Saturday, February 14, 2009

Samsung dashes hopes for 12 megapixel phone at MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/samsung-dashes-hopes-for-12-megapixel-phone-at-mwc/


Okay, so a recap is definitely in order here. Merely 11 days ago, a flurry of rumors about Samsung's Mobile World Congress plans filtered out, which just so happened to include word of a 12 megapixel cameraphone. Then, the outfit itself leaked nine new models, giving just a wee bit of credence to the whispers we'd heard. Following that, we even saw a certain UK branch get ahold of one of its flagship models prior to the show, while it casually mentioned that no Android-based phones would be on display. Now, the other most awesome handset (er, rumored handset) is being squashed for a MWC debut, as Telecoms Korea has it that no dozen-megapixel phone is coming to Barcelona. No worries, though -- you'll have plenty to gawk at between the Blue Earth and the Ultra Touch S8300.

[Via Samsung Central, thanks David]

Samsung dashes hopes for 12 megapixel phone at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darpa develops a 1.8 gigapixel digicam and no, you can't 'check it out'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/darpa-develops-a-1-8-gigapixel-digicam-and-no-you-cant-check/


Yeah, I know you thought your Hello Kitty digicam was some hot stuff, but believe it or not the kids at Darpa have even got that one beat. Called ARGUS-IS (both named after the mythological eye guy and an acronym for Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System) this guy straps a 1.8 gigapixel camera to the bottom of an A-160T Hummingbird robot helicopter. The device is able to hover at high altitude (over 15,000 feet) for up to 20 hours -- keeping tabs of an area of over a hundred square miles. The frame rate is 15 fps and the "ground sample distance" is 15 centimeters -- each pixel represents about six inches. The sheer amount of data taken in by a camera like this is too large to be completely relayed to the ground, but users are able to define upwards of sixty-five independent video windows within the image and zoom in or out. Additionally, windows can be set to automatically track items such as moving vehicles, individuals, the books you get out of the library, and the items you pick up at 7-11 after a night out with the gang.

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Darpa develops a 1.8 gigapixel digicam and no, you can't 'check it out' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei announces i-Mo 3G modem with WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/huawei-announces-i-mo-hspa-modem-with-wifi/


Here's a peek at a tiny modem making its debut at MWC next week. The Huawei i-Mo HSPA modem is, indeed very small -- the company says about the size of a key chain -- and it boasts both an HSDPA / HSUPA USB modem as well as WiFi, plus it's got a MicroSD slot for storage. We don't know about pricing or availability for this little guy yet, but it will probably be offered through carriers, and should show up sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009. Hooray!

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Huawei announces i-Mo 3G modem with WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia shows off sample image from mysterious 8 megapixel phone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/nokia-shows-off-sample-image-from-mysterious-8-megapixel-phone/


This one won't be a mystery for too much longer but, for now at least, Nokia is more than happy to tease out its latest high-end cameraphone right up until the official announcement at MWC. What we do know is that the above picture was taken with said cameraphone, and that the EXIF data revealed a couple more details in addition to its 8 megapixel nature. The most notable of those is that the phone will apparently come equipped with a Carl Zeiss lens which, judging from the sample image, certainly seems to be capable of producing some decent results. Hit up the read link to check out the full resolution version, and keep an eye on our MWC coverage for further details as we get 'em.

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Nokia shows off sample image from mysterious 8 megapixel phone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung begins production of 50nm GDDR5 memory

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/samsung-begins-production-of-50nm-gddr5-memory/


It's still a little ways away from actually landing in some graphics cards, but Samsung has announced that it has begun mass production of its new 50nm GDDR5 memory, which promises to support a maximum data transfer speed of 7.0 gigabits per second and boast a maximum bandwidth of 28 gigabytes per second. What's more, according to Samsung, the shift to a 50nm manufacturing process also increases production efficiency by a full 100 percent, and allows the memory to operate at 1.35 volts, which is a 20 percent reduction compared to current GDDR4 memory. From the looks of it, however, manufacturers will have to make do with a 32Megabit x 32 configuration (also configurable as a 64Mb x 16 device) initially, although Samsung says it plans to expand the 50nm process throughout its graphics memory line-up by the end of the year.

