Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S rumors say the next generation iPhones will likely be launched during the autumn and summer, respectively. The Apple iPhone rumors say the iPhone 5S will start taking orders on June 20th and ship out in July.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Apple iPhone 6 and 5S rumors say these iPhone will incorporate fingerprint detection security measures.

This iPhone 6 fingerprint detection rumor is lended major credence by the fact that Apple recently acquired a company called AuthenTec for $356 million. But the development of this fingerprint technology has delayed the iPhone 5S and 6 release supposedly.

Very few solid rumors regarding the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 have surfaced at this time. Apple is expected to upgrade to iOS 7 and add a faster processor, improved retina display, NFC support, 4G, 802.11ac wireless networking, and potentially a low-cost version of its popular iPhone line. It’s been suggested there could be three variants of the new iPhones, nicknamed the iPhone 6 Mini, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 XL.

Pictures of iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 parts have leaked. “The pictures display the loud-speaker bracket, ear speaker bracket, vibrating motor assembly, Wi-Fi flex cable ribbon and SIM card tray.” No features were released, but there’s notable physical differences from the iPhone 5 components.

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 rumors point to either a sapphire-covered or capacitive touch home button. The home button is notoriously the first component to break in any of the iPhone, including the iTouch.  iPhone gesture control may also be incorporated.

Will you be buying an Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 6?

iPhone 6 And 5S Rumors Point To Summer, Autumn Release Date is a post from: The Inquisitr

Creating stunning HDR photos tends to require expensive professional cameras and a lot of production time. Creating time lapse HDR video has been even more complicated and expensive, but a company called Brinno wants to change that with their new TLC200 Pro camera. It is specifically designed for shooting and producing time lapse HDR video.

The new camera packs professional quality power into a package that is affordable and easy to use even if you don’t know anything about HDR photography.

The TLC200 has a 1.3 megapixel High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sensor that shoots 720p time lapse video. It supports interchangeable CS mount lenses for capturing exactly the look you want your video to have.

A user sets the interval between frames between 0.3 seconds and 24 hours and then the camera does the rest. It converts the images into an AVI video file as it shoots them. When you remove the SD card, the video is done. The TLC200 handles in real-time production work that could otherwise take days.

Video is formated as an AVI movie file in 720p resolution.

On the back of the camera is a 1.44″ TFT LCD screen. Scene settings include Daylight, Twilight, Night, Moon, or you can manually set exposure, saturation, contrast, and sharpness.

The Brinno time lapse HDR camera ships with the camera body, a 4GB SD Card, four AA batteries, a BCS 019 lens, a lens cover, and inexplicably … a screwdriver and a screw.

Four AA batteries can power the camera for between one and 45 days depending on time interval settings. It can also be powered via Micro USB.

The TLC200 will sell for $400 and the video below demonstrates why that’s such a great price.

Brinno TLC200 Pro Camera Simplifies Time Lapse HDR Video Production is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amazon has officially acquired smart screen technology company Liquavista.  The acquisition was confirmed by the company on Monday.

Previously owned by Samsung, the tech firm creates low-power color e-paper technology.

Samsung executives were believed to be looking for a quick sale since the company failed to live up to Samsung’s high expectations for its e-paper tech.

In a statement from Amazon, the e-commerce giant writes that it is  ”always looking for new technologies we may be able to incorporate into our products over the long term. The Liquavista team shares our passion for invention and is creating exciting new technologies with a lot of potential. It’s still early days, but we’re excited about the possibilities and we look forward to working with Liquavista to develop these displays.”

Liquavista is best known for its “electrowetting” technology, which is most often found in e-readers, mobile phones, GPS devices, cameras, and portable media players. Electrowetting is used in those devices because of its high level of visibility in all light conditions.

Liquavista has called its electrowetting process a highly scalable system that can ultimately be used in big-screen TVs, larger notebooks, and various other display-based devices.

Previous reports have pegged the deal at somewhere below the $100 million acquisition price.

Here’s a video of the Liquavista technology being explained:

Amazon and Liquavista have not made the terms of the deal known as this time. It is also unclear if the Liquavista team will join Amazon’s own developers or continue on course with projects that are currently in the works.

Do you think Amazon made the right decision in acquiring Liquavista?

Amazon Officially Acquires Liquavista is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pegatron CEO Jason Cheng is adamantly denying claims that he made comments regarding demand for the Apple iPad Mini.

A Bloomberg report recently suggested that Cheng said Apple’s iPad mini demand was weaker than first believed. Cheng now tells Fortune that he never made any comments about Apple product demand during the Pegatron Institution Investors conference.

Cheng says the reporter came to him ”trying to dig out detail numbers about some specific product. I clearly refused to comment on specific products, nor customers, even though he continued with other questions. I did say those words that he quotes me in the article… but I did not say anything associated with any specific products.”

Cheng then calls the report pure “speculation.” In the original report, Cheng was quoted as saying that iPad mini revenue drops are based “more on demand, while price has been stable.”

In another report, Reuters claims that Pegatron is actually increasing its Chinese workforce by upwards of 40 percent during the second half of 2013.

With 100,000 workers already employed by the company, a 40 percent increase would mean nearly 40,000 new jobs. Analysts believe that the hiring increase could be associated with the new iPhone 5S and low-cost iPhone models, which have yet to be revealed.

Pegatron estimates that 60 percent of its revenue will arrive in the second half of the year. The company’s estimates are right in line with an expected June or July reveal date for the the new Apple smartphones.

With Apple likely to release its new phones in September, it will be interesting to see if customers still flock to the devices or if more rumors of demand problems continue to surface.

Do you think Apple products still have the same luster they brought to the mobile market when the first iPhone released in 2007.

Pegatron CEO Denies Making iPad Mini Production Claims is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google Glass ban calls are claiming the smartglasses developed by Google can be dangerous or even an invasion of privacy.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, before these proposed Google Glass bans, Google admitted they don’t know how Google Glass will be used to its full extent, but a Google’s Glass videos seem to focus on making pictures, photos, and live teleconferencing.

Augmented reality games will probably start to push the limits of smartglasses first, but there’s other technology that will be coming down the pipeline to transform how we use smart devices like Google Glass. The primary issue raised by Google Glass ban proposals is that smartglasses are always on. Unlike smartphones or cameras, this means that a Google Glass user could be recording or taking pictures without people even realizing it. Although, defenders of the Google Glass point out that smartphone usage is so common nowadays that covert recordings already happen without smartglasses even being involved.

This particular focus prompted the Google Glass ban in a Seattle bar before it was ever released. Even strip clubs are already implementing a Google Glass ban to prevent their dancers from being recorded.

Some people have already created a Google Glass ban petition on the White House’s We The People website. They are calling on President Obama to implement a Google Glass ban because of the devices potential to “invade privacy.” David Streitfeld, a Los Angeles privacy lawyer, claim the Google Glass bans are ”just the beginning. Google Glass is going to cause quite a brawl.”

Politicians in West Virginia have already created a Google Glass ban bill because of the potential for distracted driving. The Google Glass ban bill is compared to existing laws that make it illegal to talk or text on a smartphone while driving. Studies on the potential dangers of using the Google Glass while driving have not been done yet, but Representative Gary Howell says he would “like to invite Google to provide a demonstration and explain if they will have some type of feature that will turn off everything.”

What do you think of the Google Glass bans being proposed so far?

Google Glass Ban Calls Smartglasses Dangerous, ‘An Invasion Of Privacy’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wrist-based activity tracker Fitbit Flex is now shipping. Like past Fitbit trackers, the device is able to sync over Bluetooth 4.0 via iOS and Android devices. The Fitbit Flex also features a Bluetooth dongle for PC connections.

The Fitbit Flex arrives a short time after the Jawbone Up and the Nike FuelBand.

As users place the Fitbit Flex on their wrists, the device works in a similar way to a pedometer. Data is collected and then sent from Fitbit servers via a users mobile app and through their online Fitbit account. The activity band also provides access to food logs and various other fitness items.

The Fitbit Flex provides LEDs that light up when users reach predefined activity targets. Targets are set through the users Fitbit account since the wristband does not feature any physical buttons.  To switch modes, users only need to tap the wristband several times.

In order to improve on past Fitbit devices, the new Flex device offers a higher degree of water resistance than clip-on trackers. The company also claims that wearing the device on the wrist prevents it from being lost.

The FitBit Flex costs a modest $100, and, with fewer chances that you’ll leave it clipped to your clothes, it likely means less accidental trips through the washing machine.

Here’s a video that showcases the FitBit Flex in action:

Do you think the FitBit Flex is a better option than former Fitbit devices offered by the company?

Fitbit Flex Begins Shipping, Offers Bluetooth 4.0 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A 3D printer produced invisible cloak could be the next advancement with interesting and, some might say, frightening consequences, according to a Monday report from Science Daily.

(The full report was originally published in the academic journal Optics Letters.)

Following up on Duke University engineering experiments from 2006, assistant research professor in electrical and computer engineering for the school told the website that “anyone who can spend a couple thousand dollars on a non-industry grade 3D printer can literally make a plastic cloak overnight.”

Not good news for those of you who may be somewhat frightened at successful recent experiments producing firearms through the 3D printing process (aka stereolithographic fabrication).

What’s so worrisome about “a plastic cloak”?

Nothing on the surface, but Urzhumov was recently part of a team that produced a polymer plastic disk that is capable of deflecting microwave beams, and the researcher is confident that in the “not-so-distant future,” their creation will translate to an invisible cloak capable of warding off higher wavelengths (including visible light).

“We believe this approach is a way towards optical cloaking, including visible and infrared,” Urzhumov told the website. “And nanotechnology is available to make these cloaks from transparent polymers or glass. The properties of transparent polymers and glasses are not that different from what we have in our polymer at microwave frequencies.”

A bit more on that here:

Urzhumov and his team left an opening in their disk where they hid an opaque object. When the microwave beams were directed to the object through the disk, the cloak gave the appearance that the object was no longer there.

Urzhumov said the 3D printer design “eliminates the ‘shadow’ that would be cast, and suppresses the scattering from the object that would be expected.”

