Tuesday, December 21, 2010

What's That Disembodied Head Doing in My Backyard? [Projections]

What's That Disembodied Head Doing in My Backyard? [Projections]

Ghostly faces, disembodied eyes, and haunting chandeliers can be found floating against trees and reflected in the water in small cities in Spain. But there's no need to call the Ghostbusters just yet.

Ibon Mainar's "Proyecciones en el Exterior" are simple, fleeting works of projected art against natural backdrops. But in some cases they're just as striking as the complexly choreographed light shows that we're used to seeing as "projected art"—something about the combination of the familiar natural canvas and the glowing, ephemeral images is spookier than the sum of its parts.

Perhaps the best part about Manair's pieces: when he unplugs his projector and steers his truck to some new destination, he leaves his canvasses are just as pristine as when he found them. [Ibon Manair via Designboom]

Verizon teases Android LTE hardware for January 6th at CES

Verizon teases Android LTE hardware for January 6th at CES

Notice how we said "hardware," not "phones?" In light of that wild Motorola teaser we just saw and the fact that we know Verizon and Moto are working pretty closely on Android tablets, it's entirely possible that phones won't be the only items on Verizon's docket when it starts pulling the covers off its first consumer-oriented LTE gear at CES in a couple weeks. The fact that there'll be new LTE hardware intros from Verizon at CES is nothing new -- they've been saying as much for a while now -- but the specific mention of Android is a comforting confirmation that we'll probably see the HTC Mecha, that unnamed LG, and perhaps a tablet or two on hand as opposed to MetroPCS' unusual strategy of taking the dumbphone route. 'Bout time the EVO 4G and Epic 4G had to watch their backs, isn't it?

Verizon teases Android LTE hardware for January 6th at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly

European Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly

Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly

We've already marveled at the Chevy Volt's ability to let you turn up the AC while it's still plugged in to the A/C, courtesy of its OnStar app. Now we can confirm the European model of Nissan's Leaf is getting the same sort of functionality, and it's said to be standard -- no monthly fees like you'll be stuck with on the Volt. We're still not sure who's providing the wireless connectivity in the US, but abroad it comes courtesy of Telenor Connexion, which will enable a mobile phone or PC to access the Carwings Data Center remotely, to check charging status and modify the car's climate controls. In an EV the car's heating and cooling can be two of the biggest sinks for the onboard battery packs, so this ability to get the car up or down to temp while it's still plugged in could help you spend more kW driving and less on acclimatizing.

Continue reading European Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly

European Nissan Leaf gets always-on connection, lets you turn up the AC wirelessly originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kno tablets start shipping this week: quick, make desk space!

Kno tablets start shipping this week: quick, make desk space!

Did you happen to pre-order a single- or dual-screen 14.1-inch Kno tablet textbook? Alright, we're assuming that schools and wealthy students were the only ones that actually did, but regardless, the monster-sized tablets are starting to ship out this week. According to the press release after the break, both the single- and dual-display versions are being boxed up and will be sent out to those early pre-orderers over the next couple of weeks. However, if you were hoping that this would mark the launch of the general availability of the enlarged tablets, that's just not the case yet -- you still have to receive an "invitation" and complete a "request for purchase" form on its website. That means even we'll be waiting longer to get one of these our hands, but if you're one of the lucky ones to receive one of these bad boys this week, let us what you think of it in the comments!

Continue reading Kno tablets start shipping this week: quick, make desk space!

Kno tablets start shipping this week: quick, make desk space! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video)

Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video)

Not that we haven't been inundated with circuit-related fashion accessories in the past, but if you've already started thinking about what to get that lovely lad (or lady) in your life come February, look no further. SenseBridge, a research group with loads of passion, has just revealed the Heart Spark ($69, on sale now) -- a wearable pendant with an integrated wireless receiver, a smattering of LEDs and a wow factor that's downright heartwarming. The fortunate wearer must also strap a belt around their chest in order to monitor their heart rate, which is then transmitted wirelessly to the Heart Spark; upon receiving the information, the onboard lights will flash at the same rate as your heart, making it easy for the love of your life to see when your heart is aflutter. Video demonstration is just past the break, and yes, it's about as precious as you'd imagine.

