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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Build a Passive 3-D Projection System [Home Theater]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5943551/build-a-passive-3+d-projection-system

Build a Passive 3-D Projection System If you want to enjoy movies and gaming in 3-D and don't want to spend a fortune on a big-screen 3-D HDTV you can rig up two projectors with proper filters and screen material to rig up a budget 3-D home theater and gaming system, especially if you already have one projector.

User Jahun on the 3-D advocacy forum Meant to Be Seen 3-D shares his setup where PC game and movie visual data is sent to identical projectors outfitted with polarization filters and projecting onto a screen made from silver screen material. He also added ducting to move the heat from the projector exhaust to the HVAC air refresher system to keep the heat down in his attic theater setup.

Personally, I'm not that into 3-D but if it does the trick for you this seems like a very interesting setup to try out. More information can be found at the source link below.

Passive Projection, How To| MTBS3D via Hack-a-Day

The iPhone 5's Custom A6 Boasts 1GB of Samsung RAM [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943615/the-iphone-5s-a6-boasts-1gb-of-samsung-ram

The iPhone 5's Custom A6 Boasts 1GB of Samsung RAM During the iPhone 5 announcement, Apple mentioned the new phone would have its own new chip, the A6. Specific specs were sparse then, but AnandTech did some sleuthing and found the custom chip packs 1GB of RAM, and 33% more peak memory bandwidth than the iPhone 4S, which it will need for its high-res screen.

As it turns out, the alphanumeric code on the right side of the chip is actually a Samsung part number, and by digging through Samsung's product guide, AnandTech was able to find that the A6 has two 512MB DRAM die for a total of 1GB, and a speed of 1066 MHz. Basically, Apple's custom little chip here should be dishing out a performance boost.

The iPhone 5's peak memory bandwidth is 8528 MB/s, or a 33% improvement over the iPhone 4S's 6400 MB/s, and it's going to need it to push the pixels for the higher resolution display. That said, it's nowhere near the new iPad's 12800 MB/s, but then again, it doesn't need to be, considering it doesn't have such a mammoth screen to deal with.

Considering information gleaned from Xcode and Apple's insistence that we'll see better battery life on top twice the performance, the A6 literally doesn't fit into any sort of chip architecture we've seen before. It looks like Apple built this one more or less from scratch. There are, of course, other factors at play when it comes to how the iPhone 5 will perform on the whole, but we'll just have to wait and see about those. [AnandTech]

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities [Furniture]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943642/clever-folding-bunk-bed-leaves-so-much-extra-space-for-activities

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities In many homes, and nearly all apartments, floorspace comes at a premium. That's what makes bunkbeds such a space saver. The Dumbo Double Murphy Bed takes it a step further by letting you fold them up.

Designed by Roberto Gil and built from baltic birch plywood, these bunk beds from Casa Kids are both compact and sturdy. When folded up, the cabinet is a mere one foot deep, and yet they can still bear the weight of two full-sized man-children who might need the extra space for aerobics, or something.

The Dumbo Double Murphy Bed is available from Casa Kids for $3,200, with dueling custom mattresses for $800 more. You'd be hard pressed to find another way to buy extra room, and it's definitely a better bet than, say, stacking two beds on top of each other and nailing them together. [Casa Kids via Inhabitat]

Clever Folding Bunk Bed Leaves So Much Extra Space for Activities

Insane 10 SIM Card Hotspot Takes a Valiant Stand Against Roaming [Overkill]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943563/insane-10-sim-card-hotspot-takes-a-valiant-stand-against-roaming

Insane 10 SIM Card Hotspot Takes a Valiant Stand Against Roaming Everybody hates roaming and the absurd charges that come with it, but what are you going to do? Disconnect for a few days? Of course not. Pick up a crazy portable hotspot that has 10 SIM cards? Doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

The Uros Goodspeed hotspot is exactly that. By using the appropriate SIM cards in the appropriate areas, the Godspeed can offer a pretty good deal: 1GB of no-strings-attached data for $8 per day, after you buy the $350 unit anyway. There's also a monthly plan (the details of which are unclear) that's $13. Price aside, the straight-forward deal is what seems the most attractive, even if 10 SIMs seem overkill.

