Thursday, November 05, 2009

Why You Don't Need To Spend Extra Money On a 240 Hz LCD TV [LCDs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/y0838InA4qc/why-you-dont-need-to-spend-extra-money-on-a-240-hz-lcd-tv

Yesterday I discussed how the problem of motion blur has been all but eliminated in most mid-to-high-end LCDs. However, as HDGuru points out, there are consequences to bumping refresh rates up to 120 Hz or 240 Hz.

In other words, bumping up the refresh rates beyond 60 Hz may have eliminated the problem of motion blur, but some complain that the activation of the ME/MC circuit that kicks in when LCD sets achieve these high refresh rates desegregates the picture. As the video put together by HDGuru illustrates, this is a very real problem.

That having been said, LCD buyers have a few options. Most sets offer an option to turn off ME/MC, although that will result in lower motion resolution. You could also opt for a plasma set that doesn't suffer from this issue. It also reinforces a point I made with yesterday's article—you don't need to spend extra money on a LCD just because it advertises 240Hz. You probably won't see any additional benefit with that set than you would with one that tops out at 120 Hz. Check out HDGuru for the full details and results of the test. [HDGuru]




Read More...

LaserMotive's Robot Is The First Ever To Win NASA's $900,000 Space Elevator Prize [Space]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4QtOtHhwhx8/lasermotives-robot-is-the-first-ever-to-win-nasas-900000-space-elevator-prize

LaserMotive's photovoltaic-powered machine became the first in the 3-year history of NASA's space elevator contest to climb a 2,953-foot-long ribbon, securing a prize of $900,000. However, they fell short of the $2 million grand prize.


For that, they would have had to ascend the ribbon with an average speed of 11 mph. They didn't quite reach that goal but it appears that we are finally making real progress on a concept first proposed in 1895. What's more, the ground laser that was used to charge the photovoltaic cells used half the power than their previous model with far better results. This year's contest has not concluded, and there is the possibility that another team could equal or surpass LaserMotive's results, but at the very least there is reason to believe that the idea of an elevator that reaches to space might not be so far fetched after all. [AP via PopSci]




Read More...

DROID ERIS hands-on and unboxing!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/05/droid-eris-hands-on-and-unboxing/

Hey look, it's a Hero! We've got the brand new DROID ERIS for Verizon in hand, and it's not hard to see which particular family of phones it hails from. Still, Verizon has its own twist on the form factor, almost scoring a compromise between the "shiny" Sprint Hero and the more angular, matte GSM Hero. Confusingly, the capacitive touch buttons along the bottom of the ERIS' screen are a haphazard twist on the DROID's arrangement (though it's really Motorola that's the non-standard one here), but the phones don't look completely unrelated. In all the rounded, black matte body of the ERIS sort of "fades away" and you're just left with a nice, bright LCD -- it's not making a statement, which is sort of the statement. There's also an iPhone-style face proximity sensor for turning off the display during calls, and HTC has multitouch pinch-to-zoom on here, something Motorola hasn't seemed to manage. Sure it can't stack up to the DROID for aggressiveness or sheer specs, but it's got it's own sort of budget-friendly charm that's not overshadowed by the DROID's bombastic ways, and two out of three Engadget editors agree that the HTC keyboard beats the pants off the stock Android keyboard.

Filed under:

DROID ERIS hands-on and unboxing! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...

ViewSonic's VMP70 media player does 1080p for less than a hundie

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/05/viewsonics-vmp70-media-player-does-1080p-for-less-than-a-hundie/

ViewSonic's VMP70 media player does 1080p for less than a hundie
The WD TV is still more or less the king of the tiny media player boxes, but now Viewsonic is getting into the game at a lower price point -- and minus the whole network compatibility bit. The VMP70 is a "direct connect" media device, so it will play content from your choice of USB-compatible storage, pumping it at up to 1080p to your display over HDMI or component cables, also sporting composite for lower-def fare. It packs an S/PDIF port to get clean audio, and supports a slew of formats including the usual suspects (DivX,Xvid,H.264) along with some slightly less usual ones (RM/RMVB, DTS, OGG). It's all available for an MSRP of $129.99, but order now and you'll get special holiday pricing of $98.99. Operators are standing by... somewhere... probably.

Filed under:

ViewSonic's VMP70 media player does 1080p for less than a hundie originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Verizon's DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/05/verizons-droid-eris-by-htc-does-android-and-keeps-it-cheap/

Verizon is making no secret about which Android device it wants to make waves this week -- that'd be the DROID from Motorola -- but there's another model that'll be available the same day with one-tenth the fanfare: HTC's DROID ERIS. Codenamed Desire ahead of launch, the phone is essentially Verizon's custom remix of the venerable Hero as found on Sprint and various GSM carriers around the world, featuring a 5 megapixel camera, 3.2-inch capacitive display, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, and microSD expansion up to 16GB. Check it out in your local store hiding somewhere in the shadow of the DROID starting Friday for $99.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate, which -- if you can forgo a physical keyboard, faster processor, and high-res display -- works out to a cool hundred less than Moto's entry.

Filed under:

Verizon's DROID ERIS by HTC does Android and keeps it cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More...