Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Quadrocopters can now fly through thrown hoops, the end really is nigh (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/quadrocopters-can-now-fly-through-thrown-hoops-the-end-really-i/

The future of humanity is assured. Assuredly doomed, that is. That blur you see up above is one of our familiar foes, the GRASP Lab's autonomous quadrocopter, flying through a thrown hoop without the assistance of a human director. Yes, it's downright insane that we're allowing this so-called research to continue our descent toward the robot uprising -- where's the FBI, the CIA, hell, why is DARPA sleeping on this thing? The lethal precision of these quadrotor helis doesn't end there, however, as they've now been enhanced with the ability to recover from "extreme" starting conditions. In simpler terms that just means you can toss one up into the air and it'll right itself into a steady hovering position. From where it can strike upon the unsuspecting and complacent humanoid populace.

Continue reading Quadrocopters can now fly through thrown hoops, the end really is nigh (video)

Quadrocopters can now fly through thrown hoops, the end really is nigh (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

TheDmel (YouTube) | Email this | Comments

Looxcie wearable camcorder will take your lifecasting to the next, boring level

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/looxcie-wearable-camcorder-will-take-your-lifecasting-to-the-nex/

Don't get us wrong, the Looxcie wearable video camera is pretty cool, and totally weird. It's an always on camera that stores up to five hours of video, and is capable of quickly emailing short clips to your various social networks which are anxiously awaiting those shots of you eating your Southwestern eggrolls at Chili's. Once your cam reaches its max storage capacity, it begins purging the oldest video and continues to record. Using Looxcie's app (available for about 10 Android phones) enables you to quickly share your videos with the world. The Looxcie wearable video camera is available now for $199 -- but please keep in mind: watching you watch Some Kind of Monster probably sounds better than it actually would be.

[Thanks, Bob]

Continue reading Looxcie wearable camcorder will take your lifecasting to the next, boring level

Looxcie wearable camcorder will take your lifecasting to the next, boring level originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 07:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Looxcie | Email this | Comments

Epson and Thinxtream roll out PrintJinni printing app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/epson-and-thinxtream-roll-out-printjinni-printing-app-for-iphone/

You may have to wait until November to get some wireless printing capabilities on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad courtesy of Apple's own AirPrint, but at least some Epson printer users now already have an alternative option at their disposal. The company's just rolled out its new PrintJinni app that it developed with a little help from Thinxtream, which will let you wirelessly print files to any WiFi-enabled Epson printer. Unlike AirPrint, however, this option will cost you -- the app runs $9.99 but is currently discounted to $6.99 for a "limited time." Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Epson and Thinxtream roll out PrintJinni printing app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

Epson and Thinxtream roll out PrintJinni printing app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

iTunes | Email this | Comments

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Insync Keeps Your Files and Google Docs Synced and Backed Up [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5637067/insync-keeps-your-files-and-google-docs-synced-and-backed-up

Insync Keeps Your Files and Google Docs Synced and Backed Up Windows and Mac OS X: Insync is a new syncing and backup service similar to Dropbox (a Lifehacker favorite), but comes with a bunch of great additional features, like syncing your Google Docs and Gmail contacts.

Insync creates an always-in-sync folder on your computer that copies files to the cloud and to other machines running Insync. It also syncs your Google Docs to this folder as well, which is pretty great. If anyone shares a Google Doc with you it'll show up in your Insync folder, on your Insync page, and (of course) in Google Docs:

When you make changes locally, those changes are synced back up to Google Docs almost instantly. If you want to keep an eye on anything and everything Insync is up to, you can check in the menubar (system tray in Windows):

While syncing locally to Google Docs is pretty much instant, syncing from Google Docs to your local machine can sometimes take a minute or two—but speed improvements are already underway.

Revisions are tracked with your synced docs, too, so a quick right click can let you look back on all the revisions you've made. Here it is in action:

Insync Keeps Your Files and Google Docs Synced and Backed Up

Insync isn't just for Google Docs, though. In addition to syncing your Gmail contacts, you can also drop any file into the Insync folder and it'll save it to your cloud storage and sync it with your other machines.

Insync is free for individual users and business accounts (limited to five users). Both account types come with 1GB of free storage. Additional storage options are forthcoming.

Dell's Inspiron Duo Is a 10" Netbook/Tablet Transformer [Dell]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5637897/dells-inspiron-duo-is-a-10-netbooktablet-transformer

What, pray tell, is this? It's Dell's new Inspiron Duo, a 10" tablet that opens up and twirls its screen to transform itself into a netbook. Craziest of all? They're saying it'll be available before the end of the year.

