Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Google Nexus 7 Dissection Reveals Guts, Retina MacBook RAM and No Gorilla Glass [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5923138/google-nexus-7-dissection-reveals-chips-chops-and-retina-macbook-ram

Take a peek inside the brains and guts of the new Google Nexus 7 tablet and then compare it to the iPad 3, the Kindle Fire, and this fish. Not surprisingly, they all share some similarities. Here's the component list:

• NVIDIA T30L Tegra 3 processor—plenty fast brain.
• 1GB of Hynix HTC2G83CFR DDR3 RAM—the same kind used in the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
• AzureWave AW-NH665 wireless module—for Wi-Fi connectivity.
• Broadcom BCM4751 integrated monolithic GPS receiver—for tracking your whereabouts.
• Invensense MPU-6050 gyro and accelerometer—for gaming and stuff.
• Kingston KE44B-26BN/8GB 8GB flash—the storage.
• 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera only—because back-facing cameras are stupid in tablets.
• Hydis HV070WX2 7-inch, 1280x800 HD display—a nice resolution for a seven incher.
• The ~~Gorilla Glass~~ is fused to the display—so you have to change both if one breaks.

Update: Actually, there's no Gorilla Glass in the Nexus. It's just scratch resistant glass, Google told us.

The iFixit people also noticed a lot of copper alloy heat sinks, which lead them to assume that Asus was worried about heat dissipation in a package that is only 1 millimeter thicker than the iPad 3. [ifixit]

Next season NFL will release All-22 game tape, relax blackout rules and start doubleheaders later

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/next-season-nfl-will-release-all-22-game-tape-relax-blackout-ru/

Even in the offseason we're still football crazy, and some news has leaked out that will adjust how we watch the NFL. Most recently, the Wall Street Journal reports the league has officially relaxed local blackout requirements, which reduces the chance broadcasts are turned off in a team's home area if they don't sell enough tickets. The new rules passed by team owners allow for local broadcasts even with ticket sales at just 85 percent, and while each team can set its own minimum, if it sells more tickets it will have to share more of the revenue with other clubs. Plans to get more fans in the stadium include free WiFi, plus mobile apps (those may cost) with game highlights and the ability to listen in on the sound from field level.

Another change affects doubleheaders, as Fox and CBS will now start their second game ten minutes later than last year at 4:25 PM ET, hopefully avoiding interference with the end of earlier games. Finally, the league has revealed its NFL Game Rewind online replay package (available on Android and iOS tablets for the first time this year) will expand to offer previously restricted angles with its coaches Film feature. Now fans can see the game tape coaches use to evaluate their teams with the "eye in the sky" All-22 view that shows all of the players and end zone cameras. We'll see if a different viewpoint makes callers into sports talk radio any more knowledgeable about the game, but that seems doubtful.

[Thanks,! @RobZuber]

Continue reading Next season NFL will release All-22 game tape, relax blackout rules and start doubleheaders later

Next season NFL will release All-22 game tape, relax blackout rules and start doubleheaders later originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Nexus 7 tablet hits the iFixit teardown labs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/nexus-7-tablet-teardown/

We can always count on iFixit to get down and dirty with its spudger and the latest tablet tech, and we're not going home empty handed today. The latest victim happens to be Google's recently announced Nexus 7, which has achieved a "repairability score" of 7 out of 10 (the Kindle Fire squeaked one notch past with an 8), with many accessible components including a replaceable battery and standard Phillips screws. While the site's ultimate goal is to illustrate the delicate process of opening our gadgets while leaving them unharmed, the good folks at iFixit never fail to entertain us in the process, with two dozen high-res photos of the Nexus 7's innards littering the 21-step repair guide. The most disappointing discovery appears to be the display, which is permanently affixed to its Corning glass covering, but given the tablet's $200 price tag, replacing such a component is not likely to be a cost-effective proposition. There's plenty more to gawk over, but you'll need to head to iFixit to, well, get your fix. Click on through at our source link below.

Google's Nexus 7 tablet hits the iFixit teardown labs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC's LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/necs-lavie-z-ultrabook-japan/

No one complained when we reported NEC's initial claimed weight of 999 grams (2.2 pounds) for its LaVie Z Ultrabook, but it turns out that statistic is brutally unfair. The 13.3-inch laptop actually tips the scales at just 875 grams (1.9 pounds) thanks to the magnesium lithium alloy used in its 0.59-inch chassis -- not bad when you consider that there are still 1.3kg netbooks wandering the planet. Of course, in line with Intel's official Ultrabook spec, you're getting a minimum Core i5-3317U processor (yes, that's Ivy Bridge) and 128GB SSD, plus USB 3.0, SDXC slot, HDMI out and a claimed battery life of 8.1 hours. There's no word on US pricing yet, but that base spec will set you back ¥130,000 ($1,600) in Japan, while the top model with Core i7-3517U and 256GB SSD will add another ¥30,000 ($375) to your bill.

NEC's LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung upstages Sony with f/1.4-equipped EX2F point-and-shoot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/samsung-ex2f-f-1-4-camera/

Samsung's been flaunting its WiFi-equipped Smart cameras throughout the last year, but with a generally significant tradeoff in image quality, we haven't been terribly impressed. The EX2F, however, is a model we're finally eager to get our hands on. This 12.4-megapixel CMOS shooter packs an f/1.4 lens -- quite a feat for any point-and-shoot -- along with a full-size hot shoe, dual image stabilization, a top ISO setting of 12,800 (extended), a 24-79mm 3.3x lens and a 3-inch swivel VGA-resolution AMOLED display. That's in addition to the full manual shooting mode, RAW option, 1080/30p HD video capture and the standard plethora of WiFi options, including Remove Viewfinder and Auto Backup. Accessory add-ons include an optical viewfinder, external mic and a secondary flash (a smaller pop-up model is built-in, and retracts when not in use). There's no hint of pricing or availability, but with that industry-leading f/1.4 lens, pro-level features and AMOLED display, we're certain that the EX2F won't come cheap. Full PR is after the break.

Continue reading Samsung upstages Sony with f/1.4-equipped EX2F point-and-shoot

Samsung upstages Sony with f/1.4-equipped EX2F point-and-shoot originally appeared on Engadge t on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Chrome searches redirecting to blank.html (Update: fixed!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/google-chrome-searches-redirecting-to-blank-html-but-theres-a/

There's no word yet on what exactly is causing it, but various Google Chrome users are reporting that searches from the omnibox / address bar that go nowhere. While the instant results appear properly, once the user hits enter they're sent to a blank.html page that's just that, blank. There's a Google Groups thread 116 posts long of people noticing the issue going back a few hours and we're seeing it on our end also. In the thread, users suggest going into the settings menu, selecting "Manage Search Engines", adding a new search engine with the url http://www.google.com/search?q=%s (it can be named anything) and then making it the default as shown above. That did the trick for us, let us know if you're seeing the same in the comments below.

Update: Google has responded, telling us the issue should be resolved for "most users." If you changed your default search, this would seem to be as good a time as any to switch it back, check after the break for a statement from a Google spokesperson.

[Thanks, Dustin]

Continue reading Google Chrome searches redirecting to blank.html (Update: fixed!)

Google Chrome searches redirecting to blank.html (Update: fixed!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 02:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Places for iOS becomes Google+ Local, adds voice search in the process

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/03/google-places-for-ios-becomes-google-plus-local/

It was only a matter of time before Google+ Local started spreading to the mobile space, and iOS looks to be its first landing spot through a rebadge of the Google Places app. Apart from achieving harmony with Google's rapidly swelling social universe and letting us check Zagat ratings for nearby establishments, the update slips in the same voice search that Google has had in its primary Google Search app: we won't have to search for the best Vietnamese cuisine with that archaic keyboard. The refresh makes it similarly easy to find locations that aren't directly close by, and there's a tighter login process to keep that bar search history away from prying eyes. If you're a social adventurer with an iPhone or iPod touch, Google just gave your expeditions a shot in the arm.

