Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Researchers make an RGB laser with a regular laser and quantum dots

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/01/researchers-make-an-rgb-laser-with-a-regular-laser-and-quantum-d/

The problem with lasers is, they tend to generate just a single color or light.To get more than one hue requires actually combining more than one type of laser to produce red, green and blue. But researchers at Brown University have figured out a solution to creating small RGB lasers by using colloidal quantum dots, or CQDs. The idea of leveraging the properties of the thin film isn't new, but past attempts to use CQDs in semiconductor lasers have failed because the necessary energy tends to wind up as heat instead of light. The work around scientists found was to excite the various dot sizes with a laser then filter out original light source. Unfortuneately, the solution is far from practical for use in commercial products, but it does represent a milestone in the march towards a single-material multi-wavelength laser. For more details check out the source link.

Researchers make an RGB laser with a regular laser and quantum dots originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ars Technica | source

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Nature, Brown University | Email this | Comments

Monday, April 30, 2012

15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/30/15-inch-samsung-series-7-ivy-bridge/

Intel's bridge is a popular one and, while we don't know just what the toll to cross is, today the gatekeeper has a little extra change jingling in his pocket. Samsung is announcing that its 15-inch Series 7 Chronos laptops now offer Ivy Bridge processors, joining the 17-inch models that have already have made their way across. Thanks to a Samsung Canada leak last week, we knew the slightly more portable flavor wouldn't be far behind. NVIDIA graphics are onboard, joining the Core i7 processors and 1TB hard drives plus other pleasantries like backlit keyboards. No word on when these machines and their "uncompromised performance" will arrive at retail, but we hear getting over that bridge is the tricky part, so it shouldn't be long now.

15-inch Samsung Series 7 laptops follow big brother across Intel's Ivy Bridge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sammy Hub | source

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Samsung (translated) | Email this | Comments

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Google Drive now offers a bumpy ride for Chrome OS dev-channel users

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/google-drive-now-available-for-chrome-os-dev-channel/

You knew it was gonna happen, but Google's cloud-based storage service has now been married to its cloud-based operating system, as Chrome OS users who receive updates via the dev-channel may now benefit from integration with Google Drive. Most notably, Drive will now appear as an additional folder within the file manager, although the implementation isn't without its quirks. For example, our peers at TechCrunch described the inability to make these files available for offline access. It goes without saying that dev-channel releases aren't for everyone, but if you enjoy living on the edge, then be sure to take a peep at what Google has in store for the inevitable mainstream release.

Google Drive now offers a bumpy ride for Chrome OS dev-channel users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CNET |

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Google Chrome Releases blog | Email this | Comments

Canon reports slightly higher profits in Q1, teases new compact cameras on the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/28/canon-q1-2012-earnings/

Canon reported its Q1 2012 earnings this week, and things certainly appear to have gone better than the last time we checked in when it replaced the company president. While revenue declined slightly, net profit reached 61.54 billion yen ($766 million), up 11 percent from a year ago. There's no executive moves to report, however on the earnings call executive VP and CFO Toshizo Tanaka noted a unit sales increase of 30 percent for SLR cameras including the new EOS 5D Mark III as well as the cheaper T3i, Mark II and 60D models, combined with strong sales for WiFi-connected point-and-shoots. As far as new products, while its new cinema cameras got a glancing mention the plan this year includes compact cameras "offering the image qualities that approaches SLR cameras", with improved design and network connectivity features. All the numbers and earnings call talk are in black and white at the links below, although we prefer to spend our time speculating about the future of mirrorless cameras.

Canon reports slightly higher profits in Q1, teases new compact came! ras on t he way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon Q1 2012 earnings call, Q1 2012 results (PDF) | Email this | Comments

Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/29/origin-pc-EON-11-S-gaming-laptop-announced/

Last week may have drawn to a close, but the march of Clevo news continues. On the heels of Maingear announcing an 11-inch gaming notebook, Origin PC is throwing its own ultraportable into the ring: the EON 11-S. Though this is a new model for the company (the smallest laptop it's ever sold, in fact), it's not quite fresh to us: this is the same exact Clevo-made notebook Maingear unveiled two days ago, only re-badged under Origin PC's brand and available in a wider range of colors. As far as performance goes, then, that means you can expect Ivy Bridge processors, a 2GB NVIDIA GT 650M GPU, Optimus graphics-switching technology and a battery rated for 6.5 hours of runtime. In Origin PC's case, the laptop starts at $999 (compared with $1,099 for Maingear), though you'll have to head over to Origin's site for a breakdown of what specs you'll be getting at that lower price. (Spoiler alert: adding an Ivy Bridge CPU instantly bumps the price to $1,294.)

Gallery: Origin PC EON 11-S

Continue reading Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S

Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Origin PC | Email this | Comments

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/29/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-690-dual-kepler-gpu-graphics-card-announced/

Would you look at that? NVIDIA hinted it would be coming today, and it looks like the tease is living up to the hype. The company stormed into the weekend at its Shanghai Game Festival by unleashing its latest offering, the GeForce GTX 690 -- and oh yeah, it's packing two 28nm Kepler GPUs! Trumping the recently released GTX 680 as the "worlds fastest graphics card," it's loaded with a whopping 3,072 Cuda cores. The outer frame is made from trivalent chromium-plated aluminum, while you'll find thixomolded magnesium alloy around the fan for vibration reduction and added cooling. Aiding in cooling even further, the unit also sports a dual vapor chamber and center-mounted fan. It'll cost you a spendy $1,000 to pick up one of these puppies come May 3rd, and you'll likely be tempted to double up -- two can run together in SLI as an effective quad-core card. With that said, NVIDIA claims that a single 690 runs 4dB quieter and handles about twice the framerate as a duo of GTX 680s in SLI -- impressive, but we'll reserve judgement until we see it for ourselves. Check out the press release after the break if you'd like more information in the meantime (...and yes, it runs Crysis -- 2 Ultra to be exact -- at 57.8fps, according to NVIDIA).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k

NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, loads it with dual Kepler GPUs, charges $1k originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/panasonic-145-inch-8k-plasma-nhk-japan/

We thought the 8K 85-inch Super Hi-Vision LCD we saw during CES was impressive, but Japanese broadcaster NHK is already looking to surpass that by going even bigger. To that end it worked with Panasonic (above: that's Panasonic's Keishi Kubota on the left, Yoshio Ito of NHK on the right) to create this 145-inch prototype plasma, unveiled today as an example of the kind of displays we can expect to see once broadcasts jump to the higher resolution some day. The world's first self-illuminating Super Hi-Vision TV, it features every pixel of its expected 8K resolution -- 7,680 x 4,320. After working for months on smaller (only 85- or 103-inch) 4K plasmas, the two companies had to come up with an entirely new drive method for the display that works by scanning the pixels vertically to achieve a uniform picture quality. The NHK plans to show off the new display at its open house in May, although we're a bit more interested to see if we can watch the Olympics on it this summer. Check the gallery below for a few more pictures from DigInfo.TV's Ryo Osuga, or hit the more coverage link for a breakdown of the difficulties encountered in building a high resolution display that's this massive.

Gallery: Panasonic 145-inch Super Hi-Vision plasma

[Image Credit: Ryo Osuga, DigInfo.TV]

Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic Japan | Email this | Comments

LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/lg-ips4-monitor/

While LCD monitors with in-plane switching technology were once decidedly settled at the high end, LG apparently thinks its time for everyone to have one and is launching its mainstream IPS4 line. Executive VP JJ Lee says the aim is for IPS monitors to become "ubiquitous in every room", bringing better color reproduction, picture quality and wide viewing angles with them. So far we know they're slotting in just below the 3D-capable models shown off at CES, but there's nothing mentioned in the press release (included after the break along with another pic) about prices, sizes, specs or model numbers. If you're in the market however, expect to find out more soon since they will roll out to Asia first in May, followed by Europe and North America in "the coming weeks".

Continue reading LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon

LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer with Ingredients You Already Have [Household]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5905294/make-your-own-all+natural-hand-sanitizer-with-ingredients-you-already-have

Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer with Ingredients You Already Have Keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby is a great way to keep your hands fresh and clean from time to time, and while it's not exactly expensive to buy, it's also really easy to make your own, and you may already have the ingredients required in your medicine cabinet or under your sink. All you need is some aloe vera gel, rubbing alcohol, some essential oil for fragrance, and a bottle to keep it all in.

The actual recipe is pretty simple—one-third of a cup aloe vera gel, two-thirds of a cup of rubbing alcohol, and 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil to make the whole thing smell good. Mix it all up and pour it into a bottle to store it—if you have a bottle with a pump dispenser on it, like an old lotion bottle or the empty from your last hand sanitizer purchase, that'll work just fine.

We've shown you a similar recipe a long time ago, but it required much more obscure—and in some cases expensive—ingredients, although it definitely takes the "all natural" prize, if you're looking for another recipe. Do you make your own hand sanitizer? Swear off the stuff entirely? Let us know in the comments below.

Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer | Education.com via TipNut

Photo by liz west.

This Chip Will Power the New Samsung Galaxy S III [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5905282/this-chip-will-power-the-new-samsung-galaxy-s-iii

This Chip Will Power the New Samsung Galaxy S III While the new Galaxy S III is due to officially launch on May 3rd, Samsung has just announced what's set to be powering it, and things sound promising. Based on the ARM Cortex A9, Samsung's new chip—which is called Exynos 4 Quad—will feature four cores all running at 1.4 GHz.

It replaces, and will be entirely compatible with devices already using, the older Exynos 4 Dual, and uses 32 nanometer technology instead of the old'uns 45 nanometer innards. But, meh, enough of that—what can it actually do?

Samsung claim the new chip will be capable of full 30fps 1080p video playback and recording, will feature an interface for HDMI 1.4 and also come with some embedded image signal processing capabilities. The chip is also claimed to be 20 per cent more efficient than its predecessor. All in, it sounds like Samsung could be on to a winner. [Samsung via The Verge]

Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for Â£369 or â¬460

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/panasonic-eluga-now-available-in-europe/

Wouldn't ya know it, but Panasonic was spot on with its announcement of the Eluga smartphone's European arrival this month. The elegant, waterproof handset is now available unlocked from Expansys, where it retails for £369 and approximately €460, with slight variations among countries. While the phone supports quadband GSM, its UMTS / HSPA connectivity is limited to the 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which makes it less than ideal for North American use -- though, if you really want one, it seems safe to peg this one in the $600 territory.

Similarly available through NTT DoCoMo as the P-04D, we first managed to get a hands-on with the Eluga at Mobile World Congress. For those in need of a quick refresh, the phone features a TI OMAP 4430 SoC with a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a rather paltry 1,150mAh battery. The Eluga includes a heavily-skinned version of Android 2.3.5, although an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich has been pegged for release this summer. The phone represents Panasonic's return to the smartphone arena, and while it's a bit behind the curve, it's no doubt a fine starting point.

Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for £369 or €460 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26! Apr 201 2 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Android Central | source

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Expansys | Email this | Comments

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Google Is Selling Hardware Again [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5904678/google-is-selling-hardware

Even though Google failed miserably and shut down the old Google phone store, it looks like they're giving it one more go. Right now, Google is selling an unlocked Galaxy Nexus that works on both AT&T and T-Mobile for $400 on Google Play.

It's being sold in the new 'Devices' section of Google Play. You can totally imagine the store becoming more robust if the rumors of the Nexus tablet are true. It'd be interesting to see if Google will promote other devices on the Play store as well.