In other words, the invisible jet Wonder Woman used to fly from adventure to adventure — one of the dumbest ideas in the history of popular fiction — may soon become a reality.

“In effect, the bright, highly reflective object, like a metal cylinder, is made invisible. The microwaves are carefully guided by a thin dielectric shell and then re-radiated back into free space on the shadow side of the cloak,” Urzhumov said.

The assistant research professor added that computer simulations caused him to believe that it would be possible to wrap a polymer plastic “as thin as one inch” around an object “several meters in diameter” and get the same effect.

So just remember that when you go to sleep at night, kiddies. It may one day be possible for someone to sneak up on you with a homemade plastic gun while wearing the invisible cloak — both objects made in a couple of hours via 3D printer — and attack without you seeing anything coming.

Scared yet?

[Image via ShutterStock]

3D Printer Invisible Cloak, Next Advancement That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You is a post from: The Inquisitr

A 3-D printable handgun works just fine, able to fire real bullets even though the gun is composed of mostly plastic parts.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the 3-D printable handgun was designed by Defense Distributed, a group of 3-D firearms enthusiasts who designed the gun and posted free downloadable instructions for making the weapon on its website. Over 150,000 downloads were made after an Obama speech on Gun Control.

3D printers are actually fairly cheap. Staples is selling a 3D printer for only $1,299 and one contest hopes 3D printable rocket engines might be capable of putting small payloads into orbit.

Defense Distributed is calling the first 3-D printable handgun the Liberator. The Defense Distributed group believes that Gun Control laws are a threat to human rights:

“We look to inspire and defend those who live (and are threatened to live) under politically oppressive regimes. Firearm Rights are Human Rights.”

Defense Distributed successfully was raising $20,000 for their 3-D printable handgun project, but the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo pulled the plug. So they turned to Bitcoin virtual currency and raise dthe money that way. The high end 3D printers from Stratasys were even taken back when the company realized they were building a 3-D printable handgun prototype using their technology. Despite all these problems, Defense Distributed persisted and now they have a workable 3-D printable gun.

3-D printable gun components reportedly work just like a real gun. The 3-D printable handgun is composed of 15 plastic parts, with a metal firing pin and a block of steel implemented in the design so it compiles with US laws that ban firearms undetectable by metal detectors. The plastic barrel apparently can’t handle more than one shot since the instructions recommend “printing multiple barrels and using each only once. Swapping the barrels is simple and fast…”

Still, politicians are already calling for 3-D printable handgun bans. Congressman Steve Israel says, “Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser.”

What do you think about the 3-D printable handgun called the Liberator?

3-D Printable Handgun Works, Defense Distributed Is Gun Control Nightmare is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wearable technology is helping us find new ways to monitor and improve our daily lives. While most of that technology allows us to monitor our workouts or check the weather and email, a new piece of wearable technology could save lives. Color changing gloves allow researchers, field workers, and other people to determine if toxins are on the substances they touch.

Developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT in Regensburg, Germany, the gloves don’t just change colors when they touch substances; they can also detect when toxins are in the air.

The gloves are made of custom sensor materials that change from a safe colorless design to a blue color when toxins are detected. Researchers added an indicator dye to the gloves, which only react when toxic substances are present.

Various industries suffer from the possibility of toxic infections such as chemical production, semiconductor manufacturers, and various scientific labs.

According to Dr. Sabine Trupp, head of the Fraunhofer EMFT Sensor Materials group:

“By synthesizing the adapted color sensor materials, we can detect gases like carbon monoxide, for example, or hydrogen sulfide.”

Researchers who created the new gloves say they can also create similar products that can detect gas line leaks, spoiled packaged foods, and various other substances.

Because the gloves are based on a specialized sensor material, the product could also be added to shirts, pants, and various other pieces of clothing.

What exciting detection practices can you see taking advantage of the new substance detecting gloves?

New Gloves Can Detect Toxic Substances is a post from: The Inquisitr

COMMENTARY | I remember way back in 2010 when Steve Jobs stood on a stage and declared that the iPad was a “magical” device that would further “revolutionize” the mobile industry. Fast forward to 2013, and, indeed, Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices have helped revolutionize the way smartphones and tablets are designed from the hardware they feature to the software they support.

With Apple devices losing some of their appeal, according to recent surveys, it was only a matter of time before analysts and reviewers began focusing on the “next big thing” in tech. In late 2012, along came Google Glass.

Almost immediately after the technology was revealed, analysts began complaining. There were complaints about privacy, complaints about daily living with technology overload, complaints about battery life, and complaints for the sake of complaining. Let’s face it: Google Glass is the whipping boy of the wearable tech industry.

In reality, Google Glass is an experimentation in what wearable technology could and shouldn’t be. On the one hand, the technology allows users to pull up mapping, take photos, share information with friends, and basically discover the world around them with ease and efficiency. On the other hand, Google Glass can take photos where it shouldn’t (locker rooms, bathrooms, etc.), access information where it shouldn’t be accessed (hospitals, court rooms, etc), and even distract drivers and workers who might cause serious injury and potentially life threatening accidents.

Google Glass however is not meant to be the “magical” iPad device Steve Jobs showcased in 2010 or the revolutionary iPhone platform he debuted in 2007. The technology is meant to be a roadmap for the future, a piece of technology that figures out what wearable tech could be when executed properly.

After finally releasing Google Glass, we will likely hear complaints about battery life, OS issues that still need to be solved (rumors point to a Google Android supported build),  eye strain issues, and various other issues.

I don’t expect to see 100 million people walking around with Google Glass; however, the technology will likely lead to more discussions about how to create technology on a smaller yet usable scale.

Google jumped into the autonomous vehicles field without a second thought and since that time numerous autonomous vehicle company’s have developed technology that will ultimately lead to the first mass produced vehicles.

Google Glass, for its part, is an experiment in wearable tech that won’t reach mass adoption but will reach mass appeal for developers who are always looking for something shiny and new.

If nothing else, Google Glass gives the tech giant bragging rights as a first adopter of new technology, and, in the eyes of consumers, a first adopter is an innovative adopter.

In the meantime, Google Glass will continue to be poked fun at while offering a new way to think about technology. I leave you with this fun “review” of the technology from the fine folks at Saturday Night Live:

Google Glass Is An Experiment In Wearable Tech, Deal With It is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Barnes & Noble Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets are upping the number of apps customers can download.

The book seller on Friday announced that it is adding the Google Play store to its list of approved apps. The Play store allows users to downloaded apps from the full catalog of Google Android-based apps.

With the inclusion of Google Play, users of the Nook tablet series will gain access to more than 700,000 programs.

Google Play also offers access to millions of songs found on Google Play Music and other options found via Google’s other content hubs.

As Barnes & Noble updates its software users will also be given access to Google’s main services, which includes the Chrome browser, Gmail, YouTube, Google Search, and Google Maps.

When the update is available, users will see an automatic notice for over-the-air updates. The update can be handled when a user is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Users will soon see a notification for an automatic over-the-air update over Wi-Fi from later today.

Moving towards a full Google Android eco-system is a new approach for Barnes & Noble. Much like the Amazon Kindle Fire devices, B&N chose to use the Google Android OS as a backbone for its own hacked version of the system.

By offering its own apps store Barnes & Noble was able to maintain full control over a users purchases, allowing them to buy apps under the company’s control.

Do you think the Barnes & Noble Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets are better off with the Google Play store?

Barnes & Noble Brings Google Play Into The Mix is a post from: The Inquisitr

Research firm IDC believes the Google Android tablet market is besting Apple iPad shipments. The study focuses on Q1 2013 shipments in which the research firm says 56.5 percent of the market was dominated by Android. The company’s study claims that Apple achieved a 40 percent marketshare. 

In third place, the IDC study claims that Asus managed to best Amazon as the third largest single vendor with a 5.5 percent share. If that number is correct, Asus has managed 350 percent year-over-year growth.

While those numbers are impressive, the study focuses solely on “shipping” units and not on the actual number of end-user sales. Apple has long claimed that it only ships enough devices to fulfill immediate orders. Android manufacturers, on the other hand, tend to ship millions of extra devices in an attempt to flood the market. In Q1 2012, Samsung told press reporters that it has shipped 2.3 million Android tablets. Then, during its Apple patent lawsuit, Samsung revealed just 1.2 million tablet sales when asked by a federal judge.

Even if 70 percent of all Android devices have actually been sold, Apple would still lead the market based on sales.

The IDC report focuses on every brand of tablet, even knock-off and local tablets that feature the Google Android OS.

While Google Android devices might be shipped more often, it is the Apple iOS platform that still dominates ad impressions, internet access, app downloading, and various other connected metrics. It is those metrics that have led many analysts to believe Apple is still dominating between 60 and 80 percent of the tablet market.

Sales “share” and shipments “share” are too very different things, and, while Apple is sure to lose some of its market as more competitors emerge, the market is still being left wide open.

The IDC study does not adjust for seasonal sales. Some companies such as Amazon receive most of their tablet orders during seasonal periods, most specifically during Q4.

While Apple may very well be losing market share to the Android tablet market, the IDC study does note that Apple is still the single largest tablet vendor with more than 40 percent of market sales.

Apple Tablet Shipments Lose Ground To Android is a post from: The Inquisitr

iPhones and iPads now have access to the very Siri like Google Now. The feature came with the latest update to the Google Search app update.

The update has actually been a long time in coming, as the computing giant was waiting for approval for the last couple of weeks.

Now its rival has finally given the go ahead and iOS users can take some time and compare the services side by side.

The personal assistant service was officially announced for Apple devices on Monday.  Up until this week the only way you could access the service was by using an Android device.

iPhone and iPad users will now be able to use the service that pulls together information from the entire Google library and funnels them through the search application.

While Siri is technically not even the same kind of application, there has been quite a bit of talk about how this update is a direct challenge to Apple.

That might be one of the reasons it took more than a month for the update to get final approval. The Cupertino company has made no bones about its desire to rid its devices of its competitor.

Apple Maps was supposed to be the first in a long line of moves to do just that. The epic failure of that application only set the movement back.

Like most applications like this, there are some pros and cons. When first starting up the app users are given the choice as to whether they want to record their location.

