Archivi Blog
Sharp announces first TVs with Moth-Eye technology: the AQUOS XL series
Sharp may look like it’s in trouble, but that’s not stopping it bringing new displays to the market, including today’s announcement of the AQUOS Quattron 3D XL TV line. Behind the mouthful of acronyms, these LED-backlit LCD panels are the first to feature Sharp’s Moth-Eye technology, designed to reduce glare and pump out bright colors, as well as a deep black. The company’s ‘four primary color’ tech is partly responsible for the rich output, which squeezes a yellow sub-pixel in with the standard R, G and B. All the panels run at 1,920 x 1,080, as you’d expect, sport a 10 million to 1 contrast ratio and use five speakers to deliver audio. Prices aren’t fixed, but the 46-, 52- and 80-inch models will be released in Japan on December 15th, while the 60- and 70-inch variants will come slightly earlier, on November 30th. You’re going to have to be quick on launch day, though — only 10,000 units are expected to be available in the first month.
LG records a ‘solid’ $138.57 million net profit for Q3, keeps the positive trend going
LG Electronics has reported its earnings for Q3 2012, notching its third straight quarter of positive income with a net profit of 157 billion won ($138.57 million) and “solid” performances from its home theater and mobile businesses. Revenue is down from the same period last year, but seeing as it’s actually making money this time around it’s probably still reason to celebrate. On the mobile side of the aisle it reports an operating profit of $19.42 million with slightly higher sales than Q2, mostly thanks to those LTE smartphones it’s been rolling out. Its home entertainment biz noted a rise in LCD sales, with 3D TVs and LED-lit models growing from last quarter in most markets. Looking towards the future it’s obviously going all-in on the Optimus G (although our interests run towards the Nexus G that should debut next week), and also looks for its Ultra HD television to raise its standing as a premium brand.
Sony VAIO SVL24129CJB: PC All-In-One con supporto 3D
Per tutti gli amanti dei PC AlL-In-One, Sony ha inserito in catalogo il nuovo VAIO SVL24129CJB, un computer che stando alle caratteristiche tecniche riscuoterà a nostro avviso un certo successo (prezzo permettendo). Il nuovo PC di casa Sony si presenta con un ottimo biglietto da visita, un display Touch Full-HD 1920×0180 con supporto alla tecnologia 3D, gestito da una schesa video GeForce GT 640M con due Gigabyte di Memoria.
La configurazione hardware prevede poi un processore Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3630QM, 8 GB di memoria Video, Hard Disk da 3TB, unità Bluray e Sistema Operativo Windows 8. Attualmente non abbiamo informazioni sulla disponibilità, il prezzo però sarà di circa 3000 dollari.
Haier celebrates IFA with ultra high def 3D, transparent and eye-controlled TVs
Haier was a bit of a sleeper hit at last year’s IFA, and the company looks to be taking on 2012′s Berlin-based show in way. For 2011, TV maker showed off its futuristic transparent and brain-controlled TV technologies. This year’s selections are set to follow in that vein, beginning with the debut of a new 46-inch transparent TV built on last year’s technology, capable of detecting six points at the same time. As before, Haier’s seeing business potential in the device, and will be showing it off in the context of a window display at this year’s show. Also on the slate is the company’s first 3D LED Ultra High Definition set, a 55-incher that will be displaying Ultra High Def footage of booth visitors.
Haier will be showcasing even more 3D stuff at the show, including a 55-inch glasses-free LED set with 28 viewing angles and 3D Multi-View, “which allows two people to watch two different images at the same time, on the total surface area of the screen,” according to the company. Also on the docket is an eye-controlled set that lets viewers take charge of volume and channels with their peepers and a 3D gesture control system that has a camera built into the set’s frame. On a more old school tip is the “high performance sensitive” remote, which has a nine-axis gyroscope inside.
Sony unveils latest HX950 flagship HDTV in Japan with ‘Intelligent Peak LED’ backlighting
While Sony’s current lineup of HDTVs has so far topped out with the HX929/920 series that’s been kicking around since 2011, in Japan it has just unveiled a new top of the line model: the HX950. Often rumored in the last few months, it’s available in 65- or 55-inch varieties and features Sony’s now-trademark monolithic style as well as “Intelligent Peak LED” backlighting. Although Sony’s brand name for the tech doesn’t exactly reveal how it works, information leaks have suggested it is full array LED backlighting and not edge based, although we don’t know how many zones (individually controlled light sources) are in play. What we do know, however is that it claims to outperform the LED backlighting in the old 929 quite handily, although we’ll let our eyes be the judge of that.
