The Verizon iPhone

By Paul Miller posted Jan 11th 2011 11:06AM

Breaking News

We’ve waited and waited, and now Apple and Verizon have made a million dreams come true: the iPhone is coming to Big Red. After talking up his new LTE network a bit, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed a CDMA (non-LTE) version of the iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon Wireless next month. Talks started way back in 2008, and the phone has been in testing for a year — it sounds like they wanted to get this one right. Current Verizon customers will be able to pre-order on Feburary 3rd for the standard $200 price for the 16GB model on a two year agreement, $300 for the 32GB version — everyone else can order on February 10th (see it compared with AT&T’s iPhone 4). Just to clarify and put any wild rumors to bed, the phone is Verizon 3G (EV-DO) only, no 4G data or GSM roaming. It’s not a world phone or an AT&T + Verizon phone, it’s just a Verizon phone.

Outside of Verizon connectivity, the phone is basically unchanged, although Verizon’s CDMA network doesn’t support simultaneous voice and data as with the GSM version. It does have the new antenna design we were hearing about last week, but that’s just because CMDA requires a different configuration of antennas. (Apple says they didn’t go LTE just yet because first-gen chipsets would force unwanted design decisions, and customers want a Verizon device now.) That slight modification also equates to a slight bump in where the volume buttons and mute switch — a new case might be required. Software-wise the big innovation is five user WiFi hotspot functionality, something that’s standard on Android phones, while Apple has kept the iPhone only able to tether directly to one computer.

Check out our full hands-on with the Verizon iPhone right here, and stay tuned — we’ve got lots more coming up.

Back to the Future’s 25th Anniversary celebrated by a Blu-ray box set October 26

By Richard Lawler posted Jun 28th 2010 11:57AM

The Back to the Future trilogy is coming to Blu-ray for its 25th Anniversary, with a boxed set hitting stores October 26. There’s apparently two hours of new extra content, with plenty of BD-Live and U-control features baked in. Back to the Future.net reports these should be great looking and sounding, with an all new transfer that preserves the original film grain and lets viewers hear the “full dynamic range” of the audio. Of course, we would have preferred a hoverboard and Mr. Fusion pack-in, but we may have to wait for the 50th anniversary to get those — details are in the press release after the break.

128GB BDXL Blu-ray disc specification finalized… and fabulous!

By Joseph L. Flatley posted Jun 25th 2010 10:57AM

Looks like the Blu-ray Disc Association has published the final specs for the monster BDXL disc, opening the way for manufacturers to start introducing the technology in their optical drives. Not too much here that we don’t already know: aimed at institutions and folks who need to archive lots and lots of… stuff, BDXL discs are available in either triple layer 100GB (re-writable or write-once) or 128GB quad layer write-once flavors. Of course, with all these layers (or layuhs in Brooklyn) the laser in the Blu-ray drive you already own won’t be able to do the trick, so start saving your change for a hardware upgrade once these things become commercially available. PR after the break.

The Most Detailed View of the Dark Side of the Moon

This is the hidden face of the moon like you’ve never seen if before, as captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter‘s LOLA instruments. Despite its appearance, the picture wasn’t processed by NASA scientists taking LSD while listening to Pink Floyd.

The rainbow colors correspond to the elevation of the terrain, going from 20,000 feet (red) to -20,000 feet (blue). The beautiful coloring, combined with the unique sharp view of the craters—the largest in the solar system—makes me want the whole Moon to be exactly like that all year around.

The image is part of an article on ten cool things discovered in the first year of the LRO, which includes the Moon landing sites but not this amazing close up of its surface. [NASA]

Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.

What is Google TV?

By Thomas Ricker posted Jun 16th 2010 1:52AM

Google’s reveal of Google TV wasn’t exactly flawless. After technical issues wreaked havoc with the live launch demonstration, many of us found it nearly impossible to focus just as soon as we heard mention of IR blaster control. Fear not, Google has returned with a two and half minute video that breaks it down like we were kindergartners. So grab your blanky and Mr. Tickle, the embedded video is available after the break. [Video Here]

iPhone 4 announced, launching June 24 for $199 with new FaceTime video chat

By Paul Miller posted Jun 7th 2010 1:35PM

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 4 after a couple wild, unprecedented months of leaks. Sure, it looks exactly like we expected it to (Steve compares it to an old Leica camera), with a glass front and back, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts, kids. The stainless steel band that goes around the phone is an antenna system, while also providing the main structure of the phone, though it’s plugged into the same old GSM / UMTS radio you all know and love — there’s a reason they didn’t call it the iPhone 4G. There’s also of course that front facing camera we were all anticipating, a rear camera with LED flash, and a new high resolution display that doubles the pixels in each direction (960 x 640) for a 4X overall pixel count increase — Apple calls it a “Retina Display.” It’s rated at 326ppi, which Apple claims is beyond the human eye’s limit of distinction. Check out an example of the new screen up against the iPhone 3G after the break. Similar to the iPad, it’s an IPS display, offering 800:1 contrast. Naturally, it’s still the same old 3.5-inch size. Under the hood is the A4 processor that runs the iPad. Despite the new engine (and the 25% thinner chassis), Apple managed to make the battery slightly larger, and the new handset is rated at 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, and 40 hours of music. Oh, and that WiFi? It’s 802.11n now. The camera has been bumped to 5 megapixels, with 5X digital zoom and a “backside illuminated sensor,” which now can also record HD video at 720p / 30fps.

