Friday, October 29, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 29/10/2010



320GB PlayStation 3 to retail without Move tag-along for $350
Hate moving your body? Sony's been selling a 320GB PS3 bundled with a Move controller, PlayStation Eye, and Sports Champions for $400, but for you layabouts the 320GB model will soon be available all by itself. The steep $350 pricetag underlines how strongly Sony is subsidizing its Move paraphernalia -- are you really sure the opportunity to get off the couch isn't worth $50 to you? -- but at least it's nice to have the option. Compared to the $300 160GB it makes more sense: $50 for double the storage. Sony says the console is shipping the new standalone SKU to stores as we speak, so keep an eye out for shelves straining under the sheer weight of gigabytes at your local retailer over the next few days.
320GB PlayStation 3 to retail without Move tag-along for $350 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Bang & Olufsen rolls out 32-inch BeoVision 10-32
It's still a long way from the more budget-friendly model you may have been hoping for, but Bang & Olufsen has now at least introduced a smaller BeoVision LCD TV. That comes in the form of the company's new 32-inch BeoVision 10-32, which hangs onto many of the features of the other BeoVision 10 series TVs, including edge LED-backlighting, a DVB-HD module, and a pair of built-in speakers that B&O says offers a sound quality that is "quite superior compared to the market level for TVs of this size" -- you can even add your choice of one of two motorized stands. Just how much will it cost you? Try €4,000, or roughly $5,500. Full press release is after the break.
Continue reading Bang & Olufsen rolls out 32-inch BeoVision 10-32
Bang & Olufsen rolls out 32-inch BeoVision 10-32 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink FlatpanelsHD  |  sourceBang & Olufsen  | Email this | Comments
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Eking's S700 E-notepad launches 'the era of color digital reading' with a stylus... and a dream
The kids at Eking don't always take due credit for their handiwork (they're usually busy manufacturing devices that get badged by companies like Viliv) but this time around they seem pretty proud of their S700 E-notepad. "A notepad," the company states in its PR, "means 'a memorandum' in English. With the prefix E, e-notepad means electron memorandum, abbreviated as electron book. It's concise and easy to understand and can be accepted by consumers." You get all that? It sports a color 7-inch display with both resistive touch input and an electromagnetic stylus (just like your old Wacom tablet), integrated 3G, fingerprint scanner, three megapixel camera, and a plastic case that looks similar to the one that came with our old Day Runner knock-off. And it's apparently a color display, because "multi-purpose colored electronic notepads will certainly replace the black and white E-books of simple features. It's a trend the same as that of the color TV sets replacing the black and white ones." Took the words right out of our mouth, Shenzhen PR guy! Not entirely sure on a price or release date for this one, but you'll know as soon as we do. Promise.
Continue reading Eking's S700 E-notepad launches 'the era of color digital reading' with a stylus... and a dream
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Motorola's mobile unit posts first operating profit in a long, long time
As a whole, Motorola is no stranger to profit... thing is, Moto won't be "whole" for much longer, and when the split happens, we're sure it'd like all of its divisions to be profitable. The mobile unit, of course, has been the struggling one, trying to pull out of a multi-year post-RAZR nosedive under the leadership of CEO Sanjay Jha -- and it looks like his all-in bet on Android is starting to pay off at the bank on today's news that they've posted a non-GAAP operating profit of $3 million. Yes, sure, that's razor-thin when you consider that they sold some $2 billion worth of phones -- but these guys haven't seen black ink in three years, so it's definitely cause for celebration. Looking at the bigger picture, the entirety of Motorola posted non-GAAP earnings per share of 16 cents -- handily beating the estimate of 10 to 12 cents -- on sales of $5.8 billion. Not out of the woods yet, but certainly rolling toward the end of the year on a high note, we'd say.
