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Monday, January 07, 2013

First Hands-On with a Tegra 4 Tablet

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5973840/first-hands+on-with-a-tegra-4-tablet

Vizio's got a nice surprise at CES this year: one of the only tablets with a Tegra 4 processor inside you can find anywhere in the world, outside of some death vault at Nvidia headquarters. We used it.

The 10.1-inch slate—just a prototype for now—boasts an eye-pleasing 2560 x 1600 resolution, and was terrifically light given the horsepower inside. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much to do to stress all of that horsepower. The tablet was pretty naked, without any games, Internet connectivity, or very much in the way of processor-gulping apps to fire up. But all the apps I could find on the thing—Flipboard, the camera, Chrome—all exploded into view instantly. This thing will open apps very, very quickly. HDR camera snaps were, as promised, instantaneous, 1080p video playback was as smooth as it'd be on any full PC or laptop, and speeding through hi-res photos (the only stress test I could muster) didn't lag even slightly.

Without a big budget game to run on this thing, it's too early to be impressed, but the faint signs of awesomeness we can spot in the Tegra 4 in its infancy are exciting. The. Thing. Is. Fast.

Vizio Tablet PC hands-on (update: now with video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/vizio-tablet-pc-hands-on/

Vizio's not exactly a stranger to tablets -- it came out with an Android product back in 2011 -- but it's only just debuting its first Windows 8 slate, the Tablet PC. (How's that for an appropriate name?) Like so many other Win 8 tablets it has an 11.6-inch screen, but the similarities mostly end there. On the inside, it packs a dual-core, 1GHz AMD Z60 chip, making it one of the few tablets in this class that doesn't run an Atom processor. At the same time, the screen squeezes in 1,920 x 1,080 pixels -- an unusual resolution for a lower-powered product like this. Other known specs: 2GB of RAM, 64GB of flash storage, a 2-megapixel front camera and micro-HDMI / micro-USB ports. So far, we don't know how much this will cost, or even when it will be available, so it's going to be a little tough to compare this to other offerings in the marketplace. For now, though, we've managed to steal a few minutes of hands-on time here at CES. Meet us past the break for some first thoughts on the design, the performance and that crisp 1080p screen. And stay tuned for video -- we've got that coming too.

Gallery: Vizio Tablet PC hands-on

Update: As promised, our video tour of the tablet can be found after the break.

Continue reading Vizio Tablet PC hands-on (update: now with video)

Filed under: Tablets

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Fujifilm X100s digital split image display demoed (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/fujifilm-x100s-digital-split-image-display-demoed-video/

Just as Fujifilm is getting under way with its CES 2013 press conference, the folks over at FujiRumors found some footage of Fujifilm's new digital split image display from the newly announced X100s. Earlier this week, the company announced this new way of manual focusing on the X100s, in which the user overlays two images to attain proper focus. This feature seems to hit a high note for range finder camera users as it brings a certain familiarity for focusing work flow. Note that the display in the video is the rear LCD of the camera and not the prized hybrid viewfinder. Overall the movement looks smooth and usable, but we'll confirm when we get our hands on the new X100s.

check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Fujifilm X100s digital split image display demoed (video)

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: via FujiRumors

Voxx combining broadcast TV with Roku in Q4 2013, working with RCA and Terk

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/voxx-roku-streaming-stick-broadcast-tv/

Roku may have lots of streaming content as is, but that doesn't always compare with what's on broadcast television. Voxx Accessories (formerly Audiovox) sees this problem too, but rather than just pointing it out idly (like us!), the accessory maker claims it has a fix. That solution includes an integrated digital antenna, creating a solution that pulls in broadcast TV (read: "over-the-air local HD broadcasts"), plus the features of Roku's Streaming Stick. We won't see the fruition of those efforts until late 2013, and when it does arrive, it'll come in collaboration with RCA and Terk (as seen in the first two product images above). The only bad thing we can find about this mashup of old school OTA and the latest in IPTV? That it's not here yet.

Continue reading Voxx combining broadcast TV with Roku in Q4 2013, working with RCA and Terk

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Polaroid confirms iM1836 mirrorless with Android, adds three more cameras

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/polaroid-makes-its-android-based-im1836-mirrorless-camera-official/

Polaroid left little doubt that it was launching its Android-based, interchangeable lens camera at CES, and sure enough, it's here: meet the iM1836. It mates an 18.1-megapixel, 1080p video-capable mirrorless body with Android (which we now know to be Android 4.1) to quickly share imagery with social networks over WiFi, or directly to other devices through Bluetooth. Its 3.5-inch display won't put the Galaxy Camera's 4.8-inch panel to shame, but Polaroid is no doubt counting on the ability to swap optics (which includes Micro Four Thirds lenses, through an optional adapter) and a pop-up flash to clinch a sale. The iM1836 should arrive in the first quarter at a $399 price, with a 10-30mm lens included -- uncommonly cheap for a camera that could potentially outshoot its Nikon and Samsung opponents.

That's not the only camera in the Polaroid brand's 2013 lineup, however. Non-Android parallels to the iM1836 are coming with both WiFi ( iM1232W, $349) and without (iM1030, $299) for cost-conscious photographers; those who don't mind a fixed-in-place lens can get the iS2433, a $199 bridge camera with a 24x (25-600mm equivalent) lens, a 16-megapixel backlit Sony CMOS sensor and a 3-inch LCD. One camcorder, the iD975, is joining the fray with 1080p video, 16-megapixel stills, a 3-inch touchscreen and a video-in-video mode that! shows t he person recording video along with the main footage. Polaroid hasn't provided launch dates for its more conventional shooters.

Gallery: Polaroid iM1836, IM1030, iM1232W and iD975