| NAVI hack uses a Kinect to let the blind see, wear awesome headgear (video) Posted: 17 Mar 2011 11:07 AM PDT They're getting ever more practical, these Kinect hacks. Two days ago it was creating 3D models in free-space, today it's letting the blind see. Well, not really see, but better navigate through and stay informed about their environment, at least. A Kinect is attached to a helmet and connected to a backpack-mounted Dell laptop. Also connected to the laptop is an Ardunio-controlled belt that has three separate regions of vibration and a Bluetooth headset of the "obnoxious guy talking loudly to his stock broker on the train" variety. Finally, thanks to a little C#, the whole package allows someone to walk down a hall and receive verbal and tactile notifications of obstacles in their path. Wearers can also receive navigation to different areas and, thanks to ARToolKit identifiers stuck on the walls, even have signs read to them. It's called NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), created by Michael Zöllner and Stephan Huber at the University of Konstanz, and it's all demonstrated for you below. Dig that hat, man. Dig that hat. |
| Tesla Model S will support third-party apps and text-to-voice, red lights will never be the same Posted: 17 Mar 2011 10:24 AM PDT Now that pretty much every gizmo from your smartphone to TV has apps available for it, what's the next logical frontier? Of course, your car! Yesterday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Cleantech Forum attendees in San Francisco that the upcoming Model S would indeed come with support for third-party applications to run on that monster 17-inch infotainment console. We're happy to see the company encouraging developers to put that Tegra chip to good use, though we can't help but worry about the myriad distractions that could come along with it. Of course, we're still in the dark about what OS is powering the whole shebang, but we're sure there will be a port of Angry Birds before you can come to a complete stop. |
| Nokia talking homegrown 'Harmattan' release of MeeGo at May conference, but it's nothing new Posted: 17 Mar 2011 09:59 AM PDT  Some noise has been made today over the news that Nokia is going to be chatting up its Harmattan platform at May's MeeGo conference in San Francisco, suggesting that Nokia will be releasing Harmattan devices as a precursor to its MeeGo offerings -- some sort of postmortem Maemo 6 sendoff before Espoo starts to take MeeGo seriously. In reality, there's nothing new here: it's been known for the past year that Harmattan was happening -- and it's looking more than ever like it's Nokia's full-on MeeGo play, having pulled the code over from the work it had already done on Maemo 6. The abstract for the Harmattan session at the conference says that Nokia will "clarify" the relationship between the project and MeeGo proper, but at no point has Nokia skirted around the fact that Harmattan was still in the works -- and with the company's commitment to MeeGo beyond its 2011 product line a big question mark right now, we wouldn't be surprised if Harmattan was as far into the MeeGo ecosystem as Nokia ever got. |
| Samsung shows off 55-inch glasses-free 3D TV prototype Posted: 17 Mar 2011 09:28 AM PDT Samsung hasn't exactly been as big on glasses-free 3D TVs as some other manufacturers in recent years, but it's now showing one off at the FPD China trade show -- or a prototype of one, anyway. According to Tech-On!, the 55-inch display is able to accomodate nine different viewpoints for glass-free 3D viewing, and it can be switched into a 2D mode at any time, which works by changing the optical refraction index of an LCD panel that sits on top of the main LCD that's actually used to display images. Right now, the prototype is also relying on a direct-lit CCFL backlight, although Samsung notes that would likely be replaced with an LED backlight before it actually hits the market -- something that's still a good three years away. |
| BMW's all-electric i3 city car gets captured on video Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:57 AM PDT Been wondering when BMW's all-electric i3 city car would turn up on video ever since its bigger, sportier counterpart did its thing last week? Well, here's your answer. The folks from GMotors recently managed to catch the pint-sized car doing a bit of drifting at the same cold weather test location in Sweden that the i8 was spotted at, and it certainly looks like the 150 horsepower vehicle could be a fun little car to drive. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you'll be able to take one for a spin yourself anytime soon, as it's not expected to go on sale until 2013 (at a cost of around $40,000). Head on past the break for the video.
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| Western Digital's new My Book Studio Edition II has 6TB on offer, but no Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:32 AM PDT If you want a lot of the GBs in not a lot of space, 3TB per disk is about as good as you're going to get. Western Digital has slapped two of its triple-terabyte monsters into a dual-disk enclosure and paired it with eSATA and FireWire 800 interfaces to create the My Book Studio Edition II. There's a good 'ol USB 2.0 hole in there as well, but no USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt for those getting hip with the new connections. Time Machine support is baked in as well as your choice of RAID configurations, all at a cost of $549.99. That's a good bit more than you'd spend if you bought a pair of disks and an empty enclosure, but such is the price of convenience. Show full PR text WD Introduces 6 TB External Hard Drive to Support Increased HD Content Creation by Creative Pros and Mac® Enthusiasts
New My Book® Studio Edition™ II Offers FireWire® Performance and Huge Storage Capacity for Today's HD Content Productions
IRVINE, Calif., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its My Book® Studio Edition™ II dual-drive storage system with a massive 6 terabytes (TB) of storage to meet the capacity needs of today's creative pros and Mac® enthusiasts who create, store, edit and archive large HD video and photo files. The new capacity provides users 33 percent more storage than the previous capacity, while maintaining the same footprint.
Combining its extended 6 TB storage capacity and compatibility with Apple® Time Machine®, the new My Book Studio Edition II drive becomes an instant storage solution for a variety of professions including art and design, photography, legal and medical, and a host of other small businesses.
The system offers a quad interface providing maximum performance and flexibility including eSATA and FireWire® 800 when maximum performance is essential, and FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 when system flexibility is most important.
"Thanks to advancements in HD video devices including digital SLR cameras and HD video cameras, the quality and quantity of video content being produced by professionals and enthusiasts alike has grown at an astounding pace," said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products group. "The My Book Studio Edition II drive now available with 6 TB of storage provides creative individuals with the expanded storage and bandwidth they need to effectively shoot, edit, and safely store their video productions without the need to compress their videos or reduce the overall quality of them for the sake of available space."
Extra-fast Performance and RAID Supported Configurations
Fast eSATA or FireWire 800 interfaces, combined with RAID-supported configurations, will yield the speed and responsiveness users need for a variety of tasks including fast, smooth video editing; rendering complex 3D objects or special effects, and saving/transferring enormous blocks of data in a fraction of the time it once took.
Formatted for Mac computers(1), these new storage systems feature:
Massive 6 TB capacity;
Extra-fast performance with four interfaces (FireWire 800/400, eSATA, USB 2.0);
Cool, eco-friendly operation with WD's drives with WD GreenPower Technology that consume approximately one-third less power than standard dual-drive external storage systems and efficient convection cooling architecture and power-saving mode and designed without a fan to run quietly;
Automatic and continuous backup software;
User serviceability, enabling the user to open the enclosure and replace the drive inside;
Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on the system; and,
5-year limited warranty.
Pricing and Availability
My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive storage systems are available now at WD's online store (www.wdstore.com). MSRP for the My Book Studio Edition II 6 TB drive is $549.99 USD.
