drag2share: MHL 3.0 does 4K video output, 10W charging and data transfer over a single cable (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/03/mhl-3-0-4k-sony-xperia-z2/

You may have already followed the announcement of Sony's Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet last week, but did you know that they are also the first mobile devices to feature MHL 3.0? For those who haven't caught up, this standard allows 4K video output -- over a bandwidth of 6 Gbps -- from a micro-USB port, while giving back up to 10W of power to keep your phone or tablet juiced up. Better yet, you also get a dedicated 75 Mbps channel for data transfer, as opposed to just 1 Mbps in earlier versions, which is only enough for HID input (like keyboard, touchscreen, mouse and even gesture control). It's still snail pace compared to the likes of USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, but at least you can now transfer files to and from your mobile device over the same cable. Besides, it's possible to achieve a higher transfer rate of up to 600 Mbps using special connectors, such as USB 3.0's 10-pin configuration.

At MWC last week, Silicon Image demoed MHL 3.0 -- powered by its SiI8620 transmitter chip -- working between an Xperia Z2 and a Sony 4K TV, with the bonus capability of navigating through the phone using the TV's remote. The company also showed off file transfer between a USB drive and a Snapdragon 800 development board over MHL 3.0, though products (likely monitors, set-top boxes and docks) that support this feature won't be out until later this year. For now, you can check out our demo video after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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drag2share: New Netflix Phishing Scam Tricks You Into Calling Fake "Tech Support"

Source: http://gizmodo.com/new-netflix-phishing-scam-tricks-you-into-calling-fake-1535268484

If the screen below has ever popped up as you were supposedly logging into Netflix, we've got some bad news for you. No, it's not your Netflix account—that's perfectly safe (at least for now). But if you followed the instructions on the screen, you've been duped by a new phishing scheme that seems so painfully obvious, it's almost brilliant.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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drag2share: SurroundWeb: Microsoft's Plan To Cloak Your Living Room With Internet

Source: http://gizmodo.com/surroundweb-microsofts-plan-to-cloak-your-living-room-1535275755

Your browser is in all your devices. Hell, you can even get it in your watch if you're down with that. And in the Microsoft world, its next destination is your living room wall.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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drag2share: RunKeeper adds training plan feature to its Android app

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/03/runkeeper-android-update/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

RunKeeper has a solid track record when it comes to giving users new ways to interact with the application. It's no surprise, then, that the fitness-focused app is getting some fresh tidbits on Android. Most notably, you'll now see a training plan feature which is set to coincide with the goals you've set up within the app. This version also brings a redesigned "Me" tab, an option to keep a close eye on training schedules and the ability to view your workout history. It's a very nice update, to say the least -- and given that it's Monday, it couldn't have come at a better time to inspire your next run.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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drag2share: Samsung's latest Chromebooks come wrapped in faux-leather, on sale next month for $320 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/03/samsung-chromebook-2/

It's been over a year since Samsung released a new Chromebook, and since then the competition has been heating up: Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba all sell Chrome OS devices now, as does Acer, which has been at it from day one. Accordingly, Samsung is refreshing its lineup: the company just announced the Chromebook 2, which comes in 11- and 13-inch screen sizes, and will ship next month starting at $320 for the smaller version (the bigger one costs $400).

Perhaps even more interesting than any of the spec bumps, though, is the new design. Confirming some leaked photos that began circulating two days ago, the Chromebook 2 sports a faux-leather lid with a soft, rubbery finish and fake stitching at the edges -- yep, just like the Galaxy Note III, Note Pro 12.2 and other recent Samsung devices. In-hand, it actually feels quite nice, and might even be easier for children to grip, assuming this ends up in classrooms. It also has a thin silhouette, which we're told was modeled after the ATIV Book 9 Plus (formerly called the Series 9 Ultrabook). It's generally a pleasing design, although the plain plastic underside makes for a mullet sort of look: premium on top, bargain-basement on the bottom.

If you wanna save money, the last-gen (safer-looking) model will still be around for $249, but you might choose to splurge anyway: the 13-inch Chromebook 2 steps up to a 1,920 x 1,080, 250-nit screen, with both sizes promising improved performance. In particular, they make use of an eight-core processor similar to the one found in a variant of Samsung's new Galaxy S5 smartphone. As with the GS5, "octo-core" will sometimes mean running all eight cores simultaneously and other times just running a quad-core setup, with either the four powerful cores or the four weaker, energy-saving cores being used at one time, depending on the task. Largely thanks to that, Samsung is rating battery life at eight hours on the smaller 11-inch model, and 8.5 hours on the 13-inch version. Whichever model you choose, you'll get 4GB of RAM (twice the allotment of the last-gen model) plus 16GB of local storage.

On the software side, these are also the first Chromebooks certified for Google Hangout, though really, any Chrome OS device can use Hangouts, not just these. Samsung also threw in a year of AirDroid service, which lets you wirelessly transfer files between your Android phone and Chromebook. Oh, and this isn't a software tweak, but the Chromebook 2 now has Bluetooth 4.0, not 3.0. Also nice to have. In any event, it will ship sometime next month, priced at $320 for the 11-inch version (available in black and white), and $400 for the 13-inch model ("Titan Gray" only). We'll be back with a review but for now, enjoy the hands-on photos.

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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