| Intel promises next-gen Atom chips at IDF Beijing Posted: 20 Mar 2011 11:02 AM PDT  We've yet to get more than a whiff of Intel's Oak Trail chips, but the Cedar Trail CPUs are nearly here -- in fact, it's looking like Chipzilla intends to introduce its latest Atom processor at IDF Bejing this year. UMPC Portal noticed that Intel's got a session titled "Designing a New Generation of Netbooks with the Intel Atom Processor Based Platform" at the April event, which promises to give attendees a glimpse at the "next generation Intel Atom processor based platform." Details are scarce, but there are a couple of bullet points that might grab your attention. First, Intel will be talking about "WiFi solutions that deliver new netbook usage models," which sounds kind of like WiDi, and second, the company will be talking up "fanless netbook designs." Our overactive imaginations are already at work -- we're on a comfy couch, surfing the internet on a big-screen TV, without a hot, bulky laptop to weight us down and nary a tether to worry about. Or, maybe a boat. |
| Mini E field trial ends, for the 40 testers a search for a new car begins Posted: 20 Mar 2011 09:36 AM PDT People who love a given car tend to keep that car for awhile, longer than they should sometimes, but that isn't always an option. Sometimes you have to give it back, and such is the case for the 40 "pioneers" who were among the first to get their mitts on and bums in the electric prototype Mini E in the UK. That fleet of test vehicles has been summoned back home, but thankfully not to suffer the same fate of the recalled GM EV1 -- most of which were crushed in the '90s. Instead, most of these Minis will find new homes among corporate vehicle fleets, though the testing program itself is largely over. From that program BMW learned that most drivers got along just fine, despite a complete lack of public charging stations, though some said cold temps put a crimp on the driving habits -- a possible counterpoint to one EV Mini tester on this side of the pond found. All that data is being used to tailor the upcoming BMW i3, which we've already seen hooning around in some rather frigid weather but won't be seen hooning on public streets until 2013 or so. |
| Gates, Bosch, and NuVinci combine to make pedal-assist e-bike concept, not Voltron Posted: 20 Mar 2011 08:11 AM PDT There's those who want electric bikes that'll hurtle you down the road at 40mph at the twist of the throttle, and there's those who believe pedaling to be enjoyable enough, but would like a less strenuous bicycling experience. If you find yourself a member of column B, listen up, because Gates, NuVinci, and Bosch have created an e-bike concept that'll satisfy your two-wheeled transportation needs. Gates supplied its Carbon electric belt drive, NuVinci brought its N360 infinitely variable planetary hub, and Bosch threw in a battery and control system to make a bicycle beauty. The power train is set up to give riders pedal-assist with four settings that go from Lance to lazy, depending on your mood. At an estimated cost of €2,600 - €3,200 ($3,680 - $4,530), you'll need a bank account comparable to the seven-time champion of Le Tour should an OEM pick up the design. |
| Sneak peek at Archos Gen 9 tablets: 1.6 GHz dual-core A9 processor, 250GB HDD for €400 in June Posted: 20 Mar 2011 06:13 AM PDT Word on the street was Archos planned to give us a couple of new tablets at IFA this year, but it turns out the upscale Gen 9 hardware is coming a couple months prior to the September trade show. The new Honeycomb slates are set for a June 2011 release and pack a 1.6GHz ARM A9 dual-core chip (the prospect of which should get you spec-heads drooling), up to a 250GB HDD / 32GB SSD, and a patent-pending "disruptive 3G modem" -- all for €400 (about $566). Archos' fiendish plan is to steal some of the iPad 2's thunder with its speedy processor and competitive price, but history tells us it'll need more than "competitive" to truly yank any marketshare. Too bad the post-PC world can't be bothered to care, right Steve? |
| INQ Cloud Touch gets priced in the UK, still MIA in the USA Posted: 20 Mar 2011 04:19 AM PDT We've had an affinity for INQ's Cloud Touch since we Poked and prodded the little device back in February, and now thanks to Carphone Warehouse we've got the all important pricetag to accompany the specs. Starting April 6, you'll be able to pick up the Facebook-ified device in the UK completely SIM-free for £300, or about $486. Not a bad deal for a 3.5-inch Android 2.2 handset with a 5-megapixel shooter and a custom Facebook homescreen. Of course, it lacks the Facebook Buttons of HTC's offerings, but if you simply can't wait to be the first person on the block with a Facebook phone you should definitely give the Cloud Touch a peek. |
| Microsoft and ASUS show off all the stylish stylus action you can have on an Eee Slate (video) Posted: 20 Mar 2011 01:51 AM PDT It's the year 2011, but it might as well be 2001. The company that Bill built is still going strong in the pursuit of its founding father's dream: a pen-based tablet computer. The latest, and perhaps best, exhibitor of this ideal is ASUS' Eee Slate, a 12.1-inch, Core i5-equipped Windows 7 tablet that comes with a Wacom digitizer and a dedicated silo in its side for accommodating that snow-white stylus. A Bluetooth keyboard also comes in the box, leading Microsoft to describe it as a device that's simultaneously "very PC" and "not very PC." To understand what the Redmond brainboxes mean by this apparent case of doublethink, make your way past the break and soak up all the video action.
