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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

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ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro and ViewPad 7x hands-on redux (video)

Posted: 31 May 2011 11:21 AM PDT


We've already fiddled with ViewSonic's two new tablets at Computex's pre-show event, but we decided to hit the booth earlier today to get a closer look at the ViewPad 10Pro's BlueStacks Android virtualization on Windows 7, as well as the ViewPad 7x's funky UI. Starting off with the bigger slate, you'll see in the above video that the Android implementation isn't as good as it sounds -- ViewSonic says it wants to offer an Android experience "similar" to that of actual Android devices, but alas, we beg to differ with the virtual Android's laggy performance plus its odd bugs. The reps assured us that the final product will be much smoother, but then we were further let down by the fact that Android Market is absent. The reason? It's simply because from ViewSonic's point of view the 10Pro's focus is on Windows 7, so the company decided that it wasn't worth all the hassle to obtain a Google Mobile Services license. To sum it up, this whole Android "feature" is very much just a gimmick, and it doesn't look like running native Android on Oak Trail soon will do much good, either.

On a brighter note, the dual-core ViewPad 7x fared way better than its bloated brother. This world's first 7-inch Honeycomb tablet ran surprisingly smooth, and we were glad to see SPB's contribution here with its Shell 3D Android launcher (which we reviewed with much praise a little while back). We managed to get ViewSonic director Max Liu to give us a brief demo of the 7x after the break, and to be frank, the more we look at it, the more we want it. Here's hoping that this tablet will be priced right.

Oh, and did we mention that ViewSonic had a few real Gouldian finches on the show floor? Check out them birds after the break.



Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous: the WHO changes its mind

Posted: 31 May 2011 10:59 AM PDT

To say that experts generally don't agree about whether cellphone radiation can fry your brain is an understatement of massive proportions, but amazingly enough, the World Health Organization has come to a pseudo-conclusion. A group of 31 scientists from 14 countries working in the org's International Agency for Research on Cancer says that -- based on a survey of the literature -- those electromagnetic fields are as likely to be potentially carcinogenic as 266 other worrisome substances, including DDT pesticide and the exhaust from your automobile. Mind you, the WHO isn't saying that cellphones cause cancer, as today's decision is merely the latest call for more research, but the fact that respected scientists even claim that a correlation should be considered will probably be enough to stir the pot.
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IARC CLASSIFIES RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AS POSSIBLY CARCINOGENIC TO HUMANS

Lyon, France, May 31, 2011 ‐‐ The WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer (1), associated with wireless phone use.

Background

Over the last few years, there has been mounting concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless communication devices. The number of mobile phone subscriptions is estimated at 5 billion globally.

From May 24–31 2011, a Working Group of 31 scientists from 14 countries has been meeting at IARC in Lyon, France, to assess the potential carcinogenic hazards from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. These assessments will be published as Volume 102 of the IARC Monographs, which will be the fifth volume in this series to focus on physical agents, after Volume 55 (Solar Radiation), Volume 75 and Volume 78 on ionizing radiation (X‐rays, gamma‐rays, neutrons, radio‐nuclides), and Volume 80 on non‐ionizing radiation (extremely low‐frequency electromagnetic fields).

The IARC Monograph Working Group discussed the possibility that these exposures might induce long‐term health effects, in particular an increased risk for cancer. This has relevance for public health, particularly for users of mobile phones, as the number of users is large and growing, particularly among young adults and children.

The IARC Monograph Working Group discussed and evaluated the available literature on the following exposure categories involving radiofrequency electromagnetic fields:

  • occupational exposures to radar and to microwaves;
  • environmental exposures associated with transmission of signals for radio, television and
    wireless telecommunication; and
  • personal exposures associated with the use of wireless telephones.


International experts shared the complex task of tackling the exposure data, the studies ofcancer in humans, the studies of cancer in experimental animals, and the mechanistic and other relevant data.

Results

The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited (2) among users of wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate (3)to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The evidence from the occupational and environmental exposures mentioned above was similarly judged inadequate. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10‐year period).

Conclusions

Dr Jonathan Samet (University of Southern California, USA), overall Chairman of the Working Group, indicated that "the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classification. The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk."

"Given the potential consequences for public health of this classification and findings," said IARC Director Christopher Wild, "it is important that additional research be conducted into the long‐term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands‐free devices or texting."

The Working Group considered hundreds of scientific articles; the complete list will be published in the Monograph. It is noteworthy to mention that several recent in‐press scientific articles(4)resulting from the Interphone study were made available to the working group shortly before it was due to convene, reflecting their acceptance for publication at that time, and were included in the evaluation.

A concise report summarizing the main conclusions of the IARC Working Group and the
evaluations of the carcinogenic hazard from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (including
the use of mobile telephones) will be published in The Lancet Oncology in its July 1 issue, and in a few days online.


(1) 237 913 new cases of brain cancers (all types combined) occurred around the world in 2008 (gliomas represent 2/3 of these). Source: Globocan 2008

(2) 'Limited evidence of carcinogenicity': A positive association has been observed between exposure to the agent and cancer for which a causal interpretation is considered by the Working Group to be credible, but chance, bias or confounding could not be ruled out with reasonable confidence.

(3) 'Inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity': The available studies are of insufficient quality, consistency or statistical power to permit a conclusion regarding the presence or absence of a causal association between exposure and cancer, or no data on cancer in humans are available.

(4) a. 'Acoustic neuroma risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case‐control study' (the Interphone Study Group, in Cancer Epidemiology, in press)
b. 'Estimation of RF energy absorbed in the brain from mobile phones in the Interphone study' (Cardis et al., Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in press)
c. 'Risk of brain tumours in relation to estimated RF dose from mobile phones – results from five Interphone countries' (Cardis et al., Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in press)
d. 'Location of Gliomas in Relation to Mobile Telephone Use: A Case‐Case and Case‐Specular Analysis' (American Journal of Epidemiology, May 24, 2011. [Epub ahead of print]

Quantum effect transistor is the world's smallest, hopes to make a big impact

Posted: 31 May 2011 10:28 AM PDT

What's better than billions of transistors? Billions of miniature two-nanometer ones, leaving room for billions more. A team of researchers accomplished just that, using the quantum effect to shrink these semiconductors -- and set a new size record in the process -- while also managing to keep them operating at room temperature. The team of South Korean, Japanese, and British researchers at Chungbuk National University expect them to "enhance the capabilities of mobile electronic devices" -- a mighty vague claim if ever there was one. Not one for modesty, lead researcher Choi Jung-bum proclaims that it "effectively changes the paradigm of such devices." With no word on mass production, though, we'll just have to wait and see for ourselves how big of an impact these lilliputian circuits will have.

