Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, July 01, 2011

Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/edge-hd2-mini-pc-is-an-htpc-that-hides-behind-your-tv/

Edge HD2 mini pc is an HTPC that hides behind your TV

When it comes to home theater PCs, size matters -- and it doesn't get too much smaller than Sapphire's original Edge HD mini PC, pictured above. In fact, Sapphire saw no reason to fiddle with the Edge's diminutive form factor when designing the HD2, and instead poured itself into improving the HTPC's specs. Not only is the updated mini-rig small enough to mount behind your HDTV, but it also packs a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. All this (and 1080p VGA / HDMI out, of course) at 30W, "20 times less power than a typical desktop PC," according to Sapphire. No word on price (or pics, for that matter), but feel free to jump past the break for an official press release with full specifications.

Continue reading Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV

Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Inquirer | source

source

Sapphire | Email this | Comments

Google Takeout promises radical left wing-themed data extraction for Circles, more (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/google-takeout-promises-radical-left-wing-themed-data-extraction/

Google Takeout promises radical left wing-themed data extraction for Circles, more (video)

A team of khaki-clad Google engineers, calling itself the Data Liberation Front, has taken up the cause of freeing your data from the restrictive confines of El Goog's servers. Google Takeout, as the program has been billed, rips your various stashes of data from Buzz, Circles, Picasa, Contacts, and your Google Profile, and quickly bundles them in a zip file for download. The resulting booty is yours to do with as you choose. Takeout was announced the same day Google's latest social initiative sprung to life, offering an alternative to the notoriously hard to transfer data of its obvious competitor. But we're sure that was just a coincidence. Right? A hilariously nerdy promo video awaits you after the break.

Continue reading Google Takeout promises radical left wing-themed data extraction for Circles, more (video)

Google Takeout promises radical left wing-themed data extraction for Circles, more (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Extremetech | source

source

Google Takeout | Email this | Comments

Screen Grabs: Nokia X7 scores cameo in third Transformers movie, joined by N950 lookalike

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/screen-grabs-nokia-x7-scores-cameo-in-third-transformers-movie/

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

Nokia's hookup with the new Transformers movie runs deep -- some of its international X7 launches have been themed around the Dark of the Moon three-quel that's just come out in cinemas -- so it's no surprise to see plenty of the company's handsets in the film itself. The metal-backed, 4-inch X7 gets the most screen time, quickly showing off Ovi Maps in 3D, but there's also a portrait QWERTY device which may be the recently launched E6 or an earlier model such as the E72. A lot of consternation has also arisen regarding a third Nokia handset glimpsed in Transformers 3, which could well be an N950 running MeeGo, though if you ask us, there's no way a MeeGo phone would take 157 minutes to save the world. We'd expect a double-tap to kill the baddies, an edge-to-edge swipe to get the girl, and a simple flicking gesture to turn the lights out.

[Thanks, Nicholas]

Screen Grabs: Nokia X7 scores cameo in third Transformers movie, joined by N950 lookalike originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

MyNokiaBlog | Email this | Comments

Skype 2 video chat unofficially enabled on the Galaxy S II, Sensation, and others

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/skype-2-video-chat-unofficialy-enabled-on-the-galaxy-s-ii-sensa/

The latest Skype update for Android is available to everyone, but it only enables video chat on four specific handsets. Fortunately, impatient modders have gone some way to correcting this profound injustice, by creating APKs that activate video calling on other handsets too. So far we've heard of successful ports on the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation, Thunderbolt and EVO 4G. If you've got some other handset with Android 2.3, a little experimentation with the APK might also be worth your while. However, we just tried it on an Xperia Arc and didn't get very far: the app ran, but efforts to communicate with an Xperia Neo resulted in one-way video, a locked landscape mode and plenty of awkwardness. Let us know if you fare better -- you'll find a Thunderbolt-specific download at the DroidLife source link, and a more general APK at TechPetals.

[Thanks, Rashid and JT]

Skype 2 video chat unofficially enabled on the Galaxy S II, Sensation, and others originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

DroidLife, TechPetals | Email this | Comments

Droid 3 accessories leaked, Moto's new slider gets wireless charging back plate and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/01/droid-3-accessories-leaked-motos-new-slider-gets-wireless-char/

So, you've read the rumors, scoped out the leaks, and circled multiple dates on your calendar -- just to cover all of your Droid 3 bases. You can now add a catalog of accessories to the stack of intel for this Motorola slider, including an inductive battery door (most likely harnessing the power of Qi), and a smattering of cases and screen protectors. Also thrown in the mix is a 1930mAh extended battery so you can fuel a marathon of South Park reruns and take full advantage of the last week of unlimited data from Verizon. Although knowing about the accessories is nice, we'd prefer to find out the important stuff... ya know, like how much Big Red's new Droid will cost.

