Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, November 07, 2008

EWA System Sucks Drinkable Water Out of Thin Air [Water]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YhrfARfKy-Q/ewa-system-sucks-drinkable-water-out-of-thin-air

While energy issues tend to get a lot more media play, a perhaps even bigger challenge we'll need to collectively deal with soon is the problem of potable water. Israeli company EWA is hoping to help nations with less fresh water resources get it inexpensively by turning humidity in the air into drinkable fluids. EWA, which stands for Extraction of Water from Air, uses a heat-based absorption system and a special energy saving condenser to suck moisture from the atmosphere and into reservoirs cleanly and efficiently.

The technology works thusly: First, the desiccant, made of silica-based gel granules, absorbs the air's humidity using an exothermic (heat releasing) process. Then the water is drawn out of the gel and condensated. It's not the first water from air generator out there, but its heat recovery techniques have vastly reduced the cost for producing water with this method. The end product is cheaper to operate than other filtration systems, such as desalination.

According to EWA, one cubic kilometer of air contains about 10 to 40 thousand tons of water, enough for two million to not go thirsty. Considering that over half the world's population could be facing a water crisis by 2025, this kind of technology is definitely something we should keep an eye on. [Green Prophet]

Google Seals Up Android 'Jailbreak' in Automatic Update [Android]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/e-qF2cxGPz0/google-seals-up-android-jailbreak-in-automatic-update

It only took Google about three days to recognize, examine and fix the vulnerability that allowed Android phones to be 'jailbroken', and users should see the fix (update RC30) pushed to their phones via an over the air update during the next few days. From the mouth of the Google:

We've been notified of this issue (Jailbreaking of Android) and have developed a fix. We're currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes.

So what do Android users stand to lose from this Apple-like vigilance?

At present, very little. The so-called 'jailbreak' was of a completely different nature than the app-enabling hack that iPhone users are now so accustomed to. The technique was a telnet trick that allowed for easy root access to the operating system. The reality of the situation is less like a 'jailbreak' in the iPhone sense, and more like finding the administrative password on a desktop Linux system.

The exploit did provide more access to the the Android's core functions, some of which could be useful for app development and porting to other phones, but it also exposed a gaping vulnerability that would be immediately shut on any other Linux distribution. Google's fix is most accurately characterized as a security fix, not a party poop. [ModMyGphone, XDA —Thanks, Kyle]

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/JgJ1UmalJaI/

Filed under: Cellphones

Hot on the heels of RIM's BlackBerry Bold finally hitting AT&T sales channels comes word that Japan's NTT DoCoMo has also joined in to offer the handset. As the Asian carriers dump their cornucopia of fall 2008 mobiles onto the world, this particular one is serving up 22, all divided into the STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO series. Naturally, the latter category piques our interest the most, as it hosts the Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Touch Pro (HT-01A), HTC Touch Diamond (HT-02A) and Sharp's decidedly handsome SH-04A. Feel free to have a look at the entire family (and their respective launch dates) just below in the read link.

NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's T*Omnia praised by Ballmer in Korea, older Omnia coming to US this month?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/t2St_vJ2bHQ/

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Steve Ballmer definitely gets around, last month taking a trip to the UK just to mock Android, this month heading all the way to Korea to praise Samsung's new T*Omnia. He says it's "at the forefront of this new generation of mobile devices," and digs how it "brings together communications, productivity, multimedia, and entertainment in a way that meets the needs of both consumers and mobile professionals." We think he's most fond of its operating system (WinMo 6.1), but must admit we're smitten by the handset too -- especially its 800 x 480 screen. That's more than twice the resolution of the older Omnia, which by the sounds of it will be released in the US sometime this month. Samsung didn't actually say which Omnia, but since it's the older one that's been FCC approved don't go holding your breath for WVGA goodness. Lucky Koreans, meanwhile, can expect the T*Omnia to start being served up by SK Telecom on November 20.

