Some believe a future full of massive, gesture-controlled computer displays like the ones seen in Twentieth Century Fox’s Minority Report are an inevitability, and a prototype PC designed by an intern with the Microsoft Applied Sciences Group may be among the first steps in making that future a reality. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D student and MIT Media Lab research assistant Jinha Lee recently set out to change the way we interact with desktop computers. While progress has been made with 3D display technology, 3D has not yet proliferated in the personal computing space and Lee wants to change that. The end result of his work is a fascinating desktop computer with a transparent 3D display and a unique gesture-based interface that could change the way we use computers. More →
Sony officially announced the Xperia arc S, a high-end Android smartphone, during the IFA trade show in Berlin on Wednesday. The Xperia arc S is equipped with a 1.4GHz processor, the ability to shoot 3D and 3D panorama pictures, 8GB of storage, an 8.1-megapixel camera and a 4.3-inch Reality display with an 854 x 480-pixel resoluteness. The handset runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has access to Sony’s Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited storefronts. Sony did not provide pricing details for the Xperia arc S but said the phone will be available in select global markets during the fourth quarter of this year in white, blue, silver, black and pink. Read on for the full press release. More →
Nintendo announced Wednesday that it will launch a “flame red” version of its Nintendo 3DS on September 9th. The portable gaming system will launch in tandem with the new Star Fox 64 3D game and will be available for the new $169.99 price, which goes into effect on August 12th. “With major upcoming releases in the Star Fox, Pokémon and Mario series, in addition to downloadable offerings from Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Video and Netflix, the system offers new and fun experiences to owners on a daily basis,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said. Nintendo has sold 830,000 3DS units in the U.S. since its March 27th launch. Super Mario Land 3D is expected to hit store shelves in November and Mario Kart 7 will be available in December. Read on for the full press release. More →
AT&T has confirmed with BGR that it will launch the LG Thrill 4G “in the coming weeks” for $99.99. The Thrill 4G will be the second smartphone with a 3D display to land in the United States, and it features a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of storage, the ability to record 1080p video in 2D or 720p video in 3D, a forward-facing camera for video chat and 512MB of RAM. AT&T has also included several pre-loaded 3D games including Asphalt 6, Let’s Golf 2, and Nova. We’ve been testing the Thrill 4G for the past few days and will be bringing you our full review shortly.
Amazon has stopped directly selling the Nintendo 3DS citing customer complaints as the cause of its decision. The portable gaming console currently has 359 reviews and an average of 4/5 stars on Amazon’s website, which suggests customers are happy with the unit itself, but the online retailer has posted a note that states:
While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it’s described here. (Thanks for the tip!)
We’re working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
It remains unclear but Amazon could have stopped selling the 3DS because of a mistake in its original listing or due to customer complaints on how the product arrived. Techland is speculating that cause could be the “rubber feet” on the top lid. These feet are supposedly not adequate enough to prevent the screen from rubbing against the keypad while the console is closed. Gamers can still purchase the Nintendo 3DS from third-party retailers on Amazon.com however, and from a number of additional retailers across the country. More →
According to new figures released by Nintendo on Friday, the company sold twice as many Nintendo DS gaming consoles as it did newer Nintendo 3DS devices. The Japanese firm revealed that it sold 386,000 Nintendo DS systems as opposed to just 143,000 3DS units in June, according to MSNBC. It’s likely that the popularity of the DS can be attributed to its lower price point, but the small pool of 3D games could also be hurting 3DS sales; game publishers have yet to release some of the most anticipated 3D titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 3D. The gaming industry hasn’t jumped for the device as much as Nintendo had hoped, either. Although Nintendo said that it moved 400,000 units during its first week of U.S. availability, the firm also said overall sales were weaker than expected. More →
