Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, February 03, 2011

There's a Hole in This Whiskey Glass [Design]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5750962/theres-a-hole-in-this-whiskey-glass

I butcher my whiskey with rocks. I know, I'm sorry. But! If I had this whiskey glass I probably wouldn't. Why? Because there's a freaking hole inside the glass. Apparently, the hole will make you appreciate whiskey more.

Called L'Art de la Dégustation, the glasses were designed by Kacper Hamilton (the guy behind the "deadly" wine glasses) and come with a metal base that fits perfectly inside the hole (in case you need to chill the whiskey a bit).

The idea behind the hole in the glass is to "create a more engaging experience when drinking whiskey". You're encouraged to circulate the whiskey around the hole and appreciate the color, smell and taste. I'm all for enjoying whiskey but I don't want to drink slow! More faster, more whiskey, more enjoyment. [Kacper Hamilton via The Awesomer]

Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/esper-dominoes-topple-without-touching-we-fall-all-over-ourselv/

Quick, what's wrong with this picture? Oh, that's right -- dominoes don't topple all by themselves, do they? But these aren't your average tiles. Constructed by Japanese interaction researchers in 2009, these "Esper Dominoes" each have ZigBee radios inside, and as each stone falls it wirelessly tells the next to follow suit, all down the line. Of course, knowing all that, why would you ever settle for a boring row of five? Hit the break to see what these bones are really capable of, and join us in praying that some entrepreneur mass produces these perfect stocking stuffers before another two years fly by.

Continue reading Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video)

Esper Dominoes topple without touching, we fall all over ourselves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Make, Japan Trends | source

source

Jarashi Works & nbsp;| Email this | Comments

Motorola's Atrix 4G coming to AT&T on March 6th for $200, bundled with Laptop Dock for $500

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/motorolas-atrix-4g-coming-to-atandt-on-march-6th-for-200-bundle/

Don't ever say Ma Bell lacks cahones. On the same day that existing Verizon customers began pre-ordering the CDMA'd iPhone 4, AT&T has come clean with what's next on America's largest GSM network. While announced at CES 2011, pricing and release information had eluded the luscious Atrix 4G... until now, that is. AT&T will begin pre-sales for the Froyo-powered Motorola Atrix 4G Android superphone on February 13th, with the standard $199.99 + two-year contract ($50 more than we were led to believe, mind you) getting one into your grubby mitts. We're told to expect general availability on March 6th "or earlier," putting it just about in line with the date we'd heard rumored. Moreover, those looking to buy will should have a difficult time laying off of the Laptop Dock bundle, which nets you an Atrix 4G as well as a $499.99 dock for the grand total of $499.99 on contract. You heard right -- those who opt to buy the dock at a later time will be asked to shell out five Benjamins, whereas that same tally on day one will also include the phone. It should be noted, however, that the bundle only applies if you also sign your name to a Data Pro plan and tethering add-on, so be sure you're down for that monthly hit before committing in haste. Oh, and just in case you simply can't stop spending, the carrier is also offering an Entertainment Access Kit for Atrix 4G customers which includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and a remote control for $189.99.

Continue reading Motorola's Atrix 4G coming to AT&T on March 6th for $200, bundled with Laptop Dock for $500

Motorola's Atrix 4G coming to AT&T on March 6th for $200, bundled with Laptop Dock for $500 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

The Wall Street Journal, AT&T | Email this | Comments

Android in-app purchases hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/android-in-app-purchases-hands-on-video/

Today Google announced that Android in-app purchases are coming to the platform and we were able to get a demo by Paul Sebastien of Disney. He showed us how to buy a track pack (Far East Movement, for those who care) in Tap Tap Revenge 4 over 3G on a Nexus S, and using a fake credit card! It's interesting to note that the in-app purchase UI matches the look and feel of the new Android Market and developers can implement the functionality in a few simple steps. In-app purchases should start rolling out in various Android apps this spring. In the meantime, take a look at our video after the break.

