Showing posts with label Tech News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tech News. Show all posts

1 Dec 2011

Intel Aims Pentium 350 at Servers

Intel's Pentium line of processors has been around over a decade now. The Pentium processor was the high-end of Intel's line of processors for notebooks and desktops earlier in its life. Today the Pentium line is placed between the high-end Core series and the low-end Celeron parts. Intel, however, is aiming a new processor for its Pentium line at the server market.

The new processor is the Pentium 350 and is aimed at low-end servers. The dual-core Pentium 350 runs at 1.2GHz, features 3MB cache, and has a low power draw of 15W. The processor is a bare bones part with no integrated graphics. Intel is targeting the chip at microservers rather than high-end servers where performance is key. That market is served by other parts in the Xeon line.

A new line of Xeon X3 servers are also supposed to come to market soon that are based on the Atom processors for micro servers. Analyst Dean McCarron for Mercury Research says that the Pentium 350 might also find its way into servers for specific tasks like printing or document sharing.
He said, "What we're seeing is a repurposed part."
Source: TechWorld
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30 Nov 2011

A college student builds girlfriend $125 iPad

Wei Xinlong, a college student at the Northeast Normal University in Changchun, really wanted to make his girlfriend, Sun Shasha, very happy.
He knew she would love to be in possession of the world's No. 1 passion possession, the iPad. However, he didn't have the money to effect that love. So he set about building an iPad from scratch.
Like all resourceful students, he took to the Web and learned as much as he could about the way tablets are built.
Then he bought a touch screen and a battery--online, naturally--and set to work. He reportedly cobbled together parts from an old laptop he bought, also online: the motherboard, the display, and the memory, for example. Then he finished it off with some pretty little rhinestones all the way round the outside.
"One can read, download, watch movies, play games by just touching the screen," he told China Daily News.
Oddly, though the home-made creation is Windows 7 enabled, it does seem to have an Apple logo on it-- something that might amuse a few lawyers and stimulate a few counterfeiters.
The whole cost of the homemade machine was 800 Yuan, which, at today's inflated prices seems to be $125.
Sun Shasha, for her part, couldn't have been more deliriously happy. She told China Daily News: "This is the best gift I've ever had, and I will keep it forever."

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27 Nov 2011

Microsoft could be developing two next-gen Xbox 720 consoles

Microsoft could be preparing two gaming consoles to replace the current-generation Xbox 360, according to industry sources. It is believed that the new consoles could arrive sometime in 2013 which would give Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) ample time to test and refine their 28nm manufacturing process.

Redmond is said to be developing an entry-level system as well as a true next-generation hardcore gaming console. Multiple consoles aren't a new idea as Microsoft sells the 360 at multiple price ranges but the differences typically are minimal: various capacity hard drives, limited edition offerings and game and accessory bundles.
The lower-end model will come at a very low price point and positioned much like a set-top box. The report says this unit will target streaming media services like Netflix and cater to more casual gamers, described as a Kinect-themed portal.
XBOX 720 Concepts
The mainstream Xbox would be a true upgrade in every sense for hardcore gamers, featuring an optical drive, hard drive storage and backwards-compatibility with existing 360 games. Such a system would carry a premium over the entry-level model, with price and graphics performance reflective of it.

It is also believed that Kinect will receive a substantial upgrade, perhaps in line with what Microsoft is planning to do with the Windows version sometime next year.
Rumors suggest the 720 could contain a six-core CPU, AMD graphics and 2GB of DDR3 memory.
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21 Nov 2011

Philips launches personal app to measure heart rate and breathing rate

Philips launches a personal App for iPad 2 that measures your heart rate and breathing rate remotely, simply by using the iPad 2 camera. This breakthrough technology allows people to measure heart and breathing rates in an easy and unobtrusive way at home. The App can be downloaded from the App Store.
How it works
Your heartbeat causes small changes in the color of your face. These changes are not visible to the eye, but with advanced software the iPad 2 camera detects these ‘micro-blushes’ to measure your heart rate. When you breathe, your chest moves up and down. With advanced software, the iPad 2 camera tracks the movement of your chest to measure your breathing rate.
The App offers iPad 2 users the possibility of simply measuring their heart rate and breathing rate in the comfort of their home*. The App offers the option to immediately share your results via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.
Philips has been developing this camera technology for three years. Although the concept is simple, calculating multiple parameters, such as heart rate and breathing rate, from real time video images is a major technical challenge. Philips has been able to overcome these challenges by using advanced algorithms and draws on its deep in-house expertise in optics, video and signal processing. Philips is making this technology available for licensing in selected application domains.
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Epson unveils Moverio BT-100 transparent VR glasses

