Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook: 5/13/12 - 5/20/12

Saturday, May 19, 2012

$74 MK802 PC-on-a-stick beats Cotton Candy to market, has ICS on board

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/mk802-beats-cotton-candy-to-market/

Unless you're lucky enough to live in Scandinavia, you'll have to wait till the end of summer to get your Cotton Candy fix. Aching to nab yourself a computer-on-a-stick before then? If you're willing to step down in specs, the Chinese-made MK802 could be the PC in your pocket. For $74 (versus $199 for the Cotton Candy), this 7-ounce device gives you a 1.5-GHz Allwinner A10 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and, like the Cotton Candy, Android 4.0. FXI's version, on the other hand, packs a dual-core 1.2-GHz Samsung Exynos processor, and while the MK802 offers an HDMI port, the Cotton Candy includes an HDMI connector. The MK802 is slightly bulkier than its sweetly named competitor (3.5 inches vs. 3.1), but that Android logo on the front does wonders for its design cred. AliExpress.com is currently selling the MK802 with free shipping to the US -- click the source link for a gander.

$74 MK802 PC-on-a-stick beats Cotton Candy to market, has ICS on board originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/19/raspberry-pi-camera-add-on/

While the main thing that would make Raspberry Pi's diminutive $25 / $35 Linux setups better would be if we could get our hands on them faster, the team behind it is already working on improvements like this prototype camera seen above. The add-on is slated to ship later this year and plugs into the CSI pins left exposed right in the middle of each unit. According to the accompanying blog post, the specs may be downgraded from the prototype's 14MP sensor to keep things affordable, although there's no word on an exact price yet. Possible applications include robotics and home automation, but until the hackers get their hands on them you'll have to settle for one pic from the Pi's POV after the break and a few more at the source linked below.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on

Raspberry Pi team shows off pics of (and taken with) prototype camera add-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 04:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers tout efficiency breakthrough with new 'inexact' chip

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/19/researchers-tout-efficiency-breakthrough-with-new-inexact-chip/

Accuracy is generally an important consideration in computer chips, but a team of researchers led by Rice University are touting a new "inexact" chip (dubbed PCMOS) that they say could lead to as much as a fifteen-fold increase in efficiency. Their latest work, which won a best paper award at a recent ACM conference, builds on years of research in the field from the university, and is already moving far beyond the lab -- some inexact hardware is being used in the "i-slate" educational tablet developed by the Rice-NTU Institute for Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics, 50,000 of which are expected to wind up in India's Mahabubnagar school district over the next three years. As for the chips themselves, their inexactness comes not just from one process, but a variety of different measures that can be used on their own or together -- including something the researchers describe as "pruning," which eliminate rarely used portions of the chip. All of that naturally comes with some trade-offs (less defined video processing is one example given), but the researchers say those are often outweighed by the benefits -- like cheaper, faster chips that require far less power.

Researchers tout efficiency breakthrough with new 'inexact' chip originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 06:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

SPOTTED: Lamborghini's Street Legal Lightweight

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/spotted-lamborghinis-street-legal-lightweight-2012-5

The Lamborghini Gallardo is one of our favorite supercars.

There are many different versions of the car, but our choice would be the LP570-4 Superleggera. Superleggera is Italian for "Super Lightweight." It is 154 pounds lighter than the standard car and has ten more horsepower.

That's enough for us.

Our friend David Tulchinsky saw this Superleggera in Washington, DC near Woodley Park. We love the color scheme of this car; it looks awesome.

Have you spotted a rare or unusual car/plane/train/boat/industry person in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing?

If you answered yes to these questions, please send the picture to tokulski@businessinsider.com with the subject line "Spotted." Be sure to include where you saw it to be considered for our Photo of the Day.

