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Sep 02

Samsung’s 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA

Posted in: hands-on, remote control, RemoteControl, samsung, Today's Chili, video

That’s not a PMP wirelessly mirroring the TV’s dipslay. It’s a Samsung remote control that first blew us away at CES in January when Samsung’s ultra-thin LCD 9000 series TV was first announced. So why revisit it? Well, for starters… look at it! It’s a 3-inch touchsreen remote control in its production form that’s now shipping with the LED backlit 200Hz (not 240Hz, it’s Europe remember) Samsung C9000 — a TV measuring just 7.98-mm thick with a 55-inch diagonal. The remote control itself is built on a 600MHz ARM 11 processor with a custom remote control layer sitting atop Linux and a 2.4GHz 802.11n radio. As such, this little powerhouse gives you lots of options to control and view your media including the ability to continue watching the game even as your bladder drags you into less, shall we say, comfortable rooms. You can even preview other channels without interrupting that vast expanse of LCD viewed by others in the room. It also supports DLNA for streaming your media from any number of compatible devices. Naturally, it also functions as a programable remote for all your new gadget additions. Really, the entire package is quite amazing. Check it for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Samsung’s 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA

Samsung’s 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

Sharp shows off mobile prototype with 3D screen, 3D camera, and 3D output

Posted in: hands-on, mobile, prototype, Sharp, Today's Chili

We’ve seen enough home theater 3D already to be well and sick of it, but mobile 3D is still an upcoming sector, one which Sharp seems to be making a bid for. It’s showing off a mobile device prototype (it looks like it could be your friendly neighborhood carrier’s next Android handset) with a glasses-free 3D parallax screen (akin to the tech used in the Nintendo 3DS), a 3D camera around back, and 3D output over HDMI. The result isn’t stellar — just because a mobile device is shooting grainy, color-bleeding footage in 3D doesn’t make the footage stop being grainy and color-bleeding — but it most certainly works, as we witnessed both on the device’s own screen and on a regular glasses-required 3D TV the prototype was outputting to over HDMI. The 3.7-inch LCD rocks a 800 x 480 resolution in 2D mode, which gets halved to 400 x 480 in 3D, and Sharp is also showing of a 10-inch glasses free LCD that didn’t come off as so impressive somehow.

Gallery: Sharp mobile 3D prototype

Sharp shows off mobile prototype with 3D screen, 3D camera, and 3D output originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

Philips and O’Neill launch durable headphones — shaka bra!

Posted in: earbuds, earphones, hands-on, headphones, Today's Chili, video

In what amounts to yet another co-branding marketing kerfuffle, Philips and O’Neill have teamed up on a foursome of so-called durable headphones. The Stretch headphones (pictured) are the toughest of the bunch, constructed from an ultra-durable, temperature-resistant, and awesome-sounding material called TR 55LX that boasts a surface hardness six times greater than the polycarbonate stuff found in most headphones. The Snug series boasts “bold graphics” and can fold flat, while the in-ear Covert buds brings an iPhone controller. Last, and apparently least, is the “stylish” Specked with tangle free cord. Amazing. All are said to have been tested by the “toughest O’Neill team riders.” As proof, O’Neill is trotting out Jeremy Jones, Mark Mathews, and Ane Enderud to promote its new gear, presumably because they want to and not because they are contractually obligated under the terms of their respective high-paying sponsorships. Needless to say, these headphones aren’t for you if you don’t know who these people are or you lack the fragile hipster ego required to wear them. No prices were announced, but you can expect them to match the “premium” description when these arrive for retail in Europe and the US sometime this month.

We did give Stretch a go for a quickie ears-on, and honestly, while the cloth cord was a nice touch and they do seem to be super rugged, we’d prefer that the team paid a bit more attention to the sound quality than the finish.

Gallery: Philips and O’Neill Stretch and Snug press pics

Gallery: Philips O’Neill The Stretch hands-on

Continue reading Philips and O’Neill launch durable headphones — shaka bra!

Philips and O’Neill launch durable headphones — shaka bra! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

Samsung launches new NF and SF Series laptops with ‘shark’-like designs

Posted in: CoreI5, hands-on, intel atom, IntelAtom, laptop, Laptops, netbook, netbooks, samsung, Today's Chili

It’s that time of the year again! Yep, the time when most laptop makers start thinking about the holiday season and unleash a massive amount of systems. Samsung’s kicking off its announcements at IFA with the SF and NF Series, both of which have a brand new wave or fin-like designs — they were apparently codenamed “shark” within the company. Beginning with the netbooks, the NF series will hit in the coming weeks and will be available in two skus — the ivory, single-core Atom NF210 will be $379 and the silver NF310 will have a dual-core Atom processor for $399. We got a chance to check them out a few days ago and found the overall build quality to be really solid — we really loved the new chiclet keyboard as well as the swirly pattern on the metal touchpad. Sammy’s also claiming over 10 hours of battery life on them, but we’ll obviously want to test that for ourselves.

