Aug/100
Kodak’s Playtouch 1080p pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 announced
Kodak just kicked out a pair of devices with its Playtouch pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 point and shoot. Kodak’s $229.95 Playtouch is capable of shooting image stabilized 1080p video with stereo audio to SDHC cards. A 3-inch capacitive touchscreen gives you plenty of room to edit your pics (or extract a still) on camera before flipping out the USB arm for a quick PC transfer. Otherwise, an HDMI jack lets you pump that digital keepsake right to the living room television without the PC assist. Rounding things out are an external microphone jack and Share button that makes it easy to push those memories to YouTube or FaceBook, or send via email if that’s your preference. Kodak’s rather mundane $199.99 EasyShare M590 is being billed as the world’s slimmest digital camera with 5x optical zoom. Otherwise, things simmer down with a 2.7-inch LCD, some kind of image stabilization, face recognition, unspecified HD video capture, and microSD card support. And as you’d expect, the M590 also features a Share button that makes tagging and uploading photos and video to social media sites like Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube a snap. Image and PR after the break. Expect both cameras to ship sometime in the fall.
Continue reading Kodak’s Playtouch 1080p pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 announced
Kodak’s Playtouch 1080p pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 announced originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Intel acquires TI’s cable modem unit, might be sneaking into your AV rack
Intel’s been trying to break into the home entertainment market for years, and while it’s made some inroads, it’s also looking at a notable list of ho hum attempts that never managed to gain traction. Take the CE3100 processor, for instance — a couple of years ago, the outfit seemed certain that this here chip would be powering every last living room box for the rest of eternity, and nowadays it’s hardly a household name. But this week, Intel has picked up Texas Instruments’ cable modem unit, which gives it a direct link into the very area it’s been trying to exploit. The goal of the acquisition — which is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of this year — is to combine TI’s Puma product lines with DOCSIS and Intel SoCs. Once that magical marriage takes place, Chipzilla intends to push out complex set-top boxes, residential gateways and modem products, possibly even going for the OEM artery. Details beyond that are few and far betwixt, but we doubt it’ll be too long before the pickup begins to bear fruit.
Continue reading Intel acquires TI’s cable modem unit, might be sneaking into your AV rack
Intel acquires TI’s cable modem unit, might be sneaking into your AV rack originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
UK gamers finally get a taste of overpriced immersion with the PS3 X-Dream Gyroxus motion chair (video)
Leaning in your chair while gaming? It’s a natural thing — we all do it. However, it’s rare that the chair helps, doing its part to increase the thrill factor by tipping you even closer to the laminate flooring. That’s exactly what the X-Dream Gyroxus Gaming Chair offers, motion gaming in a somewhat portable package rather more friendly for the living room than some alternatives we’ve seen. However, it’s also rather more limited, working with either the Xbox 360 or PS3, courtesy of custom controllers, but having no room for a wheel and pedals, so Gran Turismo junkies will have to choose between this and their G27. Then there’s the cost: a rather steep £399.95. If that doesn’t sound bad, consider that this chair has been available to rumble American behinds for over two years now and is currently selling for $250 — well less than half what UK gamers are being asked to pay. Worth the premium? Let the video after the break be your guide.
UK gamers finally get a taste of overpriced immersion with the PS3 X-Dream Gyroxus motion chair (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100
We aren’t saying your nifty new netbook can actually handle the stresses of playing back a Blu-ray Disc, but if your USB-equipped laptop has the oomph, Plextor has a new device to bring the spoils of BD to your previously lackluster machine. The new PX-B120U is a USB-powered BD-ROM drive, which not only plays back Blu-ray flicks but also burns DVDs and CDs of the blank variety. The standout feature, of course, is the ability to function entirely off of USB power, with no extra AC cabling needed. Furthermore, the device can be converted into a living room player when connected to the forthcoming PlexMedia, and while we wouldn’t expect a wealth of extras, the $99.99 MSRP is shockingly tempting.
