Friday, June 05, 2009

RT @bmorrissey - Digg plans social ads -- http://ping.fm/tGV8X -- in-the-stream ads, will they provoke or please?

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A search engine with an answer to "the meaning of life" and a personality too -- http://ping.fm/ZjeWT -- too awesome/funny

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Inside the $485-Million Airbus A380 Flying Palace [Airplanes]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/71amvzI4BhA/inside-the-485+million-airbus-a380-flying-palace

What's 239 feet long, flies at 647mph, and has three floors that include a grand staircase, four giant full suites, boardroom with hologram projector, a full spa, concert hall, car garage, and a space-age lift that drops onto the runway?

Apparently, it may be Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud's new specially retro-fitted A380. As you may remember, the arabian Prince shone his genie lamp and bought an Airbus A380—the biggest passenger plane in the world—for his personal use.

British company Design Q is now making the plans for its interior, three floors with every luxurious detail you can imagine, including a lift that goes all the way down to the runway's tarmac and extends a red carpet so guests can get into the flying palace. I can already imagine a stunning hostess saying "Welcome, Mr Bond."

In addition to all of the above, the full marble Turkish bath in the spa, and twenty first class seats/beds for the extra guests, the plane will be full of high tech gadgets. The boardroom, for example, will have a hologram projector and a giant touchscreen perspex table, while each suite will include a virtual prayer mat proyector, always pointing in Mecca's direction.

Whoever bought it, I hope he invites us for a trip. And with "us" I mean "me." I can sleep on the couch, Mr Prince Sir you. [Daily Mail]




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Thursday, June 04, 2009

Five new Moorestown-based MIDs announced at Computex

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/five-new-moorestown-based-mids-announced-at-computex/


Pardon us while we take this opportunity to snag a nap, but seriously, we just cannot muster any excitement whatsoever about Mobile Internet Devices. Stuck somewhere between capable smartphones and these newfangled smartbooks, MIDs seem to be carving out a niche that precisely no one cares about. Though, we can say we're stoked about the forthcoming introduction of Moorestown -- the Atom needs a successor in the worst way. At any rate, those still hanging on in hopes of a turnaround have introduced new MIDs today at Computex, with EB, Quanta, Inventec, Aava Mobile and Compal (despite its recent skepticism) showcasing their wares. If you honestly think you could see yourself purchasing one of these unwanted devices in the next year or so, we've got plenty of images down there in the read link.

[Via MIDMoves]

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Five new Moorestown-based MIDs announced at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Compal shows off Android-running, Snapdragon-powered smartbook

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/compal-shows-off-android-running-snapdragon-powered-smartbook/


As if it wasn't clear already, smartbooks are one of the big trends (if not the biggest) to emerge out of this year's Computex, be they Snapdragon or Tegra-powered. Just as interesting as the devices themselves, however, is the fact that a number of manufacturers are looking at using Android as an OS for 'em, including big players like ASUS, and now Compal. While's ASUS' Snapdragon-based offering was impressive enough, Compal looks to have slightly outdone it by adding a customized interface at start-up, which is apparently just a taste of further "optimizations" to come. Details are otherwise a bit hard to come by, but you can head on past the break for a hands-on video courtesy of techvideoblog.com.

Continue reading Compal shows off Android-running, Snapdragon-powered smartbook

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Compal shows off Android-running, Snapdragon-powered smartbook originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: hands-on with ASUS' Eee Keyboard at Computex

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/video-hands-on-with-asus-eee-keyboard-at-computex/

We first caught sight of ASUS' totally weird Eee Keyboard -- a full PC with an Intel Atom N270 CPU built in -- way back at CES in January. Well, our friends at Engadget Chinese have laid hands on it at Computex, and it's looking a bit different than what we expected... and a whole lot more awesome. The 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen display/trackpad on the right side of the keyboard, is, as it turns out, running a standalone version of XP, and serves as the main display for the PC, with the external monitor functioning in a secondary capacity. The LCD boasts shortcuts to most of the included software -- including Skype, MSN, and music playback controls. Our friends found the touchscreen to work extremely well, and though we don't know anything rock solid about pricing or availability yet (we hear it will launch by the end of June, we do know that it will come in two flavors -- wired and and UWB wireless -- with the wireless version housing a battery which gets about two hours of use before needing a charge. There's a video (in Chinese) showing this badboy off after the break. Hit the read link for a full gallery of photos.

