Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, May 07, 2010

Google Goggles Can Now Translate Foreign Text from a Picture [Android]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5532703/google-goggles-can-now-translate-foreign-text-from-a-picture

Google Goggles Can Now Translate Foreign Text from a Picture Android: Google's Goggles app for Android can now translate foreign text that you capture (and crop) with your phone's camera, potentially helping with signage, papers, and other text found while traveling. In a quick test, the results were, well, interesting.

In the update for Android's Goggles app, already in the Market, Goggles gets both new language translation skills and a crop function that makes Goggles a lot easier to use when pinning down something in particular. I lack for foreign-language documents around the house, so I loaded up the web site of Der Spiegel, the one German newspaper I know from memory, and started snapping and cropping.

Google Goggles Can Now Translate Foreign Text from a Picture The lead article in the Der Spiegel news magazine was, of course, about the Greek debt crisis. Using the screenshot I uploaded with Goggles, Google knew the text was in German, and offered a "translate" bar on the results page. It came back with some still-German text, then "A main road in the Plette." By actually typing the line I'd captured into Google, though, I found the actual translation of the cover line, done by humans: "A continent on the way into bankruptcy."

A picture of a laptop screen isn't, in fact, quite the best test case, and slightly metaphorical news cover lines aren't necessarily the best use of a literal translation tool like Google's. So assume that your mileage will vary, but that if you need to know whether a sign says a restaurant is open or closed, you're probably good to go.

Google says at this point that a few languages are covered both ways, and more can be translated to from there:

The first Goggles translation prototype was unveiled earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and could only recognize German text. Today Goggles can read English, French, Italian, German and Spanish and can translate to many more languages. We are hard at work extending our recognition capabilities to other Latin-based languages. Our goal is to eventually read non-Latin languages (such as Chinese, Hindi and Arabic) as well.

The Goggles update is available for Android phones running at least Android 1.6. Tell us what you think of Goggle's new image-based translation tool in the comments.

Translate the real world with Google Goggles [Official Google Mobile Blog]

PowerPoint Viewer Now Opens PowerPoint 2010 Files [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5532775/powerpoint-viewer-now-opens-powerpoint-2010-files

PowerPoint Viewer Now Opens PowerPoint 2010 Files Windows: PowerPoint Viewer, savior of those who need to open, but not create, Microsoft PowerPoint files, has been updated to open the PowerPoint 2010-formatted presentations you just know people are going to be sending soon.

If you don't plan to have Microsoft Office 2010 installed by this summer (when it's slated for release), you'll want to hold onto PowerPoint Viewer. This version of the program opens up the new PowerPoint 2010 file format, and includes all the bells and whistles, such as the new transitions and video effects of the next edition of the suite. There's a caveat: it won't support embedded online video.

Unfortunately, it's not a portable utility so you can't carry it on-the-go, but it's useful if you don't want to install all of Microsoft 2010. PowerPoint Viewer is a free download for Windows systems only. Are the new abilities in PowerPoint 2010 worth the upgrade, from what you've seen (or tried)?

PowerPoint Viewer [Microsoft via Digital Inspiration]

Instant Image Edit Opens Web Images in Picnik for Online Editing [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5533326/instant-image-edit-opens-web-images-in-picnik-for-online-editing

Instant Image Edit Opens Web Images in Picnik for Online Editing Firefox: Online image editor Picnik is pretty convenient, but you still have to manually upload image files or post their URLs to the site. Not so if you've got a new, Jetpack-powered extension that sends images to Picnik with a right-click.

It's an experimental extension, but even though it was built using Jetpack's no-restart-needed methodology, you don't need to have Mozilla's experimental platform installed to add Instant Image Edit with Picnik. After a standard install and restart, you'll see a new option when right-clicking images. It seems to just work, though there's one big caveat—the extension doesn't work behind password-protected sites, VPNs, or other restricted pages. Other than that, it's a convenient tool for those who sometimes need just a bit of basic crop/color/edit functionality.

Instant Image Edit with Picnik is a free add-on, should work wherever Firefox does.