That recording helps the application serve the user better but some are going to have some privacy concerns. There is an easy way to turn off the location recording, which otherwise will be in operation whether the app is being used or not.

Do you think its a good idea for Apple to allow Google Now integration on the iPhone and iPad?

iPhone, iPad Gets ‘Google Now’ With Latest Update is a post from: The Inquisitr

Blackberry CEO Thorsten Heins believes that the tablet will be a dead device within the next five years.

The man who is charged with turning around a company that was once at the top of the heap doesn’t have much respect for his competitors.

Speaking to Bloomberg at the Milken Institute conference, Heins claimed,, ”In five years, I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore.”

The head of the Canadian company formerly known as RIM added that he believes that big screen computers in the workplace might become the norm but tablets will be phased out.

Blackberry itself tried to get into the tablet market back in 2011 with the Playbook. That effort was met with disastrous results and appeared to be contributor in the company’s long spiral downwards.

So what is going to replace the tablet in the executive’s mind? Heins believes that the smartphone is moving quickly to fill a need for mobile computing.

The CEO said that he uses a smartphone for almost all of his computing needs and turns to a Playbook on rare occasions.

He admits that the smartphone cannot yet do everything that is needed when it comes to actual work but the day when they can is coming fast.

The birth and boom of the Phablet seems to back up the man’s words to some extent. If the phones with an oversized screen really do become the norm, there will hardly be a need for a stand alone tablet.

There are some who believe that the Phablet boom is actually more an indication that the tablet is taking over the smartphone market.

That discussion is starting to look more and more like a “chicken or the egg” type discussion.

It should also be pointed out that the Canadian electronics company has not exactly had a great track record when it comes to predicting the market.

Blackberry announced earlier this month that they would be discontinuing their BBM Music service less than two years after they launched.

Blackberry CEO Thinks Smartphones Will Replace Tablets Within Five Years is a post from: The Inquisitr

The HP Slate 7 went on sale this weekend with a starting price of $170.

The Slate 7 is a Google Android-based tablet that falls inside the mid-range level for 7-inch Android tablets.

HP is attempting to attract Android buyers by providing an impressive set of features for a mid-range tablet including Beats Audio processing.

The HP Slate 7 also features a stainless steel frame that is powered by an ARM dual-core Cortex-A9 processor that is clicked at 1.6GHz. The tablet also offers a 3MP rear-facing camera along with a front-facing VGA camera.

To improve viewing angles on the mid-range device Hewlett Packard has included a High-aperature-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel.

The HP Slate 7 showed up in February at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. Early reviews claimed a solid build factor on the device but noted that the Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and other tablets have stronger hardware components at close pricing.

The tablet market is heating up with Apple in recent reports losing some of its market share to the Android market. In the meantime competition is fierce with Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and various other manufacturers offering mid-sized and larger tablet devices in a crowded field.

The mid-range 7-inch tablet market is being dominated by Google and Apple at the moment but Microsoft rumors are pointing to an upcoming 7-inch Windows 8.1 tablet and possibly other new devices that could challenge the current status quo.

Do you think offering the HP Slate 7 for just $170 with lower hardware options will help Hewlett Packard grab a decent share of the tablet market?

HP Slate 7 Goes On Sale For $170 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Apple iPad tablet has once again taken  the top spot for consumer satisfaction. The team at J.D. Power and Associates ranked the iPad at the top of its 2013 US Tablet Satisfaction Study.

J.D. Power spoke with 1,857 tablet owners who owned their devices for less than one year. Apple devices finished on top of the survey for both tablets and smartphones.

The win for Apple is the second year in a row for its tablet category win. J.D. Power and Associates started the survey after tablet sales skyrocketed, thanks in large part to the Apple iPad tablet line.

The Apple iPad scored 836 out of a possible 1,000. That score was just good enough to edge out the Amazon Kindle Fire, which scored a 829 out of 1,000.

Both the iPad and Kindle Fire scored well above the industry average of 822. Following behind the top device were Samsung (822), Asus (818), and Acer (784).

Each of the tablets in the J.D. Power And Associates tablet survey were combined to determine the best tablet. The survey’s factors included performance, ease of operations, styling, design, features, and cost. J.D. Power ranked overall performance at the top of its list.

The Apple ipad also scored at the top of the J.D. Power’s Circle Ratings. Apple scored a five on the industry-best rating; other manufacturers scored three or less.

The study also found that tablet owners who share their devices with other users are significantly more happy with their tablet purchases.

J.D. Power and Associates also discovered that tablet owners tend to surf the internet more on their tablets than their smartphones.

With an Apple iOS tablet fighting neck-and-neck with the an Android-based tablet it looks as if customers are finally leveling the playing field.

Apple iPad Wins J.D. Power And Associates Tablet Satisfaction Survey is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Helix is a new, pocket-sized battery that powers two phones and a tablet at the same time. It’s perfect for traveling with multiple gadgets that all need more power than the internal batteries can give you.

Made by Lenmar Enterprises, The Helix offers 11,000mAh of battery power distributed through three USB ports.

Two of the ports output 1 Amp each, which is ideal for charging a mobile phone. The third port has an output of 2.4 Amps for powering tablets like Apple’s iPad. The two lower powered ports are marked “Mobile Phone” and the more powerful port is marked “Tablet,” although you can use it to power or charge other USB devices.

A fully charged Helix can charge an iPad once (depending on the model of iPad). It can charge an iPhone up to seven times. It takes 8 hours to charge the backup battery using a 2.1A iPad charger connected via Mini USB cable.

The battery itself is a Lithium Polymer battery in a plastic and metal enclosure that measures 4.27 x 2.95 x 0.93 inches. It weighs just over half a pound.

A button on top lights up a series of LED lights to let you know how much power is stored in the battery. One light indicates 20 to 40 percent power remaining. Two indicates 40 to 60 percent. Three indicates 60 to 80 percent, and when all four lights are lit, you have 80 to 100 percent of power remaining.

The Helix has a power switch to preserve power when not in use and it is available now directly from Lenmar for $99.

Portable Battery Powers Two Phones And A Tablet At The Same Time is a post from: The Inquisitr

Binoculars that shoot HD video aren’t new, but Sony’s new DEV-50V binoculars are smaller, smarter, and they shoot better HD video than previous options.

Sony’s new binoculars have auto focus and image stabilization even if you’re not recording what you see. When you want to save a moment the DEV-50V records full AVCHD 2.0 video with stereo sound. Its built-in camera also shoots 20.4 megapixel still photos.

“With the DEV-50V, you can observe wildlife in a way no other binoculars can achieve,” said Hidenori Toyoda, director of the camcorder business at Sony Electronics. “Couple that with its ability to capture impressive photos and video, and you have an innovative device that outperforms the competition on all levels.”

Unlike traditional binoculars, you’re not looking through parallell telescopic lenses. Instead, Sony has engineered it’s new binoculars to deliver 3D close ups through two electronic viewfinders. The digital zoom/magnification range is from 0.8x to 25x.

“Separate images for left and right eyes are captured by a matched pair of precision G Lens optics by Sony with “Exmor R” CMOS sensors and powerful BIONZ processors, offering a true stereoscopic view of the world as well as a 3D mode that records scenes in thrilling 3D video for playback on virtually any 3D-compatible TV.”

You can record video in 2D as close to a subject as a half an inch away and in 3D when your at least 32-inches away from what you’re shooting.

By switching from magnifying glass to electronics, Sony is able to deliver what they call “Hyper Gain” making it easier to see things in extremely low light.

Video can be shared by attaching the binoculars to a TV via HDMI or by transferring images and video via USB.

Internal GPS geo-tags both video and images.

An interchangeable, rechargeable battery pack provides three hours of recording time in 2D.

Sony’s DEV-50V HD recording binoculars go on sale in June for $2000.

Sony Introduces HD Video Recording Binoculars is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sony just announced a new Cyber-Shot digital camera that they’re describing as the world’s “smallest and lightest camera with 30X optical zoom.” The Cyber-shot HX50V camera has a 20.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor, and it’s body is only 4.4″ x 2.6″ x 1.2″.

If you’re a parent wanting to get up close photos of your kid playing sports or performing in a school play, this camera is worth a look.

Today’s smartphones do a pretty good job with digital zoom, but even in great light smartphones can’t give you the same crisp shot of a real lens with real zoom.

The difference between a digital and optical zoom is that digital zooming is artificial. Digital zoom is just software that gets you closer to the action. Optical zooming is done with a physical lens and moving glass. When you zoom in digitally the image degrades the more you zoom. That doesn’t happen with an optical zoom.

Sony says the image stabilization technology they’ve built into the Cyber-shot HX50V is twice as effective as last year’s technology. Autofocus is twice as fast.

One of the neatest things about the new Cyber-shot is that it has Wi-Fi and can wirelessly transfer photos and videos to a connected smartphone or tablet where they can immediately be shared with friends and family online. Built-in Wi-Fi also makes it possible to use a smartphone as a remote control if you install Sony’s free PlayMemories app for iOS and Android.

In addition to photos, the Cyber-shot HX50V shoots HD video with SteadyShot image stabilization.

For most users the automatic settings will be all you need. If you’re more serious about controlling how your photos look, you can go manual with the dedicated exposure compensation dail and the P/A/S/M dial.

As someone who shoots video professionally, one of the weaknesses of pocket cameras is that very few provide a way to attach an external mic. The HX50V has a Multi Interface Shoe that not only lets you attach an external mic, but also an electronic viewfinder and a flash.

Sony’s new camera will go on sale in May for around $450.

Sony Announces Cyber-Shot HX50V With 30X Optical Zoom is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor will go into mass production starting May 2013.

The 800 processor is Qualcomm’s system-on-chip followup to the popular Snapdragon 600. The previous version of the processor was used on popular smartphones including the LG Optimus G Pro.

Qualcomm promises that its new  processor will provide significant speed boosts over its prior 1.7GHz chipset while also consuming less energy and providing better overall benchmarks.

Speaking to Engadget, Qualcomm senior product manager Yufei Wang said the 28nm chip will go into mass production next month. Wang declined to offer what devices or manufacturers will be taking advantage of the new chipset.

