Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1-Mk2

 Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1-Mk2

On the page DJ Headphones we find great article about some great DJ Controler, and it's new Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1-Mk2. Below you can read full article, and if you wanna know more about this product, on the end of this article you can find some interesting links. 

 

TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 is the compact add-on controller engineered for seamless TRAKTOR integration.

    - Control two track decks and two TRAKTOR FX units
    - Touch strip controls track position, pitchbend, loops and FX
    - RGB backlit triggers identify cue points from loops or markers

The NI Traktor Kontrol X1 MK2 is a compact and modular Digital DJ controller that was built specifically for the full Traktor Pro 2 software that allows DJ’s to control file navigation, effects, loops, hotcues, Flux Mode, and other playback properties. The Traktor Kontrol X1 MK2 is the second iteration of the original X1 with some minor layout changes and the addition of a touch strip and loop counter readout that allows DJ’s to take even more control of their mixing than ever before. Watch our full review video for the complete rundown.

QUALITY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Built for maximum precision and flexibility in DJ performance, TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 boasts professional quality workmanship that offers both portability and a familiar layout.

Now redesigned, the new KONTROL X1 offers a new multi-purpose touch strip and intuitive touch-sensitive encoders for a powerful and portable DJ solution fit for any situation. The optional transport bag allows for safe transport and puts X1 at exactly the same height as standard mixers and other DJ hardware.

HTC sees Q1 revenue flat to 17 percent lower versus Q4

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp expects revenue to be flat to 17 percent lower in the first quarter compared with the previous three months, worse than forecast, while margins are also seen holding steady or shrinking.

 

The former contract manufacturer's fortunes have been declining sharply since the second half of 2011, as the growing dominance of Apple Inc's iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Galaxy range quickly deflated the success of its own brand's rapid rise.

HTC said on Monday that it expects first-quarter revenue of T$50 billion to T$60 billion ($1.69-2.03 billion). That compares with T$60 billion in the fourth quarter and T$65.75 billion a year ago.

Analysts have forecast HTC would earn revenue of T$62.77 billion for the quarter, according to the average projection of 18 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

HTC also said it expects a first-quarter gross margin of about 21 to 23 percent, flat to lower from 23 percent in the prior quarter, and an operating margin of 0.5 to 1.0 percent, also flat to lower from 1 percent.
The weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue outlook follows a 91 percent year-on-year slide in the Taiwanese company's net profit in the fourth quarter that fell short of analyst forecasts.

Analysts doubt that 2013 will be a turnaround year for HTC as the strength of its brand lags far behind Apple and Samsung.

But some have said that the next version of its flagship smartphone, code-named "M7" and which they expect to be launched in the middle of this month in New York and London, could give the company a first-mover advantage of a few months on features such as higher-resolution cameras.

Samsung Electronics, the world's top smartphone maker, said last month that it expected the global smartphone market to shrink in the first quarter from the seasonally strong fourth quarter, while the overall handset market would see growth at a mid single-digit percentage rate this year from 2012, with the smartphone segment set to slow.

Strong smartphone sales powered an 89 percent increase in operating profit at the Korean company in the October-December quarter to a record $8.3 billion.

Cupertino, California-based Apple, which faces intense competition from Samsung, sparked a slide in its share price late last month when it forecast lower revenue of $41 billion to $43 billion in its current fiscal quarter, down from $54.5 billion in the previous quarter and below the average Wall Street forecast of more than $45 billion.

On Monday, shares of HTC fell 1.6 percent, versus a 0.9 percent rise in broader market. HTC's shares have fallen more than 40 percent since the start of last year, compared with a 12 percent rise in the Taiwan stock benchmark.

Acer tips quad-core low-cost tablets for 2013

Acer Iconia B1 Tablet

 Acer tips quad-core low-cost tablets for 2013

Acer has already received some positive attention for its Iconia B1 tablet, which is a 7-incher that’s aimed at the budget crowd. Looking to take a slice of Google’s Nexus 7 pie isn’t easy, but it seems that Acer wants to push forward by offering new budget-friendly tablets in 2013. Specifically, it appears that Acer CEO Linxian Lang told the China Times that it will have low-cost 8 and 10-inch tablets coming up later this year.

These tablets are said to have a price point ranging from 150 to 175 Euros, which puts them at about $202 to $236. That certainly isn’t bad considering how expensive some tablets can get, but of course, pricing hasn’t been set in stone yet, so that could change. These tablets will also come packed with quad-core processors, which will make them all the more attractive to those looking for a deal.

So, in 2013, we may see Acer try to corner the entry-level market. That isn’t a bad idea, because while others like Apple and Samsung duke it out over the high-end tablet crowd, Acer can make its tablets appeal to more mainstream users. That could potentially result in quite a few sales, so provided Acer can offer these quad-core tablets on the cheap, it might just have a winning strategy on its hands.

Lang discussed the tablet market when talking to the China Times, saying that the company expects 200 million tablets to be sold this year. Of those 200 million, 80 million will be expensive high-end devices, leaving 120 million sales to the mainsteam crowd. If those projections are accurate, then there should be plenty of market share to capture when it comes to entry-level and mid-range tablets. We’ll have to wait and see if Acer makes any formal announcements for these tablets, so stay tuned.

BlackBerry 10 faces uphill struggle

In the end, Carole Blake simply took a hammer to her BlackBerry smartphone, and smashed it into pieces. The London-based literary agent had had enough of what she saw as increasingly unreliable service.

In October 2011, BlackBerry servers were down for days including her time at the Frankfurt book fair. But that was just the beginning of her BlackBerry problems, as her handsets also started malfunctioning. "Four in a year left me frothing," she explained.

