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Samsung's 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800 LCD ships in Q3, we go eyes-on at SID (video)
So, it's not the full laptop setup we were kinda-sorta expecting based on Samsung's announcement yesterday, but the Korean company's 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800 panel -- with a whopping 275 ppi -- is still plenty impressive on its own. Though the prototype was connected to a desktop PC rather than installed in a notebook, the demo gave us what we came for: a look at that sheer pixel density. You really have to see it to believe it -- with the desktop set to the screen's native resolution, menus, icons and text all appear tiny. The benefit of such a high resolution, of course, is that you can fit more information on screen, and it's more than a little reminiscent of Apple's Retina display. The booth wasn't equipped with internet access, so we couldn't test the panel's mettle with a trip to this very site, but images on the desktop and in Samsung's pre-loaded PowerPoint looked very bright and crisp. In addition to playing up the pixel count, Samsung touted its prototype as a "green panel," claiming 30-percent lower power consumption than existing LCDs. And like the flexible LG display we saw just a bit earlier, this screen won't stay off the market for long: expect a 13.3-inch version -- with touch capability -- to ship in the next two months, though it may debut on a third-party laptop, not necessarily one manufactured by Samsung. A rep told us that 14- and 15.6-inch versions will follow. Check out our hands-on video and photos for a closer look.%Gallery-189023%
Samsung to exhibit 13.3-inch notebook display with 3,200 x 1,800 resolution
On top of yesterday's 4K announcement, Samsung has also given us a quick heads-up on one of the prototype displays it's planning to show off at this year's Display Week event. It's a highly gawp-worthy 3,200 x 1,800 ("WQXGA+") panel destined for 13-inch laptops that insist on taking things further than the Retina MacBook Pro (2,560 x 1,600) or Samsung's Series 9 prototype (2,560 x 1,440, shown above). As an added advantage, the panel is promised to deliver "30 percent greater power-savings" compared to existing LCDs thanks to a reduction in the number of driver circuits as well as more efficient backlight units. Display Week starts today, so we should soon have a first-person account of this unheard-of pixel density straight from Samsung's stall.
Sony's 13.3-inch e-ink paper prototype shown off at education expo in Japan (video)
Earlier this week, we learned of Sony's plans for a 13.3-inch e-ink slate with stylus support pitched at students, and now Diginfo has caught up with the prototype device at the Educational IT Solutions Expo in Japan. The A4-sized tablet is said to be the first piece of hardware with an E Ink Mobius display that's flexible and light due to its new plastic construction. Co-developed by Sony and E Ink, the display only contributes 60g to the overall weight, which is apparently 50 percent lighter than similar screens built with glass. Sony says the software isn't quite as slick as it'd like it to be just yet, but nevertheless, you can check out people scrawling, annotating and highlighting on the prototype in the video below.
Visualized: Google Glass prototypes
As a part of the 7 Techmakers and a Microphone panel tonight at Google I/O, Project Glass Staff Hardware Engineer Jean Wang dropped in this slide reflecting on the process of developing the headset. We've seen pictures of a few early Glass prototypes before, but as she describes, this shows off the full process from strapping a cellphone to a pair of goggles along with a pico projector shining directly into the wearer's eyes. The jump from off the shelf components to custom 3D-printed materials is represented in the third version (top right), and allowed the progress seen along the bottom row. She also got a laugh pointing out that the Glass-inspired SNL skit starring our friend Fred Armisen wasn't "too far off" the team's initial efforts in gesture and voice control. The panel itself focused on a series of TED-style segments featuring seven women discussing being technical leaders inside their company. You can check out the entire thing embedded after the break or just zoom to the Google Glass part (6:13) for more details.
Sony reveals prototype 13.3-inch e-ink slate with stylus, aims to put it in students' bags
Sony's no stranger to the odd e-ink device, but its latest prototype creation isn't targeted at the bookworm, it's intended to educate. The e-paper slate is quite a lot bigger than most tablets, let alone e-readers, sporting a 13.3-inch screen (1,200 x 1,600) to match the standard A4 size of normal, boring paper. That display is also an electromagnetic induction touchscreen for poking at menus and scrolling, but more importantly, it supports stylus input for scrawling notes and annotating PDFs (the only file format it currently supports). The prototype device is also only 6.8mm (0.27 inch) thick and weighs 358g (12.6 ounces) -- perfect for slipping into school bags. There's 4GB of on-board storage (with a microSD slot to increase that) and WiFi, which Sony plans to use for sharing notes with those who didn't make it to class on time. With WiFi off, the rechargeable battery inside is expected to last for three weeks of solid learning. These specs are for the prototype, of course, so after the late-2013 field trials at three Japanese universities, we might see some revisions before commercialization goes ahead sometime during the 2013 fiscal year.
