Mwc2012
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Texas Instruments dual WiFi module lets your tablet connect to your TV and the web simultaneously (hands-on)
Texas Instruments is helping to lead the way when it comes to mobile computing -- when we want an early look at what's to come months and even years down the road, TI is always one of our first stops. At this year's Mobile World Congress, the semiconductor leader wasn't shy about showing off its latest innovations, including those from its manufacturing and design partners. Today's demo focused on wireless video streaming -- a concept that engineers are approaching from every imaginable angle, and that is bound to make its way to consumers in a very big way within the next few years. TI's flavor is based on WiFi, and offers a dual-connection solution, letting you pair a tablet with a TV using peer-to-peer while also creating a second link between the tablet and a wireless router for Internet.We took the tech for a spin using one of TI's development platform tablets and an external WiFi dongle (shipping versions will be integrated), and everything worked as described, though the video stream was noticeably choppy and compressed. TI reps explained that they dialed down the bitrate in order to maintain a connection at the MWC expo hall, which, as you might imagine, probably had a wireless signal density greater than any other room in the world. The tablet we saw was running a very slick context-aware UI that displays one of three home screens based on your current location -- there's one for work (that displays your calendar), one for home (media and home automation controls) and another for travel (restaurant reviews and weather). Pushing content from the tablet to the TV seemed to be seamless, and while both the UI and wireless functionality may appear to be ready to make their way into your home, TI isn't making any announcements about availability. There's no need to wait for a teaser, however, which you'll find just past the break.%Gallery-149212%
Always Innovating HDMI Android dongle gets an ICS update, we swing by for a taste (video)
Always Innovating appears to be living up to its name, making significant progress on that clever HDMI Android dongle that we first heard of way back at CES. Now the company's TI OMAP4-based television companion is rockin' some Ice Cream Sandwich madness, drawing curious Mobile World Congress attendees into the Texas Instruments booth for a look. We happened upon the device on the last day of the show, and we couldn't help but be impressed. The premise here is quite simple: your "dumb TV" (i.e. one that isn't Internet-enabled) gives up one HDMI and one USB port (for power), in return connecting you to the wonderful world of Android 4.0. Think web browsing, tweeting, gaming (yes, even Angry Birds), video streaming -- that same experience you'll get with any Android tablet can now be had on your aging flat-screen TV. Always Innovating isn't feeling inspired enough to take the lead on manufacturing, instead licensing the technology to third parties, but with some agreements signed and others on the way, this ICS solution on a stick may be hitting stores just in time to become this holiday season's ultimate stocking stuffer. Pricing is of course up to the manufacturers, but TI reps suggested that we might see these things pop up later this year in the $50-99 range, finally making Google on every TV a much more reasonable proposition. Care to take a gander at this stick-based wunderkind? Jump past the break for our hands-on.%Gallery-149208%
More specs of the Acer CloudMobile revealed, we take a second look (video)
We can't say it was necessarily love at first sight, but a second passover certainly helped our heart grow fonder. In our first hands-on of the Acer CloudMobile, a phone with a product design award under its belt, we weren't completely convinced that it was worthy of such a prize. However, we were given the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with the device and previously unknown specs to go along with it. Here's what we discovered during our reacquaintance.%Gallery-149040%
Hands-on with wireless, ultrasonic stylus and touchless gestures at MWC (video)
This isn't the first time you've heard of EPOS or XTR, but it's been quite some time since we've checked in with either of the outfits. So, imagine our surprise as we stumbled on new developments from each company as we perused the Texas Instruments booth at MWC. In the case of EPOS, we're shown a stylus that, in addition to offering traditional physical touch input, also allows users to interact with a device via ultrasound. The system is built upon TI's OMAP4 platform and requires that four microphones be placed at the corners of the screen. In this demonstration, we're shown how users can manipulate objects on a 3D plane via the Z-axis by pulling the pen away from the display. Next, we're shown a new application for the touchless gesturing system that XTR first debuted back in 2010. In this scenario, it's demonstrated how tablet owners could use the front-facing camera (at merely QVGA resolution) to flip through pages of a cookbook without worry of getting ingredients on the device. The concept software was developed by a French outfit known as Stonetrip, and also allows users to zoom and pan through the pages. You'll find demonstrations of each technology in a video after the break.