Moverio BT-100
Epson Japan has announced today the Moverio BT-100, which is a head mounted VR display. What sets the Moverio BT-100 apart from its competition is that it features transparent lenses, which not only allows you to keep watching your media but keeps you aware of your surroundings at the same time.
The BT-100 features a qHD display with a screen resolution of 960×540, which apparently appears to the viewer as a gigantic 320” display that has been positioned 20 meters away. It has been designed to fit over everyday glasses, so for those who require prescription glasses, fret not as you should be able to wear it without any problems.
It will run on Android’s Froyo 2.2 and features WiFi connectivity and a proclaimed battery life of 6 hours. It will come with 1GB of internal storage and will be bundled with a 4GB SDHC memory card, with support for a 32GB card, and will sport detachable headphones. The Moverio BT-100 is expected to go on sale in Japan some time later this month for $650.
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Canadians Will Pay With Plastic Bills

Image: Bank of Canada
Canadians will all be using plastic to pay for their purchases -– not necessarily cards, either.
The Bank of Canada this week unveiled its new polymer banknotes. Plastic money is nothing new; several countries use it (the Australians were the first, in 1988). But these notes are a bit different. The bank’s scientific advisor, Martine Warren, told Discovery News they were designed to be secure well into the future, even taking into account the evolution of counterfeiting technology.
Some of the security features are in the hologram, which appears on the front right side next to the picture of former prime minister Robert Borden. When the hologram is tilted, the color of the picture changes. The hologram appears in a “window” that has a metallic portrait matching the one on the bill. Warren noted that there were two different printing technologies used to make that image, which makes it more difficult for a counterfeiter to duplicate.
The metallic portrait is itself a key feature. “Humans are really good at picking out faces,” Warren said.
The photo-quality portrait takes advantage of the fact that a person will spot something wrong with it instantly. Other security features include “hidden” numbers, which appear in the maple-leaf shaped figure on the left. They will show the denomination of the bill.
They're also green, in the environmental sense, not color. After they've passed their prime, the bills will be recycled into something besides new money, because the ink has to stick well and it won’t on recycled plastic, Warren said.
The first bills introduced will be the $100, with the $50 in March and the $20 later in the year. The rest of the denominations -- $10 and $5 -- will follow in 2013. (Canada no longer prints $2 bills, replacing them with coins in 1997).
Another reason for the change to polymer is durability. The new bills are a lot harder to tear. Warren noted that even when folded, the bills return to their former shape. They're also washing-machine proof, though putting them in the hot dryer is probably not a good idea.
© Discovery News
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19 Nov 2011

iPhone 4S to sell for Rs 44,500 in India

 Apple's  iphone 4S
Apple iPhone 4S prices are out: Airtel will be selling the iPhone 4S base model (16 GB) at Rs 44,500 whereas the top-end 64 GB model will cost Rs 57,500. The 32 GB model will be sold for Rs 50,900.
Apple will be launching the three models of iPhone 4S in India on November 25. The prices of existing models of iPhone 4 and 3GS too have been revised upwards.
When contacted, an Apple spokesperson refused to comment upon the pricing.

The handsets to be sold in India are, however, the fully unlocked ones. Besides, Indian operators like Airtel and Aircel are not subsidizing the handset cost through bundled offers unlike in countries where iPhone is available with much cheaper price tags.
The new, revised price for iPhone 4 (8GB) is Rs 37,900 whereas iPhone 3GS (8GB) model will be sold at Rs 20,900.
Bharti Airtel has already started taking pre-orders for the 16 and 32 GB variants of the iPhone 4S on its online store at the above mentioned prices.
Apple iPhone 4S will be launched on November 25 in India. At midnight on November 24, 2011 (12am, Nov 25), select stores in major cities will reportedly be opened to sell the first units of the iPhone 4S to waiting customers.

