Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Reactable multitouch table / musical instrument goes into production

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/02/reactable-multitouch-table-musical-instrument-goes-into-produc/

This so-called Reactable built by some researchers at Pompeu Fabra University has been making the rounds of trade shows and other events for quite a while now, but it looks like the group is now really getting their act together by forming a company (Reactable Systems) and putting the device into production. The table itself is not too dissimilar from some of the other multitouch tables out there, but it takes a slightly different tact by focusing primarily on the device's potential as a musical instrument. To make things even simpler for the users, the table makes use of a series of "pucks" that each control a different aspect of the system, and are able to interact with each other when they're in close proximity. No word on a price or actual release date just yet, as you might expect, but you can check it out in action in the video after the break.

[Via MusicRadar]

Continue reading Reactable multitouch table / musical instrument goes into production

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Reactable multitouch table / musical instrument goes into production originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NVIDIA's Franken-Mini is half HP, half Tegra, no Intel

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/02/nvidias-franken-mini-is-half-hp-half-tegra-no-intel/

And now, a little visit to the "Why not?" department: NVIDIA is showing off an HP Mini 1000 at CTIA that it has totally gutted, replacing the laptop's stock Atom-based circuitry with its own Tegra wares atop a bone-stock Windows CE build. At first the move seems counterproductive sine Tegra can't run XP or Vista, but if you look at this as the first prototype of a large Tegra-powered $99 MID, you're thinking along the right lines. The concept isn't indicative of any sort of partnership between NVIDIA and HP, but the chipmaker is looking at this as an opportunity to demonstrate to manufacturers how easy it is to make a device like this -- and like other Tegra devices we've seen, this thing could easily have HDMI, run fluid 3D graphics, and generally make the world a better place at a stupid cheap price. We were also shown a Tegra single-board computer measuring no larger than a single small-outline DIMM like you'd find in a modern laptop, proof that this action can be scaled way down depending on the kinds of devices manufacturers are looking to make. Check out a video of the Franken-Mini after the break.

Gallery: NVIDIA's Franken-Mini is half HP, half Tegra, no Intel

Continue reading NVIDIA's Franken-Mini is half HP, half Tegra, no Intel

Filed under: Laptops

NVIDIA's Franken-Mini is half HP, half Tegra, no Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

AT&T's Samsung Magnet hands-on with video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/01/atandts-samsung-magnet-hands-on-with-video/

Samsung's Magnet is inexpensive, orange, QWERTY, and we're really liking it. Sure, we don't have a price or an official date, but we we came away from our meeting with the Magnet feeling rather happy about the whole experience. Yeah, the web browser is a bit lightweight, and the color choice garish, but we can't find fault with that as it is aimed directly at a market that digs messaging and bright colors. The Magnet is comfortable to hold, the OS very responsive, and the screen ample bright and large enough to get the job done. The Keyboard, and the phone's size are very similar to a Nokia E71 (which we compare it to in the video for scale) so if you've checked one of those out, you'll know where we're coming from. A dash of 3G would add to the joy here, but then again, it would add to the price, too. Pics and videos are just after the break.

Continue reading AT&T's Samsung Magnet hands-on with video

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T's Samsung Magnet hands-on with video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/02/sony-hdr-tg5-makes-worlds-smallest-full-hd-camcorder-lighter-a/

The problem with Sony's previous world's smallest pistol-grip Full HD camcorder -- the HDR-TG1 aka, the TG3E -- wasn't size, it was usability. So we're happy to hear that Sony's TG5 counts a tweaked UI among its updates. And although Sony doesn't say in the press release, the TG5's touch-panel looks far more sensitive (capacitive maybe?) than that of the previous generation's finger bender. The other improvements are GPS to geotag your media (assuming your software supports it), Navteq maps, improved image processing, smile shutter technology, and 16GB of built-in storage (up from 8GB) all riding inside a slightly smaller and lighter chassis. Other specs remain unchanged: 1920 x 1080 AVCHD video, 2.7-inch touchscreen display, and a 10x optically stabilized zoom exposing a 2.4 megapixel CMOS sensor. Expensive? Oh most definitely: ¥120,000 or $1,217 starting in May. Check the video after the break.

Gallery: Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS

[Via CNET]

Continue reading Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Netflix notches 2 billionth delivery with a Blu-ray disc

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/02/netflix-notches-2-billionth-delivery-with-a-blu-ray-disc/

2,000,000,000. That's how many movies Netflix has shipped out since coming on the scene in 1999. Lucky number two billion -- Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist on Blu-ray) snagged Clay Shannon a complimentary lifetime subscription (guess he's not too concerned about the new, higher Blu-ray rates.) It took the company eight years to cross the one billion milestone, and only two for the next billion. While there's little indication of a slowdown in the two million movies shipped out every day from 58 distribution centers, we wouldn't be surprised if number 3 billion were just as likely to come as a download than anything else.

Continue reading Netflix notches 2 billionth delivery with a Blu-ray disc

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netflix notches 2 billionth delivery with a Blu-ray disc originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments