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Samsung INNOV8; 8 is for the megapixels onboard

gagan — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:43:21 +0000

Gagan:

Samsung is attacking the range of high-end camera phones with full force. The latest to one bring home loads of mega pixels is Samsung’s INNOV8, also known as i8510 in some quarters. The Symbian S60-based smartphone has 8 MP camera accompanying its stylish black looks. The slider handset also has a 2.8” QVGA LCD with 16 million colors. There are some of the other stuff to look forward to like embedded 3D games, high speed data connections, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, and a host of entertainment features. But the center of all attractions will be the terrific camera that’s incorporated. The 8-megapixel autofocus device has image stabilization, face detection, ability to take panoramic photographs, Wide Dynamic Range, and even a receiver of images with geotag locations using the GPS. INNOV8 records QVGA videos at 120 fps and VGA videos at 30 fps and has fully loaded video editing software in the phone itself. The entertainment is guaranteed with FM radio, 3D surround sound, and a standard 3.5 mm output jack. The internal flash memory in this device is 16 GB and there’s also a microSD slot for more. The headset has Bluetooth 2.0 stereo support making it even more enjoyable. i8510 measures 106.5 X 53.9 X 17.2 mm and has battery that lasts up to 300 minutes of talk time. INNOV8 has European release due this August.

Via

Chinavasion claims they have created world’s thinnest MP4 player

Natesh Sood — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:41:00 +0000

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video

Chinavasion recently unveiled their new MP4 player that they claim is the world’s thinnest portable media player. It even beats Brando’s disappearing screen MP3 player, in fact this 4GB CVSJ-1304 beats the former record holding device by a whole millimeter!

To give you some perspective on how thin this 4.5mm thin device is, it would take 4 credit cards stacked on top of each other to be at equal thickness. It comes with a 1.8 inch touch screen, with a resolution of 160 x 128, supports media formats such as MP4, MP3, WMA, ASF, and WAV. Additionally, it comes with an FM tuner, a rechargeable battery and USB connectivity. It is already on sale for only $39.55, which is a great price for a 4GB MP4 player, especially one that is this thin.

Via [PMP Today]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

D-Link elves, never sleeping, roll out another network security camera

Nino Marchetti — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:33:22 +0000

I don’t think the people at D-Link sleep given the fact they put out so many products all the time. The latest to cross the tech news wires is the new D-Link Fixed Dome Network Camera (DCS-6110), priced at around $700.

The D-Link Fixed Dome Network Camera (DCS-6110) is designed for professional indoor surveillance and security applications, though you can probably mount a few of these bad boys around the home as well. It is an IP-based network camera equipped with PoE support so it can receive both power and data over a single Ethernet cable, allowing it to be placed in locations that aren’t near a power outlet.

Features of the DCS-6110 include support of simultaneous dual streaming of MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG (MJPEG), 3GPP “Mobile Surveillance” from a properly equipped mobile phone and email notifications via the included management software. It is available now.

D-Link Fixed Dome Network Camera (DCS-6110)

Samsung offers up for sale new Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box system

Nino Marchetti — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:54:47 +0000

Samsung is kicking out another home theater in a box system which sports an included Blu-ray Disc player. This one is called the Samsung HT-BD2E and pricing will be at around $800.

The Samsung HT-BD2E, which will be available in August, joins two similar systems Samsung already offers. This particular system reportedly offers the same quality features as the others while also offering a more “user friendly” 5.1-channel design. It includes your four typical statellite speakers, a center channel and a passive subwoofer.

Features of this system include 800 watts of total power, support for most major surround sound formats, HDMI output, Bluetooth wireless rear speakers and 1080p Blu-ray playback.

Samsung

Aperion debuts new tower home theater speakers

Nino Marchetti — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:33:58 +0000

Aperion Audio announced a few days ago a new two-way home theater tower speaker designed to put out big audio in a compact design. It’s called the Aperion Intimus 4T and pricing is set around $650 per pair.

The Aperion Intimus 4T tower speakers feature dual 4″ woven fiberglass composite mid-woofers and a reportedly audiophile grade 1″ silk dome tweeter. A pair of these speakers is designed to be used as either the main speakers in small to medium sized rooms, or they can be used as surrounds as part of a larger system. Body colors to choose from include gloss black or real cherry.

