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The OnePlus 'Clover' could be an entry-level phone bound for the US
OnePlus could soon launch its first entry-level smartphone and release it in the US, marking the first time the brand has dabbled in that space.
How would you change the Lumia 720?
Just like the Star Trek movies, we've mostly preferred the even-numbered ranges of Nokia Lumia handsets to the odds. We heaped praise on the 620, for example, with equal vitriol being poured onto the 520 that nestled beneath it. The Lumia 720 suffered the same fate when we reviewed it, finding that no matter how gussied-up the outside was, the low-power internals were an instant turn off. But what about you? It's likely that plenty of you only had room in your budget for this device, so was the experience as bad as you'd expected? Why not hop into our forum and talk yourself some Lumia.
Rumor mill: next gen Xboxes + Kinect 2 to read lips, track fingers, make unicorns real
Pinches of salt at the ready, folks. According to the latest speculation, Microsoft's sequel to the Xbox 360 will actually be two models, a pared down set-top box for casual gamers and a heftier model for the hardcore. Either way, Xbox 720 / Xbox Loop's getting paired up with a revised version of the magnificent Kinect hardware. The digital grapevine's saying that Kinect 2 will be able to read your lips, track your fingers and sense the tone of your voice to determine if you've come over all angry. It can't do that currently thanks to its USB cable, which can only transmit 16MB/s of data -- limiting the camera's resolution to 320 x 240 at 30fps. We don't know what protocol the new sensor bar will use, but we do know that either USB 3.0 (which can transmit 400 MB/s) or Intel's Thunderbolt (700MB/s) would remove such limitations. In related news, 2012's Kinect for Windows is getting a shorter USB cable for better data integrity and a refocused image sensor that will switch to "near mode" to see objects 50cm away -- which means a whole bunch of classic Kinects and Nyko Zooms are gonna wind up as a filling for a New Mexico landfill.
Another alleged HTC Vigor leak: HD display, 1.5GHz dual-core, Beats Audio (update: more pics)
We know the high-end HTC Vigor exists, but we're still in the dark about its precise specs -- not least because a previous 'leak' turned out to be double Dutch. Now an Italian dude by the name of Fabio Mele reckons he's gotten hold of Verizon's ROM for the Vigor and extracted a ton of information, including tutorial videos (which yielded the render above) and key hardware credentials. And they're some credentials: a 4.3-inch screen with 720 lines of LG-rivalling HD craziness, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM and an 8MP rear camera. The reported ROM also contains HTC's much-hyped Beats Audio software, which we've experimented with on the Un-American Sensation XE. We're taking all this with a pinch of salt if you don't mind, Signor Mele, but we want to believe you, we really do. [Thanks, Giuseppe] Update: That elusive Vigor tutorial vid has popped up online and shows the handset from all angles, including what lies beneath its battery cover (hint: it's a SIM slot for what we presume to be LTE access). Check it out after the break. Update 2: And now some real photos of the Vigor have shown up online, too. Check out a couple after the break, and get the full spread over at Android Central.
Intel's 710 'Lyndonville' and 720 'Ramsdale' SSDs see full spec leak well ahead of release
You may recall Intel's 710 "Lyndonville" and 720 "Ramsdale" enterprise SSDs outted by a leaked roadmap back in April, but details were as thin as high mountain air. Luckily, German site Computer Base has obtained what appears to be a full spec sheet for the aforementioned drives. Starting with the 710, this 25nm HET MLC -- a more durable variant of MLC -- device will come in 100GB, 200GB, and 300GB flavors, and it claims to have read and write speeds at up to 270 MB/s and 210 MB/s, respectively, along with a 3Gbps SATA connection. Things are a bit wild with the 720: not only does it have 34nm SLC chips making up the 200GB and 400GB versions, but it also boasts some truly insane read and write speeds of up to 2200 MB/s and 1800 MB/s, respectively. Yes, 2200 MB/s and 1800 MB/s, garnished by the fast 4K IOPs as well. We had our doubts initially, but looking at the previously stated 6Gbps PCIe interface and the much higher power draw, we think there's a good chance for this to come into reality. Well, only time will tell if these numbers will stick around for the Q3 launch this year -- not that our wallets will want to know, mind you. Hit the source link for the full lowdown. Update: As pointed out by our readers, it looks like the 720 will need more than 6Gbps at the PCIe bus to accommodate its maximum read and write speeds. At this point, we can only assume that there is indeed a typo somewhere -- either on the roadmap or on this table.
