No one knows you, the small fish in a big pond? Make a new pond? The mktng problem then becomes no one knows your pond: http://bit.ly/bb8MOd

Set Up a Low-Tech, Whole-House Speaker System Through Existing Phone Lines [DIY]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Si_GJKftNz0/set-up-a-low+tech-whole+house-speaker-system-through-existing-phone-lines

Ed. note: It can be pretty expensive (and a big pain) to install a wired, whole-house speaker system, but reader Tom O'Brien writes in with his low-tech solution: Route your speakers through the phone lines already installed in your house.

Here's Tom's set-up:

Using existing telephone wire and powered speakers, it's fairly simple to connect speakers throughout the house via existing phone lines. This will work only if the lines have 3 extra wires, such as when no land line is in use, or if the house has 6 (very common) or 8 strand telephone wire. Cat 3 wire is 8 strand.

Each audio jack in the setup can connect to any source or supply output to speakers. All power is supplied by the input and output components. This is just a big complicated extension cable.

I live in an old 3 level house. This permits the same audio to be played throughout. Off/on and volume controls are on the remote speakers, as with any powered speaker. This will possibly violate the sensibilities of audiophiles, but the sound is fine for me.

Materials include:

• 3.5 mm headphone jacks from Radio Shack
• Repurposed Cat 5 or Cat 3 junction boxes drilled out for audio jacks. Home Depot's are cheapest.

Tools:

• Soldering iron

All audio files, podcasts, etc are saved on netbook PC at "Home Base" (pictured above).

Note 2 cords plugged into panel. One is output from computer, other is to the speakers on shelf.

A CD player, portable mp3 player or any other source can be plugged in as well, hence so many jacks at home base.

The good speakers in living room.

3.5 mm headphone jacks from Radio Shack.

This is a cover panel for an in-wall junction box. The example has both speaker jacks and a phone jack and uses cat 3 (8 strand) wire. It would have been easier to just wire in a second box for the speaker jacks.

This is suitable for an in wall junction box.

The 3 screws at the top are for the audio jacks, the 4 screws at the bottom connect a 2 line phone via the cat 3 phone jack in the center.

External box wired in to existing phone system.

Double sided tape works well to secure wood to the box.

Thanks for the great suggestion, Tom! If you're looking for a higher-tech solution that'll still keep it cheap, check out our previous guide to using an AirPort Express to set up wireless, multi-room music playback.

Toshiba's Viamo is the tablet your doctor has been dreaming of

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/toshibas-viamo-is-the-tablet-your-doctor-has-been-dreaming-of/

Convertible tablets are a dime a dozen in the laptop space, but very, very few of them can save your life. Toshiba's Viamo is the one that could -- when used by someone who knows how to control it, that is. It's a portable ultrasound device that has some tactile knobs and buttons for the old-school practitioners, but can be entirely controlled by that touchscreen, which folds flat. Sure, it isn't as portable as other ultrasound machines we've seen before, but it certainly looks quite a bit more advanced, and this one mounts on a pole for easy wheeling around your busy ER -- important when helicopters crash into your roof, ambulances explode out front, and two doctors madly in love need to make a little room. Viamo is newly approved by the FDA and so is now available in the US at a cost that we wouldn't hazard to guess at.

Toshiba's Viamo is the tablet your doctor has been dreaming of originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MedGadget  |  Tosh iba Medical  | Email this | Comments

Samsung's transparent OLED laptop could hit retail, IceTouch PMP will get the ball rolling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/samsungs-transparent-oled-laptop-could-hit-retail-icetouch-pmp/

So um, remember this crazy 14-inch transparent OLED display Samsung was showing off perched atop a laptop at CES? Yea, that might be in the shops within the next 12 months. If that doesn't get you tingling with excitement, we don't know what will. Samsung will start its big push toward translucency with the IceTouch PMP, which we found to have a gorgeous 2-inch display in our earlier hands-on, but it's already working away in the labs on turning the prototype above into a concrete retail product. The IceTouch is slated to make its US arrival early in the first half of this year, priced at around $332. European availability is as yet uncomfirmed, but the Korean's company is being very ambitious about its technology, suggesting that windscreen-mounted SatNav units could be next on the agenda and ruling nothing out as it strives to bring its transparent AMOLED displays into the mainstream.

