Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

VIA Nano 3000 CPU series finally launches to rival Intel's Atom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/03/via-nano-3000-cpu-series-finally-launches-to-rival-intels-atom/

We suppose dreams really do come true. Nearly a full year after we heard that VIA was toiling on a new processor line to really give Intel's aging Atom a run for its money, the company has come clean and confessed that those whispers were indeed true. The Isaiah-based Nano 3000 Series is a range of six new CPUs clocked between 1GHz and 2GHz, all of which boast an 800MHz FSB, 64-bit support, SSE4 instructions, Windows 7 / Linux compatibility and power ratings that check in some 20 percent more efficient than existing VIA Nano processors. There's also the promise of 1080p multimedia playback, and VIA swears that we'll see these popping up in all-in-one desktops as well as thin-and-light laptops in the very near future. How soon, you ask? Samples are shipping now to OEMs, with mass production slated for Q1 2010.

Gallery: VIA Nano 3000 CPU series finally launches to rival Intel's Atom

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

VIA Nano 3000 CPU series finally launches to rival Intel's Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Meizu M8 beta firmware looking desirable, bordering on original

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/03/new-meizu-m8-beta-firmware-looking-desirable-bordering-on-origi/

It's been almost three years since we saw our first taste of the Meizu M8, which was at that point a fairly shameless rip of the iPhone, albeit mostly theoretical. In the ensuing years we've seen an ever-changing OS and two generations of hardware, but we might be finally coming upon something worth lusting after. The new M8 Firmware 1.0.0.1 beta has been demo'd on video, and seems to be taking some new cues from Android and Windows Mobile -- along with some original and sexy UI elements of Meizu's own devising -- that really set it apart from its iPhone-aping days of yore. We're particularly fond of the unlock screen, which has three icons at the bottom that can be swiped-up like an Android app drawer, but with quick access to phone and messages, similar to how Windows Mobile 6.5 can be unlocked into multiple modes. Apparently the OS is only 50% ready, and there's no telling how many changes we might see between now and when it's finished, but for now we're fairly impressed. Video is after the break.

Continue reading New Meizu M8 beta firmware looking desirable, bordering on original

Filed under: Cellphones

New Meizu M8 beta firmware looking desirable, bordering on original originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q3 revenue (net income) IPG -18% (-47%), Omnicom -14% (-23%), WPP -9% (not rept) -- ad industry is changing - http://bit.ly/mBPbz

Monday, November 02, 2009

Sprint lights up WiMAX in NC, Chicago and Dallas, launches subsidized Mini 10

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/sprint-lights-up-wimax-in-nc-chicago-and-dallas-launches-subsi/

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Or better yet, when a leaked roadmap doesn't get delayed in the slightest? After months upon months of waiting, broadband-lovin' citizens in the North Carolina Triangle and Triad will be celebrating alongside DFW residents and Chicago natives as Sprint's 4G WiMAX service rolls into town. As of right now (that's today, junior), consumers in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Charlotte, NC; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas and Chicago, Illinois can roll into a Sprint store and snag a U300 3G / 4G WWAN modem on a $69.99 monthly data plan. We're told that San Antonio and Austin will get lit up later this month, while Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; Salem, Oregon and Seattle, Washington will join the fray before 2010. Oh, and did we mention that Palm's favorite carrier finally snagged itself a WWAN-equipped netbook? 'Cause the Dell Mini 10 is available starting today for $199.99 at select Sprint stores in the metropolitan Baltimore area.

Update: Looks like Sprint changed "Baltimore" to "Bay Area." Odd.

Read - Sprint WiMAX in the Triangle
Read - Sprint WiMAX in the Triad
Read - Sprint WiMAX in Charlotte, NC
Read - Sprint WiMAX in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Read - Sprint WiMAX in Chicago, IL
Read - Sprint's first netbook is Dell Mini 10

Filed under: Wireless

Sprint lights up WiMAX in NC, Chicago and Dallas, launches subsidized Mini 10 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/xbmc-arm-port-teased-will-manage-hd-playback-from-pocket-sized/

XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)

There was a time when the X in XBMC stood for Xbox, but now just look at it. The open source project is showing up on everything from MIDs to Apple TVs and soon will be in the wild running on ARM-powered devices, with the development team posting a teaser video of the software running quite well on a tiny 600MHz Beagleboard. It's a fraction of the size of most HTPCs and, at $150, a fraction of their cost, too. Right now the software seems to be struggling a bit with what looks to be 480p wide content, but the devs promise proper HD playback in the full release -- though they're not saying when that full release will be.

