Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Scientists find new uses for existing drugs by mining gene-activity data banks

Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-scientists-drugs-gene-activity-banks.html

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have paired up medicines and maladies with help from a molecular "Match.com." When the scientists applied an "opposites attract" algorithm to publicly available databases, surprising sparks flew: They found potential compatibilities between numerous existing drugs and diseases for which those drugs had never before been thought to be beneficial.

New Apple Store To Be Made Entirely Out of Glass [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831844/new-apple-store-to-be-made-entirely-out-of-glass

Forget about the Apple glass cube. This store has been presented today at the Santa Monica Planning Commission by some "ASB/Blatteis Promenade Holdings, LLC". Who could be the actual retailer? There's only two possibilities here: Apple or Apple.

The renderings clearly show an Apple store, down to the tables, bar at the end, and side displays. The store will take the place of an old Borders (RIP) store on the Third Street Promenade. If approved, the old Borders would be demolished and replaced by this glass 8,084-square-foot glass structure with a 75-foot glass façade:

The proposed one-story, 34-foot high commercial building will feature an expansive floor-to-ceiling height accentuated by a transparent glass ceiling. The front façade will consist entirely of transparent glass panels that will project five feet from stone paneled side walls.

Apple already has a store nearby, but this one is going to be a bigger one, so it may be a replacement.

At this pace, Apple products would be all invisible and intangible soon. And some of you will buy them for $399.99. [Curbed LA]

Dell's S2330MX Ultra-Slim monitor makes rival LCDs hit the treadmill

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/dells-s2330mx-ultra-slim-monitor-makes-rival-lcds-hit-the-tread/

Was it really only a month ago that Dell released the remarkably priced U2421M? The folks at Round Rock are already at it again with another impressive widescreen -- the unromantically named (yet impressively thin) S2330MX. Lurking behind the catchy moniker is a 23-inch display (did we mention it's thin?), LED backlighting and a DVI to HDMI adapter. Let's face it, the power cables are gonna be thicker than the monitor -- it's very thin, you see. No word on pricing but, you can order one from tomorrow, August 18th. You can see how excited Scott Bates is in the official announcement video below.

[Thanks, George]

Continue reading Dell's S2330MX Ultra-Slim monitor makes rival LCDs hit the treadmill

Dell's S2330MX Ultra-Slim monitor makes rival LCDs hit the treadmill originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple adding DisplayPort to iOS devices?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/apple-adding-displayport-to-ios-devices/

Not content with just building offices in the shape of UFOs, Apple is on the hunt for a "Signal Integrity Manager." That's an engineer who balances the noise that chips and circuit boards emit -- which, if left unchecked could overpower your iOS devices' data signals. Apple is specifically looking for someone with DisplayPort experience (plus ten years general experience and two years leading a small team) to work on future chip development -- like the A6. The move suggests that the standard could be coming in the future, but since the position is still listed, it seems unlikely that we'll see DisplayPort included with the next iPhone / iPad at this point.

Apple adding DisplayPort to iOS devices? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS' next gen Eee Pad Transformer to be first Kal-El device?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/asus-next-gen-eee-pad-transformer-to-be-first-kal-el-device/

Earlier this year, NVIDIA teased us all with the promise of its forthcoming Kal-El SoC, indicating an August debut. Well, we're currently in the thick of that hot and hazy month with no clear sign of an incoming quad-core tablet, but certainly more release gossip. According to Fudzilla, multiple sources have confirmed ASUS' next Eee Pad Transformer will indeed be first in line to pack four cores, lending credence to Chairman Jonney Shih's claims the tab would be "impressive." Concrete launch details for the slate have yet to be announced, but if Shih's pre-CES timeline pans out, you'll only have four long months to wait for a Glow Ball hands-on.

ASUS' next gen Eee Pad Transformer to be first Kal-El device? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android App Inventor Will Live On At MIT [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831566/android-app-inventor-will-live-on-at-mit

Last week, we shared the news that Google's Android App Inventor was being shelved, despite its popularity as an educational tool. Last week's bad news is this week's good news as App Inventor has found a new home at MIT.

Using a gift from Google, MIT will be opening a new Center for Mobile Learning and its first project will be App Inventor. After a short stint in the hands of Google, the WYSIWYG development platform is now returning to its roots. The original App Inventor was created by Google with the help of MIT Professor Hal Abelson who designed it to be an easy-to-learn development platform.

Now that App Inventor is back in the hands of its creators, hopefully, the development platform will receive the attention it needs to develop into an even more valuable learning tool for budding programmers. [Hack Education]

How Researchers Fit a Blu-Ray of Data Onto a Millimeter of Glass [Memory]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831590/how-researchers-fit-a-blu+ray-of-data-onto-a-millimeter-of-glass

Researchers at Southampton University have devised a way to bend light passing through a glass wafer so it can store and read 50GB of data in the same way that fiber optic cable does.

The process uses minuscule dots called voxels etched in the molecular structure of pure silica glass that bend light to store information (the light itself changes direction as it passes through one depending on the light's polarization orientation.) The data can then be wiped and rewritten by re-etching the voxels.

Glass has a lot of advantages over other non-volatile memory. In particular, it can withstand temperatures up to 1800F and, since the etchings are located within the structure of the glass itself, the information lasts quite literally forever with no noticeable data degradation.

As research team member, Martynas Beresna, said:

We have developed this memory which means data can be stored on the glass and last forever. It could become a very stable and safe form of portable memory. It could be very useful for organizations with big archives. At the moment companies have to back up their archives every five to ten years because hard-drive memory has a relatively short lifespan.

Other uses include cheaper and more compact medical imaging, precise manipulation of atom-sized objects, and even high-resolution imaging far beyond what we see today. Great, now I have to copy my CD's—yet again—to a new format. But hey, should be the last time, right?

[The Engineer via Daily Mail]

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

Enable Google Maps' Awesome "Bubble Buttons" Lab for Quicker Calling and Navigation [Updates]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831665/enable-google-maps-awesome-bubble-buttons-lab-for-quicker-calling-and-navigation

Google Maps for Android just updated with an awesome "Bubble Buttons" feature that adds phone call and navigation buttons to map results. Here's how to enable it.

Make sure you're running the latest version of Google Maps for Android, then go to Menu > More > Labs. Scroll down to "Bubble Buttons" and tap it to turn it on. Now, whenever you search for a location in Maps, you'll have the option to call them or navigate there right on the main map page, severely reducing the number of taps it takes to perform either action. Head to the Android Market to update your version of Maps and try it out for yourself.

Google Maps | Android Market

You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.

Why Do We Judge Some Areas as Being Safer Than Others? [StreetView]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831668/why-do-we-judge-some-areas-as-being-safer-than-others

This interesting project, borne from MIT's Media Labs, juxtaposes two images from Google Streetview, and asks subjective questions such as "which place looks safer?" and "which place looks more upper-class?" But why does MIT want to know?

In their own words, "Place Pulse is a website that allows anybody to quickly run a perception study and visualize the results in powerful ways." They hope to gather over a million votes, which could help them gather geotagged images into powerful groups, such as which area in New York City is deemed to look the safest.

Inspired by Kevin Lynch's book The Image of the City, which published in 1960 and focuses on urban planning and how people perceive their surroundings, MIT hopes to make more sense of why we think the way we think. Once all of the information has been collated, the team of researchers will organize the data into graphs and present it in their report, but until then you can see a small taste of their results here. [Place Pulse]

Samsung Promising Twice The Speed in New SSDs [Hard Drives]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5831622/samsung-promising-twice-the-speed-in-new-ssds

Sammy just took the lid off of a set of new solid state drives that promise a significant speed boost from their already peppy previous line of SSDs. They look good enough to eat.

The new 830 series will utilize SATA Revision 3.0 technology, which will give it potential speeds a face-melting 6 gigabits per second. This effectively doubles the speed of Samsung's previous drives, the SSD 470 series. Other than the speed boost and some gussied up looks there's not much different, but who cares? To quote the movie Jerry Maguire, "You had me at 'twice as fast.'"

The drives will be available this October in capacities of 64, 128, 256 and 512GB. They can fit in 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch drive bays, and you can get an adaptor kit so it can be used via USB. No word on pricing yet.

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

Fusion Garage Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/hands-on-with-fusion-garages-grid-10-tablet-and-grid-4-smartpho/

Yesterday we gave you the lowdown on Fusion Garage's second foray into tablet computing, the Grid 10. While its tablet world topping pixel density, Tegra 2 silicon, and fresh to death OS certainly sound awesome, we had to get our grubby mitts on one to see if it's as good as its spec sheet would have us believe. So, is the JooJoo's successor a superior slate, or is it destined to disappoint like its elder sibling? Read on past the break to find out.

