CES 2011 may be the year that tablets took over, but there’s still nothing quite like Kno‘s vast dual-touchscreen clamshell. Resolutely targeted at students rather than a general audience, the Tegra 2 based machine pairs two 14.1-inch panels with both finger and stylus input. We grabbed some hands-on time; check out our first impressions after the cut.
Video demo after the cut
It’s easy to see that the Kno isn’t a consumer device, but there are elements that we think mainstream tablet manufacturers could certainly do worse than to borrow. The 1440 x 900 IPS displays are easily viewed, even at the sort of angles you’re inevitably going to be looking from when you’re up close to such a broad expanse of screen, and the palm-rejection tech – which allows you to rest your hand on the touchscreen while using the magnetic stylus – works incredibly well.
Even though at 5.6 pounds this is on a par with an average 15.6-inch notebook, the Kno is deceptively lightweight in your hands. Perhaps that’s down to the expectation that it will feel like toting a couple of desk monitors. Construction is sturdy – Kno were demonstrating the same units as they’ve been shipping to pre-order customers since December 20th – and we’d have no problems slotting it into a backpack without a case.
Kno’s custom Linux-based software is a mixed bag. Initially responsive on the NVIDIA processor, after we used the tablet for a while it slowed down considerably. Buttons were sluggish to respond and the on-screen keyboard proved increasingly frustrating. There’s no handwriting recognition, either, so you’re stuck pecking out text; unlike, say, in Microsoft’s OneNote software, handwritten notes aren’t searchable. Still, it’s useful to be able to annotate textbooks, and the huge displays mean you can have a browser open on one side and a textbook on the other, or indeed two textbooks on the go at once.
There’s plenty of use made of the browser as well, since the Kno’s apps are all browser-based. When the system is running smoothly, that’s fine; there’s tabbed browsing support, and you can easily flick between different pages for, say, IM conversations and research. We’re not sure if the slow-downs are simply over-stressed demo units or something more, but the concept, while seeming wacky at first, actually makes plenty of sense despite the $899 price tag.
Verizon’s hastily-announced New York event next Tuesday will indeed mark the announcement of Apple’s iPhone hitting the network, according to the WSJ‘s sources. The paper claims to have had the launch confirmed by a person familiar with the matter, though no further details regarding the handset have been leaked.
Apple has declined to comment on the speculation, and Verizon Wireless won’t say anything beyond the fact that company president Lowell McAdam will host the event. It’s unknown exactly what the specifications of the Verizon iPhone will be; the current thinking is that it will be the same iPhone 4 as we’ve seen on AT&T in the US, only with a CDMA EVDO Rev.A radio for Verizon’s 3G voice and data network.
However, there has also been speculation that Verizon and Apple will announce an LTE-capable iPhone, which would also be able to use the carrier’s high-speed 4G network. SlashGear will be at the event on Tuesday January 11 to bring you back all the details as they’re announced!
Take a look with your humble narrator at this lovely little pair of earbuds in the super bright white, orange, red, and black box. They say this set, the AUDEO PFE 022 + Mic Earbuds, have perfect bass, a perfect fit, and “perfect protection for maximum sound quality even at the lowest volumes.” Inside the box there’s a load of little instruction books, the earbuds, and three sets of rubber covers (for the insides of your ears.) Take a listen with us to the smooth sounds of these earbuds, a pair of earbuds that finally, finally fit in my ears and sound great without giving my lobes and drums a ringing out. Preview: for what they are, they rock. See the Unboxing and Hands-On post also!
Sound Quality
Jam them into your ears, and you will hear everything you’d like. For bass, take the song “Black Smoke” by The Prodigy off their EP by the name of Lost Beats. As I write this review I’m in one of the most terrible places for sound quality on the whole, a window seat on a 757 airplane flight (from Orlando to Minneapolis, if you’d like to know,) and I’m still jamming out pretty hard. I can hear the THOOM of the bass, the knocking of the steel drums, the flip-flopping of the DJ’s ripped-up records, and yes, even the tiny beeps in the background.
Next up is the song “Honey” aka “Bonus Track – special ingredient” by Erykah Badu from the album New Amerykah Part One. In this track I’m able to hear a little bit more sharpness than I’d like – this wasn’t as noticeable on the Prodigy track since, well, that music is wacky sharp in the ears no matter what you do because that’s the idea with that type of music. Here where I’m expecting a softer end of each smack, there’s, again, a little more sharpness than I know I hear under ideal conditions. The bass is still superior to most buds I’ve tested.
Finally, an older track by the name of “Dope Hat” by everyone’s favorite 90′s weirdo Marylin Manson from his classic Portrait of an American Family. The buds perform very well with this stereo track, each bud clearly delivering the doinks and cracks and jams and even the back-and-forths (more than one of these made to make you dizzy when you’re listening to headphones)
*A back-and-forth is when the producer has taken an audio element and has moved it back and forth along the two speaker receptors where usually a single sound goes in one or both since moving sounds back and forth like this produces an uncomfortable barf-inducing effect. If you’ve got at least a high-middle quality set of earbuds like these, this effect sounds nice, reminding you that you’d be throwing up if you didn’t have as nice a set as these.
As each of these tracks is played, the fact that these are earbuds and not ear-covering headphones is quite apparent – why? Because, again, these buds are right now being tested in the heck-hole – about 10 feet away from a jet engine. That said, these are the NICEST pair of earbuds I’ve ever had the pleasure of being jammed in my ears. I can hear the jet, but I can ignore it and enjoy the music (or the movie, or whatever else I happen to be grabbing audio from here on this airplane.)
Mic
Works great, sounds clear. placed at exactly the right place along the cord that it’s at the mouth with both buds in the ears. Single button turns on/off reception, minimalistic approach allows you to know it’s there while a layman might not ever notice it. No complaints here.
Comfort and Feel
Feels good, man. This set of buds comes with three sets of rubbery plugs for what I at first thought were people who treated them harshly and needed replacements – nay! They are three different size sets of buds for different sized lobes. Well played, Audeo. Each set doesn’t have a gigantic amount of size difference from the next, but if you’ve got smaller holes in your ears, you shouldn’t have to worry, as all sizes will jam into smaller ears. If you’ve got problems often with earbuds because you’re just a gigantic person to begin with, probably just go ahead and steer clear of earbuds altogether – that’s my advice. These three sizes are for comfort more than they are to accommodate for large ranges in lobes.
I’ve got fickle ears, lobes and drums. Earbuds do not agree with me on a regular basis, and for the first few hundred years after earbuds were first thought up and sold commercially, I swore off of them because they gave me a major headache almost no matter what. Audeo proves here that the new age in comfort for haters like me has arrived. I brought these buds along on a weeklong trip here instead of a larger pair of headphones because I found them to be both comfortable and small enough to fit in my pocket – imagine that!
Wrap-Up
Good buds, man. The package is gorgeous and for the quality they promise, these are the buds to suggest to buds. Comfortable for headache havers, sound good next to a jet engine, and look and act well physically. Bottom line is that these are the buds I bring with me places. They’re no sound-canceling several-hundred-dollar headphones, but they don’t promise to be – great earbuds is what’s going on here.
OCOSMOS’ OSC1 Tiny Computer (TC) may have dropped the physical QWERTY keyboard – something we’re not quite ready to forgive them for – but it’s still an intriguing compact handheld. Straddling the line between UMPC and portable games console, the Intel Oak Trail powered internet device may look like an oversized smartphone, but inside there’s a full Windows 7 install. Check out our first impressions after the cut.
In fact, while a smartphone might seem the obvious comparison, the OSC1 is more akin to a netbook. We obviously didn’t have the opportunity to check whether Intel’s latest-gen 1.5GHz processor lives up to their power claims, but we’re hearing 4-5hrs mentioned as a realistic estimate.
In use, it’s surprisingly fast even in this beta hardware/software stage. The capacitive touchscreen is responsive, and OCOSMOS’ custom UI is relatively basic compared to some we’ve seen, but still sufficient to turn the 5-inch 1024 x 600 display into a more finger-friendly proposition. It’s flanked by two multi-function directional pads, which can be programmed not only to user need but to change key assignment depending on what app is running. If you’re gaming on the OSC1 TC, for instance, they can be directional controls and trigger buttons – there are shoulder buttons as well – but in the browser they can navigate through pages and handle bookmarks.
Pricing will be the tricky point, and OCOSMOS are tight-lipped on what exactly the OSC1 TC will cost when it arrives roughly midway through 2011. We’ve got video of the OCOSMOS OSC1 TC running, and will add it in as soon as it’s processed.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reiterated the company’s plans to add Kinect support to Windows, suggesting that the motion controller will gain some degree of integration with the PC platform “in a formal way in the right time.” The news follows Bill Gates’ comments last year, when he confirmed that both the Xbox and Windows teams had “latched onto” the motion-tracking camera system.
At the time, Gates suggested that and each team planned to develop applications that could range from gaming through controlling an HTPC, to increasing interaction in meetings. Ballmer has not yet suggested any implementations of his own, but it seems likely that gaming will be the obvious starting point.
Verizon has demonstrated streaming Full HD 3D 1080p video over FiOS fiber-optic networks. The system promises double the quality of some rival systems, and uses a Panasonic Blu-ray player on the receiving end.
Video demo after the cut
Verizon claims it was able to stream at 18 Mbps, double what many cable systems can handle, and good enough for 1080p HD as you’d find on 3D Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, there’s no firm date on when the service will actually be available to FiOS subscribers, but with Verizon switching its FiOS broadcast backbone to IP it’s possible this could be part of the company’s upgrade for later in the year.
Press Release:
Panasonic and Verizon Demonstrate an Industry-First at the International Consumer Electronics Show: Full HD 3D Video Over Verizon's FiOS All-Fiber-Optic Network
NEW YORK – Full-resolution high-definition 3D transmission via a premium TV service provider became a reality at this year's 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon and Panasonic, a leader in Full HD 3D technology, are streaming Full HD 3D, currently the highest-possible resolution of 3D video, via Verizon's 100 percent fiber-optic FiOS TV service.
