Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, September 18, 2008

fit-PC slim, the 'world's smallest PC' -- just don't lose it on your desk

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/395500099/

Filed under: Desktops

fit-PC Slim is billed as the "smallest, most energy efficient PC available," and at 13 ounces it just might be. Slim is housed in a 330cc enclosure (4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches), draws a mere 6 watts of power, and like the Linutop 2, runs on a 500MHz AMD Geode. This machine is available in a pared-down 256MB configuration (sans WiFi, hard drive) for $220; a 512MB WiFi version (with no hard drive) for $245; or go all out with the 512MB / WiFi / 60GB hard disk version pre-installed with either Ubuntu or Windows XP Home SP3, for $295 or $335, respectively.

[Via LinuxDevices]

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Purported Intel Core i7 details leak out, 920, 940 and 965 models en route?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/395611558/

Filed under: Desktops

While some companies are already out there promising Core i7-based gear, we haven't yet heard many official specifics about the actual processors that'll be at the heart of them (at least not since their earlier Nehelem days). That's now changed in a pretty big way, however, with some supposedly authentic leaked materials revealing the complete spec list and some pricing details. Apparently, you can expect Core i7 920, 940 and 965 models to roll out in November, with 'em clocking in at 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz, and 3.2GHz, respectively. Each, as expected, are quad-core, 45nm processors, and each boast the same 8MB of shared L3 cache, 256kb of L2 cache per core, and TDP rating of 130W. No word on individual unit pricing just yet, but it looks like the Core i7 920 will run $284 in quantities of 1,000, with Core i7 940 upping things considerably to $562, and the "extreme" Core i7 965 demanding a hefty $999.

[Thanks, kris120890]

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HTC Touch HD handled, pre-release style

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/395679371/

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Okay, so this "review" of HTC's beastly new Touch HD isn't much of a review, but it offers up a few important snippets of insight -- and perhaps more importantly for the visual stimulation-starved among us, a plethora of photography. The reviewer notes that the 800 x 480 display is positively gorgeous, the cam is decent (though autofocus is a tad on the slow side), the latest iteration of TouchFLO 3D running here chugs along with virtually no slowdown, and despite the display and the heavy-duty spec sheet, the darned thing is essentially the same size as an iPhone 3G. Oh, and there's also a true 3.5mm headphone jack lurking on here, too, which we dare you to find on that HTC in your pocket right now. Makes it all that much harder to hear that it's launching in the fourth quarter without global HSDPA, doesn't it?

[Thanks, Steph]

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Microsoft's new ads: Seinfeld and Gates out, Hodgman lookalike in

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/395739078/

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

According to a report from in the New York Times, the next phase of Microsoft's latest ad campaign is set to begin -- sans Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. Apparently, the new ads do away with the unusual (and somewhat ill-received) banter and "real life" experiences of the two celebrities, and trade them for an earnest embrace of... Apple's "PC" character. Apparently, one of the new ads even begins with a John Hodgman lookalike stating, "Hello, I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype." Beyond the flip on a rival's depiction of its brand, the campaign will feature cameos from Eva Longoria, Deepak Chopra, Pharrell Williams, and even Gates -- though Seinfeld doesn't make the cut. While we're curious to see what the company cooks up in the new ads, it does strike us as somewhat odd that the supposed narrative Microsoft was establishing with Gates and Seinfeld has abruptly been abandoned in favor of these new spots. Is this a decision which was made long ago, or did the largely negative / confused reaction to the last set of ads force the company's hand? We only have its official statement to go on: "We will be executing the second phase of our advertising campaign tomorrow, as planned from the start."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Line 6's BackTrack is here to record all your moments of brilliant greatness

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/395788411/

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

You play guitar, and we know you're very gifted. You haven't been to Juilliard, but it doesn't matter because you're inspired. What you need now is something to capture inspiration, so you can then drag it -- in the form of a WAV -- onto your desktop via USB 2.0. You need BackTrack by Line 6. Just plug your guitar into BackTrack, plug BackTrack into your amp, and start playing. The device begins recording when it detects a signal and it never stops as long as the battery has a charge (up to eight hours). When you let out a truly boss riff -- or a tasty lick -- you don't have to worry about losing that gem. The basic package retails for $139.99, can capture up to 12 hours of audio and comes equipped with 1GB flash memory. BackTrack + Mic comes equipped with 2GB flash memory and an internal microphone, records for up to 24 hours and retails for $209.99. Both models are rechargeable via USB and have the standard 1/4-inch in / out and headphone jacks.

[Via CNET]

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