Two cutting-edge TVs, each with a rumoured price tag of $10,000 (£6,300), have gone missing en route to a consumer electronics fair in Germany.
The 55in (140cm) OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) television sets were due to go on show at IFA in Berlin.
According to Samsung, the TVs disappeared between 21 and 28 August, but it was unclear exactly where.
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Vestel's BitTorrent prototype.
Best known for its decentralized file transfer system, BitTorrent (download) has joined with digital television manufacturer Vestel to create the first TV that comes with torrent support baked in, the two companies announced today at IFA in Berlin. Originally announced in January at CES 2011, the BitTorrent Certified televisions will be able to download, play back, and share media, including videos you’ve shot on your cell phone, high-resolution photos, and BitTorrent’s growing library of legally shared media content.
The library of legal content isn’t the only aspect of BitTorrent’s business that’s growing. The company claims more than 100 million active monthly users, putting it in the rarefied territory of major Web browsers and free Windows security suites.
It’s that user base that BitTorrent hopes to grow by expanding its technology beyond computers.
“Consumers want all types of personal media and Internet content in their living rooms and the TV remains the most desired device for consuming this digital media, regardless of source,” Hakan Kutlu, deputy general manager for marketing at Vestel, said in a statement.
The process to prepare BitTorrent for a wider range of devices than just desktop computers and smartphones went public earlier this year as Project Chrysalis. Shahi Ghanem, chief strategist at BitTorrent, added, “People want access to their entire content library–personal media, Internet files, and artist-approved content – regardless of source, media type, or file format.”
The BitTorrent Certified program will eventually include DVD and Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and other content-distributing hardware.
Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, holds both tablets during a press conference at IFA 2011 in Berlin. (Credit: Sony Europe)
On the same day it officially announced its upcoming Android touch-screen tablets, Sony today opened a preorder page for those wishing to purchase one of the devices originally code-named S1 and S2.
The single-screen Sony Tablet S will be available on September 16 in two varieties: a 16GB version for $499 or a 32GB model for $599. It’s worth noting that you can also expand the storage space further via the built-in full-size SD card slot.
Somewhat amusingly, until October 1, consumers can “trade in any brand tablet and get a $100 credit towards a new Sony Tablet S series,” according to Sony.
If the dual-screen Tablet P is more to your liking, it is also available for preorder. There’s no mention of pricing or release date on the Sony Store site, and in his hands-on preview of both tablets, CNET Senior Editor Donald Bell says that “since the device will come to market through AT&T as a 4G-compatible tablet, the decision on timing and pricing rests on the carrier’s shoulders.” On a side note, the storage space for the Tablet P is listed as a mere 4GB, but expandable with a full-size SD card slot.
Sony also has a preorder page of tablet accessories that include a Bluetooth keyboard, sleeve cases, and more.
Sony CEO Howard Stringer took a defiant tone at a press conference at IFA. (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)
BERLIN–The PlayStation Network, Sony’s hacker-beleaguered online game-play system, has recovered from its earlier woes and is growing again, Chief Executive Howard Stringer said today.
“I’m pleased to tell you that the PSN is more secure and better than ever,” Stringer said at a news conference at the IFA electronics show here. “We are aggressively expanding its content. We have more than 3 million new customers since the network came back online, and sales are exceeding what we had before the cyberattacks.”
Stringer gave the impression he was trying to take the offensive in his short but defiant speech.
“This year, we at Sony have been flooded, we’ve been flattened, we’ve been hacked, we’ve been singed,” he said. “But the summer of our discontent is behind us.”
That wasn’t the only Shakespeare phrase he mangled. “The past is a prologue to future possibility,” he said, before launching into a list of new products Sony announced at the press conference.
Sony is in the midst of an internal revamp to tie its products and services more closely together–a holistic strategy few rivals can match at least on paper given the breadth of Sony’s electronics products and its video and music business.
“Yes, yes, Apple makes an iPad, but does it make movies?” Stringer asked. “Warner Bros. and Fox produce fine movies, but what about their cameras and smartphones? Sony is where art meets technology.”
A strong global brand and a broad portfolio are great, but it’s not a guarantee of success. Apple is perhaps the best illustration of chinks in Sony’s armor. Stringer joined the list of executives who believe Google’s Android operating system will help others take on Apple. In particular, he touted the company’s two new Android tablets.
“We want to prove it’s not who makes it first that counts, but who makes it better,” Stringer said.
Part of Sony’s holistic approach is evident in the new Sony Entertainment Network, which unifies video, music, and PlayStation Network services under a single umbrella. More services will come, too.
Samsung Galaxy S II LTE (Credit: Samsung)
We knew that Samsung had something up its sleeve for IFA later this week in Berlin, but the company has let the news slip a little early in a press release issued today. As expected, we’ll not only get a version of the Galaxy S II, but also we’ll see the return of the Galaxy Tab 8.9.
The Galaxy S II LTE smartphone will feature a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display will offer 3D graphics, though its size also means the device will be far from compact. Additional features include Wi-Fi, e-mail, and messaging, an 8-megapixel camera, a personal organizer, a digital music player, Bluetooth, and the usual access to Google apps. And as its name suggests, the handset will support 4G LTE networks.
The Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE is similar to the Galaxy Tab 8.9 that Sammy unveiled earlier this year at CTIA. The 8.9-inch screen puts the tablet squarely between the existing Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the 7.7-inch Galaxy Tab. It will support LTE networks, as well, while inside you’ll find a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera, a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calls, a dual-core processor, 1080p HD video playback, Wi-Fi, and Android 3.2 Honeycomb.
We don’t have North American availability details for the tablet just yet, but Samsung will announce U.S. versions of the Galaxy S II at an event in New York on Tuesday.
