Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Gigabyte outs four dual-SIM Ice Cream Sandwich phones at Computex

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/06/gigabyte-gsmart-ics-computex/

Gigabyte outs four dualSIM Ice Cream Sandwich phones

While Gigabyte was grabbing headlines at Computex with its world's lightest Ultrabook, the Taiwanese firm was also sneaking out a gaggle of new phones. Four new models, in fact, all of them Android 4.0, all of them dual-SIM. The rest of the specifications are a mixed bag, with the Gigabyte GSmart M1420 winning the camera wars, with an 8-megapixel shooter, backed up with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 display and 1GHz MT6575 MediaTek processor. A lower specification M1320 was also announced which is more of the same, but with a smaller, 3.5-inch, display and weaker 3-megapixel snapper. The GSmart G1362 might be more interesting if 4.3 inches is a must, and Snapdragon's your thing (1GHz), but you'll lose 3 megapixels on the camera compared to the GSmart M1420 as a trade. Finally the GSmart G1342 which only packs in 800MHz (Qualcomm) and 3.5-inches of display. There's scant detail on price and availability at the moment, but have a sift through the source link if you want the blow-by-blow breakdown, and head to our Chinese site to get a hands-on with the G1342 and G1362.

Gigabyte outs four dual-SIM Ice Cream Sandwich phones at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Cloud Gaming to Stream Console-Quality Games Straight to Smart TVs [E3]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5916101/samsung-cloud-gaming-to-stream-console+quality-games-straight-to-smart-tvs

Samsung Cloud Gaming to Stream Console-Quality Games Straight to Smart TVsIt was announced at E3 today that Samsung Cloud Gaming, developed in partnership with Gaikai, a leading cloud-based video game platform provider, will stream a mix of family-friendly and AAA video games directly to owners of 2012 Samsung LED 7000 series and up Smart TVs in the U.S.

The cloud-based gaming service will be second to none, allowing users access to some of the video game industry's biggest titles, without the need for a console, in much the same way that smart TVs are eliminating the need for a set-top cable box.

One of the more exciting consumer-designed perks of the platform is the try-before-you-buy payment plan, allowing users a free trial of any game, so they'll never have to pay good money for a game they end up disliking.

Samsung will soon begin accepting sign-ups for the Beta Test of its Cloud Gaming service on Smart TVs for users in the United States.

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Sony RX100: This is How You Cram a 1-Inch Sensor and Wide Aperture Lens Into a Point-and-Shoot Body [Cameras]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5916061/sony-rx100-this-is-how-your-cram-a-1+inch-sensor-and-f18-aperture-lens-into-a-point+and+shoot-body

Sony RX100: This is How You Cram a 1-Inch Sensor and Wide Aperture Lens Into a Point-and-Shoot BodyWith DSLRs like the Canon T2I and Nikon D3200 becoming increasing accessible, and smartphone cameras becoming increasingly quality, fixed-lens point-and-shoot cameras have become something a forgotten breed. But with the introduction of the RX100—complete with its impressive 1-inch sensor, f/1.8 aperture, and compact body—Sony is trying to make the pocketable camera relevant again.

When it comes to specs, the RX100 is nothing short of impressive. The sensor is a 20.2-megapixel beast that's part of Sony's Exmor family and powered by the Bionz processor. The glass is a 28-100mm Vario-Sonnar Zeiss lens with 3.6x optical zoom and that impressive, aforementioned f/1.8 aperture. The camera has an ISO range of 100-25600, with an auto ISO limit of 6400. Video is an AVCHD affair, with 1080p recording at 60 frames (there's also a 720p MP4 mode). The all-aluminum body isn't much bigger than the Canon S100, and comes equipped not only with fully-programmable manual controls on the back, but also around the lens. The all-black camera is nothing short of beautiful, with stripped down, no-nonsense design that invokes the lines of a Leica camera.

Sony RX100: This is How You Cram a 1-Inch Sensor and Wide Aperture Lens Into a Point-and-Shoot Body

Because Sony packed such a large sensor, and went with a fixed lens, it was able to open up the aperture to let in plenty of light. This not only means sharp images, but also powerful defocusing effects (a.k.a. those nice background blurs). The 1-inch sensor is bigger than those found in both the Canon S100 and G12, not to mention the Fuji X10 and Panasonic LX5. And despite the technical wizardry, the battery is rated for 330 shots-per-charge on average.

In the brief time I got to play with the thing, the RX100 impressed. In both the automatic and program modes, shots were sharp and detailed, even without optimal lighting. At times, the shots certainly looked comparable to those produced by considerably more powerful cameras. Though the is small and light, it hardly feels insubstantial, and can be operated without having to contort your hand in weird ways. And the big 3-inch screen is nice and bright, thanks to the LCD's added white light which is designed to combat sunlight.