[Thanks, Rohit]

Garmin announces redesigned line of eTrex GPS handhelds with enhanced geocaching

Posted: 31 May 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Lost hikers and outdoorsmen will soon have yet another arrow to add to their navigational quivers, now that Garmin has decided to upgrade its eTrex line of GPS handhelds. The refresh, announced this morning, will bring three new models to the eTrex family during the third quarter of this year. First up is the eTrex 10 -- a basic, $120 little guy that carries a global database of locations, as well as a monochrome display that can be read under the sun. The $200 eTrex 20, on the other hand, displays images in 65k color on a 2.2-inch screen and can support topographic, roadway and marine maps. At the high end of the spectrum is the eTrex 30 ($300), which offers all the features you'll find on the eTrex 20, plus a tilt-compensated electronic compass, barometric altimeter and wireless data transfer capabilities. All three models allow users to download geocached information directly to their devices and boast a lengthy 25-hour battery life -- giving you plenty of time to find your bearings before calling in the rescue squad. Full PR after the break.
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The New eTrex®: Garmin®'s Best Selling GPS Handheld Just Got Better

OLATHE, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the redesigned and upgraded eTrex® handheld GPS device – evolving from one of the world's most reliable and popular handhelds, with millions sold. This entry level option has been given enhanced ergonomics, an improved interface, paperless geocaching and in certain models, a 65k color screen with expanded mapping capabilities. These new additions - along with up to 25 hours of battery life - make the new eTrex more versatile and user-friendly, while maintaining its storied toughness and durability. The eTrex was announced in preparation for the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO, where it will be prominently displayed at the Garmin booth June 3-5.

"The eTrex has been a staple within our handheld GPS lineup for over 10 years and has been a favorite among hikers, hunters and geocachers who want the basics; simple, compact, lightweight and accurate"

"The eTrex has been a staple within our handheld GPS lineup for over 10 years and has been a favorite among hikers, hunters and geocachers who want the basics; simple, compact, lightweight and accurate," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "Using our industry leading experience and innovative technology, we designed the new eTrex to stand up against whatever Mother Nature throws at it."

Go Green, Go Paperless: Take this powerful pocket-size GPS device with you on your next geocaching adventure and leave the paper print-outs at home. The new eTrex series supports geocaching GPX files for downloading geocache locations and details straight to the unit using its high-speed USB connection. The eTrex stores and displays key information, including location, terrain, difficulty, hints and descriptions, which means no more manually entering coordinates and those paper print outs! To start paperless geocaching, simply upload the GPX file to your unit and start hunting for caches. Caches can be downloaded from OpenCaching.com, a completely free online community for creating, sharing and finding geocaches around the world.

Save Green: For the budget savvy consumer looking for a basic GPS device, Garmin offers eTrex 10. This basic handheld GPS is armed with a sunlight-readable monochrome display and a worldwide basemap making it easier than ever to know where you are and where you are headed next. eTrex 10 is the perfect device for families looking to get into the growing community of geocaching, yet is robust enough for an avid hunter to mark his or her favorite spots with. To see eTrex in action visit, www.garmin.com/eTrex

See The Way: View a wide array of detailed topographic, marine, and road maps on eTrex 20 and 30, thanks to the enhanced 2.2 inch 65k color, sunlight readable display. Sold separately, those maps include TOPO U.S. 24K to hit the trail, BlueChart® g2 preloaded cards for a great day on the water or City Navigator® maps for turn-by-turn routing on roads. Download BaseCamp™ (www.garmin.com/basecamp), a free utility that allows users to plan and manage trips, routes, tracks, and waypoints and transfer them between the computer and eTrex. BaseCamp lets users view both 24K and 100K topo maps in 2D or 3D renderings. Another convenient window depicts the elevation profile currently displayed. And with Track Draw, users can trace a fluid track and get an immediate elevation profile to determine the difficulty of their hike or geocaching adventure.

Stay on Course: eTrex 30 takes all the features mentioned and adds a built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows your heading even when you're standing still, without holding it level. Also added is a barometric altimeter which tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude and wireless unit-to-unit data transfer with compatible devices. This top of the line offering within the new eTrex series was designed for the outdoor enthusiasts who want easy access to the most amount of information in small compact product.

The new eTrex devices are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2011. The eTrex 10 and 20 have a suggested retail price of $119.99 and $199.99, respectively. The eTrex 30 has a suggested retail price of $299.99. Additional information about the eTrex series is available at www.garmin.com or www.garmin.blogs.com. Garmin has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' lives, making it a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries.

Apple brings iWork to iPhone and iPod touch

Posted: 31 May 2011 09:21 AM PDT

It's been available on the iPad since that device launched, and now Apple has finally brought its iWork suite of productivity apps to the iPhone and iPod touch. That, of course, includes Keynote, Pages and Numbers, which are all now universal apps that run the same $9.99 apiece as their iPad-only predecessors -- current users can simply upgrade for free, thankfully. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Show full PR text
Apple iWork Now Available For iPhone & iPod touch Users

CUPERTINO, California-May 31, 2011-Apple® today announced that its groundbreaking iWork® productivity apps, Keynote®, Pages® and Numbers®, are now available for iPhone® and iPod touch®, as well as iPad®. Created for the Mac® and then completely redesigned for iOS and Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface, Keynote, Pages and Numbers allow you to create and share stunning presentations, beautifully formatted documents and powerful spreadsheets on the go. iWork apps are available on the App Store™ for $9.99 each to new users and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers.

"Now you can use Keynote, Pages and Numbers on iPhone and iPod touch to create amazing presentations, documents and spreadsheets right in the palm of your hand," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The incredible Retina display, revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and our powerful software make it easy to create, edit, organize and share all of your documents from iPhone 4 or iPod touch."

Keynote, Pages and Numbers import and export documents from iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office; print wirelessly using AirPrint™; and include beautiful Apple-designed themes and templates. All iWork apps now include improved document management with thumbnail images that let you find your files quickly, organize them and group them into folders using intuitive gestures. From the Tools button in the toolbar, you can easily share any presentation, document or spreadsheet without leaving the app.

Keynote makes it easy to create impressive presentations, complete with animated charts and transitions. You can play your presentation in Full Screen view on the stunning, high-resolution Retina™ display or connect to a projector or HDTV for a large audience. Available separately, the Keynote Remote app allows your iPhone or iPod touch to control a Keynote presentation on any iOS device or Mac.

Pages is the most beautiful word processor ever designed for a mobile device and has everything you need to create amazing documents. Pages takes full advantage of the high-resolution Retina display on iPhone 4 and iPod touch so you can see all the detail and richness of your documents. To make working with text easy on iPhone and iPod touch, Smart Zoom automatically zooms in to follow the cursor while you're editing and zooms back out when you're done.

Numbers uses Multi-Touch gestures and an intelligent keyboard to help you create compelling, great-looking spreadsheets with over 250 easy-to-use functions, flexible tables and eye-catching charts. Just like Pages, Numbers takes advantage of the high-resolution Retina display and Smart Zoom to make working with text and cells on iPhone 4 or iPod touch easy.

Pricing & Availability
Keynote, Pages and Numbers are universal apps that run on iPad and iPad 2, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). Keynote, Pages and Numbers are available from the App Store for $9.99 (US) each for new users, or as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers. Keynote Remote is sold separately via the App Store for 99 cents (US).

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Ion iCade Arcade Cabinet review

Posted: 31 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT


The iCade Arcade Cabinet began as an April Fool's joke in 2010, but this golden unicorn of iPad accessories has actually made it to production, showing up at our door last week. iCade creator ThinkGeek partnered with Ion to make this former imaginary gadget a reality, and so far it appears to be a hit, backordered for weeks soon after hitting the online store in April. The $100 cabinet pairs with your iPad or iPad 2 over bluetooth, bringing familiar hardware arcade controls to the Atari's Greatest Hits app, which includes classics like Missile Command (free), and Pong, which you can download from within the free Atari app for $1. The iCade is an awesome addition to your gaming collection, but it won't replace the hours of coin-dropping at your local arcade. Read on to find out why this accessory may become a permanent fixture on our desk.
Ion iCade

Design and Assembly

With a footprint roughly as high and wide as two iPads stacked horizontally, the iCade is compact enough to sit comfortably on a tabletop. It's almost more functional as a piece of art than an iPad game controller, but the joystick and eight arcade-style buttons certainly attracted some nostalgic Atari fans when we had it sitting out in the open in the office. The cabinet requires minor assembly -- shipping in five pieces, along with screws and an allen wrench -- but if you can throw together a particle board IKEA EXPEDIT desk you shouldn't have a problem here. The iCade looks remarkably similar to the April Fools mock-up, with an identical joystick and similar false coin slot, though the final version adds six arcade buttons and nixes the single/multi-player buttons on the front.



