Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hitachi debuts 7,200RPM 3TB Deskstar 7K3000 hard drive

Hitachi was the first to roll out a 7,200RPM, 3.5-inch 2TB hard drive, and it looks like it's now done it again at the 3TB level. That comes in the form of the company's new Deskstar 7K3000 model, which appears to not only be the first 7,200RPM 3TB drive hard around, but Hitachi's first drive with a 6Gbps SATA interface. Otherwise, the five-platter drive packs a 64MB cache buffer, an idle power draw of 6.8W, and what Hitachi describes as an eco-friendly, halogen-free design. Still no word on pricing or a release date, but The Inquirer surmises it'll cost somewhere in the neighborhood of £200, or $320.

Hitachi debuts 7,200RPM 3TB Deskstar 7K3000 hard drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Artifical retina reconstructs normal vision in mice, human trials next

Scientists have been working on artificial retinas for years, and while the main focus of research has been to increase the amount of light captured, a study led by Sheila Nirenberg, PhD, has taken a different tack. The new system being devised at Weill Cornell Medical College better mimics frontline photoreceptor cells, making it easier for the ganglion cells to output a more accurate image. "If you want to really restore normal vision, you have to know the retina's code," Nirenberg said. "Once you have that, the door is open to the possibility of restoring normal vision." When researchers performed tests with mice, they found that those with the new system reconstructed more details (the second image, above) than those without (image three, above). "Incorporating the [more accurate] code jumped the system's performance up to normal levels - that is, there was enough information to reconstruct faces, newsprint, landscapes, essentially anything," Nirenberg said. The next step? Coordinating with other researchers to test the technology on human participants.

Artifical retina reconstructs normal vision in mice, human trials next originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today

Say hello to the new VIZIO XVT 3D series, while the XVT Pro line announced earlier this year (and that 72-inch model we were drooling over) were not to be, these 42-, 47- and 55-inch HDTVs are real and on sale today through Amazon, Sam's Club and Target's online shops and should be on shelves later this month. Features like the number of LED backlighting zones (for the 47- and 55-, the 42-inch features edge LED lighting), claimed contrast ratio, WiFi N and VIZIO Internet Apps are consistent with existing models, so the big addition this time around is 480Hz refresh rate and obviously, 3D readiness (active shutter glasses not included). VIZIO's also announced two new 3D compatible Blu-ray players to match for $189, plus a new router and some high priced HDMI cables to fill out the lineup. Full specs and prices are in the press release after the break, but with a premium of $300-$400 on Amazon over the award winning 2D-only XVT3SV lineup (we have one in for review, hint: it's excellent), most will probably want to wait for some kind of package deal unless there's a copy of NBA 2K11 3D or Black Ops burning a hole in their console right now.

Update: It appears VIZIO's made one other change since its initial 3D announcement, these TVs feature 3D processing from RealD, instead of the SENSIO/XpanD combo announced for the XVT Pro line, press release is after the break. We asked if these glasses will be compatible with those from other manufacturers but haven't gotten an answer to that question yet.

Continue reading VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today

VIZIO launches latest XVT series HDTVs, new Blu-ray players with 3D today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QNAP's TS-119P+ Turbo NAS offers a 'fashionably shiny design,' just one HDD bay

When it comes to external storage, the amount of gloss provided by the enclosure in question is really of paramount importance. QNAP knows this, and so it is touting the new TS-119P+'s "fashionably shiny design" -- oh, and its single HDD bay, iSCSI support, 1.6GHz processor, and 512MB of RAM too. It pulls down just 12 watts of power while in operation, five while sleeping, and thanks to the bevy of software sharing apps that come along with the thing you can stream media files straight to your iPhone or Android device, even host your Windows AD to unify login accounts. QNAP isn't saying how much you'll pay for this combination of features and style, but expect it to ship next week. BYO storage, of course.

Update: Uwe wrote in to let us know that this is actually available now in Europe at a cost of around 240 €, which corresponds to about $325.

Gallery: QNAP TS-119P+ Turbo NAS

QNAP's TS-119P+ Turbo NAS offers a 'fashionably shiny design,' just one HDD bay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PeeWee debuts Pivot 2.0 spillproof, drop resistant netvertible for the little ones

Kids these days use gadgets almost as much as their less disaster-inclined adult friends, and PeeWee's been making laptops with that in mind for a while now. Well, the company's just launched its newest laptop for kids, the Pivot 2.0 -- which is basically the CTL 2go Convertible. This rugged little netvertible boasts an Intel N450 CPU, a touch screen that rotates 180 degrees and a webcam, and it's packed with 15 educational games onboard. As far as ruggedeization goes, the laptop boasts a water-resistant keyboard, a plastic shell that should withstand minor drops, and rubber grips for easier carrying. The Pivot 2.0 is available now and it'll run you $599. The full press release is below.

Continue reading PeeWee debuts Pivot 2.0 spillproof, drop resistant netvertible for the little ones

PeeWee debuts Pivot 2.0 spillproof, drop resistant netvertible for the little ones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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