Essentially, WD removed the USB-to-SATA-to-drive connection and made them direct to USB, which saves space—and WD promises there've been no compromises on speed.

Other changes: Security has been bumped up several notches. The security is now hardware-based, rather than merely software-encrypted, so WD actually has to warn users that if they forget their passwords, even WD can't access the drives. They also do incremental backups, so if for example you want to save a couple versions of a document and accidentally overwrite one of them, these drives will have saved all versions of your progress.

My favorite has to be that teeny 1TB 2.5" My Passport Essential SE. The triple platter drives (plus the direct-to-USB connection) make it much smaller than I expected. It'll cost $250 when it's released later this month (the 750GB version will cost $180). Others:

• My Passport Essential: 320/500/640GB ranging from $100 to $150, released this month with equivalent Mac! version
• My Passport Elite: 320/500GB at $120/$160, adds lighted capacity gauge and dock. Available October 2009.
• My Book Essential: 0.5/1/1.5/2TB from $99 to $250, with lighted capacity gauge and equivalent Mac version

We'll let you know when we have precise release dates, but you can expect all of these drives to be showing up in stores very soon. [WD]

Samsung's LN65B650 LCD takes a 65-inch bite out of CEDIA, no LEDs harmed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/samsungs-ln65b650-lcd-takes-a-65-inch-bite-out-of-cedia/

Plasma TV's have been retreating from LCDs to the safety of sizes larger than 50-inches, but emboldened LCDs are striking into that territory as well. Embarking on recon from CEDIA is Samsung's LN65B650, a 65-inch behemoth sporting a 4ms response time, 120-Hz Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation, Medi@2.0 connectivity, and Samsung's Touch of Color treatment in grey. All the latest wizardry, you say? Not quite -- it's CCFL backlit; but even without LEDs -- the LN65B650 is probably too big for edge-lighting to cover, and would take roughly a gazillion LEDs to backlight directly -- the real plasma killer here might be the little check mark in the "Energy Star qualified" box. The $6,000 price (and we'd guess ultimate picture quality, too) means that biggie-sized plasmas are safe for now, but we know how prices and performance go with time. Full details on this beast after the break.

Continue reading Samsung's LN65B650 LCD takes a 65-inch bite out of CEDIA, no LEDs harmed

Filed under: HDTV

Samsung's LN65B650 LCD takes a 65-inch bite out of CEDIA, no LEDs harmed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus UL Series Laptops: Thin and Light, Focus on Battery Life [Laptops]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/o27ur4JOnew/asus-ul-series-laptops-thin-and-light-focus-on-battery-life

The new range looks kinda suave, and Asus claims some models get up to 12 hours of battery life. How? They all use Intel's latest ultra-low voltage processors, and let you switch between dedicated and integrated graphics.

I'm generally not a fan of Asus keyboards, so I'm interested to see how the new chiclet style keys feel in use. Likewise for the flush multi-touch mousepad that let you perform Macbook-style gestures (like pinching).

Here's a quick look at how the series breaks down:

• 12-1.-inch screen: UL20A
• 13.3-inch screen: UL30A
• 14-inch screen: UL80V, UL80Ag
• 15.6-inch screen: UL50A, UL50Ag, UL50Vg

The UL series supports Windows 7, and should be available around the time of its arrival on October 22. No word yet on pricing. In the meantime, you can check out full specs at: [Asus]

Sony XBR10 Flagship LCD HDTV Has Sidelit LED, Wireless HDMI and Media Streaming [HDTVs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YsoCrRXSpg0/sony-xbr10-flagship-lcd-hdtv-has-sidelit-led-wireless-hdmi-and-media-streaming

Sony's new XBR10—known overseas as as the ZX5--is their new flagship. It heralds the return of LEDs that the XBR9 skipped, but is sidelit. That means it's skinny, but doesn't do localized background dimming. *Tears!*

It does, however, stream 1080p from a wireless source. That and the clear plastic block design—appearing as if the panel is suspended in a thin block of Lucite, like a visible LCD version of Han Solo—mean it's guaranteed to look oh so purdy hanging on a wall and from the side. What remains to be seen is how good the XBR10 looks compared to the XBR8. (The obscenely over-engineered set from two generations ago looked better to reviewers than the XBR9.)

The set has a few more things going for it, too. Like DLNA media streaming, Youtube, Amazon on Demand and "later in the fall, Netflix". (There are also other services, but I have no doubt they'll be of lesser value than the ones I mentioned.) It plays 24p content and has 240Hz tech, which interpolates 3 frames for every one (a tech that no one can see.) And it'll have the cross media interface.

The thing about the XBR8 was that it was expensive; the picture quality alone could not justify the $3000-$4000 cost. So, how does a wireless set like this one get away with costing $4500 and $5000 for 46 and 52-inch flavors?

SONY ADDS SUPER SLIM EDGE-LIT LED MODELS TO BRAVIA HDTV LINE
New XBR10 LCDs Feature 1080p Wireless High Definition Leaving the Cables Behind

ATLANTA (CEDIA Boo! th # 140 9), Sept. 9, 2009 – Sony today introduced a new line of ultra-thin BRAVIA™ LCD HDTVs featuring an advanced edge-lit LED backlight and exceptional contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1.

