Monday, November 15, 2010

IT News HeadLines (Engadget) 11/14/2010

Scientists put color on your bling with micro carvings, gangsters pacified
Remember that time when you sipped some herbal tea and thought, "I really want a pink gold ring?" Yeah, that was some good tea alright, but the brainiacs at the University of Southampton have actually found a way to achieve this potential fashion trendsetter. The idea is simple: rather than coating metals -- especially naturally colored ones like gold and copper -- with paint, these folks alter their color by using an ion beam to carve fine patterns that are smaller than visible light's wavelength. The resultant metamaterial dramatically boosts the metals' light absorption efficiency, thus reflecting a different color depending on the pattern's radius and etch depth. So for instance, gold can reflect colors ranging from orange to red to green to brown with its ring pattern etch depth ranging from 85nm to 205nm, respectively. See? We told you it's simple, but there's also some visual aid after the break to wrap up this science lesson.Continue reading Scientists put color on your bling with micro carvings, gangsters pacified
Scientists put color on your bling with micro carvings, gangsters pacified originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceTechnology Review  | Email this | Comments
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EU providing $21 million grant to IBM and others, funding research into cloud storage
EU providing $21 million grant to IBM and others, funding research into cloud storage
Clouds are beautiful things that fill our skies with wonderment, and as it turns out they make awfully good places to store our precious data, too. In that way European Union wants to make them even better, providing a €15.7 million (that's $21.4 million US) research project called Vision Cloud. It's set to tackle a number of related storage issues, including the ability to run applications within cloud storage, proper auditing and access restriction, and mobility of said data, so that it can be accessed from anywhere. IBM's Haifa, Israel think tank is going to be leading the effort, while Siemens and SAP will be playing nice too. Really, when you're getting paid to think about clouds, how would it be possible to not play nice?
Permalink   |  sourcePC World  | Email this | Comments
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Hybrid batteries tease big energy capacity while charging in seconds
Ioxus Inc. is an up and comer in the energy storage industry that has plans this Monday to announce a new hybrid storage device that it hopes will radically alter batteries used in the auto, medical, and consumer electronics industries. The teased product is said to be roughly the size of a typical C-cell battery and combines the fast charge / discharge benefits of ultracapacitors with the impressive energy-to-weight ratio of a lithium-ion electrode. As a result, Ioxus says the hybrid devices can store more than double the energy of traditional ultracapacitors and charge in a matter of seconds. The catch is that the hybrids have shorter life spans of 20,000 cycles compared to millions of cycles for typical ultracapacitors. We're also taking this with a grain of skepticism until these claims are proven in the field. Some brief digging though did unearth an article written by MIT researchers and published in Scientific American last year that discusses the possible benefits of supercharging lithium-ion cells -- which is encouraging.

The first iteration could be used to power a host of devices like off-the-grid lighting or power tools. Use in larger systems like the regenerative breaks of electric cars however won't be possible until the second generation arrives -- which the CEO pegged as sometime in the first quarter of next year.
Hybrid batteries tease big energy capacity while charging in seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink DVICE  |  sourceCNET  | Email this | Comments
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HP Slate 500 sees 'extraordinary demand,' experiences six-week shipping delay (update)

Yes, the HP Slate 500 is officially backordered, less than a month after its enterprising debut, and Hewlett-Packard claims it's because of "extraordinary demand," a phrase that's presently not quantifiable. The long and short of it, though, is that you're not getting one by Yuletide if you purchase the pricey portable today, as you'll have to wait six weeks until they're ready to ship out. Still, if your budding business bought in on day one, there's still a chance it might arrive in time -- ours is due to our door in early December, if that gives you any idea. We've pinged HP for comment, and hope to hear back soon. We'll be sure to let you know just how "extraordinary" those sales numbers might be.

Update: We've yet to hear back from HP proper, but a trusted tipster with a contact inside HP spun us a very interesting tale -- HP reportedly only ever planned a limited production run of 5,000 units, and received orders for 9,000 instead. When demand outstripped supply, HP apparently had to re-hire production workers just to get the presses printing out tablets again, and are presently placating angry customers by offering them over $100 off their $800 purchase as apology.

[Thanks, Dan]
Permalink   |  sourceHP  | Email this | Comments
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Elgato EyeTV Netstream Sat brings satellite TV streaming to your iPad
Folks on this side of the pond will unfortunately miss out on this one, but our friends in the UK will soon be able to get their hands on Elgato's new EyeTV Netstream Sat box and make everyone else a bit envious. It will not only let you stream Freesat satellite TV to any computer on your home network, but straight to your iPad as well with Elgato's EyeTV app (though not your iPhone or iPod touch, it seems). That sort of streaming has been possible before but, as Pocket-lint notes, you previously had to keep your computer on to stream satellite video to your iOS device. Look for the device to start shipping on November 22nd for £189.95 (or about $300), while the EyeTV app will set you back an extra £2.99.
Elgato EyeTV Netstream Sat brings satellite TV streaming to your iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Pocket-lint  |  sourceElgato  | Email this | Comments
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Mark Papermaster returns to chip business courtesy of Cisco, Apple silently watches
We don't blame you if you fail to recognize this good looking fella. Just a quick recap: this is Mark Papermaster, the ex-IBM chip designer who stirred up a storm while transitioning to Apple, only to quietly depart the company 16 months later for reasons that we'll never truly know. Fear not though, folks, as word has it that the boy is back in town: Papermaster is now hanging out with Cisco's Silicon Switching Technology Group as its new vice president. Ironically, our man here will be responsible for making chips that power Cisco's switches, so it'll probably be more or less like his good old days back at IBM. Oh, and without Steve Jobs breathing over his shoulders.
Permalink   |  sourcePC World  | Email this | Comments
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Engadget Podcast 219 - 11.13.2010
The Engadget Podcast: It's like a movie, but without the pictures. Well, actually, it has pictures, but they are small, and they don't move. So it's more like a CD than a movie, a Karaoke CD+G disc. Actually, it's EXACTLY like an MP3, an Enhanced AAC File, or an OGG file. That is exactly what it is. It also recently became the Howard Stern Show of Technology Podcasts, and that's all the info you need to know right now so quit bothering us about it and click the link.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Zombie

