Finally, an LTE Chip That Will Work Anywhere in the World

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5986141/finally-an-lte-chip-which-will-work-anywhere-in-the-world

Qualcomm has announced something that will make travellers everywhere very happy: a new radio chipset that can support every LTE network in the world.

More accurately, the RF360 chips provides connectiviry for LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD, WCDMA, EV-DO, CDMA 1x, TD-SCDMA and GSM/EDGE networks. That should be enough, though, as it currently covers every LTE network in use across the globe.

That'll be of interest to manufacturers and consumers alike. Not only will it make travelling easier, it will allow companies to make a single phone to ship around the world, instead of having to make different phones for different markets. Qualcomm also claims that the RF360 (which isn't the chip pictured above) wll provide improved antenna performance, battery life and connection reliability, too—but those improvements are likley marginal. [Engadget]

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Insert Coin semifinalist: Moedls brings 3D scanning to your phone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/22/insert-coin-semifinalist-moedls/

3D scanners are kinda old hat at this point. But, while we've seen more than our fair share of Kinect hacks, we haven't come across too many phone-based systems. Moedls actually puts the power to create models like the one above in the palm of your hand... sort of. The heart of the system is either an iOS or Android app (sorry MeeGo fans), but there are actual lasers with a custom enclosure as part of the platform. Clearly, that does somewhat restrict portability, but it should all fit into a 10-inch x 10-inch x 4-inch box for storage or transportation.

Creator John Fehr started the project as a way to save some of his daughter's sculptures in digital form. After trying many different component options, Fehr settled on a combination of parts that totaled around $300. That included a custom enclosure and variable speed rotating platform have been sourced. Right now the iOS app is awaiting approval from Apple and the Google-fied equivalent is currently in development. Combine this with a 3D printer (we hear you've got quite a few choices at this point) and the world becomes your playground. You can see an example of what Moedls is capable of, even at this early stage, at the source.

Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Moedls

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MIT's Developing a Chip That Makes You a Better Smartphone Photographer

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5985898/mits-developing-a-chip-that-makes-you-a-better-smartphone-photographer

Most of the post-processing done by a camera is handled by software that MIT researchers believe could be a lot smarter, faster, and user-friendly. So they're developing a single chip that can handle these operations with remarkable efficiency.

High Dynamic Range imagery, where the camera snaps multiple images to generate a final photo with perfect exposure, usually takes a while for a smartphone to process. But MIT's new chip can generate a ten-megapixel HDR image in just a few hundred milliseconds—almost instantly as far as the photographer's concerned.

It's also got another neat trick up its sleeve for improving photos in low-light conditions. Images snapped with a flash are usually blown-out and ugly, but the chip would actually snap two versions—with and without a flash—and combine them into a single perfect image that ensures everything is properly lit. The chip could even instantly deal with issues like noise in a high-ISO image, and is almost like having Photoshop built right into your camera—minus the years of practice needed to figure out how to use it. [MIT via Engadget]

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Canon MREAL Mixed Reality headset hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/21/canon-mreal-hands-on/

Thought Google Glass cost a pretty penny? Well, try this head-mounted display on for size. It's that Mixed Reality wearable from Canon that we've been hearing so much about. As previously noted, it's set to hit the States the first of next month, carrying a decidedly gigantic $125,000 price tag (plus an estimated $25,000 in annual maintenance). But before you go writing a brashly worded letter to the bigwigs at Canon, remember: this isn't really for you. That is, unless you're an automotive manufacturer, research university or museum display curator. This is a heavy-duty, industry-facing device.

That said, the camera maker did give a few of us non-industry folks the chance to play around with the display at an event in Manhattan last night, while the rest of the tech world was fawning over that fancy new PlayStation thingamabob. Having spent some time with Sony's HMZ-T1, we've got to say that the experience of wearing this far, far more high-end product wasn't all that different from a hardware perspective: slip it over your head, place it on the bridge of your nose and tighten. It's possible to get it snug without being too uncomfortable -- and when it's time to take it off, a flip of the lever will remove it in one go.

Gallery: Canon MREAL Mixed Reality headset hands-on

Filed under: Cameras, Displays, Wearables, Canon

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Sony preps extra-low power mobile GPS chips, draws on motion sensors for help

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/21/sony-preps-extra-low-power-mobile-positioning-chips/

Many of us can vouch for smartphone navigation being something of a battery hog. Sony would like us to navigate relatively guilt-free: its D5600 and flash-equipped D5601 chips chew no more than 10mW of power for everything they do. Most of their peers demand more than that just for the RF side of the equation, Sony says. They also won't lean on outside help for their location fix. Both chips talk to GPS, GLONASS and similar systems, but they further share the increasingly common ability to use an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer to get a more reliable position lock. Don't expect thrifty GPS just yet, when Sony ships the basic D5600 in June and D5601 in September; that doesn't even include the time spent to build a phone or tablet around either of the new parts. We'll be patient if they reduce that anxiety over battery life whenever we're getting directions.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Tablets, Sony

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Source: Sony

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