She switched to an iPhone 5. "It took five minutes to adjust, helped by having used an iPad. My unreliable BlackBerry was hurting business," she said.

For Research In Motion (RIM), the Canadian company that invented the BlackBerry, Blake's story illustrates some of the many blows to the company over the past two years.

Millions of users, and hundreds of businesses, have deserted BlackBerry for Apple, or Android phones such as Samsung's Galaxy S III, or Nokia. RIM suffered huge global operating losses last year including $643m in a single quarter and the board ejected its two co-founders, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, replacing them with operations chief Thorsten Heins.

So Wednesday is a very big day for BlackBerry, when Heins will unveil the company's latest offerings to try to reverse the tide and tempt back Blake and millions like her in what some analysts see as a last chance to survive.

Two new mobiles – one with a keyboard, and one with only a touchscreen – will showcase its new BB10 software, which brings a completely new interface to the phone once known as the "CrackBerry" because of its ability to serve round-the-clock email to workaholics.

Heins realises that he has a huge challenge but he recently told Die Welt that he believed RIM's role in the future will be substantial and that the new software is aimed not only at phones but also for cars. "We have taken the time to build a platform that is future-proof for the next 10 years," he said.

Benedict Evans, of Enders Analysis, sees BB10 as a last roll of the dice: "The question is, how long can they keep rolling it? How long can they wait for the right numbers? The high-end corporate users are abandoning it." Evans added that from talking to people in phone shops, it seemed teenagers were keen on rivals with more games apps.

Carolina Milanesi, smartphones analyst at research group Gartner, said the company cannot carry on as before. "This is certainly key to RIM's survival and indeed BBM is just not enough anymore," she said."Even consumers that are price sensitive and who value messaging are looking for more than BlackBerry Messenger." BBM – the free messaging service that was blamed for helping rioters organise during the UK riots in summer 2011 – no longer ties people to the brand either. The rise of rival services such as WhatsApp, which has an estimated 100m users worldwide – compared to BBM's 79m. WhatsApp also lets users send text-style messages for free but works on any smartphone.

All of that means Heins and RIM have a mountain to climb. They have to tempt back people such as Mamun Ahmed, who switched from a BlackBerry to a phone using Google's Android software: "Being a BlackBerry user I started realising that, I couldn't keep up with the 'tried the cool app' trend, as very few app makers were making apps for BlackBerry," he said.

His bank only offered apps for the iPhone and for Android phones. He said: "All of the websites I was using on a day-to-day basis seemed only interested to make apps for the iPhone and Android and totally ignored others."

That has meant a flight of users – so pronounced in the US that in October the New York Times ran a story about people being embarrassed to show their BlackBerry in public. Heins wrote to the paper saying the article "lacks the balance" expected, saying "there are millions of BlackBerry fans out there who not only find value in their device, but also pride in being a BlackBerry owner."

Some remain loyal. Abigail Rudd, a student at Exeter University, stuck with her BlackBerry rather than buying an iPhone when she renewed her contract last April because it is more robust than other models. "In addition, the keyboard is great," she said.

Yet the outflow continues. ComScore, which calculates US smartphone ownership, reckons that there are now just 9 million BlackBerry users in the US, down from a peak of nearly 22 million in September 2010, while US smartphone ownership has doubled to 123 million.

Embarrassment can be a factor. Jamie Fox, in charge of communications for the TeamGB Ski and Snowboard teams, finally switched after 10 years with BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 this month. "I was just on a ski trip with [2012 long jump Olympic gold medallist] Greg Rutherford and [Olympic runner] Andrew Strong and was relentlessly ribbed about still having a BlackBerry. Whenever it was taken out in the bar, loud cheers would go up and the mocking would begin," he said.

But he had also become dissatisfied with the battery life, app choice and camera quality of the BlackBerry.

RIM has also lost its favoured position as the handset of choice with business people. It has lost corporate and government contracts, some in the wake of the service outage. Businesses which used to hand out BlackBerrys are often replacing them with iPhones, where the galaxy of apps (sometimes custom-made) and better web browsing are pushing the BlackBerry aside. The prestigious contracts that RIM has lost in the past two years include the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the US National Transportation and Safety Board and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. In November, even the Pentagon sought to let in Apple and Android phones, even while stressing that it would still hold on to some BlackBerry phones.


The key to a BlackBerry revival, suggests Francisco Jeronimo, smartphone analyst at IDC, will be whether it can persuade those corporate customers – the segment where it first grew to fame as Wall Street financiers discovered they could get secure email while out of the office – to stay with it. "They could survive. You won't compare them to Apple and Samsung but they could be in the top five handset makers. If they can manage to regain trust from the companies who have been clients, they can survive, profitably, just by staying small and focused," he said.

And if they don't persuade those companies? "If they can't, it will be very hard," he said. At worst, RIM might be broken up for the value of its patents which are considerable.

Fox, for one, found his BlackBerry a source of irritation. "The big annoyance was the random red light flashing [on the top of the phone]. It wouldn't be for an email, but for some random BlackBerry update. And I could never get it to stop. So distracting. On the whole, it's just outdated," he said.

Persuading people that it is not is the task that lies ahead of Heins. Most of all, he wants to stop that red light going out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review: The ultimate anti-iPhone

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review: The ultimate anti-iPhone

You're probably wondering how good the massive, tabletlike Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is, and if the smartphone can fulfill important tablet functions.

You may also wonder if the Note 2's 5.5-inch screen makes it too unwieldy to hold and carry as an everyday device, and if its battery quickly drains in service to the monster screen. Can the quad-core processor keep up, and will it defeat the purpose if you never slide out the Note's digital pen?

