Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, April 29, 2013

Budweiser's Buddy Cup makes Facebook friending a toast away

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/29/budweiser-buddy-cup-toast-for-facebook-friending/

Making new friends over cold brew isn't particularly difficult, but making those friendships Facebook-official requires a bit more effort -- unless you have Buddy Cup, that is. Developed by ad outfit Agencia Africa and creative studio Bolha for Budweiser Brazil, the drinking vessel makes folks who toast with each other friends on Zuckerberg and Co.'s social network as soon as their beverages collide, with an LED lighting up to confirm the new acquaintance. Partygoers link their Facebook profile with the LilyPad-based grail by scanning a QR code underneath the glass with an app from the brewer, and they'll be on their way to making new pals. The Drum reports that the Buddy Cup will be used at concerts, festivals and parties sponsored by The King of Beers, but we're sure intrepid imbibers can hack some together for use at their own soirees. Hit the jump to for a video of the contraption.

Filed under: Misc, Facebook

Via: The Verge

Source: Budweiser Brazil (YouTube)

Skinny Huawei smartphone shows off 6.2mm profile in Chinese certification

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/29/huawei-p6-u06-china-tenaa/

The FCC isn't the only agency playing with devices we don't even know exist, and its Chinese equivalent has recently had some hands-on time with an unknown Huawei smartphone, codename P6-U06. Luckily, there are a few pics and specs to accompany the filing, which tell us it weighs 120g (4.2 ounces) and measures 132.6 x 65.5 x 6.18mm (5.2 x 2.6 x 0.2 inch), meaning it could be one of the super-slim P series handsets a Huawei exec hinted at CES. We didn't see any evidence of these at MWC, but the same exec promised more was to come in 2013, possibly starting with this P6-U06.

Those dimensions house a 4.7-inch TFT screen at 720p resolution, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, an 8-megapixel camera on the back and an un! usually large 5-megapixel sensor in the shooter up front. Unsurprisingly, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is listed as the OS, while dual-SIM support and GSM / WCDMA radios suggest Asia as the target market (not to mention the Chinese certification). That's all we've got on the P6-U06 for now, but in lieu of official press shots, the handset strikes a couple more candid poses after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Via: NowhereElse

Source: TENAA (1), (2)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 announced, joins the Android tablet line-up with a 7-inch screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/29/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-announced-may-release-date/

If an 8-inch stylus-enabled Galaxy Tablet wasn't your cup of tea, perhaps Samsung's new seven-inch model will hit your screen-size sweet spot. The Galaxy Tab 3 has gone official and the third iteration of the company's first Android tablet arrives with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB or 16GB of storage (with expansion up to 64GB), a 3- and 1.3-megapixel camera array and a substantial 4,000mAh battery. That 7-inch WSVGA (1,024 x 600) TFT display suggests it's likely to be a keenly-priced slate, although we're still waiting to hear on specifics. Samsung's loaded up the Galaxy Tab 3 with Android 4.1 and says that the WiFi version will launch "globally" in May, while an incoming 3G model (no LTE at this point, but it'll be able to make calls) will follow in June.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

Filed under: Tablets, Samsung

Via: The Verge

Source: Samsung Mobile

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Is Molten Light Oozing Out Of The Abyss?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995489/is-molten-light-oozing-out-of-the-abyss

If ever there was something bubbling out of the primordial ooze it's these little pools of light. There's something that's just gloopy and compelling about them. This is KIHOU, a series produced by tangent, a London/Tokyo design studio.

Basically different bowls hold a "sticky liquid" and a layer of black silicone oil. There are LEDs in the bottoms of the bowls and when a pump pushes air through the liquid, glowing bubbles break on the surface of the silicone oil. It's strange how little fluid bubbles can be so gripping. [Creative Applications]

Uber's back in Gotham: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission approves cab-hailing app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/uber-taxi-app-approved-nyc-tlc/

Car service Uber and New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) have had a rocky relationship, as the Commission banned Uber from Gotham's taxicabs last year. Susequently, the TLC greenlit a trial to test cab hailing apps and after a brief legal delay, the pilot program is back in action, and Valleywag reports that Uber is the first app approved to participate in it. Uber's co-founder Travis Kalanick is, quite naturally, excited to be back in NYC taxis with the commission's ~~tacit~~ explicit approval, and stated that the app will be ready for use across the city "monetarily." So, it's official, good people of Gotham, you can now legally go forth and get your Uber on.

