Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Apple patent application proves that Steve Jobs hates fingerprints as much as you do, probably more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/apple-patent-application-proves-that-steve-jobs-hates-fingerprin/

Steve Jobs doesn't like fingerprints any more than you do, and given the man's focus on aesthetic perfection, we suspect that smudged displays are the sort of thing that keeps him awake at night. Apple has certainly flirted with oleophobic anti-grease displays in the past, but a newly surfaced patent application takes the whole thing to a new level. "Direct Liquid Vaporization for Oleophobic Coatings" outlines an intense process for the application of a grease resistant coating, whereby the substance is "placed in a liquid supply system coupled to a vacuum chamber," pressurized, vaporized, and then deposited. Take that, finger grease.

Apple patent application proves that Steve Jobs hates fingerprints as much as you do, probably more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid Bionic spotted in the wild, again, blurrycam still in full effect

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/droid-bionic-spotted-in-the-wild-again-blurrycam-still-in-full/

We're getting tired of all this teasing without any payoff, but when it comes Motorola's forthcoming dual-core Droid, we can't help ourselves. Just days ago we saw the Bionic's guts when it passed through the FCC, and now we've got fresh pics of the phone in the wild. This most recent sneak peek comes courtesy of Howard Forums user ceb unit, who posted a couple photos of the device after a Moto rep let a friend get handsy with the newest Droid. It's good to see civilians get their paws on one, but enough already, we want shots of this thing in the hands of some happy customers!

[Thanks, Tu Tran]

Droid Bionic spotted in the wild, again, blurrycam still in full effect originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EES packs circuits into temporary tattoos, makes medical diagnostics fashionable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/ees-packs-circuits-into-temporary-tattoos-makes-medical-diagnos/

Flexible circuit pioneer John Rogers and his team are at it again. This time he's developing a wearable, ultra-thin circuit that attaches to your skin just like a temporary tattoo. The Epidermal Electronic System (EES) consists of circuits which could contain electrodes capable of measuring brain, heart and muscle activity in the same way an EEG does now, transmitting this data wirelessly to your doctor. Because it's flexible and bonds to the skin, it can be worn for extended periods, unlike traditional diagnostic pads used in hospitals today. In the lab, the devices were solar-powered with embedded photovoltaic cells -- heavier duty circuits would require inductive charging to be practical. Rogers' team also looked into the tech acting as a game controller (they wired it up to someone's throat and played Sokoban with voice commands, still managing to yield a 90 percent accuracy rate), but it's some way off from replacing your SIXAXIS. One of the problems encountered concerned RF communication -- perhaps they should get on the horn to their friends in Oregon and build those fashionable diagnostic pants we're eagerly waiting for.

EES packs circuits into temporary tattoos, makes medical diagnostics fashionable originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ars Technica | source

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Firefox 6 breaks out ahead of schedule, gets official August 16th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/13/firefox-6-breaks-out-ahead-of-schedule-gets-official-august-16t/

It looks like the sly fox is ready to make its worldwide debut a few days early. In typical Mozilla fashion, a complete build of Firefox 6 is now unofficially available for your downloading pleasure, three days ahead of schedule. If you're looking for a major facelift to the desktop edition, you won't find one here -- most of the new features aren't cosmetic. Perhaps most visibly, you'll find the domain name of the page you're parked on highlighted in the address bar. On the Android side, version 6 makes much bigger promises, like a "fresh visual style in Chrome Gingerbread," enhanced image scaling, and, perhaps most importantly, it's "faster and uses less memory." We've downloaded the desktop version of the browser ourselves, and we've found the release quite snappy. If you're not afraid of a little pre-release downloading, you can catch the (desktop) fox at the source links below. And as per usual, please let us know how it's treating you.

Firefox 6 breaks out ahead of schedule, gets official August 16th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announcing three NEX lenses on August 24th?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/13/sony-announcing-three-nex-lenses-on-august-24th/

Last month we fell in love with a camera. Specifically, the Sony NEX-C3. We were so enamored with its lilliputian body and stunning image quality that we gave it a "9," declared it nearly perfect and promptly began recommending it to everyone we know. But if there's one thing we thought needed improvement, it was the selection of lenses. Well, it looks like we had nothing to fret about -- a series of leaked shots suggest the outfit's had at least three in the works all along. According to the shots, originally posted in DPReview, we're looking at a 50-210mm / F4.5-6.3 zoom lens and fixed 50mm / F1.8 and 24mm / F1.8 numbers. Though the poster stopped short of revealing any pricing info, he seems confident Sony will announce them on August 24th. Now, while we typically take rumors with a grain of salt, it turns out that the tipster who posted these shots is none other than "Eddieaus," the same guy who splattered forums with pictures of the VAIO Z next to its external Power Media Dock -- the same press photos, in fact, that Sony unveiled days later. So we're inclined to believe NEX loyalists are about to get a few new pieces of glass to play with. And if that rumored August 24th launch date is also on the money, you won't have to wait too long to find out how many pretty pennies they'll cost.

Sony announcing three NEX lenses on August 24th? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony NEX Talk Forum | source

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OEMs to spend more on semiconductors for wireless devices than computers in 2011

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/14/oems-to-spend-more-on-semiconductors-for-wireless-devices-than-c/

Well, if you didn't believe that we live in a post-PC world before, the latest report from IHS iSuppli should help persuade you. According to its research, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will have spent $55.4 billion on semiconductors for phones and tablets in 2011, as compared to just $53.1 billion on PC silicon. Of course, as the chart above shows, OEMs spent more money on wireless devices in 2008 and 2009. But, after an interlude of PC primacy in 2010, it looks like mobile's where the money's at for the foreseeable future -- can't say we didn't warn you.

Continue reading OEMs to spend more on semiconductors for wireless devices than computers in 2011

OEMs to spend more on semiconductors for wireless devices than computers in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHART OF THE DAY: What's Inside The iPhone, And How Much It Costs (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-iphone-4-cost-breakdown-2011-8

Here's an interesting look at what's inside the iPhone and how much it costs from The Economist.

As you'll notice, Samsung provides 26% of the parts for the phone. Apple is currently suing Samsung and accusing it of ripping off the look and feel of Apple products. Granted, they're separate divisions at Samsung, but it has to make the relationship between the two companies awkward.

Another thing to note in this breakdown: It costs Apple just $178 in components for a phone that sells at an average price of $560.

chart of the day, iphone 4 cost breakdown, aug 2011

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Friday, August 12, 2011

Remains of the Day: Chrome OS Updates to Support Netflix, Kindle, and Cloud Print [For What It's Worth]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5830170/remains-of-the-day-gaming-on-google%252B-goes-live

Google adds games to it's social network, LinkedIn updates its privacy settings to allow for the use of your likeness in its advertisements, and Facebook updates the ordering of your friends in the chat bar.

Google Launches Games for Google+: Google's Social Network has added games like Angry Birds and Bejeweled to the service; the gaming options are rolling out to all users over the next few days. [Google Blog]
LinkedIn Changes Privacy Settings: Head to your profile page to disable a new profile setting, on by default, that allows the company and its partners to use your name and pictures in their advertising. [Brand Impact via Gizmodo]
Facebook Makes More Changes to Your Chat Bar: Now friends you interact with most frequently are in their own category at the top of the redesigned chat bar. [Mashable]
Google Makes Lots of Improvements to Chromebooks: Google adds Netflix and Kindle Cloud Reader compatibility, Google Cloud Print, and faster start-up times to their Chromebooks. [Chrome Blog]
Twtrland Provides Details Of Users Posting Habits: Enter a Twitter username into the twtrland search box and the service will return detailed analytics about the user's Twitter stream including post frequency and a chart of what types of content they post. [twtrland via Mashable]
Retrieve Your PC's Serial Number With Windows Command: If you need to know your Windows computers model number or serial number but can't find or reach where it is printed on the hardware you can run the WMIC command from the start menu to find out. [Digital Inspiration]

China Has a Secret: 22 More Fake Apple Stores [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5830250/china-has-a-secret-22-more-fake-apple-stores

Three of the five fake Apple stores in Kunming, China, were allowed to stay open because they had the right business permits, but what's the fate of these 22 extra stores just discovered in the same city?

It doesn't look good for them, as the Chinese Administration for Industry and Commerce has told them to cease using the Apple logo, and a telephone hotline for complaints has been set up so customers can whinge about how tricked they feel.

While it's not actually known if the 22 stores were selling fake Apple products or the real thing like the five first stores discovered, they're still using Apple's likeness illegally, which the Chinese are taking a surprisingly tough stance about. [Reuters]

Dell announces Vostro V131 with USB 3.0, Core i3 and i5 CPUs and a chiclet keyboard

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/dell-announces-vostro-v131-with-usb-3-0-core-i3-and-i5-cpus-and/