My answers are mostly positive. Yes, the second Note is huge in the hand and awkward at times to hold, but I quickly grew used to it. In specs, it's Samsung's highest-end phone, with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, a speedy quad-core processor, an extra-large battery, and an 8-megapixel camera.

The good: Oodles of screen real estate make the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 terrific for videos, games, and reading; and its improved stylus aids productivity. A blazing quad-core processor, a great camera, and strong battery life round out the advantages of this Android 4.1 phone.

The bad: The huge display makes the Galaxy Note 2 unwieldy to carry, and hiccups in the S Pen stylus and apps can slow you down. The pricey Note 2 isn't a suitable tablet replacement across all categories.

The bottom line: Samsung delivers a powerful, boundary-pushing device that gets a lot right. Yet its complicated features and high price raise questions about its purpose.

Antigua applies for permission to run 'pirate' website

Photo - Ilustration

Antigua is seeking permission to run a website that sells music, movies and software - but ignores copyright law. The Caribbean island is due to appear before the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 28 January seeking permission to run the site. The decision to set up the site is the end point of a long-running dispute with the US over gambling. The US has objected to Antigua's plan saying it amounted to official "piracy" of intellectual property.

Officials from Antigua will make their plea before the WTO's dispute settlement body on Monday to get "final authorisation" to set up the site, Mark Mendel, a lawyer representing the island nation told the BBC.

Antigua went to the WTO after the US moved to stop American citizens using gambling services, including web-based betting shops and casinos, run from the Caribbean country. Antigua claims that action deprived it of billions of dollars in revenue.

The WTO agreed with Antigua and dismissed a US appeal against its ruling. However, because the US took no action to lift the controls on cross-border gambling Antigua filed an application to recoup its lost cash by other means.

'Official pirates'

It sought permission to sell movies, music, games and software via a store that would be able to ignore global agreements on copyright and trademark controls, reports filesharing news site TorrentFreak. It wanted to be able to sell up to $3.4bn (£2.15bn) of those goods before having to make copyright payments.

The WTO rejected that figure, but said Antigua could sell $21m (£13.2m) annually via the store before it had to consider paying copyright fees. The US is believed to have offered to pay Antigua $500,000 annually as compensation for the lost revenue.

The US has also written to the WTO criticising Antigua's plans. In a letter to the WTO, excerpted on the Caribbean 360 news website, it said the plan amounted to "government-authorised piracy". It also warned that if Antigua did go ahead with its plan "it would only serve to postpone the final resolution of this matter, to the detriment of Antigua's own interests".

Mr Mendel added that just because Antigua had permission to run the site did not mean it would go on to set it up.

"When or exactly how it will do so is within the government's discretion and will be considered and taken or not in due course," he said.

US phone unlocking deadline set to expire

US phone unlocking deadline set to expire

From Saturday, Americans will have to get permission to "unlock" their smartphone so it runs on more than one mobile network.

On that date a 90-day time limit that made it legal to unlock phones without permission is due to expire.

Many Americans unlocked their phones to avoid running up big bills when travelling outside the US.

An online petition has been started asking for unlocking without permission to be made permanently legal.

In October 2012, a change was made to the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that temporarily allowed owners to unlock their smartphones without the need to ask their network beforehand.

Prior to the change, owners were typically charged a fee when they asked their operator to unlock a phone. Alternatively, users could buy unlocked versions of smartphones from manufacturers, but these handsets were typically more expensive than those locked to one network.

When Saturday's deadline passes, users will again have to seek permission.

However, it is not clear what action will be taken against customers who ignore the law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which campaigns on digital issues, said in an email to Tech News Daily it should be up to the courts not the government to decide to what the DMCA applies.

In addition, many online services have sprung up that unlock phones for a small fee and some have said the change will have no effect on them.

Also, some US operators, such as Verizon, unlock all phones of a particular type they sell. AT&T is known to unlock all phones on an expired contract for its network.

So far, about 3,500 people have signed a petition on the White House website asking for unlocking to be legal all the time - 100,000 signatures are needed before the US government responds.

Unlocking a phone is distinct from a practice known as "jail-breaking" that opens up a phone so software from unofficial sources can be run on it. Jail-breaking remains legal in the US.

Facebook adds free calling feature for US iPhones

Facebook 'free call' to iPhone with FB messenger

Facebook 'free call' to iPhone with FB messenger

Facebook has added a feature in its mobile phone app that allows free calling for US iPhone users. Users can now make calls to each other via the Facebook Messenger app anywhere they have a wi-fi or a cellular-data connection. The feature could be a boon for heavy talkers as they would avoid carrier call charges.

Facebook said it was working on adding the feature to its Messenger app for Android and BlackBerry users. Within the app, all a person needs to do is open a conversation with a partner, tap the "i" icon in the upper right hand corner and select "Free Call".

The calls, however, can only be made to another user who has Messenger installed on their iPhone. Users can neither call a Facebook friend who is logged in through the website or call a landline.

The latest mobile-to-mobile development was independent of the free video-calling software Skype, which was already integrated into Facebook's website, a spokesman said. The Messenger app is limited to voice calling.

The official said Facebook was expected to roll out the feature in its Messenger app for other operating systems and expand it overseas.

On Tuesday, Facebook unveiled a smart search engine - called Graph Search - that allows users to make "natural" searches of content shared by their friends.

Mozilla phones launch in Europe this year

Mozilla concept phone

Smartphones developed by the creators of the Firefox web browser are expected to be launched in Europe in 2013. Chinese phone-equipment maker ZTE said it was working with a European wireless carrier to sell Mozilla's Firefox OS-powered phones. ZTE chief executive Cheng Lixin also said the phones could be marketed in the US this year.

