Tech. World

Now that its famed light field camera has finally become official , Lytro is looking to the future, with an eye, apparently, toward the cellphone market. During a recent interview with PC World , Lytro executive chairman Charles Chi described his company's new sensor in greater detail, and talked at length about its purportedly superior battery life. He also divulged a few hints about Lytro's roadmap. When asked whether the firm would ever license its technology to a smartphone manufacturer, Chi confirmed that Lytro has "the capital to do that, the capability in the company to do that, and... the vision to execute," before launching into an explanation of what it would take for such an initiative to succeed: If we were to apply the technology in smartphones, that ecosystem is, of course, very complex, with some very large players there. It's an industry that's very different and driven based on operational excellence. For us to compete in there, we'd h

We rubbed our eyes a little when they first landed on this fine looking specimen, just to make sure they weren't deceiving us. But no, this really does appear to be a new handheld Neo Geo. We've seen SNK make inspired controllers , bring its catalog to other platforms and even make handhelds before, but nothing like this. The iPhone-esque body and 4.3 inch screen house a D-pad, shoulder and front buttons while hiding 2GB of storage inside -- pre-loaded with 20 classic titles (yes Fatal Fury and League Bowling included, and all in English). There's also an SD slot which we really really hope is for more games, as well as an AV output for some good old big-screen action. Famicon Plaza claims it's a licensed product not yet in full production, so there's no whiff of availability just now. When it does finally land, we hope it's not at a 2012 equivalent of grandad's $600+ price tag. Gallery: SNK Neo Geo portable SNK's new Neo Geo: 20 retro classics in

Panasonic Japan's quirky range of chunky Let's Note laptops has swelled by a factor of two, thanks to a pair of 12.1-inch units ousted today. The stock models come with a 1280 x 800 display (extra cash will get you a 16:9 1600 x 900 screen with a built-in 720p webcam). By default, you'll get an Intel Core i5 2450M chip, USB 3.0, WiFi (and WiMax!), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, HDMI-out and on the SX edition, an optical drive. Build-to-order options include swapping in an SSD and a battery pack that promises an unbelievable (i.e. we don't) twelve seventeen hours of life on the road. There's no mention of when they'll be available beyond "Spring," nor any indication of the cost, so instead let's think about that crazy circular track-pad, eh? Panasonic intros a pair of 12.1-inch Let's Note Laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

When HP announced last month that it would open-source webOS, the outfit seemed mighty pleased (and relieved) to have finally made a definitive decision regarding the fate of its $1.2 billion software experiment. In fact, though, the company's initial announcement was light on detail, other than the fact that webOS will live on with the help of developers both inside and outside HP. Now, the company's ready to talk specifics: HP says it expects the software will be fully open-sourced by September, at which point its official name will be Open webOS 1.0. The first piece of the puzzle is arriving today in the form of the second-gen Enyo framework, a free tool that lets developers write webOS apps for tablets, phones and desktop browsers. Like the original framework, it supports WebKit, but version 2.0 also expands compatibility to modern desktop browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and Safari. The company also revealed that it's moving to a standard Linux kernel -- a clear at

Motorola's automated smartphone rule system first appeared on its Droid Razr ; a way of sidestepping laborious menu hopping for everyday tweaks and extra functionality -- with some location-based awareness thrown in. Motorola's senior VP, Alain Mutricy, recently announced that the company plans to continue the roll-out of this smart actions system, presumably on its Razr series, which will also see further expansion this year. The VP added that Motorola will focus on its high-end hands in the US, continuing to roll-out LTE capable handsets. Moto's earnings report will arrive soon and should set the stage for whatever else its new owners are plotting for 2012. Motorola to continue pushing 'smart actions', wants to make you look cleverer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

You can't deny that Google often hands out marvelous tools for the masses to utilize (yes, some can be a miss ), and today the King of Search is launching a fresh virtual apparatus as part of its Crisis Response project. Dubbed "Public Alerts," the feature is accessible from within Google Maps, keeping you in the loop during times of high alert. Your search query will trigger things like weather relevant to your area, public safety and earthquake alerts -- all of which are provided by the NOAA, the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey. The Crisis Response squad says its goal is "to surface emergency information through the online tools you use everyday," which is a great idea, but we honestly hope that you don't have to use it very often. Those of you stateside can start using Public Alerts now -- as for the rest, let's hope that the search giant brings its alerts to a map near you sooner rather than later... Google adding Public Al

Rounding out the honeymoon period with that freshly jailbroken iPad 2 ? Well now we have some new apps for you to play with, and you may already be acquainted. iOS hacker Ryan Petrich's most recent project, dubbed Belfry, lets you install stock iPhone apps that are otherwise absent from both versions of Apple's tablet including Clock, Voice Memos, Stocks, Calculator, Compass and Weather. As to why these aren't included already is beyond our knowledge, but at least there's an alternative. Users can install Belfry directly within Cydia for free from the BigBoss repository. If you're looking for proof to seal the deal, you can catch the bashful Belfry and his silent film antics after the break. Continue reading Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of fee

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. If you've watched HD video footage captured by a DSLR , you've probably wondered why, despite the fact that you own the exact same model, your clips lack the fluid feel of a professional production. One culprit may be the lack of a steady support system to maintain balance as you shoot, like the rather complex Steadicam . That's just part of the equation, however. What you're also missing is the precision handling of an external follow focus . As its simplistic name implies, the 50-Dollar Follow Focus is a cheap and effective solution. Made of CNC-machined aircraft-grade aluminum, the 50-Dollar Follow Focus includes two belts and two pulleys to accommodate a variety of lenses, and with the exception of your DSLR and a pair of support rails, everything you

Fujitsu's K supercomputer was on our radar before it was even completed, and naturally, we let you know when it smoked the competition and became the supercomputing speed king . So, when we had the opportunity to see a piece of K at Fujitsu's North America Technology Forum today, we couldn't pass it up. In case you forgot, K is a massive machine powered by 864 racks with 24 boards per rack housing SPARC64 CPUs. We got to see one of those boards, and Yuichiro Ajima -- who designed the inter-connection chips (ICC) on them -- was gracious enough to give us some more info on this most super of supercomputers. Gallery: Eyes-on the innards of Fujitsu's K supercomputer As you can see in the gallery above, each board has extensive plumbing to keep the SPARC silicon running at a manageable 32 - 35 degrees Celsius (90 - 95 Fahrenheit) under load. Underneath that copper cooling system lies four processors interspersed between 32 memory modules (with 2GB per module) and four ICCs

It remains to be seen if they'll be the big game-changer in education that Google hopes they will be, but the company is making some progress at getting its Chromebooks into schools. The latest push is a deal with three US school districts, which will see some 27,000 Chromebooks land in the hand of students in Iowa, Illinois and South Carolina. As CNET reports, South Carolina's Richland School District Two is making by far the biggest investment of the lot, ordering 19,000 Chromebooks that will be used as part of a three-year program for students in the third through twelfth grades. As for Google itself, it still isn't being too specific on the total number of Chromebooks now being used by schools, noting only that "hundreds" of schools across 41 states are using them in at least one classroom. Google strikes deal to bring 27,000 Chromebooks to US schools in three states originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms f

ZTE may have shown off a 7-inch tablet running Android 4.0 at CES, but the company still has a bit of a backlog of previously announced devices to actually push out the door. The latest to resurface is the ZTE V9A Light Tab 2, which we first saw at Mobile Asia Congress back in November, and is now confirmed to be hitting the UK in late February for £235 (VAT included), which should translate to something less than the $365 direct conversion if it ever lands in the US. That buys you a 7-inch capacitive screen, a 1.4GHz single-core processor, WiFi and 3G connectivity, front and rear-facing cameras, and Android 2.3 for an OS (with no word on a possible ICS upgrade). Those curious for more can find the complete specs from retailer Clove at the link below. ZTE Light Tab 2 hits the UK next month for £235, still runs Android 2.3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Nintendo released its latest quarterly earnings report this morning and, as with last quarter's report , there's not a whole lot to celebrate. The company posted profits of ¥40.9 billion (about $631.6 million) for the October - December period, representing a 61 percent quarterly drop. That's especially disappointing, considering that this period has traditionally been strong for Nintendo, which had previously forecast an operating profit of ¥1 billion (around $12.9 million). Those forecasts have since changed, however, with the manufacturer now predicting a ¥45 billion ($580 million) operating loss for the full year, ending March 31st. Nintendo blames the poor showing to sagging 3DS sales, which have forced it to slash prices. Also on Thursday, President Satoru Iwata told reporters that his company plans to release its new Wii U console across the US, Europe Australia and Japan in time for the 2012 year-end holiday season. Read the report in full, at the source link bel

So you've found the perfect solution for staying juiced up during your month-long African safari, but how are you possibly going to keep all 16 iPads powered until just before it's time to go? Why the Datamation Systems PowerPad 16 ES-IP-PP16 USB Charging Hub, of course! Sure, there's no practical household application for the PP16, even in the most gadget-obsessed of families, but it'd be more than welcome in an enterprise environment or even an airport ( especially an airport ). The PowerPad's maker claims that it was "designed for charging Apple devices," though there's no reason you wouldn't be able to put 16 2.1-amp USB ports to use with other battery-powered devices. And we do need to address the elephant in the room -- that rather beastly fan-sporting housing -- but as Datamation points out, the thing can always live under a counter and out of view. Hit up the source link for a closer look. Continue reading PowerPad 16 USB station charges

Nokia released its latest quarterly earnings report today, following up on a somewhat disappointing Q3 with a similarly bleak Q4. The Finnish manufacturer finished 2011 with a little more than €10 billion ($13.1 billion) in net sales -- 11 percent higher than Q3, but 21 percent lower than 2010, when Nokia raked in about €12.7 billion (approximately $16.7 billion). Operating profit, meanwhile, rose by 90 percent over Q3, but is still down on the year by a whopping 56 percent; this quarter, in fact, saw an operating loss of €954 million (about $1.3 billion). Its net cash and liquid assets also dropped by €1.4 billion over the year, marking a 20 percent decline. The general takeaway, then, is that things are looking better than they were last quarter, but worse than they were last year. To date, the company has sold "well over" one million Lumia devices, but this Windows Phone surge has apparently come at Symbian 's expense. "In certain markets, there has been an a

Microsoft and Nokia have historically been pretty tight-lipped about the value of their Windows Phone partnership , but the cat leapt out of the bag this morning, courtesy of Espoo's Q4 2011 earnings report . As SlashGear 's Chris Davies noticed, Nokia received about $250 million from Redmond during the fourth quarter of 2011, as part of the companies' "broad strategic agreement." Under the agreement, the manufacturer receives so-called "platform support payments" from Microsoft -- which, in turn, receives software licensing payments from Nokia. The $250 million Microsoft doled out last quarter is the first of these transactions. All told, Nokia expects the payments both to and from Microsoft to total "in the billions of US Dollars." Microsoft paid Nokia $250 million to adopt Windows Phone, Q4 earnings report reveals originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Standing on the Hoover Dam, you're trying to encapsulate the majesty of the engineering feat before you. Turning the camera on its side, you try and get a perfect portrait shot, but find the vagaries of evolution mean your fingers won't stretch to the buttons anymore. If you've ever experienced such horrors, Pentax has the solution with its new Optio VS20 digital compact camera. The 16-megapixel camera packs an accelerometer (like Samsung's QF20) which will flip your image to the correct orientation and a second shutter release and zoom lever on the topmost side of the body for easier snapping. The company also thoughtfully included a second tripod mount, so there's no futzing with your stand required. Less exceptional features include a 3-inch LCD, automatic picture modes including fish-eye that'll appeal to the young skaters and hipsters you see littering the streets. It'll capture 1280 x 720 movies with its independent video button (also recording in fis

As the (admittedly niche) battle for root access wages on between the Nook Tablet creators and its end users, a new shortcut's been discovered for unlocking the Android-based slab -- and you'll need an SD card to do the business. The new technique, courtesy of xda-developers forum member Indirect , works on all tablets up to version 1.4.1, requiring the installation of some key files onto the card and a reboot to unleash the might of Google's Android Market. Those interested in a Google app hook-up for their Nook should check the video below and visit the source for those all-important files. Continue reading Nook Tablet gets easy root shortcut via SD card (video) Nook Tablet gets easy root shortcut via SD card (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Samsung added a new star to its Galaxy universe today, with the release of the Galaxy Advance S. Powered by a 1GHz dual-core CPU, this handset boasts a four-inch, 480 x 800 Super AMOLED display, and packs up to 16GB of memory, along with 768MB of RAM. The device also supports HSPA connections at speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, and boasts a five megapixel rear-facing camera, along with a 1.3 megapixel shooter, up front. As far as software goes, the Advance S will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, plus a full suite of Samsung's apps, available via its Hubs and ChatON services. No word yet on pricing, but the Korean manufacturer plans to roll out its latest smartphone on a gradual basis, beginning with Russia next month, followed by Europe, Africa, Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, Latin America and China. Notably absent from that list, of course, is the US. Find more details in the full press release after the break, as well as the gallery of press shots, below. Gallery: Sams

We're baffled that we missed this gem of news during the bustle of CES , but it turns out that Koss has recently announced a new version of its iconic PortaPro headphones. The PortaPro KTC (Koss Touch Control), as it's dubbed, is essentially the same piece of retro kit that's been delighting ears and keeping wallets chubby for nearly three decades. The KTC bit in its name refers to the inclusion of an iDevice-certified inline remote / mic, aimed at keeping on-the-go users in sync with their playlists and phone calls. If you prefer earbuds, but hate tangled cords, then the company's interlocking intra-aurals might be to your liking. This lineup features in-ears which snap into each other for easier storage. You'll have a choice between the IL-100 and 200, the latter of which distinguishes itself with the mere addition of an inline remote for iPhones. While there's no word on pricing just yet for any of the aforementioned units, Koss aims to begin ship the new aud

We touched on the numbers in our report on Apple's Q1 earnings, but the company's throwing out a lot of "record" figures so we thought we'd take a moment to focus on just how its hardware sales stack up. The standout number is, of course, the 37.04 million iPhones sold during the quarter, which is up 128 percent from the same quarter a year ago (and up from 17 million in the previous quarter, a jump of 117 percent). That notably puts Apple back ahead of Samsung, which sold a total of 35 million smartphones in its most recent quarter . And as if that wasn't enough, Apple's Tim Cook also said on the company's earnings call that it could have sold even more if it had more supply. iPad sales also set a new record with 15.43 million units sold during the quarter, which is a 111 percent jump from the 7.3 million sold a year ago, and a 39 percent increase from the 11.1 million moved in Q4 2011. Once again, however, iPods are the one category that continues

Ahead of any possible Ultrabook announcements, Sony's looking to give its existing VAIO catalogue a (relatively underwhelming) shot in the arm with a bundle of hardware retweaks. The Z series looks to gain the most out of the Spring refresh, with a new off-white Carbon Fiber Silver color option set to be offered up alongside an optional LTE modem. The series also gets a processor step-up, with new Intel Core i5 and i7 options rounded off with the choice of SSD storage. Including the connectable drive, prices for the series refresh will start from $1,950. Meanwhile, both the S (13-inch, $800, 15-inch, $980)and E series will get a similar bump to Core i7 processors, with both the S and aforementioned Z series able to lock into an extended sheet battery accessory. If minor processor improvements, more battery options and LTE connectivity warrant forking over your cash, you can expect the revitalized units to arrive early next month. Sony VAIO series get minor processor refresh, Z

Hitachi's line of domestically produced Wooo TVs is coming to an end, now that the manufacturer has confirmed plans to close a major plant in central Japan. In an announcement issued today, Hitachi said it will shutter its factory in Gifu, where some 100,000 LCD and plasma TVs are produced each month. Citing industry-wide price competition as the deciding factor, the company went on to clarify that the facility will shut down by September of this year, and that it will instead be used to manufacture projectors and chips. Hitachi will, however, continue to offer non-Wooo TVs manufactured by non-Japanese contractors. Japan's Asahi Shimbun , meanwhile, is reporting that Mitsubishi has decided to terminate domestic production of DVDs and Blu-Rays, due to declining sales of each. From now on, optical disc manufacturing will instead be outsourced to partner companies in India and Taiwan. For more details, check out the post-break press release. Continue reading Hitachi to halt dome

Sleek and svelte Ultrabooks and tablets might have stolen the limelight from ye old netbook, but that doesn't mean the less glamorous category is completely bereft of all signs of life. Take for example, Acer's Aspire One 722 . Sure, the 1GHz AMD C-50 powered, Radeon HD 6250 wielding netbook's internals got more pizzazz in an updated Europe-only edition , but that didn't stop AT&T from taking the original and giving it a new beginning thanks to shiny new internal WWAN module. Up-to-date silicon it is not, but it could be yours for just $40 a month -- provided you sign your life away on a two-year, 3GB per month, contract. Or alternatively, the HSPA+ redux can be had for the unsubsidized price of $450. Decisions, decisions. Pull the trigger at the source link below. Acer's Aspire One 722 kitted with HSPA+, sold by AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

A court in the Hague has just cleared the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for sale in the Netherlands, rejecting Apple's requests for a nationwide ban. As NU.nl reports, a different Dutch court had already issued a similar ruling in October, which Cupertino promptly appealed, claiming that Sammy's slate was too similar to its own iPad 2. Today, though, the Court of the Hague shot down Apple's arguments, determining that there are enough differences between the two products to legally justify their coexistence. Granted, this is only one of many patent battles that the two companies are currently waging, but for today, at least, it looks like Samsung has come out on top. [Thanks, Rolfski] Dutch court rejects Apple appeal, says Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is legal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

With the NAMM music trade show just around the corner a number of mixer manufacturers have been announcing their new hardware this week, which you may already have seen here on Geeky Gadgets. Such as the Behringer iPad dock range of digital mixers, together with Numark’s new 4Trak DJ Controller. Adding to the lineup Line6 has now introduced a new StageScape visual mixer which is equipped with a touchscreen input feature and has 12 high-performance, digitally controlled, auto-sensing mic/line inputs. (...) Original Story Line6 StageScape Touchscreen Mixer Unveiled © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012

With the NAMM music trade show just around the corner a number of mixer manufacturers have been announcing their new hardware this week, which you may already have seen here on Geeky Gadgets. Such as the Behringer iPad dock range of digital mixers, together with Numark’s new 4Trak DJ Controller. Adding to the lineup Line6 has now introduced a new StageScape visual mixer which is equipped with a touchscreen input feature and has 12 high-performance, digitally controlled, auto-sensing mic/line inputs. (...) Original Story Line6 StageScape Touchscreen Mixer Unveiled © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012

Satechi has announced the launch of their new Audio Movie SD Portable Speaker this week, which measures just 5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide and has been designed to play audio files from microSDHC and microSD cards. The Satechi speaker system has been designed to be used with storage cards but also includes a 3.5 mm connector that enables you to use it with smart phones and tablets. (...) Original Story Satechi Audio Movie SD Pocket Sized Portable Speaker © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012

Kindle Fire owners who have, or are waiting to install Android 4.0 on to their new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet devices. May be pleased to learnIt is that developer JackpotClavin has now released a new version of the CyanogenMod 9 mod for the Kindle Fire which enables you to install Google’s Android 4.0 operating system and brings with it audio support. (...) Original Story Kindle Fire Android 4.0 CyanogenMod 9 Mod Now Supports Audio © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012

Gelaskins the creator of the smartphone and tablet cases that incorporate original illustrations and artwork. Has this week launched a new line of Hardcase iPhone cases specifically designed for the Apple iPhone. With different cases supporting both the new iPhone 4s and 4, together with the older iPhone 3 and 3GS. The new HardCase range created by Gelaskins, have been designed to easily snap on to your iPhone, and have been reconstructed from durable polycarbonate. You can see a small selection of designs now available from Gelaskins after the break. (...) Original Story GelaSkins Launches New HardCase iPhone Case Range © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012

Back in September Samsung announced that they had sold over 10 million Samsung Galaxy S II smartphones , and now the company has announced that they have now sold over 5 million Galaxy S II devices in their domestic market, South Korea. It took Samsung just 9 months to reach the 5 million Galaxy S II devices sold in South Korea, and the Samsung Galaxy S II is probably one of the most popular Android smartphones available on the market today. (...) Original Story Samsung Sells 5 Million Galaxy S II Smartphones In South Korea © Geeky Gadgets , 2012. | Permalink | Unauthorized duplication and or distribution of our content is strictly forbidden © Geeky Gadgets , 2012