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| Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs Posted: 20 Mar 2011 01:04 AM PDT  Unless you're blind, or just plain out of the loop, you've probably noticed a proliferation of folks rocking spectacles as accessories of late, but for those of us who wear the things out of necessity, there's no taking 'em off when our lenses fog up. Lucky for us, a team of Canadian researchers have patented a new permanent anti-fog coating that they claim is the first of its kind. To make sure the stuff wouldn't wash away, the crew applied four successive layers of molecules to a transparent material (either glass or plastic) before overlaying it with polyvinyl alcohol, allowing water to spread uniformly and avoiding the steamy-windows effect. The result? A super durable, multilayer coating that won't rub off, regardless of the freakish conditions you and your face encounter. Its creators see endless applications for their invention, including windshields, visors, camera lenses, and, of course, eyewear. Now that that's out of the way, we suggest they concentrate their efforts on sweat-less nose pads. |
| Nanoparticle inks print 3D antennas 'orders of magnitude' better than your boring 2D antenna Posted: 19 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PDT If you want better cellphone reception it's time to go small or go home, with researchers at the University of Illinois coming up with a nanoscale printing technique that allows for the creation of so-called 3D antennas. Of course, unless you're hunting for signal in Flatland all antennas are to some degree three-dimensional, but these suckers are printed using nanoparticle silver ink onto a curved substrate, as shown up yonder. The resulting components "exhibit performance metrics that are an order of magnitude better than those realized by monopole antenna designs." In fact these creations are said to approach the Chu-Harrington Limit of theoretical performance in an antenna. Most important? They look pretty darned cool. Shame they'll likely find themselves tucked away inside of a device's chassis -- whenever they actually go into production. Show full PR text 3D printing method advances electrically small antenna design
March 16, 2011
While most electronic components benefit from decreased size, antennas-whether in a cell phone or on an aircraft-suffer limitations in gain, efficiency, system range, and bandwidth when their size is reduced below a quarter-wavelength.
"Recent attention has been directed toward producing antennas by screen-printing, inkjet printing, and liquid metal-filled microfluidics in simple motifs, such as dipoles and loops," explained Jennifer T. Bernhard, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois. "However, these fabrication techniques are limited in both spatial resolution and dimensionality, yielding planar antennas that occupy a large area relative to the achieved performance."
"Omnidirectional printing of metallic nanoparticle inks offers an attractive alternative for meeting the demanding form factors of 3D electrically small antennas (ESAs)," stated Jennifer A. Lewis, the Hans Thurnauer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory at Illinois.
"To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of 3D printed antennas on curvilinear surfaces," Lewis stated. The research findings and fabrication methods developed by Bernhard, Lewis, and their colleagues are featured in the cover article,"Illinois Calling" of the March 18 issue of Advanced Materials ("Conformal Printing of Electrically Small Antennas on Three-Dimensional Surfaces").
