Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Google Apps for Business users receive Quickoffice for iPad as a freebie

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/google-apps-for-business-receive-quickoffice-for-ipad/

If Google recently caught you off-guard with its announcement that Google Apps would move to a $50 per user model, perhaps some free software will help restore balance to your world. Today, the company announced a free version of Quickoffice for the iPad, which is an exclusive perk for users of Google Apps for Business. The software suite allows users to view, edit and create Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and as proof that integration isn't lost on Google, all files are stored to Google Drive. For the moment, only iPad users will be treated to this free version of Quickoffice, but Google insists that iPhone and Android versions are on the way. If you'll recall, this is the same bit of software that Google purchased earlier this year. Nice to see it's being put to good use.

Filed under: Software, Google

Via: TechCrunch

Source: App Store

Samsung to release Verizon developer edition Galaxy Note II

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/samsung-verizon-developer-edition-galaxy-note-ii/

Samsung gave devs an unlockable version of its Verizon flavored flagship, the GSIII, mere months ago, and now the Korean firm has seen fit to do the same for its phablet. That's right, folks, you'll soon be able to get a dev edition 16GB Galaxy Note II with all that amazing VZW branding you know and ~~hate~~ love. Of course, while the product page is live on Sammy's site, it hasn't announced availability or pricing for this freed Note II, but we do know it'll have that beautiful 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen and come with Android 4.1. So, it appears we won't be getting everything we wanted for Christmas this year, but it's nice to have something to look forward to.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon

Via: Phandroid

Source: Samsung

Automatically Send Starred Google Reader Articles to Pocket or Instapaper

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5969460/automatically-send-starred-google-reader-articles-to-pocket-or-instapaper

Automatically Send Starred Google Reader Articles to Pocket or Instapaper Bookmark and Read Later apps like Pocket, Instapaper, and Readability are awesome ways to store and catch up on the interesting articles you find online, but if you use Google Reader, saving those articles is a multi-step process. Here's an IFTTT recipe that will send articles to your favorite service in one keystroke.

IFTTT, our favorite webapp-automating service, has actions for Pocket, Instapaper, and Readability built-in. All you need to do is create a recipe (like this one from user masemase) that adds an item to Pocket, Instapaper, or Readability whenever you star it in Google Reader. That way, as you're flying through your RSS feeds, you can star anything that looks interesting and check it out in your favorite app later on.

Read your starred items from Google Reader in Instapaper | IFTTT via @IFTTT

A Stunning Two Billion Pixel Photo Is the Safest Way To Explore Mount Everest

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969706/a-stunning-two-billion-pixel-photo-is-the-safest-way-to-explore-mount-everest

Not only has filmmaker David Breashears climbed Mount Everest on five different occasions, he's visited the world's tallest peak 15 times in his career as he works to document the effects of climate change on the mountain. And fortunately for those of us who will never have the chance to see Everest in real life, let alone climb it, Breashers created a stunning gigapixel photo of the mountain and the Khumbu glacier earlier in the year.

The final composite, which can be panned, zoomed, and viewed on the GlacierWorks website, was assembled from almost 400 separate shots taken with a 300 millimeter zoom lens. It's so detailed you can apparently even see climbers making an ascent, and one of the base camps full of tents, all from the comfort and warmth of your couch. [GlacierWorks via NPR via Washington Post]

Image by David Breashears/GlacierWorks

Samsung ATIV S review: the Galaxy S III, repackaged for Windows Phone 8

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/samsung-ativ-s-review/

Samsung was one of the first to join the Windows Phone parade with the Focus, and was quick to follow up with devices like the Focus S. It's been unusually conservative with Windows Phone 8, however: the ATIV S ($100 on contract through Bell Canada) is the last of the big three flagships to arrive in 2012, following weeks after the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Nokia Lumia 920 went on sale. Some would argue that Samsung has been especially conservative with the ATIV S, given that it shares the same 4.8-inch screen, Snapdragon S4 processor, cameras and overarching design traits with Sammy's other flagship phone, the Galaxy S III. There's a real worry that someone visiting the carrier store will see both devices and pick the Galaxy simply through name recognition alone.

And yet, they're not entirely cut from the same cloth: there's a design twist or two, a larger battery and, of course, a switch to an entirely different ecosystem. Some will want the phone to try Windows Phone's simpler, at-a-glance interface concept; others are shopping solely inside of Microsoft's universe and want to know if expandable storage and Samsung's custom app suite fend off rivals. We already have lots to like, but there are a few punctures in the AT! IV S' fa ux-metal armor that will keep it from being the handset for everyone, even if they do prefer Windows Phone. Read on and you'll see why.

Gallery: Samsung ATIV S review

Continue reading Samsung ATIV S review: the Galaxy S III, repackaged for Windows Phone 8

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

W3C completes HTML5 definition, starts interoperability testing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/w3c-completes-html5-definition/

Long heralded as the darling of the open web, the standards for HTML5 haven't actually been finalized by the W3C -- it was just recently that the international consortium pledged to get it done by 2014. So it's good to hear the group just hit a significant milestone on the road to that goal by publishing the full definition for the spec this Tuesday. With that accomplished, the next step is interoperability and performance testing to make sure HTML5 plays nice with any and all browsers, servers and other web tools. The W3C hopes that this will bring "broad HTML 5 interoperability" by 2014, which fits right in to the organization's philosophy of bringing the entirety of the web -- however divisive -- together.

Filed under: Internet

Via: The Inquirer

Source: W3C

NEC intros 15.6-inch LaVie X Ultrabook in Japan, claims it's the 'world's thinnest'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/nec-lavie-x-ultrabook-in-japan/

Following the announcement of its somewhat flexible LaVie Y in Japan, NEC's now introducing us to a new, much sleeker member of the company's Windows 8 lineup. At first glance, you may quickly notice that the novel LaVie X clearly takes a design cue from another NEC affiliate, the Lavie Z, but does sport a relatively larger 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS display, a more powerful Core i7-3517U CPU which clocks in at 1.9GHz, 4GB RAM and a 256GB SSD -- all while being wrapped in a slim 12.8mm package. The LaVie X is expected to hit Rising Sun shelves starting December 27th, with NEC slapping a cool 175,000 Yen (around $2,100) price tag on this slim, Windows 8-loaded Ultrabook.

Filed under: Laptops

Via: AkihabaraNews

Source: NEC

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Credit Card Skimmers Aren't Just at ATMs Anymore

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969373/credit-card-skimmers-arent-just-at-atms-anymore

It used to be that you only had to be paranoid about credit card skimmers when using an ATM. But times have changed, and the bad guys have gotten so sophisticated that they've now created realistic but fake point of sale terminals that even print an authentic looking receipt while they're collecting your credit card number and PIN.

Discovered and exposed by Brian Krebs over on KrebsonSecurity, the new skimmers can either be set to issue a receipt, or report back a connection error message which most consumers wouldn't think twice about. And even though the skimmers can run as much as $3,000, it wouldn't take long for someone to easily make that money back if they had access to even a handful of credit cards. [KrebsonSecurity via BoingBoing]

Beats By Dre Headphones Are Going in Helmets Now

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969436/beats-by-dre-headphones-are-going-in-helmets-now

POC and Beats By Dre are going to make your next ski trip better and safer with a new line of Receptor BUG Helmets that have headphones built in.

They're pretty standard as far as these kinds of helmets go—the headphones are built into the neckroll for a comfortable fit, and there's a mic and remote on the cord, so you can take calls, change songs, and adjust the volume. It comes in white or black and runs from XS-XXL for the perfect fit. And if you already have a POC helmet and don't want to pay the full $330 for a new head protector, you can just buy the neckroll for $180.

I have a helmet with built-in headphones, and it's one of my favorite pieces of gear to take to the mountains. The new Receptor BUG/Beats helmest will be available in January. Good timing, because it's so important to protect your brain when you're skiing or snowboarding, and tunes always make your ride more fun. [POC via GearPatrol]

Google Music gains scan and match feature in the US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/google-music-gains-scan-and-match-feature-in-the-us/

Google Music gains scan and match feature in the US

It wasn't very long ago that Google Music landed in Europe -- to the delight of local music lovers, we're sure. On its trip across the pond, the service gained a unique new feature called scan and match, wherein Google scans your local music library and makes the songs it matches instantly available in the cloud -- no upload required. Until now the feature, which is similar to iTunes Match, was only available in Europe, but it's coming to the US starting today. From now on, any US Google Play users who upload their music collection will benefit from this new feature. Over time, the company will also upgrade users with existing cloud libraries. It's a free service and it's automatic -- you're unlikely to notice that it's even happening. The upside is that entire collections will be uploaded faster. We're not aware of any downsides yet -- matched songs will be available for streaming at 320Kbps like regular Google Play purchases, while re-downloaded music will be available at or close to the bitrate of the original file.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google

