Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Fitbit One tracker now ready to wake you up, count your calories all day for $100

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/fitbit-one-tracker-now-on-sale/

Fitbit One tracker now on sale for $100,

If you've been biding your time for a FitBit One all-day fitness tracker, you can stop counting the days and start counting calories -- it's now in stores for $100. The newly minted replacement for the FitBit Ultra brings a vibrating alarm, along with a spiffier splashproof design, black or burgundy colors, and a brighter clock / motivational message display. You'll also get Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with the Fitbit mobile app on laptops and handheld devices that support the wireless option, letting you see all your stats or taunt rivals on Facebook. If you're raring to go, grab it at the source below or check the PR for more details.

Continue reading Fitbit One tracker now ready to wake you up, count your calories all day for $100

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Fitbit One tracker now ready to wake you up, count your calories all day for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are These the Most Popular Keys on a Keyboard?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5960008/are-these-the-most-popular-keys-on-a-keyboard

Are These the Most Popular Keys on a Keyboard?In a cute, little art project, this keyboard supposedly shows the most used keys on a keyboard. Think of it as an infographic IRL. Do you agree that these buttons are the most popular key? I swear I use C more than that! [I Love Charts]

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Vizio Co-Star update brings enhanced Google Play experience, boosts performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/vizio-co-star-update/

DNP Vizio Costar update lets you get Google Play content, sync purchases

Vizio has released an update that adds enhanced Google Play features and a performance boost to the affordable and adorable Vizio Co-Star. Owners of the tiny Google TV box can now buy or rent directly from the Google Play Store and sync purchases made on other devices. There's also a handy new search feature that scours the Google Play store, live TV and video apps like Netflix and Amazon to make sure you never miss an episode of your favorite TV show. In addition, the update promises faster menus and navigation, enhanced HDMI stability and improved Netflix performance. Looks like $99 buys quite a nice little Google TV box, as long as you can live with that awkward remote, right?

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Vizio Co-Star update brings enhanced Google Play experience, boosts performance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung bringing 85-inch ultra high definition TV to CES

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/samsung-bringing-85-inch-ultra-high-definition-tv-to-ces/

DNP Samsung bringing 85inch ultra high definition TV to CES

Samsung announced on Monday that it won 27 CES Innovation Awards for several of its products, but nested within a list of familiar honorees was a wildcard: an 85-inch ultra high definition TV. Bringing earlier prototypes (pictured above) to fruition, this massive up and comer cranks out resolutions of over 8 million pixels. Sammy is billing this titanic television as "the world's largest commercialized UHD LED TV," a claim that will likely be challenged soon. Thin on pricing and release details, the company did confirm that it will be on display at CES 2013. So, if you're currently denying yourself luxuries such as hot water and warm meals in hopes of saving up to snag a certain 84-inch UHD set, you might want to pump your brakes until you see what Samsung has up its sleeve in the months to come.

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Samsung bringing 85-inch ultra high definition TV to CES ! original ly appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Acer unveils C7 Chromebook, portable cloud computing for just $199

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/acer-c7-chromebook/

Acer unveils C7 Chromebook, portable cloud computing for just $199

We found ourselves quite enamored with Samsung's latest entry into the Chromebook line, mostly thanks to its incredibly low price of $250. Now Acer's done gone even lower: $199 for its new C7 Chromebook. It's an 11.6-inch (1,366 x 768) machine with a 320GB HDD and an Intel processor, rated for 3.5 hours of battery life -- just about half that of Samsung's ARM-powered entry. It still manages to be under an inch thick and packs a full-size Ethernet port, plus 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, three USB 2.0 ports and both HDMI and VGA output. (Cellular connectivity does not appear to be an option.) The C7 is available starting tomorrow at the link below, and while we know many of you still aren't sold on the Chromebook idea, at a buck less than $200 maybe it's time to start pondering more seriously.

Continue reading Acer unveils C7 Chromebook, portable cloud computing for just $199

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Acer unveils C7 Chromebook, portable cloud computing for just $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II heading to Verizon in the 'coming weeks' for $130

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/samsung-stratosphere-ii/

Samsung Stratosphere II heading to Verizon in the 'coming weeks' for $130

The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II has been officially unveiled as the latest QWERTY device coming to Verizon. We still don't know the exact date of arrival, but Big Red mentioned that it'll be heading to stores and online sometime in the coming weeks. We do, however, know the cost: $130 with two-year agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. What about specs? We know that the QWERTY smartphone will offer Android 4.0 (ICS), LTE connectivity, 4-inch Super AMOLED display, NFC and 1.2GHz dual-core CPU. From the sounds of it, we're looking at a pretty mid-range device here -- which ultimately is more evidence that manufacturers and carriers seem to think there's no market for power users who prefer using a physical keyboard. Head below for a brief press release discussing the new handset.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II heading to Verizon in the 'coming weeks' for $130

