Marvell flaunts its Armada 1500-mini CPU powering Chromecast, lists codecs
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/31/marvell-flaunts-its-aramada-1500-mini-cpu-powering-chromecast/
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Future Windows Could Use a Biomimetic Vascular System to Save Energy
Source: http://gizmodo.com/future-windows-could-use-a-biomimetic-vascular-system-t-964634748
Windows, our source of life-giving sunlight indoors, are a menace to your electrical bill. In the summer, windows bleed cold and in the winter they ooze heat. To save energy, researchers want to give window panes a circulatory system that could pump in cool, liquid relief when they get too hot.
Magical Bottle Opener Can Pour Wine Without Popping the Cork
Source: http://gizmodo.com/magical-bottle-opener-can-pour-wine-without-popping-the-967410908
There are plenty of ways to open a nice bottle of wine, but they all involve the avoidable decision to finish the bottle (or risk the weird-tasting leftovers). We can do better than this, people. A new opener from Coravin aimed at connoisseurs lets you drink one glass at a time, by performing what amounts to a surgical procedure on your bottle.
Report: Here's What To Expect From Amazon's New Kindle Fire Tablets (AMZN)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-next-gen-kindle-fire-tablets-2013-7
Today, BGR is reporting from multiple sources detailed specs for Amazon's next-generation tablets.
BGR was mostly correct in its reports on Amazon's Kindle Fire lineup last year, so this one is worth paying attention to.
According to BGR, Amazon is planning on releasing several new Android-based Kindle branded tablets.
From what we can tell, the only advantage Google's new Nexus 7 tablet has over the new Kindle Fire's reported stats is a newer version of Android (4.3) and a rear camera.
The updated 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, will have:
- A brand-new design
- HD screen with a resolution of 1920x1200 (same quality as Google's new Nexus 7)
- 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor (better than Google's new Nexus 7)
- 2GB of RAM (same as New Nexus 7)
- WiFi and cellular connectivity
- Front-facing camera
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage (64GB option is more than Google is offering on new Nexus 7)
- Android 4.2.2 JellyBean with heavy Amazon customizations
- No rear camera
Amazon's larger 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is expected to have:
- HD screen with a resolution of 2560x1600
- The same 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
- Front-facing camera
- Optional cellular data
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage
- 8MP rear camera in addition to the front facing camera
BGR also revealed that the new tablets are expected to be more comfortable and lighter than the current generation of Kindle Fires.
As of right now, the new Kindle Fire's are expected to launch this fall, as early as September.
SEE ALSO: Amazon To Hire 5,000 In 25% Headcount Increase
Join the conversation about this story »
Intel Is Planning A Crazy New DVR That Records EVERYTHING (INTC)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/intel-plans-to-record-every-single-tv-show-2013-7
Here's the latest detail on Intel's plan to assault the traditional TV business, via the WSJ:
Intel's plans include a server farm to record every piece of programming aired—local, national and international—and store it for at least three days in the "cloud." With an Intel-designed set-top box, people won't have to own DVRs or even plan to record programs.
Intel, which up to now has been a company that makes billions making chips, is building a second business, trying to upend the traditional pay-TV businesses.
The group at Intel working on this disruptive TV service is called Intel Media. The WSJ reports it has 350 people working on the service.
Details on Intel's TV service have been leaking out all year long.
The basic gist of the service: It's an internet delivered TV service with better software and better interface than what companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, etc. currently offer.
A permanently running cloud-based DVR is a pretty neat feature. It means you never have to worry about missing the start of a show, or if people start tweeting about a show, you can start it from the beginning, without missing a thing.
SEE ALSO: How The Cable Companies Keep You Hooked
Join the conversation about this story »
Gas Pump Skimmers Are Now Just as Good as Those on ATMs
Source: http://gizmodo.com/gas-pump-skimmers-are-now-just-as-good-as-those-on-atms-959510989
If you worry about ATM skimmers
LG outs diminutive Bluetooth headset with 8 hours of battery life
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/lg-bluetooth-headset/
LG's big ticket items may take up most of our attention span, but the South Korean firm's latest Bluetooth headset solution has caught our eye. Coming in at roughly the size of a matchbox (35.9 × 50.2 × 19.2mm), the BTS1 boasts an 8 hour battery life, features a built-in clip, supports the aptX codec and packs on-board controls for volume, pause and play, sifting through songs and handling phone calls. With the help of Bluetooth 3.0, the pack connects to smartphones, laptops, tablets and even TVs -- yes, even those in LG's 2013 line-up -- with the wireless standard baked in. Of course, you could always lean on a Roku 3 if you're hankering for a wire-free television experience for your earbuds. There's no word of a US release, but if you find yourself in PSY's homeland, you'll be able to score one for 59,000 won (roughly $53).
