Ifa2010
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Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV
Feel like connecting a HTPC or even one of the many streamers to your HDTV is overkill? Toshiba's new StorE TV+ is prepared to quietly retain up to 2TB of media (in various formats, check after the break for specs) until called upon, when it can play them back via HDMI, no connected PC required. It can also connect to PCs or other DLNA devices (like, coincidentally enough, Toshiba's new HDTVs) networked via Ethernet and the included WiFi dongle or load files directly from memory cards and USB drives. Even with all that, a lack of access to internet video sources makes the £199 MSRP a tough sell even with 2TB of space at the ready, but if it works its way into a TV bundle then there may be buyers willing to bite when it ships next month, while an eSATA hard drive only StorE.D10 model will follow later this year for an unknown price.
Toshiba Camileo S30 and P20 pocket camcorders get touchscreens
Toshiba's launching some new Camileo pocket HD camcorders at IFA, and hey -- just like everything else in the world, they've sprouted three-inch touchscreens. Both offer 1080p recording and 10x digital zooms with HDMI out and support for 64GB SD storage; the £139 ($214) S30 comes in a more standard form factor that's 19mm (.7 inch) thick and features eight megapixel still photos, automatic exposure control and image stabilization, while the £119 ($183) P20 comes in a pistol grip package and takes five megapixel stills. The P20 will hit in October, while the S30 is set to arrive in January, so it makes perfect sense for Toshiba to announce it now, in September. PR after the break.
Toshiba goes all LED with new HDTVs at IFA 2010
Besides that Android tablet, Toshiba's brought a whole slew LED-lit LCD televisions to IFA 2010. The REGZA WL Series is the company's first range of 3DTVs, available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes (pictured above) with LED backlighting, 7,000,000:1 contrast ratios, it 3D Resolution+ upscaling tech and one pair of active shutter glasses bundled with each one. They're also DLNA enabled and ready for Windows 7, with the Toshiba Media Controller software making streaming content as easy as dragging and dropping a file. The rest of the lineup includes the high end VL series with LED backlighting, midrange REGZA 42SL738 42-inch HDTV and edge-lit SL738 series LCDs in smaller sizes from 9- to 32-inches. Check the press site or YouTube trailers embedded after the break for more details, and don't be surprised to see the 200Hz motion technology, millimeter measurements, DVB-T tuners and BBC streaming while these are due in October across the pond, we'll be keeping an eye out at CEDIA for US-bound variants.
Samsung Wave 723 flaunts Bada, little else at IFA
Samsung just grew its Bada line with a low-end foil to the original Wave, the so-called Wave 723 -- and we just happened to catch it hanging out tucked away in a distributor's booth at IFA this week. Though the leather-grain flip cover is a classy touch, make no mistake that this one is destined for the bottom bits of the full-touch featurephone market segment thanks to a middle-of-the-road TFT LCD that looks pretty washed out and low-res compared to the Wave's Super AMOLED (interestingly, the 723 is the first Bada phone to use version 1.1 of the platform, whose major addition is support for auto-scaling between multiple resolutions). We were also surprised at how poorly responsive the screen was to touches and swipes; we even thought for a moment that it might be resistive, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Then again, 802.11n support ain't bad, and Samsung certainly seems as committed to Bada as ever, so we imagine they'll sell a few. Hit up the gallery! %Gallery-101194%
Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakers
Yesterday it was Corsair, today it's the turn of Antec to step into the world of PC audio components. Best known for building cases and power supplies, the company's aiming to make a splash in this unexplored pool with its all-new soundscience brand and first product, the rockus 3D|2.1 speakers. We're guessing capital letters weren't high on the priority list here, with Antec instead opting to focus on delivering "immersive 3D soundscapes," the supposed aural equivalent of three-dimensional visuals. Beyond the marketing exaggerations, you'll find anodized aluminum satellite speakers, both digital and analog input options, and that cute little control pod for adjusting volume and toggling between stereo and Antec's proprietary 3Dsst mode. This rockus 2.1 set certainly looks stylish enough, but the asking price of $250 makes us think we'll probably have to make do without one this fall.
Acer LumiRead makes pit stop at IFA prior to launch
We caught the LumiRead set up and ready for some serious page-turning action as Acer set up its booth at IFA today (yes, it's true, the show still hasn't technically started), which marks the first time we've actually been able to hold the upcoming e-reader -- previously, the closest we'd gotten was the impersonal touch of a glass enclosure back at Computex. The verdict? After having touched one of those newfangled Kindles, we've got to say that pretty much every other e-reader out there feels like a ridiculously overweight beast, and the LumiRead gets swept up into that classification. The barcode scanner is still there (you can see it in our gallery below) and it's still as awesome of a concept as ever, but Acer has replaced the smooth plastic back with a ridged, patterned one on this newer prototype -- and considering that the launch is scheduled for October, we imagine this is nearly final or final spec. The thumbstick feels decent, but we don't really think it's the best way to navigate... which is a lesson Amazon already learned with the last version of the Kindle, by the bye. So here's your recipe for success, Acer: soft-touch back, cut the thickness by a third, eliminate the wasted space above the keyboard, and keep the barcode reader. Boom.
