Hasta La Gadget!

Welcome to Thursday evening folks. We had a lot of news coming out of Germany for the second day of our IFA 2012 trip, so let’s jump in. We have a ton of hands-on posts to get through, but first, be sure to have a look at our Dell IFA 2012 Wrap-Up for all of the details on what the company announced and what it let us see. Moving on, today was a big opportunity to get some hands-on time with a bunch of different devices announced at IFA today and yesterday, and of course we took full advantage of it.

Starting right off with Sony, we have a hands-on post with the absolutely massive 84-inch 4K Bravia 84X900 TV for you to check out. If a display that’s a little more wearable is more your cup of tea, then have a look at our hands-on with the Sony HMZ-T2. Of course, we’ve also got a hands-on with the Sony VAIO Duo 11, and for those of you who still want more big, we’ve got you covered there too with this Sony Tap 20 oversized tablet hands-on.

Lenovo has announced a number of devices during IFA, revealing the IdeaPad S Series Laptops. We have a hands-on with the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 for you to peruse, along with this Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 hands-on and this hands-on with the IdeaTab A2109 and A2107. That does it for the Lenovo and Sony hands-on articles, but in the words of some guy we see on TV all the time, “we’re not stopping there!” We also spent some quality time with the new Liquid Image EGO HD Mountable Camera, and we recommend that you also have a look at our hands-on with the HTC Desire X.

At IFA today, Toshiba announced a set of three new ultrabooks, and ZTE was there to show off its new Grand X IN smartphone – the first ICS phone to sport Intel inside. It seems that the incoming Windows 8 is making manufacturers go a little bit touch-crazy, and today we were treated to a number of leaks in addition to all of the news from IFA. The Motorola DROID RAZR M 4G LTE has suffered yet another leak, and it would seem that both the next Kindle Fire and the next Kindle Touch were leaked today as well. Speaking of the Kindle Fire, it turns out that the tablets have sold out in anticipation of Amazon’s big reveal next week.

Samsung seems to be learning more toward Microsoft after its loss to Apple, and the company may just have a plan to make Apple pay up should the iPhone maker release a new device with LTE capabilities. The iPhone 5 was featured in a new video and photo leak today, Steam Greenlight is officially up and running, and the Mars Curiosity Rover has finally left its landing site to go and look for clues on the surface of the Red Planet. Finally tonight, Windows Phone 8 may be getting a handy new parental control feature, and Google and Apple’s CEOs have gotten together to talk about a potential patent settlement. That does it for Thursday’s Evening Wrap-Up, but be sure to join us back here tomorrow for more straight from IFA 2012!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 30, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week in Berlin at IFA 2012 we’re seeing a large amount of manufacturers bringing on touchscreens and convertible, transformable, or otherwise completely strange Windows 8 computers. There’s everything from a flipping screen to a flat horizontal interface, and so many tablets that we don’t know where to begin. One thing they’ve all got in common: they’re attempting to make use of Windows 8′s ability to work with interactive touchscreens and gestures galore.

Have a peek first at the Sony VAIO Duo 11 in our hands-on experience. There you’ll find what’s called a “hybrid sliding PC” that’s not entirely unlike the ASUS solution for a similar situation in the Eee Pad Slider – but here it’s working with Windows 8 instead of Android. And it’s a bit more chunky (as seen above). Next have a look at Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet 2 as seen below. It’s a tablet if you’d like as well, this time you pull it out and set it up in a keyboard dock rather than sliding.

The Dell XPS Duo 12 is a strange beast indeed – working with a flip screen on hinges – like a framed painting whose center can be turned around. There’s a keyboard in there somewhere as well. Have a peek at that below this paragraph as well – and note that we’ve only gotten “eyes-on” with this device so far, so there’s no telling how fabulous it’ll be in the near future.

The folks at HP have brought along several units to the show including a hybrid PC that runs Windows 8 and has the power of a full PC – rather than a tablet with “mobile power”. Here you’re working with what’s otherwise known as a tablet with a keyboard dock, but it’s described the other way around. Then there’s Samsung – they’ve brought out the guns with the ATIV Smart PC Pro sporting a very similar setup to the HP solution also in this paragraph. Here Samsung has brought on a lovely looking combo that’s not without it’s Ivy Bridge – another bit of hardware we’ve seen a lot of this year. There’s also an ATIV Smart PC that we got hands-on with as well.

Check out the rest of this awesome pageant of touch-friendly (and sometimes not so touch friendly) devices as they appear in Berlin in our IFA 2012 portal. And keep up with the Windows 8 tag as well through the future – some strange devices are afoot!

Windows 8 makes manufacturers touchy at IFA 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re in Berlin this week at IFA 2012 having a look at the Liquid Image EGO HD – a high definition mountable camera ready to take on the competition with both 12 megapixel photos and 1080p video capture. This device is also able to record video at HD 720p at 60 frames per second if you wish, all of it being stored on a 4GB microSDHC card that fits in the device – and comes with the unit as well, right in the box. You’ll be able to attach this device to basically anything you’ve got with a collection of mounts available from Liquid Image as well – it’s diverse!

