IK Multimedia announces iRig KEYS portable keyboard for iOS devices, ships this fall for $94

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/ik-multimedia-irig-keys/

If you prefer a set of keys to power your mobile recording sessions instead of a guitar adapter of some sort, you're in luck. The folks at IK Multimedia have just revealed the iRig KEYS portable keyboard peripheral for iOS devices and both Mac and Windows PCs. Packing 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys, the add-on touts a three full-octave range, modulation / pitch bend wheels, an input for a sustain / expression pedal and an assortment of controls for customizing your sound just so. Should you feel inclined, this iRig offering connects via USB to a computer for an "in-studio," desktop tracking experience. The unit is Core MIDI compliant and sports plug-and-play functionality alongside the outfit's SampleTank family of apps. Said software can function on its own on the PC side or as a plug-in for more robust offerings like GarageBand, Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar and the like. Itchin' to snag one? You'll have to wait until sometime this fall, but when it arrives, the KEYS will set you back €74.99 ($94).

Gallery: IK Multimedia iRig KEYS

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IK Multimedia announces iRig KEYS portable keyboard for iOS devices, ships this fall for $94 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Z1 All-In-One: Compact Workstation

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/extremewindows/archive/2012/08/30/hp-z1-all-in-one-compact-workstation.aspx

If you are working on professional tasks related to CAD/CAM, photo editing, video editing, or 3D animation, you need a powerful PC. But what if you don't have the space for a separate tower, external displays, and all of the cables? HP has released a PC targeted at this scenario: the Z1 all-in-one workstation.

I have been using a Z1 for a while now, and have had an opportunity to run some professional Windows desktop apps on it including Adobe After Effects CS6. With a 27" 2560 x 1440 display (the same resolution as the Samsung Series 9 LPS display I recently blogged about) this PC has great screen real estate. I'm really impressed by the innovative tool-less design used by the HP team that makes the Z1 a unique all in one. By rotating the screen down flat and then opening two latches, you can access the internal components and service/upgrade without tools in many cases (see the video at the end of this post for a demonstration).

Here we see the inside view of the PC. From left: Power supply, NVIDIA Quadro 4000M graphics card, Xeon CPU and fans (top), SSD chassis (bottom), DVD drive (top), and case fan (bottom). All of the components mentioned here are serviceable without tools, and you can see how upgrading this PC would be easy (graphics, SSDs, etc). The gas strut support for the lid is a nice touch as well as it helps to support the weight of the display panel and top enclosure when opening and closing the PC.

There's also a nice assortment of ports and connections on the outside of the machine including:

• Right Side: headphones/mic, USB 3.0 (2), card reader, Fire wire
• Under Side: Display Port, USB 2.0 (4), analog audio, SPDIF audio, NIC

The integrated card reader is another excellent touch for photo/video/audio professionals that make extensive use of SD cards or similar media. I found this more convenient than having to plug in my external USB card reader.

Just because a workstation is compact doesn't mean it has to suffer in the performance department. The Z1 I'm using features a Xeon processor (quad core), NVIDIA Quadro 4000 graphics, and 16GB RAM. Performance in Photoshop CS6, Premiere Pro CS6, and After Effects CS6 was quite good. After using the Z1 and the Z820 (see write-up here) for a while now, I'm getting used to workstations with 27" displays. It's really nice to have the extra resolution and screen area when working extensively with graphics.

For more information and to read the full specs, you can visit the HP Z1 official page. If you want to see the Z1 in action (including opening up the machine), check out the quick video I put together:

from The Windows Blog http://windowsteamblog.com/b/

Atari ports classic games to HTML5 for web and Windows 8, lets developers craft their own (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/atari-ports-classic-games-to-html5-for-web-and-windows-8-users/

Atari is big on nostalgia this year, but it hasn't had much in the way of software to reflect the trip down memory lane beyond the existing mobile apps. Its remedy to that shortfall is full of 2012 buzzwords. The new Atari Arcade includes modern takes on eight classic Atari 2600 games, all built entirely with HTML5 and free to play. As fun as that promises to be, our interest is most piqued by the game library's open-ended nature; this isn't just an alternative to firing up a smartphone. A new Javascript kit lets developers not only build their own games but make money as they see fit, whether it's through ads or in-app purchases. Whether they're new or old, titles work in multiple contemporary browsers, although Microsoft would really, really like you to know that the games are ad-free and touch-optimized for both Windows 8 tablets as well as Internet Explorer 10. We'll try to remember that when we look to relive our Combat memories on a Surface.

