Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

AMD busts out world's first air-cooled 1GHz GPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/13/amd-busts-out-worlds-first-air-cooled-1ghz-gpu/

The last time a GPU milestone this significant was passed, it was June of 2007, and we remember it well. We were kicked back, soaking in the rays from Wall Street and firmly believing that nothing could ever go awry -- anywhere, to anyone -- due to a certain graphics card receiving 1GB of onboard RAM. Fast forward a few dozen months, and now we've got AMD dishing out the planet's first factory-clocked card to hit the 1GHz mark. Granted, overclockers have been running their cards well above that point for awhile now, but hey, at least this bugger comes with a warranty. The device doing the honors is the ATI Radeon HD 4890, and it's doing it with air cooling alone and just a wee bit of factory overclocking. Take a bow, AMD -- today's turning out to be quite a good one for you.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

AMD busts out world's first air-cooled 1GHz GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JVC Introduces Their First 8K Projector [Projectors]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bnopiuKaKVI/jvc-introduces-their-first-8k-projector

JVC latest projectors—one at 8K (8,192x4,320pixels) and the other at 4K (3,840x2,160pixels)—come with 10,000 lumens of brightness and produce a 5500:1 contrast ratio.

JVC has also created a prototype of their new 4K handheld camcorders, which shoot in 4240p and was made to be more of a broadcasting camera. Although release dates and prices are yet to be announced, they are rumored to cost under $200k, which is not that surprising considering that this cutting-edge technology is aimed more at professionals. [Akihabara New via CrunchGear]

Samsung Ships First 32GB moviNAND Chips (Translation: More Storage In Your Pocket, Sooner) [Memory]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/alwCfLemF8A/samsung-ships-first-32gb-movinand-chips-translation-more-storage-in-your-pocket-sooner

They're not the first major manufacturer to ship 32-gigabit NAND chips, nor are they the first to sell 32-gigabyte embedded cards. But they are the biggest, which means this step could have huge, fantastic consequences.

Papa Samsung does have a legitimate FIRST!! claim here, in that these moviNAND cards are the only ones to date to use 32Gb chips built on 30nm-class technology. This is only really exciting to the kind of people who go to work in a clean room and regularly wear anti-static bracelets, not consumers

The aspect of this announcement that actually means something to consumers is this: Samsung makes more NAND memory than any other single company, so when they ship a 32GB card intended for mobile devices, you can expect to actually see it mobile devices. And since many products (like the iPod Touch) carry two or more chips, that means 64GB portable devices will soon enter the mainstream. [Aving]

Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/sony-develops-worlds-smallest-hd-camera-module/

The tiny HD hits keep coming today -- first we saw eASIC's $5 integrated H.264 codec chip, and now Sony's crowing about the new MCB1172 HD camera module it claims is the "world's smallest." There's some pretty impressive tech packed into that tiny package: you're looking at an 8.3 megapixel sensor that can shoot 720p/30 video with image stabilization, face detection, high-ISO mode, and 120fps slow motion. Not bad for a piece smaller than a quarter -- hopefully we'll see this thing pop up all over soon.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android-based Alpha 680 netbook spotted in the wild

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/android-based-alpha-680-netbook-spotted-in-the-wild/

Still think an Android-based netbook is in your future? If the abysmal performance on video hasn't turned you off yet, maybe the fire-engine red paint job coupled with 90s-era carbon fiber accents will. What you see above is the first legitimate in the wild shot of Skytone's Alpha 680, and at a glance, we're marginally excited about the sizable trackpad and roomy keyboard. Oh, and the swiveling screen is a plus, too. Check the read link for a few more looks.

[Thanks, Neerhaj]

Filed under: Laptops

Android-based Alpha 680 netbook spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 10 TV tuner option coming this summer, Mini 10v goes hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/dell-mini-10-tv-tuner-option-coming-this-summer-mini-10v-goes-h/

While Dell originally mentioned a TV tuner option back when it launched the Mini 10 in January, it's still working on bringing the feature to market. The latest news is that the configuration will tack roughly $50 onto the price, includes an external antenna (which is only required in low-signal situations), and should be available "this summer." The couple of channels we saw in action seemed plenty good on the quality front, but nothing groundbreaking. Meanwhile, we also got a look at the new Mini 10v, which swaps HDMI for VGA, lacks the flush "glass" styling of the Mini 10 display, and bounces over to the Atom N270 processor. The version we were looking at included a 6-cell battery (a $30 add-on), which added a considerable amount of lift at the back -- it might be ergonomic, but it sure isn't pretty. Unfortunately the TV option won't be available for the 10v, so if you were holding out... maybe you should be spending more time with your family.