Samsung's T*Omnia praised by Ballmer in Korea, older Omnia coming to US this month? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC's Touch HD now available for Â£514.99

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hDSZkQMnDEo/

Filed under: Cellphones

It's not apt to ever go on sale in America (okay, so maybe there's a sliver of a sliver of a chance), but HTC's Touch HD is now on sale for fortunate Britons with a fair amount of poundage to spare. The drop-dead gorgeous WinMo 6.1 handset can be procured right now for £514.99 ($821) sans contract, but if you're a North American mulling an import, you should obviously tack on a few more bills to that. You're still mulling, aren't you?

[Via MoDaCo]

HTC's Touch HD now available for £514.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AU Optronics' miraculous LCD Panels can read fingerprints or UV levels

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1JAHOEN7gKY/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Female? User of LCD panels? Have fingerprints that need read? Worried about skin cancer? If you answer "yes" to any or all of these questions, we have news that is sure to knock your sun-lovin' socks off. Among the items on display at this year's FPD International Exhibition in Yokohama are two exciting LCD panels: they're both 2.8 inches, and they're both manufactured by AU Optronics (a company that knows a thing or two about liquid crystal displays). The first panel functions as a fingerprint scanner -- it boasts a pixel count of 320 x 240, each pixel is equipped with four optical sensors, and sends its output to a 640 x 480 monitor. The other panel uses similar technology to measure the intensity of UV rays, numerically displaying the results on a scale of 0 to 11. According to the company, the UV reader "is targeted at female users who are concerned about the amount of UV light outdoors." There's no word yet on a UV reader for men, but you'll know as soon as we do.

AU Optronics' miraculous LCD Panels can read fingerprints or UV levels originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T Fuze dummies popping up in stores

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/4Ta1cmkuizQ/

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Sprint beat 'em with the Touch Pro, but that doesn't mean a throng of AT&T customers aren't going to be delighted to hear that the Fuze is now shipping to stores -- sort of. Retail locations are receiving dummy Fuzes now, which don't do much good if you're trying to store contacts, make appointments, or place calls, but at least give us a solid indication that retail availability ain't too far off. Sorry, Tilt -- you had a good run, but our lust definitely lies elsewhere at this point.

AT&T Fuze dummies popping up in stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG debuts 13.3-inch XNOTE P310 premium laptop

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/TLXeIs4ivCM/

Filed under: Laptops

LG may not have strayed to far from the outward appearance of the XNOTE P300 with its new P310 model, but it looks to have given the "premium" laptop a decent enough upgrade under the hood, with it now finally getting bumped up to the Centrino 2 platform. That upgrade also includes a speedier 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo T9400 processor, 3GB of DDR3 memory, 2GB of Intel Turbo Memory a 320GB hard drive, and some decent enough NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics, not to mention the same LED-backlit 13.3-inch display as before. No word on a price just yet, but we're guessing it won't be too far off the €1,599 (or just over $2,000) its predecessor demanded.

[Via Hallyu Tech]

LG debuts 13.3-inch XNOTE P310 premium laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm gets unboxed, looks smashing

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Fw6LpxgflBU/

Filed under: Cellphones

Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm is way ahead of Verizon's in terms of availability, so you North Americans are going to have to suffer through the agony that is knowing Voda subscribers are delighting in this handset well before you. And now, we've even got pictures to make the wait that much more excruciating. T3 has managed to get a RIM-issued BlackBerry Storm underneath the lens for a quick unboxing, and while nothing is out of the ordinary, we definitely got that warm, tingly feeling in our chest when watching a shiny new handset meet its owner for the first time. Flip through the gallery in the read link and see if you don't feel it, too.

[Via CrackBerry]

Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm gets unboxed, looks smashing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS 5D Mark II sample video is very HD and very unofficial

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/M3Jc7U4kwMM/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon has already provided a few carefully prepared sample videos taken with its new EOS 5D Mark II DSLR, but those that prefer things a bit more unofficial may want to head on over to Akihabara News, which has new demo video of its own. Not surprisingly, the camera definitely impresses even when taken out of Canon's capable and controlling hands, but there's not much use in us simply describing it -- hit up the read link below to check it out for yourself (assuming your computer and internet connection is up to the task).

Canon EOS 5D Mark II sample video is very HD and very unofficial originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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