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Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Internet

Atari ports classic games to HTML5 for web and Windows 8, lets developers craft their own (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com

Atari Online: IE Brings Classic Games to the Web with HTML5 and Multi-touch

http://windowsteamblog.com/ie/b/ie/archive/2012/08/29/atari-online-ie-brings-classic-games-to-the-web-with-html5-and-multi-touch.aspx

Today we’re excited to unveil the Atari Arcade!

 

It was summer of 1972 when Atari released its first arcade game – Pong. It was revolutionary entertainment, launching Atari to quickly become the definitive gaming platform of its era, selling 30 million Atari 2600 consoles. Most modern, successful video game franchises are still inspired by Atari’s original creative concepts.

Today with Atari and the help of our friend Grant Skinner we are launching Atari Arcade, continuing to showcase what’s possible on the web when you couple a modern browser like IE10 with a modern OS and the power of HTML5. Atari Arcade is an updated take on eight classic Atari games like Pong, Asteroids, Missile Command, and Centipede – all built with HTML5 and multi-player capabilities that come to life with a new Windows 8 touch device and Internet Explorer 10. It also works great in IE9 on a Windows 7 PC, or any other modern browser.

“Forty years ago gaming required a dedicated console, but today the web is an incredibly rich platform that has the power to drive games and bring entirely new methods of interaction with games, like touch, that were not possible in a browser just a few short years ago,” explained Nolan Bushnell, Founder, Atari. “What is exciting about gaming on the web is the reach it offers. It is not a potential audience of thousands, or millions, but billions of people that can access and enjoy gaming online!”

Developers, game on:

For developers, the team has created an opportunity to build your own games for the Atari Arcade platform. An Atari software development kit is available in the developer behind the scenes section of the site, along with new and updated versions of JavaScript libraries (Create.js, Easel.js, Sound.js) and new tutorials for building HTML5 games. All code is available on our IE GitHub repo here.

Learn how the team pulled off bringing Atari to the web in our behind the scenes video and then enjoy going deep with a series of tech tear-downs here.

 

 Perfect for Touch:

Just like the upcoming IE10 release with Windows 8 – the Atari Arcade is perfect for touch. Our goal was to create an experience that lets you interact naturally with your fingers or mouse or keyboard.

Games like Asteroids show what’s possible when a classic space-shooter is combined with advanced touch-first browsing capabilities of a browser like IE10. Your left thumb commands your spaceship. Your right thumb powers your acceleration while you blast asteroids. Warning: It’s more than a little addictive. Gaming with IE10 on a Windows 8 touch device offers the edge-to-edge gameplay that feels more like an app than a browser.

Multi-touch gameplay in Asteroids in IE10 (left) and the original Asteroids (right)

Missile Command offers a different approach to touch-first gaming. As missiles reign down upon your city, your finger aims the cannons while you rapidly mash the screen. It’s quite a bit more difficult if you’re using a mouse. Hint: Alternate between fingers and aim slightly in front of the missiles for higher success.

Rapid-touch gameplay in Asteroids in IE10 (left) and the original Asteroids (right)

Challenge Your Friends:

When we brought Atari Arcade to the web, a component of arcade gaming we did not want to lose was the fun of challenging your friends. With Atari Arcade, you can compete with your friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter to real time, multi-player battles, earn game achievements, and compete for the high score just like in an arcade.

Over the next few months, new games will be released from Atari’s library of over 100 classics, but there are eight originals now available online:

· Asteroids

· Combat

· Centipede

· Lunar Lander

· Missile Command

· Pong

· Super Breakout

· Yar’s Revenge

 

Thank you. Atari Arcade is just the beginning of a new class of touch-first web experiences powered by IE10 and Win8. Thanks again to Atari and Grant Skinner for their partnership in making HTML5 web games easier for developers to build and fun for everyone like us who loves classic games!

