Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Panasonic working on 37-inch OLED TV? They'd better be.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318712817/

Filed under: Displays

No, really... more rumors of Panasonic shifting R&D yen into OLED televisions? Oh you betcha, albeit this time with the specifics of a 37-inch OLED targeted for a retail launch in the next three years. Japanese newspaper, Sankei Shimbu, is reporting that the OLED panels will be produced on a parallel assembly line at Panasonic's new IPS Alpha factory. Without offering any specifics, Panny did have the decency to confirm that it's working on OLED technology -- something we already knew about. With consumers and editors alike awestruck by OLED display technology and Sony and Samsung already official committed to delivering medium to large panels in 2009/2010, only the chatter of Panasonic not pursuing OLED as a future panel technology would surprise us.

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Ricoh's 12 megapixel GX200 for the undecided

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318786817/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

So long GX100, hello GX200 and your new 1/1.7-inch 12 megapixel CCD sensor. Ricoh's bridge between point-and-shoot cameras and DSLRs also features new Smooth Image Engine III processing to better control noise, a larger 2.7-inch LCD, and a 5fps continuous RAW shooting mode. The 24 to 72-mm (35mm equiv) wide-angle lens, SDHC slot, RAW image support, thin 25-mm chassis, and removable tilting electronic viewﬁnder all carry over from the predecessor. Available next month for £350 (about $689) or £400 (about $788) if you find that viewfinder a must.

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JVC's 42-inch LT-42SL89 / 46-inch LT-46SL89 LCD HDTVs nab July ship date

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318868238/

Filed under: Displays

Dust those cobwebs out and strain that memory, won't you? Surely you haven't forgotten about JVC's pair of "world's thinnest" LCD HDTVs; after all, they were just announced at CES. Whatever the case, the 42-inch LT-42SL89 and 46-inch LT-46SL89 HDTVs are both proud members of the outfit's Procision series and boast a cabinet that "across most of its width measures a mere 1.5-inches, with a maximum depth of just 2.9-inches at the panel's center." Of course, each set also includes a TV tuner, three HDMI inputs, two component jacks and one S-Video / VGA port to complement the USB picture viewer, illuminated remote and touch-sensitive buttons on the front panel. Both super-slim units will hit retail stores next month for $1,899.99 and $2,399.99, respectively.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

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Orange's Dance Charge finally makes dance meaningful

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318868237/

Filed under: Wearables

It's summer, that means music festival time for the pagans. Orange knows this and returns with another solution to keep your Glastonbury-bound portable electronics charged. Revelers will get the chance to try this prototype Dance Charge kinetic charger. Right, kinetic as in movement. With an assist by eco-house GotWind, the 4.25 x 2.5-inch / 180-gram velcro and elastic band converts your chemically-fueled, backbeat twitches into electrical current with the help of a system of weights and magnets. This in turn charges an embedded battery for topping off your portable electronics throughout the multi-day event. Add EL lighting effects and you've got yourselves a trend Orange.

[Via RegHardware]

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CoAir: world's first UWB chipset with wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318892272/

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless, Networking

Sigma Designs has been dabbling in wireless HD technologies for eons, so we aren't going to get too excited until we see this here system-on-chip (SoC) actually hit some products that we care about. Still, the CoAir is a fairly sweet concept, wrapping integrated wireless, coax and gigabit Ethernet capabilities into one single chip aimed at whole home networking. Put simply (or as simply as possible), this chip is the world's first to "simultaneously deliver multiple independent streams of video and data over coax cable, Ethernet cable and wirelessly without compromising quality of service and throughput." Based on the WiMedia standard, it can reach speeds of up to 480Mbps with UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless streaming, and room-to-room linkage via UWB-over-coax can peg those same rates. What we have here is a great basis for building a whole home server on, but until said device emerges and performs flawlessly, we'll just smile and carry on.

