Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Motorola Droid Shadow / Xtreme pictured again, powered by Ninjablur?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/motorola-droid-shadow-xtreme-pictured-again-powered-by-ninjab/

Because we can't seem to get enough Motorola Droid Shadow / Xtreme teasers in our lives, here's a few more with which to tide you over. First on the docket is a pair of pics from Droid Life, with the screen-saving film intact (and a still-visible Verizon logo underneath) and a cleaner side shot of its bulbous derriere. If that wasn't enough, the clue-dropper wnrussell of HowardForums -- who gave us the vast majority of the previous leaks -- is back showing off a 1500mAh battery and claiming a name for that monochrome Motoblur-esque skin we saw earlier. In his words, "Ninja Blur is Blur running without the user knowing. For those who don't like Blur." Translation: it's an Android skin that does very little but make aesthetic differentiators and probably slows down the processing speed a bit. Any chance the ninja can go into hiding in lieu of a vanilla robot experience?

Motorola Droid Shadow / Xtreme pictured again, powered by Ninjablur? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  ;Android Authority  |  sourceDroid-Life, HowardForums (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/kno-dual-screen-tablet-appears-at-d8-we-go-hands-on/

Kno promised to launch a double-screened Linux-based e-reader designed for students at D8, and the undercover startup didn't disappoint -- believe us when we say it came out in a big way. That's big as in freaking big: the Kno reader features dual 14.1-inch capacitive IPS displays (1440 x 900 each), weighs 5.5 pounds, and offers six to eight hours of battery life, all in a package that's so comically large we thought it was a joke when we first saw the press shots. Kno says it'll offer both pen and touch support, and it'll come with a stylus out of the box. Under the hood, it's running a Tegra 2 chip with 16GB of storage, and the entire experience is essentially a WebKit instance. Yes, it's sort of like the Courier, but larger -- much, much larger.

We had a chance to go hands-on with the device as well as speak to some members of the team developing the Kno, and while it's clear that there are major bumps in the UI and user experience, it seems like the company is aware of them. What we saw today was clearly unfinished, with a lot of laggy, stuttery behavior in the interface, a crash or two, and some very inaccurate finger tracking, but Kno says its hard at work on eradicating those issues. Even with the UI fixes, it's a hard sell at "under $1000," but Kno is putting together partnerships with publishers to make that a little easier to swallow, as they say ultimately it will be less expensive than buying regular old text books. It's an audacious idea, for sure... and we're still completely confused by one of the company's press pics featuring a bunch of dudes running around in their underwear, but we digress. Check out some shots from the demo, PR pics, and our hands-on with the device below.

Gallery: Kno hands-on



Continue reading Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on

Kno dual-screen tablet appears at D8, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Xonar Xense Audio Bundle reviewed, deemed very good (and very pricey)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/asus-xonar-xense-audio-bundle-reviewed-deemed-very-good-and-ve/

ASUS has made quite a few admirers with its Xonar high-end sound card line over the years, and it looks like the new Xonar Xense Audio Bundle is another feather in its cap. Essentially a Xonar Xense card with a pair of Sennheiser PC 350 headphones thrown in for good measure, this bad boy features two 1/4-inch jacks (one for headphones, one for a mic), coax S/PDIF output, and 3.1 surround sound. TweakTown is in love with the thing, calling it "a best of both worlds realization that has been the culmination of many months and over a thousand different combinations of equipment" with "real world performance rivaling a thousand dollar hi-fi system." But not so fast! Bit-tech, was a little more reserved, saying that even if the specs and sound quality are "enough to satisfy the keenest hi-fi enthusiast," the heaphones aren't particularly impressive -- and certainly not enough to justify spending £275 (that's like $400!) while the Essence STX can be found for half that. But that's not the whole story, not by a long-shot: check out the source links for all the essential details.

ASUS Xonar Xense Audio Bundle reviewed, deemed very good (and very pricey) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTweakTown, Bit-tech  | Email this | Comments

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Sonic acquires DivX to expand online movie delivery options, share of Kazaa downloads

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/sonic-acquires-divx-to-expand-online-movie-delivery-options-sha/

Just because Sonic shifted its CinemaNow name into the care of Best Buy, don't think it's taking a break from working digital movie delivery options into every device it can. To that end it's purchased DivX, formerly a name you knew only as an illegal download enabling codec, but is now a legitimate enterprise that has agreements with major movie studios and more than 150 consumer electronics manufacturers. The cash and stock transaction should cause the two to get together and make the whole world believe them, with RoxioNow ending up in the millions of devices currently ready for DivX while increasing possibilities for DivX encoded movies going on sale in the United States. The DivX TV internet video frontend for set-top boxes and connected televisions should also get a boost from the deal, we'll see how it competes with widgets, TiVo and Google. There's a DivX TV trailer after the break for those interested plus the press release while related financial details, projections and promises can be found in the linked PDF.

