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Monday, September 17, 2012

Hands-on with Kingston's DataTraveler Workspace at IDF (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/hands-on-with-kingstons-datatraveler-workspace-at-idf-video/

What's this? Just another USB 3.0 thumbdrive at IDF 2012? Not quite. You're looking at Kingston's DataTraveler Workspace, a storage device that incorporates bona fide SSD technology not usually found in thumbdrives -- like a bunch of ultra speedy flash memory and a SandForce controller that supports TRIM and S.M.A.R.T commands. As such, it shares more in common with Kingston's line of SSDs. It's not really designed for data storage -- instead, it's meant to be used as a certified Windows To Go fixed drive, "a fully manageable corporate Windows 8 workspace on a specially configured, bootable USB drive".

The idea is that corporate IT can deploy these thumbdrives to employees who can then run a secure, managed instance of Windows on a variety of PCs with a bootable USB 2.0 (or faster) port. Another interesting feature of Windows To Go is that Kingston's DT Workspace thumbdrives can be removed for up to 1 minute without crashing Windows -- the OS simply alerts the user to "keep the USB drive plugged in" and continues where it left off. Pricing remains a mystery, but the device will be available for business customers in 32, 64 and 128GB capacities when Windows 8 launches. Until then, you're invited to peek at the gallery below and to watch our hands-on video past the break.

Gallery: Kingston DataTraveler Workspa! ce hands -on

Continue reading Hands-on with Kingston's DataTraveler Workspace at IDF (video)

Filed under: Misc, Storage

Hands-on with Kingston's DataTraveler Workspace at IDF (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Future Panasonic G camera's 72Mbps movie-making prowess teased through speedy drama (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/16/future-panasonic-g-cameras-72mbps-movie-making-prowess-teased/

If Panasonic didn't have attention from movie producers before, it just might as of this week. Joining the quickly developing tradition of camera makers producing elaborate short movies as technology demos, the company has let cinematographer Philip Bloom wield (and tease) a "brand new G camera" to record Genesis, a fast-paced mini-drama showing a man's race to meet his love before it's too late. While Bloom can't talk much about the hardware in question until the 17th, he's allowed to confirm that the upcoming Micro Four Thirds body relies on a "superb" 72Mbps All-I codec for video -- letting it capture a sprint through the streets without the compression artifacts of the AVCHD format used by most mirrorless cameras. Panasonic's upcoming shooter also touts "much improved" results in the dark, Bloom says. It all sounds very tempting, especially if it turns out that Panasonic's inadvertent leaks are for the same camera we see in action here. The full movie is available after the break, and Bloom has the behind-the-scenes details at the source link.

Continue reading Future Panasonic G camera's 72Mbps movie-making prowess teased through speedy drama (video)

Filed under: Cameras

Future Panasonic G camera's 72Mbps movie-making prowess teased through speedy drama (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/t-mobile-samsung-galaxy-note-ii-firmware/

Samsung's new full-fat smartphone has hinted at appearances on both Verizon and AT&T, and now an update spotted at SAM Mobile suggests that -- just under two months since the original appeared -- there will be a Magenta-branded version of the Galaxy Note II... too. Going under the SGH-T889 model number, firmware from September 15th is now available to try -- if you have a phone that's not yet out on any official channels. The site's sources have said that the device runs closer to a global iteration, lacking any true LTE capabilities, but it's more than happy to substitute that for HSPA+ support. If you're part of Samsung's secretive cabal of handset testers you can seek out the new build at the source below.

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II firmware update appears, points to Jelly Bean and HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 03:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon adds the G15, S110 and SX50 HS to its PowerShot lineup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/canon-powershot-g15-s110-sx50-hs/

Canon already outed a pair of superzoom cameras prior to Photokina 2012, but it turns out the company wasn't done adding to its PowerShot family. First, we have the PowerShot G15, which has a 28 - 140mm wide angle f/1.8 - f/2.8 lens, 12.1 megapixel sensor and Canon's DIGIC 5 image processor. Its sensor has a max 12,800 ISO, shoots RAW stills and records 1080p video, and you can view your subjects using the optical viewfinder or the 3-inch, 922,000 dot LCD on the back. It replaces the G12 in Canon's lineup when it goes on sale for $500 this October.

The PowerShot S110 replaces the S100, and like that camera, it's got a 12.1-megapixel sensor, max 12,800 ISO and an f/2.0 lens. Unlike its predecessor, however, its got a 3-inch, 461,000 dot capacitive touchscreen on the back and ditched GPS in favor of WiFi. That wireless capability lets the S110 pull GPS data for geotagging from Android or iOS devices using Canon's CameraWindow app and share photos and videos on the web. It does RAW shooting, has a 10fps burst mode and records 1080p 24fps video as well. It'll come in both black and white versions that run $450 when it goes on sale next month.

