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Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Orange HD Voice service and handsets go live in the UK, we go ears-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/orange-hd-voice-service-and-handsets-go-live-in-the-uk-we-go-ea/

Good news for UK mobile addicts: Orange's long-anticipated HD Voice service has officially made it to the Land of Hope and Glory. Starting today, British customers can pick up a HD Voice-enabled handset -- including the Nokia 5230, X6, E5 and Samsung Omnia Pro at launch -- from Orange, and start buttering their ears with "crystal clear" phone calls while within the carrier's 3G coverage. Prior to the launch, we were fortunate enough to try out the new service on a couple of Nokia E5 prototypes in Piccadilly Circus, and boy, that was some pretty impressive stuff there -- the wider speech bandwidth really added a lot of clarity to the caller's voice, and additionally, the noisy traffic from the caller's end was well suppressed at where it'd otherwise crackle over a normal call. Perhaps the easiest way to put it is that this is much like jumping from a bad FM radio broadcast to some sweet CD audio, thus making conversations a lot easier to interpret, even if the recipient is in a noisy environment or has hearing problem (as proven by Orange's public trial). As always, hearing is believing, so do check out our sample audio clips after the break.

While Orange remains a dominant driving force behind this mobile revolution, the carrier assured us that it expects other companies to pick up this open standard. That said, it's rather disappointing that current owners of the aforementioned handsets won't be getitng a software patch for the HD upgrade (we were told that no extra hardware is involved), but we can understand -- the manufacturers do need to sell new phones to stay alive in this rapidly changing market. Anyhow, here's hoping that the forthcoming flagship Android and Windows Phone 7 devices will also get a taste of this crystal clear call quality.

Continue reading Orange HD Voice service and handsets go live in the UK, we go ears-on (video)

Orange HD Voice service and handsets go live in the UK, we go ears-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XF105 and XF100: Canon's smallest professional camcorders yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/xf105-and-xf100-canons-smallest-professional-camcorders-yet/

Be clear on this, Canon's XF105 and XF100 camcorders are for professional videographers. Sure, they're compact enough to temp any new father... just as long as he's interested in recording his princess' first steps to hot-swappable Compact Flash cards in either 1080/60i/30p/24p or 720/60p/30p/24p using Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 50Mbps XF codec. Although crowned Canon's smallest professional camcorders, both manage to feature infrared and stereoscopic 3-D shooting capabilities (using OIS Lens Shift to optically align a pair of XF105 or XF100 shooters), a DIGIC DV III Image Processor, and a Full HD CMOS sensor for native 1920 x 1080 HD video. The two models differ only in support for HD-SDI output: the XF105 has it, the XF100 doesn't. Look for them at retail sometime in the first quarter of 2011.

Continue reading XF105 and XF100: Canon's smallest professional camcorders yet

XF105 and XF100: Canon's smallest professional camcorders yet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG teases world's thinnest (2.9mm) OLED television, other goodies ahead of IFA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/lg-teases-worlds-thinnest-2-9mm-oled-television-other-goodie/

We didn't catch any glimpses of an Optimus Pad or anything even close to the monstrous 180-inch plasma we've been hearing about, but a quick stroll through LG's still-under-construction facilities at IFA today revealed the kiosk for its insanely thin 31-inch 3D OLED television, whose price (if it ever even hits retail, that is) is likely to make even Black Card holders squirm. All told, LG's booth consumes an entire floor of one of Messe Berlin's many halls, so it's a big one; the emphasis is clearly on its flat panel TVs, though there are dedicated areas for its Blu-ray gear and store kiosk solution as well. More on all this after the show opens on Friday, no doubt!

Gallery: LG teases world's thinnest (2.9mm) OLED television, other goodies ahead of IFA

LG teases world's thinnest (2.9mm) OLED television, other goodies ahead of IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Turn On Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Chrome 7 [Chrome]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5625256/turn-on-gpu-acceleration-in-chrome-7

Turn On Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Chrome 7 It's only available in the Dev and Canary builds of Chrome, and very few pages support it—for now. But if you want to get hardware acceleration running in Google's browser, it's just a simple command line switch away.