Continue reading Sonic acquires DivX to expand online movie delivery options, share of Kazaa downloads

Sonic acquires DivX to expand online movie delivery options, share of Kazaa downloads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please! see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 explained, trial download now available

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/microsoft-windows-embedded-compact-7-explained-trial-download-n/

Microsoft certainly made a bit of splash at Computex with the introduction of Windows Embedded Compact 7, but it's not necessarily the easiest thing to wrap your head around right off the bat (or say three times fast). Thankfully, Microsoft has now come through with a site that explains the new OS in detail (complete with videos), and a trial download that will let you get a sneak peek at it yourself. The short of it is that the OS is aimed at devices that don't need or aren't well suited to the full-fledged Windows 7 (or Windows Phone 7, for that matter) -- like the Eee Pad pictured above -- which, incidentally, seems to address one of the major concerns from folks like NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. That added simplicity also means that the OS won't run regular Windows applications -- it is a successor to Windows CE, after all -- but Microsoft does at least promise a "streamlined developer experience." That's not to say the OS isn't capable in its own right, though -- it boasts a full-range of media playback capabilities (including MPEG-4 and HD video), built-in support for Silverlight for Windows Embedded and Flash 10.1, a customized version of Internet Explorer with full multitouch, support for Open GL ES 2.0, support for the latest ARM v7 architectures and, of course, "seamless" integration with Windows 7, to name just a few highlights. Still hungry for more details? Then hit up the source link for the complete rundown and Microsoft's ! videos, and for all the information you need to download the preview release.

Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 explained, trial download now available originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD Demos Hybrid CPU/GPU Fusion Chips For 2010 Release [Amd]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5553296/amd-demos-hybrid-cpugpu-fusion-chips-for-2010-release

AMD Demos Hybrid CPU/GPU Fusion Chips For 2010 ReleaseAMD has been trying to crack their Fusion technology—combining a CPU and a powerful GPU in the same chip—for years now. Today, they showed off working Fusion chips in a demo that got Intel and Nvidia's attention:

If the Fusion APU (advanced processing unit) amounts to everything that was promised, it'll be an extremely appealing alternative for OEMs. And it seems as though they're at least on the right track:

Watching the demo above—if you've got a spare hour—you might not be totally blown away by the performance. But keep in mind that they're still a few months off from being finished with these babies, and that they're intended to go into ultraportables, at least initially.

AMD Demonstrates World's First Fusion APU at Computex 2010

AMD Fusion technology preview offers glimpse into a sleeker, cooler, more vivid future for the computing experience; CPU and GPU on a single chip

AMD extends leadership with new desktops and notebooks powered by VISION technology

TAIPEI, Taiwan -6/2/2010

At Computex 2010, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today delivered the first public demonstration of an AMD Fusion processor, initiating the accelerated processing era. The AMD Fusion™ Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) represents a significant shift in processor architecture and capabilities, combining high-performance serial computing and parallel graphics processing cores onto a single die to improve visual and data-intensive tasks that are pervasive in today's computing environments. A video of today's demonstration can be found here.

Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Products Group, provided an APU technology demonstration during a press conference today. This demonstration provided a sneak peek into the upcoming seismic shift in the computing industry: power-efficient processors that combine CPU, GPU, video processing and other accelerator capabilities in a single-die design to efficiently power the most popular and demanding consumer experiences, from HD video applications to media-rich Internet experiences to DirectX® 11 games. The AMD Fusion Family of APUs represent a distinctly powerful processing approach to the evolving digital consumer landscape, where more than 28 billion videos are watched each month online and a thousand pictures are uploaded to social networking sites every second.

"Hundreds of millions of us now create, interact with, and share intensely visual digital content," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Product Group. "This explosion in multimedia requires new applications and new ways to manage and manipulate data. Low resolution video needs to be up-scaled for larger screens, HD video must be shrunk for smart phones, and home movies need to be stabilized and cleaned up for more enjoyable viewing. When AMD formally launches the AMD Fusion family of APUs, scheduled for the first half of in 2011, we expect the PC experience to evolve dramatically."
Software Development

Consumers are hungry for applications that run faster and make digital media easier to enjoy, and a new wave of software innovation is taking place as AMD software partners take advantage of AMD APUs and GPUs to enable better experiences across an ever-widening set of content. Microsoft joined AMD on stage at Computex and discussed how AMD Fusion APUs can enable improvements to applications such as Microsoft® Windows® 7 and DirectX® 11, and how CPU and GPU collaborative computing can enable superior PC experiences.

