Tuesday, January 04, 2011

LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with WiFi and smartphone apps

LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with WiFi and smartphone apps

LG just exhausted 1,000 words to announce its new range of smart appliances built around Thinq technology. Unfortunately, for all the hyperbole there's not much detail about the appliances themselves. We do know that Thinq features smart grid, access, diagnosis, adapt, and food management capabilities. At the center of Thinq is the concept of an intelligent WiFi grid built around a smart meter enabling home owners to schedule the oven cook time, washing machine cycle, and refrigerator defrost at the most cost-effective or convenient times. Smart Access allows homeowners to control and monitor appliances from outside of the home and, better yet, control LG's HOM-BOT robotic vacuum cleaner to clean or remotely view the house and even feed the dog. LG's smart refrigerators can count and display the number of times the door is opened and alert home owners when the door is ajar. Alerts can also be scheduled when the ice-maker is switched off or the washing machine is off balance or a load is finished. LCD displays on LG's Thinq appliances show daily, weekly, or monthly reports detailing each appliance's energy consumption. Naturally, you can access daily totals from your smartphone or tablet as well. New Smart Diagnosis features include downloadable diagnostic information and the ability to hit a few buttons on the appliance to emit a series of tones to assist LG technicians troubleshooting problems over the phone. The food management feature works by dragging and dropping food icons around the LCD display or by using built-in voice recognition. Unfortunately, the inventory must be managed manually making this feature pretty useless for all but the most obsessive of home owners. All the appliances are software upgradeable with the ability to download new features like pre-programmed recipes and advanced wash cycles. It all sounds very intriguing but we'll have to see it demonstrated live before we're convinced of its usefulness. Until then we've got a few pics of the user interface and one of washer and dryer! pair in the gallery below.

Continue reading LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with WiFi and smartphone apps

LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with W! iFi and smartphone apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's new 9 Series LED-backlit 3DTV goes for asymmetric beauty with a Touch of Color

Samsung's new 9 Series LED-backlit 3DTV goes for asymmetric beauty with a Touch of Color

We might already be here at CES in Las Vegas, but that isn't stopping Samsung from doing some very last minute teasing. The Korean maker of everything electronic has released a few teaser images for its new flagship 9 Series LED-backlit 3DTV. This new panel features a striking asymmetric design, with the stand offset to the far right, and a metallic construction accented with a (hopefully tasteful) Touch of Color. No further details or specs are available as of yet, but mysteries like that don't tend to hang around for too long in this city and at this time of the year.

Samsung's new 9 Series LED-backlit 3DTV goes for asymmetric beauty with a Touch of Color originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio bringing 21:9 Cinema HDTV to CES with 2560 x 1080 resolution, all our hopes and dreams

Vizio bringing 21:9 Cinema HDTV to CES with 2560 x 1080 resolution, all our hopes and dreams

Vizio actually teased a 21:9 TV at last year's CES, and one year later it's ready to deliver: the Vizio Cinema HDTV LED LCD is here. The TV handles a 2560 x 1080 resolution in a 21:9 aspect ratio, just like that 21:9 Philips display we've been drooling over for the past couple of years, and comes in 50-inch and 58-inch flavors. Details are still pretty scarce, since all we have right now is a teaser page, but we doubt there's much more going on here. Basically, ultra-wide CinemaScope-style movies on a set that will likely be much cheaper than Philips' offering -- and more likely to show up at your local Costco. We look forward to the full announcement later this week. Also: buying one.

[Thanks, Kacy]

Vizio bringing 21:9 Cinema HDTV to CES with 2560 x 1080 resolution, all our hopes and dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio shows off its full 2010 lineup, ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all

Vizio shows off its full 2010 lineup, ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all

No more drips and drabs, as Vizio has finally listed its entire 2010 LCD lineup, again featuring LED back & edge lighting across all models. That includes two ultrawidescreen 21:9 Cinema models in its Theater 3D line in 50- and 58-inch sizes, two VIA Plus TVs with Google TV in the XVT3D476SP and XVT3D556SP, and continuation of its existing Yahoo! Widgets based Vizio Internet Apps features including WiFi and Bluetooth QWERTY remote across TVs sized 22-inches and above. Check the press release after the break for all the models and what they offer, perhaps wisely there's no detailed information about when and for how much they'll be available just yet, so we'll still have to speculate about which models will represent the sub-$300 3D portion of the lineup.

