A new display mode, extra controls, and sleep tracking: Here's what's suddenly new and improved about the Gear Fit.
It's a common truth in new tech: a company releases a firmware update, and suddenly there are all-new features to discover.
The newest firmware update to Gear Fit, which will be what anyone buying one will have available to them, introduces a bunch of new features. Some of them really do change the Fit quite a bit.
SAMSUNG GEAR FIT, UP CLOSE (PHOTOS)
Portrait mode: Yes, finally, you can flip the Gear Fit's display to stretch out vertically, so you don't have to twist your wrist. It seems to work with every feature, even notifications. Some work better than others.
Sleep tracking: A new mode will track sleep data, much like other fitness bands such as the Jawbone Up and Misfit Shine do.
More watch faces: Additional watch faces have been added, including some cool ones that take better advantage of vertical-display mode.
Customize your Fit via Manager app: Now you can swap the layout of icons, and even change the home screen and add your own photo to the Gear Fit's background.
Extra coaching options: I found some new ways to control the coaching mode while running, setting the heart-rate coaching awareness to "auto," or setting the device to coach around your own maximum heart rate.
Better syncing with S Health: Samsung promises that a lot of the weirdness I found before has been fixed.
Credit goes to Samsung for making these changes so quickly. Sometimes it takes a while for wearables to get much-needed updates, or they never get them at all.
Some Samsung Galaxy fans were hoping the S5 would get a swanky aluminum body befitting its flagship status. It didn't happen -- but that's a good thing. Here's why.
The S5 retains the removable battery and memory expansion options -- key features for many users.Around six months ago, long before the Samsung Galaxy S5 was officially unveiled, rumors started kicking around that it would have aluminum body. The thinking was
a) in order to differentiate the S5 from the S4, Samsung should make the new model swankier and
b) true flagship models like the iPhone 5S and HTC One -- and the now the HTC One M8 -- should feature sleek metal "unibody" designs, not "cheap" plastic bodies.
Thankfully, it didn't happen.
While Samsung switched from a smooth, glossy plastic back to a dimpled one, we didn't get aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or some other exotic metal. Nor did we get a curved display. In fact, the S5 isn't so different from the S4. Sure, the screen's a touch larger and the processor, battery life, and camera have been slightly upgraded while a fingerprint sensor and some water resistance have been added.
As bland as that sounds, it's not a bad thing, especially when you consider that the removable plastic back is one of the Galaxy line's important selling points and one of the biggest reasons to buy a Galaxy instead of an iPhone.
For starters, the removable back gives you access to the battery, so you can replace it when it stops holding its charge like it used to. Or you can carry around an extra battery to swap in case you run out of juice.
The HTC One M8's battery isn't removable, but HTC smartly added a memory expansion slot.True, an embedded battery does have its benefits. It allows designers to slim devices down those extra few millimeters (see Dolcourt's "It's time to kiss the removable smartphone battery goodbye") and embedded batteries typically offer longer "useful life" over time.
For instance, according to the folks at batteriesinaflash.com, "Apple estimates that its sealed battery laptops only lose about 20 percent of their ability to hold a charge after 1,000 discharges of the battery." The same site says that many laptops see a large dip in battery life after less than two years of use. The same holds true for smartphones with removable batteries.
But if anything goes wrong with your iPhone's battery, you're supposed to take it into an Apple Store or an Apple-authorized repair shop to get it replaced (Apple charges $79 for iPhone battery replacement and $100 for an iPad battery replacement)
The other plus to the S5's removable back is the ability to access the memory expansion slot and add memory. As people use their phones to shoot more video -- and watch more of it -- your storage can dry up pretty quickly, especially if you have a bunch of games and photos on your device. There are plenty of cloud archiving options available, but I know plenty of frequent travelers who store dozens of movies on their phone's memory card (don't ask me where they get those movies).
The S5's plastic back has dimples.Yes, HTC smartly added an "external" memory expansion slot to the One M8 (you could say it was really stupid not to have the slot in the original HTC One). In some ways, I prefer that easy-access design, but with the S5's waterproofing feature, keeping the expansion slot tucked behind the removable back is the way to go.
Doing the math again, Samsung's 64GB Pro Micro-SDXC card costs around $60 online. You can get a 16GB iPhone 5S for $199 with a contract -- the same price as the 16GB GS5. But bumping up to the 64GB iPhone 5S will run you $399 (with a contract) or $200 more. You could pick up three 64GB cards for the same price.