We were up and running within 15 minutes of opening the box, including assembly, pairing over Bluetooth, and downloading Atari's Greatest Hits, which includes 100 classic Atari games that work with the iCade's Bluetooth controls. Powered by a pair of AA batteries, the controller is completely wireless, though you can feed your dock connector cable through the bottom and out to your own power source, charging your iPad as you spend hours defending the world from a dozen pixelated missiles. We didn't wear down the included batteries down during a couple days of casual use, but you can also add an AC adapter, just in case you find yourself flying through AA's while obliterating Asteroids.



Gaming and Controls

The iCade connects to your iPad over Bluetooth, and the joystick and buttons pull double duty here, representing specific passcode numbers during that rather seamless process. After pairing your iPad, you can wake up your device and get back to gaming whenever you want simply by tapping the joystick or other controls. We launched other portrait-oriented games, but it only appears to work with the Atari app. We also tried pairing with a Nexus S 4G, but that didn't work, likely because Android required the passcode to be entered on the handset, and there isn't one provided with the iCade (and no, none of the default passcodes worked).

Chances are you won't be rocking out to Aerosmith while gaming at home, so you'll definitely notice the audible click each time you tap on a button -- which can be fairly often, depending on the game. There appears to be a gratuitous number of arcade buttons, since you'll only use two to five of the included eight, except when typing in your Bluetooth passcode. The control layout varies slightly depending on the game, but activating pause mode displays a layout on-screen, with the iPad indicating input mapping as you move around the arcade buttons. The joystick also isn't as smooth as seasoned arcade gamers would expect, activating four clearly defined buttons rather than gliding on an axis, but for a $100 gimmick accessory, it'll do just fine.



Wrap-Up

Keeping in mind that the iCade's creators never expected it to hit a production line, we're impressed at how closely the device mimics ThinkGeek's original design. $100 may be a lot to spend on an iPad accessory (though it's less than the $150 price tag proposed on April 1, 2010), but the arcade cabinet is well-constructed, and simply looks awesome on our desk. It's also the only accessory that we can see hanging on to for decades, long after we think of the iPad 2 as a thick, overweight relic that didn't even include a built-in handset or hoverboard mode.

DIY iPad music breakout gives pro-grade stage presence, mixes circuitry with art (video)

Posted: 31 May 2011 08:42 AM PDT

If you're thinking this iPad audio breakout dock looks remarkably good considering its DIY origins, then you should know it wasn't put together by any old screwball with a soldering iron. Nope, this was made by Qubais "Reed" Ghazala, a very particular old screwball who's been blurring the lines between circuitry, music and art since the Summer of Love (that's 1967 on a normal calendar). His latest invention is all about getting pro-grade sound connections into and out of an iPad 2 -- much like an Alesis dock or Akai SynthStation, but with that special "I made this" charm and minimal price tag. Key ingredients include a Macally aluminium iPad stand and a 30-pin PodBreakout board. Hit the video after the break to get further instructions and hear Ghazala's "bottomless well of chance music" -- both come at your own risk.

Eutelsat's Ka-Sat satellite goes into service, provides broadband to 13 million homes across Europe

Posted: 31 May 2011 08:12 AM PDT

Europe's already extensive broadband coverage may be expanding even further, now that Eutelsat's Ka-Sat satellite has officially gone into service. The new craft, which launched from Kazakhstan in late December, uses spotbeam technology to generate areas of connectivity that are about 250 kilometers wide, with each beam carrying a total capacity of 900Mbps. Unlike the Hylas 1, its reach will extend far across the continent, providing Tooway's high-bandwidth services to 13 million households in remote locations. Subscribers will have download speeds of up to 10Mbps and upload rates of 4Mbps, though they'll still have to put up with latency on the order of 250ms, making life even more difficult for Eastern European OnLive gamers. Of course, this access won't come for free, but Ka-Sat's 82-beam network structure significantly lowers its operating costs, allowing Eutelsat to offer prices that are on par with market rates. According to company CEO Michel de Rosen, customers should expect to pay around €30 for basic service, in addition to €250 they'd have to spend on a 77cm satellite dish. That's not necessarily a small amount of cash for low-income families to fork over, but at least they'll have an option that didn't exist before. Head past the break for a video about Tooway's Ka-Sat services, along with a full PR.


Show full PR text
Eutelsat's KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite Goes Live

New-generation Tooway(TM) Broadband Services now Available Across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin

PARIS, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced the commercial entry into service of its KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite, marking the official launch of its new-generation Tooway(TM) broadband service.

Eutelsat's high-capacity all Ka-band system, combining satellite and on-ground infrastructure, opens a new chapter in the market for satellite-based IP services. As a powerful new platform for delivering high-bandwidth services to users beyond range of terrestrial networks, it can deliver cost-effective and competitive solutions that contribute to building inclusive digital economies across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.

Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO commented on the entry into service: "The entry into service of KA-SAT, the world's most powerful spotbeam satellite, turns a new page in affordable and immediately available IP solutions, and places Europe at the forefront of high-capacity satellite technologies that can serve to quickly close the broadband gap. We look forward to working with our service and technology partners to unleash the huge potential of this new pan-European wireless infrastructure."

Up to 10 Mbps immediately available for consumers irrespective of location

The new-generation Tooway(TM) system now running through KA-SAT, and shown live today in locations from Dublin to Athens, is a cost-effective and immediate response to users waiting to access the benefits of broadband irrespective of their location. Europe's broadband map* shows that at least 13 million households are still beyond range of ADSL, and 17 million access the Internet at speeds below 2 Mbps, which closes the door to many media-rich applications that users today expect to use on a daily basis.

* European Union member states, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia.

Operated by Eutelsat's Skylogic affiliate, Tooway(TM) can provide homes with an always-on service delivering speeds of up to 10 Mbps downstream and 4 Mbps upstream. The customer equipment comprises a small satellite dish (77 cm) and a sleek modem, which is connected to a PC or Mac via an Ethernet connection. Customers can select professional or self installation. The equipment is installed by pointing the dish to 9degrees East using an included sound beeper and following indications on-screen to activate the modem. The Tooway(TM) system can also be used for Voice over IP and IPTV. With a dual-feed (Ku-Ka), Direct-to-Home reception of television channels from adjacent broadcast satellites is also possible.

Tooway(TM) consumer service packages

Skylogic is now offering Tooway(TM) in four standardised classes with speeds and volumes adapted to user needs, ranging from part-time surfing to intensive home working. Prices are set and commercialised to end users by Tooway(TM) distributors, with service available from 1 euro per day. More information on the distributor network is available on http://www.tooway.com.

