Apple Cinema Display goes to 27 inches, 16:9 aspect ratio

Having reached a grand old age in the rapidly cycling tech world, Apple's 24-inch LED Cinema Display is today getting itself a new sibling. The new 27-inch display clocks in at a 2560 x 1440 resolution, sports a 16:9 aspect ratio, and does it all for the (not so) low price of $999. That might not sound like a steal, but Dell's similar U2711 (both offer IPS at the same resolution) actually retails for a hundie more at $1,099. For the price Apple includes a built-in iSight camera, a three port powered USB hub, and a universal MagSafe connector for charging up your MacBook. Like the 24-inch before it, Apple has really built this display to be the ultimate MacBook or MacBook Pro companion, since a single cable breaks out into the USB, Mini DisplayPort (with audio support), and MagSafe plug that are just about all your laptop requires when sitting down at a desk. PR is after the break, and the screen will start shipping in September.

AT&T claims it will be 'the premier carrier' for Windows Phone 7

Without question, AT&T's wireless growth these past few years has been largely based on iPhone -- and with apparently good reason, if you look at the numbers. As far as other platforms go, however, it's not been as rosy. Android's relation with the carrier, for example, is a story woven with years of hesitation, some questionable releases, and a rival that's fully embraced it to notable success (releases like the Captivate and Streak suggest a stronger future). So with all that in mind, what we're hearing from AT&T in the wake of Windows Phone 7 is decidedly more committal. Here's what a spokesperson told PC World this week: "We'll be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7" (emphasis ours). Strong words, but we still haven't heard concrete plans from anyone, including Microsoft, on what's going on with the release. Whispers care of our friend Michael Gartenberg suggest AT&T has "signed up for 8 million" phones and our own eyes have espied some launch materials, but we'll just have to see. Your move, Ma Bell. Assuage our doubts, k?

P.S. It's also worth noting that, after the Kin debacle, Microsoft and Verizon aren't exactly BFF, meaning rival AT&T's "premier" claim isn't likely to be contested by the one carrier with more subscribers.

Apple Magic Trackpad first hands-on

So it's real, and... it's a trackpad. What seemed like it might have been pure rumor and some good Photoshopping just a short while ago has magically (ha ha!) transformed into reality. If you're wondering what the Magic Trackpad is like to use -- get ready for a shock. It feels just like using a slightly larger version of a MacBook or MacBook Pro pad. And we mean exactly, right down to the multitouch gestures and whole-pad click. Yes, it clicks. There's also a new gesture, if you're keeping track -- a three-finger move that lets you drag windows around (very helpful), though you give up the functionality of being to navigate stuff like iPhoto galleries with a swipe (it's an option you can toggle in preferences -- you have a choice). We're going to be doing some serious testing with the new peripheral, but for now, feast your eyes on the pics below.

Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999

So shall it be written, so shall it be done. The Mac Pro has at long last proven rumors of its impending refresh accurate, as Apple has just updated its most powerful hardware with even more grunt. As we'd heard previously, that means you can now get dual-CPU rigs that offer a full dozen cores to play with, courtesy of Intel's Xeon server-class chips, though in order to get in on that game you'll have to splash a cool $4,999 entry fee. The quad-core starting price is still $2,499, though the eight-core machines have jumped up to $3,499, with both variants getting mild speed bumps to 2.8GHz and 2.4GHz, respectively.

Perhaps the most welcome upgrade is on the graphical front, where the Radeon HD 5770 takes up the mantle of default GPU, with additional options for a pair of such cards or a step up to a 1GB HD 5870 alternative if you're keen on maxing out those frame rates. Memory isn't neglected either, with choices ranging all the way up to 32GB of RAM, 4TB of conventional HDD storage, or an array of four 512GB SSDs -- though you're probably better off not asking how much that last one will set you back. The comprehensive specs can be found in the full press release after the break.

