Contributors

July 21, 2011

First Ever Eye-Tracking 3D Monitor


 Yesterday, LG uncovered the worlds first ever monitor (DX2000) operating eye-track technology to maintain an optimal 3D image from a range of viewing angles.

It is a rebellion in the 3D world. Although people are very slow to take up the 3D display because of high prices, a more grave reason is the high-tech 3D glasses.

The 20-inch D2000 monitor was developed as a fully efficient entertainment display competent of generating games, movies and images in all their levelheaded brilliance. 

It also has the epic feature to convert a 2D image or movie into HD 3D, thus adding a new dimension tovideo play as well as gaming. It is the world’s first 3D TV that employs eye-tracking technology and it eliminates the need of viewing 3D from different angles, and with viewing from every angle, it results in a rich 3D display. 

Actually, the eye-tracker tracks the angle and distance of the viewer, accordingly adjusts the display, and results in a smoother feel. Eye tracking works through a special camera sensor on the monitor which identifies changes in the user’s eye position in an instant. 


It’s currently is available in Korea (21 inch” monitor) and will expand to markets around the globe later this year.

Samsung Epic 4G Getting Gingerbread Update Later This Month?

 This isn’t officially confirmed, but the rumor on the street is that Sprint and Samsung are getting ready to finally bring the Android 2.3 Gingerbread to the Epic 4G.

Yep that means that the only device in the Galaxy S family with physical QWERTY keyboard will soon get a number of new features and performance enhancements.
The reason why it hasn’t come even sooner apparently is Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, the proprietary layer it adds to its Android phones. If we were to guess, we’d say that porting the latest version of TouchWiz is what took the longest time, probably a lot more than actually getting the Android Gingerbread bits to work with the Epic 4G.
Back in June, a version of the Samsung Epic 4G’sGingerbread update leaked out which led us to believe that an update was getting closer and today has provided the first evidence that backs up up those suspicions.
You may remember that the Samsung Epic 4G was the most appealing of the US Samsung Galaxy S variants last summer. With its slide out qwerty keyboard and WiMax (4G) radio it led the pack consisting of the Samsung Captivate (AT&T), Samsung Vibrant (T-Mobile) and the Samsung Fascinate (Verizon).
According to the report, Gingerbread will grace the Samsung Epic 4G sometime between July 24th and the end of the month. So you only have to wait fir few weeks.
Once we know it’s rolling out we will report again

Acer Releases Android 3.1 For Tablets In Germany

 If you have an Iconia Tab A500 and an unbridled passion for running the latest Android software, we’ve got good news for you. Acer’s 3.1 update for the Iconia Tab A500 is now available for our German friends.

Representatives from Acer Germany have already left a bunch of comments on Facebook, touting that the rollout will be done in phases from today onwards. If you happen to fall under this special category across the pond, be patient – your update is coming in due time if it hasn’t done so already.
And talking about honeycomb,the UI and various visual interfaces have been made smoother and faster, with the new interface promises to be easier to see, understand, and use. There will be support for wider range of USB devices.
The home screen widgets are now resizable, and there is an updated set of standard applications optimized for larger screens. There are some enhancements each for the gallery, calendar, contacts and email.
Although Honeycomb is backward compatible, most of the apps right now are optimized for viewing and using on a much smaller screen..
For those who are living in other parts of the globe,sadly no official announcement has been made.
But since it has been released in Germany, we can expect it to be released in other parts by the end of this month.

Google Activating 500K Android Devices Daily — 1M By October?

 Android has hit the half-a-million daily activation mark, according to a tweet this morning by Google’s Andy Rubin.

He also noted that the platform is growing at a rate of 4.4-percent every week, which means that Android could hit 1 million daily activations by October if this keeps up.
It’s not difficult to see that Android’s success is accelerating. Google reported in May at its I/Odevelopers conference that it was activating 400,000 Android devices daily. Now it has added another 100,000 only a few months later.
Google can thank a continual output of solid Android smartphones from manufacturers for the platform’s growth. Android tablets are still struggling against the iPad, but over time even they will become a significant part of Android’s daily activation figure.
We’ve done some maths on Rubin’s Android growth figure and figures that the platform will hit 1 million daily activations by the end of October. That’s also about three years since Google launched its first Android phone, the G1 on T-Mobile. Of course, this is all assuming that Android activations remain steady.
It’s very likely that Android’s growth will explode at an even faster rate come 2012. The addition of more refined (and less expensive) Android tablets will help the platform better compete against the iPad, and we’ll also be seeing Android in more mid-range phones that will better appeal to price-conscious consumers.

Facebook Is About To Launch A Music Service Called Vibes

 The rumor has been around for a while that Facebookis preparing to offer a musical service to their 750 million members. According to their proclamations,Facebook isn’t looking at becoming a content provider but will provide a social layer to the infrastructure to allow another player use their interface.
It would be hard to imagine Facebook taking on the sector by themselves after Mark Zuckerberg’s recent declarations.
The CEO and co-founder criticized “large companies” who wanted to do everything themselves. This was a criticism aimed directly at Google during the announcement of a partnership agreement with Skype for video calls in Facebook.
It is in this video call function that a software developer identified code relating to a service code namedFacebook Vibes.
According to PC Mag, software engineer named Jeff Rose found a set of mysterious codes and blogged about it, claiming that Facebook could be planting a new app to support a music service, with unknown structure and service style, but could be the upcoming product of Facebook to rival other music services including Google’s Music and Apple’s iCloud storage that supports cloud music streaming and iTunes in the cloud.
Do you think that FB may launch a music service? Or could it be just a remnant of code meant for a defunct product?

LG Optimus 3D Takes The U.K. By Storm.

 The LG Optimus has just taken the United Kingdom by storm, leaving many excited to own this slender piece of technology. The world’s first 3D smartphone will be available for £454.80 for the unlocked/SIM-free model.


Featuring a 4.3″ capacitive touchscreen, and a robust dual-core Texas Instruments processor, the phone boasts of speeds equivalent to 1GHz. The 3D videocapture is made possible through two 5MP cameras.

The device records 720p HD video in 2D and has 8GB of internal storage to get you started. With 512MB of RAM, you can rest assured that apps will load seamlessly, giving you the freedom to multi-task.

Other essentials included are WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, DLNA, HDMI out, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The device runs on Android 2.2 Froyo, which is a solid operating system that I use on a daily basis to get me through my tasks.

I haven’t had the chance to play with the most recent mobile Android Gingerbread, but can only assume the upgrade is welcomed by Android fans.

If you’re a bit in doubt on whether to spend that kind of dough on a smartphone, I don’t blame ya, and would recommend waiting till we get a significant amount of ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ smartphones to choose from.

SONOS PLAY...


Sonos adds one more impressive and reasonably priced model known as ‘Play: 3’ to its array of wireless audio systems.

You can easily set up the multi-room system with access to vast collection of streaming music services. The product is priced at $300.

The Sonos Play: 3 can wirelessly access your own playlist ( the music in your computer, iPod or iPhone) or can connect to wide streaming services like including Last.fm, Mog, Napster, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Stitcher SmartRadio, TuneIn, and many more!

The Play: 3 features three driver speaker system – one tweeter, two mid-range drivers, and one bass radiator. Each driver of the product is individually powered by a dedicated amplifier. Runs on Windows XP SP2 and higher; Mac OS X v10.4 and higher; NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices supporting CIFS.

A single Ethernet port that can connect the PLAY: 3 to a home network or let an Ethernet device to connect through Sonosnet. Here is a video review of the Play: 3.

New Intel Core i3′s Due Later This Year

 We just received word that Intel is expected to launch three new Core i3 processors in the third quarter. Each of the new chips will be reasonably priced, allowing you to experiment with different technologies without the need to justify your decisions. The first of the trio is called the Core i3 2130 and will only cost you $138, giving users a piece of Sandy Bridge technology without hurting the wallet.

The Core i3 is designed to replace the 2120 with a faster clockspeed at 3.4 GHz (an improvement of only 100MHz). The chip has two cores with HyperThreading and givers consumers 3MB of L3 cache but at this price, no Turbo.

The Next chip is the 2125 and will come stock at 3.3GHz with two cores and the same L3 cache as the 2130. This second chip is similar to the first except it supports Intel HD 3000 graphics, clocked between 800MHz and 1100MHz. The Core i3 2120T is designed for small PCs and offers dual cores with an identical L3 cache for $127. All three of these chips are fantastic for good, solid computer builds. If you don’t do much gaming, I highly recommend going with the i3 technology. Not only is it more affordable but it consumes less power too!