It also includes MotionFlow XR960 (800 in the US) motion processing tech that can create 240fps from 60 frames and a glass panel mounted to the LCD itself with a special type of resin designed specifically to reduce glare. Finally, there’s also the usual add-ins like 3D and Sony Entertainment Network streaming video. We haven’t seen any European or US information for this model yet, although with IFA 2012 under way and CEDIA coming up that may change quickly. Currently pricing in Japan for the 65-inch is expected to be around 650,000 yen or $8,269 when it ships November 10th, but we should mention actual US prices are typically much lower than a direct conversion. Unofficially, one retailer is already listing the 55- and 65-inch models for sale in the US for $3,499 and $5,499, respectively, although we’d take that with a grain of salt until we know for sure.
4K, 84-inch ‘ultra’ HDTV from LG is ready to start shipping now in Korea, worldwide next month
Just in time to completely blow away that puny flat screen you nabbed for your dorm room, LG has announced its 84-inch ultra high definition LCD TV is ready to ship in South Korea. The company put its first UHDTV up for pre-ordering last month, at a price of 25 million won, which currently converts to about $22,105 US. The 84LM9600 does 3D with LG’s Cinema 3D passive glasses technology, however its ultra high pixel count means you’re still watching in 1080p even with the resolution loss since it starts at 3,840 x 2,160, and also features “3D sound” with integrated 2.2 channel speakers.
The bad news of course is that finding actual 4K res content is practically impossible, despite recent work on standards and even some testing by broadcasters. Still, plug this into a BDP-S790 Blu-ray player, certain PS3 apps or just output the latest video you’ve shot and it should be worth the price of admission, assuming you’re one of the (presumably) well-heeled Korean VIP customers that managed to snag one so far. If you’re not then don’t worry — the press release (included after the break) reveals you’ll have your chance once they start shipping worldwide in September, we plan to get our eyes on a production model at IFA 2012 in Germany.
Google Earth 7.0 for Android brings new, super-detailed 3D maps for some cities (update: video)
Here’s a bit of a surprise that slipped under the radar during the Google I/O keynote: Google Earth for Android has been updated to 7.0 to take advantage of the new 3D map technology it unveiled at another special event just a few weeks ago. As a refresher, the visuals are automatically created from 45-degree aerial imagery and can pick up 3D elements as subtle as trees. Before you go racing to your hometown to see how it looks in 3D, be aware that just a handful of cities and regions exploit that dimension. Besides San Francisco Bay, the full coverage extends to Boulder, Boston, Charlotte, Lawrence, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Cruz and Tampa in the US, with Rome being the lone international hotspot. If that’s too few places to visit, there’s always the addition of guided tours. Android users can head over Google Play to get the update today; iOS users shouldn’t fret, as they’ll get the new maps soon.
Toshiba’s 55XS5 brings quad HD without the glasses-free 3D tech to Japan in June
While we’re still waiting for Toshiba to deliver its top of the line 55X3 HDTV with 4K resolution and glasses-free 3D technology here in the US, it just announced a step-down model in Japan. The Regza 55XS5 keeps the 3840 x 2160 LCD panel, but switches to edge LED lighting instead of local dimming and drops 3D altogether, autostereoscopic or otherwise. There’s a CEVO Duo image processing engine inside the slimmed-down frame upconverting your standard HDTV res inputs to QFHD, as well as support for apps and USB hard drive for recording broadcasts. This model should ship in June on the other side of the Pacific for an “open price” expected to be around 750,000 yen ($9,410 US), slightly lower than the X3′s 900,00 yen launch price last December.
AUO prevede di lanciare pannelli 3D da 65″ senza occhiali nel 2012
AU Optronics, gigante dell’elettronica noto soprattutto per la massiccia produzione di pannelli per display di varia tipologia, ha annunciato di avere in programma il lancio di pannelli 3D auto-stereoscopici (che non prevedono quindi l’utilizzo di occhiali), nel taglio da 65″, nella seconda metà dell’anno corrente. Le previsioni di vendita, riportate dal vice presidente del gruppo, dovrebbero ammontare a circa 700.000 prezzi entro la fine dell’anno.
La soluzione tecnologica scelta da AUO è duplice: una è indirizzata ai display di piccolo taglio, l’altra a quelli di taglio maggiore.
La prima soluzione prevede una barriera di parallasse (ovvero una sorta di filtro, posto davanti al pannello, che ha la funzione di filtrare, per l’appunto, i pixel visibili dall’occhio destro e sinistro, ricreando un effetto di tridimensionalità), necessaria per generare l’effetto stereoscopico senza l’ausilio di occhiali.