Apple Battery Charger gets official: a battery charger, only you know, better (update: hands-on)

Apple's just slipped something into its iMac update press release that we didn't want to go unnoticed: a battery charger. Apple's AA battery-powered lineup now includes the wireless keyboard, the Magic Mouse (which seriously burns through the juice) and the Magic Trackpad, and for $29 you can score a dedicated charger for all that gear. The Apple Battery Charger comes with six long-lived NiMH rechargeable batteries which apparently have a lifetime of up to 10 years.

Update: We just had a chance to get a quick hands-on with the little guy, and well, it's a battery charger. Apple tells us the charger has the lowest vampire power draw of any charger on the market -- the idea is for users to keep two batteries in each of their peripherals and two in the charger, so they can quickly swap out as the cells run out. Interestingly, the batteries are some of the only Apple products in recent memory that don't have an Apple logo on them -- they're just plain silver with "Rechargeable" printed on them. The charger itself has slightly nicer charging contacts than the usual spring-and-flap arrangement, and it features the same removable flippy-prong AC plug as Apple's laptop and iPad power adapters, so you can theoretically swap it for a longer power cord if you like.

HP Android tablet coming later than you think, or not at all

Although nothing official has come from HP on this front, we got some pretty solid word back in April that the American giant was mulling an Android tablet. As it turns out, what with the WebOS acquisition that followed and HP's dogged commitment to Windows 7, that Googly project has apparently slipped out of the limelight in HP HQ. Word from All Things Digital is that there'll be nothing forthcoming this year (as was tentatively expected) and if an HP Android tablet is to materialize, it'll have to come in 2011. The company seems to be in the midst of reallocating resources to its higher priority projects, and who knows, should that rumored Hurricane tablet blow us all away, Android might never gets its chance to shine at all.

Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to once again embrace and extend

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

A core part of Microsoft's strategy from days gone by was known as embrace and extend. With a reboot of their mobile platform due later this year, is it time for Microsoft to think about moving some of their services and applications to competitor's platforms? To some degree, it's already happening. Microsoft licenses the ActiveSync protocol which allows Android, iOS and other platforms to wirelessly sync with Exchange. It's developed Bing and Live Messenger apps for iOS and also done a deal to bring mobile Office apps to Nokia's platforms. One could argue that in some of these cases Microsoft has given competitors access to what could have been key differentiators for its own mobile efforts. I'm not sure I disagree with that analysis, but now that it's happening, I think Microsoft should think even more broadly about porting some applications and services. Here's what I'd like to see made available for other platforms.

Office Mobile: Sure, there are other solutions for viewing and editing Office documents on almost every platform, but none of them carry the Microsoft Office brand. A version of Office for mobile (including a touch-enabled version of OneNote) would be an instant best seller on every platform and a become the de facto standard for mobile office applications. A combination of free document viewers and a suite of applications at a reasonable cost would put Microsoft at the top of mobile productivity and at the same time help continue to drive Office sales for PCs and Macs.

Zune Pass: It's one of the best music subscription services around, but it only works on PCs and the few Zunes that have been sold in the market -- and yes, the even fewer Kins. A Zune client that supports streaming and offline downloads would be a great way for Windows users who for one reason or another haven't embraced Microsoft's mobile devices to use more of the company's services. Apple's great iPod success came with the addition of Windows support, and Microsoft can similarly position Zune as a choice for media consumption on non-Microsoft platforms -- mobile and desktop alike.

Porting applications and services can help Microsoft become the key provider for core functionality on other platforms and devices.

Xbox Live: It's another perfect app for mobile use and another reason for consumers to consider an Xbox purchase. While Microsoft likely prefers Xbox Live remain a premiere experience for Windows Phone 7 users, there's simply too many XBL members who don't use Windows or Windows Phone 7. It's silly to ignore them. Done properly, Xbox Live could become the standard for mobile gaming without Microsoft having to recreate the entire ecosystem, and provide a strong incentive for developers to create titles for the experience.