ZDNet's Googling Google blog points out that getting GPU acceleration going in your Chrome Dev version is simply a matter of right-clicking your Chrome shortcut and adding a parameter to the end, just as we've explained in the power user's guide to Google Chrome. In this case, that parameter (or "switch") is --enable-accelerated-compositing.

Where can you try out your new graphics-card-assisted browsing and rendering? Oddly enough, at Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 Testdrive site. There will be, assuredly, other sites that support GPU acceleration in the near future, but for now, it's neat to see how fast you can get your browser going.

Chromium Graphics Overhaul [Chromium Blog via Googling Google/ZDNet]

Entri Creates Controlled Collaboration Spaces for Text Work [Collaboration Tools]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5625284/entri-creates-controlled-collaboration-spaces-for-text-work

Entri Creates Controlled Collaboration Spaces for Text Work Got an article to write with a fellow classmate? Need some feedback on a blog post you're putting together? Entri lets you write with a good editor, grab the link, then share it with friends to chime in.

It's not a real-time collaboration tool, like Etherpad and its clones or other great picks, but that's probably a good thing if you're looking for a specific kind of back-and-forth. You can save your changes manually, or let auto-saving do the job. When you're done with what you're writing, you can offer your text up by sharing the URL to your "Entri," and letting your friends sign in through Twitter or as guests. If you're ready to move ahead, you can lock your text while you work on something else or pull your research.

Entri is a free app to use, and promises more APIs, WordPress integration, and more to come in the near future.

Arcade Fire and Google Pushing HTML5 Together [HTML5]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5625646/arcade-fire-and-google-pushing-html5-together

Arcade Fire and Google Pushing HTML5 Together At first, it might look like a bad memory from a late-90s porn misclick—a flurry of browser windows filling your screen. But a new collaboration between Google and Arcade Fire is looking to the future, showcasing HTML5's power.

Rather than stick a traditional music video on YouTube, Arcade Fire's "The Wilderness Downtown" is a Chrome "experience," highlighting what modern, HTML5-compatible browsers are capable of rendering. Multiple windows run and close in coordination with the music, and—easily the neatest part of the demonstration—your browser will incorporate Street View imagery of your childhood home (after you provide the address).

We're not sure the demonstration is quite an experience, but should offer some ammunition in the HTML5/Flash imbroglio, despite being an imperfect demonstration (we recommend temporarily quitting other applications that might pop windows and derail the show). [The Downtown Wilderness via Wired]

Gmail's New Priority Inbox Feature Knows Which Emails Are Important To You [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5626003/gmails-new-priority-inbox-feature-knows-which-emails-are-important

Google is rolling out a new beta feature to Gmail users: The Priority Inbox. It's a way for Gmail to learn which emails are important to you and make sure that you see them first. Oh, and it works incredibly well.

I've been trying out the Priority Inbox feature for a bit and have found that it's rather reliable, albeit initially a bit prone to deeming too many things important.

The way it works is that you'll find a link in the top right of your Gmail inbox sometime soon and be offered the opportunity to use the Priority Inbox. You'll be able to fiddle with some settings to get it to look just right:

Once done, you'll start seeing the Priority Inbox instead of the standard inbox—though you can select the other at any point—and your emails will be sorted by importance. The feature bases the importance of an email on whether you've previously read emails from its sender, whether you've emailed that person before, and other mysterious factors. If you ever find that it misjudged an email, you can simple add or remove its importance marker just as you'd add or remove a Gmail label.

It took about a dozen adjustments over the course of a day, but now I'm finding that the Priority Inbox is organizing my emails rather accurately and placing loved ones and my boss on top of the email pile:

As you can see, I was previously using a confusing-yet-effective combination of labels to designate how important an email is to me—the direct label indicated whether I or a mailing list were the recipient while several labels listing companies and individuals marked other importance factors. If the Priority Inbox feature continues to be as good as it's been so far, I'll finally be able to ditch that label system and trust in Gmail.

Now, if Google decides to add another feature to allow me to forward emails based on importance, then I'd be in email heaven. Hint, hint.

The Ideal Vacation Spot For You And Your Virtual Girlfriend [Travel]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5626031/the-ideal-vacation-spot-for-you-and-your-virtual-girlfriend

You might chuckle at this fellow for pretending to be taking a picture with his virtual girlfriend, but he's happy. He's on vacation with his love and they're in a place which caters to their sort of peculiar relationship.