Continue reading Vizio shows off its full 2010 lineup, ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all

Vizio shows off its full 2010 lineup, ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnLive turns into Vizio VIA Plus app, destined for TVs, tablets and phones

OnLive turns into Vizio VIA Plus app, destined for TVs, tablets and phones

The OnLive MicroConsole is one way to get your streaming game fix, but here comes Vizio with four more -- the bargain television company just revealed that those brand-new VIA Plus HDTVs and Blu-ray players (as well as that VIA Tablet and VIA Phone) will come with OnLive on board. Despite running as an internet app on top of the existing Vizio hardware, we're told the service will support full 1080p resolution, stereoscopic 3D images, and OnLive's low-latency wireless gamepads too -- as Vizio's units will apparently support IEEE 802.15.4. While the jury's still out on when OnLive will actually be playable on touchscreens, CEO Steve Perlman says some games are being adapted to support touch right now, and that tablets that support external game controllers could also use OnLive normally. We've also got more good news for the home theater crowd, as OnLive's signed a deal with SRS, bringing 5.1 surround sound as a free update to all OnLive users early next year. Because there's nothing quite like having ears bombarded from all directions with digital explosions. PR after the break.

Continue reading OnLive turns into Vizio VIA Plus app, destined for TVs, tablets and phones

OnLive turns into Vizio VIA Plus app, destined for TVs, tablets and phones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see ! our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, January 03, 2011

Handbrake 0.9.5 Adds Batch Scanning, Queue Editing, and Blu-ray Support [Video]

Handbrake 0.9.5 Adds Batch Scanning, Queue Editing, and Blu-ray Support [Video]

Handbrake 0.9.5 Adds Batch Scanning, Queue Editing, and Blu-ray SupportWindows/Mac/Linux: Our favorite DVD-ripping, video-converting program Handbrake just updated today, bringing with it many annoyance fixes that speed up the process, like batch video scanning, queue editing, Blu-ray disc recognition, and drag-and-drop file additions in Windows.

While the last release was a pretty big overhaul to the program, this release is more about tidying up some of Handbrake's little quirks. Batch scanning and queue editing struck our eye pretty quickly, as they both make converting a large group of files much easier than in the past. Now, you can scan multiple files at once, as well as edit files within the queue (instead of manually removing them and re-adding them any time you want to change a setting).

Also in this update is Blu-ray disc support. Handbrake still won't decrypt discs—you'll still need to use something like DVDFab for that—but the process of ripping and encoding will become much easier now that Handbrake recognizes Blu-ray disc structure. You'll no longer have to find a specific file to convert, you can just throw the disc folder at it and Handbrake will do its magic. This version's also added drag-and-drop support to the Windows version, which is a really convenient feature.

Handbrake is a free download for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Check out the changelog for the full list of new features.

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So SDXC Cards Go to 128GB Now [Sdxc]

So SDXC Cards Go to 128GB Now [Sdxc]

So SDXC Cards Go to 128GB NowWe're still a long ways from the 2TB SDXC cards we were promised. But that doesn't mean my jaw's not dropping a little to see Lexar's 128GB SDXC card. And then dropping a little lower at the price.

At $700, the card's clearly aimed at the professional market. But considering that just a year ago we were agog over a 64GB SDXC card, it's best to think of this more as a neat technological breakthrough than something to add to your shopping list. And at the rate prices tend to plummet on SDXC, it may not be long before you don't have to choose between rent and flash storage.

