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Saturday, May 19, 2012

$74 MK802 PC-on-a-stick beats Cotton Candy to market, has ICS on board

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/mk802-beats-cotton-candy-to-market/

Unless you're lucky enough to live in Scandinavia, you'll have to wait till the end of summer to get your Cotton Candy fix. Aching to nab yourself a computer-on-a-stick before then? If you're willing to step down in specs, the Chinese-made MK802 could be the PC in your pocket. For $74 (versus $199 for the Cotton Candy), this 7-ounce device gives you a 1.5-GHz Allwinner A10 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and, like the Cotton Candy, Android 4.0. FXI's version, on the other hand, packs a dual-core 1.2-GHz Samsung Exynos processor, and while the MK802 offers an HDMI port, the Cotton Candy includes an HDMI connector. The MK802 is slightly bulkier than its sweetly named competitor (3.5 inches vs. 3.1), but that Android logo on the front does wonders for its design cred. AliExpress.com is currently selling the MK802 with free shipping to the US -- click the source link for a gander.

$74 MK802 PC-on-a-stick beats Cotton Candy to market, has ICS on board originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/19/raspberry-pi-camera-add-on/

While the main thing that would make Raspberry Pi's diminutive $25 / $35 Linux setups better would be if we could get our hands on them faster, the team behind it is already working on improvements like this prototype camera seen above. The add-on is slated to ship later this year and plugs into the CSI pins left exposed right in the middle of each unit. According to the accompanying blog post, the specs may be downgraded from the prototype's 14MP sensor to keep things affordable, although there's no word on an exact price yet. Possible applications include robotics and home automation, but until the hackers get their hands on them you'll have to settle for one pic from the Pi's POV after the break and a few more at the source linked below.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on

Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers tout efficiency breakthrough with new 'inexact' chip

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/19/researchers-tout-efficiency-breakthrough-with-new-inexact-chip/

Accuracy is generally an important consideration in computer chips, but a team of researchers led by Rice University are touting a new "inexact" chip (dubbed PCMOS) that they say could lead to as much as a fifteen-fold increase in efficiency. Their latest work, which won a best paper award at a recent ACM conference, builds on years of research in the field from the university, and is already moving far beyond the lab -- some inexact hardware is being used in the "i-slate" educational tablet developed by the Rice-NTU Institute for Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics, 50,000 of which are expected to wind up in India's Mahabubnagar school district over the next three years. As for the chips themselves, their inexactness comes not just from one process, but a variety of different measures that can be used on their own or together -- including something the researchers describe as "pruning," which eliminate rarely used portions of the chip. All of that naturally comes with some trade-offs (less defined video processing is one example given), but the researchers say those are often outweighed by the benefits -- like cheaper, faster chips that require far less power.

Researchers tout efficiency breakthrough with new 'inexact' chip originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 06:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

SPOTTED: Lamborghini's Street Legal Lightweight

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/spotted-lamborghinis-street-legal-lightweight-2012-5

The Lamborghini Gallardo is one of our favorite supercars.

There are many different versions of the car, but our choice would be the LP570-4 Superleggera. Superleggera is Italian for "Super Lightweight." It is 154 pounds lighter than the standard car and has ten more horsepower.

That's enough for us.

Our friend David Tulchinsky saw this Superleggera in Washington, DC near Woodley Park. We love the color scheme of this car; it looks awesome.

Have you spotted a rare or unusual car/plane/train/boat/industry person in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing?

If you answered yes to these questions, please send the picture to tokulski@businessinsider.com with the subject line "Spotted." Be sure to include where you saw it to be considered for our Photo of the Day.

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Check out the last Photo of the Day >

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Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/dell-precision-r5500-lets-four-graphics-pros-work-on-one-pc/

Workstations aren't normally our focus, but when Dell shows off a new Precision system that lets four media pros share its graphics hardware at once, you can be sure the company has our attention. If your IT chief springs for a Precision R5500 with four Quadro 2000 cards, each of those cards can take advantage of a graphics pass-through in Citrix's virtualization to render 3D models at speeds much more like what you'd get if the Quadro were sitting in your own PC. Before you have visions of four-player Modern Warfare parties after-hours at work, the inherent barriers of distance and the virtual machine itself will likely rule out any game sessions. We'd add that the Quadro, Xeon processor and the $2,742 minimum price make it an expensive proposition. That engineering simulation will finish a lot faster, though, giving you a bit more time to play back home.

