1080p Mobile Screen Slaps Retina Display in the Mouth [Screens]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5801778/1080p-mobile-screen-slaps-retina-display-in-the-mouth

The iPhone 4's screen looks delicious—pixels, away with ye! But Ortus Technology's got an even dreamier looking display, packing a 1920x1080 resolution into a scant 4.8 inches. That's 458 pixels per inch, as opposed to the iPhone's 326.

Now roughly five inch display—though the world's smallest 1080p—is in awkward place. It's way too big for a phone, and way too small for a tablet. But that density is buttery rich, and we want it. Tech like this needs to be scaled in either direction (or both, please) for it to be useful. But either way, the days of pixelation on the screens we pack with us are numbered. Goo-oood riddance. [Ortus via DVICE]

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/13/shapeways-glazed-ceramics-make-3d-printed-objects-you-can-eat-of/

We've seen them spit out fancy glass vases and tiny white strandbeests, and now the 3D thingy makers are pumping out cutesy salt and pepper shakers. Those hyper-glossy white rabbits pictured above are some of the first spawns of Glazed Ceramics, the newly minted food-safe material available from Shapeways. Glazed Ceramics are fired in an oven or kiln like traditional ceramics and are then coated with a lead-free non-toxic gloss -- the result is food-safe, recyclable, and heat resistant up to 1000 degrees Celsius. The new material is now available to Shapeways designers and will be until August 12th, at which point the company will decide whether its worth keeping around. For now you can sate your appetite for 3D printed shiny white dishes by clicking the source link below.

Shapeways Glazed Ceramics make 3D printed objects you can eat off of originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New York Times  |  Shapeways

Samsung Infuse 4G review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/13/samsung-infuse-4g-review/

We're just getting into the swing of spring, flowers blooming and skeeters biting, but already it's been a great year for Samsung -- if we ignore the whole lawsuit thing. Just a few weeks ago the company delivered to us our highest scoring Android phone yet, the Galaxy S II and, while that handset has not appeared on American shores, we were graced with the Droid Charge, which offers LTE speed, strong battery life, and an on-contract price that slightly exceeds its design.

Not so with the company's latest assault on American carriers. It's the Infuse 4G, it's $199 on-contract, and it has a decidedly high-end feel. It even looks a little like the S II -- if you squint. This is its own phone, though, a giant 4.5-inch screen setting it apart from its predecessors, and a giant battery inside giving it plenty of life. But is it really as good as it looks?

Gallery: Samsung Infuse 4G

Continue reading Samsung Infuse 4G review

Samsung Infuse 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Research-backed e-reader prototype can't keep its text to itself (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/14/microsoft-research-backed-e-reader-prototype-cant-keep-its-text/

We've seen plenty of dual-screen devices over the past couple of years, and they never fail to make us a little sentimental for Microsoft's stillborn Courier concept. That goes double for this reader device, which made an appearance at this week's CHI conference in Vancouver, seeing as how Microsoft Research apparently played a role in its development. But this gadget, presented by the University of Maryland's Nicholas Chen, is clearly its own beast -- and it's an awesome looking one at that. The reader actually only has one screen, but it can connect wirelessly with other units, letting the users do things like send links between devices. It will also clip magnetically to another unit, so you can look at two pages of the same document at the same time, just like one of those oldfangled book-type things. Fans of awkward intros, check out the video after the break.

[Thanks, Winston]

Continue reading Microsoft Research-backed e-reader prototype can't keep its text to itself (video)

Microsoft Research-backed e-reader prototype can't keep its text to itself (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 01:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Veer 4G review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/13/hp-veer-4g-review/

HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th. In a nutshell, it's a Palm Pixi Plus in the guise of a Pre, only in a delightfully downsized package with webOS 2.1 and thoroughly modern functionality. What does it feel like to Just Type on its tiny keyboard or throw app cards across its itsy-bitsy 2.6-inch screen? How is it as a pocketable HSPA+ hotspot, and will that extra G decimate its miniscule 910mAh battery? These are the questions that drove us when playing with the Veer 4G this week, and you'll find the answers shortly after the break.

Gallery: HP Veer 4G unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading HP Veer 4G review

HP Veer 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The World's First Wi-Fi Mouse's Battery Lasts for Nine Months [Mice]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5801419/this-is-the-worlds-first-wi+fi-mouse-with-a-battery-life-of-9-months

You are going to run out of USB ports on your computer. It's inevitable. And sucky! But HP's new Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse helps you conserve those ports by connecting wirelessly—not with Bluetooth, though. Wi-Fi.

This rodent's battery life can last up to nine months before it drains out—supposedly more than twice the lifespan of other Bluetooth mice. You can also stray as far as 30 feet from your monitor and still be able to control it with five customizable buttons, which you can assign shortcuts to (like cut, paste, undo and redo). It'll cost you $50 in June.

