Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

HP Slate to cost $549, have 1.6GHz Atom Z530, 5 hour battery?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/hp-slate-to-cost-549-have-1-6ghz-atom-z530-5-hour-battery/

Well, well -- what's this? We just got our hands on what looks like an internal HP Slate presentation given to cool down some of the iPad hype amongst HP employees, and it just happens to have specs and pricing details on the elusive Windows 7 tablet. As we'd heard, the Slate will run $549 in its base configuration, which has a 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive multitouch display, a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor with UMA graphics and an accelerator for 1080p video playback (we're assuming it's a Broadcom Crystal HD chip), 32GB of flash storage and 1GB of non-upgradeable RAM. There's also a $599 version with 64GB of storage, and both models will have a five-hour battery, an SDHC slot, two camera, a USB port, a SIM card slot for the optional 3G modem, and a dock connector for power, audio, and HDMI out. Of course, what this spec list doesn't cover is software, and we still haven't seen much of how HP plans to make Windows 7 on a full slate device with netbook-class internals perform as smoothly or as intuitively as its demo videos. That's not a small challenge, especially since the iPad is out now and setting some pretty high expectations for how this new breed of tablets should work. We've got our fingers crossed -- show us something good, HP.

HP Slate to cost $549, have 1.6GHz Atom Z530, 5 hour battery? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/fusion-garage-joojoo-review/

We're not sure what's harder to believe: the fact that after months and months of the soap-opera-like drama that the JooJoo (formerly known as the CrunchPad) has finally landed in our hands, or that within just a few days there are now two capacitive touchscreen, browsing-heavy slate tablets on the market. Sure, it's probably not the best timing for a tablet start-up, but that doesn't diminish our interest in the 12-inch, Flash-playing JooJoo. The JooJoo is meant to be a browser-based tablet for surfing the web on your couch or while traveling, but with little previous hands-on time, we're still wondering how well it'll really work. And, obviously, whether or not it's a $499 experience on par or superior to Apple's iPad. Fear not, we'll tell you all you want to know in our magical review after the break.

Gallery: Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Continue reading Fusion Garage JooJoo review

Fusion Garage JooJoo review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/android-and-arduino-packin-cellbot-features-voice-recognition/

The Cellbots gang has been furiously productive as of late. Not even a month after their wooden "boxbot" was first spotted on You Tube the project has moved on from its humble beginnings of lumber and windshield wiper motors to a full-on a neon green acrylic Truckbot that uses a G1 and Arduino board combination for control. Sure, we've seen Android-powered robots before, but these guys have done some pretty cool things, and have no intention of stopping now. They've already implemented an ultrasonic range detector so the 'bot can override the operator and prevent itself from running off a cliff (although we'd like to suggest mounting one on the rear as well -- for obvious reasons), voice recognition, and the Android compass into the control system. If anything, the amount of progress makes this project very well worth keeping an eye on. Move past the break to see some video, and then hit the source link to keep up with the action yourself.

Continue reading Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/apc-adds-lcd-zero-draw-power-outlets-to-new-back-ups-pro-models/

A new uninterruptible power supply isn't exactly the sort of thing to garner a ton of attention, but APC's latest Back-UPS Pro models do pack a few more features than your average power supply, and may just have you considering trading up. They're still just as uninterruptible as ever, of course, but the BR1300G and BR1500G models add a snazzy new LCD that displays the estimated runtime and other critical information, as well as some new power-saving outlets that will automatically shut off power to any unused devices. Otherwise, you can expect runtimes of between 92 and 164 minutes (depending on what's connected, of course), six or ten power outlets, and APC's usual PowerChute software for some more enhanced power management. Still no firm word on a release date for these, but they should be available sometime in the second quarter for between $129.99 and $249.99.

APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/icds-tegra-2-powered-gemini-is-the-most-feature-complete-tablet/

Built around the 1GHz Tegra 2 SOC, the 11.2-inch ICD Gemini should provide comparable endurance to Apple's A4-sporting iPad, while besting it in the grunt stakes with its glorious ability to chew through 1080p video when required. If that wasn't enough, the rest of this thing's spec sheet reads like a wishlist. Headlined by a 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls (crazy, we know!), it also includes a user-replaceable 40Wh battery, an SD card reader, FM radio, GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals, stereo speakers, and dual webcams -- a 2 megapixel front-facing unit and a 5 megapixel autofocusing snapper on the back. Multitouch displays will be available in both resistive and capacitive flavors, with the 1,366 x 768 resolution being filled by Google's snappy Android OS. Oh, and did we mention it will run Flash? Because it will. Full specs and a comparison to its direct competitors await after the break, though we've yet to find out when this JooJoo killer will be making its arrival or at what price.

Gallery: ICD Gemini official pictures

Continue reading ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/hp-rolls-out-pavilion-s5305z-s5350-pavilion-elite-hpe-190t-des/

HP may be getting ready to "do amazing" with its Slate, but last we checked it was still the biggest desktop PC maker around, and it's now further expanded its offerings with three new models. Those include the Pavilion Slimline s5305z and s5350z, which are available with a range of different AMD processors and ATI Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics, along with up to 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive on the s5305z, or 8GB of RAM and 1.5TB of storage on the s5350z. Those are joined by the higher-end, and decidedly less slimline Pavilion Elite HPE-190t (pictured at right), which packs a 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU, up to 24GB of RAM, up to 3TB of storage, and your choice of an ATI Radeon HD 5570 or 4850, or an NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 graphics card. Look for that one to start at $1,899.99, while the s5305z and s5350z drop all the way down to $299.99 and $479.99, respectively.

HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/apples-a4-system-on-chip-gets-decoupled-from-ipad-investigated/

Ever so gently, we're starting to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding the A4 system-on-chip that powers Apple's fancy new slate device. iFixit, helped by reverse engineering firm Chipworks, have gone to the trouble of both dissecting and X-raying the iPad's central processing hub in their quest to lift the veil of ignorance. Their findings confirmed that the A4 is built using a "package on package" method, meaning that the 256MB of Samsung-provided SDRAM is stacked immediately atop the CPU, which is noted as being reductive to both latency and energy use. With a single core processor inside, the iFixit team concluded the iPad had to be running on a Cortex A8 -- which is very much the likeliest choice at this point -- but their assertion that it couldn't be a Cortex A9 MPCore inside is inaccurate, as those chips also come in single-core options. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against Samsung's Hummingbird chip, which was designed by Intrinsity, the same company Apple is being rumored to have recently acquired. Finally, the visual inspection of the iPad's mobo puts a model number to the already known PowerVR GPU, narrowing it dow! n to the SGX 535, while also naming and picturing a number of other exciting components, such as the always popular capacitive touchscreen controller. Hit the source link below for all the lurid images.

Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, April 05, 2010

@jayparkinson - "most people don't friend Lipitor on Facebook," but brands have an important role on social networks http://bit.ly/clqbVC

Why your brand MUST have a presence on social networks; it's not what you think #not #branding - http://bit.ly/clqbVC

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Apple's A4 SoC faces Qualcomm Snapdragon in knock-down-drag-out benchmarking test

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/04/apples-a4-soc-pitted-against-qualcomm-snapdragon-comes-out-on/

Up until now, a shroud of mystery has surrounded Apple's custom engineered A4 system-on-chip; we know it's clocked at 1GHz, likely tied to Apple's prior acquisition of P.A. Semi and manufactured by Samsung. Outside of that, the only other knowledge we've gained has come not from the mouth of Cupertino, but from the extracting wizards over at iFixit. The A4 contains at least three layers of circuitry layered on top of each other, though it's packaged just like the iPhone processor: microprocessor in one package and two memory modules in the other package. We also learned that the iPad RAM is actually inside of the A4 processor package, and we're expecting to learn even more from those folks in the coming days. All that said, there's still much debate on whether Apple's own silicon can stand up to Qualcomm's heralded 1GHz Snapdragon, the chip powering Google's Nexus One among other things. AnandTech pitted their iPad against the iPhone 3GS (600MHz ARM Cortex A8) and the aforesaid Nexus One (1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250), using a number of website loads as the primary benchmark. Overall, the A4 proved to be around 10 to 30 percent faster, though it's impossible to say what effect the operating system has on things. Have a gander at that source link for more -- we get the feeling the competitions have just begun.

Apple's A4 SoC faces Qualcomm Snapdragon in knock-down-drag-out benchmarking test originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds! .

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Saturday, April 03, 2010

#DD2010 - @JetBlue Reaching 1.6 Million Customers Daily, with NO Media Cost #ROI #SocialMedia - http://bit.ly/lvuG0

#DD2010 - @JetBlue Reaching 1.6 Million Customers Daily, with NO Media Cost #ROI #SocialMedia - http://bit.ly/lvuG0

#HowTo see Gmail for #iPad without an iPad right now (#Chrome, #Safari) - http://bit.ly/aNRcsI

How to Set Up a Mail Merge in Gmail for Personalized Mass Emails [Gmail Tip]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5508283/how-to-set-up-a-mail-merge-in-gmail-for-personalized-mass-emails

How to Set Up a Mail Merge in Gmail for Personalized Mass Emails If you want to send out a personalized mass email, much like most companies' marketing emails, creating a mail merge is the easiest way. Unlike the antiquated mail merges of days past, you can do it in Gmail with half the headache.

A mail merge is when a template is merged with a database of information, such as a list of names or other unique details. It's useful for sending out personalized emails to multiple people quickly. Technology blog Digital Inspiration offers up a Gmail tip to get this done, using Gmail with Google Docs. First, create a contact group within Gmail that you want to send the email blast to. Using Google Docs, then create a copy of this spreadsheet in your account.

How to Set Up a Mail Merge in Gmail for Personalized Mass Emails

Go to the Mail Merge tab at the top, near Help. Click on "Import Gmail Contacts" and authorize Google Docs to access your Google Contacts. Go to the Mail Merge tab again, click the "Import Gmail Contacts" again and type the name of the Gmail group that you created earlier.

How to Set Up a Mail Merge in Gmail for Personalized Mass Emails

You can edit all the fields in green to your liking. After you're satisfied, go to the Mail Merge tab one more time, and hit "Start Mail Merge." Google Docs will now send out your email, and keep track of the status of each. Handy!

Create a Mail Merge with Gmail and Google Docs [Digital Inspiration]

Apple Buys a Little Chip Company That Makes Really Fast ARM Processors for iPhones and iPads [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5508449/apple-buys-a-little-chip-company-that-makes-really-fast-arm-processors-for-iphones-and-ipads

Intrinsity is a chip design company that specializes in really fast, really power-efficient ARM processors, like the ones found in the iPhone, iPad and basically every other smartphone. Well, it looks like Apple just bought them. [EDN, MacRumors]

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