Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, September 10, 2010

Watching DivX Movies With VLC Video Player for iPad [Ipad]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5634916/watching-divx-movies-with-vlc-video-player-for-ipad

If everything goes well, every iPad user would be able to play movies and shows in DivX, Xivd and many other media format not supported by Apple's native QuickTime player. All thanks to the free VLC Media Player

If Apple approves it, that is. Right now, VLC is going through the approval process. Since it doesn't break any rules, I'm sure (I hope) there will be no problem.

VLC will allow you to play your own high quality video without having to go through Apple's iTunes Store or converting to H.264. According to AppAdvice, it works great:

It performs very well, and all your DivX and Xvid files will play smoothly and normally, displaying all their original quality. It also supports a bunch of other formats, and it's extremely simple to use. As for the interface, it's nice and polished.

Crossing fingers. [AppAdvice]

Philips claims first AC-powered OLED module, points the way to cheaper, more reliable bulbs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/10/philips-claims-first-ac-powered-oled-module-points-the-way-to-c/

Sure, you've fawned over razor-thin OLED TVs and vibrant AMOLED screens, but as Philips keeps reminding us, the organic diodes are good for more than displays -- they also make a fancy light bulb, too. This week, the company's took the wraps off the latest advance in that direction: an bright-white OLED module that takes alternating current. Philips says that up until now, OLED technology required low-power DC voltage, which necessitated costly switching mechanisms built into such products in turn, but now they've got panels that sip fresh-squeezed AC juice directly from the wall. Now, it's just a question of when they'll be bright and cheap enough to be remotely worth your while. PR after the break.

Continue reading Philips claims first AC-powered OLED module, points the way to cheaper, more reliable bulbs

Philips claims first AC-powered OLED module, points the way to cheaper, more reliable bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permali! nk&n bsp; | | Email this | Comments

Logitech Z506 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/10/logitech-z506-review/

Audiophiles are quick to name the umpteen flavors of Dolby, but when you go back to basics, there are just three types of surround sound today -- each easily identified by their plug. Virtual surround uses just a single stereo jack, emulating multiple channels from two, while digital surround travels across optical or coaxial S/PDIF cables (or HDMI) and has to be decoded. Finally, there's analog surround sound -- the cheapest solution of all -- where you basically just plug a pair of dumb speakers into each of front, rear and center 3.5mm sockets on your existing PC sound card. Unsurprisingly, the $100 Logitech Z506 speakers use this last technique to deliver their true 5.1 sound, but that's no reason to count them out. The question is, do they deliver enough bang, boom and tweet for the buck? Read on to find out.

Gallery: Logitech Z506 surround sound speakers unboxing and hands-on

< a href="http://www.engadget.com/photos/logitech-z506-surround-sound-speakers-unboxing-and-hands-on/#3347985">

Continue reading Logitech Z506 review

Logitech Z506 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

QNAP pops Intel's 1.8GHz Atom D525 into refreshed Turbo NAS family

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/10/qnap-pops-intels-1-8ghz-atom-d525-into-refreshed-turbo-nas-fami/

Can't have your NAS being held back by a wimpy processor, eh? QNAP, a long-standing name in the networked storage biz, just announced a revision in its Turbo NAS lineup, placing Intel's hot-off-the-fab-line Atom D525 into four Turbo NAS products. The 2-drive TS-259 Pro+, 4-drive TS-459 Pro+, 5-drive TS-559 Pro+ and 6-drive TS-659 Pro+ are all seeing the aforesaid 1.8GHz chip fall into place, enabling transfer speeds as high as 116MB/sec while maintaining low power consumption. Outside of that, it looks as if these guys are the same as they ever were, boasting compatibility with 2.5- and 3.5-inch hard drives, v3.3 of the QNAP NAS management software and support for more RAID variations than you can shake a decently sized stick at. Pricing is all hush-hush at the moment, but we're sure someone would talk dollars if you dial up the right dealer.

QNAP pops Intel's 1.8GHz Atom D525 into refreshed Turbo NAS family originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Hot Hardware | source

QNAP | Email this | Comments

Intel to show off Sandy Bridge at IDF next week, AMD counters with Zacate demo nearby

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/10/intel-to-show-off-sandy-bridge-at-idf-next-week-amd-counters-wi/

Now this is what you call a juicy standoff. Intel has announced that Paul Otellini will grace the stage at IDF next week with a demo of his company's next-gen CPU/GPU chip, codenamed Sandy Bridge, and not to be outdone, AMD has immediately retorted with plans to put its own Zacate competitor up on display -- at the same time, in the same city, but at a slightly different location. Both Zacate and Sandy Bridge meld general-purpose and graphical processing duties into one slice of silicon, consolidating the traditionally discrete CPU and GPU into a power-efficient do-it-all chip. You'll find details of where AMD's impromptu demo will be taking place after the break, whereas the Intel Developer Forum will probably be discoverable by the masses of bespectacled engineers trudging in its general direction. Boy, San Fran's gonna be one happening place next week!

Continue reading Intel to show off Sandy Bridge at IDF next week, AMD counters with Zacate demo nearby

Intel to show off Sandy Bridge at IDF next week, AMD counters with Zacate demo nearby originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source