Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, August 24, 2009

Asus uBoom Sound Bar Speakers Let You Party Like It's 1999 [Speakers]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/NqOWtMXtS3g/asus-uboom-sound-bar-speakers-let-you-party-like-its-1999

That's not necessarily a compliment; you'll either love-or-hate the dated design of the uBoom and uBoom Q sound-bar speakers. On the upside: the Q connects directly to a notebook via USB—no need for audio-cables, drivers, or power supply.

The uBoom (pictured below) is a beast at 3kg, and its 24 watt sound (total RMS) does need a power supply. The 400g uBoom Q (2.4 watts) is USB powered. Both have an auxillary audio input, and the uBoom adds a microphone jack.

The speakers just went up on Asus' site for you to check out, but there's no pricing info yet. [Asus]

Nokia Booklet 3G Netbook Packs GPS, 3G, HDMI and...Windows [Laptops]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UOwIbyAVLko/nokia-booklet-3g-netbook-packs-gps-3g-hdmi-andwindows

So Nokia's got a 10-incher with built-in 3G and A-GPS (Ovi Maps) in the works. Interesting, but will it be just-another-netbook? I'd love to see a Nokia touch-screen interface on top of Windows. What about easy tethering with cell phones?

Having some sort of tie-in with Nokia handsets (while not excluding everyone else) isn't a must, but it'd be nice, right? We'll have to wait and see.

Here's what we do know: It'll be "HD ready" and have an Atom processor—hopefully that means Nvidia Ion-based. It will also have Wi-Fi, HDMI, and an SD Card reader. With a 12 hour battery and weight of 2.75 pounds, there's some massive potential here, if only on paper.

Problem is we won't know more about its flavor of Windows-or any other specs and pricing-until Nokia World on September 2. Stay tuned. [Nokia]

James Dyson's 'Wrong Garden' Optical Illusion Makes Water Flow Uphill [Illusions, Michael]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/52YlL1IqEsU/james-dysons-wrong-garden-optical-illusion-makes-water-flow-uphill

This fountain, created by inventor James Dyson and inspired by MC Escher, has water flowing up a series of ramps. Or so it appears to.

It's actually a pretty ingenious optical illusion. Water is pumped out of the tops of each ramp, cascading water down both the ramp and over its edge. Bubbles rising inside each ramp give the illusion of water flowing uphill, and all together it makes it look like the water is defying gravity. Pretty amazing stuff, and it took a solid year to design and build.

You can go check it out at the Chelsea Garden Show in England if you're in the area. [BBC via Oh Gizmo! via The Daily What]

Are Your Eyeballs Ready For a 480Hz LCD TV? [Rumor]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zLTiQ_wYzwo/are-your-eyeballs-ready-for-a-480hz-lcd-tv

Or for that matter, are anyone's? These are the questioned posed by a bizarre report that Samsung, who've been doing the whole 200Hz frame interpolation thing for a while now, will bring a 480Hz LCD HDTV to IFA this year.

Here's how Flatpanelshd says it will work:

The upcoming Samsung 400 Hz (or 480 Hz in the US.) utilizes the so-called BFI/DFI principle. BFI/DFI stands for (Black/Dark Frame Insertion), and means that the TV inserts very short black frames between the original picture frames.The method utilizes the principle that the human eye does not "forget" light instantly.

I have to say, as someone who knows next to nothing about the human ocular system, this sounds entirely plausible! Look at all the acronyms!

If this does come to pass, it's worth noting that it wouldn't display a true 480Hz (or 400Hz outside the US), since it's not really refreshing the source material on the screen 480 times a second—it'll just simulate that effect by inserting black frames in between actual content. The story is made doubly weird by the fact that, hey, a lot of people kind of hate the artificially high-Hz sets. Like me! At any rate, IFA starts in less than two weeks, so I'll abstain from biased ranting until they actually materialize. [Flatpanelshd via Pocket Lint]

Nokia introduces Booklet 3G 'mini laptop'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/24/nokia-introduces-booklet-3g-mini-laptop/

Nokia rocked the world this morning by introducing its spin on the laptop, called the Booklet 3G. If you're the rude sort (like us) you could call it a fancy netbook, what with its Atom processor and 10.1-inch display, but that screen is higher res than your average Eee, and it also sports integrated 3G wireless and a hot-swappable SIM card, so it's definitely trying to define its own niche. It looks to be running Windows 7, which isn't particularly netbooky, and also has integrated A-GPS with a copy of Ovi Maps, HDMI output, a rated 12 hour battery life, and the usual Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, all in a 2cm (.78 inch), 2.7lb aluminum body that's understated, sophisticated, and should make most Nokia fans very happy -- Nokia fans who are looking for a tiny laptop, anyway. There's a fancy promotional video after the break, and while we don't have any anticipated release date or price just yet, we'll be learning more at Nokia World 09 on September 2. We promise not to make too many Foleo references.

Gallery: Nokia introduces Booklet 3G 'mini laptop'