Vizio Tablet hands-on preview

We just had our first in-depth experience with the Vizio Tablet, the company’s opening overture into the world of Android slates, and we’ve got to say — we like what we see. The device — which was just announced Monday afternoon along with the company’s new smartphone, the Vizio Phone — is still rather unfinished (the model we looked at was a hand-built device), but based on this early look, the company is moving down the right roads. We had a good chance to play around with the tablet, and we’ve got all the details, specs, and an in-depth video after the break!

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Vizio Tablet hands-on preview originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RCA does Android on TV without Google’s help (video)

Just like the slew of tablets that have found their path to store shelves without official blessing from Google or access to the Android Market, RCA has chosen to go its own way People of Lava-style with this prototype Android TV, due out later this year. Obviously very early in development, it was unfortunately devoid of apps other than Picasa and a simple weather widget, and used pretty standard remote keys to guide a mouse arrow around the screen and keyboard. You can check out the video after the break to confirm, but with the official Google TV products already experiencing their own growing pains it’s tough to get behind a lone challenger. RCA plans to show off some 3D products and Blu-ray players at its booth to go along with this and its mobile TVs, we’ll see if we’re more impressed later on this week.

Continue reading RCA does Android on TV without Google’s help (video)

RCA does Android on TV without Google’s help (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio Phone hands-on preview

Along with Vizio’s new tablet, we had a chance to look at the HDTV maker’s new Android device, unsurprisingly dubbed the Vizio Phone. The phone is still in the early stages (both the hardware and software aren’t production ready at all), but there’s a lot of promise on both the industrial design and user interface sides. We had a chance to go hands-on with the phone and take a pretty deep look at the UI, so follow along after the break for lots more info and a complete video walkthrough of the Vizio Phone!


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Vizio Phone hands-on preview originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie Pulse haptic game grip hands-on

Today at CES, Mophie showed off a prototype of its Pulse game grip for the 4th-generation iPod touch, which features battery-powered front-facing stereo speakers and haptic feedback by Reflex Technology. We spent some time using the Pulse and came away rather impressed. Game audio, music, and even the keyboard tick sound get translated into convincing pulses and vibrations. The iPod touch interfaces with the Pulse via the 3.5mm headphone jack, and a switch on the bottom left edge turns the haptic feedback on and off. As a bonus, the Pulse also offers full case protection. No word yet on availability or pricing, but you can check out the prototype in the gallery below.

Mophie Pulse haptic game grip hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar partners with Verizon to bring LTE 4G to your rear view (video)

We’re lucky to be bathed in warm, refreshing 4G waves while reporting live from Vegas, Sprint and Clearwire taking care of that. Verizon‘s catching up in a big way with its LTE rollout and now OnStar is onboard — conceptually, anyway. The company has outfitted a Buick LaCrosse with a 4G LTE modem for the purpose of experimenting with what can be done in a car with that kind of bandwidth. It wouldn’t have been our choice of cars for such application, Buick not exactly screaming “hot new thing” at this point, but of course it’s not really about the car, it’s about the bandwidth.

What are they going to do with it? High-def streaming both ways, for one thing, including the ability to watch home security cameras from within the car or, alternatively, to look at cameras within the car when it’s parked in the night, in an alley, somewhere you’re having second thoughts about. OnStar wants real-time streaming of traffic cameras and even Skype video chat, which sounds like overkill to us, but don’t let us rain on your crazy mobile video chat parade.

At this point we’re not sure how much of this stuff will find its way into a proper car of the future (Buick or other), but you can get a bit of a taste in the video teaser below.