$15,500 not enough for Sega Pluto prototype
Roger Vega (aka YouTube user kidvid666) continues to have trouble unloading his purported Sega Pluto prototype console, one of only two rumored to exist in the world. The auction, originally listed on eBay earlier this month, has ended with a final bid of $15,500 and its reserve price unmet. As such, no money will exchange hands and Vega's Pluto will stay where it is. This is Vega's second attempt at selling the device. His first auction, listed on vintage gaming auction site GameGavel, also failed to meet its reserve with a high bid of $7,600. It may seem odd that no one is willing to drop more than 15 large and some change on what may be the rarest game console in existence – especially considering how much people have paid in the past for other historical relics – but the world of gaming archeology is more complicated than that. Since a Sega Pluto had never been seen in the flesh until a few weeks ago, one has subsequently never been sold at auction before, and therefore there's no established perception of the device's market value. Also, removing the Sega Pluto from its pedestal will trigger a giant spherical boulder to drop from the ceiling and chase whoever wins the auction, which could be a bit of a deterrent.
UPenn's TitanArm exoskeleton prototype makes light work of heavy lifting (video)
It's no wonder people are interested in exoskeletons. Not only do they tap into our lust for the technology of science fiction movies, but among other applications, can make a significant impact on the lives of those living with disabilities. While many offer leg support, a team from University of Pennsylvania recently took silver in an engineering competition for its TitanArm prototype, a powered upper-body exoskeleton that, as the picture above shows, allows you to out-rep anyone at the gym. Designed to be lightweight and cheap to produce, the robotic bicep upgrade uses a (mostly) aluminum frame, battery-powered DC motor, cable drive system, racket braking and thumbstick controller for movement, with a BeagleBone board supervising the electronics that pull it all together. The group at UPenn imagines TitanArm could be employed as a lifting aid, but more importantly, in healthcare applications like increasing mobility or physical therapy -- sensors and other data from the exoskeleton could even allow docs to monitor patients remotely. More info on the project can be found at the source link, while a video below shows TitanArm in use and outlines the hardware that makes those heavy hammer curls a cinch.
The surrealistic Dragon's Dogma tech demo
What you're looking at is an internal Capcom video made by the team behind Dragon's Dogma, designed to demonstrate the ease with which the game's character creation system can make universal use of animation data, regardless of a humanoid creature's size or configuration.Aside from being an effective measure of the technology's capabilities and a surprising glimpse into the lighthearted nature of Capcom's internal development process, it's also a surreal, often hilarious and pointedly bizarre carnival sideshow of bulging eyeballs and dancing cyclopes.As you may have noticed, it doesn't really look like footage from a fairly recent game, and there are two main reasons for that: First of all, this is an internal production that was never originally intended for mass consumption. Moreover, this is an early prototype from five years ago, when development on Dragon's Dogma was first underway, and the game still went by its original codename: BBS-RPG.You may have also noticed that this video has no sound, which is more of a legal issue than an effort to enhance the production's already potent hypnagogic qualities. Since Capcom never intended for this video to be distributed to the public, it had to have its uncleared soundtrack removed before the developer could share it with us. If you're willing to have two tabs open, however, we thing we've found an elegant alternative.
Sega Pluto prototype console surfaces: the Saturn / NetLink mishmash that never was
So, first things first. Sega actually shipped some pretty insane gear. A handheld console that used full-size Genesis cartridges? Check. A sophisticated Tamagotchi that our own editor-in-chief developed games for? Yessir. Something called a "32X" that stacked on top of an already sizable home console? Sure, why not? Given the outfit's history, the item you're peering at above doesn't feel all that outlandish. According to one Super Magnetic -- a self-proclaimed ex-employee of Sega -- this is Pluto. As the story goes, Sega was pondering the release of a Saturn variant that included an embedded NetLink device. At the time, online console gaming was in its earliest stages, and someone likely assumed that they could kickstart things by including an Ethernet jack from the get-go. Of course, Pluto never saw the light of day in the consumer world -- thankfully, you can partake in a few more shots of what could've been at the source link below.
