|  |  |  | | | | | Engadget | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  If that display up there looks familiar, it's because it's already won itself a fancy schmancy iF product design award. But as Prospero would say, 'tis new to thee -- at least if you live on this side of the Atlantic. Acer just announced it's bringing that very S23HL monitor to the US, along with four other models whose screens range in size from 20 to 27 inches. The S235HL is clearly the star of the show here, with a half-inch-thick frame and asymmetrical stand. (It has 1080p resolution and VGA / HDMI ports too, if you're interested in more than just the design.) Intrigued? You can expect to fork over $219 for it when it lands stateside next month. 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. Continue reading Acer brings five monitors to the US market, ranging in price from $139 to $329 Acer brings five monitors to the US market, ranging in price from $139 to $329 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DSLRs tend to have longer refresh cycles than oh, we don't know, phones with RAZR in the name, but every shooter must eventually go to heaven nonetheless. About a year and a half after introducing the Alpha A55 translucent mirror camera, Sony's putting that model out to pasture to make way for its replacement, the Alpha A57. This time around, Sony's bumped the ISO to 16000 and boosted the continuous shooting rate from 10 frames per second to 12. It's also rolling out some improvements to the 15-point autofocus system, including enhanced object-tracking and quick AF in Full HD movie mode. Like the A55 before it, the A57 packs a 16-megapixel APS HD CMOS sensor, though this guy records 1920 x 1080 video at 60i and 24p/25p. It also packs the relatively new Bionz imaging engine introduced with Sony's fall 2011 models. Also on board: effects like Auto Portrait Framing (it is what it sounds like) and Clear Image Zoom, which promises an effective two-fold increase in focal length. As for design, the A57 feels more like a close cousin to the A65, and sports a tilting, 921,600-dot LCD. It'll start at $699 for the body only when it goes on sale next month, though it will also be offered as a $799 kit with an 18-55mm lens. Until then, we've got official press shots below, alone with the official PR just past the break.
Continue reading Sony announces Alpha A57 translucent mirror camera with 12fps shooting, improved autofocus system Sony announces Alpha A57 translucent mirror camera with 12fps shooting, improved autofocus system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Analysts at the research firm Gartner have come out and crowned Samsung as the most popular smartphone producer in China. The Korean manufacturer beat out others such as Nokia, Huawei, ZTE and Apple to score the title, and now boasts a rather impressive 24.3 percent market share in the country. While the iPhone 4S is portrayed as the most desired handset in China, Gartner suggests its limited availability with carriers played a large role in Samsung's achievement. The report provides a stark contrast with Apple's global success, which was recently named by Gartner as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world. The importance of China can't be overlooked, however, which is now projected to overtake the United States as the largest smartphone market. Until Apple further expands its carrier reach, it appears to be smooth sailing for Samsung -- unless Nokia is able to apply some pressure from its new Windows Phone handsets, that is. Gartner pegs Samsung as China's top smartphone maker, ranks Apple fifth overall originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Sammy Hub |  Bloomberg | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Much like carbon nanotubes and quantum computing, terahertz technologies have been promising miracles for nearly as long as humans have been able to distinguish water from fire. We exaggerate, but barely. A crafty team assembled at the University of Pittsburgh seems to have no qualms with moving forward, however, recently announcing a new physical basis for terahertz bandwidth. Those involved managed to have success in generating a frequency comb -- "dividing a single color of light into a series of evenly spaced spectral lines for a variety of uses -- that spans a more than 100 terahertz bandwidth by exciting a coherent collective of atomic motions in a semiconductor silicon crystal." For those who managed to make it through the technobabble, we're told that the ability to modulate light with such a bandwidth could "increase the amount of information carried by more than 1,000 times when compared to the volume carried with today's technologies." Smartphones, computers and even airline check-in kiosks that operate 1,000 faster than they do today? Sure, we'll take that. But, how about give us a ring when Wally World deems it ripe for commercialization? We'll be waiting -- pinky promise. Terahertz bandwidth: the key to 1,000x faster smartphones, laptops and pipe dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink PCMag | University of Pittsburgh, Nature | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | After that March 10th mishap, Samsung reaffirmed to us that it'd deliver Android 4.0 for its GT-I9100 Galaxy S II when it was darn good and ready -- well folks, the company is appears ready. It's just announced both via Facebook and Twitter that the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade that so many have lusted after is now available and will begin its rollout to all users in Europe and Korea today -- subject to carrier requirements, of course. Better yet, Samsung has affirmed that its Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 will follow shortly. So, if you're one of the lucky ones to receive the upgrade, let us know how it fares for you in the comments