Friday, September 03, 2010

Unhearit Gets that Song Out of Your Head with a Catchy New One [Annoyances]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5627456/unhearit-gets-that-song-out-of-your-head-with-a-catchy-new-one

Unhearit Gets that Song Out of Your Head with a Catchy New OneUnhearit uses a fight-fire-with-fire approach to getting annoying songs out of your head by barraging you with new and catchy tunes.

Visit Unhearit, click the New Song button, and Unhearit kicks out a catchy tune. We were dubious about its ability to crank out catchy song after catchy song but after repeatedly clicking the New Song button we realized that each new song was catchy enough to make us forget about the prior tune. The repertoire of the tool is impressive too, in the course of our testing we heard the Super Mario Bros theme song, got Rick Rolled, and heard some excellent music from a 40 year span.

On top of just spinning up new songs for you Unhearit includes quick sharing via popular social networks and the ability to download the new songs you discover via the service. Have a favorite tool for getting a pesky song out of your head? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Read More...

From the Tips Box: International Gmail Calls, Standing Desks, and Dropbox Drives [From The Tips Box]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5627949/from-the-tips-box-international-gmail-calls-standing-desks-and-dropbox-drives/gallery/

Readers offer their best tips for calling from Gmail overseas, making easy standing desks, and mounting Dropbox as a virtual drive.

Don't like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page.

About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons—maybe they're a bit too niche, maybe we couldn't find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn't fit it in—the tip didn't make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favorites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Add it in the comments, share it here, or email it to tips at lifehacker.com.

From the Tips Box: International Gmail Calls, Standing Desks, and Dropbox Drives

Make Calls from Gmail Outside the U.S. with a VPN

Abhijeet writes a blog post on how to make calls from outside the U.S. in Gmail:

Like many others outside the United States, I too was wondering how to get my hands on the cool call phone feature which Gmail introduced recently for its US users. There were reports that if you set your Gmail language settings to English(US), it should work. And yes, it did for many. But not for me (and for many others).

So, while hunting for a workaround, I thought why not try one of the free VPN clients we mentioned in our hide IP and browse securely article, and see if getting a US based IP address is all that's needed. And guess what, it worked like a charm!

Here's what I did.

1. Signed out of Gmail.

2. Fired up my favorite VPN client and got myself a US IP address.

3. Signed back into Gmail, and found a nice "Call Phone" option in the chat column.

It worked for me so I am assuming it should work for many others out there. Try it out and let me know if it does.

Also, it should be noted that as soon as I disconnected from the VPN and came back to my original connection, the call phone option was gone. So this isn't a permanent thing and would require you to stay connected using the VPN.


From the Tips Box: International Gmail Calls, Standing Desks, and Dropbox Drives

Turn Any Desk into a Standing Desk for $5

Chelsea Otakan tells us how she made a cheap standing desk:

Use $5 bed risers from Target or Walmart for an easy DIY standing desk. They'll lift a desk with normal legs around 5 inches off the floor.

I'm 4' 11" using a Blu Dot Paperclip desk with 5' risers and it works great for me. Taller (read: normal height) people will probably need stackable or adjustable risers.

They sell adjustable bed risers that will add up to 8 inches, and stackable wooden risers that are 4' per unit, but more expensive.


From the Tips Box: International Gmail Calls, Standing Desks, and Dropbox Drives

Manage Dropbox as a Virtual Drive

X3geek shows us a neat Windows Explorer trick for Dropbox users:

There is subst.exe utility in windows which creates virtual drives of paths associated with them. So I use it to manage Dropbox folder. You need to make a cmd or bat file with the these 2 lines:

subst /d X:
subst X: "C:\Users\[user]\Documents\My Dropbox"

and put the file in your startup folder ("Start"- type "shell:startup" in the search field) as the command file mounts the folder into a virtual drive. The first line deletes a substituted virtual drive. You'll see a drive (X: in this case) in My Computer which has Dropbox folders. Thanks to this thread.

Note: the command shown will work on Windows 7, for Windows XP the command has to be "C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\My Documents\My Dropbox"

Note that you can do this with any folder in Windows, but it may be particularly helpful for some Dropbox users to visualize their Dropbox folder as a network drive.

