Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like the upstart LIFX, wi-fi lighting system is about to get some big competition forum a big company. Philips has just announced their new Hue lighting system.

These high-tech lights can be controlled using your iOS devices using a companion app. Simply screw them into your standard light socket and connect them to your wi-fi network. Lights can be controlled to automatically turn on and off at preset times, and you can set up different zones for each room of your house. You can even create presets which gradually turn on the lights when you wake up in the morning, or shut off if you fall asleep with the lights on.

The energy-efficient 600 lumen LED bulbs can not only output as much white light as a 50-watt bulb, but in a wide variety of colors too. You can even paint visual palettes based on your own personal lighting preferences, and sampling colors from photographs.

With its companion app, you’ll be able to do everything from tweak colors and brightness to just that right shade for optimal reading, or to turn your house into a veritable party for the eyes.

Hue lamps will be available exclusively from the Apple Store starting on October 30th, so you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on them. A starter kit with three Hue bulbs, along with the wireless bridge device and all necessary software will run you $199 (USD). Additional bulbs sell for $59 each. While that may seem like a lot to spend on light bulbs, these will last for many years, and can do things no ordinary bulb can.

It’s almost a truism that starter smartphones have poor cameras that struggle just to get pristine photos in broad daylight, let alone dim interiors. Thankfully, OmniVision’s new OV5645 sensor could lead newcomers out of a very literal darkness. The 5-megapixel imager includes backside illumination, support for 1080p30 (or 720p60) video and its own internal autofocus system, but no dedicated JPEG compression engine — in short, a lot of the low-light performance of more sophisticated smartphones without the usual attached costs. Its cost-cutting even extends to front cameras, as a forward-facing sensor can share resources with the back camera to scale back on redundant hardware. We’re looking forward to when mass production starts in the first quarter of 2013; we might not have to excuse our photo quality for a long, long time afterwards.

Continue reading OmniVision unveils 5MP BSI sensor that takes low light cameras further into the entry level

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile

OmniVision unveils 5MP BSI sensor that takes low light cameras further into the entry level originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can always count on the geeks over at iFixit to buy the latest and greatest gadgets and then tear them up so we can see what they look like on the inside. It’s nice to see someone else open up their gadgets giving us a glimpse at how things are packaged and how repairable the device might be should we ever need to get into it on our own

iFixit used a heat gun, plastic opening tools, a spudger, and a T4 torx screwdriver, a T5 torx, and a set of iFixit Guitar Picks to open the tablet up.

Under its hood, iFixit found the following chips:

• NVIDIA 1.4 GHz Tegra 3 Processor
• Samsung KLMBG4GE4A 32 GB NAND Flash
• Micron 2RE22 D9QBJ 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Texas Instruments TPS659110 power management IC
• Marvell 88W8797-BMP2 wireless MIMO SoC
• Wolfson 8962E low power audio codec
• Cypress Semiconductor CY8C20466A capacitive touchscreen controller

In fact, they found multiple touchscreen controllers – presumably to help detect inputs from the touch cover keyboard as well as the screen. One of the components that’s most likely to fail over time in any gadget is the battery. It appears that while the battery is glued in, it is removable and said to be easier to remove than the battery of the iPad. Though that certainly doesn’t mean that the Surface tablet is easy to repair. iFixit rates the Surface tablet on repairability scale as 4/10 with 10 being the easiest to repair and 1 being the hardest. This is only slightly better than the nearly impossible-to-service iPad series.

I can’t help but wonder each time I see one of these tear downs of a new gadget if they’re able to put it back together so it works again.

[via iFixit]

At an as-yet-unknown date sometime in 2013, Apple’s Senior Vice President, iOS Software Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple. Forstall’s role is being reduced immediately, and Jony Ive will be taking over leadership and direction for Human Interface. The other aspects of Forstall’s position will be doled out to various other members of Apple’s existing executive team. More »

While the fall sports have taken the center stage, there’s still plenty of other content to fill the schedule. Assassin’s Creed 3 hits consoles this week, as well as the return of Okami in HD, while indie flicks Safety Not Guaranteed and Ruby Sparks are available on Blu-ray. Comedian Louis CK will take the stage on Saturday Night Live, and a collection of Alfred Hitchcock movies comes home in a new boxed set. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

NBA
After a whirlwind summer that saw the Heat complete their quest to win an NBA Championship (despite a lockout-shortened season) and the Olympic team bring home basketball gold medals, it’s time for NBA action again. The season officially resumes Tuesday night as the Celtics take on the Heat and the Mavericks face the Lakers on TNT. There’s a full slate of other interesting games awaiting including the debut of #1 draft pick Anthony Davis on the Hornets and more. We’ve got plenty of storylines to follow like Linsanity’s move to Houston, Miami’s quest to repeat and Dwight Howard joining Kobe, Steve and Pau on the Lakers.
(October 30th, TNT, 8PM)

Saturday Night Live w/ Louis CK
Comedian Louis CK has seen his popularity blow up as of late thanks to his cable show and an internet distributed show that set records. Now he’s hosting Saturday Night Live, which should go well, and if it doesn’t, then it will provide plenty of material for the next season of his show which is scheduled to air in 2014.
(November 3rd, NBC, 11:30PM)

Alabama/LSU college football
Last year Alabama LSU played in the regular season before meeting again in the championship game, and while that seems less likely to occur this time around it’s still an SEC matchup worth keeping an eye on. Currently ranked first and fifth, respectively, in the BCS it will be one of the key matchups this season and provides an opportunity for LSU to redeem itself for last year’s losses — not that Nick Saban and Alabama will make doing that easy.
(November 3rd, CBS, 8PM)

Continue reading Must See HDTV (October 29th – November 4th)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Must See HDTV (October 29th – November 4th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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