Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

My Shoe Heaven Is in This Store [Design]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5814456/a-shoe-heaven-exists-and-its-at-this-store/gallery/

Am I alive? That's what I thought when I saw pictures of this Sneakerology store in Sydney, Australia. See I have an inordinate amount of love for sneakers and shoes, and this store layout—which is very museum-like—is perfect

The shoes are organized in a shelving system that alternates shoes and a white box light (that doubles as a label) in a 200mm x 600mm box. Each level is offset by half a unit and repeats itself to create sneaker nirvana. There's also an interactive kiosk where customers can learn about the history of the shoe.

To you it may look like a snazzy Foot Locker. To me, it really is shoe heaven. I need to take my sabbatical in Sydney. [Sneakerology via Dezeen]

My Shoe Heaven Is in This Store

Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/vizio-your-favorite-low-cost-tv-leader-introduces-a-light-bu/

It's a busy week for Vizio. The budget TV manufacturer flaunted its flashy new tablet in front of our cameras yesterday, and had us hopping across town this afternoon for a chance to go hands-on with its latest entrant into a mysterious brand-new product category (for Vizio, at least). Reps were mum on details, so we had no choice but to return to the CEA LineShows in NYC to see what was up. We walked around the booth, looking for signs of that Vizio Android phone we saw at CES, only to find co-founder Ken Lowe cradling the new goods: a line of light bulbs. We laughed. Then asked to see the real product that Vizio insisted would be worth the trip. Nope, that was it: a LED light bulb -- four of them, in fact, arranged in height-order on a chrome bathroom vanity fixture. Lowe then proceeded to introduce his product as he has any other, so we hit record. They're bright, round, and standards-compliant, and will be coming to a screw-in fixture near you in Q3. How much? "A Vizio price."

Gallery: Vizio LED Light Bulb Hands-On

Continue reading Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video)

Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Merel Mtouch multitouch table hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/merel-mtouch-multitouch-table-hands-on-video/

Multitouch tables haven't exactly hit the mainstream, but price is likely to be a major factor. Merel's Mtouch table brings that familiar Microsoft Surface-like multitouch functionality for a fraction of the price, retailing for $3,995, or about half as much as Surface. The 720p, 32-inch display doesn't sacrifice on power -- a 3.2Ghz quad-core Intel Quad i5 Sandy Bridge processor and dedicated Radeon HD 1GB video card keep the Windows 7-based interface running smoothly -- but the table's display suffers from some uniformity issues, likely due to the pair of super-bright LEDs used to light it.

We spent a few minutes with the Mtouch at the CEA LineShows in NYC, and liked what we saw -- once we got past the lighting issues, which appear slightly exaggerated in the photo above (notice the two bright spots near our subject's fingers). Content is loaded using a web interface, and the table is compatible with a variety of formats, including PDFs, which are displayed as "magazines" with easy-flip pages. The table is in the early stages of production -- just 30 have been made and sold so far, assembled completely at Merel's factory in Yonkers, NY. They are available for purchase now, however, and should be shipped to your door within 30-days of placing an order. Jump past the break as we go hands-on with the Merel Mtouch.

Gallery: Merel Mtouch Multitouch Table Hands-On

Continue reading Merel Mtouch multitouch table hands-on (video)

Merel Mtouch multitouch table hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/augmented-reality-app-concept-conjures-movie-scenes-shot-in-your/

AR technology has been getting seriously powerful recently, but we still need smart little ideas like this to keep us interested. "Augmented Reality Cinema" is a concept which would spot when you're in a famous movie location and then trigger playback of the relevant scene. Although we can't be sure the app actually works yet, the video after the break does at least show off the idea with some memorable London clips, including the classic post-infestation Westminster Bridge scene from 28 Days Later. If the designers ever need movie fans to go around tagging cinematic locations, then obviously we're keen to register our interest.

Continue reading Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video)

Augmented reality app concept conjures movie scenes shot in your location (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvell Kinoma Play Android app hands-on preview (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/marvell-kinoma-play-android-app-hands-on-preview-video/

First unveiled back in February, Kinoma is Marvell's take on a "new open app platform" targeted at everything from mobile devices to desktops to embedded handhelds. Here in New York, the company is finally showing off a live version of the software in the form of Kinoma Play, an implementation of the platform that runs atop Android 2.2 Froyo -- for the moment at least. The folks from Marvell also had a massive touchscreen loaded up with a desktop version of the software running in a simulator atop OS X for eager onlookers to fool around with. Head past the break for a quick rundown of the offering and plans to do with it, along with some juicy video footage of the stuff in action.

