Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, November 13, 2009

Why Aren't More People Talking About the Palm Pixi? [Chart Of The Day]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/aj-QN92G4Ko/why-arent-more-people-talking-about-the-palm-pixi

We, as in the tech press, are all over Palm's new mini-Pre. But we, as in the internet, just don't seem to care about it—just ask Google.

Compared against the Droid Eris, the decidedly secondary, little-advertised rebranded Hero that happens to be launching alongside the Droid Droid (and also happens to be the cheapest new Android phone on the market), the Pixi's hasn't been driving much Google traffic at all, according to Google Trends. More odd is that even with reviews starting to hit, exciting deals showing up online and a release date rapidly approaching, the Pixi's buzz is flat. Yes, that Pixi—thelegitimately interesting handset aimed at a broader audience than its much buzzier predecessor. Hm.

A couple of points: Although I searched for "Droid Eris" in quotes, there's a good chance the Eris is getting a leg up on Google searches by piggybacking on the hyper-hyped Droid Proper. Also, I've seen three people, two of whom work with gadgets for a living, write "Pixi" as "Pixie" in the last 24 hours, which is funny! Also: probably a bad sign, for the buzz. But still, that explains a disparity, not totally flat interest, or the weirdly tiny bump in attention the phone got when pricing was announced back in October. General public: what gives? [Google Trends]

Intel Deems The Dual Core Atom 330 Too Hot For Netbooks [Intel]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6qiwMXeQs2A/intel-deems-the-dual-core-atom-330-too-hot-for-netbooks

We've been curious as to why Intel decided to keep the N330 chip out of netbooks, and now we finally know: The chip's just too damn hot and not even all that fast.

Testing done by computer builder Haleron revealed that the N330 couldn't match the, now used, two-chip N270 processor in speed all the while actually being worse on battery life. Guess that, along with its need for an internal cooling system, explains why resellers have been trying to get rid of the N330 as quickly as possible. [Newswireless]

Velcro Bus Ads Are Bound to End In Disaster [Advertising]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ptxiyi-O-3E/velcro-bus-ads-are-bound-to-end-in-disaster

I don't know what Coca-Cola was thinking when they used these ads to promote their Grip Bottle in bus stops. They are made with velcro, so if you lean or get anywhere near them wearing woolly cloths, you'd get stuck.

The ads were designed to highlight the better grip the new bottles offer. They placed them in bus stop shelters in Paris, ready to rip cashmere sweaters and expensive clothes. But instead of hating them, the French bought 3.8% more of their sugar water.

What I want to see is an image of one of these ads after a week of being there. I can imagine everything got stuck there, from giant balls of dust to cats to drunk people. [Daily]

MPAA Shuts Down Entire Town's Wi-Fi Over Single Illegal Download [Mpaa]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sdtoxEltxB8/mpaa-shuts-down-entire-towns-wi+fi-over-single-illegal-download

The citizens of Coshocton, Ohio are without their free Internet after a single download prompted the Motion Picture Association of America to shut down the town's municipal Wi-Fi network.

This is by no means the first time the MPAA has stepped on the little guy in their crusade to eradicate piracy, but it is a particularly egregious instance of it. The free Wi-Fi network in Coshocton, Ohio supported anywhere from "a dozen people a day to 100 during busy times," all of whom are left without Internet after the shut down. As nations like Finland move to make broadband access a legal right, it is unfortunately clear that some powerful people in our country still consider it a privilege and not a necessity.

Let this be a lesson to those who not only enjoy but depend on free Wi-Fi networks. Enjoy it while it lasts, because if Dennis the Menace down the block can't wait for Transformers 3 to come out on DVD, you might be out a connection. [Via BoingBoing]

Dell's Inspiron Zino HD on sale now in America: starts at $229, doubles as an HTPC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/dells-inspiron-zino-hd-on-sale-now-in-america-starts-at-229/

Dell has taken its sweet time in bringing the 7.75- x 7.75- x 3.5-inch Inspiron Zino HD to market, but just 24 hours after it made its market debut across the pond, this little zinger is finally available to the Yanks in attendance. Starting at just $229, the mini PC is far more exhilarating than most ho hum nettops. Oh sure, the base configuration is fairly unexciting, but thankfully Dell enables you to add up to 8GB of memory, a 1.8GHz dual-core AMD Athlon Neo X2 6850e CPU, up to 1TB of HDD space, an optional Blu-ray drive, a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4330 discrete GPU and WiFi to the mix. 'Course, speccing it out will obviously raise the price substantially, but it's always nice to see more power than anticipated within such a minuscule box. Of note, Dell also mentions that an optional TV tuner, wireless keyboard and mouse are available, but at least for now, the TV tuner is nowhere to be found in the configuration pages. Other inclusions are a 4-in-1 card reader, four USB 2.0 sockets and a pair of eSATA ports. Who says HTPCs have to breathe fire?

