Kickstarter has proven successful for numerous gadgets — quite a few of them being smartwatches — and it would seem the indie funding site’s users are also favorable towards small HD cameras. Such is the case for the ParaShoot 2.0 miniature HD camera, which has surpassed its goal of $30,000 more than three times with […]
CES 2013 was a decidedly sleepy show by most accounts, but this year’s IFA is shaping up to be anything but. Devices set for a reveal are still under proverbial lock and key, but chatter, teases and leaks have painted a fairly full picture of what we can expect to see in Germany: smartwatches and wearables, Haswell hardware and phones with 4K shooters. Join us past the break to get up to speed on what Berlin might dish out this week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Tablets, HD, Mobile, Samsung, Sony, LG
Remember how we’d heard that a British broadcaster is trialing 4K TV? We have a hunch as to which company that is: Sky now claims that it’s the first UK TV network to have conducted a live 4K broadcast. The firm captured a weekend Premier League match in ultra high resolution using the same infrastructure it normally requires for a live show, with satellites delivering a feed to the company’s Isleworth broadcast center. Commercial service remains distant, mind you — Sky requires both more research and wider adoption of 4K TVs to justify an upgrade. If everything falls into place, though, Sky could have an advantage over rival providers that have yet to venture beyond HD.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sky
While we’re happy just to see a brand new display technology hit the streets, it was shocking to see LG and Samsung kick off the OLED era with curved displays. That’s going to change however, as LG is bringing the 55EA8800 display to IFA 2013 this week with the notable characteristic of having a shape that’s just like every other HDTV. That it’s flat instead of curved also means this is the first wall-mountable OLED TV, and LG is topping off the experience with 2.2-channel “Canvas Speakers” integrated with a faux art mat behind the display itself. The art theme continues with a “Gallery Mode” that displays high res artwork from painters including Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, or ones personal family pictures. There’s no word on pricing yet, but after its German introduction other markets are expected to follow — check after the break for the press release and in the gallery for a few more pictures. %Gallery-slideshow77145%
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, LG
Source: LG Newsroom
If you can’t get enough digital video storefronts, there’s one more on the way — Target’s Ticket service. The video on-demand service has been in closed beta for awhile now, and, according to TechCrunch, employees have been told that it will be launching to the public soon. Prices vary by program, but TV episodes cost around $2.99, or as much as $34.99 per season. Movies sell for about $15, give or take a few bucks, and rentals are $3.99 and $4.99, which closely matches the prices of Google Play, Amazon and iTunes. The use model is familiar too, granting users 30 days to activate a rental and 48 hours to watch after pressing play the first time.
The service is only available for the company’s employees and REDcard holders at the moment, but Target hopes to open access to more customers soon. Apps for Android, iOS, smart TVs and game consoles are in testing too, so you should be able to watch virtually anywhere. The retail giant is offering a few flicks for purchase ahead of home video too, so if you’re impatient, yet somehow missed Star Trek: Into Darkness in the theater, now is the time to buddy up to a redshirt.
Filed under: HD
Source: TechCrunch, Target Ticket
Around nine months ago Ceton unexpectedly announced plans to support the Android operating system and apps on its $179 Echo Windows Media Center extender, but now that’s not happening. According to the company, Android is “up and running” on Echo hardware in its labs — we saw screenshots back in February — but early beta tests with home users showed a problem with an internal component. That flaw apparently causes a failure to update in some cases, and since efforts to find a workaround have been so far unsuccessful Ceton is shelving the project (presumably alongside its Q DVR). There’s no question this is disappointing for Echo users that expected the feature, but the possibility of a bricked box seem worth avoiding. We haven’t talked about the Echo much since it came out of beta with a fix for 1080i output issues — if you’re an owner then let us know if you were (still) waiting for Android, or if you’ve moved onto another solution like Roku, Ouya or Chromecast.%Gallery-slideshow47995%
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Ceton Blog
Once upon a time, the possibility of a color e-reader seemed a reality just around the bend. As the sun set on the 2000s, though, prototypes and the potential for multi-hued e-paper devices seemed to disappear. In this issue of our weekly, Sean Buckley examines the events surrounding the once bright future of the tech and why we’re still e-reading in black-and-white. As far as reviews go, we offer up our detailed analysis of the TiVo Roamio Pro, OLPC XO Tablet and Motorola Droid Ultra. Eyes-On peeks at Blue Microphone’s latest, Weekly Stat examines the broadband build-up and Recommended Reading profiles Marissa Mayer. The weekend is finally here, and there’s plenty to peruse, so go on cozy up with a fresh copy via the usual download spots.
Distro Issue 105 PDF
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Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile
Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store
We first got a whiff of Sony’s NSZ-GU1 earlier this month from an FCC filing, and now the folks at GTVHacker point out those documents have been updated with more info and pictures. The first new Google TV hardware seen since the $35 Chromecast dongle launched, this device appears to be a blend of the two. A key difference revealed from the pictures however, is an odd stepped design, with the MHL/HDMI port protruding from the bottom of the box. The brief user manual included in the filing may explain this however, as it can draw power via that MHL output and the USB connection to a BRAVIA TV. A tiny diagram in the truncated user manual shows it plugged into the side of a TV like the Chromecast or Roku Streaming Stick. If you’re wondering about the PS4 — yes, we looked, but there’s no indication it’s meant to work directly with the upcoming console.
Like previous Google TV devices, it brings HDMI passthrough to the table along with an IR blaster, remote diagrams (in a separate filing) look similar to the one included with the NSZ-GS7 and GS8. Inside is a low power Marvell DE3108 SoC, 8GB of flash memory and 1GB RAM, however the specs indicate it’s limited to 720p video output. As GTVHacker put it, the entire thing is similar to the Chromecast but with Google TV features. What remains to be seen is when it arrives, how much it costs, and what software tweaks Google and Sony can cook up to make this generation of Android-powered smart TVs more appealing.%Gallery-slideshow76478%
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony, Google
Via: CJ Heres (Twitter)
If you’re stateside and still leery about using your credit card with Sony following 2011’s hacking scandal, the company has a new way for you to pay: your cellphone bill. Following its UK debut, Boku carrier payment processing is on our shores now, allowing you to top-up your virtual wallet via, specifically, an AT&T or T-Mobile account. Oddly enough, these funds can only be used for purchases on the Sony Entertainment Network website and the PS3’s PlayStation Store — not the PS Vita’s. We emailed to clarify this, but Sony only told us that it has “no plans to announce at this time.”
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile, Sony, AT&T, T-Mobile
Source: PlayStation Blog
Earlier this month Microsoft trimmed the list of countries where its Xbox One will launch to 13, and now it’s revealed the new Kinect voice commands will only support all of its features in some of them. Pointed out by a thread on NeoGAF, a disclaimer on Xbox.com listed only a few countries with support for voice commands at launch. Since then, MS Director of Product Planning Albert Penello has responded with more details, explaining that, at launch the Xbox One will support eight languages / dialects: English (US), English (GB), French, Spanish (MX), Spanish (ES), Italian, German and Portuguese.
That said, some voice features — like the “Xbox On” command — will not be available everywhere at the start, with only the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany set to receive them out of the gate. As Penello explains it, users will select their language first, and then get a list of countries it’s supported in. Confused? A more thorough explanation is coming to the Xbox website at some point, and Kinect’s supported languages are expected to grow with updates after the system launches — whenever that launch is.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: NeoGAF
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