Anticipating a rush, both Aircel and Airtel had earlier announced they will be offering a pre-order on their website from November 18. However, Aircel is yet to start taking pre-orders.

Apple started selling iPhone 4S in US on October 14. While the phone looks similar to iPhone 4 in design and screen size (3.5 inches), the hardware inside has seen a significant upgrade.
iPhone 4S is powered by a dual-core processor, has a superior graphics chip and sports an 8 mega-pixel camera. It also has a unique feature called Siri, a voice-enabled virtual assistant, which allows users to carry out a number of functions.
Source: TOI
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Motorola's Next Phone Will Be Made by the Wind

Motorola wants a little wind beneath its wings. 
The American telecommunications giant, along with over a dozen other companies including Bloomberg, the World Wildlife Fund and LEGO, has teamed up with Belgian non-profit WindMade and pledged to procure at least 25 percent of its power from wind energy.

"It is Motorola Mobility's intent through our participation in the WindMade initiative to encourage greater use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar around the globe,” said Bill Olson, director for the office of sustainability and stewardship at Motorola Mobility.

The nonprofit consortium on Friday, Nov.18, released its new label -- something Motorola and pals should be proud to display on their products. The group wants consumers to consider it certified proof that a percentage of the energy behind the production of a product came from wind power.

“What's unique about WindMade is it's the first time that you have a truly global standard that is accepted across the landscape for how corporations should procure clean energy,” said Bragi Fjalldal, director of emerging segments, global marketing, and customer insight for WindMade.

“It’s also unique in that it’s the first label that really kind of focuses on being intuitive," he told FoxNews.com. "You can apply it to corporations as a whole; you can apply it to parts of your operation," he said. "And next

year, when we launch the final version of the label, it will also include products.”
A wind-built Motorola RAZR may be in the wings, in other words.
The rules are strict, Fjalldal told FoxNews.com, and companies have to show detailed proof that they are procuring their power from wind. There is also a competitive aspect, to encourage companies to go above and beyond.

“When you use the label, you need to expose exactly what the percentage is,” Fjalldal told FoxNews.com.
“If you, for example, have procured fifty percent wind energy, the fifty percent would be in the label. We believe that creates an incentive among companies of the same industry to try to beat each other and be the one that does the most. Several of the companies that are committing now are planning to do 100 percent.”

And it’s not just the companies that want to do more. In preparation for the label’s launch, Vestas Wind Systems, a major wind turbine manufacturer as well as the lead sponsor for the WindMade initiative, conducted a global consumer wind survey of 31,000 consumers worldwide to gauge public interest in the utilization of wind energy.

The results were overwhelmingly positive -- 90 percent of those surveyed wanted more renewable energy.
“Consumers are ready to act. Sixty-seven percent of 31,000 consumers globally have told us they would favor WindMade products, even at a premium,” said Morten Albæk, a vice president at Vestas. “WindMade empowers people to choose brands that choose wind.”

While Fjalldal says it’s too early to tell how much power consumption will be saved by the endeavor, he estimates the results will have a huge quantitative impact that will forever grow.

“If you take the average of the big companies, the amount of certified wind energy is in the hundreds of thousands of megawatt hours,” Fjalldal said. “We’re talking tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of households worth of annual power usage just in the companies we’re signing up today.

“And this is only the start,” Fjalldal added. “Really the ambition level for WindMade is not to have 50 or 60 companies. This is going to move into the hundreds and the thousands."
| FoxNews.com
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How toTurn Your HDTV into a Video Phone