Instant Image Edit with Picnik [Add-ons for Firefox via CNET]

Underwater Turbines Attached To Kites Could Save A Few Climate Problems [Energy]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5533384/underwater-turbines-attached-to-kites-could-save-a-few-climate-problems

Underwater Turbines Attached To Kites Could Save A Few Climate Problems While underwater kites might sound like another one of those crazy concepts we like so much here at Gizmodo, the company behind the design has already attracted €2 million in investors, with testing beginning next year for the next-gen turbines.

Underwater turbines is such a great idea I'm surprised it's taken this long to kick off. As they're hidden in the depths of the ocean, the land isn't dotted with unsightly creatures—a fact that Senator Dianne Feinstein would appreciate, after she blocked the Mojave Desert solar farm project last year.

Each turbine measures 12m in wingspan width, and is attached to 100m of cable, with a rudder tethered to the sea floor, generating 500 kilowatts of power. The first tests begin next year in Northern Ireland, but the company behind the project, Minesto, is hopeful that they'll be widely used within the next four years. [CNN via DVICE]

Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/zotac-zbox-hd-id11-and-its-ion-2-innards-reviewed/

Small form factor? Check. Low power consumption married to 1080p video playback capabilities? Of course. Quiet cooling? Naturally. Those are the basic requirements for, and their fulfillment is the means by which we judge, a good home theater pc. They're also the highlights of Zotac's Ion 2-powered ZBOX HD-ID11 barebone (you have to add your own RAM, storage and OS) nettop, which recently visited AnandTech's labs for some old fashioned review action. It's a highly illuminating read, particularly for those interested in the differences between NVIDIA's Ion generations, which throws up a mixed bag of results. While you'll be quite alright watching Full HD Blu-rays on the ZBOX, Flash hardware acceleration -- yeah, that old nugget again -- is not yet implemented well enough, resulting in a maximum of 480p resolution before Hulu streams started glitching out on the reviewer. A June driver update from NVIDIA should rectify this issue, and we're encouraged to wait it out and see what we might see then. In the mean time, you can just delve into the complete analysis which awaits at the link below.

[Thanks, Wowzers]

Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

AnandTech | Email this | Comments

Omni-Focus Camera Sees Everything Perfectly [Research]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5532765/omni+focus-camera-sees-everything-perfectly

Omni-Focus Camera Sees Everything Perfectly There are well-known methods to extend depth of field. There are even digital cheats to extend depth of field. But imagine shooting macro photography and telephoto photography, all in perfect focus, as one image. A new camera makes it possible.

The Omni-Focus Video Camera, by researchers at University of Toronto, can accomplish such a feat—and yes, it does cheat a bit, of course.

The camera is really many cameras, all focused at various distances. But what the Omni-Focus does really well (through collaboration with another related project) is map each pixel that each camera is shooting in 3D space, then combine these pixels appropriately into one image.

Obviously, photographers often enjoy blur. But I could see the benefits for 3DTV programming, in which anything out of focus can cause eyestrain. Plus, there's obvious utility for the industrial, security and pervy spycam sectors, too. [Physorg via PopSci]

What Does a 1 Kilowatt Hour Exactly Mean? [Infographics]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5533309/what-does-a-1-kilowatt-hour-exactly-mean

Did you know that 1 kilowatt hour will get 29 DVD movies or 100 toasts—with jam—or 15 days of talk on a cordless telephone or 5 hours of video games or 11 espressos or 400 blended Margaritas?

That's what this simple interactive graphic—created by GE and designer Lisa Strausfeld—will tell you: What energy really means in real life. Neat. [GE via Unplggd]

Google Goggles starts to get useful, adds text translation

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/google-goggles-starts-to-get-useful-adds-text-translation/

In our experience, about the only thing Google Goggles is good for is telling you that your can of Coke looks like someone's face, but the company's just-released version 1.1 sounds like it might be on a whole new level of awesomeness. Basically, Goggles can now recognize text within the "region of interest" that you specify on the screen then give you the option to translate it to any language of your choosing. Between this and Google's already quite good Translate app, Android devices are getting dangerously close to letting monoglots (thanks for the great word, Google) travel safely and effectively in foreign lands. Other improvements in Goggles 1.1 include better barcode and image recognition (thank goodness), an improved UI, and the ability to initiate identification from your gallery, so it sounds like a must-download if you've got a phone running Android 1.6 or better. It's available now.