Sony RX100: This is How You Cram a 1-Inch Sensor and Wide Aperture Lens Into a Point-and-Shoot Body

So who is this thing for? At $650, it might be too pricey as a second camera for the DSLR crowd. But for someone who doesn't use a camera enough to justify the cost and bulk of a DSLR, the RX100 could be a very happy compromise. Sony says you can expect the RX100 to arrive in July. [Sony]

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Layar Creator sees an interactive future for print media via augmented reality (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/layar-creator-printed-media-augmented-reality/

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/layar-creator-printed-media-augmented-reality/

Heavy hitters across several industries have tried to find the perfect balance between the old and the new to breathe some life into what's been described as a dying medium. Layar "wants to make the world clickable" with its augmented reality software and doesn't plan on letting paper-based media go the way of paying for long distance or total privacy. Instead, it's opted to fully welcome it into this brave new digital world by letting publishers embed videos and interactive buttons onto existing printed materials. A mobile app can then display superimposed content that pops right up on the page when viewed through a device's camera. The new web app, Layar Creator, is free if you can get your stuff published and all Layared up before August 1st, but if you're a procrastinator, a 100-page bundle will run €999 ($1,242), or €15 ($18.65) per page. You can see the the Layar Creator and AR app in full effect right after the break.

Continue reading Layar Cre! ator see s an interactive future for print media via augmented reality (video)

Layar Creator sees an interactive future for print media via augmented reality (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/viewsonic-vp3280-led-4k-monitor-hands-on/

ViewSonic VP3280LED 315inch 4K monitor prototype handson video

Would you rather own a mid-range car, or a 31.5-inch 4K monitor? That might not seem like a terribly difficult call, but after seeing ViewSonic's 150 ppi prototype at Computex, we're not so sure we'd go with the car. Hidden beneath a nondescript engineering case a few feet away from the company's 22-inch ICS "tablet" was one of the most impressive 4K displays we've seen. The ViewSonic VP3280-LED features a 31.5-inch LCD panel, packing 8.8 million pixels for a total density of 150 pixels-per-inch. That means incredibly sharp images and vibrant frames -- the display is capable of 10-bit 1.07 billion-color presentation. A relatively small footprint means you could realistically pack 3840 x 2160 pixels on your desk, with a bit of room to spare.

The display we saw was hooked up to an Intel Core i5-powered PC, which ViewSonic reps say is only capable of pumping out still photos (you'll need a Core i7 for video or regular computer use), but we very much liked what we saw. The current iteration requires 2x dual-link DVI, but would be compatible with 2x DisplayPort in the future. ViewSonic reps say the VP3280, which will be marketed towards film studios, broadcasters, photographers and any other professionals in need of a compact 4K display, could ship by the end of the year, costing "about the price of a car." There's sadly no way to do this thing justice in still photos or video, but you can get a vague idea of how it performs in our walkthrough a! fter the break.

Continue reading ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video)

ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voice control comes to MOG's music streaming service with Ford SYNC AppLink

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/06/mog-music-streaming-ford-sync-applink/

Voice control comes to MOG's music streaming service with Ford SYNC AppLink

Good news for those who like music on-the-go, Ford had just added a new heavy hitter to its AppLink platform, and this time it comes from none other than MOG. The streaming service boasts a catalog of 15 million tracks, which is available to mobile devices for a monthly subscription fee of $9.99. With the Ford SYNC integration, users may access this vast library either through voice commands or in-dash controls, and as another nice touch, one's music queue will automatically resume from wherever they left off. Voice commands include "artist only" and "similar artists," along with "downloads" for situations when you aren't able to stream and "shuffle favorites." Finally, users may also create presets based on what's currently playing, simply by pressing and holding one of the in-dash preset buttons. This availability is solely for iOS users, but if you'd like to learn more, check the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Voice control comes to MOG's music streaming service with Ford SYNC AppLink

Voice control comes to MOG's music streaming service with Ford SYNC AppLink originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC reveals LaVie Z Ultrabook will ship with third-gen Intel chips, 1600 x 900 screen resolution

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/06/nec-lavie-z-ivy-bridge-ultrabook-specs/

NEC reveals LaVie Z Ultrabook will ship with third-gen Intel chips, 1600 x 900 screen resolution

By all means, we were quite impressed when we first laid eyes on NEC's LaVie Z early last month, but much to our disappointment, details were a wee bit scarce at that time. Fortunately for us (and you), however, the company's finally detailed the specs we can expect to see on its 13.3-inch Ultrabook. Among these are -- you guessed it -- Intel Ivy Bridge CPUs (i5-3317U, i7-3517U) and an above-average 1600 x 900 display -- of course, let's not forget it's all bundled up in a 999g package, or about 2.2 pounds if the gram system isn't your thing. As stated earlier, the LaVie Z will be Japan-only once it launches later this summer, though NEC has said it hopes to bring the Ultrabook to other markets at some point in the future. We'll have to wait and see.