Continue reading Video: hands-on with ASUS' Eee Keyboard at Computex

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Video: hands-on with ASUS' Eee Keyboard at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:54:00 EST. Please see ! our terms for use of feeds.

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Pharos Traveller 137 now available, can use both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/pharos-traveller-137-now-available-can-use-both-atandt-and-t-mobi/


We're not sure what kind of wilded-out party people need a single phone that can use both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G in the States, but your dreams have finally come true: the Pharos Traveller 137 is finally available. Hope you like Windows Mobile 6.1, cause that's what you're getting for your $350 on two-year T-Mo contract or $600 unlocked. Expensive, yes, but you're basically getting every feature you can think of and Pharos says the 137 is WinMo 6.5-ready, so there's an upgrade path here -- too bad no firmware will ever make that resistive touchscreen feel good.

[Via PhoneScoop]

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Pharos Traveller 137 now available, can use both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Patent Describes Mid-Call Music, Video, Picture Sharing for iPhone [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/87VamwAWARg/apple-patent-describes-mid+call-music-video-picture-sharing-for-iphone

Apple Insider has scrounged up an Apple patent, filed in late 2007, that just, you know, immediately clicks. It's for instant media sharing during iPhone calls, and it makes plain old video calling look downright boring.

The application explains it thusly:

An individual may call his friend to discuss music, but in order for the friend to listen to the music, the individual either may have to send the music to the friend using a device other than his telephone, or he may have to end the phone call and use the telephone to send the friend an email with the music attached.

This capability extends to pretty much anything, from photos and videos to voicemail and "others", and implies that the data could be streamed in real time, not just transferred and downloaded.

Carrier reluctance and technical network limitations are the most obvious obstacles to something like this actually coming to pass in the near future, though the patent has a clever solution for the latter problem:

There may also be two audio data streams to transmit. In order to transmit all of the streams over the same communication path, the control circuitry may employ a multiplexer to combine together any video streams, and to combine together any audio streams, the multiplexer may then combine into one fixed stream the two combined streams.

In other words, this is more than an airy-fairy "wouldn't it be cool" concept—Apple seems to have given it some s! erious t hought, and a bit of real engineering attention. And the more the better: this is one of those concepts that, once you see it, just seems like it needs to happen. [AppleInsider]




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Video: NVIDIA Tegra's GPU gets busy with HD video and full-screen Flash -- Intel 945GSE shrugs, kicks dirt

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/video-nvidia-tegras-gpu-gets-busy-with-hd-video-and-full-scree/

If you didn't believe the Tegra hype -- 25 days audio, 10 hours of 1080p video on single charge -- already then pull up a stool, son, NVIDIA wants to tell your a story. TechVideoBlog sat down with Gordon Grigor, NVIDIA's Director of Mobile Software to see Tegra's little Atom smasher in action. So sit back while Gordon smoothly streams a 720p MSN HD trailer off the web (over WiFi) then switches over to Firefox to take Flash for a spin at full-screen. Gordon also clarifies earlier confusion over Tegra's ability to handle HD video; see, the Tegra 600 can do H.264 video at 720p while the Tegra 650 can decode 1080p. Gordon also gives some more insight into memory configurations. It seems that the OS (either Android or Windows CE in single or dual-boot configurations) will be embedded with minimal on-board storage like those early Eee PCs. RAM will also be limited to about 512MB on base units going as low as 256MB and as high as 1GB in future (unannounced) devices. A 512MB model limits Firefox to about 3-4 opened tabs at a time. All of this is meant to keep prices down below $200 (or less when subsidized by carriers). Also of note is how the Tegra's GPU assists in rendering pixels anytime they appear on the display. In other words fonts, Firefox pages, scrolling, and of course video playback all benefit from an extra boost by the GPU. Check the video after the break to hear Gordon make some not so subtle jabs at Intel's relatively power-hungry Atom processor.