Droid 3 accessories leaked, Moto's new slider gets wireless charging back plate and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Droid Life | Email this | Comments

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Nikon shows off concept cameras in France, says hello to tomorrow

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/nikon-shows-off-concept-cameras-in-france-says-hello-to-tomorro/

Nikon engaged in a bit of conceptual product show-and-not-as-much-tell at the French Cité des sciences et de l'industrie exhibit, Hello Demain (Hello Tomorrow). The four prototype cameras on display ranged from the clearly defined -- a fully customizable SLR that swaps the lens, grip and LCD screen at your whimsy -- to the mysterious webcam dongle-ish i-Ball of unknown purpose, to a mundane six-inch screener. But the real étoile of this forward-facing soirée is that Multi-Ball cam -- guaranteed to be a panoramic morning-after hit (or cause for much hungover consternation). While these concepts reside proudly in the province of tomorrowland, it's only a matter of time before they digitally immortalize your precious visage. Check the source for additional protoplastic photographic proof.

Nikon shows off concept cameras in France, says hello to tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Slashgear | source

source

Nikon Hub | Email this | Comments

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V gets reviewed, deemed one of the best super-zooms around

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-hx100v-gets-reviewed-deemed-one-of-the-best/

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V been available for a little while now, but it's flown somewhat under the radar when it comes to in-depth reviews. Photography Blog's now chimed in with its take on the camera, however, which is not only thorough but effusive in its praise. According to the site, the HX100V is simply one of the best super-zoom cameras they've tested (30X, in this case), with it delivering some excellent still images and best-in-class 1080p video, along with some welcome added touches including an intuitive focus / zoom ring and built-in GPS (although the latter will lead to a 25 percent hit in battery life if you leave it on all the time). Some of the few drawbacks are a lack of a RAW shooting mode, and an LCD that folds out but doesn't rotate, but the site says those are pretty easy to forgive considering everything else you get for the $400 or so asking price. Hit the source link below for the full review.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V gets reviewed, deemed one of the best super-zooms around originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Photography Blog | Email this |&nb! sp;Comments

LG's DM50D HDTV / monitor promotes a passive 3D lifestyle

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/lgs-dm50d-hdtv-promotes-a-passive-3d-lifestyle/

LG is talking up its forthcoming DM50D 3D monitor -- not a lot, mind you, but just enough to get us interested. The company offered up a largely spec-free press release on the forthcoming set, heralding the adoption of passive 3D glasses, "Flicker Free" capabilities borrowed from its Cinema 3D TV line, and double the brightness of conventional 3D sets. The display has a built-in DTV turner, HDMI capabilities for connecting with 3D-capable consoles and the like, and the ability to view images and videos directly from a USB flash drive. It'll be hitting Europe in July, with more of the world getting a crack at it later. Peep the 2D release after the break.

Continue reading LG's DM50D HDTV / monitor promotes a passive 3D lifestyle

LG's DM50D HDTV / monitor promotes a passive 3D lifestyle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Akihabara News | | Email this | Comments

Gigabyte intros Llano-compatible A75 motherboards for the DIY set (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/gigabyte-intros-llano-compatible-a75-motherboards-for-the-diy-se/

Llano-based PCs are still trickling their way into the market, but if you're the enterprising type you can just up and build your own. Gigabyte just announced a family of seven A75 series of motherboards, all of which are compatible with AMD's spankin' new Fusion A6 and A8 chips and A75 chipsets. To recap, the Fusion A-Series combines a discrete-class Radeon HD GPU and either a dual- or quad-core CPU on the same die, though all of the A6 and A8 models are quad-core. These 35- and 45-watt chips are also stereoscopic 3D-capable and support USB 3.0, DirectX11, OpenCL / OpenGL, and both 1600MHz DDR3 memory and lower-power 1333MHz DDR3L memory. As for the motherboards, they allow for 108dB audio with 7.1 surround sound, and you can use Gigabyte's Easy Tune 6 utility to realize Fusion's promise of overclocking. They also use the company's DualBIOS technology to prevent failure to do BIOS corruption, while each USB port has its own fuse to prevent port failure. Hit the source link for information on where to buy, and mosy on past the break for the full PR and a short demo video.

Continue reading Gigabyte intros Llano-compatible A75 motherboards for the DIY set (video)

Gigabyte intros Llano-compatible A75 motherboards for the DIY set (video) originally appe! ared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Gigabyte | Email this | Comments

Fring optimizes its four-way video calling app for smiley iPad 2 owners

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/fring-optimizes-its-four-way-video-calling-app-for-smiley-ipad-2/

Fring

Sure, you could have fired up Fring to make four-way video calls from your iPad 2 this whole time, but you'd have saddled with an iPhone-sized interface on your 9.7-inch IPS screen. And, as we say around the Engadget compound -- tablet optimized or get the frack out. OK, we don't really say that, but everything is better when it's designed for the screen you intend to use it on. So, we're very pleased to tell you that Fring has been updated with proper iPad support (cue cheers). Basically there's no reason to use Facetime now, with its lame single-caller and WiFi only limitations. Hit up the source link if you're in the group video chatting mood.

