Engadget: The bezel on the LE9500 is almost non-existent! Just 8.5mm to be exact. The LE9500 series LCD TVs from LG sports a fantastic external industrial design. LG coupled the ultra-simple design with some heavy duty technology: LED backlight with local dimming, 3D, optional wireless HDMI, 480Hz, THX certification, NetCast (VUDU, Netflix, DLNA, Skype, etc.). The LE9500 series come in two sizes: 47-inch and 55-inch.
Regardless of what it looks from the side or the back, I think LG has a winner here with its LE9500 series. Apple’s Jony Ive mentioned in a recent iMac video marveling the all-encompassing display:
The entire front of the new iMac is just dominated by this incredible new 16:9 display… It’s just display then no display. That’s it.
Well, Ive will certainly be looking very hard at the LE9500 and how unbelievably thin the bezel is. Now this is what I call being dominated by the display. Simply beautiful.
I am very curious as to whether the LE9500 is using an edge-lit or direct-lit LED backlight. Is it possible to get the bezels that thin with edge-lit LED? Just look at what this TV is capable of, including 3D, wireless HDMI, coupled with 480Hz and local dimming! The price will certainly be quite high but this is the first TV in a long while that has seriously piqued my interest: I want one.
Palm: The Plus in the new Palm Pre means 5 things:
I was mentally counting out Palm with the recent push from the Android crowd (Nexus One and a whole bunch of other phones), but the Palm Pre Plus combined with Verizon (even with the $350 ETF) looks really good.
The iPhone is great but you need to be on AT&T, which is becoming a deal-breaker for a lot. Unlock and jailbreak it and go to T-Mobile? Probably not as good as you’re hoping even with the lower price. Verizon has its issues too (crappy bill management system, $350 ETF on “advanced phones”) but you have to give it to them for the reliability, which is more important than being able to talk and surf at the same time or faster speeds. All of that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have a solid data connection.
The other option is Android, but the Palm looks so much more polished and intuitive. I’ve played around with a couple of Android devices at T-Mobile stores and I can’t understand how laggy the touch experience is. Maybe the Nexus One is different but then you’re stuck with T-Mobile until it gets to Verizon in “Spring 2010″. You want a physical keyboard on a smartphone? I think the only real choices are the Palm Pre Plus or a BlackBerry. Both on Verizon. The Palm Pre Plus will be available on Verizon on the 25th of January. How interesting, that’s when my AT&T plan is up. Source:
Walmart Wireless via Android and Me, Engadget: Soon you’ll be able to pick up a Nexus One from Walmart. And not the Nexus One crippled to use on T-Mobile’s 3G-limited network but the one that works on the network of your choice: Sprint, Verizon or AT&T. And some say the price might be a door-buster at just US$99. The Engadget article speculates the possibility of a single Nexus One model able to connect to all of the aforementioned wireless carriers, but I doubt it.
Phone Scoop via Engadget: T-Mobile announced today that its entire 3G network has been upgraded from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps. The company is also planning to be the first to deploy HSPA+ by mid-2010. With HSPA+ we’re looking at download speeds of 21Mbps! Couple this announcement with the Nexus One and the fact that the superphone will be coming to Verizon, which has the largest 3G coverage, and I get the feeling that there is something big going on. The only thing left to do is announce that Nexus One will be coming to Sprint making use of its 4G network to squeeze AT&T and the iPhone as tight as possible.
The New York Times via Engadget: Have you seen videos of Microsoft’s Courier multimedia dual-screen slate? (YouTube link) It is almost unbelievably cool. Unbelievable because it is coming from Microsoft, who has made gazillions copying others, not creating things new. Rumor has it that Microsoft will be unveiling a HP-built Courier at CES. I hope it does because I think competition will help drive massive innovation in this space, a space that should bring big smiles to those who like to take handwritten notes, draw, scrap, etc.
I just purchased a Cachet classic sketchbook for exactly the same purpose for $7.95 at Barnes & Noble. I bought this one among many because it exuded quality, was made in England using Canford paper. I will probably continue to buy notepads at the beginning of each year even if there was something like Microsoft’s Courier on the market. Why? Because I like the feel of pen/pencil on high-quality paper. And because something like the Courier would be significantly more expensive than $7.95, require daily recharging, monthly back ups, annual upgrades and a single drop on concrete or coffee spill would ruin it, driving me insane. A rugged version with a design equally nice however…
cnet: The Sony VAIO F is a handsome 16.4-inch notebook PC sporting a 1920 x 1080 pixel format. A unique option of the VAIO F is a recordable Blu-ray drive. I wonder if Sony’s movie division will have a fit. GPU power comes from NVIDIA’s GeForce GT300M while CPU duties are carried on by Intel’s Core i7-720QM.