NEC reveals LaVie Z Ultrabook will ship with third-gen Intel chips, 1600 x 900 screen resolution originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Fujitsu brings its Lifebook Ultrabooks to the US, NH532 and Esprimos tag along for the ride

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/fujitsu-brings-its-lifebook-ultrabooks-to-the-us-nh532-and-espr/

Fujitsu brings its Lifebook Ultrabooks to the US, NH532 and Esprimos tag along for the ride

Did you eye Fujitsu's new U772/E Ultrabook and dream of bringing that 0.69-inch thick, Ivy Bridge-packing Lifebook across the Pacific? The company has clearly been reading your mind, since it's just started shipping the portable and a few of its companions to the US. In American guise, you'll find the more simply-titled U772 carrying a choice of Core i5 or i7 chips, as much as a 500GB spinning hard drive or a 256GB SSD for storage, a trio of USB ports, HDMI and an SD card slot. It's joined by a more budget-oriented brother, the UH572 Ultrabook, which is slightly more portly (0.71 inches and 3.5 pounds) but otherwise touts the same credentials. The two are shipping right away and will offer that Japanese Ultrabook flavor at prices of $1,149 for the U772 and $999 for the UH572.

Those more accepting of big-boned computers aren't left out of the mix. On the still semi-portable side, the Lifebook NH532 takes Ivy Bridge to a desktop replacement size, albeit with precious few other details besides its 17.3-inch screen. Three Esprimo desktops (sadly, not pictured) are making the leap to third-generation Core chips as well, including the extra-quiet Q910 mini desktop as well as the fast-booting P710 microtower and full-size E710 desktop. While Fujitsu isn't giving us a full peek at the larger side of the roster, none of them stretch budgets: the NH532 sits in the mid-range at $749, while the E710 / P710 and Q910 are also easy on the finances at their respective $649 and $999 asking prices.

Gallery: Fujitsu U772, UH572 and NH532

Continue reading Fujitsu brings its Lifebook Ultrabooks to the US, NH532 and Esprimos tag along for the ride

Fujitsu brings its Lifebook Ultrabooks to the US, NH532 and Esprimos tag along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SATA-IO unveils USM Slim external storage jack for ultrabooks, tablets and 'other portable devices'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/sata-io-unveils-usm-slim-external-storage-jack/

SATA-IO unveils USM Slim external storage jack for ultrabooks, tablets and 'other portable devices'So, how do you best improve upon the USM standard and boldly take it to new frontiers? Well, as with most tech, simply shrinking it down never seems to hurt. The new USM Slim standard has just been announced by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) as part of the SATA 3.2 Revision. It takes the ability to plug in powered, external storage with on-board SATA and slims down the port from 14.5mm to 9mm. By trimming the jack by of a third of its bulk the SATA-IO have prepped the standard for the next generation of products, including ultra-thin ultrabooks, svelte tablets and "other portable devices." What might those other devices be? Well, we can't help but hope for a smartphone that boots to Ubuntu when docked (or Ubuntu TV) and can connect to a sizable external hard drive... ah, pipe dreams. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading SATA-IO unveils USM Slim external storage jack for ultrabooks, tablets and 'other portable devices'

SATA-IO unveils USM Slim external storage jack for ultrabooks, tablets and 'other portable devices' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for ! use of f eeds.

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LG Display's new five-inch 1080p smartphone display: it's real, and we've got video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/lg-displays-new-five-inch-1080p-smartphone-display/

STUB LG Display's new fiveinch 1080p smartphone display eyeson

We stopped by the The Society for Information Display's (SID) 2012 convention in not-so-sunny Boston, Massachusetts to feast our eyes upon LG Display's latest creation: a five-inch display panel with Retina-smashing specs. We're talking about a screen that sports a 1920 x 1080 full HD (FHD) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and 440ppi density -- not to mention the Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) technology. The Life's Good arm states that the window, which has not yet been paired with a smartphone, will provide "Full HDTV quality" on a phone for the first time. Seeing is believing, though, so have a look at our gallery then saunter past the break to read what the company's VP of IT and Mobile Development had to say about the future of screens.

