While we impatiently await a Lytro to call our own — or at least rigorously review — it looks like the light field technology could be used for video. Ren Ng, CEO of Lytro and the man behind the camera’s focus-dodging optical wizardry, mentioned that the main barrier between the curious camera lens and video recording is the amount of processing power required to manipulate all that fully-lit input. He also mentioned that Lytro is continuing to develop the wireless connectivity within the device, something that wasn’t fully baked during our hands-on. If it’s a processing power issue, those incoming quad-core smartphones might be able to help squeeze some video out of that f/2.0 lens…

Lytro video camera ‘a possibility’, would need more processing muscle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/lytro-video-camera-a-possibility-would-need-more-processing-m/

Remember that first shot across Apple’s bow that HTC fired way back May of 2010? No? We don’t blame you. Since that initial exchange of complaints against each other the patent war has spun almost completely out of control. Well, in October an ITC judge handed down an initial ruling, rejecting the Taiwanese manufacturer’s claim that Cupertino and crew had infringed upon its patents. Now, almost four months later, a final judgment has been issued, consistent with the initial decision — Apple is not in violation of the patents in question (which primarily concern the dialer and power management features) and the investigation has officially been closed. Don’t get your hopes up too much though, this is just the first complaint in a long series of suits the two have filed against each other and HTC can always appeal in a federal circuit court. In other words, there’s plenty more where this came from.

ITC closes the book on HTC’s first complaint against Apple, still working on its sequels originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/itc-closes-the-book-on-htcs-first-complaint-against-apple-stil/

It may seem a bit odd to see tech industry groups like the CTIA and CEA praising the passage of the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 by Congress, but that rather mundane-sounding bill has provisions attached to it that both groups and others have been pushing for years to happen. In an effort to cover the cost of the payroll tax extension, the bill also sets aside a large block of so-called unlicensed spectrum for auction, which is expected to bring in upwards of $25 billion. That spectrum had previously been used for TV broadcast use, but is now being eyed by various parties for next-generation WiFi networks, which could cover greater distances and potentially be used to bolster existing wireless networks. As part of the bill, Congress has also set aside a slice of spectrum that will be used as part of a nationwide network for public safety agencies. As The New York Times notes, however, it will see be quite a while before anything trickles down to consumers, with the auctions themselves at least a year or two away. The CEA and CTIA’s statements can be found after the break.

[Tower photo via Shutterstock]

Continue reading Congress passes bill opening up TV spectrum to next-gen WiFi networks

Congress passes bill opening up TV spectrum to next-gen WiFi networks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/congress-passes-bill-opening-up-tv-spectrum-to-next-gen-wifi-net/

There are no shortage of iPad 3 rumors out there. Quad-core A6, LTE radio, Retina Display — we’ve heard it all, but haven’t actually seen much in the way of evidence. Now Mac Rumors claims to have gotten its paws on part of the mythical beast. The site has a 9.7-inch LCD, in the same aspect ratio as the iPad and iPad 2 that certainly appears to be rocking a full 2048 x 1536 resolution. Without a way to power the screen its a little tough to be certain, but the same area of the alleged iPad 3 panel does seem to house twice as many pixels as its predecessor when viewed under the same magnification. Could this in fact be the Retina Display destined to put iOS 5.1 in the hands of millions of tablet fans? We’ll just have to wait for Tim Cook to reveal of its secrets too us, which should be happening sooner, rather than later.

Alleged iPad 3 Retina Display examined under a microscope originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/alleged-ipad-3-retina-display-examined-under-a-microscope/

Whether you’re looking for a good laugh or a simple trip down memory lane, seeing Windows Mobile 6.1 hobble around like a grumpy old man within Windows Phone might just satisfy both those urges. The technical stunt comes courtesy of the Dark Forces Team, which is now previewing a bit of hackery known as WML (Windows Mobile Loader?). While details of the project have yet to be made public, a video posted to YouTube clearly shows the elderly OS accessible from within Windows Phone on an HTC Gold (HD7). Support for Windows Mobile 6.5 is also in the works, but for the moment, just take a peep at the most important visual treat in the above clip.

