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Samsung Galaxy S II begins quest for 120 country domination
How do you best 10 million 14 million in sales of your flagship Galaxy S smartphone? Easy, do what the movie studios do and launch a bigger-budget sequel to an even wider audience. Samsung is holding a media day event in South Korea to celebrate the domestic launch of its smokin' fast Galaxy S II. The dual-core 1.2GHz Gingerbread handset with 4.27-inch 800 x 480 pixel Super AMOLED Plus display, TouchWiz 4.0 UI, MHL port, and 8 megapixel camera capable of 1080p video is already on limited sale in the UK on its way to a 120 country / 140 carrier invasion -- that's plus 10 countries over the initial Galaxy S target. Naturally, we expect variants of the S II, with and without NFC, to hit all the US majors just like the Galaxy S did in its day. Stay tuned to see if our very positive first impressions of this gorgeous 8.49-mm thick superphone carry over to the review which should be up later today.
Sony reveals two PlayStation Suite-compatible Android tablets
Two more PlayStation Suite-compatible devices are joining the Xperia Play in Sony's product lineup. Last night, Sony officially unveiled the S1 and S2 tablets, both running Android 3.0, and both pretty weird-looking as tablets go. The S1 is the tablet whose unconvential design was revealed early by Engadget. It has a back panel that tapers downward, which is supposed to make it more comfortable, and a 9.4-inch screen. The S2 is the DS of tablets, with two 5.5" screens in a clamshell case, allowing one screen to be used as a soft keyboard. Both tablets will feature PlayStation Suite, so users will be able to play selected PSOne games on the devices, albeit with virtual controls. Both Sony Tablets (in a rare moment of sensible naming convention, "Sony Tablet" is the name of the line) will be out this fall globally. Check out a brief video after the break -- there's a little Crash Bandicoot in it for you.%Gallery-122288%
Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video)
Sony's hosting a press event in Tokyo today where it just made the first announcement: a pair of Android 3.0 tablets -- yes, the very two Honeycomb slabs we told you about exclusively back in February. The first is the Qriocity-focused 9.4-inch S1 media tablet with both front- and rear-facing cameras and a curved wrap design that resembles a folded magazine. The S1 features a Tegra 2 SoC and customized "Quick and Smooth" touch panel UI with "Swift" web browser. It can also be used as a remote control for Sony gear thanks to integrated infrared. The second tablet is the dual-screen S2 clamshell with its pair of 5.5-inch 1,024 x 480 pixel displays, Tegra 2 SoC, and camera. While it sounds bulky, Kunimasa Suzuki just pulled the hinged tablet from his jacket pocket on stage. Sony takes advantage of the two screens with a custom book-style UI layout for its e-reader app, split keyboard and messaging displays for email, and split display and game controllers for PS One gaming. Both the S1 and S2 are PlayStation Certified, support DLNA, and are WiFi and 3G/4G "compatible" according to Sony. See the Sony tablets codenamed "S1" and "S2" in action after the break on their way to a global release in the fall -- possibly sooner in the US. P.S. While the company isn't ready to talk prices yet, our sources told us back in February that Sony was considering a $599 MSRP on the S1 while the S2 would likely come in at $699. Still no word on the Windows 7 slider but with the other two leaks official, it's now only a matter of time. %Gallery-122248% %Gallery-122251% %Gallery-122257%
Sony's Howard Stringer confirms Honeycomb tablet in US by summer (update)
Ready to taste a sweet Honeycomb tablet with a Sony twist? You'd better be -- Japan's Nikkei is quoting Sony chief executive, Sir Howard Stringer, saying that the company's first Android 3.0 tablet will be on sale by the end of summer. Better yet, it'll pop for retail in the US first, according to the report. This lines up nicely with the reported September launch of a PlayStation Certified Tegra 2 "S1" tablet featuring a 9.4-inch display and unique "wrap" design that we first told you about back in February. Or will it be the S2 clamshell? Who knows, Howard isn't saying. The new tablet tattle was apparently uttered at the same event where Howard spilled the beans about Apple's plan to use Sony sensors. Come on Howie, quit the teasing and just come out with it you saucy Welsh minx. Update: Sony told Japanese site AV Watch that it will release the tablet before the end of this year. It's unclear if the comment relates to the domestic Japanese model or if it's meant to temper expectations after the company's rogue CEO spoke out of turn. Regardless, it's coming.
