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Saturday, April 21, 2012

WPC updates Qi standard, increases inductive charging distance to 40mm

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/20/wpc-updates-qi-standard-increasing-inductive-charging-distance/

It seems that Power Matt just got a bit more, er, powerful. The Wireless Power Consortium announced today that it's improved the Qi inductive-charging standard to "include longer range magnetic resonance wireless charging." Effectively, this means charging stations that are up to spec will be able to transmit up to 5 watts of power from distances of 40mm (up from 5mm, previously) to Qi-enabled devices. The WPC says it's ideal for pushing power through the likes tables and counter tops, and that it currently has 12 types of compatible transmitters ready for action. All in all, it certainly seems like a solid step for finally getting rid of all that cable clutter at your workstation -- especially if it'll rid users of those less-than-pretty looking charging bases. Maybe a last-minute add-on to your Uppleva, IKEA?

Continue reading WPC updates Qi standard, increases inductive charging distance to 40mm

WPC updates Qi standard, increases inductive charging ! distance to 40mm originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, April 19, 2012

ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/19/asus-pink-and-gold-zenbooks-uk/

You know what ASUS' Zenbooks needed, right? Like, even more than a cushier keyboard or Ivy Bridge refresh? The Malibu Beach House treatment, obviously. For those of you in dreary 'ol Blighty waiting for an Ultrabook with tropical coloring (but no sequins), take note: ASUS is going to start selling its candy-colored, oh-so classy Zenbooks in the UK. Specifically, that includes the 13-inch UX31 in hot pink, and the 11.6-inch UX21 in Rose Gold. Both will be available by the end of April, with the UX31 available through PC World and Curry's, and the UX21 through Littlewoods and Argos. Find the PR below, and pay no mind to the lady editor behind the curtain doing a facepalm.

Continue reading ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well

ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla: Brazilians to get first phones running Boot to Gecko

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/19/mozilla-says-brazilians-to-get-first-phones-running-boot-to-gecko/

We got to fiddle with Mozilla's HTML5-based mobile OS, Boot to Gecko, for the first time a couple of months ago, and found it to be a promising platform, but one that wasn't ready for prime-time. However, it appears that Brazilians on Telefonica will get the first crack at buying BtG phones, and the handsets are set to go on sale by the end of this year or in early 2013. The good news -- for our South American readers, at least -- came from Gary Kovacs, Mozilla's CEO, who made the announcement in São Paulo today. Unfortunately, Kovacs failed to say what kind of hardware will run the web-based OS, but Pablo Larrieux, the chief innovation officer of Telefonica Vivo, indicated that the handsets will be unlocked and priced to move: they'll cost as much as a featurephone.

[Thanks, Henrique]

[Brazil flag photo via Shutterstock.]

Mozilla: Brazilians to get first phones running Boot to Gecko originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for ! use of f eeds.

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Samsung's Pro Compact Cameras Get Juiced With Wi-Fi [Cameras]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5903334/samsungs-pro-compact-cameras-get-juiced-with-wi+fi/gallery/1

Samsung's line of excellent NX-series mirrorless cameras is getting packed with the Wi-Fi features the company's been offering in point-and-shoots for years. Sharing your photos between devices and on Facebook made easy—but is it a feature that these cameras need?

Last year's Samsung NX200 was pretty darn excellent, save for a few quibbles we had with its automatic settings. And for the upcoming NX210 refresh, Samsung's largely leaving it alone, with the exception of the new Wi-Fi features: it's got the same DSLR-sized 20.3-megapixel sensor and shoots identical 1080p HD video. The cheaper NX10 and NX100 cameras will be replaced by the NX20 and NX1000. In addition to the Wi-Fi upgrades, these cameras will also get the same 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor.

The built-in Wi-Fi features function much the same way as they do on Samsung's point-and-shoots. The camera will allow you to connect directly to online services like Facebook, YouTube, and Microsoft SkyDrive to upload photos and video. Using the MobileLink application for Android and iOS you can view your photos on a tablet or phone, and transfer them to these devices too. The Remote Viewfinder app—as its name implies—allows you to control your camera remotely. And if you're a Windows user, you can use Wi-Fi to back up your photos.

Over the last few years Samsung's been leading the pack with its Wi-Fi point-and-shoots, but does anybody really want this feature in a professional-grade compact camera? When using the camera's Wi-Fi features you're almost always sacrificing image quality because the camera won't transfer the huge files this camera would otherwise record to its memory card. What's the point of spending big bucks on a high-resolution camera with a big sensor and interchangeable lenses, if all you're going to do is scale the image down for a Facebook upload?

Samsung didn't give us information on how much the camera's would cost, but the NX200 costs $900, just to give you a point of reference. Get your routers ready: The new NX-series shooters will all be available in May. [Samsung]

Samsung's Pro Compact Cameras Get Juiced With Wi-Fi

Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/19/hands-on-with-arqball-spin-the-app-that-lets-you-create-interac/

Sometimes, two dimensional photos, even those taken by a 41-megapixel sensor, simply aren't enough to accurately depict a three dimensional object. Enter Arqball Spin, a free app that lets anyone with an iOS device create high-quality 3D models of whatever they like. Using the iPhone's camera, the app takes a series of images and uses some software black magic to create the finished product. The model, or "spin", can be cropped and adjusted (brightness, saturation and contrast) like a regular photograph, plus users can create custom annotations to identify or comment on specific parts of the "spin" as well. Viewers can then rotate the model 360 degrees and zoom in on any part that piques their interest. While it's currently an Apple-centric affair, support for DSLRs and other hi-res cameras (by uploading videos to the company's website for processing) and other mobile platforms is in the pipeline.

The app works best if the object is situated on Arqball's stage, which rotates at an optimal three RPM -- the stage isn't available yet, but the company's going the Kickstarter route to get the capital needed to start manufacturing. Those who pitch in now can grab a stage for $60, and it'll cost $20 more if you want to wait until it's on sale. Of course, the app still functions if you want to hold your iPhone or iPad and walk around your subject, but you won't get near the quality result that you can when using the stage. Because the "spins" are hosted on Arqball's servers, they can easily be embedded on any website via HTML.

By making photo-realistic 3D modeling so easy and accessible, Arqball sees this technology as a perfect fit for online retailers, educators, and, ahem, even gadget reviewers. While the app holds obvious commercial appeal, the com! pany's n ot counting out casual users, and hopes to see a future filled with user-created 3D content. We got to see the app in action, and walked away thoroughly impressed with both the speed of the app and the detailed models it produces -- but you don't have to take our word for it, see a sample spin and our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models

Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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