Tuesday, October 18, 2011

drag2share: Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/ultra-hdtv-technical-standards-agreed-on-more-pixels-is-a-good/

The high-definition pride of your living room may not want to hear it, but it looks like ultra high-definition TV (or UHDTV) has now taken another step towards reality. While shop-floor products remain years away, experts in the ITU Study Group on Broadcasting Service have made several agreements on technical standards for your (next?) next TV purchase. Increasing pixel count in future sets is also expected to improve viewing angles on glasses-free 3D, which needs more dots to work its lenticular magic. 33 megapixels sounds like it should be enough to work with.

Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Canon 1D X: The New Most Epic DSLR Ever [Cameras]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5850747/canon-1d-x-quite-possibly-the-most-epic-dslr-ever

Canon 1D X: The New Most Epic DSLR EverThere are a lot of reasons the 1D X might be the most ridiculous DSLR ever made, but the numbers seem like a good place to start. A full-frame 18-megapixel sensor with the biggest pixels ever in a Canon DSLR. ISO 204,800. 12fps RAW shooting. 61-point autofocus. Three DIGIC image processors. One gigabit ethernet port.

There's a lot here, so I hope you're sitting somewhere comfortable.

The $6800 1D X replaces both of the cameras currently at the top of the Canon pile, the 1D Mark IV and 1Ds Mark III. The full-frame 18-megapixel image sensor is a brand new design, with the biggest pixels of any Canon DSLR sensor yet—6.95 microns, which is 1.25 microns larger than the 1DMKIV and 0.55 microns bigger than the 5DMKII's pixels—and the now-standard gapless micro lens architecture. Additionally it's got a new photodiode structure with ultra-efficient photoelectric conversion rate. Canon's promising it's their lowest noise sensor ever.

Also brand new, and part of the reason it's so not noisy: dual Digic 5+ image processors, which are each 3x faster than Digic 5 and 17x faster than Digic 4. They enable a lot of the camera's new hotness, like 12FPS RAW shooting (or up to 14FPS in JPEG, though both require a full battery) and new features like multiple exposure mode, which'll combine up to nine separate images into a single photo. (There's four ways to combine multiple exposures: additive, average, bright and dark. You can guess what they do.) They increase standard sensitivity by two stops, which is why you get crazy ISO numbers. The standard ISO range is 100-51,200 but expanded hits 102,400 and 204,800. Some sample photos I saw from a pre-production model that were shot at ISO 25,600 were ridiculously, ridiculously clean.


Completely revamped as well are the autofocus and metering systems, the latter of which gets its own Digic 4 processor—yes, just for metering. Canon's calling the new autofocus its "61-Point High Density Reticular AF" system, since the points in the center are so dense and overlapping they form like a net of autofocus. The 21 central points are precision cross-type points up to F5.6, while the five dead center focus points are high-precision diagonal cross-type points for apertures up to F2.8. And there's another 20 outer focus points that are also cross-type, so 41 of the 61 AF points are cross-type. The new intelligent tracking autofocus is helped out by the new metering system, which has a 100,000-pixel RGB metering sensor with 252 zones (which can be reduced 35 for better low light metering), allowing phase detection to be associated with subjects' color or face.

Video's improved too. It's the usual 1080p at 24fps or 30fps or 720p at 60fps, recorded in h.264, but Canon's now got continuous video recording up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds—the camera automatically generates a new video file when it hits 4GB. They've figured out a way to reduced the moire problem as well. Two new compression formats: intraframe (ALL-i ) and interframe (IPB). And there's now Rec Run and Free Run timecode embedding.

And I almost forgot—the jog wheel now has an iPod classic type touch control for silent operation during movie recording.