"While visual computing has made incredible strides in recent years, we believe that the AMD Fusion family of APUs combined with Windows® 7 and DirectX® 11 will fundamentally change how applications are developed and used," said Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice president, original equipment manufacturer division, Microsoft. "Applications such as Internet browsing, watching HD video, PowerPoint and more can enable more immersive, visually rich, and intuitive experiences for consumers worldwide."

In addition to Microsoft DirectX with DirectCompute, software developers can also build enhanced applications using OpenCL via the ATI Stream SDK, which further underscores AMD's commitment to industry standards.

[VentureBeat]

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VIA reveals 1.6GHz Nano DC processor at Computex, shows it handling 720p (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/via-reveals-1-6ghz-nano-dc-processor-at-computex-shows-it-handl/

Guess who showed up at Computex with an all-new dual-core processor? Nah, we're not referring to AMD or Intel (though they certainly did) -- we're talking about VIA. The company quietly (re)introduced a dual-core desktop chip here in Taipei, with the codename Nano DC being used to describe it for the time being. The device utilized a VN1000 Digital Media Chipset and fully supported dual-channel DDR3 memory. A Chrome 520 GPU was helping to push out a 720p movie trailer on the demo system, and the innate compatibility with HDMI and DisplayPort should keep home cinema owners happy. The 65nm chip was clocked at 1.6GHz, and we were told that it wouldn't be venturing into mobile machines in its current form. 'Course, this device has been a bit of unicorn for the past couple of years, but company representatives seemed certain that it would finally be ready to ship (using a different process technology, mind you) in around six months. We shall see. Live action video is just past the break.

Continue reading VIA reveals 1.6GHz Nano DC processor at Computex, shows it handling 720p (video)

VIA reveals 1.6GHz Nano DC processor at Computex, shows it handling 720p (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drag images into messages

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/e54EpBeY-vU/drag-images-into-messages.html

Posted by Michael Davidson, Software Engineer

Recently, we launched a feature that allows you to drag an attachment from your computer right onto Gmail.

I've always been a fan of the inserting image lab, so I naturally wondered if it would be possible to combine the two.

Today we're launching a feature that allows you to drag images from your computer into a message. You don't have to have the insert image lab enabled for it to work. Just drag the image in, resize it if you want, and send.


Currently, this feature only works in Google Chrome, but will be coming soon to other browsers.

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Brilliant counterfeit protection

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news194683523.html

(PhysOrg.com) -- Counterfeit products create losses in the billions each year. Beside the economic damages, all too often additional risks arise from the poor materials and shoddy workmanship of "knock-off artists". Yet with the aid of fluorescing dyes, materials can be individually tagged and identified with certainty.

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Google: Chrome OS launching this fall

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/google-chrome-os-launching-this-fall/

Originally announced with a planned second half of 2010 launch, today Google has narrowed the launch of its Chrome OS to fall. This, according to Sundar Pichai, Google VP of product management speaking at Computex. By our calculation that is sometime between 22 September and 21 December in the northern hemisphere if you want to take the man literally... and you do, don't you. Wonder if we'll see a Chrome OS tablet launch at the same time?

Google: Chrome OS launching this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceYahoo News  | Email this | Comments

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NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/nvidia-shows-16-new-optimus-laptops-at-computex-teases-460m-gpu/

Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We're working on grabbing a picture of that chip for you, but for now, check out the Optimus-ized machines in the gallery below and the full list after the break.

Continue reading NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU

NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases 460M GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights [Pointandshoots]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5552422/canon-powershot-sd4000-is-review-no-more-noisy-nights

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy NightsThe Canon PowerShot SD4000, the company's first compact with a back-lit CMOS sensor, achieves an elusive point-and-shoot camera feat: crisp, clean nighttime photography. And it's not even that expensive.

If you already own a DSLR, you probably don't think twice about snapping shots in low-light conditions. But as most point-and-shoot camera owners can tell you, when the sun goes down, shots from compact cameras tend to pick up noise and blur, fast. Some of the highest-end point-and-shoots, like the Canon S90, have risen to the challenge and adopted bigger image sensors for better low-light shots. But, as high-end compact cameras, they're expensive.

The PowerShot SD4000 IS is designed and priced more for the masses, a $350—not quite cheap but far from expensive—camera that shoots respectably in the dark.

The Skinny

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights
The SD4000 is a nice looking, and nice feeling, camera. It's skinny and asymmetrical, and its tapered edges make it an easy fit even in tiny pants.

