Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Eye-Fi Pro X2 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/eye-fi-pro-x2-review/

Five years ago, stuffing a fully-functional WiFi radio into the size of a standard SD card would've seemed like science fiction -- and actually, it kind of still does. Be that as it may, Eye-Fi is now well into its third generation of products, amazingly, and we've gotten a chance to check out the company's newest top-of-the-line model that just recently started shipping, the Pro X2. Like the original Pro model before it, the Pro X2 is differentiated from its less pricey stablemates in two major ways: one, its support for RAW uploads, and two, its ability to connect to ad-hoc networks -- in other words, you can wirelessly tether the card straight to your laptop rather than going through an access point. Where the Pro X2 gets the nod, though, is in what Eye-Fi calls the "X2 Engine," a three-pack of features that includes 802.11n support, Class 6 SD performance, and a nifty feature coined Endless Memory. Let's have a closer look at what's changed -- and for current Pro owners, whether the X2 warrants an upgrade.

Continue reading Eye-Fi Pro X2 review

Eye-Fi Pro X2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official Twitter for Android app goes live, will go open source

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/official-twitter-for-android-app-goes-live-will-be-included-in/

Twitter had committed to rolling its own client for Android not long ago -- and like clockwork, here it is. Looks like the OS integration goes pretty deep, too, with support for Éclair's Quick Contact bar and tweeting straight from the Gallery app; you've also got a timeline widget for your home screen, and you can even see your friends' latest tweets from your contact list and the Google Talk app. It sounds like Twitter worked pretty closely with Google to make this happen, contributing the code to Android's trunk for open sourcing in the near future -- and developers will even have access to a set of standard Twitter APIs for their own applications. The only downside appears to be that you need Android 2.1 to use it, but that's just an excuse to run out and upgrade to a sweet new phone, right?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Official Twitter for Android app goes live, will go open source originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel to launch Core i5 ULV processor in June, MSI X Series to snatch it up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/intel-to-launch-core-i5-ulv-processor-in-june-msi-x-series-to-s/

Well, it looks like Intel will finally be delivering that ultra low voltage Core i5 chip this summer. Though it was revealed back at CES, MSI's saying the Core i5 520UM CPU will be ready by June, and that it'll be subbing the 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU and ATI discrete graphics in its X-Slim Series for the more electrically efficient processor. Acer also appears to be doing the same with its Aspire TimelineX 1830T. While MSI didn't provide us with firm benchmark scores, they did pass on word that the Windows rating score is higher on the i5-powered X360 than the previous version, and the endurance is quite good -- they expect 7 to 8 hours with an eight-cell battery. The company hasn't determined pricing on the X360 but predicts that it will go for around $700 to $900 depending on the config when it hits shelves in the June / July time frame.

Intel to launch Core i5 ULV processor in June, MSI X Series to snatch it up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, April 30, 2010

CombineZM Focus Stacks Photos For Greater Macro Shots [Download]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5527335/combinezm-focus-stacks-photos-for-greater-macro-shots

CombineZM Focus Stacks Photos For Greater Macro Shots Windows only: Free utility CombineZM uses a image technique called focus stacking to combine multiple photos together, allowing for a wider depth of field, and clear, sharp images—a useful technique for getting great close-up photography.

Photos by Brian Valentine.

Photography site WonderfulPhotos.com has a step-by-step tutorial on stacking multiple images to create an all-around focused photo using CombineZM. The program can automatically combine these photos, but if you like a little more control, it also allows you to manually align them for a cleaner picture.

Focus stacking is more commonly used in macro-photography, and is done by taking at least three photos of the same object. The photos must focus on different parts of the object, with at least one each on the foreground, middleground, and background. By combining photos with different focuses, CombineZM will create an all-around sharp picture; more than what's possible on your camera.

CombineZM Focus Stacks Photos For Greater Macro Shots

CombineZM is free program available for Windows only.

CombineZM [via WonderfulPhotos.com via Gizmodo]

Confirmed: LG's Moorestown-based GW990 won't be made

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/confirmed-lgs-moorestown-based-gw990-wont-be-made/

Considering the almost complete absence of love in the commercial marketplace for Moorestown and Moblin -- and the fact that there's no sign of MeeGo building serious momentum just yet -- we're sure that Intel would've just loved for the drop-dead-sexy GW990 to serve as the platform's crown jewel for 2010. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, because we've just been able to confirm that the 4.8-inch beast (and potential Dell Mini 5 foil) has been wiped off the product roadmap. Though we don't know exactly what happened, the fact that Moblin is effectively dead and MeeGo isn't ready for prime time might be part of LG's justification for killing it off; if you might recall, the GW990 was introduced before MeeGo was official, and the original plan was to have it on the market in the second half of this year. Then again, this might be just as well -- we weren't impressed by the fact that LG was positioning the phone as a closed device back at CES, and there are still plenty of open questions as to how Intel and Nokia plan to offer apps on MeeGo -- so let's just hope this form factor reemerges from LG's labs soon enough, yeah?

