Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 4.3 squeeze textures to the limit, bring OpenVL along for the ride

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/opengl-es-3-0-and-opengl-4-3-squeeze-textures-to-the-limit/

Mobile graphics are clearly setting the agenda at SIGGRAPH this year -- ARM's Mali T600-series parts have just been chased up by a new Khronos Group standard that will likely keep those future video cores well-fed. OpenGL ES 3.0 represents a big leap in textures, introducing "guaranteed support" for more advanced texture effects as well as a new version of ASTC compression that further shrinks texture footprints without a conspicuous visual hit. OpenVL is also coming to give augmented reality apps their own standard. Don't worry, desktop users still get some love through OpenGL 4.3: it adds the new ASTC tricks, new visual effects (think blur) and support for compute shaders without always needing to use OpenCL. All of the new standards promise a bright future in graphics for those living outside of Microsoft's Direct3D universe, although we'd advise being patient: there won't be a full Open GL ES 3.0 testing suite for as long as six months, and any next-generation phones or tablets will still need the graphics hardware to match.

Continue reading OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 4.3 squeeze textures to the limit, bring OpenVL along for the ride

Filed under:! Cellphones, Gaming, Tablet PCs

OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 4.3 squeeze textures to the limit, bring OpenVL along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google experiment lets you visualize the global arms trade in detail

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/google-experiment-lets-you-visualize-the-global-arms-trade-in-de/

We're all well aware of Google's drive for experimenting with bizarre tidbits from time to time, and the search giant's latest venture is one that gives a rather colorful and very detailed look at the global arms trade. Not surprisingly, the results are quite astonishing thanks to the interactivity and great amount of data Mountain View's been able to add to its visualization -- showing info like the number of imports / exports by each country from as far back as 1992 all the way up until 2010. There's a lot more to it, however, with the ability to also see how much cash was being spent per nation, and whether it was on ammo or civilian / military weapons. For that, you might want to head over to the Arms Trade site, where you'll be able to take Google's experiment for a spin -- literally.

Filed under: Internet

Google experiment lets you visualize the global arms trade in detail originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD announces $4k FirePro W9000 GPU, entry-level FirePro A300 APU for CAD and graphics pros

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/amd-firepro-w9000-gpu-firepro-a300-apu/

After a brief tease earlier this summer, AMD just announced pricing and availability for its new market-leading FirePro W9000 graphics processing unit -- the $3,999 GPU is available now through AMD resellers, and is compatible with Supermicro SuperWorkstations. Joining that "world's most powerful" rig are the W8000, W7000 and W5000, which sell for $1,599, $899 and $599, respectively, and can each power six 30-inch 4K displays. Power-hungry pros will want to opt for the top-of-the-line model in order to take advantage of four TFLOPs single precision or one TFLOP double precision, along with 6 gigs of high-speed GDDR5 RAM. The W8000, on the other hand, offers 3.23 TFLOPs single precision and 806 GFLOPs double precision, followed by the W7000 with 2.4 TFLOPs / 152 GFLOPs, both with 4 gigs of RAM, along with the W5000, which packs 1.27 TFLOPs single and 80 GFLOPs double, with 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM.

Design pros with slightly more modest demands may find the FirePro A300 APU more in line with their budgets -- we don't have precise pricing to share, since third parties will ship their own configs, but terms like "entry-level" and "mainstream" make it clear that you won't be drawing in more than a couple zeros in the checkbook to make your purchase. The integrated solution utilizes AMD's Turbo Core tech, supports Eyefinity and Discrete Compute Offload, and can power horizontal display arrays of up to 10,240 x 1,600 pixels. You'll ! find all the nitty-gritty in the pair of press releases after the break.

Continue reading AMD announces $4k FirePro W9000 GPU, entry-level FirePro A300 APU for CAD and graphics pros

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals

AMD announces $4k FirePro W9000 GPU, entry-level FirePro A300 APU for CAD and graphics pros originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, August 06, 2012

ARM's eight-core Mali GPUs promise 'dramatic' boost to mobile graphics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/arm-second-gen-mali-t600-gpus/

The current flagship for ARM's mobile graphics technology is undoubtedly the Galaxy S III, which contains a quad-core Mali 400 GPU and delivers some wild benchmark scores. By the end of this year though, we should see a whole new generation of Malis -- not just a Mali 450 for mid-range handsets, but also the quad-core T604 and the eight-core T658, which are based on ARM's Midgard architecture and are taking forever to come to market. Now, to whet our appetites even further, ARM has just added three more variants of the chip to its roster, which can almost be considered the next-next-generation: the quad-core T624, and the T628 and T678, which are both scalable up to eight cores.

The trio's headline feature is that they promise to deliver at least 50 percent more performance with the same silicon area and power draw, with the explicit aim of delivering "console-class gaming," 4K and even 8K video workloads, as well as buttery 60fps user interfaces in phones, tablets and smart TVs. The premium T678 is aimed at tablets specifically, and in addition to allowing up to! eight c ores also doubles the number of math-crunching ALUs per core, which means that its compute performance (measured in gigaflops) is actually quadrupled compared to the T624. However, there's one other, subtler change which could turn out to be equally important -- read on for more.

Continue reading ARM's eight-core Mali GPUs promise 'dramatic' boost to mobile graphics

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs

ARM's eight-core Mali GPUs promise 'dramatic' boost to mobile graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/verizon-fios-tv-app-samsung-smart-tv/

While we saw cable and IPTV providers promising pay-TV channels without a box (at least in that room) at CES 2012 we were skeptical, since we've been burned before, but now Verizon FiOS TV has followed up the launch of its app on Xbox 360 by quietly releasing the version for Samsung's Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Like the Xbox 360 app of course, you will need to already be a Verizon FiOS TV customer, so if it's not in your area you're still out of luck. One of our readers noticed the app pop up on his 2011 model Samsung HDTV, and Verizon just posted a quick video trailer (embedded after the break) previewing the app's ability to tune into 26 live channels, as well as FlexView video on-demand content. Tipster ProphetBeal noted the channel changes seemed quicker than on the Xbox 360 app, although they were otherwise very similar. There's a few more screens awaiting you at the source link, as well as a list of compatible devices.

[Thanks, ProphetBeal]

Continue reading FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

! FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's Office Store now open for business, productivity-boosting apps just a click away

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/microsoft-office-store-app-catalog-downloads-now-open-available/

You've known it was coming, and today the doors to Microsoft's Office Store were flung wide open. In short, it's a newfangled portal that enables avid Office and SharePoint users to search for, discover and install apps. Users will need a Microsoft account and the preview version of Office, SharePoint or Exchange in order to start diving in. Naturally, Microsoft has built a pretty stout control system for administrators, and it has also crafted an internal distribution mechanism in SharePoint called the App Catalog -- a tool that "allows enterprises to build in-house apps or source them from partners and distribute them to employees within the organization." Looking to see what it's all around? Head over to the Store and click entirely too many of those "Try It" buttons.

Filed under: Software

Microsoft's Office Store now open for business, productivity-boosting apps just a click away originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/toshiba-satellite-u845w-review/

More Info

Ultrabooks now come in countless shapes and sizes, and we've seen display quality vary just as much. Though 1,366 x 768 may still be the norm, 1,600 x 900 panels aren't unheard of in this ultraportable category. But what about a screen that bucks the 16:9 aspect ratio for an extra-wide 21:9? Toshiba is mixing things up with its new premium Satellite U845W Ultrabook ($1,000 and up), the first laptop to feature that odd aspect ratio.

Styled in the fashion of movie theater screens, the U845W's 14.4-inch, 1,792 x 768 panel adds more horizontal pixels -- ostensibly to enhance the movie-watching experience. In theory, too, that setup should allow for more room to multitask with windows side by side. So how good of an idea is a 21:9 screen in practice? Join us as we put it to the test.

Gallery: Toshiba Satellite U845W review

Continue reading Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own

Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumored HTC Verizon phablet may land soon, with 1080p screen and 1.5GHz Snapdragon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/rumored-htc-verizon-phablet-may-land-soon/

