Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

drag2share: Project Fiona raises the stakes for gaming tablets, packs Ivy Bridge, Windows 8 and integrated controllers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/project-fiona-raises-the-stakes-for-gaming-tablets-packs-ivy-br/

We weren't exactly looking for the "Switchblade of CES 2012," but Razer's latest concept, nicknamed "Project Fiona," may take the title anyway. This concept gaming tablet flanks a 10.1-inch multitouch screen with a pair of nunchuk-like four-button controllers, lending the slab a bit of flightstick flair. Its dual-stick wings won't help you fly through ShadowGun however -- this slate is a Windows machine. An Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor hopes to keep Fiona fragging with the desktop kiddies, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told us, giving it the chops to run modern PC games right out of the box.

The Prototype was built specifically with mobile PC gamers in mind, said Min-Liang, and will feature a hybrid user interface (a hub activated via a upcoming Windows 8 app) designed to help gamers immediately jump into local multiplayer matches. He described a group of friends seamlessly jumping into a round of Hawx 2, and "dogfighting face to face." It sounds like he wants Fiona to revitalize the Lan party. Although most PC games should be fully playable without any special tweaks or modificaitons, Min-Liang said developers would have the option of adding Fiona specific controls to a game, such as a touch control scheme, or accelerometer joystick emulation. Optimization isn't necessary but exclusive control schemes will be possible.

In addition to its Ivy Bridge chops, the concept gaming slate features enhanced audio with Dolby Home Theater v4 and built-in force feedback. Razer wasn't ready to talk battery life, but said that they hope to launch the slab in Q3 or Q4, after Windows 8 launches, for under $1000. How's it play? We'll let you know as soon as we get our hands on it. Until then, feel free to read on for Fiona's official press release.

Update: Check out our hands-on!

Gallery: Project Fiona

Continue reading Project Fiona raises the stakes for gaming tablets, packs Ivy Bridge, Windows 8 and integrated controllers

Project Fiona raises the stakes for gaming tablets, packs Ivy Bridge, Windows 8 and integrated controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung 55-inch Super OLED TV eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/samsung-55-inch-super-oled-tv-eyes-on-video/

After our introduction yesterday, we've been itching to get a closer look at Samsung's 55-inch Super OLED television. While this isn't a final production model, it's still pretty darn amazing to behold. Razor thin, the colors are as good as you'd hope from a TV with pixel-to-pixel control. Keep in mind, this bad boy will feature a quad-core processor and full 3D support. You'll have to wait until later in 2012 to snag yours and we're sure it'll cost you quite a bit. Go ahead and peek at our shots below and jump past the break for a quick eyes-on.

Gallery: Samsung 55-inch Super OLED TV eyes-on

Con! tinue re ading Samsung 55-inch Super OLED TV eyes-on (video)

Samsung 55-inch Super OLED TV eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Intel demos Medfield-based smartphone reference design at CES (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/intel-demos-medfield-based-smartphone-reference-design-at-ces-v/

There we go! Head past all the months-old Ultrabooks in Intel's CES booth, and you'll stumble across something less pedestrian: a reference smartphone, based on the chipmaker's Medfield platform. How it looks is irrelevant, really -- that chintzy, fingerprint-prone slab of plastic offers no hints as to what the Samsungs and HTCs of the smartphone world are going to create. What matters here is what's inside: this 4-inch handset packs a single-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 chip, XXM 6260 modem and Intel GMA graphics, along with your requisite WiFi radio, accelerometer, etc. (Intel had Gingerbread installed, though that'll hardly be current by the time Medfield starts shipping.)

Though battery life will naturally vary by manufacturer, this particular device houses a 1,460mAh juicepack promising 45 hours of audio playback, eight hours of 3G voice calls, five hours of 3G browsing or 14 days of standby. At the same time, Intel was demoing Modern Combat 2, as you can see in that lead shot, and playing HD video playing through the phone's micro-HDMI slot. Look closely at those videos below, and you'll see the output is mostly smooth with some slight stuttering, though trust us when we say video playback and gaming were more fluid on the device itself. Have a peek below and judge for yourselves, and hopefully one day in the not-too-distant future we'll be able to size up the battery life situation too.