Continue reading Video: NVIDIA Tegra's GPU gets busy with HD video and full-screen Flash -- Intel 945GSE shrugs, kicks dirt

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Video: NVIDIA Tegra's GPU gets busy with HD video and full-screen Flash -- Intel 945GSE shrugs, kicks dirt originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel snaps up Wind River, looks for that embedded systems edge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/intel-snaps-up-wind-river-looks-for-that-embedded-systems-edge/


Wind River Systems has been doing Android up right for quite some time, and evidently Intel is sick and tired of sitting on the outside looking in. Disregarding that massive EU fine for a moment, the company somehow managed to find time to pen a check in the amount of $884 million in order to fully acquire the aforesaid embedded systems company. The reason? Intel knows the CPU business is morphing into something entirely more elaborate, and it reckons a solid presence in the embedded devices segment (MIDs, UMPCs, etc.) is necessary to keep those profits up in the future. Honestly, such a pickup isn't really a shock; Intel has shown great interest in being a serious player in the handheld computing market, and its fledgling CE 3100 media processor could also benefit from a respectable layer of software behind it. Meanwhile, something tells us those Wind River guys are gearing up for the weekend of their lives.

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Intel snaps up Wind River, looks for that embedded systems edge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero / Lancaster running Android and "Rosie" UI launching on June 24th?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/htc-hero-lancaster-running-android-and-rosie-ui-launching-on/

While the Economic Daily News doesn't cite any sources, its claim that HTC will launch its Android-powered Hero handset on June 24th makes a lot of sense to us. Something's up on that day since we've already seen the press invite to a June 24th event in London, the same place that witnessed the launch of the HTC Touch Diamond last year. The EDN reports two variations of the Hero: one without the QWERTY and another, the HTC Memphis (better known as the HTC Lancaster around AT&T) with full keyboard in tow. What confuses us though is the EDN claim that the Memphis/Lancaster will be an AT&T exclusive for 6 months when it ships in Q3... so why the London launch then?

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HTC Hero / Lancaster running Android and "Rosie" UI launching on June 24th? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

KillCopy Speeds Up Disk Transfers and Securely Deletes Files [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ivI5q5_I4HU/killcopy-speeds-up-disk-transfers-and-securely-deletes-files

Windows only: It's no secret that the default copy handler in Windows is miserably inadequate. KillCopy runs circles around the default handler with tons of customizable options including a secure over write of moved files.

Killcopy, like previously reviewed TeraCopy and FastCopy, handles local and network file transfer with radically more efficiency than the default Windows file copier. There are a host of features including the ability to toggle settings like copy verification for important files, parallel read/write to boost speed, and whether to prompt, overwrite, or skip if a file already exists. The feature that really sets KillCopy apart from other custom copy handlers is its ability to securely overwrite file locations. You can instruct KillCopy to scrub the previous location of a file with 1-3 passes of data, making secure deletion part of your basic file handling. KillCopy is freeware, Windows only.



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Google Squared Goes Live, Formats Your Searches Into a Spreadsheet [Search Engines]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/5HHodxkfQ1o/google-squared-goes-live-formats-your-searches-into-a-spreadsheet

Google Labs today released Google Squared, which, according to the search giant, "constructs a table of facts about any search category you specify"—though some searches produce distinctly better results than others.

The product is still pretty raw right now, but think of it sort of like Google's short-term answer to the very cool Wolfram Alpha's structured search—with results displayed in a spreadsheet format of sorts.

Google Squared is a search tool that helps you quickly build a collection of facts from the Web for any topic you specify.

  • Facts about your topic are organized as a table of items and attributes (we call them "Squares" for fun).
  • Customize these Squares to see just the items and attributes you're interested in.
  • See the websites that served as sources for the information in your Square.
  • Save and share Squares with others.

As I said, right now the strength of results varies. One search for digital cameras, for example, produced a list of many items—viewed seven rows at a time—while the above pictured "cheese" search came up with several empty fields.

The fields themselves vary according to your search. In the digital camera query, Google Squared automatically included a product name, along with an image, description, price, design, and author fields. In addition to name, image! , and de scription, the cheese search offered texture, milk, and country fields. Google Squared lets you delete an option, add columns or click on a link to see the next 10 results.

You can also start with an empty square and sign-in to save your selections. Running your mouse over a field will produce the source; Wikipedia is a recurring one.

