US Judge rejects Hasbro / ASUS sales ban, Transformer Prime prevails

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/hasbro-asus-transformer-prime-lawsuit/

Coming up with original gadget names is tough work, and, after all, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery -- right? So it was no surprise when ASUS happened upon an alias that more than slightly resembled that of a popular fictional mutant semi -- you know, Transformer Optimus Prime. However shockingly, Hasbro wasn't a fan, opting to battle ASUS to the death in the U.S. court system. And, after countless weeks and many bank holidays, we finally have a victor. It appears that the leader of the Autobots will continue to share its name with the Taiwanese company's tablet -- that's what you get for leaving the fate of the world to mere human bureaucrats. Just don't be surprised when it comes time to name the world's next Superhero, Ms. Zenbook UX31.

US Judge rejects Hasbro / ASUS sales ban, Transformer Prime prevails originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Real LCD HDTV refresh rates are getting harder to find behind marketing fluff

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/lcd-refresh-rate-120hz-240hz-480hz/

Electronics makers love a spec they can get behind and make the center point of their marketing efforts -- no matter how useless it is as a comparison. The undisputed be all arms race HDTV metric for the past few years, LCD refresh rates, has recently become even muddier according to HD Guru. Terms like Clear Motion Rate (Samsung) and Scenes Per Second (Vizio) are meant to confuse the customer while resembling the somewhat useful (and, as of late, unmentioned on the box) refresh rate. Our advice? Ignore this spec completely and instead find a TV that can accurately display your favorite content at its native frame rate (24, 30 or 60) -- leave all that soap-opera looking frame interpolation technology to the modern day twelve o'clock flasher.

PSA: Real LCD HDTV refresh rates are getting harder to find behind marketing fluff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/asus-teases-awesome-new-features-for-transformer-prime-doesn/

Like that one friend who cares enough to update everyone about a "killer party" they're headed to without saying where it is, the official ASUS Facebook page has dropped a teaser that is as tantalizing as it is frustratingly vague. The note promises "awesome new features" in the next update for its Transformer Prime, but has absolutely no details on what that means. So what could be in store, some minor .01 revision ICS bump, further GPS tweaks, custom ASUS apps or some celebratory Hasbro wallpapers? Of course, we'd love to hear that everyone's getting a new higher-res display swapped into their Tegra 3 tablet, but even with lasers and time travel still on the table, we're thinking that's not it. Feel free to dream big in the comments below -- for the moment, anything is possible.

Update: If you need a hint, several commenters have pointed out posts on XDA Developers by ASUS' Gary Key indicating firmware 9.4.2.21 will arrive "by March 30th" so it shouldn't be a long wait. A possible preview of the features included is also in the thread, culled from a list on the company's Swedish Facebook site for a differently numbere! d, thoug h also yet to be released update. Check the list after the break or hit the links below to follow the breadcrumbs for yourself.

Continue reading ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are

ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku players now have an official Plex channel with upgraded UI and new features

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/roku-plex-official/

If you're a fan of Plex's media server software and Roku's do-everything hockey puck media streamers then today is your lucky day, as bringing the two together is now easier than ever. While Plex has supported streaming to Roku devices through an unofficial channel since last year, today it announced it's officially available in the Channel Store. That's not the only thing that has changed either, since a blog post indicates the new official channel brings a new upgraded UI and features like myPlex support, audio and picture support, and Direct Play of video without transcoding on compatible videos. Hit the Plex blog for a few more screenshots and details, or just turn on your Roku and add the app directly. Also, if a Google TV device is your preferred Plex client, that app has also just been updated with a few new bugfixes.

Roku players now have an official Plex channel with upgraded UI and new features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The First Gorgeous OLED TV Will Cost $8,000 [TV]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896750/the-first-gorgeous-oled-tv-will-cost-8000

Big news for anyone with a big living room and bigger wallet: LG's 55-inch OLED TV will be the first of the pack to arrive, debuting at May for eight grand.

Maeli Business, which also recently "reported" that dumbass 4.6-inch iPhone rumor, says LG's on the record with a fashionable unveiling at Cannes:

South Korea's tech major LG Electronics is set to launch the world's first 55-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs in May this year. Prices of the OLED TVs will be set at approximately nine million won ($7,928.91), and the OLED TV will be unveiled in Cannes, France where a movie premier will be held..."LG Electronics decided to arrange the launching event of its 55-inch OLED TV during the Cannes Film Festival period from May 16 to 27," an LG official said Thursday.

The timing jibes with what we heard at CES, but it's the first solid word we've heard as to what the future of beautiful television is going to cost us. Eight thousand. That's a lot of money—more money than most people have to spend on a TV, by a longshot. But it could've been a lot worse! Samsung's current top of the line 55-inch LCD TV runs around half that—and it's using old, old technology. OLED will be out of reach for almost everyone, but, like everything else, it'll slide cheaper, and cheaper in a (relative) hurry. Especially when LG, Samsung, and the rest realize nobody can afford this.

We've checked in with LG for more information—stay tuned. [Maeil via Verge]

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