Service classes

Tooway(TM) 6 Tooway(TM) 8 Tooway(TM) 10 Tooway(TM) 10+
Max Downlink 6 Mbps 8 Mbps 10 Mbps 10 Mbps
Max Uplink 1 Mbps 2 Mbps 2 Mbps 4 Mbps


High throughput capability for professional applications

KA-SAT will also respond to professional requirements for higher bandwidth and/or higher quality services for applications including private networks, broadband access for businesses and institutions, back-up services and remote monitoring (SCADA). For this type of use, the Tooway(TM) terminal can deliver speeds of up to 40 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream. An advanced system, which will shortly be available, will increase speeds to 50 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream.

KA-SAT's high throughput Ka-band capability also opens opportunities for cost effective Satellite Newsgathering, including in HD, using lightweight easily transportable uplink antennas connected to the basic Tooway(TM) modem. Broadcasters and news agencies will be able to automatically schedule and book capacity via an Internet-based schedule. Broadcasters and video service providers can also take advantage of the spotbeam coverage of the KA-SAT satellite architecture to deliver content in a single beam or multiple beams for regional and local television and corporate TV networks.

KA-SAT - pioneering a new generation of multi-spotbeam satellite for Europe

Built for Eutelsat by Astrium, KA-SAT ushers in a new generation of multi-spotbeam high-capacity satellites. Its revolutionary concept is based on a payload with 82 narrow spotbeams connected to 10 ground stations. This configuration enables frequencies to be reused 20 times and takes total throughput to beyond 70 Gbps. The ground network uses ViaSat's SurfBeam(R) 2 technology, an advanced version of the technology already powering broadband connectivity for 500,000 satellite homes in North America. The combination of KA-SAT's exceptional capacity and SurfBeam(R) 2 will make it possible to deliver Internet connectivity at speeds comparable to ADSL for more than one million homes in Europe and large parts of the Mediterranean Basin.

Chaufr lets you shout searches, yell URLs at Chrome

Posted: 31 May 2011 07:51 AM PDT

Chaufr
Generally, shouting commands at the internet isn't going to get you very far but, if you're just yelling a few destinations and search terms, Chrome extension Chaufr can take you where you need to go. A previous add-on, Speechify, let you speak to fill input fields, but couldn't help you actually navigate the web. Chaufr, on the other hand, lets you simply say the magic word -- "Engadget" -- and it drops you right at our online doorstep. You can also use it to perform searches by saying Wikipedia, Google, Amazon, YouTube, or Yahoo followed by whatever it is you're looking for. It worked well enough in our brief hands-on, but we do have one nit to pick -- activating voice input requires you click on an icon in the tool bar then click on a microphone in the drop down menu. (Can't a brother get a keyboard shortcut?) You can try it out for yourself by clicking on the source link.

Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think

Posted: 31 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT

Remember the rumor about an upcoming Acer laptop housing a super thin LG Shuriken display? Well, here it is at Computex. Thanks to the crazy thin bezel, we noticed this TravelMate 8481 series laptop quietly chilling out in a corner at Acer's booth, though upon closer inspection it turned out that the bezel is slightly deceptive. What's really happening here is that while the screen module (which includes the 1.3 megapixel webcam) really is eating away the bezel, the actual LCD (14.1 inches at 1,366 x 768) isn't really touching the edge. Still, it's one helluva slim display thanks to LG's display technology and Acer's carbon fiber chassis.

Other highlights include Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce GT520M, up to 320GB of hard drive space, up to 13 hours of battery life, USB 3.0 with power-off charging, fingerprint reader, HDMI, and Bluetooth 3.0. Oh, and like some of the ThinkPads, the mouse buttons use the same mechanism as the keyboard keys for better clicking experience, though it might not be everyone's cup of tea. No prices announced just yet, but keep an eye out for a global launch around mid-June. Video after the break.
Acer TravelMate 8481 series laptop shown off with super thin bezel, or so you think

Samsung Galaxy Player priced on Best Buy mobile app, dares you to rate it

Posted: 31 May 2011 07:06 AM PDT

Look at what one curious tipster stumbled upon while thumbing through Best Buy's mobile app -- it's the five-inch version of Samsung's soon to be released Galaxy Player. The PMP is, for most intents and purposes, the Galaxy S handset devoid of that pesky 3G and calling functionality -- in fact, it's still known as the Galaxy S WiFi elsewhere in the world. Priced at $270, according to the app, the 8GB touchscreen player has two cameras (a VGA on the front and and 3.0 megapixel on the rear), a microSD slot, and an FM tuner. Back in March, we heard that the music player would be hitting our shores this spring, between this and its FCC appearance a couple of months back, we've got our fingers crossed that it will still make it in under the wire.

[Thanks, Josafat]

SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on

Posted: 31 May 2011 06:47 AM PDT

SanDisk has been pumping out press releases all day thanks to Computex-mania, so we shuffled past its stall to see what all the fuss is about. The biggest news is the U100 range of tiny SSDs for ultraportables, which crank data in and out at twice the speed of SanDisk's previous generation P4 drives. We're talking 450MB/s reads and 340MB/s writes thanks to the latest SATA III interface, plus a max capacity of 256GB -- specs which have already enticed ASUS to use the U100 in its lightweight UX-series notebooks. Mass production is expected in Q3 of this year. Specs table and triple-shot of PR coming up after the break, plus a gallery showing size comparisons of the U100 SSD in its glorious mSATA and Mini mSATA varieties, stacked up against some common objects like a 2.5-inch SSD drive, an HP Veer, and a vaguely goth bracelet.

Meanwhile, SanDisk hasn't forgotten about our desperate need for faster tablets. The company has doubled the speed of its existing iNAND embedded flash modules, and is also releasing a brand new SATA III drive, the i100, specifically for this form factor. The i100 maxes out at 128GB and achieves a significantly slower write speed (160MB/s) than the U100, but it has same impressive read speed (450MB/s) -- which should mean nippier tablets in the not-too-distant future.
SanDisk U100 mSATA SSD hands-on



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SANDISK LAUNCHES TWO NEW SOLID STATE DRIVES (SSD) FOR TABLETS AND ULTRA-THIN NOTEBOOKS

New SSDs combine fast SATA III performance with power consumption as low as 10mW1-enable feature-rich computing platforms with longer battery life
SanDisk® SSD series' U100 drive for ultra-thin notebooks offers SATA III performance and customized form factors
SanDisk® iSSD™ integrated storage device series' i100 drive is the world's smallest, fastest 128 gigabyte (GB)2 (SATA III) BGA-based SSD-ideal for slim, high-performance tablets and ultra-thin notebooks
Sampling now with volume production scheduled for Q3 2011

Computex, Taiwan, May 31, 2011- SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today introduced two new solid state drives (SSDs) for the mobile computing market. The U100 drive, successor to the popular SanDisk® P4 modular SSD series, delivers a flexible, cost-effective solution for ultra-thin notebooks. The SanDisk® iSSD™ integrated storage device series' i100 drive is the world's smallest, fastest 128 gigabyte (GB)2 (SATA III) BGA (ball grid array) SSD and an ideal storage solution for slim, powerful tablets and ultra-thin notebooks.

The new SSDs utilize the high-performance SATA III interface to improve application loading times, web-browsing speeds, multimedia synchronization, file-transfer rates and overall system responsiveness. The drives employ a low-power architecture that reduces power consumption to as low as 10mW1. This combination of high performance and low power allows OEMs to develop feature-rich products with longer battery life.

