Thursday, July 22, 2010

Fraunhofer FIT touch-free gesture-control for multiple users (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/21/fraunhofer-fit-touch-free-gesture-control-for-multiple-users-vi/

It seems like everyone is cooking up their own touch-free gesture-based control technology, just like every blogger is destined to refer to it as "Minority Report-like" or "Minority Report-esque," or "Tom Cruise-tastic!" Fraunhofer's FIT, the newest such project, has recently appeared on the YouTubes, where we must say it looks pretty darn good. Not only does it not require special gloves or markers, this thing also works in real time and can support multiple users (and multiple fingers). The researchers hope to use this for working with complex simulation data and in education, although there are some kinks to be worked out: currently elements like the reflections caused by wristwatches and the orientation of the palm confuses the system. That said, the demo is pretty rad! See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Fraunhofer FIT touch-free gesture-control for multiple users (video)

Fraunhofer FIT touch-free gesture-control for multiple users (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung rolls out budget-minded PL200 point-and-shoot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/21/samsung-rolls-out-budget-minded-pl200-point-and-shoot/

Not interested in Samsung's newfangled DualView cameras? Don't worry, the company is still cranking out plenty of regular point-and-shoots as well -- like this just-announced PL200 model. Coming in at a reasonable $179.99, this one packs a 14.2-megapixel sensor, a 7x optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD 'round back, 720p video recording, and dual optical and digital image stabilization, among other standard features. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look, and watch for the camera for to be available sometime this September in your choice of black, silver or red.

Gallery: Samsung PL200

Continue reading Samsung rolls out budget-minded PL200 point-and-shoot

Samsung rolls out budget-minded PL200 point-and-shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak available for purchase 'in late July,' says US product page

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/21/dell-streak-available-for-purchase-in-late-july-says-us-produ/

It's funny to think, even after reviewing the device (thrice, at this point), that we still don't have a US release date for Dell's Streak. The company's been uncharacteristically coy, but the stateside product page does offer this tantalizing tidbit: "available for purchase in late July." That gives us a good 10-day window, so if you've been eyeballing that pre-sale button with intent to click, now might be the time jump on the list.

Dell Streak available for purchase 'in late July,' says US product page originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC reevaluates US broadband competitiveness, finds 14 to 24 million lack access

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/fcc-reevaluates-us-broadband-competitiveness-finds-14-to-24-mil/

The National Broadband Plan may one day bring broadband to everyone in the United States but, as a new report from the FCC itself reveals, there's still quite a ways to go. According to the report (issued every year by the agency), between 14 and 24 million Americans have no access to broadband, which is now defined by the FCC to be a 4Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. That's a significant revision from the previous 200kbps downstream standard used by the annual report, and brings it in line with the minimum goals set by the National Broadband Plan. What does that mean for the 14 to 24 million without broadband access? Not much at the moment, unfortunately. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says that those individuals are mostly in "expensive-to-serve areas with low population density," and that "without substantial reforms to the agency's universal service programs, these areas will continue to be unserved." Of course, that finding is just one part of the report -- hit up the source link below to check out the whole thing.

FCC reevaluates US broadband competitiveness, finds 14 to 24 million lack access originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/blindtype-vows-to-autocorrect-all-wrongs-by-replacing-your-virtu/

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer gets too fat to be able to dial a number? Well, he wouldn't have had that problem had BlindType been around. This soft keyboard is described by its makers as being extremely resilient to inaccurate input and looking at the demo video after the break, you kinda have to agree -- it seems to have a pretty kickass predictive algorithm. Aside from that, the keyboard also dynamically adjusts to wherever and however you choose to type, meaning its size and orientation track along to your input, which goes some way to justifying the somewhat odd name (it's meant for blind operation, not blind people). Text can be inserted without the keyboard even being on screen, while spaces are added by swiping to the right. BlindType should be coming to Android and iOS devices some time in the near future.

[Thanks, Fadl]

Update: We asked BlindType's makers whether implementing their software will require replacing Apple's default button slate and they've confirmed that it would. They're making and submitting it for iOS use, nonetheless, "to put pressure on Apple to finally allow this kind of thing."

Continue reading BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video)

BlindType vows to autocorrect all wrongs with your iPhone or Android virtual keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexar's 128GB Echo SE USB thumb drive continuously backs up your netbook, mobile life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/lexars-128gb-echo-se-usb-thumb-drive-continuously-backs-up-your/

Previously available in 16GB and 32GB versions, Lexar's Echo SE line just got gigantic. And a lot more useful, if we should say so ourselves. With many SSDs topping out at 128GB, and quite a few netbooks shipping with 160GB HDDs, having this USB drive plugged essentially allows your entire laptop to be continuously backed up. The built-in, "no touch software" automatically backs up files in use, requiring absolutely no activation on your end. We're told that the little bugger will work with Windows and OS X platforms, but the assurance of having your mobile life backed up at all times will cost ya. And by that, we mean "make you $349.99 poorer." It's available now at various e-tailers (Amazon, Newegg, etc.) if you're willing to pay the premium.

Continue reading Lexar's 128GB Echo SE USB thumb drive continuously backs up your netbook, mobile life

Lexar's 128GB Echo SE USB thumb drive continuously backs up your netbook, mobile life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Horizon's Minipak, Hydrofill and Hydrostik fuel cell devices go up for pre-order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/horizons-minipak-hydrofill-and-hydrostik-fuel-cell-devices-go/

We first learned of Horizon's most recent fuel cell-powered aspirations back at CES, but the company has been radio silent ever since. Well, until today. As of this very moment in time, a trio of alternative energy charging solutions are up for pre-order on the company's site, and while they promised that the family would be available by the end of 2010, it seems as if the first shipments will head out as early as next month. The Minipak -- described as a charging device that integrates a passive air-breathing fuel cell and a 'solid-state' hydrogen storage unit -- is up for pre-order at $99.99, while the monstrous Hydrofill water-to-hydrogen-to-power converter can also be claimed for $499.99. Last (but certainly not least), the Hydrostik can be reserved for a penny under a Hamilton. Go on, give that source link a look -- your angered AAs will peter out before they're able to take up arms, anyway.

[Thanks, Mitchell]

Horizon's Minipak, Hydrofill and Hydrostik fuel cell devices go up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo busts out HDMI-connected 10.1-inch picture frame

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/onkyo-busts-out-hdmi-connected-10-1-inch-picture-frame/

To cut a long story short, Onkyo's LPF10M01 is basically a netbook's screen sans (most of) the netbook. 10.1 inches of LED-backlit LCD get covered in a 1,024 x 600 pixel array and are backed up by 250 nits of brightness and a 500 to 1 contrast ratio. The big selling point here is the inclusion of an HDMI input -- still something of a rarity in picture frames -- which sidles up alongside a USB port, SDHC and Memory Stick card reader, and 512MB of integrated memory. We're fancying the flexibility of using it as a secondary display or as part of some truly minimalist desktop environment, but doubt many will be won over by the austere 140 degree horizontal viewing angle, which narrow down to a zany 110 on the vertical axis. Anyhow, it launches on August 6 in Japan for around ¥19,800 ($227).

Onkyo busts out HDMI-connected 10.1-inch picture frame originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation 3 could get 3D depth slider Ã¡ la the 3DS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/playstation-3-could-get-3d-depth-slider-a-la-the-3ds/

How will sir be having his gimmick today? The devs behind the upcoming Sly Cooper 3D compilation are wisely mulling over the idea of inserting a 3D-adjusting slider to let users decide just how much stereoscopy they want with their Sony-approved gaming. It's argued that this should allow you greater positional flexibility when smacking fools down in three dimensions, as you'll be able to manually toggle the depth of the 3D effect to suit your viewing angle. We were happy to see such an option introduced in the Nintendo 3DS at E3 and would similarly welcome its inclusion on the PS3 -- though that's no foregone conclusion as yet. All we can say for sure right now is that the stuff is adjustable, but it looks like it'll be up to devs to roll their sleeves up and integrate the slider into their games. Hey, it's the summer, not like they've got anything else to do, right?

