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Saturday, May 23, 2009

PureDepth ramps up production of "Multi-Layer" 3D displays

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/22/puredepth-ramps-up-production-of-multi-layer-3d-displays/

PureDepth has been talking up its "Multi-Layer" 3D display technology for quite some time now, but it looks like the displays should finally be rolling out en masse, with the company announcing that volume production of its new 12.1-inch displays was slated to begin this week, which follows those first few 20.1-inch displays that wound up in slot machines. For those not up to speed, the displays themselves make use of two LCD screens placed a few inches a part, which lets them display three dimensional images without the need for special glasses and, according to the company, without the headaches often associated with 3D setups. It also looks PureDepth is getting increasingly confident in the technology and its future, and it's now even gone so far as to establish a Japanese arm of the company that it hopes will help it garner a bigger foothold in the country.

Filed under: Displays

PureDepth ramps up production of "Multi-Layer" 3D displays originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo cellphone does 720p video recording

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/22/hitachis-mobile-hi-vision-cam-wooo-cellphone-does-720p-video-re/

While it won't be the first handset to capture 720p video (hello, OmniaHD!), Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Woo is still apt to garner quite a bit of attention. As the leaked images hosted down below show, this clever flip phone packs 1,280 x 720 video recording, a 5 megapixel sensor, HDMI interface and a microSDHC slot for good measure. A generous tipster has informed us that said phone is slated to launch this coming Monday on KDDI, though we fully expect that envious North Americans won't ever get to toy with one on their home turf. For shame.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo cellphone does 720p video recording

Filed under: Cellphones

Hitachi's Mobile ! Hi-Visio n Cam Wooo cellphone does 720p video recording originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Philips SPC1330NC webcam reviewed: high quality but not exactly high speed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/philips-spc1330nc-webcam-reviewed-high-quality-but-not-exactly/

Philips SPC1330NC webcam reviewed: high quality but not exactly high speed

If you're still Skyping in VGA you need to get with the times, brotherman. Two megapixel webcams are where its at, and according to the review at Register Hardware, the £70 ($110) Philips SPC1330NC delivers. It'll interpolate up to eight megapixel stills if you want to play pretend, its f2.0 aperture gives it great low-light performance, and a stereo mic puts it ahead of the competition, like Microsoft's mono-tastic LifeCam Show. Overall the chromed cam earns high marks, only disappointing by not delivering its advertised 90fps max speed until the resolution is dropped to decidedly sub-VGA resolutions. But, unless you plan on kung-fu chatting, chances are you can get by with less.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Philips SPC1330NC webcam reviewed: high quality but not exactly high speed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12TB DVDs Could Be On The Way [Storage]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FvHrtUFpiOo/12tb-dvds-could-be-on-the-way

A storage density of 51MB per square centimeter? Whatever, standard DVDs. Australian scientists developed a new multilayer optical storage medium that can house data at 1.1TB/cm3.

Unlike existing DVD technology, the key to this data storage technique is the fact that multiple pieces of data can be stored in exactly the same location—up to ten layers deep. Each layer is filled with gold nanorods that are conditioned to respond only to particular types of light. When the storage medium is illuminated by a laser of a specific color and polarization, only the right nanorods are activated and read.

Though this is a giant step towards more effective data storage, scientists have yet to demonstrate this technique on a rotating disc. In addition, they predict that it will be a write once, read forever medium. [Ars Technica]

Intel's Next-Gen Atom Puts CPU and GPU on One Fun-Lovin' Chip [Atom]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/63hhmRYdNbQ/intels-next+gen-atom-puts-cpu-and-gpu-on-one-fun+lovin-chip

Along with its neato Moblin 2.0 netbook OS, Intel's also laid in more detail out what the next generation of Atom looks like—Pineview integrates the CPU, GPU and memory controller onto one chip, making the platform cheaper and less power-hungry overall.

As Ars' Jon Stokes points out, this is new territory for Intel that "arguably pushes Atom into SoC territory." It has some implications for Nvidia's Ion platform. Not only are Intel's graphics built into the Atom CPU, but Nvidia's probably going to have major problems from a price standpoint, since Intel can drop the cost of the Atom platform (which it sells for $25) down even further. Unbundling the Atom CPU—like to pair it with Nvidia's 9400m for the Ion platform—costs $45.