HDi Dune Pro media player invites home automation to the party
Billed as "the world's first Blu-ray player to support Connected Home Services" the HDi Dune Pro debuts the company's HDi Dune Home Technology that pulls the usual suite of home automation functions -- media management, cameras, thermostats and the like -- to the TV screen. On display this week at IFA, it follows up the BD Prime by being both a capable Blu-ray player and media streamer (check format support after the break) with a 3.5-inch SATA HDD port and 7.1 channel audio support. European home automation heads can experience the 4Home-powered technology for 1990 at the end of October, while all others can check out the main site for a list of resellers around the world.
Samsung: 'we are prioritizing our Android platform'
Samsung may be one of the big players that Microsoft is pinning its hopes on for Windows Phone 7, but you wouldn't know that from listening to the company at IFA. Speaking to Reuters at the show, Samsung's head of marketing for its mobile division, YH Lee, said flatly that "we are prioritizing our Android platform," adding that, "Android is very open and flexible, and there is a consumer demand for it." Lee further went on to note that the company will continue to focus on its own Bada platform (at least outside of North America), but seemingly downplayed Windows Phone 7 when asked about it, saying only that "there is still some professional, specialized demand there." Ouch. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Samsung also says it's "not seeing visible demand for Symbian."
Toshiba Folio 100 preview
We just got to handle the Folio 100, after witnessing it bolted to a wall earlier, and we have to admit that it's lighter and thinner than it looks at first glance. Unfortunately, it still feels pretty cheap, and we're not sure how much we trust ourselves one-handing something this large and fragile seeming. Our brief glimpse of Toshiba's custom skin on here was most depressing -- it's not final, but we're not sure why Toshiba is even bothering showing anything in this abysmal state. The bits we've seen of Toshiba's market (for music, apps, e-books and so forth) look a bit better, but as far as we know there's no official Android Market on this thing -- a kiss of death for almost any Android device. Toshiba's biggest failure here, however, is probably the LCD it sourced for this tablet -- the screen looks as cheap and low res as could be, and while a €399 list price is decent for a tablet this size, it hardly seems a good excuse to stoop to KIRF-level components. Hit up the gallery for all the angles, along with some comparison shots with the mind share monopolizing iPad. Update: We just heard from Toshiba's US team and there are apparently no plans to bring the Folio 100 stateside. Given our lackluster first impressions, we can't say we're all that upset by that...%Gallery-101154%
Harman AKG teams up with Quincy Jones on Signature Line of headphones
Gone is the day when headphones could be respectable without some kind of corporate tie-in or Lady Gaga endorsement. Alas, even Harman's revered AKG division has roped in the venerable Quincy Jones for its new (wait for it) Quincy Jones Signature Line. We're talking three models here, ready for launch in October and ranging from the Q 701 "reference class" over-the-ear cans (pictured), the Q 460 lightweight headphones, and Q 350 buds. The Q 701 features ergonomically-shaped cushions of velvet, an "unbeatable" linear frequency response covering 10Hz to 39.8kHz, a 45-mm high excursion driver, and detachable 99-percent oxygen-free cables. The portable $229.99 Q 460 on-ear headphones feature a 3D-axis folding system and an iPhone compatible in-line remote with microphone and play, pause, and skip functions. The in-ear Q 350 also bring iPhone compatible and target the "audiophile on the go" with $149.99 to burn. Seems fitting for a man with 79 Grammy nominations (and 27 awards) to benefit from his name. And you can feel better about him selling out knowing that an undisclosed sum from every pair of headphones sold goes towards the Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium -- a foundation dediqated to eduqating Ameriqan kids about musiq. Ironic, because the Grammys might actually be relevant if American music corporations knew anything about good music.%Gallery-101028%
Toshiba Folio 100 goes official, lands in Q4
If Samsung's Galaxy Tab reads like a how-to for making a decent Android tablet, Toshiba's Folio 100 seems to serve an opposite purpose (starting with that unfortunate name), which is disappointing for a company like Toshiba. The tablet just got official here at IFA, after being spotted on the show floor earlier today, but there's nothing in the press release to change our initial impressions of the device. There's a 1024 x 600 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, Tegra 2 under the hood, 16GB of built-in storage, SD card expansion, HDMI out, 802.11n WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 running on top of it all. Toshiba claims 7 hours of battery of "regular" use (65% web browsing, 10% video playback, 25% standby), and everything is packed into a 0.55-inch thick form factor that weighs 1.7 pounds. Software-wise Toshiba has baked in Opera, Toshiba Media Player, FBReader, Fring (for video calls), Documents To Go, and Evernote, with Toshiba offering its own app marketplace and developer platform for tablet-specific apps. Unfortunately, the tablet ends up in person as less than the sum of its parts, and while Toshiba might be able to redeem itself slightly with perhaps a surprisingly low pricepoint, we don't imagine ourselves yearning for this device to escape the bonds of its initial Europe, Middle East, and Africa launch markets. PR is after the break. Update: Toshiba just said that the suggested retail price will be €399.
