Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 4/19/09 - 4/26/09

Friday, April 24, 2009

Samsung 9000 Series LCD Rumored to Have Wireless Media Box, LEDs [Televisions]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dZA3ECmFmgE/samsung-9000-series-lcd-rumored-to-have-wireless-media-box-leds

A few details on the still unannounced 9000 Series LCDs from Samsung have leaked, and according to FlatPanelsHD, they'll come with a wireless media port box, in addition to having LED backlighting.

The 9000 series will come in 46 and 55-inch sizes, and will come equipped with MPEG4 compliant DVB-T and DVB-C tuners. The external media box is similar to the Sony ZX1, where it takes all your video inputs and wirelessly transmits them to your TV, reducing the size of the panel itself. As for the LED backlighting, local dimming is superior to edge lighting because you get better contrast, and therefore deeper blacks, from the picture. (LED backlit Samsung LCDs have had this for awhile.)

Other features the 9000 series is rumored to have DLNA compatibility, USB port and on-screen widgets via the Medi@2.0 platform. FlatPanelsHD expects the 9000 series to be available in summer/fall 2009. [FlatPanelsHD] (Samsung B8000 Series LCD pictured above)

HTC Touch Pro2 gets thoroughly handled overseas

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/htc-touch-pro2-gets-thoroughly-tinkered-with-overseas/

While we still don't have an official release date for HTC's Touch Pro2 here in the states, the folks at Russian site Mobile-Review have managed to get some extensive hands-on time with the unit. Props go to the quality of the voice calls and especially the QWERTY keyboard, noted via the machine translation as one of the most user-friendly in modern mobile devices. The same is not said here, however, for the plastic casing and steep pricing. They also don't really touch on TouchFlo 3D 2.0.XX -- that's apparently coming later in another article -- but hit up the read link for a plethora of pictures and a video of the updated UI in action.

[Via WMPoweruser]

Continue reading HTC Touch Pro2 gets thoroughly handled overseas

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Touch Pro2 gets thoroughly handled overseas originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Get Some Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Right Now [Ubuntu]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/j4jt359pJ6Y/get-some-ubuntu-904-jaunty-jackalope-right-now

The final version of Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope is here, meaning you can: Install it on your PS3 to play ROMs or say "Jaunty Jackalope" a lot or get blown (away). [Ubuntu via /.]

Pre-Order the Sharp Mebius NJ70A Netbook With LCD Multitouch Trackpad [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/klxMQ50Pn0g/pre+order-the-sharp-mebius-nj70a-netbook-with-lcd-multitouch-trackpad

The Sharp Mebius NJ70A Netbook definitely turns some heads with its touchscreen LCD trackpad. Interested parties can now pre-order the Mebius for $999 for a June 5th ship date. [Dynamism via Crunchgear]

ASUS EeeBox PC B208 with discrete graphics, HDMI-out in June?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/asus-eeebox-pc-b208-with-discrete-graphics-hdmi-out-in-june/

If we're to believe a pre-sales agent's response to a query about the availability of the EeeBox PC B208, then ASUS' little HD nettop with dual-core Atom 330 processor, ATI Radeon HD 4530 graphics, and HDMI-out should pop for retail in June -- for the UK anyway. A box that looks to be the ideal low-cost ($500ish), quiet (26dB), home theater PC riding your in-house 802.11n WiFi or gigabit Ethernet network. With Acer's Ion-powered AspireRevo hitting the UK in May, ASUS had better hope for a June launch at the latest.

[Thanks, Thomas C.]

ASUS EeeBox PC B208 with discrete graphics, HDMI-out in June? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New silicon film ferroelectric may pave the way for instant-on computers (or maybe not)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/new-silicon-film-ferroelectric-may-pave-way-for-instant-on-compu/

While the gang at Toshiba are still trying to bring FeRAM to the masses, a team of researchers at Cornell University have devised a new ferroelectric material composed of silicon and strontium titanate that they say can be used (someday!) to build "instant on" transistors. And you know what that means -- instant on computers for students, and instant on death rays for future robot armies. To coax the generally mild-mannered strontium titanate into acting "ferro-electrified" (not an actual scientific term), researchers grew it onto a silicon substrate using a process known as epitaxy. The material literally squeezed itself within the spaces of the silicon molecules, which gave it ferroelectric properties. As you may have guessed, this research was partially funded by the Office of Naval Research -- so the "death ray" remark may not be so off base, after all. We'll keep an eye out.

