philips

Facebook raises the curtain on its new U.K. engineering office

Facebook officially opened the doors to its London office today -- making it the social network's first international engineering center.

The social network was courted by the British government, which has been working to make the U.K. a place the tech industry can call home.

According to Reuters, the company's vice president of engineering, Mike Schroepfer, said that London is "rapidly emerging as a global technology hub" and a place that can both provide engineers as well as be a good place for engineers to relocate.

Facebook announced the opening of its U.K. engineering … Read more

Tech giants to talk patent reform at the U.N.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and other tech giants are meeting in Switzerland today to discuss patent litigation reform, seeking to find ways to protect their intellectual property without hurting innovation.

The roundtable, hosted by the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union in its Geneva headquarters, will cover topics such as "potential improvements to existing policy frameworks, entitlement to injunctive reliefs, and definitions of what constitutes a royalty base."

The group hopes to find out how standard essential patents can be enforced without hindering competition and how to make sure licenses can be offered at reasonable terms.

"We are … Read more

It was 30 years ago today the CD began to play

The Compact Disc format changed the way we listened to music in the 1980s. Sony's first player, the CDP-101, went on sale on October 1, 1982, in Japan, and six months later here in the U.S. At $1,000 it was pretty expensive, but supplies were limited, so every one sold for full price. Before the CD arrived, the mainstream music market was split between vinyl albums/singles and cassettes, and strangely enough, it wasn't just CD's sound that won over the masses, it was digital audio's no-wear durability and noise-free sound that drew raves. … Read more

Wikipedia to Philip Roth: Hey, you're not credible

If someone ever wrote a Wikipedia page about you, how much would you care what it said?

Would you pore over it every day and sit back with a slightly watery eye at your life's achievement, immortalized in the Web's factual museum?

Of course you would. So imagine if someone had said that you'd been inspired by David Beckham, when, in fact your inspiration had been David Hockney, wouldn't you attempt to set things right?

Ah, but with Wikipedia, it isn't necessarily so simple.

Please share the pain of Philip Roth. He's the author … Read more

The 404 1,124: Where techies never say die (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 show:

- Nokia's Lumia 920 packed with cutting-edge features.

- CNET Update: Nokia Lumia shows off new camera tricks.

- Wirelessly charge your new Nokia phone via Qi technology.

- Eurocom launching mobile phone approved by rabbis.

- Is this the death of voice mail?

- E-mail will never die: The man who invented it reveals why.… Read more

The 404 1,107: Where we're all friends with Gems (podcast)

- What artists and songs were found on John Lennon's long lost jukebox?

- Ultimate Ears' custom tuned in-ear monitors.

- Condav99's custom Nintendo Boomcase! More on Boomcases here.

- Can a tiny $39 amp make your headphones sound a lot better?

- The Audiophiliac picks 11 of the world's best headphones.

- The Philips Shoqbox is our favorite camp-friendly, rugged Bluetooth speaker.

- Self-portraits done to a different drug every day.

Follow Steve Sphere Guttenberg on Twitter.

Bathroom break video: Steve Coogan impersonates Steve Hawking.… Read more

Information on new Philips 9 series HDTVs leaks

Philips is currently working on its flagship 9 series HDTVs, and they just might be awfully impressive, according to a new report.

Philips will be launching two 9 series models that will come with 46- and 60-inch screens, Flat Panels HD, a site that focuses on televisions, is reporting today, citing a "credible source." The site claims to have obtained a document from Russia that provides information and images of the televisions and their elongated remote.

According to the publication, the televisions, dubbed the 9707 and 9607, will come with an extremely small bezel made of "some … Read more

LG announces 'universal' smart TV platform

Manufacturers LG and Philips have joined forces to create a universal platform for apps on TVs, and the companies say the system has the support of Japanese manufacturers.

The newly created Smart TV Alliance is designed to create a single platform making it easier for customers to share apps across multiple TVs and encourage more developers.

"Before today, the Smart TV industry was a very difficult market for both TV manufacturers and application developers as TV's from different brands used different platforms and technologies," said Bong-seok Kwon of LG Electronics, president of the Smart TV Alliance.… Read more

Philips LED replaces 100-watt incandescent

Philips this fall will release an LED bulb as bright as a 100-watt incandescent lamp, filling out its existing LED line.

The company will add to its EnduraLED line with a lamp that gives off almost 1,700 lumens, or about the amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent, and consumes 23 watts. The product will be available this fall. Philips did not disclose the price but it is expected to be in the $40 to $50 range.

This latest EnduraLED has a color temperature is a warm yellow at 2,700 Kelvin, is dimmable, and has a color rendering … Read more