Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/343210400/
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless
Continue reading AMIMON, Motorola, Sony, et al. join hands on wireless HD standard
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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/343265231/
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
PORTLAND, Ore. — A new "green" PC that consumes only 2 watts of power also lays claim to integrated software and "cloud computing" on a par with desktop PCs.
Based on embedded Linux and stripped down to support Open Office, FireFox browser, iTunes, instant messaging and multimedia access, the CherryPal C-100 includes 50 Gbytes of free cloud storage. The pricetag is under $250.
"Our goal was to offer a computer that has everything a desktop PC has today, but at a much lower price, consuming much less power and completely hassle free," said Max Seybold, CEO of CherryPal LLC (Mountain View, Calif.).
Linux operating system access is hidden from users, and all applications and system commands are managed by the browser whether executed locally or within new IT model called "cloud computing." Communications with the cloud are encrypted, upgrades are automatic and applications are claimed to be immune to viruses.
"We believe that our encryption algorithms are impossible to hack, making the CherryPal the most secure PC available today," Seybold claimed.
The 10.5-ounce CherryPal measures 1.3x5.8X4.2 inches and has no keyboard or monitors. It includes USB and VGA connections for those peripherals, plus integrated Wi-Fi and Ethernet ports. Four gigabytes of local flash memory for storage that acts as cache in addition to the 50 Gbytes of free cloud network storage.
The green PC takes 40 seconds to boot up and access applications and files.
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| CherryPal includes built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB and VGA interfaces with 4 Gbytes of local flash memory and "cloud" storage. It consumes 2 watts. |
"We also plan to increase the number of applications in the cloud so that, eventually, CherryPal users will have access to all the software that other PCs use, but without having to buy, install and maintain them," said Seybold.
Besides a microprocessor and Wi-Fi controller, the rest of CherryPal's motherboard uses inexpensive interface components. Hence, it needs no expensive graphics processor or multimedia management coprocessors, according to Freescale Semiconductor (Austin, Texas), which supplies CherryPal's microprocessor.
"All the components you would see on the motherboard of a traditional PC are integrated into the Freescale MPC5121e mobileGT processor," said Mike Bryars, global manager for Mobile GT Computing at Freescale. "There are three cores in the MPC5121e, including an 800-MIPS [million instructions per second] main core, plus a multimedia core and a graphics processor core that offloads the main core."
Freescale's mobileGT processor runs at just 400 MHz, but CherryPal claims that users will attain speeds comparable to desktop PCs as a result of the claimed efficiency of its cloud-based software model.
"We have cut the fat from the operating system, and we are not exposing it to the user, which makes it very secure and enabled us to streamlined the application software and make the browser the main navigational tool," Seybold said.
All applications are accessed from the FireFox browser with file access automatically managed by the cloud network. Local flash storage holds the most frequently used files, plus any the user specifies as local. All files and software are synchronized with backups in cloud storage.
The only concrete example in the article to warrant this concern is the aforementioned lack of profit margins, and there are still plenty of people who need more from their computers other than web browsing and micro-sized keyboards. But hey, if analysts are worried, should the rest of the world be? [NYT]
OSRAM Achieves Quantum Leap in Brightness and Efficiency of White LEDs
SANTA CLARA, Calif. —(Business Wire)— Jul. 21, 2008 By improving all the technologies involved in the manufacture of LEDs, OSRAM development engineers have achieved new records for the brightness and efficiency of white LEDs in the laboratory. Under standard conditions with an operating current of 350 mA, brightness peaked at a value of 155 lm, and efficiency at 136 lm/W. In generating these results, researchers used white prototype LEDs with 1 mm-square chips. The light produced had a color temperature of 5000K, with color coordinates at 0.349/0.393 (cx/cy).The key to OSRAM's success was the efficient interplay among all the advances made in materials and technologies. A perfectly matched system of optimized chip technology, a highly advanced and extremely efficient light converter, and a special high-performance package all combined to produce the world record performance results.
Potential applications for this high! -perform ance LED technology include general illumination, the automotive sector, and any application that calls for large, high-power LEDs. These semiconductor light sources are also suitable for high operating currents. At 1.4 A, they can produce up to 500 lm of white light. This means that in the future the LEDs can also be used for projection applications as blue and green chip versions.
Dr. Rudiger Muller, CEO at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, commented: "It was the successful convergence of OSRAM know-how in different fields that led to these new records in efficiency and brightness. Starting with the light converter, we will be gradually moving these new developments into production." OSRAM has already applied for patents for the technologies that lie behind these world record performance levels
Since Osram says plans are now to move this tech from the lab into production, we can certainly expect to see LEDs in even more places in the future. [Osram]
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341738814/blackjack-iii-coming-this-october
This method would make it possible to detect damage much faster than X-rays, nipping the problem in the bud before drilling is necessary. The testing is ongoing, but the researchers hope that the lasers could be available commercially within the next five years. Of course, you would have to actually go to the dentist on a regular basis to benefit from the procedure, so my guess is that drilling won't disappear anytime soon. [eurekalert via ZDNet]
It's pretty far down the road for any serious speculation, but rumors of an OLED-equipped iPod which would use less power by eliminating the backlight and offer better color reproduction have been flying for a while. And the 2.5-inch size matches what's currently found on the iPod classic, as well as the Zune 80 (Zune 80 uses a 3.2 inch screen, thanks Marx). Autumn 2009 is a long way off, and these could just end up in one of many OLED-equipped phones or PMPs already out there, so don't hold your breath on this one. [Bloomberg via Electronista]
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