Ifa2008
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Video: Toshiba's gesture control coming to its cell-based TVs?
Remember that Qosmio G55 laptop with gesture control? Yeah, the one with the Cell-based SpursEngine under the hood. Well it looks like Tosh is bringing that so-called "natural" gesture input to its future cell-based televisions. Judging by the latest video alone, the gesture control seems more at home on the big-screen TV than smaller-screened laptops that require a higher degree of precision and closer viewing proximity. Demonstrated on a prototype, Toshiba hints that the tech might come to future Cell-based TVs -- interesting what with the cell-based ZF televisions already announced for Europe. While we find pushing buttons on a remote about as natural (and lazy) as it gets, here's hoping for this arm-flailing gesture control on future Toshiba TVs just for the nerdiness of it. Video of the G55 gesture input as well as the prototype television show at IFA after the break.[Via AVING]
Thomas Ricker09.19.2008
Egoman's 4.3-inch MP810RSTX PMP is surprisingly thin
Surely you recall Egoman's MP810RSTD-43 PMP from this April, right? What? You can't remember that many letters and numbers inexplicably jumbled together to form a product name? All shame-on-you aside, the same outfit has shown off a sleek, stylish successor in the MP810RSTX. Boasting a 4.3-inch display, USB connectivity and a microSD flash slot, this media player also handles AVI, RMVB, APE, FLAC, MP3 and WMA file formats. You'll also notice an optional FM tuner / transmitter, TV output and a G-sensor for reasons unknown. Speaking of unknown, that's exactly what the price / release date are, but a smattering of images can be found right now in the read link.[Via PMPToday]
Darren Murph09.15.2008
TrekStor's stylish USB stick doubles as bottle opener
Is this a bottle opener that also functions as a flash drive, or is this a USB stick that just so happens to double as a bottle opener? While pundits debate that one, we'll step in to tell you that this brilliant creation from the minds of TrekStor includes a solid, brushed aluminum housing, USB 2.0 connectivity and the ability to play nice with any major operating system. Regrettably, it looks as if this one will launch in Europe alone next month for anywhere between €6.99 ($10) and €49.99 $71) depending on size (1/2/4/8/16GB capacities). Please, upload responsibly.[Via CNET]
Darren Murph09.15.2008
Menq International lowers the bar with $89 EasyPC E760 laptop
Aw yeah, it's an $89 laptop, son! And it's new! Menq International's EasyPC E760 was reportedly spotted in Berlin at IFA 2008, and one particular camera-wielding individual even gave it the showcase treatment on video (after the break). This el cheapo was seen sporting a 7-inch 480 x 272 resolution display (ouch!), a Samsung ARM processor (what a workhorse!) and Windows CE behind the scenes. In that case, we'll just pick up a pocket-sized WinCE device and save ourselves the hassle -- thanks anyway, though.[Via techvideoblog]
Darren Murph09.12.2008
Toshiba's LED Pico Projector does its thing on video
We've waited ages for a real-deal pico projector from Toshiba (or anyone reputable, quite frankly), and it's looking all the more likely that we'll be absolutely bombarded with them come CES 2009. At any rate, Toshiba is apparently close to putting the finishing touches on its LED Pico Projector, which weighs in at 100-grams and measures 10- x 4.5- x 1.7-centimeters in size. Outside of that, specifications are few and far between, but you can catch a video of its powers in the link below.[Thanks, Jan]Read - Toshiba's LED Pico ProjectorRead - In-action video
Darren Murph09.12.2008
Panasonic's DMP-BD35 / DMP-BD55 Blu-ray players hands-on
Sharp wasn't the only company showcasing a new duo of Blu-ray players at CEDIA, as Panasonic decided to whip up a couple as well just for kicks. The DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55 were made official during IFA, but not until now has Panny shown them off to the wide-eyed public. As with the aforementioned Sharp duo, this pair is also hard to distinguish from one another at first glance. Unfortunately, neither are really worth sweating, but you can have a look below if you just refuse to believe that. %Gallery-31219%
Darren Murph09.04.2008
Sanyo's Xacti 1010 gets the hands-on treatment
Sanyo's latest 1080i pocket camcorder (that'd be the Xacti 1010) was just sitting there all pretty like at IFA 2008, so our compadres over at Engadget Spanish took the liberty of posting up a gallery of hands-on shots. Not too many surprises in terms of design, but the demonstrative video of the super slow-mo mode is pretty trippy to say the least. Head on over and give it a look, won't you?
