Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, January 08, 2012

drag2share: Acer Iconia Tab Hands On: One Tasty Ice Cream Sandwich [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874128/acer-iconia-tab-hands-on-you-might-actually-start-wanting-an-android-tablet-soon

OK, Acer got our attention with this one: a 1080p screen and quad-core chip behind the scenes. If this is the future of Android tablets, well, giddy up!

The Iconia feels lighter than the Transformer Prime, and its rubberized body gives it a more durable feel too—like you can set it on a rough table and not worry about it. There's minimal lag to the ICS interface, and Acer's select-wheel addition to Android isn't overly intrusive either. We loaded up a bunch of games and tested again, and the 1GB of RAM kept everything running smoothly.

Then there's the screen. It looks great (we saw Transformers and a few games looking gorgeous), but not sooo much more than what you'll on the Transformer Prime or the iPad 2—especially considering that most of the content you're streaming onto a tablet these days isn't going to be 1080p.

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drag2share: Thermador's Freedom Stove Is the Biggest Ever Way to Cook with Magnets [Cooking]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874139/thermadors-freedom-stove-is-the-biggest-ever-way-to-cook-with-magnets

Induction cooking is pretty freaking great—your food is extremely precisely heated using magnets instead of say, fire. Now, if you've got some serious cash, Thermador has a giant magnetic stove that'll powerboost your kitchen.

tThe Freedom—$4,950 and arriving in July—has plenty of space for an array of pots, pans, and trays. Thermador will sell a spectrum of ferromagnet-coated cookware, which can be arranged however you please, because there aren't any preset burners like your lame old traditional stove. The Freedom also sports a touchscreen control for heat intensity and timing, which ironically operates more smoothly than most tablets. [Thermador]

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drag2share: Hands-On the Lenovo X1 Hybrid Laptop That Quasi-Runs Quasi-Android [Laptops]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874143/hands+on-the-lenovo-x1-hybrid-that-quasi+runs-quasi+android

I just got some mitts-on time with Lenovo's new notebook, the X1 Hybrid. What's interesting about it is that it can boot into a battery-doubling low-power mode that runs off of a snapdragon processor and custom software based on a certain kernel we all know.

They're calling it Instant Media Mode (IMM). They won't say it's running Android, because it's not officially Android. But don't kid a kidder, kid, I know Android when I see it. It's based off of the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) kernel. It'll never have Android Market or official Gmail apps or anything, but if you're the crafty type I'm sure you can find a way to download Android apps from the interwebs.

Does this thing make any sense? A laptop that turns into an out-dated Android tablet? Uhh, not really. I guess one could argue that if you wanted your battery to last forever so you could just watch movies on a flight around the world maaaaybe. But I'm not buying it, and I'm betting you won't either unless you've always wanted to run crippled Gingerbread on a ThinkPad for some reason. It'll be available Q2 starting at $1,600.

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drag2share: ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/activevideo-networks-cloudtv-h5-links-up-with-siri-brings-voic/

So you ignored the same old design and moderately bumped specs, plunked down your plastic and picked up an iPhone 4S -- presumably on the allure of Siri. Well, that bodiless, digital lady helper's about to work her concierge magic on your cable TV. ActiveVideo Networks plans to demo an implementation of its CloudTV H5 apps platform -- including iVOD, amongst others -- to bring voice navigation to living rooms via your set-top box. After routing a user's requests over a cellular network, the company's servers do the heavy lifting and deliver the intended content and search results all supposedly in the time it would take to use a remote control. We'll be sure to get some up close and personal time with this voice-based interface at CES this week and let you know how it all pans out.

Continue reading ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes

ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/acer-aspire-timeline-ultra-hands-on/

Ultrabooks aren't necessarily just for those that want tiny ultraportables -- Acer also thinks the mainstream consumer is going to be keen on the extended battery life and slimmer profile afforded by Intel's latest mobile platform. The Aspire Timeline Ultra series is an extension of the beloved Timeline... line, in the 14- and 15-inch sizes that attract the vast majority of buyers. We went hands-on with the two larger Ultrabook models which you can check out in the galleries below.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra hands-on (14-inch version)

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra (15-inch version)

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on

Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/marvells-classroom-3-0-initative-armada-smile-plug-computer-ces-2012/

