Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Intel's Museum of Me finally gives your Facebook ego the attention it deserves

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/intels-museum-of-me-finally-gives-your-facebook-ego-the-attenti/

You've mastered the art of the high-cheekboned self-shot. Your acute taste in Iranian New Wave cinema is on full display. That leggy blonde who just so happens to appear in all 200 of your Spring break photos? Why yes, you two do have a thing going on, but honestly, it's no big deal. You didn't even tag her. Yes sir, your Facebook profile is in top form -- a veritable shrine to your unparalleled wit, your ferocious intellectual prowess and your unearthly solipsism. But is it enough? Is your life really getting the Stalinesque digital commemoration it so sorely deserves? These are the questions you have to ask yourself before walking into Intel's Museum of Me -- an interactive ad campaign for the Core i5 processor that takes online ego-stroking to an entirely new level of dystopia. All you have to do is allow Intel's app to harvest your Facebook information, and the program will begin curating an "art" exhibition devoted to your "life." The result is a brief video tour of your very own museum, replete with heartstring-tugging music and the requisite profile picture collages. It's just like walking through the MoMA, but instead of staring at a Lichtenstein or Pollock, you're reminded of, say, those three years you spent with the girl who broke your heart and smashed it to pieces -- or, you know, something like that. If you're into that sort of self-torture, hit the source link to build your own.

Intel's Museum of Me finally gives your Facebook ego the attention it deserves originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/does-this-xperia-play-have-hdmi-output/

Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

Here's a little intrigue to go along with your morning cuppa. The Xperia Play is a lovely bit of hardware lacking in a few crucial areas -- one being an inability to play games over HDMI. That's a definite problem for those who aren't quite ready to devote themselves wholesale to gaming on the (very) small screen. We had hoped Sony might release a micro-USB to HDMI adapter at some point, and indeed when we first saw the image above of a Play pumping graphics to an HDTV that's what we thought we had. But, on closer examination, we realized that the cable is coming out of the left side of the handset. On the current retail Play there's nothing there but shiny chrome, which you can see for yourself after the break. We also took a look at the exposed motherboard, and and there are no obvious contacts. This could be a developer edition with additional ports, but none of the dev whitepapers we've pored over this morning mention any such things, so maybe a revised version of the hardware is coming that adds a hole where once there was none. We'll keep working to find out what's up, but weigh in for yourself in the comments below.

[Thanks, Sam]

Continue reading Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output?

Does this Xperia Play have HDMI output? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, June 01, 2011

GrooVe IP Makes Free Calls from Google Voice Over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G, Uses No Minutes [App Of The Day]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5807075/groove-ip-makes-free-voip-calls-from-google-voice-over-wi+fi-or-3g4g

Android: GrooVe IP is a a simple app that lets you use your Android phone's Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection with Google Voice to make unlimited calls in the US or Canada (or cheap international calls) without using voice minutes.

The official Google Voice app for Android hooks into your Google Voice account but isn't really a VoIP service on the smartphone. We've previously mentioned a method to make free VoIP calls with Gizmo5, which is no longer available since Google bought the service, as well as a method that uses the Sipgate service, now only free for Sipgate to Sipgate calls and toll-free numbers. GrooVe IP is much easier to set up and likely worth the $3.99 price if you have only so many voice minutes.

GrooVe IP supports making and receiving Google Voice calls over Wi-Fi and/or 3G or 4G, so it doesn't eat up your voice minutes. The app may come in particularly handy if:

You want a second virtual phone line (a la Line2, but without the monthly fee)
You're in a location with Wi-Fi access and a poor cellular connection
You have Wi-Fi access but no mobile plan
You're traveling overseas and don't want to have to rent a phone. You can make and receive calls using your Google Voice number anywhere you have Wi-Fi connectivity instead.

The app integrates with your phone's contacts database and has a separate dialer that can be used to make calls, or you can use the default dialer and choose whether to use GrooVe IP or your cellular service to make calls on an individual call basis.