So far, the Snapdragon 800 system-on-chip setup has been used on test devices including a potential new offering from ZTE. That device, the Grand Memo, was shown off at Mobile World Congress in February 2013.

Wang suggests that announcements from manufacturers will likely not arrive until June.

The Snapdragon 800 setup includes the Krait 400 architecture which allows the CPU to operate four asynchronous cores at speeds up to 2.3GHz without much of a power usage increase.

The system-on-chip’s Andreno 330 CPU providers 3k playback at 30fps. The chipset offers some nice connectivity options support including 802.11ac Wi-Fi, USB 3.0, 4G LTE, and Miracast.

Also included on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 system is the Quick Charge system and voice activation which are integrated.

Do you think mobile chipset technology is doing a good job of keeping up with consumer needs? Will you be purchasing a smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600?

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Going Into Mass Production This May is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kindle TV could be on the way from Amazon if a Wednesday report from Bloomberg Businessweek has any weight to it.

The website pointed to three anonymous sources, who had leaked stories that there would be an Amazon streaming device by the fall of 2013. Beyond the fact that it was in the cards, the sources didn’t cough up anything further, and, officially, Amazon is keeping its collective trap shut.

Just to start, this idea makes a lot of sense to us since the company pocketed $9 billion over the 2012 holiday season, and it’s much less problematic than getting into the brick and mortar business, which they’ve also considered.

In comments to Bloomberg, Jason Krikorian, a general partner at the DCM venture capital firm and co-founder of Sling Media, agreed that a set-top box would be a wise move for the online retailer.

“It would certainly make some sense,” Krikorian said. “They have a ton of content, an existing billing relationship with millions of users, an existing Android app marketplace that could be leveraged on the box, a reputation for solid hardware products, and a terrific channel through which to promote the product.”

In light of all these assets and resources Amazon has available, we’ve decided to put together our top five features we’d like to see should Kindle TV become a reality.

There is certainly a lot of ground the retailer can cover right out of the box, and we hope if they’re going to do it, they put some elbow grease into it. For more on the rumors, you can check the vid. If you want to get down to business, though, keep scrolling.

5. Minimum 1920 x 1080 High Definition Experience

We’d really like to see 4K capabilities, or 3840 x 2160, like the rumor Fast Company recently reported about Apple and its eventual plan to unleash an Apple television set; but considering that Amazon’s first Kindle Fire wouldn’t even allow streaming of HD movies, we don’t want to overplay our hand.

4. Blu-ray And DVD

If Amazon wants to make this an all-in-one experience, then why not leverage some of their other products? You can buy Blu-ray and DVD on the site now — in fact, looking at the prices, you’d be crazy not to — so why not incorporate a disc drive capable of playing these two popular home video formats? You could think about incorporating VHS, too, to play some of those hard-to-find cassettes Amazon has for sale, but let’s not get carried away.

3. Enhanced Instant Video Store And Prime Streaming

This is a no-brainer and the one thing Bloomberg’s three hush-hush sources had no problem disclosing. You will be able to access the store from your television, but to add to the obvious, we’d like to see an easier and more extensive search experience. An explanation of what we mean: on Xbox 360, the database of available movies is limited. We’d like the ability to see all available instant movies for one genre instead of having to go to the physical website and search for hours to see if there is an obscure, forgotten classic waiting in the wings.

2. Search On Steroids

A basic search function is a given, but add just one addition. If a movie is not available on Instant, but does have a disc available, allow us to make the purchase there and have it shipped to our house from the streaming device. For that matter, just have a shop button that allows us to keep a credit card on file, utilize one-click purchase settings, and buy books, games, blenders, and whatever else is available through the Amazon website (including the Z-shops) without getting off the couch.

1. Kindle Mirror Function

It’s understandable that some customers will purchase a Kindle TV without owning an actual Kindle, but for those of us who are fortunate enough to own both, why not have a push-button setting that enables mirroring? You could essentially use your Amazon tablet as a remote control in scrolling through the marketplace on your television. And with all the games and apps that are available, you could even turn your Kindle TV into an Android-based video game console. This would also enable users to access the same great apps — Netflix, ComiXology — that they can on their handheld devices.

If the Kindle TV rumors are true, which features would you most want to see — any of those listed above or something we’ve left off?

[Image via Flickr Creative Commons]

Kindle TV: Top 5 Features We’d Like To See For Rumored Amazon Streaming Device is a post from: The Inquisitr

Belkin has debuted a new wireless networking camera with 720p output. The Belkin NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera providers users with instantaneous access to their home, office, and other locations via smartphone and tablet-based devices.

The 720P NetCam HD also provides buyers with access to digital audio.

Belkin has created a simple to use system that requires only two steps to get started. Users download the free Belkin NetCam app for their Android or iOS device and then connect the camer to their home’s Wi-Fi router to begin streaming video and audio to their mobile device(s).

The Belkin NetCampapp also allows users to customize the camera’s offerings through email notification when motion is detected. Users can also choose to record video directly to their phone or tablet. This last option means a thief could steal a users computer and Netcam but still be caught in the act even after the home-based hardware is stolen.

The Belkin NetCam HD Wi-Fi Camera is already on sale at major retailers. The NetCam HD app is downloadable via the Apple App Store for iOS 4.2 and later. Android 2.02 or greater users can download the free app from the Google Play store.

With motion detection, 720P output and digital audio alongside mobile device support the Belkin NetCam is a steal at current pricing. The camera is especially great for less than technologically savvy computer users who are looking for a nice security cam solution that is easy to operate.

Do you like the idea of controlling your Belkin NetCam HD Wi-Fi camera directly from your smartphone?

Belkin Debuts 720P Netcam HD Wi-Fi Camera is a post from: The Inquisitr

The BeagleBone Black 1-GHz Linux Computer is only $45, about the size of a credit card and has the power to change the world.

It’s an open hardware and software development platform created by BeagleBoard.org, an open-source development community run by volunteers.

The organization was launched in 2008 by a group of engineers who wanted to work together to create powerful, innovative, open and embedded devices. The community now has over 5,000 active members including designers, makers, developers, and engineers.

BeagleBone Black ships with Ångström Linux installed on a Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor.

One thing that sets BeagleBone Black apart from other tiny little computers is that it’s an open project in every way, so that if you have an idea for a product that needs to be powered by a computer, it’s ready to do that.

Capabilities can be extended using plug-in boards called “capes” that can be plugged into BeagleBone Black’s two 46-pin dual-row expansion headers. Capes are available for, VGA, LCD, motor control, prototyping, battery power and other functionality.

In addition to 1GHz processor, the board has 2GB of storage using an eMMC, 512MB DDR3 RAM and a micro SD card slot for expansion.

It has a USB 2.0 port. The addition of a microHDMI cape adds video and audio functionality.

Since the computer is produced by an involved community, no one is alone when developing a Linux-powered product that will be powered by it:

“With all you need to get started included in the box for only  $45, BeagleBone Black is a fantastic platform for hardware hackers at a great value,” said engineer Limor Fried, Entrepreneur Magazine‘s Entrepreneur of the Year and found of Adafruit Industries. “BeagleBone Black and the BeagleBoard.org community can help almost any alectronic artist from beginner to professional developers easily bring their unique project concepts to reality.”

This video gives you a tour of the Black.

$45 1-GHz BeagleBone Black Linux Computer is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last September, Wester Digital announced the world’s first 5mm, 2.5-inch hard drive, and today WD announced it is available for sale.

The world’s thinnest hard drive is called WD Blue, and it’s exciting because it means we’ll be getting thinner laptops in the future. 5mm is about the thickness of a wooden cooking skewer.

It’s a 500GB hybrid drive that pairs MLC NAND flash storage for SSD-like data throughput and instant-on responsiveness with magnetic disks for efficient, high-capacity storage.

Beyond extreme thinness, the WD Blue offers several new innovations:

Best-in-class Acoustics and Shock – WD’s best-in-class acoustics use technologies that reduce noise when the drive is active or idle. The WD Blue and WD Black 5 mm drives deliver unprecedented operation and non-operation shock specifications with 400 G and 1000G, respectively.

Edge Card Technology – WD designed the connector and board utilizing cell phone miniaturization technology to maximize the mechanical sway space in the hard drive and ensure shock performance.

Edge Card Connector – WD Blue 5 mm hard drives also feature the first application of a new small form factor SFF-8784 edge connector. This new connector receives power from and interfaces with the host I/O bus via the SATA interface connector SFF-8784.

StableTrac™ – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations which enables consistently higher performance.

Dual Stage Actuator – Leading-edge enterprise dual stage actuators provide two actuators that improve positional accuracy over the data track(s). The primary actuator provides coarse displacement using conventional electromagnetic actuator principles. The secondary actuator uses piezoelectric motion to fine tune the head positioning to a higher degree of accuracy.

WD Blue is shipping today to distributers and device makers with a suggested price of $89.

This video isn’t about the WD Blue, but it is about Western Digital‘s hybrid drive technology.

World’s Thinnest Hard Drive Goes On Sale is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Nomad Cable is a three-inch short Lighting cable for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The super short charging cable is designed to be kept on a key chain so you’re never with a cable when you need one.

It’s as simple as gadgets get, but it’s the kind of thing that everyone with an Apple device needs.

On one end of the cable is an Apple certified lighting connector, and on the other is a USB connector with a cap that attaches to a key ring. The Nomad is almost exactly the same size as a key chain aluminum bottle opener. The plastic cap has specially designed indentions inside that provides a secure connection to a key ring.

The Nomad Cable was conceived by Chicago designers Kegan & Roberto, who realized leaving a cable at home by accident isn’t a good idea.

“Over the years we had accumulated enough Apple chargers that having a cable handy was never a problem,” they said. “However, with the release of the new lightning jack for the iPhone 5 we found ourselves back at square one… having to remember our charger every time we left home.”

It was important to the designers that the cable be Apple certified, and they worked hard to make that happen. Apple tested the sample and approved it earlier this month.

The Nomad Cable was successfully financed on crowd-funding website, Kickstarter on December 19th, 2012. It was featured on the websites Mashable and Macrumors, and it has also received an abundance of positive feedback from its 1,000+ Facebook fans.

The Kickstarter goal was $29,000 and ended up generating $39,475 in support.

The cable is now available for pre-sale at newly launched website, keroproducts.com. Kickstarter backers are expected to start receiving their cables by the end of May, and web pre-orders will ship after that.

Lightning Key Chain Charging Cable For Apple iPhone And iPad is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Apple iWatch is still just a rumored device, but that doesn’t mean consumers aren’t clamoring to get their hands on the highly touted piece of technology. A new 451 research study has found that customers are ready to jump at the chance to own an iWatch.

The firm polled 1,713 people from March 4 through March 19, mostly in North America. The survey told those people about the “probably” features likely to appear on the iWatch. Among those features were calling, texting, Apple’s Siri technology, mobile payments, and even health sensors.

Customers were also told that the Apple iWatch would likely sync with iPhone and iPad devices.

Five percent of poll answering participants says they are “very likely” to buy the iWatch while 14 percent said they were “somewhat likely” to buy the new wearable Apple tech. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they were unlikely to buy the product, and 14 percent still weren’t sure about an iWatch purchase.

While the survey asked both Apple and non-Apple product owners about their likelihood of buying the product, it also broke those numbers down further. When Apple owners were polled seven percent said they would “very likely” buy an iWatch while 18 percent said they were “somewhat likely” to buy the Apple iWatch. Only one percent of non-Apple owners said they were “very likely” to buy the iWatch while four percent said they were “somewhat likely” to buy the product.

When asked why some users would be willing to buy the iWatch, 18 percent said it was their “loyalty to Apple.” Sixteen percent of users said it was a nice “convenience” to own, and 14 percent of respondents said it was just plain “cool.” When asked about Apple integration with other products 11 percent of respondents said that factor was a big consideration for them.

Apple is expected to reveal the Apple iWatch before the end of 2013.

Apple iWatch Is Already Sought After By Customers, Study Finds is a post from: The Inquisitr

The LG curved OLED TV revolution is upon us! The electronics manufacturer showed off its new EA9800 TV at CES 2013, and now it will begin selling the televisions in the second half of 2013.

LG has not yet provided an exact release date for its new curve OLED TV displays.

Speaking about his company’s upcoming release, LG Home Electronics Product Communication team manager Hung W.K told Trustred Reviews:

“I can’t give you an exact time, but I think we will see the first curved TV devices on the market soon … Consumers will be most strongly immersed with this curve.” Vice president of Home Entertainment Thomas Lee advised that the “curved TVs are coming in the second half of this year,” and that curved TVs are “another major trend.”

LG designed the curved OLED TV displays so the display can be equidistant from the viewer’s eyes when viewed from a head-on angle.

According to an LG blog post, the curved display allows for less visual distortion.

The new display also takes advantage of a fourth white sub-pixel that adds to the RGB setup for a minimal bezel, 3D, and Smart TV functionality.

LG and other device manufacturers are continuing to release new technologies in an attempt to stay ahead of consumers. The tech industry has reached the point where consumers expect new and bold design features and functionality from their new pieces of technology.

Pricing has not been revealed at this time.

Do you plan on picking up an LG OLED Curved display television when they reach the open market?

LG Curved OLED TV’s Will Start Shipping In Second Half Of 2013 is a post from: The Inquisitr

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Dumbledore said, “One can never have enough socks. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair.” What Dumbledore thinks about socks, I think about USB ports.

A big part of being a geek is the accumulation of many, many gadgets requiring USB Power. We end up buying hubs to support them all. There are a lot of really strange USB hubs, but the 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub by Satechi isn’t one of the weird ones. It’s actually quite cool.

It looks like a power strip.

On top it has nine USB ports split into three groups of three. It also has three power switches (one for each group of three ports). The power switches keep the hub from leaking energy when you’re not using them  to power gadgets.

Each group of three ports has a glowing blue LED light when the power switch is on. Each individual port also has its own LED light that comes on when the port is charging or powering a device.

A 10th port on one end of the Satechi hub is more powerful to charge an iPad. iPad chargers can charge other devices faster so you could use it to charge something else when you’re in a rush. The 10th port has its own power switch too.

The Satechi 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub looks bigger than it is in the photo. It is 8.69″ long, 1.75″ wide, and 1.06″ tall. You can get a better sense of the size if you take a look at the video below.

To use the hub, your computer needs to have a USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 has the same connector as previous USB standards, but it provides much faster file transfer speed and is more power efficient. It’s 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB.

http://youtu.be/0QkILC4fN50

Satechi 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you are a software or hardware developer and you manage to get your hands on a pair of Google Glass, you can count yourself lucky. If you plan on selling or loaning out the glasses, your luck just ran out.

Under the Terms of Sale for the Google Glass Explorer edition, the company strictly forbids the sale or loaning of the device.

Google Glass has been such a hot product before its release that Google literally setup an application process for early access to a very limited number of Google Glass.

Google apparently doesn’t want profit mongers going after the glasses to turn a quick sale, and, therefore it created the TOS for the product.

Because of the TOS, critics have been quick to call the terms a bit overbearing.

According to Google’s Terms of Sale:

“You may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google’s authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.”

Google has not commented openly about its terms of sales for the Google Glass Explorer edition. Google has also not revealed the TOS for Google Glass in consumer edition. It is not likely that Google will attempt to restrict the resale of its final consumer item as that policy would be overbearing by tech product standards.

Also highlighted in the Google Glass Explorer edition TOS is that owners are not permitted to “serve or include any advertisements” on the devices. Developers also can not charge other Google Glass Explorer customers to download apps to their own pair of Google Glass.

Do you think the Google Glass terms of sale is too overbearing?

Google Glass TOS Forbids Resale, Loaning Product is a post from: The Inquisitr

Intel CEO Paul Otellini wants buyers to know that the future will bring with it Windows 8 touch-based devices for the low cost of $200.

Otellini believes that upcoming Windows 8-based devices running his company’s new Bay Trail processor could reach the $200 price point. Otellini notes that the upcoming Atom Micro architecture, which will be released by the end of 2013, will help lower device pricing further while allowing for improved designs and new feature sets at lower costs.

During his company’s quarterly results conference call, Otellini added:

“If you look at touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks that are ultrathin using [Bay Trail] processors. Those prices are going to be down to as low as $200.”

The quad-core 22nm Bay Trail system-on-chip is believed to double computing performance over current tablet processors while providing better on-chip security. An Intel executive in China has claimed that the new Bay Trail processor is the “most powerful Atom processor to date.”

Intel’s new design will allow for devices to sit at just 0.3 inches. The Bay Trail CPU also provides lower power consumption, which will allow devices to sit in standby mode for weeks at a time.

Otellini also says that the company’s Haswell-based ultrabook systems will push the cost of the higher end notebooks to $500.

Microsoft Windows 8 touch-enabled devices have been slow to pick up traction, and a $200 Windows 8 tablet could be just what the tech giant needs to increase seals.

The big question will be whether or not Microsoft is willing to cannibalize sales of its own $500 Windows Surface RT tablet in place of cheaper $200 devices.

Are you ready to switch over from an Apple iPad or Google Android touch-based device to a Windows 8 touch-enabled device that is priced at just $200?

Windows 8 Touch-Based Tablets Will Reach $200 Price Point is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Japanese startup is developing an alternative to Google Glass call Telepathy One.

Like Google Glass, Telepathy One is a wearable computing device with a small display that delivers information to a single eye and a camera that takes photos and video.

There are some significant differences in the design though. Telepathy One takes more design cues from headphones than from glasses. It wraps around the back of a person’s head from the right eye to the left ear. It’s held in place with in-ear earbuds.

A micro projector shows an image on a virtual five-inch display. The camera is so small it’s almost invisible.

Just like with Google Glass, a user controls the device with voice commands, touch, and hand gestures.

Telepathy One was created by Takahito Iguchi, a smartphone app developer. In an interview with Nikkei, Iguchi sees the device as something that will make the smartphone user experience better.

“Using a smartphone itself is cumbersome. You pull out the device and start an app. It involves 13 different steps just to share photos with your friends,” he said. “I want to eliminate these steps as much as possible. Sharing your thoughts instantly is what social networking is all about.”

Remarkably, Iguchi created a working prototype in just two months and took it to SXSW in Austin, Texas last month to demonstrate how it works.

“The core components already exist at Japanese manufacturers. We’ll also team up with major electronics makers for mass production. Our role is to bring together excellent Japanese technologies in a way that appeals to customers,” Iguchi said.

Iguchi distinguishes Telepathy One from Google Glass by focusing sharing life experience with friends and family in real time.

“Its functions are quite simple, so people can photograph, record and share what they see with their friends.” Iguchi said.

Telepathy One will go on sale in the US later this year. Iguchi hasn’t set a price, but expects it to be less than Google Glass.

Judging by this video from SXSW, it seems to delight people who got to try it out.

Telepathy One Is First Google Glass Alternative is a post from: The Inquisitr

Each year more people move from just having a TV to having more of a home theater set up. Some keep it simple, while others go all out to create a video and sound experience that’s better than going to the cinema. Anyone wanting to build a system with the best 7.2 surround sound experience starts caring about AV Receivers.

Yamaha just announced two new AV Receivers that support all kinds of state of the art wireless features from Apple’s AirPlay to wireless control via iPhone, iPad, Android, and Kindle Fire. The free controller app is customizable, so you can hide any unused buttons.

The AVENTAGE RX-A830 and RX-A730 are carefully designed to provide the best audio experience possible. Each electronic component is selected based on its sound properties based on hours of listening tests. Power supplies are individually optimized to reduce noise transfer into the audio signal.

“Each spring we stake our claim to the high end home entertainment market with our flagship AVENTAGE AV receivers” said Bob Goedken, general manager, Yamaha Corporation of America, AV division. “Our team of engineers and designers in Japan and the U.S. have again worked their magic to craft statement pieces that provide the ultimate sound and video quality for the most discerning listeners.”

In addition to AirPlay, both receivers are compatible with Internet radio services Rhapsody and Pandora. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes it possible to stream audio from other sources including iTunes running on a Mac or PC. Details like song title, artist name, and album art from streaming music are displayed on the front of the receiver.

