Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays

For the nitty gritty of how Nanosys’ proprietary LED backlighting technology works, check out our earlier coverage here — what you really need to know is that the company promises a significantly wider color gamut from its displays, while reducing power consumption by up to 50 percent. Quantum dot LEDs have shown their faces before, but now there’s the big hulking heft of LG Innotek — LG’s component manufacturing arm — behind what Nanosys is offering, which indicates we might actually see the release of nanotech-infused displays within the first half of this year as promised. The early focus appears to be on mobile phones, which gives us yet another next-gen feature to add to our list of requirements for our next phone. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays

Nanosys and LG Innotek agree deal for newfangled LED-backlit displays originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG to ship HDTVs with WHDI wireless technology baked in

No one ever said you couldn’t play both sides of the fence when it comes to wireless technologies, and it seems that LG is doing precisely that at CES. LG has previously shipped HDTVs with WirelessHD technology built in, but today the company is announcing a new partnership with AMIMON. The reason for the ruckus? The outfit is fixing to ship a wireless HDTV product line with second-generation WHDI technology built in, enabling 1080p content to be sent from a source to the HDTV sans wires over a 5GHz unlicensed band. Mum’s the word on what sets will have WHDI baked in, but we’ll be sure to dig up anything we can once the show floor opens up here in Vegas. In related news, 15 other companies have decided to drink the WHDI Kool-Aid, and you can read more on that whole shindig after the break.

Continue reading LG to ship HDTVs with WHDI wireless technology baked in

LG to ship HDTVs with WHDI wireless technology baked in originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG expects to sell 3.8 million 3D LCDs by 2011, partners with Korean broadcaster SkyLife

Well, this sure marks a change of tone for LG. After taking the cautious approach and throwing out a single 3D TV model in 2009, the Korean manufacturer is now boldly predicting sales of 400,000 3D units in 2010 and 3.4 million in 2011. To make it all happen, the company has announced it will introduce a “wide range” of 3D TV sets measuring between 42 and 72 inches diagonally, with flagship models among them. Furthermore, LG’s new partnership with SkyLife will see both companies investing in 3D content creation, as the digital satellite broadcaster will be pitching in $25 million. Naturally, this Korean push is merely a prelude to a planned assault on American and European markets next year, which LG expects will jump all over 3D given its internal survey data indicating 58 percent of people want an extra dimension to their viewing experience. What we’re most excited about, though, is the “ultra-slim” bezel you see in the picture — it is no accident or mere prototype, and its minimization is part of LG’s effort to maximize immersion. We like it, 3D or not.

LG expects to sell 3.8 million 3D LCDs by 2011, partners with Korean broadcaster SkyLife originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a ‘Boxee Box’ is coming

Color us shocked and elated. Boxee, the white-hot startup that has risen from nothing to everywhere thanks to its internet TV software portal, has just announced that a deal has been inked between it and an undisclosed “hardware partner.” If you’ll recall, we actually heard that the outfit was mulling the production of its own set-top-box back in January, and now it looks like Roku, Apple TV and a host of other mini PCs will have yet another formidable rival vying for space underneath the tele. The firm isn’t spilling any details whatsoever on the so-called “Boxee Box,” but we are told that mockups and the like will be presented at the Boxee Beta Unveiling on December 7th. Oh, and as if you aren’t excited enough already, chew on this — the company has informed us that they believe “this will be the first of several living room devices you’ll see running Boxee in 2010,” so don’t be shocked if your favorite game console or Blu-ray player gains an embedded Boxee app in the near future.

Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a ‘Boxee Box’ is coming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung and TeliaSonera bringing LTE to vikings in 2010

Scandinavian folks tend to be a pretty cheerful bunch during the summer, and now Swedes and Norwegians will have reason to smile through the cold dark winters as well, with Samsung announcing an agreement to provide TeliaSonera with “mobile broadband devices for commercial service next year.” This agreement relates to Sammy’s Kalmia 4G USB modem and adds to the Swedish operator’s LTE push, which already counts Ericsson and Huawei among the contracted hardware providers. So that’s 100Mbps mobile broadband, coming to a snow-covered nation near you within the next dozen months or so. All we would ask of our viking friends now is that they remember their world-conquering ways of the past and start spreading that goodness globally. Come on, it’s our right! Full press release after the break.

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Samsung and TeliaSonera bringing LTE to vikings in 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google and Verizon announce partnership, love and new Android handsets to result

Google and Verizon announce partnership, love and new Android handsets to result

We’ve seen blurry pics and reports from inventory systems, and now the official confirmation. This morning’s joint press conference between Verizon and Google has resulted in a holy matrimony of sorts; a melding of the minds; a promise of new hardware to come. Yes, it’s just a promise for now as neither company took the chance to confirm the Sholes or any of the other devices that have been popping up. But, Verizon did at least say that the agreement “will come to fruition within the next few weeks as Verizon Wireless introduces Android-based handsets.” So, it won’t be long now.

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Google and Verizon announce partnership, love and new Android handsets to result originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TerreStar Genus: AT&T’s first dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone

Welp, that didn’t take long. Just a few months after TerreStar announced that it had completed its first call on the new bird, the revived sat phone provider has now announced the first dual-mode smartphone for AT&T. Granted, we knew these two would be holding hands in the near future, but it’s still refreshing to see the Genus hit the landscape. The WinMo-based phone will ship with a 2.6-inch touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA radios. Oh, and it can tap into satellite waves too. This one’s actually aimed at government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, and while it’s slated to ship in Q1 2010 for an undisclosed amount, AT&T assures us that a consumer-oriented version is in the pipeline. Too bad this only enhances coverage in the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and territorial waters — we always dreamed of phoning home from Komsomolets Island.

[Via phonescoop]

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TerreStar Genus: AT&T’s first dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

Say it with us now: “Yippee!” Why such joviality? We’ll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new “industry standard” for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we’re still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they’re working on it. And they’re working hard.

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Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony adopts Chrome as default browser for VAIO line

Google’s Chrome was already the default browser on the VAIO NW we handled a month ago, and now the Financial Times delivers confirmation of a wider distribution deal between the search giant and Sony. According to the report, new VAIO laptops and desktops will come with Chrome preinstalled — an “experimental” arrangement — and, most importantly, will default to Google for both their homepage and search queries. Pair this with the agreement to bring over a million Google Books to Sony’s e-readers, and you start to see some clear lines being drawn in the sand. Intriguingly, Google is said to be pursuing similar distribution pacts with other manufacturers, which would place Internet Explorer’s stranglehold on the uninitiated user under threat. Your move, Microsoft.

[Thanks, Matt]

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Sony adopts Chrome as default browser for VAIO line originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix — sorry, PS3 and Wii

We actually had to brush the fog off of our spectacles to ensure that hazy conditions weren’t clouding our comprehension abilities, but sure enough, that Netflix streaming that Xbox LIVE members have grown to love won’t ever land on Sony’s PlayStation 3 nor on Nintendo’s Wii (PlayOn notwithstanding). At the very bottom of Microsoft’s long list of details surrounding today’s Xbox LIVE update, we’re clearly told that the Netflix Watch Instantly integration is now an “exclusive partnership,” with Microsoft going so far as to say that the “Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers.” Of course, we’d heard rumors over the years that Netflix could sashay over to other consoles in due time, but it looks like the suits in Redmond had the foresight to lock things down while they still had a chance. So, are you reconsidering that Xbox 360 purchase, or just looking that much more intently in Roku‘s direction? Full blurb is after the break.

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix — sorry, PS3 and Wii

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Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix — sorry, PS3 and Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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