"Our deep involvement with key ecosystem stakeholders allows us to align our products with fast-moving market requirements," said Rizwan Ahmed, director, SSD product marketing, SanDisk. "We develop low-power, high-performance SATA SSDs that optimally fit into a growing number of thin client devices."

SanDisk® SSD Series' U100 Drive for Ultra-Thin Notebooks
The U100 drive builds upon the successful SanDisk P4 modular SSD series, which enjoyed widespread adoption among ultra-thin notebooks and other mobile computing platforms. U100 supports an array of design needs and is available in a variety of form factors, including Half-Slim SATA SSD, mSATA, mSATA mini, 2.5" cased, as well as customized modules.

The U100 drive delivers fast SATA III performance with up to 450 megabyte per second (MB/sec)3 sequential read and up to 340MB/sec sequential write speeds3. The drive's low-power architecture allows OEMs to extend their products' battery life while maintaining high performance. The drive is available in 8GB to 256GB capacities, and OEMs, attracted to the outstanding price/performance value proposition, are already successfully integrating the new SSD into their next-generation platforms.

SanDisk® iSSD™ for Tablets
The i100 drive is the smallest, fastest 128GB (SATA III) BGA-based SSD on the market and the newest product in the SanDisk iSSD integrated storage device series. The drive is available in 8GB to 128GB capacities, offering OEMs a flexible range of storage options. Measuring only 16mm x 20mm x 1.4mm (for up to 64GB) and 16mm x 20mm x 1.85mm (for 128GB), the drive allows OEMs to design sleek, high-performance tablets and ultra-thin notebooks.

The drive's SATA performance achieves up to 450MB/sec3 sequential read and up to 160MB/sec sequential write speeds3. The i100 drive can improve sideloading rates, multitasking capabilities, real-time gaming experience and multimedia synchronization-all while extending battery life via its low-power architecture.

New SSDs Offer Additional Benefits

Drives support Power Classes for flexible performance and power-budget control capabilities
nCache™ Acceleration Technology provides fast random burst write performance for improved system responsiveness and multitasking functionality
Based on a JEDEC-standard package for industry compliance

The i100 and U100 drives are sampling now with volume production scheduled for Q3 2011.

1 With Slumber (SATA PHY state) Power mode with DIPM enabled. Lower Power modes can be achieved by implementing advanced low power management techniques. Technical specifications are preliminary and subject to change.

2 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.

3 Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host configuration. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. Technical Specification are preliminary and subject to change.

SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from
http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/media.asp
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com

© 2011 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder (s).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, applications, features, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or our products may not be available in the capacities that we anticipate, our products may not perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.

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ASUS SELECTS SANDISK SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD) FOR NEW ULTRA-THIN NOTEBOOK

SanDisk creates customized form factor to meet ASUS' design requirements
New U100 drive combines SATA III performance with low-power architecture
ASUS UX Series ultra-thin notebook measures 0.3cm to 1.7cm and weighs 1.1kg with an 11.6" screen

Computex, Taiwan, May 31, 2011- SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that ASUS has selected the U100 drive for use in the new UX Series ultra-thin notebook. The drive's flexible, cost-effective SATA III performance and low power consumption allows ASUS to deliver a sleek, powerful notebook with a long battery life.

The recently announced U100 drive builds upon the successful SanDisk® P4 modular SSD series, which is widely used in ultra-thin notebooks and other mobile computing platforms. The ASUS UX Series notebooks measure 0.3cm to 1.7cm thick and weigh only 1.1kg while providing remarkable performance with a SATA III SSD, Intel® core CPU and Instant-On technology.

"SanDisk tailored their SSD to meet our specific needs and then helped us optimize the drive in our new UX Series notebook," said S. Y. Shian, corporate vice president and general manager, notebook business unit, ASUS. "SanDisk's U100 drive allows our notebook to achieve the thin size, fast performance and long battery life needed to produce an enjoyable user experience."

"The ASUS UX Series notebook combines advanced features with the portability that consumers demand from a mobile computing platform," said Kevin Conley, senior vice president, solid state drives, SanDisk. "Our form factor miniaturization leadership enabled us to customize the U100 drive according to ASUS' needs while providing high performance and low power consumption."

The U100 drive delivers fast SATA III performance with up to 450 megabyte per second (MB/sec)1 sequential read and up to 340MB/sec sequential write speeds1. The drive's low-power architecture allows OEMs to extend battery life while maintaining high performance. The U100 is available in a variety of form factors, including Half-Slim SATA SSD, mSATA, mSATA mini and 2.5" cased, with capacities ranging from 8 gigabytes (GB)2 to 256GB.

SanDisk SSDs Offer Additional Benefits

nCache™ Acceleration Technology3 provides fast random burst write performance for improved system responsiveness and multitasking functionality
Based on a JEDEC-standard package for industry compliance

1 Based on SanDisk internal testing of sequential read and write speeds; performance may be lower depending upon host configuration, host device, OS and application. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. Technical Specifications are preliminary and subject to change.

2 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.

3 nCache™ acceleration technology is a large Non Volatile Write Cache, a unique feature in SanDisk U100 SSD that improves random write performance to ensures an improved user experience. Studies show that modern operating systems mostly access the storage device using 4k access blocks. The cache is filled during these small write commands and emptied during idle time when the host is not accessing the drive, with no risk of data loss. For a typical everyday use, the write performance that the users see is the nCache™ (burst) high performance, and not steady state (sustained) SanDisk U100 SSD performance. Based on IOmeter 4K random write test.

SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from
http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/media.asp
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com

© 2011 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. nCache is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder (s).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, applications, features, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or our products may not perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.

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SANDISK RAISES PERFORMANCE BAR WITH INAND EXTREME™ EMBEDDED STORAGE FOR TABLETS AND MOBILE DEVICES

Improves Multimedia Synchronization, File-Transfer Speeds and Operating System Responsiveness

New device broadens SanDisk's segmented embedded storage lineup, which includes iNAND™ and iNAND Ultra® devices
Features up to 50MB/sec sequential write and up to 80MB/sec sequential read speeds

Computex, Taiwan, May 31, 2011- SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today introduced the iNAND™ Extreme® embedded flash drive (EFD), SanDisk's first in a new line of products designed for high-end tablets running advanced operating systems and data-intensive applications. The drive features up to 50 megabyte per second (MB/sec)1 sequential write and up to 80MB/sec sequential read speeds.

High-performance embedded flash storage can significantly improve a tablet's multimedia synchronization speeds, file-transfer rates and operating system responsiveness. Fast sequential performance is essential when capturing HD2 and 3D2 video content or when transferring large files via the high-speed USB 3.0 interface. By selecting the iNAND Extreme EFD for their next-generation tablet designs, OEMs can improve the key performance criteria that produce an enjoyable user experience.

"iNAND Extreme broadens our embedded product line to cover the needs of all mobile market segments, from feature phones to high-end tablets," said Amir Lehr, vice president, embedded business, SanDisk. "We offer OEMs high-quality products as well as the experience and technical know-how needed to optimize our solutions for specific applications and usage scenarios."

SanDisk engineers work closely with mobile and tablet manufacturers to ensure they integrate iNAND™ products for optimal performance and efficiency in new hardware designs. SanDisk developed its e.MMC based iNAND Extreme EFDs through industry-leading mobile usage analysis capabilities and the experience accumulated through many successful mobile and consumer electronic designs. Already a dominant choice for embedded smartphone storage, the e.MMC interface has quickly established itself as an attractive solution for the tablet market.

