Friday, June 14, 2013

The World's Most Efficient Solar Cell Is a Tiny Little Miracle

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-most-efficient-solar-cell-is-a-tiny-little-513361860

The World's Most Efficient Solar Cell Is a Tiny Little Miracle

While solar power promises a lot, it's only ever going to help satisfy our energy needs if it becomes efficient enough. Fortunately, Sharp has just made the world's most efficient solar cell, which converts a staggering 44.4 percent of incident light into electricity. Take that, fossil fuels.

The cell uses a special lens-based concentrator system, which focuses sunlight onto the cell to help improve the efficiency Once the light's focussed, a stack of three photo-absorption layers convert it into electricity. Even then it's no mean feat to squeeze out an efficiency of 44.4 percent, and the process saw Sharp invest a huge amount of time in tuning the device's dimensions to focus the light properly and reduce losses between layers.

While it's impressive, you probably won't see one strapped to the roof of a house any time soon. Devices this exotic are more likely to end up on a spacecraft in the first instance, where efficiency trumps cost every time. That's not to say it won't ever make it to the domestic market—it might just take a little time. [PhysOrg]

Zoom's New H6 Audio Recorder Will Make Any DSLR Filmmaker Salivate

Source: http://gizmodo.com/zooms-new-h6-audio-recorder-will-make-any-dslr-filmmak-513200479

Zoom's New H6 Audio Recorder Will Make Any DSLR Filmmaker Salivate

Back in April we learned that Zoom had a successor to the popular H4N audio recorder in the making. Details were slim, but it certainly looked promising. Well now we have the full low-down on the new device.

The recorder looks a great deal more filmmaker-suited than its predecessor, with physical knobs and even a shoe mount on the back for mounting directly atop a DSLR.

Zoom's New H6 Audio Recorder Will Make Any DSLR Filmmaker Salivate

Here are the key specs:

  • Six tracks of simultaneous recording
  • Four interchangeable input capsules: stereo X/Y (included), Mid-Side (included), Shotgun (optional) & combo dual XLR/TRS (optional).
  • Large full-color display for easy viewing of recording and playback levels
  • Records directly to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 128 gigabytes
  • Compatible with MP3 and BWF-compliant WAV file formats, including 24-bit / 96k for ultimate HD audio
  • Four XLR/TRS combo jacks to connect external microphones or line-level devices each with their own gain control, pad switch AND phantom power in three different voltages
  • USB port for data transfer to audio editing software and allows for H6 to serve as multichannel audio interface for computer and tablets
  • Connects to DSLR or digital camcorder
  • Runs on 4 AA batteries for up to 20 hours.

The Zoom H6 will be available in late July. It will be interesting to see if it shares the success of the H4N, since DSLR video is waning a bit with the introduction of dedicated video cameras like the Canon C100/300 and Sony FS100/700. But the H6 looks to be versatile enough to find a place in the gear closets of other types of users.

Sharp branching into robo-vacs, grow lights, e-whiteboards to offset slow LCD sales (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/sharp-branching-into-other-industries/

Sharp branching into robovacs, grow lights, ewhiteboards to offset slow panel sales

Remember the Cocorobo robotic vaccum that could send you pics of your newly-cleaned carpet? Sharp is going to be doing a lot more of that kind of thing soon, if a recent demo at its research center in Nara, Japan is any indication. Since the company has been losing gobs of money on its tepid LCD-panel business, it'll soon be using some of that tech in completely different industries: for instance, converting powerful LED lighting from TV backlights to grow lamps, and touchscreen TV panels to interactive whiteboards. Sharp admitted to PC World that it needed to branch into other businesses since "rivals have been able to catch up from behind" to its LCD TV and mobile phone businesses -- and judging by the drastic actions the company's taken to stave off disaster lately, it'll need to hustle those products to market, stat. Check the video after the jump to see some of the prototypes in action.

[Image credit: PC World]

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Source: PC World

Google Search Competitor DuckDuckGo Got Record Traffic Following The PRISM Revelations

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/duckduckgo-hit-a-record-high-this-week-2013-6

duckduckgo billboardSearch engine DuckDuckGo saw a record number of searches this week, according to VentureBeat

On Thursday, DuckDuckGo clocked 2.5 million search queries, a 33% increase over last Thursday. On Wednesday, users made 2.35 million search queries. 

With news of the PRISM program, people seem to be becoming more skeptical of the services they use on the Internet, and how secure their information is.

DuckDuckGo doesn't track your clicks across the Web, unlike Google. So if the government were to come knocking on DuckDuckGo's doors, seeking information, they would have no way to tie that information to individual users.

