Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Panasonic banks on robot drug dispensers

Panasonic banks on robot drug dispensers

Panasonic isn't the first company to turn to robots as a means for dispensing drugs, but it looks like it's set to become one of the bigger players in the still fledgling field, with it announcing today that it's developing a robot that it hopes will rake it about 30 billion yen (or $315 million) by 2016. Unfortunately, Panasonic isn't quite ready to actually show off the robot just yet, but it says it could be making the rounds at some Japanese hospitals by next March, and head into the United States and Europe sometime after that. It's also not ready to do much talking about specifics, with it only going so far as to say that it "does not look humanoid" but rather looks like "a cabinet with lots of small drawers" (no doubt somewhat like the Pyxis bot pictured above), and that it'll be able to store medical data for each patient and sort out prescriptions for up to 400 patients in about two hours. That cabinet won't come cheap though, with Panasonic estimating that it'll cost "several tens of millions of yen," or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[Via TG Daily, image courtesy Wikipedia / Jeremy Kemp]

Filed under: Robots

Panasonic banks on robot drug dispensers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included

Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included

There are just two months to go before CEDIA kicks off in Atlanta, but Sharp's obviously not down with waiting 'til the Fall to introduce its latest gaggle of AQUOS HDTVs. First off, we're taking a look at the outfit's first LED-backlit AQUOS television, which will be available in 52- (LC-52LE700UN), 46- (LC-46LE700UN), 40- (LC-40E700UN) and 32-inch (LC-32LE700UN) screen class sizes. Each of the sets boast 1080p resolutions, a new X-Gen Panel -- which supposedly leads to deep, dark black levels that could very well blow your mind -- a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 176-degree viewing angles. Separately, Sharp also debuted the 65-inch LC-65E77UM and the 60-inch LC-60E77UN, 1080p sets that are joining the E77 series and offering up 120Hz dejudder technology, a 4 millisecond response time, four HDMI sockets and an RS-232 socket for custom installers. We should be getting a little face time with all of these here shortly, and if you're looking for specifics on any given set, hop on past the read link and have a look.

Gallery: Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included

Continue reading Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010

Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010

We can't believe it's actually here, but after hearing whispers of a Google OS for what seems like ages now, the company's now gone official with its plans. According to the official developer blog, it'll be an open source, lightweight platform that can "power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," and will be capable of running on x86 (that includes Intel Atom) and ARM chips. Addressing potential overlap with Android-based netbooks, the official line is that "choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google" -- a pretty wild statement to make, but hey, it's still all Google. A large portion of its fresh out of beta Google Apps suite already supports an offline mode, so we guess the groundwork's laid out. The company says it's currently working with a number of OEM manufacturers and that it'll initially appear on a number of netbooks coming to market sometime in the second half of 2010. Excited? We are.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's 12 megapixel GC990 Louvre flagship with Schneider-Kreuznach optics records our puzzlement in HD

LG's 12 megapixel GC990 Louvre flagship with Schneider-Kreuznach optics records our puzzlement in HD

If you're the type who values specs above all else then lean in close, LG's GC990 Louvre is about as spec heavy as it gets. Taking its industrial design and UI cues from the GC900 it will replace later this year, LG's newest flagship brings yet another 12 megapixel camera to market. LG's promising "zero shutter lag" while using respectable Schneider-Kreuznach optics with auto- or touchscreen-focus, a xenon flash, claimed ISO 3200 sensitivity (from a tiny cellphone image sensor?), and the ability to record 720p video at 30 fps. It'll also geotag your snaps thanks to on-board GPS. Fine, just remember that 12 megapixel images shot at full quality will result in massive (up to 18MB) files that must then be stored and transmitted to your favorite image sharing sites -- a waste of time and treasure unless you plan to blow up and crop those well-lit images. Anywho, rounding out the specs are LG's S-Class featurephone UI running atop an auto-rotating 3.2-inch (16:9 aspect) touchscreen display, WiFi, Bluetooth, DivX and Xvid video support, a TV-out jack, and support for media sharing with DLNA standard devices. Picture of the backside camera just beyond the read link.

