Next week at CES LG will show off a few new devices running Windows 8, like the Tab-Book 2 line (above) that hides a QWERTY keyboard underneath its 11.6-inch screen, 13Z940 "ultra PC" laptop (pictured after the break) and a new 27-inch all-in-one. The two mobile devices build on models introduced last year, with the new 13-inch coming in at just 980g, 13.6 mm-thick and a thin 4.4mm bezel, all wrapped around its Haswell Core i5 CPU and SSD (128GB or 256GB). The two new Tab-Book 2 models improve by also getting lighter and thinner, with the high-end 11T740 model measuring at 16.7mm thick and 1.05kg compared to the earlier version's 19.4mm and 1.23kg. We'll have to wait until the show to get a picture of the 27-inch all-in-one announced, but LG says it can go from PC to TV and back without rebooting, use PiP and packs an unspecified Core CPU inside.
StreetPass data swaps are handy for 3DS owners who want to expand their games with other players' content, but they limit the number of new people you can accept at any one time. Ever wonder why that is? As it turns out, Nintendo has been futureproofing the service all along. The company's Kouichi Kawamoto tellsKotaku that the 10-player connection cap in StreetPass Mii Plaza leaves headroom for larger data exchanges. While Kawamoto isn't saying what additional info gamers could send to each other, he notes that Nintendo will only lift the cap if it decides that there's nothing more to add. There aren't any current plans to raise that ceiling, he says. The news will no doubt frustrate players tired of clearing their StreetPass queues, but it does hint at an eventual reward for their patience.
Right. This is it. The last day of the year. You have 24 hours to go overboard on all those things you're giving up tomorrow. It doesn't matter whether it's biscuits, chocolate, booze, smokes, whatever, it's going to be tough going.
A popular resolution is to lose a bit of weight, and that's one of the toughest of all of them. Yes, giving up a load of the bad stuff will help, but if you want a bit more structure, there are a few nutritional or exercise regimes you might want to take a look at.
One that's really caught our eye is balancebox.com, simply because it appeals to our every-so-slightly-lazy-when-it-comes-to-making-lifestyle-changes attitude.
This lot will send you a box for every meal of the day that's nutritionally balanced, yet calorifically much kinder to your waistline. Every week a new box arrives and you carry one for as long as you want to keep losing a few pounds.
Yes, this isn't the cheapest way to do it, but judging by some of the testimonials, it's certainly one of the most effective.
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As we say goodbye to 2013 the week is filled with New Year's Eve celebrations (Ryan Seacrest vs. Carson Daly) and a different kind of competition with college bowl games and the opening round of the NFL playoffs. Looking for more than sportsball and holiday cheer? This week also features the debut of Dragonball Z Season One Uncut on Blu-ray, remastered in widescreen and 1080p. Showtime is also airing its House of Lies Live special New Years Eve, although the impatient can watch it right here or embedded below. Once all the celebration is over we'll be starting the year off with October 19th, as Community returns for season five once again under the direction of writer Rob Harmon. Downton Abbey season four gets started this weekend on PBS, while ABC kicks off its Cold War-era miniseries The Assets on Thursday night. Check after the break for our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and gaming.
The display group at Samsung has envisioned a world where everyone is connected through displays, from coffee mugs to car windows.
How Samsung someday wants to achieve this has been highlighted in a video shown at a recent investors meeting. Samsung takes us through the day of a South Korean family and how they use a display in almost every aspect of their life. The cutting board to make lunch counts calories, the alarm clock uses a display to display information about the day ahead, and a coffee mug performs a morning health check.
While it may seem extremely futuristic, didn't tablets at one point too?
Samsung makes displays ranging from TVs, smartphones, tablets, and a smartwatch, so perhaps it's the company to connect our world in the "Internet of Things".
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The smartphone takeover is so crippling for camera manufacturers that only Nikon, Canon, and Sony will survive its wrath, or at least that's what the latest report from Reuters seems to preach.
Much like the smartphone industry, which iOS and Android dominate, the camera industry is turning into a duopoly or two-tier market. It seems Canon, Nikon, and Sony offer high-end camera options, while smartphones offer all the low-end options. The mid-range options have failed to pique consumers interests, causing manufacturers to embrace mirrorless cameras in order to find traction in the mid-range segment.
Industry researcher IDC speculated that compact camera sales would plummet this year more than 40 per cent to fewer than 59 million, according to Reuters, which further reported that sales of mirrorless cameras look promising because of price range. Consumers also seem to prefer connectivity over picture quality.
Beyond high-end camera lineups, Canon, Nikon, and Sony will apparently fend off the smartphone camera takeover purely because of their reputation: "Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last — and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfill that criteria," said Yu Yoshida, a Credit Suisse imaging analyst, to Reuters.