PlayStation 3 could get 3D depth slider á la the 3DS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RT @acfou Is your advertising like casting a wide net but not knowing whether fish are even in the vicinity? http://bit.ly/cC5sRY

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

SimplyNoise White Noise Generator Now Features Sleep Timer and iOS App [White Noise]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5592227/simplynoise-now-features-sleep-timer-and-ios-app

SimplyNoise White Noise Generator Now Features Sleep Timer and iOS App Two years ago we featured SimplyNoise, a dead-simple white noise generator. A recent update adds in additional sounds, features, and an iOS app for white-noise naps on the go.

Originally SimplyNoise did one thing: play an endless loop of white noise at your preferred volume. The site overhaul introduces several new and useful features. You can now select from white noise, pink noise, and brown noise. Which sound, respectively, like radio static, ocean waves, and airplane droning. You can set them to oscillate—pink noise on oscillation sounds like perfectly time waves crashing—and a new sleep timer makes it easy to fade out the sound after you've dozed off or to set an end time for your power nap.

If you want to take the new features with you SimplyNoise is available as a $0.99 iOS application. Otherwise, the site is free and requires no registration for use. Check out the site below to sample the random noise generator or listen to—and download for free—their featured soundscapes. The current offering is an hour long thunderstorm track. Have a favorite site for the perfect power nap soundtrack? Let's hear about it in the comments.

SimplyNoise 2.0 [via DownloadSquad]

Are You Watching This?! Makes Sure You Never Miss a Classic Game in the Making [Sports]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5592241/are-you-watching-this-makes-sure-you-never-miss-a-classic-game-in-the-making

Are You Watching This?! Makes Sure You Never Miss a Classic Game in the Making If you're a sports fan with diverse tastes, you've long since realized you can't possibly watch every broadcast game. Web site Are You Watching This?! keeps you updated on which current games are shaping up to be instant classics.

What problem is Are You Watching This?! seeking to solve? As they highlight on their web site, one out of four days in the year has over a hundred professional sporting events, and there are over 6,000 channels broadcasting all these local and national games. Are You Watching This?! analyzes in-progress games with an algorithm to determine—based on the current game, historical data for the sport, and other factors—if the game is a hot game with a chance of becoming an "instant classic" as a result of factors like overtime, high scores, unique plays, and more. When it is, RUWT?! will notify you via email or text message so you can catch the game live (or at least turn on your DVR).

Want to know if a game is worth watching after the fact? Check out previously reviewed Should I Watch This? to get notified if you should rush home to catch a recorded game. Are You Watching This?! is available directly from the web site and as a desktop widget, a Firefox and Chrome extension, and for Android, iOS, and Palm OS.

Are You Watching This?!

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5590624/lifehacker-pack-for-linux-our-list-of-the-best-linux-downloads

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads We love Linux, and want to make it easier for others to do so, too. This first edition of the Lifehacker Pack for Linux includes our favorite apps that get things done and make your desktop great.

Linux isn't quite like Windows or Mac, as there are many, many distributions, usually running on one of two desktop systems (GNOME or KDE). We've chosen to write this list up from the perspective of a standard, GNOME-based Ubuntu user. Ubuntu is what the Lifehacker editors use, it's what most of our Linux-leaning readers use, and it's generally popular and frequently updated. Many of these apps can be downloaded and installed on other Linux systems, of course—check the Download link, or search out its name in your own system's package installer.

If you are using Ubuntu, you can also install these apps by clicking the "Install in Ubuntu" link after each item. It's a link that prompts your own Ubuntu system to search out and install an app from its own repositories—with your permission, of course. You may be asked on your first install to allow your browser to open up an Ubuntu app to handle the link, but go ahead and agree with it, and you'll be installing apps with one click after that. We've also placed aggregated installer links at the bottom of each section, and a mega-installer at the bottom of the post, so you can install multiple apps at once.

Some other apps (Chrome and Dropbox) require a download, some are pre-installed in Ubuntu, and others may require the enabling of an extra repository or two for certain third-party apps, but we've explained how to do so in a previous Ubuntu feature (short version: open "Software Sources" from the System/Administration menu).

