Altec Lansing Live 5000 WiFi Speaker System With Android And iOS Support Review

Altec Lansing didn’t just want to focus on creating a wireless AirPlay speaker for OSK and iOS and decided to make a universal WiFi speaker that can be controlled from a number of devices with its new Live 5000 (MN5000) Wi-Fi All-In-One Speaker System, users can listen to and control all their favorite music from cloud content or home network in any room and the peakers have an excellent range across the board, even on the noisy showroom floor. It’s made out of brushed metal with plastic covering the sides. It features two three-inch speakers, two silk dome tweeters, and a four-inch sub with a passive radiator, which are all powered by a tri-amp system and its Gentile convex curve of the speaker was used for maximum audio clarity and prevents sound waves from canceling each other. All music is instantly accessed via a downloaded app for your iPhone, Android or desktop and sent to a queue for playback, allowing for users to stream an control content from their existing wireless network to any room in the house and the free app allows anyone in the household to control the system, no matter what device they have.



Audio innovator Altec Lansing released the LIVE 5000 (MN5000), a Wi-Fi all-in-one speaker that is poised to set the standard for audio versatility, allowing users to listen to and control cloud content and their own personal music libraries from a wide range of devices. This flexible unit is ideal for the user who wants to invite amazing audio into any room of the house, whether enjoying personal time in the kitchen or hosting a whole-house party. The first product in an exciting new music entertainment ecosystem, the LIVE 5000 connects to a consumer's existing home Wi-Fi network, is controllable from iOS, Android and Desktop applications and delivers music from the Internet's most popular content providers. Through multiple rooms and multiple controllers, users are treated to the amazing sound quality that is a hallmark of Altec Lansing. "Now more than ever, there are so many different ways to experience the music we love, and it doesn't matter if it's from the cloud, from our individual libraries or even from our friends' phones. Whether it's for personal listening or for a party, the LIVE 5000 is the device that brings your music mosaic and lifestyle together in complete harmony," said Brendon Stead, Co-President, Altec Lansing. The significance of the new LIVE 5000 Wi-Fi speaker lies within its versatility and its multi-room, multi-platform operation. Now, users of a myriad of handheld devices are able to stream and control content from their existing 802.11 b/g/n wireless network to any room in the house. Truly an audio solution for the whole home, users are able to stream different music to different rooms or the same music to multiple rooms by linking LIVE 5000 units. What's more, the free Android, iOS and Desktop LIVE Controller apps allow everyone in the family to hold a potential controller in their hands. LIVE 5000 users have access to a universe of music, transforming the home environment into a perfectly synchronized opera house or a multi-stage music festival.



The free Altec Lansing LIVE Controller app gives users the ability to browse local and online media sources, and to manage account data for online music sources. Adding a new collective component to any occasion, the LIVE 5000 lets multiple users manage a queue of music and decide what's playing now, what's playing next and add media to playlists from their control devices, while everyone can see the information about the play queue. And when friends and family join the system by downloading the app and connecting to your wireless network, the possibilities for sharing and discovering new music are boundless. Altec Lansing has a deep heritage in audio excellence, with 75 years of enriching lives with sound. The new LIVE 5000 has been engineered from quality components to provide the most punch in an attractive form factor. Behind the deep aluminum accents, the unique curvature of the unit goes beyond aesthetics with non-parallel walls that prevent the cross-cancellation of sound waves and produces more natural sound. The result of this distinctive design is amazing clarity with minimal loss throughout the entire tonal range. The structure of the unit is fortified thoroughly to prevent distortion and vibration, so music is reproduced with natural highs and thunderous lows. Intelligent digital signal processing promises lower bass response, widens the sound field and tames high frequencies. The internal components of the LIVE 5000 are a testament to Altec Lansing's high-end audio prowess. Driven by a tri-amp system, the two 3-inch mid-range drivers constructed of super strong Kevlar, deliver true vocals and mid-tones with minimal distortion. The neodymium soft-dome tweeters promise higher sensitivity without ear fatigue and a smaller footprint. The long-throw 4-inch subwoofer and passive radiator are specifically designed for punchy bass reproduction. The LIVE 5000 is voiced to produce the best frequency response, group delay and tone quality to faithfully reproduce any program material. The LIVE 5000 Wi-Fi speaker will be available in early summer 2012 at www.alteclansing.com and select retailers worldwide. MSRP is $499.95. The Altec Lansing LIVE Controller apps for iOS, Android and Desktop are available for free download from the Apple App Store, the Android Marketplace and Altec Lansing's website respectively.

Nuance Dragon Go! Free Voice-Powered Semantic Search App For Android Review

There are a lot of bad Siri imitators in the Android Market, but at CES, Nuance Communications is launching an Android version of Dragon Go, its voice-powered semantic search app and Nuance developed the speech recognition and natural language technology that powers Siri and many other voice assistant services, but it also maintains its own consumer-facing applications under the Dragon banner. Asking Dragon Go for show times for a movie and it would take you to Fandango, where the nearest theaters and their movies schedules would be listed giving you the option to immediately by tickets and also like Siri, Dragon Go can access Wolfram Alpha to provide answers to scientific or technical questions. Dragon Go! is completely free and works on Android 2.1 through 2.3.7 using the native Android Media Player and according to the app description, support for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is on its way. The app is country limited and does not appear to work in Singapore and it seems that because the queries are often specific to a particular locale, international support may not be available yet.