About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users' data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and home entertainment products.
WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.
Western Digital, WD, the WD logo and My Book are registered trademarks; My Book Studio and WD GreenPower Technology are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. All other brand and product names mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies. One gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. One terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.
(1) Requires reformatting for Windows® Vista® or Windows 7. Windows XP does not support drives with capacities greater than 2 TB. |
| Want to write for Engadget? We're hiring mobile, classic, European and reviews editors! Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:01 AM PDT  Oh sure, you love gadgets -- but do you have the chops to write about them? We'd love to know if you think you do, because we're looking to actually pay humans to do this stuff. Professional writing experience isn't necessary (though it doesn't hurt), but what we really care about is that you can write skillfully about gadgets with wit, concision, and authority. And being obsessed with Engadget is good, too. So here's what we're after: - Senior mobile editor - Full-time (salary or freelance), must be based in New York City (or nearby).
- HD / classic editor - Part or full-time (freelance), must be based in New York City (or nearby).
- Reviews editor (laptops, mobiles, etc.) - Full-time (freelance), must be based in New York City or the San Francisco area.
- European editor - Full-time, preferably based in London (or nearby).
Want to apply? Read on. Here's what you to do to apply (and just a heads up, if you don't follow the rules, you really hurt your chances):
Writing - Three sample posts written in the Engadget style.
- "The Engadget style" doesn't mean a generic-sounding blog voice -- think about how your own writing style and voice can shine through while still fitting Engadget.
- These sample posts can be about whatever you want, but they should seem like they could have been written by one of our writers (but without all the typos and gross inaccuracies). Avoid making up products or stories -- keeping it real helps us see how you might handle an actual news item.
- Make sure these are germane to the site you want to write for.
- We won't be using these on the site, we just want to get a sense of how well you can do this stuff.
- For the Reviews editor, please write three news samples, and if you have any review samples, toss one or two of those in as well.
- Your favorite related gadgets (and why).
- If you're applying for Engadget classic (including the Euro spot), list your fave gadgets of all time.
- For Engadget Mobile, only list your three favorite cellphones or mobile technologies.
- For Engadget HD, tell us about your home theater setup, or list your top HD products.
- For reviews editor, tell us about your favorite camera, laptop, smartphone or robot.
- Give us a few words about how you think Engadget differs from other technology pubs out there.
- For Mobile and HD, your sample posts should be exclusively on mobile or HD topics -- and don't be afraid to get technical. We want to see some expertise! Since our HD hire will also be assigned 'classic' Engadget posts, please mix at least one 'classic' post into your application samples.
- For the reviews editor position, you should be a familiar with writing long-form, in-depth content and with handling benchmarks.
- For the European position, it's best if you're based in London. You'll be handling a full day's work, primarily on Engadget Classic. If you can't commit your entire days to this, it's probably not for you.
About You - A few words about yourself. (Please note, due to legalities we can't hire minors.)
- Your contact info.
- How much time per week you can commit to blogging. If it's less than twenty then you probably shouldn't bother, and keep in mind we're looking for folks to be on as much as humanly possible. But be realistic, okay?
- Any foreign languages you speak. Those fluent in German, Japanese, Korean and / or Chinese will be looked fondly upon.
- Any experience you have with CSS / HTML / PHP coding, or otherwise monkeying with code in a content management system (don't freak out if you have none of this).
- Any other questions you may have about the gig.
What not to do (and what to do) - Don't just send us stuff you wrote elsewhere, we're not asking for clips -- we want three new samples. However, if you're an established writer, please do forward examples of your best work.
- If you're an established writer, you can attach a resume (either in the body of the email itself or as an attachment is fine) as well as a cover letter with links to your previous work.
- If you have any questions, email darrenATengadgetDOTcom directly.
Note that we will only review fully complete applications, and remember to put the name of the position you're applying for in the title of your email. We also apologize, but the sheer volume of applications makes it difficult to respond to everyone. If we're interested we'll get in touch, and thanks in advance! To apply to Engadget, please send us an email at jobsATengadgetDOTcom with the phrase " Mobile 2011 jobs," " HD / Classic 2011 jobs," " European 2011 jobs," or " Reviews Editor 2011" (no quotes) in the subject, depending on what you're applying for! |
| Dell Vostro 3000 updated with Sandy Bridge processors, affordable prices go untouched Posted: 17 Mar 2011 08:00 AM PDT  Not another business laptop updated with Sandy Bridge processors! We know, it's getting a bit repetitive at this point, but what if we told you this group blends together some awesome features and won't cost you more than $600? You'd be willing to hear more, right? Well, Dell's indeed refreshing its 13-, 14-, 15-, and 17.3-inch Vostro 3000 series laptops with those fresh Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, but it's leaving intact everything we loved about the series the first time around -- including, its aluminum build, backlit keyboard, and matte displays. On top of that it's also adding SRS Pro sound, HD webcams, and a new chiclet keyboard, which is a lot like the one we like so much on the Inspiron 14R and M101z. See we told you the features were worth hearing about. Internally, all four systems will be available with a selection of Sandy Bridge processors (with the 17.3-inch version getting some quad-core options), a variety of hard drive and SSD options, six- and nine cell batteries, and up to 8GB of RAM. We don't have the exact configuration pricing, but according to the press release below the 13-inch 3350 will start at $599, 14-inch 3450 and 15-inch 3550 at $499, and lastly the 17-inch 3750 at $549. See, mighty tempting prices -- especially after you take a look at the hands-on pictures below.  Show full PR text Small Businesses Collaborate In Style with New Vostro 3000 Series
Durable, feature-packed laptops deliver premium design and more than 12 hours of battery lifei option on select models
First small-business laptops to feature SRS Premium Voice Pro for the ultimate in virtual collaboration
ROUND ROCK, Texas, March 17, 2011 – Knowing today's growing businesses require real-time information exchange and connectivity without compromise, Dell today unveiled its Vostro 3000 series laptops with 12 hours of battery lifei on select models and cutting-edge virtual collaboration solutions.
Available in 13-, 14-, 15- and 17-inch forms and styled with image-conscious entrepreneurs and mobile professionals in mind, the Dell Vostro 3000 Series packs the latest Intel® 2nd generation Core™ I Series processors into a sleek design without compromising battery life. For those that demand the ultimate in collaboration, the Vostro 3000 is the first small-business laptop to feature voice enhancing technology SRS Premium Voice Pro software. A full HD webcam offered with the 14-, 15- and 17-inch laptops enables lifelike interactions with coworkers and customers, while a digital array mic helps reduce ambient noise, giving small businesses a superb virtual collaboration solution that's fast and clear.
"Whether you are pitching, analyzing, partnering or managing, the new Vostro 3000 series is designed to keep you collaborating with colleagues, partners and clients," said Sam Burd, vice president Dell's Consumer & SMB Product Group. "With the latest Vostro collaboration enhancements, entrepreneurs have a sleek, capable technology tool that helps them impress no matter the size of their business or technology budget."
