Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/twitter-founder-jack-dorseys-squirrel-project-revealed-as-th/

Remember the Square iPhone Payment System we told you about back in August? If you'll recall, the device -- which involves an iPhone app and associated dongle -- enables an iPhone or iPod touch to become a kind of mini credit card reader, allowing payments to be taken on the spot, no matter where you are or how big (or small) the transaction may be. When we'd first reported the device, word on the street was that it was only being alpha tested around New York City, and there wasn't much else to say. Now, we may have a little more insight on just where this device is headed, and who's behind the project.

Jack Dorsey, the man who all but built Twitter in a matter of two weeks, has been working on a half-secret start-up project since around May. His new venture -- dubbed, funnily enough, Squirrel -- is based around the concept of using the iPhone as... yep, a portable, personal cash register; essentially the exact device which Square has created. And that's no accident. In the images we ran of the Square system, you can see a domain name on a receipt: squareup.com. Squareup.com is the domain of the Square System (obviously), and a casual investigation into the site's WHOIS profile reveals registrant info that points to an office in San Francisco, and a contact email address which reads... billing@paybysquirrel.com. Square, squirrel, square... are you getting it? So the cat, er, squirrel appears to be out of the bag. Now the question is whether or not Dorsey and co. can turn this fairly obscure piece of tech into the kind of firestorm which Twitter has become -- and who knows, maybe there'll even be a business model this time.

[Thanks, Little Birdie]

Filed under: Cellphones

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's Squirrel project revealed... as the Square iPhone Payment System originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI retools Wind Box DE200 and DC200, puts 'em up for pre-order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/msi-retools-wind-box-de200-and-dc200-puts-em-up-for-pre-order/

Well, what do you know? Last we saw MSI's Wind Box DE200, it was sittin' pretty at a booth at CeBIT. Evidently it has seen quite the makeover since that debut, with the latest imagery showing it (alongside the DC200) with far edgier enclosures. We have to say we dig the new digs, but we're most excited about the US pricing and pre-order pages. Both units are still (under)powered by a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, and predictably, both feature 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home running the show. No firm release date has been nailed down for the US market, but Amazon has 'em both up for pre-order right now at $249.99 (DC200) / $299.99 (DE200).

[Via iTechNews]

Read - MSI press release
Read - Wind Box DC200 pre-order page
Read - Wind Box DE200 pre-order page

Filed under: Desktops

MSI retools Wind Box DE200 and DC200, puts 'em up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia's 5230 inches closer to release, gets spied along the way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/nokias-5230-inches-closer-to-release-gets-spied-along-the-way/

Nokia's 5230 isn't apt to blow any minds with the likes of the HD2, Droid and XPERIA X3 on the horizon, but for those perfectly content with a touchscreen-based Symbian S60 5th Edition handset, this one sure looks purty. After dipping its toes in the FCC's expansive database just last month, a crop of new in the wild shots have surfaced to show off its 3.2-inch display (640 x 360), 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module and variety of colorful backs. Hit the read link for more pixels if you're so inclined, and feel free to take the "January 2010" release date in with a dose of NaCl.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia's 5230 inches closer to release, gets spied along the way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/verizons-anti-iphone-gets-its-first-commercial-droid-does/

We knew Verizon Wireless would soon be throwing caution to the wind in an effort to sway uncommitted smartphone buyers towards Big Red, and it looks like the November-bound Motorola Droid will be VZW's anti-iPhone. The spot, which launched tonight and can be view in its entirety after the break, is a 30 second clip that begins by mocking Apple's cutesy music and iconic font typically seen in iPhone plugs. It reels off a number of things that the iPhone can't do, and then abruptly goes into full-on tease mode by flashing glimpses of a robot-controlled future and a tagline that simply states: "Droid Does." No shots of the actual Motorola Droid (or Sholes, as it was known in the past) are shown, but a dedicated teaser portal has already been erected; through that, we're told that the phone will boast Android 2.0 and a 5 megapixel camera. At this point, we'd say the gloves are definitely off -- AT&T, have anything to say for yourself, or is the iPhone doing just fine on its own?

