Thursday, August 12, 2010

Purdue's 'self-calibrating' MEMS could produce the most accurate sensors yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/12/purdues-self-calibrating-mems-could-produce-the-most-accurate/

Micro electromechanical systems, or MEMS, aren't anything new. But Purdue University's Jason Vaughn Clark has ideas that are far grander than those we've seen already. Mr. Clark has purportedly developed a new take on an old spin, with electro micro metrology (EMM) enabling engineers to "account for process variations by determining the precise movement and force that's being applied to, or sensed by, a MEMS device." These self-calibrating machines are the first to do so without any external references, which would allow nanotechnologists, crime forensics researchers and a whole host of others to determine what actually happens at a microscopic level. In theory, the gurus working on this stuff long to improve the accuracy of atomic force microscopes and to eventually create a diminutive AFM-on-a-chip, which -- according to Clark -- could "open the door to the nanoworld to a much larger number of groups or individuals." We're waiting.

Purdue's 'self-calibrating' MEMS could produce the most accurate sensors yet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/12/notion-ink-adam-priced-at-498-lives-up-to-promise-of-being-bel/

Notion Ink, the plucky Indian startup intent on shaking up the tablet industry, was most recently spotted turning over the sofa cushions looking for spare change, but that isn't stopping the company from announcing pricing for its mythical first product. The Adam, it has now been revealed, will be available for $498 with WiFi, 3G, GPS, and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip powering things, with prices dipping down to $449 if you exclude either the 3G or Pixel Qi display option, and $399 if you drop both and make do with a WiFi-only LCD-based tablet. That certainly adheres to the promise of aggressive pricing, but the Q3 launch -- which in itself was a slip from a Q2 pledge -- has now also been definitively scratched off the board of possibilities, as the device won't be submitted to the FCC for certification until November. Notion Ink claims that from there on it'll be just a matter of waiting on the FCC to clear the Adam for its US launch, which could happen in late 2010 or CES 2011 at the latest. Or, you know, never.

Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

DeviantART Muro is an HTML5 Drawing App that Works On Your iPad [Drawing]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5609478/deviantart-muro-is-an-html5-drawing-app-that-works-on-your-ipad

DeviantART Muro is an HTML5 Drawing App that Works On Your iPadHTML5 online painting app Muro is a surprisingly capable drawing app that doesn't require Flash, plug-ins, or anything else—just a browser that supports the latest technologies.

The application works well in any HTML5-compatible browser, which is basically all of them except for Internet Explorer—though it's obviously a lot easier to use if you've got a drawing tablet as well. The application also works surprisingly well on your iPad—the touch screen is an ideal platform for a drawing application. There's a good set of drawing tools, and a whole slew of filters for blurring, sharpening, embossing, or any other image editing type of task once you're done with your image. It's a great tool worth a look, if for no other reason than to see what HTML5 is capable of.

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Someone Built the Perfect Green House in a Perfect Paradise [Architecture]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5609575/someone-built-the-perfect-green-house-in-a-perfect-paradise

Someone Built the Perfect Green House in a Perfect ParadisePlaya Carate, Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica. 5% of the world biodiversity is in this place, a perfect paradise on Earth. Somehow, someone built this house in it. Loaded with green technology, it's not only pretty but 100% self-sufficient.

Someone Built the Perfect Green House in a Perfect Paradise

Created by Robles Arquitectos, the house is so isolated from civilization that it has no access to public power cables, sanitation, or water. For the latter, the house uses water from the forest, which also serves as a power source thanks to two low-impact hydroelectric turbines that crank 800kWh. In addition to the generators, the roof can provide up to 10,800kWh of electricity thanks to its panels. Additional panels heat up the water.

Someone Built the Perfect Green House in a Perfect Paradise

Everything else in the house has been designed to be energy efficient and easy to maintain:

All the proposed materials were tested in order to evaluate its behavior on the difficult environment that the Osa peninsula has because of its humidity, high percentage of rain, mould, fungi and its flora and fauna.

The whole house—which is 1 meter over the ground so it's away from its humidity—uses thermal panels, built around a steel structure. The structure itself has been designed following the same principles that make insects energy efficient, to enhance ventilation, reduced sun exposure, and provide with natural illumination for as long as possible during the day.

