Thursday, June 10, 2010

Mercedes Benz Points to 2050

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/oMmsA-wh5TY/

You heard it here first, folks, 2050 is the new 2010. Remember when the year 2000 was the tag people put on their projects to push them conceptually into the future? It’s not that anymore, it’s the year 2050, and that’s exactly when designer Felipe Palermo places his “Mercedes-Benz Arrow” concept. You’re gonna be driving this in 40 years. That’s a long time from now! You’ll have to buy it for… your grandchildren? Man. Future!

One of the big ideas here is that in the future, during the week, suspended rail systems will be used by the majority of the citizens of the major cities. Thus, this car must be a recreational vehicle made for use for fun on the weekends. The layout of this “Arrow” vehicle is done by TANDEM, the designer aiming to draw comparisons to other leisure vehicles such as motorcycles, jet skis, and personalized aircraft.

This car works with a system of opposing magnets, MAGLEV, which allows the vehicle to take on some amazing curves. The tires allow for rubber to be re-injected once breakdown of the first set occurs, allowing for longer life and less (maybe even NO) dumping of waste because of wheels.

Design inspired by old Silver Arrows, Slr Mclaren, and the 1954 Gull-wing.

Designer: Felipe Palermo

Mercedes Benz Arrow concept car by Felipe Palermo

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ISOBuddy Converts and Burns Obscure Disc Images [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5559792/isobuddy-converts-and-burns-obscure-disc-images

ISOBuddy Converts and Burns Obscure Disc ImagesWindows: Ever end up with a really weird disc image (MDF? PDI? B6I?) and no clue how to get at it? ISOBuddy is there for you. It burns or converts nearly any image file—even the Mac-specific DMG.

ISOBuddy is as simple to use as it is wide-ranging in its compatibility. Point it at the file you're sure is a disc, but your system isn't sure how to handle, and tell it where you want the output file to go, or hit Burn to load it onto a disc. It covers all the super-specific formats put out by specialty burning software, and as stated above, can convert and burn Mac DMG files. Once you've got an ISO out of ISOBuddy, you can usually burn it from any burning program you prefer, or use a compress/decompress tool like 7-Zip to view and extract its contents.

ISOBuddy is a free download for Windows systems only. If you know of an even more robust conversion tool, or a complementary bit of software, do share in the comments.

ISOBuddy [DVD-Ranger via Download Squad]

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Ricoh GXR P10 sensor and lens combo gets reviewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/ricoh-gxr-p10-sensor-and-lens-combo-gets-reviewed/

Ricoh GXR P10 sensor and lens combo gets reviewed
We're still not sure that the world knows it needs a compact camera with both interchangeable lenses and sensors, but Ricoh's giving us all another reason to believe with the P10. This is a 10 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch sensor combined with a 10.7x, 28 - 300mm lens that, according to Photography Blog performs much better than its compact-sounding specs would lead you to believe -- as it should for a price of $299 on its own, or $499 with the GXR body. It'll do 720p video recording and capture RAW images at 5fps with full manual controls. These features earn it a solid recommendation and it's said to be the best expansion pack for the GXR yet. That's despite not offering any new factions, levels nor, indeed, a single new playable character.

Ricoh GXR P10 sensor and lens combo gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePhotography Blog  | Email this | Comments

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Nokia C7 caught with 8 megapixel camera?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/nokia-c7-caught-with-8-megapixel-camera/

After seeing the C7 listed in what looked to be legitimate Nokia documents, we now have our first look at the handset -- or at least a device that claims to be the C7-00. Purported specs scrapped from a Chinese site suggest an 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, stereo speakers, 3.5-mm headphone jack, and a display measuring about 3.5-inches. It's unclear if said display is resistive or capacitive or if we're looking at an S60 5th or Symbian^3 OS until somebody switches the damn thing on. Until then you can oogle the profile and backside shots after the break.

Continue reading Nokia C7 caught with 8 megapixel camera?

Nokia C7 caught with 8 megapixel camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Daily Mobile  |  sourceTencent  | Email this | Comments

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LiminAR robot finally shows us what pico projectors were meant for (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/liminar-robot-finally-shows-us-what-pico-projectors-were-meant-f/

LiminAR robot finally shows us what pico projectors were meant for (video)
Still looking for an excuse to buy a pico projector? We might just have the perfect thing. LuminAR, a project of MIT student Natan Linder, is something like a sentient desk lamp of the sort that will make any dedicated Pixar fan's heart skip a beat. It can follow a user's actions, using a camera to detect gestures and beam information down to augment whichever reality they're currently experiencing. Interestingly, the whole thing is built into a bulb socket, meaning it could be thrown into any lamp you like -- if you can do without the whole automatic motion aspect. It's based on what looks to be a Microsoft Lifecam Show webcam and what is certainly a Microvision Show WX projector, which is both focus and care free. There's a demo video after the break but, sadly, little hope that this thing will be replacing your current desktop lamp any time soon.