Features of the 4T speakers include an anti-resonant cabinet, magnetic shielding on the speakers, five-way gold-plated binding posts and floor spikes and footers. They are available now.

Aperion Intimus 4T [via eCoustics]

JVC HP-SX505 Neodymium headphones announced

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:13:36 +0000

JVC have updated their Neodymium in-ear canal headphone range with the HP-SX505, keeping the same folding design as the earlier HA-SX500 but, according to a company rep, tweaking the specifications. The new set support a frequency range of 8Hz - 22,000Hz and have a pressure sound sensitivity of 104dB/mW from the 16mm Neodymium driver units.

Maximum power input is 200mW, and while the fixed cord is 0.8m long they’re likely to ship with an extension (as did the HA-SX500 set). A brass ring is meant to reduce vibration and “energy loss”, though I’m not entirely sure how that’s meant to work.

The JVC HP-SX505 in-ear canal headphones go on sale at the beginning of August 2008, with a MRSP of €80 ($125). They’re currently available for pre-order from GeekStuff4U.

[via Gear Live]

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Microsoft Spherical Surface to be shown at DemoFest 2008

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:01:22 +0000

Microsoft will be demonstrating a spherical version of their multitouch-capable Surface system at the company’s Research Faculty Summit 2008 DemoFest, according to their own booth map. The phrasing suggests that Surface, which is currently a flat table that can respond to multiple points of contact (see our two hands-on demos here and here), has developed into a round display that would be more usable by a larger number of people.

A spherical touchscreen would present a variety of technical challenges no matter the mechanics. Currently, Surface use a camera to identify points of contact on the glass table-top, changing the image projected from underneath accordingly. Translating this onto a sphere would likely require multiple cameras and multiple projectors to ensure full coverage. Resistive or capacitative touchscreens are yet to be used in such large-scale or oddly shaped applications.

It’s unclear whether the “Multi-Touch Spherical Display” is merely a proof-of-concept or a potential product idea. Currently Surface has found applications in AT&T stores and casinos; a version that could be used from all angles might be useful as an information point in shopping malls and resorts.

[via Electronista]

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Scientific laboratories at night

Collin Cunningham — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Seed Magazine posted an interesting photo series documenting scientific laboratories after dark. Describing the top photo above -

Much of the fundamental knowledge that underpins our search for extraterrestrial life and supports our understanding of our solar system's history and evolution emerges from this small room in Theodor Kostiuk's laboratory. On the rightmost table, infrared light from a powerful carbon dioxide laser excites various molecules to reveal their spectroscopic signatures. This and other lasers in the lab often operate overnight to increase the precision of their measurements.

- Labs At Night [via Music Thing]

LEGO spinner car from Bladerunner

Gareth Branwyn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:00:00 +0000

I've been enjoying Joel Johnson's fawning fanboy coverage of Syd Mead on Boing Boing Gadgets. Hey, I'd fawn, too. I'm a huge fan of Mead's and even thought about becoming a conceptual or industrial designer on his inspiration. In this episode of BBtv, Joel talks with Mead about the awesome one-of-a-kind Spinner police vehicle from Bladerunner that the folks at LEGO did as a present to Syd.

Blade Runner LEGO Spinner Car: Syd Mead with Joel Johnson

The other Mead segments on BBtv:

Syd Mead with Joel Johnson, part 3: BLADE RUNNER

Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 1.

Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 2.

Intel Pentium M based EP80579 System-on-Chip announced

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:48:37 +0000

Intel have announced a new product line, based on the Pentium M, intended for consumer electronics, mobile internet devices and embedded systems. The EP80579 Integrated Processor SoC (System on Chip) will ship in eight different variations, differentiated by CPU speed (ranging from 800 to 1,200MHz) and DDR2 memory controller speed (ranging from 400 to 800MHz); all will have 256kb of L2 cache and a “variety of integrated communications and embedded I/O controllers”.

These include triple gigabit ethernet connections, two USB, two Serial ATA, and PCI Express (in 1×8, 2×4, or 2×1 lane configurations). Power requirements are also down, as much as 34-percent less than previous Intel SoC products. Half of the chips will have QuickAssist technology that speeds cryptographic and packet processing in security applications, running at 13-21W, while those without it are even more frugal at 11-19W.

