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Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 7th 2009 at 4:44AM

Safa is a Korean firm that has put out quite a few forgettable DAPs in its day, and while this one isn't going to win any awards for technological advancement, it does look like "fun," for whatever that's worth. The Xing LED is a none-too-shabby 12mm thin and boasts 12 hours of playback time on a single charge. The company fails to mention little things like storage capacity and file format support, but that ain't why we're here: the face of the device features 27 LEDs that can be either programed to display the icon of your choice or used for a rousing game of Rock / Paper / Scissors. Sort of makes that Zune HD of yours look like overkill, eh? Price and availability yet to be announced.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Safa Xing LED features MP3 playback, 27 pixel resolution

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10 orders up the 'hands-on special'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 3:24PM

Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that's how you roll), but even the laypeople can't help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show 'em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it -- if money ain't a thang, you know.

VIZIO brings the LED party to 19- and 23-inch models

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Oct 28th 2009 at 8:50AM

Unless you've been under a rock for a hot minute, then you know that LED backlit LCD HDTVs have been all the rage, though so far no one has brought those benefits to the smaller TVs. Well today VIZIO added a 19-inch and a 23-inch model to its LED lineup. Only the 23-inch is 1080p, but both have very thin profiles and the improved contrast and color you'd expect. The interesting twist is that both models will work as a picture frame, which someone (as in, literally one person in some random corner of the globe) might appreciate. The 19-inch model retails for $349, and the 23-inch will set you back another $50, but there's no word on when you can expect these to show up on a store shelf near you. More pictures and the full release after the jump.

Continue reading VIZIO brings the LED party to 19- and 23-inch models

Samsung's 40-inch LCD is world's thinnest at 3.9-mm, attracts magic pencils

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 26th 2009 at 6:22AM

What measures 3.9-mm thin by 40 inches? If you answered the standard Korean product waif you'd be close. This time, however, we're talking about Samsung's LED backlit LCD featuring a 120Hz refresh and 5,000:1 reported contrast. Yup, that makes it the world's thinnest -- easily besting cross-town rival LG's 5.9-mm thick LCDs -- even if you can't buy it as a complete television package... yet.

[Via Akihabara News]

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 1:19PM

If you're an HDTV buff with style, taste, and money to burn (and if you're reading Engadget we have our doubts about at least two of the three) then you've probably been waiting impatiently for Bang & Olufsen to make this one official. The BeoVision 10 is a wall-mounted LCD flat screen that boasts 40-inches of real estate, a brushed aluminum frame, and bottom mounted speakers that are available in a variety of colors. As the company boasts, "every aspect of the design is thought through." It also said something about "vægplacering," the definition of which we will leave to your imagination. On sale now at the B & O store on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen for 43,495 Danish Kroner (roughly $8,700) -- not shockingly expensive, as far as this company is concerned, but still far too dear for you. No word on stateside pricing or release date.

Update: As several astute readers pointed out, the translated source for this one listed the price in British Pounds when it should have been listed in Danish Kroner (DKK). The thing is far less expensive now -- so feel free to send us one for an early Christmas present! You have the address. Oh, and a vid is after the break!

Read - Here is the new B & O television
Read - B & O's new flat panel

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

Sony TRIMASTER quad-HD LCD multiplies the resolution, and the price, of any home HDTV

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 6th 2009 at 1:03PM

Can't wait until December for Toshiba's CELL REGZA LCD? Sony is bringing its own 56-inch 3,840x2160 quad-HD display to market November 1 in Japan. Priced at 6,825,000 ($76,583) including taxes this is clearly for pros only, hence the TRIMASTER name referring to the three elements combined within -- exact color, accurate picture and reliability -- thanks to a RGB LED backlit panel built with incredible picture reproduction and exact calibration (with included software via a connected PC) in mind. While it's cheaper than JVC's $175k 4K projector, unless you're mastering the next Pixar flick, viewing high res satellite imagery or can't live without four HD feeds on one screen even the most well heeled amongst may be better served scouring bargain bins for a used Westinghouse D56QX1 for now.