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

LG's 12 megapixel GC990 Louvre flagship with Schneider-Kreuznach optics records our puzzlement in HD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

Oh the carnage! A prototype ASUS Eee Keyboard made a wrong turn at Albuquerque only to end up gutted in a French orgy of gadget terrorism. Nine screw removals later and we see the stand-alone PC with its 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen splayed, 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor and all. Unfortunately, easy access does not mean easy upgrades as the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. Other notables are the Silicon Image HDMI transmitter that allows 1080p playback over HDMI and 1880mAh battery that should provide an estimated 1 hour and 40 minutes of use before hitting the mains. Blogeenet also has a pretty thorough video overview of ASUS' customized UI running on XP; after the break, son.

Continue reading Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

Filed under: Desktops

Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic HDC-HS350 allows you to record over 30 hours of HD

Panasonic HDC-HS350 allows you to record over 30 hours of HD

If you liked the HDC-TM350, then we can pretty much guarantee you'll be a fan of the HS350, unveiled by Panasonic today. Essentially identical to its elder brother -- but for the hard disk bump on its right side -- the new AVCHD camcorder ups internal storage from 64GB to 240GB and retains all other salient features: 10.6 megapixel 3MOS sensor, 12x optical zoom and SDHC expansion up to 32GB per card. The increase in storage allows for over 30 hours of continuous full HD recording, meaning that your battery will give out long before you need to fiddle with your storage options. No word on the when, where and how much questions, but if we had to guess we'd say soon, everywhere and plenty.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic HDC-HS350 allows you to record over 30 hours of HD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 110 netbook goes pink and white, adds Broadcom's HD video acceleration

HP Mini 110 netbook goes pink and white, adds Broadcom's HD video acceleration

It's July 8th which means the white swirl and pink chic editions of HP's Mini 110 netbooks are available. Unfortunately, the addition of color over the base-black models will cost you an extra $20. More importantly, this commonly speced netbook with choice of Atom N270 or N280 processors and integrated GMA 950 graphics is also getting an HD video boost thanks to a $30 option for Broadcom's Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator. That should make HD video playback silky smooth without taxing the CPU (and battery) too much. Of course, it looks like you'll have to give up your favorite media player and use the bundled ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre software if you want to take advantage of the acceleration. A small price to pay for portable, 10.1-inch LCD-backlit access to all your MKV, MOV, MP4, AVI, WMV, and TS/M2TS files -- or at least as many as you can fit on 160GB of HDD or 32GB of SSD storage. Pink and white models pictured after the break, for free.

[Via PortableMonkey, thanks David]

Continue reading HP Mini 110 netbook goes pink and white, adds Broadcom's HD video acceleration

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 110 netbook goes pink and white, adds Broadcom's HD video acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry App World now home to 2,000 applications, RIM pretty stoked

BlackBerry App World now home to 2,000 applications, RIM pretty stoked

It may have some 48,000 or so to go before it catches the runaway leader in app choice, but doubling up its catalog after launching just 3.5 months ago ain't nothing to scoff at. As RIM suffers through the traditional growing pains with its fledgling BlackBerry App World, it has managed to amass around 2,000 programs for users to love, hate or feel completely indifferent about. According to Jeff McDowell, vice president of global alliances, that number is apt to rise when it goes live in Italy, France, Germany and Spain this month. Also of note, Mr. McDowell declined to say just how many downloads had taken place, but he did note that RIM was "very happy" with the response. Unfortunately, we're not so certain that the company is eager to raise that 2,000 figure to something much higher, with ole Jeff spouting off that "[it doesn't matter] whether it's 40,000 or 2,000 [apps], you've still got a broad range of choice." We're willing to bet the public sees that a bit differently -- right, public?