iPhone 4 does 720p HD video, iMovie
A backside-illuminated 5 megapixel sensor is about to grace the new iPhone's rear, equipped with an LED flash and 720p / 30fps video recording. Tap to focus while recording video will also be rolled out in the iPhone Quattro, and Steve Jobs is keen to impress on us all that although the megapixel count has grown, the quality of images has apparently improved. That's what they all say. iMovie for iPhone will add more sophisticated video editing options, but they won't come for free -- a $4.99 tithe will be required. This is moving things along, to be sure, but why is the iPhone 4's upper storage limit still stuck at 32GB? A more generous apportionment of memory would've gone very nicely indeed with that HD video mode.%Gallery-94584% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
FaceVsion ships its 720p TouchCam N1 to vowel-averse Skypers
If you need a few more pixels in your video chats but don't necessarily have the processor power to manage them all, you need a Skype HD-certified camera with an on-board hardware encoding. The TouchCam N1 from faceVsion is the latest to ship, a $120 model that manages 720p recording and also includes dual unidirectional mics to ensure that your voice gets through loud and clear from any angle. That seems to be the only real advantage over the Freetalk Everyman HD, which recently went on sale itself -- for $70. The N1 does also offer a wider 78-degree lens compared to the Freetalk's 58, but whether that's worth the extra cheddar is something you'll have to decide.
Video: Spawn Labs HD-720 aims to be the Slingbox to your game console, we go hands-on
Sure, your heart may be aflutter with thoughts of gaming cloud services like OnLive and OTOY, but quietly making its debut this week is Spawn Labs with its "Bring Your Own console" HD-720 video game streamer, due out this November for $199.95. In a nutshell, the device works as a Slingbox for your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2, or GameCube and lets you play those consoles over the internet on your Windows PC (a Mac client is said to be in the works). The AV cables -- component or composite, no HDMI at this point -- are connected and can be then passed through to a TV as normal. A USB connection is used to sync up the controller, and there's also an IR signal for turning the connected system(s) on and off. On the computer, you can log the Spawn Labs website and play either your own system or jump onto one of your friends' systems for some faux-local co-op or to be a spectator. We had a chance to take a look at the streamer and talk with some of the minds behind it at TechCrunch 50 to fill in some of the missing details. In a fairly controlled environment -- the device hooked up via ethernet to a private router on the show floor -- we were able to competently play Soul Calibur IV with what we were told was around 100ms audio / video and 5ms controller lag. Under ideal situations, it streams 720p / 30 frames per second in H.264 video with AAC-LC audio, but that can automatically downscale when the connection slows -- should we decide we're too lazy to make it from our bedroom to the couch to play Halo (an all too frequent scenario), it'll clearly work fine over a local network, but it's gonna be how well it works across that internet that's the real deal-breaker, and we weren't able to test that. Cross-continent play isn't recommended, but you can have spectators from all over the world and it won't at all affect your latency. Any PC controller can work and be custom-mapped, including just keyboard and mouse, although if you're wanting to use a PS3 pad you'll have to find the drivers for it yourself. The game window itself has buttons along the bottom for pulling up the system's specific guide menu or recording the video for upload to YouTube. What's impressive to us is that it's said to work with any computer that can handle a 720p video stream, and so far in the labs they've apparently got it working well on an ION-based netbook -- but we didn't get to see that for ourselves, so we'll hold applause until we can put it through its paces ourselves. See a video demonstration for yourself after the break.
Dell finally adds 720p LCD option to Inspiron Mini 10
So far as we can tell, Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 was supposed to have a 720p screen option from day one, but after the ridiculously weird launch, we're not at all shocked to see that said selection is just now being offered. Starting right about now, prospective Mini 10 buyers can upgrade that stock 1,024 x 576 display to one with a native 1,366 x 768 resolution, or plenty to watch bona fide 720p content. The pain? Just $35 -- but you'll have to keep waiting if you're looking for inbuilt GPS, a TV tuner or a certificate of authenticity autographed by this guy.[Thanks, JC]
Nikon D90 unboxing and hands-on
Here she is -- the world's first DSLR to capture 720p HD movie footage. But let's be honest, the high-def action is just a cherry on top of Nikon's D90 ($1,299 kit; $999 body only), as the expansive Live View LCD, high ISO options and heralded image quality are the real draws. You've already heard what the experts in the field had to say, but if you're just lookin' for some old fashioned gadget glamour shots to get your weekend started right, take all the time you need in the gallery below.%Gallery-33583%
LaCie's new LCDs put NTSC to shame
LaCie plays with a lot of different products, like molten external HDDs and goofy USB hubs, but is totally serious when it comes to displays. Its latest offering is a trio of professional pixel-pushers, the 720, 724, and 730, growing from 20- to 30-inches as you go. The $2,500 720 is 4:3, delivering a pathetic resolution of 1600 x 1200, while the other two stretch to 16:10, 1920 x 1200 on the $3,300 724 and 2560 x 1600 in the top-of-the-line $6,500 730. The top two models feature a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 6ms response time, 14-bit gamma correction, and accurate reproduction of 125 percent the NTSC gamut (guaranteed via included blue eye pro hardware calibration). That's a huge leap over the paltry 10-bit correction and 92 percent NTSC supported by the old 324 -- for a mere three times the cost.