Apple Drags HTC To Court,,

 In a latest development, Apple Inc. has sued HTC Corp. accusing the Taiwanese smartphone maker of infringing five of its patents. The patents relate to software architecture and user interfaces in portableelectronic devices, hardware for touchscreens and movement sensors.
This marks Apple’s second lawsuit against HTC, and the hearing of the first lawsuit is scheduled for August 5, 2011. The first lawsuit pertained to certain personal data and mobile communications devices and related software.
Apple has named a list of HTC’s last generation of phones in the claim, including the HTC Wildfire, HTC Desire, and the venerable HTC Hero. Jobs’ mob also takes issue with the the 7-inch HTC Flyer tablet.
HTC is the world’s third-biggest mobile phone maker, by stock market value. Grace Lei, HTC’s general counsel said,”HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place”.
Apple is also locked in a legal scrap with Samsung, claiming that the Korean giant has copied everything from the design of its phones and tablets to the packaging they come in.
Apple has been aggressively defending its intellectual property, and the latest legal patent lawsuit against HTC may halt U.S. imports of its new Flyer tablet computers, Bloomberg opined.
What do you think? Are phone manufacturers copying each other.?

Samsung Conquer 4G Launching On July 24.

 According to a leaked internal document of Sprint, theSamsung Conquer 4G will launch on July 24.
Samsung Conquer 4G will be packed with a 3.5 inch screen with HVGA resolution, something we haven’t seen since the iPhone 3GS, 1 GHz processor with Android 2.3 on top, 3.2 megapixel camera, and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera.
While not for the enthusiastic crowd, these are some pretty good features for new smart phone buyers.
It’s said that the device is very similar to the HTC EVO Shift 4G, but with more watered down specs. With a price tag rumored to be between $50 to $100 with a two-year contract, the Samsung Conquer 4G will certainly be an affordable alternative.
Sure, it’s not dual core, there’s no Super AMOLED screen and the cameras are kind of low level, but this device still has the readies to conquer the PAYG or cheaper contract market.
It would be a respectable option for anyone wanting a 4G device without the glitz and glamour (and, we assume, the cost) of the EVO 3D.
In addition to coming with 4G WiMAX connectivity on board, the new handset will also offer support for Sprint’ CDMA network, with 800MHz frequencies included inside.
What do you think, is the Conquer 4G something you’d be interested in buying ?

AT&T Vs. T-Mobile 4G Showdown



4G Showdown: HTC Inspire 4G vs Samsung Galaxy S 4G - AT&T Vs. T-Mobile
http://www.technobuffalo.com/blog/mobile-devices/4g-showdown-att-vs-t-mobile-...

The war between cellular carriers in the United States has become all about 4G speeds, but who truly is the winner between AT&T and T-Mobile?

It seems you can't go anywhere on TV or online any more without seeing some sort of advertisement for a cellular carrier's 4G network. These networks promise you crazy speeds that would put most home Internet connection speeds to shame, but what is the reality? And which is truly faster?

Our own Jon Rettinger decided to pit AT&T and T-Mobile against one another to see which network was truly faster. For AT&T he used an HTC Inspire and for T-Mobile he went with the Motorola Galaxy S 4G. He conducted five tests over the course of two and a half hours on Feb. 18th starting at 7 AM, and these are the results he got: (all speeds in Mbps)
AT&T T-Mobile
Down Up Down Up
Test #1 1.3 .4 2.8 1.4
Test #2 1.2 .3 2.7 1.5
Test #3 3.2 .4 2.8 1.8
Test #4 1.3 .7 2.4 1.5
Test #5 1.4 .6 2.8 1.6

The speeds shown in the video above were from tests conducted at 4:30 PM on Feb. 20th.

As you can see, while T-Mobile was easily the winner, neither network came close to what they promise. T-Mobile has been saying that it can hit as fast 21 Mbps, but it appears you have to be in just the right place to get those speeds. AT&T's network is supposed to deliver around 7.2 Mbps, so going by percentages it actually did better.

On the upload front, according to AndroidCentral, it seems that the Inspire is missing HSUPA capabilities, the part of a 4G setup that allows you to upload via the faster network. The Inspire is actually using 3G on the upload side of the equation, so even though the phone is touted as being a 4G device, you're actually only getting half of that capability. Downloads are what most consumers will care about anyway, but if you need an attach a file to an email, or want to upload a video somewhere, this could very definitely come into play.

Overall it looks like we are moving towards a 4G-filled world, but it isn't quite moving at the speeds the carriers would like us to believe.

What say you? Disappointed by the results?

Verizon 4G vs Sprint 4G vs T-Mobile 4G


A 4G comparison of the Droid Charge, Samsung Epic, and T-Mobile G2 done in Walnut, CA.
The Droid Charge on Verizon 4G LTE was able to pull down over 10 Mbps consistently. The T-Moble G2 over T-Mobile 4G (HSPA+) averaged around 2-3 Mbps. The Samsung Epic 4G on Sprint 4g (Wimax) an average of 3-4 Mbps. Of course, speeds vary by location, but this test provides a snapshot of the different 4G capabilities given a set location.