The XBR10-series models also deliver full 1080p wireless transmission of high definition signals from a separate media box to a receiver embedded in the TV, allowing source components to be placed out of sight.

"BRAVIA is on the cutting edge of television technology and the XBR10 series pushes the limits of industry-leading, innovative features," said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of the television business for Sony Electronics. "Not only will this TV look striking when hanging on a wall, the wireless feature clears the clutter of components and messy tangles of unsightly wires, allowing you to hide components away across the room."

The XBR10 models also feature an Ethernet connection allowing them to directly access Sony BRAVIA Internet Video content using an existing broadband network. The platform offers one of the largest selections of free and premium movies, TV shows, sports, music and more from an array of partners like, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube®, Slacker Internet Radio, and, later this fall, Netflix.

Bravia Internet Widgets, powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, also expand and personalize the TV experience by adding on-screen applications that provide such information as weather reports, stock information, financial news, Twitter, and additional content.

The full HD 1920 x 1080 progressive (1080p) models also feature Sony's Motionflow™ 240Hz technology, which delivers exceptionally crisp and detailed images with natural motion. The Motionflow algorithm goes beyond traditional 120Hz technology by quadrupling the frame rate of conventional LCD TVs and interpolating three new frames.

The models are Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®) compliant, enabling easy access to digital photos, music, and video stored on a PC or other DLNA server using the XMB® interfac! e and th e TV's remote control. They also offer a USB input for displaying digital photos or playing digital video and music files from a USB storage device.

Other notable features include:
BRAVIA Engine™ 3
24p True Cinema™
xross media bar™ (XMB)with enhanced 3D favorites Menu
Internet powered TV Guide Onscreen

BRAVIA Sync™
4 HDMI inputs
RS232C
Single PC, component, composite and component/composite selectable inputs

After Repair Mission, Hubble Delivers New Stunning Desktop Backgrounds Once Again [Space]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OvwvxuuuYHE/after-repair-mission-hubble-delivers-new-stunning-desktop-backgrounds-once-again

These are the first deep space photos sent by the Hubble after the long and risky May repair mission. Eat your heart out, Snow Leopard. This is my favorite, but there are more:

The image on the top is NGC 6302, a dying star 3,800 light years from us. The stellar butterfly is formed by the material ejected from the star, two gas hells roaring at 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and traveling at 600,000 miles an hour. Not a good place to spend your next vacation, but one heck of a view.

It was taken by the new Wide Field Camera 3, which was installed during the mission. This camera has replaced the WFPC2, adding a second channel in the near-infrarred range. It covers the visible spectrum, part of the near-ultraviolet, and portion of the near-infrared, complementing the infrared channel, which goes from 800 to 1700 nanometers. According to NASA,

With these two channels, WFC3 will achieve excellent panchromatic (full - spectrum) imaging. Stellar objects are not just in the visible spectrum, but also exist in the blue (near-UV) and red (near-IR) extremes. WFC3 was designed to study light in these regions of the spectrum better than Hubble's current capabilities.

In other words: Expect even more kick ass photos from now on. [NASA]

AMDâs Next-Gen Ultrathin Notebook Platform Promises 1080p Video and Decent Battery Life [Notebooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/95MOOK4XhvQ/amds-next+gen-ultrathin-notebook-platform-promises-1080p-video-and-decent-battery-life

We have already told you there are gonna be more rail thin Windows 7 notebooks than you can count—most packing new Intel ULV chips—but AMD's promising 1080p video playback capabilities and solid battery life.

AMD decided about a year ago it wasn't doing netbooks (since it already lost) and was going to focus on cheap-and-light notebooks with 12 to 13 inch displays (the HP Pavillion dv2 was one example). Sound familiar? It's just what Intel is doing now with its ULV (ultra low-voltage) chips.

The next generation of these chips (which includes the 1.6GHz Turion X2 Neo processor, even though AMD doesn't want us to say processor names anymore) supposedly boosts graphics (1080p video!) and battery life—an extra hour over AMD's last-gen Ultrathin Notebook chips. (Which we'll be believe when we see, since this is really where Intel's Atom and ULV chips have spanked AMD's. Not to mention, Intel's new ULV chips promise almost 6 hours without bulky extended batteries.)

Not surprisingly, AMD's boasting on performance, with up to 77 percent better gaming performance than Intel's set. They even have a nice chart on how confident they are that they can wreck Intel ULV:

I won't be surprised to see key notebook manufacturers using both Intel and AMD platforms in the same product lines, but for now, AMD says both Acer and ASUS will start shipping notebooks with the new chips and 20 more models will have them come Windows 7 timeframe—so like, October. [AMD]

iPod nano 5G with camera first hands-on!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/ipod-nano-5g-with-camera-first-hands-on/

We came and we saw... but there's not much to say. It's exactly the same save for that new coating, bigger screen (which does help), and tiny little camera around back. Video quality looked decent, but you really can't tell on the small screen. If you've ever held a nano -- this is the same experience. Want to really know what it's like? Hit the gallery!

Update: Quick walkthrough video is now after the break!

Gallery: iPod nano with camera hands-on