Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, June 13, 2008

NXP Cell Modem Will Pull Down 150Mbits, Connect to Just About Anything [Mobile Data]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310710058/nxp-cell-modem-will-pull-down-150mbits-connect-to-just-about-anything

NXP's new softmodem will be the fastest in the world and work with a range of data protocols, including LTE, WiMax, HSPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and GSM. While the modem's over-the-top theoretical speeds will be sharply limited by available cellular networks, its network-promiscuity will allow for actual global phones that would be able to connect to fast data services almost anywhere in the world. Expect the hardware to start turning up in phone starting Q2 2009. [SlashPhones]

British Farmers to Build Giant, Artificial, 220-Acre Farm Under Glass [Too Much Green]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/310810501/british-farmers-to-build-giant-artificial-220+acre-farm-under-glass

Apparently inspired by Buckminster Fuller's push for domed cities, farmers in Kent, England are building a 220-acre series of connected greenhouses, where nothing will be grown in soil. Instead, nutrient-packed water will be used to grow 1.3 million plants hydroponically. The seven greenhouses will increase the UK's green vegetable supply 15%, and the greenhouses will be self-sufficient during the dry season by collecting rainwater from October-April. No word on whether Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin will be allowed inside. [UK Guardian via Jaunted via io9]

Hyundai's W220S LCD: Google Earth, now in 3D!

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310195730/

Filed under: Displays

Bust out the Aqua Net and tease-up your beehive because 3D is once again the rage. Hyundai just announced its W220S TriDef 3D LCD which packs the standard list of specs we expected in a 22-inch monitor: 1,680 x 1,050 WSXGA+ resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness and 5-ms response. Unfortunately the viewing angle is a mere 150-degrees up/down or 160-degrees side-to-side. Should you be bold enough to step into a pair of included polarized glasses then you'll also be treated to a suite of bundled 3D-apps including Google Earth 3D, a pair of 3D games, and TriDef media player for 3D video content. The W220S launches in Japan tomorrow for ¥98,000 (about $913). Pics of the face-specs after the break.

Continue reading Hyundai's W220S LCD: Google Earth, now in 3D!

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Solar Soft House converts household curtains into household current

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310323830/

Filed under: Household

Bravo Sheila Kennedy, bravo. You might just save us from our gadget-obsessed selves if the Soft House you've designed can pump the 16,000 watt-hours you predict. The design features thin photovoltaic films woven into semi-transparent curtains. The idea is similar to the solar power ski-suits (seriously) we've seen. Unfortunately, a home fitted entirely in solar textiles is still too costly at the moment. Cost measured in cash, apparently.

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Conceptronic ships Grab 'n GO Full HD media streamer

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310392527/

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

In the quickly-growing realm of media streamers, there's at least a modicum of a chance that Conceptronic's oddly titled Grab 'n GO Full HD media player has slipped from the forefront of your mind. If so, the outfit is gunning to jar your memory by announcing that it is now shipping said piece to eager consumers. The release also noted that SAMBA and NFS clients have been added, and it's pretty much ready to "stream all digital media files to a TV in Full HD 1080p resolution." Furthermore, you'll find a gigabit Ethernet jack to handle all that data, and the built-in USB port enables external storage to be added locally. Sorry, still no price.

[Thanks, KJ]

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Intel shows off robotic hand with "Pre Touch" object conformation

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310411660/

Filed under: Robots

Intel Pre-touch robotic hand

Robotics have come a long way, but they still often miss that innate, nervous sense of reluctant touch. Intel researchers have achieved something similar with a robotic hand that uses electrolocation to create a robotic hand conform to the shape of an object before interacting with it. Shown at Research@Intel Day, the hand uses fish-like electrolocation to bounce electric fields off of objects and then conform the hand to that shape in real time. They call the dynamic "Pre Touch," and it could prove useful for configuring robotics before they interact with objects without, say, damaging them or missing the interface completely. We've been aware of the technology for some time, but as you can see in the video after the break, Intel finally has something to show, and the results are what can only be described as a strangely nervous robotic hand.

Continue reading Intel shows off robotic hand with "Pre Touch" object conformation

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NXP unveils world's fastest cellular modem with multi-mode GSM support

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310431359/

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

3G is so Monday. Today, NXP Semiconductors is getting down with the "world's fastest high-bandwidth cellular soft modem," which will obviously be aimed at smartphones, MIDs and other handhelds thirsting for WWAN. Notably, the PNX6910 supports multi-mode LTE / HSPA / UMTS / EDGE / GPRS / GSM capability, and it's reportedly capable of achieving data transfer rates of 150Mbits down and 50Mbits up. To put things in perspective, NXP suggests that users could download an "entire HD movie in less than 7 minutes," though we're not sure what constitutes an "entire movie." Oh, and before you get too excited in here, you should probably know that the chip won't even be available until Q2 2009 at the earliest.