On the software front, applications will automatically get high resolution text and buttons as part of iOS 4 (the OS previously known as iPhone OS 4), and with “a little bit of work” developers can make their entire app compatible with the new resolution display. Developers will also get access to a new gyroscope, giving devs “six axis” motion control between the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass, with a new “Core Motion” API to deal with it all. Users won’t be left out in the cold, however: they can mess around with that new HD video using a brand new iMovie app, if they shell out $4.99 for it. If anyone’s feeling particularly frisky, iOS 4 even lets you switch your default search provider to Bing. Last but certainly not least, that new front camera is enabled for video chat using the new “FaceTime” feature. It’s a WiFi-only (for now) video calling feature that works from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 with “no setup” involved, and can flip over to the rear camera if your grandparents get tired of your face.

The phone will be available in white or black, retailing at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for 32GB. They go on sale June 24th, and AT&T will be giving some extra grace upgrade timing — up to six months early. The 3GS will be dropped to $99 and the 3G will disappear completely. Pre-orders start in a week, with 5 countries at launch (US, France, Germany, UK, Japan), with 18 more following in July. Apple will also be selling a first party case for $29, and a dock for the same price. PR is after the break, promo videos can be found here, and we got hands-on right here.

Flash Drive Cufflinks

By Ben on Thu May 27 2010 | Comments this

Style | Accessories

Designed by Ravi Ratan, 2GB USB Flash Drive Cufflinks (2 GB each, total 4 GB) and can be engraved with up to 8 characters, available in gunmetal and gold finishes. $195.00/per pair “feature functional USB drives making it possible for you to keep all of your must-have presentations and important documents with you wherever you go.”

Source |   Price: $195   |   BUY

Congress investigating general revamp of telecommunications law

By Nilay Patel posted May 24th 2010 6:04PM

We never had any doubt that Comcast’s anti-net-neutrality court victory would prove to be more of a defeat in the long run, and that’s exactly how it’s shaping up: some 74 Democratic members of Congress have voiced concerns about the FCC’s plan to re-classify broadband as a more highly-regulated “telecommunications service” instead of as an “information service” in letter sent to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski today, and a group of Democratic senators and representatives are planning a series of meetings in June with the goal of revamping US telecommunications law in general. According to Senate staffers who spoke to the Washington Post, the idea isn’t to pre-empt the FCC’s plan, but rather to bring the law into alignment with the modern market instead of trying to fit a round peg into a square hole — our current telecom law was enacted in 1996 and is based on law written in 1934, so a more modern revamp could bring sweeping changes to the way broadband providers are able to sell and manage their services.

We don’t know what the specific agenda is yet, but we’d bet the FCC’s recent finding that there’s no “effective competition” in the wireless industry is sure to play a big part in these discussions, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see some serious talk about cable providers and set-top hardware as well. Whatever happens, we’ll be keeping a sharp eye on these meetings — this is the first time we’ve seen the government take up the issue of modern telecommunications policy with this level of interest and momentum, and we’ve got a feeling some big things are afoot.

Reuters, BusinessWeek, Washington Post, US Senate

Sony hangs ten with Billabong, pops out gnarly special edition VAIO W netbook

By Darren Murph posted May 24th 2010 7:29AM

Sony’s never been one to craft a “low-cost laptop,” and even the company’s minuscule VAIO W netbook remains one of the most expensive in the sector. But this, friends, might just be one worth the premium. Announced over in Australia, the limited edition VAIO W you’re peering at above has been designed in partnership with Billabong, and the Imperial Lime lid is certainly the primary selling point. Expected to ship Down Under next month, the 10.1-inch machine will be outfitted with a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N470 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, Windows 7 Starter and a GPU that’s incapable of handling 1080p material. You’ll also find an Ethernet jack, a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, built-in webcam and a 250GB hard drive, but none of those ho hum specs help to justify the AU$749 ($619) price tag. The lid, on the other hand…

Akihabara News

Sony Insider

MIT researchers develop the most fabulous gesture control technique yet

By Joseph L. Flatley posted May 23rd 2010 10:41PM

When looking for a cheap, reliable way to track gestures, Robert Wang and Jovan Popovic of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory came upon this notion: why not paint the operator’s hands (or better yet, his Lycra gloves) in a manner that will allow the computer to differentiate between different parts of the hand, and differentiate between the hand and the background? Starting with something that Howie Mandel might have worn in the 80s, the researchers are able to use a simple webcam to track the hands’ locations and gestures — with relatively little lag. The glove itself is split into twenty patches made up of ten different colors, and while there’s no telling when this technology will be available for consumers, something tells us that when it does become available it’ll be very hard not to notice. Video after the break.

Update: Just received a nice letter from Rob Wang, who points out that his website is the place to see more videos, get more info, and — if you’re lucky — one day download the APIs so you can try it yourself. What are you waiting for?