| First Purported Photos of Amazon's Rumored Smartphone in Prototype Form Hit the Web Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:37 PM PDT  This is what Amazon's smartphone could look like
Amazon hasn't yet announced plans to launch a smartphone, so what you're looking at could in fact be a fake. However, if you're a believer that where there's smoke there's fire, the leaked photos purporting to show a prototype version of Amazon's smartphone might actually be the real thing. Certainly the rumors and speculation have kicked up a notch in recent weeks, some of which suggest Amazon's handset will sport 3D functionality. First things first -- the boys and girls at BGR.com obtained what they claim are exclusive photos of the unreleased device. They've also spoken with "multiple trusted sources" to confirm existing information and learn new details surrounding Amazon's smartphone. If you're thinking, "Who cares, that's one fugly smartphone!," bear in mind that it's sporting a protective case specifically intended to keep the actual overall design a mystery from those who lack the authorization to see it (you, us, the web at large). Moving on, you can see a series of cameras on the handset. Rumor has it the thing is toting around six cameras in all, including a 13-megapixel lens on back and five cameras on the front. Apparently Amazon is messing around with not only a heavily customized version of Android, but some kind of funky glasses-free 3D interface unlike anything we've ever seen before. Color us intrigued, albeit skeptical that this won't turn out gimmicky. 
One of BGR's sources says the handset will feature a 4.7-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and 2GB of RAM. There's also chatter of a second, lower end handset. In any event, there you have it -- a possible first look at what may end up being Amazon's first smartphone, covered in fugly case. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Broadcom and Quantenna in Arms Race to Speed Up Wi-Fi Data Rates Posted: 15 Apr 2014 11:53 AM PDT  Both Broadcom and Quantenna are working on chips to dramatically increase 802.11ac Wi-Fi speeds
We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but in the true sense of the term, there's simply no such thing as "future proofing." Take for example the draft 802.11ac standard. You can go out and buy the fastest consumer router avaiable today (a tossup between the Asus RT-AC66U/AC68U and Netgear R7000) and by this time next year, we'll likely have a new speed king. In fact, the efforts of two competing companies -- Broadcom and Quantenna -- all but ensure it. Both companies recently announced new chipsets that will make today's routers look pokey by comparison. Let's start with Broadcom, which today introduced the industry's first six stream 802.11ac MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple Output) platform for home networks. Othewise known as "5G WiFi XStream," Broadcom is promising data rates of up to 3.2Gbps, a 50 percent improvement over Multi-User (MU) MIMO routers. To fully understand what's taking place here, we have to back up a moment. Today's wireless chipsets aimed at the consumer crowd send and receive three spatial data streams at the same time. You might see this marketed as 3x3 MIMO. The fastest routers built around these chipsets deliver data on the 5GHz Wireless-AC band at up 1.3Gbps (1,300Mbps). Broadcom's solution for home routers includes six 802.11ac streams and three 802.11n streams that run simultaneously. It also employs channel bonding technology to combine multiple channels on the 5GHz band to effectively create a single channel with 160MHz of bandwidth (today's 802.11ac routers use channel bonding for 80MHz of bandwidth). Technical details aside, you're looking at faster Wi-Fi speeds over your home network, though Quantenna is promising even faster throughput. Quantenna said this week it's developing the world's first 10Gbps Wi-Fi chipset using 8x8 MIMO, compared to its existing 4x4 MIMO chipset, which has yet to be fully utilized by router makers. Asus is current tapping into Quantenna's 4x4 MIMO chipset to build what Quantenna claims will be the world's fastest consumer router (1.7Gbps), so don't expect the 8x8 MIMO chipset to make any waves just yet. Instead, Quantenna is looking at making the first 10G Wi-Fi 8x8 MIMO chipsets available in 2015. Image Credit: Broadcom Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Reminder: Google Glass Available to General Public Today Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:42 AM PDT  Today's your chance to become a Glass Explorer
