Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Elitegroup Elitepad S10 Windows tablet graces the FCC, could still use a makeover

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/elitegroup-s10-windows-tablet-graces-the-fcc-could-still-use-a/

Little-known Taiwanese manufacturer Elitegroup managed to make our friends at Engadget Spanish do a double-take at CeBIT, where the company was showing off the fast (and chintzy-looking) Elitepad S10. Now the 10-inch Windows slate has reared its highly reflective head in FCC documents and -- what do you know? -- it still boasts that 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor (not the Z760, as being reported elsewhere). Other specs include 1GB of RAM, flash storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi, HDMI-out, and Bluetooth 3.0. Alas, though, that Oak Trail CPU might not be enough to solve the Windows tablet battery life conundrum -- it promises a max of six hours of juice, if you're lucky.

Elitegroup Elitepad S10 Windows tablet graces the FCC, could still use a makeover originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's Kinect navigates the universe thanks to Windows SDK (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/microsofts-kinect-navigates-the-universe-thanks-to-windows-sdk/

Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope -- a collaboration with NASA that explores high-resolution photos and 3D renders of the cosmos -- was already pretty cool, but Redmond upped the ante to incredible with the addition of a Kinect depth camera at MIX 11. Using a piece of software created with the company's upcoming Kinect SDK for Windows, Microsoft gave us a virtual tour of Earth and the surrounding stars, guided by a deep-voiced narrator holding the whole world in his hands. Of course, you'd already know that if you watched the video above, so what are you waiting for? Oh, and we've got more MIX video on the way, so stay tuned.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Microsoft's Kinect navigates the universe thanks to Windows SDK (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/sharps-new-70-inch-lcd-hdtv-is-definitely-bigger-than-the-one-y/

At its "Spectacularge" press conference today Sharp announced its new 70-inch LC-70LE732U is the largest LCD HDTV on the market . It sports Quattron four color pixels, full LED backlighting, Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu Apps and DLNA access among its list of features, but no 3D. That will be remedied by one of the three additional models of 70-inch LCDs Sharp says it will ship this summer but in the meantime we're just enjoying a throwback to the heady days of 2006 when consumer LCDs were last found in this size range. Interested parties with enough green to cover the $3,799 MSRP should be able to order these at their local retailers, while the rest can gawk at the specs in the press release and hands-on shots. Oh, and as for those adjectives you'll see just past the break -- a preview of Sharp's marketing campaign, whose target customer has an "emotional" connection to the word big -- well, somewhere Freud is having a field day.

Gallery: Sharp LC-70LE732U

Gallery: Sharp LC-70LE732U hands-on!

Continue reading Sharp's new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought

Sharp's new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS apologizes for Eee Pad Transformer delay it won't detail, US launch pegged for end of April

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/asus-apologizes-for-eee-pad-transformer-delay-it-wont-detail-u/

Well, as far as delays go, this is looking like one that ASUS is willing to accept. As the company explains on its Facebook page, demand for the Eee Pad Transformer has apparently been so high that the first few batches have sold out "much quicker' than it had planned. That's left the global launch for the Honeycomb tablet a bit up in the air, with the company only directing folks to its Facebook pages for individual countries for more information, although they unfortunately aren't providing much in the way of details at the moment.

That delay apparently won't affect the US launch, though -- at least not to any significant degree. According to the upstart website JoannaStern.com, the Transformer will be hitting the US by the end of this month with a price tag of $399, while the keyboard dock will run you $149. Could we possibly be seeing the beginnings of a tablet price war? Here's hoping.

[Thanks, James A]

ASUS apologizes for Eee Pad Transformer delay it won't detail, US launch pegged for end of April originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy S II benchmarked, makes other phones cry in shame

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/galaxy-s-ii-benchmarked-makes-other-phones-cry-in-shame/

Galaxy S II Benchmarked

The first benchmarks of Samsung's 1.2GHz Galaxy S II -- we saw the 1GHz variant tested previously -- are rolling in, and it's fast. Almost suspiciously so. Its speedy dual-core Exynos CPU pulled off a 3,053 in Quadrant and scored double what the similarly specced HTC Sensation did in Smartbench2011. Those scores also represent a more than threefold improvement over the original Galaxy S. Of course, these are purely synthetic benchmarks and may not translate into an equally improved experience in day to day use. We'll know for sure when we get our hands on one for a proper review in the coming weeks. Full benchmarks are after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Galaxy S II benchmarked, makes other phones cry in shame

Galaxy S II benchmarked, makes other phones cry in shame originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte's pricey S1080 tablet goes on sale in Taiwan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/gigabytes-pricey-s1080-tablet-goes-on-sale-in-taiwan/

As far as tablets go, Gigabyte's S1080 is about as far as you can get from the iPad, with its dual-core Atom N550 processor, 320GB hard drive, and Ethernet port. (And, you know, the fact that it runs Windows 7.) Still, the company is going head to head with Apple's magical slate -- it just priced the 10-inch, 3G-enabled tablet at NT$22,900 ($787), a shade higher than the NT$22,800 price of a first-generation iPad with 3G and 64GB of storage. (Taiwan hasn't gotten the iPad 2 yet.) If having a Windows tablet with mouse buttons, of all things, floats your boat, it can't be beat, though finding a cheaper Windows slate should be a cinch.

Gigabyte's pricey S1080 tablet goes on sale in Taiwan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/blackberry-playbook-review/

The words "play" and "book" are a bit of an odd choice for RIM's latest attempt at consumer relevance, a tablet that, at its core, runs one of the most hardcore and industry-friendly operating systems known to man. The OS is QNX and the hardware is, of course, the BlackBerry PlayBook. It's an enterprise-friendly offering that's also out to conquer the consumer tablet ecosphere, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the BlackBerry handsets that have filled the pockets of corporate executives and BBM addicts around the globe.

It's something of a serious tablet when compared to the competition running software from Apple and Google and, while it certainly has games, its biggest strengths are rather more boring. It does a really great job at displaying PowerPoint presentations, for example, and has the security chops to keep last quarter's dismal sales figures from falling into the wrong hands. Exciting stuff? No, but useful features for sure, and regardless of whether you find those intriguing or boring this is RIM's seven-inch, Flash-having but 3G-lacking tablet clad in an unassuming but extremely sophisticated exterior. It's what's running behind the glass that disappoints.

Gallery: RIM BlackBerry PlayBook

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook review

BlackBerry PlayBook review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

AMD Chipsets Will be the First to Support USB 3.0 [Blip]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5791561/amd-chipsets-will-be-the-first-to-support-usb-30

You may've noticed there are many laptops and PCs out there that support USB 3.0 now, but unfortunately both AMD and Intel haven't added support for the latest version in their chipsets before. This is set to change with AMD's A75 and A70M chipsets, which will be the first to be branded "Superspeed USB." Previously, PC builders have had to use third-party controllers if they wanted to include the much-faster USB 3.0. [The Inquirer]

Intel teases 32nm Cloverview tablet processor, 22nm Ivy Bridge CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/12/intel-teases-32nm-cloverview-tablet-processor-22nm-ivy-bridge-c/

It hasn't even been a week since Intel rolled out Oak Trail, and it's already teasing us with yet another tablet-ready chip called Cloverview. What's more, we're also seeing unofficial details emerging for its next generation Ivy Bridge CPU. Starting from the top: PC World is reporting that Intel's Doug Davis introduced the Atom-based Cloverview at the firm's Developer Forum in Beijing Tuesday, touting its 32nm architecture and low power consumption. Meanwhile a set of rather convincing slides are showing off the 22nm stylings of Sandy Bridge's successor, Ivy Bridge. From the look of things, the CPU will support DirectX 11 graphics, USB 3.0, and 1600MHz DDR3 memory -- its desktop platform has been christened Maho Bay. Ivy Bridge is reportedly expected to arrive in the first half of 2012, but we're still waiting on Cloverview's ETA. Isn't silicon fun?

Intel teases 32nm Cloverview tablet processor, 22nm Ivy Bridge CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Roadmap charts rollout dates for Ivy Bridge, Cedarview, Sandy Bridge E-series

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/12/intel-roadmap-charts-rollout-dates-for-ivy-bridge-cedarview-sa/

What's that? You can't get enough of Intel? Well, it's your lucky day, because we just got our hands on the chip maker's roadmap for 2011 and 2012. According to the leaked slides, we can expect to see the Sandy Bridge E-series in Q4 of 2011. Alternately, the 22nm Ivy Bridge is slated for a somewhat less specific release in the first half of 2012. We're also likely to see the new Pentium and Celeron-based Sandy Bridge models in Q3 this year, and the Atom-equipped Cedarview in Q4. The roadmap's also giving us a rather vague look at pricing for the chipsets, and from what we gather, we can expect the E-series to sport a hefty price tag and Cedarview to bring the value. If that's not enough to sate that animal appetite for Intel news, you can hit the source link for more roadmap goodness.

