Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/11/switched-on-the-ipads-landscape-orientation/

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

The two major classes of tablet seeking to grab a share of the iPad's market have in many ways been driven by operating system advances. Windows 8 will bring the new Metro user interface and ARM support to allow what has historically been the more powerful PC class to scale down. Android 4.0 unifies the platform's tablet and smartphone operating systems, encouraging it to take better advantage of the larger screen capabilities and scale up.

Indeed, the full potential of the new iPad won't be known until the release of iOS 6 to fuel Apple's historically tight pairing of hardware and software; that other shoe will likely drop at its developer conference in June. Despite the lack of a new operating system or form factor, the third-generation iPad and its now price-reduced predecessor have set the stage for how Apple plans to defend against Android and Windows tablets.

Continue reading Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation

Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM's Holey Optochip transmits 1Tbps of data, is named awesomely

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/12/ibms-holey-optochip-transmits-1tbps-of-data-is-named-awesomely/

Be honest: was there any doubt whatsoever that something called a "Holey Optochip" would be anything short of mind-blowing? No. None. The whiz-kids over at IBM have somehow managed to transmit a staggering 1Tbps of data over a new optical chip, with the fresh prototype showing promise for ultra-high interconnect bandwidth to power future supercomputer and data center applications. For those who'd rather not deal with esoteric descriptions, that's around 500 HD movies being transferred each second, and it's enough to transfer the entire U.S. Library of Congress web archive in just 60 minutes. Needless to say, it's light pulses taking charge here, and researchers are currently hunting for ways to make use of optical signals within standard low-cost, high-volume chip manufacturing techniques. Getting the feeling that your own personal supercomputer is just a year or two away? Hate to burst your bubble, but IBM's been touting similar achievements since at least 2008. Actually, scratch that -- where there's hope, there's Holey.

IBM's Holey Optochip transmits 1Tbps of data, is named awesomely originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super High Aperture: it's why the new iPad's Retina display is so dense

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/12/super-high-aperture-new-ipad-retina-display/

Super High Aperture. Heard of it? Probably not, but thanks to Apple, you'll probably long for days when you didn't in just a few months. According to an in-depth look from the folks at DisplaySearch, the aforesaid technique is the primary reason that Apple was able to shove 2,048 x 1,536 pixels into the 9.7-inch panel on the new iPad. Not surprisingly, it wasn't Apple that conjured up the magic; instead, it was crafted by engineers at Sharp and JSR (a display materials maker from Japan), but it'll be the iPad that makes an otherwise geeky achievement something that the mainstream covets. According to the science behind it, SHA is "a method of increasing aperture ratio by applying approximately a 3 [micrometer] thick photo-definable acrylic resin layer to planarize the device and increase the vertical gap between the [indium tin oxide] pixel electrodes and signal lines." Reportedly, there are also "at least twice as many" LEDs in the panel compared to that on the iPad 2, further suggesting that there's way more battery within the new guy than the last. Technophiles need only dig into the links below to find plenty more where this came from.

Super High Aperture: it's why the new iPad's Retina display is so dense originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telescoping Task Lamp Disappears Into Your Desk [Lighting]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5892166/telescoping-task-lamp-disappears-into-your-desk

You'll have to cut a hole in your desk to install this retracting Levity task light. But that minor inconvenience is worth it for a lamp that's completely non-intrusive when you don't need it.

When you first pull on the cap it automatically raises four-and-a-half inches, illuminating a set of built-in power outlets for your charging convenience. But the lamp can be further extended to a full height of 21-inches, and angled to wherever you need it. Now the Levity unfortunately isn't as portable as the BE Light we brought you a few days ago, but at $517 it's oddly just as expensive. Did the price of LEDs recently skyrocket? [Byrne via Freshome]

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New iPad has power-sipping Bluetooth 4.0

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/09/new-ipad-has-power-sipping-bluetooth-4-0/

There are already 2,048 x 1,536 reasons to covet the latest iPad, but here's one more: it's the first tablet to incorporate the latest Bluetooth 4.0 "Smart" standard. Like the iPhone 4S, Apple's new slate is ready to pair with other Smart devices that drain far less power than previous modules. Want to complement your purchase with a wireless keyboard whose batteries will last for years? Or to plaster your body with tiny low-power sensors so you can, erm, monitor yourself on your iPad? Oh yes, Bluetooth 4.0 can make that happen.

Continue reading New iPad has power-sipping Bluetooth 4.0

New iPad has power-sipping Bluetooth 4.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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