When finished, the phones will compete with Google's Android, but only at the lower end of the smartphone market. Mr Cheng did not specify which European carrier would be selling the phones. Jay Sullivan, vice president of products at Mozilla, said the company was also working with equipment makers Qualcomm, TCL Communication Technology Holdings on the devices.

"Interest and momentum continues to grow in Firefox OS," he told Bloomberg.

Regarding the US market, Mr Cheng said: "We closely monitor the ecosystem and how it evolves. If that is ready and if consumer studies support that data, then we may launch one in the US also this year."

Android controls three-quarters of the share in shipments in the smartphone market, but according to analysts, Firefox OS is already forecast to capture 1% of the share of global smartphone shipments in 2013.

Strategy Analytics recently wrote in a research note: "Overcoming Android will not be an easy task.

"To expand beyond niche status, Firefox OS will need to address at least three main challenges; they have low brand awareness among smartphone consumers worldwide, a limited retail presence in the influential United States market, and a relatively modest ecosystem of supporting apps and services."

U.S. spaceship ventures plan to send test pilots into orbit as early as 2015

Americans could be flying into orbit on U.S.-built spaceships again as early as 2015 — but the first fliers won't be NASA astronauts or millionaire space tourists.

Instead, they'll be commercial test pilots, employed by the Boeing Co., Sierra Nevada Corp., SpaceX or maybe even a dark-horse company like Blue Origin, the venture funded by Amazon.com billionaire Jeff Bezos.

Those four companies provided updates on their efforts to build new spaceships capable of carrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station during a Wednesday news briefing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. One of the companies, Blue Origin, is wrapping up its work for NASA and is no longer receiving money through the Commercial Crew Program, or CCP. But SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada are splitting more than $1 billion that's to be paid out through 2014.

NASA's manager for the Commercial Crew Program, Ed Mango, said the agency and its commercial partners are already talking about "Phase 2" for the program. The certification requirements and timetable for Phase 2 are expected to be set this year, with contracts awarded by May 2014, Mango said. "We believe that there’ll be more than one, probably two, three, maybe others, that will be ready to compete for Phase 2," he said.

That phase would move the program forward to 2017, by which time NASA expects to be flying its astronauts on U.S. launch vehicles for the first time since the shuttle fleet was retired in 2011. In the meantime, NASA will be paying the Russians more than $60 million per seat for round trips to the space station.

"Our target was to repatriate that industry back to the United States, and that's what we're doing," said Mark Sirangelo, chairman of SNC Space Systems at Sierra Nevada.

Here's how the companies' plans are shaping up:

SpaceX: Former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, SpaceX's commercial crew project manager, said his company is working toward a launch pad abort test by the end of the year at Kennedy Space Center. An in-flight test that would demonstrate the ability to abort a launch safely during ascent, "at the worst possible moment," is planned for April 2014, he said. If SpaceX sticks to its schedule, it would use its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule for a manned test flight in mid-2015, and would send test pilots to the space station by the end of 2015. "We're not selling tickets. Don't call our toll-free number," Reisman joked.

Sierra Nevada Corp.: Sirangelo said his company was planning to drop its Dream Chaser mini-shuttle from a carrier airplane for its first autonomous, free-flying glide test in the first quarter of this year. That would be followed by a series of autonomous and crewed aerodynamic test flights, similar to the tests conducted by NASA using the prototype shuttle Enterprise in the late 1970s. Then Sierra Nevada's team would launch the Dream Chaser into space — first on suborbital test flights, and eventually into orbit. Last year, the company said manned orbital flights could begin in 2016.

The Boeing Co: John Mulholland, vice president and program manager for Boeing's commercial crew program, said his company proposed conducting a three-day orbital spaceflight with a Boeing crew in 2016. The head of Boeing's flight test program is former NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, who commanded Atlantis' crew during the final flight of the shuttle program. "He is defining crew requirements," Mulholland said. Before the test pilots fly, Boeing will conduct an unmanned orbital trial of its CST-100 space capsule, plus an altitude abort test.

Blue Origin: The company that Bezos founded in 2000 is not receiving NASA funding during the current phase of the agency's spaceship development program — but Blue Origin's president and program manager, Rob Meyerson, said he's still doing business with the space agency. "We're working with NASA to extend our Space Act Agreement in an unfunded manner," Meyerson said. The company is continuing to test its BE-3 rocket engine and work on its next prototype propulsion vehicle. Eventually, Blue Origin aims to launch crews on suborbital as well as orbital spaceflights.

The plans for future flights are dependent on continued NASA support — and Phil McAlister, NASA's commercial spaceflight development director, acknowledged that "the budget is going to be an extremely challenging topic."

If NASA's funding is reduced, Reisman said his company would continue to move toward manned flights, but at a slower pace. "Human spaceflight is our reason for being. We are in this for the long haul," Reisman said. "There will be impacts to cost and schedule, should funding dry up. But we're going to get there eventually."

New TV Tech

Screens with 33-megapixel resolutions, projectors that blend their output to go as large as you want and screenless displays hint at the future of TV at CES.

New TV tech has always been at the heart of the Consumer Electronics Show.

The focus of last year's event was smart TV interfaces, but attention has swung back to the screens themselves this year with Sony and others declaring 4k's time has come. The term "4K" refers to the horizontal resolution of such screens as they are all about 4,000 pixels in height.

Also known as "ultra-high definition", the format offers four times the resolution of the current 1080p HD standard and is best appreciated up close, or further away from a mega-sized screen.

There is a deluge of 4k displays on the show floor - some adding OLED (organic light-emitting diode) tech to offer richer colours, others slimming the screen's bezel down until it is almost not there. Samsung and China's HiSense have also made a splash by exhibiting sets with gargantuan 110in (279cm) images.