Motorola's mobile unit posts first operating profit in a long, long time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video)
We can't all have heads as amazing as Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, but this holiday season we can have pumpkins that are every bit as blinky. Mike Szczys has posted a detailed walkthrough of how to create the above Jack-o-creation at Hack a Day, which features a 5 x 14 matrix of LEDs on the front that can be programmed to light up in various ways, like the Knight Rider sweep or to simply scroll the message "HAPPY HALLOWEEN." That's shown in the video below, but hopefully version 2.0 can manage the tricks displayed in the second embed that's also waiting for you after the break.Continue reading LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video)
LED pumpkin would be perfect for your next Sleepy Hollow dance party (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments
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Tivoli Audio fails to deviate with Model 10 clock radio, still celebrates Tin anniversary
So, what's a company to do when turning the big one-oh? The same thing that it always has, of course! Tivoli Audio's classic styling has somehow found its way back around again on the 10th anniversary Model 10 AM/FM clock radio, a highly compact music maker with a 7.8-inch cabinet, a pair of independent alarms (which can be set to music or a tone), inbuilt LCD and a menu screen with an adjustable backlight. As you'd expect, the pizazz is coming mostly in the form of exterior color options, with "furniture grade wood" being offered in walnut, cherry, blue, black and red. For the true historians, a Celebration Collection is available in light and dark aluminum wood finishes, with the Superior Collection adding a high gloss Frost White and Chesnut Brown (along with the 'Lines' pattern shown here). The auxiliary input allows pretty much any source to be connected, with all functions dictated by a single top-mounted rotary control or a bundled remote. As for pricing? They're going for $199.99 to $379.99, or precisely 19.2 times more than you ever expected.Continue reading Tivoli Audio fails to deviate with Model 10 clock radio, still celebrates Tin anniversary
Permalink   |  sourceTivoli Audio  | Email this | Comments
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Samsung Galaxy Tab notches a fifth American carrier, coming to US Cellular
Milking this one for all it's worth, eh Samsung? In what's easily becoming the most drawn-out product launch in the history of product launches, Sammy is just now informing us of a fifth American carrier onboard to carry its Galaxy Tab: US Cellular. The regional CDMA operator has been chosen as the token 'little guy' to offer the 7-inch, Froyo-based tablet, but the company's not saying when it will be arriving nor for how much. We're guessing it'll cost between $400 and $600 depending on the contract situation, but considering that every other carrier is getting it within a fortnight or so, those minor points should be clarified in short order.
Gallery: US Cellular Samsung Galaxy Tab
Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab notches a fifth American carrier, coming to US Cellular
Samsung Galaxy Tab notches a fifth American carrier, coming to US Cellular originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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11.6-inch MacBook Air cleared to remain packed through security, but we'd remove it anyway
Really, TSA? Are you honestly so stoked to disappoint? If you'll recall, the American Transportation Security Administration got up close and personal with a first-generation MacBook Air after wrongly assuming it was an Apocalypse-bringer, and even after adjusting rules so that iPads, netbooks and other smaller electronics could fly through carry-on screening equipment without being unpacked, we've still heard of (and personally experienced) occasions where agents have demanded that tablet PCs be ran through naked. If there's a lesson to learn here, it's that the TSA is consistently inconsistent, and you're probably better off putting everything you own in a separate grey bucket for the sake of covering your bases. The same applies to Apple's new 11.6-inch MacBook Air, which is cleared to undergo TSA scanning while packed under the aforesaid amended rules. In theory, you shouldn't have to remove it from your backpack as you struggle to reach your gate, but if we had to guess, we'd say you'll be ask to take it out and re-run it if you try. But hey, you're only being victimized and scrutinized in the name of security, so it's all good. Trust us.
Permalink Gadling  |  sourceCNN  | Email this | Comments
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HP Palm quietly debuts new HP Palm logo
We don't know how this one slipped past us, but somewhere in the past few weeks (on October 19th as far as we can tell), HP and Palm's logos got together to form what you see to the left: the HP Palm logo. The new, hybrid logo is on both Palm's website and Facebook page, so this should quell any fears that the world might lose Palm's branding all together. We don't know what you think of the new logo -- personally, we were a little partial to our own mock up.
HP Palm quietly debuts new HP Palm logo originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Phone News  |  sourcePalm, Facebook  | Email this | Comments
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Sony's Peter Dille thinks the PSP could use a cellular data connection, iPhone gamers 'aren't satisfied'
Peter Dille -- Sony's Senior Vice President of marketing at SCEA -- sat down for a "fireside chat" with CNN, and made some interesting comments regarding the PlayStation Phone. Despite kinda / sorta sticking to the company's policy of refusing to discuss rumors, Dille allegedly said that the lack of a cellular data component in current PSP devices could be holding the line back. "The PSP is a Wi-Fi device," he said. "People are used to having always-connected devices." Dille also noted that current smartphone platforms don't give users a hardcore experience, instead providing "Time-killers," which "gamers aren't satisfied with."

While the CNN article certainly includes some healthy speculation, Dille (and a company spokeswoman who told the publication that Sony "has relationships with Google") was pretty talkative when it came to the PSP and more specifically the PlayStation Network. Apparently, Dille alluded to the fact that the current PSP doesn't fulfill Sony's goal for creating a content delivery hub that's always accessible, saying "I don't think we fully realize that vision with a Wi-Fi device... If it's not connected [to a cell network] then it does sort of limit people." Of course, we're not taking this as any kind of confirmation from the company, but Sony seems awfully talkative about a device that they won't comment on.
Permalink   |  sourceCNN  | Email this | Comments
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D-Link's Boxee Box gets VUDU streaming rentals
D-Link's Boxee Box gets VUDU
We're just weeks away from the Boxee Box bringing its pan-dimensional shape to your home entertainment center, but still the surprises keep rolling. VUDU has announced that it too will be making an appearance on the thing, offering streaming downloadable rentals of big hits with some, like Avatar, having special features to boot. Viewers will have 1080p on tap along with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround and the pleasure of knowing that their $2 per rental is going straight into Walmart's pocket. Who doesn't love Walmart?

Update: To be clear, VUDU will be available to users of the PC and Mac Boxee clients as well.
Continue reading D-Link's Boxee Box gets VUDU streaming rentals
D-Link's Boxee Box gets VUDU streaming rentals originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack
Garmin Approach S1 is the first GPS watch for golfers, sends that drunken caddy back to the shack
Pack a lob wedge or extra utility iron? Punch and run or flop and drop? Crush a five iron or hit a three-quarter four? These are just a few of the questions that amateur golfers wish they had to ponder as they instead devote their time to rummaging through the brush trying to find what could be their fourth lost ball in three holes. Maybe Garmin's new Approach S1 watch can help. It's loaded with every hole from over 14,000 golf courses and, from anywhere on the course, will give you precise yardage to the front, back, and middle of the next green -- meaning it won't help your lay-up but could be just the ticket for nailing that approach. Its integrated odometer will even track how many miles you covered through the course of the day and, we're presuming, not tell your significant other whether you spent those drinking in the cart or walking at a brisk pace. The Approach S1 is available now for $249 and is subtle enough that your buddies might not even notice your new wrist-borne advantage.

Update: As a few of you pointed out, the Suunto G9 watch from a few years back also offers GPS, meaning this is, indeed, not the first after all! That's a two-stroke penalty, Garmin.
Continue reading Garmin Approach S1 is the GPS watch for golfers, sends that caddy back to the shack
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Liquavista displays get flexible, 'unbreakable,' still rather theoretical (video)
Liquavista displays get flexible, 'unbreakable,' still rather theoretical (video)
The next generation of display technology is still that, next, but despite being a future away it continues to get better. Liquavista keeps wowing us with various demonstrations of its electrowetting technology offering full color, high refresh rates, visibility in all lighting conditions, and low power consumption to boot. Now they're bendy too, with the company releasing footage of a prototype that's flexible. It's also said to be "unbreakable," demonstrated by a person wearing latex gloves gently tapping on the screen -- because, you know, that's about as tough as it gets outside of the lab. Video is after the break, along with full PR, but in neither will you find any hope of seeing this tech for real before the second half of next year.Continue reading Liquavista displays get flexible, 'unbreakable,' still rather theoretical (video)
Liquavista displays get flexible, 'unbreakable,' still rather theoretical (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Eye-Fi gets social with the Eye-Fi View online picture portal
Eye-Fi gets social, launches View online portal and instant e-mailing of pictures
Yeah, we know. E-mail is like so 1999. Kids today are all about their tweets and their texts, but if grandma can decode a digital picture at all pretty much the only way she's going to get it is via e-mail, and Eye-Fi is making that easier. It's launched Eye-Fi View, an online sharing site not unlike your Picasas or your Flickrs, except that pictures are (nearly) instantly and automatically uploaded straight from the camera, where they can be shared (or not shared) with others. Users can also set up e-mail alerts so that grandma can get a private link to Gerard's graduation photos. Eye-Fi View is free if you don't mind your pictures disappearing after seven days, but if you want unlimited storage for an unlimited time you'll need to step up to the $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annual plans. The disembodied hand? We're pretty sure that's not included.Continue reading Eye-Fi gets social with the Eye-Fi View online picture portal
Eye-Fi gets social with the Eye-Fi View online picture portal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink dpreview.com  |  sourceEye-fi  | Email this | Comments
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Walmart demonstrates epic flower power with 14.5-inch Garden Dreams Pavilion dv5
Struggling to decide how on Earth you'll fit a gargantuan 15-inch laptop into your life, while simultaneously trying to imagine using something as minuscule as a 14-incher? Great news, vaquero! HP's splitting the difference (and hairs, if we're being honest) with its 14.5-inch Pavilion dv5-2129wm Special Edition, a vivacious new machine that has just popped up at Wally World. Powered entirely by flora, this 'Garden Dreams' laptop packs a BrightView LED-backlit display, AMD's Turion II P540 CPU (2.4GHz), 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard drive, 8x SuperMulti DVD burner, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics, an inbuilt webcam 5-in-1 card reader, three USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / VGA outputs and a six-cell Li-ion battery. It's available there in the source link for $598, and somehow or another, we suspect Ma Earth is urging you to do the right thing.
Walmart demonstrates epic flower power with 14.5-inch Garden Dreams Pavilion dv5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Laptoping  |  sourceWalmart  | Email this | Comments
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iPad now on sale from Verizon Wireless and AT&T
You didn't forget did you? Today's the day that the WiFi-only iPad makes its inaugural appearance at Verizon. Whether it's the beginning of better days between the two US giants remains to be seen. As a reminder, Verizon's offer bundles a MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot with your choice of 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), or 64GB ($829) iPads and 1GB ($20), 3GB ($35), or 5GB ($50) of data per month without contractual commitment.

Of lesser interest is the fact that AT&T will also begin selling the WiFi + 3G version of the iPad today in 16GB ($629), 32GB ($729), and 64GB ($829) with contract-free data plans for 250MB of data ($14.99) or 2GB of data ($25) per month with free access to AT&T's 23,000+ domestic WiFi hotspots. AT&T's also offering international plans ranging from 20MB for $24.99 per month on up to 200MB for a staggering $199.99 per month. Hit the appropriate source link below if either of these offers tickles your kraken.

[Thanks, Michael R. and Tyler P.]
iPad now on sale from Verizon Wireless and AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceAT&T, Verizon Wireless  | Email this | Comments
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Droid 2 update begins with promise of better battery life and more
We've receive a number of reports that a 2.3.20 software update for Verizon's Droid 2 is slowly making the rounds this morning. The OTA push promises a number of improvements and enhancements with the promise of better battery life, faster transitions between WiFi and 3G data connection, and quicker location tracking when using GPS being perhaps the most notable. Other enhancements include:
  • New ability to add pictures from your Gallery to a contact.
  • Export all your contacts to the SD card.
  • View details of Social Networking contacts.
  • VZ Navigator is now preloaded on device.
Click through the break for the full list of improvements.

[Thanks, Mark L.]Continue reading Droid 2 update begins with promise of better battery life and more
Droid 2 update begins with promise of better battery life and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Droid Life  |  sourceVerizon  | Email this | Comments
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MeeGo v1.1 for handsets is out, let the N900 dual-booting begin (video)
Following hot on the heels of the PR 1.3 update for the N900 comes the official MeeGo v1.1 build for handsets with U-Boot support. For developers, or anyone who simply likes to hack around, that means that the Nokia N900 is now ready to dual-boot into your choice of Maemo or MeeGo environments. If that sounds like fun then boy do we have the image repository for you (Hint: it's in the source link below). We'll let everyone else know when the community has made the process idiot-proof. Until then, why not play an unmodified webOS game or catch a glimpse of the dual-boot process in action in the video after the break.Continue reading MeeGo v1.1 for handsets is out, let the N900 dual-booting begin (video)
MeeGo v1.1 for handsets is out, let the N900 dual-booting begin (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceMeeGo, MeeGo Experts  | Email this | Comments
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Nintendo posts half-year net loss, a first in seven years
After three years of record earnings, the mighty house that Mario built is reporting a net loss of ¥2.01 billion ($25 million) in the fiscal first half ending 30 September versus a profit of ¥69.49 billion a year earlier. In addition to the adverse affects suffered under a strong yen, Nintendo's sales for the first half of its fiscal year were down 35 percent to ¥363.16 billion due to lower demand for its Wii console. According to the Wall Street Journal, this represents Nintendo's first net loss in the fiscal first half in the last seven years. The future outlook is pretty grim too with Nintendo forecasting an annual profit drop to the lowest level in six years as Wii console sales decline for the second year in a row. Ouch.
Nintendo posts half-year net loss, a first in seven years originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceBBC, WSJ  | Email this | Comments
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iBuyPower revamps Gamer Mage / Paladin desktops with Radeon HD 6800 GPUs
You're already sold on ATI's new Radeon HD 6800 series, but your existing motherboard and CPU just feel too aged to become home to such a shiny, fresh piece of silicon. We hear you. So does iBuyPower. Rather than forking out and upgrading just your GPU, these guys are hoping you'll ogle the newly revised Gamer Mage D295, Gamer Mage D355, and Gamer Paladin F820, all three of which are available with the HD 6870 and HD 6850. The Gamer Mage D295 gets housed in a Thermaltake V9 enclosure and ships with a liquid cooled Athlon II X4 640 quad-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, a Radeon HD 6850 (1GB), LG Blu-ray reader / DVD combo drive, 1TB of HDD space and a 700 watt power supply -- all for the low, low price of $899. The D335 (starts at $1,239) steps up to a liquid cool Phenom II X6 1055T, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a Radeon HD 6870 GPU, 64GB SSD and an 800 watt PSU, while the F280 (starts at $1,369) goes all-out with a liquid cooled Core i7 950, 6GB of DDR3 memory, an HD 6870 GPU and NZXT's Guardian 921 R case. Hit the links below to get your customization on.