Continue reading OnStar partners with Verizon to bring LTE 4G to your rear view (video)

OnStar partners with Verizon to bring LTE 4G to your rear view (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touch Revolution rolling out Tru Multitouch capacitive screens sized between 15 and 32 inches

Touch Revolution doesn’t think capacitive screens are big enough. Not big enough at all. So what is the company doing about it? Why, it’s introducing a line of projected capacitive displays alternately spanning 15-, 19-, 21.5- and 32-inch diagonals. The biggest model is set for production later in the year, but its smaller siblings are available now. The target market for Touch Revolution are businesses who may integrate these panels — which also come in an “open frame” option where the OEM can slap on its own external stylings — into their commercial offerings. Demos of all these models, replete with innovative uses of multitouch on a large-scale display, will be available at CES this week. We’ll let you know just how innovative the whole shebang is when we get our fingers on the Tru Multitouch hardware. Full press release after the break.

Continue reading Touch Revolution rolling out Tru Multitouch capacitive screens sized between 15 and 32 inches

Touch Revolution rolling out Tru Multitouch capacitive screens sized between 15 and 32 inches originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Altec Lansing’s inMotion Air speaker system streams from just about anywhere

Too Anti-Apple to buy into AirPlay? We feel you, and so does Altec Lansing. Here at CES, the outfit has just unveiled its latest speaker solution, the inMotion Air. Rather than catering specifically to iDevice users, this one’s universal in nature — hook a bundled adapter into your PC, and you can stream tunes to this here speaker from up to 300 feet away. There’s also support for Bluetooth streaming, an internal battery that’ll keep the good times rollin’ for seven straight hours and a line-out connector in case you’d like to hook up a more robust set of drivers. The whole thing weighs just over a pound, and you’ll even find a handle on the back for easy toting. It’ll ship next month in slate black and gunmetal grey, with a retail price set at $199.95.

Continue reading Altec Lansing’s inMotion Air speaker system streams from just about anywhere

Altec Lansing’s inMotion Air speaker system streams from just about anywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm brings 30x optical zoom to Finepix HS20EXR, 15x to F500EXR and F550EXR

Is 2011 the year of the superzoom? It’s doubtful, but darn if Fujifilm isn’t trying hard to make it so. Following up on the outfit’s CES 2011 unveiling of the Finepix XP30, XP20 and a slew of low-to-mid-range point and shoots comes this stash: a pocketful ‘tater sack full of nicely specced megazooms. Let’s break ’em down, cool?

  • The Finepix HS20EXR (which leaked just a few hours ago) is easily the crown jewel of this bunch, boasting a 16 megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, a 30x Fujinon manual optical zoom lens (24mm to 720mm equivilent), a tilting 3.0-inch LCD, a ‘heads-up’ sensor that automatically changes from LCD to EVF, 8fps continuous shooting, 1080p movie recording, the ability to shoot in RAW (or RAW + JPEG), an optional remote release cable and support for two Fujifilm external flashes. This bad boy will ship in late March for $499.95.
  • Looking for megazoom range in a compact’s body? You’ve found it. The Finepix F500EXR and F550EXR both offer relatively sleek bodies, a new 16 megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, a 15x Fujinon wide-angle zoom lens and a 3-inch LCD on the rear. You’ll also get high-speed shooting capabilities as well as a 1080p movie mode, with the 550EXR stepping up and adding both GPS geotagging and the ability to capture files in RAW. Both cameras measure 22.9mm thick, offer image stabilization and have an ISO range of up to 1600. Both of these shooters will hit in mid-March, with the 500EXR going for $329.95 and the 550EXR seeming like a pure-tee bargain at just $20 more.
  • Bringing up the rear, it’s the new S series. The SLR-styled Finepix S2950, S3200 and S4000 superzooms boast a 14 megapixel sensor, with 18x, 24x and 30x Fujinon optical zoomers available in order of mention. You’ll also get dual image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD around back, an electronic viewfinder, 720p movie mode and the ability to power these with a pair of AA batteries. The S2950 will go on sale this month for $229.95, while the S3200 hits next month for $249.95 and the S4000 lands in March for $279.95.