The 128GB Lexar should be available, along with its 64GB cousin ($400), this spring. [Lexar Engadget]

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Skunk Juice earbuds and their magnetic connectors might just save your ear drums (video)

Skunk Juice earbuds and their magnetic connectors might just save your ear drums (video)

Skunk Juice earbuds and their magnetic connectors might just save you from ruptured ear drums (video)
You know when you're rocking out, earbuds nestled in your canals just so, and then the cord catches on something and it feels like your brain is getting sucked out through your ear holes? That very situation could be avoided if only you were wearing Skunk Juice earbuds. They feature a magnetic ZZYZX SnapJack connectors, not unlike those found in Belkin's BreakFree guitar cable, providing a failure point somewhere south of your fragile head internals. Additionally, you can pop your magnetic terminator onto the end of any other pair of Skunk Juice 'buds and listen in on what the other person is grooving out to, a situation charmingly demonstrated in the video below. We're a little doubtful that these will ever be common enough for that particular halcyon vision of the future to come to pass, but right here in the present we're quite sure that's a strong contender for worst product name of the year -- already.

Continue reading Skunk Juice earbuds and their magnetic connectors might just save your ear drums (video)

Skunk Juice earbuds and their magnetic connectors might just save your ear drums (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio shows off multi-hinged TRYX camera outside CES, prematurely outs press shots

Casio shows off multi-hinged TRYX camera outside CES, prematurely outs press shots

Well, would you have a look at this? Details are scarce right now, but by the looks of these ads outside CES, this Casio TRYX imager sports two hinges for the sake of versatility: one for the frame that doubles as a handle or a stand, and one for swiveling the display -- presumably a touchscreen since there are just a couple of buttons on the body. Coincidentally, Google also led us to the TRYX's stash of press shots which have now been pulled, but we've got you guys a screenshot for the time being -- it's not like it'll be long before all is unveiled, anyway.

Casio shows off multi-hinged TRYX camera outside CES, prematurely outs press shots originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba shows of glasses-free 3D Qosmio, says technology could hit laptops in 2011

Toshiba shows of glasses-free 3D Qosmio, says technology could hit laptops in 2011

It's no secret that Toshiba's got a thing for glasses-free 3D displays and that it's been putting together 3D concept laptops based on the technology, but according to Toshiba's director of product marketing Phil Osako, the company could be ready to bring a 3D laptop sans spectacles to market by the end of the year. Sounds good to us, but it's a pretty ambitious claim, considering the demo unit Toshiba's bringing to CES, which we got to see a few weeks ago, is very rough around the edges. As you can see in the images below, it had a very large red, chiseled contraption strapped to its lid -- although, we do have to say it gives it a rather Iron Man-esq aesthetic. All that aside, the Qosmio laptop packs some pretty innovative 3D technologies -- not only does it have two parallax 3D LCD, but its webcam has a special eye-tracking feature that knows when you shift your position. The goal of that is to provide "dead-zone free stereoscopic 3D images" or better viewing angles, but we can't really say we experienced that -- while the 3D clips looked, well three-dee straight on, slightly tilting to the left or right threw off the effect and we were stuck watching some blurry content. Like we said, the concept is really just a concept at this point, but it will certainly be interesting to watch what Toshiba is able to improve and put out by the end of 2011.

Toshiba shows of glasses-free 3D Qosmio, says technology could hit laptops in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spectec CameraJet system promises to bring UWB connectivity to your camera

Spectec CameraJet system promises to bring UWB connectivity to your camera

Not satisfied with an Eye-Fi card to add some wireless connectivity to your digital camera? Then it looks like you'll soon have another option courtesy of Alereon and Spectec -- they've just announced their Spectec CameraJet system, which consists of a Wi-Jet SD card and Wi-Jet USB dongle that combine to deliver a "faster than wire" Ultra Wideband (or UWB) connection suitable for both transferring files or streaming video. Unfortunately, there's no indication of pricing or an exact release date just yet, but Alereon and Spectec say the system is expected to go into production in February. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Spectec CameraJet system promises to bring UWB connectivity to your camera

Spectec CameraJet system promises to bring UWB connectivity to your camera originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RoboForm 7 Expands Password Management to Chrome and Opera [Updates]

RoboForm 7 Expands Password Management to Chrome and Opera [Updates]

RoboForm 7 Expands Password Management to Chrome and OperaWindows/Mac: RoboForm, a fairly popular all-in-one password manager, has updated to a version 7 that includes support for Chrome and Opera (10) browsers, adds bookmark syncing, improves and clarifies its interface, and offers multiple login management.