Google Goggles starts to get useful, adds text translation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Official Google Mobile Blog | Email this | Comments

Organic Light Emitting Transistors might make us forget all about OLED

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/organic-light-emitting-transistors-might-make-us-forget-all-abou/

Organic Light Emitting Transistors might make us forget all about OLEDs

Still waiting on that big-screen OLED TV? Yeah, so are we, but here's some news that could mean they're coming soon: OLED tech has just been obsoleted. Seriously. We still can't even afford an 11-inch model and now we have to start pining for something new: OLET. That's Organic Light Emitting Transistor, tech that researcher Michele Muccini at the Institute of Nanustructured Materials has just proven can be between two and 100 times as efficient as OLED. OLETs rely on three layers of material, with the bottom layers carrying a charge, the middle layer (the meat in this high-tech sandwich) emitting photons when excited by the bottom, and the top layer selectively letting those photos through. All three combined are just 62nm thick. It's this separation of layers and horizontal flow of current that gives OLET its efficiency and it's believed that it could not only be used for (next) next-generation displays but also for on-chip optical interconnects. When will an OLET HDTV will hit the market? Don't even go there.

Organic Light Emitting Transistors might make us forget all about OLED originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

OLED-Info.com | source

source

nano werk | Email this | Comments

Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/visa-and-devicefidelity-working-to-bring-mobile-payment-function/

This ain't the first rodeo for Visa and DeviceFidelity, and if we had to guess, we suspect it won't be the last. Just a few short months after teaming up to bring contactless payments to any mobile with a microSD slot, the two are at it again -- this time aiming for the oh-so-tantalizing iPhone market. Reportedly, the tandem is toiling away in an effort to concoct a protective iPhone shell with a secure memory card that hosts Vista's contactless payment app, payWave. As it stands, the product would only function on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, leaving upcoming iPhone 4G / HD / Barhopper buyers out in the cold. As with any other payWave-enabled handset, this would allow users to simply tap and go when checking out, a process that our pals over in Japan have had down for centuries now. If all goes well, market trials of the payment-enabled iPhone are set to begin this summer, or approximately six months too late for anyone to seriously care.

Continue reading Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone

Visa and DeviceFidelity working to bring mobile payment functionality to iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Distributor roadmap shows super speedy 900GB, 2.5-inch HDD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/distributor-roadmap-shows-super-speedy-900gb-2-5-inch-hdd/

Got a hankering for smaller, faster, more capacious magnetic storage? Compellent says you'll get it soon, at long as you're buying for the IT market. According to The Register, the enterprise storage provider listed 900GB, 10,000RPM 2.5-inch hard drives on its product roadmap, as well as 300GB models that spin at 15,000RPM. Sure, we've seen smallish drives with those speeds or that capacity before, and you can get a 600GB, 10,000RPM Velociraptor even in the consumer marketplace, but it seems like the puzzle pieces are all coming together. Quick disclaimer: Compellent doesn't actually make hard drives, but it most certainly sells them, so we'd expect a company in their position to know what's what. That, or they could be making stuff up. Perhaps platter density makes those sizes and capacities inevitable, but we can't pretend that we're not jazzed about the possibilities.

Distributor roadmap shows super speedy 900GB, 2.5-inch HDD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

The Register | Email this | Comments

ExoPC Windows 7-based slate not coming until September, will play 1080p vids

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/exopc-windows-7-based-slate-not-coming-until-september-will-pla/

There's still no official word on whether HP's Slate has been canned, but the more we hear about ExoPC's slate, the more we think it could be a pretty stellar Win 7 tablet option. The company's founder just told us that the tablet is slated (pun intended, good sirs) for a September 7 launch date in the US, Canada and France, and that the 32GB version will retail for $599. As for the specs, the capacitive 11.6-inch tablet will still be using an Atom N450 processor, but will be paired with Broadcom's Crystal HD card to enable 1080p playback. And that's not all, they also sent us some more shots of the ExoPC UI Layer, and the interface appears to be incredibly sleek -- it looks like you can even save web shortcuts to a Connect Four type layout. There will also be an app store, and the dev kit will be available at the end of June. That's all beautiful, but hear us out, ExoPC: we're counting on you to put an end to the Win 7 tablet vaporware trend, okay?

