Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Six Percent of All Web Traffic Goes to Google [Bandwidth]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/daMPmUnEdyo/six-percent-of-all-web-traffic-goes-to-google

We already knew that Google's web sites and applications dominate many of their competitors, but according to a two-year study, Google accounts for a whopping six percent of all web traffic. The study also found that 30 percent of internet traffic is dedicated to 30 large companies, including, of course, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. [NYT]

Motorola CLIQ review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/motorola-cliq-review/

Palm and Motorola have taken very different paths to get where they are today; one began life as a scrappy Valley start-up founded by a tablet computing pioneer, the other traces its roots to all the way back to the early days of consumer electronics and the automotive industry. Yet somehow, through years (decades, even) of adventure, success, and misfortune, they've found themselves in exactly the same situation here in 2009: it's do-or-die time. Palm, of course, has elected to try its hand at resurrecting the very thing that took it to superstardom in the first place -- an elegant, tightly-controlled software platform of its own with hardware to match -- while Motorola has thrown virtually all of its remaining weight behind Android in the hope that it can catch a little mojo from Google's ecosystem.

For Motorola, it's the wireless equivalent of stepping up to the roulette table, putting what's left of your depleted life savings on red, and letting it ride just as you see security guards off in the distance coming to throw you -- penniless -- off the premises. It's a gamble of the highest order, but it's also a gamble Motorola's painfully aware that it needs to take. North America's only top-five handset manufacturer needs nothing less than magic (and a little luck) to earn its way back into the world's wireless elite -- and that risky play starts right here, today, with the CLIQ / DEXT.

So does the CLIQ pave the way to a New Motorola, or did the RAZR's checkered legacy ultimately dig a hole too deep to escape? Read on.

Gallery: Motorola CLIQ review

Continue reading Motorola CLIQ review

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Motorola CLIQ review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/14/layar-now-adding-layers-of-augmented-reality-to-iphone/

Since your Android handset-owning friends and colleagues can't have all the phone, Layar has finally made the leap to iPhone. It's now available in the iTunes app store for the enticing price of nada, with its own third-party ecosystem to boot -- only iPhone 3GS customers need apply, though, since without the magnetometer this is kind of a wash. We've only spent a few minutes with the new version, but it seems like much of our initial impressions from August seem to hold true, for better and for worse. But don't take our word for it, download away! [Warning: iTunes link]

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Cellphones

Layar now adding layers of augmented reality to iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer debuts stylish, multitouch-enabled Aspire Z5610 all-in-one PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/15/acer-debuts-stylish-multitouch-enabled-aspire-z5610-all-in-one/

We had heard that Acer had some touch-enabled Windows 7 devices in the works, and it looks like the company is now finally starting to deliver on that promise, and then some, with its new Aspire Z5610 all-in-one PC. Boasting a 24-inch HD touchscreen with full multitouch support, this one rounds things out with some decent if unremarkable specs, including a Pentium Dual Core E5300 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive, among other standard fare. It's the design of the desktop that's sure to turn the most heads, however, and while Acer's claim of it being a "timeless piece" might be a bit of a stretch, there are certainly plenty of touches that are a cut above the rest -- we're especially curious to see how the illuminated strip between the LCD and soundbar works (it's designed to light up the keyboard in the dark). Best of all, this one packs an MSRP of just $899, and should be available sometime this holiday season.

Filed under: Desktops

Acer debuts stylish, multitouch-enabled Aspire Z5610 all-in-one PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zoom's high-fidelity Q3 pocket camcorder ships to America

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/15/zooms-high-fidelity-q3-pocket-camcorder-ships-to-america/

Hailed as the first and only handheld video recorder to record HD audio, Zoom's Q3 Handy Video recorder is definitely a unique offering amongst the legions of me-toos. After being announced in July and tickling our senses right around a month ago, the Q3 has finally begun to ship en masse to eager consumers. Just in case you've forgotten, this bugger records 24-bit/48 kHz audio via a pair of condenser microphones, gets powered by two AA cells and captures video at 640 x 480 (30fps). There's also a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 LCD and an SDHC card slot, though you'll have to shell out $249 in order to get this kind of technology into your own pocket. Order up, kids!

Gallery: Zoom's high-fidelity Q3 pocket camcorder ships to America