Samsung and LG have already embraced the tiny-tablet form factor. It only makes sense that HTC would want to carve out a niche of this niche for themselves. Rumors of a five-inch HTC device have been circulating for some time, but now a report from DigiTimes is lending some credence to those murmurings, and a mysterious handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer has popped up over at GLBenchmark. According to unnamed sources the company has been working on a flagship level (One XXL?) device with a stunning 1794 x 1080, due to be released in either September or October. If you're taking that claim with a grain of salt, we don't blame you. But, an entry for the HTC 6435LVW that just popped up at GLBenchmark.com seems to fit the billy pretty nicely. It has the same listed resolution, which we assume is actually a 1920 x 1080 panel with room set aside for Android's soft keys. The device info has it running ICS, version 4.0.4 to be specific, on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 -- which should make it quite the powerful piece of hardware. The software build also singles it out as a Verizon handset, which means it'll be packing an LTE radio as well. Whether the rumored stylus is included, a la the Flyer, remains to be seen, but, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs

Rumored HTC Verizon phablet may land soon, with 1080p screen and 1.5GHz Snapdragon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quad-core Galaxy Note 10.1 source code wastes no time, available now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/quad-core-galaxy-note-10-1-source-code-wastes-no-time-available/

Appearing almost simultaneously alongside the Galaxy Note 10.1's launch itinerary, Samsung has offered up source code for both Korean iterations of the stylus-friendly slab. Ensuring custom ROM devs have very early access to the source should mean we're likely to see other software iterations (minus TouchWiz, perhaps) sooner rather than later. Developers can delve into the coding goodness below.

Filed under: Tablet PCs, Software

Quad-core Galaxy Note 10.1 source code wastes no time, available now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch NASA's Curiosity rover touch down on Mars, live at 1:30AM EDT

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/05/watch-nasas-curiosity-rover-touch-down-on-mars-live-at-1-30am/

You watched the launch, bit your nails over computer simulations and even played the game, and it all comes down to today: NASA's Curiosity rover is about to land on Mars. The $2.5 billion vehicle has been en route to the red planet for eight months, and in a few short hours will spend seven terrifying minutes blindly making its way to the Martian surface -- only to make NASA scientists wait another full seven before reporting on its success or failure. The rover is flying solo.

That doesn't mean we can't be there in spirit, however: NASA TV will be broadcasting the event on Ustream, offering commentary from the minds behind the rover, as well as audio from mission control. The Curiosity Cam, which runs from 11:30PM until 2:00AM EDT and 3:30AM to 4:30AM EDT, will offer commentary from the scientists and engineers behind Curiosity, while a second feed (at NASA JPL Live, which runs from 11:30PM onward) will play audio from mission control. If all goes to plan, NASA will be able to share an image from Curiosity's navigation cameras, confirming its safe arrival on the Martian surface. Sounds like a hell of a show to us.

Read on to view the Curiosity Ca! m right here or check out the source links below to prep your evening (or early morning) viewing for yourself. Let us know your own thoughts on Curiosity's landing in the comments.

Update: Touchdown confirmed! The entire sequence went perfectly to plan, and rover Curiosity is now on the surface of Mars and sending telemetry data.

Update: NASA's press conference is now happening live.

Continue reading Watch NASA's Curiosity rover touch down on Mars, live at 1:30AM EDT

Filed under: Transportation, Science

Watch NASA's Curiosity rover touch down on Mars, live at 1:30AM EDT originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/05/stone-spray-research-project-wants-to-print-bridges-with-sand/

Envious of your pet hermit crabs' 3D-printed domicile? Maybe you should cast your green eyes upon the Stone Spray project, an Eco-friendly robot printer that's exploring the viability of soil as a building material. Although making actual buildings is a bit out of the robot's reach, its team has managed to print a series of scaled sculptures (such as stools, pillars and load-bearing arc structures) out of sand, soil and a special solidification compound. The machine's jet-spray nozzle seems to have an easier time constructing objects over per-existing scaffolding, but the team is striving to design structures that don't require the extra support. "We want to push further the boundaries of digital manufacturing and explore the possibilities of an on-site fabrication machine," the team writes on the project's homepage, citing makeshift printed bridges or an on-beach canopy as possible applications of technology. If the Earth itself doesn't make a green enough building material, consider this: the Stone Spray robot can be powered by solar energy alone. Check it out in all of its sand-sculpting glory in the video below.

Continue reading Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Design Boom, DVICE | source

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A Key YouTube Exec Has Moved To Google Fiber (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/margaret-healy-youtube-google-fiber-2012-8

Margaret Healy, YouTube

Margaret Healy, who oversaw strategic partnerships at Google's YouTube, is moving to work on an ambitious new project at the company: Google Fiber.

Google Fiber is a service that offers extremely high-speed Internet to homes. Right now it's in Kansas City, but there's every indication that Google plans to offer it more widely across the nation.

Healy, a 12-year veteran of Google, announced the move in a Google+ post.

As New Media Rockstars noted, YouTube video creators showered Healy with well wishes on Twitter.

Healy and Google haven't disclosed anything about her goals. But since TV service is part of Google Fiber, it would make sense for her to play a big role in courting established content players and the new stars she cultivated at YouTube for Google Fiber.

We also think it's significant that she's moving to Google Fiber, period. While employees always move around in big companies, Google is a place where people flock to the most promising projects.

In May, Healy posted a link to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's recent Harvard Business School commencement address, where she advised graduates to "get on a rocket ship whenever you get the chance."

"Now just go and find that rocket ship," Healy wrote. Looks like she did.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

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Saturday, August 04, 2012

Adafruit launches Raspberry Pi Educational Linux Distro, hastens our hacking

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/adafruit-launches-raspberry-pi-educational-linux-distro/

The Raspberry Pi is already considered a hacker's paradise. However, that assumes that owners have all the software they need to start in the first place. Adafruit wants to give the process a little nudge through its Raspberry Pi Educational Linux Distro. The software includes a customized distribution of Raspbian, Occidentalis, that either turns on or optimizes SSHD access, Bonjour networking, WiFi adapter support and other hack-friendly tools. The build further rolls in Hexxeh's firmware and a big, pre-built 4GB SD card image. Before you start frantically clicking the download link, be aware that the "educational" title doesn't refer to a neophyte's playground -- Adafruit still assumes you know enough about Linux and Raspberry Pi units to be productive (or dangerous). Anyone who was already intrigued by the Raspberry Pi by itself, though, might appreciate what happens when it's tossed into a fruit salad.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Software

Adafruit launches Raspberry Pi Educational Linux Di! stro, ha stens our hacking originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/slips-liquid-repeller-is-inspired-by-carnivorous-plants-enemy-t/

When a team of Harvard researchers wanted to create the ultimate liquid- and solid-repelling surface, they looked toward the Nepenthes pitcher plant, where curious insects check in and never check out, thanks to slippery walls that lead to their tiny, horrific fate. The tropical plant inspired the creation of SLIPS (Self-healing, Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface), a synthetic material that utilizes nano/ microstructured substrates, capable of repelling just about anything you can throw at it. During a visit to the hallowed Crimson halls, the team was kindly enough to show off the material through a series of messy, messy demos, dropping water, motor oil, liquid asphalt and newly-mixed concrete on aluminum and glass. The team even went crazy with a can of black spray paint, comparing the results to a Teflon surface. The outcome was the same in all case -- an amazingly repellent material.

The team has published a number of papers on the stuff, including ones that demonstrate its ice- and bacteria-repelling properties. Oh, and like its natural inspiration, SLIPS does a great jobs keeping bugs off its surface. You can check out our demos and one unhappy ant filmed by the SLIPS team. No insects were harmed in the making of our video, at least -- and the lab assures us that ant had a good life before learning the hard way why it shouldn't mess with Harvard scientists.

Continue reading SLIPS liquid repelle! r is ins pired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike

SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumored HTC One X+ with 1.7GHz Tegra 3 revealed in NenaMark report?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/rumored-htc-one-x-with-1-7ghz-tegra-3-revealed-in-nenamark-repo/

DNP Rumored HTC One X with 17GHz Tegra 3 revealed in NenaMark report

We've heard murmurings of it before, but they've been just that. Now we've got the first shred of hard evidence that the fabled HTC One X+ is actually real. Rumored to be heading to T-Mobile (or AT&T, depending on who you ask), this 1.7GHz super phone popped up over at NenaMark's site, bearing the model number PM63100. Sadly, that internal moniker doesn't really reveal much, but between that and the fact that it's running Jelly Bean 4.1.1 we're confident this isn't something already on the market. And the reported resolution of 1280 x 720 combined with its high-speed Tegra 3 innards puts this squarely in flagship territory. What else do we know? Not a whole heck of a lot. But, as always, the truth will be revealed in time.

Filed under: Cellphones

Rumored HTC One X+ with 1.7GHz Tegra 3 revealed in NenaMark report? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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