Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 4/1/12 - 4/8/12

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Intel 313 SSDs bring improved caching to ultrabooks, desktops, life in general

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/intel-313-cache-ssd/

Intel 313 cache SSD

Just like Intel's older 311 batch of small cache SSDs, the new 313 series is designed to sit alongside a traditional spinning HDD in order provide a tasty blend of speed and capacity. These newer drives are still SATA II, so there's no 6Gbps action here, but they use superior 25nm SLC flash, offer faster speeds for the same price (starting at $120 for 20GB) and are explicitly approved for use in the coming wave of Ultrabooks -- so don't be surprised if that's where you meet 'em next.

Intel 313 SSDs bring improved caching to ultrabooks, desktops, life in general originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amped Wireless High Power R10000G Router and Smart Repeater hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/amped-wireless-high-power-r10000g-router-and-smart-repeater-hand/

Until now, Amped Wireless has been best known for its industrial networking gear, capable of maintaining a signal up to 1.5 miles away from the base station. Now, though, the outfit's also selling some equipment for folks with a more modest setup: the R10000G Home Router and SR10000 Smart Repeater, which promise to coat 10,000 square feet of your abode / office in robust, high-quality WiFi. Of course, we just had to test these claims out for ourselves, and see if these units really were formidable enough to leave our own router crying in the corner. We devised three simple experiments to see how they hold up in the real world -- head on past the break to find out how they fared.

Gallery: Amped Wireless R10000G Router and Smart Repeater hands-on

Amped Wireless R10000G Router Unboxing

Continue reading Amped Wireless High Power R10000G Router and Smart Repeater hands-on

Amped Wireless High Power R10000G Router and Smart Repeater hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google offers Floor Plan Marker app to businesses so they can improve indoor mapping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/google-floor-plan-marker-app-indoor-mapping/

Google offers Floor Plan Marker app to businesses so they can improve indoor mapping

Are folks still getting lost in the faux marble expanse of your airport or shopping mall, even after you've uploaded the floor plan to Google Maps? Then maybe it's time you went the extra mile and improved indoor mapping using the official Floor Plan Marker app. It instructs you to walk around the "entire surface" of your place of interest, while gathering position data from GPS, public WiFi signals and cell towers. Once added to Google's database, this extra info will allow the familiar blue dot to function on your customers' Android phones even when your actually-concrete building gets in the way of their satellite signal. The app's already available at Google Play, so go ahead -- make the schlep now so that others don't have to.

Google offers Floor Plan Marker app to businesses so they can improve indoor mapping originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toray unveils new self-repairing film for devices, fixes scratches in under 10 seconds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/toray-unveils-new-self-repairing-film-for-devices-fixes-scratch/

Toray's advanced film department has finished its new self-cure coating and is set to start using it as a decorative layer on a series of as-yet unannounced notebooks. Fortunately, the company is already chasing down more pervasive uses on smartphones and touch-panels. The science involves a wet coating method that adds a special recovering layer to PET film. Alongside that ~~mutant~~ healing factor, the layer responsible also throws in some elastic and cushioning properties. During Toray's demonstration (what, no video?) scratches made with a metal brush apparently repaired themselves, resulting in the rehabilitated glossy surface you see above. According to the Japanese manufacturer, the ability to heal improves at lower temperatures, but room temperature is apparently enough to make scratches disappear in 10 seconds or less -- more than fast enough to differentiate Toray's offering from existing solutions. The film can repair itself around 20,000 times in succession, although if pierced beyond the layer, it's -- unsurprisingly -- unable to recover any damage done. The screen is also softer than the typical protective surfaces found to devices. Maybe Toray and Gorilla Glass should get together. GorillToray?

Toray unveils new self-repairing film for devices, fixes scratches in under 10 seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, April 06, 2012

ASUS placates Transformer Prime owners with free GPS Extension Kit add-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/05/Asus-to-offer-free-Transformer-Prime-GPS-Dongle/

ASUS took a few OTA stabs at fixing the Transformer Prime's satellite blindness, sure, but now the outfit is taking a more direct approach at fixing its GPS reception woes: hardware. New Prime owners registering their slab on ASUS' member site are now being greeted with an application for a GPS Extension Kit, a free dongle that "may help improve signal reception and optimize the user experience." According to a series of emails posted by an XDA forums user, the kit is due to ship in mid-April, and will "be a flush fit on the bottom of the unit if held in landscape, matching the color of your Prime Chassis." ASUS says the dongle will be available to all customers who picked up the tablet, and carefully notes that the accessory does not "replace, alter or amend any existing warranties." Fair enough. Now, what if we want to type while we find our way around the world?

