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Apple Thunderbolt Display Stock Shortages Hint At New Model
It would appear that Apple may be getting ready to release a new version of their Thunderbolt Mac display, as according to a recent report by Apple Insider, third part resellers of the device are shot on stock of the existing Thunderbolt Displays.
This is a possible hint that Apple has a new model on the way, as previous stock shortages in the past have occurred before the release of a new device, although Apple is still showing the device in stock.
Apple recently introduced their new range of iMacs with a much slimmer design than the previous models, so we suspect they could also have a new slimmer Thunderbolt Display in the works, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know.
Source MacRumors
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.
ASUS Designo MX279H and MX239H monitors are slim, inspired by sundials
We’d wager that “inspired by sundials” isn’t a phrase you expected to hear at this year’s IFA, but there it is, in the press release for a pair of new monitors from ASUS. The Designo MX239H and MX279H have edge-to-edge screens, largely free of worrisome bezels and slim profiles at 14.5- and 17.5 millimeters, respectively. The displays are matte IPS, which offer up a 178-degree viewing angle, according to the company. And the stands — they’ve got “sundial” written all over them. Peep the press release after the break.
Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV
Chinese web titan Tencent and TCL Multimedia have torn the wraps off the Ice Screen, a jointly developed 26-inch smart TV with a 1,366 x 768 display that allows users to browse the web, access videos, music and games through QQ services. Under the hood, the Android-powered television houses a dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz processor, a Mali 400 GPU, 4GB of RAM and support for a memory card of up to 32GB in size. An IR remote and an app for devices sporting version 2.2 or higher of Google’s OS can be used to control the tube, which can sit horizontally or vertically in its stand. On the connectivity front, the panel packs Wi-Fi, a pair of USB ports, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can plunk down ¥1,999 (roughly $315) for an online pre-order before its September 3rd launch. More details await in the press release after the jump.
AMD launches its next-gen FirePro graphics card lineup, we go hands-on at SIGGRAPH (video)
Just as you’ve cozied up with “Tahiti” and “Cape Verde,” AMD has returned to grow its “Southern Islands” family of graphics cards with four fresh FirePros, offering up to four teraflops of graphics computing power. That spec can be found in the company’s new W9000, which is capable of four TFLOPs single precision and one TFLOP double precision with a price tag just shy of $4,000. That behemoth of a card offers 6GB of GDDR5 RAM and requires 274 watts of power. More humble members of the fam include the W8000, which has the same form-factor as the higher-end W9000, but eases back on the specs, consuming 189 watts of power and carrying a $1,599 price tag.
We had a chance to take a closer look at both cards at SIGGRAPH, and while they packed a significant amount of heft, you’ll likely never take a second look once they’re buried away in your tower rig. Fans of smaller housings (and price tags) may take notice of the W7000 and W5000, which are both considerably more compact and require less power to boot, with pricing set at $899 and $599, respectively. Those cards were also on hand for our demo, and can be seen along with the top two configs in our gallery below. You can also sneak a closer peek in the hands-on video after the break, and glance at the full specs over at our news post from earlier today.
Wacom outs the Cintiq 24HD touch, adds multi-touch controls and more to its largest pen display
Hot off the heels of the more modest Wacom Cintiq 22HD’s introduction, the outfit has announced a new version of its 24HD pen display as well. Labeled the 24HD touch, the upcoming offering adds multi-touch functionality to the company’s 24-inch input device — just as the name would suggest. The added features don’t stop there. A touch-enabled 24HD also touts an improved display that shows 1.07 billion colors while covering 97% of Adobe’s RGB gamut and implementing RGB backlighting that improves on-screen color rendition. Similar to the sans-touch offering, you can expect to utilize Express Keys and Touch Rings to customize your workflow for maximum efficiency in addition to the touchscreen. When the 24HD touch hits shelves, it’ll play nice with Windows 8 and will work just fine without installing drivers. In order to customize those pricey multi-touch commands, though, you’ll need the requisite software.
If you splurged for the regular ol’ 24HD, we can understand your frustration. However, Wacom says that it intended for the touch model to be released at the same time as the pen-only version, but the development took a bit longer than anticipated. Part of the reason for the delay was the extra time needed to perfect features like palm rejection in the kit’s software. The peripheral company also hopes that software developers will take the gesture tech and create features that will showcase its full range of potential — your move, Adobe. Itchin’ to snag one already? Well, you’ll have to wait until sometime in August to get your hands on this model and be prepared to shell out $3699 for the pen display ($1100 more than the previous release). Need a bit more info before emptying your savings account? Hit the PR button for all the particulars or take closer look in the gallery below.
HP unveils 2311x IPS LED-backlit monitor and two new LCD displays: prices start at $140
Though we’ve already seen HP’s 23-inch 2311xi IPS LED backlit monitor — the first of its consumer monitors to feature in-plane switching technology — it’s getting a second turn in the spotlight today as the company fleshes out its new line-up of displays. Accompanying the 2311x is the 20-inch 2011xi IPS LED backlit monitor, which for $170 offers 178-degree viewing angles and a 1600 x 900 resolution. Both versions will start shipping in the US on June 24th.
HP is also updating its selection of LED-backlit LCD monitors. The 20-inch W2071d and 23-inch W2371d sport resolutions of 1600 x 900 and 1920 x 1080, respectively, and both include VGA and DVI-D inputs. The 20-incher will go for $140, while the 23-incher costs $200 — no word on availability yet.
AOC Aire iPlay desktop LCD docks iPhones and iPods, rocks the joint (modestly)
AOC has a bit of a long-term memory issue: it claims the Aire iPlay E2343Fi is the first computer monitor to have a built-in iPhone and iPod docking station. Nope. But don’t let that deter you from checking out the new 23-inch LCD, whose cradle in the base will both keep your Apple gear topped up as well as play movies and music through the display. The 10-watt speakers won’t exactly bring the house down, though they will let you take the headphones off. As an actual computer display, it’s a typical TN-based panel with a 1080p resolution, a quick 2ms pixel response time and a boldly claimed 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Those who find a separate dock or (gasp) wires too much can officially spend $280 for an Aire iPlay of their own today; Amazon and other shops have already knocked the price down to a more palpable $230.
ASUS shows off a docking monitor built for the PadFone, we go hands-on (video)
Back when ASUS formally launched the PadFone, it trotted out a handful of accessories to go with it: a keyboard dock, tablet station and even a stylus that doubles as an earpiece. As it turns out, the outfit had even more goodies up its sleeve: we just spotted a PadFone docking monitor hanging out in the ASUS booth here at Computex. For starters, it is what it sounds like: a 27-inch display with a cradle designed specifically to accommodate the PadFone’s dimensions. There are also HDMI, VGA, DVI and four USB 3.0 ports in case you want to use it as a standalone monitor.
HP intros three Compaq desktops, two displays for the business set
In addition to all the laptops and printers HP announced today, it also has a few goodies for the cube monkeys out there. The company just outed a trio of three business-grade desktops, along with two monitors. First up, there’s the Compaq Elite 8300, which is aimed squarely at large businesses with IT-friendly tools like TPM, Intel’s vPro technology and remote management via LANdesk. The Compaq Pro 4300, meanwhile, targets small businesses with its compact form factor and features like HP’s Chassis Security Kit. The mid-size Compaq Pro 6300 aims to please both groups, with TPM protection, HP’s BIOS solutions and the same 15-month life cycle program offered on the higher-end Elite 8300. Regardless of the model, you’re looking at Ivy Bridge CPUs coupled with Intel’s most up-to-date integrated graphics. Expect the 6300 and 8300 to land on June 4th, priced starting at $579 and $679, respectively. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for the 4300, though: it’ll arrive in Asia on the 22nd, and make its way to the US sometime this fall.
As for those monitors, HP’s introducing one of the nondescript variety, and another with a touchscreen. Starting with the former, the Compaq L2206tm has a 21.5-inch (1920 x 1080) display with a VGA port, two USB 2.0 sockets and DVI output with HDCP support. Meanwhile, the finger-friendly Compaq LA2405x has a 24-inch, 1080p screen, along with VGA, DVI and DisplayPort output — not to mention, a pair of USB 2.0 ports. Either way, they both have a 72 percent color gamut, 250-nit brightness level and viewing angles rated for 170 degrees across and 160 degrees vertical. The multitouch LA2405x is available today for $269, while the L2206tm is coming June 4th for $279.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III’s light leak fix found to be black tape
When Canon promised a fix for the EOS 5D Mark III’s preview LCD leaking light, photographers wondered just what the “countermeasures” would be to prevent the display from affecting exposure readouts. The remedy, it turns out, is a simple patch — of the physical kind, not software. Roger Cicala at LensRentals was brave enough to tear down one of the DSLRs shipping with a fix already in place and found black electrical tape covering the LCD area that would otherwise spill light into the exposure meter. While basic, the solution does the trick, and will no doubt be a relief to shutterbugs who want to know exactly what exposure they’ll get while snapping photos in the dark.
Perifoveal Display tracks head positioning, highlights changing data on secondary LCDs (hands-on)
If there’s a large display as part of your workstation, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of your windows simultaneously, without missing a single update. Now imagine surrounding yourself with three, or four, or five jumbo LCDs, each littered with dozens of windows tracking realtime data — be it RSS feeds, an inbox or chat. Financial analysts, security guards and transit dispatchers are but a few of the professionals tasked with monitoring such arrays, constantly scanning each monitor to keep abreast of updates. One project from the MIT Media Lab offers a solution, pairing Microsoft Kinect cameras with detection software, then highlighting changes with a new graphical user interface.
Perifoveal Display presents data at normal brightness on the monitor that you’re facing directly. Then, as you move your head to a different LCD, that panel becomes brighter, while changes on any of the displays that you’re not facing directly (but still remain within your peripheral vision) — a rising stock price, or motion on a security camera — are highlighted with a white square, which slowly fades once you turn to face the new information. During our hands-on demo, everything worked as described, albeit without the instant response times you may expect from such a platform. As with most Media Lab projects, there’s no release date in sight, but you can gawk at the prototype in our video just after the break.
LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED
While the Optimus LTE’s already made its way to South Korea, Japan and the US (in the guise of the Spectrum and the Nitro HD), LG’s decided to give this dual-core handset a new name ahead of its Hong Kong launch at the end of this month. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus True HD LTE. Alas, the “true HD” part here doesn’t actually mean the phone’s getting 1080p resolution on a 4.5-inch panel (which would be 490ppi; yet Toshiba’s actually done it!); but we were told that ’tis really just a dig at Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED technology — you know, the magic behind that 4.65-inch screen on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.
Simply put, LG doesn’t think that 1,280 x 720 on PenTile counts as HD due to the lower number of sub-pixels; and while it’s at it, the company also criticized AMOLED’s over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in “normal user environment” — for the latter, LG showed that its AH-IPS has a more consistent power consumption across varying levels of overall whiteness. You can see the relevant slides after the break.
Gli schermi AMOLED flessibili di Samsung si chiameranno YOUM (video)
Mostrati già da qualche tempo, gli schermi flessibili AMOLED di Samsung si avvicinano sempre più alla commercializzazioni e i rumor sembrano collocare l’arrivo dei primi device che li monteranno entro la fine del 2012.
In risposta alla mossa di LG che ha annunciato che i suoi schermi flessibili a inchiostro elettronico arriveranno tra Aprile e Maggio, Samsung si porta avanti e registra il marchio YOUM che andrà a caratterizzare i display di nuova generazione del produttore.
Acer brings five monitors to the US, prices range from $139 to $329
Moving on, Acer also has two other 23-inch, 1080p monitors — the S230HL Abd and Abii — with the former packing VGA and DVI ports, and the latter trading DVI for two HDMI sockets. Look for those in April for $169 and $189, respectively. Of the lot, the most expensive is the 27-inch S271HL, a 27-inch, 1080p monitor with DVI, HDMI and a VESA mount. You can snag one now for a cool $329. Last but not least, if you’re on a tighter budget there’s the 20-inch S200HL, which has a more modest 1600 x 900 resolution, along with VGA and DVI ports. That’s on sale now for $139. More info on all of these in the PR after the break, though we’re pretty sure we passed on all the pertinent details already.