Another interesting feature is the company’s Transfer Jet technology. Place a compatible digital camera on a specified spot on the wrist rest area on the VAIO F and photos wirelessly gets transferred. How neat is that? Of course, you’ll need both the new VAIO F and a Transfer Jet-capable digital camera from Sony. I hope Sony open sources its Transfer Jet technology but I’m not holding my breath.
I have shared my preference for a centered keyboard on notebook PCs, but it is unfortunate to see the left-shifted keyboard and trackpad on the new VAIO F. How many users really need the numeric keypad? I don’t know of many, unless you’re working behind a retail counter, where I don’t see the VAIO F spending much time. The VAIO F starts around US$1000 and can be pre-ordered on Sony’s site.
The NX system from Samsung does not have a reflex mirror, similar to the Micro Four Thirds system. What is different from Micro Four Thirds is the use of APS-C-sized image sensor that are found in most traditional DSLRs. By eliminating the reflex mirror, Samsung has reduced the flange-back (lens mount to sensor) distant from 45.5mm on its GX-20 to just 25.5mm on the NX10. The all-live view system allows for much thinner bodies. Here are the specs:
Other lens options will include 30mm, 18-55mm, 50-200mm at launch. And there will be two dedicated flashguns: SEF20A, SEF42A. Now if Samsung makes a Panasonic GF-1-like NX system-based camera, I think that would shake things up quite a bit. Source: DPReview, Engadget
CORD-LESS: I want to get rid of the cord attached to my mouse. All of the ports on the unibody MacBook Pro are on the left so if you want to use a mouse (and you’re right-handed) you have a long cord spanning the entire length of the chassis. Macally’s Turtle, a wonderful little mouse with a retractable cord, is my choice mouse because of two things: the disappearing cord when transporting it and the most satisfying click I’ve experienced in over a dozen mice that I have tried over the years. But I have a problem: because of how the lid mechanism is designed on the MacBooks the mouse cord can sometimes get in the way of the lid movement. The mouse cord gets stuck in between the lid and the chassis. It happens only once or twice a day but that was enough for me to earnestly look for a cordless mouse.
MAGIC MOUSE: As you can guess the cordless mouse I decided to try out is Apple’s Magic Mouse. There are 1270 reviews on Apple’s online store at the time of this writing. The overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars. Quite high. Here is a short list of what people like/dislike about the Magic Mouse:
What people don’t like about the Magic Mouse:
ERGONOMIC: It is interesting to see that some consider the design ergonomic while others disagree. Personally, I think it is quite ergonomic, probably the most ergonomic. My test for ergonomics is simple: Put your hand comfortably on your desk; remember the shape of your hand. Now put your hand over the Magic Mouse. Very little changed, and that’s why for me the Magic Mouse may be one of the most ergonomic mice available.
NOISY FEET: The rubber feet on the Magic Mouse is actually a bit noisy. It may be my 18-year old desk (actually a kitchen table) from Scandinavian Designs, but it is not. The Magic Mouse is noisy on almost any surface. The noise isn’t loud but just a bit higher-pitched than other mice. I think the solution is simple: make the rubber strips a bit softer.
CONFUSED: The Magic Mouse and the Mighty Mouse gets confused easily. Because of the inherent unibody design without distinct left and right buttons any mouse from Apple will most likely suffer. I have often clicked the “right button” on the Magic Mouse resulting in a left click.
BATTERY: I haven’t used the Magic Mouse long enough. The battery level is 89% after two weeks of use. I usually work home but in the last couple of weeks I have worked more at cafes. So this isn’t a clear indication of the battery’s longevity. After the Energizer batteries are depleted I will most likely replace them with Sanyo’s eneloop rechargeable batteries, which have had some positive reviews for use with slow-drain products such as mice.
I LIKE WIRED: I am biased against wireless mice and much prefer a wired version. In my experience, the direct connection transfers over to a more direct tracking performance. I can feel a slight lag, especially in Bluetooth-connected mice. Plus I like the mechanical feeling of the scroll wheel. Maybe that’s why I like to connect my MacBook Pro via an Ethernet connection when home and drive a stick shift VW. I just like direct, but, as I have said in the opening paragraph, when the wire gets in the way of my computing experience that’s when I am willing to seek wireless options.
LAG: Going from wired to wireless requires some getting used to, especially when you’re extremely sensitive to lag. I feel a slight lag and I don’t like it. After using the Magic Mouse for a while I went back to my Turtle. The experience was startling: the Turtle’s tracking was immediate. Is this to be expected in a wireless mouse? It depends on the wireless technology. My feeling is RF wireless is very close to wired in terms of direct tracking experience; Bluetooth is far behind. If you are sensitive to lag, as I am, you might not like the tracking experience with the Magic Mouse. I’m still using it despite the lag because the Magic Mouse is so much more than just a mere mouse.