Update: See that alien counter that's just sitting on the lower end of the teaser page? As reader Craig N. and a number of others have pointed out, a quick perusal through the page's XML file reveals the end of that timer to be October 30th -- not that we expect to be waiting that long for more Droid news, but it's something to keep in mind.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gallery: Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does'

Continue reading Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' (update)

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon's anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: 'Droid Does' (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:04:00 EST. Please see our te rms for use of feeds.

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Dell's $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing open latch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/dells-2000-adamo-xps-launching-october-22-with-heat-sensing-op/

Dell has been teasing its ultrathin Adamo XPS for weeks now, but all that goofing off will come to a solemn end next Thursday. On the same day that we sit down with Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer (and a little OS by the name of Windows 7 hits store shelves), Dell will also fully reveal the planet's slimmest laptop. The 0.39-inch Adamo XPS will cost $2,000, and while the nitty-gritty details are still under wraps, a new Business Week article notes that it'll boast a "heat-sensing strip on the lip that, when swiped with a finger, glows white and automatically opens the aluminum lid." The glamorous machine is part of a larger effort within the Round Rock powerhouse to revitalize itself and get people talking once again, and while this particular slab will obviously not be a high volume product, it could very well get a few more eyes pointed in its direction. Call us crazy, but we're guessing next week is going to be a wee bit zany.

[Via Pasta Tech]

Filed under: Laptops

Dell's $2,000 Adamo XPS launching October 22 with heat-sensing open latch originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriot's $130 Box Office 1080p media player streams on the cheap

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/patriots-130-box-office-1080p-networked-media-player-streams-o/

Eying a Popcorn Hour device, are you? We know Patriot isn't exactly the first name you think of when pondering your next media streamer, but the $129.99 price tag affixed to the black box shown above definitely piqued our interest. Like most of its rivals, this one features a 2.5-inch HDD slot (though you'll need to bring your own drive, obviously), a trio of USB sockets, 10/100 Ethernet for content streaming, UPnP support, a rather decent file support list and a bundled remote. There's also an optional USB WiFi adapter for those not keen on running 80 feet of Ethernet cabling through their den, and while the GUI won't revolutionize your life, it certainly ain't bad given the low barrier to entry. Too bad it's still stuck in that painful-to-watch "pre-order" stage, huh?

[Via thegadgetsite]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Patriot's $130 Box Office 1080p media player streams on the cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD's Congo platform getting really official next month?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/amds-congo-platform-getting-really-official-next-month/

AMD's never been much for keeping to the roadmap, and it looks like the curious launch of its Congo platform is evidence of that very fact. If you'll recall, we actually saw a Congo-based netbook launch way back in June, and it was expected that a flood of other ultrathin machines would follow shortly thereafter. According to DigiTimes, the demand in the market just wasn't there (thanks, recession!), so everything was pushed back until November. Lo and behold, our Gregorian calendar has that very month on deck for next, and according to mythical sources at laptop makers, the platform should make its super-duper official debut within a matter of weeks. The dual-core Turion Neo X2 L625, Athlon Neo X2 L335/L325 and / or single-core Athlon Neo MV-40 should be front and center, and AMD is apt to announce progress on its Nile and Brazos platforms -- both of which should help carry the chip maker through the next two years. Look out Atom, you've got some delayed competition coming your way.

Update: Seems as if this may all just be a "second wave" of sorts when many PC makers choose to launch machines based on this platform alongside Windows 7's debut. AMD informed us that the November delay notion was also false, and we get the feeling that Congo's just been waiting for Win7 to really get itself out there.

Filed under: Laptop! s

AMD's Congo platform getting really official next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Envy, dv8 Quad, Mini 311, and numerous other Windows 7 machines now available to order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/18/hp-envy-dv8-quad-mini-311-and-numerous-other-windows-7-machin/

Since today really needs a good heap of news to somewhat balance out yesterday's glut, HP has updated its online store to give it an abundance of new and revised Windows 7 machines, including the Envy series (Beats edition and all), Pavilion dm3 with AMD Neo or Intel CULV chips, Core i7-packing dv6t/ dv7t / dv8t Quad editions, and the not-so-netbook CQ61. We're still not seeing the previously-leaked dm1 ultraportable anywhere, but the Mini 311 and a slightly updated Mini 110 are, with the option to jump from Windows XP to 7 for a cool $50 / $30 respectively. Most everything in the store, desktops and laptops, has been updated to at least include Windows 7 as the standard shipping OS, and while all claim free 2-day shipping, estimated shipping dates begin sometime the week after 7's Oct 22nd launch -- no early chances here, folks. Browse the read links and keep an eye on the shiny red "new" icons (no flashing GIFs, we're afraid) for the entire revised lineup.

Update: As a number of you have pointed, the Envy product page is a bit, well, sloppy. Typos and missing commas notwithstanding, it seems to biggest laugh is the cost of customization, i.e. $800 more to downgrade from a 500GB HDD to 320GB or 250GB (same price), or $900 more to downgrade from 6GB or 4GB of DDR3 memory. Yeah, it might be best to hold off on that one until HP get the kinks worked out.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Read - Desktop lineup
Read - Laptop lineup
Read - Envy series lineup

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

HP Envy, dv8 Quad, Mini 311, and numerous other Windows 7 machines now available to order originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, October 16, 2009

Acer AspireRevo Upgraded: Windows 7, Ion Graphics, Dual-Core Atom CPU [Nettops]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/s121CyAld6E/acer-aspirerevo-upgraded-windows-7-ion-graphics-dual+core-atom-cpu

Acer's funky book-sized AspireRevo nettop just got a little better…and a touch pricier. This R3610-U9012 model has Windows 7, a dual-core Atom 330 processor, double the RAM (2GB), and full Ion graphics. It also keeps support for 1080p HDMI output.

Other specs remain identical to the Windows XP, 1GB RAM, Atom 230 model that costs about $200 bucks. Each has 802.11n Wi-Fi, and has a VESA attachment for mounting on the back of your flat panel monitor or TV.

The $330 AspireRevo (R3610-U9012) is new, but should already been up for grabs over at: [Acer]

• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Intel Atom 330 Processor (1.6GHz)
• Integrated NVIDIA® ION Graphics Solution
• 2GB DDR2 SDRAM Memory
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive
• Six USB 2.0 Ports (Two Front, Four Back)
• HDMI Port
• eSATA Port
• VGA Port
• Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wireless
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
• USB Stereo Speakers
• High-Definition Headphone and Microphone Jacks

FPS hopelessly leaps into pocket projector game with Pearl M3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/16/fps-hopelessly-leaps-into-pocket-projector-game-with-pearl-m3/

The world needs another VGA pico projector about like it needs another ton of plastic goop swirling in the Pacific, but thanks to FPS, that's exactly what we're getting. (The former, just so we're clear.) The LCoS-based beamer puts out an image between 5- and 66-inches and packs a native resolution of 640 x 360; there's a composite input, stereo output, USB socket and a microSD expansion slot. You'll also find a one-watt internal speaker and a 2,500mAh battery for projecting on the go, while most every file format you can think of is supported. If, for whatever reason, you've found yourself overcome with want (and you can't hold off for Microvision's laser-based SHOW WX), it's available to purchase right now for $219.

[Via PicoProjector-Info]

Filed under: Displays

FPS hopelessly leaps into pocket projector game with Pearl M3 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RT @glenngabe - thoughtful analysis of Google's proposal for crawling AJAX for SEO, requires webmasters to do the work - http://bit.ly/POFGM

Acer Liquid slips through human fingers, but not before divulging new specs (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/16/acer-liquid-slips-through-human-fingers-but-not-before-taking-p/

Generic form factor? Check. Default Android skin? Check. Sure, that's nothing exciting, but the real draw of Acer Liquid's gonna be its large, 800 x 480 resolution screen (the exact size of which we still don't know) and its 1GHz Snapdragon chipset. Unfortunately for the guys at Pocket-Lint, they didn't get to play with the Donut-powered handset long enough to really push those two selling points, but on the bright side they did discover a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and some ISO adjustment options, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and what appears to be a 3.5mm headphone jack. Perhaps more importantly, they nabbed some pictures of the thing powered on and in action. Jealous? Yes, yes we are.

