Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, June 15, 2012

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/15/samsung-refreshes-series-5-laptops-with-amd-trinity-processors/

We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below.

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung T-Mobile slider flashes Chiclets for Mr. Blurrycam, could be the SGH-T699

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/15/samsung-t-mobile-slider-shows-chiclets-for-mr-blurrycam/

If you're a fan of old-school QWERTY, it seems T-Mobile will soon have a clicky Samsung slider friend for you. The leaked image from TMoNews could also clear up a mystery and put a face to the name SGH-T699 we saw last month in a leaked user agent profile. From that we gleaned a 720P display, and new info points to a 5MP rear camera, Qualcomm S3 or S4 chip and Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich to boot. We'll keep the skep-o-meter turned up high till we have confirmation for all that, but tactile keyboard phone lovers might want to start making plans.

Samsung T-Mobile slider flashes Chiclets for Mr. Blurrycam, could be the SGH-T699 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 02:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD previews FirePro W9000 graphics, possibly throws in dual-chip Radeon HD 7990 for good measure

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/15/amd-previews-firepro-w9000-graphics-possibly-throws-in-radeon-hd-7990/

AMD's CTO Mark Papermaster may have just dropped a minor graphics bombshell at the end of the AMD Fusion Developer Summit. His presentation was officially to show off the FirePro W9000, a beast of a workstation graphics card with 6GB of GDDR5 memory, a 264.8-megapixel fill rate and four teraflops of single-precision math. While the screen behind him showed the one-fan FirePro card, however, he was clearly holding another, three-fan card in his hands -- and though it could be that the W9000's cooling system went through a major revision between presentation slide and production, it may be a clue to a gamer-friendly Radeon part instead. Attendees like Tweakers.net have reason to believe it might be the Radeon HD 7990, a long-rumored dual-chip version of the 7900 series for the very upper echelons of gamers. If so, the bets are on it keeping up the tradition of having two slightly underclocked versions of AMD's fastest chip (here the Radeon HD 7970) working in tandem to produce a big leap in speed despite occupying the same two card slots. AMD hasn't set the matter straight with either a yea or a nay, but with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 largely cor! nering t he high-end market unopposed, it's tough to picture AMD simply twiddling its thumbs.

AMD previews FirePro W9000 graphics, possibly throws in dual-chip Radeon HD 7990 for good measure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imagination goes 'all out' with bigger PowerVR graphics cores: the G6230 and G6430

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/15/imagination-powervr-g6230-g6430/

Imagination Technologies has launched two new variants of its Series6 "Rogue" GPU, giving manufacturers more choice for the loadouts of next-gen mobile devices, TVs and dash systems. The PowerVR G6230 and G6430 differ from the earlier Series6 cores in one single respect: they're bigger, which means they're designed for those who want to go "all out" for better performance. At this point it's not clear just how much extra juice they'll deliver, but in general the Rogue architecture is all about being "scalable" -- Imagination can simply add more "compute clusters" to boost frame rates at the expense of power consumption and it says "further cores will be announced" that will extend the eye-candy possibilities even further.

Continue reading Imagination goes 'all out' with bigger PowerVR graphics cores: the G6230 and G6430

Imagination goes 'all out' with bigger PowerVR graphics cores: the G6230 and G6430 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's IdeaTab 2110a transforming tablet hits the FCC, doesn't mind the mess

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/15/lenovo-ideatab-s2110a-fcc/

From the looks of it, the coffee-chugging folks in the FCC's underground bunker were so excited about investigating Lenovo's IdeaTab 2110 that they didn't have time to clean up. The transforming tablet (with optional keyboard dock) was splayed and tested to determine if its 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 radios were safe for human consumption -- with the thumbs up meaning that it shouldn't be long before the hardware arrives stateside.

