Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

NVIDIA gets further up Intel's chuff with pledge to develop an x86 CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/nvidia-gets-further-up-intels-chuff-with-pledge-to-develop-an-x/

NVIDIA gets further up Intel's chuff with pledge to develop an x86 CPU

Hoo boy, we haven't seen a corporate case of Hatfield vs. McCoy like NVIDIA vs. Intel since, well, last month's little Apple vs. Palm tiff. While these two makers of all things silicon have rarely been on the best of terms, things have been rather testy lately with Intel slamming NVIDIA's Ion platform, complaints to which the company summarily dismissed. But, the GPU maker with big aspirations apparently wasn't done there, continuing the rebuttal by pledging to attack the core of Intel's business: the x86 processor. This verbal salvo was fired by Michael Hara, NVIDIA's VP in charge of investor and public relations, who indicated the company would start making CPUs for integrated devices like MIDs and netbooks sometime in the next two to three years. We can't say as we blame NVIDIA for wanting a piece of Intel's delectable Atom pie, but given how long we've been hearing rumors of an NVIDIA x86 CPU, we'll believe it when we see it. Maybe these two should just go ahead and set up the PR cage match already?

[Thanks,! Alex]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Laptops

NVIDIA gets further up Intel's chuff with pledge to develop an x86 CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG X110 finally reaching US soil before July

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/lg-x110-finally-reaching-us-soil-before-july/

Ever get the feeling LG's netbook sector has something against the US? The X110 has been out in Europe since September, and the X120 is scheduled to be joining it later this month. But across the pond? Zilch -- until now, at any rate. President of Mobile Communications Skott Ahn told Forbes that the X110 will be landing here with Uncle Sam's approval sometime before July for a cool $400 unsubsidized. With so much competition, however, isn't that a bit pricey? Since the company's yet to go through the official channels with this information, it could be subject to change. Either way, it looks like we'll find out soon enough.

Filed under: Laptops

LG X110 finally reaching US soil before July originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Custom Wire Management for Multi-Monitor Bliss [Featured Workspace]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4zUs-LzVQis/custom-wire-management-for-multi+monitor-bliss

Brian Connolly was tired of cramped desks and messy wiring, so he built his own desk and wire management system to have the spacious and tidy spread he desired. Pics, and full-view video, below.

Connolly put a good deal of planning into his setup before he dropped the hardware on it. The desk is constructed of a piece of wood custom-cut to size, floated above the tops of the two file cabinets with rubber spacers to keep the desk surface from sliding and scratching up the cabinets. Brian attached pieces of pine to the backs of the file cabinets to act as sliding tracks for two sheets of peg board. Taking a cue from our pegboard-as-cable-management-solution playbook, Brian mounted all of his loose cables and adapters on the boards to keep them off the ground and out of site. The peg board combined with a wire baker's rack next to his desk ensure that all his wiring and peripherals stay neatly stashed off his floor and desktop.

To get the full picture of how Brian's desk works, check out the video he shot and cut to show it off:

The second monitor to the left is hooked up to an HDMI switch box, which can quickly trade his computer view to his Xbox 360 for taking a well-deserved break now and then. His favorite use of the Griffin Powermate, the large silver knob on his desk, is scrolling quickly through his RSS feeds in Google Reader and for video editing when he's not catching up on his feeds. For more pictures of his build process, check out the links below.

If you have a workspace of your own to show off, throw the pictures on your Flickr account and add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell pool. Include some details abou! t your s etup and why it works for you, and you just might see it featured on the front page of Lifehacker.

Brian's Desk Build Process [Flickr]

JVC's new Everio X GZ-X900 does 1080p video, 9 megapixel stills, 600 fps slow motion

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/jvcs-new-everio-x-gz-x900-does-1080p-video-9-megapixel-stills/

JVC's new "Everio X" GZ-X900 camcorder is just what we like in a flagship device: incredible style, crazy specs, and awesome slow motion video of us slapping people. The GZ-X900 reworks the Everio line into a new brick-like form factor that's bordering on the shape of camcorders of yore, but JVC puts a nice twist to it, and the camera is obviously very compact. JVC used some "premium materials" in the construction and it really shows, but what's more exciting is the high-end 1080p resolution, with 1000 "TV lines" to sample from (it's not upscaling from a completely bum source like many compact camcorders). The unit also works as a fast-action still camera, for 9 megapixel shots at 15 fps, and 5.3 megapixel shots at 60 fps. What we're really wild about is the 600 fps slow motion, which operates at a 640 x 72 resolution -- you can get more pixels at slower frame rates. Unfortunately, none of this good stuff comes cheap: the camera hits retail in June for an even $1000.