Intel Roadmap charts rollout dates for Ivy Bridge, Cedarview, Sandy Bridge E-series originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile's new plans get official: starting at $60 for unlimited everything, throttling included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/12/t-mobiles-new-plans-get-official-starting-at-60-for-unlimited/

T-Mobile's just gone official with the new unlimited plans we caught wind of a few days ago, and while they are truly unlimited by numbers, they're not completely unlimited in functionality. The plans cost $79.99 for Even More customers (buy a subsidized device on contract) and $59.99 for Even More Plus subscribers (bring your own phone commitment-free). Either way this gets you unlimited data, domestic calling, and domestic messaging, with a $5 surcharge for BlackBerry users. Unlike Sprint's similar offering, once you pass the 2GB bandwidth mark, "data speeds will be reduced for the remainder of that bill cycle," essentially informing users that throttling will most certainly take place. In all, we're pleased to see the compromise T-Mo's put in place for data (whereas most other carriers are simply axing the unlimited option altogether), and we hope some of the competition takes heed. It does sound like a pretty sweet deal for those of you not grandfathered in on unlimited data plans. Still, for those of you interested, we suggest getting a jump on, as the (potentially leaked) press release reveals that these plans might only be available for a limited time.

Update: And now it's all official. Huzzah!

Continue reading T-Mobile's new plans get official: starting at $60 for unlimited everything, throttling included

T-Mobile's new plans get official: starting at $60 for unlimited everything, throttling included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers use GPS, accelerometers to boost smartphone data rates

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/12/researchers-use-gps-accelerometers-to-boost-smartphone-data-rat/

Well, this might be a good reason for The Powers That Be to know your exact whereabouts. According to a team of MIT researchers, speeding up data rates on mobile devices could be as easy as tapping the various motion sensors found in run-of-the-mill smartphones. The scientists believe our wireless infrastructure is at the root of bottlenecks, with a handful of weak transmitters clumsily "handing off" data to one another as you move out of range. The solution: use GPS radios, accelerometers, and even gyroscopes to infer where you're headed, and then choose an access point near where you're likely to end up. The difference, they report, is dramatic: a 50 percent boost in throughput, along with improved success in choosing the best bit rate. To boot, if a base station is armed with location-based info, it can better predict when the devices connected to it are on the verge of losing contact. That's all good news, but sadly we doubt any amount of promising science is enough to make the pink lady go away.

Researchers use GPS, accelerometers to boost smartphone data rates originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Echo review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/kyocera-echo-review/

It's not exactly difficult to put into words what the Kyocera Echo is -- it's a dual-screened Android phone, after all -- but it's a wee bit more challenging to wrap your head around who exactly it's for. The hardcore gaming contingent already has Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, and those obsessed with screen real estate have options spanning the gamut -- everything from Dell's 5-inch Streak to a veritable cornucopia of choices in the 4- to 4.3-inch range. So, where exactly does this oddball fit in? Quite frankly, we get the impression that it's doing its darnedest to carve out a market of its own, a thought that's reinforced by Kyocera's dedicated app development space and two-faced Simul-Task mode. Early critics (read: us) railed on the fact that double the screens meant double the trouble in terms of battery life, and there's no question that a second cell was included with our test unit. But are the advantages of having a second 3.5-inch WVGA touchpanel enough to overshadow the obvious pitfalls? Join us as we do a little soul-searching in our full review, hosted up just past the break.

Gallery: Kyocera Echo review hands-on

Continue reading Kyocera Echo review

Kyocera Echo review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/intel-thunderbolt-dev-kits-coming-this-quarter-hopefully-usheri/

Intel has just announced it will soon be making development kits available for its new Thunderbolt interconnect. The cable that can carry 10Gbps (in both directions!) has so far only seen itself installed in Apple's MacBook Pro computers, but storage and other peripheral manufacturers are starting to unveil their lightning-scorched offerings this week at NAB and this announcement is sure to give Thunderbolt an extra spur of momentum. What's going to be intriguing going forward is to see whether manufacturers take it up instead of USB 3.0 or install the DisplayPort lookalike alongside the latest and greatest from the USB camp. If you ask us, we can never have enough high-speed interconnects... how does SuperSpeed Thunderbolt sound?

Continue reading Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices

Intel Thunderbolt dev kits coming this quarter, hopefully ushering in more 10Gbps-capable devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Addonics SATA adapter turns six CF / CFast cards into one SSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/addonics-sata-adapter-turns-six-cf-cfast-cards-into-one-ssd/

This isn't the first time we've seen a CF-to-SATA hard drive adapter, but Addonics' CF / CFast Drive is definitely the biggest. The thing sports six separate slots, which means you can use it to turn your memory cards into six different drives, or combine them in a RAID configuration to form a high capacity SSD. What's more, the whole thing fits comfortably in a standard 5.25-inch drive bay. If you've got a stack of CF cards collecting dust somewhere, you can get your hands on one of these bad boys starting at $135 at the source link below. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Addonics SATA adapter turns six CF / CFast cards into one SSD

Addonics SATA adapter turns six CF / CFast cards into one SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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