Friday, August 07, 2009

iRex readying wireless e-reader while Plastic Logic's own snags $299 price point

iRex readying wireless e-reader while Plastic Logic's own snags $299 price point

Who says the world stopped reading decades ago? With CES 2010 looming ever closer, it looks as if 2010 may end up being the year of the e-book reader. Amazon's got a few Kindles out, Sony's now vying to compete on price, Hearst is doing whatever it's doing, Plastic Logic is jumping in early next year and even iRex is purportedly hoping to issue a consumer-centric alternative. Speaking of those last two, we're hearing that Plastic Logic's long-awaited entrant into the e-book reading world will "be launched in the US at the beginning of next year at a similar price to the Kindle, which starts at $299," while a UK launch is expected in late 2010 or early 2011. As for iRex, the mockup you see above portrays a wireless device with an expansive 8.1-inch display, inbuitl 3G, a full touchscreen and a fall 2009 release date. 'Course, we're also hearing that this one will hover well above the $300 mark, so it's certainly not aimed at the budget-minded bookworms. So many syllables, so little time...

[Thanks, Tom]

Read - iRex reader
Read - Plastic Logic pricing

Filed under: Handhelds

iRex readying wireless e-reader while Plastic Logic's own snags $299 price point originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitter, Facebook: August 6th outtage due to massive #DDoS attack? #whentwitterwasdown - http://bit.ly/DfyGd

Thursday, August 06, 2009

The 3 DSLR Lenses You Need (and 2 More You'll Crave) [Digital Cameras]

The 3 DSLR Lenses You Need (and 2 More You'll Crave) [Digital Cameras]

This goes out to people who bought or want an entry-level DSLR, and wonder what's the deal with interchangeable lenses. You really gonna buy that extra glass? It's a beginner's guide to growing as a photographer, preferably without going broke.

It doesn't matter what brand of camera you bought—if it's an entry-level DSLR, it was offered to you with an 18-55mm kit lens. I hope you took them up on that offer because no matter what you bought, that kit lens comes cheap, and is well worth it. Yes, of the five lenses covered here, that kit lens is numero uno.

KIT LENS
Like most bundle pricing, it's cheaper than buying the camera body and lens separately, and most experts agree that an 18-55mm is actually the perfect lens for most immediate photographic needs, with both a decent wide angle plus the ability to zoom in on far away objects. In fact, if you take a look at the four shots below—all taken by me with kit lenses on basic DSLRs—you can see a foreshadowing of the four other lenses in this briefing—telephoto, wide-angle, portrait and macro:

But if you read Gizmodo enough, you know that we've made the case that lenses, and not the cameras themselves, account most for great pictures. Photography is an optics game first and foremost, and there's a point at which that kit lens can't achieve shots that your heart and soul tell you are achievable. There's nothing wrong with your camera—seriously, there's nothing wrong with it. You just ne! ed to ge t some more lenses.

In order to run this story I called some experts at Canon, Nikon and Sigma, which makes discounted lenses for most DSLRs. I could have called experts at [insert your favorite non-Canon or Nikon camera brand here] but early on, the advice was consistent and clear: Anyone who is really taking an interest in their camera should invest in a telephoto zoom next, followed by a fast "normal" lens, which you might call a portrait lens.

LENS LABELING
In the interest of speed, I can't talk about lens anatomy, but there are some key attributes you need to know to read all lens retail listings: focal length and aperture.

In most cases, the lens categories here differ by the focal length, that is, how close a subject appears, indicated in millimeters. The human-eye equivalent is between 30mm and 50mm. A telephoto lens, which gets up close to things that are far away, can be as long as 500mm. A wide-angle lens, which makes close-up objects appear farther away, can be 10mm—still less if you want the bulbous fisheye look. A "zoom" lens simply means that it has a variable focal length—for instance, your kit lens, which can hit any length from 18mm to 55mm.

Because entry-level cameras have smaller (APS-C) sensors than professional (APS) cameras , everybody makes two sets of lenses. Typically all lenses work on beginner cameras, but beginner lenses don't work on pro cameras. If you stick with beginner lenses (denoted Nikon DX, Canon EF-S, Sony DT, Pentax DA, Sigma DC and Tamron Di II), you won't have to stress, but if you want to buy a pro lens, or have some lying around, bear in mind that you need to multiply the focal length by! 1.5 or so to get the equivalent focal length for your camera. A 50mm pro lens is really a 75mm lens on your beginner's model. Why am I telling you this? Because there are new and used pro-level lenses out there for really good prices.

In one case below, what sets the lens apart is its large aperture. The aperture is the hole that lets in the light, and it's measured by the f-stop. A wider aperture means more light comes in, and you have a better chance of getting nice shots indoors, in dimmer settings. A narrower aperture lets in less light. The trade-off is that a wide aperture can't focus on as many things that are at different distances—it is said to have a "shallow depth of field." Your main subject is clear, but the background is blurry—artistic in many cases, annoying in some. When you narrow the aperture, you can crisply resolve more elements, but only if there's enough light. The wide aperture of a "fast" lens can always be narrowed, but there's no way for a "slow" lens with a narrower aperture to bring in more light.

As if that wasn't tricky, check this out: The f-stop is a fraction, and the number you refer to is on the bottom, so if it's low (f/1.4), the aperture is wide, and if it's high (f/6.0), the aperture is narrow. Got it? Zoom lenses at beginner prices tend to have variable f-stops, apertures that get narrower, and in need of more light, as you zoom in.

TELEPHOTO ZOOM
Lenses in many ways are about reach, about bringing faraway subjects closer to your camera's sensor. "The low-end customer, who may take out their DSLR only occasionally, says, 'I want to shoot a picture of the moon, or animals at the zoo, or kids playing soccer,'" says Dave Metz, a lens specialist at Sigma. Even when that kit lens is cranked to the max, it's only giving you! a 55mm focal length, which is why most DSLR makers have a very well-priced 55-200mm lens waiting at the ready. Prices range from $120 to $250, and it's usually the easiest purchase to make.

Credits: Lindsay Silverman - Nikon; me with Nikon; Robert O'Toole - Sigma; Stephen Lang - Sigma

Another telephoto zoom lens you'll see is the 18-200mm, which can cost anywhere from $350 to $600. That's a hefty premium to pay just so you don't have to schlep around two lenses, and generally speaking, the broader the focal length range, the more corners are being cut in performance. That lens is a pass.

If you are feeling particularly far out, both Metz and Nikon's camera marketing guru Steve Heiner suggest a 70-300mm lens. Sigma's model sells for under $200, Nikon's most recent model, with built-in image stabilizing, is just over $500, and there are 70-300mm lenses for everyone else ranging from $130 to $850, all with variable f-stops of either f/4.0-5.6 or f/4.5-5.6. Better yet, these lenses are spec'd for pro-grade APS cameras, so they're exceptionally zoomy on your beginner's camera, more like 105-450mm. Hey, don't think about it too much, just enjoy it.

NORMAL (AKA PORTRAIT)
As much traction as you'll get from a zoom lens, it doesn't really teach you much, except maybe how to compose without cropping. I personally learned a hell of a lot more about photography when I started playing with f/1.8 50mm lenses. This is called a "normal" lens because, says Heiner, "It was all you could get on a camera in the '50s and '60s." In fact, he jokes that even though younger people are snapping up this relatively cheap lens ($100 to $150), he and his ilk "couldn't wait to get away from it" when zoom lenses started hitting the market.

What does it do? As a "fast" lens, it can shoot really well in low light. Keep the aperture wide, get up in your subject's grill, and start clicking. You'll see parts of their face sharply resolved while other parts are softly blurred. Tigh! ten the aperture a tad, and your subject's whole head is clear while the backdrop is soft and peaceful, even if it's a Manhattan street corner at rush hour. What doesn't it do? It doesn't zoom, and because it's usually rated for pro cameras, it's about the equivalent of 75mm on an entry-level DSLR—which is roughly the preferred focal length for portrait shooting—so you often have to step back to get a decent shot.

Credits: Me with Canon; Joe DiMaggio - Sigma; Joe DiMaggio - Sigma; Lindsay Silverman - Nikon

Alternatives to the cheap f/1.8 lens are an even faster one, f/1.4 ($300 to $500), or a 30mm or 35mm that gives entry-level cameras more of a "normal"—what your eye can see—perspective.

At this point, in addition to the original cost of your camera, you've spent less than $500, and you've added immeasurable functionality and artistic wiggle room. You can stop here, and you won't be judged. But, if you like, I can tell you about two more lenses that might rock your casbah.

ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE ZOOM
That kit lens brings you down to 18mm, which is enough for you to stand in a corner of a room and shoot pretty much anything going on in that room. But what if you're not in the corner? The same twist of fate that makes pro-level telephoto lenses even more zoomy on your entry-level DSLR makes wide angles trickier—or at least more expensive—to attain.

Why is this? Film is flat, so light can come in at any angle, and the film will mostly record it. But camera sensor pixels are concave, and don't do well with light coming in from the side. Think of the pixels as little water glasses, says Sigma's Dave Metz. "You can fill them up with water by pouring it in from above, but try shooting it in from the side with a garden hose, and it's going to go all over the place." A telephoto by definition is pulling in light from directly in front of it, whereas a wide angle by definition is bringing in light from the sides, too.! Hence t he trouble, and the added expense.