There's a fine debate going on as we speak about Dell's back-to-school consumer laptops, but personally, we've always had a soft spot for Dell's small business-focused Vostro line. The outfit's just announced a new addition to the lineup, the 13.3-inch V131, and while it doesn't look that different from the last-gen V130, it offers all the spec bumps you'd expect from a laptop announced in mid-2011. With this generation, you get Sandy Bridge Core i3 and i5 processor options, two USB 3.0 ports and a user-replaceable six-cell battery that promises up to 9.5 hours of juice. If you wanted, you could add up to a 320GB 7200RPM hard drive, which we suspect might not be enough storage space for some folks. The resolution, meanwhile, is 1366 x 768 -- typical for budget notebooks. Like we said, the design isn't anything ground-breaking, but Dell did move to a chiclet layout for the keyboard, which you can configure with backlighting if you're so inclined. We're not going to lie, that $499 starting price at the source link seems tempting, given the good-looking mag-alloy chassis and those twin USB 3.0 sockets, though you'll have to pay an extra hundred bucks to step up from the base dual-core Celeron processor. Fancy schmancy product shots below, and full PR after the break.

Gallery: Dell Vostro V131

Continue reading Dell announces Vostro V131 with USB 3.0, Core i3 and i5 CPUs and a chiclet keyboard

Dell announces Vostro V131 with USB 3.0, Core i3 and i5 CPUs and a chiclet keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Ultrabooks get $300 million investment fund, prep for low-carb diet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/intel-ultrabooks-get-300-million-investment-fund-prep-for-low/

Intel Capital has stumped up $300 million to "drive innovation" in the burgeoning Ultrabook market. The cash will go to projects that refine user interaction (hint: more touchscreens), reduce power consumption and create devices no thicker than 21mm (0.8-inches). Intel is clearly hoping to lure back all those customers who have ditched laptops for tablets by undercutting the popular Samsung Series 9 and Macbook Air. The company's new mantra? "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels".

Intel Ultrabooks get $300 million investment fund, prep for low-carb diet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/microsoft-surface-controlled-robots-to-boldly-go-where-rescuers/

Ready to get hands-on in the danger zone -- from afar? That's precisely what an enterprising team of University of Massachusetts Lowell researchers are working to achieve with a little Redmond-supplied assistance. The Robotics Lab project, dubbed the Dynamically Resizing Ergonomic and Multi-touch (DREAM) Controller, makes use of Microsoft's Surface and Robotics Developer Studio to deploy and coordinate gesture-controlled search-and-rescue bots for potentially hazardous emergency response situations. Developed by Prof. Holly Yanco and Mark Micire, the tech's Natural User Interface maps a virtual joystick to a user's fingertips, delegating movement control to one hand and vision to the other -- much like an Xbox controller. The project's been under development for some time, having already aided rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and with future refinements, could sufficiently lower the element of risk for first responders. Head past the break for a video demonstration of this life-saving research.

Continue reading Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before (video)

Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft Research Connections Blog | source

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Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR packs photo navigation, augmented reality in a 16 MP digicam

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/fujifilm-finepix-f600exr-packs-photo-navigation-augmented-reali/

GPS, a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, 15x optical zoom -- we've seen it all before. But a feature that displays places of interest on the camera's 3-inch LCD? Well, that sounds a bit like augmented reality (AR)! The Fujifilm FinePix F600 EXR's new Landmark Navigator mode does exactly that, packing one million pre-loaded locations from around the world. Looking to find your way from Rome's Trevi Fountain to the Spanish Steps? The compact cam will point the way, including other stops along your route. You can also add your own locations, or launch Photo Navigation, which lets you easily return to places you've photographed -- or plot them on Google Maps once you get home. There's also 1080p movie capture, a 12,800 ISO high-sensitivity mode (that you'll probably never want to use), sensor-shift image stabilization, and a 24-360mm lens with an f/3.5 maximum aperture. But as you may have guessed, we're most excited about those AR features, so jump past the break for the full scoop.

Continue reading Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR packs photo navigation, augmented reality in a 16 MP digicam

Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR packs photo navigation, augmented reality in a 16 MP digicam originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi's Urban Concept heads to IAA Frankfurt, tickles our EV sensibilities

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/audis-urban-concept-heads-to-iaa-frankfurt-tickles-our-ev-sens/

The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Frankfurt looms on the horizon, meaning its time for another round of bodacious concept cars we want, but sadly can never have. We've already seen BMW's entry and now it's Audi's turn to show off an electric city-dweller. Dubbed the "Urban Concept," this latest e-tron is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and wields a door contraption that'll put Lambos to shame -- assuming it ever makes it to market. And it just might, seeing as our friends over at Autoblog caught it slumming around Berlin in prototype garb. We'll hear more from Ingolstadt come September, but in the meantime more sketches and snaps of the development mule await you at the source links below.

Continue reading Audi's Urban Concept heads to IAA Frankfurt, tickles our EV sensibilities

Audi's Urban Concept heads to IAA Frankfurt, tickles our EV sensibilities originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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