Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re one of the truly lilliputian proportion of PC gamers who actually bought two of either the GTX 470 or GTX 480 from NVIDIA in the hope of running a tri-monitor 3D gorgefest, we’ve got bad news for ya. If you’re anyone else, enjoy the schadenfreude of knowing that those first guys will have to keep waiting for 3D Vision Surround support until the end of June. As NVIDIA tells it, the driver bringing the tri-dimensional, multi-monitor gaming nirvana was targeted for an April release, but has now slipped a couple of months. It’s disappointing to see one of the major selling points of the GTX 400 series coming so much later than the cards’ release, but at least ATI’s around to console you if you’re feeling jilted. The company has set up an Eyefinity Experience Tool that does a good job illustrating the benefits of gaming on a trifecta of monitors over a single display. Hit the source links for more.

NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround delayed, ATI gloats with an Eyefinity demo site originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 03:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC Perspective  |  The NVIDIA Blog, ATI  | Email this | Comments

Good luck keeping up with the ever changing specs on the latest HDTVs, but as the numbers get more impressive, are the displays actually improving in any noticeable way? Dr. Raymond Soneira , president of DisplayMate, goes about breaking down many of the more often misused and misleading technical buzzwords in an article on MaximumPC. If you’re wondering how manufacturers have advanced contrast ratios from thousands, to millions, to unlimited over the space of just a few years, there’s a breakdown of what “dynamic contrast ratio” actually measures and why it’s worth ignoring — unless you watch your TV when it’s only displaying one color at a time. When it comes to colors colors, some of the most scathing words were pointed towards Sharp’s Quattron quad-pixel technology, which “can only decrease picture quality and accuracy!”

Whether you believe the good Dr., a glistening review or Cmdr. Sulu, the factual heat burned hottest during a test of motion blur compared on LCDs, LED LCDs, plasmas and even a pro CRT. While additional motion processing and upgraded internals on newer HDTVs can help in many other ways, viewers couldn’t detect any blur caused by a display even on an old 60Hz set, despite newer and faster 120Hz, 240Hz and 600Hz (plasma) sets claiming their technology helped them eliminate it. You’ll need a minute to read through for the full details but it’s a good, and unfortunately necessary, reminder to keep your eyes on the display and not just the spec sheet (just make sure you’re getting a proper look that represents the way you watch TV at home first.)

HDTV tests pit fantasy land specs against real world performance — guess what happens originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 May 2010 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  MaximumPC  | Email this | Comments

When it comes to port standardization, Apple marches to the beat of its own drum… but in a rare show of leniency, the company’s newly refreshed MacBook will throw home theatre aficionados a bone. Though Cupertino hasn’t moved to actually include an HDMI-out (sacre bleu!), a new support document shows its Mini DisplayPort now provides an audio signal alongside the video feed. Should you move to purchase a VESA-compliant Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter like the one Apple’s apparently not selling, you’ll finally be able to enjoy digital sound without dropping $70 for the privilege. Fancy that! Now we just need USB 3.0 ports — placed on opposite sides of the machine — a SATA 6G socket and a FireWire 400 port. What can we say? We’re the sentimental sort.

MacBook refresh includes Mini DisplayPort that pumps out HDMI audio originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumors  |  Apple  | Email this | Comments

So look — you’ve got a plethora of options on the iPhone to keep you connected to the Twitterverse, but if you’re looking for something a touch more official, the wait is nearly over. A few short weeks after Twitter acquired Atebits, the creators of the Tweetie app, the company issued the first official Twitter app for Android; tonight, it looks as if a revamped version of Tweetie (3.0, obviously) will claim that same crown over on iPhone OS. It’s tough to say exactly what changes are coming, but a few sporadic tips are coming in from far-flung corners of the globe saying that it’s already available. If we were the betting type, we’d say it’ll finally pop up in the US app store right around midnight. Pins and needles, we know.

Update: It’s live in New Zealand, and the full changelog is after the break. Hang tight, everyone else!

Update 2: We’re seeing scattered reports that it’s now available in the US. Thanks for the image, Danny!

[Thanks, Mike]

Continue reading Twitter for iPhone (Tweetie 3.0) slowly going live around the world

Twitter for iPhone (Tweetie 3.0) slowly going live around the world originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Mac Stories, Tweetie (iTunes link)  | Email this | Comments

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Their screens lacked color and their apps lacked Internet access, but one thing the PDAs of yore had in common with the smartphones of today was text input that couldn’t compare to a full-sized keyboard. The challenge, of course, is that full-sized keyboards generally aren’t very good traveling companions for pocket-sized devices. In 2000, a startup called ThinkOutside addressed the issue with the first Stowaway keyboard, an ingeniously designed folding keyboard that used the dock connector of Palm PDAs to create a touch-typing experience that fit in your pocket. (Stowaway designer Phil Baker is the author of the book From Concept to Consumer, which explains how ideas become products that get built overseas and ultimately sold back here).

ThinkOutside went on to create versions for PocketPCs, infrared (to accommodate incompatible dock connector standards) connections, and then finally Bluetooth. The company was eventually purchased by accessory maker Mobility Electronics, which renamed itself iGo after its flagship power adapter product, and eventually cancelled the Stowaway. At the time, PDA sales were sinking and relatively few handsets supported Bluetooth; most of those that did supported only the profiles needed for headsets and speakerphones, not keyboard input.

Continue reading Switched On: Stowaway from the PDA era

Switched On: Stowaway from the PDA era originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 20:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments