Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

drag2share: Murtazin: 'Nokia Lumia 910 will arrive in May, pack 12MP camera'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/nokia-lumia-910-12mp-camera-eldar-murtazin/

Ah, Eldar Murtazin. Sometimes he's (sort of) right, sometimes he's wrong. But he manged to predict the Nokia-WinPho love-in ahead of any official announcement and that still counts for something, right? His latest missive concerns the news of the Lumia 900's likely summer-time flight across the Atlantic. While it's not going to tout the LTE radios of the American edition, Eldar's more concerned about a phone that no-one's yet heard of. Yes, the Lumia 910, which according to the thorn in Nokia's side, will land in the old country sometime in May -- ahead of the posited June launch for the Lumia 900 in the UK. Murtazin is keeping any other details close to his chest for now, aside from the tantalizing mention of a whopping 12 megapixel camera. We know that Nokia knows exactly how to craft a good cameraphone, but we're keeping this rumor firmly in the maybe-could-be-possibly camp, right next to the salt mines.

Murtazin: 'Nokia Lumia 910 will arrive in May, pack 12MP camera' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Eldar Murtazin (Twitter) | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Apple now the largest buyer of semiconductors according to Gartner

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/apple-now-the-largest-buyer-of-semiconductors-according-to-gartn/

Gartner

No one would be shocked to learn that Apple is a major purchaser of semiconductors. Heck, hearing that the company is number one on that list might not even raise too many eyebrows. But, what if you we told you last year the Cupertino crew wasn't the biggest purchaser, or even the second. In 2010 the House that Jobs Built was a distant third behind Samsung and HP but, following a significant surge thanks to the iPad 2 and the updated MacBook Air, its bumped those companies back a slot. In 2011 Apple increased its semiconductor spending by 34.6 percent, from $12.8 billion to $17.3 billion. Samsung stayed in the number two spot with a 9.2 percent jump in spending to $16.68 billion. Meanwhile HP dropped from first, spending only $16.62 billion and settling for the bronze. Check out the source link for the complete rankings from Gartner.

Continue reading Apple now the largest buyer of semiconductors according to Gartner

Apple now the largest buyer of semiconductors according to Gartner originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PCWorld | source

source

Gartner | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Klipsch Mode M40 noise-cancelling headphones review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/klipsch-mode-m40-noise-cancelling-headphones-review/

Around these parts, we've generally had favorable opinions of Klipsch's audio products. Whether it's been something as small as its S4 line of smartphone oriented in-ears or grand speaker systems like its AirPlay-enabled G-17 Air, we've usually ended up awarding the brand our highest praise. If you'll recall, it was little over a year ago that Klipsch introduced its $150 Image One on-ear headphones -- the company's first set ever that weren't of the intra-aural variety, and a favorite of our own James Trew.

Fast forward to the present, and the company's unleashed its second proper over-the-head headphone, the Klipsch Mode M40 with active noise-cancellation. In recent years, headphones have exploded in popularity -- many companies have been furiously trying to blend good sound with fashion-forward looks. It's safe to say that's Klipsch's end game here, and is asking that you part ways with 350 bones to get in on the action.

Put simply, these aren't a follow-up to the Image Ones, but rather, a luxury pair that takes cues from the company's reference series headphones. Of course, as we've come to expect from Klipsch, the M40s do have some notable tricks up their yokes aside from their debatably fashionable looks -- the ! company promises they'll cancel noise for a massively long 45 hours on a single AAA battery, and both earcups feature an interesting dual-driver array with a 15mm tweeter and a 40mm woofer. So, have the M40s made us smitten with Klipsch all over again? Or not? Maybe something a bit more complicated? Click on past the break to find out!

Gallery: Klipsch Mode M40 noise-cancelling headphones review

Continue reading Klipsch Mode M40 noise-cancelling headphones review

Klipsch Mode M40 noise-cancelling headphones review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 J! an 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Boxee Box Live TV starts shipping, Boxee 1.5 software update now rolling out

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/boxee-box-live-tv-starts-shipping-boxee-1-5-software-update-now/

Boxee Live TV now shipping, Boxee 1.5 rolling out to existing Boxee Boxes

Both have been promised as coming soon in recent weeks, and now Boxee has confirmed that two fairly big new rollouts are underway. The first is the Boxee Box Live TV dongle, which is now shipping and will let you augment your Boxee Box with some OTA TV channels for $50. You can get a closer look at it in our hands-on from CES earlier this month. Alongside it, Boxee is also rolling out its Boxee 1.5 software update, which boasts a new UI and a number of other refinements including better search, new library screens and filtering options, browser pop-up management, and the addition of Rotten Tomatoes listings. Boxee says it's staggering the release over the next 72 hours, but those eager to check it out can find instructions for a manual update at the support link below.

Boxee Box Live TV starts shipping, Boxee 1.5 software update now rolling out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pe rmalink | source

source

Boxee Blog, Boxee Support | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Why Won't This Still Life Painting Just Stay Put? [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5878600/interactive-paintings-would-make-art-galleries-a-lot-more-fun

Imagine re-arranging the blossoms in Van Gogh's Sunflowers, or really giving Munch's The Scream something to scream about. Visiting art galleries would be far more entertaining, and Scott Garner is clearly trying to make that happen with his Interactive Still Life project.

To be fair, the only paint that's involved is on the wall where this piece hangs. It's actually an LCD display attached to a rotating mount equipped with a Phidgets tilt sensor, that's all tied into a PC feeding the image.

Why Won't This Still Life Painting Just Stay Put? When hanging normally, the piece appears to be a still life painting of some fruit and pottery, but it's actually a 3D image generated in real-time by a piece of software called Unity3D. So when the frame is rotated, the contents of the scene all tumble towareds the side of the frame like they're being affected by gravity. The concept looks like a lof of fun, and I can't think of a single painting I wouldn't want to try this on. Who's smirking now Mona Lisa now that your world's been turned upside-down? [Scott Garner via Make]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Artist Captures the Beauty of Disintegration via Pellet Gun [Image Cache]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5878678/artist-captures-beauty-mid+disintegration/gallery/1

Artist Captures the Beauty of Disintegration via Pellet Gun It's amazing what some high-speed photography and a few well-placed BB's can accomplish. Artist Ian Sailer created this stunning series, dubbed, Color Explosion Photos. Who know a simple pellet gun could cause all this Technicolor destruction? [Flickr via Faith is Torment via Buzzfeed]

Artist Captures the Beauty of Disintegration via Pellet Gun

Artist Captures the Beauty of Disintegration via Pellet Gun

Artist Captures the Beauty of Disintegration via Pellet Gun

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: The "Don't Be Evil" Bookmarklet Lets You See a Web Without Google's Search Plus Your World [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5878735/the-dont-be-evil-bookmarklet-lets-you-see-a-web-without-googles-search-plus-your-world

Facebook, Twitter and Myspace engineers have developed a browser plug-in that helps you skirt the horrible intrusion that is Google's new Search Plus Your World. It should send a pretty clear message: it's called "Don't Be Evil".

The tool, actually a bookmarklet, is available from the Focus On The User web site, and was created by a team of engineers from numerous social networking sites — though only Facebook, Twitter and Myspace are named.

These three companies all feel aggrieved by Google's new search system, claiming that it attenuates their importance in search results. But the bookmarklet they've written lets you compare what the new results look like compared to good ol'fashioned Google search. The creators say:

"We wanted to see how much better social search could be for consumers if Google chose to use all of the information already in its index. We think the results speak for themselves. All of the information in this demo comes from Google itself, and all of the ranking decisions are made by Google's own algorithms. No other services or APIs are accessed."

The video above pretty clearly demonstrates the stark deference between vanilla Google and its Search Plus Your World. How long before we see a backtrack? [Focus On The User via Search Engine Land]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: How To Turn Your Wall Into a Touchscreen Phone Using a Kinect [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5878748/how-to-turn-your-wall-into-a-touchscreen-phone-using-a-kinect

Okay, this isn't going to be easy, but a developer has posted a video on YouTube showing how it's possible to use an Android handset, a projector, a Kinect and a computer to create the future. In your living room. Now.

