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LG may be working on a phone with a second swivel display
LG's next phone could involve swivelling screens.
Gionee Elife E7 mini launched with Oppo-like swivel camera, octa-core CPU
Chinese phone maker Gionee has just released the Elife E7 mini version of its mega-spec'd 5.5-inch, 1080p Elife E7 phone, but it resembles its larger sibling in name only. First off, the 13-megapizel camera and flash are on a swivel at the top, Oppo N1-style. The specifications are otherwise a step down, starting with the 4.7-inch, 720p screen and continuing with the 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 CPU (instead of a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 800) and 1GB of RAM in lieu of 3GB. It also sports 16GB of storage, dual-SIM 3G capability and Android 4.2. Still, the folks at FoneArena, who got their hands on one during its launch in India, said it feels just as premium as the Elife E7 and it looks to have skipped the fingerprint-prone glossy finish of that model. Though it likely won't arrive in the US, selfie self-portrait lovers in India will be able to grab it for 18,999 (about $310). For more pics, hit the source. [Image credit: FoneArena]
Pure unleashes Contour 100i iDevice speaker with swiveling dock
It was this past CES when we got a quick look at Pure's curvy Contour 200i AirPlay system, and now the company is getting a bit more basic -- and wallet-friendly -- with its 100i. It may not be wireless, but this little rig pumps out a maximum of 20 watts through its speakers and features an FM radio, an auxiliary port, a headphone jack and a remote. Although it's exceedingly par the course as far as speaker docks go, the 100i does feature a swiveling dock that stows away when you're not mounting your iDevice. Additionally, Pure's made its internet radio-enabling Lounge app free for a limited timed from the iTunes and Google Play store, noting plans to launch a subscription service later this year. The unit is only compatible with iThings, but it can be had now at Brookstone for $169 bucks if your interest is piqued. You'll find more info in the press release after the break.
Mobislyder offers low-level roll track for filming, gleams the cube
You tried to shoot a quick handheld movie with your smartphone the other night. And it wound up looking like you shot it in the middle of an earthquake. Before putting your video editing application's "Analyze for Stabilization" feature to the test, have a gander at Glidetrack's Mobislyder. Essentially a combination of a roll track and a skateboard, the Mobislyder ships with a variety of mounts to fit a selection of smartphones, camcorders and compact cameras. This, combined with four non-rolling feet and a swivel mount, allow the Mobislyder to be used at almost any low angle. That thing you're peering at above is available for $135, which could be a solid deal for a good, steady, sliding platform to shoot from. Or, it could be $96 more than the parts you picked up from Radio Shack and Home Depot to perform the exact same function. A full video demo awaits after the break.
Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video)
Looking for a Cedar Trail-powered update to the long running Classmate PC line of netvertibles? Intel's got you covered here at IDF 2011, with a refreshed edition of the very familiar hardware on display. All the usual elements are here, with a handle, touchscreen and stylus combined with a tough rugged casing ready to take the worst a 3rd grader can dish out. It felt a little lighter in our hands, and while this was just a demo unit as usual we're told OEMs should have production versions available soon. If you need to see it in motion to believe all that next generation Atom power could be packed inside, just watch the video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report %Gallery-133577%
Nikon D5100 kit hits Best Buy shelves early, still costs $900
Eagerly waiting for some swivel screen action on the upcoming Nikon D5100? Well friend, you just got lucky, as said camera has just hit the shelves of Best Buy a few days early. The mid-range DSLR kit is now up for grabs either online or in stores for $900, but we expect Nikon to start shipping body-only options soon after -- Amazon and Adorama are already taking pre-orders for $800. Unfortunately, it looks like the accompanying ME-1 external mic won't be here until the original April 21st launch (or so we hope), but we're sure all Nikonians will be just fine without it over the next four days. Now go check out your local Best Buy to nab one of these swivelicious cameras.
C-Loop camera strap contorts in ways your first party strap could only dream of
We actually didn't know we had a camera strap problem until we saw this little promo video for C-Loop (embedded after the break). Now it's blindingly obvious, and we're not sure we can even go on taking pictures if we don't get a C-Loop, like, yesterday. The C-Loop itself is surpassingly simple: it screws into your camera's tripod mount and swivels. That's about it. You attach your strap to the C-Loop, naturally, and you get rid of strap tangle, improve landscape / portrait transitioning, and score +100 sex appeal instantaneously. Not bad for a $35 chunk of aluminum. It should start shipping by the end of the year. Update: StrapBuddy offers a similar solution for $19.99, and it's on sale right now.
Fujitsu dual-touchscreen concept phone hands-on
Back at Mobile World Congress in February, the mobile UI gurus at TAT showed off their interpretation of a dual-screen phone interface using TI's powerhouse OMAP4 testbed. Seemed a little pie-in-the-sky at the time, but frankly, the concept device being shown off by Fujtisu at CEATEC this week -- created with TAT's involvement, it turns out -- seems virtually ready for production. Or the hardware did, anyway; the software was spartan by comparison, obviously designed to call out a few key use cases where having two giant, glorious 960 x 480 displays right next to each other might come in handy. We were shown browser and email list scrolling across both displays -- boring, if not obvious -- but what really piqued our interest was a cool photo sharing feature whereby you fling photos you want to share from a gallery on the bottom display to a list of contacts on the top one -- very TAT, if we do say so ourselves. Both displays can be rotated between portrait and landscape, creating either a nicely-sized clamshell or a gigantic flip, not an uncommon shape among Japanese phones. Indeed, given the form factor, the entirely-Japanese interface, and Fujitsu's history, we're sure this was designed entirely with the Japanese domestic market in mind -- and we wouldn't be at all surprised to see it show up in a retail capacity there within a year or so. Follow the break for video. %Gallery-104244%
Samsung's EX1 / TL500 flagship compact articulates 'release' in Korean
It's out, Samsung's 10 megapixel EX1 (aka, TL500) with 3-inch articulating AMOLED display was just pushed out for retail in its Korean homeland. For 599,000KRW or about $400, you get a F1.8 24mm ultra-wide lens, 1/1.7-inch CCD, refined DRIMeIII imaging processor, dual image stabilization, and ISO 3200 max sensitivity (at full resolution) that should combine to deliver decent shots (for a compact) in low-light conditions without using a flash. As Samsung's flagship compact it also supports RAW with shutter‑priority, aperture‑priority and full-manual shooting modes. Unfortunately, H.264 video is limited to 640x480 pixels at 30fps. Fortunately, an optional optical viewfinder can be fitted to the hot shoe in case the AMOLED display fails to hold up under direct sunlight -- a very real possibility since there's no mention of Samsung's "Super AMOLED" anywhere in the press release. Can't wait to see the reviews on this pup.
ASUS T101MT gets the quick and dirty video review treatment
We've already witnessed ASUS' netvertible undergo some hands-on testing, but the units inspected up until now have all been pre-production devices. Well, finally a retail T101MT has made its way out to online scribes and we've got the first video review for your delectation. We're told that the machine is still pretty thick and a tiny bit too heavy to comfortably hold in one hand for long periods of time, but also that the previous touchscreen issues have been rectified -- it is now "responsive and precise." The general theme is that you shouldn't expect too much out of it, particularly since a 480p YouTube clip gobbled up 95% of the T101MT's CPU cycles and still provided only a choppy picture, but if your ambitions are sufficiently moderate, ASUS' latest could prove a versatile little machine. Video awaits after the break and a summary review can be found at the source. Update: The YouTube video played was a stop-motion animation running at 5fps and therefore shouldn't be considered representative of the T101MT's video performance. What should be taken as representative is the fact that it maxed out the CPU.
Samsung prices TL500, TL350, AQ100 and SL605 shooters
Samsung has just visited a bunch of data sheets upon us, and we've drawn out a few as yet unknown numerals regarding pricing and availability of the shooters it showed off at PMA this year. The TL500 above, swiveling AMOLED screen and all, will set buyers back $449 this spring when it'll be joined by its junior sibling, the TL350, which will cost $349. Both shooters offer RAW support and dual image stabilization, though funnily enough the cheaper 350 model offers 1080p video recording whereas the gaudier TL500 makes do with 640 x 480. If you're after something a bit more durable, the scratch-proof and rubberized SL605 will set you back only $129, while the all-weather AQ100 gets a $199 sticker, with both expected in that same spring release window. Phew, aren't you glad you know all that now?
Verizon's Razzle gives them the old razzle-dazzle
Verizon's on a bizarre form factor kick lately, having just released the Nokia Twist -- and now we've got this strange little sucker, supposedly coming to market as the "Razzle." Astute observers will note that the Razzle is basically Verizon's branded version of the PCD TXT8030 first seen back at CTIA in April of this year, offering a 1.3 megapixel camera, VZ Navigator compatibility, and -- here's the big one -- a lower half that swivels 180 degrees to choose between a full QWERTY keyboard and stereo speakers. Interestingly, an older leaked roadmap misidentified this as an HTC product -- but the "Blitz 2" branding definitely makes sense considering both the Razzle and the Blitz are clearly geared toward a younger, funkier audience. PhoneArena says we can expect this one next month for "under $60," so this is one CDMA oddity that hopefully won't break the bank.
Nokia Twist launching on Verizon starting September 13
The Keepin' It Real Fake industry has become so good, so fast, so well-tuned to market trends that we knew it was just a matter of time before it'd be consistently beating the real phones to market. What we didn't expect, necessarily, was for Nokia to start making its own fakes. We can't tell what's going on exactly, but it appears that the twisty E81 that we saw a while back could've very well been a genuine article -- either that, or it was scooped up well ahead of release in China and cloned ages before Nokia had intended the phone to be announced. Anyhow, this thing is launching as the Twist for Nokia, the bizarre swivel phone that's been rumored for a while now. Alongside the Surge, the Twist proves that Espoo's committed to releasing totally customized gear for US carriers, and we'll be especially curious to see how well the swivel works in practice here. It'll run $149.99 on a two-year deal before rebate, featuring a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with flash, full HTML browser, so-called "Habitat Mode" (like the Intrigue before it), EV-DO Rev. 0, and a full QWERTY keyboard that swivels away to turn the phone into a near-perfect square. It also features replaceable faceplates and is said to have some sort of lighting arrangement around the swivel ring that's user-customizable -- perfect for your next fog-filled rave. The interwebs and "select NYC locations" all get it on September 13 with everyone else following on come the 21st, so go ahead and make some square-shaped room in your pocket right now, why don't you?
Olympus grabs for entry-level DSLR dollars with $600 E-600
We had some pretty overwhelming evidence that Olympus' entry-level E-600 was more than just some fancy Photoshop, and sure enough, the outfit has today made things official for us. Designed as a low-cost E-620, the 12.3-megapixel shooter drops only the backlit buttons, a trio of 'art filter' modes, aspect mask control and the two-shot multi exposure mode from an otherwise heralded device. If you can live without those, you'll find a delectable $599.99 price tag that includes a 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko zoom lens, a 2.7-inch swiveling Live View LCD, in-body image stabilization, a dust reduction system, sequential shooting at four frames per second and the ability to accept CF, UDMA and xD memory cards (sorry, SD lovers). It'll be available from respectable camera outlets this November -- just in time to satisfy that nagging need on the forthcoming holiday gift list.[Via Electronista]
Video: iropod turns your desk into a big-ass mobile computer
Look, we like the idea of an ergonomic workstation with a VESA monitor mount. Integrate a slip-in laptop dock and we might even be tempted to reach for our credit cards. But designer Rad Iliuta seems to have built the computer right into the chassis of the iropod (Interactive Robotic Pod) while fitting it with a battery "as powerful as a car battery" offering a claimed 24-hours of freedom... you know, when you want to pack this into your backpack or take it into the woods. It's said to be launching in the 3rd quarter of this year which by our count gives them until September to get this thing priced and rolled out the door, literally. However, without a single PC spec listed on its website of dubious design we have our doubts about that time schedule. Insane or insanely awesome, let Rad know your thoughts in the comments below. Quickie video after the break.
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXII: Nokla strikes again with E81 rehash
Due to Nokia's continued dismissal of the ripe-for-the-picking E81 model number, the diligent folks at "Nokla" (fresh off their E97 design win) have seen it fit to issue a second handset under that fake moniker. Surprisingly, this one actually boasts a rather unique swivel design -- even beating Nokia's own effort in this regard -- a QWERTY keyboard and some decent specs. There's even a mirror on the swivel-up back (we hear that women love mirrors), along with a hole at the swivel hinge for working a lanyard through. We'd venture to say it's the best E81 Nokia never made. [Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]
Video: Gigabyte T1028X unboxed, handled, available in good ol' USA
Looks like we've got not one, but two nuggets of good news for you today: firstly, the latest Gigabyte swivel-screen tablet has been unboxed, undressed and appropriately groped up, and secondly, Amazon have now got stock of the device at $679 plus shipping. That might still seem a bit rich for a netbook, albeit with expanded functionality, but it's significantly more affordable than what our European comrades have to pay. As to the unboxing -- and there's a lot of it since Gigabyte decided to pack the unit in like a matryoshka -- the Liliputing crew do a thorough inspection as well as a size comparison against devices from ASUS and Lenovo. Slide past the break to see the pair of videos and judge for yourself.
Gigabyte T1028X TouchNote brings fresher specs, steeper price
It's only been a few months since Gigabyte unveiled the 1028M netbook / tablet hybrid, but its successor is already available to buy in Europe. Announced in Hong Kong last month, the 1028X ups the resolution to 1366 x 768 on the 10.1-inch swivel display and bundles a 6-cell 7650 mAh battery for a purported six and a half hours of juice. There's also an utterly meaningless 60MHz CPU upgrade from the Atom N270 to the N280, but the most surprising thing of all might be the price: €622 ($877). That's an awful lot of damage for what is still very much a netbook, but then if you simply must have a touchscreen display in that specific size range, there isn't much competition going around. At least for now.[Via Slashgear]Read -- Gigabyte product pageRead -- European reseller
Swiveling ASUS Eee PC T91 does multitouch in Windows 7
Like so many other dodgy things in life, ASUS' Eee PC T91 has been around the block a time or two. It wasn't until this week, however, that ASUS finally came clean with a full specifications list for the swivel-screen netvertible. The 3G-equipped machine also packs a GPS module, Bluetooth, WiFi, an 8.9-inch LED-backlit touch panel, Intel's Atom Z520 CPU, Ethernet, a multicard reader, VGA output, twin USB 2.0 sockets and audio in / out ports. Sadly, there's still no definite US release date, but we suspect it can't be too far off now. In related news, this very machine was caught showcasing its elite multitouch skills with Windows 7, and if you're interested in seeing exactly how that went down, hop on past the break and mash play.Read - Official Eee PC T91 specificationsRead - T91 multitouch on Windows 7
Nokia's swiveling wonder for Verizon passes FCC?
Here's what we know: a Nokia RM-526 (all Nokia handsets receive internal RM codes in addition to their consumer-friendly marketing model numbers) just passed the FCC, and the outline of the device pictured in the FCC ID label documentation makes it look a little... shall we say, "weird." In fact, had we not been privy to earlier rumors of a squarish swivelphone from Nokia destined for Verizon, we'd almost think we were looking at a wireless router or some sort of accessory -- but nope, we think this is a phone. It's a dual-band CDMA device, which certainly jibes with what Verizon would need; we're still having a devil of a time picturing a Series 40-based Sidekick-esque Nokia with CDMA support in our heads, but we'll get used to the concept eventually. Maybe.[Via Cell Phone Signal]
