Hasta La Gadget!

Smile, you’re on Vacucam! LG’s Hom-Bot (RoboKing in the US) was zipping around its own special playpen on the stage at the company’s IFA booth today, picking up the occasional speck of dust and using its dual cams to spy on bloggers and Germans, while also diligently avoiding a plastic family dog along its ten-square-foot cube of real estate. The bot’s Smart ThinQ technology enables it to interact with an Android or iPhone app, which you’ll use to watch a live video feed from its built-in cam, send it rolling to a specific point in the house in “Patrol” mode, or adjust settings. You can also log in remotely, assuming your Hom-Bot is powered up and has a WiFi connection. Official US and Euro pricing and availability hasn’t been announced yet, but an LG rep suggested we’ll see it in the €500-700 range (about $710-995 US). Cameras and interactivity are nice and all, but that’s a lot to spend on any vacuum cleaner. Today’s trade show sneak peek is probably the closest we’ll be getting to this pricey little vac, so roll past the break for some super action footage.

Continue reading LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video)

LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s nothing all that exciting about most point-and-shoot cameras. You point, they shoot, end of story. But Samsung has been shaking things up as of late. First, the TL220 and TL225 added a second, 1.5-inch LCD to the front of the camera, making up the company’s 2009 lineup of DualView cams. We’ve never actually seen anyone using them on the street, but Samsung reps insist that they’ve been an absolute hit. Well alright then. This year, CES brought the company’s remote-shooting-enabled SH100, which lets you use a Samsung-branded Android smartphone to frame, zoom, and capture images over WiFi. A rather obnoxious delay doesn’t make this a blockbuster feature, but still, this is pretty imaginative stuff.

Now this week at IFA, the company just introduced yet another completely original (and practical) camera design with its MV800. The camera’s image quality isn’t much to speak of (though we’ve only had a chance to use a pre-production model), but its MultiView flip-up LCD is pretty darn fantastic — in concept, at least. The 16.1 megapixel cam’s entire 3-inch capacitive touchscreen flips from flush with the rear up to a 180-degree angle (and anything in between), making it possible to not only shoot perfectly framed self-portraits, but also to have a direct view of the display when shooting both below, and above eye level. We love to see manufacturers continue to push the envelope when it comes to innovation, but how did the $279 MV800 perform overall? Jump past the break for our impressions.

Continue reading Samsung MV800 MultiView camera hands-on (video)

Samsung MV800 MultiView camera hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retro designs seem to be the latest thing when it comes to high-end point-and-shoot cameras, and Fujifilm is helping to lead the pack with its rather limited (and pricey) X100. The company’s just-announced X10, however, appears to expand upon its well-received cousin with a mighty fast f/2-2.8, 28-112mm manual zoom lens with a proprietary “Electron Beam Coating” that promises excellent image quality, even at the edge of the frame. The camera features a black magnesium alloy housing — we have to admit, it’s a very elegant look. There’s also a 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor with sensitivity up to ISO 12,800, 1080p video, an optical viewfinder, 10 fps continuous shooting (7 fps at full res), a pop-up flash, and a full-size hot shoe. Advanced photogs will appreciate the shooting mode, focus mode and exposure compensation dials, along with dedicated buttons to adjust a variety of other settings, including activating RAW capture. Fuji is mum on price, but we’re certain to get an update before this hits stores in early November. Jump past the break for the full feature rundown.

Continue reading Fujifilm announces X10 camera with 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, optical viewfinder, f/2 lens

Fujifilm announces X10 camera with 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, optical viewfinder, f/2 lens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You won’t have to leave your post on the couch, but you will have to lift a finger to your smartphone in order to tidy up with LG’s ‘RoboKing Triple Eye’ VR6180VMNV robot vacuum. Unlike it’s purple cousin who spends his time looking inwards, this little guy is always looking outward with its three cameras, capturing video and sending it to your smartphone or PC over WiFi. The robot uses sensors to create a plan of attack map of your home, allowing you to move it around by clicking the filthiest parts. Like a well-trained puppy, the dust buster also responds to voice commands from up to 5 feet away and it doesn’t even bark — only emitting 48dB of sound while sucking up dust. Of course, laziness of this caliber doesn’t come cheap, as it costs 899,000 Korean won, or around $840 bones.

LG launches ‘RoboKing Triple Eye’ smartphone-controlled vacuuming robot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s shaping up to a be a busy IFA for Samsung. Barely 24 hours after announcing its new ChatON messaging client, the manufacturer is now gearing up to release a troika of new Bada 2.0-powered Wave handsets — the Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y — set to make their debut this week in Berlin. Leading the pack is the Wave 3, which leaked earlier this week. Powered by a 1.4GHz processor, this little guy boasts a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 3GB of memory (along with a 32GB microSD slot) and a five megapixel, auto-focus-enabled shooter. The Wave M, meanwhile, packs slightly less juice, with a 832MHz processor, a 3.65-inch WVGA screen and 150MB of onboard storage (with a 2GB inbox and 32GB microSD slot). Rounding out the collection is the Wave Y, with its 3.2-inch HVGA display, 832MHz engine and two megapixel camera. All three feature your usual smattering of WiFi / Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities and will ship with ChatON and Samsung’s Social Hub baked into their DNA. No word yet on pricing or availability, but you can find out more in the full press release, after the break.

Continue reading Samsung announces three Wave handsets, dripping in Bada 2.0 and ChatON

Samsung announces three Wave handsets, dripping in Bada 2.0 and ChatON originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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