Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Rehydr8 Water Filter Puts Brita To Shame [Environment]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IkhQtttLbNU/rehydr8-water-filter-puts-brita-to-shame

The word "awesome" is not used very often to describe a water filter, but the description is apt when referring to the Rehydr8 concept.

Apparently, the filter would use the magic of thermoacoustic refrigeration—a process that relies on sound waves and an environmentally safe gas like helium to generate cooling. Furthermore, each bottle features a built-in, powerless thermometer to display the temperature and ensure that you are getting a perfectly chilled container of water.

Is it an absurdly eco-friendly and elaborate way to replicate what could be done cheaply with a simple pitcher filter and some cubes of ice? Yes, yes it is. But it sure looks like the kind of water cooler that I would like to gossip around at work. [Yanko via Ubergizmo]

Sony Ericsson C903 Cybershot Phone Comes Complete With Geotagging, Flickr [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/E8-NfBtLyuo/sony-ericsson-c903-cybershot-phone-comes-complete-with-geotagging-flickr

The Sony Ericsson C903 Cybershot comes in a slider form factor and has a 2.4-inch screen, 5-megapixel camera, face detection and geotagging.

The phone also comes with a full suite of photo-specific features, such as Flickr Uploadr, ShutterSmile (snaps when it detects a smile) and BestPic (takes 9 rapid-fire photos, keeps the best) enhancements, as well as Photo and Video Blogging apps. The geotagging uses aGPS to carry out it's function, has an auto-rotating screen and dedicated camera buttons, but the phone only makes use of an HSPA cellular radio.

The C903 is essentially a lesser-equipped version of the 8.1-megapixel C905, but I prefer the look of the the C903, personally. The phone is expected to hit stores in Q2 2009. [Sony Ericsson via BB Gadgets]

Firefox Mobile Pre-Alpha Now Available for VGA Windows Mobile Phones [Firefox]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/SQHSz1Jap2Q/firefox-mobile-pre+alpha-now-available-for-vga-windows-mobile-phones

Just as Mozilla's developer wiki cryptically promised last week, a pre-alpha build of Firefox Mobile 'Fennec' has been made available for the HTC Touch Pro, though it'll work on many other VGA (480x640) WinMo phones.

The build is very rough and probably not usable for day-to-day browsing—early reports suggest that the loading time is very long, and that page loading is quite slow—but it should provide a glimpse of where Firefox Mobile is headed, how it will render pages and if its novel control scheme is usable on a device smaller than the N810.

The CAB download is available here, but I had no luck launching the app on my T-Mobilized HTC Touch Diamond variant. Let us know about your successes and failures in the comments. [WMExperts via Slashphone]

ASUS N81Vg: first laptop with NVIDIA's GeForce GT 120M

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/asus-n81vg-first-laptop-with-nvidias-geforce-gt-120m/

Not quite an ultraportable, but not quite a behemoth -- the 14-inch ASUS N81Vg fits nicely between the two laptop extremes, and given that it's the first to house NVIDIA's GeForce GT 120M graphics card, even gamers can feel free to sneak a deathmatch or two in between conference calls. The rig itself can be ordered with one of many Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, upwards of 500GB of hard drive space, an optional Blu-ray burner, 1.3 megapixel webcam and a battery good for three to four hours. The newfangled 120M GPU features NVIDIA CUDA technology, 32 processing cores, DirecX 10 support, 1080p video playback and 110 gigaflops of computing power. Per usual, ASUS is keeping quiet when it comes to pricing and release details, but it ought not be long now, tiger.

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

ASUS N81Vg: first laptop with NVIDIA's GeForce GT 120M originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verismo's VuNow internet TV platform ambushes OEM market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/verismos-vunow-internet-tv-platform-ambushes-oem-market/

If you're still resisting the onset of the internet TV revolution, we're here to inform you that your efforts are in vain. Shortly after launching a dedicated box at CES, Verismo Networks has announced an OEM program that's apparently drawing lots of attention from manufacturers of TVs, optical media players, AV receivers, etc. Essentially, the company is looking to get its open VuNow platform, which pulls in content from around the web, onto other standalone boxes and integrated within future devices -- much like Netflix's Watch Instantly has done, and exactly like we saw at CES with Netgear. And don't think the cash flow stops at the consumer level, as there are also opportunities within education and medicine sectors for institutions seeking a streamlined way of distributing learning materials. Watch out, pay-TV -- we've got options here, and we aren't afraid to use 'em.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Verismo's VuNow internet TV platform ambushes OEM market originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Regenerative shock absorbers developed by team at MIT

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/regenerative-shock-absorbers-developed-by-team-at-mit/

A team of undergrads at MIT -- led by Shakeel Avadhany and Zack Anderson -- has produced a prototype of a shock absorber for vehicles which can harness and generate electricity back into the vehicle. The team claims that their prototype increases a vehicle's fuel-efficiency by up to 10 percent by using a "hydraulic system that forces fluid through a turbine attached to a generator." There is an active electronic system for controlling and optimizing the damping for a smoother ride than regular old shocks. The team is actively seeking to develop and commercialize the product, and have already seen interest in the prototype from the United States military and also several manufacturers of trucks, which see the most benefit from the shocks... so look for these guys on Grave Digger any day now.

