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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Sifteo Cubes go next-generation, square gaming gets more portable (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/sifteo-cubes-next-generation/

It's hard to believe, but Sifteo's interactive gaming Cubes first went on sale just over a year ago. Fast forward to the present, and the company has unveiled version two of the MIT-born blocks. If you'll recall, the 1.7-inch squares let you play interactive table-top games, each featuring a 1.5-inch LCD screen, motion sensing and wireless connectivity. With this next-gen variant, Sifteo's improved the graphics, added capacitive touch to the screen (the original acted like a physical button) and doubled the amount of Cubes that can interact at once to 12. The V2 Cubes also come packed with a dedicated, AAA-powered, wireless base station / speaker that stores your titles, sparing the need for a computer to play as was the case with the originals -- an onboard USB allows downloaded files to be transferred from your computers. Developers looking to create content for the device will also pleased to know that Sifteo's releasing its next SDK on October 1st.

Ready for some tangibly-cute Cube gameplay? Pre-orders begin today at Sifteo's website, priced at $130 for 3 Cubes with a base station and five games, and $30 for each additional cube. They're set to ship in November, so in the meantime you'll find details in the video demo and press release after the break.

Gallery: Sifteo Cubes next generation

Update: For those curious, we've learned that the original Cubes are not compatible with the new ones, but Sifteo has emailed owners with a $50 voucher that they can use toward upgrading.

Continue reading Sifteo Cubes go next-generation, square gaming gets more portable (update)

Filed under: Misc, Gaming

Sifteo Cubes go next-generation, square gaming gets more portable (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus L9 hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/lg-optimus-l9-hands-on/

LG Optimus L9 handson

Thought LG didn't have any more to add to the L-Style series to offer the world? Behold the L9. Announced yesterday, the device made an appearance on the IFA show room floor this week, boasting a big and bright 4.7-inch IPS display that makes its brethren look downright shrimpy by comparison. In spite of the display size, the phone feels light, with an 8.9-millimeter profile.

It's important to note here that, in spite of being the king of the L-Series, it's still part of a budget lineup, and as such, the phone's body feels a bit plasticky, and the textured rear had a bit of trouble staying snapped in place in the two models (black and white) that we played with. Specwise, we're talking a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM inside, 4GB of storage (expandable via a microSD slot) and a 2,150mAh battery. The handset's rocking Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.4, to be precise).

The handset's got a fairly nice bezel, with the front-facing camera on the top and a home button on the bottom, flanked by illuminating back and menu touch buttons. A larger, 5MP camera is located on the rear of the device, above the flash. Vodafone has the handset priced at €50.90 subsidized and €340 unsubsidized. Peep a video of the handset, after the break.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

LG Optimus L9 hands-on (video)! ori ginally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG 27-inch Personal Smart TV hands-on (updated: video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/lg-27-inch-personal-smart-tv-hands-on/

LG 27inch Personal Smart TV handson updated video

Designed for more realistic living quarters, LG's unleashed its Personal Smart TV to the IFA crowds. With a 27-inch IPS display, 1920 x 1080, you'll find the typical stable of connectivity options, including two HDMI, three USB, component, LAN and SCART connections. The screen seemed well, lit with the IPS panel offering suitably reliable views from most angles. It's a pretty stylish-looking TV too, with a rough metallic finish to the bezel, which while not jaw-dropping, is still suitably narrow. The Smart TV functions were also navigable through LG's Smart Remote, offering a WiiMote-ish approach to media browsing. Our demo model was already packed with German media content -- in both 2D and 3D -- ready for when it launches here next month. It'll be appearing in shops across Europe around the same time, although there's no word on the set landing on US shores. Check out our quick hands-on video after the break.

Follow all of our IFA 2012 coverage by heading to our event hub!

Gallery: LG 27-inch Personal Smart TV

Continue reading LG 27-inch Personal Smart TV hands-on (updated: video)

Filed under: Displays, HD

LG 27-inch Personal Smart TV hands-on (updated: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's 84-inch UD 3D TV makes its formal IFA debut, we go hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/lgs-84-inch-ud-3d-tv-hands-on/

Here's yet another 84-inch 4K TV, this time from LG. The company's 84LM9600 was announced last week and has already started shipping in Korea, but it's here at IFA and poised to hit the market worldwide. Priced at about $22,105, this display is big in every way. You get a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 -- four times the resolution of existing full HD panels -- and what LG calls "3D sound" thanks to 2.2 integrated channel speakers. 3D is courtesy of the company's passive glasses technology. So how does that all look?

We spotted the set during LG's booth tour today. At first it seemed like "just another" 84-inch 4K TV (the form-factor seems to have exploded within the last week), but this flavor is rigged for three-dimensional viewing as well. You'll need to view 2D content in order to take advantage of the full resolution, and the picture in this mode seemed to be on par with the competition, based on our quick peek at IFA. And how about 3D? The passive picture was consistent with the company's other sets, just, well, much much larger. Will you be making room for this massive set in your living room? You might want to take a closer look in our hands-on photos below before pulling out that credit card.

Follow all of our IFA 2012 coverage by heading to our event hub!

Gallery: LG 4K UD 3D TV hands-on

Continue reading LG's 84-inch UD 3D TV makes its formal IFA debut, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household

LG's 84-inch UD 3D TV makes its formal IFA debut, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's 55-inch OLED TV enters the third dimension, we slide on our glasses (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/lgs-55-inch-oled-3d-tv-hands-on/

We first saw LG's 55-inch OLED TV at last year's CES, where it drew a fair share of oohs and ahhs at the company's press event. In May, the tentative pricing info for the European market was released, but this set's future in the US remained TBD. Fast forward to IFA 2012, and we're in front of this giant again -- but this time, it's sporting 3D. True, at 55 inches, it's no goliath compared to the 84-inch TVs we've seen this week from Sony, Toshiba and even LG, but the company claims this 55-inch model is the largest OLED HDTV available, and its carbon fiber backing and ultra-thin 4mm profile are certainly the markings of a high-end setup.

During LG's booth tour today, we had a chance to sneak a peek at the now 3D-capable set, which otherwise looks quite similar to the version we saw at CES, albeit with a bit more polish. In order to achieve a 4-millimeter profile, the set packs all of its connectivity in the base module. There's also an Invisible Connection module on order, which hooks up to the TV through a proprietary optical connector and transparent cable, should you wish to mount the display on your wall. Naturally, 3D content wasn't as sharp as its 2D counterpart, but the OLED looked great regardless. With its ultra-thin design, it's surely meant for consumers who care about aesthetics perhaps even more than image quality, but if you can stomach the €9,000 price tag, this is one fine get. Take a closer look in our gallery just below.

Follow all of our IFA ! 2012 cov erage by heading to our event hub!

Gallery: LG 55-inch 3D OLED TV hands-on

Continue reading LG's 55-inch OLED TV enters the third dimension, we slide on our glasses (hands-on video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, HD

LG's 55-inch OLED TV enters the third dimension, we slide on our glasses (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms fo! r use of feeds.

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LG's EA93 29-inch display features 21:9 aspect ratio, we take a look at IFA (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/lgs-ea93-29-inch-display-hands-on/

It's alive! We spotted a powered-off version of LG's latest monitor earlier in the week, but now it's loaded up with content and ready to make its formal debut. LG's gone big -- very big -- with some of the showings at its IFA booth. But in addition to the massive 84-inch UD 3D TV and the 55-inch OLED HD TV, it's also showcasing some more modest displays. The company announced its 21:9 aspect ratio monitor, the 29-inch EA93, just prior to IFA. The IPS monitor boasts a WQHD resolution (2,560 x 1,080 pixels) and supports four-way split-screen view. The wide-screen aspect ratio is the same you'll find at a movie theater, making it an ideal choice for viewing Blu-ray flicks, and LG's framing the EA93 as a choice setup for photographers and other multimedia pros, too.

LG had a half dozen of the displays on hand at its IFA 2012 booth playing content in a loop. One station demonstrated cinema playback with a trio of recent film trailers, while other demos included a stock-tracking layout, side-by-side browser windows and the Windows 8 screen you see above. Speaking of that latest Microsoft OS, the EA93 is perfectly suited for viewing extended layouts, giving you direct access to even more tiles simultaneously. We couldn't accurately judge sharpness, as the pre-recorded screens didn't appear at full resolution, though colors did appear bright and accurate. The chrome stand complemented the black! finish nicely, while a multitude of ports on the back enabled USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI connectivity. You can grab an up-close look at both sides of the 21:9 monitor in our gallery below.

