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Monday, September 07, 2009

Build a BBQ Smoker for Under $50 [Weekend Project]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/J8wCF6mQQdI/build-a-bbq-smoker-for-under-50

Want some deep smokey BBQ flavor without shelling out hundreds for a ceramic smoker? For $50 worth of parts and a trip to the hardware store, you can build your own.

One of the keys to good BBQ is low temperatures over extended periods of time. High-end smokers are made of ceramic to help keep the heat in while cheap ones are made of heat-shedding metal. You can get the heat-retaining properties of the higher end models by using terracotta pots as the body of your DIY cooker. Check out the video below of Alton Brown building and using a $50 smoker:

If you're intrigued but want more detail than is found in the video, check out the link below. An Alton Brown fan built their own and detailed the process including where they found the parts and which parts worked best.

Have experience with DIY BBQ contraptions? Let's hear about it in the comments.

The Alton Brown Flower-Pot Smoker [via Blogiversity]

Fujitsu Esprimo Q1500: Core 2 Duo and Blu-ray in a laughably small form factor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/06/fujitsu-esprimo-q1500-core-2-duo-and-blu-ray-in-a-laughably-sma/

My my, we've seen heatsinks bigger than this latest Esprimo Mini PC from Fujitsu. The Q1500 might look like your run-of-the-mill underpowered nettop, but its makers have successfully crammed a mobile Core 2 Duo CPU and a slot-loading Blu-ray drive inside to make one hell of an appealing little goer. 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive fill out the generous spec, and yes, there's a HDMI out as well. Basically, you're looking at a Timeline laptop adapted to the desktop, which would also suggest that the unknown Intel CPUs are of the CULV variety. Of course, all that grunt won't come cheap and the base Core 2 Solo, DVD drive-packing option will start prices off at €699 ($998) when these hit Germany later this month.

[Via Slippery Brick]

Filed under: Desktops

Fujitsu Esprimo Q1500: Core 2 Duo and Blu-ray in a laughably small form factor originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu's multitouch LIFEBOOK T4310 tablet makes quick work of Microsoft's Touch Pack

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/06/fujitsus-multitouch-lifebook-t4310-tablet-makes-quick-work-of-m/

If Fujitsu was going for sexy, it certainly missed the mark with the LIFEBOOK T4310, one of the least attractive machines of its kind, but where the T4310 tablet falls short on style, it certainly makes up for with its excellent multitouch-friendly capacitive touchscreen. Playing with Windows 7's new touch features, it almost seems feasible to use the OS with a finger (gasp!), and the screen can also accept pen input (based on pressure-sensitive Wacom technology) when your blunt jabs aren't getting the job done. The multitouch prowess is most evident using Microsoft's Surface-inspired Touch Pack applications, which come pre-installed, but it's also a nice way to get around in Internet Explorer. Other perks of the machine include a 360-degree rotating hinge, a hot-swappable drive bay, and all the internal accouterments (SSD, 3G) one could ask for. Video demo is after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Continue reading Fujitsu's multitouch LIFEBOOK T4310 tablet makes quick work of Microsoft's Touch Pack

Fujitsu's multitouch LIFEBOOK T4310 tablet makes quick work of Microsoft's Touch Pack originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanford's open-source camera could revolutionize photography, you'll still use 'Auto' mode

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/06/stanfords-open-source-camera-initiative-could-revolutionize-pho/

Here's the moment where you pretend that a breakthrough in a given industry would just revolutionize the way you do work, yet you know -- deep down in your heart -- that you'd never take advantage. Okay, so maybe you would, but your friend wouldn't. At any rate, a gaggle of boffins at Stanford have set out to "reinvent digital photography" with the advent of the open-source digital camera. The idea here is to give programmers the power to conjure up new software to teach old cameras new tricks, with the hope being to eliminate software limits that currently exist. In fact, a prototype shooter has already been developed, with the Frankencamera hinting at a future where owners can download apps to their devices and continuously improve its performance and add to its abilities. The actual science behind the concept is stupendously in-depth, so if you're thinking of holding off on that new Nikon or Canon in 2034, you might want to give the read link a look for a little more encouragement.

[Via HotHardware]

Continue reading Stanford's open-source camera could revolutionize photography, you'll still use 'Auto' mode

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Stanford's open-source camera could revolutionize photography, you'll still use 'Auto' mode originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UMEC's Android videophone and MID prototypes stray from the beaten path

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/06/umecs-android-videophone-and-mid-prototypes-stray-from-the-beat/

We've seen plenty of odd Android permutations, but UMEC seems to be striving to do something all its own. It's showing two devices it currently has in the works, one is a videophone / hub / DECT phone / etc. unit (pictured), which might be at home on a countertop, while the other is a brightly hued MID, with similar internal specs but more portable aims. Both are running ARM Cortex A8 processors (like the iPhone 3GS), though there's some significant OS optimization to be done: everything was incredibly sluggish on the videophone, and the MID was locked up at the time we dropped by. UMEC also doesn't have the touchscreen drivers working for either device, though the good news is that they're looking at both capacitive and resistive touchscreens, based on what the reseller that picks these up desires. Luckily, the videophone has USB plugs galore (along with plenty of Ethernet jacks) so we were able to get a quick demo of the device using a mouse and keyboard. The MID also has a full-size USB plug, and both devices sport HDMI out, so the end usage for both of these is really up in the air. Check 'em out on video after the break.

Gallery: UMEC's Android videophone and MID prototypes