Update: We've just heard that the TV tuner won't be available at launch (sounds a lot like what happened with the Mini 10), so there goes those dreams of immediately gratifying your urge for a new HTPC of the smallest scale.

Gallery: Dell's Inspiron Zino HD on sale now in America: starts at $229, doubles as an HTPC

Filed under: Desktops

Dell's Inspiron Zino HD on sale now in America: starts at $229, doubles as an HTPC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD spells out the future: heterogeneous computing, Bulldozer and Bobcats galore

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/amd-spells-out-the-future-heterogeneous-computing-bulldozer-an/

Believe it or not, it's just about time for AMD to start thinking about its future. We know -- you're still doing your best to wrap that noodle around Congos and Thubans, but now it's time to wonder how exactly Leo, Llano and Zambezi (to name a few) can fit into your already hectic schedule. At an Analyst Day event this week, the chipmaker removed the wraps on its goals for 2010 and 2011, and while it's still focusing intently on Fusion (better described as heterogeneous computing, where "workloads are divided between the CPU and GPU"), it's the forthcoming platforms that really have us worked up. For starters, AMD is looking into Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) configurations, which "represent the combined capabilities of [practically any] two separate processors." We're also told that the firm may actually introduce its Bulldozer (architecture for mainstream machines) and Bobcat (architecture for low-power, ultrathin PCs) platforms more hastily than similar ones have been rolled out in the past, which demonstrates an effort to really target the consumer market where Intel currently reigns. Frankly, we're jazzed about the possibilities, so hit the links below for a deep dive into what just might be powering your next (or next-next) PC.

[Via Digitimes]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

AMD spells out the future: heterogeneous computing, Bulldozer and Bobcats galore originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a 'Boxee Box' is coming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/boxee-inks-deal-with-first-hardware-partner-a-boxee-box-is-co/

Color us shocked and elated. Boxee, the white-hot startup that has risen from nothing to everywhere thanks to its internet TV software portal, has just announced that a deal has been inked between it and an undisclosed "hardware partner." If you'll recall, we actually heard that the outfit was mulling the production of its own set-top-box back in January, and now it looks like Roku, Apple TV and a host of other mini PCs will have yet another formidable rival vying for space underneath the tele. The firm isn't spilling any details whatsoever on the so-called "Boxee Box," but we are told that mockups and the like will be presented at the Boxee Beta Unveiling on December 7th. Oh, and as if you aren't excited enough already, chew on this -- the company has informed us that they believe "this will be the first of several living room devices you'll see running Boxee in 2010," so don't be shocked if your favorite game console or Blu-ray player gains an embedded Boxee app in the near future.

Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a 'Boxee Box' is coming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm chips promises 1GHz speeds in 'mainstream smartphones,' simultaneous HSPA+ / LTE support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/qualcomm-chip-promises-1ghz-speeds-in-mainstream-smartphones/

Qualcomm's Snapdragon has brought about a new wave of possibilities for smartphones, but evidently those chips are just too exclusive to slip into so-called "mainstream smartphones." In order to remedy such a tragedy, the outfit has today introduced the MSM7x30 family of solutions, which uses an 800 MHz to 1GHz custom superscalar CPU based on the ARM v7 instruction set. The chips support 720p video encoding / decoding at 30fps, integrated 2D and 3D graphics (with support for OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1), 5.1-channel surround sound, a 12 megapixel camera sensor and built-in GPS. In related news, the outfit also announced that it is sampling the industry's first chipsets for dual-carrier HSPA+ and multi-mode 3G / LTE, which ought to make those champing at the bit for a speedier WWAN highway exceedingly giddy. Hit the links below for all the technobabble.

Read - MSM7x30 solutions
Read - Dual-carrier HSPA+ and Multi-Mode 3G/LTE chipsets

Filed under: Cellphones

Qualcomm chips promises 1GHz speeds in 'mainstream smartphones,' simultaneous HSPA+ / LTE support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/blackberry-storm2-hands-on-and-impressions/

For a company with the most starched, buttoned-up roots of any major wireless manufacturer, RIM's venture out of its enterprise comfort zone to the consumer space went amazingly smoothly thanks to the introduction of the original Pearl, a phone that's still sold in a variety of colors, configurations, and carriers to this day. At some point, though, it became clear that the industry was moving toward touch -- a space RIM had never dabbled in -- and the trend gave birth to the Storm, a product that had obviously been rushed to market with countless software bugs and a dodgy SurePress concept that caused more problems than it solved. With prototypes floating around in the wild mere months after its predecessor's release, RIM's message was loud and clear earlier this year: "we need to fix the Storm, and we need to do it quickly." Ultimately, it's ended up taking the company just about a year to get the Storm2 to market, a product that attempts to tweak Waterloo's touchscreen strategy just enough to undo a few mistakes and send it down the right path. Mission accomplished? Read on.

