MIT's Holographic Television Might Soon Hit Stores

We have seen the future of television, and it's holographic. Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have developed a new projector based on the principles of guided wave optics to construct the spatial light modulator (SLM) that is the heart of digital holography. Gizmag reports that the "MIT holographic projector, which contains an SLM costing US$10 to fabricate, provides 3D images at 30 frames per second (fps) with a resolution similar to that of a standard-definition TV." Continue reading for a video and more information.

The MIT group has demonstrated a holographic display that can display 3D images with a resolution of about 400 x 400 x 138 pixels at five frames per second, as seen in the initial picture above. They are presently making a prototype with 1,250 channels (leaky-wave waveguides), with which they expect to achieve a bandwidth of 125 Gigapixels/sec, generating an image of a cube about 1,500 pixels on a side.

Vine for Android updates to version 1.1 bringing some much needed improvements to the popular video-sharing service

The increasingly popular video-oriented companion to Twitter, Vine, has updated their new Android app to version 1.1 bringing some very important improvements to the app, which currently has an average rating of 3 stars. Today’s update brings huge improvements to performance including quicker capture speed, higher quality and improved audio/video synchronization. Users now have the ability to clear their local cache in the app’s settings, search for users and hashtags and share videos to Facebook. Finally, the developers have included some bug fixes and tweaks to the UI. 

The ability to clear the cache is crucial for any app dealing with video, but the feature is still not perfect. While it erases any unposted Vines from your storage, it doesn’t change the fact that its saving those unposted files in the first place. The next logical step would be to include an option to save or trash the unposted Vines in the first place. Hit the download link below to give the updated version of Vine a test-drive.

Play Store Download Link

Logitech releases Hamony Ultimate Hub to turn your phone into a universal remote

Logitech just released a small puck-shaped receiver that communicates with your phone, allowing you to turn your Android or iPhone into a universal remote. It’s already included as part of the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and Logitech Harmony Smart Control products, and now it’s available as a standalone item. After you purchase the receiver for $100, users must download the free application, which can consolidate up to eight different remotes. The system is compatible with over 225,000 home theater devices and it turns Wi-Fi signals from your smartphone into IR and Bluetooth commands. Check out the full presser after the break. 

Logitech Introduces the Harmony Ultimate Hub, Turning iPhone and Android Smartphones into Personal Universal Remotes

Company to Retain Ownership of Harmony Remote Product Line

NEWARK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today announced the expansion of its universal remote control lineup with theLogitech® Harmony Ultimate Hub, an appcessory for consolidating all of your remote controls into one simple smartphone app, giving you personalized control of up to eight devices from anywhere in the house, using the smartphone you already own. The hub has previously been offered as part of the Logitech Harmony® Ultimate and Logitech Harmony® Smart Control products, and will be a standalone product for customers who prefer to control their digital experience with just a smartphone.

Logitech also announced that it plans to retain ownership of its Harmony remote product line. The company has determined that retaining ownership is in the best interest of its shareholders. The Harmony product line has gained momentum following the April introduction of the Harmony Ultimate product, which is available in major retail locations including select Apple stores in the U.S., and has exceeded the company’s expectations for customer connections.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in August 2013, for a suggested retail price of $99.99 in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.logitech.com or our blog.

About Logitech

Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech’s combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Logitech’s product category and divestiture plans, new product availability and pricing. The forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially include those factors set forth under the “Risk Factors” section and other sections in Logitech’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, available at www.sec.gov. Logitech does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, which speak as of their respective dates.

Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are registered in Switzerland and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company’s website at www.logitech.com.

Everything you want to know about Android's new Navigation Drawer

Google's Android developers have delivered a great video all about the new Navigation Drawer

We've talked before about how the Android team is serious about design. They want Android, and the great apps that developers create, to not only work well, but to look good. We noticed this at Google I/O in May, that there was a new (and long-awaited) focus on building applications that look like they belong. Apps with a consistent and elegant user interface, versus the jumble of different design styles and choices of the past. 

It's a big undertaking. You have to account for different screen sizes, devices with or without the recommended button layout, and most of all you need to find a fluid look and feel that works well for the end user. Nobody likes an app that is difficult to use. Google tried to get everyone on-board with the action bar method, and it's a great solution for some things. But sometimes, you need to get dirty and have a list of user choices and options. That's where the new Navigation Drawer concept comes into play.

Grab your phone. Open the YouTube app or Google Play Books app. Swipe your finger to the right on the main screen (view). That's the new Navigation Drawer at work. Google Play Books could probably get away with just an action bar and overflow area (those three dots in the upper right) but the YouTube app has plenty of choices and options that would otherwise be buried three levels deep. The Navigation Drawer seems like a perfect way to present them all to the users -- you and me.