Gallery: JVC's new Everio X GZ-X900 does 1080p video, 9 megapixel stills, 600 fps slow motion

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

JVC's new Everio X GZ-X900 does 1080p video, 9 megapixel stills, 600 fps slow motion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee Top now available for pre-order at Amazon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/asus-eee-top-now-available-for-pre-order-at-amazon/

ASUS Eee Top now available for pre-order at Amazon

Been looking for an inexpensive all-in-one to unify your life, something that your zombie slave Fido could use in the kitchen to look up recipes yet would also look equally good perched on a minimalist desk? ASUS's first Eee Top could fit the bill, and it looks to be very close to US availability with the appearance of a pre-order page on Amazon.com. The 15.6-inch touchscreen model has the standard 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of memory, and XP installed on a 160GB drive. Right now it's available in either black or white, and whether you're choosing the presence or absence of all colors you'll be asked to pay $599.99 -- naturally with free shipping available if you're not in too much of a hurry.

[Via Eee PC - Blog]

Filed under: Desktops

ASUS Eee Top now available for pre-order at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS debuts the Eee PC 1008HA "Shell" 10-inch ultraportable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/asus-debuts-the-eee-pc-1008ha-shell-10-inch-ultraportable/

ASUS has taken the wraps off its latest Eee PC, the 1008HA we heard was on the way to follow up on the S101. As far as anyone can tell -- ASUS is a little coy on specs so far -- the laptop harbors fairly traditional netbook specs and a netbook pricepoint, but the exterior is all new and rather attractive. The computer is 1-inch thick and weighs 2.4 pounds, with a curved, shiny plastic "shell" (ASUS calls it "pearlescent") to give a bit more luster than the average Eee PC. ASUS is including 802.11n, Bluetooth, 3G and WiMAX options, and packing in it Eee Sharing and Eee Arena software. We'll be looking to dig up more specs and some hands-on time with this unit this week at CeBIT.

[Via UMPCPortal]

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1008HA press shots

Filed u nder: Laptops

ASUS debuts the Eee PC 1008HA "Shell" 10-inch ultraportable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS announces stylish U/UX series ultra-thin laptops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/asus-announces-stylish-u-ux-series-ultra-thin-laptops/

Looking to add some allure to its portable lineup -- as if a model named Lamborghini wasn't enough -- ASUS has announced the U and UX series of ultra-thin laptops, expected to launch sometime in Q2. Both feature an illuminated chiclet keyboard and auto-adjusting LED backlit display. The U series also features a 15.6-inch glossy LCD and a touchpad that uses progressively fading lights to follow your fingertips. Under the hood, there's an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce G105M, up to 500GB HDD, and Altec Lansing speakers with SRS true surround sound. We don't have nearly as much information on the UX, unfortunately, but we do know it's sporting a slot-in optical disc drive. Full press release after the break.

Continue reading ASUS announces stylish U/UX series ultra-thin laptops

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS announces stylish U/UX series ultra-thin laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WD shoves four 2TB Caviar Green HDDs into ShareSpace NAS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/wd-shoves-four-2tb-caviar-green-hdds-into-sharespace-nas/

Remember those absurdly capacious 2TB Caviar Green hard drives that Western Digital pumped out earlier this year? If not, WD's hoping to jar your memory by cramming no fewer than four of 'em into its newest, most spacious ShareSpace NAS ever. The four-bay device is now being offered in an 8TB flavor, and it promises to deliver up to 30 percent faster transfer speeds than prior models and to support DLNA media streaming. As with before, this one also doubles as an iTunes music server and comes bundled with the company's own Anywhere Backup software. Other specs include gigabit Ethernet, RAID 0/1/5 capabilities, an email alert system in case failure is imminent, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets and a built-in FTP server. It should be ready to house all of your, um, old tax documents later this week for $1,699.99.

Filed under: Storage

WD shoves four 2TB Caviar Green HDDs into ShareSpace NAS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel intros specialized Atom for cars and other devices, outsources some Atom manufacturing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/intel-intros-specialized-atom-for-cars-and-other-devices-outsou/

We've already seen the Atom used in a few somewhat surprising places, but Intel now looks to really be making an earnest push to expand its base, with it introducing four new specialized Atom processors (and two new system controllers to go along with 'em) that it hopes will find their way into in-car devices, internet phones, and a whole host of industrial-strength applications. Relying on the same 45nm manufacturing process, the new Atom Z5xx series processors expectedly aren't too radically different from the average Atom, with them clocking in between 1.1GHz and 1.6GHz, and boasting a TDP rating of 2.0 or 2.2 watts, although they do have some "embedded lifecycle support" thrown in for good measure. In related news, Intel has also announced that it'll be outsourcing "some" Atom manufacturing to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (or TSMC), which apparently marks the first time that Intel has licensed its CPU core to a foundry.