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Leak: Motorola's Droid X2 Will Have a 4.3-Inch qHD Screen, Tegra 2 Innards and 8MP Camera [Phones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5801511/leak-motorolas-droid-x2-will-have-a-43+inch-qhd-screen-tegra-2-innards-and-8mp-camera

Someone at Motorola is being awfully careless with their documents, as more official photos have leaked out of the Droid X2, along with purported specs sheets.

The 8MP camera with dual-flash might go some way to explaining that sizeable hunchback it's going going on, but flip 'er 'round and you'll see there's a cheery 4.3-inch qHD screen to greet you.

All the specs can be checked out over at Pocketnow if you're so interested, but if you're hoping for an increase in RAM and ROM over the original Droid X, you're going to be a mite disappointed by this Verizon phone. [Pocketnow via UberGizmo]

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Samsung's Foldable Display Will Let You Stuff Giant Tablets in Your Pants [Displays]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5801421/samsungs-foldable-display-will-let-you-stuff-giant-tablets-in-your-pants

Tiny tablets' major advantage over the 10-inch crowd: They'll fit in your pocket (especially if you're the type of person who wears cargo pants). Samsung's latest foldable, creaseless AMOLED display will let you fold a tablet in half—effectively making bigger tablets pocketable.

Back in 2008, the South Korean company showcased a foldable OLED mobile phone at the FPD conference for display manufacturers. The technology was stunning back then but it suffered from one major flaw — the hinge required for folding produced a crease in the middle of the display.

The electronics manufacturer has removed this imperfection using a combination of silicone rubber, two protective glass panels and a pair of AMOLED displays. The AMOLED displays are mounted seamlessly next to each other on a flat piece of silicone rubber, two glass panels are placed on top of the AMOLED panels, both to protect the displays and let you use them as touchscreens. This rubber sandwich is then mounted in a case and folded in half.

The magic in this equation lies in the silicone rubber which is hyper-elastic and lets you fold it 180 degrees with a hinge less than 1mm. The researchers were able to fold the display over 100,000 times with minimal effect on the optical quality of the AMOLED (just a 6 percent brightness loss at the crease) or the elasticity of the rubber. This system is better than other foldable OLED technologies as it uses components that are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Though I can't see this technology adding much to smartphones, who wouldn't want a foldable tablet? [Physorg and Fast Company]

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Samsung's 2560x1600 Screen Is the First Retina Display for Tablets [Display]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5801451/samsungs-2560x1600-screen-is-the-first-retina-display-for-tablets

The debate about when a "retina display" for tablets will exist is over: Samsung's new 10.1-inch, 2560x1600 display is it. With a crazy pixel density of 300dpi, it rivals what Apple considers a retina display for a phone. But it's for tablets.

The ultra-high resolution display uses PenTile RGBW technology, which made headlines with the Nexus One. Many blamed the PenTile display for the blurry text and occasional color banding that plagued the Android handset, but hopefully the serious pixel density of Samsung's new display will override those problems.

Presumably, Samsung will drop this mega-resolution display in its Galaxy Tab line, but maybe it could be scooped up by Apple for a future iPad. (If nothing else, its existence means other companies should be able to produce a similar panel in the not-too-distant future.) Samsung's saying it'll be ready "for tablet applications later this year." Our eyeballs can't wait. [Samsung]

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Bang & Olufsen's 85-inch 3DTV comes to North America for $1,000 per inch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/bang-and-olufsens-85-inch-tv-comes-to-north-america-for-1-000-pe/

Because the current lineup of 3D capable HDTVs just aren't exclusive enough, Bang & Olufsen has expanded its lineup with the BeoVision 4-85 plasma which will be available to North American buyers next month for a mere $85,000. While we prefer to save our riches for even rarer sets like Panasonic's 152-incher, the BeoVision system does include the triangular BeoLab 10 center channel speaker and a motorized stand that lowers it when you're not watching. Either way, we won't tell you how to spend your (presumably ill-gotten) ducats beyond pointing out the specs in the press release below, but those interested in staying one step ahead of the Joneses should remember a refreshed version of the 103-inch edition with 3D will be available this summer as well.

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's 85-inch 3DTV comes to North America for $1,000 per inch

Bang & Olufsen's 85-inch 3DTV comes to North America for $1,000 per inch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WebGL flaw leaves GPU exposed to hackers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/webgl-flaw-leaves-gpu-exposed-to-hackers/

Google spent a lot of time yesterday talking up WebGL, but UK security firm Context seems to think users should disable the feature because it poses a serious security threat, and the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) is encouraging people to heed that advice. According to Context, a malicious site could pass code directly to a computer's GPU and trigger a denial of service attack or simply crash the machine. Ne'er-do-wells could also use WebGL and the Canvas element to pull image data from another domain, which could then be used as part of a more elaborate attack. Khronos, the group that organizes the standard, responded by pointing out that there is an extension available to graphics card manufacturers that can detect and protect against DoS attacks, but it did little to satisfy Context -- the firm argues that inherent flaws in the design of WebGL make it very difficult to secure.