Try out Squared for yourself and let us know what you think and how it stacks up against Wolfram Alpha—if at all. We'll update the post once Google provides an official announcement.

Google Squared [Google Labs]


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Are you still broadcasting to the "haystack"... and praying that a "needle" may be watching? - http://ping.fm/dZTsN

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Mobile Chipsets: WTF Are Atom, Tegra and Snapdragon? [Giz Explains]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wZKFk4cTNi4/mobile-chipsets-wtf-are-atom-tegra-and-snapdragon

Low-power processors aren't just for netbooks: These computers-on-a-chip are going to be powering our smartphones and other diminutive gadgets in the forseeable future. So what's the difference between the Atoms, Snapdragons and Tegras of the world?

Intel Atom
The current reigning king of low-cost, low-power processors, Intel's Atom flat-out dominates the netbook market. Its single- and dual-core processors are also some of the most powerful on our list, despite having abilities roughly equal to, in Intel's own terms, a 2003-2004 vintage Celeron. Based on the x86 architecture, the Atom is capable of running full versions of Windows XP, Vista (though not all that well), and 7, as well as modern Linux distros and even Hackintosh. While it requires far less power than a full-power chip, it's still more power-hungry than the ARM-based processors on our list, requiring about 2 watts on average. That's why netbook battery life isn't all that much longer than that of a normal laptop.

You can find the Atom in just about every netbook, including those from HP, Dell, Asus, Acer, Sony, Toshiba, MSI, and, well, everyone else. The 1.6GHz chip is the most popular at the moment, but Intel is definitely going to keep improving and upgrading the Atom line. However, you're unlikely to catch an Atom in a handset; it's low-power, yes, but low-power for a notebook. Battery life on an Atom handset would be pretty atrocious, which is why Intel's sticking to netbooks for now.

Qualcomm Snapdragon
Based on ARM, which is a 32-bit processor architecture that powers just about every mobile phone (and various other peripherals, though never desktop computers) out there, Snapdragon isn't competing directly with the Intel Atom—it's not capable of running full versions of Windows (only Windows Mobile and Windows CE), it's incredibly energy-efficient (requiring less than half a watt), and is designed for always-on use. In other words, this is the evolution of the mobile computing processor. It's got great potential: Qualcomm is trumpeting battery life stretching past 10 hours, smooth 1080p video, support for GPS, 3G, and Bluetooth, and such efficiency that a Linux-based netbook can use Snapdragon without a fan or even a heat sink. Available in single core (1GHz) or dual-core (1.5GHz), it can be used in conjunction with Android, Linux, and various mobile OSes.

Unfortunately, Qualcomm is still holding onto the notion that people want MIDs, and is championing "smartbooks," which are essentially smartphones with netbook bodies, like Asus's announced-then-retracted Eee with Android. Snapdragon's got promise, but we think that promise lies in super-powered handheld devices, not even more underpowered versions of already-underpowered netbooks.

We're frankly not sure when we'll see Snapdragon-based devices sold in the US. We're sure Snapdragon will end up in smartphones at some point, as at least one Toshiba handset has been tentatively announced, but the only concrete demonstrations we've seen have been in MIDs, and Snapdragon themselves spend all their energy touting these ! "smartbo oks." Snapdragon's Windows Mobile compatibility suggests we may see it roll out with Windows Mobile 7, if Tegra hasn't snapped up all the good handsets.

Nvidia Tegra
Nvidia's Tegra processor is very similar to Snapdragon—both are based on ARM architecture, so both are designed for even less intense applications than the Atom. Like Snapdragon, Tegra isn't capable of running desktop versions of Windows, so it's primarily targeted at Android and handheld OSes, especially forthcoming versions of Windows Mobile. What sets Tegra apart from Snapdragon is the Nvidia graphics pedigree: The company claims smooth 1080p video, like Snapdragon, but also hardware-accelerated Flash video and even respectable gaming (though no, you won't be able to run Crysis). They also go even further than Qualcomm in their battery life claim, suggesting an absolutely insane 30 hours of HD video.