[Via Daily Tech]

Filed under: Storage, Science

New silicon film ferroelectric may pave the way for instant-on computers (or maybe not) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

OLPC graduate Pixel Qi announces 3Qi three-in-one screen will debut next month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/olpc-graduate-pixel-qi-announces-3qi-three-in-one-screen-will-de/

After spinning off from the OLPC project last year with that fancy dual-mode display technology in its pocket, Pixel Qi has been pretty much talk. Now there's more talk, but at least it comes with a timeline: next month. That's when Pixel Qi founder Mary Lou Jepsen believes the much-anticipated 10-inch 3Qi display should hit the scene, combining a low-power black and white mode, e-paper mode and high-resolution color LCD mode into one glorious, sunlight-readable (and hopefully outlandishly cheap) screen. They'll just be shipping samples initially, but should have the screen producing in volume sometime this summer. Mary Lou also has some big words on the future of displays, claiming that they're working on screens that act like a chip on the motherboard, saving power and improving visuals -- we're not sure what that entails, but it sounds pretty neat. She also says that "screens shouldn't be TVs," and that touch and multitouch are key. It doesn't sound like any of that is in the 3Qi, but hopefully it's all going to be ready to go for the Nick Neg crew by the time OLPC XO-2 (pictured) rolls around.

Filed under: Displays, Laptops

OLPC graduate Pixel Qi announces 3Qi three-in-one screen will debut next month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eizo's FlexScan EV2023W / EV2303W LCD monitors turn off when humans are away

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/eizos-flexscan-ev2023w-ev2303w-lcd-monitors-turn-off-when-hum/

Not that we haven't seen LCD monitors get less demanding when it comes to energy, but we've yet to see a company take eco-friendliness this far. Professional LCD maker Eizo has just announced a new pair of panels (the 20-inch FlexScan EV2023W-H and the 23-inch EV2303W-T) that boast a "human presence sensor." As the phrase implies, these displays are designed to shift to power saving mode when it realizes that its master has vacated the area, and when they return, it automatically flips back on in order to keep from being bashed by one of many USB-connected peripherals. Unfortunately, it seems the human detection timer can't be changed from 40 seconds, and no, there are no current plans to implement a robot presence sensor once the Apocalypse is realized.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

Filed under: Displays

Eizo's FlexScan EV2023W / EV2303W LCD monitors turn off when humans are away originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Philips shows off Lumiblade OLED lighting concepts

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/philips-shows-off-lumiblade-oled-lighting-concepts/

As promised, Philips has now taken the wraps off its first few Lumiblade OLED lighting concepts which, judging from Philips' boasting, could well change your life and ours. Now on display at the Euroluce International Lighting Fair in Milan, the concepts are divided into consumer and professional groups, the former of which includes ceiling-mounted products like the one pictured above, as well as some slightly more straightforward desk lamps like the one pictured after the break. What's more, each lighting device also boasts at least some degree of interactivity, including the ability to recognize hand gestures or, in the case of the professional lighting fixtures, react to passers-by. Interestingly, however, none of the products are actually full-on OLED lamps, with each also supplemented by some LUXEON Power LEDs to provide some more usable lighting.

Continue reading Philips shows off Lumiblade OLED lighting concepts

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Philips shows off Lumiblade OLED lighting concepts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

AMD Phenom II X4 955 and 945 benchmarked to high heaven

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/amd-phenom-ii-x4-955-and-945-benchmarked-to-high-heaven/

Just when you though you'd had your fill of insanely detailed benchmarks of processors you may or may not have ever heard of, AMD's new Phenom II X4 955 and 945 hit the scene to get those overclockers all in a tizzy. The top of the line is the 955 "Black Edition" at 3.2GHz, while the 945 plays with a petty 3GHz. And the verdict? They're clearly AMD's fastest so far, but that might not be fast enough. AMD offers great value, but only really matches Intel's Core 2 offerings on performance -- Core i7 is still out in front. There is the fact that Phenom II offers a nice upgrade path for certain people who already do the AMD thing and are looking to upgrade, along with "enthusiasts" who are "enthused" by easy-access overclocking, but overall it looks like AMD is still playing catch-up with Intel.

Read - HotHardware
Read - Neoseeker
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Tech Report
Read - TechSpot
Read - EXTREME Overclocking

Filed under: Desktops

AMD Phenom II X4 955 and 945 benchmarked to high heaven originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gantter Does Project Management in Your Browser [Project Management]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/9BVEmQYI77U/gantter-does-project-management-in-your-browser

Web-based project management tool Gantter has an interface that looks remarkably similar to Microsoft Project—and even lets you import and export your Project files.

Using the application is fairly simple—just start adding tasks and resources just like you would on the desktop version of Microsoft Project. Once you've finished, you can download the project as an XML file, which can then be imported back into Project. You can import projects, open saved files, and use the wide array of keyboard shortcuts all from a web-based interface that works anywhere and requires no account to use—making this worth a look for anybody dealing with project plans and TPS reports.