All together now -- "Aww!" Marvell has just outed its Classroom 3.0 initiative here at CES 2012, with the star attraction being the cutie above. That's an Armada-powered plug computer known as SMILE, hailed as the "first plug development kit designed to turn a traditional classroom into a highly interactive learning environment." The device is capable of creating a "micro cloud" within a classroom, with the entire environment able to be controlled by the instructor. The hardware's being launched in tandem with an expanded One Laptop Per Child partnership, with the OLPX XO 3.0 trumpeted as the perfect companion product. It's capable of serving up to 60 clients at once, and it's based on Arch Linux for ARM; there's even a 5V Li-ion battery for back-up -- you know, in case that rambunctious kid of yours pulls the power. It'll be hitting kiddies and teachers alike this Spring, but there's nary a mention of price.

Gallery: Marvell SMILE Plug Computer

Continue reading Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Comp! uter

Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/parrot-unveils-ar-drone-2-0-with-720p-hd-camera-autonomous-vide/

If you'll recall, it was just yesterday that we spied the Parrot's AR.Drone 2.0 banners here at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the run-up to CES, followed today by a leak of what appeared to be the official press release. So, it's not like the cat -- or in this case quadricopter -- wasn't already partially out of the bag, but now at least, it's officially, well, official. The new Drone touts much improved 720p HD video-recording capability, a revamped app with updated flight controls and features, along with revised hardware and reinforced hulls. We recently spent a few minutes with the smartphone-controlled UAV, so head on past the break for our brief impressions and a quick video overview.

Gallery: Parrot AR.Drone2.0 (hands-on)

Continue reading Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on

Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/lenovo-ideapad-u310-u410-ultrabooks-announced/

If there's one thing we don't like about the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, it's that it's missing an SD slot, and starts at $1,200 -- a steep price when you can find many an Ultrabook for under $1,000. (Okay, that's two things.) And while the company isn't ready for a complete do-over just yet, it's clearly trying to fill some gaps in its lineup: the outfit just introduced the 13-inch IdeaPad U310 and the 14-inch U410, which will start at a relatively inexpensive $699. On paper, the IdeaPad U310 bears a strong resemblance to the U300s we reviewed two months ago, with 4GB of RAM, 1366 x 768 resolution, an eight-hour battery, Intel Wireless Display and a choice of Intel Core processors. But, it adds an extra USB 3.0 port, along with that all-important memory card slot. In exchange, you'll have to make some tougher choices regarding storage: you can opt for a 500GB hard drive or an SSD that tops out at 64GB of space.

The 14-inch IdeaPad U410 offers more of the same, though instead of Intel's integrated graphics offering, it packs an NVIDIA GeForce 610M card with 1GB of video memory -- unsurprising, given that the new ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook also has discrete graphics at a similar price. All in all, not too shabby for $700, though the trade-off for the extra ports and lower price is some extra padding: the 13-inch version tips the scales at 3.7 pounds, versus 2.95 for the U300s. (The U410 weights 4.2.) Then again, when these go on sale in May, we suspect they'll be plenty light for students looking to get a jump on back-to-school shopping. For now, we've got hands-on shots below and some impressions after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U310

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U410

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U310 hands-on

Continue reading Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition

Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Lenovo's IdeaPad S200 / S206 netbook gives a choice of Intel and AMD innards, arrives in June for $349 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/lenovo-ideapad-s200-s206-netbook/

While we don't expect to see that many netbooks announced in two thousand twelve, we're not surprised to see some of the usual suspects releasing a few token models. Lenovo just introduced the IdeaPad S200 and S206 -- the same 11.6-inch mini, essentially, except the S200 comes with an Intel Atom N2800 Cedar Trail CPU, while the S206 packs an AMD C60 dual-core chip. Either way, this 2.9-pound laptop has 2GB of RAM, USB 2.0 and 3.0, HDMI, an SD / MMC reader and a two-cell battery promising a relatively modest four-plus hours of juice. Both can be configured with a 500GB hard drive as fast as 7,200RPM, though for whatever reason the Intel model in particular is also offered with a 32GB SSD. Whichever chip maker ends up winning your dollar, you'll have to wait until June, when the two are expected to go on sale for $349 and up.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad S200 / S206