Samsung’s QWERTY flip Smart TV remote is official along with new TV apps and Megamind Blu-ray 3D pack-in (updated: hands-on!)

Samsung’s 2011 product showcase is underway in New York City and while most of these products we got a peek at during CES, it’s only finally ready to show off the new QWERTY flip remote for its smart TVs. The QWERTY TV remote is looking a lot sleeker in its glamour shot than it did in the FCC tests weeks ago, and is available in the box with all D7000 and D8000 model HDTVs, or as an add-on compatible with the D6300 line and above (no mention of the Smart Touch remote or Google TV devices in the press release we received.) Samsung’s also putting a lot of stock in its new lighter 3D glasses and officially announced the new 3D Starter Kit that includes two pairs along with a copy of Megamind and all the Shrek movies on Blu-ray 3D, along with prescription-ready models for kids and adults. Finally, an app market is nothing without apps, and there’s two new ones to announce today with HBO GO making its debut on the TV and MTV Music Meter. Check the details (Update: now including MSRPs!) in the press release after the break and the gallery for a few pictures.

Updated: We got a few minutes to play around with the new QWERTY flip remote after Samsung’s NYC press event today. It’s not exactly the most glamorous handheld keyboard remote control out there with its monochrome screen, although we do like that the center of the D-pad can me morphed into a touch sensitive mouse-like control. Okay, so this thing isn’t exactly ground breaking, but check out the shots below for a closer look.

Continue reading Samsung’s QWERTY flip Smart TV remote is official along with new TV apps and Megamind Blu-ray 3D pack-in (updated: hands-on!)

Samsung’s QWERTY flip Smart TV remote is official along with new TV apps and Megamind Blu-ray 3D pack-in (updated: hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese quake will likely affect the global supply of gadgets

Devastating. There are no words to effectively convey the human catastrophe suffered in Japan. Engadget would like to express our sincere condolences to those readers personally affected by recent events.

As a tech publication, we’re obviously focused on the impact recent events will have on Japan’s vast consumer electronics industry — an industry that has responded with millions of dollars in cash, equipment and services to help with the relief effort. Thus far, Canon, Panasonic, and Sony have each pledged ¥300 million ($3.67 million) in donations. Sony is also matching employee contributions as will Mitsubishi who’s donating a whopping ¥500 million ($6.1 million) in aid. On the equipment side, Sony is donating some 30,000 radios to relief efforts while Panasonic is providing 10,000 radios, 10,000 flashlights, and 500,000 batteries. NEC, Kyocera, and Epson are each donating ¥100 million in funds, computers, and telecoms and IT equipment.

While it’s still too early to quantify the exact impact the earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing nuclear troubles will have on the global tech industry, the scope of the issues is becoming clearer now that the initial chaos has passed. Click through to see how everything from laptop batteries to iPads are at risk.

Continue reading Japanese quake will likely affect the global supply of gadgets

Japanese quake will likely affect the global supply of gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal, Nikkei, Reuters  | Email this | Comments

Sony Wins Against LG In Europe

 playstation-3.jpg

As noted earlier, LG sued Sony in Europe over patent infringement. While the European Government did block all Sony PlayStation 3 units from entering, it ended up ruling in favor of Sony.

The court ruled that all Sony PlayStation 3 units to be released to retail stores, leaving LG to pay all the court fees of €130,000. If LG does not, the court will charge the company €200,000 per day until it pays up.

No word yet on the lawsuit that Sony filed against LG back in the States.

Via Engadget

Philips doubles up with both passive & active 3D TVs, new Blu-ray players in Europe

We got a peek at what the Philips/Funai combo has in store for North America during CES, but at today’s Philips Pulse event in Barcelona it showed off even more of its 2011 plans. Most distinctively, while it’s using FPR passive 3D glasses technology (calling it Easy 3D) in some of its new TVs just like LG & Vizio, it will break from those two by continuing to offer active shutter displays as well, branded 3D Max. If your main interest is one of those sweet 21:9 ultrawidescreen displays (pictured above) you can get it either way as a Gold or Platinum series product while the regular 16:9 sets are divided with the 7000 series featuring Easy 3D and 3D Max slotted for higher end 8000 and 9000 series products. All of the TVs mentioned here and higher end (7000, 5000 series) Blu-ray players include Smart TV features which means Net TV apps including catch-up TV where applicable, recording to USB, sharing from media from WiFi-connected devices and the ability to control the device with a Philips app on your iOS or Android phone. Check the press site for more details, model numbers and the like, but there’s no word yet on pricing or availability.

Philips doubles up with both passive & active 3D TVs, new Blu-ray players in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePhilips Pulse, (2)  | Email this | Comments

PlayStation 3 Banned In Europe

 

playstation-3.jpgSony’s PlayStation 3 was yanked from retail stores across Europe, after court in the Netherlands requested all shipments to be stopped until further notice. The decision is believed to be fallout from a dispute between Sony and LG.

The two companies have have been duking it out over the PlayStation Blu-ray disc playback feature. On this side of the pond, Sony is suing over LG phones. Both companies claim that the other is infringing on patents.

This is part of a new set of lawsuits over patent infringement in the past couple of weeks. Sony has issued a public statement over the suit, saying that it is currently looking into the matter. LG, on the other hand, has not yet issued a response.

