Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

SheevaPlug: A $99 Linux PC Crammed Inside a Wall Plug [Linux]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DVsyIRl2HRI/sheevaplug-a-99-linux-pc-crammed-inside-a-wall-plug

Think about it—an inexpensive Linux PC crammed inside a wall-wart plug. Something like this SheevaPlug could open up a whole new framework of managing and sharing data that could be accessible to the masses.

Inside the SheevaPlug you will find a 1.2GHz, ARM-based Sheeva embedded processor, 512Mbytes of FLASH, 512Mbytes of DRAM, gigabit ethernet and a USB 2.0 port. Plug it into a wall socket and bam—a fully-functional Linux server that can store digital media accessible remotely via the internet or function as a remote print or web server. Plus, it supports "multiple standard Linux 2.6 kernel distributions" and it operates on only 5-watts of power. So running and developing software for the platform should be easy (and there should be substantial savings on your power bill).

Currently, open source tinkerers can get the $99 SheevaPlug development kit on the Marvell website. Several products based on the design (like the Pogoplug) are expected to arrive in the near future with price tags ranging from $79-$99. Eventually, Marvell expects the price for these devices to dip below $50. [Marvell and WSJ via Tech Report via Slashgear]

Intel rips into NVIDIA's Ion platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/intel-rips-into-nvidias-ion-platform/

Intel and NVIDIA aren't exactly hiding their differences with each other these days, and it doesn't look like that's about to change anytime soon, especially when it comes to NVIDIA's turf-encroaching Ion platform. According to a document apparently now making the rounds in some circles, Intel not only says that NVIDIA is simply reusing an integrated graphics chipset designed laptops and desktops, which will "in turn leads to higher costs as well as high power consumption," but that NVIDIA is overstating interest in Ion from OEMs, saying that "as of this writing, no customer has publicly disclosed plans to design Ion-based products." Intel reportedly further goes on to say that "NVIDIA's Ion HD playback may not be as good as NVIDIA claims," and even if Ion is more powerful, "neither gaming nor video transcoding are relevant to netbook and nettop users." As if that wasn't enough, Intel closes things out by saying that since it'll be releasing its own update platform by the end of the year, "the window of opportunity for Ion is very short." Of course, there's still no indication that any of this will lead to a hard break between Intel and NVIDIA, although NVIDIA does at least now have VIA to fall back on.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel rips into NVIDIA's Ion platform originally a! ppeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BackupURL Takes Snapshots of Web Pages [Web Clipping]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/UNz5SEjVi-Y/backupurl-takes-snapshots-of-web-pages

Web page archiving site BackupURL takes point-in-time snapshots of web pages on demand—useful for capturing and sharing fast-changing web pages.

To create a snapshot, simply go to BackupURL, paste in the link to the page, and click the Backup button to generate the cached copy, which is accessible from an already-shortened URL. The web application is very simple, and the lack of information makes it questionable for long-term archiving, but it could be very useful for saving a quick copy of a constantly changing news site for sharing with others.

For a similar service with more features (although requiring a browser extension), check out previously mentioned Iterasi, or you can save a web page as an image with PageSaver.

BackupURL [via Download Squad]

Firefox Mobile (aka Fennec) Will Sync Tabs with Firefox on Your Desktop [Fennec]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/iZZVObCDIys/firefox-mobile-aka-fennec-will-sync-tabs-with-firefox-on-your-desktop

Mozilla Labs highlights a very cool feature coming to Fennec, the mobile version of Firefox: Fennec now syncs browser tabs with previously mentioned Weave, so you can easily access any of the pages you were browsing on your desktop installation of Firefox from your mobile browser. Handy! [Mozilla Labs]

CleVR Creates Photo Panoramas with Ease [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/vqZdaqpKJ1w/clevr-creates-photo-panoramas-with-ease

Windows/Mac/Linux: We've shown you how to stitch photos into panoramas once before, but with new Adobe AIR app and web site CleVR, you get dead simple drag-and-drop photo stitching and sharing tool.