Continue reading Fujifilm brings 30x optical zoom to Finepix HS20EXR, 15x to F500EXR and F550EXR

Fujifilm brings 30x optical zoom to Finepix HS20EXR, 15x to F500EXR and F550EXR originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm’s CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series

Fujifilm’s rugged Finepix XP30 just a bit too rough around the edges for you? If so, we’d recommend grabbing a cup of joe and diving into the outfit’s CES 2011 line of point-and-shoot cameras. The company’s holding nothing back with this year’s barrage of new shooters, so let’s get to it, shall we?

  • The Finepix Z90 (shown above) is a sleek, svelte new compact with a three-inch resistive touchpanel, 14 megapixel CCD sensor, Fujinon 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens and automatic upload to both YouTube and Facebook. There’s also a new ‘Dual Direction GUI’ (which splits the rear screen in various ways to view multiple images at once) digital image stabilization, face detection / red-eye removal, a 720p movie mode and a chassis that’s just 17.5mm thick. It’ll go on sale in around a fortnight for $169.95.
  • The Finepix AV200, AX300 and JV200 are aimed at the bargain consumer, with all three boasting a 720p movie mode, face detection and a relatively understated design. The AV200 and JV200 are outfitted witha 14 megapixel CCD sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens, while the AX300 steps up to a 5x optical zoomer. The trio packs a 2.7-inch rear LCD, digital image stabilization and automatic red-eye removal. The AV200 and AX300 get powered by a pair of AA batteries, whereas the JV200 is equipped with a rechargeable Li-ion. The whole lot will go on sale in the US next month, with pricing set at $89.95, $99.95 and $109.95 in order of mention.
  • For those looking to step up a bit, there’s the new JX series. The JX300 and JX350 include 5x optical zoomers and a 720p movie mode, not to mention a 2.7-inch rear LCD, metal body and Li-ion rechargeable battery. The JX300 is blessed with a 14 megapicel CCD sensor , while the JX350 packs a 16 megapixel CCD sensor. Fuji plans to hawk the 300 in silver, whereas the 350 will be available in brushed metal or black. Other features include an easy YouTube / Facebook upload, smile / face detection and red-eye removal. The JX300 will go on sale next month for $129.95, with the JX350 coming in April for $159.95.
  • Wrapping things up, we’ve got the T200 and T300, both of which are equipped with 10x Fujinon optical zoom lenses (28mm to 280mm) and a 720p movie mode. These check in at just 18.5mm thick and include sensor shift image stabilization and a 14 megapixel CCD sensor. The T300 ups the ante with a 3-inch high-res display, while the T200 gets saddled with a 3.7-inch display. We’re told that the T300 will be available in black, while the T200 gets wrapped in a gunmetal finish. The T300 will ship in April for $199.95, and the T200 will go on sale this March for $20 less.

Continue reading Fujifilm’s CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series

Fujifilm’s CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera

Remember Fujifilm’s Finepix XP10 from… oh, right around seven months ago? Hopefully you’re not one to get overly depressed about the rush of progress, because Fujifilm has just outed an update to that very camera that’s significantly improved. Following Casio’s footsteps on the Exilim EX-H20G, Fuji is introducing the GPS-enabled Finepix XP30 here at CES. The overall size and shape remains similar to the aforementioned XP10, with this point-and-shoot being waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof. What may really entice the argonauts in the crowd is the embedded GPS chip; this will keep tabs of your location and embed your exact coordinates into every picture you take. Once you get back home, just dump ’em into iPhoto or Picasa in order to view photos based on location. Moreover, the GPS Tracking Data function will regularly store location data, and when you get home, you can actually create a map of your travels. Other specifications include a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, 720p movie mode, image stabilization, a 2.7-inch anti-reflective LCD, a reinforced hardened glass lens barrier, a metal, unibody chassis and a riveted front panel. The XP30 should ship next month for $239.95, while a GPS-less sibling (the Finepix XP20; pictured after the break) will ship a month later for $199.99; those looking to accessorize will find an adjustable float strap, protective silicone skin and a neoprene sports case for sale in March for an undisclosed amount.

Continue reading Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera

Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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