Well, it looks like folks in Brazil that live in one of the twelve host cities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup now have another reason to be glad their city was chosen. The Brazilian government has just announced that those cities will be the first in line to get 4G service when the country’s long overdue network upgrades eventually begin. Unfortunately, it’s still not clear exactly when that will happen — a government official only said that companies will go through a bidding process to win the contract for the network, which should presumably roll out sometime before the World Cup kicks off in three years’ time. Brazil’s World Cup host cities first in line to get 4G upgrades originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 06:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …BBC HD quietly begins broadcasting in 1080p, but not all Sony HDTVs can handle it
May 23, 2011 No Comment
We’d pretty much given up waiting for broadcast 1080p, since other than some video on-demand services you’ll generally need to stick to Blu-ray to tick that box, but around the end of March BBC HD changed all that. It’s taking advantage of a part of the Freeview HD spec that allows the broadcaster to dynamically select between 1080p / 25fps and 1080i / 25fps transmission and the boxes are mandated to be able to output 1080p / 50fps. The reasoning for the decision is to provide better picture quality on material that was shot that way, unfortunately it’s coming to light now because some HDTVs are having trouble handling the switch and causing an audio dropout when the format shifts, as mentioned by UK buyers guide What Hi-Fi . As if Sony didn’t have enough to deal with , the overwhelming majority of complaints appear to center around its TVs and the company has promised more information in the next 7 – 10 days about a fix that will take care of the problem. BBC HD quietly begins broadcasting in 1080p, but not all Sony HDTVs can handle it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future
May 23, 2011 No Comment
HTC brought in the 4.3-inch craze, but now that that form factor has gone mainstream, it’s looking to even larger dimensions. A 4.5-inch HTC Holiday has been dug up by none other than 911sniper, which is said to pack a qHD resolution (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 , 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and the very latest version of Android Gingerbread ( 2.3.4 ). That comes on the heels of Pocketnow unearthing a supposed image of the AT&T-bound smartphone, showing a predictably uncomplicated design framing a vast display. Let’s just hope the Holiday codename doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait till the holidays to see this overpowered new beast in action. [Thanks, Connor] HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …HP thinks the TouchPad will be ‘better than number one,’ if that’s even possible
May 23, 2011 No Comment
HP ‘s expectations for its new TouchPad tablet are running pretty high — so high, in fact, that they can only be expressed with a make-believe number. During a recent press conference in Cannes, HP’s Eric Cador boldly declared that his company’s new slate won’t just be the best on the market, it’ll be the bestest . Cador explained: “In the PC world, with fewer ways of differentiating HP’s products from our competitors, we became number one; in the tablet world we’re going to become better than number one. We call it number one plus.” A spokesman later confirmed that the device will launch in the UK with apps from the Guardian , Sky and Last.fm, but promised that “thousands” of other apps are on the way. The metrics might sound a bit optimistic, but the message is clear: HP thinks the TouchPad will annihilate the iPad and blow our minds to smithereens. We’ll just have to wait and see whether it’s as explosive as advertised. HP thinks the TouchPad will be ‘better than number one,’ if that’s even possible originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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DigiTimes has been canvassing its manufacturing industry sources again, and today it’s managed to extract some intel regarding Apple’s typically secretive supply chain. Steve Jobs’ team are said to have purchased between 200 and 300 glass-cutting machines, specifically in order to use them to slice up curved glass display covers for the iPhone 5 . This move has apparently been in an effort to accelerate production, with glass makers reportedly showing a reluctance to buy the machinery themselves due to its prohibitive cost. Lest you think this sense of urgency might accelerate the iPhone 5 from its earlier-rumored September launch , DigiTimes also reports that yields of curved glass are not yet good enough to start using said fancy machines. So the iPhone may be headed for the same curvacious look as we’ve already seen on Dell’s Venue and HTC’s Sensation (or maybe even the concavity of the Nexus S ), but as is Apple’s wont, it looks like that will be done with a tailor-made, custom solution. At least those Cupertino designers have a couple of generations of curved iPod nano screens under their belt, giving them a good idea of how to handle the atypical glass frontage. Now if we could just have a good idea of when this phone will actually be on sale… iPhone 5 may feature curved glass screen, continue iPod nano legacy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 02:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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As rumored , Hulu Plus is now officially available on the TiVo Premiere , and according to TiVo, this “further extends its lead as the only one-box solution that integrates in one easy-to-use user interface.” We supposed this is technically true, but it depends on your definition of “integrates” — we’ll discuss why after the jump. Hulu Plus of course comes at a monthly premium, but the other news is that new TiVo Premiere owners will get the privilege gratis for six months, while existing Premiere owners get what is described as a “free trial” which we assume is the standard one month risk trial — as opposed to the variety that doesn’t require a credit card. Gallery: Hulu Plus on TiVo Premiere Continue reading Hulu Plus on TiVo Premiere hands-on Hulu Plus on TiVo Premiere hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Movie theaters could screw up your 2D movies by leaving the digital projector set up for 3D
