Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 2/21/10 - 2/28/10

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Shuttle's XS35 nettop is 3.3cm thin, too nice to hide behind your HDTV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/shuttles-xs35-nettop-is-3-3cm-thin-too-nice-to-hide-behind-you/

Shuttle's XS35 nettop is 3.3cm thin, too nice to hide behind your HDTV

Nettops keep getting better, and thinner too if Shuttle's latest is anything to go by. It's the XS35, a 3.3cm thin affair packing a dual-core Intel Atom D510 at 1.6GHz and Ion 2 graphics with HDMI output for easy connectivity to your high definition display of choice. Somehow the company has also found room for five USB ports, VGA and discrete audio outputs, an Ethernet jack, and a card reader. It's passively cooled, so the only noise you'll hear will be the spinning platters of its 2.5-inch hard disk or the spinning of an optical disc, which yes somehow fits in there too (making it perfect for watching your Thunderbirds DVD collection). No price yet but it'll be on display at CeBIT in just a few days and shipping sometime in the second quarter of this year.

Gallery: Shuttle XS35 nettop

Shuttle's XS35 nettop is 3.3cm thin, too nice to hide behind your HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SlashGear | source

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NVIDIA Optimus-equipped ASUS N61JV-X2, N71JV-X1 hit the US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/nvidia-optimus-equipped-asus-n61jv-x2-n71jv-x1-hit-the-us/

Well, we'd heard the first NVIDIA Optimus-enabled laptops would roll out at the end of the month, and lo and behold, the first NVIDIA Optimus-enabled laptops have rolled out at the end of the month. Right now, those include ASUS' N61JV-X2 and N71JV-X1 models, which are just the first of five laptops that will be available from the company, and each of which cost the same $900. That'll get you a 16-inch screen and Core i5-430M processor on the N61JV-X2, or a 17.3-inch screen and a Core i3-350M processor on the N71JV-X1, along with the same switchable GeForce GT 325M graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB hard drive on each of them. Still unclear on what NVIDIA has brought to the table with Optimus? Check out our hands-on for some more details and a few benchmarks.

NVIDIA Optimus-equipped ASUS N61JV-X2, N71JV-X1 hit the US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/joojoo-ship-date-pushed-to-march-25-due-to-manufacturing-issues/

Well, that didn't take too long. Just a day after we pondered the shipping status of Fusion Garage's JooJoo tablet, the company's come clean and told us shipping will delayed to March 25 because of a manufacturing issue with the tablet's 12.1-inch capacitive screen. Yep, it looks like it's going to be at least 27 more days until you've got a JooJoo of your very own -- which means, of course, that Fusion Garage will now be trying to launch this thing during the same week Apple's scheduled to launch the iPad. Ouch. To its credit, Fusion Garage says it's not happy with the delay and has promised a free accessory to pre-order customers to make it better -- we're told it's likely to be the $30 stand. We'll see if that's enough to hold back the effects of Cupertino's coming media blitz, but either way we're quite excited about making a tablet sandwich at the end of March. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues

JooJoo ship date pushed to March 25 due to manufacturing issues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Robotic Surgical Simulator lets doctors sharpen their skills by operating on polygons

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/robotic-surgical-simulator-lets-doctors-sharpen-their-skills-by/

Robotic Surgical Simulator lets doctors sharpen their skills by operating on polygons

These days you wouldn't jump behind the controls of a real plane without logging a few hours on the simulator, and so we're glad to hear that doctors no longer have to grab the controls of a da Vinci surgical robot without performing some virtual surgeries first. The Center for Robotic Surgery at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University of Buffalo School of Engineering have collaborated to create RoSS, the Robotic Surgical Simulator. Unlike our Ross, who works odd hours and covers fuel cell unveils with innate skill, this RoSS allows doctors to slice and dice virtual patients without worrying about any messy cleanups -- or messy lawsuits. We're guessing it'll be awhile before consumer versions hit the market, but just in case we've gone ahead and put our pre-orders in for the prostate expansion to Microsoft Cutting Sim 2014[TM].

Robotic Surgical Simulator lets doctors sharpen their skills by operating on polygons originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer launching thin, Calpella-based notebooks this summer?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/acer-launching-thin-calpella-based-notebooks-this-summer/

Acer launching thin, Calpella-based notebooks this summer?

The progression of ever-faster notebooks seems to have dwindled, but the quest for thinner and lighter goes on. Acer is said to be finding the balance between those two goals with its next suite of thin performers, starting with a range of mid- and high-end portables based on Intel's Calpella series of processors, the Nehalem spin-off that we haven't heard much about lately. Sizes are said to be 13-, 14-, and 15-inches, all will be manufactured by Wistron, and all said to be one inch thin at their thinnest point -- hopefully not much thicker elsewhere if they want to turn heads. These higher-performing machines will eventually phase out Acer's CULV offerings, which apparently have had unimpressive sales thanks to a perceived lack of performance by consumers. We can't imagine where they got that idea...

Acer launching thin, Calpella-based notebooks this summer? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiny Chip Made of Paper Diagnoses Diseases and Costs Just a Penny

Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-02/fingerprint-sized-paper-lab-chip-costs-just-penny

Puts medical diagnostic tools at the fingertips of everyday folk

Existing lab-on-a-chip designs can put the power of testing in the palm of your hand, but an upcoming model may represent the cheapest and most colorful one yet. A Harvard University chemist has created a prototype "chip" technology out of paper that could help diagnose HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases for just a penny each time, according to CNN.

A drop of blood on one side of the paper chip results in a colorful tree-like pattern that tells physicians or nurses whether a person has certain diseases. Water-repellent comic-book ink helps channel the blood into the tree-like pattern, as several layers of treated paper react to the blood and create the telling colors.

George Whitesides, the Harvard chemist, said that the colors can also reveal the severity of a disease rather than just saying if a person has it or not. It's not the most sophisticated lab-on-a-chip, but that's the point -- many of these could become cheap diagnostic tools for a developing world that often lacks physicians and clinics.

Patients in Africa or Asia could even take photos of their diagnostic results with mobile phones, which have become wildly popular even in the poorest regions. They could then send the photos on to medical centers for proper diagnosis.

Whitesides was one of the speakers at the recent TED Conference. Perhaps he should discuss his work with fellow TED attendee Bill Gates -- we know that the Gates Foundation has devoted $10 billion over the next decade toward vaccines as a method of combating childhood diseases. Maybe Gates could spare a bit of change for this nifty yet simple tech as well.

[via CNN]

The Telescope-Toting 747 That Sees More than Hubble

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-02/flying-telescope-sees-more-hubble

A telescope-toting 747 is about to become astronomy's most versatile tool

In the movies, opening the door on a plane at 45,000 feet is disastrous. But this spring it will be standard procedure on one 747—one carrying a telescope high enough to capture the cosmos better than ever before.

Built into the tail end of a Boeing 747, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) will soar above the atmospheric water vapor that blocks most infrared light from ground observatories, to shoot detailed images of star-forming nebulae, planets' atmospheres and clouds of organic molecules. The 2.5-meter mobile telescope—operated by NASA and Germany's space agency—will best the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes by scanning the widest range of light of any scope, from ultraviolet to the far infrared. And because SOFIA is easier to design and maintain than a space telescope, it could be built and operated for a third of the cost.

Stargazing from a flying plane is no easy feat, but the scope's non-pressurized, cooled compartment should smooth the transition to similar stratospheric conditions. And since test flights in 2007 (which earned SOFIA a Popular Science Best of What's New award that year), engineers added a collar around the scope to cut turbulence. NASA's pilots will fly the plane, but the telescope's controls are integrated with autopilot to capture steady images. "Although we changed the plane to fly the telescope," says SOFIA astronomer Dana Backman, "when we're observing, the scope actually flies the plane."

Use LogMeIn and VNC Software for Remote Computing Power [Remote Acccess]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/-PCc04YZEuE/use-logmein-and-vnc-software-for-remote-computing-power

Netbooks and ultra-portable laptops may be convenient, but they don't always have the horsepower to get done what you need. Mobile-obsessed blogger James Kendrick suggests using LogMeIn (or maybe a free equivalent) to do the battery-draining stuff remotely.

Kendrick suggests that video editing, file encoding, and other tasks that might take your portable computer far too long are best done with a remote LogMeIn/VNC connection. Likewise, tasks like system updates, malware scans, and other maintenance that will take a long time when you're sitting down can be triggered remotely and set to shut down when done.

