Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/shuttle-intros-atom-330-suse-linux-packin-x270v-nettop/

Go 'head, Shuttle -- break on out of that shell! The company notorious for pumping out the same barebone rectangle with a different model name and a few extra ports has finally seen fit to do something a touch different, and what we're dealt is the X270V. This so-called Mini-PC relies on Intel's 1.6GHz Atom 330 to push the computations, while up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM keeps things in order. There's also gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel audio, a PS/2 connector for the retro folks, six USB sockets and VGA / DVI outputs. Shuttle also claims this bugger is energy efficient, though it doesn't go into great detail about just how much it'll save you each month. Oh, and it also comes loaded with openSUSE 11 (a Linux flavor, for those unaware). Interested? Move to Europe and plop down at least €299 ($390).

[Via Slashgear]

Gallery: Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop

Filed under: Desktops

Shuttle intros Atom 330, SUSE Linux-packin' X270V nettop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/18/video-epsons-multitouch-x-desk-is-your-next-coffee-table/

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Continue reading Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

Filed under: Displays

Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/18/prox-dynamics-black-hornet-nano-copter-gets-demoed-on-video/

Prox Dynamics' PD-100 "Black Hornet" nano-copter has already gone through a number of different prototypes and test flights, but it looks like things have really started to come together with the last few models, and the company has taken advantage of the opportunity to show off their progress in a couple of videos. One of those shows a "simulated" indoor mission, in which the 15 gram copter scouts out a nondescript office building whilst some suitably dramatic music plays in the background. The other, slightly more interesting video demonstrates how the two latest models are able to handle themselves in flight, and hold up against some obstacles, like the always problematic flapping clip board. Head on past the break to check 'em out for yourselves, and hit up the link below for some more information about the copter itself. Oh, and watch the skies, people. Very, very closely.

Continue reading Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Prox Dynamics' Black Hornet nano-copter gets demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, April 17, 2009

IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/ibm-samsung-globalfoundries-and-more-looking-to-beat-intel-to/

Sure, Intel's one-upping AMD in the 32nm department, but IBM and its merry band of Technology Alliance members -- including Samsung, STMicroelectronics, and AMD chipmakers Globalfoundries -- are looking to ramp up the competition and develop even smaller, low power 28nm processors before Intel gets a chance to size down. The group additionally promises migration plans for companies who've got 32nm on their roadmap and want to maybe shrink a few of the later, already planned models. Early risk production for the 28nm chips are planned for second half 2010, which means it's very unlikely we'll be seeing them in consumer gadgets until at least 2011.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

IBM, Samsung, Globalfoundries, and more looking to beat Intel to 28nm market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressive Trailer Shows Why You'd Want a Philips 21:9 Cinema LCD [Philips]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/kBfx31DyWxQ/impressive-trailer-shows-why-youd-want-a-philips-219-cinema-lcd

Although the video itself, entitled Carousel, is pretty phenomenal, the premise is strange. It's supposed to be selling us on the idea that you NEED 21:9 to see some films correctly. Not quite.

It's true, you'd fill up the entire Philips Ultra-Widescreen with picture on a 2.40:1 movie, but you're just exchanging having black bars on the top and bottom when you're watching movies with black bars on the side when you're watching TV. You don't actually "miss" any of the action.

But still, that's a pretty awesome video, and that's a slick looking TV. [Philips Cinema and Beam.tv - Thanks Dave!]

I'm Officially a Fan of 'Light Art Performance Photography' [Art]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/z_mOtyx3vFw/im-officially-a-fan-of-light-art-performance-photography

At first, I misread the phenomenon as LARPing , the pastime for aspiring night elf mohawks. Now I've realized the acronym reads "LAPP."

These photographs were captured through what at least one group of awesome Germans are calling Light Art Performance Photography. Practically, all that means is long exposure photography capable of transforming a dot of light into a solid string when moved. The performance aspect is, presumably, that these photos are acted out in one continuous shot.

We've seen the same photographic phenomenon in Sprint commercials, or even in the recent Light Writer iPhone app. But the work we see here is exceptional—a stunning artistic statement with a remarkably analog sensibility. You can see lots more by following the link below.[LARP via Gearfuse]

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/sciphone-dream-g2-adds-wifi-to-the-android-kirf-madness/

Months later we're still thrilled at the discovery that the original Dream G2 doesn't run the free and open Android OS, but instead a carefully built, stylus-driven clone. Well, SciPhone's Dream G2+ followup continues in that noble tradition, running with some tweaked looks and the addition of WiFi on top of what looks to be that same Android-cloning interface. It's pretty thrilling stuff, and not at all bad for the $185 asking price.

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/allosphere-three-story-virtual-environment-not-available-for-bir/

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are developing an immense, wholly immersive VR environment that would allow groups of researchers the opportunity to explore their data aurally and visually on a scale never before seen. The AlloSphere is a three story metal sphere housed in an echo-free chamber, large enough that twenty researchers can stand on a bridge and take a walk through an atom, for instance, or a human brain. The project relies on a supercomputer for generating real-time, high-res 3D video and audio streams from a mountain of scientific data, and currently the team is hard at work building the bad boy's computing platform and interactive display. The project leader JoAnn Kuchera-Morin has yet to state whether or not the sense of smell would be incorporated into the finished product, but we sure hope not -- that would be rather distracting, don't you think? Check it out on video after the break.