Nuance Communications Inc. announced that its revolutionary Dragon Go! app is now available for Android on the Android Market. Dragon Go! gives consumers direct access to over 200 of the most trusted and reliable destinations for mobile content simply by using their voice – including AccuWeather, Ask.com, Bing, Dictionary.com, ESPN, Facebook, Fandango, Last.fm, LiveNation, Milo.com, OpenTable, Pandora internet radio, Rotten Tomatoes, Spotify, Twitter, Wikipedia, Wolfram|Alpha, Yelp, YouTube, Yahoo! and many others. Dragon Go! combines Nuance's Dragon voice recognition and natural language understanding with artificial intelligence technology to dramatically simplify the mobile content experience – start to finish. Dragon Go! not only hears what you say, but actually understands what you mean. It immediately returns the most relevant content front and center on the Dragon Carousel with additional relevant content from complementary providers. Further, Dragon Go!'s unique open design preserves the content partners' original look and feel. "Legacy search applications are fading in mobile. Consumers want immediate and direct access to content – not scrolling, hunting or pecking through search links or filtered content," said Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. "Dragon Go! gives people the freedom to speak freely, and magically get the content they want."

Dragon Go! features the largest direct-access content ecosystem in mobile today. Consumers can say virtually anything and immediately jump to relevant destinations. For example:

• "What's the best Thai food near me," and instantly be taken to the Yelp tab for local reviews, or flip over to the Phone tab to quickly call to find out about any specials on the menu that evening.
• "Reservations for two at Slanted Door in San Francisco," to be taken directly to OpenTable to book a table for dinner, or scroll over to the Maps tab to find out how to get there from where you are now.
• "Show times for 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' to instantly get to Fandango see show times, buy tickets, read fan reviews and see trailers, and then scroll over to Twitter to see what other people are saying about the movie.
• "Play 'Paradise' by Coldplay" to instantly play and listen the song downloaded on your Android device; on Spotify if you're mobile Premium user; or, on your Coldplay station on Pandora. Users can also pull up the video on the Media tab.
• "What is the formula for sulfur dioxide?" to instantly compute the answer using Wolfram|Alpha's vast knowledge in thousands of subject areas.
• "Who was the most popular celebrity of 2011?" and instantly get the answer from Ask.com.

"Dragon Go! has been incredibly successful since its launch on iOS in July, winning several awards and holding a 4.5 star rating among users. We're delivering fast, direct and open access to content for consumers – it's just a better way to experience the mobile web," said Vlad Sejnoha, chief technology officer, Nuance. "Dragon Go! eliminates the intermediate steps typically required to reach desired web or app destinations. It's only going to get better as we continue to expand partnerships and bring new features and more content tailored for Android consumers." Dragon Go! is available for free on the Android Market in the US in U.S. English.

Images:

Video:

Ford Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid Review

Ford unveils Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, alongside gas and regular hybrid variants introduced to the world at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Efficiency for the mid-sized sedan ranges from 26MPG city and 37MPG highway in the gasoline burner all the way to 47MPG city and 44MPG highway for the lithium-ion toting hybrids and for the Fusion Energi plug-in, it'll rock an estimated 100MPGe -- 7MPGe better than the Volt and 13MPGe better than the Prius plug-in, despite being larger than either. It'll also roam electrically for 20 miles before firing up its engine. New to the lineup will be a plug-in hybrid model, the Energi. Like the C-Max Energi hatchback coming in 2013, this Fusion model gets a larger lithium-ion battery pack, a 3.3-kilowatt charger and just like the Focus Electric or C-MAX Energi, charging, heating and cooling can all be controlled remotely with MyFord Mobile. The sedan comes in front- and all-wheel drive versions and employs new MacPherson-front and multilink-rear suspensions and also as for curious Europeans in the crowd, Ford says much of the design carries over to next year's Mondeo.

Review Highlights:

• New Ford Fusion is the first sedan to offer gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, each with expected top fuel economy, underscoring Ford's commitment to give customers the power of choice
  
• With seven must-have technologies, including a Lane Keeping System, adaptive cruise control, active park assist and MyFord Touch, the all-new Ford Fusion shows how Ford is delivering features customers truly want and value
• Customers can choose from Fusion's widest-ever portfolio of fuel-efficient powertrain options including EcoBoost, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines; automatic and manual transmission offerings and auto start-stop technology
• Revealed in North America as the midsize Fusion sedan, this all-new car signals the next-generation Ford Mondeo for world markets

Ford's all-new Fusion brings alive the next generation of more expressive vehicles from Ford and is the first sedan to offer gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions each expected to deliver top fuel economy and an engaging driving experience. Featuring a sleek silhouette and fresh face, the all-new Fusion is the latest in a series of vehicles from Ford following the 2011 Fiesta subcompact and 2012 Focus small cars developed to satisfy customers everywhere looking for leading fuel efficiency, helpful technologies and game-changing looks. "Our vision for Fusion was clear deliver the very best of what 'One Ford' stands for," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development. "We brought our global teams together around a blank slate with the charge to develop a midsize car with ground- breaking design and jaw-dropping fuel economy – one that featured technologies to help make our customers safer and better drivers. This car is the result."

Fusion is revealed in North America in S, SE and range-topping Titanium series and points to the next Ford Mondeo for world markets. New Fusion is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy across customers' choice of gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid sub-segments, delivering on Ford's commitment to be the fuel-efficiency leader or among the leaders with each new model brought to market. Fusion brings the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment. It offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives, a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine, an automatic start stop system to shut off the engine at stationary idle, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive applications, and a choice between automatic and manually shifted six-speed transmissions. The 1.6-liter EcoBoost is expected to deliver best-in-class four-cylinder non-hybrid fuel efficiency of 26 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine paired with a paddle-shifted six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission, available 19-inch wheels and tires and all-wheel drive with the ability to send additional torque to the rear is the Fusion performance option. The Fusion Hybrid 2010 North American Car of the Year continues to innovate and evolve with all-new lithium-ion batteries that save weight and generate more power than previous nickel-metal hydride batteries, while raising maximum speed under electric-only power from 47 mph to 62 mph.