Konka Falcon 3G hands-on
It wouldn't be MWC without us spotting a phone manufacturer that's blatantly channeling the design spirit of another. You may remember Konka's appearances at trade shows past, but this year its new (but not completely finished) Falcon device was on the showfloor in Froyo and Gingerbread forms. Both white and black color options were on hand for us, packing the same GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and WCDMA (900/2100) radios and a 3.75-inch 480 x 360 display. With a three-megapixel camera on the back, paired with a VGA shooter on the front, Konka caught our attention with promotional posters using a font that's more than a little similar to Nokia's own, regardless of the fact that the name itself is just one letter change and reshuffle away from the Espoo-based phone titan. Fortunately, the phone's sharp styling betrayed those middling specs, with a sturdy build and a screen that performed pretty well on the show floor. There's no Android capacitive buttons -- you'll have to use the physical buttons beneath those staple symbols. Take a look for yourself in the gallery below, which also includes Konka's homages to both HTC and Samsung. %Gallery-149174%Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Polaroid's Pro smartphone series hands-on
It wasn't just Polaroid's tablets getting showing at MWC. The former photographic powerhouse has been readying a selection of Android-powered handsets that it's trying not to confuse with the HD camera seen at CES. Polaroid's Pro phone range seem to be pitched at the Alcatel side of the smartphone spectrum and ironically, given its heritage, the models on show brandished slightly lower-specced camera modules than the final versions. The Pro X11B's 1.3-megapixel camera will increase to two, while the 3-megapixel Pro A12 steps up to a 5-megapixel sensor. Unfortunately, the series' flagship 4.3-inch model displayed in Polaroid's smartphone brochure missed its flight to Barcelona, while, bizarrely, the working mid-range model was running HTC Sense. However, we were told that this software build was apparently there to demonstrate the (poor) screen technology. Build quality is similarly depressing and felt plasticky and out-of-date already. We were told that final models would arrive a little skinnier, but that's only the start of a whole raft of improvements needed here. Polaroid's distribution plans and pricing are still a little blurry, but until we hear more, you can check out our gallery for some close-up details.%Gallery-149167%
Polaroid Spectrum tablet family hands-on
Polaroid hasn't got much more than Lady Gaga going for it at the moment and even that partnership is questionably fruitful at best. So, when we stopped by the company's booth here at MWC to check out its Spectrum line of Android tablets, our bar was already set quite low. Turns out, there's room for it to drop even lower as that family of 7-, 8- and 9.7-inch slates seems more of a KIRF attempt than true product line from a former imaging heavyweight.Which brings us to a very curious spec given the company's mission statement: the rear camera on what we presume is its 10-inch flagship is capable of a measly VGA resolution, despite indicating 2 megapixels. It's a baffling hardware miss and could've been the one bright spot amongst the cheap plastic build and software experience saddling these tabs. On a minor upswing, the OS across the capacitive tabs is stock ICS, with Froyo relegated to the resistive ones. Performance is sluggish and uneven at best considering the array of processors and clock speeds employed: from a 1.5GHz CPU in the auto-stereoscopic 7-incher to an 800MHz processor for the lower-end units to a 1GHz ARM11 in the 9.7-inch, TouchPad-like slab. It's a wonder the outfit even bothered with category, as the entirety of this lineup smacks of a half-hearted stab. You can check out the full array of lackluster tabs in our gallery below.%Gallery-149168%Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Hands-on with Nokia Asha 202, 203 and 302 at MWC (video)
There's no doubt that the smartphone is a truly empowering device, but for individuals unable to afford such high-end gear, Nokia believes it has the solution with its latest line of Series 40 handsets -- the Asha 202, 203 and 302. Like the previously-released Asha 200, the Asha 202 features dual-SIM functionality and the ability to hot-swap the secondary SIM card. Sadly, its connectivity is limited to 1800MHz / 900MHz GSM. The Asha 203 is similar in every way to the 202, save for its single SIM design, better battery life and quadband GSM support. Both feature rather unresponsive 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreens, 2 megapixel cameras and up to 32GB storage expansion via microSD.Meanwhile, the Asha 302 is a non-touchscreen device that offers a physical keyboard, 1GHz processor, 2.4-inch QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, quadband GSM and pentaband WCDMA support with 14.4Mbps HSPA connectivity. Even as feature phones, none of the offerings are terribly impressive. Still, Nokia hopes the internet capabilities of each handset will be instrumental to help connect the "next billion consumers" to the world at large. So join us as we delve into an extended video tour of the Asha 202 and 302, where we'll explore the features and functionality of each device.
Google Android booth at MWC 2012: smoothies, robots, slides, oh my! (video)
Want a taste of Mobile World Congress whimsy? You've come to the right place. Like every year, Google's Android booth is the closest you'll get to experiencing Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory in real life here at Fira, and we're gonna take you on a tour. Join us as we enjoy smoothies and ice cream sandwiches, robots and Swarovski crystals, plus a trip down the rabbit hole -- in our video after the break.
Eric Schmidt yaks it up at MWC, talks about the future like it's 1955
If you've been looking for an excuse to start using Chrome, Eric Schmidt is here to remind you, "it's free." Well, free, fast, secure and of course, on Android. After a quick demo of new Android Chrome app, Schmidt took the stage at Mobile World Congress to dream up a future of holographic projectors, driverless cars and a (Android powered) smartphone in every pocket. In short, Google's head honcho has technological expectations that make Back to the Future part II look modest. See the optimistic spiel for yourself up top, or hit the source link below to watch it on YouTube.
