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Monday, March 01, 2010

Panasonic's silicon-packin' batteries boast 30 percent capacity boost, hit stores in 2012

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/panasonics-silicon-packin-batteries-boast-30-percent-capacity/

Sure, not a day goes by without some sort revolutionary (if not just plain silly) announcement regarding fuel cells, and once again it looks like it's Panasonic's turn. According to Nikkei, the company will begin volume production of Li-ion rechargeable batteries that use a silicon alloy anode sometime in fiscal 2012. While Si alloy batteries have a tenfold theoretical improvement over current cells that utilize graphite, Panny claims that its device will have an improvement in linear capacity of close to thirty percent -- keeping at least 80 percent of its capacity even after 500 charge/recharge cycles. Currently the bad boy is being marketed towards notebook batteries, although we could be seeing 'em in our electric cars in the near future. Catch a couple pictures from the press conference after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic's silicon-packin' batteries boast 30 percent capacity boost, hit stores in 2012

Panasonic's silicon-packin' batteries boast 30 percent capacity boost, hit stores in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Backflip for AT&T unboxing and hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/motorola-backflip-for-atandt-unboxing-and-hands-on/

We've just taken delivery of an AT&T-branded Motorola Backflip -- the carrier's very first Android device -- and we wanted to share with you our magical first moments putting the phone through its paces. Here's a quick rundown of our first impressions:

It feels solidly-built -- probably a notch better than the CLIQ. There's no wiggle or weirdness in the hinge whatsoever. Of course, we know from personal experience that "feels solidly-built" doesn't necessarily mean it is solidly-built, so the jury's still out on how it'll hold up with regular use, especially with the keyboard exposed full-time.
Opening and closing the phone isn't a natural one-handed operation, unless you're comfortable putting it at extreme risk of an unfortunate tumble.
It's laggy right out of the box, which doesn't bode well for usability once you load it up with your own apps. Of course, it uses exactly the same processor as the CLIQ, so that doesn't come as a surprise.
It's filled to the brim with pre-loaded AT&T stuff: AllSport GPS, AT&T Maps, AT&T Music (which takes the place of the standard Music app), AT&T Navigator, AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots, Mobile Banking, MobiTV, MusicID, Where, and YPmobile. We strongly prefer the approach of offering a special branded Android Market portal where you can download your carrier's recommended apps.
Blur looks and feels the same as it does on the CLIQ, though the main Blur widgets -- Social Status, Messages, and Happenings -- have been moved one home screen left of the main one (we prefer this configuration anyhow).
Yahoo has replaced Google as the default search provider throughout the phone. It's crazy: the home screen widget, the browser, everything's been programmed to use Yahoo. We love us some irony, but golly, we'd prefer Google searches most of the time.

It spontaneously rebooted for us once in about an hour of use -- a concerning sign, particularly considering Motorola's inability to pump out a solid firmware for the CLIQ -- but we'll need a little more time with it. Want more right now? Follow the break for some more impressions, video, and a sample shot from the camera.

Gallery: Motorola Backflip for AT&T unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading Motorola Backflip for AT&T unboxing and hands-on

Motorola Backflip for AT&a! mp;T unb oxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP EliteBook 2740p Tablet Graduates to Capacitive Multitouch Display [Tablets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dV7HE4-uh7Y/hp-elitebook-2740p-tablet-graduates-to-capacitive-multitouch-display

The HP EliteBook 2730p was a tough little convertible tablet, and its successor— HP's EliteBook 2740p—is no exception. The 2740p meets the same rugged MIL-STD 810G military standards, and adds a capacitive touch screen and Core i5/i7 goodness.

The 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) LED display includes anti-glare and optional outdoor view, and can be operated with a pen, your finger, the keyboard, or some combination thereof. Under the hood, you've got your choice of Core i7 or Core i5 processors, but there's sadly no discrete graphics option.

You'll get up to five hours out of the standard six-cell battery, but can add on an HP 2700 ultra-slim battery for an additional six hours (listed). And the standard set-up weighs under four pounds—not bad for a tough guy convertible tablet. The HP EliteBook 2740p will be available in the US in April, starting at $1600.

Processor: Intel® CoreTM i7 Mobile Processor Family with Turbo Boost Technology; Intel® CoreTM i5 Mobile Processor Family with Turbo Boost Technology

Memory: DDR3 SDRAM, 1066/1333 MHz*, two slots supporting dual-channel memory, 1024/2048/4096 MB SODIMMs, up to 8192 MB total15 *Running at 1066 MHz

Removable Media: Optional HP External USB CD/DVD R/RW Drive Optional fixed 9.5-mm DVD+/—RW SuperMulti DL Drive available for HP 2740 Ultra-Slim Expansion Base9

Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics with dynamic frequency

Wireless Support: Optional HP un2420 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband Module (requires mobile network operator service)5 (GPS-enabled)6; Intel Centrino; Intel 802.11a/b/g/n;4 Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n, b/g;4 HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth ® v2.1 Wireless Technology; HP Wireless Assistant, Connection Manager 3.1

Expansion Slots: 1 ExpressCard/34 slot, Secure Digital slot (SD/MMC)

Chipset: Mobile Intel QM57 Chipset; Intel vPro Technology24 (optional)

Internal Storage: 1.8-inch bay: 160/250 GB25 5400 rpm SMART SATA II HD, 320 GB25 5400 rpm HDD or 80/160 GB25 SSD, HP 3D DriveGuard