Gallery: iBuyPower Gamer Mage and Paladin gaming desktops
Continue reading iBuyPower revamps Gamer Mage / Paladin desktops with Radeon HD 6800 GPUs
iBuyPower revamps Gamer Mage / Paladin desktops with Radeon HD 6800 GPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Hot Hardware  |  sourceiBuyPower (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Comments
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HTC Mecha leaked on HTC Sense
We've been hearing the hushed whispers of an HTC Mecha handset for a few months. Now we've got solid evidence of its existence thanks to the HTC's own HTC Sense web site that lists the Mecha along side the Desire HD and Desire Z when signing up for an account. Unfortunately, the image used for the Mecha (found after the break) appears to be the old Hero handset unless HTC is planning to resurrect that particular industrial design (which we doubt). Now get out of here and hit the source link to try it for yourselves.

Update: And it's gone.

[Thanks, Anthony P.]Continue reading HTC Mecha leaked on HTC Sense
HTC Mecha leaked on HTC Sense originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iMovie 11 knows you're not ready for the video jelly
You may not know what it's called but you've definitely seen it. The wobble or "jelly" effect seen in video captured by cameras with CMOS sensors relying upon rolling shutters instead of the global shutters found in cameras with CCDs. The issue stems from the way a CMOS acquires the image by recording each frame in horizontal bands, working from the top to the bottom. Since all parts of the image are not recorded at the same time, moving the camera, even slightly at telephoto settings, causes the image to skew and go all rubbery. Well, iMovie 11 can fix that, or at least smooth it out with options for Low, Medium, High, and Extra High distortion reduction. It's just one of many new additions including the often discussed Movie Trailers, support for 24p footage, vastly improved audio editing, and a People Finder feature that lets you search for family members in raw footage... but it might be our favorite. See a video demonstration after the break before hitting up the source for the full review over at MacWorld.Continue reading iMovie 11 knows you're not ready for the video jelly
iMovie 11 knows you're not ready for the video jelly originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oakley's 3D specs are a perfect blend of gaudiness and Tron: Legacy
Think run-of-the-mill 3D specs just aren't cutting it? Need the sort of eyewear that ENCOM International would approve or? Here's perhaps a better question: got a infinitesimally-deep hole burning in your pocket? Oakley's recently-announced "optically-correct" 3D glasses are getting a special Tron: Legacy edition in honor of the upcoming internet documentary. Expect graphic art on the frames that, in some of the most amusing and illustrative words we've read in a press release for some time, "salute the cinematic story." Asking price is a steep $150, but fashion doesn't run cheap -- besides, how else are you going to stand out in a dark room filled with bespectacled people all facing the same direction?
Oakley's 3D specs are a perfect blend of gaudiness and Tron: Legacy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Verizon FiOS field trial introduces XG-PON2 to the lexicon, shows 10Gbps capabilities
Verizon's FiOS footprint may be on an expansion hiatus, but that's not to say the company's abandoning existing users. Nearly 3.5 years after boosting FiOS internet speeds with G-PON, the company is now out testing XG-PON2 -- a newfangled iteration that somehow enables 10Gbps upstream and downstream from its existing fiber network. If you'll recall, we heard just a few weeks back that the outfit was close to being able to serve GigE on its existing platform, and now that this field trial has been successful, we'd say the boundaries are stretched even further. In the test, technicians were able to suck down a 2.3GB movie in four ticks of the second hand, and if you're hoping to see the nerdiest video of the day, a highlight reel of the trial awaits you just past the break.

[Thanks, David]Continue reading Verizon FiOS field trial introduces XG-PON2 to the lexicon, shows 10Gbps capabilities
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China's Tianhe-1A is world's fastest supercomputer, plans to usurp the West now complete
It happened. China just passed the US and the world with the reveal of the world's fastest supercomputer. The fully operational Tianhe-1A, located at the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, scored 2.507 petaflops as measured by the LINPACK benchmark. That moves it past Cray's 2.3 petaflops Jaguar located at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. Tianhe-1A achieved the record using 7,168 NVIDIA Tesla M2050 GPUs and 14,336 Intel Xeon CPUs consuming 4.04 megawatts. Knowing that 10 petaflops is within reach by 2012, we'll see if Tianhe-1A can maintain its title when the new Top500 supercomputers list is released next week.