Continue reading Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming

Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/midtronics-grx-5100-simplifies-servicing-hybrid-and-ev-batteries/

As we move away from traditional fossil fuel-burning automobiles towards hybrids and EVs, we're presented with new challenges -- namely servicing those vehicles and their high-voltage batteries. When it comes time for transport, in the event of an accident or when components need to be serviced individually, it's necessary to completely drain the cells on board, and that's where Midtronics' GRX-5100 comes in. The vehicle battery service and de-power tool is wrapping up field testing at GM and may soon find itself in "reclamation yards" (read: junk yards) as well as your local mechanic. With testing out of the way Midtronics plans to ramp up production before the end of the year, and its updateable firmware means it will be able to handle future vehicles with nothing more than an upgrade loaded on a USB key. For more info check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries

Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

LG 55" Cinema 3D Smart TV Lightning Review: A Pretty Good TV for Children of the Night [Lightning Review]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5909909/lg-55-cinema-3d-smart-tv-lightning-review-a-pretty-good-tv-for-children-of-the-night

LG's newest LED member of its Cinema 3D line is packed to the gills with features and functionality including native support for Netflix and HuluPlus, sharing media from mobile devices and PCs, and Internet access, but you're going to have to keep vampire hours to avoid the glare.

What Is It?

A 55" Smart TV (read: Internet connected) with Passive 3D—the same as the Real 3D tech theaters keep forcing upon us, it's less crisp than active 3D (the glasses with the batteries) but easier on the eyes and loads cheaper.

Who's it For?

Night owls, home theater aficionados, and anybody who likes to watch with the lights off.

Design

Simple and Clean. It has 1/4" borders along the top and side edges with a two-inch silver band along the bottom that matches the stand. All buttons and ports are hidden from the front.

Using It

A complete joy. Being only 70 lbs, the television was a cinch to unbox and set up. The initial system setup was ludicrously simple—it found and assimilated into my Wi-Fi network on the very first try. Being a Smart TV, the set offers in-TV access to numerous streaming services as well as the Internet.

The Best Part

The picture quality. Motion blur is nearly non-existent (and actually better than if you enable the dynamic tracking), the color representation is bright and vibrant with decent black levels. I was most surprised by the utter lack of artifacts on streaming content (both Netflix and HuluPlus).

Tragic Flaw

The glare when watching during the day is nearly unbearable.

This Is Weird...

There's no way to calibrate the the remote—so if it points slightly off-center by default, you'll have to get used to adjusting for that.

Test Notes

This set comes bundled with six pair of passive 3D frames.
Can share content over a DNLA connection with LG phones.
Laser remote works much like a mouse and makes inputting text much faster than having to cycle through character wheels or virtual keyboards.
The passive 3D is what it is, pretty good depth levels on converted 2D to 3D content.
Glasses are comfortable but you've got to make sure you're sitting front and center to get the full effect.

Should You Buy It?

With an initial MSRP of $2,300 this set was definitely a bit pricey for the picture quality. But with prices already dropping to the high $1400s online just four months after its debut, yeah, the LG55LM6700 is a pretty good deal right now.

LG 55" Cinema 3D Smart TV (55LM6700) Specs

• Screen Size: 55"
• Display Type: LED-LCD
• Refresh: 120Hz
• Backlight: Edge Lighting with Local Dimming
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Weight: 70lbs
• Price: $1,700
• Gizrank: 3 stars

VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/via-unveils-fanless-eden-x2-packing-amos-3002-pc/

VIA is planning to get some serious mileage out of its Eden X2 processor -- in the most literal sense possible. It's now producing the AMOS-3002, a Pico-ITX-sized PC intended for in-car infotainment and other situations where an embedded PC needs to have a little more juice for media tasks. The Eden X2 in question comes in a dual-core 1GHz flavor that's completely fanless, but it's fast enough to show 1080p video (when your car is parked, we hope) and can handle more intensive work like dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, optional 3G and even a 2.5-inch hard drive. That breadbox-sized shell can also take a lot of abuse, surviving temperatures between -4F and 140F as well as 50 Gs' worth of shock. You'll have to wait until your favorite car designer or digital sign maker uses the AMOS-3002 to see it in action, but until then, you can get the full details after the break.

Continue reading VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car

VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:17:00! EDT. P lease see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/intel-wants-to-have-conflict-free-processors-by-the-end-of-2013/

Intel had already promised that it would avoid using conflict minerals, and now it's giving itself a more concrete timetable for that to happen. It wants to have at least one processor that's proven completely conflict-free across four key minerals -- gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten -- by the end of 2013. Lest you think Intel's not taking swift enough action, it wants to reach the tantalum goal by the end of this year. The effort's part of a wider array of goals that should cut back on the energy use, power and water use by 2020. Sooner rather than later, though, you'll be buying a late-generation Haswell- or Broadwell-based PC knowing that the chip inside was made under nobler conditions.

