Monday, February 21, 2011

Gmail and Google Docs Add a Dozen New Document Types You Can View Online [Gmail]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5766007/gmail-and-google-docs-add-a-dozen-new-document-types-you-can-view-online

Gmail and Google Docs Add a Dozen New Document Types You Can View OnlineWhat do you do when you get a Photoshop file, a PowerPoint 2007 presentation, or an Adobe PostScript document and you lack the proper app to open it? Grimace, usually—until you realize that Gmail, via Google Docs, can now open a dozen new files that you might lack (or decidedly don't want) the proper app for.

Gmail and Google Docs Add a Dozen New Document Types You Can View OnlineFor those trying to do more work in just their browser, or anyone needing to look at image files or newer Microsoft Office documents, this particular set of file types is a Godsend. Hit the "View" link in Gmail, or upload them to Google Docs, and you can view any of the following:

<blockquote

  • >Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 / 2010 (.PPTX)
  • Apple Pages (.PAGES)
  • Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
  • Adobe Photoshop (.PSD)
  • Autodesk AutoCad (.DXF)
  • Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG)
  • PostScript (.EPS, .PS)
  • TrueType (.TTF)
  • XML Paper Specification (.XPS)

Hopefully the browser extensions and bookmarklets that already make PDFs and PowerPoint files less of a pain, like this Chrome extension, will soon update to give us access to all the new files one can glimpse at with clicking "Save as" or "Open with."

Read More...

VLC-Shares Streams Any Video to Your Android, AirPlay-Style [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5766024/vlc+shares-streams-any-video-to-your-android-airplay+style

VLC-Shares Streams Any Video to Your Android, AirPlay-StyleWindows/Linux (and Android): Apple's AirPlay tech, set up the right way, flings any video you want to see to any Apple/iOS device you own. Get a similar universal streaming setup for your Android with VLC-Shares.

One thing VLC-Shares is not is a one-click setup. It requires running a small form of an Apache web server on your computer, a bit of fine-tuning the VLC media player, and perhaps some of port configuration through your router, if you're not already set up. When everything's up and running, though, you can share any folder on your computer through VLC-Shares, and then play it on your Android device of choice from anywhere on the same Wi-Fi network. Really handy if you're rocking an Android tablet, and still pretty neat if you're doing a little lazy-viewing from your couch or bed.

There are setup instructions at VLC-Shares' home but, honestly, you're better off reading the detailed tutorial at the How-To Geek's home (at the via link). VLC-Shares is a free download for Windows and Linux systems (and Android phones).

VLC-Shares [Google Code via The How-To Geek]

Read More...

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same Spot [Photography]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5765650/most-tourists-take-pictures-from-the-same-spot/gallery/

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same SpotCorinne Vionnet, an artist, has a set of images showing the most famous landmarks around the world. But she didn't photograph or paint them. Instead, she superimposed hundreds of pictures taken by tourists to create one artsy, almost haunting, image. It's sorta surprising how everyone seems to take pictures of landmarks the same way. [MyModernMet via Geekosystem]

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same SpotThis is the Taj Mahal. You can see people in the foreground.

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same SpotTiananmen Square. Yeah I took this exact picture

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same SpotA little more chaotic image of the Coliseum—I would believe someone if they told me they painted this.

Most Tourists Take Pictures From the Same SpotStonehenge

Read More...

Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/apple-announcing-new-high-speed-interconnect-light-peak-here-we/

There's not a scrap of evidence to back this rumor, but everything seems to line up: CNET reports that Apple will announce "a new high-speed connection technology" soon -- and Intel's Light Peak seems to be a shoo-in for the job. We've long known that Apple's been secretly backing the 10Gbps interconnect, but with a likely MacBook Pro refresh right around the corner and Light Peak allegedly due for a 1H 2011 launch, it seems the time for action could be right around now. It also doesn't hurt that this latest rumor comes from CNET, actually, as we're pretty sure the publication has an inside source. The very same reporter wrote that Light Peak would be downgraded to copper, a full month before Intel would admit anything of the sort.

Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  CNET  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Google's Native Client almost 'ready for takeoff,' ready to make ActiveX look visionary

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/googles-native-client-almost-ready-for-takeoff-ready-to-make/

Google's Native Client almost 'ready for takeoff,' ready to make ActiveX look visionary
We're almost there, almost to the release of the Native Client we first got wind of last May. It is, basically, a way to run native code within a browser -- low-end stuff capable of delivering performance good enough for 3D games and the like. Christian Stefansen, a Google Product Manager, said that the stuff is getting closer to delivery, that the team behind it has reached an "important milestone," that code will be "as portable and secure as JavaScript." It was of course security, or the lack thereof, that derailed Microsoft's plans for this sort of functionality in Internet Explorer via ActiveX, a stigma that technology has still yet to escape from. Will Native Client do better? Will Crysis ever be available in the Chrome Web Store? Could a Cr-48 run it anyway? Questions questions...

Google's Native Client almost 'ready for takeoff,' ready to make ActiveX look visionary originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  The Chromium Blog  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

NEC's MEDIAS N-04C is only 7.7mm thick, has Android 2.2, NFC, and no ambition to leave Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/necs-medias-n-04c-is-only-7-7mm-thick-has-android-2-2-nfc-an/

It's only been three months since the last avalanche of NTT DoCoMo phones, but that's not stopping the Japanese carrier from scheming up another hardware refresh. Leaked out ahead of what's expected to be a February 24th launch, we've now laid eyes on what's likely to be the highlight device of this year's spring batch : the 7.7mm-thick NEC MEDIAS N-04C. It follows last year's N-04B in nomenclature only, what with the older model being a flip phone, and offers a spacious 4-inch touchscreen, a 1seg TV Tuner, NFC contactless payments using Sony's FeliCa standard, and a skinned version of Android 2.2. Look out for it in Japan soon, but don't hold your breath if you live outside the sunlit kingdom -- history has shown devices like the N-04C tend to stick to their native market.

NEC's MEDIAS N-04C is only 7.7mm thick, has Android 2.2, NFC, and no ambition to leave Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceDraft Life With Blog  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Xtreamer Ultra HTPC launching with Ion 2, รข¬100 price point

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/xtreamer-ultra-htpc-launching-with-ion-2-100-price-point/

Name recognition? Ah, who cares? Particularly when you're hawking an Ion 2-based media PC for €100. Xtreamer -- the same folks responsible for the e-TRAYz NAS -- is gearing up to unveil its latest concoction at CeBIT 2011, but it looks as if most of the beans have already been spilled. It's billed as a portable HTPC, and it can be ordered with a dual-core Atom D525 / Ion 2, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / DVI outputs, six USB ports, an eSATA socket, Bluetooth, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet and support for IR control. Predictably, that low (low!) price point doesn't include an operating system, but at least that gives you the option to slap whatever you want on there. If you're looking for a TV tuner or optical drive, you'll need to turn to external options, but those looking for a barebones system to build on should be able to procure one in a matter of weeks. That is, if the Boxee Box doesn't lure you in while you wait.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Xtreamer Ultra HTPC launching with Ion 2, €100 price point originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceXtreamer  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Sunday, February 20, 2011

DIY Balloon Aerial Photography on the Cheap [Weekend Project]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5765075/diy-balloon-aerial-photography-on-the-cheap

DIY Balloon Aerial Photography on the CheapThe GrassrootsMapping wiki details how to put together a balloon-powered aerial photography kit with $35 and some elbow grease.

Here's what you need to put together this weekend project:

  • A balloon or even a giant trash bag: ~ $1.50
  • Helium: ~ $30 for a tank
  • Long String: ~ $3
  • Camera Mount: ~ Crafted from scraps or a soda bottle
  • Camera: ~ $0-$100 (Even a cameraphone will work)

Your camera must be able to take photos at a regular interval. CHDK, which we've walked through setting up in the past, is a great firmware replacement that adds loads of useful features (including interval photos) if you have an old Canon laying around that you are willing to fool around.

