about-electronics.eu

Engadget: Here’s an interesting tidbit. Denon’s admittedly pricey AVR-4311CI — which was introduced in late April — may very well end up being the first major product to gain iTunes AirPlay compatibility retroactively. Yeah, retroactively. According to an updated product listing, the AVR will see a “planned upgrade” in the fall of 2010 that will “provide Apple iTunes AirPlay compatibility [that will let you] stream your favorite music to the AVR-4311CI.” Now, we already knew that Denon was a partner of both Apple and BridgeCo (the enabling company behind AirPlay), but this is first mention of any existing product receiving a simple upgrade (firmware, we’re guessing) that would add support for Apple’s newly touted streaming feature. In other words, this may mean that hundreds, if not thousands, of AirPlay compatible devices are already on the market, and just as soon as Apple and / or BridgeCo green-lights the respective firmware updates, home entertainment systems everywhere may gain support for a protocol that wasn’t even public before last week. Here’s hoping, right?

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TG Daily: Although it seems like everyone is calling it the next big thing, the majority of consumers are not that excited about 3D TV, and according to one study’s results, interest in the technology actually goes down after users give it a test run.

Nielsen conducted the study to see just how interested American consumers are in the new 3D TV market. It found that around 25% of “active TV shoppers” had some interest in buying a set. However, once they tried it out, that number plummeted to just 12%.

So why the extreme lack of excitement about the new technology? Well, blame it on the young people’s multitasking mindset. 89% said they became disillusioned by 3D TV because it is pretty much impossible to do anything else while watching. If you’re watching a 3D broadcast and commercials come on, you have to take off your glasses if you want to start texting or browsing the Internet. You have to be totally engaged to watch 3D content, which is fine at the movies, but apparently a big turn-off at home.

Around half of those surveyed also expressed disinterest about the requirement of wearing 3D glasses.

TV manufacturers and content providers are still bullish on the 3D market, though. It’s just becoming a stronger challenge. The trick now is to provide content that is so compelling, users won’t even want to do anything else while they’re experiencing it. 3D gaming will be a big part of qualming those fears.

All in all, though, those numbers are abysmal compared to the early excitement about the transition from standard definition to high definition. 3D adoption is going to be much more difficult.

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Newlaunches.com: The new and finally official Android running Galaxy Tab from Samsung is going to be something to very seriously consider if you’re a European. Germany’s Amazon has posted the price as $1,030 (€799) which suddenly makes me think… iPad. What you get for that price, in case you don’t already know is a 7-inch Super TFT touchscreen display equipped tablet that runs on the Android Froyo platform and will be loaded up with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor to run all of its functions. You’ll also get Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi with an unlocked HSDPA/HSUPA modem. That does seem like quite a lot but at that price, I’m a little overwhelmed. I think I’ll stick to the Galaxy S, it may be the smaller version, but it’s a whole lot cheaper. However there will be variants lunched for different regions. The weirdest part is that it was yesterday that we heard the US price was just $300, go figure.

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Newlaunches.com: We’ve seen a handful of speakers rolling in for iPods and iPhones but there haven’t really been too many iPad accessories to play music out loud. This cool Bluetooth enabled wireless speaker called the Fidelio is Philips’ way of spreading the love and music from your iPad. It incorporates a pair of 3-inch full range woofers that pump out 15-Watts (x2) RMS output. It also provides support for A2DP/AVRCP Bluetooth connectivity. Simply download the Fidelio App and customize the use of the speaker directly from your phone.

The kit also packs a remote control for the speaker that will control volume and playback of tracks. There’s no word about the battery durability.

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Gizmag: Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), the company that boasts the distinctive Zeppelin iPod dock, Nautilus and Panorama amongst its line of high-end speakers, has made its first foray into the headphone market with its P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones. With a slim design and great sound reproduction that provides warm bass and stunning clarity through the mid-range and high-end, these headphones would have to be the most comfortable – and amongst the most impressive – headphones I’ve ever wrapped around my noggin.

The P5 features specially developed neodymium magnets and optimized mylar diaphragms along with a closed-back design with rigid metal faceplates and sealed earpads that isolate the sound, while preserving just enough ambient sound to make them perfect for listening to music on the go. To ensure comfort the P5 headphones feature an adjustable headband and earpads (padded with memory foam no less) crafted from New Zealand sheep leather that is soft and supple (which we can most definitely confirm), yet durable and hardwearing (which we’ll take B&W’s word for).