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Samsung to release T-DMB-packin' YP-P2 in South Korea

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318929728/

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

When we asked you to list the things you'd change about Samsung's YP-P2, a number of you yearned for mobile TV. Granted, you'd have to set up shop in South Korea for your dream to be fully fulfilled, but Samsung's definitely making it possible. The YP-P2 DMB will arrive packing an obligatory T-DMB mobile TV tuner for youngsters and hipsters alike to find their favorite program when those hundreds of albums grow stale. We're hearing that the unit will feature a 3-inch touchscreen along with Bluetooth 2.0 and your choice of black or white motifs. Price wise, you'll be laying down ₩239,000 ($231), ₩309,000 ($299) or ₩389,000 ($377) for the 4GB, 8GB or 16GB version.

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Daewoo Lucoms hops in low-cost laptop game with Lukid

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/318978490/

Filed under: Laptops

Daewoo Lucoms is no stranger to building smallish computers, but it seems to have taken a few obvious design cues from Intel's 2go PC when crafting its own Lukid. According to the firm's site, this kid-friendly PC includes a 900MHz Celeron M ULV processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 9-inch display, 30GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition. There's also two USB jacks, audio in / out, WiFi, Ethernet and a rather unsightly (though quite useful, we imagine) carry handle. Expect this one to land in South Korea for around ₩549,000 ($531), though we haven't heard a peep in regard to availability elsewhere in the world.

[Via AVING]

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DARPA's Vulcan engine combines turbo jet with scramjet, faces will melt

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/319038699/

Filed under: Transportation

DARPA vulcan

When you're building a jet that exponentially accelerates past Mach 6 -- as one does -- you need to come up with a way to get it off the ground. Scramjets, or Constant Volume Combustion (CVC) engines, use compressed air and a reduced nozzle to accelerate planes, and they're a hot technology in aviation. Problem is, you have to get them to Mach 4 before the magic happens. Traditionally, scramjet tests have involved strapping the craft to supersonic jets to get the jet up to speed -- not a very cost-effective solution. DARPA has come up with a hybrid engine design called Vulcan that can power a craft like the Falcon HTV-3X to the magical point with a turbo jet and then switch to the CVC to get the craft to the promised land. They expect to have a working prototype by 2012. Check the concept video after the break.

Continue reading DARPA's Vulcan engine combines turbo jet with scramjet, faces will melt

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Intel's 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 gets tested

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/319146652/

Filed under: Laptops

Who says you need a desktop chip packed within a 3-inch thick, 15-pound beast of a "laptop" to get decent FPS while at a LAN party? Intel's speedy Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 checks in at 2.8GHz (prior to overclocking, of course), and promises to punish today's latest games while sipping less power and generating less heat than the aforementioned alternatives. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to sit down with said chip and put it to the test; overall, the Mobile X9000 "proved itself to be as fast as its desktop counterparts in many scenarios, all the while consuming less power as a complete system in the Dell XPS M730 notebook testbed." If you're the type that gets all hot and bothered by benchmarks and graphs, there's plenty of those in the read link below.

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Nokia dishes out OS2008 Feature Upgrade for N810 / N800

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/319146649/

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

The first official OS2008 update came to Nokia's internet tablets late last year, and those yearning for yet another can finally breath a sigh of relief. Reportedly, the company has pushed out the OS2008 Feature Upgrade for the N810 and N800, but we are told that users will still need to "reflash the device in order to install this release." Thankfully, future OS updates are slated to be provided over-the-air without the need to reflash. The changelog is actually quite lengthy, but the highlights include an open source email application based on Modest and the tinymail framework, simplified account setup and the introduction of Chinese character rendering support in email, browser and RSS feeds. Let us know how it goes, will ya?

[Image courtesy of Seartipy, thanks Ryan]

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Mitsubishi's LaserVue 65-inch and 75-inchers due this fall

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/319397586/

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We got a first glimpse of Mitsubishi's brand new rear-projection-ish laser-based TV tech, LaserVue, back at CES, but now the sets are just about primed for action, and should be hitting store shelves, as previously noted, Q3 2008. LaserVue will debut in 65-inch and 73-inch, with the 65-inch version hitting the scene first. Mitsubishi is still pretty coy about what exactly makes the technology tick -- other than the "zomg, lasers" aspect -- but is quick to point out the 200 percent color gamut that LaserVue provides, more than twice that of most traditional HDTVs. The sets also run at 120Hz, and boast 500 nits of brightness. Head to head against LCD and plasma sets we had trouble finding the differences, other than the color depth (particularly in the reds, almost too much so, though we're sure you can tweak that). Have no fear: the blacks are black, the brights are bright, and the viewing angle puts DLP to shame. That said, we're hearing price points are going to be more comparable to plasma and LCD than DLP, so Mitsubishi might have its work cut out for it in convincing consumers that these new "chubby," 10-inch thick TVs are the way to go. We're not entirely convinced ourselves, though one aspect can't be disputed: LaserVue draws under 200 watts, about half that of LCD and a third of plasma.