Permalink   |  sourceNVIDIA  | Email this | Comments
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Nikon debuts Android-powered stereoscopic picture frame, 2D to 3D conversions for a monthly fee
2D to 3D conversion techniques -- whether cinematic or otherwise -- don't have us jumping for joy, but Nikon's new NF-300i display sounds like a concept we could get behind. It's a 7.2-inch digital photo frame running Android 2.1 on an autostereoscopic (glasses-less) screen, which sports a special double-density lenticular lens to display images at full WSVGA resolution (800 x 600) whether in 2D or 3D modes. It pulls down images from the cloud to 4GB of internal storage over wired ethernet and 802.11 b/g WiFi, or via USB port if you happen to have MPO files just sitting around for some reason. The notion is that Japanese users will sign up for Nikon's new My PictureTown 3D conversion and hosting service for ¥19,550 (about $244) a year or ¥1,995 ($24) a month and get all their JPEG vacation photos spirited to the device in glorious 3D, and that's also the only way you'll likely ever see one of these screens -- Nikon's loaning, not selling the NF-300i as part of those membership fees.
Permalink Tech-On, 3D Display Info  |  sourceNikon  | Email this | Comments
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Bluetooth module for Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras hits the FCC
This one's still a bit mysterious, but what appears to be a Bluetooth module for Olympus' Micro Four Thirds cameras has just hit the FCC. Exactly what it does isn't clear, but it looks to be a match for the accessory port below the hot shoe on Olympus' PEN series cameras, which could open up a number of interesting possibilities -- a geotagging GPS module, perhaps, or even a file transfer device? Hopefully Olympus will clear things up getting official with this thing sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can dive into the FCC reports at the link below.
Bluetooth module for Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras hits the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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FTC accepts Google's privacy apology, lets Street View off the hook
When Google admitted its Street View cars had collected sensitive data after all, it sparked a new formal inquiry in the UK, but the very same apology was just what the Federal Trade Commission needed to drop an investigation in the USA. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection wrote Google a formal letter today noting "concerns about the internal policies and procedures that gave rise to this data collection," but satisfaction that the company's agreed to change all that and appoint a director of privacy. "Because of these commitments, we are ending our inquiry into this matter at this time," the document reads. Does that mean we can stop using this picture of Ross' old apartment in our posts? Only time will tell.
FTC accepts Google's privacy apology, lets Street View off the hook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Forbes  |  sourceFTC (PDF)  | Email this | Comments
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Bullet Train Express Platform: a $99 home for your Apple keyboard and Magic Trackpad
You're a dude (or dudette) that likes to be prepared, right? It's the Boy Scout motto, after all. To that end, we're surmising that you're already gearing up for OS X 10.7, and while that new finger exercise regimen will definitely pay off in the long run, Bullet Train's Express Keyboard Platform is what you're really in need of. For all intents and purposes, this is a $99 slab of aluminum, precisely crafted to hold an Apple Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. Essentially, the trio creates the bottom portion of a MacBook Pro, albeit with a larger touchpad and a slate of keys that aren't nearly as dark. The outfit's charging quite a premium for this thing, but we're told that demand is through the roof -- in other words, if you want one, you should probably jump in line now. But really, are you having that much trouble using both in their own space?Continue reading Bullet Train Express Platform: a $99 home for your Apple keyboard and Magic Trackpad
Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceBulletTrain  | Email this | Comments
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Google exec calls Android acquisition its 'best deal ever'
It's easy to forget at this point, but Android wasn't a Google creation. Google bought the company in 2005 for an undisclosed sum (estimated to be around $50 million) and, well, let's just say things worked out pretty well for them. How well? Google's vice president of corporate development, David Lawee, told attendees at the Stanford Accel Symposium this week that the acquisition was quite simply Google's "best deal ever." Lawee further went on to note that he did have some initial skepticism about the deal, and recalls saying "I hope this guy does something" after seeing Andy Rubin around the building for two years. The fact that Rubin actually stayed after the acquisition eventually did inspire some confidence, however, with Lawee adding that it's obvious when a deal doesn't work out "because the people leave."