The town of Atami, Japan is full of landmarks with barcodes which if viewed using a cellphone's camera will reveal young men's virtual lovers. There's even a hotel with barcodes in its rooms which will show the girls in "flattering summer kimonos."

The entire idea behind these arrangements appears to be to enhance virtual relationships—ones created in simulation game called Love Plus—and to offer the players a new challenge: A romantic trip with their girls. [AFP]

The Eee PC 1215N by ASUS is Fastest Netbook Yet—But Measures 12-Inches [NetBooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5626118/the-eee-pc-1215n-by-asus-is-fastest-netbook-yet++but-measures-12+inches

The Eee PC 1215N by ASUS is Fastest Netbook Yet—But Measures 12-Inches When does a netbook cease being a netbook? When it measures over 10-inches? Has a dual-core CPU? Laptop has reviewed ASUS' 1215N, and deemed it the best netbook yet, thanks to the sheer speed of Nvidia's Optimus graphics-switching tech. [Laptop]

Q: Is ViewSonic's 7-Inch ViewPad a Phone or Android Tablet? A: Both! [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5626161/q-is-viewsonics-7+inch-viewpad-a-phone-or-android-tablet-a-both

Q: Is ViewSonic's 7-Inch ViewPad a Phone or Android Tablet? A: Both! If you thought the Dell Streak was too large to be used as a phone at 5-inches, get a load of ViewSonic's ViewPad 7, a 7-inch Android tablet that also doubles up as a phone.

Running Android 2.2 (Froyo), we first heard about this model last week when the company announced it was also working on a dual-booting Android/Windows tablet. This 7-incher has a VGA forward camera for video chat and back-facing 3MP camera, along with a G-sensor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and A-GPS.

While full specs haven't been announced for the ViewPad, we'll be getting hands-on with it later this week at the IFA show.

Q: Is ViewSonic's 7-Inch ViewPad a Phone or Android Tablet? A: Both!

31st August 2010 – ViewSonic Europe ushers in a new product category to its portfolio with the introduction of a premium capacitive multi-touch screen 7" tablet.

Viewpad 7
The ViewPad 7 is a world's first 7" Android 2.2 (Froyo) tablet with phone functionality, multi-tasking capabilities and front and back-facing cameras, VGA and 3MP, resolutions respectively.

Within a lightweight, pocket-sized design, this device is ideal for anyone who needs a mobile connection to the world via email and video and wants to enjoy a wide-range of applications.

With full 3G and phone functionality, a full size SIM card slot and integrated Bluetooth connectivity the ViewPad 7 will support instant messaging, text/mms messaging, VOIP and standard voice calls all in a single device.

It features an easy to use familiar interface with a G-sensor that reorients the screen depending on how the device is held and access to the Google Android app store featuring over 100,000 applications.

Additional features includes a Micro SD slot for up to 32GB of storage; Wi-Fi and 3G functionality for web browsing and USB connectivity. It also boasts advanced features including Assisted GPS and an office document reader, along with the capability for hand-written note taking. There is also an e-book reader, when combined with the crystal clear LED screen, makes the ViewPad 7 an invaluable travelling companion.

Superior to other tablet offerings with resistive touch technology the ViewPad 7 incorporates a capacitive multi-touch screen and is a portable, easy-to-use and competitively priced device that will transform the way that consumers read, watch, listen to and interact with media in a mobile environment.

"We are proud to announce another world first at Viewsonic. 3G phone functionality combined with dual cameras gives the ability for use of Android apps to use augmented reality or video calling on the move with the benefit of an excellent 7" screen" says Derek Wright, European Product Marketing Manager. "The ViewPad 7 is aimed at users who require the 'always on' connectivity they are used to from a mobile phone with a more agreeable screen size for longer term use."