With previous Galaxy phones, the removable back also tied into other accessories. You could swap in backs with integrated front covers, backs that left room for extended batteries, and a back that allowed for wireless Qi charging -- to name a few. For most people, those options aren't much of a selling point, but I expect we'll see similar accessories for the S5.
In the end, the S5's upgrades, like iPhone 5S', may not seem terribly exciting. But at least Samsung didn't sacrifice functionality and flexibility for swankier looks. That flexibility -- the removable battery and expandable memory in particular -- is ultimately what differentiates Samsung's Android phones from Apple's iPhones. And that's why I'd never buy an Android phone that didn't offer those features.
Company is targeting shipments of 65 million smartwatches for 2014, claims a new report out of Taiwan.
This rough mockup shows what CNET thinks an Apple iWatch might look like. Will the much-rumored Apple iWatch finally debut later this year? Yes, at least according to one of the latest rumors.
Apple will reportedly unveil its long-awaited smartwatch in the third quarter of 2014, according to Taiwan's Economic Daily News. Based on an alleged bill of materials, supply chain sources told the news site that Apple is aiming to produce 65 million iWatches by year's end.
The watch itself will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, say the sources. Richtek Technology will make the chips, while TPK will create the watch's sapphire touch panels. Further, Apple is developing the watch's processor but will farm out chip production to Samsung, the sources added.
Samsung and other tech players have unveiled their own smartwatches, so Apple is already fashionably late to this party. But Apple could shake up the smartwatch market with a device that outshines rival products. Beyond pairing with your iPhone, an Apple iWatch reportedly would serve as a health and fitness tracker by tapping into an iOS 8 app called Healthbook.
This latest in a long line of iWatch rumors should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Reports of an Apple smartwatch have been surfacing for quite a while now. But other recent reports have pegged a 2014 launch for the iWatch.
Apple shares were up nearly $3 to about $526.40 in pre-market trading on Tuesday.
DJI's Phantom 2 Vision is pretty much the benchmark for ready-to-fly (RTF) quadcopters for aerial photos and video. Well, it was the benchmark until the new Phantom 2 Vision+ arrived.
The quadcopter itself seems unchanged from the Phantom 2 Vision. You'll find all the same convenience features like color-coded, self-tightening propellers for easy installation and replacement, and a slot-loading battery pack (no connectors to mess with here) that delivers up to 25 minutes of flight time. If you don't stop to charge up its batteries or read the manual, it can go from out of the box to up in the air in about 10 minutes.
The camera on the Vision+, though it looks different, also seems to be the same, at least in specs: an f2.8 lens paired with a 14-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that can capture Adobe DNG raw or JPEG images and video at up to 1080p at 30fps. You can also control ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance, and choose from 140-, 120-, or 90-degree field of view.
The biggest change is what is supporting the camera. With the original Vision, the camera was on an antivibration platform stabilized only on the tilt axis and the tilting range during flight (remotely controlled through the mobile Vision app) had a range of 60 degrees. The Vision+, however, has a three-axis gimbal similar to the one available for use with a GoPro camera on the Phantom 2.
The gimbal actively stabilizes the camera in roll, pitch, and yaw directions keeping the video looking smooth even with sudden movements. Plus, the camera can now do a 90-degree tilt letting you shoot straight down.
DJI PHANTOM 2 VISION+
The quadcopter's integrated GPS autopilot system allows it to hover at a specific altitude and hold its position so you can get the exact shot you're after. The GPS also gives you a return-to-home fail-safe that will signal the Phantom to fly back to your takeoff spot and land in case you travel out of range or simply panic.
And if you're after more of a drone experience, the Phantom 2 Vision+ is fully compatible with DJI's Ground Station capabilities, which lets you plot a GPS path for the Phantom to navigate autonomously.
Also new for the Vision+ is increased range for the Wi-Fi extender. Sitting on a bar attached to the radio controller, the extender delivers the first-person view from the Vision+ camera to an Android or iOS device using the DJI Vision app (that can also be clamped on the controller). The Vision was capped at 300 meters, but the Vision+ can travel up to 700 meters (2,296 feet) away.