But PRISM may not be totally responsible for DuckDuckGo's traffic spike. DuckDuckGo has recently appeared in major news publications, like the Washington Post, Bloomberg, and CNBC.

DuckDuckGo launched back in 2008 as an alternative to traditional search engines that don't respect your privacy. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg has mostly bootstrapped DuckDuckGo, but he also received $3 million from Union Square Ventures, Scott Banister, Peter Hershberg, Joshua Stylman, Joshua Schachter, Kal Vepuri, and Jim Young.

SEE ALSO: After Making Millions In His 20s, This Guy Got Venture Funding For A Google-Killer

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Article: Intel intros low-cost enterprise SSD for data centers

Intel's latest enterprise solid-state drive, the DC S3500 series, offers high read speed at a cost of just around $1 per gigabyte.

Intel today introduced the DC S3500 series solid-state drive, which brings enterprise performance at a cost that general consumers can afford. The new drive is opti...

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3132_7-57588616-98/intel-intros-low-cost-enterprise-ssd-for-data-centers/?subj=cnet&tag=title

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Article: Intel CloverTrail+ processor mops the floor with its competitors

There's no denying that smartphones are becoming pretty powerful; quad-core processors are now the standard in high-end handsets and clock speeds are creeping up into laptop territory as well. However, the one big problem that mobile technology still faces is the limitations imposed by running pr...

http://www.androidauthority.com/intel-clovertrail-competitors-224786/

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Fujifilm and Panasonic's organic CMOS image sensor boosts dynamic range and sensitivity

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/fujifilm-and-panasonics-organic-cmos-image-sensor/

Fujifilm and Panasonic's organic CMOS image sensor boosts dynamic range and sensitivity

We've all been enjoying the benefits of AMOLED displays for several years now -- high contrast ratios, wide viewing angles and vivid colors -- so it was only a matter of time until organic films ended up in image sensors. Fujifilm and Panasonic have been working on organic CMOS image sensors and just showed the results of their collaboration at the 2013 Symposium on VLSI Technology in Kyoto. By replacing the traditional silicon photodiode with an organic photoelectric conversion layer, researchers have created image sensors with a dynamic range of 88dB (the industry's highest), a 1.2-fold increase in sensitivity (compared to traditional designs) and a 60-degree range of incident light (vs. 30-40 degrees, typically). What does this mean in practice? Less clipping in bright scenes, better low-light performance and richer colors and textures. The companies plan to promote these new organic CMOS image sensors for use in a wide range of imaging applications, including next generation cameras and phones. We can't wait!

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Source: Fujifilm

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 APS-C zoom lens priced at a surprisingly reasonable $800

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/sigma-18-35mm-f-1-8-lens-only-800/

When we came across the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM a couple of months ago, the first thing that popped into our heads was: how much? After all, it's the first-ever zoom lens with a constant sub f/2.0 aperture, and even those with a higher f/2.8 go for thousands of dollars. Well, luckily for camera enthusiasts everywhere, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM has a street price of $799 -- less than half what we expected. Better yet, it'll be available in "early July" in Sigma and Canon mounts, which means it'll arrive just in time for some of you to shoot creamy bokeh shots of sunflowers in bloom. Nikon, Sony and Pentax mounts will come later in the year.

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Asus K009 tablet clears FCC with apparent Nexus branding, Qualcomm CPU, rear camera

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/unknown-asus-k009-tablet-clears-fcc/

Unknown Asus K009 tablet clears FCC with apparent Nexus branding, LTE and WiFi radios

Earlier rumors about a Qualcomm-powered second-generation Nexus 7 tablet successor from ASUS could be right on the money, if a recent FCC listing holds water. A certain "ASUS Pad" model number K009 just cleared the US testing site packing a Qualcomm APQ-8064 S4 Pro quad-core, 1.5GHz processor with Adreno graphics, front and rear cameras, 4,000 mAh Li-ion battery and LTE radios. Though no screen size is listed, the battery spec points to a 7-inch model -- the Nexus 10 has a 9,000 mAh battery, for instance. On the other hand, a rear camera, like the 5-megapixel model shown above, would be a refreshing addition to the Nexus 7, which sorely lacks in that department. Most intriguingly, Asus listed the model as a Nexus "for marketing purpose(s)" -- though another K008 model also set the grapevine aflame when it hit the Bluetooth SIG, meaning skepticism should rule until we hear it from the horse's mouth.