Gallery: Mini 10v goes hands-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Laptops

Dell Mini 10 TV tuner option coming this summer, Mini 10v goes hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer's DX900 and X960 WinMo smartphones now available

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/acers-dx900-and-x960-winmo-smartphones-now-available/

They're no F1, but Acer's rolling out a whole slew of Windows Mobile- and Android-powered smartphones this year -- and another gruesome twosome of the bunch is now hitting store shelves around the world. First up we've got the WinMo 6.1-based DX900, which really isn't much of a looker but packs the powerful punch of twin SIMs underneath its homely shell. Most dual-SIM devices top out at EDGE, but the DX900 takes it to the next level with triband HSDPA on top of quadband EDGE; you've also got a 2.8-inch VGA display, WiFi, 3 megapixel AF camera, and GPS, so if you're a two-line kind of individual, look for this one now around Europe and Asia. Next, the X960 ups the ante with HSUPA and 7.2Mbps maximum on the downlink, a revised 3D user interface, and a 3.2 megapixel cam -- it too should be populating Europe and Asia as we speak. Neither unit is going to be blowing minds, granted, but if it's any consolation, we're sure there are a few good hacked 6.5 and Android ROMs waiting for 'em.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Read - DX900
Read - X960

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Acer's DX900 and X960 WinMo smartphones now available originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 22:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

New in Labs: Google Search right in Gmail

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/GNjNRGcZOfs/new-in-labs-google-search-right-in.html

Posted by Adam de Boor, Software Engineer

I used to have a problem. People would ask me questions, over chat or email, and I'd have to leave Gmail to search Google for an answer. Then I'd have to select the answer, copy it, go back to Gmail and paste the answer into the chat window or my reply. Sometimes I'd get distracted and forget to go back to Gmail, and I'd have to go through it all again when I remembered what I'd been doing.

With the new Google Search experiment in Gmail Labs, my problem is solved. When you turn this feature on from the Labs tab under Settings, you'll see a new search box on the left side of your inbox, like this:

Type your search in, and a window (like a chat window, but a bit bigger) appears at the bottom of your screen with the first few search results.

You can click on a search result and it'll open up in another window (or another tab) so you can make sure it's what you're looking for. Once you're sure it's a result you need, moving your mouse over the result back in Gmail reveals a pull-down menu that lets you do stuff with the search result.

What's in the menu depends on what! you're doing in Gmail:

If you're reading a message, you can start a reply to the message with the search result as the first thing in your reply.
If you're writing a message, you can paste the result, or just the URL into your message.
If you're chatting with someone, you can send the result via chat.
You can also always compose a new message to send the search result.

If you have keyboard shortcuts turned on, typing g and then / will take you to the search box when you're not composing, and Ctrl + g will do it when you're composing (that's ⌘ + g for Mac users).

Like all things in Gmail Labs, we're going to be tinkering with it, so let us know what you think.

Oh, and one other thing: with all the stuff we've been adding to Gmail Labs lately, the left side of your account might be getting crowded. A lot of the people who've been playing with this new feature have found it useful to turn on "Navbar drag and drop" in Labs so they can move the web search box up to the top where it's easy to get to.

Intel reveals notebook and netbook plans for the rest of the year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/intel-reveals-notebook-and-netbook-plans-for-the-rest-of-the-yea/

Intel reveals notebook and netbook plans for the rest of the year

The netbook formula hasn't evolved much since its inception, still offering largely the same configuration and performance as it ever has. That likely won't change until the end of the summer, with Intel announcing that it's even thinking about retiring the newer Atom N280 processor and GN40 chipset entirely, leaving the older and more common N270 with its 945GSE as the main choice until September, when the new Pineview Atom chips might finally hit production. The company is also creating a whitebox N270-based 8.9-inch netbook that it's shopping around to resellers, again not doing any favors to fans of variety. Moving up to skinny 12- to 13-inch notebooks, Intel is still pushing its CULV architecture, and has its dual-core Calpella platform poised for inclusion in anything with a targeted MSRP of $1,200 and above -- and a release date sometime after the third quarter. That's a few months too late to catch the needy college freshman crowd, Intel.

