Hands-on

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LG's 5inch HD Oxide mobile display has a 1mmslim bezel, we go eyeson at SID

LG's flexible OLED display is just one of the company's many panels on show here at SID. Our next stop in the booth tour is a 5-inch HD prototype, which uses TFT Oxide technology for low power consumption and a super-slim profile. Like the 5-inch flexible panel, this guy sports a 1mm bezel, and a rep told us it utilizes IPS technology to offer wide viewing angles. The model you see here is rated at 250 nits, though LG expects a significantly higher brightness count by the time the panel makes it to market. As for when that will happen, "ASAP" is the only answer we received. Hit up our photo gallery below for a closer look.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

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 Mobile

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Since the Galaxy S4's launch, Samsung's been eager to make security one of the device's stronger selling points. Through its partnership with Absolute Software, makers of LoJack for Laptops, Samsung will soon embed a theft recovery system right into the the phone's firmware. LoJack for Android smartphones, launching exclusively on the Galaxy S4, joins SAFE for Knox in Samsung's quest to develop "the most comprehensive mobile security solution" on the market. While there are plenty of apps that can locate misplaced phones via GPS and wipe their contents, the hope of retrieving a stolen phone is slim to none. In addition to content-clearing software, LoJack will offer a service in which "recovery specialists" attempt to return lost phones to their owners. There's no guarantee that said recovery specialists will be able to successfully track down thieves and reclaim stolen devices, but it's nice to dream. Subscriptions for LoJack for Android will start at $29.99 a year, though there's no official word yet on a release date.

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 Mobile

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Cricket launching Galaxy S 4 on June 7th, starting at $55 down

The Galaxy S 4 is now readily available in the US, but it hasn't had much sway with the prepaid crowd so far. Cricket should be addressing that deficit soon, as it just narrowed down its launch of the Samsung flagship to June 7th. The contract-free carrier is making up for being late to the party with a low up front price: customers can plunk down $55 to start an installment plan rather than pay the GS4's full $600 cost in one shot. Would-be adopters will need to live in one of Cricket's LTE coverage areas to pick up a GS4, but those who do may get a rare discount on a (mostly) fresh device.

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 Mobile

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HTC Asia CEO Lennard Hoornik is the latest reported exec departure

Turbulent times at HTC, it seems. Earlier today, we reported a pair of high-profile exits from the company -- one rumored and one confirmed -- and now we're looking at another. According to CNET, the CEO of HTC Asia Lennard Hoornik has also abandoned his post, with regional CFO Chia-Lin Chang taking the reins until a formal replacement is named. Hoornik, who joined HTC from Sony Ericsson, allegedly left the Taiwanese handset maker after a two-month period of absence. Did he jump, or was he pushed? And, are these exec departures linked in any way or mere coincidence? We've reached out to HTC for confirmation and comment, so let's hope there's someone still working there to answer us.

Update: We have received the following confirmation from HTC:

"HTC can confirm that Lennard Hoornik has left HTC to pursue other interests. We appreciate his contributions to our South Asia efforts over the past year and wish him all the best. HTC's CFO, Chialin Chang will provide interim leadership in this strategic region while we work to find a permanent solution."

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 Alt

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Engadget Giveaway win a 32GB black HTC One on AT&T!

No, not that One. Or that other One. It's definitely not this One either. Rather, we're talking about this One -- you know, the HTC flagship kind -- and the folks at AT&T have a unit ready for you to win. This particular model is of the 32GB persuasion, and it's currently up for grabs. It's not unlocked to all carriers and doesn't come with free service, so we have to limit this contest to our US readers. Two entries are all yours, and you can snag a third for the price of answering a simple question about BlinkFeed. So head below to the Rafflecopter widget and enter! Good luck.

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Multiple accounts can use a single Xbox Live membership on the One

If you joined us for the Xbox One reveal yesterday, you'll probably know that amidst all the excitement, we learned that a single Xbox Live Gold membership will cover both the 360 and the next-gen console. Good stuff -- no extra expenditure, subscription sign-ups or other irritations. But, it gets even better, as a couple of Microsoft bigwigs told Polygon that Live memberships can also used by multiple profiles. That means several accounts can be created on one console, for discrete friends lists, personal Home screens and the like, but they'll all be able to feed off the same subscription. We're not sure how this'll work exactly, but it already sounds better than the Gamertag-specific membership model on the 360, which is responsible for far too many amazing kill stats being lost to the dreaded "Guest" account.

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Amazon launches Kindle Worlds publishing platform for fan fiction, will pay royalties to writers and rights holders

Amazon's taken a number of steps to bring different types of content to the Kindle Store, and it's now venturing into an area that has a long history with the internet: fan fiction. The company's today announced Kindle Worlds, a new publishing platform that promises to pay writers royalties for stories inspired by established works. Naturally, the original rights holder needs to be a willing participant as well, and they'll also be paid a royalty for all fan fiction stories sold. So what are your options for now? For the launch, Amazon has partnered with Warner Bros. Television Group's Alloy Entertainment to open up three of its series to fan fiction enthusiasts, giving you the chance to write stories set in the world of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars or The Vampire Diaries. The company's promising that additional licenses are on the way, but for now you can check out the finer details in the press release after the break and at the source link below.

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3M's upcoming quantum dot film brings 50 percent more color to LCDs

3M and Nanosys have just announced that they'll start shipping qualification samples of their Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF) to manufacturers to bring a 50 percent wider color gamut and lower power consumption to LCD displays. Consisting of trillions of quantum dots tuned to create precise color hues, such films can be swapped in to replace existing backlighting tech, meaning manufacturers will need no special equipment to adopt it. The companies say they'll have samples for manufacturer design cycles starting "late second quarter this year" -- but if you can't wait that long, you'll be able to actually buy similar tech from Sony, likely very soon.

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Logitech releases $60 iPad keyboard wired for Lightning or 30pin connectors

Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad are nice and all, but aren't you going to need to be within a wire's-length to see the thing anyway? To that end, Logitech has announced a full-sized wired iPad keyboard targeted to classrooms with an emphasis on durability and maintenance. It has a spill-resistant design, three-year warranty and key life of over 5 million strokes, according to the company, and comes in either lightning or 30-pin versions. If you don't mind being tethered, the Lightning model will ship in August and the last-gen iPad model in November for $60 each -- but you can pre-order now at the source.

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 HD

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Vizio's 42-inch 5.1 soundbar setup available available now, costs $330

Vizio trotted out a new line of soundbars back at CES, and true to its word, they're starting to materialize out in the real world. It's the middle-child, 42-inch unit we're seeing become available today. As a refresher, the 5.1 system comes with a wireless subwoofer, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, Bluetooth, and a pair of rear satellite speakers. If that gap under your TV was calling out for this, then you can expect to see it at Amazon, Costco, and Walmart online, or Best Buy on both sides of the digital / physical realm (although it won't be in stores until May 27th). Wherever you get it from, expect to lay down $330 for the honor.

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