The new Vostro 3000 laptops offer the following:
Stylish and durable: A chiclet keyboard, durable aluminum finish and choice of three premium colors – Aberdeen Silver, Lucerne Red and Brisbane Bronze
Enhanced collaboration: Pre-installed Skype and the ability to launch any VoIP or video conferencing application via one customizable dashboard button
Top-notch security options: Back up your business data 10 times faster with super speed USB 3.0, standard built-in finger-print reader and Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security
Increased productivity: Intel® 2nd generation Core™ I Series processors, switchable graphics, DDR3, USB 3.0, BT 3.0
ProSupport to Simplify IT: Businesses can choose their own level of 24x7 IT support with optional Dell ProSupportii services
"In this age of 24x7 communications, it is critical for small and mid-sized businesses to connect with their clients and employees regardless of location or time zone," said Sanjeev Aggarwal, Principal and Founder, SMB Group. "Small businesses are ready for the kinds of collaboration capabilities Dell is introducing in the Vostro 3000 series to get them to the next level of productivity."
Vostro 3000 Series - Pricing and Availability
The new Vostro 3000 series will be available in the U.S. on Dell.com on starting on March 22.
13-inch 3350 SAPP - $599
14-inch 3450 SAPP - $499
15-inch 3550 SAPP - $499
17-inch 3750 SAPP - $549
Prices, models and availability vary by geographic region. |
| Caribou Android app opens doors over the internet, needs neither permission nor keys (video) Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT Opening doors with wireless RFID cardkeys is old hat at this point, but opening those doors with a smartphone is rather more intriguing. Doing so without permission of the people who put the locks on the doors, well, that brings things up to a whole new level of awesomeness. That's what Caribou does, a little Android app that remotely connects to a server managing the locks at a supposedly secure location. The app then diddles the ports and security settings of that server until it finds the magic phrase and, in a couple of seconds, it's open sesame time. Doors are unlocked remotely and then, 30 seconds later, automatically locked again. How thoughtful. We first saw this demonstrated a few days ago but weren't entirely convinced of its legitimacy. But now, after exchanging a few e-mails with Michael Gough, who discovered the exploit, and Ian Robertson, who wrote the app, we're convinced. They're actually working with US-CERT on this issue so that appropriate measures will be taken but, in the short-term, if you have a system like this and it's sitting out there, IP open to the internet and being caressed by every passing breeze, you might want to think about pulling that in behind your firewall. Lots more info at both source links below, though you can see it working for yourself right here in a video after the break, running on an HTC Incredible. |
| LCD technology torn down and explained in the most lucid and accessible terms yet (video) Posted: 17 Mar 2011 07:12 AM PDT Look, we know you know all about LED backlights, light diffusion, subpixels, and the things that turn them on, but not everybody does. The humble LCD you're most likely reading this on still retains a level of mystery about the nitty gritty details of how it works for the vast majority of its users, so here's a terrific video breakdown of both its component parts and method of operation. Bill Hammack, a self-appointed Engineer Guy, takes us from the LED arrays that provide the light for most current LCDs, through all the filters and diffusers designed to make that light uniform, and into the ways thin film transistors make it possible for us to show moving color images of cats diving into boxes on such displays. It's exciting, deeply nerdy stuff, and it awaits your audience after the break.
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| Sir Tim Berners-Lee signs up to verily protect UK net neutrality Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:48 AM PDT Here in the US we're still looking for a knight in shining armor to protect our free and open internet, but in the UK they've found their guy. Now they just need some plate mail. It's Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the man who first proposed the World Wide Web to the World Wide World in 1989. He'll be working with the UK's Broadband Stakeholder Group to ensure that any traffic management policies that go into effect are done with transparency and within a set of defined best practices. That is to say: corporations will still have an opportunity to address threats to the overall health of their networks, but they'll need to do so in an open way. Communications Minister Ed Vaizey summarized it thusly: That agreement should be guided by three simple principles. The first is users should be able to access all legal content. Second, there should be no discrimination against content providers on the basis of commercial rivalry and finally traffic management policies should be clear and transparent. So, that's good news for those across the pond. Here in the US, well, we'll just keep braiding our hair and singing out the tower window as loudly as possible. Or maybe it's time to give Tim Wu a sword. [Photo credit: Paul Clarke] |
| Nokia C7 rumored for T-Mobile launch under Astound moniker, to cost $80 on April 6th Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:25 AM PDT If you've been listening to the Engadget Mobile podcast lately, you'll know that we don't much like this trend of using verbs as phone names, but T-Mobile clearly hasn't gotten the message, as one of its upcoming handsets is rumored to be called the Astound. What exactly this rebadged Nokia C7 is supposed to astound us with, we're not really sure. We've seen its Clear Black Display already, which is very nice, but we've also seen the dead OS walking that is its Symbian installation. Still, for $80 on contract, it doesn't necessarily have to compete with the crème de la Gingerbread to be an appealing option. Look out for it early next month, waving the Magenta flag with pride. |
| Dell Inspiron R refreshed with removable lids and Intel's latest processors Posted: 17 Mar 2011 06:00 AM PDT  We'll be honest, we've never been the biggest fans of Dell's colorful, patterned lids -- not because some of them are pretty ugly, but because once you choose one hue, you're stuck with it forever (or at least until you need a new laptop). Well, Dell's finally solved that piece of the puzzle with its new Inspiron R series -- the 14-, 15.6- and 17.3-inch laptops all have swappable lids. Yep, it's sort of like those interchangeable Swatch watch faces from the 90s -- you can snap off the standard black cover, buy a new one for $19 ($29 for the Design Studio patterns), and latch it right on. But that's not all Dell's changed with its mainstream laptops -- the rigs now have new chiclet keyboards, HD webcams, and a design that's similar to the new XPS line. For a budget system -- the 15R starts at $529.99 -- they actually feel pretty solid and the internal organs fit the same description. All three of the machines can be configured with brand new Sandy Bridge Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, Blu-ray drives, up to 8GB of RAM, six or nine-cell batteries, and USB 3.0 ports. Dell didn't forget about the graphics either -- the 14 will be available with AMD Radeon HD 6000M options, while the 15 and 17 grab a hold of NVIDIA's GeForce GT525. All three models should be up for order today on Dell's website with them heading to retailers later this spring. Hit the break for the full PR / specs and don't forget to check out the hands-on shots on your way. Update: We now have the correct spec sheet after the break!  Show full PR text Switch Into Spring With The New Inspiron R Series From Dell
New InspironTM R line expands Dell's leading-edge portfolio of products with 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM processors
Inspiron R is fun, stylish and fast featuring the latest technology, a superior entertainment experience, impressive battery life and a new interchangeable lid option
Just pop.click.switch: New SWITCH by Design Studio lids allow for a new look at any moment
ROUND ROCK, Texas, March 17, 2011 – The new Inspiron R series joins Dell's expansive collection of laptops and desktops equipped with the latest Intel processors and are fun, stylish and lightning quick. Available today at Dell.com, the new Inspiron R 14-, 15- and 17-inch laptops deliver incredible mobile entertainment, high-definition displays and outstanding battery life, but that's just the beginning.