Lenovo's IdeaTab 2110a transforming tablet hits the FCC, doesn't mind the mess originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/vizio-first-laptops/

Back at CES, Vizio taught us a valuable lesson: you don't need to be a seasoned PC maker to build a beautiful laptop. The outfit, best known for its value-priced TVs, didn't dip its toes into the personal computer market so much as plunge in, head first: it teased three notebooks (along with two all-in-ones), each bearing a clean, surprisingly tasteful design. Now, right on schedule, they're finally going on sale. The company just announced that its first laptops, the 14-inch Thin + Light, the 15-inch Thin + Light and the 15-inch Notebook, are available now, each starting at $898.

Funnily enough, as much as we've written about these laptops, we didn't know their names (much less specs) until now. So listen up: it's time for a quick (and long-overdue) run-down. First up, there are two "Thin + Lights" (Vizio isn't using the word Ultrabook). These come in two sizes: a 14-inch version with a 1600 x 900 display and a 15-incher with a 1080p panel. Aside from the resolution, the two models offer similar specs: Ivy Bridge processors, Intel HD 4000 graphics, SRS Premium Sound HD audio and battery life rated at seven hours. There's also a mainstream laptop, appropriately dubbed the 15.6-inch Notebook, which offers similar innards, except it has an unspecified Kepler GPU from NVIDIA. It, too, is rated for seven hours of runtime.

Across its PC lineup, Vizio will be including a so-called V key on its keyboard, which will serve as a shortcut to services like Hulu Plus, Amazon, Vudu and Netflix. (If you were wondering how Vizio would incorporate its TV know-how, this is it.) The peculiar thing is, none of these services will come installed by default as bloatware. The point is, the key is there to use as a shortcut if you chose to enable these services, and Vizio says these multimedia partners plan on offering deals specific to Vizio PC owners.

That's all she wrote for now, but we've got the full PR after the break, along with some hands-on photos of the finished goods.

Continue reading Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up

Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official: on sale today for $898 and up

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/vizios-ivy-bridge-all-in-ones-get-official/

Vizio recently announced that its first PCs -- the ones we glimpsed at CES back in January -- will ship in June. From our previous hands-on time, we already knew that the company's 24- and 27-inch all-in-ones sport 1080p screens and include HDMI passthrough for using them as HDTVs even with the PC portion turned off. And the company clearly drew on its TV know-how to turn out desktops with nice and thin profiles: the power supply is integrated into the subwoofer, and the pivoting neck is a single piece of aluminum connected to an invisible hinge.

At the company's press event in NYC today, the all-in-ones got extra official -- as in, we have complete specs and pricing info. Both the 24- and 27-inch models feature Intel Ivy Bridge processors, NVIDIA Kepler GeForce GPUs (the base configurations ship with Intel HD Graphics 4000), 1920 x 1080 displays and 2.1 surround sound audio with SRS Premium Sound HD. Storage options start at 500GB of space (for the smaller model) and top out at a 1TB hard drive paired with a 32GB SSD. The PCs include dual HDMI inputs and ship with a remote control (hence Vizio's TV background). The 24-inch model will start at $898, while the 27-incher goes for $1,098 and up.

As with Vizio's just-announced laptops, the desktops include a "V key" on the wireless keyboard, w! ith shor tcuts to media services like Hulu Plus, Vudu andI Netflix. Interestingly, none of these will come pre-installed, though the company said the services will offer special deals for Vizio PC owners. The PCs are now available online and at retailers such as Costco, Target and Walmart.

Gallery: Vizio 24- and 27-inch All-in-Ones (hands-on)

Gallery: Vizio 24- and 27-inch All-in-Ones

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Continue reading Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official: on sale today for $898 and up

Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official: on sale today for $898 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chuo University builds hybrid NAND-ReRAM unit that's faster than a speeding SSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/chou-university-builds-hybrid-nand-reram-unit/

A team from Chuo University, has reportedly developed a hybrid SSD that's reportedly 11 times faster than your average solid state unit. Combining NAND Flash with ReRAM, the magical union consumes 93 percent less power and lasts nearly seven times as long as pure-NAND products. Despite the high cost of ReRAM, if it enables data centers to save on continuously replacing worn-out SSDs, and could very be rapidly adopted if worked into a commercial system. The findings will be unveiled at the Hawaii Symposium on VSLI Circuits through tomorrow -- after which time, the team can reasonably expect to spend some time on the beach.