Continue reading LG Display's new five-inch 1080p smartphone display: it's real, and we've got video

LG Display's new five-inch 1080p smartphone display: it's real, and we've got video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/viewsonic-vp3280-led-4k-monitor-hands-on/

ViewSonic VP3280LED 315inch 4K monitor prototype handson video

Would you rather own a mid-range car, or a 31.5-inch 4K monitor? That might not seem like a terribly difficult call, but after seeing ViewSonic's 150 ppi prototype at Computex, we're not so sure we'd go with the car. Hidden beneath a nondescript engineering case a few feet away from the company's 22-inch ICS "tablet" was one of the most impressive 4K displays we've seen. The ViewSonic VP3280-LED features a 31.5-inch LCD panel, packing 8.8 million pixels for a total density of 150 pixels-per-inch. That means incredibly sharp images and vibrant frames -- the display is capable of 10-bit 1.07 billion-color presentation. A relatively small footprint means you could realistically pack 3840 x 2160 pixels on your desk, with a bit of room to spare.

The display we saw was hooked up to an Intel Core i5-powered PC, which ViewSonic reps say is only capable of pumping out still photos (you'll need a Core i7 for video or regular computer use), but we very much liked what we saw. The current iteration requires 2x dual-link DVI, but would be compatible with 2x DisplayPort in the future. ViewSonic reps say the VP3280, which will be marketed towards film studios, broadcasters, photographers and any other professionals in need of a compact 4K display, could ship by the end of the year, costing "about the price of a car." There's sadly no way to do this thing justice in still photos or video, but you can get a vague idea of how it performs in our walkthrough a! fter the break.

Continue reading ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video)

ViewSonic VP3280-LED 31.5-inch 4K monitor prototype hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba updates Portege Z835 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, renames it the Z935

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/toshiba-portege-z935-z835-ivy-bridge-refresh/

Toshiba's getting the most attention today for announcing two new laptops (including one with a bonkers 21:9 aspect ratio), but it's also getting some extra mileage out of its first Ultrabook, the Portege Z835. The company just announced it's refreshing the system with a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, and that it shall henceforth be known as the Portege Z935. Other than that, the chassis and other key specs are expected to remain the same. Look for it on shelves starting June 24th, and don't be surprised by a bump in price: it now starts at $900, up from $800 when it had Sandy Bridge.

Continue reading Toshiba updates Portege Z835 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, renames it the Z935

Toshiba updates Portege Z835 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, renames it the Z935 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swapping TVs for iPads Makes Planes 7 Percent Lighter [Factoid]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5915771/swapping-tvs-for-ipads-makes-planes-7-percent-lighter

Swapping TVs for iPads Makes Planes 7 Percent LighterWhat would happen if you ripped out all the TVs and associated wiring from a plane, and gave everyone an iPad instead? Well, we just found out: the plane becomes 7 percent lighter, and saves an awful lot of fuel as a result.

A new budget airline, called Scoot, launched yesterday. It's taken its planes from its parent company Singapore Airlines—but decided to change the way it serves up entertainment, reports Bloomberg. That's seen them remove the entire aircraft entertainment system from each of its airplanes—which in total weighed more than two tons per craft.

Instead, budget flyers will be charged $17 a trip to rent an iPad, which is pre-loaded with movies, music, games and television shows. All told, the overall weight saving is 7 percent, which will make a massive difference to fuel efficiency. In fact, why doesn't every airline do it? [Bloomberg]

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NVIDIA details top-tier GeForce GTX 680M Kepler GPU for Ultrabooks, other laptops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680M/

DNP EMBARGO NVIDIA details toptier GeForce GTX 680M Kepler GPU for Ultrabooks, other laptops

When NVIDIA took the wraps off its family of 28nm Kepler GPUs, it promised some mobile chips designed for Ultrabooks were soon to follow. Two and a half months later, we haven't seen that many laptops running the 600M series, save for the Acer Aspire M5, which isn't even on sale yet. Now, though, we're about to see a lot more: in advance of Computex, a computer-centric trade show about to be overrun by Ultrabooks, NVIDIA is spilling details on the GeForce GTX 680M. As the top-tier offering in the mobile Kepler lineup, it packs a 720MHz engine clock, 1,344 CUDA cores and a 256-bit memory bus powering up to 4GB of GDDR5 RAM. As a refresher, all of Kepler's GPUs make use of a new GPU Boost feature, which automatically increases the clock speed if the GPU isn't already taxed. Meanwhile, VSync promises smoother rendering, with fewer jagged edges. So which PC makers are planning on using this thing? Well, Clevo is on board, and NVIDIA says to expect some fresh models from MSI and Alienware, too. Stay tuned, folks.

Continue reading NVIDIA details top-tier GeForce GTX 680M Kepler GPU for Ultrabooks, other laptops

NVIDIA detai! ls top-t ier GeForce GTX 680M Kepler GPU for Ultrabooks, other laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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