GrooVe IP worked great in making and receiving calls from Google Voice over a Wi-Fi connection during my tests, though there were a few hurdles setting up the service. Upon initial install, I kept getting errors about the app not being registered, which, according to the app's help section, suggested an error in the login details. Restarting my phone resolved the error, though occasionally the app would again briefly display that registration error before quickly connecting again.

Those glitches aside, if you're on a calling plan with a very limited number of voice minutes or want to be able to call the US/Canada for free from abroad, GrooVe IP is likely worth the $3.99 investment. Thanks bokscutter!

GrooVe IP | Android Market

You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter

Qualcomm Pits Snapdragon 2 Against Tegra 2 But Only Looks Foolish In the Process [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5807313/qualcomm-pits-snapdragon-2-against-tegra-2

A fairer test would involve comparing a chocolate bar with a granola bar, but Qualcomm doesn't care. Not when their video "shows" a second-gen single-core Snapdragon (in Verizon's Thunderbolt) speeding against a dual-core Tegra 2 (in AT&T's Motorola Atrix.)

It's a cheap ploy on Qualcomm's behalf, as of course the LTE 4G network beat the faux 4G one. But Qualcomm believes it's all down to how fast the processors connect to the networks. Tell me what you guys think in the comments below, while I get back to comparing a chocolate bar with a granola bar. [Phandroid]

Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/acer-unveils-meego-tablet-running-on-intel-atom-cpu/

Acer's David Lee just hijacked Intel's netbooks and tablets Computex keynote to unveil a brand new 10-inch tablet: the Iconia M500. It's the first in the company's new M Series and runs MeeGo atop an Atom (Moorestown) processor. Its appearance and dimensions are strikingly similar to the company's Android tablet, the A500, and that similarity extends to the resolution of the screen as well: 1280 x 800. The MeeGo interface is a custom Acer skin offering what was described as a "snackable UI." The point seems to be to offer instant access to the things you care about, and the brief demo we saw featured a set of live widgets organized around an "Acer circle." Mr. Lee, the company's Assistant VP for the Information Technology Business Group, tells us this 10-incher's coming at (not by, sadly) the end of this year.

Update: We've just added a gallery of hands-on shots below and you'll find video of the M500 after the break.

Gallery: Acer Iconia M500 hands-on

Continue reading Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!)

Acer Iconia M500 runs MeeGo on an Atom CPU, coming at the end of this year (hands-on video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ICE Computer shows off Trinity modular tablet concept, aims for Q1 2012 release (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/ice-computer-shows-off-trinity-modular-tablet-concept-aims-for/

First the ASUS Padfone, then the CMIT TransPhone, and now a third phone-docking tablet but with a little extra spice. Our latest contender comes from a Taiwan-based startup dubbed ICE Computer, who has just announced its partnership with ECS over its Trinity concept, a mobile display that lets you dock either a PC module or a smartphone (not necessarily an iPhone, let alone an iPhone 5 as reported by some sites; the dummy's just for show and convenience). From our quick chat with ICE product manager Jaryson Wu, we learned that the company's been working on this project for quite some time, though ike ASUS and CMIT, ICE also lacked a working prototype to show us.

So the idea is simple: slide in a PC module or phone of your choice, and you have yourself a fully functioning touchscreen tablet that has an upgradable core -- that's one tick for environmental friendliness, and another tick for potentially more powerful upgrades. But that's not it, as ICE may also throw in USB 3.0 ports, additional internal storage, and even a fan inside the Trinity tablet, but that will depend on the clients' needs. Jaryson indicated that there are no plans to launch products under the startup's own brand, nor is it going to develop its own phone to go with the add-on any time soon -- we'll just have to wait and see what it'll deliver in the first quarter of 2012. Video interview after the break.