From the Tips Box: International Gmail Calls, Standing Desks, and Dropbox Drives

Use an Old CD Spindle to Coil Wire

Jared Pavan shares another use for old CD spindles:

Use an old CD spindle to distribute wire from a loose spool. There's room in there for at least 2 more spools. Combine this with the under-the-desk CD spindle, and you'd be set!


Read More...

KoHive is a Shared Virtual Workspace for Brainstorming, Filesharing, and More [Collaboration]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5628836/kohive-is-a-shared-virtual-workspace-for-brainstorming-filesharing-and-more

KoHive is a virtual workspace you access through your web browser. It's easy to create multiple "hives" for different projects, share files, communicate in real time, and aggregate content from across the web.

The biggest thing KoHive has going for it is a butter-smooth interface. It's easy to navigate within and between multiple hives, talk to other hive members, and share files. KoHive has a modular app system for plugging in the tools you need to get the projects you're working on organized and completed. You can manage tasks, share files and notes, upload images or import them from Flickr, message, and import videos from YouTube and Vimeo. KoHive also sports shared bookmarking, social network-style status updates, and a group drawing application.

Check out the video above to see it in action or visit KoHive at the link below to sign up for a free account. Thanks Sobert!

Read More...

Use Google Storage as a One-Time Cost, Lifetime Backup Solution [Online Storage]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5628993/use-google-storage-as-a-one+time-cost-lifetime-backup-solution

Use Google Storage as a One-Time Cost, Lifetime Backup SolutionYou can get extra Gmail storage pretty cheaply from Google, but eagle-eyed reader gthing lets us know that you have read access to that storage even after you cancel your subscription.

You have read and write access to your storage for an entire year after paying, but if you choose not to renew, you still have access to your data for as long as you want—you just can't add more stuff. From Google's policy:

No matter when you cancel your storage subscription, your extra storage will be available for the entire year you've purchased. After your plan expires, your storage will be limited to each individual product's free storage quota. Under our current policy, any content over the free storage quota will still be accessible, however you will not be able to add new content until your storage balance falls below the free storage limit.

It won't work as a continuous backup solution, but it works great as a one-time data dump. So, while you wouldn't want to necessarily store important data there (since most important data gets outdated quickly), I could see it being useful for, say, TV seasons that you bought on iTunes but already watched, or other similar space hogs—essentially, things that you don't want to delete but don't have the hard drive space to let them sit around and collect dust.

[via #tips]

Read More...

Canon's Omnidirectional Camera Is a 50 Megapixel Eye That Looks Everywhere at Once [Canon]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5628723/canons-omnidirectional-camera-is-a-50-megapixel-eye-that-looks-everywhere-at-once

Canon's Omnidirectional Camera Is a 50 Megapixel Eye That Looks Everywhere at OncePanoramic photography can be tricky. What's better? Canon's camera that shoots a single, 360° image. The tech uses a giant, 50 megapixel CMOS sensor and aspheric mirror to capture a sharp, sweeping photo, exceeding the human eye's measly 120° view.

Canon's Omnidirectional Camera Is a 50 Megapixel Eye That Looks Everywhere at Once

The resulting high-detail imagery can fluidly viewed and navigated without the seams and perspectival glitches sometimes found in panoramic scenes.

Read More...

MIT's Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly, Just Like Plant Cells [Republished]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5628760/mits-self+assembling-solar-cells-recycle-themselves-repeatedly-just-like-plant-cells

MIT's Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly, Just Like Plant Cells Plants are extremely efficient converters of light into energy, setting the bar for researchers creating photovoltaic cells. A team of MIT scientists believe they've created a synthetic chloroplast that can be broken down and reassembled repeatedly, restoring sun-damaged solar cells.

While the leaves on a tree appear to be as static as the PV cells on a solar panel, they're not; sunlight is actually quite destructive, and to counter this effect leaves rapidly recycle their proteins as often as every 45 minutes when in direct summer sunlight. This rapid repair mechanism allows plants to take full advantage of the sun's bountiful energy without losing efficiency over time.

To recreate this unique regenerative ability, the MIT team devised a novel set of self-assembling molecules that use photons to shake electrons loose in the form of electricity. The system contains seven different compounds, including carbon nanotubes that provide structure and a means to conduct the electricity away from the cells, synthetic phospholipids that form discs that also provide structural support, and other molecules that self-assemble into "reaction centers" that actually interact with the incoming photons to release electrons.

Under certain conditions, the compounds assemble themselves into uniform structures suitable for harvesting solar energy. But in the presence of a surfactant (similar to the stuff used to disperse oil during oil spills) the structures break down into a solution of nanotubes, phospholipids, and other constituent molecules. By pushing the solution through a membrane to remove the surfactant, the elements once again assemble into working, rejuvenated solar cells undamaged by their prior exposure to the sun.

The cells are work at 40 percent efficiency, and researchers think with some tweaks they could push that efficiency much higher. And because they don't degrade over time – just give 'em a quick shake with the surfactant and they're essentially brand new – the tech could be the next big step forward for solar technology.

[Eurekalert]

MIT's Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly, Just Like Plant CellsPopular Science is your wormhole to the future. Reporting on what's new and what's next in science and technology, we deliver the future now.

Read More...

Twitter Adding Push Notifications to its iPhone App [IPhone Apps]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629243/twitter-adding-push-notifications-to-its-iphone-app

Twitter Adding Push Notifications to its iPhone AppTwitter is currently in the final stages of testing push notifications in its iPhone app, pending a full activation of the feature in the next iOS release. According to TechCrunch, users with iOS 4.1 and its updated Twitter client will be able to enable the feature, bringing them closer still to the dream of full integration with the online hive mind. [TechCrunch]

Read More...

LG's 31-Inch OLED 3DTV Saunters Into IFA, Looking Gorgeous [Oled]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629257/lgs-31+inch-oled-3dtv-saunters-into-ifa-looking-gorgeous

LG's 31-Inch OLED 3DTV Saunters Into IFA, Looking GorgeousAfter last year's 15.1-inch beauty, LG partnered it up with a 31-inch beast. It's officially the world's slimmest OLED 3DTV, but that's not saying much when Sony is the only other manufacturer with an OLED 3DTV.

The brief look I had at the OLED showed it was just as bright as their 15-inch model, and super thin too, at 0.29cm thick. The thin silver bezel and polished silver back makes it look very premium—but premium enough to want to spend the 7,000 Euros it's rumored to cost?

BERLIN, Aug. 30, 2010 – At this year's IFA, LG Electronics (LG) is showing its strength in OLED technology with two high-tech masterpieces: LG's newest OLED 3D TV — the world's slimmest — a 0.29cm model boasting a 31-inch screen; and the 15EL9500, the first OLED in the world with a 15.1-inch screen.

Using state-of-the-art OLED technology, LG's OLED TVs dispense with the backlights used on conventional LCD models in favour of a film of pixels that actually produce their own light. Sleek and paper slim, they mark a major leap in television technology, producing pictures of stunning brightness, clarity and contrast.

LG's 31-Inch OLED 3D TV: The Perfect OLED Solution
As the pinnacle of the company's OLED TV range, LG's new OLED TV takes the bril- liant picture quality of OLED technology and transfers it onto a 31-inch canvas. At just 0.29cm in depth, the 31-inch OLED 3D TV is the slimmest TV in the world and displays state-of-the-art picture quality in both 2D and 3D.

With LG's superior OLED technology enabling a Perfect Black Level and an Infinite Contrast Ratio, the new OLED set can project all existing colour levels including the full palette of dark colours thanks to Detailed Gray Scale. In addition, with its Wide Colour Gamut and a No Colour Gamut Shift within varying gray levels, users can enjoy life-like colours under any viewing conditions and from any angle. Topping it all off, the 31-inch OLED 3D TV delivers the very best in smooth and immersive 3D images, as well as superlative 2D images.

With its stunning design, LG's 31-inch OLED 3D TV blends in harmoniously with countertops, bedrooms and practically any home interior. Ultra slim, LG's newest OLED TV uses an innovative mountable bracket that can be installed, moved and rein- stalled on walls or even ceilings with minimal damage to the existing interior. The ex- quisite design further enhances the picture as the screen is practically free from borders, and a seamless glass cover helps deliver even more dynamic images.

In addition to leading in picture quality and design, LG's 31-inch OLED 3D TV also re- tains a cutting-edge in green technology. Made with no harmful materials such as lead and mercury, it minimises pollutant emissions and waste by using fewer parts and mate- rials, and dispensing entirely with liquid crystal, colour filters and backlight units.

