prototypes

Sony crams 6 million LEDs into prototype Crystal display

LAS VEGAS--Forget what you know about those "faker LED" technologies, because Sony has just announced a television that actually does use LEDs to display an image.

Here at CES 2012, Sony has unveiled a "Crystal LED Display"--a 55-inch prototype TV that actually uses miniature light-emitting diodes in place of pixels. Up until now, the LEDs you have heard of have actually just been vanilla LCDs, just with an LED light source.

If you've ever been to a professional baseball, football, or basketball game, and seen the giant screens above the stands, you will be familiar with LED displays. That's fine for an image measured in furlongs, but this is the first time a company has been brave/stupid enough to try it on a television.… Read more

Sharp shows 8K resolution prototype TV

LAS VEGAS--LG and Toshiba have already shown HDTVs with twice the resolution of 1080p, aka "4K," but Sharp is going one better by showing its prototype 85-inch, 8K television at CES 2012.

Here's the company's press information:

Sharp is also developing its "Super High-Vision" 8K displays. These fully immersive units offer dramatically higher resolution than any current HDTV televisions with an astounding 7,680 pixels of horizontal resolution. Unique LCD panel and proprietary high-vision video content driving technologies position Sharp to realize direct-view LCD high-vision for the mass-market in the near future, further cementing … Read more

Razer loses Blade gaming laptop prototypes in Nov. 4 break-in

High-end gaming-peripheral-maker Razer sends word of an office break-in that occurred the weekend of November 4.

Gone missing: two prototypes of its Razer Blade high-end gaming laptops.

The following came from Razer's PR representative:

Over the weekend of 11/4/11, we had a break-in at one of our Razer offices. Two Razer Blade prototypes were stolen from our Bay Area R&D lab.

As you can imagine, the return of these prototype units is very important to the company. We have already reported this to the authorities who are working closely with us on this matter.… Read more

How Gizmodo escaped indictment in iPhone prototype deal

The great iPhone prototype caper of 2010 has finally ended, with the two men accused of shopping the device to gadget blogs sentenced to probation yesterday.

Last year's investigation began with a raid on Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's Fremont, Calif., home, followed by a painstaking examination of Chen's electronic files. Investigators suggested at the time that Chen could face criminal charges, and he soon hired a criminal defense attorney.

But San Mateo County District Attorney Steven Wagstaffe told CNET yesterday that there was not enough evidence to indict Chen or anyone else affiliated with Gizmodo.

"What … Read more

Apple loses iPhones, seeks security experts

The day after CNET reported that Apple had lost control of another valuable iPhone prototype--the second misplaced prototype handset in the past 18 months--the company began looking for people to help protect unreleased products.

David Murphy at PCmag.com made a nice catch today by noting Apple posted two job openings on Thursday for managers of "New Product Security." Maybe it's a coincidence that the positions opened up when they did, but the job descriptions certainly sound like a response to Apple's troubles of late for losing test gadgets.

"The candidate will be responsible for … Read more

Did SFPD reveal that lost device is iPhone 5?

There's still some confusion surrounding the hunt by Apple and the San Francisco Police Department for a lost, unreleased iPhone, thanks in large part to conflicting statements by the police, as well as Apple's reluctance to discuss the matter.

San Francisco police confirmed yesterday that they "assisted" Apple internal security in a recent search of a home that was aimed at finding an unreleased iPhone owned by the company and lost in a San Francisco bar. On Wednesday, CNET was the first to report the search for the errant phone.

Apple has declined to identify the … Read more

The 404 896: Where 'tis a far far better thing doing stuff for other people (podcast)

We have big announcement to make today! At the end of this month, CNET will begin a daily block of live podcasts, starting with The 404! You asked for longer episodes, so we're extending the show to fit in all the news headlines of the day, plus Calls From The Public, more weekly segments, including the return of Tang that Tune, and more!

On today's extracasual episode, we jump into a few stories we weren't able to discuss yesterday, like Apple losing yet another unreleased iPhone prototype, Germany lifting a 17-year ban on Doom 1 and 2, and a Tang That Tune with a surprise ending!

The 404 Digest for Episode 896

Apple loses another unreleased iPhone (exclusive). Doom finally unbanned in Germany. Apple customer accidentally given store hard drive.

Episode 896 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Suspects in iPhone prototype case plead not guilty

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--Two men pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor theft charges in a case involving an iPhone 4 prototype the pair are accused of selling to gadget blog Gizmodo last year.

At an arraignment here this morning, lawyers for Brian Hogan, the man who allegedly found the prototype in a bar after it was left there by an Apple engineer, and Robert Sage Wallower, who is accused of that charge as well as possessing stolen property, entered their pleas before Superior Court Judge Jonathan Karesh.

Karesh scheduled a pretrial conference for October 11 and a trial date of November … Read more

Apple wants its 3G MacBook prototype back

Apple wants a North Carolina man to return a prototype notebook computer he purchased on Craigslist earlier this year, CNET has learned.

Three weeks ago, photos of the device emerged in an eBay listing by Carl Frega, a North Carolina resident who had purchased the machine from someone on Craigslist for parts to fuel his repair business. Upon opening it up, he discovered that the machine was unlike any Apple had ever released to the public.

Beneath the notebook's metal frame was a slot for a SIM card and on the lid was an external antenna, suggesting Apple was … Read more

iPhone criminal case gives Apple more options

Criminal charges recently filed against two men who allegedly sold a prototype iPhone to Gizmodo.com have a not-so-obvious side effect.

A successful conviction in San Mateo County will make it easier for Apple to win a civil suit against the gadget blog, if it pursues one as its lawyers threatened last year, legal experts tell CNET.

"Will the criminal case help them? Absolutely," says Hanni Fakhoury, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation who's a former federal public defender. "They're going to learn a lot more about what happened." (See related story … Read more