Toshiba intros Qosmio X875 gaming laptop with Kepler GPU, fairly tame digs
In case it wasn’t clear, Toshiba’s overhauling its entire consumer lineup for the back-to-school season, and that includes its lone gaming rig. The 17.3-inch Qosmio X875 replaces last year’s X775, ushering in NVIDIA’s spankin’ new Kepler graphics and that same reined-in design we we’ve seen in recent photos. Though Toshiba’s remaining fairly mum on specs (we bet this has something to do with not wanting to steal Intel’s Ivy Bridge thunder), we can confirm it packs “third-generation” Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GTX 670M graphics with 3GB of video memory, dual hard drive bays, quad Harman Kardon speakers and four memory slots, with up to 16GB of RAM on board out of the box. The resolution can be either 1600 x 900 or 1080p, with that latter pixel count only available on the 3D model. As you can see in the photos, Toshiba’s moved to a subtler aluminum aesthetic it’s calling Black Widow, but what you can’t tell from that vantage point is that this guy is 25 percent thinner than its predecessor. In case you needed more proof this is an Ivy Bridge machine, note the release date: this beastly fellow won’t be available until June 24th. At that point, it’ll start at $1,299, though the highest-end configuration will set you back a cool $2,499. That’s more than two months away, of course, so for now you’ll have to content yourselves with our teaser shots below.
Introducing Firefox 3D View for Developers
Firefox now includes a 3D View as part of its suite of built-in developer tools.
Helpful for debugging, the 3D view stacks elements as they are nested in the DOM and lets you see elements that are hidden or off the page. You can zoom in and out, rotate and pan the view to see the page from any angle that is helpful to you.
Go to the Developer Menu, select Inspect, and then 3D View to see your pages or any website in 3D.
Toshiba outs Qosmio X870 gaming laptop with 3D display, not-too-tacky design
Toshiba Satellite P855 glasses-free 3D laptop hands-on (video)
Remember that glasses-free 3D Qosmio F750 (aka F755 in the US) gaming laptop we saw last year? We’re not sure how many of them Toshiba has sold, but the company’s PR folks tell us they’ve been popular enough to justify a further 15.6-inch glasses-free model — a Satellite P855, which will have a more mainstream target audience. We’re looking at exactly the same lenticular technology, which uses a webcam to adjust the 3D effect to the user’s head movements, and which delivers effective results if you sit relatively still and give your eyes a chance to adapt. This time, however, the effect is delivered within a textured aluminum chassis that will likely appeal to a wider audience than the red-styled garishness of the Qosmio. The price tag has yet to be disclosed, but that should also be more appealing, since the Satellite range starts at £599 ($940). The P855 won’t arrive until Q2 and Toshiba wasn’t ready to reveal any concrete specs concerning the processor or graphics, other than saying this laptop is aimed at mainstream 3D gaming as well as Blu-Ray consumption. We asked about memory and storage too, but with no success — all we could glean is that there are four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI out, Intel WiDi for direct WiFi beaming of 1080 video to a bigger screen, plus Harmon Kardon speakers. C’mon Tosh, give us Ivy Bridge paired with a 28nm Kepler GPU and make the world happy. (Hands-on video right after the break.)
Glasses-free 3DeeScreen augments Windows 7 displays, lets Peter Gabriel get in your eyes
Glasses-free 3DTVs sporting 4K resolution don’t exactly match up to the everyman’s budget. Still, the tech needs to trickle down to the masses somehow and it appears Spatial View’s keen to take up that three-dimensional, plebeian mantle. Available today, the outfit’s inventively titled 3DeeScreen snaps onto 15.6-inch laptops of the Windows 7 variety to translate ordinary 2D images and video into autostereoscopic eye candy. And, unlike prevailing iterations that depend upon strict viewing zones, this ad hoc implementation can adjust to a viewer’s position through the use of eye-tracking software, letting their zombified heads loll about while they tune in and drop out. Of course, if you choose to plunk down $130 for this visual pizzazz, you’ll be jonesing for a library of compatible media. Good thing then the company’s prepared to scratch that imaginary itch with a planned one-stop hub, dubbed 3DeeCentral, that’ll offer up a curated mix of free and paid content. Need to know more? Then peruse the official presser below while you wonder how the other one percent lives.
Vizio’s 21:9 CinemaWide LED HTDV Coming In March
Vizio showed of a number of cool new products at CES 2012 last month, one of those was their new 21:9 aspect ratio LED HDTV, and now the company has announced that the device will launch in March.
The Vizio 21:9 CinemaWide LED HDTV will retail for $3,500 when it launches in March, and the device will let you watch widescreen movies without the need for the black bars that you get on standard HDTV’s.
It will also upscale 16:9 ratio videos to fit the 58 inch display which features a 2560 x 1080 resolution, and the HDTV also features passive 3D and comes with four pairs of 3D glasses.
As well as being able to watch you favourite movies in the 21:9 format, the Vizio 21:9 CinemaWide LED HDTV also comes with a range of built in applications, which include Facebook, Twitter and more.