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Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II heading to Verizon in the 'coming weeks' for $130 orig inally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke University creates 'perfect' one-directional microwave cloak, might lead to stealthier vehicles

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/duke-university-creates-perfect-one-directional-microwave-cloak/

Duke University creates 'perfect' onedirectional microwave cloak, might lead to stealthier vehicles

Most attempts at cloaking, no matter the slice of spectrum, usually leave clues as to what's there -- even microwave cloaks can spoil the surprise through reflections. At Duke University, researchers have licked some of those past problems with the first instance of a flawless microwave cloaking scheme. By crafting a special diamond-shaped cloak where the light properties stay consistent at the corners, the school's Nathan Landy and David Smith have successfully shielded a 3-inch wide cylinder from microwave detection without a hint that something was amiss. The gotcha, as hinted by the shape, is a two-dimensional nature that gives away the secret at less than ideal angles. Duke suggests that it still has the groundwork for something that could be vital for communications or radar -- we can imagine a stealth aircraft or ship in the far-flung future that could actively mask itself from radar signals. It's not quite the optical illusion we're looking for, but a refined version of the Duke project might be enough for a rare practical use of cloaking when fantasies are much more common.

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Duke University creates 'perfect' one-directional microwave cloak, might lead to stealthier vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Titan supercomputer leads latest Top 500 list, newly-available Xeon Phi chips make strong debut

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/titan-supercomputer-leads-latest-top-500-list-as-newly-available/

The supercomputer formerly known as Jaguar recently got an upgrade that was significant enough to earn it a new moniker, and it turns out that was also enough for it to claim the top stop on the latest Top 500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers. Now known as Titan, the Cray-developed supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory edged out the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Sequoia supercomputer for the number one position, reaching 17.59 Petaflop/s with the aid of almost 300,000 AMD Opteron processors and 261,632 Nvidia K20x graphics chips. As EE Times notes, however, the other big story with this list is the strong showing for Intel's new Xeon Phi co-processors, which have just starting shipping to customers and have already found their way into seven of the supercomputers on the list, including one in the top ten (the Stampede at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas). You can see how your favorite supercomputer did at the link below.

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Titan supercomputer leads latest Top 500 list, newly-available Xeon Phi chips make strong debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamborghini's New $380,000 Aventador Is Topless And Hugely Powerful

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/lamborghini-reveals-aventador-roadster-2012-11

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

In the summer of 2011, Lamborghini introduced the Aventador LP 700-4. Having delivered 1,300 so far, the Italian supercar maker is now offering the LP 700-4 as a roadster.

Without a roof in the way, drivers of the new Aventador can enjoy the noise of the 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces a huge 700 horsepower.

The Roadster LP 700-4 comes with a €300,000 ($381,420) price tag, before taxes.

It features Lamborghini's trademark scissor doors.



The roof is made of carbon fiber and weighs only 6kg (about 13 lbs).



It is removed by hand and stored in the front luggage compartment.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/livescribe-sky-wifi-smartpen-review/

Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen review

For a relatively niche company that has only been around for five years, Livescribe has grown quickly. Its smartpens -- which cleverly digitize handwritten notes and audio -- have already attracted a million users. However, just because these customers prefer to write their notes the old-fashioned way, that doesn't mean they aren't also obsessive about technological progress. In fact, many of them have been waiting on one new feature in particular: a totally wireless workflow, which would allow them to write a note with their smartpens and then -- without any docking or syncing -- see their scribbles appear in the cloud and on their mobile devices.

Well, as you've probably guessed by now, that is precisely the gap that the new Sky pen is looking to fill. The first half of its operation is identical to that of its predecessors, the Pulse and Echo: it contains a camera and microphone, which enable the capture of handwritten notes and time-linked audio f! iles. (Y ou can choose between 2GB, 4GB and 8GB of built-in storage.) But what happens next is totally different. You use "buttons" printed inside Livescribe's proprietary stationery, in conjunction with the pen's OLED display, to select a local WiFi network, enter the password and sync your files directly to Evernote. The popular online note-taking platform then handles everything else, automatically filing the text and audio in the cloud using a time stamp, making it available on whatever devices run Evernote's apps or web interface. What's more, it makes the note searchable through optical character recognition (OCR) of your handwriting.