"The embedded application market is experiencing significant growth through the increasing popularity and variety of mobile computing platforms," said Jeff Janukowicz, research manager, solid state storage technology, IDC. "Companies with broad embedded product lineups and value-added services have an increasing capability to meet the diverse needs within the mobile market."

Available in a highly compact 12mm x 16mm JEDEC package with heights as low as 1.0mm, the iNAND Extreme EFD enables slim and highly portable mobile and tablet designs. By conserving internal space, the drive allows more room for other components such as larger batteries-particularly important in high-end tablets with demanding energy needs or larger screens.

The iNAND Extreme EFD comes in 16 gigabyte (GB)3 to 64GB capacities and is scheduled for sampling in Q3 2011. The new drive expands SanDisk's segmented embedded storage lineup, which includes iNAND and iNAND Ultra drives for handsets and tablets.

SanDisk iNAND and iNAND Ultra EFDs
The iNAND EFD is available in storage capacities ranging from 2GB to 64GB for quick integration into handsets and other designs that require an e.MMC interface. The drive features up to 30MB/sec read and up to 13MB/sec write speeds and can serve as a reliable boot device and mass storage solution. The iNAND Ultra EFD offers up to 40MB/sec read and 20MB/sec write speeds that increase the system responsiveness of feature-rich smartphones that need fast, high-capacity storage in a small form factor.

All iNAND EFDs utilize a highly advanced caching technology that increases system responsiveness for faster application loading, web-browsing and multitasking. SanDisk works closely with all major mobile OEMs, chipset and operating system vendors to ensure tight integration between host and storage devices. This engagement is crucial to achieving a more enjoyable user experience and is a key reason why iNAND ranks among the leading e.MMC devices on the market.

1 Based on SanDisk internal testing of sequential read and write speeds; performance may be lower depending upon host device, OS and application. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. Technical Specifications are preliminary and subject to change.

2 Full HD, HD and 3D video support may vary based upon host device, file size, resolution, compression, bit rate, content and other factors. See www.sandisk.com/HD.

3 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.

© 2011 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. iNAND, iNAND Ultra and iNAND Extreme are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder (s).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, applications, features, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or our products may not be available in the capacities that we anticipate, our products may not perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.

MTM Snap project lets you build your own CNC machine so you can build more stuff

Posted: 31 May 2011 06:25 AM PDT

It may not be quite capable enough to let you build your own Weighted Companion Cube, but those looking to try their hand at a DIY CNC milling machine won't likely find many more straightforward options than the MTM Snap. Built by Jonathan Ward of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, the machine itself is constructed from some high-density polyethylene parts milled on a ShopBot (which simply snap together as the name suggests), and it's controlled by an Arduino board that lets you operate it from any Mac, Windows or Linux computer. Unfortunately, you can't simply buy a kit and piece it all together, but Jonathan's made all of the plans for building your own available, and says it shouldn't cost you any more than $700 from start to finish. Head on past the break for a video of the finished product in action.


Apple to unveil iCloud, iOS 5 on Monday, June 6

Posted: 31 May 2011 05:40 AM PDT

Apple to unveil iCloud Monday, June 6
Had some doubts that Apple was heading skyward? Those lingering concerns can now be put to rest. Apple has confirmed that it will be announcing iCloud on June 6th, what it's calling an "upcoming cloud services offering." That will be part of the keynote for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, known to the cool kids as WWDC. This is, of course, where everyone has come to expect new iPhones to come to light, but this year we're thinking the focus will be more on software, and indeed Apple's event notice indicates that the big highlights will be Mac OS X Lion and the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5. This is a decidedly non-Apple way to announce something big like iCloud, making us wonder what other surprises Steve Jobs will have for us at the event -- yes, he'll be kicking things off. As ever you can find out as it happens here, live.

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Apple to Unveil Next Generation Software at Keynote Address on Monday, June 6

CUPERTINO, California-May 31, 2011-Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software - Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple's advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple's upcoming cloud services offering.

WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.

For more details, visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website at developer.apple.com/wwdc.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Nokia lowers devices and services outlook for Q2, increasingly confident about first Windows Phone in Q4

Posted: 31 May 2011 05:24 AM PDT

You know what happens when you tell the world that you're abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone? Right, Symbian sales dry up. No matter how many times you boast about plans to sell an additional 150 million new Symbian devices, and no matter how long you commit to supporting Symbian devices, the OS is essentially dead to developers and consumers alike. So, we're not surprised to hear that Nokia just lowered its devices and services outlook for Q2 of 2011. The updated guidance calls for devices and services net sales to be substantially below the EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion expected in Q2 due to lower than expected average selling prices on lower volumes. It also sees margins drifting below the expected range of 6 percent to 9 percent due to lower than expected net sales -- Nokia expects its non-IFRS operating margin to be "around breakeven." As as result, Nokia is also pulling back its annual targets for 2011 and will provide further updates as its situation becomes more clear.

On the positive side, Nokia does say that it has "increased confidence" that it will ship its first Windows Phone product in Q4 2011. Let's hope so.
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Nokia lowers Devices & Services second quarter 2011 outlook and updates full year 2011 outlook


Published May 31, 2011
Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
May 31, 2011 at 15:00 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today commented on factors impacting its business and updated its second quarter and full year 2011 outlook for Devices & Services. During the second quarter 2011, multiple factors are negatively impacting Nokia's Devices & Services business to a greater extent than previously expected. These factors include:

- the competitive dynamics and market trends across multiple price categories, particularly in China and Europe;
- a product mix shift towards devices with lower average selling prices and lower gross margins; and
- pricing tactics by Nokia and certain competitors.

Updated outlook for Devices & Services for the second quarter 2011:
- Nokia now expects Devices & Services net sales to be substantially below its previously expected range of EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion for the second quarter 2011. This update is primarily due to lower than previously expected average selling prices and mobile device volumes.
- Nokia now expects Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be substantially below its previously expected range of 6% to 9% for the second quarter 2011. This update is primarily due to lower than previously expected net sales. While visibility is very limited, Nokia's current view is that second quarter 2011 Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin could be around breakeven.

Updated outlook for Devices & Services for the full year 2011:
- Given the unexpected change in our outlook for the second quarter, Nokia believes it is no longer appropriate to provide annual targets for 2011. However, Nokia expects to continue to provide short-term quarterly forecasts in its interim reports as well as annual targets when circumstances allow it to do so.
- Nokia's previous targets for the third quarter, fourth quarter, and full year 2011 were: 1) Net sales in Devices & Services to be at approximately the same level in the third quarter 2011 as in the second quarter 2011, and seasonally higher in the fourth quarter 2011, compared to the third quarter 2011; 2) Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be between 6% and 9% in 2011. These targets are no longer valid.

Nokia is taking immediate action to address the issues that are impacting its Devices & Services business. Nokia's high-level strategic objectives and targets remain unchanged.

- Nokia is continuing to invest to bring new innovative capabilities to its Symbian line up. In addition, Nokia has taken price actions on its current smartphone portfolio, and Nokia is intensifying its focus on retail point-of-sales marketing.
- Nokia started shipping its new dual-SIM devices last week.
- Nokia remains pleased with its progress on its Windows Phone strategy, and has increased confidence that the first Nokia product with Windows Phone will ship in the fourth quarter 2011.
- Nokia remains committed to its target to reduce its Devices & Services non-IFRS operating expenses by EUR 1 billion for the full year 2013, compared to the full year 2010, and plans to implement these reductions as quickly and effectively as possible.
- After the transition, Nokia continues to target Devices & Services net sales to grow faster than the market and Devices & Services non-IFRS operating margin to be 10% or more.

