Wednesday, May 18, 2011

OmniVision's new 5 megapixel CMOS sensor shoots 1080p video, is built for 'slimmer' devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/omnivisions-new-5-megapixel-cmos-sensor-shoots-1080p-video-is/

Apple might be poised to ditch OmniVision for its next round of iPhone / iPod Touch cameras, but that hasn't stopped the company from trotting out a fresh crop of sensors. Weeks after unveiling a beastly 12 megapixel number, it's announced the OV5690, a 5 megapixel chip, and the first to use the company's second-generation OmniBSI-2 pixel architecture. In addition to shooting 5 megapixel stills, it records 1080p video at 30 frames per second and 720p movies at 60fps. And, most notably, OmniVision cut the sensor's height by 20 percent in the hopes that it'll find a home in "slimmer" smartphones and tablets. So far, it's unclear what devices will incorporate it -- the company says key vendors are sampling the sensor at the moment, with mass production expected to begin in the second half of this year. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading OmniVision's new 5 megapixel CMOS sensor shoots 1080p video, is built for 'slimmer' devices

OmniVision's new 5 megapixel CMOS sensor shoots 1080p video, is built for 'slimmer' devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of ! feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 9:26 PM

HTC touts early Flyer sales, promises NFC-equipped phone within a year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/htc-touts-early-flyer-sales-promises-nfc-equipped-phone-within/

It's still not dishing much in the way of specifics, but it looks like HTC is at least cautiously optimistic about the success of its Flyer tablet -- or, as the company's top exec in Europe, Florian Seiche, put it at a recent Reuters summit: "it's early days but we feel very good about it." Seiche also unsurprisingly talked up tablets in general, and said that he thought schools would "probably" shift from textbooks to tablets in "five years' time," adding that "we can't even guess the potential" in terms of the broader impact on society. Naturally, he also suggested that HTC plans to tap into that growing market with a whole range of new tablets beyond the Flyer. In terms of smartphones, Seiche said that HTC will be rolling out its first NFC-equipped phone within the next twelve months, and he reaffirmed the company's commitment to Windows Phone 7, which he expects will see a boost from Nokia (which he says will in turn benefit HTC).

HTC touts early Flyer sales, promises NFC-equipped phone within a year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 9:26 PM

Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/samsungs-22-inch-transparent-blu-lcd-tv-shipping-next-week-eye/

We weren't actually allowed to get our hands on Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV -- the showcase was accompanied by a "Do not touch" label -- but we were able to get our first in-the-flesh look at the see-through display at SID this week. According to Sammy's rep, the monitors, which can operate without or without a backlight, will start shipping to manufacturers as soon as this week, but consumers will have to wait until Q3 to get their hands on one. While our hands remained mostly at our sides during our little meeting, we did sneak them behind the display to see just how transparent these things are. Sure enough, we could see our phalanges wiggling quite clearly through the ghostly panel. When the backlight was flipped on, the screen became a touch more opaque, but didn't fully obstruct the view of the potted plants lurking in the background. For now, the screens are focused on the commercial market -- specifically advertising -- but we wouldn't mind adding one of these things to our living room. Hop on past the break for a little video love.

Continue reading Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video)

Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 16:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 9:26 PM

Samsung entices with elecrowetting displays at SID 2011: coming to consumers later this year?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/samsung-entices-with-elecrowetting-displays-at-sid-2011-coming/

Liquavista has teased us with the potential of its electrowetting displays for years, but we hadn't gotten to peep its panels post-acquisition until now, at SID 2011. In addition to the several screens we'd seen before, there was a new monochrome model that operates at low frequencies (down to sub-hertz levels) to cut down on current consumption. We also laid eyes on its chromatic displays, but in comparison to Mirasol's tech, electrowetting has a ways to go to match the image quality of IMOD. However, Sammy said that its reflective screens can be constructed with minimal mods to existing LCD manufacturing plants, while making Mirasol requires fresh fab facilities. Such a factory isn't exactly cheap, and Mirasol's large-scale production plant won't be around until 2012. So Samsung might snatch the market if it gets there first, and the rep we spoke with said the company hopes to have products shipping this year. While we wait for their hopes and dreams to come to fruition, view the vid after the break.

Continue reading Samsung entices with elecrowetting displays at SID 2011: coming to consumers later this year?

Samsung entices with elecrowetting displays at SID 2011: coming to con! sumers l ater this year? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 9:24 PM

LG Display's 4.3-inch bistable display concept eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/lg-displays-4-3-inch-bistable-display-concept-eyes-on-video/

With all the giant screens throwing around flashy 3D graphics at SID, the smaller offerings like this LG 4.3-inch transparent bistable LCD display can be easy to overlook. Lucky for you, our hawk-eyes combined with a love for tiny gadgets landed us -- and our video camera -- right in front of this bantam wonder. Sure, bistable displays (which can retain an image when powered down) are nothing new, but this 4.3-incher was just too eye-catching to pass up -- even if it was just running a simple stick-man animation. We're not sure where LG's going with this little screen -- it is just a concept, after all -- but we can already hear advertisers and automotive designers licking their lips in anticipation. For more transparent display goodness, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading LG Display's 4.3-inch bistable display concept eyes-on (video)

LG Display's 4.3-inch bistable display concept eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 17:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 9:24 PM

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