Gallery: Intel smartphone reference design at CES 2012

Continue reading Intel demos Medfield-based smartphone reference design at CES (video)

Intel demos Medfield-based smartphone reference design at CES (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/warner-bros-doubles-netflix-delay/

Warner Bros. must have thought that CES was a good week to bury bad news, but unfortunately most people pay attention when you pull a move like this. Netflix has confirmed the rumor that if you wanna rent movies from the aforementioned studio, you'll have to wait 56 days, twice as long as the previous window. In the press-release (available after the break), the studio states it's doubling the window to maximize potential of its new releases. It also heavily implies that the studio was threatening to withdraw access to its library unless the rental service complied. We're keeping our ear to the ground to hear if similar announcements are forthcoming from Redbox and Blockbuster. Nothing like a little heavy-handed action to convince you that ownership truly is better than renting when it comes to DVD blockbusters, eh?

Update: Redbox got back to us with an official statement:

The current agreement Coinstar has with Warner Bros. is to receive movie titles 28-days after their release. No revised agreements are in place.

Continue reading Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay

Netflix: Warner Bros. movies now available after 56 day delay originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/dells-xps-13-ultrabook-announced/

You didn't think Dell was going to sit out the Ultrabook fad, did you? We'll never know exactly what the hold-up was, but whatever the company's excuse it finally has something to compete with the likes of the MacBook Air and ASUS Zenbook UX31. The company just announced the XPS 13, which weighs in at a shade less than three pounds (2.99, to be exact) and has a wedge profile that tapers from .71 inches to .24 (18 to 6mm). With a starting price of $1,000, it sports an aluminum lid and carbon fiber chassis -- a material we wish more Ultrabook makers would incorporate. Though it has a 13-inch screen, it's the kind of panel with bezels so narrow that Dell was able to build a chassis small enough for a 12-inch system. Put bluntly, expect this to be one of the most compact Ultrabooks around (though not the lightest).

What's that? You want technical details too? At the entry level, it'll come with a Core i3 i5 processor, 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM and backlit keyboard, though you'll also be able to upgrade to a 256SSD and either a Core i5 or i7 CPU (Sandy Bridge at launch, with Ivy Bridge to follow in a refresh later this year). Other specs include a 300-nit, 1366 x 768, Gorilla Glass display; Intel HD 3000 graphics; a 47Wh battery rated for up to eight hours; Bluetooth 3.0; and Intel's Smart Connect and Rapid Start technologies. As HP is doing with the Folio 13, Dell plans to sell this in both its consumer and business channels; accordingly, the machine will be offered with TPM, asset tagging, corporate images and custom BIOS to keep the IT guys happy. It'll be available at the end of February, but if you need to know as much as you can now, we've got hands-on photos below, along with impressions after the break.

Gallery: Dell XPS 13 hands-on

Continue reading Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999

Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/paywizard-offers-more-ways-to-pay-for-content-on-samsung-smart-t/

PayWizard's "multi-screen" TV payment platform has been available for some time in the UK, but the company's now taking advantage of CES to attempt a big push into the US market. That multi-screen bit comes from the ability to manage your account and purchase content on multiple devices (including smartphones and PCs, in addition to smart TVs), and the company is also touting a new voucher system that can be used for gifting and promotions from content providers. While it remains to be seen how widely it will be used, the company has already gotten off to a decent start by announcing an application for Samsung's smart TVs, which will let folks refill their balance and manage their accounts. Additional details can be found at the source link below and in the press release after the break.