In the video, he shows how, by hooking his Galaxy Nexus up to a PC, projector and Kinect, he can use simple gestures on the wall to control the handset. That is pretty freakin' awesome. As you might expect, though, it's not particularly straightforward.

In fact, he had to compile a custom Android ROM from the Android Open Source Project source code for the job. That was needed to let the PC feed the phone information about gestures, which themselves have to be translated on the PC when they arrive from the Kinect. So, as I say, it really is very involved. But it works, and it is frankly incredible. [DDRBoxman via Phandroid via MAKE]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Epson's iProjection wireless projection app: wireless projection using an app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/epson-iprojection/

Facetious headlines aside, Epson's produced iProjection: an app that lets you display those awkward holiday snaps on any wirelessly connected (Epson branded) projectors from your iOS device. All you need is to make sure your iPod/Pad/Phone is on the same network as the projector, launch the app and make sure the first thing on show isn't that candid shot of you on a beach. You'll be able to pull PDF, JPEG and PNG image files from your handheld, Dropbox and Gmail from the cloud and via Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Keynote files from the desktop. It's available today for free from the App store (you can assume the projectors will require actual cash) and after the break you'll find a press release cooling on the window.

Continue reading Epson's iProjection wireless projection app: wireless projection using an app

Epson's iProjection wireless projection app: wireless projection using an app originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | |&! nbsp;Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/panasonic-lumix-dmc-gx1-micro-four-thirds-camera-review/

It's no surprise that the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera category is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. These compact, pro-featured ILCs undoubtedly have a strong future, with mass consumer appeal and a widening assortment of price points. We're particularly taken with the technology's compact footprint -- we're focusing our camera reviews on mirrorless models, and even outfitted our entire CES team with Sony's NEX-C3. But long before the likes of Sony and Fujifilm launched their first cameras, Olympus and Panasonic dominated the then-infant mirrorless category, developing the Micro Four Thirds sensor standard, that, for better or worse, has failed to catch on among other manufacturers. Surprisingly, Panasonic's pioneering days were far stronger than those of recent past, with the company's GF1 melting the hearts of compact-seeking professionals. But following that successful first model, Panasonic opted to take the GF series in a different direction, launching a dumbed-down GF2 (and later GF3) in what was likely an attempt to appeal to the much larger amateur category. This left the GF1 faithful without a worthy successor -- until now.

Panasonic's Lumix line gets a lot more crowded

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera surfaces in leaked photos

Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera, we go hands-on

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 looks pretty standard on paper: there's a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, a choice of body colors, RAW shooting, HD video and a top sensitivity of ISO 12,800. Just as it did with the GF2 and GF3 body designs, Panasonic took a different direction with its new X-series lenses, swapping the traditional manual zoom for a motorized version, enabling a much more compact footprint. The difference when positioned alongside the NEX-C3's 18-55mm zoom is staggering, but Panasonic didn't arrive at this slick design without compromise, particularly noticeable when it comes time to swallow the $950 kit price. Still, one look at the hardened matte black metal body is all it takes to know that this is no GF4 -- this is it, the long-awaited successor to the GF1 has finally arrived. So, will the GX1 be our new top pick for the mirrorless category? Join us past the break to find out.

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 review

Continue reading Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Is this an image of the LG Optimus 3D 2?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/lg-optimus-3d-2-rumor/

What you see before you is either the deranged rantings of a lunatic, or the second generation of LG's Optimus 3D, erm, 3D smartphone. Currently codenamed "CX2," the handset's packing a new NOVA autostereoscopic display for better brightness, an unnamed 1.2GHz dual-core TI CPU and an NFC module. What isn't changing is the dual five-megapixel cameras, the 8GB storage or the display's size or resolution. Our biggest gripe with the device was its heft, but if the rumors are true, it's slimmed down from 12mm to 10mm: making it significantly more pocket-friendly. Our palms are sweating in anticipation as Mobile World Congress inches ever closer to revealing the truth.

Is this an image of the LG Optimus 3D 2? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Pocketnow | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Monday, January 23, 2012

drag2share: Sony's new cameraphone CMOS jams bigger gear into the same space (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/sony-layered-cmos/

Sony's done gone and developed a new back-illuminated CMOS designed to improve the state of your casual camerawork. Traditional units mount a merged pixel-sensor and circuit on a supporting substrate -- the innovation here is to produce the two separately and layer them without any additional material. This makes manufacturing easier and without a mount, you're able to lever-in bigger kit into the same space. It's also packing HDR Movie, which like the still-image version, will produce better moving pictures in tricky light. An eight-megapixel version will ship to cellphone producers in March, with a 13-megapixel edition following in June and if Sony's really successful, it might earn enough to buy a copy of Photoshop rather than producing release images in MS Paint.

Continue reading Sony's new cameraphone CMOS jams bigger gear into the same space (video)

Sony's new cameraphone CMOS jams bigger gear into the same space (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Sony VAIO series get minor processor refresh, Z series grabs LTE option on the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/sony-vaio-processor-spring-refresh-z-series-lte/

Ahead of any possible Ultrabook announcements, Sony's looking to give its existing VAIO catalogue a (relatively underwhelming) shot in the arm with a bundle of hardware retweaks. The Z series looks to gain the most out of the Spring refresh, with a new ~~off-white~~ Carbon Fiber Silver color option set to be offered up alongside an optional LTE modem. The series also gets a processor step-up, with new Intel Core i5 and i7 options rounded off with the choice of SSD storage. Including the connectable drive, prices for the series refresh will start from $1,950. Meanwhile, both the S (13-inch, $800, 15-inch, $980)and E series will get a similar bump to Core i7 processors, with both the S and aforementioned Z series able to lock into an extended sheet battery accessory. If minor processor improvements, more battery options and LTE connectivity enough to fork over your cash, you can expect the revitalized units to arrive early next month.

Sony VAIO series get minor processor refresh, Z series grabs LTE option on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Sony | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Scientists produce stronger T-rays, bring Tricorders closer to reality

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/scientists-produce-stronger-t-rays-bring-tricorders-closer-to-r/

A group of scientists from Imperial College London and Singapore's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) have developed a new technique that could have far reaching impacts for Star Trek fans everywhere. It all involves something known as Terahertz (THz), or T-rays: electromagnetic rays that have already been used in full-body airport scanners and have the potential to be used across a much broader range of medical and environmental applications. Because every molecule can be uniquely identified within the THz range, these T-rays can be used to pick up on cancerous cells and other biological matter, perhaps even within a Tricorder-like scanner. Now, Imperial College's Stefan Maier and his team of scientists say they've found a way to create a stronger beam of T-rays, using so-called "nano-antennas" to generate an amplified THz field. In fact, this field can produce about 100 times more power than most other THz sources, which could allow for sharper imaging devices. "T-rays promise to revolutionize medical scanning to make it faster and more convenient, potentially relieving patients from the inconvenience of complicated diagnostic procedures and the stress of waiting for accurate results," Maier explained. "Thanks to modern nanotechnology and nanofabrication, we have made a real breakthrough in the generation of T-rays that tak! es us a step closer to these new scanning devices." For more details, check out the links below.

Scientists produce stronger T-rays, bring Tricorders closer to reality originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gizmag |

source

Nature Photonics | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Sunday, January 22, 2012

drag2share: Kingston launches new family of high performance SSDs, doesn't care if you're a business or a consumer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/kingston-launches-new-family-of-high-performance-ssds-doesnt-c/

Kingston's turning its SSD solutions up to eleven on its new SSDNow family of products. The SSDNow V+200 is a solid state drive toting SATA 3.0 SandForce SF-2281, capable of up to 535 MB/s read speeds and 480 MB/s writing speeds. Regardless of whether it's for your office or home rig, Kingston reckons it's got your storage needs covered, offering up the V+200 in 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB sizes. The 2.5-inch drives arrive with self-encryption as standard, alongside a three-year warranty with support -- something that's getting increasingly rare. The full press release is waiting below.

Update: Prices, alongside the upgrade kit, range from $156 to $985 -- depending on exactly how many photo albums you need on solid state storage.

Continue reading Kingston launches new family of high performance SSDs, doesn't care if you're a business or a consumer

Kingston launches new family of high performance SSDs, doesn't care if you're a business or a consumer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Kingston | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)