What's new on SlashGear.com |
- SlashGear 101: What is the Sony NGP?
- T-Mobile G2x unboxing and hands-on
- SlashGear Science Week in Review – April 16 2011
- ViewSonic adds Flash Player to GTab slate
- Samsung releases Gingerbread for Galaxy S
- Greedy TVs put on notice
- Creepy Robot Afternoon
| SlashGear 101: What is the Sony NGP? Posted: 16 Apr 2011 02:05 PM PDT Hard to imagine, but the Sony PSP is almost seven years old. Announced back in May 2004, Sony's gaming handheld was described as the “Walkman of the 21st Century” and proceeded to spawn several generations of hardware in the fight to take on Nintendo's DS. Now, the PSP is giving way to the Sony NGP, the Next Generation Portable. Read on as SlashGear 101 takes you through everything you need to know. What’s a “Next Generation Portable”?Right now, it’s a codename. NGP, Sony has said, is the temporary name which it will use for the console until its official launch later in 2011. There’s been plenty of speculation as to whether it will end up the PSP2 or something else, but right now the only people who know for sure – if, indeed, the name has been settled on at all – work at Sony HQ. Name aside, Sony has been upfront with the NGP's specifications, and it's an ambitious play for the mobile gaming market. Inside is a quad-core processor – twice as many cores as the current breed of high-end smartphones – paired with a high-speed PowerVR graphics chip, a 5-inch touchscreen which uses OLED display technology for brighter colors and inkier blacks, and twin analog joysticks with a D-pad, face buttons and shoulder buttons. On the back, meanwhile, there’s a trackpad just like you’ll probably find on your laptop, which can be used to navigate through the NGP’s menus and games without obscuring the screen with your finger. However, Sony also expects to integrated the touchpad into games, using “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” gestures. As for connectivity, the NGP has the same sort of wireless options as you’d find on a cellphone: WiFi b/g/n along with 3G (on some versions) for getting online away from wireless hotspots, together with Bluetooth for wireless headsets. Sensors inside will allow the NGP to respond to movement, so gamers will be able to navigate through compatible games simply by tilting or shaking the console. Cameras on the front and the back will allow for interesting “augmented reality” type games. However, it’s worth noting that Sony is reserving the right to change any or all of these specifications in the time between now and the NGP’s launch, so the console’s capabilities could well change. Can I bin my PS3?The NGP is certainly shaping up to be the most powerful portable games console we’ve seen so far, but the demands of balancing battery life and usability mean Sony can’t set it to run at quite the speeds the PS3 can manage. Still, if gaming is your main priority, the NGP may well offer a compelling combination of portability and power. What Sony hasn’t confirmed is whether the NGP will be able to connect up to your TV. The original announcement made no mention of HDMI, the current standard, though there is what looks to be a proprietary connection on the bottom of the NGP. That might work with a video-out dongle, like on the iPad 2, but we don’t yet know for sure. Meanwhile, the PS3 also works as a home entertainment system, with Blu-ray playback, streaming media like Netfix and other functionality, and the NGP won’t be ticking many of those boxes. What about 3D?Nintendo has made a push for mobile 3D gaming on the Nintendo 3DS, but Sony hasn’t followed suit. The NGP’s display is resolutely two-dimensional, though that shouldn’t be too much of a concern for most gamers. 3D is yet to conclusively prove its worth and, by sticking with a 2D display, Sony has been able to use a high-resolution panel that packs far more pixels than the 3DS’ glasses-free 3D panel. Will there be any games?A gaming platform lives and dies by the titles available for it, especially when – as the NGP does – you break backward compatibility with PSP owners’ games. The NGP uses a new memory card system for games, rather than the UMD discs of before. Sony is intending to use a combination of traditional games and downloaded titles that should cover a range of price points. Modifying PS3 games so that they run on the NGP is apparently straightforward for developers to do, so that should hopefully mean a healthy catalog of titles familiar from gaming in your living room. Meanwhile, Sony is encouraging game developers to use their PlayStation Suite development tools – which allows them to create games for PlayStation-branded smartphones like the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play – to produce titles which can also be run on the NGP, alongside ports of classic PS One titles that Sony itself will be adding in. What we don’t yet know is game pricing. Regular NGP titles are likely to be the same as what you’d pay for a current PSP game, which means around $30 to $40 on release, though older content should be cheaper. Games downloaded from the PS Suit, however, will probably start cheaper again; on the XPERIA Play, for instance, PS One games are around $6, and developers will probably compete for the casual gaming market with games priced anything from $0.99 upwards. Okay, I'm convinced, when and how much?Sony has committed to launching the NGP in at least one region before 2011 is out, though it’s yet to say whether that will be the Americas, Europe or Asia-Pacific. Rumors suggest Europe may get the handheld first, but Sony is yet to confirm any specifics; the other two regions should get the NGP in early 2012. As for pricing, that’s also being kept under wraps. The advanced spec sheet alone suggests a premium device, certainly higher than the $250 that Nintendo asks for the 3DS. Even in late 2011, the quad-core processor and other components will still be cutting edge, and have the prices to match. Sony’s WiFi-only NGP will be invariably cheaper than the 3G-equipped model, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see something around the $400 mark or potentially higher. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
| T-Mobile G2x unboxing and hands-on Posted: 16 Apr 2011 12:57 PM PDT The T-Mobile G2x may be brand new on virtual shelves yesterday, but we’re not exactly unfamiliar with the Android smartphone. Announced officially back at CTIA 2011 last month, and launched as the LG Optimus 2X a couple of months before that (for the European market), the dual-core handset has already built itself something of a following. The T-Mobile G2x variant has landed on the SlashGear test bench: read on for our first-impressions. It’s not a small device, accommodating a 4-inch touchscreen running at WVGA resolution, and the 8-megapixel camera section at the back bulges out to spoil the lines. A silver strip runs up the battery cover to the lens but, contrary to what you’d expect, doesn’t flip out to act as a stand. Still, the blunt edges leave plenty of room for ports, and unlike on the Galaxy S II, LG has managed to squeeze in separate microUSB and mini HDMI connections. That means you can simultaneously charge the G2x and output Full HD 1080p video. Alternatively it’s tailor made for gaming, and T-Mobile preloads Need for Speed Shift H and a demo version of N.O.V.A., along with the video-on-demand T-Mobile TV app, Zinio and Qik. As a Tegra 2 based device there’s also support for the NVIDIA Tegra Zone app, which flags up news and reviews of content suited just for the 1GHz chipset. The question will be whether the G2x’s WVGA display can keep up with the qHD panel on the new HTC Sensation, which is also headed to T-Mobile USA as the HTC Sensation 4G. That will offer both a 4.3-inch screen size and a faster 1.2GHz dual-core processor, as well as the extra pixel density and HTC’s arguably more polished Sense experience. Still, Sense will likely get in the way of timely software updates, though given the Sensation 4G will arrive with Gingerbread already in place, and the G2x isn’t expected to get the Android 2.3.3 update until around June, the pure “Google Experience” might not be entirely a clear win for LG. We’ll be answering that question – and all the rest – when we put the T-Mobile G2x through its paces in the full SlashGear review. Until then, enjoy the hands-on gallery and demo video! Sample 1080 video recorded with T-Mobile G2x Unboxing T-Mobile G2x BONUS: 3D Hands-On! Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
| SlashGear Science Week in Review – April 16 2011 Posted: 16 Apr 2011 11:40 AM PDT This week in science: A celebration of space travel, and a questionable way to commemorate an anniversary; some DIY geek projects, including designer duct tape (because who doesn’t love duct tape, especially zebra-striped duct tape); high tech glasses that would make Superman, and maybe even Sydney Bristow jealous; and robots, no science week in review is complete without some robot action. Read on for more! Space Travel: Celebrations, New Beginnings, and EndingsTuesday was the 50th anniversary of the first man in space, Yuri Garagin. Garagin took off aboard the Soviet Vostok 3KA-3, lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on April 12, 1961. His flight lasted 148 minutes, giving him time to orbit the earth once. He then reentered the earth's atmosphere and at an altitude of about 117 km Gagarin ejected from the Vostok capsule and parachuted to safety. He landed in a field and asked a local farmer if he could borrow the phone to call Moscow. There were several notable commemorations of this event. Since 2001, Yuri’s Night throws a worldwide party for the anniversary, connecting space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate the historic occasion. Did you miss it this year? No problem, you can go to Yurisnight.net and start planning for next year. You can also celebrate the event by acquiring a commemorative watch by designer Bernhard Lederer, complete with an orbiting 60 second Tourbillion that rotates counterclockwise around the watch in 108 minutes, recalling the time Gagarin spent orbiting the earth. New Beginnings Endings DIY Geekery |
| ViewSonic adds Flash Player to GTab slate Posted: 16 Apr 2011 08:38 AM PDT It’s obviously the weekend for Android updates; first Samsung’s Gingerbread for the Galaxy S, and now a ViewSonic tweak for the company’s GTab Android slate. The latest OTA update isn’t anything as dramatic as a core OS update, but it does add Flash Player support to the 10-inch tablet. In addition, there’s support for USB keyboard and mouse, which should make content creation on the GTab more straightforward. ViewSonic has also added a couple of new languages, an energy-saving lock screen and support for an external docking station. The GTab update is being delivered OTA, and owners of the tablet should get a notification in the top bar that the new software is available when they next power-cycle or turn on. [Thanks n900mixalot!] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
| Samsung releases Gingerbread for Galaxy S Posted: 16 Apr 2011 07:06 AM PDT The much-anticipated Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update for the Samsung Galaxy S has begun to roll out to European users of the smartphone. Promised for mid-April – and dropping bang in the middle of the month – the new firmware was spotted by xda-developers, and reportedly adds an extra turn of speed to the Super AMOLED handset. According to those who have already upgraded, all user data and apps are still in place afterwards and the UI is now lag-free. With Samsung doing a staggered roll-out of the OS, you may have to wait a while to see Kies offer you Gingerbread for your device. Let us know in the comments if it appears as an update option (and tell us where you are). [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
| Posted: 16 Apr 2011 06:42 AM PDT Whether you’re convinced by 3D or not, buying into the HDTV market has never been cheaper. Retailers are slashing sticker prices across the board – you can grab a 32-inch LCD online for well under $300 – but soon those stickers are going to become more complex as longer-term costs come into focus. Consumers may not realize it, but a huge chunk of what an HDTV costs them isn’t just the initial purchase price, but the electricity that set sucks down. In fact, almost a third of the cost of a TV over the average seven year life-cycle is down to energy running costs, according to IFA global director of consumer electronics Jürgen Boyny. On the average 42-inch LCD HDTV, with an €828 sticker price, power will add a further 31-percent – or €370 – during that seven year period. Perhaps more surprising is the range energy consumption spans across different sets from different manufacturers: some 32-inch HDTVs can use as little as 72W, while at the other end of the scale, some identically-sized HDTVs can consume over 150W.
It’s expected that technological limitations will prevent anything further than A+++. On that European scale, usually you’ll need an LED-backlit set with no small amount of consideration given to energy efficiency to get an A rating. Most sets are in categories B through to D. The European Commission reckons that the average family with a 50-inch and 32-inch LCD TV would save €50 each year if they opted for A rated rather than D rated models. The introduction of power labeling is likely to add an extra layer of confusion to the HDTV buying process: 720p or 1080p, LED backlighting or something else, smart TV technology and even how many HDMI ports and other connections. Still, the good news is that manufacturers have already got wise to the new transparency, and the average energy use per set has actually decreased model-to-model from 158W in 2008 to 118W in 2010. Still, it’s worth loading up the calculator on your smartphone when you’re out among the Best Buy shelves, to see whether that budget special TV will end up a bad decision when you factor in running costs. Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
| Posted: 15 Apr 2011 03:48 PM PDT Creepy robots all night long. These are some robots that inspire a mixture of fear, fascination, and “awwww, cute!”. A couple of different designs here, each of them similar only in their relative size. They’re both about two feet tall, but were built for completely different purposes. The Omnibot (the one with the glowing blue eyes), is a home watch-bot that wanders around this dude’s house all day looking at stuff. The DONO is a specially designed beggerbot. It is designed to work in public spaces soliciting donations. This first one is a homebrew bot built from an old Tomy Omnibot. If you weren’t around in the 80s, good for you, it was a terrible time. Lots of people were attempting to make things that they called robots or what-have-you. Instead we ended up with stuff that ended up being a hacked together hunks of plastic that were as infuriating as they were disappointing. DJ Sures is a crazy hacker weirdo, and I use the term with more affection than you can even begin to understand. He took apart one of these twenty year old robots and rebuilt it from the inside, making it stronger by adding servos to the arms, making it smarter by loading in all kinds of programming he swiped from his other ‘bot projects, adding a camera to give it vision, a microphone for voice response capability and it has an ultrasonic sensor for navigation. It can see and hear better than your new puppy. In this video the Omnibot++ watches some TV for a little while and then seems to just… get bored… and wander away of his on volition. This video is particulary cool because it gives you a look from the ‘bot’s POV. [via RetroThing] Next we have a begger bot. Dubbed the DONA by designer Min Su Kim, this dimunitive ‘droid is designed to do a task usually taken by volunteers. It solicits donations. There aren’t many details of the the specifics on how this thing works, but it seems to respond well to the people. It looks down whenever someone throws in a donation and blinks cutely. Is it just me or is this some kind of robotic cross between Red Riding Hood and a shyguy? [via Yanko Design] Relevant Entries on SlashGear
 |
In both the US and Europe, a new policy of mandatory energy efficiency labeling will look to address that confusion in 2011. TVs sold in the US after July 11 2011 will have to sport a bright yellow and black sticker – either square or triangular – indicating the estimated yearly operating cost. As for Europe, the EU Energy Label – already familiar on home appliances like washing machines and freezers – will be mandatory this year, rating sets on a G (worst) to A (best) scale initially and then, in 2014, shifting from F to A+, in 2017 from E an A++, and finally from D to A+++ in 2020.
| You are subscribed to email updates from SlashGear To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar