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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

SandForce demos 24nm flash from Toshiba, cheaper SSDs on the horizon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/sandforce-demos-24nm-flash-from-toshiba-cheaper-ssds-on-the-hor/

Toshiba and SandForce

SandForce, the company behind the companies that make some of the best SSDs on the market, is at it again -- this time demoing 24nm NAND flash from Toshiba at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, CA. An SF-2000 processor was matched with the new shrunk-down storage, a 6Gb/sec SATA connection, and jammed inside a 2.5-inch enclosure to deliver 500MB/sec read and write speeds. It's not the fastest we've seen, but the big news here isn't the data rates -- it's the potential for cheaper SSDs. The smaller manufacturing process means Toshiba will be able to squeeze more storage out of the same wafer of silicon and, hopefully, shrink those still somewhat bloated prices. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading SandForce demos 24nm flash from Toshiba, cheaper SSDs on the horizon

SandForce demos 24nm flash from Toshiba, cheaper SSDs on the horizon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runco announces LightStyle LS-1 DLP projector, shines 1080p on your wall for $4,000

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/runco-announces-lightstyle-ls-1-dlp-projector-shines-1080p-on-y/

Runco is known for some seriously high-end projectors and this is its first foray beneath the $4,000 mark in order to reach a "previously untapped" market. The company is wrong if it thinks we don't already have DLP options well below that price point, but still, lowering its entry level is no bad thing -- especially when the LS-1 delivers a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a sophisticated calibration system with day and night memory settings, and the option to upgrade to Runco's CineGlide anamorphic lens for the perfect 2.35:1 experience. Expect to see this thing dangling from joists from August 16th. Further details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Runco announces LightStyle LS-1 DLP projector, shines 1080p on your wall for $4,000

Runco announces LightStyle LS-1 DLP projector, shines 1080p on your wall for $4,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy R officially announced for Europe and Asia, nobody surprised

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/samsung-galaxy-r-officially-announced-for-europe-and-asia-nobod/

That Samsung Galaxy R we've heard about? Yep, it's real. Not that it's much of a surprise to us, considering we've seen leaked press renders and even a four-minute video about the device, but Samsung and NVIDIA have finally banded together to give the "mystery phone" its official blessing. Here's the skinny: the Galaxy R will house a 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, a 4.2-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Super Clear LCD, dual 5MP / 2MP cameras in the rear and front (respectively), and Gingerbread with Samsung's TouchWiz UI. The phone's already available in Sweden as the Galaxy Z, but it's finally on its way to parts of Europe and Asia (including China). No word on if or when we can plan on seeing the R in North America, but it's likely that its launch would be quickly obscured by its older brother, the Galaxy S II, if it made an appearance. A full press release and demo video can be found after the break for your enjoyment.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy R officially announced for Europe and Asia, nobody surprised

Samsung Galaxy R officially announced for Europe and Asia, nobody surprised originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

NVIDIA, Fusion-io and HP drive a dozen 1080p streams on four displays at SIGGRAPH (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/nvidia-fusion-io-and-hp-drive-a-dozen-1080p-streams-on-four-dis/

A dozen uncompressed 1080p video feeds, simultaneously running off a single workstation. Yep, you're looking at it. NVIDIA's showcase piece here at SIGGRAPH was undoubtedly this wall -- a monster that trumps even Intel's CES wall in terms of underlying horsepower. A relatively stock HP Z800 workstation was loaded with the NVIDIA QuadroPlex 7000 Visual Computing System (that's four GPUs, for those counting) in order to push four HD panels. A pair of Fusion-io's ioDrive Duos were pushing a total of three gigabytes per second, enabling all 12 of the feeds to cycle through with nary a hint of lag. We're still a few years out from this being affordable enough for the common Earthling, but who says you need to wait that long to get a taste? Vid's after the break, hombre.

Gallery: NVIDIA, Fusion-io and HP drive a dozen 1080p streams on four displays

Continue reading NVIDIA, Fusion-io and HP drive a dozen 1080p streams on four displays at SIGGRAPH (video)

NVIDIA, Fusion-io and HP drive a dozen 1080p streams on four displays at SIGGRAPH (video) originally appeared on Engadget on ! Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's KinectFusion research project offers real-time 3D reconstruction, wild AR possibilities

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/microsofts-kinectfusion-research-project-offers-real-time-3d-re/

