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Showing posts with the label Gadgets

Merel Mtouch multitouch table hands-on

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Multitouch tables haven't exactly hit the mainstream, but price is likely to be a major factor. Merel's Mtouch table brings that familiar Microsoft Surface-like multitouch functionality for a fraction of the price, retailing for $3,995, or about half as much as Surface. The 720p, 32-inch display doesn't sacrifice on power -- a 3.2Ghz quad-core Intel Quad i5 Sandy Bridge processor and dedicated Radeon HD 1GB video card keep the Windows 7-based interface running smoothly -- but the table's display suffers from some uniformity issues, likely due to the pair of super-bright LEDs used to light it. We spent a few minutes with the Mtouch at the CEA LineShows in NYC, and liked what we saw -- once we got past the lighting issues, which appear slightly exaggerated in the photo above (notice the two bright spots near our subject's fingers). Content is loaded using a web interface, and the table is compatible with a variety of formats, including PDFs, which are displayed as ...

Samsung reveals 'premium accessory suite' for Galaxy Tab 10.1, includes premium prices

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Loving your Galaxy Tab 10.1 but just itching for some accessories? Samsung knows you are, and today helpfully unveiled a "premium accessory suite" to soothe your jones for both add-ons and premium prices. The collection (parts of which appeared earlier on Sammy's German site) includes a full-size keyboard dock ($70) and a multimedia dock ($35) enabling HDMI pass-through – you can have Tab video on your TV, as long as you buy the separate HDTV adapter ($30). You have your choice of cases, as well: a book cover model ($60) you can leave on while using the tablet, or a leather pouch edition ($30) that is, you guessed it, a leather pouch. A few miscellaneous items round out the collection, including various chargers, a conductive stylus and the already-released USB adapter. The company also promises a Bluetooth keyboard and SD card adapter to come "mid-summer," just in time to ease your next bout of premium-accessory fever.

G-Technology's G-Connect offers 500GB of wireless storage, portable WiFi network to smartphone, tablet users

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Hitachi's G-Technology unit has already showered us with a slew of external hard drives, but it's taking a slightly more hybridized approach with the G-Connect -- a device that offers both wireless storage and portable WiFi access to smartphone and tablet users. Designed with nomadic content-hoarders in mind, this little rascal boasts 500GB of mobile storage, can simultaneously support more than five different devices on its 802.11n wireless network, and, when connected via Ethernet, serves as a WiFi access point. It's also robust enough to stream up to five standard-definition movies at one time (or up to three HD flicks), and, at about 9.7 ounces, it won't add too much weight to your quiver of gadgets, either. If you're worried about security, you can surround the network with a password-protected fortress, or store some of your less mentionable content in your very own private folder. iOS users can further enhance their G-experience by downloading the accompanyin...

Archos unveils bare-bones Arnova 7 Android tablet, priced at $99

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We caught a brief glimpse of Archos' new Arnova 7 tablet when it hit the FCC last week and now, we have a few more details on the company's affordable Android-based slate. Though there's no information on its RAM or processing capacity, the latest addition to the Arnova clan boasts a seven-inch, resistive touchscreen LCD with 800x480 resolution, supports 720p HD playback, and offers 4GB of flash memory. Running on Froyo, this WiFi-enabled slab will give you access to the AppsLib store, rather than the Android Market, and won't come with any of the front- or rear-facing cameras you'd expect from higher-end products. But, then again, it's pretty hard to argue with any tablet priced at just $99. No word yet on when the Arnova 7 will start shipping, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide spotted in the clear, sans case

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We've already seen it turn up in a few blurry shots, and seen it pictured a bit more clearly inside a case, but we now finally have our first good, unobstructed look at T-Mobile's still unannounced myTouch 4G Slide. What's more, the tipster that provided the shots to TmoNews also offered up a few quick impressions, saying that the keyboard was "amazing" and roughly comparable to the T-Mobile G2, and that the phone itself is "surprisingly fast" but a bit heavier than the G2. Hit up the source link below for a closer look.

