Monday, February 11, 2008

Color tile optical illusion

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/231939037/color-tile-optical-i.html

200802081629-1

You might have seen this shaded gray squares illusion before. Squares A and B are the same shade of gray. (It was created by Edward H. Adelson, Professor of Vision Science at MIT.

200802081629-2

Here's a similar illusion with colored squares. The "blue" tiles on the top face of the left cube are the same color as the "yellow" tiles in the top of the right cube.

Don't take my word for it. Use an image editing program with a eyedropper to see for yourself. I used Photoshop's eyedropper tool to take 5x5 samples and found that both the "yellow" and the "blue" tiles are C:50 M:40 Y:40 K:5.

200802081619

Take a look at the brown tile in the center of the top face and the yellow tile in the center of the side facing slightly to the left. They're the same color.

UPDATE: The color tile illusion is one of many excellent illusions created by R. Beau Lotto.

Read More...

The Internet Finally Becomes A Factor In The Primaries

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AVc/~3/231587786/the-internet-fi.html

Four years ago, Howard Dean and Joe Trippi showed everyone how powerful the Internet could be as a campaign and fundraising tool. This year, it seemed like it was not as important.

But the news yesterday that Obama's campaign was loaded with cash and Hillary's was strapped showed that in the end, the Internet is the most powerful fundraising vehicle of them all.

The following charts come from a NY Times story this morning.

08clintongraphic

While this graphic doesn't show how much of this money came directly from the Internet, we all know that no fundraising technique "scales" like Internet fundraising.

Hillary's campaign has used the Internet well but not brilliantly. Obama's campaign has done a better job and his personality and candidacy is much better suited to the medium. And the net result of that is that he sits in a stronger position right now because of it.

Read More...

Nokia 6220 Classic Takes 5 Megapixel Geotagged Photos, Includes Widgets [Nokia]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/233040872/nokia-6220-classic-takes-5-megapixel-geotagged-photos-includes-widgets

nokia-6220-classic-thumb.jpgThe 6220 Classic seems to be Nokia's answer to the latest Sony Ericsson Cybershots: a compact candybar with 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens which gets all its photos tagged thanks to its built-in Assisted GPS, a feature that is the norm in the latest Nokia line-up. The only bad thing: the candybar 6220 doesn't use its GPS to provide with full navigation like the Nokia 6210 Navigator however, although this can be enabled later with a software upgrade, probably for a price. At $471 (325 euros) it also comes loaded with Nokia Maps and a set of Widsets which, like Apple's iPhones widgets, are small specialized applications to shown the Internet content loaded through its 3G connection.

Nokia 6220 classic: redefining the definition of 'share' Converged device offers excellent imaging capabilities, navigation and advanced sharing features At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia introduced the Nokia 6220 classic, a full-featured device that combines a 5 megapixel camera with A-GPS functionality to give new meaning to the phrase "to share". High quality images and videos can be snapped, tagged, edited and shared online, phone-to-phone or even viewed on a television. The Nokia 6220 classic is expected to start shipping in the 3rd quarter of 2008 in selected markets with an estimated retail price of 325 euros, before taxes and subsidies. The highlight of the Nokia 6220 classic is its 5 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and Carl Zeiss optics - on par with many single purpose digital cameras on the market today. With its high-speed HSDPA connection updating blogs or uploading photos and videos to favorite sharing sites like Share on Ovi or Flickr can be done right from the Nokia 6220 classic. A-GPS functionality allows photos to be 'geotagged' - making them easier to search and share. Images can also be viewed on a television screen with the integrated TV-out feature, sent from phone to phone via wireless Bluetooth connection, or viewed in full color on the phone's large 2.2 inch display. "The Nokia 6220 classic will help web 2.0 novices and experienced bloggers snap, save and share pictures and videos easily. Saving, tagging and uploading pictures can now be done on the phone, seconds after the picture has been taken," says John Barry, Director, Connect devices, Nokia. "The Nokia 6220 classic, with its 5 megapixel camera, auto focus and xenon flash is a credible and reasonably priced alternative to single- purpose digital cameras and has the added benefit of A-GPS for location tagging, Nokia Maps and possibility to upgrade to full navigation." The Nokia 6220 classic comes loaded with the new Nokia Maps 2.0 application which helps consumers find the best routes or explore any city for new restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions and other points of interest. The pre-loaded WidSets service brings web content directly to the device via mini-applications called widgets, providing quick and easy access to news updates, games and web communities. As a full- featured converged device, the Nokia 6220 classic also includes internet browser, email, music player, FM radio with RDS and up to 8 GB of memory. In addition to its imaging capabilities, the Nokia 6220 classic enables Adaptive Multi Rate - Wideband speech coding technology, giving a more natural sound to human voice in phone calls. It helps when having a conversation in a noisy environment such as in traffic or public place.

