Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 9/27/09 - 10/4/09

Saturday, October 03, 2009

LG GW620 Android phone spotted in the wild, on video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/lg-gw620-android-phone-spotted-in-the-wild-on-video/

We haven't heard much from LG about its new GW620 Android phone since it got official with it back in mid-September (and at IFA before that), but it looks like it's now made an official outing in France, where plenty of folks were on hand to get an up-close look at it. As expected, LG hasn't followed the route of HTC or Motorola with some heavy Android customizations, but the handset itself should still turn a few heads nonetheless with its brushed aluminum look, and what appears to be a better than usual QWERTY keypad (or AZERTY in this particular case). Unfortunately, that gets paired with a resistive touchscreen, but the rest of the specs are thankfully less disappointing, including a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash, a microSD card slot for expansion, and a standard headphone jack. Still no indication of this one making its way over here, but you can get a closer look at it by hitting up the link below, and check it out on video courtesy of the folks at Le Journal du Geek after the break.

Read - CNET France hands-on
Read - Le Journal du Geek

[Via android.hdblog.it]

Continue reading LG GW620 Android phone spotted in the wild, on video

Filed under: Cellphones

LG GW620 Android phone spotted in the wild, on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm Pixi to launch on October 20th? Not so fast.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/palm-pixi-to-launch-on-october-20th-not-so-fast/

Okay, so we've been hearing whispers all morning that Palm and Sprint are gearing up to launch the Pixi on October 20th, and while we hate to be the bearer of bad news, we've been in contact with sources who would definitely have a better perspective on this phone's launch, and the word is that the aforementioned date is not accurate. So when will the Pixi launch? We'd still say it'll be well before the holidays -- and now that the Pre is down to $79, we're hoping it'll be super cheap. Fingers crossed.

Palm Pixi to launch on October 20th? Not so fast. originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Pure starting to show up in AT&T stores, not for sale just yet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/htc-pure-starting-to-show-up-in-atandt-stores-not-for-sale-just-y/

We'll withhold judgment until we have a far more intimate encounter with the device, but at a glance, the HTC Pure -- AT&T's branded, customized version of the Touch Diamond2 -- might carry the least-exciting industrial design of any variant launched thus far. Considering the business-oriented clientele, that might not be a big deal for the phone's bottom line -- but when you take a look at the slightly better-equipped Imagio that's about to launch over on Verizon, we would've liked to have seen something with a little more spunk here. At any rate, it seems Pure units are starting to flow into AT&T retail locations, which inevitably leads to some time in front of the bright lights and camera; AT&T was mentioned as one of Microsoft's global launch partners for Windows Mobile 6.5 on October 6, so if we connect the dots, we're guessing this is the phone that's gonna make it all happen. So where's that Touch Pro2, then, eh?

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC Pure starting to show up in AT&T stores, not for sale just yet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia E72 NAM up for $469 preorder on Amazon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/nokia-e72-nam-up-for-469-preorder-on-amazon/

It's not hard to find Nokia users that believe the E71 is the finest S60 device (if not the finest device, period) that the company has ever made, so expectations for the E72 are at a stratospheric high. Impatience for a retail release is also at a stratospheric high, coincidentally, so Americans will be pleased to see that Amazon now has the unlocked North American version of the "zodium black" phone listed for $469 -- without a release date, unfortunately, so it's still a guessing game as to when these will actually be shipping out. All things considered, it's not a bad price for an unbranded phone of the E72's capabilities, but when you figure how easy it's been to find awesome deals on North American Nokias around the interwebs this year, it still might give some potential buyers pause -- just imagine if it were $299?

[Thanks, Ani]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia E72 NAM up for $469 preorder on Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alpha 680 Android netbook spotted, still unavailable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/alpha-680-android-netbook-spotted-still-unavailable/

While all the other kids on the block are letting themselves become duly distracted by Google Chrome OS, at least Skytone is still out there in the trenches, fighting to get its Android-powered Alpha 680 netbook to market. Initially it looked like this one would be making the scene sometime this summer, and although this has not come to pass, the OEM (Airis) is still strutting it in front of vendors and threatening us with an eventual release. According to Le Journal du Geek, who managed to get its hands on one and snap plenty of pics, the device is still "not really stable." (Take your time, guys...) Hit that read link for plenty of glamor shots of the this stark white, 7-inch resistive touchscreen wonder -- you'll be glad you did.

Filed under: Laptops

Alpha 680 Android netbook spotted, still unavailable originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia plugs itself into the Wireless Power Consortium

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/nokia-plugs-itself-into-the-wireless-power-consortium/

The Wireless Power Consortium has already managed to attract some pretty big players in the industry (including Philips, Sanyo and Duracell), but it's now bolstered its roster with one of its biggest heavyweights yet by announcing that Nokia has signed on as a full member. Of course, Nokia isn't making any firm promises about incorporating the Consortium's Qi wireless power standard into its products just yet, but it does say that the technology "carries significant potential to enhance consumer experience of battery charging," and that it "aims to meet these consumer expectations." For its part, the Wireless Power Consortium is unsurprisingly thrilled to have Nokia on board, noting that the move "significantly expands the potential market traction of the Qi wireless charging standard."

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia plugs itself into the Wireless Power Consortium originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be 'world's most powerful gaming notebook'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/03/msi-gt640-houses-core-i7-claims-to-be-worlds-most-powerful-ga/

Man, Core i7 laptops just keep coming and coming (kinda like Arnold). The latest in what's sure to be a torrent of companies upgrading their premier products to Intel's finest quad-core battery killer is MSI, with the GT640. Though MSI hasn't yet specified which of the trifecta of Clarksfield chips it has inside the machine, we do know there's a 1GB NVIDIA Geforce GTS 250 taking care of graphics, as well as options for up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, half a terabyte of storage and a Blu-ray burner. Other notables include a two megapixel webcam, HDMI, 7.1 channel audio output and an eSATA input. While we don't yet know the wallet damage for that red-striped aluminum alloy body, its Windows 7 installation would indicate a release some time around, oh, October 22 perhaps? One more shot of the keyboard and screen after the break.

[Via Laptoping]

Continue reading MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be 'world's most powerful gaming notebook'

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be 'world's most powe! rful gam ing notebook' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, October 02, 2009

Infinite Book Looks More Like An Infinite Brochure, Still My Favorite Digital Media Reader Concept [Concept]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-kI-sI-rzIE/infinite-book-looks-more-like-an-infinite-brochure-still-my-favorite-digital-media-reader-concept

We're certainly excited about how we'll view digital media in the future, but this particular concept design is my favorite. The Infinite Book is a funky reader with a hinge for endless folding of pages to vaguely mimic newspaper reading.

Designed by Ewald Neuhofer, the Infinite Book really does look more like a brochure or a newspaper than a book, but it's a neat concept for those of us who enjoy physically turning pages. Mind you, the device would allow for a touchscreen and plain ol' scrolling for one-handed reading or those who prefer to skip the page flipping. [creativeDNAaustria via The Design Blog]

Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI [Asus]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/F7qqGcPAohk/asus-eeebox-eb1501-nettop-dvd-slot-drive-ion-graphics-and-1080p-hdmi

Wow, this could be my fallback plan for a lightweight entertainment PC if the Eee Keyboard ends up sucking. The EB1501 is the first EeeBox with an optical drive, Windows 7, and a classy new design.

Otherwise, its specs are the same as the recent EeeBox EB1012. That means dual-core Atom N330 processor, 2GB of DDR2-800 RAM (expandable to 4GB), 250GB hard disk, and Nvidia Ion graphics.

The optical drive is only a DVD-RW, but I can use my PlayStation for Blu-ray. Otherwise, the EB1501 can pretty much connect to anything and everything: it's got 802.11n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, and an eSATA connection for external hard disks. An S/PDIF connection also gives you 5.1 audio.

What a crazy little box. We're still waiting on U.S. pricing and availability, but it's expected to be €399 ($580) in Europe, and should arrive around October 22—when Windows 7 arrives. [Asus]

Time's "Hulu for Magazines" Idea Is So, So Doomed [Magazines]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/LqZIWPR-59M/times-hulu-for-magazines-idea-is-so-so-doomed

Magazines are basically fucked. They know this, and figure the only way they're going to survive is if they manage to successfully navigate the transition to digital. Time's grand plan? A "Hulu for magazines." Oh boy.

Here's how it'd work: There'd be a new company running a digital store for all of the publishers where people could buy and manage their magazine subscriptions that would be delivered on "any" device. Supposedly, Time Inc's gotten Conde Nast (publisher of Wired, Vanity Fair, etc.) and Hearst (Popular Mechanics, Esquire, etc.) ramped up about the idea as well, which would launch in 2010.

Great, except that it's not going to work. As Peter Kafka points out, they have to convince people to sign up for another service—not an easy feat if they're already tangled up with a Kindle or Apple. Especially if this new service will be just magazines, and not include newspapers. And there's no way Amazon or Apple will let the publishers tie a separate service into their devices, pissing in their pool. The whole point of the Kindle is that Amazon controls the delivery method, and that's likely how Apple's tablet will work—downloading magazines and newspapers and textbooks through iTunes, just l! ike iPho ne apps or iTunes music.

Which basically leaves the the publishers with a handful of generic readers they could get their goods on, meaning they're screwed. At this point it looks like all roads to ereaders people will actually buy to pass through Amazon or soon, Apple. Sorry magazine dudes: Give in, give up or get out. [All Things D]

Sony Getting Closer to TVs With No Cables Whatsoever [Wireless Power]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/w-KJ2iMeT3w/sony-getting-closer-to-tvs-with-no-cables-whatsoever

This TV has absolutely no cables connected to it. No video cable. No audio cable. And no power cable. How's this wicked sorcery possible? Thanks to Sony's new Wireless Power Transfer technology, which can send 60 watts over the air.

Sony's Wireless Power Transfer can push 60 watts of electrical energy over almost 20 inches (50 centimeters). That's a pretty decent distance, especially when they say that it can be extended using passive extender units. In fact, they have already achieved 31 inches in other tests.

They claim that their method—which sounds similar to Intel's—uses some dharmastastic magnetic resonance, in which electromagnetic energy gets transmitted from one device to another, both sharing the same resonant frequencies.

Sony says that this system offers 80% efficiency, which may get reduced to about a minimum of 60% if there is a misalignment in the frequencies, which needs to be corrected.

I don't know if this is safe for our bodies or not, but I would like to have it. Even if that requires me not wearing my tinfoil hat while watching the sixth season of Lost. [Sony via i4u]

GE shows off 1TB holographic discs but Wolf Blitzer remains skeptical

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/01/ge-shows-off-1tb-holographic-discs-but-wolf-blitzer-remains-skep/

We're confused as to how technology that was supposed to be available in 2006 can still be featured at an Emerging Tech conference in 2009, but so it is for General Electric's attempt at holographic storage. Predicting drives for archival purposes in two or three years with consumer products around two years after that, manager Peter Lorraine claims Blu-ray has "two to four years of life to go" and expects licensees to clean up with speedy 3ms access time, 1TB+ storing (up from a mere 200GB), backwards compatible hardware. The latter portion, plus other breakthroughs in cost and reliability are listed as reasons to believe the market will catch HVD anytime soon, but right now it's about as likely returning to a matching 2006-era MySpace page or believing Wolf was staring at anything other than a mark on the floor on Election Night.

[Via Physorg]

Filed under: HDTV, Storage

GE shows off 1TB holographic discs but Wolf Blitzer remains skeptical originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Secrets of Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj projector camera revealed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/secrets-of-nikons-coolpix-s1000pj-projetor-camera-revealed/

Perplexed by the mystery of Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj projector camera? Like the puzzle of free energy or Google Wave, it's a quandary that has perplexed researchers and common folk alike for decades (or at least a few months). It looks we can now finally lay this particular quandary to rest, however, as leading scientific journal Tech-On! has finally revealed how something can be both a camera and a projector at the same time. It turns out the key is a new L-shaped projector module developed by Nikon itself, which is just the right size to fit inside the camera alongside some repositioned optical components, and some new heat control measures that keep the whole thing from getting too toasty. Still skeptical? Hit up the read link below for a closer look and some additional details.

[Via About Projectors]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Secrets of Nikon's Coolpix S1000pj projector camera revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio Exilim EX-H10 gets new blue and gold outfits

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/casio-exilim-ex-h10-gets-new-blue-and-gold-outfits/

The Exilim EX-H10 superzoom looks just dandy in its minimalist black exterior, but Casio has decided to furnish its Japanese customers with a couple more options. To be fair, our far-Eastern brethren have had to choose between a less classy silver affair and a zany pink number, so they'll probably welcome the newfound diversity. The specs remain the same, of course, with a highly competent 12.1 megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom and 720p video recording being the highlights, so we wouldn't expect the as yet unannounced prices to differ either. The blue version above will be joined by a gold variant (picture after the break) when the two are released on October 9.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading Casio Exilim EX-H10 gets new blue and gold outfits

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Casio Exilim EX-H10 gets new blue and gold outfits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tachyon XC 3D helmet cam hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/tachyon-xc-3d-helmet-cam-hands-on/

If you're the sort who does interesting things whilst wearing a helmet, things that you might like to capture on video for friends, family, or strangers to watch, it's an awfully good time to be a gadget lover. There have never been more helmet camera options than there are today, and one of the most interesting we've yet had the opportunity to affix to our lid is the Tachyon XC 3D. It's a pair of generally pedestrian cameras that, when joined at the hip, combine Voltron-like to do something rather more interesting: capture 3D renderings of your extreme endeavors. But, is an extra dimension worth the $380 price of admission? Read on to find out, and to experience the depth for yourself.

Gallery: Tachyon XC 3D

Continue reading Tachyon XC 3D helmet cam hands-on

Filed under: D! igital C ameras

Tachyon XC 3D helmet cam hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sigma's DP1s gets official, hitting shelves in November?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/sigmas-dp1s-gets-official-hitting-shelves-in-november/

Sigma's DP1 had a lot going for it -- despite a somewhat steep asking price, plenty of folks were won over by both its sturdy build and image quality. Now, after the world offered up a somewhat muted response to the DP2, the company's announcing an update of the former device. The DP1s features the same sensor and processor as the DP1 but adds some functionality, including the ability to simultaneously shoot separate RAW and JPEG images, and an option to allocate the QS (Quick Set) function to the digital zoom buttons. Also in this build is a 14 megapixel (2,652 x 1,768 x 3 layers) FOVEON X3 direct image sensor, which the company says will improved performance when shooting backlit subjects, a 16.6mm F4 lens, and more. No price or street date yet, but the rumor mill says to look for it sometime in November. PR after the break.

Continue reading Sigma's DP1s gets official, hitting shelves in November?

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sigma's DP1s gets official, hitting shelves in November? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Down economy drives more rational (less emotional) purchase behavior, as consumers buy necessities & do more research to get the best value

Thursday, October 01, 2009

When entrepreneurs need someone to kick the tires until they bleed (the tires, not the entrepreneur) - http://bit.ly/Ce2zG

The Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Now Has Digital Audio [Adapters]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bQZAagz0cg0/the-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-adapter-now-has-digital-audio

The USB audio version of the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter hasn't shipped yet, but Kanex just came out with an even more updated version of it with digital audio.

There isn't a whole lot to explain, other than the fact that the adapter is now basically set to deliver full audio quality to the video content played back on your Mac, and all through one HDMI cable. The previous version was held up because of manufacturing issues, so we'll have to see if this version suffers from the same difficulties. [Kanex]

Spotify Adds Offline Music Caching to Its Desktop Player, Makes iTunes Look Prudish [Software]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ERL5kwsYlaU/spotify-adds-offline-music-caching-to-its-desktop-player-makes-itunes-look-prudish

Not being allowed to have music subscription service Spotify is now officially the worst thing about being an American: Subscribers will soon be able to listen to unlimited music offline, just like in the murders-everything-else Spotify iPhone app.

The feature, which lets users designate any or all of their content to be available offline, is only available to the £9.99/month or £120/year premium subscribers, but effectively hands them unlimited music, available at all times, for a flat fee. The mobile app is still the showstopper here—we've seen a few all-you-can-eat DRM music services before—but, you know, still, insult to injury. Our only consolation? Spotify thinks they can launch in the US before the end of the year, though I'll be eager to see if they can get as cozy a licensing deal as they found in the UK. [Techcrunch]

Custom Camera Rig Allows For a Stunning Vertical Panorama of a Giant Redwood [Nature]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oIU9I2cu950/custom-camera-rig-allows-for-a-stunning-vertical-panorama-of-a-giant-redwood

Wildlife photographer Michael Nichols wanted to photograph a 300-foot-tall redwood in a dense forest with no clear lines of sight. So he built a custom camera rig to take tons of close-ups to stitch together.

The result is a stunning composite of 83 different shots of this incredible tree. Look for a huge foldout of the image in the October issue of National Geographic, and here's a video of Nichols talking about the process of capturing the image.

[NPR via Hack-a-Day via Make]

Why is Panasonic the First to Invent a Two-Way Iron? [Iron]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MoQ6nW_OjsQ/why-is-panasonic-the-first-to-invent-a-two+way-iron

Unless my Google skills are failing me, this Panasonic 360-Degree iron is the first iron to have the pointed tip at both sides of the iron. It's been staring us in the face for 100 years, and Panasonic's is first?

By making the back of the iron pointed instead of flat, like every single other iron out there, you can go back and forth with the Panasonic NIW810CS as much as you want without screwing up your ironing pattern and wrinkling what you already pressed. Best of all, Panasonic only charges $50 for this bit of ingenuity. [Amazon]

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