Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Windows XP Eee PC Available at Best Buy in April, Pricing Stays Sweet [UMPCs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/260732845/windows-xp-eee-pc-available-at-best-buy-in-april-pricing-stays-sweet

XP%20Eee%20GI.jpg Our buddies at LaptopMag have just published details about the long-rumored, US bound, Windows XP Eee PC. The Windows XP version will go on sale at Best Buy for $399, and you won't have to wait too long either, as Asus expects the systems to ship on April 9th. The system that will run the Windows XP OS shall be the standard Eee PC 4G, which LaptopMag have been putting through its paces for over a month. The machine makes a solid impression overall, however, the disk space is a bit limited to run Windows XP and additional applications on top. Asus are considering dropping in a 4GB SD card to aid in the disk space shortage, but nothing has been confirmed to that end. Jump for the complete spec of the Windows XP Asus Eee PC.

Colors: Pearl White, Black
LCD Size / Type: 7″ Wide

LCD Resolution: 800 x 480 (~WVGA)

LCD Type: TFT

Graphic: Intel UMA

Chipset: Intel Mobile Chipset

Processor: Intel Mobile CPU

Memory: 512MB DDR2

S.S.D Storage (Solid State Disk): 4GB

OS: Windows XP Home Preloaded

Software: MS Works, Windows Live

Audio: High-Definition Audio CODEC

Microphone: 1 Internal Microphone

Speakers: 2 Internal Stereo Speakers

Audio Jack-Out (3.5mm)

Audio Jack-In (3.5mm)

Wireless Included: 802.11 b/g

LAN / Connector: 10/100 Mbps / RJ-45

3 USB 2.0 ports

Memory Card Reader: MMC/SD(SDHC)

VGA Port 1 (D-sub 15 pin)

Integrated Camera

Battery: four-cell 4400mAh

Battery Life: 2.8 hours

AC Adapter Output: 9.5V, 22W

AC Adapter Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal

Unit Weight: 2.0 lbs (with battery)

Unit Dimensions: 8.86 x 6.30 x 0.79 ~ 1.26 inches

If all you wanted for Christmas was an Asus Eee PC running Windows XP, then Santa's delivered. Yes, it's a little late, but like a faltering parachute, it's better late than never. Checkout the hands on by clicking through to number two. (Dr Dre, I can rhyme all sorts of stuff, call me.) [LaptopMag; 1, 2]

Dilbert's Boss Is Probably Zoltan in Disguise [Cartoon]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/260745250/dilberts-boss-is-probably-zoltan-in-disguise

Today's Dilbert cartoon reminds me of Addy's brilliant story about Zoltan, the man who married a robot made with a sex doll, hacked teledildonics, and A.L.I.C.E., the artificial intelligence software that makes her brains. Some people made fun of Zoltan, but this cartoon shows a simple fact: many humans, bosses, employees, spouses, and lovers around us have the same probabilities of passing the Turing test as Zoltan's wife. Including myself on a friday night. [Dilbert]

Biosensing nanodevice could hasten security checks, health screenings

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/260542796/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We'll go ahead and warn you: if you're hoping to purge your mind of all things science this weekend, this post isn't the one to be reading. For the rest of you knowledge seekers, Arizona State University researcher Wayne Frasch has developed a biosensing nanodevice that could possibly revolutionize health screenings and speed up that grueling airport security process. Put simply (well, as simply as possible), he discovered that the enzyme F1- ATPase can be equipped with an optical probe and "manipulated to emit a signal when it detects a single molecule of target DNA." Currently, a prototype of the DNA detector is already being worked up, but there's no word on when (or if) the device will escape the lab and hit the commercial realm. Still not geeked out? Hit the read link and hold on for dear life.

[Via Physorg]

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Atom processor to cost Intel just $6 to $8?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/260650777/

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCs

Ever since Intel compared the criticality of its (still) forthcoming Silverthorne (which now goes by Atom, if you couldn't guess) processor to the original Pentium last June, we've all wondered just how fantasmical our worlds would become when this thing finally dropped. Now, however, Tom's Hardware has discovered that the release may actually do more for Intel than we geeks. After consulting a source it believes to be quite credible, it found that the CPU -- which will likely sell for upwards of $30 at the low-end -- will cost Intel just "$6 to $8, including production, packaging and shipping." Without busting out the abacus, it's still fairly easy to see how profitable said chips could be if Intel can move these at even a snail's pace, but of course, we'd take the dollars and cents estimates with a grain of salt until they actually hit the market.

