ASRock Vision 3D HTPC reviewed: it's the best, guys

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/asrock-vision-3d-htpc-reviewed-its-the-best-guys/

Not so keen on the idea of buying something with an ASRock logo on the front? It's about time to shake your mainstream expectations, vaquero. AnandTech just got their paws around one of the company's highest-end SFF HTPCs, and while we knew from glancing it at Computex that it was primed to perform, the real-world results have shown that it actually is capable of impressing. In fact, these guys called the Vision 3D HTPC "the best SFF HTPC [they had] ever reviewed, hands down," noting that the 2.4GHz Core i3-370M and GeForce GT425M GPU enabled a "quantum leap" in gaming performance for a system of this caliber. Of course, it checks in at just under a grand, but the inclusion of Blu-ray and an HDMI 1.4a port help to "justify the premium pricing." Critics also found the machine to be an easy overclocker, appreciated the trio of USB 3.0 ports and found the "perfect wake-up from sleep" to be a welcome extra in a world of quiescent PCs. No need to take our word for it -- hit that source link to see just how heavily the pros outweigh the cons.

ASRock Vision 3D HTPC reviewed: it's the best, guys originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NTT DoCoMo's AR Walker is augmented reality at its finest (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/ntt-docomos-ar-walker-is-augmented-reality-at-its-finest-video/

Say you're in New York... or Tokyo. You have absolutely no idea where you are, where you need to go, or where the closest Starbucks is. Sure, you could look at the mapping app on your AGPS-equipped handset, but where's the sci-fi in that? Leave it to Japan's NTT DoCoMo (in partnership with Olympus) to whip up a wearable augmented reality solution that's nearly small enough (and reasonable-looking enough) for individuals with an ounce of self-respect to use, and we've had a chance to check it out here at CEATEC this week. Follow the break for impressions and video!

Gallery: NTT DoCoMo's AR Walker is augmented reality at its finest

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo's AR Walker is augmented reality at its finest (video)

NTT DoCoMo's AR Walker is augmented reality at its finest (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 02:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi's 6.6-inch IPS tablet display with amazing 302 ppi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/hitachis-6-6-inch-ips-panel-with-amazing-302-ppi-headed-to-tabl/

What you're looking at is not just another display. This little beauty throws 1600 x 1200 pixels across a 6.6-inch transmissive IPS panel for an amazing 302 pixels per inch density. That's just shy of the 326 ppi density seen on Apple's 3.5-inch Retina Display (and now Sharp IS03) and blows away the 132 ppi density of the iPad's 10-inch 1024 x 768 IPS panel or 169 ppi density of the 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook. Even at that size, the panel still manages an 800:1 contrast ratio and 400 nits of brightness. Unfortunately, we don't have any word on when we can expect these to ship in volume, though we wouldn't mind seeing it show up in Apple's rumored 7-inch iPad -- anywhere, really.

P.S. To fuel speculation, this Hitachi panel shares the same 4:3 aspect ratio as Apple's iPad. Just sayin'.

Hitachi's 6.6-inch IPS tablet display with amazing 302 ppi originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei Ascend is the $150 Android smartphone you might actually want to own

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/06/huawei-ascend-is-the-150-android-smartphone-you-might-actually/

When the Huawei Ascend launches on prepaid carrier Cricket Wireless later this month, it will cost $150. That's not after a rebate or with a two-year agreement, mind you -- for three portraits of Ulysses S. Grant, you actually own the phone. Of course, you always get what you pay for to some degree, and the Ascend certainly isn't a top-tier device -- it's a humble HVGA handset made of cheap plastic that felt like it wouldn't survive a drop. The 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen was dull and actually slightly rough to the touch, and the 3.2 megapixel fixed-focus camera around back doesn't shoot VGA video (just QIF), let alone quality snapshots. Still, it's got physical buttons in all the right places (including a bendy metal Send / Menu / Back / End panel on the bottom) and a surprisingly responsive Android 2.1 UI with a few neat quirks -- like a nine-panel home screen -- so we could honestly see this EV-DO Rev. A handset being a pretty fantastic Android for first-time users. We'd choose it over the Motorola Citrus in a heartbeat, that's for sure, especially when Cricket gets its Sprint roaming agreement in order later this year. Of course, that's assuming the Huawei Ideos doesn't arrive at an even cheaper pricepoint. We've got a brief video of the Ascend after the break, as well as a MiFi-like Huawei device called the Crosswave -- won't you give it a look?

Gallery: Huawei Ascend, hands-on

Continue reading Huawei Ascend is the $150 Android smartphone you might actually want to own

Huawei Ascend is the $150 Android smartphone you might actually want to own originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Common Webcams Could Be Used to Continuously Monitor Your Vital Signs

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-10/low-cost-low-res-cameras-could-soon-continuously-monitor-your-vital-signs

That first early-morning look in the mirror may soon tell you a lot more about your state of being beyond the simple fact that you look like you could use another hour of sleep. A grad student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program has figured out how to use low-cost, low-resolution off-the-shelf camera technology to measure a person's heart rate through imaging alone. The technology, which could soon also be measuring respiration rates and blood-oxygen levels as well as blood pressure, could make basic medical monitoring a continuous process throughout the day.

The system requires nothing but a low-resolution video camera like the one built into most laptop computers. Software identifies a subject's face in the image and uses variations in brightness resulting from the flow of blood through blood vessels in the face to measure pulse rate. Tested against a physical sensor, the system was found to be accurate to within about three beats per minute. Ming-Zher Poh, the grad student behind the system, is now working on methods to extract other vital data via video image.

The ability to test for vital signs through a Web cam opens the door to all kinds of applications, most obviously in telemedicine. Rather than leaving the house when you're feeling under the weather, you could simply sit down with a nurse via video chat and he or she could take your vitals and determine the best course of action. The non-invasive nature of the tech also makes it ideal for situations where a patient really shouldn't be touched more than is absolutely necessary, like to monitor the vitals of a prematurely born infant or a burn victim.

But the more interesting aspect of the technology is it's ability to be ever-present in our lives. Poh has already created a mirror with a camera embedded into it that displays a person's pulse on the glass itself. Such a mirror could take a vital snapshot of a person each morning when he or she rises and again in the evening, creating a health profile rich in data that we usually only get when we go into the doctor's office. Those who need more careful monitoring could use their computers or phones to monitor their vitals continuously throughout the day.

All that data could be continuously piped to health care providers in real time, allowing our doctors to get a far more complete picture of how our bodies are doing on a day-to-day basis. That could lead to better preventative care, fewer trips to the doctor, and reduced man hours spent sitting in waiting rooms. For health care systems the world over that are flat-lining because of uncontrolled rising costs, that's a favorable prognosis.

[MIT News]

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