Corning Gorilla Glass 2: same strength but 20% thinner

News

  • January 10, 2012 at 9:23 am

0

Corning Gorilla Glass 2

It seems that we guessed this one right. Corning has officially announced the new generation of its popular damage-resistant glass. Gorilla Glass 2 has the same scratch and impact resistance as its predecessor despite being 20% thinner.

With thinner cover glass, devices don’t have any excuse for not shedding their holiday fat. So, you can expect slimmer devices and more variety in terms of designs and form factors — maybe we’ll now see more curved screens with Gorilla Glass protection. Also, because the screen will now be closer to your fingers, you will be getting a better touch experience, and better optical performance. If manufacturers choose to optically laminate the screen (i.e. iPhone), the screen will truly seem like it is floating at the edge of the device.
continue reading

Sony Xperia S, a.k.a. Nozomi, 4.3-inch 720p display 1.5GHz dual-core smartphone announced (video)

News

  • January 10, 2012 at 6:10 am

0

Sony Xperia S 4.3-inch Android smartphone - black and white

We’ve been hearing about the Sony Ericsson Nozomi smartphone for a while. Well plain Sony now (yeah it’s finally officially dropped Ericsson) officially announced the Xperia S Android smartphone on Monday. We already knew that it was good looking but we now have the full confirmed specs for the device.

The Sony Xperia S has a large 4.3-inch 1280 x 720 gap-less optically laminated display and features a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The rear camera is a massive 12-megapixel Exmor R back-lit sensor affair and can shoot up to 1080p HD video; the front facing camera is 1.3-megapixels. You get all the typical Wi-Fi, GPS, HDMI ports together with NFC and DLNA support. The Xperia S will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors, though there is no microSD card slot for expandable storage.
continue reading

Asus and NVIDIA announce 7-inch Tegra 3 quad-core tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich for $249

News

  • January 10, 2012 at 3:35 am

0

Asus 7-inch NVIDIA Tegra 3 tablet ME370T

There are a lot of new tablets at CES this year. The biggest piece of news however has just come in today. NVIDIA has announced that a 7-inch version of the Asus Transformer Prime, which will also run on the Tegra 3 quad-core SoC and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is coming soon. The Asus ME370T tablet will sell for $249 at launch.

This completely blows the under-powered and barebones $199 Kinde Fire and $249 Nook Tablet out the water. Besides the super fast Tegra 3 chip, the 7-inch Asus tablet will have a 1280 x 800 screen resolution and an 8-megapixel camera.
continue reading

Behind the tech: the benefits of Fujifilm’s X-Pro1 3-inch RGBW ‘WhiteMagic’ LCD panel

News

  • January 9, 2012 at 6:27 pm

0

Sony WhiteMagic RGBW 3-inch LCD panel

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera (MILC) has been announced and one of the lesser-known features is the shooter’s main 3-inch RGBW LCD panel. The ‘W’ stands for white, which is in addition to the standard red, green and blue subpixels normally found in LCD panels. Because of the extra white subpixel, the display is quoted as having 1,230k dots (640 x RGBW x 480).

While trying to find out more information on this new panel I stumbled upon a new LCD panel made by Sony, and trademarked as WhiteMagic. Sony began marketing this type of panel in October 2011, with a model number ACX432AKM, for digital cameras. From a first look I am pretty confident this is the LCD panel inside the Fujifilm X-Pro1.

What makes this RGBW WhiteMagic LCD panel special? Well the extra white subpixel makes the screen brighter and more efficient. This has two benefits. First off you can reduce the backlight’s power consumption by around 50% or in a different mode you can double the screen’s brightens for better viewing outdoors. For a digital camera, it means you can have better battery life while shooting indoors, or improve the camera’s usability outdoors.
continue reading

First preview and hands-on videos of the Fujifilm X-Pro1: 40 minutes of pure camera lust

News

  • January 9, 2012 at 4:51 pm

0

Fujifilm X-Pro1 hands-on videos preview

Sure specs, pictures and comparisons are great, but we are sure you want to see Fujifilm’s latest marvel in action. We are not sure how else to foreword this, other than grab your pop-corn, sit comfortably and prepare for a total of 40 minutes of manual knob turning, metal body handling, hybrid viewfinder switching, retro camera lust.

