Hasta La Gadget!

Direct sales figures for Windows Phone 7 handsets have been remarkably difficult to come by since Microsoft’s OS reboot at the end of last year, but here come the stat gurus at Gartner to provide us with their best estimate. 3.6 million of the world’s smartphone sales in the past quarter were counted under the Microsoft mobile OS umbrella, of which 1.6 million featured the very latest WP7 software. That means Redmond partners sold more Windows Mobile devices in the first three months of 2011 than ones bearing the sparkling new operating system. Guess now we know what LG meant when it said the Windows Phone launch didn’t meet expectations. Gartner sees these numbers as evidencing a failure “to grow in consumer preference” by WP7’s launch devices, though it predicts better things ahead, with Nokia’s participation helping to accelerate the platform’s momentum. For more (much more!) stats relating to the global cellphone market in Q1 2011, click on the source link for Gartner’s full disclosure.

Gartner: 1.6 million Windows Phone 7 devices sold in Q1, consumer interest remains tepid originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve got some spare gadgets and need to make a quick buck gift card, there are any number of ways — Walmart, Target, Best Buy and even eBay will instantly quote you a dollar figure these days. Now, Amazon is joining their ranks as the latest firm eager to stockpile still-somewhat-valuable tech, by adding electronics as the latest category for trade-ins. Pick from the 2,550 items currently recognized and describe the condition your camera / GPS / calculator is in, and Amazon will let you know how many dollars worth of credit it can give you alongside a prepaid shipping label. We can’t tell if Amazon will give you better deals than the competition, but this beautiful brown Zune did fairly well. Never you mind that it typically sells for upwards of $40 at auction — Amazon has mouths to feed, you know?

Continue reading Amazon adds electronics to trade-in program, pawns 2,550 gadgets and counting

Amazon adds electronics to trade-in program, pawns 2,550 gadgets and counting originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Japan’s NHK has been working on the successor to HDTV, Super Hi-Vision, for years, there haven’t been any direct-view HDTVs capable of showing its full 7,680 x 4,320 pixel resolution until this prototype unveiled today by Sharp. Its 103 pixels per inch may be just a fraction of those found in some of the pocket displays we’ve seen at SID this week, but that’s still far more than the 36ppi of a 60-inch 1080p HDTV. If estimates are correct, we’ll still be waiting until around 2020 for that 33MP video and 22.2 channel sound to actually be broadcast, although there’s a possibility of some demonstrations happening during the 2012 Olympics. Skip past the break for the available specs and a video demonstration, or just head over to the NHK’s Science & Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo between the 26th and 29th of this month.

Continue reading Sharp shows off the world’s first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p

Sharp shows off the world’s first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers at ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories recently demonstrated their latest developments in the Ubiquitous Network Robot (UNR) project, a robotic wheelchair.

Incorporating a number of innovative platforms including GPS, unbiquitous sensor networks and mobile devices, the specially designed robot wheelchair was able to automatically meet an elderly shopper at a mall entrance and take her shopping. The shopper used a smartphone to reserve the wheelchair which then logged her details and used GPS coordinates to meet the shopper without any assistance as she arrived, and could then be controlled by a Wii controller.

The robotic wheelchair is fitted with a number of safety features aimed to put the user’s mind at ease while maneuvering about a busy mall. On-board laser rangefinders are used to prevent collisions with other shoppers and obstacles such as walls and benches, and can plot the best route through the busy areas automatically. It can also take over driving through the mall when the user gets tired or when it is particularly busy. A really interesting feature is the ability for the robot to remember favorite or regular products the user buys then recommend and navigate to them automatically. There is also a remote operator on hand to aid in times when lasers can’t detect obstacles in certain “dangerous areas”. Using a combination of a 3D graphical interface incorporating rich map data, human position data, and video from an omnidirectional camera the operator can safely drive the customer through or around the dangerous area.

With a swelling aging population in Japan the focus on technology aimed at providing this kind of service is intensifying. Allowing elderly or disabled users a level of independence by enabling them to safely visit malls and other areas without the use of a caretaker provides a valuable service. We could see this also eventually linking up with home appliances, such as a shopper’s refrigerator which records particular products the customer has or doesn’t have, to create an automatic shopping list and be able to guide them around the supermarket or mall to the relevant spaces.

Via Dylan Glas at IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Networked Robots

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Technically, we suppose Logitech already made a play for the tablet accessories market when it launched a rebranded Zaggmate keyboard case earlier this year, but today the peripheral manufacturer’s getting serious about slates with the launch of two new portable products. Lacking a Smart Cover to keep your iPad 2 on edge? You could try the $70 Logitech Tablet Keyboard pictured above, which comes with a hardshell sleeve that doubles as a tablet stand and dedicated iOS or Android shortcuts. The keyboard itself is slick, roomy and somewhat plasticky, with a definite Notion Ink Adam vibe. There’s also a redesigned Zaggmate, now known as the $100 Logitech Keyboard Case, which comes with “a more intuitive keyboard layout and improved keystrokes for even more comfortable typing” — a claim we weren’t able to test — as well as a rebranded $100 Logitech Z515 Bluetooth speaker system, and a $50 Bluetooth mouse. Pricey? Definitely. Worthwhile? Decide for yourself later this month, when they’re scheduled to hit shelves.

Continue reading Logitech outs a pair of keyboard cases, gets into the tablet accessories game

Logitech outs a pair of keyboard cases, gets into the tablet accessories game originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 04:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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