According to Bernhard, these antennas are electrically small relative to a wavelength (typically a twelfth of a wavelength or less) and exhibit performance metrics that are an order of magnitude better than those realized by monopole antenna designs.
"There has been a long-standing problem of minimizing the ratio of energy stored to energy radiated-the Q-of an ESA," Bernhard explained. "By printing directly on the hemispherical substrate, we have a highly versatile single-mode antenna with a Q that very closely approaches the fundamental limit dictated by physics (known as the Chu limit).
Conformal printing allows the antenna's meander lines to be printed on the outside or inside of hemispherical substrates, adding to its flexibility.
Optical image of an antenna during the printing process.
"Unlike planar substrates, the surface normal is constantly changing on curvilinear surfaces, which presents added fabrication challenges," Lewis noted. To conformally print features on hemispherical substrates, the silver ink must strongly wet the surface to facilitate patterning even when the deposition nozzle (100 μm diameter) is perpendicular to the printing surface.
To fabricate an antenna that can withstand mechanical handling, for example, the silver nanoparticle ink is printed on the interior surface of glass hemispheres. Other non-spherical ESAs can be designed and printed using a similar approach to enable integration of low Q antennas on, for example, the inside of a cell phone case or the wing of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The antenna's operating frequency is determined primarily by the printed conductor cross-section and the spacing (or pitch) between meander lines within each arm.
According to the researchers, their design can be rapidly adapted to new specifications, including other operating frequencies, device sizes, or encapsulated designs that offer enhanced mechanical robustness.
"This conformal printing technique can be extended other potential applications, including flexible, implantable, and wearable antennas, electronics, and sensors," Lewis said.
______________________
Contact: Jennifer T. Bernhard, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/333-0293.
Jennifer A. Lewis, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, 217/244-4973.
Group Photo: Rick Kubetz, Engineering Communications Office.
If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, writer/editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716. |
| How would you change Samsung's Nexus S? Posted: 19 Mar 2011 07:48 PM PDT The first phone to ship with Android 2.3 has been kicking around for a solid quarter now, which means it's just about time to roast it here on How Would You Change. The Nexus S didn't provide the same system shock as did the Nexus One, but bringing a curved display, Gingerbread and an embedded NFC chip to US airwaves definitely made an impact. 'Course, we're still waiting for a version to ship with support for AT&T's 3G bands, but we're confident that quite a few T-Mobilers have bit the bullet by this point. You've heard our thoughts on the matter, and now it's your turn -- if you were in control of dictating the second-ever Nexus phone, how would you have done things differently? Would you have stuck with HTC rather than heading over to Samsung? Shipped it on a different carrier from day-one? Thrown in a white version just to rub things in? Get creative down in comments below -- there's no telling how your nuggets of wisdom will shape the inevitable Nexus T 2. |
| HTC Thunderbolt rooted for real, locked files nearly soured the deal Posted: 19 Mar 2011 05:38 PM PDT They thought it would be easy, but they were wrong -- AndIRC developers reportedly spent the last 72 hours readying the new HTC Thunderbolt for custom ROMs. Today, they emerge victorious, but that victory is bittersweet, because it may signify the end of a generally hacker-friendly era from the folks at HTC. While devices from the Taiwanese manufacturer have traditionally been easy to modify, the hacker community found Verizon's LTE flagship fully locked down, with a signed kernel, signed recovery image and a signed bootloader. FOF. Of course, if you're just looking for a way to overclock your Thunderbolt, you probably don't care about all that. You'll find all the (exceptionally lengthy) instructions you need at Android Police. Just be careful out there! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| Sony crafting VAIOs with Chrome OS, external GPUs and Thunderbolt tech? Posted: 19 Mar 2011 04:13 PM PDT Sony's top-secret prototype labs must be clocking hours like mad, as Sony Insider reports that the company has two more surprises in store -- in addition to a PlayStation tablet, dual-screen clamshell and sliding PC, the skunk works has cooked up a Chrome OS notebook, as well as a "VAIO Hybrid PC" that defies any sort of meaningful explanation in just three words. The Chrome OS device is reportedly modeled after Google's own Cr-48 reference design with roughly the same dimensions and keyboard but an oh-so-slightly smaller 11.6-inch screen, and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 running the show alongside 1GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage. Sony's also shooting for eight hours of battery life, and a weight of just 2.2 pounds. All of that pales in comparison to what Sony's plotting for this "Hybrid PC," though. The publication says we're looking at a thin-and-light Core i7 notebook with an incredible 8 to 16.5 hours of battery life, Intel Thunderbolt and an internal SSD, all of which plugs into a dock of some sort that adds a Blu-ray burner and external graphics (by AMD) for gaming and multimedia. We don't have any pictures or proof at this point, but it sounds like a whopper of a tale, and just the sort of thing that Intel was talking about making possible with the 10Gbps of bandwidth that Thunderbolt brings. |