A lot of thought went into this, and luckily the Android developers are willing to share their thoughts about it all. Join Roman Nurik, Jens Nagel and Rich Fulcher after the break for 47 minutes of great information about why, where and when you would want to use the Navigation Drawer. Even if you're never going to design an Android app, it's a great watch and really drives the idea home.

Source: Android Developers YouTube

You Won't Believe What This Futuristic Motorcycle Helmet Has Inside of It

Now that you've seen the most creative custom motorcycle helmets and coolest motorcycle suits, it's time to check out one piece of technology that may trump them all: a helmet with an integrated navigation system. It's voice-activated, powered by Google Android and when you're riding, it shows a Burnout: Paradise-esque "Next Turn" feature on the heads-up display. Continue reading for a video and more information.

The primary feature of the LiveMap helmet is, well, maps...there's advantages to being able to keep your eyes on the road. The screen will not display video or anything similarly distracting (until it is inevitably hacked) and won't even show a complete navigation map unless the bike is at or near a stand-still.

'Micromax Canvas 4' Announced : Features, Specs, Price And Release Date

Having impressed millions of users by its premium-featured under budget smartphones, Micromax is ready to hit the markets with its another flagship creation, Micromax Canvas 4. Expected to incorporate all the best possible features available till date, Canvas 4 is all set to reduce the likes of its rival Samsung Galaxy S4. Micromax is known for its ‘value for money’ strategy and it was only Micromax to launch a Quad-core processor smartphone in an affordable price in the form of Canvas HD A116, followed by Canvas Doodle A111.

Reportedly, Micromax Canvas 4 would possess a screen of 5-inches with a full HD resolution of1920 x 1080 pixels.It sounds true because in its earlier Canvas HD smartphone which competed with its counterpart Galaxy S3, there was a HD display of 1280 x 720 pixel and now we can expect this to improve further.It would carry a 13 Megapixel auto focus shooter with an LED flash and the specifications for the secondary camera is yet to be known but expectedly it would be of 2 MP.Speaking about the body appearance, it would showcase a metallic rim around the display embedded on a poly-carbonate back panel.Canvas 4 would be running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as the operating system, which could further be updated to Android 5.0 key lime pie.It is rumored that Canvas 4 would possess an octa-core processor similar to that of Samsung Galaxy S4. In addition to this, we can expect at least 2GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage to be accompanied with it.Also, its tagline ‘Can Life Be Endless’ suggests that it would pack a huge battery to support it for longer hours.

Looking at its specifications and configuration of  Micromax Canvas 4, a successor of Canvas HD A116,it should come with a price range near to that of its available competitors but sticking to its old strategy, Micromax has priced it below Rs 20,000 which sounds pretty reasonable.This flagship device would be officially launched soon to suppress all the rumors as it is expected to go up for pre-orders from june 28.

Another Look At 3doodler the World's First 3d Printing Pen

Here's yet another look at the incredible 3Doodler, which is the world's first 3D printing pen. It utilizes plastic thread made of either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ("ABS") or polylactic acid ("PLA") that is melted and then cooled through a patented process while moving through the pen, which can then be used to made 3D objects by hand. Continue reading for three videos, more pictures, and additional information.

 

 

The 3Doodler has been described as a glue gun for 3D printing because of how the plastic is extruded from the tip, with one foot of the plastic thread equaling "about 11 feet of moldable material". WobbleWorks launched a Kickstarter campaign for the 3Doodler on February 19, 2013 with an initial fundraising target of $30,000. The fundraising target was reached within a matter of hours and many of the reward levels were sold out within the first day, along with all the Etsy art pieces. By February 22, more than $1 million had been pledged.

Custom PC Looks Like a TRON Light Cycle, Might Be Geekiest Yet

While it may not be suitable to ride around town, this TRON Light Cycle does have enough computing power for just about any task. Featuring an Intel i7 processor, dual EVGA GTX570 video cards in SLI, and even water cooling. Click here to view the first image in this week's WINS gallery. Continue reading for dog video that you need to see to believe.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus: Officially announced! Added Jelly Bean flavor

Today, Samsung has announced another variant of their Galaxy smartphone lineup, the new Galaxy S2 plus. Basically, it’s somewhat the improved edition of the original Galaxy S2.

 Here are the specs of the Galaxy S II plus:

• 4.3 inches Super AMOLED display with 800×400 resolution
• Under its hood is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor,
• 1GB RAM,
• 8GB  internal storage capacity (supports microSD storage up to 64GB)
• The device is powered by a 1650mAh battery.
• It has 8 megapixels primary camera and 2 megapixels front camera

It will run Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean plus the company’s Touchwiz Nature UX that was used also for the Galaxy S3. Obviously, these are the most notable improvement comparing it to the old Galaxy S2.