Gantter is free to use, available in your web browser. For more, read about project management in a nutshell, check out free hosted project management with Clocking IT, or replace Microsoft Project with the open-source OpenProj. Thanks, Climbup!

The Accidental Typography of Google Maps [Google Maps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nnqlZBIkYg4/the-accidental-typography-of-google-maps

Google Maps is many things: It's a rabble-rouser; a penis repository; a rare physics phenomenon; not to mention a library of deer carnage and terrifying Americana. Now, with this guy's help, it's also a type foundry.

Mr Dashwood spent months gathering all the letters of the alphabet, accumulating a collection that ranges from passable to perfect. These letters were spotted in Victoria, Australia, but the concept would work anywhere—if its citizens have the time and dedication to find it, then any country, state or city can have its own regional Google Maps font. [RhettDashwood via TodayandTomorrow]

Nokia 6216 Classic packs NFC for contactless payments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/nokia-6216-classic-packs-nfc-for-contactless-payments/

It's 2009 and we're still waiting for the Near Field Communication revolution. However, due to tough economic times and a lack of consumer devices, planned commercial NFC rollouts will likely be pushed into 2010. Still, we can add one more device to the NFC tally -- the Nokia 6216 Classic. The 6216 is Nokia's first handset with an embedded NFC chipset that communicates with NFC applications stored on the SIM. That little trick keeps the carriers happy while allowing consumers to keep their credit card info and contact-less ticketing and payment applications on the SIM for easy mobility between NFC devices. A good thing too, since this middling 3G candy bar with camera, FM radio, and microSD slot will be of limited appeal to most.

Read -- Nokia 6216 Classic
Read -- Economy, standards stand in the way of NFC

Filed under: Handhelds

Nokia 6216 Classic packs NFC for contactless payments originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Toshiba Mini NB200 Netbook Includes Fat, 9-Cell Battery [NetBooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OF9PD_d6bb0/toshiba-mini-nb200-netbook-includes-fat-9+cell-battery

While most netbooks are settling for 3 and 6-cell batteries, the Toshiba Mini NB200 will be bundled with a 9-cell battery for a promised 9 hours of run time.

Just announced for the UK, the Mini NB200 is completely typical aside from its battery, with an Atom N270 or N280 processor, 160GB hard drive and unspecified (but probably 1GB) of RAM.

Yet in spite of its fatty power source, the NB200 still weighs under 2.5lbs—which is either an extreme feat of engineering or the result of an overzealous press release. We'll hope for the former.

The NB200 will be out in the UK in May, starting in the mid-$400s. [T3 via Ubergizmo]

ASUS gets official with business-minded P30A laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/asus-gets-official-with-business-minded-p30a-laptop/

We already knew that ASUS's P30 laptop (or P30A, as it's now apparently known) would come equipped with Intel's latest and greatest anti-theft technology, but ASUS has only just now gotten fully official with the laptop itself, and dished out all the rest of the specs that at least some folks have no doubt been waiting for. This being a full-on ultraportable, you won't exactly get a ton of power, but you can expect a snazzy LED-backlit 13.3-inch display (1366x768 resolution), along with a low-voltage 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of RAM, your choice of 250GB or 320GB hard drives (in either 5,400 or 7,200 rpm variations), a DVD drive, HDMI out, a 4-cell battery, and even some built-in 3G -- all in a package that weighs in at just over three pounds. Still no official word on a price, but it looks like you should be able to pick one up any day now -- or you could just wait for a similarly thin-and-light and slightly more stylish Acer Timeline, your choice.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS gets official with business-minded P30A laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Western Digital finally releases the 1TB My DVR Expander, TiVo owners rejoice

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/western-digital-finally-releases-the-1tb-my-dvr-expander-tivo-o/

Finally! We've been waiting for Western Digital to put out the 1TB My DVR Expander for so long we almost thought that Amazon listing a couple weeks ago was a mistake. The external eSATA drive allows any number of HD DVRs to record an extra 120 hours of HD content, but the real noise is that it's certified to work with the TiVo HD and TiVo XL, which have locked-down eSATA ports that prevent you from using just any drive. (The original Series3 doesn't have this restriction.) Stupid, we know, but at $199 list and $167 at Amazon, the markup on this thing doesn't seem overly ridiculous, so we won't complain too loudly. Just ship 'em already, okay?

Filed under: Storage

Western Digital finally releases the 1TB My DVR Expander, TiVo owners rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Seagate rolls out low-power Barracuda LP hard drives

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/seagate-rolls-out-low-power-barracuda-lp-hard-drives/

Seagate's Barracuda drives have been plagued with a few problems as of late, but it looks like the company is doing its best to push the line in a fresh new direction with its just-announced Barracuda LP series, which promise to cut down on power consumption without making too many compromises in performance. Specifically, Seagate says that the drives will use up to 50% less electricity than standard hard drives, while also cranking out 5,900 RPM, along with an average latency of 5.5ms, and a 32MB cache. No word on what so of premium, if any, they'll demand, but you'll apparently be able to get 'em in 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB varieties (all 3.5-inch) right out of the gate.

