Jan 05

Sigma Designs announces direct XBMC support for wild next-gen streamers

Posted in: streamer, Today's Chili

XBMC might be most famous for spawning Boxee, but the original project is still going strong — and it just got a big boost from Sigma Design, which will support it directly on its new TV streamer SoCs. Sigma chips are already used in streamers like the Popcorn Hour and WDTV Live, so we’d expect to see similar products make use of XBMC directly in the future — just another sign that the connected TV space is growing by leaps and bounds. Sigma’s demoing its XBMC port here at CES, we’ll let you know when we go check it out. PR after the break

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading Sigma Designs announces direct XBMC support for wild next-gen streamers

Sigma Designs announces direct XBMC support for wild next-gen streamers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceXBMC  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jan 05

Texas Instruments announces DLP Pico HD chipset, slew of pico projectors CES-bound

Posted in: LG, projector, texas instruments, ti, Today's Chili, viewsonic

Texas Instruments has just announced its latest DLP projector chipset, the Pico HD. The newest, tiny chipset offer HD WXGA resolution projections of up to 100 inches, and promises to be brighter and clearer than ever. So what does this mean to you, the consumer? Well, Texas Instruments is promising a host of hardware partners showing off their brand spanking new projecting wares. We don’t have full details yet, but we do know that we can expect to see Acer unveil its HW300T pocket projector, while ViewSonic will show the PLED-W200 DLP Pico projector, and offerings from Optoma and LG to boot. We’ll track them all down for you as soon as our tiny hands possibly can. And that, in a nutshell, is our Texas Instruments pico news of the day. The full-fledged, not in a nutshell press release is after the break.

Continue reading Texas Instruments announces DLP Pico HD chipset, slew of pico projectors CES-bound

Texas Instruments announces DLP Pico HD chipset, slew of pico projectors CES-bound originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
Jan 05

Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video)

Posted in: Android, breaking news, BreakingNews, Google, honeycomb, Today's Chili, video

Well, look who just oozed into being, Google‘s latest flavor of Android, the tablet-friendly 3.0, Honeycomb. We heard talk that 3.0 would be exclusively for tablets, as in not for phones, and that looks to be played out with the text “Entirely for Tablet” seen early in the video. Perhaps the best thing to say is that this looks more or less nothing like Android. Sure, the browser is the same, and the Gmail app will be familiar to iPad users, but trust us when we say there’s a lot of lovely UI in the video above to admire…and a lot of glowly blue lights, too. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who saw Tron:Legacy on opening night.

Update: The video is back! It’s embedded below.

Gallery: Android Honeycomb images

Continue reading Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video)

Google shows off Android 3.0, the ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Jan 05

Another Android Tablet Launched–But This One Has “Fun” in the Name

Posted in: tablets, Today's Chili

Next5.jpg

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m beginning to think that the Consumer Electronics Association was sort of low balling things when it announced earlier in the week that 80 tablets were set to be announced at CES this year. So, how does a small electronics manufacturer distinguish its device in a sea full of shiny new Android tablets? Simple: use the word “fun.”
That blurry press shot above is the company’s Next5 from E Fun (wooo!). The tablet runs Android 2.1 and ships with an APEN digital pen, which lets the user save and transmit notes in real-time. 
The tablet has a seven inch TFT screen, a whopping 2GB of memory standard, and an SD slot. It also comes loaded with 25 free books and access to the Borders eBook store. It’ll hit the market in April for $279.99.
So, what makes this tablet so “fun?” Is it the note taking, the book reading, or the outdated mobile operating system?

No Comments | Tags: ,
Jan 05

Mophie Pulse Turns Your iPod Touch Into a Gaming Device

Posted in: Apple, ipod, Today's Chili, video games

mophie pulse.jpg

Is the iPod touch the ultimate portable gaming device? Not quite, but strapping one of these Mophie cases on the thing certainly puts it up there. The Pulse adds forward-facing speakers, pulsing game vibration, textured gaming grips, and enhanced stereo for the many games the iTunes App Store has to offer.
Oh, it’s also a case, too. There’s a nice little hole carved out in the back for taking pictures. I had a chance to play with the thing last night at CES Unveiled. It’s pretty slick–for a prototype. Mophie hasn’t actually offered any release or pricing details on the thing–or when it’s coming out with a version for the iPhone, though we were assured that that’s on the way as well.
No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jan 05