It's not likely that Microsoft (or any other vendor) will dominate the mobile platform space they way that Windows dominated the PC industry. While Windows Phone 7 may allow Microsoft to become a strong mobile platform provider, porting applications and services to other platforms can help Redmond become the key provider for core functionality across multiple platforms and devices. As non-PC devices become more important to consumers, this is a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to set the standard for core functionality on every platform and further drive the Microsoft brand into the consumer world. The alternative is to allow others to drive those standards -- and rather than embrace and extend, Microsoft's efforts could be engulfed and devoured.

AT&T handing out free 3G MicroCells to loyal customers?

While we've no clue how widespread AT&T's generosity is, or how you might get one, it appears that the company's "most valuable customers" are now receiving free range-boosting femtocells. Today, loyal reader Jason got a old-fashioned paper letter in the mail, offering his iPhone-wielding family a 3G MicroCell with no strings attached. Driving down to the local AT&T store, he got the product, but the dumbfounded reps offered no explanation why. Though his calls do frequently drop at home, Jason says he wasn't terribly vocal about the issue and only pays around $180 per month for his family plan -- the only thing that might possibly qualify him, in his opinion, is that his contract was set to expire. We've reached out to AT&T for more information; in the meanwhile, see Jason's letter after the break.

Tesla planting electric engines into two Toyota prototype bodies

Word on the street had it that Tesla's $50 million deal with Toyota wasn't formal back in late May, but evidently things have made positive progress since. According to a new (though admittedly brief) report over at CNN, Toyota is currently working with the electric automaker on a pair of prototype vehicles. As the story goes, Tesla will be delivering two prototypes to Toyota "by the end of the month," with the vehicles using "Tesla's electric motors and battery packs and the bodies of Toyota vehicles." Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel has been quoted as saying that the two outfits have "made a lot of progress in a short amount of time," and we couldn't be more excited to see what kind of results will come from this tie-up. We can't help but hope that those regenerative brakes do a bit more than regenerate, though. Sorry, we had to. Really.

Shocker! Apple approves apps for using LED on iPhone 4 as flashlight

Nah, your sarcasm detector isn't busted -- we genuinely are surprised that Apple has lifted the iron fist and allowed a piece of hardware on its handset to be used for something other than Jobs himself intended. It may seem trivial to those who haven't witnessed Apple block the most sensible of programs in the past, but allowing applications that enable end-user control of the LED camera flash is a pretty big deal. It's one of those "sad, but true" moments, you know? As of now, the affordable (£0.59) Flashlight - For iPhone 4 and even more affordable (zilch) LED Light for iPhone 4 can be downloaded directly from the App Store and used to activate the LED whenever you darn well please, and for reasons that we needn't mention, we'd suggest you go ahead and grab one... pronto.

Update: Another free option -- Power Light -- just splashed down into the App Store.

Update 2: Lookie there, another free option with LED-Flashlight! Woo!

125cc motorcycle + DIY fiberglass fairing = 214mpg, super cool looks

While the quest for alternate fuels goes on, so too other peoples' search for the ultimate in economy while running on good 'ol petrol. Allert Jacobs DIY creation reaches near the pinnacle of two-wheeled efficiency, almost doubling the stock Honda Innova 125i's 114mpg rating. He hand-crafted the fiberglass shell above, which slides forward to allow easy egress and looks rather close to the dustbin fairings post-WWII race bikes used to achieve incredible speeds -- before they were banned in 1958 due to crosswind instability. No word on what Jacobs' creation is like to ride in a stiff gale, but we must say his bike looks rather more badass than the stock model.