The headphones come with two cables. A standard 3.5mm jack cable and an MFI cable, which provides track switching and volume control of an iPod or iPhone along with a microphone to allow for calls or voice control. The earpads are magnetically attached so they can be quickly removed to swap between the supplied cables, which plug into a concealed modular jack.

Measuring 180mm high x 150mm wide x 60mm deep (7.08 x 5.9 x 2.36 inches) when in use, the P5 headphones also fold flat to a depth of 35mm (1.37 inches). They weigh 195g (6.88 ounces). They boast a frequency range of 10Hz to 20kHz and are available for US$299.95. That might sound pretty steep for a pair of headphones, but after giving these baby’s a listen at IFA 2010 I can only say it will be money well spent.

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Übergizmo: As expected, the 31-inch OLED TV (which is monstrous when compared to regular OLED displays) has arrived at IFA 2010 and made a pretty big splash. You certainly won’t be able to take your eyes off a TV that measures all of just 2.9mm thin, and at that size, just about everything else in your home would look obese. While having a pretty small viewing real estate, it certainly won’t come cheap at £6,000 a pop as it hits the market in March next year. Of course, the proof is in the pudding as they say, so those who are fortunate enough to have that kind of money to bring home one of these puppies will definitely claim it is money well spent after having a look at its image quality. Features include Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and boasting an infinite contrast ratio that allows it to be viewed from virtually any angle.

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Newlaunches.com: You can now carry your 3D Blu-ray player around since it’s gone all slim and sexy. What’s awesome is that it doesn’t have to be one of the high-flying models that we’ve been reviewing from Sony and Toshiba and the likes. Sharp have gotten the whole thing stuffed into a slimmer, sleeker body that packs WiFi and BD-Live content support as well. It works fine with both 3D and 2D content, has a USB slot in the front, connects to your external drives, flushes them out in full glory via the “Pure Mode”, cool LED indicator lights and a very cool and glossy body.

The Sharp BD-HP905 can be expected before Christmas. I guess that’s a nicer way of using the word ‘November’.

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Pioneer.eu: From October, Pioneer’s new X-HM50 micro hi-fi system will be available across Europe.
Despite its compact size, the X-HM50 is rich in features, incorporating:

• a built-in docking station for iPhone and iPod,
• a CD player,
• an FM/AM tuner for listening to radio broadcasts,
• an USB audio input and
• an auxiliary line input that allows music lovers to connect other source components.

The new X-HM50 is designed to meet the needs of iPhone and iPod users as well as CD devotees who enjoy listening to their favourite music in outstanding quality at home.

Compact style
With clear, dynamic audio and sleek styling, the all-in-one X-HM50 is available in a silver or black finish. The solid front panel of this only 215 mm wide model is made from brushed aluminium.

Its compact size allows for easy setup on a bookshelf, in a bedroom or home office. The use of premium audio components provides the foundation for audio with an enormous sense of presence and expression, regardless of the source.

Versatile connectivity
A multitude of connectivity options give you the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of digital music as well as your favourite radio stations.

The X-HM50 features a Digital Direct Connection for iPhone or iPod, offering you the purest sound performance by skipping intermediate digital-to-analogue conversion steps.

The system plays your music straight from a docked iPhone or iPod exactly as it’s stored and charges the mobile device at the same time. Equipped with a video output, the X-HM50 also allows playback of videos from iPhone or iPod on a large screen.

Playback of MP3 or WMA files is supported from both the conveniently located front USB input as well as from its built-in CD-drive mechanism, which is compatible with CD and CD-R/RW discs. Rounding off the X‑HM50 is an AM/FM RDS tuner with 40 memory presets for straightforward radio listening.

High fidelity quality
A critical factor for the sound quality, the hi-fi system’s 2-way bass-reflex speakers further enhance its performance. These 260 mm high, black wood finish enclosures, include a 120 mm woofer and 20 mm soft dome tweeter.

With 50 Watts of output per channel – driven by quality digital amplifiers and output through high-quality speaker terminals – the system is the ideal solution for music lovers looking for a lot of power and brilliant sound in a small package.

Those in search of an enhanced bass experience will appreciate the X-HM50’s subwoofer pre-out or the ‘extra bass’ boost function. For easy genre-matching music enjoyment, the hi-fi system features 6 equalizer presets: Flat/Game/Classic/Pops/Vocal/Jazz. Completing the system is a convenient timer/sleep function, which enables you to wake up and go to sleep with your favourite music.