Biscotti TV Phone: $199
Today, a high-def video phone named after an Italian pastry -- in this case, Biscotti -- is being released to the public. The bad news is that you may have to dust, vacuum and/or wear pants the next time you make a video call. The good news is that you'll be able to video chat with folks freely -- both in the sense of not paying monthly fees and also not encroaching on each other's personal space.
Between Skype, ooVoo, Google and Apple, video calling seems pretty popular. But according to an October 2010 study, Pew Research found that only 19 percent of folks have made a video call. Texas-based Biscotti hopes to increase that figure by making it very easy. With their FCC-approved device, you only need Wi-Fi and an HDMI-enabled TV -- no computer, phone line, cable box or additional set-top device. It'll work with uplink speeds as slow as 256 Kbps and can deliver high-definition starting at 1 Mbps.
Its simple six-button remote takes you through on-screen menus as you watch TV, without interrupting or having to switch inputs. You don't have to worry about boot time, because Biscotti can automatically answer calls from select contacts and even turn on the TV when you receive a call. Although the quality is said to be best between Biscotti users, it's interoperable with any computer, tablet or smart phone running Google's Talk software or Video and voice plug-in. So, like the famous cookie, this Biscotti idea seems fully baked.
Credit: Biscotti
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18 Nov 2011

Packard Bell unveils slimmed down PB oneTwo all-in-one PC

PB oneTwo M
Packard Bell has announced two new slimmed-down revamps in the shape of the 21.5-inch PB oneTwo M and the 23-inch PB oneTwo L. They represent the slimmest ever all-in-one that Packard Bell has so far produced with dimensions of 21.6 x 19.5 x 5-inches (549 x 496 x 129 mm) and 20.4 x 18.7 x 4.72-inch (520 x 476 x 120 mm dimensions).
Both of the new all-in-ones have touch-enabled displays , but whether such functionality is important to you is very much down to personal usage patterns. In the end, though, it's probably better to have it available than not.
Both appears  identical - with Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor options, integrated Intel HD 2000/3000 graphics with a choice of either NVIDIA GeForce GT530/GT520 or AMD Radeon HD6450 dedicated GPUs, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM and up to 2TB of HDD storage. The full 1080p resolution visuals are supplemented by 5.1 surround sound, Creative THX TruStudio audio through a pair of 2.5W stereo speakers.

There are two USB 3.0 ports, four slower USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI input and a 5-in-1 media card reader. Gigabit Ethernet is offered as standard but, rather bizarrely, both Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi are listed as optional. A DVD Multi optical drive also comes as standard, but users can opt for Blu-ray as an added extra. Also optional is a useful DVBT TV tuner.
PB oneTwo L
The PB oneTwo's run on Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), and benefit from a number of onscreen creativity and productivity widgets - such as social networking portals, photo sharing apps, and onscreen memos, which can be hand-written if desired. A full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 has also been thrown in for good measure.
The PB oneTwo M is priced at GBP599 (US$950), while the PB oneTwo will cost GBP699 (US$1,108).
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World's 'lightest material' unveiled by US engineers



The metallic micro-lattice on a dandelion head Engineers say the material is less dense than aerogels and metallic foams
Engineers say the material is less dense than aerogels and metallic foams
A team of engineers claims to have created the world's lightest material.
The substance is made out of tiny hollow metallic tubes arranged into a micro-lattice - a criss-crossing diagonal pattern with small open spaces between the tubes.

The researchers say the material is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and has "extraordinarily high energy absorption" properties.
Potential uses include next-generation batteries and shock absorbers.
The research was carried out at the University of California, Irvine and HRL Laboratories and is published in the latest edition of Science.
"The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," said lead author Dr Tobias Schaedler.

The resulting material has a density of 0.9 milligrams per cubic centimetre.
By comparison the density of silica aerogels - the world's lightest solid materials - is only as low as 1.0mg per cubic cm. The metallic micro-lattices have the edge because they consist of 99.99% air and of 0.01% solids.

The engineers say the material's strength derives from the ordered nature of its lattice design.
By contrast, other ultralight substances, including aerogels and metallic foams, have random cellular structures. This means they are less stiff, strong, energy absorptive or conductive than the bulk of the raw materials that they are made out of.

William Carter, manager of architected materials at HRL, compared the new material to larger low-density structures.
"Modern buildings, exemplified by the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge are incredibly light and weight-efficient by virtue of their architecture," he said.
"We are revolutionising lightweight materials by bringing this concept to the nano and micro scales."
To study the strength of the metallic micro-lattices the team compressed them until they were half as thick.

