Quantum dots could increase fiber optic bandwidth up to 10 times (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/25/quantum-dots-could-increase-fiber-optic-bandwidth-up-to-10-times/

Nothing screams World of Tomorrow quite like quantum dots. Alongside the possibility of paint-on solar cells, the technology could also multiply optic fiber bandwidth by up to ten times. The Photonic Network Research Institute at NICT has been able to crank up the capacity of the data transmission system by combining a light source and photonic crystal fiber. The quantum dots act as the light source, and via the NICT's new "sandwiched sub-nano separator structure" [above], they can be tweaked to work at 70THz -- far in excess of the 10THz frequencies typically used. Aside from optical communications, the potency of these high frequencies allow it to pass beyond skin, opening up the use of quantum dots to medical scanning and high resolution cell imaging. Is there anything these dots can't do? Catch a slightly more technical explanation in the video right after the break.

Continue reading Quantum dots could increase fiber optic bandwidth up to 10 times (video)

Quantum dots could increase fiber optic bandwidth up to 10 times (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 ! 21:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York planetarium to host 200-player space game tonight (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/new-york-planetarium-to-host-200-player-space-game-tonight-vide/

Got plans for this evening? Cancel them now, and do everything you can to sneak into New York's Museum of Natural History. Because tonight, the museum's planetarium will play host to a 200-person space game, courtesy of Brooklyn's Babycastles arcade. It's all part of the museum's "Cosmic Cocktails and Space Arcade" evening -- an event that seems tailor made for anyone interested in cosmology, humans, and/or hallucinogens. The showcase of the soiree is the Space Cruiser game, which promises to turn the ceiling of the Rose Center for Earth and Space into a "living, breathing, space ship where participants navigate around a beautiful fictitious universe." With the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt assuming the tripartite role of ship captain-navigator-narrator, the game apparently begins with the birth of the universe, before transporting visitors across new galaxies and through time-bending wormholes. The ship launches at 6:30 PM tonight, but unfortunately, tickets are already sold out. Head past the break, though, for a rather "duuuude"-inducing video.

Continue reading New York planetarium to host 200-player space game tonight (video)

New York planetarium to host 200-player space game tonight (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax Optio VS20: hold it any way you want, as long as you love it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/pentax-optio-vs20/

Standing on the Hoover Dam, you're trying to encapsulate the majesty of the engineering feat before you. Turning the camera on its side, you try and get a perfect portrait shot, but find the vagaries of evolution mean your fingers won't stretch to the buttons anymore. If you've ever experienced such horrors, Pentax has the solution with its new Optio VS20 digital compact camera. The 16-megapixel camera packs an accelerometer (like Samsung's QF20) which will flip your image to the correct orientation and a second shutter release and zoom lever on the topmost side of the body for easier snapping. The company also thoughtfully included a second tripod mount, so there's no futzing with your stand required. Less exceptional features include a 3-inch LCD, automatic picture modes including fish-eye that'll appeal to the young skaters and hipsters you see littering the streets. It'll capture 1280 x 720 movies with its independent video button (also recording in fish-eye) and variable aspect ratio. It's arriving next month for $250, so if you want to become a superstar of the board, you'd better get practicing your Ollies.

Continue reading Pentax Optio VS20: hold it any way you want, as long as you love it

Pentax Optio VS20: hold it any way you want, as long as you love it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google adding Public Alerts to Maps, keeps you in the loop in times of worry

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/25/google-adding-public-alerts-to-maps/

You can't deny that Google often hands out marvelous tools for the masses to utilize (yes, some can be a miss), and today the King of Search is launching a fresh virtual apparatus as part of its Crisis Response project. Dubbed "Public Alerts," the feature is accessible from within Google Maps, keeping you in the loop during times of high alert. Your search query will trigger things like weather relevant to your area, public safety and earthquake alerts -- all of which are provided by the NOAA, the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey. The Crisis Response squad says its goal is "to surface emergency information through the online tools you use everyday," which is a great idea, but we honestly hope that you don't have to use it very often. Those of you stateside can start using Public Alerts now -- as for the rest, let's hope that the search giant brings its alerts to a map near you sooner rather than later...

Google adding Public Alerts to Maps, keeps you in the loop in times of worry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Next Xbox Could Be Six Times As Powerful [Gaming]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5879128/the-next-xbox-could-be-six-times-as-powerful

According to IGN, sources close to the next Xbox project have told them the new console will have six times the graphics processing power of the Xbox 360, and will have 20 percent more performance than Nintendo's Will U.

Sounds pretty awesome right? Too bad it's not expected to ship until October or November of 2013. Le sigh. IGN's sources have also confirmed that the Xbox 720's—or whatever it ends up being called—GPU will begin production by the end of this year, and will be based on AMD's 6000 series instead of the newer 7000 series. More specifically, it will most likely be not that far off from the current $80 Radeon HD 6670.

On one hand it's nice to see the rumors of the next-gen Xbox starting to solidify, but on the other hand, waiting until 2013 to get our hands on one is going to be arduous. [IGN]

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