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, HD, Mobile, LG
Source: LG (translated), LG (Flickr)
University of Texas students send yacht off-course with GPS exploit (video)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/university-of-texas-yacht-hack-experiment/
Students from the University of Texas gave us another reason not to mess with the Lone Star state: they'll hack your yacht. In cooperation with a luxury boat's owners, the Longhorns manipulated their $80 million vessel's nav system, covertly guiding it off-course -- all without the crew ever suspecting foul play. By transmitting spoofed global positioning system signals toward the craft, the students tricked its drivers into correcting a non-existent, three-degree course deviation, thus leading them off track. With their work done, the Texans believe this shows exactly how easy it is to exploit civil-band GPS signals. College kids may have conned the helm this time, but it isn't too far-fetched to think pirates could do the same. Our timbers are shivering just thinking about it.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation
Source: The Houston Chronicle
Android 4.3 supports TRIM, improves performance on Nexus devices
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/android-4-3-supports-trim-improves-performance-on-nexus-devices/
It's no secret that many Android phones and tablets show a decrease in performance over time. Nexus devices are not immune -- it's particularly noticeable with the original Nexus 7. Our friend Brian Klug over at AnandTech discovered an interesting tidbit while testing the new and improved Nexus 7: Android 4.3 supports TRIM. What this means is that Google's mobile OS can now instruct the flash storage controller when to collect / recycle unused data pages / blocks. The net result is that devices running Android 4.3 will no longer become sluggish with time -- in fact, existing Nexus handsets and tablets will see performance improve after the update. It also looks like Jelly Bean invokes TRIM maintenance once within a 24-hour window (after one hour of inactivity), and only if the battery is 80% full (30% when charging). Follow the source link below for all the details.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Source: AnandTech
Monday, July 29, 2013
Toshiba adds Haswell to refreshed Satellite U and M laptops
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/toshiba-haswell-refreshed-satellite-u-m-laptops/
While Toshiba already outed its Haswell plans, the company has chosen today to unveil a few more PCs. The outfit's refreshing its Satellite U and M range in the UK, with the U50t being equipped with a 10-point touchscreen and Windows 8 onboard. The Satellite M50D and M50Dt, meanwhile, boast AMD's latest APU processors and Radeon graphics. The whole line (which is slated for dispatch in Q3) ships with Intel's fourth-generation processors and HD 4400 graphics, while those needing a bit more oomph on the pixel pushing side can opt for NVIDIA's GeForce GT 740M. As you'd expect, Intel's WiDi and Miracast technologies are infused, and each machine arrives with a full-size HDMI port, Bluetooth 4.0, an SD card slot and a pair of USB 3.0 sockets. Tosh isn't talking pricing just yet, but you can dig into the specification list just after break.
Filed under: Laptops
Source: Toshiba
Samsung reportedly looking to engineer new ARM-compatible Exynos processor
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/samsung-new-arm-compatible-exynos-processor/
It's a material world, and Samsung's just living in it. And, evidently, it's tired of doing things in the same manner it has been. According to a report from ETNews, the aforesaid company is looking to produce an Exynos processor using a "redesigned ARM core platform" that'll be whipped up in Samsung's Austin, Texas-based R&D facility. If the plans materialize, it'll mark the first time that Samsung has engineered an Exynos chip "based on its own architecture platform by redesigning the ARM cores." For those unaware, Qualcomm and Apple are amongst the precious few that have concocted their own platforms after inking an architecture licensing deal with ARM, and it sounds as if Sammy's tired of being on the outside looking in. The report also states that development is expected "to be completed early next year," and you can bet that future Galaxy and Note products will be the first to benefit.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Android Beat
Source: ETNews
ASUS eyeing 2014 for US smartphone launch
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/asus-us-smartphone/
It wouldn't be the first time ASUS saw a US smartphone launch -- though last time the company had the GPS experts at Garmin to help it find its way. This time, according to Jonney Shih, the maker of both the Padfone and Fonepad (coincidence?) is looking to take a more direct route. The ASUS chairman told All Things D that his company has been making progress building bridges with retailers and carriers alike in an attempt to succeed in the already crowded US market. And while it may not be impossible, a 2013 launch is looking unlikely. "I think next year is more reasonable," he told the site.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, ASUS
Source: All Things D
Nuforce Icon DAC and headphone amp arrives for Android, Mac and PC for $325
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/nuforce-icon-dac-and-headphone-amp-arrives-for-android-mac-and/
NuForce has been pumping out high end audio gear for the digitally inclined for years, and its latest effort is the Icon DAC and amp for Android, Mac and PC. It shares the same aluminum construction as the Icon iDo amp aimed at iDevice owners that was released in 2011. However, the latest Icon adds a few new features. While it still has analog RCA and digital coax output, the new model offers RCA and 3.5mm analog input as well as a USB connection for pulling in audio. Additionally, it can drive 600-ohm headphones thanks to its 8V output amp, and its DAC supports sampling rates up to 96kHz, 32 bits of resolution and direct stream digital decoding. It's available now for $325 for folks with Windows 7 or 8 PCs, Macs and Android devices running 4.1.1 or higher.
Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, HD
Insert Coin: TouchKeys overlay brings whole new meaning to 'tickling the ivories'
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/insert-coin-touchkeys/
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.
Keyboards haven't changed much in the last, oh, few hundred years or so. You play a note by hitting and releasing it, use a pedal to sustain and change volume through the high-tech means of "bashing harder." TouchKeys wants to give you much more control with its touch sensitive, DIY stick-on overlays that can even sense multi-touch. While similar to what we've seen recently with the Roli Seaboard (which has rubberized keys that let you bend notes), TouchKeys can be added to most keyboards and would let you do even more, in theory. Similar to a smartphone screen, it senses up and down or side-to-side finger movements with up to three touches, all of which can be mapped mapped to different sounds or effects. For instance, you can create a vibrato by shaking your hand side-to-side, move up and down to bend notes, use multi-touch pinch and slide to change midi mappings, or play different sounds by multi-tapping.
Most of the kits sold will be DIY, meaning they'll come as self-installed peel-and-stick keys and sensors that fit standard-sized keyboards, starting at £330 for 25 keys. You'll also have to open up the keyboard to tuck in the narrow controller, but the company said it hasn't seen any models that don't work yet. If you're not inclined to futz around, you'll be able to buy a limited number of pre-installed kits starting at £660 with a Novation Impulse 25 keyboard. TouchKeys is looking for a relatively modest £30,000 as its funding goal, so if you're looking for the latest musical edge, hit the source.
Filed under: Peripherals
Via: Gizmag
Source: Kickstarter
Origin PC's EON 13-S offers another spin on Clevo's latest gaming laptop, promises Haswell and Kepler for $1,474
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/origin-pc-eon-13/
Like the look of Digital Storm's VELOCE gaming notebook, but have strong loyalties with another system builder? Don't worry -- Origin PC has just announced another gaming rig with the exact same chassis: the EON13-S. The similarity is no coincidence, both models are based on the 13.3-inch Clevo W230ST, carefully branded and customized by each company.
Origin's twist on the laptop includes a 4th Generation Intel Core processor, NVIDIA GTX 765M graphics and up to three storage devices. The company didn't announce specifics, but Clevo's own product page outs Intel's 2.8GHz i7-4900MQ, 2.70GHz i7-4800MQ and 2.40GHz i7-4700MQ chips as possible options. The base model also supports up to 16GB of RAM, though its Digital Storm variant tops out at 8GB. Naturally, Origin says that many of these elements will be customizable and upgradable, with the most frugal configuration ringing in at $1,474. Additionally, customers that order before August 5th can score free overclocking and a gratis Corsair M95 mouse. Not bad, if you're looking for tiny gaming machine. Check out the company's official press release after the break.
Origin PC's EON 13-S offers another spin on Clevo's latest gaming laptop, promises Haswell and Kepler for $1,474
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/origin-pc-eon-13/
Like the look of Digital Storm's VELOCE gaming notebook, but have strong loyalties with another system builder? Don't worry -- Origin PC has just announced another gaming rig with the exact same chassis: the EON13-S. The similarity is no coincidence, both models are based on the 13.3-inch Clevo W230ST, carefully branded and customized by each company.