Google today will get its first real test of consumer interest towards its wearable Glass device. To date, there are about 10,000 Glass devices in the wild, the vast majority of which include hand selected journalists, developers, and celebrities. Google decided to make Glass available to the general public today for one day only, and if you're interested in becoming a Explorer, there are still units available at the time of this writing. There are some caveats. You must be a U.S. resident who is at least 18 years old, and you must use a U.S. shipping address. Assuming you meet these requirements, your reward is that you're eligible to become an Explorer for $1,500 plus tax. This is the first time Google has opened up the Explorer program (which is a nice way of saying early adopter) to the general public. It's not known how many units have been set aside for the one-day run of sales, though we do know they're available on a first come, first served basis. Google gives buyers a bit of customization. To begin with, you select from one of five colors, including Charcoal, Tangerine, Cotton, Shale, or Sky. You then choose a complimentary style of frames or shades, of which there are a total of seven. From there, you can either checkout or browse add-on accessories, such as stereo earbuds, clear shades, and a few other items. If you're game, head here to make your purchase. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Toshiba Satellite P55t Wields a 4K Ultra HD Display, Technicolor Certification Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:35 AM PDT  The world's first laptop with Technicolor Color Certification
Toshiba was quick to embrace Intel's Ultrabook form factor during its infancy, and now that 4K displays are gaining traction, here comes Toshiba once again. The Toshiba Satellite P55t is a 15.6-inch laptop with a 4K Ultra HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel, which offers up four times more pixels than a Full HD 1080p display. It's also supposedly the first notebook in the world to earn Technicolor Color Certification. According to Toshiba, each Ultra HD display is individually calibrated by Chroma Tune and is Technicolor Certified during production for a more natural color expression and accurate color gamut. The end game here is to eliminate mismatches when viewing photos or other imagery. "Our color certification team worked closely with the engineering team at Toshiba to ensure the highest levels of color calibration on this laptop's display," said Manuele Wahl, senior vice president, Licensing at Technicolor. "We applied the same rigor of testing and calibration used on major motion pictures to ensure not only that photographers and videographers now see what they shot in perfect color, but consumers can also experience 4K film and videos as Hollywood directors intended." 
In addition to a 4K Ultra HD display, the Satellite P55t also boasts a 4th Generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, up to 16GB of dual-channel DDR3L-1600 RAM, AMD Radeon R9 M265X graphics, 1TB hard drive, four USB 3.0 ports, UHS-II SD card slot, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, HDMI output, Harman Kardon speakers, and an optical drive (Blu-ray burner optional). The Toshiba Satellite P55t will be available on April 22 for $1,500 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| iFixIt Announces $100 'Refurbisher's Toolkit' for DIY Gadget Repair Posted: 15 Apr 2014 07:26 AM PDT  Specially designed to service game consoles, PCs, laptops, and other electronics gear
The tech surgeons at iFixIt haven't met a gadget yet that they couldn't open up and dissect. Patience and a steady hand are needed to gut an electronic device without leaving a wake of broken parts, but like anything else, having the right tools makes a world of difference. We're not talking about hammers and duct tape -- essentials for DIY repair of another kind -- but plastic and metal spudgers. You'll find both plus a whole lot more in iFixIt's Refurbisher's Toolkit. It's a bit pricey for the casual hobbyist at $100, but if you're the go-to guy or gal in your neighborhood for repairing electronics, there are several tools in the kit that could make your life a bit easier. For example, there's an Xbox Opening Tool specifically designed to crack open the plastic case on the original Xbox 360. It's not a necessary part to get at the guts of Microsoft's previous generation console, but it should save you time from having to pry each of the clips holding the case together. The kit also includes ESD tweezers, a dust blower, anti-static wrist strap, 26-bit driver kit, surface detailing block, German detailing eraser with bruse, pencil sharpener, small ESD safe brush, large ESD safe brush, 1/4-inch driver handle (Philips #2, flathead 6mm, game bit 4.5mm, game bit 3.8mm), and a custom carrying case. 
We haven't sampled a Refurbisher's Toolkit so there's no hands-on experience from our end to relay, though we have used iFixIt's collection of spudgers, which do indeed come in handy for prying open things like smartphones and tablets. You can find more information and/or order a Refurbisher's Toolkit on iFixIt's website. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Maximus VI Hero Motherboard, ViewSonic 24-inch LCD, and More! Posted: 15 Apr 2014 06:27 AM PDT |