According to the architects, the house is the "first stage" of the ISEAMI Institute (Institute of sustainability, ecology, art, mind and investigation):

The house is the main area of the institute, therefore, it's design will serve as a multifunctional place in order to host activities as Investigation, meditation, training, Yoga and joy at the terrace located in the first level. At the same time, the Institute director will habit the house on the second level.

Someone Built the Perfect Green House in a Perfect Paradise

This whole institute feels like an excuse to build an amazing house in an amazing place, but whatever. I want to join it as much as I wanted to join those bastards of the Dharma Initiative. [Archdaily]

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The Sun May've Belched Plasma, But the Sky Looked Gorgeous [Image Cache]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5609916/the-sun-mayve-belched-plasma-but-the-sky-looked-gorgeous

The Sun May've Belched Plasma, But the Sky Looked GorgeousLast week's geomagnetic storm produced some wild photos of aurora borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights. Thankfully Flickr users were on hand to shoot the effects of the sun's expelled plasma, like this one seen here.

This particular photo, shot by Shawn Malone from LakeSuperiorPhoto.com, shows the aurora borealis over the Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan. My absolute favorite though is Ian Diamond's, who was out shooting in Quebec, Canada.

The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Ahead telescope at NASA shot an impressive HD video of the sun's ejection of plasma, which chucks 10 billion tons of the charged gas into the air. Over the course of three and a half days, the gas soared the 93 million miles from the sun to the Earth, resulting in some amazing affects only seen by those living in the Northern parts of the world. [National Geographic via Boing Boing]

Image Credit: LakeSuperiorPhoto

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Google Alarm for Firefox Screams Every Time Google Spies You [Privacy]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5610018/google-alarm-for-firefox-screams-every-time-google-spies-you

Google Alarm for Firefox Screams Every Time Google Spies YouNot many people are aware about how many times Google collects personal browsing data whenever you visit a web page. If you have Firefox, now you can install Google Alarm and make this fact painfully and annoyingly clear.

The Google Alarm Firefox add-on will scream and show an alert every time your personal information is sent to Google servers. Since this happens almost everywhere—thanks to spying bugs like Google Analytics, AdSense, YouTube embeds, Google API calls, and who knows what else—you may just want to look at the demo:

But if you want to get into "Fuck You Google"-mode, go and install the add-on now. It will play an alarm, show a visual notification, and maintain stats of the percentage of sites that send information to Google. And then, imagine what they can do with all that information. [Jamiedubs]

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Metamaterials used to focus Terahertz lasers, make them useful

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/metamaterials-used-to-focus-terahertz-lasers-make-them-useful/

Forget old and busted X-rays, T-rays are the future, man! It was only recently that we were discussing Terahertz lasers and their potential to see through paper, clothes, plastic, flesh, and other materials, but that discourse had to end on the sad note that nobody had managed to make them usable in a practical and economically feasible way. The major hurdle to overcome was the diffusion of Terahertz radiation -- which results in weak, unfocused lasers -- but now researchers from the universities of Harvard and Leeds seem to believe they've managed to do it. Using metamaterials to collimate T-rays into a "tightly bound, high powered beam" will, they claim, permit semiconductor lasers (i.e. the affordable kind) to perform the duties currently set aside for sophisticated machinery costing upwards of $160,000. Harvard has already filed a patent application for this innovation, and if things pan out, we might be seeing body scanners (both for medical and security purposes), manufacturing quality checks, and a bunch of other things using the extra special THz stuff to do their work.

Metamaterials used to focus Terahertz lasers, make them useful originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen Grabs: EVO 4G captures illicit in-progress surgery on The Closer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/screen-grabs-evo-4g-captures-illicit-in-progress-surgery-on-the/

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

The Sprint badge on our EVO 4G definitely isn't lit up in florescent yellow, but the logo on Sgt. David Gabriel's sure is. During last night's episode of The Closer, Brenda's right hand men were instructed to bust out their cellphones in order to videotape a crime in progress, with the "crime" being the removal of a rapist's heart for transplant into a young, innocent lady back at the hospital. We'll spare you the gory, sticky details, but suffice it to say this 8 megapixel shooter definitely proved valuable when it came time to show and tell. Oh, and didn't 4G just go live in the Los Angeles area? Man, talk about a timely appearance...

Screen Grabs: EVO 4G captures illicit in-progress surgery on The Closer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/dell-streak-on-sale-august-13-for-300-on-atandt-contract-550-wi/

After a brief delay in getting the ball rolling stateside, Dell's finally ready to start selling its Streak this Friday to all comers. If you go for a new two-year contract through AT&T, you'll be paying $299.99; if you value your freedom, though, you'll be looking at $549.99 out the door -- oh, and if you signed up for the pre-sale, you'll be able to place your order a day earlier on the 12th. Unfortunately, we don't have any indication that it'll be launching with anything newer than Android 1.6, so let's hope that juicy 2.1 update with 720p video capture wastes no time getting rolled out. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without

Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buffalo launches trio of affordable Wireless-N devices able to get just about anything online

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/buffalo-launches-trio-of-affordable-wireless-n-devices-able-to-g/

Buffalo launches trio of affordable Wireless-N devices to get your game console, laptop, or just about anything online
Is your wireless adapter pumping out signals using a letter designation lower than N? If so, think of all that delicious speed you're missing. Buffalo is here to give you a taste with three new Wireless-N devices, priced such that they'll fit into most budgets. First up is a fairly standard router, the WCR-GN, sporting 802.11n WiFi and four Ethernet ports in a cool white design for a mere $40. Then there's the WLAE-AG300N, a dual-port access point designed for making a pair of wired game consoles or the like wireless. That is a little more pricey, at $80, but the final product, the smallest of the bunch, brings us back down to $40. It's the WLI-UC-GNM, a USB 2.0 802.11n adapter that is barely bigger than the port it fits in, poking out just far enough for you to pull the thing back out again. All three are pictured in the gallery below, and all three should be shipping soon.

Continue reading Buffalo launches trio of affordable Wireless-N devices able to get just about anything online

Buffalo launches trio of affordable Wireless-N devices able to get just about anything online originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intuitfocus HF-IF1 enables 'handsfree' follow-focus on DSLRs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/intuitfocus-hf-if1-enables-handsfree-follow-focus-on-dslrs/

Given that even the professionals are swapping in DSLRs for those bulky, pricey camcorders, it's about time Intuitfocus solved a century-old problem: touching the focus ring to focus. In an effort to eliminate the focus puller from your payroll while also placing more control of a shot in the hands of a single filmmaker, the HF-IF1 handsfree, electro-mechanical follow-focus system enables DSLR focus to be altered by simply thumbing through a wheel. The rig can be used to dictate focus, zoom or aperture on all DSLRs with lenses from 14mm to 600mm, though the company does mention that not every single lens will play nice. As you'd expect, this essentially eliminates shake introduced by having to touch the focus ring, and it ships with a foursome of various rubber belt sizes for various lens diameters. It's scheduled to ship next month at an undisclosed amount, and we're desperately hoping that the company chooses Dancing Pigeons to showcase its magic. A boy can dream, right? Promo clip follows the break, should you find yourself interested.

Continue reading Intuitfocus HF-IF1 enables 'handsfree' follow-focus on DSLRs

Intuitfocus HF-IF1 enables 'handsfree' follow-focus on DSLRs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:05:00 EDT. Plea! se see o ur terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 32 Internet "Tablet" hits the FCC, pictures and manual in tow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/archos-32-internet-tablet-hits-the-fcc-pictures-and-manual-in-t/


It was just last week the Android-powered Archos 32 spontaneously burst into existence with a premature sale, and thanks to the FCC we can say today that we also know what it looks like. As you can see in the picture above, the "minidroid" appears to be a completely capacitive affair, with dedicated buttons and directional controls surrounding that 3.2-inch screen. The full filing also reveals built-in GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Archos' trademark kickstand alongside Bluetooth and WiFi. While it does have a microphone as originally reported, there's strangely no mention of a camera in the user's manual, which actually suggests that circle on the back of the device may be the integrated speaker. (Here's hoping we're proven wrong.) On the connectivity front, ARCHOS seems to have the usual host of accessories planned including a 720p-capable DVR dock, but frustratingly the unit also requires a proprietary connector to transfer data and charge. Should the original leak be accurate, expect to see this one at e-tailers in the coming months for a penny under $150, an excellent price should the build quality equal the company's codec support.

