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Sony unveils NEX-7: 24.3 MP sensor, OLED viewfinder, $1199 price tag (video)

Aug 242011

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During our trip to Sony HQ earlier this summer to check out the NEX-C3, company reps hinted that the best was yet to come — and held true to their word. Today’s NEX-7 release breaks a handful of digicam records, becoming not only the first mirrorless camera to pack a 24.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, but the first APS-C cam of any shape and size to smash through this notable barrier — potentially delivering unparalleled image quality for a camera of its size. Sony’s new flagship mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) also features the same OLED viewfinder included with its brand-new Alpha A77, delivering XGA (1024 x 768-pixel) resolution directly to your eye. There’s also 1080 / 60p AVCHD video capture, a full-size hot shoe, and a completely redesigned “Tri-Navi” interface. We spent a few minutes with a pre-production NEX-7 earlier this month — jump past the break for our initial impressions.

Gallery: Sony Alpha NEX-7 (hands-on)

Continue reading Sony unveils NEX-7: 24.3 MP sensor, OLED viewfinder, $1199 price tag (video)

Sony unveils NEX-7: 24.3 MP sensor, OLED viewfinder, $1199 price tag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MightyText pushes messages and incoming call alerts to your computer (hands-on)

Internet, Software No Responses »

Jun 222011

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Have you ever missed an extremely important phone call or text because you were too busy finishing those TPS reports on your personal computing machine? There’s a Chrome add-on for that. We went hands-on with a new extension (and accompanying Android app) called MightyText, a free notification service launched today that syncs your phone’s texts and calls to your computer in real-time. The idea is crazy simple, yet adds unyielding convenience: incoming SMS messages appear on your screen as a pop-up, giving you the option to read and reply to them without touching or even looking at the phone. The full extension will show each conversation thread in its entirety, as well as call logs.

When sent from the computer, texts are still patched through from your phone number, so your colleagues will still see your messages coming through with your name on them. To make the service even more appealing, pop-ups alert you to incoming calls, so you can either hurry to find your phone or just send the caller a canned auto-text reply. It sounds like a great concept, but does it do the job? Head on past the break to learn our first impressions of the program.

Continue reading MightyText pushes messages and incoming call alerts to your computer (hands-on)

MightyText pushes messages and incoming call alerts to your computer (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm takes sci-fi one step closer to reality at Computex 2011 (video)

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Jun 032011

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While flying cars are still a pipe dream, other technologies are quickly transitioning from the stuff of sci-fi movies into the very tangible realm of reality. This was definitely the case at the Qualcomm Booth here at Computex where we got to experience two interesting new technologies — zero shutter lag and the ultrasonic pen. What if when you pressed the shutter button on your phone the camera captured 2 frames before, one frame during, and 2 frames after that instant? That’s the idea behind Scalado’s zero shutter lag, which speeds up the process of taking pictures on a phone by letting the camera continuously sample images and allowing the user to create a composite shot from the content available in up to 5 frames.

Also on display was Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen that we already played with at MWC. By using an ultrasonic transducer attached to a pen and a phone with 3 microphones (like the MSM8660 Mobile Development Platform), the ultrasonic signal can be triangulated to determine the location of the pen. Once calibrated, the phone is able to accurately capture handwriting either on the screen itself or on a standard sheet of paper up to 30cm away. We noticed that accuracy and distance appear to have improved since February — at this pace, perhaps we’ll all have flying cars soon after all? Check out the gallery and hit the break for our hands-on video.

Gallery: Qualcomm zero shutter lag and ultrasonic pen hands on

Continue reading Qualcomm takes sci-fi one step closer to reality at Computex 2011 (video)

Qualcomm takes sci-fi one step closer to reality at Computex 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 02:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on)

Cellphones, Peripherals No Responses »

May 232011

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We’ve seen panorama add-ons for the iPhone before, but Kogeto’s offering is quite a bit more pocketable than other crowd-funded solutions. The Kogeto Dot snaps onto an iPhone 4 in your choice of pastel colors, and catches 360-degree video when placed face down. It’s got an accompanying iOS app that will un-distort the video for sharing, or even broadcast it on the net in real time. We got to check out a prototype, and though there’s still some residual distortion at this point in time, we’re assured that it’ll all get straightened out if and when the project meets its funding goal. Interestingly (and annoyingly), this implementation requires your iPhone be held perpendicular rather than upright, making previewing a capture virtually impossible until after you’ve stopped the recording, which seems unnatural to us. Combine that with a minimum Kickstarter pledge of $98 to secure one of your own, and suddenly the less-portable and lower-degree alternatives start sounding a little more attractive. If you’re still interested, hit the source link below and get in on the action. Promo video after the break.