LG to show first 3D THX-certified plasma at IFA alongside 180-inch 3D plasma prototype

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/30/lg-to-show-first-3d-thx-certified-plasma-at-ifa-alongside-180-in/

Insanely thin LCDs not enough for you? LG is doing some wild stuff with plasma as well at IFA this week, with its new PX950N (pictured) to supposedly be the first to nab the new 3D THX certification, and a monstrous 180-inch plasma prototype nearby to devour any other unimpressed eyeballs. Unfortunately, details are super short on the 180-inch display, which would be the world's largest if LG is really doing this with one panel (it's hard to tell from LG's scant PR), but there are a few extra PX950N scraps to hold on to. The 600Hz Max Sub-field Drive plasma will support the Multi Picture Format for plugging in 3D cameras and camcorders, and has wireless AV link, DLNA, and NetCast as well. No word on sizes or prices just yet, but IFA kicks off on Wednesday, so there's not long to wait.

LG to show first 3D THX-certified plasma at IFA alongside 180-inch 3D plasma prototype originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's 31-inch OLED prototype to slice through IFA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/30/lgs-31-inch-oled-prototype-to-slice-through-ifa/

OLED's failure to do anything for the mainstream so far outside of phone and camera displays is only bittersweet: sure, we don't have millimeter thick TVs yet, but LCD has gotten slim enough that it hardly matters. So, in keeping with tradition, LG has stolen its own OLED thunder today. In line with earlier rumors, it will be showing off a 0.11-inch thick 31-inch 3D OLED display prototype at IFA this week, but that poor little OLED-that-would will be sharing a booth with a ready for retail 0.35-inch thick LCD that comes in big people sizes. Despite our undying affection for OLED, we know which one we'll be (theoretically) taking home in the windowless van we (theoretically) plan on parking out behind the Messe Berlin.

LG's 31-inch OLED prototype to slice through IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola XT300 mini portrait slider leaks out in clearer photos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/30/motorola-xt300-mini-portrait-slider-leaks-out-in-clearer-photos/

We've been wondering about this oddly intriguing mini Motorola portrait slider since we saw it back in July, and a new set of leaked photos today hasn't done anything to diminish our curiosity, since that keyboard looks pretty amazing. The reappearance of the red Droid eye seems to indicate this one's eventually destined for Verizon, but we'll see -- we're curious about the XT300 name being used in this photo set, which ties in with Moto's GSM naming scheme, and Verizon's reserved the Droid name for higher-end sets so far, while this thing looks like a mid-range Blur phone to us. Video after the break -- and more photos and vids at the source link.

[Thanks, Thomas]

Continue reading Motorola XT300 mini portrait slider leaks out in clearer photos

Motorola XT300 mini portrait slider leaks out in clearer photos originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Bold 9780 spotted in the wild yet again, this time in white

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/30/blackberry-bold-9780-spotted-in-the-wild-yet-again-this-time-in/

It's still not official, but the BlackBerry Bold 9780 hasn't exactly been making itself shy over the past couple of months, having turned up in the wild, on video, and now in the wild yet again in a white version. As before, the device appears to be mostly identical to the Bold 9700 it's presumably replacing, with the biggest changes being a new 5-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM instead of 256MB and, of course, BlackBerry 6 for an OS. Still no firm indication of a release date, but Phone Arena is speculating that it will launch in October, possibly on T-Mobile and AT&T. Hit up the source link below for a few more pics.

BlackBerry Bold 9780 spotted in the wild yet again, this time in white originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple survey hints at iTunes streaming video service coming soon?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/30/apple-survey-hints-at-itunes-streaming-video-service-coming-soon/

At this point we're fairly certain we'll see updated iPods at Apple's event on Wednesday, but we're still in the dark when it comes to that updated iOS-based Apple TV -- we know it's in the works, but we don't know if it's coming this week. But if you're feeling optimistic, a new Apple iTunes customer survey seems to offer a tiny little hint -- it lists "Titles are available to watch instantly" as a reason you might totally love watching video on the iPad. Of course, you can't watch iTunes videos "instantly" right now -- the iPad requires the entire video file to download before playback begins, and the current Apple TV requires a fair bit of buffering -- so this could be a big hint that instant streaming is coming quite soon. On the flipside, this could just be a mistake or oversight and actually mean nothing at all, but honestly, where's the fun in that?

[Thanks, PeteO]

Apple survey hints at iTunes streaming video service coming soon? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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