Lastly, there's the PowerShot SX50 HS superzoom camera. It packs a 24-1200mm, f/3.4 - f/6.5 lens and optical image stabilization to ensure clear shots even when using the camera's full 50x zoom capability. Like the SX40 HS is replaces, it has a hotshoe and a 12.1-megapixel sensor. It has a max 6,400 ISO and like its new PowerShot mates, it has a 10fps burst mode, shoots RAW photos and 1080p video. The SX50 HS can be had in October for $480.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot G15, S110 and SX50 HS press shots

Continue reading Canon adds the G15, S110 and SX50 HS to its PowerShot lineup

Filed under: Cameras

Canon adds the G15, S110 and SX50 HS to its PowerShot lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, ! 17 Sep 2 012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2: Micro Four Thirds cameras with OM-D-like focusing, performance boosts (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/olympus-e-pl5-e-pm2-hands-on/

We've been very impressed with Olympus' first OM-D camera, the EM-5. That model's 5-axis image stabilization and super-fast autofocus won us over, while the retro design appeased nostalgics as well. Now, it's time for that speedy shooting to make its way to the company's other Micro Four Thirds models -- the E-PL5 and E-PM2. Both models, announced today, offer nearly identical specifications, with notable differences on the form-factor front. The E-PL5 is the premium model of this bunch, coming in at $700 with a 12-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens or $650 for the body only, while the E-PM2 will run you 100 bucks less for both configurations. Both cameras include 16.1-megapixel Live MOS sensors, top ISO of 25,600, 3-inch 460k-dot touch-enabled LCDs, 1080i video and an 8fps continuous shooting mode. The EM-5's five-axis stabilization is absent here, though a three-axis version should suffice in low light. Each model also includes an external flash and a rebate offer for a free Toshiba FlashAir 802.11b/g/n card, which enables connectivity with the OI Share apps for Android and iOS.

We had a chance to check both cameras out just before Photokina, and were quite pleased with the design, along with that OM-D-like focusing performance, which really is as speedy as Olympus claims. The camera focused instantaneously with almost all of the lenses we tried, though it was! a bit s luggish, understandably, when paired with the 60mm f/2.8 macro. The displays were equally sharp, though the PL5 packs a nifty articulating version, which can tilt up, down or face forward for self-portraits. We also enjoyed shooting with the super-slim 15mm f/8 body cap lens, which features a tiny front element with a slide-over cover -- while it's limited on the aperture front and includes fixed focus, it's arguably more useful than a traditional cap (Olympus hasn't confirmed pricing for that optic, though it'll likely come in below the $100 mark). That aforementioned dust-and-splash-proof macro will retail for $500 in early October, while a new 12mm f/2 lens will ship during the same time for $1,100. The "Mini" E-PM2 will be available in silver, black, white and red, while the E-PL5 will ship in silver, black and white -- both versions will be available in October. You can take a closer look at each of the offerings in the gallery below, then jump past the break for the full rundown from Olympus.

Gallery: Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2 hands-on

Continue reading Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2: Micro Four Thirds cameras with OM-D-like focusing, performance boosts (hands-on)

Filed under: Cameras

Olympus E-PL5 and E-PM2: Micro Four Thirds cameras with OM-D-like focusing, performance boosts (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 05:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Turn a Cheap Laser Pointer Into a Removable Macro Photography Lens for Your Phone [DIY]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5943363/turn-a-cheap-laser-pointer-into-a-removable-macro-photography-lens-for-your-phone

Turn a Cheap Laser Pointer Into a Removable Macro Photography Lens for Your Phone Smartphone cameras are better than ever, and while they can take some pretty solid pictures, you can really get some fun shots with a DIY macro lens. Here's how to put a macro lens on your phone without having to open up your hardware.

We've talked about one way to hack your phone's camera with a macro lens, but it involved taking apart your camera completely. Imgur user Mor0n posted a tutorial on doing it with no permanent modifications required: just take apart a cheap laser pointer, grab the lens from inside, and attach it to your phone using something like a bobby pin as shown above. With that setup, you can get awesome, super closeup shots like the image to the right (it's a picture of sugar, if you're curious). Hit the link to see the full how-to.

Here is a quick DIY lesson on how to create insanely close-up pictures with your mobile phone. | Imgur via Apartment Therapy

Build a Passive 3-D Projection System [Home Theater]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5943551/build-a-passive-3+d-projection-system

Build a Passive 3-D Projection System If you want to enjoy movies and gaming in 3-D and don't want to spend a fortune on a big-screen 3-D HDTV you can rig up two projectors with proper filters and screen material to rig up a budget 3-D home theater and gaming system, especially if you already have one projector.

User Jahun on the 3-D advocacy forum Meant to Be Seen 3-D shares his setup where PC game and movie visual data is sent to identical projectors outfitted with polarization filters and projecting onto a screen made from silver screen material. He also added ducting to move the heat from the projector exhaust to the HVAC air refresher system to keep the heat down in his attic theater setup.