Never a dull moment in netbook land. [Ars]

QNAP rolls out 2.5-inch, Atom-based SS-439 Pro Turbo NAS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/qnap-rolls-out-2-5-inch-atom-based-ss-439-pro-turbo-nas/

QNAP's already stuffed an Atom processor into a few of its NAS devices, but it looks like the company is still only just getting started, and it's now rolled out yet another model in the form of the SS-439 Pro Turbo NAS. Like the similarly designated TS-439, this one will accommodate four SATA drives of your choice, although the SS-439 opts for 2.5-inch drives to keep the NAS even more compact. Otherwise, you can expect to get 1GB of DDRII memory in addition to that Atom N270 processor, along with support for RAID 0/1/5/6/5+hot spare configurations, three USB ports, two eSATA ports, and all the usual security measures you'd expect from a small business / SOHO-minded NAS. No word on pricing just yet, but it looks like this one should be rolling out to retailers right away.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

QNAP rolls out 2.5-inch, Atom-based SS-439 Pro Turbo NAS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft is desperate for gamers to adopt Windows SideShow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/microsoft-is-desperate-for-gamers-to-adopt-windows-sideshow/

Microsoft really, really wants to convince you that in the high stakes world of multiple displays, SideShow is the only way to go. To that end, the company has put together a little white paper meant to sell us on the idea of using their product to for extra screen real estate as you flail about Azeroth (or whatever it is that you do in your free time). And it's not like we need to be sold on the concept -- we love our Mimo as much as the next guy or gal -- but as wary as companies have been of this technology, we're guessing that it'll take more than some fancy Photoshoppin' to get hardware vendors on board. But who knows? Hit the read link to discover all of Microsoft's thoughts on the subject.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Displays

Microsoft is desperate for gamers to adopt Windows SideShow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Philips Lumiblade OLED lights arrive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/first-philips-lumiblade-oled-lights-arrive/

Philips has always pushed OLED lighting concepts, and it looks like the company's Lumiblade products will be the first to start shipping. The folks at OLED-Info got to play with some pre-production samples, and while they're definitely cool and impossibly slim, there are some notable drawbacks: the rectangular panel has some unfortunate "speckles," and overall they're just not very bright on their own, so you'll need quite a few for an actual lamp. Still, we've no doubt OLED lighting will soon be everywhere, so hit read link for a quick glimpse of the future.

Filed under: Household

First Philips Lumiblade OLED lights arrive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin America lights up entire fleet with in-flight WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/virgin-america-lights-up-entire-fleet-with-in-flight-wifi/

Hold up AirTran -- not so fast with those wild claims of in-flight WiFi superiority. If you'll recall, the aforesaid airline proclaimed that it would soon be the first to have its entire fleet doused with Gogo, but it looks like Virgin America has swept in to claim that title. We should point out just how unfair the challenge is, though: VA has 28 planes as of today, whereas AirTran has 136. At any rate, we're still thrilled to see airlines duking it out in order to get more WiFi to more fliers, and we fully anticipate that every new aircraft added to Virgin America's fleet will be lit from day one. Now, if only they'd allow Skype functionality for more than just an Oprah demonstration, we'd really be playing with fire.

[Via Gadling]

Filed under: Transportation, Wireless

Virgin America lights up entire fleet with in-flight WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Multicard-lovin' dual SATA HDD dock keeps the dream alive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/multicard-lovin-dual-sata-hdd-dock-keeps-the-dream-alive/

It's funny, really. Years back, we figured this SATA HDD dock was a one-off device that would get swept under the rug as quickly as it reached prominence. And yet, here we are in May of 2009 looking at the latest iteration of a product that won't ever stop reinventing itself. Brando's Dual SATA HDD Multi-Function Dock with One Touch Backup (yeah, seriously) doubles up on elder models by holding two 2.5- or 3.5-inch hard drives, and it also accepts a litany of flash cards. Lastly, this adds an eSATA connector to the traditional USB 2.0 socket for a bit more flexibility, but we still can't justify the $89 price if you already own a predecessor (or three).

