Hasta La Gadget!

Google Hangout video chats have been quietly upgrading to 720p HD, and the mothership says all users should have high definition soon. The quality boost is part of a long-term upgrade that has Hangout moving toward a system that won’t require installing any plugins, but that’s still down the road. [Gigaom]

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Back in January, a hovering quad-copter camera called the MeCam was teased as a mini video recording chopper with smartphone connectivity. At the time, it was said the camera would launch later in 2013 and that it would feature a $49 price tag. Both of these things have proven to be true, but the MeCam […]

The steady upward trot of technology has brought us to the trailhead of 4K TVs, which brings ultra-high-definition video to your living or media room, but not without a price tag to match. Such is not the case with Seiku’s 50-inch 4K TV, which is now available for a price tag you’d expect to find on regular HDTVs: $1,299. We’ve got a run down of its specifications after the jump.

The television is available from TigerDirect, and is from a maker not previously seen in the United States, meaning you’re going to have to take a risk if you plunk down the cash for this ultra-cheap ultra-HD device. It’ll likely be a couple weeks, at least, before any substantial amount of reviews hit the web to get an idea of the television’s quality and other relevant aspects.

Still, if you’re willing to take the chance, what you’ll get is a 50-inch 4K HDTV with an LED backlight and a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Seiku touts the unit as having minimized pixilation and smooth video via a 120Hz refresh rate and 6.5ms response time. The contrast ratio comes in at 5000:1 for deep blacks and bright white colors.

The television utilizes a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, and has a few different video connection options, including VGA, composite, component, and three HDMI ports. There’s a stereo mini-jack for headphones and coaxial digital audio, as well as two integrated speakers. All the specs point at it being a nice television set, and that aside, at this price, you really can’t beat giving it a shot if a 4K TV is on your wish list.

[via Engadget]

Seiku’s 4K 50-inch TV hits shelves at a low $1,299 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

What’s that you say, you want to capture moving pictures but not with too much quality? Well step right up, sir, and take a gander at Samsung’s new HMX-F90, promising the simplicity of a standalone camcorder and the head-scratchingly-confusing absence of resolution higher than what you’d expect from a mid-tier smartphone. That’s right, the HMX-F90 tops out at 720p HD, rather than the 1080p we’re more used to seeing, though you do at least get a whopping 52x optical zoom for your money.

Samsung’s decision to shoot at lower resolutions isn’t particularly explained by the company – there are 480/60p modes too, with files grabbed in MP4/AAC format – with an emphasis on ease of use pushed instead. So, there’s onboard video editing that allows multiple clips to be joined together simply by tapping on them, and Smart Background Music to automatically add audio.

Once you’ve finished editing up your simplistic masterpiece, there’s a “One Touch” share button. Unfortunately, the HMX-F90 lacks any sort of wireless connectivity, unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Camera, and so pressing that button basically just adds the clip to a queue of priority uploads that are automatically pulled off the camcorder when you next plug it into your PC via USB.

5-megapixel stills are also supported, and there’s a compact 2.7-inch TFT LCD display and digital image stabilization, along with an HDMI output. Storage is courtesy of an SDHC/SDXC memory card. Samsung isn’t saying how much the F90 will be, but it’s worth noting that its F80 predecessor has a street price of around $140.

Samsung HMX-F90 camcorder forgets convergence and 1080p is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The next generation of super-resolution TVs you’ll be guilted into feeling bad for not shelling out for at Best Buy has been named, with 4K getting its final branding as “Ultra High Definition.” Sets will need to deliver at least 3,840 x 2,160 resolution in order to qualify as Ultra HD, the Consumer Electronics Association has decided, with an aspect ratio of width to height of at least 16:9; there are also requirements in what inputs any Ultra HD display must have.

At least one digital input needs to support the native 4K signal, without relying solely on upconverting from lower resolution feeds. Of course, that still leaves the potential for existing connectivity with lower capabilities, and we’re likely to see the first batch of TVs only including one or two of the 4K-capable ports and relying on more humble resolution hook-ups for legacy components.

TVs and projectors capable of Ultra HD resolution have been on sale for some months now, though they’re generally seen as more about manufacturers boasting than having any realistic sales potential. Common across them all is a high price: $20,000 for LG’s most recent set, for instance, looking almost like a bargain in comparison to the $25,000 84-inch Sony.

Unsurprisingly, the electronics industry is the most excited about the new tech, having seen 3D fail to gather the same momentum as observed in the SD to HD switchover. Ultra HD’s potential for driving sales may well stumble because of the nature of high-resolution sets, however: you need a big panel to enjoy the benefits, and that requires a big room and a big wallet.

Ultra HD gives 4K TV a brand of its own is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.