After removing the load the substance recovered 98% of its original height and resumed its original shape.
The first time the stress test was carried out and repeated the material became less stiff and strong, but the team says that further compressions made very little difference.
"Materials actually get stronger as the dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale," said team member Lorenzo Valdevit.
"Combine this with the possibility of tailoring the architecture of the micro-lattice and you have a unique cellular material."
The engineers suggest practical uses for the substance include thermal insulation, battery electrodes and products that need to dampen sound, vibration and shock energy.
BBC NEWS
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17 Nov 2011

Google to Unveil Online Music Store

The Google Music store will compete with Apple's iTunes and other digital music services from the likes of Amazon and Spotify.
Google Inc is expected to unveil on Wednesday an online music download store featuring songs from three major music companies, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group and EMI Music are expected to have deals with Google in place in time for a Wednesday afternoon announcement in Los Angeles, the Journal reported.
The Google Music store will compete with Apple Inc's dominant iTunes and other digital music services.
Google's store will sell songs for around $1 apiece, the Journal reported. The store also is expected to allow users who buy songs to share one or two free listens with contacts on the Google+ social networking service, the newspaper reported.
A Wednesday evening event tied to the announcement will feature pop group Maroon 5 and R&B singer Drake, among others.
Representatives for Google, Sony and Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An EMI spokesman declined to comment.
| Reuters
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15 Nov 2011

Fujitsu announces global availability of PRIMEHPC FX10 Supercomputer

PRIMEHPC FX10 supercomputer
Fujitsu has announced worldwide availability for its new PRIMEHPC FX10 supercomputer, which can be scaled up to a 1,024 rack configuration for 23.2 petaflops of theoretical processing power
It's only been just a few short years since the Roadrunner supercomputer broke the petaflop processing performance barrier - that's a quadrillion floating-point operations per second. Shorter still since Fujitsu 's K computer secured the world's top ranking with an incredible performance of 8.162 petaflops. Now, the company has announced global availability for its PRIMEHPC FX10 supercomputer, which can be scaled up to a 1,024 rack configuration for 23.2 petaflops of theoretical processing power.
Petascale computing systems consist of thousands of computing nodes connected via high speed interconnect. Fujitsu's newest system will be made up of 98,304 nodes running on the new SPARC64 IXfx 1.848GHz processor, and will contain 6 petabytes (6,291TB) of high bandwidth memory at its largest potential configuration. Each processor has 16 cores and is capable of standalone performance levels of 236.5 gigaflops, and performance per watt of over 2 gigaflops.
The PRIMEHPC FX10 uses the Tofu interconnect (which stands for Torus Fusion and not the popular bean curd made from soya) - a highly-flexible 6-dimensional Mesh/Torus architecture that has 10 links at each node and is capable of low latency 5GBps bandwidth performance in both directions.
PRIMEHPC FX10 supercomputer-ii
Fujitsu says that the new supercomputer includes the same built-in RAS functions found in mainframes for proven reliability, and benefits from direct water-cooling of components such as processors (although there is also an optional exhaust cooling unit), which reduces overall cooling costs in the equipment room. The company also says that in order to ensure high levels of reliability and operability, all of the components - from processors to original HPC middleware - have been developed in-house.
On the software side, the FX10 operates on a Linux OS with a Technical Computing Suite made up of a high-performance distributed file system called FEFS (capable of sharing across 100,000 nodes) and Fujitsu's own VISIMPACT technology. The latter is said to make automatic implementation of a hybrid parallel programming model a relatively simple affair, enhancing scalability by combining threads - where a process is broken down into multiple threads - with Message Passing Interface (MPI) - which divides a program into multiple processes.
The end user accesses the system via a web-browser-based HPC Portal - to edit files, compile or submit/monitor/kill jobs - while an Operation Management Portal allows admins to monitor and operate the system.
Fujitsu plans to shift at least 50 PRIMEHPC FX10's over the nest three years and sees the system being useful for demanding computer simulation applications like the development of new drugs, disaster prevention and mitigation, advanced product and material development, and the development of new sources of energy. Shipping is set to start in January 2012.
Via GIZMAG
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11 Nov 2011

