Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, May 16, 2008

Displaced by XP, Sugar Labs goes it alone

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/291650274/

Filed under: Laptops

While OLPC tries to wise up to the real demands of the market and build a cheap laptop that people actually want -- which means Windows XP for most -- Walter Bender, OLPC's former president of software and content for the project is taking his open source Linux-based Sugar OS and has started up a new non-profit to aid its development. Bender still has the vision of an open source learning OS, and plans to give Sugar full support for other low-cost platforms like the Eee PC. Ooh, burn.

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Mtron says its Pro 7500 is the fastest SSD around

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/291341172/

Filed under: Storage

We've had a little love affair going on with storage vendor Mtron ever since we saw that "battleship" SSD RAID array, and it looks like the company is after our hearts once again, this time with the Pro 7500 series of SSDs, which it says are the fastest around. That's really only half-true -- while the 120MB/s write speed is definitely the fastest we've seen, the 130MB/s read speed is the same those Greenhouse's DH-SSDGD drives we just saw a couple days ago. Still, that's mighty fast -- too bad these are probably going to be priced into the stratosphere like Mtron's other SSDs.

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Samsung's 12.1-inch OLED laptop concept makes us swoon

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/291466023/

Filed under: Displays, Laptops

As much as we would loath typing on that touch-sensitive, rigid keyboard, we're definitely geek-smitten by this ultra-thin, AMOLED laptop concept from Samsung SDI -- Sammy's display division. 12.1-inches and 1,280 x 768 resolution with infinite contrast? We'll take two... just as soon as someone can explain the extra panel around back. With Samsung projecting 14- to 15.4-inch OLED laptops in 2009, this might come sooner than you think.

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A Watch For The Extrovert

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/290249007/

Inspired by HR Giger’s amorphous designs, the Draught Watch carries the idea of symbiosis by proposing the watch and the wearer are one. The design is a bit outside the box but nothing is ever too weird for us extroverts.

Designer: Benjamin Wysk

Benjamin Wysk

Pour some light wine

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/290307519/

A standard wine glass is one of the more beautiful shapes in our world. This vessel’s simple elegance is only rivaled by the complexity of the content it was designed to hold. Sharing a glass of wine is one of the more intimate and bonding experiences anyone can enjoy and this lamp design by mmckenna is an unprecedented way to add a little more ambiance to any evening. This cordless lamp, dubbed “Betty Lou” can be placed on most any wine glass and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and lit by very efficient LEDs. Both are managed by proprietary circuitry which monitors the battery’s charge state, checks for short circuits, and maintains consistent brightness. Heat generated by the LED is efficiently dissipated over the surface of the anodized aluminum handle. BettyLou is engineered for optimum light output by a lens and reflector creating a warm even glow.

Designer: mmckenna Studio