Rumor: Rare 'Pluto' prototype variant of Sega Saturn shown
Someone claiming to be a former Sega employee, calling himself Super Magnetic (after the Dreamcast game) posted pictures on the ASSEMbler forums of a device purported to be the previously unseen "Sega Pluto," a prototype Sega Saturn variant with a built-in NetLink modem. The modem was released separately, and allowed web browsing along with online play of games including Duke Nukem 3D and Virtua Racing.Super Magnetic says that this prototype, which runs North American Saturn firmware, is one of only two ever made. The American firmware, and Super Magnetic's having found this at his job at Sega of America in the Dreamcast era, both suggest that this hardware design is from Sega of America, much like the 32X.A prototype for another unreleased Sega combination system, the Genesis/32X "Neptune," was on display recently at GDC's Videogame History Museum. Previous Sega combos include the JVC-designed X'Eye, the CDX, and the Tera Drive, which combined a Genesis and a PC.
WSJ: Microsoft gathering parts for a watch-like device
The modern smartwatch market hardly even exists, and yet it's already starting to feel very crowded. Hot on the heels of plans (official and otherwise) from Apple and Samsung, the Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft has also been shopping around for parts to build a "watch-style device." While details are scarce as to what that would entail, unnamed supplier executives tell the newspaper that Microsoft has been asking for 1.5-inch touchscreens. We wouldn't count on seeing an ultra-small Surface anytime soon, however -- these executives say they've visited Microsoft's campus, but they don't know whether the Windows developer is fully committed to its wrist-worn endeavor or just experimenting. If the project exists at all, of course. Still, there's finally a glimmer of hope for anyone who's still mourning the loss of their beloved SPOT watches.
Prototypes show the evolution of XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM: Enemy Unknown art director Greg Foertsch conducted a GDC 2013 panel called Art Direction Autopsy: XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Foertsch shared a few internal videos chronicling the different directions considered by Firaxis Games, and was kind enough to share those videos with Joystiq.Above, you can see a video with a more survival-horror slant – a prototype with methodical pacing, centered around a lone farm house wrapped in dark atmosphere. Jump past the break for two more prototype videos.
Eyes-on with Sony's brilliant 4K OLED monitor prototypes (video)
The 30- and 56-inch 4K OLED monitor prototypes that Sony introduced yesterday are sitting prominently in the company's booth here at NAB, and they're really quite something. These sets offer wider viewing angles and reduced color shift compared to previous-gen monitors, and Sony is emphasizing the technology's color accuracy. We got a taste of the 56-inch, 3,840 x 2,160 model back at CES, but it looks like we can extinguish all hopes of this monitor making it to the consumer market anytime soon. Instead, it will be available to professionals working with 4K content. Even though the prototype won't make it to our living room, we couldn't help but marvel at the image quality: to say that the footage of Carnivale popped off the screen would be an understatement -- colors were just that vibrant and details were incredibly lifelike. Meanwhile, the 30-inch, 4,096 x 2,160 model is destined to hit the market sometime in 2014, and it's plenty striking itself. Like its larger sibling, the relatively petite model looked fantastic, with very sharp details and bright, vibrant colors. Sony wouldn't share pricing information -- heck, booth attendants wouldn't even let us get close enough to get a good shot of the monitor itself -- but we did manage to snag a clip of both panels in action. Granted, it's impossible to judge the quality from our compressed eyes-on video, but if you can't make it out to NAB, you'll just have to take us on our word that these really are quite stunning.%Gallery-185048%
Tim Keenan's paper prototypes invade the PAX East tabletop summit
A Virus Named Tom developer Tim Keenan stepped out of his comfort zone during PAX East – literally – to set up shop in the tabletop gaming summit, with two paper prototypes of ideas for his next big project. At the end of a long row, in the heart of tabletop territory, Keenan demonstrated the mechanics behind Scavenger, a top-down, rolling tower defense game set in space, and Chess the Gathering, which played exactly how it sounds and definitely won't have that name if it enters official development.Chess the Gathering featured an iPad showing off the game's digital prototype, including a level editor. The gameplay is a spatial representation of Magic the Gathering, on a chessboard and with a myriad of creatures and "twins." For a rundown of Chess the Gathering, check out Keenan's YouTube playlist, and sign up to get an early (digital) prototype here.Keenan convinced a pair of Magic fans to play Chess the Gathering, and as we talked, they remained riveted on the rudimentary gameboard, cards and characters. When they finished, they concluded that they loved it. "If this were a board game, I would buy it," one of them said.Scavenger tells the story of a Han Solo-esque character as he travels the galaxies looting spaceships, attempting to pay off his debt to vicious collectors. It's a top-down, tower defense game where the protagonist sits in his spacecraft and sends out drones to infiltrate the victim ships. The player defends his own ship from enemies, while directing drones throughout the other ships, in search of money. See the Scavenger playlist here.Keenan has a third game in the works, an action title that he said wouldn't work well as a paper prototype. He and his wife, Holly, plan to ask the community which project sounds best, and then launch a Kickstarter to develop that game under their studio, Misfits Attic. Currently, the Misfits are working on the Vita port of A Virus Named Tom.Check out the paper prototypes for Scavenger and Chess the Gathering in the gallery below.%Gallery-184608%
This TV stinks. No, really!
Once upon 1981, John Waters tried to engage his cult-ish fans with a scratch-and-sniff "Odorama" card to complement the film Polyester. This TV is not that -- in fact, it's a decidedly higher-tech approach to true Smell-O-Vision. Devised by a team of Japanese researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and demoed in prototype form at IEEE's Virtual Reality conference, the set uses four corner-mounted fans to break the fourth wall and create an immersive olfactory experience. By merging and adjusting vapors fed through these four airflows, the team can somewhat realistically trick viewers into believing the scent is coming from localized areas of the screen. We can just hear parents of the future now: "Stop sitting so close to the screen, Johnny. You're gonna pass out from the fumes." Ah, the future...
Lenovo's war-torn ThinkPad Terminator edition hands-on: it's not for sale... yet
During my discussions with Lenovo's team about the research involved in reshaping the ThinkPad line, they clued me in on the beast you see above. That, friends, is cutely referred to as the ThinkPad Terminator edition within Lenovo's walls, and it's essentially a prototype T431s that's stripped of its retail garb. The lid's paint is torn back in order to expose the edges that enable wireless radio transmissions to be sent and received, while the bottom has been left in its rawest form. Think of this as the space shuttle before its paint job, or Mr. Schwarzenegger before his green room appearance. The goal here was to showcase the underlying rigidity of the machine, without the retail coat of paint covering up the magic within. Obviously, Lenovo has no immediate plans to actually ship this thing, but I can assure you I'm begging the team to reconsider. Looking to join the cause? Go ahead and give 'em an idea of the premium you'd pay in comments if these were released in limited quantities. Or, just enjoy the gallery below. Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here! %Gallery-183000%
Samsung's mobile controller prototype is kinda adorable
Samsung just officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 4, and revealed the existence of this adorable little prototype wireless mobile controller. Communicating with the phone via bluetooth, the pad has an adjustable sliding cradle as well as four familiar-looking face buttons.The controller runs on triple-A batteries and interfaces with a pretty slick looking arcade app, as demonstrated by the above hands-on video from our friends over at Engadget. Expected at retail sometime this summer, Samsung's prototype has yet to earn itself an official name or price point. The Galaxy 4 S, meanwhile, will be available sometime near the end of April.
Visualized: Apple's iPhone development device circa-2005
Wanna see what an iPhone development device looks like before Sir Jonathan has had his way with it? Then Ars Technica's got a treat for you at our source link.
Early iPhone prototype with 5x7-inch display
Most leaked iPhone prototypes have been run-of-the-mill devices that resemble the iPhone we know and love. This latest leak from Ars Technica reveals the tablet roots of our favorite smartphone. These prototype images originated from 2005 and show an iPhone with a 5 x 7-inch display and a variety of tacked-on ports that were used in testing. As you can see in the image above, it's a Frankenstein-like device that looks more like an iPad than an iPhone. You can read more about the prototype device and peruse a few more images on Ars Technica's website.
Land Rover EV prototypes tread lightly uphill, recharge on the way down
Instant torque feels delicious on the highway, but it could be an even bigger asset in an offroader. Land Rover has been experimenting with electric versions of its Defender 110 for a while now, and claims its latest prototypes benefit from a reduction in wheel spin due to the single-speed motor, making them more adept at climbing and less likely to churn up the environment. The prototypes don't necessarily stand out in terms of raw specs: they're 25 percent heavier than turbodiesel models, with lower horsepower and torque ratings, and with a range of just 50 miles. They try to make up for it in other ways, however, with the ability to deliver up to eight hours of slow, grueling off-road time, where range is secondary to staying upright, and by exploiting Land Rover's Hill Descent Control feature for faster recharging through regenerative braking. There's no plan to bring an EV Defender to market any time soon, or to run the Dakar gauntlet like some rivals have, but the prototypes are due to make appearance at the Geneva Motor Show before being tested for painful-sounding "specialist applications" later in the year.
