Epson launches five 3D, 1080p home theater projectors for serious cinephiles

Epson 3D Projectors

New projectors quietly slip on to shelves almost every day, but Epson’s new PowerLite Pro Cinema 6010, and updated Home Cinema series certainly caught our attention. They combine 1080p images with active 3D tech for a price that home theater builders shouldn’t immediately dismiss. The flagship Pro Cinema 6010 and Home Cinema 5010 lines can output 2,400 lumens while maintaining a contrast ratio of 200,000:1. Both also include the ability to convert 2D content to 3D on the fly. The primary difference between the $4,000 6010 and $3,000 5010 (the wirelessHD-equipped 5010e will run about $3,500) is the included accessories and options: like ceiling mounts, 3D glasses and additional lens modes. The budget 3010 ($1,600) and 3010e ($1,800) models sport a more modest 40,000:1 contrast ratio and 2,200 lumen rating, but do have a pair of built-in 10W speakers. Oddly, only the 3010 package will include 3D glasses. The Pro Cinema 6010 and Home Cinema 5010 line will start shipping in November, while the 3010 series will land in October. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Epson launches five 3D, 1080p home theater projectors for serious cinephiles

Epson launches five 3D, 1080p home theater projectors for serious cinephiles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater

Contour has already produced a handful of imagers for football players and cyclists, but the company has now come out with a solution for underwater explorers, as well, with its first waterproof camera — the ContourRoam. This hands-free device boasts a super wide-angle, 170-degree rotating lens, capable of capturing HD video in three different resolutions (1080p, 960p, and 720p) at 30fps. Its lens can also rotate up to 270 degrees, and projects a horizontal laser to help you align your shots. The camera’s instant on-record option, meanwhile, allows you to start recording as soon as you turn it on, while its waterproof aluminum body lets you shoot video at underwater depths of up to one meter for up to 30 minutes at a time — meaning you can leave that old ContourHD case at home. Aspiring Steve Zissous can buy one now for $200, at the source link below. Otherwise, just wade past the break for more information, in the full presser.

Continue reading ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater

ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Companies: Please Stop Calling Things "HD" Because It’s Driving Me Completely Insane

HD is our decade’s extreme. People know the two letters well—and they like them!—because of HDTV. That’s fine, because HDTV actually means something: certain, set lines of resolution. But “Swiffer HD Clean”? I feel like screaming blood. More »

Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: accessories

Welcome to Engadget’s Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we’re here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we’ve got a slew of accessories — and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back — at the end of the month we’ll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides — and hit up the hub page right here!

Fall’s slowly, but surely creeping back in, and we bet you’ve already started to gather up the necessary gear for your return to the residence hall. Sure, you’ve got the basics covered, with a computer, smartphone, MP3 player and even a tablet at the ready. But wouldn’t it be nice to start the school year off in style with some handy accoutrements to trick out those digital crutches? Let’s face it, you’re going to need a lapdesk buffer zone between you and your laptop’s scorching heat for those countless hours spent churning out term papers. Or, an external hard drive, so you can store those full seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and bring the late night funny to your stressed-out friends. However you manage to make it through the year and snag that 4.0 GPA, we’ve got a selection of accessorized aids to match your collegiate budget. Oh, and don’t forget, we’re giving away $3,000 worth of essential back to school gear to 15 readers, and you can be among the chosen few simply by dropping a comment below! Click on past the break to start browsing.

Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: accessories

Engadget’s back to school guide 2011: accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google remains committed to TV business, expects more partners soon

Wondering what Mountain View has in store for Google TV — that half-baked content platform available on only a small handful of devices? Well, it’s not going away, apparently, and may even cross the Atlantic into Europe next year. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is currently making waves in Scotland, giving Edinburgh International Television Festival attendees a rather vague overview of what the next generation of Google TV may look like. Schmidt said that the service has yet to take off because it’s currently integrated with (a rather limited selection of) TVs, which we don’t tend to upgrade more than once or twice a decade. He added that additional hardware and content partners will be coming soon, though, and didn’t deny that Google TV could end up on Motorola cable boxes — an obvious move, given the company’s recent acquisition announcement. With widespread implementation and many more content partners, Google TV could definitely be a hit, but with ABC, NBC and CBS still unwilling to come onboard, the struggling service likely has a very rocky road ahead before it can be deemed a success.

