Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Addonics' USB-to-NAS adapter: all your external HDDs, now network accessible

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/addonics-usb-to-nas-adapter-all-your-external-hdds-now-networ/

Storage junkies, your dreams have just been made into reality. Addonics has just introduced a marvelous new piece of kit, the simple-yet-useful Network Attached Storage Adapter. This little box enables any USB hard drive to be placed onto a network for network access, essentially turning your stale USB HDDs into NAS drives. The device supports both SMB (Server Message Block) and the open source Samba network protocols, which allows for cross-platform access of shared data for most versions of OS X, Windows and Linux. For users not directly connected over the LAN, the adapter provides FTP access for up to eight simultaneous users anywhere in the world, and it can even be used as "a print server or as a BitTorrent file downloading appliance." Best of all? It's available right now for $55. Like we said, dream come true.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Addonics' USB-to-NAS adapter: all your external HDDs, now network accessible originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/ge-frees-cfl-lighting-from-the-tyranny-of-ugly/

Was it Arthur C. Clarke who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic? If he was correct, it would follow that GE's new Energy Smart CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulb is most magical. A true product of "ecomagination" (their word), the imagineers (Disney's word) at GE have taken the their tried and true CFL hardware and housed it in the form factor of a traditional light bulb. Of course there are already a vast number of options for homeowners wishing to go green on the lighting front, but we're hard pressed to find something that works across the board in traditional lighting fixtures (at least without looking awful as it does so). The product gets its national outing at Target on December 28, and starts popping up at more retailers over the coming months. To tide you over until then, we've provided some earth shattering video after the break.

Continue reading GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly

Filed under: Household

GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple and AT&T bring back iPhone home activation

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/apple-and-atandt-bring-back-iphone-home-activation/

Online shoppers looking to spend the holiday season firmly planted on the couch can add the iPhone 3G back to their lists -- we've just confirmed that Apple and AT&T have quietly brought back in-home activation. Sure, it's been available in limited circumstances before, but now it's here and for real, just like with the first-gen unit. Would-be unlockers looking to score a phone for $199 flat can't start celebrating just yet, though -- you'll still have to provide your billing details and face an ETF if you don't activate within a set period of time. Oh well -- at least it's convenient, right?

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Filed under: Cellphones

Apple and AT&T bring back iPhone home activation originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tsutaya online video portal to allow HD-to-optical disc burning

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/tsutaya-online-video-portal-to-allow-hd-to-optical-disc-burning/

For all the digital download pundits who are quick to harp on the "limited viewing window" of downloadable material, chew on this. In a move that can only be described as "miraculous progress," Japan's own Tsutaya has somehow twisted the arms of four US film companies in order to allow HD content to be recorded to Blu-ray Discs or other optical media (up to two times) for later viewing. Initially, the Tsutaya TV on acTVila will have around half of its library (412 titles and growing) available for burning, and while details are somewhat fuzzy, we are told that HDTV video can be exported "without down-conversion" to BD-Rs, DVD-Rs and iVDR-S media. Of course, AACS protection will be applied, but this is infinitely more convenient than that whole Qflix disaster. Better still, we're told that future improvements will include down-converting HD content for use on portable devices (think Digital Copy), and it's anticipated that the downloadable films will be available day-and-date with hard copy releases. The rub? Each film will cost around ¥3,675 ($40), so for now, you're still better off heading to the store. Still -- focus on the progress, people, progress.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Tsutaya online video portal to allow HD-to-optical disc burning originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JVC's new Everio camcorders feature HDD and microSDHC recording, YouTube

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/11/jvcs-new-everio-camcorders-feature-hdd-and-microsdhc-recording/

It looks like JVC has added a pair of dual hard drive / microSDHC cameras to its Everio lineup. Currently available in Japan, both the GZ-MG840 (60GB) and GZ-MG860 (120GB) count among their features 720 x 480 wide format image capture, 42x optical zoom, image stabilization and the seemingly ubiquitous YouTube mode. Shooting at DVD quality, the 120GB model can hold over 28 hours of MPEG-2 footage, or just shy of 2 hours on an 8GB microSDHC card. Available in blue, red, or silver, the cameras are not yet slated for Stateside release, but the GZ-MG880 has been seen going for ¥75,000 ($816), while the GZ-MG840 can be yours for about ¥70,000 ($761).

