Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

LG Display claims a world's first with 2,560 x 1,440 LCD for smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/20/lg-display-worlds-first-quad-hd-display/

Full HD displays? Eat your heart out, handset manufacturers. LG Display has just laid claim to the world's first Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) smartphone display, which also boasts the highest pixel density of a mobile device, clocking in at 538ppi. The firm's panel measures up at 5.5-inches and is only 1.21mm thick, and just 1.2mm at its bezel. According to LG, that makes it the world's slimmest and narrowest panel, stealing the crown from hardware it showed off last month. Thanks to its use of AH-IPS tech and Low Temperature Poly-Silicon (LTPS) substrate, the screen features 430 nits of brightness. If the Quad HD math is throwing you off, that's four times as many pixels as a 1,280 x 720 display. This isn't 4K on a portable display, but we'll take it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

Google invites users to share their expertise over video Helpouts

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/google-invites-users-to-helpouts/

Word broke in late July that Google might launch Helpouts -- a Hangout-based video platform where folks could charge for lending assistance over video -- in about a month's time. Like clockwork, Mountain View's officially announced the platform, but it isn't a free-for-all just yet. Page and Co. are inviting people with expertise in different topics to offer their services when the solution opens for business. The search giant has published a form allowing self-proclaimed experts to toss their hat in the ring for an invite, and lists categories including Arts and Music, Computers and Electronics, Cooking, Education, Fashion and Beauty, Fitness and Nutrition, Health and Counseling along with Home and Garden. Fittingly, Google's own help documents for Helpouts have gone live as well, and they give us a few more details.

First, users will have to submit a listing for their services, which Google will review just before hanging out with them over video to get acquainted and ensure their live feed is in tip-top shape. If you're a medical professional, you can offer your expert opinion to the masses as well, but Mountain View will confirm you've got the proper certificates and licenses in order. Once that's done, interested customers will be able to check a pro's availability and schedule appointments. Folks can offer their skills for free or charge for sessions, but both parties must use Google Wallet for the transaction, and Google will apply a 20 percent fee (yes, even with credit card payments). A launch date for Helpouts is MIA, but you can sign up to be notified and provide a helping hand at the source.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google

Source: Google (1), (2)

SwiftKey Cloud exits beta, available as free update in version 4.2

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/swiftkey-cloud-final-version/

After nearly a month of beta testing, SwiftKey Cloud is now ready for the masses. Now in final form, the popular Android keyboard can backup and sync customizations across devices, and it can even learn phrases that are trending across the globe. Thanks to one-click authorization, it's now easier for SwiftKey to learn phrases from your Facebook and Gmail accounts, and it can also now tap into Yahoo Mail. You'll also find more responsive Flow predictions in the final version, along with some Emoji fixes. SwiftKey Cloud arrives as part of SwiftKey 4.2, which is available as a free update to current users. The app is also available for a free 30-day trial, but for a limited time, you can also snag the paid version for $2.99 / £1.49, which rings in at half off the regular price. Certainly worth checking out if the stock Android keyboard is no longer cutting it.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

Escape for Google Glass brings casual gaming to explorers (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/escape-for-google-glass/

You know what's not new? Android games. You know what is new? Games for Google Glass. There has been the odd attempt so far, but french-based game developer AMA is porting one of its bonafide titles over to the small screen for real. Escape! is a simple puzzler, the sort that we're all familiar with on our phones, that is being squeezed into the wearable format. While games on the hardware might be something of an inevitability, we managed to get our eyes inside a pair to take a better look for ourselves. Head past the break to see how it worked out.

Filed under: Google

LG exec: tablet, phablet, smartwatch and Firefox OS device coming soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/lg-exec-tablet-phablet-smartwatch-and-firefox-os-device/

LG's mobile communications head in Bulgaria, Dimitar Valev, has laid out some of the company's key plans in an interview with Dnevnik.bg. For starters, he confirmed that the company will fire up its temporarily mothballed tablet lines with a new model, likely the 9.8-inch V500 we saw at the FCC earlier today. On the smartphone side, LG will trump its 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro model with a 6-inch handset and release a Firefox OS device early next year. Most intriguingly, he said said the company would give the smartwatch category another kick at the can, despite indifference to LG's GD910 Watch Phone model several years ago -- adding that the device might use flexible LCD tech. We're not sure if Mr. Valev was speaking out of turn, but if accurate, it'll be interesting to see how the new hardware pans out -- especially LG's take on Firefox OS.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Tablets, Wearables, LG

