Sharp releases slew of new Quattron TVs at IFA 2010

Just in case those George Takei commercials didn't clue you in that Sharp was serious about Quattron, the company has announced four new TV lines at IFA sporting yellow as a fourth subpixel color.

At the top of the list, the Quattron 3D-enabled LE925 line will be available in 60-inch or 46-inch sizes and feature Sharp's proprietary high-speed FRED LCD signal processing technology along with side-mounted scanning LED backlighting -- which like the LV Series -- is touted to produce 1.8x better brightness than competing sets and reduce 3D crosstalk.

Aquos Net+ connectivity is thrown in too, along with 2D-to-3D conversion, a digital triple tuner and 8GB of built-in flash memory for timeshift recording. Playing second fiddle to this overachiever are the 2D-only LE924E, LE824E and LE814E series, which will also feature Aquos Net+. Pricing details for all of the new lines are still unknown, but they're slated to be available in Germany and Austria later this month. Here's hoping Sulu gets his jaw checked out before then.

Via : engadget

Toshiba unveils Lumileo P100 pocket projector

Toshiba has announced its own new pocket-size projector called the Lumileo P100. The little projector measures in at 116 x 50 x 18mm and weighs 96g with the battery installed. The little projector has a resolution of 640 x 480 and it has a scant 14 lumens of light output.

That battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion unit and the projector has a contrast ratio of 200:1. Inputs include RCA and VGA and the P100 has manual focus and a 0.5W stereo speaker. The projector is good for an image up to 65-inches in a dark room. Pricing is unknown at this time.

Via : slashgear.com

New Toshiba Pistol-Grip Camcorders Get Touchscreens

Toshiba has dropped a pair of new camcorders at IFA, both of the genus Pistolgrippus. The P20 is the chubbier of the two, though that’s not saying much, since the S30 is only 19mm thick. Once you’re past the point where these things slip into your jacket pocket, though, a millimeter here or there doesn’t really signify much. Good for them, though.

The P20 is the lower-end of the two, not being as thin and only shooting 5-megapixel photos, as opposed to the S30′s 8. Both, however, have 10x optical zooms packed into those tiny lenses. I believe they are also both 1080p like the more traditionally shaped H30. And they also both have nice 3-inch touchscreens.

Those differences don’t seem so important to me, and the fact is they’re not priced very far apart. It comes down to whether you like the form factor of the S30 more and are willing to pay a small premium for it. Right now only British pricing is available; the P20 will be £119 when it arrives in October, the S30 will be £139. That corresponds to ~$180 and ~$210, but US pricing may differ.

Via : crunchgear.com

Toshiba’s 41,000 Satellite T series Laptops get a Recall

Consumer Product Safety Commission has asked Toshiba to recall 41,000 laptops due to overheating problems and melting. It was reported that Toshiba Satellite T-series notebook computers like T135, T135D and ProT130 are facing this problems.

Consumer Product Safety Commission has asked Toshiba to recall 41,000 laptops due to overheating problems and melting. It was reported that Toshiba Satellite T-series notebook computers like T135, T135D and ProT130 are facing this problems.

Via : connectstat.com

Nvidia’s new graphics chips will give you laptops with long battery life and 3D

Nvidia is announced a new family of laptop graphics chips today that will balance good 3D performance and battery life. The new Nvidia GeForce 400M series of graphics chips will be used in a number of new notebook computers coming from major computer makers including Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba.

Those computer makers will ship laptops with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which is also known as “switchable graphics.” Many computers have dual capabilities when it comes to graphics. They have low-end graphics integrated into the chip set on a motherboard. They also have a discrete graphics chip that is more capable. Optimus enables a laptop to switch back and forth between the lesser graphics and the more powerful graphics, depending on what an application needs. The switching happens seamlessly in the background.

Read More @ venturebeat.com

ASUS Leaks, GTS 450 Details Revealed

In less than two weeks time, nVidia is poised to introduce third silicon product based on the Fermi architecture. Known under codename GF106, this allegedly canceled part is set to power GTS 440 / 450 on desktop, and GT 445M and GTX 460M on the mobile side.

Confirming the rumored specs from last week, the very first "confirmed" specs come from TechConnect, who received a standard pre-dated press release containing details about ENGTS450 DirectCU.

As the name states, the part is based on GeForce GTS 450 GPU, consists out of 192 CUDA cores [single GPC] and is the first part that comes without reserve cores [GF100 ships with 32 disabled cores, GF104 ships with 48 disabled cores, i.e. a single SM]. This "helped" the die size, which measures in very large 238mm2 [its direct competitor, ATI Juniper is only 166mm2 in size].

The GPU itself is clocked at 783MHz, while the 192 cores tick at typical 2:1 [1.56 GHz]. That's the fastest non-overclocked parts as far as Fermi architecture goes [GTX 460 - 675/1350, GTX 480 - 701/1402]. This means the parts might have quite a potential when it comes to overclocking. Do note that you're limited with maximum of 150 Watts to play with [PCIe slot gives 75W, additional 6-pin connector gives 75W].

Being one half of GF104, we're not surprised to see a 128-bit memory controller. ENGTS450 comes with 1GB of GDDR5 memory that ticks at 900MHz in Quad Data Rate [3.6 GT/s] for a total of 57.6GB/s.

As far as pricing goes, this part will run you down for some 125 USD/Euro. As you might expect, nVidia's GF106 will go head to head against best-selling AMD Radeon HD 5700 series. The problem with the price might be closeness to some heavily discounted GeForce GTX 460 boards, that went as low as $145 [after a rebate].

