Lenovo teases IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops, D400 home server

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/lenovo-teases-ideacentre-d400-home-server-q100-q110-nettops/

There's not a lot to go on here, but Lenovo's official Twitter account posted pictures of two products that are purportedly being revealed in more detail later this week. The IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops are said to be "some of the thinnest nettops in the world," and while the teaser image is certainly a looker, for better and for worse we can already smell the Atom processor from here. Also on the menu is the IdeaCentre D400, the company's first home server. We Got Served did a little digging, and as it turns out, the D400 was released in Asia at the beginning of this month, with four hot swappable bays, four USB ports, and an eSATA port. It'd be nice to know when this week Lenovo was planning to lift the veil of secrecy, but at least we won't be worrying about it come Saturday.

[Via ThinkPad; thanks, Mark]

Read - Q100 / Q110 nettops
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Continue reading Lenovo teases IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops, D400 home server

Filed under: Desktops, Storage

Lenovo teases IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops, D400 home server originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Layar augmented reality app now available globally, lets you hunt down tweeps with cold, calculated precision

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/layar-now-available-globally-lets-you-hunt-down-tweeps-with-col/

Following a Netherlands-exclusive release back in June, SPRXmobile has now taken its so-called Layar "Reality Browser" for Android to the global stage and advanced it to version 2.0 in the process. Perhaps the first commercial augmented reality app to launch on a large scale, Layar's got a good amount of momentum behind it -- the company claims that 100 developers are already hard at work developing reality layers that users can toggle, and an additional 500 developers are being added into the mix with the latest release. Version 2.0 adds favorite layers (because we're sure you'll be stalking friends and foes all too often using the Tweetmondo layer), map and list views, and enhanced search capabilities, but the real secret to Layar's power might ultimately lie in the third-party ecosystem if they can get enough content providers on board.

We grabbed Layar off the Market and took it for a quick spin; we're having trouble getting it to aim correctly, though Google Sky Map is having the same issues, so we're fairly certain that we're dealing with a phone or location problem rather than a Layar one. The key thing with an app like this is going to be speed and fluidity, and even on our Magic's relatively lightweight 528MHz core, it's plenty usable. The Google-powered Layar local search -- arguably the most important reality layer bundled with the software -- is a little annoying to use, primarily because the search box has no history or suggestion capability which means you've got to type out a full search every time you want to use it. Ultimately, though, the app's very young (as is this whole category of technology, for that matter) and we're stoked to see where this goes over the coming months.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Handhelds

Layar augmented reality app now available globally, lets you hunt down tweeps with cold, calculated precision originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's LifeCam Cinema HD webcam lets you film those YouTube confessionals in 720p

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/microsofts-lifecam-cinema-hd-webcam-lets-you-film-those-youtube/

For when the world needs to see with pristine detail your cat playing inside a paper bag in the middle of the kitchen, or every blemish on your face as you regale the exciting story of your day, Microsoft's unveiled the LifeCam Cinema HD webcam. The USB 2.0 device captures life in 1,280 x 720 HD resolution at 30 frames per second, with auto focus, 4x digital zoom, a noise-canceling mic on top, and something called ClearFrame for smoother video, somehow. It's not without caveats, of course, requiring a dual core processor (1.6GHz minimum, 3GHz recommended) and listing for $80, but it does happily tout its Windows 7 compatibility out of the box. Interests piqued? The webcam'll be popping up in stores on September 9th, which as it turns out, is becoming a rather busy day for tech enthusiasts.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Microsoft's LifeCam Cinema HD webcam lets you film those YouTube confessionals in 720p originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/heathrow-taxi-pods-become-a-glorious-driverless-reality/

Finally, we are in the future -- Heathrow Airport is rolling out those driverless pod taxis it announced two years ago, and they look just as adorable as ever. The ULTra Personal Pod cars are fully automated battery-powered pods that zoom around at up to 25mph on a special road network, and can transport four passengers and their luggage between Heathrow's Terminal 5 and its business car parks. If, like us, you have a thing for retro-futuristic design, you'll do well to check out the gallery below, complete with interior shots, and there's also a video after the break. Enjoy!

[Via BoingBoing Gadgets]

Gallery: Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality

Continue reading Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality

Filed under: Transportation

Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an object in 2-D

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/video-simulated-quiet-zone-cloaking-hides-an-object-in-2-d/

You don't have to be able to pick a Romulan out of a crowd of Vulcans to be intrigued by the idea of cloaking, and indeed many non-trekkers have tried to hide things in plain sight using electromagnetism, accoustic superlenses, or light-bending materials. The latest attempt relies on devices that emit cancelling waves of the sort anyone who's ever seen a Bose commercial should quite familiar with, combining to negate any external, incoming waves. What's different here is that they also recombine on the other side of the object being cloaked, as shown in the video below, meaning that incoming surge is then re-generated and continues on undisturbed -- potentially even reflecting back through the object again should it hit something on the far side. It's part of research at the University of Utah and, for now, only works in a theoretical two-dimensional world where triangles and squares are ruled by pentagons, hexagons, and priestly polygons. Optical camoflage is sadly not believed to be possible using this technique, but sonar and radar are likely implementations, as well as mechanisms to subvert earthquakes, tsunamis, and maybe even neighboring speed metal fans.

Continue reading Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an object in 2-D

Filed under: Science

Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an obje! ct in 2- D originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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