Dell showed off the crazy little guy, which runs Windows 7 Premium and packs a dual-core Atom N550 processor, at the second day keynote of Intel's IDF conference—you can catch a video of its transformation in action over at Engadget. There's no word if they've made any concessions to make its version of Windows 7 more tablet friendly, but this Inspiron gets kudos for audacity alone. [Engadget]

MSI's Wind Top AE2420 3D hits US shores for $1,800, Blu-ray and glasses included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/msis-wind-top-ae2420-3d-hits-us-shores-for-1-800-blu-ray-and/

Well, it's about time! Excuse our impatience / excitement, but we've been hearing about MSI's 3D all-in-one since March, and the company's finally done putting the finishing touches on it. While MSI's claiming it's the "world's first 3D all-in-one," the Wind Top AE2420 3D isn't just another 3D display that comes with active shutter glasses -- though it does have those features and in unison they do a mighty good job of displaying high def, three-dee video and images. But beyond all that, the company's gone and packed the back of the 24-inch, 120Hz LED panel with a Core i7 870s processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. And that's not all... amongst other things, the right and left edges are home to a USB 3.0 port and Blu-Ray drive. Oh yes, it's one monster of a machine, but it's gonna cost ya: MSI says the system will come in at $1,800 at most e-tailers, though there may be some other configurations. Still, the swirly design, touchscreen and THX speakers make it a rather luring family or living room PC. Either way, we're just happy this thing's finally arrived -- hit the break for the full press release as well as the gallery below for some pictures of the rig and MSI's rather hefty glasses.

Gallery: MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D

Continue reading MSI's Wind Top AE2420 3D hits US shores for $1,800, Blu-ray and glasses included

MSI's Wind Top AE2420 3D hits US shores for $1,800, Blu-ray and glasses included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

BlackBerry Curve 3G launching on Verizon for $30

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/blackberry-curve-3g-launching-on-verizon-for-30/

We would've never figured on Verizon carrying over the "Curve 3G" name from this phone's GSM counterpart, considering all of its older Curve models have already had EV-DO -- but branding consistency trumps logic in this case, we suppose. Given what we know about the GSM model, you can probably guess the specs: 2 megapixel cam and BlackBerry OS 5 with upgradeability to 6 are both in the cards, though interestingly, Verizon's official specs just list 802.11b/g for WiFi -- there's no mention of 802.11n, which the current Curve 3G has under the hood. Regardless, perhaps the best feature is the price: $29.99 on contract after a $100 rebate, making it one of the most affordable brand new smartphones on the market -- assuming BlackBerry OS is your cup of tea, of course. It'll launch in business sales channels this Thursday, while in-store availability for us lay folk follows "in the coming weeks." Follow the break for the full press release.

Continue reading BlackBerry Curve 3G launching on Verizon for $30

BlackBerry Curve 3G launching on Verizon for $30 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

ViewPure Removes Extraneous YouTube Features for a Focused Viewing Experience [YouTube]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5636370/viewpure-removes-extraneous-youtube-features-for-a-focused-viewing-experience

ViewPure Removes Extraneous YouTube Features for a Focused Viewing Experience If you find YouTube to be a little too busy or just aren't a fan of the comments, ViewPure is a handy bookmarklet to focus your YouTube experience on just the video you want to watch.

ViewPure is pretty simple to use. You can either visit viewpure.com and enter a YouTube URL for purified view, or just install their bookmarklet and click it whenever you're on a YouTube video page that you want to "purify." As an added bonus it appears to get rid of the ads, too.

ViewPure [via SpeechTechie]

Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger, Only $11 at Amazon [Dealhacker]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5637502/belkin-mini-surge-protector-with-usb-charger-only-11

Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger, Only at Amazon For creating charging stations in any room, or getting in on the last plug in the coffee shop through sharing, it's hard to beat Belkin's small surge protector and USB charger. Right now it's just $11 at Amazon (technically listed at $25 through Belkin), and totally worth the price. We've previously featured it as stuff we like, it made an appearance in Adam's laptop bag show-and-tell, and I'm now too a proud owner. It's a little bigger than you might think, but worth the space to leave your cellphone chargers at home and never have to play musical plugs again. Plus, it now seems to come with a mini-USB cord included—always a nice bonus. [Amazon]

Touchscreen Slider E7 is "Beautiful" According to Nokia—But Still Symbian^3 [Nokia]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5637419/slide+out-qwerty-touchscreen-e7-is-beautiful-according-to-nokia++but-still-symbian3

Reminding us of the Communicator from yesteryear, Nokia described the E7 as being "beautiful and all business, and despite being big, it's very thin this time," when showing it off at Nokia World.

The 4-inch touchscreen uses the new ClearBlack Display for darker blacks and brighter colors, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the phone is aimed at business users—yet still has the full host of Ovi services and apps. Microsoft Exchange support is included, obviously, but they haven't compromised on entertainment features, such as the HDMI port and Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound.

