Monday, May 23, 2011

Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/kogeto-dot-brings-bite-size-panoramic-video-recording-to-iphone/

We've seen panorama add-ons for the iPhone before, but Kogeto's offering is quite a bit more pocketable than other crowd-funded solutions. The Kogeto Dot snaps onto an iPhone 4 in your choice of pastel colors, and catches 360-degree video when placed face down. It's got an accompanying iOS app that will un-distort the video for sharing, or even broadcast it on the net in real time. We got to check out a prototype, and though there's still some residual distortion at this point in time, we're assured that it'll all get straightened out if and when the project meets its funding goal. Interestingly (and annoyingly), this implementation requires your iPhone be held perpendicular rather than upright, making previewing a capture virtually impossible until after you've stopped the recording, which seems unnatural to us. Combine that with a minimum Kickstarter pledge of $98 to secure one of your own, and suddenly the less-portable and lower-degree alternatives start sounding a little more attractive. If you're still interested, hit the source link below and get in on the action. Promo video after the break.

Continue reading Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on)

Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:51 PM

AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/amd-announces-new-more-energy-efficient-embedded-g-series-apus/

AMD has just rolled out two new additions to its line of Embedded G-Series APUs, combining Fusion-based processing with reduced power consumption. Both the T40E and T40R rock the same 64-bit x86 Bobcat CPU cores and DirectX 11-capable GPUs we've already seen in previous G-Series incarnations, but AMD says the pair can operate using thirty-nine percent less power than its cousins. The single core T40R boasts a thermal design power (TDP) rating of just 5.5 watts, while the dual core T40E offers a TDP of 6.4 watts. The two applications are designed for compact fanless systems, including kiosks and mobile industrial devices, though Axiomtek is apparently planning on incorporating the new APUs in a new Pico-ITX consumer PC, as well. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs

AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:43 PM

Toyota to launch social network for people who like to befriend car dealerships

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/toyota-to-launch-social-network-for-people-who-like-to-befriend/

Man, social networks have taken on a loose definition as of late, haven't they? Toyota just announced plans to launch one for its customers, and while our initial reaction was an eye-roll and sighs of "what the world needs now," the truth is that it's really just a system that uses Twitter and Facebook to let you know when something's amiss. Dubbed Toyota Friend (and built on Salesforce.com's private Chatter network), the service will dish up battery power warnings to electric vehicle owners, along with maintenance tips -- advice that can pop up on phones, tablets, and "other advanced mobile devices." In addition to their friendly neighborhood car dealerships, folks can befriend other cars and the friends and family who own them, though it's unclear from the press release below why you'd care. (Okay, we suppose if we had a teenage driver we might want to know if they were about to break curfew.) If that all sounds like bunk, you probably won't get a test drive soon, anyway -- the service is slated to launch in 2012, in Japan, and, initially, for electric and hybrid vehicle owners only.

Continue reading Toyota to launch social network for people who like to befriend car dealerships

Toyota to launch social network for people who like to befriend car dealerships originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:43 PM

Sony BMG Greece hacked, company's security woes continue

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/sony-bmg-greece-hacked-companys-security-woes-continue/

SonyBMG.gr Hacked
It's the security nightmare that just won't end, and right now there's got to be plenty of Sony executives beginning to wish someone would pinch them already. After taking quite a PR and financial beating over the PSN breach, now the Greek site of Sony BMG has been hacked and the account info of thousands of users has been posted online. According to the Sophos blog Naked Security, the attack does not appear to have been particularly sophisticated and was carried out using an automated SQL injection tool that demands more patience than skill. While the data dump reveals the usernames, real names, and email addresses of registered SonyMusic.gr customers, other fields (including passwords and telephone numbers) are either empty or contain fake data -- suggesting the hack was not entirely successful. Here's hoping Sony takes this as an opportunity to seriously baton down those security hatches.

