Crave

If Japan-based NEC has its way, people who act as language translators could one day be replaced with head-mounted displays that project translations onto a retinal display. Come again?

(Credit: NEC)

The Tele Scouter system is composed of an eyepiece with a front-mounted camera and a mic that picks up conversations and sends the data to a small computer worn on the user's waist.

The computer then transmits information to a remote server, which does the heavy processing work converting the foreign speech to text, translating it, and wirelessly sending it back to the tiny eye display for viewing. That seems like a whole lot of work to get to, "He said, 'Welcome to my country!'" but we'll roll with the idea for now.

Truth is we could use a translator to help us make complete sense of the English on NEC's product page, but we do know the TeleScouter isn't ready to show up at the U.N. just yet (or maybe ever).

Instead, NEC initially plans to market the device as a wearable hands-free display that could be used to show engineers and on-site and off-site technicians high-resolution user guides and manuals while they install or repair equipment.

In another workplace use, it could let a single expert simultaneously deliver text, video, and audio messages to multiple personnel--in real time.

NEC says it expects to start shipping the Tele Scouter next year, with a system that could serve a staff of 30 costing around 750 million yen ($8.16 million). Despite such exorbitant pricing, the company is aiming to sell 1,000 systems in three years.

How do you say, "We're intrigued, but we'll believe all this when we see it" in Japanese?

(Credit: NEC)

(Via Gizmag)

DisplayMate's testing lab during the LCD evaluation.

(Credit: DisplayMate)

I've been testing LCD monitors consistently for the past two years. In that time, I've run various tests designed to evaluate a monitor's response time. I've used games, movies, and the occasional scientific test to confirm if a manufacturer's claimed response time is accurate.

To be perfectly honest, I have a very difficult time seeing motion blur in movies and games. In fact, I'm not sure I've seen it any repeatable evidence of it on a modern monitor during a game or movie.

So it should go without saying that DisplayMate's recent findings on LCD response times come as no big shock to me. The findings come via an article by DisplayMate founder Raymond Soneira.

Here are Soneira's major conclusions based on tests conducted by DisplayMate on LCDs from major manufacturers.

1. A manufacturer's claimed response time specifications are not a scientifically accurate or a meaningful indicator of picture blur.

The motion blur DisplayMate measured on the HDTVs tested was more than 40 milliseconds. According to the article, this is more than a factor of 10 greater than the manufacturer's published specifications.

2. LCD manufacturers have made a big deal about refresh rates in the last couple of years with the jump from 60Hz to 120Hz and now 240Hz. CNET's own David Katzmaier suspected that benefits with the jump to 240Hz were dubious already, but here's more evidence to back it up.

Netbooks continue to soar in sales at the expense of the venerable notebook, according to a new report from DisplaySearch.

Revenues for Netbooks, or mini-notebooks, rose to $3 billion in the second quarter of the year, a leap of 264 percent over the second quarter of 2008, according to the new "Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report" released Thursday. With those gains, Netbooks now enjoy an 11.7 percent share of the portable PC market.

(Credit: DisplaySearch)

Though traditional notebooks still command an 89 percent slice of the market, their second quarter sales fell to $23.2 billion, a 14 percent decline from the second quarter of 2008.

Measuring 2009's second quarter against the prior year's quarter, sales fell in all subcategories of the portable PC market, including ultraportables and desktop replacements, the report noted. PCs in the 13-inch to 16-inch range managed to eke out a gain, but only measured against the first quarter of 2009.

The low prices of Netbooks appeal to consumers looking for a second PC and to those in emerging markets who don't need the rich and costly features of a large laptop. The market has also been buoyed by cable and telecommunications providers who have doled out Netbooks to customers who sign up for lengthy contracts.

Energized by their widespread use in cell phones, worldwide sales of OLED displays hit a record high of $192 million for the second quarter of the year, according to a report released this week by DisplaySearch.

Second-quarter sales of OLED displays rose 22 percent over the same period last year, and 32 percent over the first quarter of 2009, noted DisplaySearch's latest "Quarterly OLED Shipment and Forecast Report," which came out Monday.

The report said that shipments of AMOLED displays were especially strong thanks to their use in mobile phones, with more than 15 different AMOLED cell phone models released in 2009.

AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screens use less energy than PMOLED (passive-matrix) displays, making them better-suited for portable devices such as phones and MP3 players.

"AMOLED displays have become an important differentiating feature for high-end electronic products," said Jennifer Colegrove, DisplaySearch director of display technologies, in a statement. "This technology is not only used for mobile phone main displays, but has also penetrated the market for portable media players, digital still cameras, and other applications."