[Via Electronista]

Read - GZ-MG840
Read - GZ-MG880

Filed under: Digital Cameras

JVC's new Everio camcorders feature HDD and microSDHC recording, YouTube originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

The Savvy Shopper's Guide to This Year's Online Deal Finders [Online Shopping]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4bsaHZveWiM/the-savvy-shoppers-guide-to-this-years-online-deal-finders

With all the belt-tightening going on in this economy, it's no surprise that coupon codes and deal finders—especially for online shoppers—are the hottest tools on the web right now. With only a week or so left to finish your online holiday shopping in time for the packages to show up at your door before the 24th, it's time to fill those virtual carts and get to hitting "Checkout." Before you do, make sure you're getting the best price possible using this year's latest crop of deal finders, price comparators, and clever product search engines. Photo by Thomas Hawk.

Deal Finders

Most deal search engines work the same way: You enter the product you're looking for and in some cases, the price point, and they return any better deals in their index, no email address required.

BeatMyPrice.com (our full review) looks up products on sale at a better price than an existing listing that you enter. Made by the same folks who brought you coupon-finder RetailMeNot (which is integrated into BeatMyPrice.com's results), BeatMyPrice.com combines user-entered prices as well as product listings across the web.

GotoDaily (our full review) is a straightforward coupon search engine. Enter a store web site or keywords and GotoDaily will list coupon codes and deals to be had; users can remove codes that don't work or add new codes that aren't listed.

BeatThat! (our full review) is a community-driven deal search engine which indexes deals and coupons across the web and also gets entries from site users. Dedicated deal hunters can actually make money at BeatThat!, which pays its members for submitting deals that meet a certain criteria.

FreeShipping.org (our full review) rounds up free shipping coupons for over 600 stores online from the Gap to Macy's and Target and Home Depot and Land's End. Search by store or item to find free shipping coupon codes before you hit the "Purchase" button.

Price Drop Notifiers

Most price drop notification systems watch items you enter over time and email you when it goes on sale. While they'll all assure you that they'll never sell your email address or use it inappropriately, the paranoid can set up a spare free web mail account (like at Gmail) or use the Gmail + trick with your existing address to filter notification email and make sure it doesn't invite spam.

ShoppingNotes.com (our full review) is a straight-up online price watcher. You enter the URL of a product online that you want to get at a better price, and ShoppingNotes will email you a price drop notification up to a number of days you specify (like, until December 20th).

ZingSale (our full review) is another straightforward email price drop notification tool. Enter your desired product and your email address, and ZingSale will trigger a message when it goes on sale.

Savvy Circle (our full review) is a wishlist and price drop notification service. You add items from a wide range of specific stores to your Savvy Circle account's wishlist, and it watches those items in those stores and emails you when the item goes on sale.

Shop It To Me (our full review) scours the internet for sales on clothing brands and accessories you specify from Adidas to Louis Vuitton, and sends you an email digest of the latest deals on those brands online. Correction: Shop It To Me doesn't focus on sales at brick-and-mortar locations, as first stated. Apologies!

Price!pinx (our full review) tracks price drops at any site and offers a handy bookmarklet to do just that. Give Price!pinx your email address and add items to your watch list by hitting the !pinx button on your toolbar.

Lesser-known Product Search Engines, Reviews, and Recommendations

While your favorite store's search engine, or Google, or Amazon.com might turn up most product results, a few new search engines that offer clever twists on gift-finding are also available this year.

The Pogue-o-matic is a fun, interactive product guide to choosing the best tech gear for your circumstances. Made by our favorite New York Times tech columnist, David Pogue, you choose what item you're looking for—digital camera, smartphone, TV, camcorder—and answer a series of simple questions about what you ! need spe cifically in that item. Then Pogue tells you his recommendation based on your responses. Meant more for gadget newbs than anyone else, gamer nerds will still enjoy a classic Easter egg hidden in the app that Gizmodo uncovered.

Like.com (our full review) finds items that look like another based on an image. Upload a photo of those snazzy and expensive shoes and Like.com will send you an email of similar, discounted results.

Amazon Mobile for the iPhone (our full review) looks up any product on Amazon.com that you snap a picture of with your iPhone; similar to previously mentioned SnapTell.

PleaseDressMe (our full review) is a t-shirt search engine that makes finding items for your hipster internet-savvy cohort easy, aggregating snarky tee's from the likes of Threadless, Busted Tees, and other specialty vendors in one place.