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PureDepth's Multi-Layer Display technology hits casino floors

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310489994/

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

When PureDepth said its Multi-Layer Display technology would be "shipping soon," it meant "really soon." Nary two months after the company made said assertion, we're now hearing that IGT (a global computerized game machine company) has secured the aforesaid technology for a number of slot machines and other casino-bound systems. The REELdepth family of games, which includes around 70 of IGT's classics as well as a few new AVP (Advanced Video Platform) themes, should be luring vacationers and gamblers alike in the not-too-distant future, but sadly, we're not given a clue as to what casinos will be adopting said machines.

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AMD back on the Havok physics engine bandwagon

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310501768/

Filed under: Gaming

AMD Havok partnership

After a relationship drama that belongs on daytime television, AMD is snuggling up to Intel to add Havok physics acceleration to their CPUs and GPUs. AMD likely buckled under pressure to come up with a better physics program for its chips and just went with what Rick Bergman of AMD called "the clear market leader in physics software." AMD will add the Havok Physics engine to both its multi-core CPUs and GPUs, but AMD managing director noted that the focus is on CPUs given feedback from gaming developers who like the idea of offsetting physics computation to CPU cores. Good news for game developers, indeed.

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Mobiado Professional 105 EM / GCB handsets: too luxurious for our fingers

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310519157/

Filed under: Cellphones

Heads up, affluent sect. The immensely pricey Professional 105 line is expanding, as two new members slip in to tempt your stuffed wallet. Mobiado's Professional 105 EM is available in Cocobolo and Ebony, and the frame is even constructed from anodized aluminum; you'll also notice sapphire crystal buttons and a black finish. As for the Professional 105 GCB, it's layered with a 5-micron thick 24-karat gold plating and jazzed up with a fancy logo 'round back. Both candybars feature quad-band GSM support, a measly 1GB of internal storage space and a ho hum 2-megapixel camera, but fret not, as it'll (very likely) be the most expensive lackluster cellphone you'll ever pay for.

[Via UnwiredView]

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LG claims Flatron W2252TE is "world's most energy-efficient monitor"

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310565727/

Filed under: Displays

LG has just announced what it claims to be the "world's most energy-efficient monitor," and it looks like it's been able to lay claim to that (potentially dubious) title without making too many compromises on specs. That includes a 22-inch screen size with a 1680 x 1050 resolution, a lofty 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a 2 ms response time, a 170 degree viewing angle, and a 250cd/m2 brightness rating, all while supposedly maintaining a 45% (or roughly 40W) reduction power consumption compared to other models. No word on a price, unfortunately, but the Flatron W2252TE will apparently be available in the UK this August.

[Via Smart Planet, thanks Adam]

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Glass keyboard concept opts for cameras instead of keys

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310603667/

Filed under: Peripherals

While we can't say it's our notion of an ideal keyboard, we've still got to admire designer Kong Fanwen's ability to throw any sense of practicality to the wind and ditch the whole idea of keys with his new "No-key Keyboard" concept. In the place of that tried and true typing mechanism, this keyboard would instead make use of a camera and the "latest motion capture technology" to watch your fingers' movement and capture all the right keystrokes (ideally). On the upside, that'd apparently make the keyboard fully waterproof, and it'd apparently come with some snazzy lighting options to help you find those non-existent keys in the dark.

[Via Pocket-lint]

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Gigabyte M528 Atom-based MID gets $750 price and release timeframe

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310630691/

Filed under: Handhelds

Gigabyte M528

Just when we though Tegatech's Gigabyte M528 MID would run a scary $1131, Gigabyte has come out and said that the unit will run a somewhat more palatable $750. That includes the hardware only, so the SIM and 3G data plans will be completely up to you. But, keep in mind this unit packs an 800Mhz Menlow processor, GPS, and 8GB SSD. As for when you can grab one, it's looking like late July in Taiwan. Hit the read link if you're still with us and want to pre-order this naughty little MID.

[Thanks, KC]

[Via The Gadgetsite]

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Panasonic debuts "hybrid lighting" Pa-Look compact fluorescent bulbs

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310686560/

Filed under: Household

LEDs may be snagging the majority of light bulb headlines these days, but Panasonic's apparently found some room for improvement with compact fluorescents, with it now proclaiming that its new Pa-Look Ball Premium Q bulbs boast the world first "hybrid lighting method." That apparent innovation consists of a "Quick Lamp" at the center of the bulb, which helps the bulb reach 60% brightness in half the time a conventional compact fluorescent takes, and then shuts off automatically once the bulb has reached full brightness. You'll apparently have to make do with 54 watts of brightness to take advantage of all that, however, not to mention live in Japan.

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Researchers create music... with their minds!

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/310707321/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

G-Tec's thought control hat has been out there making people look silly for some time now, but a group of researchers at Goldsmiths, University of London have now put it to a somewhat more unique (but equally silly-looking) use. As the BBC reports, they've effectively turned the device into a musical instrument, with the wearer only required to think about a note as they flash on a screen in order to play it. It's apparently not quite a foolproof solution just yet, with it currently only able to play the correct note about six out of eight times, but the researchers see plenty of potential applications for the system, including helping composers struck down with multiple sclerosis or other physical disabilities. Hit up the read link below to check out a video demonstration.

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