Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Do you know where your ads are being shown? Is your brand "safe?" (pic) - http://bit.ly/bPPs5a

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Eye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2 card, more WiFi hotspot support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/eye-fi-announces-apple-exclusive-geo-x2-card-more-wifi-hotspot/

In the event that none of Eye-Fi's existing 802.11n-capable offerings meet your wireless photo upload needs, take heart, because there's a new model getting shoehorned between the $49.99 Connect X2 and the $99.99 Explore X2 that might just satisfy your discerning tastes. Like the entry-level Connect X2, the Geo X2 brings 4GB of Class 6 (read: high-speed) photo and video storage plus an "Endless Memory Mode" that can automatically delete shots once they've been safely uploaded to their destination -- but like the name implies, the new model adds the automatic geotagging support offered by its pricier siblings. It'll be an Apple Store exclusive starting next month for $69.99.

Along with the Geo X2, Eye-Fi is announcing a partnership with Devicescape that's yielding significantly expanded support for open WiFi hotspots with splash screen logins such as those offered by schools, cafes, and WiFi providers like Boingo, arguably addressing one of the card's biggest weaknesses. The new capability will be available to users by the end of May -- so start finding more awesome stuff to photograph, alright?

Eye-Fi announces Apple-exclusive Geo X2 card, more WiFi hotspot support originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC T101MT review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/asus-eee-pc-t101mt-review/

A really good netvertible -- that's all we want. No, not just a netbook with a touchscreen, but a device with a combination of solid ergonomics and performance in clamshell mode that can swivel into a really responsive tablet. It doesn't seem like too much to ask for, right? And after being disappointed by the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, we really thought the $499 ASUS Eee PC T101MT -- with its multitouch screen, chiclet keyboard, and standard netbook organs -- could have been it. Keyword being could. But, as you may have guessed by now from our wistful tone, there are a few reasons this particular convertible netbook didn't turn out to be all peaches and cream. If you know what's good for you, you'll be hitting that read more link to find out what was this Eee lacking in our full review.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC T101MT review

ASUS Eee PC T101MT review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments

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New Metamaterial First to Bend Light in the Visible Spectrum

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-04/new-single-layer-metamaterial-bends-light-visbile-spectrum

We're one step closer to the stuff of sci-fi and boy wizards. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have engineered a metamaterial with a refined 3-D structure that gives light a negative refraction index upon entering the material. Put another way, it bends light the opposite way one might expect, irrespective of the angle or polarization of incoming light waves. Put yet another way: We're getting closer to that invisibility cloak we've been looking for.

Metamaterials, of course, are artificial materials engineered to exhibit properties that don't come easily in nature. Such materials could have a range of applications, from superlenses to solar cells to active camouflage. And while this isn't the first light-bending metamaterial we've ever seen, it is the first one that operates on visible light, doing all of its negative-index refracting in the blue part of the spectrum.

Not only that, but this new metamaterial is simpler than previous attempts at negative-index metatamaterials. It requires only a single functional layer, yet is seriously versatile, handling light at any polarization and functioning at a wide range of incident angles. That could potentially enable superlenses that image past the diffraction limit, solar cells that are able to scoop up a lot more sunlight, and even invisibility cloaking.

Previous metamaterials required several layers of resonant elements to create this negative-index response, but the Caltech method requires only a single layer of silver with plasmonic waveguide elements distributed throughout that route the light waves through the material. Involving only a single layer in the process means this new material is easier to manufacture and easier to tune to different wavelengths of light.

While it's more fun to think about a Harry Potter-like invisibility cloak, the real breakthrough here could be in solar gathering technology. The fact that this metamaterial is tunable means engineers could potentially tweak it to better sync with the solar spectrum, manufacturing solar cells with a far higher efficiency that could in turn make solar a more feasible alternative to fossil fuels. Which is almost -- but not quite -- as exciting as an invisibility cloak.

[PhysOrg]

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Entrustet Secures Your Accounts After Death with Legal Backing [Deathhacker]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5524463/entrustet-secures-your-accounts-after-death-with-legal-backing

Entrustet Secures Your Accounts After Death with Legal BackingThe fate of your house, car, and Action Comics collection after your death can be planned for in legal documents. Your Gmail and Facebook accounts? That's a bit murky. New legacy service Entrustet aims to help create legally sound post-mortem password vaults.

Entrustet offers a free account that lets you set up three unlimited password-protected accounts to be transferred over to a trust person upon your passing. How does it know when you're gone? You assign a trusted person to be your Digital Executor, who will notify Entrustet and then provide a death certificate scan to activate the password conveyance upon your death. You can also assign your estate attorney to execute your Entrustet transfer upon your death, and the site offers up a few attorneys officially on board with Entrustet—though we imagine any savvy attorney can be conscripted for the duty. Additional security and ease-of-use features (for the executor and recipients, at least) are included with paid plans.

It's a bit like previously mentioned Legacy Locker—it's a smart idea, but those interested enough in their post-mortem web accounts likely will have their own scheme set up, rather than pay for Entrustet's extra accounts and features. Still, there are other features to come, like an Account Incinerator, that you might find convenient when you're not exactly in a position to fine-tune things.

Entrustet is free to sign up for and try out with a few accounts. Tell us the (general) details of your own plans for your online life after your passing in the comments.

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