Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Google's Insane Number of Servers Visualized [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5517041/googles-insane-number-of-servers-visualized

You already just sort of know, logically and instinctively, that Google's got a ridiculous number of servers working for them. That doesn't make it any less mind-boggling when visualized. Get ready for a lot of scrolling.

Of course, not all servers are created equal—so "more" is a problematic word here. And I'm betting this wouldn't look quite so lopsided if big hitters like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Amazon were represented. Regardless, though, such a massive difference of scale is incredibly impressive, even if not entirely surprising. [Intac via Reddit]

Freeplay ZipCharge Battery Promises Hours of Juice From 60 Second Charge [Batteries]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5517136/freeplay-zipcharge-battery-promises-hours-of-juice-from-60-second-charge

It's a familiar situation: you're halfway out the door when you realize the gadget you just pocketed is utterly out of juice. The FreePlay ZipCharge battery can give you precious extra hours of life with a mere 60 second charge.

It's not quite as sleek as some other batteries, like the HyperMac Nano, but the FreePlay ZipCharge is for when you need juice and you need it fast.

The company claims that charging the battery for 60 seconds will give you 2 hours of iPod playback and 8 hours of standby on your phone, or 15 minutes of talk time. A 10 minute charge, they say, will give you 10 hours of talk time or 20 hours of playback on your MP3 player. The kit comes with 8 different adapters for charging all manner of gadgets from big name brands.

The £49.95 super battery, which charges 4 times faster than a lithium-ion counterparts, gets its power from "clever nano physics stuff that you need a very big forehead to understand," though the 850mAh ZipCharge can only give your device of choice one full charge, as opposed to the 1800mAh HyperMac Nano which can do so almost twice over.

We'll be reviewing the ZipCharge soon to see if it lives up to its claims. It's only available in the UK for now, with a US-compatible version coming in the next few months, but if you're a UK resident sick of dead (device) weight pulling down your pockets, you can order a ZipCharge now at CuteBitz.

clever nano physics stuff that you need a very big forehead to understand.

GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/14/gpnc-korea-announces-the-first-me-too-android-hdtv/

Anyone opposed to another Android packing TV announced by a foreign manufacturer of questionable validity? We figured you weren't, so say hello to GPNC Korea's television running Android 1.5 on a 833 Mhz ARM Cortex A8 chip. While it's claiming NTSC and ATSC support among other broadcast standards, the USA doesn't appear to have made the cut for availability, with 10 different countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Australia and Dubai. Practically identical to People of Lava's effort, it is slated for 42-, 47- and 55-inch LED-backlit versions with no real price or date, and even this promo pic looks very familiar. GPNC managed to keep the screen clear of error messages this time, but its website is flagged by Google as "dangerous" so we'd probably wait for something more official before making any attempts to preorder. At this rate, these TVs will be as ubiquitous as Android/ARM tablets before long -- let's hope Sony and Intel spill the details on those Google TV plans sooner rather than later.

GPNC Korea announces the first me-too Android HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Community | source

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Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/14/sony-uks-3dtv-launch-includes-a-few-free-games-to-get-early-ado/

As the GMT turns, Sony's divisions are revealing their 3D plans for the rest of the year and the latest is its UK branch. The HX803 3D-ready model is first out the door in June, with LX903 and HX903 models arriving shortly afterward packing specs identical to their US cousins, with the addition of Freeview HD tuners and PAL-friendly refresh rates. Since the HX803 doesn't come with any of those 100-hour battery rated glasses , viewers getting ready for the 2010 World Cup will likely opt for one of the 3D accessory packs with two pairs included plus the necessary IR emitter. No word on prices for any of these yet, but PS3 owners who buy a new TV within the launch "limited period" can expect to vouchers with download codes for 3D-upgraded versions of four PSN games: PAIN (3 episodes), WipEout HD (full game), Motorstorm Pacific Rift (single level demo) and Super Stardust HD (full game). Movie heads get Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Deep Sea Blu-ray 3D discs bundled with unspecified "selected products," with the former going on sale by itself June 14. Check out all the details in the press release below or just refresh the Sony UK store until that preorder button shows up and we find out just how many pounds are needed to bring one home.

Continue reading Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started

Sony UK's 3DTV launch includes a few free games to get early adopters started originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung NB30 netbook gains touchscreen, inflated price tag

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/14/samsung-nb30-netbook-gains-touchscreen-inflated-price-tag/

A touchscreen on a netbook may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but it looks like Samsung thinks there's a sizable enough market for them, as it's now introduced a touchscreen-equipped counterpart to its NB30 netbook. Dubbed the NB30 Touch, this version packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen (matte, no less) and remains otherwise identical to the standard NB30, including an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition for an OS. Of course, the one other big change is the price, which comes in at €399 (or about $545) for the NB30 Touch, compared to just €279 (or $380) for the non-touchscreen version.

Samsung NB30 netbook gains touchscreen, inflated price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electronista | source