Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, June 12, 2009

The iPhone Is a Pretty Damn Big Platform to Develop Games For [IPhone]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yRyvk1AuN8M/the-iphone-is-a-pretty-damn-big-platform-to-develop-games-for

This is how the 40 million iPhones and iPod touches, a figure given by Apple at the WWDC Keynote, stack up against actual consoles.

Even though the iPhone has the distinct disadvantage of being a platform that's not purchased just for gaming—pretty much every person who buys a PSP buys it to play games, for example—it's still a pretty damn huge market. Combine this with the fact that the faster graphics support in the iPhone 3GS is going to make it a pretty damn good gaming device, you've got a juicy target for game developers to hit.

Note: sales data was taken from Wikipedia, and in some cases the figures are from as far back as March 2009. There shouldn't be a huge jump between March and May/June numbers, so it's close enough for the ballpark chart we're showing.

The Kindle DX Disassembled [Kindle Dx]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/suYk4M1UoPE/the-kindle-dx-disassembled

In this five-step tutorial, RapidRepair shows you how to carefully disassemble—and reassemble—your Kindle DX to get a closer look at its innards.

When dismantled, you can see that even when the power is switched off, the text is still clearly displayed on the front LCD. And, we knew the Kindle DX was thin—full review right here—but when taken apart, it's simply amazing how much gadgetry is shoved into it—six memory chips and a processor. Head over to RapidRepair for instructions and more photos. [RapidRepair]

Gang Uses Stolen Credit Cards to Buy Own Music on iTunes, Collects Royalties, Still Not Famous [Crime]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/2pOn_ehTgeE/gang-uses-stolen-credit-cards-to-buy-own-music-on-itunes-collects-royalties-still-not-famous

In what probably seemed like a two-birds-with-one-stone situation (before the arrest, we mean), a 9-member British gang used stolen credit cards to purchase their own music on iTunes and Amazon, then collected the royalties—an estimated $300,000 total.

The gang, made up of six men and three women, included one DJ who created the music. They then listed it on iTunes and Amazon and negotiated a pretty plush 40% commission for themselves before using stolen credit cards to purchase $750,000 worth of their music.

British police stated, "We will not know why they did what they did until we have conducted all the interviews," which confirms my suspicion that there is no crime, and possibly not even formal currency, in England. The scheme managed to inflate their almost certainly fragile musical egos and net a pretty penny at the same time, and the British police won't know why they did it until they ask them?

Unfortunately, the artist name they used hasn't been released, so I can't make fun of whatever clanging noise they passed off as music. Apple and Amazon helped the police track down the culprits, who are currently being held in jail. [Times UK]

Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/archos-announces-archos9-windows-7-tablet/

Archos is currently having an event in France, and while we're still expecting some sort of Android announcement, the company's leading off with the Archos 9, a nine-inch Windows 7 tablet. It's basically a netbook in tablet form, with an Atom Z515 processor, 80GB disk, Bluetooth, and dual DVB-T antennas -- yep, Archos has brought back the UMPC. No word on pricing or availability yet, we'll let you know.

Update: Sounds like a 1.2GHz processor -- not exactly a rocket, but probably adequate for a stripped-down Windows 7 build. We're also hearing September / October availability, in line with Windows 7, and a €450 ($633) pricetag.

Update 2: So much for our hopes -- the event is now over and no Android announcements were made. Charbax from techvideoblog (who is at the event) says we'll see more info on September 15.

Update 3: As you'd expect, ArchosLounge is on the scene and they've nabbed some hands-on pics. Check a couple after the break -- we think it looks sort of gigantic, but maybe that's what the world's been waiting for.

[Via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos rolls out Archos 10s, Archos 13 laptops, Classmate-based student PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/archos-rolls-out-archos10s-archos13-laptops-classmate-based-st/

Archos's new Windows 7-based Archos 9 tablet may be the headliner at today's event in Paris, but the company's also taken advantage of the opportunity to expand its laptop / netbook offerings, which have so far been confined to one. Those include the previously announced Archos 10s "MiniPC," which hangs onto some mostly identical specs to the Archos 10 but packs 'em in a slimmer and lighter package, and the all new Archos 13 (pictured above), which is a full-fledged 13-inch ultraportable with a 1.2GHz Celeron ULV processor and some fairly standard specs across the board. As if that wasn't enough, Archos has also partnered with France's Ministry of Education to make a Classmate-based laptop available to students in the country, which will also include a one-year subscription to an online course service for about $400. Still no word on price for the Archos10s, unfortunately, but it'll apparently be available later this month in both three-cell and six-cell versions, while the Archos13 will run about $800 when it rolls out closer to the end of the summer.

Read - Archos 10s
Read - Archos 13
Read - Archos Press Release [Warning: PDF link]

[Thanks, @charbax]

Update: ArchosLounge has already made the rounds of the event and provided a few hands-on pics of all the goods. Head on past the break for a quic! k look a t the Archos 10s and Classmate PC, and hit up their site for some more shots and details.

Continue reading Archos rolls out Archos 10s, Archos 13 laptops, Classmate-based student PC

Filed under: Laptops

Archos rolls out Archos 10s, Archos 13 laptops, Classmate-based student PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 3 8GB touchscreen PMP launched

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/archos3-8gb-touchscreen-pmp-launched/

Not much detail on this yet, but Archos just announced the Archos 3 touchscreen media player. The 8GB device has a three-inch touchscreen and will do 14 hours of audio playback, as well as photos and voice recording. We're waiting for pricing and availability, we'll let you know.

Filed under: Portable Audio

Archos 3 8GB touchscreen PMP launched originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six-core Intel Nehalem processors in the works?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/six-core-intel-nehalem-processors-in-the-works/

It's a bit of a whisper on the wind, but bit-tech says Intel's got six-core Nehalem processors in the works for later this year. The chips are said to be compatible with existing Nehalem mobos, so you crazy builders out there will be able to just drop it in and go. If you've got the scratch, of course -- pricing hasn't been revealed, but we'd expect the new part to be more expensive than the quad-core Core i7 975, which runs about a grand.

[Via TrustedReviews]

Filed under: Desktops

Six-core Intel Nehalem processors in the works? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm debuts touchscreen-based FinePix Z300 camera

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/fujifilm-debuts-touchscreen-based-finepix-z300-camera/

Fujifilm has laid a little low since it stormed into CeBIT and PMA with its latest slate of cameras, but it looks like it's now back to slowly trotting out new models one at a time, like this just-announced FinePix Z300. As you can see above, this one stays fairly close to the previous Z200fd model in terms of design, with the notable exception of a touchscreen on the backside that seems to replace just about every button but the bare essentials. Otherwise, you can expect the same 10-megapixels and 5x optical zoom as before, along with image stabalization, an apparently improved macro mode, ISO settings up to 1600 and, of course, your choice of four different colors. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but folks in Japan will be able to pick this one up on June 20th for ¥40,000, or just about $400.

[Via Impress]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Fujifilm debuts touchscreen-based FinePix Z300 camera originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this T-Mobile's Samsung Bigfoot with Android, AMOLED, and QWERTY?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/is-this-t-mobiles-samsung-bigfoot-with-android-amoled-and-qwe/

So this really doesn't look anything like that Bigfoot we saw a little while ago, but we can sorta see the familial resemblance if we squint really (really, really) hard. According to Boy Genius Report, what we're looking at here is allegedly Samsung's Android-powered Bigfoot for T-Mobile, said to be attacking the high end of the carrier's smartphone line thanks to a 3-inch capacitive AMOLED display, full QWERTY, 3 megapixel camera, and naturally, HSDPA. If we had to guess, this is probably a newer version of the same product concept that we'd seen in that roadmap a few weeks back -- Sammy probably started with its Beat DJ (or an Ocean 2) and worked backwards from there to get to the retail version they wanted to launch. We're told it'll launch "like, really soon," so would-be G1 or myTouch 3G buyers might want to hold on for a hot second.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Is this T-Mobile's Samsung Bigfoot with Android, AMOLED, and QWERTY? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/mitsubishis-3d-ready-and-unisen-hdtv-lines-in-the-flesh/

Toshiba already showed us what its freshest line of HDTVs looks like, and now its Mitsubishi's turn. The outfit was on hand in NYC to showcase a few of its now-shipping sets, including the 3D-ready Home Theater line and its speaker-infused Unisen crew. We won't bore you with the specs (which can be found here and here, respectively), but we will confess that the 82-inch WD-82737 has us squirming uncontrollably. Have a peek yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD plans 'Congo' chipset for a future world of thin-and-lights, dodging netbooks for now

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/amd-plans-congo-chipset-for-a-future-world-of-thin-and-lights/

Just like your mom keeps telling you, AMD thinks netbooks are a bit of a fad, and is laying down a roadmap for thin-and-lights while keeping its distance from any sort of "Atom killer." The existing Yukon platform -- featured in HP's dv2 -- just got an upgrade in the form of a dual-core AMD Neo chip, but things will really start to get exciting later this year with the introduction of Congo, which will pair a dual-core Neo with much better graphics and a more modern chipset. Perks in Congo, which is based on the M780G chipset and sports ATI Radeon HD 3200 IGP graphics, include hardware decoding for HD formats, DirectX 10 gaming, love for DisplayPort, HDMI and eSATA, and Hybrid Graphics potential for pairing the integrated chipset with discrete graphics. The hope is to compete well against Intel's CULV and NVIDIA's 9400M in the low-cost thin-and-light space, and if the price stays down and performance pans out, Congo just might.

Filed under: Laptops

AMD plans 'Congo' chipset for a future world of thin-and-lights, dodging netbooks for now originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/video-archos-9-pctablet-resisitive-touch-screen-impresses/

Archos attempt to resurrect the UMPC category of devices got off to a good start yesterday in Paris with the launch of its 16-mm thick Archos 9 pctablet -- a 8.9-inch 1024x600 pixel tablet riding an 800MHz or 1.2GHz Atom Z515 processor, 1GB of memory, up to 120GB disk, webcam, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g WiFi, and SIM card slot for WWAN connectivity. Archosfans just posted a video of the Archos 9 prototype in action and honestly, that resistive touch-screen looks pretty damn impressive to finger taps. However, since it's running Windows 7, a full-blown desktop OS, you'll still need to pull out the included stylus on occasion to interactive with the Windows 7 UI or applications designed for a mouse and keyboard. Fortunately, the Archos 9 offers an optical mouse on the right-side bezel and left and right mouse keys along the left. Other notable highlights include a removable battery of undetermined capacity, a docking port for added expansion (Ethernet, 2x USB, VGA output), stereo speakers, and an adjustable kickstand for viewing video or working on the Archos 9 with attached USB keyboard and mouse. The Archos rep says it'll be priced between €450 and €500 when it ships around the time Windows 7 launches at the end of October. What we're wondering is how much finger-friendly UI customization will be included by Archos and how they plan to market the device to consumers who already own smartphones, laptops, and even netbooks. Video after the break.

P.S. While Archosfans claims the Archos 9 is multi-touch, nothing that we've found supports that claim on the Archos site or in the video demonstrations. Nevertheless, multi-touch resistive touchscreen technology does exist as demonstrated to us by Stantum back in February. In fact, the ASUS Eee PC T91 also features an 8.9-inch resistive display that does support mult-touch.

Continue reading Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Video: Archos 9 pctablet resistive touchscreen impresses originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's Braidwood looks to take another stab at Turbo Memory

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/intels-braidwood-looks-to-take-another-stab-at-turbo-memory/

Intel's jumped into familiar waters this month at Computex when it showed off Braidwood, a flash memory-based accelerator that works by caching I/O from the processor, reportedly enabling applications to launch much faster. Though not directly stated, for all intents and purposes it looks like this is a spiritual successor to Intel's Robson / Turbo Memory, a similar initiative from the company's past that didn't quite meet the commercial or critical success it had hoped. Whether we see better results this time is gonna be a story we revisit in the more distant future: Braidwood's coming as an option with the Nehalem-based Clarkdale processor, which isn't ramping up production until late this year.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel's Braidwood looks to take another stab at Turbo Memory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/archos-announces-archos9-windows-7-tablet/

Archos is currently having an event in France, and while we're still expecting some sort of Android announcement, the company's leading off with the Archos 9, a nine-inch Windows 7 tablet. It's basically a netbook in tablet form, with an Atom Z515 processor, 80GB disk, Bluetooth, and dual DVB-T antennas -- yep, Archos has brought back the UMPC. No word on pricing or availability yet, we'll let you know.

Update: Sounds like a 1.2GHz processor -- not exactly a rocket, but probably adequate for a stripped-down Windows 7 build. We're also hearing September / October availability, in line with Windows 7, and a €450 ($633) pricetag.

Update 2: So much for our hopes -- the event is now over and no Android announcements were made. Charbax from techvideoblog (who is at the event) says we'll see more info on September 15.

Update 3: As you'd expect, ArchosLounge is on the scene and they've nabbed some hands-on pics. Check a couple after the break -- we think it looks sort of gigantic, but maybe that's what the world's been waiting for.

[Via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Archos announces Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet Update: hands-on pics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists Discover Superconducting Material That's Just Two Atoms Thick [Future Tech]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-jvDoiuz-ag/scientists-discover-superconducting-material-thats-just-two-atoms-thick

University of Texas researchers stumbled upon a new superconducting metal that is the world's thinnest at a mere two atoms—slightly thicker than a marathon runner by comparison.

Superconducting material is valuable because it has zero electrical resistance and can maintain a current without a power source. So far, it's been used in a variety of high-tech equipment, including MRI machines, and the Large Hadron Collider.

Gizmag says this new metal opens up the possibility for new breakthroughs in these fields, as well as being able to use it to observe how superconductivity itself works. [University of Texas via Gizmag]

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