Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, September 20, 2012

HP retools its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/20/hp-envy-phoenix-h9-refresh/

It was just a few months ago that HP refreshed its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop tower with Ivy Bridge processors, and now it's gone back to the drawing board to re-tool the design itself. In its latest incarnation, it has an "armor-plated" design and toolless hard disk bays that can support up to three drives. HP says it also fine-tuned the cable dressing to improve airflow and cooling performance. As ever, the machine will be offered with third-generation Intel Core processors and your choice of NVIDIA or AMD graphics. Solid-state drives are also an option. Curious? You'll have to wait until the Windows 8 launch on October 28th to get one. An odd move, if you ask us, since the h9 isn't a Win 8-optimized system, and the changes here appear to be purely hardware-related.

Gallery: HP Envy Phoenix h9

Continue reading HP reto! ols its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

HP retools its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ion The Game action cam has built-in WiFi and 2.5-inch display, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/20/ion-the-game-action-cam-has-built-in-wifi-and-2-5-inch-display/

Ion The Game action cam has builtin WiFi and 25inch display, we go handson

Between big guns like GoPro and Contour and big names like Sony, the action camera market is getting pretty full, pretty fast. Back in May, we saw the arrival of the Air Pro WiFi from Ion, an oblong mountable camera with an add-on WiFi module, and now the company's got another addition to the line, the punnily-named (wait for it) Ion The Game (get it? Eye? Eye-on The Game?). The whole "action" part is far less pronounced here. This sports cam is intended to be more stationary than its predecessor -- mounted on a still spot to capture soccer games (don't let them catch you calling it that here in Europe) and to help you critique your golf swing.

The key differences here -- aside from its boxier shape -- are the 2.5-inch display and the WiFi, which is built directly into the device, rather than relying on an add-on. The display isn't much to write home about. It's small, a bit dull in the color department and a little choppy. It'll get the job done though, when it comes to monitoring action (or lack of action, we guess) on the fly. The WiFi meanwhile, adheres to the company's whole "shoot-and-share" motto, letting to send videos directly to Facebook and the like.

The camera looks reasonably rugged, with a plastic protected lens -- it's also water-resistant up to 10 meters. The Game records to SD cards and will be arriving by the end of the year, priced at an admittedly lofty €329 here in Europe.

Gallery: Ion Your Game sports camera

Continue reading Ion The Game action cam has built-in WiFi and 2.5-inch display, we go hands-on

Filed under: Cameras

Ion The Game action cam has built-in WiFi and 2.5-inch display, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/20/roku-streaming-stick-details-vudu/

We've been waiting for Roku to release its miniaturized dongle since CES, and now we finally know the flash drive-sized Streaming Stick will be available next month for $99. Priced the same as as the Roku 2 XS set-top box, it brings the same feature set but in a smaller package designed to work directly with your HDTV, thanks to power, remote control and data signals fed through an MHL-compatible HDMI port. While it will work with other MHL-ready host devices, manufacturers with Roku Ready stamped and certified HDTVs on shelves this fall will include Apex, Insignia and Hitachi -- Onkyo plans to ship receivers early next year. If you pick up an otherwise dumb flat-panel with the stick bundled along with it the price is set by that manufacturer, but the standalone plan means buyers savings are focused on the two cables they won't be needing, and simplified remote capability since their TV remote can talk to the Stick directly. Like the Roku 2 XS, the Streaming Stick also includes the motion control capable game remote.

A separate move will benefit many existing Roku owners, as it is also announcing that Walmart-owned Vudu is launching on the platform today. You will need a Roku HD (2500), LT or Roku 2 box (or the Streaming Stick, once it launches) to take advantage of the Vudu app and its streams that bring quality of up to 1080p and 7.1 surrou! nd sound . That also means access to Vudu-compatible UltraViolet movie titles on yet another set-top box, if that's a consideration, and users score a $5.99 credit with Vudu just for linking the account to their boxes. All the details are in the press release after the break, and on the Roku blog.

