Source: http://gizmodo.com/5932870/you-wont-have-to-take-out-a-loan-for-dells-new-27+inch-ultrasharp-monitor
The 2560x1440 res LCD has four USB 3.0 ports, as well as HDMI, dual-link DVI connector, DisplayPort, and VGA-out. No Thunderbolt like Apple's screen of the same size, but then again, it's $367 cheaper, and that's a tradeoff we'll happily take. [AV Watch via The Verge]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5932863/hydroponic-garden-blends-into-your-kitchen-for-year-round-herbs
Even if you're constantly buying herbs at the grocery store for cooking, with a price tag that starts at $2,200 it will be a long time before the Urban Cultivator pays for itself. But there's nothing quite like fresh chives or rosemary straight from the plant to spice up a dish. And while you won't be growing full-on vegetables in this garden, there's still a wide variety of other edible plant life that will flourish under its artificial lighting. All you need to do is feed it some organic plant food once a week, and the dishwasher-sized appliance takes care of everything else. Now if only they sold one for taking care of children.
[Urban Cultivator via The Awesomer]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5932994/google-search-results-can-pull-from-your-gmail-now
Your email is basically a huge repository for information that you need. That's where you store travel itineraries, party details, package tracking numbers, phone numbers, and countless other important bits of data. If you enable the trial, Google will pull relevant information from your emails and display it alongside your search results. Researching an upcoming trip, for example? Your airline confirmation email will pop up in a right-hand pane.
With the launch of Knowledge Graph earlier this year, Google's whole approach to search changed. Folding Gmail into search results fits right in with the new mantra. Before, Google wanted to provide you links to information. Now it wants to scrape the sources and provide you with the information itself.
It's a further uniting of your Google identity, which could be seen as a further depletion of your privacy. But Google heading this direction is inevitable, so the best we can all do is maybe sit back and enjoy the benefits while doing our best to forget the creepy negatives.
The trial is limited to users with @gmail.com email addresses, and it will only be available on Google.com in English. If you sign up and you don't like it, you can later opt-out of the trial. No word on when a wider roll out might show up. [Google via The Next Web]
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/microsoft-patents-contextual-ads-in-e-books/
We have ad-supported e-reading today, but the ads always sit on the periphery at most. That makes us more than slightly nervous about a newly-granted Microsoft patent for contextual e-book ads. The development would make the pitch based on not just targeted pages but the nature of the book in question: a sci-fi novel might try to sell lightsabers, and characters themselves might slip into the ads themselves if there's a fit. Promos could be either generated on the spot or remain static. Before anyone mourns the end of unspoiled literature, just remember that having a patent isn't the same as using it -- Microsoft doesn't have its own dedicated reading app anymore, let alone any warning signs that it's about to pepper our digital libraries with marketing. If the Newco partnership results in copies of War and Peace bombarded with Black Ops II ads, though, we'll know where to place the blame.
Microsoft patents contextual ads in e-books, whether we like it or not originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/plextor-m5-pro-high-performance-ssd/
Plextor's newly launched M5 Pro is angling to be the top dot on the SATA III SSD spec charts -- and looks like it will mostly succeed. The Marvell Monet controller lets the unit hit a continuous 540 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write speeds for the larger models, as well as a hefty 94,000 read and 86,000 write IOPS. Those figures would put it ahead of or alongside most of its competitors except in steady write speeds, but Plextor claims that hustle is not the model's only trick. It also makes use of "True Speed" tech to minimize performance drops with age, uses 128-bit error correction to eliminate data inaccuracy and offers 256-bit full-drive encryption. The 128GB, 256GB or 512GB drives will be available mid-August for prices that have yet to be determined, but it's likely to be well north of its budget namesake, the M5S. You'll find the full PR after the break.
Continue reading Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s
Filed under: Storage
Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, ! 07 Aug 2 012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.businessinsider.com/zero-liquid-discharge-system-works-2012-7
Namon Nassef's Zero Liquid Discharge system uses engine heat to convert wastewater into water vapor. It's an invention seven years and several hundred thousands dollars in the making that could revolutionize how we dispose of sewage on buses, cruise ships, trains and airplanes.
