Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/zoom-h2n-portable-recorder-touts-five-internal-mics-adjustable/

We'd hazard a guess that just a couple of things evolved in the portable audio world from the year 2007. That's when the original Zoom H2 SD launched, and it's become somewhat of a staple in the years since. Now, some four years later, it's time for a refresh. The outfit's launching the Zoom H2n today, complete with a bolder design, five "studio-quality" microphones and a foursome of recording modes: Mid-Side (MS) stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, 2-channel and 4-channel surround sound. The standout feature, however, is its ability to widen and narrow one's recording range on the fly. For reporters, you can hone in on the interviewee and block out other reporters / crowd noise, while concert goers can adjust to target audio from just the singer. Other specs include a 1.8-inch LCD, built-in reference speaker, USB 2.0 connectivity and a thing for pushing through for 20 full hours on a single set of AA cells. It'll sell for $199 when it ships this September, but you'll see that figure head north should you decide to pick up an optional accessory pack with windscreen, tripod, protective case, and remote control.

Gallery: Zoom H2n portable recorder

Continue reading Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range

Zoom H2n portable recorder touts five internal mics, adjustable recording range originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/freescale-expands-its-family-of-i-mx50-chips-goes-beyond-e-read/

We had a feeling that Freescale was onto something when it debuted the i.MX508, a system-on-a-chip that carried the promise of $150 e-readers (and the reality of $129 ones). Given that, we can see where the execs at Freescale would be feeling a bit heady, and might wonder where else they could help push down prices. That's exactly what we have here: the outfit is trotting out three new i.MX50 processors and, as you can see in that handy chart up there, they all sit even lower in the lineup than the low-cost i.MX508. Like the i.MX508, they all pack an 800HMz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, among other similar specs. The new i.MX507, in particular, resembles the i.MX508 in that it's designed to work with E Ink displays, though it lacks graphics acceleration, and Freescale imagines it'll instead find a home in outdoor signs and smart labels. Moving on down the line, the i.MX502 and the i.MX503 were both intended for devices with LCD -- not electronic paper -- displays, with the latter offering OpenVG graphics acceleration. If Freescale's predictions are on the money, you'll find the lower-end i.MX502 in DECT phones and vending machine displays, and the i.MX503 in personal navigators and medical monitoring tablets, among other use cases. For now, companies are sampling the chips, but they'll start shipping later this quarter for a song -- less than $10 for the i.MX502 at volume cost. Full PR after the break, and lots more technical details at the source link.

Continue reading Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time

Freescale expands its family of i.MX50 chips, goes beyond e-readers this time originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARMdevices.net | source

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LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/lg-optimus-pro-surfaces-dressed-for-your-next-business-meeting/

Poor RIM -- everybody wants a piece of the BlackBerry pie, as the company attempts to maintain its position as the face of business-minded smartphones in an era ruled by iPhones and Android devices. It's tough to avoid mentioning the company when looking at these shots unearthed by Italy's Android World blog of the forthcoming LG Optimus Pro, whose form factor ought to prove comfortably familiar to BlackBerry devotees. According to the site, the Gingerbread device has a 2.8 inch screen, a three megapixel camera, an 800MHz processor, and will run €179 ($249) in that country. Not much more info is available at present, but there's a video after the break, and the source link has a few more shots, if you need help imagining it in your hand at your next board meeting.

Continue reading LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video)

LG Optimus Pro surfaces, dressed for your next business meeting (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Community | source

Android World (Translation), Android HD Blog (Translation) | Email this | Comments

HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/hp-touchpad-4g-coming-to-atandt-this-summer-wont-support-lte/

Funny what a number can do, eh? Just last month, we heard that a 3G model of HP's TouchPad would be coming to AT&T this summer, and now we're being told that it'll actually be called the TouchPad 4G. 4G as in HSPA+. Not 4G as in LTE. Got that? Good. Aside from the basics -- 32GB of internal storage, integrated GPS and HSPA+ / WiFi radios -- a newfangled 1.5GHz processor (up from 1.2GHz) will make its debut, hopefully improving those performance issues we saw during our review. Sadly, no one's spilling details on pricing or release, with the carrier simply affirming that it'll be on sale prior to the "back to school" season. We're guessing the Summer of 2011 is going to be quite the confusing time to be an in-store AT&T employee -- how exactly do you sell an actual 4G hotspot when you've got HSPA+ devices calling themselves the same? Oh, nomenclature.

Continue reading HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE

HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Official HP Palm Blog | Email this | Comments

Transparent graphene speakers printed with inkjets, lo-fi musical windows are on their way

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/transparent-graphene-speakers-printed-with-inkjets-lo-fi-musica/

Add that magical material known as graphene to the list of things you can make with inkjet printers alongside OLEDs, solar panels, and light-bending metamaterials. Scientists at the Seoul National University used printers and a technique known as vapor deposition to leave a thin film of the graphite-based conductor on sheets of PVDF (poly vinylidene fluoride). By sandwiching the the PVDF between graphene electrodes and applying a current from a sound source researchers were able to create a flat and transparent loudspeaker that could be integrated into windows or screens. Don't expect this low-power sound source to replace your hi-fi though -- since it relies on the distortion-prone piezoelectric effect, it probably won't sound much better than the earpiece on your cellphone.

Transparent graphene speakers printed with inkjets, lo-fi musical windows are on their way originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Graphene-Info | RSC | Email this | Comments