The first-of-its-kind demonstration (in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center Room S228) was made possible through a technical collaboration between the two companies, with content streaming over Verizon's future-proof network to a Panasonic Blu-ray 3D player. Engineers from both companies worked closely to co-develop the required network, software and user-interface enhancements that make Full HD 3D possible over the bandwidth-rich FiOS service.
"We're proud of our work with Verizon to develop this Full HD 3D streaming capability," said EisukeTsuyuzaki, chief technology officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America. "Panasonic has always believed that the best way to view 3D is via a Full HD, 1080p resolution image, but until now the only option available has been on Blu-ray DiscTM media. Over Verizon's high-bandwidth FiOS network, we've now shown that this kind of innovation can be accomplished by a premium television service like FiOS as well."
Unlike some competing technologies, Full HD 3D transmissions preserve the complete 1080p picture resolution that consumers have come to expect from their HDTVs. Other solutions degrade the 3D image, typically reducing resolution by half. In a demonstration at the Verizon-sponsored Blogger Lounge, FiOS engineers showed a selection of 3D content streaming to a Panasonic Full HD Blu-ray 3D DiscTM player at a bit rate of up to 18 Mbps (megabits per second) — double the bit rate currently used by most cable providers.
Tony Melone, chief technology officer for Verizon, said, "Delivering full-resolution 3D content is a natural fit for Verizon's FiOS network. Built with the future in mind, FiOS was designed with the bandwidth headroom to grow along with consumer demand for the latest technologies. Verizon continues to deliver the future of TV and is once again redefining the consumer's at home-entertainment experience."
Last year, Verizon televised the first National Football League game in 3D, the New York Giants versus the New England Patriots, as well as the first Major League Baseball games in 3D, between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners.
Verizon continues to drive the future of TV, with more than 140 HD channels and next-generation interactive services like social networking, DVR management via broadband or mobile phone, and an interactive media guide.
Sling Media and Verizon have announced a deal in which LTE mobile broadband subscribers can get a Slingbox media streamer and a copy of SlingPlayer bundled in with their monthly subscription. The app will be provided for select Verizon 4G smartphones, which currently means one or more of Samsung’s, HTC’s, the 4G Galaxy Tab or Motorola’s.
There’s no word right now on which devices will be supported, nor how much the extra service fee will add to a monthly bill. The offer will begin later in the year, and subscribers will be able to sign up through V CAST Apps.
Press Release:
Complete Package to Include Slingbox and SlingPlayer with Easy Billing for Subscribers
LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – From the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sling Media, Inc., today announced a subscription offering that will soon be available on select 4G smartphones on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Sling Media has created a subscription service offering that gives Verizon Wireless customers the ability to watch their home TV on new 4G smartphones. The subscription service provides a Slingbox®, the SlingPlayer™ application and networking accessories. "With significantly increased speeds and reduced latency, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network provides an ideal environment for a fantastic Sling viewing experience with great video quality," said John Gilmore, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media. "Sling's subscription offering is a new, easy way for consumers to start enjoying their home TV wirelessly, with one monthly bill from Verizon and without a long term contract for the Sling app." With a Slingbox at home and a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband connection, the award-winning SlingPlayer application gives users the ability to watch live sports, catch up on the news or enjoy movies on their smartphones. Users can enjoy their TV while having their oil changed, waiting for a flight or taking a study break. Verizon Wireless customers will be able to sign up for the offer through V CAST Apps, Verizon Wireless' mobile storefront, beginning later this year.
The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless' existing 3G network. Consumer devices with a wide range of applications are expected to be available later this year. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. More details about the Verizon Wireless and SlingPlayer offering will be available during CES in Verizon Wireless' booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) and at the Sling Media booth (#9014 in the Central Hall of the LVCC). For more information about Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. For more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless.
SanDisk has revealed its fastest CompactFlash card yet, the Extreme Pro 128GB UDMA 7, and it’s $1.5k of super high speed storage. Intended for seriously pro photographers, the 128GB memory card is capable of up to 100 MB/s write speeds and up to 97 MB/s read speeds.
The only issue is that, SanDisk tells us, there’s no camera out there currently capable of UDMA 7 speeds. Retail product marketing director Susan Park assures us that’s not necessarily an issue, though; the card is backward compatible with UDMA 6 interface cameras and should still sustain the highest possible transfer rates. It’ll also work with existing PCI Express Card readers.
SanDisk expect the new Extreme Pro 128GB UDMA-7 CF Card to retail for $1,499.99; it’s available to pre-order now. We’ll be putting it through its paces as soon as they have a production sample available.
While the Consumer Electronics Show is in full-swing, and Verizon has taken a huge step in making their presence, and the devices launching on their network, known to everyone. But, that’s not stopping the company from announcing that they’ve got something else coming. Our inbox has been hit with a new invite for an event that’s happening in four days.
The event will take place in New York on Tuesday, January 11th. Details are obviously missing, but there’s plenty of speculation as to what it could be. As we’ve heard earlier today, it’s rumored that the iPhone will launch for Verizon’s network on February 3rd. That’s supported by the rumor that Apple retail employees are being told that a blackout will be issued for time off beginning at the end of January.
The rumor mill doesn’t stop there, though. We’ve also heard that, starting at the end of January and running through the first week of February, Verizon retail employees are also being told that they will be facing blackout dates as well. It could be a coincidence, but looking back at the announcements that the wireless carrier has made at CES, one would have to wonder what’s left to announce. So, as CES wraps up, we’ll wait to see what Verizon has left to announce.
Pinch of salt time, but according to 3DS Buzz a tipster sent them a snapshot of a UK gaming store seemingly confirming March 1 2011 as the UK launch date for the Nintendo 3DS. The store was not identified, though it is believed to be retailer Gamestation.
According to the promotional material, interested gamers can register their interest for the 3DS now, ahead of the March release. The 3D-capable console goes on sale in Japan on February 26 2011, and there are rumors that Nintendo will announce the European launch at a late January press event.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs took just $1 in salary from the company in 2010, according to the company’s latest SEC filing [pdf link], continuing the practice first established back in 1997. However, the documents also show that shareholders have requested that Apple “amend the company’s corporate governance guidelines to adopt and disclose a written CEO succession planning policy” should Jobs be unable to hold the post.
Apple’s board, however, disagree, arguing that the board as a whole is responsible for the company’s strong performance rather than solely Jobs. They also believe that naming a successor would give rivals an unfair advantage, as well as dissuade new executives from joining Apple. Voting on the proposal will take place at the next annual meeting.
Meanwhile, Apple’s target performance and actual performance are listed, and as expected the company comfortably exceeded their net sales and operating income goals. The target net sales goal for 2010 had been $52bn, but in fact reached $65.2bn, while operating income reached $18.4bn, higher than the $11.8bn goal.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company considered a 3D gaming handheld as far back as the Game Boy Advance SP, but axed the project at the prototype stage over concerns the stereoscopic effect was insufficient. Speaking in an interview with other Nintendo execs this week, Iwata discussed precursors to the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, as well as letting slip that the Nintendo GameCube was 3D-capable all the way back in 2001.
“Making three-dimensional images that can be seen by the naked eye requires a special liquid crystal, so we tested it out by putting it in the Game Boy Advance SP. But the resolution of LCD was low then, so it didn't look that great and it never made it to being a product.
In order to make images look three-dimensional without special glasses, you display the images for the left and right eyes separately, and deliver each one separately. To do that you need high resolution and high-precision technology. We didn't have that to a sufficient degree back then, so the stereoscopic effect wasn't very sharp.” Satoru Iwata, president, Nintendo
According to Iwata, the GameCube “actually had 3D-compatible circuitry built in” but the necessary LCD accessory for the 3D effect to be visible would have cost considerably more than the console itself. Nintendo even prepared a 3D title, a version of Luigi's Mansion.
OCOSMOS has officially announced its two mobile PCs, the OCOSMOS OSC1 Tiny Computer (TC) and OCOSMOS OSC9 Tablet PC. The OSC1 TC runs an Oak Trail Intel Atom processor with a 5-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, on-screen QWERTY keyboard and twin cameras, while the OSC9 has a 9-inch 1024 x 768 multitouch capacitive touchscreen, detachable QWERTY controller with virtual keyboard, and a companion pouch with space for a spare battery.
Both run Windows 7, with up to 64GB of SSD storage, a microSD slot, WiFi and Bluetooth. There’s a 3.1-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front, as well as a microphone and left/right shoulder buttons for gaming.
No word on battery life, though the company claims the Oak Trail chips mean lengthy longevity despite having the power for mobile gaming. OCOSMOS expects the OSC1 TC and OSC9 Tablet PC to go on sale in the US around the middle of the year, pricing tba.
Press Release:
World's Powerful Tiny Computer Unveiled at CES 2011
Unparalleled Mobile Gaming Device, based on Intel® Atom™ Processor, Developed by OCOSMOS Brings PC-like Power to Handheld Devices LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2011)—OCOSMOS Co., Ltd, a leading innovator and developer of consumer electronics and solutions, today unveiled one of the world's smallest personal computer and gaming devices: the OCS1 Tiny Computer (TC), revolutionizing both business and gaming mobile PC markets.
The OCS1 is a family of Tablet PCs powered by Intel's next generation Atom™ platform codenamed "Oak Trail", running Windows 7, and capable of running the most demanding online PC games, MMORPG, 3D, productivity and social networking applications. It's a handheld mobile device with the power of a PC. Its OMOS Key user interface enhances the ease and speed of tasks and games commonly performed on a laptop or desktop and its intuitive control mechanism is superior to multi-touch interfaces for playing games and browsing the Web.
The OCS1 is a powerful mobile device that enables PC-based games and applications, with its OMOS interface, 5.0-Inch TFT Capacitive touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, connectivity over Wi-Fi, WiMax, detachable HSDPA, Bluetooth, GPS, and USB 2.0 HS, powerful stereo sound, gyroscope, and full Internet browsing capability, making it ideal for running the most demanding hardcore and social networking games and communities.
"Ever seen a handheld that can run StarCraft II? You have now," says Sean Holister, contributing editor for engadget.com.
“OCS1 is the world’s first TC that provides the same experience of playing online games as on a PC,” said Eu-jin Oh, President of OCOSMOS. “Users will love the TC's capabilities, ease of use, power, and mobility.”
The OCS1 TC delivers a new platform of tiny PC technology that benefits both business users and the gaming public, and its unique OMOS Key interface overcomes the limitations of existing mobile devices with an innovative OMOS Key interface.
"The Intel Atom processor is designed to deliver high performance and ultra low power across a range of connected mobile devices," said Rene Torres, director of marketing for Intel's Notebook and Tablet Group. "The OCS1, developed by OCOSMOS, represents a good example of what is possible with Intel's upcoming Oak Trail platform."
The OCS1 specifications include: Intel Oak Trail platform Up to 64GB of solid-state storage Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity 5.0-Inch TFT Capacitive Multi-touch screen 1024 x 600 pixel resolution capacitive touch screen Front and rear cameras (1.3MP Webcam in front , 3.1MP camera in back) A microphone for video chat sessions Windows 7 OS OMOS Key Interface: useful as a mouse, and customizable for character input 1GB of RAM installed, upgradable to 2GB Right/Left keys on the device shoulder for gaming microSD Memory Card Expansion Slots Gyroscope/Accelerometer "The TC is a revolution in mobile culture," says OCOSMOS General Manager, Marketing, Jay-Hun Kim. "With its powerful Intel Atom processor, the OCS1 is positioned to win against other portable gaming consoles on the market, not to mention PCs, and users will find fast 2D and 3D image editing compelling"
The OCOSMOS OCS1 TC will be available in North America late in H1 2011, and will later be available in Korea and other global markets. OCOSMOS is planning to work with mobile operators, major online and offline distributors for the OCS1, and will collaborate with leading game developers to enhance existing games for the TC platform.
Press Release:
Gamer's Dream Windows 7 Tablet PC Launched at CES 2011
World's Only Tablet with Detachable Controller, Stylus Stand, Pouch and OMOS Key Brings High-End PC Power and Uniquely Intuitive Interface to Gamers and Office Workers LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2011)—OCOSMOS Co., Ltd, a leading innovator and developer of consumer electronics and solutions, today unveiled the world's most user-friendly personal computer and gaming device: the OCS9 Tablet PC, revolutionizing both professional and gaming PC markets.
The OCS9 is a multimedia PC tablet powered by Intel's next generation Atom platform codenamed "Oak Trail", running Windows 7, and capable of running the most demanding online PC games, MMORPG, 3D, productivity and social networking applications. It's a high-end tablet PC. Its uniquely usable OMOS Key interface enhances the ease and speed of tasks and games commonly performed on a laptop or desktop and its intuitive control mechanism is superior to multi-touch interfaces for playing games and browsing the Web.
The OCS9 is built for hardcore and casual gaming, interactive entertainment, social networking and productivity applications, with its OMOS interface, nine-inch (diagonal) multi-touch display, detachable QWERTY controller with virtual keyboard, connectivity over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and USB 2.0 HS, powerful stereo sound, and long battery life, making it the ideal Tablet PC. A stand allows users to tilt the tablet for operation at a convenient angle. The OCS9 also comes with a pouch that holds the detachable controller and the alternate battery.
“OCS9's OMOS Key raises the bar for the most usable Tablet PC interface,” said Eu-jin Oh, president of OCOSMOS. “Users will love the OCS9's capabilities, ease of use and power.”
The OCS9 Tablet PC delivers a new platform of Tiny Computer (TC) technology that benefits both business users and the gaming public, and its unique OMOS Key interface overcomes the limitations of multi-touch interfaces.
"The Intel Atom processor continues to create waves of innovation in the industry," said Rene Torres, director of marketing for Intel's Notebook and Tablet Group. "We are excited to see OCOSMOS take advantage of Intel Atom's performance and compatibility to bring PC-class gaming experiences to life with their OCS9 announcement."
The OCS9 specifications include: Intel's next generation Atom processor platform codenamed Oak Trail Up to 64GB of solid-state storage Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity 9.0 Inch (Diagonal) Widescreen Multi-Touch Display 1024 x 768 pixel resolution capacitive touch screen Front and rear cameras (1.3MP Webcam in front, 3.1MP camera in back) A microphone for video chat sessions Windows 7 Home Premium OMOS Key Interface: useful as a mouse, and customizable for character input 64GB of Internal SSD storage External Micro SD Card up to 64GB Right/Left keys on the device shoulder for gaming Gyroscope/Accelerometer "The OCS9 Tablet PC is a revolution in gaming," says OCOSMOS representative, Jay-Hun Kim. "With the Intel Atom platform and OMOS controller, the OCS9 is positioned to blow away other portable gaming consoles on the market, not to mention PCs, and users will find that 2D and 3D image editing is even faster than on a desktop PC."
OCOSMOS is planning to work with major online and offline distributors for the OCS9, and will collaborate with leading game developers to enhance existing games for the platform. The product will be available in the United States mid 2011, and will later be available in China and other global markets.
At CES 2011, the OCOSMOS team will demo the OCS9. OCOSMOS will exhibit and hold briefings at the Venetian Tower and at the South Hall Lower Level Booth 26533, as well as appear at ShowStoppers. Stop by the booth to learn more.
Last we heard of Broadcom’s Persona platform, it was being billed as a DVR chipset. Now, the next generation has expanded its ambitions, and has found a home in Compal tablets. The two companies have announced that the Broadcom Person ICE will form the single- or dual-core 1GHz+ ARM Cortex A9 heart of future slates from the ODM.
Persona ICE also includes VideoCore IV graphics, capable of 3D games at up to 1080p resolution, and a DSP system for VoIP. Connectivity options include HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, all in a single package capable of Flash playback and HD video conferencing.
Compal reckons it will be able to speed up development time by using the Persona ICE chip for “turnkey” slates for its clients, running Android or other Linux OSes. No word on when we’ll see the first products hit the market, however.
Press Release:
Compal Selects Broadcom's Next Generation Persona® ICE Solution to Address the Growing Tablet and Connected Home Market
New Completely Integrated Persona ICE Platform will be Showcased at this Week's International Consumer Electronics Show
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – 2011 International CES – January 7, 2011 – Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that its next generation Persona® ICE (Information Connectivity Entertainment) applications processor family will be powering new high-performance multimedia tablets from Compal Electronics, one of the leading PC ODMs in the world. Leveraging Broadcom's strength as a wireless connectivity leader, the Persona ICE platform converges key system and software technologies to deliver unique and intuitive applications across increasingly interconnected consumer electronics devices in the home.
Designed in a low power 40 nanometer (40nm) CMOS silicon process, the Persona ICE family, which includes the BCM11311, consists of dual-core 1GHz+ ARM® Cortex A9 processors integrated with Broadcom's industry-leading VideoCore® IV graphics and multimedia subsystem and a rich set of peripheral interfaces. Persona ICE also integrates an additional dedicated digital signal processor enabling Broadcom's SmartAudio® suite of audio enhancement solutions for VoIP and IP Communication applications. The multi-core architecture leaves the flexible computing power of the ARM cores free to handle user-specific software applications.
Broadcom and Compal Electronics will demonstrate the next generation Persona IP communications platform at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Highlights/Key Facts:
· Broadcom has created a unique connected home platform by integrating key industry-standards and proprietary technologies from its home, infrastructure and handheld businesses such as DLNA® and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct™. The connected home platform enables seamless interaction of devices enabled by Persona ICE with other devices in the connected home such as set top boxes (STBs), smart televisions, mobile phones, smart appliances and smart grid applications.
· The new Persona ICE platform includes:
o Single or dual-core ARM Cortex A9 cores at GHz+ frequencies that incorporate the ARM Neon™ 128 bit SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) engine, important for delivering flexible, powerful acceleration and low power operation for consumer multimedia applications such as Adobe Flash®.
o Broadcom's industry-leading VideoCore IV intelligent mobile multimedia processor subsystem that delivers full HD videoconferencing capabilities and dual-camera support. This core has the ability to render 3D mobile games natively at up to 1080p resolution which in combination with an HDMI output, allows a console-quality gaming experience on large screen HDTVs.
o Tightly integrated software that is architected specifically to leverage the Persona ICE hardware architecture. The Linux®-based Broadcom MediaxChange™ software enables hardware-accelerated, high performance and low power voice, video and multimedia integration into a variety of high-level operating systems such as Google's Android or proprietary OEM frameworks. Customers can leverage a common software code base across product portfolios, which in turn, minimizes engineering investment and time-to-market.
· Leveraging Broadcom's position as a wireless connectivity market leader, all Broadcom® Persona ICE solutions incorporate Broadcom's industry-leading connectivity and interoperability technologies.
o Broadcom’s industry-leading Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, and GPS, connectivity products are pre-integrated into the Persona ICE platform, enabling OEMs to efficiently add best-in-class wireless technologies and expanded functionality for next generation Tablets.
o Broadcom's InConcert® co-existence technology applies interference mitigation techniques to make its leading wireless technologies work better together.
Supporting Quotes:
Ray Chen, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Compal Electronics Inc.:
"Compal Electronics is pleased to partner with Broadcom to deliver differentiated tablet platforms to market. The new Persona ICE platforms are delivered as completely integrated systems enabling Compal to optimally deploy our R&D for fast time to market. We look forward to leveraging Broadcom's technology and unprecedented market reach to jointly address new market segments.”
Robert Rango, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom's Wireless Connectivity Group:
"Compal is one of the premier designers and manufacturers of mobile PCs in the world. Our partnership with Compal enables the delivery of a world-class platform allowing us to address our customers' demand for turnkey tablet solutions."
Microsoft expects Windows Phone 7 smartphones to be on sale at Sprint and Verizon by June 30 2011, according to Aaron Woodman, director of mobile communications business. Woodman outlined the timeframe in an interview with Seattle Times, though we’re left hoping that date is the very last in a window starting considerably earlier in the year, rather than a sign that CDMA WP7 devices aren’t expected until late in Q2.
Last we heard, the rumor mill was pegging January 2011 for the Verizon and Sprint launch of CDMA devices, a suggestion later strengthened by the appearance of Verizon-branded apps in the Windows Phone Market. An update expected later this month is due to add CDMA chipset support to the OS.
It seems the higher-resolution path is one that ereader manufacturers are increasingly taking, with iriver setting its stall at the 6-inch point of the market, and Hanvon’s new WISEreader E920 claiming boosted performance at the 9.7-inch point. The E920 uses the same casing design as the color ereader launched last year, but with a monochrome 200dpi panel instead.
Battery life is said to be up to 15 days of standby or over 10,000 pages of reading, while storage is via microSD card (up to 32GB). There’s also text-to-speech, PDF annotation and Chinese to English translations. No word on pricing or availability.
Press Release:
HANVON UNVEILS INDUSTRY'S FIRST LARGE-SCREEN, HIGH-RESOLUTION EREADER AT CES
Hanvon WISEreader E920 Brings Crispness and Clarity to eReaders
Las Vegas—January 6, 2011—Hanvon, a leading global e-book manufacturer, today unveiled the Hanvon WISEreader E920, the industry's first large-screen, high-resolution e-book reader at CES 2011 (LVCC South Hall Booth #36062). The Hanvon WISEreader has a 9.7 inch screen and 200 dpi resolution, which provides some of the crispest and sharpest images ever seen on an E Ink-powered device. The eReader will be available by June 2011. "Hanvon introduced the world's first color E Ink reader, and we are continuing to innovate with our large-screen, high-res eReader," said Mr. Liu Yingjian, president of Hanvon. "Consumers should expect clear, detailed text and images from their e-books, readable in bright light conditions, and the WISEreader E920 delivers this experience." The Hanvon WISEreader is the perfect eReader for the traveler on the go, or those that do not want to remember to recharge their e-book reader. The WISEreader has a standby battery life of 15 days, and can read more than 10,000 pages before requiring a recharge. The WISEReader will support extended MicroSD cards up to 32GB, allowing consumers to store more than 10,000 e-books on the reader. It provides all the traditional benefits of an E Ink reader and also supports a variety of formats, will speak in TTS voice, allows users to comment in PDF at any time and make instant Chinese-English translations. About Hanvon Hanvon Technology Co., Ltd. (Hanvon) was established in 1998 and is a high-tech enterprise that is dedicated to the development and production of intelligent products, technologies and services in the field of man-computer interaction. Hanvon is a leader in the global handwriting recognition market and entered the e-book market in 2008. With a full range of technological integration capabilities, it has developed a variety of e-book products and occupied 95% of China's e-book market and become a leading global e-book manufacturer. Additional information is available at www.hanvon.com.
HCL has announced Aegis, a multi-platform home automation gateway which promises to control your multimedia, energy monitoring, HVAC, security and more, all through Android, iOS and Symbian devices, and using multiple wireless standards. Debuting at CES 2011 this week, the platform-agnostic Aegis supports WiFi, ZigBee, DLNA and HomePlug networking.
While home automation gateways aren’t uncommon, HCL reckons it can push pricing down significantly by its combination of low-cost chips and flexible support for different standards, allowing OEMs to pick and choose the connectivity of their preference. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for those OEMs to show some interest; HCL is looking for partners to bring Aegis to market.
Press Release:
HCL Launches Home Automation Gateway, AEGIS, at CES 2011 Makes the Smart Home a Reality
Las Vegas, Nevada, January 6, 2011—HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL), a leading IT and Engineering services provider, unveiled Aegis – a platform agnostic Home Automation Gateway solution which can empower end users to control all home appliances and devices from their mobile technologies.
HCL will demonstrate their AEGIS solution, its functionality and discuss its scalability to handle more complex use cases at booth number MP 25363 in South Hall 2 LVCC at CES 2011.
The Aegis solution enables interconnectivity between multiple devices linked via Wifi, ZigBee, DLNA and HomePlug networks. The user interface of the Home Automation Gateway can be developed for any mobile operating system – Android, iOS (Apple products) and Symbian (Nokia products). HCL has also developed a mobile application which can be used to control the gateway through all Android phones. Leading Consumer Electronics OEMs are adapting this technology, for their unique specifications, to launch cutting edge products in the market.
Sandeep Kishore, Executive Vice President & Global Head Sales and Practice, Engineering and R&D Services, HCL said, "the AEGIS solution is part of our ongoing efforts to take a productized solution approach to provide a critical time to market advantage to our customers. We can adapt and deploy AEGIS to a broad range of use cases, which Consumer Electronic OEM's can take to market as cutting edge products."
The architecture of the Aegis solution provides the flexibility to create systems in many form factors and support numerous applications like Home Security, Alarm Notification, Home Electrical controls, Appliance Control, Energy Management and Digital Content access and storage.
"Current Home Automation gateway solutions are expensive, require high configuration and cannot interconnect all home appliances due to the existence of various protocols. There is a definite demand for a low configuration, low cost home automation gateway, which enables connectivity to diverse protocols. Since the Aegis solution is adaptable to many user cases, our customers have a immense flexibility to define the functionality they desire," added Sandeep.
Aegis has been developed with the flexibility to be designed around any low configuration processors like the Texas Instruments-OMAP. Currently, Home Automation Gateway systems are marketed at a price point of 500 USD or more. Deploying AEGIS creates an opportunity to significantly reduce the price of such systems.
There are two ways to learn more: 1. Meet with HCL executives including Sandeep Kishore, Executive Vice President, Engineering and R&D Services, HCL America, at HCL's booth during CES 2011 2. Listen to Shashidhar K– Head, Convergence Practice at HCL on the panel 'Anytime, Anywhere Entertainment' at Parks Associates' Connections summit at 2:45pm on January 6th
About HCL Enterprise HCL is a $5.5 billion leading global technology and IT enterprise comprising two companies listed in India – HCL Technologies and HCL Infosystems. Founded in 1976, HCL is one of India’s original IT garage start-ups. A pioneer of modern computing, HCL is a global transformational enterprise today. Its range of offerings includes product engineering, custom & package applications, BPO, IT infrastructure services, IT hardware, systems integration, and distribution of information and communications technology (ICT) products across a wide range of focused industry verticals. The HCL team consists of over 77,000 professionals of diverse nationalities, who operate from 29 countries including over 500 points of presence in India. HCL has partnerships with several leading Global 1000 firms, including leading IT and technology firms. For more information, please visit http://www.hcl.com.
ViewSonic has followed up its Android tablets with an Android 2.2 smartphone, the 4.1-inch ViewSonic ViewPad 4. Built around a WVGA touchscreen, the ViewPad 4 runs Qualcomm’s 1GHz MSM8255 processor and has a 5-megapixel autofocus camera capable of 720p HD video recording.
You’ll be able to play that footage back via the ViewPad 4′s HDMI output, too, and there’s WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS/A-GPS as well. No word on pricing – ViewSonic says that’s up to carriers – but it’ll apparently go on sale in the middle of the year.
ViewPad 4 Offers Phone and Tablet Functionality in Hand-Held Package
LAS VEGAS, NV–(Marketwire – January 6, 2011) – CES 2011 ViewSonic Corp. (South Hall 30873), a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, is extending its ViewPad line at CES 2011 with a brand new 4-inch tablet. “ViewSonic’s heritage in display technology serves as a natural extension of our product expertise,” said Jeff Volpe, vice president and general manager for ViewSonic Americas. “We have been at the forefront of visual display technology for nearly 25 years, 10 of which have been spent in the tablet space. We are proud to extend our tablet legacy by expanding our ViewPad offerings to incorporate new solutions like the ViewPad 4 that put ViewSonic anywhere consumers share, play and connect.” ViewSonic will now offer connected ViewPad solutions ranging from 4 to 10 inches, allowing consumers to select the ViewPad that works best for their needs. As part of this expansion, the company is introducing the ViewPad 4, an Android-based 4.1-inch WVGA touch capacitive device offering tablet power and performance — and a phone — all for carrying in your pocket. Based on a Qualcomm® MSM 8255, 1GHz platform, the ViewPad 4 offers full cell phone functionality bundled with HD 720p video recording, playback, upload and HDMI 720p display output. A 5-megapixel auto-focus camera and Bluetooth® 2.1 and 802.11 b/g/n wireless enable video telephony. Additionally, GPS / A-GPS functionality makes it easy to identify points of interest from anywhere. The ViewPad 4 will be available in the middle of 2011. Pricing will be dependent upon carriers. Today’s growth of the ViewPad line complements the rest of ViewSonic’s tablet line being showcased at CES, including the ViewPad 7 and the ViewPad 10. Now available for purchase for an ESP of $459, the ViewPad 7 is a 7-inch Android 2.2-based tablet that combines a Qualcomm® MSM7227 600MHz processor with 3.5G data technology. With an 800×400 WVGA LCD screen in a lightweight, pocket-sized design, this device is one of the few 7-inch tablets to offer Android Google Mobile Services (GMS) for access to more than 100,000 Google apps and games along with Gmail, YouTube and more for a convenient entertainment solution that fits their mobile lifestyle. Teamed with built-in 3-megapixel, dual front and rear cameras, GPS/A-GPS, an integrated e-book reader, Document-To-Go functionality and an ultra long battery life of up to 10 hours, the ViewPad 7 ensures consumers can bring all their favorite multimedia content with them wherever they go. ViewSonic’s 10.1-inch Wi-Fi based ViewPad 10 tablet offers the best of both worlds with dual operating systems, giving consumers a choice between Windows® 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6 within the same device. With a high speed Intel® Atom™ 1.66GHz processor and sharp 1024×600 LED backlit panel, this tablet is ideal for consumers that want to use Windows to view Flash-based content and Office programs, and Android for mobile entertainment. The ViewPad 10 is on track for availability in March for an ESP of $629, as scheduled. For more information on this and other CES announcements, including hi-res images, please visit ViewSonic.com/ces2011/. For further information on ViewSonic and its products, visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. About ViewSonic ViewSonic® Corporation is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions. ViewSonic develops, markets and supports a broad range of innovative products, including LCD TVs, computers, Tablet, LCD monitors, projectors, digital photo frames, digital signage displays and digital media players. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corporation at 800.888.8583 or 909.444.8888; or visit ViewSonic.com.
There has been a lot of hype and speculation about NVIDIA's Tegra 2 dual core processor. Many of us in the industry have been waiting to see it in action for some time and at this-years CES our wishes have come true.
Nearly every major press conference I attended included the release of a super phone or tablet running NVIDIA's dual core ARM processor named Tegra 2. The total count so far is five Tegra 2 devices and the show just started.
