For TV manufacturers, getting the best quality picture to the consumer is a top priority. For Sharp, they’ve tried to reach that goal by introducing TVs with the Quattron technology, which successfully adds a fourth color (yellow) to the standard Red, Green, Blue. The result is a sharper image, and better colors on the screen. The same technology is now going into their brand new LC-52-LB3 and LC-46LB3 AQUOS Quattron 3D LCD TVs, which were just announced by the company.
Both sets have the same features. Their only difference is their size and pricing. Sharp managed to include a Blu-ray recorder, which they’ve built into the sets along the side. The Blu-ray recorder is 3D-capable. If you decide to drop your hard-earned cash down for the new 3D sets, you’ll be getting full HD resolution, and a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. You’ll also, obviously, get the Quattron technology, which should offer you a sharper, and more color-rich experience, for both 2D and 3D viewing.
You’ll find one USB port on the sets, and BDXL compatibility. The LCD TVs also feature LED backlighting. Sharp isn’t coming clean on when we should expect these two brand new Quattron series LCD TVs internationally, but they are launching in Japan on November 15th. If you’re in the area around that time and looking for a new TV, then be ready to drop roughly $5,050 for the 46-inch model, and $6,000 for the 52-inch version.
Press Release
Sharp Corporation will introduce into the Japanese market two models in the new LB Series of AQUOS Quattron 3D LCD TVs. The LCD panels in the LB Series (52V- and 46V-inch) use Sharp’s proprietary four-primary-color technology, and both models feature 3D-compatible Blu-ray Disc (BD) recorders.
The LCD panels in the LB Series use four-primary-color technology developed by Sharp based on its proprietary UV2A technology*2. This technology adds Y (yellow) to the three RGB (red, green, blue) primary colors and significantly improves light utilization efficiency to provide a brightness approximately 1.8 times greater*3 than conventional three-primary-color LCD panels, enabling users to enjoy vivid, impressive 2D and 3D images. In addition, these models are equipped with a new Quattron Pure Mode that automatically optimizes high-definition images to match the four-primary-color technology, resulting in smooth, natural reproduction of images from the built-in Blu-ray Disc recorder.
The built-in 3D-compatible Blu-ray Disc recorder enables viewers to enjoy Blu-ray 3D™ video using a single unit. Plus, these recorders are compatible with BDXL™*4, the new format for multi-layer recordable Blu-ray Discs, and can record up to approximately 87 hours*5 of high-definition TV programming in extended recording mode.
These models also offer functions for enhanced connectivity with peripheral devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones, and support wireless LAN adaptors.
Sharp will continue to expand its lineup of AQUOS Quattron LCD TVs featuring four-primary-color technology to meet the diverse needs of consumers.
Product name Terrestrial/BS/CS110° Digital High-Definition LCD TV
Nickname
Series name LB Series
Model name LC-52LB3 LC-46LB3
Dot count (H x V) Full high-definition (1,920 x 1,080)
Suggested retail price Open
Date of introduction in Japan November 15, 2010
Initial monthly production 5,000 units
Major Features
1. Four-primary-color technology faithfully renders colors to provide vivid, high-quality images.
2. Impressive 3D images with screen brightness approximately 1.8 times*3 higher than previous models.
3. Built-in Blu-ray Disc recorder compatible with Blu-ray 3D™ specifications.
4. Extended recording times of up to approximately 87 hours*5 for HD TV programming using new BDXL™*4 disc media.
5. ARSS*6 eight-speaker system integrates video and audio, plus Duo Bass low-vibration woofer.
6. Further expansion in the range of applications, including connectivity with digital cameras and mobile phones, plus support for wireless LAN adaptors (3D photographs taken using a digital camera can be sent wirelessly to the TV).
*1 Quattron is a combination of the word “quattro” meaning “four” in Italian, and the word “electron” in English. The use of four primary colors is a concept designed for LCDs, and differs from the conventional three-primary-color concept of light and color.
*2 Abbreviation of Ultraviolet induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment.
*3 Screen brightness when displaying 3D images compared to Sharp’s previous technology (three-primary-color Advanced Super View LCD without FRED technology).
*4 Specification defined by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) for high-capacity Blu-ray Discs.
*5 In 10X extended record mode using triple-layer Blu-ray Disc media. This level of performance for recording time is not guaranteed, and actual recording time may exceed or fall below the abovementioned time depending on the image quality of the video being recorded and other conditions. The stated recording time is typical and intended as a guideline only.
*6 Abbreviation of “Around Speaker System.” Audio technology in which speakers are arranged around the screen.
Well, it was only a matter of time — first the leaked press shots of this elusive HTC Spark (although possibly misidentified as the Mondrian back then — note the shinier earpiece in the leaked AT&T ad), and now the real thing is in the hands of some lucky hardware tester. Fortunately for us, this guy also happens to have a naughty friend over at xda-developers — you’ll see in his photos that HTC Hub is alive and well, but otherwise, there’s not much info coming out of here. Regardless, feel free to head over to the source link for more Windows Phone 7 eye candy — you’ll need to register first, though, so we’ve grabbed a few shots below to get things going.
I was once stranded in Amsterdam for more than a week with my iPod nano and only 4 albums of music. I started the week at a Microsoft Mobius event, from which I got to visit Amsterdam coffeeshops with some fairly interesting and important people from Microsoft, Qualcomm and some of my other favorite tech blogs. After that event ended and most of my compatriots went home, I stuck around for a while to try to crash Nokia World, to which I was not actually invited or approved. In between, I had to wander the city and avoid getting into trouble.
I was using an ultraportable laptop at the time, and all of my music was kept on an external drive left behind at home. Because of a sync error the night before my trip, only one playlist was synchronized properly, and none of the rest of my library made the trip abroad. If I’m remembering correctly, the list included Radiohead’s “Kid A,” Saul Williams’ “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust,” M.I.A.’s “Kala” and Regina Spektor’s “Begin to Hope.” I listened to music a lot, all the time while riding the tram or walking the canals, but not while I was sitting in cafes, which play their own eclectic mix, or wandering through museums.
I had no iPod cable on me, and I wanted to avoid the Euro premium on buying a new one, so I decided not to charge my iPod. At the end of my 10-day trip, I was already tired of M.I.A. before her songs became sampled rap anthems, I had come to strange conclusions about Radiohead lyrics and autoerotic asphyxiation, and I still had plenty of juice left on my nano.
I loved that nano. I bought the iPod nano while I worked for the Apple Store, using the modest Apple employee discount. It lasted years until it was lost in a quick series of cross-country moves. I had owned an iPod mini before, and I liked the mini, but there is something so thin and so perfect about the form of the iPod nano, the two are more like cousins than long lost siblings.
When the fourth generation nano came out, returning to the long slim form factor from the short, stubby third generation, I bought one in purple. At the fifth generation, my Web site needed to replace a stolen iPod we used for testing, so I bought a nano with a video camera. When I left that site, I was happy to give the nano back.
The iPod nano has become a fascinating case study in Apple’s sometimes puzzling “If it ain’t broke, fix it” philosophy of product development. When the first nano was launched, it replaced the iPod mini, which was, at the time, the best selling MP3 player on the global market. Apple ditched the colorful mini for the black and white shell of the nano. It was a bold move, but it paid off. Of course, the transition to a much slimmer, smaller device based on solid state storage instead of a spinning hard disk drive was obvious. What came next? The strangest roller coaster ride in Apple’s iPod history.
Think about Apple’s product lineup. Apple moves remarkably slowly in its product designs. My current, 2010 Macbook Pro looks remarkably similar to the one I bought in 2003. Apple hasn’t changed its pro desktop in about as many years. Even the iMac stagnates for years. The iPod classic an obvious design successor to the original iPod. The iPod touch hasn’t changed its look in four generations. But there have been four different iPod nano designs in four years. For Apple, that’s a frenetic pace.
A couple weeks ago, before another trip to Europe (London, then Amsterdam again), I needed to replace my nano. My son, a toddler with a propensity for things that light up, had smashed it against the granite floors once too many times, though the nano put up a great fight. Lucky me, Apple had just released its newest iPod nano, the sixth generation touchscreen iPod, and I sprang at the excuse to buy one. There were a number of colors to choose from.
My first indication of trouble should have been the lack of purple.
After a couple weeks with the new iPod nano, I’ve come to realize the mistakes Apple has made with the iPod nano line. The iPod nano is a pure music player. At its best, that is what the nano does well. It stores music. It’s easy to find and organize your music, and maybe even discover some lost tracks. It’s simple to control on the fly, and it lasts forever. If an iPod nano does all of those things, for that alone we should be thankful.