| Mitsubishi drops LCD HDTVs to focus on 73-inch and above sized displays Posted: 19 Mar 2011 03:12 PM PDT That we didn't spot a successor to Mitsubishi's well-received line of Unisen LCD HDTVs at CES 2011 should have been a signal, but now the company has made it official -- it is downsizing TV operations, closing some offices and leaving the LCD TV business entirely. As the only company still selling rear projection sets to consumers, a letter from senior VP Cayce Blanchard (included after the break) indicates the plan is to focus on selling DLP and Laservue TVs in sizes above 73-inches where its flat panel competitors rarely reach. It will also keep selling projectors, display walls, printers and large public display screens -- like the Cowboys Stadium set -- to other companies. Of course, as sad as everyone is to see the LCDs go, that just means there's even more time to focus on the 92-inch DLP that should hit shelves later this year. Time well spent, we'd say. Show full PR text CAYCE BLANCHARD
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
AMERICAS CORPORATE OFFICE
March 18, 2011
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. is restructuring the company and refocusing its business
strategy to offer a wide range of visual solutions for large-screen devices.
The goal is to reclaim our position as the "large screen" company. To that end, on the Audio Visual (AV) side of our business, we will manufacture and sell micro-display projection televisions (MDPTVs) and Laservue televisions in sizes 73" and above. On the Professional Visual Systems (PVS) side, the company will concentrate on projector sales, display wall, printers and large public display screens. It also plans to expand its PVS business to Central and South America.
MDEA plans to exit the LCD-TV market entirely. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America will reduce its workforce accordingly. Its offices in Ontario and Braselton will close. All services will relocate to Irvine, CA. Its factory in Mexicali, Mexico will reduce its workforce as well. The factory will continue to manufacture and assemble large-screen televisions.
The company is evaluating its dealer network to match its new product offerings to appropriate distribution channels. |
| Dell offers unlocked Streak for $99 with purchase of a new PC Posted: 19 Mar 2011 01:55 PM PDT Dell's Streak 5 tabletphone hasn't held our interest much lately, even with Android 2.2 on board, but Dell's got a new deal that may be too good to pass up. If you already had your heart set on nabbing a Dell notebook or desktop PC priced at over $699 -- say, one of those shiny new Sandy Bridge rigs -- you can add an unlocked Streak 5 to your cart for an additional Benjamin. Now that's what we call an impulse buy. [Thanks, Matthew K.] |
| The dual-core Sandy Bridge laptops have arrived! Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony start shipping systems Posted: 19 Mar 2011 12:51 PM PDT If your eyes have been glued to Engadget this week, you've noticed that there have been quite a few new laptops unveiled. Sure, Samsung's rail-thin Series 9 stole a lot of the glory, but Dell and ASUS also rolled out a few new Intel Sandy Bridge systems. But something else big happened this week in the portable computer world -- a good number of the dual-core Sandy Bridge systems finally started shipping to you laptop-loving people. Wait, but didn't that happen back at CES? Not quite: while Intel announced the availability of Sandy Bridge back in January, it only started to ship its quad-core chips -- now all the dual-core Core i3, i5, and i7s are ready and so are the systems that house 'em. We've gathered a list of the rigs that are now up for order or hitting retailers. Hit that read more link for a breakdown, and start deciding if you need some fresh dual-core power in your life. Dell Dell launched two new systems this week -- the Inspiron R and Vostro -- but its new Latitudes are up for order as well. - Inspirons Rs (14R, 15R, 17R) - Beyond the new chiclet keyboards and swappable lids, the new 14-, 15.6-, and 17.3-inch Inspiron Rs are available with a smattering of new Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. The 14 and 15 get AMD 6400M graphics options and the 17R has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M option. (Order pages: 14R, 15R)
- Latitude E5000 and E6000 - If you've been eyeing Dell's new Latitude E series ever since we got a closer look at the new business rugged machines last month, now is your chance. And it looks like there are plenty of deals to be had -- for instance, the E6420 starts at $699 and includes a Core i3-2310M processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. (Order page: E5000 and E6000)
HP Remember the two consumer systems HP announced in February? You can grab 'em now.
- Pavilion dv6, d7 - HP's totally retooled its mainstream dv series with aluminum exteriors and chiclet keyboards without jacking up the price too much. For $799 you can get a 15.6-inch dv6 with a Core i5-2410M processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard drive. Oh, and adding a AMD Radeon 6490M graphics card will only add $100 to the price. (Order pages: dv6, dv7)
- G-Series - For the most part HP's new budget mainstream systems don't actually use Intel's latest processors, but we figured we'd include the new G-series here since they did just become available. These come in a whole new rainbow of colors and $499 can buy you a 15.6-inch rig with a Core i3 processor and 320GB of storage. (Order pages: g4, g6, g7)
HP, we have one question left: where the heck is the refreshed Envy 14?! Lenovo - ThinkPad T420, T520 - Sure, Lenovo hasn't done all that much to the exteriors of its T Series, but there's lots of new tech inside the 14- and 15.6-inch business machines. The T420 has Core i3 and i5 options, while the T520 adds an i7 into the mix. Both are supposed to have NVIDIA graphics options, but unfortunately we're not seeing that choice at the moment. (Order pages: T420, T520)
Samsung - Series 9 - We knew this one was coming, but now you can finally order up the Core i5-2537M-powered, duralumin laptop that weighs just 2.89 pounds. We'd suggest waiting on our review that's coming this week before you pull out the plastic! (Order pages: Series 9)
Sony - VAIO C Series - Yes, we are aware those neon colored VAIO CA and CB series laptops can make your eyes bleed, but good news: it also comes in black! Both the 14.4- and 15.6-inch laptops are ready now with new Sandy Bridge Core i5 processors and AMD Radeon 6470M graphics. The $899 starting configuration doesn't include Blu-ray, but it only costs $70 to add the drive. (Order pages: VAIO C Series)
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| Some Thunderbolt MacBook Pros causing flicker on Cinema Displays, Apple investigates (updated) Posted: 19 Mar 2011 11:47 AM PDT In a world of sophisticated electronics these days, there are always risks to being an early adopter. Alas, it appears that our latest victims are owners of Apple's Thunderbolt-laden MacBook Pros. Since launch, a number of frustrated customers have been reporting that their new unibody laptops -- of all three sizes -- are causing random flicker on both 24-inch and 27-inch Cinema Displays when connected via their Mini DisplayPort / Thunderbolt combo port, and now we have video proof to share the pain. Some also confirmed that even replacement machines from Apple are exhibiting the same behavior, though a source of ours says this doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, and that the company's hardware engineers are already looking into this. Either way, we're likely to see a firmware fix for this bug soon -- it's no good having a large monitor constantly blinking at you. [Thanks, Armando] Update: sja3274, the creator of the original video above, informed us that his Cinema Display actually had a faulty connection anyway, but he still saw flicker on a new display -- much like the behavior shown in the second video. As such, we've replaced our first video embed with our second one. Additionally, sja3274 was originally told to expect a software update last Tuesday or Wednesday, but obviously that didn't happen, so perhaps this is a trickier fix than Apple expected. |
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