Now let's get straight to the goodies:

Productivity

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads GNOME-Do: If you're familiar with Quicksilver, a key element of our Lifehacker Pack for Mac, you'll have a sense of why application launcher GNOME-Do is so handy and great. But GNOME-Do does much more than object-verb launching. It comes packed with a host of plug-ins that can launch chats, upload or open Google Docs, shorten a URL or send a tweet, and on and on. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads OpenOffice.org or GNOME Office Suite: We are not in love with OpenOffice.org, by any means. The internet is full of places where you can read what people dislike about Sun Microsystems' open-source alternative to Microsoft's Office suite—slowness, toolbar overload, a few features that are essential to certain trades. Still, for all its shortcomings, OpenOffice does get the job done in most cases, most of the time, and it's robust in ways that are hard to imagine for entirely free software. If you want a lighter, faster alternative for simply opening files and cranking out work, the offerings in the GNOME suite—AbiWord, Gnumeric, and so forth—will suit you fine. Or just use Google Docs or Zoho. [Download: OpenOffice, GNOME Office] [Install Gnome Office in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads gedit: It's built into nearly any Linux OS that runs on GNOME, and some that don't. It's a compact but customizable text editor, one that's great for jotting down quick notes, editing system files, writing code outside a full-fledged development environment, or otherwise editing straight-up text. It can be made up with plug-ins to auto-complete, snap open files, and otherwise work like TextMate, but even on its own, it's a good tool to keep handy. [Download]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads AutoKey: Text replacement gives you the power to type five letters—like kpadd—and fill in a whole mess of repetitive or hard-to-remember text—like "Kevin Purdy / 123 Mayfair Lane / SomeTown, NY 12345"—wherever you happen to be typing. AutoKey isn't a pure equivalent of Texter for Windows or TextExpander for Mac, but it has its own features to recommend it. Users can pick a hotkey, text snippet, or tray menu shortcut for each expansion they create, and learn a rudimentary scripting language to insert customized text. Just like Linux itself, AutoKey is an open book. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

[Install the Productivity pack in Ubuntu] (GNOME-Do, Gnome Office, Autokey)

Internet/Communication

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Firefox/Chrome: Firefox's the default in most Linux browsers, and is likely the most tested and stable on Ubuntu and other platforms. But, just as on Macs, Chrome is growing up quickly, offering a very, very fast experience on Linux, and makes strides in integrating with the OS every day. So let's call it a tie—both are easy to love. [Download: Firefox, Chrome]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Thunderbird: Most of you are using web-based mail these days, and Evolution may be deeply integrated into GNOME, but it's hard to beat Thunderbird as a desktop email client. From its support for Gmail features like archiving to its large library of add-ons, Thunderbird's got you covered no matter how you manage your email workflow. Even if you primarily use webapps for mail, you can't go wrong backing up your email through a desktop client, nor accessing it through IMAP when Gmail goes down. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Pidgin: Ubuntu has picked up Empathy as a default messaging program, and, while it's a stylish, intriguing app, it's nowhere near as convenient and fleshed out as Pidgin. Pigin gives you total control over multiple chat accounts and your buddy list, can be used with multiple Windows or Linux PCs, and also integrates into Ubuntu's new "Me" menu. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Skype: Sure, there are a lot of different ways to video chat nowadays, but Skype is by far the most popular, what with its cross-platform availability and, frankly, media hype. But it's free, works well, and chances are your friends all have it too, so it's nice to keep around. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Transmission: Transmission is the default BitTorrent client in Ubuntu, and with good reason. It's not quite as feature-rich as the Mac version, but it's super lightweight, fast, and still has a lot of convenient features like automatic port forwarding, speed limiting, scheduling, and a handy web UI for when you aren't near your computer (or, if you're more a fan of SSH, command-line support). [Download]

[Install the Internet/Communication pack in Ubuntu] (Thunderbird, Pidgin, Skype)