Continue reading Android in-app purchases hands-on (video)

Android in-app purchases hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy SL drops AMOLED for Super Clear LCD, Hummingbird for OMAP3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/samsung-galaxy-sl-drops-amoled-for-super-clear-lcd-hummingbird/

You're Samsung, and you want to make sure you have enough still-limited S-AMOLED displays for the upcoming Galaxy S 2, but you don't want to discontinue the original Galaxy S. What to do? Well, you could always take a cue from the Galaxy S-based Russian Nexus S and use an LCD instead-- and so here we have the Galaxy SL GT-i9003, which is destined to hit the Middle East and Asia with both a Super Clear LCD and a processor swap from Sammy's Humingbird to a 1GHz TI OMAP 3630, along with a bump in thickness and weight due to a slightly larger battery. Apart from that it's pretty much just a Galaxy S, all the way down to the maddening stagnation on Android 2.2 -- but hey, give us 2.3 (or even 3.0) on the Galaxy S 2 and we'll be all smiles and giggles.

Update: BestBoyz got a Vodafone price list that seems to indicate that the SL will hit Germany as well. Achtung, AMOLED fans!

Samsung Galaxy SL drops AMOLED for Super Clear LCD, Hummingbird for OMAP3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Newtechnology.co.in | source

source

Samsung, BestBoyz | Email this | Comments

Seven airlines now offering free in-flight Facebook

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/seven-airlines-now-offering-free-in-flight-facebook/

Free and fast in-flight WiFi may be an unrealizable dream, but free in-flight Facebook? Wish no more. As of today, seven airlines are running a promotion with Gogo internet to bring your in air Facebook dreams to life. The airlines include Delta, AirTran, American, Virgin Atlantic, Alaska, US Airways, and United, who with Gogo now offer internet on 1,100 commercial and 5,000 private planes. It's unclear how long the promotion will last -- nothing good lasts forever -- but get in there while you can and do a few status updates, maybe check out your friends' awesome Groundhog Day 2011 links.

Seven airlines now offering free in-flight Facebook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

USA Today | Email this | Comments

Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' can encrypt all your data, needs a full hour's charge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/android-3-0-honeycomb-can-encrypt-all-your-data-needs-a-full/

Diving through the Motorola Xoom's sweet, sweet blend of Android 3.0, we found an interesting perk -- there's an "Encrypt Tablet" option buried in the settings page, intended to secure all your personal data with a password or PIN. While a handy Google rep couldn't tell us which cryptographic standards the OS uses, he did tell us the feature is part of Honeycomb as a whole, not a Motorola exclusive, so we're sure to see the option in other business-minded Android slates to come. Oh, and Google asks that all you sysadmins stay tuned, as the company's whipped up an API that lets you enforce policy restrictions upon your peons as far as encryption is concerned. Just make sure they remember to keep the tablet charged. See a close-up after the break.

Continue reading Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' can encrypt all your data, needs a full hour's charge

Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' can encrypt all your data, needs a full hour's charge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | C omments

Dropcam app comes to Android, lets you monitor your security cameras from afar

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/dropcam-app-comes-to-android-lets-you-monitor-your-security-cam/

iPhone users have been able to keep watch on their Dropcam security cameras from the convenience of a dedicated app since the Dropcam Echo launched last summer, but Android users have unfortunately been left with no other option than to simply use the standard, less-than-mobile-friendly web interface. The company's now finally corrected that oversight, however, and released a full-fledged app for Android smartphones running Android 2.2 or higher. The key advantage with a Dropcam setup -- as we noted in our review of the camera itself -- is that it's entirely cloud-based, and doesn't need to be connected to your home computer to record or share video (unfortunately, that convenience comes at quite a cost). As for the Android app, it will let you receive things like motion and audio alerts, and of course let you check in on a live stream or access recordings -- those just looking try the service can also simply access some public webcams to test it out.

