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Friday, August 12, 2011

Samsung's speedy 6Gbps SSDs shreds bits, blows minds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/samsungs-speedy-6gbps-ssds-shreds-bits-blows-minds/

For most of us, the decision to move to flash-based storage has been one wrought with compromise: suffer through a year of ramen to afford a capacious SSD, or splurge on steak and settle for a cramped one. While we await our platterless future, Samsung keeps on chuggin', having just begun volume production of a speedier line of solid state drives it calls the PM830. Available in 128, 256 or 512GB flavors, they tout 20nm-class MLC NAND flash and SATA 6Gb/s support -- which equates to 500MB/s reads and 350MB/s writes, or almost double last year's model. Before you reach for the plastic, know that the line is available only to OEMs -- you know, computer manufacturers -- with the firm promising consumer-friendly goodies for all you DIY types soon. Of course, no word on when that'll be or how much they'll cost, but at least the PR after the break's free, right?

Continue reading Samsung's speedy 6Gbps SSDs shreds bits, blows minds

Samsung's speedy 6Gbps SSDs shreds bits, blows minds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CompuLab introduces Trim Slice H mini Tegra 2 computer, keeps desks clear of PC clutter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/compulab-introduces-trim-slice-h-mini-tegra-2-computer-keeps-de/

If you were impressed by CompuLab's Trim Slice that was released a few months back, wait'll you get a load of the new model that's on its way. Available near the end of August, the new diminutive desktop will be powered by NVDIA's Tegra 2 SoC like its elder sibling. In order to differentiate itself from the previous release, this build incorporates an accessible SATA hard disk bay, so that "ARM users are no longer deprived of choice when it comes to storage." Sounds great, right? You'll also be able to choose between two models. The Trim Slice H Diskless will allow you to add your own HDD or SSD for $279, while the $319 H250 comes with Linux pre-installed on a 250GB HDD. Both of these beasts will showcase 1GHz chips, 1GB RAM, HDMI and DVI ports, Gigabit Ethernet, built-in 802.11n WiFi, 4 USB ports, 2 SD slots, an RS232 serial port and USB Bluetooth adapter. Whew... while we catch our breath, scope out the pics in the gallery, and check the full PR below.

[Thanks, Irad]

Gallery: Trim Slice H mini PC

Continue reading CompuLab introduces Trim Slice H mini Tegra 2 computer, keeps desks clear of PC clutter

CompuLab introduces Trim Slice H mini Tegra 2 computer, keeps desks clear of PC clutter originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG P220 ultraportable specs and shipping date revealed, still no price tag

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/lg-p220-ultraportable-specs-and-shipping-date-revealed-still-no/

We didn't have a great deal of info about this ultraportable when we went hands-on at Computex 2011, but we knew we liked its thin bezel and Air-like (though plastic) design. LG has now revealed the final specs and also announced it'll launch the P220 in Korea this month and in Europe shortly afterwards. The Core i7 that powered the model we saw previously has been switched out for a Core i5, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to have done a great deal for battery life, which LG says is around the 5.5-hour mark. In terms of ports, there's nothing faster than USB 2.0, and the color range will put some people off too: white pearl, pink pearl or blue pearl, and definitely no lobster red. There is some good news though: that slimline bezel surrounds a full 12.5-inch IPS widescreen display despite the smaller chasis, with a claimed viewing arc of 178-degrees. Crucially, weight comes in at just under three pounds and the waistline is a mere 0.82-inches. LG hasn't revealed pricing yet, but the company will need to keep a close eye on the forthcoming Ultrabook range if it's to stand a fighting chance.

LG P220 ultraportable specs and shipping date revealed, still no price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/quantum-phantom-prototype-lets-you-control-your-computer-screen/

A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom -- an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer's cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic.

