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The best audio gear to give as gifts
Maybe there's an audiophile on your list, or maybe you're shopping for someone who recently acquired a new phone and could use something better than the pack-in headphones. Either way, we have a slew of recommendations in the audio gear section of our holiday gift guide. On our list you'll find smart speakers from Google and Amazon alike, along with Sonos, whose new "One" speaker includes Alexa built in, with Google Assistant support coming soon. When it comes to headphones, our selections run the gamut from the affordable (Jabra's Move headset) to the high end (Bragi's Dash Pro wireless earbuds and these noise cancelling headphones from Sony), with a couple mid-range options in between. Rounding out the list, we have a soundbar, drum machine, synth app, the Amazon Echo Show and one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers. Find all that and many more items in our holiday gift guide, at the link below.
B&O puts its smallest speaker in your pocket for $169
What's next for high-end audio company Bang and Olufsen following last year's handheld BeoPlay A1 speaker? Making a smaller model, of course. The Beoplay P2 fits in the palm of your hand and perhaps more closely resembles an earbud case than it does a speaker. But maybe don't fret that sound quality diminished because the speaker's size did. Like the A1, the P2 blasts sound out in 360 degrees and it inherited a tweaked version of the mid-woofer from last year's model. 2016's sound carries forward in another way as well -- the P2 shares its 0.75-inch tweeter with the A1.
Huawei Ascend P2 hitting Europe in Q2 for 399 euros, we go hands-on (update: video)
Just ahead of Huawei's press event, we were treated to an early viewing of its new 8.4mm-thick smartphone, the Ascend P2. With Android 4.1, a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 13-megapixel camera and a 720p, 4.7-inch Gorilla Glass 2 Infinity Edge Display, it joins the likes of the Ascend Mate and D2 in forming the Chinese manufacturer's smartphone family in 2013. And boy, it's a slender, feather-light phone with a glossy backing that come sin both black and white. Design-wise, like those leaks, it looks an awful lot like those P1 phones we first saw at CES 2012. Its notable feature is the highest-speed LTE connection seen so far in a smartphone, up to 150 Mbps with support for LTE Cat4. We also got to play with Huawei's Emotion UI again, which can draw on the 1GB of RAM housed inside. There's plenty of storage, with 16GB ready to accept your photos and music. The right side houses a volume switch and a physical camera button -- these were a bit plasticky, but has a nice matte finish. The other side is where the power button belongs, with both the headphone and micro-USB charging port found there. Huawei's focusing on battery life here as well, with a 2,420mAh cell powering the Android phone and the promise of consuming 20 percent less power, thanks to the handset's display technology. With the aforementioned Emotion UI, there's the same clipboard animation across homescreen transitions, matching those other Ascend models. Getting into screen performance, it reflected a fair bit of ambient light. It's perhaps not the best display we've seen from Huawei -- there seems to be a space between the surface of the glass and the display itself. The hardware feels light, but feels like we were often unable to keep hold of it. The buttons have the right amount of bite, although it would have been nice to see some premium materials used for these minor details. The design also reminds us a fair bit of Panasonic's Eluga smartphone. Perhaps due to the lack of exotic color options, the phone wasn't quite as appealing as when we first got our hands on its predecessors. We'll have a hands-on video up soon. If you're in Europe, you can pick this up in Q2 for €399 ($526). Update: The video now lives after the break!
Huawei's Richard Yu confirms 8-core chip for 2H 2013, teases super slim P series phone for MWC
We never thought our day could get any better after Huawei's Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu became available again for our CES stage interview (there was originally a "last minute urgent conflict"), but our man was also kind enough to share a couple more scoops with us. First of all, Huawei will be joining Samsung at the octa-core Cortex-A15 party in the second half of this year, and given what Yu's told us earlier this week, our guess is that this will either be the HiSilicon K3V3 or a sister chipset, again manufactured by TSMC. The second scoop of the day was delivered fresh off the stage after the interview. Yu told us exclusively that at MWC next month, Huawei will be unveiling a super slim follow-up to the current P series Android phones. We asked if it'll be even thinner than 6.45mm (the thickness of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra announced at CES), and Yu said yes. The exec added that the new phone will have a beautiful metallic body as well. Exciting times, right?
