Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, September 03, 2012

Use Gmail and Google Docs to Easily and Quickly Track Anything [Quantified Self]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5939539/use-gmail-and-google-docs-to-track-anything

Use Gmail and Google Docs to Easily and Quickly Track Anything Google Docs and Gmail can be used together to create a simple yet flexible way of tracking just about anything. For example, you can easily track your expenses, create a workout log, or set up a food diary. Here's how.

The Power Tips for Google blog offers this awesome tip for setting up a form in Google Docs and then quickly accessing it in Gmail. The system is really easy to set up:

Basically, create a spreadsheet in Google Docs and then go to Tools > Create form in the menu.
Edit the form to add the items you want to record (e.g., date, amount, payment method, description, categories, etc.)
Click on the "Email this form" button to email it to yourself.
Whenever you want to add log something and have it entered into your spreadsheet, you can quickly submit the form from within that email.

That's it!

Use Gmail and Google Docs to Easily and Quickly Track Anything Well, one more thing. For easy access to the form, enable the "Quick Links" lab feature (under Settings > Labs in Gmail) and you can add a permanent link to the form to your menu.

There are lots of ways you can use this. Our one-minute personal inventory form would be great to set up with this system. You can even share the form with other people, for simple group tracking.

Track Your Expenses Using Gmail and Google Docs | Power Tips for Google Docs

OLPC delivers big OS update with text-to-speech, DisplayLink and WebKit

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/02/olpc-delivers-big-os-update-with-text-to-speech-displaylink/

While most of its energy is focused on the XO-4 Touch, the One Laptop Per Child project is swinging into full gear for software, too. The project team has just posted an OS 12.1.0 update that sweetens the Sugar for at least present-day XO units. As of this latest revamp, text-to-speech is woven into the interface and vocalizes any selectable text -- a big help for students that are more comfortable speaking their language than reading it. USB video output has been given its own lift through support for more ubiquitous DisplayLink adapters. If you're looking for the majority of changes, however, they're under-the-hood tweaks to bring the OLPC architecture up to snuff. Upgrades to GTK3+ and GNOME 3.4 help, but we're primarily noticing a shift from Mozilla's web engine to WebKit for browsing: although the OLPC crew may have been forced to swap code because of Mozilla's policies on third-party apps, it's promising a much faster and more Sugar-tinged web experience as part of the switch. While they're not the same as getting an XO-3 tablet, the upgrades found at the source link are big enough that classrooms (and the occasional individual) will be glad they held on to that early XO mo! del.

Filed under: Laptops, Software

OLPC delivers big OS update with text-to-speech, DisplayLink and WebKit originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Phoronix | source

source

OLPC Wiki | Email this | Comments

VidaBox unveils vPlayer and vStreamer Media Extenders with slicker looks, green credentials

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/02/vidabox-unveils-vplayer-and-vstreamer-media-extenders/

Most VidaBox Media Extenders have borne a closer similarity to mini PCs than to the kind of equipment you'd stack on top of a home theater receiver. That's already been changing, but the company's new vPlayer and vStreamer are virtually invisible in the living room by comparison. Either has a newly streamlined, stackable design that feels entirely at home in the den and keeps the noisy buzzes and whines to a minimum through a new cooling system. Although VidaBox is wonderfully vague about specs -- both hubs tout a "dual core processor," for example -- its units have been modernized enough to use a thrifty 35W of typical power. The boxes lack dedicated media storage space and curiously have to be factory upgraded to get HDMI 1.4 instead of 1.3, but they'll output 7.1-channel audio and 1080p video while integrating with most common home automation systems over RS-232. We haven't been quoted prices to simplify any buying decisions; we expect the gap to be small between the two offerings, since the vPlayer and vStreamer are identical on the inside except for the vPlayer's Blu-ray drive. Dealers will have a better answer for you when VidaBox starts shipping the extender duo on September 4th.

Continue reading VidaBox unveils vPlayer and vStreamer Media Extenders with slicker looks, green credentials

Filed under: Home En tertainment, HD

VidaBox unveils vPlayer and vStreamer Media Extenders with slicker looks, green credentials originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

VidaBox | Email this | Comments

Nokia's Purity HD stereo headset by Monster goes Pro, gains Bluetooth, NFC and noise cancellation (update)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/02/nokias-purity-hd-stereo-headset-by-monster-goes-pro-gains-blue/

If Nokia doesn't show off at least one banana -hued Lumia smartphone come September 5th, we're going to be extremely confused. Say howdy to the Pro-monikered followup to its corded Purity HD stereo headset by Monster, which gains Bluetooth (no word on what version), NFC for pairing and active noise cancellation. Similar to its recently revealed PlayUp speaker, the company's teasing the the Purity HD Pro as an audio accessory that'll "perfectly match your Lumia" in a choice of black, white, red and yellow. The Pro is essentially identical to its predecessor, but now the folding earcups also serve as a pseudo-on/off switch ~~for its anc functionality~~ for the unit itself. As you might expect, all that tech and Monster branding will cost ya a spendy €299 (about $376) -- nearly as much as Parrot's Zik by Starck. ~~Further details are currently unavailable, except that~~ the cans will reach store shelves near this year's close.

