Monthly Archives: September 2013

3 posts

Kanex Announces Multi Sync Keyboard

Kanex has launched a Multi Sync Keyboard reports Daniel Cooper writing on engadget.

Multi Sync Keyboard
“Kanex’s home territory is making for gear for OS X and iOS devices, so don’t be surprised to see a similar bias here. Compared to an Apple wireless keyboard, the Fn button has been replaced with an iDevice Home button, while an iOS search key sits below the right-sided shift. The company has also been required to shift around placement of the function keys to accommodate the multi-sync feature, with F1-3 being the toggles for the three Bluetooth devices, while F4 switches to the USB connection. ‘Round back you’ve got a microUSB port and a bundled lead, and the keyboard is either bus-powered or with a pair AAA batteries that’ll sit in a slot underneath. In addition to a cable and a fresh pair of batteries, the company has also included a stand that’ll prop your smartphone or tablet at 75, 69 or 63-degree angles, making it good for an impromptu work session, like drafting out this very piece.”

Read more: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/17/kanex-multi-sync-bluetooth-keyboard-hands-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

The Multi-Sync is available on the Kanex website for $69 at: http://www.kanexlive.com/keyboard

Sony DSC-QX100 and QX10 lens cameras for smartphone or tablet

Merging the creative power of a premium compact camera with the convenience and connectivity of today’s smartphones, Sony today introduced two “lens-style” QX series cameras that bring new levels of fun and creativity to the mobile photography experience.

The innovative Cyber-shot® DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 models utilize Wi-Fi® connectivity to instantly transform a connected smartphone into a versatile, powerful photographic tool, allowing it to shoot high-quality images and HD videos to rival a premium compact camera. It’s an entirely new and different way for consumers to capture and share memories with friends and family.

With a distinct lens-style shape, the new cameras utilize the latest version of Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ application (available for iOS™ and Android™ devices, version 3.1 or higher required) to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, converting the bright, large LCD screen of the phone into a real-time viewfinder with the ability to release the shutter, start/stop movie recordings, and adjust common photographic settings like shooting mode, zoom, Auto Focus area and more. For added convenience, the app can be activated using NFC one-touch with compatible devices. Once pictures are taken, they are saved directly on both the phone and the camera*, and can be shared instantly via social media or other common mobile applications.

“With the new QX series cameras, we are making it easier for the ever-growing population of ‘mobile photographers’ to capture far superior, higher-quality content without sacrificing the convenience and accessibility of their existing mobile network or the familiar ‘phone-style’ shooting experience that they’ve grown accustomed to,” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot business at Sony. “We feel that these new products represent not only an evolution for the digital camera business, but a revolution in terms of redefining how cameras and smartphones can cooperatively flourish in today’s market.”

The new compact, ultra-portable cameras can be attached to a connected phone with a supplied mechanically adjustable adapter, or can be held separately in hand or even mounted to a tripod while still maintaining all functionality and connectivity with the smartphone. They can also be operated as completely independent cameras if desired, as both the DSCQX100 and DSC-QX10 cameras have a shutter release, memory card slot and come with a rechargeable battery.

Premium, Large-Sensor QX100 Camera

The Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 camera features a premium, high-quality 1.0 inch, 20.2 MP Exmor® RCMOS sensor. Identical to the sensor found in the acclaimed Cyber-shot RX100 II camera, it allows for exceptionally detailed, ultra-low noise images in all types of lighting conditions, including dimly lit indoor and night scenes.

The sensor is paired with a fast, wide-aperture Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 3.6x optical zoom and a powerful BIONZ® image processor, ensuring beautifully natural, detail-packed still images and HD videos. As an extra refinement, the DSC-QX100 sports a dedicated control ring for camera-like adjustment of manual focus and zoom. Several different shooting modes can be selected while using the camera including Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto, which automatically recognizes 33 different shooting conditions and adjusts camera settings to suit.

High-Zoom Cyber-shot QX10 model

Boasting a powerful 18.2 effective megapixel Exmor RCMOS sensor and versatile 10x optical zoom Sony G Lens, the Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 camera allows mobile photographers to bring distant subjects closer without sacrificing image quality or resolution, a common problem in smartphones. It’s also extremely portable and lightweight – weighing less than 4 oz and measuring about 2.5″X2.5″x1.3″, it’s a great tool for travel photography. Additionally, the camera has built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to combat camera shake, keeping handheld pictures and videos steady and blur-free. It has Program Auto, Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto modes to choose from, and will be available in two different colors – black and white.