The perfect combination of brains and beauty - the latest addition to the Inspiron family also introduces an innovative new design twist: new SWITCH by Design Studio interchangeable lids that switch the look of Inspiron R laptops with just a pop and a clicki. The SWITCH by Design Studio collection includes 25 new eye-popping lids sporting vibrant colors and unique designs. Start the day with a Peacock Blue lid, and switch it out for a design-inspired look at night.
But the Inspiron R shouldn't be judged by its cover(s) alone. Packing the latest 2nd generation Intel Core technology, the Inspiron R laptops benefit from sleek form factors, up to 13 hours of battery lifeii on the Inspiron 15R with the optional 9-cell battery and incorporate the latest USB 3.0 technology to make transferring photos, videos, music and other graphics-rich files faster than ever.
Performance? Check! What about the lids? Carefully selected from Dell Design Studio's curated collections, the contemporary art and graphic designs available from SWITCH by Design Studio offer exclusive selections from outstanding independent artists, designers and partners including OPI and Threadless and charitable partners, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and (PRODUCT)RED™, where a portion of proceeds benefit each organization, respectivelyiii. And new with SWITCH by Design Studio, available today, are four Eastern-inspired designs from the India collection.
"Our Inspiron R models equipped with 2nd gen Intel Core processors deliver the ultimate in entertainment and mobility and because customers value both performance and style, the eye-catching lids are designed to suit your mood or style at any given moment," said Sam Burd, vice president Dell's Consumer & SMB Product Group. "With the Inspiron-R series, we're living up to our heritage of delivering the performance you need to do more, and with SWITCH by Design Studio, you can look good while doing it," Burd added.
Inspiron R: The Dell Difference
With a range of entertainment, storage, productivity and show-stopping design options available on the Inspiron R, Dell makes it easy for people to go online and choose the perfect Inspiron R laptop with confidence, knowing it will be a smart investment that will deliver the ideal technology-by-design for them.
Inspiron R: Key Features
- 2nd generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor options and up to 8GB of memory iv
- Weight starting at 4.94 lbs for the Inspiron 14Rv
- 6-cell battery included with 9-cell battery optionsvi
- SRS Premium Audio and high-definition video performance
- Intel Wireless Display technology for wireless projection of full 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound to your home theater for a breath-taking movie-viewing experiencevii
- Support for Blu-ray 3D movie playback when equipped with the optional Blu-ray drive and connected to your 3D TV (HDMI 1.4 required)viii
- Integrated Dell Stage software, providing one-click access to photos, music, videos, social-networking sites, e-books and more
- HD capable webcam
- ChicletTM-style keyboardix
- Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium with option for Professional
- Optional SWITCH by Design Studio lids featuring the new India Collection and designs from OPI, Threadless.com, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, (PRODUCT)RED™ and various artists
Pricing and Availability
Inspiron R
The new Inspiron R models are available today in the U.S. on Dell.com and will be available through Dell's U.S. retail partners in the coming months.
Inspiron 14R (SWITCH by Design Studio model with black lid): Starts at $579.99
Inspiron 15R (SWITCH by Design Studio model with black lid): Starts at $529.99
Inspiron 17R (SWITCH by Design Studio model with black lid): Starts at $579.99
SWITCH by Design Studio lids: Start at $39.99x
Tweet This: Pop. Click. Switch. New Dell Inspiron R Series w/interchangeable lids lets you change your look at any moment. http://dell.to/gteGEk
Key Links:
Inspiron R and SWITCH by Design Studio Product Images
Read More at Direct2Dell
Inspiron R & SWITCH by Design Studio - Additional Product Information: http://dell.to/gteGEk
Dell Facebook: Join the Conversation
About Dell Design Studio:
Design Studio is an interactive gallery of original contemporary artwork commissioned exclusively for Dell.com that gives individuals more than 200 options to turn their laptop into a work of art. The easy-to-use and intuitive Design Studio was introduced in December 2008 and quickly gained popularity. Featured artists include: Tristan Eaton, Siobhan Gunning, Bruce Maur, Mike Ming, Guillaume Wolfe, Jason Bacon, Brittany Waldner and Derek Welch, among many others. Also included in the design options is artwork for (PRODUCT)RED™, which contributes to The Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa and Susan G. Komen for the Cure which contributes to the fight against breast cancer.
Design Studio also represents a new way to shop for a personal computer and tailor it to reflect personal style. With Design Studio, online shoppers virtually walk through a gallery of portraits where they can select to apply a design, change viewing angles, zoom in on details and read a short bio that explains the artist's work.
About Dell:
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com. |
| Car Connectivity Consortium forms to bring more smartphones to more interiors Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:33 AM PDT Though Terminal Mode has always been an open standard we've never really seen any tech companies outside of Espoo show much interest in the stuff, which lets a car mirror a phone's display. When Nokia sort of shifted gears and signed on with Microsoft that left us wondering what would be next for the company's infotainment efforts. Good things, as it turns out. The Car Connectivity Consortium has been founded to drive "global innovation for in-vehicle connectivity," and both Terminal Mode and Nokia will play a big part -- though a bigger part will be played by Daimler, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and VW. They're joined by electronics companies Alpine, LG, Panasonic, and Samsung, making us think that maybe Terminal Mode's time has properly come. Also on the docket for the CCC is study of NFC, which will hopefully standardize the sort of awesome key interactivity BMW recently showed off. Show full PR text New Car Connectivity Consortium aims to put in-vehicle infotainment into high gear
Published March 16, 2011
Cross industry initiative: Leading automotive mobile communications and consumer electronics companies join a new consortium for in-vehicle connectivity solutions in standards such as Terminal Mode, NFC and more.
Espoo, Finland - The Car Connectivity Consortium was launched today by eleven companies across several industries, driving global innovation for in-vehicle connectivity, including the "Terminal Mode" standard.
Founding members include vehicle manufacturers Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Toyota, and Volkswagen; system suppliers Alpine and Panasonic; and consumer electronics makers LG Electronics, Nokia and Samsung.
With the Terminal Mode standard, the connection of high-performing mobile devices to vehicle-based systems opens up a host of new opportunities for business and a world of innovative applications for consumers. Mobile devices could be tightly connected with in-car systems such as digital displays, steering wheel buttons, rotary knobs and car audio systems. Consumers could use a mobile device via the car controls, as if the device and its apps were integrated into the car itself Terminal Mode is built upon a set of established standards such as Internet Protocol, Universal Serial Bus and Bluetooth.
The Car Connectivity Consortium will focus on further developing the Terminal Mode standard, address certification and branding, and start looking at new promising opportunities for the automotive environment, including NFC and wireless charging. The Car Connectivity Consortium is an open alliance focusing on cross industry contribution. It is anticipated that further leading industry players will join over the coming weeks.
The Car Connectivity Consortium will release its first specification version within the next few months. Several consortium members are expected to present their first commercial products supporting the new standard later this year.
Quotes
"Integrating smartphones in vehicles gives drivers a seamless connected lifestyle experience," said Thilo Koslowski, Vice President Automotive at Gartner. "The automotive industry will benefit from automotive-grade integration solutions that provide robust plug-and-play device connectivity across various brands, hardware and software, while offering safe and differentiated user experiences."
"Vehicles are evolving to be a 'living space,' with cutting-edge technology applied. But the life-cycle of built-in car AV system is difficult to match with such fast moving trends and developments in CE/IT products. As we all recognize, the latest mobile devices are equipped with fast internet access, smart features, and more content. And as 'Car Connectivity' technology has now emerged, we clearly see the customers' demands to use the features in Vehicles. LGE expects that the Car Connectivity Consortium can lead future Automotive and IT convergence technology," Said SeungHoon Lee, Vice President, Convergence Lab. at LG Electronics CTO Division.
"Nokia, together with NAVTEQ, understands that people want to use their smartphones everywhere including in their cars," said Floris van de Klashorst, Director and Head of Nokia Automotive at Nokia. "The Car Connectivity Consortium now has the power to turn Terminal Mode into the global standard for the integration of smartphones into vehicles, bringing together the exciting and innovating worlds of mobile ecosystems and applications and with the automotive industry. The industry support we received through the members has been excellent and makes Terminal Mode a truly global effort."
"Due to the wide consumer acceptance of smartphone and apps, Samsung expects that the smartphone will be the dominant hub for in-vehicle infotainment and connectivity. We believe that the smartphone, when connected with an in-car device, will play an important role in providing users with multimedia experience in the vehicle, and that Terminal Mode will be one of the key enabling technologies," said Dokyun Kim, Director, Product Strategy Team at Samsung Mobile Division.
About the Car Connectivity Consortium:
The Car Connectivity Consortium was founded under U.S. law as a limited liability corporation. Founding members are vehicle manufactures Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Toyota, Volkswagen; system suppliers Alpine and Panasonic; and consumer electronics makers LG Electronics, Nokia and Samsung. The Car Connectivity Consortium is open for any industry member to join as a charter member, a core member or on one of two lower levels. For further information, please visit: http://www.terminalmode.org/en/agenda/consortium/
About Nokia
Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalog of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally. |
| Firefox 4 to be released on March 22nd, download statisticians ready their calculators Posted: 17 Mar 2011 05:04 AM PDT Having kicked out a release candidate on March 9th, Mozilla now feels confident enough in version 4 of its well loved Firefox browser and has set a date for its final release: March 22nd. That's next Tuesday, if you're calendar-shy, and a download is penciled in for availability at around 7AM Pacific Time. Mind you, Mozilla believes its RC1 build, already available on Windows, Mac and Linux, will likely be the final version put up in a few days' time -- the team is just monitoring the code and performing last-minute checks to ensure there are no massive, world-ending bugs that haven't been spotted yet. So that basically means you can risk it now and get your GPU-accelerated web future started early, or you can wait until it's official on Tuesday and be part of Mozilla's next attempt at breaking the downloads record. [Thanks, Ro] |
| Dutch researchers dust off X-ray machine from 1896 to compare it to modern equipment Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:36 AM PDT This one is a bit shocking to us. X-rays were discovered in 1896, and recently, a team of researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands pulled a machine from 1896 off the shelf for the purpose of comparing its results to modern equipment. The researchers say that this original equipment pumped out around 1,500 times more radiation than new equipment in order to produce its results. Speaking of those results, they are unsurprisingly less sharp and detailed than modern X-rays, but they still look pretty impressive if you ask us. The X-rays were conducted on a cadaver this time around rather than a living person because of the high levels of radiation. Full results will be published in the Journal Radiology this month. |
| Nokia Software Updater for Mac available in beta, lets you update your N97 under OS X Posted: 17 Mar 2011 04:07 AM PDT There hasn't always been a lot of love between Symbian devices and Macs, and while Nokia just got awful friendly with Microsoft the company is also extending something of an olive branch to the Apple community. The Nokia Software Updater for Mac just went live, more than a year after the Windows 7 version, and, while it's still in beta form, it'll allow you to push the latest revisions of core software and apps to your device. At this point there aren't any particular issues being reported, but the app does warn that you can brick your device if you unplug it while updating. Nothing new there, really. |
| BYD Motors sneaks on to American market, could make US debut official by year's end Posted: 17 Mar 2011 03:29 AM PDT We've heard rumblings of BYD coming to America before, but it seems it won't be making a big deal of its Stateside entrée -- at least not yet. According to the Los Angeles Times, China's sixth-largest car maker is quietly making its presence known in the US, occupying the offices of Cars 911 -- a dealership in Glendale, CA -- and solidifying plans to open 10 American dealerships by the end of 2011. BYD is also in the process of building its US headquarters in downtown LA, and has been servicing a fleet of its F3DM hybrids, leased to the city's housing authority, from the Cars 911 lot. BYD's e6, which is slated as a Leaf competitor, is suspected to appear on the American market, alongside the F3DM, by year's end. Considering the Leaf's recent woes, this might be just the right time for BYD to strike. |
| Android 2.2 is now the dominant version of Google's OS with 61.3 percent of all active devices Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:46 AM PDT Considering that we're about nine months removed from Google's release of Froyo, you'd expect that version of its mobile OS to have been distributed quite widely by now and indeed it has. 61.3 percent of ( the many) active Android devices -- handsets and tablets, anything with access to the Market is eligible -- worldwide are now running version 2.2, making it the most prevalent iteration of the software at the moment. Even more encouraging news is that, when taken together with Android 2.1, that group swells to account for more than 90 percent of active Google devices. If you want to look at the reverse, rather moldy, side of the coin, however, you'll note that the latest mobile version of the OS, Gingerbread (2.3), is only on 1 percent of devices, while the absolute finest Android, Honeycomb (3.0), barely scrapes a couple tenths of a percent together. So yes, things are moving inexorably forward, just not as rapidly as some might have hoped. |
| US Army to deploy Individual Gunshot Detector, essentially a radar for bullets Posted: 17 Mar 2011 02:01 AM PDT Latest in our series of "when video games turn real," here's the US Army's newest addition to the wargadget arsenal. The Individual Gunshot Detector, produced by QinetiQ, is an acoustic monitor attuned to tracking down the source of gunshots just by their sound. It has four sensors to pick up the noise of incoming fire, and its analysis of those sound waves produces a readout on a small display that lets the soldier know where the deadly projectiles originated from. The entire system weighs just under two pounds, and while it may not be much help in an actual firefight -- there's no way to distinguish between friendly and hostile fire -- we imagine it'll be a pretty handy tool to have if assaulted by well hidden enemies. 13,000 IGD units are being shipped out to Afghanistan later this month, with a view to deploying 1,500 each month going forward and an ultimate ambition of networking their data so that when one soldier's detector picks up a gunfire source, his nearby colleagues can be informed as well. Show full PR text Army deploying 'Individual Gunshot Detector'
Mar 15, 2011
ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, March 14, 2011) -- U.S. Army forces in Afghanistan will begin receiving the first of more than 13,000 gunshot detection systems for the individual dismounted Soldier later this month, service officials said.