While the sensor has been beefed up, the SD4000's controls remain simple. The top has a switch for changing modes and a shutter button ringed by a zoom lever; the back has a click wheel with a function button in the middle and two large buttons for entering the menu and playback mode. On one hand it's nice that the handsome camera isn't cluttered up by a bunch of extraneous buttons, but sometimes it feels like it takes one or two too many presses to get to a desired function.
Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights
The controls do offer a wide selection of different modes and effects, like foliage mode for shooting plants, smart shutter mode for triggering snapshots when the subject smiles (or, weirdly, when they wink), and a miniature effect for approximating tilt-shift photography.

To those who despise cutesy shooting modes, don't worry, the SD4000 still offers program, aperture, and shutter speed modes.

But what makes the SD4000 a gem of a camera is that, even if you don't really care about any esoteric shooting modes, you can still just pick it up and take great photos. Especially at night.

Night Moves

The SD4000 is the most advanced Digital ELPH to date, with a backlit 10 megapixel CMOS sensor and wide f/2.0 aperture. Sensors and apertures are easy to learn about, but if you just want the Cliffs Notes version, an f/2.0 aperture basically means that the light-allowing hole in the SD4000 can get a little bigger than that of most point-and-shoots, while the backlit CMOS means that the image sensor grabbing light through the aperture is wired from behind, blocking less light. On paper, all of this means that the SD4000 should take clean, noise-free low-light shots

And it does. Nighttime shots were impressive across the board, with the SD4000 kicking out some strong, low-noise night shots that generally held their own with those of the reigning point-and-shoot champ, the Canon S90. Up to ISO 800, shots showed very little noise. Shots with ISO 1600—and even in some cases 3200—still looked fine for the most part. Here's a detail of a shot from both the SD4000 and S90 at ISO 1600.
Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights

One annoyance for more advanced photographers: the camera tended to rely on its wide F2 aperture in low-light situations, and without a full manual mode that sometimes meant being stuck with a shallow depth of field and a blurry background. But that's only a minor quibble, and many will like the effect; overall, the new sensor and lens make an appreciable difference for low-light shooting. The built-in optical image stabilization system (that's the "IS" in the product's name) helps counteract those shaky hands, and a maximum shutter speed of 16 seconds will help you get that long-exposure city-street-with-trailing-tail-lights shot.

Here are some more low-light pictures from the SD4000:

The beefed up lens and sensor also make for nicer nighttime video—here's a 1280 x 720, 30fps clip:

Daytime shooting isn't shabby by any means, either, but it doesn't see as much as improvement from the new sensor as night shooting does—in general, the image quality of shots in bright environments isn't too different from those of other cameras in its class, which is to say, pretty good!

The Photography Blog has a super-detailed breakdown of SD4000 shot quality in all scenarios, if you're so inclined.

High Speed

Aside from the strong low-light performance, the PowerShot SD4000 stands out for its high speed shooting—snapping up to 8.4 frames per second in burst mode (though at a sub-cellphone 2.5 megapixels) and shooting 240fps video in Super Slow Motion video mode (albeit at a super crummy 320 x 240 resolution). Such videos don't look great, but it's a fun feature regardless, allowing you to do stuff like check out what squirrels are actually up to or assemble a personal highlight reel that makes any lay-up look several times more impressive:

Too Low a Ceiling?

For a casual photographer—someone who wants to have a camera on hand without constantly being reminded they're carrying one around; someone who's looking for higher quality shots at night without needing to take full control of their composition—the Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS is a great camera. But with Canon S90 prices creeping lower toward the SD4000's $350 price point, blossoming photographers looking for a more fully-featured (though less pocketable) point-and-shoot to grow into might be better off making that leap. If you're on the fence, here's a quick rundown of some points to consider for each.

The Canon S90 might be better if...
• you want to get into photography and want to take great pictures
• you don't necessarily know how to use a full manual mode, but would like to know it's there
• video is a bonus, not a priority (S90 only shoots standard def)
• you think to throw your point-and-shoot in a bag or purse before a jeans pocket

The Canon SD4000 might be better if...
• you want to take great pictures but aren't too concerned with how they get great
• you're your group of friends' designated photo-taker when you go out at night
• you crave that HD video distinction
• you wear a lot of Spandex


Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy NightsThe SD4000's backlit sensor and bright aperture deliver great low-light shooting.

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy NightsSlim design and tapered edges will make your pockets happy.

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy NightsPared down physical controls make some actions simpler, others needlessly complex.

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Review: No More Noisy Nights$350 price point puts it dangerously close to more advanced point-and-shoots.

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