Via: Phone Arena

Source: Dnevnik.bg

Verizon LG Enact leaks in press image, proves QWERTY sliders still exist

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/verizon-lg-enact-leak-qwerty-slider/

According to serial leak merchant @evleaks, the LG Enact is days away from making an official appearance on Verizon, a carrier that reckons there's still life in the 'ole keyboard-packed form factor, with a phone that looks a whole lot like the Android sliders of the past. Yep, LG's new Android smartphone houses an increasingly rare full QWERTY keyboard, a pretty old-school four-key capacitive button layout, and a mix of Verizon and LG-skinned app icons. However, we're already wary of how the Enact's keyboard will handle -- with space at a premium on these keyboards, that substantial border either side of the keys could result in some cramped thumbs. However, at this stage we're not certain of the screen-size and dimensions of the slider, so we'll hold our judgement until we get to tap away on it in real life.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, LG

Source: @evleaks (Twitter)

Netflix's new 'My List' replaces queues, lets users worldwide bookmark their favorites

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/netflix-queue-streaming-my-list/

Netflix's Watch Instantly streaming service in the US started with the same queue-based experience users were familiar with from its disc-by-mail rentals for bookmarking titles to watch later, but internationally the option has never existed. Now the experience is changing everywhere, as Netflix replaces the old queues with "My List." Outside the US subscribers will notice the biggest change, as they're able to curate their own viewing lists instead of relying solely on search or the service's automatically generated genre lists. Otherwise the selection process is mostly the same as we've come to expect, with a "+ My List" button single click adding it to the list of up to 500 items in each user's profile. My List should pop up on individual accounts over the next couple of weeks, check after the break for a breakdown of all the changes incoming plus a video preview of how it will all work.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Source: Netflix Blog

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Minuum for Android: A Space-Saving Keyboard For Sloppy Typers

Source: http://gizmodo.com/minimum-for-android-a-space-saving-keyboard-for-sloppy-1168628051

Minuum for Android: A Space-Saving Keyboard For Sloppy Typers

After a successful Indigogo funding campaign and a closed trial period, design startup Whirlscape is finally making its Minuum Keyboard available to the public—giving you all the screen space you need by condensing your full, QWERTY keyboard into one, itty bitty line.

YouTube's Getting a Fantastic, Functional Makeover on Android

Source: http://gizmodo.com/youtubes-getting-a-functional-makeover-on-android-1168594630

YouTube's Getting a Fantastic, Functional Makeover on Android

Google's YouTube app is getting a functional, stylish makeover Android today. Along with an updated, Google Now-esque, card-based design, you'll also be able to enable your ADD by playing videos while looking for others, and devouring whole playlists. Bet Microsoft is jealous.

JPL's RoboSimian flexes its robot muscles, haunts your nightmares (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/19/jpls-robosimian-flexes-its-robot-muscles-haunts-your-nightmares/

Not content on landing several rovers on the surface of Mars, NASA's JPL team's been working on more earthly projects. RoboSimian is an ape-like robot designed for search-and-rescue missions that's expected to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. It features four multi-jointed limbs with unique hands and no defined front or back -- allowing it to always face the right way. Thanks to its primate-like movement and posture, the robot will be able to navigate over difficult terrain, climb ladders and even drive vehicles (one of the DRC's requirements). While the project itself isn't new, JPL recently published an interesting video that shows RoboSimian gripping tools, lifting its own weight and balancing delicate objects. This means, of course, that robot monkeys will soon join spiders, cats and dogs in your dystopian nightmares. Video after the break.

Filed under: Robots

Source: JPL

ASUS first to arrive with motherboard packing Intel's 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/20/asus-thunderbolt2-motherboard/

The ink is still fresh on Intel's formal blessing of Thunderbolt 2, and as promised, there's already a product on the market from perennial early bird ASUS. The Z87-Deluxe/Quad ATX is the first motherboard to pack the tech, which combines four of the original 10Gbps Thunderbolt channels into two bi-directional 20Gbps ports. That's four times the speed of USB 3.0 if you're keeping score at home, allowing two 4K displays to be driven at once, or faster-than-SATA-6 SSD speeds, for instance. Otherwise, it's as well-equipped as you'd expect from a bleeding edge mainboard, with 4th-gen Intel (Haswell) CPU support, 10 SATA-6 ports, 8 USB 3.0 ports, and 3 PCIe 3.0/2.0 x 16 slots. There's no pricing or availability yet, though Thunderbolt-equipped motherboards tend to be expensive. Still, if you wear the "early adopter" name-tag with pride, hit the PR after the break.