Continue reading LiminAR robot finally shows us what pico projectors were meant for (video)

LiminAR robot finally shows us what pico projectors were meant for (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PicoProjector-info.com  |  sourceMIT Media Lab  | Email this | Comments

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BPâs Social Media Campaign Going About As Well As Capping That Well [Bp]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5559550/bps-social-media-campaign-going-about-as-well-as-capping-that-well

BP's Social Media Campaign Going About As Well As Capping That WellBP can't control its oil leak, but it's also having a rough time with image control.

The company responsible for the spewing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is attracting more of the wrong kind of attention by purchasing several red-hot search terms - including "oil spill" - on Google, Bing and Yahoo's search engines in an attempt to ensure prominent placement of a link to a company web page touting the company's cleanup efforts.

On the advertised site, workers in bright yellow boots clean a relatively untainted beach in the sun in front of rolling blue waves as a not-oily sea bird struts past. Other photos depict a different reality.

"We have bought search terms on search engines like Google to make it easier for people to find out more about our efforts in the Gulf and make it easier for people to find key links to information on filing claims, reporting oil on the beach and signing up to volunteer," BP spokesman Toby Odone told ABC News, which broke the story of the keyword buys.

With everyone from President Obama to the humblest Gulf shrimper cursing the company, BP has a desperate need to put the best face on its ongoing efforts as well as to lay the groundwork for some serious long-term image management. So it's not surprising that the embattled oil company is buying search keywords, setting up a Facebook page and Tweeting while it also makes the traditional old media moves, which include shirt-sleeved TV appearances and hiring former RIAA chief Hilary Rosen.

But rather than help, being seen to make the effort to "make it easier for people to find out more about our efforts in the Gulf" may make matters worse by instead feeding a meme that BP is tone deaf - more concerned with its reputation than in actually cleaning up those parts of its mess that can still be cleaned up.

BP didn't begin its social networking campaigns in earnest until one month after news of the spill broke, recalls David Binkowski of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. And when it did, the company seems to have been hamstrung by its legal council's insistence on not apologizing for or admitting to having done anything wrong. Those admissions can haunt a company in court, but BP's inability to apologize has hurt its ability to have an honest conversation, however difficult, with the public - assuming that's what it wants to have.

Then, when BP launched its massive TV campaign starring CEO Tony Hayward, it was lambasted for spending $50 million on that rather than, for example, Gulf families put out of work by the spill - even though, pardon the expression, that amount is a drop in the ocean of its assets.

Hayward - whose British accent doesn't seem to pacifying Americans as such an accent often does here - didn't help his cause by remarking in a TV interview, "I want my life back." He meant it as evidence of how hard he was working on the problem, but critics reminded us that the 11 people died on the Deepwater Horizon rig would never be getting their lives back. Hayward then had to apologize.

BP COO Doug Suttles told The Associated Press the leak would decrease to a trickle by Monday or Tuesday. The company then had to pull back on his promise.

Meanwhile, the BP's official Twitter feed is overwhelmed by a more popular parody version that BP is now being made fun of for trying to get shut down, its low-ranking Facebook page fights several prominent "boycott BP" groups for attention there, and #oilspill remains a trending topic on Twitter. This war of opinion has real economic consequences for BP and its member gas stations, the latter subject to public demonstrations and an inability to charge a premium for their product, according to what Oil Price Information Service chief oil analyst Tom Kloza told the Washington Post.

BP's late use of social networking was a problem, but its reliance on advertising to communicate this sort of message may have constituted the wrong approach.

"[Advertising] is the right move from an awareness perspective, but from a conversation perspective, it's not the best move," said Binkowski. "I would want there to be a dialogue of some kind to give people more insight into what's happening and what they're doing. Clearly, they waited too long, and now they're playing catch-up and trying to get their message out there."

Social media is a powerful tool, but like the old saying goes, a tool is only as good as the person who wields it. As we await a miracle in the Gulf, BP would be wise not to expect - or hope for - any others.

Image: Flickr/epkes


BP's Social Media Campaign Going About As Well As Capping That WellWired.com has been expanding the hive mind with technology, science and geek culture news since 1995.

