2011年8月31日星期三

Fujifilm announces X10 camera with 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, optical viewfinder, f/2 lens


Retro designs seem to be the latest thing when it comes to high-end point-and-shoot cameras, and Fujifilm is helping to lead the pack with its rather limited (and pricey) X100. The company's just-announced X10, however, appears to expand upon its well-received cousin with a mighty fast f/2-2.8, 28-112mm manual zoom lens with a proprietary "Electron Beam Coating" that promises excellent image quality, even at the edge of the frame. The camera features a black magnesium alloy housing -- we have to admit, it's a very elegant look. There's also a 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor with sensitivity up to ISO 12,800, 1080p video, an optical viewfinder, 10 fps continuous shooting (7 fps at full res), a pop-up flash, and a full-size hot shoe. Advanced photogs will appreciate the shooting mode, focus mode and exposure compensation dials, along with dedicated buttons to adjust a variety of other settings, including activating RAW capture. Fuji is mum on price, but we're certain to get an update before this hits stores in early November. Jump past the break for the full feature rundown.

Continue reading Fujifilm announces X10 camera with 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, optical viewfinder, f/2 lens

Fujifilm announces X10 camera with 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, optical viewfinder, f/2 lens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Does the Google +1 Extension Need My Browsing History? [Blip]

Google's new Chrome extension allows you to +1 any page on the Internet, reporting it on your public profile. It also sends every URL you visit to Google "to retrieve +1 information." Riiiiiight. Further analysis at TechCrunch, extension's here. More »









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‘Exciting new features’ coming to iOS location services, Apple says

Apple has big plans for location services according to a new job listing posted by the Cupertino, California-based company. In a listing for a new "OS QA Location Engineer," Apple said the candidate will "join a dynamic team responsible for qualifying the latest iOS products, working on exciting new features for iOS location services." The job also requires "familiarity with GPS, A-GPS, LBS, or navigation algorithms" and "experience with cellular technologies." Apple has already said that it wants to "radically improve" its current iOS Maps application, which we would argue certainly needs an update, so it is possible the job could be on that team. In addition, Apple included a new location-based Reminders application inside iOS 5, which will launch to the public in the fall. Perhaps the company has similar ideas in store.

exciting-new-features-coming-to-ios-location-services-apple-says.jpeg


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Sony's new Reader Wi-Fi is the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with multitouch screen

Sony's just been showing off its Reader Store for the Android-powered Tablet S and Tablet P, but it hasn't forgotten its more eye-friendly options. Announced at IFA just now, the self-explanatory Reader Wi-Fi (PRS-T1) claims to be the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with an "enhanced" touchscreen -- the "enhanced" bit referring to its "Clear Touch Infrared" technology that supports multitouch for pinch-to-zoom, though it's also bundled with a stylus. At 168 grams (5.93 ounces) light and 8.9mm thin, this device packs a 600 x 800, 16-level gray scale E-Ink Pearl v220 display, along with 1.3 GB of usable internal storage plus microSD expansion of up to 32GB.

The built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity also lets users wirelessly borrow eBooks from public libraries -- a first for e-readers, apparently -- in the UK, US, and Canada. As for battery life, a single battery charge will keep digital bookworms busy for up to three weeks with WiFi enabled, or up to a month without WiFi (based on a half-hour reading time per day). Expect this ePub-compatible Reader Wi-Fi to hit the US and Europe in October for around $149, and it'll come in a color choice of either red, white or black. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Sony's new Reader Wi-Fi is the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with multitouch screen

Sony's new Reader Wi-Fi is the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with multitouch screen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purported iPhone 4S antenna band compared to GSM and CDMA iPhone 4

Here's something interesting that appeared in our inbox this evening. According to our tipster SulfoDK, the middle iPhone antenna below will be the new 'iPhone 4S' antenna band. It appears to simply be the current CDMA antenna with a SIM card tray cut out in a similar spot as the GSM iPhone 4 (and as such could be faked or prototyped fairly easily) .  With the amount of advertising on these images and the easy in which it could be faked, we are wary.

But the idea works out on some levels and here's why: If Apple were to build only one iPhone '4S' for 2011-2012 season, they could sell what is basically the Verizon iPhone 4 with its worldphone Gobi chip and an added SIM tray to every carrier.  It would make sense to keep that overall same antenna design since it already works well on Verizon.  Earlier cases seem to indicate the same thing.