But the truth none of the manufacturers likes to talk about is that the challenge involved in packing so many pixels into a small space means their prices are likely to stay too high for most for a while longer.

Beyond 4k

Sharp 8k Sharp's prototype 8k screen was best appreciated close up.

So let's switch focus and explore what the next next-generation displays might be.

The most obvious bet can be found at Sharp's stall, where an 8k screen is on show. The 85-incher (216cm) offers more detail than a 33-megapixel photo. By contrast 1080p offers about 2MP.

Sitting at the back of a room our eyes simply aren't sophisticated enough to spot the difference, but close up the effect is startling. There's a real sense of depth without needing other 3D tech.

But bearing in mind most of us don't watch TV with our face centimetres away from our flatscreen, why bother?

"If 4k is the next great thing, then you can divide your screen into four sections and run simultaneous football games in full resolution on your 8k television," Sharp spokesman Brad Lyons says. "That has applications in bars."

Surgeons, he adds, would benefit from using TV equipment that can show up minute details hidden by current tech.

See-through TV

Samsung and LG' stalls have another hint of what's to come - the world's first curved OLED screens.
Samsung see-through Samsung's Transparent Showcase

They're not quite the bendy TVs some had predicted, but the firms say the innovation should improve viewing angles.

Perhaps more exciting is a product that has just made it to market. Samsung's 22in (56cm) Transparent Showcase is a glass box big enough to contain a product - shoes in this case - that lets retailers float video promotions over the front panel.

Then at the end of the day, when unplugged, the glass turns black.

It hints at a time when TVs might be used as augmented reality devices, providing information about objects placed behind them.

"All LCDs are transparent anyway - they're a piece of glass," explains Don Hickey, Samsung's solutions architect for large format displays.

"We've just moved the electronics to get them out of the way.

"Going forward [larger versions] could be used in schools as a show-and-tell type of device... and it could be used at trade shows."

In the meantime HiSense also has a transparent 3D TV on show which it says should go on sale later this year.
Samsung curved tv The first curved OLED TVs were on show proving TVs don't have to be flat

Projected pictures

A new product from LG suggests that the focus of future TV development might not be about screen tech at all. Hecto LG's projector can be placed within arm's reach of its screen.

It has unveiled Hecto - a laser projector which creates a 100in image when placed on the floor just 22in (56cm) away from a blank panel. One benefit is that video gamers and other viewers wanting to be close to the action can stand close to the picture without worrying about casting a shadow.

"We use lasers for brightness so it can be seen in a light environment," adds Malik Davis-Bey, the man responsible for showing it off at CES.

At $19,999 (£12,485) it's a lot to pay for an 1080p image whose colours are less vibrant than those of an LCD. But it's first generation and the technology is sure to improve.

Choose-your-own size

For those who don't mind dimming the lights and closing the blinds, Vivitek offers a cheaper projector that sits a mere 15.4in (39cm) away from the wall.

The Taiwanese firm's kit has the added benefit that projectors can be combined to create a display of whatever size or aspect ratio you prefer.
Vivitek Vivitek's projector can be combined to create different sized screens

"You install the projectors and their images overlap 10 to 20%," explains Holger Graeff, the firm's general manager for Europe.

"Then a camera looks at the entire screen and the software blends all the images to create one big monitor."

Mr Graeff adds that projected technologies hold the promise of even more advanced features down the line.

"[There will be] holographic applications like in Star Wars where you have your image projected in 3D and you can walk around it," he exclaims.

"But it will take quite some time before that is viable in the home."

Water TV

The challenges of making a screenless display hasn't stopped one Russian start-up from trying.

Displair is showing a system at CES which uses a humidifier to create a curtain of air made out of tiny water particles that feels dry to the touch, but is substantial enough to project an image on to.

It's even interactive - built-in cameras and software algorithms analyse your hand movements so that you can manipulate the image.

Volunteers have been able to use it to play Fruit Ninja, karate chopping the video game's virtual pineapples and bananas in half.
Displair Displair's screen adapts a humidifier to create an image in mid-air

The prototype's image quality isn't good enough to watch a show or movie on it at this point - but the firm says it will improve, adding that there are benefits beyond being able to mimic Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

"It's a greener option," says spokeswoman Kim Terca.

"Right now electronics make up a huge percentage of landfill waste. It doesn't make sense to make these glass and metal boxes that get used and then thrown away with all their lead and other toxic materials."

She adds that a spin-off benefit is that the moisture used is good for your skin.

So, 8k holographic humidifiers by 2023? Stranger things have happened at CES.

Apple's Next iPhone Could Use New Touch Technology

According to a report in The China Times (Translated by computing.co.uk), sources in the Apple supply chain claim that, “Apple intends to switch to alternative touch technology for its next generation of mobile phones iPHONE 6, stating that a ‘Touch On Display’ panel is being developed by Taiwanese Apple supplier Innolux.”

In November, game developers at CMA Megacorp in London identified a glitch with rapid diagonal scrolling on the iPhone 5. They tweeted that if you “slide [your] finger back and forth diagonally on screen, input events drop out or stop altogether.” The video above demonstrates the glitch by testing this kind of action on two iPhone 4 units, one running iOS 5 and the other iOS 6 against two iPhone 5 units with the same two versions of iOS. In both of the iPhone 5s, the screen froze up after a bunch of touch events piled up, but not on the iPhone 4s.

