Yeah, we spied a few of LG's new 31-inch, 2.9mm thick displays the other day, but we hadn't seen the standard TV-like configurations -- which don't mean too much, because this is still a prototype, but they're a comfort all the same. We also managed to peep a 3D setup with the screens, which used polarized glasses and was surprisingly sharp. We promised ourselves it would just be a quick look, and that we had important things to do today, and that we really don't need a new TV all that much... but three hours later we found ourselves still planted in the same spot, a small trickle of drool dripping all over our camera gear. When we finally managed to snap out of it, we clicked a few stills and grabbed a video of one of the screens spinning before running out of the LG booth with our eyes shut tight and desire still raging in our heart.

Maybe we're a bunch of idiots, but while the Flip and its ultra-simple camcorder ilk have certainly made shooting video simpler and more accessible for the masses, we still find many of these cameras surprisingly unintuitive or just "blah" at doing what they do (Kodak's otherwise excellent Zi8 and PlaySport cameras come to mind) when it comes to UI. After playing with the horrendous Flip Slide HD, we were almost sure touchscreens would act as another obstacle to using these things, but of all people, Sony has come to the rescue. We found the original Bloggie line very unimpressive, but this new Bloggie Touch crop is exactly as easy to use as you'd imagine a one button device would be.

That big record button on the front? You press it, and it records stuff. The responsive touchscreen UI takes care of secondary issues, like playing back that stuff you recorded, swapping resolution (it shoots at up to 1080p), setting a timer, and more detailed settings, with four well placed icons, while a touch slider operates the digital zoom. If you hold the camera like a still camera and tap the camera shutter button now naturally placed on the top you can take 12.8 megapixel stills (okay, we lied, there are two buttons, three if you count the on / off button). Despite the slim, sexy design of the camera, Sony still worked in a pop-out USB plug and a full sized HDMI jack. Even the $180 / $200 price (for 4GB or 8GB of storage) is surprisingly good. Just a reminder, in case you'd forgotten: the Bloggie Touch is built by Sony. We'll be looking forward to its October launch.

 
 

Boy, we've gone from rumor to hands-on experience in just a couple of days with this thing. Microsoft's November 9-bound Xbox 360 controller refresh couldn't escape the clutches of Joystiq, who have put together a neat photo gallery and video overview. That chrometastic new D-pad is clearly the headliner here, and the early feedback is that it works well -- it takes a bit of effort to transform from a flat button to the elevated four-way navigator you see above, but that's apparently a good thing as it means you'll never flip modes by accident in the middle of a hot and heavy gaming session. The analog buttons have also been subjected to some nipping and tucking and there is of course a new desaturated color scheme to explore as well. You'll find a shot of the retail packaging after the break and a lot more at the source.

We're still trying to figure out exactly what Apple's new Ping social network is good for, but apparently quite a few people are curious about it: it's already racked up a million users in its first two days. That's just a third of the people who've downloaded iTunes 10, so we're sure the numbers are will grow even faster as more people snag iTunes and the network effect starts to kick in -- and things will get really crazy if Apple and Facebook ever work out their little tiff. Just remember: it's a social network... for music.

Being the only Google-branded handset in the Android world, Nexus One will always get the first love when it comes to the latest Android bits. And so today, yet another Android 2.2 Froyo Build FRG33 has been leaked into the wild. This new leaked build is reportedly “very very fast” than the stock OTA update FRF91, and it comes with a new radio as well.

Baseband version, kernel and Build details are as follows:

Android version: 2.2
Basebrand: 32.41.00.32u_5.08.00.04
Kernel: 2.6.32.9-27237
Build: FRG33

If you are feeling adventurous, you can go ahead and download this new build now from XDA-Developers here, and install it on your Nexus One. Rooted image of FRG33 with new radio update can be downloaded from Modaco here.

 When we talk about touchscreen-only Tablets, the first device that pops up in mind is the iPad. It is an awesome device in many ways, provided that you find some good use for it. When iPad was launched earlier this year, it was pushed as a device to innovate the way we use our computers, just like what iPhone did with smartphones back in 2007.
The popularity and success of iPad naturally spawned many different manufacturers to bring similar devices to market. There was the JooJoo, the now dead HP Slate, Dell Streak and tons of other Android based devices. But none of them could proved to be a serious challenge to Apple’s offering. Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Tab, an Android 2.2 tablet which is getting lots of attention in media for being the only tablet that can give iPad a serious a run for its money.

