Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

NVIDIA licenses PhysX technology for Sony's PlayStation 3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/nvidia-licenses-physx-technology-for-sonys-playstation-3/

After being on the tip of gamers' tongues last summer, NVIDIA's PhysX technology has cooled a bit in terms of sheer popularity. That said, we've no doubt that the buzz will be back in force after this one clears the airwaves. NVIDIA has just announced that it has nailed down a tools and middleware license agreement for Sony's PlayStation 3, effectively bringing the aforesaid physics tech to what's arguably the most potent game console on the market today. As a result of the deal, a PhysX software development kit (SDK) is now available to registered PS3 developers as a free download for use on the SCEI Developer Network. What exactly this means for future PS3 games remains to be seen, but one's things for sure: it's only up from here.

Filed under: Gaming

NVIDIA licenses PhysX technology for Sony's PlayStation 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon readying subsidized HP laptops, Hub 2

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/verizon-readying-subsidized-hp-laptops-hub-2/

We just got a pair of small-but-juicy Verizon rumors from a very reliable tipster: first, we hear that HP and Big Red are working together on subsidized WWAN-enabled laptops for launch in Q2. Exactly what machines will be involved can't be confirmed, but if we had our guess we'd say Big Red's got a cheap Mini 1000 on a two-year contract in the works, since these so-called "netbooks" are all the rage these days. Second, a updated version of the charming-but-questionably-useful Hub "landline killer" home phone is due out in the second half of the year, and VZW's apparently retargeting it a little: we're told it'll be more upscale and boast even more features. And here we thought that internet radio widget was gettin' all crazy. No word on pricing for any of this stuff, but we'd bet we'll find out more soon.

Filed under: Household, Laptops, Wireless

Verizon readying subsidized HP laptops, Hub 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIA's 1080p-lovin' VX855 chipset emerges in MacBook Air knockoff

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/vias-1080p-lovin-vx855-chipset-emerges-in-macbook-air-knockoff/

We've already seen one legitimate laptop maker botch up its specification sheet within the past 24 hours, so we certainly wouldn't put it past a KIRF-maker to pull a similar trick. At least on paper, Top Crown Technology Limited's simply-titled 3G Notebook includes a 1.3GHz VIA Nano CPU, the newfangled VX885 Media System Processor, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 576), Chrome9 graphics, a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD, 3-in-1 multicard reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5G WWAN and a pair of built-in speakers. The only problem is the backwards Apple logo and the absolute assurance that this thing will be just marginally less craptastic than the "world's cheapest laptop." For shame.

[Via NetbookNews]

Filed under: Laptops

VIA's 1080p-lovin' VX855 chipset emerges in MacBook Air knockoff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/iphone-os-3-0-hands-on/

We're not saying how, but we got hooked up with the beta of iPhone OS 3.0. Overall, things feel about the same until you flick left that extra time and hit the Spotlight screen, which works just as advertised. It's definitely a beta, though: it's laggy all around and some things don't work, like taking a photo directly in the MMS app. We took some quick snaps, check 'em out below and let us know what you want to see in the video!

Update: Added a few snaps of the landscape keyboard in Messages and Mail, anything else?

Gallery: iPhone 3.0 hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for us! e of fee ds.

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Fujitsu melts faces and wallets with FLEPia, the first color e-book for general consumption

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/18/fujitsu-melts-faces-and-wallets-with-flepia-the-first-color-e-b/

After years of teasing -- FLEPia was first announced in April of 2007, and first proven in 2006 -- Fujitsu has at last released its color e-book (or e-paper mobile terminal, as they'd like you to call it) to the masses. Featuring an 8-inch XGA screen capable of displaying 260,000 colors, along with Bluetooth, WiFi and up to 4GB of storage via SD card, and measuring less than half an inch thick, FLEPia's not just getting by on color alone. Fujitsu promises 40 hours of continuos use, and the unit can be operated by its touchscreen or the assortment of function buttons. Naturally you can do the regular e-book thing, but the Japanese version of the device also includes full-on Windows CE 5.0, which would probably be a bit of a chore to use with the relatively slow screen refresh times of e-ink (1.8 seconds for a single wipe), but undeniably retrofuturistic. FLEPia ships on April 20th in Japan for 99,750 Yen (about $1,010 US).

[Via Engadget Japanese]

Read - English press release
Read - Videos of FLEPia in action

Filed under: Handhelds

Fujitsu melts faces and wallets with FLEPia, the first color e-book for general consumption originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iBUYPOWER's Gamer Power 906 rig does Intel Quad-core for a bit over $700

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/18/ibuypowers-gamer-power-906-rig-does-intel-quad-core-for-a-bit-o/

Sure, there are endless desktop configurations out there and oodles of good deals, but we're still smitten with this particular setup from iBUYPOWER: the Gamer Power 906. Putting that name to good use, they've managed to toss together an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 processor, NVIDIA 9600GT graphics with 1GB of RAM, a 500GB SATA hard drive and 4GB of system memory. There was even enough change left over for interior lighting -- and we all know about the direct correlation between ground effects for nerds and frags per minute. Available now for $710.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

iBUYPOWER's Gamer Power 906 rig does Intel Quad-core for a bit over $700 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psystar pushes its luck, launches new Open (3) Mac clone desktop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/18/psystar-pushes-its-luck-launches-new-open-3-mac-clone-desktop/

Psystar pushes its luck, launches new Open (3) Mac clone desktop

Other Mac-cloners may know their time is limited, but good 'ol Psystar just keeps on forging straight ahead -- despite being locked in a nasty legal battle with Apple that could result in it getting shut down any moment now. Ignoring that (sophisticated looking) elephant in the corner for a moment, the company has released its latest model, called the Open(3). It sports your choice of processors ranging from a 2.8GHz Core2Duo E7400 up to a 2.53GHz Core2Quad Q8200, up to 4GB of memory, 1TB of storage, a 6x Blu-ray burner, and graphics from an NVIDIA GeForce 9500GT, all packaged in a slim case that, while not quite up to Cupertino standards, certainly looks a fair bit more visually appealing than its previous black boxes. Prices start at just $599, but tick all those option buttons and you'll be looking at something closer to $2,000 -- a lot, but close to $1,000 less than a comparably spec'd Mac Pro. Get 'em while you can.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Desktops

Psystar pushes its luck, launches new Open (3) Mac clone desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

ASUS EeeBox PC B208 with dual-core Atom and HD 4350 graphics un-announced

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/asus-eeebox-pc-b208-with-dual-core-atom-and-hd-4350-graphics-un/

Funny. After making a brief appearance on ASUS' website, its top-end EeeBox PC B208 disappeared. Fortunately, there's Google cache. The B208 trumps ASUS' B206 by slapping a dual-core, 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor into the slim, monitor-riding slab as well as 256MB of ATI Radeon Hd 4350 graphics. That should help make the most of the built-in HDMI port and 320GB hard disk (plus 4x USB 2.0) should you like to use the little guy as a make-shift 802.11n / gigabit Ethernet media server (buzzing along at 26dB) on your home network. No price given but we expect it to pop for less than 500 bucks, eventually.

[Thanks, Brad]

Filed under: Desktops, Media PCs

ASUS EeeBox PC B208 with dual-core Atom and HD 4350 graphics un-announced originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sandalone Eye-Fi Server hack one-ups Eye-Fi Manager

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/sandalone-eye-fi-server-hack-one-ups-eye-fi-manager/

For those of you who love the concept of the Eye-Fi, but detest being forced to talk to its servers and send pictures precisely how it wants you to, take heart. A standalone Eye-Fi server has now been presented to the general public, and while it's written in a language that few understand these days (it's Python, and no, we're not joking), the functionality here is second to none. By tapping into this code, users can instruct their Eye-Fi cards to upload photos to different online galleries by running around the Eye-Fi Manager middleware. We know you're interested in giving this a go yourself, so feel free to slip on the Coke Bottle Glasses[TM] and hit that read link.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wireless, Storage

Sandalone Eye-Fi Server hack one-ups Eye-Fi Manager originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio's high-speed EX-FS10 bursts into stores a little later and pricier than expected

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/casios-high-speed-ex-fs10-bursts-into-stores-a-little-later-and/

Casio's high-speed EX-FS10 bursts into stores a little later and pricier than expected

Looking to get some bodacious slow-mo shots of your latest kick-flip? Maybe fake a moon landing or two? Or, how about taking some blurry 9.1 megapixel pictures through a 3x non-stabilized zoom lens? All this can be yours, dear readers, later this month when Casio launches the EX-FS10 point-and-shoot, capable of capturing full-res video at 30fps or cut-rate 224 x 64 footage at a whopping 1000fps. If you don't mind pasty cameras (and live in Japan) you can buy yourself one in white on March 27. Red and gray versions will ship a few weeks later, on April 10, all for around $450.

[Via Impress]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Casio's high-speed EX-FS10 bursts into stores a little later and pricier than expected originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gazaro Logs Gadget Prices Over Time (So You Don't Get Screwed) [Dealzmodo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dYPK8uFXjHk/gazaro-logs-gadget-prices-over-time-so-you-dont-get-screwed

Comparison search engines only show you whose price is best in that instant. Now, at least one service finally has a tracker that lets you see what each retailer charged for gadgets over time.

After I read about Gazaro on Consumerist, I signed up (free) and looked up the Nikon D90 and Panasonic's 50" TH-50PZ80U, which you can see tracked below at both Amazon and NewEgg.

