Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Archos' Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 tablets launch in Hong Kong, taste like Gingerbread

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/archos-arnova-7-g2-and-10-g2-tablets-launch-in-hong-kong-taste/

It looks like Archos' summer of the sequels is just heating up. Less than a week ago, we spied the outfit's 8-incher at the FCC, and now our brethren at Engadget Chinese are offering up a hands-on with two more second-gen Arnovas: the Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2. These made-over slates best their predecessors with Gingerbread and capacitive touchscreens. The original 7-inch tablet ran Froyo while its big brother came with Eclair; both sported resistive displays. The pair will also see a spec bump in the processor department, with the inclusion of a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 -- likely the same processor found in their 8-inch sibling. While we do have Hong Kong pricing -- HK$1,680 (or $215 US) and HK$1,980 (about $250 US) -- we've yet to land a release date. So, for now, we'll just stick with "coming soon to a retailer near you?" If the wait is too much to bear, hop on past the break for some hands-on love from our Chinese counterparts.

Archos' Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 tablets launch in Hong Kong, taste like Gingerbread originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D glasses vending machine lets you be fashionable in the dark

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/3d-glasses-vending-machine-lets-you-be-fashionable-in-the-dark/

There are certain things worth paying to upgrade: earbuds, perhaps, and maybe even Spotify. But when it comes to buying fancy 3D glasses for the sole purpose of looking cool in a pitch-black theater -- well, aren't we already spending enough on popcorn and Funyuns? EX3D doesn't seem to think so. Starting August 13th, moviegoers in San Diego will be able to trade in those freebies for fashion at a 3D glasses vending machine. At $22 - $30 a pop, these "affordable" and "stylish" glasses may be a boon for those who wouldn't be caught dead wearing the same specs as their friends. Of course, you can also use these babies out of the theater on a passive 3D TV. As for us? We'll stick with the freebies, thank you very much. Jump past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading 3D glasses vending machine lets you be fashionable in the dark

3D glasses vending machine lets you be fashionable in the dark originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/dells-latitude-xt3-goes-up-for-pre-order-swivels-your-way-sept/

Are you a fancy suit, known to occasionally dabble in the fine art of scribbling? Have a seat bud, because Dell's gone and put up a pre-order page for the touchscreen convertible that you've been waiting for: the Latitude XT3. When we last espied the drop-top in February, we came away mighty impressed with its spiffy 13.3-inch dual-digitizer display, which recognized the attached stylus in addition to three of our meaty digits. We also liked the inclusion of the Core i3 -- upgradeable to an i5 or i7 -- which packs a punch, unlike the miserly Core 2 Duo's found in its predecessors. The magnesium-reinforced piece of kit starts at $1,789, unless you have it your way and toss in the optional $49 backlit keyboard or spring for the $100 outdoor-viewing display. We'll take ours with both, and with a ship date of September 22nd, you've got plenty of time to get a customizin' at the source below.

Dell's Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visualized: Objet's 3D printer breathes plastic life into Hollywood creatures, layer by layer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/visualized-objets-3d-printer-breathes-plastic-life-into-hollyw/

It ain't easy being plastic, you know? Objet -- the 3D printing house that aimed to replace your office's all-in-one Epson back in July -- brought a few of its snazziest pieces here to SIGGRAPH, and we popped by to have a gander. Targeting the animation-inspired crowd that showed up here in Vancouver, the company brought along some Hollywood examples of how its multi-material Objet260 Connex helped movie makers craft prototype creatures before they were inserted into the storyline. Thor's Destroyer and Avatar's Na'vi were both on hand, as well as the two critters shown above. The hothead on the right was crafted in around 18 hours (and subsequently painted), while the cool cat on the left was built in three fewer. Wildly enough, that fellow required no painting whatsoever; so long as you're cool with shades of grey, you can program your object to be colored from the outset. Oh, and as for his cost? Around $80 for the materials -- slightly more for the printer itself.