(Credit: DisplaySearch)

Making OLED TVs has been a costly, time-consuming challenge for most manufacturers. Despite demonstrations of flashy new products from several companies, Sony remains the only firm with an OLED TV on the shelves.

(Credit: Nicholas Aaron Khoo)

SAN FRANCISCO--Talk about extreme multitasking. If two displays on a notebook, like Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds' Side Panel, don't do the trick for you, Intel's about to up the ante with four. Yes, that's four--one primary LCD screen and three auxiliary OLED screens above the keyboard. The aim here is to allow the user to organize information the way he or she prefers it.

Touted as the world's first multitouch, multiscreen concept solution, the prototype (code-named Tangent Bay) was unveiled at the Mobility Meetup, an Intel Insiders event for bloggers here. We got Intel rep Renuka Awasthi to demonstrate the touted seamless interaction between the main screen and auxiliary displays.

Intel's Mobile Product Line marketing manager for Greater Americas showed some music files being dragged and dropped between the OLED panels using a finger, as well as flipped video files being moved up to the main LCD display from the auxilliary panels with ease. One could also contract, zoom, scroll, and pan content from one screen to another.

After the jump, blogger Nicholas Khoo has more photos and videos for Crave.

Yes, the stickers at the top can be removed.

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

A couple weeks back I reviewed the 25.5-inch HP w2558hc, which I still believe is pound for pound, one of the best values for a monitor out there. Soon after my review, HP released the 27-inch 2709m.

Also, I talked a little about this last week when I showed off some photos of the 2709m.

Now the real question is which of these two HPs is worth your hard-earned (I assume) cash? As with any product, that will depend on what exactly our needs are and what either of these are providing. Check out CNET's full review to see which team I chose. Team 25.5 or team 27 and 16:9.

Check out the review to discover which team you'd rather play for. Also, all new monitor reviews can always be found here.

Don't mind the boxes in the background. I kinda live out of my office.

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Last month I bemoaned the fact that although the 27-inch HP 2709m has less features and a lower resolution than the 25-inch HP w2558hc (albeit with a larger screen), at the time, it actually cost $70 more.

Since then, HP has curiously stopped selling the w2558hc directly, but the monitor is still available at Amazon and other e-tailers. Also, the $500 suggested retail price for the 2709m was a bit overestimated since HP actually sells it for $425 and it can be found for as low as $360 from other online retailers.

I'm still waiting to hear back from HP on whether it'll continue to sell the w25558hc. It would be a shame if they aren't selling it, as pound for pound, it's one of the best values out there. Anyway, here are some brand new shots of the 2709m. Also, keep checking here for new monitor reviews every week. Enjoy.

Shots: HP 2709m

(Credit: Apple)

Apple on Tuesday added an antiglare upgrade option to its 15-inch MacBook Pro line of notebooks.

The option of an antiglare display has already been available on the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The 13-inch counterpart continues to offer only a glossy display.

First reported by AppleInsider and confirmed for CNET by Apple, the antiglare display is a $50 upgrade via Apple's online store.

The glossy versus antiglare debate has been ongoing since the glossy version was first introduced on notebooks. For some, it's a matter of aesthetics or eye strain. And then there are creative professionals who maintain that color is more accurate on an antiglare display. Others say it doesn't really matter.

The EA231WMi knows how to render frogs.

(Credit: NEC)

As a follow-up to a monitor we recently reviewed, the NEC MultiSync EA221WM-BK, on Tuesday NEC announced the 23-inch NEC MultiSync EA231WMi.

The EA231WMi is a 16:9 aspect ratio monitor with a few notable improvements over the EA221WM-BK. First off, the new display uses an IPS-based panel as opposed to the TN panel the EA221WM-BK used. Also, the EA231WMi is the first NEC desktop display to feature a DisplayPort connection.

DisplayPort is a rare, but powerful connection that has been heralded as the future of digital monitor connections.

Additionally, the monitor includes a one-touch button for Eco Mode and features an ambient light sensor.

Here's a short list of additional features:

• 4-way ergonomic stand (110mm height adjust, pivot, tilt and swivel)
• Carbon footprint meter for tracking of carbon savings
• DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI connectivity
• Integrated four-port USB 2.0 hub
• Down-firing built-in speakers with headphone jack
• Built-in carrying handle

The EA231WMi will begin shipping in August 2009 with an estimated street price of $379. The display ships with a standard three-year parts and labor warranty, including the backlight.