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals, ASUS

Via: Legit Reviews

Augmented reality table lets you explore a book without opening it (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/20/gensler-the-hive-multi-surface-experience/

We've seen touch-friendly tables before, but they're rarely so slick as the Multi Surface Experience, a newly launched collaboration between design firm Gensler and ad agency The Hive. The installation lets guests explore Gensler's architectural portfolio (the book you see above) just by walking up to a wavy table. An overhead projector, Kinect for Windows and special software present an interface wherever people stand; when users choose to learn more about a project, it pops up on a wall-mounted 4K display. The current experience is sadly confined to Gensler's Los Angeles office, but it's also the start of teamwork that could lead to commercial designs. Don't be surprised if company lobbies are much livelier in the future.

Filed under: Displays, Alt

Source: The Hive

Garmin prepares for battle with sensor-packed VIRB action cam (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/20/garmin-virb-action-cam/

There are more than enough action cams on the market, but that's not stopping Garmin from jumping head first into that saturated space. The GPS maker hopes to bring something fresh to the table with its $299 VIRB and $399 VIRB Elite, a pair of ruggedized camcorders that do more than simply snap footage from within a clear protective shell. Both models can shoot 1080p clips at 30fps and 16-megapixel still photos (while recording video) for up to three consecutive hours with one 2,000mAh cell, but they offer a variety of features that some competitors can't match, including a low-power 1.4-inch transflective LCD for navigating menus and previewing footage, optional (digital) IS and the ability to sync up with a variety of other Garmin devices through ANT+.

That last feature is perhaps the most compelling here -- VIRB's ANT+ chip lets you add on accessories like a heart rate monitor while also pairing with the company's Fenix watch, logging GPS coordinates and other stats with each captured clip. The pricier Elite flavor brings positioning sensors on board, however, along with an altimeter and WiFi, which you can use to connect the cam to a dedicated Android or iOS app. That software component lets you see a live preview and control basic settings (video start/stop and still image capture) remotely -- eventually, you'll be able to send content from the device to your phone or tablet, though that functionality isn't included just yet. A tiny remote will also be available as an add-on, should you opt to leave your smartphone at home.

It's easy enough to operate the water-resistant camera without a remote though, even with it mounted on your helmet or attached to a surf board. A large sliding record button lets you power up and start shooting video right away, even when the camera's turned off. There's no built-in storage, but you can slide in your own microSD card under the battery. The Garmin VIRB ships next month for $299, while its Elite counter part will ship around the same time for $399. Check out that base model, along with some of the many optional straps and mounts, in our hands-on photos just below.

Filed under: Cameras, GPS

Microsoft shows off next-gen Kinect motion and voice capture in Xbox One's Project Spark

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/20/microsoft-says-project-spark-beta-launching-in-october/

Microsoft just flaunted some of Project Spark's gaming powers at Gamescom 2013 in Cologne: motion and voice capture. If you'll recall, the platform enables gamers to create their own digital spaces for games using the Xbox One's integrated Kinect sensor and the upcoming SmartGlass. Microsoft's Team Dakota group showed how to use facial capture, body motion capture and voice and sound to create animations, dialogue, cut scenes and more. You'll be able to try it yourself on Windows 8 at the end of October 2013, or by January 2014 for the Xbox One. Check the video after the jump to see the fruits of their labor, but maybe turn the volume down a hair. Just sayin'.

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

Source: Xbox

Monday, August 19, 2013

This Flexible OLED Camera Can Snap One-Shot Panoramic Photos

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-flexible-oled-camera-can-snap-one-shot-panoramic-p-1166231075

Taking panoramic photos was once a time consuming process of carefully snapping a series of shots and then manually stitching them back together in Photoshop. Today it's as easy as just panning across a vista with your digital camera or smartphone, but researchers at Queen's University's Human Media Lab have come up with an even easier solution: a flexible camera that captures panoramic images in a single snap.

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