Right now, the Goodspeed works in Finland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK, but there are plans in place to add even more locations, presumably by adding even more SIM cards. You can take your "micro" SIM, iPhone; the Uros Goodspeed is going to just keep gobbling up the big ones until it can do anything. [Uros via Engadget]

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi: You'll Never Be Half as Good at Anything. [Movie Night]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5943583/jiro-dreams-of-sushi-youll-never-be-half-as-good-at-anything

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi: You'll Never Be Half as Good at Anything. So Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary about a guy who is really, really good at making sushi. But wait, bear with me, because it is also the best damn documentary about a guy who is really, really good at making sushi that you will ever see.

It's actually a little inaccurate to call Jiro "good" at making sushi; he's arguably the best. Probably because he's an 80 year old workaholic who doesn't know how to do anything other than be a completely badass sushi chef. The documentary (in Japanese, so subtitles) chronicles day-to-day life at his absurdly specialized and artsy sushi-only restaurant in Japan, and the son he's training to take up the helm.

If you like sushi, this is a great look into how much goes into the really good stuff, and even if you don't, it's a totally fascinating look into a crazy octopus-massaging (yeah, they do that) world you probably never imagined. And beyond the whole sushi thing, the cinematography is just wonderful. It's a tight little film at just under 90 minutes, and you can catch it on Netflix Instant. [Netflix]

Oppo CEO says quad-core Find 5 will feature a 1080p, 441ppi display, forgets to wink at HTC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/oppo-find-5-1080p-441ppi-quad-core/

Not sure how this slipped under our radar, but recently Oppo Mobile CEO Chen Mingyong teased that his upcoming flagship phone, the Find 5, will again feature a non-removable but "certainly big enough" battery (for the sake of anti-counterfeiting and, consequently, safety) as well as a 1080p, 441ppi display. That's right, 441ppi! We're finally getting a phone with a display that's impossibly sharper than the 326ppi on the latest iPhones (up to 4-inch, 1,136 x 640), the 331ppi on the Nokia Lumia 920 (4.5-inch, 1,280 x 768) or even the 342ppi on the Sony Xperia acro S and the Xiaomi Phone 2 (4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720).

Assuming Chen's talking about a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a quick calculation based on these two numbers would give us a 5-inch screen size, which matches what LG Display announced back in May. Taking into account that a reliable source of ours got to see HTC's 5-inch 6435LVW phablet recently, this would make the Find 5 unofficially the second device to receive the same full HD panel. Still, there's a significant difference inside these two phones: Chen had previously mentioned that the Find 5 will be joining the quad-core APQ8064 party, while the HTC device appears to sport the dual-core, LTE-enabled MSM8960. Speaking of which, the same source informed us that much like the Flyer, HTC's 6435LVW will also feature N-trig stylus technology. Will Oppo follow in the same footsteps? And will it bring back the slide-out keyboard à la Find X903 (pictured above)? Go on, Mr. Chen, tell us more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Oppo CEO says quad-core Find 5 will feature a 1080p, 441ppi display, forgets to wink at HTC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tom's Hardware | source

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Verizon's Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/verizon-galaxy-note-2-purportedly-pictured/

Phablet lovers on Verizon may have reason to rejoice, because the carrier's variant of the Galaxy Note II may have been captured in the flesh. The white device is aesthetically identical to the version straight from Samsung's house, save for its questionable carrier-branding. While the back of the phone sports a seemingly legit "Verizon 4G LTE" logo along with its moniker, you'll notice a rather obnoxiously-planted "Verizon" logo on its home button -- perhaps a bit too ridiculous to be the real deal. That said, it's almost certain that the Note II will officially make it to Verizon, no matter if it's dressed like the photos above or not; this purported variant lines up nicely with screenshots leaked earlier this week showing AT&T and Verizon compatibility. Now, if only we could have further confirmation -- perhaps in the way of a second visit to the FCC in the near feature or some leaky memos.