Kendrick lists four other clever uses of LogMeIn that he relies on regularly. We're wondering if you use remote desktop access regularly, and for what kinds of functions. Drop your discussion in the comments, if you please.

Top 5 Ways To Get The Most Out of LogMeIn [jkOnTheRun]

5 more Buzz tips: post by email, follow the Buzz team, and more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/Z-iZ35tFerY/5-more-buzz-tips-post-by-email-follow.html

Posted by Brian Stoler, Tech Lead, Google Buzz

1. Post by email. You can post buzz by emailing buzz@gmail.com — super handy for posting photos you take on your phone. Photos that you attach to your email will appear along with the subject line of your message. You can choose who can see posts you email into Buzz from the connected sites menu (click "Buzz," then "Connected Sites").

2. Prevent your boring chat status messages from being posted to Buzz. By default, your chat status messages are posted to Buzz and shared with your chat contacts. Don't want a boring message like "be right back" to turn into a Buzz post? Just put parentheses around it. If you don't want any of your chat status messages to get posted, you can always disconnect chat from the connected sites menu.

3. Look for the yellow line to see what's new. Can't figure out what's new on the Buzz tab? Posts and comments new since your last visit have a light yellow line along the left hand edge (if you're using a different theme the color may vary).

4. Link to a post. Each Buzz post has a permalink, so you can link to it. Click the down-arrow in the upper right-hand corner of a post, and select "Link to this post." Of course, you'lll only be able to see the posts you have access to.

5. Follow the Buzz team in Google Buzz. Visit buzz.google.com/googlebuzz and click "Follow Google Buzz" to get updates about what we're working on and send us your feedback.

Samsung's new 3DTVs get an early eyes-on, through $150 shutter glasses

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/samsungs-new-3dtvs-get-an-early-eyes-on-through-150-shutter-g/

Firsthand impressions outside the CES crucible are flowing in following the worldwide launch of Samsung's new LCD 3DTVs. UK publications have gotten up close with production versions of the new HDTVs, TechRadar observed the Monsters vs. Aliens Blu-ray disc packed in with the new displays over there plus the 2D-to-3D conversion feature, reporting the latter worked better on sports footage of ice skaters but caused "disconcerting" effect on news broadcasts. A video preview from Which? (embedded after the break) gives a good look at the new remote and managed to clear up one of the early worries about new display by confirming the 3D effect continued to work even from a wide viewing angle. For those who have already pressed the buy button, taking advantage of that effect will of course require 3D glasses. While Samsung's already promised multiple models a lone battery powered pair for adults has appeared for preorder on Vanns for $150, which despite the relatively reasonable cost of the displays could make group viewings very expensive for the early adopter. While that may not be out of the price range for some, we'll keep an eye out for pricing info from the competition -- and looking for cheaper 3rd party alternatives. Check out their impressions and decide for yourself how much a 3D World Cup experience is worth.

[Thanks, Dave]

Continue reading Samsung's new 3DTVs get an early eyes-on, through $150 shutter glasses

Samsung's new 3DTVs get an early eyes-on, through $150 shutter glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ostendo multiple CRVD display games-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/ostendo-multiple-crvd-display-games-on/

By Nilay Patel posted Jan 8th 2010 8:32PM

We're sort of hoping the third year's the charm for Ostendo and the CRVD display -- we first spotted the crazy 43-inch curved monitor at CES 2008 with Alienware and NEC branding, then just NEC branding at Macworld 09, and now it's CES 2010 and Ostendo is actually selling it directly. Even better, the company's hooked up with ATI for a pretty sweet Eyefinity demo -- sure, you might have seen the three- or six-screen Eyefinity demos in the past, but having three CRVD screens wrap 180 degrees around you is pretty wild. We played a little Dirt 2 and did a little Google Earth zooming on the rig -- we might never scrape the $6,499 per screen for a setup like this, but we can certainly watch the videos after the break and pretend.

P.S.- Yes, the CRVD still has the same weak 2880 x 900 resolution, but Ostendo tells us they're working on something with more pixels for the future. Just don't make us wait another three years, okay?

Update: Our friends at Engadget Spanish went back with their super-sweet fisheye lens and took some more pics -- you definitely want to check them out.

