Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We all know the internet is not a big truck, and the rolling blackouts in California not that long ago showed our power grid isn’t either. Part of the solution could be a series of tubes, a new type of solar generator from a company called Solyndra that replaces the usual square solar roof panels with something that would make Senator Stevens proud. The company’s photovoltaic rods are able to catch rays from any direction, meaning they don’t need to be tilted to point at the sun. Also, since they’re not shaped like a silicon kite, they don’t need the same big, beefy installation brackets. This cuts installation costs in half and has helped to drive $1.2 billion in orders from eager would-be customers of this three-year-old startup. Want to see ‘em for yourself? Head on down to the Solar Power International Expo next week in sunny San Diego.

[Via Make]

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Original post by Tim Stevens

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

JVC has pushed out a release today clarifying some of the claims it made back at CEDIA 2008, and by and large, it’s things that prospective buyers will want to hear. The company introduced an HD foursome of projectors in Denver earlier this month, but apparently, some of the specifications it included weren’t, shall we say, final. Looking specifically at contrast ratio, we see the DLA-HD750 and DLA-HD20 jumping from 30,000:1 to 50,000:1, the DLA-RS10 going from 17,000:1 to 32,000:1 and the DLA-HD350 doubling up from 15,000:1 to 30,000:1. Also of note, JVC is now highlighting the 16-step fixed aperture in the DLA-HD750 and DLA-RS20 that “helps eliminate extraneous light that can reduce contrast levels and allows adjustment of brightness to suit user preferences.” As for updated prices, you can expect to pay around $6,000 for the DLA-HD350, while the DLA-HD750, DLA-RS10 and DLA-RS20 come in at $8,000, $6,000 and $8,000 in order of mention.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

We’re not particularly inclined to believe them, but the whispers that Apple is about to bump the top-end iPhone capacity to 32GB are getting harder to ignore — especially since 8GB inventory is drying up, leading to speculation that’s it’s going to be dropped as soon as next week. We think the timing’s a little odd on the heels of the Let’s Rock iPod refresh, but considering the rampant speculation that Apple was forced to bump the nano to 16GB and drop the “limited edition” 4GB model entirely at the last minute in response to the new Zune lineup we suppose it makes competitive sense. AppleInsider also says customers will once again get the option to activate in-home, but we haven’t heard anything about that — we’ll see what happens in the next few days.

[Thanks, Harry]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Cellphones

We’re not particularly inclined to believe them, but the whispers that Apple is about to bump the top-end iPhone capacity to 32GB are getting harder to ignore — especially since 8GB inventory is drying up, leading to speculation that’s it’s going to be dropped as soon as next week. We think the timing’s a little odd on the heels of the Let’s Rock iPod refresh, but considering the rampant speculation that Apple was forced to bump the nano to 16GB and drop the “limited edition” 4GB model entirely at the last minute in response to the new Zune lineup we suppose it makes competitive sense. AppleInsider also says customers will once again get the option to activate in-home, but we haven’t heard anything about that — we’ll see what happens in the next few days.

[Thanks, Harry]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Seriously, you’re not surprised to see John Hodgman — aka, PC from those Get a Mac ads — using an iPhone in the New York subway are you? After all, Apple does pay his bills.

[Thanks, tbeam]

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Cellphones

fsjk85 at the Australian Whirlpool forums was playing around with his camcorder’s NightShot function when he found something interesting — a hidden data matrix code on the left side of the iPhone 3G. We’re guessing that’s where Apple imprints the serial and IMEI numbers of each handset since it can’t exactly hide them under a removable battery (cough), but we’ll leave it to the rest of you to decode this sneaky tag and solve the mystery once and for all.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

We’re not saying a transparent box designed to “acoustically amplify” your iPhone speakers is an unmistakable ripoff or anything, but we do believe your $19.99 would be better spent on materials and beverages of choice as you exercise that DIY muscle. At any rate, Griffin Technology has today introduced the AirCurve (that’s the thing we just described) alongside the Clarifi ($34.99; pictured after the jump), a polycarbonate protective case for your iPhone 3G. Unlike alternatives, though, this one has a “close-up lens,” which supposedly gives your iPhone 3G the ability to take remarkably detailed macro shots with even “more accurate colors.” Call us jaded, but both of these things have marketing hoopla written all over ‘em.