Other bits! The ethernet port's gigabit and lets you run the camera as an FTP server, time sync between cams or pull photos over DLNA. (Sorry, no built-in Wi-Fi, but there is an attachment; same with GPS.) Dual UDMA-7 CF card slots. The carbon fiber blades make for a shutter rated to 400,000 cycles. The viewfinder is optically the same as the 1Ds MK III, with 100 percent coverage and .76x magnification, but it's got the same intelligence as the 7D, with the on-demand grid. Also like the 7D, dual-axis electronic leveling. Canon's also slightly retooled the camera, so controls are simplified, both in the software interface and in the hardware: playback controls on the left, operation on the right. It's got the same style / weather-sealed magnesium alloy chassis as the 1D MKIV, as well as the same 3.2-inch LCD.

All in all, there's a ton here—I only scratched the surface, particularly when it comes to the itty bits, like the new mirror architecture or more precise shutter. And while it may be a hell of a camera, it remains to be seen if it truly satisfies the needs of every pro with the one-size-fits-all model that Canon's going for here, since it has fewer megapixels than 1Ds MK III (which is useful in a studio environment) and it lacks some of the additional reach that the 1D series offered with a 1.3x crop factor (useful for sports photogs). Not to mention it costs nearly $2000 more than the 1DMKIV. I suppose none of that matters until March, though, which is when Canon's expected to ship it. But, um, I still totally want one.

Oh, the X? It's 'cause it's the tenth generation EOS camera, not 'cause Canon's been taking marketing lessons from Apple. At least, that's the official line. [Canon]

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drag2share: Cedar Trail-powered Asus VX6S netbook gets some early benchmarks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/cedar-trail-powered-asus-vx6s-netbook-gets-some-early-benchmarks/

Benchmarking unreleased hardware is a dodgy business, largely because you're not working with final drivers. Nevertheless, Netbook Live's latest efforts could possibly be seen as establishing a bare minimum of what Cedar Trail is capable of. They put a 12-inch Asus Lamborghini VX6S netbook containing the next-gen Intel D2700 Atom CPU and the AMD Radeon 6470M GPU up against its Pine Trail/ION2-powered VX6 predecessor. For good measure, they also threw in an Eee PC 1215B running on AMD's Zacate E-350 APU (not the superior E-450). The PC Mark benchmarks gave the VX6S a gain of around ten percent against the Eee PC, with the VX6 coming a distant third-- not quite revolutionary, but that's what you get for being impatient. Click the source link for more.

[Thanks, Jimmy]

Cedar Trail-powered Asus VX6S netbook gets some early benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Nokia Essence promises 99.8 percent noise cancellation, lets you listen to Ke$ha in peace

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/nokia-essence-promises-99-8-percent-noise-cancellation-lets-you/

In-ear headphones that cancel out almost all of the background noise? Yes, please. The Nokia Essence is the latest stereo Bluetooth to hit the market, and it's poised to eliminate as much of the world around you as possible -- 99.8 percent of it, at least. As many earbuds impel the user to turn up the volume level just to hear more bass, the idea with the Essence is to zap out low-frequency background noises (such as traffic) to provide a deeper bass sound without having to crank up the knob to 11. The Essence is also equipped with NFC for easy tap-to-pair functionality. Scroll down below to see a video showing a guy who's getting the most out of his new headphones.

Continue reading Nokia Essence promises 99.8 percent noise cancellation, lets you listen to Ke$ha in peace

Nokia Essence promises 99.8 percent noise cancellation, lets you listen to Ke$ha in peace originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Camera showdown: iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/camera-showdown-iphone-4s-vs-iphone-4-galaxy-s-ii-nokia-n8-a/

Siri's sweet and all, but for many of us that new eight megapixel sensor and f/2.4 aperture lens are what really makes Apple's iPhone 4S an appealing upgrade. We spent the weekend shooting around New York City with the iPhone 4S, along with some other top smartphones -- the iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and HTC's Amaze 4G -- in order to determine just which phone's camera reigns supreme. And in order to capture video and stills with consistent framing among all five devices, we secured each smartphone to that homemade quintuple cameraphone mount that you see above -- it may be an early prototype, but it got the job done. Jump past the break to see the results, and check out our comprehensive iPhone 4S sample gallery below.