Fusion Hybrid also features an all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine, significantly downsized from the previous 2.5-liter unit while maintaining performance standards. This innovative powertrain is anticipated to deliver best-in-class fuel economy of 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway. Fusion Hybrid fuel economy stands to outperform the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid by 4 mpg city and 5 mpg highway and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid by 12 mpg and 4 mpg, respectively. Topping the fuel-efficiency ladder is the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world. Arriving this fall, Fusion Energi is anticipated to deliver more than 100 MPGe, a mile per gallon equivalency metric for electrified vehicles. This is 8 MPGe more than the Chevrolet Volt and 13 MPGe more than the projected efficiency of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid model. The next-generation Fusion 1.6-liter is the first automatic-transmission Ford product offered with an automatic start-stop system. It shuts off engine power smoothly when the car is stopped and seamlessly restarts as the driver releases the brake pedal, helping Fusion to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by approximately 3.5 percent. The all-new Fusion offers an unprecedented portfolio of driver assistance and convenience technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to see and respond. Fusion can help drivers maintain proper lane position, adjust vehicle speed to changing traffic conditions, identify suitable parking spaces and help park, even aiding drivers backing out of parking space where visibility is obstructed. Specific technologies include:

• Lane Keeping System: This class-exclusive technology consists of three elements to help a driver maintain proper lane position. Using a small, forward-facing camera behind the inside rearview mirror, the system "looks" down the road, monitoring lane lines to determine that the car is on course. The system will alert a driver if drowsiness or erratic lane-keeping is detected. The second element warns a driver with a steering wheel vibration if the Fusion drifts too close to lane markings. Finally, lane keeping aid will actually apply pressure on the steering to help bring the car back into proper lane position
  
  
• Adaptive cruise control: Using forward-looking radar, this system "looks" down the road when activated, slowing the Fusion when slower traffic is detected ahead. Adaptive cruise control enables collision warning with brake support to help slow the car if the potential of a crash is detected
  
  
• Active park assist: Employing sensors, this technology can identify a suitable parallel parking space, calculate the trajectory and steer the car to properly position it within the spot. All a driver need do is operate accelerator and brake pedals
  
  
• Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert: Sensors in both Fusion rear quarter-panels are able to detect traffic in a driver's blind spot, providing both audible and visual warnings if traffic unseen by the driver is detected. BLIS technology enables cross-traffic alert, warning the driver of oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking space with obstructed views, such as between two large vans

The all-new Fusion offers the latest iteration of Ford's award-winning, industry-exclusive SYNC communications and entertainment system, which enables voice-activated communication through a driver's mobile phone and interaction with the car's audio system. Fusion also offers the latest version of MyFord Touch, allowing a driver to interact with vehicle systems through voice control, a touch screen tap or a conventional button. Both SYNC and MyFord Touch powered by SYNC help reduce the potential for driver distraction through voice-controlled functionality, allowing drivers to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. "The previous Fusion was an easy purchase for a customer to rationalize," said Chris Hamilton, chief exterior designer for the next-generation model. "Our design goal for the new car was to give the mainstream sedan buyer a top-drawer visual experience, adding some emotional appeal to an already sensible choice." Inside, the new Fusion offers a sporty, driver-oriented environment with next-generation seating that brings expanded functionality. A higher center console supports the driver-centric theme and yields clever storage for items a driver wants to keep handy. These five elements provided direction for the design team behind the all-new Fusion:

• Silhouette innovation: Fusion's sleek profile sets it apart from the powertrain/cabin/trunk "three-box" designs synonymous with midsize sedans
  
• Perceived efficiency: Fusion character lines sweeping to the rear and thin roof pillars suggest the car is nimble and light on its feet
  
• Refined surface language: Fusion demonstrates that a tasteful, well-executed design does not require add-ons or visual clutter
  
• Technical graphics: Fusion's functional design elements such as headlamps, LED taillamps and polished exhaust tips communicate enhanced technological capability
  
• New face: Fusion signals the next evolution in Ford global design language for midsize cars and smaller

Additional passenger space was designed-in by moving the instrument panel toward the windshield, contributing to the cabin's airy, open environment. Thinner, lighter frames support comfortable next-generation seats trimmed with fabric using recycled sustainable yarns. Craftsmanship plus dynamics equals feel Fusion design delivers on the promise of high visual quality, with improved materials, elevated levels of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Interior surfaces are softer to the touch and interior and exterior gaps are minimized, while extra care has been taken to upholster or cover each edge and every surface a customer can touch. When the trunk lid is opened, for example, a spring-loaded cover automatically conceals the trunk latch hardware. "The holistic goal of our craftsmanship process is to see that Fusion not only delivers a superior visual experience but also feels like quality to the customer," said Adrian Whittle, Fusion chief engineer. Key contributors to how the Fusion feels are the ride and handling components that maximize vehicle dynamics.

