Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/intels-light-peak-optical-interconnect-shrinks-slightly-while/

Intel's Light Peak isn't setting any new speed records at IDF 2010 -- it's still rated at 10Gbps for now -- but the optical data transfer system is finally looking like it might appear in some actual products. As you can see immediately above, a Light Peak to HDMI converter has shrunk considerably since May, and a number of optically-infused sample products were on display at Intel's Light Peak booth. Compal's got a laptop with the optical interconnect built in, while Western Digital showed an external hard drive, from which the Compal could pull and edit multimedia in real-time using a Light Peak-enabled Avid rackmount. Meanwhile, LaCie showed off what appeared to be a 4big Quadra RAID array with two Light Peak ports catapulting high-definition video content at 770MB/s to a nearby Samsung TV, though we should warn you that the TV itself was a bit of a hack job, and not a collaboration with Samsung -- note the big, honking EVGA video card sticking out of the back. Though obviously a good bit of work went into these prototypes, Intel reps told us none would necessarily become a reality. Either way, don't expect to see Light Peak products until sometime next year.

Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:17 AM

Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... display fight!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/nokia-cbd-vs-apple-retina-fight/

Come on, you knew this post was coming. Here we have a prototype Nokia E7 and its new 4-inch, 640x360 pixel Clear Black Display pitted again the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel Retina display. To our eyes, the iPhone 4 display has a noticeable blue warmth and wasn't as vibrant or bright as the CBD. The CBD, however, did come across a bit oversatured (just look at those red "breaking news" bars), but hey, it's AMOLED. It certainly looks just as good as the Galaxy S' Super AMOLED. We'll have to see how the polarized layer on the CBD affects sunlight viewing. More on that later. Until then, play nice dear readers.

Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... display fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:16 AM

Nikon D7000 pictured ahead of imminent release?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/nikon-d7000-pictured-ahead-of-imminent-release/

What, the D3100 and its fancy new autofocusing video mode not enough for ya? Ever since Nikon updated its entry level DSLR, rumors have been rife of a new teammate for it, namely a D7000, designed to replace the wildly popular D90 prosumer shooter. Today, those rumors get enriched with a supposedly legit image, showing a realignment of the buttons on the back, a bit more control with a dual jog dial on the left shoulder, and a new Live View-switching toggle as first seen on the D3100. Look for the D7000, along with a new Speedlight flash and a couple of juicy Nikkor prime lenses, to get officially announced early tomorrow morning. Or not, you never know with rumors.

Nikon D7000 pictured ahead of imminent release? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 8:16 AM

Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton: Surface will be in homes within three years

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/microsoft-principal-researcher-bill-buxton-surface-will-be-in-h/

Microsoft's Principal Researcher recently sat down for a very long interview with The Globe and Mail. The next big thing in tech, he says, is something like Microsoft's already available (but super expensive) Surface. So what does the next version of the Surface look like? Well, it's going to be much thinner -- "no thicker than a sheet of glass," but most importantly, it will cost much much less. The man who helped design what ultimately became Surface says that soon enough, the cameras will be embedded within the device itself, making it a low-cost, in home product rather than the niche product it is today. Buxton also said in the interview that he thinks we'll begin seeing home implementation within the next three years. We sure hope that he's correct.

Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton: Surface will be in homes within three years originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:16 AM

ExoPC is Intel's WiDi-enabled Atom tablet, we go hands-on with near-final build (update: video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/13/exopc-is-intels-widi-enabled-atom-tablet-we-go-hands-on-with-n/

We're still not quite sure why Intel decided to forego mentioning the product name in this morning's keynote, but that Atom-based tablet with Wireless Display technology? That's the ExoPC, according to the very people who make the device. We caught up with the company at IDF 2010 and checked out both an older version of the device and a near-production model -- still a super-glossy glass screen with admittedly bad viewing angles, but we've been promised the final display will alleviates those problems. The unit we held was also a good bit lighter than before -- 144 grams to be exact, according to the rep -- and had a rubber matte feel to the back. The ExoPC is powered by Intel's PineTrail -- specifically the Atom N450, although Oak Trail is something the company's looking into for the future. We won't go into every detail of what we saw, as you can check out our preview from May for a more exhaustive (and still pretty accurate) look. We will say that the unit is still incredibly snappy (thanks in no small part to 2GB RAM and SanDisk SSD) and we're still loving the ability to switch from Windows 7 to the very friendly "Connect Four" UI (our unofficial name for it). The keyboard is still Windows 7 standard, but we were told it's reached out to multiple companies -- including Swype -- and is also looking to its developer community for greater support in the buildup to launch.

So, about that WiDi demo this morning... the company wouldn't tell us the story behind that, only to say that it was an ExoPC in the demo, WiDi will be included eventually but no promises were made as to its inclusion at launch. It's our understanding that the hardware wasn't changed, implying the capabilities are already there or that all it takes is a software fix, but... we've also heard from Intel that WiDi is a hardware-based solution, so we're still not quite sure what to make of everything. At any rate The company's still targeting mid-October for its developer pre-orders and touting its Flash and Silverlight support, reminding us how easy it is to port from Windows Phone 7 to the device. We've got a video walkthrough coming later, but for now, check out some pics in the gallery below.

Continue reading ExoPC is Intel's WiDi-enabled Atom tablet, we go hands-on with near-final build (update: video)

ExoPC is Intel's WiDi-enabled Atom tablet, we go hands-on with near-final build (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Augustine at 7:16 AM

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