Consumer Reports Is No Fan Of iPhone 5 Nigam Arora Nigam Arora Contributor
Bring On The iPhone 6! First Fantasy Prototype Anthony Wing Kosner Anthony Wing Kosner Contributor

User comments I have read suggest that not all of the new iPhones are equally sensitive, and then only for users, like Fruit Ninja or Infinity Blade players, who routinely make this kind of diagonal swiping action on their phones.

Cult of Mac reported in September that the iPhone 5′s thin “in cell” combination of touch screen and LCD display in one, was ”causing ‘significant production constraints’ that mean Apple cannot produce the device fast enough.” It may be that quality control has been a significant issue.

According to the China Times report, the new Innolux “Touch On Display” panel will have “a thickness of only 0.5mm, [and] better sensitivity than previous iPhones with a ’10 point full featured multi-touch’ function.” This would suggest that the next iPhone will be a “5s” instead of a “6,” and that Apple will use this transitional model to work out some of the kinks with the iPhone 5. In general, these second models have been better bets than the splashy premieres, with higher user satisfaction ratings. Consumer Reports, for one, is not a big fan of the iPhone 5.

Australian tycon plans to create real Jurassic Park

Clive Palmer, a tycoon from Australia, wants to make Jurassic Park on his property in southern Queensland. He plans to clone dinosaurs, and make a real Jurassic Park, just like in a movie "Jurassic Park".

Clive Palmer has already been in contact with the man who cloned the sheep Dolly, and talked with him about this idea.

In the past, Clive had a few interesting ideas, like the idea of building a replica of the Titanic that if all goes to plan should 2016th sail from London to New York.

Nvidia hand-held video-games console

Nvidia plans to produce own hand-held video-games console.

Project Shield is Android-based and marries a 5in (12.7cm) touch-screen with joysticks, buttons and other controls, in a clam-shell design.

It is also designed to link to PCs offering access to more powerful games such as those on the Steam library.

The announcement was a surprise, as the US company has previously focused on selling chips and graphics cards to other manufacturers.

Intel, another chip manufacturer, is also reportedly working on its own device - a television set-top box.
Android apps

Nvidia's announcement came at the first major press conference of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The company's chief executive, Jen-Hsun Huang, did not reveal a release date or price for the device, but he did show off a working prototype and outline its specifications.
Nvidia chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang Nvidia's chief executive said the console had taken five years to develop

The console is bigger than an Xbox controller but smaller than the Wii U's game-pad.

Its screen resolution is 720p, but the machine is capable of playing out games and video in the 4k standard - which offers eight times the detail - on compatible TVs via an HDMI cable.

At its heart is the firm's new quad-core Tegra 4 chip - which Mr Huang described as the fastest mobile processor on the market.

As well as keys representing the standard Android commands, the console also sports a "shield" button that takes users to a curated games store featuring titles selected from the Google Play marketplace. However, it can also be used to run other types of apps - Mr Huang gave music players and Facebook as two examples.

Using wi-fi it can also be paired with a computer containing one of Nvidia's GeForce video cards to run PC games. In this case the desktop computer's processors power the software, offering higher quality graphics than could be rendered by the mobile processor.

Mr Huang boasted that "latency was so short it was as if you are connected to the PC" - playing down potential concerns that this kind of set-up might involve a delay between a user pressing a button on the console and the connected PC registering the command.

A demonstration involving titles from Valve's Steam PC platform appeared to bear this out.

However, to avoid such latency issues, users will only be able to connect the console to a PC on the same home network - although Mr Huang said it was an ambition to allow them to go "beyond the house" with future devices.

Nvidia's move takes advantage of the growing number of games being released for the Android and Windows operating systems without it having to develop its own ecosystem - as is the case with the PlayStation, Wii and Xbox families.

However, it will have to convince consumers that they need a dedicated portable gaming console in addition to their other computing devices.

Earlier this year Sony had to cut sales forecasts for its PlayStation Vita hand-held - analysts linked the news to the growth of gaming on smartphones and tablets.

In addition, one industry watcher suggested Nvidia's move would prove controversial with hardware makers that currently use its chips.

"It is a bit of a reach for Nvidia as it does not typically involve itself much with the end-user," said Josh Walrath from the PC Perspective tech site.

"They normally have partners in between. So by doing such a thing you do have to wonder if they're going to alienate any of their really close partners, and if they have the ability to get consumers to buy into it."

Self-driving car from Toyota

Toyota has given a taste of self-drive car safety technology ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week.

The car maker revealed a video clip of a Lexus fitted with safety features designed to minimise car crashes.

The technology includes on-board radar and video cameras to monitor the road, the surroundings, and the driver.

The car can also communicate with other vehicles, according to a Toyota spokesman.

"We're looking at a car that would eliminate crashes," said the spokesman. "Zero-collisions is our ultimate aim."

The "advanced active safety research vehicle" prototype uses ITS and existing Toyota technology to monitor whether the driver is awake, to keep the car on the road, and to stop at traffic signals. The technology is designed to be used in conjunction with a driver, but the car can control itself, said the spokesman.

A series of optical beacons on the roadside can detect the positions of pedestrians and obstacles, and relay information to the prototype about whether a traffic light is red or green, as part of ITS. The car can also independently monitor pedestrians' positions.

"Not the Jetsons yet, but our advanced active safety research car is leading the industry into a new automated era," Toyota said in a Tweet on Thursday.

Toyota has also developed technology that lets a car communicate with a driver's smartphone to offer augmented reality features. This would let the car know about places by the road letting it, for example. recommend an upcoming restaurant, said the spokesman.

Toyota is one of several heavy-weight car manufacturers and technology companies researching autonomous vehicles.

Google to make Maps accessible to Windows Phone users

Google says that it will no longer block Windows Phone users from accessing Google Maps and that the blockage was about ensuring a good user experience, not about intentionally interfering with a rival product.