Continue reading Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100
Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Voddler video-on-demand service free to the people (of Sweden)
Voddler, the year old video-on-demand service that’s wowing them in Western Europe (much like Sandra Kim did when she won Eurovision for Belgium in 1986) has just announced that as of today it is offering open enrollment to users in Sweden. The company is already boasting over 600,000 registered users (up until now, invitations were required), contracts with five of America’s major movie studios, and Scandinavia’s biggest assortment of free movies and TV shows. Sadly, if you’re a displaced Norwegian living in the states, this will all do you no good at all: the service is not available in the US of A. We suppose this is all payback for Hulu’s restrictions from international fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Either way, the situation is pretty “wackadoo.” We’ve heard on the street that the service, which features a ten foot interface for living room friendly viewing and utilizes a P2PTV overlay network (similar to Vudu) for streaming should eventually hit the states, although there doesn’t seem to be a timeline on that. PR after the break.
[Thanks, Karl]
Continue reading Voddler video-on-demand service free to the people (of Sweden)
Voddler video-on-demand service free to the people (of Sweden) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun/100
SRS TheaterSound featured in new Samsung LCDs and Plasmas
When we think of surround sound we think of lots of speakers, but SRS intends to change that with its front rendered surround sound technologies like SRS TheaterSound. When we first heard of this idea we thought of it as simulated surround sound, but then we realized; hey wait, all surround sound is simulated — there aren’t actually bullets whizzing around our living room. So while the jury is still out on how many speakers are required to make you feel like you’re in the middle of the action, we always appreciate steps in the right direction and the new Samsung owners will get the benefits of SRS TheaterSound. In addition to the surround sound part, it also helps tames loud commercial and inaudible dialog. Of course in this case hearing is believing, and this is one we’ll have to hear for ourselves. Assuming we can get our hands on one of the latest Samsung LED back-lit LCDs or plasmas to try out.
Continue reading SRS TheaterSound featured in new Samsung LCDs and Plasmas
SRS TheaterSound featured in new Samsung LCDs and Plasmas originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun/100
The new Xbox 360 is here — we go head-to-head with the 360 Original, PS3 Slim, and Wii
Although we had a chance to play with the new Xbox 360 at E3, that was under Microsoft’s gentle supervision — now that the stealthbox is hitting stores and we’ve got a couple of our own to play with, we’re ready to dive deep and figure out what’s what. In person in the living room, the new 360 isn’t quite as small as you’d think — although it’s definitely thinner and narrower, Microsoft clearly had to jury-rig its big “lift off the old Xbox to reveal the new one” moment at E3, because the new unit is actually a bit deeper by about a half-inch. We’ll forgive them in interests of show business, but just know that you won’t be saving a ton of space with this new version. We also went head-to-head with the OG PS3 and the Slim, as well as the Wii — as you’d expect, the new Xbox 360 is much smaller than the original PS3, noticeably smaller than the Slim, and a hilariously gargantuan monster compared to the Wii. We just did a quick noise comparison video, and we’ve got some early notes, so check it out below!
P.S. Fun note: the older 360 pictured here RROD’d almost immediately after we unboxed the new unit. Karma!
Gallery: New Xbox 360 vs. PS3 Slim… fight!
Gallery: New Xbox 360 vs. Wii… fight!
We’re going to be continually updating this post throughout the day, so hit us up with questions and keep checking back!
The new Xbox 360 is here — we go head-to-head with the 360 Original, PS3 Slim, and Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun/100
Mario Kart RC game brings the Mushroom Cup to your living room
Mario Kart RC game brings the Mushroom Cup to your living room originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May/100
SoftBank develops robot cameras for that lucrative pet surveillance market
SoftBank develops robot cameras for that lucrative pet surveillance market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 May 2010 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May/100
Litl working on a settop box with smartphone-like remote, not scared of Google
You’ve got to hand it to Litl — even after the Webbook failed to impress, the startup is still trudging though the gadget trenches. And there’s no doubt that the new settop box it’s tinkering with sounds interesting: like the Webbook, it will run Litl’s very own Linux OS, and will be based on a browser and web apps — in fact, the company is launching an SDK for the Flash-based HTPC tomorrow at the Flash and the City conference. The most interesting thing to us is the cute little touchscreen remote, which will apparently let you control the UI from the couch with multitouch gestures. Sounds pretty snazzy to us, but you’ll have to wait until early 2011 to get one of these in your living room. Litl’s CEO John Chuang wouldn’t share much on the hardware front, but we know it’s powered by some sort of x86 processor, and will have HDMI and composite-out to connect to your HDTV, as well as Ethernet / WiFi connection options. We’re hoping by then that there will be some Android-based settop boxes on the market, but that doesn’t worry Litl — Chuang claims it’ll be a dead-simple consumer product. No word on the name of this thing, but there’s obviously time to decide on that. Hit the break for the press release, and the gallery below for some early designs of the device.