Display: 12.1-inch diagonal LED-backlit WXGA ultra wide viewing angle anti-glare (1280 x 800) – digitizer only or digitizer & multi-touch Optional Outdoor View, (Outdoor view only available with digitizer and multi-touch)

Audio/Visual: High Definition Audio, stereo speakers, combo headphone/microphone jack, integrated dual-microphone array, integrated 2 MP Webcam

Communications: Integrated Intel Gigabit Ethernet PCI Controller (10/100/1000 NIC), 56K v.92 modem
Ports and Connectors: 3 USB 2.0 ports (one powered), VGA, combo headphone/microphone jack, 1394a, power connector, RJ-11/modem, RJ-45/Ethernet, docking connector for HP 2740 Ultra-Slim Expansion Base

Software: HP Recovery Manager (Windows 7 and Vista only), HP Support Assistant (Windows 7 and Vista only), Intervideo WinDVD (select models),

Security: Standard: HP ProtectTools, Integrated Smart Card Reader, HP Fingerprint Sensor, TPM Embedded Security Chip 1.2, Kensington Lock slot, Enhanced Pre-Boot Security, HP Spare Key (requires initial user setup), HP Disk Sanitizer19 Enhanced Drive Lock, Drive Encryption for HP ProtectTools, Credential Manager for HP ProtectTools, File Sanitizer for HP ProtectTools;19

Power: HP 6-cell (44 WHr) primary battery, HP Long Life 6-cell (39 WHr) primary battery, optional secondary HP 6-cell (46 WHr) 2700 Ultra-Slim

Warranty: Limited 3-year, 1-year and 90-day warranty options available, depending on country, 1-year limited warranty on primary battery; 3-year: limited warranty on HP Long Life Batteries10. Optional HP Care Pack Services are extended service contracts which go beyond your standard
warranties. For more details visit: http://www.hp.com/go/lookuptool.

Input Device: Full-sized spill-resistant keyboard with drains, dual pointing devices (touchpad with scroll zone, pointstick), digital eraser pen, Jog dial, 2 MP Webcam16, touch-sensitive controls, HP DuraKeys22
HP QuickLook 3,7 HP QuickWeb,8 Roxio Creator Business 10 (select models), HP Power Assistant,18 Skype,16 WinZip 12

Optional: LoJack for HP ProtectTools,2, 20 McAfee Security Solution26

Dimensions: 1.25in(atfront)x11.42inx8.35in /31.7mm(atfront)x290mmx212mm

Weight: Starting at 3.8 lb (1.72 kg) with no WWAN (weight will vary by configuration)
Battery, 65W Smart Combo Adapter,2 HP Fast Charge

Expansion Solutions:HP 2740 Ultra-Slim Expansion Base, HP USB 2.0 Docking Station, HP Essential USB 2.0 Port Replicator

[HP]

Post-Earthquake: Why Chile's Telescopes Survived [Telescopes]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GCwSKrNgNh4/post+earthquake-why-chiles-telescopes-survived

Chile was rocked by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Saturday, and while hundreds were killed, Discovery.com has cast light on the many telescopes of Chile, built there for the low humidity and high altitudes.

Pictured is the European Southern Observatory's VLT which was built on a 2,635 meter high mountain in the Atacama desert of Chile, which is 50 times drier than Death Valley in California. It's also 1,370km north of the earthquake's epicenter, with the Gemini South Observatory just 800km away from the epicenter on the Cerro Pachón mountain. Its servers went offline for a while after the quake, but have been restored—with other telescopes in the area faring just as well, with just power cuts reported so far.

As the country has a long history of earthquakes, the VLT and Gemini South telescopes fared well. Author Anil Ananthaswamy, an expert on such situations, said both telescopes have been built to withstand natural disasters such as Saturday's 8.8 shocker.

"The primary mirror is 18 centimeters thick. Because of its weight, the mirror's precise shape can warp when it is tilted, so 150 actuators, upon which the mirror rests, continually push and pull at least once a minute to ensure that the optimal curvature is maintained. More impressive than the actuators are the clamps around the edges of the mirror, which can, at a moment's notice, lift the entire mirror, all 23 tons of it, off the actuators and secure it to the telescope's support structure in case of an earthquake (moderate quakes, of less than 7.75 Richter, are not uncommon here, thanks to the ongoing collision of the Nazca and South American plates). The entire telescope is designed to swing during an earthquake, and securing the primary mirror prevents it from rattling against the metal tubes that surround it."

[Discovery News]

Caltech gurus whip up highly efficient, low cost flexible solar cell

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/28/caltech-gurus-whip-up-highly-efficient-low-cost-flexible-solar/

Solar cells are cute and all, but let's be real -- these things are far too inefficient for mainstream use. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology are working hard to remedy that very issue, and they've recently concocted a "new type of flexible solar cell that enhances the absorption of sunlight and efficiently converts its photons into electrons." The solution relies on arrays of long, thin silicon wires embedded onto a polymer substrate, which uses just a fraction of the expensive semiconductor materials required by conventional solar cells. According to professor Harry Atwater, these cells have "surpassed the conventional light-trapping limit for absorbing materials" for the first time, and we're told that the arrays can convert between 90 and 100 percent of the photons they absorb into electrons, and yes, that does mean that they have a near-perfect internal quantum efficiency. Hit the source link for all the technobabble, and cross your fingers for this stuff to get the honored approval of the Governator.

Caltech gurus whip up highly efficient, low cost flexible solar cell originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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