"Strategy transitions are difficult. We recognize the need to deliver great mobile products, and therefore we must accelerate the pace of our transition," said Stephen Elop, president and CEO of Nokia. "Our teams are aligned, and we have increased confidence that we will ship our first Nokia product with Windows Phone in the fourth quarter 2011."

Nokia will provide its second quarter results and more details when it reports its Q2 2011 results on July 21, 2011.

Thermaltake Level 10 GT modded to the high heavens, shows off spacious interior (hands-on)

Posted: 31 May 2011 04:52 AM PDT

We'll readily admit that Thermaltake's Level 10 GT case isn't for everyone. Its exeskeleton-emulating protrusions don't exactly blend in well with living room decors, and the company seems to like it that way. Computex 2011 has been the victim host to a whole bevy of customized Level 10 GTs, which exhibit a love for all colors in the rainbow and a fascination with the humble LED light. Underneath the aesthetic excesses, however, you'll find a practical and very roomy case that'll happily serve as the fashion-challenged home to your next super rig. 200mm fans spin almost inaudibly, individual hard drive enclosures make hot-swapping storage a doddle, and as you'll see in the gallery below, all the mods feature retractable headphone hangers. What will they think of next?
Thermaltake Level 10 GT hands-on and mods at Computex

Samsung's new AMOLED production line should help ease smartphone display shortages

Posted: 31 May 2011 04:10 AM PDT

AMOLED displays may be in relatively short supply nowadays, but Samsung is doing its best to bridge the gap. Today, the company's Mobile Display unit announced that its 5.5th-generation AMOLED production line is now open, some two months ahead of schedule. The line uses glass substrates that are substantially larger than those found in its existing factories, allowing Samsung to increase output, while lowering costs. This increase in production comes in response to growing demand for the Galaxy S II and an AMOLED market that, according to DisplaySearch, should triple in value this year to $4.26 billion. For now, the production line is focusing on smartphone displays, since that's where demand is growing fastest, but will eventually turn its attention to tablet PC displays, as well. The new factory assembling the displays can currently churn out about three million screens per month, but is capable of ramping that up to 30 million, at full capacity. No word yet on when it will achieve this rate, but if SMD continues to boost its output, we may even see that market surplus we've been hearing about.

Pixel Qi takes aim at Android tablets with higher-res 10-inch and 7-inch reflective LCDs (hands-on)

Posted: 31 May 2011 03:36 AM PDT

We've been holding out hope for Pixel Qi devices for years, ever since we first heard that the OLPC spin-off would begin manufacturing its displays for use by any OEM looking for a battery-sipping LCD. Unfortunately, Mary Lou's LCDs, capable of switching between a sunlight-readable reflective mode and full-color transmissive state, have had limited uptake by some less than desirable partners. Still, the team has returned to Computex with the 7-inch (1024 x 600) panel that was teased in December last year and a new higher resolution 10-inch (1280 x 800) panels offering an 80 percent power savings over conventional LCDs, according to Pixel Qi. In fact, the 10-inch panel consumes just 2.7W in color mode or 0.4W in reflective "eReader" mode.

We had the chance to see the new displays up close here at Computex and were immediately struck by the improvement in pixel density on the 10-inch panel. Making the leap to WVGA has been a major boon, as identical images looked sharper and better-defined than on the 1024 x 600 current-gen Pixel Qi display. The brightness on the new screen is lower than on its predecessor, but that's because the company still hasn't finalized things -- we're promised significantly better readability with the backlight off in the final product and brighter pictures when it's on. The 7-incher, originally intended for mass production in the second quarter will now sample in Q3, to be followed by the more pixel-dense 10-inch model, which will hit production in Q4. Scope out the newness in the gallery below or jump past the break for video.
Pixel Qi 7-inch and 10-inch reflective LCDs at Computex 2011




Additional reporting by Vlad Savov

Android 2.1 update now available for AT&T Xperia X10

Posted: 31 May 2011 03:04 AM PDT

Sure, all your friends are rocking Android 2.3. But hey, quit complaining AT&T Xperia X10 owners, everyone knows that Eclair is way better than vanilla Froyo.

MSI WindPad 100A, 110W, and 120W hands-on at Computex 2011 (video)

Posted: 31 May 2011 02:37 AM PDT

What's this? It looks like the MSI WindPad 100A that we discovered at CES and the WindPad 110W that we first saw at CeBit decided to make an appearance on the show floor here at Computex 2011. Only this time around they brought a new friend along to the party -- namely the MSI WindPad 120W. To refresh your memory, the WindPad 100A is a 10-inch NVIDIA Tegra 2-equipped tablet running Android (Gingerbread here in Taipei, but potentially Honeycomb in the future) while the 110W uses AMD's Brazos platform paired with Windows 7. The Windpad 120W shares the same exact 10-inch chassis as the 110W but swaps AMD's Fusion APU for an Intel Cedar Trail-based chipset together with a tasty serving of WiDi and HSPA wireless. We still have no information about availability or pricing, but for now we invite you to check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on videos.
MSI WindPad 100A, 110W, and 120W hands-on at Computex 2011

Bronze makes your music collection sound downright lazy

Posted: 31 May 2011 01:58 AM PDT

No matter how large your record collection is, there'll always be days when you're sick and tired of everything you own. There are some pretty easy fixes to this, of course -- streaming music services, internet radio, and even the old fashioned terrestrial variety, but none attack the problem quite as directly as Bronze. The app was co-created by Golden Silvers' front man, Gwilym Gold, in part as a clever way to promote his new track, "Flesh Freeze," a hushed, Robert Wyatt-esque number, which just so happens to be the only song that it's compatible with at present. Bronze combats musical stagnation by altering the music itself, assuring that no two listens of a song are ever quite the same, running an algorithm that jumbles the sequence and presence of elements including the instruments and vocals. The changes are generally fairly subtle from play to play, taking a few listens to really pick up on what's unfolding. At present, it's available as a download for the Mac, with Windows and mobile versions to follow. It's free for now, but that, like the song, should change soon enough.

Sony promises global PSN restoration by week's end, except in some parts of Asia

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:58 AM PDT

It looks like Sony's long, PSN nightmare is finally coming to an end -- almost. Today, the company announced that it will restore PlayStation Network and Qriocity services in the Americas, Europe and most of Asia by week's end. The only exceptions are Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, where users will have to await further details before regaining full access. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, spokeswoman Yuki Kobayashi added that Sony is in the process of finalizing an agreement to protect credit card owners in these three countries, where authorities have taken a particularly cautious approach to the data breach. This means that the company won't see global restoration by the end of May, as previously hoped, but Kobayashi said the plans were delayed simply because Sony needed more time to fully secure its infrastructure (sound familiar?). You can read a lengthier explanation in the press release after the break.
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SONY AND SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE FULL RESTORATION OF PLAYSTATION®NETWORK SERVICES

Tokyo, May 31, 2011 – Sony Corporation and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced today that Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) will fully restore all PlayStation®Network services in the Americas, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, excluding Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea by the end of this week. The company will also resume Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™ for PlayStation®3 (PS3®), PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), VAIO and other PCs. Details for Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea as well as the remaining services on Qriocity will be announced as they become available.

