Rumor: 2GHz HTC “Sabor” to Arrive with Gingerbread Late 2010 [Gingerbread]

I love juicy rumors like these. According to Oxford-Zeiss Content & Research Guide (OZCARGuide), HTC is working on a 2GHz 'Sabor' device for Sprint, expected later this year or early next year. Not only that, but the handset maker is developing their own screen technology said to rival Samsung's AMOLED displays.

'The upcoming HTC smartphone destined for Sprint packs a 2GHz processor, over 1000 resolution display, Android OS 2.5 (gingerbread), 2 cameras with one being a 10-megapixel, 1080p video recording and built-in kickstand.'

The 'over 1000' display would match up to yesterday's rumor of 1280×760, said to a minimal requirement for Gingerbread. The 2.5 listed here conflicts with the 3.0 we've heard matched up to the codename, but we can always worry about that later. For now, let's just drool over 10 megapixel cameras and 1080p recording.

If you didn't check your calendar yet today, I'll break the good news to you. We just started the second half of the year. Things could definitely heat up quickly.

Source: DroidDog

NOTE: Rumor: 2GHz HTC “Sabor” to Arrive with Gingerbread Late 2010 originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

Phantom Flex Camcorder Shoots 1080p Video at 2,800fps [Camcorders]

Mmm, perforation. 1,000fps may've impressed with the previous model, but a whopping 2,800fps at 1080p? Wow. If you crank the resolution all the way down to VGA, you can even shoot in 6,300fps.

Flex is the latest model from Vision Research, whose professional Phantom line of camcorders tends to the more expensive side of the market but the specs are pretty astounding. This particular one has a 4K 2,560 X 1,600 CMOS sensor with 12bit color depth. As mentioned before, when shooting 1080p it films in 2,800fps, but you can get 1,560 when pushing the resolution even further.
[Gizmodo via Phantom Flex via OhGizmo]

ICD Gemini Comes with Loaded Feature List [Tablets]

There are people out there who are interested in a tablet computer, but refuse to buy the iPad on principle. Well, take a gander at ICD's Gemini, an 11.2-inch tablet that's got a damned impressive spec list.

With the 1GHz Tegra 2 SOC running the show, this thing should be able to handle 1080p video just fine. It's got a 3G connection that allows voice calls as well as 'a user-replaceable 40Wh battery, an SD card reader, FM radio, GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals, stereo speakers, and dual webcams.' Not much more you could ask for there. And the whole thing will run Android, so it's a reliable, supported OS rather than some slapdash interface or, worse, a desktop OS such as Windows.

Oh, and it runs Flash, if you're into that sort of thing. For now, it's just a prototype. No word on pricing or availability as of yet.



[Gizmodo via Engadget]

MSI Introducing First Ever 24-Inch 3D All-In-One PC Next Week [All-in-ones]

MSI made some all-in-one noise at CES with the AE2420, and they're stepping it up again for next week's CeBIT 2010 show in Germany. There, they'll introduce the world's first large screen all-in-one PC capable of handling 1080p 3D media.

The 3D AIO will have a 24-inch 120Hz LED display, 1080p resolution, and will be paired with 3D shutter glasses. Other than that, details are scarce—there's no word even on what processor it'll use, other than that it'll be "powerful." But by making the announcement this early, MSI gets ahead of the eventual crush of 3D all-in-one announcements that'll no doubt build throughout the year.

The multitouch, Core i3/i5/i7 AE2420 and AE2280 AIOs will also be on display at CeBIT, as will MSI's business-oriented, eco-friendly AP1920/AE1920 all-in-ones. But no matter how many other models they bring, all eyes are going to be the 3D PC. At least, as many as they brought 3D glasses for.
[Gizmodo]

OmniVision's 5-Megapixel Sensor Shoots RAW on Cellphones [Sensors]

This is OmniVision's newest 1/4-inch, 5 megapixel RAW sensor. It's tiny, has low light sensitivity, captures 720p video at 60 fps or 1080p at 30 fps, and shoots in RAW. The best part? It could be in cellphones soon.

