ZTE Grand S should be just 6.9mm thick, wield a 13MP camera

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/27/zte-grand-s-should-be-just-6-9mm-inches-thick-wield-13mp-camera/

ZTE has been more than willing to spill the beans about the Grand S ahead of CES, and it's not stopping with the mention that the phone exists. The Chinese phone maker has confirmed that its 5-inch smartphone measures just 6.9mm (0.27in) thick -- that's a sight slimmer than the Droid DNA and Nubia Z5. There's also mention of a 13-megapixel camera that explains a slightly visible rear hump. While we don't yet have confirmation of the rumored quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and 2GB of RAM, ZTE has left clues that the flagship could undercut typical pricing with a ¥2,799 ($449) off-contract cost in China. We may only know the full details in Las Vegas, but there's every indication that the Grand S hardware could justify a boast or two.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: ZTE (Sina Weibo), MyDrivers (translated)

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LG Display is bringing Ultra HD TVs in multiple sizes, high res mobile screens and more to CES

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/26/lg-display-is-bringing-ultra-hd-tvs-in-multiple-sizes-high-res/

The manufacturing white label behind products from LG Electronics and many, many other companies, LG Display will have something new for us in Las Vegas as well. In a press release, the company announced it will show off Ultra HD (4K) panels in 55-, 65- and 84-inch sizes (shown above), complete with its FPR passive 3D tech built in. Since LG Display makes panels for quite a few of the HDTVs on shelves, it follows that we'll be seeing actual products shipping in those sizes in the coming year from several brands. It also will show off its work in other areas, with a 30-inch 4K monitor, a 5.5-inch 1080p screen for smartphones, a 1,920 x 1,200 7-inch tablet display, and a new QSXGA (2,560 x 1,700) screen destined for laptops that packs all of those pixels into just 12.9-inches.

PPI isn't everything however, and LG Display is bringing several displays notable for their tiny bezels as well, including a 23.8-inch monitor in its Neo-Blade Series, a 13.3-inch laptop screen with a 2mm bezel, and a 4.7-inch mobile screen with a 1mm thick bezel. Finally, the new year also brings tweaks to its OLED displays, which will show off an ultra light and thin design at just 3.5kg and 4mm thick --- and hopefully actually being released in the US this year. Check out the release after the br! eak for the full list of goodies, we'll be getting our own look at them in just a few days.

Continue reading LG Display is bringing Ultra HD TVs in multiple sizes, high res mobile screens and more to CES

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD, Mobile, LG

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New Toshiba camera sensor lets you refocus after the shot, plans 2013 launch in smartphones and tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/27/toshiba-camera-sensor-refocus-photos-2013-launch/

Hoping for some after-the-fact focusing in your next smartphone camera? Well, you'll have to wait around a year, but Toshiba's planning exactly that with a new module that houses an array of 500,000 tiny lenses. Within a 1cm-thick unit, these lenses are layered in front of the camera sensor, which can capture slightly different images from each lens arrangement. Those picture can then be combined in a "complete" picture using Toshiba's own software. Apparently, the camera will also be able to measure the distance between objects in the shot -- similar to how 3D images are captured -- with the user then able to shift focus between close and distant detail, or even create images that are in-focus throughout. Toshiba says the module will also be able to capture video with a similar degree of focus management -- something that Lytro hasn't got around to just yet. The sensor is still a work in progress, but the manufacturer plans to commercialize the module before the end of 2013. Toshiba is looking to ally itself with multiple smartphone (and tablet) makers -- and here's hoping that it finds its way into a device outside of Japan.

[Thanks Franck]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Asahi Shinbun (Japanese), (English)

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LG Unveils a Gigantor 100-Inch Laser Projector: You're Gonna Need Bigger Walls

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969872/lg-unveils-a-gigantor-100+inch-laser-projector-youre-gonna-need-bigger-walls

Conventional video projectors have remained largely a niche market for dedicated home theater enthusiasts on account of their difficult installation. However, a new breed of "home projector" has developed over the past few years into an increasingly viable alternative to flat panel televisions. And if LG's new 100-inch class LG "HECTO" Laser TV is any indicator, the LED/Plasma debate may be moot.

The 1080p HECTO system uses a specially designed screen and an Ultra Short Throw (UST) projector that sits under it. The obvious advantage is that you can set up the system like a normal flat panel display rather than having to mount the projector on your ceiling or maintain a clear line of sight from the back of the room. The projector needs less than two feet of space from the screen to function and is bright enough to work in normally lit living rooms rather than darkened home theaters.

The projector itself is outfitted with dual 10W speakers, a trio HDMI ports, audio out, and a RS-232 interface. And like the rest of LG's premium device offerings this year, the HECTO will offer Smart TV functionality—including web browsing and VOD—as well as integration with the new Magic Remote and WiDi compatibility. Most impressive pehaps is the HECTO's Methusala of a bulb. It reportedly lasts five time longer than conventional mercury lamps—a stunning 25,000 hours.

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Toshiba's New 20-Megapixel Image Sensor Is a Remnant of the Megapixel Wars

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5971212/toshibas-new-20+megapixel-image-sensor-is-a-remnant-of-the-megapixel-wars

Toshiba's new TCM5115CL 20-megapixel image sensor is the highest-resolution ever built for the tiniest point-and-shoot cameras. Uh oh, are the megapixel wars back?

For a while there, the wars over who could cram more pixels onto tiny image sensors seemed to have died off. Indeed, for years, megapixel counts were a showy and misleading spec used by camera manufacturers to entice buyers who don't know any better. But when it comes to the 1/2.3-inch image sensors used in bottom-of-the-line cameras, almost all manufacturers these days have settled on a 16-megapixel, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor. The spec is a nice compromise between resolution and light-capturing efficiency for the cheap point-and-shoot cameras these sensors are used in.

Well next year, Toshiba will roar onto the marketplace with a new 1/2.3-inch image sensor with 25-percent more pixels. Sure, this sensor could be a huge breakthrough in image quality that allows Toshiba to stuff more pixels onto the same space without losing quality.. But what a 1/2.3-inch sensor really needs is better performance out of the pixels it already has. Oh well, we'll reserve judgement until the new sensors ship next August. [Businesswire]

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