The wait is over — Sprint’s brand new EVO 3D Android smartphone and EVO View 4G tablet are now available to all customers. The EVO 3D, which offers a glasses-free 4.3-inch 3D display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, a 1.2GHz processor, and the ability to record 1080p video, is available for $199.99 with a new two-year Sprint contract. We ran our review earlier this month and called it our “favorite Sprint phone, hands down.” The EVO View 4G, which we also recently reviewed, is powered by a 1.5GHz processor, has a 7-inch display, 4G WiMAX connectivity, and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It’s available for $400 with the Scribe pen for a limited time. Hit the jump for the full press release from Sprint. More →
On Tuesday Toshiba took the wraps off of its new Satellite P700 series laptops. The models include the P745, P755/P755 3D, and P775, which sport 14-inch, 15.6-inch, and 17.3-inch displays, respectively. Buyers will have the option to configure their P700-series notebook with an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processor, and models sport either an NVIDIA GeForce GT540M GPU or an AMD A6-3400M chip with discrete Radeon graphics. Other features include HDMI-out, USB 3.0, up to 750GB of storage space, Harman Kardon speakers, support for Intel Wireless Display, and optional 4G WiMAX and Blu-ray players. The P750 3D offers a 15.6-inch stereoscopic 3D display, support for 2D-to-3D DVD conversion, and more. The P745 starts at $699.99, the P7555 begins at $629.99, and the P775 starts at $629.99. The high-end P775 3D will set you back at least $1,199.99. The entire P700 series will be available in major retail outlets beginning June 21st. Hit the jump for the full release. More →
Microsoft’s Israeli research and development team may have recently teased an upcoming Xbox 360 feature that is sure to interest a few gamers out there: 3D. Late last month, Microsoft’s R&D team posted a link from its official Twitter account pointing to a Hebrew-language Gadgety.co.il post about an interesting rumor. In a nutshell, the rumor suggests that Microsoft is currently prepping a software update for the Xbox 360 that will enable HD stereoscopic 3D. Included with Microsoft’s tweet was a question that translates to: “what do you think of a 3D console?” Now, companies don’t typically draw attention to baseless rumors, so we’re thinking someone at Microsoft got a little excited and might have slipped up, especially when considering the playful question posed alongside the link. The initial report suggested Microsoft’s 3D feature would be introduced at E3 2011, but that obviously didn’t happen, possibly because the software was not yet ready to be shown off. We have a feeling Xbox fans could be in store for a treat soon, however, and an announcement in the coming months definitely wouldn’t surprise us. A screenshot of Microsoft’s tweet can be seen after the break in. More →
At the Display Taiwan 2011 conference taking place this week in Taipei, display manufacturer CPT gave us a glimpse at the iPad 3D many users have been hoping for. Of course this 3D-enabled iPad 2 is a modified unit that will never see production, but it does highlight the fact that even though the iPad 2 is remarkably thin, there’s still room for a 3D display in the ultra-slim aluminum case. While Apple has been rumored on numerous occasions to be testing iPad models with 3D display technology, it is likely that the company would opt for a glasses-free panel as opposed to the panel fitted into this iPad 2 by CPT, which requires 3D glasses. The prototype is interesting nonetheless, and as the presenter mentions, the possibility of 3D will be an added benefit once Apple releases an iPad model with a Retina Display. A video showcasing the 3D-enabled iPad 2 can be seen below. More →
According to a RadioShack advertisement spotted by Phandroid, the store could begin shipping the highly anticipated HTC EVO 3D from Sprint on June 24th. The retailer began quietly taking pre-orders on May 17th, which suggests an imminent release, so June 24th certainly seems like it’s in the right ballpark. When it launches, the EVO 3D will be the first 3D smartphone to land on a carrier’s shelves in the United States. We were impressed with the glasses-free 3D display during our hands-on at CTIA earlier this year and we’re definitely excited to get our hands-on a review unit as soon as possible so we can spend more time putting it through its paces. More →
We just got off the phone with a number of RadioShack locations, and each one has confirmed that the retailer is now quietly taking pre-orders for Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D. We were told that, interested users should rush to the store as pre-order quantities are very limited. Employees did not confirm when the EVO 3D would be available for pickup, although we suspect it won’t be a very long wait. Best Buy also began taking pre-orders earlier this month, but it too neglected to reveal when the phone would become available. We went hands-on with the EVO 3D during CTIA and were impressed by its glasses-free 3D display. We also loved the solid, albeit beefy, industrial design. More →