Samsung's transparent OLED laptop could hit retail, IceTouch PMP will get the ball rolling originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink OLED-Info  |  +Plastic Electronics  | Email this | Comments

ARM planning three new Cortex CPUs, Eagle headed for smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/arm-planning-three-new-cortex-cpus-eagle-headed-for-smartphones/

As if the Cortex-A9 isn't stirring up enough emotion all by itself, ARM revealed the roadmap for an even faster iteration of its Cortex-A series of chips during its earnings call a few days ago. Codenamed Eagle, the new processor is slated for a production run of 3 billion units annually, but alas this slide shares no more information on it beyond the intended market of smartphones, mobile computing, and digital TV products. (We've definitely heard that it'll be a 28nm multi-core part destined to ship around 2012, however.) There's also word of a pair of embedded chips, dubbed Heron and Merlin, which will find roles to perform in automotive and audio processing environments. Unsurprising that ARM isn't standing still, but we could've done with a little less mystery and a few more specs.

[Thanks, Kamal]

ARM planning three new Cortex CPUs, Eagle headed for smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GadgetMix, SlashGear  |  Tech.163  | Email this | Comments

Germanium lasers offer ray of hope for optical computing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/germanium-lasers-offer-ray-of-hope-for-optical-computing/

Bandwidth scarcity, is there any more pressing global issue that we're faced with today? We think not. Given the exponential growth in both computing power and software's exploitation and expectation of greater resources, it's no surprise that at some point we'll have to look beyond simple electrical currents as the transporters of our data. One bold step taken in that direction has been the demonstration of an operational germanium-on-silicon laser by researchers at MIT. By tweaking the electron count in germanium atoms with the help of some added phosphorous, they've been able to coax them into a photon-emitting state of being -- something nobody thought possible with indirect bandgap semiconductors. Perhaps the best part of this is that germanium can be integrated relatively easily into current manufacturing processes, meaning that light-based internal communication within our computers is now at least a tiny bit closer to becoming a reality.

Germanium lasers offer ray of hope for optical computing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg  |!   < img class="img_label" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_source.gif" alt="source" />Optics Info Base  | Email this | Comments

ASUS Eee PC 1008P (Seashell) review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/asus-eee-pc-1008p-seashell-review/

What do you do if your netbooks are starting to look so last season? Well if you're ASUS, you hire a leading industrial designer like Karim Rashid to revamp it, of course. The Eee PC 1008P's snazzy new design and removable battery certainly caught our eye at CES, but now so is its $499 pricetag. Positioned as a designer netbook, the 1008P is a mixed bag of specs -- it has got the now-typical Intel Atom N450 processor, boasts 2GB of RAM and larger 320GB hard drive, as well as a disappointingly small three-cell battery. So, are the 1008P's slimmer body and eye-catching design enough to make you shell out $100 more than the typical netbook? And how does the the smaller capacity battery compare to the $380 Eee PC 1005PE's that lasts for eight hours on a charge? Follow on past the break for some answers.

Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1008P review

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1008P (Seashell) review

ASUS Eee PC 1008P (Seashell) review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Dell Precision M6500 gets upgraded with USB 3.0, Core i5 options

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/dell-precision-m6500-gets-upgraded-with-usb-3-0-core-i5-options/

Back in the beginning of December, when Dell outed its business-oriented, 17-inch Precision M6500 laptop, it boasted some pretty meaty specs: Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, a choice of ATI FirePro M7740 or NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M graphics chips, plus support for up to three storage devices, and a 1920x1200 LED-backlit display. Well, it's added some new configuration options today, including USB 3.0 and a Core i5 processor, making this one bad boy all around. There's no word on the pricing yet, but the previously available Core i7 configuration runs around $2,700. We'll let you know when we find out what these new options will cost you.

Dell Precision M6500 gets upgraded with USB 3.0, Core i5 options originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  Notebook Italia  | ! Email this | Comments

HDMI 1.4's 3D spec publicly released

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/hdmi-1-4s-3d-spec-publicly-released/

3D's happening whether you like it or not -- but the good news is that there won't be any format war to go with the adoption of the new tech. At least that's the sense we've been getting, as most manufacturers are adopting active shutter glasses, delivery will happen on cable, satellite, and Blu-ray, and now the HDMI Licensing group has opened up the 3D portion of the HDMI 1.4 spec so non-licensees can make their gear compatible. There'll be some changes coming down the pike in HDMI 1.4a, but that's also due for public release, so really we'll all be one big dorky family in 3D glasses when this is all over.