Philips Fidelio DS8550 iPad speaker dock hands-on
As absurd as it might seem to dock a 9.7-inch tablet atop what amounts to a glorified boom box, let's be real: the iPad's meek speakers are easily outclassed by its ability to swallow gigabytes worth of music and high-quality video content. Sure enough, iPad-compatible docks are quickly becoming a thing now, and Philips is jumping head-first into the market with its Fidelio DS8550. Oh, but there's more than meets the eye here -- it's not just a speaker with a giant slot in front for a 30-pin connection, you see. You can either connect the iPad to let it charge and get a direct audio connection or roam with it and let it talk back to the dock over stereo Bluetooth, which was demoed to us as an awesome option for gaming -- as long as the Fidelio is within a few yards of you, games really become a more immersive experience when you've got thick, booming bass and virtually limitless volume nearby, and we found that you really don't notice that the sound is coming from "somewhere else." The DS8550 also packs a handle on back and an internal battery, allegedly good for up to five hours of use off the grid so you'll be able to kick it old-school with the Fidelio slung over your shoulder in the subway station. The unit makes use of a unique spring-loaded pivot on its 30-pin connector, which Philips says allows you to connect any iPod, iPhone, or iPad without needing the typical adapters -- the device just sort of rests on the connector and the surrounding concave section of the speaker mesh. Check out a few more shots in the gallery!
Samsung's 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA
That's not a PMP wirelessly mirroring the TV's display. It's a Samsung remote control that first blew us away at CES in January when Samsung's ultra-thin LCD 9000 series TV was first announced. So why revisit it? Well, for starters... look at it! It's a 3-inch touchscreen remote control in its production form that's now shipping with the LED backlit 200Hz (not 240Hz, it's Europe remember) Samsung C9000 -- a TV measuring just 7.98-mm thick with a 55-inch diagonal. The remote control itself is built on a 600MHz ARM 11 processor with a custom remote control layer sitting atop Linux and a 2.4GHz 802.11n radio. As such, this little powerhouse gives you lots of options to control and view your media including the ability to continue watching the game even as your bladder drags you into less, shall we say, comfortable rooms. You can even preview other channels without interrupting that vast expanse of LCD viewed by others in the room. It also supports DLNA for streaming your media from any number of compatible devices. Naturally, it also functions as a programmable remote for all your new gadget additions. Really, the entire package is quite amazing. Check it for yourself after the break.
Sharp shows off mobile prototype with 3D screen, 3D camera, and 3D output
We've seen enough home theater 3D already to be well and sick of it, but mobile 3D is still an upcoming sector, one which Sharp seems to be making a bid for. It's showing off a mobile device prototype (it looks like it could be your friendly neighborhood carrier's next Android handset) with a glasses-free 3D parallax screen (akin to the tech used in the Nintendo 3DS), a 3D camera around back, and 3D output over HDMI. The result isn't stellar -- just because a mobile device is shooting grainy, color-bleeding footage in 3D doesn't make the footage stop being grainy and color-bleeding -- but it most certainly works, as we witnessed both on the device's own screen and on a regular glasses-required 3D TV the prototype was outputting to over HDMI. The 3.7-inch LCD rocks a 800 x 480 resolution in 2D mode, which gets halved to 400 x 480 in 3D, and Sharp is also showing of a 10-inch glasses free LCD that didn't come off as so impressive somehow. %Gallery-101119%
Philips' Cinema 21:9 Platinum HDTV finally takes the leap into 3D
It's kind of hard to outdo yourself with only two dimensions when they read 21 and 9, respectively, so Philips has decided to do the only thing left for a trendy display maker: go 3D. Though we saw (and loved) a 3D prototype of the 56-inch variant at last year's IFA, this new, 58-inch Cinema 21:9 Platinum HDTV looks set to bring the third dimension to actual retail. It's got the Ambilight wall illumination that some people will like, LED backlighting with local dimming that most should love, and a slimmer, brushed matte bezel that will be appreciated by all. The 400Hz panel is capable of pumping out Full HD 3D and is expected to cost around €4,000 ($5,112) in Europe or £3,500 in the UK with a launch set for later this month. And if you want one in the US, well... things aren't looking very Ambibright for you. %Gallery-101115%
Toshiba's Folio 100 with Android and Tegra 2 spied in the IFA wilds
That Folio 100 (alias Smart Pad) from Toshiba we'd been hearing about? Yep, totally real, and totally Tegra 2-powered -- a theme that we think is going to be pretty popular among tablet makers this season. We caught a handful of Folio 100s firmly affixed to a wall at IFA today, showing 10.1-inch multitouch LCD displays paired with a remixed version of Android 2.1, a handful of capacitive buttons, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, 16GB of on-board storage, and not much else -- there's really nothing visually stunning about the setup as far as we can tell, and it's not particularly thin. After bouncing out that crazy Libretto W100, Toshiba's going to have to turn up the style dial to 11 if it wants to rise above the forthcoming onslaught of Google tablets, we suspect.