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AT&T breach reveals 114,000 iPad owners' email addresses, including some elite customers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/atandt-breach-reveals-114-000-ipad-owners-email-addresses-includ/

Uh oh. According to Valleywag, an AT&T security breach led to the exposure of 114,000 email addresses (and associated SIM / ICC identifiers) belonging to Apple iPad owners. A group of hackers calling themselves Goatse Security (be careful looking that one up) figured out a number of ICC-IDs and ran a script on AT&T's site through a faked iPad UserAgent, which would then return the associated addresses. Some of those affected were actually quite big names, including the CEOs of The New York Times and Time Inc., some higher-ups at Google and Microsoft, and even a number of employees from NASA, FAA, FCC, and the US military.

For its part, AT&T tells AllThingsD that it was informed of the issue on Monday, that only the addresses and associated ICC-IDs were revealed, and that by Tuesday the "feature" that allowed addresses to be seen had been turned off. And as Security Watch's Larry Seltzer cautions in a statement to PC Mag, the impact of this breach -- just email addresses -- is probably somewhat exaggerated. Still, regardless of the magnitude, this can't be making AT&T's day at all bright, and you best believe a number of folks in Cupertino have fire in their eyes over this bad press.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

AT&T breach reveals 114,000 iPad owners' email addresses, including some elite customers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAllThingsD, Valleywag  | Email this | Comments

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Samsung: iPhone 4's retina display is nice, but it's no AMOLED

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/samsung-iphone-4s-retina-display-is-nice-but-its-no-amoled/

Samsung seems to have taken exception to a little sidenote made by Steve Jobs during his iPhone 4 announcement at WWDC10 this Monday. While waxing poetic on the virtues of IPS, Jobs let us know that he considers it an entirely superior display technology to OLED, and now the world's biggest display maker has a few words to say about it. According to a Samsung spokesperson, the high-res retina display on the iPhone 4 offers only a 3 to 5 percent advantage in sharpness over its own Galaxy S Super AMOLED screen, but sucks down a wasteful 30 percent more power. Moreover, Samsung believes its screens offer better viewing angles and contrast, and concludes by saying that "structurally, IPS LCD technology cannot catch up with AM-OLED display technology." And here we thought Samsung and Apple were getting along so well.

Samsung: iPhone 4's retina display is nice, but it's no AMOLED originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceKorea Herald  | Email this | Comments

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Notion Ink Adam 'on track' for Q3 after all, may have 'more aggressive price'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/notion-ink-adam-on-track-for-q3-after-all-may-have-more-aggr/

Thought the Notion Ink Adam was delayed yet again? So did we, but founder Rohan Shravan just cleared up all that nonsense with a new update. If you've been pining for a Pixel Qi screen, you'll be happy to know the Tegra 2 tablet is still on track for Q3, and will be joined by a cheaper LCD version around the same period. Celebrating his good fortune at securing investment, Shravan teased lower prices and a third, more battery efficient Notion Ink as well, but on this last point even he agrees he might be getting ahead of himself. Honestly, at this point we'd be happy to see even a single retail unit -- we're already getting distracted by alternatives.

Notion Ink Adam 'on track' for Q3 after all, may have 'more aggressive price' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNotion Ink Blog  | Email this | Comments

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Logitech launches four HD webcams, we preview the 1080p C910

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/logitech-launches-four-hd-webcams-we-preview-the-1080p-c910/

It seems like only yesterday webcams were struggling to shed their VGA roots; that megapixel cams were relying on interpolation tricks to falsely boost the pixel counts of their dinky sensors. No more. The age of the HD webcam is truly here, and Logitech has just announced a suite of the things, including the highest of the high: the 1080p HD Pro Webcam C910. It's fitting that the manufacturer behind the most iconic brand in webcams would jump straight to the top of the resolution charts, but do the extra pixels warrant the $99 price tag? Click on in to see the video proof and decide for yourself.

Continue reading Logitech launches four HD webcams, we preview the 1080p C910

Logitech launches four HD webcams, we preview the 1080p C910 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola selling Droids faster than it can make them, has up to four videophones in pipeline

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/motorola-selling-droids-faster-than-it-can-make-them-has-up-to/

In case you're not yet convinced that video chat is the next big thing phone makers are going to push on us, let Motorola's Sanjay Jha enlighten you. Having just launched the video-centric Motorola XT720 in Europe (sans a front-facing camera), Jha is promising that his crew will deliver between two and four handsets this year with the equipment necessary to carry out video calls. Funnily enough, Moto's co-CEO describes himself as someone who's "never been a great believer" in the functionality, but clearly his company's seeing a trend it feels the need to be a part of. Speaking of trends, Moto has also fallen afoul of supply shortages similar to those constraining Droid Incredible inventory, with Jha saying about the Moto Droid, "if I could build more, I'd sell more." And if you could get Android 2.2 on them, you'd have some really happy customers too.