Filed under: Transportation

Regenerative shock absorbers developed by team at MIT originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SanDisk, Toshiba hype up X3 and X4 flash tech

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/11/sandisk-toshiba-developing-64gb-compact-flash/

We've been following the perambulations of SanDisk and Toshiba's joint efforts for quite some time now -- from their work with "3D" memory technology to their renegotiation after the Samsung buyout debacle -- and all that love resulted in two announcements today: first, the X4 tech that SanDisk acquired when it purchased Msystems in 2006 will be used, alongside the companies' 43nm manufacturing process, to develop 64GB Compact Flash cards as early as the first half of this year. Second, it looks like 32nm X3 MLC NAND is a go, meaning we should see some seriously jacked SDHC and microSD cards in the future. Yes, but will they ever learn to make this exciting?

[Via Electronista]

Read - X4 flash
Read - X3 flash

Filed under: Storage

SanDisk, Toshiba hype up X3 and X4 flash tech originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's tiny 120Mbps Wireless USB chipset ready for Q2 launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/11/samsungs-tiny-120mbps-wireless-usb-chipset-ready-for-q2-launch/

Today things are a bit more clear as to why Intel abandoned its own Ultra Wide-Band efforts in favor of off-the-shelf solutions: Samsung just announced its ultra-fast Wireless USB chipset. Samsung's tiny 8 x 8-mm (0.31 x 0.31-inch) chip operates in the traditional 3.1 ~ 10.6GHz Certified Wireless USB space and delivers a relatively blistering 120Mbps data transfer rate (measured, not theoretical) compared to the 50Mbps achieved by current solutions -- that's a single ripped 700MB film transferred in about a minute from a range of about 3 meters. It also features 128-bit AES encryption and other security mechanisms meant to safeguard your data during transmission. The SystemOnChip design consumes 300mW of power and brings a built-in ARM core, UWB (ultra wide-band) physical layer, and memory controller while interfacing with SD cards, MMC, NAND, and USB 2.0 without any additional circuitry. In other words, expect to see Samsung's Wireless USB in digital cameras, MP3 player, speakers and more when these chips hit mass production in Q2.

It's worth noting that Samsung is a member of the Wireless USB Promoter Group that pushes the "Certified Wireless USB" standard. However, with Wireless USB start-up WiQuest out of the picture and zero references made to the standard or use of the group's logo, this might very well be a proprietary grab at the short-range wireless space that has received very little interest from vendors to date. We'll find out more more when Samsung presents its WUSB solution for the first time at Mobile World Congress next week.

[Via Samsung Korea]

Filed under: Wireless

Samsung's tiny 120Mbps Wireless USB chipset ready for Q2 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iriver's Wave-Home WiFi VoIP appliance launches on KT Telecom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/11/irivers-wave-home-wifi-voip-appliance-launches-on-kt-telecom/

While Verizon gets its Hub, lucky KT Telecom subscribers in Korea now have access to iriver's Wave-Home. The kits sells for 297,000 Korean Won or about $210 and features a WiFi VoIP handset in addition to that larger 7-inch display with 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing, surfing the web, checking your calendar and so on. You've gotta hand it to iriver, they reveal the initial UNIT2-S concept at a European trade show in August, refine it in Las Vegas for CES in January, and then launch it back home a month later. Now that's style.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

iriver's Wave-Home WiFi VoIP appliance launches on KT Telecom originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Dell's Mini 10 launching on or around February 27th?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/dells-mini-10-launching-on-or-around-february-27th/

We'd be highly skeptical of this one (in fact, we actually are highly skeptical), but we've seen a Dell rep or two speak the truth before. To that end, we figured it prudent to pass along Sir Paul Synnott's recent chat with an online Dell UK representative. Upon asking for more details on the future release of the Mini 10 netbook -- you know, that machine that was unveiled at CES and then promptly forgotten? -- he was amazingly hit back with a definitive ship date: February 27th. He was also told that the power adapter would be a "smaller one, as with the Mini 9," and that pricing was yet to be determined. We know, it reeks of fish, but the date itself doesn't sound all that outlandish. Guess we'll just have to wait and see, eh?