Gallery: Mitsubishi's LaserVue 65-inch and 75-inchers due this fall

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Monday, June 23, 2008

CNRS learns to control nanoscale strain in CPUs, heads to Jedi training

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/317745139/

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

We've always heard that Chewbacca and friends had the power to control nanoscale strain in processors in a galaxy far, far away, but we Earthlings are just now getting caught up. Researchers at the Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales (CEMES-CNRS) have reportedly patented a measurement device that will essentially "enable manufacturers to improve microprocessor production methods and optimize future computers." We'll warn you, the meat of this stuff is pretty technical, but the take home is this: the technique has a good chance at "optimizing strain modeling in transistors and enhancing their electrical efficiency," which is just what we need for more potent chips that demand less energy. And that's something even a layman can appreciate.

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Firefox 3.0 USB Lets You Take Your Browser Everywhere [Firefox]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/317728165/firefox-30-usb-lets-you-take-your-browser-everywhere

Those of you need Firefox 3 on the go can now get a portable USB edition of the browser from PortableApps.com. The download lets you launch Firefox from your USB and lets you bring all your extensions and bookmarks with you while making sure that the computer you're using doesn't end up saving your info. The file is 8MB and free (though, as with all open source stuff, I'm sure the folks at PortableApps would love it if you threw them a few bucks). [Portable Apps]

Researcher crafts tattoo / scar matching system to nab outlaws

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/317405431/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Passports and licenses are so last century -- these days, sophisticated crooks can change their identity on a whim, and one particular Michigan State University researcher is looking to stay one step ahead. Anil Jain has created an automatic image retrieval system dubbed Tattoo-ID, which "includes an annotated database containing images of scars, marks and tattoos" that is "linked to the criminal history records of all the suspects and convicts who have a tattoo." Essentially, the application will give law enforcement the ability to query on permanent skin markings, which sure beats manually flipping through ginormous books of images just hoping for a match. Reportedly, Jain and his team are continuing to improve the system, but there's been no word on how long it'll take before implementation can begin. Better stay on the straight and narrow, ~~Zune Guy~~ Microsoft Zune.

[Via TG Daily]

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Concentrating Solar SolFocus Looking for Funds

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/earth2tech/~3/316278921/

SolFocus, which makes systems that concentrate sunlight onto solar cells, has been slowly adding to its war chest over the last year. And according to a report out today from VentureWire, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company isn’t done fundraising just yet, and is looking to add between $60 million and $80 million in a Series C round. That would be in addition to the $95 million that the firm has already raised.

Concentrating solar photovoltaic systems are a weird bird. They fall somewhere between the massive solar thermal plants being built in the desert, and the standard photovoltaic panels that are becoming common on rooftops around the world. Unlike standard solar panel systems, “concentrating PV” setups use arrays with lenses and curved mirrors to focus the sunlight onto cells, which can produce more power with less material — SolFocus notes a 1 square centimeter cell can capture more than 500 square centimeters of sunlight. The setup reduces the amount of largely silicon-based panels used, and can significantly cut down on the cost of the system.

SolFocus is a little over two years old and is trying to grow fast in an attempt to commercialize its technology. The company is already selling select products to customers for installations as test sites, like a 500-kilowatt installation for the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems program in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Last July it bought Madrid-based solar tracking company InSpira to help scale the business by bringing down the cost of the trackers it uses.

The VentureWire report says SolFocus is now looking to raise funds for “growth and manufacturing.” Previously the company was funded by New Enterprise Associates, Moser Baer India, David Gelbaum, Metasystem Group, NGEN Partners and Yellowstone Capital.

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