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Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Never Get A Scratch On The LCD or Lens

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/zNdbpfDt-4s/

The agony of getting a scratch on a digital camera LCD screen is too close to home! One time I broke the screen while riding a coaster at Genting Highlands Park! And the other time, desert sand of Dubai ruined the lens. Only if my present Kodak had a 360 degree display protector as seen on this Zero Angle Digital Camera, I wouldn’t worry so much. The LCD screen is like a hard cover over the lens, that you flip 360 degrees to open up and use. When shut it's like a sleek metallic blub, when its open…it's a neat-o screen with all the camera navigation intact!

Designers: Sun ho Sin & Jeong eun Park

Zero Angle Digital Camera by Sun ho Sin & Jeong eun Park

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Physicist Creates Most Magnetic Material on Earth, Might Overturn Laws of Physics

Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-04/most-magnetic-material-ever-created-iron-and-nitrogen-might-overturn-laws-physics

The new compound is about 18 percent more magnetic than former magnet king iron cobalt

A more powerful magnetic material may have emerged to topple previous record-holder iron cobalt, until now the most magnetic material on Earth. The new iron and nitrogen compound might also force physicists to revise their understanding of magnetism, according to the Minnesota Daily.

The iron and nitrogen compound proved 18 percent more magnetic than iron cobalt in tests done by Jianping Wang, a physicist at the University of Minnesota. There also appears to be a "new physics" at work in the substance, but physicists at other labs must replicate the experiment and verify the work.

Wang reportedly found localized electrons in his iron and nitrogen compound, which have never shown up before in magnetic materials. Localized electrons are electron-pair bonds shared by nonmetals, as opposed to the free-flowing electrons typically related to magnetism and electric current.

Some physicists suspect that localized electrons, rather than free-flowing electrons, are more responsible for magnetism in materials. The discovery also appears to overturn traditional theories that set limits on the strength of magnetism in substances.

Japanese researchers at the Central Research Laboratory of Hitachi also created a magnetic iron and nitrogen compound in 1996, but no other scientists were able to get the same results. Wang has taken special care to allow other scientists to duplicate his experimental setup.

If the findings hold up, they could lead to a significant boost in magnetic materials that allow for more efficient power generation and transmission.

[via Minnesota Daily]

MIT Researcher Develops iPhone App to Easily Control Swarms of Aerial Drones

Source: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-04/video-using-smartphones-control-aerial-drones

Flying UAVs might someday become as easy as fiddling with your phone

Fleets of unmanned drones have become a common weapon in the U.S. military's arsenal, but clunky controls and interfaces that distract human operators can lead to costly mistakes and crashes. Such problems prompted a former U.S. Navy pilot to develop an iPhone app that allows any smartphone user to learn how to fly an unmanned aerial system in just three minutes.

Easier control interfaces could drastically cut down on training time and costs, not to mention mistakes. Consider that current military pilots undergo thousands of hours of training to learn how to fly drones.

"This is all about the mission -- you just need more information from an image, and you shouldn't have to spend $1 million to train someone to get that picture," said Mary "Missy" Cummings, an MIT aerospace and systems engineer.

Cummings once flew F-18 Hornets for the U.S. Navy, and saw fellow fighter pilots die in aircraft carrier landing mishaps. Since then, she has devoted her research at MIT's Humans and Automation Laboratory (HAL) toward making it easier to fly drones and interact with technology.

That means less time spent fiddling with menus or trying to zoom a camera, and more time focused on the task at hand -- whether that involves trying to I.D. a sniper or search for victims after a natural disaster.

The HAL group recently ran experiments where participants controlled a drone via smartphone so that they could read an eye chart and find a photo within a building. Cummings and her students hope to eventually test the app in the real world and fly the drone up to 500 feet.

File Blender Converts Files with Drag and Drop Ease [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5509681/file-blender-converts-files-with-drag-and-drop-ease

File Blender Converts Files with Drag and Drop Ease Windows: File Blender is a free and portable interface for more than a half-dozen tools. Drag and drop everything from pictures to music to File Blender and convert it to something new.

File Blender is a simple GUI for the command line conversion tools included in popular applications like IrfanView and Lame MP3. Drag files into the File Blender button and convert all kinds of files including MP3s, WAVs, JPGs, and other audio and image formats.

You can download File Blender by itself or with all the support apps included. If you download the full package (4.5MB) you won't have to do any configuration at all. If you download the stand-alone interface you'll need to configure File Blender to run with your favorite command line friendly applications. Check out the site below to grab a copy or to read up on how to make your own configuration files.

File Blender is free, portable, and Windows only. Have a favorite conversion tool or trick to share? Let's here about it in the comments.