[Thanks, @Stagueve]

Gallery: ICE Computer shows off Trinity modular tablet concept, aims for Q1 2012 release (video)

Continue reading ICE Computer shows off Trinity modular tablet concept, aims for Q1 2012 release (video)

ICE Computer shows off Trinity modular tablet concept, aims for Q1 2012 release (video) originally ap! peared o n Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft turns to crowdsourcing service to swat away patent trolls

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-turns-to-crowdsourcing-service-to-swat-away-patent-tro/

We've seen the havoc that patent trolls can wreak on tech companies and Microsoft clearly wants no part of it. That's why Ballmer & Co. have joined forces with Article One Partners -- a New York-based research firm that crowdsources scientific expertise to figure out whether or not patented ideas or inventions are as innovative as they claim, based on prior art. By subscribing to Article One's new Litigation Avoidance service, Redmond hopes "to reduce risk and reduce potential litigation cost" brought by nonpracticing entities (NPEs) -- companies that collect thousands of patents, in the hopes that one may lay a golden egg. No word on how much the service will actually cost, but we're guessing it'll be worth at least a few legal headaches. Full presser after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft turns to crowdsourcing service to swat away patent trolls

Microsoft turns to crowdsourcing service to swat away patent trolls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Belkin's ScreenCast TV WiDi adapter hits the FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/belkins-screencast-tv-widi-adapter-hits-the-fcc/

Looking for another way to add some WiDi to your TV? Then you can now also add Belkin's ScreenCast TV adapter to the list of options that are available or imminent. It recently turned up on Belkin's own website with a "coming soon" message, and it's now just hit the FCC, which could mean that "soon" is actually really soon. As for the device itself, it's about as straightforward as you'd expect, with just an HDMI port and some RCA inputs 'round back, plus support for full 1080p video and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound streamed from a WiDi-capable Windows 7 laptop. Look for this one to set you back $129 when it lands at retail.

Belkin's ScreenCast TV WiDi adapter hits the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba announces Oak Trail-based WT310/C Windows tablet for Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/toshiba-announces-oak-trail-based-wt310-c-windows-tablet-for-jap/

We'd heard some rumors that Toshiba might be ditching its Windows 7 tablet plans to focus on Honeycomb, but it looks like that's not the case -- at least, not in Japan (and not for enterprise customers). The company has just officially announced its new Oak Trail-based WT310/C tablet for the country, which packs an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display and runs Windows 7 Professional. In addition to that Atom Z670 processor, you can expect to get 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, an SD card slot for expansion, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and a 3 megapixel 'round back, and an optional cradle that adds some extra ports. Still no word on a price, unfortunately, but this one should be available in Japan sometime next month.

Toshiba announces Oak Trail-based WT310/C Windows tablet for Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 18:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TDK starts mass production of transparent OLEDs, makes texting and walking safer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/tdk-starts-mass-production-of-transparent-oleds-makes-texting-a/

TDK Transparent Display

TDK is taking those transparent OLED screens we saw back in October and putting them into mass production. The 2.4-inch, QVGA (240 x 320) UEL476 display has a transmittance of 40 percent, but obscures light passing through the front so others won't be able to read your text messages from behind. Obviously, these aren't going to find their way into high-end Android handsets, but they may have a home in fashion phones like Lenovo's S800. And, you know, they seem perfect for SMS addicts who can't stop their thumbs from flying even while walking. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading TDK starts mass production of transparent OLEDs, makes texting and walking safer

TDK starts mass production of transparent OLEDs, makes texting and walking safer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 20:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zinio comes to Android tablets, gives you 24 magazine issues for free

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/zinio-comes-to-android-tablets-gives-you-24-magazine-issues-for/

The iPad has yet to transform the publishing world as many expected it would, but some healthy competition from Android tablets should help to keep that process in motion. Zinio's reader app is now available on select Android 2.2, 2.3, and all 3.0 tablets, bringing Esquire, National Geographic, and 20,000 other magazine titles to the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and a half dozen other devices. And, to kick off the launch, Zinio is picking up the tab on the most recent issues of 24 top magazines, as long as you download by June 15. Digital subscriptions are still often more expensive than their print counterparts, but at least Android tablet owners will have a safer place to hide their issues of Playboy.

Continue reading Zinio comes to Android tablets, gives you 24 magazine issues for free

Zinio comes to Android tablets, gives you 24 magazine issues for free originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft will talk about 'the next version' of Windows at Computex tonight

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-will-talk-about-the-next-version-of-windows-at-compu/

Microsoft's Computex keynote today was all about the software giant's expansive portfolio of current offerings, but it started off with a pretty awesome promise: a partner preview event is coming tomorrow (Taipei time) where we'll get to hear about the next version of Windows. Steve Guggenheimer, the man who dished up this delicious tease, naturally had nothing more to say on the matter, but we do know that said event kicks off at 10AM local time, making it 10PM ET (on Wednesday!) in the US. Whichever side of the Pacific you're on, however, rest assured that we'll have all the details that Microsoft is willing to disclose about its future as soon as they become available.

Update: Remember, there's a remote chance that we might see Windows Next (aka, Windows 8) revealed a few hours earlier when Steven Sinofsky hits the stage at the D9 conference Wednesday afternoon. Naturally, we'll be bringing the conversation with Microsoft's president of Windows to you live, just as soon as things kick off at 3:15PM PT (6:15PM ET).

Microsoft will talk about 'the next version' of Windows at Computex tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel ships 100 million Atoms, celebrates third birthday of netbook CPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/intel-ships-100-million-atoms-celebrates-third-birthday-of-netb/

Intel's Atom processor and the rise of the netbook have gone hand in hand, which has to this date resulted in a tally of one hundred million CPUs shipped by Intel. And though netboks are not quite the new hotness they once were, Intel is today celebrating the third birthday of its low-power processor and promising to keep it going for many years yet. That'll happen thanks to a category Intel is calling companion devices, which includes clamshells of the old netbook ilk and tablets of all sizes and varieties. As if to prove that point, the company showed off a tablet that could boot into MeeGo, Android and Windows -- choice is what it's all about, according to Intel.

Intel ships 100 million Atoms, celebrates third birthday of netbook CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/sandisk-outs-faster-u100-and-i100-ssds-for-ultra-portables-and-t/

SanDisk has been pumping out press releases all day thanks to Computex-mania, so we shuffled past its stall to see what all the fuss is about. The biggest news is the U100 range of tiny SSDs for ultraportables, which crank data in and out at twice the speed of SanDisk's previous generation P4 drives. We're talking 450MB/s reads and 340MB/s writes thanks to the latest SATA III interface, plus a max capacity of 256GB -- specs which have already enticed ASUS to use the U100 in its lightweight UX-series notebooks. Mass production is expected in Q3 of this year. Specs table and triple-shot of PR coming up after the break, plus a gallery showing size comparisons of the U100 SSD in its glorious mSATA and Mini mSATA varieties, stacked up against some common objects like a 2.5-inch SSD drive, an HP Veer, and a vaguely goth bracelet.

Meanwhile, SanDisk hasn't forgotten about our desperate need for faster tablets. The company has doubled the speed of its existing iNAND embedded flash modules, and is also releasing a brand new SATA III drive, the i100, specifically for this form factor. The i100 maxes out at 128GB and achieves a significantly slower write speed (160MB/s) than the U100, but it has same impressive read speed (450MB/s) -- which should mean nippier tablets in the not-too-distant future.

Gallery: SanDisk U100 mSATA SSD hands-on

Continue reading SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on

SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/31/acer-travelmate-8481-series-laptop-shown-off-with-super-thin-bez/

Remember the rumor about an upcoming Acer laptop housing a super thin LG Shuriken display? Well, here it is at Computex. Thanks to the crazy thin bezel, we noticed this TravelMate 8481 series laptop quietly chilling out in a corner at Acer's booth, though upon closer inspection it turned out that the bezel is slightly deceptive. What's really happening here is that while the screen module (which includes the 1.3 megapixel webcam) really is eating away the bezel, the actual LCD (14.1 inches at 1,366 x 768) isn't really touching the edge. Still, it's one helluva slim display thanks to LG's display technology and Acer's carbon fiber chassis.

Other highlights include Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT520M, up to 320GB of hard drive space, up to 13 hours of battery life, USB 3.0 with power-off charging, fingerprint reader, HDMI, and Bluetooth 3.0. Oh, and like some of the ThinkPads, the mouse buttons use the same mechanism as the keyboard keys for better clicking experience, though it might not be everyone's cup of tea. No prices announced just yet, but keep an eye out for a global launch around mid-June. Video after the break.

Gallery: Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think

Continue reading Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think

Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think originally appeared ! on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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