Update: We finally have the first images (above) showing Acer's customized Android UI and social networking integration (after the break) courtesy of HDBlog.it. It not quite the full-blown replacement a la HTC Sense, but they've clearly brought a new bag of tricks in an attempt to make the vanilla OS experience Acer-unique.

[Thanks, Josh]

Continue reading Acer Liquid slips through human fingers, but not before divulging new specs (updated)

Filed under: Cellphones

Acer Liquid slips through human fingers, but not before divulging new specs (updated) or! iginally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zii Egg Android installer arrives next week, consumer devices nowhere in sight

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/16/zii-egg-android-installer-arrives-next-week-consumer-devices-no/

Zii hopefuls will be pleased to hear that ZiiLABS is releasing the Android installer "next week." The tweeted update means that developers with the Zii EGG will have the chance to get friendly with Google's droid as Creative's project attempts to walk our for retail on something other than its homegrown Plaszma OS. While this would have made stellar headlines in early 2009, at this point, with Microsoft and Apple both offering a stunning pair of dedicated, full-screen media devices, and a shedload of media-capable Android-based phones now hitting the market, well, it all seems to be too little and much too late for Creative. But if its only intention is to serve as the foundation for China's KIRF market then why should we care anyway?

[Thanks, Jonathan K.]

Zii Egg Android installer arrives next week, consumer devices nowhere in sight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slew of Pine Trail packing portables announced, processor release slated for early Jan?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/16/slew-of-pine-trail-packing-portables-announced-processor-releas/

Slew of Pine Trail packing portables announced, processor release slated for early Jan?

Remember that lone Pine Trail nettop that was spotted yesterday morning? That wasn't the only next-gen Atom product that KND had up its sleeve -- not by a long shot. The company has an array of netbooks, nettops, and one hybrid combination of the two displayed on its website, all captured in tiny little pictures like the one you see to the right. On the low end there's the K116, an 11.6-inch netbook with an N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard disk. Two nettops are planned, including the K185 we saw yesterday as well as the K19W with its 19-inch, 1440 x 900 screen, dual-core Atom D510 processor, 2GB of RAM, and again a 250GB hard disk. Finally there's the middle-man, the K133 netbook that shares its specs with the K19W, but is included in a 13.3-inch laptop form. All are spec'd out at the read link below, but none with prices or ship dates. The latest word on the Pine Trail platform release is that the N450 chips will be let loose on January 3, and that several devices will be shipping on that very same day. You can probably connect the dots as well as we can.

[Via netbooknews.de]

Read - KND Pine Trail lineup
Read - Atom N450 release date rumors

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Slew of Pine Trail packing portables announced, processor release slated for early Jan? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dark Sword UAV - Chinese Knockoffs Can Be Better Than the Real Thing [Uav]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/in0x2iZ7OoA/the-dark-sword-uav-+-chinese-knockoffs-can-be-better-than-the-real-thing

The Chinese military has apparently been copying American UAV designs for a while now. After they got bored simply rebuilding Uncle Sam's models, they decided to design a few of their own. And they blow ours out of the water.

Above is the Dark Sword, the Chinese military's newest drone. Not only does it look a lot cooler than any American model, it's apparently much more maneuverable and highly capable in air-to-air combat. This is on top of the Chinese having carbon copies of the Predator and Global Hawk UAVs ready to go in their arsenal.

Not to mention the names are much more awesome. How cool is the phrase "Dark Sword?" Or better yet, "Sour Dragon?" Seriously. [DefPro via Wired via PopSci]

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