Gallery: Fusion Garage Grid 10 and Grid 4 hands on

Continue reading Fusion Garage Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone hands-on

Fusion Garage Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Catalogs iPad app digitizes catalogs, no more coasters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/google-catalogs-ipad-app-digitizes-catalogs-no-more-coasters/

We all know what catalogs are good for: starting fires in the fireplace, light reading in waiting rooms and makeshift placemats. Oddly, Google has decided to take these perfectly useful glossy dead trees away from us with the introduction of Google Catalogs, a free iPad app. Like most shopping apps, users can zoom in, learn more and purchase products through a company's website, but this one adds a slick little twist: collages. Put together a particularly sweet L.L. Bean ensemble and want to share it with Mom? No glue stick or scissors required. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Google Catalogs iPad app digitizes catalogs, no more coasters

Google Catalogs iPad app digitizes catalogs, no more coasters originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S and Roadster play nice on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/tesla-model-s-and-roadster-play-nice-on-video/

Tesla Family Portrait

Vroooooom.... well, more accurately, shhhhhhh. That's a Tesla Model S and its sibling the Roadster (looking rather dashing in red, we might add) above, carving corners together as a family. What actual news do we have about these "premium electric vehicles?" None, we just thought this clip (after the break) of the two sleek EVs working their way around a closed desert track was pretty darned cool. The Model S and Roadster have posed for family portraits before, but this is the first time we've seen them play nice on video. You know the deal, head on after the break for all the battery-powered, four-wheel madness your little geek heart can handle.

[Thanks, nunomaia]

Continue reading Tesla Model S and Roadster play nice on video

Tesla Model S and Roadster play nice on video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ADATA's SH14 hard drive packs a stylish yet rugged punch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/adatas-sh14-hard-drive-packs-a-stylish-yet-rugged-punch/

Always thought ruggedized storage had to look tough and utilitarian? Think again, because ADATA's latest looks more like a fashionable disco-futon than the outwardly brawny externals we're used to. Buried somewhere under all that style is a 2.5-inch, 5400RPM drive that's IPX4 water-resistant and "military grade shockproof." It'll come in red or black and in 500GB, 750GB or 1TB capacities, which'll set you back €59.90, €71.90 or €92.90, respectively. The chic but virile drives also tote USB 3.0, equating to a relatively speedy 90MB/s transfer rate. No word on pricing for yanks yet, but they'll probably show up before long at the "select agents and distributors" at the source below.

Continue reading ADATA's SH14 hard drive packs a stylish yet rugged punch

ADATA's SH14 hard drive packs a stylish yet rugged punch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola's new Droid HD makes cameo alongside Droid Bionic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/17/motorolas-new-droid-hd-makes-cameo-alongside-droid-bionic/

We've just received a fascinating set of photos from a sharp-eyed tipster, who sent along images of what appear to be Motorola's Droid Bionic and, most alluringly, that rumored handset known as the Droid HD (pictured above). This isn't the first time we've seen leaked images of the Bionic in the wild, but these shots are certainly a lot clearer than any others we've come across. Still, there aren't too many surprises here, with the global-capable handset boasting a TI OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4.5-inch display, an 8 megapixel rear camera, and microUSB / HDMI ports.

The real intrigue, however, lies with the Droid HD. Judging from the photos, this device seems to be running Gingerbread, and rocks a 4.5-inch display (presumably with qHD or even 1280x720 resolution, considering the device's name), an 8 megapixel 1080p rear-facing camera, a front-facing shooter and the usual set of microUSB / HDMI ports. There's also a pair of side loading SIM and microSD slots on the left side of the device, a volume rocker and what looks like a power button on the right, a slight bump for the camera pod around back (which sports an LED flash and speaker, as well), along with a large, thin battery that appears to be removable. Perhaps most notable about the HD is its seemingly super thin design -- we're estimating it's between 8.5 and 9mm, which would put it in the same league as Samsung's Galaxy S II, which measures 8.49mm. We'll have to wait for more detailed information on this mystery phone, but you can get a closer look right now in the gallery, below.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: Droid Bionic and Droid HD leaked pictures

Motorola's new Droid HD makes cameo alongside Droid Bionic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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