[Thanks, Ben]

Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

New Spinning Heat Sink Design Could Trim Energy Use and Unleash Processing Power

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07/new-spinning-heat-sink-design-could-trim-energy-use-and-unleash-processing-power

The Air Bearing Heat Exchanger Jeff Koplow, Sandia National Labs via New Scientist

Heat exchanger technology--the cooling machinery that ferries internal heat away from your PC, your computer, your air conditioner, and other appliances--hasn't changed too terribly much for decades. That's led to some limiting problems: For instance, more powerful computer chips can't be run at their full potential because they might overheat. But a new kind of heat sink developed at Sandia National Labs could change all that--and potentially shave seven percent off US electricity consumption.

Conventional heat exchangers have a few primary components: a solid disk or plate that absorbs heat from the source (like a computer's processor), a bank of metal fins that help ferry the heat away from that disk (the heat sink), and a fan that stirs up the air around the fins to facilitate the outward movement of heat.

This design is pretty standard, and hasn't changed much in half a century. Moreover, it's fraught with inefficiencies, most glaring perhaps being the fact that only about five percent of the energy produced by the fan produces a cooling effect. A layer of stagnant air tends to cling to the fins of the heat sink, insulating them to the flow of air around them and retaining heat. Driving the fan at faster rates helps some, but it's also noisy--making our appliances and computers more obtrusive and annoying.

The Sandia design overcomes this problem by combining the heat sink (the finned surface) and the fan into a single component that sits atop the solid disk, separated from it by a thin cushion of air. This approach improves upon several shorcomings in the conventional design, but primarily it gets right at the problem of that insulating boundary layer of air. By rotating the Air Bearing Heat Exchanger (as it is known) at high RPM, the centrifugal forces reduce that boundary layer by something like a factor of ten.

That allows it to move much more heat more quickly and with less energy expended than a conventional cooler. Which in turn means a computer processor can generate more heat without overheating. Which means it can conduct more operations at higher speeds.

Extrapolate this to to refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. across the entire United States. Jeff Koplow, the Sandia researcher behind the redesigned heat sink, thinks it could cut the national electricity consumption by seven percent while allowing processing power to run free, unrestrained by heat limitations.

The grittier details are here (PDF).

[New Scientist]

Keep inTouch

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/08/10/keep-intouch/

inTouch is an interactive cube with inbuilt camera, display and connectivity. More like the baby monitor, but in a grown-up version, to stay in touch with family and friends while you are away in college. The fun and playful design makes it easy to access and is quite intuitive as modular networking cubes.

inTouch is a 2011 IDEA Awards entry.

Designer: Shan Lin

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Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/dell-intros-slimmed-down-inspiron-13z-and-14z-laptops-with-alumi/

Can you blame Dell for deciding its laptops needed a makeover? After suffering some serious market share losses and earning a reputation for bland designs and questionable customer service, we can see why the company would be keen on revamping its lineup as a way of distancing itself from its not-so-sunny rap. That seems to be precisely what the outfit's doing with the Inspiron 13z and 14z, which Dell unveiled today. Both laptops move to aluminum lids and palm rests, available in a small (and fairly toned-down) color selection, with black and red being your only choices. The two have also whittled to under an inch thick, with the beefier 14z leaving enough room for an optical drive. Not surprisingly, the resolution's 1366 x 768 -- precisely what you'd expect in a $600 laptop. Also predictable: this generation of Inspirons offers USB 3.0 and Sandy Bridge, with a choice of Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Both models start at $599.99, with the 14z available in the states today, and the 13z launching in "select" Asian countries. Curious? We've got a handful of hands-on shots below and the full PR after the break.

Gallery: Dell Inspiron 13z / 14z hands-on

Continue reading Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0

Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TV Size Matters Lets You Try New TVs On For Size Before You Buy [Webapps]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5829786/tv-size-matters-lets-you-try-new-tvs-on-for-size-before-you-buy

When buying a new HDTV, the first thing you should settle on is where in your room the set should go. Webapp TV Size Matters can help: upload a photo of the room where the TV will go, set a standard scale, and the service lets you try different-sized TVs for size to see how they fit.