The Fuji Guys, Fujifilm’s Canadian duo, take you on a video tour of every minute detail around the new X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera. Head over after the break for the three hands-on videos and be sure to check out the rest of our coverage as well.
continue reading

Fujifilm X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera is official with 16MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, February release date

FeaturedNews

  • January 9, 2012 at 3:57 pm

0

Fujifilm X-Pro1 digital camera

Fujifilm didn’t exactly keep the lid on its X-series mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) system. We’ve seen pictures and specs of the Fujifilm X-Pro1 in a number of leaks last week, but now we have the official announcement by Fujifilm with all the minor details we are sure you’re anxious to hear.

The X-Pro1 is a retro beauty following in the footsteps of the X100 and the X10. The camera has a new 16-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor that was developed in-house by Fujifilm together this its proprietary EXR technology. Fujifilm claims that the new X-Trans CMOS sensor is able to deliver image resolution that bests other APS-C sensors. This is achieved by a new color filter array that does not require an optical low-pass filter, which degrades resolution. The new EXR Processor Pro is capable of processing the increased signal data coming from the new sensor.
continue reading

Volkswagen E-Bugster concept car slipstreams into your electric avenue

News

  • January 9, 2012 at 2:15 pm

0

Volkswagen E-Bugster concept car

It’s a sign of our times that many recent concept cars bear green credentials. Volkswagen’s E-Bugster concept is an all-electric Beetle with some Gotham City looks and some serious power under the hood and in the derrière. The E-Bugster houses a 114-horsepower electric motor with some generous 199 lb-ft of torque. The 695 pound lithium-ion battery, which is fitted under the rear seat and trunk floor, gives the car a 100-mile range.

The E-Bugster is three inches lower than the Beetle, and together with the 20-inch wheels and LED daytime running lights it should make for quite a sight — if not any sound thanks to its all electric credentials. Inside you will find an energy consumption display instead of a tachometer, driving range and battery charge indicators. The recharging plug rests inside the VW logo on the hood and can charge from level 1 (120 volts), level 2 (240 volts), and level 3 (400-volt quick charge providing 80 percent charge in 30 minutes) outlets.

Canon PowerShot G1 X announced: 14.3-megapixel sensor, larger than Micro Four Thirds, and 4x optical zoom lens for $800

News

  • January 9, 2012 at 12:05 pm

0

Canon Powershot G1 X digital camera articulating LCD

Canon will not enter the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera space, instead the camera maker has announced a new large sensor bridge camera in its PowerShot G series. The PowerShot G1 X will become the flagship model in the series ahead of the G12. What’s special about the G1 X is the new 1.5-inch 14.3 megapixel CMOS sensor which is slightly larger than a Micro Four Thirds sensor. The new sensor measures 18.7 x 14 mm compared to a Micro Four Thirds sensor which is 17.3 x 13mm. In fact the G1 X’s sensor is 6.3 times larger than the sensor inside the PowerShot G12.

We would imagine that such a large sensor will allow the G1 X some pretty respectable low-light performance, while the camera can shoot up to ISO 12,800. The lens offers an 4x optical zoom from 28-112m with aperture ranging from f/2.8 to f/16. Combined with the large sensor it should offer some pretty nice shallow depth of field. The G1 X has EOS-like features, like 14bit RAW shooting and is compatible with various accessories including Speedlite hot-shoe flash units. The camera comes with a 3-inch 922,000 dot articulating LCD screen and it’s capable of 1080p HD video shooting.
continue reading

Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10-inch tablet with Android 4.0 and keyboard dock

News

  • January 9, 2012 at 4:38 am

0

Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10.1-inch Android tablet with keyboard dock

Did we mention we are expecting an onslaught of Android tablets at CES 2012? Hot on the heels of Acer’s Ice Cream Sandwich bearing Iconia Tab A700, Lenovo has announced its own Android 4.0 tablet. The Lenovo IdeaTab S2 with a 10.1-inch IPS LCD 1280×800 resolution and Qualcomm’s latest 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 SoC. Similar to the Asus Trasformer Prime, the IdeaTab S2 can be used with a detachable keyboard dock.

