Gadget News - Samsung LEDs flaunt 0.2-inch thin frames

The striking thinness of Samsung's new bezel becomes more apparent with an image on-screen.

(Credit: Samsung) As flat-panel TVs get flatter and lighter, TV makers look to differentiate themselves among the wall of panels at your local Best Buy in ever more ingenious ways. One of the most impressive we've seen is the ultraslim bezel available on the Samsung UND7000 series, which frames the picture with an edge just 0.2 inch wide.
That razor-thin frame significantly out-slims the 2010 champ, LG's 7/8-inch-bezel LE8500/LX9500, and allows Samsung to make statements like "consumers can enjoy the 55-inch screen in the same space of most 52-inch TVs." It's so thin the controls have to be mounted behind the TV--although front-facing indicators make them easy enough to use.
In addition to its design chops, the UND7000 improves upon the step-down UND6400 models with a few extras. It offers a 240Hz refresh rate and the company says it has improved 3D performance significantly over 2010 models.
The D7000 has an edge-lit LED backlight, but we saw no mention in Samsung's press materials whether it shares the same Motion Adaptive Dimming found on the step-down D6400 series. The step-up D8000 offers improved local dimming from an edge-lit configuration, according to Samsung.
The materials do specify that the D7000 series adds a Web browser and built-in Wi-Fi to the D6400's Smart TV suite of Internet options, which includes new features like "universal" search and a recommendation engine in addition to numerous Samsung Apps. The D7000 lacks the touch-screen remote found on the D8000.
Pricing wasn't announced at CES, and availability is listed as the first half of 2011.

Samsung UND7000 series features:

• Edge-lit LED backlight
• 3D compatible
• Supports Bluetooth 3D active glasses
• 240Hz refresh rate
• Samsung Apps with universal search and web browser
• Built-in Wi-Fi

Samsung UND7000 series models:

• Samsung UN60D7000: 60-inch
• Samsung UN55D7000: 55-inch
• Samsung UN46D7000: 46-inch

Gadget News - CES: Samsung unveils 9 Series, a thin competitor to the MacBook Air

LAS VEGAS--Samsung laptops have caught our eye for more than a year now, with an increasingly impressive design aesthetic and fairly good prices to boot. Today, its announcement of a thin, 13-inch laptop aimed squarely at the MacBook Air-loving crowd seems to indicate a direction in higher-end products, too, and we certainly can't complain. LAS VEGAS--Samsung laptops have caught our eye for more than a year now, with an increasingly impressive design aesthetic and fairly good prices to boot. Today, its announcement of a thin, 13-inch laptop aimed squarely at the MacBook Air-loving crowd seems to indicate a direction in higher-end products, too, and we certainly can't complain.

gadget News - Joby GorillaPod Micro Tripod Stores Neatly While Attached to Camera

Tripods, even the tabletop ones, are either a blessing or a curse for photographers. Although it is used very often, tripods are also clumsy to use and end up as another thing we have to carry around.
The Joby GorillaPod Micro has an ingenous feature that makes tripod use very convenient. It is designed to stay onto the camera as its three legs folds neatly together and can be flipped open when needed. This eliminates the arduous task of removing the tripod and putting it on again every single time. This small tripod also has a small ball head that allows the camera 360 degrees of rotation.
The Micro comes in two version: The Micro 250 and Micro 800. The former is recommended for small pocket cameras up to 250 grams, while the latter can support up to 800 grams. Both versions are available for pre-order, costing $19.99 and $29.99, respectively.

gadget News - Fitbit Updates with Fitbit Ultra

Fitbit, the oddly popular pedometer, has been updated with the introduction of the Fitbit Ultra. The device connects wirelessly to a small base station that also works as a charger. The base station also works as a relay point as it sends stats to the Internet as the Fitbit user approaches the device. These stats are then compiled and presented in charts and graphs.
Like its predecessor, the Fitbit Ultra records the number of steps taken by the user as well as the user’s sleep patterns while strapped to the wrist. Its small OLED monitor reads current stats like calories burned, distance traveled, and steps taken. It can also be pinned onto clothing and lasts about a week on a single charge.

gadget News - Hotmail Unveils Spam Sorting Updates

Hotmail is still around, just in case you are wondering. It is the first e-mail service for many people who tried the Internet in its dial-up infancy and Microsoft is reminding its millions of users that they still have a Hotmail account. This time, the service comes with new features that includes an Android app with two-way e-mail, contact and calendar syncing.
There are also several updates on Hotmail’s web interface. Users can now categorize incoming mail as “gray mail,” such as newsletters they signed in but do not bother to read. These gray mail, which according to Microsoft make up half of our e-mail inbox, can automatically be sorted into a folder or be put into the trash. There is also an “Unsubscribe” feature that lets Hotmail block future newsletters and even ask the sender to kindly stop sending further spam mail.
Users can also let Hotmail automatically flag messages with a particular subject line or from a certain sender. These flagged messages will shot up at the top of the inbox so they will not get inundated with the influx of incoming mail.
The “Scheduled Cleanup” feature deletes messages automatically after certain number of days have passed. This is recommended for e-mails from daily deals companies like Groupon and LivingSocial. Other updates include the inline ability to manage and edit folders and apply categories to e-mails, as well as “Instant Actions” such as “delete” and “flag” that appear whenever users hover over messages.

gadget News - “Invisible Key” Unlocks by Hand Gestures

A faculty member from an institute in Taiwan has developed a technology that enables a person to unlock a door with a simple hand gesture. Tsai Yao-Pin of Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan introduces the “invisible key,” which uses a special chip-and-accelerometer combo integrated into the lock.
The chip is able to track users’ hand movements in three dimensions, and these gestures can be saved for future use. Users can simply flash these saved hand motions in front of the lock to deactivate it. With the “invisible key” concept, Tsai and his school won the Gold Award at theTaipei International Invention Show last weekend.
The invention does sound innovative on paper, but like physical keys, hand movements can be duplicated.

gadget News - New Nikon D800 May Have 36-Megapixel Sensor

Nikon have yet to unveil its new D800 DSLR, but information about this upcoming camera has already been leaked. According to the rumors, the Nikon D800 will come with a whopping 36-megapixel image sensor. Sounds pretty impressive, that is if you have not heard of the megapixel myth (the more MPs in the camera, the better the image). For non-believers of the myth, any camera with sensors larger than six megapixels are a waste of money.
Anyway, a Japanese camera site has posted what are supposed to be the legit specs of the Nikon D800. Other sites could not believe it at first, until they themselves got the word that the camera will indeed include a 36MP sensor. Good luck storing image files that large into your SD and CF cards.
The Nikon D800 will also include 1080p video recording capabilities at 30 frames per second, four frames-a-second burst mode, a larger LCD, and can support both SD and CF cards. The camera will most likely come with a hefty $4,000 price tag, which is about $111 a megapixel.