Google remains committed to TV business, expects more partners soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony NEX-FS100 review

We’ve been uncommonly keen to get our hands on the Sony NEX-FS100 ever since we first heard about it back in March. You see, this is no ordinary camcorder. Its spec sheet reads like a liturgy of filmmakers’ prayers: a large Super 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor, interchangeable lenses, XLR inputs and proper, professional controls. Sure, it comes with a $6,600 price tag to match, but it also heralds a trend that should ultimately benefit pros and ordinary gadget denizens alike: the arrival of big, bold DSLR-style optics within dedicated camcorders. How do these optics effect the quality of the NEX-FS100’s footage? Plant yourself somewhere comfortable and click past the break to find out.

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Sony NEX-FS100 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG unveils S430, S530 Aurora laptops for people who like muted hues

LG has added two new stars to its constellation of Aurora laptops, with the LG S430 and LG S530. Both models are powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, with the S430 boasting a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 HD LCD and the S530 rocking a slightly larger, 15.6-inch display, available in either HD or HD+ (1600 x 900) resolution. Both also feature 8GB of DDR3 memory and up to 750GB of HDD space (5400 RPM), along with your standard WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 2.0 connectivity. Perhaps most notable, however, is their sleek, metallic veneer and crystalline, scratch-free finish, available in both purple and blue. Pricing remains a mystery, but the pair should be available in Africa, Asia and the Middle East by early next month, before making their way to Europe and the US shortly thereafter. Details galore await you after the break, in the full PR.

Continue reading LG unveils S430, S530 Aurora laptops for people who like muted hues

LG unveils S430, S530 Aurora laptops for people who like muted hues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drift HD helmet cam review

What a difference a year makes, yeah? 13 months ago, we were giving Drift Innovation’s latest helmet cam (the HD170) a run through the gauntlet, and now, we’re giving that unit’s proper successor the same treatment. The simply-named Drift HD action camera is largely the same type of device, albeit one that’s 25 percent shorter (this one’s just four inches long) and offers a replaceable lens. Moreover, there’s a waterproof casing that’s on the way, though said shell wasn’t ready during our testing phase. The company managed to include a 300-degree rotating lens (complete with a 170-degree field of view) and a couple of capture options: 1080p/30fps and 720p/60fps. The concept should be well-ingrained into the head of technophiles by this point: if you’re looking for a camera to mount upside your noggin’ (or on your vehicle of choice), this is what you’re after. But is the new and improved Drift HD capable of taking on the GoPros of the world while justifying its $369 asking price? Read on.

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Drift HD helmet cam review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s GT-19220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!)

If you’re a sucker for juicy handset rumors, then this one’s for you. A few months ago, a supposed Samsung roadmap leaked, revealing a slew of new Android, Bada and WP7 handsets on the horizon. Today, a picture purporting to be one of those phones, the GT-19220 (W43) surfaced, complete with some specs to further grease the rumor mill. Word on the web says that the Sammy will have a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED Plus display that measures in at 5.29 inches diagonally — even bigger than the 5-inch Dell Streak tablet. If our observational geometry is right, we’d say that screen size is probably pretty accurate. Rather than taking tablet status like the Dell, however, it seems bound to be the Galaxy S II’s big brother, as sources claim it’s running Gingerbread with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and packs an 8 megapixel camera. Of course, these specs can’t be officially confirmed until the phone is launched, but it’s safe to say it’s likely a part of the Android army taking on the iPhone 5 this fall.

Update: Alas, as many of you have pointed out in comments, there’s not a lot of truth to this story. First, both devices you’re seeing above appear to actually be PMPs, not phones — the Galaxy S players we’ve seen before. Secondly, we’re hearing the actual name of this supposed smartphone is GT-i9220, not 19220.

Samsung’s GT-19220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30 p.m.

It’s Monday, and we’re still here to help by letting you peek into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 5:30 pm. We finally managed to find our regular time on our regular day, but at this point is there even such a thing? So take a peek at the live stream, chat and list of topics after the break.

Continue reading Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30 p.m.

Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30 p.m. originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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