"We're really trying to ensure that every Soldier is protected," said Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, Program Executive Officer Soldier.
The Individual Gunshot Detector, or IGD - made by QinetiQ North America - consists of four small acoustic sensors worn by the individual Soldier and a small display screen attached to body armor that shows the distance and direction of incoming fire.
The small sensor, about the size of a deck of cards, detects the supersonic sound waves generated by enemy gunfire and instantaneously alerts Soldiers to the location and distance toward the hostile fire, said Lt. Col. Chris Schneider, product manager for Soldier Maneuver Sensors.
"When you get fired on, instead of trying to figure everything out, you will have technology to assist you in knowing what happened and where the shot was coming from," Fuller said.
The entire IGD system, procured by PEO Soldier and the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, weighs less than two pounds, Schneider said.
The idea is to strategically disperse the systems throughout small, dismounted units to get maximum protective coverage for platoons, squads and other units on the move, Schneider explained.
Over the next 12 months, the Army plans to field up to 1,500 IGDs per month, he said.
In the future, the Army plans to integrate this technology with its Land Warrior and Nett Warrior systems. These are network-situational-awareness systems for dismounted units, complete with a helmet-mounted display screen that uses GPS digital-mapping-display technology, Fuller said.
"The next thing we want to do is try to integrate this capability with other capabilities; for example, we have Land Warrior deployed in Afghanistan and we're going to have Nett Warrior coming into the force. How about, if you get shot at, not only do I know where that came from, but others know where it came from because I can network that capability," said Fuller.
"It's about how to leverage technology to improve your survivability and situational awareness." |
| HTC Thunderbolt now available to buy: $250 from Verizon, $180 at Amazon Posted: 17 Mar 2011 01:04 AM PDT Another saga put to rest. The question of just when Verizon will release its first 4G LTE handset was answered yesterday with the word "tomorrow," which makes today that day! Verizon Wireless is now taking online orders for HTC's 4.3-inch Thunderbolt, pricing the LTE lubber at $250 on a two-year contract. It comes with Android 2.2 as the OS underlying the HTC Sense 2.0 UI, an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording, 768MB of RAM, and a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 chip that will have to do its best to keep up with those crazy 4G download speeds. If Verizon's own pricing feels a bit rich to you, shop around -- we've found the Thunderbolt as low as $180 at Amazon, although the online retailer has it on back order for the moment. [Thanks, Justin] |
| Will a $200 ASUS Eee PC finally ship with Google's help? Posted: 17 Mar 2011 12:06 AM PDT  As hard as it tried, ASUS never could get its Eee PC prices down to $200 MSRP as promised way back in 2007 -- a time when Intel-based netbooks still shipped with Linux distros and "tablet PCs" ran a Microsoft OS. Fast forward to today and netbooks are being kicked to the curb for ARM-based tablets running smartphone operating systems. To compete, ASUS, a company that's become synonymous with netbooks, is planning to ship an unsubsidized $200 to $250 netbook running Android 3.0 or Chrome OS in June. According to DigiTimes sources, anyway, who tend to be pretty accurate with regard to Taiwanese companies. If true then expect to see it announced at Computex which kicks off in Taiwan on May 31st. |
| Apple and Android get drafted, soldier-centric Army apps coming soon Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:34 PM PDT If we referred to an Apple or Android army, you might assume we're talking about a legion of brand-loyal fanboys, with which most Engadget commenters are intimately familiar. Defense contractors, however, are trying to turn the US Army into a lethal Apple / Android force with soldier-centric apps. Harris Corp. has a tablet app in the works that allows soldiers to control IP cameras on UAVs for more pertinent intel on the ground while simultaneously sending that information to command centers anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, Intelligent Software Solutions aims to bring mapping mashups to the battlefield (no purpose-built device needed) with an app that combines smartphones' geolocation with historical data to show troops what's been going down in the area -- from IED explosions to insurgent arrests. Best of all, these apps lower training costs since most warriors are already fluent in Android or iOS and the consumer handhelds can be cheaply ruggedized to replace the more robust $10,000 units in the field today. Should protective measures fail, the devices' (relatively) low replacement cost makes them "almost disposable." |
| iPad 2 online orders start arriving on doorsteps Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:03 PM PDT The old saying goes "the early bird catches the worm," and it certainly appears to be holding true for the insomniacs who stayed up for iPad 2 pre-orders to go live online. We've received our own orders that were placed as soon as the switch was flipped, as have several MacRumors forum contributors (as pictured above). With shipping estimates slipping longer and longer, maybe waiting on a real line isn't the most unattractive option any more. |
| Visualized: classic biplane gets a glass cockpit Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:34 PM PDT Waco's YMF-5D biplane may look like an authentically vintage aircraft from the outside, but it's an entirely different story once you strap yourself into the pilot's seat. The plane is available with a number of different "glass cockpit" options, including the top of the line model pictured above that's outfitted with a whole slew of Garmin aviation gear and other 21st century niceties. Of course, that doesn't exactly come cheap - all told, the full glass configuration runs just over $99,000, or over $500,000 including the plane itself (you can see what it looks like after the break). |
| Internet Explorer 9 hits 2.35 million downloads in first 24 hours, we're mildly impressed Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:02 PM PDT Okay, so 2.35 million downloads in a single day is nothing to scoff at, but it's also not a monumental achievement in terms of browser downloads in the first 24. A post to Internet Explorer's official blog used the word "wow" to describe the IE9 numbers, but considering Firefox 3 got the Guinness world record for most software downloads in a day, with 8 million way back in 2008, we're reluctant to call this news wow-worthy. Given, Firefox 3 was available for both Mac and PC, but it still beat Windows' new browser three times over. Don't get us wrong, we like IE9, but we still think a little bit of modesty goes a long way. |
| Zediva mashes up Netflix and Redbox for $1.99, four hour-window DVD streaming rentals Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:52 PM PDT Netflix and Redbox have been the new hotness in rentals for the last few years but both have significant drawbacks. With Redbox, it's the box and the morons who are constantly standing in front of it paging through every single movie in the thing and for Netflix's Watch Instantly it's a lack of new releases available for instant viewing. Now there's a new startup, Zediva, that takes on both of those issues by sticking with DVDs, but instead of shipping them to customers or placing them in kiosks, just streams them on demand from one player, to one viewer (unlike Netflix, sometimes movies are "rented out" if there are no copies available at the moment -- renting a flick gives you control of the DVD player, with fast forward and reverse, for four hours) for $1.99 a rental or 10 for $10. Apparently it's been in beta for a year but is now available to all and is currently offering new release DVDs the same day they go on sale by simply purchasing them at retail. There's no HD content yet but it claims Blu-ray titles will be offered soon. The Associated Press talked to a copyright lawyer who points out the case of a hotel that implemented a similar system but was sued into oblivion before calling Zediva "cute, but illegal" so if you decide to check it out, we'd recommend getting through that 10-pack of rentals with haste. Update: We did recommend haste, didn't we? Zediva's registration is now listed as " temporarily full" and prospective users are being asked to join a waiting list. Thanks, Ialo! |