Key features

• iPhone/iPod docking station with charging facility
• CD playback/USB terminal/Aux in
• RDS FM/AM tuner with 40 presets
• MP3/WMA playback from CD and USB
• 50W + 50W Amplifier
• Aluminium front panel

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What HiFi: We’ve just come from Loewe’s press conference, where the company has announced a whole raft of new products and services for the end of 2010 and first quarter of 2011. We’ll be going hands-on with the kit tomorrow, so will add updates (including pricing, with any luck) then, but scroll down now for the early details and pics.

The big news is that Loewe is introducing its first 3D TV, ingeniously titled ‘Loewe 3D TV’. This will be an active shutter model with 400Hz and LED backlighting. It will also be available with an integrated hard disk recorder, which will be compatible with 3D content.

The 3D TV is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2011, along with the 3D Blu-ray player in the picture above.

Interestingly, the company is also doing previews of glassless 3D – more on that later.

The Art range of tellies is also being updated to Art LED, with the biggest new feature being, you guessed it, LED backlighting. As the name suggests, the Art TVs are designed to be very stylish, so edge lighting keeps the profile slim, and there’s a new ‘Mocha’ colour option, as you can see from the pic.

The Art LED will be available in 32in and 40in sizes later this year, with a 46in version following in early 2011. The 40in and 46in models have 200Hz processing, and all have USB inputs for accessing videos, pictures and music via the MediaHome menu. You can also specify a DR+ version, which will add hard disk recording and MediaNet (more on that later).

As with the Art range, the Connect models are also being upgraded to Connect LED. Again, these are edge-lit models, and are available in 32in and 40in sizes, with the bigger of the two getting 200Hz processing. DR+ is standard here, and as well as recording TV, the Connect LED can act as a network server and client, distributing and accessing media right through the home.

Finally on the telly front is news that the Individual range is being expanded with the addition of 32in and 55in models, which flank the current 40in and 46in options. LED backlighting again features here, and while the 32in model has ‘just’ 100Hz processing, the 55in ‘Individual Compose’ boasts 400Hz.

The 55in comes with the 250GB DR+ hard disk, which can also be specified as an optional extra on the 32in, and there are loads of colour options (including custom colour matching for the insets) for you to configure your new telly.

Loewe is also going big on internet content with its MediaNet service, which has been developed in collaboration with Philips and Sharp. The web portal will contain a selection of internet sites that have been edited and optimised for large screens with CE-HTML.

You can expect video on demand (including BBC iPlayer), internet radio and information services to be included, and you can also access the full-fat internet using the Opera internet browser. MediaNet launches in November.

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T3: We give you all the latest IFA news from 3DTVs to the latest smartphones in this special edition of the News@8.

Samsung releases Galaxy Tab: The hype has finally ended as the Samsung Galaxy Tab was unveiled this morning at IFA. All eyes were on the stage as Samsung ran the press through the Tab’s many (already leaked) features, for the full experience check out T3’s hands-on images. Next on its agenda was the Samsung UN65C8000 the world’s largest 3D LEDTV which was also released today boasting a near £5000 price tag. Ouch. Finally Samsung have also released its HD HMX-T10 1080p camcorder with a 20-degree lens angle which is designed to making shooting that glorious HD footage less strenuous.

Philips gives customers the ‘cinema’ experience: Philips today announced its Cinema 21:9 Platinum 3D TV, which although having a very long name, is actually incredibly cool. Boasting a cinema-esque 21:9 aspect ratio and Full HD 3D this TV was the flagship among Philips many 3D releases of the day.

Loewe enters the 3D market: German company Loewe has unveiled its 3D concept TV at IFA, and what a concept it is. Looking quite simply like a piece of high art rather than a LED HD 3DTV the concept was just one of three new products launched by Loewe.

Sharp adds a pixel to 3D: Sharp’s HD Quattron series has been given the 3D treatment in the form of their first 3D HDTV the Sharp 3D Quattron TV. Utilising an extra yellow pixel Sharp is able to make images seem brighter and clearer, which can only be a good thing in terms of 3D. We like.

Toshiba launches iPad rival: Toshiba has released the Folio 100 Tablet which it hopes will give it a firm stake in the tablet market. Running Android 2.2 and measuring 10.1 inches the Folio is larger than the other Tablet rival the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Toshiba has also released another first for the company in the form of the REGZA WL 3D series; its first 3D HD LEDTV. REGZA series also now includes the VL range which is a high-end HD LED range based around the WL 3D TV’s but without 3D compatability, instead aiming for high spec 1080p display quality.