If there's a downside to users getting what they've been asking for, it's that they are the ones expected to pay for it. The Sky's base model matches the Echo's $170 launch price, but that older pen came with twice as much internal storage, and can also now be had at a discounted price. Moreover, the 4GB and 8GB Sky pens rise to $200 and $250, respectively, which means this is only likely to be sensible if you really, really dislike writing or typing on a screen. Even assuming that you're totally stuck in your pen-and-ink ways, could a $170 pen ever be worth it? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen review

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Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/samsung-galaxy-camera-unboxing/

Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing video

Samsung's much-anticipated EK-GC100 Galaxy Camera finally hit stores in the UK late last week and we've managed to get our hands on one of the very first samples to cross the assembly line. We're putting the Android-powered hybrid through its paces at this very moment, but since this is the company's first entry in a brand new category, we wanted to have you along as we opened the box. This may be a camera, but it's very much a Galaxy device, and that's immediately evident when you first see the packaging.

The cam ships just as any premium smartphone, with a very thin selection of accessories -- you get an AC adapter, USB cable, a wrist strap and a pair of pocket guides (there's no user manual to speak of). Much like Samsung's latest round of point-and-shoots, it uses microSD cards and charges via a micro-USB cable and AC adapter. Even the 1,650mAh battery looks like a smaller version of Samsung's smartphone offering, rather than something that ships alongside the company's traditional camera lineup. Rest assured, we'll have much more to share later this week, but for now, we invite you to join as we unbox the Galaxy Camera in our video just past the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video)

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Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hisense T770 takes thin-bezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/10/hisense-t770-takes-thin-bezel-3d-tvs-to-the-masses-from-800/

Hisense T770 takes thinbezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800

We've seen a few TVs with thin bezels in our time -- some affordable, some not so much -- but they usually sell at prices that have many of us turning to less than elegant screens. If Hisense has its way, the lines between higher style and lower budget will blur with the unveiling of its T770 series. The 42- and 52-inch sets in the range both have extra-narrow 7mm bezels yet cost an entirely reasonable $800 and $1,200 respectively, according to a spokesperson. For the cash outlay, the two TVs share the common foundation of a 1080p LCD with edge LED lighting, active shutter 3D and 120Hz refresh rates. They likewise share a quartet of HDMI ports, WiFi and the seemingly obligatory local media support through DLNA sharing and USB. Although Hisense might not lure some viewers away from bigger or simply more elaborate screens once the T770 is in stores sometime in the undefined near future, it may have given us a friendly reminder that interesting design and sane prices don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Continue reading Hisense T770 takes thin-bezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800

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Hisense T770 takes thin-bezel 3D TVs to the masses from $800 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of November 5th, 2012

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/11/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-5th-2012/

Refresh Roundup week of November 5th, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of November 5th, 2012

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Refresh Roundup: week of November 5th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aakash 2 Android tablet materializes, costs around $21 for Indian students

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/11/aakash-2-android-tablet-india/

Aakash 2 Android tablet materializes, costs around $35 for Indian students

It's a few months late, but at least it's hitting the streets for a few less dollars than expected. The Datawind-built Aakash 2 is finally a reality, launching in India on the nation's National Education Day. It's the second iteration of what amounts to a barebones, affordable Android slate, packing a 7-inch touch panel, 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of Flash storage, Android 4.0.3, built-in WiFi and a front-facing VGA camera. Reportedly, this one's going to be shipped to Indian students for Rs 1,130 (around $21), while outsiders will be able to snag one for closer to $80. Of course, the difference now is that these kinds of projects aren't quite as novel. Indeed, Chinese megashops are hawking low-rate Android tablets right now for around the same amount, setting a new (low) bar when it comes to pricing on ho hum slates. Still, we're all for getting technology into the hands of students, and you can learn a bit more about what those very students can expect from VentureBeat's hands-on just below.

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Aakash 2 Android tablet materializes, costs around $21 for Indian students originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD's dual-GPU FirePro S10000 gobbles watts, spews out nearly 6 TFLOPs for server graphics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/amd-dual-gpu-firepro-s10000/

AMD's dual-GPU FirePro S10000It can't be easy, running a modern IT department. Not only are people making ever more graphics-hungry demands on your servers, but NVIDIA and AMD are locked in an unending spec war that can make it hard to keep up with the market. The FirePro S10000 is merely the latest salvo: a dual-GPU, server-focused version of the W9000 that greatly increases overall compute power, delivering 5.91 TFLOPs of single precision calculations and 1.48 TFLOPS of dual precision performance in a single PCIe 3.0 card with 6GB of GDDR5 RAM. Even though the Graphics Core Next GPUs have been slightly underclocked to 825GHz, and even though they technically offer better performance per watt than a single-GPU configuration, their overall 375w power draw could still get you in trouble with your local power station. That level of consumption is around 50 percent higher than a regular server card like the S9000 or Tesla K10 and it may well require you to research new server cases and coolers in addition to weighing up the $3,600 cost for the component itself. See? This was never going to be straightforward.

AMD's dual-GPU FirePro S10000 gobbles watts, spews out nearly 6 TFLOPs for server graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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