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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/winfast-hpvc1100-is-worlds-first-external-spursengine-encoder/

Toshiba's Cell-based SpursEngine HD video co-processor has made plenty of appearances within monstrous gaming machines, but this marks the very first time where it has stepped out of the laptop chassis and into a portable enclosure. Granted, the language barrier is killing us here, but it seems as if the Leadtek WinFast HPVC1100 wraps a SpursEngine encoder into an on-the-go solution that can be lugged around with a standard laptop in order to churn through video while on set, in the field or on the road. Other specs include 128MB of RAM, a PCI-Express slot and a weight of 1.54 pounds; there's no word just yet on pricing or availability. One more shot is after the break.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Video

WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/samsungs-30nm-nand-chips-give-birth-to-32gb-memory-cards/

Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards

Remember the halcyon days of 2007, when Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" rocked the charts and Samsung revealed its 30-nm manufacturing process, promising a 128GB memory card in every digicam? We're still not quite there yet, but the company is finally releasing the first cards to utilize that manufacturing process, the biggest offering 32GB of storage goodness. That's twice the capacity of its 40nm cards, which never made it past the 16GB mark. 30nm moviNAND chips are in production now in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB sizes, and hopefully will hit retail before that 33 megapixel Mamiya we've had on order finally ships.

Filed under: Storage

Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JVC debuts 8K / 4K prototype camcorders, moviemakers drool

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/jvc-debuts-8k-4k-prototype-camcorders-moviemakers-drool/

Aw, snap. Just when you thought the 4K market couldn't get any more dominated by RED and the gang, along comes JVC to shake things up. For reasons unknown, the company has chosen now (and not a few weeks back at NAB) to unleash its prototype 4K and 8K camcorders, both of which boast D-ILA technology and can capture clips at a downright mind-blowing 8,912 x 4,320 or 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. There's also a more "compact" sibling which does 4K only, but even it provides plenty of pixels to zoom and pan in unprecedented clarity on. So JVC -- you, us, CEDIA 2009. It's a date, cool?

Update: More details here. Thanks, Geoff!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

JVC debuts 8K / 4K prototype camcorders, moviemakers drool originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/corsairs-speedy-p256-256gb-solid-state-drive-now-shipping/

Remember that then-named S256 we saw sneak out right around a month ago? Yeah, that bad boy's finally on sale, and it's shipping as we speak from a number of trustworthy e-tailers. Said SSD -- which now goes formally by P256 -- packs specially selected Samsung MLC flash memory and a sophisticated Samsung Controller IC, coupled with 128MB of cache memory and Native Command Queuing (NCQ) support for stutter-free performance. By the books, this one can reach speeds of up to 220MB/sec (read) and 200MB/sec (write), though you can bet you'll be paying for the haste. We're seeing it on sale for around $658 online, though Dell's listing shows a wicked steep $851.99. Either way, ouch. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

Filed under: Storage

Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Japanese Find Out How to Make Heart-Shaped Watermelons [Watermelons]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7NZRtyadFyQ/japanese-find-out-how-to-make-heart+shaped-watermelons

Having mastered the art of making square watermelons and even pyramid watermelons, Japanese farmers turned to making heart-shaped watermelons.

These 15,750 yen ($160) watermelons were grown by a couple and took three years to perfect down to the point where they were good enough to convince people to pay $160 for them. There's only 20 melons in this batch, but we're sure Mr. and Mrs. Hiroichi Kimura will grow more next season. [Asahi via Japan Probe via Inventor Spot via Boing Boing]

NY storefront hosts the first no-glasses 3D LCD ad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/ny-storefront-hosts-the-first-no-glasses-3d-lcd-ad/

Like 3D, don't like glasses? Check out 750 7th Avenue at 50th Street in New York for the Snickers display where Inwindow Outdoor and Alioscopy have teamed up for the first 3D LCD ad on a storefront. The 42-inch panel uses an 8x recorded autosteroscopic (read: no glasses) 3D process to make the catchphrase jump off the wall at passers-by. The installation debuted May 6, and for the small cost of being marketed to vs. the now-shelved €18,000 Philips screen we once lusted after, it's a cheap way for us to get a peek at the future.

Filed under: Displays

NY storefront hosts the first no-glasses 3D LCD ad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flexible, stretchable, rubbery OLED prototype shown off in Tokyo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/flexible-stretchable-rubbery-oled-prototype-shown-off-in-tokyo/

Electrical engineering researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a flexible, stretchable OLED that acts something like rubber, and does not tear or break when stretched. The material is produced by spraying a layer of carbon nanotubes with a fluoro-rubber compound, creating a rubbery, conducive material. The current, monochrome display prototype has a resolution of just 256 pixels, is 10-centimeters square, and can apparently be folded about 1,000 times with out falling apart, tearing, or imploding. The team is presenting its findings in the British science journal Nature Materials this month.

[Via Slashgear]

Filed under: Displays, Science

Flexible, stretchable, rubbery OLED prototype shown off in Tokyo originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaCie hurdles the 10TB barrier, upgrades its 2big and 5big RAID drives

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/lacie-hurdles-the-10tb-barrier-upgrades-its-2big-and-5big-raid/

The kids at LaCie are clearly out of control. Every time we turn around they're unveiling another big, bad storage solution aimed at a world hungry for... well, more storage. If the old 8TB model was a little slight for your liking, the company has announced product upgrades for both the 2big Network and 5big Network devices, featuring Apple Time Machine and in the case of the 5big device, iTunes server support. While the latter rocks five hot-swappable drive bays for up to 10TB storage and a $799.99 MSRP, the 2big device sports a 'mere' 4TB of RAID action at an MSRP of $319.99. These are devices that speak calmly, in an eerie monotone, pronouncing that they still have the "utmost enthusiasm and confidence" in your mission. They clearly "want to help you." Available soon on the company's website.