You can connect USB storage devices to the receiver to play a wide variety of audio formats including WAV 192/24, MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC 192/24.

Yamaha engineers put a lot of thought into designing their new receivers for the best home theater audio. To ensure surround sound realism, they created a technology they call “Dialogue Lift” that “accurately positions dialog to come from the center of the viewing area when watching movies and television programming.”

Both AVENTAGE receivers route 1080p video from up to 8 HDMI connected sources. The RX-A830 can deliver two different HD video outputs at the same time.

If you’re just starting to learn about AV receivers, this video featuring home theater expert Robert Heron explains the basics.

Yamaha Unveils 2013 AVENTAGE Network AV Receivers With iPhone Control is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Dell Latitude 3330 has debuted and is directly aimed at students and businesses alongside an education friendly storage system.

The lightweight notebook features a 13.3-inch display that output 1,366 x 768 pixels resolution.

Also featured with the Latitude 3330 is a new Mobile Computer Cart, which is capable of transporting up to 30 notebooks at one time.

Dell also offers the Mobile Computing Cart with managed and unmanaged services, which can hold a wide range of notebook sizes and various form factors. The Managed storage solution includes remote management and IT updates for devices stored with the hardware. Because notebooks can be upgrade en masse and remotely, it takes some of the stress off the schools IT department.

Dell has configured the notebooks for use with various Intel processors from Celeron to Core i5 options. The notebooks also feature between 2GB and 6GB RAM. Educational and business consumers can also choose their operating system, which includes options for Windows 7, Windows 8, and the open-source Ubuntu 12.04 OS.

On the storage side, the notebooks offer four options: 128GB SSD, 320GB, 640GB, or a 500GB combined SSD and hard disk setup.

In terms of connectivity, the Dell Latitude 3330 offers Wi-Fi, WiDi support, a VGA connection, HDMI port, USB 3.0 ports, and the option to add USB docking. Dell also throws in a 720P HD webcame.

The Latitude 3330 will go on sale in April with a starting cost of $419. Customers wanting to pick up the Mobile Computer Cart will shell out $1,900 for the unmanaged solution and $2,800 for the managed option.

As tablets and smartphones continue to take over large swaths of the mobile computing market, it looks as if Dell’s approach surrounds ease of use through better mass device management.

Do you think the Dell Latitude 3330 will help Dell attract a consumer base that might otherwise try a smartphones and tablets for their students?

Dell Latitude 3330 Debuts With Specs, Mobile Computing Cart is a post from: The Inquisitr

Researchers at Panasonic have no plans to stop their plasma-based HDTV research or production. Panasonic USA vice president of merchandising Henry Hauser on Friday said plasma development is still taking place.

News of Panasonic’s plasma shutdown originally arrived by comments from Panasonic Display vice president Kiyoshi Okamoto. According to Okamoto, the company had “researched its last plasma display.”

Speaking about the technology’s future, Hauser said:

“The technology incorporated into our ZT Series Studio Master Panel will be the basis for continued plasma display panel development and production.

Hauser then added that there is “still room for further improvement” on plasma panel picture quality.

Panasonic will now continue its Plasma technology research to “even higher levels” than it has in the past. The company hopes to use what it learns in “other Plasma series in the future.”

Okamoto said during a 2013 HDTV presentation that the 65-inch ZT60 would use the “last plasma panel” from Panasonic’s R&D section. Okamoto at the time admitted that Panasonic would continue to product Plasma TVs through at least 2014. However, those newly produced TVs would be supported by already existing technology.

Panasonic may be at least slowing down Plasma screen research and development. The company recently re-positioned may of its top engineers to work on OLED R&D.

Panasonic’s top officials have claimed on numerous occasions that its future remains in OLED production. OLED displays have eclipsed Plasma displays over the last several years. At CES 2013, The Inquisitr team witnessed a boom in OLED technologies as companies showcased their ultra-slim displays and ultra-HD resolutions.

With the company debuting OLED 4K-based TVs, I don’t see much of a future in the aging Plasma TV infrastructure. Do you think Plasma TV technology is dead, or will Panasonic bring the technology back to the mainstream?

Panasonic Plasma Research Will Not Halt As Rumors Suggest is a post from: The Inquisitr

Vuzix AR eyewear gear is used by researchers who are working on the future of contextual, wearable computing. Google Glass is geeky in hopes of being accepted as cool. The new Vuzix STAR 1200 XLD augmented reality glasses skip geeky and goes straight to nerdy, but that’s a good thing.

You’re more likely to see these in a university laboratory than in a cafeteria in Silicon Valley.

We think what Google is doing with glass is new, but scientists like Steve Mann have been working on the technology for 35 years. Mann’s research goes well beyond what Google is doing so far. In the future, the technology will go beyond augmenting reality and actually improve vision.

The 1200XLD is an upgrade to the previous 1200XL. The new version is all digital.

The STAR 1200XLD is a see-through AR-enabled binocular Video Eyewear with a 35 degree field of view. In contrast to virtual reality glasses that obscure vision, this display allows users to view the real world while simultaneously viewing relevant computer generated information, graphics and alerts.

The STAR 1200XLD also supports audio and 2D or 3D video to virtually all HDMI-out devices. You can connect a single video eyewear model to products ranging from computers to smartphones.

The STAR 1200XLD has a native 16:9 format with full color WVGA (852 x 480) displays which is seen as a single 75″ virtual display (if you were standing 10 feet away from the screen). Adjustable eye-separation and AccuTilt® technology delivers visual clarity and display quality.

Basic use is as simple as plugging the HD camera into a USB port and the HDMI cable into any HDMI equipped host device. The STAR 1200XLD camera and display system are industry standard and compatible with most Windows based AR authoring software. The camera is 1080p HD camera features an integrated head tracker.

Paul J. Travers , Vuzix’s President and CEO, commented, “We are very proud to offer the world’s best selling see-through augmented reality eyewear systems. Some of the leading researchers around the world are using our STAR 1200XL to develop new ways to integrate AR into products from cars to sales and marketing tools, to assistive medical solutions. Vuzix is leading the evolution of AR into becoming accessible to the enormous consumer market. While the STAR 1200XLD is currently a tool for the research market, it utilizes our core technologies that are being integrated into our upcoming smart glasses for the consumer market.”

A Software Developer Kit (SDK) is available for free download from the Vuzix website.

Vuzix STAR 1200XLD Augmented Reality Glasses is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rob Honeycutt had an idea to make better Bluetooth earbuds. He launched the idea for his Elroy wearable Bluetooth earbuds on Kickstarter. Honeycutt reached his $30,000 funding goal in only eight hours and two weeks later surpassed his first stretch goal of $100,000.

“Now that we have our basic funding in the bag,” Honeycutt said. “My team and I are moving forward with product development this week.”

A few things make Elroy different. The electronics are housed in a tiny little candy bar shaped box smaller than a pack of gum. The box is designed to clip to clothing. Short wired earbuds plug into the box. The shorter cable means Elroy provides the wireless versatility of with the sound quality of wired earbuds.

On each side of the little Bluetooth transmitter is a magnetic docking point that holds the two earbuds. There are also buttons for controlling the volume of your Bluetooth connected audio source.

The neatest thing about how Elroy works is how you answer and hang up a phone call. If the buds are resting in the magnetic dock, moving a single earbud from the dock to your ear answers the call. Reattaching the earbud hangs up the phone call.

The same is true for listening to music. Attaching the buds to the transmitter pauses what you’re listening to. Removing the earbud starts the audio right where you left it.

Elroy uses Multipoint technology that lets you pair it with seven devices. If you’re watching a movie on iPad, and your iPhone rings, Elroy switches audio to iPhone to take the call.

The earbud cable is two-thirds the length of standard earbud cables to solve the problem of a cable getting caught on something and causing damage. The plug is a standard 3.5-inch jack, so if you prefer Another type of earbuds, or even big headphones, you can use those instead.

As with any Kickstarter project, backers have to wait awhile why the team can mass produce the device. Elroy will be made in the U.S.A.

Elroy Wearable Bluetooth Earbuds is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Apple preparing to invent a flexible screen in direct competition with Samsung Electronics? That appeared to be the case on April 1 when the tech giant posted and then pulled a job ad for a “flexible screen” engineer.

The project was posted on April 1 but then removed from circulation a short time later. The job posting called for a “Senior Optical Engineer” and said Apple, Inc. was seeking “a Display Specialist to lead the investigation on emerging display technologies such as high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible displays.”

Apple recently filed for and received two patents for flexible devices. The patents would allow the company’s OS to change modes as its display was manipulated by the user.

The post further stated that the senior engineer would be required to have ”in-depth understanding of display technology, particularly LCD & OLED design & optical performance trade-offs, including optical design, viewing angle, color and white point management, gamma and dimming control, visual performance and artifacts; and characterization metrics.”

While Apple files thousands of patents that are never used by the tech firm, this most recent job posting appears to verify that the company is at least investing in research & development for the new flexible display technology.

Apple has not revealed why it decided to pull the ad, perhaps it was posted prematurely or perhaps a senior engineer already working at the tech giant jumped at the chance to work with flexible displays.

If Apple hopes to win the flexible screen space it might want to hurt, early talk about Samsung’s flexible displays have been positive for the most part, a fact that gives Samsung the immediate edge in the flexible display space.

Here’s a look at Samsung’s own flexible screens for mobile devices:

Of course we won’t count Apple out regardless of how late they are to the flexible display game, after all the company has made a business out of adapting technologies late and then prettying them up for mass consumption.

Are you ready to use a smartphone with a flexible display or do you prefer the currently available flat screens?

Apple Posts Job Listing For ‘Flexible Screen’ Engineer, Then Takes It Down is a post from: The Inquisitr

When iPod engineer Tony Fadell announced Nest, every other company that makes thermostats must have gotten at least a little scared. It took awhile but one of the largest thermostat makers Honeywell just announced it’s own smart thermostat with Wi-Fi.

The Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat has a touch screen display and can be controlled via smartphone app or computer from anywhere with an Internet connection.

It will send mobile and email alerts to notify homeowners when their home is too hot or cold, the humidity level is too high or too low, when the filter needs to be changed, or if the home loses power or Internet connectivity.