The webapp gets a feel for scale by asking you to draw a line on your uploaded photo and tell it how large that line is in real life. From there, the service understands how large or small to display different sized sets on your wall or entertainment center, so you can see how they'll realistically look when they're in your home.

For many people, there's only one logical place in their room for their TV to go, but if you have the option of wall-mounting or you want to see whether your space can handle a larger display, TV Size Matters is worth a look.

TV Size Matters

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter.

If You Can't Visit NASA Goddard You Should Visit This Page [Nasa]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829900/if-you-cant-visit-nasa-goddard-you-should-visit-this-page

The people at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have built a really nice tour of their facilities and all the stuff they do there. Being a space nerd, I find their videos and information fascinating.

Or, in the words of NASA's Karl Hille:

We thought that, being NASA, we shouldn't bore people with a bunch of building walkthroughs or campus maps. Instead it should focus on what we do—which is sending robotic spacecraft all over the solar system to monitor the whole fricking universe.

Karl is absolutely right. Now, go visit their new site and enjoy spending a few hours exploring it. [NASA Goddard Virtual Tour]

These Little Cubes of Fun Interact With Each Other Using NFC [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829899/these-little-cubes-of-fun-interact-with-each-other-using-nfc

It probably helps to be a child, but in all honesty these Sifteo cubes look like so much fun, I'd definitely fiddle with them while procrastinating/waiting for pages to load.

With NFC sensors and accelerometers, they can detect the presence of other cubes plus any movement you may make. The set of three cubes comes with a USB dongle that can be plugged into computers, where a free Siftrunner app runs that controls the mini games and puzzles on the cubes. Unfortunately there's no audio from the cubes, but if you crank your laptop's volume up, you'll have a soundtrack for your kid's playtime...or yours.

Several games will be included out of the box, but if you'd like to purchase more they can be downloaded from the Siftrunner program for as much as $5 each. On sale soon, the starter pack of three cubes, charger dock and dongle costs $149. [Sifteo via Werd and Ars Technica]

Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/sifteo-cubes-up-for-pre-order-tonight-gaming-gets-tangibly-cute/

Want a game for the tabletop with on-screen pop, and a sprinkle of adorable? Sifteo is officially set to get your gears going when its interactive Cubes, up for pre-order by the end of today, ship out in September. If you'll recall, the MIT-rooted project uses blocks equipped with 1.5-inch displays to create a variety of gaming environments mixing touch, motion and on-display content. Also announced is a bundled "Creativity Kit," which enables you to make your own games on the fly. It was was briefly available to early adopters in January for $99.99, and now $149.99 gets everyone in on some good times. You'll receive a triplet of the oh-so-cute Cubes, a charging hub and a 2.4 Ghz wireless USB adapter for connectivity, as well as transferring Sifteo store apps purchased on your computer. Interest piqued? You'll find details in the PR just past the break -- unless you're a square, that is.

Continue reading Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September

Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon opens Application Innovation Center in San Francisco, we go eyes-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/verizon-opens-application-innovation-center-in-san-francisco-we/

Verizon's made good on its promise to open an Application Innovation Center in San Francisco, and kindly invited us down to have a gander. It's much like its sister facility in Boston, except it eschews the LTE focus for one on mobile-app innovation. Developers both big and small will be able to take advantage of several labs, where they'll be privy to Verizon equipment and services "not available elsewhere," all while being a stone's throw from Big Red's in-house engineers and developers. On hand was Qualcomm, whose MDPs garnished the test lab, and Chomp, whose app-search tech powered an impressive nine pane multi-touch App Wall -- allowing one to find and explore apps, replete with informative videos and QR codes for each. Want to know more? Check the gallery, videos and PR after the break.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Gallery: Verizon Application Innovation Center

Continue reading Verizon opens Application Innovation Center in San Francisco, we go eyes-on (video)

Verizon opens Application Innovation Center in San Francisco, we go eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameFly to launch 'Unlimited PC Play' download service, offer less incentive to leave the house