Panasonic introduces new microP2 SD-sized storage at NAB 2012
Among several new announcements for NAB 2012, Panasonic had time to show off its new microP2 card. It does all the high speed transfer pro video shooters have come to expect from their P2 hardware, but in a package that's the size of an SD card. Panasonic also showed off a companion adaptor that could be used to make the new micro-sized cards compatible with existing PCMCIA-based hardware, however they will need a firmware upgrade (at an unspecified cost, of course) first. Of course, that's all still off in the future, since these won't hit the market until spring 2013. Check out our gallery for a few more pictures and look after the break for the press release.
AAXA P2 pico projector gets tested and lauded
The first batch of pico projectors weren't exactly world-beaters; the resolution was low, lumens were lacking and MSRPs were startlingly high. Such is life on the cutting edge. But AAXA's P2 is riding the second wave, boasting a higher-than-average 800 x 600 resolution, 33 lumens of brightness, 1GB of onboard storage, a microSDHC expansion slot, VGA / AV inputs, a built-in speaker and an integrated media player to boot. Our good pals over at Gadling just got their paws around one, and they seemed duly satisfied with the performance. Unlike many first-generation units, this one managed to throw up a respectable image even in dimly lit rooms, and while the 40-inch image was understandably the best, it did manage to toss up a 100-inch visual when pressed. Hit the source link for the full writeup, and if you're planning on buying in now, it's available for a sale price of $319.
Panasonic's 1080p twin-lens P2 camcorder seen behind three-dee glass at CEATEC
We can't say for certain how good it feels to hoist this big-faced behemoth onto one's shoulder, but it's the first time we've seen Panasonic's 1080p twin-lens P2 3D camcorder out and about since its fabled introduction at NAB earlier this year. Strategically placed beside a 3D Avatar trailer demo, the camcorder looked exactly like the press shot we saw of the prototype before, though there's still no formal word on when it'll be used to film your friend's Bar Mitzvah (or anything else half as cool). A boy can dream, yeah?%Gallery-74852%
NuVision crashes the projector party with LED-lamp P2, 3-chip P3
NuVision has picked our favorite way to make a splash with a product sector entrance -- bring out models packing relatively unique tech. The P1, P2 and P3 DLP projectors should fit into NuVision's custom-centric product lineup quite nicely when they release early next year. Things start out pretty tame with the $8,999 P1, a UHP-lamped offering with (of course) 1080p native resolution. The P2 makes the game interesting with its LED lamp system that should pretty much cut the lamp exchanges down to zero if you can really control the ambient light in your theater; but then again, $18,999 would pay for a lot of bulbs. Finally, there's no denying the glory of a three-chip DLP setup, though, and P3 mates those three chips with a 300-Watt UHP lamp for the kind of no-compromise performance you'd expect from a $36,999 beamer.
AAXA P2 pico projector ships out, sparks little Halo parties everywhere
Optoma's PK102 not swank enough for you? Fret not, as AAXA Technologies is also shipping its second-generation pico projector. The stupendously simplistic P2 packs an LCoS chip, 33 lumens of output, an 800 x 600 native resolution and the ability to throw up your favorite Xbox / Atari / C64 title at up to 80-inches. There's also a VGA output and a few on-device buttons, and if that's exactly what you've been looking for, you can call one your own for $339.