Ryan Gavin

General Manager Internet Explorer

from The Windows Blog http://windowsteamblog.com/b/

The PCs of IFA 2012: Hybrid computers for a hybrid operating system

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/the-pcs-of-ifa-2012-hybrid-computers-for-a-hybrid-operating-system/

The Windows-related announcements are flying fast and thick from the IFA electronics show in Berlin this year. We've already taken a look at HP's offerings and some of the Windows RT devices, but there's still a lot of ground to cover. Looking at all of these products at once shows us not just what the store shelves are going to look like this holiday season, but also how PC OEMs are responding to Microsoft's fundamental rethinking of how Windows should work. Windows 8 uses touch to redefine the operating system for better or for worse, and in the same way, touch features are also redefining what we can expect from our PCs in the next few years.

Sony

Enlarge / The Vaio Duo 11 measures 320mm x 17.85mm x 199mm and weighs about 1.3kg, or 2.87 pounds.

Sony

The first computer we'll look at is a convertible PC from Sony, the Vaio 11 Duo. The Duo has an 11.6" 1080p screen that slides into and out of tablet mode, as well as a stylus and digitizer to enable handwriting support. It includes Ultrabook-class Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, Intel integrated graphics, NFC technology, and either 128GB or 256GB solid-state drives. Despite being a convertible, the computer sacrifices some of its utility as a laptop to be a better tablet—the keyboard looks cramped, and it forgoes a standard trackpad in favor of a pointing stick-style mouse (though there are some who would argue that this is actually a positive change). The convertible will be available at the end of October for an as-yet-undisclosed price, which will be a common refrain throughout this roundup.

Enlarge / Sony's Tap 20 PC measures 504mm x 187mm x 304mm when upright or 504 mm x 312mm x 45 mm when lying flat, and weighs 5.2kg, or 11.46 pounds.

Sony

Sony's second entry is an all-in-one with a twist: its Tap 20 is a 20", 1600x900 touch-enabled all-in-one when the kickstand is out, but it will also lay flat on a table, and includes a battery that will allow it to be used as a gigantic tablet when desired. This is an interesting use case not really possible with the other all-in-ones we'll look at, most of which are just standard PCs with touchscreens attached—I could see the Tap 20 being great for touch-enabled board games, for example. Otherwise, the hardware in the Tap 20 is unsurprising: Ivy bridge i5s and i7s, integrated graphics, and NFC accompany the normal allotment of wireless connectivity options, ports and card readers, and the webcam.

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from Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com

Dell announces XPS One 27 AIO running W8 on a touch display

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/dell-announces-xps-one-27-aio-running-w8/

Dell has a re-announcement of sorts here at IFA today. It just unveiled its XPS One 27 running Windows 8 on a 10-point touch display. The screen boasts a Quad HD (2560 x 1440) resolution, and the machine sports an adjustable stand that lets you flip the AIO up to a flat "desktop mode" a la Microsoft's Surface. To jog your memory, the XPS One 27 offers a choice of Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors, up to 16GB of memory, up to a 2TB hard drive and an optional NVIDIA GeForce GT640M GPU. Check out our gallery below.

Gallery: Dell XPS One 27 hands-on

Correction: Our earlier photo showed the incorrect all-in-one. The XPS One 27 is what you see now. Apologies!

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Dell announces XPS One 27 AIO running W8 on a touch display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 04:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell announces XPS 10 Windows 8 hybrid, XPS Duo 12 convertible (update: hands-on)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/dell-xps-10-xps-12-duo/

Our next stop on the Windows 8 announcement train is Dell, which today unveiled the XPS 10, a Windows RT hybrid device that runs Microsoft's latest OS on a 10-inch touch-enabled display. Dell says you can expect up to 20 hours of battery life, though the company didn't touch on CPU and storage specs.