below. Otherwise, feel free to keep clicking that update button. Samsung heralds European arrival of Ice Cream Sandwich for Galaxy S II originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | @SamsungMobile (Twitter), Samsung (Facebook) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bad news if you've recently acquired either of ASUS' gorgeous Zenbooks, as alleged spec sheets for their successors have just surfaced. According to documents obtained by The Verge, the upcoming refresh will be significant for both the 11.6-inch UX21 and 13.3-inch UX31. Dubbed the UX21A and UX31A, respectively, both supposedly make do with Ivy Bridge silicon (spanning from Core i3s all the way to i7s) which also means a gratuitous update to Intel's HD Graphics 4000. Brawny internals aside, most interesting are the optional 1080p IPS panels on both, which should be particularly gorgeous and pixel-dense in the smaller 11.6-inch beaut. Also rumored is the inclusion of WiDi, alongside backlit keyboard decks -- all stuffed into the same svelte footprints as their predecessors. Naturally, there's no word on when they'll land, but you'll know more when we do. Catch the full spill at the source link below. ASUS Zenbooks to get Ivy Bridge refresh, optional 1080p and backlit keyboards in tow? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Electronista | The Verge | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Community
After an all-too-long midseason hiatus, everyone's favorite group of community college misfits returns on Thursday. Community has a significant online following that reacted noisily to its sudden disappearance from NBC's schedule a few months ago, although if so many people are watching it, you gotta wonder why the network seems like it's in such a hurry to press the cancel button. Oh yeah, it's NBC, the people the ruined Heroes.
(March 15th, NBC, 8PM)
Frozen Planet
The latest series from the Discovery/BBC team up that brought you Planet Earth starts airing Sunday night so queue up the DVR and prepare to be wowed by nature. As usual, there is a downside -- the British narration is not in place for the US audiences, swapped out for Alec Baldwin.
(March 18th, Discovery, 8PM)
March Madness
College hoops will be in effect all week on CBS and various Turner owned networks, with the 68-team tournament kicking off Tuesday night and continuing through three weekends of single elimination ball. Kentucky is the clear favorite to take it all, but with an odd mix of young/talented and older/experienced teams, this could be anyone's year.
(All Week, CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV) Continue reading Must See HDTV (March 12th - 18th) Must See HDTV (March 12th - 18th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In a shift that would see its familiar brand move from the inside out, Intel's reportedly in talks to create an IPTV service that could rival current subscription offerings from cable and satellite. According to the Wall Street Journal, the venture would deliver programming via household internet connections and has the personal backing of CEO Paul Otellini, signaling a consumer-facing shift for the typically behind-the-scenes company. The proposed service, which would bear the Intel brand, is still far from a concrete reality, but the chipmaker has held several talks with content companies to secure carriage deals, as well as demo its proprietary set-top box and navigation UI. So far no programmers have signed on for the "virtual cable operator," putting the outfit's tentative end-of-year 2012 date into question. Intel plans branded IPTV service, could launch by end of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Not even the federal government's factory of scifi dreams can hold off the likes of Google's recruiters. According to Wired, Regina Dugan, DARPA's current director, will be moving on from the Department of Defense's fantastical research arm for an unspecified "senior executive position" with the folks from Mountain View. Dugan's served in her role for the past three years, winning over the likes of the Pentagon by shifting her agency's focus from out-there R&D experiments to more practical military applications, while also ruffling a few feathers with her brazen statements. No word was given on when exactly she'll officially join the search giant's ranks other than a vague mention of "sometime in the next few weeks." Look out Uncle Sam, the Google brain drain's got its sights set on you. Now, no government sector is safe. DARPA director exits agency for Google, assumes mysterious role originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Wired | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Y Combinator-funded Posterous had its time in the sun and now it's being absorbed by the biggest player in the microblogging market. The simple sharing service struck a chord with many of Silicon Valley's elite, but it never managed to make a major dent in a field already dominated by the likes of Tumblr and its now owner, Twitter. The teams from Posterous will simply shift over to products at its new parent company and let their creation die a slow and likely unspectacular death. There are no concrete plans to retire Posterous Spaces just yet but, should that day come, we've been promised plenty of warning and instructions for backing up your content. Now we'll just have to wait and see what "key initiatives" Twitter has in store for its new employees. Twitter snatches up Posterous, microblogging field about to get a little bit smaller originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Next Web | Posterous, Twitter | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Yahoo has seen some fairly big shakeups within the company recently, and it looks like it's now also trying a change in tactics. As AllThingsD reports, Yahoo has today filed what's being described as a "massive" patent infringement lawsuit against none other than Facebook. That suit concerns ten patents in all, which cover everything from advertising and privacy measures to messaging and social networking itself. As detailed in the complaint (viewable at the source link below), Yahoo alleges that Facebook is infringing on those patents left and right, including in such core features as the News Feed, user profiles, and its advertising methods. In a statement, Yahoo said that it has licensed its patents to others but that the "matter with Facebook remains unresolved" and that it's therefore "compelled to seek redress in federal court," adding that it's "confident" it will prevail. Yahoo hits Facebook with patent infringement lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | AllThingsD | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Yahoo has seen some fairly big shakeups within the company recently, and it looks like it's now also trying another change in tactics. As AllThingsD reports, Yahoo has today filed what's being described as a "massive" patent infringement lawsuit against none other than Facebook. That suit concerns ten patents in all, which cover everything from advertising and privacy measures to messaging and social networking itself. As detailed in the complaint (viewable at the source link below), Yahoo alleges that Facebook is infringing on those patents left and right, including in such core features as the News Feed, user profiles, and its advertising methods. In a statement, Yahoo said that it has licensed its patents to others but that the "matter with Facebook remains unresolved" and that it's therefore "compelled to seek redress in federal court," further noting that it's "confident" it will prevail. For its part, Facebook says that it's "disappointed that Yahoo's effort to engage with us was limited to a few short phone calls and that we continue to learn of new developments about a long-time partner through the press," adding that "we will defend ourselves vigorously against these puzzling actions." Yahoo hits Facebook with patent infringement lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | AllThingsD | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tim Cook says the darnedest things. Why, just last week Apple's head honcho suggested that iPad users are ditching their home consoles in favor of Cupertino's favorite slate. Bold words, ones that can't be sitting well with the gaming industry's big three. Steady thy rifle, hardcore gamer, Cook has a point: the console wars have shifted irreversibly. Gone are the days of bickering over somewhat similar 16-bit consoles and their supposed lack of "blast-processing"; today's gaming armies wage war with wildly different artillery. In the pursuit of your mobile gaming dollar, Nintendo towed a traditional line with a new twist. Sony, on the other hand, seems to have bundled every input method it could get its mitts on into its next-generation portable. Microsoft, however, puts the "mobile" in mobile gaming, echoing Apple's own approach with an Xbox Live platform that eschews dedicated hardware to float across Windows Phone devices as a "feature."
Take a step back, and suddenly it seems like the major players of consumer gaming aren't even driving on the same track. This war isn't about the "most powerful" console anymore; it's about creating the right experience for today's gamer. We ducked under the unspoken truce of last week's Game Developer Conference to get a bead on Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony's portable gaming strategies. Read on to see what they're doing to differentiate themselves from the competition. Continue reading Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft: three very different takes on portable gaming at GDC 2012 Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft: three very different takes on portable gaming at GDC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A Galaxy S II it is not, but that isn't a bad thing, as not everyone's kosher with cramming 4.65-inches worth of superphone into their pocket. Enter T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G -- a souped up Galaxy S class device with some new silicon from its faster (and larger) brother. Hitting select stores March 21st, followed by more retail outlets and online on the 28th, those plunking down the $150 asking price will be treated to a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, a 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA panel and a 5-inch rear shooter with 720p video capture. TouchWiz and Gingerbread are still the name of the game here, but Samsung's assured us an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade will come in due course. With a couple of weeks before judgement day, why not get cozy with our hands-on from MWC? Go-on, it won't bite. T-Mobile's Galaxy S Blaze 4G lands in select stores March 21st, everywhere else March 28th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ralph Baer is a name synonymous with gaming lore, credited with the invention of the Magnavox Odyssey and thinking that digital table tennis was a good idea long before Pong proved him right. These days, he's 90 years young, and still inventing as if his best days are ahead of him. Photographer David Friedman has embarked on quite the interesting side project, lining up a number of interviews that profile some of the world's most quietly influential folk; in the effort of concealing spoilers, we'll simply encourage you to tap the play button below after you're settled in. It's a solid watch, regardless of whether you're familiar with the man, the myth or the legend. Continue reading Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video Ralph Baer, video game mastermind, sits down for inventor portrait video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink MAKE, Joystiq | David Friedman Photography, Vimeo | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  While there's been plenty of legal wrangling between Apple and Samsung in Federal courtrooms lately, it's been awhile since we've had news from the parties' parallel proceedings occurring in the ITC. No longer. Last week, Apple received a favorable outcome when the ITC issued its claim construction order, siding with Apple's interpretations of two patents -- for those who aren't familiar, claim construction is the process by which the judge determines the meaning of specific terms in the claims, and it often has great influence on findings of infringement (or non-infringement). The judge found in favor of Samsung regarding one patent in his claim construction order, however, and now Apple has dropped that patent from the proceedings, along with claims from two of its other patents as well. This latest legal maneuvering by Cupertino is pretty standard fare, as paring down the legal issues is something all courts encourage to make the adjudication process more efficient, and Apple is simply distilling its case down to its strongest arguments. Now that the claim construction's complete, next on the docket is the ITC's evidentiary hearing (read: trial) starting May 31st, and afterwards we'll finally get the ITC's decision. Stay tuned. Apple simplifies its ITC suit against Samsung: drops one patent and several claims from two more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FOSS Patents | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | "We only have dial-up here. You'd be shocked at the speeds. [Laughs.] But it's okay -- as long as I can send and reply to email, I'm fine with it." Those were the words spoken to me just weeks ago by the absolutely precious owner of Litia Sini Beach Resort on the extreme southeastern tip of Upolo. For those unaware, that's Samoa's most populous island (~135,000 people) -- a sliver of lush, mountainous land dropped almost perfectly in the center of the Pacific Ocean. I chuckled a bit upon hearing it, immediately realizing that I had a connection in the palm of my hand that was 20, 30, perhaps even 40 times quicker than what this business owner was relying on. She paused, as if to collect her thoughts before going into a familiar spiel about the resort's amenities, and then drew my attention to the display of her laptop.
"It's still a draft for now, but this is the new tsunami evacuation plan that we're working on. Soon, we'll have this in each fale. It's taking a bit of time to get right, as the drawings are actually done in New Zealand." I nodded my head in understanding, immediately thinking that this must be in reaction to the catastrophic tsunami of September 2009, caused by a magnitude 8.1 submarine earthquake that hit barely 100 miles from the very spot I was sitting. It was the largest quake of 2009. The entire resort was leveled. Dozens upon dozens were killed. And here we were, over two full years later, and the evacuation schematics are still in "draft." Continue reading Bringing wireless to the disconnected: internet tales from the South Pacific Bringing wireless to the disconnected: internet tales from the South Pacific originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | HTC set gadget-lusting hearts ablaze when it outed its trio of One phones at this past Mobile World Congress. And while you can't yet get your paws on those Sense 4.0 devices, you can load up on a slew of accompanying accessories -- right now. The OEM's UK virtual storefront has apparently jumped the gun in advance of the line's launch, offering up a host of headsets, cables, docks, car kits and protectors for order that already appear to be selling out. A global rollout for the X, S and V is still on track for early Q2, so if you're a denizen of Her Majesty's kingdom and are keen on buying what Peter Chou's selling, then click on the source below to get a head start and stock up.
[Thanks, Chris]HTC's UK accessory store shows some love for the One line, offers up the goodies early originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | HTC Accessory Store | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It doesn't come right out and say it, but we have a strong suspicion that the HTC PJ40110 -- approved by the FCC today -- refers to T-Mobile's version of the HTC One S. This model offers an AWS 3G radio, in addition to AT&T-friendly 850 /1900 3G bands, and its ID is just a slight nudge from the PJ40100 ( global One S). The timing of this seal of approval lines up with T-Mo's spring launch aspirations, and this is one particular device (pun unintended but welcome) we can't wait to see in stores. Note: There's also a lot of speculation that the PJ58100 is the One S for T-Mobile, and was approved by the FCC two weeks ago. Both models appear to share the same specs and radio sets. We'll continue to investigate. T-Mobile HTC One S shows up in FCC with AWS bands? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Lenovo's been hard at work with various Android phones and tablets so far this year, and here's yet another one that's just popped up in FCC's database. Dubbed the IdeaTab S2109 (or S2109A-F, to be specific), we're told by a reliable source that 'tis an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet assembled by Foxconn, and it'll come with a 9.7-inch, 4:3 IPS display (supplied by Chi Mei), a TI OMAP chip and four powerful SRS-ready speakers as featured on the beefy K2010. The above diagram suggests said slate has a microSD slot accessible from the outside, and if you take a closer look at the product label, you'll see that the device requires a whooping 2.5A input at 5V, which means it'll come with a 12.5W adapter -- a lot more powerful than many tablets' consumption at 10W (including the new iPad) or below. Here's hoping that this is an indication for a faster charge time.
