Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, October 12, 2009

NVIDIA Ion 2 still on track for this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/nvidia-ion-2-still-on-track-for-this-year/

Don't let NVIDIA's recent announcement that they'll be steering clear of Intel DMI CPUs get you down, man. According to the fine folks at Fudzilla, the company will indeed unveil its Ion 2 chipset before the year's end. The second-generation platform is said to feature much faster graphics, over twice the shaders, a smaller die, and support for the VIA Nano as well as the usual compliment of Pentium 4-compatible CPUs. No word yet from the company itself, but you'll know as soon as we do. Promise.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

NVIDIA Ion 2 still on track for this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Finger Piano Share plays your Disklavier via WiFi (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/finger-piano-share-plays-your-disklavier-via-wifi-video/

Developers at Yamaha seem to be having plenty of fun with their iPhones -- at least, that's the impression they've made this year at CEATEC. Not only have we seen an app that lets you boss around a robotic chanteuse, but they've also put together a little something called Finger Piano Share. Don't let the video fool you, folks -- this is more than just a MIDI controller. Supporting up to ten users at once, this guy not only lets you remotely play your MIDI-enabled Disklavier via Wi-Fi, but you can record your little jam sessions (using the location-aware augmented reality app Sekai Camera) for playback whenever someone goes to the site of the original performance. Sounds like a recipe for a disastrous conceptual art piece if we ever heard one! Video after the break.

Continue reading Finger Piano Share plays your Disklavier via WiFi (video)

Filed under: Cellphones

Finger Piano Share plays your Disklavier via WiFi (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon PowerShot SD980 IS unboxing and impressions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/canon-powershot-sd980-is-unboxing-and-impressions/

Canon held off about as long as it could, but it finally caved to the pressures of adding a pressure-sensitive screen to one of its Digital ELPHs. The SD980 IS goes down as the first-ever touchscreen PowerShot, offering a better-than-average set of specifications, a few color options, an attractive size and a 720p movie mode that helps to set it apart from some of its VGA-quality contemporaries. We took the cam for a quick spin just to see how Canon's adaptation of the touchscreen felt in real-world use, and we've posted up our impressions -- along with a few sample galleries and a raw 720p video clip -- just beyond the break.

Gallery: Canon PowerShot SD980 IS unboxing

Continue reading Canon PowerShot SD980 IS unboxing and impressions

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot SD980 IS unboxing and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N900 unboxed, and no, you can't unbox your own (yet)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/nokia-n900-unboxed-and-no-you-cant-unbox-your-own-yet/

So it seems like the new thing for manufacturers is to gather a bunch of platform champions (read: developers and bloggers) in a room, wax poetic for an hour or two about strategy, and -- here's where it gets awesome -- give out or loan hot, new devices to everyone in attendance. Google's done it, Palm's done it, and now Nokia's getting in the game by handing out pre-production N900s on extended loans at its Maemo Summit event last week, and that inevitably means that we're going to be seeing a ton of unboxings and reviews over the coming days. This particular unboxing comes to us courtesy of Slashgear, which notes that the devices are currently running non-final firmware even though the hardware is the same stuff we'll be seeing on shelves in the next few weeks. It's looking great so far -- but then again, so did the N97 in its muted black box prior to release, so we'll withhold final judgment until this one's been thoroughly vetted for awesomeness.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia N900 unboxed, and no, you can't unbox your own (yet) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5-inch BeBook Mini now shipping in the US for $199 (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/12/5-inch-bebook-mini-now-shipping-in-the-us-for-199-hands-on/

We'd heard back in May that Endless Ideas' smallest e-reader yet would begin shipping (presumably in Europe) during the summertime, but it just recently started to make its way onto US doorsteps. Thankfully, our doorstep was among those greeted by the 5-inch reader, which boasts the same specifications as the original BeBook save for the smaller display. Priced at $199, it seemed a lot more competitive before Amazon hacked the price of its Kindle to $259, and given the dearth of WiFi / 3G WWAN, it'll only appeal to those content with hitting up their PC via USB to get new content loaded on. Upon unboxing this cutie, we were struck at just how light and compact the whole unit is, though even with the font at its default size, we had no issues reading the crystal clear e-ink display. Screen refreshes were satisfactorily quick, and menu navigation was a breeze. As an e-reader (and MP3 player, if you wish), it's hard to bang on the pocket-friendly BeBook Mini, but with the Kindle's recent price drop and Sony's $199 Reader Pocket Edition, competition is fierce.

Gallery: 5-inch BeBook Mini now shipping in the US for $199 (hands-on)