Personally, I'm not that into 3-D but if it does the trick for you this seems like a very interesting setup to try out. More information can be found at the source link below.

Passive Projection, How To| MTBS3D via Hack-a-Day

The iPhone 5's Custom A6 Boasts 1GB of Samsung RAM [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943615/the-iphone-5s-a6-boasts-1gb-of-samsung-ram

The iPhone 5's Custom A6 Boasts 1GB of Samsung RAM During the iPhone 5 announcement, Apple mentioned the new phone would have its own new chip, the A6. Specific specs were sparse then, but AnandTech did some sleuthing and found the custom chip packs 1GB of RAM, and 33% more peak memory bandwidth than the iPhone 4S, which it will need for its high-res screen.

As it turns out, the alphanumeric code on the right side of the chip is actually a Samsung part number, and by digging through Samsung's product guide, AnandTech was able to find that the A6 has two 512MB DRAM die for a total of 1GB, and a speed of 1066 MHz. Basically, Apple's custom little chip here should be dishing out a performance boost.

The iPhone 5's peak memory bandwidth is 8528 MB/s, or a 33% improvement over the iPhone 4S's 6400 MB/s, and it's going to need it to push the pixels for the higher resolution display. That said, it's nowhere near the new iPad's 12800 MB/s, but then again, it doesn't need to be, considering it doesn't have such a mammoth screen to deal with.

Considering information gleaned from Xcode and Apple's insistence that we'll see better battery life on top twice the performance, the A6 literally doesn't fit into any sort of chip architecture we've seen before. It looks like Apple built this one more or less from scratch. There are, of course, other factors at play when it comes to how the iPhone 5 will perform on the whole, but we'll just have to wait and see about those. [AnandTech]

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities [Furniture]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943642/clever-folding-bunk-bed-leaves-so-much-extra-space-for-activities

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities In many homes, and nearly all apartments, floorspace comes at a premium. That's what makes bunkbeds such a space saver. The Dumbo Double Murphy Bed takes it a step further by letting you fold them up.

Designed by Roberto Gil and built from baltic birch plywood, these bunk beds from Casa Kids are both compact and sturdy. When folded up, the cabinet is a mere one foot deep, and yet they can still bear the weight of two full-sized man-children who might need the extra space for aerobics, or something.

The Dumbo Double Murphy Bed is available from Casa Kids for $3,200, with dueling custom mattresses for $800 more. You'd be hard pressed to find another way to buy extra room, and it's definitely a better bet than, say, stacking two beds on top of each other and nailing them together. [Casa Kids via Inhabitat]

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities

Insane 10 SIM Card Hotspot Takes a Valiant Stand Against Roaming [Overkill]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943563/insane-10-sim-card-hotspot-takes-a-valiant-stand-against-roaming

Insane 10 SIM Card Hotspot Takes a Valiant Stand Against Roaming Everybody hates roaming and the absurd charges that come with it, but what are you going to do? Disconnect for a few days? Of course not. Pick up a crazy portable hotspot that has 10 SIM cards? Doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

The Uros Goodspeed hotspot is exactly that. By using the appropriate SIM cards in the appropriate areas, the Godspeed can offer a pretty good deal: 1GB of no-strings-attached data for $8 per day, after you buy the $350 unit anyway. There's also a monthly plan (the details of which are unclear) that's $13. Price aside, the straight-forward deal is what seems the most attractive, even if 10 SIMs seem overkill.

Right now, the Goodspeed works in Finland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK, but there are plans in place to add even more locations, presumably by adding even more SIM cards. You can take your "micro" SIM, iPhone; the Uros Goodspeed is going to just keep gobbling up the big ones until it can do anything. [Uros via Engadget]

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi: You'll Never Be Half as Good at Anything. [Movie Night]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943583/jiro-dreams-of-sushi-youll-never-be-half-as-good-at-anything

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi: You'll Never Be Half as Good at Anything. So Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary about a guy who is really, really good at making sushi. But wait, bear with me, because it is also the best damn documentary about a guy who is really, really good at making sushi that you will ever see.

It's actually a little inaccurate to call Jiro "good" at making sushi; he's arguably the best. Probably because he's an 80 year old workaholic who doesn't know how to do anything other than be a completely badass sushi chef. The documentary (in Japanese, so subtitles) chronicles day-to-day life at his absurdly specialized and artsy sushi-only restaurant in Japan, and the son he's training to take up the helm.