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The Guardian: 3D television has dominated the early agenda at IFA, Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, with Panasonic and Sony both announcing flurries of new products and initiatives.

Panasonic showed off what it claimed was the first genuine 3D consumer video camera, the HDC-SDT750. This will allow users to shoot their own footage in 3D. Makoto Nagura, director of Panasonic’s video camera business unit, said this would put 3D firmly into the hands of consumers.

“There is still one thing missing [today]…That is to keep your precious moments in 3D,” Nagura said.

The SDT750 will go on sale in October. UK pricing was not available but it is expected to be priced at $1,399 (£908) in the US.

Most of Panasonic’s press conference in Berlin was devoted to 3D – one indication of how keen the electronics industry is to persuade consumers that they should embrace the new technology, and spend considerable sums of money upgrading their home electronics set-up.

Alongside new 3D televisons and Blu-ray players, Panasonic also announced a new service to deliver 3D movies and films directly to users’ living rooms. This could fix one of factors that is holding back 3D – a lack of content. Panasonic said that around 2,000 films would be available to be downloaded over a broadband connection to one of its TVs or Blu-ray players. News, sport and music channels would also be supported.

Hirotoshi Uehara, who runs Panasonic’s TV business, told IFA that this 3D IPTV service would help to propel 3D into the mass market.

However, hefty price tags may continue to hold the technology back. One of the Panasonic TVs unveiled at IFA, the 42in TX-P42GT20, is available for pre-order at £1,499.

Epson also cast a cloud over the 3D euphoria in Berlin when it failed to show off a 3D projector. It took a much more cautious line than Panasonic, saying that the technology was not yet ready for mass adoption.

“When the market is ready, when the content is ready and when the technology is ready we’ll be there,” Jean-Marie Lacroix, commerical director of Epson Europe, told journalists.

Sony, though, took a very different view as it beat the 3D drum with considerable gusto. It claims to be the only end-to-end 3D provider, as it produces movies shot in 3D, the cameras that are used to film them, and TVs that people can watch them on.

Unlike Epson, Sony did announce a 3D video projector. The WV-90 will let consumers project a 3D film onto a wall, which could give a cinema-style experience.

The Japanese giant also had a prototype model of its first 3D-capable laptop, which chief executive Sir Howard Stringer said would be commercially available next year.

Like Panasonic, Sony is trying to increase the amount of 3D content on the market with a new television service. Stringer, who cited James Cameron’s Avatar as a crucial factor in driving 3D forward, cautioned that film-makers should not rely on 3D at the expense of storyline.

“A hit is still a hit, is still a hit, except that in 3D it’s a bigger hit.”

Sony’s entire press conference was filmed live in 3D and broadcast on a large screen. This, however, highlighted one of the other drawbacks to 3D broadcasting – that viewers need to wear special glasses.

Stringer, who described Sony as the “biggest engine” in the 3D train, also argued that the technology could be about more than just films and sport, and demonstrated this with footage of a performance by Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

Lang Lang himself then played live at IFA, telling the press conference that he was a fan of 3D as it let music lovers “get closer to us”.

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Engadget: In what amounts to yet another co-branding marketing kerfuffle, Philips and O’Neill have teamed up on a foursome of so-called durable headphones. The Stretch headphones (pictured) are the toughest of the bunch, constructed from an ultra-durable, temperature-resistant, and awesome-sounding material called TR 55LX that boasts a surface hardness six times greater than the polycarbonate stuff found in most headphones. The Snug series boasts “bold graphics” and can fold flat, while the in-ear Covert buds brings an iPhone controller. Last, and apparently least, is the “stylish” Specked with tangle free cord. Amazing. All are said to have been tested by the “toughest O’Neill team riders.” As proof, O’Neill is trotting out Jeremy Jones, Mark Mathews, and Ane Enderud to promote its new gear, presumably because they want to and not because they are contractually obligated under the terms of their respective high-paying sponsorships. Needless to say, these headphones aren’t for you if you don’t know who these people are or you lack the fragile hipster ego required to wear them. No prices were announced, but you can expect them to match the “premium” description when these arrive for retail in Europe and the US sometime this month.

We did give Stretch a go for a quickie ears-on, and honestly, while the cloth cord was a nice touch and they do seem to be super rugged, we’d prefer that the team paid a bit more attention to the sound quality than the finish.

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