Hasta La Gadget!

Does the NEX lineup need another model? Sony reckons it does. Meet the NEX-6. The company’s latest mirrorless camera looks nearly identical to last year’s top-of-the-line NEX-7, with the exception of a new dedicated mode dial, that lets you switch between aperture- and shutter-priority, manual, or scene modes with a hardware control rather than a need to jump into the menu. It offers the same pop-up flash (with a bit more power), a 3-inch 921k-dot TruBlack tilting LCD, an identical 2,359k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder and a strikingly familiar design. And that’s where the similarities screech to a grinding halt.

The NEX-6 is a hybrid camera of sorts, merging the best of the NEX-7 and the new 5R into a compact ILC that Sony says is its first to offer “full DSLR functionality.” You won’t be able to snag full-frame captures, as with Sony’s brand new Alpha A99, but the 16.1-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor should get you well on your way. There’s also low-light shooting through ISO 25,600, 1080/60p video, a 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting mode, the new Fast Hybrid autofocus system first introduced with the NEX-5R and a new Multi Interface Shoe that lets you interface with a bunch of new accessories, including a hot shoe-mounted XLR mic input rig ($800). Join us past the break for our impressions and hands-on video.

Continue reading Sony NEX-6 mirrorless cam squeezes in between 5R and 7 with WiFi, EVF and dedicated mode dial (hands-on video)

Filed under: Cameras

Sony NEX-6 mirrorless cam squeezes in between 5R and 7 with WiFi, EVF and dedicated mode dial (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google has opened its wallet and dropped some coins into the box of WiFi provider Boingo, opening up free internet access to Android devices as well as PCs and Macs at 4,000 locations in the US. The promotion, which will last until the end of September, will include coverage in 15 airports and will be co-branded with Google Play, the search giant’s app download and multimedia store.

It’s also the first of Boingo’s new WiFi sponsorship programs, called the Cloud Nine Media platform, which will see the internet provider’s connectivity subsidized by advertisers. Google appears to have opted not to offer free wireless to iOS device users (though those with a MacBook still get to go online on Google’s dime) which is unlikely to endear the company to those on an iPhone or iPad.

Still, our guess is that somebody will soon figure out a workaround and everybody will be happy. Google will also be taking the opportunity to push its music, movies, books, and apps via the captive audience.

Coverage of the free WiFi will include JFK airport in New York, Chicago O’Hare, and Seattle-Tacoma, as well as select Manhattan subway stations. There’s also support in various hotels, malls and restaurants; you can find a full list here

Google pays for 4,000 free WiFi hotspots (but not if you have an iPhone) is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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RWC announced today in Japan not one but two Android 4.0 Tablet that are also fully fledge capable PNDs. While technically similar, both models comes with Android 4.0, a 7” 800×480 screen with a Cortex A5 Dual Core CPU at 1.2GHz with 512Mb of RAM, 8GB of Storage, microSD/SDHC support, HDMI out, WiFi, Drive Video Recording and GPS, both models comes however with some slight difference including a Digital TV Tuner for the RM-XRAD700TV (Picture above) or a waterproof IPX5 body for the …

The FCC has been more than a little eager to repurpose spectrum as wireless internet access takes off: white spaces and iDEN frequencies have already switched roles, and that’s not including the myriad of spectrum swaps. Add one more wireless variety to the list, as FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has confirmed his agency will vote on a proposal for incentive-based auctions of UHF spectrum. When the Commission meets next on September 28th, it will decide on whether or not to lure broadcasters into giving up the usually TV-focused space for the sake of data lovers everywhere. The freed-up airwaves in the proposal would mostly be unlicensed spectrum with “WiFi-like uses,” but at a much lower frequency than the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands that WiFi needs today: as the first consistent, unlicensed spectrum at that range in the US, it could create opportunities for longer-ranged, free wireless that aren’t even on the table in 2012. Not that we have much of a choice in taking action today. Any accepted rules won’t be completely finalized until mid-2013, and the auction itself won’t take place until 2014. Still, the UHF plans foster dreams of more wireless for everyone — and we suspect that even one Mr. Yankovic wouldn’t mind giving up Channel 62 for a long-distance home network.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

FCC to vote September 28th on proposal auctioning UHF spectrum, Weird Al might still approve originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The smartest solutions to problems are often the simplest of all. In that spirit, Netflix is introducing a feature to its Android app that’ll keep unknowing viewers from chewing up their mobile data plan. New to the settings menu, users will discover an option that restricts video playback to WiFi networks. Netflix has left the setting to user discretion, however, meaning that it must be manually enabled. Once the switch is flipped, you’ll retain the ability to search and browse Netflix over a mobile connection, but you’ll need to scramble for a WiFi connection when it’s time to watch Walter White cook up his latest batch. If you’re unsure of where your usage sits, the WiFi restriction is probably worth imposing — unless you’re with Sprint or T-Mobile, that is.

Filed under: Wireless, Software, Mobile

Netflix updates Android app with ‘WiFi only’ playback to keep mobile data usage in check originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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