Thursday, August 15, 2013

Researchers develop energy saving smart window that filters out heat and / or light

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/smart-window-nanocrystals/

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In the heat of summer, either you shut the windows and crank up the AC, or pull down the blinds and stumble around in the gloom. At least, that was the case. A team at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a new smart window that lets people choose what they want to let into their home, filtering out visible light, near-infra-red light, or both. Using a thin layer of nanocrystals that change state when electricity is passed through, will enable people to save on home energy bills by keeping the bulk of the Sun's heat out of the home without sacrificing the natural light. Now all we have to do is hook this up with one of Samsung's touchscreen windows and we'll never have to leave home again.

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Via: PhysOrg

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Audi teases 700HP hybrid Quattro Sport e-Tron Concept, A8 Matrix LED lighting

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/audi-quattro-sport-etron-hybrid-a8-matrix-led/

DNP Audi unveils Quattro Sport Etron 700HP hybrid concept sketches, new A8 headlight

We're still a few weeks out from this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, but that hasn't stopped Audi from showing off concept sketches of its hybrid supercar, the Quattro Sport E-Tron. According to Autoblog, the car will debut at the show sporting a twin-turbo V8 is similar to what's found in the company's RS6, but it has an electric motor bolted on to help it hit 700HP and a 200MPH-plus top speed. Being that it's a hybrid, you can operate solely on battery power, but for only 21.7 miles at a time -- so, if you're looking for something with a little more range, we have a few practical suggestions.

Now for news on a model we might be able to actually afford, the A8. Prior to the 2015 model's unveiling, Audi is teasing a few features ahead of time. The A8's exterior lighting got a massive upgrade with the Matrix LED headlamp system, which can auto-dim or shut the highbeams down entirely thanks to a camera that senses other vehicles. Audi didn't neglect the tail lights, either. The turn signals on the luxury sedan now sports 24 LEDs that illuminate sequentially in the direction of the turn, from the inside out. For more info, you'll have to dive into the press release below or check out the model's coming out party on August 21st, right here.

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Via: Autoblog (1), (2)

Source: Fortitude

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Haptix wants to turn every surface into a multi-touch controller

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/14/haptix/

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Motion-based PC interfaces are all the rage, thanks to Microsoft's Kinect and the folks at Leap Motion. San Francisco-based Haptix is sure it's got a better solution than the rest, but it needs a healthy $100,000 to get there. The company's got a Kickstarter page going for its self-titled peripheral that can be clipped to a device or placed on a table to offer up both a 3D sensing layer in the air and a multi-touch layer on a flat surface. The dual layers give you more ways to interact with your device, and a chance to rest your palm on the table, when the whole reaching out thing proves too tiring. In the Kickstarter pitch video below, you'll also see a Haptix picking up brushstrokes, which could certainly have some cool implications for artists.

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Source: Kickstarter

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How Prescription Drugs Get Such Weird Names

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-prescription-drugs-get-such-weird-names-1132759044

How Prescription Drugs Get Such Weird Names

Prescription pharmaceuticals tend to have some pretty weird and wonderful names: Bremabecestat, Vepoloxamer, Nexbolizumab, Orilotimod. They sound more like characters from sci-fi films than something you'd want to ingest. So where the hell do they come from?

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How Philips Hue Light Bulbs Are Highly Hackable

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-philips-hue-light-bulbs-are-highly-hackable-1133092324

How Philips Hue Light Bulbs Are Highly Hackable

If you're the proud owner of some smart Philips Hue light bulbs, watch out for blackouts—because the bulbs seem to be susceptible to malicious attacks according to new research.

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Samsung Hennessy is official: a dual-screen flip-phone with a quad-core CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/14/samsung-hennessy-official-dual-screen-flip-phone/

Samsung Hennessy is official: a dual-screen flip-phone with a quad-core CPU

While we'd like to feign surprise at Samsung's official reveal of another dual-screen Android flip phone, yesterday's leak gave us ample warning. Samsung's Chinese website has officially outed the Hennessy (W789), and it boasts a pair of 3.3-inch 320x480 touch displays and runs Android 4.1 on a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU. The outer screen is bordered by a trio of capacitive keys, allowing folks to zip through Google's OS, as per usual. When it comes to other internals, the hardware packs a 1,500mAh battery, microSD slot, 5-megapixel rear camera and dual SIM support for CDMA and GSM radios. Naturally, the hardware also includes GPS and connectivity over Bluetooth and WiFi. Word on a release date, pricing or whether the device will see other territories still hasn't surfaced, but its GSM compatibility may inspire hope that imported units could work stateside. Now that the Hennessy has made its debut, it can't be long before the curtains are pulled back on the leak-prone Galaxy Folder.

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Via: Pocket-lint

Source: Samsung (Translated)

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Use Ad blocking software creatively

Source: http://missakins.kinja.com/use-ad-blocking-software-creatively-1063977745

Use Ad blocking software creatively

I use AdBlock for Chrome and it works marvelously for me. I feel like I would not want to be online without it. In addition to blocking ads I've also found several creative uses for it.

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MedSnap ID for iOS: Identify Pills & Potential Interactions In 1 Photo

Source: http://gizmodo.com/medsnap-id-for-ios-identify-pills-potential-interact-1127411537

MedSnap ID for iOS: Identify Pills & Potential Interactions In 1 Photo

For some people, taking up to 12 different medications a day has become the unfortunate norm. And when you add another one into that already complicated heap, it isn't always easy to identify the potentially harmful interactions in your own personal prescription cocktail. MedSnap hopes to simplify that problem by both identifying your pills and their potential interactions all through one, simple snapped photograph.

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Apple reportedly acquires video discovery service Matcha.tv

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/13/apple-reportedly-acquires-video-discovery-service-matcha-tv/

Apple reportedly acquires video discovery service Matchatv

It's time to add another entry on our "Apple television rumors" timeline, as reports tonight indicate the company has acquired the team behind the second screen web / iPad app Matcha.tv. VentureBeat initially posted news of the acquisition at a price of between $1 and $1.5 million, which would appear to explain the aggregator's sudden disappearance back in May. If you weren't familiar with it before now, Matcha.tv was one of a number of efforts seeking to enable content discovery from mobile devices. By the time it closed its doors, it included TV listings of what's on cable / satellite, queues for online streaming from services like Netflix and Hulu, personalized recommendations and social network tie-ins. CEO Guy Piekarz told TechCrunch in May that the company has a "plan to provide something better in the future." We'll wait and see if speculation leans towards an IR blaster tie-in for the iPhone similar to the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One, controls for an integrated living room TV experience or something else entirely.

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Source: VentureBeat, AllThingsD, Matcha.tv

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Samsung unveils first SSDs with 3D V-NAND memory, but only for enterprise

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/13/samsung-unveils-first-ssds-with-3d-v-nand-memory/

Samsung launches first SSD with 3D VNAND memory, but only for enterprise

Well, that was quick. Samsung said it was producing the world's first 3D vertical NAND memory just a week ago, and it has already started building the first SSDs based on that memory. Unfortunately, they're not meant for the enthusiast crowd: the new 480GB and 960GB drives are instead designed for enterprise-class servers, where V-NAND's blend of high capacity and reliability makes the most sense. Don't be too forlorn, however. Samsung promises that the new memory will eventually reach PC-oriented SSDs, which could bring spacious flash storage to a much wider audience.

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Source: Samsung

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Acer Aspire S7 review (2013): the second time's a charm for Acer's flagship Ultrabook

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/13/acer-aspire-s7-392-review/

Acer Aspire S7 review (2013): the second time's a charm for Acer's flagship Ultrabook

It wasn't easy writing a conclusion (much less a headline) for our original Acer Aspire S7-391 review. The company's third Ultrabook was near-perfect, with a stunning full HD display, exceptionally fast performance, an extra-light chassis and one of the most sophisticated designs we'd seen on any Acer machine, ever. Even so, the battery could barely last past the four-hour mark -- a poor showing, even compared to other machines on the market. Plus, the fan noise was some of the loudest we'd heard, so you couldn't enjoy that blazing SSD without a good deal of distraction. We ultimately recommended it, but with a sigh. This wasn't the Ultrabook we thought it would be.