Motorola selling Droids faster than it can make them, has up to four videophones in pipeline originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malata's SMB-A1011 is the 10-inch Android tablet we really want to happen (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/10/malatas-smb-a1011-is-the-10-inch-android-tablet-we-really-want/

Malata's SMB-A1011 is the 10-inch Android tablet we really want to happen
We're seeing so, so many Android tablets dropping every day, so few of which seem to deliver on their promises, that we're getting a bit jaded about the things. But, every now and again we see another one that makes our ears perk up again and make it all feel just like the first time. Such is the Malata SMB-A1011, a 10-inch, 1024 x 600 capacitive tablet running a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and paired with Tegra 2 graphics. It has up to 2GB of system memory and up to 32GB of storage, with microSD expansion and 1080p output over HDMI, along with WiFi b/g and Bluetooth wireless. It's all slathered with Android 2.1, making this a slab we'd certainly make room for in our respective man and woman purses. At this point we know nothing about pricing or availability, but we do know enough to not get our hopes up too high.

Continue reading Malata's SMB-A1011 is the 10-inch Android tablet we really want to happen (video)

Malata's SMB-A1011 is the 10-inch Android tablet we really want to happen (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceARMdevices.net  | Email this | Comments

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Like I said here - http://bit.ly/gnlQd - time-on-site SUCKS as a metric; @glenngabe shows hardcore proof, what to do - http://bit.ly/c9XUi6

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PriceBlink Is a Real-Time Background Price Comparison Tool [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5559238/priceblink-is-a-real+time-background-price-comparison-tool

Chrome/Firefox: If you're looking for a price-comparison engine that integrates with your browsing experience but have been put off by some of the privacy issues surrounding popular price-comparison add-ons, you might want to take a look at lightweight and privacy conscious PriceBlink.

PriceBlink integrates with Chrome and Firefox and idles in the background waiting for you to do some shopping. When you visit shopping sites PriceBlink offers seamless suggestions, showing you were the products are cheaper at other retailers.

Where PriceBlink stands apart is factoring in shipping charges. You won't have to visit a site where a product is $5 cheaper just to find out that shipping actually makes it $3 more than the site you're currently on. PriceBlink also keeps an eye on coupon and deal sites to make sure you never miss coupons and free shipping codes. Check out the video above for a walk through or visit the links below to install it for Chrome or Firefox. Have a favorite price-comparison extensions or site? Let's hear about it in the comments.

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Learn to Make Your Own Chrome Extensions [Programming]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5559317/learn-to-make-your-own-chrome-extensions

Learn to Make Your Own Chrome ExtensionsLifehacker readers are often interested in learning how to code, and if you're a Chrome user, development blog Tutorialzine has a great tutorial to start you off making simple Chrome extensions.

Chrome extensions are actually pretty simple at their core; they're basically just web pages, except they also have access to aspects of your browser, like tabs or history. Like any other page, you can use javascript and style sheets to really customize the look and feel all you want.

Tutorialzine's instructions will walk you through creating your first extension, that will act as a popup with a very pretty display of an RSS feed on it (pictured above, using theirs). It's simple, but the tutorial is pretty great—it walks you through each step of the process and makes it easy to understand which parts of the code are linked to certain attributes, as well as providing helpful links to certain sections of Google's documentation on extensions. If you've ever wanted to make a Chrome extension, it's a pretty good place to start. Hit the link to read more, and let us know what you think of the process in the comments.

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Sony Outs Seven LED 3DTVs At Once [3dTv]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5559356/sony-outs-seven-led-3dtvs-at-once

Sony Outs Seven LED 3DTVs At OnceThe promise of Sony's entry into the 3DTV market has been swirling since last September. Today they're not just dipping their toes in the 3D waters; they're delivering a full-on cannonball, with the launch of seven 3D and "3D-ready" TVs.

Only two of the models—the 52-inch and 60-inch Bravia XBR-HX909 series—feature integrated 3D right out of the box. The other five range from 40 to 55-inches and cost between $2100 and $4000. That's before you throw in the Sony active shutter glasses for $150 a pop and $50 sync transmitter that make the sets 3D-capable.

It's great to see a new heavyweight entrant in an area that's so far been dominated by Samsung and Panasonic. And Sony's models are coming in at least cost-competitive, although it's a little disappointing that they're not undercutting the competition to the extent that we'd heard. At least they're throwing in a 3D Blu-ray Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Deep Sea consolation prize.

The sets are available for pre-sale now and will be in stores sometime next month.