Filed under: Transportation, Software, Mobile

Via: The Verge

Source: Valleywag

Google releases Glass kernel GPL source, lets developers have at it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/27/google-releases-glass-kernel-gpl-source/

While our own Tim Stevens is currently adapting to life through Google Glass, developers are going beyond scratching the surface to fiddle with what's inside. Hot on the heels of Jay Freeman rooting Glass, devs will be pleased to know Google's throwing 'em a bone to by publicly releasing the kernel source. Interestingly, Karthik's Geek Center spotted info within the file that points to Glass potentially being equipped for NFC support. If you're up for tinkering, you'll find the temporary location of the tar.zx file itself at the source link.

Filed under: Misc, Robots, Wearables, Software, Google

Via: Karthik's Geek Center

Source: Google

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Samsung reportedly launching new 8-inch tablet in June, Galaxy S 4 Active in July

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/samsung-reportedly-plans-new-8-inch-tablet-gs4-active/

Samsung Gulf president Young Soo Kim reportedly made casual mention of an upcoming rugged take on the Galaxy S 4 at a press event earlier in the week, but left out any details. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim to know more of the story, and it sounds like the toughened phone won't be alone this summer. The Galaxy S 4 Active, as it's rumored to be called, would arrive in July and carry the dust- and waterproofing of spiritual predecessors like the Galaxy Xcover 2 while maintaining the GS 4's design language. A smaller, 4.3-inch parallel to the GS 4 would appear at the same time -- Galaxy S 4 Mini, anyone? The same tipsters also expect the release of a new 8-inch "Galaxy-line tablet" in June, which suggests the Galaxy Note 8.0 may get a regular Tab counterpart. We wouldn't base our buying strategies around the rumors when Samsung hasn't said anything that's truly on the record, but it might be wise to hold off if you're not in a rush.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Wall Street Journal

Artificial sense of touch gets smarter, lets robots really feel

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/artificial-sense-of-touch-gets-smarter-lets-robots-really-feel/

The verdict's still out on whether or not androids dream of electric sheep. But their ability to feel? Well, that's about to approach levels of human sensitivity. We're of course talking about the sense of touch, not emotions. And thanks to work out of Georgia Tech, tactile sensitivity for robotics, more secure e-signatures and general human-machine interaction is about to get a great 'ol boost. Through the use of thousands of piezotronic transistors (i.e., grouped vertical zinc oxide nanowires) known as "taxels," a three-person team led by Prof. Zhong Lin Wang has devised a way to translate motion into electronic signals. In other words, you're looking at a future in which robotic hands interpret the nuances of a surface or gripped object akin to a human fingertip and artificial skin senses touch similar to the way tiny hairs on an arm do.

What's more, the tech has use outside of robotics and can even be levereged for more secure e-signature verification based on speed and pressure of a user's handwriting. And the best part? These sensors can be manufactured on transparent and flexible substrates like the one pictured above, which allows for various real-world applications -- just use your imagination. Pretty soon, even robots will have the pleasure of enjoying the touch... the feel of cotton and maybe! even hu m that jingle to themselves, too.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: Georgia Tech, Science

Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/oppo-r809t-china/

No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2.

Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances ! are it'l l only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Sina Weibo (login required)

Friday, April 26, 2013

Google's Eric Schmidt admits talking to Glass is 'the weirdest thing'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/google-eric-schmidt-talking-to-glass-is-the-weirdest-thing/

We're still getting to grips with an Explorer edition of Google's Glass ourselves, but Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has noted that Glass may take some getting used to. Talking to an audience on Thursday at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, he said that alongside the unusual sensation of voice control, people would have to develop new etiquette to deal with the fact that incoming wearables like Google Glass would be able to capture images and access information at whim. "There are obviously places where Google Glasses are inappropriate," he said, while stifling a cheeky wink.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Wearables, Google

Source: Reuters

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S 4 launches in China with an Exynos 5 Octa inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/dual-sim-samsung-galaxy-s-4-launches-in-china/