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

Multicard-lovin' dual SATA HDD dock keeps the dream alive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer launches easyStore Home Server: 1TB expandable storage for $400

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/acer-launches-easystore-home-server-1tb-expandable-storage-for/

Acer's entering the home server market, and its first entry's gonna be the easyStore AH340-UA230N with built-in Windows Home Server. It's juiced up with Intel Atom 230 processor and 2GB DDR2 RAM, and in addition to 1TB of storage, you've got three 3.5-inch hot swappable bays for a possible total of 7TB of storage. Throw in some DLNA 1.5 certification and a $400 price tag, and you've got yourself pretty decent competitor to HP's MediaSmart lineup. According to the presser, it should be available sometime around now-ish. Mosey on after the break for a look at the its innards.

Continue reading Acer launches easyStore Home Server: 1TB expandable storage for $400

Filed under: Media PCs, Storage

Acer launches easyStore Home Server: 1TB expandable storage for $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 01:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer reportedly coming soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/sonys-400-disc-bdp-cx7000es-blu-ray-mega-changer-reportedly-com/

There's no doubt that Sony has a 400-disc Blu-ray Mega Changer on the cooker -- heck, we saw the thing last year at CEDIA -- but up until now, there's been no indication of its nearness to market. According to a vague Swiss product page and a report from Sony Insider, however, the launch date is indeed drawing near. If hunches prove legitimate, the BDP-CX7000ES will allow 400 of your favorite BD flicks to sit within a single console, and we've every reason to believe that this one will support BD-Live and actually load films with some amount of haste. You know, very much unlike the 200-disc HES-V1000 that's already out there. As of now, it's looking like the unit will run right around $2,300, placing it squarely in rarefied air and ostensibly out of reach for the vast majority of home theater junkies.

[Via Sony Insider]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Sony's 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer reportedly coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aussie whiz-kids can cram 1.6TB on a DVD-sized disc, go Outback tonight

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/aussie-whiz-kids-can-cram-1-6tb-on-a-dvd-sized-disc-go-outback/

Don't take it personally, Blu-ray -- we still love you and all, but there's just something dreamy about baking 1.6TB of information onto a blank piece of optical media we can actually afford. According to a new report, a crew of researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have exploited the properties of a certain gold nano-rod that will theoretically enable them to shove 300 DVDs worth of data onto a single disc. Calling the method "five-dimensional optical recording," the technique "employs nanometer-scale particles of gold as a recording medium," and according to developers, it's primed for commercialization. Essentially, these gurus have figured out how to add a spectral and polarization dimension, giving them the ability to record information "in a range of different color wavelengths on the same physical disc." As for the chances this actually makes it out of the laboratory and into the lives of real humans? Slim, Jim.

[Thanks, Sam]

Filed under: Storage, Science

Aussie whiz-kids can cram 1.6TB on a DVD-sized disc, go Outback tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 06:06:00 EST.! Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's N86 8MP cruises through the FCC's database

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/nokias-n86-8mp-cruises-through-fccs-database/

When Nokia unveiled its N86 back in February, we Yanks were given no hope whatsoever that a US release was in the cards. We're doing our best to stifle our excitement, but it sure looks like a stateside launch is a lot closer now that said handset has made its way through the dark and murky halls of the FCC. Seen here in a lovely, washed-out shade of black, the 8 megapixel, OLED-equipped dual-slider seems no different than the one we toyed with in Barcelona, save for the whole US-friendly aspect, of course. C'mon Nokia, come clean with the price and ship date, won'tcha?

[Thanks, eleminop

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia's N86 8MP cruises through the FCC's database originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 06:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic's Class 10 SDHC cards make the wait for SDXC easier

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/panasonics-class-10-sdhc-cards-make-the-wait-for-sdxc-easier/

A full 15 months after Panasonic dropped jaws with its 32GB Class 6 SDHC card, the company is hitting us up with another world's first. Announced today over in Europe, the outfit has revealed a new line of SDHC memory cards that boast a Class 10 speed rating. Said spec was recently given the green light as part of the SD Card Specification v3.0, and as you could likely surmise, the increase in transfer rates should enable the cards to better handle all that HD video your DSLR seems to be capturing these days. Still, the boost is relatively minimal (particularly compared to the forthcoming SDXC format), with Class 10 promising maximum speeds of 22MB/sec and Class 6 cards already offering top-end rates of 20MB/sec. Mum's the word on price, but Panny expects these to ship next month in the UK before heading to other markets sometime later.

Filed under: Storage

Panasonic's Class 10 SDHC cards make the wait for SDXC easier originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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