After your balloon has returned to earth, you can use the Cartagen Knitter to sync up your photos into a large photo.

For full instructions, check out the Grassroots Mapping wiki, and make sure you are following any local rules and regulations regarding balloons. If you give it a try, share any photos of your project below and offer any tips you might have for our other readers! Photo remixed from nadya.

Balloon Aerial Photography [GrassrootsMapping Wiki]

Read More...

Kayaker Takes "Best Ever" Shot of English Sea Monster Using Cellphone [Wtf]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5765192/kayaker-takes-best-ever-shot-of-english-sea-monster-using-cellphone

Kayaker Takes "Best Ever" Shot of English Sea Monster Using CellphoneCellphone cameras are everywhere. Kids, adults—all armed to the teeth with capable cameras. With so many in so many hands, it's no surprise that a kayaker just captured the best photo ever of an infamous English sea monster using—you see where I'm going with this, yes?—his cellphone.

The kayaker was Tom Pickles, and IT guy on retreat with his company, CapGemini. The lake, Lake Windermere. The creature was the English version of Nessie, called Bownessie, and not the infamous creature Nellie that legend says still patrols Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.

The picture was deemed "authentic [...] but because it's been taken on a phone the file size is too small to really tell whether it has been altered on Photoshop or not," said photo expert David Farnell of Farnell's photographic laboratory in Lancaster.

Whatever it might be, Bownessie sounds absolutely terrifying:

Mr Pickles said he saw an animal the size of three cars speed past him on the lake and watched it for about 20 seconds. He said: "It was petrifying and we paddled back to the shore straight away. At first I thought it was a dog and then saw it was much bigger and moving really quickly at about 10mph. "Each hump was moving in a rippling motion and it was swimming fast.

Sonar surveys of the loch have, as expected, turned up nothing over the past five years, but that hasn't stopped people from reporting a creature that looked very much like what Pickles captured this week. There have been no fewer than eight sightings of a multi-humped creature patrolling the water since 2006. [The Telegraph]

Read More...

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/19/motorola-atrix-4g-already-rooted-and-its-not-even-out-yet/

If you thought the lack of root on the Atrix 4G was going to save you a couple hundred bucks next week... well, we hate to break the bad news, but you're going to need to find another excuse not to buy it (more on that in a second). Long story short, the phone's already been rooted by a gentleman over on the ever-resourceful xda-developers forums, which means you can do all the normal things that require root access like enabling the standard Froyo mobile hotspot feature, using root apps like Titanium Backup (pictured above), and generally looking 1337 compared to your friends locked up in their walled gardens. Now, the bad news: the bootloader remains firmly locked and encrypted, so custom kernels are still just a dream -- but hey, where there's a will, there's a way. Keep the faith!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcexda-developers  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

How That Impossible Escher Waterfall May Have Been Built [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5764700/how-that-impossible-escher-waterfall-may-have-been-built

Remember this? Still pretty crazy! But maybe a little less so after taking a look at David Goldman's theory of how exactly this contraption was put together:

How That Impossible Escher Waterfall May Have Been BuiltIt's amazing what a little forced perspective and careful editing can do. Remember, though, that this is pure speculation. There's still a distinct possibility that the real answer is magic. [BoingBoing]

Read More...

HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/htc-incredible-s-auto-rotating-buttons-explained-video/

We were quite bedazzled by the HTC Incredible S after our hands-on at MWC, but it's the auto-rotating icons for the capacitive buttons that left us most intrigued. So we went back to the HTC booth to try to make sense of it all. From what we were able to observe, there's some optical trickery happening here: the icons appear to be glittering and shimmering depending on viewing angle as if lit through a prism, half-mirror or grate of some kind. We think that a pair of LEDs are used to project the intended icon onto the glass surface via either a combination of prisms and half-mirrors, or via horizontally and vertically polarized grates. Watch our video after the break, and let us know in the comments how you think this actually works.