While these type of future-guessing reports from Reuters are preemptive, the research statistics are factual and interesting. For instance: the mirrorless format hasn't performed well in the US or Europe as of late, but it made up 36 percent of Japan's interchangeable lens camera shipments in January-October, according to researcher CIPA.
In addition, companies like Panasonic, Fujifulm, and Olympus are struggling to find ground. Panasonic saw a 40 per cent drop in overall camera sales in April-September, meaning the division could end up on the cutting table by March 2016 if it doesn't turn prospects around. Curiously, there was no mention of Samsung in Reuters' camera report.
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When Apple released the iPhone 5S in September, one of the main features it touted was the new M7 processor. Separate from the main A7 CPU, the M7 processor's function is to collect sensor data from integrated accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compasses. Essentially, the M7 processor is a fitness tracker within the iPhone 5S.
Apple says it leads to "better fitness and activity apps that go well beyond what other mobile devices offer." With an API that's been available for months now, developers have begun to integrate their apps into the M7 processor. The chip even tracks your movements when a fitness app isn't open.
So which app meets your needs? We've weeded out the top five.
Nike+ Move (Free)
Nike+ Move was the inaugural app for the M7 processor, shown off when the iPhone 5S was introduced. Meant to be an introductory experience to lure you into the FuelBand gadget, the app doesn't offer too many features. It's still useful for the beginner, however, thanks to its easy to learn interface.
Nike+ Move can measure when, where, and how you moved and uses NikeFuel to motivate you. You're encouraged to move more often and win as many hours as you can throughout the day. The app shows how you moved with a breakdown of running, walking, and other movement. It gets social too, letting you compare your activity with that of friends and other Nike+ Move users.
Pedometer++ (Free)
The Pedometer++ is basic, but it offers pedometer functionality in a clear, free way.
It lets you keep track of your daily and weekly step counts. You can set the app to dynamically show your current step count as an applications badge on the iPhone's homescreen. You can set goals and Pedometer++ will let you know when they have been reached. Additionally, steps are translated into distances.
RunKeeper (Free)
The RunKeeper app will track walks longer than 15 minutes throughout the day and records them in a daily log each day. Runs are also tracked, and your steps per minute are included in the data of each running activity. You can then compare your workouts, seeing elevation, stride length, and more.
Moves ($2.99)
Moves sets out to be more than just a step tracker, showing your movements throughout the day. It tracks walking, cycling, and running, and it puts everything in a timeline so you can look back and see where you've been and how long it took you to get there. You can plot routes on a map, see calories burned for each activity, and set step goals throughout the day.
Fitbit (Free)
The M7 processor functionality within the Fitbit app is like Nike+ Move. It's meant to get you to buy Fitbit hardware, which runs at roughly $100/£79.
The Fitbit app lets you track your steps in a day, miles, and calories burned through the M7 processor. Within the app there's also the ability to track food eaten and calories consumed throughout the day.
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Google's Eric Schmidt has revealed his predictions for 2014, and he's even admitted a major regret from years past.
The executive chairman and former CEO of Google told Bloomberg TV that the biggest mistake he's ever made - while at Google - was "not anticipating the rise of social networking phenomena."
Schmidt then quickly added, "we're not going to make that mistake again," and he explained how Google worked on "other things" instead of spearheading social.
"But we should have been in that area," Schmidt added. "And I take full responsibility for that."
Schmidt served as CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011, when Google's co-founder, Larry Page, abruptly decided to unseat him. He's now a chief advisor to Page, the current CEO, and Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder.
Google promptly launched Google+ in 2011, and the social network reportedly hit 540 million active users in October. It's now widely known that Page wants to use Google+ to both transform Google and bake identity and sharing into the entire Google experience.
Schmidt apparently didn't envision nor anticipate any of this just two years ago. But he still has a lot to say about what to expect in 2014. For more comments from the right-hand man to Page, watch Bloomberg TV's video below.
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If you consider yourself both extremely frugal and averse to the luxuries of seeing Hollywood eye candy actors in Super HD, Netflix's new SD tier could be right up your alley. The streaming service has begun offering a low-end plan for new subscribers only that'll allow standard definition streaming to one device -- that's right, no simultaneous viewing -- for $6.99 per month. Take note, this recent plan addition is only $1 cheaper than the basic HD tier that lets users stream to two devices at once, making the SD plan's cost benefit a bit dubious. So, if you're really counting your pennies and haven't bothered to upgrade to an HD-capable TV or tablet or phone (which makes us wonder if you even have broadband), then by all means, have at this promo. You're also probably not into account sharing anyway. And really, that's what that extra $1/mo is for, right? Right.