[Thanks, Bono]

Google Places for iOS becomes Google+ Local, adds voice search in the process originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, July 02, 2012

Engadget Giveaway: win a Beats-enabled HTC One X, courtesy of AT&T!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/engadget-giveaway/

What's the best way to celebrate Beats Electronics' acquisition of MOG? How about giving away a phone that offers both? AT&T sent us a brand new HTC One X for the sole purpose of handing it out to one of you, our beloved readers. This is currently one of our favorite phones money can buy, so revel in the fact that you have an opportunity to get it without digging that card out of your wallet. As always, just leave your comments below to enter to win. Note: since this is an AT&T-branded phone, this giveaway will be for US only.

Continue reading Engadget Giveaway: win a Beats-enabled HTC One X, courtesy of AT&T!

Engadget Giveaway: win a Beats-enabled HTC One X, courtesy of AT&T! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google launches Mobile App Analytics along with Analytics App for Android, creates endless loop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/google-launches-mobile-app-analytics/

Google has given a boost to those who obsess over the minutia of their sites (and apps) with two new analytics offerings dedicated to the mobile side of things. App vendors will be able to see potential buyers stampeding to their wares (or not) with Mobile App Analytics, showing user info like traffic, geography and the model of device used. It will also provide engagement and business reports, telling developers how their apps are being used and letting them check if their monetary dreams are matching cold reality. Mountain view also released The Google Analytics App, letting on-the-go users have a truncated version of the full Analytics site, with features like real-time monitoring and the Dashboard, at their tactile fingertips. That app is now at the Play store, and the new App Analytics feature is in beta to approved developers. There's no word as to when, or if, the App Analytics will be in the Analytics App, but in any case, you can check the source to get either.

Google launches Mobile App Analytics along with Analytics App for Android, creates endless loop originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jelly Bean's Sound Search feature now available root-free on ICS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/google-sound-search-apk/

Jelly Bean's Sound Search feature now available rootfree on ICS Did you know you can get a little squirt of Jelly Bean flavor in your Ice Cream Sandwich right now? It's nothing mega -- just a non-root APK for Google Sound Search, the new in-house rival to Shazam and SoundHound, courtesy of user "asdfzz" over at XDA. The widget, which is also known as "Google Ears," currently works in a similar way to third-party apps, analyzing a track via remote servers and bringing up the result within Google Play, but in the future -- according to Mobile Phones Fan -- it could achieve faster speeds and better integration with other Google services by running natively within the OS. Of course, if you're up for flashing a whole ROM, then Jelly Bean can already be had in its entirety.

Jelly Bean's Sound Search feature now available root-free on ICS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Patrick Brady tells us how the Nexus 7 went from 'start to finish in four months'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/how-the-nexus-7-came-to-be/

Google's Patrick Brady tells us how the Nexus 7 went from 'start to finish in four months'

At this past year's CES, we were inundated by tablet after tablet after, well, tablet. Some were big, some were small, and some were just right. A few, though, kind of faded into the wallpaper and didn't return. Such was a little prototype NVIDIA brought by for us to play with, a 7-inch tablet from ASUS with Tegra 3 power and an amazing price tag -- just $250. We got our hands on it briefly (as seen in the video below) and it was impressive, but it was never to be seen again.

One month later, Google's Director of Android Partner Engineering Patrick Brady joined Matias Duarte in Taipei to meet with ASUS and to launch the project that would become Google's first Nexus tablet, the 7-inch, Tegra 3-powered Nexus 7 that is shipping soon for an even more amazing $199. Coincidence? Join us for a discussion with Patrick about how Google's mighty little tablet came to be.

Continue reading Google's Patrick Brady tells us how the Nexus 7 went from 'start to finish in four months'

Google's Patrick Brady tells us how the Nexus 7 went from 'start to finish in four months' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft announces $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for most Windows users

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/microsoft-announces-39-99-windows-8-pro-upgrade-offer-for-most/

Microsoft announces $3999 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for most Windows users

Microsoft has already detailed the Windows 8 upgrade route for those buying a new computer, and it's now finally confirmed what everyone else will be paying when they upgrade their existing PC. Those running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 will able to download a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for just $39.99. That's a far cry from the company's earlier upgrade prices, which as recently as Windows 7 ran $50 and $99 for Home Premium and Pro upgrades, respectively. You will have to pay a bit more if you want packaged DVD version of the upgrade, though, with it running $69.99 at retail -- it also sounds like both of those prices will be going up when the promotion ends on January 31st of next year. Not surprisingly, the upgrade process will vary depending on the OS you're currently using. Those making the jump all the way from Windows XP will only able to bring their personal files with them, while those on Vista will be able to bring their personal files and Windows settings, but no applications. And, if you're wondering about Media Center, it will be available as a free option once the upgrade is finished.

Microsoft announces $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for most Windows users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Micron scoops up Elpida Memory, 50-percent production boost for $2.5 billion

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/micron-buys-elpida-memory/

There's no question that Micron has shifted its focus away from PCs in favor of producing components, shipping everything from SSDs to CMOS sensors in recent years, but the semiconductor manufacturer just took a $2.5 billion step even closer to bridging its gap between other companies in the same market, including Samsung, the chip producer's top competitor. Under the deal, Elpida Memory, which is headquartered in Tokyo, will fall within the Idaho-based conglomerate's growing umbrella, netting Micron a 50-percent boost in production capability. That increase did come at great expense, however -- the transaction included $750 million in cash and $1.75 billion in future installments (1,750 easy payments of one million dollars?), which are set to continue through 2019. The acquisition was also paired with a 24-percent stake in Rexchip Electronics for an additional $334 million, which will complement Elpida's investment, yielding a total 89-percent stake for Micron. While the amount does seem quite significant, investors appear to be on board, with Micron's stock ($MU) currently up more than 4 percent since this morning. Both deals will reportedly close within the next year.

Micron scoops up Elpida Memory, 50-percent production boost for $2.5 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jelly Bean Checks Youâre Actually Alive Before Unlocking Your Phone [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5922799/jelly-bean-checks-youre-actually-alive-before-unlocking-your-phone

Jelly Bean Checks Youâre Actually Alive Before Unlocking Your Phone Google's clever little Face Unlock security feature, which lets you use your phone's camera to pull your Android mobile out of standby mode by having it recognise its master, has been updated, with the Jelly Bean version of the tool allowing users to blink at it to prove they're not a photograph.

This is designed to stop the sort of internet outrage pieces we saw surrounding the launch of Google's Android 4.0 software alongside the Galaxy Nexus last year, when it was discovered that Android's new Face Unlock could be tricked by using a photo of the registered owner, so was about as secure as writing your secrets on a pub toilet wall in marker pen.

So in Android 4.1 it ought to be a little tougher to fool thanks to the optional blink detection setting, unless you print out a life-sized photo of the owner, cut out holes for the eyes and blink through the holes. Which is probably a bit too much fuss for the chance to read someone else's mundane SMS messages. [XDA via TechCrunch via Gizmodo UK]

Image by Android Central

Our newest offspring Gizmodo UK is gobbling up the news in a different timezone, so check them out if you need another Giz fix.

First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/01/first-dslr-4k-video-from-prototype-canon-eos-1d-c/

If you've been wondering what kind of eye candy Canon's EOS-1D C is capable of, you might be in luck. The crew over at EOSHD have apparently snagged some 4K sample footage from an early prototype of the unreleased, professional-grade DSLR. The clip looks slick to us, albeit lacking in the scenery department. Even so, EOSHD comments that while a "massive step up for image quality compared to all previous DSLRs" the video footage isn't as sharp as stills from the 1D X (the 1D C's less-endowed sibling) and "not near what true 4K should look like." (Of course, anyone looking for true 4K is advised to step up to Sony's $70k F65 CineAlta, so we guess you get what you pay for). You can check out the minute-long clip, unfortunately scaled to a Vimeo-friendly 1,920 x 1,080, after the break. If your discerning eye demands the raw footage, however, why not grab the few seconds available at the source link and let us know your thoughts? That's what the comments are for, after all.

Continue reading First DSLR 4K video from prototype Canon EOS-1D C reportedly emerges

First DSLR 4K video from protot! ype Cano n EOS-1D C reportedly emerges originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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