We all know the feeling. You’re sitting on the bus, in a work meeting, or at your least favorite cousin’s wedding and the movie you’re trying to stream on your smartphone won’t stop stuttering. Without video, you’re now forced to interact with the world outside of the 4-inch screen clutched tightly in your hand.

Well fear not dear mobile user, researches at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications Heinrich-Hertz-Institut in Berlin say they have created a new wireless streaming standard that could eliminate video stuttering forever.

According to the researchers, the new standard, known as Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, or DASH, is capable of recognizing when users are attempting to stream media over their wireless connection and adjust the video quality accordingly.

Modern cellular networks, use what are known as Radio Resource Managers to determine how much data a user is using and how much bandwidth the transmission requires. But with so many people using wireless networks, the Radio Resource Managers become overwhelmed resulting in a reduction in bandwidth to users, which cause streaming videos to stutter. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is over, but so many tech news stories, product showcases and software announcements came from the convention that you’re almost guaranteed to have missed something. If you take a look at our wrap up guides, you just might catch up on something you overlooked. Here’s everything we saw — and loved — at CES 2012.

CES 2012: Best in Show

The Annual Best of CES Awards
Here are the show’s standout products in 13 categories including the best smartphone, laptop, tablet, auto technology and accessory to surface in an unending swell of new gadgets.

Reader’s Choice Award 
The Best of CES Awards spotlights our editors’ top picks from the annual convention, but this year our readers had a decidedly different take on the single hottest piece of new tech.  

CES 2012: The Hottest Products

Best Laptops of CES 2012
Seven of these 8 clamshells fell short of a Best of CES Award, but they certainly garnered their fair share of time in the spotlight. Check out the laptops we eagerly look forward to reviewing this year.  

Best Smart Phones of CES 2012
The show’s smartphone announcements include a big step forward for Windows Phone, larger-than-ever screen sizes and phone cameras with the best specs we’ve encountered.

Best Tablets of CES 2012
This year’s tablets will offer longer battery life, lower prices and clearer screen resolutions.

CES 2012: The Biggest News Stories, Our Commentary and Live Video Coverage

Top 10 Videos of CES 2012
Some tech you have to see for yourself, like the Tobii Gaze Interface which, someday, will take hands-free to a whole new level by allowing you to navigate a computer screen just by looking at it. 

CES 2012: Biggest News Stories
CES doubles as a town hall for the world’s most successful tech companies to make huge announcements. This year, Microsoft embarked on its last CES keynote address and Intel announced partnerships to build smart phones with Lenova and Motorola.

SpoonFed: Top 5 Things I Learned at CES 2012
CES is too big to leave without thoughts on the long-view of tech. LAPTOP Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer learned that despite Ultrabooks’  lionshare of limelight at the show, hybrid Android tablets that connect to keyboard docks could be a bigger trend. 

CES 2012: How Our Staff’s Mobile Gear Performed
We armed ourselves with some of the best gadgets of 2011 and tested them in the fast-paced halls of North American’s largest tech show. Check above to see how the MacBook Air 13, ASUS Zenbook UX31 Ultrabook, Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and other favorite gadgets performed in action. 

LAS VEGAS — Do you think that the 3.5-inch, 960 x 540 display of your iPhone 4S fails to do justice to the graphical marvel that is Infinity Blade? Wish you could watch Iron Man on a screen larger than your iPad’s 9.7-inch display while traveling? Wish no more, as Mobile Monitor Technologies unveiled the first portable monitor compatible with mobile devices at CES 2012.

Building upon the first Monitor2Go — unveiled by Mobile Monitor Technologies at last year’s CES as the first portable monitor for computers — the new Monitor2Go  is not only compatible with USB-enabled notebooks and PCs but can also connect to Apple mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone, as well as any HDMI-compatible smartphone or tablet. The 15.6-inch LCD LED display boasts an HD resolution of 1600 x 900.

