Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Google working to make electric vehicles charge more efficiently

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/google-working-to-make-electric-vehicles-charge-more-efficiently/

The idea to make plug-in electric vehicles charge more efficiently and reduce strain on the grid is hardly a new one, but it looks like none other than Google thinks it can do things better, and it's now reportedly doing some "preliminary work" in the area. As you might expect with all things "Google" and "preliminary," however, there's virtually a complete lack of details at the moment, with the company's director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives, Dan Reicher, only going so far as to say that it has "done a little bit of work on the software side looking at how you would write a computer code to manage this sort of charging infrastructure." As Reuters notes, however, this isn't the first time Google has dabbled in the electric vehicle waters, with it previously forming a partnership with Toyota and Ford back in 2007 to test some gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles converted into plug-ins that run mostly on electricity, which Google says it has been testing "pretty intensely" over the last few years.

Filed under: Transportation

Google working to make electric vehicles charge more efficiently originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okoro delivers mini Media PCs with a full size price tag

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/okoro-delivers-mini-media-pcs-with-a-full-size-price-tag/

Continuing its streak of questionably high priced media PCs Okoro has announced the new OMS-Q100 and OMS-Q200 Quantum mini Digital Entertainment Systems. Combining an Intel Atom processor and NVIDIA ION in the OMS-Q200 and Mobile Core 2 Duo in the OMS-Q200 with 4GB of RAM with 320GB of hard drive space, 7.1 audio outputs, OTA & QAM recording capability (plus optional digital cable tuner) these tiny, quiet boxes could find a welcoming home theater somewhere, though the starting price of $1,295 may make for a difficult fit. You probably don't need our help to put together something equivalent or better for less than that, but feel welcome to it.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs

Okoro delivers mini Media PCs with a full size price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp combines its latest LCD improvements in LX series HDTVs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/sharp-combines-its-latest-lcd-improvements-in-lx-series-hdtvs/

Coming straight out of a brand new 10G production facility in Sakai, Sharp's line of LX HDTVs (in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch sizes) are all sporting the latest in LCD technology with UV²A panels and LED backlighting. Unfortunately, like Sony, these new screens abandon the higher quality RGB LED technology of the pricey XS1 series for cheaper white LEDs. Still, with a price of around $5,000 for a 52-inch compared to the $12,000 sticker shock of the XS1, it's easy to see why the switch was made. Other improvements include a light sensor for auto-calibration, a six speaker (5 speakers on the 40-inch) integrated 2.1 channel sound system with "Duo Bass" subwoofer and the usual assortment of VOD and AQUOS network support in store for Japanese buyers this November. While already available on a few U.S. models expect the new tech to spread across Sharp's U.S. lineup shortly, not to mention Sony and anyone other parties interested in a piece of the company's suddenly expanded manufacturing muscle.

[Via AV Watch & Akihabara News]

Filed under: HDTV

Sharp combines its latest LCD improvements in LX series HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's sensual Latitude Z now on sale, starts at $1,799

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/dells-sensual-latitude-z-now-on-sale-starts-at-1-799/

Mmm, sexy. To be honest, we're still trying to shake the butterflies we felt when we touched Dell's 16-inch Latitude Z yesterday, and if you'd care to join us, you can place your order right now. The base package gets going at $1,799 after a $200 instant rebate, and that'll net you a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU, 64GB SSD, Intel's GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 4-cell battery, 8x slot-loading DVD burner, 802.11a/g/n WiFi and a 3-year warranty. So, who's putting a dent in their credit card tonight? Be honest -- we're all friends here.

[Via Laptoping]

Gallery: Dell Latitude Z 600 hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

Dell's sensual Latitude Z now on sale, starts at $1,799 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's ION-enriched N510 reviewed approvingly, still needs price trim

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/samsungs-ion-enriched-n510-reviewed-approvingly-still-needs-pr/

We dare say NVIDIA's ION platform hasn't been the quickest to go from announcement to market availability, but at long last we're seeing a number of pretty decent options cropping up. The Samsung N510 is a great test case for the prowess of the chipset, as it boasts the otherwise entirely unremarkable Atom N280, 1GB RAM and 160GB HDD spec, meaning that whatever performance gains it exhibits will be down to the ION infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, the 11.6-inch machine showed marked improvements over standard netbooks in the graphics department, with hardware-accelerated 1080p video decoding and mildly graphically-intensive games made possible. With six and a half hours of battery life and a matte 1366 x 768 screen, the N510 was well received by the PC Pro team, who could only bemoan the uncompetitive pricing of £382 (about $613). Hit the read link for their full impressions.

