Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Averatec introduces 25.5-inch D1200 all-in-one PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/averatec-introduces-25-5-inch-d1200-all-in-one-pc/

Nah, it's no netbook, but it's certainly more than a rumor. Averatec has just cut loose details on its newest machine, a 25.5-inch PC / TV combo that looks to take on the likes of MSI's AE1900. The D1200 all-in-one PC comes equipped with a hybrid digital / analog TV tuner and supports buttery smooth 1080p playback. Specs wise, you'll find a 2.5GHz dual-core E5200 processor, 320GB hard drive, 4GB of memory and Vista Home Premium (64-bit). There's also an 8x DVD burner, 2 megapixel webcam, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, Intel's G4500HD graphics, a wireless remote and a panel that's either WXGA or 1,920 x 1,200, depending on which version of the rundown you read. At any rate, it's up for order as we speak for a buck under $1,000.

Gallery: Averatec introduces 25.5-inch D1200 all-in-one PC

Filed under: Desktops, Displays

Averatec introduces 25.5-inch D1200 all-in-one PC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ExpressCard 2.0 standard finally finalized, faster than ever

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/expresscard-2-0-standard-finally-finalized-faster-than-ever/

A final spec has been promised for over a year now, but the PCMCIA folks have just now finally settled on the long-awaited ExpressCard 2.0 standard which, among other things, incorporates the new SuperSpeed USB spec to allow for faster transfer rates. In real world use, that should translate to transfer rates up to 5Gbps, or roughly 10 times faster than the previous ExpressCard 1.2 standard. Otherwise, you can naturally expect full backwards compatibility with existing ExpressCards and, as PCMCIA hopes, even more products using the format in the future now that it has all that extra bandwidth, although it seems Apple didn't get that memo.

Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals

ExpressCard 2.0 standard finally finalized, faster than ever originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia hopes to one-up Touchstone, harness wireless power for "ambient" phone charging

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/nokia-hopes-to-one-up-touchstone-harness-wireless-power-for-am/

Like a page torn right out of the government's top secret files on Nikola Tesla, a Nokia research team is working on a wireless energy harvesting mechanism, which sucks up all that cancer-giving RF floating through the air and turns it into electrical current. Their goal is about to capture about 50 milliwatts of power for "ambient charging" -- which would at least be enough to top off the battery while the phone is off. Unfortunately, right now their current prototypes are only pulling down 3 to 5 milliwatts, and many in the industry are convinced it can't be done (don't worry, Nokia, that's just The Man, keeping you down). To be honest, we're not totally sure were comfortable with the thought that there's enough RF floating around to make this even theoretically possible, but as we slowly come to grips with our own mortality, we imagine we'd gladly pay an extra $70 or so for the privilege of never having to charge our phone again. Nokia itself isn't over promising: they plan on supplementing this juice with solar power, and thinks it'll be three or four years until it makes its way into a handset -- probably around the time your existing iPhone contract dries up.

[Thanks, CanisMinor]

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Nokia hopes to one-up Touchstone, harness wireless power for "ambient" phone charging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fedora 11 packs a next-gen file system, faster boot times, all the joys and pitfalls of Linux

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/fedora-11-packs-a-next-gen-file-system-faster-boot-times-all-t/

Linux just gets sexier and sexier, and Fedora 11 just joined Ubuntu 9.04 in the ranks of super modern Linux distros released this year. Fedora doesn't have all the desktop refinements of Ubuntu, or the wild popularity, but it does act as the underpinnings of Intel's Moblin, and the Sugar OS, and doesn't shy away from the future. Fedora 11 makes the bleeding edge ext4 filesystem the default for installs, which speeds performance and improves data integrity -- Ubuntu offers ext4 as an option, but some application incompatibilities have caused data loss problems, so hopefully Fedora has overcome that. Fedora 11 also has boot times in its sights, with a goal to be at the login screen in 20 seconds, new versions of GNOME and KDE desktop environments (GNOME is default, but KDE 4.2 is looking great) and plenty of other minor and major tweaks. Sure, it's still Linux: most folks who expect to just swap out their Windows environment wholesale are sure to be sorely disappointed, but it's clear the steady march of progress continues unabated -- and hey, it's good enough for Intel and the children.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Fedora 11 packs a next-gen file system, faster boot times, all the joys and pitfalls of Linux originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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130-Megapixel Camera Made From a Run-Of-The-Mill Scanner and an Ancient Lens [Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/O9FAXdssmQ8/130+megapixel-camera-made-from-a-run+of+the+mill-scanner-and-an-ancient-lens

The idea of a scanner-made camera is nothing super new, but concocting one which snaps photos at 130-megapixels is pretty amazing. That's exactly what some Japanese dude with a touch of tech know-how accomplished.

