Google reportedly working on wireless home entertainment system to be sold under its own brand

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/google-reportedly-working-on-wireless-home-entertainment-system/

Details are still fairly light at the moment, but The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Google could be about to make big push into the hardware business. Citing people briefed on the company's plans, the WSJ says that Google is now developing a home entertainment system that would stream music wirelessly throughout the home (including to web-connected devices and "Google-made speakers"), and be able to be controlled using a smartphone or tablet -- making it sound a whole lot like a Sonos competitor. What's more, unlike current Android and Google TV devices, this system will reportedly be marketed under Google's own brand. An attempt to really turn it up to eleven, perhaps?

Google reportedly working on wireless home entertainment system to be sold under its own brand originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AllThingsD  |  The Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Nanoshells trap light for more efficient solar panels

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/nanoshells-trap-light-for-more-efficient-solar-panels/

Scientists at Stanford are hard at work trying to improve the efficiency and durability of solar panels -- two key factors that have kept the Sun from becoming a more popular source of energy. Their latest effort involves nanocrystalline-silicon, a material that has proven resilient and highly conductive, but not very good at absorbing light. Their solution, nanoshells -- hollowed out spheres of silicon that trap and recirculate light much like a whispering gallery does sound. Balls of the crystalline material are dipped in silicon, then hydrofluoric acid is used to eat way the center of the sphere, leaving a path for light to enter. The shells trap the light, allowing more of it to be absorbed, and also reduces the effect of non-optimal angles on energy production. Hit up the source for a few more details.

Nanoshells trap light for more efficient solar panels originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  Stanford  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

That's hot: Heat-based recording could boost magnetic drive speed, performance

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/thats-hot-heat-based-recording-could-boost-magnetic-drive-spee/

Magnetic fields are pretty nifty for levitating stuff, carving sponge-like thingamajigs and, of course, data storage. But an international team led by the University of York in the UK has figured out a way to replace magnetic fields for the latter by using ultra-short heat pulses instead. Conventional thinking typically dictates that an external magnetic field is required to store data on a magnetic medium. By using heat, however, researchers were able to record terabytes of information per second in a way that is also more energy-efficient compared to current hard drive technology. As for the time it'll take for the tech to make it to market, well, we have a feeling it won't be as fast.

That's hot: Heat-based recording could boost magnetic drive speed, performance originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  University of York  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Wolfram Alpha Pro now available, $4.99 a month will let you throw almost anything at it for analysis

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/10/wolfram-alpha-pro-now-available-4-99-a-month-will-let-you-thro/

Wolfram Alpha has made some fairly big strides in its few short years of existence, but the so-called computational knowledge engine has now rolled out what founder Stephen Wolfram says is the "the single most important development for Wolfram Alpha since the original website launched in 2009." That development is Wolfram Alpha Pro, a new premium service that will run you $4.99 a month (or $2.99/month for students) and give you access to a wealth of new options for both input and output. On the input end, you can now upload images, audio and other files (over 60 types in all) for automatic analysis and a detailed report -- according to Stephen Wolfram, the ultimate goal being "to do what a top data scientist would do if given the user's data." As for output, you'll now be able to take advantage of a number of richer download options, including the ability to interact with and tailor the reports to your liking. As you might expect, however, that's just scratching the surface -- you can get a detailed look at the new service at the links below, or take it for a spin yourself with a free trial subscription.

Continue reading Wolfram Alpha Pro now available, $4.99 a month will let you throw almost anything at it for analysis

Wolfram Alpha Pro now available, $4.99 a month will let you throw almost anything at it for analysis originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:07:00 EDT. Pleas! e see ou r terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Wolfram Alpha Pro, Wolfram Alpha Blog  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Chrome 17 Is Now Available, Get Ready for Prerendered Pages [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5883582/chrome-17-is-now-available-get-ready-for-prerendered-pages

Google has made the newest version of its popular browser available, offering more secure downloads and faster-loading web pages. Here's what's new.

Prerendering pages appears to be a natural progression from autocomplete. According to the Google Chrom blog, "When you start typing in the omnibox and the URL autocompletes to a site you're very likely to visit, Chrome will prerender the page, so it will appear faster—sometimes, even instantly—as soon as you hit Enter." We'll have to see how long that feature lasts before it gets turned off like I did to autocomplete.

To better secure your system against malicious code, Chrome's download scanner checks any executable files against a whitelist. If the files don't check out, the browser will query Google for more information on the website—such as if it has a history of malicious code downloads. [Chrome Blog]

Read More...

Summary only...