"This really is a driver's car," said John Jraiche, program manager. "Fusion is even more fun to drive with specially tuned electric power-assisted steering (EPAS), a MacPherson strut front suspension and an all-new premium-level multilink rear suspension – comparable to Audi and BMW configurations." Careful tuning by Ford's vehicle handling and ride team has yielded a Fusion with a dynamic character that will please a well-seasoned enthusiast while increasing the confidence level of less-experienced drivers. Fusion interior quiet reaches a new level with acoustic underbody shields and weight-saving sound-absorption material; both minimize road and powertrain noise while boosting aerodynamic efficiency to help save fuel. The all-new model adds content such as a full-perimeter hood seal to be among the midsize sedan segment leaders in giving drivers a quiet ride. Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi models also are equipped with active noise control. This feature uses the audio system to mitigate extraneous road noise while enhancing powertrain sounds. Fusion is designed with customer safety in mind. Engineers increased its body strength by 10 percent, using more high-strength steels such as boron, and added dual first-row knee airbags and adaptive front airbags that vent and tether to conform to a specific occupant's size, position and seatbelt usage. The Fusion safety team targeted top-of-the-line ratings in each public domain safety benchmark, including National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick and top ratings in world markets where the car will be sold. The most prominent example is Fusion's front-end architecture, as the same car must face simultaneous and seemingly conflictive standards across regions. The car's front end is equipped to meet head-on and offset barrier standards for North America while still conforming to European standards for pedestrian protection – thanks to hours of computer modeling and 180 validating crash tests. Fusion will be produced at Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico, manufacturing facility, soon adding production at AutoAlliance International Plant in Flat Rock, Mich. The car will appear in Ford showrooms in North America and South America later this year. Mondeo will be introduced next year in Asia and Europe.

Image Gallery:

Videos:

Winnipeg Manitoba Ford Fusion 2013 - The funniest videos clips are here

LG Anticipated 55-inch OLED TV With Realistic colors, Brighter Picture Review

LG Display had announced that it had successfully developed a 55-inch OLED HDTV and that LG 55-inch OLED TV will be demonstrated at the upcoming CES 2012, which starts in a bit more than a week from now. LG revealed more information about their 4-Color Pixel and Color Refiner technology and the company claims that the implementation of these two technology will bring consistent, accurate colors unlike other OLED TVs. LG's press release doesn't mention production plans or pricing and the frame is just 4mm thick with a narrow bezel and weight of 7.5kg.

LG Electronics (LG) will present the future of TV technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with the unveiling of the world's largest OLED TV with a display size of 55 inches. By incorporating the company's 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner features with LG Display's advanced OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels, LG OLED TV generates the most natural colors of any TV set at a much lower price point than could have been achieved using the standard manufacturing process. "Working closely with LG Display, we have a product which not only delivers on all the advantages of OLED over LCD but at a significantly lower cost than what could be achieved using existing OLED manufacturing technologies," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. "OLED is clearly the future of home TV entertainment and LG is very focused on making this exciting technology as easy as possible for consumers to embrace." What sets LG's TV picture apart from other OLED TVs is 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner which work together to generate natural and accurate colors that are sharp and consistent. The 4-Color Pixels feature allows for more accurate color depiction by using a set of four colors (red, green blue and white) in comparison to the RGB setup used by other OLED TV manufacturers. Color Refiner ensures consistency in colors from a wider viewing angle via an LG algorithm which improves and refines hues and tones. This is in contrast to other OLED TVs which often exhibit drastic changes in hues from different viewing angles and abnormal color gamut. Boasting an infinite contrast ratio, LG's OLED TV exhibits vivid colors and the smallest details regardless of the overall luminance of the on-screen image. In turn, colors and details throughout an entire image are preserved with utmost clarity and sharpness, even when displaying scenes with dark lighting. Such color capabilities are technically impossible with LED and LCD display panels. And at 1,000 times faster than LED/LCD displays, LG's OLED TV shows crystal clear motion without any blurring or bleeding. And LG's OLED TV is as aesthetically pleasing as it is technologically sophisticated. LG's Slim and Narrow Bezel design gives the TV a sleek, minimal look and at only 4 mm thin and a mere 7.5 kg, LG's OLED TV practically blends into the wall.

Videos:

SiriusXM Lynx Portable Android-Powered Radio, The First SiriusXM 2.0 Radio Review

SiriusXM introduces the Lynx portable radio, the first SiriusXM 2.0 radio that offers new features and expanded channel lineup via satellite and internet, the new device features for satellite radio when docked with the optional Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit or Lynx LH1 Home Kit. The Lynx is powered by a 1200mAh rechargeable battery and has a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 multi-touch display, microSD card slot for storing MP3 and AAC+ files and also Bluetooth connectivity. It's currently available online for $250 and will be hitting retail shops in the near future, still no word on that whereabouts of that shaker of salt.

Sirius XM Radio introduced the SiriusXM Lynx Portable Radio, the first SiriusXM 2.0 radio that offers new features and receives an expanded channel lineup via satellite and Internet. Lynx is the most advanced radio ever from SiriusXM, able to receive the new expanded SiriusXM 2.0 channel lineup of commercial-free music, sports, and comedy that includes SiriusXM Latino, a new suite of Spanish-language programming. Lynx is built with a flexible architecture which allows for new features and capabilities to be added through software updates. "Lynx gives subscribers the expanded SiriusXM 2.0 content lineup and advanced features, enabling time shifting and storage of content, offering listeners more control over the programming they subscribe to," said Jim Meyer, President, Operations and Sales, SiriusXM. "Lynx will offer even more options to manage our exclusive and expertly curated content through future software updates." SiriusXM 2.0 is a major upgrade and evolution of SiriusXM's satellite and Internet delivered service that will ultimately span hardware, software, audio and data services.


