Thursday, May 16, 2013

OLPC working on XO laptop telescope and microscope peripherals (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/olpc-telescope-microscope/

OLPC working on XO laptop telescope and microscope peripherals handson

So much of what children are taught in the sciences amounts to abstractions. It's a shame, really -- concepts of the universe are so much easier to extrapolate when we can see them for ourselves. OLPC's looking to give the classrooms it serves more access to the very big and very small with two new attachments that we had the opportunity to check out on a recent visit to the company's Miami office. First off is a telescope that secures to the side of its XO-4 laptop with a vice grip, utilizing the device's built-in camera. There's also a microscope that sits atop a swiveling base and plugs directly into one of the laptop's USB ports. Both peripherals run on Fedora-based software designed by the company.

OLPC will be bringing these out as soon as it can get the price down through manufacturing. For the France-designed telescope, the company is aiming for $10, with a potentially lower price on the microscope. The idea is to get one of each in a classroom, rather than the one-to-one approach of its XO line.

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TCL announces MoVo UD 4K television with Google TV coming later this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/16/tcl-movo-ud-4k-tv-google-tv/

TCL announces MoVo UD 4K television with Google TV coming later this year

Google just announced it will be upgrading Google TV units to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and China's TCL has announced it will have the first 4K TV built on the platform. We got a look at TCL's custom-skinned MoVo Google TV platform and 4K TVs separately at CES (pictured above, and in the gallery) so it only makes sense they'll be combining the two. Part of TCL's MoVo customizations include a motion sensor to recognize each user and personalize offerings based on their habits. Called Personal Box Office (PBO) or "Lazy TV" searches the available content and makes a recommendation without the need for a remote or even voice command. The press release indicates it will be available "later this year" although whether that includes a US release like Seiki's 50-inch Ultra HD set remains to be seen. According to the company it's being demonstrated at Google I/O this week, we'll see if we can get some hands-on time tomorrow.

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Field Trip for Android gets updated with over 80 countries, auto-translation

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/16/field-trip-android-update/

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Niantic Labs' Field Trip is a location-discovery app that runs in the background during your aimless wanderings, piping up when you stumble across something notable. Unfortunately, for software designed to help you travel, it'd only made the one journey itself -- to the UK, and no further. Fortunately, the Google-owned company has sent the Android version of the app truly global, helping you find attractions in over 80 countries. Niantic Labs has also jammed in 30 languages and auto-translation, so if you find a restaurant review in an unfamiliar tongue, you won't have to resort to negotiating with the locals.

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Source: Google Play

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Google opens its Cloud Platform Compute Engine to all comers, updates App Engine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/16/google-cloud-platform-compute-engine/

Google opens its Cloud Platform to all comers

During Google's I/O developer's conference keynote, it actually slipped in quite a bit of, yes, developer news amongst all the noisy consumer launches. One biggie was the announcement that any and all companies looking for computing horsepower can jump on board its formerly-limited Google Compute Engine, part of the Google Cloud Platform. In order to compete with the kingpin of that space, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its Elastic Compute Cloud, Google has bolstered its platform with new features, including shared-core instances for low-intensity chores, advanced routing, large persistent disks up to 10TB in volume size and sub-hour billing to keep costs down. It also updated its App Engine hosting service with PHP runtime, calling it "the most requested feature," and launched Google Cloud Datastore to go up against AWS' cloud storage services. All that will surely help Mountain View gain a bigger slice of the multi-billion dollar cloud infrastructure market, and should open up more space for all those apps.

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Via: Techcrunch

Source: Google Cloud Platform Blog

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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

ZTE Grand X2 In official with Clover Trail+ Atom, photos at 24 frames per second

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/zte-grand-x2-in/

ZTE Grand X2 In official with Clover Trail Atom, 24 frames per second photos

While Intel's Clover Trail+ Atom platform has been slow-moving so far, with only a handful of noteworthy unveilings, it just got a big shot in the arm through the official launch of ZTE's Grand X2 In. The 4.5-inch, 720p Jelly Bean phone is smaller than the Geek we saw not long ago, but it still carries that 2GHz Atom Z2580 inside -- and it's quite the screamer for shutterbugs between its 24 frames per second burst shooting, zero shutter lag and image stabilization. It otherwise sits in the middle of the road like its ancestor, carrying an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1-megapixel front camera, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. We're digging that soft-touch purple finish, though. Europeans should receive the Grand X2 In sometime in the third quarter of the year; there's no word on launches elsewhere, but you can be sure that we're interested in giving this x86 headliner a proper shakedown.