HDMI 1.4's 3D spec publicly released originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  HDMI  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Droid gets official multitouch support -- in Google Maps, anyway

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/motorola-droid-gets-official-multitouch-support-in-google-map/

When it rains, it pours, huh, Google? Not even a week after announcing the big multitouch update for its own Nexus One, Google has turned loose a new version of Google Maps that enables pinch-to-zoom support on the Droid. Of course, it was no secret that Android 2.0 had the framework in place to support this kind of stuff -- Moto enabled it all by its lonesome on the Euro-spec Milestone -- but it looks like this could be the watershed moment where multitouch finally becomes a must-have feature on Android devices across the board, as Moto CEO Sanjay Jha recently suggested would happen. The new version 3.4's available as a software update in the Market right now, so grab it if you've got your Droid handy.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Motorola Droid gets official multitouch support -- in Google Maps, anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

FALSE: 1st Immutable Law - It is better to be first than it is to be better; today it is better to be better - http://bit.ly/aRfkiY

SlingPlayer iPhone App Finally Allowed to Stream TV Over 3G [At&t]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/z8X1AGsYrUw/slingplayer-iphone-app-finally-allowed-to-stream-tv-over-3g

When the SlingPlayer iPhone app launched last May, it was hamstrung by AT&T's insistence that it stream video only over Wi-Fi. It was an untenable position, given that MLB.com and others already stream over 3G. Today, finally, the carrier relented.

This has been in the works since mid-December, and both companies still need Apple's sign-off before the new 3G SlingPlayer app is available. And don't worry: if you'd previously purchased the $30 Wi-Fi only app, you'll get a free upgrade once the new version is available.

As for what it will do to AT&T's already clogged 3G network, only time and a few dozen dropped calls will tell. [NY Times]

The Money Behind the New Computing War [Chart]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Alcwl7-vSIY/the-money-behind-the-new-computing-war

I love when tech companies go to war. And this one is going to be huge. No, not huge: Gigapocalyptical. The domination of a new age of computing is at stake, and Apple, Google, and Microsoft want to win.

This is the money they can play with. First, Microsoft with $40.4 billion in the bank. That's actual rupees plus short and long term securities. Apple follows up closely with $39.8 billion, while Google trails way behind with only $24 billion. And the almighty Intel? $18.9 billion.

Yes baby. I can't wait for the nuclear ballistic missiles to start filling the skies. [Silicon Insider]

Ikonoskop A-cam3D Records 1080p 3D Video [3d Camcorder]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0fbIi4SRCuQ/ikonoskop-a+cam3d-records-1080p-3d-video

The Ikonoskop A-cam3D is a 1080p three-dimensional video camera that seems to have been stolen from Han Solo's Welcome to Hoth backpack. There's not a lot of information about it, but the first specs look very good:

• Records two images at 1920 x 1080 as individual RAW files in DNG format.
• Color depth: 12 bits.
• Speed: 25 or 30 frames per second.

The Ikonoskop A-cam3D is built using the same tech as the 2D Ikonoskop A-Cam. It's also built to order, so it probably is prohibitively expensive. And to be honest, I don't even know if I would like a 3D camera. Maybe it would be fun to film some home porn with it, but I'm sure the excitement would die quite quickly. Would you like to shoot your videos in 3D? Tell us in the comments. [Ikonoskop via Engadget]

Sanyo Gifts New Double-Range Zoom On GH2 and CG102 Xacti Camcorders [Camcorders]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/xGuXPtxMnvQ/sanyo-gifts-new-double+range-zoom-on-gh2-and-cg102-xacti-camcorders

Joining the SH1 and CS1 from a mere month ago are three new Xacti models from Sanyo—the GH2, CG102 and CG20. All three film in 1080i widescreen resolution, and will cost under $230 each. Score!

Of course, I'd rather have a camcorder shooting 1080p like the SH1 and CS1, but what's a few less lines between friends? The CG20 and CG102 are both pistol-grip models, with the GH2 coming in a minute barrel shape. Specs-wise, the GH2 and CG102 take photos with a 14.4-megapixel sensor, with the CG20 a 10.7-megapixel one.

A "double-range zoom" on the first two models means you can switch between 5x and 12x zoom.

Expect all three to go on sale in March, with the GH2 and CG102 pricier at $229 and the CG20 just $199. [Electronista]

HT4Sight Plugs Aerial Surveillance Video Into Any Cellphone [Surveillance]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/S8ERJ9nJDnI/ht4sight-plugs-aerial-surveillance-video-into-any-cellphone

HT4Sight seems like something only available to rogue agents who break people's legs and shout out their lungs every time they want to know where a nuclear head is, while nobody—except a hacker with permanent PMS—believes in them.

Except that HT4Sight is real, and available to anyone with deep enough pockets. The system allows anyone to route video signals from UAVs—or any aerial surveillance craft or satellite—to any cellphone around the world, using an encrypted data signal. The signal gets transmitted in real time to a command center. Then, HT4Sight compresses and encrypts the video, sending the stream to any phone in a cellular, Wi-Fi, or satellite network. [Helinet Technologies]

HDDBOOST Fuses SSDs with HDDs for Speed Made Cheap [PCs]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UW_y02_eB_A/hddboost-fuses-ssds-with-hdds-for-speed-made-cheap

So, the HDDBOOST may be ridiculously brilliant. It's a hard drive bay that offers SATA connections to both a normal hard drive and a solid state drive. Ultimately, it promises the speeds of SSD with the storage capacity of HDD.

Here's how it works:

With no additional software, a 32GB SSD (recommended size, that you install) mirrors a chunk of data from your HDD, allowing it to act as a high speed data buffer, starting processes quickly while your computer only combs through your slower HDD-based files as necessary.

Of course, everything won't be SSD speed, but manufacturer SilverStone still promises a 150% speed increase across your entire computing experience. That number is a bit hard to swallow, given the fact that there's no intelligent optimization (that we've heard of, at least) guiding HDDBOOST to only copy over the most used, most beneficial files for speed increases. Then again, the idea certainly makes some level sense. And for $55 (available in Japan only at the moment), the HDDBOOST isn't a huge financial risk. [Hexus]

Director of National Intelligence says major cyber attack could wreak havoc on the U.S. of A.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/director-of-national-intelligence-says-major-cyber-attack-could/

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the National Intelligence Committee that the United States is at risk of a "crippling" cyber-attack, and without the proper tools to defend against such an attack. Blair counseled the US to "deal with that reality," saying that catastrophic consequences would result if it did not deal with said reality. Specific problem areas he cited include the fact that more and more, foreign companies supply both the hardware and software for private businesses. Blair also noted the fact that the net has served as a breeding ground for "homegrown radicalism." You don't say? Hit the source link a fuller detail of yesterday's proceedings.

Director of National Intelligence says major cyber attack could wreak havoc on the U.S. of A. originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Fox News  | Email this | Comments

Amazon buys touchscreen startup Touchco, merging with Kindle division

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/amazon-buys-touchscreen-startup-touchco-merging-with-kindle-div/

In what we're hoping bodes well for future Kindle iterations, Amazon's pulled out its credit card and picked up New York-based startup Touchco, who specializes in -- you guessed it -- touchscreen technology. The company will be merged with Lab126, a.k.a. the Kindle hardware division. Here's why we're excited: the startup claims its interpolating force-sensitive resistance tech can be made completely transparent, works with color LCDs, and can detect "an unlimited number of simultaneous touch points" as well as distinguish between a finger and stylus. Current cost estimates put it at less than $10 per square foot, which The New York Times says is "considerably" less expensive than the iPad / iPhone screens. We're not expecting to see immediate results with this acquisition, but given the proliferation of touch in the latest batch of e-book readers, it'd be foolish of Amazon not to join in on the fun. Ready for the Kindle 3 rumor mill to start up again?

Amazon buys touchscreen startup Touchco, merging with Kindle division originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  The New York Times  | Email this | Comments

Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/joojoo-tablet-now-in-production-will-support-full-flash-at-laun/

That other tablet that was announced just a week ago sure doesn't seem to be setting Fusion Garage's Joojoo off course. Not only did it see an increase in orders after the iPad announcement, but Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishna just told us that production of the 12-inch tablet has kicked off and that the product is on target to start shipping this month. And it doesn't sound like legal fees from fighting the TechCrunch lawsuit over the product are depleting Fusion Garage's bank account: Chandra told us it's teamed up with OEM CSL Group of Malaysia, which will be footing the bill for manufacturing in exchange for a "low single-digit" percentage of product revenue. We have our doubts about the math, but we'll see how happy everyone is if and when the Joojoo starts shipping. (We'll also see if James Cameron notices that Fusion Garage keeps using unlicensed Avatar images in its promo pictures.)

Chandra still wouldn't budge on revealing what's powering the device, but he was more than happy to confirm that the tablet will support full Flash at launch, and HD Flash content once Flash 10.1 is officially released -- YouTube HD will play right now using a separate player plugin that takes advantage of GPU acceleration. "We have a bigger 'app store' than Apple because we have the full Internet," he told us. Nevertheless, Fusion plans to launch a "web store" that will allow people to find web applications on the Joojoo. Speaking of Apple, Chandra was quite blunt about the iPad: "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery." No really -- he told us everything from Steve Jobs calling the iPad a "magical product" to the couch being on stage during the keynote to the $499 price point was a nod to the Joojoo, since "juju" is an African word for "magical" and the Joojoo was positioned as a couch computer when it launched in November. Uh, sure. Trash talking aside, we're very excited to see what this thing can do -- a 16:9 720p tablet that can play Hulu sounds pretty interesting to us. Check the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch

Joojoo tablet now in production, will support full Flash at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

ATI Radeon HD 5450 focuses on multimedia features, neglects gaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/04/ati-radeon-hd-5450-focuses-on-multimedia-features-neglects-gami/

It's rare to see a rumor -- hell, even a roadmap -- pinpoint the timing of new releases quite so accurately, but our earlier report of ATI refreshing the middle and lower parts of its lineup turned out to be bang on. Following in the footsteps of the HD 5670, we have the Radeon HD 5450, which drags the entry price for DirectX 11 and Eyefinity multi-monitor support all the way down to $50. Course, the processing power inside isn't going to be on par with its elder siblings, but that also means the 5450 will run cool enough to be offered with half-height, passive cooling solutions as seen above. ATI's focus here is on media PCs, with a DisplayPort, um... port, alongside HDMI 1.3a, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming support. For the money, you really can't argue with all this extra multimedia juice, but if you must have benchmarks to sate your soul, check out the early reviews below -- they're full of bar charts and performance comparisons, don't you know.

Continue reading ATI Radeon HD 5450 focuses on multimedia features, neglects gaming

ATI Radeon HD 5450 focuses on multimedia features, neglects gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Business Wire  | Email this | Comments

Intel teases six-core Gulftown, discusses tera-scale computing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/04/intel-teases-six-core-gulftown-discusses-tera-scale-computing/

The 32nm dual-core Clarkdale processors that recently made their debut are about to pave the way for Intel's next performance crown chaser, the six-core Gulftown. You might've known that already, but Intel's decided to furnish us with the above slide detailing the particular differences between the two dies, with the most notable being the whopping 1.17 billion transistors that the new CPU will be composed of. The major attraction of Clarkdale chips lies in their power efficiency and competent integrated GPU, but the Gulftown focus will be firmly on the high end. Hence, there's no integrated graphics, but the built-in memory controller supports three channels of DDR3 RAM and even plays nice with lower-powered 1.35-volt sticks. There's also confirmation that the forthcoming hex-core chip will fit inside the familiar LGA-1366 socket, so if you bought a high end Core i7, worry not, you'll be able to replace your still blisteringly quick CPU with an even faster beast. Quad-core variants -- by virtue of disabling a pair of cores -- are on the cards as well, while Intel also took the opportunity to delve into questions of 1Tbps+ bandwidth interconnects and its 80-core processor project, but you'll have to hit up the links below to learn more about those.

Intel teases six-core Gulftown, discusses tera-scale computing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AnandTech  | Email this | Comments