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs, Software

XBMC ARM port teased, will manage HD playback from pocket-sized Beagleboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 311 unboxed, torn apart

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/hp-mini-311-unboxed-torn-apart/

Someone on the big wide internet has the HP Compaq Mini 311 and did up an unboxing for us all to share in. Spoiler alert: the packaging is about as exciting as a shoe box, which is pretty unfortunate for such an exciting product. Meanwhile, someone on the other end of the internet went to the trouble of actually ripping apart their Mini 311, so the rest of us can see how HP squeezed that ION in there without getting our hands dirty. Spoiler alert: doesn't look too hard to us. Video of the unboxing is after the break.

Read - MyHPMini.com teardown
Read - NewGadgets.de unboxing

Continue reading HP Mini 311 unboxed, torn apart

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 311 unboxed, torn apart originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple pitching $30 a month TV service for iTunes to the networks?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/apple-pitching-30-a-month-tv-service-for-itunes-to-the-networks/

According to Peter Kafka over at AllThingsD, he's had "multiple sources" tell him that Apple is shopping around a subscription service to TV networks that would give iTunes users a catch-all subscription for $30 a month. As far as he's heard, nobody's jumped on board just yet, and of course networks have to work out their typical fears of such a service cutting into ratings and biting into cable revenue. However, at least one unnamed executive briefed on the plan says "I think they might get it right this time," and with Disney's cozy relationship with Apple there's reason believe they'd be the first to sign up. Unfortunately, for people scrounging for a new evidence of an Apple tablet or something useful for their oft-dormant Apple TV to do, there's no word on what role devices have to play in this deal, but we have to believe that Apple would be working to push the content to the rest of its iTunes-based ecosystem, whatever that might encompass if and when the service launches early next year as Apple has proposed.

Filed under: Portable Video

Apple pitching $30 a month TV service for iTunes to the networks? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Real Time Race promises to let you race against the pros, in real time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/real-time-race-promises-to-let-you-race-against-the-pros-in-rea/

There's certainly no shortage of impressive augmented reality games around these days, but it doesn't look like the folks behind the so-called Real Time Race will have any trouble turning a few heads with theirs, at least if they can actually deliver as promised. Their basic idea is to make use of some Google Street View-like technology to create a virtual reproduction of an actual race track, and pair it with some real-time data as the race is happening to let anyone that wants to take part in the race from the comfort of their home. While the current state of things still seemingly leaves a bit to be desired (check the video at the link below), the folks behind the game say they could be ready to hold their first race sometime next year -- assuming they're able to line up all the necessary rights and broadcast issues, that is. In the meantime, you can take the non-real time demo version for a spin.

[Thanks, Bryce D]

Filed under: Gaming

Real Time Race promises to let you race against the pros, in real time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten Ways to Improve Your Media Center Experience [Media Centers]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/T_2YYC1pfR8/ten-ways-to-improve-your-media-center-experience

Our sister site Lifehacker put together a list of ten app-based ways to boost your media center's potential, adding support for remote controls, remote TV scheduling, Hulu Desktop and more. My favorite: Ad removal. Suck on that, ad-supported entertainment! [Lifehacker]

GSM Motorola Droid (aka Milestone) Gets Multi-Touch Support!? [Droid]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/iPHY8QtdQKs/gsm-motorola-droid-aka-milestone-gets-multi+touch-support

Talk about unfair: this video appears to show that the GSM version of the Motorola Droid will support multi-touch gestures like pinch-zoom. The U.S version doesn't do multi-touch, even though Android 2.0 supports it, so what gives?

Maybe it goes back to the whole multi-touch patent issue with Apple, I don't know. If it turns out the Milestone does indeed have multi-touch when it arrives on November 9, hopefully some sort of patch hack will make its way State-side. [Mobile-Review (translated) via SlashGear]

Is Apple Trying to Kill the Hackintosh Netbook? Snow Leopard 10.6.2 Ditches Atom CPU Support [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PGvrDVc1tOc/is-apple-trying-to-kill-the-hackintosh-netbook-snow-leopard-1062-ditches-atom-cpu-support

Coders have confirmed that the developer build of OS X 10.6.2 kills support for netbook Atom processors. Nothing's final yet, of course, but given Apple's lame fight with Palm over iTunes compatibility, are hackintosh netbooks next in the firing line?