But if you have the means, it's the consensus of my experts that you should pick yourself up an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens (10-24mm, 10-22mm or 10-20mm). Just be very careful that it's one built specifically for entry-level DSLRs, with the arcane designations I mentioned in the "Lens Labeling" section. Discounted on Amazon, Nikon's is selling for $809 while Canon's is around $730. Tamron and Sigma make them for Canon and Nikon for just under $500.

Credits: Stephen Lang - Sigma; David FitzSimmons - Sigma; Carol Polich - Sigma; Joe DiMaggio - Sigma

And the aesthetic pay off? As Metz tells it, "I am sure you've seen a beautiful mountain scene; in the foreground there's beautiful little flowers. Because they're so close, they appear out of perspective. You effectively enlarge the flowers." It's also, as he points out, the best way to make sure that all the uncles and aunts are included in the family portrait you take at the Christmas dinner table.

MACRO
The final stop on our survey of lens-topia is the macro—or big hairy bug—lens. "When I try to show people about macro photography, they say 'What is that?'" says Lisette Ranga, a Canon camera marketing specialist, "but when they look through the viewfinder, and see how close you can get, they get it." While I don't understand why people like taking pictures of bugs and flowers so much, I am a victim of the chronic urge to do so. Though some are 50mm or thereabouts, many macros are telephoto lenses. The ideal, it seems, is to shoot stuff up close that you wouldn't even want to get near—he who snaps the most snakes and scorpions wins.

Credits: Canon 60mm Macro sample; Canon 60mm Macro sample; David FitzSimmons - Sigma; Lindsay Silverman - Nikon

So what do you look for? Typically, macro lenses have a fixed aperture of f/2.8 (sometimes f/2.5). Sigma has five lenses, ranging from 50mm ($300) to 180mm ($900), all fixed, ! plus a f ew zooms such as the one I personally want to try out, the 24-70mm ($570, compared to well over $1,000 for the equivalent Canon or Nikon). What's cool is that when you're not photographing scorpions (or stamps or coins or documents), you can use these for portraits and other "normal" shooting, but with such sharp resolve that some even recommend a bit of digital softening.

So you see, adding those final two lenses more than doubles your investment, and for a diminished payoff. That's what you would buy next, but for most of you, it's not what you should be buying.

IMAGE STABILIZATION, LENS MOUNTS AND YOUR DADDY'S LENS COLLECTION
Though some readers probably gave up on this story a long time ago, I have made every attempt to keep it clear and moving. In doing so, I skipped over lots of hot topics, including image stabilization and lens compatibility.

Canon and Nikon currently promote the hell out of image stabilizing lenses, in large part because their cameras do not have in-camera image stabilization like Sony, Pentax and Olympus. While image stabilization does tend to matter, its location doesn't seem to matter as much. The consensus on the internet is that it's a drag to have to buy IS in lenses over and over, and from what I've seen, there is a clear added cost when buying lenses a la carte. Nevertheless, there's a premium for buying Nikon and Canon because they are consistently the best reviewed and the biggest sellers, so there's no right or wrong. It's just something to look for when buying lenses, and to discuss with your favorite camera nerds.

The main reason Canon and Nikon don't have IS in their cameras is that the camera technologies pre-date the digital revolution, and it was harder to do with film. The flipside is this: Older film-based lenses from Canon and Nikon work on newer Canon and Nikon digital cameras. For Canon, it's the EF standard, which dates back to 1987. If the lens says EF on it, it will work. If it says EF-S, it was specifically made for entry-level DSLRs, and won't work on pricier pro models. If you put an EF lens on a camera that typically takes EF-S lenses, remember to multiply by 1.6 to figure out the real focal length.

For Nikon, it's a tad weirder: Any F-mount lens dating back to 1959 will fit on the thing, but only the lenses labeled AF-S will definitely work with D40/D60/D90/D3000/D5000 class of entry-level DSLRs. If the lens doesn't say "DX" on it, multiply the focal length by 1.5 to see what it really is. If your dad hands you a bag of Nikon lenses, accept them graciously, and try them all out, but be ready for weird results, or at the very least, a sudden lack of autofocus and auto metering.

LENS QUALITY
I want to leave you with one final bone of contention—the quality of the lenses. I recognize that I have made many suggestions that seem like go-out-and-buy-'em recommendations. I do think that shopping for new lenses on a tight budget is a good way to expand as a photographer, but this is not a "buyer's guide."