Dell also unveiled the XPS Duo 12, which sports a 12.5-inch touch display. When closed, it looks like any old XPS laptop, complete with a backlit keyboard, machined aluminum built and carbon fiber surrounding the display. To enter tablet mode, you literally flip the Duo 12's display around and close it over the keyboard. The design is intriguing (and it looks pretty awesome, we have to say), but based on our short hands-on time the hinge feels rather flimsy. Processor options will go up to Core i7 (Qualcomm also told us its Snapdragon S4 chip will power the device). Both the XPS 10 and the Duo 12 will be available later this year after the official Windows 8 launch.

Gallery: Dell XPS Duo 12 hands-on

Gallery: Dell XPS 10 hands-on

Continue reading Dell announces XPS 10 Windows 8 hybrid, XPS Duo 12 convertible (update: hands-on)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Dell announces XPS 10 Windows 8 hybrid, XPS Duo 12 convertible (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 04:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony updates NEX-5 system camera with WiFi, downloadable "apps"

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/sony-updates-nex-5-system-camera-with-wifi-downloadable-apps/

Sony Electronics plans to let users customize their picture-taking abilities by downloading "apps" to its new NEX-5R WiFi-enabled compact system camera. The NEX-5R, announced on Wednesday, builds on the well-respected NEX-5N design, adding the aforementioned WiFi connectivity and syncing, compatibility with "Camera Apps," and a "Fast Hybrid" autofocus system.

Sony said that the NEX-5R includes a redesigned 16.1 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor, which integrates 99 phase-detection AF points. The NEX-5R uses those points to quickly acquire a focus point, and then uses contrast detection to refine the focus point (or "confirm extremely fine, precise details," according to Sony). Phase detection is also used during high-speed continuous shooting in order to achieve continuous AF at 10 frames per second.

The Fast Hybrid AF system will only work with a limited number of newer lenses at launch, including the E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, E 55-210mm F4-6.3 OSS, E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS, and E 24mm F1.8ZA Sonnar T*. Firmware updates will "steadily expand" Fast Hybrid AF with additional lenses

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from Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com

Hands-on with the Samsung ATIV Smart PC (aka the Series 5 Slate)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-ativ-smart-pc-hands-on/

Would a Series 5 Slate be just as sweet under any other name? We've already got hands-on with the ATIV Smart PC Pro (called the Series 7 Slate in the US) and now we're going to show you the wonder that is the ATIV Smart PC -- aka, the Series 5 Slate on this side of the Atlantic. And what can we say? It's a lot like the Series 7 we checked out, though this guy is of course a smidge thinner and lighter, given the fanless design and inclusion of an Atom-based Clover Trail processor instead of something in the Ivy Bridge family.

Another difference: that 11.6 inch display. It's still bright, of course, but the resolution is a lower 1,366 x 768, as opposed to the 1080p panel used in the Series 7 / Smart PC Pro. That caveat aside, the Series 5 / Smart PC is still pretty sexy, with that vibrant display and brushed metal back -- though, as mentioned in our hands-on with the dock, that beauty clashes a bit with the relative cheapness of the keyboard.

As you may have read, the two slates also have stylus slots, though the S Pen was nowhere in sight during our demo -- perhaps to keep it out of the hands of sneaky bloggers. In the meantime, we've got some hands-on photos, but we encourage you to refer back to our Series 7 / Smart PC Pro hands-on to compare the designs, and get a better feel for the custom apps Samsung has bundled.

Gallery: Samsung ATIV Smart PC tablet hands-on

Dana Wollman contributed to this report.

Continue reading Hands-on with the Samsung ATIV Smart PC (aka the Series 5 Slate)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Hands-on with the Samsung ATIV Smart PC (aka the Series 5 Slate) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung calling its dockable Windows 8 tablets ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC Pro outside the US

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-unveils-ativ-smart-pc-and-smart-pc-pro-with-detachable-k/