Continue reading Camera showdown: iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G (video)

Camera showdown: iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung delivers kernel source for T-Mobile Galaxy S II, developers can now collect all three

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/samsung-delivers-kernel-source-for-t-mobile-galaxy-s-ii-develop/

Developers, start your engines. T-Mobile's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II was the slowest in the family to get the official kernel source. It's here now, though, arriving on Sammy's site a whole four days after the phone's release; this isn't an eternity by any means, but its counterparts had the source available no later than the actual launch date. No matter the reason, make your way to Samsung's official site to dive in and make some magic happen.

[Thanks, Aubrey]

Samsung delivers kernel source for T-Mobile Galaxy S II, developers can now collect all three originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: More efficient heat sinks could sport nanowire whiskers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/more-efficient-heat-sinks-could-sport-nanowire-whiskers/

Nanowire whiskers
Sintering is a common process for creating copper heat sinks that involves packing powdered metals into a particular shape and baking it in a vacuum. A funny thing happens though, if you leave out the vacuum part of the equation: you don't get a solid shape, but a porous pile of particles with hollow, nanowire whiskers sticking out of it. The serendipitous discovery could lead to a new way to make heat sinks for everything from CPUs to boilers at power plants. Now researchers at MIT are trying the process with practically every material they can get their hands on. Of particular interest is zirconium, which could be used with fuel rods in nuclear reactors to improve efficiency. The idea of whisker-covered heat sinks may sound strange, but the potential for improving thermal management across a range of applications is huge. Just don't try and pet it -- these things tend to get a little toasty.

More efficient heat sinks could sport nanowire whiskers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, October 17, 2011

drag2share: Moog Just Crammed an Incredible Analog Synth Into an App [IPad Apps]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5850625/moog-just-crammed-an-incredible-analog-synth-into-an-app

Moog Just Crammed an Incredible Analog Synth Into an AppEveryone recognizes the haunting space sounds of Moog synthesizers even if they don't know it. It's as pervasive on Sci-Fi soundtracks as on classic pop records. Now Moog has packed that legendary sound into the seriously fun Animoog iPad app.

The Moog's new Animoog app jams all of its analog cousin's wizardry into an iPad synth that's as intuitive and satisfying to play as the original. The layout is configured much how you'd imagine it—the piano keys are laid out along the bottom on the iPad's screen. Two of the synth's modules—a delay module for example—are visible at any given time. You can adjust settings like speed and frequency. There's also a big X-Y display on the screen which shows you a jittery, graphical representation of what your sound wave is doing. Sliding the wave form around on this pad modulates the sound. There's other screens that allow you to adjust keyboard's configuration and key settings, as well as a screen for which allows you to add some more advanced modulations and processing to the sound. Basically, there's enough in here to get completely lost in a swirling mess of sound within minutes. The UI is really smart and everything in the app slides, expands and contracts exactly how you expect it to. Settings are savable in case you find some awesome sound, and you can even record your opus once you've got it down.

As you might imagine, playing keyboard on a touch screen isn't the same as playing the real thing. Luckily, the app supports an external MIDI keyboard. Once you get going, you end up doing a lot of jumping around from screen to screen because, obviously, you can't cram all of the modules and controls onto one display. Resetting all of the modules should be easier.

The Animoog's sound is all taken directly from the waveforms of Moog analog keyboards so it sounds pretty awesome. But what's really exciting about the app, is that it inspires a creative process as a real-life Moog. You don't study these instruments, you explore them. The Animoog's been given an amazingly low introductory $.99 price tag—in a month it jumps up to $30. Go to the App Store and buy this before the price goes up. Go right now. [iTunes and Moog via Wired]

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drag2share: Use a Cheap IKEA Lamp to Build an Affordable Desktop Camera Jig [Ikea Hacks]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5850388/use-a-cheap-ikea-lamp-to-build-an-affordable-desktop-camera-jig

Use a Cheap IKEA Lamp to Build an Affordable Desktop Camera Jig If you spend any time on video at your desk, either video chatting with friends or recording work you may be doing so you can show other people, you know it can be difficult to get a camera in position while you work with your hands. This hack gives you a jig perfect for a web cam or a phone to keep it still and in one place while you're recording.