Lynx gives subscribers more control over how they listen to SiriusXM satellite radio, allowing them to start a song from the beginning when tuning to a Favorite music channel or store broadcast content to listen to later. Subscribers can also restart their favorite content while connected to SiriusXM Internet Radio via Wi-Fi. Subscribers can control their listening experience easily using the large touch screen display. Lynx can stream SiriusXM content to Bluetooth stereo speakers, headphones, vehicle stereo systems or optional accessories for the home, vehicle or portable use. Lynx is based on the Android operating system and is fully updatable via a Wi-Fi connection. SiriusXM Lynx is available now at shop.siriusxm.com or crutchfield.com at an MSRP of $249.99. Lynx will be available soon at retail stores nationwide. Lynx offers key SiriusXM 2.0 features for satellite radio when docked with the optional Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit or Lynx LH1 Home Kit, including:

• Tune Start: Automatically starts the currently playing song from the beginning so listeners will hear the whole song when tuning to any of their satellite radio music channels saved as a Favorite channel.
• Radio Replays: Subscribers can build a library of up to 200 hours of programming from their Favorite satellite radio channels which are automatically recorded to allow for playback anywhere.
• Pause, Rewind and Replay: Listeners can replay up to 30 minutes of live SiriusXM content on the currently tuned channel, and also access replay content on 5 favorite preset channels currently displayed.
• Featured Favorites: A dynamic set of presets that can be automatically added as favorite channels, allowing users to easily discover new and specialty programming.
• Show Finder: An easy-to-use electronic programming guide offering a complete list of what's on over the next 7 days by channel, with the ability to set reminder alerts when favorite shows are being broadcast.

Lynx also offers SiriusXM 2.0 features for listening to SiriusXM Internet Radio via Wi-Fi networks at home, office or accessible hotspot, including:

• Start Now allows subscribers to go back 5 hours to select and listen to previously broadcast programming.
• View program information, album art and read artist bios.
• Rewind to hear programming again or skip forward to hear what's playing next.
• Pause live radio and pick up right where the listener left off
• Access to Show Finder, the electronic programming guide.

The SiriusXM Lynx LV1 Vehicle Kit gives subscribers everything needed to listen to satellite radio in the vehicle. Drivers and passengers can browse and quickly tune channels with a convenient rotary control knob. An Aux-In Cable is included to facilitate audio connection in vehicles that have audio systems with an auxiliary input connection. The LV1 can also connect to Bluetooth Audio-enabled systems, or through the vehicles existing radio using SiriusXM's PowerConnect transmitter. The vehicle kit also charges Lynx while docked. The Lynx vehicle kit is available at an MSRP of $69.99. The SiriusXM Lynx LH1 Home Kit gives subscribers everything needed to listen to SiriusXM satellite radio or Internet radio in the home or office. Subscribers can connect to a home audio system with easy, do-it-yourself set up and stream SiriusXM from Lynx to the home kit with Bluetooth. The Lynx home kit is available at an MSRP of $69.99. Lynx receives the new array of channels, added to the already ground-breaking and award-winning SiriusXM programming lineup. The expanded channel selection includes new commercial-free music plus new sports and comedy channels including channels created with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ESPN SportsCenter and Upright Citizens Brigade, as well as Carlin's Corner featuring albums, concerts and comedy from the archives of the legendary George Carlin. SiriusXM Lynx also receives the full SiriusXM Latino channel lineup. SiriusXM Latino is the most comprehensive Latin programming lineup available to radio listeners, including exclusive commercial-free music channels and a wide variety of music genres, including tropical, salsa, merengue, Latin pop hits, Latin hip-hop, Latin rock classics and more. Listeners will also get 24/7 news and talk from RadioFormula Mexico, the leading radio broadcaster from Mexico; sexy, smart, refined and exclusive adult programming showcasing Latin talent on Playboy Radio en Espanol and Spanish-language coverage of world-class professional sports on multiple Deportes en Vivo channels. SiriusXM Latino will also include Cristina Radio from iconic talk show host Cristina Saralegui, and featuring lifestyle, health and family programming for Latinas. Cristina Radio, produced by National Latino Broadcasting, is launching in the coming months.

Video:

AMD Radeon HD 7970 Single-GPU Graphics Card With Graphics Core Next Architecture And AMD CrossFire Technology Review

AMD announces next-gen Radeon HD 7970 for $549 and it's AMD's first 28nm GPU. This new card uses the Tahiti XT GPU, which aside from being built on 28nm process also uses the brand new AMD Graphics Core Next architecture and Graphics Core Next (GDC) is a revolutionary new architecture that eliminates the previous VLIW design for a non-VLIW SIMD engine. AMD Randon HD 7970 includes 768KB of L2 cache and eight render back-ends capable of pushing 32 color ROPs per clock and 128 Z/stencil ROPs per clock cycle. AMD hopes to make the card more practical than the dual-processor 6990 by bringing the card's power consumption down to less than 300W under load and a mere 3W in 'long idle' mode, and promising quieter cooling thanks to improved airflow and a bigger fan. We'll have to wait for benchmarks in January before we hand out any medals, but in the meantime NVIDIA's forthcoming 28nm Kepler GPU might want to step up its training schedule and each of AMD’s GCN Compute Units accesses a dedicated L1 read/write cache. Each group of four units shares a 16KB instruction cache and a 32KB scalar data cache.