Sony BMG Greece hacked, company's security woes continue originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:43 PM

Ubiquitous iRemoTap puts your powerstrip in the cloud, turns lights off remotely (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/ubiquitous-iremotap-puts-your-powerstrip-in-the-cloud-turns-lig/

It probably won't help you if you leave your oven on, but if you let lights linger after leaving home, Ubiquitous' iRemotTap may help you save a few Kilowatts. This seemingly vanilla powerstip is anything but, boasting the odd addition of a tiny OS embedded in a wireless LAN chip -- all the better to turn your lights off. Users can control the internet-enabled socket stick remotely via a mobile or desktop web browser, allowing them to switch off gadgets and lights after leaving the house. Can't be bothered to log in to switch off? No worries, this plug powers devices down automatically after they reach a pre-defined power consumption limit. If you're forgetful enough to need a light switch in the cloud, Ubiquitous is hoping to sell you peace of mind for less than ¥10,000 ($122) -- whenever these taps get out of R&D, that is. Vid's after the break, if you need convincing.

Continue reading Ubiquitous iRemoTap puts your powerstrip in the cloud, turns lights off remotely (video)

Ubiquitous iRemoTap puts your powerstrip in the cloud, turns lights off remotely (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:42 PM

i3D app brings glasses-free 3D to iOS, tracks your gaze like a creepy portrait tracks Scooby Doo (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/i3d-app-brings-glasses-free-3d-to-ios-tracks-your-gaze-like-a-c/

i3D is a new app that can create a glasses-free 3D display on iDevices, using a technology known as Head-Coupled Perspective (HCP). Developed by the folks from the Engineering Human-Computer Interaction (EHCI) Research Group, HCP uses a front facing camera to track the movements of a user's head, allowing the app to adjust the display accordingly. The result is a monocular 3D screen that creates the illusion of looking into a box. If the concept sounds a little familiar, it could be because Google unveiled a similar headtracking feature for Ice Cream Sandwich during the opening keynote at this month's I/O event. And by "similar" we mean "pretty much the exact same thing." i3D is now available for free in the iTunes Store and runs on the iPad 2, iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod Touch. You can compare both iOS and Ice Cream Sandwich 3D generators after the break (Google's demo kicks off around the 16:50 mark).

Continue reading i3D app brings glasses-free 3D to iOS, tracks your gaze like a creepy portrait tracks Scooby Doo (video)

i3D app brings glasses-free 3D to iOS, tracks your gaze like a creepy portrait tracks Scooby Doo (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:42 PM

Random Hacks of Kindness brings hackers together for the greater good next month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/random-hacks-of-kindness-brings-hackers-together-for-the-greater/

What could possibly bring hackers in 18 cities around the world together for a weekend next month? Potentially a lot of things, but on June 4th and 5th it'll be the third annual Random Hacks of Kindness (or RHoK), a globally-linked conference that's centered on the idea of "Hacking for Humanity." As with the two previous conferences, this one is community-driven from the ground up, with anyone able to suggest a problem that could have a technological solution of some sort, and everyone welcome to join in helping to solve it (some of the suggestions so far are things like tornado notification and brush fire command systems). Those interested in participating can find all the information they need at the source link below -- and don't worry about not being 133t enough to make the grade, the definition of "hacker" in this case is a fairly loose one. It seems anyone with a laptop and some ideas is welcome.

[Thanks, Rachel; image: RHoK/Flickr]

Random Hacks of Kindness brings hackers together for the greater good next month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:42 PM

Dell XPS 15z available in Australia and Asia, fits Sandy Bridge in under an inch of thickness

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/dell-xps-15z-available-in-australia-and-asia-fits-sandy-bridge/

The XPS 15z, true to Michael Dell's word, is now with us. Provided "now" is May the 24th in whatever part of the world you happen to live in. Laptop shoppers in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan -- a group of nations already enjoying the glories of Tuesday -- can now buy the 0.97 inches-thick 15z for prices starting at just under A$1,400. That buys you a Core i5-2410M from Intel (2.3GHz default speed, 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost), a generous 6GB of DDR3 RAM, backlit keyboard, GeForce GT 525M graphics with 2GB of dedicated memory, a 750GB hard drive, and a 64WHr battery. The screen spans 15.6 inches diagonally and offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. Stepping up to A$1,700 gets you a Core i7-2620M (2.7GHz default, 3.4GHz TB) and 8GB of RAM. Juicy specs, we must admit. Now when's midnight coming?