Remember the leaked GT-i9502, that dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy S 4 that ultimately confirmed many rumors? That smartphone is at last exists beyond a collection of photos, as Samsung just launched it for China Unicom customers. The support for an extra cellular line is naturally the highlight, although there's another perk for GS4 connoisseurs: the i9502 has the same 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor as the i9500, which might eke out more performance than the Snapdragon 600 models. There isn't any word on whether or not the i9502 edition will leave China, although we wouldn't count on European or North American editions when there isn't LTE inside to please 4G-obsessed carriers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Via: GSMArena

Source: Samsung (translated)

Toshiba to release 4K-ready, 160MB/s CompactFlash memory cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/toshiba-compact-flash-exceria-pro-150MBps/

Toshiba will launch its Exceria Pro series of CompactFlash cards into the Japanese market tomorrow with 160MB/s read speeds and 150MB/s write speeds. The company claims the 32GB and 64GB models are the fastest CF cards you can get now, thanks to the UDMA7 protocol combined with its own NAND flash memory and custom firmware. As such, it's certified them to the "video performance guarantee profile 2" (VPG-65) standard, meaning they're guaranteed to sustain 65MB/s, which Toshiba says will support many CF-equipped 4K cameras on the market. Obviously, HD and RAW still shooters using pro DSLR models like Canon's 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800 won't have to sweat the frames-per-second, either. There's no word on US availability or pricing, but we should know more when they hit Japanese shops on April 27th.

Filed under: Cameras, Storage

What the Future of Wearable Technology Will Look Like

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995406/what-the-future-of-wearable-technology-will-look-like

It's going to look silly! But more seriously, it seems like we're all going to have to accept that wearing technology is going to be the real future and not just the imagined future of science fiction movies. We won't know we're in the future until we're wearing technology like Google Glass or Apple's supposed iWatch. PBS Off Book decided to take a look at what that future of wearable technology would look like.

It makes sense right? Technology starts big and ends up on us somehow. Like a giant clock tower turned into a wall clock turned into a pocket watch turned into a wristwatch. Or computers being room sized to tower sized to laptop sized to phone sized... to on our body. PBS says:

As computing moves from our desktops to our phones, we look into the future to see how technology will become increasingly ingrained in our movements and our active lives. From the Nike Fuelband to Google Glass, consumers are already seeing hints of the future of wearable devices. They have the possibility to make us more knowledgeable about ourselves and our surroundings, and connect us with each other in an uninterrupted, more intimate way. From DIY wearables to high-tech sensors and smart fabrics, the years ahead will show how integrated technology can impact our lives for the better.

Who Actually Uses Math at Work?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995408/who-actually-uses-math-at-work

Who Actually Uses Math at Work? Let's admit it together. We all kind of suck at math. It's okay! Numbers are evil. And back in high school when you were forced to struggle through Algebra and Geometry and Algebra again and if you were especially unlucky, Calculus, you probably thought to yourself when in the hell would you ever use all those stupid theories, equations and computational silliness in real life. And the truth is you won't use them! Who needs math!

Okay, you definitely need the basics of math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. but anything more advanced? Leave it for the mathematicians to wrinkle their brain with. The Atlantic found the graph above which was made by Northeastern University sociologist Michael Handel. Handel surveyed 2,300 workers throughout the 2000's to figure out how much advanced math is being done at people's work.

If a person is good at math and wants to work in a job that requires math skill, hell, by all means go study more math! But for someone who will never work with numbers in any sort of way passed addition and subtraction, why the hell are they taking advanced math classes every single year of high school? Head over to The Atlantic to see more of the math on math like which jobs require more math (blue collar or white collar jobs). [The Atlantic]

Facebook to acquire Parse, promises easier cloud-based app development

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/facebook-parse/

Hot on the heels of its Mobile Developer Conference, Facebook today announced its intentions to buy cloud-based app development service Parse, a company with which the site has collaborated in the past. According to a post on Facebook's Developers blog, the purchase will go a ways toward helping devs, "rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices." The acquisition will bring a number of cloud-based tools like data storage, user management and notifications to Facebook developers. For each company's take on the news, check out the source links below. We also spoke to a Facebook spokesperson, who told us, "This is an acquisition, not a talent deal." As for financial terms, they wouldn't say.

Source: Facebook, Parse

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