VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today
November 17, 2010 No Comment
Say hello to the new VIZIO XVT 3D series, while the XVT Pro line announced earlier this year (and that 72-inch model we were drooling over) were not to be, these 42-, 47- and 55-inch HDTVs are real and on sale today through Amazon, Sam’s Club and Target’s online shops and should be on shelves later this month. Features like the number of LED backlighting zones (for the 47- and 55-, the 42-inch features edge LED lighting), claimed contrast ratio, WiFi N and VIZIO Internet Apps are consistent with existing models, so the big addition this time around is 480Hz refresh rate and obviously, 3D readiness (active shutter glasses not included). VIZIO’s also announced two new 3D compatible Blu-ray players to match for $189, plus a new router and some high priced HDMI cables to fill out the lineup. Full specs and prices are in the press release after the break, but with a premium of $300-$400 on Amazon over the award winning 2D-only XVT3SV lineup (we have one in for review, hint: it’s excellent), most will probably want to wait for some kind of package deal unless there’s a copy of NBA 2K11 3D or Black Ops burning a hole in their console right now. Continue reading VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nox Audio Scout mini headset on sale now, boasts world’s smallest mic button and some decent sound
November 17, 2010 No Comment
NOX Audio sprang out of obscurity this year with two pairs of stylish ‘phones — the moderately disappointing Specialist supra-aural cans with a retractable, flexible mic, and the promising Scout earbud headset pictured immediately above, now on sale. Even at first glance the Scout’s not your average pair of in-line earbuds, connected to your phone of choice via a piece of rubber linguini that acts as a no-tangle cord, but they also have balanced armature drivers that delivered some surprisingly good sound even in the bustle of a busy trade show. (They’ve also got a ludicrously tiny send/end button for the headset buried in the cord’s joint , if you’re fond of playing spy.) We haven’t had a chance to put our review unit through its paces quite yet, but if you want to give NOX the benefit of the doubt, you’ll find the Scout at “select retailers” and the company’s online store for $80 right now. Continue reading Nox Audio Scout mini headset on sale now, boasts world’s smallest mic button and some decent sound Nox Audio Scout mini headset on sale now, boasts world’s smallest mic button and some decent sound originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Seems like Best Buy has developed something of a taste for snow-white exclusives , as it’s now become the first retailer to offer up Dell’s 5-inch Streak tabletphone with an alabaster case. We’re hearing the only way to grab the new palette option is to go down to your nearest Best Buy store, though online reservation and payment is also available. Not every store has them just yet, so checking ahead of time might also be advisable. Skip past the break to see the new Streak’s front end — it actually retains a lot of the black bezel of its noir family mate. Continue reading Dell Streak busts out a white back for Best Buy exclusive Dell Streak busts out a white back for Best Buy exclusive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …C-Loop camera strap contorts in ways your first party strap could only dream of
November 17, 2010 No Comment
We actually didn’t know we had a camera strap problem until we saw this little promo video for C-Loop (embedded after the break). Now it’s blindingly obvious , and we’re not sure we can even go on taking pictures if we don’t get a C-Loop, like, yesterday. The C-Loop itself is surpassingly simple: it screws into your camera’s tripod mount and swivels. That’s about it. You attach your strap to the C-Loop, naturally, and you get rid of strap tangle, improve landscape / portrait transitioning, and score +100 sex appeal instantaneously. Not bad for a $35 chunk of aluminum. It should start shipping by the end of the year. Continue reading C-Loop camera strap contorts in ways your first party strap could only dream of C-Loop camera strap contorts in ways your first party strap could only dream of originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony teases us with NXCAM HD concept Super 35mm camcorder, strictly for the pros (video)
November 17, 2010 No Comment
It’s a Super 35mm world, and we’re all just trying to fit in frame. At least, it will be once Sony ‘s done expanding its lineup of cinematic shooters. Last week it was the “affordable” PMW-F3 , and now the company is teasing the NXCAM HD, a decidedly professional-oriented camcorder with a Super 35mm equivalent large format CMOS sensor nestled behind an E-mount interchangeable lens system. It’ll record to AVCHD in 1080p at frame rates covering all the majors: 23.98, 29.97, and 59.94, along with 25 and 50. All progressive, natch. Sony is planning to release this boxy beast in the middle of 2011 and plans to make it “affordable” for professionals as well. See what good a little competition can do? [Thanks, Demetri] Continue reading Sony teases us with NXCAM HD concept Super 35mm camcorder, strictly for the pros (video) Sony teases us with NXCAM HD concept Super 35mm camcorder, strictly for the pros (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they’re based on IE? (video)
November 17, 2010 No Comment