If you like sushi, this is a great look into how much goes into the really good stuff, and even if you don't, it's a totally fascinating look into a crazy octopus-massaging (yeah, they do that) world you probably never imagined. And beyond the whole sushi thing, the cinematography is just wonderful. It's a tight little film at just under 90 minutes, and you can catch it on Netflix Instant. [Netflix]

Oppo CEO says quad-core Find 5 will feature a 1080p, 441ppi display, forgets to wink at HTC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/oppo-find-5-1080p-441ppi-quad-core/

Not sure how this slipped under our radar, but recently Oppo Mobile CEO Chen Mingyong teased that his upcoming flagship phone, the Find 5, will again feature a non-removable but "certainly big enough" battery (for the sake of anti-counterfeiting and, consequently, safety) as well as a 1080p, 441ppi display. That's right, 441ppi! We're finally getting a phone with a display that's impossibly sharper than the 326ppi on the latest iPhones (up to 4-inch, 1,136 x 640), the 331ppi on the Nokia Lumia 920 (4.5-inch, 1,280 x 768) or even the 342ppi on the Sony Xperia acro S and the Xiaomi Phone 2 (4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720).

Assuming Chen's talking about a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a quick calculation based on these two numbers would give us a 5-inch screen size, which matches what LG Display announced back in May. Taking into account that a reliable source of ours got to see HTC's 5-inch 6435LVW phablet recently, this would make the Find 5 unofficially the second device to receive the same full HD panel. Still, there's a significant difference inside these two phones: Chen had previously mentioned that the Find 5 will be joining the quad-core APQ8064 party, while the HTC device appears to sport the dual-core, LTE-enabled MSM8960. Speaking of which, the same source informed us that much like the Flyer, HTC's 6435LVW will also feature N-trig stylus technology. Will Oppo follow in the same footsteps? And will it bring back the slide-out keyboard à la Find X903 (pictured above)? Go on, Mr. Chen, tell us more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Oppo CEO says quad-core Find 5 will feature a 1080p, 441ppi display, forgets to wink at HTC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/verizon-galaxy-note-2-purportedly-pictured/

Phablet lovers on Verizon may have reason to rejoice, because the carrier's variant of the Galaxy Note II may have been captured in the flesh. The white device is aesthetically identical to the version straight from Samsung's house, save for its questionable carrier-branding. While the back of the phone sports a seemingly legit "Verizon 4G LTE" logo along with its moniker, you'll notice a rather obnoxiously-planted "Verizon" logo on its home button -- perhaps a bit too ridiculous to be the real deal. That said, it's almost certain that the Note II will officially make it to Verizon, no matter if it's dressed like the photos above or not; this purported variant lines up nicely with screenshots leaked earlier this week showing AT&T and Verizon compatibility. Now, if only we could have further confirmation -- perhaps in the way of a second visit to the FCC in the near feature or some leaky memos.

[Thanks, Sean P.]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Verizon's Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/BBB-apple-iphone-5-a6-custom-soc-1-gb-ram/

Unsurprisingly, Apple left us in the dark regarding some specifics of the iPhone 5 upon its release. Thankfully, the good folks over at Anandtech have done a bit of digging into those numbers you see bordering Apple's Apple A6 SoC, definitively figuring out that Cupertino's latest phone packs in a total 1GB of Samsung-sourced memory. The site clocks the DRAM inside at 1,066Mhz, noting that it's comprised of "two 512MB dies in a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32 bits per channel." Further, Anandtech lists the the speed of the iPhone 5's memory at 8,528MB/sec -- an ample 33 percent boost over the 6,400MB/sec rating for the RAM in the iPhone 4S, but well below the 12,800 MB/sec needed to drive the new iPad's bandwidth-hungry screen resolution.

Beyond that, the site believes that the A6 is Apple's first truly in-house creation, as it's using math units too new to be found in a ARM Cortex-A9 architecture (like the A5 or A5X) but reportedly isn't a match for the soon-to-be-released Cortex-A15. If true, the implication is significant -- it suggests Apple is taking the more aggressive path of a chip designer like Qualcomm and custom-tailoring large parts of its processor designs to get the speed it wants on a more exacting schedule. That's a quick summation of the details; hit up the source links below if you want the explanation in full geek speak.

Jon Fingas contributed to this post.

Filed und! er: Cellphones, Mobile

Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/16/ihs-isuppli-pcs-no-longer-command-biggest-share-of-dram-market/

Times change, this is an indisputable truth. But nothing reminds us of this fact as well as a landmark statistic. If there was ever any doubt about the shift towards of mobile computing, then let this be it: personal computers no longer account for the majority of demand for DRAM chips. With 49 percent of all new memory still headed for PCs, it's hardly time to book the hearse for desk- and laptops just yet, but the statistic from IHS iSuppli remind us of the increasing market share that mobiles and tablets are taking. In fact, even though total DRAM shipments for PCs continues to rise, it's estimated that the total share will slip another 6 percent, to 42.8, between Q2 this year and the end of 2013. Of course, this is good news if you have a vested interest in both, not so good if you don't.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops

IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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