Darren Murph09.03.2008
Commodore impresses with prototypes at IFA, really
While the idea of Commodore showing off some early prototype devices isn't exactly the sort of thing that'd normally get many folks' hopes up, the never-say-die company looks to have managed to impress the doubters at IFA, where it had a number of intriguing-looking concepts on hand in addition to that soon-to-be-released netbook we saw yesterday. That includes two Pocket PC devices -- one with a sliding QWERTY keypad and one that opts for a folding design (pictured above) -- as well as a much slicker-looking netbook than the one that is actually going to be released, naturally (check it out after the break). Of course, specs for any of those are virtually non-existent, although there's apparently some talk that the Pocket PCs could sell for between €100 and €150 (or roughly $220 to $290) whenever they're actually released. Be sure to hit up the gallery below for plenty more shots courtesy of Engadget Spanish. Gallery: Commodore impresses with prototypes at IFA, really
Donald Melanson09.02.2008
Sights and sounds of IFA 2008: look how far Wii've come
We won't lie: this started as an excuse to do a visual gag pertaining to the abundance of Nintendo Wiis in action at IFA 2008 (that most excellent headline pun is just a bonus). But we got carried away and ended up with some deeper impressions we took away from the show, which took place last week and this week in Berlin, Germany.The Wii was naturally not the only thing we saw at IFA. Panasonic was back with its 150-inch plasma, a large rock garden of displays backed by a row of 103-inchers and its fully-featured Blu-ray players. Sony's gigantic room-within-a-room forest was mesmerizing, and the surrounding technology like that paper-thin LCD (though Philips got the last laugh) and intriguing Sountina were no doubt of interest. Samsung brought its A-game once again, with a breathtaking wall of LCDs, and enough miscellaneous gadgets to significantly, literally raise the temperature in the back of the booth. Toshiba's more modest affair hid many technology demos and futuristic technology like a Cell-powered television and resolution upscaling. LG was a tad subdued, but by "subdued" we mean "not as insane as Samsung." A slew of a Europe-only companies weren't slumbering either, with wild displays of their own, primarily of televisions.%Gallery-30962%
Paul Miller09.02.2008
Daewoo DID-FS packs LCDs into folding screen
In a parting note from IFA, Daewoo unveiled this odd folding screen, featuring four integrated LCDs. Fully integrated into each of the wood panels, apparently the displays can show video from up to four sources, although there was otherwise little information from the booth staff about the DID-FS. Of course, where some might ask why would they build such a contraption, we see the perfect tool for a The Golden Child reenactment waiting to happen.[Via BornRich]
Richard Lawler09.02.2008
Philips LCDs better than Kuro plasmas...at least according to Philips
Philips marketing exec Danny Tack is pulling no punches at IFA, proclaiming the company's new LCDs are better than the vaunted Pioneer Kuro plasmas. Measuring -- by his own estimation -- on par with the 9th-gen Pioneer plasmas on black levels, and better brightness, natural motion and motion sharpness, he's ready to call LED-backlit LCDs and OLED HDTVs the long term winners, with plasma relegated to only the biggest screens. The read link points to his comments in full, but most importantly, do you have a side, or are you waiting to get eyes-on the new Essence and FlatTV models first?
Richard Lawler09.01.2008
Commodore hops on the netbook bandwagon with UMMD 8010/F
As we've seen countless times by now, the folks behind the Commodore brand will stop at nothing to keep the venerable name alive, and they've now finally hopped on the biggest bandwagon going, with the UMMD 8010/F marking the company's first foray into the netbook game. Unfortunately, apart from that familiar logo, there's not too much that stands out here, with the netbook packing a 10-inch screen, a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor, an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, built-in WiFi, and optional Bluetooth. The nearly $600 price tag also doesn't do it any favors, but we're guessing there's at least a few nostalgic folks out there that'll add one to their Commodore collection as soon as they're available.[Via GottaBeMobile]
Donald Melanson09.01.2008
Hands-on with Hama's iPod nano 4G case at IFA
Our spicy, siesta loving friends over at Engadget Spanish just nabbed a hands-on with Hama's "iPod nano 4G" case on the floor of IFA. The tip came in anonymously about an hour ago and sure enough, there it is, buried in a mountain of iPod accessories and sharing the same smooth arc of the Kevin Rose nano -- as it will from henceforth be known. Hit the read link for all the pics, or check a couple more after the break.
Thomas Ricker09.01.2008
LG's 42- / 50-inch PG6900 plasma packs built-in 160GB hard drive
While we new LG had a pair of DVR-packin' plasmas lined up, nothing was officially official until now. The 42- and 50-inch PG6900 plasmas were designed to hold up to 86-hours of programming (SD, we assume) on its 160GB of internal hard drive space, and the 8-day EPG should give you a pretty decent view of what's coming on in the near future. Additionally, you'll find a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, Energy Star compliance, a DVB-T tuner (plus an analog tuner), three HDMI 1.3 ports, 100Hz refresh rate and integrated speakers which are said to be "invisible." Look for these to pop up soon (at least in Europe) for $1,799 and up.[Via Gizmag]
Darren Murph09.01.2008
Texas Instruments' Pico projector prototype caught on tape
Our friends at Engadget Spanish got a look at Texas Instruments' DLP Pico projector, which both Optoma and Toshiba have expressed interest in. The little unit pumps out a WVGA (we think) 1000:1 image, which they found quite satisfactory, in addition to 0.5 watts of sound. The built-in battery should run the thing for a couple of hours. Action-packed video after the break, en español!