The app not only lets you pilot from a first-person perspective and control the camera, but it's also what delivers important telemetry and flight information such as altitude, direction, flight distance, and speed.
Lastly, DJI added a safety feature to prevent flights that are too close to large and small airports.
We'll have a full review in the near future, but if you know you want one, the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ is available for pre-order for $1,299.
The Good With one of the only 21:9 screens we've seen on a PC, the Lenovo IdeaCentre B750 offers a ton of desktop space to fill with browser windows and productivity apps. With the right software, Blu-ray and HD movies can play without letterbox bars, and games feel much more immersive.
The Bad The midlevel graphics card, left over from last year, can't push the higher screen resolution and high-end game settings at the same time; bundled media player software oddly doesn't help with 21:9 playback, and the lack of a touch screen feels dated.
The Bottom Line A refreshing new way to look at all-in-one desktops, the Lenovo B750's Blu-ray-friendly, extra-wide display is great for movies (if you add some extra software), and games greatly benefit from a wider field of view. It's different, and fun to use, but it cries out for a touch screen.
Lenovo's B750 all-in-one desktop PC isn't the first system we've seen with a wider-than-normal screen, but it's still a relatively rare animal. And, with a discrete GPU, high-end CPU, and excellent IPS display, it's also a fun alternative to run-of-the-mill all-in-ones, and hopefully something we'll see more of in the future.
The B750 swaps the usual 1,920x1,080 screen, a 16:9 aspect ratio (the same as HDTV screens), for a 2,560x1,080 screen, which works out to 21:9, or the same as many theatrical release films. Technically, the aspect ratio is 64:27, but that's commonly rounded to 21:9. This wider style of display may never become a mainstream trend, but it's a nice change of pace and serves three major goals.
First, you can display HD video content, such as Blu-ray movies, without the traditional letterbox black bars you'd see on 16:9 displays. Note, however, that you'll need special media playback software for this.Second, PC games gain a new level of immersion by adding a wider field of view, essentially giving you extra peripheral vision in games that support that 2,560x1,080 resolution. Many of the games we tried, from Call of Duty to BioShock Infinite to Skyrim, worked well, although some will need config file tweaks to force the higher resolution.
Third, the wide desktop allows you to put full apps and browser windows side by side, much as one might do on a multiple monitor setup. For example, putting a Web browser and Word doc next to one another, or a large video playback window and another app.
At $1,449 for our configuration, which included a current-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, a big 2TB HDD, 8GB of RAM, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 graphics card, the B750 feels fairly priced, considering its unique features. My most notable complaints are two-fold: the older video card (Nvidia is up to the 800-series now) suffers from serious frame-rate drops when trying to push the higher native resolution; and the otherwise excellent display isn't a touch screen, making Windows 8 hard to use, and making the entire system feel dated.
SPECS COMPARED
Lenovo IdeaCentre B750
Dell XPS 27
Apple iMac (27-inch, September 2013)
Price
$1,449
$2,099
$2,199
Display size/resolution
29-inch, 2,560 x 1,080 screen
27-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 touch screen
27-inch, 2560 x 1,440 screen
PC CPU
3.4GHz Intel Core i7-4770
3.1GHz Intel Core i7-4770S
3.4GHz Intel Core i5 4670
PC Memory
8GB 1,600MHZ DDR3 SDRAM
8GB 1,600MHZ DDR3 SDRAM
8192MB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz
Graphics
4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 760A
2GB Nvidia GeForce GT750M
2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 775M
Storage
2TB, 7,200 rpm hard drive
2TB, 7,200 rpm hard drive
128GB SSD 1TB hybrid hard drive
Optical drive
Blu-ray/DVD/DVD RW combo
Blu-ray/DVD/DVD RW combo
None
Networking
Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
802.11a/c wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
Operating system
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Windows 8 (64-bit)
OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.5
Design and features
The Lenovo B750 cuts a different desktop footprint than other all-in-one PCs, just because it takes up so much room. The screen itself measures 29 inches diagonally, but it's an entirely different aspect ratio, so that translates to a shape that's wider and shorter than a regular 16:9 monitor of the same size would be. You won't mistake this for a high-design all-in-one like the Apple iMac or even Dell's excellent XPS 27, and at 32.5 pounds it's heavy enough that you'll want to move it only when absolutely necessary.