Many photography enthusiasts believe buying a cheap lens to attach to your camera would be like buying a used prophylactic to... well, I'll spare you the imagery. But the point is, there is surely a reason why third-party ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses cost half as much as big name versions, just as there is surely a reason why Canon's 50mm f/1.4 costs nearly four times as much as its 50mm f/1.8. There are real differences in lenses, and I'm happy to invite you to discuss them below.

Cool Panasonic Micro Four Thirds May End Being My Next Camera [Cameras]

Cool Panasonic Micro Four Thirds May End Being My Next Camera [Cameras]

I got excited about the Olympus EP1—and not because I saw it fondled by scantly dressed girls—but this new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds has completely awaken my pantsing instinct. You'll be mine, you pseudo-german hottness you.

The Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds has a similar size to the Olympus EP1, as you can see in this comparison thought. Just a bit smaller. Looking at the hardware, it may also include a flash, and a special movie record button to capture 720p video in AVCHD format. Sweet. [Xitek and V-Angle via DPreview forums via Electronista]

PhotoFast GMonster SSD gets wrestled open, found to contain compact flash cards

PhotoFast GMonster SSD gets wrestled open, found to contain compact flash cards

Looks like those crazy kids from PhotoFast are putting out another do-it-y'self SSD kit, as this charming hands-on proves. Inside its unassuming shell, the GMonster Quad holds up to (you guessed it!) four 32GB CF memory cards, and a JMicron controller described by our man in Taipei as "awesome fast." No word on price yet, but we're sure to find out before this bad boy goes on sale in the next few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy the award-winning video after the break.

Continue reading PhotoFast GMonster SSD gets wrestled open, found to contain compact flash cards

Filed under: Storage

PhotoFast GMonster SSD gets wrestled open, found to contain compact flash cards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba ships 43nm MLC NAND-based SSDs to OEMs for unknown amounts

Toshiba ships 43nm MLC NAND-based SSDs to OEMs for unknown amounts

It started out as just disheartening, but now it's downright frustrating. With rare exception, each and every SSD release we hear about these days scuttles skillfully around the issue of price. Take Toshiba, for example, who has just confessed to shipping its 43nm MLC NAND-based solid state drives to five undisclosed OEMs. Not only do we have no clue as to which companies will be integrating these into their machines, but we've no idea what these mystery firms are paying. What we do know is this: Tosh's new range of 1.8- and 2.5-inch SSDs are leaving the docks now in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB -- good luck figuring out where they'll land.

[Via HotHardware]

Filed under: Storage

Toshiba ships 43nm MLC NAND-based SSDs to OEMs for unknown amounts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Apple had a huge, shiny Touchstone: WildCharge for iPhone checked out

If Apple had a huge, shiny Touchstone: WildCharge for iPhone checked out

By far the slickest, most mystical way to charge a smartphone these days comes courtesy of Palm's Touchstone system -- but that doesn't do iPhone owners much good, which is where WildCharge steps up to the plate with a jacket that makes all iPhone models compatible with its wire-free charging mat. It's not as elegant by any stretch of the imagination, but if you squint a little, the jacket (or "adapter skin," as WildCharge calls it) looks like a totally believable case that you might buy in your local Apple store, especially if you can get past the hump at the bottom. iPhone Buzz took the $79.99 pad / jacket combo for a spin recently, and while they've yet to post impressions, the shots of the system doing its thing in its natural habitat might be enough to turn folks on or off. Ultimately, we still think we fall on the "just drop it on the dock before you go to bed" side of this argument -- especially considering the weird hump-laden jacket with exposed metal contacts on back -- but if you're looking for an easy way to charge from a second location that doubles as a conversation piece, WildCharge might have your answer.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

If Apple had a huge, shiny Touchstone: WildCharge for iPhone checked out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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My Tether turns mild-mannered Palm Pres into wild and crazy hotspots

My Tether turns mild-mannered Palm Pres into wild and crazy hotspots

My Tether turns mild-mannered Palm Pres into wild and crazy hotspots

Official application portals like Apple's App Store and Palm's App Catalog are the big box retailers of the mobile space: plenty of choices, but to get the really good stuff you have to go elsewhere. Case in point: My Tether, an app that, naturally, allows tethering through a Pre, and does so quite comprehensively. Palm's savior can be directly attached through USB, but Bluetooth and WiFi are also available, thus delivering the connectivity trifecta. It's a lot easier to enable than the last option we found, and though the fully-automatic, self-installing version costs $10, there's a free one if you're feeling cheap (and know your way around a shell prompt). We're still waiting to see whether Palm or Sprint will put an end to these 3G hijinks, since the pair are obviously not in favor of them, but right now this particular carrier needs every selling point it can get -- even unofficial ones like this.