A lot of little things look to be improved in version 7, though the expansion of platforms to include Safari for Windows, Chrome, Opera, and more Mac options is likely the most crucial to RoboForm's success. RoboForm is often mentioned by commenters when we feature other managers like LastPass or 1Password as a great alternative with unique features; now more users can judge for themselves. It's a generally free app and download, with extra features for premium members.

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Intel's 2nd-Gen Core Processors: Mega-Media Machines [Guts]

Intel's 2nd-Gen Core Processors: Mega-Media Machines [Guts]

Intel's 2nd-Gen Core Processors: Mega-Media MachinesIntel's follow-up to last year's Core processors hasn't exactly been a closely guarded secret. But even though the specs leaked months ago, what's clear now about Sandy Bridge is that Intel's taking direct aim at content.

The new batch of Core i3, i5, and i7 processors—twenty new products in all, including chipsets and adapters—look to address the complaints that were leveled against last year's integrated graphics. With Sandy Bridge, according to Intel's Erik Reid, you can expect to see an improvement of nearly 2x in graphics-intensive benchmark 3DMark06 compared with the current crop of Core processors. While you could expect a limpid 14 FPS on Starcraft 2 with your current Core machine, with Sandy Bridge you'll see a bump up to a playable 29FPS. Intel achieved the improvement by putting both graphics and processor on the same die, giving both access to all the cache memory in the system.

The benefits aren't just for gamers. Video transcoding also gets a major boost with what Intel's calling Quick Sync Video, which Reid says will result in a 17x reduction in time. That means converting a five-minute video to h.264 will take all of 18 seconds. Parents with Flip cams, take note.

In the content consumption arena, Intel's Wi-Di (wireless display) technology has gotten a spec bump as well, and will now transmit 1080p video from your PC to your television. Wi-Di 2.0 will require a Sandy Bridge processor, but the tech is compatible with the previous generation adapter.

It's increasingly clear what role Intel intends Wi-Di to play; the guts company is moving towards movie delivery with its new Intel Insider initiative. With partners including with CinemaNow, Warner Bros., and others, Intel Insider is a system that delivers HD movies to the PC on or before the DVD release date, with hardware encryption and decryption. Pricing will be left up to the studios, who are also being promised a "protected environment" for their content.

So the speed upticks are here, and the usual efficiency improvements. But Sandy Bridge is really here as Intel's answer to the Video Age, a world in which we upload over 35 hours of video to YouTube every minute. And now we'll be able to do it much, much faster.

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ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s: Hot New Guts and Accents To Match [Notebooks]

ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s: Hot New Guts and Accents To Match [Notebooks]

ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s: Hot New Guts and Accents To MatchWhat started as an unsure experiment has blossomed into a solid lineup of tweener PCs. There are four ThinkPad Edges now, each packing second-generation Intel Core processors. And the E220s and E420s might actually make you forget they're business machines.

The aesthetic improvements on the 12.50-inch E220s and 14-inch E420s are small but important touches: a soft-matte exterior to do away with all that smudging. Metal accents that add a smidge of splash without being overbearing. And most welcome for business travelers, bodies that are both one-inch thick or less and 3.5 and 4 pounds, respectively. And on the E420s, that's including an optical drive.

The two notebooks come in Core i3, i5, and i7 Sandy Bridge flavors, and offer optional 4G/WiMAX connectivity. Both support up to 320GB hard drives or 128GB SSD, and the smaller model maxes out at 4GB RAM versus the 14-incher's 8GB. Both feature the same high-definition LED display, and the spill-proof Edge keyboard that was such a pleasant innovation on the original model.

The E220s starts at $900, while the base E420s will cost you $750, and you can get your hands on both starting this April.