[Thanks, Shattered Ice]

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Samsung begins production of 50nm GDDR5 memory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QNAP busts out Core 2 Duo-equipped TS-809 Pro Turbo NAS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/14/qnap-busts-out-core-2-duo-equipped-ts-809-pro-turbo-nas/


While QNAP's 4-bay TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS was perfectly fine for the average home-based storage junkie, small businesses need something with a bit more potential. Enter the TS-809 Pro Turbo, an 8-bay behemoth capable of housing 8 SATA hard drives (up to 16TB, or .98 million copies of Friday the 13th, when 2GB HDDs are widely available). The unit gets powered by a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, which definitely means that your next NAS may posses more processing power than the antiquated PC it's connected to. Additionally, there's 2GB of DDR2 RAM, read / write rates of 126MB/s and 111Mb/s (respectively), and support for a litany of business-related advanced features. Mum's the word on price, but you can bet it'll be up there.

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QNAP busts out Core 2 Duo-equipped TS-809 Pro Turbo NAS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, February 13, 2009

My Tracks For Android Logs Your Day via GPS, Uploads To Google Maps [Android Apps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GxASRP6ytm0/my-tracks-for-android-logs-your-day-via-gps-uploads-to-google-maps

In the second big GPS-on-Android related tidbit today, Google released My Tracks, a cool app for logging a route of any kind via GPS and saving it to Google Maps.

While it's presented in the context of a workout or hiking route, you could use the app for just about anything, including drawing fun shapes on the map of your town, if you're so inclined. Along with the mapping, the app displays statistics in real time like elevation, distance traveled, speed, etc. My Tracks can also use Google Docs' little-known but very cool ability to receive the output of web forms in a spreadsheet, so you can track your routes and see your average speed over time.

It all gets demonstrated here by Jeff, the Google cyclist.

[Official Google Blog]



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Wire Fu Lets Fly in Chinese Performance Artist's Work [Art]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9DhFr5Lfk68/wire-fu-lets-fly-in-chinese-performance-artists-work

Chinese performance artist Li Wei uses mirrors, scaffolding and steel wires to create these seriously awesome gravity-defying pictures. While some are Photoshopped post-production, mostly they're made through the magic of thoughtful planning.

Li Wei was born in Hunan province and moved to Beijing in the early 90s. He has had his work exhibited all over the world-most recently in the Mogadishni Cph gallery in Denmark. Check out more of his crazy stuff here. [56minus1]



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Security experts hating on Android browser until patch is released

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/security-experts-hating-on-android-browser-until-patch-is-releas/


Software vulnerabilities are no stranger to modern, highly-connected smartphones and feature phones alike, and fortunately, the big guys have been pretty good about staying on the ball and patching the serious stuff in a reasonable amount of time. The latest problem discovered in the Android browser's multimedia subsystem really sucks, though -- it's so bad, some security dudes are advising customers to "avoid" using the it altogether until it gets fixed -- and the most frustrating part about it is that it actually is fixed in the Android code trunk, it's just that no one's bothered to roll out an update to G1 users yet. In the meantime, the dude who discovered the problem is advising users to only visit trusted sites and avoid WiFi, so yeah, just don't browse or anything, okay?

[Via ReadWriteWeb]

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Security experts hating on Android browser until patch is released originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SmartQ 5 touchscreen PMP / MID promises WiFi, Bluetooth

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/smartq-5-touchscreen-pmp-mid-promises-wifi-bluetooth/


It looks like it may still be quite a while before it actually ends up on store shelves, but this new SmartQ 5 PMP / MID seems like it should be able to at least muster up a bit of interest when and if it is ever released. While complete specs are a little light, and most likely not finalized, the device will apparently boast a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, and four hardware buttons to give the touchscreen a rest once in a while. Not much more than that, unfortunately, although SmartQ does seem to be pitching this one squarely as an internet device first and media player second, so hopefully that means it'll pack enough capabilities to truly earn that MID moniker.

