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Monday, May 07, 2012

This Augmented Reality Sand Box Is More Fun Than Anything You Had as a Kid [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5908142/this-augmented-reality-sand-box-is-more-fun-than-anything-you-had-as-a-kid

Technology is transforming the way kids play and learn. But this new sand box is a complete revelation: using Kinect to gather depth information it teaches kids about topography and can even simulate water without making a mess.

Put together at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, which is part of UC Davis, this pit uses a Kinect and a projector to overlay interactive topographical maps and real-time water simulations depending on the height of the sand.

Kids can use their hands or shovels to play in the sand, and then a color-coded map of the varying height appears. Open your hand out over the sand, and simulated rain pours down, before gently flowing depending on the surface geography and settling in the lowest-lying areas.

The sand box is expected to turn up at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington, Vermont, which was one of the collaborators on the project. [UC Davis via Reddit via The Verge]

Sunday, May 06, 2012

BMW, Daimler partner on ultra-light Visio.M city EV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/04/bmw-daimler-partner-on-ultra-light-visio-m-city-ev/

If you like the idea of German electric vehicles like the BMW i3 and i8, but you're worried they may be more than you really need when they arrive next year, you'll be glad to know that a more to-the-point EV auf Deutsch is on the way. Along with Munich's Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), BMW, Daimler and 14 others are jointly developing the Visio.M urban runabout. While it should only muster the equivalent of 20 horsepower, it should be about 45 percent lighter than a Smart Fortwo -- important when you want to use a small battery to keep the cost down. The project is also tackling safety and other chronic problems with tiny electric cars. TUM's MUTE prototype (pictured here) is serving as the testbed for the technology being rolled into the Visio.M, although the €10.8 million ($14.2 million) in funding from Germany's Federal Ministry for Education and Research is expected to produce something more original when the EV project reaches its eventual close.

Continue reading BMW, Daimler partner on ultra-light Visio.M city EV

BMW, Daimler partner on ultra-light Visio.M city EV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/05/ariel-and-motion-simulation-tl1-race-simulator/

The Ariel Atom is arguably one of the greatest bangs for the buck in terms of sports car performance, so it's no surprise that the automaker has paired up with Motion Simulation to design a particularly special simulator for both hardcore fans as well pro racing drivers and pilots. The TL1 has the world's first 180-degree spherical projection unit (technically, three projector screens acting as one) to give you that advance view of the apex without display bezels getting in the way. Its seat not only adjusts to fit different breeds of cars and aircraft but, if you opt for it, tucks in a motion transducer that will properly jolt you when you hit a bump in the road. What may please extra-serious racing game fans the most is the off-the-shelf nature of the computer needed to drive the TL1 properly: as long as your graphics hardware can handle the extra-wide 5760 x 1200 resolution, any typical Windows XP or Windows 7 desktop will do. The real question is whether your wallet can handle it, as the £11,500 ($18,573) PC-less starting price will make it tempting to buy a real Atom instead.

Continue reading Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video)

Ariel Atom-inspired simulator touts world's first 180-degree spherical projector screen (video) originally appeared on Engad get on Sat, 05 May 2012 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's PCI-E 910-Series SSD reviewed: blazing fast, even under pressure

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/06/intels-pci-e-910-series-ssd-reviewed-blazing-fast-even-under/

Intel's not one to mess around when it storms a new market, and its jump into enterprise-level PCI Express SSD seemed no exception. Now, a full review by Hot Hardware of its 400GB ($1,929) and 800GB ($3,859) 910-series confirms that while not as stupid-fast as some, the 2 GB/s read and 1 GB/s write speeds are still sublime. On top of that, throughput holds steady even when the device is besieged by thousands of IO demands. A lack of bootability and on-board RAID were complaints, but these SSDs are intended for datacenters, not your gaming PC. And for its target market, the lowish $4.82 price per GB and chart-topping 14 Petabyte max endurance are also endearing qualities. Given its history of SSD reliability, Intel is bound to draw a crowd of corporate admirers to its 910 series -- even though it's fashionably late to the boardroom.

Intel's PCI-E 910-Series SSD reviewed: blazing fast, even under pressure originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 May 2012 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, May 04, 2012

Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/galaxy-s-iii-microscope-hd-super-amoled/

By now you should already know that the brand-spanking-new Samsung Galaxy S III sports a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display. That's right: no "plus" here, which means this 720p panel is featuring the same old PenTile RBGB pixel arrangement -- just like the 4.65-inch version on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE. Needless to say, this is again pure ammunition for the folks over at LG; but as we've mentioned before, HD Super AMOLED's superb contrast and higher-than-before pixel density outweigh its shortcomings in most cases.