Nvidia Unveils Tegra 3, World’s First Quad-Core Mobile Processor

Nvidia has unveiled its long-anticipated Tegra 3 processor, the world’s first quad-core chip designed specifically for mobile devices.
The Tegra 3 is the world’s first quad-core ARM A9-based processor, and features a 12-core GeForce graphics unit. Nvidia says the Tegra 3 offers three times the performance of its previous dual-core Tegra generation, and boasts improved multitasking, better web browsing, and smoother app performance.
The new chip will make its first appearance in the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime — basically a higher-end version of Asus’ Eee Pad Transformer tablet, but with better cameras (8 megapixels for the back, 1.2 megapixels for the front), much more storage care of 32GB and 64GB versions, and, of course, the brawnier Tegra 3 chip.
Naturally, with such a boost in power, our thoughts turn to battery life. After all, what good is a beefier processor if you have to plug your tablet in for recharging every few hours?
Well, Nvidia and Asus promise the Tegra 3 won’t suck down power as quickly as you think. In fact, Asus says we’ll be able to watch up to 12 hours of HD video with the Prime running on the Tegra 3.
So how do they do it? It’s all about Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing, or vSMP for short. Essentially, tucked inside the Tegra 3 is a fifth “companion” processor that’s designed to kick in during times of low processing loads. The four main processors are only used when peak performance is required, such as when you’re playing games, multitasking or actively browsing through Internet pages. But when you’re simply reading a static web page, or when your tablet is otherwise sitting idle, the Tegra 3’s four primary processing cores shut off completely so your battery life won’t be sapped.
Tegra 3 Quad-Core Mobile Processor
As we just shared in our coverage of leaked details concerning the HTC Edge, processor companies like Nvidia, Intel and AMD have long leveraged multi-core designs to mitigate diminishing gains in pure clock speed. So, for example, while it may be imprudent or technically infeasible to clock a mobile phone processor at, say, 2GHz for a variety of reasons, a company can roll out a multi-core chip at a much lower clock speed and still deliver faster performance (if not also improved power management, as vSMP shows us).
Mobile operating systems and apps should be coded for multiple cores to take maximum advantage of workload distribution, but once they are, they really begin to sing.
Previously referred to as code-name “Kal-El,” Rumors had pegged Amazon’s Kindle Fire to be the first to run on the Tegra 3. But, no, now we know this isn’t true.
By the end of the year, there should be about 40 games specifically tailored to leverage the Tegra 3’s processing power, with 15 available in Tegra Zone (Nvidia’s Android app that highlights Tegra-optimized applications).
Asus says the Prime is targeted at the premium end of the tablet market, with the 32GB version starting at $500, and an optional keyboard dock costing another $150. Although we haven’t yet been given a specific release date, expect to see the Transformer Prime in stores some time around the New Year.
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Special Gadgets/Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera

Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera: $20,000
Slated for a January release, they hope the C300 will be met with the same enthusiasm by professional movie makers as the original Flip handheld was by consumers. The Flip Mino came to market with a blend of quality, portability, usability and price that went on to define the handheld HD camcorder category. 
Canon U.S.A. executive Larry Thorpe told DP Review that with this first entry in Canon's 'C' system interchangeable lens video cameras, they are "going to enter the motion picture industry with a very sharp focus on movie making, on television production [and] on commercial production."

It features a single Super 35mm-equivalent CMOS sensor able to deliver full bandwidth individual red, green and blue video components without the need for any debayering algorithms. Canon will produce two different (but otherwise equivalently configured and priced) models, one with the industry-standard PL lens mount and the other utilizing an EF lens mount -- making the C300 compatible with Canon's dozens of existing lenses, along with some impressive-looking new ones. While it can take stills -- and record them to an SDHC card -- it's clearly made for video.
To accommodate different shooting styles, the viewfinder tilts up to 60 degrees, the 4-inch LCD monitor/control panel rotates 270 degrees, it's got Start/Stop buttons in four different locations and large dials are positioned in two places to allow operation from the side. It features a removable handgrip that's completely rotatable in 15-degree increments. And an onboard waveform monitor and vectorscope eliminates the need for external exposure and color analyzers.
For twenty grand -- considered a decent price for what it does -- the package includes the EOS C300 body (roughly 3 pounds and 5 inches by 7 inches by 7 inches), the monitor unit, viewfinder, eye cup, handle, thumb rest, XF Utilities, shoulder strap, WFT attachment, tripod base, battery pack, battery charger, AC cable, power adapter and DC cable. Canon is encouraging parties interested in purchasing or renting it to fill out an online form.
Via: Discovery News/Credit: Canon U.S.A.
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9 Nov 2011