While Snapdragon tends to be loosely associated with Android, Tegra is an integral part of Microsoft's plan for next-generation Windows Mobile devices. Instead of focusing on "smartbooks" and MIDs, which we think are part of a dead-end category, Tegra's commitment to pocketable handhelds could spell success. We've seen proof-of-concept demonstrations of Tegra already, but its real commercial debut will come with Windows Mobile 7—and if WM7 doesn't suck, Tegra could take off.

Others
We haven't included certain other processors, especially VIA's Nano, due to intent: The Nano requires lower power than full-scale processors, but at 25 watts, it's not even really in the same league as Atom, let alone Snapdragon or Tegra. The VIA Nano is really targeted at non-portable green technology, and looks like it'll do a good job—it outperformed Atom in Ars Technica's excellent test, and stands up to moderate use with ease. AMD's Puma (Turion X2) is in a similar boat: It's certainly markedly more energy-efficient than AMD's other offerings, but as it's targeted at laptops (not netbooks) with a screen size greater than 12-inches, it's not quite right for our list here.

These low-power processors aren't just, as we so often think, crappier versions of "real" processors. They've got uses far beyond netbooks, especially in the near future as the gap between netbooks and smartphones narrows.

Still something you still wanna know? Send any questions about why your iPhone can't play Crysis, how to tie a bow tie, or anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.




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Stunning NEC CRV43 43-Inch Curved Monitor Is Stunningly Expensive [Monitors]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Jjoh8OTj6V4/stunning-nec-crv43-43+inch-curved-monitor-is-stunningly-expensive

Remember this 43-inch curved monitor from CES a couple years ago? Well, it's finally about to be available in all of its 2880x900px glory. For $8,000. Yowza!

This bad boy is basically 4 DLP monitors stiched together and LED backlit, offering a killer response time of 0.02 seconds. It's got DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 inputs, but don't bother hooking up something like your Xbox 360 to this thing—it wouldn't know what the hell to do with the wacky 2880x990 resolution. But I can only imagine how incredible this thing would be when set up to properly run an FPS or driving game. Good god. Hardcore gamers looking to out-rig each other, the bar has been raised. It can be yours for $7,999 of your dad's money next month.

NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS DELIVERS UNMATCHED VIEWING EXPERIENCE WITH 43-INCH SEAMLESS CURVED DISPLAY

Ultra-Wide Curved Display Designed for Simulation, Digital Imaging, Command & Control Applications

CHICAGO - June 4, 2009 - NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors, today announced the 43" NEC CRV43 ultra-widescreen specialty desktop display, designed for use in applications such as professional graphics, higher education, government, financial, command & control and home office.

The NEC CRV43 curved display can be seen at InfoComm 09 on June 17-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The unique NEC CRV43 curved display provides a much wider field of view and greater dynamic range with its double WGXA resolution (32:10 aspect ratio). The user's taskbar is extended natively and setup is made easy to configure with one input. These features make it an ideal solution for simulation, digital imaging and command & control.

"The NEC! CRV43 c urved display provides an excitingly immersive viewing experience for any type of user," said Keith Yanke, Director of Product Marketing for NEC Display Solutions. "Its lightning-fast response time coupled with its seamless curved screen provides enhanced comfort, decreased frustration and increased productivity. The monitor eliminates the bezel and screen gap issues that have complicated users' work environment for years."

The NEC CRV43 curved display includes the following features:
* Seamless curved screen, which eliminates bezel and screen gap issues for increased productivity and decreased frustration (according to Center for Human-Computer Interaction - Shupp et al, presented at Graphics Interface 2006)
* 2880 x 900 double WXGA native resolution
* 200 cd/m² brightness
* 0.02ms Rapid Response
* 10,000:1 contrast ratio
* Wide color gamut with 100% coverage of sRGB and 99.3% coverage of Adobe RGB
* Single link DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 input connectors
* USB 2.0 connectivity for easy use of peripherals
* Front panel controls
* On Screen Display (OSD®) and software-based GUI, which enables advanced display control options

The NEC CRV43 curved display is backed by a 3-year parts and labor warranty including the backlight and will be available for July 2009 shipment with estimated street price of $7,999.




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New CrunchPad Prototype Photos and Video [Crunchpad]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/JlA8pBFNGkI/new-crunchpad-prototype-photos-and-video

Another prototype of the CrunchPad, Michael Arrington's web tablet, has been revealed.