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung's ION-enriched N510 reviewed approvingly, still needs price trim originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Borders pulls a B&N, offers free WiFi to all patrons

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/borders-pulls-a-bandn-offers-free-wifi-to-all-patrons/

In the gory, never-ending war for book store supremacy, Borders has just tapped Verizon in order to match Barnes & Noble's summer efforts to bring gratis WiFi to all who enter. Details of the arrangement are scant, but the takeaway is this: in "virtually all" of its more than 500 stores nationwide, Borders is hooking up with Verizon to bring free internet to anyone who sashays in (note: you literally have to dance upon entering) with a WiFi-enabled device. The service is expected to be fully rolled out by mid-October, giving you plenty of time to select the scarf and skinny jeans you'd like to be seen in by your fellow hipsters.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Borders pulls a B&N, offers free WiFi to all patrons originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell adds dual-core SU1400 CPU, other options to Inspiron 11z

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/dell-adds-dual-core-su1400-cpu-other-options-to-inspiron-11z/

Dell's 11.6-inch Inspiron 11z just went on sale last month, and already the outfit is opening up the options for those not entirely pleased with the single $399 model. Starting today, a $479 configuration is available to ship with a 250GB HDD and Vista Home Premium (with a Windows 7 upgrade, of course), and if that's still not enough, prospective customers can soon select their 11z in a variety of colors. We're talking Alpine White, Ice Blue, Jade Green, New Cherry Red, Passion Purple and Promise Pink, with the latter contributing $5 to breast cancer research. As for optional hardware upgrades, you can slot a dual-core Pentium SU1400 CPU in there alongside 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. As of this very moment, Dell has yet to open up the CTO doors, but we're guessing an admin is on that as we speak. Right, Dell?

Filed under: Laptops

Dell adds dual-core SU1400 CPU, other options to Inspiron 11z originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Imagio launches on Verizon: WinMo 6.5 and VCAST TV on October 6

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/htc-imagio-launches-on-verizon-winmo-6-5-and-vcast-tv-on-octobe/

Those Imagio rumors have proven to be deliciously correct, with Verizon officially announcing the beastly Windows Mobile 6.5 set for availability on October 6 -- the first day 6.5 devices will officially be available anywhere. HTC's latest CDMA device features a spacious wide VGA display clocking in at 3.6 inches, a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, quadband EDGE plus HSPA 2100 for when you're looking for a little connectivity abroad, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the very latest iteration of TouchFLO 3D featuring social network integration, but the most interesting feature might be its support for MediaFLO-based VCAST TV -- a first for HTC and Windows Mobile. Interest parties need only wait until next Tuesday to latch onto an Imagio online, while retail stores will be taking delivery on the 20th of the month -- either way, you'll be paying $199.99 on contract after rebate.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Imagio launches on Verizon: WinMo 6.5 and VCAST TV on October 6 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's Gateway LT2106u 3G netbook is working for the weekend

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/verizons-gateway-lt2106u-3g-netbook-is-working-for-the-weekend/

True, it's just an ordinary netbook from an ordinary company, but the Gateway LT2106u is now official and brings with it a contractual obligation to Verizon Wireless in return for a discount off the claimed $500 retail price. Just don't get too excited about your new found frugality since you'll still be forking over monthly access fees as high as $60 per month for 5GB of data. The netbook itself packs 3G data (presumably via Qualcomm's world-wide Gobi) and the usual N270 Atom proc, 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, WiFi, and up to 6 hours of battery life if you shut everything down but the 3-in-1 memory card reader. Available October 4th for $150 after mail-in rebate.

Filed under: Laptops

Verizon's Gateway LT2106u 3G netbook is working for the weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA launches Fermi next-gen GPGPU architecture, CUDA and OpenCL get even faster

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/nvidia-launches-fermi-next-gen-gpgpu-architecture-cuda-and-open/

NVIDIA had told us it would be accelerating its CUDA program to try and get an advantage over its competitors as OpenCL brings general-purpose GPU computing to the mainstream, and it looks like that effort's paying off -- the company just announced its new Fermi CUDA architecture, which will also serve as the foundation of its next-gen GeForce and Quadro products. The new features are all pretty technical -- the world's first true cache hierarchy in a GPU, anyone? -- but the big takeaway is that CUDA and OpenCl should run even faster on this new silicon, and that's never a bad thing. Hit up the read links for the nitty-gritty, if that's what gets you going.

Read - NVIDIA Fermi site
Read - PC Perspective analysis

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

NVIDIA launches Fermi next-gen GPGPU architecture, CUDA and OpenCL get even faster originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wi-Fi Alliance updates Certified 802.11n program, intros shiny new logo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/wi-fi-alliance-updates-certified-802-11n-program-intros-shiny-n/

It's all paperwork at this point, but you had to know that the Wi-Fi Alliance wouldn't just let the two-year old 802.11n draft 2.0 program remain as it was now that the protocol is finally finished, right? Announced today, said organization is updating the Wi-Fi Certified program to add testing for "popular optional features now more widely available in WiFi equipment," all of which are detailed in the read link. The real news, however, is the new face. On the same day that we were shown an absolutely spectacular new Windows 7 logo -- one that will inevitably mar your next laptop's palm rest -- the Wi-Fi Alliance (or the WFA, as we call 'em at the poker table) is rolling out an updated logo, family of taglines and product labeling matrix. Thrilling, isn't it? Head on past the break for a few more... if you're into that kind of thing.