The current recommendation is to stick with 10.6.1 if you're running Snow Leopard, or 10.5.8 if your Hackintosh has Leopard. You could also try upgrading to 10.6.2 using an older or modified kernel.

If this is a conscious strike by Apple, it's likely the Hackintosh community will find a work around, but it's definitely something to watch before your next update. [OS X Daily]

Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/leaked-docs-show-htcs-droid-eris-launching-on-november-6th-for/

Like it or not, we've got it on pretty reasonable authority that HTC's first "DROID" phone is nothing more than a rebadged, shape-shifted Hero (something we've been hearing for a while now), and that it'll be launching on Verizon on November 6th, the same day as Motorola's DROID. That means Android 1.5 "Cupcake," Sense UI, 3.2-inch screen, 528MHz processor and so forth. The Eris will retail for $199 but with a $100 mail-in rebate. It'll pack in an 8GB microSD card and the hopes and dreams of a generation of cheapskates that will be hopin' and prayin' that HTC manages to push Android 2.0 onto this thing so they don't look too bad in front of their DROID-toting buddies on Verizon.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Gallery: HTC's DROID Eris leaked docs

Filed under: Cellphones

Leaked docs show HTC's DROID Eris launching on November 6th for $99, running Android 1.5 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone and Windows 7 don't play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/iphone-and-windows-7-dont-play-nice-intel-p55-chipset-to-blame/

The iPhone is one of the most wildly popular phones the world has ever seen, while Windows 7 is well on its way to becoming the globe's most ubiquitous OS. So compatibility between the two would be kinda sorta important, right? Tell that to Intel's quality control team who seem to have somehow missed an issue between Apple's app carrier deluxe and the P55 Express chipset's USB controller. Consistent (and persistent) syncing issues have been reported on Apple's support forums, wherein iTunes on Windows 7 machines recognizes the iPhone, but spits out an "error 0xE8000065" message whenever the user attempts to sync. While some have found limited success with using PCI-based USB cards (and bypassing the chipset), this is clearly a major issue and something Apple would expect to be fixed before shipping its Core i5 / i7 iMacs, which are likely to sport the chipset. Hit the read link for the original thread of sorrow and regret, and do chime in with your own experience in the comments.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops

iPhone and Windows 7 don't play nice, Intel P55 chipset to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 pictured in the wilderness

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/atis-dual-gpu-radeon-hd-5970-pictured-in-the-wilderness/

And now... fighting out of the red corner, weighing in with two Evergreen GPUs, and wearing black trunks and red trim, it's the Radeon HD 5970. ATI's latest challenger for the title of undisputed graphics champion has been snared in the wild, and its photo shoot reveals a suitably oversized beast. Measuring in at 13.5 inches and requiring both an eight- and six-pin power connector, the pre-production sample can fit inside only the roomiest and best-powered rigs around. It's named somewhat confusingly, with AMD dropping its X2 nomenclature for dual GPU setups, but it features two HD 5870 chips running in onboard Crossfire on the same PCB, and foreshadows a HD 5950, which will combine a pair of the more affordable HD 5850s. Performance figures available earlier have been pulled, at the behest of AMD, but we've got plenty of eye candy to admire, and there's also no price tag in sight to spoil our daydreaming pleasure.

[Via PC Perspective]

Gallery: ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970

Filed under: Desktops

ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 pictured in the wilderness originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative working on Zii-based MediaBook with color touchscreen, e-book slant

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/01/creative-working-on-zii-based-mediabook-with-color-touchscreen/

What's an e-book without the e-ink? So very much, according to Creative, who just dropped word of an upcoming "MediaBook" device (which will undoubtedly look nothing like this mockup above). It sounds a bit more like a PMP to us, with "video, pictures, text and services," and a "media-rich experience" on the table, but Creative is also apparently working with publishers for content, with an obvious emphasis in Singapore sources, where Creative already does e-learning work. There's no word of what it'll look like, but it'll be a large touchscreen of some sort, so it sounds like we've got another slate on our hand. Any differentiation might come from having Zii under the hood and Creative's own particular approach to content for this device, but there's not really enough to get excited about at this point.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Creative working on Zii-based MediaBook with color touchscreen, e-book slant originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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