Golden Android Watch Coming in Early 2012

android based smart i'm Watch
 So what's so interesting about a gold watch? Not much, unless it also happens to be "the world's first real smart watch." That's how Italian company Blue Sky describes their entire line -- including the non-precious metal models in the $400 ballpark -- of 'futuristic' wristwatches.
From a technical standpoint, it seems like futuristic devices should at least do stuff past devices haven't already done, right? Well, connecting to a phone by Bluetooth is cool, but the joint Sony/Fossil MBW-100 watch was doing it five years ago. It's not even the first watch to connect to smart phones and run its own apps, as Allerta's inPulse watch has been doing that for years. They also claim to be "introducing the first ever capacitive touch display on curved surface." But Google and Samsung already introduced that feature in the Nexus S phone in 2010. Maybe they meant the first capacitive touch screen that's convex, not concave?

Alright, admittedly it's cool that the i'm Watch line will run Android -- even if it's a customization of the oldest version of Android in existence. Although, the high-resolution sapphire glass screen does look like a neat way to multitask between viewing contacts, images and incoming calls; listening to music; checking weather and appointments; and getting a variety of messaging and social notifications. It's pretty cool that it'll have a 3.5mm headphone, connection and power minijack, a microphone and a built-in speaker. And its rechargeable battery seems decent, offering up to a day of standby with Bluetooth enabled and up to 3 hours of talk on its speaker.
Blue Sky isn't at a loss for boastful claims or design cliches. But we'll see in January if developers and consumers have embraced their smart watch concept. In the meantime, they're currently taking 50 percent deposits on all pre-orders.
Credit: Discovery News
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8 Nov 2011

HP introduces multitouch Slate 2 tablet PC for business

HP announced the release of its HP Slate 2 tablet PC today. The offering throws the company's hat into the arena of the white hot tablet market while filling a niche need for its business-oriented customers.
HP Slate 2 tablet PC
The Slate 2 is a light-weight (1.5 pounds/680 grams) tablet which takes aim at the education, healthcare, government, and retail markets. The trait shared by all of these occupations is the need for a certain level of mobility, and being tied to a desk to use a computer or a POS (point of sale) system certainly hinders even the most able professional.
Featuring an 8.9-inch diagonal capacitive multitouch display that works with both touch and pen or stylus input, the Slate 2 is equipped with an Intel Z670 processor with mSATA SSM technology. This delivers fast boot times and a battery life rated at approximately six hours. The tablet also uses Swype keyboard technology, and offers 2GB of RAM and up to a 64GB SSD (solid state drive). The Slate 2 will also come with Windows 7 Professional pre-installed. Not to be overlooked, a 3MP outward-facing camera as well as an integrated VGA webcam allow for sharing of photos, videos, and even some conferencing ability.
HP Slate 2 tablet PC-2
Designed to be secure as well as functional, the Slate 2 offers a variety of security measures to keep the data of your business, clients, or patients from prying eyes. For starters, a TPM Embedded Security Chip protects your data by locking down anything from email to spreadsheets. The TPM chip is bound to a single platform and works independently of all other components on the platform, such as the processor, memory, and operating system. The system also has the ability to allow its users to delete all data remotely, which could prove useful for stolen or misplaced tablets. Add to this the HP Connection Manager, which monitors and controls all incoming and outgoing connections (Bluetooth, 3G internet, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet), and you've got the makings of a secure tablet.
As far as connectivity goes, the Slate 2 has one USB 2.0 slot as well as the standard stereo headphone/mic jack and an integrated microphone, as well as the power connector on the bottom which doubles as an output device for the Slate Cradle connector. The connector allows the Slate 2 to utilize additional accessories and business solutions, such as the HP Retail Mobile Point of Sale case which has a magnetic stripe reader for scanning credit cards and a barcode scanner that allows for easy inventory control.
The Slate 2 starts at USD $699 for the 32GB model, or USD $799 for the 64GB edition. The specs - other than the hard drive - are identical on both units.
Via GIZMAG
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6 Nov 2011