Nokia's N9 official: a luscious slab of MeeGo coming later this year

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Stephen Elop said that Nokia would unveil its first MeeGo device this year, and he just made good on his word with the N9 (also known as Lankku). Just as we spotted earlier, the N9 is a solid slab of 3.9-inch AMOLED screen (854 x 480) sans a keyboard or physical switches of any kind (well, aside from that oh-so-necessary volume rocker and camera button). The phone comes with 16GB or 64GB of onboard memory and 1GB of RAM wrapped in a polycarbonate shell that's colored all the way through, so dings and scratches won't show -- unless the wounds run deep, of course. An OMAP3630 1 Ghz processor does the computing while a PowerVR SGX530 GPU is around for graphical grunt work. Connectivity comes courtesy of quad-band GSM and penta-band WCDMA radios, plus Bluetooth 2.1, NFC, and GPS. There is also a dedicated camera button for the 8 megapixel wide-angle shooter, which is capable of aperture F2.2 for low light picture taking and true 16:9 720p video recording. Oh, and it's an AF sho...

Eizo industrial monitor does 4K resolution at 36-inches, start saving now

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Looking for a display that can do justice to all that 4K footage you've been shooting on your Red One or Arri Alexa lately? Okay, perhaps not. But if you were, then the DuraVision FDH3601 from Eizo Nanao could handle it easily with 4096 x 2160 pixels spread over 36.4-inches of LED-backlit real estate. It comes with another big number too: a price tag of ¥2.88 million ($36,000), which gently hints at the fact that this beast is primarily aimed at specialist industrial applications. Eizo claims it's perfect for air traffic control, where staff can make full use of specs like "Digital Uniformity Correction" circuitry to compensate for uneven color or brightness, motion sensors to power the monitor on or off as needed, and a stand that can be minutely adjusted to get the perfect angle. Suddenly, despite the heavy burden of responsibility and the fact that you have to keep your phone switched off all the time, that career choice seems almost worth it.

Toshiba's 21.5-inch DX1215 all-in-one can accommodate even the largest fingers

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Clearly sick and tired of watching all of the fun other companies have been having with their all-in-ones, Toshiba this week announced the DX1215, the company's first entry in the space for the US market. The 21.5-inch touchscreen desktop has two USB 3.0 ports (and four of the boring old 2.0 variety), an HDMI port, 1TB of storage, and built-in Onkyo speakers. The system ships with a wireless mouse and keyboard, and will be hitting Best Buy's stores and website exclusively on July 3rd, starting at $930 -- just in time for your Independence Day ketchup-covered fingerprints.

Stanton's SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station up for Best Buy pre-order this month, in stores by July

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When technology meets music, interesting things can happen -- for better or worse. In the case of Stanton's standalone SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station, anyone can try their hand at DJing. Notable hardware features include two weighted slabs with touch sensitivity, a 4.3-inch LCD, four USB ports for hooking up HDDs (two of which are hidden in handy storage slots), and a mic input for spitin' and spinnin'. If you're lacking in pro skills, the unit can automatically sync the tempos of whatever tracks are queued up, or even mix on its own like a player piano for your favorite block rockin' beats. Lastly, there's support for WAV, MP3, and AAC files, and any regrettable Lady Gaga and Skrillex fusion fun party mixes you make can be recorded live for transfer off the device. If you're psyched to start scratching, the SCS will be available for pre-order from Best Buy's website this month for $500 (pre-packaged skills don't come cheap), and in retail stores thi...

LG V300 all-in-one hands-on at Computex 2011 (video)

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The eye-catching P220 ultraportable isn't the only system LG is showcasing at Computex -- the Korean manufacturer is also gracing Intel's booth with the V300, an all-in-one with a few tricks up its sleeve. Not only is that 23-inch display using a beautiful IPS panel (full HD), but it's even 3D-capable and includes a touchscreen in some versions. Yes, this isn't your father's PC. A variety of processors are available including Intel's Core i7 with room for up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Some models are paired with AMD's Radeon HD 6650M video card. Blu-ray is an option, and storage maxes out at 750GB. The computer takes some visual cues from Apple's iMac (the stand), but still manages to have its own personality. The display is quite thin, and while the model we played with didn't appear to offer the touchscreen option, it did feature a Core i5 CPU. Take a look at the gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video and LG's press release.

