Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/24/lexibook-coming-to-the-us/

French educational tech maker Lexibook is bringing its eponymous kiddy-tablet to the US from next month. It's not talking specs or price, but we're expecting it to be close to the Lexibook First currently available in Europe. The seven-inch slate packs a 600MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable to 16GB with an microSD card), parental controls and 802.11 b/g WiFi. The FroYo-running device retails for £150 ($237) over the pond, but if the company tries something similar over here, we suspect people might plump for something a little more powerful, or less expensive, or both.

Continue reading Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash

Filed under: Tablets

Lexibook kids-tablet coming to the US, makes fifth-graders dream of an Aakash originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvard makes distortion-free lens from gold and silicon, aims for the perfect image (or signal)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/harvard-makes-distortion-free-lenses-from-gold-and-silicon/

Imaging has been defined by glass lenses for centuries, and even fiber optics haven't entirely escaped the material's clutch. Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences might have just found a way to buck those old (and not-so-old) traditions. A new 60-nanometer thick silicon lens, layered with legions of gold nanoantennas, can catch and refocus light without the distortion or other artifacts that come with having to use the thick, curved pieces of glass we're used to -- it's so accurate that it nearly challenges the laws of diffraction. The lens isn't trapped to bending one slice of the light spectrum, either. It can range from near-infrared to terahertz ranges, suiting it both to photography and to shuttling data. We don't know what obstacles might be in the way to production, which leads us to think that we won't be finding a gold-and-silicon lens attached to a camera or inside a network connection anytime soon. If the technology holds up under scrutiny, though, it could ultimtately spare us from the big, complicated optics we often need to get just the right shot.

Filed under: Cameras, Science

Harvard makes! distort ion-free lens from gold and silicon, aims for the perfect image (or signal) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 now working on Linux through Google Chrome, more or less

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/epic-games-unreal-engine-3-now-working-on-linux-through-chrome/

A Holy Grail of Linux gaming has been an Unreal Engine 3 port. Getting one for the OS would unlock a world of games that has been the province of, well, just about any other mainstream platform. Thanks to Google preserving Flash on Linux through Chrome, that dream is alive in at least a rudimentary form. Experimenters at the Phoronix forums have found that Chrome 21 has support for the Stage 3D hardware acceleration needed to drive Epic Games' Flash conversion of UE3. Tell Chrome to enable support as well as ignore a graphics chip blacklist, and suddenly you're running Epic Citadel from your Linux install. When we say "running," however, we're taking a slight amount of poetic license. Performance isn't that hot, and certain configurations might not show the medieval architecture in all its glory. We've confirmed with Epic that it works, but it's still firm on the stance that there's no plans for official UE3 support on Linux "at this time." It's still promising enough that maybe, just maybe, gamers can embrace an open-source platform without having to give up the games they love.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 now working on Linux through Google Chrome, more or less originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITU approves NHK's Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/itu-approves-nhk-super-hi-vision-as-8k-standard/

We'd heard that the International Telecommunication Union was close to approving Super Hi-Vision as an Ultra High Definition TV standard, and the UN agency hasn't waited long to confirm the rumors. The recommendation to use NHK's 7,680 x 4,320 format has gone unopposed and should define the parameters for incredibly detailed 8K video worldwide. This shouldn't lead anyone to return that 4K TV just yet -- once again, it's important to remember that NHK still won't start any kind of wider testing until 2020. That's also assuming that the first 8K sets are down to Earth instead of the incredibly expensive 145-inch variety.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

ITU approves NHK's Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BBC  |  ITU, NHK (translated)  | Email this | Comments

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ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL coming to Germany, that's L for LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/25/asus-transformer-pad-infinity-tf700kl-coming-to-germany/

If you've ever had the pleasure of cruising on Germany's Autobahns, you'll know the locals like to go fast. This hold true for technology too, it seems. A recent press release from Vodafone has revealed that the LTE variant of the TF700 Transformer Pad will be joining its equally 4G-enabled sibling in the land of beer and wurst. No word on whether it'll be showing up on other networks just yet, but if you want a slice of the action you'll have to open up the throttle wallet to the tune of €820 (about $1,000 sans commitment,) or €170 ($210) is you're willing to sign on the dotted line.

Continue reading ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL coming to Germany, that's L for LTE

Filed under: Tablets

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700KL coming to Germany, that's L for LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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