Hasta La Gadget!

With the release of Surface, Microsoft is taking a serious dive into the wide world of hardware production. But this isn’t the first time Microsoft has gone down that road. In fact, Redmond has racked up a pretty impressive catalogue of devices. Here’s a list of all of them. More »

Until very recently, Microsoft wasn’t known for making hardware. Sure, it put out the occasional Zune, but most of the tech running Redmond’s desktop and mobile operating systems traditionally comes from its partners — the Surface being the exception, of course. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft might consider making that exception a rule: some of the firm’s part suppliers say that the company is experimenting with a smartphone design of its very own. Folks familiar with the matter say the device in question is between four and five inches, putting it in a sweet-spot that’s larger than the iPhone 5, but not quite as daunting as a Samsung Galaxy Note II. Don’t get too excited, however, sources aren’t sure the if the device will go into mass production, and Microsoft is expectantly tight-lipped about the rumor. Still, we wouldn’t scoff at a smartphone with a build quality to match the Surface — though it might rub some of Redmond’s hardware partners the wrong way.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

WSJ: Microsoft testing homegrown handset designs with suppliers, may not see mass production originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A camera is arguably one of the most indispensable features on a smartphone, being a necessary component in certain apps, such as barcode scanners, in addition to providing a simple way to take pictures/video and share them without hassle. The cameras in higher-end smartphones offer a variety of features you won’t easily find in less expensive models, and often provide poor images in low light settings. OmniVision aims to change this, however, with its newly announced 5MP OV5645 CMOS sensor.

The OV5645 is a 5MP system on chip (SOC) sensor aimed at the “cost-sensitive” segment of the smartphone market. The sensor features a MIPI port, which replaces a JPEG compressor and DVP interface, making it both smaller and cheaper than other options. This little CMOS sensor features picture-in-picture architecture that provides a dual camera system based on a master/slave configuration, allowing smartphones to offer two cameras via a single MIPI interface.

The OV5645 offers video recording in 720p at 60 frames-per-second, and 1080p recording at 30 frames-per-second. According to the announcement, 720p recordings have improved sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. A filter function is in place to minimize spatial and zigzag artifacts.

OmniVision’s new sensor also features OmniBSI+ technology, which is aimed at providing high quality via low noise levels, low crosstalk, and high sensitivity. The OV5645 supports black sun cancellation, LED and flash strobe modes, anti-shake, and more. Overall, this sensor brings a cost-effective way for smartphones to offer improved video and photos via a higher-sensitivity and better low-light performance without unnecessary hardware and cost.

[via OmniVision]

OmniVision announces low-cost 5MP CMOS image sensor with high-end features is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In addition to the massive takeover of a fabulous 39 digital boards with one massive Windows 8 Start Screen later tonight, Microsoft has made it’s play for the very center of Times Square with a hands-on experience for the public. Each of Microsoft’s major manufacturing partners was invited to bring their own wares to what’s essentially the most highly-visible showroom floor in the world, with anyone and everyone invited in to take a peek at the wares starting here at the launch of Windows 8. This presentation adds to the already unique display the company (and companies, as it were) has made for the press and the public in an effort to create a winning atmosphere for the birth of the newly released operating system.

You’ll see many of the devices on tables here that were given final details over the past few weeks. These devices come from Acer, ASUS, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, and Lenovo, and can be found in run-downs galore throughout our Windows 8 portal. Microsoft is making an effort also to differentiate between the coverage and attention they give to their 3rd party partners and their own Surface tablets, giving them both their own space and a completely separate presentation at the main Windows 8 release event for the press.

The actual launch of Windows 8 takes place on October 26th, with the switchover from the advertisements you see above and below on boards galore to Microsoft’s own Start Screen, one by one, right as the operating system is available for the world to purchase at midnight. Of course global availability doesn’t chime at the same moment around the planet, but in New York City, there is but one moment when Microsoft jumps head-first into the future.

Also included in the Microsoft bid for attention in New York City is an art-like presentation on Pier 57, it being a city of Windows 8 products in a color-splashed white city, each of them able to be viewed and in some cases available for hands-on action as well. This public display is advertised throughout the city and on the web for the public to head over and see for several weeks.