[Via TED]

Continue reading AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs

Filed under: Displays, Science

AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Public rage stalls Time Warner trials of consumption-based internet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/public-rage-stalls-time-warner-trials-of-consumption-based-inter/

Time Warner's new data capping broadband scheme was never expected to win any popularity contests, and the details of its plans are so frustrating, that this probably should not come as a surprise. Regardless, it looks like the company's plan to further roll out testing of the consumption-based billing method has been foiled, or at least stalled, because it couldn't find enough customers to participate in the testing. TWC had planned to test in several locations, including San Antonio and Austin, Texas, but the response has apparently been so negative, and there were so many complaints, that the company has "delayed" the trials until October. So... maybe if we keep moaning about it the plan will be abandoned altogether? Here's to hoping, anyway.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking

Public rage stalls Time Warner trials of consumption-based internet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer AspireRevo: the Ion-infused unboxing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/acer-apire-revo-the-ion-infused-unboxing/

We just tore the packaging off of Acer's new AspireRevo nettop and dove into its Ion-powered goodness. The computer is in many ways a product of NVIDIA's designs, since the Ion-powered nettop reference platform has been a part of the Ion ecosystem for a while, and this Revo apple doesn't fall from the NVIDIA tree. Still, Acer had to go ahead and build the thing, and it's a pretty great package all-in-all. We're still in the preliminaries -- the HDMI didn't work out of the gate, but after swapping back and forth a few times with the VGA plug we were in business -- and we're playing with a potentially buggy "engineering sample," but hopefully we'll be able to pull together some cohesive impressions on the thing, and play a bit of Spore while we're at it. It's already obviously the fastest Atom-powered device we've played with, and while it still pretty much chokes on Hulu and that whole "multitasking" concept, we're pretty pleased so far.

Gallery: Acer Apire Revo: the Ion-infused unboxing

Filed under: Desktops

Acer AspireRevo: the Ion-infused unboxing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/samsung-comes-clean-with-self-encrypting-ssds/

It seems that Dell jumped the gun a wee bit by shedding some light on Samsung's forthcoming self-encrypting SSDs, but now Sammy is providing us with all the missing details... er, most of them, anyway. In conjunction with Wave Systems, Samsung is launching what it calls an industry first with its new line of solid state drives. Said devices are able to automatically encrypt information as it's saved to the drive, and they each come bundled with Wave's EMBASSY management software. At least initially, these super secure SSDs will ship in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB flavors, and while we're told that the whole lot is available now "through at least one major OEM," there's no specific mention of price. Shocker, we know. The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs

Filed under: Storage

Samsung comes clean with self-encrypting SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 to retail for $880, Touch Diamond2 for $725

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/unlocked-htc-touch-pro2-to-retail-for-880-touch-diamond2-for/

HTC's been pretty coy with pricing on the Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2, but now that units are starting to trickle out overseas, the numbers situation is getting slightly clearer. HTC's just announced that an unlocked Pro2 will set Singaporeans back S$1,328 ($887), while a Diamond2 will hit 'em up for S$1,088 ($726) -- a little more than in Taiwan, but probably close to what we'll see off-contract in the States. A little rich for our blood, though -- let's hope T-Mobile cleans the goo off soon.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones

Unlocked HTC Touch Pro2 to retail for $880, Touch Diamond2 for $725 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Symbian ports its platform to Atom, just for the heck of it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/symbian-ports-its-platform-to-atom-just-for-the-heck-of-it/

Companies and enterprising individuals have been dabbling with the tantalizing concept of slapping Android on a cheap netbook for months now, and seeing how Android and Symbian could end up locked in a heated battle for the hearts and minds of the open-source mobile platform world, it stands to reason that the boys and girls at the Foundation would want to counter the OHA's every move. Some good people in the S60 On Symbian Customer Operations group (try fitting that on a business card) have managed to compile and run an S60-skinned Symbian build on one of Intel's Atom reference boards, showing a stock S60 screen and an OpenGL demo -- which, as you might imagine, runs circles around the performance of a garden-variety S60 handset. To quote the Foundation's boss, "I was most impressed with the responsiveness of the UI and upper application layers" -- the only question left to be answered is whether there's a place in the world for a Symbian-powered netbook.

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Symbian ports its platform to Atom, just for the heck of it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psystar Open(3) manages to ship, gets unboxed by lucky customer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/psystar-open-3-manages-to-ship-gets-unboxed-by-lucky-customer/

Take a good look at the box above, folks -- it just might be the first, the last and the only Open(3) you ever see. Psystar's latest Mac clone, which was launched right around a month ago, has miraculously managed to ship out (or, at least one has). If you'll recall, the company has been battling with Apple for months on end for selling OS X-equipped machines without Cupertino's blessing, but apparently it's still doing at least a bit of business under the table. Hit up the read link for a Flickr gallery full of this here slap in the face. It's good stuff, trust us.

[Thanks, Mike]

Filed under: Desktops

Psystar Open(3) manages to ship, gets unboxed by lucky customer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/16/kyocera-shows-off-preposterous-beautiful-eos-folding-oled-phone/

We're big fans of reality and feasibility, we swear, but something like this "EOS" concept phone Kyocera was showing off at CTIA is just too good to pass up. The handset folds up into what could roughly be described as a wallet shape, but folds out into two configurations: portrait QWERTY mode (pictured), and full-on widescreen OLED display (after the break). Samsung was showing similar screen-folding folding abilities, but a much less impressive handset, at CES. Things get even wilder, tough, with Kyocera envisioning shape memory keys that can morph flat when not in use, and a kinetic charging method based on piezoelectric generators and Mary Poppins. Sure, our great grandkids are going to have a good laugh at us for thinking this is lovable, but they always were a bunch of theoretical brats. Kyocera plans on implementing some of the concept ideas into its "near future" lineup of devices. We'll see how that pans out.

[Via Inhabitat, photo courtesy of Jeffrey Sass]

Continue reading Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

Kyocera shows off preposterous, beautiful EOS folding OLED phone concept originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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