Windows Mobile takes up roost in Windows Phone, thanks to WML project (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/wml-shows-windows-mobile-running-within-windows-phone-video/

There’s been plenty of back and forth between the web and RIM lately regarding the debut date of the next OS release for the PlayBook, and now we’ve got some hard evidence showing that the software is set to be let loose on February 21st . As you can see in the picture above, PlayBook users will be able to download version 2.0 in the early hours of an unknown time zone next Tuesday. The much anticipated update will finally give the tablet a native email client, improved BlackBerry Bridge functionality and plenty of other goodies. Not only that, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will be rolling out that same day, giving IT professionals the ability to manage all BlackBerry devices from a single interface — with Android and iOS controls coming in March. The picture to prove it is after the break, and now that we got that settled, we can go back to speculating about BlackBerry 10, right?

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Continue reading BlackBerry Playbook OS 2.0 release confirmed for February 21st

BlackBerry Playbook OS 2.0 release confirmed for February 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/blackberry-playbook-os-2-0-release-confirmed-for-february-21st/

We know a certain OS update will be the Mountain Lion in the room, but there was plenty of other interesting nuggets of wireless wisdom splashed around on the ‘webs these past seven days. Join Myriam Joire, Brad Molen, Joseph Volpe and Dan Seifert from MobileBurn to get your regular fix of this week’s news and rants, and geek out with us as we get ready for Mobile World Congress, now a week away! Listen in live at 5PM EST.

February 17, 2012 5:00 PM EST

Continue reading Listen to the Engadget Mobile podcast, live at 5PM ET with special guest Dan Seifert!

Listen to the Engadget Mobile podcast, live at 5PM ET with special guest Dan Seifert! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/engadget-mobile-podcast/

Consider the high-end smartphone. While you lust after those, Pantech is on the prowl, steadily adding to and improving upon its army of budget offerings in the US. It may not be as formidable a force as the Samsungs and Motorolas of the world, but the outfit is finally beginning to leave a mark. Once a complete unknown outside of Asia, the phone manufacturer is keeping itself incredibly busy on this side of the Pacific, cranking out low-cost devices for ATT and Verizon. Now, Pantech’s focus has turned to LTE, starting with the $50 Breakout on Big Red, followed by a smartphone and tablet option on Ma Bell.

Pantech Burst official on ATT Pantech Burst hands-on Pantech Element hands-onThe Pantech Burst is the inaugural entry-level LTE smartphone in ATT’s lineup, debuting at $50 with a two-year commitment. Don’t let that bargain-basement price turn you off, though — this thing’s got plenty of mojo to back it up, which makes the Burst a stark contrast to its Verizon counterpart. But what can we expect from a budget-friendly handset? Is Pantech finally pushing out a device that will help it earn a new level of respect from American consumers? We’re bursting at the seams to answer those questions and take the device for a spin after the break. (Yes, we just went there.)

Gallery: Pantech Burst hardware overview

Continue reading Pantech Burst review

Pantech Burst review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/pantech-burst-review/

Love it or hate it, Apple had a pretty stellar 2011. According to crunched numbers from Asymco, between its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the Cupertino outfit sold some 156 million iOS devices in 2011, marking a grand total of 316 million in the mobile OS’ short history. What’s most interesting here, however, is the fact that last year’s digits alone have completely blown past the 122 million units daddy Mac has managed in its 28 years of existence. It’s no wonder the company borrowed a few tricks from iOS for its latest desktop operating system.

Visualized: iOS 2011 sales smoke 28 years of Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/visualized-ios-2011-sales-outsells-28-years-of-mac/

We might not have an official release date for Nikon’s new shooters in the US of A, but over in France, well, things are un peu different. Per a QA box on the French arm’s Facebook page comes the image above, plainly stating its latest twosome will go on sale in March — the 15th specifically for the D4, and the 22nd for the D800. Following that, tweakers obsessed with finer details will get their fix with the D800E a month later on April 12th. No word on if those dates apply globally, but instead of getting yourself all frothy, we say have a rendezvous with our hands-ons (D4, D800) or lose yourself in some delectable video samples (D4, D800). Go on, we won’t judge.

Update: We heard from Nikon PR confirming that the D4 will indeed be launching in the US in mid-March as well.

Nikon D4 and D800 to ship in March, but only in the land of the baguette? (update: US too) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/nikon-d4-and-d800-to-ship-in-march-but-only-in-the-land-of-the/