Microsoft's Windows 8 Preview event videos now available
Still not satisfied after our minute by minute liveblog of Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview event this morning from Barcelona and detailed hands-on impressions? Video of the entire presentation, along with a few demo trailers are available on the company's press site so you can feel that Sinofsky magic for yourself. One of the preview videos is embedded above, press play or hit the source link to download the 688MB 90 minute long version for repeat viewing (Update: Also available embedded after the break, just in case hard drive prices have cut down your storage space).
Sharp AQUOS SH-06D arrives from Japan, we go hands-on (video)
Sharp's AQUOS SH-06D will most probably never leave the Land of The Rising Sun. That doesn't stop us, however, from lusting after its 4.5-inch screen. This 720p display also manages 3D, spread across a slinky 10mm frame that houses NTT DoCoMo's recently launched NOTTV streaming broadcast system. The device arrives in pink, white and blue options -- all provided with a matching dock and built-in aerial. Like several eastern phones with the ability to tune into live TV broadcasts, the AQUOS SH-06D also totes its own extendable antenna built into the side. The device itself, despite its largely plastic build, felt solid in our hand, although the minuscule power and volume buttons proved difficult to manipulate at times. The screen technology is still a closely guarded secret, but it aims to bring both 3D functionality alongside a crisp HD display performance during two-dimensional antics. Viewing angles are great -- a welcome trend we've seen on plenty of handsets at this year's MWC -- but the heavily customized Android 2.3 skin took away some of that sheen. Applications are stowed away into several drop-down menus that took some getting used to -- regardless of any language barrier. Sharp hasn't revealed any plans to join its Japanese competitors in the frenzied global smartphone market, but some import options wouldn't go amiss. See why in our hands-on right after the break. Sean Cooper contributed to this report %Gallery-149082%
Voddler's Windows Phone streaming video app is Lumia-exclusive
Scandinavian video streaming site Voddler (think: Spotify for video) has teamed up with Nokia to launch a Lumia-exclusive app the company's current markets. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and (the distinctly non-Scandinavian) Spain will get free, unlimited access to a wide library of movies and TV from April. Windows Phone users will also be able to schedule "Movie Night" streaming parties and riff on them, MST3k-style. If you're fortunate enough to be within those territories, head on past the break to find out more details. The rest of us will sit here, jealously eyeing-up the immigration service website and pondering how easy it would be to learn Danish.[Thanks, Pradeep]
Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus hands-on (video)
Really, Samsung? The Ace 2, Mini 2, S Advance and now, the Ace Plus? It's a wonder anyone at the company can still keep track. Unfortunately, this particular Android offshoot is a bit of a stinker, saddled with a pitiful 3.65-inch 480 x 320 display that does the opposite of the usual, saturated OLED-impress, offering no other spec distraction from its lower pixel density. Like its aforementioned cousins, the device runs a TouchWiz skin atop Android Gingerbread 2.3.6, powered by a single 1GHz processor that does an acceptable job moving things along without that essential dual-core briskness. And while Sammy's plastic builds are normally balanced out by superior software performance, here the chintzy look and feel of the unit and its overgrown silver trim further confirm its place as a budget entry. For now, the phone appears to be an overseas-only affair, as it's already hit global markets this past January. Follow on past the break for a video tour of this forgettable pint-sizer.%Gallery-149098%
Samsung Galaxy S Advance hands-on (video)
It's getting so you need a map to traverse Samsung's mobile Galaxy, but that's not stopping the outfit from cranking out handsets -- no matter how minuscule the tweaks. Announced back in January, the Galaxy S Advance falls solidly on the middle of the OEM's consumer scale, delivering a speedy 1GHz dual-core experience on a build of Android 2.3.6. Naturally, the device comes outfitted with TouchWiz, but that skin doesn't get in the way of the apparent snappy performance, as we noticed navigation, transitions and browsing all carried on without a hiccup. As you might've guessed, the saturated, 4-inch 800 x 480 display is of the Super AMOLED variety, so you won't have much difficulty viewing the screen from a variety of angles. And while the construction is a typical plastic enclosure with subtly textured back, the combination of its light weight and thin profile conspire to make this one attractive purchase. A mostly global roll out's already underway, though sadly, the US isn't included on that select list. Peep the gallery below for some additional shots and, while you're at it, check out the video after the break.%Gallery-149090%
Visualized: Huawei crafts smartphone pegasus, makes no mention of quad-core horsepower (update: video)
Crafted from 1,000 (or 3,000, depending on who you talk to) smartphones, Huawei's symybol for this year's MWC proudly stands in squarely in the middle of the mobile madness. However, the chinese handset manufacturer still remains a bit of a dark horse in this year's selection of OEM fillies.Update: We've added a gallery below and a short video after the break.%Gallery-149616%Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Qualcomm, Microsoft giving Snapdragon S4 PCs to Windows-on-ARM developers (update: NVIDIA handing out Tegra 3 PCs, too)
Microsoft spent a big chunk of MWC today telling everyone about Windows 8 and if you're the coding type, the news gets even better. If invited, you'll be expecting something nice in the mail to arrive from Redmond very shortly. It's sending out test PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 that includes the beefy LTE, camera and sensor gear we played with in our hands-on. It's intended to give developers a head-start in building and refining Metro-style apps ahead of the operating system's big debut. You can check out the consumer preview of what was shown today here and if you'd like to know more, head on past the break for a sprinkling of PR. Update: It's not just Qualcomm giving away ARM silicon for free, looks like NVIDIA will be distributing Windows 8 machines powered by its Tegra 3 SoC too. PR's after the break.