The thermostat learns how long it takes to heat and cool the house, so if you want the house to be 70 degrees when you sit down to watch American Idol on Wednesday night, it can do that for you.

The touchscreen is large and a homeowner can adjust colors to match a room or to fit a mood. The display shows the room’s actual temperature and humidity levels, as well as outside weather conditions. Homeowners can choose to illuminate the home display making it easy to see from anywhere in the room, or allow it to go dark.

“As home décor evolves, consumers want their thermostat to complement their décor,” said Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls. “It puts creativity in the hands of the homeowner with our Color Match feature. Just as they pick fabrics and paint, they can choose what the Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat looks like in their home.”

Filter reminders are specific to the filter brand and amount of time the furnace is on/off, so filters are replaced only when absolutely needed to save money.

The Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat goes on sale in May for a retail price of $249.

Honeywell Introduces Smart Thermostat With Wi-Fi is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today at NAB in Las Vegas Sony unveiled the world’s first 4K Media Player and a video distribution service.

With a name only Sony could love, the FMP-X1 will be available this summer bundled with 10 feature films and video shorts in true 4K resolution for $699. In the fall of 2013, users of the same 4K Media Player will be given access to a fee-based video distribution service offering a library of 4K titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment and other notable production houses.

The feature films included with purchase of the 4K Media Player are Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Karate Kid (2010), Salt, Taxi Driver, That’s My Boy, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Other Guys and Total Recall (2012).

While 4K TV has it’s detractors, more pixels are never a bad thing. When paired with a 4K display, Sony’s new media player will deliver HDTV that is four times clearer then 1080p.

Remember what it was like when you bought your first HDTV, and then visited someone who still had a standard definition television? It was like looking at mud. Once our eyes see high resolution video, it’s very difficult to tolerate lower quality.

A major advantage that 4K brings to video producers is the ability to deliver better 3-D, and eventually 3-D without glasses.

In order to use Sony’s new 4K media player and distribution service, you’ll need a 4K capable display. Sony’s got you covered there too. Today Sony also announced pricing and availability for two of its new 4K TVs.

XBR-55X900A (55-inch) and XBR-65X900A (65-inch) 4K Ultra HD LED TVs will cost $4,999 and $6,999 respectively and are available for order online and at retail beginning April 21, 2013.

“These new models will be arriving in homes just before the summer and are sure to bring the enhanced viewing experience of 4K TV to a whole new audience,” said Mike Lucas , senior vice president, Sony Electronics Home Division. “Our TVs deliver a vibrant and natural picture that is four-times clearer than high definition. As for content, these new sets enhance all of the video people are watching today, and this summer our 4K media player,  followed in fall by the video distribution service will demonstrate how Sony continues to lead in bringing the 4K entertainment experience to viewers.”

Starting today, if you live near as Sony Store, you can see 4K TVs on display featuring true 4K and upscaled video.

Sony Announces World’s First 4K Media Player is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boxee Box DVR has rebranded itself as Boxee Cloud DVR in direct relation to its cloud-based digital video recording service.

The Boxee Cloud DVR not only features a new name; it also now provides five hours of DVR playback per month via the boxes free plan. Customers can also still choose to purchase an indefinite amount of storage space on a paid tier plan. Paid plans range in price from $5 to $15 per month.

The new Boxee Cloud DVR setup is currently limited to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Los Angeles

Some suburbs surrounding those metro areas are also included with the rebranded program. The service hopes to expand to more than 20 areas for DVR functionality by the end of 2013.

At this time, the Boxee DVR recordings are limited to channels that can be received over-the-air. Users can take advantage of the included Boxee Cloud DVR antenna or purchase a more powerful antenna for better network data collection.

Boxee streams a variety of top rated services including Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora, MLB.TV, and Spotify, among others. Users must be subscribed to many of the services to receive access.

Unlimited “all-access” service for the Boxee Cloud DVR plan is $10 per month. The actual Boxee Cloud DVR box can be picked up for $99.

When Boxee first burst onto the scene there were very few competitors in the field. Since that time, numerous multimedia set top boxes have become a reality. Those boxes now include offerings from TiVo, Roku, WD, Apple, Google, and others.

With a changing landscape in the multimedia recording business and more high-tech company’s rolling out Cloud-based services, it will be interesting to see how Boxee evolves.

Are you interested in picking up the new Boxee Cloud DVR, or have you moved on to other DVR technologies.

Boxee Box Rebrands As Cloud DVR, Offers Free Service Tier is a post from: The Inquisitr

Today at NAB Blackmagic announced its $995 Pocket Cinema Camera with an MFT mount for interchangeable lenses.

It looks a lot like any pocket camera, but it’s much more exciting than a point and shoot from the local electronics store. You can use this camera to make a real movie that looks like it’s shot on film.

According to Blackmagic, regular video cameras shoot in a limited dynamic color range, and that’s why your home videos look different than movies. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera packs a lot of technology into it’s solid magnesium alloy chassis to deliver results that look like they are shot using expensive professional gear.

The camera has a Super 16 size 1080p sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range and shoots either high quality ProRes 422 (HG) or lossless CinemaDNG RAW file formats. Digital film is recorded to SD cards with the filmmaker’s choice of 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.

Footage is ready to edit as soon as it’s recorded. A shooter can move the SD Card from the camera to a laptop and edit in Final Cut or AVID without the necessity to convert the file into a format that plays nicely with editing software.

The camera works with a wide variety of low-cost, interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lenses from different manufacturers.

On the back of the Pocket Cinema Camera is a high resolution 3.5″ LCD display both for shooting and playback. Iris and Focus controls are to the right of the LCD along with menu, power, and navigation buttons.

On the side, you’ll find connections for a micro HDMI cable, a 3.5mm stereo mic, headphones, remote control, and a 12V power source.

One of Blackmagics goals has been to create a professional quality camera that can be used in the smallest shooting environments, and in places where larger cameras would be dangerous.

Blackmagic Introduces Pocket-Sized Cinema Camera is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google Glass is already banned in strip clubs, shutting down any chance of the company’s revolutionary headgear making an appearance at several local watering holes.

Along with strip clubs, the technology is already banned in theaters, clubs, and casinos.

Google Glass is a small display situated in a frame much like eyeglasses. But the device can pair using Bluetooth to your smartphone or tablet. It can also use WiFi to access the internet.

A camera is available at the touch of a finger or even your voice — a problem for places like strip clubs and theaters where cameras are not allowed. Video recording is also available.

Peter Feinstein, managing partner of Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club in Las Vegas, is one of the first to say that the new Google Glass won’t be allowed inside. Hosts are required to check in any electronics a patron brings that could potentially be used for filming. Feinstein explained:

“We’ve been dealing with the cellphone-videoing and the picture-taking over the years, and we are quick to make sure that that doesn’t happen in the club. If we see [Google Glass] in the club, we would do the same thing that we do to people who bring cameras into the club.”

And that would be a limo ride back to that person’t hotel. While the device will likely (understandably) be banned in theaters, casinos, and strip clubs, Google Glass may also be banned at the gym — at least in the locker room.

While smartphones are becoming more and more common, Google Glass is a whole new element. It seems that the main potential issue with the technology will be protecting privacy. NBC spoke with several different organizations about the new technology, the majority of which are not yet prepared to release statements about it.

Drew Donofrio, a private investigator in New Jersey, expressed his wariness about the new technology. Donofrio explained, “My immediate concern for [Google Glass] was from a sexual predator viewpoint. Locker rooms, bathrooms, playgrounds … all [Glass] requires is a line of sight.”

Are you disappointed you won’t be able to take Google Glass into strip clubs?

[Image via Antonio Zugaldia]

Google Glass In Strip Clubs? Not A Chance is a post from: The Inquisitr

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has withdrawn its main objection to Apple’s trademark filing for the Apple iPad mini.

A USPTO examiner recently denied Apple’s filing because the name was viewed as descriptive. Apple instead of submitting proper paperwork also simply printed out a sales page for the iPad mini. Apple printed out the paperwork to prove that the device was already on sale.

The USPTO pulled its objection last Wednesday but waited until Monday to announce its decision.

Following the agency’s original objection to the filing, Apple said it would submit new evidence. However, the USPTO did not require a new filing before it took action.

While the USPTO withdrew its main iPad mini objection, it did note that several other concerns are still on the table. The biggest objection is that other companies already own trademarks and sell products with the “mini” name included in their product titles.

The USPTO is not requiring that Apple file any more trademark requests. The agency does suggest that Apple amend its paperwork to note specifically that it only wants to protect the exact name “iPad mini” and not other “mini” based names.

While the USPTO has not explained why it withdrew its main complaint, there is a good chance it was caused by the media attention the rejection brought.

Apple over the last several months has had a hard time protecting its patents and naming rights. The company is currently fighting a losing battle in Germany.

With courts and federal agencies tightening their controls over trademarks, copyrights, and patent filings, there appears to be a shifting tide in the tech industries fight against overly used legal filings.

Do you think Apple should be allowed to own the iPad mini trademark if it promises to only trademark that term and not the “mini” wording?

USPTO Withdraws Main Objections To Apple iPad Mini Trademark is a post from: The Inquisitr

London, England – Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 customers in London were treated to a special surprise on Friday when the company released the tablet with limited available.

The new mid-sized tablet went on sale at the Samsung Experience Store at the Westfield Stratford City shopping center in London

Customers began picking up the Wi-Fi only version of the device for £339. For that pricing, customers were given a modest 16GB of internal storage.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 8.0 during February’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. At the time, the company did not reveal a release date or pricing for the new mid-sized tablet. Eventually the Galaxy Note 8.0 is expected to arrive at retailers around the world including sellers in the United States.

The early release was spotted by the Android Central team while examining an announcement from the company’s flagship London store. Customers picking up the tablet were also treated to £60 worth of additional software and a £20 Samsung Learning Hub voucher.

Samsung also threw in a two-month subscription to The Times, AVG Pro, and a month of Samsung Music Hub service.  Gamers can also enjoy Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Sonic 4: Episode 2.