Continue reading Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video)

Heart Spark pendant blinks with your heart, automatically gets you into B.E.D. (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video)

AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video)

You won't find this hack available for download just yet, but Erica Sadun over at TUAW has posted a video showing AirPlay streaming from an iPad to an XBMC media server running on Ubuntu. As we understand it, the Linux box runs the AirPlay client service with XBMC advertising its availability using the Bonjour-compatible Avahi. Erica, who helped initiate all this AirPlay trickery with her early code spelunking efforts, says that Windows hacks are also in development. Click on through to see AirPlay take another bold step down the path of device agnosticism.

Continue reading AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video)

AirPlay hacked onto XBMC Ubuntu PC, Windows next (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba's Regza GL1 3DTVs going on sale in Japan tomorrow, no glasses required

Toshiba's Regza GL1 3DTVs going on sale in Japan tomorrow, no glasses required

The panacea of glasses-free 3D displays (or content) might not yet be upon us, but Toshiba's doing its best by putting the two models in its Regza GL1 family up for sale in Japan. Tomorrow marks the debut of the smaller 12GL1, spanning a 12-inch diagonal and offering the unconventional resolution of 466 x 350. That's expected to be priced at ¥120,000 ($1,431), exactly half of the ¥240,000 ($2,863) asking price of the 20GL1, which will follow it swiftly with retail availability on December 25th. The latter display has the decency to come equipped with a more civilized 720p resolution and 550:1 contrast ratio, although, as you can see above, neither panel can be accused of being unnecessarily thin or space-efficient. Still, this parallax barrier stuff is the best we've got for the moment -- and as usual the best we've got resides in Japan only.

Update: The Wall Street Journal reports that Toshiba is planning larger members of this glasses-free 3D family with a panel of over 40 inches in the cards for the company's next fiscal year, which begins in April 2011. More to come at CES in January.

Toshiba's Regza GL1 3DTVs going on sale in Japan tomorrow, no glasses required originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft axes Office Genuine Advantage, says program has 'served its purpose'

Microsoft axes Office Genuine Advantage, says program has 'served its purpose'

It's not offering any indication that Windows Genuine Advantage will follow suit, but Microsoft has just made the rather surprising move of shutting down its longstanding Office Genuine Advantage program. As with Windows Genuine Advantage, that program was designed to combat piracy and, as any Office user can no doubt attest, it wasn't shy to make its presence known -- warnings like the one above popped up when downloading templates from Office.com, for instance. Why the change? Microsoft isn't exactly offering too many details, with a spokesperson only going as far to say that the program has "served its purpose," and that Microsoft is "making several new investments that will allow us to engage with customers and help victims of fraud." In the meantime, however, it looks like you can now simply go about your business without a warning to be found.

Microsoft axes Office Genuine Advantage, says program has 'served its purpose' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nexus One will get Gingerbread OTA update 'in the coming weeks'

Nexus One will get Gingerbread OTA update 'in the coming weeks'

The original Google phone got us all excited a couple of weeks back when an OTA update was presumed to be the oven-hot Gingerbread upgrade, only to disappoint us. Now we've got the most lucid statement from the Android chefs yet on when the real Gingerbread Nexus One will stand up, which is placed in the relatively ill-defined window of "the coming weeks." Hey, better weeks than months, right?

Nexus One will get Gingerbread OTA update 'in the coming weeks' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Satellite-borne lasers tracking woodland happenings, who knows what else

Satellite-borne lasers tracking woodland happenings, who knows what else

It may shock your senses, but this actually isn't the first time we've heard of lasers being used to track birds and their habitats. But this go 'round, an Idaho University team is using a satellite-borne laser in an effort to "predict in which part of a State Forest the birds might be living." In particular, the crew is developing methods that'll help them track the North American pileated woodpecker, namely because these creatures are pegged as being great indicators of overall bird diversity. Currently, the laser is only capable of analyzing vital characteristics of a woodland, but scientists are using this information to take a stab as to where the aforementioned birds would be. Essentially, this laser spotting approach enables gurus to spot highly dense sections of forest -- plots where the pileated woodpecker loves to hang -- from above, dramatically cutting down the hide-and-seek that would previously take place on foot in much larger areas. Now, if only they could get lasers onto the birds, we'd have an all new brand of rave to consider.