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Via: MojAndroid.sk (translated)

Source: ZTE

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Recon Instruments reveals Recon Jet, a sports HUD so bright it needs shades (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/recon-instruments-reveals-recon-jet/

Recon Instruments reveals Recon Jet, a sports HUD that's so bright it need shades

We know Glass comes with some snap-on shades, which is no doubt great when casually vlogging in the sun. If you're heading down a mountain, though, you're going to need something a little more like Recon Jet. You may know Recon Instruments from its line of technolicious HUD ski goggles, but Jet sees the firm leap into more casual (yet no less useful) eyewear. Inside you'll find a dual-core processor, WiFi, GPS, Ant+, Bluetooth and an HD camera, plus all the sensors you could want (altimeter, thermometer, accelerometer etc). Recon Jet comes with its own open platform (which typically has been based on Android), and will have some existing native apps (video streaming, Facebook integration, etc.) on display at Google I/O this week. Comparison with Mountain View's own product will be inevitable, but we're guessing that Recon hopes you'll leave Glass on your desk, while popping Jet on for the weekend.

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Google Play game services aims to integrate gaming across Android, iOS and the web, available today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/google-play-game-services/

Google Play game services aims to integrate gaming across iOS, Android and the web, available today

Google Play game developers and players alike are getting a quartet of game-changing additions today: real-time multiplayer, leaderboards, cloud saves and achievements. And that's not all -- the latter three services will function cross-platform between Android, iOS and the web. The whole initiative is called -- unsurprisingly -- "Google Play Game Services," and it's available today in a smattering of games. Unlike Apple's Game Center application, what Google's offering is backend support for developers rather than a standalone application. Think of it more like OpenFeint than Game Center -- you can sign in using your Google+ login in-game, and that login will track your identity (including leaderboard scores, achievements and saves) across various games and devices.

Any developer launching a game on the Google Play store has access to game services, though Google isn't making it an obligation. "We won't make it a mandatory exercise, or have any certification process around it," Google lead product manager Greg Hartrell told us. "We create fantastic services that allow developers to create these great game experiences, and help promote their discovery, help retain their users and keep them engaged."

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Google's conversational voice search reaches the desktop through Chrome

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/google-conversational-search-reaches-the-desktop-through-chrome/

Google conversational search

We're used to Google's mobile search apps letting us ask questions as we would with real people, but the desktop has usually been quite stiff. That's changing today: Google is bringing conversation-like voice search to our computers through Chrome, with no typing required. Web denizens just have to say "okay, Google," ask their question, and get back a spoken response similar to what they'd hear on their phones. The company hasn't said just how soon Chrome will incorporate the new voice features, however.

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Google Just Massively Upgraded Its Core Product, Google Search, With Google Now For Desktop (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-just-massively-upgraded-its-core-product-google-search-with-google-now-for-desktop-2013-5

google io search

Google just brought Google Now, its voice-recognizing search product for mobile, to the desktop.

It announced the news at Google I/O, a conference for developers held today in San Francisco.

Business Insider's Steve Kovach, who's on the scene and saw the demo live, says, "that was an incredible demo. This is the future."

Any meaningful upgrade to Google search on the desktop is huge news. Google search is the desktop Internet's most perfectly profitable business.

So, what does Google Now for desktop do?

It's basically a voice-recognizing robot assistant.

For starters, you can use it to search the Web by talking to your computer.

Except you don't have to talk in the same funny way you would type out a search on Google.com.

You can speak normally and get useful responses.

For example, you can say: "How long will it take me to drive to Santa Cruz beach?," and Google will show you directions with Google Maps and tell you how long it'll take to get there.

Google Now also does more than just search the Web. 

Because it is connected to Google Now on mobile, you can use it to set reminders, and have them be triggered by times, dates, and locations.

For example, you can, from your desktop at work, tell Google Now: "Remind me to take out the garbage when I get home," and Google Now will remind you when, through your smartphone, it senses you are back at home.

Beca use Google Now has acces to your calendar and other Google services, such as Google Maps, it can pull off lots of other cool tricks, too.

For example, if you have an appointment in your calendar and Google knows traffic will be heavy getting to it, Google Now will warn you to leave early.

Most of these features have been available in Google Now for a while now.

What's new is that it's now available on the desktop through Chrome browsers.  Also, Google Now will now also recommend things for you to do.

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ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU Mini set at $399 with May 20th release, up for pre-order (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/asus-gtx-670-directcu-mini-pre-order-399-dollars-may-20-launch/

ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU Mini set at $399 with May 20th release, up for pre-order (video)

ASUS' GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini graphics card first broke cover in April without a price or concrete release date, but now Newegg has dished out just those details along with extra specs. Loaded with 1,344 CUDA cores and 2GB of 256-bit GDDR5 RAM, the silicon boats a base clock of 928Mhz and a boost speed of 1,006MHz. The 6.7-inch-long hardware bound for diminutive -- or even full-size -- PCs rings up at $399, and is slated for availability on May 20th. Click the source link below to pre-order the dual-slot dwarf or head past the break for the retailer's unboxing video.

[Thanks, Cody]

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Source: Newegg

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HP intros the Split x2 Windows hybrid and Android-based SlateBook x2 (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/hp-split-x2-slatebook-x2/

HP intros the Split x2 Windows hybrid and Android-based SlateBook x2 (hands-on)

The Envy x2 has never been our favorite Windows 8 tablet, but that hasn't stopped HP from selling loads of them. The device has been such a success, in fact, that the company is expanding the x2 series to make room for two follow-on products: the Split x2 (a Windows 8 hybrid) and the SlateBook x2 (an Android tablet). Starting with the Split (pictured above), this is the first time HP's made a laptop / tablet hybrid with a laptop processor inside, though Microsoft and others have of course done this already. In brief, it's a 13-inch slate with a 1,366 x 768 display and your choice of Core i3 or i5 processor (these are Intel's Y-series Ivy Bridge chips we're talking about). As you'd expect, the keyboard dock packs a second battery, though it also makes room for an optional 500GB hard drive to complement the SSD inside the actual tablet. Other specs include two USB ports (one 2.0, one 3.0), HDMI, Beats Audio, WiDi and expansion slots for both microSD and full SD cards.

The SlateBook (shown below) is a 10-inch tablet with a Tegra 4 chip -- one of the first to be announced by any company, in fact. Though it's a companion to the $169 Slate 7, it packs considerably higher-end specs. There's that Tegra 4 SoC, for one, as well as a 1,920 x 1,200, 400-nit IPS display and the latest version of Jelly Bean (4.2.2). As with other dockable tablets, its keyboard has a battery built in. Here, though, the keyboard also includes shortcuts for Google voice search. There's even a laptop-style trackpad supporting multitouch gestures -- a rarity on products like this. The hardware itself weighs about 2.8 pounds in total, with a spec list that includes two USB sockets, stereo speakers and SD / microSD readers. Both products will be available in August, with the Split x2 priced at $800 and the SlateBook x2 going for $480. Now all we need are some battery life claims. In the meantime, check out our hands-on photos below. (Pssst: the Split unit we photographed was just a mockup.)

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AMD unveils Radeon HD 8900M laptop graphics, ships them in MSI's GX70 (eyes-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/amd-unveils-radeon-hd-8900m-graphics-and-msi-gx70/

AMD unveils Radeon HD 8900M laptop graphics, ships them in MSI's GX70 eyeson

Did you think AMD showed all its mobile GPU cards when it launched the Radeon HD 8000M series in January? Think twice. The company has just unveiled the 8900M series, an adaptation of its Graphics Core Next architecture for desktop replacement-class gaming laptops. To call it a big jump would be an understatement: compared to the 8800M, the flagship 8970M chip doubles the stream processors to 1,280, hikes the clock speed from 725MHz to 850MHz and bumps the memory speed slightly to 1.2GHz. The net effect is about 12 to 54 percent faster game performance than NVIDIA's current mobile speed champion, the GTX 680M, and up to four times the general computing prowess in OpenCL. The 8970M is more than up to the task of powering up to 4K in one screen, and it can handle up to six screens if there are enough ports.