Internet Explorer not stirring your cup of Windows Phone 7 tea correctly? Well, you now have an alternative in the form of a new browser that’s arrived in the Marketplace: Browser+. It does seem to have been built on IE code rather than its own framework, so don’t get your hopes up for Chrome to Phone on WP7 any time soon. Anyhow, the new app’s been given a test drive by a couple of sites, who note it integrates a view of your current tabs and a Google search box right into the general web view, providing a slightly more accessible interface than the default option, while also throwing in a private surfing mode for the paranoid among us. A few crashes and bugs have been spotted in Browser+ so far, but hey, it’s cheap and it at least gives us hope for a less monotheistic browsing experience. See it in video action after the break. Continue reading Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they’re based on IE? (video) Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they’re based on IE? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Hulu Plus drops price to $7.99 a month, adds Roku support for official launch
November 17, 2010 No Comment
There you have it, good people of the internet, the rumored Hulu Plus price drop has indeed been enacted, though it’s a little smaller than some might have hoped. The formerly $9.99 subscription service has now dipped to $7.99 per month — enough to get you to jump on board? Maybe the one week free trial will help get you there, but don’t fret if you’re already subscribed — Hulu’s got you covered with a refund for the difference from the preview price to the current one, which will be applied in your next billing cycle. Isn’t that nice? Also good to know is that the list of devices you can enjoy your Plus experience on has been expanded by one, adding Roku’s hardware as previously planned . You’ll find the full press release after the break. [Thanks, Adam S. and Alwyn] Continue reading Hulu Plus drops price to $7.99 a month, adds Roku support for official launch Hulu Plus drops price to $7.99 a month, adds Roku support for official launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Intel learns from Dr. Dre, wants Atom chips in NFL helmets to know when heads are ringing
November 17, 2010 No Comment
We always understood that Intel looked after the rock stars of tomorrow , but who knew that included football players? Yup, according to PC World , Intel is currently investigating adding Atom chips inside NFL helmets to provide real-time impact data to medical staff on the sidelines. While there’s no explicit time frame set for this project, we’re thinking the sooner the better — lest we forget it took the league until 2009 to require players who display signs of a concussion to stop playing for at least one day. This isn’t the first time though that the world’s largest chip maker has actually helped make the gridiron safer. In fact, it previously worked with helmet maker Riddell’s fittingly named HITS (Head Impact Telemetry System) and academic researchers to run head injury simulations using linked Xeon-powered computers. Off the field, Intel is also currently partnering with the Mayo Clinic to boost medical cranial scans using MIC (Many Integrated Core) supercomputer co-processors. Codenamed Knights Corner, this hardware puts teacher’s pets to shame by running trillions of calculations per second, and apparently accelerates head scans by up to 18 times. Sure, safety’s all well and good, but we know Intel’s really just curious about how Moore’s Law holds up to the shoulder pressure of NFL d-backs. Intel learns from Dr. Dre, wants Atom chips in NFL helmets to know when heads are ringing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It might be all Japanese to you now, but Sharp’s autostereoscopic 3D is coming to a smartphone near you next year. The tech will debut next month on the Softbank-bound Galapagos 003SH and 005SH Android handsets, but now Sharp has confirmed its intention to also bring it Stateside as well as to two of the world’s most populous nations in China and India. It’s not yet exactly clear what handsets those markets will be getting, but if you’re looking for further signs of Sharp’s expanding international ambition, the company’s reported to also be contemplating extending its e-reading tablet platform out to the US and China. Taken alongside Panasonic’s recently announced plans to start selling Android smartphones globally in 2012, this does suggest we might soon be watching a neat little resurgence from our buddies from the land of the rising sun. Sharp plans 3D smartphones for US, China and India in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson’s 4.3-inch Anzu previewed: ain’t got no Gingerbread, but still looking tasty
November 17, 2010 No Comment
Our hope for the recently leaked Anzu (likely to be known as the Xperia X12 at retail) handset from Sony Ericsson was that it’d be the company’s Android Gingerbread flagship , but here comes international super-reviewer Eldar Murtazin popping that bubble for us. The good man from Russia has a preview unit in his secret lab and reports that it currently only runs Android 2.1, with the intention being that launch devices in early 2011 will start off with Android 2.2 before getting their Gingerbread (2.3) fix in a later update. He also notes a 4.3-inch display with 854 x 480 resolution (just an LCD, nothing exciting), an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 (same as in the T-Mobile G2 / Desire Z) powering things inside, and a 12 megapixel imager mounted on the back. The latter is naturally capable of recording 720p video, while early performance impressions are that the stock Android interface flies. Alas, Eldar expects SE to layer its own customizations on top, which adds to his disappointment with the general build quality of this device — it’s thinner and lighter than the X10, but apparently feels cheaper to the touch. Hit the source link for his comprehensive preview. [Thanks, Momchil] Continue reading Sony Ericsson’s 4.3-inch Anzu previewed: ain’t got no Gingerbread, but still looking tasty Sony Ericsson’s 4.3-inch Anzu previewed: ain’t got no Gingerbread, but still looking tasty originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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