News Archive for 09/02/20
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In response to skeptics of the recent Mac mini image leak, MacRumors member 'monthy' has provided a video of the yet-unannounced device. The clip shows the same features as the image, notably a new port layout. The updated device offers a Mini DVI and Mini Displayport connection instead of the full-size DVI connector, while the FireWire 400 port has been upgraded to a FireWire 800 jack. A fifth USB port has also been added.
An independent test by PC Perspective on the long-term performance of Intel's mainstream solid state drives concluded the chipmaker's drives are significantly slower after prolonged use. Intel itself is trying to duplicate the report's results, but so far has been unable to do so. The test results say a used Intel X25-M solid state drive loses performance due to internal fragmentation compared to a new one. The report said the drives' performance drops "to significantly below" official specs.
A Friday BGR report reveals Verizon will soon begin offering the CDM 8795 handset with Push-to-Talk (PTT) functionality. The device is not being advertised on the carrier's website but the photos reveal dedicated music controls sandwiched between its small auxiliary display and external speaker. There is also a 2.5mm audio jack for hooking up headphones or headsets.
3DFusion announced on Thursday that it will debut its 3DFMax stereoscopic 3D display at next week's Digital Signage Exposition 2009. The display does not require glasses to show three-dimensional-like images. No other specs are available on the 3DFusion TV set, including contrast, brightness, resolution or even size, though the set is capable of displaying conventional 2D images. At the core, the display uses Philips' WOWvx 3D technology and 2D Plus Depth format.
Official photos of the Motorola ZN300 first spotted earlier this month have surfaced on Thursday, thanks to Russian site MobileReview. While official specs are still not confirmed, it is believed the multimedia-oriented slider, which could go by the name of MotoZine ZN300, sports a 240x320 display and a 3-megapixel camera.
Today at DealNN there is a wide selection of electronics from GPS units to Bluetooth headsets at discounted prices. Most notable today is the refurbished Navigon 2100 GPS navigator from eCost.com. This GPS unit is priced at $59 and features a 3.5-inch color touchscreen display with pre-loaded coast-to-coast maps of the lower 48 states in both 2D and 3D modes.
Philips has recently announced its 8000-, and 9000-series HDTVs, along with the Cinema 21:9 set announced last month, will have built-in access to the Internet. The service will be called Net TV and will allow users to browse the Internet using their remote control. Philips has partnered up with numerous websites to offer services custom-tailored to be viewable through the TVs.
ASUS on Friday said it has been developing a netbook based on Google's Android platform. The company's Eee PC division lead, Samson Hu, informs Bloomberg that engineers have been tasked with readying one of the mini notebooks for a tentative end-of-year release window. While specifications aren't known, the smartphone-oriented operating system demands less resources than Windows XP and is usually optimized for ARM processors and touchscreen displays.
Two US cable providers are looking to put their TV programming online in a bid to preserve their business, sources have reportedly told the Wall Street Journal. Comcast and Time Warner Cable are believed to have been in ongoing talks with content providers, such as NBC and Viacom, for a deal that would let subscribers to cable TV packages stream "much" of their available shows online on the web. The selection would be "well beyond" what free online services like Hulu offer.
Philips has recently unveiled its latest Bluetooth headset, the SHB 7110, also appropriately named the Tapster. It uses touch sensitivity to operate its functions, including for adjusting volume and answering and ending phone calls. Phones that support voice dialing can also be made to ring up contacts without ever touching the handset. It works with all HSP- or HFP-rated Bluetooth handsets and is also Bluetooth A2DP compliant, allowing it to receive stereo music from supporting portable devices like cellphones and computers.
Netflix will offer a streaming-only subscription option by 2010, according to CEO Reed Hastings. Though the company was founded on the concept of mail-order DVD rental, which still forms the bulk of its business, Hastings notes that "millions" of its 10 million subscribers are taking advantage of streaming through computers or set-top boxes. Microsoft's Xbox 360 is said to be a particularly popular medium, with over 1 million Netflix users.