15EL9500: LG's First OLED TV
Though more compact in size at 15.1 inches, the 15EL9500 brings with it all the excep- tional picture quality of OLED. With no external sources of light influencing its output, the 15EL9500 can deliver perfect levels of black on an isf certified picture, with up to 1.5 times greater Perceived Luminance than on regular LCD TVs. OLED technology also ensures an even faster video refresh rate, a feature that working in conjunction with TruMotion 100Hz, renders more dynamic pictures and all but eliminates blur from even the fastest sequences.

Accompanying this superlative picture is the 15EL9500's equally remarkable sound quality and design. In addition to the invisible speakers that pump out superb sound – which is further sculpted by the Clear Voice II and SRS Trusurround XT technologies – the 15EL9500's slimness and light weight combine with its folding stand to make it a convenient and stylish addition to any room.

Read More...

Samsung's QX410 is a Self-Proclaimed "Masterpiece" [Laptops]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629245/samsungs-qx410-is-a-self+proclaimed-masterpiece

Samsung's QX410 is a Self-Proclaimed "Masterpiece"Samsung's Seongwoo Nam says his company's new high-end QX410 is "the masterpiece of Samsung's computer business"—but it's probably more like of a copy of a well-known metal-bodied old master. Still, nice island keyboard.

Inside the QX410s strangely familiar aluminium case sits an Intel Core i5 (or i7 in the 14" and 15" models), with a dual graphics solution that switches from power-saving integrated Intel to an Nvidia GeForce card when you're doing something more demanding than F5-ing Twitter.

The battery is rated for 6.9 hours use under perfect laboratory conditions, while Samsung's put in the same "Express Charging Mode" found in this week's other new Samsung laptop, the SF410. The company's "Samsung Fast Start" allows users to get up and working within three seconds. So that'll be a hibernate mode, then.

The QX series will arrive in 13.3", 14" and 15.6" screen sizes. [Samsung]

Read More...

Postage Stamps Go High-Tech With QR Code-Like Stamp Readable by Apps [IPhone Apps]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629279/postage-stamps-go-high+tech-with-qr-code+like-stamp-readable-by-apps

Postage Stamps Go High-Tech With QR Code-Like Stamp Readable by AppsThe UK's Royal Mail may've been kicking around in some shape or form since 1516, but they've become the first postal service to create an "intelligent stamp," readable like a QR code by an Android or iPhone app.

They're being particularly cagey about how the stamp works, in typical Royal Mail fashion (I swear I'm still waiting for parcels to be delivered from 2005), but with the Junaio app being free on both platforms, anyone in the UK can check it out from next week.

And of course, international philatelists could beg their British friends to post them a letter with the high-tech stamp, which is part of the Great British Railways series. One of the features that can be unlocked is a reading of W.H Auden's poem The Night Train, by Bernard Cribbins. [BBC and TechRadar]

Read More...

Walkman Outsold iPod in Japan During August [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629268/walkman-outsold-ipod-in-japan-during-august

Walkman Outsold iPod in Japan During AugustIt's party time for Sony, as the planets of consumerism aligned to earn it a rare win over Apple's iPod music-playing range. It's the first time Walkman has outsold Apple's music players in the region since iPod arrived in 2001.

Sony had to make a few sacrifices in order to win back musical market share, though, aggressively under-cutting the price of its rival. Also, according to analyst Eiji Mori, the month's drop in iPod sales has been partly brought about thanks to buyers waiting for Apple's newest ranges to hit the country. [Yahoo]

Read More...

A Dual-Booting Tablet Running Android 1.6 Sounds Barmy, Viewsonic [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5629282/a-dual+booting-tablet-running-android-16-sounds-barmy-viewsonic

A Dual-Booting Tablet Running Android 1.6 Sounds Barmy, ViewsonicAfter warning us last week of their impending dual-booting tablet, ViewSonic has now spilled the beans on the ViewPad 100's specs. I don't think anyone will be impressed by the Android 1.6 flavor, even if Windows 7's also there too.

I can't think of many reasons why someone would want a dual-booting tablet, but obviously dual-booting laptops (running something like Parallels or Boot Camp) certainly serve a purpose. This could be the tablet for people to tinker with, but it's still a fairly niche market that Viewsonic's shooting at.

