Hasta La Gadget!

While we can’t say it was a shock, Samsung’s latest superphone has arrived — and it’s got a new stylus. The Galaxy Note II pushes the screen frontier to 5.5 inches wide, with another HD Super AMOLED display, this time at 1,280 x 720. Despite that expansion the phone is a mere 9.4mm thick, while it now houses a larger capacity (faster charging) 3,100mAh battery and a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz. As the Galaxy Note was to the Galaxy S II, so the Note II takes some design riffs from the Galaxy S III, with the same rounded edges, glossy finish and extra software piled atop its Android base. There’s also Samsung’s reliable 8-megapixel camera sensor on the back, capable of 1080p video-recording.

The great news is that the Galaxy Note II will be launching on Jelly Bean — no laborious waiting for those over-the-air updates for Google’s very latest. Software additions are understandably heavily weighted towards the phablet’s S Pen advances. The stylus itself now has a rubber nib, which Samsung reckons will offer an experience closer to pen and paper. User can add “Quick Commands” to their stylus gestures, while “Air View” allows you to peruse galleries and folders by floating the stylus just above the screen. Samsung’s also added an Easy Clip ability to crop and share from anything beaming out from the Note II’s 16:9 screen. Stylus functionality has been gifted to the calendar (S Planner) and the native email app, while the S Pen itself will now notify your phone if it’s left behind. The device will launch in Titanium Grey and Marble White, arriving internationally before the end of the year. We’ve just managed to handle both the Galaxy Note II and that reformed stylus — check out our hands-on here.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled: 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Note II unveiled: 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, Android Jelly Bean and more S Pen functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slotting in above the VPL-HW30ES, this VPL-HW50ES uses a version of the same technology seen in the VW1000ES to process images for 4K does not do 4K at all and of course supports 3D. We’re all very familiar with the company’s SXRD projectors by now but if you need more information the press release is after the break. While we know these are due to ship across Europe in both black and white by the end of October, what you won’t find, at least so far, is a price tag. We’ll keep our eyes peeled at CEDIA next week for more information.

Update: Whoops, no, this is not a part of Sony’s all-4K everything push, and brings merely 1080p resolution with some fancy image processing tech. We’re now not quite as excited to see it, but 1,700 lumens of brightness, built-in 3D transmitter and wider lens shift range aren’t too disappointing.

Continue reading Sony’s VPL-HW50ES projector revealed at IFA, ships in October

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

Sony’s VPL-HW50ES projector revealed at IFA, ships in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s latest and greatest HDTV popped up in Japan earlier and now it has made its European debut as the HX95 series at IFA 2012. We’re not seeing pricing information or a release date listed, but the benefit of a native English press release confirms it features full LED backlighting as well as the company’s latest image processing technology. All that’s left now is to find out any US release details, we’ll see if we get any more information today or have to wait until CEDIA 2012 next week. In the meantime, check the PR after the break and browse through a gallery of sweet images showing off the slim monolithic design.

Continue reading Sony unveils top of the line HX95 HDTV for Europe at IFA 2012

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

Sony unveils top of the line HX95 HDTV for Europe at IFA 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember those Ativ Tab and Ativ S trademarks we saw just a couple of days ago? They may well be more than just Samsung’s daydreams. As long as details at The Verge prove true, the devices attached to those names represent a two-pronged revival of Samsung’s Windows-based mobile strategy. We’re most interested in the Ativ S: thanks in part to Windows Phone 8’s multi-core support, it’s effectively a Galaxy S III for the Microsoft crowd with a similar 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front shooter. Swinging attention to the Ativ Tab shows what’s likely to be a commonplace list of features for a Windows RT slate. Outside of the 10.1-inch screen, it’s sporting its own 1.5GHz dual-core chip and 1.9-megapixel front camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear sensor, HDMI video out and USB. We’re still missing a slew of details, such as storage and launch dates, although we might not have to wait long at all to know — if the claims are correct, one or both of the Ativ models may show their faces at Samsung’s IFA 2012 events.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Samsung Ativ Tab and Ativ S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The slightly shier Xperia V was mentioned ever-so-briefly in Sony’s IFA presser — but that’s not to say there’s nothing to see. We’ve just got our hands on with the firm’s newest LTE handset, and it’s a lightweight 127 grams, comes with a 4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720 display and boasts iPx5/7 water resistance. It’s also packing Sony’s new ClearAudio+ technology. It’s got that familiar Xperia curve, which we like, plus a rough silver finish around the edge. Check out our hands-on video after the break, with more impressions coming soon.

Continue reading Sony Xperia V hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Sony Xperia V hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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