After promises last week, readers at BGR and elsewhere have found paid apps starting to appear on the Android Market for phones like the T-Mobile G1. The initial lineup is small and primarily involves small 99-cent utilities and classic games, though in some cases apps are paid versions of previously ad-subsidized apps.
A slew of new full touchscreen cellphones introduced at this week's Mobile World Congress could significantly impact Apple's competitiveness this year, a research note from RBC Capital Markets says today. Analyst Mike Abramsky notes that the sudden and relative abundance of devices in the iPhone's category will give Apple a more difficult environment than it has encountered in the past. While not necessarily expecting damage to iPhone sales, the researcher warns that there could be either "downshifts" in sales to challengers or else damage to profit margins if Apple feels compelled to more aggressively price any future iPhones.
Vuzix on Thursday announced that its iWear AV310 Widescreen personal media viewer is now available. The device is worn by users like a set of eyeglasses and includes two tiny screens, one for each eye, which provide a 16:9 aspect ratio and have the ability to display 3D images. Each screen also has independent focal adjustments to accommodate different eyesight. The AV310 Widescreen plugs into iPhones, iPods, cameras, DVD players, video game consoles and other devices that have a composite video output for either NTSC or PAL.
Microsoft's claims of a diverse Windows Mobile ecosystem may have been undermined by one of its own partners if statements made at the company's Mobile World Congress presentation are accurate. Following remarks by Microsoft Mobile Communications Senior VP Andy Lees that a total of over 50 million Windows Mobile devices have been sold spread across 50 partners and the software's entire history, HTC chief Peter Chou has mentioned that about 40 million HTC-made Windows Mobile phones have sold since the company was founded, leaving about 80 percent of all Windows Mobile phones as HTC-made.
LG at Mobile World Congress said it plans to release a phone with a 12-megapixel camera. While not detailing the device, UK marketing chief Jeremy Newing says LG is "very much" set to introduce a device and will likely have the phone available sometime this year. He portrays the effort as part of a larger race for sensor depth that LG has to pursue if it wants to remain competitive with rivals, even if it creates problems with uploading photos over the mobile network.
Amazon today is offering a roughly $25 discount on the fairly new Eee PC 1000HE netbook, which is now shipping to those who bought them in advance. Fulfilling ASUS' promises both for its shipping window as well as for an early-order discount on the 10-inch netbook, the online retailer is offering the stock version of the system in at least black and blue color options for $374. Those who order today will see their own orders shipped within 2-3 weeks.
Acer's second wave of smartphones will use cost as a key strategy to infiltrating the US, the company tells PCMag. Although considered high-end in features, at least some of the company's Windows Mobile devices should be heavily subsidized and will land on either AT&T or T-Mobile free with an appropriate service plan. The discount is said possible by Acer smartphone head Aymar de Lencquesaing both through the company's size as well as its previous deal for subsidized netbooks through AT&T, which gives it familiarity with carriers.
Nikon may be readying a new entry-level digital SLR that either complements or replaces the D60. A source that was originally investingating Olympus information now claims that a camera known as the D5000 may be unveiled at the PMA photography expo next month and that its imaging performance will roughly be on par with the considerably higher-end D90. Among the improvements would be a long-requested increase on the number of autofocusing points from just three on the D40 and D60.
Pixel Qi on Friday said it's closer to shipping LCD displays that should significantly extend the battery life of notebooks. The technology reduces the dependence on a backlight and instead draws on nearby light from both human-made and natural sources to create the illumination itself, potentially extending a portable's run time by letting the backlight stay off in a brightly-lit environment. Pixel Qi estimates that a notebook with three hours of battery life today would get about 4.5 hours on one of its displays, or about a 50 percent boost, without compromising on display quality.
NVIDIA chief Jen-Sun Huang has said that NVIDIA is well into development of a version of its Ion platform for VIA's Nano processors. Speaking to Digitimes, Huang says the companies had already demonstrated an early example of it in 2008 but are now committed to releasing a production version sometime this year. Details of any differences between this and the Intel Atom reference version haven't been mentioned, though VIA regularly produces reference netbook platforms like OpenBook based on its most recent hardware.
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