SONY DELIVERS THE INDUSTRY'S LARGEST ARRAY

OF 3D CAPABLE HDTVs AND HOME AUDIO AND VIDEO PRODUCTS

Pre-sales Begin for BRAVIA 3D HDTVs; 3D Upgrade For Earlier 2010 Blu-ray Models

SAN DIEGO, June 9, 2010 – Sony today announced that its 3D capable BRAVIA® HDTVs are now available for pre-sale at Sony Style stores and that its new integrated Blu-ray 3D™ devices will hit retail shelves beginning this July. Additionally, the company released a free firmware update that activates Blu-ray 3D capability for previously announced Blu-ray Disc models including the BDP-S470 and BDP-S570 players and the BDV-E570 and BDV-E770W home theater systems.

Sony now offers consumers the most diverse line of 3D capable home entertainment products including 19 BRAVIA® HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players and theater systems, and audio/video components that offer various levels of performance and features.

Sony will support the 3D launch with an integrated marketing campaign featuring NFL quarterback Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, and Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning Jive/Sony Music artist Justin Timberlake aiming to deliver consumer education and eliminate 3D confusion.

"3D is revolutionizing the entertainment industry and only Sony is involved in every stage of the ecosystem," said Chris Fawcett, vice president of Sony's television business. "Leveraging deep 3D expertise from the company's theatrical and professional groups, Sony products are optimized to offer the best possible 3D home entertainment experience."
BRAVIA 3D HDTVs

Focusing on that high quality experience, Sony's 3D capable BRAVIA HDTVs incorporate a frame sequential display with active-shutter glasses that work together with Sony's proprietary high frame rate technology reproducing smooth, full high-definition 3D images.

The line-up includes the 3D integrated BRAVIA XBR-LX900 HDTV, which features a built-in 3D sync transmitter and two pair of active shutter glasses and the 3D ready BRAVIA XBR-HX909 and KDL-HX800 series 3D ready models which offer the option of adding the 3D sync transmitter and glasses at an additional cost.

The line features screen sizes including 40, 46, 52, 55, and 60-inches and ranges in price from around $2,100 (KDL-40HX800) to about $5,000 (XBR-60LX900).

Consumers who purchase and register one of the new 3D BRAVIA models will receive a copy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Blu-ray 3D™ title Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs as well as Blu-ray 3D title Deep Sea. The sets will also include a PlayStation® Network voucher enabling 3D BRAVIA purchasers to download stereoscopic 3D gaming experiences on the PlayStation3 (PS3™) System (sold separately). The titles include PAIN (partial game) and MotorStorm®: Pacific Rift (demo) and full game downloads of WipEout® HD and Super StarDust™ HD.

BRAVIA XBR-LX900 Series Integrated 3D HDTVs

The full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) BRAVIA XBR-LX900 series features integrated 3D functionality and includes the 60-inch XBR-60LX900 for about $5,000 and the 52-inch XBR-52LX900 for about $4,000.

The Monolithic Design, Edge LED backlight models also feature integrated Wi-Fi® (802.11n) for an easy connection to broadband home networks to access Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Platform and BRAVIA Internet Widgets, as well as Sony's new premium video service, Qriocity.

BRAVIA XBR-HX909 Series 3D Ready HDTVs

The XBR-HX909 series is 3D ready with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses (about $150 per pair) and sync transmitter (about $50), both sold separately. The models feature full HD (1920 x 1080p) and Sony's Intelligent Dynamic full array LED backlight. The Monolithic Design concept models include the 52-inch XBR-52HX909 for about $4,000 and the 46-inch XBR-46HX909 for about $3,500.

Sony's Intelligent Dynamic LED backlighting improves contrast and dynamic range by local dimming that controls the LED backlight level by area so that detail is maintained in the dark areas, while other areas are driven near peak brightness. The models also include an RS-232c I/0 terminal for custom installation applications.

BRAVIA KDL-HX800 Series 3D Ready HDTVs

Also 3D ready (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses and sync transmitter, sold separately), the BRAVIA KDL-HX800 series features full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) and utilizes a Dynamic edge LED backlight with local dimming for improved contrast and dynamic range. The series includes the 55-inch class (54.6-inches measured diagonally) KDL-55HX800 for about $3,400, the 46-inch KDL-46HX800 for about $2,700, and the 40-inch KDL-40HX800 for about $2,100.

Blu-ray 3D Players

Available in July for about $300, Sony's Blu-ray 3D BDP-S770 model offers built in Wi-Fi (802.11n) for easy access to Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video platform and Qriocity.

Additionally, Sony's BDP-S470 and BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc players can be upgraded to play Blu-ray 3D with a free online firmware update that is now available. The update also adds Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®) compatibility to the models.

Blu-ray 3D Home Theater Systems

Also available this July for about $800, Sony's new full HD 1080p 5.1 channel Blu-ray 3D capable home theater system (model BDV-HZ970W) features wireless capabilities via the included USB wireless LAN adapter (802.11n) allowing for easy access to the BRAVIA Internet Video platform and Qriocity.