Cisco Brings High Speed WiFi To Stadiums..

 Cisco has just announced a new WiFi access point and stadium antenna that covers smaller areas, perfect for use in arenas to give consumers improved access and wireless speeds. Research shows that although people don’t pull a lot of web data when they are, say, watching ‘the big game’, they transmit a heck of a lot of data to the outside world.

This says a lot about the needs of human interactionand remaining part of our social networks even when our friends cannot join us for a day out, watching the ball game.

The first to receive the new Cisco WiFi access point is the Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Getting into the technology, the new WiFi access points operate on a dual-band, 2.5GHz and 5GHz frequency via an 802.11n.

The stadium antenna is just $945, which pays for itself in just one event if people pay a one-time 50 cent fee. Although Cisco has been supporting stadiums and arenas for the past two years, they aim to continue to bring fast speed connections to those attending the events.............

iPhone 5 Leaked In China ?

 With evidence mounting that the iPhone 5 is coming in the fall, here is some more fuel for the fire.
A new Chinese case design has been found on Alibaba.com, which is a business-to-business trading site for Chinese manufacturers and suppliers, claiming to be for the iPhone 5G. It is worth taking a look at as Chinese manufacturers often get design specs before the official launch.
Brian White, an analyst for Ticonderoga Securities, says that a China Mobile iPhone could “represent a watershed for Apple” giving the company access to 611 million wireless subscribers and 68% of China’s wireless market.
Samsung Electronics in Korea currently manufactures Apple’s A4 iPhone 4 and iPad 1 processors and the A5 processors used in the iPad 2 and soon the iPhone 5 as well if events unfold as widely expected.
However, with Apple suing Samsung over an unrelated matter, the two companies can be regarded as feuding frenemies at best, so it isn’t surprising that Apple might be seeking an alternate supplier for its iOS device processor silicon.
Furthermore, Wall Street Journal blogger Loretta Chao reports that a China Mobile employee named Liu Yang had spilled the beans on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-style Chinese micro-blogging network, although the post was soon deleted.
China mobile’s friendship with Apple has now begin to look serious. But is it that serious that Apple would release the iPhone first in China?

Transfer 50GB Of Data In 2 Minutes, Stream S20 HDD

 Silicon Power has just launched the all-new S20, a 2.5″ external hard drive that makes use of the extraordinary USB 3.0 speeds. If you’re unfamiliar with what USB 3.0 can do, it can copy 50GBs of data in just over two minutes.

The device has built-in LED status indicators that notify the user its power and transfer status. Also, the technology is green enough to make sure you don’t unnecessarily keep your external hard drive running all day long.

When there is 10 minutes of inactivity (meaning, no reading or writing), the drive automatically switches to a power saving, hibernation mode- similar to when you tell your computer to sleep.

Hibernation modes are great as they usually only require a watt or two of power, per hour. If 1TB is a little bit above your needs, fear not- the Stream20 also comes in more manageable sizes (500GB, 640GB, and 750GB).

Unfortunately we’re not quite sure about the pricing or availability, but I’d expect these drives to hit shelves in the coming months and be located on the higher end of the cost spectrum. If you’re serious about your data, you’ll go with the Stream S20 when it does come out, you won’t regret it.

Evoluce Two And Microsoft Surface SDK: Match Made In Heaven



Evoluce has long been known to deliver outstanding multimedia products, so it should be no surprise that the Evoluce Two controls Microsoft Surface SDKapplications with Kinect.

With Microsoft Kinect, Evoluce can support up to four users simultaneously, allowing them to work on the beautiful 46″ multi-touch LCD screen. The multimedia table is capable of recognizing 60 simultaneous inputs and is the optimal way to collaborate with photos, videos, documents, and maps.

The beauty of Microsoft Surface 2.0 SDK is thatsoftware developers can collaborate through Windows 7, NET 4.0, and WPF 4.0. The platform integrates with Visual Studio 2010 and can prove successful when used in offices, studios, exhibitions, or even for digital signage.

What’s even better is that the front glass is scratch-resistant and offers haptic touch feedback to give users a better sense of what they are doing. The 3D sensor, mounted 100cm above the screen’s surface can recognize 3D objects in great detail, making it the perfect way to brainstorm new ideas or evaluate a prototype.

You can purchase this professional multimedia tablet for just under 5,000 Euros including software, and we welcome you to check out the video below to get a better sense of what can be accomplished with the Evoluce Two!