Monday, March 02, 2009

Gauging Samsung's TL320 OLED Display Point-and-Shoot [Tomorrow's Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/RV0PPy3p8TA/gauging-samsungs-tl320-oled-display-point+and+shoot

See what I did there? Cause Samsung's TL320 HD video capable camera has an ooooOLED screen and cool retro analog gauges? So, just how great are they in person?

What I really wanted to do was play back 720p video on the TL320's screen to better divine the OLED difference, but it's pretty early in the dev cycle (it's not coming out till way later in the year) and was so buggy all it would playback is blue static, which wasn't very helpful at all. Looking at stills on the screen side by side with an LCD display on a different Samsung camera, the OLED screen was a little brighter and sharper, but it didn't make my eyes pop out get goo all over the display in the ensuing explosion or anything.

I wish the dials were a little bigger—or there were MORE of them 'cause there's totally room—but they're still super neat. When you turn the camera on, they reset by spinning wildly, like a Ghostbusters' EKG PKE meter if Satan was in the room. In a world where vaguely similar specs on almost every point-and-shoot makes eyes glaze over, it's little touches like this that grab attention and make your camera better than your friend's. Besides, I think every gadget should have retro gauges.

The interface on it is simple to navigate as well, which is good since cameras really need better UIs to accommodate the dizzying list of features they're being bloated with every year—it's sort of like a vertical version of Sony's XMB cross media bar. As you you move up and down to highlight items, the settings it adjusts pops up to the right of the main list, and then you press right to move over to the settings. It's probably my favorit! e Samsun g point-and-shoot so far based on look and feel, though we'll have to wait a bit to see what kind of pictures it delivers for a final verdict.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.



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DVR/BitTorrent Combo BlobBox Appears, Pirates and Studio Execs Shudder [The Dream Is Alive]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hp6aJQC0NLY/dvrbittorrent-combo-blobbox-appears-pirates-and-studio-execs-shudder

One of Chen's deepest, darkest fantasies is a set-top box that records shows and pulls in torrents at the same time. Italian hardware firm Telsey and software maker TVBlob just made it—the BlobBox—a reality.

It's not exactly a TiVo, and it's only capable of storing over-the-air TV (and in its current form, just European digital broadcasting protocols), but the BlobBox from Telsey and TVBlob has an impressive list of talents stashed in a single plastic case:

• BitTorrent searching and downloading (plus downloading via HTTP and FTP)
• YouTube playback and uploading
• Miro for podcast management
• DVB-T over-the-air dual tuner, for watching and recording at same time
• Support for DivX, Xvid, WMV, MP4, MOV, ASF and (soon) MKV
• Web browsing
• Access to Flickr and other photo sites for viewing
• UPnP and USB connectivity for accessing content on other devices
• HDMI output for true 1080p viewing

It's only got a 160GB hard drive, and not only does it just work on European DVB-T broadcasts, but it doesn't have anything like a CableCard either, and given the fact that the company is based in Italy with few or no US distribution, there's probably no plan for that either.

Bummers aside, the fact is, Telsey and TVBlob are taking us one step closer to Chen's dream, and we certainly admire anyone with the guts (and the stomach) to help Chen realize his fantasies. [PRWeb, TVBlob and Telsey via Engadget]



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Microsoft shows a glimpse at the future of computing and the people who can afford it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/02/microsoft-shows-a-glimpse-at-the-future-of-computing-and-the-peo/

Microsoft shows a glimpse at the future of computing and the people who can afford it
Hey, want to know what the future looks like? Okay, how about what Microsoft thinks the future will look like? If you're still reading, Stephen Elop, Microsoft's Business Division President, recently presented that vision as part of this year's TechFest. In an embedded video below you can get a glimpse, which includes plenty of augmented reality, a personal identification device that could (finally) replace your wallet, and naturally lots and lots of Surface action -- extending from tables to walls and beyond. Some of these conceptual clips are old, but overall it looks like something of a computing utopia to us, and according to Elop these are all representative of currently active projects. But, with the company shedding employees and surely focusing on tangible revenue right now, we're wondering how long they'll stay that way.

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Microsoft shows a glimpse at the future of computing and the people who can afford it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 0! 9:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touch Book from Always Innovating harbors removable tablet, netbook pricepoint

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/02/touch-book-from-always-innovating-harbors-removable-tablet-netb/


It's not every day we see an all-new angle on the laptop form factor, much less a netbook with aims at innovation. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a company dubbed "Always Innovating" is trying to spice things up a bit. The Touch Book is an ARM-powered netbook that weighs less than two pounds and claims battery life of 10 to 15 hours, but the real magic happens with the removable screen -- it slides right out of its keyboard dock and acts as a fully functional touchscreen tablet. When docked, the screen can lay out flat, and the keyboard can even be folded all the way under into an "inverted V" shape. There are other oddities like internal USB plugs to cut down on dongle mess, and the whole screen is magnetic for mounting on a fridge. The machine is running a Linux OS with a touchable 3D UI. The only press shots right now are these sketchy-looking renders, but Always Innovating is currently previewing the Touch Book at DEMO 09 in California, and plans to ship in Spring of this year with a starting pricetag of $299.

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Touch Book from Always Innovating harbors removable tablet, netbook pricepoint originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vue mesh network video system hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/02/vue-mesh-network-video-system-hands-on/


We had a chance to play around with Avaak's new multi-camera wireless video system, the Vue, and we've got to say -- it's kind of neat. The technology -- originally funded by DARPA and developed by the company for the military -- uses a mesh network (dubbed FrameMesh) to allow up to 50 cameras to communicate with a single base station. The premise is simple, you connect the included base to your router, then switch on as many of the cameras as you like; each one feeds its signal back home, then straight to your account on the company's servers where you can monitor the videos remotely. Once the video hits the page (the cameras stay off until you're actually watching something), you can record, or share them via Facebook, Flickr, etc. The cameras themselves are tiny things, and each one perches on a magnetized base where they can be adjusted to almost any position. The basic kit will run you $299, which includes the base station and two cameras, and each additional camera is $99. Not the lowest point of entry, but if you're into seriously monitoring some things, this is an insanely simple way to do it -- and we can't wait to see what installation artists get up to with these guys. Check out some hands-on pics in the gallery, then enjoy a brief video demo after the break.

Continue reading Vue mesh network video system hands-on

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Vue mesh network video system hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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