For clarification below, the frame on top labelled '4G' is the current GSM iPhone 4.  They are using '4G' in the AT&T/T-Mobile sense.

Top and bottom views below:

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Macworld: for simple tasks, a decked out Mini beats a base iMac handily (or SSDs rule)

Macworld decided to put a decked out Mac Mini Mid-2011 against a the current baseline iMac 2.5GHz to see what kind of performance could be gotten from Apple's diminutive little machine when an SSD is added.

When we say "decked out", we're referring to the $100 2.5->2.7GHz CPU improvement + $600 SSD upgrade which almost doubles the price of the $799 ($769) high end Mini and pushes it above the price of the base model iMac.  Minis start out at around $568.

The results are pretty apparent: when running simple tests, especially ones that rely only on CPU and disk access, the Mini beat the iMac handily (above).  That's almost entirely due to the added speed of the SSD compared with the iMac's 3.5-inch HDD.  When doing more graphics intensive tests (below), the iMac and its more powerful GPU took over.

The takeaway on this however is that a HDD to SSD upgrade can make a heck of a lot of difference in performance.  For those handy out there, adding an SSD to a Mac Mini doesn't have to be a $600 proposition either.  Reasonable SSDs can start out at $100 and can be added to the new Minis' hard drive configuration (not swapped) with a simple kit.

Another important tweak not detailled in these tests is adding 8GB of RAM to the Mini which will run you somewhere south of $40.  Added RAM really improves performance when lots of windows or applications are open at the same time.

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Samsung unveils GALAXY S II for AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile [updated]


During a press event in New York City on Tuesday, Samsung officially took the wraps off of its U.S. GALAXY S II smartphone family. Sprint's Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch will support the carrier's 4G WiMAX network while the T-Mobile and AT&T devices will run on each carrier's respective HSPA+ network. Each iteration of the GALAXY S II smartphone is equipped with a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video, and a 2-megapixel forward-facing camera for video chats. T-Mobile and Sprint's GALAXY S II phones offer more rounded cases while AT&T's maintains the sharper edges of the European GALAXY S II. AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile expect to launch the GALAXY S II this fall, although pricing details were not revealed. We're here at the event live so stay tuned for hands-on reports for each device. Read on for the full press release.

UPDATE: Be sure to check out our hands-on impressions and photos of the T-Mobile GALAXY S II, the AT&T GALAXY S II and the Sprint GALAXY S II Epic 4G Touch.

NEXT GENERATION OF SAMSUNG'S FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE PORTFOLIO – GALAXY S II – READY FOR U.S. ARRIVAL

Samsung's fastest selling smartphone in the world coming soon to AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile

DALLAS, August 29, 2011 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile)1, the  No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., today announced the Galaxy S™ II will be available  with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile starting this fall. The U.S. launch follows the successful debut of the Galaxy S II in Europe and Korea, where consumers bought 5 million smartphones in 85 days, making the device Samsung's fastest selling smartphone ever. The next generation Galaxy S II portfolio packs industry-leading hardware and software and the latest version of the Android smartphone platform into each device. The Galaxy S II portfolio is highlighted by  Samsung's own  Super AMOLED Plus display technology, a powerful dual core application processor and a robust array of entertainment, messaging, social networking and enterprise experiences.

"The unveiling of the Galaxy S II is a landmark achievement for Samsung, our carrier customers and consumers," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile. "Five million Galaxy S II smartphones have been sold around the world and that number increases every day. We believe the cutting-edge design, features and user experience of this innovative device will share the same level of success in the U.S."

The three smartphones within the Samsung Galaxy S II portfolio are designed with an ultra-thin form factor and brilliant Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display. Recent independent studies showed that Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus display technology was preferred 2 to 1 over any competing display technology in the market today2, thanks to touchscreen's ability to deliver brilliant colors with the most contrast, providing a vivid and crisp viewing experience.

All three Galaxy S II smartphones are enabled with 4G3 service for fast connectivity speeds and dual core processors for seamless web surfing, console-like game play and rapid content downloads.

Personalized Customization

The Galaxy S II portfolio features an improved Samsung TouchWiz user interface, providing superior multi-tasking, application management, and customization and includes Live Panel which provides a magazine-like widget view for immediate access to weather, social updates, email, news, photo gallery and more, all of which can be customized on the home screen.  All of the Samsung Live Panel widgets can be positioned and re-sized to create rich, visual home screens and provide one-touch access to the information consumers use most. Touchwiz UI also includes Quick Panel which allows instant access to commonly used device settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and other key device features. The TouchWiz UI notification service on the lock screen notifies users to the number of unread or new text messages, and missed calls that have been sent to you on your Galaxy S II. Users get direct access to missed calls and text messages from the lock screen by swiping the notification boxes without having to navigate through the applications menu.