Nokia reveals polarizing secrets of ClearBlack display
Samsung gets tired of neighbors watching its Transparent Smart Window, installs blinds (Video)
Sammy’s transparent OLED displays may not be the freshest piece of tech at CES, but its still pretty dang awesome. We first saw Samsung’s 46-inch 1920 x 1080 digitally augmented window back in March, but dropped by its CES booth for a second look. Although the touchscreen window still teases to fulfill our fevered sci-fi dreams, not much has changed — it’s still clear, it’s still loaded with widgets, and it’s still not anywhere near being installed in your home. Samsung told us this was still a concept device, although they did mention that the technology could be scaled down for use in military visors and heads up displays. Hit the break to see a video demo of a few new apps, including a rather slick set of digital blinds.
Samsung Series 9 monitor and all-in-one eyes-on
After spotting a powered-off Series 9 display at a CES press event earlier this week, we told you we’d revisit it if we could actually show you that 27-inch, 2560 x 1440 panel in all its billion-color glory. Well, folks, here she is. Samsung’s first PLS display for the consumer market is arriving in March or April for $1,199, and is arriving with a refreshed design that trades last year’s slick surfaces for an aluminum base. We’ll let those hands-on photos speak for themselves, but hopefully from where you’re sitting you can still appreciate those wide viewing angles, deep blacks and rich colors.
And what of last year’s Series 9 monitor? Samsung recycled the glossy, asymmetrical design, added a slot-loading Blu-ray drive and turned it into a high-end all-in-one. The 27-inch display has 1080p resolution, and the same kind of Ultra Clear panel Samsung uses in its televisions to make sure that glossy finish isn’t too reflective. And though Samsung doesn’t have too many specs to share, we know it has a quad-core Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a TV tuner and an unspecified AMD graphics card with 1GB of video memory. As you’d expect, it also comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard, the latter of which has some surprisingly cushy keys, given the island layout and all. No word on pricing or availability, though a Samsung rep told us the company has no plans to bring this stateside.
Lumus see-through wearable display hands-on
Lumus was showing off two different types of wearable displays, the development kit — or DK-32 shown above — and the PD-18-4 a monocular version using the same technology. Driven by Lumus’ patented Light-guide Optical Element, a micro-display pod, and the Optical Engine which projects light into the lens — where it is reflected back to the user’s eye via reflectors embedded in the lens — the Lumus’ DK-32 delivers a bright 720p 3D-capable display that only weighs 27 grams. The effect is really quite impressive, the colors are bright — and adjustable using the display pod — and images were surprisingly clear. But the best part, of course, is that while you’re watching YouTube vids and walking about you’ll avoid stumbling into objects and passersby. Also on hand was the monocle which was very much like something you’d see in a science fiction flick. With the PD-18-4 we checked out a nav program, some eye tests, and a phone UI mockup. We’re stoked at what this development kit will make possible once it gets into the hands of some evil genius. Video and pictures are just past the break.
Samsung Series 7 HDTV monitor hands-on
Of the two monitors Samsung announced last week, the Series 7 was decidedly the middle-of-the road number. But that’s not saying much, seeing as how its big brother, the Series 9, is Sammy’s first consumer display with a plane line switching panel, and has a 2560 x 1440 pixel count. The Series 7, available in 24- and 27-inch sizes (both 1080p), uses the same matte, 400-nit, SuperBright Plus panel you’ll find on the newly announced Series 9 laptop, and as ever it looks bright and clear, even in the face of some oblique viewing angles. For the money ($600 and up), it also has built-in WiDi and MHL, along with an integrated TV tuner. So far as we can tell, after having seen it in person, the biggest thing you’ll lose once you step down from the Series 9 (aside from the PLS bit) is design flair. Whereas the Series 9 has a slim aluminum build with glowing touch controls, the Series 7′s glossy surfaces pick up fingerprints quite quickly. (Then again, this more or less rocks the same design as last year’s Series 9 flagship, so how bad could it be?) Have a peek at our shots below, and stay tuned for a separate look at the Series 9 — for whatever reason, the one on display at tonight’s press event was powered off for the night, so we’ll be back sometime soon when we can show you that high-quality PLS display in the buff.
