Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fraunhofer IPMS demonstrates OLED with touch control

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/416886940/

Filed under: Displays, Household

Look, we're not going to argue that those chintzy clap lamps weren't pretty sweet in their heyday. And we're also not going to put up a fuss when you assert that snap bracelets were equally adorable in the early 90s. Nostalgia aside, Fraunhofer IPMS is headed straight for the future with its latest OLED breakthrough. Reportedly, the company has devised an OLED display that can be controlled via human touch or by simply waving one's hand in front of the panel. Unlike similar applications that have come before it, there's no additional hardware needed -- and therein lies the magic. The outfit is currently showing off the design at the Plastic Electronic 2008 show, though it yet to reveal anything close to a release plan.

[Via OLED-Display]

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12.1-inch Dell E Slim laptop spotted in the wild?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417079511/

Filed under: Laptops

It's hard to say what we've come across here, but if our retinas aren't deceiving us too badly, this looks to be an in the wild shot (sans blur, amazingly) of Dell's forthcoming E Slim. If you'll recall, we caught a glimpse of said device way back in June, and the two look at least marginally similar using the oh-so-scientific eyeball test. But look, even if this thing isn't the E Slim (though we're guessing it is until proven otherwise), we've been told on numerous occasions that Dell is mulling the idea of pumping out a netbook with a 10- to 12-inch display. An accompanying screenshot of the unit's internals was also provided, and while the model may say Optiplex1210, we're guessing that's just there for prototyping purposes; besides, the listed CPU matches up quite nicely with the aforementioned E Slim specs that slipped out this summer. So Round Rock -- when are you going to come out and get official with your 12.1-incher? Before or after this coming Tuesday?

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Gallery: 12.1-inch Dell E Slim laptop spotted in the wild?

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eMachines' $300 EL1200 desktop: "the size of a dictionary"

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417193676/

Filed under: Desktops

Really, eMachines? You're honestly going to give your newest cheap-o PC this kind of tagline? Truth be told, we're not exactly sure what a standard sized dictionary even looks like (there's this thing called the internet...), but apparently, it's exactly the same size as the EL1200 desktop. Not sassy enough to be called a nettop, this here mini-tower is 40% smaller and 55% lighter than the company's second tiniest rig, and while it won't handle the likes of Crysis, it shouldn't have too many issues surfing the web and opening Word documents. As for specs, we've got a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 2650e 64-bit CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce 6150SE integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR2, 160GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD burner, 14-in-1 multicard reader, seven USB 2.0 ports and a $298 (MSRP) price tag. That system we just rattled off is available now at Wally World, while a slightly more stacked edition can be had at Best Buy for $349.

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New MacBooks to be based on NVIDIA GeForce 9400 / 9300 chipsets?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417215840/

Filed under: Laptops

With a new MacBook announcement now just days away, speculation is unsurprisingly at a fever pitch as to exactly what Apple has in store, and the folks at PC Perspective have now pieced together a few clues to whet your appetite in anticipation of the big event. Most of those are drawn from mounting evidence from the NVIDIA camp, including the image above that made an appearance on the company's website a few days ago and, most importantly, word that NVIDIA would be releasing its GeForce 9400 and 9300 chipsets based on the MCP79 integrated chipset design on October 15th (conveniently not stepping on Apple's toes the day before). The implication there being that the GeForce chipsets would replace the relatively underpowered integrated Intel graphics on the current MacBooks, with the new MacBook Pros supposedly getting an additional boost from a discrete G92-based mobility GeForce 9600. As PC Perspective points out, if true, that would be quite a coup for NVIDIA, especially considering that it wasn't all that long ago some were talking about it quitting the chipset business altogether.

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Asus intros WiMAX-equipped M50Vm-A1WM 15.4 incher

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417332275/

Filed under: Laptops, Wireless

A new variant of Asus' M50Vm-A1 laptop -- the M50Vm-A1WM -- just showed up on Newegg and Amazon. Soulcrushingly long (mostly) alphanumeric string aside, it's a decent 15.4'' machine for its $1,399 price point, with desktop replacement specs: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, 4GB of RAM, a GeForce 9600M with a satisfying 1GB of dedicated graphics memory, and even a numpad. What's new here is onboard WiMAX, which puts Asus on the post-XOHM launch bandwagon with Toshiba, Acer and other laptop manufacturers. This is good news for some lucky early adopters, but if you're not in one of the testing locales, you might as well continue twiddling your thumbs.

[Via ComputerMonger]

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Portwell ships Atom-based nano-ITX motherboard

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417403876/

Filed under: Desktops

With all these nettops, netbooks and plain ole motherboards flying every which-away, it's hard to say if Portwell's Atom-based nano-ITX board really is the first, but it's close enough to count in our book. Utilizing all sorts of legerdemain and black magic, the engineers at Portwell were able to craft a Linux-friendly mobo that measures just 4.72- x 4.72- x 0.65-inches and supports Intel's Silverthorne Atom while including six USB 2.0 ports, embedded audio and a gigabit Ethernet jack. The Nano-8044 can be ordered in two flavors -- the Z530, which packs a 1.6GHz CPU, or the Z510, which clocks in at 1.1GHz. As you could likely guess, this one's aimed primarily at point-of-sale machines, digital signage devices and other commercial applications, and the sub-10-watt power draw should keep energy costs to a minimum. Oh, and it should totally play Doom in a pinch.

[Via LinuxDevices]

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GE builds an OLED printer, hopes to challenge light bulbs in 2010

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/417548512/

Filed under: Household

Maybe the incandescent light bulb has been sitting in its socket-shaped throne for too many years -- GE thinks so, anyway. GE R&D guys have produced a machine that prints OLED materials newspaper-style onto 8-inch sheets of metal foil in hopes that the sheets -- which can be pinned to just about any surface -- will start the process of home lighting biz regime change in 2010. Picture, if you will, wallpaper or window blinds that provide soft, diffused lighting for the living room after dark -- no need for special fixtures, just a wall plug. OLED lighting isn't yet cost-efficient for the average consumer, but GE hopes that will change soon. In the meantime, expect to see these sheets in a trip-out Flaming Lips concert in the somewhat-near future.

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Friday, October 10, 2008

homebrew all-in-one PC

BenQ 20 inch LCD - $169.99

eee Box with Atom N270 - $299.99

Logitech USB-powered speakers - $11.99

TOTAL: $481.97

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014146&Tpk=fp202w

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220002

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121016&Tpk=logitech%20s-150

Geode Plug-In Makes Firefox Location-Aware [Firefox]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415032908/geode-plug+in-makes-firefox-location+aware

Mozilla Labs has unveiled Geode—a plugin that will take advantage of the W3C Geolocation Spec in Firefox 3.1. The plan is to make the browser location-aware so that somewhere down the line, you could visit a site like Yelp on your laptop in a strange town and it will automatically find your location and offer nearby restaurant suggestions and directions. Mozilla also offered other possible examples like: RSS readers that adjust based on whether or not your are at work or at home, location-restricted logins and websites that deliver news based on your physical location.

Obviously, most of the sites on the web are not currently compatible with Geode, but it is easy to see how something like this could really change the way you surf the web on your laptop—much like the iPhone has with handsets. In the meantime, a preview version is available to Firefox 3 users starting today—so you can kick the tires on it a bit before it is fully integrated into 3.1. [Mozilla Labs via Lifehacker]

Mazda Kiyora Recycles Rain Water for Drinking [Cars]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415126159/mazda-kiyora-recycles-rain-water-for-drinking

This is the new Mazda Kiyora, a concept car that is not only designed to consume less gas and produce less emissions, but to collect and purify the most important liquid on Earth: Water. You know, for drinking. If you are into that kind of liquid, anyway. When you drive the Mazda Kiyora through rain, its roof channels the falling water into a specially-designed Lifesaver purification bottle. The bottle, called Lifesaver Bottle Citi, is placed in the middle of the car's interior, between the front seats, for easy access by all passengers.

Designed for Mazda by LIFESAVER® systems, the LIFESAVER® bottle citi™ is the world's first ultra filtration water bottle to be installed in a car. It removes all waterborne pathogens and other pollutants creating safe sterile drinking water for the driver and passengers.

Taking advantage of rain as a natural resource, the roof of the Mazda Kiyora channels rainwater firstly through an activated carbon filter and then into a specially commissioned drinks bottle designed for Mazda by LIFESAVER® systems.

The LIFESAVER® bottle citi™ is located between the front seats for easy access, and uses state of the art ultra filtration hollow fibre membranes. With a pore size of 15 nano-meters these membranes remove all microbiological contamination including bacteria and viruses without using chemicals, delivering safe fresh drinking water to the driver and passengers any time. The bottle is removable so can be taken out of the car and used to gather water from other natural sources such as rivers, lakes and streams.

I wonder if car manufacturers couldn't do the same with hydrogen cars, minus the special purification system, condensing the vapor coming out of the car exhaust into a bottle. Or if they want to really make it fancy, inc! lude a e spresso machine.

For a more detailed look at the Mazda Kiyora, check Jalopnik's coverage from the Paris Motor Show. [Lifesaver via Inhabitat]

Best Buy Starts Listening to Consumers With HP and Toshiba "Blue Label" Laptops [Blue Label]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415126158/best-buy-starts-listening-to-consumers-with-hp-and-toshiba-blue-label-laptops

Today Best Buy launched "Blue Label"—a new line of electronic products developed directly from customer feedback. Shockingly, Best Buy discovered that consumers wanted laptops with "longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, an illuminated keyboard, more optimal screen size and superior warranty support"—so they enlisted the help of HP and Toshiba to create an exclusive product that conformed to these specifications. HP delivered the Pavilion dv3510nr Notebook PC with a thickness of 1.41", backlit keyboard, 4 hours of battery life and a 13.3" LED-backlit WXGA display. Toshiba's Satellite E105-S1402 is also part of the lineup, which is interesting because there was no mention of Blue Label when it was first released. Both are priced at $1199.

Best Buy plans on expanding Blue Label to other product lines in the future, and they appear to be committed to using feedback to help customize these products to fit customer needs. That having been said, you can visit their community forums to get involved and share ideas for future products. In the meantime, both the HP and Toshiba laptops are now available for order in Best Buy stores and online. [Blue Label and BusinessWire]

How to Block Ads on Your (Jailbroken) iPhone [Iphone Adblock]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415172853/how-to-block-ads-on-your-jailbroken-iphone

It's always a kick in the nuts waiting for a page to load in mobile Safari when you know like half of it is for an ad. Luckily, there's a way to block most of them using this method from James Is Bored. It requires a jailbroken iPhone and bit of voodoo, but it's not overly complicated. Once you've got a jailbroken iPhone, you need to install OpenSSH from Cydia. And that's where the work starts.

After your phone restarts, head to Settings>Wi-Fi and hit the arrow next to your home Wi-Fi server. Write down the IP address you see. Then pop back to general settings and set auto-lock to never. On your computer, download this replacement hosts.php file.

Then, using an FTP client like FileZilla or Cyberduck with SFTP (secure SSH connection over FTP), open an SFTP connection with your iPhone's IP address as the host. U/P is root and alpine. The connection will take a bit, and might fail a few times, but say yes to any prompts and keep trying.

At your iPhone's root, navigate to the /etc folder and move the hosts.php file there somewhere on your computer for safe-keeping (don't lose it!). Then replace it with the one you downloaded and restart your iPhone. Now you'll start seeing glorious blank spots or compressed frames wherever ads used to be. It'll nuke ads at most sites serving them through a third-party server. That wasn't so bad was it? The method will work on iPod touches too. Let us know how it goes. [James Is Bored via Lifehacker]

Super Talent Releases Mini PCIe SSDs Specifically For ASUS Eee PCs [Ssd]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415244968/super-talent-releases-mini-pcie-ssds-specifically-for-asus-eee-pcs

Super Talent launched a special series of mini PCIe SSDs for the ASUS Eee PC in 16, 32 and 64 GB sizes, meant to complement the 20 GB HDD found in some of the higher end models. The drives read at 40 mbps, write at 10 mbps and come in NAND MLC or NAND SLC configurations. The drives are expected to ship in November and will cost around $55, $80 and $150 for the 16, 32 and 64 GB drives, respectively. [Super Talent via Electronista]

Terrafugia Transition Flying Car Unbelievably Close to Reality, Going On Sale Next Year [Terrafugia Transition Flying Car]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415244956/terrafugia-transition-flying-car-unbelievably-close-to-reality-going-on-sale-next-year

Unlike so many other pie-in-the-sky tech masturbation fantasies masquerading as projects that'll see the light of day, Terrafugia's Transition flying car amazingly looks like it really will go on sale next year, as its creators claimed three years ago. Gregory Mone from Pop Sci even got to sit in the $194,000 car, which is basically "a single-engine, rear-propeller airplane that just happens to be street-legal." It's still on track for its first test flight next month, and experts expect that it will indeed fly. We won't get truly Jetsons giddy until it does take flight, but we're pretty excited in the meantime. [Pop Sci]

Google GeoEye-1 Satellite Takes First Pic (Is that Your House?) [Google]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/415371906/google-geoeye+1-satellite-takes-first-pic-is-that-your-house

We warned you that Google would soon be snapping shots of your backyard with GeoEye-1, a military-controlled satellite with the highest-resolution terrestrial camera now in orbit. Well, yesterday at high noon Eastern time, Larry and Sergei's little baby started snapping. But according to Wired, GeoEye's communications guy says "this is the opposite of a spy satellite."

Yes, it makes sense. "Spies don't put info on the internet and sell imagery," reasons GeoEye's Mark Brender, who stresses that for GeoEye and its Googlicious patron, these images are specifically intended for customers. (For creeping irony, refer to Joseph Heller's Catch-22.)

No, see, the spy material is actually something totally different—that happens to also come from the same satellite. According to the same dude, the camera is capable of recording classified images to a resolution of 41 centimeters, or as Wired puts it, "close enough to zoom in on the home plate of a baseball diamond." These pics will go to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, who is putting up $502 million, even even than Google. So instead of Larry and Sergei getting those shots of you in a bikini, they'll go to Dick Cheney. I am so relieved. [GeoEye Image Gallery via Wired]

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