Filed under: Storage

Seagate rolls out low-power Barracuda LP hard drives originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google News Timeline is a Slick Headline Skimmer [News]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/m4l2JWALYeE/google-news-timeline-is-a-slick-headline-skimmer

Want to track a topic across the web's news sources from the last few years, the last few months, or since yesterday morning? A new Google Labs tool provides an easy-to-navigate headline timeline.

It's an intriguing experiment, though not a complete one by any means. Head over to the timeline site, type in a topic and a time frame, and you get a column-by-column breakdown of certain Google News sources' headlines on the topic. The Timeline can also pull from specific news sources and, in a clever move, dated Wikipedia entries, so you could browse the month-by-month happenings of 1897, if that's how your lunch break goes.

Many major news sources aren't included yet, and the default Time Magazine covers seem a little unncessary—as much as we like to see Kate Winslet in the morning, she has little to do with Google's Android phone. Still, it's an interesting and perhaps mind-orienting view of the news. What kind of timeline tools would you like to have on hand when you're doing research?

Google News Blog: Introducing Google News Timeline [Official Google News Blog]

Know How to Spot an ATM Skimmer [Security]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/M1cuci45hpg/know-how-to-spot-an-atm-skimmer

If you've seen warnings lately about ATM "skimmers"—data-reading devices added onto machines by thieves—you might be wondering how you could tell if one's been rigged up to where you're about to insert your card. The Consumerist blog hosts a PDF copy of a PowerPoint explainer from an Australian security firm (that still applies to U.S. machines). It might not cover what your specific bank's teller machines should look like, but it does point to warning signs to look out for—like the flashing lights on a card feeder being obscured. [Consumerist]

Recipe Puppy Chooses Meals Based on the Ingredients You Have [Recipes]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/uRP7NVqUiio/recipe-puppy-chooses-meals-based-on-the-ingredients-you-have

Recipe search engine Recipe Puppy finds meals by a list of ingredients or keywords, searching through more than 500,000 recipes across dozens of web sites.

Once you've searched using the list of ingredients you want to use, Recipe Puppy will suggest other similar ingredients that you might want to add to your search, a very nice feature to help pick an interesting meal. Since the search engine is powered by Google APIs, you can use some regular search operators to help—for instance, you can add a "-" in front of an ingredient you don't want to see. The popular web site AllRecipes provides a similar find-by-what-you-have feature, but Recipe Puppy's ability to search many sites at once makes it worth a look for anybody trying to figure out what to make for dinner.

Recipe Puppy is a free website, works anywhere. For more, check out how to find recipes to satisfy your cravings, or make the most of what's in your pantry with RecipeMatcher. Thanks, Kris!

SiteShoter Takes Web Site Screenshots Over Time [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/3YPIo98ukR4/siteshoter-takes-web-site-screenshots-over-time

Windows only: Portable freeware application SiteShoter takes screenshots of web sites with a powerful array of features.

Using the utility, which (like all of the excelllent NirSoft applications) requires no installation, is easy—just add the URL to the web site you want to capture, choose a filename to save the image to, and click Start to save the screenshot. What makes this utility great is the wide range of powerful options, including a full-featured command line—you can place special formatting codes in the filename to specify a timestamp or add the URL to the filename, which becomes very useful if you wanted to save screenshots for multiple sites at once.

You can choose how often you want the screenshots to be taken—the default is every 5 minutes, but you could take a screenshot every few hours instead. Rounding out the great feature list is the ability to save your configurations for later re-use—you could use the GUI to save the options and create a command-line shortcut to run that configuration on demand.

SiteShoter is a free download for Windows only. For more great utilities, check out how to customize your right-click menu with ShellExView, or just look through our top 10 tiny & awesome Windows utilities.

SiteShoter [NirSoft via gHacks]

Google Profiles Give You Control Over What Google Says About You [Online Identity]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/5nxVwjOr0gQ/google-profiles-give-you-control-over-what-google-says-about-you

We've always preached about the importance of having a say in what Google says about you, but today Google's making it easier by integrating your Google profile directly in search results.

Last week we pointed out that the new Google Profile page comes complete with a custom URLs designed to make it easy for people to find your profile. Apparently that was a first step in bringing more prominence to your Google profile; as of today, those profile pages will start appearing on the first page of Google search results.