Origin's twist on the laptop includes a 4th Generation Intel Core processor, NVIDIA GTX 765M graphics and up to three storage devices. The company didn't announce specifics, but Clevo's own product page outs Intel's 2.8GHz i7-4900MQ, 2.70GHz i7-4800MQ and 2.40GHz i7-4700MQ chips as possible options. The base model also supports up to 16GB of RAM, though its Digital Storm variant tops out at 8GB. Naturally, Origin says that many of these elements will be customizable and upgradable, with the most frugal configuration ringing in at $1,474. Additionally, customers that order before August 5th can score free overclocking and a gratis Corsair M95 mouse. Not bad, if you're looking for tiny gaming machine. Check out the company's official press release after the break.
Portitle Finds and Aggregates All the Movie Info You Could Ever Need
Source: http://lifehacker.com/portitle-finds-and-aggregates-all-the-movie-info-you-co-934742550
Windows/Chrome: When you're trying to find a movie to watch, you might want to look it up on IMDB, then read about it on Wikipedia, then try to find a place to watch it. Portitle puts all of this info in one place, and is accessible from your right click menu.
The Secret Deals That Make YouTube Buffer
Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-secret-deals-that-mean-you-have-to-wait-for-youtube-947766871
If you ever find yourself having to wait for YouTube to buffer video—buts ads, they load just fine—then don't worry, you're not alone. In fact, it's likely you're on the receiving end of a corporate deal which limits how much you can enjoy online video.
New York's Bike Sharing Scheme, Visualized
Source: http://gizmodo.com/new-yorks-bike-sharing-scheme-visualized-947772621
New York's Citi Bike scheme has been up and running for a couple of months now—which means there's a glut of data available to analyze. This interactive New Yorker viz shows how the bikes were used every 15 minutes between June 8th and July 8th.
ASUS' RAIDR Express PCI-e SSD is compatible with both legacy and UEFI BIOS
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/28/asus-raidr-express-pci-express-ssd-bios-duomode/
These days, it's fairly easy to find a PCI Express-based SSD to transform one's desktop -- Angelbird, Fusion-io, Micron and ASUS will sell you one, just to name a few. That said, the last of those three has just revealed a new entrant that will certainly catch the eye of many, as the RAIDR Express claims to be the first PCI-e SSD to be compatible with both legacy and UEFI BIOS. The so-called DuoMode feature is joined by 240GB of storage space, sequential 830MB/s read and 810MB/s write speeds and a reported 620,000 hours mean time between failure (MTBF).
You'll also find the latest LSI SandForce controller, Toshiba-built 19nm MLC flash, and 100,000 4K read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS). The bundled RAMDisk utility allows users to dedicate up to 80 percent of a computer's available RAM for use as a high-speed virtual drive, and if you needed any further proof that it's fast, look no further than in the video after the break. Curiously, ASUS isn't talking pricing just yet, but it should start shipping in the very near future.
Filed under: Gaming, Storage, ASUS
Via: PC Perspective, Engadget Japanese
Source: ASUS
UK court sides with Volkswagen on security concerns over key pairing
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/uk-court-volkswagen-megamos-crypto/
Giovanni Ribisi had better hope he doesn't botch a job anytime soon. Flavio Garcia from the University of Birmingham cracked the security system that pairs an owner's key to their Porsche, Lamborghini or Audi, and Volkswagen's parent company wants that research to remain unpublished. The UK's high court sided with VW's owner and granted an injunction protecting the Megamos Crypto system. Afterward, Garcia was offered to print his findings, but without the all-important decryption codes. He refused, saying that the public has a right to see the holes in the systems it relies on and that this wasn't an attempt to give criminals a hand in boosting cars. While the court's logic is sound -- once revealed, all manner of "if this ever fell into the wrong hands" situations could arise -- it's unsettling to see government bend to corporate request. At least we know Eleanor can sit in the garage for just a little longer now.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: BoingBoing
Source: The Guardian
MediaTek's MT8135 SoC does dual-core big.LITTLE MP, packs PowerVR Series6 GPU
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/mediatek-mt8135-biglittle-mp-powervr-series6-g6200/
It'll be a while before MediaTek's true octa-core SoC makes its glorious arrival, but for the time being, the company's unveiling something just as interesting -- and perhaps more practical. The new MT8135 announced today is a "quad-core" SoC aimed at "the middle- to high-end tier of the tablet OEM market." We quote "quad-core," because it actually consists of two clusters: dual Cortex-A15 cores and dual Cortex-A7 cores. But the good news is that unlike the original big.LITTLE configuration where only one cluster can operate at any given time (depending on how heavy the workload is), MediaTek's confirmed that it has implemented big.LITTLE MP ("MP" as in heterogeneous multi-processing) in the MT8135, meaning both the A15 and the A7 clusters can operate simultaneously.