Superfically, not much has changed from the previous prototype, except the updated CrunchPad now has an aluminum case and is 18mm thinner. The software has been updated too—as you can see in the video below—and boots directly into its Linux/Webkit-based browser. As for when you can get your hands on one of these, TechCrunch is currently working with partners to bring the $300 web tablet to the market. [TechCrunch]






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The Atom Pinhole Camera Is The First Step Towards a Real Star Trek Replicator [Nanotechnology]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mal-yiS-cKQ/the-atom-pinhole-camera-is-the-first-step-towards-a-real-star-trek-replicator

Researchers at the Russian Academy of Sciences are developing a technology that could lead to a real-life Star Trek replicator. They have demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture an array of identical atomic nanostructures in controlled shapes and sizes.

In their atom pinhole camera, the atoms act like photons in an optical pinhole camera, but instead of light traveling through a lens, it travels through a pinhole on a mask and creates a high-res inverted image on a silicon substrate. This camera is capable of resizing nanostructures down to 30 nm—10,000 times smaller than the original. So, a camera with say 10 million pinholes could produce large numbers of identical (or diverse) nanostructures simultaneously.

It all sounds very promising, but the real question is will I be getting instant food, clothing and gadgets in my lifetime? Maybe—but chances are the "gadgets" will be a Rascal and the "clothing" will be Depends. [Physorg via KurzweilAI]




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Sony Ericsson X2 spotted?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/sony-ericsson-x2-spotted/


A tipster tells us that the device you're looking at here is Sony Ericsson's codename "Vulcan" -- better known as the X2 -- which would presumably replace the X1 at some point in the next few days, weeks, months, or years. Though the picture's small, you can clearly make out the X Panel button in the lower left of the phone's front and a Windows key in the upper left of the keyboard, which adds a dose of credibility -- the company has, after all, put quite a bit of time and effort into pimping its panel interface SDK, and right now, the X1 is the only device that supports it. The image looks a little rough around the edges, but we can easily chalk that up to this being either a composite mockup or a very early prototype combined with the fact that our tipster seems to have blanked out the surroundings to protect the source. We're not saying it's definitely real, but this certainly looks plausible -- we're just not convinced yet that it looks better than the model it'd replace. Thoughts?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

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Sony Ericsson X2 spotted? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer shows off Android on a netbook, sneaks Firefox into the proceedings

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/acer-shows-off-android-on-a-netbook-sneaks-firefox-into-the-pro/


After confirmation of basement experimentations, and then a surprising announcement of product, Acer's now actually showing off an Android-powered netbook at Computex. Acer is careful to say that this isn't their actual Android netbook in the flesh, they're just the Aspire One D250 as a test platform. Naturally, startup and shutdown times are fairly rapid (eighteen seconds up, one second down), and for the most part Android seems unmodified other than its support for the D250's 10-inch display, though there is one major head scratcher -- in PC Watch's coverage of this computer they show off a full-ish version of Firefox apparently running on Android, menu bar included, which is a new one on us. Of course, Firefox runs on Linux, and Android is built on Linux, but there are still a few gaps in logic there that we'll be happy to explore when we get our own look at this thing.

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Acer shows off Android on a netbook, sneaks Firefox into the proceedings originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin-Asus set to launch first Android phone in Q1 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/garmin-asus-set-to-launch-first-android-phone-in-q1-2010/


Garmin-Asus isn't exactly doing a ton of talking about it just yet, but PC World is reporting that the company has confirmed that it plans to release its first Android-based smartphone "no later than the first quarter of next year." An Asustek exec reportedly further added that the device could even come a bit earlier, but unfortunately didn't have anything to say about a potential price, or anything about the phone itself, for that matter. Of course, as you're no doubt aware, Garmin-Asus already has a Linux-based phone in the form of the G60 (pictured above), but it's not clear if that proprietary OS will continue to co-exist alongside Android, or if it'll get ditched in favor of Android. If it doesn't, Garmin-Asus will have quite a few balls in the air at time, since the company is already pretty firmly committed to Windows Mobile as well.

