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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Syba debuts RCG RC-VIS62002 pocket projector

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/syba-debuts-rcg-rc-vis62002-pocket-projector/

Its name may never be spoken aloud, but Syba's new RCG RC-VIS62002 pocket projector looks like it should at least get the job done for anyone in the market for a basic, not-quite-pico projector. As is par for the course with the more budget-minded models, this one packs a basic 640 x 480 native resolution (with "support" for XGA), along with a brightness rating of 10 ANSI lumens, a maximum projected image size of 40 inches from just over two feet away, and what seems to be the most basic of port selections: just VGA and composite. With a list price of $399, it's also not the cheapest pocket projector out there, but we suspect this one should see some discounts if and when it becomes more widely available.

[Via About Projectors]

Filed under: Displays

Syba debuts RCG RC-VIS62002 pocket projector originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing dongle explains itself

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/data-copy-and-internet-connection-sharing-dongle-explains-itself/

Every so often, one of these off-the-wall USB peripherals really does do something worth clapping about. Today, we're taking a look at one such outlier in the driver-free USB 2.0 Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing Dongle. While not fancy in design, this here device sure promises a lot. For starters, it enables data transfers between PCs to be handled easily and efficiently, but the real kicker is its ability to give the second computer the option of siphoning internet from the first. Sure, there are more legitimate ways of sharing one's signal, but when you're in pinch, who has time to fiddle with the Networking control panel? It's just $29, and it could save your life. Think about it.

Continue reading Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing dongle explains itself

Filed under: Peripherals

Data Copy and Internet Connection Sharing dongle explains itself originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony shows off its latest fuel cells and cola-powered batteries

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/sony-shows-off-its-latest-fuel-cells-and-cola-powered-batteries/

Sony shows off its latest fuel cells and cola-powered batteries

In two days the world's largest fuel cell exhibition, FC EXPO 2009, kicks off in Tokyo, and Sony will be there showing off the latest revision of its hybrid fuel cell technology. The system contains both a methanol fuel cell and a Li-on battery, enabling it to intelligently switch between power from the battery, fuel, or even both under high-draw circumstances. Sony will have two sizes on display: a portable model (above, with real leatherette lanyard) that could keep you talking on your celly for a week, and a heftier "interior" model that could do the same for a month. The company's even attached a bottle of methanol to a wireless speaker, resulting in infinite placement possibilities and a groovy light show to boot. If that weren't enough, the company will be demonstrating an updated, more efficient version of its sugar battery, which can be powered by plain 'ol Coca-Cola -- and you thought that stuff was only good for making your nephews run.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Sony shows off its latest fuel cells and cola-powered batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel launches shapely new CPUs for slim new laptops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/intel-launches-shapely-new-cpus-for-slim-new-laptops/

Intel launches shapely new CPUs for slim new laptops

Today's laptops are slim and trim (with some notable exceptions), and as smaller cases demand smaller components Intel is doing its best to keep up, announcing two new CPUs specifically designed for the "ultra-thin" notebooks. They are the 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SU9600 and 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500, both joining its existing line of consumer ultra low voltage (CULV) chips to create three tiers of efficient and dainty processors: Celeron, single-core, and dual-core. No word on where these chips will be first making an appearance, but we can think of one upcoming lithe lappy in which they'd be right at home.

Filed under: Laptops

Intel launches shapely new CPUs for slim new laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer's Aspire One trims the fat, upcoming slimmer model pictured

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/acers-aspire-one-trims-the-fat-upcoming-slimmer-model-pictured/

Acer's Aspire One trims the fat, upcoming slimmer model pictured

At just over an inch thick it's hard to think of a little laptop like Acer's Aspire One as being chubby -- but that doesn't stop us from looking longingly at other, skinnier options in the pipeline. Apparently aware of our wandering eye, Acer is set to release a thinner model that, according to speculation, will buck the netbook storage trend by being SSD-only. Beyond that little is known about this streamlined portable, but you can be sure we'll be keeping an eye out for more info -- between fleeting glances at other hot arrivals, of course.

[Thanks, Chris]

Filed under: Laptops

Acer's Aspire One trims the fat, upcoming slimmer model pictured originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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