On the bigger and badder end is the SF Series. Similar to the netbooks, the mainstream laptops have glossy lids with the new wave like edges. According to Samsung’s global press release, they’ll be available with Core i3 / i5 processors and in three different sizes — there’s the 13.3-inch SF310, 14-inch SF410 and 15.6-inch SF510. The US team tells us the $749 Core i3-powered, 500GB hard drive-packing SF510 will hit the market soon and will be a Best Buy exclusive. We got a peek at that one as well, and similarly love the new chiclet keyboard, though we’re hesitant on this one’s single-button touchpad. Until we bring you some full reviews, there’s additional details in the press release below and some hands-on shots in the gallery.

Gallery: Samsung NF and SF Series press shots

Gallery: Samsung NF and SF laptops hands-on

Continue reading Samsung launches new NF and SF Series laptops with ‘shark’-like designs

Samsung launches new NF and SF Series laptops with ‘shark’-like designs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

Philips GoGear Connect hands-on

Posted in: Android, hands-on, philips, PMP, Today's Chili

We had a chance to check out Philips’ new GoGear Connect a few hours ago ahead of its IFA debut later this week, a brushed metal media player that pretty closely apes the Muse but adds a wee bit of girth, swaps in Android 2.1 for the proprietary OS, and adds a trackball down below. Interestingly, it’s got both a 3.2-megapixel camera and edge-mounted microphone on board, meaning that it’s basically just a GSM radio shy of being a full-on smartphone — but we digress: the point is that the Connect will be going head-to-head with the likes of the Galaxy S-inspired Samsung Yepp YP-MB2 and the new iPod touch for the hearts and minds of the dedicated PMP crowd this autumn. Read on for our impressions!

Gallery: Philips GoGear Connect hands-on

Continue reading Philips GoGear Connect hands-on

Philips GoGear Connect hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

Hands-On With New Apple iPods

Posted in: Apple, hands-on, Media Players, nano, Today's Chili, touch

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Apple’s iPod Nano, iPod Touch and iPod Shuffle on Wednesday all received some compelling makeovers that should help Apple stay in the lead in the portable media player market.

Additional coverage of Apple’s event on Wired.com:

The iPod Nano was the most interesting upgrade. It does away with the click wheel seen in previous models and is now more like a belt buckle with a multi touchscreen displaying four mini icons on the main screen — basically, a quarter of the size of an iPhone or iPod Touch. The Nano is now 1.6 inches wide, 1.4 inches tall and just 0.3 inches thick including the belt clip.

One screen on the Nano shows Artists, Playlists, Genius Mixes and Now Playing. Swipe your finger and you get a few more apps: radio, photo, podcasts and settings. There’s no home button, so you have to hold your finger down on the screen to exit an app, which is simple enough. You can also rearrange the icons by holding your finger on an app until it jiggles, then move it to wherever you’d like — just like on the iPhone.

The question remains as to whether or not the iPod Nano is running iOS and if we’ll be able to jailbreak it to run different apps. Apple hasn’t disclosed whether the operating system was iOS, but it sure looks like it. Update: An Apple engineer told Wired magazine editor Mark McClusky that the Nano does not run iOS.

Also noteworthy is that the Nano does not include a camera, even though last year’s model just introduced one. I guess nobody cared about shooting video with the tiny device, which isn’t surprising.

Also nifty on the Nano is the small integrated clip to snap the device on to your pocket or belt buckle. The entire body including the clip is made of aluminum, so it feels nice and sturdy.

Moving on to the iPod Touch, this was a predictable but monster update. It’s about a millimeter thinner than the iPhone 4, even though it’s got most of the same guts. There are the front and rear cameras — the rear for shooting videos and photos, the front for FaceTime video conferencing.

The Touch now has an Apple A4 processor and the high-resolution “retina display.” Grip it in your hand and it feels really smooth and light.

I had a chance to test FaceTime and it felt even faster than FaceTime on the iPhone 4, though this time around Apple might have just had a better Wi-Fi connection.

Overall, the new iPod Touch is the same as the iPhone 4 but now we can’t really say, “It’s an iPhone without a phone,” because the Touch includes a video-conferencing webphone! That’s a major difference and should have an impact on video conferencing in general.

Last, and least important, was an upgrade for the iPod Shuffle. To put it simply, it’s another belt-clip iPod similar to the Nano, only with the traditional click wheel. On the top is an integrated button for VoiceOver, which enables the iPod to dictate the playlist you’re listening to.

The Shuffle is puny — 1.2 inches wide, 1.1 inches tall and 0.3 inches thick. And it’s so lightweight I could barely even feel it in my pocket, which should be ideal for athletes.

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Update: Corrected an error where I said the previous iPod Nano snapped photos, when actually it only shot video.

Update 2: Fixed a mix-up about the iPod Shuffle’s VoiceOver command. Thanks to the readers who pointed it out.

See Also:

Sep 01

Hands-On With New $100 Apple TV

Posted in: Apple, apple tv, cable, hands-on, Media Players, set-top-box, Today's Chili, TV

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SAN FRANCISCO — When Steve Jobs was preparing to introduce the Apple TV, he called it “one more hobby,” and based on our first impressions, that’s a safe choice of words.