Gallery: Roku Streaming Stick hands-on

Continue reading Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform today

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform toda! y or iginally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raspberry Pi's new turbo mode boosts performance by roughly 50 percent, doesn't void warranties

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/20/raspberry-pi-turbo-mode-overclock-overvolt/

Giving a Raspberry Pi extra voltage is a quick way to squeeze out additional processing power and void its warranty, but the folks behind the tinker-friendly board have devised a turbo mode that boosts performance by roughly 50 percent while keeping warranties intact. After studying the effects of temperature and voltage on the hardware's lifespan, the team found that dynamic overclocking and overvolting doesn't affect the Pi's health appreciably. As a result, speeds can be pushed from 700MHz to 1GHz only when additional horsepower is needed, and things are reined back in when the CPU grazes 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). Benchmarks show the extra computing oomph makes the Pi 52 percent faster on integer, 64 percent speedier on floating point and 55 percent snappier on memory tasks. The new mode is available in the latest firmware update, which also includes temperature and frequency widgets, better analog audio, improved USB performance and support for WiFi dongles out of the box. For the technical nitty-gritty and more details on the upgrade, hit the source link below.

Filed under: Misc

Raspberry Pi's new turbo mode boosts performance by roughly 50 percent, doesn't void warranties originally appeared on E! ngadget< /a> on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

When Did Handheld Vacuums Get So Beautiful? [Vacuums]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/vip/~3/rsBKyaJXDQo/when-did-handheld-vacuums-get-so-beautiful

If you haven't shopped for a handheld vacuum since the Dustbuster owned the market, you're apparently in for a real treat. Vorwerk's new Kobold VC100 looks like a piece of contemporary art you'll want to frame and hang on your wall, instead of the old lowly workhorses you kept hidden behind a dresser.

It sucks (in the best way possible) for up to 20 minutes on a single charge, but with two suction settings you can probably expect even less cleaning time if you use it full throttle. You will have to fork over almost $170 for this functional masterpiece, but think how much better your life will be with this on display in your living room, and your shirt free of Doritos crumbs.

[Vorwerk via Appliancist]

Toshiba intros Camileo BW20 waterproof camcorder, available now for $130

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/toshiba-camileo-bw20-waterproof-camcorder/

Toshiba might have missed the summer vacationers by just a bit, but with the beautiful fall season just around the corner in the US, it's that period to introduce a new Camileo to the group. This time out it's the the follow-up to the company's rather colorful BW10 from last year. Enter the adequately named BW20. Aside from nabbing a numerical bump on its moniker, the BW20 brings the same 1080p video recording found on its predecessor, plus improved waterproof capabilities that now allow the camcorder to handle up to 16 feet below water. Perhaps, the most interesting fact here is the BW20's new price tag, which is now $130 -- 20 bucks less than the BW10. You can snag one for yourself now at the source link below; in the meantime, there's an appealing press shot gallery for your viewing pleasure down below.

Gallery: Toshiba Camileo BW20 press shots

Continue reading Toshiba intros Camileo BW20 waterproof camcorder, available now for $130

Filed under: Cameras

Toshiba intros Camileo BW20 waterproof camcorder, available now for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CompactFlash Association announces 600MB/sec CFast2.0 spec, SanDisk developing cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/compactflash-association-announces-600mb-sec-cfast2-0-spec-sand/

SD cards and their many variants may be the memory card format of choice in most cameras these days, but there's still plenty of instances where nothing but a larger CompactFlash card will suffice. Now the organization behind the format has announced its latest revision, the CFast2.0 specification, which it hopes will find its way into future digital cameras and other professional video devices. The big news with it is a promised "theoretical" performance of up to 600MB/sec, which is about four times faster than today's CompactFlash cards, as well as a new sleep mode that promises to help conserve battery life when the card is not in use. What's more, while the cards themselves are still a ways off, SanDisk has announced today that it has begun development of them, and medium format camera manufacturer Phase One has also confirmed that it intends to support the new specification.

Continue reading CompactFlash Association announces 600MB/sec CFast2.0 spec, SanDisk developing cards

Filed under: Cameras, Storage

CompactFlash Association announces 600MB/sec CFast2.0 spec, SanDisk developing cards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:42:00 EDT. Please see o! ur terms for use of feeds.

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What Is Miracast? [Miracast]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5944578/what-is-miracast

What Is Miracast? Everyone really likes AirPlay, Apple's Wi-Fi streaming standard that lets you send movies and music from, say, your iPhone to your speakers or Apple TV. Now there's a new standard out to do pretty much the same thing for everyone else. But how is it different from previous attempts?

Miracast is a lot like AirPlay...