May 22, 2011 No Comment
We generally prefer to do our movie viewing in our own home theaters, but when we succumb to the temptation of public moviehouses we often choose digital projection hoping for a flawless viewing experience. Unfortunately, this report by The Boston Globe indicates that may not be the case. It is alleged by unnamed theater employees that theaters are leaving the 3D lens adapters on their Sony 4K digital projectors even when showing 2D. Just like viewing 3D, this cuts the light output and it’s worse for 2D films not made with that in mind, but theaters do it because removing the lenses is overly complex and many moviegoers don’t seem to notice or complain. The Globe suggests checking the digital projector yourself — if you see two beams of light from on high at a 2D flick then something is rotten in Denmark. Check the article at the source link for a rundown of many of the chains using these types of projectors and why that’s the case (money), but after this and Liemax premium VOD is starting to sound better and better. Movie theaters could screw up your 2D movies by leaving the digital projector set up for 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 01:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung Germany puts cart before horse: Galaxy Tab 10.1 peripherals on sale now
May 22, 2011 No Comment
Like what you’ve seen of Sammy’s slim new slate , but aren’t so psyched about typing sans tactile feedback ? Well, worry no more, as Samsung Germany is showing off some peripherals for the ten-inch Galaxy Tab. There’s a €150 ($213) case with an integrated Bluetooth keyboard to give it that Transformer-esqe form factor or an €80 ($114) keyboard dock (“available soon”) that should also sate your phalanges’ physical desires. Other accoutrement includes USB adapters, protective cases and sleeves, a docking station, and an HDMI adapter for viewing video on screens of all sizes. So now that Samsung’s selling some of the sides, we’ve got one question. Where’s our entree? Continue reading Samsung Germany puts cart before horse: Galaxy Tab 10.1 peripherals on sale now Samsung Germany puts cart before horse: Galaxy Tab 10.1 peripherals on sale now originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 22:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Foxconn confirms third death from explosion, earlier watchdog report points at aluminum dust
May 22, 2011 No Comment
Following the tragic explosion at Foxconn’s Chengdu plant on Friday, the company has now confirmed to All Things Digital the death of a third employee, with nine remaining in hospital. While investigation is still ongoing, initial findings are pointing at “an explosion of combustible dust in a duct” at one of the polishing workshops, which supports earlier rumors of dust explosion; though there’s no confirmation on what caused the ignition just yet. In related news: two weeks before the fatal accident, watchdog group SACOM released a report on the welfare of workers at the new Chengdu plant. Amongst the uncovering of management issues, excessive working hours, and hazardous environment, PC World highlights complaints from workers about the large amount of aluminum dust — which is highly explosive — floating around the polishing department, thus confirming a lack of proper dust extraction methods within the facility. Foxconn has previously slammed this report, but the outcome of this explosion’s investigation should once and for all prove who’s telling the truth. But for now, the priority is to make sure the victims and their families are taken care of. Foxconn confirms third death from explosion, earlier watchdog report points at aluminum dust originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 23:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We tend to imagine a black hole sucking everything around it straight into oblivion. The truth, however, is even more gruesome. Astronomers have just captured an ultra hi-res image of our neighbouring galaxy, Centaurus A, and it helps to reveal what actually happens. Matter is yanked helplessly towards a black hole at the galaxy’s core, but it refuses to die quietly. For some unknown reason, it erupts as it falls, spewing out vast plumes of particles — like blood from celestial murder. These death throes emit radio waves, allowing us to witness them using radio telescopes even though we are 12 million light-years away. If only we were closer; if only we could intervene. Alas, all we can do is watch the video after the break and hit the source links for a fuller explanation — though, admittedly, none of those sound like awful options. Continue reading Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video) Astronomers snap black hole murder in graphic detail (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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