Planar announces Viper DLP HD projector
Planar has remained mostly quiet since CES, but given that CEDIA is within spittin' distance, it's no shock to see it making waves once more. Today, the outfit has revealed its first 3-chip HD projector, the DLP-based Viper. Other specs include a native 1,280 x 720 resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,000 lumens and 10-bit independent dual image / motion adaptive processing. You'll also find an RS-232 port, twin HDMI 1.3 sockets and a jaw-dropping $15,495 price tag. It's shipping immediately for those with the requisite coin. Full release after the break. %Gallery-30156%
Canton refreshes its Karat speaker lineup
In the spirit of "out with the old, in with the new" that we love around here, Canton has done a little spring cleaning on its Karat speaker lineup. There are seven models, so rest assured the company has your encirclement needs covered. All models make use of the same 1-inch tweeter, and we're happy to see the 'DC' models making use of deep, narrow cabinets that give the side-mount woofer a little extra oomph and push the tweeters up high on a narrow baffle. If floor-standing speakers are your thing, the 795 DC, 790 DC and 770 DC models are for you. But for smaller rooms, less visual impact, or surround duty, the 730 DC and 720 models are bookshelf-sized. Put a 755 center channel right below your display (if you've got a CRT, don't worry, it's shielded) and round out the package with the 12-inch AS 750 SC subwoofer. Available in glossy white or black; prices run a gamut from $2400 for a 795 DC to $600 for a 720 (those are per speaker prices, so multiply accordingly).
TomTom GO 720 review roundup
It looks like TomTom's managed to hit all the right marks with its new GO 720 GPS unit, at least according to the first few reviews that have turned up, which all seem to have found plenty to like about the device. Among the first to get their hands on the device was GPS Review, which found the unit to be "more than just a simple specifications bump to an existing model." In particular, it was especially impressed by the ease with which you can receive live traffic information, as well as the unit's text-to-speech functions, thinner size, and longer battery life than other models. Also putting the unit through its paces was Computeractive, which dug the unit's much-touted map sharing feature and abundance of extra features, but was slightly less impressed with the need for a cellphone connection for traffic updates. Lastly, and most thoroughly, the folks at Mobinaute seem to have examined every nook and cranny of the device, providing plenty of pics and a ten minute video showing the device in action. Of course, it's also all in French, but they too don't seem to have found much to complain about, other than some stability problems when the device was connected to a PC. Read - GPS Review ("hard to imagine this device not being a huge hit")Read - Computeractive (5 out of 5) [Via Navigadget]Read - Mobinaute ("forecasts of what will be the accessible navigation of tomorrow today")
Ask HDBeat: err, we are stumped with this one
Whenever someone sends a question over to us, we research it in depth and then post our best answer. Some of these questions are tough, but we can usually come up with it though, but this is the first time we have been stumped -- we are hoping our readers can help us out on this one. SJ sent over this question that we just cannot come up with a solid answer for. I am planning to get an Xbox 360 soon, and an HDTV to go along with it. I decided to look for CRT HDTV's first since they provide the best picture and are cheaper, but I noticed that there are no CRT HDTV's with a native resolution of 720p (which is the 360's native resolution). All the CRTs have a res of 1080i...why is that? Is it some kind of industry standard or are there some technical issues related to it?Does anyone know for sure (read: give sources) why there isn't any 720p CRT HDTVS?
Hitachi 32HLT79 and 37HLT79 1080p LCDs...aren't
Remember those too good to be true priced to move 32- and 37-inch Hitachi 1080p LCDs we told you about? Turns out they were just that, while the image processor inside the panels is 1080p, the screens themselves are 1366x768 (720p) native. The guys at TG Daily spoke with Hitachi and confirmed this, looking at the original press release it is easy to see how the mistake was made. It doesn't mention the actual resolution of the screens anywhere, despite highlighting the aforementioned processing, refresh rate model #s and price. The Hitachi rep is quick to tell us that for typical viewing distances for that screen size 720p will be just fine which may be true for most, but we'd prefer less processing instead of more, even if it is 1080p. Worse, such terminology makes the 1080p debate just that much more confused.However if you really need a sub-$3,000 1080p TV LCD the Westinghouse 37-inch LVM-37w3 is available for much less than $2k and supports 1080p input, while the just announced LVM-47w1 47-inch model will also retail for less than $3,000. As an additional bonus, they have a very clear list of specifications on their website. We'll be watching to see if that Hitachi Ultravision 32HLT79 and 37HLT79 hit our local electronics store with big 1080p stickers on them.