Gallery: BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

Continue reading BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Storm2 hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/comcast-tv-everywhere-launch-details-december-free-for-existin/

Comcast's Amy Banse just hit the stage at NewTeeVee Live and announced key details about the company's new On Demand Online launch. If you can't check out the video (embedded after the break) here's the important stuff: It will be available at no additional cost to existing subscribers and allow the authorization of up to 3 devices per household. Log in once from home to Comcast.net or Fancast.com, download the Move Networks powered player to authorize your PC and proceed to stream from the very healthy library of VOD, whether at home or anywhere else, despite previous rumors to the contrary. The bad news? Yes, this does still count against the 250GB monthly cap if used at home and still no word on HD streaming, but within the concept of making content available to subscribers wherever they want to view it, this seems like a good first step.

[Via Media Experiences 2 Go]

Continue reading Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet

Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm shows off Snapdragon-powered Lenovo smartbook for AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/qualcomm-shows-off-snapdragon-powered-lenovo-smartbook-for-atandt/

It may still have a few lingering problems with the "smartbook" name, but it looks like Qualcomm is pushing ahead with the still-nascent product category nonetheless, with CEO Paul Jacobs taking advantage of a recent investor get-together in New York to show off a new Lenovo-built smartbook that will apparently be offered by AT&T. Unfortunately, neither Lenovo nor AT&T is saying anything about the device just yet, and Jacobs doesn't seem to have offered much more than what was already known from the standard smartbook specs. There is the requisite low-res photo captured from the webcast, however, and all parties involved should be doing plenty more talking when this one makes its official debut at CES in January.

Filed under: Laptops

Qualcomm shows off Snapdragon-powered Lenovo smartbook for AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trust in Casio's Japanese Exilim EX-FS10S, it'll turn your bogeys into birdies

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/trust-in-casios-japanese-exilim-ex-fs10s-itll-turn-your-bogey/

Sure, we could rattle off a list of specs -- and if you're curiuos, it's a 9.1 megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom and 720p video -- but you know what's really gonna have Casio's Exilim EX-FS10S flying off shelves? The ability to stand it behind your tee and show you exactly how you screw up your swing, with special help of the company's trademark 1000 frames per second burst mode. The catch is, while the EX-FS10 is already available in US, only the Japanese model seems to have your golf buddy. Bummer.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Trust in Casio's Japanese Exilim EX-FS10S, it'll turn your bogeys into birdies originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/youtube-begins-streaming-1080p-insecurities-next-week/

Ready to have your imperfect complexions scrutinized by every anonymous coward on the Internet? You'd better 'cause YouTube has announced the move from 720p to 1080p video streaming to make use of those cheap, Full HD camcorders flooding the market. Now puff up that keyboard courage -- the ruthless bashing of your peers is set to begin next week.

Filed under: Portable Video

YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 3i officially set for imminent launch in Brazil and China

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/13/dell-mini-3i-officially-set-for-imminent-launch-in-brazil-and-ch/

It would appear those leaked and unintentional early peeks at Dell's first foray into smartphones did not happen in Brazil and China by accident. Hans Erickson of Dell Latin America has announced the decision to "give priority" to those two countries, who will be first to experience the Mini 3i's Android glory, with China receiving devices "in the coming days" and Brazil getting 'em later this year. Interestingly, China Mobile will be making do without 3G, while Brazil's Claro will be offering a 3G-enabled handset. Dell remains mum on pricing and the rest of the spec, though all the information so far indicates that Brazilians will be able to buy the same WiFi-packing FCC-certified 3iX handset that's heading to the US. Either way, we've got another heavyweight's presence in the smartphone market, and we'll be even happier once we know what Dell's value-add will be.

[Via Yahoo! Brazil, thanks Marcos R.]

Filed under: Cellphones

Dell Mini 3i officially set for imminent launch in Brazil and China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Norbt Sends Top Secret, Encrypted Messages [Security]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/cJ2i08jt0cw/norbt-sends-top-secret-encrypted-messages

Web application Norbt (short for "no robot") creates web pages with encrypted text; only people who can answer your challenge question can access the text. Got anything secret you want to share?

Norbt uses browser-based cryptography to secure your information and keep it safe until someone with the correct answer to your challenge question comes along. As a bonus, you can create whatever challenge question and answer you want. There's no sign of the typical "High School Your Maternal Grandparents Went To" type stuff, which is always frustrating to remember. You'll need a separate password to re-access the information yourself to make changes, so making one you can keep track of is a good thing.

Once your Norbt is created, you can share the link freely with anyone. Even if you don't have anything pressing to send to a friend or family member across the web, it could be fun to send your friends locked messages or love letters. Just don't get the two confused. If you're not sure you want to trust any secret missives to Norbt without a better idea of how they secure your text, check out their security page. And while we wouldn't put any of our most sensitive data in Norbt, it is, at the very least, a fun tool for sharing information.

Norbt [via Download Squad ]

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