Kodak Launches Two Pocket Camcorders

Posted in: Today's Chili
kodak-playfull.jpg
Now they’re no tablets, but it seems we’re destined to see a whole slew of of pocket camcorders this CES. Kodak fired the first shot today with two Flip competitors–the Kodak Playfull, and the Playsport Zx5 (sensing a bit of a theme with these names).
The Kodak Playfull is a skinny, compact camcorder, measuring 0.7 inches thick. It offers 1080p video at 30 frames a second or 720p at 60 frames. It can also capture 5MP stills. There’s a 1.5-inch display on the thing that auto adjusts to the light in the room. Built-in software lets you add effects to the video directly on the camera. The camera also has an SD slot for expanded memory.
The Playsport Zx5, meanwhile, is an update to the rugged Zx3. The camera is waterproof up to 10 feet and is booth shockproof and dustproof–so you can get the thing dirty. It shoots 1080p video at 30 frames a second or 720p at 60 frames, features a 2-inch LCD, and has an SD card slot.
The Playfull and Playsport will both be available in the spring, for $149.95 and $179.95, respectively. 
No Comments | Tags: ,
Jan 05

AT&T Launching 12 Android, 20 4G Devices in 2011

Posted in: att, Today's Chili
Thumbnail image for Android Meet Android.jpg
Lots of big numbers from AT&T today at the company’s CES press conference. Two of the more impressive ones came directly from the telecom giant’s CEO, Ralph de la Vega: 12 and 20. Twelve is the number of Android devices the company will be offering in 2011. Twenty is the number of 4G devices the company will be offering in that same time period.
AT&T is set to roll out its 4G LTE network in the middle of the year. The 20 phones include Android and Windows Phone handsets, as well as at least one from Apple (iPhone 4G?, iPad 4G?). The Motorola Atrix and HTC Inspire 4G will be the first 4G handsets for the new network.
No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jan 05

The Smartfish Engage Keyboard Moves with You While You Type

Posted in: Today's Chili

Smartfish Engage

Making sure your workspace is ergonomic is more important than a lot of people realize until their wrists and neck start hurting from typing while slouched in front of a computer all day. Smartfish Technologies has been in the business of ergonomic peripherals for years now, and their newest product, the Engage Keyboard, is an ergonomic design that moves to adjust itself to your typing habits while you use it. 
If you keep your hands farther apart than most keyboards allow, you can slide the left and right sides of the keyboard apart, instead of forcing your wrists into an unnatural position while typing. The same is true for your typing angle: the keyboard can adjust the angle that it rests on your desk to match the angle and height you type from. The Engage Keyboard moves with you while you type so your hands and wrists are never in a single, static position while you work. 
Smartfish unveiled the keyboard at CES in Las Vegas this week, and has it on display at the show. It’s available now to order from SmartFish’s Web site for $149.95 list price.
 
No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jan 05

Cinemin Slice: iPad Dock Meets Pico Projector

Posted in: ipad, projector, Today's Chili

slice-iphone_large.jpg

WowWee had at least one surprise up its sleeve at this year’s CES. The company last night showed off the Cinemin Slice, an iPad speaker dock that features a rear pico projector.


The Slice can project images up to 60 inches, with a viewable range of up to 125 inches. It projects at 16 ANSI lumens. Images are projected in a WVGA resolution at a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 100:1 contrast ratio. It features a 90 hinge and manual focus.

The 30-pin dock lets you plug in and charge your iPad, iPod, or iPhone. There’s also a Mini-HDMI and AV ports for plugging in other media players and a VGA port for computers.

The Cinemin Slice is coming later this month and is available now for pre-order from WowWee. It’ll run you around $430.

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Jan 05

LG Intros Glasses-Free Mobile 3D Display

Posted in: LG, Today's Chili

Move over, Nintendo’s baby-eye-frying 3DS. LG today announced that it’s also getting into the glasses-free mobile 3D device game. The company didn’t actually reveal a product, so much as so off a new 4.3-inch 3D display that will be used in future devices.

The WVGA touchscreen measures 480-by-900 pixels. LG calls its 4.3 inches “the optimum screen size for watching 3D on a mobile device.” Here’s the info behind the technology:

LG’s 3D display uses an applied parallax barrier technology, which delivers a series of light-blocking slits attached to the front of the LCD panel. The slits, or barriers, ensure that the left and right eyes see different images, creating an illusion of depth and a thoroughly convincing 3D effect.

Working closely with LG Display, LG has also drastically reduced crosstalk. The new display has straighter, more upright barriers that are very precisely aligned to the LCD panel. This technological advance not only means smoother, brighter, crosstalk-free images, but also a wider viewing angle than on previous parallax displays.

No Comments | Tags: , ,