Lenovo Adds Curves, Style and Attitude to Next-Gen ThinkPad Edge Small Business Laptops

Marries Urban Attitude and Performance-Driven Technologies with ThinkPad Quality and Reliability

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – January 3, 2011: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced two new laptops that elevate small-to-medium (SMB) business computing with luxurious and sophisticated design, cutting-edge technologies and extra features to go beyond business computing. The ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s laptops catch attention with their jaw-dropping, premium design. Small details make a big difference: the stunning infinity screen, a matte finish that's soft to the touch and real metal accents project a cosmopolitan image. The laptops are also business performance powerhouses, featuring increased performance and integrated graphics in the upcoming second generation Intel® CoreTM processor technology, Lenovo's Enhanced Experience 2.0 for rapid boot up and a range of wireless connectivity technologies. They also crossover for serious play with Dolby Home Theatre® audio and high definition video conferencing.

"How we think about PC design and the entire computing experience is changing," said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo. "The new ThinkPad Edge premium laptops give users technology that's extremely personal, beautiful and powerful so they can accomplish their business goals and keep up with their personal lives."

Eye-Catching, Intriguing Design
With a chic, modern and clean appearance, Lenovo designed the 12.5-inch E220s and 14-inch E420s to turn heads. Strikingly thin and light, the E220s measures less than one inch thick and weighs less than 3.5 pounds1 for excellent portability, while the slightly larger E420s starts at just one-inch and four pounds2. They both feature metal accents that frame the black, soft-matte exterior.

Inside they display an infinity screen for a TV-like appearance. The contemporary ThinkPad keyboard, recognized for providing the same comfortable typing experience as ThinkPad classic laptops, and an extra large clickpad fill the inside. The keyboard is spill-resistant too for peace of mind against accidental spills. For SMBs who need a physical device to play media, the E420s has a hidden, slim, slot-loading DVD player/burner.

Work Hard: Hard-Core Performance Under the Hood
Just as much attention went into the technology inside of the PCs as the elegant exteriors. To power both data-crunching, multitasking business activities and fun, personal entertainment, the E220s and E420s offer choices of upcoming Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors.

Since every second counts, especially for busy SMBs, Lenovo created the Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 for Windows 7 to speed up boot time by 30 percent on select models with Rapid Drive technology3. Rapid Drive takes advantage of an SSD for faster boot speed. Lenovo also optimized the preload, drivers and BIOS for speedy start up.

Additionally, the laptops feature all of the latest wireless connectivity technologies: WiFi and optional mobile broadband and 4G/WiMAX4.

Play Hard: Beyond Business Features
When it comes to play, the E220s and E420s offer a premium experience starting with Dolby Home Theatre® audio. Clear, crisp Dolby certified audio makes music and videos rock. The laptops come equipped with Lenovo's enhanced video conferencing technologies including a high-definition web camera, noise-cancelling keyboard software and high performance microphones and speakers. They also feature an HDMI port to show presentations to clients or to relax and watch on a PC monitor or flat-screen TV.

More Choices for a Perfect Business Edge
Lenovo also announced the ThinkPad Edge E420 and E520 laptops for SMBs who need an attractive business-class laptop at an attractive price. They pack greater productivity technologies in a thinner design with upcoming Intel® CoreTM technology and the Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 with Rapid Drive on select models.
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Pricing and Availability5
The ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s will be available beginning in April through www.lenovo.com and business partners. Models begin at approximately $899 and $749, respectively. The ThinkPad Edge E420 and E520 will be available beginning in April with models starting from approximately $599.

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Lightest 3D Glasses in the World is Samsung's Newest Claim [3D Glasses]

Lightest 3D Glasses in the World is Samsung's Newest Claim [3D Glasses]

Lightest 3D Glasses in the World is Samsung's Newest ClaimI will begrudgingly admit that Samsung's ultra-lightweight 3D glasses don't look as bad as generic active shutter specs, but that's not saying much. Noses and ears, breathe a sigh of relief: they weigh just 28 grams. [Samsung Tomorrow
via OLED-Display]

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