AMD launched the AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card for desktop PCs, introducing the world's fastest single GPU graphics card and the only GPU based on 28nm production technology. With the arrival of the AMD Radeon HD 7970, AMD has unleashed its revolutionary new Graphics Core Next Architecture that enables new levels of gaming and compute capabilities – realizing an improvement of over 150% in performance/sq mm over the prior generation. Engineered with support for PCI Express 3.0 and AMD CrossFire technology, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card arrives prepared for the next generation of gaming. "True to the adage, "never settle," AMD is once again aggressively advancing the state of the graphics industry – this time with the arrival of the world's fastest single GPU graphics card, the AMD Radeon HD 7970," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. ―"This graphics card represents a revolution in the graphics industry. To put it bluntly, at 28 nm the AMD Radeon HD 7970 changes everything!" AMD further extends its GPU leadership with the AMD Radeon HD 7970 through AMD App Acceleration, which enables exquisite high-definition video images and exceptional performance improvements for everyday applications. Ground-breaking advancements with AMD Eyefinity technology enable gamers and desktop enthusiasts to connect up to six displays to one graphics card, delivering immersive stereoscopic 3D experiences and astonishing 16k x 16k display resolutions. It's also armed with the latest PCI Express 3.0 standard to enable uncompromised image quality, and is additionally equipped with GDDR5 memory, enabling accelerated GPU performance. Through its intelligent AMD PowerTune and AMD ZeroCore Power technologies, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 enables higher performance levels while maximizing power efficiencies.

"The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is an awesome tool in any gamer's arsenal," said Johan Andersson, Rendering Architect at DICE. ―"We have worked closely with AMD during the development of the Frostbite 2 game engine to take full advantage of AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and DirectX 11 for a more realistic, entertaining and visceral gaming experience in Battlefield 3." The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is available January 9, 2012 from retailers worldwide, with select models starting at $549 US SEP.


Efficient Architecture for Leading DirectX 11 Performance:

• New architecture for greater performance: AMD has further enhanced its GPU design efficiency through the introduction of the 28nm process technology and Graphics Core Next Architecture, realizing an improvement of over 150% in performance/sq mm over the prior generation.
• Refined AMD PowerTune technology: Designed with the most advanced power management features, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is equipped with the intelligence to convert unused power headroom into extra performance by dynamically controlling clock speeds, allowing gamers advanced performance inside of the power envelope they specify.
• AMD ZeroCore Power Technology: Gamers asked, AMD delivered – the AMD ZeroCore Power technology found in the AMD Radeon HD 7970 ensures that no power is wasted when the graphics card is not in use, enabling lower idle power than any other currently available graphics card. With support for AMD CrossFire technology, AMD ZeroCore Power eliminates wasted power, as well as additional heat and noise from extra cards when you are not using them.
• PCI Express 3.0: The AMD Radeon HD 7970 comes natively equipped with support for PCI Express 3.0. With world-class performance scaling, enthusiasts' GPU experience is maximized when paired with the latest platforms.
• Discrete Digital Multi-Point (DDM) Audio: DDM Audio provides multiple independent audio streams for audio-capable displays via DisplayPort or HDMI signals. DDM Audio delivers unique experiences in cases where multi-display video conferencing, directional audio or multi-room entertainment hubs are being used.
• Enhanced Multi-GPU Capabilities: AMD CrossFire technology is the ultimate multi-GPU performance gaming platform. Unlocking game-dominating power, AMD CrossFire technology, coupled with PCI Express 3.0, will allow for unprecedented bandwidth in TriFire and QuadFire configurations.

The Ultimate Immersive Gaming Experience and Innovative AMD Eyefinity 2.0 Technology:

• Next Generation AMD Eyefinity technology: AMD Eyefinity 2.0 features all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation, brand new display configurations and an expanded and more immersive field of view. This allows users with 2560x1600 monitors in an AMD Eyefinity 5x1 landscape configuration to achieve a horizontal resolution of 12,800 pixels, driving more than 20 million pixels of screen real estate. More than 70 game titles have been AMD Eyefinity- validated, while many are AMD Eyefinity-ready, and hundreds more are AMD Eyefinity-compatible.
• DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a: With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is set to drive next generation displays at up to 4K resolution.
• 3D entertainment choices with AMD HD3D technology: With the arrival of the latest in stereo 3D technology, AMD continues to deliver an enhanced visual experience on stereo 3D-capable desktops and notebooks powered by AMD Radeon graphics. The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is backed by AMD's open 3D initiative for stereo 3D gaming and Blu-ray 3D movies.
• Better Performance through AMD App Acceleration
• AMD App Acceleration lets you do more, faster: Enthusiasts will enjoy improved GPGPU performance and new features in many top media, entertainment and everyday productivity applications with AMD App Acceleration.
• Extensive support of industry standards: AMD Radeon HD 7970 fully supports DirectCompute and OpenCL technologies, enabling broad application support today and tomorrow.

Overview:

• The world’s first 28nm GPU. The revolutionary new GCN Architecture. Ready for DirectX 11. PCI Express 3.0. The AMD Radeon HD 7970 is your personal checklist for ground-breaking technology.
• The next generation of AMD Eyefinity technology is here, featuring all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations. Face it: the best just got better.
• Armed with the new PCI Express 3.0 standard, multi-GPU configurations with AMD CrossFire technology are just another way to obliterate the competition with the revolutionary AMD Radeon™ HD 7970.^4,5
• Leave no performance behind. Get higher clocks and faster gaming with AMD PowerTune technology on AMD Radeon HD 7970 Graphics.
• Fold and mine faster than ever with AMD App Acceleration powered by the unprecedented 28nm GCN Architecture.
• The market isn’t ready for 4k video, but Radeon is. With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 is set for quad HD.