[Via Digg]

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

New Verizon-branded LG VX8560 Flip Phone Shows Its Pretty Face [Cellphones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/260274095/new-verizon+branded-lg-vx8560-flip-phone-shows-its-pretty-face

Verizon is getting what could become the replacement for its VX 8700 Shine flip phone—a new red and black number that's currently called the numerically confusing VX8560. Details are very scarce at the moment, but the pictures shows a TFT display with a camera on top and a dedicated silver audio control below. It will most likely launch after its cousin, the Prada-like VX9700.

Currently slated for mid-to-late Q2, preliminary specs for the VX9700 include a 3.2-megapixel camera with a Schneider Kreuznach lens, touchscreen, a full QWERTY keyboard and both a microUSB port and a microSDHC slot.

[Howard Forums and Howard Forums]

IR2BT Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter now on sale, PS3 owners rejoice

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/259734350/

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Although the PlayStation 3 is quite the lovely Blu-ray player in most respects, one issue has nagged remote junkies from day one: the absence of IR. Now, however, the highly-anticipated IR2BT Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter is on the market, and sure enough, it promises to transmit "all 51 Sony Blu-ray remote codes including the PS button for Power On / Off." The unit itself measures in at 4.5- x 3- x 1-inches, operates on a pair of AA cells or a mini-USB connector and doesn't even require you to own a soldering iron. Ready to control your PS3 via a universal IR remote without getting a degree in electrical engineering? Hit up the read link and hand over your $55, bub.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Vivitar's pocket-friendly DVR565HD camcorder does high-definition

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/259780489/

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Regrettably, there's not a whole lot of deets on Vivitar's latest camcorder just yet, but we do know that this ultra-compact unit will log clips in beautiful 720p. The DVR565HD is said to capture in H.264 / MPEG-4 at 30fps, while it can pipe that video back out in 1080i via the HDMI output. Also of note, it should be available in black and silver motifs, and while the 3-inch flip-out LCD monitor is a nice touch, the apparent inability for it to accept anything more capacious than a 4GB SD card is somewhat disappointing. Then again, it is rocking the Vivitar logo, and if history tells any story whatsoever, we'd bet this one comes in well under most budgets.

[Via Slashgear]

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HTC Shift hands-on

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/259891846/

Filed under: Features, Handhelds, Tablet PCs

HTC's Shift finally launched in the US this week, and what do you know, we landed one to check out. Sure as hell ain't too shabby for a UMPC, but while it's got a number of things working in its favor (versatile form factor, solid hardware, lots of niceties like a fingerprint reader, 3G, Windows Mobile, etc.), it's got a number of bits working pretty hard against it. Some thoughts:

The screen hinge is significantly improved and feels really solid. Without putting it through 20,000 open / close cycles, we think it's fairly trustworthy, definitely good HTC gear.
The microscopic keyboard keys are an absolute nightmare to type on with two hands if you've got normal human mitts. Unfortunately, it's just too small to use regularly, and too large to use with your thumbs; with that kind of real estate we'd have preferred a proper split thumb-board with a nice big track pad in the middle. Major bummer.
The trackpad is pretty sensitive, but a little difficult to control. The machine itself is certainly snappy enough, though, even running Vista with Aero.
Hitting SnapVUE / Windows Mobile-mode is instantaneous, albeit a little jarring -- especially since the screen is so huge and WinMo is so clearly not intended for it -- but it's nice to have a lighter weight interface than full-on Windows.
Try though we might, we simply could not find a way to disengage the unit from its leather-bound case. Maybe this was outlined in the Shift's documentation, of which we received none. Quite annoying.
HTC kindly bundles a screen protector, a spare clicky stylus, external USB hub with Ethernet (ahem, Air), and headphones with mic.

All in all not bad, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than what the Shift's offering up to get us to drop $1,500 on a UMPC of any kind. And it isn't winning it any further points considering that one of the device's main draws -- the keyboard -- may as well not even exist for us fat-fingered fools. Check out the extensive unboxing and hands-on gallery below.

Update: Apparently the case is permanently bolted to the unit and can't be removed, part of some weird FCC requirement regarding antenna distance / SAR. At very least they HTC could have used Philips head screws (and not Torx) to facilitate ease of removal.

Gallery: HTC Shift hands-on