Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Acer Aspire S7-392 Ultrabook arrives in the US, starts at $1,450

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/acer-aspire-s7-392-ultrabook-us/

We first met Acer's Aspire S7 at Computex in 2012, and since then it's gone through a major overhaul to become the Aspire S7-392 -- a Haswell-equipped Ultrabook that's now available in the US. You can choose between two models up for sale at retail outlets and on Acer's online store, with the cheaper $1,450 package toting a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor and a 128GB SSD. The $1,700 variant comes with a more powerful 1.8GHz Core i7 processor and double the storage space, but their other specs are identical. Both Windows 8 Ultrabooks boast a 13.3-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen display, an HD webcam, an 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a bigger battery that promises up to 7 hours of power. It's too bad the European version's 2,560 x 1,440 screen didn't make it stateside, but at least the US incarnations are a bit easier on the wallet.

Update: We've revised the post to reflect that the higher-end model comes with a Core i7 processor, and not a Core i5.

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

Source: Acer (1), (2)

Samsung starts making 3GB low-power memory for smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/samsung-starts-making-3gb-low-power-memory-for-smartphones/

We hope you weren't just getting used to having 2GB of RAM in a smartphone, because Samsung is already moving on. The company is now mass-producing 3GB LPDDR3 packages whose 0.8mm (0.03in) thickness can accommodate most device sizes. The capacious, 20nm-class memory should also be quick when there's a pair of symmetric channels to keep data flowing. The first smartphones with 3GB of RAM should ship in the second half of the year; Samsung isn't revealing which phones will have the honor, but it's not hard to make some educated guesses.

Filed under: Storage, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung

NVIDIA announces 'fastest GPU ever' for pros, the 12GB Quadro K6000

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/nvidia-announces-12gb-quadro-k6000-gpu/

NVIDIA's just launched its latest flagship Quadro GPU for well-heeled graphics professionals, the Kepler-based Quadro K6000. The company claims it's "the fastest and most capable GPU ever built" with double the graphics capability of its Quadro 6000 predecessor. It also has 12GB of the "world's largest and fastest" DDR5 graphics memory, enabling companies like Nissan to load nearly complete vehicle models, for instance. Other niceties include 2,880 streaming multiprocessor cores, four simultaneous displays at up to 4K resolution, ultra-low latency video I/O and large scale visualization support. It'll hit the market this fall from workstation vendors like HP, Dell and Lenovo, along with system integrators and distribution partners like PNY. There's no pricing yet, but the current K5000 runs about $2,250 -- so, prime your budget expectations accordingly.

Filed under: Peripherals, NVIDIA

Via: Slashgear

Source: NVIDIA

Slingbox update lets you invite Facebook friends to watch your cable in a browser

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/slingbox-watch-update-facebook-integration-invitations/

If you're an inveterate placeshifter and have the internet bandwidth to spare, there's no longer any reason to keep your cable TV feeds all to yourself. A Watch update has arrived for the Slingbox 350 and 500 media streamers that includes Facebook integration, letting you invite your friends to view your Slingbox streams on a browser when you're not (only one connection is allowed at a time). Along with no doubt more "likes," the update also brings improved zoom controls to handle aspect ratios like anamorphic and letter box, a relocated pause button and advanced device search during setup. You can start inviting your pals on the social network now, but you may want to warn them: you can interrupt their viewing, but they can't interrupt yours. Check the More Coverage link to see which browsers are supported.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Source: Slingbox

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

How an Astronomical Mystery Was Explained by High-Tech Photography

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-a-mysterious-sky-phenomenon-was-explained-by-high-s-880432593

How an Astronomical Mystery Was Explained by High-Tech Photography

They stretch 50 miles into Earth's upper atmosphere. They shower the night sky with shimmering bursts of light. They emit a crackling "ping" over radio. And because they're so fast, scientists have only known about them for a few decades. Today, Wired Science introduces us to the world of Transient Luminous Events—and the Sante Fe astronomer who has pioneered the art of photographing them.

Motorola Droid Ultra unveiled with unibody Kevlar design, reaches Verizon on August 20th for $199

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/motorola-droid-ultra-unveiled-with-unibody-kevlar-design/

As expected, the star of the show is here: Verizon has unveiled the Motorola Droid Ultra at its New York City press event. The 5-inch smartphone is "all about thin," according to Moto, and sports a glossy, unibody Kevlar shell that makes it thinner (7.18mm) yet stronger than its predecessors. It's also speedier: a new dual-core X8 Mobile Computing System delivers about 24 percent faster processing power than the previous generations, graphics that are twice as quick and dedicated chips for both contextual computing and language processing. It sports the software tricks we've seen in leaks of the Moto X, such as hands-free voice control, Active Display notifications and Quick Capture. Google's augmented reality game Ingress comes preloaded for more adventurous owners. The Droid Ultra ships August 20th for $199, and pre-orders are starting today.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Verizon

Source: Verizon

Motorola Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx for Verizon hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/motorola-droid-ultra-and-ultra-maxx-for-verizon-eyes-on/

Like clockwork, Motorola and Verizon have refreshed their joint Droid lineup, and we're here to check out all three devices. The two premium handsets, the Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx, are the most promising of the bunch for advanced users, replacing last year's Droid RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD. Both of those smartphones were at the top of their game in 2012, and that trend appears to continue here -- the Ultra and Maxx are very similar, with the latter boosting the battery capacity, enabling power users to make it through a full day.