Read More...

Bluetooth SIG looks at Bluetooth-WiFi to hasten transfers

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/232797282/

Filed under: ,


If you'll recall, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group already had plans laid out to speed up Bluetooth by teaming it up with UWB, but needless to say, that didn't exactly take the world by storm. Thankfully, it seems the crew is trying something else in an effort to speed up BT transfers, and judging by the ubiquity of WiFi, we reckon this endeavor has a much better chance at gaining traction. According to Michael Foley, director of the Bluetooth SIG, these so-called Bluetooth-WiFi (just a temporary name, folks) devices will "use the regular low-power Bluetooth radios to recognize each other and establish connections, and if they need to transfer a large file, they will be able to turn on their WiFi radios, then turn them off to save power after finishing the transfer." For whatever reason, Foley also noted that it wouldn't be letting the dream go with regard to Bluetooth-UWB -- we're sure consumers will adore the confusion.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments


Read More...

The Nokia N96 redefines "high-end"

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/233034630/

Filed under: ,


Rumored for a few weeks now as the N95's successor in waiting, the mighty N96 dual slider has gone all official on us at Mobile World Congress today. Though the phone it replaces is still a beast by any measure, the N96 pushes the envelope further by packing a solid 16GB of storage internally in addition to a microSD slot, something the N95 8GB lacks. The 5 megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens carries over, but there are now two LEDs doing flash and video light duty. The 2.8 inch QVGA display will come in handy for the integrated DVB-H mobile TV tuner, while a 3.5mm headphone jack, A2DP, and integrated stereo speakers should handle audio with aplomb. Other features include WiFi, AGPS, and morphing lights on the smaller second slide that hook the user up with game controls when it's time to relax with a little N-Gage action. Unfortunately, the first version of the N96 (and the only version announced thus far) supports HSDPA only on the 900 and 2100MHz bands, but we imagine the strength of the spec sheet should still be enough to sell a few of these stateside when it launches in the third quarter for €550 (about $797).

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments


Read More...

Samsung's F480 Prada (without the Prada), Dual Touch Chic G400 flip and F400 B&O slider

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/233048831/

Filed under: ,


If mobile-review is right, then Samsung is about to unleash more than a dozen new phones at Mobile World Congress. Rather than overwhelm you with the lot, we've whittled down the selection to a few of our faves. First up, the F480 (pictured left) which casts aside its Armani rags for full-on Samsung branding. The 11.5-mm slim handset with 2.8-inch, 240 x 320 touchscreen features Samsung's latest Croix OS with tactile feedback. It's now sporting 3G connectivity, FM-radio, and the ever so popular 5 megapixel camera (with LED flash). Release is expected in April or May for between €350 and €400. Next up is Sammy's "Dual Touch Chic" G400 flip. Both the internal (2.2-inches, QVGA) and external displays are touch-sensitive surrounded by an all-metal shell. Expect a 5 megapixel camera, FM-radio, and 100MB with microSD expansion when it launches in by May for about €300. Last up is the latest B&O hookup, albeit in a more consumer acceptable slider format. Like the i450 before it, the F400 is a dual-slider: slide the front face up to reveal a keypad, down to slip the phone into music mode with exposed B&O speakers. Otherwise, it's a 3G phone with 2.2-inch QVGA display, RDS-enabled FM radio, and microSD card when it pops in late March with a €370-€390 price tag.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments


Read More...