Spyuge, the amateur photographer responsible for this DIY gem, says that he took a 1200 dpi Epson GT-S620 scanner, and an old Canon FD 50mm lens, fusing the two together to produce this. He said he chose that particular scanner because it has a CCD sensor, uses a camera-like lens of its own and uses LED lighting. In some of the shots, there's obviously noticeable noise even at 800 or 1024 res, but all things considered, these photos are more than respectable.

Bouncing Red Ball also has a close-up zoom to show what kind of detail the camera setup can produce (SPOILER: it's not shabby at all). For the few brave ones out there, you can also check out a full-resolution image for yourself. This is not for the faint of heart. In case you don't want to do the (relatively basic) math, a 130-megapixel image calculates out to roughly a 13,000x10,000 res! olution image.

Meanwhile the rest of us can appreciate some of the shots found in Spyuge's Flickr stream. [Spyuge via Bouncing Red Ball via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Nokia N97 available tomorrow at US flagship stores

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/nokia-n97-available-tomorrow-at-us-flagship-stores/

Sorry, preorderers -- you've once again gotten gamed by the quick-draw Nokia flagship stores in New York and Chicago who've received stock of the black version of the N97 today. You can't buy the units just yet, but they'll be available tomorrow morning -- the only catch is that there are established waitlists at both locations, so you might have to wait for those folks to burn through stock before you get your own. It'll run $699.99, so, you know... do what you've gotta do tonight to make sure those funds are available by sun-up tomorrow.

[Thanks, Shoham]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia N97 available tomorrow at US flagship stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Omnia II / GT-I8000 leaks early?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/samsungs-omnia-ii-gt-i8000-leaks-early/

Oh look, something other than a Pre or iPhone... it's Samsung's GT-I8000, or Omnia II / Omnia 2 as it's expected to be known by the time it launches. Spec-counters will want to listen in close 'cause the GT-I8000 comes packing a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) AMOLED display (presumably the same display just revealed by Samsung last week) with an 8.1 megapixel camera lit by dual-LEDs capable of recording VGA video at 30fps. The Lithuanian on-line retailer responsible for leaking the specs (which have now been removed) says we'll see a 1500mAh battery powering HSDPA data with a custom "cubic" UI (looking very similar to the UI on the S8000 Jet) riding atop Windows Mobile. With a superior spec-sheet it has to be a superior phone right?

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung's Omnia II / GT-I8000 leaks early? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, June 08, 2009

Five Best Alternative File Copiers [Hive Five]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/U-eRQAxdfDM/five-best-alternative-file-copiers

If you do any serious file copying on a Windows system, you'll quickly discover that there are substantial limitations to the default file copier. Ease your file copying frustrations with these five alternative copiers.

Photo by NathonFromDeVryEET.

Copying a few documents from your hard drive to your flash drive doesn't stress out the default copier too much. If you're dumping gigabytes of data from one drive to another, however, you'll quickly find that the default copier is sluggish and unreliable. The pinnacle of frustration: When Microsoft's default copier putters out while you're transferring tons of files and you're left with no indication what was copied and what wasn't, leaving you to pick through the file lists on each end or starting from scratch to ensure a clean copy. The five excellent alternatives below all succeed at alleviating the many shortcomings of the default copier.

FastCopy (Windows, Free)

FastCopy isn't pretty, but it is, as the name implies, quite speedy. FastCopy integrates with the system shell and is the only copier listed here which allows you to select which individual commands will appear on the right-click context menu. FastCopy allows you to specify actions based on a file's age, size, and name, among others. You can also enable secure overwrite, where all moved files are securely deleted from the source directory upon completion of the move. FastCopy can be made portable by copying the FastCopy.exe and FastCopy.chm fro! m the in stallation directory.

RichCopy (Windows, Free)

RichCopy has been around since 2001 but was only recently released to the public; prior to that it had been an internal Microsoft tool. RichCopy offers all the functionality of the popular command line file copier, RoboCopy, but it's wrapped in a radically more user friendly GUI. RichCopy has a single but significant shortcoming: It lacks integration into the Windows shell. Despite functioning only as a stand alone tool, it earns its spot in the Hive Five by offering an enormous amount of granular control. You can apply dozens of variables control your file copying, including filtering files by name and extension and selectively applying file attributes. RichCopy is the only copier in the Hive that has profiles, a must for this app given how many variables it allows you to change. You can create a profile for every copying task you can think of.