This device has the ability to carry up to a 32GB microSDHC card and works with a rechargeable battery rated at 1.5-2 hours of HD video. The unit you buy standard comes with a tripod mount as well as a multi-directional mounting system with a quick release lever so you’ll be able to detach it easily. You’ll be able to attach this camera to your helmet, goggles, a variety of vehicles, and dunk it underwater with a specially fitted waterproof housing.

The standard package has a multi-directional mounting system that works with bikes, boards, cars, and all manner of sporting equipment as well. With the wi-fi connectivity aboard, you’ll be able to connect with smartphones, tablet, and your computer – and no extra wireless module attachment is necessary for live wireless streaming if that’s your style!

The entire device measures in at 1.6 x 1.2 x 2.5 inches and fits in the palm of your hand. You’ll be able to record without fearing destruction by loose tree limbs and debris due to the compact size, and the whole system comes in a variety of colors. Black, blue, yellow, white, and red are out now for right around $179.95 USD – grab one!

Liquid Image EGO HD Mountable Camera hands-on is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Toshiba took some time at IFA 2012 today to announce three new cameras in its CAMILEO line of full HD camcorders. Sticking with the trend of the line, all three of these cameras can record video in 1080p resolution, and each one is geared toward a different subset of users. As you can see from the image below, there all quite small as well, which means that portability probably isn’t going to be an issue.

First we have the CAMILEO S40, which is being marketed as a “pocketable” camcorder that still delivers when it comes to performance. It sports a pistol grip design, comes in four different colors (silver, turquoise, orange, purple), and features a 5x digital zoom that is helped along by electronic image stabilization. On the back we have a 3-inch LCD touchscreen that features an icon-based GUI, and this camera also comes equipped with CAMILEO’s Uploader Software so you can share what you’ve shot easily. Finally, the S40 comes with mini HDMI and micro USB ports, allowing you to connect it to your other devices and playback video on a larger screen.

Next up is the CAMILEO X150, which is a palm-held camcorder aimed at those who need to get an up-close shot while still maintaining 1080p quality. It features a 10x optical zoom, and allows users to snap pictures while recording video. It also comes equipped with smile detection and face detection, meaning that not only will your pictures be in-focus, but you also won’t be snapping pictures of awkward faces as often. Just like the S40, the X150 comes with a 3-inch LCD touchscreen, along with mini HDMI and micro USB ports for easy playback.

Wrapping up Toshiba’s triple reveal, we have the CAMILEO BW20, which is for those who need a camera that can withstand a few hits. It can handle falls from up to 1.5 meters, and is waterproof down to five meters for up to 30 minutes. It can record in low-light settings all the way down to 2lux, and comes with an anti-glare 2-inch LCD screen so you can review what you’ve shot even with the Sun bearing down on you. As with the cameras before it, this one also features mini HDMI and micro USB ports.

It’s also worth pointing out that all three of these cameras come equipped with an LED flashlight and a multi-card slot. There isn’t any pricing information on these camcorders yet, and Toshiba hasn’t announced a release date either, saying that they’ll be available in the UK starting in Q4 2012. Stay tuned, because we’ll have more details for you once Toshiba dishes more information.

Toshiba’s CAMILEO line getting three new full HD camcorders is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sony didn’t exactly go out of its way to talk up the new HMZ-T2 during its press conference the other day at IFA, never actually mentioning it on stage. The device did, however, pop up in a small corner of the company’s show booth. The reason for the silence is pretty clear, when you get down to it — not a lot has changed here. Really, the T2 is just a minor update to a first generation product, most of its changes revolving around making the admittedly slightly uncomfortable wearable a bit easier on your head. It’s 100 grams lighter than its predecessor and features improvements to its adjustable parts.

The head pad is larger and can be moved to better fit your head, the strap can be adjusted at a number of points and the sliders beneath the 0.7-inch OLED monitors can be adjusted independently from one another. Oh, and while there are Virtualphone built-in, there’s also a headphone jack, so you can bring your own pair. All in all, we have to say it did feel a bit more comfortable than the set we tried on for the first time roughly this time last year. The headset also features different viewing modes, including 24p True Cinema for slower paced movies and Clear mode for action scenes, as well as Auto Color Temperature to help improve the picture.

All told, however, it’s not much to write home about — if you were thinking of picking up the T1, this guy is certainly an improvement. If you’ve already got one to call your own, however, it’s probably not worth the upgrade when it hits later this year.

Continue reading Sony HMZ-T2 3D display, heads-in (video)

Filed under: Displays, Wearables, HD

Sony HMZ-T2 3D display, heads-in (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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