The explanation we got when we talked to the folks at Google: Google has always been about information. In this case, searching for a person in Google has always been a bit of a black hole—particularly when you have a common name or share a name with someone famous enough to dominate page after page of results. The new profile integration will fix these problems and make it easier to find someone via Google—or at least that's the idea.

When we asked the obvious question—whether this was Google's first serious step toward competing with Facebook—we were told that it is not (not that they would have laid out their plans either way). As is, though, Google profile pages certainly don't tread too much into the social networking realm. What they do is create a personal homepage from which you can link to all of your important information—like your blog, your nameplate site, your Flickr account, or anything else online that represents you.

If you want to search Google profiles specifically, just point your browser to Google Profiles Search and plug in the name of the person you're looking for. One additional feature for Google profiles: If you were to simply Google "me", you'll get instructions on how to create and build out your own profile. (It's sort of like how "me" always denotes your email in Gmail.)

Search for "me" on Google [Official Google Blog]

LinkScanner Flags Dangerous Search Results [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/GB4wh1KshBw/linkscanner-flags-dangerous-search-results

Windows only: AVG LinkScanner is a free browser plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer that automatically scans your search results and flags links pointing to potentially dangerous content.

Just download and install the plug-in, and from then on LinkScanner will automatically scan search results from both Google and Yahoo in either popular browser. If all's clear, LinkScanner will display a green checkmark next to the result; if not, you'll see a red 'x', indicating a threat. Hovering your mouse over the flag displays more information about the threat. (Two more icons with exclamation points indicate caution, but we never saw these while using it.) LinkScanner is a free download, Windows only.

AVG LinkScanner [via CNET]

Fling Automates Remote Backup and Network Transfers [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/IbhlXIGZfVQ/fling-automates-remote-backup-and-network-transfers

Windows only: If you need to automate local and remote backups, sync folders, or update remote files or websites automatically, Fling is a free and effective solution for those tasks and more.

Fling is an FTP designed to make remote backup and folder synchronization painless. Not only can you use Fling to monitor a local directory and sync it to a remote FTP site or remote folder on your network you can also manage and sync local files on hard drives and removable media. Fling integrates with Windows, you can easily send files to remote and local locations using the right click menu. You can set up Fling automatically update and sync files or restrict it to certain times or only when the transfer is manually started. Fling supports secure FTP via SSL and can be run as a service to ensure it's running even when you're not logged in. For other great file syncing solutions, make sure to check out the Hive Five: Best File Syncing Tools. Fling is freeware, Windows only.

Fling [via Freeware Home]

CometDocs Converts Between More than 50 File Types [Conversion]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/VsFmB7LG_e0/cometdocs-converts-between-more-than-50-file-types

We know of one or two sites (or many more, actually) that provide file conversions between PDFs, Word documents, and a few other files. CometDocs takes the all-in-one approach, supporting more than 50 file types.

That's a pretty catchy selling point in itself—you can convert PDFs to Excel files, huge TIFF images to PDF, icon files into images, and the site even does a little OCR work on certain image-to-text conversions, and the results were comparable with PDF to Word Converter. But the simple-to-use site also can take almost any file type that's lost an extension and tell you what kind it is, as well as compare two different text or document files and return the text lines where they're different. It can pull the ID3 tags off an MP3, convert an HTML file into an RSS feed, and, well, hit the "FAQ" tab below to see what else it can do.

The site's disclaimer says it will never rent or sell your email address. Signing up with an email and password gives you a "Premium Account," though it's not really spelled out what that offers over CometDocs' free conversions. Thanks Martha!

PBS Combines Video Offerings in One Pretty Package [Streaming Television]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/qEtyBtnWMiY/pbs-combines-video-offerings-in-one-pretty-package

PBS has consolidated all of its programs offering streaming video into one slick, probably Hulu-inspired portal, letting anyone search, browse by show or topic, and flip through episodes as with a deck of cards.

You'll find many years worth of PBS archives from shows like Frontline, Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Julia Child's inspired cooking work, and many more. That isn't everything, and some programs, like Ken Burns' The National Parks, will limit viewing within a time frame around the PBS airing. But it's still a nice addition to the list of TV providers wising up to the ways of web video. You'll see commercials and banner ads around the site, but they're of the same "sponsored by" variety you've come to expect from public radio and television.

PBS Video [via Bits/New York Times]

Amazon HD Video On Demand Offically on TiVo [TiVo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IVBd_C1fApA/amazon-hd-video-on-demand-offically-on-tivo

We knew TiVo was beta testing Amazon HD VOD,so it's not a huge surprise it's actually official today. TV shows and Movies will be available in HD with most videos supporting 5.1 surround sound.

Starting today TiVo lovers can expect to see Amazon HD availability on their Series 3 / TiVo HD boxes. HD content is priced about the same as normal SD downloads with HD TV shows starting at $3 and newly released HD movies at $4-$5. There's no details yet as to the quality of the picture or download speeds, but from the beta testing HD downloads are supposedly "outstanding" and handle surround sound very well.