Read the rest of this entry »

Las Vegas — Purchasing headphones can be a gamble — especially earbuds. Since you can’t try on the buds in the store, you can never going to be sure they’ll fit which can drastically effect the sound. Sonomax Technologies has created a way to deliver great audio with a comfortable fit without breaking the bank.

In order to get the best sound, the buds have to form a tight seal in your ears which means the buds need to have a near perfect fit. That usually means paying a trip to the audiologist, getting a mold of your ears, and paying a headphone company to create a custom set of buds. After all the work and labor, you get a sweet pair of earbuds and a large bill. Sonomax cuts out a lot of the expensive by putting the custom-fitting in your hands.  After choosing either the $199 Sonomax eers SD150s or the $299 Sonomax eers SD250s, music listeners can create their own custom headphones in a matter of minutes.

The SD150 earbuds have a single driver in each ear while the SD250s have dual drivers. Both sets of  buds have enhanced bass.

Unboxing either set of in-ear headphones reveals the buds affixed in Sonomax’s unique fitting system, a small bottle of vitamin E gel, and a case for the finished headphones. A small amount of silicon contained within the fitting system flows into the buds expanding them creating the tight seal needed to shut out ambient noise while enhancing music.

For our hands on, we used the eers SD150 in-ear headphones.  The Sonomax rep coated each of the earbuds in vitamin E gel that’s included in the packaging. The gel allowed the buds to easily slip into our ears and settle in for a comfortable fit. From there, our rep hit the activation switches on both sides of the system. We immediately felt a small amount of pressure and outside noise quickly became muted.

Before all the sound was shut out, we were instructed to stay still and calm for five minutes as the silicon set inside the buds. In order for the fitting system to create the most accurate fit, it was imperative that we remained still. Talking or sudden facial movements causes facial bone movement which could disrupt the mold. 

After approximately five minutes, our new earbuds were complete. Our rep snapped on the faceplate, wiped off the gel and handed them to us. We put the buds in and played a number of different tracks including Alanis Morrisette’s “Head Over Feet,”  Anita Baker’s “I Apologize,” and Redman’s “I’ll Be Dat.” The SD150s delivered clear, crisp, audio across genres. Aside from the audio and the custom fit, we really liked the look of the SD150s. The faceplates and ear wraps are a glossy black while the cord and eers logo are done in a bold tangerine. 

Sonomax’s innovative system gives music lovers an affordable, comfortable way to listen to their music with headphones as unique as they are. 

• CES 2012: Full Coverage
• Top 10 Outrageously Themed Headphones of the Future
• How to Buy Headphones as a Gift

LAS VEGAS — Think you’ve got enough headphones? Think again. Sennheiser has unveiled their latest pairs of headphones at CES 2012, for the discerning, fashion-forward audiophile.

The new Amperior headphones take design cues from Sennheiser’s HD25 DJ headphone line.  The sleek on-ear cans are available in either blue or silver aluminum. The adjustable headband ensures a comfy fit while the rotating ear cups enable one-sided listening. But the Amperior’s aren’t just for show. According to Sennheiser, the headphones deliver “natural, lifelike sound reproduction with a frequency response of 16 to 22,000 Hertz,” thanks to the powerful neodymium magnets. Optimized for iPhone, iPod and iPad, the Amperiors come with an additional cable that controls volume and track selection. It can also work with Siri and make calls. Read the rest of this entry »

LAS VEGAS — It’s cables, cables and more cables for iLuv this year at CES. The company is debuting products in its myLink line of gadget accessories: three new stereo audio cables for connecting mobile devices to an auto or home entertainment system, along with new additions to its line of charging cables.

iLuv’s audio cables have double insulation to minimize signal loss, and they’re made with enough extra room to accommodate a smartphone or tablet case. The Stereo Audio Cable and the Coiled Stereo Audio Cable start at $14.99 and will be available in May. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s green and loud and heard all over? That would be Eton Corporation’s new portable Bluetooth speaker, Rukus. Powered by an enhanced monocrystal solar panel, the speaker can wirelessly stream music from any Bluetooth-capable device. The built in handle makes transporting the Rukus simple and the unique design makes it a viable option for indoor and outdoor use. The Rukus can also charge most mobile devices, all while delivering deep lows and rich highs courtesy of  the two full-range speaker drivers.

