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Monday, September 20, 2010

Casio debuts Exilim EX-H20G (with Hybrid GPS) and EX-Z16 point-and-shoots

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/20/casio-debuts-exilim-ex-h20g-with-hybrid-gps-and-ex-z16-point-a/

Photokina's kicking off in earnest today with a serious bang in the point-and-shoot realm; Casio just introduced the planet's first camera with Hybrid GPS, which essentially enables it to geotag photos and videos where traditional cameras cannot. Yeah, indoors. The Exilim EX-H20G (shown above) also packs a 14.1 megapixel sensor, SD / SDHC / SDXC memory card slot, a 10x optical zoomer, an ISO range of 80 to 3200, 3-inch rear LCD, CCD-shift image stabilization, 720p movie mode and an HDMI output. Moreover, the company has throw in a world atlas with detailed maps of 140 cities around the world, and the rear screen can actually display a user's current position on said map for kicks and giggles. It'll hit shops this November for $349.99.

If that's a bit too fanciful for you, the lower-end EX-Z16 might just fit the bill. Boasting a 2.7-inch rear LCD, VGA (640 x 480) movie mode, a 12.1 megapixel sensor, SD / SDHC card slot, a whopping 14.9MB of internal storage (um... okay?), CCD-shift image stabilization and an integrated YouTube capture mode, this dead-simple cam is designed to be about as hands-off as they come. According to the company, the only settings you have to adjust on the 2.7-inch panel are image size, flash and self timer -- everything else sets itself accordingly. 'Course, that won't sit well with the tinkerers in the group, but you can sure brighten a newbie's day by gifting 'em with one when it ships later this month at $99.99. More details are packed in after the break, should you find yourself thirsty for more.

Gallery: Casio EXILIM EX-H20G and EX-Z16 digital cameras

Continue reading Casio debuts Exilim EX-H20G (with Hybrid GPS) and EX-Z16 point-and-shoots

Casio debuts Exilim EX-H20G (with Hybrid GPS) and EX-Z16 point-and-shoots originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, September 19, 2010

This Chip Might Bring Perfect Reception to Your Home, Without Resentment [Femtocell]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640230/this-chip-might-make-microcells-easier-to-swallow

This Chip Might Bring Perfect Reception to Your Home, Without Resentment So it's a quandary. Your house is in a service dead zone, and you don't want to shell out $150 more for something you're paying for already. What's worth more, principle or a functioning phone? That decision might be over.

The people at picoChip might have something to change the femtocell's most galling flaw: price. As we know, the things work great—lifechanger great. Who wouldn't want perfect coverage throughout their entire home? We all would. But who wants to pay extra for it? Well, that's another story.

But a new chipset, drawing fewer than 5 watts of power and, more importantly, costing only $50, could drive an entire new generation of femtocell systems, spreading cheap, perfect HSPA+ or 3G through your apartment, office, and even Times Square. The guts—a cheap chip on a simple wafer only several inches large—packs the antennae necessary to inflate not just your own private bubble of beautiful signal, but one that could—with the use of multiple, synced boxes—cover rolling rural areas with clear signals too. Or, as picoChip pointed out, their tech could be easily slipped into an connected media box—a Roku that blasted your house with cellular service might not be such a bad idea.

But no matter its form, with the cost of manufacturing the femtocell box sliced into quarters, the pain of your decision to buy one might go from a resentful ache to a slight pinch. You might not love the idea, but at a certain point, this might become so cheap that you'll just bite the bullet.

picoChip's new boards are HSPA+ only for now, with a 3G version coming later this year. When we spoke with Rupert Baines of picoChip, we asked about femtocell tech's other rather annoying quirk—having MicroCell usage count towards your plan minutes, even when you're using your own internet connection to carry them (possibly that of another company!). His answer wasn't definitive (nor need it be, as he's on the hardware side of things, not in AT&T's boardroom), but he's confident that driving the price of femtocell chips into the basement will force carriers to compete away from price—such as offering signal boosters that don't scrape away your minute pool. This might be an optimistic confidence in the ability of the market to go to bat for us, but those still suffering from shoddy service might have reason for hope. [picoChip]

Arab Center's Wall Is Alive With 30,000 Mechanical Eyes [Architecture]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5641012/arab-centers-wall-is-alive-with-30000-mechanical-eyes

The Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute, for you non-Francophones) is a 19 nation cultural consortium with incredible architectural bragging rights. Merging traditional Arab patterns with clever engineering, its south-facing wall dilates thousands of apertures to control sunlight exposure.