BMW's Pathfinder 'microNavigation' system promises to augment GPS

BMW has been working on augmenting GPS navigation for some time now, and it took another big step forward in recent weeks with the announcement of its Pathfinder "microNavigation" system. As the name suggests, that would supplement your basic navigation system with maps and directions for areas not covered by GPS -- a parking lot, for instance -- and it could be continually updated on an as-needed basis, with users able to download so-called microMaps for a specific area before they go on a trip. You'd also be able to easily jump from the in-car navigation to a navigation app on your phone to complete the final leg of your journey -- and, presumably, find your car when you're ready to leave. Of course, it is still just a prototype, but BMW does at least have a pretty good track record when it comes to actually implementing these sorts of things in its cars.

                                                  PRESS RELEASE

Pathfinder from BMW. Intelligent and networked microNavigation for destinations not yet covered in current systems or only with incomplete coverage.

Munich -- Just imagine that you are on your way to BMW Welt and you know that you have to get your tickets for the guided tour through the BMW Munich Plant at the Info Counter South. The following questions occur to you in quick succession: Where can I park? How do I get into the multi-storey car park and how can I find my way around in BMW Welt? Naturally, the navigation system can show you the way to BMW Welt. Unfortunately, more detailed information on complex destination venues like this is not available – yet. Specialists at BMW Group Research and Technology have taken up this challenge with the aim of giving BMW drivers even more confidence and convenience.

More detailed map display in complex destination areas.

The experts are unlocking completely new potential for navigation in the microNavigation research project. The researchers are using the BMW 3 Series as a prototype. A detailed large-scale map display allows complex enclosed destination areas to be visualised which are not covered by road maps in today's navigation systems or only have incomplete coverage. This extended navigation solution does not abandon drivers where conventional navigation leaves off. Even outside the vehicle, a mobile unit guides drivers to their desired destination and back to the vehicle. "The realistic visualisation of a building like a complex multi-storey car park by means of a micro-Navigation card in the Central Information Display of the research prototype gives the user a clear navigation and information advantage that goes significantly beyond the conventional scope of a road navigation solution," explains Carsten Isert, Project Manager for microNavigation at BMW Group Research and Technology.

Looking at it in detail, the system works like this: Drivers are able to download information about their destination in advance on their home PC. If there is a microMap for the destination area, the driver is offered this automatically and they can select their destination within the microMap. This destination is automatically transferred with the map data to the vehicle and augments the navigation available there. Naturally, sometime in the future it will also be possible to download microMaps at will while the driver is on the move. Researchers have also developed lane-specific positioning for the vehicle by networking camera information, GPS coordinates and map data. The driver is guided to the desired destination on a lane-specific route – for example a free parking space near the lift in the best position. Detailed maps in combination with precise car-park positioning provide support for drivers in finding their way around car parks and during the journey. After parking the vehicle, the data can be transferred to the driver's mobile device. This handheld then provides continuous navigation and helps drivers to navigate on foot in complex and unknown destination areas. "microNavigation gives drivers tailor-made navigation during the journey and at the destination and thereby significantly increases confidence and convenience," adds Robert Hein, Head of Navigation and Data Services of the Future at BMW Research and Technology.


Many years of experience in the development of navigation systems.

The advance of today's BMW navigation systems compared with retrofit solutions and dedicated solutions installed in vehicles by other manufacturers is ultimately derived from a long track record of experience. BMW was the first manufacturer in Europe to launch an integrated navigation system for a series vehicle in 1994. This formed one of the foundation stones for innovative systems to network vehicles with their surrounding environment. Today, these systems are grouped under the concept of BMW ConnectedDrive. BMW is consistently developing its navigation systems with the aim of maintaining its leadership position in this area. Development is focusing on innovative supplementary functions designed to enhance safety and convenience. BMW Research and Technology is also playing an important role with the microNavigation research project.


