Friday, November 12, 2010

Speed Up Firefox by Moving Your Cache to RAM, No RAM Disk Required [Firefox Tip]

Speed Up Firefox by Moving Your Cache to RAM, No RAM Disk Required [Firefox Tip]

We'ved talked about moving your cache files to a RAM disk to speed things up, but it turns out Firefox has this feature built in. Here's how to turn it on.

Since your computer can access data in RAM faster than on a hard drive, moving cached data to RAM can improve your page load times. In Firefox, all you need to do to move your caches to RAM is open up about:config and make a few tweaks.

Once you get into about:config, type browser.cache into the filter bar at the top. Find browser.cache.disk.enable and set it to false by double clicking on it. You'll then want to set browser.cache.memory.enable to true (mine seemed to already be set as such), and create a new preference by right clicking anywhere, hitting New, and choosing Integer. Call the preference browser.cache.memory.capacity and hit OK. In the next window, type in the number of kilobytes you want to assign to the cache (for example, typing 100000 would create a cache of 100,000 kilobytes or 100 megabytes). A value of -1 will tell Firefox to dynamically determine the cache size depending on how much RAM you have.

This tip isn't brand new, but it is something we didn't know about, so if you're looking to eke a bit more speed out of Firefox (and who isn't?) this should give your page loading speeds a little boost. You can check up on your memory cache activity by typing about:cache in the address bar. Hit the link for more information on this tweak, and if you try it out, let us know how it works for you in the comments.

Speed Up Firefox Page Loading Time Without Using a RAM Disk [Download Squad]

HTC Mecha / Incredible HD pictured for Verizon with a fancy '4G' symbol

HTC Mecha / Incredible HD pictured for Verizon with a fancy '4G' symbol

If you weren't so keen on that LTE-enabled LG handset for Verizon that we saw recently, feat your eyes on this puppy. What we're looking at here is allegedly the HTC Mecha -- which may be known at retail as the Droid Incredible HD -- and from the looks of it, it'll be the first true EVO 4G equivalent from HTC for Big Red. And yes, when we say "EVO 4G equivalent," we mean 4G network support, too: you'll notice a little "4G" symbol up there toward the right side of the status bar, suggesting this will likely be among the company's inaugural LTE phones early next year. Android Central's source says that the phone is getting 9Mbps down and 5Mbps up in testing right now... so let's just hope those speeds hold up when the network actually launches.

HTC Mecha / Incredible HD pictured for Verizon with a fancy '4G' symbol originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Android Central | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with FiOS Flex View

Hands-on with FiOS Flex View

Verizon Flex View demo

At the grand re-opening of a Verizon Plus store in Tampa today, Big Red was demoing its latest FiOS TV feature, Flex View. As announced, this feature lets you take your video on demand content with you on your PC as well as various other Verizon Wireless devices -- no iOS support though as Apple doesn't license its FairPlay and the Microsoft PlayReady DRM used doesn't work on Apple's products either. There are about 2,000 movies available for rent now, with a subset of them available for purchase. Currently they are all SD with stereo sound, but HD and discrete surround sound are planed for later versions. Unlike the FiOS VOD, you can download these shows from any internet connection and play them back on the go or at home -- resume between devices is also in the coming-soon category. Overall the user interface looked good, but we did see lots of blocking artifacts that we just hope were a result of the in-store demo and not an indication of what customers can actually expect. The content is linked to your Verizon FiOS user ID, which means that purchased content can still be viewed even if you cancel your FiOS TV service. No word on if Verizon's free VOD selection will ever become available, but we have to say we really like the idea of watching content on the go no matter how good our network connection isn't.

Gallery: Hands-on with FiOS Flex View

Hands-on with FiOS Flex View originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Samsung Orion dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip spotted in the wild

Samsung Orion dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip spotted in the wild

We know it's a little tough to get excited about a chip, even if that chip is the hotly anticipated Samsung Orion. Still, bear with us, because this isn't your average slab of cellphone silicon -- the Orion's got a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU and a quad-core Mali 400 GPU on board. We spotted it at the ARM Technology Conference this week where it was pimping "Linaro" Linux middleware, as well as some stock Android 2.2. Unfortunately, the development boards still have a few kinks, so representatives couldn't show it pumping all those pixels to nearby HDTVs -- though we did get a butter-smooth demo of Futuremark's old Cyber Samurai benchmark running on the smaller screen. There are still rumors of this chip hitting some products late this year, but next year is much more likely. Either way, we're expecting some pretty impressive benchmarks from this thing when it inevitably winds up in the next Galaxy Tab or a flagship phone of some sort.

