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Friday, May 01, 2009

Canon gets all 'Steve Zissou' with its Mixed Reality Aquarium

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/canon-gets-all-steve-zissou-with-its-mixed-reality-aquarium/

In some ways, augmented reality is an elegant solution to the main problem with VR: while there are some areas where insane levels of immersion are required, this stuff ain't cheap -- relegating solutions like CirculaFloor to academics, the military, and the extremely well-heeled. But how about those who just want to see wild graphics while they, you know, "party?" Canon's Mixed Reality Aquarium headset transforms any area you inhabit into a giant fishbowl. Not the sort of thing that you'll want to do more than once, probably -- although, to the company's credit, this is more of a research project than an actual product. How about an option to swim with Daryl Hannah from Splash? That would be pure gadget gold. That said, this does make for a fun video -- which we've graciously provided for you, after the break.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Continue reading Canon gets all 'Steve Zissou' with its Mixed Reality Aquarium

Filed under: Displays

Canon gets all 'Steve Zissou' with its Mixed Reality Aquarium originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Alias 2 launching on May 11, E Ink confirmed?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/samsung-alias-2-launching-on-may-11-e-ink-confirmed/

We're hearing that the Alias 2 is on track for a release in less than two weeks from now -- May 11, to be exact -- which would mean that we're just a few short days away from seeing the very first E Ink handset launch in the States. Yes, that's right, we said it -- after all the heated debate over the technology powering the Alias 2's configurable keypad, our tipster tells us that new information floating down from corporate confirms that the device is using E Ink, which would explain why it's able to maintain state even with the power off. We still think it's one awfully ugly phone, but this might be one of those all-too-frequent cases where cool tech ends up winning our hearts anyway. As for pricing, the tipster thinks it may come in at $79, which seems improbable even with deep contract discounting and a big mail-in rebate -- but if by some miracle it does end up being accurate, they're going to be selling tons of these to text-heavy geeks like ourselves.

[Image via PhoneArena, thanks ehjun]

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Alias 2 launching on May 11, E Ink confirmed? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu gets official with M2010 netbook, Engadget Chinese goes hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/fujitsu-gets-official-with-m2010-netbook-engadget-chinese-goes/

We already caught sight of Fujitsu's new 10.1-inch LOOX M netbook in Japan earlier this month, and it looks like the company has now gotten official with the seemingly identical M2010 model for some other markets, although it still hasn't made it all the way over here. The netbook itself is about as standard as can be, and includes a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and built-in Bluetooth, among other not at all surprising specs -- although you will apparently get a bundled DVD burner and wireless mouse with it, which makes the nearly $650 price tag at least a tad more reasonable. What's more, while they didn't get ton of time to spend with it, our pals at Engadget Chinese did manage to snap a few hands-on pics at the launch event, which you can check out by hitting up the link below.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu gets official with M2010 netbook, Engadget Chinese goes hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drool-worthy MID concept stops us in our tracks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/drool-worthy-mid-concept-stops-us-in-our-tracks/

We see plenty of semi-yawn-inducing MIDs around the office here, and concepts are certainly a dime a dozen in this racket, but Jan Rytir's concept gave us pause. The hyper-hip look of the design makes it startling in a field not generally known for its sexiness, and the bottom rainbow colored tabs are just icing on that sexy, sexy cake. In this rendering, the whole package would measure 180 x 80 x 20mm, have a trackball on the right of the QWERTY slide out keyboard, and boast an Atom CPU, two USB ports and an SD card reader. Can somebody build this? Please? We promise: ravers everywhere will thank you.

[Via Slashgear]

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Drool-worthy MID concept stops us in our tracks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Informal poll suggests nearly 70% of Kindle owners are over 40

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/

There's already been some anecdotal evidence that the Kindle appeals to a slightly older set than your average newfangled gadget, and a new poll culled from responses on the Amazon forums is now shedding a bit more, if still not entirely scientific light on the matter. According to the Kindle Culture blog, the single largest group of Kindle users (broken down by decade) is folks in their 50s, with those in their 40s and 60s coming in second and third -- all of which adds up to nearly 50% of users being over 50, and close to 70% being over 40. Broken down into some broader demographics, that translates to adults 35-54 accounting for 38.4% of the user base, with older adults (over 54) representing a healthy 37.3%, while young adults (18-34) manage a mere 22%. Still looking for more numbers? Then hit up the link below for the complete breakdown, plus a bonus pie chart.

[Via Crave]

Filed under: Handhelds

Informal poll suggests nearly 70% of Kindle owners are over 40 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imation ships new SSDs, upgrade kits

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/imation-ships-new-ssds-upgrade-kits/

The gang at Imation have just announced two new lines of SSDs for your computing pleasure (though, sadly, we have yet to see an iCarly-branded model). Both the S-Class and the M-Class drives are available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities, and both are available in 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors. For the budget-minded consumer, the M-Class boasts a 150MB/s read speed and 90MB/s write speed, and sports a black oxide finish -- starting at $189.99. For those of you with a little more cash to throw around, the S-Class reads at 130MB/s and writes 120MB/s speeds and sports a stainless steel finish. This bad boy starts at $659.99. Also available as part of a laptop upgrade kit (2.5-inch SSD drive, Acronis True Image HD imaging software, USB-to-SATA or SATA-to-SATA connector cable, power cable or power adapter) or desktop kit (3.5-inch SSD drive, Acronis True Image HD, a SATA connector and power cable or adapter), with M-Class kits starting at $299.99 and S-Class kits at $1299.99. Peep the M-Class drive after the break.

[Via iTech News]

Continue reading Imation ships new SSDs, upgrade kits

Filed under: Storage

Imation ships new SSDs, upgrade kits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Chuwi M70's 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/chuwi-m70s-7-inch-pmp-reviewed-said-to-be-large-and-in-charge/

Chuwi M70's 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge

Many PMPs are svelte, portable things that feel good in the hand and not too bad in a pocket. The same cannot be said for the 8GB Chuwi M70, a PMP packing a 7-inch, 700 x 480 widescreen LCD and not much else. In a review at MP4 Nation Blog that screen gets high marks, as does the ability to play video up to 1280 x 720 smoothly, but build quality is apparently a disappointment, and those dimensions make it something less than totally portable. The device hasn't officially been released in the US, but if you've got room in your heart for a PMP with a little extra to love they can be found online for under $120. Get hunting.

[Thanks, Tom]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Chuwi M70's 7-inch PMP reviewed, said to be large and in charge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony debuts connected BRAVIA Z5500 LCD HDTV line

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/sony-debuts-connected-bravia-z5500-lcd-hdtv-line/

And the hits just keep on comin'. Shortly after Sony introduced its connected BRAVIA W-Series to the world, in flies yet another trio: the Z5500 line. Arriving in 40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch models, the set boasts Motionflow 200Hz technology, DLNA certification, the outfit's BRAVIA Engine 3, its own 'draw the LINE' design concept, a 1080p panel and a CI Plus interface, which only those parked overseas will truly understand. Furthermore, there's an integrated MPEG-4/AVC HD tuner, BRAVIA Sync (HDMI-CEC), an auto shut-off function, a dedicated 'Energy Saving Switch' and -- for the first time -- AppliCast. If you're curious, the latter feature enables users to access a range of online services (RSS feeds and all sorts of other widgets) via the built-in Ethernet jack. Sony didn't bother to share a price, release date or any hope of a US debut, but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled.

[Via TrustedReviews]

Gallery: Sony debuts connected BRAVIA Z5500 LCD HDTV line

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sony debuts connected BRAVIA Z5500 LCD HDTV line originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft, take a page from Cuil. Spend the $80M making Kumo better, instead of advertising that it's better - http://ping.fm/5g2kd

IMshopping Provides Human-Powered Shopping Suggestions [Recommendations]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ih6hxAIpzVM/imshopping-provides-human+powered-shopping-suggestions

IMshopping takes the Mahalo route with product recommendations, using humans to research and answer questions submitted on its site, or through a Twitter "@". And it seems to actually work, for the most part.

The answers depend, of course, on what you're asking about, and whether IMshopping has someone on hand (or just awake) that knows about your specific field. On the site this morning, questions about iPhones and Apple laptops were often replied to with suggestions to wait until after Apple's announcements at the World Wide Developers' Conference (a pretty smart move, usually), while a more generic question about USB key drives was met with a semi-helpful suggestion to check out a discount site like Tiger Direct.

So, in some cases, you're going to get an answer that's the very friendly equivalent of "Google it." There's a chance, though, that you'll get a link you didn't know about, or advice that's coming from a fairly independent voice. Signing in through the site lets you save your answers and recommendations to a "folder" you can browse through for purchasing later. Free to use, requires sign-up to save recommendations.

IMshopping [via TechCrunch]

Get Public Data Graphs from Google Searches [Data]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/S0nMOQlXDn0/get-public-data-graphs-from-google-searches

Next time you see a statistic in a news story that's hard to believe, or needs a bit more depth, type it into Google and pull up your own data graph.

At least with unemployment rates, population, and a few other public data sets, that's now possible. Using a technology acquired from Gapminder and its Trendalyzer tool, typing in something like Unemployment rate Sonoma County, CA returns a graph that shows historical data and can be narrowed by state and county results. You can also grab a direct link to your comparison to create an auto-updating reference point. Neat little hack, and we hope it gets expanded soon.

Official Google Blog: Adding search power to public data [via ReadWriteWeb]

Paragon Partition Manager Free Today, Normally $40 [Dealhacker]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/RjiVsimZUwU/paragon-partition-manager-free-today-normally-40

Windows only: Paragon Partition Manager is a feature-rich application for partitioning your hard drive, optimizing your disks, creating simple partition backups, and more. It's normally $40, but today you can snag it for free.

We'd almost never suggest shelling out cash for an application whose sole purpose is partitioning, especially when an application like the previously mentioned GParted Live CD is perfect for partitioning and completely free, but if you need more from your partition manager, commercial apps like Paragon Partition Manager can be useful.

We haven't tested it thoroughly, but Paragon promises an impressive feature set, and—for today at least—you can't really beat the price. If you've used this app in the past, share your experience in the comments.

Giveaway of the Day - Paragon Partition Manager 2009 Special Edition (English Version) [Giveaway of the Day]
Partition Manager 10 [Paragon Software]

Google Chrome Short Films for the Browser That's Warm and Fuzzy [Advertising]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ofLpPFHDbYE/google-chrome-short-films-for-the-browser-thats-warm-and-fuzzy

Google commissioned 11 short films about its Chrome browser, ranging from exceedingly slick and excellently-soundtracked (below) to cool stop-action films. They're all very well-done and variously informative and adorable. [Google Chrome via TechCrunch]

Apple Assembles Chip Design Team, Plans Custom iPhone Guts [Apple]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/NJfHkjoUrvI/apple-assembles-chip-design-team-plans-custom-iphone-guts

The WSJ reports that Apple is putting together an all-star chip design team, starting with the former CTO of AMD, to work on in-house chips for mobile devices. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Apple is prone to occasional fits of vertical integration, and has never been terribly reluctant to run counter to the prevailing hardware winds, but this doesn't sound like some Jobsian act of contrarianism. The report indicates that it's the iPhone's unique power and performance demands that are driving this move, at least ostensibly:

Apple could use the internally developed chips to sharply reduce the power consumption of its hit iPhone and iPod touch devices, and possibly add graphics circuitry to help its hardware play realistic game software and high-definition videos, people familiar with its plans say.

Apple already works with Samsung, the manufacturer of the ARM-based processors used in the iPhone and iPod Touch, to design chip suited to their specific needs, and Apple is a large enough company that it doesn't have trouble coaxing tailor-made hardware out of its suppliers. But totally in-house chip design boasts the huge advantage of secrecy; removing Samsung from the equation ensures that any power-saving, graphics-boosting chip features Apple manages to conjure for their next iWhatever don't eventually find their way into chips available to other industry giants! like HT C or RIM.

So don't confuse Apple's latest move with an effort to spur innovation—from here, this looks like technology-hoarding, pure and simple; a bid to further insulate their mobile devices from competition by locking down their hardware as hard as they do their software. [WSJ]

Quest for invisibility cloaks revisited by two research groups

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/quest-for-invisibility-cloaks-revisited-by-two-research-groups/

After a brief period of no news, it's time to revisit the world of invisible cloaks. Inspired by the ideas of theoretical physicist John Pendry at Imperial College, London, two separate groups of researchers from Cornell University and UC Berkeley claim to have prototyped their own cloaking devices. Both work essentially the same way: the object is hidden by mirrors that look entirely flat thanks to tiny silicon nanopillars that steer reflected light in such a way to create the illusion. It gets a bit technical, sure, but hopefully from at least one of these projects we'll get a video presentation that's sure to make us downright giddy.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wearables

Quest for invisibility cloaks revisited by two research groups originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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