Continue reading Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013

Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus 4X HD stops in at the FCC, flaunts AT&T bands, global support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/lg-optimus-4x-hd-stops-in-at-the-fcc-flaunts-atandt-bands-global/

LG's latest 4.7-inch wunderphone may not have penned in an official release this side of the Atlantic, but that doesn't mean the Feds aren't putting it through its paces. A global version of the LG Optimus 4X HD made its way through the FCC test labs recently, revealing a quad-band GSM / EDGE radio with 3G support over AT&T's 1900 / 850 bands. In other words, feel free to import an unlocked slab when they hit Europe next month. Check out the federal filings yourself at the source link below, or check out our own hands-on coverage right here.

LG Optimus 4X HD stops in at the FCC, flaunts AT&T bands, global support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 20:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/samsung-mass-produces-4-gigabit-lpddr2-memory/

Samsung started making 2GB low-power mobile memory last year, but as the 1GB-equipped phone you likely have in your hand shows, the chips weren't built on a wide-enough scale to get much use. The Korean company is hoping to fix that now that it's mass-producing 20-nanometer, 4-gigabit LPDDR2 RAM. Going to a smaller process than the 30-nanometer chips of old will not just slim the memory down by a fifth, helping your smartphone stay skinny: it should help 2GB of RAM become the "mainstream product" by the end of 2013, if Samsung gets its way. New chips should run at 1,066Mbps without chewing up any more power than the earlier parts, too, so there's no penalty for using the denser parts. It's hard to say whether or not the 20nm design is what's leading to the 2GB of RAM in the Japanese Galaxy S III; we just know that the upgraded NTT DoCoMo phone is now just the start of a rapidly approaching trend for smartphones and tablets.

Continue reading Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones

Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHART OF THE DAY: Here's Who Is Getting Rich From Facebook's IPO

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-facebook-insiders-stocks-selling-2012-5

Here's a look at who will be selling Facebook stock and for how much, via Fortune's Dan Primack.

chart of the day, facebook insiders selling stock and value remaining, may 2012

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Google's latest Gmail tweaks bring contact info to search results, enhanced Circle integration

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/google-gmail-update-contact-details-circle-integration/

By any means, this is certainly far from being one of the biggest changes Gmail's ever seen -- still, it's one that's likely to make a few tasks a wee bit easier for you. Inside the recent tweaks, Google added a new quick access trait that makes contact details -- such as phone numbers -- show up automatically in search results within your cherished G inbox. Additionally, the Android-maker has improved the Google+ integration (again), now allowing folks to narrow down conversations from specific Circles in the search box (you know, something like Circle: Awesome Engadget editors). Google says the changes will be rolling out over the course of the day, but in the meantime, you could always check out what exactly happens behind Gmail's closed doors.

Google's latest Gmail tweaks bring contact info to search results, enhanced Circle integration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/the-mysteries-of-the-ccd-revealed-video/

Sure, we've explained to you why sensor size matters in a digital camera, but maybe you need to take it back a bit. Maybe, you're not entirely sure how those sensors work in the first place. Well, Bill Hammack, better known as The Engineer Guy, is here to help. After breaking down LCDs and hard drives for your amusement and education, Bill has turned his attention to the CCD. The charge-coupled device is the heart and soul of many a digital camera, turning incoming photons into a charge that the impressively complex processor inside can convert into an image. What makes the CCD so impressive is it's rather ingenious solutions to problems such as interference (no wires, just a shift register) and color reproduction (pixel-sized filters and a hue-flattening algorithm). For more, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video)

The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our ter ms for use of feeds.

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Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/netflix-web-player-updated/

With the exception of tweaks for new features like HD video and closed captioning Netflix's Silverlight-based web player has been largely unchanged for years, but today everything is being reworked. As detailed in a post on the company's blog, PC and Mac users (no word on ChromeOS) the size of the player controls now scale to the window they're in and replace words with icons. Other new features users will notice is the ability to preview additional episodes of TV series without stopping the stream, title information that pops up when the stream is paused and that full screen viewing now has the same options as the windows player. The finale tweak is that the back to browsing button that brings viewers back to their queue has shifted from the bottom right to the top left. Hit the blog for the full breakdown, or just expect a surprise tomorrow when you're watching Downton Abbey at work Drive in the comfort of your own home during leisure time.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews originally appeared on Engadge t on Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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