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Apple has just made its second-generation iPad official! It features a 1GHz dual-core A5 chip and, finally, cameras, both on the front and rear. The new CPU is said to be up to twice as fast, with graphics performance up to nine times better than on the original iPad, while power requirements have been kept the same. Battery life is, consequently, unaltered, with Apple promising 10 hours. Pricing, too, has been left unchanged, starting at $499 for a 16GB WiFi-only iPad 2 and stretching up to $829 for a WiFi + 3G SKU with 64GB of storage. The new tablet will come with an HDMI output capable of 1080p — which will set you back $39 for the requisite dongle, called an Apple Digital AV Adapter — but there will sadly be no rumblings of Thunderbolt connectivity here. What you will get is an enlarged speaker grille on the back, as expected, and the same 1024 x 768 resolution and IPS LCD screen technology as on the original iPad.
Update: We’ve gotten our first hands-on with the iPad 2 and, boy oh boy, it’s fast!
Gallery: iPad 2 press shots
720p video recording at 30fps will be on tap from the rear-facing camera, which can also do a 5x digital zoom if you’re into that kind of thing, whereas the front-facing imager will record at a more modest VGA resolution, also at 30fps.
There’s a new cover for the device, which is best defined by Steve Jobs himself: “We designed the case right alongside the product. It’s not a case — it’s a cover.” Basically, it’s a magnetic flap that protects the front and automatically wakes and puts the device to sleep according to whether it’s open or closed. Guess we know what that proximity sensor was about now. These Smart Covers will cost $39 in plastic or $69 if you opt for leather.
The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner than its predecessor, at a mind-melting 8.8mm, and a little lighter at just over 600g, while paintjob options have been expanded: you’ll get a choice between white and black. It’ll be available on both AT&T and Verizon, and all variants start shipping on March 11th. Apple Retail Stores will start sales at the unusual hour of 5PM, which will probably make online pre-orders the fastest way to get yours.
Gallery: Apple iPad 2
In terms of new software, Apple’s launching iOS 4.3 alongside the new iPad and bringing with it much improved Safari performance as well as FaceTime, Photo Booth, iMovie and GarageBand (the latter two costing $4.99 a piece) apps specifically for the newly camera-enriched iPad. Personal Hotspot capabilities are also arriving in the latest version of the OS, but they’ll be exclusive to the iPhone 4, so you won’t be able to share your 3G iPad’s connection. The minimum compatible version of iTunes for the new iPad 2 will be the freshly released 10.2.
Gallery: iPad 2 FaceTime and Photo Booth apps
You’ll find Apple’s official PR and some slick promo videos below, or you can keep your mouse clicking and check out our first hands-on with the iPad 2.
The iPad 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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You might know them for seemingly ridiculous innovations like Segway shoes or the HRP-4C pop star robot, but the folks at AIST have put away the gimmicks for their latest invention — a full-color night vision camera. Produced by Nanolux, an arm of AIST, the camera uses a series of algorithms to read and process wavelengths reflected by objects lit with infrareds, allowing it to successfully reproduce reds, blues, and greens in the darkest of conditions. The company hopes to make the device available by the end of 2011 at a price point lower than conventional night vision cameras, and says they will work with different lenses to improve long-range photography for the device. Such an invention could have serious implications for fields like surveillance and wildlife observation, but fear not, AIST hasn’t lost its sense of humor — the company used a Bullwinkle figurine rotating on a Lazy Susan to demo its latest invention at Printable Electronics 2011. Check out the video after the jump.
Continue reading AIST shows off full-color night vision camera, well lit Bullwinkle figurine (video)
AIST shows off full-color night vision camera, well lit Bullwinkle figurine (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ll confess, we did see Sony Ericsson execs flashing white Xperia Play handsets during the company’s MWC 2011 press event, but curiously enough none of those made their way to the demo areas. Now we’ve finally got ourselves some fully fleshed out press shots, along with the news that O2 will be the sole carrier for this alabaster gaming smartphone in the UK. Other markets have yet to announce availability of the white Xperia Play, but you’ll know more just as soon as we do. Skip past the break to see how the front end looks.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Sony Ericsson breaks out white Xperia Play, makes it an O2 exclusive in the UK
Sony Ericsson breaks out white Xperia Play, makes it an O2 exclusive in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Is it spring already? Nikon has just assaulted us with no less than nine new Coolpix models, freshening up its consumer offering with a litany of hot new shades, touchscreens and hardware updates. We’ll let you dig into the press releases after the break for the full details, but the two new Performance range cameras, the P500 and P300, are worth discussing in more detail. The P500 improves on Nikon’s P100 by a few orders of magnification, touting a voyeur-friendly 36x optical zoom, while also offering a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 1080 / 30p video plus stereo sound recording, max ISO of 3200, and an 1100mAh battery. The back is also adorned with a tiltable display, sized at 3 inches diagonally and fitting 920k dots. Yours on March 3rd for $400, €464 or £400, depending on your local currency.