Like its predecessors, the Ultra (pictured above) and Droid Maxx sport Kevlar bodies, which both look sleek and feel sturdy. The Ultra we saw sported a glossy red finish, which Motorola suggested is "a lot like a sports car." The Maxx, on the other hand, has a soft-touch black finish. Both phones feature a 10-megapixel camera with a f2.4 lens. We prefer the Maxx's look; as we've said about Samsung's Galaxy lineup, a glossy, plasticky finish tends to look cheaper. What the Ultra's design does have going for it, though, is an extra-thin profile. At 7.18mm, it's already being touted as the "thinnest 4G LTE smartphone available." It packs a 5-inch HD display, which, while not quite as brilliant as the smaller Mini's panel, offers brilliant colors and wider-than-average viewing angles. The Ultra is priced at $199, 100 bucks higher than the Mini and 100 lower than the Maxx.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Verizon

You Won't Believe These Images Are Just Renders

Source: http://gizmodo.com/9-of-the-most-photorealistic-renderings-on-the-web-823379988

You Won't Believe These Images Are Just Renders

It can be difficult to know what's real and what's fake when it comes to digital art these days. But don't torture yourself worrying about it now: Here are some of the most photorealistic 3D renderings on the web. Each one is completely synthetic; every single detail generated by madly talented 3D artists. Enjoy.

Alibaba develops Smart TV OS, will use it to sell you things

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/alibaba-smart-tv-platform/

As much as we enjoyed the decade we spent vegging out in front of the shopping channel, we had hoped that the internet had put such days behind us. Not so, thanks to Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which has developed its own Smart TV OS, separate to Aliyun, in the hope of pumping even more cash out of our wallets. Developed in collaboration with Wasu Media, the duo will launch a set-top box later in the year, and are in talks with companies like Cisco, Haier and Allwinner to produce compatible devices. While customers will be able to use smartphones to stream media and control their TVs, they'll probably be strong-armed into buying apps, shopping at the Alibaba-owned Juhuasuan and even making utility payments via the company's Alipay platform. Looks like we've got no choice but to finally buy that noiseless karaoke microphone we've been avoiding all these years.

Filed under: Software, HD

Via: The Next Web

Source: Alizila

Google's Street View takes you up Mount Fuji, crampon free

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/googles-street-view-takes-you-up-mount-fuji-sans-crampons/

In contrast to its happy visits to the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa, Street View's exploration of Dead Island may have given you the wrong impression of Japan. Luckily, one of the country's most picturesque symbols, Mount Fuji, was recently scaled by what must be some of Mountain View's most athletic trekkers. The fruits of the 12,400-foot climb and incessant photo stops are 14,000 separate panoramas, including many sunrise shots only available to diligent night climbers. They're now live on Maps, so hit the source or panorama after the break for a far less taxing peek.

Filed under: Software, Google

Via: TNW

Source: Google Maps (Blog)

AMNH 3D-Printing Camp: Let's Make Some Dinos

Source: http://gizmodo.com/amnh-3d-printing-camp-lets-make-some-dinos-868773820

AMNH 3D-Printing Camp: Let's Make Some Dinos

At the American Museum of Natural History's two-week camp Capturing Dinosaurs: Reconstructing Extinct Species Through Digital Fabrication, a group of teens learned the processes and tools used by paleontologists for studying dinosaur bones and digitally reconstructing them. And we got to tag along for some of it.

AMNH 3D-Printing Camp: Let's Make Some Dinos

Glasses.com for iPad: Test Glasses on Your Virtual Head Before You Buy

Source: http://gizmodo.com/glasses-com-for-ipad-test-glasses-on-your-virtual-head-872558168

Glasses.com for iPad: Test Glasses on Your Virtual Head Before You Buy

We've become a lazy, lazy people. If there's two things that really bring us together, it's an irrational demand for instant gratification and a desire to have as little face-to-face interaction as is humanly possible. Now on the one hand, this is probably the beginning of society's grand demise. But on the other, doing things sucks! So we might as well give in to fate and enjoy sweet, sweet laziness while we can. Which, thanks to glasses.com's new app, now included eyewear shopping.

Powerful New MIT Computer System Can Make the Internet 3x Faster

Source: http://gizmodo.com/powerful-new-mit-computer-system-can-make-the-internet-872658937

Powerful New MIT Computer System Can Make the Internet 3x Faster

The Transmission Control Protocol is like a crossing guard for the internet, regulating traffic to keep things flowing. Sure, engineers are constantly working to improve it, but it's manmade, so there's always room for human error. But researchers at MIT have created a computer system that could fix all that—and make the internet two to three times faster.

Disney's New Algorithm Turns Any Photo Into a 3D Wonderland

Source: http://gizmodo.com/disneys-new-algorithm-turns-any-photo-into-a-3d-wonder-872804707

Disney Research, a partnership between the mouse-eared entertainment juggernaut and universities around the globe, is on a virtual reality roll. Its latest development, an algorithm that turns 2D photographs into 3D landscapes, can transform a regular photo into a video game-style environment, using consumer-grade computer hardware.

Nokia's Lumia 625: A 4.7-Inch Windows Phone on the Cheap

Source: http://gizmodo.com/nokias-lumia-625-a-4-7-inch-windows-phone-on-the-chea-878218682

Nokia's Lumia 625: A 4.7-Inch Windows Phone on the Cheap Nokia’s follow up to the mid-range-to-budget Lumia 620 has gone bigger than ever, taking Windows Phone to an Android-like 4.7-inches. Shame about the resolution.

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