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Check out the last Photo of the Day >

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Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/dell-precision-r5500-lets-four-graphics-pros-work-on-one-pc/

Workstations aren't normally our focus, but when Dell shows off a new Precision system that lets four media pros share its graphics hardware at once, you can be sure the company has our attention. If your IT chief springs for a Precision R5500 with four Quadro 2000 cards, each of those cards can take advantage of a graphics pass-through in Citrix's virtualization to render 3D models at speeds much more like what you'd get if the Quadro were sitting in your own PC. Before you have visions of four-player Modern Warfare parties after-hours at work, the inherent barriers of distance and the virtual machine itself will likely rule out any game sessions. We'd add that the Quadro, Xeon processor and the $2,742 minimum price make it an expensive proposition. That engineering simulation will finish a lot faster, though, giving you a bit more time to play back home.

Continue reading Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming

Dell Precision R5500 lets four graphics pros work on one PC, we wish it did gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 22:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/midtronics-grx-5100-simplifies-servicing-hybrid-and-ev-batteries/

As we move away from traditional fossil fuel-burning automobiles towards hybrids and EVs, we're presented with new challenges -- namely servicing those vehicles and their high-voltage batteries. When it comes time for transport, in the event of an accident or when components need to be serviced individually, it's necessary to completely drain the cells on board, and that's where Midtronics' GRX-5100 comes in. The vehicle battery service and de-power tool is wrapping up field testing at GM and may soon find itself in "reclamation yards" (read: junk yards) as well as your local mechanic. With testing out of the way Midtronics plans to ramp up production before the end of the year, and its updateable firmware means it will be able to handle future vehicles with nothing more than an upgrade loaded on a USB key. For more info check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries

Midtronics GRX-5100 simplifies servicing hybrid and EV batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

LG 55" Cinema 3D Smart TV Lightning Review: A Pretty Good TV for Children of the Night [Lightning Review]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5909909/lg-55-cinema-3d-smart-tv-lightning-review-a-pretty-good-tv-for-children-of-the-night

LG's newest LED member of its Cinema 3D line is packed to the gills with features and functionality including native support for Netflix and HuluPlus, sharing media from mobile devices and PCs, and Internet access, but you're going to have to keep vampire hours to avoid the glare.

What Is It?

A 55" Smart TV (read: Internet connected) with Passive 3D—the same as the Real 3D tech theaters keep forcing upon us, it's less crisp than active 3D (the glasses with the batteries) but easier on the eyes and loads cheaper.

Who's it For?

Night owls, home theater aficionados, and anybody who likes to watch with the lights off.

Design

Simple and Clean. It has 1/4" borders along the top and side edges with a two-inch silver band along the bottom that matches the stand. All buttons and ports are hidden from the front.

Using It

A complete joy. Being only 70 lbs, the television was a cinch to unbox and set up. The initial system setup was ludicrously simple—it found and assimilated into my Wi-Fi network on the very first try. Being a Smart TV, the set offers in-TV access to numerous streaming services as well as the Internet.

The Best Part

The picture quality. Motion blur is nearly non-existent (and actually better than if you enable the dynamic tracking), the color representation is bright and vibrant with decent black levels. I was most surprised by the utter lack of artifacts on streaming content (both Netflix and HuluPlus).

Tragic Flaw

The glare when watching during the day is nearly unbearable.

This Is Weird...

There's no way to calibrate the the remote—so if it points slightly off-center by default, you'll have to get used to adjusting for that.

Test Notes

This set comes bundled with six pair of passive 3D frames.
Can share content over a DNLA connection with LG phones.
Laser remote works much like a mouse and makes inputting text much faster than having to cycle through character wheels or virtual keyboards.
The passive 3D is what it is, pretty good depth levels on converted 2D to 3D content.
Glasses are comfortable but you've got to make sure you're sitting front and center to get the full effect.

Should You Buy It?

With an initial MSRP of $2,300 this set was definitely a bit pricey for the picture quality. But with prices already dropping to the high $1400s online just four months after its debut, yeah, the LG55LM6700 is a pretty good deal right now.

LG 55" Cinema 3D Smart TV (55LM6700) Specs

• Screen Size: 55"
• Display Type: LED-LCD
• Refresh: 120Hz
• Backlight: Edge Lighting with Local Dimming
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Weight: 70lbs
• Price: $1,700
• Gizrank: 3 stars

VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/via-unveils-fanless-eden-x2-packing-amos-3002-pc/

VIA is planning to get some serious mileage out of its Eden X2 processor -- in the most literal sense possible. It's now producing the AMOS-3002, a Pico-ITX-sized PC intended for in-car infotainment and other situations where an embedded PC needs to have a little more juice for media tasks. The Eden X2 in question comes in a dual-core 1GHz flavor that's completely fanless, but it's fast enough to show 1080p video (when your car is parked, we hope) and can handle more intensive work like dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, optional 3G and even a 2.5-inch hard drive. That breadbox-sized shell can also take a lot of abuse, surviving temperatures between -4F and 140F as well as 50 Gs' worth of shock. You'll have to wait until your favorite car designer or digital sign maker uses the AMOS-3002 to see it in action, but until then, you can get the full details after the break.

Continue reading VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car

VIA unveils fanless, Eden X2-packing AMOS-3002, promises tiny dual-core PC in your car originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 18:17:00! EDT. P lease see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/intel-wants-to-have-conflict-free-processors-by-the-end-of-2013/

Intel had already promised that it would avoid using conflict minerals, and now it's giving itself a more concrete timetable for that to happen. It wants to have at least one processor that's proven completely conflict-free across four key minerals -- gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten -- by the end of 2013. Lest you think Intel's not taking swift enough action, it wants to reach the tantalum goal by the end of this year. The effort's part of a wider array of goals that should cut back on the energy use, power and water use by 2020. Sooner rather than later, though, you'll be buying a late-generation Haswell- or Broadwell-based PC knowing that the chip inside was made under nobler conditions.

Continue reading Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013

Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus 4X HD stops in at the FCC, flaunts AT&T bands, global support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/lg-optimus-4x-hd-stops-in-at-the-fcc-flaunts-atandt-bands-global/

LG's latest 4.7-inch wunderphone may not have penned in an official release this side of the Atlantic, but that doesn't mean the Feds aren't putting it through its paces. A global version of the LG Optimus 4X HD made its way through the FCC test labs recently, revealing a quad-band GSM / EDGE radio with 3G support over AT&T's 1900 / 850 bands. In other words, feel free to import an unlocked slab when they hit Europe next month. Check out the federal filings yourself at the source link below, or check out our own hands-on coverage right here.

LG Optimus 4X HD stops in at the FCC, flaunts AT&T bands, global support originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 20:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/samsung-mass-produces-4-gigabit-lpddr2-memory/

Samsung started making 2GB low-power mobile memory last year, but as the 1GB-equipped phone you likely have in your hand shows, the chips weren't built on a wide-enough scale to get much use. The Korean company is hoping to fix that now that it's mass-producing 20-nanometer, 4-gigabit LPDDR2 RAM. Going to a smaller process than the 30-nanometer chips of old will not just slim the memory down by a fifth, helping your smartphone stay skinny: it should help 2GB of RAM become the "mainstream product" by the end of 2013, if Samsung gets its way. New chips should run at 1,066Mbps without chewing up any more power than the earlier parts, too, so there's no penalty for using the denser parts. It's hard to say whether or not the 20nm design is what's leading to the 2GB of RAM in the Japanese Galaxy S III; we just know that the upgraded NTT DoCoMo phone is now just the start of a rapidly approaching trend for smartphones and tablets.

Continue reading Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones

Samsung mass-produces 4-gigabit LPDDR2 memory, aims to make 2GB a common sight in smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHART OF THE DAY: Here's Who Is Getting Rich From Facebook's IPO

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-facebook-insiders-stocks-selling-2012-5

Here's a look at who will be selling Facebook stock and for how much, via Fortune's Dan Primack.

chart of the day, facebook insiders selling stock and value remaining, may 2012

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Google's latest Gmail tweaks bring contact info to search results, enhanced Circle integration

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/google-gmail-update-contact-details-circle-integration/

By any means, this is certainly far from being one of the biggest changes Gmail's ever seen -- still, it's one that's likely to make a few tasks a wee bit easier for you. Inside the recent tweaks, Google added a new quick access trait that makes contact details -- such as phone numbers -- show up automatically in search results within your cherished G inbox. Additionally, the Android-maker has improved the Google+ integration (again), now allowing folks to narrow down conversations from specific Circles in the search box (you know, something like Circle: Awesome Engadget editors). Google says the changes will be rolling out over the course of the day, but in the meantime, you could always check out what exactly happens behind Gmail's closed doors.