Gaming with three CRVD displays

Viliv's S10 Blade netvertible priced at $699 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/vilivs-s10-blade-netvertible-priced-at-699-and-up/

There's hardly a shortage of tablet news these days, but Viliv is managing to cut through somewhat with its relatively robust S10 Blade. Introduced (and toyed with) at CES this year, the Atom-powered device is now up for pre-order at Dynamism (sort of, anyway), with the big reveal being the heretofore unannounced starting price: $699. We get the feeling that some of the more well-appointed units will end up costing far more than that, but at least you know you can get 10.3-inches of resistive multitouch action into your life for less than a carbon fiber Mustang hood. Or pretty much anything else that cost over seven Benjamins.

Viliv's S10 Blade netvertible priced at $699 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

jkOnTheRun | source

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

The iPod Touch Is This Generation's Tamagotchi [Data]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/SM6HjEBs9Ok/the-ipod-touch-is-this-generations-tamagotchi

All these wonderful things we're learning today, from data! First, we find out that Android is a guy thing. Now, we discover that the iPod Touch shares more demographics with glittering vampires than smartphones. iPod Touch: Kid stuff.

The age distribution makes a lot of sense, especially with the direct available comparison of the iPhone: the iPod Touch is a good gift, a plausible purchase, and a good investment for a young person right now. An iPhone with a $70-a-month minimum contract is a tougher sell, either to parents, or to kids mostly supported by their parents.

And these kids don't just buy different gadgets than adults—they use them differently, too. For example, they looooove apps:
But they're stingy little bastards, these kids:
Buying an app can be tough without a credit card, so again, this isn't shocking. But it does poke a little hole in the idea of the iPod Touch as a massive moneymaker for Apple. Hardware sales are tremendous and highly profitable, sure, but once the devices are in users' soft little baby hands, they don't keep raking it in like the iPhone does. [AdMob]

UPS: Getting Your Packages Into the Garbage On Time or Your Money Back [Shipping]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/f6i-vzCmGSU/ups-getting-your-packages-into-the-garbage-on-time-or-your-money-back

I'm pretty sure BSMT GARBAGECAN is not where this package was intended to be delivered. But hey, UPS delivered it, and that's all that counts, I guess.

Martin says:

On Monday I couriered an envelop containing paper objects and a DVD from Toronto to New York, to be included in an exhibition that will open this afternoon. The envelop never arrived, and today I saw UPS's "proof of delivery" – which I attached for you as a pdf document. They had successfully delivered my shipment to a "BSMT GARBAGECAN."

The objects were meant to be included in an exhibition entitled "How To Do Things With Words and Other Materials," and its seems UPS has contributed its own little performance piece. Also, they haven't heard the last of me.

And on a related note, at least it wasn't THIS:

[Thanks, Martin!]

Samsung makes Skype for new LED lit HDTVs official

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/25/samsung-makes-skype-for-new-led-lit-hdtvs-official/

Panasonic and LG won't be the only ones with Skype-enabled HDTVs, though we peeped it in the specs earlier, Samsung has officially announced its new 7000 and 8000 series televisions will also include access. Accessible through the embedded Samsung Apps service, it appears it will work with the new HD video processing webcams just like the others, so users can log in to or create an account with the remote then make video or voice calls away from the PC. We heard at CES those cameras could run as high as $200, check out the CES 2010 demo from Panasonic to see if couch videoconferencing is worth the additional expense.

Samsung makes Skype for new LED lit HDTVs official originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 210 HD edition review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/25/hp-mini-210-hd-edition-review/

Netbooks for all! We're convinced that's the motivational saying plastered to the wall in the HP lab where the company births Minis for everyone but your pet fish. But of all the company's Pine Trail offerings, we're most excited about the $425 Mini 210, which has a 10.1-inch HD screen and a Broadcom Crystal Accelerator chip that promises decent HD video playback, even with Flash. With an attractive new thin design, improved chiclet keyboard and that promise to handle high-def content, the Mini 210 has the potential to kick the others to the curb. Given the issues we had with the Broadcom-powered Dell Mini 10 and HP's newer touchpads, though, we had to put on the glasses and take a closer look. Join us past the break for the full review, will you?

Gallery: HP Mini 210 review

Continue reading HP Min i 210 HD edition review

HP Mini 210 HD edition review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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