Granted, most webcams come with stands that let them rest on top of your monitor, which is great in most cases, but if your monitor is at an angle, or you want to record something you're working on on your desk surface, those mounts are generally no good. Chris, over at The New Hobbyist, picked up an $8.99 TERTIAL work lamp from IKEA, and managed to turn it into a camera jig with the help of a 3D printed mount.

The mount is the tricky part; Chris had his printed, but once you have one you can use it to attach multiple different cameras, remove them, and attach others. He's even included the Google Sketchup file at Thingverse for his mount so others can use it. I imagine something more common, like a clamp or some Velcro may serve the same purpose if 3D printing isn't up your alley. What do you think? Share your thoughts on the setup in the comments below.

$9 Webcam Jig | The New Hobbyist via MAKE


You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.

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drag2share: Hack a Flip HD for Better Video [DIY]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5850409/hack-a-flip-hd-for-better-video

Hack a Flip HD for Better VideoCisco might have discontinued the Flip series of camcorders, but if you have one sitting around and want to use it for more than just quick video takes, Instructables user FlipVans1966 has a guide to getting more out of the camera.

Using nothing more than a bunch of tape, a few well placed spacers, and a few different types of cheap lenses, he outlines how to add macro, a telephoto, and kaleidoscope lenses to the Flip. The results won't make the Flip win any design awards, but if you're looking to extend the functionality of the otherwise barebones but cheap camcorder, these will do the trick. Check out the Instructable for a full guide.

Flip HD Camera Mods and Tips

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drag2share: Rumor: Galaxy Nexus Coming to Verizon November 10th for an Ouchie $300 [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5850411/rumor-galaxy-nexus-coming-to-verizon-november-10th-for-an-ouchie-300

Rumor: Galaxy Nexus Coming to Verizon November 10th for an Ouchie $300You ready with your grains of salt? Good, because a supposedly leaked document from Verizon has pegged the much-anticipated Galaxy Nexus to launch on November 10th. That's the good news. The bad news is that it'll run you 300 bones.

The Galaxy Nexus has been the most eagerly await phone next to the iPhone 4S. Rumored to have a ginormo 4.6 inch screen with 1280 x 720 pixels, a 1.2GHz dual-core (hopefully Exynos) processor, and of course, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this is something we really want to get our hands on. The $300 price tag stings, but if it's as good as we hope it will be, I'm sure it'll do just fine. We've already seen some video leak (though it's likely that that's an early build), and we know that the official announcement is coming from Google/Samsung via a streamed event in South Korea tomorrow at 10pm.

Bundled into this like is the HTC Rezound (which we've previously heard called the HTC Vigor). The story here is that it's got a 4.3 inch screen at 1280x720 pixels, which gives it a higher pixel density than the iPhone 4S's retina display (341ppi vs 326ppi). It's also rumored to have a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and audio from Beats by Dre. This thing has Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) with HTC Sense 3.5, though, which next to the new hotness of Ice Cream Sandwich, just isn't that exciting. Couple that with the same $300 sticker price, and they're going to have trouble selling this thing next to the Nexus. [Engadget]


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

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drag2share: Opera with Turbo Will Be a Faster, Smarter Android Browser [Genius]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5850506/opera-with-turbo-will-be-a-faster-smarter-android-browser

Opera with Turbo Will Be a Faster, Smarter Android BrowserLike Amazon, Opera wants to build a more efficient web browser for Android than what is offered by Google. According to Cnet, they're calling it Opera with Turbo. Inelegant as the name may sound, the idea behind it is anything but.

Referred to as a hybrid browser, It is the marriage of Opera's Mobile and Mini browsers. When you're on wi-fi, or when your mobile connection is blazing, it will render pages directly on the device. But when the connection is crap, Turbo mode will automatically kick in and will render pages on its own servers and spit out a more static page free of HTML, CSS and Javascript, which Cnet says vastly cuts down on file sizes.

Here's a comparison I ran using the new data-tallying feature of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini. The BBC's home page is 1.7MB, a size you can check using Opera running its default state with Turbo turned off. Turning Turbo on shrinks the page size to 519KB. With Opera Mini, the page size shrinks even more, to just 304KB.

Not only does this allow for quicker page load times, but will also cut down on battery consumption since your cellular radio won't be frying itself trying to load a massive page through a weak signal. Amazon's Silk browser also revolves a similar concept, rendering parts of webpages and caching them on its own server, in an effort to improve speed, user experience and ostensibly, battery life.

Opera hasn't said exactly when the Opera with Turbo browser will become available for Android devices except that it will be here in "early 2012." [Cnet]

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drag2share: Chipworks throws an iPhone 4S under its infrared microscope, finds Sony-sourced image sensor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/16/chipworks-throws-an-iphone-4s-under-its-infrared-microscope-fin/

Look closely. Can you spot it? That gray abyss is actually an infrared image by Chipworks revealing an iPhone 4S' Sony-branded, 8 megapixel CMOS sensor. Looks like Howard Stringer wasn't bluffing to Walt Mossberg back in April, after all. At the time, it was reported that Apple's usual sensor supplier, OmniVision, was experiencing production delays, prompting speculation that Sony would eventually usurp the position. While the iPhone 4S that Chipworks looked into seems to confirm this, it's pointed out that Apple does have a habit of "dual sourcing" components (with its contacts saying this should be no different), so Sony may not be the sole supplier this time around. What ever the case, there's no denying that the iPhone 4S takes some stellar shots. You'll find more information -- including X-rays of the 4S -- at the source link below.

Continue reading Chipworks throws an iPhone 4S under its infrared microscope, finds Sony-sourced image sensor

Chipworks throws an iPhone 4S under its infrared microscope, finds Sony-sourced image sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: HTC Titan review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/htc-titan-review/

We knew as soon as we first clapped eyes on this hulk of a phone that it'd make a brave purchase. It's not just the 4.7-inch screen that requires a leap of faith, but also the Windows Phone operating system, which is presented here in all its Mangofied glory but is still very much an early adopter's ecosystem. After all, if you love the Titan's hardware but prefer a more established OS, you can always wait for the Sensation XL, which is essentially the same phone running good ol' Android and which should have a similar £480 ($750 converted) SIM-free price tag. The question is, do you have the guts to make that jump to something more exotic? Yes? Maybe? Then read on before you begin your run-up.

Continue reading HTC Titan review

HTC Titan review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Motorola Droid RAZR gets an early introduction ahead of tomorrow's launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/motorola-droid-razr-gets-an-early-introduction-ahead-of-tomorrow/


One thing we love about teasers: they oftentimes backfire, allowing the general public to see more of the product than the company intended. This is the story of the Motorola Spyder (aka Droid RAZR), its first teaser attempt spoiled when the phone's name was included on the image file. The second sneak peek is cleverly designed as an incomplete puzzle with the missing pieces added one-by-one as we get closer to the device's launch, but Motorola left a full image of the phone hiding in plain view. So what we see above is an uber-thin Verizon LTE device with kevlar backing and a Droid X-style hump on the top, a rear camera (presumably 8MP) with 1080p HD video capture, a front-facing cam, a standard set of four capacitive touch buttons and a redesigned Droid eye. We're still hoping to get a glimpse of the Xoom 2 before the big event, but at least you can consider us sufficiently teased for now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola Droid RAZR gets an early introduction ahead of tomorrow's launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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