Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, March 07, 2011

Lenovo posts ThinkPad X220 specs online, includes IPS display, SSD, and 23-hour battery options

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/07/lenovo-posts-thinkpad-x220-specs-online-includes-ips-display-s/

Go to Lenovo's online store looking for an X Series laptop to call your own and you'll be greeted by the familiar X201. But go to Lenovo's spec sheet repository and you'll find a lush PDF file detailing a new ThinkPad X220 model that seems set to become available very shortly indeed. Sized at a somewhat unconventional 12.5 inches, this fresh contender will feature a new "buttonless" touchpad -- though it retains the mouse keys in support of the TrackPoint navigator -- while offering the sweet nectar of a 1366 x 768 IPS display, up to a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a choice of Intel SSDs ranging up to 160GB. The 9-cell battery is rated to last you 15 hours and there's an additional external battery pack that will keep you tether-free for 23 hours. Click past the break for the full specs.

[Thanks, Chris]

Continue reading Lenovo posts ThinkPad X220 specs online, includes IPS display, SSD, and 23-hour battery options

Lenovo posts ThinkPad X220 specs online, includes IPS display, SSD, and 23-hour battery options originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seagate ships 7,200RPM 3TB Barracuda XT internal hard drive, we wonder what took so long

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/05/seagate-ships-7-200rpm-3tb-barracuda-xt-internal-hard-drive-we/

We've been hearing about Seagate's plans to offer an unencumbered 3TB hard drive since May of last year, but despite promises of a 2010 launch and the release of similarly large HDDs from companies like Western Digital and Hitachi, we're only now seeing the 3TB Barracuda XT shipping all on its own. We won't claim to have an explanation for the delay, but it's possible that the company's proprietary software -- which breaks the 2.1TB legacy OS barrier and enables this guy to function within Windows XP -- could have something to do with it. It might be tardy to the party, but the new Barracuda can definitely hold its own when stacked against the competition -- it spins at 7,200RPM, touts a 64MB cache, and plays nice with the 6Gbps SATA interface. It ain't the only 3TB fish in the sea, but at $280, it's definitely not dead in the water.

Seagate ships 7,200RPM 3TB Barracuda XT internal hard drive, we wonder what took so long originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Electronista | source

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Sunday, March 06, 2011

Archos planning to launch high-end tablets at IFA later this summer?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/05/archos-planning-to-launch-high-end-tablets-at-ifa-later-this-sum/

Archos planning to launch high-end tablets at IFA later this summer?

Over the years we've certainly seen that Archos can do some decent things on limited hardware, but of course the real money is to be found on the higher end, where your iPads and your Xooms play. According to tabletblog.de, Archos has stated intent to announce two new tablets at IFA later this year, fitting into the 7- and 10-inch domains like the older (and lower-rent) 70 and 101 Internet Tablets above. Supposedly the company doesn't know what hardware either will be running, only that they'll be top-shelf components integrated using posh design. Surely that'll mean a posh price, too.

Archos planning to launch high-end tablets at IFA later this summer? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

newbooknews.com | source

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Friday, March 04, 2011

VIA says Eden X2 is world's most power-efficient dual-core processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/via-says-eden-x2-is-worlds-most-power-efficient-dual-core-proce/

Following close behind the low-power Nano X2 comes the Eden X2, or what VIA is calling "the world's most power-efficient" fanless dual-core processor. While we've yet to see any official numbers, the original Eden did 500MHz on one watt of power, so we should see similarly thrifty specs here. Aside from that, the unit houses two 64-bit cores in a 21 x 21 millimeter package, is compatible with Windows CE and Linux operating systems, and was built using a 40-nanometer manufacturing process. The Eden X2 made its debut at the World Embedded conference this week, and should make it to the real world by the end of Q2. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading VIA says Eden X2 is world's most power-efficient dual-core processor

VIA says Eden X2 is world's most power-efficient dual-core processor originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's SSD 510 reviewed, measures up well against Vertex 3

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/intels-ssd-510-reviewed-measures-up-well-against-vertex-3/

Been wondering how that new 6Gbps SATA interface and Marvell controller have been treating Intel's latest SSDs? The answer, it turns out, is really rather nicely. Faced off with OCZ's awesomely quick Vertex 3 drive, the 250GB SSD 510 from Intel more than holds its own, occasionally flashing ahead and taking the lead. Opting for Marvell's processing chip has improved Intel's sequential performance, but has actually led to it taking a ding on random read speeds -- the latter being arguably more important on a day-to-day basis. Still, this $584 drive is one of the finest the consumer world has yet had to feast upon and should encourage high expectations from Intel's 25nm G3 storage units, which are still to come. As to having the extra Serial ATA bandwidth, we'll leave it to Anand from AnandTech to summarize: "these next-generation SSDs not only use 6Gbps SATA, they really need it."