Read - Press Release, "New Specialized Intel Atom Processor Targets Cars, Internet Phones"
Read - Physorg / AP, "Intel outsourcing some Atom manufacturing to TSMC"

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Intel intros specialized Atom for cars and other devices, outsources some Atom manufacturing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus' Micro Four Thirds camera launching this summer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/03/olympus-micro-four-thirds-camera-launching-this-summer/

We're not gonna get excited just yet, but Olympus has shown one of its cards at PMA , and it happens to indicate at least one of its Micro Four Thirds cameras will be hitting retail channels this summer. That jibes with a rumor we heard back in late January. From what we can tell, there's still a dearth of detail / specs on this hunk of retro hotness -- a shame, too, since it'd have pretty much every camera aficionado's attention right now. With several months to go, we get the feeling the company's gonna play this one close to the chest for a little while longer.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Olympus' Micro Four Thirds camera launching this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elecom's new TK-FCP004 ultra-slim keyboard is minimalism at its finest

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/elecoms-new-tk-fcp004-ultra-slim-keyboard-is-minimalism-at-its/

Pining for a numeric keypad, which Apple has so unceremoniously discarded, but can't bring yourself to pick the numeric version off a list? Do you have other personality problems, but appreciate good design? Do you live in Japan? Then Elecom's got just the thing for you, the new TK-FCP004 series ultra-slim keyboards. Rising a mere 0.57-inches off the ground, and sporting incredibly minimal aesthetics, we'd say Elecom has hit a real nerve here. The keyboard comes in silver, white or black, and hits Japan mid-October for 5040 yen after tax (about $50 US).

[Via Akihabara News]

Gallery: Elecom's new TK-FCP004 ultra-slim keyboard is minimalism at its finest

Filed under: Peripherals

Elecom's new TK-FCP004 ultra-slim keyboard is minimalism at its finest originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZillionTV brings ad-based streaming content to the television

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/zilliontv-brings-ad-based-streaming-content-to-the-television/

Just in case hooking up ZeeVee's ZvBox and getting access to all available online media is too difficult, there's ZillionTV. This admittedly interesting startup is looking to pick up where Hulu, ZeeVee, Netflix Watch Instantly and all the rest have left off by bringing true on-demand content to one's television (read: not PC or mobile device) for almost nothing. For a one-time fee of "under $100," users will be given a ZBar and a ZRemote, both of which enable interaction with the VUI interface. Put as simply as possible, ZillionTV is hooking up with ISPs, content producers and advertisers in order to bring loads of popular material to the TV sans a subscription, though you will have to watch ads (which are optionally customizable to preferences) in order to play along. The company asserts that SD quality content can be achieved with a 3Mbps connection, while HD material will need upwards of 7Mbps. Currently, a beta program is ongoing, but a nationwide launch is expected by Q4. To be frank, this whole setup is rather complicated, so we'll point you past the break for a more detailed breakdown.

Continue reading ZillionTV brings ad-based streaming content to the television

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

ZillionTV brings ad-based streaming content to the television originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS K Series laptops hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/asus-k-series-laptops-hands-on/

Hope you're still hungry for even more new machines from the kids at ASUS, 'cause we've got let another lineup to share. The recently launched K Series is aimed at those looking for a portable PC that can handle the basics, particularly ones who won't much mind how the thing looks. Don't get us wrong, the K Series is a perfectly fine looking machine, but it is pretty far left on the drab-to-exciting scale. That said, the 15- and 17-inch variants we saw seemed ideal for multimedia duties and the occasional bout with Microsoft Office, with the keyboard being extra spacious and ripe for typing at length. Of note, the K Series is the first laptop family to get equipped with AMD's ultra-fresh ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4860 graphics set, so yeah, there's that. Click around below for looks from every angle.

Gallery: ASUS K Series laptops hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS K Series laptops hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1008HA hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/asus-eee-pc-1008ha-hands-on/

While we initially assumed that ASUS' Lamborghini VX5 would be its sexiest laptop at CeBIT, now we're having second thoughts. After taking the wraps off of its downright stunning 10-inch Eee PC 1008HA yesterday, we spotted the bugger sittin' pretty today at the outfit's booth. Needless to say, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to snag a few snapshots and share 'em all with you. Much like the S101, the so-called "Shell" has very little "Eee" in its blood. In fact, you'd barely know it was part of the family without that descriptive placard sitting there beside it. ASUS engineered this one for fashionistas who'd like a little PC with their next style accessory, and everything from the glorious paint job to the ultra-clean lines screamed "gorgeous." Really, take a look below and see for yourself.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1008HA hands-on

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xandros announces Presto! instant-on Linux distro

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/04/xandros-announces-presto-instant-on-linux-distro/

We've always had a thing for instant-on OS environments like SplashTop, and now Xandros is looking to bring that concept to every laptop with Presto!, a new Linux distro that's said to boot in "seconds." The idea isn't so much to replace Windows as it is to supplement it -- you select between Windows and Presto at boot, you'll still have access to all your files, and you can even uninstall Presto from Add / Remove programs. Not a bad way to get your Linux feet wet, and Presto seems like it's pretty functional as well: Xandros already powers the Linux Eee PCs, and it sounds like Presto will run decently on similarly low-powered / older hardware. The stock install comes with Firefox, Skype, a media player and office suite, but Xandros is working on an app store, so you should have lots of other options soon. Sounds promising -- we'll see how it goes when the beta's released on March 16.

[Via GadgetMix]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Xandros announces Presto! instant-on Linux distro originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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