Source: Google Play (Google+)

NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor details leaked: 4-plus-1 cores, 28nm, six times the power of Tegra 3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/nvidia-tegra-4-processor-leak-4-plus-1-quad-core-28nm/

NVIDIA's next superhero-themed mobile chipset has possibly made an early appearance in a leaked side in China, and it looks like it wants to go toe-to-toe with the latest processors from Samsung and Qualcomm. The Tegra 4 (codenamed Wayne) will apparently offer the same power-efficient 28nm process found on its Snapdragon rival and according to the slide from Chip Hell, there's a dizzying 72-core graphics setup. That's six times as many GPU cores as Tegra 3 -- the processor found in the Nexus 7, for example -- and the increase is claimed to result in six times the overall visual performance. Those graphics cores will be able to feed displays of up to 2,560 x 1600, with 1080p output at 120Hz, while the leak also mentions 4K -- if only in passing. There's no increase in CPU cores this time, with the same 4-plus-1 setup , but we are seeing its move to ARM's latest design, the Cortex-A15. Tegra 4 will apparently also catch up with USB 3.0, being NVIDIA's first mobile chip to do so, alongside dual-channel DDR3L memory. We've reached out to chipmaker and we'll let you know when we hear more, but it's highly likely we'll be welcoming this next-generation processor early next year -- say, at a certain mobile trade show.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, NVIDIA

Via: Mobile Geeks

Source: Chip Hell

HTCâs Next Android Flagship to Pack a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1080p Screen?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969336/htcs-next-android-flagship-to-pack-a-17ghz-quad+core-processor-and-1080p-screen

HTCâs Next Android Flagship to Pack a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Processor and 1080p Screen? Some leaked tech specs supposedly tell us what to expect from HTC's flagship Android model for 2013, with the phone maker apparently set to launch a 4.7-inch model with a 1080p display.

The phone, which is currently known under the codename HTC M7, features an enormous 468PPI image density output thanks to the display numbers, which ought to see our beloved old flip clock bursting out of the screen clearer than ever.

Elsewhere, the M7 is said to contain a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor alongside 2GB of RAM, the required chips to make it compatible with 4G networks, and version 5.0 of HTC's popular Sense user interface stuck over the top of Android 4.2.

There should also be a 13-Megapixel camera inside it, plus a 2-MP front facing secondary cam for looking at your own face with and a 2,300mAh battery to give it a decent desk life. Stick it on the next phone list. And if those numbers are all correct, it ought be close to the top. [Unwired View]

Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

WSJ: Apple, Foursquare in talks to share local data

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/wsj-apple-foursquare-in-talks-to-share-local-data/

The battle over localized data continues to heat up, and according to rumor's Apple's next weapon against Google, Nokia and the rest could be a partnership with Foursquare. Last week TechCrunch noted a check-in tweeted by Apple SVP Eddy Cue, coincidentally at the same time Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley happened to be in the San Francisco area. Now, the Wall Street Journal has followed up with its always-helpful "people familiar with the talks" who indicate that yes, the two are in early discussions about sharing data.

Currently, iOS features deep ties with Yelp, but Apple could swap in Foursquare and its check-in supported database, giving both a leg up on the competition. At the same time, Foursquare's iOS app received an update today, shifting location details like phone number and hours to the top, and bringing bigger photos and info after users have checked in somewhere. Of course, we'll have to wait for an official announcement to see what, if anything may arise from the talks, but with Google's Maps app off to a quick start on the App Store, the folks in Cupertino may not want to wait very long.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple

Source: TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal

Trustonic: a way for mobile apps to benefit from ARM's hardware-level security

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/trustonic-mobile-security/

This here narrative begins back in April, when ARM, Giesecke & Devrient and Gemalto teamed up and gave themselves precisely nine months in which to find the perfect brand name for their newly merged mobile security platform. Today, we're looking at the fruits of their efforts: Trustonic; a word which snappily captures the essence of what's at stake (trust-onic) and which you may soon encounter in connection with your next-gen smartphone, Mastercard payment app or 20th Century Fox DRM'd media.