With a 10-inch screen (they describe it as an LED display with 1024 x 600 resolution), it runs on an Intel Atom N455 1.66Ghz processor with 1GB of DDR3 RAM, and has a 16GB SSD. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a G-sensor, A-GPS, two USB ports, a miniVGA and microSD card slot (expandable up to 32GB) are all present, along with an inbuilt 1.3MP webcam.

3 September 2010, IFA, Berlin – ViewSonic has announced the launch of the world's first dual-boot tablet, the ViewPad 100. With a 10" screen, the ViewPad 100 incorporates both a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6.

The combination of operating systems means that users have the speed and portability of an Android-based OS without sacrificing the power and compatibility of a Windows powered system. Users can quickly check their emails or browse the internet with Android while still being able to rely on the traditional PC experience that a full Windows environment provides, such as USB connectivity, video output via mini VGA, Adobe Flash support and the ability to create presentations and word documents from scratch.

With a lightweight design, the ViewPad 100 is ideal for anyone who needs a portable computing solution. It features a built-in 16GB SSD, giving faster boot-up and read/write times than standard HDDs, as well as an energy-efficient Intel Atom N455 1.66Ghz processor with 1GB DDR3 RAM, providing users with longer battery life.

"We want to supply users with a tablet computer that incorporates both Android and Windows as we believe in providing an open approach to mobile technology to users who may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system," says Derek Wright, European Product Marketing Manager. "The ViewPad 100 is aimed at those who want the speed and portability of Android without losing the advantages of having a Windows-based system. We recognise many users may be transitioning from a netbook but will possibly struggle with the learning curve of a new OS, even for simple tasks as uploading photos or using a VPN. Eventually they may choose to favour one over the other, but they will always have the choice."

The user experience is further enhanced by a high quality capacitive multi-touch display based on a 10" 1024 x 600 LED panel as well as built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and a G-sensor that reorients the screen depending on how the device is held. Additional features include a Micro SD slot for up to 32GB of storage, Assisted GPS for navigation, two USB 2.0 connections and a built in 1.3M webcam.

Read More...

Canon EOS 60D hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/canon-eos-60d-hands-on-video/

The 2010 Canon Expo is filled to the brim with drool-worthy image-capturing hardware (more on that later in the day), but the first thing we did when arriving was run straight to the EOS 60D. While we can't really get into the gritty details in terms of image and video quality based on show floor impressions alone, we will say the comfort and ease of use are superb -- not to mention an articulating display that'll come in handy for crazier shot composition. The company's definitely got a knack for iterative upgrades, but a prosumer-focused model like this is just a knockout for the price, and leaves us wondering what the future holds for the Rebel T2i when only $200 separates the two cameras. Pictures below, and check out a video walkthrough done by our Engadget Show Producer / Canon enthusiast Chad Mumm after the break.

Continue reading Canon EOS 60D hands-on (video)

Canon EOS 60D hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Canon's 4k Multipurpose Camera concept weakens knees, shoots video. We go hands-on! (Video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/canons-4k-multipurpose-camera-concept-weakens-knees-shoots-vid/


You're looking at Canon's new 4k "Multipurpose" concept, a wondrous amalgamation of still and video cameras pumping 60 frames per second at 4k resolution out of an 8 megapixel 2/3-inch CMOS sensor. Yep, we said 4k video, approximately quadruple the resolution of 1080p. We had a chance to go hands-on with the prototype at Canon Expo 2010, and believe us when we tell you that it's really, really sharp, both in terms of hardware and the images it produces. The hardware is essentially a giant SLR body packing a fixed video-style lens complete with zoom and focus controls and a high-def flip-out LCD viewfinder (we're told it's the same LCD found in Canon's new XF-300 and XF-305 video cameras).

We were told by a Canon rep that, unlike competing camera-maker RED's offerings, the Multipurpose concept is not specifically designed for digital cinema. Instead, it's intended to offer "multipurpose image capture," which seems to imply something like the continuous photography promised by Canon's other futuristic prototype. And although we're told that the 4k Multipurpose camera will never come to market, it certainly sends a bold message to an industry content with 1080p that higher resolutions like 4k are coming down the pipe and aren't just the realm of boundary-pushing cinema nerds. But don't take our word for it, check out our hands-on video with this beast after the break.

