Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Vizio's 'extra-large' holiday HDTV lineup goes from 55- to 70-inches

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/vizios-extra-large-holiday-hdtv-lineup-goes-from-55-to-70-in/

While Vizio's summer has been all about PCs, set-top Google TV boxes and even the odd ultrawidescreen HDTV, it's getting back into its usual garb for the fall. As is its customs, it's rolling out a few new HDTV models ahead of the big shopping season, which range in size from 55- to 70-inches. Other than the 58-inch CinemaWide ultra widescreen model there are also three representatives from its M-Series, with a 55-inch model for $949, and a 65-inch model that's $1,699 with 3D and $1,499 without. The other two models are in its E-Series line, and are 2D only edge-lit LED sets that feature a new thin bezel / slim frame design. The 60-inch version is priced at $999, while the 70-inch goes for $1,999. They all include the Yahoo Widgets powered Vizio Internet Apps (Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon etc.) and WiFi built in and most are already popping up on store shelves near you (just ask Logitech and Sling how that works), check out a bit more information in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Vizio's 'extra-large' holiday HDTV lineup goes from 55- to 70-inches

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

Vizio's 'extra-large' holiday HDTV lineup goes from 55- to 70-inches originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maingear welcomes AMD A-Series APUs to its F131 and X-Cube desktop PCs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/maingear-intros-amd-a-series/

In a move to make its desktops more palatable to the masses, Maingear is bringing AMD's integrated A-Series APUs to its F131 tower and X-Cube desktop PCs. Upon learning the news, we took a peek at the manufacturer's website and found a customizable X-Cube available with a $649 starting price, which compares favorably to its $939 Intel counterpart. Unfortunately, the company has yet to update its website with AMD customization options for the F131. Regardless, we're told that shoppers can expect to find both standard and Black Edition options for AMD's chips, the latter which should appeal to overclockers. To scope out the company's latest gear, just hit up the source link below.

Continue reading Maingear welcomes AMD A-Series APUs to its F131 and X-Cube desktop PCs

Filed under: Desktops

Maingear welcomes AMD A-Series APUs to its F131 and X-Cube desktop PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, October 01, 2012

HP's ElitePad Is the Awesome-Looking Tablet HP Should Sell to the Masses (But Won't) [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5947760/hps-elitepad-is-the-awesome+looking-tablet-hp-should-sell-to-the-masses-but-wont

Over the past few months, HP quietly teased a tablet in ads and marketing materials. It had the appearance of something sleek and premium. As it turns out, that tablet was the ElitePad: a 10-inch, aluminum-cased Windows 8 tablet that has all the makings of something desirable.

The ElitePad is everything you'd expect a Windows 8 tablet to be on paper. It can run in Metro or desktop mode. It feels solid when you pick it up, and the short time I spent fiddling around with it made it seem like a responsive device. And the design—its curved tapered sides, and squared off top, don't feel entirely derivative of Apple's design.

Built on top of Intel's Clover Trail platform, the 1280x800 display strikes a compromise between the mag-friendly-but-video-hostile 4:3 aspect ratio and the slightly too wide 16:9 tablet display. At 0.36 inches and 1.5 pounds, it's not the lightest or thinnest tablet around (the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is thinner and the iPad is lighter), but it's still at the more impressive end of each spectrum. The two gigs of RAM is on par with other Clover Trail machines, and the option to include up to 64 gigabytes of internal storage is nice for a device that's pure tablet. Toss in the 1080p front cam and the 8-megapixel rear cam, and it sounds like a Windows 8 tablet people might actually want.

But here's the catch: HP isn't gearing the thing towards the iPad crowd. Instead, the company said it only plans to sell it through enterprise vendors.

Huh? Why?

It's understandable that HP doesn't think a Windows 8 tablet might not yet have a shot of competing against the iPads and Kindles and Nexuses, but to not make it available to consumers in some form seems foolish. Aside from a possibly expensive pricetag, the features and design of the ElitePad aren't anymore enterprise than they are consumer. And, more than the convertible tablet, this was the HP Win 8 device that excited me most.

Instead HP will be happy to package a series of enterprise-centric accessories—cases and sleeves that add ports and battery life and essentially turn the tablet into a laptop—to try and woo serious businessmen who do serious business on the road. If you are, in fact, some sort of salesman or executive, you might be able to get your hands on one early next year. The rest of us will not be so fortunate. [HP]

What Doctors Don't Know About the Drugs They Prescribe [Video]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5947782/what-doctors-dont-know-about-the-drugs-they-prescribe

TED talks have become a bit of a yawn-fest these days, with grand ideas that really amount to nothing. But here's one that's really important: Ben Goldacre talking about how the pharmaceutical industry skews published scientific research, and why that's really bad.

Often, the results from drug tests go unpublished if the findings are negative or inconclusive. The result is that doctors often don't know everything about the drugs's they're prescribing. In this talk, Ben explains why that's the case, exactly how dangerous it is, and what can be done about it. "Thought-provoking" doesn't quite do it justice. [TED]

Sharp begins production of 1080p smartphone displays: 443 ppi crammed into a 5-inch LCD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/01/sharp-lcd-panel-type-5/

Layoffs and loans may be dominating our Sharp coverage at the moment, but that just makes this type of news all the sweeter. The company has announced its LCD panel type 5 -- a 5-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display packing a Retina-busting 443 ppi (just trumping LG's similar 440 ppi LCD). An outcome of its layer-reducing CG-Silicon technology, the smartphone-targeted screen goes into full-scale production this month and will be shown off at CEATEC Japan this very week. We'll try to give it eyes-on treatment at the show, but you can rub your hands together sinisterly in the meantime and just think about the glorious devices which will bear it.

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Mobile

Sharp begins production of 1080p smartphone displays: 443 ppi crammed into a 5-inch LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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