Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Just How Big is the Enterprise's Viewscreen? [Space]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hwdBi5F8nzU/just-how-big-is-the-enterprises-viewscreen

I woke up at 3AM last night with my mind racing. The extremely important question that woke me up? How big is the Enterprise's viewscreen? So I decided to do the math.

First off, it depends on which Enterprise you're talking about. The original Enterprise of the '60s, which I've been watching Season 1 of on Blu-ray (quite a good restoration, btw), had what seemed like a tiny ass screen when compared to the IMAX-like experience of the new movie Enterprise. But it's not actually that small.

Using the combined knowledge of the Star Fleet Technical Manual and some screenshots of the episodes, I was able to determine that the screen is a 136-inch display with a 1.73:1 aspect ratio. That's actually smaller than the retina-searing 150-inch Panasonic plasma that we played with before. Yes, Adam Frucci and various captains of industry that have way too much money have viewed things in their own home on a larger display than a captain of a STARSHIP.

But Picard isn't going to be showed up by 21st century technology. His glorious Enterprise D has a 212-inch screen with a 1.92:1 aspect ratio, which is big enough for Riker to jam chairs through while Picard's off in a fantasy land with Whoopi Goldberg. Nice job, Riker.

Not only is this screen gigantic, it supposedly displays stuff in three-dimensions, shifting views or something so Jean-Lu! c can pu t a face to Troi's feelings of "he's hiding something". The Star Trek Wiki explains thusly:

While it is a subtle effect, the viewscreen seen throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation clearly displayed 3-D images. This effect was created in some scenes by providing multiple angles on the viewer, with the image on screen displayed at a corresponding angle, rather than a flat, single angle shot.

But what about the newest technology? What have we learned from years of actual consumer electronics development that the tech-consultants on the movie set could incorporate into the latest iteration of the Enterprise? "Bigger is better."

The display on new-Kirk's ship looks massive, but only because it's so wide. If you're measuring the screen diagonally in display-talk, it's around 326-inches, which is larger in absolute terms than even Picard's screen. It also has a 3.25:1 display ratio, making it wider than most film ratios. But if you're talking pure width, it measures about 26 feet across. Quite impressive.

If they ever do remake TNG, I suspect that the viewscreen will wrap entirely around the side of the bridge all the way to the back where neo-Worf and neo-Geordi will be able to see what's going on behind the Enterprise. It's easier to turn your head to see a display than to tell someone to press a button to change the view.

So yes, this is our dream for when we go into space. Not only will we be able to be in space, we'll have really, really big screens to watch stuff on.



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Posted by Augustine at 1:31 PM

ZyXEL's DMA-2500 streams in 1080p content from your network

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/06/zyxels-dma-2500-streams-in-1080p-content-from-your-network/


The world needs another set-top-box like it needs another Kim Jong-Il, but we'll do our best to stifle the sighs and present to you the ZyXEL DMA-2500. This well-specced box streams in material up to 1080p from any networked storage device, is DLNA 1.5 certified and supports more formats than it would be healthy for us to list. The outfit also claims that it'll handle material laced in DRM, but the vagueness of it all has us skeptical. At any rate, users can also indulge in internet TV and online radio, and there's an S-Video, composite and HDMI port to get it onto your television. Finally, the unit even includes a USB port which can presumably be used for adding local storage or a USB WiFi adapter. It's filtering out now across the pond for the somewhat hard-to-swallow price of €223 ($296).

[Via HDTVInfo]

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ZyXEL's DMA-2500 streams in 1080p content from your network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 May 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 1:29 PM

Amazon Kindle DX first hands-on (with video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/06/amazon-kindle-dx-first-hands-on/


We just got a quick first in-person look at Amazon's new Kindle DX. It looks bigger! Some quick thoughts on the device:

  • It's not really drastically different from the Kindle 2. Not in any way. The ability to auto-rotate is nice, and the big screen is definitely easier on the eyes when it comes to reading newspapers, but largely this is the same beast.
  • The screen looks great. It may just be the demo units here, but the blacks seem to be darker than they are on the Kindle 2. We'll have to hold this judgment for when we've got a review unit in our hands.
  • Screen refresh is largely unchanged. You'll still see those black flashes when you turn the page.
  • The keyboard seems better to us than the Kindle 2's. The keys are more raised, and there's more real estate for typing. It's still not an awesome experience, but it's improved.
  • The size difference really is notable. The DX is a large device. It's not the kind of thing you'll be throwing into a purse, though it's not so large that you wouldn't consider it over the Kindle 2. In fact, if we had to choose right now, the Kindle DX wins hands-down.
  • $489 is a lot of money for a device like this. Amazon is really going to have to show some considerable cuts on pricing for their deals with the NYT / schools to make this attractive to end-users.
And check out the videos after the break!

Continue reading Amazon Kindle DX first hands-on (with video!)

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Amazon Kindle DX first hands-on (with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 May 2009 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 1:28 PM

Dell Studio XPS 13 reviewed, loved, and respected

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/06/dell-studio-xps-13-reviewed-loved-and-respected/


There's been much talk of Dell's leather-bound Studio XPS 13 ever since it made its first appearance... and now the fine folks over at Hot Hardware have put it through the motions for you, and we can tell you that they really liked what they found. Really really. In terms of overall build, they were very impressed, specifically with the chunky hinges and that decorative leather strip (the one which we found to be rippled in our own hands-on). They also claim that the Studio XPS 13 might have the "best keyboard" they've "ever touched" on an ultraportable, and they similarly loved the trackpad's clickiness (although we found the trackpad cramped and awkwardly placed). Performance-wise, they consider themselves blown away by the laptop, though they noted a few hiccups here and there (while tabbing around Firefox), and said that they felt the Studio XPS 13 outperforms others in its class. Hit the read link for the full on, glowing review -- one more shot after the break.

Continue reading Dell Studio XPS 13 reviewed, loved, and respected

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Dell Studio XPS 13 reviewed, loved, and respected originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 May 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 1:28 PM

Samsung's PRAM chips hit mass production in June

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/05/samsungs-pram-chips-go-into-mass-production-in-june/

Mark your calendars, memory enthusiasts, for the date you've all been waiting for. Samsung's phase change RAM will go into mass production starting in June. The PRAM chips -- not to be confused with paramter RAM, often what you curse / reset if you've got a Mac on the fritz -- can rewrite data without having to erase what's already on there first. The company's still boasting it's 30x faster and has 10x the lifespan of traditional flash memory. You want to know what gadgets and gizmos will first use these chips? Us too, but we're all gonna have to wait because Sammy's not talking yet.

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Samsung's PRAM chips hit mass production in June originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 May 2009 21:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:31 AM

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