Satel! lite-bor ne lasers tracking woodland happenings, who knows what else originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 06:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu Lifebook T580 Tablet PC now on sale in North America

Fujitsu Lifebook T580 Tablet PC now on sale in North America

It took awhile for Fujitsu's Lifebook T580 to hit the US market, but at last, the 10.1-inch, three-pound Tablet PC has landed on this side of the Atlantic. The netvertible, if we can even call it that, is about double the price of the usual convertible netbook, and for good reason -- the system eschews Atom for Core i3 / i5 processor options and also has an capacitive display with an N-trig digitizer, which can support both pen and finger input. The $1,149 "Express Buy" model packs a Core i3-380UM processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB of storage, and a 5,800mAh six-cell battery, while going on up to the Core i5-560UM CPU adds an extra $250. The T580 sure does seem to fill a pretty niche market these days, which is why we're guessing Fujitsu dropped the early "slate-beating" descriptor, but there's got to be some out there that still want the power of a mainstream system in a shrunken Tablet PC form factor, right?

Fujitsu Lifebook T580 Tablet PC now on sale in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TRENDnet TEW-690AP wireless access point has a theoretical 450Mbps top speed, a real $200 price

TRENDnet TEW-690AP wireless access point has a theoretical 450Mbps top speed, a real $200 price

It's a sad fact of our digital lives that no matter how stylish we make our daily-used devices, we'll still need some antenna-riddled ogre in the corner of the room to blast out the WiFi goodness. Enter TRENDnet's latest contender, the TEW-690AP (even its name betrays an absolute lack of charisma), which has three spatial streams per antenna to deliver a max theoretical throughput of 450Mbps. It goes up to a full gigabit should you find any reason to connect via its wired Ethernet port, while a few extra bells and whistles -- like a repeater mode, WiFi Protected Setup with compatible devices, and up to four unique, encrypted SSIDs per wireless band -- complete the $200 value proposition. Whether you say yay or nay, look out for more from these guys at CES, they're promising to announce some more "first to market" wireless innovations.

Continue reading TRENDnet TEW-690AP wireless access point has a theoretical 450Mbps top speed, a real $200 price

TRENDnet TEW-690AP wireless access point has a theoretical 450Mbps top speed, a real $200 price originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Phone Loves to Tan

Phone Loves to Tan

The first thing you notice about the Double phone are the solar cells across its facade. The second thing you notice is the 360º hinge. Pretty cool looking concept with the added benefit of never running out of power as long as the sun is up. Spec wise, the 3.2 inch LCD screen, touch interface and transparent panel for notifications is more than enough to keep up with the big boys in the market.

The Double is a Red Dot Concept Design winning entry.

Designer: ZTE Corporation

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Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

You have a lot of documents you've acquired over the years, hundreds or thousands in some semblance of order thanks to folders and whatnot. Now, imagine taking the output from hundreds or thousands of others, all with their own ideas about organization, and finding only those pages relevant to a certain topic. That's what legal aides have to do in cases where a major corporation is being investigated, and we're thinking that's a major target market for Xerox's Smart Document Review. It's a prototype touchscreen table that enables users to collaboratively filter documents, starting by indexing a giant pool and then allowing for the creation of "magnets" that contain keywords or other heuristics and dynamically pull out matches, all happening courtesy of animations that look only slightly less sophisticated than those seen in Hackers. Search results can then be dumped to a thumb drive. The prototype table dates back to earlier this year, but Xerox is now making them available as part of a pilot program exclusively for trendy law offices with unisex bathrooms.

[Thanks, Pradeep]

Continue reading Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Molecular torch' between carbon nanotubes emits electroluminescence

'Molecular torch' between carbon nanotubes emits electroluminescence

(PhysOrg.com) -- A single molecule bridging a "broken" single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) is barely visible through a powerful scanning electron microscope, but the precisely assembled system can act as a functional solid-state electronics device. These CNT-molecule-CNT junctions have been developed only in the past few years, and measuring their optical characteristics has been a difficult task. In a new study, scientists have observed for the first time that the molecule between the nanotubes can emit light due to an electric current passing through it, a phenomenon called electroluminescence.

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