Update: You'll find a video! hands-o n by way of The Nokia Blog here. According a Nokia rep in that video, the earpads have a head detection sensor for automatically enabling ANC (similar to the Zik), while plugging in an included cable will let the headphones function sans Bluetooth. Furthermore, the company also noted to TNB that the battery should last about 24 hours for music or calls, with a week's worth of life on standby.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

Nokia's Purity HD stereo headset by Monster goes Pro, gains Bluetooth, NFC and noise cancellation (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Converstations | source

source

Nokia | Email this | Comments

Netflix coming to future Freesat satellite TV boxes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/03/netflix-uk-set-top-box/

Netflix making good on those investment promises for its UK viewers, with the streaming service set to be included in a new set-top box coming tomorrow. According to The Telegraph, the new device will link straight into Netflix services. Freesat's satellite TV offering launched back in 2008, with both BBC and ITV behind the project, while the new set-top box is rumored to add on-demand downloads and the ability to view programs up to eight days since they first air -- catching up to similar services from BT, Virgin and Sky. We're likely to hear more tomorrow, but Freesat's hoping it will be enough to make Brits reconsider those wallet-thumping Sky subscriptions.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Netflix coming to future Freesat satellite TV boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

The Telegraph | Email this | Comments

T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 lands Ice Cream Sandwich update

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/03/t-mobile-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-android-ics-update/

After more than a month of waiting, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 for T-Mobile has finally joined some of its brethren with an Ice Cream Sandwich update. Big Magenta has posted the Android 4.0.4 download for those who'd like to install the OS manually via Samsung Kies. While the carrier says the Android flavor won't be delivered over-the-air, TmoNews reports that some users have loaded up their hardware with an OTA update. Ready to hop on the ICS bandwagon? Check your slate for an upgrade notice or hit the source link below for instructions and the appropriate download.

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 lands Ice Cream Sandwich update originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TmoNews | source

source

T-Mobile | Email this | Comments

Friday, August 31, 2012

Samsung slips into AMD's HSA party, may seek parallel processing boost for Exynos

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/samsung-amd-hsa-foundation/

Trust us, this should ultimately make a lot of sense. As we already know, AMD recently set up the HSA Foundation to promote its vision for better parallel processing -- and especially GPU compute -- in mobiles and PCs. Its semi-rival ARM was one of the first big players to join up, and now Samsung has decided to hop onboard too. Why would it do that? For the simple reason that the Korean company still makes its own chips, based on ARM designs, and we've seen that GPU compute is going to be a big feature in its coming Exynos 5 processor with Mali T604 graphics.

Now, anything else at this point is pure speculation, since we only know about Samsung's HSA membership from the appearance of its logo on a relevant slide at AMD's keynote speech at IFA, and there's no official word on Samsung's intentions. At a bare minimum, the company could simply be firming up friendships and hedging its bets on the future of computing. We wouldn't be surprised, however, if Sammy is looking to work with ARM and AMD to implement further aspects of the HSA philosophy into even more advanced Exynos chips down the line -- chips that are able to use both GPU compute and smaller transistors to achi! eve leap s in performance while also gobbling fewer volts.

Continue reading Samsung slips into AMD's HSA party, may seek parallel processing boost for Exynos

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets

Samsung slips into AMD's HSA party, may seek parallel processing boost for Exynos originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Sharp's IGZO low-power, high-res display technology gets its time to shine at IFA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/sharps-igzo-low-power-high-res-display-technology-gets-its-tim/

Alongside the slew of 90-inch TVs, Sharp also used this year's IFA to show off something a little less glamorous. Its IGZO technology (that's indium gallium zinc oxide, kids) was developed in conjunction with the Semiconductor Energy Laboratory. According to Sharp, the displays "have a significantly higher translucency [compared to traditional LCD TFT displays]. This improvement means that smaller or fewer LEDs are needed for the backlighting." The result is less power consumption for high-res displays and higher sensitivity on touchscreens, with far less noise to contend with.

