Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Optical Illusion Turns Simple Pendant Into an Elaborate Chandelier [Beautiful]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896554/optical-illusion-turns-simple-pendant-into-an-elaborate-chandelier

When design shop Troika was called upon to create a series of unique chandeliers for the Royal Society of Arts' headquarters in London, instead of engineering some hanging crystal monstrosity, they created a subtle fixture that barely exists when the lights are off.

A small brass pendant filled with eight high-power LEDs hangs from the ceiling. The light source shines upward through a fresnel lens. The refracted projection creates a series of overlapping circular patterns on the ceiling, giving the appearance of an elaborate chandelier overhead. The new chandeliers are efficient, they collect very little dust, and in the event of a disastrous crash, like in The Phantom of the Opera, they're practically harmless. [Dezeen via CribCandy]

US Judge rejects Hasbro / ASUS sales ban, Transformer Prime prevails

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/hasbro-asus-transformer-prime-lawsuit/

Coming up with original gadget names is tough work, and, after all, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery -- right? So it was no surprise when ASUS happened upon an alias that more than slightly resembled that of a popular fictional mutant semi -- you know, Transformer Optimus Prime. However shockingly, Hasbro wasn't a fan, opting to battle ASUS to the death in the U.S. court system. And, after countless weeks and many bank holidays, we finally have a victor. It appears that the leader of the Autobots will continue to share its name with the Taiwanese company's tablet -- that's what you get for leaving the fate of the world to mere human bureaucrats. Just don't be surprised when it comes time to name the world's next Superhero, Ms. Zenbook UX31.

US Judge rejects Hasbro / ASUS sales ban, Transformer Prime prevails originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Real LCD HDTV refresh rates are getting harder to find behind marketing fluff

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/lcd-refresh-rate-120hz-240hz-480hz/

Electronics makers love a spec they can get behind and make the center point of their marketing efforts -- no matter how useless it is as a comparison. The undisputed be all arms race HDTV metric for the past few years, LCD refresh rates, has recently become even muddier according to HD Guru. Terms like Clear Motion Rate (Samsung) and Scenes Per Second (Vizio) are meant to confuse the customer while resembling the somewhat useful (and, as of late, unmentioned on the box) refresh rate. Our advice? Ignore this spec completely and instead find a TV that can accurately display your favorite content at its native frame rate (24, 30 or 60) -- leave all that soap-opera looking frame interpolation technology to the modern day twelve o'clock flasher.

PSA: Real LCD HDTV refresh rates are getting harder to find behind marketing fluff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/asus-teases-awesome-new-features-for-transformer-prime-doesn/

Like that one friend who cares enough to update everyone about a "killer party" they're headed to without saying where it is, the official ASUS Facebook page has dropped a teaser that is as tantalizing as it is frustratingly vague. The note promises "awesome new features" in the next update for its Transformer Prime, but has absolutely no details on what that means. So what could be in store, some minor .01 revision ICS bump, further GPS tweaks, custom ASUS apps or some celebratory Hasbro wallpapers? Of course, we'd love to hear that everyone's getting a new higher-res display swapped into their Tegra 3 tablet, but even with lasers and time travel still on the table, we're thinking that's not it. Feel free to dream big in the comments below -- for the moment, anything is possible.

Update: If you need a hint, several commenters have pointed out posts on XDA Developers by ASUS' Gary Key indicating firmware 9.4.2.21 will arrive "by March 30th" so it shouldn't be a long wait. A possible preview of the features included is also in the thread, culled from a list on the company's Swedish Facebook site for a differently numbere! d, thoug h also yet to be released update. Check the list after the break or hit the links below to follow the breadcrumbs for yourself.

Continue reading ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are

ASUS teases 'awesome new features' for Transformer Prime, doesn't say what they are originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku players now have an official Plex channel with upgraded UI and new features

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/roku-plex-official/

If you're a fan of Plex's media server software and Roku's do-everything hockey puck media streamers then today is your lucky day, as bringing the two together is now easier than ever. While Plex has supported streaming to Roku devices through an unofficial channel since last year, today it announced it's officially available in the Channel Store. That's not the only thing that has changed either, since a blog post indicates the new official channel brings a new upgraded UI and features like myPlex support, audio and picture support, and Direct Play of video without transcoding on compatible videos. Hit the Plex blog for a few more screenshots and details, or just turn on your Roku and add the app directly. Also, if a Google TV device is your preferred Plex client, that app has also just been updated with a few new bugfixes.

Roku players now have an official Plex channel with upgraded UI and new features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The First Gorgeous OLED TV Will Cost $8,000 [TV]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896750/the-first-gorgeous-oled-tv-will-cost-8000

Big news for anyone with a big living room and bigger wallet: LG's 55-inch OLED TV will be the first of the pack to arrive, debuting at May for eight grand.

Maeli Business, which also recently "reported" that dumbass 4.6-inch iPhone rumor, says LG's on the record with a fashionable unveiling at Cannes:

South Korea's tech major LG Electronics is set to launch the world's first 55-inch OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs in May this year. Prices of the OLED TVs will be set at approximately nine million won ($7,928.91), and the OLED TV will be unveiled in Cannes, France where a movie premier will be held..."LG Electronics decided to arrange the launching event of its 55-inch OLED TV during the Cannes Film Festival period from May 16 to 27," an LG official said Thursday.

The timing jibes with what we heard at CES, but it's the first solid word we've heard as to what the future of beautiful television is going to cost us. Eight thousand. That's a lot of money—more money than most people have to spend on a TV, by a longshot. But it could've been a lot worse! Samsung's current top of the line 55-inch LCD TV runs around half that—and it's using old, old technology. OLED will be out of reach for almost everyone, but, like everything else, it'll slide cheaper, and cheaper in a (relative) hurry. Especially when LG, Samsung, and the rest realize nobody can afford this.

We've checked in with LG for more information—stay tuned. [Maeil via Verge]

Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/samsung-galaxy-note-ice-cream-sandwich-leak-facebook/

Hard to believe we're mere months from learning all about Android 5.0, and the lion's share of Android devices haven't even heard of v4.0. That said, Samsung already promised that its polarizing Galaxy Note would be grabbing ICS in the second quarter of this year, and it looks as if the company's designers already have an inkling as to what that'll look like. Shown here at Samsung Mobile USA's official Facebook portal, we have one Galaxy Note sporting Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's no fuss made about (officially, anyway) in the description below. We'd probably still hope for late Q2 based on history, but perhaps the update really is closer to seeing the light of day than we'd been led to believe.

[Thanks, Binyamin]

Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/lg-lucid-verizon-lte-official/

That LG Lucid we've heard so much about lately? Yep, it's real, and Verizon is now ready to publicly acknowledge its existence.The LTE-capable device resides in the mid-range, but for $80 (with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate) you're getting a 4-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture and a front-facing cam of unknown resolution. And for the folks keeping track at home, the Lucid will be shipping with Gingerbread installed, though Verizon is quick to admit that ICS is in the works. Sound like your cup o' tea? You won't have to wait long -- it's heading your way on March 29th.

Continue reading LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80

LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/samsung-launches-switch-grip-qf20-wifi-camcorder/

Samsung trotted out a cluster of new video shooters back at CES, including a refresh of its hand-impartial HMX-Q10 movie maker. Now, it looks like sinister filmmakers can finally get their (left) paws on the WiFi enabled QF20. The debut also brings with it mention of a few minor details that we didn't hear about in Vegas, namely an on board "BGM" background music tool, a 230,000 pixel count on the LCD viewfinder, and news that the sensor is a 5-megapixel BSI CMOS affair. If this sounds like the answer to your camera-handling dreams, Samsung wants ₩449,000 (about $395) no matter which hand you reach for your wallet with.

Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/new-novatech-ultrabook-nfinity-series/

Novatech has just put its own spin on the Ultrabook theme, outing its new nFinity line of svelte, 14-inch, portables. The base model is driven by an i3 chip, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of SSD storage, for a £430 (about $687) asking price. If you want a little more pep, however, there are naturally i5 and i7 options too (£580 / $926 and £699 / $1,117 respectively), both of which get a RAM upgrade to 4GB, and double the SSD at 128GB. There are a few things which might dampen your purchasing flame, such as the lack of USB3.0, and perhaps the plastic finish. But when you're fully booted in the (claimed) 15 seconds, and still going 7 hours later, maybe that won't seem so bad a trade-off. The range lands on the 30th of this month, so not long to wait, or click on past the break for the promo video.

Continue reading Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four

Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect for Windows version 1.5 to be released in May

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/kinect-for-windows-version-1-5-to-be-released-in-may/

Seems like it was only yesterday that Microsoft took the wraps off version 1.0 of Kinect for Windows, putting the power of voice and gesture controls in the hands of the hoi polloi. Now, the gang in Redmond has said that version 1.5 will be coming in May, and will bring 10-joint skeletal tracking to let the sensor bar work while users are seated. The update also includes Kinect Studio, an app that allows devs to record, play and debug clips of users to fine tune their applications. Additionally, it brings language support for French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, plus there's added support for regional dialects in those languages and English as well. Lastly, Microsoft is promising a whole slew of new countries around the globe will be getting Kinect for Windows in May and June, so to see if your homeland made the cut, check out the source below.

