Hardkernel reveals pair of quad-core Exynos ODROID-U developer boards, starting at $69

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/02/hardkernal-reveals-pair-of-quad-core-exynos-odroid-u-boards/

One area where Moore's law can be seen alive and well seems to be the developer and small project computer world. Whether it's the ubiquitous Raspberry Pi, Intel's NUC, or any number of similar products. There's one more name to add to this list, and that's the ODROID-U from Hardkernel. The boards are a little more expensive than Raspberry Pi's impressively cheap Model A and Model B, but you are getting some bang for that buck. The $69 ODROID-U comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor (as found in the Galaxy S III and Note II, 1GB of RAM, quad-core Mali 400 graphics, micro-HDMI, a brace of USB ports, a headphone jack and Ethernet. If you want a little more oomph, for an extra $20 you can have the RAM doubled, and a 1.7GHz core with the ODROID-U2 model. There's one stat you might notice missing which is flash memory. There's no onboard storage, so you'll have to bring your own memory for the built-in microSD slot. As the ODROID name suggests, the boards can run Android, as well as a variety of Linux flavours. Sound good? In a reverse of what you might expect, the ODROID-U2 will be available first, starting December 21st, with the cheaper board pencilled in to arrive on January 16th.

Filed under: Desktops

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Via: Android Community

Source: Hardkernel

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Benchmarks hint at budget ASUS ME172V Jelly Bean tablet, 1GHz processor Mali 400 GPU

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/02/asus-me172v-jelly-bean-tablet/

ASUS has been a strong force in the tablet game even before it set a new price-to-quality standard with Google's Nexus 7. It looks like the firm could be tightening the budget screw even further, if some recent GLBenchmarks are to be believed. The details are sparse, but outline a product with model number ME172V (which follows from its pre-Nexus smaller tablet line), that runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, sports a 1,024 x 552 (likely 1,024 x 600) resolution powered by a Mali 400 GPU and 1GHz chip. There's no indication on the number of cores, or, well, much else for that matter. Various rumors are keen to suggest there'd be support for microSD, which if true, would make it unlikely to be a Nexus. But a budget tablet by the same manufacturer, is likely enough for many people all the same.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS, Google

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Via: Pocket Now

Source: GLBen! chmark

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Custom 3D-Printed Beams Can Be 10,000 Times Stronger Than Steel

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5964609/custom-3d+printed-beams-can-be-10000-times-stronger-than-steel

Steel beams are pretty uniformly strong, but they're all run of the mill, literally. If you start 3D-printing custom beams for the exact purpose they're intended to serve though, you've got a regular space-age material on your hands. It's lighter than steel and orders of magnitude stronger.

The process, developed byYong Mao of the University of Nottingham, UK and colleagues, isn't just the product of one innovation, but rather a whole bunch of them wrapped up into one bundle. First, you start out withF a hollow beam and you test it with the load it needs to bear. When it inevitably fails, you use some sophisticated software to analyze that sucker and 3D print an internal fractal structure to provide support, kind of like what's inside your bones. Then lather, rinse, and repeat. With each iteration of ever-smaller fractal innards, the beam can gain strength by the order of magnitude, with practically negligible weight gain. Third generation beams, about as far as we can hope to go with current tech, are 10,000 times stronger than steel.

There is one big limitation to how strong you can get with this stuff however, and it all depends on printer fidelity. Since these sorts of beams are specifically designed, there's not much extra support to carry your load, so if the mesh isn't perfect, you could be in trouble. As 3D printers get better however, imperfections won't be a problem on the larger scales, and more and more iterations will be possible, making for structures that are both incredibly strong and incredibly light. Now if only they could figure out how to 3D print some new bones for us. [Physics World]

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Panasonic ST50 Plasma Television Review: Good Picture, Great Value

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5964094/panasonic-st50-plasma-television-review-good-picture-great-value

Dropping two grandon a high-end television simply isn't possible for most households. Does that mean you should suffer with some $100 off-brand Fony set. No way. As Panasonic's second-best option in plasma reminds us that even if you can't get the VT50 you want, you can still go for the ST50 you need.

What Is It?

Panasonic's latest mid-level 55-inch 3D plasma display.

Who's it For?

Television aficionados who'd rather save $1,000 than be able to brag that their set is the absolute top-of-the-line.

Design

The ST50 shares much of the same styling as the rest of Panasonic's plasma line. The 60-pound display sits atop a broad, silver base and its 55-inch diagonal screen is surrounded by an 1.5 inch clear acrylic-over-black bezel.

Using It

The ST50 is big and bulky—71 pounds with the stand attached—so get some help with the physical setup. Logging in to wireless, setting up streaming apps, and calibrating the set took no longer than usual. The ST50 doesn't have as many advanced picture adjustment options as other sets in its class, but it does host a surprisingly exhaustive array of integrated apps—weather reports, breaking news, streaming music and movies—if you're looking for a TV that doubles as a home media server.

The Best Part

The picture quality is fantastic, especially coming from a set that only set you back $1200. The blacks aren't quite as inky and colors don't pop quite as vibrantly as on the flagship VT50, but the image quality and black levels of the ST50 are still among the best in the price range—and totally superior to that of entry-level models.

Tragic Flaw

The set gets hot—like, even for a plasma. During Kill Bill marathons, you'll need be sure that you have adequate ventilation.

This Is Weird...

For some reason, it only includes three HDMI ports—one fewer than most other sets we've tested—and lacks a PC port.

Test Notes

• No 3D glasses are included. A good universal pair can set you back nearly $100.
• The motion-smoothing features can cause a disconcerting, overly-smoothed "soap opera" effect when activated but can easily be turned off in the Display menu.
• It withstands bright rooms better than most other plasma sets, but it struggles in direct sunlight.

Should You Buy It?

If you want this size and you're sold on plasma, then yeah. The ST50 is a solid television, and it's a good value for the money. The picture quality is noticeably better than similarly priced sets, both plasma and LED. It's not a stretch to say it approaches the level of the vaunted VT50—for $900 less.

Panasonic Viera TC-P55ST50 Specs

• Screen Size: 55"
• Display Type: Plasma
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3 HDMI, 2 USB, DNLA
• Weight: 71 pounds with stand
• Price: $1,200
• Gizrank: 3.5 Stars

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HTC One VX to be available on AT&T by December 7th

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/30/htc-one-vx-att-december-7th/

The HTC One VX was slated to arrive on November 16th alongside its bigger brother, the HTC One X+, but when the time came, only the latter showed up -- the mid-range HTC handset just seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. After a couple of weeks, it seems the phone will finally be in store shelves starting December 7th: "Yes, we expect to be fully stocked in all channels by 12/7," said an AT&T spokesperson to us. So if you want to snag the VX with its 4.5-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 5-megapixel camera and 4G LTE speeds for just $50 under contract, feel free to mark the date on your calendar. Just make sure you use a pencil.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Source: Android Central

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