Friday, May 23, 2008

LG Develops Largish Double-Sided LCD [SID 2008]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/296027042/lg-develops-largish-double+sided-lcd

We've seen double-sided LCDs before, but they're generally quite small and prototyped for cellphone use. This week, LG is showing off a prototype that's conceivably TV-sized at (an admittedly still small) 15 inches. Running a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and offering a four-color sub-pixel arrangement (red, blue, green and white), we could only imagine the implications of a tablet PC that could otherwise be a normal laptop (without an awkward Exorcist maneuver) or a TV that could accommodate Gears of War 2 and Grey's Anatomy at the same time. Of course, even if the product were released, you know they'd just charge double for the privilege. [Tech-On]


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Google Adds Climate-Change-Predicting Layers to Google Earth [Environment]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/296119050/google-adds-climate+change+predicting-layers-to-google-earth

Google has teamed up with the British Government to create a couple of really interesting new environmental layers to Google Earth based on climate change estimates for the next century or so.

The first layer, produced from the data supplied by the Hadley Centre depicts CO2 concentrations spanning from November 1999 forward to October 2099. Along the time line, annotated place markers pop up to provide information on the impact of global climate change for specific regions and links to external resources on the topic.

The second layer, utilizing data provided by The British Antarctic Survey, documents the Antarctic ice shelves retreat since 1940 and constructs a projected regression through June 2099. The layer is covered with dates of specific discoveries and documents the retreats of 10 different ice shelves.

The layers are available now if you're interested in finding out just how screwed we'll all be without sunscreen in a few years. [Google LatLong via PSFK]

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LG Display showcases two-sided LCD panels

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/295927033/

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It's nice enough to be able to record two programs at once, but what if you could display The Hills on one side of your LCD while catching a playoff tilt on the other? Never mind the audio issue (there's always headphones!), but LG Display has introduced a prototype at SID 2008 that could potentially make the aforesaid scenario a reality. 2.2-inch (160 x 120) and 15-inch (2,048 x 1,536) versions were reportedly announced, both of which boast reflectivity of 20-percent. Put simply, the panels can display different images on the front and back sides of the glass substrate, and ideally, they're suited for use in mobile devices where the main and secondary displays could actually be the same device. No word on when these things will actually make their way out to handset / TV manufacturers, but we're certainly digging the possibilities here.
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NVIDIA gobbles up ray tracing software maker RayScale

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/296090771/

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Details are pretty slim on this one at the moment, but PC Perspective is reporting that NVIDIA has snapped up the Utah-based start-up RayScale, a maker of ray tracing software. As PC Perspective points out, the move is made particularly interesting in light of some recent comments made by NVIDIA CTO David Kirk, who mused about the merging of ray tracing and rasterization into a "hybrid renderer" of sorts, but didn't offer any firm details on the company's plans at the time. No word on a price tag for the acquisition just yet, or any other details for that matter, but it seems like things should be getting a bit more official in the next few days.
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Sharp trumpets world's thinnest 5-megapixel CMOS sensor

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/296328675/

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Every so often, we catch Sharp tooting its own horn in regard to sensor size. Needless to say, small is most certainly superior in this discussion, and the aforesaid outfit is patting itself on the back once more for the RJ63SC100. This 5-megapixel CMOS sensor is said to be the industry's thinnest at 9.5- x 9.5- x 6.6-millimeters, and it should fit snugly inside the already cramped innards of tomorrow's cellphones just fine. Samples are slated to ship out at the end of May for ¥10,000 ($96) a pop, while commercial production should get going a month later.

[Via Impress]
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3G iPhone to support 42Mbps Evolved HSPA data?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/296410763/

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Get this. Australian site ChannelNews claims that a "senior executive of Telstra" is the latest 3G iPhone bean spiller. They quote the exec as saying the following:

"We know what is coming we have seen the new device and it will be available on our network as soon as it is launched in the USA. By Christmas this phone will be capable of 42Mbps which will make it faster than a lot of broadband offerings and the fastest iPhone on any network in the world."

Interesting. We know that Telstra's Next G HSDPA network has been capable of 14.4Mbps since 2007. At GSMA Mobile World Congress, they even committed to 21Mbps before the end of the year and 42Mbps using HSPA+ (aka, Evolved HSPA, HSPA Evolution) technology in 2009... not Christmas of 2008. Hard to say if this is just industry blow-harding or actual insider info. June 9th: T-minus 17 days and counting.

[Thanks, Paul S.]

Read -- Telstra 42Mbps HSPA+ in 2009
Read -- Telstra 3G iPhone rumor
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Video: Intel launching 80GB 1.8- and 2.5-inch SSDs in Q3?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/296494968/

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As evidence begins to amass around the imminent launch of Intel's consumer oriented High Performance SSDs, we finally get model numbers, dates, and capacities from Taiwan. According to DigiTimes and its "sources at PC makers," Intel is prepping a 2.5-inch Client X25-M SSD and 1.8-inch Client X18-M SSD for launch in Q3. Both of the SATA drives will initially launch in 80GB capacities before hitting 160GB by the end of Q4 -- 250GB and beyond in 2009. We'll guess that they'll be sporting the "world's fastest" SLC NAND co-developed with Micron making the drives tres cher fo' sho'. However they come, they'll likely be snuggled up to Intel's new Centrino 2 laptops when they do arrive.

P.S. We dug up a promo video which we've bunged into the page after the break.

Continue reading Video: Intel launching 80GB 1.8- and 2.5-inch SSDs in Q3?

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Brands Punk'd By Social Media

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ForresterMarketing/~3/286852576/brands-punkd-by.html

[Posted by Jeremiah Owyang]

A list of companies that were blind-sided by the internet, they didn't understand the impacts of the power shift to the participants, or how fast information would spread, or were just plain ignorant. 

Criteria of "Punk'd" includes a situation where the story would have not been told if social media was not available, or if social media enhanced the situation.

This doesn't include fake blogs, companies who deliberately tried to cheat the system get their own honorable mention.

2008

2007

 

2006

2005

  • Why we Dwell on Dell Hell Jeff Jarvis launches blog post that sends a flurry of PR negativty at Dell's poor service, it's since been improved.

2004

  • Kryptonite unlocked Locks were disabled using a simple bic pen cap, spread on forums and blogs, one of the earliest examples that got mainstream attention.

2003

2001


Also see: 8 Groundswell Examples: News, Education, Religion, Cops, Restaurants, Music, Conferences, and Analysts

This is a cross post from the Web Strategy blog. Thanks to Jackie Huba for correcting that Apple's dirty little secret was actually form 2001, very early on.

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Forget Kids, $100 Tablet Targets Amazon Kindle & Sony Book Reader

Source: http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/computers/oplc-xoxo-tablet-alternative-to-kindle-sony-book-reader/3362/

laptop-book-reader

You thought the $100 "Open Laptop Per Child" program was meant for providing low-cost computers to kids in developing nations but these images of XO version 2.0 may change that perception.

This fully-functional laptop tablet computer is the size of a book, sports a dual touch sensitive screen (no keyboard) and can also be folded like a book. The prototype uses the same 16:9 screen that are seen in DVD players.

The only problem - this desirable XOXO tablet computer won’t ship before 2010 and that’s a very long period.

For more on the XOXO laptop, check out PC World, Laptopmag and IHT.

xoxo-tablet

Forget Kids, $100 Tablet Targets Amazon Kindle & Sony Book Reader - Digital Inspiration | FAQ | RSS

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Mile-High London Eco Tower by PopularArchitecture

Source: http://cubeme.com/blog/2008/05/13/mile-high-london-eco-tower-by-populararchitecture/

London's skyline would have a new addition in the form of the mile-high 'eco-friendly' tower, to be located in East London. The project is proposed by British firm Popularchitecture, in collaboration with Fluid Engineers and Pha Consul M&E specialists.

(more…)

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Nokia "definitely" preparing Linux-based phones, flavor unknown

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/294512251/

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With Nokia's dedication to Maemo and the recent Trolltech acquisition, it's no secret that Espoo has its eyes firmly locked on the Linux prize -- but outside the whole Internet Tablet phenomenon, there hasn't been a lot of product to show for it. Looks like that's all about to change, with CFO Rick Simonson commenting this week that the company will "definitely" be releasing some Linux-based cellphones in the future, marking a pretty big move for a company with strong tradition in its long-lived Series 40 dumbphone and S60 smartphone platforms. Simonson refused to get into the nitty gritty details about what flavor of mobile Linux would be used; borrowing from its tablets might make sense, but the Android and LiMo juggernauts seem like they're going to be pretty hard to ignore as well -- not to mention that Google is said to have chatted briefly about Android with Nokia in the not-too-distant past. So what does this all mean? Is S60 Touch in danger here?

[Via Thumb Report]

Update: A closer look-see at Reuters' report (ignoring the misleading headline) indicates that Nokia has not specifically committed to rolling out Linux on phones -- rather, it has simply said that it intends to expand its use of Linux across its product portfolio. We figure that handsets are bound to get swept into the mix at some point, but technically, we could just be looking at other kinds of devices. Always room for another Internet Tablet or three, we suppose. Thanks, Eric!
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Phlashing PDOS firmware attack could permanently disable hardware

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/294598511/

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You know all that network hardware that runs quietly 24 hours a day in server rooms around the world? What if black-hats could exploit remote firmware flashing utilities to take over -- or completely destroy -- vulnerable gear? Though still theoretical, PDOS -- permanent denial-of-service -- attacks will be demonstrated by researchers from HP Security Labs at the EUSecWest security conference in London this week. "Phlashing", as it's being referred to, focuses on exploiting network-enabled firmware updates, making use of a fuzzing tool that tricks hardware into flashing anything from back-door access to a corrupt image, causing complete and permanent hardware failure. There's no reason to panic just yet (especially not when it comes to consumer devices, which typically don't support remote firmware updates), but given the amount of unattended and relatively dormant enterprise network hardware out there, this could be something for admins to seriously think about.

[Via Slashdot]
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