AirPlay is a wireless standard that allows two devices to connect to each other to share movies, music, or other media. Miracast is the same thing, just not owned by Apple. Miracast is built on Wi-Fi Direct, which is basically just an ad hoc Wi-Fi standard. It lets two devices that have Wi-Fi in them talk to each other without having to go through your internet network. And unlike AirPlay, it will work with disparate brands and platforms. So ideally, your Samsung phone would be able to talk to your LG TV. Pretty great.

...but technologically better than previous attempts...

Unlike some of the older implementations of Wi-Fi streaming, like Intel's first stab at WiDi, Miracast will allow you to stream in full 1080p. You'll also be able to use media like DVDs and other stuff that has DRM on it, which had been a non-starter in the past. Miracast also does a bunch of nerdy grunt work behind the scenes; you should never have to worry about format or codec or anything else when streaming something—just click a button and play.

...that's got support from major chipmakers...

Qualcomm, Nvidia, and TI are all planning to support the standard, meaning your Tegra 3 phone will actually work with it. Hopefully, that means you won't have to pick and choose which phone or tablet to upgrade to if you want to keep using your Miracast stuff.

...and will be (or is) in a bunch of popular gadgets...

Samsung has been using a form of Miracast called AllShare Cast for a while now. It's built on Miracast, but it being on board with the certification means that stuff like the Galaxy S III or Samsung's beautiful Echo P TVs will fold into the rest of the tech world, instead of being sequestered in a sad little Samsung corner.

hopefully pretty soon.

The Wi-Fi Alliance announced the certification process for Miracast today, and announced that the Galaxy S III, the new LG Optimus G, and Samsung's Echo P TVs are all already certified. Others are being tested to ensure certification as soon as the holidays, and by early next year, hopefully we'll have a real AirPlay alternative for everyone not wrapped up in Apple's ecosystem.

LG Optimus G hands-on redux (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/lg-optimus-g-hands-on-redux-video/

LG Optimus G hands-on redux

By now, you should be well acquainted with LG's glass-clad Optimus G -- the Android device so nice the company introduced it twice. And while today's stateside splash narrows the focus on its US availability and Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, there are still some software nuggets worth exploring. To help illustrate the powers of this quad-core Krait beast, we dug through the company's take on ICS with its colorful icons and heaping helpings of convenient shortcuts. Users can take advantage of a multi-tasking feature called QSlide which displays two full-sized apps on the same screen, enjoy up to five levels of zoom during streaming video playback or even wirelessly mirror their smartphone's content with Dual Screen Dual Play.

Like other members of the LG mobile family (such as the Vu and Intuition) you'll also be able to take advantage of QuickMemo, which places a shortcut in the notification shade for quickly capturing a screenshot and marking it up with various drawing tools. For the self portrait-obsessed there's also Cheese Shutter, which lets you trigger the image capture simply by saying "cheese" instead of fumbling blindly for the virtual shutter button on screen. While the UI can be a little bit busy, even by Android skin standards, everything hums a long pretty smoothly thanks to the almost excessive power of the quad-core 1.5GHz chip and 2GB of RAM. But don't just take our word for it. Skip on past the break for a surface-level peek of the G in action.

Continue reading LG Optimus G hands-on redux (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

LG Optimus G hands-on redux (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax's Q10 mirrorless shows its tiny sensor to the world, we give it the hands-on treatment (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/pentaxs-q10-mirrorless-shows-its-tiny-sensor-to-the-world-we-g/

It's tough to express just how much Pentax's new Q10 mirrorless looks like a toy camera until you see it in-person, so unless you're in Cologne this week, you're going to have to take our word for it. It's probably mostly its tiny size -- and the fire engine red probably doesn't help its case much in that respect, either. Still, in spite of its diminutive stature and weight, it does feel like a solid camera. All of these body image issues are thanks to its tiny 12.4 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor. Like its brethren, the Q, this interchangeable lens camera's got a retractable flash, which works whether it's extended or not.

On the front, next to the lens, you'll find a knob which lefts you dial through four different effects. The Q10 also does full HD recording, five-fps shooting and, like the K-5 II, boasts improved autofocus over its predecessor. On the back, is a surprisingly large three-inch LCD. When it launches here in Europe next month, it'll run you €499 for a single lens kit and around €300 for the body alone -- compare that to $600 for the kit here in the States.