Exclusive: Sony 'S2' dual-screen Android clamshell and 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO slider due this year
So, by now you've seen the PlayStation Certified Qriocity tablet known within Sony as the "S1." But that's not the only tablet the venerable Japanese company is preparing to launch in 2011. We've been told by a pair of highly trusted and proven sources that Sony is also working on two rather unconventional tablet form factors including a dual-screen Honeycomb clamshell and newfangled Windows 7 tablet slider. First, let's look at the clamshell model sporting a pair of 5.5-inch displays -- a device first hinted at in a 2010 Sony patent application titled "Electronic Book with Enhanced Features." However, unlike the patent's blocky illustration, we're told that Sony's clamshell -- known as the "S2" internally -- more closely resembles an oval cylinder when closed as depicted in the illustration above. Spec-wise, we're told that it will be very similar in performance to the S1 with a Tegra 2 SoC and WiFi + 3G radio on the inside and front- and rear-facing cameras on the outside. And like the S1 tablet, the S2 will be focused on delivering Qriocity media to the consumer. Sorry, no word on whether the S2 is PlayStation Certified. Obviously, the S2 won't be running stock Honeycomb -- instead, Sony is currently optimizing the Android OS to make the most of those two displays. One source reports having seen Gmail running on a demonstration prototype where the list of messages is displayed on one screen with the body of the selected message displayed on the other. Maps, we're told, will display the map graphic on one display with the detailed turn-by-turn instructions or Streetview displayed on the other. Likewise, the S2 will display a video and picture navigation menu on one half of the clamshell with the selected content blown-up to fill the screen of the other. We're also told that these apps will work in a variety of orientations. Sounds interesting, to say the least. Regrettably, our sources are less than enthusiastic. Click through to find out why.
Samsung spices up the USB 3.0 hard drive party with three new models
It's not the first time that Samsung's pimped up their hard drives with some USB 3.0 goodness, but come April, the Korean giant will be delivering three new product lines that are yet to be named. The first one is a basic portable model that goes up to 1TB, and comes encased in a smudge-resistant matte housing with a choice of four colors. The next one up is simply a premium version of the portable drive that not only looks prettier (as pictured above), but also beefed up with auto backup software and 256-bit Full Disk Encryption. A USB dock will be available for both portable lines. Last but not least, those looking for more storage space (and presumably faster spinning speeds) can turn to the desktop version, which will be available in three flavors: 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB. Press release after the break. %Gallery-112514%
Samsung S2 Portable hard disk does the 7,200RPM bump with USB 3.0
If you picked up Samsung's 640GB S2 portable USB hard drive earlier this year then you might want to look away. Sammy just update the drive with a USB 3.0 interface and 7,200RPM spindle speed that should easily best its predecessor when it comes to pushing the bits around. Then again, maybe you bought the Michael Jackson edition in which case, a USB 2.0 interface and 5,400RPM speed are the least of your problems.
Mvix intros HDHome S2 and S4 media servers: HTPCs, with a capacious twist
You know, HTPCs never did anything to deserve the worldwide shunning that they're dealing with right about now, and Mvix apparently couldn't care less about the overall lack of interest in buying a PC that's chained down to the den. Rather shockingly (given the company's past endeavors), the HDHome S2 and S4 are the latest to emerge on the living room scene, but unlike most other pre-built HTPCs, this one has an atypically weak processor and an unusually large amount of storage capacity. Both boxes get powered by a dual-core Atom 330 CPU, yet you'll also find a Blu-ray player, HDMI output, Bluetooth 2.0, a half dozen USB 2.0 sockets, WiFi, an embedded TV tuner and your choice of NVIDIA's Ion or ATI's Radeon 3200 HD on the graphics front. The main differentiating factor is the amount of hot-swappable drive bays; the S2 moseys along with just a pair, while the S4 can handle four drives at a moment's notice. Frankly, this thing looks more at home in a closet or server room than beside your HDTV, but either way, they're both available to customize starting at $999 and $1,599, respectively.