Forget the video camera. The nano with the video camera was a stopgap until Apple figured out just how it wanted to play the iPod touch with a camera and FaceTime capabilities. It was never meant to last. The exercise features are great, like the pedometer and Nike+ support, but forget about using the accelerometer for stupid extras. If I bump my nano and it accidentally changes tracks, that’s a lousy feature.
Forget video playback and even photo viewing. All I care about is music, and I don’t even need much music on a nano. Just a week’s worth. 8GB of storage is enough, 16GB is plentiful. 8GB of storage is more than 111 hours of music. That’s enough for me. I don’t care about stuffing every song I own in my pocket, at least not on a simple business trip.
The new iPod nano is a nightmare. It looks cool, and that’s all it does well. At one event, I used it as a name tag. It was very geeky, and it caught a lot of attention. As a journalist, I like geeky, but I’m not interested in generating attention for myself, so I broke out the nano at parties only.
Want to skip tracks on the new nano? I skip around all the time depending on mood. On the new device, you have to unlock the screen. Oh, wait, is your nano turned upside down? You need to figure out which way to hold it so you can see the screen properly. If you have the clock set as a default screen, you have to swipe it aside. Finally, you get the music controls. That doesn’t sound like too much, but repeat that process every single time, and you’ll soon hate this little player. On the old nano, to skip tracks you just hit a button. You don’t even need to look at the player, the track wheel is easy to control without looking.
There was a time, a couple years ago, when tech journalists started asking each other if touchscreens were such an improvement. It seemed like every manufacturer was adding touch to their MP3 players, phones, laptops, etc, and calling it the next big thing. But touch doesn’t make a device better, it just adds a new input method.
The thing is, Apple’s old input method, the click wheel, was perfect. It was revolutionary. The click wheel and the small new hard disk drives were the two main factors in the original iPod’s success. It offered a lot of music and it was easy to control. The nano was the perfect embodiment of that philosophy. It was a great form, but it never got in the way of function. Is there a better compliment to industrial design than to say that it can disappear? The last generation iPod nano disappeared when you used it. The experience was all about the music, and the iPod only helped to get you there faster.
The new iPod nano is about showing off touch technology. Multi-touch on a 1.6-inch touchscreen? I can barely fit two fingers on the screen, let alone spread them apart for a multi-touch gesture. The interface is lousy. It slows down the process of finding and playing music. It forces you to look at the screen, to deliberate, and perhaps to enjoy the pretty icons and the rotating screen gesture.
The iPod nano is Apple’s hubris laid bare. It’s all about form, with almost no regard for function. It’s about adding the newest features, without asking whether those features are actually an improvement. It’s about making something thinner and smaller that was already thin and small enough. There’s a point of diminishing returns in the size of an object, where it starts to get more difficult to use as it gets smaller. The iPod nano is too small to use easily.
Oh, nano, how I miss you. I miss our transatlantic flights and sitting on a bench with you in Leidseplein, eating a croquette. I miss hearing you sing, without having to look at your bright and smiling face shining back every time I changed the tune. I miss your perfect shape, palm sized, but thin and sharp in the hand. You survived heat and cold, chewing and drops onto concrete, but eventually succumbed to an intense beating. I might try to find a refurbished iPod nano while they’re still available, but until then, at least I have my Zune.
The HTC Spark has found its way into the wild, with a leaked batch of photos apparently showing the Windows Phone 7 handset turning up at xda-developers. Not much to see that we haven’t already been shown, with a sizeable touchscreen, the usual three touch-sensitive buttons, and HTC’s own Hub on the homescreen.
As for its official debut, we shouldn’t have long to wait. Microsoft are holding an event in London, UK, on October 11th where – although the company itself hasn’t confirmed it – they’re expected to officially unveil the first batch of Windows Phone 7 devices.
The Fascinate’s ride at the top of Sammy’s Android lineup for Big Red might be a short one — a very short one. Feast your eyes on this monster, said to be the rumored SCH-i400 Continuum, whose biggest claim to fame would be the addition of a secondary OLED display below the main. What might you use it for? Well, it’s called the “Ticker,” and it’ll show notifications and RSS updates (and judging from that picture, weather conditions, too). Naturally, one of the selling points is that you can access basic phone functionality and information without having to fiddle with the normal UI or turn on that big, power-sapping primary display; in fact, the Ticker will automatically turn on when you grasp the bottom of the phone. The Continuum’s also got a microSD slot on the side (accessible without a battery pull) and a dedicated camera button, and judging from one of the shots we’ve got, it might be Galaxy S-branded. Follow the break for a couple more shots!