Thin is the game now, and the S2 tablet measures just 0.34 inches thick and weighs a mere 1.1 lbs. Lenovo claims a 20 hours runtime when the tablet is paired with its keyboard dock. We’ve mentioned that it will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though Lenovo will slap its own Mondrian UI on top. You get the typical set of Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-USB and micro HDMI. The S2 is said to come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, though no pricing or availability has been made public yet.
continue reading

Acer Iconia Tab A700 10-inch tablet with 1080p display, quad-core Tegra 3 and Android 4.0

News

  • January 8, 2012 at 6:47 pm

0

Acer Iconia Tab A700

CES 2012 is expected to open the floodgates for new tablets, yet Acer has managed to put its competitor early in. The Acer Iconia Tab A700 is a 10.1-inch tablet with some spectacular specs. The screen has a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, it runs on the quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, which is clocked at 1.3GHz, and will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed.

Of course you get a typical set of ports, like micro-USB and HMDI, and connectivity, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G, together with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing camera for video chatting. The A700 also boasts Dolby Mobile sound. Measuring 9.8mm thick, it might not be the thinnest tablet around but with a 9,800 mAh battery you’ll be pleased to carry it all day with you.
continue reading

Acer 13.3-inch Aspire S5 ultrabook is world’s thinnest at 15mm, packs Thunderbolt port

News

  • January 8, 2012 at 4:25 pm

0

Acer Aspire S5 ultrabook

Acer has just unveiled the Aspire S5, which it claims to be the world’s thinnest ultrabook, measuring just 15mm (0.6 inches) at its thickest point. The Aspire S5 is made of magnesium-aluminium alloy, its packing a 13.3-inch display and weighs less than 1.35 kg (less than 3 lbs).

The laptop has all the latest connectivity, including a 20Gps capable Thunderbolt port — meaning that its running on Intel’s Ivy Bridge microarchitecture — HDMI and USB 3.0. An SSD drive will keep things running quick and smooth, while Acer’s Green Instant On promises resume from standby in 1.5 seconds.
continue reading

More images of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 camera system emerge together with flash unit and leather case

News

  • January 8, 2012 at 11:00 am

0

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera top

No matter how many pictures of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) system we see, we still want more. Photorumors has just fed our appetite for more camera porn with a fresh bunch of X-Pro 1 related pics. Above and below you can see the new bounty of razor sharp images of the upcoming all black Fujifilm shooter said to be sized 138 x 83 x 38 mm, full details on X-Pro 1 here. For comparison the X100 measures 126 x 74 x 54 mm.

Controls are very similar to the X100; from the images we can clearly see the exposure compensation and shutter speed dials, while we can make out the old-style cable release shutter button option.
continue reading

3D Systems to unveil consumer 3D design platform Cubify with cloud printing and at home Cube 3D printer

News

  • January 8, 2012 at 10:09 am

0

Cubify and Cube 3D - 3D printer and service

The whole world seems to be going 3D, oh wait, hasn’t it always been three-dimensional anyway? Oh well, back to our news story. I’m sure you are all used to the convenience of mundane 2D printing, but have you tried 3D printing yet? If 3D Systems has its way then we might all be putting our 3D creativity to the test.

3D printing is the process whereby you get to print you own computer generated 3D creations, like your own tacky ashtray lets say. Sounds like fun, right? The process of going about something like this at home has been at best cumbersome, even for extreme DYIers.
continue reading

Samsung Galaxy Note coming to the US, now a sure thing

News

  • January 8, 2012 at 5:54 am

0

Samsung Galaxy Note: HD 5.3-inch Super AMOLED smartphone with stylus

There have been a lot of rumors surrounding a potential release of the 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note tablet/phone in the US. Rumors culminated with a reportedly AT&T branded Galaxy Note press shot. Well, we can now say that Samsung’s behemoth is definitely coming to the US, judging from the large Galaxy Note advertisement taking up the entire entrance of the South Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center where CES 2012 is taking place.

Despite being the largest smartphone to date, the Galaxy Note has been a win for Samsung, which has managed to ship over 1 million units since its release. A success that can be accounted to its 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD screen (though Pentile Matrix), super-speedy dual-core 1.4GHz Samsung Exynos processor and Wacom-designed pressure sensitive S Pen stylus. The Note has a respectable 2,500mAh battery, weighs 178g (6.3 oz) and measures 9.65mm (0.38 inches) thick. You’ll also find an 8-megapixel rear camera, capable of 1080p video, a 2-megapixel front shooter and even GLONASS support.
continue reading