Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is official, aims for mass production in 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/sony-panasonic-oled-partnership-is-official-aims-for-mass-prod/

The rumor that Japanese electronic giants Panasonic and Sony would team up on OLED HDTV technology has been confirmed by a press release (included after the break), and the two plan to establish mass production in 2013. Together, they'll be able to utilize the core and printing techniques that each has so far developed separately to roll out HDTV-sized OLED panels. Still, while they will be BFFs behind the scenes don't expect any crazy cross-branding of releases, as the release notes each company plans to "develop and commercialize its own competitive, high-performance, next-generation OLED televisions and large-sized displays." Can this combination help them catch up to Korean counterparts Samsung and LG? Those two will individually put super-skinny, ultra high contrast ratio OLED HDTVs on store shelves this year, but if Panasonic / Sony can get prices down from the $10k~ range then we're sure most consumers will be able to overlook their tardiness to market.

Continue reading Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is official, aims for mass production in 2013

Sony, Panasonic OLED partnership is offici! al, aims for mass production in 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus Transformer Pad Infinity shows up at Best Buy, commands $600 price tag, 64GB of storage

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/asus-transformer-pad-infinity-shows-up-at-best-buy-commands-60/

You didn't think ASUS pushed its souped up Transformer slate though federal approval for its health, did you? No, if Best Buy's online store has anything to say about it, the Transformer Pad Infinity's FCC excursion was preparing it for sale. It's not quite ready yet, but when it is, Best Buy will apparently be handing the slab out for $599 and change, netting buyers 64GB of storage, NVIDIA's Tegra 3 processor and a 1,920 x 1,200 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display. The listing appears to be for the WiFi-only version of the tablet, with no mention of the Snapdragon S4-equipped LTE variant that ASUS announced earlier this year. According to the product page, the unreleased hardware is currently "sold out online," but at least you know how many pennies you'll need to pinch. Check it out at the source link below.

[Thanks, Uly]

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity shows up at Best Buy, commands $600 price tag, 64GB of storage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung pegs LTE Galaxy S III for South Korea in July, quad-core quite possibly intact

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/samsung-pegs-lte-galaxy-s-iii-for-south-korea-in-july-with-possible-quad-core/

Remember that dream version of the Galaxy S III that melded the Exynos 4 Quad, LTE-based 4G and 2GB of RAM all in one ultimate device? It now looks much closer to reality. Just as the 3G version is landing on the country's shores through SK Telecom, Samsung is sending word that the Korean LTE version is due in early July -- and Chosun claims it should have the best of all worlds in terms of performance. There should even be DMB TV tuning and a 500-title Video Hub for local movie lovers. We're anxious about just what that combination could do to battery life and the price, neither of which were mentioned up front. There may be good reasons why the US versions run on the dual-core Snapdragon S4, after all. Still, if the Korean LTE version doesn't have to make any sacrifices and is just a few weeks away from stores, it'll be hard not to turn a deep shade of green watching our friends in Seoul get what could easily be the better deal.

Samsung pegs LTE Galaxy S III for South Korea in July, quad-core quite possibly intact originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Tomorrow (translated), Chosun (translated) | Email this | Comments

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Google World Wonders Project Shows You the World from Street Level [Video]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5920461/the-google-world-wonders-project-shows-you-the-world-from-street-level

Some of the world's most beautiful and historic places are in some of the most difficult to visit locations. If globetrekking isn't in your budget, take a desktop vacation instead with the Google World Wonders Project and view beautiful places like the Toshodai-ji Temple in Japan, the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in the UK, or the old town of Ouro Preto in Brazil.

The World Wonders Project uses Google's Street View technology to take you on virtual tours of some of the world's most historically significant places. With destinations in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, you can browse areas of interest by selecting a continent or a theme from the menus at the top of the page, by clicking through the photo carousel in the center, or even by clicking and dragging the globe at the bottom until you see something you like. Then, just click "explore this site now" to take a Street View-powered walking tour.

The links on the right side of the page will give you more information about the location, related videos and other walkthroughs, and even photos and 3D models of the location so you can see more detail. It's definitely not as good as going and experiencing some of these beautiful places on your own, but if you're stuck at your desk, it may be the next best thing. Best of all, if you have a Panoramio account, you can even contribute some of your own photos, if you ever do visit.

Hit the link below to give it a try, and check out this related video for a fun behind the scenes look at how all of these images were captured. Have you been to any of these places yourself, or did we inspire you to pack your bags? Let us know where you've been in the comments below.