Now, we're far from experts on the intricacies of low-level hardware security but, for the moment at least, there seems to be little reason for the average user to panic. There's even a good chance that you're not vulnerable at all since WebGL won't run on many Intel and ATI graphics chips (you can check by clicking here). If you're inclined to err on the side of caution you can find instructions for disabling WebGL at the more coverage link -- but come on, living on the cutting edge wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if it didn't involve a bit of danger.

[Thanks, Tony]

WebGL flaw leaves GPU exposed to hackers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Register  |  Context, US CERT, Khronos  | Email this | Comments

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Next-next-gen Atom will be a system on a chip called 'Silvermont,' pack 3D transistors?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/next-next-gen-atom-will-be-a-system-on-a-chip-called-silvermont/

Last week, we were treated to an earful about Intel's plans for its future chips -- most notably, that it's committing to 3D transistors across the board. Well, that trickle of information hasn't run dry just yet -- today's tidbit gives us a peek not into the next-generation of Atom, but the one already in the works to come after that. The new processor, codenamed "Silvermont," will be a system-on-a-chip and is reportedly slated to ship sometime in 2013. CNET also cites unnamed sources who claim that it will be designed specifically to take advantage of Intel's 22nm technology and 3D transistors. As it stands, though, they boost the cost of wafers by two to three percent, so here's hoping that premium comes down before the netbooks of the future hit the market -- if we have netbooks in the future.

Next-next-gen Atom will be a system on a chip called 'Silvermont,' pack 3D transistors? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/zerotouch-optical-multi-touch-force-field-makes-a-touchscreen/

The rise of tablets and smartphones has made the touchscreen a rather ubiquitous interface, but they aren't everywhere quite yet. A group of students from Texas A&M intend to change that, however, with the invention of ZeroTouch: a seemingly empty picture frame that lets you turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen. It might not look like much, but ZeroTouch is packing a series of pulsing LEDs and infrared sensors that turn that blank space into a highly sensitive surface. Basically, the strategically placed LEDs cover the open area in a sheet of invisible light. When a hand or stylus enters the picture (or lack there of), those beams are interrupted, providing cues to a piece of software that tracks the object's movement -- and boom! You've got a touchscreen. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that's going to make it to market anytime soon, but you can check out ZeroTouch rocking the rippling water effect in the video below.

Continue reading ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything

ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NewScientist  |  Interface Ecology Lab  | Email this | Comments

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Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/insert-coin-olloclip-three-in-one-lens-for-iphone-4-video/

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.


We typically prefer to mount our macro, wide-angle, and fisheye lenses directly on a DSLR, but lugging around a pro-level kit isn't always an option. The olloclip adds some flexibility to your iPhone 4's camera, complimenting the built-in lens with a three-in-one optic that clips onto the phone and can be stored in your bag or pocket when not in use. The attachment includes three lenses: a 180-degree fisheye on one side, a wide-angle lens on the other, and a 10x macro that's revealed after unscrewing the top of the wide-angle. Based on the intro video, the wide lens appears to have some rather significant barrel distortion, so we hope inventor Patrick O'Neill and designer Chong Pak are able to work that out before this hits production. A $45 pledge to this Kickstarter includes one olloclip, which you're getting at a 25 percent discount. Lenses should ship 4 weeks after the project hits its $15,000 funding goal -- if it does hit that goal -- and are expected to retail for $60.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video)

Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Droid X2 ready for May 26 launch?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/droid-x2-ready-for-may-26-launch/

The skeptics in us are not ready to call this one confirmed yet, but we are beginning to see information trickle in about a possible launch date for the Droid X2. Droid-Life uncovered possible promo materials discussing the entrance strategy for the X2, in conjunction with several of the phone's specs. These docs strongly indicate May 26 is the magic day for a full-scale assault, with early orders allowed as soon as May 19. We don't see any major surprises in specs -- there's a dual-core Tegra 2 1GHz processor, 4.3-inch qHD screen, 8MP rear camera, and 1080p HDMI-out video, to list off the highlights -- although we are excited to see Gingerbread may be in the mix here, indicated by the ever-so-subtle blue bar seen on the phone's screen. We hope you can understand our hesitation, though, since an unproven spec sheet from Pocketnow suggests we should only expect Froyo. No way of knowing who will win this little argument, but you know which one we're rooting for. Check out another leaked image after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Droid X2 ready for May 26 launch?

Motorola Droid X2 ready for May 26 launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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