Nassef has set up a demonstration trailer (pictured below) to show how the eco-friendly sewage elimination system works.
First, sewage moves through a pipe into a small equalization tank. The equalization tank keeps the waste completely mixed. It also starts the grinding process, which reduces solids down into very tiny particles that are about 0.065 inch or less in diameter.
The mixture of liquid and small particles then moves from the receiving tank to the machine's homogenizer (the white plastic cylinder on the right next to the equalization tank). This component dissolves the tiny particles into even smaller particles. Nothing that leaves the homogenizer is larger than the ball in a ball point pen.
The fluid is then sent to an injection pump (the white plastic module on the left). The injection pump pressurizes the fluid and sends it through a nozzle into the hot exhaust stream of the heat source. In the demonstration trailer, a diesel generator is used for the heat source.
In the final stage, the engine's exhaust heat flash evaporates the fluid, killing 99.9 percent of the bacteria without chemicals. What's produced is water vapor and a little bit of mineral ash, which goes out with the exhaust. There's nothing to dump from the holding tank.
The current ZLD unit can eliminate up to 300 gallons of sewage per day, which is more than capable of handling the 20 gallons of waste produced on a 65-passenger bus, says Nassef.
Below is a picture of the current ZLD production! unit on its own, equipped for buses.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/korean-scientists-solve-flexible-battery/
We've got flexible displays, printed circuits, memory and even chargers -- why not batteries? So far, this has eluded manufacturers, but now researchers from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have got the ball rolling with a high performance bendable lithium-ion version. As the video after the break (no sound) shows, the peel-and-stick type manufacturing process they devised allows the cell to provide constant juice, no matter how much it's deformed. Now the scientists are looking at ways of upping the capacity, so they can power more than just Christmas tree lights and ultimately bring "the next-generation of fully flexible" devices to market. That's no small thing, considering what some products are willing to do to fit into those tight aluminum jea! ns.
< p>Continue reading Korean scientists solve flexible battery riddle (video)Filed under: Science
Korean scientists solve flexible battery riddle (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/nvidia-announces-second-generation-maximus/
It's been almost exactly a year since we first heard about NVIDIA's Maximus technology, and today the firm's just announced an update. The second generation of the platform is now supported by Kepler-based GPUs. This time around computational tasks get ferried off to the SMX-streaming K20 GPU, leaving the 3,840 x 2,160 resolution-supporting Quadro K5000 GPU ($3,199) to tackle the graphical functions. Want to know when you can get your hands on the goods? Well, NVIDIA says starting December, with the Quadro K5000 ($2,249 MSRP) available as a standalone in October. Head down to the PR for the full spin and forthcoming workstation / OEM details.
Continue reading NVIDIA announces second generation Maximus, now with Kepler power
Filed under: Desktops
NVIDIA announces second generation Maximus, now with Kepler power originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/opengl-es-3-0-and-opengl-4-3-squeeze-textures-to-the-limit/
Mobile graphics are clearly setting the agenda at SIGGRAPH this year -- ARM's Mali T600-series parts have just been chased up by a new Khronos Group standard that will likely keep those future video cores well-fed. OpenGL ES 3.0 represents a big leap in textures, introducing "guaranteed support" for more advanced texture effects as well as a new version of ASTC compression that further shrinks texture footprints without a conspicuous visual hit. OpenVL is also coming to give augmented reality apps their own standard. Don't worry, desktop users still get some love through OpenGL 4.3: it adds the new ASTC tricks, new visual effects (think blur) and support for compute shaders without always needing to use OpenCL. All of the new standards promise a bright future in graphics for those living outside of Microsoft's Direct3D universe, although we'd advise being patient: there won't be a full Open GL ES 3.0 testing suite for as long as six months, and any next-generation phones or tablets will still need the graphics hardware to match.