What does Trustonic do, exactly? Pretty much what Mobicore already does in the Galaxy S III, or what Trusted Foundation does inside a Tegra-powered tablet: it allows certain pieces of software to tap into hardware-level encryption and authentication, courtesy of the TrustZone silicon that many ARM chips already contain, thereby removing many of the risks associated with malware and other intrusions within the mobile OS. As far as we understand it, the key difference with Trustonic is that it won't require direct input from OEMs like Samsung and NVIDIA, but will instead be more readily accessible to any banking, payment or DRM service that is willin! g to pay for a key. In return, the service would get enhanced security and faster logins for its users, who'd only need to enter a short, locally-verified PIN rather than wading through cloud-based steps to prove their identity. Indeed, perhaps that's where the tonic comes into it.

Continue reading Trustonic: a way for mobile apps to benefit from ARM's hardware-level security

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Grand announced: single and dual-SIM versions, multi-window apps, not-so-spectacular 5-inch WVGA screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/samsung-galaxy-grand-dual-core-wvga-5inch/

After getting a glimpse in an FCC filing (and some certification via China) the Galaxy Grand has now appeared in earnest, with a 5-inch 800 x 480 WVGA display that betrays that glamorous naming. It'll arrive running Android 4.1.2, while the dual-core (unspecified) 1.2GHz apparently enough to handle running two apps on screen with Samsung's Multi Window mode, seen on the flagship Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. There's an 8-megapixel camera on the back, while a 2-megapixel sensor on the front will offer 720p video for calls. Inside there's a 2,100mAh battery, alongside 8GB of built-in memory and a microSD slot for expansion up to 64GB. Likely due to the bigger screen, the familiar looking Galaxy Grand carries 30g more weight than the Galaxy S III, while connectivity is provided by HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps down, 5.76 up) on 850 / 1900 / 2100 bands, alongside Bluetooth, DLNA and WiFi. Despite those familiar bands, Samsung hasn't revealed where we can expect to see the phone appear for sale, although the appearance of a dual-SIM version suggests appearances in Asia. We plan to catch the Galaxy Grand somewhere within the madness of CES -- and you can expect that we'll test it out then.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung

Monday, December 17, 2012

AMD Radeon HD 8000M-series GPUs revealed, coming to a laptop near you in Q1 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/amd-radeon-hd-8000m-series/

Had you been cruising these pages in the early hours of this morning, you'd know that the very first laptop to contain AMD's next generation of discrete graphics chips was quietly put up for sale over in Germany. The chipmaker has now confirmed that this machine -- the Asus Vivobook U38DT -- is indeed shipping, with a Trinity APU and hitherto unknown Radeon HD 8555M GPU on board. At the same, it's made a few promises about what the new discrete graphics components are capable of. These claims include the typically confusing graph above, which at first glance may appear to show an 8000M-series chip trebling the performance of NVIDIA's Geforce 650M (of 15-inch Retina MBP fame), but which actually suggests a 20-70 percent lead over the six-month-old competitor -- and with no information about power consumption to help us make a proper judgment. There are some straightforward factual details too, thank goodness, and you'll find them right after the break.

Gallery: AMD Radeon HD 8000M-series slide deck

Continue reading AMD Radeon HD 8000M-series GPUs revealed, coming to a laptop near you in Q1 2013

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, AMD

Google Just Launched Another Killer App On iPhone (GOOG, AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-capture-for-iphone-2012-12

Google launched a new app for iPhone today called Capture that lets you quickly upload videos to YouTube.

Unlike Apple's built-in Camera app, Google's Capture lets you sync to your Facebook, Google+, and Twitter accounts to easily push your videos to all your social networks in one go.

The app also features image stabilization, some basic video editing tools, and access to your camera roll so you can upload older videos stored on your phone directly to YouTube.

We took the app for a spin this afternoon and found that it's much easier to use and has more functionality than Apple's Camera app.

One downside: Once the video uploads, it automatically posts to your social networks, even if YouTube's servers haven't finished rendering the clip yet. Your followers and friends may get an error message at first.

Capture is just the latest in a string of new and updated Google apps for the iPhone. For a long time, Google had a reputation of delivering half-baked apps on Apple's platform. Now it's going all out, delivering some excellent apps that are often better than what Apple can come up with.

Google says Capture will launch on Android devices soon.

You can download Capture for iPhone here.

Here's a quick video demo from Google:

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Join the conversation about this story »

Short Battery Life Sinks First Windows 8 Notebooks

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969012/short-battery-life-sinks-first-windows-8-notebooks

Confusing dual-mode operating system, no Start button, counterintuitive swipe gestures? None of these things spells doom for Windows 8. What will kill Microsoft's newest operating system is the abysmal battery life of the systems on which it's supposed to perform the best.

For all of Windows 8's strengths, its one major weakness might be something no one saw coming; significantly worse battery life than the previous generation of PCs. Laptop Mag's Michael Prospero breaks down the drain in detail.

Leading up to the launch of Windows 8, we saw progressively longer endurance on the two most-portable categories of notebooks. As of September, the average ultraportable (a notebook with a screen size of 11 to 13 inches and weighing less than 4 pounds) lasted 6 hours and 52 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test (Web surfing via Wi-Fi, screen at 40 percent brightness). The average thin-and-light (12 to 14 inches, less than 6 pounds) was right behind, at 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Short Battery Life Sinks First Windows 8 Notebooks

However, when we started adding Windows 8 notebooks to the mix, those averages receded faster than Steve Ballmer's hairline. By November, the ultraportable average dropped by half an hour, and the average thin-and-light decreased by 10 minutes.

[More: Windows 8 OS Full Review]

Short Battery Life Sinks First Windows 8 Notebooks

Of the first 11 Windows 8 laptops/sliders we tested, most of which were ultraportables, six lasted fewer than 5 hours on a charge, and only two made it past 6 hours. The average of all these systems: 5 hours and 8 minutes. That's hardly what I'd call all-day endurance.

Even our favorite Windows 8 notebooks had sub-average endurance. The Dell XPS 12 lasted 5 hours and 46 minutes, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga died after 6 hours and 18 minutes.

The cause, of course, could have been a number of reasons: Windows 8, touch screens or both.

Short Battery Life Sinks First Windows 8 Notebooks

Let's compare the Toshiba Satellite P845t-S4310 and the Toshiba Satellite P845-S4200. Both notebooks have the same CPU, RAM and hard drive, but only the former has a touch screen and Windows 8. And guess what? The non-touch, Windows 7 version lasted 1 hour and 24 minutes longer.

Next, there's the HP Envy 4-1030US Ultrabook and the Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, which also have identical specs. Battery life: 6:18 for the Envy 4 versus 5:36 for the TouchSmart. How about the Acer Aspire V5-571P versus the Acer Aspire V5-571, which also have the same CPU? Interestingly, both have an equally poor endurance of about 4 hours and 10 minutes.

The worst offender is the Acer Aspire S7, a 13-inch ultraportable that costs $1,699 and weighs a mere 2.8 pounds, but lasted just 4 hours and 10 minutes. For that much money, I expect at least twice the endurance. There's an optional $150 sheet battery for the S7 (which adds to its size and weight, natch) that Acer should consider including for free.

To be sure, this is a fairly small sample size, but these are the notebooks that are supposed to get consumers excited about Windows 8. You would think that notebook-makers would want to put their best foot forward, no?

Microsoft isn't helping matters, either. Their just-announced Surface Pro tablet, the flagship Windows 8 device, will have an expected battery life of just 4 hours. I've heard the company boast that the Surface is the first tablet you can actually do work on. Not if it's out of juice, you can't!

A number of challenges face OEMs and Microsoft when it comes to the adoption of Windows 8, from design to pricing. But solving all those issues will be moot until they fix the most basic requirement for any laptop - good battery life.

Related Links

Laptopmag.com brings you in-depth reviews of the hottest mobile products, the latest tech news, helpful how-to advice, and expert analysis of the latest tech trends.

Image credit: Shutterstock/Thomas Pajot

New YouTube Capture Lets Your Record and Post Videos Instantly

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5969154/new-youtube-capture-lets-your-record-and-post-videos-instantly

Want to quickly record a moment and share it with everyone? YouTube's brand new Capture app lets you take video and share it instantly where ever you want.

Open it up and it's ready to take a movie right away. It also reminds you to turn your phone horizontally, so you don't have the iPhone's annoying vertical video effect. Once you've Captured your video, you can edit for length, add background music, and make little tweaks like color correction and stabilization. It's only for iOS right now, but Google says an Android version is coming. So next time you want to embarrass your friends at a late night karaoke session, here you go. [App Store via YouTube Blog]

Amped Wireless announces a new range of 802.11ac high-powered WiFi routers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/amped-802-11-ac-range/

For those not in the know, the forthcoming 802.11ac standard is so fast that it makes Speedy Gonzales look like, well, Regular Gonzales. Amped Wireless is launching a flotilla of new WiFi units capable of taking advantage of that additional power that'll cover your house in the company's trademark 10,000 square feet of wireless internet. The RTA 15 is the company's latest flagship dual-band router, the REA 20 range extender will double your wireless footprint and the ACA 1 connects to your laptop's USB 3.0 port, helping you stay connected in areas of weak signal. The trio will be available at the start of 2013, so we'll probably get our first peek at the new gear at CES.

Continue reading Amped Wireless announces a new range of 802.11ac high-powered WiFi routers

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Foxconn reportedly manufacturing Amazon smartphone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/foxconn-reportedly-manufacturing-amazon-smartphone/

Rumors about an Amazon smartphone heated up this summer, and the latest whispers -- from Taiwan Economic News -- say the e-retailer is turning to Foxconn to construct its handset. Amazon is said to have put in a five-million-unit order with the Chinese company, which we've already seen mentioned as the potential manufacturer for this device. The report also says the phone will launch in the second or third quarter of 2013, with a price somewhere in the $100-to-$200 range. Stay tuned, as more rumors are sure to come.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Amazon

Via: SlashGear

Source: Taiwan Economic News

Bunnie Huang building an open, ARM-based laptop, might even sell you one if you ask nicely

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/bunnie-huang-is-building-a-laptop/

How do you follow-up creating Chumby, exposing illicit microSD card production and building an open-source radiation detector? If you answered "go to Disneyland," then you aren't Andrew "Bunnie" Huang -- who is now designing and building his very own laptop. Powered by an ARM Cortex A9 and running Linux, the hardware is NDA-free and as open as he can make it, with documents already online for you to study. He's expecting to finish validation and testing in the next few months, and may even offer a few for sale on Kickstarter -- although he does warn that it won't come cheap, so if you're looking for a machine to noodle around on, just get an EeePC.

Filed under: Laptops

Via: Boing Boing

Source: Bunnie Huang

Create Your Own Lytro-Style Changeable Focus Photos with the SLR You Already Have

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5968678/create-your-own-lytro+style-changeable-focus-photos-with-the-slr-you-already-have

Create Your Own Lytro-Style Changeable Focus Photos with the SLR You Already Have Cameras like the Lytro are great because they let you snap photos and then adjust the depth-of-field and focus after the photo's already been taken. It does this by collecting all of the focus data it needs at the time the photo is taken, which is great, but Lytro cameras are close to $400. If you already have an SLR you love, there's a way to get the same effect right now without buying anything extra, thanks to the folks at Chaos Collective.

The trick is to use your SLR to take video of the space you want to capture, slowly changing the focus on your camera as you go. This way your camera collects the same data the Lytro does, just over time. The Lytro works because it actually takes tons of images at once thanks to its micro-lens array, and each of those images includes different focus and DOF data, so you can refocus the image whenever you want, long after you've taken the photo.

Chaos Collective notes that the best cameras for the job here SLRs and lenses with wide apertures, and walks you through the process of collecting your video and uploading it to their tool at the link below. You'll probably need a tripod, but aside from that, if you have the camera already you're good to go, and the process takes just a few seconds—much better than dropping $400 on a shiny new camera. Hit the link below to try the tool out, and see examples of the kinds of images we're talking about.

Camera HACK: DOF-Changeable Photos with an SLR | Chaos Collective via TechCrunch

Photo by Lai Ryanne.

Will Wild OLED Installations Like These Be The Light Fixtures Of Tomorrow?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5968779/will-wild-oled-fixtures-like-these-be-the-lights-of-tomorrow

OLEDs have a lot of potential for awesomeness, like putting a flexible screen on your holiday sweaters. Well, maybe that's a bad example. These prototype light fixtures developed by Philips, on the other hand, are significantly better ones.

As Dietmar Thomas of Philips Lumiblade explains:

OLED is the first light source that is a surface light source. All other lights sources are point light sources, starting with the flame, the candle and going up to the light bulb and the LED. For the first time you don't need a system to spread the light. The system is built-in.

And that fact, along with the thin form factor allows for all kinds of weird installations you couldn't (or wouldn't want to) make with strandard light bulbs. Everything from pulsating light walls to fixtures that actually are your ceiling.