Another highlight of this MT8135 is that it'll be one of the first SoCs -- alongside LG's H13 (which we've seen first-hand), Renesas' APE6 and Renesas' R-Car H2 -- to come with Imagination Technologies' almighty PowerVR Series6 GPU. Specifically, this is the PowerVR G6200 which, as part of the MT8135, can apparently deliver "up to four times more ALU (arithmetic logic unit) horsepower" than the Series5XT GPU on the cheaper, quad-A7 MT8125. And unsurprisingly, the MT8135 gets the same Miracast wireless video goodie given to the MT8125; though it's also worth noting that the latter only supports LPDDR2 RAM instead of the more powerful LPDDR3.
Sadly, there's no further information regarding availability, but you can kill some time by checking out more technical details in the video (with benchmarks) and press releases after the break.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Imagination Technologies
Toshiba outs Satellite E45t / E55 mid-range laptops, Intel models have Dragon Assistant pre-loaded
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/toshiba-satellite-e45t-e55d-e55dt/
A few months after introducing its Kirabook flagship, Toshiba is back with some mid-range laptops that bring some of the same understated design elements. The 14-inch Satellite E45t Ultrabook and the 15-inch E55, announced today, have the same pared-down look as the Kirabook, except they're made of aluminum instead of pressed magnesium, and the bottom isn't made of metal but rather, textured plastic. The screen resolution is also lower, at 1,366 x 768; these are middle-of-the-road machines, after all. On the bright side, they all support 802.11ac WiFi -- of a surprise on otherwise humdrum systems like these. The E45t, which will be sold only at Best Buy and on Toshiba's site, comes in just one configuration, with a Core i5 Haswell processor and a 500GB hard drive paired with an SSD. Perhaps most interesting, though, is that the E45t will come with Dragon Assistant on board for simple voice commands (think: shutting down the computer, doing a web search, controlling multimedia playback, et cetera). You can expect to find that next week, on August 4th, with a suggested retail price of $818, though a Toshiba rep told us it'll likely sell for $799.99 once it actually hits shelves. Just a heads-up.
The 15-inch version, meanwhile, will be offered with either a Core i5 processor and touchscreen (that's the E55t) or a quad-core A6 APU. There are actually two AMD models: one configuration comes with a touchscreen (that would be the E55Dt) and one has a non-touch panel (that's the E55D). Strangely, the non-touch model also offers lesser storage; that has a 750GB HDD, while the touch version goes up to a full terabyte. Either way, you get a number pad, which you won't find on the 14-incher, though you'll be missing out on that Dragon Assistant app with the AMD models. These will be available in September, a little later than the 14-inch model, with the non-touch E55D going for $580 and the touchscreen E55Dt priced at $700. We haven't yet confirmed pricing for the E55t, that lone Intel-based model, but we'll update this post once we do.
Filed under: Laptops
Samsung reportedly crafting 10- and 12.2-inch tablets with 2,560 x 1,600 displays
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/29/samsung-tablet-rumors/
Samsung already has tablets on the market bearing almost any display size that might interest you. If a tweet from @evleaks is to be believed, Sammy has yet more slates in the pipeline, including its biggest one yet. Allegedly, the unannounced SM-P900 tablet carries a 12.2-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 screen (same res as the Nexus 10), an Exynos 5 Octa heart, and an S-Pen that would make it part of the Note family. Another device, known as the SM-P600, is said to cram that same resolution into a 10-inch display, and switches Samsung's chip for a Snapdragon 800. We'd be more willing to buy the rumor if there were pics to back it up, but it's rare for the source to be completely off the mark. Could we see these new tablets at IFA alongside a trio of Galaxy Note III models? Join us in a little under a month for the Samsung edition of Mythbusters.
Via: Mobilegeeks
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
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