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Thursday, August 13, 2009

ROS: a common OS to streamline robotic engineering

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/ros-a-common-os-to-streamline-robotic-engineering/

The biannual International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence has this year shed light on a new effort to standardize robot instructions around a common platform, so that designers won't have to "reinvent the wheel over and over" with every project. Presently, robot design is undertaken in an ad hoc fashion, with both hardware and software being built from scratch, but teams at Stanford, MIT and the Technical University of Munich are hoping to change that with the Robot Operating System, or ROS. This new OS would have to compete with Microsoft's robotics offering, but the general enthusiasm for it at the conference suggests a bright future, with some brave souls even envisioning a robot app store somewhere down the line. Video after the break.

Continue reading ROS: a common OS to streamline robotic engineering

Filed under: Robots

ROS: a common OS to streamline robotic engineering originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/infrared-sensors-hit-16-megapixels-can-now-spy-on-an-entire-hem/

Aerospace and defense manufacturer Raytheon wants everyone to know it has developed the world's first 16 megapixel infrared sensor, which is set for a life of orbiting the Earth and generally being a lot more useful than lesser models. With its higher resolution, the unit is able to cover an entire half of the planet without "blinking" to relocate its focus, and should be warmly received by meteorologists, astronomists and military types, all craving for a bit more real-time reconnaissance. We advise wide-brimmed tin foil hats to shield your body heat from these Sauron-like satellites while working on those plans for a global uprising of the proletariat.

[Via TG Daily]

Filed under: Science

Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ grabs green card with LED-backlit V2200 / V2400 Eco monitors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/benq-grabs-green-card-with-led-backlit-v2200-v2400-eco-monito/

We firmly believe that the all-too-popular 'green card' is flailed about far too haphazardly these days, but whatever the case, BenQ's sure doing its darnedest to explain just how much Ma Earth adores its latest duo of V Series monitors. The 24-inch V2400 Eco and 21.5-inch V2200 Eco are both outfitted with LED-backlit 1080p panels, comically inflated dynamic contrast ratios (5,000,000:1, if you can even believe that) and a shell constructed from 28 percent recycled plastic. Meanwhile, we're told these panels can suck down around 30 percent less power while in Eco mode, and overall, they consume approximately 36 percent less power than CCFL displays. If you're onboard with everything, look for these to land in your neck of the woods soon, with China getting 'em first in a week or so.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

Filed under: Displays

BenQ grabs green card with LED-backlit V2200 / V2400 Eco monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung crams WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 into well-specced CL65 point-and-shoot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/samsung-crams-wifi-gps-and-bluetooth-2-0-into-well-specced-cl65/

If you're anything like us (and let's face it, you're exactly like us), you've been counting down the nanoseconds until Samsung finally revealed what its 'Tap and Take' campaign was all about. This, folks, is it. As many of you sharp folks surmised, Samsung is delving deep into the intelligent camera arena, equipping its luscious CL65 (no, not that CL65) with a 12.2 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 720p (30fps) movie mode, an HDMI output, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen that utilizes a Smart Gesture user interface. Furthermore, the camera can access certain features when simply tilted, and the built-in Bluetooth 2.0 module enables users to easily share images with other BT-equipped devices.

Considering that you're probably still not impressed, how's about a little more on the cutting-edge front? The point-and-shoot also includes WiFi (much like Sony's disappointing DSC-G3 and Panny's Lumix DMC-TZ50), giving users the ability to upload directly to Facebook, Picasa and YouTube. Unfortunately, all photos uploaded via WiFi will be reduced to a resolution of two megapixels, and while we understand the reasoning, we figure an option for full / reduced res would've been a much better compromise. At any rate, the device also includes DLNA support for streaming to HDTVs and the like, while the integrated GPS chip handles the geotagging. The cam, which is admittedly bursting at the seams with features, will land next month in the US for $399.99. ! Full rel ease is after the break.

Gallery: Samsung CL65 digital camera

Continue reading Samsung crams WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 into well-specced CL65 point-and-shoot

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung crams WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 into well-specced CL65 point-and-shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious Android touchscreen MID pics surface, Charles Fort notified

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/mysterious-android-touchscreen-mid-pics-surface-charles-fort-no/

It sure seems like the world is ready for an Android MID or, until it gets one, rumors and leaks to that effect. Tell us, what do you make of a slate-style device featuring the word "android" in the appropriate font, pics of the thing browsing the web (which, truth be told, look just as real as they could be 'shopped in), a couple perfunctory specs (Rockchip CPU, somewhere between a 4.3 to 5-inch display, 3G, MSN Messenger and GTalk, WiFi) and a source for the images that fails to cough up names / links to the "handful" of Chinese tech sites that are allegedly all a-buzz about this thing? Well, we don't know either -- but if you do get your hands on one of these guys, send it our way, will you? Thanks -- and in the meantime, hit that read link for the whole sordid tale (and a couple choice pics).

