Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 firmware update adds autofocus support for company’s A-mount lenses
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Sony has taken the time to upgrade the firmware on its minuscule NEX-5/3 system cameras to improve usability, make manual focusing easier, and allow single-shot autofocus when using A-mount glass via an adapter. The latter will be perhaps the most important thing for owners of Sony’s large-sensor compact, allowing them to use a total of 14 lenses from the company’s DSLR range without having to worry about focusing manually. Though, if you are into that kind of thing, the MF Assist mode has been improved with a new feature giving you a zoomed-in view of the area you’re trying to keep sharp — to make it easier to tell if you’re doing it right. The UI has also undergone a bit of a streamlining, which you can check out for yourself by downloading the new software from the source link below. Continue reading Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 firmware update adds autofocus support for company’s A-mount lenses Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 firmware update adds autofocus support for company’s A-mount lenses originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Panasonic confirms December 27th ship date, $4,995 price for AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera
October 14, 2010 No Comment
The headline pretty much says it all here — Panasonic has now finally cleared up that its AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera will begin shipping on December 27th, and pack a suitably professional price tag of $4,995. In case you’ve forgotten about it since it’s debut way back in April, the camera offers a slew of fairly high-end features including native 1080/24p recording, variable frame rates, and professional audio capabilities — and, while $5,000 isn’t exactly cheap, it will let you keep costs down somewhat by supporting a whole range of standard Micro Four Thirds lenses, filters and adapters. Head on past the break for the complete press release. Continue reading Panasonic confirms December 27th ship date, $4,995 price for AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera Panasonic confirms December 27th ship date, $4,995 price for AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds video camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We still haven’t heard about any takers for the company’s “hunter-killer’ robot , but Elbit Systems has just scored a big contract for some of its other military gear. It’s just announced that it’s received a five-year $68 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, which will see it provide the Army, Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard with its AN/AVS-7 heads-up display system components. While complete details are obviously a bit light, the HUDs apparently incorporate an eMagin OLED microdisplay, and are said to “increase situational awareness and safety by allowing pilots to fly ‘head out of the cockpit’ during day and night operations.” Head on past the break for the full press release. Continue reading Elbit wins $68 million defense contract to supply OLED-equipped HUDs Elbit wins $68 million defense contract to supply OLED-equipped HUDs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Cafepress teams with TomTom to slather your GPS in color, make it totally unsellable
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Has Colorware started a revolution that’s now impossible to stop? Here’s hoping the answer is contrary to the obvious. TomTom has — for reasons unknown — decided it best to give consumers the option of coating their future navigator in… well, whatever they want. We aren’t generally ones to gripe about choices, but the demonstration photo here definitely caters to those in favor of all things vivacious. The outfit has teamed with Cafepress in order to make the magic happen on “select models,” and amazingly, privilege of destroying any and all resale value will cost you absolutely nothing. Talk about an incentive to buy. Continue reading Cafepress teams with TomTom to slather your GPS in color, make it totally unsellable Cafepress teams with TomTom to slather your GPS in color, make it totally unsellable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC Surround slides into Best Buy for $550 unsubsidized, Omnia 7 appears at T-Mobile UK
October 14, 2010 No Comment
Micro surround speaker bar in a Windows Phone sound like your cup of tea? Best Buy’s taking your HTC Surround pre-orders right now for handsets that’ll ship on November 8th, and cost a penny under $550 on the off-chance you’re looking to buy off-contract. Hey, you can even call it the T8788 if you want — we won’t tell a soul. Get a good look at the phone right here, in our launch hands-on . Should you live in the United Kingdom, you can order a Samsung Omnia 7 instead — T-Mobile UK’s got the Super AMOLED phone ready to rumble for the price of free on
Continue reading …Netgear Roku XD Player gets official, coming to big box retail everywhere
October 14, 2010 No Comment