File Blender [via Addictive Tips]

Stain Solutions Finds the Cure for Removing Any Stain [Cleaning]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5509890/stain-solutions-finds-the-cure-for-removing-any-stain

Stain Solutions Finds the Cure for Removing Any Stain The University of Illinois' Stain Solution web site gathers exhaustive remedies for hundreds of common, hard-to-remove stains in one easy-to-search resource—with surprising specificity. Did that coffee stain come with cream or no cream?

Photo by GrungeTextures.

The site offers a variety of stain solutions, including for difficult ones like blood and ink (including fountain, red, and India ink). It'll tell you exactly what kind of tools you'll need to arm yourself with, and the procedure for removing it. Best of all, the explanations highlight how to remove the stain from different places, like from your carpet or your clothes, along with alternate methods.

The stain removal methods themselves are extremely thorough. If you had an unfortunate morning mishap with your coffee, just search the site for "coffee." The results suggest using liquid dishwashing detergent, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, an enzyme pre-soak product, and chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach. Soak it for 15 minutes in a mixture of water, dishwashing detergent, and white vinegar. Rinse, and then sponge it with rubbing alcohol. Soak it again for 30 minutes in warm water with a bit of the enzyme pre-soak product and your stain shouldn't stand a chance.

If you've got any tips for lifting stains out of those hard-to-get places, we'd love to hear your tips in the comments. Thanks, Charles!

Stain Removal Solutions [via #tips]

HP Slate to cost $549, have 1.6GHz Atom Z530, 5 hour battery?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/hp-slate-to-cost-549-have-1-6ghz-atom-z530-5-hour-battery/

Well, well -- what's this? We just got our hands on what looks like an internal HP Slate presentation given to cool down some of the iPad hype amongst HP employees, and it just happens to have specs and pricing details on the elusive Windows 7 tablet. As we'd heard, the Slate will run $549 in its base configuration, which has a 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive multitouch display, a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor with UMA graphics and an accelerator for 1080p video playback (we're assuming it's a Broadcom Crystal HD chip), 32GB of flash storage and 1GB of non-upgradeable RAM. There's also a $599 version with 64GB of storage, and both models will have a five-hour battery, an SDHC slot, two camera, a USB port, a SIM card slot for the optional 3G modem, and a dock connector for power, audio, and HDMI out. Of course, what this spec list doesn't cover is software, and we still haven't seen much of how HP plans to make Windows 7 on a full slate device with netbook-class internals perform as smoothly or as intuitively as its demo videos. That's not a small challenge, especially since the iPad is out now and setting some pretty high expectations for how this new breed of tablets should work. We've got our fingers crossed -- show us something good, HP.

HP Slate to cost $549, have 1.6GHz Atom Z530, 5 hour battery? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/fusion-garage-joojoo-review/

We're not sure what's harder to believe: the fact that after months and months of the soap-opera-like drama that the JooJoo (formerly known as the CrunchPad) has finally landed in our hands, or that within just a few days there are now two capacitive touchscreen, browsing-heavy slate tablets on the market. Sure, it's probably not the best timing for a tablet start-up, but that doesn't diminish our interest in the 12-inch, Flash-playing JooJoo. The JooJoo is meant to be a browser-based tablet for surfing the web on your couch or while traveling, but with little previous hands-on time, we're still wondering how well it'll really work. And, obviously, whether or not it's a $499 experience on par or superior to Apple's iPad. Fear not, we'll tell you all you want to know in our magical review after the break.

Gallery: Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Continue reading Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Fusion Garage JooJoo review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/android-and-arduino-packin-cellbot-features-voice-recognition/

The Cellbots gang has been furiously productive as of late. Not even a month after their wooden "boxbot" was first spotted on You Tube the project has moved on from its humble beginnings of lumber and windshield wiper motors to a full-on a neon green acrylic Truckbot that uses a G1 and Arduino board combination for control. Sure, we've seen Android-powered robots before, but these guys have done some pretty cool things, and have no intention of stopping now. They've already implemented an ultrasonic range detector so the 'bot can override the operator and prevent itself from running off a cliff (although we'd like to suggest mounting one on the rear as well -- for obvious reasons), voice recognition, and the Android compass into the control system. If anything, the amount of progress makes this project very well worth keeping an eye on. Move past the break to see some video, and then hit the source link to keep up with the action yourself.

Continue reading Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/apc-adds-lcd-zero-draw-power-outlets-to-new-back-ups-pro-models/

A new uninterruptible power supply isn't exactly the sort of thing to garner a ton of attention, but APC's latest Back-UPS Pro models do pack a few more features than your average power supply, and may just have you considering trading up. They're still just as uninterruptible as ever, of course, but the BR1300G and BR1500G models add a snazzy new LCD that displays the estimated runtime and other critical information, as well as some new power-saving outlets that will automatically shut off power to any unused devices. Otherwise, you can expect runtimes of between 92 and 164 minutes (depending on what's connected, of course), six or ten power outlets, and APC's usual PowerChute software for some more enhanced power management. Still no firm word on a release date for these, but they should be available sometime in the second quarter for between $129.99 and $249.99.

APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/icds-tegra-2-powered-gemini-is-the-most-feature-complete-tablet/

Built around the 1GHz Tegra 2 SOC, the 11.2-inch ICD Gemini should provide comparable endurance to Apple's A4-sporting iPad, while besting it in the grunt stakes with its glorious ability to chew through 1080p video when required. If that wasn't enough, the rest of this thing's spec sheet reads like a wishlist. Headlined by a 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls (crazy, we know!), it also includes a user-replaceable 40Wh battery, an SD card reader, FM radio, GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals, stereo speakers, and dual webcams -- a 2 megapixel front-facing unit and a 5 megapixel autofocusing snapper on the back. Multitouch displays will be available in both resistive and capacitive flavors, with the 1,366 x 768 resolution being filled by Google's snappy Android OS. Oh, and did we mention it will run Flash? Because it will. Full specs and a comparison to its direct competitors await after the break, though we've yet to find out when this JooJoo killer will be making its arrival or at what price.

Gallery: ICD Gemini official pictures

Continue reading ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/hp-rolls-out-pavilion-s5305z-s5350-pavilion-elite-hpe-190t-des/

HP may be getting ready to "do amazing" with its Slate, but last we checked it was still the biggest desktop PC maker around, and it's now further expanded its offerings with three new models. Those include the Pavilion Slimline s5305z and s5350z, which are available with a range of different AMD processors and ATI Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics, along with up to 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive on the s5305z, or 8GB of RAM and 1.5TB of storage on the s5350z. Those are joined by the higher-end, and decidedly less slimline Pavilion Elite HPE-190t (pictured at right), which packs a 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU, up to 24GB of RAM, up to 3TB of storage, and your choice of an ATI Radeon HD 5570 or 4850, or an NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 graphics card. Look for that one to start at $1,899.99, while the s5305z and s5350z drop all the way down to $299.99 and $479.99, respectively.

HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/apples-a4-system-on-chip-gets-decoupled-from-ipad-investigated/

Ever so gently, we're starting to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding the A4 system-on-chip that powers Apple's fancy new slate device. iFixit, helped by reverse engineering firm Chipworks, have gone to the trouble of both dissecting and X-raying the iPad's central processing hub in their quest to lift the veil of ignorance. Their findings confirmed that the A4 is built using a "package on package" method, meaning that the 256MB of Samsung-provided SDRAM is stacked immediately atop the CPU, which is noted as being reductive to both latency and energy use. With a single core processor inside, the iFixit team concluded the iPad had to be running on a Cortex A8 -- which is very much the likeliest choice at this point -- but their assertion that it couldn't be a Cortex A9 MPCore inside is inaccurate, as those chips also come in single-core options. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against Samsung's Hummingbird chip, which was designed by Intrinsity, the same company Apple is being rumored to have recently acquired. Finally, the visual inspection of the iPad's mobo puts a model number to the already known PowerVR GPU, narrowing it dow! n to the SGX 535, while also naming and picturing a number of other exciting components, such as the always popular capacitive touchscreen controller. Hit the source link below for all the lurid images.

Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, April 05, 2010

@jayparkinson - "most people don't friend Lipitor on Facebook," but brands have an important role on social networks http://bit.ly/clqbVC

Why your brand MUST have a presence on social networks; it's not what you think #not #branding - http://bit.ly/clqbVC

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Apple's A4 SoC faces Qualcomm Snapdragon in knock-down-drag-out benchmarking test

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/04/apples-a4-soc-pitted-against-qualcomm-snapdragon-comes-out-on/

Up until now, a shroud of mystery has surrounded Apple's custom engineered A4 system-on-chip; we know it's clocked at 1GHz, likely tied to Apple's prior acquisition of P.A. Semi and manufactured by Samsung. Outside of that, the only other knowledge we've gained has come not from the mouth of Cupertino, but from the extracting wizards over at iFixit. The A4 contains at least three layers of circuitry layered on top of each other, though it's packaged just like the iPhone processor: microprocessor in one package and two memory modules in the other package. We also learned that the iPad RAM is actually inside of the A4 processor package, and we're expecting to learn even more from those folks in the coming days. All that said, there's still much debate on whether Apple's own silicon can stand up to Qualcomm's heralded 1GHz Snapdragon, the chip powering Google's Nexus One among other things. AnandTech pitted their iPad against the iPhone 3GS (600MHz ARM Cortex A8) and the aforesaid Nexus One (1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250), using a number of website loads as the primary benchmark. Overall, the A4 proved to be around 10 to 30 percent faster, though it's impossible to say what effect the operating system has on things. Have a gander at that source link for more -- we get the feeling the competitions have just begun.

Apple's A4 SoC faces Qualcomm Snapdragon in knock-down-drag-out benchmarking test originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds! .

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