At NVIDIA's press conference their CEO Jen-Hsun Huang referred to Tegra 2 as a "super chip." I've written before on why I consider this new generation of dual core devices super phones rather than smart phones. Which is why I think the term super chip is fitting and certainly emphasizes how 2011 will certainly be the year dual core mobile phones and tablets emerge onto the mobile landscape in a major way.
All the vendors launching devices with Tegra 2 remarked at how fast and powerful the products were. Referencing the Atrix 4G Motorola called it the world's most powerful smartphone. The demo of the Atrix powering a secondary display and being used to power a desktop and notebook shell all demonstrated how powerful the processor is and showcased what it could do.
NVIDIA will also be launching an application that will be on Tegra 2 super phones called the “Tegra Zone” which will contain applications specifically created for Tegra 2 super phones. The Tegra Zone will launch with games first which are incredibly graphically rich and take advantage of NVIDIA’s graphics expertise but will also include other apps for other media as well this year.
We are at a very interesting time for personal computers. These new class of mobile devices certainly have the processing power to do nearly all the tasks every day consumers regularly do. The emphasis and interest level of those who make computers and those who buy them are quickly moving from PC's to things like super phones and tablets.
I'm not saying PC's will go away, I do think PC sales stay consistent. It's simply that the computing habits of consumers are shifting. As the every day devices we use become more intelligent and powerful personal computing transitions to become a personal computing ecosystem.
These new devices are landmarks for the end of the PC era or perhaps the beginning of a new era of computing. What do you think this new class of dual core super phones and tablets means for the industry?
Signs that Apple will announce the Verizon iPhone at the beginning of February are growing in number. Yesterday, reports surfaced that Apple was blocking out certain holiday dates from staff in apparent anticipation of a significant product launch; now BGR claims to have verified with a source close to Apple that the specific dates are between February 3 2011 and February 6 inclusive.
Given Apple generally makes product announcements on a Thursday, that’s led to suggestions that February 3 2011 will be the day of the Verizon iPhone debut. Verizon Wireless too normally picks Thursday for its new launches. No independent confirmation of the launch has been announced yet, so it’s still all speculative.
Rumors had circulated prior to CES 2011 that Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg would use his opening keynote at the show to launch the iPhone on his network; however, instead it was an Android dominated event. Android 3.0 Honeycomb was demonstrated, among other things.
Samsung is making moves to kill off the cable STB, and feathering its Galaxy Tab media line-up at the same time. The Korean company has announced partnerships with DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Comcast that will see digital content services from the three companies feature on upcoming Samsung smart TV sets. However, it will also see Time Warner’s cable service and Comcast’s Xfinity available as an app on the Galaxy Tab.
The DirecTV deal will see Samsung integrate RVU chips into its LED D6000, LED D6400 and LED 6420 TV models, allowing each HDTV to receive streamed content from a single DirecTV server. They’ll go on sale in March 2011, offering DVR services, live pause on all screens in the home, 200hrs of shared storage, PiP and the ability to record up to five shows simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Samsung has also announced a deal to put Adobe AIR 2.5 on its smart TVs and Blu-ray players, together with adding Flash Player 10.1 support to the browser on its sets. Apps written in AIR will be cross-platform compatible with Samsung HDTVs just as they are on PCs, Macs and other platforms today.
Press Release:
Samsung and DIRECTV Partner to Deliver World's First RVU-Compatible Production Television
DIRECTV and Samsung Showcase Multi-room DVR Technology On Samsung Smart TVs
2011 International CES LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, DIRECTV and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced they have partnered to present the world's first RVU-compatible production televisions, which will provide more than 19.1 million DIRECTV subscribers with the ability to watch live broadcast and stored content from their DVR on Samsung smart TVs, without the need for additional set-top boxes. As founding members of the RVU Alliance, Samsung and DIRECTV are committed to providing a more seamless entertainment experience for consumers across multiple rooms and a variety of screens, through the use of standardized Remote User Interface (RUI) technology.
"Making DIRECTV features and content available to Samsung's televisions through the RVU server allows consumers to enjoy our innovative service without the need for additional set-top boxes. We are pleased to see our successful partnership with Samsung expand to include support for RVU in their 2011 model range." The RVU protocol will be supported on Samsung's LED D6000, LED D6400 and LED 6420 TV products that reflect the company's commitment to delivering consumers high-quality, visually enhanced and connected entertainment experiences in their home. A RUI technology based on industry standards such as DLNA and UPnP, RVU allows a set-top box server to provide a multi-room, complete viewing experience that includes DVR services, without the need for additional set-top boxes in homes that have more than one connected TV.
"We are very happy to be working with an esteemed satellite provider like DIRECTV and provide the world first RVU service to consumers with Samsung TV," said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's Visual Display Business. "Products developed on RVU standards, one of the major RUI standards, will help accelerate the development of features and applications that can provide our customers with a truly customizable, immersive entertainment experience that can be enjoyed from the comfort of the home."
"The CES demonstration of the first RVU compliant television is exciting news for the industry and consumers who want a consistent, superior user experience throughout the home," said Romulo Pontual, CTO of DIRECTV. "Making DIRECTV features and content available to Samsung's televisions through the RVU server allows consumers to enjoy our innovative service without the need for additional set-top boxes. We are pleased to see our successful partnership with Samsung expand to include support for RVU in their 2011 model range."
Capable of supporting multiple connected televisions, DIRECTV's RVU server enables the UI and features to be displayed directly on those connected TVs. Under this partnership, Samsung will embed support for RVU in their smart TVs and provide its customers with the full DIRECTV experience, including DVR services, live pause abilities on all screens in the home, 200 hours worth of shared storage, picture-in-picture capabilities and the power to record up to five shows at once. Samsung's RVU-compatible TVs will be available in March 2011.
More information on Samsung's Smart TV strategy and Samsung's new partnerships were announced during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon's keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com.
Press Release:
Samsung and Time Warner Cable Announce Collaboration for Smart TV Service and Multi-Room Solutions
Time Warner Cable App to be Available to the Company's Subscribers on Samsung Smart TV and Samsung Galaxy Tab
2011 International CES LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Time Warner Cable shared the stage today at the International Consumer Electronics Show to announce a collaboration that will allow Time Warner Cable customers to access their cable subscriptions on the Samsung Smart TV and Samsung Galaxy Tab in their homes. Time Warner Cable Chairman and CEO Glenn Britt joined Samsung Visual Display President Boo-Keun Yoon on stage during Mr. Yoon's keynote speech, where the two companies jointly announced the collaboration and demonstrated the services.
"The era of smart TV is here, and innovative partners like Time Warner Cable, that can utilize this ground-breaking technology to deliver new entertainment solutions to their consumers, will be the first to succeed." Available as an app within Samsung's application storefront, the Time Warner Cable service ultimately will give Time Warner Cable's subscribers access to all of their cable channels directly on Samsung smart TVs and Galaxy Tab in the home. All of the content can be consumed through Samsung's award-winning LED, LCD and Plasma smart TV line-up, which delivers a high-quality, visual enhanced and connected entertainment experience to the home.
In addition to watching live TV on the Smart TV and Tab, Mr. Britt demonstrated the capability for Time Warner Cable customers to access recorded content from a DVR elsewhere in the home directly on the Samsung Smart TV, without the need for a connected set-top box. This creates a multi-room viewing experience that doesn't require multiple set-top boxes in homes that have more than one connected TV.
"We are very excited to announce Time Warner Cable as our newest partner in delivering new smart TV experiences," said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung' Visual Display Business. "The era of smart TV is here, and innovative partners like Time Warner Cable, that can utilize this ground-breaking technology to deliver new entertainment solutions to their consumers, will be the first to succeed."
"We're excited to bring together Time Warner Cable's high-value content and high-quality delivery with Samsung's innovative products," said Mr. Britt. "Time Warner Cable is committed to making it easier for our customers to watch what they want, when they want, on multiple devices. We're giving customers more control than ever in ways that are simple and easy for them. Samsung's leading technology and large base of consumers make the company the perfect partner as we deliver services that will change the way people watch TV."
The Time Warner Cable applications will be demonstrated at the Samsung booth in the Central Hall at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 6-9, 2011.
Time Warner Cable anticipates beginning to offer the apps commercially on Samsung devices later this year.
Press Release:
Samsung and Comcast Partner to Transform TV Viewing on Smart Televisions and Tablets
New Comcast Xfinity TV Experience to Launch on Samsung Smart TVs and Tablets This Year
2011 International CES LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics (CES) Show, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) jointly announced the companies' partnership to continue to revolutionize the way consumers access content and watch TV. For the first time on a connected TV, the new Xfinity TV service will offer a rich, Web-like interface, enabling simpler navigation and the ability to seamlessly search across linear TV, DVR recordings, and video on demand among tens of thousands of content choices. A sleek graphics-rich display will guide the viewer to their favorite programming.
"As we begin this exciting new decade, Samsung is also launching a new era of TV technologies that will delight and amaze consumers unlike ever before" The partnership also will deliver a customized and integrated multi-platform viewing experience on Samsung smart TVs and the Android™-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab. On the tablet, the Xfinity TV experience is a virtual television guide and a mobile video player all in one. Xfinity TV digital customers will be able to browse, discover and sort video content, change the channel on a Samsung smart TV in real time, and program DVRs. In addition, they can watch streaming TV programming and movies directly on the tablet, and access that content across multiple devices. The service's roadmap includes the ability to begin watching a favorite movie on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, then pause the movie and resume watching it on a Samsung smart TV from the exact moment it was paused, and vice versa.
The Xfinity TV service was unveiled today at the International Consumer Electronics Show by Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts during a keynote speech by Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's Visual Display Business, and will also be demonstrated at the Samsung booth in the Central Hall.
"As we begin this exciting new decade, Samsung is also launching a new era of TV technologies that will delight and amaze consumers unlike ever before," said Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's Visual Display Business. "To partner with the renowned Comcast brand enables us to deliver on our promise of giving consumers greater variety, easy access and control of the content they discover and deliver a more immersive and entertaining experience to Comcast customers."
Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Corporation, said, "Our partnership with an industry leader like Samsung is another important step in Comcast's plan to totally reinvent how consumers watch television wherever and whenever they want. We have the technology framework in place to deliver new features to Comcast customers faster than ever, including on connected TVs, tablets and multiple devices, which is core to our strategy and a key facet of the future of television."
The Xfinity TV experience will be distributed later this year on the Samsung smart TVs and on the application store for the Galaxy products interacting through the Comcast set-top box, giving consumers yet another access point for discovering and connecting to Comcast Xfinity TV services. Content can be watched through Samsung's award-winning LED, LCD and PDP TV products that reflect the company's commitment to delivering consumers high-quality, visually enhanced and connected entertainment experiences in their home.
More information on Samsung's smart TV strategy and Samsung's partnership with Comcast were shared during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon's keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com.
Press Release:
Samsung and Adobe Bring Adobe AIR to Smart TVs
Samsung Becomes First to Integrate Adobe AIR 2.5 into Televisions and Blu-ray Players; Announces Plans to Bring Adobe Flash Player 10.1 to Smart TVs
2011 International CES LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Adobe announced that Samsung's Smart TV platform will be the first to integrate support for Adobe® AIR® 2.5 for TV, making it easy for developers to build, distribute and monetize standalone applications through Samsung's Smart TV applications store, Samsung Apps. The integration of AIR for TV with Samsung's Smart TV platform will create new opportunities for a growing community of more than three million Adobe Flash® Platform developers who can use Adobe Creative Suite 5 to author content for AIR for TV. All of Samsung's 2011 Smart TVs and Smart Blu-ray players will include support for Adobe AIR for TV.
"Adobe is a key partner for Samsung and we are thrilled to be the first TV manufacturer to support Adobe AIR across the Samsung Smart TV platform" Samsung also announced plans to bring Adobe Flash Player 10.1 to its Smart TV browser, extending the company's current support for Flash Player 10.1 on Samsung smartphones and tablets. With the addition of Flash Player 10.1, users will enjoy a more complete web browsing experience on the TV, with access to millions of websites with rich videos, games and other multimedia content.
"Adobe is a key partner for Samsung and we are thrilled to be the first TV manufacturer to support Adobe AIR across the Samsung Smart TV platform," said Boo-Keun Yoon, President of Samsung's Visual Display Business. "Together, Samsung and Adobe are transforming the ways in which consumers interact with devices and content, providing rich, interactive applications built with industry-leading, cross platform tools."
"Content publishers want to extend their reach from smartphones to the largest screen in the home – all without sacrificing the unique context and experience of each screen," said Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe. "Samsung is the first device manufacturer to embrace Adobe AIR for TV, and together we will enable developers to extend media applications, social games and other forms of rich content to televisions and a wide range of Samsung devices."
With Samsung's Smart TV platform and Adobe AIR for TV, developers are able to leverage existing code to create and deliver standalone applications across devices and platforms. The Samsung Smart TV platform was built with the developer in mind, enabling content creators to develop applications on an open platform, using common web standards like Javascript and XML and now support for Adobe AIR. The platform uses a single Software Developer Kit (SDK) for Apps that runs across HDTVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Home Theater systems so developers can write once and deploy apps across several platforms. This gives developers the opportunity for more versatile monetization and enables a consistent and intuitive experience for consumers.
More information about Samsung's Smart TV strategy and Samsung's new partnerships was announced during Mr. Boo-Keun Yoon's keynote address, which can now be viewed at www.samsungces2011.com. For more information about Adobe AIR for TV visit http://www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/flash_platform_tv.html
RIM has denied any looming deadline from the Indian government to cede access to secure BlackBerry messaging services, stating that reports a monitoring system must be in place by January 31 2011 lest BlackBerry users face their service being frozen are false. According to a statement quoted by the WSJ, RIM claims its “dealings with the government of India remain positive” and that “any suggestion that it is facing a Jan. 31 deadline in India is incorrect and contradicts prior clarifying comments from the government itself.”
Reports late last week had suggested that RIM was in negotiations for a further 18-24 months in which to develop a system to the Indian government’s liking, along with assurances that the messaging service would not be blocked in the meantime. However, RIM maintains that such a system is technologically infeasible, and that no deadline has been set.
Apple has announced that downloads from the Mac App Store have already topped one million, despite the service only being available for a single day. Launched yesterday, with more than 1,000 free and paid apps on offer, the store brings Apple’s easy download system from iOS devices over to the OS X platform.
“We’re amazed at the incredible response the Mac App Store is getting,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs is quoted as saying. “Developers have done a great job bringing apps to the store and users are loving how easy and fun the Mac App Store is.”
The downloads number is notable since Apple’s launch wasn’t entirely smooth. Many users reported problems installing the Mac App Store, and there have been reports of piracy issues with developers not following Apple’s DRM guidelines completely.
Press Release:
Mac App Store Downloads Top One Million in First Day
CUPERTINO, California—January 7, 2011—Apple® today announced that over one million apps have been downloaded from the Mac® App Store℠ in the first day. With more than 1,000 free and paid apps, the Mac App Store brings the revolutionary App Store experience to the Mac, so you can find great new apps, buy them using your iTunes® account, download and install them in just one step.
"We're amazed at the incredible response the Mac App Store is getting," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Developers have done a great job bringing apps to the store and users are loving how easy and fun the Mac App Store is."
The Mac App Store offers apps in Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity, Utilities and other categories. Users can browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what's hot, see staff favorites, search categories and look up top charts for paid and free apps, as well as user ratings and reviews. The Mac App Store is available for Snow Leopard® users through Software Update as part of Mac OS® X v10.6.6.
Mac developers set the price for their apps, keep 70 percent of the sales revenue, are not charged for free apps and do not have to pay hosting, marketing or credit card fees. To find out more about developing for the Mac App Store visit developer.apple.com/programs/mac.
Wireless charging has long been a possibility but not an entirely straightforward one, but that could change if Qualcomm has its way. The chip company has announced alliances with Duracell and Powermat to explore new wireless charging technologies and potentially establish an industry alliance to push a power standard.
The alliance will take advantage of the three company’s hitherto independent research into wireless power: Duracell’s MyGrid, Powermat‘s eponymous system, and Qualcomm’s own Wipower system. With Powermat, Qualcomm will explore a dual-mode receiver ASIC backward-compatible with both technologies, while moving forward Powermat’s range will be based on Wipower altogether.
As for Duracell, it seems they and Qualcomm will be pushing Wipower as a standard moving forward. If the three companies can manage to gain enough weight in the wireless charging industry, it’s possible we could see Qualcomm-based smartphones including wireless power tech as standard in the future.
Press Release:
Qualcomm Signs Letter of Intent with Powermat to Investigate New Wireless Power Solutions for Consumers
Emerging Wireless Technologies Paving the Way For Next Generation of Wireless Powering Solutions
LAS VEGAS – January 06, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Powermat Ltd., the leader in wireless power, announced the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore the possibilities of developing cutting-edge wireless power solutions.
According to the terms of the LOI, Qualcomm and Powermat intend to: investigate the convergence of tightly and loosely coupled wireless power technologies to deliver a flexible coupling wireless power solution; work together to build an industry alliance that supports flexible coupling-based wireless power; investigate the development of dual-mode receiver ASICs that work with Qualcomm's Wipower™ technology and that are backward compatible to Powermat's charging mats; and have Powermat offer a single-mode wireless power solution based on Qualcomm's WiPower technology that will supplement the current Powermat product line.
"We are extremely excited with the prospect of working closely with one of the industry's premier wireless power companies to bring innovative wireless power solutions to market," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president of Qualcomm. "Qualcomm has leveraged its deep heritage of wireless innovation to develop what we hope will become the technology of choice for flexible coupling-based wireless power. We look forward to building this new industry alliance and seeing the potential solutions that flexible coupling-based wireless power can create for a new generation of consumers."
"Together, Powermat and Qualcomm have the opportunity to make a world without wires a reality. Our vision is to change the way in which people charge and power electrical devices in all environments and create an unprecedentedly convenient, safe and green user experience. Collaborating with Qualcomm is the perfect approach to bring the vision to reality," said Ran Poliakine, Powermat CEO.
Qualcomm's innovative WiPower technology, a new near-field magnetic resonance technology used to charge battery powered devices such as smartphones and tablets, will be on display at the 2011 International CES, January 6-9 in Qualcomm's exhibit located in the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Upper Level #30313. Powermat is located in Central Hall #7905 and will be displaying numerous applications of its commercially successful wireless power technology.
Press Release:
Qualcomm and Duracell to Explore Working Together to Bring Benefits of Wireless Power to Consumer Electronics Market
LAS VEGAS – January 06, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Duracell today announced the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore the possibility of working together to develop an industry alliance that supports and promotes flexible coupling-based wireless power solutions to the consumer electronics industry. Qualcomm and Duracell hope to pave the way for broad OEM and consumer adoption of a new wireless power technology and to advance an industry standard. Qualcomm and Duracell believe that flexible, coupling-based wireless power solutions deliver a new level of consumer ease of use to wireless charging. A demonstration of the potential of this type of wireless power, using Qualcomm's WiPower™ wireless charging technology, is available at the 2011 International CES, January 6-9 in Qualcomm's exhibit located in the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, Upper Level #30313.
"Touching and improving lives is at the heart of P&G's company vision. Similarly, Duracell is an innovator in the personal power space to enable consumers to live their lives unconstrained. Making power available to consumers wirelessly will be the perfect fit to enhance the mobile lifestyles we lead today and will enable countless future innovations," said Stassi Anastassov, Duracell president. "If you think about the revolution that wireless data transmission has brought in recent years, we think we are on the threshold of similar innovations that can make power available just as easily as the WiFi connections that are so familiar today. We are delighted to be exploring the possibilities of wireless charging with Qualcomm, an innovation leader in the mobile technologies people are using to connect."
"Duracell is recognized around the world as a leading provider of quality power solutions for consumer electronic devices," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president of Qualcomm. "We are excited to explore working with Duracell and hope to advance industry adoption of flexible coupling technologies, such as Qualcomm's WiPower."