[Via PhoneArena]

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Garmin-Asus set to launch first Android phone in Q1 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI now shipping Wind Top AE1900 Black / Dual Core

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/msi-now-shipping-wind-top-ae1900-black-dual-core/


MSI's traditional Wind Top AE1900 -- you know, the one with the white and clear frame -- started shipping here in the US just over a month ago, but now two new family members are joining in. The AE1900 Black and Dual Core models have just landed down in a handful of respected e-tailers for right around $600, so if you've managed to hold off this long and prefer darker shades of most anything -- well, what are you waiting for? Full release is post-break.

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MSI now shipping Wind Top AE1900 Black / Dual Core originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:03:00 EST. Pl! ease see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team Group shoves two 250GB SSDs into single enclosure

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/team-group-shoves-two-250gb-ssds-into-single-enclosure/


It looks like OCZ Technology did it first with the Colossus, but you won't hear us kvetching over competition in the SSD space. Over at Computex, Team Group Inc. was caught showing off a similar product, the Combo Pro SATA II 500GB. In essence, this device pairs up two 250GB SSDs in a RAID 0 configuration, providing maximum read / write rates of 230MBps and 160MBps, respectively. There's no word just yet on pricing or availability, but we definitely like where this is headed. Now, if only those MSRPs would head south too, we'd really have something to cheer about.

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Team Group shoves two 250GB SSDs into single enclosure originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's Core i7 975 Extreme Edition reviewed, crowned world's fastest desktop processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/intels-core-i7-975-extreme-edition-is-worlds-fastest-desktop-p/

Surprise, Intel's top of the line 3.33GHz Core i7 975 Extreme Edition is fast. In fact, based on the reviews by Hot Hardware and PC Perspective, among others, this quad-core proc is the fastest desktop processor ever. While it's only 4-5% faster across the board than Intel's previous champ, the Core i7 965, world's fastest is world's fastest, right AMD? Better yet, the CPU is suitable for "significant" overclocking -- HH took it around the benchmark block at 4.1GHz and found only a "small voltage bump" while hitting a 50-degree C max temperature using Intel's stock heat sink. Look for the Core i7 975 to hit retail for a $999 list price which explains why the first gaming rigs wrapped around the 975 start at $8,000.

Read -- Hot Hardware review
Read -- PCPer review

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Intel's Core i7 975 Extreme Edition reviewed, crowned world's fastest desktop processor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ViewSonic intros new 20-, 22- and 24-inch VG27 LCD monitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/viewsonic-intros-new-20-22-and-24-inch-vg27-lcd-monitors/


Don't get all worked up here, you won't find anything too far out of the ordinary. That said, there's nothing at all wrong with new LCD options in the 20-, 22- and 24-inch segments, and that's exactly what ViewSonic's delivering. The VG2027wm, VG2227wm and VG2427wm are all equipped with 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD panels, a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits of brightness, an integrated two-port USB 2.0 hub, DVI / VGA ports and built-in stereo speakers. The new trio can be had right now for $319, $399 and $499 from smallest to largest. Sexy side shot is after the break.

Continue reading ViewSonic intros new 20-, 22- and 24-inch VG27 LCD monitors

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ViewSonic intros new 20-, 22- and 24-inch VG27 LCD monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

FDA Demands Drug Cos. Stop 'Misleading' Ads on Google, Yahoo - Advertising Age - News: http://is.gd/MtEB (via @twitturly)

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Petite Cargo Pickup Plays Transformer

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/O5IFyxYlKds/

Here's the deal about this fantastic Cargo Pick-up concept: Traffic's bad, it's only gonna get worse with time. To tackle inner city deliveries, is this innovative battery powered vehicle that boasts of variable track, wheelbase and load carrying configurations. It features a Compact Mode, Narrow Mode (with banking corner action) and Pick-up Truck Mode. The Compact Mode sees the Pick-up section flushed to the back of the cabin. It's an ideal situation for small deliveries. The Narrow mode gives reduced width and higher maneuverability and as the name suggests, the Pick-up Truck Mode allows you to carry larger payloads.

The Clip-On composite body panels give plenty of real estate for putting up adverts, which I think is a brilliant idea.

The CarGo Pod or the storage compartment when empty can be removed to further reduce the vehicle length.

Designer: Adam Schacter

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