The leak was true. DirecTV will be launching 3 dedicated channel for 3D content within 2010.
Partners include CBS, FoxSports, HDNet and more, plus DirecTV will be making their own content.
Customers with DirecTV HD boxes will receive a free firmware update in Q2 2010, making their existing systems work with future 3D HDTVs. That’s all we know for now, but the backward compatibility certainly sounds good to us.
1080P, 240Hz, LED edge-lit and employing an industry-first 4-color filter (the secret extra color is yellow), Sharp’s latest LE920 Series LCDs, measuring up to 68 diagonally, are the best displays Sharp can sell you. And they even support Twitter!
Their price is still unannounced, and the LE920 Series won’t be available until May.
The sets look like big iPod touches in person, from a distance, because of the chrome rim.
In the meantime (this March, actually), you can pick up an LE820/810 Series TV starting at $1800. They’ll range from 40 to 60 inches and keep the price down by using a normal 3-color filter and operating at 120Hz.
But you should decide for yourself whether or not 240Hz is really worth the hassle.
SHARP® EXPANDS THE LCD COLOR GAMUT WITH A GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY IN THREE NEWLY DESIGNED AQUOS® LED LCD TV SERIES
• Revolutionary four-primary-color technology enables more than one trillion colors
• Three UltraBrilliant Edge-lit AQUOS LED LCD TV Series with sizes ranging from 40- (40″ diagonal) to an industry-first 68-inch (68 1/32″ diagonal) screen class
• Newly developed dramatic, contemporary design sets the standard
• Flagship LE920 Series offers AquoMotion 240 for clearer fast-moving video
• AQUOS Net™ adds streaming video for enhanced home theater enjoyment
LAS VEGAS, January 6, 2010 – Sharp unveils three new AQUOS LED LCD TV series, breaking new ground in LCD technology and design. Premiering in the U.S. in early 2010, this next-generation set of UltraBrilliant Edge-lit AQUOS LED LCD TVs unveils a revolutionary technology, introducing never-before-seen colors to the TV industry. Unveiled by the company at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sharp’s proprietary four-primary-color technology enables more than a trillion colors to be displayed for more sparkling golds, Caribbean blues and sunflower yellows.
“As a pioneer in the LCD industry, Sharp continues to advance the technology, introducing it’s first LED-backlight LCD TV on the market less than two years ago and paving the way for larger screen sizes, thin designs and Internet connectivity,” said Mikio Katayama, president and chief operating officer, Sharp Corporation. “We have changed the way an LCD TV produces an image with the new four-primary-color technology, allowing us to broaden the visual experience and immerse consumers in a new world of color.”Four Primary Color Technology
This four-primary-color display employs a four-color filter, for the first time in the industry, that adds the color Y (yellow) to the three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). This combination expands the color gamut, faithfully rendering nearly all colors that can be discerned with the unaided human eye. Four-primary-color technology enables the display to reproduce colors that have been difficult to portray using conventional LCD displays, such as the golden yellow color of brass instruments.
When combined with Sharp’s 1080p X-Gen LCD panel, which incorporates UV2A Technology, the displays offer dramatic reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional fluorescent-backlight LCD TVs.
Continuing Sharp’s history of innovation and originality, the new AQUOS LEDs offer a stunning new contemporary design that pushes the envelope for flat-screen television artistry. At only 1.6-inches thin, the full-front panel glass (on the LE920 and LE820 series) extends to meet the slim border for a subtle edge that befits the elegance of a modern home theater.
These advanced AQUOS LED LCD TVs also include Sharp’s newest version of AQUOS Net, which delivers streaming video with Netflix®. AQUOS Net gives users instant access to customized Web-based content as well as AQUOS Advantage Live real-time customer support. The new AQUOS LED LCD TV product lines are all compliant with Energy Star® Version 4.0 standards which become effective in May 2010 and are equipped with Sharp’s OPC function that automatically adjusts the unit’s brightness based on the lighting of the room.LE920 Series
The LE920 AQUOS LED LCD TV Series represents the flagship line of this new suite of AQUOS products, offering the pinnacle in image quality and connectivity. This Full-HD 1080p LCD TV Series, available in an industry-first 68-inch (LC-68LE920UN) screen class size, as well 60- (LC-60LE920UN) and 52-inch (LC-52LE920UN) screen class sizes (68 1/32″, 60 1/32″ and 52 1/32″ diagonals respectively), combines Sharp’s Full HD 1080p X-Gen LCD panel with its UltraBrilliant Edge-lit LED backlight to display vibrant colors and deep blacks. Additionally, this 1080p TV offers outstanding performance for fast-action imagery, employing AquoMotion 240, which virtually eliminates blur and artifacts on fast-moving video. Offering extreme flexibility, the LE920 Series includes a USB media player for digital video/music/photo enjoyment.LE820/810 Series
Offering additional large-screen AQUOS LED LCD TV options, the LE820 and LE810 Series are available in 60- (LC-60LE820UN and LC-60LE810UN), 52- (LC-52LE820UN and LC-52LE810UN), 46- (LC-46LE820UN and LC-46LE810UN) and 40-inch (LC-40LE820UN and LC-40LE810UN) screen class sizes (60 1/32″, 52 1/32″, 45 63/64″ and 40″ diagonals respectively). Similar to the LE920 Series, these models combine Sharp’s X-Gen LCD panel with an UltraBrilliant Edge-lit LED backlight. Sharp’s proprietary Fine Motion Enhanced technology is included for 120 Hz Frame Rate Conversion, as well as fast response time (4 ms).Advanced Connectivity
• Four HDMI™ with Instaport™ quick switching to avoid delay when switching between sources
• 1080p component video input
• RS-232C input for custom installations
• PC input so the TV serves a dual purpose as a PC monitor
• Ethernet jack for high-speed Internet
• USB input for music/photos(LE820/810)Availability
• The LC-68LE920UN will be available in May, pricing is TBD
• The LC-60LE920UN will be available in May, pricing is TBD
• The LC-52LE920UN will be available in May, pricing is TBD
• The LC-60LE820UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $3,999.99
• The LC-52LE820UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $2,999.99
• The LC-46LE820UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $2,399.99
• The LC-40LE820UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $2,199.99
• The LC-60LE810UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $3,499.99
• The LC-52LE810UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $2,599.99
• The LC-46LE810UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $2,099.99
• The LC-40LE810UN will be available in March for an MSRP of $1,799.99
If one good thing has come from this, it’s that button manufacturer stocks should go up, up, up!
The Mad Catz line of USB Cyborg mice feature adjustable ergonomics/weights, DPIs up to 5600 and prices that peak at $130. That said, I still have no clue what half of the bolts, buttons and plugs on the mice are for, but then again, I’m fairly certain that’s completely the point.
San Diego, January 06, 2010
Mad Catz® Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading worldwide third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, today unveiled a new range of premium Cyborg gaming mice expected to begin shipping in Spring 2010.
“Cyborg is best known for ergonomic and fully adjustable flight sticks, gaming mice and keyboards. The new mouse range incorporates the same market leading design principles and applies them to gaming mice. For the first time ever on a mouse, the key points of contact between the gamer’s hand and the mouse are fully adjustable allowing it to be customized for any grip preference” commented, Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “The Cyborg mouse range was developed entirely in house and I believe they are the most comfortable gaming mice you’ll ever use. Besides, they just look cool!”
Following-up Darren Richardson said, “The addition of this line of mice bolsters Cyborg’s strong gaming keyboard market presence and is a continuation of our strategy of developing products that evoke a passionate consumer response.”
For a complete feature matrix, see the table at the end of the announcement. The gaming mice expected to ship as part of the range includes:
• Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Fully Adjustable; 5600dpi laser; Programmable; Weight System; USB powered
o MSRP: $99.99 / £79.99 / €99.99• Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Wireless, Fully Adjustable, 5600dpi laser; Programmable,; Weight System; Powered by Rechargeable Batteries
o MSRP: $129.99/ £99.99 / €129.99• Cyborg R.A.T. 5 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Adjustable Length; 4000dpi laser, Programmable; Weight System; USB powered
o MSRP: $69.99/ £49.99 / €59.99• Cyborg R.A.T. 3 Gaming Mouse
o Features: 3200dpi laser; USB powered
o MSRP: $49.99 / £34.99 / €49.99
I had written off CES as a collection of wasteful products I neither wanted nor needed. Then I beheld the full glory of this $299, 720P, 17-inch Hannspree polar bear television, and my life began anew. Available this March.
Here’s the idea: speakers that hide in your light bulbs. And no, you don’t see how ugly they are once they’re installed.
Screwing in to any normal Edison socket, the Klipsch LightSpeakers fit seamlessly into a can-style light. OR—and this is the more geeky proposition—they can just screw into any old lamp. Yes, you’re reading that right, friends. Every lamp in your house could, in theory, be a speaker.
I was surprised, examining various means of installation, how practical the hefty but not-too-huge LightSpeakers could be.
Each unit sips on 10W of power while putting out the equivalent of 65W of light. (In person, the LEDs are blinding without their opaque cover.) But what about the sound? Honestly, it was tough to tell in the crowded, noisy room. But my 5-second impression is boombox-quality. Given that the system was cranked over cranky journalists, maybe a high-quality boombox would be a fairer assessment.
For more info on price/avail, go here: [Gizmodo]
A strange amalgamation of notebook and all-in-one, we’re not exactly certain what we should call the NX90, other than a polished aluminum beast.
The NX90 apparently has two trackpads (one on the right of the keyboard, one built right in to the handrest), the self-proclaimed first polished aluminum finish and even an integrated surround sound bar (that’s 10x the size of an average set of laptop speakers).
Power-wise, Asus promises a quad core and “the most powerful” graphics. It “can have” Blu-ray.
From what we can tell, it’s got to be at least 17 inches, and with a mirror-like back, it looks even bigger. Folded out, it’s definitely a bit more like an all-in-one than a typical laptop.
But the NX90 is just a concept. BOO! (But it would cost about $2499, they added later, as a “pricing concept.”)
The various flavors of Office 2010 are beyond mere mortal blogger comprehension, so here’s the full press release. Choose your poison, and choose it wisely.
With Office 2010, the lineup of products has been improved to make it easier for people to choose a version that is best for them. Office 2010 will be offered in four versions:
* For qualified students and educators, Microsoft is introducing Office Professional Academic. Available through qualified retailers and campus bookstores, Office Professional Academic is priced at $99 and includes Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, Publisher 2010, Access 2010, and Office Web Apps.
* To meet the needs of families, Office Home and Student is offered for $149 (boxed), or $119 (Product Key Card), and includes Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, and Office Web Apps. This is available in a Family Pack, allowing use on three PCs in one house.
* For people running a small business or working from home, Office Home and Business is offered for $279 (boxed) or $199 (Product Key Card) and includes Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, and Office Web Apps.
* For more advanced needs, Office Professional is offered for $499 (boxed), or $349 (Product Key Card) and includes Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, Publisher 2010, Access 2010, premium technical support, and Office Web Apps.
The Eye-Fi is an SD card that adds Wi-Fi uploads to any camera. Their latest flagship, the Pro X2, is pretty similar to old Eye-Fis, but it’s faster and even a bit smarter, too.
The 8GB SD card has equally fast read/write speeds to older models (class 6, for the savvy comparison shopper), but uploading should be significantly faster on supported networks, thanks to 802.11n.
But honestly, the more enticing feature may be Endless Memory.
Endless Memory allows you to pretty much fill the 8GB card to its max, but if you run out of space, the card can automatically delete photos from the card that have already been uploaded safely to the cloud, eliminating the need to dig through your camera storage and guess what’s been uploaded. Plus, you can choose how much of a storage buffer you’d like to leave at all times, in case you’re away from a Wi-Fi connection for a while.
It all seems pretty handy, but for $150 (starting today), it’d better be.
Eye-Fi Pro X2: The Most Advanced Memory Card on the Market
Eye-Fi re-engineered its platform and designed Arcturus – the proprietary chip at the heart of the Eye-Fi Pro X2 that enables the fastest wireless uploads to date. With the 8GB Pro X2, users will experience:
· Class 6 performance for faster read/write speeds
· For the first time, an 802.11n radio and a redesigned antenna for faster photo and video uploads and increased Wi-Fi range
· Endless Memory (*see below for details)
· 8GB storage
· Wireless JPEG, RAW and video uploads direct to a home computer and the Web
· Ad hoc connectivity to upload when not in range of a wireless router
· Hotspot access to upload away from home at more than 10,000 locations in the US
· Automatic geotagging
The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will be available for pre-order on www.eye.fi and select online retailers including Amazon for $149.99 beginning January 5.
Eye-Fi Center: Send photos and videos to multiple locations
Eye-Fi will also introduce a new desktop application that replaces Eye-Fi’s Web based application for managing your Eye-Fi card and experience. The new Eye-Fi Center will offer all users:
· The ability to easily select and publish photos and videos to different online locations – no more limitations on where photos can be shared
· Drag and drop capabilities so users can easily import any photos and videos into the Eye-Fi experience for easier sharing (even those memories not uploaded with Eye-Fi)
· The ability to access some features even when not connected to the Internet – such as adding a wireless network
· A redesigned interface for easier navigation
Eye-Fi Center will be available for download on January 5 for all users.
Endless Memory: You’ll always have room on your card for more memories
The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will offer Endless Memory mode, so users can choose to have Eye-Fi automatically make space available on the card once photos have been safely uploaded.
· The card communicates with the Eye-Fi Service, so that it knows when photos and videos are safely delivered to the user’s computer and/or online sharing site. Then, the card can remove files that have been safely delivered, beginning with the oldest.
· Users can select how much free space they want to reserve on the card.
· If files have not yet been uploaded, the Pro X2 will not remove them.
Maybe it’s better that most of us don’t remember every part of New Year‘s Eve (basically, from 5PM on). If you’re suffering from alcohol-induced amnesia, here are 25 happier Shooting Challenge shots to fill the void.
The placements…
Second Runner Up
Nikon D40x on tripod. AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm stock DX lens; F6.3; 8 seconds; Color corrected in camera raw. Motive: Stockholm cityscape with city hall in center.
-Andreas Hellqvist
First Runner Up
The morning after. The image here is a stereographically projected panorama consisting of 90 separate exposures. As you see it’s not complete, I had intended it to be 360° by 180°, however by the time I got to just over the houses, I lost all feeling in one of my fingers and decided to go have a pizza instead. This is also why my bag and parts of the tripod is visible on the ground; I couldn’t grip the camera to shoot a straight-down shot. (Temperature at the time was somewhere around -20°C) Gear used: Canon EOS 450D camera, Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM lens at f/7.1 (I shot in apperture priority mode, so shutter times vary), Manfrotto 190xprob tripod with a 804RC2 three-way head. (For you who want to get started in shooting so called planet panoramas, this head is not a particularily good choice because it doesn’t give you 180° freedom up and down, but you can flip the camera mount plate to put the entire camera “backwards” and so shoot straight up.) The images were converted from raw to 900×600 size jpegs and then stitched in Hugin. Incidentally, if you do the math you’ll find that quite a few of the images are not overlapping by a whole lot which caused the autopano sift-c routine to misalign quite a lot of it. Total time to find control points to fit it all together was around four or five hours. To be fair, this is a failed picture, but it looks rather nice, so perhaps you’ll enjoy it too. Next time I wait til it’s a little warmer 🙂
-Staffan Thomen
Winner
Photo taken on new year’s eve. It’s apparently underexposed (said my camera) with 1/2000s with my 5DmkII at ISO6400 with my trusted 50 mm lens at f/1.4. This is a handheld shot taken for fun with no clue what might turn out. I kinda like the sparks of iron flying. I increased the contrast and black levels in lightroom 3b to get rid of some of the noise.
-Øystein Alsaker
Thanks to everyone for entering. New Shooting Challenges are announced every Wednesday, and we need/appreciate your participation!
Once you’re done watching innocent people fall through an artificial floor, hit this clip two minutes in to bask in one of life’s simple pleasures—a guy is ejected from a van into a small tub of water. [Geekologie]
Everyone has said that Apple’s next event will occur on Tuesday, January 26th. Now AllThingsD has gone on record correcting the world, saying the “major new product” will be announced on January 27th, at the Yerba Buena Center. [AllThingsD]
It’s bigger than any Kindle or device from B&N. Optimized for magazines and newspapers, the Skiff Reader offers a durable 11.5-inch (1600 x 1200) “Metal Foil” touchscreen display, but it’s still just a quarter of an inch thick.
Connecting to the upcoming Skiff digital store via Wi-Fi and Sprint’s 3G network, the Skiff Reader will support yet unannounced content partnerships including books, specially focusing on large format print like above-mentioned magazines and newspapers—including “visually appealing layouts, high-resolution graphics, rich typography and dynamic updates.” And with a screen that’s nearly two inches larger and significantly sharper than even a Kindle DX, the Skiff Reader certainly seems well-positioned for this role—even though it’s still just black and white.
There’s no word on price or availability (more specific than 2010) just yet, but when the Skiff Reader is available, you’ll be picking one up from Sprint.
NEW YORK, January 4th, 2010 – Skiff, LLC and Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced that they will preview the Skiff Reader, the first e-reader optimized for newspaper and magazine content, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week.
The Skiff Reader, the initial dedicated device to integrate the upcoming Skiff e-reading service, is remarkably sleek and easy to use. At just over a quarter-inch in overall height, the device is the thinnest e-reader announced to date. It features the largest and highest-resolution electronic-paper display yet unveiled in a consumer device, at 11.5″ in size (measured diagonally) and a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels (UXGA). A full touchscreen enables users to intuitively navigate and engage with the newspapers, magazines, books and other digital content they purchase through the Skiff Store, as well as personal and work documents. The device weighs just over one pound and lasts over a week of average use between charges.
“The Skiff Reader’s big screen will showcase print media in compelling new ways,” said Gilbert Fuchsberg, president of Skiff, LLC. “This is consistent with Skiff’s focus on delivering enhanced reading experiences that engage consumers, publishers and advertisers.”
The Skiff Reader is designed not just for sleekness but also for durability. It is the first consumer product to feature the next-generation of e-paper display – one based on a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. This contrasts with the fragile glass that is the foundation of almost every electronic screen – and a primary source of vulnerability and breakage risk in the devices that incorporate them. Skiff has worked closely with LG Display (NYSE: LPL), one of the world’s leading display manufacturers and the innovator of the foil-display technology, to optimize and implement this first-of-its-kind non-glass display uniquely for the Skiff Reader.
Skiff has signed a multi-year agreement with Sprint (NYSE:S) to provide 3G connectivity for Skiff’s dedicated e-reading devices in the United States. Plans are underway to have the Skiff Reader available for purchase later this year in more than 1,000 Sprint retail locations across the U.S., as well as online at www.sprint.com. Availability, pricing, additional distribution channels and other details will be disclosed at a later date.
“The forthcoming launch of the Skiff Reader is an exciting development for consumers who are looking for more and more choice in the arena of embedded devices,” said Dan Dooley, president wholesale solutions, Sprint. “We have witnessed a strong demand for e-readers in recent years and now Sprint is showing its commitment to Skiff by making this new device available on the 3G network and for sale in Sprint retail stores.”
In October 2009, Sprint announced the formation of its Emerging Solutions Business that focuses exclusively on the rapid delivery of machine-to-machine and mobile computing solutions to businesses and consumers. Sprint’s partnership with Skiff builds on more than 10 years of experience in working with vendors to provision non-Sprint-branded devices to operate on its networks, as well as extensive expertise in operating multiple platforms and assets.
In addition to 3G, the Skiff Reader will also support wireless connectivity via WiFi.
The Skiff Reader will feature the Skiff service and digital store, allowing consumers to wirelessly purchase and access a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, books, blogs and other content from multiple publishers. Newspaper and magazine content delivered by Skiff will feature visually appealing layouts, high-resolution graphics, rich typography and dynamic updates, supporting key design qualities that help publications differentiate themselves and attract subscribers and advertisers.
Besides the Skiff Reader, Skiff is working with major consumer electronics manufacturers to integrate Skiff’s service, digital store and client software into a range of innovative devices. By supporting a variety of devices from multiple manufacturers, and through complementary applications for major smart phone platforms, Skiff will make it easier for publishers to distribute content and advertising across a range of devices and form factors, an increasingly important goal as the e-reading market continues to grow.
PSA: Until the Lightsaber MP3 Player actually emits a highly contained tube of deadly light, $24 can only buy you a Lightsaber Hilt MP3 Player. [NCSX via anythingbutipod]
For every million or so pointless, sacrificial iPhone accessories, we get one good one. And the L5 Remote infrared adapter may just be that one accessory.
The idea couldn’t be simpler: You plug the L5 Remote adapter into your iPhone’s dock connector, it draws from the iPhone’s battery to blast IR, and with the addition of bundled universal remote app, your iPhone can suddenly change the channel on pretty much any TV, cable/sat box or Front Row compatible device up to 30 feet away.
We’ve seen iPhone remote solutions before, but nothing has been nearly this elegant. Priced at $50 whenever it’s actually available, the L5 remote could finally give us one remote to control them all. [L5 Tech via The Loop via Silicon Alley Insider via DVICE]
The iPhone does not need a mouse. Having said that, the BTstack developers have gotten the iPhone working with a Magic Mouse and laser keyboard (drivers not yet public), and it’s worth checking out for novelty alone. [BTStack via Engadget]
Either one guy has spent hundreds of hours meticulously handcrafting his own War Machine armor, or some boom mic operator has busted off the Paramount set and he’s terrorizing the club scene with style.
While the suit is still a work in progress, it’s currently constructed out of high impact urethane covered in a brushed metal finish (plus, over 600 rivets have been implemented so far). And you’ll be pleased to know, the thing shoots bottle rockets…if we’re not misreading a joke.
I know what you’re thinking: finally, we know how Iron Man got that beer gut. [SuperHeroHype via technabob]
I know I speak for absolutely everyone here when I say, wtf happened to our watch phones?
Other than that one model by LG, the industry has passed the formfactor by.
Sure, the technology is a lot more convincing in comic books than at your desk, as you awkwardly crunch your neck and shoulders to speak into your upper arm, immediately aware that the free cologne sample was a mistake. And Bluetooth headsets (which is exactly what the $85 HDBT-990 Wristband Communicator actually is, just strapped to your wrist) already make far more sense in terms of practicality and ergonomics.
But I just want it on record, the future I’ve been getting is NOT the future I signed up for. Mine includes a boombox that zaps my bare feet to make high tops appear. More and more every day, I can feel this future slipping away. [Helium Digital]
Apparently, the $300-$500 million budget paid off. Right now, with over $1 billion in worldwide sales, Avatar is the third highest grossing movie of all time. It could even take down Titanic‘s $1.8 billion record. [Inquirer via Techie via boingboing]
Visentin’s LED shower heads are pretty stunning, that is, until you realize that, not only are you completely naked in front of your guests, but you’re also splashing water all over the living room. [