Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 3/8/09 - 3/15/09

Friday, March 13, 2009

Glam Cam For Extreme Conditions

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/kIlg6sWEFMw/

My camera and I are inseparable during vacation trips. It's a shame that weather often dictates how and where I use it tho. Like I would love to capture the sudden showers of London in the middle Hyde Park and not from under some shelter. Dubai's desert safari is awesome, but the sand grains really ruin your cam. Down Under snorkeling in the Great Barrier is spectacular; then again you either opt for an underwater cam or simply take pics from the deck. Will someone make a camera like the eXtreme Compact Digicam, puhleezz?

This one's an all-weather, all-terrain coolpix device that looks sleek and really knows how to rough it out!

Designer: Camillo Vanacore

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Donât Hide Behind Dorky Goggles

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/1_98npIMBfk/

Vertigo Nystagmus is a woozy condition to have; however Nystagmus can be controlled when the eyes are open and fixed on some point. The Vertigo Nystagmus Glasses showcased here allow vanity even in pain! Ditching the usual dorky eyewear for these technical glasses will make you look and feel better. Made of five parts, the design includes a visor that can be manually removed. Infrared cams that track eye movement and 4 LEDs for soft illumination are all a part of this special eye gear.

Designers: Mike Neumann & Mirko Gabschuss

Vertigo Nystagmus Glasses by Mike Neumann & Mirko Gabschuss

RED Scarlet Test Footage Hits the 'Nets Looking Like a Gift From the Gods [Video Cameras]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/u7gMbr3S50M/red-scarlet-test-footage-hits-the-nets-looking-like-a-gift-from-the-gods

I love that RED's upcoming Scarlet camera will cost around $2500 and can produce beautiful footage like this. Paired with a 100mm RED PRIME PRO lens here, the 2/3" Scarlet captures footage at 3K resolution.

Jarred Land from RED says this is the first footage from the 2.3" Scarlet prototypes and that the frame above was pulled straight from the video. He also says this "heavily compressed" and "quick and dirty." We should all aspire to assemble things as quickly and dirtily as this. [RED Forums]

CyberPower rolls out Gamer Xtreme 3D desktops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/cyberpower-rolls-out-gamer-xtreme-3d-desktops/

Well, it looks like high-end gaming PC manufacturers are now well and truly on board the 3D bandwagon, with CyberPower only the latest to toss out a couple of systems bundled with some 3D glasses and the necessary hardware to back 'em up. As is their nature, CyberPower is offering both Intel and AMD-based options in the form of the Gamer Xtreme 3D 1000 and Gamer Xtreme 3D 2000, the former of which packs a 2.66GHz Core i7-920 processor, while the later opts for a Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition triple-core CPU. Otherwise, you can expect to get NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 graphics on each, along with a bundled 22-inch Samsung Syncmaster 2233RZ 120Hz LCD monitor, 3D Vision stereoscopic glasses, and some expectedly high-end specs across the board, with the Core i7 rig edging out the AMD in most respects. That also includes price, of course, with the Intel-based system running $1,839, while the AMD-based rig will set you back a more reasonable $1,299.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

CyberPower rolls out Gamer Xtreme 3D desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buffalo's external 32GB and 64GB SSDs can swap insides with your Eee PC's original drive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/buffalos-external-32gb-and-64gb-ssds-can-swap-insides-with-your/

Sure, you could look at it as crass commercialism, but we choose to see the softer, gentler side of Buffalo in this act of kindness: buy a new SSD upgrade for your ASUS Eee PC 901-16G and Buffalo will toss in a free chassis to hold your existing 16GB drive. The 32GB and 64GB drives will run you $129 and $228, respectively, and actually ship inside the external drive -- you don't have to swap SSDs if you don't want to, but we like the option. We would, anyways, if we lived in Japan.

[Via PortableMonkey]

Gallery: Buffalo's external 32GB and 64GB SSDs for Eee PC

Filed under: Laptops, Storage

Buffalo's external 32GB and 64GB SSDs can ! swap ins ides with your Eee PC's original drive originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AgfaPhoto announces "world's first" HD photo frames

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/agfaphoto-announces-worlds-first-hd-photo-frames/

The "world's first" claim may be a tad on the dubious side, but AgfaPhoto's new 10-inch AF5105MS and 13-inch AF5135MS HD photo frames certainly seem to deliver where it counts, with each packing a 1,280 x 800 resolution and all the usual multimedia-related features you'd expect from a high-res frame. At just 22mm thick, they're also pretty slim by photo frame standards and, in addition to being available in black or white, they each come with a set of interchangeable frames to suit your decor. No word on a price just yet, but you'll likely want to factor in the cost of a memory card, as each come equipped with just 256MB of internal memory.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Displays

AgfaPhoto announces "world's first" HD photo frames originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Camileo S10 pocketcam: the $200 1080p Flip-killer?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/toshiba-camileo-s10-pocketcam-the-200-1080p-flip-killer/

It's been a while since we first caught wind of the mysterious Toshiba Camileo S10, but the pocket camcorder has finally broken loose, and it's looking like a pretty solid competitor to the Flip Mino HD and the Kodak Zi6 -- it amps up the video resolution to 1080p and also takes five megapixel stills. That's pretty impressive for a pocketcam spec sheet, but the best part is the price -- if this thing lands Stateside for close to the £130 ($181) UK pricetag, we'd have to find reasons not to snap one up. Pocket-lint got a few hands-ons photos of the little bugger, check 'em out at the read link.

Read - S10 announcement
Read - Pocket-lint hands-on

Filed under: Portable Video

Toshiba Camileo S10 pocketcam: the $200 1080p Flip-killer? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Camileo S10 pocketcam: the $200 1080p Flip-killer?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/toshiba-camileo-s10-pocketcam-the-200-1080p-flip-killer/

It's been a while since we first caught wind of the mysterious Toshiba Camileo S10, but the pocket camcorder has finally broken loose, and it's looking like a pretty solid competitor to the Flip Mino HD and the Kodak Zi6 -- it amps up the video resolution to 1080p and also takes five megapixel stills. That's pretty impressive for a pocketcam spec sheet, but the best part is the price -- if this thing lands Stateside for close to the £130 ($181) UK pricetag, we'd have to find reasons not to snap one up. Pocket-lint got a few hands-ons photos of the little bugger, check 'em out at the read link.

Read - S10 announcement
Read - Pocket-lint hands-on

Filed under: Portable Video

Toshiba Camileo S10 pocketcam: the $200 1080p Flip-killer? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax's $399.95 X70 megazoom up for pre-order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/pentaxs-399-95-x70-megazoom-up-for-pre-order/

Oh sure, you've got plenty of options when it comes to selecting a shooter with zoom for days, but what's the harm in having one more option to comb over? The X70, which we saw peek out ahead of PMA, is finally up for pre-order on the outfit's own site. In case you've forgotten, this 12 megapixeler boasts a stupendous 24x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD monitor and an SDHC card slot. Worth four Benjamins? Depends on how bad you want to see that blade of grass way over there on the 30 yard line.

Gallery: Pentax's $399.95 X70 megazoom up for pre-order

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Pentax's $399.95 X70 megazoom up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yoics Gadget Connects to Remote Files and Desktops from Gmail [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/PLzwEPHsBIY/yoics-gadget-connects-to-remote-files-and-desktops-from-gmail

Yoics, a remote access app built around VNC tools, offers a Gmail sidebar gadget that makes grabbing files, browsing pictures, or controlling a remote desktop a one-click affair from your inbox.

Yoics installs a highly customized version of WinVNC on your Windows, Mac, or Linux system and lets you connect to it over the web with a single login/password. In this case, Yoics' sidebar gadget simply launches the relevant web link to your documents, pictures, or desktop, if you've chosen to share all of them. Installing and setting up Yoics took me about 10 minutes, between the relatively lengthy sign-up forms, system checks, and configuration demands (including a very mandatory changing of your WinVNC default password). Installing the gadget, though, was as simple as any other.

Choosing the "My Pictures" link gives you a customized gallery view of your documents:

The My Documents view is much more straight-forward, offering simple folders and right-click-able direct file links. As for the remote desktop, I couldn't quite connect back to my own desktop from the gadget link, but others have testified that it works, well, about as well as any Java-based VNC connection. All of these tools have time-limited access windows through their Gmail/web links, but most any VNC cli! ent can connect to your system if you have it configured correctly, and connecting through the Yoics software itself on another system has no such restrictions.

A bit of caution, though: Yoics is not exactly light on system resources, and can be a pain to stop from running when you're not really interested in freeing up your system. Still, it's not a bad VNC system for those needing a little hand-holding when it comes to remote access, and if you don't mind taming it a bit in the configuration options, you might find its Gmail, web, and easy desktop access convenient.

Yoics and its Gmail gadgets are both free for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Hit the link below for instructions on installing Yoics and its quick-acess Gmail tool.

Remote desktop from Gmail [Yoics]

MoviX2 Creates a Bootable, Self-Playing Video [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/cp7KrfrUdT0/movix2-creates-a-bootable-self+playing-video

Windows/Linux: MoviX2 puts a tiny Linux system on a disc or thumb drive that boots up and plays almost any video file you burn it with, making a handy tool for demonstrations or less-than-capable computers.

Yes, yes, we know—most people can simply use VLC Player, or burn a video to DVD. If you need to play a video on a system without a DVD drive, though, or make it seriously simple for someone to watch ("Put disc in drive. Restart. Done"), MoviX2 fits the bill.

Terminal-savvy Linux and Windows users can hack together an ISO with their video of choice if they'd like, or use one of the graphical options at the project site—Windows users should grab MoviX2 and the most recent package ending in .exe and follow these instructions, while Linux users can just grab the latest MoviX2 files. Need more help? Check out the MoviX2 documentation, and you'll find it's not too hard to get a disc imaged and burned with a bundled MPlayer—which means it handles a whole heck of a lot of formats and codecs.

MoviX2 is a free download for Windows and Linux systems only.

MoviX [SourceForge.net]

VIA's VX855 Media System Processor handles the 1080p

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/vias-vx855-media-system-processor-handles-the-1080p/

Big news, folks -- 1008p is about to hit the minuscule PC market, and VIA's making darn sure it doesn't miss the boat. Hot on the heels of HABEY's BIS-6550HD announcement, VIA has stepped in to formally introduce its VX855 Media System Processor, which aims to bring hardware-based 1080p decoding to VIA-based rigs. The highly integrated single chip package sucks down just 2.3 watts and provides hardware H.264 video acceleration when snapped in alongside a VIA Nano, C7 or Eden processor. Other specs include a 400 to 800MHz FSB speed, support for up to DDR2 800 memory (4GB maximum), six USB 2.0 ports and the company's own Chrome9 graphics set. There's no mention of when this bugger will find its way into shelf-bound rigs, but we're hoping Computex sheds some light on the situation.

[Via HotHardware]

Gallery: VIA's VX855 Media System Processor handles the 1080p

Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Home Entertainment

VIA's VX855 Media System Processor handles the 1080p originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio Exilim EX-FC100 Slow-Mo Pocket Cam: Lightning Review [Review]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5ib3SZKPMxI/casio-exilim-ex+fc100-slow+mo-pocket-cam-lightning-review

The Gear: Casio's EX-FC100 is a slimmed-down pocketable version of its chunky slow-mo cams. It looks like a standard 9MP 5x-zoom shooter at first, but does tricks we haven't seen before.

The Price: $350

The Verdict: It's got some picture-quality flaws as a still and video camera, but its unique attributes make it something you may want to have a look at, especially if you think you're better than Tarantino at crafting a slow-mo scene.

Similar to the more expensive, chunkier EX-F1, the EX-FC100 has three modes, but this time, they're 210, 420 and 1000 frames per second. It's fewer frames than the big boy, but it gets the job done. It's even got the "she walked into the room" setting, with a standard 30fps jumping to 210 to punctuate a particular moment in time, then back to 30 to signal that the moment has passed. Same caveats apply: The lowest setting has a much higher resolution than the 420, which is in turn higher than the 1000. Also, slow-mo shooting at 420 and 1000 require too much light to use them in anything but brightly lit rooms, or better yet, outside. And any indoor shooting is pretty much noisy as hell, whether you jack the ISO up to 1600 yourself, or let it do it automatically.

Like the EX-F1, the EX-FC100 also has continuous-burst shooting so you can get at least one perfect shot out of 30 in a split second, and you can even set it to remember shots from before you press the shutter. Other tricks like this include a "move in CS"shot, where you can set the camera to take a burst when something flies into the shot, and a "move out CS" shot, for the opposite. The camera has a continuous-burst toggle button on its top next to the shutter button which may be convenient for some, but that I foun! d annoyi ng. I kept entering CS mode when I didn't want to.

I was fairly happy with the low-light still shooting indoors—it's definitely better than the Olympus I recently tested, though I wouldn't think it would come close to a typical Canon Digital Elph. What I like about the EX-FC100 is that it has a very cool trick for making any questionable shooting environment slightly better: There's a little button that just says "SLOW" on it that, when pressed, gives you "slow motion view"—a slideshow of the best shots taken in a three-second window, that you can pick from by just clicking your shutter. Aim the camera at your moving, potentially unfocused subject, click SLOW, and then see a series of shots will appear, hopefully one nice and clear one. I haven't figured out how to really control slow motion view, but I like it.

Now, about those picture-quality problems. One big one is noise. Lots of shots are noisier than hell, a typical Casio problem, one that you can mitigate a bit manually by adjusting your ISO. You can see how manual adjustment affects shots:

But most important, how is the quality of that crazy SLOW-MO VIDEO? As you can see, outdoor shooting is a lot nicer than indoor shooting, no matter how cute the cat:

All in all, it's a cheaper way to get some slow motion in your life, and some of those other shooting tricks are original and unique enough to make the camera worth considering. But if you just want nice pictures, indoors and out, we wouldn't exactly make fun of! you if you said, "Oh, I think I'll just go with the Canon instead." [Casio product page]

Samsung's MBP200 pico PJ, i7410 projector phone get ship dates

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/samsungs-mbp200-pico-pj-i7410-projector-phone-get-ship-dates/

Two of Samsung's smallest beamers just got prices and release dates, but sadly, neither are in US dollars. The MBP200 pico projector will reportedly ship this May across the pond for €499 ($637), while the i7410 (more commonly referred to as the Show) will hit during the summertime for a price still to be determined. We know, it's not the bucketful of information you wanted, but it's something to whet your appetite until the suits at Sammy give us the dirty details we're really after.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

Samsung's MBP200 pico PJ, i7410 projector phone get ship dates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone OS 3.0 is coming, preview on March 17th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/iphone-os-3-0-is-coming-march-17th/

We just got the announcement, iPhone OS 3.0 is coming. Set your clocks, mark your calendars. It's going down March 17th. Apparently, we'll get a sneak peak at the new OS, as well as a look at a brand new version of the SDK. Exciting stuff indeed, and we'll be there live at 10am PST (1pm EST) with the liveblog. Apple's calling this an "advance preview of what we're building," so we're not expecting anything ready to go as of the 17th, but hopefully this will allow developers to start building toward future functionality (hey, how about some push notifications?), and presumably users won't have too many months to wait after that for the real deal.

Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone OS 3.0 is coming, preview on March 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini 1000 VGA cables: hard to get, hard to use?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/hp-mini-1000-vga-cables-hard-to-get-hard-to-use/

HP's Mini 1000 certainly hasn't had much difficultly attracting its share of fans, but it looks like those wanting to hook the netbook up to an external monitor have been having their patience tested considerably as of late. According to reports on the HP Support Forums, the promised VGA adapter for the netbook has been nigh impossible to come by and, for the time being at least, HP doesn't seem to be getting any more specific than "early 2009" about widespread availability. The headaches might not end then, however, as some folks have been reporting problems with the VGA out for the very similar Mini 2140 netbook, and with a USB-to-VGA adapter used with the Mini 1000. In both cases, the Mini 1000 is apparently unable to automatically detect the external monitor's native resolution, so it simply pumps out a standard 1024 x 768 resolution no matter what size monitor is hooked up. Looking for more tales of woe? Then dive into thread linked below for the full rundown of laments.

[Thanks, Shane]

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 1000 VGA cables: hard to get, hard to use? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's MBP200 pico PJ, i7410 projector phone get ship dates

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/samsungs-mbp200-pico-pj-i7410-projector-phone-get-ship-dates/

Two of Samsung's smallest beamers just got prices and release dates, but sadly, neither are in US dollars. The MBP200 pico projector will reportedly ship this May across the pond for €499 ($637), while the i7410 (more commonly referred to as the Show) will hit during the summertime for a price still to be determined. We know, it's not the bucketful of information you wanted, but it's something to whet your appetite until the suits at Sammy give us the dirty details we're really after.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

Samsung's MBP200 pico PJ, i7410 projector phone get ship dates originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI ships $320 Wind Nettop CS120 to US, intros VR430 laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/msi-ships-320-wind-nettop-cs120-to-us-intros-vr430-laptop/

While we're confident you just woke up from the snore-fest that was MSI's VX600 announcement from yesterday, we've got some entirely more exciting news from the outfit today. First off, there's the 14.1-inch VR430, which comes loaded with an AMD Turion X2 dual-core CPU, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD3200 GPU, up to 4GB of RAM, a 1,280 x 800 resolution panel, DVD writer, 4-in-1 card reader, WiFi, a six- or nine-cell battery, gigabit Ethernet, 1.3 megapixel webcam, ExpressCard slot and three USB 2.0 sockets. In other news, the Wind Nettop CS120 (known as the CD130 at CeBIT) is now shipping to US soil for a tantalizing $319.99. Tucked within it is a 1.6GHz Atom 230 processor, GMA950 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD, WiFi, oodles of ports and a slot-loading DVD burner. Check it right now from outlets like NewEgg, Amazon, J&R and Mwave, and feel free to glance the full release after the break.

Gallery: MSI's Wind Nettop CS120 and VR430

Continue reading MSI ships $320 Wind Nettop CS120 to US, intros VR430 laptop

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

MSI ships $320 Wind Nettop CS120 to US, intros VR430 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/12/panasonics-ultra-thin-54z1-plasma-in-the-wild/

Now that it's official and priced, Panasonic seems much happier to show off its wireless HD-sporting, ultra-thin Z1 series, and it's quite the sight to behold. The 54Z1 we got to look at was very strikingly clad in brushed metal gray -- compared to the regular black of most of Panasonic's TV lineup -- and of course incredibly thin. The wireless HD receiver box was across the room and working flawlessly, and it was nice to see that the included remote is an RF unit, capable of non-line-of-sight channel changing -- it's starting to feel like the 21st century around here! The plasma picture was of course very good, and we're really feeling those Viera Tools icons across the bottom. $6,000 though? That's your call.

Gallery: Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless

Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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