Pricing and Availability

The new Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 lens-style cameras will available later this month for about $500 and $250, respectively. The cameras and a range of compatible accessories including a soft carry case and dedicated camera case attachment for Sony Mobile phones like the Xperia™ Z can be purchased at Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.

Please visit www.blog.sony.com for a full video preview of the new Sony Cyber-shot QX Series cameras and follow #SonyCamera on Twitter for the latest camera news.

Review: http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/18/sony-qx10-review/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

Acer Announces Android 24-inch all-in-one

Acer has unveiled the Acer DA241HL, the first All-in-One based on the Android OS and NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor from Acer. It’s designed to offer users the same familiar experience as with tablets and smartphones. The company also took the opportunity to launch several new All-in-Ones aimed at offering users an improved and more ergonomic full HD touch experience. The range of new models includes the elegant, modern and flexible Aspire U5-610, the Aspire Z3-105 and the Aspire Z3-610, designed to unlock a world of optimized sound, simplified access and full HD touch enjoyment for the entire family.

Acer Android 24
Acer DA241HL
With the DA214HL, Acer introduces the first Full HD touch 24-inch AiO based on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and featuring NVIDIA Tegra quad-core performance. Users can now find on their home PC the same familiar interface used on other Android devices, such as smartphones and tablets that are increasingly popular for media consumption, web browsing or social media interactions.

What’s more, the Android OS unlocks a world of exciting games and affordable productivity solutions, and the same 1 million+ apps from the Google Market can be accessed across multiple Android devices under the same user account. This provides a simplified and convenient user experience, as content can easily be synchronized across devices. The Tegra processing power provides access to the top sold emulated games and features on Google Play that are not supported or slow to play with other processors. On top of it, the DA241HL can offer a personalized experience to each family member, as it allows the customization of settings and apps for up to 5 users.

Thanks to MHL connectivity, the DA241HL can easily transmit smartphone content to a larger display for more comfortable viewing. It can also connect to any PC with Windows 8 via an HDMI port or USB cable becoming a 2-point Touch Display. In addition, the tilting angle of 20° to 75° enables a comfortable touch experience.

Acer Aspire U5-610

Elegant, contemporary and flexible, the Aspire U5-610 is the perfect home AiO for modern day explorers. Bundled in a stunning, futuristic design, the Aspire U5-610 is engineered to deliver top performance for first-class entertainment and maximum productivity. It couples the latest 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors, providing better CPU performance and enabling applications to load faster. And NVIDIA’s® GeForce® GTX 760M allows faster content creation, smoother gaming and better digital entertainment; plus up to 16 GB DDR3 memory provides faster multitasking.

Besides great performance, the Aspire U5-610 offers users a top of the range entertainment experience. On the 23″ Full HD touch display that touts wide viewing angle colours, saturation and contrast are fine-tuned by Acer’s CineBoost Color Engine (ACCE). CONEQ™ Sound Technology, designed to improve sound direction towards the user, expands the sound images to better match visual movie effects and maximise sound coverage regardless of users sit. Acer Remote helps to control Windows 8 via iOS or Android mobile devices. Pairing an iOS or Android mobile device with the Aspire U5-610 via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth instantly unleashes a series of remote applications over the touchpad, media, keypad, Windows 8 Metro, Power point and Laser control.

Optimized to allow users to capture and share more, the Aspire U5-610 features a Full HD webcam with up to a 75° wide Field of View (FOV) enabling a larger coverage of visuals during video chats. Moreover, to let family, friends or business contacts clearly hear what users are saying, the Acer Purified.Voice provides clear communication with no volume reduction by tracking the speaker’s voice and eliminating background noise. The HDMI with MHL support lets users easily access and share content on a bigger screen from their mobile devices while charging.

Aspire Z3-105

The Aspire Z3-105 is powered with AMD’s latest A series quad-core processors and Radeon graphic solutions to offer best performance and let families enjoy enhanced entertainment. The 23″ full HD touch display with IPS technology grants amazing images and life-like colours, while premium front-facing Harman Kardon® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4 surround sound unlock a world of fantastic cinematic audio. The front-facing ports and webcam make it easy for customer to connect external devices or chat with friends.

Aspire Z3-610

The Aspire Z3-610 all-in-one desktop is designed to offer the best performance and an all-round entertainment to the entire family. Now available with Intel’s 4th generation processors, it can pack either integrated graphics from Intel or Nvidia’s GeForce GT 740M graphic solution to ensure a fast multimedia experience. While the 23″ full HD touch display with IPS technology presents stunning images and natural-looking colours, premium front-facing Harman Kardon® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4 surround sound for crystal clear, accurate sound.