We knew something was up when we saw a Netgear-branded Roku XD hit the FCC and subsequently turn up at Fry’s , and now it’s official: Netgear will be selling the Roku XD as the — wait for it — Netgear Roku XD Player. Hardware and functionality-wise, it’s the exact same Roku XD you’ve come to know and love — 720p Netflix and Amazon streaming with support for 1080p on certain channels — but Netgear’s vast distribution network means that it’ll be sold in Best Buy, Radio Shack, Fry’s and anywhere else Netgear products routinely show up. It’s a pretty aggressive move for Roku, which was previously online-only — the company has been saying its goal is to put a box by every TV in your house, and the XD is certainly cheap and flexible enough to tempt quite a few big-box shoppers. Of course, you’re be paying a little extra for that extra silkscreen and distro love: Netgear’s MSRP is $89.99, $10 more than the straight Roku. (Fry’s selling it for $79.99 after “instant savings,” though.) That’s not exactly impulse-buy pricing, but it’s still $10 cheaper than the Apple TV, so it looks like the heat is on — check out our Roku XDS review and just ignore the part about USB playback to get a feel for the XD. Update : Did we say “coming” to big box retail? One tipster tells us the Netgear Roku Player at the Salt Lake City Best Buy store right now. You’ll find pictures of the box immediately below. [Thanks, Jeremy] Gallery: Netgear Roku Player at Best Buy Netgear Roku XD Player gets official, coming to big box retail everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
This is definitely one for hardcore fans only: company founder Jory Bell has listed two of the very first prototype OQO computers on eBay. Sadly, they may or may not be bootable (you’d have to break out the soldering gun to figure that one out), but both will definitely look great in the self-styled “Museum of Legacy Computer Hardware, discontinued AD&D Modules, and Heavy Metal T-Shirts” you have going in your parents basement. What will the lucky winner receive for his hard-earned dough? The Brazil PC dates back to 2000 or 2001, and is missing many of the things (batteries, CF card) that actually lets it function. Fun, huh? The other prototype, ATTO, apparently held the Guinness World Record at one time for smallest PC. It includes a capacitive touchscreen display, firewire, an integrated antenna for WiFi and Bluetooth, and more. Feel like going nuts? You’ve got about a week to bid as of this writing, with the lot currently going for just over $4. [Thanks, Picasso ] OQO founder lists prototype handheld PCs on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Who needs safety drivers ? Not Germany’s Freie University, that’s for sure, which has just demonstrated a self-driving taxi to rival Google’s efforts without a soul at the wheel. This laser, radar and sensor-equipped VW Passat, dubbed “Made in Germany,” has a companion iPad app from Appirion to do all the hard work, too — you just start the program, punch in coordinates and wait for the car to extract itself from a nearby parking lot and pick you up from school. Ladies and gents, the future is now. Watch it right after the break. [Thanks, Tim] Continue reading Self-driving taxi picks you up at the press of a button (video) Self-driving taxi picks you up at the press of a button (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …IDC: Apple’s now third largest PC vendor in US with 10.6 percent market share
October 13, 2010 No Comment
Apple might be billing its next big event as ” Back to the Mac ,” but don’t let that fool you into thinking its computer platform has been waning. Quite to the contrary, according to IDC, which reports the Cupertino team has grabbed third spot in the US PC sales charts with a 10.6 percent market share, bumping the incumbent Acer into fourth. Two million Mac shipments during the period represented an increase of 24.1 percent relative to last year, while the overall PC market turned in a somewhat morose 3.8 percent growth. Gartner’s also unleashed its numbers unto the world today, giving Acer the lead for third by the slimmest of margins, but both stat teams agree that the Taiwanese vendor has suffered a bad year along with Dell, which has also experienced some shrinkage. Toshiba’s the only major Windows machine seller to see its fortunes improve with double-digit growth, while HP seems to be hanging on to the top spot nice and steadily. Hit the source links for worldwide numbers. IDC: Apple’s now third largest PC vendor in US with 10.6 percent market share originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …ADATA’s S007 military spec USB flash drive is designed for the battlefield
October 13, 2010 No Comment
It doesn’t boast the eSATA / USB 3.0 capabilities of the N909, but ADATA ‘s new S007 is easily the tougher of the two. Designed to be fully compliant with US MIL-SPEC standards, this new USB key is available in capacities up to 32GB and should provide careless handlers with “unrivaled digital data protection from both impacts and electric shocks.” Both of ‘em (it’s available in green and red) are wrapped in a rubber coating, and transfer at USB 2.0 speeds (upwards of 30MB/sec on the read side and 8MB/sec on the write side), but sadly, there’s no mention of a price or release date. Continue reading ADATA’s S007 military spec USB flash drive is designed for the battlefield ADATA’s S007 military spec USB flash drive is designed for the battlefield originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …