‘Something Special’ is Going to be Announced from Pebble at CES
Looks like Pebble wants to show us something at CES, and it has all of us scratching our heads. On their official blog, they use the words “something special”, which is extremely vague, but great marketing. On January 6th, Pebble will take the stage and announce this special thing, and it will be streamed live. If you guys want to watch it, you can watch it on the site provided in the link below. The live stream will start at 11 am PST on the 6th, so favorite the page if you want to see what they have cooked up. We will try our best to report what they have in store.
YouTube to show off lower-bandwidth 4K streaming at CES
For ultra-HD to truly take off, there needs to be a wealth of native content available — not just displays — and according to a GigaOM report, that could happen sooner than expected. Next week at CES, YouTube is demoing new 4K streaming-tech at a handful of major hardware manufacturers’ booths, and the first TVs supporting Google’s video format should ship by 2015. Don’t worry about bandwidth overages though, these streams will run on YouTube’s VP9 codec, which uses substantially less data than current formats. The outfit’s Francisco Varela said that this royalty-free codec will have benefits outside of his company, as other video providers can use it too. There’s even an upside if you don’t have a 4K display: The jump to VP9 should drop the amount of data for plain-Jane HD streams by around 50 percent. If you want a peek at VP9 before next year though, Varela expects hardware decoding for it will come to PCs and mobile devices first.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: GigaOM
LG G Flex for AT&T, T-Mobile shows up in pictures
Just in case you haven’t seen enough of LG’s limber 6-inch G Flex smartphone, the bowed wonder has appeared in press shots posted by @evleaks. The pictures aren’t shocking for a phone we’ve already had our hands all over and even reviewed as an international model, but after passing through the FCC’s database, we suppose this just another step on the way to release. There’s no word on a release date or US pricing (the Sprint edition that’s surfaced is also missing, but the renders above do show different dates on the phones — March 17th for AT&T and February 12th for T-Mobile), but we’re sure those details will be revealed in due time.
LG G Flex for AT&T (D950, left) and T-Mobile USA (D959, right). pic.twitter.com/xdHaTrMWw3
– @evleaks (@evleaks) January 3, 2014
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
Crowdfunded Veronica Mars movie shows off its first trailer, hits theaters March 14th
Remember the crazy year that was 2013? Among the many things we recall, expansion of the crowdfunding phenomenon is definitely one and the Kickstarter that revived Veronica Mars was a special highlight. After nine years away Veronica Mars is finally back in her hometown of Neptune, CA and of course, has a murder mystery to investigate. Series creator Rob Thomas pushed the crowdfunding (it only took a few hours to hit the goal of $2 million) and served as writer/director along with co-writer Diane Ruggiero, with most of the original cast returning as well. Take a peek at the trailer here (along with a few of the other clips that have been released) and get refamiliarized with Kristin Bell and all the rest before the flick hits “select” theaters March 14th. According to the official FAQ, digital downloads are still planned for backers within a few days of the movie’s theatrical release, and it should ship on Blu-ray/DVD in May.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Veronica Mars (YouTube), E Online
Polaroid’s Q-series Android tablets offer a taste of KitKat starting at $129
Polaroid isn’t known as a technology vanguard, but it’s showing a little forward thinking today with the launch of three budget tablets. The 7-inch Q7 (pictured below), 8-inch Q8 (above) and 10.1-inch Q10 all run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, giving them a slight edge over more advanced devices that are still running older software. Not that they’ll be especially noteworthy otherwise. All three ship with unnamed (but likely low-end) quad-core processors, and HDMI video is the only real standout feature. You may forgive the modest specs when you see the pricing, however. The Q series will sell at prices between $129 and $179 when it ships in the spring, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to try Google’s latest mobile OS.
Filed under: Tablets
Source: Polaroid
Patents tip possible design for Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Patents uncovered in August and again surfacing in the new year could spell the possible design for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4. The drawings associated with the patents show the familiar stylus location in the bottom right of the handset. While it is possible this could be a Galaxy S5 patent, it’s likely the next-gen Note experience.
It’s worth pointing out that the overall design is a more tapered and curvy one than in past generations. What’s more, the drawing show no hard buttons on the face of the phone, leading us to believe an all-touch Galaxy Note 4 could be in order.
Given we’ve got much of 2014 to go before the next round of Galaxy Note debuts this could change quite a bit. But, based on what you see here, what are your thoughts? Do you like the general look of this handset?
Via SamMobile
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E FUN will intro two quad-core Nextbook Android tablets at CES 2014
E FUN will debut the Nextbook 8 and the Nextbook 10, the company’s first quad-core tablets. They will both have similar specs, and will both be offered at reasonable price-points.
The tablets will both run Android 4.2, and will have 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processors, and 1GB RAM. They will also have 2MP rear-facing cameras and .3MP front-facing cameras. Both tablets come preloaded with the Barnes & Noble Nook, Flixster, VUDU, and Springpad apps. Also, each has a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 32GB of expandable memory.
The Nextbook 8 has a 7.85″ 1024×768 screen, 8GB of memory, and will begin at $129.99.
The Nextbook 10 has a 10.1″ 1024×600 screen, 16GB of memory, and will begin at $149.99.
There is also mention of a Nextbook 7, beginning at $99. This one is set to debut sometime in Q1, and boast a 1024×600 display.
Check back for more coverage on E FUN and others from CES 2014.
The post E FUN will intro two quad-core Nextbook Android tablets at CES 2014 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Hyundai’s 2015 Genesis will let you lock the doors through Google Glass
Tired of reaching into your pocket just to lock your car’s doors? You won’t have to when Hyundai rolls out the 2015 Genesis sedan next year. The automaker plans to launch a Blue Link app for Google Glass that offers Genesis owners the same remote services they’d get through a smartphone, including basic remote control, maintenance updates and the option of sending Google Maps directions to the car. Drivers won’t be stuck using Google’s eyewear, as Hyundai promises Blue Link support for other wearables. Convenience won’t be cheap when you’ll need to buy both the car and at least one piece of exotic technology, but the solution will certainly be more affordable than its unofficial Tesla equivalent.
Filed under: Transportation, Wearables, Google
Source: Hyundai
ZTE confirms multiple devices for CES 2014
China-based manufacturer ZTE just announced it will have a full range of new products on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev., next week, including a new flagship smartphone.
The devices include the Grand S II smartphone, a mobile hotspot with a built-in projector, its first smart watch, the BlueWatch, and a “phablet” with dual screen functionality.
The latest in the Grand Series line, the Grand S II, which is in the above photo, is said to feature intelligent voice control technology that enables voice recognition unlocking and voice-to-phone photography and triple-MIC noise reduction for “more natural and clearer” voice calls.
According to leaks from a Chinese telecom certification, the device is expected to also feature a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and 2 GBs of RAM.
Some of the other devices we’ll see from ZTE at CES 2014 are the nubia 5S and nubia 5S mini, which both feature Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processors and updated camera hardware and software.
The nubia 5S features a five-inch Sharp 1080p FHD display, a 13 MP camera with a Sony RS sensor, F2,0 aperture, DSLR-like photo options, and 4K Ultra HD video capture, while the nubia 5S mini features a 4.7-inch Sharp IGZO display and comes in an array of colorful finishes.
As for the Iconic Phablet, it will feature a 5.7 inch HD display with Gorilla Glass, a “quad-core processor,” Dolby Digital Sound and wireless charging. The phablet features a smart viewer that allows two applications to be displayed on the screen simultaneously.
ZTE hasn’t provided much info about the BlueWatch yet, except that it connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth, enables on-wrist control of calls, content, photography and social media, has a built-in pedometer and records and analyzes data, giving users access to “quantified self” information such as your body fat percentage.
We’ll be sure to have more information about these products in the coming days.
via EON PR
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ARCHOS to reveal two new 4G phones at CES
ARCHOS, while not being the most popular of smartphone manufacturers, will be showcasing two new unlocked smartphones at CES 2014. The 50 Helium 4G and the 45 Helium 4G are the company’s first LTE smartphones, and will most likely be causing quite a stir with their price points.
The 45 Helium 4G will be offered for $200, with a 4.5-inch 854×480 screen and 4GB of storage. It will also have a 5MP rear-facing camera, a front-facing VGA camera, and 1,700 mAh Li-ion battery.
The 50 Helium 4G will go for $250, with a 5-inch 720p screen and 8GB of storage. It will have an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, and 2,000 mAh Li-ion battery.
Both phones offer a 1.4 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, and a MicroSD card slot for expandable memory.
While we haven’t laid our hands on the phones yet, it’s really nice to see manufacturers begin to offer low-priced smartphones. Could this be a Moto G rival? With it’s introduction on LTE, it could possibly be so. Any thoughts on this one? We’d love to hear them!
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