With Amazon HD VOD, Netflix streaming HD, and the recently announced Blockbuster OnDemand, TiVo is slowly working to make paid internet content available on your TV. This is all great news but what about some Hulu love? Please TiVo, we beg of you...

THE FUTURE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR: HIGH DEFINITION DOWNLOADS FROM AMAZON VIDEO ON DEMAND COMING TO A TIVO DVR NEAR YOU
ALVISO, Calif. – April 21, 2009 - TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in televi! sion ser vices for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced the availability of HD movies and television shows for download from Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) directly to their television set. Starting today, broadband connected subscribers with a Series3™, TiVo HD, or TiVo HD XL will have access to high quality HD downloads available from Amazon Video On Demand.

Movie and television lovers from coast to coast can browse through hundreds of selections, all without having to leave their living room and at the fraction of the cost of purchasing a Blu-ray disc. High definition episodes of current TV seasons will be available for purchase at $2.99 and top new release HD movies will be available for rental from $3.99 - $4.99. The experience is made even better with the vast majority of titles providing Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, offering a full surround sound experience.

"Consumers are seeking affordable entertainment alternatives to an expensive trip to the movies. With HD downloads for movies and TV shows, TiVo and Amazon can transform any night into a memorable movie experience, all for a fraction of the cost of the theater," said Tara Maitra, general manager and vice president of content services and advertising sales at TiVo Inc. "Our customers now have access to a new world of ultra high quality HD television and movie choices available when the DVDs are released, something no other DVR, cable, or satellite company can match."

TiVo Search, which is optimized for HDTVs with a wide screen display, will include HD results from Amazon along with broadcast and cable programs when a user performs a search.

"TiVo is enabling customers to access our unparalleled library of hit movies and TV shows, bringing them directly into the home where friends and family can watch from the comfort of the couch," said Bill Carr, Amazon vice president music and video. "Together with TiVo, Am! azon Vid eo On Demand is excited to offer HD and increase the selection, quality, and convenience for the TiVo community."

To activate their broadband-connected TiVo DVR, subscribers can log onto Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/videoondemand/tv. After a one-time registration, they can use the remote to search and browse the Amazon selections right from the TV screen, then download the selection directly to the TiVo DVR. To receive more information on how to download HD content from Amazon via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/amazon.

A $500 PC That Rocks Out Crysis [PC]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/eQwNQ-Q4Mqk/a-500-pc-that-rocks-out-crysis

Okay, for $699, you might not be able to buy the best laptop in the world. But for $500, you can build a PC that plays Crysis at a solid 40 frames per second.

Except for the RAM, I'm actually fairly impressed with the components Maximum PC picked out: an ATI Radeon HD 4870 at $175, $71 Intel Pentium E5200 2.5GHz Wolfdale, $90 MSI Neo3-F LGA 775 motherboard, $21 2GB DDR2-800 RAM (with a rebate, you can go up to 4GB of RAM for $7 more, which I'd recommend), $25 optical drive and $50 320GB hard drive (for $10 more, you can go up to 500GB). Finally, for the case and power supply, a Rosewill TU-155 II 500 Black, which is a good pick since Rosewill makes decent power supplies (I also like Seasonic, which is what I rock in my PC) and it's only $75 for the whole package. After rebates, that's just $479, although that doesn't include Photoshop or Geek Squad ! visits.

A good 22-inch monitor can be had for $150 easy, and obviously a keyboard and mouse can be found for under $10 a pop if you really wanna scrimp. For the OS, Windows 7 beta is freeeee. Or you can find a copy of XP lying around somewhere, I'm sure.

Depending on the resolution you wanna roll with, at 1280x1024, Maximum PC got an average framerate of 44.42FPS, and at 1900x1200, a still respectable 36.22FPS.

If you've never ever built a computer before, check out Lifehacker's first-timer's guide to building your own PC. It's a pretty excellent Saturday activity. And obviously a PC can do way more than play Crysis. [Maximum PC]

EagleTec Nano 4/8GB Flash Drive is Pri-Tay, Pri-Tay Small [Flash Drives]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qfXUHMlYWHI/eagletec-nano-48gb-flash-drive-is-pri+tay-pri+tay-small

I used to want a Super Talent Pico flash drive, but now I want an EagleTec Nano. Even though they take a few steps back on the metric naming scale, this thing is small.