DESIGN: Is it possible to make a mouse more simple in design than the Magic Mouse? Yes and no. The single piece of curved transparent acrylic showing a white background and Apple’s logo is quite a sight. Simplicity and elegance at their best on a mouse. But when I turned the Magic Mouse over I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the simple top the bottom was a bit cluttered. There were five elements: optical tracking cut-out, power indicator, on/off slider, black rubber for sliding and a black cover latch. I’m not a product designer so I don’t have any solutions to offer but to me all of these elements combined do not look simple enough, especially in light of the design simplicity embodied on top. Of course, this isn’t a big deal since the mouse bottom will be seen only a few times a year, to replace the batteries.
MULTITOUCH: A two-finger swipe to the left is equivalent to the “back” button on your browser. Want to go forward? That’s a two-finger swipe to the right. Unfortunately that’s about it for multitouch gestures out of the box. Fortunately there are tools to significantly augment the Magic Mouse. More on that in the next paragraph. Back to multitouch: Because the entire surface of the Magic Mouse is a capacitive touch sensor this curvaceous beauty can understand almost an unlimited number of gestures. The only clear limitation is the number of fingers you have!
BetterTouchTool: This is a must-have Mac utility that adds the ability to fine-tune tracking speeds and way beyond the limit for Apple’s default preference. You can also add gestures. I’m tinkering with BTT and have set a three-finger swipe down for Dashboard and a three-finger swipe up for Expose. BTT is absolutely brilliant.
Suggestions for improving the Magic Mouse:
The Magic Mouse is already far ahead of any other mouse available today, but it isn’t perfect. I would like a more direct feeling when tracking with the Magic Mouse, almost as if it was connected via a cord. Now that would truly be magical. Another improvement would be the left and right “buttons”. Apple needs to make the experience of clicking the left and right buttons more distinct. I have often clicked the right button and the Magic Mouse thought it was the left. Here are some far-fetching ideas that sound far-fetching but really isn’t:
INDUCTION CHARGING: Not everyone uses a mouse pad but Apple should seriously think about building an induction charging capability into the Magic Mouse and supply a induction charging mouse pad. I would certainly go back to using a mouse pad. Simple and intuitive.
BATTERY LEVEL: The sleek battery indicator on the unibody MacBook Pros are elegant and effective. I would recommend maximizing the same components and integrating it into the Magic Mouse so we can physically see how much battery is left. Of course with induction charging battery levels would always be topped but when you’re traveling this little indicator would come in handy just in case you were deciding whether to pick up those AA batteries along with your Red Bull. One of the lights would also work as a power indicator.
BOTTOM LINE: The Turtle by Macally has a more direct tracking feel and the click is more satisfying than the Magic Mouse’s click that requires a bit more push. But the cord gets in the way of my right-handed computing experience on the MacBook Pro, which has all the ports on the left. The Magic Mouse is simply beautiful, cuts the cord, and adds super-mouse abilities. This latest mouse from Apple isn’t perfect but it has the genes to become the very best.
TheFlashBlog via Daring Fireball: Lee Brimelow posted up a bunch of screen images of the iPad. There are ten images and all of them have one thing in common: a blue square Lego piece with a question, which is the icon when Flash isn’t working. Of the ten, I personally use two, of which one is Hulu: my favorite way of watching TV. I guess I won’t be watching TV via Hulu on an iPad. But that’s not what got me to type up this post. Lee also had a screen image of Flash not working on a porn site. This is what he said responding to a reader’s comment:
I’m not playing up any porn angle. But it is HUGE part of the web and is almost entirely Flash-based.
I don’t like porn and I think it is one of many vices that have a materially negative impact on our understanding of what healthy relationships between the two sexes are and should be. So, if what Lee is saying is true, then the absence of Flash on the iPad is a big plus for many of us who want to stay clear of porn on the Internet.
Daring Fireball: I have often shared with my friends that the Mac just lets me get my work done. The PC, on the other hand, forces me to work on it. I think the iPad will push this distinction a bit further. Fraser Speirs comments on the iPad’s impact on doing work in his piece, “Future Shock“:
Think of the millions of hours of human effort spent on preventing and recovering from the problems caused by completely open computer systems. Think of the lengths that people have gone to in order to acquire skills that are orthogonal to their core interests and their job, just so they can get their job done.
If the iPad and its successor devices free these people to focus on what they do best, it will dramatically change people’s perceptions of computing from something to fear to something to engage enthusiastically with.
DisplayBlog is written and produced by Jin Kim. Subscribe via RSS.