| iPhone Personal Hotspot transmitting GPS information to tethered iPads? Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:16 PM PDT You may not have known this, but besides missing a 3G radio, the WiFi-only iPad also lacks the A-GPS chip that enables exact GPS positioning versus less-accurate WiFi triangulation. Well, according to Tablet Monsters, if you've got an iPhone with iOS 4.3 and are subscribed to Personal Hotspot, your shiny slate should be able to tap into the GPS chip of it's smaller-screened family member. Reports in the MacRumors forums confirm that people are indeed seeing this added functionality on both iPad 2 and the original. Though the native Maps app is reportedly working perfectly there's talk of unfriendliness in turn-by-turn GPS apps -- though this could have to do with the refresh rate of the transmission. If you're already shelling out for the Personal Hotspot plan this is a nice added bonus, and makes the choice between the 3G iPad and the WiFi one just a little bit easier -- assuming you've got an iPhone of course. Still skeptical? Check out a video of it in action after the break. |
| BMW promises 5 Series 'New Energy Vehicle' for China Posted: 16 Mar 2011 04:34 PM PDT There's an unfortunate lack of details on this one at the moment, but it looks like BMW has something a little special in store for China at the Shanghai Motor Show next month. It will be showing off its new 5 Series "New Energy Vehicle," a plug-in hybrid that, as previously suggested, will be exclusive to the Chinese market. That will presumably be somewhat similar to the company's ActiveHybrid 5 concept pictured above, which it first showed off last year but still hasn't put into production. As Motor Authority notes, however, the New York Auto Show actually coincides with the Shanghai show, so there's a chance that BMW could be set to provide an update on the ActiveHybrid 5, or possibly introduce a North American counterpart to the New Energy Vehicle. |
| RIM issues PSA following Pwn2Own exploit: turn off JavaScript on your BlackBerry Posted: 16 Mar 2011 03:59 PM PDT It's not just desktop web browsers getting hacked at this year's Pwn2Own challenge -- mobile browsers have also been targeted for vulnerabilities, and a fairly big one has now been found in RIM's browser for BlackBerry OS 6. Apparently, there's a JavaScript-related bug that could let a "maliciously designed" website gain access to data stored on both the phone's media card and built-in storage, but not data stored in the storage portion for applications (such as email or contact information). For its part, RIM says that it hasn't actually seen any evidence of anyone exploiting the vulnerability, but it's nonetheless urging folks to disable JavaScript on affected devices, and it's now busy providing IT departments everywhere with guidelines on how to do so. If that proves to be complicated, it's suggesting that you simply disable the BlackBerry Browser altogether until it can be patched. |
| HTC Shooter appears for Sprint with Android 2.3.2, qHD screen and dual-core CPU? Posted: 16 Mar 2011 03:31 PM PDT We still haven't heard what happened to the HTC Glacier, but the GLBenchmark database brings word of another mysterious high-end phone from Taiwan -- the HTC Shooter, which is very likely equipped with a dual-core Qualcomm processor. The "PG86100" certainly identifies itself as carrying a speedy new Adreno 220 GPU, which is typically paired with twin processing units, and should help push plenty of pixels to the 960 x 540 screen that's presently displaying Android Gingerbread 2.3.2. All in all, it sounds a lot like the rumored HTC Pyramid for T-Mobile -- except this one's apparently destined for Sprint. Could it be the EVO 3D, or something wholly different? We'll likely find out next week at CTIA 2011. Update: The HTC Glacier actually reappeared as the T-Mobile myTouch 4G -- that second-gen 1GHz Snapdragon CPU (at a time when other handsets ran the same Scorpion core at 800MHz) was responsible for the high scores we saw. [Thanks, Mitch] |
| The Engadget Podcast, live at 6:00PM ET! Posted: 16 Mar 2011 03:00 PM PDT Your eyes don't deceive you. The Engadget Podcast is back -- and for this next, greatest episode, Josh, Paul, and Nilay will be sitting down to weigh in on all issues technology related. That's right, we're getting the band back together and jamming through the news the only way we know how: haphazardly, and with lots of screaming. Won't you join us at 6:00PM ET for all the fun? Trust us, you won't want to miss this!
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| GE's new phase-change based thermal conductor could mean cooler laptops -- literally Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:59 PM PDT  It's no secret: if your laptop sits atop your lap for an extended period of time, you're going to get burned -- okay, so maybe not burned, but you're definitely going to feel the heat. Luckily GE has been working (under contract for DARPA) on a new phase-change based thermal conductor that promises to cool electronics twice as well as copper, at one-fourth the weight. The breakthrough means big things for those of us who'd like to make babies one day, but we doubt that's why DARPA's shelling out the big bucks -- the new material functions at 10 times normal gravity, making it a shoo-in for on-board computing systems in jetliners. Using "unique surface engineered coatings" that simultaneously attract and repel water, the new nanotechnology could mean not only lighter, cooler electronics, but also an increase in computing speeds. Goodbye scrotal hyperthermia, hello cool computing! Full PR after the break. Show full PR text GE Scientists Demonstrate Breakthrough Thermal Material System to Enable Faster Computing
Develops prototype substrate for high-speed electronics that conducts heat better than copper
Faster laptops, more advanced radar systems and better aviation and naval electronic control systems all potential benefits of new technology
NISKAYUNA, N.Y., March 15, 2011 – Scientists in GE's Global Research Center have demonstrated an advanced thermal material system that could pave the way to faster computing and higher performing electronic systems. Leveraging technologies developed under GE's Nanotechnology Advanced Technology Program, they have fabricated a prototype substrate that can cool electronic devices such as a laptop computer twice as well as copper. To learn more about this breakthrough, visit http://visualization.geblogs.com/visualization/nanotech/.
Since the dawn of the electronics age, copper has been a preferred material to cool electronics because of its favorable heat conducting properties. But as electronic systems become more advanced, they are generating more and more heat. Too much heat can limit the overall performance of these systems, impacting computing speed and processing power. New breakthrough materials will be needed to enable more advanced systems and applications.
The development of GE's prototype substrate, which utilizes phase-change-based heat transfer, is part of a four year, $6 million program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA, Contract # No. N66001-08-C-2008). As the leading organization of the program, GE Global Research has been collaborating with GE Intelligent Platforms, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and University of Cincinnati on the project.
Dr. Tao Deng, a senior scientist at GE Global Research and the project leader, said, "As electronics become more advanced, we are approaching the point where conventional materials like copper can't take the heat. For computing to go faster and electronics systems to become more capable, better cooling solutions such as GE's prototype substrate will be required to allow this to happen."
Deng added, "In demonstrations, GE's prototype substrate has functioned effectively in a variety of electronics application environments. We also subjected it to harsh conditions during testing and found it could successfully operate in extremely high gravity applications."
For more information, read Tao's blog on Edison's Desk at http://ge.geglobalresearch.com/blog/a-breakthrough-in-conducting-heat-for-electronics/.