Samsung's S2 Portable gets Michael Jackson makeover, promises to heal the world
You know, something deep, deep inside of us knew that this was going to happen, but with Michael Jackson's untimely departure of Planet Earth back in the news thanks to Mr. Conrad Murray's arraignment, it seems like the glut of This Is It-related gear is even touching the typically straightforward tech industry. The drive you're weeping at above is the February 22nd-bound 500GB S2 Portable, complete with a paint job that can only be described as overkill. Jackson's final film is pre-loaded on here (and likely entangled in DRM), as well as Samsung's own Auto Backup feature that'll keep your aged concert photos safe for a few more decades. Of course, the inclusion of a "SecretZone" service -- which encrypts specific files while requiring a password to access -- seems a bit tasteless given the subject matter here, but leave it to Samsung to Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. %Gallery-85015%
Panasonic Viera G2 HDTVs boast 5,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, coming soon
We told you Panny had some crazy low black levels in its 2010 plasmas, didn't we? Well, say hello to the retail products and their first price tags, both predictably found in Japan. The Viera G2 series is arriving within a few short weeks -- February 5 to be precise -- and will be headed by the 50-inch TH-P50G2, which is joined by 46- and 42-inch options. All panels boast Full HD resolution, have three ports each for HDMI and Composite cables, and are expected to cost ¥320,000, ¥260,000, and ¥220,000, respectively. That roughly equates to $3,500 for the whopper and $2,400 for the smallest family members, which when you think about that mercurial five million to one contrast ratio sounds almost like a bargain. If you can tolerate a measly 2,000,000:1 contrast, Panasonic is also announcing some more affordable S2 panels (pictured after the break), which you can have for as little as $2,100 in US money for the 42-inch variety. More machine translation-mangled information can be found in the links below.
Leica S2-P unboxed on video, produces sample shots
Ladies and gentlemen, please disengage your budget conscience for this post, as hearing things like "the Leica S2 seems to be quite the happy medium" when discussing a camera that costs north of $31,000 (body only!) will never make much sense otherwise. Matthew Harrison, aka The Leica Guy, has gotten his hands on what he calls the first commercially available S2-P and performed a loving unboxing and preview of the luxurious shooter. With a 56 percent larger sensor than the stellar Canon 5D Mark II (stretching all the way to 37 megapixels), fully weather-sealed casing, sapphire glass monitor screen, and Platinum Service for the discerning photographer, the S2 certainly has a spec sheet to match its price. Matthew's impressions only confirm the supremacy of this beast, and you can hit up his site below for sample pictures. Don't forget the video unboxing after the break, which includes (at 3:53) something that might cause real distress to bona fide DSLR junkies -- you've been warned.
Samsung doles out 640GB S2 portable, 2TB S3 Station HDDs
Whatever Toshiba can do, Samsung can do... um, equally well? Evidently that's the game being played over at IFA, as the latter company has issued a 640GB portable hard drive of its own nary 24 hours after Tosh did likewise. The unspeakably cute S2 portable is getting a much-needed capacity bump, making the largest drive in the line 640GB. In related news, the company's 3.5-inch S3 Station external HDD has seen its maximum storage level creep north to 2TB, though storage freaks will have to wait patiently until "early next year" in order to take one home. Prices for both remain a mystery, but if we had to guess, we'd put the MSRPs about a penny under whatever Toshiba settles on. Call it a hunch.[Via HotHardware]
Paradigm puts its name to version 3 of its Reference Signature lineup
Sitting atop Paradigm's range of speakers is the Reference Signature series which while not cheap, have historically offered up performance that bests many speakers that cost way more. The propellerheads at Paradigm have been busy refining things and have released the third version of these speakers as, you guessed it, Reference Signature v.3. The previous two versions have set a high standard, but the third time's a charm. Paradigm engineers are promising a 3dB increase in sensitivity thanks to new driver materials, motor designs and plenty of design time using finite element analysis. That should bring plenty of sound from a handful of Watts, and hopefully will translate into some serious dynamic range when paired with an appropriate amp. Based on precedence, these should be great if you can swing the cash -- check the full details after the break and pick a winner.