Gallery: Nikon Coolpix P500 hands-on
The P300 is cheaper at $330 / €348 / £300, however it might well be the more appealing option for image quality obsessives as it boasts a lens with an aggressive F1.8 aperture and 4.2x optical zoom. It shares the same backside-illuminated sensor as you’ll find in the P500, but benevolently permits its user full manual control to let him or her capture that perfect shot. Rapid-fire shooting at 8fps for up to seven frames is available, but we’re loving the fact it can also do 1080 / 30p with continuous autofocus and the ability to both capture images and use its optical zoom while recording. If Nikon is to be believed, the P300 is basically the P7000 that came out last year, but shrunken down to the size of a compact. It really is a very diminutive and attractive — it has that intentionally understated matte black finish that huskily whispers the word “prosumer” in your ear — compact camera. It lands on March 17th.
Nikon crams 36x zoom in P500, full manual controls in P300, refreshes Coolpix range with tons of color originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Can’t wait until February 2nd to see more of Android 3.0 in action? That’s not a problem, as today we’ve got a whole 129 seconds of video showing Google’s latest mobile software doing its thing on the Nook Color. The OS was ported to B&N’s tablet on Friday, when we were promised further work would be taking place over the weekend to enable hardware acceleration of the GUI, and what do you know, that goal has been achieved with plenty of Sunday to spare! Most core functionality is still not available, but the delicious Honeycomb interface is very much in effect. Jump past the break for the eye candy feast.
[Thanks, Jules]
Continue reading Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video
Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
When it comes to ColorWare, the surprise is never the choice of colors, it’s the price you’ll pay for exclusivity on a lime-green and suicide-orange paint job. This time its the already overpriced $300 Dyson Air Multiplier getting the $450 ColorWare treatment. For that absurd price you’ll be treated to a brand new “bladeless fan” personalized with the airfoil, base, and control colors of your choosing from a healthy palette of gloss and sofTouch finishes. Of course, there’s always the $150 option to send in your existing product for ColorWarezation, assuming you can go three weeks without habitually demonstrating the concepts of inducement and entrainment to baffled pets and family.
ColorWare hits a lurid low with Dyson Air Multiplier originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Staying true to its Galaxy S forefather, the Nexus S has shown up with a new white shell, which, just as with the Galaxy S, only extends to its rear portions, leaving the front end a familiar shade of noir. Just what’s keeping manufacturers from blanching their phones’ visage, we don’t know, but at least it’s looking like there’ll be some variation in the Nexus S’ palette. We did notice a “Silver Black” Nexus S sprouting up in European retailers’ listings a couple of weeks ago, which this could well be — it all depends on how loosely these companies define the word “silver.” There’s no knowledge on when or where this chromatically altered S will be on sale, but you’ll know more as soon as we do.
Update: First picture from the wilderness of the white back is now embedded after the break. The Next Web suggests Vodafone may be the European carrier for this particular version of the handset.
Continue reading Nexus S emerges in white attire, but it only covers its rear
Nexus S emerges in white attire, but it only covers its rear originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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No big surprises here, unless you count that snowy white number up above. Yep, LG’s not only stolen a march on Motorola in introducing the world’s first dual-core smartphone, it’s also about to beat Apple to the white handset punch as well. The 1080p-recording, Tegra 2-wielding Optimus 2X is now available in its home market of South Korea and, if LG stays true to its roadmap, should be filtering through into Europe before this month is out. We don’t know if its white variant will ever escape the clutches of Korea (and we sure hope it does), but it should be making its bodacious debut over there in February.
Continue reading LG Optimus 2X goes on sale in Korea, teases white version for February
LG Optimus 2X goes on sale in Korea, teases white version for February originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Hanvon is aiming to fill the chasm between monochromatic e-readers and color LCD-based tablets at CES this year with its all-new color e-reader. It features the famed 9.7-inch color E Ink panel, the first of its kind, and offers the rather spectacular resolution of 1200 x 1600. We managed to spend a few precious moments with a prototype unit and were impressed by the solid and thin construction and the excellent viewing angles on offer. Sadly, there’s plenty of bad news here too: the E920’s colors are muted and not really on par with what you’d expect from even a mediocre LCD, refresh rates are pretty glacial, and the touchscreen functionality is of the resistive kind, meaning you’ll have to resort to using the integrated stylus for navigation. The biggest downer, however, is that China, the first market for this e-reader, won’t be getting it until May at the earliest. That’s a long time to wait for a $500-ish slate. Video after the break.
Update: There was some initial confusion about the device’s name and specs, which has since been rectified and the post updated accordingly. [Thanks, Michalis]
Gallery: Hanvon color e-reader hands-on
Continue reading Hanvon brings world’s first color E Ink reader to CES, we go hands-on (video)
Hanvon brings world’s first color E Ink reader to CES, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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