Dell's XPS M1330 now with built-in Wireless USB

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/233081351/

Filed under:


We not sure when Dell's XPS M1330 learned the new Wireless USB trick, nevertheless, it's sporting that option as of this morning. The $150 add-on integrates a Wireless USB module into Dell's slick 13.3-inch laptop while netting you a short-range Belkin 4-port USB hub for all your peripherals. See, it's not just phone news today.

[Thanks, Srinivas N.]

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments


Read More...

Saturday, February 09, 2008

XEL-1: Sony's First OLED TV Reviewed by Sound and Vision (The Bastards) [HDTVs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231863178/xel+1-sonys-first-oled-tv-reviewed-by-sound-and-vision-the-bastards

282008135850.jpegI can't say I'm not jealous that Al at Sound and Vision for getting first domestic review of the upcoming Sony 11-inch OLED TV. The set has one of the highest price/size ratios ever, but it also pulls off one of the highest performances of any modern TV, too. Here are the particulars, in case you have an extra $2500 to blow on a TV that'll look huge in your daughter's doll house.

• The TV has two HDMI ports
• It's not quite HD, with a res of half of 1080p (960x540, although it will of course accept HD resolutions, and that is enough for an 11-incher.)
• 3mm thick on the main screen unit, about the same as three credit cards!
• The base unit contains the ports and upward firing speakers aiming through an aluminum grill.
• There is a USB port for media modules; right now there is a web content streamer, but DVD and wireless HDMI modules are coming.
• The remote is slim and controls a cross media bar interface like that on the PS3.
• The set is terrible in direct lighting because of a highly reflective screen.
• Visual quality was on par with the best plasmas and LCDs, and surpassed many sets in contrast and shadow detail.

[Sound and Vision]


Read More...

WildCharge Releases iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry Pearl/8800 Wireless Charging Adapters [Gadgets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231956520/wildcharge-releases-iphone-ipod-blackberry-pearl8800-wireless-charging-adapters

Wildcharge, the device that lets you wirelessly charge your RAZR, has just released new adapters for the iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry 8800 and 2nd Gen iPod Nano. It still works the same: put the adapter on the back of your phone, place your phone onto the charging pad and wait for the juice to flow. No pricing information on this quite yet, but the old RAZR chargers were $34 (or $89 for the pad and the charger together). [WildCharge]


Read More...

Nokia trial turns N95s into traffic sensing tools

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/232062742/

Filed under: , ,

Sure, we've seen cellphones intermingle with traffic data before, but Nokia's looking to up the ante in a big way by utilizing a large network of GPS-enabled handsets to actually predict traffic patterns and help you avoid congestion before you even leave for that afternoon appointment. In a recent trial involving 100 volunteer drivers (and an equal amount of N95s), the handset maker teamed up with UC Berkeley to test the effectiveness of using a device most people already own (read: cellphones) to beam out traffic data rather than installing permanent sensors in roadways. Eventually, Nokia hopes to expand the experiment to over 1,000 folks, and just in case you privacy junkies can already feel your heart racing, you can rest assured that all "personal identifying information" was stripped before being sent back for analysis.

Read - Nokia turns people into traffic sensors
Read - Video: Nokia test drives traffic monitoring system

 

Permalink | Email this | Comments


Read More...

Friday, February 08, 2008

Eee PC Has A Kindle Mode? [Asus]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/231974126/eee-pc-has-a-kindle-mode

eeepckindlemode.jpgGot a desire for the sold out Amazon Kindle? If you do your probably out of luck on actually getting one anytime soon. The next best thing might actually be an Eee PC in "Kindle" mode. By using FBReader in fullscreen and portrait mode, an Eeeph forum member turned his Eee into a Kindle imitator. Since FBReader is a free e-book reader for Unix and Windows computers this little Kindle tweak shouldn't be too hard to get you a multi-function e-reader out the popular Eee PC. [Eeeph via EeeUser]


Read More...