For the plasma, you'll notice that Amazon's pricing is better, but sadly, the historical data doesn't go back very far. It seems Amazon pricing only goes back to January 1, though NewEgg's goes back to last fall. As a new service, Gazaro will probably only get better as it accumulates more useful historical data. The prices do appear to include the low ones that are not always revealed on the page—Gazaro has up-to-date correct pricing on Amazon's merchandise despite the "click here to see price" obstacle.

As you see above, you view the pricing as a graph, with rollover data points that reveal prices on certain arbitrary dates. But look below—sticklers for raw data can view it all in a chart.

I know for a fact that I will hit up this site all the time when doing researching so-called good deals, because, like in the Amazon plasma-TV example above, even the "best" deals aren't as good some of the time as they are at other times.

This may not be the only comparative search engine that has price trac! king ove r time—we recently covered the sweet Zoetrope concept by Adobe that did something similar, but much broader. If you know of other actual running price trackers, please share them in comments below. It is my wish that all comparative shopping engines did it, and if none of them do it yet, all the more reason to sign up for Gazaro. [Gazaro via Consumerist]

UPDATE: I'd also like to point out ZooLert as another option in this field—I am happy to see that this movement is gaining steam. It's great news for smart shoppers.

Castrade intros CV-MP02 pocket projector

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/16/castrade-intros-cv-mp02-pocket-projector/

Castrade, previously known for the CV-MP01 pico (you remember: the one that famously fits inside a wine glass) has just announced the CV-MP02, a larger but still decently small pocket projector. This little guy looks a lot like 3M's MPro 110, but the VGA (640 x 480) projector boasts 10 ANSI lumens, uses an LCoS display, and the use of LCD lamps should reduce heat and sound coming off the projector. It's got two ports (composite and VGA), and uses a lithium-ion battery for about an hour of running time before needing a charge. It's a Japan only release, and will cost ¥35,000 (around $400).

Filed under: Displays

Castrade intros CV-MP02 pocket projector originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Adamo announced: 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, $1,999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/dell-adamo-announced-1-2ghz-core-2-duo-1-999/

After months of drawn-out buildup, the Adamo endgame has played out pretty damn fast: we had pricing and box pictures leak just about an hour ago, and now Dell's officially announced the first machine in the Adamo line, the 13.4-inch model we saw at CES. Sadly, it sounds like beauty is only aluminum-skin deep here: that hot little case holds a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo U9300 with integrated Intel X4500 graphics, 2GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, and it all weighs four pounds -- a pound more than the MacBook Air. Not exactly a barnstormer, especially for $1,999 -- it looks like you're spending the majority of that cash on high-end design flourishes like a magnetic cover that hides the Microsoft-required Windows authenticity sticker. Hopefully this thing will be joined by some higher-powered siblings when it arrives on March 26th, keep your fingers crossed. Two videos and the full release after the break.

Update: Looks like CNET scored one early -- check out their hands-on here, and a pic of that magnetic cover here.

Gallery: Dell Adamo

Continue reading Dell Adamo announced: 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, $1,999

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Adamo announced: 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, $1,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peek arrives for small businesses in $149 5-pack

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/17/peek-arrives-for-small-businesses-in-149-5-pack/

As Peek continues to poke, prod and experiment in order to find the best niche(s) to serve, it has now pushed out a sweetly priced 5-pack designed for small businesses. Reportedly, "lots" of these smaller operations have been looking for "more affordable solutions" to everyone toting BlackBerry devices, and this is Peek's answer to that so-called demand. The offer, which delivers five Peek email-only handhelds for $149.95, is set to expire on April 3rd, and business owners should still be aware that each handset will require a $19.95 monthly fee to stay connected. Peek's David Madden has informed us that this offer is just the tip of the iceberg, noting that it has "a few more tricks up its sleeves for the SMB market." We're literally on the edge of our seats here -- aren't you?

Filed under: Handhelds

Peek arrives for small businesses in $149 5-pack originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Nextar's MA809 PMP is seductively thin, still too pricey

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/16/nextars-ma809-pmp-is-seductively-thin-still-too-pricey/

We'll hand it to Nextar here, the MA809 is sexy enough to roll with the hottest PMPs on the market today, but the pricing strategy needs a serious revision. Said player sports a 2.8-inch display (400 x 240 resolution), an integrated voice recorder, support for MP3 and WMA files, an FM tuner / recorder, built-in speaker and a stopwatch to boot. Furthermore, it includes 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of storage space, while the microSD card slot leaves open the possibility for expansion beyond that. Nextar claims that you'll get up to eight hours of continuous music play or up to three hours of video viewing with a fully charged Li-ion, but we still don't see it really breaking through by being hosted up at Sears for $99.99 (2GB), $119.99 (4GB) and $149.99 (8GB). Maybe we just need a little hope, though. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Nextar's MA809 PMP is seductively thin, still too pricey

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Nextar's MA809 PMP is seductively thin, still too pricey originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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