[Thanks, Sean P.]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Verizon's Galaxy Note II purportedly poses for the camera, over-branding included originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/15/BBB-apple-iphone-5-a6-custom-soc-1-gb-ram/

Unsurprisingly, Apple left us in the dark regarding some specifics of the iPhone 5 upon its release. Thankfully, the good folks over at Anandtech have done a bit of digging into those numbers you see bordering Apple's Apple A6 SoC, definitively figuring out that Cupertino's latest phone packs in a total 1GB of Samsung-sourced memory. The site clocks the DRAM inside at 1,066Mhz, noting that it's comprised of "two 512MB dies in a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32 bits per channel." Further, Anandtech lists the the speed of the iPhone 5's memory at 8,528MB/sec -- an ample 33 percent boost over the 6,400MB/sec rating for the RAM in the iPhone 4S, but well below the 12,800 MB/sec needed to drive the new iPad's bandwidth-hungry screen resolution.

Beyond that, the site believes that the A6 is Apple's first truly in-house creation, as it's using math units too new to be found in a ARM Cortex-A9 architecture (like the A5 or A5X) but reportedly isn't a match for the soon-to-be-released Cortex-A15. If true, the implication is significant -- it suggests Apple is taking the more aggressive path of a chip designer like Qualcomm and custom-tailoring large parts of its processor designs to get the speed it wants on a more exacting schedule. That's a quick summation of the details; hit up the source links below if you want the explanation in full geek speak.

Jon Fingas contributed to this post.

Filed und! er: Cellphones, Mobile

Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/16/ihs-isuppli-pcs-no-longer-command-biggest-share-of-dram-market/

Times change, this is an indisputable truth. But nothing reminds us of this fact as well as a landmark statistic. If there was ever any doubt about the shift towards of mobile computing, then let this be it: personal computers no longer account for the majority of demand for DRAM chips. With 49 percent of all new memory still headed for PCs, it's hardly time to book the hearse for desk- and laptops just yet, but the statistic from IHS iSuppli remind us of the increasing market share that mobiles and tablets are taking. In fact, even though total DRAM shipments for PCs continues to rise, it's estimated that the total share will slip another 6 percent, to 42.8, between Q2 this year and the end of 2013. Of course, this is good news if you have a vested interest in both, not so good if you don't.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops

IHS iSuppli: PCs no longer command biggest share of DRAM market originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Sep 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Intel claims Clover Trail-based Atom won't properly run Linux, points us to Windows 8 instead

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/intel-claims-clover-trail-based-atom-wont-properly-run-linux/

There's potentially bad news ahead if you're hoping to wipe the drive on that future HP Envy X2 and load Ubuntu -- Intel reportedly claimed at IDF that Clover Trail-based Atom processors "cannot" handle Linux properly. As outlined in The Inquirer's account of events, the issue is more a matter of optimization than an outright block: Linux doesn't yet know how to cope all of Clover Trail's power state changes at the kernel level, which would put any penguin-powered PC at a disadvantage. Intel would really, really prefer that you run Windows 8, as the new Atom and Microsoft's OS are tuned to work hand-in-hand. Linux might catch up, but the Windows-only emphasis is a sharp break from Intel's tendency to shower love on open-source OS projects across the board, including ongoing work like Intel-native Android builds or Tizen.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Software

Intel claims Clover Trail-based ! Atom won 't properly run Linux, points us to Windows 8 instead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Engadget Spanish (translated) | source

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 review roundup: hitting the sweet spot, sometimes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/nvidia-geforce-gtx-650-and-660-review-roundup/

If you're building or upgrading a budget gaming rig, it'll be hard to ignore the GeForce GTX 650 and 660. Whether or not NVIDIA's new chipsets are worth the glance is another matter, and early reviews suggest that a sale depends on just which market you're in. The GTX 660, by far the darling of the review crowd, competes solidly against the Radeon HD 7850 by outrunning AMD's hardware in most situations while undercutting on the official price. Only a few have taken a look at the lower-end GTX 650, but it's not as much of a clear-cut purchasing decision -- the entry-level video often slots in between the performance of the Radeon HD 7750 and 7770 without the price edge of its bigger brother. Either card is much better value for the money than the GT 640, however, and looks to be a meaningful upgrade if you're trading up from equivalent prior-generation gear.