Gallery: Litl settop box press images
Continue reading Litl working on a settop box with smartphone-like remote, not scared of Google
Litl working on a settop box with smartphone-like remote, not scared of Google originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May/100
Netflix stealth launches HD streaming to PC and Mac
It appears HD Netflix Watch Instantly streams aren’t just for living room set-top boxes anymore now that Netflix is streaming more than half of its 720p-encoded titles to Macs and PCs (through the Silverlight web player, no word on the Media Center add-on.) According to Hacking Netflix, you can tell which ones are ready to go by checking the mouseover box for the (HD Available) tag as seen above. Our experience matches several other reports that not everyone is seeing the tag on all the same titles, so until it’s rolled out fully, YMMV. It’s not the new release flicks or surround sound add-ons that many are waiting for, but it could slide PQ up another notch for HTPC owners and everyone who just has to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space at work — but you’d never do that.
[Thanks, @DaveZatz]
Netflix stealth launches HD streaming to PC and Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apr/100
Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech’s TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint?
The conclusion to the sudden flurry of rumors around Sony HDTVs featuring Android, Intel Atom processors and Logitech-designed QWERTY remotes may be near, as Bloomberg Businessweek reports the project will be revealed during Google I/O next month. The latest wrinkle for the supposed product is a name, “Dragonpoint,” for the new flavor of Android destined to operate on displays, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes. It’s obvious that Google wants search in the living room, Sony needs something to overcome the app (Samsung is back on the list of possible partners) and widget powered competition, and Intel needs a home for its CE4100 chips to show off their power outside of a demonstration for once, but we’ll have to wait and see what they’ve cooked up to know if we need any of that in our next HDTV.
Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech’s TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apr/100
Panasonic’s TY-CC10W webcam joins Skype, HDTVs mostly because it can
Panasonic is back with more information on its four-mic packing HDTV camera accessory, the TY-CC10W. Skype friends who would like to see your living room without actually visiting can take a peek in either 30fps VGA or 720p/22fps h.264 encoded streams, courtesy of any nearby video phone compatible VIERA Cast TVs this can mount on top of and plug into via USB. We’re (probably the only ones) waiting for a Chatroulette couch surfing client, but if you prefer your internet face-to-face meetings without the PC then ¥18,000 ($193) on June 11 will make it yours in Japan, no word on U.S. availability.
Panasonic’s TY-CC10W webcam joins Skype, HDTVs mostly because it can originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apr/100
ASUS EeeKeyboard finally shipping at the end of April
We’ll give you a few seconds to re-read that headline and recover from the initial shock, but yes, after almost a year of delays the EeeKeyboard is in fact ready for prime time — ASUS confirmed that the Atom-based HTPC keyboard will go on sale in the US in three weeks. We don’t have firm details on pricing, but we’re assuming the battery-powered PC with an integrated five-inch touchscreen, HDMI-out, and UWB will range somewhere between $500 to $600. We should know more soon as well as have a real-life review unit, but we’re curious, will you actually be putting some Eee in your living room? Oh and there’s a new EeeKeyboard promo video after the break in case you’ve missed our numerous hands-on vids.
Continue reading ASUS EeeKeyboard finally shipping at the end of April
ASUS EeeKeyboard finally shipping at the end of April originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apr/100
Toshiba UX600 series: first HDTVs certified Windows 7 compatible
Here’s something you don’t see every day: a Windows 7 certified 55-inch TV. Toshiba’s 120Hz UX600 series is just such a beast, the first on the market to receive official Microsoft certification thanks in part to DLNA support over Ethernet or WiFi. The logo’s a nice touch that takes the guess work out of the purchase equation for the average consumer looking to stream media to the living room. Just don’t let us catch any retailers slapping a “Compatible with Windows 7″ sticker on the bezel ok; this ain’t no Best Buy laptop.