Curiously, why do they need to launch this phone with just a little revamp on its specs? We all know that it is the best selling smartphone of Samsung together with the Galaxy S3, so maybe that’s the reason.

As for the price and launch date, there are no details announced yet. I’ll let you know once I get more details.

ASUS unveiled a budget Android tablet, dubbed as MemoPad

ASUS is a bit quiet on the recent CES 2013 held in Las Vegas. But, they officially announced a 7” low-priced tablet running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, called the MemoPad. The device has a price of $149 in the U.S market.

 A quick look on MemoPad’s specs:

• 7-inch tablet with 1024×600 resolution
• Packed with VIA WM8950 processor clocked at 1GHz
• Mali-400 GPU
• 1GB RAM
• Option of 8GB/16GB internal storage
• Supports microSD
• 1 megapixel front camera
• Color choices of: Sugar White, Titanium Gray, and Cherry Pink

Seeing its specifications, this device is surely a budget tablet. This will be better for a person who practically looks at price than performance. The MemoPad is also the look-alike of ASUS Nexus 7 which undoubtedly more powerful but offers a higher price. If you’re in tight budget, this will be the perfect Android tablet for you.

Sony ousts HTC to take 2nd place in UK Android sales

Although Sony is having a hard time in US Android smartphones market, the company is now one step behind Samsung in UK, beating HTC. The Japanese company sold 500,000 units in Q3, compared to 440,000 of HTC.

Definitely Sony made a great marketing campaign most recently for their Xperia “Bond phone” that was featured in the latest James Bond movie, “Skyfall”. They also extend their strategy by giving free Xperia Acro S smartphone to some viewers of the movie. However, Samsung is still the top Android smartphone manufacturer in UK with 3.2 million units sold for the same period.

But maybe this is a milestone for the company, and they deserve the kind of credit that they get now. This is also a great year-ender for Sony and they might carry the momentum next year. We also heard some rumors about their upcoming flagship smartphone next year which is dubbed as Sony Yuga. Let’s see what Sony has on its sleeves next year.

Rumored Sony Yuga: Pictures, Specs Leaked

As always, leaks are everywhere, an image shows the rumored flagship smartphone fromSony which they called Xperia C6603 codenamed “Yuga”. The specs we’re also present together with the leaked pictures and they came from a German web page called Android Schweiz.

The rumored specs are as follows:

•  1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
• 2GB or RAM
• 32GB storage capacity
• 12MP rear camera
• 5-inch display
• 1080p HDR video recording
• 2400mAh battery

As seen in the image, the device will run the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS hopefully they will upgrade it to Android 4.2. It has a kernel version of (3.4) and a firmware version of 10.1.A.0.XXX.

The company also made a total image makeover because it does not follow the usual Xperia design like on the Arc or NXT series. In addition, Xperia Yuga will be the first Xperia smartphone that will feature a glass back similar to the iPhone4/4s (I just hope that they will not sue Sony for this!). You can also see the Chrome power button on the right side of the device alongside with volume rocker and the dedicated camera button.

 See more pictures below:

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One vs Blackberry Z10: Quick Specs Comparison

We all know that Samsung recently unveiled its latest flagship Android smartphone, and the latest among its Galaxy lineup, the new Galaxy S4. Design wise, it’s almost similar to its predecessor the Galaxy S3, but a big difference in terms of specifications.

On the other hand, how will Galaxy S4 fair among other flagship Android smartphones that was release by other manufacturers early this year, the likes of, HTC One, Blackberry Z10, and Sony Xperia Z.

So we will compare them (Galaxy S4, HTC One, Blackberry Z10) based on their specs. It’s for you to decide or judge if the Galaxy S4 has what it takes to take down its rivals.

SPECS	SAMSUNG GALAXY S4	HTC ONE	BLACKBERRY Z10
Operating System (OS)	Android 4.2.2 + TouchWiz	Android 4.1 + HTC Sense 5	Blackberry 10
Processor	1.6GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Octa Core/1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm	1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600	1.5GHz Dual-core
RAM	2GB	2GB	2GB
Primary Camera	13 megapixels	UltraPixel HD	8 megapixels
Front Camera	2 megapixels	2.1 megapixels	2 megapixels
Screen Display	4.99-inch Super AMOLED HD	4.7-inch Super LCD 3	4.2-inch LCD
Resolution	1920×1080	1920×1080	1280×768
Pixel Density	441ppi	468ppi	355ppi
Internal Memory	15/32/64 GB	32/64 GB	16 GB
MicroSD	Yes up to 64GB	No	Yes up to 32GB
Connectivity	NFC Bluetooth 4.0 USB 2.0	NFC Bluetooth 4.0 USB 2.0	NFC Bluetooth 4.0 USB 2.0
4G LTE Network	Yes	Yes	Yes