Gallery: Kinoma Play hands-on

Continue reading Marvell Kinoma Play Android app hands-on preview (video)

Marvell Kinoma Play Android app hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's next big LTE push coming July 21st

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/verizons-next-big-lte-push-coming-july-21st/

You can't stop Verizon's nationwide LTE push -- and even hoping to contain it seems like a bit much to ask these days. The company made its last major 4G service rollout just under a week ago, and now it's looking to do the same next month, adding a slew of new markets to its coverage umbrella and expanding in a few existing locales on July 21st. New markets include Portland, OR, Toledo, OH, Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham, NC, Maui, HI, Wichita, KS, and Knoxville, TN, to name a few. Coverage will be expanded in Seattle, Louisville, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The full list of high-speed recipients can be found in the link below.

Verizon's next big LTE push coming July 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Games at Google revealed in job posting, takes a stab at social gaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/games-at-google-revealed-in-job-posting-takes-a-stab-at-social/

Games at Google

Well, one of the few remaining sectors that Google has yet to conquer, gaming, will be Big G free no longer. The tech giant is looking for a product manager to man a new property called Games at Google. Obviously, with just a job posting to work with, details are scant, but we can tell you that the gaming platform will boast some social features -- an area where the Goog has struggled mightily. What don't we know? Just about anything else. Will it be a Game Center-like feature for Android phones? Or, perhaps, a web-gaming outlet for Chrome built with help from the folks at Zynga, who Google quietly partnered with back in the summer of oh-ten. Regardless, we're waiting with bated breath to find out when and where we'll be able to order hits in Mafia Wars next.

Games at Google revealed in job posting, takes a stab at social gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's 'DataGate' plans leaked in excruciating detail

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/edit-verizons-datagate-plans-leaked-in-excruciating-detail/

With each and every passing day, the rumors surrounding Verizon's new "usage plans" are getting tougher to ignore. It's only been two days since we initially heard Big Red was ready to ride its unlimited data plans into the sunset in favor of switching to a newer, more usage-friendly model, and the leaks continue to flood in. This go-round, very official-looking docs that offer up a whole slew of details are in the open air. Many of the details echo what we've heard before: the data plans are the same price, starting at $30 for 2GB and working up to increments of 5GB for $50 and 10GB for $80; mobile hotspot access is an additional $20 and you'll get hooked up with an extra pair of gigs; finally, going over these allotments will cost you $10 per GB.

As rumored yesterday, all customers grandfathered into the unlimited monthly data will be allowed to keep it, even when upgrading to new phones. Business discounts, currently applied to the limitless plans, would now only apply to primary lines that are willing to fork out $50 or more; however, the wording did not indicate whether or not those grandfathered in would still receive those same benefits. More leaked docs can be found after the break, so grab some lunch and find your favorite chair -- you'll need 'em.

Continue reading Verizon's 'DataGate' plans leaked in excruciating detail

Verizon's 'DataGate' plans leaked in excruciating detail originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lytro Is a Focus-Free Camera That Will Change How You Take Pictures Forever [Cameras]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5814337/lytro-is-a-focus+free-camera-that-will-change-how-you-take-pictures

The digital camera market is about to be turn upside by a young Stanford Ph.D named Ren Ng. Ng is the brainchild behind the Lytro camera which lets you take pictures without focusing. The technology is mind-bending. Mind-blowing. Wow.

The Lytro is a light field camera which is much different than your standard digital shooter. It doesn't capture one angle, one lighting effect or one focus plane. It captures everything, all at once, in one photo. The image can then be manipulated to change the focus from an item in the foreground to an item in the background on the fly. The camera is targeted for an end of the year launch and could cost under $500 if Ng can pull it all together.