As for availability, we heard that this S2109 will launch at some point this month, though our shy friend didn't specify which market it'll debut in -- the FCC document lists Germany, Canada, US, India, Russia, Turkmenistan, Mexico, Chile, Japan and China. If Android on a 4:3 screen sounds like your cup of tea then stay tuned for more news. Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 teased by FCC, launching with 9.7-inch display this month? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AT&T's 4G LTE isn't the new kid on the wireless block anymore, but that's not to say the network's leapfrogged its growing pains. With almost two years to go before it reaches that end-of-year 2013 expansion target, the carrier's flipping the switch on an additional eleven markets across the US, as well as completing coverage in New York City. With a phased rollout in place that's set to begin next month and terminate at some undisclosed point in early summer, subscribers in Cleveland, Akron and Canton, Ohio; Naples, Florida; Bloomington, Lafayette and Muncie, Indiana; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Bryan-College Station, Texas and Staten Island will get to benefit from those 700MHz waves. Check out the official presser below for the finer details. Continue reading AT&T continues 4G LTE expansion, plans to light up eleven markets by early summer AT&T continues 4G LTE expansion, plans to light up eleven markets by early summer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Canon unveiled its highly-anticipated EOS 5D Mark III just 10 days ago, but we already have a pre-production sample in-hand, and will be putting it through its paces over the next week. Today's installment focuses on high-sensitivity still image shooting, which we conducted at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea. We chose a dimly lit temple as our test subject, shooting a handful of images at ISO settings ranging from 800 to the camera's top native sensitivity of 25,600, and extended modes of ISO 51,200 and ISO 102,400. All images were captured at f/8 with a 24-105mm L lens.
As expected, the camera offered excellent performance at all of the native settings -- as you can see from the image above, there's some noise noticeable when viewing an image at full size, though considering the camera's top resolution of 22.3 megapixels, we hardly see ISO 25,600 being an issue. Jumping beyond the top native range did yield significant noise, but assuming you're shooting for the web, even these settings are usable. Chances are, you won't often be examining images at a 1:1 pixel view, so jump past the break to see how each of the four frames represented above will look when scaled to a web-friendly 600-pixels-wide resolution, then hit up our source link to grab full-res JPEGs of each image captured during the shoot. Continue reading Canon EOS 5D Mark III high-ISO sample images (hands-on) Canon EOS 5D Mark III high-ISO sample images (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Original Images (90MB ZIP) | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Live in Manhattan and wish that your local government would be more transparent about its data and make it more easily accessible? Well, consider the request granted by a little bill dubbed as Introductory Number 29-A, which Mayor Bloomberg signed into law this past week. Apparently following in the steps of the White House's Data.Gov initiative, the legislation lays out three ways the city will be "jumpstarting a comprehensive citywide open data policy." The Department of Information Technology Telecommunications will be in charge of of creating a technical standards manual and posting it online to begin, serving as guide for the city's agencies on how to handle and list any data that's considered public domain. Bloomberg also has his eyes on developers, as part two involves getting any info stored online in "locked formats" released over the next year so that it can be used for creating applications. As InformationWeek points out, this is something the city has been fond of, as showcased by its ongoing BigApps program. The third task will require the DoITT to make compliance plans with all of the city's agencies to help them list all of their public data, with the end goal of listing it to "a single web portal by 2018." Want to hear it from the man himself? Make your way to the press release just past the break. [Photo credit: NYC.Gov] Continue reading Bloomberg signs NYC 'Open Data Policy' into law, plans web portal for 2018 Bloomberg signs NYC 'Open Data Policy' into law, plans web portal for 2018 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink InformationWeek | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Good news are in for folks who swiftly snagged one of those motion-tracking docks we showed you a while back, as they are now being prepped for shipping. After many months of teasing, it looks like the Satarii Star Swivl is finally getting ready to leave its prototype days behind. Those who unleashed the hefty $179 on the add-on can expect it to be on its way as soon as today. As for the ones who missed out on the first batch, you'll have to get in line and sign up via the company's site to know when more pop up. Also available now is a companion iOS app, which can be used to remotely trigger the camera for some self-recording action. We know you've waited long enough to take the Swivl for a spin, but in the meantime you can remind yourself why you bought in by peeking at the flaunting press shots below. Swivl motion-tracking dock now shipping to early adopters, future YouTube stars originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Swivl, iTunes | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SXSW attendees may remember that both Gowalla and Foursquare launched at the aforementioned conference in 2009, and during its 2012 edition, the former is formally saying goodbye. Just three months after we heard that Facebook had picked up (but two months after the shutdown was promised), Gowalla is saying its final words. Specifically:
"Thank you for going out with Gowalla. It was a pleasure to journey with you around the world. Download your check-ins, photos and lists here soon." Don't cry, Gowalla -- at least you won't have to deal with any more SXSW registration lines. Gowalla officially shut down, uses Facebook to check-in at SXSW 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Mashable | Gowalla | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Super High Aperture. Heard of it? Probably not, but thanks to Apple, you'll probably long for days when you didn't in just a few months. According to an in-depth look from the folks at DisplaySearch, the aforesaid technique is the primary reason that Apple was able to shove 2,048 x 1,536 pixels into the 9.7-inch panel on the new iPad. Not surprisingly, it wasn't Apple that conjured up the magic; instead, it was crafted by engineers at Sharp and JSR (a display materials maker from Japan), but it'll be the iPad that makes an otherwise geeky achievement something that the mainstream covets. According to the science behind it, SHA is "a method of increasing aperture ratio by applying approximately a 3 [micrometer] thick photo-definable acrylic resin layer to planarize the device and increase the vertical gap between the [indium tin oxide] pixel electrodes and signal lines." Reportedly, there are also "at least twice as many" LEDs in the panel compared to that on the iPad 2, further suggesting that there's way more battery within the new guy than the last. Technophiles need only dig into the links below to find plenty more where this came from. Super High Aperture: it's why the new iPad's Retina display is so dense originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink GigaOM | DisplaySearch | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  So, there's good news and bad news. The former is that MIT researchers have developed new software and methods that can predict optimal paths for automated underwater vehicles. The latter is that it's meant to be used for "swarms" of them, "moving all at once toward separate destinations." We hate to be the folks that keep harping on the inevitable, but teaching "swarms" of undersea robots how to effectively draw paths to the very creators that made them makes us... well, less that cozy. Paranoia aside, the Pierre Lermusiaux-led team has concocted a system that can provide paths optimized either for the shortest travel time or for the minimum use of energy, or to maximize the collection of data that is considered most important. The goal? To make the lives of gliders more efficient when engaged in "mapping and oceanographic research, military reconnaissance and harbor protection, or for deep-sea oil-well maintenance and emergency response." Oh, and did we mention that it can incorporate obstacle-avoidance functions for the sake of protection. Yeah. Death from above below. Continue reading MIT software optimizes paths for automated undersea vehicles (video) MIT software optimizes paths for automated undersea vehicles (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | MIT | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Chances are a grand number of you have gratefully used, or heard about, the tweaking tools supplied by the iOS jailbreak community. Last year's MyGreatFest gathering in London brought together Cydia's creator along with members of the Chronic Dev Team, but if you were hoping for something this side of the pond, you'll have another shot at rubbing elbows with them. During its 2012 edition, the WWDC WWJC, also known as JailbreakCon, will be rolling out the red carpet in San Francisco on September 29th. Those interested in trekking toward the Golden Gate Bridge can book their way into the keynotes and workshops by unleashing anywhere from 65 to 155 bucks per ticket -- the cheapest of the bunch being an "Early Bird" deal through June 29th. Feel like joining the jailbreak connoisseurs? You can find the rest of the deets, as well as as the hub to grab your tix via the source link below. WWJC (JailbreakCon) brings freedom fighters to San Francisco on September 29th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Cult of Mac | JailbreakCon | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to launch alongside Avengers vs. X-Men #1 this April. When pointed at a compatible comic, the app will server up creator commentary videos, extra art and interactive 3D models of Earth's greatest heroes.
Don't worry, your standard Marvel Comics app isn't being replaced -- in fact, it's getting a new line of sequential funnybooks called Marvel Infinite Comics. "Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium," Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said at SXSW this week, "Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology's Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics -- but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed." The digital-exclusive series kicks off with Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite, which incidentally, will be free to folks who pick up the similarly named physical book. Ready for the revolution ReEvolution? Check out the links below for Marvel's official announcement and CNET's hands-on video. Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink CNET | Marvel | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |  |