For the moment, OLED lights tend to be prohibitively expensive, especially if all they're doing is acting like a light bulb and looking cool, but Thomas is confidant the prices will fall quite a bit in the next five years, making these kinds of setups far more affordable. The sooner we can all get trippy, flashing light displays for living room raves, the better. [Dezeen]

How to Get Siri to Provide Google Maps Directions, No Hack Required

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5968968/how-to-get-siri-to-provide-google-maps-directions-no-hack-required

Ask Siri for directions, and by default she'll throw up an Apple Maps solution. Which means you'll get lost. But it's actually really easy to get her to give you directions using Google's maps—and it doesn't even require a hack.

As JailbreakNation shows in this vide, adding the phrase "via transit" to the end of your Siri voice command forces the software to use Google Maps instead of iOS's native cartographic car crash. So instead of saying "take me to the nearest [INSERT DESTINATION]", just say say "take me to the nearest [INSERT DESTINATION] via transit", and you're golden. Easy! [YouTube]

Homemade self-balancing unicycle uses an Arduino to keep upright

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/16/homemade-raptor-unicycle-uses-an-arduino-to-keep-upright/

On the whim of a coin flip, Nick Thatcher once decided between building a homemade Segway, or a self balancing unicycle. Even though the powers of fate chose the former, Thatcher's thirst to build wasn't quenched -- he built the one-wheeled scooter anyway. The Raptor looks a lot like a Ryno unicycle built from spare parts -- a chain driven wheelbarrow wheel powered by a 350w geared motor, a pair of batteries wired in series, some PVC and polycarbonate, an IMU gyro and an Arduino UNO -- all hobbled together to form a one-wheeled electric mount. Thatcher says the scooter can push 10mph safely, but faster speeds tend to outpace the gyro's corrective efforts. Still, the bike promises between 90-120 minutes of face-plant free fun, provided the rider is at least a little balanced. The motorized unicycle isn't for sale, but peek on over to Thatch Industries for a parts list, or scoot on past the break to see the bike in action.

Filed under: Misc

Via: Hackaday

Source: Thatch Industries

Oppo previews sample shots taken with Find 5's Sony-made Exmor RS sensor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/16/oppo-previews-find-5-13-megapixel-exmor-rs-sensor/

Sony pulled the plug on the original specs for its next-gen Exmor RS sensor, pushing a rollout for those modules into the new year. So while that move, made for quality control purposes, guarantees that a new batch of Xperias outfitted with the tech won't appear until 2013 at the earliest, imaging fanatics curious for a preview can get a sneak peek courtesy of Oppo. Baked into the Chinese manufacturer's newly announced Find 5 -- a quad-core S4 Pro Android Jelly Bean handset with a 5-inch 1080p display -- is the top shelf 13-megapixel version of Sony's sensor tech. Oppo's provided a few curated snapshots taken with the camera on its site and, as you'll see, the resulting images are rich with color and exhibit a fine level of detail. We'll reserve judgement until we can get our hands on a review unit for extensive testing. Until then, feast your eyes on the samples at the source below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Sony

Via: Xperia blog

Source: Oppo

Bloomberg: HTC backing away from plan to build a five-inch Windows Phone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/htc-windows-phone-screen-size/

We've been fans of super-sized live tiles ever since the OG Titan came around, but maybe we can't count on HTC to push things any further. According to Bloomberg's sources, the Taiwanese manufacturer has given up on a project to create a Windows Phone with a display larger than five inches. Instead, it'll focus all its big-screened efforts on Android, much as it's already doing with the Droid DNA (shown above) and Japanese Butterfly.

The reason? Well, that bit's unclear. Microsoft mobile OS doesn't currently play nice with 1080p, which puts a limit on the pixel density of any big device -- but then there's always the potential for software updates, and besides, the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II is hardly being held back by its 720 lines. Bloomberg does mention another, more plausible reason, which is that HTC simply believes the WP market is too weak to haul a juggernaut.

Filed under: Cellphones, HTC

Source: Bloomberg!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Google tests Flight Explorer tool, offers more visual and powerful ticket searches

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/google-flight-explorer/

Google may have updated its flight search tool for tablets just a couple of months back, but it's been a while since its desktop counterpart saw a refresh. Currently being tested under the call sign "Flight Explorer", the outfit has a new offering that provides a more customizable and visual interface to help root out a suitable plane ticket. While the filters are pretty much the same as the existing Google Flights search engine, there's a new slider to choose trip length, an upfront indication of the best available ticket price for the selected timeframe, along with handy graphs that show price over time, and which yield up specifics when you hover over them with your mouse pointer. There's every chance that these new additions will be merged into Google Flights once any crinkles have been ironed out, but in the meantime there's nothing to stop you using it at the link below. And hey, send us a postcard!

Filed under: Internet, Google

Via: WebProNe! ws, The Next Web

Source: Google Flight Explorer

Lava Xolo A800 reaches India, delivers big screen and dual SIMs on a budget

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/lava-xolo-a800-reaches-india-delivers-big-screen-and-dual-sims/

Most of us who know Lava's Xolo badge will associate it with one of the first Atom-based smartphones, the Xolo X900, but it's branching out to models that don't require an Intel Inside label. Its just-launched, India-oriented Xolo A800 is all about keeping the cost of a big-screened phone down through a low-cost ARM processor: the Android 4.0 smartphone combines a 1GHz, dual-core MediaTek MT6577 chip with a 4.5-inch, 960 x 540 IPS display that you won't often find in this device class. There's a few other surprises in store. While the dual 2G and 3G SIM slots aren't unusual given local market tastes, the A800 also stuffs in a very modern backside-illuminated 8-megapixel rear camera, a front VGA camera and a total of 12GB of storage out of the box. The grand total for Indians buying today is just 11,999 rupees ($220) off-contract -- a good deal that makes us hope Lava takes the A800 abroad.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Source: Infibeam

Free online tool creates images with adjustable depth of field from standard DSLR video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/dof-changeable-images-using-DSLR/

We've seen a couple of ways to change the depth of field (DOF) in pictures after they've been shot, but those methods have all featured specific hardware for the job. Knowing that most aren't inclined to fork over the notes for such luxuries, online auteurists The Choas Collective have released a free online tool for creating DOF-changeable images -- and all you need is a basic DSLR that shoots video. Instead of fancy in-camera tech that captures all the focal range data in one instance, their method requires you to shoot a short, steady video of the subject scene while you manually change the focus from one extreme to another. Upload the clip, and the Collective's neat tool cuts each frame into a 20 x 20 grid and works out what's in focus. The result is an embeddable image which allows you to play around with depth of field on the fly. We know you're probably eager to try this out right now, but before you go looking for your camera, head to the source link for full instructions and tips for shooting the clip. Alternatively, if you're sans DSLR, check out the example of a DOF-changeable image we've hidden below the fold.

Continue reading Free online tool creates images with adjustable depth of field from standard DSLR video

Filed under: Cameras, Internet, Software

Source: The Chaos Collective

Acer Iconia W700 review: a Core i5 Windows 8 slate that doesn't skimp on battery life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/acer-iconia-w700-review/

Until PC makers figure out what consumers want in their Windows 8 PCs, they'll be throwing different designs at the proverbial wall to see what sticks. One thing's for sure, though: laptop / tablet hybrids have already made it. So far, we've seen a mix of models, some with low-power Atom processors, and others with laptop-grade Core i5 CPUs inside. Basically, a choice between amazing horsepower and long battery life.

In Acer's lineup, specifically, we've already had a chance to play with the Iconia W510, an Atom-powered device with a keyboard dock. Now we're taking a look at the Iconia W700 ($800 and up), an 11-inch tablet that's essentially an Ultrabook with no keyboard attached. Based on that brief summary you'd think it had the same form factor as the smaller W510, but you'd be wrong. Whereas the W510 has a keyboard dock with a built-in battery, the W700 has a cradle with a modular kickstand you can use you to prop up the tablet in landscape or portrait mode. There's no battery inside the dock, and the keyboard is a standalone product; you'll have to pack it separately if you decide you need it on a trip. So is there any advantage to having a design with so many different pieces? And how does that Core i5 processor fare, anyway? Let's see.

Gallery: Acer Iconia W700 review

Continue reading Acer Iconia W700 review: a Core i5 Windows 8 slate that doesn't skimp on battery life

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Acer

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Facebook for Android 2.0 arrives with much faster load times, in-feed photo browsing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/13/facebook-for-android-2-0-arrives-with-much-faster-load-times/

Facebook users running Android have been clamoring for speed updates, and it looks like they'll at least get some of what they desire today. A version 2.0 revamp moves partly to native code and is purportedly twice as fast at loading the Timeline and photos, on top of simply being faster to start. The upgrade also lets us quickly flip through photos without having to shift attention away from the news feed. Google Play isn't yet carrying Facebook 2.0 as of this writing, but it's promised within hours -- check the source link at the right time and you may get a speed kick that many have been craving for months.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook

Via: Facebook (1), (2)

Source: Google Play

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