The wide body requires a wide stand, and the v-shaped base extends nearly the entire width of the system. The stand is hinged in the back, but it can pivot the display only slightly up and down. The body is largely plastic, with a sleek edge-to-edge glass screen overlay that would make you think the display was touch-enabled, even though it's not. However, a row of simple capacitive touch controls sit under the screen on the black lower bezel and can control brightness, volume, and a few other functions.
Bundled with the system are a basic Lenovo wireless keyboard and mouse. The keyboard is slim and angles up at the rear. It includes a full number pad, but I like my space bars a little wider, and the backspace button is too small. The plastic mouse is as basic as it gets; if you want to use the B750 for gaming, I'd suggest a more specialized model with more buttons and a sleeker shape.
But the real star here is the display. The giant IPS screen has a native resolution of 2,560x1,080, which is the same vertical resolution as a standard 1080p screen but a horizontal resolution 1.3 times as wide as 1,920. Why would you want that? Productivity is one reason -- you can create two side-by-side windows, each housing a 1,280x1,080 Web browser window or office document. It's not as much real estate as you'd get from combining two 1080p monitors, but not having the physical break between screens as with a dual-monitor setup gives you a seamless view that may be easier to work with.The bundled DVD/Blu-ray software, PowerDVD, didn't seem to have an aspect ratio option that would present the Blu-ray content in a 21:9 format, so I eventually gave up and downloaded ArcSoft TotalMedia, which did allow for this. Note, also, that while watching a Blu-ray on a 21:9 screen is fun and immersive, you are losing some resolution, as the full image, including the black letterbox bars, is 1,920x1,080. In this case, you're essentially zooming in on that image, cutting off the top and bottom, to fill the screen. Still, I'd call it a worthwhile trade-off and a reminder of how ridiculous it is that HD movie content has one aspect ratio (actually several, but one modern primary aspect ratio), while HDTV content has an entirely different aspect ratio.
The final reason you may want a 21:9 display is for PC gaming. Fortunately, this system has a discrete graphics card, giving it the muscle to play most current games. That card is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 760, a decent card but one from last year's Nvidia line, since replaced by the 800 series. It's not top-of-the-line but fine for mainstream PC gamers. However, pushing games to the wider 2,560x1,080 resolution, when a game even supported it, caused a notable drop in performance. We had to compensate by lowering the detail level in some games.
The end effect is still very impressive, giving you an expanded sense of peripheral vision in games, which is even more immersive in some ways than playing in stereoscopic 3D, which can have a tunnel-vision effect. Skyrim, the expansive fantasy RPG, worked well, although I had to force the correct resolution in a config file. Metro: Last Light and BioShock Infinite both also benefited from the added field of vision, although their detail levels needed to be knocked back for smooth gameplay.
Seeing this wider screen up close while gaming, I quickly got used to it, making it a letdown to go back to a normal 16:9 display. To take it one step further, I can see how having a curved 21:9 display would be even more immersive, although I'm not aware of any curved 21:9 PC monitors for sale right now.
Audio from the 2.1 speakers was good for internal sound, helped by a rear-firing subwoofer on the back of the chassis, but you'll still want to hook up external speakers if you're DJing a party from your desktop.
CONNECTIONS
Video
HDMI in, HDMI out
Audio
Stereo speakers plus subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
4 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Networking
Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive
Blu-ray player
Connections, performance, and battery
One of the nice things about working with a full all-in-one desktop computer rather than a laptop, tablet, or even hybrid "tabletop" all-in-one is having plenty of room for ports and connections. Here, you get a total of six USB ports, although one is needed for the included keyboard/mouse dongle, as well as both HDMI-in and HDMI-out connections. The former is interesting in case you want to hook up an external source -- a tablet, laptop, game console, or other device -- and just use the B750's display.
With what's frankly a pretty robust 3.4GHz Intel Core-i7 4770 CPU, the B750 is a very powerful mainstream/premium desktop. It was faster in some benchmark tests than a couple of our other favorite all-in-one PCs, the latest Apple iMac and Dell's XPS 27. Outside of desktops and laptops built for serious PC gamers, you're unlikely to find anything much faster, especially for under $1,500.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 graphics card in the system is good for mainstream gaming but a few stops short of the top of the line (and part of last year's 700-series of cards from Nvidia). We tested games two ways -- at the same 1,920x1,080 resolution we use to test other PCs, and also at the higher 2,560x1,080 resolution. At 1,920x1,080, the B750 ran BioShock Infinite at high detail settings at 23.5 frames per second; bumping up to 2,560x1,080 gave us 17.9 frames per second. In Metro: Last Light at both resolutions, a challenging benchmark, the scores were 10.0 frames per second and 7.7 frames per second, respectively.