Gallery: Samsung Orion 1GHz SoC with Mali 400 GPU

Samsung Orion dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights [Pico Projector]

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights [Pico Projector]

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights Pint-sized pico-projectors are popping up all over the place. Will Samsung's SP-H03 be the first to find its way into your pocket? Depends on how badly you need public video playback.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Specs Samsung HP-S03
Dimensions: 1.5" x 2.75" x 2.75"
Weight: 6oz
Resolution: 854 x 480
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Price: $300

You're camping. You've got jury duty. You want to show a couple friends a web video without crowding the whole gang around your notebook. The idea of having a high-def projector that you can take anywhere has pretty wide appeal, and the HP-S03 is a serious attempt at satisfying that want. It packs a gig of internal memory, a strap-on battery that'll last two hours, and a 30-lumen LED DLP that fires off a 28-inch-diagonal image. All in something the size of a fresh stack of Post-It notes. Throw in native support for nearly 20 file types and you've got yourself a pretty powerful projection platform.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Setup is fairly straightforward. Find a wall at least three feet away, either connect the HP-S03 to a video source or use the touchscreen to navigate the internal memory, and hit play. For audio, it'll squawk out of its built-in speakers, but there's a 3.5mm jack for connecting something more substantial. You can plug it into the wall or use a rechargeable clip-on battery that lasts around two hours—long enough for a movie or a few rounds of video games. When sitting alone, playing a movie, the whole assembly looks like a little piece of softly humming cake.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Obviously, the SP-H03 has great portability. Its size and weight allow it to slip easily into a pocket, though at 1.5" tall, expect a lot of "or are you happy to see me?" jokes.

The image is bright enough with the lights off, but even on an overcast Portland day the image can be washed out in daylight. That's to be expected for something of this size. Supports roughly 20 video, music and image files as well as Microsoft Office Suite formats. Decent variety of inputs: VGA, composite, USB or SD. The LED will likely outlast the device, so you shouldn't have to ever replace a bulb.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Won't play some popular file types, like .mov, which definitely limits your options. Needs more modern cabling options something awful: Sure, you've got a simple composite input available with an adapter, but the lack of HDMI or DVI makes it decidedly less compatible with more modern laptops. Also, every input needs a dongle, which is a pain. One-watt speaker is loud enough to fill a small conference room, but sounds tinny—plug something beefier into the headphone jack is recommended whenever possible. There's also a constant, muted whine from the fan—not a big deal, but noticeable.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

Obviously, no one will mistake the SP-H03 for a home theater machine, so don't expect to hook this up to a Blu-Ray and be blown away with full 1080p clarity and 10.1 surround sound. The resolution is good enough and the picture is bright enough for a PowerPoint presentation or a campground film festival. Overall, the HP-S03's portability and variety of input/playback options outweigh its outdated cabling and occasionally spotty video support.

Samsung HP-S03 Picoprojector Review: A Brownie Full of Lights

AAXA busts out its bright little XGA M2 projector

AAXA busts out its bright little XGA M2 projector

AAXA is known in some circles for making bright little pico projectors, and its newest, the M2, is no exception. This latest model packs 110 lumens of brightness, XGA (1024 x 768) resolution -- seemingly a first for the world of tiny projectors. It also has 1GB of built-in storage plus an SD card slot if you need to get serious. The micro projector also boasts VGA, HDMI, and USB ports. Other than that, the M2 has a built-in media player with support for MP4, MP3, AVI, JPG, and other file formats, and optional cables for iPod, PSP and smartphone hookups. AAXA's M2 is available now, and you can grab one for $369.

AAXA busts out its bright little XGA M2 projector originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pico Projector Info | source

source

AAXA | Email this | Comments

This is the Nexus S

This is the Nexus S

Here it is: the Nexus S, your Gingerbread-running Google phone from Samsung, and the presumed sequel to the HTC-produced Nexus One. These pictures were taken about a month ago, but it's still unclear exactly when we can expect an announcement. Needless to say, if you happen to be near a Google or Samsung campus, keep a keen eye out for these things right now.