Paul Miller08.31.2008
TomTom's GO x40 LIVE range present realtime route adjustment, Google searches
TomTom is really pushing the connected capabilities of its navigation devices with this new x40 LIVE series, which hit IFA this year as rumored. The GO 940 LIVE, GO 740 LIVE and GO 540 LIVE include a "new and extended" version of IQ Routes, which can adjust your route for predicted and actual road conditions, based on historical data and TomTom's HD Traffic feature. The units include Safety Alerts for alerting to speed cameras, Fuel Prices, and Local Search, which is powered by Google and allows you to plan a route to your search results. Also onboard is voice command and control, letting you plan routes and make phone calls using only your voice. The series will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and Switzerland this fall, starting at £299 (about $544 US). LIVE services are £10 a month. Unfortunately, the versions we played with at IFA didn't have a live connection, but software looks easy to access and easy to use. Too bad the actual hardware looks circa 2003.%Gallery-30890%
Paul Miller08.31.2008
MSI's 8.9-inch Wind U90 in the flesh, Linux version shipping for 339 Euro
While MSI's 8.9-inch Wind U90 first made an appearance in June at Computex, it took MSI this long to flesh out all details -- which is actually a relief, given the ridiculous quantity of Eee PC SKUs ASUS has managed to pump out in the meantime. We just got to handle the new laptop, and we think MSI might have a winner here. The laptop is shipping with SUSE Linux exclusively to start, with an XP version in the works, and boots quite rapidly to the full OS. SUSE has never looked better, and we think these two might be quite the pair. MSI has kept the full keyboard of the 10-inch Wind, and merely bumped up the bezel while cutting the price; all the other specs are the same. MSI is planning on shipping this at the end of September or beginning of October for 339 Euro (no word on a US release), and is also working on a six cell battery to fix the paltry 2 hours of battery the Wind currently gets from the three cell.%Gallery-30888%
Paul Miller08.31.2008
Toshiba's SD Multi Tool and SD Photo Editor are a nice, touchable surprise
Toshiba is offering up a nice respite from the inane quantity of LCDs and, um, more LCDs at IFA this year. The SD Multi Tool and the SD Photo Editor are two touchable handhelds, offering up some beefy features where similar devices lack, and also skipping over some of the more traditional MID OS features that might put these over the top -- a confusing mix, but again, not an LCD, so we're hooked. The SD Multi Tool is the real wild one, offering dual 3.5-inch touchable (finger or stylus) LCDs, rated at 960 x 480 each if the spec sheet is telling the truth -- that could be a combined resolution. The device offers wireless connectivity of some sort, and can handle web browsing, email, videos, photo editing and pretty much anything else that isn't an actual phone call -- though it can't be tough to squeeze some VoIP in there. Meanwhile, the SD Photo Editor really earns its "SD" moniker with dual SD card slots, while the Multi Tool just has one microSD slot. The Photo Editor runs a similar OS, but seems distilled down to mainly the photo browsing and editing functions, with a bit of PMP functionality thrown in we hope. A 5-inch WVGA screen with 16 million colors should be plenty of room to work your magic. No word on what OS is under the hood, but it seems to be mostly homegrown Toshiba fare. We know the Multi Tool does HDMI out, and we'd hope the Photo Editor does as well, since they're both supposed to hit in 2009 for a similar price point: around $300 US. If the shots below aren't enough for you, check out the coverage at Engadget Spanish.%Gallery-30883%
Paul Miller08.31.2008
LG's 7000-series TVs win Gadgie Award for best menu design pertaining to a superfluous connectivity feature
Alright, maybe "superfluous" is a bit harsh, but we're still a bit confused as to why LG stuck Bluetooth into its new 7000-series LCDs and plasmas. Sure, if they offered a Bluetooth remote we'd take it all back in a heartbeat, but the fact is that there are about four people on earth that own stereo Bluetooth headphones, and none of them have been watching TV on mute all this time -- and the rest of us are too lazy to figure out how to beam pictures from our phone over Bluetooth, the other main function LG provides here. But would you look at that menu! It really makes it all worthwhile. Heck, LG could toss in some 802.11a, SCSI and a pinch of MIDI plugs if it meant more menus like this. Oh, and we suppose those purtiful icons will come in handy when browsing for photos off of the 7000's USB port, so good on you, LG, good on you.[Gadgie was the winner of our Engadget Mascot contest last year, he approves this message]%Gallery-30877%
Paul Miller08.31.2008
Keepin' it real fake, part CXXXVIII: HiVision knows that even netbooks need fake friends
HiVision (also known as Shenzhen), a Chinese OEM exhibiting at IFA, is completely unabashed about its collection of netbook look-alikes, which range from 400MHz ARM-based computers that could retail for as little $150, to full featured VIA-powered affairs. Everything was as plastic as could be, of course, but the HP Mini-Note rips were almost passable as sexy. Almost.%Gallery-30849%
Paul Miller08.30.2008