For now though, let's examine these sub-pixels with a 230x zoom USB microscope and compare them with other phones that we have in hand. Starting off with the HTC One X's 720p SLCD 2 above, you can see how its denser sub-pixels produce a finer picture, but ultimately it's still behind HD Super AMOLED when it comes to contrast, especially with black. Read on for more comparisons.

Gallery: Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display

Continue reading Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display

Under the microscope: Samsung Galaxy S III's HD Super AMOLED display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III vs Galaxy S II and Galaxy S: meet the family

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-family-tree/

If you don't know where you came from, you won't know where you're going. That's why we're stacking up Samsung's Galaxy S III against the S II and the Galaxy S to see how the range has come on in the three years it's existed. If you fancy a trip down memory lane to the heady days of 2010, then join us after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III vs Galaxy S II and Galaxy S: meet the family

Samsung Galaxy S III vs Galaxy S II and Galaxy S: meet the family originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III launching on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three in the UK

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-uk-carrier-info/

While we wait for the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III to arrive in the US this summer, UK punters will have opportunities to preorder the new flagship device starting right away on these carriers: Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three. Although details and specific availability vary from carrier to carrier, retailer Carphone Warehouse currently lists a SIM-free preorder price of £499.95. While Orange didn't mention any other details than that it will offer the phone, Vodafone has revealed that beyond the 16GB edition, it has a timed month long exclusive on the 32GB version. On Three, preorders open tomorrow, May 4th, with the all-you-can-eat data One plan for £34 monthly. The phone will launch May 30th in the UK, a day after the May 29th global release date. There's a few UK / Ireland specific press releases included after the break and links below, check those out for all details, preregistration and information on preorder bonuses some are offering.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III launching on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three in the UK

Samsung Galaxy S III launching on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG announces Optimus LTE2, coming to Korea mid-May with True HD IPS and 2GB RAM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/lg-optimus-lte2-2gb-ram-true-hd/

Unlike today's other phone announcement, we can't say we were expecting to see LG come out with something of its own -- and it's a bit of a doozy, at that. Samsung's Korean rival decided not to let the Galaxy S III have the full spotlight for long, officially unleashing the Optimus LTE2. The mind-blowing portion of the spec sheet is its inclusion of 2GB RAM, a milestone we haven't yet seen in a smartphone. Additionally, the LTE2 will feature the company's "True HD IPS" display, WPC-backed wireless charging capabilities, Android 4.0 and a 2,150mAh battery that LG claims will increase the battery life by an astounding 40 percent. We haven't received word on which CPU will be used, though we're hopeful that a quad-core beast (or Krait, perhaps?) will complement the astounding amount of RAM. The LTE2 is due to land on at least three carriers in Korea sometime in mid-May, but we haven't heard any pricing or additional country availability at this time. We'll keep you posted as we learn more. In the meantime, check out LG's Flickr page down below for more images, and start thinking of ways to take advantage of the extra horsepower.

LG announces Optimus LTE2, coming to Korea mid-May with True HD IPS and 2GB RAM originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MasterCard gives PayPass blessings to HTC One X, 16 other NFC phones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/mastercard-paypass-ready-certifies-17-phones/

MasterCard is widening the universe of phones that officially support PayPass in a big way, with a new MasterCard PayPass Ready program certifying that devices with NFC will play nicely with its mobile payment system. A total of 17 phones are part of the first wave getting the official A-OK. Some of these are known quantities already using PayPass, like the LG Viper 4G LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus HSPA+, but others are new to the PayPass ways. Among the picks are the HTC One X, Intel's smartphone reference device and the Nokia Lumia 610 NFC. A raft of BlackBerrys and lower-end Samsung Galaxy phones are likewise in the fray. While only a handful of these might ever work with Google Wallet or other US-focused NFC payment methods, you can check out the full roster in the release after the break.

Continue reading MasterCard gives PayPass blessings to HTC One X, 16 other NFC phones

MasterCard gives PayPass blessings to HTC One X, 16 other NFC phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 22:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, May 03, 2012

Samsung teases Series 9 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, leaves availability in the ether

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/samsung-teases-series-9-ivy-bridge-ultrabook/

Samsung's latest Series 9 Ultrabook is certainly a beautiful piece of engineering, but really, what's the fun in purchasing a new laptop with yesterday's internals? Fortunately, users won't need to make that compromise, as the company has now outed a refreshed version of the computer that's complete with Ivy Bridge internals. The move follows Samsung's recent reveal of the Series 7 Gamer laptop, but as you'd expect, components in the Series 9 are geared more toward efficiency than performance. At its heart, you'll find a dual-core 1.7GHz Core i5 3317U CPU (which has yet to be announced), Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the HM75 Express chipset. While its internal storage remains the same, with a 128GB SSD, its memory has received a pleasant bump up to 8GB. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for those who want to own the very latest, we invite you to stay tuned.