Continue reading Canon's 4k Multipurpose Camera concept weakens knees, shoots video. We go hands-on! (Video)

Canon's 4k Multipurpose Camera concept weakens knees, shoots video. We go hands-on! (Video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

! Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/canons-wonder-camera-and-other-future-concepts-that-tease-us-f/

Canon had a lot to show for itself at its annual expo today, from the EOS 60D to the (working!) Multipurpose 4K concept, but the best goodies are of course the ones just a few steps outside of today's technological limits. One display in particular that caught our eye was the 2010 Image Creation set, featuring the bold Wonder Camera Concept from July. Nothing functional here, not even in sleight-of-hand video render form, but the models are quite the lookers. Joining the "SLR Style Concept" (as it was being called here, according to the accompanying placard) were the 3D Cam, Image Palette (display), Image Navi Cam (point and shoot), and MR HMD (helmet) -- all aesthetically Kubrick in nature. Not that we mind, of course; we find it best to go ahead and accept our future for the glossy white design motif that it'll assuredly become. Elsewhere, we happened upon the purported "world's largest CMOS sensor" -- not that we'd argue with what we saw -- and the more compact 120 megapixel CMOS, along with (separately) its panoramic camera prototype body. You can live vicariously through us in the photos below.

Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

MSI WindBox III gets a bit more oomph, still lives on your LCD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/msi-windbox-iii-gets-a-bit-more-oomph-still-lives-on-your-lcd/

If your current WindBox is growing a bit long in the tooth, MSI has a newcomer with somewhat more respectable internals. Since it's a fanless machine designed to live on the rear of your LCD, you won't be ordering one with a Core i7, but the included Core 2 Duo chip is certainly a step above what's been offered in the past. It's designed primarily to be used as an ultra-low power solution for folks needing to handle the simplest of simple tasks, though the integrated graphics are purportedly capable of HD playback (on a good day). It's packing DVI, VGA and HDMI outputs, six USB 2.0 sockets, a pair of mini-PCIe slots, inbuilt 802.11b/g/n WiFi and a Bluetooth module, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to price or availability.

MSI WindBox III gets a bit more oomph, still lives on your LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMSI  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/antec-wants-to-rockus-with-its-new-soundscience-2-1-3d-speaker/

Yesterday it was Corsair, today it's the turn of Antec to step into the world of PC audio components. Best known for building cases and power supplies, the company's aiming to make a splash in this unexplored pool with its all-new soundscience brand and first product, the rockus 3D|2.1 speakers. We're guessing capital letters weren't high on the priority list here, with Antec instead opting to focus on delivering "immersive 3D soundscapes," the supposed aural equivalent of three-dimensional visuals. Beyond the marketing exaggerations, you'll find anodized aluminum satellite speakers, both digital and analog input options, and that cute little control pod for adjusting volume and toggling between stereo and Antec's proprietary 3Dsst mode. This rockus 2.1 set certainly looks stylish enough, but the asking price of $250 makes us think we'll probably have to make do without one this fall.

Continue reading Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakers

Antec wants to rockus with its new soundscience 2.1 '3D' speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV gets a stereoscopic software makeover, now plays nice with 2D content, Blu-ray 3D and external screens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-satellite-a665-3dv-gets-a-stereoscopic-software-makeover/

Nabbed one of Toshiba's fully-loaded stereoscopic laptops, only to find a dearth of actual 3D? The company's got a software update that might revitalize your machine. Where previously you'd have to install ready-made dual-ocular content directly to your hard drive, the manufacturer's just promised a Toshiba Video Player application that will convert your existing 2D content into 3D, plus firmware that will help you pipe stereoscopic video over the integrated HDMI port and upgrade your Blu-ray drive to take the new Blu-ray 3D discs -- though we honestly thought it could do that last bit already. While there's no word on availability, the press release suggests a download will pop up any moment... so, you know, be sure to keep both eyes out. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV gets a stereoscopic software makeover, now plays nice with 2D content, Blu-ray 3D and external screens

Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV gets a stereoscopic software makeover, now plays nice with 2D content, Blu-ray 3D and external screens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba goes all LED with new HDTVs at IFA 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-goes-all-led-with-new-hdtvs-at-ifa-2010/

