Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier gets unveiled

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348536019/

It looks like the Mojave Desert is once again the center of the private space industry, with Richard Branson and crew on hand to unveil Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier as promised. This craft (only the first of more that are promised) has been named EVE (after Branson's mother) and, with a 140-foot wingspan, it's apparently now officially the largest all carbon-composite aircraft ever made. Eventually, it'll be used to help carry the yet-to-be-completed SpaceShipTwo craft in orbit although, as Burt Rutan himself tells Space.com, that's still a little ways off, with him saying that while could be ready to go after just 40 tests flights, they'll likely do a few more than that for good measure. Head on past the break for a few more pics.

Read - Space.com, "Virgin Galactic Unveils Space Liner Mothership "
Read - Wired Science, "First Look at Virgin Galactic's New Mothership, WhiteKnightTwo"

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Vizio readies 26-inch VMM monitor: its first LCD aimed at dedicated PC users

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348593371/

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Vizio made some waves recently with the introduction of two bargain-priced plasmas, but it could garner attention from a whole new sect of individuals next month. Reportedly, the outfit is gearing up to launch "its first monitor tailored for dedicated PC users" in late August, the 26-inch widescreen VMM monitor. We are told that it'll boast HDMI inputs, reduced brightness and higher resolution "than typical IT displays," but aside from that (and the $449 price tag), the rest remains a mystery. Also of note, the company is expected to debut an "eco-friendly" line of TVs this October, which are said to "operate with 35- to 45-percent less power than traditional LCD TVs of comparable size." Way to keep us on the edge of our seats, Vizio.

[Via Electronista]

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Toshiba rolls out budget-priced Camileo H10 HD camcorder

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348757324/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

It looks like those wanting to get some HD recoding done on the cheap but not willing to venture into some less familiar territory now have a new option to consider from Toshiba, which is set to release its new Camileo H10 camcorder. It'll give you the usual 720p recording, along with a 5x optical zoom, a 10-megapixel sensor, 64MB of memory, an SDHC card slot for expansion, image stabilization, motion detection and, of course, an HDMI output to let you view your low-budget masterpieces. No word on a release 'round these parts, unfortunately, but those in the UK can apparently get their hands on one at the end of the month for £180 ($360, or less once the VAT and whatnot are taken out of the equation).

[Via Tech Digest]

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RAmos iTV PMP is first to handle China's CMMB mobile TV standard

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348830824/

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

If you haven't noticed, China's going all out to improve itself before the world fixes its eyes upon Beijing in just over a week. Rather than plunking down license fees to use a protocol that's widely accepted, China has chosen to create its own digital TV standard: CMMB. Amazingly, RAmos has actually churned out a PMP to take advantage of said standard, and just in time for the 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, we really know nothing about the iTV except that it can understand CMMB, so screen size, internal storage and everything else remains unknown. Heck, we don't even know how expensive it is -- but hey, it supports CMMB (for the three weeks you're in China, after which it's partially worthless)!

[Via iTech News Net]

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iPhone 3G accidentally snaps photo in factory, reveals long lost siblings

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348848420/

Filed under: Cellphones

Unless you hit the jackpot at an Apple Store, you aren't apt to see this many iPhone 3Gs in one place without planning a meetup. As the story goes, one particular lady picked up one of Apple's latest handsets, took it home and began checking things out. Curiously, a trio of images were already on the Camera Roll. Upon viewing them, she noticed two snaps overcome with blur and the one you see above -- likely a rare look into an iPhone 3G factory. Not that we haven't see Apple products give away their place of origin before, but still interesting nonetheless. Now, scurry along and check out your own roll to see if any hidden treasures are waiting.

[Via TUAW]

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Pentax Optio E60's 10 megapixels are easy on the wallet

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348866541/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

In strict megapixel to dollar terms, the new Optio E60 from Pentax is a real steal, at a mere $140 for its absurd 10 megapixels. Of course, there's more to the story. The 3x zoom and lack of optical image stabilization -- "High Sensitivity Digital Shake Reduction" is little comfort -- won't be winning you any "best candid shot of whatever we did last night" awards, but there are some decent automatic perks like face recognition and a "Green" settings mode for absolute novices that should keep you from getting booted out of your Flickr pool. The E60, which is powered by AA batteries, will be available in October.

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Buffalo solders up 32GB and 64GB SSDs for Eee PC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/348939626/

Filed under: Laptops, Storage

Those fine folks at Buffalo are working on 32GB and 64GB PCI-E SSDs for the Eee PC 901 (and others, we're guessing), to be released in September. That's all well and good, but what's even more exciting are the price points: 32GB will be retailing for around 16,800 yen (about $157 US) while the 64GB will go for 33,600 yen ($313 US). Sure, a storage device the same price as your computer is never ideal, but with SSD prices continuing to plummet -- as evidenced by this nearly-wallet-friendly pair -- they should be in striking distance before long.

[Via jkkmobile]

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Dell debuts Studio Hybrid line of "petite" desktop PCs

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/349071506/

Filed under: Desktops

Like most product from Dell these days, there's little surprise left in Dell's Studio Hybrid desktop lineup of eco-friendly little PCs. First unveiled as a bamboo-clad concept in April, the computer is finally being released by the hardware giant with a starting price of $499, with interchangeable sleeves of Bamboo, Emerald, Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Slate and Topaz -- the latter six being of the shiny plastic ilk. Dell isn't slouching on specs though, and seems to realize the potential of the Studio Hybrid -- which can be stood vertically or horizontally -- in the living room. There's an HDMI port standard, along with options for WiFi, a wireless keyboard and mouse, Blu-ray and a TV tuner. Dell doesn't ignore the "green" roots of this project, either, and is including a system recycling kit, along with the natural reduction in packing and manufacturing materials. The Studio Hybrid should be available today.

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Dell debuts Studio Hybrid line of "petite" desktop PCs

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/349071506/

Filed under: Desktops

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Dell's new Inspiron 13 and Inspiron 518 are after your back to school dollar

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/349080645/

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Dell has never failed to provide compelling reasons -- particularly pricetags -- for students and / or their cash-strapped parents to pick up a Dell desktop or laptop on the way back to school. This year seems no exception, with Dell adding some special Inspiron configurations to its already beefy budget lineups. The Inspiron 13 laptop (pictured) is pretty much laptop 101, with a 13-inch screen, 8-in-1 media card reader and slot-loading DVD drive in the base model -- you'll have to fork over extra for WiFi, a webcam or Bluetooth. Wal-mart will be carrying a $699 version starting August 3rd, with full configuration coming to Dell.com later that month. The Inspiron 518 desktop (after the break) is similarly straightforward, with DirectX 10 integrated graphics, gigabit Ethernet and a pair of easy-access USB ports on top of the case, in addition to options for a 500GB hard drive and quad core processors. The starting price is $349, and the systems should be available today.

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