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/gamefly-to-launch-unlimited-pc-play-download-service-offer-le/

GameFly hasn't wasted any time jumping into the digital download waters after acquiring IGN's Direct2Drive platform a little over two months ago. Set to launch September 8th in beta form, its new "Unlimited PC Play" service will offer subscribers access to 100-plus downloadable PC and Mac titles, with hundreds more expected in time for the official end of year launch. Fans of the video game rental outfit's snail mail subscription service don't have to worry about a shift to digital only, as the company has no plans to abandon its "unique combination of console and digital PC game offerings." Interested in getting an early peek at the new platform? If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can look forward to a planned beta launch party next month, where access codes for the new, invite-only service will be distributed. The rest of you PC gaming warriors will just have to settle for a sign-up page at the source.

GameFly to launch 'Unlimited PC Play' download service, offer less incentive to leave the house originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameFly, Joystiq | Email this | Comments

Researchers demo 3D face scanning breakthroughs at SIGGRAPH, Kinect crowd squarely targeted

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/researchers-demo-3d-face-scanning-breakthroughs-at-siggraph-kin/

Lookin' to get your Grown Nerd on? Look no further. We just sat through 1.5 hours of high-brow technobabble here at SIGGRAPH 2011, where a gaggle of gurus with IQs far, far higher than ours explained in detail what the future of 3D face scanning would hold. Scientists from ETH Zürich, Texas A&M, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University as well as a variety of folks from Microsoft Research and Disney Research labs were on hand, with each subset revealing a slightly different technique to solving an all-too-similar problem: painfully accurate 3D face tracking. Haoda Huang et al. revealed a highly technical new method that involved the combination of marker-based motion capture with 3D scanning in an effort to overcome drift, while Thabo Beeler et al. took a drastically different approach.

Those folks relied on a markerless system that used a well-lit, multi-camera system to overcome occlusion, with anchor frames acting as staples in the success of its capture abilities. J. Rafael Tena et al. developed "a method that not only translates the motions of actors into a three-dimensional face model, but also subdivides it into facial regions that enable animators to intuitively create the poses they need." Naturally, this one's most useful for animators and designers, but the first system detailed is obviously gunning to work on lower-cost devices -- Microsoft's Kinect was specifically mentioned, and it doesn't take a seasoned imagination to see how in-home facial scanning could lead to far more interactive games and augmented reality sessions. The full shebang can be grokked by diving into the links below, but we'd advise you to set aside a few hours (and rest up beforehand).

Gallery: Researchers demo 3D face scanning breakthroughs at SIGGRAPH 2011

Continue reading Researchers demo 3D face scanning breakthroughs at SIGGRAPH, Kinect crowd squarely targeted

Researchers demo 3D face scanning breakthroughs at SIGGRAPH, Kinect crowd squarely targeted originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:46:00 EDT.! Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carnegie Mellon University, Microsoft Research | Email this | Comments

Archos' Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 tablets launch in Hong Kong, taste like Gingerbread

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/archos-arnova-7-g2-and-10-g2-tablets-launch-in-hong-kong-taste/

It looks like Archos' summer of the sequels is just heating up. Less than a week ago, we spied the outfit's 8-incher at the FCC, and now our brethren at Engadget Chinese are offering up a hands-on with two more second-gen Arnovas: the Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2. These made-over slates best their predecessors with Gingerbread and capacitive touchscreens. The original 7-inch tablet ran Froyo while its big brother came with Eclair; both sported resistive displays. The pair will also see a spec bump in the processor department, with the inclusion of a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 -- likely the same processor found in their 8-inch sibling. While we do have Hong Kong pricing -- HK$1,680 (or $215 US) and HK$1,980 (about $250 US) -- we've yet to land a release date. So, for now, we'll just stick with "coming soon to a retailer near you?" If the wait is too much to bear, hop on past the break for some hands-on love from our Chinese counterparts.

Archos' Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 tablets launch in Hong Kong, taste like Gingerbread originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Chinese (Translated) | Email this | Comments

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