Now if only phones had lenses which would truly take advantage of sensors like this.

[Gizmod via PR Newswire via Engadget]

Sony unveiled the Planet’s first smallest and thinnest Full HD video Capable Digital Still Cameras

The new Cyber-shot cameras “DSC-HX5V” and “DSC-TX7 “are capable of recording videos in Advanced Video Codec High Definition (AVCHD) format with 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution at 60i in 17Mbps which you can afterwards burn to discs and play back on your HDTV using most Blu-ray Disc players, Sony PlayStation 3 systems and compatible Blu-ray Disc enabled PCs according to Sony. You can also edit your AVCHD videos using iMovie if you are a Mac user or PMB software which they provide for Windows users. Another aspect is that both cameras are capable of shooting videos in the MP4 format up to 1440 x1080 30p 12Mbps…
The second biggest highlight is that HX5V model includes GPS + Compass and Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode technologies and claims thus the title of the world’s first still camera to have such features.
[Akihabaranews]

Kodak Playsport Rugged Pocket Cam: 1080p Under the Sea [Pocket Cameras]

The Zi8 is one of the best pocket camcorders around, but maybe the biggest. The Playsport takes the Zi8's guts—including its 1080p video, 5MP still photo sensor—and crams them into a small, waterproof shell. And? It's cheaper.
Like the Zi8, the Playsport shoots 1080p video at 30fps, as well as 720p at 30 or 60fps. Video is stabilized—which works fairly well to reduce image shimmering in the Zi8—and displayed on a 2.0-inch LCD. Storage comes by way of SDHC, while power draws from a rechargable Li-Ion battery. Basically, it is the Zi8, except it's noticeably more compact, and it'll shoot video up to 10 feet underwater.
It's one of the first seriously rugged pocket cams on the market, but it won't be the last—as cellphone cameras and regular point-and-shoots start to take better video, dedicated pocket cams will have to do something special to justify their existence. Hence, the swimming. The Playsport will go on sale in April, for $150.

KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera Features:
• Waterproof up to 10 ft. (3 m)
• Full 1080p HD video capture at 30 fps
• Electronic image stabilization
• Brilliant 2.0' color LCD display
• Capture 5 MP HD stills (16:9)
• Edit and upload to the Web with built-in software and included USB cable
• Smart face tracking technology
• Incredible low-light performance
• Expandable SD/SDHC Card slot for memory cards up to 32 GB, that can record up to 10 hours of HD video**
• Li-Ion rechargeable battery with in-camera charging
• HDMI cable output (HDMI cable included)
• Remote control compatible (remote control sold separately)
• MAC and PC compatible
The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera will be available in Abyss (black), Wave Crash (blue) and Adrenaline Rush (purple) for US $149.95 MSRP beginning in April 2010 at major retailers including Best Buy and Amazon.com, as well as Kodak.com. The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera is also now available for pre-orders on Amazon.com.
*Colors and availability may vary by region
Product Accessories
A range of accessories are available for the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, including:
• KODAK SDHC Memory Cards, available in 4, 8 and 16 GB customized for optimal video capture
• KODAK Adventure Mount for helmet, handlebars and more
• KODAK Flexi-Tripods
• KODAK Cases, Camera Bags and Neck Straps
• Remote control
• KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004
• Battery charger options including KODAK Li-Ion Universal Battery Charger K7600-C, KODAK Solar Charger KS100-C+2, KODAK Portable Charger KP100-C+2

 [Gizmodo via Kodak]

New cameraphone sensor to take terrible, terrible 1080p video

I’m sure this is a very grand advance in miniaturization, but I’m afraid the results may be questionable. Omnivision has announced a new sensor for mobile phone cameras that will take 14MP photos and do 1080p video at 60FPS. As far as I’m concerned, this is bad news. Cameraphone lenses are slow and of very low quality, and the tiny sensor size means both bad low light performance and bad clarity due to insanely small pixel pitch.