T-Mobile announces June availability for Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart

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We've heard rumblings that Samsung's Exhibit 4G would be making its way to T-Mob on June 8, but now the carrier has confirmed that the Gingerbread smartphone will be available sometime in June. The Exhibit will join Samsung's Gravity Smart, both featuring grounded sub-$100 price tags (after $50 rebate) when they hit stores. T-Mob is displaying the Exhibit with violet and black finishes, and says you'll see "theoretical" peak download speeds of 21Mbps on the HSPA + handset. As for the Smart, the carrier's first Android-powered Gravity smartphone will launch with 2.2 Froyo, and includes a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, so you'll be sending Group Texts to 50 of your closest friends with four rows of hardware keys. Both phones include 3 megapixel rear-facing cameras with flashes, while the Exhibit adds a front-facing cam as well, so that myTouch 4G girl may be hawking a new smartphone on your TV later this month.

Mitsubishi officially prices 2011 HDTVs including a 92-inch DLP and 75-inch LaserVue

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Other manufacturers may say they're living large with their latest HDTVs, but Mitsubishi's "Go Big" slogan is supported by the biggest displays available for 2011. It's finally revealed details on the models, with new features including a clearer screen and 16 speaker soundbar with support for a wireless subwoofer on its top of the line 840-series that includes the 92-inch model (pictured above) we saw at CES. The other big addition for 2011 is support for Mitsubishi's iOS remote control app in the LaserVue TV as well as the 740 and 840 series DLPs. If you don't need those features, a built in IR emitter for 3D glasses or Stream TV Vudu Apps then look at the lower end 640-series rear projection sets. Still, no matter what the trim level, the new Mitsubishi is strictly a 73-inch and over TV manufacturer so it's definitely going to be big, whether it's the 840 series that ships in July or any of the other models that will be available this month. Spe...

Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

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Here's a little intrigue to go along with your morning cuppa. The Xperia Play is a lovely bit of hardware lacking in a few crucial areas -- one being an inability to play games over HDMI. That's a definite problem for those who aren't quite ready to devote themselves wholesale to gaming on the (very) small screen. We had hoped Sony might release a micro-USB to HDMI adapter at some point, and indeed when we first saw the image above of a Play pumping graphics to an HDTV that's what we thought we had. But, on closer examination, we realized that the cable is coming out of the left side of the handset. On the current retail Play there's nothing there but shiny chrome, which you can see for yourself after the break. We also took a look at the exposed motherboard, and there are no obvious contacts. This could be a developer edition with additional ports, but none of the dev whitepapers we've pored over this morning mention any such things, so maybe a revised version ...

TI-Nspire CX graphing calculator now shipping, color officially 'in'

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It may have been hard to believe when it was announced back in February, but you can rest assured that Texas Instruments' new color TI-Nspire CX calculator is indeed real, and shipping right now. Assuming you're ready to make the jump from monochrome, the $165 asking price will buy you a 3.2-inch 320 x 240 display, 100MB of storage, 64MB or memory, and TI's new version 3.0 operating system that comes complete with 3D graphing capabilities. Of course, TI isn't completely breaking new ground here -- Casio's had a graphing calculator with a "high res" color screen since way back in 2010.

Fujitsu fingerprint / palm reader does large-scale biometric identification, won't tell fortunes

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So it can't predict the future, but the latest biometric reader from Fujitsu can tell that you're one in a million -- quite literally. Looking something akin to the love child of Simon and a Polaroid camera, this as-of-yet unnamed device is apparently the "world's first biometric authentication technology that combines data on palm vein patterns with fingerprint data from three fingers." That's a mouthful, but Fujitsu says the combination of these two biometric authentication techniques allows for accurate identification of an individual in a pool of one million in just two seconds. What's more, it expects to up that capacity to groups of ten million by the end of 2011. For professional evildoers rocking three fingers and a palm, maybe now's a good time to start rethinking your career path.