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Via: Notebook Italia

Source: FCC

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Google Street View adds 1,001 new destinations, lets you explore from afar

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/13/google-street-view-new-destinations/

Google wants to take you on a journey with 1,001 new destinations in Street View

The folks from Mountain View are constantly adding more and more features to Street View -- and, well, today's no exception. Via its Maps blog, Google announced that it's giving Street View a hefty boost by adding over 1,000 fresh destinations to the mix, noting that the idea is to make it "more comprehensive and useful for you." There's new imagery from places in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada and, of course, the US, allowing users to check out sites like the Seville Cathedral (Spain), Bosque de Chapultepec (Mexico), The Mark Twain House (USA) and many, many others. Google's highlighted some of these new destinations on its website, so pay the source link below a visit if you're interested in a quick, virtual tour around the world.

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Source: Google

Twitter Now Shows You All Your Tweet and Follower Stats (Updated)

Source: http://gizmodo.com/twitter-now-shows-you-all-your-tweet-and-follower-stats-513105917

Twitter Now Shows You All Your Tweet and Follower Stats (Updated)

Originally limited to advertisers upon launching in 2011, Twitter Analytics has finally opened its stat-tracking doors to all users. Although without a formal announcement, there's always the possibility that it's all a glitch—in which case, get it while it's hot/broken.

Upon signing in with your normal Twitter account and authorizing the app, the Analytics dashboard is supposed to offer all sorts of helpful numbers and graphs that show which of your tweets did best and when. But as of right now, attempts to check our stats haven't give us full results, mostly in falsely claiming zero retweets, replies, or favorites along the top chart.

Twitter Now Shows You All Your Tweet and Follower Stats (Updated)

If this really is open to the public, you should also be able to eventually get full statistics on your followers. Will Oremus of Slate was able to get full location, gender, and overall count data on his, but so far, this screen is the best we've got:

Twitter Now Shows You All Your Tweet and Follower Stats (Updated)

Of course, there's a good chance that this sort of information would take quite a while to roll out and perhaps just got turned on a little too soon. We've reached out to Twitter for comment on the matter, but until we know if this helpful little tool here to stay, might as well suck up whatever data you can.

Update: Twitter gave us the following statement about the newly opened Analytics—looks like it could be here to stay, after all:

We've been experimenting giving the analytics feature to a small groups of users outside our advertising clients. We've been happy with the response thus far, and will determine next steps after the conclusion of these tests.

[Slate]

Broadcom announces quad-core HSPA+ chipset destined for budget Android phones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/13/broadcom-quad-core-hspa/

Broadcom announces quadcore HSPA chipset destined for budget Android phones

Broadcom is no stranger to the budget-friendly lineup for carriers and OEMs around the globe -- especially in emerging markets -- but quad-core chipsets are just gaining traction in this arena. Granted, companies like MediaTek have already begun cranking out low-cost four-core Cortex-A7 SoCs for markets like China and India, but a little friendly competition doesn't hurt anyone, right? This is the case with the BCM23550, a 1.2GHz A7 quad-core processor capable of HSPA+ speeds up to 21Mbps down and 5Mbps up and is optimized to run on Android 4.2 devices. The new piece of silicon also supports HD Voice and 12MP cameras with H.264 1080p video capture and playback, and offers the usual litany of connectivity options such as NFC, Bluetooth, 5G WiFi, RFID and GPS. It even features dual HD (720p) display support which is compatible with Miracast. Lastly, it's also pin-to-pin compatible with Broadcom's dual-core BCM21664T, which means manufacturers already using that particular chipset can reduce the amount of time spent on R&D and handset design. If you're curious, expect the chips to begin production in early Q3, right around the corner.

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Twitter launches #FollowMe: highlight reels based on tweets, photos and Vines

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/13/twitter-launches-followme/

Twitter launches #FollowMe to create highlight reels from tweets, photos and Vines

It's common for Twitter regulars to get a stream of new followers, but it's not always clear why they should follow back -- how do you summarize a person's post history in a few seconds? Twitter wants to solve this by launching its #FollowMe tool. The service uses Vizify to build a short, HTML5-based highlight clip from a person's followers, photos, tweets and Vine videos. Most of the legwork is automatic; users only have to edit the clip if they want to fine-tune the results, and any tweet with the relevant link will show the animation in-line. The #FollowMe rollout won't guarantee any additional popularity in the Twittersphere, but it should at least make for a stronger sales pitch.

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Source: Vizify, Twitter

ASUS' new ViVoPC mini PC can take up to 16GB of RAM, your choice of Intel CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/12/asus-vivopc-specs/

ASUS' new ViVoPC mini PC can take up to 16GB of RAM, your choice of Intel CPU

It's only been a few days since we first laid eyes on that newly introduced ASUS ViVoPC, but the Taiwanese company kept details short back at Computex, leaving us with the desire to learn a little more about the device. The good news is ASUS has just posted a spec sheet on its website, which lets us (and you) know that its mini PC will have a number of customizable options. Aside from being 802.11ac- and Windows 8-ready, the diminutive ViVoPC can be loaded with an Intel processor (presumably a shiny new Haswell), a maximum of 16GB RAM and your preference of either a HDD or SSD. There are also two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet and integrated speakers, which ASUS is dubbing SonicMaster. Mum's the word on pricing and availability, but we'll let you know as soon as we come across those specifics.

Gallery: ASUS ViVoPC

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Source: ASUS

Google's latest Chrome Experiment lets you slam a cube at a friend's face (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/12/google-cube-slam/

DNP Google invites you to Cube Slam your friend's, or a bear's, face

Google has cobbled together yet another fun Chrome Experiment, and this time it's Cube Slam, a Pong-inspired tennis-style game with video chat support built-in. It was developed with WebRTC, an open source project that lets you enable video conferencing in the browser without plug-ins. This way, you can initiate a game with a friend just by sharing a link. The idea here is to propel a cube at your friend three times in a row until the screen collapses. Various power-ups like fireballs, lasers and shields are available along the way and every level presents an increasingly difficult set of obstacles and challenges.

If you're feeling anti-social, you can also play against a computer character called Bob the Bear (seen above). Indeed, as WebRTC is not available on mobile just yet, the Bear will be your only opponent if you want to play the game on your phone or tablet. We were able to play a single-player game on Safari and Firefox, but Chrome is required for multi-player. Offline play is also available by downloading the app from the Chrome Web Store. Head on past the break to watch a demo of the game in action, or just click on the appropriate source to start playing.

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Source: Google Blog, Chromium Blog, Cube Slam (Chrome Store), Cube Slam

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How The iPhone's Home Screen Has Evolved Over Time (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-home-screen-evolution-2013-6

Earlier this week Apple announced a drastic change for the iPhone's software.

iOS 7 brings a new look that is nothing like what we've seen before. Reddit user iKurac created this graphic which shows the evolution of the iPhone's home screen over the years. 

Click for a larger image:

iphone evolution

SEE ALSO: 15 Companies That Are Dominating Mobile Design Right Now >

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Look At Facebook's Gorgeous Newest Data Center Built With Its Game-Changing Servers (FB)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-newest-data-center-2013-6

Facebook Lulea data center

Facebook's newest data center, built at the edge of the arctic circle in Luleå, Sweden, came online today.

Look at the picture. Notice what's missing? Not a single logo from a single manufacturer.

Instead, this new data is filled entirely with the funky-looking custom servers and other hardware that Facebook designed itself with its game-changing Open Compute Project. 

Facebook, via the OCP, gives away those designs for free to any enterprise that wants to build "vanity free" hardware, meaning super fast servers without a lot of bells, whistles, and design waste.

The OCP project is about two years old now and it has become a phenom that has grown far beyond Facebook and far beyond servers. OCP is also tackling storage and network gear.

Facebook's ultimate goal is to do for hardware what Linux did for software: create open source hardware where users are calling the shots, not just hardware vendors.

The Luleå data center is cool for another reason. It's 100% powered by renewable hydro-electric energy.

SEE ALSO: 24 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Size Of The Internet

SEE ALSO: Inside Facebook's Fantastic Plan To Dominate Cisco's $23 Billion Market

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Samsung officially announces Galaxy S 4 Zoom with 16MP camera, 10x optical zoom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/12/samsung-galaxy-s-4-zoom-announced/

Samsung officially announce Galaxy S 4 Zoom with 16MP camera, 10x optical zoom

Coming in just after a Russian site managed to review the device, Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S 4 Zoom. Combining a fully featured Android 4.2.2 Galaxy phone (basically a Galaxy S 4 Mini) with a 16MP point-and-shoot, it brings a 10x optical zoom lens to bear -- the first phone to do so. On the phone side, it sports a 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD slot) and a 1.9MP front facing camera. The camera includes optical image stabilization and a Xenon flash, along with a special "Zoom Ring." That ring surrounds the camera, and when twisted (even while on a call) it can launch in-call photo sharing, or go straight to other camera modes. Extra software features are also on hand to advantage of the combo device's capabilities including Photo Suggest that shows great pics taken by others in the area, Smart Mode auto settings and more.

President and CEO JK Shin is pleased by the union, calling it "truly the best of both worlds, without compromise," for people who want to capture high quality images and share them, but don't want to carry two devices. We're told it will arrive in the UK this summer but have not been able to confirm a pricetag, while its early Russian reviewers mentioned a July release and local pricing of around $618, converted. Intrigued, horrified, or just want to compare it to Nokia's latest efforts? A press release, pictures and detailed spec sheet await you below.

Gallery: Galaxy S 4 Zoom

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Source: Samsung