Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Second Bulb, Insects Beware!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/mSLXT6XPr40/

If you still have incandescent bulbs, then I will now beat you with a silly stick. Fortunately for you here’s one more way to get use out of those archaic bulbs. The Bulb Hugger is a thermally charged light that wraps around any incandescent. Whenever your incandescent turns off or if the power goes out, the secondary light automatically turns on for up to 5 hours. If you’ve got these bulbs outdoors, an upper ring containing insect repellent vaporizes from heat, keeping bugs away.

Designer: Arpan Maiti

LogMeIn App Allows Remote Access of Your PC or Mac via the iPhone or iPod Touch [IPhone]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/s9sqNQ52btE/logmein-app-allows-remote-access-of-your-pc-or-mac-via-the-iphone-or-ipod-touch

LogMeIn has taken their awesome remote access desktop app and ported it to the iPhone and iPod Touch—allowing one click control of your PC or Mac from anywhere.

The guys at TUAW gave the LogMeIn Ignition app a thorough test and discovered that it was stable and worked exceedingly well on Wi-Fi and 3G. You can even use EDGE in a pinch. And it was a lot easier to configure than other free or low priced VNC solutions. However, there is one very big downside. The $30 price tag makes it one of the more expensive apps in the store—a small price to pay for support pros that could make use of the anytime, anywhere access, but probably a bit pricey for the casual user. [LogMeIn and TUAW]

Win 7 Tip: Gadgets Are Integrated Directly onto the Desktop, But Are Slightly Buggy [Windows 7]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PFMbkoz2jrI/win-7-tip-gadgets-are-integrated-directly-onto-the-desktop-but-are-slightly-buggy

Windows 7 has eliminated the Windows Sidebar and instead has placed gadgets (widgets) directly onto the desktop. They've also gotten rid of the Notes gadget and replaced it with a program called Sticky Notes. Updated.

Getting rid of Windows Sidebar has actually made using the gadgets less cumbersome than it was to use in Vista. Previously in Vista, the Show Desktop function would minimize the Sidebar program, so you wouldn't be able to see your gadgets. In addition, memory dumps and program crashes in Sidebar prevented you from using your gadgets completely.

Accessing the gadgets in Window 7 may seem like a mystery at first, until you right-click the desktop. In the drop-down menu, you should see "Gadgets," or as an alternative, you can access them in the Control Panel. In the beta, eight default gadgets come installed: Calendar, Clock, CPU Meter, Currency, Feed Headlines, Media Center, Picture Puzzle, Slide Show, Stocks and Weather. There hasn't been any major overhaul to the gadgets that come preloaded with Windows 7 themselves—they are just as customizable and function exactly the same as if they were in Vista. Not surprisingly, I had no trouble installing any gadget made for Vista from Microsoft's collection online.

Notes gadget is not installed by default—I was surprised to find it missing, but instead I found a program called Sticky Notes that is apparently intended to replace it. Accessible from the Start Menu under Accessories, the Sticky Notes will actually resize to its contents unlike the Vista gadget. It's an overall improvement, but the notes lack! the abi lity to customize your font and the ability to change the opacity. But it does bring Windows 7 up to OS X's Stickies in desktop-level sticky note functionality.

Even though the Windows 7 beta seems stable for the most part, there are a few quirks here and there and gadgets are no exception. The gadgets seem to be incompatible with certain User Account Control (UAC) settings. I didn't notice it until I turned my UAC settings completely off to do something and my gadgets disappeared. I turned them back on (and voila!) my gadgets came back. Seeing how UAC settings now seem to be directly involved with Administrator status (more to come on this), it's annoying to constantly reboot if you want your gadgets. Hopefully, Microsoft will fix this bug in the final release.

Update: Commenter Gank pointed out a solution to the gadget/UAC bug here (thanks Gank!). Also, Sticky Notes is apparently not a new feature, but a carryover from previous editions of Windows. That doesn't change the fact that the Notes gadget is still gone. Also, if you have a computer with any type of pen input, you can "ink" straight onto the notes as well (thanks Anthony!).

View our other Windows 7 tips and our continuing coverage here.

How Illegal Satellite Combated the Censorship of Obama's Speech in China [China]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/woyF8MqcrDI/how-illegal-satellite-combated-the-censorship-of-obamas-speech-in-china

While Americans had millions of ways to watch Obama's inauguration speech, here in China, I'm giving thanks for my one: gray-market Filipino satellite. Without it, I would've missed anything past where Obama muttered "communists."

Right now, satellite television is still technically illegal in China, thanks to a 1993 regulation that said only hotels, media outlets and apartment buildings that are specifically for foreigners are allowed to use satellite dishes. Because of that, there's no China-branded satellite company and most TVs come with just the smattering of local regional Chinese channels and, of course, the CCTV.

There's a way around it though. A gray market has popped up in most cities to provide satellite cable services – including cable boxes and regularly updated encryption cards – for anyone willing to pay. Roughly $300 a year will get you channels like BBC World and CNN, HBO and (my personal favorite) the Discovery Channel.

The cards catch satellite signals from the Philippines, which are usually good at not crapping out and give you the added bonus of occasionally glimpsing a crazy mirror world of good ol' American pop culture. Did you know the Philippines had a Project Runway of their own called... Project Runway Philippines?

But I digress. Illegal Filipino satellite equipment saved me from what local Chinese had to watch: The CCTV's live (up until a certain moment) broadcast of the President's inauguration address.

Oh crap! Did he just say "fascism and communism"?! CUT CUT CUT. Um... so, person translating the broadcast... uh... what kind of problems do you think Obama will be facing with regards to the U.S. economy?

The rest of the address was only broadcast later in government-approved snippets.

I suppose I should also take time to be thankful that I speak English, sin! ce trans lations of his speech also had offending parts edited out.

Early Windows Mobile 6.5 Leak Hints at New Interface, Zune Integration [Windows Mobile]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mllBPERKmEI/early-windows-mobile-65-leak-hints-at-new-interface-zune-integration

One of the obsessives at the XDA Developer forum has an early build of the OS for the old HTC Blue Angel handset. There's not a whole lot to see yet, but here's what matters:

These observations are taken from a video, viewable here.

There is a new interface! Sort of! The typical 6.1 home screen is still present at times, but there appears to be an alternate, Zune-like menu too. It's glitchy for the time being, but it looks like a step in the right direction, and like it runs significantly more smoothly than many of the third-party interface layers out there (Yeah, I'm talking about you, TouchFlo 3d). There are also a few new element skins—namely a new dialer, finally. The keyboard doesn't get shown off, but I'd assume that'll be changed too.
Zune integration is here, in a way. The aforementioned new menu doesn't just look and feel like the clean Zune UI we're all so used to, it contains icons for media playback at the bottom, including music and photos. Both had image previews in their entries, and there were specific music functions built into the first layer of menus. In other words, the default user interface for Windows Mobile will be usable as a media player.
Intertial scrolling is everywhere now. This might seem minor, but the psychological impact of smooth interface movements is huge. Grids of icons can now be thrown around, as can the contact list and web browser (though we saw this in the Mobile IE6 emulator).
There are a few other new, minor features seen in the video, but it's unclear which of them belong to Microsoft, which to HTC and which to random third parties (this is XDA, after all). And as I said before, this is probably ! a very e arly build and not totally representative of the final product. However, if these few improvements are anything to go by, the user experience will be markedly improved for users of WinMo 6.5, especially on touchscreen handsets. [WMPoweruser via Phonemag via SlashPhone]

DVR Remote Is Another, Better Way to Control TiVo With Your iPhone [Software]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FLnHdXQ-d2M/dvr-remote-is-another-better-way-to-control-tivo-with-your-iphone

Not long after we saw the App Store's first TiVo remote for the iPhone, we see its second, DVR Remote.