Google World Wonders Project | via Tekzilla Daily

The Corsair Hydro Series Keeps Your PC Cool and Silent with Maintenance-Free Water Cooling [Video]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5920525/the-corsair-hydro-series-keeps-your-pc-cool-and-silent-with-maintenance+free-water-cooling

Water cooling is a great way to keep your computer super cool and super quiet, but it can cost a lot of money. Corsair's Hydro series makes water cooling easy with inexpensive, maintenance-free units that take just a few minutes to install.

Water cooling is great, but it takes a ton of upkeep, costs hundreds of dollars, and comes with a risk of drowning your computer if you make a mistake (yeesh!). Corsair's Hydro series—made up of the H100, H80, H70, H60, and H40—makes water cooling simple. Just install the water block like you would any other cooler, and install the radiator on the top of your case (if you have the 120x240mm H100) or the back exhaust fan (if you have the 120x120mm smaller models). The fans will keep the radiator cool as the water pumps through it, giving you a quieter computer with lower CPU temperatures.

You'll still have to compromise a bit on noise, since you are still using fans, and Corsair's stock fans are quite loud. You can swap them out for something quieter, but the H100 and H80 also come with a handy feature that lets you run the fans on "low", "medium", or "high" speeds, which you can adjust depending on your needs. If you're looking for a silent system, go with the lower, quieter setting; if you're overclocking and gaming, go with the higher, louder setting. Alternatively, you can do what I do and get an external fan controller and use that to control the cooler's fans instead. That way, you can have it quiet when you're just browsing the web, and louder when you need the performance boost.

I've been using the H100 for about a week now, and my experience has been very good. My temperatures are a bit lower, though probably not enough to overclock my system any further (obviously, your mileage may vary depending on the CPU you're using, your case, and the cooling system you're currently using). The main benefit I'm seeing is in the realm of noise—coupled with the H100's fan controller (or an external one), you can decrease the noise in your system quite a bit. If you're sick of your computer sounding like a wind tunnel, or if you just want some extra overclocking headroom, check out the H100 or one of its smaller cousins. See the video above for a look at the hardware, or hit the link below to check out the specs on Corsair's web site. The H100 runs for about $100 on Amazon, while the other models cost less as you go down the chain.

Corsair Hydro Series CPU Coolers

Phase change memory breakthrough could lead to gigahertz-plus data transfers, make SSDs seem pokey

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/23/phase-change-memory-breakthrough-could-lead-to-gigahertz-plus-data/

Often considered the eventual successor to flash, phase change memory has had a tough time getting to the point where it would truly take over; when it takes longer to write data than conventional RAM, there's clearly a roadblock. The University of Cambridge has the potential cure through a constant-power trick that primes the needed hybrid of germanium, antimony and tellurium so that it crystalizes much faster, committing data to memory at an equally speedy rate. Sending a steady, weak electric field through the substance lets a write operation go through in just 500 picoseconds; that's 10 times faster than an earlier development without the antimony or continuous power. Researchers think it could lead to permanent storage that runs at refresh rates of a gigahertz or more. In other words, the kinds of responsiveness that would make solid-state drives break out in a sweat. Any practical use is still some distance off, although avid phase change memory producers like Micron are no doubt champing at the bit for any upgrade they can get.

Phase change memory breakthrough could lead to gigahertz-plus data transfers, make SSDs seem pokey originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ars Technica | source

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

This Marc Jacobs Laptop Case Will Keep You From Looking Like Such a Slob, You Slob [Daily Desired]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5920677/this-marc-jacobs-laptop-case-will-keep-you-from-looking-like-such-a-slob-you-slob

You've got your new retina display MacBook Pro? Great. Time to grow up and get a laptop bag that's worthy of it.

I'm crushing on this tropical orange 15-inch nylon case from Marc by Marc Jacobs. I carry a Jansport backpack to work every day and I think it actually makes me look about four years younger than I really am. Oh you know, just headed to the quad to study for my bio final. And by the way do you think your older sister could help get me a fake ID? NO. Hey, I don't want to accelerate the aging process but I've come to the conclusion that I need a more tailored-looking tote. This one has a delicious Fanta-like color, it's not going to kill my back, and at $128, it won't put a serious dent in my wallet. All in the name of professionalism. [Geek Sugar]

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i delivers scans to Android or iOS, spreads a little cloud love as well

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/22/fujitsu-scansnap-s1300i-delivers-scans-to-android-or-ios-devices/

Fujitsu's original ScanSnap S1300 earned a soft spot in our hearts -- no mean feat for a scanner -- so it's with piqued interest that we catch word of a direct upgrade. The S1300i is all about serving those of us who might never send scan results to a printer. Android and iOS aficionados now only have to send the results to a relevant mobile app, skipping the usual computer-to-phone shuffle. That stack of receipts can also go skip devices entirely and go straight to the cloud, whether it's Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs, Salesforce Chatter or SugarSync. However that paper gets converted to digital, it'll be accomplished about 50 percent faster, or 12 double-sided, color pages every minute. All the extras lift the price price even higher, though: $295 is a lot to ask for a scanner. Even so, if that stack of bills is high enough to trigger an avalanche, it might be worth the premium to avoid being snowed in.