Toshiba UX600 series: first HDTVs certified Windows 7 compatible originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
PrimeSense fesses up: it’s the magic behind Microsoft’s Project Natal
Up until now, we haven’t actually been able to find out too much about the ins and outs of Project Natal. For all we knew, it’s a technology designed in the back stall of a unicorn barn, and the final name will somehow involve diphthongs from both “lasers” and “Robot Apocalypse.” All jesting aside, this really does mark the first bona fide announcement about the nuts and bolts behind Microsoft’s forthcoming motion sensing add-on for its Xbox 360, and lo and behold, the revealing is being done by the same company we sat down with earlier this month at GDC. Quite a few of you assumed that PrimeSense’s webcam was indeed Project Natal in camouflage when we posted up our original hands-on, and while we couldn’t confirm or deny those suspicions at the time, we can today. So, what’s this mean for you? It probably means that PrimeSense is actively looking to get its 3D-sensing technology (which has obviously been tweaked quite a bit by Microsoft, to its credit) into as many living room scenarios as possible, so what you’re seeing in Natal might just appear elsewhere in the very near future. Did your imagination just run wild? No? Have a look back at our GDC experience and try again.
Continue reading PrimeSense fesses up: it’s the magic behind Microsoft’s Project Natal
PrimeSense fesses up: it’s the magic behind Microsoft’s Project Natal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Poll: Wii Netflix discs now arriving, was it worth the wait?
[Thanks, Erik]
Continue reading Poll: Wii Netflix discs now arriving, was it worth the wait?
Poll: Wii Netflix discs now arriving, was it worth the wait? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
LG unveils first Full LED 3D HDTV — the 22.3mm-thin LX9500
Well, here’s a way to make those 3D tellies attractive — slim them down to unreasonable proportions and kill as much of the bezel as you can. The newly announced LX9500 isn’t quite as skinny as the stuff we saw LG show off at CES, but at 22.3mm it still makes the majority of laptops look on in envy. Paired to a pleasingly minimal 16mm bezel, it makes for quite the gorgeous living room accessory, whether on or off (one more pic after the break). The new LED-backlit set will offer a full 1080p resolution and a 400Hz refresh rate, which is more than enough to make those active shutter glasses useful. A 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio is given, but that number wouldn’t impress us even if it was the total US national debt to 1, we want real contrast numbers or nothing at all. Anyhow, Reuters is reporting a 4.7 million Won ($4,134) launch price for the 47-inch model, which should go on sale a week from now in Korea. A 55-inch variant should also be available when these 3DTVs make the journey westwards in May.
Continue reading LG unveils first Full LED 3D HDTV — the 22.3mm-thin LX9500
LG unveils first Full LED 3D HDTV — the 22.3mm-thin LX9500 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Google TV: Android-based web platform for the living room, with help from Intel, Sony, and Logitech
There’s not a lot to see here — in fact, there’s nothing at all to see at this point — but The New York Times has it on good authority that Google, Intel, and Sony have teamed up to develop an Android-powered internet platform using Atom processors for televisions and set-top boxes. Dubbed Google TV, the apparent mantra seems to be making web app navigation (Twitter, Picasa, etc.) as easy as changing the channel. Joining the fun will be the peripheral casanovas at Logitech for, you guessed it, peripherals. It certainly isn’t novel territory, from as far back as WebTV to as recent as Yahoo! widgets — and from Google itself, be it Motoblur boxes or Dish Network trials — but the proof will be in the pudding, and for now, mum’s the word on any more concrete details. As they say, stay tuned.
Google TV: Android-based web platform for the living room, with help from Intel, Sony, and Logitech originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Logitech Harmony 650 remote review
Fewer products are more appropriately named than the Logitech Harmony series of smart remotes. They do wonderful things to take home entertainment systems, comprised of a disparate jumble of mismatched devices, and turn them into peaceful entities that work together for the betterment of your living room — you half expect doves with olive branches in their mouths to fly out of the box when you get one. Alas, there are neither birds nor branches included with the company’s latest entrants to the series, the 600 and 650 announced two weeks ago, but still they offer the best value amongst the current Harmony lineup. Can they broker successful negotiations amongst all your devices? Read on to find out.
Gallery: Logitech Harmony 650 remote
Continue reading Logitech Harmony 650 remote review
Logitech Harmony 650 remote review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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