[Via Palm Infocenter]

Filed under: Cellphones

My Tether turns mild-mannered Palm Pres into wild and crazy hotspots originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative rents tuxedo, selects Opera for Plaszma-based Zii EGGs

Creative rents tuxedo, selects Opera for Plaszma-based Zii EGGs

Creative rents tuxedo, selects Opera for Plaszma-based Zii EGGs

We're still not entirely sure what to make of Creative's Zii EGG handheld, as the last demo we saw of the product looked interesting but also somewhat devoid of features. Now Creative has confirmed an important one: web surfing. The device can officially run either Android or the company's own flavor of Linux dubbed Plaszma, and for that latter, poorly spelled one Opera has been chosen as the defacto browser. Given the open source underpinnings users will have plenty of other options to install if they like, but the Opera Devices SDK also enables the easy creation of webby widgets to clutter that 320 x 480, 10-point multitouch screen. The hope is this will speed up software development for the... thing, thus opening the door for a flood of useless applications the likes of which we haven't seen since the last App Store update.

[Via anythingbutipod]

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Creative rents tuxedo, selects Opera for Plaszma-based Zii EGGs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung and Sprint introduce the Reclaim -- a cellphone made from corn

Samsung and Sprint introduce the Reclaim -- a cellphone made from corn

We love the Earth, and apparently so do Sprint and Samsung. The two companies have just introduced the Reclaim, a super-eco cellphone made from 80 percent recycled materials. The device -- a stout, sliding, QWERTY message-friendly model -- is constructed from "bio-plastic" materials made from corn, is free of PVC, and mostly free of BFR (brominated flame retardants)... which are apparently pretty bad. The phone also has a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, can accept microSD cards (we assume) up to 32GB, and has Sprint Navigation onboard. The packaging will be eco-friendly as well, as it's constructed from 70 percent recycled materials and printed with soy-based ink. The carrier will be selling the Reclaim in "Earth Green" or "Ocean Blue" come August 16th for $50 (after a $30 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract. Additionally, $2 of that profit will be funneled to the Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program. Finally, a phone that goes with your Prius.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung and Sprint introduce the Reclaim -- a cellphone made from corn originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms

Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms

Researchers from The University of Tokyo have demoed a touchable hologram at Siggraph 2009. The project, called Touchable Holography, involves the use of Wiimotes placed above the display to track hand motion, and an airborne ultrasound tactile display created in the university's lab to create the sensation of touch. The result is a holographic image that produces tactile feedback without any actual touching, and without degrading the image itself. Check out the video after the break for a fuller, more stunning explanation.

[Thanks, Adam]

Continue reading Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms

Filed under: Science

Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumored Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GF1 gets pictured

Rumored Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GF1 gets pictured

Well, this one's a bit out of the blue, but a member of the Xitek.com forums has produced this image of a hereto unheard of Micro Four Thirds Panasonic Lumix GF1 that's purported to come from an internal Panasonic PDF. A second image (after the break, and full size at the link below), also reveals a few more interesting details, like a port below the hotshoe that would presumably be used for a detachable EVF, and a built-in pop-up flash. Otherwise, about all that's clear is that the camera itself appears to be slightly smaller than the Olympus E-P1, and that it's prompted an endless stream of speculation on the photography forums.

[Via Digital Photography Review]

Continue reading Rumored Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GF1 gets pictured

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Rumored Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GF1 gets pictured originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lifehacker: magic spell kills all ads in gmail - for realz - http://bit.ly/xofH8

Pentax P80 Is Less Than an Inch Thick, but Has 12 Megapixels, Rapid Face Detection and 720p Video Recording [Cameras]

Pentax P80 Is Less Than an Inch Thick, but Has 12 Megapixels, Rapid Face Detection and 720p Video Recording [Cameras]

Pentax's P80 camera doesn't really do anything that original or spectacular for its time—the 12.1 megapixel sensor, 720p, 30 fps video recording, face detection and 0.8-inch thickness are all pedestrian compared to other cams—BUT it is $200.

The P80 can even detect faces at an angle and can find up to 32 of them in 0.3 seconds. It will be available in September. [Crunch Gear]

LG's 15-inch OLED Screen in Production: Could MacBooks Be A Beneficiary? [Oled]

LG's 15-inch OLED Screen in Production: Could MacBooks Be A Beneficiary? [Oled]

It's been widely rumored that LG may supply Apple with screens for its future products. If that's true, LG's plans to have a super thin and bright 15-inch OLED in stores this December could signal big things.