Gallery: Pentax Q10 Mirrorless camera

Continue reading Pentax's Q10 mirrorless shows its tiny sensor to the world, we give it the hands-on treatment (video)

Filed under: Cameras

Pentax's Q10 mirrorless shows its tiny sensor to the world, we give it the hands-on treatment (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google TV box?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/vizio-co-star-review/

More Info

And then there were two. We're talking about standalone Google TV boxes, folks, with the Vizio Co-Star recently joining Sony's NSZ-GS7. Both feature the same version of Google's software and come with a remote offering a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad. But with Vizio's model selling for just $99, it's half the price of Sony's entry, so you might be wondering how extensive the differences are. Now that we've had a chance to test both, we're ready to weigh in. Read on to find out if that 50 percent price difference makes the Co-Star worth it.

Continue reading Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google TV box?

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google T! V box? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square competitor Groupon Payments launches today, promises lowest cost for retailers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/groupon-payments-launch/

Popular deal website Groupon is venturing into the world of smart phone-based credit card payments today, launching the Groupon Payments initiative nationwide after a successful pilot program is the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this year. Groupon's boasting a guaranteed lowest cost pricing to merchants using Groupon Payments for credit card transactions -- MasterCard, Visa, and Discover will cost retailers 1.8 percent of credit card sales, plus a $0.15 per transaction fee, while American Express will cost three percent of credit card sales, plus a $0.15 per transaction fee. The biggest competition in the space comes from Square, headed by former Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, which charges a flat 2.75 percent rate on all transactions against all cards, though PayPal, Intuit, and Verifone all offer similar services.

Today's news matches up directly with leaks we saw back in May, adding on that merchants will see the day's credit card purchases credited to their bank accounts overnight, rather than waiting two to three business days (per standard practice). Beyond credit card services, Groupon's Merchants app also accepts Groupon daily deals, which helps elucidate why Groupon would be interested in entering the mobile credit card payments market in the first place (beyond it being a lucrative market unto itself, of course). Interested parties can sign up over on Gro! upon's w ebsite, and snag the free payments app right here. Finally -- finally -- you'll be able to sell all those $10 gift certificates to Chili's you've been hoarding. Perhaps charge $5 a pop for their $10 value and ... is this a paradox? This might be a paradox.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Internet, Mobile

Square competitor Groupon Payments launches today, promises lowest cost for retailers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S family portraits

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/htc-windows-phone-8x-and-8s-family-portraits/

HTC introduced us to not one, but two Windows Phone 8 devices today. Sure, we've poked and prodded them but, before you get your chance to grope the 8S and 8X, we figured a proper introduction is order. So, meet the whole family in all their brightly colored glory!

Gallery: Windows Phone 8S family portrait

Gallery: Windows Phone 8X family portrait

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S family portraits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kindle Fire HD 7-inch rooted in spite of Amazon, unstoppable force meets the unhackable object (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/kindle-fire-hd-7-inch-rooted-in-spite-of-amazon/

We were worried there, for a minute. After code explorers found that Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 7-inch had both a locked bootloader and extra security measures, there was a brief concern that the pseudo-Android tablet might be very tough to hack. As it turns out, there was no reason to lose faith. Hashcode, Justin Case, Reverend Kyle and Sparklym3 from the XDA and RootzWiki forums have successfully rooted the smaller Kindle Fire HD in a repeatable form, giving anyone courageous enough to load ADB the control they want over the tablet they bought. Just remember the usual caveats if you choose to dive in: while the root isn't a lengthy process, as you'll see in the video after the break, there's still the ever-present risk of bricking the device should something go wrong. Having seen what can be done with the original Kindle Fire after a little tinkering, we're intrigued as to what happens with its more capable sequel.

Continue reading Kindle Fire HD 7-inch rooted in spite of Amazon, unstoppable force meets the unhackable object (video)

Filed under: Tablets

Kindle Fire HD 7-inch rooted in spite of Amazon, unstoppable force meets the unhackable object (video) originally! appeare d on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, September 20, 2012

HP retools its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th

Ion The Game action cam has built-in WiFi and 2.5-inch display, we go hands-on

Roku Streaming Stick launches in October for $99, Vudu comes to the Roku platform today

Raspberry Pi's new turbo mode boosts performance by roughly 50 percent, doesn't void warranties

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

When Did Handheld Vacuums Get So Beautiful? [Vacuums]

Toshiba intros Camileo BW20 waterproof camcorder, available now for $130

CompactFlash Association announces 600MB/sec CFast2.0 spec, SanDisk developing cards