Gallery: Objet's 3D printing breathes plastic life into Hollywood creatures at SIGGRAPH

Continue reading Visualized: Objet's 3D printer breathes plastic life into Hollywood creatures, layer by layer

Visualized: Objet's 3D printer breathes plastic life into Hollywood creatures, layer by layer! origina lly appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/darpas-falcon-htv-2-hypersonic-aircraft-launches-today-does-ne/

All eyes are on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today, where DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 unmanned aircraft is scheduled to launch into space at hypersonic speeds, as part of a critical test flight. Measuring just 12 feet in length, the HTV-2 maxes out at a speed of about ~~1300~~ 16,700 miles per hour (Mach 22), theoretically allowing it to jet from New York to Los Angeles in just 12 minutes and to reach anywhere in the world in less than an hour. The main obstacle, however, has been transitioning from theory to practice. During its first test flight back in April, the craft lasted just nine minutes before intentionally crashing, due to technical failures. DARPA still doesn't know what went wrong during that fateful test, though the agency speculates that the Falcon may have simply overheated. This time around, engineers have adjusted plane's center of gravity and angle of descent, in the hopes that their creation will fare better when it launches on the back of a Minotaur IV rocket, later today. If the test proves successful, it may help fuel similarly inter-galactic defense projects that the Pentagon is exploring as a means to combat terrorism and enemy states. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out whether this initiative actually takes off, but in the meantime, head past the break for a demo video from DARPA.

Continue reading DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes

DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Classiest App To Get People Naked [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829664/the-classiest-app-to-get-people-naked

Despite the great things the internet has done, it's also made us prudish about having naked images of us captured, and that's made it harder to get people to take of their clothes for you. Until now...

Until the internet came, you only needed a fancy-looking camera and a beret and the clothes would drop to the floor in the name of Art (with a capital A). Before that, "I want to paint you," was arguably the best pick-up line ever (it sure worked for Picasso), but these days even that might get someone's hackles up. No, the super old ways, are the super best ways. "Let me sculpt you!" Yes! Oh God yes, I'm already naked! The problem is, you need talent and clay. Well, now there's an iPad app for that, so you don't need either.

AutoDesk (from the smart folk behind AutoCAD, SketchBook Mobile) has added Sculpt 123D to their product portfolio. You start with a blob that is something like the shape you want to sculpt (human, elephant, T-Rex, etc.), and then you can turn it and manipulate it at will. I was surprised to see just how much control you have the over forms and how detailed you can make something. Check out the quick demo video which is, sadly, totally safe for work. FREE for a limited time, and it will then be $.99. [Autodesk via TechCrunch]

Image credit: Shutterstock/Fancy

You can keep up with Brent Rose, the author of this post, on Google+ or Twitter.

The Amazingly Seamless New Apple Cube [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829710/the-amazingly-seamless-new-apple-cube

The massive glass cube hovering over the Apple Store at Fifth Avenue is truly iconic: It's transformed a store where people buy iPhones into a legitimate New York City landmark. And it's about to be reborn, made even more striking by its sheer simplicity.

The current, cross-hatched style cube is composed of 90 panes of glass. The new cube will use just 15 expansive pieces of glass—around 32 feet long—erasing all but a handful of seams. So the cube will appear to be almost weightless, as if it's truly suspended in mid-air. We'll see it sometime in November, apparently.

That is how you build a store. [Gothamist]

How The Magical Windows Work in Boeing's 787 Dreamliner [Airplanes]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829395/how-boeings-magical-787-dreamliner-windows-work

Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner has the best airplane windows ever. It ditches that small window with a pull-down plastic shade and replaces it with a larger, dimming window that can be adjusted to let in various amounts of light.

The windows are a dreamy 19 inches tall and 65% larger than the standard airplane windows so you'll get to see a lot more of your surroundings. And did I mention they dim?

The dimming effect is the result of an electrified gel sandwiched between two thin pieces of glass. As the electric current increases, the gel darkens and as it drops, the gel lightens. The system is brilliant in its simplicity.