You can check out a demo of the Lytro technology below. Click on different parts of the image and prepare yourself to be impressed. [Lytro, TechCrunch and Mashable]

Swatch Straps a Third Eye Onto Wrists [Watches]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5814353/swatch-straps-a-third-eye-onto-wrists

For their latest range of cheap plastic watches, Swatch enlisted legendary fashion photographer Rankin to snap high-res photos of variously-colored irises, which look almost like the swirling milky-way close-up. On sale now, they cost $61/£38. [Swatch via Sub-Studio]

Tilera's new 100-core CPU elbows its way to the cloud, face-melt still included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/tileras-new-100-core-cpu-elbows-its-way-to-the-cloud-face-melt/

Hundred core chips might not be breaking news -- especially if the company announcing it is Tilera -- but what if that new multi-core CPU drew an insanely lower wattage and set its sights on powering a few cloud server farms? Well, that's exactly what chip maker Tilera has up its silicon sleeve. "Co-developed with the world's leading cloud computing companies" -- take a guess who that might include -- the new 64-bit TileGx-3100 clocks in at up to 1.5GHz while sucking down a lighter 48W. Line that up next to the current cloud favorite, Intel's Xeon, and your power consumption is slashed nearly in half. Of course, the barrier to entry is high for the nascent chip developer since most code written is for the x86 -- requiring a whole new set of instructions for data centers to play nice. Expect to see this face-melting monster sometime early 2012, by which time, you'll probably have your 50,000 strong music library synced to the cloud.

Tilera's new 100-core CPU elbows its way to the cloud, face-melt still included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/displayport-1-2-adds-active-cable-support-brings-longer-cords/

It's been a while since we've heard anything from the VESA folks, so it was a pleasant surprise when the organization hit our inbox with a bit of PR announcing an update to the DisplayPort 1.2 standard. New active cables being introduced will allow video connections to stretch up 100 feet -- five times that of the old-school, passive variety -- and use thinner gauge wire for more flexible cords. The one kink is that the cables are directional, though, a new logo (above) should help minimize confusion over which end gets jacked into the source and which feeds your TV. Not that we're complaining about longer, thinner cables but, it sure would be nice if we could cover those 33 meters without making our apartment look like a data center - how's that wireless DisplayPort coming along?

Continue reading DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos

DisplayPort 1.2 adds active cable support: brings longer cords, more logos originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/zipcar-android-app-sheds-the-beta-late-night-driverless-honking/

It may have happened to you before -- you're walking down the street somewhere on a balmy summer night when, out of nowhere, the empty car next to you honks its horn and you spit your skeleton right outta that purty mouth. Yeah, you have Zipcar to blame for that. Ever since the introduction of its iOS app back in 2009, users have been able to reserve a car on-the-go, and freak out unwitting pedestrians. Now Android users get to join the party -- officially. While the apps' market availability is nothing new, the recent shucking of its beta tag and some UI enhancements make this coming out party noteworthy. There's a good reason Time Magazine named it one of the "50 best iPhone Apps in 2011." Also, wireless honking -- in case you forgot.

Continue reading Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase

Zipcar Android app sheds the beta, late-night driverless honking to increase originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy puts your music in the cloud, goes where others have gone before

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/best-buy-puts-your-music-in-the-cloud-goes-where-others-have-go/

Google, Amazon, and Apple have been hogging the headlines when it comes to storing your tunes in the internet ether. That doesn't mean there isn't room for another musically inclined cloud contender -- or at least, that's how Best Buy sees things. The big blue box has rolled out its aptly (if uncreatively) named Music Cloud service that lets you upload your audio to its servers and stream it wherever you go. You can also save songs locally, plus there are apps for Androids, Blackberrys, and iPhones to manage and play your music. There are two flavors of Music Cloud, Lite and Premium. The former is free, while the latter costs $3.99 a month, though Best Buy hasn't said what the difference is (other than price) between the two. The catch? It's currently only capable of grabbing songs from iTunes, so no uploading from file folders. Let's hope that's only a temporary problem.

Best Buy puts your music in the cloud, goes where others have gone before originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon tablet with TI processor shipping as early as August?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/amazon-tablet-with-ti-processor-shipping-as-early-as-august/

For months now, DigiTimes has been fueling rumors of Amazon's first foray into the LCD tablet market. Today it ratchets up the specificity with sometimes contradictory claims that Quanta Computer will be responsible for assembling the tablet with a supposed TI (not NVIDIA) processor and Wintek (not EIH) touch panel among its components. According to DigiTimes, Amazon hopes to move some four million units in 2011 alone with plans to launch the new tablet as soon as August. Possible? Sure, likely even. But we'll wait for Bezos to sing before updating our holiday shopping lists.

Amazon tablet with TI processor shipping as early as August? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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