It measures 13.8mm thick and has an 8MP camera capable of shooting 720p video, plus 16GB of memory to store it all on. [Nokia]

Nokia C6 and C7 Touchscreen Phones Have 8MP Camera and New ClearBlack Displays [Nokia]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5637421/nokia-c6-and-c7-touchscreen-phones-have-8mp-camera-and-new-clearblack-displays

Describing the C6 as a "premium touchscreen," it has a new ClearBlack Display which they're trying to position as the Pioneer KURO of the phone world—blacker blacks, but also brighter colors. The C7 is an even skinnier version.

Both Symbian^3 phones have 8MP cameras and shoot video at 720p resolution, plus boast of fine "social netbooking" features, as Nokia's Anssi Vanjoki described at their Nokia World expo. The C7 is the new C-series flagship, with a 3.5-inch AMOLED screen and more memory, plus a premium stainless steel body, which he said was the "sleekest, smoothest device in the whole world," at 10.5mm thick. We'll judge that for ourselves when we get hands-on later with the 8GB-memory phone.

The C6 has a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen—capacitive, thankfully, and a microSD card slot for expanding up to 32GB.

Both have Ovi access for downloading apps, and will go on sale at the end of the year. More info when we get it. [Nokia]

Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/intels-light-peak-optical-interconnect-shrinks-slightly-while/

Intel's Light Peak isn't setting any new speed records at IDF 2010 -- it's still rated at 10Gbps for now -- but the optical data transfer system is finally looking like it might appear in some actual products. As you can see immediately above, a Light Peak to HDMI converter has shrunk considerably since May, and a number of optically-infused sample products were on display at Intel's Light Peak booth. Compal's got a laptop with the optical interconnect built in, while Western Digital showed an external hard drive, from which the Compal could pull and edit multimedia in real-time using a Light Peak-enabled Avid rackmount. Meanwhile, LaCie showed off what appeared to be a 4big Quadra RAID array with two Light Peak ports catapulting high-definition video content at 770MB/s to a nearby Samsung TV, though we should warn you that the TV itself was a bit of a hack job, and not a collaboration with Samsung -- note the big, honking EVGA video card sticking out of the back. Though obviously a good bit of work went into these prototypes, Intel reps told us none would necessarily become a reality. Either way, don't expect to see Light Peak products until sometime next year.

Gallery: Intel's Light Peak prototype hardware

Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... display fight!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/nokia-cbd-vs-apple-retina-fight/

Come on, you knew this post was coming. Here we have a prototype Nokia E7 and its new 4-inch, 640x360 pixel Clear Black Display pitted again the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel Retina display. To our eyes, the iPhone 4 display has a noticeable blue warmth and wasn't as vibrant or bright as the CBD. The CBD, however, did come across a bit oversatured (just look at those red "breaking news" bars), but hey, it's AMOLED. It certainly looks just as good as the Galaxy S' Super AMOLED. We'll have to see how the polarized layer on the CBD affects sunlight viewing. More on that later. Until then, play nice dear readers.

Gallery: Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... fight!

Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... display fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Nikon D7000 pictured ahead of imminent release?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/nikon-d7000-pictured-ahead-of-imminent-release/

What, the D3100 and its fancy new autofocusing video mode not enough for ya? Ever since Nikon updated its entry level DSLR, rumors have been rife of a new teammate for it, namely a D7000, designed to replace the wildly popular D90 prosumer shooter. Today, those rumors get enriched with a supposedly legit image, showing a realignment of the buttons on the back, a bit more control with a dual jog dial on the left shoulder, and a new Live View-switching toggle as first seen on the D3100. Look for the D7000, along with a new Speedlight flash and a couple of juicy Nikkor prime lenses, to get officially announced early tomorrow morning. Or not, you never know with rumors.

Nikon D7000 pictured ahead of imminent release? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Nikon Rumors | Email this | Comments

Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton: Surface will be in homes within three years

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/microsoft-principal-researcher-bill-buxton-surface-will-be-in-h/

Microsoft's Principal Researcher recently sat down for a very long interview with The Globe and Mail. The next big thing in tech, he says, is something like Microsoft's already available (but super expensive) Surface. So what does the next version of the Surface look like? Well, it's going to be much thinner -- "no thicker than a sheet of glass," but most importantly, it will cost much much less. The man who helped design what ultimately became Surface says that soon enough, the cameras will be embedded within the device itself, making it a low-cost, in home product rather than the niche product it is today. Buxton also said in the interview that he thinks we'll begin seeing home implementation within the next three years. We sure hope that he's correct.

Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton: Surface will be in homes within three years originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

The Globe and Mail | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)