Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, February 08, 2010

Inbrics' Android-based M1 slated to ship this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/inbrics-android-based-m1-slated-to-ship-this-year/

We already caught a fair amount of play time with Inbrics' Android-based M1 at CES, but it looks as if the company is fixing to "officially" reveal it next week at Mobile World Congress. We're still debating whether or not this thing is a bona fide smartphone or yet another MID that'll have a tough time gaining acceptance in this cruel, cruel world, but either way, it's apparently on track for release later this year. According to details scooped up by Pocket-lint, the company is hoping that the M1 will double as a media controller for AV junkies, and if all goes well, Europeans could get their hands on it "in 2010 or early 2011." Just as long as it's prior to 2012, we're cool.

Inbrics' Android-based M1 slated to ship this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qisda's ultra high-res QCM-330 smartphone and more surface ahead of iF awards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/qisdas-ultra-high-res-qcm-330-smartphone-and-more-surface/

The iF Design Awards won't officially be handed out until the big ceremony at CeBIT next month, but some of the winners have now already been announced, and they include a few surprises. One of those is this new Qisda QCM-330 smartphone, which is said to be Android-based, and packs a 4-inch, 1,280 x 1,024 screen (supposedly, although the actual resolution will likely differ given the aspect ratio), WiFi and HSDPA connectivity, a 3 megapixel camera, and an accelerometer, among other, as yet unnamed specs. It's joined by the LG GD880 we previously spotted in the wild, along with a slew of phones headed for Vodafone, including the Compass slider, and the Krystal (pictured after the break), which apparently packs displays on both sides and some augmented reality-type features (like on the fly translation of newspapers). Rounding out the lot are the decidedly more ordinary Vodafone Sting, Shilpa, Quincy and, our personal favorite, the Larry. Hit up the link below for a closer look at those.

Continue reading Qisda's ultra high-res QCM-330 smartphone and more surface ahead of iF awards

Qisda's ultra high-res QCM-330 smartphone and more surface ahead of iF awards originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slash Gear | source

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Linus Torvalds is now a happy Nexus One owner, pinch to zoom put him over the edge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/linus-torvalds-is-now-a-happy-nexus-one-owner-pinch-to-zoom-put/

Linux originator Linus Torvalds isn't really big on these "phone" things, but he's finally caved to his Nexus One lust. In a recent blog post he explains how the G1 never did it for him, despite his love of the "concept" of having a Linux-based phone. He finds phones in general irritating, and cellphones "an opportunity to be irritated wherever you are," but the Nexus One's offer of car-friendly GPS navigation got him thinking he'd have a good excuse to bring it with him places, and the recent announcement of pinch-to-zoom capabilities somehow put him over the edge. He still says the phone part is "kind of secondary," but we sure he'll eventually be won over to the dark side and be just as annoying as the rest of us phone talkers at restaurants.

Linus Torvalds is now a happy Nexus One owner, pinch to zoom put him over the edge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wisair-based wireless display adapters head to Macs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/wisair-based-wireless-display-adapters-head-to-macs/

PC users have been able to take advantage of a range of Wisair-based wireless display adapters for quite a while now, and it looks like Mac users will soon be able to use them to cut a few cords as well. The first such device is a Mac-ready version of InFocus' wireless display adapter, which is designed specifically for use with InFocus' own DisplayLink-enabled projectors and should be available by the end of March. That looks to just be the beginning, however, as Wisair itself has also announced that no less than four other OEM vendors will be offering some Mac-ready, Wisair-based adapters of their own next month -- all of which, coincidentally, will be making their official debut at MacWorld 2010 this week.

Wisair-based wireless display adapters head to Macs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1080p, 5.1 surround sound coming to Netflix Watch Instantly in 2010?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/1080p-5-1-surround-sound-coming-to-netflix-watch-instantly-in-2/

Netflix Watch Instantly fans could be due for a big upgrade, as CNET has heard the company will roll out 1080p and 5.1 surround sound later this year. No word on timing or any other details, but this could mean its moving to version 3 of Microsoft's Silverlight streaming platform with its additional tweaks for adaptive streaming and hardware graphics acceleration. Also unknown is how much bandwidth would be necessary, but considering Microsoft already uses very similar technology for its 1080p Instant On videos on Zune Marketplace through the Xbox 360 while only requiring 3 Mbps and VUDU HDX 1080p videos only state a minimum of 4500 Kbps, a massive jump in available bandwidth might not be necessary if you already get clear 720p video. The last big hurdle? How much content will be available that way, Gizmodo points out only about 6 percent of current offerings stream in HD we'll be watching carefully if the pace picks up going forward.

1080p, 5.1 surround sound coming to Netflix Watch Instantly in 2010? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gizmodo | source

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