[Thanks, Brooks]

Samsung teases Series 9 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, leaves availability in the ether originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$100 Pico Projector Beams Video at Full iPhone Resolution [Pico]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5907166/100-portable-pico-projects-full+iphone-resolution

$100 Pico Projector Beams Video at Full iPhone Resolution We've always felt that Pico projectors are a little uninspiring, but the Pop Video iPhone projector from Micron Technology displays higher-resolution than the rest, and is small and cheap enough to be practical

The 3.5-ounce projector connects to your iPhone via a retractable 30-pin dock connector and displays video at the iPhone's full 960 x 540 resolution (similar projectors are usually trimmed to 640 x 360). The corresponding Pop Video app allows you to tweak the image. On a full charge, the little guy will run for two hours, which is roughly long enough to get your through a feature-length film. Obviously, it requires a pretty dark space to produce a decent picture, but for that $99 price, it's a nifty little accesory. The Pop Video projector is available for pre-order now. [Micron Technology via CNET]

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Amazon outs Cloud Drive desktop app for Windows and Mac, allows easy access to your digital wares

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/amazon-cloud-drive-desktop-app/

If you've been storing part of your digital library on Amazon's Cloud Drive, access to your goods just got easier. The outfit has released a desktop app for both Mac and Windows machines enabling uploads and downloads with minimal effort. For starters, you'll be able to drag and drop files via a Cloud Drive icon and you'll be a brief right-click away from sending any file or folder to the repository. Downloads from the cloud run in the background and can be paused / resumed whenever you darn well please. Dropped your connection in the heat of battle? No worries. The app manages restarts and connectivity hiccups without losing your wares. If you're already signed up, hit the source link below to fetch yours.

[Thanks, Max]

Amazon outs Cloud Drive desktop app for Windows and Mac, allows easy access to your digital wares originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile officially adds Prism to its budget lineup on May 6th for $20

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/t-mobile-prism-budget/

No surprise here, but T-Mobile has been prepping a low-end Android phone called the Prism for quite some time now, and it's finally time for the little guy to make its official debut. With a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3.2MP fixed-focus camera and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), it won't be the stuff dreams are made of. The CPU is also unspecified, which leads us to believe that T-Mo is leaving it out of the talking points for a reason -- yesterday's leak indicated that we can expect it to be 600MHz. That said, plenty of potential buyers wanting an inexpensive smartphone may be easily persuaded by its $20 price on contract (with a $50 mail-in rebate) or $150 without any sort of commitment. The Huawei-made Prism will make its first appearance at Best Buy on May 6th, followed by Walmart on the 9th and official retail channels on the 23rd. We have a press release awaiting you after the break, so take a peek if it interests you.

Continue reading T-Mobile officially adds Prism to its budget lineup on May 6th for $20

T-Mobile officially adds Prism to its budget lineup on May 6th for $20 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RunCore's Mini DOM packs single-chip, SATA-based SSD into tiny places

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/runcore-mini-dom-single-chip-sata-ssd/

Fitting a truly quick solid-state drive into a small space isn't easy, and for that reason RunCore's new Mini DOM (Disk On Module) stands out from the crowd. It's billed as the first single-chip SSD to use a SATA interface (SATA II, to be exact), giving it that much more bandwidth than the pokey IDE and PATA DOMs of old while remaining under half the size of a regular mSATA drive. RunCore's own tests show it hitting about 113MB/s sequential reads and 47MB/s writes. Neither figure will knock the socks off even a mainstream budget SSD like Intel's SSD 330, but they're more than brisk enough for embedded gear. The drives can survive brutal conditions, too: an Industrial Grade trim level can survive temperatures as chilly as -40F and as scorching as 185F. So, the next time you pry open some military equipment and see one of these sitting inside, in three different formats and capacities from 8GB to 64GB, you'll know exactly what you're looking at.

Continue reading RunCore's Mini DOM packs single-chip, SATA-based SSD into tiny places

RunCore's Mini DOM packs single-chip, SATA-based SSD into tiny places originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Docs adds 450 fonts and 60 templates, sadly includes Comic Sans

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/google-docs-adds-450-fonts-and-60-templates/

Google Docs has lagged behind offline apps in the number of fonts and pre-made layouts to choose from, but that's just changed with a much larger catalog for both. More than 60 new templates and 450 fonts are now on tap to use in your presentations and reports. This comes on top of a handful of other recent improvements, such as Google Drive support, searching the Life Photo archive and boosts to accessibility and spreadsheet layouts. Apps Script gets both a Google Drive tie-in and new publishing control, too. Be forewarned: Comic Sans is one of the new font options, and it's clearly not an April Fools' gag.

Google Docs adds 450 fonts and 60 templates, sadly includes Comic Sans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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