Samsung didn't leave its ATIV introductions to just an ARM tablet and a phone. We first saw them as the Series 5 and Series 7 tablets, which will likely be their final US names; to recap, though, the newly branded ATIV Smart PC and ATIV Smart PC Pro both look to capture some of that Transformer-like aura by mating an 11.6-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard dock for a laptop experience. Some of Samsung's own Galaxy Note vibe rubs off on them, too -- both carry an S Pen and a bundled S Note app for some on-the-spot writing. They likewise share support for 3G and 4G as well as micro-HDMI and USB, but there's a clear difference depending on what you buy. Going for the regular Smart PC loads in a modest Clover Trail-based Intel Atom processor and a 1,366 x 768 display, but offers a lengthy 13.5-hour battery life, 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB flash drive, a rear 8-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. Slap that "Pro" moniker on the front and you have to drop to eight hours of battery life and a 5-megapixel rear camera, but you'll get a much faster Core i5 processor, a 1080p display, 4GB of RAM and as much as a 256GB SSD. Unlike the ATIV Tab, we do know the Smart PCs will be available in the US on October 26th at $649 for a base Smart PC/Series 5, $749 for a bundle with the keyboard and $1,119 for a Smart PC Pro/Series 7 with a 128GB SSD built-in.

Gallery: Samsung ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC Pro Press Shots

Continue reading Samsung calling its dockable Windows 8 tablets ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC Pro outside the US

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Samsung calling its dockable Windows 8 tablets ATIV Smart PC and Smart PC Pro outside the US originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announces massive 84" 4K flat panel TV set to ship this year

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/sony-announces-massive-84-4k-flat-panel-tv-set-to-ship-this-year/

Sony announced on Wednesday that it has developed an 84" 4K resolution TV that will ship later this year. The unfortunately named XBR-84X900 features a "quad full high definition" (QFHD) resolution of 3840x2160 pixels, and comes complete with a detachable 10-driver "virtual 5.1 surround sound" speaker system designed to offer a home theater experience on par with the latest digital cinema technology.

In addition to the usual networked "smart TV" features, the massive XBR-84X900 set incorporates "proprietary upscaling technology," which Sony claimed will "ensure that every frame looks clear and crisp, with a 4K resolution regardless of the content source." We're highly suspicious of those claims, but native 1080p content should scale well since QFHD is essentially "pixel doubling" of 1920x1080. Native 4K content is quite scarce outside of theatrical releases, but there are some existing sources available. And, Sony noted, digital still images look especially impressive displayed at 4K.

4K video technology has been working its way into the home for a few years, despite the slow adoption of Blu-ray and 1080p video streaming technologies. Sony launched a home 4K cinema projector last year, and we spied a couple of 4K TVs at CES in January. While a majority of consumers won't be rushing out to buy the expensive, massive displays so soon, the technology infrastructure for ubiquitous 4K video is nearly in place. Even Intel's lowly HD4000 integrated graphics chip can support 4K video resolutions, for instance. RED's 4K "Red Ray" disc player can play back compressed 4K video content shot with its digital cinema cameras. And the first-ever 4K music video (don't get too excited, it's from Sony spokesmodel Taylor Swift) is set to debut on Thursday.

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from Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com

Samsung ATIV Smart PC dock hands-on

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-activ-smart-pc-dock-hands-on/

And hey, what's a Windows 8 tablet without a docking station? Sure enough, Samsung was showing off a snazzy one tonight that turns your bright and beautiful ATIV Smart PC (which is a bit chunkier than its brother) into a notebook. The tablet slots into the top of the keyboard dock, with the Windows 8 button obscured slightly by the top of the dock. The device does look a fair amount like a netbook when it's firmly nestled inside. But we have to say, the quality of the dock doesn't match the beauty of the tablet itself, the plasticky bottom clashing with the brushed aluminum backing, particularly where the lip shows up slightly on the rear of the device.

When using the dock, you're likely going to spend most of your time in the classic UI -- and when you want to switch, you can just hit the button at the top of the dock to release the tablet from its docky prison. The buttons and trackpad feel a bit like a low-end netbook, and we had to do some fiddling to get that mouse across the desktop. We're hoping that Samsung will either release a slicker version or we'll be seeing something from a third-party manufacturer. In the meantime, the dock feels more like a second home for the tablet, best saved for those rare occasions when you'll need to do, say, some serious word processing.

Gallery: Samsung ATIV Smart PC hands-on

Samsung ATIV Smart PC dock hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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