The blockage generated headlines, with various news outlets suggesting that it was not about poor functionality on the part of the mobile version of Internet Explorer but was more about behavior on the part of Google that, ironically, was beginning to resemble past behavior by Microsoft.

Google, of course, just dodged an antitrust bullet from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and it continues to face an investigation by the European Union.

The search and mobile-OS giant said the following in a statement sent to The Next Web today:

We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users.

In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that's why there is no redirect for those users.

Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users.

Ferrari F430 in leather outfit

Ferrari F430

Dartz is a French company engaged in tuning the cars, and they showed Ferrari F430 in the leather outfit. This is a unique car on French roads.

Top 30 Android apps this week

With the number of impressive Android smartphones and tablets increasing steadily – see this week's Nexus 4 review for the latest example – it's good to see that the flow of interesting Android apps is also continuing in early 2013.

Here's our pick of the 30 most notable new apps on the Google Play store, with a slightly extended focus to reflect the fact that the last weekly roundup was on 21 December. This week's 30 Best iPhone and iPad apps roundup is now also live.

Antiques Roadshow Play-along (Free)
The BBC has launched this "play-along" app for its Antiques Roadshow TV programme, taking the form of a valuation game that tests whether you can guess how much items are worth before they're valued on-screen by the show's experts. The app is designed to play along live with the show, whether you're watching live or on catchup.

Zombies, Run! 5k Training (L0.69)

The excellent Zombies, Run! was a fitness app with a twist: virtual zombies chasing you along your running paths. Now it's got a spin-off based on an eight-week training programme for people to work up to 5km runs. As before, it comes with a zombified storyline from author Naomi Alderman.

Pitfall! (Free)

Atari reinvented its classic Pitfall game as a freemium Temple Run-style game for iOS last year. Now it's available on Android too, as Pitfall Harry runs through jungles, caves and villages leaping over obstacles and whipping beasties. Power-ups add spice, with in-app purchases prominent in the gameplay mix.

Facebook Pages Manager (Free)

This app went live quietly on Google Play on 3 January with no official announcement at the time of writing, and it also appears to be US-only – something that may change by the time you read this. It's an Android version of Facebook's iPhone app for Page admins, helping them post updates, read and respond to comments, and analyse traffic to their Facebook Pages.

Sing! Karaoke (Free)

Developer Smule has made its name with a series of quirky-but-creative music apps, with Sing! Karaoke being its latest – initially for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, with more device support to follow. It gets people singing into their microphone to a selection of current hits, sharing their performances with the world and (hopefully) getting praise in return. In-app purchases are used to get premium songs to sing along with.

MailOnline Tablet

With website traffic continuing to rocket, MailOnline is also ramping up its tablet publishing with this new Android app. Designed for larger-screened devices, it offers the latest stories on all things Kardashian (plus other topics, of course) through themed channels, with social features and photo galleries thrown in.

Zime (BETA) | To-do + Calendar (Free)

Looking for a whizzy personal productivity app? Zime's schtick is its 3D timeline of upcoming tasks and meetings, which scrolls off into the distance on-screen. It syncs with various calendars, with the promise that it'll soon go beyond pure diary dates to "become your personal time coach". It's currently in public beta, so may be a bit crashy.

Tapatalk HD Beta (Free)

Another beta here to test out, this time for Android tablets. Based on the existing smartphone version, it's an app for visiting tens of thousands of online forums, making them play nicer with the touchscreen. Version 1.0 is set to launch as a paid app at the end of January, with a discount promised for beta users of this version.

Final Fantasy II (L6)

Games publisher Square Enix has been working hard on bumping up its Android efforts, particularly around its classic RPG franchise Final Fantasy. This is the second game in the series, originally released in 1988. Expect plenty of retro dungeoneering, although some device owners are reporting crashes while playing, so it's worth reading the Google Play comments before buying.

Final Fantasy Dimensions for Android Final Fantasy Dimensions for Android
Final Fantasy Dimensions (L13.99)

More expensive, but arguably more appealing to fans who've already played FFII a couple of times, is Final Fantasy Dimensions. The basic ingredients are similar: battles, character growth and a suitably epic storyline – plus chiptune background music as an additional in-app purchase, which feels a bit rich considering the basic price.

GymPact - Reward your workout (Free)

It truly is the time of year for new fitness apps to launch, promising to help smartphone owners shift their festive bellies'n'bottoms. GymPact has been available on iPhone for a while, but now it's on Android too: a US-based app to track your workouts, and reward you with actual cash if you stick to your plan – funded by payments from those who don't. An intriguing idea.

Sonic Jump (L1.46)

More famous old gaming characters leaping onto Android – literally in the case of Sonic the Hedgehog in this game. It sees Sonic leaping upwards through a series of 48 platform levels, including boss battles with arch-foe Dr Eggmanm with online leaderboards and challenges adding a social spin.

BBC News Widget by Feedly (Free)

Feedly is a simple but effective Android homescreen widget for the BBC News website, joining several others for rival sites in its roster. Available for free, it's a quick way to keep abreast of popular news stories on the Beeb's news site.

Demons' Score THD (L13.99)

And one more game from Square Enix, albeit this time not based on Final Fantasy. Instead, this is a music rhythm game with umpteen demons, talking teddy bears and a college heroine called Serenity who has to make sense of it all. It sounds strange, but plays very well.

Dueling Blades (Free)

Social game publisher 6waves is also committed to Android releases, with Dueling Blades its latest. It's a 3D fantasy action strategy game that sees you battling against bandit, pirate and undead enemies, as well as your friends over the network.

