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Garmin's connected nuvi 1690 and browser / camera-equipped nuvi 1860 leak out
Garmin already had a little fun at CeBIT this year, but it looks as if the PND maker is gearing up for quite a thrilling IFA, too. For starters, we've confirmed that the nüvi 1690 you've seen floating about is legitimate, and if Garmin prices those connected services right (read: gives them away), it stands a chance of being a real winner. Slated to launch on September 3rd just as IFA kicks off, the 1690 will pack a 4.3-inch WVGA display, North American maps, text-to-speech, Bluetooth handsfree support and EDGE data for pulling down weather, flight statuses, fuel prices, movie times, traffic and Google-powered local search results. It should be available at the tail end of Q3 for $499.99, though there's no word on how pricey the connected services will be. If you're looking for even bigger and better things, there's the nüvi 1800 family. The nüvi 1820 checks in with a 4.8-inch WVGA panel, a Linux-based OS, Bluetooth handsfree support, WiFi, lane assist, a traffic receiver, text-to-speech and a few features not found on your common PND. We're talking about a full-fledged web browser (with YouTube support), multimedia player, access to email, internet radio streaming and even video streaming. Of course, you'll have to provide the web access, but if you've got a MiFi or the like riding shotgun in your ride, you can keep this bad boy connected throughout the trip. Also of note, the nüvi 1860 packs all of the aforementioned goodies but throws in a 3 megapixel camera with geotagging for good measure. Garmin doesn't bother to mention pricing details on either of the 18xx units, but we get the impression that both will sticker for well over the $500 mark.Update: That $500 sticker on the 1690 will include two years of connected services -- not perfect, but a solid gesture nonetheless.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Videociety VOD service uses Blu-ray players with BD-Live
German production house Enteractive is readying its Blu-ray Java disc powered service Videociety that turns any BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player into an Internet delivered VOD box. Still unknown is what resolution movies will be offered in and which ones, although h.264 compression (with Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 soundtracks) is confirmed, and the company has access to 400 films from sister companies Splendid Film, Polyband and WVG Media and negotiations with other major and independent studios are ongoing. Just like Netflix's Watch Instantly, movies are queued from a PC or iPhone, then streamed to the Blu-ray player once the disc is inserted. Anyone else hoping that if this works well it gets picked up outside of Germany after the official launch at IFA in September?[Via Blu-ray.com]
Sony to finally unveil larger-screen OLED TVs at IFA?
We've been waiting for what seems like ages for the next iteration of the XEL-1 to dash in and swoop us off of our feet, but frankly, we're growing anxious. As the world waits for a commercial-ready OLED TV that's larger than a standard sheet of paper, industry insiders down at the IFA briefings in Malta this past week believe that Sony could be gearing up to make all sorts of hopes and dreams come true this September. Jens Heithecker, executive director of Messe Berlin, which organizes the IFA trade fair, noted that "IFA is a trade show which is focused more on market-ready technologies," hinting that anything we see in just a few short months will be prepared for release into the wild. We're also told that more "ultra-widescreen" 21:9 sets -- like Philips' masterpiece -- could be on display, not to mention scores of internet-ready HDTVs and a Samsung set with refresh rates of 400Hz. Needless to say, IFA's shaping up to be quite a show for the television sector, so you may want to think twice (or thrice, if necessary) about snagging a new panel on August 31st.[Via OLED-Info]