Intel's SSD 510 reviewed, measures up well against Vertex 3 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, March 03, 2011

Bing, one more nail (no, big huge wooden stake) in Groupon's coffin - http://ping.fm/Dv0Ur like I predicted here http://bit.ly/f6BcA5

via @ClickZ - The Confluence of Trends: Mobile, Location, Social, and Group; Implications for Marketing / Advertising - http://bit.ly/ifY7P6

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

My tool for sending photo greetings using millions of Creative Commons Flickr photos: phreetings (photo+greetings) - http://bit.ly/fhsJwO

Friday, February 25, 2011

Electric Bikes Are Now Wireless, and Can Charge Gadgets via USB [Bikes]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5770071/electric-bikes-are-now-wireless-and-can-charge-gadgets-via-usb

I loved riding about town when testing a GoCycle electric bike, but must admit the cable that snaked around the frame sometimes got in the way of the pedals, if I didn't do it up right. The Shadow Ebike is the first electric bike that houses its Daymak Drive controller in the front wheel, alongside a lithium-ion battery, motor, USB port, charging port and LED power display.

Why would you need a USB port, I hear you ask? Why, so you can charge gadgets. The wheel stores electricity, generated from activity. So, the more you cycle, the more you can charge your cellphone once you stop.

You can choose between a 250W motor, or something with a bit more grunt in it, at 350W. The battery, on the other hand, is a 36V 10AH lithium-ion one, which takes up to five hours to recharge, and is good for up to 25 miles.

The only problem I can see with Daymak's Shadow Ebike is the price: a rather steep $1,999. Not to mention the rather "safe" color... [Shadow Ebikes via Gizmag]

Sources: iPad 2 lands in thinner body with spec bump and cameras, SD slot and higher resolution display are out

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/sources-ipad-2-lands-in-thinner-body-with-spec-bump-and-cameras/

The Apple rumors game can be a volatile thing. Just as we'd heard about last minute alterations to the Apple TV before it hit the market, we've gotten word from sources that the iPad 2 slated to be announced next Wednesday will be sans a few of the features we'd previously reported. Notably, that SD card slot and higher resolution display won't make it into the new model (the latter we'd been hearing rumblings about for a little while). What's the cause of the switch? Well our sources weren't crystal clear on the exact reasons, but the gist of what was explained to us centered around vague "engineering issues" which may have forced some changes at the eleventh hour. It's worth noting once again that these sources have been dead right on specific Apple plans and specifications for unannounced products in the past, and we have no reason to believe these changes are due to anything more than legitimate engineering decisions made close to launch.

So what will we see on March 2nd? We're hearing it's most likely a thinner, spec-bumped variation of the original iPad with a screen size and resolution identical to the current model. More RAM (512MB) and a more powerful CPU (the A5) are expected as well. It's also a pretty safe bet the tablet will be sporting at least one camera up front -- though if some of those case mockups we've seen tell us anything, expect a shooter around back too. It's also almost guaranteed that we'll see the next version of iOS (number 5 in all likelihood, along with its SDK for devs), and an expansion of Apple's cloud services (that part is a little... foggy right now). Of course, that will perfectly set up Apple's announcement of the iPhone 5 in June, which is when iPad owners can likely expect to be using the new software. Regardless, we'll have the goods come next week, so stay tuned!

Sources: iPad 2 lands in thinner body with spec bump and cameras, SD slot and higher resolution display are out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Xoom rooted in two hours flat, sinister transforming exoskeleton jetpack returns in Verizon ad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/motorola-xoom-rooted-in-two-hours-flat-sinister-transforming-ex/

What's the first thing you're going to do with your Motorola Xoom? If you're Koush, the answer's clear -- install your very own ClockworkMod recovery image and ROM Manager, and grant the latter superuser permissions. That's right, on the very day of release, the Motorola Xoom's all but ready for custom builds of Android and all the joy they bring.

Meanwhile, Verizon's decided to bring us the latter half of the abruptly cut Xoom TV ad, which actually differs significantly depending on whether or not Spanish is your primary language. Either way, it's a fairly sordid affair, with no Iron Man feats of stratospheric skill to be found, merely a quick demonstration of gaming with the accelerometer and a few quick swipes through Honeycomb. You'll still watch it if we tell you it's after the break though, won't you?