Continue reading LaCie hurdles the 10TB barrier, upgrades its 2big and 5big RAID drives

Filed under: Storage

LaCie hurdles the 10TB barrier, upgrades its 2big and 5big RAID drives originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flat-panel TV sales jump 23% over last year, Vizio leads the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/flat-panel-tv-sales-jump-23-over-last-year-vizio-leads-the-way/

We'd already heard that Vizio has vaulted back into first place among LCD TV manufacturers, but a new series of numbers compiled by the folks at DisplaySearch is now shedding a bit more light onto how much the flat-panel TV market as a whole has surged over the past year. Apparently, about 7.2 million flat-panel sets were moved during the first quarter of 2009 alone, which represents a sizable 23% increase over the numbers from the first quarter of 2008. DisplaySearch also expectedly reconfirms Vizio's number one status, although its figures are a tad more conservative and peg Vizio's market share at a still impressive 18.9% (as opposed to the 21.6% found by iSupply), which is well above the 8.5% earned by the likes of rival Funai (producer of TVs for Sylvania, Emerson and other low-cost brands). As you might expect, higher-end brands like Sony and Samsung weren't as able to buck the economic downturn quite so easily, and they actually saw their sales decrease compared to the same period last year.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Flat-panel TV sales jump 23% over last year, Vizio leads the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bomberman Explodes Plants

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/NffMDh_o9SM/

This title maybe misleading but the intention is pretty peaceful! Legend has it that after the World War II got over, American pilot Gale Halvorson airdropped candies in the name of hope, for the Berlin children. War equals devastation, so dropping candies instead of bombs was probably personal retribution. Inspired by this incident, designer Hwang Jin wook and pals have come up with a plan to combat deforestation and desertification of land in a similar fashion. Their mission is called "Seedbomb."

Mission Seedbomb involves a bomber aircraft and charges full of the Seed Capsules. Essentially the project involves artificial dispersal of seeds over arid areas where natural vegetation has lapsed due to man-made follies like deforestation leading to desertification. Each capsule contains artificial soil and seeds, and are air-dropped over the selected regions.

Housed in biodegradable plastic, the artificial soil provides nourishment and moisture to the seed; till it grows out to be a strong enough plant to sustain itself. As the sapling matures, the plastic capsule melts away, leaving behind a brand new generation.

Sounds like Mission (im)Possible to me, however the logistics of desert environment and the kind of seeds to be dispersed will require a lot research and expertise from the botanists. Because once the capsule melts away and the artificial soil's nourishment and moisture used up, it'll take a lot of effort on the plant's part to survive the harsh environment.

Designers: Hwang Jin wook, Jeon You ho, Han Kuk il & Kim Ji myung

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Samsung's i7500 Android phone shows up in another, more epic hands-on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/10/samsungs-i7500-android-phone-shows-up-in-another-more-epic-han/

Sure, we already got a pretty decent look at Samsung's first Android device -- the i7500 -- just a few short days ago. Tech 65's video, however, gives the phone a much more in depth once-over, and while the software is still not in its final state, it's looking pretty smart over all. If you've forgotten, the quad-band GSM, tri-band 7.2Mbps HSDPA (900/1700/2100MHz) handset boasts a 3.2-inch, 320 x 480 pixel AMOLED touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of storage with MicroSD expansion for up to 32GB more, and a standard 3.5mm jack. Hit the video after the break, but fair warning: this video does not have any awesome hair metal.

Continue reading Samsung's i7500 Android phone shows up in another, more epic hands-on video

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung's i7500 Android phone shows up in another, more epic hands-on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 May 2009 22:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Dynabook UX reviewed, deemed a cut above other netbooks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/toshiba-dynabook-ux-reviewed-deemed-a-cut-above-other-netbooks/

Toshiba's 10.1-inch netbook -- the Dynabook UX -- hasn't been on our radar terribly long, but already it's beginning to make the review rounds. Portable Monkey's just gotten their hands on one and while they are fans of the design, think the over all build quality is a bit better than many netbooks, and also found the battery life to be pretty good (they got about 3.5 hours per charge), there are also a few drawbacks. The keyboard is cramped, the built-in scrolling is none too responsive, and the volume of the speakers is extremely quiet. The NB200 is set to be released in the coming months in the UK, and it's expected to run about $600 when it makes its way to the US.

Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba Dynabook UX reviewed, deemed a cut above other netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's ST2010 20-inch monitor to bring HDMI for about $120

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/11/dells-st2010-20-inch-monitor-to-bring-hdmi-for-about-120/

Regardless of its efforts, when discussing desktops, laptops, and even rumored smartphones, there are few brands in the business capable of inspiring a deep, consumer yawn as quickly as Dell. That can't be said about Dell's display business however, which has consistently provided sleek monitors offering some of the best bang for the buck in the business. Dell's newest 20-incher is already out in Hong Kong where we expect it will soon begin its journey west. This entry-level monitor speaks the new design language of Dell's XPS and Studio rigs and comes packing HDMI and VGA inputs with specs that include a 1600 x 900 (that's a 16:9 aspect) pixel resolution, 5 millisecond response, 1000:1 contrast and 250 nits of brightness with a 160-degree viewing angle. Not great, but decent specs for the HK$1,098 (tax inclusive) price which we expect to be about $120 - 130 by the time model ST2010 lands Stateside.

[Thanks, John]

Filed under: Displays

Dell's ST2010 20-inch monitor to bring HDMI for about $120 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 01:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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