Each of the Galaxy S II devices feature six-axis motion sensing using an accelerometer and gyroscope that support advanced touch screen gestures, including motion to zoom in on images, silence a ringing phone, and even move widgets on the menu screens.

Premium Content

Galaxy S II will also include Samsung's popular Media Hub movie and TV content service.  Media Hub features thousands of new release and top-grossing titles from major Hollywood studios and leading television networks, including NBC Universal, Paramount, MTV, Warner Bros., CBS and FOX. The content service has added a new feature called Media Hub Show, allowing the user to playback Media Hub content on a TV through an HDMI cable connected to a Galaxy S II dock or HDTV Smart adapter accessory. Users can share purchased to own film or TV content across up to five devices enabled with Media Hub at no additional cost.  Alternate premium video options include Android Movies, Netflix, and others which are available to download from Android Market™.

Samsung's Social Hub service on the Galaxy S II transfers email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, into "Feeds" and "Messages" folders that can be either separated into separate tabs or combined into comprehensive lists.

Samsung's Galaxy S II portfolio is powered by the open and innovative Android Gingerbread platform, complete with full support of Google Mobile Services including Android MarketÔ with access to more than 250,000 applications, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and more.

In addition, Galaxy S II and the Android Gingerbread platform support an array of cloud services including content sync across the Galaxy branded portfolio with Google services (Books, Music, Videos, Email, Calendar) Samsung Media Hub and cloud photo sync through Picasa Web Albums and Google+.

Uncompromised Convergence

The Galaxy S II portfolio offers a number of convergence features to share content in tethered and wireless formats. With Samsung's All Share application, which enables inter-device connectivity through DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, users can send user-generated video content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices, such as TV's, monitors and laptops, allowing for an interactive entertainment experience. The TV Remote App, also available through Android Market, transforms the Galaxy S II into a remote control for several top models of Samsung HDTVs. Smart Show and Media Hub Show enables the user to tether an HDMI over micro USB connection to an HDTV to play user generated or Media Hub DRM protected content respectively directly from the Galaxy S II device to the HDTV screen.  Samsung Kies Air service allows users to connect their PC or Mac via WiFi without a preloaded application to easily view and manage your content. Users can transfer files, manage contacts and messages and send SMS from the PC.

Optimal Enterprise Solutions

Galaxy S II integrates a range of enterprise solutions that expand the business capabilities of the devices. The Galaxy S II portfolio provides support for exchange device management policies, offers increased security of data and services and enables mobile conferencing while on the go.  Galaxy S II also features productivity enhancement capabilities such as the ability to create and respond to meeting requests, view, edit, and create Microsoft®-compatible documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, global address lookup (GAL), and more.

Additional enterprise solutions include:

  • On-device encryption of user data
  • Full support for Exchange ActiveSync® version 14
  • Cisco VPN (Virtual Private Network)
  • Sybase MDM (Mobile Device Management)
  • Cisco WebEx mobile conference solution

Additional features of the Galaxy S portfolio include:

  • 8-megapixel Rear-Facing Camera with Autofocus & Flash & 1080p HD Video Recording/2-megapixel Front-Facing Camera: The Galaxy S II portfolio features an 8 megapixel camera with flash and can record video in 1080p HD high profile offering the richest video content on a smartphone. Plus, the front-facing 2 megapixel camera provides video chat capabilities for personal and business communication on-the-go. Galaxy S II supports popular video conferencing services like Skype, Fring, Qik and Tango.
  • Voice Talk: The Galaxy S II Voice Talk feature allows users to give their Galaxy S II device voice commands, including voice dial, text message, navigation, music, Web browsing and search. When docked into the car dock, the Galaxy S II automatically defaults into Voice Talk mode.  Users can instantly activate the Voice Talk application by a long press on the search key.
  • Task Manager: View and close the applications users have active, what items have been downloaded and check on memory usage via the Task Manager widget.
  • Screen Capture Feature: Users can easily take a screen grab of the phone screen by pressing the power button and the home key simultaneously.
  • Memory: All three Galaxy S II devices offer 16GB of on-board memory, as well as a microSD card slot that supports up to a 32GB memory card.

