System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/system76-debuts-sable-complete-all-in-one-pc-with-ubuntu-pre-ins/

Sure, it's not too much trouble to install Ubuntu on the all-in-one PC of your choice, but those looking for an out-of-the-box option now have a new one to consider courtesy of System76. The company has today added the Sable Complete to its Linux-minded line-up, an all-in-one PC that starts at $799 and comes pre-installed with the recently released Ubuntu 12.10. As for hardware, that base model offers a 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display (behind edge-to-edge glass), a 2.9GHz Core i5 3470S processor, integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Those looking for an optical drive can add a slimline model for $45, and you'll also somewhat curiously have to shell out an extra $35 for built-in WiFi. Naturally, there's also a number of other configuration options available that can push the price well over $1,000. You can check out those and get a closer look at the system at the source link below.

Filed under: Desktops

System76 debuts Sable Complete all-in-one PC with Ubuntu pre-installed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-On Photos Of Samsung's New Super Phone, The Galaxy Note II

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-photos-2012-10

Samsung took the wraps off its U.S. version of the Galaxy Note II today. It's the update to the phone/tablet hybrid that launched earlier this year.

You can check out the full review here, but we also have a guided photo tour of the device for you in the gallery below.

The screen is absolutely huge.

See? The iPhone 5 actually fits inside the Galaxy Note II's screen.

Like most Samsung devices, the Galaxy Note 2 is covered in plastic.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Boeing tests microwave missile that knocks out electronics, represents our worst nightmare (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/boeing-tests-microwave-missile-that-knocks-out-electronics/

Forget bombs or the robopocalypse. In our minds, the most fearsome weapon is the one that disables our gadgets. That's what makes Boeing's newly tested Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) scarier than most projectiles. The missile bombards targets underneath with microwaves that shut down computers, power systems and just about anything electrical in their path. Thankfully, CHAMP's invisible payload arrives in discrete bursts and arguably makes it the world's most advanced (and likely expensive) non-lethal weapon: the prototype can target multiple individual buildings without ever having to detonate and hurt someone. Boeing is still developing CHAMP in a multi-year program and doesn't have guarantees that it will become military ordnance, which gives us enough time to accept that saving lives is far, far more important than the risk we'll have to stop fiddling with our technology.

Continue reading Boeing tests microwave missile that knocks out electronics, represents our worst nightmare (video)

Filed under: Misc

Boeing tests microwave missile that knocks out electronics, represents our worst nightmare (video) originally appeared ! on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ThrowMeApp: Yes, Toss Your Phone For Aerial Pics

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5954290/throwmeapp-toss-your-phone-for-aerial-pics

Camera tosses are a well-loved tradition with photographers. You don't need professional gear to stage spontaneous pics of your own—you just need ThrowMeApp, an Android Phone and a little bit of hand-eye coordination.

What does it do?

Takes pictures when you throw your phone in the air. It activates the camera's shutter when your device is at the peak of its climb and the lens is facing downward.

Why do we like it?

The app uses the phone's accelerometer to sense how fast it's falling and calculate an average fall speed based on your earlier tosses. You don't have to do any decision making when it comes to the actual shutter snapping, either. Just tap the screen, chuck your phone, and hope for the best. This is not an app to be used by klutzes. [PetaPixel]

ThrowMeApp

Download this app for:

• Android, Free

The Best:

Calculates fall velocity

The Worst:

Seems to be crashy

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AMD FX-8350 review roundup: enthusiasts still won't be totally enthused

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/amd-fx-8350-review-roundup/

Now that AMD's fresh new FX processors based on the Piledriver architecture are out in the wild, the specialist hardware sites have seen fit to benchmark the top-lining FX-8350. Overall, the group feels that AMD has at least closed the gap a bit on Intel's Core juggernaut with a much better FX offering this time around, but overall the desktop CPU landscape remains unchanged -- with Intel still firmly at the top of the heap. Compared to its last-gen Bulldozer chips, "in every way, today's FX-8350 is better," according to Tom's Hardware: cheaper, up to 15 percent faster and more energy efficient. Still, while the new CPUs represent AMD's desktop high-end, they only stack up against Intel's mid-range Core i5 family, and even against that line-up they only edge ahead in heavily threaded testing. But if you "look beyond those specific (multithreaded) applications, Intel can pull away with a significant lead" due to its superior design, says Anantech. As for power consumption, unfortunately "the FX-8350 isn't even the same class of product as the Ivy Bridge Core i5 processors on this front," claims The Tech Report.

Despite all that, Hot Hardware still sees several niches that AMD could fill with the new chips, as they'll provide "an easy upgrade path for existing AMD owners and more flex! ibility for overclocking, due to its unlocked multipliers." That means if you already have a Socket-AM3+ motherboard, you'll be able to do a cheap upgrade by swapping in the new CPU, and punching up the clock cycles might close the performance gap enjoyed by the Core i5. Finally, AMD also saw fit to bring the new chip in at a "very attractive" $195 by Hexus' reckoning, a much lower price than an earlier leak suggested. Despite that, however, the site says that AMD's flagship FX processor still "cannot tick as many desirable checkboxes as the competing Intel Core i5 chips." Feel free to scope all the sources below to make your own conclusions.

Read - Tom's Hardware
Read - Hot Hardware
Read - AnandTech
Read - Hexus
Read - The Tech Report

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, AMD

AMD FX-8350 review roundup: enthusiasts still won't be totally enthused originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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