To get started with CleVR, you'll need to sign up for an account at their web site and then download the Adobe AIR app. From there, just drag and drop photos into the stitching tool, define some hotspots, and start stitching. When you've finished your masterpiece, you can save your progress or upload and share the panorama. Very cool!

If you give it a try, share your results in the comments. CleVR is a free download for all platforms, requires Adobe AIR.

CleVR [via MakeUseOf]

XML Notepad 2007 is a Simple, Smart Editor for Web Code [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/UZOFgzF4FbQ/xml-notepad-2007-is-a-simple-smart-editor-for-web-code

Windows only: If you're delving into XML programming for the first time, or want to tweak a few software files, Microsoft's XML Notepad 2007 may be the no-nonsense editor you're looking for.

It's not a beginner's tool due to lack of features or context—we're just assuming that most full-time or experienced programmers have their own platform preference for editing all sorts of code. XML Notepad 2007 is themed around the same kind of just-the-text-ma'am simplicity of Windows' Notepad, but does add relevant features for markup language hacking.

The left-hand pane breaks an XML document into a tree view of classes, tags, and their key values. All the text is color-matched to its identifier on the left, and writing in Tree View allows you to leave all the tag containers behind. If you want to see what your raw XML looks like, click "XSL Output," and you'll see what Internet Explorer would see when checking out the file. Copying and pasting are modified to ensure the nodes you shuffle around keep their contexts, and, well, that's about it for basic features. There's more to find in XML Notepad, but nothing more is required to get started.

XML editing gives one all kinds of powers over a system. We've detailed how XML tweaking can get your Firefox passwords into KeePass, help you roll your own timeline, and, to get your next level-up, build your own Firefox extension.

XML Notepad 2007 is a free download for Windows systems only.

XML Notepad [via Online Tech Tips]

Elecom MicroSD Reader Is a Barely Noticeable Nub [MicroSD]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lj_10lXUmdw/elecom-microsd-reader-is-a-barely-noticeable-nub

Elecom's MicroSD USB reader takes advantage of the storage format's miniature size to ensure that the only thing poking out of your computer is a colorful— and dare I say stylish— little nub.

The MR-SMC03 is so small that it kind of looks more like a USB hole stopper than a media reader. To use it, you slip your microSD card into the top part of the usb stick and then plug it into your computer. It's available in cherry pink, Azuria pink, black and white for roughly $13... from Japan only for now. [Elecom via Gizmodo Japan]

AMD Phenom II Quad Core Reviewed: Great Today, But Tomorrow's Cloudy [CPUs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_nJDaFRVb2k/amd-phenom-ii-quad-core-reviewed-great-today-but-tomorrows-cloudy

Ars reviews AMD's latest quad-core, the Phenom II, against a barrage of Intel chips and finds that while it "puts AMD back on the map" against today's chips, AMD's got a "long-term problem." [Ars Technica]

OS X Running on a Sony Vaio P? [Unconfirmed]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/QPvMQ9cIqiI/os-x-running-on-a-sony-vaio-p

If this somewhat dubious photo is to be believed, a Pocketables.net forum poster has successfully booted OS X on a Vaio P. He claims that much of the hardware doesn't work yet, though.

As you know from our Dell Mini 9 Hackintosh guide, hardware support is everything-a netbook running OS X with no networking, sound or graphics at the native resolution is certainly no fun, which is why the Mini 9 is one of the best netbooks for Hackintoshing.

My first question with this photo is-where is the ~~task~~ menu bar? (thank you commenters for helping avert this horrible disaster this morning!) And why not release more detailed information on the process, Mr. DaHarder? Anyway, if this eventually pans out, the Vaio P would be a fun OS X machine. Fingers crossed. {Pocketables via BBG]

Forthcoming UMID M2 already dancing on M1's spotlight

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/23/forthcoming-umid-m2-already-dancing-on-m1s-spotlight/

In today's world, it's a pretty safe bet that revision two is already on the drawing board by the time revision one hits the market. That said, it's still somewhat embarrassing for UMID that we already have leaked proof that the M2 is on the way to replace the just-barely-official M1. Judging by a purported roadmap, the MID M2 will be smaller than 3-inches and will boast calling capabilities. Furthermore, it'll support HSPA, WiMAX and a slew of other wireless protocols (or at least some of 'em), but we wouldn't expect to see more of it until late 2009. Unless UMID wants to completely cannibalize sales of that M1, of course.

Filed under: Handhelds

Forthcoming UMID M2 already dancing on M1's spotlight originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SSD-equipped netbooks getting cheaper?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/23/ssd-equipped-netbooks-getting-cheaper/

We know, we know -- it's just the natural evolution of technology, right? With Intel just recently slashing the MSRP on its 80GB SSD, not to mention to scads of others ratcheting things down as well, it's not shocking to hear that SSD-equipped netbooks are becoming all the more affordable. DigiTimes has it that demand for SSD-based 8.9-inch netbooks in particular are clogging up sales channels, which is forcing companies to move them (at least in Taiwan) for lower-than-advertised amounts. Of course, we're still betting it takes a month or so before these elusive price drops make their way to America, but keep a close eye out for sudden discounts if you're in the market.

[Via GadgetMix]

Filed under: Laptops, Storage

SSD-equipped netbooks getting cheaper? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI X-Slim X340 hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/23/msi-x-slim-x340-hands-on/

Engadget Chinese managed to score some face time with MSI's new X-Slim X340 at a pre-CeBIT press event today, and we're seriously impressed -- just like the Atom-based X320, the X340 weighs just 2.8 pounds with a four-cell battery and 1366 x 768 13.4-inch screen, but it's got more horsepower with a ULV Penryn chip and GMA4500 graphics with HDMI out. Not bad, especially if this thing comes in under $1000 like we've heard -- we'll keep an eye out while you check out the rest of the pics in the gallery.

Gallery: MSI X-Slim X340 hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

MSI X-Sl! im X340 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Studio 15 with HD screen and Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics lands in Singapore

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/dell-studio-15-with-hd-screen-and-mobility-radeon-hd-4570-graphi/

We first caught wind of an updated Dell Studio 15 when drivers for a 1555 model with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics popped up on Dell's support site, and surprise -- Dell Singapore's gone and posted specs and pricing. The 1555 gets more than just a GPU boost to a 512MB 4570, it's also scoring a new 15.6-inch WLED 1366 x 768 screen, so you can actually watch some of that high-def media at an appropriate res. The basic config nets you all the new stuff plus a 2.4GHz P8600 Core 2 Duo, 3GB of RAM and a 250GB drive for S$1,599 ($1,044), which is actually a pretty stellar deal -- let's hope this bad boy makes it Stateside, and soon.

[Thanks, Karthik]

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Studio 15 with HD screen and Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics lands in Singapore originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI Wind Box DC100 hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/msi-wind-box-dc100-hands-on/

MSI was showing off its latest Wind Box at the same pre-CeBIT press event Engadget Chinese caught the X-Slim X340 at, and man -- looks like someone at MSI was studying up on the ASUS Eee Box. Nothing you don't know about the internals here: 1.6GHz Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, same as the other Wind Box -- but it's seriously tiny. No word on pricing or a US release date, but we'll keep an ear to the ground. One more shot after the break.

Continue reading MSI Wind Box DC100 hands-on

Filed under: Desktops

MSI Wind Box DC100 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Foam-infused Impress DIS.PLAY encourages touching

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/foam-infused-impress-dis-play-encourages-touching/

Move over Surface, we just found our next tabletop display. The aptly named DIS.PLAY beautifully merges the functionality of a touch panel with the allure of dimly-lit scenarios, and the inclusion of memory foam just makes it all the more sweet. In one usage scenario, we're told that objects could be put into motion with sound, and when a certain "shape" is mashed and deformed, the respective audio would bend along with it. Another instance showcased 3D modeling that could be varied by simply twisting the hand or intensifying a finger press. Check the demonstration video after the break, and grab your Tempur-Pedic pillow if you're looking to play along.

[Via KanYeWestBlog, thanks DellAppleFan24]

Continue reading Foam-infused Impress DIS.PLAY encourages touching

Filed under: Displays

Foam-infused Impress DIS.PLAY encourages touching originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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