Continue reading PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs

PayWizard offers more ways to pay for content on Samsung smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/spotted-the-elusive-15-inch-samsung-series-9/

Though we got to spend several weeks poking around the redesigned, 13-inch Series 9 laptop, we never did get to handle the new 15-inch version. It's a matter of particular curiosity for us, not just because yours truly has a minor laptop obsession, but because we've never seen anything quite this thin with quite this expansive a display. So, we couldn't resist a little playtime when we stumbled upon it at Samsung's CES booth. Aside, from the industrial design, which you can learn about in detail here, we were impressed by how it almost manages to match the 13-inch version in thinness: 0.58 inches thick versus half an inch for its little brother. And because Sammy crammed a 15-inch display into a 14-inch chassis, it doesn't particularly look like a 15-inch laptop. What's more, at 3.3 pounds, it weighs as much as the HP Folio, an Ultrabook with a 13-inch display. Impressive, yes, but given that $1,500 price, it won't be an option for everyone, which is why it's especially paramount that that onslaught of 14- and 15-inch Ultrabooks doesn't include too many clunkers.

Gallery: Samsung Series 9 hands-on (1! 5-inch, 2012 version)

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/gaikai-partners-with-lg-to-power-smart-tv-gaming-service/

Sure, OnLive's got some mean video game (and desktop) streaming chops, but to use it you'll need a computer, MicroConsole or at the very least, a tablet. Need something simpler? An LG Smart TV might do the trick -- Gaikai, a rival streaming outlet (with a fairly different business model), has announced a partnership with electronics giant that will bring its cloud platform to your home theatre. Gaikai's servers will be backing in the new Smart TV cloud gaming service, which will permeate LG Cinema 3D TVs launched in 2012. Hopefully, LG's take on the service will offer more than just game demos. Read on for the official PR.

Continue reading Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service

Gaikai partners with LG to power Smart TV gaming service originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Leader International does Android 4.0 on the cheap with Impresion 10A, 7A tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/leader-international-does-android-4-0-on-the-cheap-with-impresio/

It might still be a little early to name the big trend of CES 2012, but it's already clear that there's one thing we'll be seeing plenty of: inexpensive Android tablets. Little known Leader International is one of the latest to enter the fray, announcing its new Impression 10A and Impression 7A tablets. Those will set you back $299 and $179, respectively, with each running Android 4.0, and the more expensive model packing a 9.7-inch IPS display and a 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor (as opposed to an unnamed 1GHz processor on the 7-incher). According to the company, you can look for both to be available at "major retailers" by the end of Q1.

Continue reading Leader International does Android 4.0 on the cheap with Impresion 10A, 7A tablets

Leader International does Android 4.0 on the cheap with Impresion 10A, 7A tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Polaroid announces Android-powered SC1630 Smart Camera, slated for release this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/polaroid-announces-android-powered-sc1630-smart-camera-slated-f/

Here's something we weren't expecting to see at CES today: Polaroid has just announced a new camera... powered by Android. The company's new, 16-megapixel SC1630 Smart Camera features a 3x optical zoom lens, 3.2-inch touch-based display, 36-108mm lens and WiFi capabilities, but the real story here is the Android UI integration. With this five-ounce portable, users can take shots in 18 different scene modes and instantly upload their images to social networking sites. Plus, since it's linked to the Android Market, they'll even be able to sync it up with any of the myriad photo apps already available to smartphone and tablet users, while finding comfort in that oh-so familiar Android UI. Pricing is still a mystery and Polaroid hasn't offered a release date more specific than "2012," but we'll hopefully find out more when we get our hands on it here in Las Vegas. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Polaroid announces Android-powered SC1630 Smart Camera, slated for release this year

Polaroid announces Android-powered SC1630 Smart Camera, slated for release this year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Imagination Technologies unveils G6200 and G6400, first two GPUs based on PowerVR Series6

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/powervr-series6-g6200-and-6400/

First announced in February of last year, Imagination Technologies has officially announced the licensing availability of its first two GPUs based on the Series6 platform. The PowerVR G6200 and G6400 each promise to bring low power graphics to unprecedented levels and are said to deliver up to 20 times more horsepower than the current generation while also being five times more efficient. In tangible terms, the Series6 GPU cores are capable of exceeding 100 gigaflops and are said to approach the teraflop range. All chipsets based on Series6 are backward compatible with Series5 and fully support OpenGL 3.x, 4.x and ES, along with OpenCL 1.x and DirectX 10. Further, specific models will also support DirectX 11.1 with full WHQL compliance. Poised to shake up the mobile gaming ecosystem, Imagination has already lined up partners that include ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Renesas Electronics and MediaTek. The full PR, complete with all the bragging, can be found after the break.