Archos 32 Internet "Tablet" hits the FCC, pictures and manual in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wireless Goodness, Liliputing  |  sourceFCC  | Email this | Comments

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

A Web Surfing Contest With No Keyboard and No Google Allowed [Hyperlinks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5608658/a-web-surfing-contest-with-no-keyboard-and-no-google-allowed

A Web Surfing Contest With No Keyboard and No Google AllowedOK, so-called web surfers, listen up. You might be able to ride from page to page with your speedy search engines, sure, but could you make it from Amazon to the Pirate Bay only clicking links?

That's right—just you, your mouse, and a whole sea of hyperlinks.

That was the challenge leveled to participants of Trailblazers, a web browsing competition that recently held its inaugural contest in Stuttgart, Germany. Participants were challenged to "Surf the classic way from amazon to pirate bay."

From a chart posted on the Trailblazers site (which is designed, we'll say, in a "neo-classical" web style), it seems as though an individual named "tobi" earned the old-school surfer crown.

A Web Surfing Contest With No Keyboard and No Google Allowed

The next Trailblazers competition will take place on September 3 at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria. Make sure your peripherals are regulation ahead of time. [Trailblazers via TodayandTomorrow via The Atlantic]

Update: Thanks to honorary web surfing champion of the evening, commenter Justin, for finding these pairs, which were apparently the actual challenges for each successive round of the competition. I guess "amazon to pirate bay" was just their tagline?

1. [www.apple.com]
http://get.adobe.com/de/products/flashplayer/
(I think this one is pretty funny)

2. [web.mit.edu]
http://icanhascheezburger.com/

3. [imdb.com]
http://thepiratebay.org

4. [www.4chan.org]
http://www.scientology.org/

5. [brockhaus.de]
http://de.wikipedia.org/

6. [www.bundestag.de]
http://www.bigbrotherawards.de/

7. [pleaserobme.com]
http://polizei.de/

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These Minimal TMA-1 Headphones from Aiaiai Have Me All Hot Under the Collar [Headphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5608906/these-minimal-tma+1-headphones-from-aiaiai-have-me-all-hot-under-the-collar

These Minimal TMA-1 Headphones from Aiaiai Have Me All Hot Under the CollarI'm constantly searching for The Pair of over-ear headphones, so I'm pretty chuffed that after months of stunning teaser photos the TMA-1 'phones by Aiaiai have finally gone on sale—for $170*.

They hail from Denmark, and adding further weight to the idea that Scandinavia is the king of design, they've been created with help by a tidy list of electronic acts, like 2 Many DJs and Hot Chip.

Supposedly taking inspiration from the sound quality of Sennheiser's HD 25 'phones, Aiaiai wanted to create a more durable and robust pair with minimal branding according to this interview they did with Slamxhype.

The headphones have a 1.7m cable, 6.3mm stereo plug converter, and include the following specs:

Transducer Principle: Dynamic, closed
Driver Unit Size: 40 mm
Impedance: 32±15% Ohm
Load Rating: 0.1W
Frequency Response: 20 to 20.000 Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.3%
Sensitivity: 110±3dB Weight w/o
Cable: 190 Gram

On sale now Dkk 1,400, which converts to about $250 / 180 Euros. *

OR pick them up at The Ghostly, where they cost $170 as an introductory price for US residents. [Aiaiai via FutureBlog]

These Minimal TMA-1 Headphones from Aiaiai Have Me All Hot Under the Collar

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A Rubik's Cube Can Always Be Solved In 20 Moves Or Less [Puzzles]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5609032/a-rubicks-cube-can-always-be-solved-in-20-moves-or-less

A Rubik's Cube Can Always Be Solved In 20 Moves Or LessUsing 35 years of Google-donated CPU time, a team of researchers found that every possible configuration of the Rubik's Cube can be solved in 20 moves or less. Personally, I've almost got all the yellows on one side.

That's right: every one of the Rubik's Cube's 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible positions can be solved in 20 moves or less.

That figure—the maximum number of moves it takes to solve the Cube using the most efficient algorithms possible—is called God's Number. In 1981, it was thought to be as high as 52. By 2005 it was at 28. And now, using a program that can solve the Cube in 20 seconds over 35 CPU-years of idle computer time donated by Google, it's been proven to be exactly 20.

Of course, for the true Cube-heads, there's plenty of interesting math behind the discovery. For the rest of us, there's just the nagging knowledge that we've gone about 400 rotations too far. [Cube 20 via Slashdot]

Image credit M. Christian

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