[Thanks, John]

Dell XPS 15z available in Australia and Asia, fits Sandy Bridge in under an inch of thickness originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 18:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDell (Australia), (Malaysia), (Hong Kong), (Taiwan), (Japan)  | Email this | Comments

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Posted by Augustine at 7:42 PM

Pixlr-O-Matic Adds Retro Grunge to Your Photos on the Fly [Photography]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5804521/pixlr+o+matic-adds-retro-grunge-to-your-photos-on-the-fly

Pixlr-O-Matic Adds Retro Grunge to Your Photos on the FlyPixlr-o-matic is a flash-based webapp that allows users to add effects to images in a way reminiscent of Hipstamatic on the iPhone. The process moves the user through three processing steps, which mimic the effects of old film/developer combinations, lenses, and cropping. Images can either be snapped via webcam, or uploaded to the site straight from the computer. The whole thing takes about a minute, and finished images can either be saved when finished or shared directly through imm.io, which is Pixlr's own image-sharing service.

Though there are three steps to the process, users have the option of saving the image at any time and skipping any portion of the process.

Pixlr-o-matic comes from the same group that made the previously mentioned Pixlr editor back in 2008, which focused on a more standard set of image-editing tools.

Pixlr-O-Matic Adds Retro Grunge to Your Photos on the Fly Pixlr-o-matic

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Posted by Augustine at 8:15 AM

Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/dell-xps-15z-coming-tomorrow-for-999/

The thinnest 15-inch laptop "on the planet" is coming tomorrow, costing a measly $999, according to the Wall Street Journal. In a profile of Dell's recent history and forthcoming plans in the consumer electronics market, the financial paper twice makes reference to an ultrathin, $999 laptop that is set to launch on Tuesday of this week. Pairing that intel with the abundance of leaks surrounding the slinky 15.6-inch XPS 15z -- including a Michael Dell tweet promising it's "coming soon" -- leads us to the conclusion that we've finally gotten ahold of the price and date for Dell's next big thing. Interestingly enough, the WSJ article goes on to say that Dell had canned a similar set of slim laptops earlier in the year, which might give us greater hope for the quality of the 15z -- it survived where others didn't.

Other disclosures in the piece include a quote from Michael Dell, saying that he "didn't completely see" the tablet boom coming, which might explain why sales of his company's Streak tablets have been low enough to be described as "immaterial." There's also a discussion of the abortive Zing music service and related MP3 players that never were, but you'll have to hit the source link to learn more about them.

Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:07 AM

Nissho starts selling 52-inch, glasses-free 3D TV with Full HD resolution in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/nissho-starts-selling-52-inch-glasses-free-3d-tv-with-full-hd-r/

Remember Dimenco? A four-man splinter group of former Philips employees, the company has been hard at work refining its glasses-free 3D display tech and today some of the earliest fruit of its labor is going on sale. Nissho Electronics in Japan is beginning sales of a 52-inch LCD panel that can pump out full 1080p of 3D vision without requiring any headgear from the viewer. Initially, this big lenticular display will target businesses, who'll be among the few to be able to afford the ¥1.7 million ($20,820) asking price. Other specs include a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time, 700 nits of brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate. The 3D on this TV is actually described as a unique "2D + depth" implementation, which can also be used to convert 2D images in real time. Great, now take a zero out of that price, ship it westwards, and watch the sales really take off.