Chuo University builds hybrid NAND-ReRAM unit that's faster than a speeding SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook arriving this month for $1,400, S3 gets updated with Ivy Bridge and new color

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/acer-aspire-s5-pricing-availability/

It was only last week that Acer unveiled its first touchscreen Ultrabook, so you'd be forgiven if you forgot about the company's other pinch-thin laptop -- the one that was announced back in January at CES. That would be the Aspire S5, and now, five months later, it's finally going on sale. We just got word that it will hit shelves the last week of this month, with a starting price of $1,400. To recap (in case you've been overwhelmed by all the Ultrabooks on display lately), this is the one with the motorized, drop-down door hiding HDMI, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports. If fourteen hundred bucks seems expensive, remember that these specs (a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and 256GB SSD) are actually pretty standard for the money. And, at 2.65 pounds, it's lighter than almost every other 13-inch Ultrabook we've seen. Still, at that price we'd expect something a little crisper than a 1366 x 768 display.

For what it's worth, too, the S5 is the first product to ship in the US with the company's free AcerCloud service baked in. In brief, you get unlimited storage for backing up your stuff, all of which you can access remotely using an Android app (Acer has said iOS and Windows Phone versions are on the way). As with other syncing services, your computer needs to be asleep, not powered-off, in order for yo! u to ret rieve your files, so avoid shutting down if you think you'll need to reach into your PC later.

In other news, Acer is refreshing its first-gen S3 Ultrabook with a new champagne color, and will now offer it with an Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor and 256GB hard drive. The starting price has dropped to $648 with a Sandy Bridge CPU, with the highest-end models fetching about $1,000. Look for these upgraded models sometime next week.

Gallery: Acer Aspire S5

Continue reading Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook arriving this month for $1,400, S3 gets updated with Ivy Bridge and new color

Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook arriving this month for $1,400, S3 gets updated with Ivy Bridge and new color originally appeared on Enga! dget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy Note 10.1 up for pre-order on Amazon US: $549 with quad-core CPU in tow (update: pulled)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/galaxy-note-10-1-pre-order-amazon/

Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 was recently caught on camera, which indicates that it's well along the production pipeline. Further evidence: the ICS tablet is up for pre-order on Amazon US. The asking price is $549, and the retailer says it will be available "within 3 to 5 weeks." In line with earlier rumors, it looks like Samsung swapped the Note 10.1's original dual-core processor for a quad-core CPU, though as Unwired View points out, Amazon probably meant a Samsung Exynos processor rather than the Intel Xeon currently listed. Ready to shell out for this S Pen-equipped slate? Click on through to the source link to see the product page.

Update: We've received word from Samsung that Amazon published the page in error, and has since taken it down. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is in fact not available for pre-order at this time.

Galaxy Note 10.1 up for pre-order on Amazon US: $549 with quad-core CPU in tow (update: pulled) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM vows Mali-450 graphics will liven up mid-range smartphones

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/arm-vows-mali-450-graphics-will-liven-up-mid-range-smartphones/

ARM is still cooking its next-generation Mali-T604 mobile graphics, but it has what could be a massive lift to performance coming considerably sooner through the Mali-450 family. The architecture is almost almost literally two Mali-400 chips (the same that powers the Galaxy S II) grafted together, and the maximum eight cores accordingly run up to twice as quickly as what we saw just a year ago. The real achievement might be just be targeting the Mali-450 at a more down-to-Earth audience: where the 400 was all about conquering the high-end, ARM wants the 450 to focus on mid-range and even entry-level phones. Design work for the new Mali video should be done before the end of 2012, although it'll be up to chip manufacturers to carry the torch and finish work that likely won't show in phones and tablets until 2013.

ARM vows Mali-450 graphics will liven up mid-range smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aviary launches photo editing application on iOS, turns Android plugin into an app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/aviary-photo-editing-ios-android-app/

Last we heard, Aviary was being chosen to replace the deceased Picnik as the main photo editor on Flickr, and now the startup is getting ready to launch its first iOS app and give its previous Android offering a major boost. The Jeff Bezos-backed company has just announced its entry into the application game, giving iOS and Android folks access to an array of its image editing tools -- much like Apple's iPhoto on Cupertino devices or Photoshop Express on ones powered by Google's OS. Naturally, you'll be able to do run-of-the-mill tidbits such as cropping, rotating, sharpening and blurring, which are bundled alongside others like cosmetic tools, one-tap auto enhance and "gorgeous effects." It's also worth noting Aviary was once present on Google Play as a plugin, but has now made the change to a full-on, feature-packed application. Those interested in taking the fresh app for a spin can hit either of the source links below, where a mighty free download awaits you.

Gallery: Aviary photo editing application

Continue reading Aviary launches photo editing application on iOS, turns Android plugin into an app

Aviary launches photo editing application on iOS, turns Android plugin into an app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rascal Micro hands-on (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/13/rascal-micro-hands-on-video/

Not far from the bustling labs of Northeastern University is the even more bustling hacker space known as Artisan's Asylum. The roughly 30,000 square foot complex is home to more than 100 makers, tinkerers and artists who building all sorts of crazy contraptions. One of the less ostentatious projects being worked on within its cavernous halls though, is the Rascal Micro. This tiny board is home to an ARM-based SOC and has its hungry, open-sourced eyes on competitors like Arduino and Beagle. Brandon Stafford, the creator, boiled down its primary selling points to this: "it's maybe 25 times faster, has 1,000 times more storage." Where as the Arduino excels at making things blink, move or Tweet, the Rascal Micro has enough power to function as a full-fledged web server.

Gallery: Rascal Micro hands-on

Continue reading Rascal Micro hands-on (video)

Rascal Micro hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon debuts new 18-300mm VR lens, brings highest zoom range yet to its DSLRs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/14/nikon-18-300mm-vr-superzoom-lens/

The latest telephoto zoom lens from Nikon packs in the highest zoom ratio we've seen on an APS-C or DX lens. The Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5/6 G ED VR cranks up the zoom to 16.7X, but pairs this with the aperture range of its existing telephoto lenses, ready for some bokeh-heavy close-ups. You'll be paying for that superzoom privilege, however, as the lens is set to arrive later this month, commanding a $1,000 premium. It's joined by a new standard-zoom lens, the FX-compatible Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 ED VR, which also arrives later this month, priced at $600.

Continue reading Nikon debuts new 18-300mm VR lens, brings highest zoom range yet to its DSLRs

Nikon debuts new 18-300mm VR lens, brings highest zoom range yet to its DSLRs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

You Won't Believe How Insane This Tiny New Detail in iOS 6 Is [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5917967/you-wont-believe-how-insane-this-tiny-new-detail-in-ios-6-is

We've showed you the big guns of Apple's newest software tiara. We've showed you the subtle, overlooked features. But this? This is just a crazy addition—so small and precise I had to double check my phone.

Giz reader Zach wrote in after noticing something strange going on in the new Music app:

I noticed today that the reflection on the metallic sliders in the iPod app actually change as you tilt the phone from side to side.

And by God, he's right. Apple actually modified the app so that it'll detect the phone's slight shifting of position and create an artificial gleam on a virtual knob meant to replicate a design feature from the 70s. Functional? Nope. Entirely superfluous? Yep. Impressive? Yep again, if only for its lunacy. This is skeuomorphism on bath salts, and proof beyond a doubt that even post-Jobs, there are still some attention to detail nutcases onboard. [Thanks, Zach!]

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