Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/android-and-arduino-packin-cellbot-features-voice-recognition/

The Cellbots gang has been furiously productive as of late. Not even a month after their wooden "boxbot" was first spotted on You Tube the project has moved on from its humble beginnings of lumber and windshield wiper motors to a full-on a neon green acrylic Truckbot that uses a G1 and Arduino board combination for control. Sure, we've seen Android-powered robots before, but these guys have done some pretty cool things, and have no intention of stopping now. They've already implemented an ultrasonic range detector so the 'bot can override the operator and prevent itself from running off a cliff (although we'd like to suggest mounting one on the rear as well -- for obvious reasons), voice recognition, and the Android compass into the control system. If anything, the amount of progress makes this project very well worth keeping an eye on. Move past the break to see some video, and then hit the source link to keep up with the action yourself.

Continue reading Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare

Android and Arduino-packin' Cellbot features voice recognition, autonomy, and charm to spare originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  Cellbots  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/apc-adds-lcd-zero-draw-power-outlets-to-new-back-ups-pro-models/

A new uninterruptible power supply isn't exactly the sort of thing to garner a ton of attention, but APC's latest Back-UPS Pro models do pack a few more features than your average power supply, and may just have you considering trading up. They're still just as uninterruptible as ever, of course, but the BR1300G and BR1500G models add a snazzy new LCD that displays the estimated runtime and other critical information, as well as some new power-saving outlets that will automatically shut off power to any unused devices. Otherwise, you can expect runtimes of between 92 and 164 minutes (depending on what's connected, of course), six or ten power outlets, and APC's usual PowerChute software for some more enhanced power management. Still no firm word on a release date for these, but they should be available sometime in the second quarter for between $129.99 and $249.99.

APC adds LCD, zero-draw power outlets to new Back-UPS Pro models originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Marketwire  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/icds-tegra-2-powered-gemini-is-the-most-feature-complete-tablet/

Built around the 1GHz Tegra 2 SOC, the 11.2-inch ICD Gemini should provide comparable endurance to Apple's A4-sporting iPad, while besting it in the grunt stakes with its glorious ability to chew through 1080p video when required. If that wasn't enough, the rest of this thing's spec sheet reads like a wishlist. Headlined by a 3G connection that allows cellular voice calls (crazy, we know!), it also includes a user-replaceable 40Wh battery, an SD card reader, FM radio, GPS, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, MicroUSB connectivity to PCs and USB peripherals, stereo speakers, and dual webcams -- a 2 megapixel front-facing unit and a 5 megapixel autofocusing snapper on the back. Multitouch displays will be available in both resistive and capacitive flavors, with the 1,366 x 768 resolution being filled by Google's snappy Android OS. Oh, and did we mention it will run Flash? Because it will. Full specs and a comparison to its direct competitors await after the break, though we've yet to find out when this JooJoo killer will be making its arrival or at what price.

Gallery: ICD Gemini official pictures

Continue reading ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet

ICD's Tegra 2-powered Gemini is the most feature-complete tablet we've seen yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/hp-rolls-out-pavilion-s5305z-s5350-pavilion-elite-hpe-190t-des/

HP may be getting ready to "do amazing" with its Slate, but last we checked it was still the biggest desktop PC maker around, and it's now further expanded its offerings with three new models. Those include the Pavilion Slimline s5305z and s5350z, which are available with a range of different AMD processors and ATI Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics, along with up to 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive on the s5305z, or 8GB of RAM and 1.5TB of storage on the s5350z. Those are joined by the higher-end, and decidedly less slimline Pavilion Elite HPE-190t (pictured at right), which packs a 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU, up to 24GB of RAM, up to 3TB of storage, and your choice of an ATI Radeon HD 5570 or 4850, or an NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 graphics card. Look for that one to start at $1,899.99, while the s5305z and s5350z drop all the way down to $299.99 and $479.99, respectively.

HP rolls out Pavilion s5305z, s5350, Pavilion Elite HPE-190t desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Computermonger  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/06/apples-a4-system-on-chip-gets-decoupled-from-ipad-investigated/

Ever so gently, we're starting to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding the A4 system-on-chip that powers Apple's fancy new slate device. iFixit, helped by reverse engineering firm Chipworks, have gone to the trouble of both dissecting and X-raying the iPad's central processing hub in their quest to lift the veil of ignorance. Their findings confirmed that the A4 is built using a "package on package" method, meaning that the 256MB of Samsung-provided SDRAM is stacked immediately atop the CPU, which is noted as being reductive to both latency and energy use. With a single core processor inside, the iFixit team concluded the iPad had to be running on a Cortex A8 -- which is very much the likeliest choice at this point -- but their assertion that it couldn't be a Cortex A9 MPCore inside is inaccurate, as those chips also come in single-core options. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against Samsung's Hummingbird chip, which was designed by Intrinsity, the same company Apple is being rumored to have recently acquired. Finally, the visual inspection of the iPad's mobo puts a model number to the already known PowerVR GPU, narrowing it dow! n to the SGX 535, while also naming and picturing a number of other exciting components, such as the always popular capacitive touchscreen controller. Hit the source link below for all the lurid images.

Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iFixit  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...