[Via PC World]

Continue reading Wi-Fi Alliance updates Certified 802.11n program, intros shiny new logo

Filed under: Wireless

Wi-Fi Alliance updates Certified 802.11n program, intros shiny new logo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony single lens 240 fps camera is great for 3D (& 2D) sports

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/sony-single-lens-240-fps-camera-is-great-for-3d-and-2d-sports/

We've said it before and we'll say it again, sports, not movies or video games is 3D's killer app, and this prototype camera from Sony is designed specifically to help bring the two closer together. Set to debut at CEATEC next week, the HFR Comfort-3D records at 240 fps through just one lens instead of two thanks to a new half-mirror system that takes left and right eye images at the same time, better for capturing fast motion and providing viewers lacking polarized glasses a 2D picture with minimal blurring. One of our few complaints during last year's BCS National Championship 3D experience was occasional benefits caused by fast left-right motion which this system could make a non-issue. Check after the break for a detailed (in Japanese) diagram that should help make things clearer -- for those that can read the language -- the rest of us are waiting for ESPN or someone else to tote a few of these down to the Super Bowl in 2010 and make magic happen.

[Via AV Watch, thanks Derek for English PR]

Continue reading Sony single lens 240 fps camera is great for 3D (& 2D) sports

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

Sony single lens 240 fps camera is great for 3D (& 2D) sports originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N900 undergoes extensive preview, N97 found sobbing in a corner

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/nokia-n900-undergoes-extensive-preview-n97-found-sobbing-in-a-c/

Our amateur sleuthing skills tell us there might be a tiny bit of excitement about this N900 device. With the Maemo 5 environment already reviewed and measured up, it's the turn of the hardware to get exhaustively previewed. The My Symbian team took a look at a prototype unit and were immediately impressed by the 800 x 480 display and relatively compact dimensions for such a loaded phone. The resistive touchscreen was on par with the N97, though it picked up scratches too easily for their liking ( a screen protector is recommended), while the keyboard was deemed small but still a major improvement over the N97's. Internals rated well, with the 600MHz Cortex-A8 CPU and "superb" video recording grabbing plaudits. Perplexingly, there was only 256MB allocated to application installs (see image after the break), which can be altered by those with Linux knowhow, but this may draw plenty of ire from mainstream, app-hungry consumers, considering the device is capable of holding 48GB of total memory. On the outside, the camera cover was found to scratch the case around the lens (but not the lens itself like on some N97 units) while sliding, and removing the stylus from its slot revealed some bare electronics, both of which rather undermined the overall feel of a well-built device. They did find connectivity on the device a pretty dreamy and trouble-free affair, but we're still only scratching the surface here -- hit up the read link for the whole enchilada.

[Via MobileTechWorld]

Con! tinue re ading Nokia N900 undergoes extensive preview, N97 found sobbing in a corner

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia N900 undergoes extensive preview, N97 found sobbing in a corner originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Video: Google Earth animated with real time human and vehicular traffic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/video-google-earth-animated-with-real-time-human-and-vehicular/

Mmm, real time dynamic maps of the Earth. It seems nowadays that supervillainy just isn't as hard as it used to be. Back in the days of Hugo Drax, you had to be a filthy rich eccentric to ever get to spy on the whole world, whereas today all you need is Google Earth and some Georgia Institute of Technology students. Using motion capture data and the veritable litany of CCTV cameras people have surrounded themselves with, the team have succeeded in mapping and animating the real time movements of cars, people and clouds. A proper unveiling is coming up at a symposium next month, by which point they might have added weather patterns, birds and river motions to that list, but for now you can enjoy the video demo after the break.

[Via Engadget Polish]

Continue reading Video: Google Earth animated with real time human and vehicular traffic

Filed under: Software

Video: Google Earth animated with real time human and vehicular traffic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swordfish Net 102 Dual: the first netbook with twin Atom CPUs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/swordfish-net-102-dual-the-first-netbook-with-twin-atom-cpus/

Alright, so we're going to go ahead and caution against buying anything that claims to have a "dual Bluetooth" module, but if you're feeling froggy, the planet's first (and probably last) dual CPU netbook has just been launched. Not dual core, mind you, but dual processor. The admittedly chintzy looking Swordfish Net 102 Dual claims to have a pair of 1.6GHz Atom N270s within, not to mention 2GB of DDR2 RAM, optional WWAN, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 10.2-inch display (1,024 x 600 resolution), a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP runnin' the show. It's available to order for the low, low price of $449, though we wouldn't expect the stock 3-cell battery to last very long (read: an hour) with a pair of CPUs sucking down juice.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Laptops

Swordfish Net 102 Dual: the first netbook with twin Atom CPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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