The model also offers two HDMI inputs with 3D pass-through, HDMI repeater function, and a universal remote.

Sony's BDV-E570 and BDV-E770W Blu-ray theater systems can now also be upgraded to Blu-ray 3D with the free firmware update. The update also adds DLNA compatibility to the units.

Unique to all Sony Blu-ray Disc players, users with an iPhone® or iPod® touch device can control the players using a free app called "BD Remote" which can be downloaded from the Apple App store. The app, will also be available soon for Android™ devices, allows the device to function as a remote control that includes the ability to access a Blu-ray Disc's details such as jacket artwork, actor, and production information as well as search for additional video clips online.

3D Capable Home Audio Components

Sony also recently announced 3D capable home audio products including the STR-DN1010 audio/video receiver, the HT-CT350 and HT-CT150 3.1 channel sound bars, and the HT-SF470 5.1 channel home theater system. The models offer consumers flexible solutions to round out the Sony 3D experience and meet the demands of 3D home entertainment.

Additionally, Sony will add 3D capability to the previously announced STR-DH810 and STR-DH710 AV receivers through a firmware update later this month.

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Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, 'Cloudy' hits Blu-ray 3D June 22

Source: http://hd.engadget.com/2010/06/09/sony-3dtvs-get-us-pricing-info-go-on-pre-sale-at-sony-style-s/

After getting price and release date information in the UK, Japan and even Canada, Sony has finally seen fit to announce US details for the latest and greatest additions to the BRAVIA LCD lineup. Additionally, the software update to turn on Blu-ray 3D playback and DLNA streaming in its latest players (the out of the box 3D ready BDP-S770 ships next month) is going out today, provided you can find a disc to slip in them -- which you can't until Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs arrives at retail June 22. Just like the other launches, buyers of the new TVs can expect a copy of that movie, Deep Sea, and vouchers for 3D games on the PlayStation Network (once it comes back up.) Oh, and how much will you be spending on the new televisions? Check after the break for all the details, but MSRPs (expect much lower prices in reality, as revealed by JR.com) range from $2,100 for the KDL-40HX800 to $5,000 for a 60-inch BR-60LX900. No word yet on when you'll be able to pick up these displays at any other retailers, but if Sony is your preferred brand for 3D, you'll need to run by a Sony Style store to have a chance of sticking one on the wall in time for the 2010 World Cup.

Continue reading Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, 'Cloudy' hits Blu-ray 3D June 22

Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, 'Cloudy' hits Blu-ray 3D June 22 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GestureTek intros 42-inch multitouch GestTable, your HDTV suddenly turns jealous

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/09/gesturetek-intros-42-inch-multitouch-gesttable-your-hdtv-sudden/

Still looking to snap up your own Surface? Ain't got the cheddar to buy that one that comes free with a yacht? In all honesty, we're in no position to make promises about the affordability of this one, but GestureTek is gearing up to offer the world yet another option with the curiously titled GestTable. This 42-inch beast of a table contains a multitouch LCD with a lovely 1080p resolution, which means that you could theoretically watch the next installation of the Batman series on the same surface that's holding your cup of joe. Not that we'd recommend that, but hey.... In related news, the company is introducing the new 70-inch GestDisplay, a massive freestanding multitouch panel aimed primarily at businesses looking to give prospective customers a way to interact with the wares they're about to inevitably buy. As we alluded to earlier, there's nary a mention of price, but feel free to dip into the nitty-gritty just past the break.

Continue reading GestureTek intros 42-inch multitouch GestTable, your HDTV suddenly turns jealous

GestureTek intros 42-inch multitouch GestTable, your HDTV suddenly turns jealous originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Big Time, Pocket-Sized Pico Projector [Pico]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5559245/samsungs-big-time-pocket+sized-pico-projector

Samsung's Big Time, Pocket-Sized Pico ProjectorYou may not be able to tell from this context-deprived picture, but Samsung's SP-H03 pico projector is small. Really small. Like, hockey puck small. And it puts 854x480 resolution and 1GB of internal memory in the palm of your hand.

The SP-H03 weighs just half a pound, and brings grownup specs to the pico category. In addition to that WVGA resolution, it's got impressive 30 lumen brightness, microSD memory expansion up to 16GB, and an itty bitty 1W stereo for media presentations.

It'll be available this month for $300, which sounds just reasonable enough that you should be able to get your company to spring for one for all those "important business presentations" you've got coming up. And if you end up using it more for putting home movies up on the garage door, well, who's gonna know?

