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Vertu rises from bankruptcy ashes with $4,000 Android phone
Like a very expensive phoenix emerging from gold-and-sapphire-tipped flames, Vertu has returned from its bankruptcy with its latest luxury smartphone. Aster P is a handmade device with a price tag that reflects that handiwork and the premium materials used to make it -- it'll cost you at least $4,000.
NASA gives away the data from an Earth-mapping spacecraft
Want to know a whole lot about the Earth's surface? NASA and the Japanese government are now giving away all the data from the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) instrument... for free. Previously, you had to pay if you wanted anything more than basic topographical maps; now, you get over 16 years' worth of near-infrared elevation and thermal data. This is mostly helpful if you're a student or a scientist, but it could be worth a peek if you've wanted to see how everything from farms to volcanoes can affect the planet's surface heat.
Omate adds two new circular smartwatches to its affordable collection
Omate's well known for bringing stylish smartwatches to the mass market, as we've seen with last year's $129 X (pictured left) and $169 Lutetia (second from left). To kick off 2015, the company is leveraging the same MediaTek Aster chipset (MT2502) plus the Lutetia's near-circular, always-on color transflective touchscreen to bring out two new designs: the Panerai-inspired Roma (second from right), and the Racer which is the "sport-oriented alter ego" of its round siblings. As before, the two new models will function mainly as notification watches with basic activity tracking plus customizable watch face, so they should offer the same week-long battery life. For those who want to give the rugged Racer a spin (we have a 360-degree view of it after the break), Omate's website will be taking pre-orders for just $99 per unit between January 5th and 15th, and after that it'll be bumped up to $129 until January 31st, with shipments expected in as early as end of February. There's no info regarding the metallic Roma just yet, but Omate's new partnership with the Richline Group will be offering these watches in US and UK retailers -- including jewelry stores -- this March.
Omate's Lutetia is a smartwatch that women may actually like
Samsung, Pebble, LG and others may have already released a good handful of smartwatches, but most are too bulky or masculine, and we've yet to come across one that's dedicated to the ladies. That's about to change thanks to Omate, whose team of women led the designing and engineering efforts on the upcoming Lutetia. Most notably, we're looking at a near-circular, always-on transflective LCD that's similar to the one featured on the Alcatel Wave, and it's covered with a curved, sapphire-coated glass piece. The body -- available in silver, rose gold and gold -- comes in shiny stainless steel with matching beaded wristband for a premium feminine look.
Vertu Aster is a luxury smartphone with 'mid-tier' price, top-tier specs
Since the launch of the Signature Touch, Vertu CEO Max Pogliani promised that "technology will be more a merging factor and not a differentiation point" for his phones. That's literally the case with the new mid-tier Aster launched today: This titanium Android device is identical to its flagship sibling device internally, just wrapped within a more contemporary and unisex design. We're looking at a 4.7-inch 1080p display, 5.1-inch 117 carat sapphire screen, 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset, 13MP/2.1MP cameras (the former certified by Hasselblad), 64GB of internal storage, 2,275mAh battery, front stereo speakers, NFC, Qi wireless charging and great LTE compatibility (though no love for China, for some reason). With the specs out of the way, let's look at why this swanky phone starts from $6,900 or £4,200.
Omate's next smartwatch is all about fashion without the premium (update: touchscreen confirmed)
As Omate's TrueSmart cellular watch approaches its first anniversary, the startup decided to let its previous Kickstarter backers in on its next project. According to the teaser update, September 1st will see the launch of a fashion-oriented wearable dubbed the Omate X, which features a sleeker metallic design and a removable 22mm genuine leather strap. The catch is that unlike the Android-powered TrueSmart, the Omate X functions as a notification companion à la Pebble, which in return offers a battery life of up to a week. And as you'd expect, the new watch will work alongside your Android and iOS devices. The rest remains a mystery, but hopefully tomorrow's official announcement will show off the watch's UI, as well as confirming whether the touchscreen is here to stay.
TVP HD begins airing Olympics in HD
Heads up, international HD mavens. A kind tipster just alerted us to one TVP HD, a channel that just started broadcasting Olympics coverage and will continue to throughout the 2008 Games. After the spectacle has concluded, it will reportedly morph into a station much like BBC HD. Currently, the channel is available via digital cable in Poland on carriers like Multimedia Polska, Aster and a few other smaller companies that provide HD receivers. We're also told that it'll launch shortly on UPC Cable, ITI's digital satellite platform N and (in trial form) via DVB-T. In somewhat related news, the European version of MTV HD just starting testing yesterday on the Hot Bird satellite, with an expected go-live date sometime in September.[Thanks, Arsenal]
Poland's Aster adds seven HD channels
There's been quite a bit of HD action in Poland of late, but all has been quiet on the Aster front -- until now. The nation's fourth largest operator has just announced a trio of packages that will deliver up to seven high-definition channels to those who cough up the requisite coin. For starters, we've got the HDPack (20 Polish z??oty; $9.38 per month), which contains TVN HD, Discovery HD, History HD, Eurosport HD and Luxe TV HD. Next up is Discovery HD all by its lonesome and the Canal+ HD tier, which includes Canal+ Sport HD and Canal+ Film HD. Each of those sets will demand 6 Polish z??oty ($2.82) per month. For anyone parked in Warsaw, chime in and let us know how the new offerings look.