Besides that Android tablet, Toshiba's brought a whole slew LED-lit LCD televisions to IFA 2010. The REGZA WL Series is the company's first range of 3DTVs, available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes (pictured above) with LED backlighting, 7,000,000:1 contrast ratios, it 3D Resolution+ upscaling tech and one pair of active shutter glasses bundled with each one. They're also DLNA enabled and ready for Windows 7, with the Toshiba Media Controller software making streaming content as easy as dragging and dropping a file. The rest of the lineup includes the high end VL series with LED backlighting, midrange REGZA 42SL738 42-inch HDTV and edge-lit SL738 series LCDs in smaller sizes from 9- to 32-inches. Check the press site or YouTube trailers embedded after the break for more details, and don't be surprised to see the 200Hz motion technology, millimeter measurements, DVB-T tuners and BBC streaming while these are due in October across the pond, we'll be keeping an eye out at CEDIA for US-bound variants.

Continue reading Toshiba goes all LED with new HDTVs at IFA 2010

Toshiba goes all LED with new HDTVs at IFA 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceToshiba IFA 2010 site  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba Camileo S30 and P20 pocket camcorders get touchscreens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-camileo-s30-and-p20-pocket-camcorders-get-touchscreens/

Toshiba's launching some new Camileo pocket HD camcorders at IFA, and hey -- just like everything else in the world, they've sprouted three-inch touchscreens. Both offer 1080p recording and 10x digital zooms with HDMI out and support for 64GB SD storage; the £139 ($214) S30 comes in a more standard form factor that's 19mm (.7 inch) thick and features eight megapixel still photos, automatic exposure control and image stabilization, while the £119 ($183) P20 comes in a pistol grip package and takes five megapixel stills. The P20 will hit in October, while the S30 is set to arrive in January, so it makes perfect sense for Toshiba to announce it now, in September. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba Camileo S30 and P20 pocket camcorders get touchscreens

Toshiba Camileo S30 and P20 pocket camcorders get touchscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo's not your style

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-finally-dives-into-blu-ray-3d-with-bdx3100-player-offer/

Seems like Toshiba bit off more Blu-ray 3D than it could chew this year -- the Japanese firm's just announced that the new BDX3100KB will be its first set-top stereoscopic player, never mind the BDX3000 it announced at CES. Still, we're willing to forgive and forget if the new machine (replete with DivX and MKV playback, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround, and instant playback of AVCHD footage from connected camcorders) makes it stateside sometime soon -- both it and the relatively boring BDX1100 standard Blu-ray unit are presently slated for a UK release (at unspecified prices) in October of this year. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo's not your style

Toshiba finally dives into Blu-ray 3D with BDX3100 player, offers up BDX1100 if stereo's not your style originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at â¬699 and â¬799 in Europe (update: O2 Germany pricing)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/samsung-galaxy-tab-reported-to-retail-at-699-and-799-in-europe/

An increasing number of Euroland news outlets are reporting an eye-watering set of prices for Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Although still unofficial and therefore not yet to be trusted, the values we're hearing are €699 ($890) in France and €799 ($1,020) in Germany. Those presumably represent the cost of the 16GB and 32GB Tab, respectively, and align perfectly with Apple's iPad WiFi + 3G pricing -- aside from the fact the iPads have double the storage at each price point. Oops! That does make us wary to believe these numbers just yet, but if you want a laugh, why not check out UK importer Expansys today, which is offering a cracking deal for the 16GB Galaxy Tab at £680 ($1,050). And with only a 39-day wait!

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]

Update: So we're hearing some conflicting information here. Samsung itself is telling us at IFA that no pricing has been announced and that any prices floating around are speculation -- but it seems the company has already announced a suggested retail prices of SEK 9,000 in Sweden including VAT, which works out to about $1,240 (or $930 without VAT). In other words, even after taxes have been removed from the equation, you're looking at a pretty pricey option for an unsubsidized device here. Let's hope we see some steep discounts on contract, eh? Thanks, Rasmus!

Update 2: O2 Germany's official Twitter account informs us that the Galaxy Tab will cost the Bundesrepublik roughly €759 (about $972) in all -- a €99 ($127) deposit to start off and then €27.50 ($35) a month likely over two years. Thanks, Nils!