Kinect for Windows version 1.5 to be released in May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Healthcare Is The Hottest Sector For Startup Funding

Source: https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome

Business Insider Intelligence is a new research and analysis service for real-time insight and intelligence about the Internet industry. The product is currently in beta. For more information, and to sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here.

Healthcare took the largest percentage share of angel funding last year with 33.8 percent of funding dollars, according to a new report by Silicon Valley Bank. The internet, broadly defined, had the second largest share with 27.2 percent of funding dollars. However, as a percentage of deals completed, the Internet led with 33.8 percent followed by healthcare with 24.1 percent

There are several takeaways from the findings:

Many people (including some very influential investors) vew healthcare as a staid industry ripe for disruption;
Generally speaking, it costs more money to get a healthcare company off the ground than a web startup;
Early stage investors are very bullish: the median angel round was up 40 percent from 2010.

Click here to read our note on how the way companies are getting financed is completely changing →

Angel Funding By Sector

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HTC One X for AT&T benchmarked: impressive, most impressive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/27/htc-one-x-for-atandt-benchmarked-impressive-most-impressive/

The One X is not officially here... yet. That hasn't stopped someone from putting the new superphone through the benchmarking wringer, however. Turns out, that dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC may be all it's cracked up to be, as screencaps have popped up online showing scores that blow away damn near every mobile device under the sun. Apparently, an AT&T employee put the One X through its paces, and if the scores are to be believed, it smoked the Galaxy Nexus in Quadrant and handily outperformed even the quad-core Transformer Prime in Vellamo. So, it seems that Peter Chou's new favorite phone has the guts to match its handsome exterior, but don't take our word for it, see for yourself at the source below.

HTC One X for AT&T benchmarked: impressive, most impressive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mobile Syrup ! | source

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Can the $900 Panasonic GH2 Produce Better Video Than the $3,500 Canon 5D Mark III? [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5896434/can-the-900-panasonic-gh2-produce-better-video-than-the-3500-canon-5d-mark-iii

The Panasonic GH2 is a mid-range micro four thirds camera that runs about $900. It is a decent product, but would never be expected to compete with professional DSLR's. Right? Wellllllllllll...

Turns out, the GH2 has one unsuspecting video feature that beats out the current standard of DSLR videography, the Canon 5D Mark II, not to mention its recently reviewed successor, the 5D Mark III. Amazingly, the GH2 cranks out video with detail and sharpness clearly superior to either of the 5Ds. The results are visible in the test video above, conducted by EOSHD, along with a detailed analysis.

So does that mean you should run out and buy a GH2 whilst laughing in the face of those who just dropped thousands for a 5D? Well, no, not exactly. The thing is, detail and sharpness are not the whole story of what makes a great video camera. In almost every other benchmark, a 5D is going to win out—especially the Mark III. Low light performance, audio controls, shallow depth of field, lens options, all of these contribute to your ability to make a kick-ass movie.

EOSHD goes off on Canon for its inability to improve on this spec in the 4 years between the release of the 5D Mark II and Mark III. Point taken. But there is a bigger picture. The GH2 may produce a clearer image, but if you are looking for a professional tool with well-rounded capabilities, the cost of a 5D might be worth it.

Of course, the talk about the Nikon D800's performance is heating up the debate. We haven't seen any direct video comparisons between that and the Mark III yet, but they will surely be flooding the internet soon. [EOSHD]

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Callnote Records Skype Calls and Saves the Audio to Evernote Automatically [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5895808/callnote-records-skype-calls-and-saves-the-audio-to-evernote-automatically

Callnote Records Skype Calls and Saves the Audio to Evernote Automatically Win/Mac: We've discussed a few ways to record Skype calls in the past, but they tend to be pretty hit-or-miss. As long as the audio is the only part you're worried about, CallNote can record your calls and then save the audio file to your Evernote account immediately as soon as it's finished recording.

Callnote is pretty simple to use. Fire up the app, head over to the Evernote tab to log in to Evernote, and while Skype is open and running click to record, stop recording, or play back what's been recorded, so you can test before your call or podcast begins. The app allows you to record up to eight participants, and includes a note when the audio is uploaded to Evernote with the attendees names and the call time and duration included. You can set the process to take place automatically—as in the app starts recording as soon as the call begins, stops when it ends, and uploads immediately after it stops, or you can toggle triggers in between so you can manually select the destination notebook.

The app is free, and can be downloaded directly from the developer or directly from the Skype App Store. Do you record Skype calls, or use a different method? Share your alternatives and suggestions in the comments below.

Callnote | Kanda Software via Guiding Tech

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