GoodGuide (our full review) gets your green on this holiday season with a product database of information categorizing each item on how socially, health-conscious, and environmentally responsible it is.

ReviewGist (our full review) displays users reviews from across the web in easy to scan graphs, and can even compare products side-by-side, great especially for tech gear purchases.

If Amazon's your online storefront of choice, check out our Top 10 Amazon Power Shopper Tools. For more time-tested online shopping techniques, check out our guide on how to become an online power shopper.

What deal finders and product search engines have netted you the best deals this holiday season? Tell us about 'em in the comments.

Samsung's Solution to Coming LCD Sales Drop? Making Your TV Obsolete [Samsung Tech Forum 2008]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/INAoeWMGSOQ/samsungs-solution-to-coming-lcd-sales-drop-making-your-tv-obsolete

According to Samsung, by 2010, the majority of people who want an LCD TV will have one, and after that, they expect sales to drop sharply. Their solution? Entice buyers with radically new, must have technology.

Today at the Samsung Tech Forum, JunHyung Souk, vice president of display R&D, thinks that television revenues could decline considerably after 2010, falling by as much as 40 percent. Souk thinks that LCD TV sales have reached a point where they can't possibly grow anymore and a new innovation is needed to keep buyers in their pocket. As such, he revealed a number of areas Samsung is looking to for a boost, including 3D display technology, OLED and personal device concepts, including folding LCDs, and paper-like displays. However, 3D aside, there is no word as to when any of these technologies will actually reach the consumers

In addition, other Samsung speakers touched on future plans for display technology. VP of R&D, HyunSuk Kim, predicted that ultra-high definition displays (2160p) would be in retail markets by 2011, and mentioned off-hand the development of a dual display TV technology, which involves using a smaller displa! y device to control a large, flat panel LCD. He also feels that 3D content will really gain steam in the second half of 2009, noting that content offerings were beginning to surface in many areas. [Samsung on Giz]

Nokia E63 review: just about what you'd expect it to be

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/nokia-e63-review-just-about-what-youd-expect-it-to-be/

Just a few days ago we got our mitts on the QWERTY Nokia E63, and now Mobile Burn's got a full-on review of the device. They think the phone's attractive for its price, and are particularly fans of its feel and contacts system, while the obvious drawbacks -- lack of GPS and HSDPA, plus a less powerful camera than its predecessor, the E71 -- are not enough to make it feel totally cheap. The E63 is essentially not surprising in any way, but it's also not a disappointment, and the reviewer seems to be pretty impressed with the device overall. Video of the review after the break.

Continue reading Nokia E63 review: just about what you'd expect it to be

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia E63 review: just about what you'd expect it to be originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD Phenom II processor gets outed, might even be released

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/amd-phenom-ii-processor-gets-outed-might-even-be-released/

Apparently, AMD has officially announced the release of its Phenom II processor -- though if they did, they forgot to actually, you know, announce it. According to EE Times, the quad-core, 45nm chip is said to support DDR2 and DDR 3 memory (the latter up to 1333MHz) and is available at both 3GHz and 2.8GHz speeds (for $275 and $235, respectively). If that's not exciting enough, a 65nm (DDR2) version of the chip is also availabe. The article winds up by saying that the chips are expected to appear in systems on display at the upcoming CES. Sound good? Now all we need is an actual, official announcement. Like, from the chip maker itself. We're looking at you, AMD. Call us. You have the number.

[Via Register Hardware]

Filed under: Desktops

AMD Phenom II processor gets outed, might even be released originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumored Intel roadmap names next Atom "Medfield"

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/rumored-intel-roadmap-names-next-atom-medfield/

Rumors are swirling about Intel's roadmap of forthcoming netbook and handheld processors, which apparently showed up in a recent report by UBS. The roadmap seems to confirm the previously seen Pineview, and codenames its successor "Medfield," which is to be built on 32-nanometer process technology. Pineview, after some speculation, seems to have been nailed down as a 45-nanometer chip, and will be released in 2009, while Medfield, a complete system-on-chip, will follow in 2010. Medfield will have two variants, one for netbooks rumored to use the current integrated GPU, and one for MIDs, which is said to carry a PowerVR graphics core like the one used in the iPhone. Intel has apparently confirmed the codename "Medfield," but, when questioned, wouldn't answer to allegations that the person who'd come up with the moniker had been fired on grounds of being the least creative namer in the history of naming.