Fortunately for us, we no longer have to hem and haw over whether to recommend an exquisite laptop with worst-in-class battery life: Acer recently released an update to the S7, aptly called the S7-392. Available with a 13-inch screen (the 11-inch version has been discontinued), it arrives with Haswell processors, a larger battery and the promise of seven-hour runtime. Additionally, Acer retooled its cooling setup so that the fans supposedly operate much more quietly. Otherwise, it's the same laptop: same keyboard, same thin and light design, same 1080p screen. So can we crown it a winner now?

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Samsung's 55-inch Curved OLED TV ships today for a sufferable $9,000 (eyes-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/13/samsungs-curved-oled-tv-shipping/

Any way you look at it, nine thousand dollars is a heck of a lot to spend on a television. But in the case of Samsung's 55-inch Curved OLED set, it's a fair share less than the $15,000 we heard quoted just last month. Just like LG's equivalent, the Samsung KN55S9C was designed with a curved profile in order to "envelope" viewers -- your viewing experience is improved, in theory, because you're more immersed in the display. The OLED set includes the company's Multi-View feature, which lets two people watch different programming at the same time when using compatible active 3D glasses, and it's compatible with the Evolution Kit Samsung introduced at CES. The 55-inch KN55S9C is on its way to select retailers, and can be yours for the considerable sum of $9,000.

Update: The set will be available tomorrow (August 14th) on Samsung.com. Additionally, Consumer Reports has already managed to review the TV, giving the Samsung KN55S9C high marks, despite its sky-high price.

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Monday, August 12, 2013

Chase goes all in on Isis, announces plans for nationwide rollout

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/12/chase-isis-nationwide/

Chase goes all in on Isis, announces plans for nationwide rollout

We'd hardly call Isis a juggernaut, but the would-be Google Wallet-slayer is certainly building steam. After convincing American Express to back it in a nationwide rollout, Chase has decided to hop on the expansion train as well. The mobile payment launch partner is clearly quite happy with how pilot programs in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah went. Soon enough holders of Chase Freedom, Sapphire and Slate cards, along with those special people in possession of a JPMorgan Palladium card will be able to load their accounts into the Isis Mobile Wallet app and tap to pay at retail locations across the nation. Of course, if you're part of the one percent, walking around with your Palladium card, chances are you probably don't wander into to Walgreens to pick up your own Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder very often anyway.

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NASA Satellites Can Even Make a Devastating Drought Look Incredible

Source: http://gizmodo.com/nasa-satellites-can-even-make-a-devastating-drought-loo-1108974715

NASA Satellites Can Even Make a Devastating Drought Look Incredible

Watching the animation above, it's hard not to get goosebumps when the the clock hits 2012 and the whole United States goes red. That's what it looks like from space when the Earth is parched.

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Sony's rumored QX10 and QX100 'lens cameras' pair with your smartphone or tablet, pictured ahead of release

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/12/sonys-qx10-qx100-lens-cameras/

Sony's rumored QX10 and QX100 'lens cameras' pair with your smartphone or tablet, pictured ahead of release

Now this is innovation, folks. Sony's reportedly gearing up to announce a pair of "lens cameras" that attach to your existing smartphone or tablet. The unique devices are said to feature a sensor, processor, zoom lens, WiFi connectivity and an SD card slot, but no display or other typical controls (beyond a zoom toggle and perhaps a shutter release). You'll use your handset or slate to control the lens, adjust framing and transmit images. According to SonyAlphaRumors, the electronics giant is expected to release two models: the DSC-QX10 (pictured above) and the DSC-QX100. The latter will ship with the same 1-inch sensor used with the RX100 Mark II, while the other lens will include a larger 10x focal range and a 1/2.3-inch 18-megapixel CMOS sensor. There's no word on pricing or availability, but with Sony's IFA press conference right around the corner, we'll likely get the full scoop (and hopefully some hands-on time) come September 4th.

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Source: SonyAlphaRumors

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