drag2share: MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/dnp-mit-builds-camera-that-can-capture-at-the-speed-of-light-vi/

A team from the MIT media lab has created a camera with a "shutter speed" of one trillion exposures per second -- enabling it to record light itself traveling from one point to another. Using a heavily modified Streak Tube (which is normally used to intensify photons into electron streams), the team could snap a single image of a laser as it passed through a soda bottle. In order to create the slow-motion film in the video we've got after the break, the team had to replicate the experiment hundreds of times. The stop-motion footage shows how light bounces through the bottle, collecting inside the opaque cap before dispersing. The revolutionary snapper may have a fast shutter but the long time it takes to process the images have earned it the nickname of the "the world's slowest fastest camera."

[Image courtesy of MIT / M. Scott Brauer]

Continue reading MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video)

MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Groundbreaking photonic chip could spark Quantum Computing revolution

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/groundbreaking-photonic-chip-could-spark-quantum-computing-revol/

Quantum Computers already exist, but not in the "universal" form that would truly revolutionize computing. That's why the latest innovation from Bristol University has so much promise: a team from its center for Quantum Photonics has built a reprogrammable quantum chip. The 70mm x 3mm box is capable of measuring and manipulating entanglement and mixture -- fundamental elements of the mythical "universal" chip. It's taken the team six years to reach this point, but now it'll concentrate on scaling up the technology to create more complex systems, hopefully in time for our next smartphone purchase.

Continue reading Groundbreaking photonic chip could spark Quantum Computing revolution

Groundbreaking photonic chip could spark Quantum Computing revolution originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Lenovo IdeaPad U400 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/lenovo-ideapad-u400-review/

If you need evidence that the Ultrabook fad isn't impressing everybody, look no further than our inboxes. More than a few of you have been inquiring about the Lenovo IdeaPad U400, the 14-inch big brother to the IdeaPad U300s. And we think we understand why. Starting at a more palatable price of $800, it offers the same understated design as the U300s, except it brings an extra inch of screen real estate, along with an optical drive and discrete graphics. The best of both worlds, right? Beauty and a little more brawn? Not exactly. Though it looks the same, the U400 trades various components, starting with the storage disk and continuing on to the touchpad drivers. (Specs, schmecs, are we right?) So how much of a difference does this new set of innards make? Meet us past the break to find out.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U400 review

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad U400 review

Lenovo IdeaPad U400 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: ASUS delays Transformer Prime's release until WiFi fix is found

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/asus-delays-transformer-primes-release-until-wifi-fix-is-found/

If you were hoping to get you hands on a Transformer Prime this month, prepare to be disappointed. After hearing rumors of the ASUS slate's delay due to Wifi issues, we've now received confirmation from ASUS Canada via one of our tipsters. The company says that "the WiFi range on the TF201 did not meet our quality standards" and that it will not release the product until the wireless is up to snuff. In order to combat the issue, ASUS "will be implementing a new solution," though it declined to elaborate on what the solution would be. Naturally, no timetable for the Transformer Prime's release was provided either. So, if you jumped on the pre-order, let us know if you've heard the same song and dance from ASUS in the comments below.

[Thanks, George]

ASUS delays Transformer Prime's release until WiFi fix is found originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung Should Stop Pretending Its New 14-Inch Laptop Is an Ultrabook [Ultrabook]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5867181/samsung-is-pretending-its-new-14+inch-laptop-is-an-ultrabook-its-not

When is an Ultrabook not an Ultrabook? When it's got a 14-inch screen, weighs 4 pounds and has an optical drive, that's when.

Samsung has just announced its new Ultrabook range, branded Series 5 Ultra, reports Sammy Hub, and amongst them is one that stands out. Not for good reasons, though.

One of the models boasts a 14-inch screen. Nothing wrong with that, per se. But it also features an optical drive, a 1TB HDD, discrete AMD graphics, HDMI and Ethernet ports, and a whole swathe of brushed aluminum. All of which makes it 0.83-inch thick, and causes it to weigh in at 4 pounds.

Sorry, Samsung, did you miss the memo? Ultrabooks are supposed to high-performance, sure — but they're also supposed to ultra-portable. This 14-inch whopper is not an Ultrabook.

Samsung has also announced a more standard 13-inch model, which is 0.59 inches thick, weighs 3 pounds, and doesn't have an optical drive. With a Sandy Bridge processor, combined SSD and HDD and the usual shiny casing, it looks set to blend right in to the deluge of so-so Ultrabooks we've seen so far.

They're launching in Korea this month, and will appear in the US before too long. Launch price in Korea is equivalent to about $1,300 for the 13-incher and $1,345 for the 14-inch beast.

This a great example of just how absurd labels like "Ultrabook" are. When manufacturers stick a name like that on any old product, it's bound to cause confusion amongst consumers. The knock-on effect is that both the fat and thin products tagged as Ultrabooks suffer: the monster machine never lives up to its name, and the skinny one's reputation is tarnished by association.

Even if both are fine computers — and they might be — they're both going to suffer. And that's a shame. Sort it out, Samsung. [Sammy Hub via Pocket Lint]

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