Google's latest Gmail tweaks bring contact info to search results, enhanced Circle integration originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/the-mysteries-of-the-ccd-revealed-video/

Sure, we've explained to you why sensor size matters in a digital camera, but maybe you need to take it back a bit. Maybe, you're not entirely sure how those sensors work in the first place. Well, Bill Hammack, better known as The Engineer Guy, is here to help. After breaking down LCDs and hard drives for your amusement and education, Bill has turned his attention to the CCD. The charge-coupled device is the heart and soul of many a digital camera, turning incoming photons into a charge that the impressively complex processor inside can convert into an image. What makes the CCD so impressive is it's rather ingenious solutions to problems such as interference (no wires, just a shift register) and color reproduction (pixel-sized filters and a hue-flattening algorithm). For more, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video)

The mysteries of the CCD revealed (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 19:37:00 EDT. Please see our ter ms for use of feeds.

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Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/netflix-web-player-updated/

With the exception of tweaks for new features like HD video and closed captioning Netflix's Silverlight-based web player has been largely unchanged for years, but today everything is being reworked. As detailed in a post on the company's blog, PC and Mac users (no word on ChromeOS) the size of the player controls now scale to the window they're in and replace words with icons. Other new features users will notice is the ability to preview additional episodes of TV series without stopping the stream, title information that pops up when the stream is paused and that full screen viewing now has the same options as the windows player. The finale tweak is that the back to browsing button that brings viewers back to their queue has shifted from the bottom right to the top left. Hit the blog for the full breakdown, or just expect a surprise tomorrow when you're watching Downton Abbey at work Drive in the comfort of your own home during leisure time.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Netflix web streaming interface gets a new look with bigger icons, embedded previews originally appeared on Engadge t on Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google bots learning to read webpages like humans, one step closer to knowing everything

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/google-bots-read-webpages-like-humans/

Google just launched its Knowledge Graph, a tool intended to deliver more accurate information by analyzing the way users search. Of course, with a desire to provide better search results comes a need for improved site-reading capabilties. JavaScript and AJAX have traditionally put a wrench in Google bots' journey through a webpage, but it looks like the search engine has developed some smarter specimens. While digging through Apache logs, a developer spotted evidence that bots now execute the JavaScript they encounter -- and rather than just mining for URLS, the crawlers seem to be mimicking how users click on objects to activate them. That means bots can dig deeper into the web, accessing databases and other content that wasn't previously indexable. Looks like Google is one step closer to success on its quest to know everything.

Google bots learning to read webpages like humans, one step closer to knowing everything originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/hillcrest-labs-open-sources-kylo-web-browser-for-tvs-hopes-the/

We didn't hear much from Hillcrest Labs' Kylo web browser for TVs after it launched in 2010, but now the company is apparently turning its fate over to the community. A Mozilla-based browser, Kylo will work with any mouse but is designed specifically for its Freespace pointer controls. It's available under the Mozilla Public License which means others can use it for commercial products, but so far web connected products have been slow to take off and even Google TV has had trouble pushing a typical browser experience on HDTVs. Interested devs can snag the code at Kylo.tv or GitHub, we'll see if anyone builds anything with more market impact.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation

90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation

Read more: 90-9-1 or 1-9-90 Rule of Social Media Participation » go-Digital Blog on Digital Marketing

Meet Electric Imp, The Brilliant Gadget From The iPhone's Former Hardware Boss

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-imp-2012-5

electric imp

We're going nuts over this one.

Hugo Fiennes, the hardware boss behind the first four iPhones, has a brilliant new startup called Electric Imp. (We first got word of the company from Gizmodo.)

Electric Imp is more of a system than a single gadget. You can install a tiny card (it looks like your phone's SIM card) to just about any device in your home and connect it to the web. Each card has a built-in Wi-Fi antenna and processor.

The system is fully programmable. For example, you can tell your dishwasher to send you a tweet or text when it's finished. Or you can turn off your home's lights from your iPhone. Or you can get a text message whenever your doorbell rings...

You get the idea.

Manufacturers can also add Imp card slots to their appliances. (If an appliance doesn't have the slot, you can buy one and install it.)

Each Imp card will cost $25, but no word yet on when you can buy it. Developers can get their hands on a development kit in late June to start writing apps.

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Scientists Make Wi-Fi Twenty Times Faster [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910723/scientists-make-wi+fi-twenty-times-faster

Scientists Make Wi-Fi Twenty Times Faster If you're never content with Wi-Fi speeds, rest assured that scientists are trying to help. In fact, a team of Japanese researchers has just broken the record for wireless data transmission in the terahertz range—with a data rate 20 times higher than most current Wi-Fi connections.

The research focuses on what scientists call the "T-ray" band: the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between 300 GHz and 3 THz. Lying between microwave and far-infrared, it's currently an unregulated part of the spectrum, which could be fair game for use in Wi-Fi networks in the future.

The researchers, from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, have developed hardware capable of transmitting data at 3Gb/s—that's about 20 times faster than current Wi-Fi connections—at frequencies up to 542GHz. The results are published in Electronics Letters.

To do that, they used a 1 millimeter-square device known as a resonant tunneling diode, which produces smaller voltages with increasing current. By tuning the current, the team are able to make the tiny device resonate, and spit out signals in the terahertz band.

It is, of course, currently just a proof of concept, and terahertz Wi-Fi would probably only ever work over distances of the order of tens of yards. But given that researchers think it might be possible nudge 100Gb/s in the future, I think you could cope. You'll just have to be a little bit more careful with your data caps. [Electronics Letters via BBC]

Image by Markus Gann/Shutterstock

IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/ikea-uppleva-europe/

Details continue to emerge as we approach the IKEA Uppleva's June launch. GigaOM has discovered that the set will be available in sizes ranging from 24 to 46 inches and will be priced "around $960" -- with a scale relative to the display size, we presume. The TV will feature a built-in Blu-ray player and a wireless subwoofer, and is being assembled by TCL Multimedia a manufacturer in China. Uppleva is expected to roll out to France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden beginning next month, then to other European countries later in the year, followed by the US in 2013. There will also be a handful of applications that will vary based on region, including Dailymotion, Vimeo and YouTube, along with games, music playback and video-on-demand apps, and the Opera for TV web browser. There's a familiar sneak-peek vid awaiting you just past the break.

Update: Due to an error at the source article, we originally identified the manufacturer as TLC, rather than TCL Multimedia. The text above has been updated to reflect the correction.

Continue reading IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013

IKEA Uppleva HDTV to retail for $960 in Europe beginning next month, US launch in 2013 originally appeared on Engadget ! on Wed, 16 May 2012 00:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/gartner-global-mobile-phone-sales-samsung/

Gartner's latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn't enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 million handsets were sold, representing the first hiccup after nearly three years of growth and leading analysts to point fingers at a slow down in the Asia / Pacific region as well as a lack of product launches at the start of the year. Meanwhile, these figures also confirm what was already gleaned from IDC's shipments data: Samsung has knocked Nokia off its 14-year-old perch to become the padrone of the mobile phone market, with a cut of over 20 percent. It also replaced Apple as the number one smartphone vendor, claiming ownership of almost half of that segment. Damn, it feels good to be a pebble.

Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/netgear-r6200-router-and-a6200-usb-adapter-announced/

In its ongoing battle against internet bottlenecks -- or let's face it -- techie bragging rights, Netgear has launched two more devices with that sweet, sweet 802.11ac data flow. Joining its recently announced R6300 router, is the R6200 model, which supports a combined WiFi speed of 1200 Mbps, has a USB port for networking devices, and of course also rides the a, b, g and n waves too -- if you don't have any 802.11ac kit just yet. Well, as it happens, Netgear thought of that, and has also announced the A6200 dual band USB WiFi adapter to, literally, bring your existing kit up to speed. If you want in on the action, you'll need to spend $179.99 and $69.99 respectively when they launch in Q3 this year. Full specs in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family

Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA outs a pair of Tesla GPUs to electrify your supercomputer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/nvidia-tesla-gpus/

NVIDIA's announced a pair of Tesla GPUs that'll give some extra pep to your supercomputing tasks. The K10 and K20 units harness the power of Kepler to add more muscle to the company's scientific and technical computing arm that supplies gear to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Tokyo's Tsubame 2.0. Internal tests reveal that the hardware is around three times faster than the company's Fermi GPUs -- with the latter card expected to arrive at the end of the year. The company didn't announce pricing, since its aiming them squarely at the big academic institutions, defense contractors and oil explorers -- but if your surname is Buffet or Abramovitch, then they might sell you one at trade.

Continue reading NVIDIA outs a pair of Tesla GPUs to electrify your supercomputer

NVIDIA outs a pair of Tesla GPUs to electrify your supercomputer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung exec admits 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/samsung-15-inch-series-9-viewing-angles/

When we reviewed the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, we found very little to complain about, save for the narrow viewing angles and the fair-weather trackpad. Turns out, Samsung at least agrees with the first part. Raymond Wah, VP of PC product strategy, told a group of reporters, "We can make improvements in terms of the viewing angle." That's not surprising, given that Samsung's homegrown 15-inch display doesn't currently make use of the same IPS-like PLS technology as the panel used in the 13-inch Series 9. It would seem, then, that it's occurred to Samsung to develop one, though company reps declined to say when we might see a 15-inch Series 9 with such a display in tow.

For now, anyway, the outfit is giving itself some credit for the laptop's relatively dense 1600 x 900 pixel count (and rightfully so!). Interestingly, Wah's comments come at a time when MacBook Pro rumors are starting to flow fast and furious, and a Retina display is looking like a fair possibility. As to whether Samsung will ever produce a 4K laptop display of its own, Wah declined to comment, but he did note that right now there isn't enough content optimized for that higher resolution, and that such screens would be costlier to produce. Until all that changes, we have to admit we're pretty pleased with the Series 9's resolution too -- after all, anything's better than plain old HD.

Samsung exec admits 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better vi! ewing an gles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/google-docs-research-tool/

Google has already brought a pile of new fonts and templates to Google Docs this month, and it's now back with another fairly big new feature. Open a document today and you'll find a new Research tool on the side of your page (which can be toggled on and off), offering the ability to search for any topic and get results without having to leave the document you're working on. Those results can include images, quotes and other basic information that's delivered right in the sidebar -- and, of course, the usual search results that you can open in a new tab or window if you want to dive deeper on a subject. Hit the source link below for all the details on how to use the new tool, or simply fire up a new document to try it out for yourself.

Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/haswell-based-windows-8-ultrabook-shown-off-at-idf-2012-in-brazi/

Intel's been playing the slow tease with its Haswell microarchitecture as far back as 2008. But today, we finally have a glimpse at what devices running that 22nm core might look like. Shown off at IDF 2012 down in Sao Paulo, the company's Brazilian prexy, Fernando Martins, was photographed brandishing a Windows 8 Ultrabook powered by that next-gen CPU, replete with touchscreen functionality. While it remains to be seen if such hands-on features will make it into the final consumer product, this reference design does at least tip us off to a potential form factor. When those chips do make their official market debut, you can expect a line of svelte laptops that will reportedly consume 20x less power and last up to ten days on standby. That'll make for some nice computing kit, for sure. Now you just have to endure the wait. Hop on past the break for a closer look at this work-in-progress.

Update: A spokesperson for Intel reached out to let us know that the device above is not, in fact, running a Haswell core. The Ultrabook in Martins' hands is actually an Ivy Bridge reference design.

[Thanks, Henrique]

Continue reading Haswell-based Win! dows 8 U ltrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon: The Ultralight, Semi-Rugged Carbon Fiber Ultrabook [Ultrabooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910216/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-the-ultralight-semi+rugged-carbon-fiber-ultrabook

Tablets may be the next big thing in mobile computing, but don't count out ultrabooks just yet. At least not until you've given Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Carbon—a feather-weight, carbon fiber workhorse a closer look. It's tough, it's light, and you don't have to be an office drone to crave it.

The X1 Carbon it the latest addition to Lenovo's popular X1 series. Despite a spacious 14-inch screen, the X1 Carbon tips the scales at a scant three pounds—making it the lightest rig of its size—thanks to its carbon fiber roll cage. The screen displays at a native 1600x900 resolution. The system supports up to 8GB of integrated DDR3, runs 64-bit windows 7 Pro, and has that Intel Ivy Bridge goodness you've been hearing so much about.

I had a brief moment to handle the X1 Carbon at a recent press demo and I have to say, it's impressive—three pounds on the nose for a system this robust and a screen this large feels like cheating. There's a full Thinkpad keyboard here that's spill resistant and backlit. And the display isn't just big, it's matte, which only Samsung had standard previously. Most impressive, though, was the overall build quality. If the MacBook Air is a porcelain doll, the X1 Carbon is a G.I. Joe strapped with Kevlar.

The X1 Carbon reportedly gets up to 10 hours of battery life, which should translate to nearly a full day of real-world usage. But even if it doesn't, its Rapid Charge feature means it can get back to 80-percent capacity with just 30 minutes of outlet time. Handy when you're stuck in a terminal on a 45 minute layover with a quickly fading laptop.

Other key features include the 720p front-facing camera and Dolby Home Theater v4—good for Skype meetings with your supplier in Boise. The camera employs face-tracking software to follow your movements, so you don't have to sit rigidly front-and-center, while the Dolby system ensures that the mic picks up your voice while filtering out background noise. The X1 Carbon also features 3G connectivity for when you can't find an open Wi-Fi connection.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, although it seems like Lenovo may be making it an online exclusive.

Here's the Brand New AMD Processor that Could Power Your Next Laptop [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910303/heres-the-brand-new-amd-processor-that-could-power-your-next-laptop

You didn't think AMD was going to let Intel get all the cool new processor attention with Ivy Bridge, did you? AMD's latest and greatest is now: Trinity. It's runs fast, cool, efficiently, and packs some terrific graphical tricks.

To put it simply, Trinity is about graphics. The chip packs a significant CPU upgrade, of course—by 29 percent, AMD claims—but they say the real muscle comes with the built-in GPU. The Radeon HD 7000, stuffed onto the same silicon, provides GPU acceleration for a huge swath of applications you're probably using every day. This frees up CPU power, and allows CPU and GPU to tag team heavy software to squeeze as much performance out of your laptop as possible. The first batch of Trinity chips will be topped off by the A10-4600M, with four CPU cores, a base clock speed of 2.3 Ghz, and 4 MB of L2 cache. AMD's also dropping a super thin and efficient (you might say ultra) model, the A10-655M, which will power new tinybooks with two cores at 2 Ghz and a 4 MB L2 cache.

AMD's teamed with developers to make sure programs like Photoshop, Handbrake, VLC, WinZip, and every major browser get a swift kick in the ass from Trinity's graphical guts, along with beefed up HD video playback. The GPU acceleration uses an open standard, too, so you can bet AMD is pushing more devs to team up.

It's an interesting approach—AMD is essentially ceding the CPU war to Intel as pointless, with the presumption that GPU acceleration is going to matter more in the long run. A war they can win, having absorbed the Radeon mojo. We'll have to wait until independent benchmarks come in to see whether Trinity delivers what AMD's promising, but it's an exciting way to think about computing, and one it's sort of betting the farm on.

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