Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/31/amazon-stores-human-genomes/

Not content with speeding up web browsing and hosting federal data, Amazon Web Services are now helping in the fight against disease. Bezos' crew is donating a chunk of free cloud storage to the 1000 Genomes project, which aims to make it easier for scientists to search for genetic variations linked to diseases. These gene-hunters can also use Amazon's Elastic Cloud Compute service to analyze data and discover patterns, although those functions won't come gratis. The DNA sequences of 1,700 mostly anonymous Homo sapiens from around the world have already been logged, but the project needs another 1,000 samples before it meets statistical requirements. Perhaps a free USB gene sequencer and a Prime subscription might entice fresh volunteers?

Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, March 30, 2012

HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/htc-one-x-and-one-s-on-sale-now-in-germany-flagship-gets-unboxe/

Itching to get your hands on HTC's new breed of smartphones? Best get yourself over to Germany then, as a batch of the flagship One X and its (slightly) smaller brother, the One S, are up for sale -- early. Mediamarkt is where you'll need to go, with several stores also providing HTC One X models on the shop floor to play with. Better still, some excited Frenchmen have already performed the requisite packaging autopsy on the new plastic capsules, revealing (amongst other things) a new SIM pin that's -- logically -- shaped like a micro-SIM. You can marvel at all the rubber bands and plastic bags after the break.

Continue reading HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video)

HTC One X and One S on sale now in Germany, flagship gets unboxed in France (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/doubletwist-adds-google-music-support-gets-an-alarm-clock-app/

DoubleTwist is certainly still one of the better music management options for Android, and it just keeps improving. Two days ago the player app got an update and now it can hook into Google Music, though, it only recognizes songs that you've checked for offline access from within the Google app. An unfortunate restriction, but at least your tracks don't disappear into the ether if you prefer to play back your tunes via DoubleTwist. There's also new functionality coming to what is now less an app than an ecosystem, thanks to the just released DoubleTwist Alarm Clock. The functionality is pretty much what you'd expect -- set a time and pick a song from your DoubleTwist library to gently rouse you from your slumber (or kick your butt out of bed). The Alarm Clock is just $0.99 in the Play Market right now for the first 10,000 customers. After that it'll go up to $1.99. So don't waste any time, go download it now.

Gallery: DoubleTwist Alarm Clock

DoubleTwist adds Google Music support, gets an alarm clock app originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Optimus Elite gets photographed, decked out in Sprint and Virgin livery

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/lg-optimus-elite-sprint-virgin-mobile/

Not a fan of that 5-inch, IPS display on the Optimus Vu? Perhaps, you'd be more interested in a smaller, lesser-specced member of the family. According to PocketNow, the Optimus Elite is sprinting its way toward The Now Network and Virgin Mobile, with an expected launch on the former "rather soon" and the latter as early as May. The Elite is allegedly packing some run-of-the-mill features, including a 3.5-inch, HVGA screen alongside a five-megapixel rear shooter and an 800Mhz CPU. Both flavors look identical, save for Virgin's prepaid flavor going with a darker look, which you can gander at by jumping past the break.

Continue reading LG Optimus Elite gets photographed, decked out in Sprint and Virgin livery

LG Optimus Elite gets photographed, decked out in Sprint and Virgin livery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel Ampera popular in ye old continent, likely to meet sales goals unlike Volt

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/30/opel-ampera-likely-to-meet-sales-goals/

Opel Ampera popular in ye old country, likely to meet sales goals unlike Volt

To say that Chevy's Volt hasn't had the smoothest inaugural year would be an understatement, but over on the other side of the pond, things couldn't be going more swimmingly for its badge-engineered cousin, the Opel Ampera. Sales are reportedly brisk with over 7,000 Europeans preordering the electrified hatchback, prompting the company to push its 2012 sales target from 8,000 to 10,000 units -- matching the figure Chevy had initially set, and then missed for its variant here in the US of A. That got us thinking, are Europeans the electrified forward-thinking mavericks we think they are? Or have they simply fallen prey to the Ampera's far better looks? Decide in the comments below.

Opel Ampera popular in ye old continent, likely to meet sales goals unlike Volt originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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