SAMSUNG SEES BIG PICTURE WITH PALM-SIZED PICO PROJECTOR AND MEDIA PLAYER

New SP-H03 Pico Projector Packs Performance and Multimedia Integration Into Self-Contained Personal Media Device

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., June 9, 2010 – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today announced the SP-H03, a self-contained personal media device. The palm-sized pico projector features a bright, high resolution LED output and integrated multimedia player for the user on-the-go. The SP-H03's 1 GB of internal memory allows users to load content directly to the device with seamless, built-in multimedia playback without being tethered to a computer making it ideal for easily sharing images, videos, music, and documents on a variety on surfaces in business or personal settings.

"With portable design, high quality projection, and built-in multimedia playback features, the SP-H03 is an expansion of Samsung's expertise in LED technology and mobile productivity," said Tom Grau, senior manager of projector marketing at Samsung Electronics Information Technology Division. "The H03's robust and intuitive features make it an easy, efficient and affordable choice for everyone from tech-savvy travelers to mobile presenters, professionals and educators."

PINT-SIZED PERFORMANCE
The new ultra-portable SP-H03 offers a small, well-balanced industrial design that weighs only 6 oz., allowing it to easily fit into a pocket, backpack, purse or briefcase. The solid-state LEDs and DLP® technology heighten performance with a picture output of up to 80 inches, ensuring everyone enjoys the show.

The use of an energy-efficient LED light source also highlights Samsung's continued dedication to creating eco-sensitive products. Designed to last for the life of the product, solid-state LEDs maintain their brightness and eliminate traditional lamp replacement, contributing to a more-affordable total cost of ownership.

EXCLUSIVE SAMSUNG DESIGN INNOVATIONS
Not only does the SP-H03 boast a computer-free experience, but it also allows users to project their content on-the-go via external memory or entertainment devices like USB storage devices, microSD memory cards or MP3 players. For added versatility, users can enjoy audio playback through the SP-H03's integrated 1W speaker or utilize the output connectors for personal headphones or external speakers.

For business and education applications, Samsung's built-in Document & Media Viewers enable PC-free projection of Microsoft® Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) documents, Adobe® PDF, movie, image, and audio files, in their native file formats.

The SP-H03 will be available through Samsung authorized retailers, including Best Buy, beginning in June 2010 for $299.99 MSRP.

SP-H03 KEY SPECS
· Unparalleled brightness in pico category with 30 ANSI lumens
· LED light source rated at 30,000 (max) hours of life
· WVGA (854x480) native resolution
· Image size ranging from nine to 80 inches
· 1 GB internal memory, expansion available via microSD card (up to 16 GB) or with input from a USB storage device
· Computer-free Document Viewer allows for content playback for Microsoft® Office Suite and Adobe® PDF documents and movie, image and audio files in native formats, including:
o Movie: AVI, MP4, ASF, MPG, RM, FLV, WMV
o Image: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
o Music: MP3, MP2, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE, RA
· Supports standard VGA signals (PC), composite video (smart-phones, DVD players), and USB storage devices with included or optional adaptor cables
· Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery: 2 hour (max) battery life
· Dimensions: 2.5 W x 1.5 H x 2.5 D inch
· Weight: 6 oz.

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Four-Ton Transformer Tribute to Ancient Chinese General Meshes History and Sci-Fi

Source: http://www.popsci.com/

In the U.S., we often complete the run-up to graduation by writing 25 pages of extremely dry thesis that is typically read and appraised by a single person before being relegated to the library stacks forever. Bi Heng, a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China, decided that instead he would create a 4-ton, $43,000 Transformer-inspired sculpture honoring legendary Chinese general Guan Yu.

The sculpture was assembled from components of an old Jiefang brand vehicle, a 25-year-old military service truck employed by the People's Liberation Army. Robo Guan Yu stands about 32 feet tall and wields a dynastic-era weapon that makes for a nice juxtaposition with the post-Revolutionary scrap he's assembled from.

As for the real Guan Yu, he was a respected general at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and a key player in the civil war that ended it. Though his military exploits and valor have been pumped up to mythical standards over the years, he was apparently legitimately revered for his prowess at kungfu. Though Robo Guan Yu is unfortunately static, check out the accompanying promo video below to see the general's latest moves.

[MMO]

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Office Web Apps Offers Free Doc Editing with 25 GB Storage [Microsoft Office]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5557862/office-web-apps-open-for-use

Office Web Apps Offers Free Doc Editing with 25 GB StorageOffice Web Apps, the free, cloud-based viewing and editing suite that Microsoft promised would be available to everyone, has opened wide its doors. It's a decent set of basic-plus editing tools, powered by SkyDrive's generous 25 GB of storage space.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Microsoft's free editing tools, like Word, aren't anything close to a replacement for its desktop suite, but it is an experience fairly comparable to Google Docs. They've even added in real time collaborative editing, and, presumably, there's greater formatting compatibility with Office documents you upload.