Continue reading Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i delivers scans to Android or iOS, spreads a little cloud love as well

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i delivers scans to Android or iOS, spreads a little cloud love as well originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony patent filing for glasses would share data face to face, carry more than a hint of Project Glass

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/22/sony-patent-filing-for-glasses-would-share-data-face-to-face/

Google might not realize it, but Project Glass isn't alone in the patent race these days. Sony has quietly applied for a patent on a familiar-looking smart glasses system whose advantage over Mountain View would be an emphasis on things in twos. Eyepieces are the most obvious, but Sony is also keen on sharing data between two friends: transmitters on a pair of glasses would send personal info through a likely very uncomfortable glance at someone else with the same eyewear. If your friends are more than a little weirded out from sharing by staring, the proposed glasses could still pick up information from visual tags on posters, products and virtually anything else. There's even the obligatory connection to a watch for sharing data with the rest of the world. Whether or not the patent leads to Sony head-mounted technology more advanced than a personal 3D TV is still up in the air, especially with Google currently hogging the spotlight... not that existing, more conservative designs have ever stopped Sony from rolling out wild concepts before.

Sony patent filing for glasses would share data face to face, carry more than a hint of Project Glass originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Patent Bolt | source

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Firefox teases something 'big' coming for Android next week

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/22/firefox-android-teaser/

There's been a steady flow of betas for Firefox's Android offering and now the official Twitter account promises something "big" on the way next week, along with this image. The size declaration plus a lack of updated features (specifically Flash support) on tablets so far has us looking there for something new, although the image clearly shows a phone with the words "Fast. Smart. Safe." Also curious is an update for the Firefox beta on Android today which the Twitter account also admonishes those looking for an early preview of next week's news to check out. Finally, there's the timing, as Firefox's main browser rival Chrome has been rumored to be taking over as the standard bearer in Android Jelly Bean next week during Google I/O. Leave all relevant speculation or information in the comments below.

Firefox teases something 'big' coming for Android next week originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Negative radiation pressure in light could make some tractor beams real, we're already sucked in

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/23/negative-radiation-pressure-in-light-could-make-tractor-beams-real/

Developing a real, working tractor beam has regularly been an exercise in frustration: it often relies on brute force attempts to induce a magnetic link or an air pressure gap, either of which falls a bit short of science fiction-level elegance. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Mordechai Segev has a theory that would use the subtler (though not entirely movie-like) concept of negative radiation pressure in light to move objects. By using materials that have a negative refraction index, where the light photons and their overall wave shape move in opposite directions, Segev wants to create a sweet spot where negative radiation pressure exists and an object caught in the middle can be pushed around. His early approach would use extremely thin crystals stacked in layers to manipulate the refraction. As it's theorized, the technology won't be pulling in the Millennium Falcon anytime soon -- the millimeters-wide layer intervals dictate the size of what can be pulled. Nonetheless, even the surgery-level tractor beams that Segev hopes will ultimately stem from upcoming tests would bring us much closer to the future that we've always wanted.

Negative radiation pressure in light could make some tractor beams real, we're already sucked in originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jun 2012 04:18:00 EDT. Pl! ease see our terms for use of feeds.

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Missile Tracking Technology Is Unlocking The Game Of Basketball

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/missile-tracking-technology-is-unlocking-the-game-of-basketball-2012-6

Basketball Misile Tech

Basketball has found out how to play Moneyball, and they've taken a page out of the Missile Defense Agency's book to do it.

Mark Wilson at Fast Company reports how Stats, a company specializing in sports statistics, is using missile interceptor tech to gather reams of data about NBA players and other sports teams.

The way that it works is a marvel in itself.

Cameras mounted at the top of stadiums are able to track players, identify where they are when they shoot, and then a computer interprets the data to identify where they're successful, when they miss, and where a player is the best at sinking shots.

The missile technology comes in when you consider that the system has to track 10 sprinting athletes moving in an unexpected pattern in two dimensional space. Even more, the system tracks an eleventh body — the ball — through three dimensions of space, identifying anything from a single dribble to a halfcourt shot.

Ten teams are using the tech. Oh, and so is the U.S. Military. To track ballistic missiles.

And it seems to be working well for the NBA franchises, because four of them made the payoffs, and one — the Oklahoma City Thunder — made the finals.

SportVU, initially designed with military tech to track soccer games by an Israeli company, but after they were purchased by Stat, the technology was applied to basketball as well.

They're looking into getting it into football stadiums as well.

So far, the ten teams have pooled their data so that everyone can peek at everyone else's data. This has allowed individual teams can build research departments and get game-changing insights into how to strategize in a general matter.

It is changing the way team strategize.

Check out the full story at Fast Company.

Now, check out what the defense cuts are going to do to the military >>

Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.

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Two Genius Coders Just Got $2.5 Million From Peter Thiel And Andreessen Horowitz For Their Startup, Blend Labs

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/blend-labs-eugene-marinelli-quinn-slack-peter-thiel-andreessen-horowitz-2012-6

Eugene Marinelli and Quinn Slack

We don't know much about Eugene Marinelli and Quinn Slack, or their new startup, Blend Labs.

But we have heard this much: It has just raised $2.5 million from Facebook investor Peter Thiel and venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, according to a source.

It makes total sense, given that Slack and Marinelli are both former software engineers at Palantir, a secretive Thiel-backed company which processes massive amounts of data for corporate clients and government agencies.

We couldn't find an SEC filing showing the investment, though there are ways for companies that want to stay stealthy to avoid such filings (by, for example, filing with state regulators).

From what we can see, Marinelli and Slack are interested in the following hot areas:

Big data. They just gave a presentation at Stanford about using technologies like Hadoop, HBase, and Scala to handle huge quantities of information. Or as they put it, "you have a ton of data, need to handle a lot of users, and want to perform heavy computation over the data."

The social graph. They posted code to GitHub, an open software repository, for "Facebook social data modeling." And their Stanford presentation shows an example of handling data about individuals including email addresses and groups they belong to.

Mobile platforms. Slack has contributed some code to the Play 2.0 platform, which is used for mobile applications.

Okay, so that doesn't give us many clues to what Blend Labs is doing. But big-data applications for social and mobile platforms seems like it hits just about every investing buzzword.

Andreessen Horowitz, Slack, and Marinelli did not respond to emailed inquiries about the investment.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

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Friday, June 22, 2012

ASUS N56VM laptop gets Ivy Bridge processor, Kepler GPU for Japan launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/22/asus-n56vm-ivy-bridge-processor-kepler-gpu-japan-launc/

ASUS' N- and K-series notebooks may have debuted under the discerning eyes of Milano fashionistas, but it looks like an already refreshed version will arrive in Japan stores first. The ASUS N56VM benefits from recent hardware refreshes from both Intel and NVIDIA, with a Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz processor and NVIDIA's GeForce GT 630M running the graphics-heavy show. This is joined by a 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) screen, 8GB of RAM, Blu-ray drive and a 750GB hybrid SSD, while connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports and a combination memory stick / SD card slot. The notebook is set to arrive this Saturday in Japan, with prices starting from 99,800 yen ($1,240).

It's accompanied by two lower-spec K55A and K55VD models, with the major difference between them being the addition of an NVIDIA GeForce GT 610M in the latter. Otherwise, the two pack the same 15-inch WXGA (1366 x 768) screen, Core i5-3210M 2.5GHz processor and 750GB HDD. The laptops also house a pair of USB 3.0 ports, with an SD card slot and a single USB 2.0 port in reserve. The K55A is priced at 59,800 yen ($744), while the K55VD starts at 69,800 yen ($869), with both arriving alongside the N-series model tomorrow.

ASUS N56VM laptop gets Ivy Bridge processor, Kepler GPU for Japan launch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Falling SSD prices might give you a swift boot (up) sooner than you think

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/22/falling-ssd-prices-swift-boot-up/

Solid state drives are the one piece of gear that can turn a dog computer into a cheetah, and it looks like you may not have to scrape much longer to get one. Floods in Thailand made prices for their spinning-plattered brethren climb, but many SSD models like those from Crucial, OCZ and Intel have fallen up to 65 percent in the last year. Lower NAND prices, along with cheaper and better controllers from Sandforce and Indilinx have no doubt contributed to the boon for performance-hungry consumers. All of that means that a 256 GB drive which cost $500+ in June 2011, now runs less than $200 -- and at $.82 / GB, it turns from a near-luxury good to at least a thinkable proposition for many.

Falling SSD prices might give you a swift boot (up) sooner than you think originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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