And the video will have to be low bitrate to accommodate the lack of storage on most phones. 1080p video at 1Mbps? It’ll be like watching an HDTV smeared with vaseline.

[CrunchGear]

3D Blu-ray Specs Officially Confirmed, We Can All Breathe Easy Now [3D]

The Blu-ray Disc Association has issued the official specifications for 3D Blu-ray, thankfully confirming that the discs will be backwards-compatible for when you tire of actors lunging out of the TV at you.
Making it easy for everyone to adopt 3D entertainment, good ol' Sony has worked it so that the PS3 will be able to play 3D Blu-ray discs, and the upcoming 3D players will be able to play 2D discs too. In regards to codecs, these discs will use Multiview Video Coding (or MVC), which is similar to the ITU-T H.264 AVC codec we use now, and will actually take up 50 per cent less space on the discs compared to 2D content.
Again clearing up any questions we may've had about 3D Blu-rays, the content will be full 1080p, so even though you're watching in 3D, the quality of the resolution won't be compromised. Expect to see some massive announcements from manufacturers and movie studios next month, including exactly what LG's going to sell in order to reach that 3.8m 3D TV units sold target.
[Gizmodo via BDA]

JVC Steals Smallest and Lightest Crown With its GZ-HD620 Camcorder [JVC]

It was only last week that JVC dropped three new Everio camcorders on us, after nearly six months of quiet times. Today's Everio GZ-HD620, which was announced in Japan first, is the world's smallest HD HDD camcorder.
Weighing only 270g, it's also the lightest. The HDD has 120GB of storage for you to fill up with 1080p videos of your dog, and the sensor is a 1/4.1' 3.32 MP CMOS job. 30x optical zoom and 200x digital zoom, you can playback footage on the 2.7-inch LCD screen or upload easily to YouTube thanks to the quick upload function. A microSD/SDHC slot, USB and HDMI ports round the camcorder, which measures 53 x 63 x 115mm, off nicely.
Available in Japan from tomorrow in black, red and silver colorways, we should see more of the GZ-HD620 come January at CES.
[Gizmodo via Akihabara News]

Toshiba's Cell-Powered REGZA 55X1 LCD TV Can Record and Display 8 Channels At Once [HDTVs]

Toshiba's first TV with the PS3 Cell processor it helped develop has seriously kick-ass specs. For starters: The 55-incher's LED backlighting divides the 240Hz display into 512 individually controlled areas, and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1.
The Cell processor also provides self-congruency for improved image quality at the edge of the picture, enhanced color and brightness balance, and a super-high luminance of 1250cd/m². A 7-speaker sound bar is attached underneath the display, and network functionality includes DLNA support, and an HD Web browser based on Opera.
The Cell chip is housed in an external box about the site of an older Blu-ray player. That's also where a 3TB hard disk is installed to allow the TV to time-shift up to 26 hours of programs from up to 8 channels simultaneously. (1TB of storage is reserved for longer-term recordings). Another neat visual trick: the 55X1 can show eight channels on screen at the same time—and step through each without the delay common with rival HDTVs.

The TV is on show at CEATEC (Japan's version of CES), and will go on sale there in December for 1 Million Yen (about $11,115). Toshiba hopes to sell about 1,000 models a month before the 55X1 arrives in the U.S sometime in 2010.
Toshiba also gave some insight into its future plans for CELL processor-based TVs. It talked about using the chip in a range of concepts, including a 3D TV, and a 4K x 2K model that upconverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160. Holy crap. More please.