The update comes from OLED-Display.Net, which also reports that LG plans a global roll out soon after the display hits Korea in December.

So even if Apple's next MacBook, MacBook Pro (or even Tablet) don't have any OLED love, at least we've got LG's display (TV?) to look forward to. And at 15-inches, it'll be a welcomed step up from Sony's beautiful, but small 11-inch XEL-1. [OLED-Display.net]

Zune HD's browser previewed, sounds just as sexy as the hardware

Zune HD's browser previewed, sounds just as sexy as the hardware

The folks over at CNET got a quick look at a recent build of the Zune HD, and the player seems to be getting rather close to a final product. Among praise for the hardware, video playback and a quite refined music player and music discovery experience, they found the Zune HD's browser to be particularly excellent. It's been built by the IE team, which bodes well for prospective Windows Mobile 6.5 users, and it's apparently very comparable to the iPhone in features and speed. There's pinch to zoom, accelerometer-based reorientation, and a good onscreen keyboard -- no Flash, but from the pain it's inflicting on the Android browsing experience, perhaps that's a good thing.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD's browser previewed, sounds just as sexy as the hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Shack, short on money for new signs, asks for your help

The Shack, short on money for new signs, asks for your help

Like the rest of America, we've gotten some serious LOLs out of Radio Shack's current bid for relevance. But, as you know, rebranding comes at a price -- all those new signs excising the word "Radio" from the chain's storefronts aren't exactly cheap, you know. That said, we were equally amused and annoyed by today's email blast urging consumers to carry around little pieces of paper with the word "THE" printed on it. That way, you can obscure the offending noun whenever you find yourself within close proximity of one of these signs -- saving the company money on signage and increasing brand recognition in one bold move. Still unclear of the concept? Get yourself detailed instructions after the break, or hit up that read link to catch some rockin' videos on the company's Facebook page... and prepare to be underwhelmed.

Continue reading The Shack, short on money for new signs, asks for your help

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The Shack, short on money for new signs, asks for your help originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants

Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants

It hasn't been much of a secret that the US government was planning to dole out a couple of billion in battery-related grants to automakers this week, but we only got the details on who gets what today when Vice President Joe Biden made the big announcement himself in Detroit. As you might expect, the big three automakers all got a sizable chunk of the $2.4 billion up for grabs, with GM snagging $240 million for three separate grants, Ford getting $92.7 million (part of which will fund an electric-drive-parts facility in Michigan), and Chrysler receiving $70 million to develop and deploy advanced plug-in hybrid pickups and minivans. The single biggest winner, however, is Johnson Controls Inc., which got close to $300 million to produce battery parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Chrysler partner A123 Systems Inc. was the next highest with $249.1 million, while EnerDel got $118.5 million that it'll use for its Indianapolis plant that produces lithium-ion cells and battery packs.

[Image courtesy Wood TV8]

Filed under: Transportation

Vice President Biden announces $2.4 billion in battery-related grants originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Uber-nano nanolasers could lead to faster computers, reliable internet, neverending list of awesome things

Uber-nano nanolasers could lead to faster computers, reliable internet, neverending list of awesome things

Researchers at Arizona State University and Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands have been collaborating on a project to make lasers significantly smaller than the ones that are currently available, by finding a way around the traditionally accepted diffraction limit -- the idea that the size of lasers in any one dimension (say, thickness) is limited to half of the wavelength involved. One way around the size limitation, they've found, is to use a combination of semiconductors and metals like gold and silver, which causes electron excitement which helps confine the light in a laser to smaller spaces than that of the supposed limit. Using this method, the team has created nanoscale lasers that are one quarter of the wavelength or smaller -- as opposed to the previously accepted size limitation of one half of the wavelength. As far as consumer applications go, the smaller the laser, the easier it will be to integrate them into small electronics components, leading to things like faster products and more reliable internet access. Sounds great, right? Well, chill out: they're still working on it, with no word on when we'll see any street application of the nano nanolasers.

[Via Gizmag]

Filed under: Science

Uber-nano nanolasers could lead to faster computers, reliable internet, neverending list of awesome things originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon-branded Touch Pro2 plays 'spot the difference' with previous spy shot

Verizon-branded Touch Pro2 plays 'spot the difference' with previous spy shot

It's been some time since we last spotted HTC's Touch Pro2 in the wild with a Verizon tattoo, and yet, there's a tinge of unfamiliarity with these new shots. For whatever reason, on this model the HTC logo has been banished to the opposite reaches of the front display, whereas previously it was fit to share space right next to the Verizon logo / check mark. Everything else seems to be identical, however, including any indication of when and for how much we'll be able to pick one up ourselves. Hey VZW, how's that fire sale of the original Touch Pro coming along?