Below is a quick showdown between the two touchscreen-only tablets, showing how the more popular iPad stands against the yet to be released Galaxy Tab.

Galaxy Tab’s specs above sure looks impressive, but can this 7-inch device be even qualified as a touchscreen-only Tablet? To me, the fact that you can easily hold it in one hand, make phone calls with it, and take picture on the go makes it more of a one big ass smartphone than a Tablet of iPad class, which should probably be competing with the Droid X, HD2 or the EVO 4G and not the iPad. Yes, the front-facing camera for video conferencing makes sense, and this is probably something Apple should have included with v1 of iPad but then again, iPad is slated for a hardware revision early next year and is very likely to get iPhone 4 like FaceTime video calling feature. The rear camera on the other hand seems completely pointless to me because I don’t think people would like to take photos with a 7″ digital camera.
Coming to the user experience, which is extremely important for a Tablet device of this kind. iOS for iPad is optimized for larger, more spacious screen of iPad. If you have ever used an iPad you would know what exactly I am talking about here. Android 2.2 in its current iteration isn’t ready for large screen devices yet. It is primarily a phone OS which has been forced to do a Tablet job, just like those Windows 7 Tablets with custom UI shells on top. And so to hide Android’s deficiencies, Samsung has come up with a large screen version of TouchWiz custom UI which is also found on their Galaxy phones. This new version of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI (for Tab and Galaxy S) in my opinion is an iOS knock-off, and it has this “iPad/iPhone for Kids” look and feel to it which makes the device look more like a toy for kids, than a serious gadget.
Multitasking on Galaxy Tab shouldn’t be a big deal because by the time you get Tab in your hands, iPad will have all the multitasking goodness as part of iOS 4.2 release in November.
Last but not the least, the sheer number of quality iPad only apps in the App Store compared to the unmonitored crappy mess in Android Market for different Android based devices, the higher price point of Tab (rumored to be between $800 to $1000) compared to iPad etc. only makes iPad a much better value for money than any of the competing devices out there.
Let us know what do you guys think about this. Would you chose an Android Tablet over iPad? and if so, why?

We are eagerly waiting for Google to explain this dilemma soon. Meanwhile, let us know what you think about this in the comments section below.

 Back when iOS 4 was released, it had all sorts of performance issues when it ran on older devices such as iPhone 3G. Last month, Jobs confirmed that a new software update will fix some performance woes of iPhone 3G running iOS 4.x. Final GM Build of iOS 4.1 (developers only) was released this week for iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G and iPod touch and Lifehacker has a video up for us, comparing both iOS 4.0 and iOS 4.1 running on iPhone 3G. The difference is quite noticeable in some cases as can be seen in the video embedded below.

Test results:

• Messages: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Little)
• Maps: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Lot)
• Photos: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)
• Safari: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)

and finally, here is the video showing the speed test in action:



Video above clearly shows some performance improvement for iPhone 3G users. Although it is still not as fast or smooth as it is on iPhone 4 or even 3GS but that is mainly due to hardware limitation than the actual software. iOS 4.1 will be available for public download via iTunes starting from next week.

 
After a week of painful teasing, Samsung has come clean about its 7-inch Android tablet. We got the nitty gritty specs, along with some quality time with the device, and we like what we're seeing on both fronts. Follow along after the break as we break it all down, including some hot hot video of the thing in action!

Update: Added Samsung's official press release, product images and first video ad for the Galaxy Tab.

The 2010 Canon Expo is filled to the brim with drool-worthy image-capturing hardware (more on that later in the day), but the first thing we did when arriving was run straight to the EOS 60D. While we can't really get into the gritty details in terms of image and video quality based on show floor impressions alone, we will say the comfort and ease of use are superb -- not to mention an articulating display that'll come in handy for crazier shot composition. The company's definitely got a knack for iterative upgrades, but a prosumer-focused model like this is just a knockout for the price, and leaves us wondering what the future holds for the Rebel T2i when only $200 separates the two cameras. Pictures below, and check out a video walkthrough done by our Engadget Show Producer / Canon enthusiast Chad Mumm after the break.