If these presentations are any indication, Microsoft is not about to let this release go unnoticed. With their very future in the balance with this very major release of their next-generation operating system, they’re not going to risk that the entire universe doesn’t at least know that Windows 8 exists – and with hands-on experiences here and there and everywhere, they’re going to make sure you can get every chance possible to touch it too – then buy it, of course.

Microsoft creates massive Windows 8 showroom in center of Times Square is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week we’ve gotten the opportunity to take a peek at the nearest-to-final builds of Lenovo’s entire Convertible Windows 8 / RT family this week, including the IdeaPad Yoga 13, IdeaPad Yoga 11, ideatab Lynx, ThinkPad Twist, and ThinkPad Tablet 2. Each of these units is unique in its ability to bring Windows 8 or Windows RT to users in their feature sets that include flipping, turning, folding, and straight up sheathing. While we’ve seen all of these devices before, here lies an opportunity to see them up-close and personal right before review unit time.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

This machine is what Lenovo is proud to claim as one of the world’s first multi-mode Ultrabooks. It’s got a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900 IPS LCD display with Intel HD 4000 graphics and up to Intel Core i7 processors inside. You’ve got the ability to work with up to Windows 8 Pro on this machine, and it ready to rock in several different display modes.

You can place it upright like a notebook, backwards like a tent, bend up and forward – inverted from its notebook mode, and flat like a tablet. The current MSRP for this device is $1099 USD and it’ll be out in stores relatively soon – exact date to be determined.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11

The IdeaPad Yoga 11 is the more compact version of the unique idea the Yoga 13 presents with a 360-degree folding hinge for multiple modes of use. It also has a massively powerful display of 1366 x 768 pixels across an 11.6-inch HD panel and it works with Windows RT. This tablet-based operating system is powered here by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor we’ve seen many time before, and the whole unit is just 0.61 inches thick. This unit will be coming in at MSRP $799 USD.

We found both of the Yoga units to be surprisingly high quality for how seemingly dangerously exposed they are at first with the hinge innovation. But the actual execution of the hinge, in all its two-part glory, takes Lenovo’s assurance that they put their products through rigorous battle-testing and delivers. These units look really, really high quality.

Lenovo ideatab Lynx

The Lynx is a tablet that’s also a notebook – a Windows 8-toting oddity that’ll have you amazed that this is truly one of the first Windows 8 Atom-based machines on the market. Up front you’ve got an 11.6-inche IPS LCD display at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution – and it gets quite bright: 400 nit bright to be exact. This tablet works with a full detachable Lenovo Accutype keyboard and will be running with Intel Atom dual-core processors – that’s X2760 dual-core 1.8 GHz. The Lynx has a price of MSRP $599 for the tablet and $149 for the base as of this week.

The Lynx is going to be hitting a rather unique crowd, the same way the Twist will. With the Twist we’ve got the whole machine working with that single bar that allows the display to twist – a bit more fragile-seeming than we’d like to really comment on extensively at this point. The Lynx, on the other hand, appears to have the ThinkPad family in mind with its recognizable keyboard and a full Windows 8 experience ready to rock with Atom.

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist

The ThinkPad Twist has a 12.5-inch 12.5-inch IPS LCD display covered with Gorilla Glass, getting up to 350 nit bright and bringing on the HD with Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 to back it up. The full casing on this machine is 0.79-inches thick and it’ll be running full Windows 8 Pro when it hits shelves. The Twist will be appearing for MSRP $849 USD.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

This lovely little beast is the ThinkPad Tablet 2, taking everything great about your everyday-awesome hardcore ThinkPad notebook and bringing it up in a tablet form that’s ready to attach to its own keyboard dock, multimedia dock, and lovely carrying case. The case is able to keep both the tablet and the keyboard base safe in itself at once, both the tablet and the base being essentially the same size, and thusly interchangeable on both sides. This unit has a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display, Gorilla Glass over the front, and Intel Atom inside. You’ve also got wi-fi and AT&T 4G LTE versions available in the very near future – the wi-fi version will be MSRP $649 USD.

Stay tuned for more awesome Lenovo action as Windows 8 and Windows RT takes over the world. Stay close to our Microsoft tag and our Windows 8 tag for the full lo-down as it all goes down over the next few weeks and months. The wave is coming in!

Lenovo Windows 8 Convertibles family comes together for hands-on action is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.