The EP80579 family is only the first of more than fifteen new SoC from Intel, some of which will be based on the Atom CPU. These new models will begin to show up in new products from later this year. Meanwhile, there are apparently fifty companies (identities undisclosed) lined up to use the EP80579 chips.

[via The Tech Report]

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ASUS Trinity triple-GPU video card benchmarked

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:36:03 +0000

When they’re not pumping out minute variations in Eee designs, ASUS have been taking the time to throw together some interesting prototypes. Today’s example, the ASUS Trinity, is a proof-of-concept video card that comprises three GPUs; basically, it’s three notebook versions of the ATI Radeon HD 3850 fitted into a specially crafted CrossFireX ‘board.

The whole thing is wired up with ATI CrossFire ribbon cables, sandwiched in with three MXM graphics module slots. ASUS sent the Trinity to HotHardware, complete with a Thermaltake BigWater 760is cooling system, and they took great delight in benchmarking the one-of-a-kind device.

“As a reference point, in our Company of Heroes testing, a single Radeon HD 3850 would score somewhere in the neighborhood of 37 FPS at 1280×1024 with 4X AA, whereas Trinity scores nearly 55 FPS. That’s a 48% increase in speed but three times the GPU horsepower thrown at the task” HotHardware

That may not sound too promising, but HotHardware put it down more to poor drivers, lacking PCI bandwidth and the fact that the whole thing was pretty much cobbled together. They also suggest that it could foretell a time where desktop graphics cards use a modular GPU system, with upgrades made indecently straightforward: just swap out the module.

ASUS have no intention of building the Trinity, apparently.

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Toshiba reveal netbook plans with 5.6-inch touchscreen prototype

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:18:32 +0000

Toshiba have decided to step into the budget netbook arena with a device of their own, although the company is at pains to point out that their device may not be a direct competitor to the ASUS Eee. Their prototype - which appears to have been squeezed into a casing we first saw back at CES 2008 - uses a 5.6-inch touchscreen interface and an on-screen keyboard, and runs an Intel Atom processor and Windows Vista.

Storage is courtesy of a 64GB SSD, while the motherboard is apparently half the size of that found in the Portégé R500. It also has GPS. PC Authority report that it runs “relatively smoothly”, although usability was impacted by the lack of hardware keyboard: “it was a bit awkward with the virtual keyboard taking up two-thirds of the screen”.

Bizarrely, however, Toshiba are saying that the prototype is “too small” to be commercially viable, and that it’s purpose is merely to “spur development ideas”. The eventual machine, which the company has confirmed is coming, could have a 9-inch display, but there are “six or seven” other potential niches they are considering.

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HP iPAQ 910 WM6.1 smartphone reviewed by PHONE Mag

Chris Davies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:02:37 +0000

Over at PHONE Magazine the full review of HP’s iPAQ 910 Business Messenger smartphone is up, and it’s turned out to be a pretty impressive handset. Running Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro with a QVGA touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard and the best stylus we’ve seen for years, the iPAQ 910 could honestly be considered a return to form for the company.

Under the hood there’s 3G HSDPA running at up to 7.2Mbps, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (supporting the A2DP wireless stereo profile) and GPS. Google Maps is included in the device’s ROM, and there’s plenty of storage space left for third-party apps. HP even get the ball rolling, including Cyberon Voice Command & Recorder, which managed to recognise both phone numbers and email dictation without any prior training.

“Make no mistake, the HP iPAQ 910 is very much a business smartphone. It might not have a slick GUI or digicam-replacing camera, but if you’re looking for a single handset that can keep up with your work life and, in many instances, save you from pulling out your laptop, you’ll not be disappointed.” PHONE Magazine review

The HP iPAQ 910 is available now, SIM-free and unlocked, priced at $499. That may sound like a lot, but you’re getting a very capable handset for your money. Check out the full review for all the details.

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Samsung announces new 8 megapixel mobile phone based on Symbian OS

Maximus — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:54:00 +0000

INNOV8 brings ultimate multimedia entertainment to consumers

LONDON, United Kingdom – 24 July 2008 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Symbian Limited today announced the Samsung INNOV8, (model : i8510, pronounced [in-uh-veyt]). This ultimate entertainment mobile phone is equipped with high-end features and multimedia including an 8 megapixel camera, internet browsing and ergonomics. This is Samsung’s eighth mobile phone based on Symbian OS™, the global market-leading open mobile operating system for mobile phones.