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has resigned from the Clearwire board of directors, along with Keith Cowan, Sprint’s president of strategy and corporate initiatives and Steven Elfman, their president of network operations, citing “an abundance of caution” over recent developments in antitrust law. The exact nature of the concerns was not explained, but the decision apparently came after questions raised by Clearwire.
Interestingly, the announcement comes after T-Mobile were tipped to be considering investing in Clearwire, though no public confirmation of a potential deal has been made. Sprint still has four appointees on the Clearwire board, and reserve the right to appoint up to three more at a later date.
Press Release:
Clearwire Announces Changes to Board of Directors KIRKLAND, Wash., Sep 30, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), a leading provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the largest 4G network in the country, today announced that Daniel R. Hesse, Keith O. Cowan, and Steven L. Elfman have resigned from the Clearwire board of directors. Hesse, Cowan and Elfman are all officers of Sprint Nextel Corporation and were nominated to the Clearwire board by Sprint.
Clearwire was informed by Sprint that the decisions to resign were made out of an abundance of caution to address questions raised by Clearwire regarding new developments in antitrust law. Clearwire’s board structure allows for 13 members, seven of which Sprint has the right to appoint. The remaining four Sprint appointees to the Clearwire board are unchanged, and Sprint reserved the right to appoint new members to the Clearwire board at a later date.
About Clearwire
Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), through its operating subsidiaries, is a leading provider of wireless broadband services. Clearwire’s 4G network is currently available in areas of the U.S. where approximately 66 million people live and the company plans to continue to expand its 4G coverage. Clearwire’s open all-IP network, combined with significant spectrum holdings, provides an unprecedented combination of speed and mobility to deliver next generation broadband access. The company markets its 4G service through its own brand called CLEAR(R) as well as through its wholesale relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Strategic investors include Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. Clearwire is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. Additional information is available at http://www.clearwire.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release, and other written and oral statements made by Clearwire from time to time, contains forward-looking statements which are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made with information that is currently available. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, management’s expectations regarding future financial and operating performance and financial condition; proposed transactions; network development and market launch plans; strategic plans and objectives; industry conditions; the strength of the balance sheet; and liquidity and financing needs. The words “will,” “would,” “may,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe,” “target,” “designed,” “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward- looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of Clearwire’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from such statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ are:
We are an early-stage company with a history of operating losses and we expect to continue to realize significant net losses for the foreseeable future.
Our current and future plans are subject to a number of conditions and uncertainties, including among others, our ability to manage ongoing market development activities (including the development of over 10,000 sites), our performance in launched markets and our access to additional funding.
We regularly evaluate our plans, and we may elect to pursue new or alternative strategies which we believe would be beneficial to our business, including among other things, modifying the pace at which we build our 4G mobile broadband networks, augmenting our network coverage in markets we launch, changing our sales and marketing strategy and or acquiring additional spectrum. Such modifications to our plans could significantly change our capital requirements.
We believe that we require substantial additional financing to maintain our current business plans, and if we are unable to raise such financing on acceptable terms we will need to modify our plans accordingly.
We may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the transactions with Sprint and the strategic investors.
We have deployed a wireless broadband network based on mobile WiMAX technology, and would incur significant costs to deploy alternative technologies. Additionally, such alternative technologies may not perform as we expect on our network and deploying such technologies would result in additional risks to the company.
We currently depend on our commercial partners to develop and deliver the equipment for our legacy and mobile WiMAX networks.
Many of our competitors are better established and have significantly greater resources, and may subsidize their competitive offerings with other products and services.
Our substantial indebtedness and restrictive debt covenants could limit our financing options and liquidity position and may limit our ability to grow our business.
Sprint Nextel Corporation owns a majority of our shares, resulting in Sprint holding a majority voting interest in the Company, and Sprint may have, or may develop in the future, interests that may diverge from other stockholders.
Future sales of large blocks of our common stock may adversely impact our stock price.
For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please refer to Clearwire’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2010 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 5, 2010. Clearwire assumes no obligation to update or supplement such forward-looking statements.
Dual-display cellphones aren’t anything like new, and neither are handsets that use OLED or even put two panels on the front of the phone. However, we’re still mustering some excitement about the Samsung Continuum SCH-i400, freshly leaked to Engadget and apparently headed to Verizon complete with Android and two displays, one called the “Ticker”.