If those all sound too low to play, you're right -- but those are running at high-detail settings. Dial things down to medium or lower, and both of those games, as well as others, including Skyrim, Hawken, and Modern Warfare 3, all play smoothly.
While gaming is a major attraction of this unusual screen size/resolution, it's disappointing that you can't crank game detail levels up. I'd be willing to pay a bit more for a newer, higher-end GPU.
Conclusion
The Lenovo B750 is unusual, and it's not for everyone. But if you're looking to skip the multiple monitor setup while still maximizing screen real estate, it's an interesting way to go. And "interesting" is the operative word here. Games, while requiring a detail/frame rate trade-off, take on a new immersive quality on a 21:9 screen, and movie-watching feels more cinematic.
Even better, with a high-end CPU, a big 2TB hard drive, a decent GPU, and a massive extra-wide display all for $1,449, it's a decent deal if you're looking for a desktop that's a little different without breaking the bank. But beyond the specs and price, I just found it fun to use. With a few tweaks, such as a touch screen and a faster GPU, it could be a hard-to-beat alternative to more common all-in-ones.
Sony's announced its first 4K-video-capable still camera, a surprisingly big reveal for the low-profile National Association of Broadcasters' show. Based on the same body as the A7 and A7R, but once again with completely different insides, the A7S incorporates a lower-resolution -- but still full-frame -- 12-megapixel sensor.That's a perfect resolution for a camera like this. It's enough pixels for lots of pro work but few enough to keep a broad tonal range and fast sensor readout, which will minimize lag and processing overhead when shooting video. Ultra High Definition/Quad Full HD (3,840x2,160 pixels) requires a minimum of 8.3-megapixel resolution, while full cinema 4K (4,096x2,160 pixels) needs 8.8 megapixels.
Unlike the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, however, the camera can't do any 4K internally, even at lower frame- or bitrates; you've got to rig up an external hard drive and do it via HDMI. And, disappointingly, it only does 8-bit 4:2:2 capture, compared to the GH4's 10-bit. That said, it should have a far better tonal range than the GH4 because of the larger sensor.
And while the potential dynamic range sounds great for still photographers, it has the A7R's wimpy contrast AF system. Sony hasn't yet mentioned pricing, but I suspect that it's destined to sit above the A7R in the product line, which would put the price north of $2,300 (£1,390).
Sony also announced that it has an XLR mic kit and 28-135 f4 FE-mount lens under development.
Meet some of the folks at Google's advanced-tech team working to design phones you yourself can build. Watch them snap pieces together!
Project Ara's team uses electro-permanent magnets to keep phone modules in place.Google is offering a quick glimpse into a future in which you'll be able to build your own phone.
The software giant released a short video to introduce some of the members of its Advanced Technology and Projects group, the folks behind Project Ara.
The idea of a modular phone is seen as a potential next step in the evolution of smartphones, bringing personal customization of mobile devices to a new level and potentially remaking the industry itself. For now it remains an idea, with many technical and practical hurdles to overcome.
It's been the subject of intense interest since it was unveiled as the possible next leap from Motorola's heavily customizable Moto X. The ATAP group is remaining with Google even as Lenovo buys the rest of Motorola Mobility.
The video offers only brief glimpses into what a modular phone may look like, but does include interesting tidbits like the team's plans to use electro-permanent magnets to keep the components together, with the pieces secured through a burst of a charge.
There are also some renderings that flash by as you're introduced to other team members, and a hint of just how many individual modules you can fit into one phone.
During a keynote presentation at the Build developer conference earlier today, former Nokia CEO and current Executive Vice President of Devices at Microsoft Stephen Elop unveiled the Nokia Lumia 930, a Windows Phone 8.1 flagship handset that packs a 20-megapixel camera and wireless charging. It will launch in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and India beginning in June for $599.
The phone will be available in several bright colors including orange and green with metallic trimmings.