SuperCopier (Windows, Free)

SuperCopier is a strong candidate for your flash drive. It's the only alternative copier here that makes itself the default drag-and-drop handler while the program is active. You can turn SuperCopier into a portable application by going into the Advanced menu and changing the Settings Location to ".ini file". SuperCopier, like RichCopy also allows you to specify if file attributes and security settings will be copied.

Te! raCopy (Windows, Basic: Free / Pro: $21)

TeraCopy is one of the best known alternative file copiers, winning people over with an interface and functionality that one might call "just advanced enough". TeraCopy integrates with the Windows shell for drag-and-drop support and includes a solidly laid out right-click menu. It doesn't overwhelm you with a plethora of settings or options, but it provides enough advanced functionality to speed up file copying, notify you when files don't copy correctly, and allow you to bulk approve overwriting, renaming, and skipping of duplicate files. TeraCopy is also available in a portable version. The $21 Pro version adds the ability to select files by extension and remove files from the queue without having to start over.

CopyHandler (Windows, Free)

CopyHandler is another candidate with a ton of customizable options. While RichCopy specializes in granular control over things like file names and attributes, CopyHandler allows you to get as picky as setting custom buffer sizes based on whether a file is being copied to the same physical disk, disk to disk, disk to optical drive, and so forth. You can integrate CopyHandler into the Windows shell and the right-click menu, and you can even instruct it to perform tasks like shutting down the system when the copying is done. CopyHandler is also the only alternative copier listed here which allows you to pause your queue transfer, shut down the computer, and then start the queue up again upon logging back in.

Now that you've had a chance to look over the contenders for best alternative file copier, it's time to cast your vote:

Which Alternative File Copier is Best?(survey software)

This week's honorable mention goes to RoboCopy a powerful command line utility originally offered as part of the Windows Resource Kit and now included in Windows Vista and Server 2008. Even with the GUI add-on it's not pretty or remotely easy to use but it's quite a powerhouse if you love the command line.

Whether it's your first time trying out an alternative copier or you've long since swapped out the old and busted for the new and streamlined, we want to hear about it in the comments below.

Wordnik Shows What the Web Knows About Words [Dictionary]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/66Aqh36LqrU/wordnik-shows-what-the-web-knows-about-words

Dictionaries and their online counterparts can give you the straight-up meaning, and maybe sentence context, of a word you're fuzzy on. The Wordnik site wants to show you all the conversations, pictures, and other talk about your word.

Not that Wordnik doesn't give you multiple dictionary definitions, etymologies, and even pronunciation sound files for your look-ups. Its value service, however, is the extra context provided by highlighted Twitter posts, Flickr photos, related tags, and other multimedia on the results page. It's all spread out on a single multi-column page, but you can hit the sub-menus near the top to get a full page of any of them. Statistic geeks can also see how often words are being used online and the number of look-ups on Wordnik for a word. The site could be helpful for when you've got to get up to speed on something quickly and get a bit deeper than just a brief explainer.

Wordnik is free to use; signing up and logging in lets you track select words and history.

Wordnik [via CNET]

New Bar Codes Designed to Help Avoid Expired Foods [Eat To Live]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/3d1LVpifYAc/new-bar-codes-designed-to-help-avoid-expired-foods

The New York Times wrote recently about new GS1 DataBars that are making their way to supermarkets and stores near you. According to the article, the bar codes will offer shoppers a better way to save cash and avoid expired goods.

Photo by Pasukaru76.

One of the more interesting benefits that the new GS1 DataBars have over traditional bar codes is that they can help prevent shoppers from purchasing expired goods.

A poultry DataBar, for example, might contain not only the price and product category, but also a sell-by date. If a consumer chose an outdated package, the label would alert the cashier at checkout.

Customers will also soon be able to scan their coupons directly from their mobile phones. Once they are used at the supermarket, the coupons will be erased.

Until the new GS1 bars become standard fare, check out previously mentioned CardStar and KeyRingThing to better streamline your shopping needs.

Building a Smarter Bar Code [New York Times via Consumerist]

JVC's 32-inch GD-32X1 LCD is 6.4-mm thin, nearly makes OLEDs jealous

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/jvcs-32-inch-gd-32x1-lcd-is-6-4-mm-thin-nearly-makes-oleds-jea/

OLED displays are synonymous with being impossibly thin. But Samsung's 8.9-mm thick "production-ready" 31-inch OLED TV was just trumped by this 32-inch LCD monitor from JVC measuring just 6.4-mm at its thinnest point. Oh right, thinnest point, we get it, all the processing circuity (Genessa Premium) and jacks (2x HDMI, RGB, component, composite, and more) are bundled into a brick riding the lower-half of the Full HD (1920 × 1080) monitor resulting is an unsightly pear-shaped pudge measuring a full 22.5-mm (0.89-inches) -- eww. You'll also be giving up the million-to-one contrast ratio of OLEDs for the relatively weak 4,000:1 contrast (on 400nits of brightness) found in the GD-32X1's LCD panel. No worries, with JVC dropping out of the consumer display business, these panels are targeting business-use anyway, so you can save your cash when these start shipping in August.

