Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Intel talks up shape-shifting "programmable matter," bugs us out

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381366301/

We've managed to somewhat wrap our brains around shape-shifting robots and printable circuits, but we're still working on fully understanding the latest Intel spill. As IDF came to a close, Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, presented a keynote speech in which he explained just how close the outfit was to realizing "programmable matter." Granted, he did confess that end products were still years away, but researchers have been looking at ways to "make an object of any imaginable shape," where users could simply hit a print button and watch the matter "take that shape." He also explained that the idea of programmable matter "revolves around tiny glass spheres with processing power and photovoltaic for generating electricity to run the tiny circuitry." For those now sitting with a blank stare on their face (read: that's pretty much all of you, no?), hit up the read link for even more mind-boggling "explanations."

[Via MAKE]

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Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381471510/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Although it's no secret that RFID is easily hacked (see: train passes, passports, credit cards, one billion other cards, etc.) it's still not necessarily common knowledge, and it sounds like the major credit card companies want to keep it that way -- according to Adam Savage, Mythbusters was all set to do a show exposing the weak security behind most RFID implementations but was shut down by lawyers from "American Express, Visa, Discover, and everybody else... [who] absolutely made it really clear to Discovery that they were not going to air this episode." Since Discovery is an ad-supported channel, it's not surprising that it backed down, but we'd say that the credit card industry would be far better served spending money on actually improving security rather than lawyering up and trying to keep consumers in the dark. Video after the break.

[Via Wired]

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NEC debuts "premium" 22-inch EA221WM LCD monitor

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381541860/

Filed under: Displays

Impressed by the NEC EA261WM's frog-displaying abilities but think it's about four inches too much for you? Then good news! NEC has now introduced the MultiSync EA221WM, which boasts many of the same "premium" features in a slightly more desk-friendly 22-inch size. That includes a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5 ms response time, a four port USB 2.0 hub, and NEC's trademark ECO Mode and carbon footprint meter, to name a few, although you will have to make do with a drop to 250 cd/m² brightness, and a 1680 x 1050 resolution instead of the full 1,920 x 1,200 on the 26-inch model. On the upside, the EA221WM's $390 price tag is a good deal more affordable than that of its larger counterpart, and you'll be able to get your hands on it sometime this month.

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ATP PhotoFinder mini geotagger doesn't require software

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381595730/

Filed under: Digital Cameras, GPS

Most of the geotaggers we've seen have written location data to your photos using some fancy software on your machine after you've pulled images off your camera, but ATP's PhotoFinder mini moves the tagging step backwards in the process, writing geodata directly to images on your memory card. Like similar devices, the PhotoFinder mini records timelogged GPS data from a SiRF Star III chip while you shoot -- but when you're done, you insert your card into a base station, which tags your images using their EXIF timestamps. Sounds like a much simpler system than relying on third-party software to integrate with your photo-management apps -- we just wish the dock was also a card reader, which would make this a one-step process. No pricing info yet, but if this thing is reasonable, it'll certainly be tempting.

[Via Photography Blog, thanks Mark]

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Sony, Samsung both claim "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381633230/

Filed under: HDTV

We already caught sight of Sony's Bravia Z4500 LCD TV with 200Hz "MotionFlow" before and after it was officially unveiled at IFA, but it wasn't the only such set on the scene, with Samsung also touting a "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV of its own. Apparently, the distinction is that Samsung supposedly had the world's first prototype, while Sony will actually be the first to market with one. All this is also slightly further complicated by the fact that Sony and Samsung have each also already introduced 240Hz LCD TVs in Japan, although we're chalking those up to the usual 50 / 60Hz, NTSC / PAL differences. One thing that is clear, however, is that both sets sure are impressive, and you can get a taste of each by checking out Engadget en Español's round-up at the link below.

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India's underground CAPTCHA-breaking economy

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/378950042/indias-underground-c.html

ZDNet's Dancho Danchev has a nice little investigative piece about the underground economy in cheapo Indian data-centers that break CAPTCHAs for spammers all day long:

Data processing as a mentality is visible in all the applications a human CAPTCHA solver is using. Basically, there's no indication which service's authentication model they're currently abusing, CAPTCHA breaking is replaced with CAPTCHA solving making it look like it's a some sort of a challenge that they have to solve.
Recruitment of the people that would be later tested for whether on not they quality for the job by exposing them to CAPTCHAs from different services, and a timer running in the background, is mainly done through advertisements like the following :
* easy work
* no learning needed
* no investment needed
* weekly payout
* work from home
* work when you want
* flexible working hours
* highest rates in the industry

Inside India's CAPTCHA solving economy (via /.)