[Via Tech Digest]

Read - Medfield is the next Atom
Read - Intel's 32 nm Atom roadmapped

Filed under: Laptops

Rumored Intel roadmap names next Atom "Medfield" originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious new Nokia touchscreen interface and handset unveiled (sort of)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/mysterious-new-nokia-touchscreen-interface-and-handset-unveiled/

In a presentation given at Nokia's Capital Markets Day 2008 last week the company quietly displayed a previously unseen handset, complete with an edge-to-edge touchscreen and subtle, attractive stylings. Perhaps even more interesting is that the screen is sporting an all-new heretofore unseen S60 touchscreen interface, giving hope to folks let down by S60 5th Edition's minor changes to the formula. Unfortunately, Nokia hasn't made any other reference to this phone or the revised OS, and could have very well trotted them out as a proof of concept of the company's direction -- particularly likely due to the fact that they were trying hard to butter up investors at the meeting. Still, the "Tube" started off as little more than a presentation (complete with hints at interface improvements that have yet to emerge), and look how that ended up.

[Warning: PDF link; via Boy Genius Report]

Gallery: Nokia Capital Markets Day Presentation highlights

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Mysterious new Nokia touchscreen interface and handset unveiled (sort of) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blurry pics of T-Mobile branded Samsung "Memoir" cameraphone emerge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/blurry-pics-of-t-mobile-branded-samsung-memoir-cameraphone-eme/

We love nothing better than a good blurry photo around here to add a little dose of vague confusion to the rumor mill. These two artistically hazy snaps are purported to be of a US-bound T-Mobile Samsung Behold-style phone with an 8-megapixel camera. Tmo News is also reporting that it's going to run on Touchwiz, the same UI as the Behold, and that it's called the Memoir. We don't have any other details for now, but we'll let you know as soon as we see a fuzzy scan of a semi-redacted press release.

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Blurry pics of T-Mobile branded Samsung "Memoir" cameraphone emerge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adapter weds Leica lenses to Micro Four Thirds cameras -- for real, Heidi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/adapter-weds-leica-lenses-to-micro-four-thirds-cameras-for-re/

The German outfit Novoflex has just announced an adapter that will allow you to mount Leica lenses onto your Micro Four Thirds system cameras. Due out this month at €149 (about $193), the mount is one in a planned series, with adapters for Leica R, Nikon, Contax / Yashica, Olympus OM, Pentax and Minolta MD lenses expected in February. Of course, the only MFT camera out there is Panasonic's Lumix G1, but with a new Olympus on the horizon and more sure to follow, this is certainly good news for all of you budget-conscious photographers out there.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Adapter weds Leica lenses to Micro Four Thirds cameras -- for real, Heidi originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OpenCL 1.0 spec released, GPUs everywhere to get a workout

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/opencl-1-0-spec-released-gpus-everywhere-to-get-a-workout/

How time flies -- it was just a few weeks ago that the OpenCL spec was finalized and sent out for final legal review, and now it's here and ready to go. Over 20 partner companies (including AMD, NVIDIA, and, somewhat surprisingly, Intel) have signed on to the parallel programming standard originally proposed by Apple as part of Snow Leopard, and the final spec should allow apps to tap into multi-core CPUs, GPUs, DSPs and even variants of the Cell chip for everything from raw number crunching to interfacing with OpenGL. Sounds hot -- now we'll just have to see how Microsoft counters with the GPU acceleration expected to be built into Windows 7.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

OpenCL 1.0 spec released, GPUs everywhere to get a workout originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple rumored to be turning iTunes into a DRM-free music store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/08/apple-rumored-to-be-turning-itunes-into-a-drm-free-music-store/

We can't count the number of times we've heard from one random source or another that Apple was about to pull the trigger on a subscription-based / 100% DRM-free music service, and given how those have worked out in the past, we'd highly recommend taking this one with a huge dose of salt. French site ElectronLibre has it that Apple will finally offer up all of its music in DRM-free form starting as early as tomorrow, specifically calling out Sony, Universal and Warner as outfits who would join the protection-free cause. Should this happen, it would obviously be a dream come true for ole Steve, but we're still left to wonder what would happen to bitrates, prices and (potentially most important) all other iTMS content. Something tells us Hollywood isn't quite as ready to release its death grip.

[Via AppleInsider]

Filed under: Portable Audio

Apple rumored to be turning iTun! es into a DRM-free music store originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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