The company plans to create three panel sizes to start: 10-inch (2560 x 1600), seven-inch (1280 x 800) and 32-inch (3840 x 2160). Sharp was also demoing a prototype seven-inch tablet (which you can see in the gallery below) alongside the displays. The representative we spoke with wouldn't reveal anything about specific products the company plans to produce using the technology, but did tell us that we can expect to see some IGZO products in 2013. Check out an explanatory video after the break.

Gallery: Sharp IGZO hands-on

Continue reading Sharp's IGZO low-power, high-res display technology gets its time to shine at IFA

Filed under: Displays, Tablets

Sharp's IGZO low-power, high-res display technology gets its time to shine at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Samsung Galaxy Note II gets early benchmark treatment at IFA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-early-benchmark-ifa/

Here at IFA, the Galaxy Note II's glossy plastic build is practically fading under the ambush of cameras snapping away at Samsung's booth, but clearly this phone is more than just a (super sized) pretty face, and it's time to take a look at what's under the hood. As mentioned in our hands-on, Samsung upgraded the original Note's dual-core 1.4GHz chipset to a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor. We put the device to the test today to see how those amped-up insides reflect in the Note II's benchmark scores. As you'll see below, Sammy's latest handset fares significantly better than the original Note and the Galaxy S III.

	Galaxy Note II	Galaxy Note (international)	Galaxy S III (I9300)
AnTuTu	11,736	N/A	11,960
Quadrant	6,644	3,810	4,454
Vellamo	2,466	901	1,751
SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms, lower is be! tter)	1,330	2,902	1,460
CF-Bench	15,305	N/A	13,110
GL Benchmark Egypt Offscreen	114 fps	N/A	99 fps

Oh, what a difference a processor makes. Clearly the step up to a quad-core CPU is to thank for the large performance delta between the Note II and the last-gen Note, though the international version of the Galaxy S III, with a quad-core 1.4Ghz Exynos processor, also falls behind in Quadrant and other tests. The Note II also trumped its Samsung siblings on the browser-focused Vellamo benchmark, which hints at snappier performance on this phone. The phone's graphics chops look pretty good, too, if the GL Benchmark score is any indication. Our testing got cut short before we could run SunSpider, but we'll add that figure shortly.

Update: We've added SunSpider as well -- the device clocked in at 1,330ms, which is a hair faster than the Galaxy S III.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Galaxy Note II gets early benchmark treatment at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Blue Microphones Mikey Digital portable microphone for iOS devices hits shelves, offers mobile tracking for $100

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/blue-microphones-mikey-now-shipping/

The second of Blue Microphone's CES trio has broken cover. Mikey Digital, a mobile recording peripheral for the iPad and iPhone is now available at select retailers. If you're in need of a refresher, the retooled version of the original Mikey tracking unit connects to you Apple smartphone or tablet via the dock connector. The mic houses the same two condenser capsules found on the more robust Snowball and Yeti USB mics while sporting built-in sensitivity control and CD-quality analog / digital conversion. A 3.5mm audio jack is included for monitoring or either stereo line-in or mic-in -- if you're looking to tack on a few more gadgets when recording with the 230-degree rotating kit. USB pass-thru allows for charging while in the midst of a session and a LED clipping indicator keeps tabs on volume levels to ensure the best results. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, the Mikey Digital will hit your wallet for $99.99 just as soon at you can enter your shipping info.

Continue reading Blue Microphones Mikey Digital portable microphone for iOS devices hits shelves, offers mobile tracking for $100

Filed under: Peripherals

Blue Microphones Mikey Digital portable microphone for iOS devices hits shelves, offers mobile tracking for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Acer announces Aspire M3 and Aspire V5 laptops with touchscreens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/acer-aspire-v5-touch-aspire-m3-touch/

In case you haven't noticed, there are two kinds of Windows 8 devices on display at IFA this week: laptop / tablet hybrids, and already-announced laptops, refreshed to include touch screens. Acer's newest two Ultrabooks fall into that second category: the company just announced touch-enabled versions of its Aspire M3 Ultrabook and Aspire V5 thin-and-light (pictured). For now, Acer isn't saying a word about price or availability, so for now you'll have to be content with a few spec details, all embedded after the break.

Continue reading Acer announces Aspire M3 and Aspire V5 laptops with touchscreens

Filed under: Laptops

Acer announces Aspire M3 and Aspire V5 laptops with touchscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

AT&T U-verse delivers a Facebook app for TVs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/att-uverse-facebook/

While AT&T's U-verse TV service announced increased support for second screen apps earlier this year and enhanced its own app for iPad with sharing features recently, it's just delivered a new app that brings Facebook to the TV screen. The customized interface brings in user's status feed, friends list and photos, where they can comment or leave standard messages to the service. There's also naturally a tie-in allowing them to share information and updates about the shows they're watching on the IPTV service directly through the app. According to the press release (included after the break) it can handle up to ten different accounts on a single receiver, so they don't all have to post updates to one unlucky members account. Despite seeing many made-for-TV-screens social networking apps we haven't found one that was definitely easier to use than keeping that kind of info on a second screen phone, tablet or PC, but we'll wait to hear from U-Verse subscribers about how well this effort is working.