Deng noted that GE's prototype operated in conditions experiencing more than 10 times the normal force of gravity. By comparison, this gravity force is more than twice the maximum force experienced on the world's fastest roller coasters.
How it Works
GE's phase-change based prototype substrate can be applied to computer chips and a variety of different electronic components. It acts as a cooling mechanism that spreads or dissipates the heat generated in electronic systems to keep components cool.
During testing at the Air Force Research laboratories, GE's research team successfully demonstrated a prototype substrate that was measured to have at least twice the thermal conductivity as copper at only one–fourth of its weight. In addition, the prototype successfully operated in a condition that was more than 10 times normal gravity.
With high thermal conductivity, low weight, and high "G" acceleration performance, this substrate could work well in a variety of different systems, ranging from laptop computers to larger scale, more sophisticated computing systems that run the avionics and electronic control systems on board jetliners and other aircraft.
In collaboration with various agencies from the US government, GE Global Research has been developing several advanced thermal technologies. Besides the DARPA effort, Dr. Deng is also leading a team, supported by Air Force Research Laboratory, to develop advanced thermal solutions for high-speed flight in a 1.5-year, $1 MM effort. These efforts will build a total thermal solution platform to serve multiple GE businesses, including GE Aviation, GE Energy, and GE Intelligent Platforms. |
| Web apps found to be lacking Safari's speed bump in iOS 4.3 Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:34 PM PDT Well, it looks like you weren't imagining things if you thought in-app browsers or web apps saved to your iPhone's home screen seemed slower than Safari itself. Ars Technica has now confirmed that pages or web apps loaded using those methods aren't receiving the JavaScript boost added to Safari in iOS 4.3, which the site found to be about 2.5 times faster than Safari in iOS 4.2. The problem is that those apps don't have the necessary permissions to execute dynamically generated native code stored in writeable memory (as Safari does), which basically leaves them running at the same speed they did in iOS 4.2. Not surprisingly, that has prompted some to speculate that it's all part of a grand plan on Apple's part to force developers to use full-fledged apps instead of mobile apps, but Ars Technica points out that it could just as easily be due to some technical problems. Hit up the source link below for all the technical details. |
| TWCable TV iPad app struggling with high demand, angry cable channels Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:07 PM PDT Time Warner's TWCable TV iPad app could only serve 15 of the originally announced 32 channels (which curiously did not include BBC America, despite its appearance in these screens from iTunes) due to higher than anticipated demand that crashed the servers last night ( Broadcasting & Cable reports the channels have since been restored.) According to the official blog it was the most downloaded app in the iTunes store yesterday and while its engineers work on a more permanent fix, cutting the channel count was the only way to make sure people can actually open the app and log in. However, there may be more than technical difficulties that take channels offline in the future, as Adweek reports several cable networks are upset with the app, quoting one unnamed affiliate head as saying "our position is that [this sort of distribution] is not authorized by our affiliate agreements." Networks like Discovery have already made public their dissatisfaction with Dish's Sling-powered app, with everyone from Comcast to DirecTV to TiVo potentially getting in on the act we'll probably see a slew of carriage disputes and lawsuits before every channel goes the way of ESPNNetworks. |
| Sprint 'Project Leapfrog' rumors claim LTE network upgrade is underway Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:42 PM PDT  If we had a dime for every time Sprint CEO Dan Hesse (or spectrum partner Clearwire) has talked about a possible migration to LTE, we'd have... well, at least several dimes. A new rumor that's popped up from a couple sources today -- consulting firm Gerson Lehrman Group and GizmoFusion -- claims that the LTE move is now a done deal, with Sprint signing contracts with infrastructure supplies Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, and Samsung to roll out service over the course of the next two to three years as it decommissions iDEN on its 800MHz spectrum. That said, CDMA isn't about to go away: the company has already committed to upgrading its CDMA footprint with 1X Advanced over the next several years, too. GLG claims that Sprint's going Lone Ranger on this -- it'll be looking to partner up with other companies like Clearwire or T-Mobile where it makes sense, but the decision to move to LTE so far has been purely internal. On a related note, GizmoFusion is claiming that Sprint will start shipping the WiFi-only BlackBerry PlayBook between late March and mid-April ahead of the WiMAX version later this year, along with touchscreen / QWERTY hybrid and full-touch BlackBerry handsets -- both of which we've seen rumored recently. LTE-compatible hardware, assuming this is all legitimate, is probably a ways off yet. [Thanks, Stoopered] |
| University of Central Florida's miniature laser diode aims to speed up networking Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:18 PM PDT The use of laser as a means of data transmission is hardly anything new, but the current crop of laser diodes can only handle so much stress, provided that they don't fail in the first place. Luckily, the geniuses over at the University of Central Florida are about to deliver a smaller yet more intense and more reliable diode, which will lead to many more potential applications even beyond the scope of networking -- think cheaper, more effective hair removal. Little is said about how Professor Dennis Deppe's team made this possible, but once they work out how to optimize the operating voltage for better efficiency, Deppe reckons we'll see diode-embedded high speed, high bandwidth cables in the shops in four or five years' time. Seriously, we'd do anything to keep our latency low for some HD gaming action. |
| Motorola Droid 3 for Verizon breaks cover once again Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:53 PM PDT Want some more Droid 3 eye candy? If you just recently bought a Droid 2, the answer is probably "no, please, no" -- but nonetheless, we've got some for you. A couple more shots of the rumored refresh have popped up on HowardForums once again, showing off a QWERTY keyboard that looks largely similar to the one it's replacing with one very, very notable exception: it's a 5-row deal this time around with what appear to be half-height keys for the numeric row. People love 5-row keyboards, so if this is legit -- and we really have no reason to doubt that it is -- that feature alone could move a lot of phones. More on this soon, we hope. |
| O2 Germany says HP Veer is coming in May Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:37 PM PDT The tweet above just about says it all for this one -- well, in German, anyway. According to O2 Germany, the HP Veer will be launching on the carrier sometime in May, which presumably means it will also be available elsewhere in Europe around the same time, and likely in the US as well -- we've previously only heard "this spring" for a launch date. Unfortunately, there's still no word on any US carriers for the Pixi successor, though surely someone will be able to pick it up. It is rather light, after all. [Thanks, Mario] |
| Ubisoft's Rocksmith aims to prove anyone can play guitar Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:09 PM PDT Well, it looks like Ubisoft still thinks there some room left in the rhythm game genre. It's just announced that it will be releasing Rocksmith for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime this fall, which is actually a revamped version of the Guitar Rising game that has been in development at GameTank for some time now. The hook with this one is that it'll actually let you use any real guitar to play the game, and it even promises to teach you how to play if you don't know already. Ubisoft also says that you won't need an amplifier to play -- you just plug your guitar right into your console, apparently with a standard USB instrument cable. Details on the game itself are otherwise fairly light, although it does seem like you'll have a pretty solid lineup of music to play along with, including tracks from David Bowie, The Black Keys, Interpol, Nirvana and The Rolling Stones. Head on past the break for a teaser video.
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