Now that every press release anyone gets handed comes on a USB flash drive, I've found it hard to actually purchase one. But an unobtrusive 8GB on my keychain for $33 ($22 for the 4GB) is appealing. At least it looks like I can use it with my MacBook and still have room for something in the other USB slot. [Brando]

MSI's CULV-packin' X-Slim X340 ships this month in US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/msis-culv-packin-x-slim-x340-ships-this-month-in-us/

MSI already told us that its ultraslim, super-sexy, WiMAX-ready X-Slim X340 would be starting at right around $1,000, and now we're being told that the planet's first laptop to be based on Intel's CULV (consumer ultra low voltage) platform will be shipping in April. As in, this month. For the forgetful souls in the crowd, this here ultraportable will ship with an SU3500 CULV processor that consumes just 5.5 watts of power and a 4-cell battery. Now, to find a retailer 'round these parts willing to let you pre-order one...

Filed under: Laptops

MSI's CULV-packin' X-Slim X340 ships this month in US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/bluetooth-3-0-hs-gets-official-adds-speed-with-802-11/

The rumors were true, and today's the day that the Bluetooth SIG gets official with the latest, greatest version of Bluetooth. Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, as it'll be called, promises to be markedly faster than prior iterations thanks to the reliance on 802.11, which is the same protocol used by WiFi modules, routers, etc. The new standard obviously catapults Bluetooth into a new dimension; rather than being good for nothing more than sending images from one phone to another or syncing a fitness module to a DAP, v3.0 is nimble enough to handle camcorder-to-HDTV, PC-to-PMP and UMPC-to-printer transfers. In fact, the inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data transfers "at the approximate rate of 24Mbps." We had sit-downs with Mike Foley (executive director of the Bluetooth SIG) and Atheros CTO Bill McFarland in order to find out a few more details about plans for the protocol -- if you're eager to hear what they had to say, not to mention see a demonstration of BT 3.0 at work, follow us past the break.

Continue reading Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11

Filed under: Wireless

Bluetooth 3.0 + HS gets official, adds speed with 802.11 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Skytone debuts ARM-based, Android-powered netbook / tablet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/skytone-debuts-arm-based-android-powered-netbook-tablet/

Well, after months of nothing but hacks and proof of concepts, we now have not one but two Android-powered netbooks -- neither of which are actually available just yet, of course. This latest one comes from Chinese firm Skytone and, unlike the I-Buddie, boasts a slightly more unique convertible tablet design, which the company was apparently able to make happen by cutting corners in every other area. That includes a slightly underwhelming 533MHz ARM processor, a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a mere 128MB of RAM, 1GB of storage, an SD card slot for expansion, and even optional 3G (although that could just be a dongle). What's more, it looks like Skytone is saying that the netbook, dubbed the Alpha-680, could sell for as little as $100 if and when it's actually released -- which, as far as we can tell, could happen next week or never.

[Via The Inquirer]

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Skytone debuts ARM-based, Android-powered netbook / tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sprint debuts 2-in-1 AirCard 402 mobile broadband card

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/sprint-debuts-2-in-1-aircard-402-mobile-broadband-card/

It's not exactly for everybody, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Sprint's new Sierra Wireless AirCard 402 mobile broadband card -- first spotted last month -- will make at least a few multiple laptop owners out there very, very happy. As you can see above, this one can function happily as an ExpressCard one moment and a PC Card the next, with each providing the same dual-band CDMA connectivity and support for EV-DO 1xRTT, Rev. 0, and Rev. A, along with all the other standard features and software you'd expect from a mobile broadband card. Perhaps the best news, however, is the price, which at $99.99 (after $180 instant savings and a $50 mail-in rebate), is pretty much in line with Sprint's other plan old ExpressCard options.

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Sprint debuts 2-in-1 AirCard 402 mobile broadband card originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ito Electronics shows off waterproof OLED displays

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/ito-electronics-shows-off-waterproof-oled-displays/

Details are about as light as can be on this one, but it looks like Japan's Ito Electronics has developed some sort of special "packaging technology" that can make OLED displays fully waterproof, which could be particularly used for watches, cellphones, or that fish tank home theater you've always dreamed of. Of course, there's no word on any actual products just yet, nor is there any indication of possible transparent waterproof displays -- or, at least, none that anyone has seen.

[Via OLED-Info.com]

Filed under: Displays

Ito Electronics shows off waterproof OLED displays originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boast widgets, wireless external media box

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/21/samsungs-46-and-55-inch-b9000-hdtvs-boasts-widgets-wireless-ex/

With no picture to show for it, unfortunately (that's the 8 series, pictured), Samsung's gone ahead and announced the 46-inch and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs, which looks to be a follow-up to the A950 models from last year. According to flatpanelshd, the latest addition to the Touch of Color series include LED backlights with localized dimming, Medi@2.0 with YouTube / Yahoo! widgets, built-in USB port, DLNA functionality, built-in DVB-T and DVB-C tuners, and most interesting, a wireless connection to an external media box that's reportedly similar to Sony's ZX1 -- no word on whether or not that means it's using WHDI. As for the other details, including pricing and availability, you're gonna have to keep waiting, we're afraid.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boast widgets, wireless external media box originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