Via : brightsideo

Huawei plans first Android phone for Australia

Chinese manufacturer Huawei late yesterday said it was talking to carriers in Australia and New Zealand about local distribution of its new IDEOS mobile phone, which runs the latest version of Google’s Android operating system.

The IDEOS comes in several models and runs Android 2.2, also known as Froyo. The handset features a 2.8″ QVGA, 320×240 capacitive touchscreen, a 3.2 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and will support 3G speeds of up to 7.2Mbps as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi. It also comes with GPS functionality for Google Maps navigation and supports SD cards of up to 16GB for additional storage.

“Huawei is currently in talks with Australian and New Zealand operators about local distribution,” the company said in a statement issued overnight.

The IDEOS will sell for between US$100 and US$200, although Huawei has not yet said what the phone will cost in Australia, nor what mobile telcos it is talking to regarding distribution.

On paper the IDEOS initially looked as though it might not support Telstra’s 850Mhz Next G network, as the device was listed as supporting the 900 and 2100MHz device bands, but a Huawei spokesperson later clarified there was a 850MHz version of the device.

Huawei also announced three additional Android-powered devices — its U8800, U8500 and U8300 models — however, it has not revealed plans to bring the handsets to the Australian market.

The news represents the first launch by Huawei of an Android handset in the Australian market, as well as a significant mobile phone push in general by the company, which has a strong handset presence in its home turf in China.

Up until this point Huawei has not focused on bringing its consumer line-up to Australia, preferring to work on larger deals for carrier network infrastructure behind the scenes.

It also comes as virtually every other handset manufacturer of note, apart from companies like Apple and Nokia which run their own operating systems on their phones, have recently started introducing waves of Android-based smartphones into the Australian market.

Even companies who have not traditionally focused on smartphones are getting into the game. Dell has been discussing its Streak mini-tablet with carriers, and Acer on Wednesday revealed plans to bring no less than five Android handsets to the local market.

Via : delimiter.com.au

Huawei debuts Android 2.2 IDEOS smartphone

Huawei has launched the IDEOS, or U8150, smartphone, which will cost between $100 and $200, depending on the market, the company said Thursday at the Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin.

The price is what operators pay Huawei for the device, and it will be up to them to decide what they charge their subscribers, the company said.

Huawei is convinced that more affordable smartphones will help expand the market, and the IDEOS smartphone will also change what a product in this category should come with. It has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and GPS.

Users will also be able to access the Internet using 802.11n, which is quickly becoming a more common network feature on high-end smartphones. The Qualcomm processor is clocked at 528 MHz, according to Huawei.

Android version 2.2 will allow users to turn the phone into a wireless hotspot. Users will connect to the smartphone with Wi-Fi and the device will then connect them to the Internet using the HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 3G wireless at up to 7.2Mbit/sec.

The phone will start shipping in the next couple of weeks, and will become available in "a number of countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America", according to Huawei.

The company is also getting ready to ship the U8800, which is a more advanced smartphone model. The phone was first announced at Mobile World Congress in February, and it too comes with Android version 2.2. However, its standout feature is HSDPA at 14.4M bps. The phone will start shipping in October, and will become available in both Western Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

Going forward, the IDEOS name will be used on several other smartphones, as well, and a tablet isn't out of the question, Huawei said.

Via : computerworld.com

Sony Ericsson wants to be largest Android handset maker

Sony Ericsson is aiming high, as the company said it wants to be the world’s biggest supplier of Android phones. It has its work cut out for it.

Sony Ericsson said it has about 17% of the Android market, although it didn’t cite the sources. We’re not huge fans of its Xperia lineup but these devices are popular in Europe.

It’s going to be a tough row to hoe for Sony Ericsson to climb to the top of the Android heap because there is some stiff competition but there are a few steps it can take to get there.

First, let’s talk about the competition. I’m fairly certain Motorola has the most market share with its Droid lineup. For a lot of America, the Android platform means very little, as many consider “Droid” the little, green robot. Motorola is chugging along as Verizon’s favorite handset maker and that shouldn’t change for at least a year.

If Motorola isn’t the king of Android, then it has to be HTC. The company has a great lineup of devices like the EVO 4G and Droid Incredible and it should also see a strong boost with the upcoming G2 for T-Mobile.

Samsung is also making a strong Android push, as it is in the middle of an admirable Galaxy S launch which will bring its devices to the top six U.S. carriers. With its tablets, it will also bring the heat with Android.

Sony Ericsson needs to deliver some killer handsets, as Xperia devices with old software won’t cut it in the modern market. We’ve heard rumbling that the company will use the Google mobile operating system to make its much-anticipated PlayStation Phone and that would be a great step in the right direction.

The company also needs to cozy up to American carriers, as that’s how a company moves units in this market.

What do you think of Sony Ericsson’s chances?

Via : intomobile.com

Sony Ericsson Wants to Be Largest Android Smartphone Maker

Smartphone maker Sony Ericsson, once fully committed to Symbian UIQ interface before going with Windows Mobile on its first XPERIA handset, is now eyeing the burgeoning Android market.

According to Sony Ericsson, the company intends on being the number one supplier of Android smartphones in terms of sheer market share, which is quite a lofty goal considering that Sony Ericsson only has a 17 percent worldwide market share for Android handsets, and its X10 Android smartphone, running on Android 1.6, was only recently launched in the U.S. with carrier AT&T.

Sony Ericsson will probably have an uphill battle with its goal. In the U.S., it will have to battle against Motorola and Verizon Wireless for the Droid brand supremacy, and worldwide the maker will need to fight a tough war against HTC with its growing Android portfolio and Samsung with its latest aggressive push behind the Galaxy brand.

Via : ubergizmo.com