HTC, Huawei, LG and Samsung join Power Matters Alliance, AT&T pledges wireless charging by 2014

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/att-pma-wireless-charging/

The Power Matters Alliance (PMA) just scored another major boost. AT&T has announced that it will integrate wireless charging within select smartphones by 2014. Those TBA handsets may be manufactured by BlackBerry, ZTE, or any of the organization's latest members: HTC, Huawei, LG and Samsung. Notably absent is Apple, so don't expect PMA-compatible devices to make their way out of Cupertino anytime soon, but with chipset makers like Broadcom and Texas Instruments on board, we could very well be seeing quite a few handsets pop up by early next year. Integration may be implemented directly within the chipset, or it could be delivered through an add-on device, such as the Wireless Charging Card (WiCC) in the image above.

A PMA membership doesn't necessarily represent a commitment from manufacturers to release products that support the technology -- joining the alliance requires just "a few thousand dollars" in dues, but Duracell Powermat President Daniel Schreiber seems confident that all of the smartphone makers now on board will have releases of their own in the near future. The next step, of course, would be a widespread rollout of PMA-compatible charging stations, such as those manufactured by Powermat and installed in Boston Starbucks stores and Madison Square Garden in NYC. PowerKiss, which has begun similar trials in Europe, also joined the PMA recently, and may have compatible devices in place in several McDonald's restaurants and train stations throughout the continent by the second half of ! this yea r.

Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, AT&T, LG

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Doodle3D aims to make 3D printing easy enough for anyone, is totally rad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/doodle3d-kickstarter-launch/

You'll forgive us for frontloading this informational post about Doodle3D -- a simple sketching software tool, complete with hardware dongle, that's being Kickstarted -- with superlatives like "totally rad," but it's difficult to feel otherwise. The software is very accessible, enabling 2D drawings done on a computer, tablet, or smartphone to be wirelessly sent to a hardware dongle attached to a variety of 3D printers. Just like that, drawings are magically turned from crude 2D images into physical 3D objects; this principle is demonstrated in the group's Kickstarter video (below the break), which features a variety of non-techie folks using the application to thrilling results. More importantly? Not a single companion cube!

If you'd like to contribute, several tiered options are available. The early bird special affords 100 lucky folks a Doodle3D WiFi box for just $88, but that's quickly running out. The box will otherwise run you (at least) $99, and the team is expecting to ship them sometime in September -- should the project reach its $50,000 goal, that is. With 35 days to go and just over one fifth of that goal already funded, it's looking like that won't be an issue.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Handhelds, Household, Peripherals, Tab! lets , Wireless, Software

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Via: Twitter - @tha_rami

Source: Kickstarter

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Tiny lithium-ion battery recharges 1000x faster than rival tech, could shrink mobile devices

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/researchers-devise-fast-and-powerful-microbattery/

Supercapacitors are often hailed as the holy grail of power supplies, but a group of researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a lithium-ion microbattery that leaves that prized solution in the dust, recharging 1,000 times faster than competing tech. Previous work done by Professor William P. King, who led the current effort, resulted in a fast-charging cathode with a 3D microstructure, and now the team has achieved a breakthrough by pairing it with an anode devised in a similar fashion.

The resulting battery is said to be the most powerful in the world, avoiding the usual trade-off between longevity and power while having a footprint of just a few millimeters. By altering its composition, scientists can even optimize the contraption for more juice or increased life. It's expected that the technology could make devices 30 times smaller and help broadcast radio signals up to 30 times farther, but it'll still be a while before it winds up in a super-slim phone within your pocket. For now, the researchers have their sights set on integrating the tech with other electronic components and investigating low-cost manufacturing.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via:< /strong> Eureka Alert

Source: University of Illinois News Bureau

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Most Popular Small Form Factor PC Case: BitFenix Prodigy

Source: http://lifehacker.com/most-popular-small-form-factor-pc-case-bitfenix-prodig-473239688

If you're planning your next system build and want a PC that won't take up a ton of space, or you're building an HTPC that needs to fit nicely next to the TV, a PC case on the smaller side might be a good option. Last week, we asked you which small cases you thought were the best. Then we featured the five best small form factor PC cases. Now we're back to highlight the winner.

The BitFenix Prodigy took an early lead and held on to the top spot through the finish, eventually nabbing over 50% of the votes cast. It's a bit on the large size among the other contenders, but it's still a great case, and we love it as much as you guys do.

In second place with just over 23% of the overall vote was the Fractal Design Node 304, a gorgeous small PC case that'd look beautiful on your desk or in your entertainment center. The battle for third place is where the real action was however: the difference between third and fourth was a mere five votes, with some of them coming in right under the wire as the poll closed. In the end, the Silverstone FT03/FT03-Mini took third place with 10.36% of the vote, and the Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced fell to fourth with 10.23% of the votes cast. Bringing up the rear in fifth place is the admittedly un-sexy but very definitely the smallest case in the roundup, the Mini-Box M350 Universal Mini-ITX case, which is so small you can mount it on the back of a monitor safely.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photo by docklandsboy.

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Intel execs predict Bay Trail touch-enabled laptops for $200 - $300 by the holidays

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/intel-bay-trail-200/

On the earnings call after Intel released its Q1 numbers, its executives faced many questions from analysts, including some asking what to expect from the company in Q4. According to CEO Paul Otellini and CFO / EVP Stacy Smith, among the reasons for investors to be optimistic are the prospects of cheaper touch screen computers powered by its upcoming Bay Trail (quad-core Atom) and Haswell processors. Just how cheap you ask? According to Otellini, as transcribed by SeekingAlpha:

We have a certain spec for ultrabooks, and that is the product that Stacy said is going to be centered at as low as $599 with some [diverse] SKUs to $499. If you look at touch-enabled Intel based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-core processors, those prices are going to be down to as low as $200 probably.

We'd put more weight in those figures if they were price tags attached to products or at least from the OEMs that will build them, but at least there's a target. Whatever happens, there's sure to be a flood of new ultrabooks, tablets, convertibles and detachables hitting the streets later this year, and if the price is right (along with some Windows 8 tweaks) maybe they'll be worth the wait.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Intel

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Source: Seeking Alpha

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