In what is quickly becoming an industry standard practice, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 also dropped with 50GB of free Dropbox storage for two years.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 id powered by the Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. The Samsung tablet is also one of the first Android offerings to sit between 7-inch and 11-inch devices.

Are you preparing to pick up the Galaxy Note 8.0 when it arrives at a retailer in your neck of the woods?

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Receives Early Limited Release In London is a post from: The Inquisitr

Intel on Friday admitted that a flaw exists in the USB 3.0 connection por on its Haswell processors. The bug is related to the silicon that was used is creating the USB ports. The bug has caused USB 3.0 ports to vanish after entering a low power state.

The USB device is immediately recognized again after a user disconnects and reconnects the USB device.  The Haswell chips operate with as little as 10-watts of power. The chipset was demonstrated on-stage during the Linktext 2012 Consumer Electronics Show demo. The demo allowed an Ultrabook to run for 13-hours on a single charge with a detachable-keyboard.

In a statement regarding the bug, Intel said it was planning to move forward with the Haswell processors launch after issuing a quick fix. According to the company:

“4th gen Core is on track for a midyear launch. Intel issued a PCN (Product Change Notification) documenting a chipset USB errata and stating that chipsets with the errata will be in production during the initial ramp. But Intel has confirmed that there is no chance of data loss or corruption. This issue has only been observed with a small subset of USB SuperSpeed thumb drives and does not affect other USB peripherals. We take all customer issues seriously and should any customer have a question or concern they can always contact Intel customer support.”

Intel will send a revised version of the chip to manufacturers starting April 19. The final version of the Intel Haswell chip will become available on July 15.

Because PC manufacturers have had the Haswell chipset on-hand for the last two months, it is likely that some devices may feature the flaw upon release.

Not only is the Haswell chipset a lower power consumer; it also doubles graphical processing performance.

PC manufacturers and Mac OS X desktops are expected to incorporate the Intel Haswell processor with its USB 3.0 capabilities by the second half of 2013.

Intel Admits USB Problem With Haswell Processors, Confirms Fix is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dell on Friday began offering an Ubuntu-OS based version of its Alienware X51 gaming PC. The new option means customers can now choose between Windows or Ubuntu when making their purchase.

Thanks to the cheaper build costs based on the Ubuntu Linux system, users can save about $100 when choosing to ditch Microsoft Windows.

The Alienware X51 gaming PC comes pre-stocked with drivers from Nvidia so Linux users are ready to plug and play out of the box.

To help promote the Ubuntu Linux build Dell is pushing customers towards the Steam marketplace, which offers a good number of Linux-compatible games for purchase. Many of the Steam apps feature Big Picture Mode support for big-screen television output.

The Alienware X51 features Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors and offer up to 8GB of RAM. Also available is the option between Nvidia GeForce GT645 or GTX660 GPU’s.

The Ubuntu Linux OS can be purchased for $599. For that price, customers receive the Intel Core i3-3220 running at 3.3GHz with 6GB of DDR3 RAM, and a1GB GTX 645 GPU

The shift towards spotlighting Ubuntu could spell further trouble from Microsoft at a time when Windows 8 is being less than well received by general users. The lower cost of the Ubuntu OS could also force Microsoft to rethink its own pricing structure for future Windows OS updates.

Are you willing to give Ubuntu a test drive on a serious gaming system, or would you rather stick with the tested and proven Microsoft Windows setup for your gaming PC?

Dell’s Alienware X51 Gets Ubuntu-Based Linux Option is a post from: The Inquisitr

Blackberry’s road map was recently leaked and in those plans was laid out what the company would be working on in the coming months. The company is attempting to make a miraculous comeback after being all but left for dead by the tech industry in the last few years.

The Blackberry 10 smartphone launched last month and it appears that the company is looking to follow that up with a brand new line of wide screen smartphones that are most often referred to as Phablets.

In the plans that were leaked, there are three devices which are actually highlighted. It appears that the Blackberry is going to come back with a tablet that will sport a widescreen aspect. The tablet is expected to ship in the third quarter of this year.

The “U10″ Phablet is going to also be shipping at the end of this year while another smartphone, being referred to as the R10 in the plans will be launching in the spring of 2014.

While the leaked plans, which come in the form of slides that were put together for a presentation don’t have details there are drawings of the devices and what their screen size will be to one another in comparison.

Among the devices looks to be a smartphone that will have a flipout Qwerty equipped keyboard. If these devices actually do all come to the market, it would show that BB10′s relaunch really wasn’t a one time deal.

One has to wonder whether the rebirth of the company will actually be able to be pulled off, or whether this relaunch is merely putting off the failure of the company for another couple of months.

It seems that there are some who feel as though the company could find a way to stick. Issuing a Phablet could be one way to enter a market that is still fledgling but growing stronger.

Are you excited to hear about these new Blackberry devices?

Blackberry’s Leaked Plans Shows Phablets, More On Horizon is a post from: The Inquisitr

The IBM Roadrunner supercomputer is headed for retirement despite still being classified as one of the world’s 25 fastest supercomputers.

The $121 million supercomputer, housed at a nuclear weapons research laboratory in northern New Mexico, will be decommissioned on Sunday.

While the supercomputer is still superfast, it is also much larger, less energy efficient, and more expensive to maintain than newer technologies.

Gary Grider, a Los Alamos National Laboratory worker in the high performance computing division, tells NBC News:

“Roadrunner got everyone thinking in new ways about how to build and use a supercomputer. Specialized processors are being included in new ways on new systems and being used in novel ways. Our demonstration with Roadrunner caused everyone to pay attention.”

The IBM Roadrunner supercomputer broke an important record in 2008 when it became the world’s first supercomputer to break the petaflop barrier, processing more than one quadrillion mathematical calculations per second.

While the supercomputer was build with help from IBM and world class nuclear weapons engineers, it was build using commercially available parts. The supercomputer eventually took up 278 refrigerator-size racks that were filled with two different processor types. The supercomputers builders utilized 55 miles of fiber optic cable to operate the supercomputer.

Researchers have utilized the supercomputers technology to examine the universe, understand lasers, fight viruses, and build better nuclear weapons technology by improving the nation’s aging weapons arsenal.

Los Alamos researchers are now sharing supercomputer Cielo with scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Cielo is faster and takes up less space. Cielo was also cheaper to build at just under $54 million.

Researchers believe they will break the exascale barrier, or one quintillion calculations per second, by 2023 to 2033.

Speaking of Roadrunner’s achievement Chris Deeney, NNSA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Stockpile Stewardship, said on Sunday:

“Roadrunner exemplified stockpile stewardship: an excellent team integrating complex codes with advanced computing architectures to ensure a safe, secure and effective deterrent. Roadrunner and its successes have positioned us well to weather the technology changes on the HPC horizon as we implement stockpile modernization without recourse to underground testing.”

No ceremony will be held for IBM’s Roadrunner supercomputer; instead, researchers will spend the next month figuring out how to best compress data they have already created with the Roadrunner’s help.

IBM’s Roadrunner Supercomputer Gets Wylie Coyote’d By Faster, Greener Tech, Officially Retires is a post from: The Inquisitr

In his famed book, Brave New World, Aldous Huxley writes about the feelies, movies that engage all of our senses. A team at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology is reaching towards Huxley’s famed movies, focusing first on the sense of smell.

The team recently demoed their new prototype device at IEEE’s Virtual Reality Conference.

The TV uses four corner-mounted fans to mix together scents, thus immersing viewers with their sight and olfactory senses.

According to the group, the device merges and adjusts vapors which are fed through four airflows. The fans and there newly created vapor scents then trick viewers into believing that the scent is coming from a localized area of the screen.

There are still a lot of factors that have not been revealed. For example, how much will it cost to stock the needed scents? TV viewers were mad enough when they found out original 3D glasses for TVs often required regular battery changes or charging. It is unlikely most TV viewers will pony up cash to smell the inside of an Alien chamber in Predator vs. Aliens. Other possible smells just frighten us.

Whether or not the smell-o-vision based TV makes it to market is anyone’s guess; however, what the prototype does show is is that hardware producers are realizing that they need to engage audiences on a more intimate level.

I for one don’t want to smell the TV shows I watch; I am just fine with focusing on my suspension of disbelief.

Several movie theaters tried smell-o-vision years ago, and the results were less than pleasing. Perhaps with today’s technology, the tech could finally meet expectations, but we doubt it.

Here’s a first look at the smelly TV’s setup:

While we think the entire concept of a smell friendly TV is a bit silly, we do see the advantage of watching the Food Network with the new device.

Would you be willing to even consider the idea of purchasing a smell creating TV?

TV Prototype Creates Scents, Brings Us One Step Closer To Aldous Huxley’s ‘Feelies’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kids these days are technologically advanced. 1-year-olds figure out how to move around iPads, 9-year-olds are developing computer programs, and teens are getting in all types of digital trouble. Now a new Kickstarter project known as the MiiPC is attempting to allow parents to follow their possibly mischievous children around the web.

The MiiPC is a Google Android powered PC that keeps track of all online browsing and the content children are coming in contact with.

The MiiPC connects to most computer monitors or TV screens, allowing parents to track internet usage by way of a mobile powered app.

Running on the Google Android OS the platform allows each family member to access their own separate desktop account, thus ensuring monitoring matches the child.

The platform monitors both website visits and app usage, the perfect way for parents to tell if their child is doing homework for school or goofing off with Candy Crush Saga.

If your child won’t get off the device when told the MiiPC offers a remote logout option and the ability to prevent future logins.

Parents also gain access to a log of online use that can be controlled in real-time.

Apparently parents really want to make sure their children are safely browsing the internet, the MiiPC reached its $50,000 funding goal in less than 24 hours and has now achieved $108,062 at the time of this posting.

Here is a video of the MiiPC:

Money earned so far has come in the form of 750 backers. There is still 40 days remaining in the Kickstarter campaign.

The MiiPC is available through Kickstarter at the very reasonable price of $99. The devices won’t ship until August but you can get your order in now and be at the front of the line.

Are you interested in the MiiPC and its ability to track internet usage for your children in real-time?

MiiPC Runs On Android, Monitors Web Activity Of Children is a post from: The Inquisitr