Hasta La Gadget!

We’re starting to hear a few reports of the dreaded yellow spots disappearing from the iPhone 4’s display after a day or so of use. Interestingly, someone posting on the AppleInsider forums seems to know why:

Apple is using a bonding agent called Organofunctional Silane Z-6011 to bond the layers of glass. Apparently, Apple (or more likely Foxconn) is shipping these products so quickly that the evaporation process is not complete. However, after one or two days of use, especially with the screen on, will complete the evaporation process and the yellow “blotches” will disappear. How do I know? I was involved in pitching Z-6011 to Apple.

If this can be trusted, it’s very good news for those afflicted — though hopefully Apple will keep to its usually painless replacement policy for defective phones either way. We are still seeing some mentions of the spots sticking around, fading in and out based on the heat of the phone, but we’ll give it another day or two to really see how much of a problem is going to be. Let us know how yours fares.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPhone 4’s yellow spot issue goes away with a bit of time? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Super AMOLED vs AMOLED vs LCD in direct sunlight… fight! (video)

Super AMOLED vs AMOLED vs LCD in direct sunlight… fight! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio’s XJ-A series projectors wowed us in January with an ultra-slim 43mm design, but at E3 2010 we got the chance to see whether image quality was equally bright — the watchmaker was there with some economical models to attract the portable gaming crowd. Sure enough, it’s an interesting choice if you want to play Xbox 360 in the field. Though hefty, the projector’s small enough to fit into a messenger bag, and can throw a pretty decent-sized screen; using the company’s 2,500 lumen, XJ-A240 model ($1,000), we emulated a 70-something-inch, 720p HDTV. At that size and resolution, colors were a little washed out, but impressive nonetheless — though we did note that when attempting to play 1080p content on the same projector, the result was quite fuzzy.

Casio claims that image’s good for 20,000 hours, as the projector doesn’t use a bulb, relying instead on a proprietary combo of laser and LED. The PJ accepts all standard TV resolutions through VGA or HDMI and has optional composite and component video breakout cables, though sadly no audio passthrough — only a 1W integrated speaker. Starting at $800, the true bargain models sport only 2,000 lumens and a 1,024 x 768 resolution, but we could still see some snapping them up for split-screen Halo on a giant, portable TV.

Casio’s slim XJ-A projectors repurposed for gaming, we take a gander originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve known about Onkyo’s DX dual-screened netbook for quite awhile, but it’s another thing entirely to see it extend its two 10-inch screens in person. On display at the Microsoft booth here at Computex, the Onkyo is still a rebadge of the Konjinsha DZ that we saw at CEATAC last year, but has a 1,366 × 768-resolution display rather than the Konjinsha’s 1,024 x 600. In our short hands-on time we found the screens to extend smoothly, but the hinge did feel a bit weak, though that could very likely be the result of being used and abused on the show floor. We were able to drag windows to the second monitor without a problem, so if you were concerned that the learning curve would be too steep, fret not. The most interesting thing about the netbook is that it turns into a handheld device of sorts — when you pull the screens back in, you can flip it around and hold it up. For some odd reason it doesn’t have a touchscreen, so you have to use an optical mouse on the side to navigate within Windows 7. If anything, the DX needs an internal upgrade since it still packs a first generation AMD Neo processor, but we’re sure that’ll come in time. See it all for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview

Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we last caught up with PixelQi at CES, we were downright ecstatic about its dual-mode 3Qi LCDs with switchable backlights, though we had a few wants, including touchscreen support and better viewing angles. Well, the screen company took our criticism to heart, and brought along its new touch-capable and “wideview” panels to Computex. The new displays — which are readable indoors and out — are also 30 percent more power-efficent than the previous models, PixelQi founder Mary Lou Jepsen told us.

Much to our delight, we were able to handle a number of different tablets and netbooks infused with the new screens earlier today. The one pictured above is actually an Intel Atom Moorestown-powered 10-inch slate with a capactive touch 3Qi screen; there’s a button on the right edge that turns the backlight on and off. Another on display had a Wacom digitizer for taking notes in Windows 7 Home Premium. In the short time we spent with the tablets and mock-ups, we discovered pen and finger input to be very responsive in both LCD modes. We were similarly impressed with the wideview screen on the netbooks — a movie trailer was viewable when the screen was tilted off axis as well as from the sides. So, that’s the good news, but where the heck are the real devices? You know, the ones we can buy? We wanted to know the same thing, and CEO Mary Lou Jepsen assured us that they are currently working with major manufacturers. We hope so, Mary Lou. We hope so. Hit the gallery for tons of shots (the screen is a photographer’s dream!) and a video demo after the break.

Continue reading PixelQi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video)

PixelQi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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