Fring optimizes its four-way video calling app for smiley iPad 2 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SlashGear | source

source

Fring | Email this | Comments

Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/28/sonys-new-vaio-z-ultraportable-laptop-with-power-media-dock-han/

Now that we've seen Sony's new VAIO Z in its luscious press shots, it's time to face reality and lay our itchy hands on this 13-inch ultraportable laptop, along with its eccentric expansion dock that packs both a Blu-ray drive and an AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics chip (with 1GB of video RAM). Said dock is connected to the notebook via Light Peak -- a first for Sony -- but there's a catch: Sony's only implementing the architecture and not the connector, so for the time being, this sweet high speed connection is only compatible with the docking unit and nothing else.

Anyhow, here's a quick recap: what we have here is a 1.18kg feather-light machine packing a 256GB SSD and 1.3 megapixel webcam, plus a matte LCD display with resolution at 1600 x 900 or an optional 1920 x 1080. Oh yes, for an extra cost, you get some sweet full HD action at just 13 inches. This upgraded display performed well in the relatively dark confines of the press event, but how it fares under direct sunlight remains to be seen. Read on for more hands-on impression.

Gallery: Sony VAIO Z hands-on

Gallery: Sony VAIO Z components

Continue reading Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on

Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Google's Goggles App Brings The Getty Museum To Life [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5816049/google-goggles-now-brings-getty-museum-artworks-to-life

Google Goggles is getting all museum-y on us. Google has partnered with the Getty Museum to let visitors photograph artwork with Goggles and receive a guided virtual tour in exchange.

Google Goggles, the scanning app that promises to identify everything from your soup can to your local landmark, can now pull content down from the Getty Museum's mobile website. Visitors can read about the museum's artwork and listen to commentary from artists and curators. Some characters within the painting can even come to life with lively conversation provided by Getty.

It's an interesting mix that links a mobile app with web-based content. Because the content is on the internet and not embedded in the app, it can be refreshed quickly and easily. It also works outside the museum setting. Anytime you see a work of art plastered within an advertisement, you can grab a photo and find out more about its non-marketing origins. [Google]

A Must Have Apartment For Millionaire Clock Lovers [Desired]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5816065/a-must-have-apartment-for-millionaire-clock-lovers

This Brooklyn apartment has everything you desire. Privacy, space and a breath-taking panoramic view that will knock your socks off.

The $23.5 million penthouse apartment has four clock-styled windows that gaze upon Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. You can rest in one of its three bedrooms or solitude in one of its three bathrooms which have stone floors with radiant heat. Oh, the decadence of warm feet in the winter.

For the geeky folk, it's located in the converted 1914 Clock Tower building which was outfitted with 12-speed CAT wiring and Smart Home technology that lets you control the A/C, lighting and AV system. The Clock Tower apartment has been off an on the market since 2009, likely due to its exorbitant price tag. Anyone with a rich uncle or two?
[GHK Realty via Core77]

HP Envy 14 Beats Edition gets a slice of Sandy Bridge silicon, costs $1,050 at Amazon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/hp-envy-14-beats-edition-gets-a-slice-of-sandy-bridge-silicon-c/

HP's Envy 14 is quite the looker of a laptop, with its etched aluminum skin beckoning you to explore the capabilities of the Sandy Bridge CPU that lies beneath. For those who prefer the murdered-out look, the HP Envy Beats Edition is the preferable PC, but until now it lacked the upgraded Intel innards of its showy stablemate. That's right, Amazon's offering a second-gen Intel Core i5-2410M chip clocked at 2.3 GHz to go with those dark Dr. Dre aesthetics you crave (oddly it's not yet for sale on HP's website). The inky Envy with the big red "B" is priced at $1,050, or half a hundred more than its equivalently-equipped cousin -- what, you thought the paint job was free?

HP Envy 14 Beats Edition gets a slice of Sandy Bridge silicon, costs $1,050 at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Amazon | Email this | Comments

HP TouchPad veers into stores early, flaunts its webOS moves (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/hp-touchpad-veers-into-stores-early-flaunts-its-webos-moves-vi/

Dying to get your hands on HP's TouchPad before it's available on July 1st? According to Pre Central, a visit to either Best Buy or Walmart may afford you the opportunity. During the past few days, the stores have apparently begun quietly displaying demo-loaded versions of the slate. The device went up for pre-order about a week ago, but for webOS hopefuls still contemplating whether to take the Palm-rooted plunge, a pre-release impression may not be a bad grab between socks and motor oil. Don't feel like taking a trip to Wally World, you say? You'll find a video overview past the break; although the box to the left has us wondering if now's a good time for getting lucky...

Continue reading HP TouchPad veers into stores early, flaunts its webOS moves (video)

HP TouchPad veers into stores early, flaunts its webOS moves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Palm Infocenter | source

source

rbrown530 (YouTube), PreCentral (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)