Thursday, December 02, 2010

IBM breakthrough brings us one step closer to exascale computing, even more intense chess opponents

IBM breakthrough brings us one step closer to exascale computing, even more intense chess opponents

The path to exascale computing is a long and windy one, and it's dangerously close to slipping into our shunned bucket of "awesome things that'll never happen." But we'll hand it to IBM -- those guys and gals are working to create a smarter planet, and against our better judgment, we actually think they're onto something here. Scientists at the outfit recently revealed "a new chip technology that integrates electrical and optical devices on the same piece of silicon, enabling computer chips to communicate using pulses of light (instead of electrical signals), resulting in smaller, faster and more power-efficient chips than is possible with conventional technologies." The new tech is labeled CMOS Integrated Silicon Nanophotonics, and if executed properly, it could lead to exaflop-level computing, or computers that could handle one million trillion calculations per second. In other words, your average exascale computer would operate around one thousand times faster than the fastest machine today, and would almost certainly give Garry Kasparov all he could stand. When asked to comment on the advancement, Dr. Yurii A. Vlasov, Manager of the Silicon Nanophotonics Department at IBM Research, nodded and uttered the following quip: "I'm am IBMer, and exascale tomfoolery is what I'm working on."*

*Not really, but you believed it, didn't you?

IBM breakthrough brings us one step closer to exascale computing, even more intense chess opponents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect theremin is just too late for the 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video)

Kinect theremin is just too late for the 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video)

Kinect theremin is here, too late for the awful 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video)

The sound of the original theremin frightened audiences of spooky and science fictiony movies in the '50s and '60s, and while this digital replication is perhaps a little less chilling it's also a lot less physical. It's the so-called Therenect from Martin Kaltenbrunner, created using the Open Frameworks and OpenKinect libraries. To play just hold your hands up, allow the software to detect them, and then let the digital falsetto flow, as Martin kindly demonstrates for you below.

Continue reading Kinect theremin is just too late for the 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video)

Kinect theremin is just too late for the 'Day the Earth Stood Still' remake soundtrack (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony 'Hybrid FPA' liquid crystal alignment technique sets LCD issues straight

Sony 'Hybrid FPA' liquid crystal alignment technique sets LCD issues straight

Sony has announced a new LCD display technology called Hybrid FPA (field-induced photo-reactive alignment), which it claims provides a bevy of improvements for LCDs in the areas of response time, contrast, panel stability, and production speed. For those of you who slept through display science in school (no shame), this boils down to Sony finding a better way to wrangle unruly liquid crystal molecules (LCMs) into more optimal alignments -- which is important since this affects how light passes and therefore how images are resolved. The new technique builds on earlier work, which focused on the vertical alignment of LCMs via an alignment layer. As the left diagram shows, through pre-tilt positioning at the substrate layer, LCMs were forced into a more stable vertical state, which made shifting them quicker and more precise while requiring less voltage. In other words, images resolved faster and more evenly, resulting in "cleaner" whites and blacks with less motion blur. Hybrid FPA simply improves the situation by aligning LCMs even more vertically, which produced response times of less than 3ms in tests. That's great news for 3D lovers and gamers, and should help Sony at least move units off of retailer shelves at some point, particularly if its plans for rapid commercialization of this tech hold true.

Continue reading Sony 'Hybrid FPA' liquid crystal alignment technique sets LCD issues straight

Sony 'Hybrid FPA' liquid crystal alignment technique sets LCD issues ! straight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome sandboxes Flash Player in latest Dev channel release for Windows

Chrome sandboxes Flash Player in latest Dev channel release for Windows

Hey, Adobe's finally figured out how to make Flash secure -- have Google do it! The guys behind your favorite search engine have updated their latest Dev channel release of Chrome to include a new sandboxing facility for Flash Player content. It'll serve to limit access to sensitive system resources and make Flash's operation a generally less threatening proposition than it currently is. This also marks the fulfillment of a longstanding promise from Google to give Flash the same treatment it's afforded to JavaScript and HTML rendering for a while, and should be welcome news to Windows users eager to minimize "the potential attack surface" of their browser. Sorry, Mac fans, you're out in the unsecured cold for now. Of course, the Dev channel itself is one step less refined than beta software, so even if you're on Windows it might be advisable to wait it out a little bit.

Chrome sandboxes Flash Player in latest Dev channel release for Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba launches NB520 and NB500 netbooks, one with Harman Kardon sound, one without

Toshiba launches NB520 and NB500 netbooks, one with Harman Kardon sound, one without

NB520

When's the last time you said "Crank up the netbook, I love this song!" Yeah, probably never, but if you had a Toshiba mini NB520 you might -- or at least that's what Toshiba would like to envision you would do. It packs stereo Harman Kardon speakers that can crack the foundation and wake the dead with an amazing two watts each, apparently the smallest tweeters H/K has ever put on a laptop. That's paired with an Atom N550 processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB HDD, 10 hours of battery life, and a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display. If that's too loud or you're too old, there's also the "no frills" NB500, offering the same specs but minus the petite sound system and stepping down to an Atom N455, though doing so at a lower price. What price? That we don't know, but we'll find out when both ship in the first quarter of 2011, which starts in a month. Yikes.

Gallery: Toshiba NB500 and NB520

Continue reading Toshiba launches NB520 and NB500 netbooks, one with Harman Kardon sound, one without

Toshiba launches NB520 and NB500 netbooks, one with Harman Kardon sound, one without originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Verizon LTE plans start at $50/month for 5GB of data

Verizon LTE plans start at $50/month for 5GB of data

And here we go: Verizon just announced its 4G LTE pricing and full list of coverage areas. Some 38 markets will go live when the switch is flipped on December 5, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and LA, and pricing starts at $50/month for 5GB of data, with an $80/month plan for 10GB. Overages run $10 per GB, which isn't insane, and there's also supplemental coverage in around 60 airports. Check the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon LTE plans start at $50/month for 5GB of data

Verizon LTE plans start at $50/month for 5GB of data originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz Thinks Cars Like This Could Be Grown In Labs [Concept]

Mercedes-Benz Thinks Cars Like This Could Be Grown In Labs [Concept]

The Los Angeles Design Challenge always brings some crazy idea, but this year one in particular caught our attention: The Mercedes-Benz BIOME concept car. It's an eco-friendly, biodegradable, ultra-light hybrid vehicle—which would be custom grown in a lab.

The folks behind the concept explain that the various parts of the vehicle would be grown separately:

The interior of the BIOME grows from the DNA in the Mercedes star on the front of the vehicle, while the exterior grows from the star on the rear. To accommodate specific customer requirements, the Mercedes star is genetically engineered in each case, and the vehicle grows when the genetic code is combined with the seed capsule. The wheels are grown from four separate seeds.

And apparently instead of running on regular fuel, the BIOME would run on a mysterious substance called "BioNectar4534" which leaves no by-product other than oxygen.

Yes, it's an insane idea and sounds damn near impossible. But that won't stop any of us from daydreaming about zipping around in a sleek, lab-grown car, now will it? [Gizmag]

This Stack Of PS3s Is The 33rd Biggest Computer In The World [Military]

This Stack Of PS3s Is The 33rd Biggest Computer In The World [Military]

Remember how the US Air Force bought a ton of PlayStation 3 consoles then strung them together? Ever wonder just why the military would do a thing like that? Well, it's not for playing Killzone on.

Indeed, you couldn't play it - or any other disc-based PS3 game - if you tried, as every PS3 you see pictured above has had its Blu-ray drive functionality removed.

In all, 1760 consoles have been joined with "168 separate graphical processing units and 84 coordinating servers" to form what the Air Force is calling "the fastest interactive computer in the entire Defense Department". It's also, the military claims, the 33rd largest computer of any kind in the world.

This "rat king" of PlayStation 3s will be used for things like research into AI, fast processing of satellite pictures and the enhancement of radar.

Interestingly, despite only recently going online with this monstrosity, the Air Force Research Lab's Mark Barnell recognises that the Cell technology powering the PS3 is no longer the bees knees, and says "we're looking forward to working with the next generation of architecture".

Which is formal talk for "we're looking forward to going out and buying 2000 PlayStation 4s in a few years time".

Defense Department discusses new Sony PlayStation supercomputer [Cleveland.com, via Gamasutra]

Flexible OLED 3DTV From Samsung Wraps Around Walls...Or Anything, Really [Oled]

Flexible OLED 3DTV From Samsung Wraps Around Walls...Or Anything, Really [Oled]

We've seen all manner of crazy prototypes involving flexible OLED panels (even one which wrapped around a pencil), but a flexible OLED which just so happens to be 3D? Sign us up for warped Avatar viewing, Samsung. [SamsungOLED via OLED-Display]

Bell Mobility launches Netgear Turbo Hub, sends juicy HSPA+ to your WiFi and Ethernet gear

Bell Mobility launches Netgear Turbo Hub, sends juicy HSPA+ to your WiFi and Ethernet gear

Canada's Bell appears to be taking advantage of Netgear's partnership with Ericsson on this one, putting its 21Mbps HSPA+ network to good use. Not to say that phones aren't a great use for high-speed data, of course, but that's enough bandwidth to realistically replace a home internet connection or two -- and that's exactly what the so-called MBR 1210 Turbo Hub sets out to do, spreading an incoming Bell data signal over up to 15 devices connected via WiFi and Ethernet. Interestingly, it also allows users to use the HSPA+ hookup as an automatic fallback in case your primary connection (say, DSL or cable) fails -- perfect for us "blog or die" types. You'll pay CAD $149.95 (about $147) on a two-year deal to put a Turbo Hub on your shelf, or CAD $299.95 ($294) sans contract; plans, meanwhile, range from CAD $35 to $60 ($34 to $59) for between 3GB and 10GB of data (no metric / English conversion necessary there) with a $10 surcharge to gain access to the 21Mbps signal -- you get 7.2Mbps otherwise. It's a pretty creative plan structure, and we're sure folks would appreciate an unlimited option... preferably without any extra speed fees. Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Bell Mobility launches Netgear Turbo Hub, sends juicy HSPA+ to your WiFi and Ethernet gear