Each passenger in the coveted window seat will have control over their window. They're also networked together so flight personnel can control the windows, too. Attendants can adjust each window, adjust windows in an entire section of the plane or adjust them for the entire plane.

These new dimming windows are just the beginning for Boeing and its research partners PPG Aerospace and Gentex Corporation. The trio hopes to add other features to the windows like automation that would brighten your portal during take off and dim it at night. [Boeing]

You can keep up with Kelly Hodgkins, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google + or Facebook.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Organic Motion's OpenStage motion capture system grabs 200FPS, no backdrop required (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/organic-motions-openstage-motion-capture-system-grabs-200fps-n/

At just under $40,000 for an eight camera setup, we're hardly in hobbyist territory here, but Organic Motion's new OpenStage 2.0 motion capture system could certainly make do in the average basement. Unlike a few competing solutions shown here at SIGGRAPH, this one actually has no backdrop mandate, and better still, doesn't require you to latch a single sensor onto your subject. The magic lies within the cameras hung above -- kits are sold that contain between eight and 24 cameras, and even the latter can be handled with a single workstation. Multi-person tracking ain't no thang, and while you aren't capturing HD footage here, the high-speed VGA capability enables up to 200 frames per second to be logged. Not surprisingly, the company's aiming this squarely at the animation and medical realms, and should start shipping bundles as early as next month. Looking to take down Pixar? You'll need a lot more than 40 large, but perhaps the video after the break will give you a bit of inspiration.

Gallery: Organic Motion's OpenStage motion capture system grabs 200FPS at SIGGRAPH

Continue reading Organic Motion's OpenStage motion capture system grabs 200FPS, no backdrop required (video)

Organic Motion's OpenStage motion capture system grabs 200FPS, no backdrop required (video) origin ally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visualized: 3D3 Solutions scans our face in two seconds flat

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/visualized-3d3-solutions-scans-our-face-in-two-seconds-flat/

See that bloke? That's Darren Murph. Well, a digital representation of the human version, anyway. That image was captured in two painless seconds at the hands of 3D3 Solutions, which was on-hand here at SIGGRAPH to demonstrate its newest FlexScan setups. The rig that snapped our face rings up at around $10,000, and relies on a Canon DSLR (strictly for capturing textures), a projector and a secondary camera. As you've likely picked up on, this is hardly designed for average DIYers, but these solutions are also far more detailed and flexible than using Microsoft's Kinect. We're told that the company recently started to support Nikon cameras as well, and for those who'd prefer to use their existing cameras / PJs, a hobbyist-centric software package will allow you to do just that. The only problem? Figuring out where the $2,700 (for software) is going to come from. Head on past the break for a demonstration vid, or peruse the gallery below if you're feeling extra creepy.

Gallery: 3D3 Solutions scans our face in two seconds flat at SIGGRAPH

Continue reading Visualized: 3D3 Solutions scans our face in two seconds flat

Visualized: 3D3 Solutions scans our face in two seconds flat originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHART OF THE DAY: Apple Closes The Day As The Most Valuable Company In The World For The First Time Ever (AAPL, XOM)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-apple-exxon-mobil-market-cap-2011-8

Apple has closed the day as the most valuable public company in the world knocking off Exxon Mobil.

It's an incredible feat considering Apple was a broken company 15 years ago. In the world of technology, which evolves so rapidly, only a handful of companies have been able to reverse course and find new life.

Apple's rise to the top happened rather suddenly. Just a year ago it passed Microsoft to become the biggest company in tech. At the start of the year it was still $75 billion behind Exxon. Today it's $6 billion ahead.

But, a market crash coupled with Apple's astounding earnings performance have vaulted it to the top of the heap.