[Gizmodo via Toshiba via Impress AV Watch]

Panasonic develops 50-inch full HD 3D plasma TV for Blu-ray movies

Panasonic has been toying with the idea of bringing 3D TVs to our homes for quite a while now, and today the company announced they will be showcasing a 50-inch full HD plasma TV [press release in English] that’s capable of producing high-quality 3D pictures. End consumers will have the chance to test the TV out during next week’s CEATEC 2009.
Panasonic says the TV is the result of tests they did with a 103-inch 3D TV prototype presented last year (it’s pictured above). The company also says it went for 50 inches because it expects this size to be the standard for TV screens in homes. You’ll need to get a Blu-ray player and discs that support the 3D format though. And shutter glasses are a must.

The 3D TVs from Panasonic will hit stores in the US, Europe and Japan as early as next year. [TechCrunch]

Picsio: Victor JVC goes after the Flip with new 1080p camcorder

Victor JVC seems to finally have realized how well the Flip sells over in North America. The company has now announced the Picsio GC-FM1 [JP], a mini camcorder recording video at 2.03MP and shooting pictures at 8MP. The Picsio offers 1080p output at a 4:3 ratio (1,440×1080, 30fps). Alternatively, you can go for a 720p, VGA or QVGA mode.

Weighing just 95g, the device measures 53×97x17mm. It features a 2-inch LCD screen, an HDMI interface, USB 2.0, and 4xdigital zoom. Users can record video on SD or SDHC cards in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 and upload them easily to YouTube or iTunes through a special “media browser”.

The GC-FM1 will go on sale in Japan within this week (street price: $220). There will be models in black, blue and purple. Victor JVC hasn’t said yet if the Picsio will ever be available outside Japan (which is highly likely).
[TechCrunch via AV Watch]

Epson advances the home cinema experience with the launch of outstanding Full HD video projectors.

Well this is what the Press release is saying anyway, but here you are the TW4400 and TW5500, Epson latest Video projector for the European market. With a 130000:1 contrast ratio for the first and a 200000:1 contrast ratio for the second, our 2 Video projectors are build for the best possible Home Theater experience with their Full HD Resolution.

Epson EH-TW5500 key features summary:

•HD Ready 1080p (Full HD) video projector with true high definition 1920 x 1080p resolution

•Home cinema video projector ideal for a premium home cinema experience

•Sophisticated and stylish black design

•Superior image quality with Epson’s 3LCD technology and C2 Fine inorganic D7 panel

•Amazing contrast ratio of 200000:1 with Epson DeepBlack technology for jet blacks

•Super resolution software ensures that images from any input are viewed in breathtaking quality

•High Colour Light Output (CLO) of 1600 lumens for viewing in any light conditions with perfect rendering thanks to the improved Cinema Filter

•HQV video processor to realise clear and sharp motion pictures

•12bit video processing, frame interpolation and 4-4 pull-down for film-like images

•Flexible placement with horizontal/vertical lens shift and 2.1x optical zoom

•Anamorphic wide mode (to use with third part anamorphic lens)

•Connection to a range of input sources including 2 x HDMI version 1.3, YUV and RGB

•x.v. Colour mode for vivid colour reproduction

•ISF calibration menus for professional calibration

•Included cable cover for stylish and neat ceiling mount installation

•Quiet video projection of 22dB

•3 year warranty on lamp and video projector

•RRP including VAT, €3,299 – available November, 2009

 Epson EH-TW4400 key features summary:

•HD Ready 1080p (Full HD) video projector with full high definition resolution

•Amazing contrast ratio of 130000:1

•High Colour Light Output (CLO) of 1600 lumens for viewing in any light condition with perfect rendering thanks to the improved Cinema Filter

•Super resolution software ensures that images from any input are viewed in breathtaking quality

•Wide connectivity including 2 x HDMI version 1.3 input

•Easy and flexible to install: convenient horizontal and vertical lens shift, ceiling mount possibility, long throw lens and optical zoom x 2.1

•Full 10 bit video processing (Pixelworks scaler)

•x.v. Colour mode as standard

•Quiet 22dB fan noise

•Included cable cover for stylish and neat ceiling mount installation

•3 year warranty on lamp and video projector

•RRP including VAT, €2,799 – available November, 2009...