Continue reading Dropcam app comes to Android, lets you monitor your security cameras from afar

Dropcam app comes to Android, lets you monitor your security cameras from afar originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Dropcam | Email this | Comments

HTC Pyramid emerges from the mists of speculation with a 1.2GHz dual-core, 4.3-inch screen, T-Mobile 4G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/htc-pyramid-emerges-from-the-mists-of-speculation-with-a-1-2ghz/

First Sprint got a 4G-capable, 4.3-inch Android phone from HTC, then this January AT&T (Inspire 4G) and Verizon (Thunderbolt) received promises of the same. Is T-Mobile feeling left out? It might not be for long, as the rumor mill has just churned out a rather mighty 1.2GHz dual-core beast of a handset and is ascribing it to the Magenta network for a launch some time around May or June. We're hearing it'll come with qHD resolution (960 x 540, just like the Atrix 4G) and the SOC within will be that famed Snapdragon MSM8260 that Qualcomm teased briefly at CES a couple of weeks ago. Lending credence to this scuttlebutt is the fact that both TmoNews and Android and Me found sources affirming the Pyramid's existence, leaving us only to wait and wonder about what we can do with a device of its kind.

{Image credit: Nina Aldin Thune]

HTC Pyramid emerges from the mists of speculation with a 1.2GHz dual-core, 4.3-inch screen, T-Mobile 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

TmoNews, Android and Me | Email this | Comments

EyeSight brings its gesture controls to Android tablets, Windows-based devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/eyesight-brings-its-gesture-controls-to-android-tablets-windows/

EyeSight has been bringing its hand-waving UI to all sorts of mobile devices for some time now, and it's now expanded things yet again. Following up its launch on Android last summer, the company has announced that its gesture recognition software has now also been tailored specifically for Android tablets and other "computer-based" Android platforms, and it's announced that it's now available for Windows-based devices as well. As before, the software is able to work with just about any built-in camera, and the company says that it has been "highly optimized" for mobile platforms, with low CPU and memory requirements. It's not something available directly to users, though -- it's up to developers to license it and include the functionality in their applications. Head on past the break for an idea of how it works -- just try to ignore that conspicuously out of place iPad at the beginning of the video.

Continue reading EyeSight brings its gesture controls to Android tablets, Windows-based devices

EyeSight brings its gesture controls to Android tablets, Windows-based devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Agility Saietta unveiled, the decidedly unconventional electric sports bike

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/agility-saietta-unveiled-the-decidedly-unconventional-electric/

Saietta

A new player has entered the electric motorcycle game, joining the likes of Brammo's Empulse but doing it with rather more... unconventional styling. It's the Agility Global Saietta, an all-electric sports bike that will come in two flavors: the 50 mile range Saietta S and the 100 mile Saietta R. The latter of the two will be quicker than the first, getting to 60 in under four seconds, whereas S riders will have to wait another tick of the stopwatch. Naturally that extra range and speed will cost you: £9,975 for the S and £13,975 for the R, figures that equate to roughly $16,200 and $22,650. Hefty sums, both, but nobody said being on the cutting edge of the humpbacked sport bike trend was going to be cheap. We weren't given any specific horsepower or weight figures, but we're told the power to weight ratio is 675hp per ton. You can make your own guesses about weight to try and get a firm power figure, but it certainly should be peppy enough.

At this point we don't know much about the bikes themselves beyond what you can see in the photos, which show a trellis frame cradling a sizeable battery pack. The swingarm is a combination of machined parts and pipes, rear suspension elevated to make room for the electric motor sitting just above the pivot point. Front suspension also shows an unconventional design, offset steering linkage and a single damper eschewing the traditional fork design found on your average (non-BMW) motorcycle. These images are, of course, just renders, but the bike has just made its word debut at the MCN London Motorcycle Show and we'll be bringing you some actual pictures as soon as we get them. As to when those who order the bikes will get theirs, we're told shipments begin in April.

Update: We have some pictures from the Saietta launch at MCN. Real, honest to gosh photos, these.