Leica S2 DSLR hitting UK scene in October for eye-opening $26,165 without lens
Remember Leica's S-system flagship DSLR camera? We'd wager a nickel you probably stuck this in the deep in the back of your brain after its September 2008 debut, figuring something that boasts 37.5 megapixels and Leica branding was gonna be just out of your budget range. Well, you were right. The company announced that it'll be out in the UK as of October this year, and the starting price is £15,996, or about $26,165 in US dollars. Since you're going on the wild side anyhow, why not consider the S2-P, which features a sapphire glass monitor screen and "Platinum Service" support package? That'll set you back £19,092 ($31,229). Bear in mind both those prices are for body only, and with lenses range anywhere from £3,096 to £5,160, you might as well forget about that year of salary.
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."
DigiFi and Kleer debut Digital Opera S2, S5 wireless earbuds
We haven't heard much from the Kleer / DigiFi combo since they finally brought their first Opera wireless earbuds to the US at the beginning of the year, but they're now back with not one but two new sets of 'phones, including the follow-up Digital Opera S2 and the Made for iPod Digital Opera S5. As you might suspect, both models are mostly identical, and pack the same 32 foot range and ten hours of playtime as before, along with the usual promise of uncompressed, CD quality audio. The S5 model, however, adds an iPod-compatible transmitter and some control buttons right on the headphones themselves, while the S2 opts for a basic 3.5mm-based transmitter to accomodate your non-Apple gadgets. No word on pricing just yet, but both should be available on June 20th.
Samsung's S1 / S2 portable HDDs closely resemble Costume concept
We certainly hope that Joongoo Lee has a royalty check in the mail, because to the untrained eye, it looks like Samsung has taken the Costume concept we peeked back in July and made it a reality. The fashionable S1 and S2 hard drives include 1.8- and 2.5-inch HDDs (respectively), with the former arriving in 80/120/160GB capacities and the latter in 160/250/320/500GB sizes. The compact drives are entirely USB-powered and include a handful of expected backup / data protection features. As for colors, you can expect these in piano black, snow white, red wine and chocolate brown this month in Europe, while South Koreans will be asked to wait until November. As for the rest of ya? Hope you know a good importer.[Via I4U News, thanks Luigi]
Kodak rolls out new image sensors at Photokina, one for Leica's S2
We noticed that the writeup for Leica's newly unveiled S2 made mention of a new Kodak sensor, but we'll leave it to Kodak to do the boasting. Sure enough, the outfit responsible for this atrocity has rolled out a few new image sensors at Photokina 2008, one of which -- the KAF-37500 -- proudly resides in the aforementioned S2. The company is showcasing sensors for medium format rigs such as the Sinar HY6-65 (KAF-31600) and Hasselblad H3DII-50 (KAF-50100), though quite honestly, it spends more time gloating about what manufacturers it's partnering with than describing the technology. Oh well, so long as it keeps Kodak from focusing on its pathetic point-and-shoot lineup, we'll keep smiling.
Leica debuts S-system, 37-megapixel flagship S2 camera
Is it Photokina time, or what? Joining the host of other camera manufacturers with sparkly fresh announcements this week is none other than Leica, which just announced a trio of new cams a few days back. This introduction, however, stands alone, and Leica's making some pretty remarkably bold statements about its new S-system. The first device to take advantage is the 37-frickin'-megapixel S2, which sits between Canon's EOS 5D and EOS 1Ds MkIII in terms of body size. The company designed the camera to provide "the quality of medium format and the handling and flexibility of 35mm," and the outfit also has nine S-system lenses on tap. As for expectations? Leica says it'll perform "twice as fast as Hasselblad H-series cameras," and if that wasn't straight-up enough, the firm's David Bell proclaimed that "[Leica] thinks it has the best professional camera system in the world with this."[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
3 launches Skypephone S2
Hold up just a second, this is more than your average WiFi-powered Skype handset for yakking it up while you're wandering around the abode in your skivvies. In fact, it's none other than the follow-on to 3's Skypephone of last year -- the aptly-named Skypephone S2 -- offering HSDPA data, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 50MB of memory with a microSD slot for plenty more, and pretty much all the Skype support you can handle (hence the name, we suppose). Skype-to-Skype calls are completely free from the phone, and the Skype service can be kept active by adding £10 (about $19) monthly on a pay-as-you-go arrangement; otherwise, the phone can be had for as little as zilch if you sign up for a monthly plan. It'll work as a broadband dongle, too, which we think officially makes this thing oodles more useful than even the most capable of WiFi phones, skivvies or otherwise.[Via Tech Digest]