Update: As a good number of readers have pointed out, there's now also video of the phone, with 3.5mm headphone jack to boot. See it after the break.

[Thanks, ckeegan]

Continue reading Verizon-branded Touch Pro2 plays 'spot the difference' with previous spy shot

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon-branded Touch Pro2 plays 'spot the difference' with previous spy shot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios

Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios

If you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for some confirmation of last month's leak of the CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WS1, wait no longer. Sony's just gone official with the pair of 10.2 megapixel point and shoots, and they're about what you were expecting. The WX1 (pictured left) sports a Sony G lens, 2.7-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom with f/2.5 max aperture, 720p HD movie recording (MPEG4 format), and a new "Exmor R" back illuminated CMOS sensor for better low-light handling. The fancier TX1 has the same Exmor R sensor and 720p movie mode, but also comes with a 3-inch LCD and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tesar lens with 4x telescopic zoom. Both beauts possess the same anti-motion blur and multi-shot modes found in the DSC-HX1, as well as a BIONZ processor, facial detection, smile shutter (for snapping shots when people are smiling, of course), wide panorama capabilities, 10 frames per second burst shooting, and a "pet mode" for taking pictures of your little loved ones, helping to alleviate issues with blurring and pet red-eye. You want street date and price? WX1's coming in October for $350, black only, while the TX1's due out in September for $380 and a palette choice of silver, gray, pink, and blue. Full press release after the break.

Update: Akihabara News got some hands-on time during the Japanese unveiling.

Gallery: Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios

Continue reading Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sony's CyberShot DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1 cameras boast pet-friendly settings, 'Exmor R' sensor for low-light scenarios originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi one-ups WD with industry-first 2TB 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive

Hitachi one-ups WD with industry-first 2TB 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive

Western Digital may have been first to launch a two terabyte 3.5-inch desktop hard drive, but it's Hitachi snagging the first 7200RPM 2TB crown (WD's entry hummed along at 5400RPM). Launched today, the 2TB Deskstar 7K2000 also features 32MB of cache and a 3Gbps SATA interface, but unfortunately, few other details are being disclosed. As in, there's no pricing or release information whatsoever. In related news, the company is also refreshing its 7200RPM Deskstar 7K1000.C line, which is available in sizes ranging from 160GB to 1TB. The full, completely unprovocative press release is just after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi one-ups WD with industry-first 2TB 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive

Filed under: Storage

Hitachi one-ups WD with industry-first 2TB 7200RPM 3.5-inch hard drive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

ClickZ blog: The JK Wedding Dance: A Manufactured Success? - http://bit.ly/X8MV0

TinyChat Doubles Video Resolution and Adds Moderator Tools [Video Chat]

TinyChat Doubles Video Resolution and Adds Moderator Tools [Video Chat]

We've been fairly impressed with TinyChat, the instant multimedia chat service that offers video and audio connections for a dozen people at once. Now the video resolution and frame rates are better, and room creators have better controls.

Tinychat's blog claims a 4x improvement to free account video quality, while ReadWriteWeb states that video resolutions and frame rates have doubled—though that might be the same improvement stated different ways. What's really helpful are the new controls for room creators. Room owners can force a "push to talk" mode, where those signing on without headphones only talk when they press a screen button, eliminating endless echo effects. Owners can also get specific enabling of certain chatters' audio and video feeds, force users to sign in with Twitter handles to verify identities, and ban users based on IP address for 24 hours.

A bunch more bug fixes and minor features went into Tinychat recently, detailed at the blog link below.

Some new features + room control [Tinychat blog via ReadWriteWeb]

Office on the Forest's Edge [Featured Workspace]

Office on the Forest's Edge [Featured Workspace]

The only thing today's featured office shares with your average office is the fact that it has a roof and a floor. Beyond that it's quite a different space than most of us spend our days in.

Lifehacker reader Peter Frazier has the kind of home office and accompanying views that fill the daydreams of cubicle dwellers across the land. His office is glass on three sides with a cantilevered deck that looks over the densely forested shores of Chuckanut Bay. Peter describes his motivation for using the space as he does:

Like many in the computer industry, I graduated from college thin and fit, but since then, through years of all-nighters, sitting in front of my screen for long hours, and a rich diet I became overweight. I went from 190 to 242 pounds as I grew into each role: graphic designer, user interface designer, customer experience researcher, businessperson, husband, father, and community member. Last Fall I said, "Enough already!"