00:03:25 - Is this the Nexus S?
00:04:19 - Nexus S for T-Mobile gets brief Best Buy Mobile nod: there and gone again
00:07:32 - Google Nexus S is the Samsung GT-i9020? (update)
00:08:33 - This is the Nexus S
00:17:25 - Samsung confirms Continuum dual-display Android handset for Verizon
00:20:30 - Live from Samsung's Android event!
00:21:13 - Samsung Continuum first hands-on (update: video!)
00:28:50 - Exclusive: Samsung 'flagship' phone with Gingerbread and huge display coming in early 2011 (update)
00:29:00 - HTC Mecha / Incredible HD pictured for Verizon with a fancy '4G' symbol
00:47:00 - Poll: Did you get a Windows Phone 7 device today?
00:47:25 - Dell Venue Pro has a microSD card slot, you'll just need to void your warranty to use it
00:50:28 - AT&T tells Samsung Focus customers not to buy microSD cards yet, wait for 'certified' ones (update: random access speed is key)
00:53:00 - Samsung Focus having microSD issues, AT&T not installing cards in-store (updated)
00:58:41 - The Private Network
01:00:20 - Dell Venue Pro on sale at Microsoft stores, but good luck getting one
01:02:45 - Dell confirms protected WiFi problems, mislabeled batteries on the three Venue Pros sold so far
01:03:40 - Lenovo IdeaPad U260 and its 12.5-inch display head stateside for $899
01:05:20 - Boxee Box remote gets dedicated Netflix button
01:05:30 - Netflix and Hulu Plus coming to the Boxee Box
01:07:05 - Hulu's block on Boxee streaming affecting more than just Boxee Boxes
01:13:30 - Confirmed: Kin One and Two are returning to Verizon. Wait, what?
01:15:40 - Facebook about to launch a Gmail-slaying Titan?



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Engadget Podcast 219 - 11.13.2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Intel unveils 120GB X25-M SSD, tinkers with 80GB / 160GB model price tags
Face it, for the average consumer, solid-state drives still have a price-to-storage issue -- but once you get used to the quick and quiet performance, it's hard to go back. If you're willing to take the dive, or already have and are looking to swap out / upgrade, Intel's lowered the suggested price of its 80GB and 160GB X25-M SSDs to $199 and $415, respectively. Looking to take the middle road? Introducing the 120GB X25-M from the House of All Things Blue. That'll set you back $275, but hey, 'tis the season. Press release after the break.Continue reading Intel unveils 120GB X25-M SSD, tinkers with 80GB / 160GB model price tags
Intel unveils 120GB X25-M SSD, tinkers with 80GB / 160GB model price tags originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Chip Chick  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments
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Confirmed: Lenovo LePad headed to US in 2011
Lenovo led us to believe that that our LePad chances weren't terribly good, but CEO Yang Yuanqing recently told the Wall Street Journal that the Android tablet is indeed slated for a 2011 US launch. Though Lenovo's COO Rory Read was pretty clear that the LePad wouldn't ship stateside until a tablet-ready version of Android was ready to go, it seems the company's now confident that Google will deliver the goods. However, our gain is apparently China's loss, as the publication reports that the slate's been pushed into 2011 (as opposed to this December) in its country of origin as well. What's a multinational computer corporation to do?
Confirmed: Lenovo LePad headed to US in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink PC World  |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments
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Dell Streak Android 2.2 update imminent in UK, other territories on the way
Looks like Japan's not the only one that'll have Froyo on a five-inch tabletphone this year -- Dell's official Facebook account confirms that Android 2.2 will be rolling out to the Dell Streak starting this very month. That date's just for the UK, mind you, as Dell plans to stagger the release from country to country for that winsome Stage UI. That said, if you're a particularly astute diner you may be able to get your sweet spoonful sooner than some, as just last evening Dell directed a number of Streak owners to the website pictured above. While that "Continue with Update" button reportedly didn't work and the website has since been pulled, it seems that Dell's considering the idea of letting users directly download Android 2.2 themselves. See what that update might include (spoiler: mobile hotspot!) over at StreakSmart.

[Thanks, Naz]
Dell Streak Android 2.2 update imminent in UK, other territories on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Androidos.in  |  sourceDell Home UK (Facebook), StreakSmart  | Email this | Comments
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Verizon's Pantech and LG LTE modems leak out in ad form
Verizon's promised a 38-city LTE launch by the end of the year, and it looks like things are ramping up -- we were just sent this ad for the LG VL600 and Pantech UML290 4G USB modems. We've seen the VL600 at the FCC and in the wild before -- it's a dual-mode CMDA / LTE modem that'll work pretty much anywhere Verizon has coverage, while the UML290 has a note about global capability "coming soon," so we'd assume there's a GSM radio tucked in there as well. Both sticks look like they're pretty huge, which isn't uncommon for first-gen hardware like this, but we're hoping that rumored third Novatel stick is LTE-only and a bit slimmer. We'll see, we'll see.
Verizon's Pantech and LG LTE modems leak out in ad form originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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