BMW Group Research and Technology
BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and has been responsible for research at the BMW Group since 2003. VehicleTechnology, CleanEnergy (hydrogen technology), EfficientDynamics (intelligent energy management/alternative drive systems), ConnectedDrive (driver assistance/active safety) and ITDrive (IT and communications technology) activities all come under its umbrella. Its legal independence as a GmbH (limited company) ensures creative freedom and unbeatable flexibility. Worldwide access to trends and technologies is provided by an established international network with bases in the USA (Palo Alto, CA and Clemson, SC) and Japan (Tokyo), plus Liaison Offices in France with Eurécom (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany in the shape of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI GmbH) in Saarbrücken.

Liquid-cooled Asetek prototype redefines our all-in-one expectations

We've been moaning about middling AIO performance for a while now, and outside of Apple's spendy iMacs, not many have stepped up to the plate with equivalent grunt to what you might be able to splice together with a separate case and a bit of elbow grease. That won't stay true for long, however, if Asetek's prototype gets picked up by one of your favorite vendors. This liquid-cooled beastie -- which proudly proclaims it has the same profile as the iMac at 58mm in thickness -- is capable of powering and chilling both a 2.66GHz Core i7-920 and a GeForce GTX 280M. That's a total TDP output of over 200W, which is handled by a proprietary radiator design that's integrated into the stand and some pump-assisted action convecting the heat away from the chips. It both sounds and looks like a winner to us -- check it out after the break to see what you think.

Futurama critiques modern gadget and social media obsession using 1950s technology

Like gadgets? Ever stand in line for one or over-consume just to slake your obsession? Yeah, us too. Then prepare for a humorous yet brutal look at yourselves, and the impact of your lifestyle, in the newest Futurama episode that aired tonight on Comedy Central television. We suggest curling up into a protective fetal position before clicking through for the video scraps.

Futurama	Thursdays 10pm / 9c
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www.comedycentral.com
Futurama New Episodes Futurama New Episodes Ugly Americans

Nexus One gets yet another Android 2.2 Froyo update, FRF91

Another day, another Froyo build. Now that Android 2.2 build FRF85 -- i.e. the big one that got pushed over-the-air to every Nexus One this week -- is out on the prowl, Google's taken it upon itself to release yet another update, FRF91. We've heard from a few tipsters that it's also going out OTA, but our devices have yet to be notified -- all the same, a direct link for the file has been found, so it's legit. Word on the street is it's just a security update, but we've yet to install it ourselves. Go on, live a little, download's just below.

Predator AG7750: New gaming solution from Acer

When it comes to gaming, it is clear that PC is the ultimate gaming platform. Its mostly because PC can be easily upgraded with the latest hardware and all that you need to enjoy the gaming to the fullest is money. Upgrades might not be cheap, but if you’re not the upgrade type you can simply purchase a whole new gaming solution.The latest gaming PC worth considering is the Acer Predator AG7750. We don’t know why is it called Predator but in my opinion it should be called monster because it comes with incredible hardware specs. Under the hood of Predator AG7750 there’s one of the most powerful processors on the market, Intel Core i7 930 2.8GHz that will handle all of your multimedia demands with ease. Of course, if you want to enjoy gaming to the fullest you’ll need powerful graphic card and Acer Predator AG7750 has what you need. Predator is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 that will run all of the latest games in full frame rate. If for some reason one graphic card is not enough for you there are two additional slots available as well. In addition, this gaming monster comes with 12GB of DDR 3 RAM which is more that you can really use, but we’re not complaining. As for the storage space Acer Predator comes with 1.5 TB storage that will be enough for all your games.

Latest Art Lebedev Optimus Popularis keyboard is pretty pricey

Art Lebedev has introduced their latest pricey computer gadget, the Optimus Popularis. Just like its predecessor, its got a wicked cool design which houses a screen on just about every key you’d be able to find. With pre-orders beginning to take place possibly by the end of this year or the start of the next, buyers willing to splash the cash can also expect to see a cool horizontal widescreen of widgets placed just below the function keys. This will surely make the new Optimus Popularis a keyboard worth a second look, not suprisingly therefore, the pricetag will be around the one grand USD mark.