DVR Remote uses Wi-Fi to connect to TiVos on your network with a one-button command. I've tried out the $3 program, and even though it's $2 more than its competitor (which has recently been renamed RemoteT), it also feels far more polished with nicer graphics, instantaneous TiVo syncing and handy-looking Now Playing list that I couldn't spot in my build.

The iPhone isn't quite our ultimate universal remote, but with enough specific apps it could certainly get us a bit closer to the dream. [DVR Remote (iTunes Link)]

Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/obama-sported-bulletproof-suit-for-inaugural-proceedings/

Apparently, the Photosynth glitching and iPhone-like GPS blip on CNN weren't the only high tech actions in play at President Obama's inauguration yesterday. According to one of our favorite daily reads, Officer.com, the Prez was wearing "bullet-resistant clothing," which experts (and sci-fi fanatics) are taking to mean a bullet-proof suit. The folks over at Slate speculate that he might have been adorned in an outfit manufactured by MIguel Caballero, a Colombian company that specializes in bullet-resistant gear like leather jackets, windbreakers, and yes... ruffled tuxedo shirts. We'd like to imagine that stuffed into the pocket of that handsome outfit he was sporting was a Kevlar handkerchief -- but listen up Obama: Sasha and Malia are not going to be down with that bulletproof backpack.

Update: VBS.tv went down to Colombia and actually tested out Caballero's wares -- check out a video after the break.

[Via Wired]

Continue reading Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings?

Filed under: Wearables

Obama sported bulletproof suit for inaugural proceedings? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Adamo to hit the streets in the second half of 2009?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/dell-adamo-to-hit-the-streets-in-the-second-half-of-2009/

If the "reliable source" that spoke to Digitimes is, well, reliable, it looks like Foxconn has landed the Dell Adamo gig. According to the article, the sleek and stylish device is in sample production as we speak, but won't enter volume production until the second half of 2009 -- to the tune of about 400,000 units. Of course, this flies in the face of Dell's statement at the CES unveil, where a company spokesperson said that the thing would be out in the first half of this year -- and that's not the only contradiction here, as Foxconn's Edmund Ding has stated that "he has no idea what the hell anybody is talking about." (OK, so we paraphrased that last bit).

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Adamo to hit the streets in the second half of 2009? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair joins SSD party with 2.5-inch 128GB drive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/corsair-joins-ssd-party-with-2-5-inch-128gb-drive/

Corsair is entering the solid-state market with a 2.5-inch 128GB SSD. The MLC NAND-based drive boasts rather moderate 90MB/sec read and 70MB/sec write speeds. At £326 / $449, it's priced on par with OCZ's offerings, but you're still paying a hefty premium to say goodbye to hard disks. No word yet on availability. The company promises more SSDs are in the pipeline.

Filed under: Storage

Corsair joins SSD party with 2.5-inch 128GB drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/apple-records-another-record-quarter-1-61b-profit/

Apple just announced its quarterly results, and it looks the brutal economy isn't bruising the fruit at all -- the company posted a record $1.61B profit on $10.17B in revenue. Adjusted to reflect the subscription accounting Apple uses for the iPhone and Apple TV, that's $2.3B of income on $11.8B of revenue. Sales were all strong -- Macs were up nine percent to 2.5M sold, iPods up three percent to 22.7M sold, and iPhones were up 88 percent to 4.3M sold. If you're keeping track, that means Apple's now sold well over 10M iPhone 3Gs on top of beating its goal of 10M total iPhones in 2008, which is pretty tremendous. Acting CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer are taking questions from analysts now, we'll let you know if anything interesting happens -- as you'd expect, the first question was "How's Steve?" and it got basically a non-answer.

2:18PM - After rattling off Apple's core goals and beliefs, Tim Cook said that "regardless of who is in what job, those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well." Neither him or Peter would speak to succession plans or comment on Steve's health.

Continue reading Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops

Apple records another record quarter -- $1.61B profit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel readying 320GB SSDs?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/intel-readying-320gb-ssds/

Hot on the heels of the news that Intel's shutting down a big old manufacturing facility in the Philippines, we get a little unrelated ray of sunshine out of the company. We're hearing they'll apparently debut some new, 320GB solid states this fall, about doubling the capacity of its current models. None of this has been confirmed by Intel, of course, but the reports are that the company is telling PC manufacturers to expect them. That's all we've got on it for now but we'll let you know when something more concrete appears, okay?

Filed under: Storage

Intel readying 320GB SSDs? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei bringing Android smartphone to next month's MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/huawei-bringing-android-smartphone-to-next-months-mwc/

We already knew Huawei's gearing up to enter the Android smartphone market -- at least in Australia -- and now the company has confirmed plans to show its first device at February's Mobile World Congress. Unfortunately we don't know much else at the moment, but we expect to shed some more light on this next month. Additionally, the company says it'll be showing the world's smallest modem, the world's first commercial HSPA+ Stick, and a new digital photo display, among other surprises. We're hoping those known unknowns turn out to be more Android phones, but something tells us they wouldn't be so coy with that.

[Via Phonescoop]

Filed under: Cellphones

Huawei bringing Android smartphone to next month's MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Specs for HP's Mini 1100 pop up, ExpressCard/54 slot is a go

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/specs-for-hps-mini-1100-pop-up-expresscard-54-slot-is-a-go/

Looks like HP's web monkeys are filling in the product pages for those unannounced Mini 1100s we spotted earlier -- spec pages for the 1133CL, 1135NR, 1140NR and 1141NR have been posted, and those rumors of an ExpressCard/54 slot are apparently true. It sounds like the 1141NR is the Vivienne Tam edition -- it comes with a "Vivienne Tam sleeve" -- but apart from that and Bluetooth in the 1135NR and 1140NR, they've all got the same 10.1-inch 1024 x 576 display, 1.6GHz Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 60GB drive, and three-cell battery. No idea why HP's got so many different confusing model numbers for what seems like the exact same product, but we're guessing we'll find out more soon -- hopefully there's a bit more sense behind this silliness than with the Eee alphabet soup.

[Thanks, Ricardo]

Read - 1133CL
Read - 1135NR
Read - 1140NR
Read - 1141NR

Filed under: Laptops

Specs for HP's Mini 1100 pop up, ExpressCard/54 slot is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:29:00 EST. Please see our te rms for use of feeds.

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Adapt MPJ-101 pico projector: tiny, cute, available

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/adapt-mpj-101-pico-projector-tiny-cute-available/

Go ahead, you can admit it: you're really, really into picos -- the best of us are. Adapt's update to its pocket projector, the MPJ-101 -- which is nearly identical to the previous model -- shouldn't fill us with joy, but it does. This little (125 x 55 x 23 mm) monster's got 1GB of built in memory, an SD slot, and two .5 watt speakers. It projects up to 10 lumens of brightness at a resolution of 640×480 from around 6 to 50 feet. All this excitement doesn't come cheap, though -- expect to shell out about a thousand bucks for this teeny bundle of joy. Oh boy.

Filed under: Displays

Adapt MPJ-101 pico projector: tiny, cute, available originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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boxee mulls production of its own set-top-box

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/22/boxee-mulls-production-of-its-own-set-top-box/

boxee took full advantage of its space at CES this year, and according to a recent post on its blog, it fielded quite a few inquiries from other companies about crafting a boxee-branded set-top-box. Currently, the only way to get boxee running is to install it on your TV-connected PC or inelegantly onto an Apple TV. A number of companies approached boxee asking for its thoughts on embedding the application into "existing or future products," so the cats at boxee are coming right out and soliciting your opinion on the matter. boxee does caution that getting it baked into a device would take "a long time," but it certainly seems like that ball is rolling. So, what say you? Would you snap one up? Or would you balk at the notion of adding yet another STB underneath your television?

[Thanks, cros13]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

boxee mulls production of its own set-top-box originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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