It's a little shocking to think about the impact that Microsoft's Kinect camera has had on the gaming industry at large, let alone the 3D modeling industry. Here at SIGGRAPH 2011, we attended a KinectFusion research talk hosted by Microsoft, where a fascinating new look at real-time 3D reconstruction was detailed. To better appreciate what's happening here, we'd actually encourage you to hop back and have a gander at our hands-on with PrimeSense's raw motion sensing hardware from GDC 2010 -- for those who've forgotten, that very hardware was finally outed as the guts behind what consumers simply know as "Kinect." The breakthrough wasn't in how it allowed gamers to control common software titles sans a joystick -- the breakthrough was the price. The Kinect took 3D sensing to the mainstream, and moreover, allowed researchers to pick up a commodity product and go absolutely nuts. Turns out, that's precisely what a smattering of highly intelligent blokes in the UK have done, and they've built a new method for reconstructing 3D scenes (read: real-life) in real-time by using a simple Xbox 360 peripheral.

The actual technobabble ran deep -- not shocking given the academic nature of the conference -- but the demos shown were nothing short of jaw-dropping. There's no question that this methodology could be used to spark the next generation of gaming interaction and augmented reality, taking a user's surroundings and making it a live part of the experience. Moreover, game design could be significantly impacted, with live scenes able to be acted out and stored in real-time rather than having to build something frame by frame within an application. According to the presenter, the tech that's been created here can "extract surface geometry in real-time," right down to the millimeter level. Of course, the Kinect's camera and abilities are relatively limited when it comes to resolution; you won't be building 1080p scenes with a $150 camera, but as CPUs and GPUs become more powerful, there's nothing stopping this from scaling with the future. Have a peek at the links below if you're interested in diving deeper -- don't be shocked if you can't find the exit, though.

Gallery: Microsoft's KinectFusion research project at SIGGRAPH 2011

Microsoft's KinectFusion research project offers real-time 3D reconstruction, wild AR possibilities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plug-in Prius pulling into American driveways in February or March of 2012

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/plug-in-prius-pulling-into-american-driveways-in-february-or-mar/

Plug-in Prius

Good new PHV fans, the plug-in Prius you've been promised should start pulling into American driveways in February or March of 2012 -- at least according to a startup date chart at Donlen. The fleet management firm claims initial orders will be taken on November 10th of this year, with the vehicle scheduled to into production in January. An Autoblog tipster also claims to have some rather vague details about trim and color options, as well as its estimated MSRP, which should be below $30,000. Now we've just got to figure out how many extension cords it'll take to reach from our apartment window to the street below.

Plug-in Prius pulling into American driveways in February or March of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Did Jay-Z and Kanye Keep the Biggest Album of the Year from Leaking? [Music]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829033/how-did-jay+z-and-kanye-keep-the-biggest-album-of-the-year-from-leaking

Kanye and Jay-Z, rap's Zeus and Athena, have finally released their buzz-flinging collaboration, Watch the Throne. And it's pretty good! But more impressively, unlike virtually every single album ever these days, it didn't leak online first. How'd they do that?

By exploiting tech to the fullest—both ignoring and embracing it to their advantage, XXL reports. The news that Watch the Throne would debut on iTunes weeks before smaller (physical) outlets pissed off these smaller (physical) outlets. They were getting snubbed on one of the most hyped musical releases in quite some time. But everyone knows that CDs are the reason albums leak online—the process of stamping and shipping out the discs provides an ocean of time for unscrupulous employees to pilfer and rip unreleased music.

So screw discs, said Ye and Jay. Eschewing CDs for AACs might have angered the retail establishment, but it guaranteed their full control over the music. Nobody had access to those files but them, and because they recorded the entire thing together in person, no verses or beats were ever exchanged via email, making hacking or any other online interception out of the question. And we know Kanye doesn't take kindly to hackers, after he flipped out when an unfinished track of his was put online last fall. Whether it was resultant paranoia, or just a new indifference toward physical media (Jay-Z would be shrewd enough for this!), Watch the Throne beat the hackers. Now all they have to worry about is the reviews. [XXL via NY Mag]

Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty

You can keep up with Sam Biddle, the author of this post, on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

BlackBerry's Site Hacked After RIM Vows to Help Bring BBM-Using Rioters to Justice [BlackBerry]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829077/blackberrys-site-hacked-after-rim-vows-to-help-bring-bbm+using-rioters-to-justice

There's been talk over how the UK rioters have been using BBM as a means to organize the troublemaking that's plagued London and UK cities the last three nights. In an act of retaliation, RIM's Inside BlackBerry blog's been hacked.

Calling themselves "TeaMp0isoN," the hackers claim they did it because they opposed RIM helping the UK policeforce to identify rioters using their BBM messaging service, writing in a statement to RIM that:

"You Will _NOT_ assist the UK Police because if u do innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a blackberry will get charged for no reason at all, the Police are looking to arrest as many people as possible to save themselves from embarrassment…. if you do assist the police by giving them chat logs, gps locations, customer information & access to peoples BlackBerryMessengers you will regret it, we have access to your database which includes your employees information; e.g – Addresses, Names, Phone Numbers etc. – now if u assist the police, we _WILL_ make this information public and pass it onto rioters…. do you really want a bunch of angry youths on your employees doorsteps? Think about it…. and don't think that the police will protect your employees, the police can't protect themselves let alone protect others….. if you make the wrong choice your database will be made public, save yourself the embarrassment and make the right choice. don't be a puppet..

p.s – we do not condone in innocent people being attacked in these riots nor do we condone in small businesses being looted, but we are all for the rioters that are engaging in attacks on the police and government…. and before anyone says "the blackberry employees are innocent" no they are not! They are the ones that would be assisting the police."

While other social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have been used to either help organize riots or merely gloat over their looted goodies, RIM has received much of the blame. This could be attributed to the fact that BBM messages are free and private to send—or simply because 37 per cent of 16 - 24 year olds in the UK own a BlackBerry, according to Ofcom. [Inside BlackBerry via TNW via Techmeme]

Hey Maybe This Samsung Galaxy II Celox 4G Won't Feel Like Crap [Android Phones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829108/hey-maybe-this-samsung-galaxy-ii-celox-4g-wont-feel-like-crap

We like the Samsung Galaxy II a lot. Hell, we think it's what your next Android phone will look like. But one thing that's terrible? The overwhelming sucktitude of its plastic. Hopefully this Galaxy II Celox will be different.

IT Tong has released an image of the currently unannounced Galaxy II Celox 4G LTE (4.5-inch screen, 16GB, 8 megapixel camera, 2 megapixel front facing camera) and it looks—if one were optimistic and hopeful that Samsung could make good phone hardware—to have slightly better materials than before. At least, the bezel looks a little better, right? RIGHT?! Ah, who am I kidding, it probably won't feel any better. But 4G LTE sounds awesome! It's expected to hit Europe first. [IT Tong via BGR]

Chromium's experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/chromiums-experimental-touch-ui-demoed-on-video-made-for-meaty/

Chromium Tablet UI

Google was pretty adamant at I/O that Chrome OS would not be coming tablets, but that hasn't stopped its open-source cousin from adding some touch friendly features. Chromium (the browser, not the OS) got its first tablet tweaks back in June, but this is the first time we're seeing them on video. While the larger icons, widgets, and virtual keyboard, may eventually make their way onto the rumored Seaboard, there's no guarantee these (obviously still early) experiments will ever debut as part of Chrome OS or even the browser. Check out the video after the break for a brief glimpse of this work in progress and, if you're feeling adventurous, hit up the more coverage link to download the latest source code -- just make sure to compile with 'export GYP_DEFINES="touchui=1"' to unlock the finger-friendly face of Chromium.

Continue reading Chromium's experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers

Chromium's experimental touch UI demoed on video, made for meaty fingers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vision Research's Phantom v1210 and v1610 do slow motion in style (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/vision-researchs-phantom-v1210-and-v1610-do-slow-motion-in-styl/

No matter how fast that piece of Jell-O landed on the floor, you'll be able to review the journey in all its slow motion glory with the newly announced Phantom v1610 and v1210 cameras. Vision Research is calling the latest entries in the Phantom line the "world's fastest one megapixel digital high-speed cameras." The v1210 is capable of capturing 12,000 fps to 16,000 fps, with its higher end buddy the v1610 capturing between 650,000 fps and one million fps, if you sacrifice resolution. Shooting 1280 x 800 widescreen images (at regular speed), the v1210 boasts 12GB, 24GB, or 48GB of segmented memory, while the v1610 can hold 24GB, 48GB, or 96GB of segmented memory. Other features include an image-based auto-trigger, ethernet port, SMPTE & IRIG timecode, genlock, 28 micron pixel size, 12-bit depth pixel depth standard, and an HD-SDI output. No word on pricing, but if you have a budget like NFL Films, let the epic sports montages and Truffle Shuffling commence. Check out some slow motion footage captured on the Phantom HD Gold after the break.

Update: pricing starts around a cool $100,000.

Continue reading Vision Research's Phantom v1210 and v1610 do slow motion in style (video)

Vision Research's Phantom v1210 and v1610 do slow motion in style (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio tablet now shipping nationwide, priced at $300

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/vizio-tablet-now-shipping-nationwide-priced-at-300/

Well friends, if you've been waiting to get your hands on the 8-inch Vizio tab (and don't live near a Costco), your time has come. The company announced today that its slate has begun shipping to retailers nationwide including Sam's, Walmart and Amazon. The Android tablet is now priced at $299, a $30 drop from our last retail sighting -- and just in time to entice those of you heading back to school in search of a new piece of tech to play with during that history lecture. Or perhaps you just want to kick it like Blake Griffin... don't worry, we won't judge you. Besides, what else do you need for your dorm room other than an integrated universal remote to queue up all those Lord of the Rings marathons?

Continue reading Vizio tablet now shipping nationwide, priced at $300

Vizio tablet now shipping nationwide, priced at $300 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA's Project Maximus takes multi-GPU mainstream, 'Virtual Graphics' takes it to the cloud

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/08/nvidias-project-maximus-takes-multi-gpu-mainstream-virtual-gr/

NVIDIA just wrapped up an intimate press briefing here at SIGGRAPH 2011, where -- amongst other things -- it officially took the wraps off of two major initiatives. Project Maximus and Virtual Graphics are the two main topics of conversation here, and while both are obviously targeting working professionals at the moment, there's no question that a trickle-down effect is already on the company's mind. With Maximus, the outfit plans to stop recommending bigger GPUs to pros, and start recommending "a light Quadro GPU and as large a Tesla as you can get in the system." The overriding goal here is to make multi-GPU technology entirely more accessible; to date, it hasn't exactly been easy to get a finely tuned multi-GPU setup to the masses, but it sounds like a good deal of future flexibility (it'll be "nearly infinitely scalable") aims to change that. Just imagine: dynamic coupling and decoupling of GPUs depending on user load, at a far more detailed level within the application...

Update: Regarding that Tesla bit, NVIDIA clarified with this: "What we're saying is for applications that are light on graphics / don't place a heavy demand on graphics, but more so a heavy demand on computational tasks, users will have an option to choose an entry- or mid-level Quadro card for graphics functions, such as the Quadro 600 or Quadro 2000. For certain applications, better performance is achieved by adding a Tesla companion processor, as opposed to scaling up the primary Quadro graphics. Users still require as much graphics as possible."

Gallery: NVIDIA's Project Maximus and Project Monterey revealing at SIGGRAPH 2011

Continue reading NVIDIA's Project Maximus takes multi-GPU mainstream, 'Virtual Graphics' takes it to the cloud

NVIDIA's Project Maximus takes multi-GPU mainstream, 'Virtual Graphics' takes it to the cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:15:00 EDT.! Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leakster names Sprint's latest: Samsung Epic 4G Touch, HTC EVO Design 4G, and Motorola Admiral

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/leakster-names-sprints-latest-samsung-epic-4g-touch-htc-evo-d/

We love starting the week with a good leak, and thanks to an anonymous tipster, we're swimming in a flood of juicy names. First, it appears the Samsung Within is getting a new alias, and without delaying your anticipation, let us re-introduce you to Sprint's upcoming Galaxy S II handset: the Epic 4G Touch. As the moniker suggests, the QWERTY keyboard is likely sliding away, though lovers of physical buttons might find solace with the mysterious Epic 2. If your ideal smartphone combines qHD resolution with HTC Sense -- and eschews the 3D display and dual-core CPU -- the Kingdom is one step closer to reality, and it'll be known as the EVO Design 4G. Finally, a new Motorola will arrive at the Now Network, and it's been christened the Admiral. Unlike its peers, it's lacking the "4G" nomenclature, meaning it's avoiding the upper echelons of Sprint's stable... and hopefully sporting longer battery life, too.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Leakster names Sprint's latest: Samsung Epic 4G Touch, HTC EVO Design 4G, and Motorola Admiral originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Light Blue Optics touch interface pico projector passes through the FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/09/light-blue-optics-touch-interface-pico-projector-passes-through/

Last time we saw Light Blue Optics' Light Touch, it was deep in the bowels of CES, where we got to play with its touch-sensitive projections. Well, the little laser pico projector has finally made its way from that dark trade show corner into the bright lights of the FCC. It still turns any flat area into a WVGA touchscreen using holographic laser projection (HLP) and infrared sensors, only now it's more finger friendly and supports multi-touch gestures. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single mono speaker so you aren't surface computing in silence, and there are composite video and micro-USB ports for pulling content from other devices. Of course, the Light Touch still only projects a 10.1-inch image, so it won't be turning your wall into a touchscreen. But, it should do just fine turning a tray table, desk, or perhaps even the nearest person planking into one.

Light Blue Optics touch interface pico projector passes through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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