Tuesday, May 08, 2012

GE Figures Out How to Squeeze 100W of Light from a 27W LED Bulb [Lighting]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5908379/ge-figures-out-how-to-squeeze-100w-of-light-from-a-27w-led-bulb

GE Figures Out How to Squeeze 100W of Light from a 27W LED BulbOne drawback of LED lighting is that as the bulb's output wattage grows, so too does the chip cooling system. But GE's new Energy Smart bulb's ingenious cooling design packs a 100W of power at a quarter the energy requirements of a standard A19 incandescent.

To cram the necessary parts into the A19 shape, GE partnered with Nuventix to replace the conventional cooling fans with something they call a synthetic jet—essentially an oscillating membrane that helps dissipate the heat. In addition, the Energy Smart bulb emits at the 3000K color temperature and is rated at a 25,000-hour service life.

"Our innovation team has tackled a previously insurmountable technical challenge: cooling a 100-watt A-19 shaped replacement LED bulb without making it physically bigger," said Steve Briggs, general manager of LED systems, GE Lighting in a press release. "Each subsystem such as optics, electronics and thermals needed to be designed for miniaturization and cooperative performance. We explored the limits of what's possible and pushed far beyond industry expectations and competitors' thinking and product offerings."

GE engineers plan to further develop this technology to exceed the new 100W limit. For now, the Energy Smarts will hit store shelves by June of next year but no price has been set yet. You can expect them to be pricey, though. [GE Lighting]

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Lenovo swings out diminutive ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, bevy of all-in-ones and VoIP-ready ThinkVision display

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/lenovo-thinkcentre-m92p-tiny-and-more/

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Lenovo's going all-out on Ivy Bridge-based ThinkCentre pro desktop updates this evening, and the centerpiece is the smallest of the lot. The ThinkCentre M92p Tiny -- yes, it's officially nicknamed Tiny -- is about as thick as a golf ball at 1.4 inches and ready to tuck behind your display, but packs up to a third-generation Intel Core chip, vPro for IT control and your choice of spinning or solid-state hard drives. The M92p Tiny and a lower-end M72e should arrive in June, although what the respective $799 and $499 prices will get you are still mysteries.

There's no shortage if you prefer your desktops slightly more upsized. The all-in-one pack is topped by the 21.5-inch ThinkCentre Edge M92z, an uncommonly thin (2.5 inches) desktop using an IPS-based LCD with optional multi-touch that's due in July for $699. The 20- and 23-inch M92z AIO models start off at $799 for their June releases and pack up to 1TB of storage and dedicated AMD Radeon HD graphics, while a more modestly equipped, 20-inch M72z AIO will appear the same month for $599. And if you've just got to have a traditional box, Lenovo will gladly sell you the budget ThinkCentre Edge 72 ($439) or slightly uprated ThinkCentre M82 ($599). Everyone has the option of the 23-inch ThinkVision LT2323z display, which touts an IPS-based LCD and a webcam with Lync VoIP-certified, noise-cancelling microphones. The screen's p! rice has n't been set, but it does have a locked-in June release. You can delve into the full details of Lenovo's massive ThinkCentre revamp in the releases after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo swings out diminutive ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, bevy of all-in-ones and VoIP-ready ThinkVision display

Lenovo swings out diminutive ThinkCentre M92p Tiny, bevy of all-in-ones and VoIP-ready ThinkVision display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for u! se of fe eds.

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Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS packs 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.0 lens, ruggedized housing for $399

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/olympus-tough-tg-1/

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Ruggedized cameras have always been delivered with some kind of compromise -- an inflated price tag, bulkier body or sub-par image quality. Now, much as the E-M5 did to tighten the gap among mirrorless cameras, Olympus is introducing a full-featured pro-worthy Tough model. The Tough TG-1 is effectively an XZ-1 in a ruggedized shell -- its 12-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, 25-100mm, f/2.0-4.9 4x zoom lens and 3-inch 610k OLED display are all wrapped in a reinforced body, capable of flawless shooting at depths of 40 feet, in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and after a 6.6-foot fall. With the TG-1, the company is aiming for the pro's gear bag, bringing features like 30 fps full-res rapid-fire shooting (for 50 consecutive shots, or 220 in a 3-megapixel 60 fps mode), the same TruPic VI image processor previously available only on current-gen PEN models and super-fast E-P3-like focusing speeds to an affordable, pocketable compact.

The TG-1 is also a capable video shooter, offering 1080/30p captures on land and under the sea, with Linear PCM audio recording and a powerful Multi-Motion Movie image stabilization feature. A shutter range from bulb to 1/2000 second boosts versatility, while tools like GPS, an e-compass and pressure-measuring manometer combine to provide data-rich pictures while also aiding in-camera tools, like a compass with 3D renders and a power-efficient GPS that helps to identify more than 700,000 landmarks around the gl! obe. It' s hardly approaching ILC territory, but the camera includes some lens accessory compatibility, with an available conversion adapter with fisheye and telephoto attachments that work (and can be swapped in and out) underwater. Double-locking battery and HDMI port doors will keep dust and water away from compartments, and a repellant coating helps fight water build-up on the lens -- there's 40.5mm filter compatibility as well. The Olympus Tough TG-1 is set to ship for $399 in mid-to-late June, and we're fairly certain it will be worth the wait. Full PR is just past the break.

Continue reading Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS packs 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.0 lens, ruggedized housing for $399

Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS packs 12-megapixel sensor, f/2.0 lens, ruggedized housing for $399! origina lly appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitpic for iPhone brings four years of image-sharing history, one year too late

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/twitpic-for-iphone/

Twitpic for iPhone brings four years of image-sharing history, one year too late

Having become a staple for 35 million life-observing extroverts already, Twitpic has suddenly decided to launch itself into the world of iOS apps. You may justifiably question the point of yet another platform for sharing photos and videos over Twitter, given how well the official app, Instagram and others now handle such things. But then you'd be missing out on a community that has been steadily growing since even before mobile photography took off, and whose visual ramblings are actually much funnier and more amazing than even the brightest shots of the Dutch skyline.

Twitpic for iPhone brings four years of image-sharing history, one year too late originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 05:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/08/kyocera-rise-qwerty-slider/

Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Kyocera is looking to regain a foothold in the US smartphone market, and curiously enough, it's doing so by catering to niche audiences. First we saw the Hydro, a waterproof handset, and alongside it is the Rise, which features a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both phones are built for CDMA networks, although Kyocera has yet to announce carrier availability for either.

Spec-wise, the Rise is very similar to the Hydro, and this extends to the OS. In our brief time with the phone, we were treated to a largely vanilla interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich, which makes the Rise a bit of a rare breed in the QWERTY world -- hopefully its future carrier doesn't dictate huge alterations. The phone features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 IPS LCD display, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. When compared to other QWERTY sliders, the handset itself is rather compact and fit nicely in our hand. We were similarly quite fond of the sliding mechanism on the Rise, which felt natural and provided just enough resistance. The four-row keyboard is altogether forgettable, but it should serve those who insist upon physical keys just fine. Our biggest gripe about the Rise, however, is its low-res display, which seems like quite a misstep -- even for a budget device.

In terms of storage, you'll find 512MB of RAM, 2GB built-in and a 2GB microSD card. The Rise also features 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. It's safe to say that Kyocera is targeting budget audiences with the Rise, but the strateg! y may wo rk to its advantage if other carriers fail to keep their QWERTY sliders up-to-date with the latest version of Android. You'll find our hands-on video after the break.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report

Continue reading Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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