Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 4/22/12 - 4/29/12

Friday, April 27, 2012

Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/panasonic-145-inch-8k-plasma-nhk-japan/

We thought the 8K 85-inch Super Hi-Vision LCD we saw during CES was impressive, but Japanese broadcaster NHK is already looking to surpass that by going even bigger. To that end it worked with Panasonic (above: that's Panasonic's Keishi Kubota on the left, Yoshio Ito of NHK on the right) to create this 145-inch prototype plasma, unveiled today as an example of the kind of displays we can expect to see once broadcasts jump to the higher resolution some day. The world's first self-illuminating Super Hi-Vision TV, it features every pixel of its expected 8K resolution -- 7,680 x 4,320. After working for months on smaller (only 85- or 103-inch) 4K plasmas, the two companies had to come up with an entirely new drive method for the display that works by scanning the pixels vertically to achieve a uniform picture quality. The NHK plans to show off the new display at its open house in May, although we're a bit more interested to see if we can watch the Olympics on it this summer. Check the gallery below for a few more pictures from DigInfo.TV's Ryo Osuga, or hit the more coverage link for a breakdown of the difficulties encountered in building a high resolution display that's this massive.

Gallery: Panasonic 145-inch Super Hi-Vision plasma

[Image Credit: Ryo Osuga, DigInfo.TV]

Panasonic teams up with NHK on 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision plasma TV originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/lg-ips4-monitor/

While LCD monitors with in-plane switching technology were once decidedly settled at the high end, LG apparently thinks its time for everyone to have one and is launching its mainstream IPS4 line. Executive VP JJ Lee says the aim is for IPS monitors to become "ubiquitous in every room", bringing better color reproduction, picture quality and wide viewing angles with them. So far we know they're slotting in just below the 3D-capable models shown off at CES, but there's nothing mentioned in the press release (included after the break along with another pic) about prices, sizes, specs or model numbers. If you're in the market however, expect to find out more soon since they will roll out to Asia first in May, followed by Europe and North America in "the coming weeks".

Continue reading LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon

LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer with Ingredients You Already Have [Household]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5905294/make-your-own-all+natural-hand-sanitizer-with-ingredients-you-already-have

Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer with Ingredients You Already Have Keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby is a great way to keep your hands fresh and clean from time to time, and while it's not exactly expensive to buy, it's also really easy to make your own, and you may already have the ingredients required in your medicine cabinet or under your sink. All you need is some aloe vera gel, rubbing alcohol, some essential oil for fragrance, and a bottle to keep it all in.

The actual recipe is pretty simple—one-third of a cup aloe vera gel, two-thirds of a cup of rubbing alcohol, and 8-10 drops of your favorite essential oil to make the whole thing smell good. Mix it all up and pour it into a bottle to store it—if you have a bottle with a pump dispenser on it, like an old lotion bottle or the empty from your last hand sanitizer purchase, that'll work just fine.

We've shown you a similar recipe a long time ago, but it required much more obscure—and in some cases expensive—ingredients, although it definitely takes the "all natural" prize, if you're looking for another recipe. Do you make your own hand sanitizer? Swear off the stuff entirely? Let us know in the comments below.

Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer | Education.com via TipNut

Photo by liz west.

This Chip Will Power the New Samsung Galaxy S III [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5905282/this-chip-will-power-the-new-samsung-galaxy-s-iii

This Chip Will Power the New Samsung Galaxy S III While the new Galaxy S III is due to officially launch on May 3rd, Samsung has just announced what's set to be powering it, and things sound promising. Based on the ARM Cortex A9, Samsung's new chip—which is called Exynos 4 Quad—will feature four cores all running at 1.4 GHz.

It replaces, and will be entirely compatible with devices already using, the older Exynos 4 Dual, and uses 32 nanometer technology instead of the old'uns 45 nanometer innards. But, meh, enough of that—what can it actually do?

Samsung claim the new chip will be capable of full 30fps 1080p video playback and recording, will feature an interface for HDMI 1.4 and also come with some embedded image signal processing capabilities. The chip is also claimed to be 20 per cent more efficient than its predecessor. All in, it sounds like Samsung could be on to a winner. [Samsung via The Verge]

Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for Â£369 or â¬460

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/panasonic-eluga-now-available-in-europe/

Wouldn't ya know it, but Panasonic was spot on with its announcement of the Eluga smartphone's European arrival this month. The elegant, waterproof handset is now available unlocked from Expansys, where it retails for £369 and approximately €460, with slight variations among countries. While the phone supports quadband GSM, its UMTS / HSPA connectivity is limited to the 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which makes it less than ideal for North American use -- though, if you really want one, it seems safe to peg this one in the $600 territory.

Similarly available through NTT DoCoMo as the P-04D, we first managed to get a hands-on with the Eluga at Mobile World Congress. For those in need of a quick refresh, the phone features a TI OMAP 4430 SoC with a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a rather paltry 1,150mAh battery. The Eluga includes a heavily-skinned version of Android 2.3.5, although an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich has been pegged for release this summer. The phone represents Panasonic's return to the smartphone arena, and while it's a bit behind the curve, it's no doubt a fine starting point.

Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for £369 or €460 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26! Apr 201 2 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Google Is Selling Hardware Again [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5904678/google-is-selling-hardware

Even though Google failed miserably and shut down the old Google phone store, it looks like they're giving it one more go. Right now, Google is selling an unlocked Galaxy Nexus that works on both AT&T and T-Mobile for $400 on Google Play.

It's being sold in the new 'Devices' section of Google Play. You can totally imagine the store becoming more robust if the rumors of the Nexus tablet are true. It'd be interesting to see if Google will promote other devices on the Play store as well.

Other than not being locked to a contract and having an unlocked phone, the big benefit of buying the unlocked version of the Galaxy Nexus is you get the unadulterated Android experience, what Google wants Android to be, pretty much. Google specifically mentions that the Galaxy Nexus on Google Play comes with Google Wallet (and a free $10 credit). [Google Play via Google Mobile Blog]

Flexible Solar Panels Stack Cells on Sheets Printed Like OLEDs [Monster Machines]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5904557/flexible-solar-panels-stack-cells-on-sheets-printed-like-oleds

Flexible Solar Panels Stack Cells on Sheets Printed Like OLEDs Solar panels are finicky devices—they have to be specially mounted, angled, and presented with the precisely correct environmental conditions to function at capacity. The complexities make it hard for the technology to gain mainstream appeal. A German startup could change all that with flexible solar cells built using OLED production techniques.

Developed by Heliatek in Germany, the panels are composed of organic modules embedded on a polyester sheet. They're made in a way similar to the process by which OLED displays are printed. The technique results in a panel that's more flexible, lightweight, and versatile than a conventional, rigid panel.

The panels use two stacked layers of solar cells arranged in a patented tandem cell construction, which can absorb a broad spectrum without relying on thick wafers of silicon. And, under less-than-ideal conditions, the panels can generate as much electricity conventional solar panels. Heliatek's product can be deposited on a single continuous roll of film, which eliminates the need for clean rooms. This, and the fact that the panels can be cut to size, reduces production costs.

The technology is still more expensive per watt than current solar technologies, though costs could drop as production ramps up. One long-term plan is for Heliatek to work with window manufacturers to integrate solar films as power-generating tints. In another concept, Heliatek could build the panels directly into a building's roof and facade, so that the whole of the structure produces electricity. The end result could provide plenty of fuel to charge those intriguing whole-house batteries. [Heliatek - Technology Review - Image: Heliatek]

AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/amd-announces-radeon-hd-7000m-series-graphics/

AMD kicked off 2012 by refreshing its desktop graphics, and now it's back, giving its mobile GPUs the same treatment. The company just announced its third generation of DirectX 11 mobile chips, the Radeon HD 7000 family. All told, the collection includes three 28nm GPUs: the high-end 7900M, the mainstream 7800M and, last but not least, the 7700M, a darling little chip intended for AMD's thin and light Ultrabook competitors. Across the board, the series ushers in a new feature AMD is calling Enduro, a graphics-switching technology that takes direct aim at NVIDIA Optimus. Building on older AMD technologies like PowerXpress, it doesn't require you to close apps, reboot your system or manually specify which apps will trigger the GPU. Additionally, it's designed to work with both Intel CPUs and AMD's own application processing units, so presumably you'll find this inside some Ivy Bridge machines too. With this generation, too, the two higher-end chips support the PCI Express 3.0 interface, and all three make use of AMD's existing ZeroCore Power and Power Gating battery-saving features. That's the abridged version, but we also have a full breakdown of the specs awaiting you past the break.

Continue reading AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google back in the smartphone sales game: unlocked Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (GSM) available for $399

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/google-galaxy-nexus-unlocked-on-sale-gsm-hspa/

Hang on to your kneecaps, folks. Google's just announced that it's making the Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ available in its Play web store for $399 contract-free. That's right: the unlocked, unbranded, pure Google, 16GB GSM version everyone's been importing from foreign lands far and near is now officially available in the US -- booyah! The handset ships with Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with Google Wallet pre-installed (including a $10 credit to get you started with the company's mobile payment service).

As a refresher, it's not Google's first time in the smartphone sales game. The company made the Nexus One available on its own website in 2010 before pulling the plug and then partnering with Best Buy to sell the Nexus S later that year. One of the problems with the Nexus One was support -- or lack thereof. Google's assured us things will be different this time and it will be offering proper support for its Nexus flagship. W! e sure h ope so.

The Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ is on sale now for $399 (plus taxes and two-day shipping) in the new Devices section of the Play web store. It's a phenomenal deal for one of the best Android phones on the market today -- especially when you consider it provides 21Mbps HSPA+ with great battery life (unlike the "fake" Nexus) and no commitment on your choice of AT&T or T-Mobile. So go ahead, stick it to the carriers and get a taste of dumb-pipe utopia -- delicious, isn't it?

Google back in the smartphone sales game: unlocked Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (GSM) available for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One X sold early at AT&T, spotted in the wild

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/htc-one-x-sold-early-at-att-spotted-in-the-wild/

HTC's hotly anticipated One X isn't supposed to ship to AT&T customers until May 6th, but there's a reason we're emphasizing the whole "supposed" thing. One lucky reader has managed to convince one particular store to sell them a handset early, with $199 (and a new two-year agreement) being all it took to grab hold of what'll undoubtedly be one of 2012's strongest Android phones. There's a gallery of shots below as proof, and if you'd like to try your luck at a local outfit, we certainly won't step up to stop you. (But look, you'll probably be waiting a few more weeks -- just sayin'.)

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: HTC One X sold early through AT&T

HTC One X sold early at AT&T, spotted in the wild originally appeared on ! Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Docs bumps up free storage to 5GB, primes servers for Drive?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/google-docs-increases-free-storage-to-5gb/

Is space at a premium in your Google Docs folder? Good news from Mountain View, then, as it's just stealth-increased the storage allowance for its cloud-based document editor. Unfortunately, anyone that's already plumped for a paid extension of their Google Docs storage won't see an extra 5GB on top. This new storage limit also tallies with what we're expecting to see from Google Drive -- presumably pretty soon.

[Thanks Kenji]

Google Docs bumps up free storage to 5GB, primes servers for Drive? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NimbleTV streams cable content to 'any' device, launching 'in the next few months'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/24/nimbletv/

With services like Aereo TV taking a similar streaming approach -- and getting sued in the process -- NimbleTV won't have an easy road ahead, but the outfit's willing to take its chances. The startup plans to launch its subscription-based offering to the public within the next few months, allowing future users to stream cable content to unspecified devices at any time and from anywhere on the globe -- all thanks to Nimble's cloud-based software. However, unlike some of its competitors, NimbleTV will give customers the ability to select channel packages based on personal preferences, though that'll depend heavily on the TV providers going along for the ride. While the service will only be available in the US and India at first, the company does plan a broader launch at some point in the future. No word yet on how pricing will play out, but there is a NYC-only beta (just as Aereo did) which you can join now by giving the source below a quick click.

Continue reading NimbleTV streams cable content to 'any' device, launching 'in the next few months'

NimbleTV streams cable content to 'any' device, launching 'in the next few months' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms! for use of feeds.

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Intel's Ivy Bridge will offer '20 percent more performance with 20 percent less average power'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/intel-ivy-bridge-performance/

So, there's still a little while to go before Intel gives Ivy Bridge a full unveiling, with official benchmarks, pricing and all those trimmings. But in the meantime, the BBC has detailed just how different this new architecture is compared to 32nm chips like Sandy Bridge and also AMD's coming Trinity processors. Most of this stuff we already knew -- like the fact that Intel has switched to a 3D or 'tri-gate' transistor design -- but what's new is a direct and official boast about performance. According to Kirk Skaugen, Chipzilla's PC chief, we can expect Ivy Bridge to deliver "20 percent more processor performance using 20 percent less average power." Now, judging from leaked desktop and laptop benchmarks, this broad-brush claim masks some very different realities depending on what type of CPU or GPU workloads you want throw at the chip, so stay tuned for more detail very soon.

Intel's Ivy Bridge will offer '20 percent more performance with 20 percent less average power' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: first 22nm product, decent official benchmarks, desktop quad-cores from $174

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/23/intel-ivy-bridge-core-i5-i7-quad-core-processors/

We hear that pilgrims have already started flocking to the town of Ivybridge (population 12,056) in the forested depths of southwest England. Very soon though, you'll be able to pay homage to Moore's law without travelling further than your favorite online retailer, because the third generation of Intel Core processors has just launched and should be available to buy before the end of this month. These include eight different variants of Core i7 for desktops and notebooks (including Ultrabooks of course), plus five types of Core i5 destined for desktops only. Those watching out for cheaper dual-core i5, i3 and Pentium-branded options will have to wait a little longer, because today's launch is all about the high-end. And just how high is 'high'? Judging from the gossip we've heard, and from benchmarks of leaked desktop and notebook chips, we're looking a significant improvement over Sandy Bridge. But if you want the first official boasts, then read on.

Gallery: Intel Ivy Bridge official slides and benchmarks

Continue reading Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: first 22nm product, decent official benchmarks, desktop quad-cores from $174

Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: first 22nm product, decent official benchmarks, desktop quad-cores from $174 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Skype for Windows Phone sheds beta title, graduates to v1.0

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/22/skype-for-windows-phone-sheds-beta-title-graduates-to-v1-0/

Skype's fledgling Windows Phone app broke out of beta today, adding contact searching and landline calling to it's VOIP repertoire. The update comes just shy of two months of the Beta's introduction in February, and boasts a handful of minor improvements that should keep your calls connected. You'll still be making those calls yourself, however, as the full version doesn't yet have support for receiving calls in the background -- if the app isn't running, your phone isn't ringing. Hit the source link below to update.

Skype for Windows Phone sheds beta title, graduates to v1.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WPCentral | source

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