The phone also felt sturdy, with severe edges that are straight enough to stand the 930 upright. It flaunts a 5-inch full HD ClearBlack display with a 1080p resolution, and a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. Powering its insides is a 2,420mAh battery, which has a reported talk time of up to 15.5 hours.
The 4G LTE handset's 20-megapixel PureView camera can record full HD video and with Nokia's Creative Studio app, it has a number of photo-editing features. One new tool is Living Images, which enables users to combine photos and short videos for a more creative cinematic image. There are also four microphones built into the device to lend a more robust audio-recording experience.
Other trimmings include 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, and 7GB of of Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage.
As for Windows Phone 8.1, the updated OS will feature Cortana, a digital assistant not unlike Apple's Siri or Google's Google Now. Currently in its beta phase, Cortana is represented by a pair of moving circles and lives in its own Windows live tile on the homescreen. Powered by Bing, Cortana can look up airline flights, sports scores, and even nutritional data.
There's also an Action Center, similar to the drop-down menus for Android and iOS, where you can quickly turn on and off settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as a Notifications menu. The update has bolstered security and privacy settings like email encryption; a refreshed Word Flow keyboard with slide-type capabilities; and Wi-Fi Sense, a service that suggests and connects to free surrounding networks.
With the update, users can now change their background image in the home screen. However, when we tried it out ourselves, we found that the Live Tiles obscured the wallpaper so much that it ended up covering much of the picture anyway.
Located on the back is a 20-megapixel PureView camera with Carl Zeiss optics. Though the dev preview for Windows Phone 8.1 will roll out to developers in April, it will be available to consumers in the coming months. Existing Windows Phone users can receive an over-the-air update to version 8.1 this summer.
Save for its OS update, the Nokia Lumia 930 is nearly identical to the Lumia Icon in terms of specs. Sold exclusively on Verizon Wireless in only black and white, the Icon has the same screen, camera, and processor as the 930. However, we were told that unlike the Icon, the 930 can have an extra column of Live Tiles on the start screen. This is a new feature included in the OS update, and it will be an option on any Nokia phone from now that measures five inches or larger.
The Lumia 930 is just one of three new devices Nokia announced today. The more budget-friendly Lumia 630 and 635 are the other phones launching with Windows Phone 8.1, and both feature 4.5-inch touch screens.
Amazon is ready to battle Apple, Roku, and Google to earn a spot in your living room.
The Fire TV streaming box was announced at Amazon's press event in New York this morning, focusing on improving search, performance, and gaming over competitors. The new box is already available for purchase from Amazon for $99, as well as the new gaming controller accessory, the Fire Game Controller, for $39.
The Fire TV's focus on gaming goes well beyond current streaming devices like the Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku's boxes. The included Bluetooth remote will be capable of playing some games, but Fire Game Controller allows for a more game console-like experience. Amazon is working with several developers, including Sega, EA, and Disney, in addition to mobile game developers, to populate its game library, which Amazon claims will be in the thousands. Amazon Game Studies will also be developing games for the Fire TV, including a third-person shooter called Sev Zero.
For search, Amazon is implementing voice search using a mic built into the remote. The idea is to finally ditch the annoying process of typing in search phrases letter-by-letter, which is how search is done on Roku's boxes. From the initial demo, it's unclear whether the search will be able to comb through services other than Amazon Instant, but Fire TV will support a healthy collection of apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Watch ESPN, Showtime, MLB, iHeartRadio and Disney.
On the performance side, the Fire TV has a quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, which Amazon claims delivers 3 times the performance of competitors like Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. Amazon also highlighted a new "ASAP" feature designed to get movies and TV shows streaming faster, cutting down on tedious "buffering" screens.
The device itself has a familiar set top box look, although its slimmer than average; Amazon says Fire TV is thinner than a dime standing on its edge. Around the back, you get all the typical connections, including HDMI, an optical audio output, Ethernet and USB. Dual band Wi-Fi is built-in as well, and the remote works via Bluetooth, so you won't need to point it at the box to control it.
The biggest surprise of all from Amazon's new box may be the price. Amazon has a history of offering aggressively-priced hardware, but the Fire TV's $99 price is significantly more than current budget options like the $35 Google Chromecast and $49 Roku Streaming Stick. That puts more pressure on Amazon to deliver a superior overall experience to justify its price. The good news is we'll have our hands-on a unit shortly to find out how the Fire TV stacks up.