Kii Keyboard (Free)

And still the alternative Android keyboard apps keep coming, despite SwiftKey, Swype and Google's own revamped keyboard seeming to have the market sewn up. Kii Keyboard is another beta, too, aiming to combine SwiftKey-style prediction with Swype-style, er, swiping.

Mrs. Brown's Boys (L0.99)

Love it or hate it – and there are plenty of people in both camps – TV sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys has been a huge hit in the UK and Ireland. Its official app is more of a marketing tool, with soundboards, a translator and bundled ringtones.

Space Ace (L3.99)

Here's a blast from the past for gamers of a certain age: Don Bluth's Space Ace, which back in 1984 came from the same laserdisc studio that made Dragon's Lair. Running on smartphones and tablets, this Android version sees you guiding space-hero Ace through a series of perils.

Kasabian (Free)

Kasabian are the latest band to get their own Android app, serving up social media posts, backstage photos and video clips, and fresh tunes when they're posted online. The app also promises competitions, ticket access and "the facillity to interact with the band at live shows in real time".

Ant Raid (L0.60)

HeroCraft's Ant Raid has been getting some storming reviews on iOS and Android alike, putting you in charge of an ant colony trying to fend off swarms of monsters. It's real-time strategy meets Plants vs. Zombies, with lots of legs. Well worth a look.

It's a Small World (L0.61)

Here's an interesting idea from Disney: an Android live wallpaper based on a musical boat ride from its theme parks. The wallpaper features a number of Disney characters, with bright colours and a characterful visual style.

Metal Slug (L1.49)

More retro gaming here, courtesy of SNK Playmore's update of its Metal Slug 2D action-shooter. This is a port of the original NeoGeo version of the game, as you blast your way through a series of levels rescuing prisoners-of-war and upgrading your weapons. There's also a Bluetooth co-op mode for local multiplayer.

Zoo Train for Android Zoo Train for Android
Zoo Train (L1.22)
As more Android devices make their way (via parents) into the hands of children, there's going to be a big market for kids' apps on Google Play in 2013. Zoo Train is a good-looking example from developer Busy Bee Studios: a collection of five mini-games with light educational elements: letters, music, patterns and shapes.

Our Solar System - Kids Book (Free)

There's also an appetite for free children's apps on Android, meaning Our Solar System may prove popular in the weeks to come. It focuses on the planets of the solar system, with facts, memory quizzes and an asteroid-blasting mini-game.

Fitsby (Free)

Fitsby is another app aiming to help people stay motivated in the gym, with this one also focused on encouraging competitive support within groups of friends. The idea: you check in when starting a gym session, and bet real or virtual money against friends to see who works out most. I'm a bit uneasy about gambling as the mechanism to spur keeping fit, but it'll be interesting to see if others disagree.

ExZeus 2 (L2.57)

Another Android game that's good for showing off the capabilities of Tegra-powered devices, ExZeus 2 is a 3D shoot 'em up with robots battling in the air and on the ground, with an experience-point system to upgrade your own robo-fighter as you play through the game.

Killer Escape (Free)

One more game to cover this week: the spooky Killer Escape, which sees you waking up "in a cold and dirty cell confronted by a twisted serial killer". Those Christmas party comedowns can be tough... The Google Play description is terse, to say the least, but its demo video makes Killer Escape look like an interesting touchscreen take on point'n'click adventures.

GMD Smart Rotate (Free)

A simple, one-use app for Android devices that uses the front-facing camera to rotate the screen based on your face's orientation, as well as using it to keep the screen turned on when you're gazing at it.

MoodPanda - Mood Diary (Free)

This mood-tracking app has picked up some impressive reviews for its iPhone version. Now it's available on Android. It aims to get you tracking your moods day-to-day, then looking back at them over a period of weeks and months, for more awareness of what's been affecting your happiness.

SleepyTime: Bedtime Calculator (Free)

If it's lack of sleep that's making you grumpy, SleepyTime may help. It's one of a number of apps aiming to wake you up in a better mood by timing it between sleep cycles, so you're less "groggy and exhausted". If your morning routine allows you to be this flexible, it could be just the thing.

Review Planetside 2

Review Scores: 8.5

Planetside 2’s most expansive firefights might be among the most intense you’ve ever had. The massive first-person battles make you fear every step and celebrate every kill, knowing that one small victory contributes to the greater cause. A number of quality online shooters think big, but none think bigger; you are a small but vital cog in a restless war machine seeking to steamroll the opposition with a few dozen rumbling tanks and a vast swarm of armored soldiers.

There’s no doubting the ambition and scope of this free-to-play massively multiplayer shooter, in which thousands of players vie for dominance across three spacious, persistent continents. Before entering the fray, you choose one of three empires: the authoritarian Terran Republic; the rebellious New Conglomerate; or the techno-cultist Vanu Sovereignty. All three boast faction-specific weaponry but share the same six classes, so whether you prefer playing a supportive role as a turret-repairing engineer or blowing up tanks as a heavy assault soldier, each faction has a place for you. There are no class-based vehicle restrictions: you can drive ground vehicles and pilot aircraft, or hop in the gunner's seat and harass the enemy on the go.
Discovering the ways you can contribute to your faction’s cause isn’t easy at first: Planetside 2 is daunting. There are numerous official videos that describe the game’s ins and outs, but they’re not a proper substitute for an interactive tutorial. When you first emerge from your landing pod, you are both awe-stricken and dumbfounded. Dozens of fellow soldiers rush about your faction’s primary base, armored vehicles ramble across the distant landscape, and the hum of nearby aircraft has you peering into the skies. If you’ve played a shooter before, you know how to aim and shoot; Planetside 2’s structural details, however, are initially elusive.