Additional coverage of Apple’s event on Wired.com:

The new Apple TV is a major hardware upgrade. One quarter the size of its predecessor, it’s a small black box with curved edges, somewhat resembling a hockey puck. The highlights: It costs $100, and it integrates nearly instant streaming TV and movie rentals, along with Netflix streaming.

The major limitation: For TV rentals, only two studios are on board to stream shows through the Apple TV — ABC and Fox. This isn’t an adequate replacement yet for cable subscriptions.

So calling it a “hobby” was right — Apple’s starting out small, and maybe it’ll roll into something bigger if more studios warm up to the idea.

Nonetheless, I got some hands-on time with the new Apple TV and it is a promising start.

TV and movie rentals are really snappy and fast. After choosing to rent a movie or show, the Apple TV takes a few seconds to prepare a buffer and begins streaming your video live.

Also particularly cool was internet integration. I enjoyed searching through Flickr streams: Select a photo and hit the Play button and it immediately plays a slideshow with music and fancy transitions. I’m too lazy to check my friends’ Flickr streams the normal way on Flickr.com, aren’t you? Plus, the photos look great on a big screen through the Apple TV’s HDMI connection.

The Apple TV’s remote is familiar: It’s got the same aluminum and black design as the current MacBook Pros. It’s also very similar to the current Apple remote that controls Macs — only it’s a little longer and the buttons have small bumps for subtle tactile feedback. It feels great in the hand and navigating through the Apple TV menu was really smooth.

As good as the idea sounds, you won’t be able to use your iPhone or iPad as a remote for the Apple TV (not yet, at least). Instead, there’s a feature called “AirPlay,” so if you’re using your iPad or iPhone to listen to music, look at photos or watch a video, you can tap an AirPlay button, select your Apple TV and boom — your content is streaming onto your Apple TV. We weren’t able to test that since this feature won’t be available until iOS 4.2 ships in November, but we’ll keep you posted.

You can also stream media from your Mac’s iTunes library by choosing the “Computer” option and selecting a movie or playlist. I tested that out too, and it worked fine, but do note that iTunes only supports a few formats for video (.H264, for instance). So if you prefer getting media through some alternative non-iTunes-compatible means, you’re still going to be doing a lot of file conversion before you can watch your videos on the Apple TV.

All in all, it’s a cool device, and for $100 it’s going to pose a serious threat to the Roku Netflix player. But as a TV replacement, it’s still not there yet. Maybe later.

See Also:

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Sep 01

iPod nano vs touch vs shuffle… fight!

Posted in: Apple, hands-on, ipod, iPod Nano, ipod touch, IpodTouch, Today's Chili

Three new iPods under one roof — how could we not throw them on a table and see how they size up against one another? Obviously, the iPod touch is the black sheep here in terms of sheer physical space, but the width / height difference between the nano and shuffle is as marginal as you probably guessed. More pics below!

Gallery: iPod shuffle vs nano vs touch (2010)… fight!

iPod nano vs touch vs shuffle… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

iPod touch (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!)

Posted in: Apple, hands-on, ipod, ipod touch, IpodTouch, Today's Chili, video

So we just got our hands on the new iPod touch… and boy is it small. As you would expect, the functionality of the device is identical to the iPhone 4, as well as the functions of the cameras. In essence, it’s a much thinner iPhone 4, with no cell radio and a lower quality still camera. The design is relatively in keeping with previous touches, so no major surprises there, but the inclusion of that A4 chip, higher resolution screen, and front and back cameras makes it a far more versatile device. Take a look at the gallery below if you’re wondering just how much of a sliver this is — it makes the iPhone 4 look… fat.

Update: It’s worth noting that the back camera is clearly not the same 5 megapixel shooter present on the iPhone 4, as the specs on Apple’s page for the touch list the still photo resolution at 960 x 720 — a huge difference.

Gallery: iPod touch (2010) hands-on

Continue reading iPod touch (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!)

iPod touch (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

iPod nano (2010) first hands-on! (update: video!)

Posted in: Apple, hands-on, ipod, iPod Nano, nano, Today's Chili, touch, video

Here it is, the new (and completely redesigned) iPod nano. Super thin, super light, and really, the capacitive multitouch works very well. The screen is crisp and top menu navigation is smooth, but can’t say we have great feel for moving back out of sub menus (via swipe or holding down the screen). We’re going back for seconds and thirds, peep the initial gallery below!

Update: Okay, we’ve gotten much more quality time with the nano, and we’ll admit that after some brief practice, the menu navigation is nice both going in and out of menus — holding the middle will take some getting used to, if only because you gotta avoid any other on-screen items that beckon for your digits. Probably due to the small size of the screen, there is no pinch-to-zoom for photos. Instead, we’re using a simple double-tap motion to a fixed zoom in / zoom out distance.

The clock app has a very easy-to-read analog style to it, and swiping across the screen will give you a stopwatch and timer. There is no alarm clock, however, which as the Apple rep explained to us was a design decision given its lack of an external speaker. Bummer, as it’s the perfect size to strap on a band and use as a wristwatch — a fitting thought, too, given one of the settings will let us see the time every time we wake up the screen. Check out our video tour after the break.

Gallery: iPod nano (2010) first hands-on!