Eton, maker of high performance green consumer products, has embedded 40 square-inch solar panel in the speaker. After six hours in direct sunlight, the Rukus can fully recharge the internal Lithium-ion battery. To conserve energy, Eton has outfitted the Rukus with an E Ink Surf segmented display which allows users to check out the display without draining the battery like typical LCD displays.  The display is also readable in direct sunlight and Eton claims is “virtually indestructible.”

After making its debut on the CES 2012 floor, the Eton Corporation Rukus will be available sometime in Q2 retailing for $149.95.

•  CES 2012 Preview: Top 7 Trends to Watch
• 5 Tips for Quality Notebook Audio
• Goal Zero Solar System Powers Phones, Devices with Sunlight
•  

Android is finally getting the 3D treatment. Sensics, a Maryland-based company that creates head-mounted displays (HMD) for the defense and professional markets, is branching out into the gaming and entertainment markets. During this year’s CES, Sensics will unveil its new SmartGoggles technology that combines the 3D, 360 degree immersive environment of the HMD with the sweetness of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and motion controls. 

Sensics’ first Ice Cream Sandwich HMD, the Natalia gaming goggles are the first intelligent, interactive 3D goggles.  The Natalia is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM processor, a 3D accelerator and 1GB of memory which is comparable to a most smartphones on the market. The HMD also features a dual SXGA 1280 x 10224p OLED displays and embedded audio and a microphone. Since the Natalia resembles something out of Tron: Legacy, it’s only fitting that the virtual reality helmet can run a variety of Android applications in 360 3D without being tethered to a power source.

In addition to the real-time motion tracking, the Natalia can also connect to the cloud and a slew of mobile devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. However, the HMD can still plug into a PC or game console. It’s an interesting prospect if the helmet lives up to the hype.

“Imagine being able to use hand movements and gestures to wield a light saber in a game,” says Sensics CEO Yuvel Boger, “to select a movie from a media library, or to interact with augmented reality content. The possibilities are endless.”

The Natalia is currently available for developers and device partners that have been using the libSensics program platform to enhance existing applications or create new ones. Consumers can expect to get their hands on the helmet in the later part of the year. 

• The Time for Wearable Technology Has Finally Arrived
• Tips for Better Gaming
• Will 3D Phones Fall Flat?

Archos is keeping the budget-priced Android experience coming with the just-announced Archos 35 home connect. The company describes the device as an “Android-based web radio designed specifically for the home user.”

The Archos 35 home connect is running Android 2.2 Froyo, packs a 1-GHz OMAP 3630 processor, and comes pre-loaded with the TuneIn Pro radio app for streaming music from more than 50,000 web radio stations. Two built-in high-def speakers sit on either side of the 3.5-inch touch screen in “specially designed cases for improved bass.” Read the rest of this entry »

As we draw nearer to the holiday season, LAPTOP Magazine is here to help you sort out the worthwhile from the worth skipping. This week we featured a plethora of reviews, including the Lenovo IdeaPad U400, LG DoublePlay, LG Nitro HD, BlackBerry Torch 9810, ASUS U46SV, Amazon Kindle Touch 3G, and the Logitech Mini Boombox and Star Zephyr 300 for all those audiophiles out there. Click through to see what we thought of each.

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Lenovo IdeaPad U400

Consider it the Ultrabook's bigger brother. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 has the same design as its slim U300s, but expands it slightly to fit in a larger 14-inch screen and a slot-loading DVD drive. At the same time, Lenovo shrunk the price to $899 and still crammed a Core i5 processor, discrete AMD graphics, 750GB hard drive, and 8GB of RAM in a sleek all-aluminum chassis. However, this thin-and-light notebook is not without its faults. Read on to find out what we liked and what we didn't.

Read Our Lenovo IdeaPad U400 Review