Some MacBook Airs sporting faster blade SSDs, probably from Samsung

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/some-macbook-airs-sporting-faster-samsung-blade-ssds/

When Apple released its redesigned MacBook Air in October 2010, much was made of the switch to flash storage using a custom-built Mini PCI Express form factor SSD drive. It took a few weeks but these SSDs would ultimately be released as the commercially available Toshiba Blade X-gale SSD module, model TS128C. Now we're seeing user reports showing MacBook Airs equipped with a second, even faster SSD with a SM128C part number -- the "SM" hinting at its presumed Samsung manufacturing origins. Samsung's SSD manages up to 260MBps read and 210MBps write speeds compared to Toshiba's 210MBps read and 185MBps write performance. Of course, it's hardly unusual for Apple to multi-source components. And a recent decision to source parts from Korea's Samsung would have been a smart move to keep just-in-time supply lines fully stocked following the spate of disasters in Toshiba's home country of Japan. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any way of confirming which SSD you're about to purchase without cracking open the retail box and running the OS X System Profiler. Good luck with that.

Some MacBook Airs sporting faster blade SSDs, probably from Samsung originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumor Forums  |  AnandTech  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Samsung promises a dual-core 2GHz smartphone 'by next year'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/samsung-promises-a-dual-core-2ghz-smartphone-by-next-year/

Are you ready for a scorching-fast future? Samsung sure is, as today the Maeli Business Newspaper reports "a high-ranking" company official has disclosed Samsung's intention to deliver a dual-core smartphone that runs at 2GHz. That's 2GHz for each core, not the specious 1GHz multiplied by two mathematics that Sanjay Jha likes to dabble in. ARM already has a dual-core Cortex-A9 design capable of scaling such speed heights, which is most probably the basis on which Samsung is building its future processor on. The report goes on to state that Samsung will consider selling the chips separately, so you wouldn't necessarily have to buy a Samsung-branded handset in order to have what's being described as desktop-class performance in the palm of your hand. Man, just as we prepared one dual-core comparison chart, here comes the next next big thing.

Samsung promises a dual-core 2GHz smartphone 'by next year' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Daum.net, Mashable (Yahoo! News)  |  Maeli Business Newspaper  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Be Wary of Sponsored Download Pages in Search Results [In Brief]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5792545/be-wary-of-sponsored-download-pages-in-search-results

Google Instant's handy keyboard shortcuts let you quickly open the first result in searches by simply hitting the Enter key, but since Google highlights sponsored results as the first result, an overly trigger-happy Enter key can dump you to a bum result rather than the legitimate first result. As tech site How-To Geek points out, when it comes to software searches, this behavior can lead to crapware-laden versions of legitimate open source software.

A careful user will likely notice that she's been dumped to an unofficial distributor in these instances, but it's also easy to trust Google's first result. In fact, often the first sponsored result is an ad that points to the same page as the real first result—for example, a query for 'Chrome' results in an ad in position #1 that's the same as the result at the true first position. The takeaway: Keep your eyes open, and make sure you're heading to official download pages when you're grabbing a piece of software via search. [How-To Geek]

Read More...

Summary only...

Talkatone Updates to Make Free Google Voice Calling from iPhones Easier [Updates]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5792344/talkatone-updates-to-make-free-google-voice-calling-from-iphones-easier

iOS only: Talkatone, the rather nifty app that allows free Google Voice calls on iPhones, has updated with a a much friendlier interface, access to your phone's own contact list, and better connection and audio compression handling. It also works with capable iPod touch and iPad models, too.

The main improvements are on the backend, involving audio quality, call monitoring, and other network and voice technologies. But making a free call through Google Voice is no longer a function you have to hunt down in a tap-to-open menu, and you'll get notifications about incoming calls when you keep the app running in the multitasking dock. If you like to save minutes on your cellular account, or if you're often in locations with decent Wi-Fi but not such great cellular service, Talkatone is a great option.

Talkatone is a free download for iPhones, iPods, and iPads. A Premium version unlocks certain other features, including better compression for calling.

Talkatone [iTunes App Store]

Read More...

Summary only...

A Google A Day Keeps You Trivia-Ready [Search Techniques]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5792679/stay-trivia-ready-with-a-google-a-day

Just the other day, Google launched a new search game called 'A Google A Day'. This new page has been designed to give you a daily trivia question to complete using a customized Google search built specifically for the game.

The questions become harder as the week progresses, much like the crossword puzzles in many newspapers do, and just like those very crosswords, the results are posted the next day in the NY Times!

This sounds fun and all but one of the biggest spoilers for me (and I am sure for many of you) with crossword puzzles is when someone looms over your shoulder and whispers an answer to you (right?!). This has also been addressed with the new Deja Google search.

The search bar on the A Google A Day website seems the same as any normal Google search bar, however it is indeed very different. With Deja Google search, they have created a search bar that will only show web history from before the game began, and block any social updates you might normally come across. This is all to ensure that you won't run into any tweets or blog posts with the answers. Very cool.

A Google A Day

Read More...

Summary only...

TuneIn Radio Streams Local Radio Stations on Almost Any Platform [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/#!5792687/enjoy-local-radio-stations-on-almost-any-platform-with-tunein-radio

Most mobile platforms: TuneIn Radio is an online radio streaming service that brings you favorite local radio stations (commercials and all) to a ton of different platforms. They are on almost every major platform with access to the net, including iOS, Android, Roku, and even Google TV!

They bring almost every major radio station from across the country on both AM and FM, so all you talk radio and sports fans can tune in as well. I have used both the iOS and Android versions of their service and I can tell you that it's fast, for the most part skip free, and super easy to find you favorite radio stations and add them to your 'My Presets' list.

TuneIn Radio is free for many different platforms, including iOS, Android, Palm, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, Google TV, Roku, Yahoo TV, and should be easy to find in any app store. Head over to their website to get the right version for your device.

TuneIn Radio

Read More...

Summary only...

White House unveils national strategy for secure internet IDs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/15/white-house-unveils-national-strategy-for-secure-internet-ids/

This one's been in the works for some time now, but the White House has just today officially unveiled its plans for a national secure internet ID program -- or as it has dubbed it, the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC). As expected, that will be entirely voluntary and largely driven by various private sector companies, who will be responsible for verifying your ID and providing you with secure credentials that you'll be able to use across the internet -- the credentials themselves could simply be a secure application, or something like smart card or SecurID token. The administration is also quick to point out that the system is not a national ID program of any sort, and it's going to some length to play up the involvement of multiple credential providers, with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke saying that "having a single issuer of identities creates unacceptable privacy and civil liberties issues." Hit up the source link below for all of the finer details, or head on past the break for a quick video explanation.

Continue reading White House unveils national strategy for secure internet IDs

White House unveils national strategy for secure internet IDs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg  |  NSTIC  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Chlorine could be key to the cheaper, more efficient OLED TV of your dreams

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/15/chlorine-could-be-key-to-the-cheaper-more-efficient-oled-tv-of/

Chlorine -- it's not just for keeping your clothes white and your pool clean anymore! Soon, layers of the stuff, just a single atom thick, could play a pivotal role in OLED manufacturing. Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that this tiny amount of Cl can almost double the efficiency of existing displays while reducing complexity and driving down costs. Using a rather simple procedure involving UV light, the team was able to chlorinate standard electrode panels found in conventional OLEDs without having toxic chlorine gas wafting about. While this is good news for manufacturers, it's even better news for consumers. We've been itching to mount a big, organic flat-screen in our parents' basement living room. Finally, we may see cheap OLED TVs on Walmart shelves -- right next to the Clorox.

Chlorine could be key to the cheaper, more efficient OLED TV of your dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink OLED-Display.net  |  University of Toronto  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Unity Corporation releases Xtion Pro PC motion sensor in Japan

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/16/unity-corporation-releases-xtion-pro-pc-motion-sensor-in-japan/

We're still waiting for some specific US launch details for the Xtion Pro and Wavi Xtion motion sensors that ASUS showed off at CES earlier this year, but it looks like folks in Japan can now already get their hands on half of that duo. Unity Corportation has just announced that it's releasing the Xtion Promotion sensor (complete with an SDK) in the country for ¥19,980, or roughly $240. That should work similarly to a Kinect considering that PrimeSense is responsible for much of the technology behind it, although you should be aware that this one is aimed squarely at developers looking to create their own games and applications for it. You'll have to wait for the more consumer-friendly Wavi Xtion for something that you can simply plop down in your living room.

Unity Corporation releases Xtion Pro PC motion sensor in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 04:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Unity Corporation  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

McTiVia networked streamer slinging PC content to TV screens this May

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/16/mctivia-networked-streamer-slinging-pc-content-to-tv-screens-thi/

It's not exactly a minty fresh concept, but if you're bored with networked media streamers slinging content and content alone, Awind's McTiVia might just be the nugget of unconventional that you've been after. For all intents and purposes, this is a souped-up wireless router that pipes all content from your Mac or PC onto your HDMI-equipped HDTV. The goal? To create cord-free HDTVs, in a sense. It's capable of controlling up to eight computers via mouse or keyboard, and it also doubles as a WiFi access point for those needing to usher themselves into the modern century. She's expected to hit retail in late May for $199, and we'll be doing our darnedest to test one out as soon as shipments begin.

Gallery: McTiVia networked streamer press shots

Continue reading McTiVia networked streamer slinging PC content to TV screens this May

McTiVia networked streamer slinging PC content to TV screens this May originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Compuexpert  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

ASUS Eee Pad Slider making the jump from Tegra 2 to Atom Z670?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/17/asus-eee-pad-slider-making-the-jump-from-tegra-2-to-atom-z670/

Last we heard, ASUS' Eee Pad Slider would pack a Tegra 2 processor just like its counterpart, the Eee Pad Transformer. There's now some pretty strong evidence suggesting that might not be the case, however, with none other than Intel letting slip that the Slider would actually pack its brand new Atom Z670 processor instead of NVIDIA's silicon. That evidence you see above cropped up on Intel's press page following its announcement for the new Atom processor, although it's since been removed -- suggesting that it was either a colossal mistake or, more likely, a reveal that was a bit too premature for ASUS' liking.

ASUS Eee Pad Slider making the jump from Tegra 2 to Atom Z670? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Liliputing  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...