Gallery: This is the Nexus S

This is the Nexus S originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Trees Infused With Glowing Nanoparticles Could Replace Streetlights

Trees Infused With Glowing Nanoparticles Could Replace Streetlights

Taiwanese researchers have come up with the elegant idea of replacing streetlights with trees, by implanting their leaves with gold nanoparticles. This causes the leaves to give off a red glow, lighting the road for passersby without the need for electric power. This ingenious triple threat of an idea could simultaneously reduce carbon emissions, cut electricity costs and reduce light pollution, without sacrificing the safety that streetlights bring.

As many good things do, this discovery came about by accident when the researchers were trying to create lighting as efficient as LEDs without using the toxic, expensive phosphor powder that LEDs rely on. The gold nanoparticles, shaped like sea urchins, put into the leaves of Bacopa caroliniana plants cause chlorophyll to produce the reddish luminescence.

In an added bonus, the luminescence will cause the leaves' chloroplasts to photosynthesize, which will result in more carbon being captured from the air while the streets are lit. The next steps are to improve the efficiency of the bioluminescence and apply the technology to other biomolecules.

Can a PC Be Upgraded Forever? [PCs]

Can a PC Be Upgraded Forever? [PCs]

This little aluminum computer has one big goal: To be the last PC you will ever need. That's what the manufacturer claims—"The Xi3 Modular's three boards will allow you to upgrade it forever." Maybe. I just like the color.

The tiny Xi3 Modular has one board with two AMD Athlon 64 processors and the RAM, while two I/O boards handle all connectivity and input/output requirements. They say that, by changing these boards you can "upgrade this computer forever" to save money and resources. Nice intentions, Captain Planet, but many computer manufacturers have tried the same approach only to discover that their modular technology always gets outdated, rendering their whole upgrade strategy into a broken pencil: Pointless.

Still, it's a nice little computer which is designed to be mounted anywhere. It comes with dual display support with 1080p DVI, VGA, HDMI, LVDS and DP output, plus 6 USB and 2 SATA Ports, Xi3p and PCIe, and it's available in limited quantities for $849. [XI3 via BusinessWire]

Track Loss of iPhone Reception Using the RootMetrics App [IPhone Apps]

Track Loss of iPhone Reception Using the RootMetrics App [IPhone Apps]

Track Loss of iPhone Reception Using the RootMetrics App Whether it's for your own passive-aggressive diarising, or you actually plan on launching an appeal against AT&T, the RootMetrics app is worth a download. It's crowd-sourcing data for coverage maps...hopefully so networks can plug the holes. [RootMetrics via Gigaom]

Emergency MicroSD Card-Reading Situations Are Catered For in ThinkGeek's Watch [Watches]

Emergency MicroSD Card-Reading Situations Are Catered For in ThinkGeek's Watch [Watches]

True nerdlingers probably use the time display on their TI graphics calculators, but one level up from those people would have this microSD card-reading watch strapped on at all times. Even bedtimes. Especially bedtimes. $16. [ThinkGeek via LikeCool]

Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch now up for pre-order

Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch now up for pre-order

Does the time you spend at work away from your e-reader leave you crippled with the E Ink shakes? Well the good news is that Seiko's gorgeous atomic clock-syncing 'active matrix' E Ink watch we covered a while back is now available for pre-order via Amazon Japan. The bad news is that it's priced at ￥84,000 (on sale) -- which equates to roughly $1,022 based on current exchange rates. That's about five times more than Phosphor's latest 24 hour time zone mastering E Ink watch, or nearly enough cheddar to a buy one of Amazon's latest Kindles for everyday of the work week. Really, though, the price isn't too surprising coming from a respected watch company like Seiko, especially when you take into account its schmancy 180 degree viewing angle, geek-chic looks, and radio-controlled movement. Don't be misled by the 'active matrix' terminology however, because a matching leather trench coat isn't part of this deal.