TouchKit: modular multitouch development kit primed for DIYers

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 25th 2008 at 3:02PM

NOR_/D's TouchKit is a modular multitouch development kit that aims to "make multitouch readily available in an open source fashion." If that sounds awfully familiar, you're probably thinking of its sister project Cubit, both of which are hoping to get multitouch into the mainstream as quickly as humanly possible. The kit itself is composed of hardware and software aspects, and of course, source files are provided for poking, prodding and researching. Interested? It'll be $1,580 shipped with a "fully assembled, frameless 70- x 50-centimeter multitouch screen, a calibrated infra-red camera, and the full base software pack."

[Via Gizmag]

Multitouch Oy demos Cell multitouch display

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/380968981/

Filed under: Desktops, Displays

Microsoft had better hurry and get more than one Surface rig out on the market, because there are plenty of other companies working on large-format multitouch hardware -- the latest is Finland's Multitouch Oy, which recently demoed its Cell display for jkkmobile. Just the usual photo pinching demo, but it's running at an impressively fluid 60fps on desktop hardware, even with multiple users. Multitouch Oy says it'll run about $7,000 for a 32-inch model when it hits -- yeah, we'll stick with the DIY kit for now. Video after the break.

[Via jkkmobile]

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IOGEAR's DVI Net ShareStation networks one display for multiple users

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/381023908/

Filed under: Displays, Peripherals

While we imagine that some folks are sick and tired of fighting over the sole display in the house, some people out there are looking for a reason to quarrel over the biggest one. IOGEAR's DVI Net ShareStation is here to help, providing one display with an Ethernet connection so that any and all computers on the same network can ~~battle for it~~ share. Debuting at CEDIA, the tiny box includes a DVI / VGA adapter and an Ethernet jack, and it supports streamed resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,200. Furthermore, users who just want to add an external display to their system can do so by simply connecting the device to a USB port. It's available now for $199.95, and the release can be seen in full by clicking through below.

Continue reading IOGEAR's DVI Net ShareStation networks one display for multiple users

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Mirror Ball Light by Dann Spann

Source: http://cubeme.com/blog/2008/08/20/mirror-ball-light-by-dann-spann/

This really original mirror light from the Coroflot portfolio is created by Dann Spann.

Link Via [Core77]

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Lightmark Photos by Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke

Source: http://cubeme.com/blog/2008/08/26/lightmark-photos-by-cenci-goepel-and-jens-warnecke/

Lightmark is a fantastic site that contains an amazing display photographs by Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke. The duo took long exposures of lights to create some amazing effects.

Link Via [Neatorama] & [Mylitantpaltypus]

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You Canât See the Cables for the Tree

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/377846459/

“GoGreen” is the new phrase that seems to echo around the world. With many joining the bandwagon, it shows that many of us are trying to make a conscious effort to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle. PhotonSynthesis is a device by designer Vivien Muller, which is a solar-cell bonsai lookalike, tree charger. You can charge your cell, your Mp3 player or a number of other electronic gadgets by plugging in to the tree. With its’ 57 photovoltaic panels, the sun can power your tree during the day - no water needed. The solar energy is stored into a battery, allowing you to plug up anytime you need to. Gadget cables and adapters can be hidden away beneath the trees’ “soil”. Definitely a decorative way to go green!

Designer: Vivien Muller [ Via: Gizmodo ]

Vivien Muller

PhoneSpamFilter Identifies Telemarketers [Telemarketers]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/378045962/phonespamfilter-identifies-telemarketers

Receiving frequent phone calls from a number you don't recognize? If you've ruled out the possibility that it's your Venezuelan stalker, turn to the PhoneSpamFilter web site to figure out exactly who it is that's calling you. Users submit complaints about numbers that have called them at PhoneSpamFilter, and you can see if the same number that's been bugging you appears there. Just this week a mystery number kept calling my wife's cellphone and leaving cryptic messages about cars and extended warranties. A search of the PhoneSpamFilter database for that number yielded complaints from other people about automobile-related telemarketing calls originating from that number. Mystery solved. If you don't find anything with a search at PhoneSpamFilter, check out CallerComplaints.