INNOV8 is based on Symbian OS v9.3, bringing the highest level of power efficiency, platform security and phone performance. It includes demand paging, an OS component which enables shorter start-up times for applications and advanced memory management resulting in more responsive applications and phone features. This ensures INNOV8 works as quickly as mid-range phones only with better quality features suitable for consumers who want more from their handset.

INNOV8 brings users a ‘cinema in your pocket’ experience through access to a rich suite of applications from the S60 applications library, they can watch videos, including DivX files, view pictures and play two exclusively free embedded 3D games on the 2.8” LCD display. With HSDPA connectivity at 7.2Mbps and seamless connection through Wi-Fi, Samsung INNOV8’s optical mouse and easy navigation enables users’ quick internet browsing, alongside GPS and geo-tagging.

Earlier this year Samsung launched the G810 with a 5 megapixel camera running on Symbian OS™ v9.2. Some key multimedia and security features include audio and video capture and recording framework, still image conversion, 3D graphics support, application capability management and application data caging. In 2007, Samsung launched six mobile phones based on Symbian OS, including the Samsung i400, i450, i458, i520, i550 and i560. All seven phones are currently available in the market. Read more.

Samsung INNOV8 will be available in Europe from August 2008.

- Ends -

Editors notes
More about Samsung INNOV8
The Samsung INNOV8 has features of a high end digital camera phone including 8 megapixel camera with blink shot and smile shot. It has a choice of an 8 or 16GB internal memory with FM radio and Bluetooth.

Other core features include a 12000mAh battery and a large 2.8” LCD screen, offering a convenient environment when viewing content on the Internet or maps on the GPS navigation feature.

Feature chart:

Network HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS v9.3, S60 v3.2
Display 2.8” QVGA 16M TFT LCD
Camera 8 Megapixel CMOS with AF and Dual Power LED
Smart Reader, Image Stabilizer, Auto-Panorama Shot, Smile Shot,
Blink Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Face Detection
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4)

QVGA 120 fps Video recording, VGA 30 fps recording

Video Editing

Audio FM Radio with RDS
DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / AMR/ RealAudio)
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP)
3.5pi output
Other features A-GPS
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 / USB 2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 16GB Flash + External Memory slot : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)
Size 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 300/510 min (3G/2.5G)
Stand-by time: up to 330 / 310 hrs (3G/2.5G)

Ericsson wins prime integrator revenue assurance contract with Telefónica across Latin America

Maximus — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:53:00 +0000

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) will provide business consulting and systems integration services for Telefónica's fixed and mobile operations across Latin America, allowing Telefónica to improve control of its revenue streams.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide business consulting services including financial-risk evaluation and revenue assurance life-cycle management, supported by technical analysis. Ericsson will also provide systems integration services such as design, adaptation and integration of customized Revenue Assurance solutions for Telefónica's Latin American operations.

Ericsson's transformation project and solution will enable Telefónica to gain greater control of its operations and prevent the recurrence of inconsistencies that adversely affect revenue.

Luis Miguel Gilpérez, Wireless Executive Director Telefónica Latin America Group, says: "As a long-term partner, Ericsson understands our specific needs and has detailed knowledge of our business processes, making it the perfect choice to take on the prime integrator role to drive and manage this complex transformation project and deliver us a competitive edge."

Ingemar Naeve, President of Ericsson Iberia , says: "We are proud to continue our long-running partnership with global customer Telefónica. Our expertise in business consulting and systems integration, together with our deep knowledge of Telefónica's infrastructure and technology, will help Telefónica increase revenue control for both fixed and mobile sides across its Latin American operations.

"This milestone contract reaffirms Ericsson's position as the leading provider of telecom services. The deal also underlines the importance of the prime integrator role to drive and manage these kinds of complex transformation projects," Naeve says.

Based on its technology leadership and expertise in business and technology consulting, network deployment and systems integration, Ericsson is well-positioned to take on the role of prime integrator

Ericsson Business Consulting provides leading companies in the telecom, media and internet industries with advisory services for business strategy, service and application development, operational efficiency and revenue management. Ericsson has carried out more than 700 business consulting projects around the world and is a leading provider of business consultancy services.

Ericsson's Systems Integration organization delivers more than 1000 systems integration projects per year in multivendor and multiple-technology environments. Projects range from single-solution integration projects to end-to-end solution transformation projects.