The automated wall of the Institute, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, broadens and narrows entirely on its own—just like the human eye—corresponding with the rising and setting sun. The result? Dazzling interior lighting patterns, and a no-fuss way of keeping cool during the day. [Inhabitat]

An Entire Facebook Photo Album Captured in a Single Long Exposure Photograph [Photography]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5641074/entire-facebook-photo-albums-captured-in-single-long-exposure-photographs

Flipping through massive Facebook photo albums with prodigious speed is definitely a 21st century skill, but what would it look like if you photographed that process? Hauntingly beautiful, it turns out.

The photographs, long exposure shots of a computer screen snapped as Facebook albums were rapidly flipped through, were taken by Phillip Maisel as part of a project called "A More Open Place," a quote by Facebook King Mark Zuckerberg himself.

There's plenty more at Maisel's site. Check them out and keep them in mind the next time you're looking at your friend's insipid vacation album. [Phillip Maisel via Peta Pixel]

The Unflattering Future Of Fashion: Spray On Clothes [Fashion]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5641608/the-unflattering-future-of-fashion-spray-on-clothes

A new liquid mixture will allow people to literally spray clothes onto their body. Once the mixture hits your body, it turns into a thin layer of fabric that can be peeled off, washed, and re-worn. Unfortunately, it's also skintight.

It's sorta crazy to think about your future morning routine: wake up, shake the aerosol can and spray yourself silly to get dressed. Is that even possible? Yes it is. Developed by Imperial College London and a company called Fabrican, the spray-on fabric is made from short, cross linking fibers that are combined with polymers, the fibers then cling together to form the material. Its kept in liquid form through a solvent which evaporates when the spray hits the surface.

So it totally works but why would someone want to make this? Manel Torres, the designer behind the spray on clothes, says:

"When I first began this project I really wanted to make a futuristic, seamless, quick and comfortable material. In my quest to produce this kind of fabric, I ended up returning to the principles of the earliest textiles such as felt, which were also produced by taking fibers and finding a way of binding them together without having to weave or stitch them"

And futuristic it is! One thing though, spray on clothes is a great idea if we all looked like swimsuit models but since we, er, don't, it'd just make for a very unflattering future. Imagine everyone wearing thin, skintight shirts and pants. Not a pretty sight. [Wired]

After Watching This Video, It's Clear the Universe Will End Today [Image Cache]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5641843/after-watching-this-video-its-clear-the-universe-will-end-today

There are plenty of amazing time lapse videos. This is one. But when you see it paired with Hans Zimmer's "Dream is collapsing"—from Inception's soundtrack—it goes from amazing to holy-fuck-the-Universe-is-about-to-collapse-and-we-are-all-gonna-die amazing. Play the HD full screen. Use headphones.

The time lapse segments were taken by Mike Flores and edited to match the rhythm of Zimmer's gloriously unnerving piece. Flores' images are beautiful, but when combined with Zimmer's music, on a big screen, with a big sound system or good headphones, the result is epic.

But then again, you can use Zimmer's music to make Sesame Street look like an epic tale of life and death. Now, if you excuse me, I'm off to try to wake up. Somebody throw me out the window, please. [Vimeo via Likecool]

Ocosmos unveils crazy OCS-9 tablet with Oak Trail CPU, stylus stand and removable keyboard (update: close up pics!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/ocosmos-unveils-crazy-ocs-9-tablet-with-oak-trail-cpu-stylus-st/

Before IDF 2010, you'd likely never heard of a South Korean electronics company called Ocosmos. Now, their crazy concepts are bursting out of the woodwork. This OCS-9 tablet above not only boasts an Oak Trail processor and 9-inch, 1024 x 768 capacitive touchscreen, but also a removable stylus that slots into a hole into the back to stand the tablet up in either portrait or landscape modes and -- get this -- a slide-out, removable touchscreen QWERTY keypad with two OMOS Keys on either side. There's a 3 megapixel webcam on the front and Windows 7 will reportedly run inside, and the whole thing slots into a TV dock with a host of video ports to let you watch video when sitting down. No word on battery life or performance quite yet, as the tablet's most definitely an early prototype, but the company's shooting for a working version by CES and a release in Q2 2011, for a $500 estimated price. Here's hoping these dreams come true, because as far as concepts go, we likey.