Gallery: ExoPC UI Layer

ExoPC Windows 7-based slate not coming until September, will play 1080p vids originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

ExoPC | Email this | Comments

Viewsonic rolls out 27-inch VX2739wm LCD monitor with 1ms response time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/viewsonic-rolls-out-27-inch-vx2739wm-lcd-monitor-with-1ms-respon/

If there's one thing LCD manufacturers live for it's "world's first" claims, and Viewsonic has now snagged yet another with its new VX2739wm monitor, which it claims is the world's first full HD 27-inch monitor with a 1ms response time. In addition to that standout spec, you'll also get a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, a pair of discreetly built-in speakers, an "anti-glare" panel, a four-port USB hub, and the usual trio of HDMI, DVI and VGA connectors -- not to mention a suitably slim design. Look for this one to be available from all the usual sources starting today for $349.

Viewsonic rolls out 27-inch VX2739wm LCD monitor with 1ms response time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HotHardware | source

source

Viewsonic | Email this | Comments

Homemade 16TB NAS dwarfs the competition with insane build quality (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/homemade-16tb-nas-dwarfs-the-competition-with-insane-build-quali/

From the man that brought you the OS Xbox Pro and the Cinematograph HD comes... a cockpit canopy filled with hard drives? Not quite. Meet the Black Dwarf, a custom network-attached-storage device from the mind of video editor Will Urbina, packing 16TB of RAID 5 magnetic media and a 1.66GHz Atom N270 CPU into a completely hand-built Lexan, aluminum and steel enclosure. Urbina says the Dwarf writes at 88MB per second and reads at a fantastic 266MB per second, making the shuttlecraft-shaped 12.7TB array nearly as speedy as an SSD but with massive capacity and some redundancy to boot. As usual, the DIY guru shot a professional time-lapse video of his entire build process, and this one's not to be missed -- it showcases some pretty spiffy camerawork as well as the man's welding skills. See sparks fly after the break.

Continue reading Homemade 16TB NAS dwarfs the competition with insane build quality (video)

Homemade 16TB NAS dwarfs the competition with insane build quality (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hack A Day | source

source

Will U. Design | Email this | Comments

Iron Man 2: the gadgets (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/iron-man-2-the-technology-video/

When done right, a science fiction or fantasy film will leave audiences with a prescient glimpse into our actual gadget future. Remember the heady pre-iPhone, pre-Pureness days of 2002 when you first saw Minority Report? Staring silently, mouth agape, jonesing for a chance to partake in a multi-touch, transparent display future using nothing but gestures? Well now that Iron Man 2 has been released, we've got another chance to look into the high-tech crystal ball, this time envisioned by a team of artists at Perception who did the design, animation, and visual effects work that turned Tony Stark's transparent LG smartphone (pictured above), touch-screen coffee table, and holographic lab environment into an on-screen reality. The group was compelled by director Jon Favreau and the team at Marvel Studios to keep the UI elements "legible and logical, while still appearing to be several generations beyond the typical user experience." Perception tells us that some of its inspiration was directly attributed to Engadget as it researched near-term technologies for the film's future reality. No doubt, we do see influence from Emblaze's First Else navigation elements and limited color palette as well as Microsoft's InkSeine research at the heart of the doomed Courier UI. And if we're not mistaken, Stark's big ass computing table is almost certainly inspired by Microsoft Surface. Now get past the break and check out Perception's cont! ribution to Iron Man 2, the future of Google search alone is not to be missed.

Gallery: Iron Man 2: The technology (video)

Continue reading Iron Man 2: the gadgets (video)

Iron Man 2: the gadgets (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 05:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Perception | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)