Bell Mobility launches Netgear Turbo Hub, sends juicy HSPA+ to your WiFi and Ethernet gear originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride

Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride

Sure, Verizon's holding a press conference tomorrow, but unless they've got a secret LTE smartphone or tablet (we can only hope) we've got a fairly good idea what the company will say. We're hearing Verizon will flip the switch on its LTE network on December 5th, unveil a pair of hot new USB modems to take advantage of those supposedly stellar speeds, and launch the SIM cards required to make LTE function in the first place. The gadgets include the LG VL600 thumbstick we've seen before, but also this marvelous-looking Pantech UML290 key, which has not only a slick swiveling case but also a dual-jointed USB port beneath. We doubt we're going to have any trouble getting this one plugged into even the slimmest of port-abhorring slimline computing machines. See where one of the SIM cards goes in the gallery below.

Update: The populace has spoken, and "sexy" is no more. Shall we call them "transforming" modems, then? They most certainly are.

Gallery: Verizon LTE announce and modem leak

[Thanks, Anonymous and JT]

Verizon launching LTE on December 5th, two transforming 4G USB modems hitch a wild ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says

iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says

One of the world's top suppliers of cellular infrastructure, Nokia Siemens, has dropped some juicy knowledge today that Apple's new iOS 4.2 update supports a technology called network-controlled fast dormancy that better optimizes how the phone connects to the network. The company touts that it's a win-win -- better battery life, less unnecessary network utilization -- and also points out that Nokia implemented the technique in all of its smartphones starting earlier this year. Since network-controlled fast dormancy is a feature that benefits the network itself as much as it benefits the individual user, knocking out two power players like Nokia and Apple (over half of new smartphone sales, NSN points out) should make a big dent.

Interestingly, NSN seems to have arrived at this discovery through "tests" it conducted, not by working with Apple on implementing it. Sure, we don't pretend to know all the interactions that occur between manufacturers, carriers, and suppliers during a phone's development, but it certainly seems to us that Apple would benefit by engaging infrastructure companies early and often as these baseband updates come together -- particularly as it seeks to keep a tight lid on the very congestion issues that network-controlled fast dormancy is designed to help eliminate. Either way, it's interesting to see how quick Nokia Siemens was to probe for the change this time around.

iOS 4.2 supports new tech to reduce network congestion, Nokia Siemens says originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV receiving an updated Netflix app?

Google TV receiving an updated Netflix app?

One of the many gripes about Google TV so far has been the ancient version of Netflix's Watch Instantly app it shipped with, but Scott Greczkowski from Satellite Guys appears to be the first to receive a new version on his Logitech Revue. Pictured above, it seems to reflect one of the (many) versions of the PS3 Netflix app, with queue management and search functions available. Android Central notes that the last update arrived less than a week after the date of the build and this one is marked November 22 so hopefully it should arrive any day now, until then check out the video (embedded after the break) or more pics at the source link.

Continue reading Google TV receiving an updated Netflix app?

Google TV receiving an updated Netflix app? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eizo's DuraVision LCD does glasses-free 3D at 1080p, is totally bezelriffic

Eizo's DuraVision LCD does glasses-free 3D at 1080p, is totally bezelriffic

Eizo's DuraVision LCD does glasses-free 3D at 1080p, is totally bezelriffic

Looking like something that escaped from the bridge of the U.S.S. Palomino is Eizo's DuraVision FDF2301-3D, a dark, menacing visage containing a 23-inch LCD. It sports a full HD resolution and can display content in 3D, but its real trick is that it can do so without glasses. Yes, deep within that dark and angular exterior is the necessary set of hardware to ensure that two eyes see two separate images, supposedly without any of the weirdness we've seen with other glasses-free displays. The penalty is of course its imposing bulk and what will surely be an imposing price. No cost has been set, but indications are that it will cost many thousands of dollars -- not that it'll ever hit retail.

Eizo's DuraVision LCD does glasses-free 3D at 1080p, is totally bezelriffic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration

Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration

Adobe's ubiquitous Flash Player has a new beta version out today that promises to complete the move to hardware acceleration of video played back using the web software. You'll no doubt be aware that the current, non-beta Flash already does some offloading of video tasks to the GPU, but the new Stage Video API permits the entire workload to be shifted over, resulting in "just over 0 percent" CPU utilization when playing back 1080p clips. Should you doubt the veracity of Adobe's bold new claims, the company's set up some demo vids for you to test this out for yourself after downloading the beta -- hit the source link to find out more. Windows, Mac and Linux machines are supported right out of the gate, while Microsoft gets an extra bone thrown its way with Internet Explorer 9 hardware acceleration also being implemented in this latest iteration of Flash. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration

Adobe Flash Player 10.2 beta arrives, expands hardware acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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