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Mysterious Android touchscreen MID pics surface, Charles Fort notified originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell refutes high Linux netbook return rates, but not customer ignorance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/dell-refutes-high-linux-netbook-return-rates-but-not-customer-i/

Dell refutes high Linux netbook return rates, not consumer ignorance

Microsoft is quite confident of its leadership status on the Netbook front, boasting earlier this year of 96 percent attach rate for Windows and making other, more recent claims of return rates on Linux netbooks that are "like four or five times higher" than their Windows equivalents. Dell's Senior Product Marketing Manager Todd Finch is refuting that last claim, saying "we don't see a significant difference between the return rate for Windows versus the rate for Linux." He does, however, continue to say that many people who return Linux netbooks simply bought the cheapest option they could find, expecting Windows and shipping the things back after being greeted by something other than a familiar UI upon startup. The panel at OpenSource World also tackled the topic of how to spur greater interest in Linux, and crushed the dreams of many attendees who believe in the Field of Dreams approach: get Linux machines into retailers and demand will come. The demand has to come first, says Finch, and given the general non-existence of open source marketing, that's going to take something of a Kevin Costner-scale miracle.

Filed under: Laptops

Dell refutes high Linux netbook return rates, but not customer ignorance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lanyu LY-EB01 is world's cheapest laptop with built-in obsolescence

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/lanyu-ly-eb01-is-worlds-cheapest-laptop-with-built-in-obsolesce/

Step aside, World's Cheapest Laptop, Lanyu of China just undercut you -- and the magical $100 barrier -- with the 666 Yuan ($98) LY-EB01. This marketing marvel might have a processor slower than most netbooks' FSB at 266MHz, and its 128MB of RAM might spontaneously combust if you even type the word Vista into it, but it is, technically, a laptop. And you can totally store, like, a few hundred Word files on the 2GB flash drive. Having played around with the previous champ of the 'cheap 'n useless' weight class, we must at least congratulate Lanyu on a solid looking construction, and hey, apparently there's a chance for a release outside China. Aren't you excited?

[Via Cloned in China]

Filed under: Laptops

Lanyu LY-EB01 is world's cheapest laptop with built-in obsolescence originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 3i smartphone captured in pair of spy shots

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/dell-mini-3i-smartphone-captured-in-pair-of-spy-shots/

Well, it's looking increasingly like those very first shots of a rumored Dell smartphone that cropped up way back in June were indeed the real deal, as two separate sets of purported spy pics have now turned up showing an identical-looking phone. Better still, they also show the device powered on, offering us our first look at Dell and China Mobile's customized Android interface for the thing. The Boy Genius Report also goes one step further with a complete list of the phone's purported specs, which includes quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, a 3.5-inch 640 x 360 display, a 3-megapixel camera with a flash (and support for 30 fps video), Bluetooth, A-GPS, and a microSD card slot for expansion, to name a few features. Head on past the break for one more, equally blurry shot, and dive into the links below for a few pics and details.

Read - Cloned in China, "Dell Mini 3i spy shots"
Read - Boy Genius Report, "Dell's smartphone pictured again, spec'd, other Android details"

[Thanks, xleung]

Continue reading Dell Mini 3i smartphone captured in pair of spy shots

Filed under: Cellphones

Dell Mini 3i smartphone captured in pair of spy shots originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's new compacts in person: front LCDs, GPS and WiFi don't go to waste

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/samsungs-new-compacts-in-person-front-lcds-gps-and-wifi-dont/

We just got a quick look at Samsung's new trio, the TL220, TL225 and CL65, and outside of some pretty impressive specs, all three cameras offer a nice bit of innovation and looks in their own special ways. The TL220 and TL225 are the most interesting, with those snazzy front-facing LCDs. Luckily, that creepy clown picture from the press shots is just for entertaining children, and it's easy enough to switch it to a live view of our charming, MySpace-ready face. Meanwhile the CL65 offers WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0 in a rather attractive package, and has a surprisingly usable WiFi upload interface for launching pictures and photos up to the wide blue internets. Check out a video of the TL225 (which bests the TL220 with a supercharged 3.5-inch LCD) after the break.

Gallery: Samsung TL220 and TL225 hands-on

Gallery: Samsung CL65 hands-on

Continue reading Samsung's new compacts in person: front LCDs, GPS and WiFi don't go to waste

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung's new compacts in person: front LCDs, GPS and WiFi don't go to waste originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon announces AD3700 global modem from ZTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/verizon-announces-ad3700-global-modem-from-zte/

So here's some interesting insight into the wild, rough-and-tumble world of wireless product launches: Verizon announced ZTE's AD3700 USB modem today, a product that gained FCC approval over five months ago, which means it's probably been getting a trial by fire on Verizon's test labs since then. You've gotta figure that ZTE was working on the prototype for many months before FCC approval, so all told, this launch is probably a culmination of a solid year of work, cash, blood, sweat, and tears. Don't you feel obligated to buy it now? Anyhow, the modem runs $79.99 after a $50 rebate when it launches on the 14th, which is actually a really solid deal considering that it'll do EV-DO in the States and HSPA around the world for 3G service no matter where your job or your whimsical vacation travel habits might take you.