Gallery: Kogeto Dot iPhone 4 panoramic camera hands-on

Continue reading Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on)

Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Write-Erasable Input Display hands-on at SID 2011 (video)

Personal Tech No Responses »

May 182011

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Sure, we’ve seen oodles of light pen drawing boards, and e-readers that support doodling, but Toshiba's “R&D project” at SID Display Week just… struck us. Weighing far less than the notepad used to jot down notes about it, this encapsulated device evidently sports a built-in battery, E Ink tendencies, a microSD card slot, proprietary charging port, an on / off toggle switch and support for stylus input. Drawing on it was both enjoyable and simple, and we were actually able to erase our typos with the press of a button (and a bit of eraser work with the pictured pen). Enough chatter — have a look yourself in the video past the break.

Gallery: Toshiba Write-Erasable Input Display hands-on at SID 2011

Continue reading Toshiba Write-Erasable Input Display hands-on at SID 2011 (video)

Toshiba Write-Erasable Input Display hands-on at SID 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 08:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon Cloud Player streams tunes to iOS, following silent upgrade (updated)

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May 082011

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Amazon Cloud Player has been laying low following its scuffle with Sony Music, but that hasn’t kept the company’s developers from rolling a crucial new feature out — support for Apple’s iOS devices, which it didn’t have on day one. Despite running in the Safari browser window, we’ve confirmed that songs will indeed play. If you’ve got a device handy, give it a try yourself; otherwise, we’ll update with impressions a little later this evening.

Update: Great news — we ran the Cloud Player on an original iPad and iPhone 3GS without a hitch. In fact, there was very little (if any) lag or time delay when buffering a new song, and were able to refresh playlists and other information quickly. The interface of the Cloud Player is almost the same as — if not identical to — the page that loads up on your computer browser.

Even better, the Cloud Player works flawlessly with the multitasking controls in iOS; the usual forward/pause/volume options are all usable as you play Angry Birds. Sadly, there is just one bump in the road that keeps the process from being perfectly smooth: mobile Safari prohibits you from doing drag-and-drops, which adds a couple extra steps to the process of adding songs to your playlists. Take a look below for some screenshots of the Cloud Player in action.

Sean Hollister contributed to this post.

Gallery: Amazon Cloud Player iOS

Amazon CloudPlayer iOS5 Amazon CloudPlayer iOS1 Amazon CloudPlayer iOS 2 Amazon CloudPlayer iOS3 Amazon CloudPlayer iOS4

Amazon Cloud Player streams tunes to iOS, following silent upgrade (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm's FlashLinq long-range peer-to-peer communications tech demoed at MWC (video)

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Feb 162011

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Taken a look at our AllJoyn hands-on here at Mobile World Congress? You should, and then pick up here. Back? Good. Qualcomm’s FlashLinq is a quasi-extension of AllJoyn, but unlike the latter, this is a proprietary solution that actually requires Qualcomm hardware to run (for now anyway; licensing deals could be in the works). Basically, this wireless technology allows FlashLinq-enabled devices to sense up to 4,000 other FlashLinq devices within a radius of up to 1km, which puts things like WiFi and Bluetooth to shame. Of course, that’s under “ideal” circumstances, but even in subpar situations, the range should still beat out existing short-range alternatives. Why develop a solution like this? For one, businesses will be all over it; imagine a Yelp! instance that specifically hones in on businesses that have a FlashLinq-enabled device in their store, which is advertising deals for those who stop in and mention that FlashLinq sent ‘em. Secondly, social networking / Latitude addicts will be head over heels for something like this. Once a connection is made, there’s a steady 15Mbps beam available between the users — that’s more than enough for videochats, media streaming and multiplayer gaming.

The major difference between this and WiFi (aside from the range) is that unlike WiFi — which operates in unlicensed spectrum — FlashLinq requires licensed 5MHz TDD spectrum. That enables control over interference, which in turns boosts range and device density. Moreover, this system uses dramatically less power than BT or WiFi to sense other devices — you’re only using power for discovery two percent of the time, we’re told. Beyond that, a lot remains up in the air. The company is still hammering out which chips will ship with FlashLinq support, and it’ll be waiting for results from its SK Telecom trial (which starts in April) before committing to a commercialization date. Sadly, none of this can be retrofitted into older devices, but the good news is that it’s hardly limited to mobiles. FlashLinq-enabled televisions, laptops, in-car infotainment systems, etc. could all be used to create a discoverable network of interactive goodness, but of course, it’s hard to say how much success Qualcomm will have in a world already loaded down with connectivity options. The technology itself is fairly fascinating, though, as is the social networking demonstration that’s embedded just past the break. Hop on down and mash play, won’t you?

Gallery: Qualcomm’s FlashLinq long-range peer-to-peer communications tech at MWC 2011

Continue reading Qualcomm’s FlashLinq long-range peer-to-peer communications tech demoed at MWC (video)

Qualcomm’s FlashLinq long-range peer-to-peer communications tech demoed at MWC (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm demos AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology (video)

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Feb 162011

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It’s simple, but highly complex. You dig? Qualcomm’s AllJoyn demonstration here at MWC was quite the eye-opener, but it’s hard to say how much traction it’ll gain in a world already inundated with short-range transfer protocols. Bluetooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi Direct… the list goes on and on (and on). Essentially, AllJoyn is an open-source software system that doesn’t actually have to run atop Qualcomm hardware; if implemented in a particular app, it can enable peer-to-peer sharing with others based on location. If you’re standing near someone who also has an AllJoyn-enabled application, you two (or more) can interact — if you’re both using Bluetooth, the range will be around 30 feet, but if you’re both using Wi-Fi, it’ll obviously be greater. Qualcomm’s hoping to entwine its homegrown FlashLinq (more on that in a separate article) in order to let people use this while being up to 1km away from one another.