Google exec calls Android acquisition its 'best deal ever' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Electronista  |  sourceVentureBeat  | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes
Microsoft might be late to the cameraphone-able barcode game, but it appears to be making up for lost time. Its multi-colored (and, frankly, rather attractive) Tag barcodes added a few important innovations on top of the general QR code concept, and apparently to good effect: 2 billion Tags have been printed since the January 2009 launch, and 1 billion of those Tags were printed in the past four months. Sounds like Microsoft has found some momentum, and they claim to have gained a lead in the publishing industry already. Obviously, the analytics, customization, and anti-fragmentation nature appeals to Big Barcode, but we'll have to wait and see if Tag is the ultimate choice of the everyman. Plus, won't ads be able to hack our brains and implant URLs at-will soon enough? We're holding out for that.Continue reading Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes
Microsoft 'Tags' 2 billion real-world objects with its phone-friendly barcodes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sprint fails to impress Wall Street with Q3 2010 earnings, still notches 644k net adds
Sprint certainly isn't out of the woods yet, but at least it's picking up customers from somewhere. The company's Q3 2010 earnings were ushered out today, and while its stock fell around ten percent on the news, a few silver linings were present. The carrier saw postpaid subscriber losses of 107,000, but that's an 87 percent improvement compared to Q3 2009. The CDMA network added approximately 276,000 postpaid customers during the quarter, 471,000 (net) prepaid subscribers and 644,000 total wireless subscribers from a net perspective. It also landed its second best postpaid churn result ever, but the bottom line still looks battered -- the operator announced a net loss of nearly a billion dollars ($911 million, if you're scouting specifics). Of course, phasing out iDEN should probably help things in the long run, but even its 4G advantage could quickly fade if (or more likely, when) Verizon gets its LTE act together next year.
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T-Mobile myTouch redubbed 'myTouch 4G,' landing on November 3rd
Ooh, Sprint's just going to love this. T-Mobile just announced the launch details for its latest HSDPA+ handset, with a November 3rd touchdown date (possibly to go along with new data plans?) and a $200 pricetag (after $50 mail-in rebate). But just to spice things up a little bit, T-Mobile also swapped names on the phone: what was previously known as the myTouch -- a back-to-basics follow-up to the original myTouch 3G and myTouch 3G Slide -- is now the myTouch 4G. In fact, it looks like T-Mobile has had this name for a little while, but was just waiting for the right moment to spring it on us. Wait, you didn't know HSPA+ was 4G? Ah, welcome to Sprint / Verizon / AT&T's branding nightmare.Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch redubbed 'myTouch 4G,' landing on November 3rd
T-Mobile myTouch redubbed 'myTouch 4G,' landing on November 3rd originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vuzix Wrap 920AR dev bundle available 'nowish' with clear AR glasses 18 months away
When we got our hands on the Vuzix Wrap 920AR at CES we saw a promising piece of gear without too many practical applications. And where do things stand, nearly a year later? Available now (aside from a "30 to 45 day delay" on all orders) the headset is strictly developers only. According to Pocket-lint, the company is only eighteen months away from clear AR glasses with heads-up displays -- and, believe us, we'd love to see that -- but in the meantime, your hard earned $2,000 will get you the glasses, a Vuzix VR Manager license, and access to the Vuzix SDK. So, who's going to be the first to pitch us a system for Augmented Reality comment moderation? We'd love to some new and novel ways to "downrank" a few of our favorite commenters, if you get our drift.
Permalink Pocket-lint  |  sourceVuzix  | Email this | Comments
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Sony Ericsson Z-System: the PlayStation Phone's gaming platform?
A bumper crop of circumstantial evidence surrounding the Android-based PlayStation Phone is starting to come together today -- when it rains, it pours, as they say -- and one particularly interesting thread suggests that the ecosystem surrounding the device might be called "Z-System." An astute tipster notes that the term appears in the upper left of one of our shots, which maps to a domain -- z-system.com, naturally -- that's owned by Sony Ericsson. Turns out the company also holds trademarks for Z-System in the US and Benelux trademark offices (among others, presumably) that were filed (and approved) this year, and the filing category includes "software for interacting or playing with electronic or video games," not hardware, so that strongly suggests we're looking at a platform here. We suppose it's possible that this specific device will be called Z-System, but we're going to float the theory that its actually underlying gaming platform that'll bear that name -- possibly a premium game store and set of software libraries that together will earn a device the Z-System badge. As we already saw with the BlackPad / SurfBook / PlayBook fiasco, trademarks don't mean much until a device is actually announced -- but it's something to keep an eye on.

[Thanks, Andrew]
Gallery: Sony Ericsson Z-System: the PlayStation Phone's gaming platform?