Qualcomm's WiPower wireless power technology uses radio frequencies to transfer energy wirelessly over short distances between a transmitter-equipped charging pad and devices containing built-in receivers. Dependent upon the combination of devices, including handsets and other popular consumer electronics devices, multiple devices can be charged concurrently using WiPower, typically at rates equal to wired solutions. WiPower is designed to shut down automatically when charging is complete. Qualcomm's WiPower allows for flexible device alignment, which provides greater flexibility for design and installation into phones and other applications such as commercial and passenger vehicles, office and home furniture, and communal spaces such as airports or coffee shops.
The Duracell brand has been powering consumers' lives for more than 40 years, not just through the familiar battery, but also with wireless products, lighting and peripheral charging devices that allow the freedom of using devices when away from the grid.
Verizon is transitioning its FiOS TV broadcast system over to the same IP delivery technology as its video-on-demand and widgets, opening the door to a FiOS TV app which could allow subscribers to access their services on an iPad or other tablet, smartphone or other device. Verizon exec Joe Ambeault told Zatz Not Funny that, while subscribers won’t see any difference in their traditional TV experience, the new system will allow far greater flexibility in the sort of devices FiOS TV is viewed on.
At launch, FiOS TV used IP for VOD and widgets but QAM for broadcast television; according to Ambeault there has been an ongoing effort to overhaul the infrastructure to unite all three on a managed IP network supporting multicast and interactive content. With that in place, FiOS TV could be leveraged as an app, even offered – if Verizon decided it was economically viable to them – as a streaming media service to non-FiOS internet subscribers.
More likely, though, is FiOS TV spreading out from the core TV experience at home, and being offered via apps on platforms like iOS, Android and internet-connected consoles. No timescale was given, but the development bodes well for those paying for expensive entertainment packages and wanting to view them on more than just their HDTV.
Acer has outed a pair of notebooks using AMD’s Fusion APU processors. The Acer Aspire 5253 and Aspire 4253 hit the 15.6- and 14-inch sizes respectively, and each use AMD’s 1.6GHz E-350 processor paired with Radeon HD 6470 512MB graphics. There’s also HDMI connectivity for 1080p HD output, along with a DVD burner and optional Bluetooth 3.0.
Other connectivity includes a choice of WiFi b/g or WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, three USB 2.0 ports, VGA, gigabit ethernet and a multiformat memory card reader. There’s also a webcam, stereo speakers and a multitouch trackpad.
Acer reckons the 4400 mAh 6-cell battery is good for up to 3hrs 20mins runtime. Both the Acer Aspire 5253 and Aspire 4253 are expected to hit the UK in Q2 2011, pricing tba.
Press Release:
Acer debuts the Aspire 5253 and 4253 notebooks With the new AMD Fusion processors
CES Las Vegas, January 7th 2011 – Whether you are looking for a notebook with accelerated performance for productivity or with impressive graphics capabilities for your favourite HD entertainment, don't look further: The new Acer Aspire 5253 and 4253 are the answer to your needs!
Designed for productivity, family entertainment and kids education, the Aspire x253 series enriches every day computing with better high-definition enjoyment, great multitasking and impressive power savings.
At the heart of these laptops is the powerful new AMD E-Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) and the VISION Engine from AMD, enabling stutter-free HD movies and HD Internet video streaming, enough processing power to handle even the most demanding applications, DirectX® 11 capable graphics and extended battery life. Advanced multitasking, playing highly detailed games, music and photo editing, creating/editing HD movies the Aspire x253 notebooks are the perfect instruments to let you unleash your creativity.
The Aspire x253 series comes with Clear.fi, Acer's new media sharing system based on the idea that it's easier if all multimedia content is simply brought into a single system with a common interface. No matter where they are. Clear.fi is a cross-platform solution that works straight out of the box, automatically detecting the Clear.fi-enabled devices connected to the wireless home network, and then allowing all digital content stored on any of these to be shared seamlessly using the Clear.fi media interface.
The new Aspires comes in two format sizes – 35.5 cm (14") for the Aspire 4253, and 39.5 cm (15.6") for the Aspire 5253 – with high-definition Acer CineCrystal™ LED backlit displays presenting more details and clarity for a startling realism. Featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio and high resolution the Aspire x253 series ensure breathtaking visuals in high definition for the ultimate cinematic entertainment experience at home or away.
What's more, latest version of HDMI® standard not only lets you bring the HD experience the bigger screen, but adds support for extremely high video resolutions that go far beyond today's 1080p systems and incorporates a dedicated data channel, allowing users to consolidate video, audio and data streams into a single cable and take full advantage of IP enabled devices
Powerful processors speed up your productivity, while DDR3 memory (up to 8GB for the Aspire 5253) ensures an ultra fast system response and a seamless handling of multitasking demands. As for storage, large capacity hard disks provide generous space to easily stow your growing digital archive. Plus, the card reader ensured effortless file transfer and sharing.
Several connectivity solutions simplify Internet access and communication. Acer InviLink™ 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology, ensure reliable wireless connectivity, whereas Gigabit Ethernet provides ultra-fast and stable wired communication. Optional Bluetooth 3.0 is perfect for short-range quick and secure data transfer. In addition, you can take advantage of the built-in Acer Crystal Eye high-definition webcam and microphone to engage in live chats with your friends around the world or set up business video-conferences.
Protected from scratches and fingerprints by a practical textured finish that conveys a home look and feel, the Aspire x253 series flaunts a streamlined profile, for greater mobility. These notebooks are available in three color options – Mesh Black, Mesh Brown, and Mesh Red – with palm rest in matching shade and finish, for a more appealing look. On the Acer FineTip keyboard typing is easy, fast and accurate, on account of the large keys, while the multi-gesture touchpad offers mouse-free, fingertip convenience for zooming, rotating, navigating and browsing.
Environmentally conscious, these laptops adopt technology, materials and processes that comply with prevailing international standards. This is why the displays use LED lamps that reduce power consumption while offering a better performance and the energy efficient processors ensure longer battery life for greater mobility.
The Acer Aspire x253 is expected Q2 in the UK, pricing TBA.
MSI has unveiled three new Wind Top all-in-one desktop PCs at CES 2011 today, the Intel Sandy Bridge based Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410, and the AMD Brazos based Wind Top AE2050. All three feature 16:9 aspect multi-touch touchscreens – 22-inches on the AE2210, 24-inches on the AE2410, and 20-inches on the AE2050 – together with USB 3.0 ports for high-speed connectivity.
The Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 each get a choice of Intel’s 2011 Core i7 processor range, freshly announced this week, together with a pair of USB 3.0 ports and integrated Sandy Bridge graphics. There’s also an integrated webcam with motion-sensitive recording, WiFi b/g/n, up to 4GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD. Blu-ray is an option; you get a DVD burner as standard.
As for the MSI Wind Top AE2050, that has AMD’s E-350 dual-core processor and Radeon HD 6310 graphics, along with two USB 3.0 ports – one of which remains powered even when the PC is switched off, for rapid charging of external devices.
The MSI Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 will drop this quarter, priced from $799 and $899 respectively. No word on pricing or availability for the Wind Top AE2050.
Press Release:
A New Level of Convenient Life MSI Presents Brand New Wind Top AE Series Equipped with the 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM Processor Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011
LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2011 – MSI, the innovating leader in the All-in-One touch PC market, today unveiled the All-in-One PC with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge platform, Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410. Both models feature Full HD high resolution display comes fitted with the newest 2nd generation Intel® CoreTM Family processor. Whether it's CPU or built-in graphic card, the performances get a noticeable boost. They are equipped with 2 USB 3.0 ports, ensuring ultra-fast data transfer speeds which make life even more efficient. One of the two USB 3.0 ports comes with additional MSI Super Charger technology, which offers 40% faster recharging time compared to a normal USB; it also lets users continue to charge devices through the USB port even while the computer is turned off. This makes life more convenient than ever!
Significant Video Performance Boost Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 offers a 16:9 theater-grade widescreen display and 1080P Full HD high resolution panel to provide advanced display quality that lets user see the clarity and detail of high resolution images and experience the ultimate allure of video like never before. They feature Intel’s newest high performance Sandy Bridge platform, so online gamers won’t need to spend additional money to upgrade to a discrete graphics card. Quick Sync Video technology allows for easier editing and enjoyment of videos, while Clear Video HD technology provides an all-new experience with a richer and more detailed picture under an effective budget.
A Quick & Convenient Lifestyle To make life even more efficient, both Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 come with 2 high speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 offers transfer speeds of approximately 5GB/s, which is roughly 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It is currently the market’s fastest transfer interface. With the USB 3.0 interface, users can enjoy even faster high quality data transfers like movies, videos, and other types of large capacity file formats, making life even more efficient and transfers even easier. What’s more, they utilize Super Charger technology, which not only lets a USB device recharge while the computer is turned off using a single USB 3.0 port, but also reduces charging time by 40%. Never again will users need to start up their computer just to charge a device—marking an enormous increase in your life’s convenience. An All-New Experience with Multi-Touch Software
The Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 come with the Windows® 7 operating system with multi-touch support. It’s a whole new way to operate a computer and is smoother and more flexible than ever. The built-in multi-touch software is suitable for the whole family to use, which includes the third generation of Wind Touch. It is easy to use fingertip to check the weather in any city in the world, the date and time, as well as browse photos and video/speech recordings with a clear and user-friendly interface. They also come loaded with ArtRage professional painting software, which uses a watercolor technique and multi-touch functionality that gives everyone the chance to paint like Picasso. YouCam v4.0 utilizes multi-touch and all kinds of interesting visual effects that can not only be integrated with MSN and Skype, but can also directly record and upload video files to YouTube or Facebook, making media sharing with friends easier than ever before. Even more, it can be used for surveillance; the computer can be directed to begin recording when movement is detected, making your life more secure.
Press Release:
MSI Brings Incomparable Visual Experience Debuts Wind Top AE2050 at CES Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011
Las Vegas – January 7 2011 – MSI, the global leading brand in All-in-One PCs, will release the AMD’s latest platform solution today. All-in-One PC: Wind Top AE2050 is equipped with the latest AMD® Brazos platform, which innovative AMD APU technology using the latest 32-nanometer microarchitecture and combining CPU and graphics chipset with the same APU, the operation performance has an outstanding improvement. They are equipped with 2 USB 3.0 ports, ensuring ultra-fast data transfer speeds which make life even more efficient. One of the two USB 3.0 ports comes with additional MSI Super Charger technology, which offers 40% faster recharging time compared to a normal USB; it also lets users continue to charge devices through the USB port even while the computer is turned off. This makes life more convenient than ever!