Office Web Apps Offers Free Doc Editing with 25 GB Storage
Head to office.live.com in your browser—any browser, it seems—and you'll get a list of the documents you've uploaded to SkyDrive, with Bing-powered search and some basic filtering. Head there in a smartphone, and Microsoft promises you'll be able to at least view your documents in most smartphone browsers. If you're a Live Messenger users, there's additional functionality in store for you, and Hotmail die-hards should get some extra neat features soon.

Office Web Apps are a free set of tools to use, and require a Live account. If you're not in the U.S., UK, Canada, or Ireland, you can access a no-country-restricted version of the Web Apps here, though not in any language but English at the moment.

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Preview Google Maps Links in Gmail [Gmail Labs]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5558022/preview-google-maps-links-in-gmail

Preview Google Maps Links in GmailJust out of the Gmail Labs is a Google Maps preview function, which appends a miniature map—with full scaling, zoom, and other Maps features—to the bottom of any message containing a Maps link.

As always, you can enable the feature by heading to your Settings in Gmail and heading to the Labs section, where you'll find "Google Maps previews in mail" available to enable. The feature only works with U.S. addresses at the moment, but international support is being developed. By the same token, Buzz social network users get the same kind of instant preview of Maps links when posting their updates or viewing others'.

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Dual Monitor Tools Manages Your Multiple Monitors with Open-Source Tools [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5558216/dual-monitor-tools-manages-your-multiple-monitors-with-open+source-tools

Dual Monitor Tools Manages Your Multiple Monitors with Open-Source ToolsWindows: There are some great multi-monitor management tools available but if you're trying to keep things free and open-source the pickings get a little slimmer. Dual Monitor Tools is a collection of open-source applications for managing your multi-monitor setup.

Dual Monitor Tools isn't a single application but a suite of individual apps. Load only the ones you need and conserve memory in the process. The suite currently includes four applications Swap Screen, Dual Wallpaper, DisMon, and Dual Swap.

Swap Screen enables hotkey management of windows across your multiple monitors like moving, minimizing, and rotating the contents of monitors from one to the other. You can also restrict the mouse movement to a single monitor. Dual Wallpaper is a simple wallpaper manager that offers different wallpaper on each screen or spanning wallpaper. DisMon allows for selective disabling of monitors—handy for gaming and particularly picky applications that don't play nice with multiple monitors. Dual Snap is a screen capture application designed for capturing images from the secondary monitors. As noted above each application stands alone so if you see at tool that interests you, you can pluck it from the suite and use it without the others.

Dual Monitor Tool is open-source, Windows only. For more multi-monitor goodness make sure to check out how to make the most of your multiple monitor setup under Windows 7 and the five best tools for managing your multiple monitor setup.

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Safari Extensions Catalogs Add-Ons for Safari [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5558096/safari-extensions-catalogs-add+ons-for-safari

Safari Extensions Catalogs Add-Ons for SafariSafari: You checked out the new features in Safari 5, you enabled extensions, but now what? You need some extensions to play with. Safari Extensions is an unofficial catalog of available extensions to keep you updated until the official gallery goes live.

Apple won't be opening their extension gallery for Safari until later this summer. If you want to play with extensions sooner rather than later Safari Extensions is an unofficial catalog of available extensions.

The current offerings are small compared to the massive catalogs for browsers like Firefox and Chrome but with Safari 5 hot off the development press this morning we're not in any position to complain—especially in light of the fact that in the time it took to write this article the number of offerings doubled! Check out the extensions they have or submit extensions you've found in your travels. Safari Extensions is a free site and requires no registration. Thanks jwisser!

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Waachen Saves Online Videos To Watch Later, Is Like Instapaper for Video [Bookmarking]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5558385/waachen-saves-online-videos-to-watch-later-is-like-instapaper-for-video

Waachen Saves Online Videos To Watch Later, Is Like Instapaper for VideoWacchen is an online bookmarking service that saves and stores all the online videos you run across in one place via a simple browser bookmarklet. It works very similarly to bookmarking, article-saving service Instapaper, but for video.

Wacchen saves videos from over 70 web sites with the click of a bookmarklet, including video sites like YouTube, Vimeo, TED, and tons more.

Waachen Saves Online Videos To Watch Later, Is Like Instapaper for VideoOnce you have an account, grab the bookmarklet and place it on your browser for easy access. When you surf the web and stumble across an interesting video, click the "Watch It Later" bookmarklet. Wacchen will save the video on its website, where you can later access all videos for future viewing.

It's a great way to keep track of videos, when you don't have time to watch them right away or in the middle of something. Wacchen requires an account to work.

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