Gallery: Agility Saietta

Gallery: Saietta Launch

Continue reading Agility Saietta unveiled, the decidedly unconventional electric sports bike

Agility Saietta unveiled, the decidedly unconventional electric sports bike originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this&nb! sp;|&nbs p;Comments

JVC GC-PX1 can't decide if it's cam or camcorder, does 1080p60 video and 10.6 megapixel stills

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/jvc-gc-px1-cant-decide-if-its-cam-or-camcorder-does-1080p60-v/

JVC GC-PX1 can't decide if it's a camera or camcorder, does 1080p60 video and 10.6 megapixel stills

We missed JVC's GX-PX1 camera when it was at CES, just a concept at that point but now getting more real. Impress got a little hands-on time with the curious model that features an incredibly slim, compact-like body behind a hunky, camcorder-like lens assembly. It'll do 1080p60 at 36Mbps, writing to SDXC or 32GB of internal memory, can capture 10 megapixel stills and, if you don't mind stepping down to 640 x 360, will manage 300 frames per second. There's a tiltable LCD on the back and a 10x optically stabilized zoom lens up front. The camera is due to be released later this month, but JVC hasn't seen fit to tell us how much it'll cost just yet.

JVC GC-PX1 can't decide if it's cam or camcorder, does 1080p60 video and 10.6 megapixel stills originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Akihabara News | source

source

Impress | Email this | Comments

AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/amd-radeon-hd-6970m-reviewed-major-leap-from-hd-5870m-not-quit/

What has 960 shaders, two gigabytes of dedicated GDDR5 memory with throughput of 115.2GBps, and the ability to churn 680 million polygons each and every second? Yes, the Radeon HD 6970M. AMD's fastest mobile chip to date has been doing the review rounds recently and the response has been unsurprisingly positive. Most modern games failed to trip up the 6970M even at 1920 x 1080 resolution, though the usual suspects of Crysis and Metro 2033 did give it a little bit of grief. All in all, the leap from the HD 5870M was significant, although NVIDIA's still relatively new GeForce GTX 485M has managed to hold on to its crown as the most powerful GPU on the mobile front. Benchmarks, architectural details, battery life tests (what battery life?), and value-adding enhancements await at the links below.

AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Hot Hardware, Notebook Check, Tom's Hardware | Email this | Comments

SEO + SEM + SMO = ROI -- http://bit.ly/hi7vGv

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Android Honeycomb / Motorola Xoom hands-ons: widgets, Grocery IQ, and Monster Madness (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/02/android-honeycomb-motorola-xoom-hands-ons-widgets-grocery-iq/

Fully-functional Xooms with complete (or seemingly complete) builds of Honeycomb are out in force here at Google's event in Mountain View today, and a bunch of partners are hanging out to demonstrate the tablet apps they've been working on. We checked out both Monster Madness -- a game that's been on Xbox 360 and PS3 for some time -- and Grocery IQ, both of which obviously bring very different experiences to the table (unless you consider grocery shopping "a game," which some of us admittedly do).

Though we thought we detected some stuttering and lag from Monster Madness when it was demoed on stage, the experience up close and in person was much smoother -- definitely 100 percent playable. We double-checked and confirmed that the tablet game is a 100 percent content port from the console games, you're not missing anything here. It features three control modes that let you toggle between two on-screen analog sticks, one stick, and a fully accelerometer-based mode that most users probably won't consider practical because you've got to tilt the screen too much. Interestingly, the developer noted that there's a low-res mode that he actually toggled in an area of the game with a lot of water because it tends to slow down, despite the fact that it's running on Unreal Engine and is fully optimized for multiple cores. Could it be that game studios are already pushing the limits of this hardware from day one?

Moving onto Grocery IQ, it's basically a fancy shopping list with coupons -- it's already on both iOS and Android phones, and odds are good you already know what it is. What was really interesting, though, was that we got a full demo of "application fragment" layout switching between landscape and portrait views (the app has a two-pane view for tablets) and the process of adding and removing widgets. As with some of the first-party widgets we've seen, Grocery IQ seems to have done a good job making its widgets visually rich and engaging -- particularly the coupon browser, which appears as a stack of rotating coupons with color graphics. See videos of both products after the break!

Continue reading Android Honeycomb / Motorola Xoom hands-ons: widgets, Grocery IQ, and Monster Madness (video)

Android Honeycomb / Motorola Xoom hands-ons: widgets, Grocery IQ, and Monster Madness (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)