We'll see how long AMD's performance reign lasts, although we won't have to wait to try the 8970M -- MSI is launching the GPU inside the new GX70 laptop you see above. We got a brief, hands-off tease of the 17.3-inch GX60 successor at the 8900M's unveiling, and it's clear the graphics are the centerpiece. We saw it driving Crysis 3 very smoothly on one external display while powering 2D on two other screens, albeit through a bulky set of Mini DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA cables. Otherwise, the GX70 is superficially similar to its ancestor with that chunky profile, an unnamed Richland-based AMD A10 processor, Killer networking and a SteelSeries keyboard. More than anything, price should be the clincher: MSI is pricing the GX70 with the new Radeon at $1,100, which amounts to quite the bargain for anyone whose laptop has to double as a primary gaming PC.

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Source: AMD, MSI

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Aquos Phone Zeta SH-06E packs a 1080p IGZO Screen, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/ntt-docomo-aquos-phone-zeta-sh-06e-1080p-igzo-display/

Aquos Phone Zeta SH-06E packs a 1080p IGZO Screen, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600

The folks at NTT DoCoMo have just paraded out their roster of handsets for the summer season, and tucked in among the phones is the waterproof Aquos Phone Zeta SH-06E, which packs a 1080p IGZO display. Behind the 4.8-inch screen, the Android 4.2 handset totes a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, NFC, WiFi, a TV tuner and a 2,600mAh battery. As for cameras, the Sharp-made hardware -- which comes in blue, red and white hues -- packs a 13.1-megapixel rear shooter and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing cam. Since the device operates on the network's Xi LTE service, it's rated to pull down 100Mbps and upload at 37.5Mbps. As for a release date, the smartphone is slated to hit Japanese streets on May 24th. There's no telling when this cellphone or its 1080p IGZO display will arrive in other territories, but our eyes sure hope it's soon.

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Source: NTT DoCoMo (PDF)

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Aquos Pad SH-08E flaunts 7-inch high-res IGZO display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/aquos-pad-sh-08e-7-inch-high-res-igzo-display-quad-core-snapdragon-600/

Aquos Pad SH-08E flaunts 7-inch high-res IGZO display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor

Amid the bevy of phones outed in NTT DoCoMo's summer lineup, the Japanese carrier snuck in a tablet: Sharp's Aquos Pad SH-08E. A 7-inch 1,920 x 1,200 IGZO display dominates the front of the Android 4.2 device, while a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and a 4,200mAh battery are tucked inside. When it comes to imaging, the slab totes an 8.1-megapixel shooter on its rear, and wears a 2.1-megapixel cam on the front. The hardware's also been kitted out with WiFi, NFC and TV tuning capabilities, along with waterproofing and dustproofing, to boot. As the slate's outfitted to work with DoCoMo's Xi LTE network, it's capable of sucking down 100Mbps and uploading at 37.5Mbps. There's no word on how much it'll empty wallets, but it's penciled in to be available in Japan by the end of July.

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Source: NTT DoCoMo (PDF)

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Brinno TLC200 Pro captures time lapse HDR images, sports interchangeable lenses

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/brinno-tlc200-pro-captures-time-lapse-hdr/

Brinno TLC200 Pro captures time lapse HDR images, sports interchangeable lenses

A dedicated time lapse camera is about as niche as a piece photo gear gets. But, we'll say this about Brinno's latest offering, it captures some pretty stunning clips. The TLC200 Pro is supposedly the world's first such device that captures these dramatic clips in HDR. The 1.3 megapixel sensor weighs in at a healthy 1/3-inch, which means the pixels are much larger than your average sensor -- in fact, they're more than twice the size of those found in the HTC One UltraPixel shooter. The built-in lens sports an aperture of f/2.0 and a 112-degree wide angle field of view. But you can also slap on one of the available interchangeable lenses to alter that to your liking. About the only thing we could find to complain about (besides its limited functionality) is the fact that it captures video at only 720p. Unfortunately there's no word on price yet, though we're sure it'll be a bit more than the non-Pro version of the TLC200, which will set you back $300. If you're curious, there's a whole host of sample footage after the break.

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Via: Gizmodo Australia

Source: Brinno

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