Filed under: Laptops

Dell's Mini 10 launching on or around February 27th? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel invests $7 billion in Stateside 32nm manufacturing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/intel-invests-7-billion-in-stateside-32nm-manufacturing/

You might not be getting you hands on that Calpella any time soon, but that isn't a sign that Intel is backing down -- if anything, the company has big things in store, including a newly announced $7 billion plan to upgrade four of its Stateside facilities so they can start rolling out those new-fangled 32nm chips we've been hearing so much about. This is good news for the struggling American manufacturing sector, and great news for fans of smaller, faster gadgets -- but not particularly great news for AMD, who entered the new year with a $1.4 billion loss and an eroding share of the x86 processor market.

[Via Forbes]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel invests $7 billion in Stateside 32nm manufacturing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 5630 XpressMusic gets demoed on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/nokia-5630-xpressmusic-gets-demoed-on-video/

We've already gotten the official rundown on Nokia's slim new 5630 XpressMusic handset, but nothing completes a cellphone launch like a video of the phone being flipped around atop a makeshift backdrop, and Nokia's Conversations blog has thankfully come through in this case. As you can glimpse above, this one includes a dual-LED flash to complement the 3.2 megapixel camera, and the rest of the specs are certainly none too shabby for an S60 candybar, including HSDPA and HSUPA connectivity, an included 4GB microSD card, stereo Bluetooth and, last but not least, a 3.5mm headphone jack. Head on past the break for the video, or hit up the read link below to check out a higher quality version.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading Nokia 5630 XpressMusic gets demoed on video

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia 5630 XpressMusic gets demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel demos first-ever 32nm processors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/10/intel-demos-first-ever-32nm-processors/

Intel had a little roadmap event today to shed some light on its massive $7b fab investment, and the focus was mostly on the upcoming transition to 32nm processors -- highlighted by the first-ever demo of a working 32nm Nehalem-based Westmere chip. It was just a demo, so there aren't any hard benchmarks available, but eventually the tech will show up in the Calpella platform's dual-core Clarkdale laptop processors that integrate two processor cores, a graphics core, and a memory controller all in a chip the size of one 45nm quad-core Clarksfield chip. (Yes, the codenames are confusing as hell.) Intel wouldn't lock down the schedule for any of this stuff, but when we asked them about the rumored Calpella delays we heard about this morning we were told that parts of the platform will definitely go into production sometime in 2009. Video, slides, and the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Intel demos first-ever 32nm processors

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel demos first-ever 32nm processors originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Add-Art Replaces Advertisements with Artwork [Firefox]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/HNcsz7FCUyU/add+art-replaces-advertisements-with-artwork

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Add-Art is a unique advertisement-blocking solution for Firefox. Instead of simply deleting ads from the page, it replaces them with art by featured artists.

The open-source project was inspired by the popularity of ad-blocking Firefox extensions—Adblock Plus, the perennial Lifehacker favorite, is downloaded over 250,000 times a week—and a desire to put all those blocked pitches to good use. Artists are selected by a team of curators to have their work displayed, and the roster is rotated every two weeks. An interesting twist to the project is that the artists themselves can target sites with their artwork—it'll be up to you to decide why there are photographs of unicorns wearing party hats during your daily reading of the New York Times. Add-Art won't be too tempting to those who ad-block to streamline for speed or memory use, but for those tired of seeing "ONE WEIGHT LOSS RULE" and the like might just enjoy the web a bit more. Add-Art is free, works wherever Firefox does.

Add-Art [via Download Squad]

JPEG & PNG Stripper Removes the Metadata from Your Images [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/PQgCR6E5QlA/jpeg--png-stripper-removes-the-metadata-from-your-images

Windows only: JPEG & PNG Stripper an extremely small portable application that strips the metadata out of JPEG and PNG image files.

Why would you want to strip down an image file? Ask former TechTV host Cat Schwartz, who in 2003 received a rather embarrassing lesson in the power of metadata. In short, a cropped headshot posted on her blog contained an embedded, full-pic thumbnail with, well, a lot more than just a head and shoulders. Even if you're not cropping your mug out of a nude composition, there are others reasons you'd want to remove the metadata from an image. All sorts of information—like exposure time, aperture settings, camera used, and GPS coordinates—can potentially be embedded into an image.

JPEG & PNG Stripper removes every bit of metadata, leaving just the unaltered image behind. Whatever your motivation for sanitizing your image, you'll know that only the image itself remains. The screenshot at right shows a read of some of the metadata for an image I scrubbed in testing and, as promised, the application ripped all the metadata out without altering the appearance of the image itself. JPEG & PNG Stripper is freeware, Windows only.

JPEG & PNH Stripper [via gHacks]

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