Gallery: Transformer Prime GPS Extension Kit Application

ASUS placates Transformer Prime owners with free GPS Extension Kit add-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:16:00 ED! T. Plea se see our terms for use of feeds.

Land of Droid | source

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Thursday, April 05, 2012

Flickr adopting Aviary for photo edits, waves goodbye to Picnik

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/05/flickr-adopting-aviary-photo-editor/

Flickr adopting Aviary for photo edits, waves goodbye to Picnik

With Google set to close the Picnik shop on April 19th, it was obvious that Flickr had to go out and seek a fresh replacement. Today, the Yahoo-owned service is announcing Aviary (a Jeff Bezos-backed startup) as the new photo editing tool on its site. Along with promising to be simpler and speedier than its soon-to-be deceased predecessor, Aviary brings expected features like cropping, rotating, sharpening, red-eye reduction and cosmetic whitening, just to mention a few. Of note, Aviary is written in HTML5, opening the doors to become useful on a handful of slates and handsets. Flickr is set to commence the rollout later today, though it may take a few days until you can check out the changes.

Flickr adopting Aviary for photo edits, waves goodbye to Picnik originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Electronista | source

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Do You Care How Ugly the Google Glasses Are? [Qotd]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5899190/do-you-care-how-ugly-the-google-glasses-are

The internet, it is divided! Some people are disgusted by the Google Glass look—it is pretty goddamn nerdy. On the other hand, if it actually works as well as that snazzy demo video, does it even matter?

Yes and no! Presumably, Google's computer glasses will have to look at least not-stupid enough for you to wear them without feeling enough shame to immediately take them off. But they're a device, right? So they should be judged on the merits of how well they work? On how well they can augment that ol' reality? A bit of an android chicken and the cybernetic egg it was e-hatched from, we think.

But tell us what you think. Do looks matter?

Do you care how the Google Glasses look, even if they WORK amazingly well?

Self-sculpting 'smart sand' can assume any shape, create instant prototypes (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/self-sculpting-smart-sand/

A new algorithm developed by the Distributed Robotics Laboratory at MIT's Computer Science could lead to an exciting fast prototyping tool, being dubbed "smart sand." Immerse an object in the sand, tiny cubes that send simple proximity messages to each other, which relay through the swarm and determine which blocks are adjacent to the object to be modeled, and those that aren't. Using this data, it's possible to create a map of the subject to be replicated. Initial tests were performed using 2D models, but has also been shown to work reliably with 3D shapes also. While true smart sand would need "grains" much smaller than currently possible, it's said that this isn't an "insurmountable obstacle." The paper will be presented at the IEEE conference in May, or keep going past the break for the explanatory video.

Continue reading Self-sculpting 'smart sand' can assume any shape, create instant prototypes (video)

Self-sculpting 'smart sand' can assume any shape, create instant prototypes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers create incredibly thin solar cells flexible enough to wrap around a human hair

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/thin-flexible-solar-cells/

You've probably heard that the sun is strong enough to power our planet many times over, but without a practical method of harnessing that energy, there's no way to take full advantage. An incredibly thin and light solar cell could go a long way to accomplishing that on a smaller scale, however, making the latest device from researchers from the University of Austria and the University of Tokyo a fairly significant discovery. Scientists were able to create an ultra-thin solar cell that measures just 1.9 micrometers thick -- roughly one-tenth the size of the next device. Not only is the sample slim -- composed of electrodes mounted on plastic foil, rather than glass -- it's also incredibly flexible, able to be wrapped around a single strand of human hair (which, believe it or not, is nearly 20 times thicker). The scalable cell could replace batteries in lighting, display and medical applications, and may be ready to be put to use in as few as five years. There's a bounty of physical measurement and efficiency data at the source link below, so grab those reading glasses and click on past the break.

Researchers create incredibly thin solar cells flexible enough to wrap around a human hair originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhysOrg | source

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Samsung's AdHub Market advertising platform set to debut this year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/samsung-adhub-market-advertising-platform/

Samsung's AdHub Market advertising platform set to debut this year

Would it be such a bad idea if Sammy were to try squeezing more revenue out of those five million (and counting) Notes? Not by any means. According to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung, in partnership with OpenX Technologies, is planning to launch an advertising platform of its own at some point during the second half of this year. Dubbed AdHub Market, the service will be able to run on the company's handsets and slates, following a model similar to that of Apple's iAds. The AdHub Market would essentially allow advertisers to shell out cash in exchange for real estate within apps running on most of Samsung's devices. What's not clear, however, is how Google will react to the news...