The company describes AllJoyn as a software framework for developers that enables easy P2P access; rather than an app developer having to write this functionality in from scratch, they can simply grab Qualcomm’s code and integrate it. Currently, the spec only supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi Direct and FlashLinq support it in the works, and those will hopefully be added by the end of the year. We’re told that the company’s also working to create a constant link between devices, which could one day (soon) enable streaming support. There’s C++, Java and Javascript models available, with Qualcomm’s goal being to have developers port this all over the place. The demo (embedded after the break) involved a foursome of phones sharing photographs with one another, while a nearby laptop was shown engaging in a multiplayer game with two smartphones. We were told that the company’s currently in talks with a number of large gaming firms to get this ingrained in future titles, but no specifics were available. Another application would be within a social network, enabling AllJoyn apps to alert users when a friend is nearby. A huge boon there is that this doesn’t require data, so international groups who’d like to keep tabs on one another’s location will be able to do so without roaming on a foreign network. So, any app developers considering bundling this in with your next update?

Gallery: Qualcomm’s AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology at MWC 2011

Continue reading Qualcomm demos AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology (video)

Qualcomm demos AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm's ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video)

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Feb 152011

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LG’s Netflix-lovin’ Revolution wasn’t the only standout demonstration at Qualcomm’s MWC booth — the company also cut out a bit of space to showcase a wild new ultrasonic pen that’s able to transcribe writing on paper directly into one’s phone, tablet or laptop. The gist of it is simple: the pen can be equipped with an actual ink pen or a simple nub, and there’s a battery-powered transceiver inside. Using standard, off-the-shelf microphones on a mobile device, your future phone or tablet could pick up vibrations from the pen with a radius of around 30 centimeters.

Underlying Epos software is used to convert vibration and coordinate information into text, and from there, any ‘ole text app can be used to field the results. We were even shown a brief demo of a prototype language translation app that enabled the demonstrator to write a sentence on paper beside the phone, and have the phone itself take in the English phrase, convert it to text, and then translate into a foreign tongue. It’s a fairly impressive feat, and there’s some pretty obvious usage case scenarios here — this could easily reinvent the art of note taking in class, where those who prefer to jot down reminders on paper will be able to log those same bullet points on their laptop as they scribble. Vid’s after the break, per usual.

Gallery: Qualcomm / Epos ultrasonic pen handwriting demo at MWC 2011

Continue reading Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video)

Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP twirls out TouchSmart 610 and 9300 all-in-one PCs

Desktops No Responses »

Feb 072011

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When almost every other computer manufacturer has copied its touchscreen all-in-one, what’s a company like HP to do? Create a totally crazy pivoting and reclining one, of course! Yep, HP’s newest TouchSmart 610 and 9300 Elite Business PC may look like typical 1920 x 1080-resolution, 23-inch all-in-ones when positioned upright, but that all changes when their screens recline up to 60 degrees or the entire body of the rig swivels around to do a 180. It’s one seriously flexible AIO, but the new design isn’t just about yoga-like tricks — it aims to make touch interaction more comfortable and ergonomic, and on that vein HP has also updated its TouchSmart 610 consumer model with its latest TouchSmart software layer, which includes finger-friendly Hulu, Netflix, and Twitter apps as well as a TouchSmart Apps Center. The 9300 Elite Business all-in-one, as you may have caught from its name, is meant for enterprise and “customer spaces” (aka kiosks, counters, etc.), and thus only comes loaded with Windows 7.

Spec-wise, the 610 can be configured with Intel and AMD desktop processors, up to 16GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage, a Blu-ray drive, while its 1.3 megapixel camera and Beats Audio speakers come standard. Naturally, the 9300 has to keep up its professional reputation, and though it cuts out the Beats, it gains Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processors, a 160GB SSD option, and a higher quality two megapixel cam with facial recognition software. You know, for “enhanced security.” So, when can you pick up one of these monsters? The $900 610 is expected to start shipping on February 9th, while the 9300 will hit in May for an undetermined price. We’re hoping to bring you a full review of the 610 soon, but we can tell you from our early look at it that the viewing angles were sufficiently wide and the tilting mechanism fairly rigid. Man, it’s already turning out to be quite a week for HP — that webOS event is coming up on Wednesday, but in the meantime you’ll want to hit the break for the full TouchSmart press release and a short video of the reclining mechanism in action.

Gallery: HP TouchSmart 610 and TouchSmart 9300 hands-on

Gallery: HP TouchSmart 610 and TouchSmart 9300 press images

Continue reading HP twirls out TouchSmart 610 and 9300 all-in-one PCs

HP twirls out TouchSmart 610 and 9300 all-in-one PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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