Filed under: Wireless

Verizon announces AD3700 global modem from ZTE originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RED ONE mounted to UAV, flown around San Juan Island (Update: false alarm, it's a Panasonic)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/red-one-mounted-to-uav-flown-around-san-juan-island-captured-o/

Never one to miss a chance to feature action-packed UAV footage on this space, here we have a behind-the-scenes look at the new Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band video for you. While it ain't exactly Hearts of Darkness or Burden of Dreams, sometimes there are more important things than pathos, obsession, and heartbeak -- in this case, up close and personal shots of AerialPan Imaging's custom-built remote control camera rig, complete with mounted RED ONE HD video camera. Not too many technical details for you, but there is enough remote controlled helicopter excitement to make you wish you were on location at San Juan Island with one of these bad boys. Check it out for yourself after the break.

Update: As one of our colleagues (and a couple eagle-eyed readers) so graciously pointed out, the camera mounted to the helicopter has the tell-tale markings (peep the on-board mic) of a Panasonic HVX200. Thanks, kids!

[Via CNET]

Continue reading RED ONE mounted to UAV, flown around San Juan Island (Update: false alarm, it's a Panasonic)

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Robots

RED ONE mounted to UAV, flown around San Juan Island (Update: false alarm, it's a Panasonic) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ripple unleashes dashingly handsome LOOK on unsuspecting nettop crowd

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/ripple-unleashes-dashingly-handsome-look-on-unsuspecting-nettop/

With its shapely curves and dramatic paintwork, the Ripple LOOK makes a wonderful first impression. Though not a candidate for being either the smallest or thinnest mini PC around, it's definitely one of the best looking nettops we've seen. Specs are par for the course -- dual core Atom 330, 2GB RAM, 320GB storage and Intel GMA950 graphics -- but you really don't buy devices like these for their power. Then again, we won't be buying this at all unless it does the unthinkable and finds a reseller outside Korea, where the lucky locals can have it for $321. A couple more glamor shots await after the break to soothe your heavy heart.

Continue reading Ripple unleashes dashingly handsome LOOK on unsuspecting nettop crowd

Filed under: Desktops

Ripple unleashes dashingly handsome LOOK on unsuspecting nettop crowd originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Sources' say no Apple tablet until 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/sources-say-no-apple-tablet-until-2010/

And so it continues. It seems like just when rumorland is ready to claim this month or this season as the absolute certain sure time of the Apple tablet, those pesky "sources" get cold feed and bump the imaginary release date back a year or so. At least that's what the folks at The Loop are saying. They claim "very reliable sources" have called the September rumor "flat out wrong," and state that we won't see the tablet until the first half of next year sometime. Sigh. Don't give up internet, if we just wish hard enough we know that anything is possible.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Tablet PCs

'Sources' say no Apple tablet until 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congrats @MediaTrust #9 out of Inc. 5000, Fastest Growing - http://bit.ly/K3HJm

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Unsubscribing made easy

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/c0qraShf18E/unsubscribing-made-easy.html

Posted by Brad Taylor, Gmail Spam Czar

We believe you should only get the mail you want to get. Some of you already use the "Report Spam" button on all kinds of unwanted email, and for that we're very thankful: the more spam you mark, the better our system gets at weeding out junk mail.

Unsubscribing from mailing lists and newsletters you subscribed to a while back but no longer want to receive should be just as easy. Searching through individual messages for little unsubscribe links is too big a pain —you should be able to unsubscribe with a single click.

So we just launched something that makes this all work better, both for Gmail users and big email senders. Now, when you report spam on a legitimate newsletter or mailing list, we'll help you unsubscribe. After clicking report spam, you'll see a little dialog like this:

Clicking "Unsubscribe" will automatically send a request back to the sender so they'll stop emailing you.

This only works for some senders right now. We're actively encouraging senders to support auto-unsubscribe — we think 100% should. We won't provide the unsubscribe option on messages from spammers: we can't trust that they'll actually unsubscribe you, and they might even send you more spam. So you'll only see the unsubscribe option for senders that we're pretty sure are not spammers and will actually honor your unsubscribe request. We're being pretty conservative about which senders to trust in the beginning; over time, we hope to offer the ability to unsu! bscribe from more email.

For those of you senders who are interested in this feature, the most basic requirements are including a standard "List-Unsubscribe" header in your email with a "mailto" URL and, of course, honoring requests from users wishing to unsubscribe. You'll also need to follow good sending practices, which in a nutshell means not sending unwanted email (see our bulk sending guidelines for more information).

With an easy way to unsubscribe, everybody wins. Your spam folder is smaller, and senders don't waste time sending you email that you no longer want.

Update (1:50pm): If you want to unsubscribe without reporting the message as spam, click "show details" in the top-right corner of the message, then click "Unsubscribe from this sender."

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