Continue reading Motorola Xoom rooted in two hours flat, sinister transforming exoskeleton jetpack returns in Verizon ad

Motorola Xoom rooted in two hours flat, sinister transforming exoskeleton jetpack returns in Verizon ad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhoneArena, Droid-Life | source

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VerizonWireless (YouTube), Koushik Dutta | Email this | Comments

HTC Incredible S shipping this week in UK, will come with Froyo to start

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/htc-incredible-s-shipping-this-week-in-uk-will-come-with-froyo/

Though it'd originally been pegged for the second quarter, it seems HTC's bumping that up a smidge with the launch of its new flagship -- the Incredible S -- in the UK this week. Pre-orders are going on as we speak with shipments promised for tomorrow, but there's a catch: rather than shipping with Gingerbread, the phones will come with Froyo to start with an upgrade to Gingerbread promised for the near future. Buyers, we've got a little homework for you: if you're feeling adventurous and in a warranty-voiding mood, try to figure out what's going on with those auto-rotating capacitive buttons, alright?

HTC Incredible S shipping this week in UK, will come with Froyo to start originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/gm-shows-off-terrain-suv-with-noise-cancellation-says-silence-e/

GM claims its new Terrain has other SUVs beat when it comes to fuel efficiency, and they're citing active noise cancellation -- a concept near and dear to audiophiles everywhere -- as one of the driving factors that puts it 4MPG above the competition. Basically, the Terrain's enlisted a new one-touch "Eco mode" that allows its four-cylinder engine to run at a lower torque, decreasing engine speeds, and thus saving gas. The thing is, this increased fuel efficiency comes with a "low-end frequency boom," which is where the noise cancellation sets in: two microphones built in to the car's headliner detect the boom, prompting a frequency generator to pump counteracting sound waves through Terrain's speakers. Simply put, GM's just getting rid of an unpleasant hum. So a quieter car isn't necessarily a greener car, but we'll take a more fuel efficient SUV any day. If you're picking up what GM's laying down, check out the full PR after the jump.

Continue reading GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency

GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

2011's new HDTVs from Samsung, Panasonic, LG start to arrive in stores, pricing leaks out

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/2011s-new-hdtvs-from-samsung-panasonic-lg-start-to-arrive-in/

After they strut their stuff on the CES runway the only thing left for 2011's latest & greatest HDTVs to do is take their act on the road and that's exactly what's happening. CNET's David Katzmaier has tweeted about finding a few Samsung and Panasonic models at various retailers already, though as usual it's the lower end models that are coming in first -- if you want a top of the line Panasonic VT30 instead of a 720p 3D Samsung D490 plasma (51-inch, $969), you'll have to wait. Still, it's good to ballpark what you'll have to budget and while HDGuru has followed up on previous Panasonic pricing leaks with MAP and specs for most of Samsung's line, cj1319 on AVSForum has early details on minimum advertised prices on LG's Nano LED lit LCDs & plasmas. Check the source links below for all the details,but don't expect any help from us while you're scraping together 10 g's for the 72-inch 72LZ9700 LG LCD pictured above.

2011's new HDTVs from Samsung, Panasonic, LG start to arrive in stores, pricing leaks out originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

@dkatzmaier | HDGuru, Samsung PN51D490A1 | Email this | Comments

Intel Thunderbolt: a closer look

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/intel-thunderbolt-a-closer-look/

So what's this Thunderbolt stuff, and why is it in your new MacBook Pro? Intel just broke it down for us, and now we'll do the same for you. Simply put, Thunderbolt's a familiar-looking port, a brand-new chip, and a cord, which allows devices to pipe two data streams simultaneously -- in both directions -- over a single cable at up to 10 gigabits per second to start, primarily using PCI Express x4 for data and DisplayPort for video. The Thunderbolt controller chip -- required for the system, but Intel says it's hardware-agnostic and doesn't require an Intel processor or chipset to use -- acts as a miniature router that rapidly switches between the two bidirectional channels of data.

Sounds great, but why would you want to buy into yet another copper cord? Intel defends that Thunderbolt will be backwards and forwards-compatible depending on the cable used. Representatives explained that the basic system can work with any other PCI Express 2.0-compatible I/O system with, say, a FireWire or eSATA adapter doing the dirty work --Intel wouldn't specifically comment on USB 3.0 -- and that the port you'll find in new MacBook Pros and storage devices can actually take an optical cable when those are cost-effective enough to roll out, because Intel will eventually bake the optical transceivers into the cables themselves. In the meanwhile, you can get up to three meters of range out of a basic cable, plus a fairly generous 10 watts of power over the bus, and since Thunderbolt devices are designed to be daisy-chained, you may be able to get another three meters for each device you add on that sports a pair of the ports.

Though Intel wasn't talking about likely prices for the chips or cables in even the most general terms, Promise and LaCie had prototype devices on hand headed to the market soon -- get a peek at them and a closer look at the cable in our gallery below, and we'll have video up in a little while too.

Update: Looks like LaCie's product now has a name and vague release date: it's the LaCie Little Big Disk, coming this summer, with a pair of solid state drives inside.

Gallery: Intel Thunderbolt close-up shots

Intel Thunderbolt: a closer look originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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