AAXA ups the ante with SVGA P2 pico projector
While it's probably safe to say that the rush of pico projectors has slowed to a trickle, that's not stopping a few of the early entrants from dishing out new and improved models as the second wave builds. AAXA, the outfit responsible for serving up the pint-sized P1 back in February, is demonstrating exactly what a hasty refresh cycle looks like by dishing out the higher-res P2 just a few months later. The LCoS-based pico projector packs an SVGA (800 x 600) resolution, a 33 lumen LED light source, 1GB of onboard memory, a microSD card reader and even a built-in battery good for around 35 minutes of beaming (or in other terms, nearly two full episodes of Entourage). The device checks in at just 4.3- x 2.3- x 1-inches and sports a VGA input, 3.5mm headphone output and a mini USB socket to boot. Feel free to pre-order yours now for $349 -- or, you know, wait for a 720p model.[Via PicoProjector-Info]
SanDisk finally ships pSSD drives for netbook sector
While SanDisk didn't do itself any favors this morning with its netbook-centric SDHC card, at least it's making up for it somewhat with a legitimate launch here. The outfit's pSSD line, which was originally announced exactly this day a year ago, has just started to ship. The pSSD P2 and S2 both employ a new technology dubbed nCache, which supposedly improves netbook performance by supporting some fresh level of burst performance. In fact, SanDisk claims that these drives offer a non-volatile cache of up to 320MB, though it doesn't bother sharing standard read / write rates. Anywho, the drop-in modules are available now in 8/16/32/64GB sizes, and while exact prices aren't disclosed, we're told that they're "attractively priced."
Panasonic developing 1080p twin-lens P2 camcorder for native 3D captures
You know that 3D bandwagon you're still hesitant to jump on? We get the feeling that this year's NAB show may just push you over the top. Shortly after hearing of Fujifilm's newest P2 memory cards comes this, a conceptual camcorder in which to eventually slot 'em in. Currently, Panasonic's 3D Full HD Camera Recorder is merely a prototype, but it's made clear that the company intends to bring this to market as soon as possible. Essentially, the device will boast a twin-lens system for capturing 3D footage natively in 1080p, and all of the video streams will be stored on Panny's professional P2 cards. It's hard to say if this would even be useful for 2D shooting on the side, but with practically every major studio at least considering (if not committing to) 3D production, we'd say it's a solid investment on Panasonic's part either way.
Fujifilm introduces E-Series P2 memory cards at NAB
With NAB kicking off today in Las Vegas, it's no shock to see Panasonic's P2 format gracing the headlines early on. Today, Fujifilm has announced that it will introduce the E-Series P2 memory cards for the Panasonic P2 professional video system, and said lineup will include 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options. We're told that the trio can hit a maximum transfer rate of 1.2Gbps when used with compatible hardware, and the cards' lifespans are rated for five years of use when recorded once daily at full capacity and up to ten years when used at half capacity. Check 'em later this summer (save for the 64GB model, which ships this autumn) for $440, $640 and $1,000 from least capacious to most. The full release is just past the break.
Samsung to release T-DMB-packin' YP-P2 in South Korea
When we asked you to list the things you'd change about Samsung's YP-P2, a number of you yearned for mobile TV. Granted, you'd have to set up shop in South Korea for your dream to be fully fulfilled, but Samsung's definitely making it possible. The YP-P2 DMB will arrive packing an obligatory T-DMB mobile TV tuner for youngsters and hipsters alike to find their favorite program when those hundreds of albums grow stale. We're hearing that the unit will feature a 3-inch touchscreen along with Bluetooth 2.0 and your choice of black or white motifs. Price wise, you'll be laying down ???239,000 ($231), ???309,000 ($299) or ???389,000 ($377) for the 4GB, 8GB or 16GB version.
Samsung dreaming of YP-P3 with haptic support?