As the name suggests, the smaller “Ticker” display is used for status updates, alerts and the sort of general information you like to have to-hand but which drains the battery unnecessarily if you keep powering on the main screen to check. Weather, RSS feeds and the date/time are all tipped for inclusion, and the panel apparently turns on automatically if you grab the bottom of the Continuum.
Otherwise details are pretty scant, though there’s a microSD card slot on the side, a dedicated camera button and Galaxy S family branding, while the UI is obviously Samsung’s TouchWiz. Much of the Ticker display’s usefulness will depend on how open Samsung is to letting third-party developers get their hands on it, but we’ll have to wait until the Verizon Continuum is officially announced before knowing more on that front.
If you were proactive enough to pre-order a T-Mobile G2, there’s a better-than-average chance that your shiny new smartphone is already en route to your abode. For those who slept in, it looks as if RadioShack will be the go-to place if you’re looking to snag one early from the retail universe. According to the badly formatted flyer pictured above, The Shack will be the first B&M location to stock the US version of the HTC Desire Z, and it’ll be hawking ‘em for $149.99 on a two-year postpaid contract starting October 3rd. Got that penciled into your little black book? Good.
In what probably takes the award for today’s strangest news, Ars Technica spotted that the generic user icon in the Outlook 2010 People Pane appears to use the outline of previous Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. More bizarrely, the image the Microsoft developer(s) responsible for the icon have used is seemingly Gates’ 1977 police mugshot, from when he was pulled over for a driving offense.
The default icon is used whenever Outlook contacts lack either a local image of the individual or one on Facebook or another social networking site that the People Pane can query. Why they chose a picture of Gates – and this particular image – is a mystery, as is whether the man himself knows of its origins.
AT&T has announced that it will be launching three new GoPhone prepaid plans as of October 3rd 2010, offering users a choice of only paying for service on the days they actually use it, an inclusive data bundle, or a basic $0.10 pay-per-minute option for those only wanting voice service. The AT&T GoPhone Unlimited Daily Talk and Text plan is perhaps the most interesting of the three: for $2 per day you get unlimited voice and messaging (IM/SMS/MMS), but if you don’t actually make/receive a call or send a message, you don’t get charged.
As for the Unlimited Talk and Text monthly plan, there’s a $60 contract-free plan which basically assumes you’re using unlimited services every day. For $75 you get that plus 200MB of data. Finally, Simple Rate offers $0.10 per minute voice calls with no contract. All three of the new plans will be available from this coming Sunday.
Press Release:
AT&T to Introduce New GoPhone Plans Beginning October 3 New Plans Offer Flexibility for AT&T GoPhone Customers.
Key Facts
AT&T* announced today it will offer new GoPhone® prepaid calling options on October 3
The Unlimited Daily Talk and Text plan is now available for just two dollars per day –customers pay only on the days the phone is used
An Unlimited Talk and Text monthly plan is now available with 200 MB of data
The new Simple Rate plan allows customers to pay by the minute with a lower rate of $0.10 per minute
The Unlimited Daily Talk and Text plan allows AT&T GoPhone customers to enjoy the flexibility of unlimited calling and texting with the two dollar rate plan charge only applying on days when they make or receive voice calls, use IM or send a text, picture or video message. Customers can now enjoy the benefit of unlimited texting in a pay only on days used plan, making it a convenient and affordable option for customers who prefer to pay as you go.
GoPhone Customers interested in paying by the month have the freedom to talk and text all they want for just $60 a month with the Unlimited Talk & Text plan. GoPhone customers can enjoy the benefits of the mobile Internet while on the go at an affordable price with the Unlimited Talk and Text plus 200 MB data plan for $75 a month.
AT&T GoPhone unlimited plans include nationwide calling and texting, as well as texting to Mexico, Canada and more than 100 countries worldwide.
AT&T GoPhone also offers a great selection of devices including full keyboard/touch screen devices like the popular LG Prime, which are available in all AT&T stores, as well as other authorized retail locations.
Quotes
“Prepaid customers now have the flexibility to pay only on days used for unlimited talk & text without the commitment of an annual contract,” said Judy Cavalieri, vice president of Prepaid Products for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Customers can have the unlimited talk and text plan for just two dollars per day that is only charged on the days they use their phone –all of that on the AT&T network they can trust.”
For more information visit www.att.com/gophone.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse 
AT&T 