You can find out more information on the Vizio 21:9 CinemaWide LED HDTV over at Vizio, and it will be available in march for $3,500.
Viewsonic goes cloudy, touchy and 3D with a trio of new displays
New displays? ViewSonic’s got ‘em. Take, for example, the TD2220, an LED monitor that features two-point touch interaction, two USB ports, a two-watt speaker and a 360-degree swiveling screen. Then there’s the TDi2340, a so-called “anchor for cloud computing devices,” a display that connects wirelessly to tablets, smartphones and notebooks, serving as an extended desktop. The 23-incher features a touch interface and sports an ARM11 processor inside. The 27-inch V3D271 is an active 3D display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. It features dual two-watt speakers and ships with a pair of NVIDIA glasses for that whole three-dimensional thing. No word on pricing, but the three models should ship in Q2.
Sensics head-tracking 3D Smart goggles hands-on (video)
When we first caught wind of Sensic’s head-tracking 3D Smart goggles a few days ago, we couldn’t help but think of it as a Sony HMZ-T1 on Android-flavored steroids. We’ve just spent some time with the prototype here on the show floor playing a virtual demo that had us smashing buildings in a virtual world — notably running entirely on the headset, thanks (in part) to its 1.2GHZ dual-core CPU. If you can’t tell from the picture, the headset is absolutely massive. In-hand it’s quiet hefty, but once it engulfed our noggin, we found that it was actually quiet well-balanced and comfortable, to the point that we almost forget that it was on our head – almost. Notably, this proto is a “one size fits all” type deal rght now, so we did have to wrap a circle-scarf around our head to keep its 1280 x 1024 screens within our eyes view. Thankfully, our horn-rimmed glasses did fit inside with no issue.
So, what’s it like? An array of cameras on it’s face scan the environment to react to your heads position and any movement you make. We were able to spin, tilt, walk around and even jump, with the virtual world on screen following suite — all while looking like a confused and lost puppy to anyone passing by. We’re told video refreshes at 60hz, but sadly, we were faced with stuttery visuals in our use. The unit is also capable of tracking hand movements, but we can’t say we were able to make use of the privilege — instead, a controller made up for the interim. Considering that Sensic’s head-tracking 3D goggles do all of the above in a completely self-contained fashion, we can’t help but think that there’s lots of potential for the tech. The question remains, however, as to whether the experience and the hardware can be smoothed to bring the Minority Report-style of AR closer to a retail reality. Head on past the break for a video of us trying out Sensic’s headset for ourselves– trust us, you’re in for a treat.
Lenovo’s 55-inch IdeaTV K91 is the world’s first Android Ice Cream Sandwich TV
Back in late November last year, Lenovo’s Chinese folks teased a certain IdeaTV or LeTV for launch this year, and now we finally get to see it in its full glory. Dubbed the K91, we’re looking at a 55-inch IPS 3D HDTV running Android Ice Cream Sandwich (a first for smart TVs, yet not quite a Google TV), and inside it sits a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon APQ8060. Dig a little deeper and you’ll also find 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage, SD card expansion, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 10M/100M Ethernet, HDMI and USB 2.0 connectivity (which is much needed for an external hard drive to store video content). As you can see in the pictures, the K91 will come with some Lenovo cloud services, including an app store (but the TV will have over 100 apps preloaded, anyway) and video-on-demand, along with voice control and facial recognition (mainly for child lock, we presume) using its five-megapixel webcam. As always, we’ll get back to you as soon as we get information on dates and prices.
LG reveals Z330 / Z430 Ultrabooks, P535 / A540 laptops and 3D-enabled V300 all-in-one PC
Woo, boy. The Ultrabook flood has officially begun, and LG’s marching into CES with a fresh pair of the things. Four new laptop models and an all-in-one PC will be making their way to Vegas, with the Z330 and Z430 Ultrabooks leading the way. The P535 and A540 take a more traditional approach, while the V300 steps in as a 23-inch AIO for those who still haven’t found solace in mobility. If you’ll recall, we’d actually heard about a few of these last month, but now the company’s getting official with the parts within. The Z330 — which looks a little too much like something elsewe’ve seen making the rounds — will house a Core i7 processor, a 13.3-inch HD display, an SSD and an enclosure that weighs but 2.66 pounds. The 14-inch Z430 is outfitted similarly, sitting in a 19.9mm chassis and boasting a metallic cover with a “gyro-brush line finish.” The 15.6-inch P535 gets a Core i7, GeForce GT 630M and a wide-angle display, while the A540 grabs a GeForce GT 555M and a glasses-free 3D display. Closing up the loop, the revised V300 gains a 1080p Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) 3D panel, which should entice just about one in every eight hundred average Joes you know. The whole lot is expected to ship in Q1, but pricing remains a mystery.