Not even a month after we asked you fine readers what you'd love to change about the YP-P2, in comes early word that a tweaked successor could be on the way. Granted, most everything here is lost in translation, but we're gathering that Samsung could be readying a touchscreen YP-P3 that would look awfully similar to the SCH-W420 mobile. Good thing, too, as that particular unit has haptic support (force feedback from touch panels, in a nutshell) already loaded in. So convenient, wouldn't you agree? Keep a loose eye out for this one to surface late this year.[Via PMPToday]
Blue Wave 3 firmware update for Samsung P2 heads out of beta
It's already hit Korea, but it looks like those of us that don't live in the land of Samsung can now finally get our hands on the official, non beta Blue Wave 3 firmware update for the company's fan-favorite YP-P2 PMP as well. Otherwise known as version 4.13, the update brings a whole host of improvements, including a decent batch of new GUI themes, a new fullscreen playback mode, a calculator, and some additional brightness and speed controls for video playback, among other things. Of course, as Samsung is wont to do, it's already teasing us with its Blue Wave 4 update, which promises to take the player to even greater heights with customizable skins, Bluetooth-based games, subway maps, and voice recording, to name just a few improvements. No word on a release for that just yet, however, so in the meantime you'll have to make do with the next best thing available at the link below.[Thanks, Xepol]
Samsung set to release YP-PB2 PMP in Korea
Samsung's done pretty well for itself with its YP-P2 PMP, and it now looks to be set to bust out yet another upgrade to the player, although you likely won't be seeing this one outside of Korea. Helping to keep it close to Samsung's home base is the addition of not only a DAB radio tuner but, apparently, a DVB-T mobile TV tuner as well. Other than those two notable additions, however, the device appears to be unchanged from its previous incarnation, with it boasting the same 3-inch WQVGA display, built-in Bluetooth, black or white color options, and 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB capacity as before (no word on a 16GB model). There's also no word on a price or release date, but you can pretty safely expect to pay a tidy premium over the tuner-less models.
Panasonic launches 64GB P2 card, AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard adapter
Now that you're already penning a purchase requisition for one of those fancy new P2 HD camcorders, you might as well toss a couple of Panny's new 64GB P2 cards (model AJ-P2C064) and its AJ-PCD35 ExpressCard adapter on there, too. Yep, Panasonic has chosen NAB Show 2008 to double up on its current 32GB P2 card and to introduce a five-slot P2 memory drive with an ExpressCard interface. Put simply, the latter can hold all five cards from a fully-loaded VariCam 2700 / 3700 camcorder (or any other P2 rig) and give users the ability to upload content on the go with their ExpressCard-equipped laptop. Regrettably, the company didn't bother doling out dollar figures just yet, but we'd go ahead and file 'em both under "expensive."[Via I4U News]
Panasonic reveals trio of P2 HD camcorders at NAB
Panasonic's AG-HMC150 HD camcorder is fine and dandy if you're cool with hauling around a couple SDHC cards, but for those with bigger budgets and loftier dreams, the trio of P2 rigs debuting at NAB Show are likely to be entirely more suitable. Starting things up is the VariCam 2700 (model AJ-HPX2700) and VariCam 3700 (model AJ-HPX3700; pictured), which both feature native HD resolutions, five P2 card slots, master-quality 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra 100 recording, variable frame rates in one-frame increments, HD-SDI outputs and a multi-gamma function including Film-Rec. As for the latter, it steps things up to full 1,920 x 1,080 support while boasting a trio of HD-SDI outs (versus two on the VariCam 2700). Lastly, we've got the 4.2-pound AG-HPX170, which reflects the HMC150 in a variety of ways but utilizes a pair of P2 slots in order to log those high-def captures. Mum's the word on pricing for the Fall-bound family, but do yourself a favor and hit the read link for lots more details on each.[Via Broadcast Newsroom]
Blue Wave 4 firmware for Samsung P2 previewed?
Samsung just launched the Blue Wave 3 firmware for the YP-P2 and T10 today, but we're already hearing whispers of Blue Wave 4 -- check out this image that's popped up on some forums. Apparently all you P2 owners out there can look forward to customizable (and shareable) UI skins, some new Bluetooth-based games, subway maps, custom EQ settings, password controls, and voice recording sometime in the future, but we have no idea when. Until then, feast your eyes on the whole image after the break.