Continue reading HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)

HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Friday, February 18, 2011

Dell Rosemount tablet will have Intel's Oak Trail inside, stylus, removable battery and remote wipe

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/dell-rosemount-tablet-will-have-intels-oak-trail-inside-stylus/

Dell means business with its upcoming Windows 7 slate, if the whispers we're hearing are true -- we have it on good authority that the recently-leaked Rosemount will be a Latitude. An inside source says that the 10-inch tablet will not only sport Dell's storied business brand but will be geared towards enterprise through and through, with features like serviceable components (including a removable battery), software encryption and the ability to perform a remote wipe, and that it'll have a dual-digitizer to support both touch input and a stylus for fine details. We don't know about performance or battery life quite yet, but the slate will reportedly use an Atom chip, specifically Intel's Oak Trail, so we'll let you imagine the possibilities.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Dell Rosemount tablet will have Intel's Oak Trail inside, stylus, removable battery and remote wipe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

The Met's upcoming opera to boast glasses-free 3D effects that nobody requested

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/17/the-mets-upcoming-opera-to-boast-glasses-free-3d-effects-that-n/

We don't mean to sound negative or anything, and we're not 3D naysayers by any means. But the news that the Metropolitan Opera's upcoming production of Siegfried will include mind-blowing 3D background effects is, well, mind-blowing. While you're undoubtedly familiar with 3D effects, you may not be acquainted with Wagner's 1876 opera which portrays the story of Sigurd, a hero of Norse mythology. Robert Lepage, the director of the operation, expects theater-goers to find themselves engulfed in a three-dimensional world of his creation, which will be projected on the 45-ton set. Lepage, who is directing Wagner's entire Ring cycle at the Met, worked with Geodezik -- famous for the stage shows of famed opera performers Pink and Justin Timberlake -- to create the show's effects. The 3D you'll be seeing if you hit the theater won't be like the technology you're familiar with, however, as it makes use of fractals, and the moving parts of the set to 'trick' your eyes into seeing in three dimensions. We don't want to say this sounds like a bad idea until we've seen if of course, but we've got our reservations. Hit up the New York Times link to see one rather small image of the set.

[Image: Lincoln Center]

The Met's upcoming opera to boast glasses-free 3D effects that nobody requested originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceNew York Times  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/18/imagination-technologies-unveils-series-6-powervr-gpus-promis/

Imagination Technologies may not be a household name, but they created the PowerVR GPUs that are the gold standard in mobile graphics, and are a part of the ARM SoCs you find in mobile devices like the iPhone 4, Galaxy S, and the Droid 2. Not one to rest on its laurels, the company unveiled its new Series 6 PowerVR chips -- affectionately known as "Rogue" -- that are 20 to 100 times more powerful than its previous handheld offerings. That's right, these GPUs will have the same horsepower as today's desktop computers while needing only a milliwatt of juice to deliver face-melting graphics -- the catch is that this bit of black magic won't be showing up in devices for a few years. Guess we'll just have to settle for the Series 5 chips -- like the quad core beast found in the Sony NGP and the upcoming OMAP 5 platform -- which the company promises will make their way into select smartphones "within three months." Be still, our gaming hearts.

Update: Three months? Hardly, ST-Ericsson has announced a series of new SoC processors, including the Nova 9600 that has "Rogue" baked in. The chip delivers HD video at 120 frames per second and can pull off pro-quality 3D video recording as well. Press release is after the break.

[Thanks, Rich]

Continue reading Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update)

Imagination Technologies unveils Series 6 PowerVR GPUs -- promises desktop caliber graphics in mobile devices (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket Gamer, Linux Devices  |  sourceImagination Technologies  | Email this | Comments

Read More...