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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Apple Puts New Engineers On Fake Products Until It Can Trust Them (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-puts-new-engineers-on-fake-products-until-it-can-trust-them-2012-1

Apple is so obsessed with secrecy, it sometimes puts new hires on fake products until they can be trusted.

Adam Lashinsky reported this tidbit in his new book "Inside Apple," and a former Apple employee confirmed it when Lashinsky spoke at LinkedIn the other day.

Here's what the engineer said:

A friend of mine who's a senior engineer at Apple, he works on -- or did work on -- fake products I'm sure for the first part of his career, and interviewed for 9 months. It's intense.

The employee also believes that Tim Cook has the charisma to be president. Not the president of Apple -- the president of the United States.

The exchange was captured on video by Fortune's Philip Elmer DeWitt, and pointed out by Jim Romenesko earlier today.

Here it is:

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NVIDIA dresses up CUDA parallel computing platform

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-nvidia-cuda-parallel-platform.html

(PhysOrg.com) -- This week’s NVIDIA announcement of a dressed up version of its CUDA parallel computing platform is targeted as a good news message for engineers, biologists, chemists, physicists, geophysicists, and other researchers on fast-track computations using GPUs. The new version features an LLVM (low-level virtual machine)-based CUDA compiler, new imaging and signal processing functions added to the NVIDIA Performance Primitives library and a redesigned Visual Profiler with automated performance analysis and expert guidance. NVIDIA says the new enhancements are ways to advance simulations and computational work for these users.

Instant Smoke Drops Add a Little Magic To Your Photographs [Photography]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5880173/instant-smoke-drops-add-a-little-magic-to-your-photographs

Instant Smoke Drops Add a Little Magic To Your Photographs Unless you're a master at 3D and compositing, digitally adding smoke to a photo is a lot harder than adding it practically while you're shooting. And with these instant smoke drops, you can easily create plumes without burning your studio down.

The drops actually come in two separate bottles of unnamed chemicals that when combined produce a bonafide smoke effect—without ever having to start a fire. The smoke keeps billowing for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, and just how much is produced is dependent on how many drops, or squirts, you use.

While the instant smoke can obviously be used for adding magical effects to your photos, on a more practical level it's perfect for creating steam coming off of food that's supposed to be piping hot. And if you need some more inspiration to justify their $49 price tag, just check out what Amar Ramesh is doing with smoke in his shots. [Photojojo via The Fancy]

At Just $40, the Price Is Right For Tenqa's Bluetooth Headphones [Headphones]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5880152/at-just-40-the-price-is-right-for-tenqas-bluetooth-headphones

At Just $40, the Price Is Right For Tenqa's Bluetooth Headphones I haven't had a chance to test Tenqa's new REMXD Bluetooth headphones, so I have no idea what they sound like. But at just $40 they're some of the cheapest wireless headphones you can buy, and might be worth a try.

They of course support an A2DP connection to a Bluetooth capable audio device, and promise up to 15 hours of listening time on a single charge, facilitated by a miniUSB port. A built-in mic also means you can make and take calls when using it with a smartphone, while a stereo mini jack allows you to plug in a headphone cable so the REMXD can still be used when the battery is dead.

The feature set is, not surprisingly, pretty basic, as is the choice of colors—black or white—but even if they only sound 'just ok' they seem like a real bargain when they go on sale next month. [Tenqa via Android Community]

Insert Coin: Dash car stereo gives your iPhone a new home, away from the cupholder (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/insert-coin-dash-car-stereo-video/

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

We're pretty fond of new ways to integrate smartphones with car stereos here at Engadget, which is why we're particularly intrigued by a new Kickstarter project called Dash. Unlike MirrorLink, which reflects a phone's interface onto a larger touchscreen, this nifty creation puts the smartphone front and center in the stereo itself. While the Dash will initially support only the iPhone 4 / 4S and iPod Touch -- which connects via the dock connector -- the company seems ambitious to target other platforms in the future.

The Dash comes in two parts, the double-DIN stereo itself, along with a detachable aluminum faceplate that's held to the main unit with neodymium magnets. The only interface element is a volume knob, as every other interaction is performed on the iPhone's 3.5-inch display -- just promise to keep your eyes on the road when you sort through your tunes. The stereo contains four 50W channels and two 2V preamps. The Dash is currently projected to ship in July for $300, but a $250 donation serves as a discounted preorder right now. It'll be available in a variety of colors, which you can peep in the gallery below, and be sure to check out the project's video after the break.

Gallery: Insert Coin: Dash car stereo