Via X Bit Labs

Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars

Of course, it’s not all about new TVs, as Panasonic also took the opportunity today to bust out MSRPs for a slew of other home theater products. As it mentioned at CES, the connected features of its 2011 Blu-ray players are taking center stage, with Skype access through Viera Cast, while they also claim to feature the industry’s fastest playback, measuring at half the booting and loading time of the 2010 lineup. One other key feature is the ability to use an iPhone as a WiFi connected remote and load movies, music or pictures onto the phone then play them on the HDTV. The top of the line DMP-BDT310 should arrive in May while the rest are already making their way to store shelves, check the press releases after the break for full details on those, a soundbar and a few HTIB systems.

Continue reading Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars

Panasonic puts pricetags on 2011 Blu-ray players, HTIB & soundbars originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zotac’s Fusion-based Zbox AD03 Blu-ray HTPC gets reviewed, smiled upon

While AMD’s Zacate E-350 APU has managed to find its way into a number of laptops, it’s not exactly simple to find a desktop based on Fusion right now. Thankfully, Zotac was champing at the bit to be one of the first, and its Zbox AD03 / AD03 Plus has just hit the test bench over at Hot Hardware. All told, the results were fairly predictable, with the Fusion APU running laps around the prior Atom-based version. Of course, “laps” is a relative term, and while it hasn’t single-handedly redefined the SFF PC sector, it has provided a real alternative to Intel’s stable of underwhelming nettop chips. Across the board, the Zacate E-350 managed to hold its own, with the only real issue being “lackluster Flash video acceleration.” We’re told that updated drivers are expected to remedy that, however, so there’s really little to gripe about from a numbers standpoint. As for value proposition? The AD03 Plus (ringing up at $529.99) seems like a worse deal with its skimpy 2GB of RAM and (comparatively sluggish) 250GB HDD, while the barebones AD03 (which lists for $439.99) could be turned into quite the powerhouse with 4GB of memory and a speedy SSD. Head on down to the source link to get your nerd on, but only if you’re interested in scratching that DIY itch that’s been so bothersome of late.

Zotac’s Fusion-based Zbox AD03 Blu-ray HTPC gets reviewed, smiled upon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s HV200 portable TV is controlled with a wave of the hand

The Fistful of Lard conundrum, heard of it? Probably not because we just made it up. Nevertheless, it’s the classic dilemma faced by any home cook: how do you control the counter-top set without subjecting the TV remote or all-in-one touchscreen to a slathering of semisolid hog fat? Easy, if you own Panasonic’s new ¥50,000 (about $600) DMP-HV200 digital terrestrial television just announced for Japan. The IPX-3 rated, drip-proof set features gesture control that lets you change the channel or adjust the volume without touching the 1024 x 600 pixel LCD display or bundled remote. It’s also available with an optional battery pack giving you about three and half hours of untethered image or video fed over 802.11n WiFi, SDXC cards, or USB cable. There’s even a DMB-BV300 version with HDMI-out if you’re willing to forgo the gesture control and fork over ¥80,000 (almost $1,000) for the illusion of Blu-ray magic on a 10-inch screen.

Panasonic’s HV200 portable TV is controlled with a wave of the hand originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unstoppable: the first Blu-ray film with Android-compatible Digital Copy

It’s a little shocking that it’s taken this long to get a Digital Copy that’s compatible with Android, but clearly it’s the week of shackles being broken. Just yesterday, Qualcomm announced that all future Snapdragon devices would be cleared for Netflix streaming, and now Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is announcing that its impending Unstoppable launch will allow Android users to watch the flick on the go. By enabling the transfer through BD Live, it marks the first time that this has been possible with Google’s mobile OS, though it should be noted that consumers will need the disc itself, a WiFi-connected BD player, Android 1.6 or higher and the free PocketBLU app to make the magic happen. Both the movie and app can be downloaded starting today, but here’s the real question: are you willing to invest in a movie just to experience Digital Copy… on Android?

Continue reading Unstoppable: the first Blu-ray film with Android-compatible Digital Copy

Unstoppable: the first Blu-ray film with Android-compatible Digital Copy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tron: Legacy Blu-ray gets a release date, supports Disney’s Second Screen iPad app

Amazon already revealed the three different Tron: Legacy Blu-ray & Blu-ray 3D combo packs on the way, from the 2-disc standard edition to the two movie, 5-disc Identity Disc-packaged limited edition but now we know the release date (4/5/11) and info about the extras. On the disc, Blu-ray-only exclusives include the Daft Punk music video for their song Derezzed, plus Launching the Legacy, Disc Roars and The Next Day: Flynn Lives Revealed features (Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition saves a Photo Tronology just for Blu-ray watchers.) If you have an iPad, the Disney Second Screen app that will make its debut alongside Bambi March 1 adds to the action with 360-degree views of the Tron vehicles, interactive progression reels and other information all synced to the movie by the audio track. There’s more details including MSRPs ($40 – $80) and the press release after the break.

Continue reading Tron: Legacy Blu-ray gets a release date, supports Disney’s Second Screen iPad app

Tron: Legacy Blu-ray gets a release date, supports Disney’s Second Screen iPad app originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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