Samsung's AdHub Market advertising platform set to debut this year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Smart Monitor's SmartWatch, the seizure sensing wristwatch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/hands-on-with-smart-monitors-smartwatch-the-seizure-sensing-wr/

Hands-on with Smart Monitor's SmartWatch, the seizure sensing wristwatch

Millions of people suffer from epileptic seizures, and the threat of such episodes is a constant concern for those with the condition, their families and caretakers. Smart Monitor knows that the freedom of folks with epilepsy is curtailed by trepidation caused by the unpredictability of seizures, so it's created the SmartWatch. The device is a wristwatch, roughly the size of a WIMM One, that has a GPS module and a proprietary accelerometer/gyroscopic sensor inside to detect the excessive and repeated motions that occur during grand mal seizures. It then records the time, duration and location of the occurrences and sends that information via Bluetooth to the accompanying app on your Android smartphone (an iOS version is in the works). The app tracks and stores the info and automatically calls your designated caretakers to alert them of the seizure, thusly ensuring the safety of the watch wearer. The watch also has physical buttons on the side that allow users to cancel a false alert or manually send one out with a single press.

Gallery: Smart Monitor SmartWatch hands-on

Aside from the real-time safety net that comes with wearing the watch, it also provides valuable information to neurologists over the long term. When and where seizures take place is data that those who study and treat epilepsy find useful, and it can be quite difficult for folks to recall such info after a seizure. SmartWatch can give doctors an accurate long term look at a patient's episodic history that they wouldn't be able to obtain otherwise. Because it's a motion detection unit, the device is only for those who suffer from tonic clonic, or grand mal seizures, so it's not a universal seizure detector. However, the company's clinical trials with the device are ongoing, and Smart Monitor will submit it for FDA approval as a tonic clonic seizure sensor later this year.

Hands-on with Smart Monitor's SmartWatch, the seizure sensing wristwatch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wahoo Fitness BlueSC cycling sensor preview

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/wahoo-fitness-bluesc-cycling-sensor-preview/

Wahoo Fitness BlueSC cycling sensor preview

It wasn't all that long ago that Wahoo Fitness unveiled it's iPhone 4S friendly BlueHR heart monitor to let you track your workouts. Well, it turns out that Wahoo's been working on something new, and at a Bluetooth 4.0 event today in SF, we got a sneak peek at the company's next device, the BlueSC. It's a gadget aimed at would-be Alberto Contadors that wirelessly tracks the speed and pedaling cadence of cyclists via Wahoo's existing app. It's a three piece affair with a main hub that straps to your bike frame, one magnet that goes on your wheel, and a second that's placed on the pedal crank. The hub gets rotational info from each magnet as it swings past and then shoots your stats to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to track your performance as you chug up the Alpe d'Huez. (OK, maybe just around the neighborhood.) What you see above is a working prototype device, but Wahoo's being coy about further hardware details, pricing and availability -- though we can say that it's quite lightweight and can't weigh more than few grams. In the meantime, you can get a better look at your next training tool in the gallery below.

Wahoo Fitness BlueSC cycling sensor preview originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/idrive-connect/

IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine

Need a way to access those Google Docs outside of the native interface? IDrive Online Backup has unveiled its free software that does just that. IDrive Connect allows folks who fancy the document-sharing platform to access files as if they were resting in a folder on their PC -- in a DropBox-esque fashion. The application enables drag-and-drop capabilities for easy upload, conversion for popular document types to the Google Docs format and file sharing directly within the Connect interface. If that wasn't enough, you can also save those Google Docs to an existing IDrive account, which offers up to 5GB of backup / storage (not just documents, either) at no cost. If you're looking for all the details, hit the PR below or take a gander and the source links to download the app and get started.

Continue reading IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine

IDrive Connect offers Google Docs access via virtual folder on your Windows machine originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic Lumix GF5 looks identical to its predecessor, offers similar specs for $100 more (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/05/panasonic-lumix-gf5-hands-on/

It's been a bumpy ride for Panasonic's GF line of Micro Four Thirds cameras. The GF1, an excellent mirrorless camera for its time, was soon replaced with a less-capable entry level model, the GF2. Then another, the GF3. And now, it's time to say hello (again) to the GF5. For better or worse, the GF3 won't be going away -- it'll sit tight at its new $500 price point (with a 14-42mm kit lens), ready to confuse consumers looking to purchase its nearly identical, yet $100 pricier, pseudo-replacement. Both cameras come equipped with 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensors, though the newer model adds a "High Picture Quality" distinction -- it's been dubbed a 12.1-megapixel "High Picture Quality" Live MOS sensor. So, naturally, we're going to expect some pretty incredible images. Panasonic has also added an ISO 12,800 "extended" mode (the GF3 topped out at a native ISO 6400). There has been a jump in the video department, with 1080/30p MP4 recording joining the 720p mix. Burst mode capabilities have seen an increase as well, from 3.8 frames-per-second to... 4. Finally, it's slightly larger, due to a more substantial (and more comfortable) grip, though battery life has dropped from 340 shots to 320, likely due to a new processing technique aimed at further reducing noise in low-light captures.

The GF3 and GF5 look so similar that we mistakenly photographed the former for a min! ute or t wo, only realizing the error when we flipped on the LCD. The 5 has a much-improved touchscreen, with a 920k-dot resolution (460k dots on the GF3). It looks gorgeous by comparison, but amateurs making the switch from a point-and-shoot may not take notice. The features they'll appreciate most relate entirely to the GUI, and include a highlight window for selection options, 14 filters with a realtime preview option, a background image that appears on the main menu and a filter recommendation while in Intelligent Auto. This feature works by suggesting that you apply the Expressive or Toy Effect if you're taking a macro shot, for example. Other additions include a stereo microphone for video capture, though the left and right mics are positioned oddly near each other -- on either side of the word "MIC" on the top of the camera, with the right mic angled towards the left -- so we can't image that you'll be getting a true stereo effect. Like its predecessor, the GF5 is clearly designed with beginners in mind -- more advanced photogs should consider the GX1 -- but with a $599 sticker price (with 14-42mm lens), it's sure to be a hit.

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 hands-on

Continue reading Panasonic Lumix GF5 looks identical to its predecessor, offers similar specs for $100 more (hands-on)

Panasonic Lumix GF5 looks identical to its predecessor, offers similar specs for $100 more (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/05/samsung-ultra-high-speed-microsd/

Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets

While so far the Ultra High Speed Class 1 memory card designation has been reserved for SDXC and SDHC cards, Samsung just announced new microSD cards that support the faster interface as well. Currently being produced in 16GB sizes, they have maximum sequential read speeds of up to 80 MB/s, four times that of the high speed cards it introduced last year. There's no word on the write speeds but Samsung is already busy calling its next shot, planning to offer cards with even more storage in the future. Of course, you'll need compatible devices to make these new cards worth it, we wonder what kind of Advanced LTE smartphones with 3D gaming and HD video capabilities might be in store from Samsung soon...

Continue reading Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets

Samsung rolls out Ultra High Speed microSD cards destined for LTE phones and tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Samsung's ST200F goes on sale in Korea, wants you to know it exists

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/samsungs-st200f-wifi-goes-on-sale-in-korea/

Samsung's ST200F goes on sale in Korea, wants you to know it exists

Having trouble remembering Samsung's ST200F? You're forgiven as it was announced during the feed-busting monster that is CES, and alongside three other (arguably more interesting) Sammy WiFi-enabled shooters. No matter, as today the company's jogged our memory by letting us know the 16 megapixel shooter will soon soon grace Korean shelves for ₩249,000 (or around $200). Those buying will also be granted to a 10x optical zoom, 802.11 antennae and 720p video recording. And best of all, a quick perusal of online retailers reveal it's already up for preorder and will likely ship stateside in mid-April. Considerably later than the previously promised "February" ship date, but beggars can't be choosers. Right?

Samsung's ST200F goes on sale in Korea, wants you to know it exists originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plantronics BackBeat Go headset sports tangle-free cord, 'rich' stereo sound

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/03/plantronics-backbeat-go/

Plantronics has made a name for itself in the wireless headset space, but there's plenty of room to grow when it comes to premium stereo offerings. BackBeat Go is the company's smallest and lightest wireless earbud set to date, tipping the scale at 13 grams, or "about the weight of three nickels." The cordless rig includes a pair of earbuds linked with a flat tangle-free cord, with inline controls to adjust volume and an integrated mic for calls. The Bluetooth-enabled Go can sync up with one device at a time, so you'll need to repeat the pairing process if switching between phones or to a tablet -- and you should be able to snag 4.5 hours of listening and talk time or 10 hours of standby with a single charge. Digital noise reduction and echo canceling play into the call experience, while the "deep, rich, stereo sound" means the earbuds are equally suited for leisure. Sound good to you? You can snag your own set for a cool $100 by clicking through to the source link below.

Continue reading Plantronics BackBeat Go headset sports tangle-free cord, 'rich' stereo sound

Plantronics BackBeat Go headset sports tangle-free cord, 'rich' stereo sound originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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