Media

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Flash Player: It's never run quite as well on Linux as on Windows or Mac (and it isn't so great on those either), but until HTML5 really comes to fruition, it's necessary for streaming video or using a lot of interactive web pages. Of course, you can keep it's resource hogging at bay when necessary with FlashBlock for Chrome and FlashBlock for Firefox. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads VLC: Media player VLC was voted the best desktop media player by you guys, and with good reason—not only does it play pretty much any file you throw at it, but it can rip DVDs, stream media to other computers, and even play YouTube videos (and much more). It's a must-have application for anyone that watches video on their computer. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Handbrake: It doesn't matter whether you're throwing some video on your mobile device or ripping that Blu-Ray disc to your media center, open source Handbrake is one of the best video encoders around. Unfortunately, the latest version of Handbrake doesn't work with the new version of GNOME, and the Handbrake team has yet to catch up, but you can install some (likely less stable) snapshots using this method. [Main Site]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads GIMP: Ubuntu recently dropped GIMP, the open-source, full-fledged image editor from its default installations, due to its size and complexity. The thinking went that most casual photo edits could be made with the F-Spot photo manager. Well, kind-of-sort-of-not-really. GIMP may have a dense number of options, but F-Spot's photo handling and somewhat sparse options make it less than ideal for actual editing—cropping, lasso-grabbing, drop-shadowing, and the like. GIMP has its flaws, but it gets regular improvements, and you'll be glad it's there when you need it. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Rhythmbox: Music players are a very personal thing—that's why there are so many, after all. We can see why Linux users would variously love them some Banshee, Exaile, or even Songbird, discontinued for Linux development but living on in the Nightingale project. But when it comes down to what loads, syncs, and plays your music, offers extensibility, and fits nicely into a GNOME/Ubuntu desktop, we have to go with the default Rhythmbox. Beyond basic functionality, Rhythmbox now has a very nice built-in music store, one that automatically syncs your purchases to a free Ubuntu One cloud service. Like iTunes for Mac, it's not a perfect product, but it probably works for the widest number of uses. [Download]

[Install the Media pack in Ubuntu] (Flash, VLC, GIMP)

Utilities

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Dropbox: If you have more than one computer (or tend to use other computers often), Dropbox is a must-have. It adds a Dropbox folder to your user folder, which will be constantly synced to Dropbox's servers. Thus, any files you add to this folder (or folders you link to it) will be synced to your Dropbox folder on other computers, as well as be accessible from the web. Nowadays, most smartphone platforms also have a Dropbox client from which you can download your files, so it's pretty useful for pretty much anyone with files to access, among its many other clever uses. [Download]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Conky: Much like the more publicized Mac favorite GeekTool, Conky is a super customizable system monitor for your computer. Not only can you put system stats such as CPU, memory, and network stats on your desktop, but you can even add weather updates and mail checkers. It's a great way to stay productive while keeping track of everything going on behind the scenes. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Wine: Despite your best efforts, chances are you'll still need to run a few Windows applications from time to time. One of the best ways to do so in Linux is Wine, a compatibility layer that offers support for a number of Windows applications. What's great about Wine is that it lets you run these apps in your regular window manager as if they were Linux apps, and doesn't suck up a ton of resources like a virtual machine. However, not all programs work with Wine, but for the ones that do, it's usually the optimal solution. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads VirtualBox: When Wine can't run that Windows program you need, free virtualization software VirtualBox will. Since it's a full Windows environment, it supports almost any Windows program, albeit at the cost of slowing down the rest of your system a bit. It'll do the trick when you need it to, though, so it's useful to have at the ready. Note: the download version from VirtualBox offers a few benefits (like USB device handling) over the open-source version installed via Ubuntu. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Tilda or Yakuake: As modern and user-friendly as Linux has come from its roots (and, believe it or not, that's a very long way), many users will still need access to a terminal. Tilda and Yakuake are snappy, drop-down terminals inspired by first-person shooter games that you will grow to love. They're both customizable in shape, size, and appearance, and save you the trouble of having to switch windows when you just want to fire off a quick command or two. Yakuake is built for KDE, and has the edge on looks and sleekness; Tilda's a bit more utilitarian, but doesn't require installing extra libraries. [Download: Tilda, Yakuake] [Install Tilda in Ubuntu] [Install Yakuake in Ubuntu]

p7zip: It's basically 7-Zip for Linux. Install it, and you'll be able to compress and de-compress pretty much any archive file around, including disk images, Mac OS packages, and the .rar and other segmented files found around the wild web. Best of all, you can just right-click on files to compress or de-compress them, if you don't want to get your hands dirty in the terminal. [Download] [Install in Ubuntu]

[Install the Utilities pack in Ubuntu] (Conky, WINE, VirtualBox, Tilda, p7zip)

Optional (For Beginners)

Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads Ubuntu Tweak: (Ubuntu only) It doesn't do things by the Linux book, and some of the things it does to your system might make for a slightly messy situation if you go the upgrade route for the next Ubuntu release. But Ubuntu Tweak makes it really, really simple to do a lot of things Linux beginners are looking to do. Install popular third-party apps and plug-ins (from the app or its online app "store"), make system configuration tweaks that would otherwise require terminal editing, clear up disk space, configure the notoriously obtuse Compiz 3D graphics, and otherwise jump right into using and enjoying Ubuntu. [Download]

Want the whole Lifehacker Pack for Linux in one click? Here's a link for Ubuntu: [Install the entire Lifehacker Pack for Linux in Ubuntu]

And here's a terminal command, for you old-school Linux types:

sudo apt-get install gnome-do gnome-office autokey thunderbird pidgin skype flashplugin-installer vlc gimp conky wine virtualbox-ose tilda p7zip

(Don't worry if you've got some of these apps installed already—Ubuntu will ping you to let you know it's already there, then move on).

This is our first Lifehacker Pack for Linux, but we expect to read the feedback, hash it over, and run it all again next year. Give us your take on what you consider to be the essential Linux apps for any system in the comments.

ARM Lines Up a Warp Speed Future For Mobile Processors [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5592568/arm-lines-up-a-warp-speed-future-for-mobile-processors

ARM Lines Up a Warp Speed Future For Mobile Processors ARM has solidified its position today as master of the mobile processor universe, announcing a deal with TSMC that will take smartphone chips all the way down to a 20nm process. That means: faster, better, more efficient.

Of course, 20nm is the long-term goal, and it's not clear how long a term that's going to be. But by partnering with TSMC, ARM's now officially got the silicon means to their superspeedy ends.

ARM and TSMC Sign Long-Term Strategic Agreement

Enables broad processor and Physical IP optimization on TSMC's most advanced technology nodes

Cambridge, UK and Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. – July 20, 2010 - ARM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today jointly announced a long-term agreement that provides TSMC with access to a broad range of ARM processors and enables the development of ARM physical IP across TSMC technology nodes. This agreement supports the companies' mutual customers to achieve optimized Systems-On-Chip (SoC) based on ARM processors and covers a wide range of process nodes extending down to 20nm.

The agreement provides TSMC access to optimize the implementation of ARM® processors on TSMC process technologies, including ARM Cortex™ processor family and CoreLink™ interconnect fabric for AMBA® protocols. It also establishes a long-term relationship with ARM for the development of physical IP, including memory products and standard cell libraries targeting the most advanced TSMC 28nm and 20nm processes.

"The signing of this agreement is a significant semiconductor industry milestone because it formalizes a forward looking, long-term relationship between two of the industry's leading companies," explained Mike Inglis, executive vice president and general manager, ARM Processor Division. "I am pleased that ARM and TSMC will be working together to enable ARM processor based SoCs leveraging both companies' advanced technologies."

ARM and TSMC will collaborate on creating TSMC technology optimized processor core implementations for benchmarking of optimal power, performance and area. Typical implementations will target consumer-centric market segments including wireless, portable computing, tablet PCs and high performance computing.

"We believe this effort will enhance the value of our Open Innovation Platform that efficiently empowers innovation throughout the supply chain," said Dr. Fu-Chieh Hsu, Vice President of Design and Technology Platform and Deputy Head of R&D at TSMC. "The combination of ARM's industry leading IP and TSMC's world-class technology and manufacturing provides our mutual customers with compelling benefits for advanced semiconductor applications."

"Through our industry leadership in processor and physical IP and our strategic alliances with leading foundries and EDA companies, ARM is enabling faster time to volume production of SoCs," said Simon Segars, executive vice president and general manager, ARM, Physical IP division. "This new agreement assures the industry that ARM and TSMC will collectively provide IP development leadership for advanced process technologies well into the future."

Lego Android Robot Solves 7x7x7 Rubik Cube [Lego]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5592576/lego-android-robot-solves-7x7x7-rubik-cube

The Rubik-cube-solving robot race continues. After the classic 3x3x3 cube and the 4x4x4 cube, here comes the Lego Mindstorms robot that can solve a 7x7x7, powered by an Android phone. We are headed to mass self-destruction, I tell you. [AndroidGuys]

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