Nissho starts selling 52-inch, glasses-free 3D TV with Full HD resolution in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:07 AM

Livescribe Connect upgrade lets you share doodles in several ways, just not wirelessly (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/livescribe-connect-upgrade-lets-you-share-doodles-in-many-differ/

Pen pushers who took a chance on Livescribe's note-recording smartpen have benefited from some nice apps, hacks and upgrades along the way. Now the company's latest productivity-booster is a software update called Connect, which lets you share your scribbles via Email, Google Docs, Facebook and Evernote, as well as through Livescribe's own Pencast platform. Some of these sharing options were already available but Connect tries to speed things in an interesting way: by letting you set sharing instructions even as you jot down a note. Simply draw a double line and write, say, 'Facebook' or 'Google Docs' somewhere on the page, and the sharing will take place automatically the next time you sync to your Mac or PC. Most of the sharing options are free, but if you own an older Pulse model or the new entry-level $99.95 2GB Echo you'll need to buy a $15 upgrade before you can share via Email or Google Docs. Heck, we'd pay way more than that if only Livescribe would come up with a way to sync and share wirelessly -- docking this thing feels about as cutting edge as a quill. Video and full PR after the break.

Continue reading Livescribe Connect upgrade lets you share doodles in several ways, just not wirelessly (video)

Livescribe Connect upgrade lets you share doodles in several ways, just not wirelessly (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mo n, 23 May 2011 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:07 AM

HP thinks the TouchPad will be 'better than number one,' if that's even possible

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/hp-thinks-the-touchpad-will-be-better-than-number-one-if-that/


HP's expectations for its new TouchPad tablet are running pretty high -- so high, in fact, that they can only be expressed with a make-believe number. During a recent press conference in Cannes, HP's Eric Cador boldly declared that his company's new slate won't just be the best on the market, it'll be the bestest. Cador explained:

"In the PC world, with fewer ways of differentiating HP's products from our competitors, we became number one; in the tablet world we're going to become better than number one. We call it number one plus."

A spokesman later confirmed that the device will launch in the UK with apps from the Guardian, Sky and Last.fm, but promised that "thousands" of other apps are on the way. The metrics might sound a bit optimistic, but the message is clear: HP thinks the TouchPad will annihilate the iPad and blow our minds to smithereens. We'll just have to wait and see whether it's as explosive as advertised.

HP thinks the TouchPad will be 'better than number one,' if that's even possible originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:47 AM

HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/htc-holiday-to-be-a-4-5-inch-behemoth-with-qhd-resolution-1-2gh/

HTC brought in the 4.3-inch craze, but now that that form factor has gone mainstream, it's looking to even larger dimensions. A 4.5-inch HTC Holiday has been dug up by none other than 911sniper, which is said to pack a qHD resolution (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and the very latest version of Android Gingerbread (2.3.4). That comes on the heels of Pocketnow unearthing a supposed image of the AT&T-bound smartphone, showing a predictably uncomplicated design framing a vast display. Let's just hope the Holiday codename doesn't mean we'll have to wait till the holidays to see this overpowered new beast in action.

[Thanks, Connor]

HTC Holiday to be a 4.5-inch behemoth with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core, and AT&T future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:47 AM

Movie theaters could screw up your 2D movies by leaving the digital projector set up for 3D

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/23/movie-theaters-could-screw-up-your-2d-movies-by-leaving-the-digi/

We generally prefer to do our movie viewing in our own home theaters, but when we succumb to the temptation of public moviehouses we often choose digital projection hoping for a flawless viewing experience. Unfortunately, this report by The Boston Globe indicates that may not be the case. It is alleged by unnamed theater employees that theaters are leaving the 3D lens adapters on their Sony 4K digital projectors even when showing 2D. Just like viewing 3D, this cuts the light output and it's worse for 2D films not made with that in mind, but theaters do it because removing the lenses is overly complex and many moviegoers don't seem to notice or complain. The Globe suggests checking the digital projector yourself -- if you see two beams of light from on high at a 2D flick then something is rotten in Denmark. Check the article at the source link for a rundown of many of the chains using these types of projectors and why that's the case (money), but after this and Liemax premium VOD is starting to sound better and better.

Movie theaters could screw up your 2D movies by leaving the digital projector set up for 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 01:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 6:47 AM

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