Update: Now with close-up pics of that removable keypad, stylus stand and more, plus a few shots of another potential look for the OCS-1. These folks never stop prototyping! By the by, we're told the OCS-9 tablet has pretty much the same hardware inside, including GMA 600 graphics and 802.11 b/g WiFi.

Gallery: Ocosmos OCS-9 tablet, eyes on

Gallery: Ocosmos OCS-9, close-ups

Ocosmos unveils crazy OCS-9 tablet with Oak Trail CPU, stylus stand and removable keyboard (update: close up pics!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Voice apps returning to iPhone app store (update: they're here!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/google-voice-apps-begin-returning-to-iphone-app-store/

Digg It's been a long time coming -- now native Google Voice apps have finally returned to the iTunes App Store. This, after a fourteen month hiatus in which we saw an FCC investigation into the matter that culminated in a loosening of App Store restrictions. So far, we're only seeing the $3 GV Connect app in the store with GV Mobile + coming sometime Saturday morning according to its developer, Sean Kovacs. No word on when the official Google Voice iPhone app will make its appearance, but surely it can't be long -- Phil must have had a chance to study the app he personally ~~rejected~~ didn't approve by now, right?

Update: We'd been checking our iPhones all day long to no avail, but it's finally here. As of 1:30AM ET, GV Mobile + has been formally approved and is now available for $2.99 on the iTunes App Store.

Google Voice apps returning to iPhone app store (update: they're here!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Make Sure TRIM Is Enabled for Your Solid State Drive in Windows 7 for Better Performance [Windows Tip]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5640971/check-if-trim-is-enabled-for-your-solid-state-drive-in-windows-7

One of the best way to take full advantage of your solid state drive (SSD) is to use the performance-maintaining TRIM command. Technology blog GHacks shows us how to make sure TRIM is enabled in Windows 7.

While using something like Intel's previously mentioned Toolbox application to TRIM your drive is extremely useful, you need to make sure Windows 7 has enabled it first. And, while Windows is designed to automatically detect most SSDs, sometimes it doesn't work as intended. If you find the performance of your SSD is degrading (or just want to make sure TRIM is properly enabled), run Command Prompt as an administrator and type:

 fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify

It will give you one of two results, either a 0 or a 1. A zero indicates that TRIM is enabled correctly, a one means that it is not. If you have a TRIM-compatible SSD, but find that Windows 7 hasn't enabled the command, you can easily do so by running this command:

 fsutil behavior set disablenotify 0

Note that TRIM is only supported in Windows 7, so if you have an SSD but are running an older version of Windows, it's probably a good idea to upgrade. Hit the link for other SSD optimization tips, and share your own with us in the comments.

Verify that TRIM is Enabled in Windows 7 [GHacks]

Remoter Controls Android's Music Player from Your Home Screen [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5640972/remoter-controls-androids-music-player-from-your-home-screen-widget-free

Remoter Controls Android's Music Player from Your Home Screen Android: If you use your phone to listen to music, it can be annoying to open up the player just to switch tracks. Remoter is a set of home screen shortcuts that control the default Android music player.

You could, of course, use some of the built-in widgets for the music app, but widgets take up precious space and memory. Remoter was originally designed for the scrollable, easy-access dock of previously mentioned LauncherPro, but it works with any launcher. It's essentially a set of small apps, each of which performs some function—like play/pause or next track—so you can put them right on your home screen, launcher dock, or anywhere else you can attach shortcuts.

The app is still in development, and not yet available in the Market, but you can head over to the XDA-Developers forums and grab a copy of the app as-is right now. It works great; there are currently play/pause, next and previous track buttons, and a helpful fellow on the thread has created some icons to make them look a bit nicer.

To install it, just download the zip file to your SD card. You'll need a file manager like previously mentioned Astro to access them, and you can just install each package separately by tapping it (you'll need to make sure you have "Unknown sources" checked in Settings > Applications, though). Then, you can add them to your home screen or launcher as you would add any other app. Hit the link to check it out.