[Via SlashGear]

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SmartQ 5 touchscreen PMP / MID promises WiFi, Bluetooth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Aigo's MID gets Windows XP, relabeled a UMPC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/video-aigos-mid-gets-windows-xp-relabeled-a-umpc/


Aigo's MID has been around the block for what feels like ages now, but it's getting an all new purpose in life thanks to one of Redmond's operating systems. If you'll recall, a MID typically runs a "lightweight" OS and is designed to be more of a sophisticated PMP; on the other hand, a UMPC is built for a real-deal OS, something that business users may appreciate. Semantics aside, what we have posted up after the jump is a ten minute video showing off just how well this machine handles Windows XP, and by our estimations, it looks pretty darn good.

[Thanks, Benz145]

Continue reading Video: Aigo's MID gets Windows XP, relabeled a UMPC

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Video: Aigo's MID gets Windows XP, relabeled a UMPC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony VAIO P gets HSDPA WWAN at last... via a mod, naturally

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/sony-vaio-p-gets-hsdpa-wwan-at-last-via-a-mod-naturally/


Right, so integrated WWAN is awesome. But what's not awesome is Sony's decision to lock you down to Verizon Wireless on its ritzy new VAIO P. We've seen one team of investigators hack away in search of a SIM slot to no avail, but we should've known tnkgrl was the real lady for the job. Once again proving just how awesome she is, tnkgrl has not only modified the VAIO P to accept an AT&T SIM card, but she's managed to get it working, host up the pictures to prove it and even provide a how-to guide enabling seasoned hackers to follow suit. Hit the read link for all the requisite details, but be sure you've got lots of spare time to give before taking this one on.

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Sony VAIO P gets HSDPA WWAN at last... via a mod, naturally originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Find Product Manuals at OwnerIQ [Manuals]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/IVzl1WGWgeI/find-product-manuals-at-owneriq

Find the manual for your product online at OwnerIQ, a site that catalogs thousands of manuals for consumer devices and offers forums for discussing their features and quirks.

OwnerIQ goes a step beyond previously reviewed SafeManuals by providing not only manuals, but also extended on-site information about your products. You can use the site without registration to quickly locate manuals and accompanying literature for products you own. Registration adds the ability to ask questions in the product forums and create a profile of all your devices and manuals. Additionally, if there's a recall or update for any product you've added to your profile, OwnerIQ will send you an email notification. After a Google search with filetype:pdf fails, OwnerIQ might be a key next stop in any hunt for how stuff works.



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Twitlet Updates Twitter Easily (Without Extra Software) [Bookmarklets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Kmlzafp1I8c/twitlet-updates-twitter-easily-without-extra-software

Web application Twitlet embeds Twitter updating in a simple, works-in-any-browser bookmarklet that makes updating Twitter easy—without bloating your system with another piece of software.

Setting up the service, which requires no signup, is extremely simple—just enter in your twitter account information on the Twitlet site, then drag the bookmarklet up to your toolbar. Clicking the bookmarklet will display a small JavaScript prompt where you can type your new status message—and you can use the special #link or #this keywords to add links to the current page using URL-shortening service is.gd. Security-conscious readers will note that your account details are encrypted and stored in the bookmarklet, and as with any third-party service you may be concerned about giving them your account information. The ease of use factor alone, however, makes this worth a look.

Twitlet is a free service, works with any browser that supports JavaScript bookmarklets. If keeping Twitter updated is killing your workflow, you should check out our guide to getting productive with social media.



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Twitlet Updates Twitter Easily (Without Extra Software) [Bookmarklets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Kmlzafp1I8c/twitlet-updates-twitter-easily-without-extra-software

Web application Twitlet embeds Twitter updating in a simple, works-in-any-browser bookmarklet that makes updating Twitter easy—without bloating your system with another piece of software.

Setting up the service, which requires no signup, is extremely simple—just enter in your twitter account information on the Twitlet site, then drag the bookmarklet up to your toolbar. Clicking the bookmarklet will display a small JavaScript prompt where you can type your new status message—and you can use the special #link or #this keywords to add links to the current page using URL-shortening service is.gd. Security-conscious readers will note that your account details are encrypted and stored in the bookmarklet, and as with any third-party service you may be concerned about giving them your account information. The ease of use factor alone, however, makes this worth a look.

Twitlet is a free service, works with any browser that supports JavaScript bookmarklets. If keeping Twitter updated is killing your workflow, you should check out our guide to getting productive with social media.



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Luxury A380 Interior is Just What We Need to Start a Populist Revolt [Overkill]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Bf7K6ExXweg/luxury-a380-interior-is-just-what-we-need-to-start-a-populist-revolt

With the economy the way it is, I can think of no better time to announce a two-level mansion-like interior for your personal Airbus A380. For when you want to shame the dudes with Cessnas.

The VIP Saloon is a design from Lufthansa Technik, the decorating and customization arm of the German airline. It's about as over-the-top as you can get, and I can't even fathom the ballpark price for what this would be, but it's certainly more than anyone I know can afford. And despite the recession, you know there's at least one Saudi prince out there who's going to hop on board. Enjoy it, you dick.

In any case, what really hits home the scope of this is the layout of both levels. Just check this shit out:


[New Launches]



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AAXA pushes out P1 pint-sized pico projector

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/aaxa-pushes-out-p1-pint-sized-pico-projector/


AAXA's recently rolled out a rather cute lil pico projector -- the P1 -- which boasts enough features to make it stand out from the pack, even if only slightly (there are so many to choose from these days). This half-pounder measures 2.3-inches wide and 4.1-inches long, and boasts a VGA resolution with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 12 ANSI lumens o' brightness -- making it a bit on the weak side. It's also got a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD slot, 1GB of internal storage and an on-board media player, with anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes of battery life. This puppy's available now for around $289.

[Via About Projectors]

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AAXA pushes out P1 pint-sized pico projector originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FastMac slips out three slimline USB Blu-ray drives, including a $99 reader

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/fastmac-slips-out-three-slimline-usb-blu-ray-drives-including-a/


We'd heard of a FastMac USB external slimline Blu-ray reader poking around Macworld last month, but we never got anything official until today, when the company pinged us to let us know that the $99 APP-6907 DVD±RW / BD drive, the $299 APP-6963 1x BD-R drive and the $399 APP-6964 4x BD-R drive are now all available. All three drives support both Macs and PCs, although you'll need Windows to play BD movies. Not bad deals all around, but we're still not convinced we need a Blu-ray drive for our computers when we barely use the one in the living room.

Read - APP-6907
Read - APP-6963
Read - APP-6964

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FastMac slips out three slimline USB Blu-ray drives, including a $99 reader originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's flagship KM900 S-Class UI caught on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/lgs-flagship-km900-s-class-ui-caught-on-video/


Are you the type who falls deaf in the presence of the latest gadget? Add a girl and your mouth falls agape from the loss the muscle control required to speak? Good, we've got the video for you. A site in Sweden is showing off LG's new Arena KM900 flagship phone along with a first peep at its dynamic 3D S-Class UI. While we're not seeing any of that promised multi-touch here, the cubic interface is interesting and makes good use of the KM900's 3-inch, 800 x 480 pixel WVGA display and dedicated media chip. It's also expected to hit in April for 4,500 Swedish Krona or $535 US if our translation of that image (lower-left) is correct. Worth it? Hit the read link for the video (in Swedish) and let us know.

[Thanks, Martin]

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LG's flagship KM900 S-Class UI caught on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epson's tiny GPS receiver will make everything location aware

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/epsons-tiny-gps-receiver-will-make-everything-location-aware/


Small, right? That's Epson's Infineon XPOSYS chip, its next generation Assisted-GPS device set for mass production in late 2009. The chip measures just 2.8 x 2.9-mm making it 25% smaller than other A-GPS chips on the market, according to Epson, while consuming half the power. The sensitivity has also been improved for a more accurate location fix while indoors. Between this, Google Latitude, and the ever expanding lineup of Skyhook positioning devices, you can kiss your location anonymity goodbye.

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Epson's tiny GPS receiver will make everything location aware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pantech gets official with wind-recognizing Sky IM-S410K mobile

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/pantech-gets-official-with-wind-recognizing-sky-im-s410k-mobile/


We had no reason to believe that this thing wasn't actually coming, but now Pantech has gone and erased any lingering doubt. The Sky IM-S410 / IM-S410K is being hailed as the first cellphone in the "wind-recognizing" category, which may actually be useful in places unlike Chicago. It checks in at 11 millimeters thin and sports a microphone that can detect when you're deliberately pushing air through it; once you blow, the phone can then change images on the screen, as if to move through a gallery of photos or play games. Outside of that, Pantech also threw in a DMB TV tuner and an e-dictionary, and you'll even get to pick between white, black and red hues. Good luck not getting the stink-eye from fellow subway mates when huffing and puffing on your handset while within close proximity to other Earthlings, though.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Pantech gets official with wind-recognizing Sky IM-S410K mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garmin-Asus announces Windows Mobile-based nuvifone M20

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/garmin-asus-announces-windows-mobile-based-nuvifone-m20/

We'd been secretly holding out hope that Garmin-Asus would pull an Android piece out of its pocket in time for MWC next week, but it's looking pretty unlikely with the announcement of the M20. The second model in the nuvifone series following the G60, the new piece runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and features a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, quadband EDGE / triband HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps, WiFi, Bluetooth, and -- naturally -- Garmin-provided satellite navigation. You'll also find support for real-time traffic, weather, movie times, and other tidbits of information you're probably interested in when you're navigating, either 4 or 8GB of onboard storage, and a service Garmin is calling Ciao! -- basically a friend-finder along the lines of Google's Latitude. Look for pricing and availability to be announced in the first half of the year. Check out the gallery below, and the full spec sheet after the break.

[Via MarketWatch]

Continue reading Garmin-Asus announces Windows Mobile-based nuvifone M20

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Garmin-Asus announces Windows Mobile-based nuvifone M20 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee Phone on track for "later this year"

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/asus-eee-phone-on-track-for-later-this-year/


Not a lot to go on here, but PC World is quoting an "ASUS representative" who says that the Eee Phone will be announced later this year. Unlike the Garmin-ASUS offerings, the Eee Phone would be a low-cost consumer jobbie as previously confirmed by ASUS' chairman, Jonney Shih. As such, we expect it to have a massive bezel, a cheap, over-sized plastic case and some kind of open-source OS that consumers can't resist. Hey ASUS, you got lucky with the Eee PC, don't push it.

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ASUS Eee Phone on track for "later this year" originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix breaks the 10 million subscriber mark, keeps on truckin'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/netflix-breaks-the-10-million-subscriber-mark-keeps-on-truckin/


We can't say the economic crisis has been too kind to every industry, but it's been a best friend to Netflix. As consumers divert their out-on-the-town dollars to sit-on-my-arse-and-watch-Netflix dollars, the by-mail and streaming movie rental company is just breaking records left and right. After closing a stellar 2008 with 9.4 million customers, the company has today announced that the 10 million mark has been crossed. For those struggling with basic math, that means that it has added 600,000 net subscribers since January 1st. So, where does Netflix go from here? Into every nook and cranny it can, of course, so don't be shocked to see Watch Instantly creep onto your next HDTV, set-top-box, Blu-ray player or portable microwave. Seriously, it could happen.

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Netflix breaks the 10 million subscriber mark, keeps on truckin' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Ultra Touch S8300 handled ahead of MWC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/samsungs-ultra-touch-s8300-handled-ahead-of-mwc/


Oh, brother. Really, Samsung? Are we seriously going to have to juggle completely unrelated names based on geographic location yet again? Unless our deductive reasoning skills are just utterly shot, Sammy's Ultra Touch S8300 -- which got official earlier this week -- will be known as the Tocco Ultra Edition in some corners of the globe. Nomenclature aside, what we're really here to discuss is just how striking this piece is, and if you're in disbelief, we'd invite you to give the read link a visit. Pocket-lint was able to score a pre-production sample over in the UK ahead of its "debut" at Mobile World Congress, and you know you don't want to miss that.

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Samsung's Ultra Touch S8300 handled ahead of MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Miro 2.0 Gets Streaming Support, New Look [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/avOr0_2cNn0/miro-20-gets-streaming-support-new-look

Miro, the open-source player that's like a TiVo for internet video, has hit its 2.0 release, boosting the play-anything tool's performance and adding some neat features, like streaming video from Hulu and other sites.

Miro keeps the same video-when-you-want-it features Gina detailed in her tour of the app, and it remains a great way to manage free video feeds, video podcasts, download torrents, and otherwise pipe the web's best stuff onto your screen.

With 2.0, though, the Miro Guide—the universal portal for content that anyone can browse for their media center needs—now includes links to streaming content. That includes shows on Hulu, like, say, Family Guy:


And Miro's team states that 2.0 has been designed "from the ground up" to focus on high-quality, HD content, as demonstrated (kind of) in their demonstration video:


One seemingly basic but big improvement is the ability to pop out a playing video in a separate window, letting you keep browsing or stream checking while your content plays in a resize-ready window:


The Miro team outlines more changes at their blog announcement and on the redesigned official site.

What does Miro do well for you, and what would improvements would you like to see? How much net video is making its way into your watching habits these days? Sound off your screen preferences in the comments.

Miro is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.



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AddTo Google Reader Script Shares Any Page With a Keystroke [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/wm6pv9oJiaU/addto-google-reader-script-shares-any-page-with-a-keystroke

Firefox with Greasemonkey: The AddTo Google Reader script adds web pages to your shared items in Google Reader, so you can bookmark and share non-feed items easily.

Once you've installed the script, bookmarking pages in Google Reader is as simple as hitting the F4 key, entering optional comments or tags, and using the Post Item button. If the F4 key doesn't suit your fancy and you don't mind rolling up your sleeves for some minor script editing, you can change the if(e.keyCode != 115) line to use a different keycode. I've found this script incredibly useful for quickly saving bookmarks to read later from one consolidated location—though previously mentioned ReadItLater is a whiz at that sort of thing if you prefer a different approach.

AddTo Google Reader is a free download, requires Firefox with Greasemonkey. Readers using other browsers can get the same functionality in a bookmarklet—just one more way for getting good with Google Reader.

AddTo Google Reader [Userscripts.org]


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Free Audio Editor Does Powerful Music Editing With Ease [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/OLNHuoDct6A/free-audio-editor-does-powerful-music-editing-with-ease

Windows only: Advanced audio editing tool Free Audio Editor handles your music and sound editing with an attractive, streamlined, and easy-to-use interface.

The application handles common audio formats (from MP3 and WMA to WAV and OGG) and boasts a rich set of features: Batch processing, recording, CD ripping/burning, and text-to-speech make this application worth a look for anybody that needs to do some quick audio editing without paying for a commercial application.

Of course, no audio editing post would be complete without mentioning the also-free, cross-platform, and open-source Audacity, useful for anything from removing vocals to creating ringtones from any MP3.

Free Audio Editor is a free download for Windows only.

Free Audio Editor [via Life Rocks 2.0]



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DVDSmith Movie Backup Copies Everything or Just Video Easily [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/amlZpmKJeZo/dvdsmith-movie-backup-copies-everything-or-just-video-easily


Windows only: DVDSmith Movie Backup is terrible for our headline style, since it does exactly what its name implies. It's great, though, for anyone who simply wants to watch a DVD without the disc.

There are just five buttons to click on DVDSmith's single window, and most times you'll only need one. You can choose between "Full Disc," which gets you menus, extras, and the full DVD-watching experience, or click "Main Movie" to grab the longest video and audio tracks. What you end up with on a "Full Disc" backup is a familiar VIDEO_TS folder, wherever you told the app to put it, and a bunch of .vob files, which can be played in most advanced media players like VLC. "Main Movie" does much the same, but with fewer .vob files turned out. DVDSmith is proud to announce on their site that their tool breaks through all the the major copyright protection schemes.

If you're looking for a bit more control over your DVD backups, check out the free, cross-platform Handbrake, our own DVD Rip, or any of our Hive Five best DVD ripping tools. If you're looking for a DVD backup tool an 8-year-old could grasp, though, DVDSmith Movie Backup is worth a click or two.



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Intel Big on 32nm Westmere Processors for Consumers in 2010 [Processors]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gozU8vA_wTc/intel-big-on-32nm-westmere-processors-for-consumers-in-2010

At today's San Francisco event, Intel mostly discussed what we know about the upcoming Westmere processor, but revealed they're scrapping the next dual-core 45nm processors, in favor of 32nm Westmere chips in early 2010.

The first Westmere chips will be the dual-core Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. In addition to the 32nm CPU, these chips will feature a 45nm integrated graphics and memory controller. Integration in particular was a big point of emphasis for Intel, and said they plan to continue down this path, because it cuts costs in development and production, and also gets products to market faster. A six-core, 32nm processor (codename: Gulftown), is also planned for a future release.

Also announced early this morning, and reiterated at today's event, is that Intel scrapped plans for refreshed dual-core 45nm processors, Havendale (desktop) and Auburndale (mobile), in favor of the Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. Intel said than an "accelerated product ramp" is allowing them to overlap the newer, smaller dual-core chips with the upcoming pair of 45nm quad-core processors, Lynnfield (desktop) and Clarksfield (mobile, and not to be confused with Clarkdale), which will give end-users options when it comes to CPU performance.

These four upcoming chips will run on a new Intel Series 5 chipset, codenamed Kings Creek (shown above) for desktop and Calpella for mobile. Intel showed off these new 32nm processor! s and ch ipsets at the event in a very informal demo, just to show that these products work and exist (the mobile platform even ran Spore).

It's also interesting to note that normally, most Intel processors are released to the server market first, then go to the consumer PC market for consumption. With the upcoming Westmere processors, Intel will produce the chips for consumer PCs first, marking a departure in strategy for them.

While Intel is probably jumping forward to stay ahead of the pack in a slumping economy, what this means for you, the consumer, is that you'll get better performing processors even sooner than expected, which should be early 2010.

Intel Demonstrates First Working 32nm-based Microprocessor in Both Mobile and Desktop Systems

Feb. 10, 2009 - At a media briefing in San Francisco today, Intel Corporation discussed new milestones for 32nm manufacturing and progress toward future products. Earlier that day, in Washington, DC, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini disclosed that Intel is making the largest-ever investment in a single process technology in the United States to support upgrades to advanced manufacturing facilities in the country and the move to its next-generation, 32nm chip manufacturing technology. Intel is investing approximately $7 billion in 2009-10 on 32nm manufacturing technology, raising the total by the end of that timeframe to approximately $8 billion (for 32nm investment in the United States).

Below is a summary of the product roadmap news at the briefing in San Francisco:
First-ever demonstration of a working 32nm-based microprocessor:
- Intel is demonstrating the first 32nm working microprocessor in both mobile and desktop systems.
- Great 32nm process and product health are enabling Intel to accelerate 32nm product ramp
– Westmere mobile and desktop processor production in the fourth quarter of 2009
– 32nm enables increased performance and power flexibility
- Intel processors based on Westmere! will ra mp into mobile, desktop, and server segments over time, as the 32nm process ramps

For client, Westmere brings Nehalem through Intel's mainstream processor product line
- Increased performance, smaller processor core size
- New multi-chip package with graphics integrated in the processor
- Repartitioned system architecture, simplified motherboards
- Volume ramp; expect 32nm in server market in 2010

Westmere key features
- Intel® Turbo Boost technology
- Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (2 Cores, 4 threads)
- Integrated graphics, discrete/switchable graphics support
- 4MB cache, Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) – 2ch DDR3
- AES Instructions

The 32nm process with second-generation high-k + metal gate transistor era begins
Intel's strength as an integrated device manufacturer allows the company to continue to deliver new generations of advanced process technology on a 2-year cadence. Intel has developed a 32nm logic technology with industry-leading features:
- Second-generation high-k + metal gate transistors
- 32nm marks the first time Intel uses immersion lithography on critical layers
- 9 copper + low-k interconnect layers
- About 70 percent dimension scaling from 45nm generation
- Pb- and halogen-free packages



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Dell Wasabi First Inkless Pocket Printer That's Not Hideous [Wasabi]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/scNwFlVL_XM/dell-wasabi-first-inkless-pocket-printer-thats-not-hideous

Zink's inkless pocket photo printers aren't new tech, but before Dell's Wasabi rendition, they were drag, ugly boxes, not deliberately designed modernist rectangles. They're $100 at the moment, though standard price will be $149. [Dell]

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