[Via Impress]

Filed under: Displays

JVC's 32-inch GD-32X1 LCD is 6.4-mm thin, nearly makes OLEDs jealous originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New mass-production technique for flexible OLEDs could make them cheap

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/new-mass-production-technique-for-flexible-oled-could-make-them/

New mass-production technique for flexible OLED could make them cheap

Getting tired of flexible OLED prototypes that are about as ready for retail as that cold fusion reactor your uncle Harry is building in his garage? Yeah, we are too, but it seems the industry is getting a little closer to reality, the latest step coming courtesy of Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center and Universal Display. Researchers at the pair have managed to produce flexible OLED displays using the same production techniques used to create standard, rather less bendy LCD displays, enabling the transistors that control the pixels to be applied to plastic, rather than the glass they typically find themselves embedded within. They glue a piece of plastic onto glass, feed it through the LCD manufacturing process, then peel the two apart like a high-tech Fruit Roll-Up. That technique was used to create the 4.1-inch monochrome display shown above -- which is for now just another prototype that won't be showing up in any devices any time soon. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Technology Review]

Filed under: Displays

New mass-production technique for flexible OLEDs could make them cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/freescale-netbook-and-android-powered-smartbook-debut/

We knew good and well that Freescale wouldn't let Qualcomm go and have all the fun with these newfangled smartbooks, and already we're seeing a few new devices powered by Freescale-branded semiconductors. In the video posted just after the break, the company's own Steve Sperle sat down to talk about a new Pegatron netbook (which handles 720p video playback with ease) as well as an Inventec "smartbook" which is just marginally larger than your average smartphone. In fact, we're rather impressed with the layout: a larger-than-average 4-inch display, a slideout QWERTY keyboard and Google's Android OS. Unfortunately, Mr. Sperle would only stick close to the "later this year" launch time frame that we'd already heard about, but so long as these smartbooks end up looking like overpowered smartphones, you can certainly consider our interest piqued.

Continue reading Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Filed under: Handhelds

Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3G S: the tale of the tape

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/iphone-3g-vs-iphone-3g-s-the-tale-of-the-tape/

The very first thing we want to know about this newfangled iPhone 3G S is exactly what we're getting for our extra Benjamin (or two, depending on the model you spring for). We don't have all the answers just yet -- Apple's being coy about processor specs on the 3G S, for example -- but here's what we do know so far.

	iPhone 3G	iPhone 3G S
Basics
Price	$99 8GB ($299 for ineligible upgraders)	$199 16GB, $299 32GB ($399 and $499 for ineligible upgraders)
Processor	412MHz ARM 11	Unknown, "on average up to twice as fast"
Graphics capability	OpenGL ES 2.0	OpenGL ES 2.0
Camera	2.0 megapixel fixed focus	3.0 megapixel autofocus with macro mode and auto white balance
Video recording	None	30fps VGA with on-device editing capability
Voice control	None	Dialing, music control
Nike+ support	No	Yes
Wireless technologies	3.6Mbps HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR	7.2Mbps HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Water- and oil-resistant finish	No	Yes
Integrated magnetic compass	No	Yes
Included headphones	Standard	Inline remote for music control
Battery life	Up to 5 hours talk time / data on 3G, 10 hours on 2G Up to 6 hours data on WiFi Up to 24 hours audio Up to 7 hours video	Up to 5 hours talk time / data on 3G, 12 hours on 2G Up to 9 hours data on WiFi Up to 30 hours audio Up to 10 hours video
Dimensions	115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm	115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm
Weight	133 grams / 4.69 oz.	135 grams / 4.76 oz.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3G S: the tale of the tape originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T: we'll offer tethering on the iPhone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/08/atandt-well-offer-tethering-on-the-iphone/

It's been known since day one that iPhone OS 3.0 would support data tethering, and Apple took the opportunity at WWDC today to drive the point home by saying that it'd be launching the service with 22 carrier partners in 44 countries. Of course, it's easy to have assumed that AT&T wouldn't be one of those partners, but we've been told today by a company spokesman that it will be offering tethering on the device -- it just doesn't have any announcements to make at this time. Whether that means availability will be delayed (perhaps until the 7.2Mbps upgrade is built out) or they're just trying to hammer out pricing, we don't know, but it's a promising sign.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Wireless

AT&T: we'll offer tethering on the iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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