HTC Rezound announced

HTC Rezound
HTC and Verizon Wireless have announced a new Beats Audio-integrated Android 2.3.4-based smartphone, the HTC Rezound. The new Verizon-exclusive droid supports the LTE network and will be HTC's first Beats Audio-improved offering in the U.S. market. It's also the company's first smartphone to incorporate a 1280 x 720 (720p) resolution screen.
The Rezound is quite a highly spec'd smartphone and may be a tough rival for the likes of the Motorola RAZR or Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Utilizing 720p resolution in its Super LCD display results in an impressive pixel density of 342 ppi (pixels per inch). For comparison, Samsung's Galaxy SII has a pixel density of around 218, while the iPhone 4's display is 326 ppi.
The new arrival will be sold with lightweight Beats headphones with built-in microphone and on-cable remote.
The Rezound offers an 8-megapixel camera located at the back equipped with autofocus, dual LED flash and an f/2.2 28mm wide-angle lens. A BSI sensor for improving low light performance is also present. The front facing camera comes with 2-megapixel resolution.
Processing is provided by a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8660 CPU and 1GB of RAM. There's 16GB of built-in memory for user files and an additional 16GB via the bundled micro SD card. Connectivity options include GPS/a-GPS, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, micro USB, or audio jack. The Rezound works in hotspot mode, allowing it to share an internet connection with up to ten devices over WiFi.
Running the latest HTC Sense 3.5 UI, the Rezound initially will be Android 2.3.4-based, although Verizon Wireless ensures that an Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) update is on the way and will be available by early 2012.
Purchasing the HTC Rezound will be possible via Verizon Wireless contracts only by November 14, at a price of US$299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. No word on availability in other countries at this point.
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5 Nov 2011

Amazon introduces lending library for Kindles


NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that it is starting a lending library for Kindle owners, letting them borrow one electronic book per month.
Borrowers have to subscribe to Amazon's Prime service, which provides free two-day shipping and streaming movies for $79 per year.
Amazon says the library has more than 5,000 books, including current bestsellers such as Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" trilogy.
The six biggest publishers — Random House, HarperColllins, Penguin, MacMillan, Simon & Schuster and Hachette — aren't participating. The "Big Six" have fought with Amazon over whether the publisher or Amazon gets to set the retail price of books.
Amazon says it's paying the participating publishers for the right to lend books, usually for a fixed fee. In some cases, it's paying the wholesale price every time a book is checked out.
The books can't be read on phones, PCs or tablet computers, even though there are Kindle apps for these devices. That restriction is reminiscent of Amazon's strategy of a few years ago, when the company restricted purchased books to being read on Kindles to drive sales of the e-reader devices.
"With this launch, we expect three immediate results: Kindle owners will read even more, publisher revenues will grow, and authors will see larger royalty checks," Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle content, said in a statement.
Kindle users recently got access to electronic books from public libraries as well. Those can be read in the Kindle apps.
AP
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4 Nov 2011

Nook Tablet To Debut On November 16?

Nook Tablet by Barnes & Noble
Amazon’s Kindle Fire turned its fair share of heads this past September, but rival Barnes and Noble wasn’t just sitting around twiddling their thumbs with the Fire grabbed headlines. Barnes and Noble has already tested the tablet/reader concept with the Nook Color, and now Engadget reports that the company is ready for round 2 with the new Nook Tablet.
At first glance, the Nook Tablet looks just about identical to the original Nook Color — hopefully the resemblance is close enough that older model accessories will be able to see continued use. The screen still comes in at 7 inches, but the BN swapped the original display for an improved VividView IPS touch panel.
Under the hood lies a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a WiFi radio. Oh, and it supports enough file formats to make you go cross-eyed. It’s undoubtedly a solid package, and it’s coming down the pipeline fast: it’s slated debut on November 16, with a $249 price tag.
The Nook Tablet pits 1GB against the Kindle Fire’s 512. What’s more, the Nook Tablet takes microSD cards, so media hoarders will be able to lug entire seasons of Doctor Who around on a whim. B&N also appears to have quite the media environment built up for their new tablet: a closer look at the leaked imaged confirms support for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora right out of the gate.
Source: Engadget
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