Premium Accessories Portfolio

A host of premium Galaxy S II accessories, including convenient solutions for docking, convergence, and backup battery charging will be available for each smartphone, providing users with an enhanced mobile experience.  A multimedia dock is the perfect smart accessory, allowing users to transform their Galaxy S II into a home stereo by connecting speakers or plugging it into a home entertainment system via the 3.5mm stereo connector. Its ability to orient with the phone while docked makes it easy to view content in portrait and landscape mode, while the auto-launch of its Desk Dock UI makes for easy access to music, video and other applications.

Additional accessory solutions include:

  • Vehicle dock: The dock charges the phone while docked to ensure uninterrupted GPS usage on long car rides. The dock is windshield or dashboard mountable and includes the sophisticated Vlingo Voice Talk, allowing users to enjoy hands-free control of their Galaxy S II.
  • Battery charging stand with spare battery: This charging solution ensures a backup battery is always on hand, while providing a convenient kick stand for the Galaxy S II.
  • HDTV Adapter: The HDMI adapter supports HD video up to 1080p from the phone to an HDTV, projector, or monitor. Use on the go to connect the Galaxy S II to a TV, monitor, or projector to view purchased Media Hub content, videos, presentations, games, or internet on a big HD screen, or listen to downloaded music from the phone on a home entertainment system.







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    分析師預估蘋果Q4將生產2200萬支iPhone

    Rodman & Renshaw分析師Ashok Kumar預測，第四季蘋果iPhone智慧型手機產量將高達2200萬部。Kumar在昨天發佈的投資報告中預估，新一代iPhone將佔第四季iPhone總產量的約25%，這意味著iPhone 4將仍然是今年蘋果智慧型手機業務的主角。







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    How Microsoft Researchers Might Invent a Holodeck

    REDMOND, Washington — Deep inside Microsoft is the brain of a mad scientist.

    You might not think so, given the banality of the company's ubiquitous products: Windows, Office, Hotmail, Exchange Server, Active Directory. The days are long past when this kind of software could light up anyone's imagination, except maybe an accountant's.

    But Microsoft has an innovative side that's still capable of producing surprises. In fact, Microsoft spends more than $9 billion a year, and employs 850 people, just in research and development. While most of that goes toward coding the next versions of the company's major products, a lot gets funneled into pure research and cutting-edge engineering.

    Much of that work happens in Building 99 and Studio B here on Microsoft's campus.

    Building 99 is a think tank in the classic sense: It's a beautifully-designed building packed to the gills with hundreds of scientists — about half of Microsoft's researchers work here. In the middle is a tall, airy atrium designed by the architect to facilitate collaboration and the kind of chance meetings that can lead to serendipitous discoveries.

    Many of the brainiacs who work in Building 99 are researching areas of computer science that may not have relevance to Microsoft's bottom line for years, if ever. Heck, they may not have relevance to anything, ever, but the fundamental premise of basic research is that for every dozen, or hundred, or thousand off-the-wall projects, there's one invention that turns out to be fabulously important and lucrative.

    In fact, you only need one hit to make billions of dollars in research pay off, even if you waste the rest of the good ideas. As Malcolm Gladwell argued recently, Xerox, which is often derided for failing to take advantage of a series of amazing inventions at its Palo Alto Research Center, actually saw huge returns from just one invention: the laser printer. Against that, it's not necessarily a bad thing that Xerox PARC was home to hundreds of useless research projects, or that Xerox never figured out what to do with some of its research, like the graphical user interface.

    A few hundred yards away, in Hardware Studio B, the rubber gets a little closer to the road. An impressive, multistory curtain of LEDs hangs in the lobby, displaying some sort of interactive art that responds to movement and sounds in the space, while employees enjoy a game of pingpong. The rest of the building is more prosaic, with surplus computers stacked up in the unused back sections of long, windowless corridors.

    It's here that hardware engineers carve 3-D mock-ups, create prototypes, test and refine circuitry, and get products ready for the market. A high-concept idea that originates in the rarefied ideas of Building 99 (hey! wouldn't it be cool if your computer were a giant touchscreen table?) may get turned into an actual product in the hardware studio (hello, Microsoft Surface).

    Wired recently toured both buildings to see some of the work Microsoft scientists and engineers are doing to invent the computer interfaces of the future.








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