Hasta La Gadget!

Japanese carrier KDDI’s never been shy about showing off its latest and greatest from its lab, and here at CEATEC 2011 we got to lay our fingers on a couple of its in-development smartphone sensory enhancements, along with a free-viewpoint concert concept that’s being researched on. The first demo we saw was actually the same haptic smartphone prototype that was unveiled back in May, but we thought it’d be nice to give it a go with our very own hands — read on to find out how well it performed.

Continue reading KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert

KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, Nikon finally has a mirrorless camera, after what was quite possibly the most dramatic launch event the company has ever conducted. Sure, competing models from Panasonic, Olympus and Sony have already reached the second, or even third generation before Nikon lifted the veil on its J1, but did last month’s long-awaited announcement bring us the ILC to rule all ILCs? Well, no, not at all. Nikon isn’t targeting pros or even advanced amateur shooters with its latest addition to the interchangeable lens camera family. Instead, the company is marketing its J1 to soccer moms (and dads), fashion-conscious young folk, and casual shooters who want some of the versatility of a DSLR, but are willing to sacrifice excellent image quality for a more compact design. But what about the rest of us? Will Nikon one day reward our patience with a true class competitor? Perhaps, but that’s definitely not what we have here.

Nikon built the $650 J1 “from the ground up” — a reference to its 10.1 megapixel, CX-size sensor with a 2.7x crop factor, along with a handful of quirky features that we probably won’t use, but that some of you (or perhaps your family members) may love. Jump past the break to see what we really liked about the camera, and what left us rather unimpressed. And it you’re dying to judge its performance for yourself, you can check out a handful of untouched images at the coverage link below the conclusion, along with a variety of sample videos spattered throughout.

Continue reading Nikon 1 J1 review (video)

Nikon 1 J1 review (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we’re only five days away from finding out the true appearance of the next-generation iPhone, our good friends over at BENM.AT went ahead and crafted their very own unibody dummy using CAD drawings, CNC tools and a block of aluminum — seriously, that’s how they roll! Granted, this work’s only based on various data and rumor gathered across the web, but it’s still a pretty convincing presentation — the ultra slim teardrop design and elongated home button from previous reports are taken into account, and the mute switch has been relocated from the top left to the top right. BENM.AT told us that this dummy fits nicely into the supposed iPhone 5 cases that they obtained. Speaking of which, we also found some of these cases too — read on to find out what they’re like.

Continue reading iPhone 5 cases and realistic unibody dummy show off incredible slimness

iPhone 5 cases and realistic unibody dummy show off incredible slimness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have our very own Contributing Mobile Editor, Zachary Lutz.

Perhaps it requires a special breed to proudly wear the label of “geek.” No, I’m not talking about circus performers that bite heads off chickens (check the original meaning of the word), but about people like you and me, the folks who pursue their interests to a fantastic degree. It doesn’t matter whether your passion is knitting, fishing or kayaking; if you’re a curious individual who’s always thirsting to learn more, there’s a good chance we’ll get along. For me, my pigeonhole just so happens to be computers — and, more recently, mobile technology. Sure, you could blame it on way too many hours in front of the screen, but as a certain self-empowered pop star might say, I’d like to think I was born this way.

Continue reading Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz

Growing Up Geek: Zachary Lutz originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All good things must come to an end, and likewise with this year’s Tokyo Game Show which wrapped up yesterday. Despite the PS Vita’s dominance and the lack of newly-announced hero hardware at the show, we were still able to keep ourselves entertained with the odd peripherals here and there, alongside some very interesting exhibits both at TGS and the Amusement Machine Show next door — head past the break to humor yourselves. Alternatively, feel free to catch up on our TGS coverage while you’re here (we have a list after the break as well), and don’t forget to check out our awesome buddies over at Joystiq for even more gaming news.

Continue reading Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up

Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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