Sharp’s four-color HDTV, Samsung’s cheapest 3DTV now on sale

This shot courtesy of Mr. Blurrycam might not give the “Oh my.” reaction we were expecting from the ads but it appears Sharp’s latest and greatest LCDs are showing up at retail, including this 40-inch Quattron model for $1,599. Our man spotted 46- and 55-inch versions as well but if that’s not your speed, we also have word that Amazon is shipping the 240Hz Samsung LN46C750 a few weeks ahead of its anticipated May ship date. Sure, it’s not a super slim LED model like the rest of the 3D lineup, but at $1,450 (no glasses) it is the cheapest 3DTV we’re likely to see anytime soon. Choose wisely.

[Thanks, kalistyles11]

Sharp’s four-color HDTV, Samsung’s cheapest 3DTV now on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp’s 46-inch Quattron LE821E HDTV and its integrated Freeview HD DVR make reviewers gush

Now this is more like it. Instead of chewing on another underwhelming 3D display, the Tech Radar crew have pulled in one of Sharp’s hot new Quattron sets — distinguishable, if you look really really closely, by the addition of yellow to the standard RGB colors in each pixel — and their experience has certainly been something to write about. Describing the LE821E’s color response as “utterly spectacular,” they go on to praise the LCD’s improved brightness thanks to the yellow sub-pixel’s higher transparency, confident upscaling of standard def pictures to Full HD resolution, and “inspired onscreen menus.” Counteracting the good stuff were mildly disappointing black levels and a £2,000 ($3,053) price for the 46-inch model. Sure it’s steep, but with Freeview HD and an 8GB HDD built into the box, we can think of a few ways to justify the expense. As ever, the source link will give you the unabridged verdict, so read on.

[Thanks, David]

Sharp’s 46-inch Quattron LE821E HDTV and its integrated Freeview HD DVR make reviewers gush originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp’s NetWalker PC-T1 is the very definition of a MID, coming in May

You’ll recall, wise and knowledgeable as you are, that we weren’t exactly bowled over by Sharp’s keyboard-equipped PC-Z1 portable when we got to play with it at IFA last year. Coming back for another bite at the cherry, the Japanese company has just announced the NetWalker PC-T1, which does away with the disappointing keyboard but retains the crazy pixel density (1024 x 600 resolution on a 5-inch display) and Freescale i.MX515 CPU of its predecessor. Also on offer are Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless options, Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS, and USB and MicroSD ports for a nice bit of expandability. An Anglo-Japanese dictionary comes pre-installed plus you’ll get access to Sharp’s e-bookstore, which has over 25,000 titles on offer. Of course, all that good stuff is tempered by a mediocre 6-hour battery life and a ¥47,000 ($510) price tag. Look for this MID archetype to hit stores in Japan next month.

Sharp’s NetWalker PC-T1 is the very definition of a MID, coming in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC Watch Impress  |  sourceSharp  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft Kin: The Perfect Phone for Sidekick Fans [Project Pink]

Microsoft’s Project Pink—sorry, Kin—in a sentence: It’s the phone I’d beg my mom for if I was 15 again. And didn’t want an iPhone. More »

Microsoft One and Two Project Pink phones appear in Verizon database? (updated)

What’s this? Two devices apparently of Microsoft origin in Verizon’s database prefixed by MSONE and MSTWO on the eve of Microsoft’s big presser — an event widely thought (and even announced) to be the unveiling of Project Pink. We’re also seeing Sharp, the Sidekick manufacturer named on the Turtle and Pure looking handsets that passed through the FCC. Really though, “One” and “Two?” Surely those words are just placeholders awaiting today’s event before getting properly named, right? Who knows… when you’re believed to be launching a competing platform against your own Windows Phone 7 OS while simultaneously keeping the WinMo 6.x dreams alive for businesses, hell, anything goes.

Update: 9 to 5 Mac is suggesting that the actual retail names of the devices will be Kin. As in next of, as in family. Since the company has an event in just a few hours, we’ll obviously know for certain very soon, but it does look likely given the use of Kin in the listing above.

Microsoft One and Two Project Pink phones appear in Verizon database? (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp squeezes DivX HD playback into new Quattron HDTVs

Apparently there was still a HDTV or two without the DivX stamp, but that should be mostly resolved now after a new deal with Sharp. The new AQUOS LE820 LCDs — featuring the apparently astonishing Quattron quad-pixel technology — are able to play 1080p DivX HD files from a connected USB drive. Not quite the embedded content service we saw at CES, but as previous announcements have revealed, DivX has been very effective at squeezing a toe in the door and eventually widening it to include more devices and compatibility. The best part? We don’t have to re-rip all those DVDs prepared for the upcoming Galaxy S smartphone.

Sharp squeezes DivX HD playback into new Quattron HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo 3DS to feature 3.4-inch Sharp parallax barrier display?

