Google's Stopped Selling 16GB Nexus 7 Tablets Because They're Too Popular [Nexus 7]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5928066/googles-stopped-selling-16gb-nexus-7-tablets-because-its-too-popular

Google's Nexus 7 tablet is so popular that sales had to be suspended to try to catch up with demand. Units that were ordered up until last week will be delivered on time.

The shortage comes because Google was taken totally off guard by how popular the 16GB model would be. It had expected the $200 8GB model to be the big seller. That hasn't happened, though. Instead, the $250 16GB model has been a massive, surprising success.

This will probably be a minor setback at worst for Google and the Nexus 7. But hopefully it's also a wakeup call for Google and its competitors that the battle to catch the iPad isn't just a race to the bottom. [Guardian via Techmeme]

Read More...

Summary only...

How Bars Use Music to Get You Drunk Faster [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5928061/how-bars-use-music-to-get-you-drunk-faster

Do you drink your booze faster when you're out at a bar or a restaurant than you do just sitting at home? You probably do, and apparently it's because bars and restaurants have learned that loud, fast music makes you eat and drink more, at a faster rate.

Here's a quote from a New York Times piece on the subject:

In 1985, a study by Fairfield University in Connecticut reported that people ate faster when background music was sped up, from 3.83 to 4.4 bites per minute. Nicolas Gueguen, a professor of behavioral sciences at the Université de Bretagne-Sud in France, reported in the October 2008 edition of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research that higher volumes led beer drinkers in a bar to imbibe more. When the bar's music was 72 decibels, people ordered an average of 2.6 drinks and took 14.5 minutes to finish one. But when the volume was turned up to 88 decibels, customers ordered an average of 3.4 drinks and took 11.5 minutes to finish each one.

That's a pretty massive increase. And it's sort of logical, too, right? You're less likely to sit there nursing a whiskey when there's fast and loud music booming through the place than you would be listening to a country ballad or something. [NY Times via Animal New York]

Image credit: Shutterstock

Read More...

Summary only...

Nielsen to use watermarks to enhance local channel rating accuracy

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/22/nielsen-to-use-watermarks-to-enhance-local-channel-rating-accura/

While we're watching our favorite shows in HD, it's easy to forget that they live and die by ratings, and those ratings aren't always collected with the latest technology. In an effort to improve the sample size and accuracy of ratings for local TV channels, Nielsen is starting to roll out a hybrid technology consisting of watermarks and return data from supporting pay-TV provider's set-top boxes, like DirecTV and Charter. The first three markets to get the upgrade are St. Louis, Dallas and Charlotte, with 17 yet to be announced markets to follow in 2013, and finally, the remaining 190 about two years after that. The system will work in parallel with the older Local People Meters and Diaries for three to six months and will lay the groundwork to collect ratings for online, tablets and other platforms. All the inside industry details and more are in the release after the break.

Continue reading Nielsen to use watermarks to enhance local channel rating accuracy

Nielsen to use watermarks to enhance local channel rating accuracy originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Insert Coin: Radian lets you use your camera, iPhone and Android device for time lapse projects (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/22/insert-coin-radian-camera-iphone-android-time-lapse-photography/

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've seen our fair share of time lapse tools at Insert Coin, ranging from last year's Triggertrap to the more recent Timelapse+ and Genie rig. Now we're throwing in another Kickstarter project into the mix, a motion time-lapse gadget called the Radian. Shaped like an oversized hockey puck, the Radian works with any camera that has a trigger-release input and can be used with or without a tripod. The device can be programmed through either an Android or iPhone app and lets you disconnect your smartphone once you've got your settings dialed in. Otherwise, you can use the Radian to take time-lapse photography with your iPhone or Android smartphone as well. A pledge of $150 gets you the standard Radian, while ponying up extra moolah nabs you a charcoal-colored variant as well as other goodies. If successful, delivery is slated for January. For more details, check out the video and source link after the ! break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Radian lets you use your camera, iPhone and Android device for time lapse projects (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Insert Coin: Radian lets you use your camera, iPhone and Android device for time lapse projects (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Kickstarter  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

ASUS loads P8Z77V with USB attached SCSI, beats Windows 8 to the punch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/22/asus-loads-p8z77v-with-usb-attached-scsi/

There's no doubt about it, USB 3.0 is wicked fast when pitted against its predecessors -- but the ancient bulk-only transport protocol it uses is showing its age. Some newer external drives hope sidestep the old protocol by supporting a new one: UASP, or, USB attached SCSI. As its name implies, the modern protocol leverages the SCSI command set to reduce latency, enable queue functions and improve performance for compatible drives. Windows 8 will ship with UASP drivers baked in, but the protocol is already available in the form of third-party controllers and drivers. Speaking of which, Hot Hardware found the functionality on ASUS' P8Z77V motherboard, and gave it a rundown. The conclusion? "Turbo and UASP modes will never hurt performance, and you've got early access to a capability that's already been wrapped into future versions of Windows. That's a win, all the way around." We're hard pressed to disagree. Check out the outfit's tests in full at the source link below.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

ASUS loads P8Z77V with USB attached SCSI, beats Windows 8 to the punch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Hot Hardware  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...