[Via AV Watch]

HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it

by Laura June posted Oct 5th 2009 at 10:01AM

HYPOLED, an 18-month-old project tasked with creating OLED microdisplays for upcoming pico projectors, has just released a report of its recent progress. Among the advances is a Fraunhofer IPMS-designed all digital VGA, full color OLED microdisplay backplane with matching pico projector optics. The display measures just 0.18-mm thick and is already in prototype manufacturing. The super miniscule display is connected to a MediaBox enabling it to operate via WiFi. Fraunhofer is now expected to begin developing a prototype of the full projector, meaning that with any luck, our picos should be getting a teensy, tiny bit cooler in the near future.

[Via About Projectors]

Sharp combines its latest LCD improvements in LX series HDTVs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 30th 2009 at 4:12PM

Coming straight out of a brand new 10G production facility in Sakai, Sharp's line of LX HDTVs (in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch sizes) are all sporting the latest in LCD technology with UV²A panels and LED backlighting. Unfortunately, like Sony, these new screens abandon the higher quality RGB LED technology of the pricey XS1 series for cheaper white LEDs. Still, with a price of around $5,000 for a 52-inch compared to the $12,000 sticker shock of the XS1, it's easy to see why the switch was made. Other improvements include a light sensor for auto-calibration, a six speaker (5 speakers on the 40-inch) integrated 2.1 channel sound system with "Duo Bass" subwoofer and the usual assortment of VOD and AQUOS network support in store for Japanese buyers this November. While already available on a few U.S. models expect the new tech to spread across Sharp's U.S. lineup shortly, not to mention Sony and anyone other parties interested in a piece of the company's suddenly expanded manufacturing muscle.

[Via AV Watch & Akihabara News]

Panasonic's new EVERLED light bulbs to light up your life for 19 years

by Laura June posted Sep 16th 2009 at 3:56PM

Long-lasting light bulb technology is nothing new -- people have been trying to up the lifespan these bad boys for some time. Long-lived light bulbs are generally uber-expensive, too, but we like to keep our eyes on such things. Panasonic's just unveiled the EVERLED, a line of bulbs set to be launched in Japan at the end of October. Lighter and more efficient than other LEDs on the market, these babies use 85 lumens per watt for a 40W bulb. Though the bulbs are not going to be cheap -- about $40 -- the company claims they'll have a lifespan of 19 years, bringing the overall costs down considerably. Still, we'd have to see them last that long to believe it.

[Via Inhabitat]

Sony goes in a cheaper direction with wireless XBR10 BRAVIA LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 9th 2009 at 5:00PM

Proudly rocking the XBR10 nameplate, this is the latest Sony BRAVIA (peep the video from its Japanese launch), though the potential to be greatest is up for debate. These 52- and 42-inch models skip over the company's well received (but expensive) Triluminos LED technology for cheaper edge lit LEDs like Samsung. Sony is taking advantage of the tech's slim frames to include wireless HD streaming -- you'll be plugging set-top boxes, game consoles and other video sources into a separate media box, plugging in anything other than AC would ruin the style. Still, it's hard to see many people deciding that wireless HD, Internet powered TV Guide, BRAVIA Engine 3 processing, Motionflow 240Hz, video streaming from Amazon, YouTube and Netflix and Sony's version of Yahoo! Widgets is enough to overcome a serious case of sticker shock. The KDL-52XBR10 and KDL-46XBR10 arrive in October with $5,000 and $4,500 MSRPs, respectively; over a thousand bucks north of comparable, wireless-less Samsung models featuring the same backlighting tech. That Sony brand and experience worth the difference to you?

Continue reading Sony goes in a cheaper direction with wireless XBR10 BRAVIA LCDs

Video: Slim, wireless, LED-backlit Sony ZX5 LCDs prepped for November release

by Steven Kim posted Sep 7th 2009 at 4:29AM

Sony's packed in a plethora of buzz-worthy tech into its ZX5 series of Bravia LCDs -- thin panels, edge-mounted LED backlighting, 240-Hz Motion Flow, and wireless connection between the media receiver section and the glass. The new 46- and 52-inch versions have got the styling portion of the competition aced, but we're still smarting over the move away from local-dimming Triluminos LEDs. As for the Motion Flow, we'll have to wait and see for ourselves if 240-Hertz is going to be the magic number to win us over. But then again, we're greedy like that; but there's something drool-inspiring about a 52-inch LCD that gets 1080p video wirelessly sent to its 16.6-mm thin frame. Somehow, we don't think our response will be different when these beauties are released to Japan in November. Video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Slim, wireless, LED-backlit Sony ZX5 LCDs prepped for November release