Samsung Galaxy Tab reported to retail at €699 and €799 in Europe (update: O2 Germany pricing) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceARMdevices.net, Journal du Geek, Expansys, Chip.de  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-outs-lumileo-pico-projectors-only-one-of-which-requires/

Toshiba's new LED-based pico projectors won't shake the world with VGA resolutions, 14 lumens and just 80 minutes of battery life, but we have to admit the Lumileo P100 and Lumileo M200's focusing dial and keypad do look a spot more stylish than some of the cubes and rectangles we've tried. And while we've just pretty much described the P100 model in full, the M200 has an additional feature that might be worth your while -- like the 3M MPro, it plays back video (including DivX), Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF files directly from 2GB of internal memory or your microSD card of choice, with no attached PC required. Otherwise, both project up to 60-inch pictures from VGA or "TV in" ports not shown here, and both will appear in Europe to claim an unspecified amount of that continent's discretionary cash during the fourth quarter of this year. PR after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug

Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/toshiba-store-tv-drive-connects-up-to-2tb-of-media-directly-to/

Feel like connecting a HTPC or even one of the many streamers to your HDTV is overkill? Toshiba's new StorE TV+ is prepared to quietly retain up to 2TB of media (in various formats, check after the break for specs) until called upon, when it can play them back via HDMI, no connected PC required. It can also connect to PCs or other DLNA devices (like, coincidentally enough, Toshiba's new HDTVs) networked via Ethernet and the included WiFi dongle or load files directly from memory cards and USB drives. Even with all that, a lack of access to internet video sources makes the £199 MSRP a tough sell even ith 2TB of space at the ready, but if it works its way into a TV bundle then there may be buyers willing to bite when it ships next month, while an eSATA hard drive only StorE.D10 model will follow later this year for an unknown price.

Continue reading Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV

Toshiba StorE TV+ drive connects up to 2TB of media directly to your HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/03/nvidia-gtx-470m-highlights-rollout-of-400m-mobile-gpu-series/

Not everybody needs the world's fastest mobile GPU, so NVIDIA is sagely trickling down its Fermi magic to more affordable price points today. The 400M family is being fleshed out with five new midrange parts -- GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M, to give them their gorgeous names -- and a pair of heavy hitters known as the GTX 470M and GTX 460M. Features shared across the new range include a 40nm fab process, DirectX 11, CUDA general-purpose computing skills, PhysX, and Optimus graphics switching. 3D Vision and 3DTV Play support will be available on all but the lowest two variants. NVIDIA claims that, on average, the 400M graphics cards are 40 percent faster than their 300M series counterparts, and since those were rebadges of the 200M series, we're most definitely willing to believe that assertion. Skip past the break for all the vital statistics, and look out for almost all (HP is a notable absentee, while Apple is a predictable one) the big-time laptop vendors to have gear bearing the 4xxM insignia soon.

Continue reading NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series

NVIDIA GTX 470M highlights rollout of 400M mobile GPU series originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Samsung's 50-inch 720p PN50C490 3D plasma on sale now for under a grand

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/03/samsungs-50-inch-720p-pn50c490-3d-plasma-on-sale-now-for-under/

Looking to spoil yourself with a fancy new 3DTV? Ain't got the cash to go all-out? Hello, compromise. Samsung's 50-inch PN50C490 -- which we peeked just a few weeks ago -- is now shipping from Amazon, Best Buy and a slew of other local consumer electronic marts if we had to guess. As a refresher, this mid-sized HDTV has a 720p resolution, 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, no internet connectivity to speak of, a USB socket, three HDMI inputs, a pair of component jacks and support for the third dimension. It's up for grabs today at just $989, but you'll probably want to budget a few extra hundies for that Samsung 3D Starter Kit (not to mention a few 3D Blu-ray Discs).

[Thanks, James]

Samsung's 50-inch 720p PN50C490 3D plasma on sale now for under a grand originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmazon, Best Buy  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Philips unveils new PicoPix pico projectors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/03/philips-unveils-new-picopix-pico-projectors/

Our friends at Engadget en Español have turned us on to some pico projecters that recently popped up on Philips' Flickr account. We don't have too much info, other than they are designated (in no particular order): PPX-1430, PPX-1230 and PPX-1030. And they're really rather small. Yeah, we're underwhelmed too. But we must report even the least breathtaking gadgets: it's our meat and potatoes, after all. And you can bet your bubby that if Philips does relate any mind-blowing information at this year's IFA (which is going on as we write this), we'll let you know. Oh, you want more pictures? Well, here you go!

Philips unveils new PicoPix pico projectors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Spanish  |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...