There aren’t many mass production options on the market when it comes to glasses-less 3D displays for Nintendo’s forthcoming 3DS handheld gaming console. And according to early leaks from Japan, the special Nintendo 3DS display is supposedly built by Hitachi and Sharp using a parallax barrier system. So guess where this new 3.4-inch, 480 x 854 pixel display is likely headed? While Sharp doesn’t say for sure, it’s a good bet that this parallax barrier 3D LCD will be fronting the user interface on the 3DS. Unlike the 3D displays you’ll find in modern 3D HDTVs requiring the viewer to wear active or passive glasses, Sharp’s display uses a parallax barrier system to create a sense of depth by using a series of vertical slits in an ordinary LCD to direct light to the right and left eyes. The panel offers a 500nit brightness, 1,000:1 contrast, and is available with or without a touchscreen. A non-touchscreen version of the display goes into mass production before June but there’s no specific mention of the touchscreen timeline (but we imagine it won’t be far behind). In other words, we could have a Nintendo 3DS on the market before the holidays. Just saying. Guess we’ll find out for sure at E3 in June.

Update: Akihabara News went eyes-on with the display and came away impressed with the colors and brightness. Better yet, it says, “Sharp succeed to do what Sony and Panasonic does with 3D Glasses!” Well, that sounds hopeful.

Nintendo 3DS to feature 3.4-inch Sharp parallax barrier display? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp’s Snapdragon-powered, Android-running IS01 MID gets a hands-on (updated)

Sharp’s new IS01 MID for KDDI au proved to be something of a letdown when it was announced earlier today, partly due to raised expectations, and partly due to a lack of a decent look at it. Thankfully, Akihabara News has now come through on the latter point, and provided a fairly extensive hands-on look at the Snapdragon-powered MID. Anyone hoping for a bit more incentive to buy one may well still come away disappointed, however, as the site describes the device as fairly “cheap” feeling, and says that it doesn’t have multitouch support (although earlier reports have stated that the device has a multitouch display). That said, the Snapdragon processor does apparently ensure that the device is suitably speedy, and there’s always the possibility for some exciting things to emerge from its developer-friendly JN-DK01 counterpart. Hit up the source link for a closer look.

Update: Multi-touch support confirmed in the new video added after the break.

[Thanks, Andy]

Continue reading Sharp’s Snapdragon-powered, Android-running IS01 MID gets a hands-on (updated)

Sharp’s Snapdragon-powered, Android-running IS01 MID gets a hands-on (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community  |  sourceAkihabara News  | Email this | Comments

Sharp IS01 Snapdragon-powered 3G MID introduces AU to Android

After Softbank announced the HTC Desire and DoCoMo began pushing its very first Android smartphone (Xperia X10), Japan had big hopes for AU’s press event today. An EVO perhaps, or maybe something more from this once proud home of the original superphones? Unfortunately, Engadget Japanese let out a collective meh in response to a 5-inch IS01 handheld from Sharp running Android 1.6 on a Snapdragon processor and measuring 83 × 149 × 17.9mm and 227g. While it looks like the classic Japanese eDictionary, the IS01 is meant to be used as a general purpose MID with a 5-row QWERTY, Sharp-built “New Mobile ASV” multi-touch capacitive display pushing a 960 x 480 pixel resolution and a 5.27 megapixel auto focus camera on back with a 0.43 megapixel jobbie up front for video calls. Rounding out the specs are 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, microSD slot, 1Seg mobile TV tuner, IrDA, 4GB of internal storage, and Qualcomm 3G CDMA data. Look for it to ship in October while a developer friendly version (JN-DK01) should be available in May.

Sharp IS01 Snapdragon-powered 3G MID introduces AU to Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Japanese  |  sourceSharp (IS01), Sharp (JN-DK01)  | Email this | Comments

Nintendo 3DS to come with ‘3D control stick,’ vibration, and Sharp’s parallax barrier 3D LCD?

You had the hard news for breakfast, so how’s about some less official, but still pretty robust, fodder for brunch? Asahi in Japan offers the first word on how the 3DS achieves its 3D-ness by suggesting that the new portable game machine with feature a parallax barrier LCD from Sharp. The tech has apparently already been deployed in a few cellphones over there and is described as “unsuitable” for large-screen TVs. This is corroborated by Nikkei, which suggests that the screens on the new device will be smaller than 4 inches diagonally, placing it closer to the DSi than the 4.2-inch DSi XL / LL. Other news from the latter source include so-called 3D control stick(s), though it’s not entirely clear whether this’ll be anything massively new or just a pair of analog nubs for us to push around. Either way, Nintendo is said to have secured patents for the new control methodology in Japan late last year. The Nikkei article also mentions improvements in WiFi transfers and battery life, as well as a new vibration function. Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, can someone please tell us if this thing has Tegra inside or not?

Nintendo 3DS to come with ‘3D control stick,’ vibration, and Sharp’s parallax barrier 3D LCD? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNikkei, Asahi  | Email this | Comments