Confirmed: LG's Moorestown-based GW990 won't be made originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digital Enhances Impact - social amplification: users who like your msg fwding to others they know will want to hear it http://bit.ly/aJCwcL

Japanese Scientists Invent 'Elastic Water' [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5527500/japanese-scientists-invent-elastic-water

This is "elastic water," a substance researchers have created in Japan that's 95% water yet retains a jelly-like texture that's perfect for sticking tissues together.

The stuff is made by adding two grams of clay and "a small quantity of some organic matter" to regular old water. And if they're able to figure out how to increase its density, it could produce eco-friendly plastic materials. Also, I bet it feels real weird when you squeeze it. [Japan Science and Technology Agency via Akihabara News]

Ubuntu 10.04 'Lucid Lynx' arrives on the scene

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-lynx-arrives-on-the-scene/

It's been less than a year since Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" was released, but the next big version of the Linux OS has now already arrived to take its place: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx." In addition to the usual tweaks and fixes, this one promises a boot speed that is "noticeably quicker" on almost any machine (and especially on those with SSDs), along with a range of new features including a social networking-oriented "Me Menu," Ubuntu Software Centre 2.0 for easier access to new software, and a slew of new cloud-based services courtesy of Ubuntu One -- not to mention the Ubuntu One music store. The release also marks the first time that GIMP doesn't come pre-installed (you get F-Spot instead), and it is naturally complemented by Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition, which promises even faster boot speeds and other optimizations. Ready to make the jump? Then you can grab the Release Candidate right now at the link below, or you can wait a bit for the final Long-Term Support (LTS) version, which is said to be "just around the corner."

Update: And just like that, the LTS version is out! Get it at the source link below.

Ubuntu 10.04 'Lucid Lynx' arrives on the scene originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech's TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/google-sony-intel-and-logitechs-tv-project-to-be-unveiled-next/

The conclusion to the sudden flurry of rumors around Sony HDTVs featuring Android, Intel Atom processors and Logitech-designed QWERTY remotes may be near, as Bloomberg Businessweek reports the project will be revealed during Google I/O next month. The latest wrinkle for the supposed product is a name, "Dragonpoint," for the new flavor of Android destined to operate on displays, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes. It's obvious that Google wants search in the living room, Sony needs something to overcome the app (Samsung is back on the list of possible partners) and widget powered competition, and Intel needs a home for its CE4100 chips to show off their power outside of a demonstration for once, but we'll have to wait and see what they've cooked up to know if we need any of that in our next HDTV.

Google, Sony, Intel & Logitech's TV project to be unveiled next month as Dragonpoint? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/microsoft-confirms-kills-courier-in-one-fell-swoop/

Well this is depressing. Word has just gone fluttering out of Redmond that work on the Courier project -- a heretofore rumored dual-screen tablet which rightfully set the tech world ablaze -- has been spun down by the company. Here's the official line from Frank Shaw, Microsoft's VP of corporate communications:

At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested, and incubated. It's in Microsoft's DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity. The "Courier" project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time.

All very sad, of course. So how did we get here? And was this thing ever really real to begin with? After all, it's hard to kill something that never lived. Well here's the deal, according to a source familiar with the situation: the Courier did indeed start life as a potential new product category for the company, one which was being incubated internally with very real plans for a marketable device. It seems, however, that things just didn't manage to take shape, and word was handed down very recently that the incubation period had reached its conclusion -- sans product -- and resources would be directed elsewhere. Now, that doesn't mean that we won't see some of this technology turn up in other products which Microsoft has in the pipeline (the company does keep quite a few balls in the air), but it does mean that those rendered videos of the Courier in action will remain, unfortunately, renders. As far as the Engadget team is concerned, there isn't a dry eye in the house right now -- but the Courier will always remain in our hearts as one of the finest unicorns that ever unicorned across our screens.

Microsoft confirms, kills Courier in one fell swoop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/asus-eee-pc-1218-trades-veil-of-secrecy-for-popular-design-award/

Well, will you look at that. In its haste to proclaim itself winner of a 2010 Red Dot design award, ASUS has inadvertently or perhaps intentionally announced the brand-new netbook that received it -- the Eee PC 1218. She's a beaut, too, with a slim, one-piece aluminum shell that evokes the MacBook Air but still packs a substantial number of expansion ports. There aren't any hard specs quite yet, but the above shot shows it'll come with a webcam and chiclet keyboard, and in a second pic after the break we can make out three USB sockets, Ethernet, VGA, a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks and an HDMI port -- the last of which possibly suggests a dedicated GPU (here's hoping an Ion 2) for HD video playback. Oh, and lest we forget, ASUS says it's also got a soft-touch plastic underside, for all you coffee-swilling, netbook-slinging butterfingers out there. No word on pricing or availability.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award