The most vivid visual sense Wind Top AE2050 offers a 16:9 theater-grade widescreen display and selected Full HD high resolution panel to provide advanced display quality that lets user see the clarity and detail of high resolution images and experience the ultimate allure of video like never before. They feature AMD’s newest high performance Brazos platform, so online gamers and DVD fans won’t need to spend additional money to upgrade to a discrete graphics card. ATI Stream technology allows for easier playing and enjoyment of videos, while AMD AVIVO™ technology provides a brand-new experience with a richer and more detailed picture under an effective budget.
A Quick & Convenient Lifestyle To make life even more efficient, Wind Top AE2050 come with 2 high speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 offers transfer speeds of approximately 5GB/s, which is roughly 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It is currently the market’s fastest transfer interface. With the USB 3.0 interface, users can enjoy even faster high quality data transfers making life more efficient and transfers even easier like a 4.8G DVD movie file, it just spend 14 seconds to finish. Moreover they utilize Super Charger technology, which not only lets a USB device recharge while the computer is turned off using a single USB 3.0 port, but also reduces charging time by 40%. Never again will users need to start up their computer just to charge a device—marking an enormous increase in your life’s convenience.
An All-New Experience with Multi-Touch Software The Wind Top AE2050 install with the Windows® 7 operating system with multi-touch support. It’s a whole new way to operate a computer and is smoother and more flexible than ever. The built-in multi-touch software is suitable for the whole family to use, which includes the third generation of Wind Touch. It is easy to use fingertip to check the weather in any city in the world, the date and time, as well as browse photos and video/speech recordings with a clear and user-friendly interface. They also come loaded with ArtRage professional painting software, which uses a watercolor technique and multi-touch functionality that gives everyone the chance to paint like Picasso. YouCam v4.0 utilizes multi-touch and all kinds of interesting visual effects that can not only be integrated with MSN and Skype, but can also directly record and upload video files to social network such as YouTube or Facebook, making media sharing with friends easier than ever before. Even more, it can be used for surveillance; the computer can be directed to begin recording when movement is detected, making your life more secure.
Press Release:
Evolution in Image, Enjoyment in Efficiency The All New Wind Top AE Series, a New level of Visual Enjoyment Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011
Las Vegas – January 5 2011 – MSI (Micro-Star International), the world’s leading All-in-One PC brands, will showcase the all new Wind Top AE series, equipped with the latest Intel® CoreTM Processor and hi-speed USB 3.0 transmission, at the 2011 U.S. Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Also on display at the exhibition will be the business and office oriented Wind Top AP series, along with the Wind Top AC series, which is designed specifically with the general consumer in mind. Following the launch of the world’s first 3D All-in-One PC, MSI will feature more comprehensive 3D applications in All-in-One PCs, bringing the 3D to the next level.
Evolving Efficiency, Vivid Graphics Featured in the All-in-One PC and CES, the all-new Wind Top AE series comes equipped with Intel® Sandy Bridge and AMD® Brazos, both state-of-the-art platforms developed by two of the largest CPU manufacturers in 2011, which allow for exceptional visual performance in the Wind Top AE2410, AE2210, and AE2050 models
Enhanced by Intel® Clear Video HD technology and armed with the next-gen Intel® CoreTM Processor, MSI’s Wind Top AE2410 and Wind Top Ae2210 offer high quality HD performance, allowing you to view even the smallest image detail while presenting the colors in their most natural hue. This phenomenal image processing technology allows users to watch HD quality videos without the need for a dedicated graphics card.
The Latest Intel® CoreTM Processor Family (codenamed Sandy Bridge) is the industry’s first family of processors featuring a truly integrated CPU and GPU core that provides vastly improved performance and a more compelling visual experience.
- Turbo Boost, built into the new Core processors, allows dynamic adjustment of CPU and GPU clock speeds based on the type of command issued to achieve maximum performance and energy efficiency. - The new Intel Core processors are built on 32nm HKMG technology with Intel’s 6th generation GPU core. They provide support for HD video, 3D, mainstream games, multitasking and multimedia functionalities as well as for DX11.
The Wind Top AE2050 is equipped with the latest AMD Brazos platform that offers uncompromising video performance. Wind Top AE2050 adopts the AMD E-350 dual core processor and has a built-in AMD RadeonTM HD 6310 Discrete-Class Graphics adaptor that supports DX11. ATI Stream technology allows more fluid and convenient video playback, and AMD AVIVO™ technology renders video images in richer and more vivid detail. An all-new visual experience is possible with a limited budget and enjoying high-quality video no longer costs a small fortune.
Powered with all-new Intel and AMD platforms, the Wind Top AE series boasts outstanding image processing performance, allowing users to experience the smooth and exquisite effects made possible by powerful image processing capabilities; the new series allows users to enjoy the most realistic images that rival natural colors, putting the wonderful and distortion-free world at their fingertips.
Super-charged Transmission Speed and Efficient Living Convenience in Life Starts with Transmission Speed. Units that will be on display at the 2011 CES include all new models that come equipped with two high-speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 provides a transfer rate of 5Gbps and is approximately ten times that of USB 2.0. It is the fastest interface available on the market today. The new USB 3.0 interface allows users to enjoy faster data transfer of high-definition data; for example, a 4.8G HD movie can be transferred in just 14 seconds, which is equivalent to saving 2.4 hours in a day, making our daily life more efficient and more convenient. In addition, MSI has employed the Super Charger technology to allow devices not only to recharge with one of the USB 3.0 ports but also be able to do so even when the computer is shut down, not to mention a 40% savings in recharge time. Busy users no longer need to worry about turning on the computer to recharge their devices.
Paint, Play the Piano, The Pleasure of the Touch Screen The all-new Wind Top AE series comes equipped with the built-in professional graphics software package ArtRage Studio Pro. Used in conjunction with MSI’s sensitive multi-touch capabilities, users can draw directly on the touch screen to simulate watercolor or oil painting. Everyone can be a Picasso! Equipped with the latest Intel CoreTM processor and Intel® Clear Video HD technology, Wind Top AE Series offers colors that are even more realistic; the color quality of red, yellow and blue are as close to that of real paint as possible. In addition, the Wind Top AE Series also comes with the built-in piano software, Music Maker, which provides a simple piano keyboard to let users create music on the screen. Users can use it to play piano, compose and record, easily becoming Beethoven. The built-in YouCam 4.0 can also display a variety of interesting video effects via touch screen operations. Users can also experience diverse video capabilities by integrating it with MSN and Skype as well as uploading videos to social networking community websites such as YouTube and Facebook and easily sharing them with friends at the touch of the screen.
Exciting 3D Effects Gets You in Gear More comprehensive 3D applications in All-in-One PCs will be introduced at the CES. In addition to viewing 3D movies and playing 3D games, MSI has further extended 3D applications, such as: direct display of 3D photos and 3D Webcam video. One only needs to put on a pair of 3D glasses to be able to see his or her own 3D images. Anyone can become a protagonist in a 3D movie.
For Business and Pleasure The latest business All-in-One PC models introduced by MSI at the CES: Wind Top AP series. Equipped with various interfaces and devices, Wind Top AP2000 is specifically designed for the office environment and is ideal for business operations and multi-tasking. A model that comes with a 20-inch single touch LCD screen (optional) is suitable for the office or other business environments. Two COM ports are also included for storefront applications so that businesses that require Point of Sale system applications, such as restaurants, five-star hotel front desk, 24-hour convenience stores and gas stations, can connect the computer with barcode readers, credit card readers and bill printers as well as other office operations. The Wind Top AC series possesses the ideal features of an All-in-One PC: high performance, low power consumption, ultra-quiet operation, user-friendly interface and comprehensive I/O interfaces for effortless wireless Internet access, providing the optimal level of convenience and space saving.
Any busy family or professional has to write things down on occasion. I know in my house we go through more scratch paper and note pads than I never dreamed we would. A company called Kent Displays has a cool digital replacement for all those paper notes some folks make called the Boogie Board.
The device is a LCD writing tablet that is pressure sensitive and uses a LCD from Kent called the Reflex No Power LCD as a writing surface. The tablets are surprisingly cheap at $41.95 each and the company has unveiled six new colors for people to choose from. More features and more colors will also be unveiled this year according to the maker.
The new colors and tablets are on display at CES 2011 right now. The table comes white, red, pink, yellow, black, green, and blue. You can order this up now.
SteelSeries has unveiled a new set of headphones that are called the SteelSeries Siberia Neckband headset. The headphones are made to work with the iPod, iPhone, and iPad devices and have a 3.5mm headphone plug. They should work with any 3.5mm plug device on the market.
The inline control has a mic and controls for volume and calls. The design of the headphones has a neckband that sits behind the user’s neck for comfort that is covered with a cloth foam pad. The mic is retractable and works for the iPhone when pulled out.
The headphones are going to sell for $79.99. It will ship soon and the retail locations and exact ship date are unannounced at this time.
Casio has announced several digital cameras today and one of them is the new Exilim flagship called the EX-ZR100. The camera will ship this month and has a 12.1MP sensor. It can record 1080p video at 30 fps with continuous autofocus and has a stereo mic inside. The camera can shoot 10MP resolution bursts at 40 fps. Storage is to SD cards and the lens offers 12.5x optical zoom. The camera will ship in March for $299.99.
The H30 is a 16.1MP resolution camera with a 24mm wide-angle lens and 12.5x optical zoom. It promises 1000 photos per battery charge and can record 720p HD video. Storage is to SD cards and the camera has a wide range of automatic settings and modes. It will ship in March for $249.99 in silver, black, red, or gold colors.
The last two digital cams are the EX-ZS10 and the EX-ZS5. Both of these cameras are compact units that have lower price points with the ZS10 going for $119.99 and the ZS5 selling for $99.99. Both are 14.1MP resolution cameras and have 26mm wide-angle lenses and 5x optical zoom. The ZS10 can shoot 720p video and the ZS5 gets by with VGA 640 x 480 resolution. Both of the cameras will ship in March.
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