Sony Ericsson Z-System: the PlayStation Phone's gaming platform? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink   |  sourceUSPTO, BOIP, Network Solutions  | Email this | Comments
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Walgreens now selling $100 Maylong M-150 Android tablet
Kmart may have been the first department store to get into the cheap Android tablet business, but it looks like Walgreens isn't about to stay out of this race to the bottom -- it's now offering the Maylong M-150 Android tablet for a mere $100. As you can see above, it's pretty much the tablet of your dreams. Not only does it run Android, but it boasts a familiar iPad design and interface, plus Internet Explorer for a web browser (icon), and access to the always useful "App Market." As for specs, it looks like you'll get a 7-inch resistive touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution, a 400MHz VIA VM8505+ processor, built-in WiFi, an unspecified amount of built-in flash memory, and a microSD card slot or expansion. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the source link below if you're ready to place your order.Continue reading Walgreens now selling $100 Maylong M-150 Android tablet
Walgreens now selling $100 Maylong M-150 Android tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink TechSpot  |  sourceWalgreens  | Email this | Comments
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Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone?
Moving from regular SIMs to micro SIMs for the iPad and iPhone 4 was a fairly user-hostile move on Apple's part, seeing how it made moving between an iPhone and virtually any other GSM device quite a bit more difficult; the official explanation (for the iPhone 4, anyway) was that there simply wasn't room for a regular SIM, but that seems unlikely considering that you're only saving 10mm of length, 3mm of width, and 0mm of thickness. A more plausible scenario is that Apple viewed micro SIMs as a way to get ahead of the industry curve a bit and make it unpleasant for users to try to share an iPhone line with other devices, a concept that gets at the core of Apple's mantra of owning the entire ecosystem from end to end.

But could they be trying to take that concept another step further? GigaOM is reporting a rumor today that Apple is working tightly with security firm Gemalto -- you know, the SIM guys -- to integrate software-reconfigurable SIMs right into European iPhones that would be activated on the carrier of your choice using an App Store download. Why European models? Multiple carriers offer the iPhone in a number of European countries, so distribution is a bit more complicated there than it is in the US, though it's a reasonable leap to suggest that the same integrated SIMs would be use on new North American iPhones as well. From Apple's perspective, it's a win-win: trying to use your iPhone line with another device would be akin to pulling teeth, and more importantly, Apple wouldn't need to worry about bundling carrier-specific SIMs with devices. In fact, the move would make Apple's (and the consumer's) interactions with the carrier entirely virtual, all the way from manufacture to activation. Seems like the plan would require an extraordinary amount of buy-in from carriers who've become increasingly suspicious of Apple's goals lately -- but then again, they managed to get carriers to suddenly and rapidly deploy micro SIMs en masse, and if anyone could pull this off, it'd be Steve's boys and girls.
Apple, Gemalto working on integrated SIM for next iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Roku makes hardware and software available to license, embedded TVs can't be far out
Aw, suki suki now! Roku -- the guys responsible for taking over your living room -- just announced that it's making its hardware and software platform available to license. At first glance, you may assume this means little to nothing for consumers, but you're (hopefully) mistaken. If you'll recall, the Roku XD was rebranded in order to slip into Netgear's vast sales channels, but the software part of this equation has our interest very much piqued. We've already seen Vudu's software baked into a number of HDTVs, and we're envisioning a future filled with world peace, In-N-Out for all and Roku-embedded television sets. We'll take two outta three if we have to, though.Continue reading Roku makes hardware and software available to license, embedded TVs can't be far out
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DVD2Blu trade-up scheme lets you swap any old DVD (plus $4.95) for a Blu-ray
We may have to rethink our original stance comparing Warner's DVD2Blu trade-up program to a particular Maine shop owner, now that it's announced it will accept any DVD (only studio releases sold at retail and no porn, please) as trade towards one of its selection of 105 Blu-ray releases with most priced at $4.95 each. Add in the offer to waive the $4.95/per shipping fee for orders above $35 and you've got a pretty quick way to fatten up one's Blu-ray library, assuming you like films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, American History X, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, etc. Hit the source link for a full list of titles available and other details (U.S. only, sorry Canada.)
DVD2Blu trade-up scheme lets you swap any old DVD (plus $4.95) for a Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Palm Pre 2 for Rogers in the wild
Curious where Palm model number P102UNA -- the North American UMTS variant of the Pre 2 -- might be headed? Since Bell and Telus rolled out their HSPA networks, Canada's become far more averse to CDMA than the US has, so it makes sense that they'd be getting Palm's latest handset in a GSM flavor, not a CDMA one (à la Verizon). To that end, MobileSyrup's managed to score some shots of a Rogers-branded Pre 2 strutting its stuff, though they don't have a date or price -- and Palm's official line is still "in the coming months." Anyone out there planning on moving to France to get it sooner?
Palm Pre 2 for Rogers in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink PreCentral  |  sourceMobileSyrup  | Email this | Comments
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