[Via iLounge]
Read - AirCurve
Read - Clarifi

Continue reading Griffin unveils AirCurve acoustic amplifier, Clarifi case for iPhone

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

So, you’ve gone and updated to that new “big fix” firmware 2.1 — but is the Kool Aid as delicious as you’ve been promised? On our end, we’re certainly seeing noticeable improvements on lagging keyboards, app switching / opening (particularly with contacts and text messages), moving through menus / scrolling, application installation and iTunes syncing, but has Apple solved the big issue? The software update page boasts of a “decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls,” and while that might make you think you’ll see the proverbial “more bars in more places” (and you probably do), it’s likely related to another change in this update, namely, “improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display.” We know that a lot of you are seeing apparent improvements in signal strength, but is that a matter of updated icons, or a reflection of some crazy voodoo Apple performed on the phone’s radio? We’re leaning towards the former, but we’d like to hear what you have to say. So what’s the deal? Is the iPhone 3G seeing actual reception improvements, or is it just cosmetic? Let us know in the poll below.

View Poll

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/Apple_s_iPhone_2_1_update_is_finally_out’; You made it. Three full battery charges and three full days of buggy 2.0.2 firmware later and the 2.1 software is now available for download. Remember, this “big update” comes with Steve’s personal promise of “fewer call drops… significantly improved battery life for most customers… fixed a lot of bugs where if you have a lot of apps on the phone you’re not going to get some of the crashes we’ve seen… backing up to iTunes is dramatically faster.” We’ll see.

P.S. Not that we’re expecting any, but if you spot copy and paste or any other unannounced features be sure to let us know.

Update: We’re updating right now and we’ll let you know if we see anything amazing. Keep us posted in the comments too — how is it going for you?

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Laptops

Don’t call it a netbook. Placing Raon Digital’s featherweight powerhouse up against relative monsters like the Eee PC or MSI Wind leaves you looking at a device that is tiny and fast, but at $879 is woefully overpriced. UMPC Portal was loaned one for perusal and found that it stands on its own, filling the gap (niche of a niche?) between ultra-mobile and ultra-portable. The six-page review was itself “written, edited, and post produced on the Everun Note in the car, bed, sofa and on the desktop.” UMPC Portal rates its battery life as below that of your typical 6-cell netbook (3 hours on average or 2:15 if you can’t live without WiFi), but indicates its dual-core AMD Turion X2 gives it the power to “span ultra mobile and desktop duties” — even serving as a respectable gaming machine, which can’t be said for your average Atom-based portable.

[Thanks, benz145]

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Original post by Tim Stevens

Vodafone Board feels that their shares are undervalued at present, so to build the share price up again, they’ve just sanctioned the self-purchase of up to £1 Billion of their own shares.
The publication of this decision comes the day after a Vodafone’s shared dropped almost 14% over the day, the largest single-day drop in its […]

Original post by Simon Perry

Vodafone Board feels that their shares are undervalued at present, so to build the share price up again, they’ve just sanctioned the self-purchase of up to £1 Billion of their own shares.
The publication of this decision comes the day after a Vodafone’s shared dropped almost 14% over the day, the largest single-day drop in its […]

Original post by Simon Perry

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

After slipping past their original spring release date, Panasonic’s PZ850 series of plasmas are no longer the only ones with YouTube support, but those desiring internet features, high contrast ratios and easy-access calibration settings can expect them on shelves this summer. The 46-, 50- and 58-inch versions should all be available in mid-June, with the 65-incher rolling out in August. Other than the IP features (Picasa access is also part of the package) the THX-certified PZ850s support h.264 playback from the SD card slot, RS-232C, 24p native playback, and a variety of display modes and settings to get the picture just the way the director intended, the way you like it, or anywhere in between. Check after the break for a list of prices, and our video hands on from CES 2008.

Continue reading Panasonic VIERACast internet-enabled plasmas due this summer

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Original post by Richard Lawler

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Not content with just busting out a new pair of Elite KURO plasmas, Pioneer has separately introduced four 1080p Pro models for those with (even more) exquisite tastes and deep wallets to back it up. The whole lot enjoys the firm’s highly touted Optimum Mode, which “simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions” and then makes the most appropriate adjustments based on what it senses, and “industry leading” calibration features. As for the 50-inch PRO-111FD ($5,000) and PRO-151FD ($6,500), you can expect a bolstered two year warranty and a ship date to be determined, while the Signature Series PRO-101FD (50-inch) / PRO-141FD (60-inch) units will arrive in October and August (respectively) with prices not yet disclosed.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sure, those flashy new KURO plasmas or that new array of receivers may have taken you by surprise, but don’t pretend you didn’t know this one was coming. Known simply as the Elite KURO projector, this 1080p beamer incorporates LCoS technology, dual HDMI 1.3 ports, wide lens shift capacity, a trio of viewing modes (standard, dynamic and movie) and a real semblance to JVC’s DLA-HD100. According to the firm, it’s designed for “high-end cinematic installations and supports advanced calibration,” and of course, you can’t escape a KURO release without a little bragging about black levels. We’re still waiting on a finalized specifications list, but ’til then, you can chew on that $9,000 price tag and wait for these to hit dealers next month.

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Original post by Darren Murph