Recently I decided that working standing up would help me live a more active life. It's worked. Along with meditating, running, hiking, and kayaking, working standing up (with hourly interludes of pushups, situps or yoga) I've dropped 30 pounds. My thinking is clearer for longer and you're more likely to find me with things in perspective.

I'm fortunate enough to work at home above Chuckanut Bay in Bellingham, Washington.

This stand up desk is a piece of cedar with its live edge intact. On it I have room for a Dell 24" monitor as well as my MacBook Pro, and my good old Monsoon sound system. The hard drive holds the documentary I am working on called "Stumbleb! um".

Check out the photos below to see his office from different angles and make sure to visit the link below to his Flickr gallery for additional notes on each image.

If you have a workspace of your own to show off, throw the pictures on your Flickr account and add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool. Include some details about your setup and why it works for you, and you just might see it featured on the front page of Lifehacker.

Office on the Forest's Edge [Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell Pool]

Apple Tablet Probability Meter: 90% Chance, 4 Months Away [Apple Tablet]

Apple Tablet Probability Meter: 90% Chance, 4 Months Away [Apple Tablet]

After last Sunday's rumor on the Apple Tablet's September announcement, and yesterday's evidence of two new Apple products in the iPhone OS 3.1 USB devices list, we have decided to elevate the level inour Apple Tablet Probability Meter to 90%.

The launch date remains the same: September launch, November release. Or so we hope. Like always, remember this is just our bet based on the evidence and rumors at hand.

Fraunhofer Institute's fruit checker device tracks optimum ripeness so you can stop sniffing those melons

Fraunhofer Institute's fruit checker device tracks optimum ripeness so you can stop sniffing those melons

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a small device that can be used to check the freshness of fruit, telling the interested parties whether it's ripe or not. Based on previous technologies which measure, for example car emissions, the device measures the volatile gases emitted by the fruit and analyzes its makeup to determine the state of freshness. The team already has a working prototype, and sees the device, which would cost somewhere in the thousands of dollars range, as having widespread application for businesses that supply food to grocery stores. So far the device has only successfully been used to test the freshness of fruit, but researchers see possible future applications in testing meat as well.

Filed under: Science

Fraunhofer Institute's fruit checker device tracks optimum ripeness so you can stop sniffing those melons originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Orbiting fuel stations proposed for trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond

Orbiting fuel stations proposed for trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond

A US government panel, summoned by el presidente to review the future of human space travel, has expressed strong support for introducing fuel depots into Earth's orbit. Refueling between stops is expected to cut down significantly on the weight of spacecraft and, accordingly, eliminate the need to engineer ever more powerful rockets to launch missions. It would then be up to private companies to compete -- and NASA already knows a thing or two about privatizing space missions -- by reducing costs and developing more efficient methods. While by no means the only potion NASA has bubbling, if the panel concludes in favor of orbiting gas stations, they will form the backbone of all future extraterrestrial exploration. So we're just letting you know in advance -- we're nice like that.

Filed under: Science

Orbiting fuel stations proposed for trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS' 11.6-inch 1101HA netbook finally on sale in America

ASUS' 11.6-inch 1101HA netbook finally on sale in America

Call it coincidence or call it fate, but just as soon as we saw Samsung's 11.6-inch N510 netbook go on sale across the pond, ASUS' long-awaited 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA has netted itself a date with UPS here on US soil. The machine is the first in the Seashell range to boast a display larger than 11 inches, though the atypical WXGA (1,366 x 768) panel is about the only thing that'll turn heads. Within, you'll find an exceedingly bland array of parts: an Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, GMA 500 integrated graphics, a 160GB hard drive (still with us?), three USB 2.0 sockets, a 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth and audio in / out jacks. If you aren't down with waiting to see what kind of netbook revolution coincides with the launch of Windows 7, you can order yours up from the links below for $429.99.

[Via Netbooked]

Read - BuyDig.com order page
Read - NewEgg.com order page

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS' 11.6-inch 1101HA netbook finally on sale in America originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered

Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered

As we've seen with the slight resurgence of new and improved incandescent light bulbs, the amount of energy used to actually light up the bulb isn't necessarily the whole measure of energy efficiency. There's also the small matter of producing the bulb, shipping it around the world, and eventually disposing of it. With that in mind, the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco Innovations conducted a study that compared regular compact fluorescents to LED lamps -- using one 25,000-hour LED lamp as a constant, compared to 2.5 10,000-hour compact fluorescents (and 25 1,000-hour incandescents). While it's still holding back on some of the finer details, the group did apparently find that LEDs are no more or no less energy efficient than compact flourescents when the entire lifecycle of the bulb is taken into account, although it is quick to point out that LEDs should eventually win out as they become more efficient to produce.

Filed under: Household

Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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