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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/dell-intros-slimmed-down-inspiron-13z-and-14z-laptops-with-alumi/

Can you blame Dell for deciding its laptops needed a makeover? After suffering some serious market share losses and earning a reputation for bland designs and questionable customer service, we can see why the company would be keen on revamping its lineup as a way of distancing itself from its not-so-sunny rap. That seems to be precisely what the outfit's doing with the Inspiron 13z and 14z, which Dell unveiled today. Both laptops move to aluminum lids and palm rests, available in a small (and fairly toned-down) color selection, with black and red being your only choices. The two have also whittled to under an inch thick, with the beefier 14z leaving enough room for an optical drive. Not surprisingly, the resolution's 1366 x 768 -- precisely what you'd expect in a $600 laptop. Also predictable: this generation of Inspirons offers USB 3.0 and Sandy Bridge, with a choice of Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Both models start at $599.99, with the 14z available in the states today, and the 13z launching in "select" Asian countries. Curious? We've got a handful of hands-on shots below and the full PR after the break.

Gallery: Dell Inspiron 13z / 14z hands-on

Continue reading Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0

Dell intros slimmed-down Inspiron 13z and 14z laptops with aluminum lids, USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TV Size Matters Lets You Try New TVs On For Size Before You Buy [Webapps]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5829786/tv-size-matters-lets-you-try-new-tvs-on-for-size-before-you-buy

When buying a new HDTV, the first thing you should settle on is where in your room the set should go. Webapp TV Size Matters can help: upload a photo of the room where the TV will go, set a standard scale, and the service lets you try different-sized TVs for size to see how they fit.

The webapp gets a feel for scale by asking you to draw a line on your uploaded photo and tell it how large that line is in real life. From there, the service understands how large or small to display different sized sets on your wall or entertainment center, so you can see how they'll realistically look when they're in your home.

For many people, there's only one logical place in their room for their TV to go, but if you have the option of wall-mounting or you want to see whether your space can handle a larger display, TV Size Matters is worth a look.

TV Size Matters

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter.

If You Can't Visit NASA Goddard You Should Visit This Page [Nasa]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829900/if-you-cant-visit-nasa-goddard-you-should-visit-this-page

The people at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have built a really nice tour of their facilities and all the stuff they do there. Being a space nerd, I find their videos and information fascinating.

Or, in the words of NASA's Karl Hille:

We thought that, being NASA, we shouldn't bore people with a bunch of building walkthroughs or campus maps. Instead it should focus on what we do—which is sending robotic spacecraft all over the solar system to monitor the whole fricking universe.

Karl is absolutely right. Now, go visit their new site and enjoy spending a few hours exploring it. [NASA Goddard Virtual Tour]

These Little Cubes of Fun Interact With Each Other Using NFC [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5829899/these-little-cubes-of-fun-interact-with-each-other-using-nfc

It probably helps to be a child, but in all honesty these Sifteo cubes look like so much fun, I'd definitely fiddle with them while procrastinating/waiting for pages to load.

With NFC sensors and accelerometers, they can detect the presence of other cubes plus any movement you may make. The set of three cubes comes with a USB dongle that can be plugged into computers, where a free Siftrunner app runs that controls the mini games and puzzles on the cubes. Unfortunately there's no audio from the cubes, but if you crank your laptop's volume up, you'll have a soundtrack for your kid's playtime...or yours.

Several games will be included out of the box, but if you'd like to purchase more they can be downloaded from the Siftrunner program for as much as $5 each. On sale soon, the starter pack of three cubes, charger dock and dongle costs $149. [Sifteo via Werd and Ars Technica]

Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/10/sifteo-cubes-up-for-pre-order-tonight-gaming-gets-tangibly-cute/

Want a game for the tabletop with on-screen pop, and a sprinkle of adorable? Sifteo is officially set to get your gears going when its interactive Cubes, up for pre-order by the end of today, ship out in September. If you'll recall, the MIT-rooted project uses blocks equipped with 1.5-inch displays to create a variety of gaming environments mixing touch, motion and on-display content. Also announced is a bundled "Creativity Kit," which enables you to make your own games on the fly. It was was briefly available to early adopters in January for $99.99, and now $149.99 gets everyone in on some good times. You'll receive a triplet of the oh-so-cute Cubes, a charging hub and a 2.4 Ghz wireless USB adapter for connectivity, as well as transferring Sifteo store apps purchased on your computer. Interest piqued? You'll find details in the PR just past the break -- unless you're a square, that is.

Continue reading Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September

Sifteo Cubes up for pre-order tonight, gaming gets tangibly-cute this September originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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