Other than not being locked to a contract and having an unlocked phone, the big benefit of buying the unlocked version of the Galaxy Nexus is you get the unadulterated Android experience, what Google wants Android to be, pretty much. Google specifically mentions that the Galaxy Nexus on Google Play comes with Google Wallet (and a free $10 credit). [Google Play via Google Mobile Blog]

Flexible Solar Panels Stack Cells on Sheets Printed Like OLEDs [Monster Machines]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5904557/flexible-solar-panels-stack-cells-on-sheets-printed-like-oleds

Flexible Solar Panels Stack Cells on Sheets Printed Like OLEDs Solar panels are finicky devices—they have to be specially mounted, angled, and presented with the precisely correct environmental conditions to function at capacity. The complexities make it hard for the technology to gain mainstream appeal. A German startup could change all that with flexible solar cells built using OLED production techniques.

Developed by Heliatek in Germany, the panels are composed of organic modules embedded on a polyester sheet. They're made in a way similar to the process by which OLED displays are printed. The technique results in a panel that's more flexible, lightweight, and versatile than a conventional, rigid panel.

The panels use two stacked layers of solar cells arranged in a patented tandem cell construction, which can absorb a broad spectrum without relying on thick wafers of silicon. And, under less-than-ideal conditions, the panels can generate as much electricity conventional solar panels. Heliatek's product can be deposited on a single continuous roll of film, which eliminates the need for clean rooms. This, and the fact that the panels can be cut to size, reduces production costs.

The technology is still more expensive per watt than current solar technologies, though costs could drop as production ramps up. One long-term plan is for Heliatek to work with window manufacturers to integrate solar films as power-generating tints. In another concept, Heliatek could build the panels directly into a building's roof and facade, so that the whole of the structure produces electricity. The end result could provide plenty of fuel to charge those intriguing whole-house batteries. [Heliatek - Technology Review - Image: Heliatek]

AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/amd-announces-radeon-hd-7000m-series-graphics/

AMD kicked off 2012 by refreshing its desktop graphics, and now it's back, giving its mobile GPUs the same treatment. The company just announced its third generation of DirectX 11 mobile chips, the Radeon HD 7000 family. All told, the collection includes three 28nm GPUs: the high-end 7900M, the mainstream 7800M and, last but not least, the 7700M, a darling little chip intended for AMD's thin and light Ultrabook competitors. Across the board, the series ushers in a new feature AMD is calling Enduro, a graphics-switching technology that takes direct aim at NVIDIA Optimus. Building on older AMD technologies like PowerXpress, it doesn't require you to close apps, reboot your system or manually specify which apps will trigger the GPU. Additionally, it's designed to work with both Intel CPUs and AMD's own application processing units, so presumably you'll find this inside some Ivy Bridge machines too. With this generation, too, the two higher-end chips support the PCI Express 3.0 interface, and all three make use of AMD's existing ZeroCore Power and Power Gating battery-saving features. That's the abridged version, but we also have a full breakdown of the specs awaiting you past the break.

Continue reading AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google back in the smartphone sales game: unlocked Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (GSM) available for $399

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/google-galaxy-nexus-unlocked-on-sale-gsm-hspa/

Hang on to your kneecaps, folks. Google's just announced that it's making the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ available in its Play web store for $399 contract-free. That's right: the unlocked, unbranded, pure Google, 16GB GSM version everyone's been importing from foreign lands far and near is now officially available in the US -- booyah! The handset ships with Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with Google Wallet pre-installed (including a $10 credit to get you started with the company's mobile payment service).

As a refresher, it's not Google's first time in the smartphone sales game. The company made the Nexus One available on its own website in 2010 before pulling the plug and then partnering with Best Buy to sell the Nexus S later that year. One of the problems with the Nexus One was support -- or lack thereof. Google's assured us things will be different this time and it will be offering proper support for its Nexus flagship. W! e sure h ope so.

The Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ is on sale now for $399 (plus taxes and two-day shipping) in the new Devices section of the Play web store. It's a phenomenal deal for one of the best Android phones on the market today -- especially when you consider it provides 21Mbps HSPA+ with great battery life (unlike the "fake" Nexus) and no commitment on your choice of AT&T or T-Mobile. So go ahead, stick it to the carriers and get a taste of dumb-pipe utopia -- delicious, isn't it?

Google back in the smartphone sales game: unlocked Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (GSM) available for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Mobile Blog, Google Play store | Email this | Comments

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