LG HS200 'pocket projector' hands-on reveals an FM transmitter and embedded DivX surprise

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 6th 2009 at 2:48PM

Small, bright, and wireless: a potent trifecta of win for an ultra-portable projector. LG's new HS200 DLP projector is here at IFA sourcing DivX video off local USB media and throwing the audio over its embedded FM transmitter. And because it's LED-based, it racks up numbers like 200 ANSI-Lumens and 30,000 hours of operation before burn-out -- that's 4 hours of operation per day for oh, say, 20 years. The 80-inch, 800x600 pixel moving image that we saw was reasonably bright in a demo-room where ambient lighting was on par with a daytime living room, curtains closed. The viewing and listening experience was more than passable, enjoyable even, and far superior to what you'll get from a pico projector. Jacks include HDMI, RGB / component, and composite with an expected price of €499 when it lands in Europe this month (coming to the US a few months later). See it for yourselves in the video after the break.

Gallery: LG HS200 video hands-on

Continue reading LG HS200 'pocket projector' hands-on reveals an FM transmitter and embedded DivX surprise

BenQ remains on green bandwagon, offers up LED-backlit G920WL and G922HDL displays

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 5th 2009 at 4:10AM

If the model names seem uninformative, here's what you need to know -- the G920WL is a 19-inch 1,440 x 900 display, and the G922HDL is the same, only shrunken down to 18.5-inches and 1,366 x 768. Both claim class-leading power efficiency (a staple for BenQ), with their Eco mode using only 10 and 11 watts, respectively. They come with the company's newish SensEye 3 auto-calibration utility, 250 nits of brightness, 5 millisecond response time, and a real, non-dynamic 1,000:1 contrast ratio. Should you need more pixels and inches, BenQ will be all too happy to serve your appetite with its similarly "green" V series, which goes up to 24 inches. The new G models are set for immediate release in Europe and Asia at "compelling price points," though BenQ remains mum on the possibility of North American availability.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

Philips Aurea reaches 3rd generation, demands more allowance

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 8:34AM

Aww, just look at him, Philips' Aurea TV's all growed up and showing off the latest in LED edge-lighting. This third generation set features the same transparent Active Frame now sporting 250 LEDs with a promise of "exact" Ambilight color matching" with what you see on the screen. The result, according to Philips and our own experience with Ambilight over the years, is a more immersive viewing experience -- or maybe the experience is just peculiar, we can never be too sure. The set still features the same, albeit tweaked, motion sensitive remote control and adds Net TV for quick access to content from YouTube, eBay, TomTom and more depending upon your location. As to the display, well, it's still 42-inches by the looks of things, with a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution, 100Hz refresh, and snappy 2-ms response as before. The box itself feature an integrated DVB-T/DVB-C/CI+ HDTV receiver, 5x HDMI 1.3a EasyLink inputs, WiFi, Ethernet, and a DLNA-compliant network link for accessing media off your PC. Coming soon, that's when.

Gallery: Philips Aurea reaches 3rd generation, adds LED side-lighting

This robotic sunflower's LED seeds will cure you of that spitting habit in no time

by Paul Miller posted Aug 17th 2009 at 2:36AM

We've performed some very careful, scientific research on the movement of sunflowers that one time on lunch break where we stared at a sunflower for four or five minutes, and let us tell you: it's pretty boring. Mix in robotics, however, and things start to get a bit more interesting -- no roasting required. Himawari the robotic sunflower, developed at Kyushu University in Japan, is a bit of interactive art which can track people with an IR camera, point itself in their direction and blink on its LED lights if they wave hello. Not exactly at the forefront of robot research, but it is pretty dang cute. An adorable video is after the break.

Continue reading This robotic sunflower's LED seeds will cure you of that spitting habit in no time