Continue reading AT&T U-verse delivers a Facebook app for TVs

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

! AT&T U-verse delivers a Facebook app for TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

AT&T | Email this | Comments

Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/lenovo-ideacentre-a520-b340-b345-all-in-ones/

If yesterday was the day Lenovo unveiled its new Android products, today's the day it turns its attention to Windows 8: in addition to announcing a slew of laptops, the company introduced three IdeaCentre all-in-ones, all slated to go on sale in October when Windows 8 launches. Of these, the flagship is clearly the A520, with its tilting 23-inch screen that can lie nearly flat. Included in that press release, though, you'll also find details about the B340 / B345, a smaller, more affordable desktop with a less flashy design.

Starting with the A520, it's the little brother to the A720, which we first saw back at CES. Like the A720, it has a screen that can be tilted between 5 and 90 degrees, except this particular model has a smaller 23-inch display (compared with 27 inches for the A720). That 1080p display is of IPS caliber and supports 10-point multitouch. Under the hood, it can be configured with a Core i7 CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 1TB of HDD storage and an optional Blu-ray player. If you need graphics horsepower, though, you might want to skip ahead to read about those B series models, since the A520 will only be offered with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics.

Indeed, graphics might be a good place to start when we talk about the! B340 an d B345, since the GPU is the one thing that really separates them. Though both will be offered with a 1GB AMD Radeon HD7470A card, only the B340 will be available with a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce 615. Otherwise, you'll find the same key specs on both models: a 21.5-inch (1080p) touchscreen display, with a choice of a Core i7 processor or AMD quad-core APU on the inside. The two are also VESA mount-compatible, and can be configured with optional TV tuners.

The A520 will sell for $999 and up, while the B series will start at $599. Again, both will arrive in October, at which point we should be neck-deep in Windows 8 PCs to review.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaCentre A520

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaCentre B340 / B345

Continue reading Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8

Filed under: Desktops

Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/lenovo-outs-15-inch-ideapad-u510-ultrabook/

Lenovo's IFA itinerary is marathon-length. It unveiled no fewer than three tablets yesterday, not to mention three new IdeaPad S Series notebooks, and today it's serving up more laptops. Let's hit the high-profile guy first: Lenovo's IdeaPad Series lineup of Ultrabooks is getting its first 15-inch model, the Windows 8-running U510. The machine weighs 4.85 pounds (2.2kg) and measures 0.83 inches (21mm) thin, which is hefty for an Ultrabook but gives it enough room for a DVD burner or an optional Blu-ray drive. The 15.6-inch display's resolution is a ho-hum 1,366 x 768, which is exactly what you'll find on the IdeaPad U310. The laptop will be available with up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive and optional 24/32GB SSD cache. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI, and there's an SD card reader as well. Lenovo rates the machine for six hours of battery life. The U510 will set you back $679 (for the entry-level configuration) when it goes on sale in September. For now, you can check out our hands-on photos below.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U510 hands-on

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook press images

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on)

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Samsung Smart TV with Google TV on display at IFA 2012, ships 'later this year' (update: hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/samsung-smart-tv-with-google-tv/

It wasn't a part of Samsung's IFA 2012 press conference, but Samsung is showing off Google TV hardware for the first time since CES 2011 (pictured above), and will release a Smart TV with Google TV later this year. According to its press release and a blog post by the Google TV team, it will "enhance the Smart TV experience" with premium content from its Samsung Apps services. How exactly it will be merged we should see soon, but now that ARM chips are powering a cheaper, more conventionally built experience we figure whatever hung up the deal has been squashed. We should get an eye on it if it's anywhere on the show floor soon, as well as the Google TV box from Hisense, and Sony's NSZ-GS7 which already launched in the US and UK, but is coming to Germany, France and the Netherlands soon.

Update: We caught up with working hardware at Samsung's booth, but the device was disconnected from the internet, so we weren't able to take it for a proper spin. You can take a somewhat superficial look in our hands-on gallery below, al! ong with the video after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Smart TV with Google TV hands-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Samsung Smart TV with Google TV on display at IFA 2012, ships 'later this year' (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 04:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Google TV Blog, Samsung Tomorrow | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)