Remoter is a free download for Android devices. It only works with the default Android music player at the moment, and you'll need an account at the XDA-Developers forums to download the file. It only takes a moment and I highly recommend getting one anyways—there's a lot of great Android stuff to be found on that forum.

[APP] Music Controls as APP - Remoter [via Talk Android]

Apple's 27-Inch LED Cinema Display is Now Available [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640586/apples-27+inch-led-cinema-display-is-now-available

Apple's 27-Inch LED Cinema Display is Now Available It took a good month and a half, but today Apple stocked its virtual storefront with the 27-inch LED Cinema Display. Shipping will take between 1 - 2 weeks for the $999 monitor. [Apple via @gaberivera]

Google Video Chat Goes High-Res, For Double Chins 'N All [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640793/google-video-chat-goes-high+res-for-double-chins-n-all

Google Video Chat Goes High-Res, For Double Chins 'N All As part of a new Labs feature for higher-res video in Gmail Chat, you will now see even more of your chat partner—double chins, warts, you name it. The chat window will also increase in size. [Gmail Blog]

And the Most Ridiculous Photochopping Award Goes To... [Photoshop]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640825/and-the-most-ridiculous-photochopping-award-goes-to

...Al-Ahram! Egypt's state-run and largest newspaper, whose editors weren't happy to see their Big Boss—President Hosni Mubarak—in the last place of this photo at the White House. Thankfully, Photoshop made him win the race, even beating President Obama.

The photo was taken by Pablo Martinez Monsivais of the Associated Press, during last Wednesday peace talks in Washington, D.C. The Middle Eastern leaders—Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan—were being
guided to the East Room of the White House by President Obama.

In Egypt, however, Mubarak was guiding all of them, which is what happens in a country where they have a state-run newspaper and the President is President since 1981. The editors of 1-million-reader Al-Ahram could have put him leveled with King Abdullah II of Jordan—on the right of the image—but no, they wanted their beloved leader to be ahead of Obama himself. [Copydesk]

Pi Calculated to Five-Trillionth Number by Yahoo! Employee [PI]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640833/pi-calculated-to-five+trillionth-number-by-yahoo-employee

Pi Calculated to Five-Trillionth Number by Yahoo! Employee So, this is what Yahoo! employees do during work hours? Crack Pi records, using 1,000 of Yahoo!'s computers over 23 days? Glad to see they're working hard on simplifying what their company actually does...

Last time we heard of the Pi record being broken, a Japanese man calculated the five trillionth digit as being "2," using a custom-built computer (pictured).

The 2,000,000,000,000,000th (two quadrillionth) digit? It's a "0," according to Nicholas Sze, at Yahoo!. [BBC]

HDCP Master Key Is Real, But It Won't Do You Much Good [Security]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640907/hdcp-master-key-is-real-but-it-wont-do-you-much-good

HDCP Master Key Is Real, But It Won't Do You Much Good Intel confirmed that the HDCP "master key" posted anonymously last week is indeed real. But while it's always fun to see restrictive security measures get picked apart, this particular crack probably won't do you a whole lot of good.

CNET talked to all types of security folk to get the scoop on the implications of the leaked key, and while Cryptography Research president Paul Kocher says it'll let you "play god for this protocol,"—designed to protect content as it's beamed from set top boxes and Blu-ray players to HDTVs over HDMI—what the key really means is that a few years down the line there could be some hardware boxes that'll be able to create perfect bit for bit digital copies of HDCP-protected movies and broadcasts.

HDCP, short for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, is built directly into the chips in TVs and Blu-ray players, an Intel spokesperson explained, and to reap the benefits of the key you'd have to "implement them in silicon...a difficult and costly thing to do." Of course, Intel's still pushing ahead with the technology, which they license to all sorts of hardware manufacturers, so it's in their best interest to downplay the significance of the key making it into the wild.

But for those up to speed in the cryptology world, the appearance of the key is of little surprise. In 2001, researchers at Carnegie Mellon determined that only 39 HDCP-equipped devices would be required to reverse engineer the master key. So it's been something of an inevitability that someone would figure out the "master key"—the idea of a "master key" in any context is pretty enticing—but for now there will still be far easier ways for media pirates to do their pirating. [CNET]

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