System Requirements:

• PCI Express based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard
• 500W (or greater) power supply with one 150W 8-pin PCI Express power connector and one 75W 6-pin PCI Express power connector recommended.
• Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSU for a list of Certified products
• Minimum 1GB of system memory
• Installation software requires CD-ROM drive, a keyboard, a mouse, and a display
• DVD playback requires DVD drive and a DVD
• Blu-ray playback requires Blu-ray drive and a Blu-ray disc
• For an AMD CrossFire system, a second AMD Radeon HD 7970 Graphics card, an AMD CrossFire Ready motherboard and one AMD CrossFire Bridge Interconnect cable is required
• Use of 3 or more displays with AMD Eyefinity technology requires a DisplayPort-capable panel or an AMD Eyefinity validated dongle. See http://www.amd.com/EyefinityDongles for a list of validated DisplayPort dongles

Specifications:

• Up to 925MHz Engine Clock
• 3GB GDDR5 Memory
• 1375MHz Memory Clock (5.5Gbps GDDR5)
• 264GB/s memory bandwidth (maximum)
• 3.79 TFLOPs Single Precision compute power
• 947 GFLOPs Double Precision compute power
• GCN Architecture
  • 32 compute units (2048 Stream Processors)
  • 128 Texture Units
  • 128 Z/Stencil ROP Units
  • 32 Color ROP Units
  • Dual Geometry Engines
  • Dual Asynchronous Compute Engines (ACE)
• PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus interface
• DirectX 11-capable graphics
  • 9th generation programmable hardware tessellation units
  • Shader Model 5.0
  • DirectCompute 11
  • Accelerated multi-threading
  • HDR texture compression
  • Order-independent transparency
• OpenGL 4.2 support
  • Partially Resident Textures (PRT)
    • Ultra-high resolution texture streaming
• Image quality enhancement technology
  • Up to 24x multi-sample and super-sample anti-aliasing modes
  • Adaptive anti-aliasing
  • Morphological Anti-Aliasing (MLAA)
  • DirectX® 10/11 Super-Sample Anti-Aliasing (SSAA)
  • 16x angle independent anisotropic texture filtering
  • 128-bit floating point HDR rendering
• AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology
  • Up to 6 displays supported with DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport
  • Independent resolutions, refresh rates, color controls, and video overlays
  • Display grouping
    • Combine multiple displays to behave like a single large display
• AMD App Acceleration
  • OpenCL 1.2 Support
  • Microsoft C++ AMP
  • DirectCompute 11
  • Double Precision Floating Point
  • AMD HD Media Accelerator
    • Universal Video Decoder (UVD)
      • H.264
      • VC-1
      • MPEG-2 (SD & HD)
      • MVC (Blu-ray 3D)
      • MPEG-4 Part 2 (DivX/Xvid)
      • Adobe Flash
      • DXVA 1.0 & 2.0 support
    • Enhanced Video Quality features
      • Advanced post-processing and scaling
        • Deblocking
        • Denoising
        • Automatic deinterlacing
        • Mosquito noise reduction
        • Edge enhancement
        • 3:2 pulldown detection
      • Advanced video color correction
        • Brighter whites processing (Blue Stretch)
        • Independent video gamma control
        • Flesh tone correction
        • Color vibrance control
        • Dynamic contrast
        • Dynamic video range control
• AMD HD3D technology
  • Stereoscopic 3D display/glasses support
  • Blu-ray 3D support
  • Stereoscopic 3D gaming
  • 3rd party Stereoscopic 3D middleware software support
• AMD CrossFire multi-GPU technology
  • Dual, triple or quad-GPU scaling
• Cutting-edge integrated display support
  • DisplayPort 1.2
    • Max resolution: 4096x2160 per display
    • Multi-Stream Transport
    • 21.6 Gbps bandwidth
    • High bit-rate audio
    • Quad HD/4k video support
  • 3GHz HDMI 1.4a with Stereoscopic 3D Frame Packing Format, Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
    • Max resolution: 4096x3112
    • 1080p60 Stereoscopic 3D
    • Quad HD/4k video support
  • Dual-link DVI with HDCP
    • Max resolution: 2560x1600
  • VGA
    • Max resolution: 2048x1536
• Integrated HD audio controller
  • Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required
  • Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats
• AMD PowerPlay power management technology
  • Automatic power management with low power idle states
• AMD PowerTune technology
  • Intelligent TDP management technology
  • Dynamic clockspeed/performance enhancement for games
• AMD ZeroCore Power
  • Ultra-low idle power when the system’s display is off
  • Secondary GPUs in an AMD CrossFire configuration power down when unneeded
• AMD Catalyst graphics and HD video configuration software
  • Software support for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
  • AMD Catalyst Control Center - AMD Catalyst software application and user interface for setup, configuration, and accessing features of AMD Radeon products
  • Unified Graphics display driver - AMD Catalyst software enabling other PC programs and devices to use advanced graphics, video, and features of AMD Radeon products

Architecture Pictures:

AMD Radeon HD 7970 Video Review:

VMware View Virtual Desktops For Kindle Fire, Mac And Linux Review

VMware launched VMware View Clients for three new platforms, noticeably expanding the market for its desktop virtualization software and you can Simplify desktop and application management while increasing security and control with VMware View. Deliver a personalized high fidelity experience for end-users across sessions and devices and enable higher availability and agility of desktop services unmatched by traditional PCs while reducing the total cost of desktop ownership up to 50%. The most notable item in that mix is VMware View for the Kindle Fire and VMware View brings Windows desktops to various devices and can mix and match environments on various systems. Two other major selling points, according to VMware, is that View is supposed to help improve security while lowering operating costs and VMware is especially targeting education customers with these new options, touting VMware View to enable campus IT organizations to better support users on many more mobile devices and also ensuring that students have immediate access to their applications on these gadgets.

