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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Acer debuts WiDi-equipped Aspire 5755 laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/acer-debuts-widi-equipped-aspire-5755-laptop/

Intent on buying a new Acer laptop but not satisfied with the just-announced TravelMate 8481 thin-and-light? Then perhaps you'll find the company's new and slightly larger Aspire 5755 model more to your taste. This one packs a 15.6-inch display with a rather lowly 1366 x 768 resolution, but it at least boasts some built-in WiDi so you can easily view movies (or anything else) on a larger display without the need for any pesky cables. Otherwise, you'll get your choice of Intel Core processors (up to a Core i7-2820QM), up to 8GB of RAM and a maximum 1TB of storage, NVIDIA's Optimus-enabled GeForce GT 540M graphics, and either a Blu-ray or basic DVD drive -- all for a starting price of £899 (or roughly $1,440). Still no word on a North American release, but this one's available in the UK right now.

Acer debuts WiDi-equipped Aspire 5755 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arduino-based GVS1 video sampler is like a DIY MPC for pixelated clips

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/arduino-based-gvs1-video-sampler-is-like-a-diy-mpc-for-pixelated/

GVS1

Sweet merciful tech gods do we love the Arduino. Seriously, it seems there's almost nothing this little MCU can't do. The latest arrow in its quiver of awesomeness is this little sampler, called the GVS1, that can capture, loop, pause, and reverse pixelated clips of 1- or 1.5-bit video in stunning 128 × 96 clarity. (And, before you ask, we're not exactly sure what half-a-bit is either.) The creator, known as Gijs on Vimeo, plans to upgrade the GVS1 to 2-bit capture at some point and is working towards getting some kits out the door in either September or October. If you're impatient, and have have the necessary soldering skills, you can find schematics and the Arduino code at the source. But, before you go, make sure to check out the pair of demo videos after the break.

Continue reading Arduino-based GVS1 video sampler is like a DIY MPC for pixelated clips

Arduino-based GVS1 video sampler is like a DIY MPC for pixelated clips originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six Fisker Karmas roll off the production line, coming soon to a city near you

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/19/six-fisker-karmas-roll-off-the-production-line-coming-soon-to-a/

It's been months since the first Fisker Karma came forth from the factory, and in the time since, the sleek saloon's production timeline experienced a delay or two along the way. Yet, here we are, and the next six production Fiskers have finally been constructed. Unfortunately, those with open wallets will have to wait to get one of the elusive EVs, as the sextet of Karmas is bound for a nationwide barnstorming tour -- so that the masses may caress the car's curvy lines and perhaps take one for a spin. Details are scarce regarding the test drives, but OC Metro reports that 44 fortunate cities and 3,000 people will get to cruise in the performance EV over the next three months. Now that's some good Karma.

Six Fisker Karmas roll off the production line, coming soon to a city near you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba acknowledges Thrive's sleep addiction, fix apparently in the works

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/19/toshiba-acknowledges-thrives-sleep-addiction-fix-apparently-in/

Has your Thrive been acting more like sleeping beauty, and less like the tablet you paid for? Before embarking on a mythical tale, whereupon you eventually find its more charming compatriot, know help from Toshiba is forthcoming: "We're aware of the issue and are working on a fix." No further details on when it'll land, or what exactly it'll fix, but if you're anything like us, you're just happy it won't end up where another Tosh tablet did -- in eternal slumber.

Toshiba acknowledges Thrive's sleep addiction, fix apparently in the works originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar FMV available at Best Buy July 24th for $300

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/19/onstar-fmv-available-at-best-buy-july-24th-for-300/

Perhaps you recall hearing, back at CES, about GM's aftermarket mirror that would make the OnStar service available to most cars, including those from its most hated rival in Dearborn. No? Don't worry, here's the skinny: the OnStar FMV will let you have the company's popular blue button technology in over 90 million automobiles. Meaning that almost anyone can now reap the benefits of features like automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation and hands-free calling. You know... unless you're cruising in the General Lee, or something. Selling for $299.99, plus a $75 installation charge and $18.95 per month ($199 yearly) subscription, the high tech rear-view mirror will be on shelves at Best Buy starting July 24th and is now available for pre-order. Before you throw down the Benjamins for this automotive security blanket, you might want to double check that your car is compatible -- check the full PR to find out how.

Continue reading OnStar FMV available at Best Buy July 24th for $300

OnStar FMV available at Best Buy July 24th for $300 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung pulls controversial Anymode Smart Case, says it never received certification

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/19/samsung-pulls-controversial-anymode-smart-case-says-it-never-re/

The Anymode Smart Case for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 may bear a suspicious resemblance to Apple's iPad 2 Smart Cover, but Samsung insists it had absolutely nothing to do with it. In a blog post published today, the company responded to allegations that it tried to market a Cupertino rip-off, claiming that the accessory never received official "Designed for Samsung Mobile" certification. Samsung went on to point out that none of the cases have actually been sold, while confirming that it's "working with Anymode to address this oversight." In the meantime, the contentious Smart Case has been removed from Samsung's site, meaning we can finally return to leading healthy, productive lives.

Samsung pulls controversial Anymode Smart Case, says it never received certification originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China's Baidu licenses music from major US record labels for streaming and downloads

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/19/chinas-baidu-licenses-music-from-major-us-record-labels-for-str/

In a move suggesting they might be ready to accept the realities of the internet era, major US record labels have reached a deal with Chinese search engine company Baidu. The agreement between the search giant and One-Stop China, a joint venture of Universal, Warner and Sony BMG, will result in licensed tracks popping up in searches instead of pirated ones and resolve years of legal wrangling between the two sides. Baidu launched its ting! social music service earlier this year with support from local labels and EMI, while this new deal will see labels paid per-play, per-download and from advertising. Between this and the recent launch of Spotify in the US the cheap and easy fun of music piracy is slipping away rapidly, if record labels continue to act sensibly then illegal downloads will soon be limited to hipsters ironically cracking open vintage editions of Soulseek.

Continue reading China's Baidu licenses music from major US record labels for streaming and downloads

China's Baidu licenses music from major US record labels for streaming and downloads originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, July 18, 2011

HTC's Puccini tablet passes through the FCC, has AT&T written all over it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/htcs-puccini-tablet-passes-through-the-fcc-has-atandt-written-al/

Remember that HTC 10-inch Puccini tablet we spotted in May? It just passed through the FCC's gates with the model number PG09410 and from the looks of things, is headed straight for AT&T's network. The rumored Honeycomb tablet's sporting the requisite GSM 850, 1900MHz frequencies and 3G WCDMA 850 and 1900MHz bands, but the real showstopper here are the slate's LTE radios. With both AWS 4 and 17 bands on board, it'd be a pretty safe guess to see this launch alongside the orange-colored carrier's LTE rollout. We should note that the FCC doesn't test for European compatibility, so you could still see this bad boy hit across the Atlantic. What else can we glimpse from that diagram in blue? Based on the size of what appears to be a SIM card slot, we found this Android tab measuring in at the 10-inch mark. Also, you can expect a dual speaker set-up, but sadly no 3D camera. With the rumored June launch date already passed, we're hoping this'll hit late summer.

HTC's Puccini tablet passes through the FCC, has AT&T written all over it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's official: Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint July 24th, mil-spec Eclair can be yours for $150

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/its-official-motorola-titanium-coming-to-sprint-july-24th-mil/

The Motorola Titanium has certainly made itself no stranger to us, as it was officially announced by Sprint all the way back in May. At the time, no pricing or availability dates were known, so we were left to speculation and leaked screenshots -- you know, the usual routine for new devices. We needn't wait any longer for the prized 411, though, as the Now Network has announced the 810G military-spec Eclair smartphone will land on store shelves on July 24th and ding our wallets a Benjamin and a half -- after $100 mail-in rebate, that is. Of course, this particular device may not be for everyone, but we know it could be appealing for those of you who just enjoy tossing the ol' Android around a few times too many.

Continue reading It's official: Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint July 24th, mil-spec Eclair can be yours for $150

It's official: Motorola Titanium coming to Sprint July 24th, mil-spec Eclair can be yours for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos G9 tablets priced: $300 and up, ship in September

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/archos-g9-tablets-priced-300-and-up-ship-in-september/

If you're still waiting to pull the trigger on an Android 3.1 tab, decision day may be coming soon. Back in June, Archos revealed two G9 models: the 8-inch 80 and the 10-inch 101. Well... in case you needed time to save up a little extra dough from your paper route, pricing has been revealed ahead of the September release. The smaller of the two tablets will start out at $299.99 and the more stout of the pair at $369.99 (both 8GB base models), a cool Jackson more than originally reported. Just as a quick refresher, keep in mind that beastly 250GB options are available for both, boasting Seagate's 7mm Momentus Thin HDD technology. You know, if you're wanting to carry around your entire Metallica bootleg discography on one of these bad boys.

[Thanks, Elliott]

Archos G9 tablets priced: $300 and up, ship in September originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego folding farm fights cancer, looks good doing it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/lego-folding-farm-fights-cancer-looks-good-doing-it/

Lego Folding Farm

Sure, this Lego monstrosity isn't as cute or agile as some other plastic brick creations we've seen, but can those works of snap-together art cure cancer? OK, this folding farm might not actually put an end to tumors, but it can churn out 135,000 points of crunching power per-day in IBMs World Community Grid. Inside are actually three separate PCs powered by a trio of Core i7 2600ks and a single, massive 1,200-watt power supply. But who cares about that -- just look at all those bricks! About 2,000 of them, along with a few aluminum bars, make up this DIY case. And, thanks to the over-sized supply and modular design, creator Mike Schropp can easily stack another system or two on top, should it tickle his fancy. We'll leave you with some advice from Mr. Schropp -- should you ever be working on a project and unable to find exactly what you're looking for, just stop and ask yourself, "can I use Legos?"

Lego folding farm fights cancer, looks good doing it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ideum's MT-55 'Platform' multitouch table goes ultrathin, demands but $18,000

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/ideums-mt-55-platform-multitouch-table-goes-ultrathin-demand/

It's been a hot minute since we've heard from the fine folks at Ideum, but when the image above floated into our inbox... well, it's safe to say our interest was piqued. We last heard from these guys back in the fall of 2009, and while The Platform is certainly a bit smaller than the 100-inch MT-50 that came before it, it's also a heck of a lot more practical for average consumers. Well, save for the price. Looking beyond that for a moment, you'll find a devilishly thin (3-inches) table, complete with 55-inches of 1080p gorgeousness, a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angle and support for a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Professional. The internal computer includes a dual-core Core i5 CPU (2.66GHz), 8GB of memory and a 128GB SSD; you'll also find WiFi, Bluetooth and a slew of "hidden ports." The entire thing is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum, and it supports a total of 32 touch points. We'll leave it to you to discover what it'll be used for in your future abode, but if you've got the $17,950 to take one home, you've probably got the brains to figure it out.

Ideum's MT-55 'Platform' multitouch table goes ultrathin, demands but $18,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus updates Xtion Pro motion sensor, makes it even more like Kinect

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/asus-updates-xtion-pro-motion-sensor-makes-it-even-more-like-ki/

Remember the Xtion Pro and Wavi Xtion motion sensors that Asus showed off at CES? Well, fast-forward six months and there's already an updated model on the market: the Windows- and Linux-compatible Xtion Pro Live. The new version complements the original's IR and depth sensors with a Kinect-like VGA webcam and a pair of microphones, while also jacking up the bill to a distinctly un-Kinect-like 175 Euros ($300). That price tag won't make us shift our living room furniture around anytime soon, especially since Kinect is already officially heading to the PC. However, that isn't really the point: the Pro Live edition is primarily meant to help developers design better games and apps for the more consumer-focused but as yet unreleased Wavi. Soon as they develop a game that rewards rather than punishes us for dancing like Tina Turner, we'll be right there.

[Thanks, TheLostSwede]

Asus updates Xtion Pro motion sensor, makes it even more like Kinect originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon rolls out textbook rentals for Kindle, promises discounts up to 80 percent

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/18/amazon-rolls-out-textbook-rentals-for-kindle-promises-discounts/

Students can already save a few bucks by opting for a digital version of a textbook over a hardcover, and they can now save even more courtesy of Amazon if they aren't too intent on hanging onto the book after they're done with it. The company has just announced textbook rentals for Kindle, which promises to let students save "up to 80 percent" off the list price of those often pricey textbooks. That discount varies depending on the rental period -- which can be anywhere from 30 to 360 days -- and the option is already available on "tens of thousands" of textbooks from a number of publishers including John Wiley & Sons, Elsevier and Taylor & Francis. What's more, you can also rest assured that all of your annotations will be saved even after the rental has expired, and be accessible at any time on the Kindle website (or in the book itself if you ever decide to rent it again for old time's sake). Press release is after the break.

Continue reading Amazon rolls out textbook rentals for Kindle, promises discounts up to 80 percent

Amazon rolls out textbook rentals for Kindle, promises discounts up to 80 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Singbox SV-606's MP3 milkshake brings the portable audio love to your yard

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/17/singbox-sv-606s-mp3-milkshake-brings-the-portable-audio-love-to/

See that line up of multi-colored, chromatic doodads above? Those are not, in fact, a host of shiny USB-powered kazoos. Le sigh, we know -- maybe next time. What are they, then? Try the super spiffy-looking Korean line of Singbox SV-606 speaker / MP3 players that pack an FM radio, microSD card reader and headphone jack into an 85mm by 35mm bullet shell-shaped design. While these digital audio players won't be useful in slaying any rainbow-obsessed werewolves, they will probably help get a few heads-a-turning as you strut your Saturday Night Fever stuff down the boulevard. Hit the source for a translated view of these sold-out beauties.

Singbox SV-606's MP3 milkshake brings the portable audio love to your yard originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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