Filed under:! Cellphones, Gaming, Tablet PCs
OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 4.3 squeeze textures to the limit, bring OpenVL along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkTechCrunch | Khronos Group (OpenGL ES), (OpenGL) | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/google-experiment-lets-you-visualize-the-global-arms-trade-in-de/
We're all well aware of Google's drive for experimenting with bizarre tidbits from time to time, and the search giant's latest venture is one that gives a rather colorful and very detailed look at the global arms trade. Not surprisingly, the results are quite astonishing thanks to the interactivity and great amount of data Mountain View's been able to add to its visualization -- showing info like the number of imports / exports by each country from as far back as 1992 all the way up until 2010. There's a lot more to it, however, with the ability to also see how much cash was being spent per nation, and whether it was on ammo or civilian / military weapons. For that, you might want to head over to the Arms Trade site, where you'll be able to take Google's experiment for a spin -- literally.
Filed under: Internet
Google experiment lets you visualize the global arms trade in detail originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/amd-firepro-w9000-gpu-firepro-a300-apu/
After a brief tease earlier this summer, AMD just announced pricing and availability for its new market-leading FirePro W9000 graphics processing unit -- the $3,999 GPU is available now through AMD resellers, and is compatible with Supermicro SuperWorkstations. Joining that "world's most powerful" rig are the W8000, W7000 and W5000, which sell for $1,599, $899 and $599, respectively, and can each power six 30-inch 4K displays. Power-hungry pros will want to opt for the top-of-the-line model in order to take advantage of four TFLOPs single precision or one TFLOP double precision, along with 6 gigs of high-speed GDDR5 RAM. The W8000, on the other hand, offers 3.23 TFLOPs single precision and 806 GFLOPs double precision, followed by the W7000 with 2.4 TFLOPs / 152 GFLOPs, both with 4 gigs of RAM, along with the W5000, which packs 1.27 TFLOPs single and 80 GFLOPs double, with 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM.
Design pros with slightly more modest demands may find the FirePro A300 APU more in line with their budgets -- we don't have precise pricing to share, since third parties will ship their own configs, but terms like "entry-level" and "mainstream" make it clear that you won't be drawing in more than a couple zeros in the checkbook to make your purchase. The integrated solution utilizes AMD's Turbo Core tech, supports Eyefinity and Discrete Compute Offload, and can power horizontal display arrays of up to 10,240 x 1,600 pixels. You'll ! find all the nitty-gritty in the pair of press releases after the break.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals
AMD announces $4k FirePro W9000 GPU, entry-level FirePro A300 APU for CAD and graphics pros originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/arm-second-gen-mali-t600-gpus/
The current flagship for ARM's mobile graphics technology is undoubtedly the Galaxy S III, which contains a quad-core Mali 400 GPU and delivers some wild benchmark scores. By the end of this year though, we should see a whole new generation of Malis -- not just a Mali 450 for mid-range handsets, but also the quad-core T604 and the eight-core T658, which are based on ARM's Midgard architecture and are taking forever to come to market. Now, to whet our appetites even further, ARM has just added three more variants of the chip to its roster, which can almost be considered the next-next-generation: the quad-core T624, and the T628 and T678, which are both scalable up to eight cores.
The trio's headline feature is that they promise to deliver at least 50 percent more performance with the same silicon area and power draw, with the explicit aim of delivering "console-class gaming," 4K and even 8K video workloads, as well as buttery 60fps user interfaces in phones, tablets and smart TVs. The premium T678 is aimed at tablets specifically, and in addition to allowing up to! eight c ores also doubles the number of math-crunching ALUs per core, which means that its compute performance (measured in gigaflops) is actually quadrupled compared to the T624. However, there's one other, subtler change which could turn out to be equally important -- read on for more.
Continue reading ARM's eight-core Mali GPUs promise 'dramatic' boost to mobile graphics
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs
ARM's eight-core Mali GPUs promise 'dramatic' boost to mobile graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/verizon-fios-tv-app-samsung-smart-tv/
While we saw cable and IPTV providers promising pay-TV channels without a box (at least in that room) at CES 2012 we were skeptical, since we've been burned before, but now Verizon FiOS TV has followed up the launch of its app on Xbox 360 by quietly releasing the version for Samsung's Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. Like the Xbox 360 app of course, you will need to already be a Verizon FiOS TV customer, so if it's not in your area you're still out of luck. One of our readers noticed the app pop up on his 2011 model Samsung HDTV, and Verizon just posted a quick video trailer (embedded after the break) previewing the app's ability to tune into 26 live channels, as well as FlexView video on-demand content. Tipster ProphetBeal noted the channel changes seemed quicker than on the Xbox 360 app, although they were otherwise very similar. There's a few more screens awaiting you at the source link, as well as a list of compatible devices.
[Thanks, ProphetBeal]
Filed under: Home Entertainment
! FiOS TV app for Samsung HDTVs and Blu-ray players available with 26 live channels (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/microsoft-office-store-app-catalog-downloads-now-open-available/
You've known it was coming, and today the doors to Microsoft's Office Store were flung wide open. In short, it's a newfangled portal that enables avid Office and SharePoint users to search for, discover and install apps. Users will need a Microsoft account and the preview version of Office, SharePoint or Exchange in order to start diving in. Naturally, Microsoft has built a pretty stout control system for administrators, and it has also crafted an internal distribution mechanism in SharePoint called the App Catalog -- a tool that "allows enterprises to build in-house apps or source them from partners and distribute them to employees within the organization." Looking to see what it's all around? Head over to the Store and click entirely too many of those "Try It" buttons.
Filed under: Software
Microsoft's Office Store now open for business, productivity-boosting apps just a click away originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |MSDN Blogs, Microsoft | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/toshiba-satellite-u845w-review/
Ultrabooks now come in countless shapes and sizes, and we've seen display quality vary just as much. Though 1,366 x 768 may still be the norm, 1,600 x 900 panels aren't unheard of in this ultraportable category. But what about a screen that bucks the 16:9 aspect ratio for an extra-wide 21:9? Toshiba is mixing things up with its new premium Satellite U845W Ultrabook ($1,000 and up), the first laptop to feature that odd aspect ratio.
Styled in the fashion of movie theater screens, the U845W's 14.4-inch, 1,792 x 768 panel adds more horizontal pixels -- ostensibly to enhance the movie-watching experience. In theory, too, that setup should allow for more room to multitask with windows side by side. So how good of an idea is a 21:9 screen in practice? Join us as we put it to the test.
Continue reading Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own
Filed under: Laptops
Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/rumored-htc-verizon-phablet-may-land-soon/
Samsung and LG have already embraced the tiny-tablet form factor. It only makes sense that HTC would want to carve out a niche of this niche for themselves. Rumors of a five-inch HTC device have been circulating for some time, but now a report from DigiTimes is lending some credence to those murmurings, and a mysterious handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer has popped up over at GLBenchmark. According to unnamed sources the company has been working on a flagship level (One XXL?) device with a stunning 1794 x 1080, due to be released in either September or October. If you're taking that claim with a grain of salt, we don't blame you. But, an entry for the HTC 6435LVW that just popped up at GLBenchmark.com seems to fit the billy pretty nicely. It has the same listed resolution, which we assume is actually a 1920 x 1080 panel with room set aside for Android's soft keys. The device info has it running ICS, version 4.0.4 to be specific, on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 -- which should make it quite the powerful piece of hardware. The software build also singles it out as a Verizon handset, which means it'll be packing an LTE radio as well. Whether the rumored stylus is included, a la the Flyer, remains to be seen, but, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs
Rumored HTC Verizon phablet may land soon, with 1080p screen and 1.5GHz Snapdragon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkCNET | GLBenchmark, DigiTimes | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/quad-core-galaxy-note-10-1-source-code-wastes-no-time-available/
Appearing almost simultaneously alongside the Galaxy Note 10.1's launch itinerary, Samsung has offered up source code for both Korean iterations of the stylus-friendly slab. Ensuring custom ROM devs have very early access to the source should mean we're likely to see other software iterations (minus TouchWiz, perhaps) sooner rather than later. Developers can delve into the coding goodness below.
Filed under: Tablet PCs, Software
Quad-core Galaxy Note 10.1 source code wastes no time, available now originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkSamsungUpdates (Twitter) | Samsung | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/05/watch-nasas-curiosity-rover-touch-down-on-mars-live-at-1-30am/
You watched the launch, bit your nails over computer simulations and even played the game, and it all comes down to today: NASA's Curiosity rover is about to land on Mars. The $2.5 billion vehicle has been en route to the red planet for eight months, and in a few short hours will spend seven terrifying minutes blindly making its way to the Martian surface -- only to make NASA scientists wait another full seven before reporting on its success or failure. The rover is flying solo.
That doesn't mean we can't be there in spirit, however: NASA TV will be broadcasting the event on Ustream, offering commentary from the minds behind the rover, as well as audio from mission control. The Curiosity Cam, which runs from 11:30PM until 2:00AM EDT and 3:30AM to 4:30AM EDT, will offer commentary from the scientists and engineers behind Curiosity, while a second feed (at NASA JPL Live, which runs from 11:30PM onward) will play audio from mission control. If all goes to plan, NASA will be able to share an image from Curiosity's navigation cameras, confirming its safe arrival on the Martian surface. Sounds like a hell of a show to us.
Read on to view the Curiosity Ca! m right here or check out the source links below to prep your evening (or early morning) viewing for yourself. Let us know your own thoughts on Curiosity's landing in the comments.
Update: Touchdown confirmed! The entire sequence went perfectly to plan, and rover Curiosity is now on the surface of Mars and sending telemetry data.
Update: NASA's press conference is now happening live.
Continue reading Watch NASA's Curiosity rover touch down on Mars, live at 1:30AM EDT
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Watch NASA's Curiosity rover touch down on Mars, live at 1:30AM EDT originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Curiosity Cam (Ustream), NASA JPL Live, NASA | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/05/stone-spray-research-project-wants-to-print-bridges-with-sand/
Envious of your pet hermit crabs' 3D-printed domicile? Maybe you should cast your green eyes upon the Stone Spray project, an Eco-friendly robot printer that's exploring the viability of soil as a building material. Although making actual buildings is a bit out of the robot's reach, its team has managed to print a series of scaled sculptures (such as stools, pillars and load-bearing arc structures) out of sand, soil and a special solidification compound. The machine's jet-spray nozzle seems to have an easier time constructing objects over per-existing scaffolding, but the team is striving to design structures that don't require the extra support. "We want to push further the boundaries of digital manufacturing and explore the possibilities of an on-site fabrication machine," the team writes on the project's homepage, citing makeshift printed bridges or an on-beach canopy as possible applications of technology. If the Earth itself doesn't make a green enough building material, consider this: the Stone Spray robot can be powered by solar energy alone. Check it out in all of its sand-sculpting glory in the video below.
Continue reading Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Stone Spray research project wants to print bridges with sand, solar power originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkDesign Boom, DVICE | Stone Spray Project | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/margaret-healy-youtube-google-fiber-2012-8
Margaret Healy, who oversaw strategic partnerships at Google's YouTube, is moving to work on an ambitious new project at the company: Google Fiber.
Google Fiber is a service that offers extremely high-speed Internet to homes. Right now it's in Kansas City, but there's every indication that Google plans to offer it more widely across the nation.
Healy, a 12-year veteran of Google, announced the move in a Google+ post.
As New Media Rockstars noted, YouTube video creators showered Healy with well wishes on Twitter.
Healy and Google haven't disclosed anything about her goals. But since TV service is part of Google Fiber, it would make sense for her to play a big role in courting established content players and the new stars she cultivated at YouTube for Google Fiber.
We also think it's significant that she's moving to Google Fiber, period. While employees always move around in big companies, Google is a place where people flock to the most promising projects.
In May, Healy posted a link to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's recent Harvard Business School commencement address, where she advised graduates to "get on a rocket ship whenever you get the chance."
"Now just go and find that rocket ship," Healy wrote. Looks like she did.
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