Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Tron For iPhone's Multitouch Multiplayer Mode is Awesome: Four Hands, One iPhone [Video]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lXXNxdo4ndE/tron-for-iphones-multitouch-multiplayer-mode-is-awesome-four-hands-one-iphone

A well-implemented Tron for iPhone is cool enough on its own, but most impressive is this version's incredibly cool approach to multiplayer: a vertical splitscreen puts both players' hands in the game at once.

Credit goes to Japanese devs Pankaku, who have several other nice-looking music apps. The game's called Light Bike, and it's not in the store yet, but it will be soon—a free version is single-player only, and the multiplayer version (which can also play over wi-fi with up to four players—two on each phone) will cost a few bucks. [YouTube]

Windows 7 Beta takes another crown, besting Vista in SSD performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/windows-7-beta-takes-another-crown-besting-vista-in-ssd-perform/

It's no huge surprise, since Microsoft was planning on improving performance on this front, but now we've got some of our first solid numbers on Windows 7 Beta SSD performance. Nothing crazy spectacular, but Windows 7 looks to have a slight edge over Vista pretty much across the board, with better speed, access time and lower CPU usage -- not bad for a beta, let's hope things continue to improve as we approach "Microsoft would like your money for this" status.

Filed under: Storage

Windows 7 Beta takes another crown, besting Vista in SSD performance originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viliv uncovers gorgeous X70 Atom Communication MID

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/viliv-uncovers-gorgeous-x70-atom-communication-mid/

Maybe we're just hot for sleek, thin, ultra sexy renders of handheld computing devices, but we dare anyone to call the unit pictured above unsightly (and mean it). Shortly after showcasing its swiveling S7 at CES, Viliv has taken the wraps off of its X70 Atom Communication MID. The handheld comes stocked with a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 CPU, a 7-inch WSVGA touchscreen, your choice of a 30GB / 60GB hard drive or an 8GB / 16GB SSD, Windows XP or Linux, a battery good for six hours of continuous movie playback, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, an SD / SDHC card slot, optional WiMAX / HSDPA modules, stereo speakers, a USB port and a built-in microphone for good measure. There's nary a mention of pricing / availability, but we're almost ready to hand over whatever it takes. Almost.

[Via iTechNews]

Filed under: Handhelds

Viliv uncovers gorgeous X70 Atom Communication MID originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CherryPal calls its Bing netbook a nettop, can't win for losing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/cherrypal-calls-its-bing-netbook-a-nettop-cant-win-for-losing/

We know, these newfangled terms can certainly get confusing, but you'd think a company producing miniature laptops would do a little research before assuming that "nettop" is actually just another word for "netbook." CherryPal has made it exceptionally easy for us to joke on it by introducing the first nettop we've ever seen that actually looks nothing like a diminutive desktop. In fact, the eco-friendly Bing has a fold-up 10.2-inch LCD -- you know, exactly like a laptop. Inexplicably launched this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, the machine includes a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, three USB 2.0 ports, an SD / MMC / MS card reader, WiFi, dual speakers, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 0.3 megapixel webcam and a headphone jack to boot. Pricing is expected to hover around $250, but for a limited time, users interested in an actual nettop (imagine that, right?) can snag the Bing along with the C114 PC for a grand total of $399.

[Via Liliputing]

Filed under: Desktops

CherryPal calls its Bing netbook a nettop, can't win for losing originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/18/verizon-launching-wireless-network-extender-femtocell-on-january/

Sprint had the jump on this by a few months with its AIRAVE, but Verizon's not far behind in bringing femotcells to the masses with its less-elegantly-named Wireless Network Extender later this month on the 25th. The little black box will puke out a cloud of CDMA covering up to 5,000 square feet of domicile with support for up to three simultaneous calls -- enough for you, the hubby / missus, and little Joey / Susie to all be yapping away at the same time. Like Sprint's solution, the Wireless Network Extender uses GPS to verify that you're not creating little tiny Verizon networks in Laos, Kenya, or Uruguay and plugs into the internet source of your choice via Ethernet. It'll be available in Verizon stores and online starting January 25 for $249.99 -- not a bad deal for Verizon, considering you're saving them the expense of erecting a tower.

Gallery: Verizon launching Wireless Network Extender femtocell on January 25