ViewSonic 10-inch dual boot ViewPad preview
ViewSonic hasn't settled on a name for this thing yet, vacillating between the ViewPad 100 and the ViewPad 10i. What it has settled on is a pretty delicious for factor for an Atom N455-based Windows 7 tablet, and the dual boot option to Android is really just gravy. Unfortunately it's rather outdated gravy: Android 1.6 is the most recent version to support x86 processors, so we won't be seeing any of the new Android goodness on here unless Google pulls together another Intel-friendly version of the OS in the near future -- which seems relatively unlikely with Chrome OS around the corner, but you never know. Other specs include 1GB of RAM, 16GB SSD, and a 10-inch 1024 x 600 LCD (the same resolution as the new Galaxy Tab, incidentally). We weren't impressed with the quality of the display, or with the pixel density, but at least the capacitive touch seemed to be working fine -- we actually managed to do a bit of typing with Windows 7's touchscreen keyboard, if you can imagine that. The actual hardware is delightfully thin and light, though a bit on the plasticy side, and we particular appreciated the thumb friendly buttons to the right side of the display. The tablet has a quoted price of "sub 500 euros" and a sketched in release date for later this year. Check out a video hands-on, including the super exciting boot-up process, after the break. %Gallery-101111%
Live from Samsung IFA 2010 press event
The room is utterly packed at Samsung's IFA presser, and it's not hard to figure out why: Samsung typically goes wild at this show, and with the Galaxy Tab leading this year's lineup, it looks like we've got another winner on our hands. Follow along after the break!
Philips and O'Neill launch durable headphones -- shaka bra!
In what amounts to yet another co-branding marketing kerfuffle, Philips and O'Neill have teamed up on a foursome of so-called durable headphones. The Stretch headphones (pictured) are the toughest of the bunch, constructed from an ultra-durable, temperature-resistant, and awesome-sounding material called TR 55LX that boasts a surface hardness six times greater than the polycarbonate stuff found in most headphones. The Snug series boasts "bold graphics" and can fold flat, while the in-ear Covert buds brings an iPhone controller. Last, and apparently least, is the "stylish" Specked with tangle free cord. Amazing. All are said to have been tested by the "toughest O'Neill team riders." As proof, O'Neill is trotting out Jeremy Jones, Mark Mathews, and Ane Enderud to promote its new gear, presumably because they want to and not because they are contractually obligated under the terms of their respective high-paying sponsorships. Needless to say, these headphones aren't for you if you don't know who these people are or you lack the fragile hipster ego required to wear them. No prices were announced, but you can expect them to match the "premium" description when these arrive for retail in Europe and the US sometime this month. We did give Stretch a go for a quickie ears-on, and honestly, while the cloth cord was a nice touch and they do seem to be super rugged, we'd prefer that the team paid a bit more attention to the sound quality than the finish.%Gallery-101026%
Panasonic announces speedy new 8GB, 16GB UHS-I SDHC cards
We've already heard some of the claims made about SHDC cards using the new UHS-I specification, and it looks like we'll now soon have our first actual cards based on the spec courtesy of Panasonic. The company has just announced some 8GB and 16GB UHS-I SDHC cards at IFA, which boast a Class 10 speed specification and promise to deliver a maximum data transfer speed of 60MB/s, or about twice that of Panasonic's current top-end cards. No word on pricing just yet, but Panasonic says they'll be out this November. Full press release is after the break.