LG's 240Hz LH90 LED TV series priced, global release dates still a mystery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/lgs-240hz-lh90-led-tv-series-priced-global-release-dates-still/

LG's finally put a price on its TruMotion 240Hz LH90 series displays. Available in 42, 47, and 55-inch sizes, the LED TVs boast a whopping 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, THX support, and the ability to play DivX files via USB. If you need to start budgeting early, expect to pay somewhere around ₩3,300,000 (US $2,445) to ₩ 6,400,000 (US $4,742), depending on the model. We know it's destined for an international release, but other than that, unfortunately mum's the word when that date might be.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

LG's 240Hz LH90 LED TV series priced, global release dates still a mystery originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Texas Memory Systems goes Texas, hobbles together RamSan-620 5TB SSD "drive"

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/texas-memory-systems-goes-texas-hobbles-together-ramsan-620-5tb/

Way to play to your stereotypes, Texas. Texas Memory Systems just announced what it claims is the largest SLC SSD on the market, with 5TB of single level cell (the good kind) flash memory spread across a 2U rack shelf. The drive can handle 250,000 sustained I/Os per second, churn through 3GB of data a second, and has 80 microsecond write latency. Texas Memory Systems claims that for similar performance from a HDD setup you'd need half a million dollars and consume 20x the power. TMS calls the system "affordable for mainstream IT shops" but hasn't mentioned a price or release date just yet. We'll take two.

[Via Channel Register]

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Texas Memory Systems goes Texas, hobbles together RamSan-620 5TB SSD "drive" originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

OCZ's Neutrino netbook reviewed, deemed totally handy and easy to use

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/22/oczs-neutrino-netbook-reviewed-deemed-totally-handy-and-easy-t/

OCZ's Neutrino netbook looks much like any other 10.1-incher, but this DIY affair comes with no OS, hard drive, RAM or multicard reader, leaving the users to decide for themselves how to outift it. The folks over at ExtremeTech are kind of unhappy about that point -- they'd like to see it be more customizable than it is for the truly nerdy, but they're still pretty happy with what OCZ's got to offer. They did a test run, installing a 60GB SSD, one 2GB SODIMM and WindowsXP onto the machine, all which went off without a hitch. They didn't try to use the Neutrino for gaming or anything, but it apparently handled everything else quite snappily, and overall, they seem to think that for $269 plus some parts and labor, you can't really go wrong.

Filed under: Laptops

OCZ's Neutrino netbook reviewed, deemed totally handy and easy to use originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

everyone get on the bus (at the same time) -- Coke Taps YouTube, Facebook; Mitsubishi Taps Facebook; Pizza Hut 'Twintern' to Tweet

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cyber-Spies Hack Into Ultra-Sensitive Pentagon Fighter Jet Project [Espionage]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gFVAKoKb6Bs/cyber+spies-hack-into-ultra+sensitive-pentagon-fighter-jet-project

Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project and made off with several terabytes of code. The Pentagon, and consequently the Wall Street Journal, suspects Chinese involvement.

The Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35 Lightning II Fighter, is the most costly project in Pentagon history, so it's a little bit problematic that some spies scampered in and nicked an unknown, but undoubtedly large, quantity of data without getting anywhere near caught. The cyber-spies encrypted the data on its way out, so nobody's really sure where they came from or where the data went, but some IP addresses have been tracked to China, prompting a little bit of back-and-forth between the DoD and the Chinese government.

A Pentagon report issued last month said that the Chinese military has made "steady progress" in developing online-warfare techniques. China hopes its computer skills can help it compensate for an underdeveloped military, the report said.

The Chinese Embassy said in a statement that China "opposes and forbids all forms of cyber crimes." It called the Pentagon's report "a product of the Cold War mentality" and said the allegations of cyber espionage are "intentionally fabricated to fan up China threat sensations."

Though the most valuable information, including data on the F-35's flight control and sensors, is inaccessible (stored on non-networked computers), nobody's really sure exactly what happened, and nobody, from the manufacturers to the researchers to the Pentagon's press team, wants to talk about it. It's a pretty ala! rming re ad, check it out. Wall Street Journal, image also via WSJ

Presented By:

Waking the Baby Mammoth: Sunday at 9p

On the frozen plains of the Siberian tundra, a reindeer herder chances upon a 40,000 year old baby mammoth – the most perfectly preserved mammoth ever found. On Sunday, witness the mammoth's unveiling to the world, as scientists reveal her incredible story. Click to meet the Baby Mammoth now >> natgeotv.com/mammoth

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)