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Perceptive Pixel shows world's largest projected capacitive display at SIGGRAPH, we go hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/perceptive-pixel-shows-worlds-largest-projected-capacitive-disp/

Perceptive Pixel wasn't kidding around when it launched the planet's biggest projected capacitive display here at SIGGRAPH -- all 82 inches of it were here on display, and naturally, we stopped by to give it a look. While 82-inch panels aren't anything new, this one's particularly special. You see, the company actually procures the panels from Samsung, and then it rips the guts out while bonding its own network of sensors directly to it; most large-screen touch devices simply pop a touch layer on top of whatever TV shows up in the labs, but this integrated approach takes sensitivity to a whole 'nother level. For those unfamiliar with the term 'projected capacitive,' we're surmising that it's actually far less foreign than you think -- it's a technology used in a handful of smartphones, from Samsung's Moment to Apple's iPhone. 3M was also showing off a PC tech preview back at CES, and after using it here on the show floor, there's no question that it's the future for larger-screen devices. To quote CEO Jeff Han: "once consumers get a taste of this on the mobile front, they start demanding it elsewhere."

Gallery: Perceptive Pixel shows world's largest projected capacitive display at SIGGRAPH

Continue reading Perceptive Pixel shows world's largest projected capacitive display at SIGGRAPH, we go hands-on (video)

P! erceptiv e Pixel shows world's largest projected capacitive display at SIGGRAPH, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/scosche-mytrek-sends-workout-vitals-to-your-iphone-starts-shipp/

With a variety of portable power accessories, most Scosche products are designed to keep gadgets up and running, not to get our own blood flowing. The company's new Bluetooth myTrek pulse monitor pairs with an iPhone or iPod touch to motivate you to keep going and going, however, pumping "inspiring" audio alerts through your headphones during a workout, while also tracking pulse, distance, speed, pace, and calories burned. The arm-strap uses a pair of LEDs, along with a photo sensor and accelerometer to capture vitals as it rests strapped to your forearm, providing five hours of continuous feedback before needing its own boost using the included USB cable. You'll need to have your iOS device within 33 feet of the device to record your workout, so the myTrek may be better suited for trips to the gym than, say, a run through the park in the rain. It's also rather pricey, at $130, but if you're already dropping a grand or two for your gym membership each year, a gadget that lets you elegantly track your progress may be within reach.

Continue reading Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)

Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vudu starts streaming movies to the iPad, chooses the web app route

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/vudu-starts-streaming-movies-to-the-ipad-chooses-the-web-app-ro/

Now that Vudu has started streaming movies to PCs over the web, we're not surprised that starting today, it's moving to the iPad as well but what is surprising is the decision to stream over the web and forego a dedicated app. This approach lets the Wal-mart-owned (and fully integrated) video delivery company avoid the restrictions of Apple's app store and any additional fees, but unfortunately still means that like the PC, it's restricted to standard definition resolution and due to licensing issues is missing any flicks from Disney. The company plans to keep expanding onto other platforms like Android soon (if you must, the site does work on the iPhone right now but the UI isn't optimized for it yet) but it appears accessibility is replacing high quality HDX streaming as the service's most notable trait, for better or worse.

Continue reading Vudu starts streaming movies to the iPad, chooses the web app route

Vudu starts streaming movies to the iPad, chooses the web app route originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SATA-IO outs new SATA Express and Embedded SSD standards, acronyms abound

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/sata-io-outs-new-sata-express-and-embedded-ssd-standards-acrony/

It's a big day for SATA-IO, as the organization has just announced not one, but two new SATA standards. The first of these, the SATA Express specification, gets the latter half of its name from the 'e' in PCIe, as it will allow current SATA standards to piggyback on the PCIe interface, boosting speeds to 8Gbps and 16Gbps, up from the current 6Gbps. SATA Express is expected to make its official debut later this year. SATA µSSD, on the other hand, is currently ready to go, and already implemented in SanDisk's iSSD embedded drive. It ditches the module connector from the old interface, allowing OEMs to stack single-chip drives right on the motherboard. A plethora of SATA-related press releases awaits you after the break -- if you're into that sort of thing.

Continue reading SATA-IO outs new SATA Express and Embedded SSD standards, acronyms abound

SATA-IO outs new SATA Express and Embedded SSD standards, acronyms abound originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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