Read - AnandTech (GTX 660)
Read - Benchmark Reviews (GTX 660)
Read - Bit-Tech (GTX 660)
Read - Guru 3D (GTX 650)
Read - HardOCP (GTX 660)
Read - Hot Hardware (GTX 660)
Read - PC Mag (GTX 660)
Read - PC Perspective (GTX 660)
Read - Tom's Hardware (GTX 650 and 660)

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 review roundup: hitting the sweet spot, sometimes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google plays privacy catch-up, adds Do Not Track option to Chrome

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/google-brings-do-not-track-to-chrome/

Google's had one foot in the web privacy door for a while, offering Chrome users the Keep My Opt-Outs extension in its browser's Web Store since 2011. Still, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari already offer a Do Not Track option directly in their browser settings. Mountain View is now working to close that gap by bringing that same privacy configuration to Chrome. Do Not Track will let users opt out of tracking cookies and targeted advertising (from ad networks that comply with the standard, that is), and is currently live on Chrome's developer channel. The option will reportedly be baked into the stable version of the browser by the end of the year.

Filed under: Internet, Software

Google plays privacy catch-up, adds Do Not Track option to Chrome originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New BMW Can Be Tinted Up With The Touch Of A Button

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/bmw-concept-features-cool-shade-roof-2012-9

bmw active tourer tint glass

For drivers who can't decide if they want tinted or clear glass, BMW has an answer. The auto maker's Concept Active Tourer, to be presented at the Paris Motor Show in a few weeks, features a "Cool Shade" roof that can change brightness at the touch of a button.

It's based on SPD-SmartGlass technology, designed by Research Frontiers Inc. The molecular structure of the glass is changed via electrical impulses, altering how much light is allowed through.

The result is a new level of control over the lighting, glare, and temperature of the car's interior, with the added benefit of UV protection.

The Concept Active Tourer is the first to use the technology, but Research Frontiers predicts it will be adapted in other cars, planes, boats, and buildings.

If applied to car windows and the windshield as well as the roof, the feature could make driving safer: no more impaired vision when driving into sunlight. Greater control over temperature would limit the need for air conditioning, improving fuel economy.

On top of the practical benefits, the ability to go from clear glass to a fully tinted ride by pushing a button would just be plain cool.

Now see all the lavish features packing into Bentley's new SUV >

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Intel's Core i3 NUC mini-system bares it all for IDF (hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/intels-core-i3-nuc-mini-system-bares-it-all-for-idf-hands-on-v/

What's red or black, 4 x 4 inches and exposes itself shamelessly on the show floor at IDF 2012? If you answered Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC), you'd be right. The diminutive PC was on display at Intel's Developer Forum along with its motherboard and cooling assembly. It comes in two flavors, a consumer-geared model with a single HDMI connector and Thunderbolt (in red) and a more business-centric version with two HDMI outputs and Ethernet (in black). Both mini-systems feature a third generation (Ivy Bridge) Core i3 CPU, QS77 chipset, two dual-channel DDR3 SoDIMM slots, mSATA and mini-PCIe interfaces (for SSD and WiFi cards), five USB 2.0 ports (two back, one front, two internal) and a socket for an external 19V DC power supply. The company hopes to get the attention of OEMs and DYI-ers alike when it makes this small, light and simple computer design available in October for about $400. Check out the gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Intel Core i3 NUC hands-on

Continue reading Intel's Core i3 NUC mini-system bares it all for IDF (hands-on video)

Filed under: Desktops, Misc

Intel's Core i3 NUC mini-system bares it all for IDF (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus L9 saunters through FCC, asks for martini

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/14/lg-optimus-l9-saunters-through-fcc/

LG's latest L-series smartphone, the Optimus L9, has just breezed (elegantly) through the FCC's radio frequency trial-by-screwdriver. The dinner-jacket-white clad Android smartphone is part of the "L-Style design philosophy" from the Korean maker, which emphasizes budget panache over brute performance. As such, it's a handsome but plasticky device, with a 4.7-inch IPS screen, ICS, qtranslator language app, dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 2,150mAh battery and 5-megapixel shooter. Vodafone in Europe showed the price as €340 unsubsidized or €50 on contract, but a member of the L-series family has yet to cross the pond. However, a surprise peek of its Optimus L7 sibling as US Cellular's upcoming Splendor shows there's some hope for a stateside cameo.

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Optimus L9 saunters through FCC, asks for martini originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 05:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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