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

BlackBerry App World now home to 2,000 applications, RIM pretty stoked originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Limited-color OLEDs could operate with 40 percent less power, look just as stunning

Limited-color OLEDs could operate with 40 percent less power, look just as stunning

You know that fancy flat-panels can display more colors than the human eye / mind can even interpret, right? Thanks to our hard-wired limitations, a certain facet of boffins across the way are developing a method that would scale back the amount of colors used in an OLED screen in order to shave energy usage even further. Johnson Chuang of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia has worked with colleagues in order to conjure up sets of colors that "slash the power consumption of an OLED panel by up to 40 percent, with minimal effect on how people perceive an image." In theory, at least, this breakthrough could lead to longer battery life in cellphones, PMPs and all manners of portable devices. As Chuang puts it: "Say you're running low on battery and you want to use Google maps to get home; switching to an energy-aware color set could make your battery last longer." Don't pretend that doesn't interest you.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

Limited-color OLEDs could operate with 40 percent less power, look just as stunning originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

By @sarita DMNews - Bing usage promising, but jury still out - http://ping.fm/AOOjD

Viral videos are cool and all ... but ... http://ping.fm/DCL5O

Monday, July 06, 2009

7-Inch Viliv X70 Tablet Reviewed, Found Viliviciousesquer [NetBooks]

7-Inch Viliv X70 Tablet Reviewed, Found Viliviciousesquer [NetBooks]

I'm not watching this 30-minute review of the Viliv X70 (info here), and I bet you aren't, either. But there's one huge Viliv fan reading at this very moment who is fist pumping like a mo fo. [JKKMobile via BBG]

Vue Wireless Home Video Monitoring Lightning Review [Review]

Vue Wireless Home Video Monitoring Lightning Review [Review]

The Gadget: A wireless monitoring system called Vue that consists of one central gateway and two tiny battery-powered wall-mountable wireless cameras. They're meant to let you monitor your house from anywhere, as long as you have a network connection.

The Price: $300 for two cameras and four magnetic wall mounts

The Verdict: It works and it's easy. The three pieces are self-configuring, and all you need to set it up is to plug the main gateway into an Ethernet jack and the wireless cameras will all hook up seamlessly. Here's the video quality:

It's not bad, especially for a wireless video recording from such a small camera. It's on par with a mediocre webcam, and is definitely good enough for a "security" cam. It's nothing you want to use for actual webcamming, but it's great for seeing whether or not your kids are doing their homework.

There are a few other interesting features, like video sharing and video recording. Recording is obvious, but sharing works by inviting your friends to view either live streams or recorded clips. You and your friends interact with the system via the Vue website, which is accessible inside or outside your network. The batteries are supposed to last a year (they're not rechargeable), but you can buy replacement CR123 batteries. You turn on recording from the interface and there is scheduling.

So is this worth $300? Probab! ly, depe nding on how much you need something like this. There are cheaper solutions like hooking up a webcam yourself to a computer and somehow routing that online so you can access it anywhere. This involves port forwarding and all kinds of more technical workarounds. So for ease of use, performance and convenience (it's wireless and reaches 300 feet), it's hard to beat the Vue. We only wish that, for $300, this would come with four wireless cameras instead of just two. Available later this summer. [VueZone]

Microsoft Warns Users of Serious Security Hole in Software [Security]

Microsoft Warns Users of Serious Security Hole in Software [Security]

Microsoft is warning users of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 that a security hole in certain parts of Internet Explorer allows hackers to remotely install malicious viruses on unsuspecting users. The company is currently working to fix the breach.

The hole, apparently caused by the interaction of IE and ActiveX, has been used for about a week to install viruses on users who click certain links in spam emails. Microsoft's stopgap solution, available here, is to disable that video software, and the company is hard at work to fix the problem. Doesn't bode well for Microsoft's push into antivirus software, does it? [via AP]

Google G0 Android Smartphone Concept: If Only the G1 Was So Slick [Concepts]

Google G0 Android Smartphone Concept: If Only the G1 Was So Slick [Concepts]

Tryi Yeh's Android smartphone concept, cheekily dubbed the G0, is a touchscreen slider, but the slide-out section isn't a hardware keyboard. Instead, it's got a camera and four customizable smartkeys. Still, we like the design, and it looks fairly realistic.

The G0 concept comes with a few equally-conceptual accessories, including what seems to be an inductive charger a la the Pre's Touchstone, as well as some kind of media hookup that uses a very Windows Media Center-like interface. We can't exactly tell what's going on with the slider: It might actually be detachable, though we can't be sure. Make it a hardware QWERTY and we're sold. [Tryi Yeh via DVICE]

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