ASUS Eee PC 1218 trades veil of secrecy for popular design award originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen rolls out foldable 'Bik.e' electric bicycle concept

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/29/volkswagen-rolls-out-foldable-bik-e-electric-bicycle-concept/

Well, it looks like it's the season for automakers to show off electric bicycle concepts, with Volkswagen now following Lexus' lead with its own "Bik.e" concept. Unlike Lexus' hybrid concept, this one is a full-fledged electric bicycle (sans pedals), and it boasts a few innovations of its own, not the least of which is that it's able to fold up and fit where you'd normally store a spare tire. It's also apparently able to be charged using your car's DC current in a pinch in addition to a standard AC outlet at home, and it promises to deliver a range of 20 kilometers on a full charge, along with a top speed of 20 kilometers per hour. What's more, it seems like Volkswagen is actually looking at commercial possibilities for the Bik.e, although it's not making any firm commitments just yet. Head on past the break for a quick look at the bike in action, and some dancing.

Continue reading Volkswagen rolls out foldable 'Bik.e' electric bicycle concept

Volkswagen rolls out foldable 'Bik.e' electric bicycle concept originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft weighs in: 'the future of the web is HTML5'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/microsoft-weighs-in-the-future-of-the-web-is-html5/

Where Steve Jobs leads, Microsoft follows -- how's that for shaking up the hornet's nest? It's said in jest, of course, but we've just come across a post from the General Manager for Internet Explorer, Dean Hachamovitch, and the perspective expressed by him on the subject of web content delivery broadly agrees with the essay penned by Jobs yesterday on the very same subject. Echoing the Apple CEO's words, Hachamovitch describes HTML5 as "the future of the web," praising it for allowing content to be played without the need for plug-ins and with native hardware acceleration (in both Windows 7 and Mac OS X). He goes on to identify H.264 as the best video codec for the job -- so much so that it'll be the only one supported in IE9's HTML5 implementation -- before turning to the dreaded subject of Flash.

This is where it gets good, because he literally repeats one of Jobs' six pillars of Flash hate: "reliability, security, and performance" are not as good as Microsoft would like them. Where Hachamovitch diverges from Apple's messiah, however, is in describing Flash as an important part of "a good consumer experience on today's web," primarily because it's difficult for the typical consumer to access Flash-free content. Still, it's got to be depressing for Adobe's crew when the best thing either of the two biggest players in tech has to say about your wares is that they're ubiquitous. Wonder how Shantanu Narayen is gonna try and spin this one.

P.S. : it's notable that in multiple paragraphs of discussing "the future," Microsoft's IE general fails to once mention the fabled Silverlight, itself a rich media browser plug-in. Given Silverlight's featured role in the Windows Phone 7 infrastructure and other things like Netflix, we doubt it's on the outs, but there are sure to be some sour faces greeting Hachamovitch this morning.

[Thanks, KnifeX4]

Microsoft weighs in: 'the future of the web is HTML5' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe CTO says Flash 10.1 for Android in June -- will Froyo follow suit?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/adobe-cto-says-flash-10-1-for-android-in-june-will-froyo-foll/

Let's take a break from Apple and Adobe's back-and-forth, shall we? Instead, we'll let the latter company talk about its work with Google, specifically the Android platform. Flash-based CTO Kevin Lynch said today in a post, "We look forward to delivering Flash Player 10.1 for Android smartphones as a public preview at Google I/O in May, and then a general release in June." Good news, indeed, but with all this talk of Froyo having native Flash support, and this month's conference serving as the largest gathering of Android developers, we can't imagine a better platform (pun intended) for Andy Rubin and company to unveil its fragmentation-curbing Froyo update. Might Flash 10.1's May preview / June release schedule line up with the OS, as well? Just some fat-free food for thought.

[Thanks, Steven]

Adobe CTO says Flash 10.1 for Android in June -- will Froyo follow suit? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Garage pledges 3G JooJoo by July, memory stick support coming soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/fusion-garage-pledges-3g-joojoo-by-july-memory-stick-support-co/

Fusion Garage pledges 3G JooJoo by July, memory stick support coming soon

Yeah, okay, so the JooJoo didn't exactly rock our world and we're guessing it's had a similar effect on you, but CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan is saying that things are going to get better -- honest. First are plans to unlock that USB port, enabling the tablet to recognize USB storage and revolutionize the world. Next up will be a 3G version, which will release in roughly three months and enable users to revolutionize the world while traveling through it. However, Chandra has indicated he's not opposed to people tweaking the underlying Linux OS to enable external 3G adapters themselves; certainly a refreshing position compared to those who control the destiny of a certain other tablet. So, which of you hackers wants to get started? Anyone...?

Fusion Garage pledges 3G JooJoo by July, memory stick support coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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