Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Fujitsu's next-gen Milbeaut image processor does single-chip Hi-Vision video, 20MP stills

3:13 PM  eric  

Fujitsu's next-gen Milbeaut image processor does single-chip Hi-Vision video, 20MP stills: "















Fujitsu's latest image processor, the Milbeaut MB91696AM, has a new bag of tricks on tap, and it's fixing to unload them in April. The new Milbeaut sports ARM processors and a 'newly-developed' Full HD H.264 codec engine, making for 14-megapixel shooting at 8fps (or about 20 megapixels at 5.5fps) and low-noise Hi-Vision video recording at 1920 x 1080. So the processor, in its sixth iteration, sports high resolution photos and HD video all on the same chip, and features continuous photography speeds up to five times faster than its predecessors. Fujitsu's got plans to show off Milbeaut's mobile solutions at MWC next week, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the MB91696AM make its debut in Barcelona as well. Either way, the new processor is scheduled to ship starting in April for ¥3,000 (right around $36), which means new Milbeaut-equipped cameras won't shouldn't be far behind. Full PR after the jump.



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iOS 4.2 Now Available, Brings Multitasking to iPad

2:09 PM  eric  

iOS 4.2 Now Available, Brings Multitasking to iPad: "

The latest version of Apple’s mobile platform, iOS 4.2, is now available for the iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.
This version is especially important for iPad owners, as it brings over 100 new features from the last three version of iOS to that device, most interesting among them being support for multitasking. The feature enables users to keep several apps open at the same time and switch between them almost instantly, while preserving iPad’s battery life (which Apple refers to as “legendary”).
Other new features for the iPad include app folders, unified inbox, and the gaming social network Game Center. AirPlay and AirPrint are also here, with AirPlay bringing the ability to stream music, photos and video to Apple TV, and AirPrint finally enabling users to wirelessly print out content to AirPrint-enabled printers including the HP Photosmart, HP LaserJet Pro and HP Officejet.
Apple also said that iOS has 125 million users around the world, while its App Store now has more than 300,000 apps, 40,000 of them being native iPad applications.
See the full list of improvements in iOS 4.2 here, and be sure to check out our complete hands-on:

Home Screen




iOS 4.2 for iPad features the same familiar look as iOS 4.0 for the iPhone. The big new feature is Folders -- grouping of icons by category.

Multitasking Bar




Double click the home button on the iPad and scroll to the right. Just like on the iPhone, this gives you quick access to some music and app controls.
With iOS 4.2 for iPad, the screen rotation lock button on the side of the iPad has been switched to an audio mute button. That means that to lock the rotation of the screen, you need to use the new multitasking bar. We wish that we could still use the physical button, but the software button works just fine.
A nice touch for the iPad is the ability to control your brightness and control your volume. Brightness controls come in handy when reading books or magazines or playing back video. Speaking of video playback, when you are in the vicinity of an Apple TV, you can activate AirPlay from this menu too.

Folders




You can store 20 apps per folder. Just like in iOS 4.0 for the iPhone, the folders are named automatically based on what type of apps are inside, but you can also edit the name yourself.

Multitasking




Double tapping on the home button brings up a list of other applications you can open or switch to in iOS 4.2. Apps that support fast-app switching will let you seamlessly switch back and forth without losing your place. If you are listening to music or watching a video, the audio continues to play when you open another app.

Game Center




iOS 4.2 for iPad includes Game Center. Just like iOS 4.1 for iPhone, Game Center lets you compare scores, earn badges and play games with your friends or with a random stranger across the Internet.

Game Center Games




Game Center shows you what Game Center games you have used on your iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. You can compare your scores and leaderboards with your friends.

Unified Inbox




Just like iOS 4.0 for the iPhone, the iPad now has a unified inbox. You can view all your accounts at once or view each account separately.

Unified Inbox





E-mail Printing




You can now print an e-mail message to an AirPrint compatible device.

Printing




The bookmark bar in Mobile Safari has a new option: Print!

Printing




Clicking on Print will let you select your printer (AirPrint printers are auto-discovered) and select how many copies you want.

Search in Web Page




One of the new features with iOS 4.2 is that you can search for a word or phrase within a web page. Type text into the search bar and below the search suggestions is a new option: 'On this Page.'

Search in Web Page Results




You can find every instance of a word or phrase within a web page. The word or phrase in question is highlighted and clicking 'next' will take you to the next instance of the text on the page.

Search in Web Page Results




You can find every instance of a word or phrase within a web page. The word or phrase in question is highlighted and clicking 'next' will take you to the next instance of the text on the page.

Printing on the iPhone




Just like on the iPad, clicking the bookmark button in the web browser or in supported apps will bring up a new 'Print' option.

Print Options iPhone




You can then select how many pages you want to print and select or search for an AirPrint compatible device on your network.

Print Landscape





Print Landscape





Search in Page iPhone





Search in Page Results iPhone




Reviews: App Store
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Over 250,000 U.S. Diplomatic Documents Released by Wikileaks

1:58 PM  eric  


 
Wikileaks had set this afternoon as the date to release another round of secret U.S. government documents - this time, over 250,000 classified cables from various U.S. embassies.


Hours prior to the documents' publication, Wikileaks tweeted that the website was experiencing a 'mass distributed denial of service attack.' But whether or not the site goes down - it's functioning, albeit slowly at this time - the documents released today have already been distributed to a number of international news agencies who are publishing their findings from the trove of leaked documents.

Sponsor


wikileaks_twitter.jpg


Today's publication marks the latest in a string of secret government documents published by the rogue media organization. In July, Wikileaks released the Afghan War Diary, containing over 91,000 reports from the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.


Contents of the Correspondence



As these documents capture some of the day-to-day correspondence between the U.S. State Department and some 270 embassies around the world, they reveal a mixture of political intrigue and political gossip. The New York Times reports, for example, that the documents 'describe the volatile Libyan leader as rarely without the companionship of 'his senior Ukrainian nurse,' described as 'a voluptuous blonde.''


Documents also point to the Chinese government's role in hacking Google, something that led the company to temporarily pull out of the country earlier this year.


This Wikileaks publication is likely to impact U.S. diplomatic relations, including for example, revelations
about State Department personnel being urged to collect data ('spy'?) on foreign dignitaries and on UN officials. The State Department has been briefing countries over the past few days in anticipation for today's release.


Media Coverage, Government Reaction



Coverage of the documents can be found in a number of places, including the New York Times, in the British newspaper the Guardian, and in the German Der Spiegel. The raw data is also available on the Wikileaks website.


The White House has issued a statement, condemning 'in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information.' Last spring, intelligence analyst Bradley Manning was charged with leaking many of the documents that make up today's release, as well as video footage of a 2007 airstrike in which civilians were killed. Manning faces a court martial and prison time for his role in leaking this information.

Discuss



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