Hands-on with FXI's Cotton Candy, now available for pre-order (video)
By now, we hope you're mighty familiar with FXI's Cotton Candy -- the much anticipated pocketable computer that just became available for pre-order. We've previously shown photos of the device running both Ice Cream Sandwich and Ubuntu, but now we're able to bring you a video demonstration that may help you better understand what this tiny beast is all about. At the core of the Cotton Candy system is the Exynos 4210 SoC, which capably pushes 1080p video without batting an eye. As such, FXI hopes the miniature computer will gain traction with consumers who want an unobtrusive (and silent) media center or gaming setup in their home. To this end, the company will include the Polkast app for easy access to content and will also bundle games with the system -- though it's not yet able to share specific titles. Those with a sweet tooth may taste the delights of Cotton Candy in March, which will sell for $199.
Hands-on with the Acer Liquid Glow at MWC 2012 (video)
Given the phone's name, you'd think the Acer Liquid Glow would be best shown off in an infomercial, but in reality it's the next in line for the long-running smartphone series. The Glow hasn't been quite as popular as the CloudMobile at this week's MWC, and for good reason -- its bigger brother won an award in product design, after all. But that doesn't mean it should have to suffer the anguish of living in the shadows. The Liquid Glow is quite a bit smaller, offering a 3.7 inch WVGA display, 5MP rear camera, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2 CPU and 512MB of RAM. The device will run on its own customized ICS ROM at launch, but it was using stock Android ICS this week. The UI, we've been told, will be lightweight with a homegrown tweaks to the lock screen, status bar, messages and the phone dialpad.The Liquid Glow is just a tad thick, but we enjoyed how it felt when holding it as a result of the phone's curves matching the contours of our hand. If you have large hands or just crave a device with a bigger screen, this will probably be a little too small for you. In fact, the handset feels like it's smaller than it really is -- for those who prefer tinier phones but still desire as big a display as possible, this may be a rather good compromise. Its overall design scheme actually reminds us a lot of the CloudMobile, especially given those curves and Acer's signature arcs found on the top and bottom of the device. There are some major differences in terms of overall design, such as the inclusion of capacitive navigation buttons on the Glow as well as the lack of a soft-grip textured back, but the family resemblance is certainly there. We didn't notice any lags in software performance, but we'll need to check back when production-quality firmware is available at its launch. All in all, we think the Liquid Glow will wind up being a worthy competitor as long as it's reasonably priced. No availability date has been set, but we should expect to see it in stores sometime this summer. Our video and image gallery will guide you through the radiant goodness below.%Gallery-149013%
Option XYFI is 'world's smallest' personal hotspot -- we go hands-on!
Option's XYFI (pronounced ex-WiFi) was announced earlier this week with little fanfare but piqued our interest with its claim to being the world's smallest personal hotspot. We had an opportunity to look and discuss it at a quiet table at MWC today, a nice change from a showy booth. Option has been out of the data connectivity game in any significant way -- for what seems like forever -- in a segment it once led with some 70% of market share. The XYFI is indeed small and at first glance looks like a simple USB modem and not an access point that can support up to 8 people's roaming internet needs via WiFi or 3G connectivity. The USB plug swivels open in switchblade-style -- we found that little button somehow so soothing -- and then pops into your desktop for a quick 4-step setup. As you've likely sussed, the XYFI doesn't have a battery of its own but rather relies on a beautiful 4000mAh xpal adapter the Option device plugs into -- and once connected we're told you can expect about 8 hours of battery life. Option's other accessories for the XYFI include a plug for the car and AC adapter. We'll admit that Option has a steep hill to climb in the mobile hotspot world, but we're sold already. Pricing should be sub $100 for the XYFI alone and we'll be back with details on the accessories and launch date as soon as can. Gallery of this really sharp looking device follows.%Gallery-149031%