[Thanks, P-A]

Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch now up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Amazon Japan | Email this | Comments

Samsung NX 100 gets reviewed, deemed a good option for the CSC curious

Samsung NX 100 gets reviewed, deemed a good option for the CSC curious

We've shared exclusives of Samsung's NX100 in the wild, gone hands on and even completed a quick and dirty mini review at Photokina this year, and for the most part walked away impressed by its i-Function lens controls and wallet-friendly price. Now, the folks at Photography Blog have shared their own exhaustive review of the mirror-less camera and recommend the NX10's little brother as a good option with a high-quality APS-C sensor for those looking to dip their toes in the Compact System Camera waters. However they were less enthused about the NX100's i-Function controls than we were, feeling the concept would work better on units with electronic viewfinders (which they missed on the NX100) -- since they can be held close to the eye as opposed to at arm's length. The lack of a built-in pop-up flash, and optical or in-body stabilisation was also a disappointment. Benefits like a good Smart Auto scene selection system, competitive focusing speed, and an impressive AMOLED 3-inch screen were mentioned as redeeming high points though, which combined with rock-bottom pricing, put the camera in a unique competition-undercutting position. For more juicy details, be sure to hit up the review link below.

Samsung NX 100 gets reviewed, deemed a good option for the CSC curious originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Photography Blog | Email this | Comments

How âSuper AMOLEDâ Displays Work [Displays]

How 'Super AMOLED' Displays Work [Displays]

Some tablets and smartphones ship with an AMOLED display. Newer ones are shipping with a "Super AMOLED" display. What so super about it, and what does all this alphabet soup even mean?

The short version is that a Super AMOLED touchscreen display integrates touch sensors with the glass surface panel, eliminating at least one layer of glass and with it, a layer of air. That's what makes Super AMOLED super. Only Samsung makes it.

Super AMOLED schematic from Samsung

I said "at least one layer of glass" because AMOLED itself eliminates at least one layer in a display. The current Galaxy Tab, for example, uses a TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) screen. Until very recently, TFT-LCD has been the state of the art in thin color displays and is still the only cost-effective option in the vast majority of displays larger than a smartphone screen.

TFT-LCD has approximately four layers: a backlight, a TFT color filter, a touch-sensor panel, and an outer glass screen. AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) eliminates the separate backlight. AMOLED, however, is known for having problems with glare and readability in direct sunlight, even relative to average LCD screens. By minimizing the number of reflective surfaces and power necessary to achieve vivid color, Super AMOLED was designed in part to address this.

Samsung introduced Super AMOLED to commercial devices this year with the Samsung Wave, which ran their own Bada OS. The Android-powered Samsung Galaxy series of smartphones made the displays popular, and it's since appeared on Samsung's Windows Phone 7 handsets as well.

There are other advanced color technologies in the market, all of them super, and all of them extra-expensive: Super LCD recently joined Super IPS and Advanced Super View. But only Super AMOLED has really captured the popular imagination.

A 7-inch Android tablet with an AMOLED display would probably be a serious advance over its current LCD screen. But if it's "just" AMOLED, something about it would just seem … less than super.

Wired.com has been expanding the hive mind with technology, science and geek culture news since 1995.

Firefox 4 Beta 7 Is Nearly Complete and Much Speedier [Video]

Firefox 4 Beta 7 Is Nearly Complete and Much Speedier [Video]

Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox 4 Beta 7 is out, and it's an impressive preview of the final release. Mozilla has let loose the JaegerMonkey engine, enabled hardware graphics acceleration on Windows and Mac, and integrated Sync and the awesome Panorama/"Tab Candy".

Mozilla says their JaegerMonkey compiler, combined with their other improvements, leaves Firefox 4 with a seriously impressive engine for rendering web pages and interpreting webapps and games. Their chart of three benchmark tests, including their own, shows what looks like some serious improvements, at least over their previous releases (and we can't wait to put them to the test):

In a demonstration video, Team Firefox makes the case more clear for how JavaScript performance can speed along tomorrow's webapps:

Firefox 4 Beta 7 Is Nearly Complete and Much Speedier

In addition to the raw code and horsepower additions, Mozilla also notes the inclusion of hardware-based graphics acceleration in this beta, along with more obvious integration of previous experiments like Sync, Pannorama, and App Tabs.

Firefox 4 Beta 7 is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Download it, give it a spin, and tell us what you think of the new browser and its liquored-up simian core.

Fasten Your Seatbelts – Firefox 4 Beta adds new JavaScript power and faster graphics [The Mozilla Blog]

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)