Continue reading Imagination Technologies unveils G6200 and G6400, first two GPUs based on PowerVR Series6

Imagination Technologies unveils G6200 and G6400, first two GPUs based on PowerVR Series6 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Watch This Street Artist Put Bob Ross to Shame in Less Than Three Minutes [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874680/watch-this-master-artist-put-bob-ross-to-shame-in-under-three-minutes

The Joy of Painting is a wonderful program—assuming you can get past the Afro and not doze off. But, if you don't have an hour to learn to paint "happy trees," check out street artist Fabian Gaete Maureira compose scenes like Bob Ross on crank.

Maureira works in Santiago, Chile, using primarily his fingers to speed-paint nature scenes on glass panes. According his display, each piece is completed in just about three minutes. I have no idea how he gets trees to appear like that but you can see more of his work at Arte100cia. [Arte100cia via Reddit].

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drag2share: Watch the New Crazy Thin Gorilla Glass 2 Somehow Survive 121 Pounds of Force [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874654/watch-the-new-crazy-thin-gorilla-glass-2-somehow-survive-121-pounds-of-pressure

Gorilla Glass 2 is just as strong, tough and impressive as the original Gorilla Glass. Only difference? Gorilla Glass 2 is waaaaaaaay thinner at only .8mm compared to the original Gorilla Glass at 1mm. And at that size, 20% is a big freaking deal. Nothing currently has Gorilla Glass 2 but you can be sure even more anorexic thin gadgets are on their way. Thin is in, right?

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drag2share: Before and After: New Island Appears In The Red Sea Almost Overnight [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874726/before-and-after-new-volcanic-island-appears-in-the-red-sea-almost-overnight

A new volcanic island has appeared in the Red Sea almost overnight. The eruption was first reported by local fishermen in mid-December 2011, 40 miles off the coast of Yemen. This before and after animated GIF shows the before and after.

The second image was taken on January 7, 2012 by the Advanced Land Imager on the Earth Observing-1 satellite. It shows the island well above the sea's surface and still growing while a plume of steam from the water and other volcanic gases are blown by the wind.

According to NASA, the land is "now about 530 by 710 meters (1,700 by 2,300 feet) across."
[NASA Earth Observatory]

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drag2share: Vizio's New Ultrawidescreen TVs Have True Cinema Aspect Ratio and Tons of Pixels [TVs]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874734/ultrawidescreen-3d-and-google-tv-from-vizio-theyre-on-a-roll

Vizio's New Ultrawidescreen TVs Have True Cinema Aspect Ratio and Tons of Pixels Vizio is tearing up CES with its new PCs and 10-inch tablet. But it's also announced some new TVs which look pretty sweet, too.

The new 65-inch versions of both Vizio's M- and R- lines feature VIA Plus — the company's customized spin on Google TV. And after some delays last year, it's also offering up three 21:9 "CinemaWide" ultrawidescreen WFHD (2560x1080) models, like that pictured above. They come in sizes of 50-, 58- and 71-inches with 3D and Yahoo! Widgets, bringing the 21:9 aspect ratio to US shores for the first time.

Vizio's current E3D series will also be joined by the M3D series in a 47- and 55-inch model, the latter of which includes a Bluetooth QWERTY remote. There's also going to be an R3D series, which comes with better backlighting.

Prices and ship dates for all the new TVs are still under wraps, but we should be taking a look at these in the flesh real soon. [Vizio]

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