Filed under: Laptops

Intel reveals notebook and netbook plans for the rest of the year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanyo's LP-WXU700 projector is first to stream HD video over 802.11n WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/sanyos-lp-wxu700-projector-is-first-to-stream-hd-video-over-802/

True, Sanyo's LP-WXU700 is limited to a WXGA (1280 x 800) pixel image. But it's still the world's first to transmit that video over 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0). Grabbing wireless video off your Vista PC is a snap thanks to the projector's Windows Embedded CE 6.0 software with Video Streaming Function that links back to Vista's Network Projector Function. Spec-wise we're looking at a 0.74-inch 3LCD panel capable of projecting a 100-inch image at a distance of 2.5 to 4-meters at 3,800 lumens with a 500:1 contrast ratio. Sanyo even tosses in a single HDMI jack in addition to the usual analog inputs. While, it's targeted at offices and schools, it wouldn't surprise us to see this ¥~~62,790 (about $642)~~ projector show up in make-shift home theaters and gaming rooms when it launches in June.

Update: Oops, dropped a 0 from the price. It's actually ¥627,900 or about $6,445 according to the native English press release -- but even that doesn't sound right.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Displays

Sanyo's LP-WXU700 projector is first to stream HD video over 802.11n WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/winfast-hpvc1100-is-worlds-first-external-spursengine-encoder/

Toshiba's Cell-based SpursEngine HD video co-processor has made plenty of appearances within monstrous gaming machines, but this marks the very first time where it has stepped out of the laptop chassis and into a portable enclosure. Granted, the language barrier is killing us here, but it seems as if the Leadtek WinFast HPVC1100 wraps a SpursEngine encoder into an on-the-go solution that can be lugged around with a standard laptop in order to churn through video while on set, in the field or on the road. Other specs include 128MB of RAM, a PCI-Express slot and a weight of 1.54 pounds; there's no word just yet on pricing or availability. One more shot is after the break.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Video

WinFast HPVC1100 is world's first external SpursEngine encoder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/samsungs-30nm-nand-chips-give-birth-to-32gb-memory-cards/

Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards

Remember the halcyon days of 2007, when Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" rocked the charts and Samsung revealed its 30-nm manufacturing process, promising a 128GB memory card in every digicam? We're still not quite there yet, but the company is finally releasing the first cards to utilize that manufacturing process, the biggest offering 32GB of storage goodness. That's twice the capacity of its 40nm cards, which never made it past the 16GB mark. 30nm moviNAND chips are in production now in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB sizes, and hopefully will hit retail before that 33 megapixel Mamiya we've had on order finally ships.

Filed under: Storage

Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JVC debuts 8K / 4K prototype camcorders, moviemakers drool

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/jvc-debuts-8k-4k-prototype-camcorders-moviemakers-drool/

Aw, snap. Just when you thought the 4K market couldn't get any more dominated by RED and the gang, along comes JVC to shake things up. For reasons unknown, the company has chosen now (and not a few weeks back at NAB) to unleash its prototype 4K and 8K camcorders, both of which boast D-ILA technology and can capture clips at a downright mind-blowing 8,912 x 4,320 or 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. There's also a more "compact" sibling which does 4K only, but even it provides plenty of pixels to zoom and pan in unprecedented clarity on. So JVC -- you, us, CEDIA 2009. It's a date, cool?

Update: More details here. Thanks, Geoff!

Filed under: Digital Cameras

JVC debuts 8K / 4K prototype camcorders, moviemakers drool originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/corsairs-speedy-p256-256gb-solid-state-drive-now-shipping/

Remember that then-named S256 we saw sneak out right around a month ago? Yeah, that bad boy's finally on sale, and it's shipping as we speak from a number of trustworthy e-tailers. Said SSD -- which now goes formally by P256 -- packs specially selected Samsung MLC flash memory and a sophisticated Samsung Controller IC, coupled with 128MB of cache memory and Native Command Queuing (NCQ) support for stutter-free performance. By the books, this one can reach speeds of up to 220MB/sec (read) and 200MB/sec (write), though you can bet you'll be paying for the haste. We're seeing it on sale for around $658 online, though Dell's listing shows a wicked steep $851.99. Either way, ouch. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

Filed under: Storage

Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Japanese Find Out How to Make Heart-Shaped Watermelons [Watermelons]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7NZRtyadFyQ/japanese-find-out-how-to-make-heart+shaped-watermelons

Having mastered the art of making square watermelons and even pyramid watermelons, Japanese farmers turned to making heart-shaped watermelons.

These 15,750 yen ($160) watermelons were grown by a couple and took three years to perfect down to the point where they were good enough to convince people to pay $160 for them. There's only 20 melons in this batch, but we're sure Mr. and Mrs. Hiroichi Kimura will grow more next season. [Asahi via Japan Probe via Inventor Spot via Boing Boing]

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