VMware Inc., the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure announced the availability of new VMware View Clients for Kindle Fire, Mac and Linux, along with updates to its popular VMware View Clients for Android and iPad. Available today as technology previews, the new VMware View Clients for Mac and Linux allow IT organizations to empower more agile, productive and connected workforce or school communities by enabling an easy to access, high fidelity desktop virtualization experience optimized for the device of their choice. "More and more people want the freedom to choose the device that best fits their computing needs in school and into the workplace," said Pat Lee, director, end user clients, VMware. "With the new VMware View Clients, both IT and end users win with a complete, secure and easily-accessible virtual desktop on the devices that best meet their needs." While the proliferation of new devices is prevalent across all industries today, the education sector is at the forefront of this trend with labs supporting both Mac and Windows desktops as well as students bringing in their own tablets, laptops and PCs that are based on OS X, Windows and other platforms. The introduction of the new VMware View Clients for Mac and Linux will allow campus IT organizations to better support these end users and ensure that students have readily-available access to their applications and a consistent learning experience across devices. "Fifty one-percent of our faculty computers are Macs and just over twenty nine-percent of our student population uses Macs," said Steve Swartz, chief information officer and AVP of Technology at Fitchburg State University. "Having a Mac client running PCoIP is critical to our ability to extend VDI to these users."

"We're very excited about this release," added Dale A. Starr, junior associate director, Technology Support & Service, Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts – Amherst. "We've recently started deploying Mac computers in a managed configuration. One of the sticking points that users are commonly running into is software that only runs on Windows. It will be a great benefit to have the PCoIP client for Mac." VMware View is a complete, virtual desktop solution that enables enterprises to improve security and lower operating costs, while simplifying desktop administration and management by establishing a modern, end-user computing architecture. The result is a more flexible, centrally hosted computing model that provides IT with greater control and end users with freedom to access to their desktop across the broadest set of devices. The new VMware View Clients deliver:

• Rich Desktop Experience with PCoIP: The new VMware View clients for Mac and Linux bring users the rich desktop VMware View experience to Mac and Linux users. VMware View clients with PCoIP provide end-users with top performance regardless of network conditions.
• Optimized for Mac OS X Lion: Designed from the ground up for the Mac and with support for Lion Full Screen mode, Mac users can seamless switch between their Mac apps and their View virtual desktop with a swipe on the trackpad.
• Simple Connectivity: The VMware View clients for Mac and Linux are tightly integrated with the VMware View 4.6 and 5.0 for simple setup and connectivity. Quickly reconnect to your desktop in a few simple steps.
• Available in Ubuntu Software Center: VMware View client for Linux is available in the Ubuntu Software Center, making it easy for desktop Linux users to install the VMware View client and access their virtual desktops.
• Available in Amazon Appstore for Android for the Amazon Kindle Fire: VMware View client for Android is now available in the Amazon Appstore for Android, making it easy for Amazon Kindle Fire users to install the VMware View client and access their virtual desktops.

Overview:

Transform Desktop Management, Energize Users: Deliver rich, personalized virtual desktops as a managed service from a virtualization platform built to deliver the entire desktop, including the operating system, applications and data. With VMware View, desktop administrators virtualize the operating system, applications, and user data and deliver modern desktops to end-users. Get centralized automated management of these components for increased control and cost savings. Improve business agility while providing a flexible high performance desktop experience for end-users, across a variety of network conditions.

Deliver Business Agility and Service Availability: Bring the agility and availability of cloud computing to the desktop and applications with VMware View. Built on VMware vSphere, View delivers desktops from a single integrated platform as part of your cloud services. Dynamically allocate resources to enable highly responsive and available environment to end users. Scale up and down desktop services on demand to quickly meet changing business needs and proactively protect against planned and unplanned downtime. Run your desktops as business critical services for your workforce.

Easily Control and Manage Desktops: Increase control of desktops, applications and data by delivering and managing them as centralized services. A single, powerful administrative console provides oversight of desktop services while enabling IT to execute previously cumbersome tasks like provisioning, updates and patches into a few clicks of a mouse. Manage desktop components separately for greater flexibility in provisioning, updates and delivery. Easily apply policies, quickly enable and disable users all from a centralized console for optimal business response. Free up time from maintenance for technology innovation.

Deliver a Better Desktop Experience: Unlike traditional PCs, View desktops are not tied to the physical computer. Instead, they reside in your cloud and end-users can access their View desktop when needed. VMware View with PCoIP delivers the richest, most flexible and adaptive experience for end-users around the world in a variety of network conditions. Business happens everywhere and whether online or offline, basic or 3D applications, LAN or WAN, VMware View delivers maximum workplace productivity.

Key Features:

• View Media Services for 3D Graphics enables basic 3D applications like Windows Aero, Office 2010 or those requiring OpenGL or DirectX in View desktops without the need for specialized graphics cards or client devices. (Requires vSphere 5 or later as the platform.)
• View Media Services for Integrated Unified Communications enables an integrated VOIP and View desktop experience for the end-user with an architecture to provide optimized performance for both the desktop and unified communication.
• View Persona Management (View Premier editions only) dynamically associates a user persona to stateless floating desktops. IT administrators can deploy easier to manage stateless floating desktops to more use cases while enabling user personalization to persist between sessions.
• PCoIP Extension Services allow WMI based tools to collect over 20 session statistics for monitoring, trending and troubleshooting end-user support issues.
• PCoIP Optimization Controls deliver protocol efficiency and enables IT administrators to configure the bandwidth settings by use case, user or network requirements to consume up to 75% less bandwidth.
• PCoIP Continuity Services deliver a seamless end-user experience regardless of network reliability by detecting interruptions and automatically reconnecting the session.
• View Client for Android enables end-users with Android based tablets to access View virtual desktops.
• Enhanced Security Settings enable client certificate handling customization using established browser certificate model to reinforce corporate policy.
• vSphere 5 support ensures that View desktop services run on the industry’s most complete and robust cloud infrastructure platform for flexible, reliable IT services.