Gallery: LG 21:9 EA93 29-inch LCD hands-on

Continue reading LG's EA93 29-inch display features 21:9 aspect ratio, we take a look at IFA (video)

Filed under: Displays, HD

LG's EA93 29-inch display features 21:9 aspect ratio, we take a look at IFA (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms! for use of feeds.

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HP Envy X2: This Windows 8 Hybrid Tablet Can Adapt to Any Circumstance [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5939107/hp-envy-x2-this-windows-8-hybrid-tablet-can-adapt-to-any-circumstance

Just as Samsung unveiled a hybrid tablet that docks into a keyboard, HP is doing the same with their 11.6-inch Envy X2. And just like Samsung's Series 5 model, the Envy X2 will come complete with a dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 chipset, two gigabytes of RAM, and 64 gigabytes of storage space. But what's most impressive is how normal it feels as either a laptop or a tablet.

We won't say the Envy X2 is the most beautiful looking creature in the world when it's docked. And the 11.6-inch screen might have felt a tad overwhelming when used as a tablet. But in the brief time spent with the machine, it seemed like little was sacrificed in either category. HP probably could have mailed it in and hidden any design flaws behind the "versatility" advantages it provides, but the tablet is not only light and thin (1.5 pounds as a tablet, 3.1 pounds as a laptop), it's sturdy and responsive. And when it's docked, it isn't much bigger than the average ultrabook.

As a tablet, it has an 8.0 megapixel rear camera and nice, wide viewing angles afforded by the IPS panel. As a laptop it has all the ports a similarly-sized laptop would carry. And because it will use Intel's next-gen Atom chipset, the Envy X2 runs both the Metro and desktop modes of Windows. The two gigs of RAM could possibly be a concern when mulittasking in desktop mode, but it seemed fine in limited use from us. HP has yet to determine pricing for the Envy X2, but expect to see it later this Fall, close to the Windows 8 launch. [HP]

Diamond Multimedia intros GC1000 console-friendly real-time HD video capture device

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/diamond-multimedia-intros-gc1000-console-friendly-real-time-hd-v/

Want to record those epic Modern Warfare shootouts, but don't want to impede your lightning fast reloads? Diamond Multimedia thinks its new GC1000 is just the box you're looking for. The USB HDMI video capture device promises to let you preserve, share (via YouTube and Facebook) and edit your finest gaming moments in 1080i with zero lag, thanks to its video pass-through capability. There's also the GC500, which Diamond refers to as a "lite" version of the GC1000. The main difference, it seems, being the lack of HDMI (both do composite and s-video also). If you're jonesing for the full-fat version, then you can lay down $140 for one from today. Don't need HDMI? Then you'll save yourself $70. Scan the PR after the break for retailers.

Continue reading Diamond Multimedia intros GC1000 console-friendly real-time HD video capture device

Filed under: Gaming

Diamond Multimedia intros GC1000 console-friendly real-time HD video capture device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba launches Canvio Personal Cloud, network-attached storage with iOS and Android apps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/toshiba-launches-canvio-personal-cloud-network-attached-storage/

DNP Toshiba launches Canvio Personal Cloud, networkattached storage with iOS and Android apps

It's been a few years now that Toshiba's been making external hard drives, so it makes sense that the company would want to venture into larger disks as a next step. Indeed, the company just took the wraps off Canvio Personal Cloud, its first network-attached storage product. The drive itself will be offered in two flavors -- 2TB and 3TB -- but the hook, of course, is that you can use various apps to upload your files and then access them remotely. These applications include desktop software, as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android. In either case, the applications are designed to upload music, video, photos and documents, and all of this content is searchable by date and other filters. The drive will be available sometime next month, starting at $220 for the 2TB version and going up to $250 for 3TB. If you're curious, we've got hands-on photos of the UI past the break.

Gallery: Toshiba Canvio Personal Cloud