The company implemented considerable security enhancements to the network infrastructure, as well as conducted testing of the payment process and commerce functions. The first phase of PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration began on May 15 in the Americas and Europe/PAL territories, followed by Japan and Asian countries and regions on May 28, when the company brought partial services back online. With this partial restoration users were able to access to some of the services such as online game play, account management, friend lists and chat functionality were restored. The full restoration of PlayStation Network as well as part of services to become available on Qriocity will include:

• Full functionality on PlayStation®Store
• In-game commerce
• Ability to redeem vouchers and codes
• Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and
other PCs
• Full functionality on Media Go

Customers will be able to purchase and download games and video content from the PlayStation®Store on PS3 or PSP. In addition, consumers will have full access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity through PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PC's. Service restoration of Video on Demand powered by Qriocity™ and Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for a variety of network-enabled Sony devices will be announced later.

"We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love," said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. "We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time."

The company will be offering customers a "Welcome Back" package of services and premium content to all registered PlayStation Network* and Qriocity account services. The details of this program will continue to be detailed regionally.

* Only available for those countries with access to PlayStation®Store.

Intel shows off Oak Trail-based Android Honeycomb tablets, confirms Android Market support

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:42 AM PDT

At a time when ARM and Android are dominating the mobile computing world, Intel's only just starting to catch up with some green robot-friendly prototypes, like these Oak Trail-based 10-inch tablets at Computex 2011. Starting from the left we have the Intel Green Ridge, Foxconn F150, Quanta QXZI, an unnamed Compal device, Intel Marco Polo 2, and Intel Carrot. Sadly, Intel wouldn't give the names of the ODMs behind its own reference tablets, so your guess is just as good as ours.

With the exception of the Gingerbread-powered Foxconn slate, these were all running on Honeycomb 3.0.1 OS -- well, we say running, but just barely. As you'll see in our hands-on video after the break, most of the devices were struggling to keep up with the launcher animation, and needless to say, Intel wasn't keen on letting us test video playback on them. We also noticed that Android Market was missing on the prototypes, but Intel assured us that it'll be available on the final products, and that current Android apps are already supported by Oak Trail. In terms of build quality it left much to be desired, though this is forgivable at a trade show; it's the software that we're concerned with. From what we've seen here at Computex, Android on Oak Trail is far from ready, so it'll be interesting to see if Acer can actually pull off a July launch for its rumored Oak Trail Honeycomb tablet.

Update: OK, our in-depth hands-on video is finally working. Check it out after the break.
Intel shows off Oak Trail-based Android Honeycomb tablets at Computex

Nokia X7 and E6 Symbian Anna phones start shipping into obsolescence

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:30 AM PDT

While we eagerly await Nokia's first Mango device, millions of others (we're told) have been patiently anticipating shipments of the first Symbian Anna smartphones. Well, today's the day, good sir. Nokia just loosed its 4-inch X7 media slab and E6 portrait QWERTY with 326ppi display into the shipping lanes. Look for the E6 worldwide while the X7 will skip the US carriers (as expected) targeting the friendlier Symbian climates of Europe, Eurasia, China, India and other countries around AsiaPac. Huzzah?

ViewSonic equips 24-inch V3D245wm-LED monitor with built-in 3D emitter

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:00 AM PDT

The "ultimate 3D monitor?" Likely a stretch, but who are we to argue with a stalwart like ViewSonic? All jesting aside, those looking to finally bite on the 3D value proposition can get ready to do so, as the 24-inch V3D245wm-LED monitor packs a built-in 3D emitter, an HDMI 1.4 input, 1080p resolution, 120Hz scanning rate, two millisecond response time and a brain-melting 20,000,000:1 "maximum contrast ratio." For those looking for something a bit more bantam, the PLED-W200 is also being (re)introduced here at Computex, claiming to be the planet's first WXGA pico projector. 'Course, we got an early peek of this very unit back at CES, but hopefully we're one step closer to actually seeing this one ship. Sadly, the outfit's not dishing out pricing or release dates, but hopefully both will be revealed shortly.
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ViewSonic promises to shine at Computex
Experience the latest innovation in tablets, smartphones, monitors and projectors

Computex, Taipei, 31 May 2011 - ViewSonic, a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, is set to surprise at Computex Taipei 2011 with its strongest-ever audio and visual solutions. It will be showcasing a wide range of high-definition entertainment offerings and the latest innovations. Products released last year have won rave reviews in the industry; this year promises more of the same. Products span from tablet PCs, high-performance smartphones, latest 3D Full HD LED monitors, to projectors, digital photo frames and digital camcorders.

ViewSonic will be located at Booth L0832, 4th floor, Nangang Exhibition Hall from 31 May to 4 June and is inviting everyone to 'See the difference'.

The ViewPad 7x will be making its first official appearance. The ViewPad 7x is a seven-inch HoneyComb tablet that utilises a NVIDIA dual-core processor and promises users HSPA+ for greater Internet browsing and a enhanced multimedia experience.

The ViewPad 10Pro is the world's first dual-OS tablet that has both Windows 7 Professional and Android at your service. It is also one of the first tablets to use the latest Intel Oak Trail processor. The new Intel processor is powerful, yet offers amazing power savings which delivers the perfect combination of Windows technology in a mobile touch screen device.

In addition to tablet PCs, ViewSonic is also announcing advanced AV solutions that include the V3D245wm-LED, a 24-inch 3D Full HD LED monitor; the W200, an ultra-thin and lightweight WXGA pico projector; the WFM851, a slim and sleek digital photo frame; as well as a range of HD digital camcorders.

Alan Chang, ViewSonic Managing Director of Europe and Asia-Pacific, said: "ViewSonic is the industry leader in launching a comprehensive range of tablet models. With cloud computing, social networking and streaming multimedia driving demand more than ever, ViewSonic is well positioned as a 'display solution provider' that integrates all its products and services into the best possible user experience. We have continued to invest in our strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Google. At Computex, you will see that ViewSonic is not content with standing still and are continuing to innovate with 'display solutions', ranging from small as three inch ultra mobile devices to large 300 inch professional display solutions, all brought to the user with the ViewSonic attention to quality and service."

ViewPad 7x – the 7-inch HoneyComb tablet: Uses a dual-core NVIDIA processor and offers the fastest-ever HSPA+ for a greater Internet browsing experience compared to rivalling products in the same category. Weighing only 380g, with front and back cameras this powerful device provides video conferencing on the go that has to be seen to be believed. The high quality LED display is capacitive 10-point multi-touch, offering far more possibilities than standard screen offerings. Incorporating a HDMI port , DLNA support and SRW TruMedia the ViewPad 7x is a flexible multimedia device that delivers quality in a high quality package.

ViewPad 10Pro – the world's first dual-OS tablet that uses Windows 7 Professional and Android, and the first to use the latest Intel Oak Trail processor: This tablet, powerful in both hardware and software, is ideal for users who wish to have a combination of entertainment and professional needs. It allows for an instantaneous switch between the two OSes without turning off the tablet – Android for simple tasks such as Web browsing and Windows 7 for business applications.


The V3D245wm-LED – An industry first, a 24" smart monitor with a built-in 3D emitter: Presenting 20,000,000:1 maximum contrast ratio for great colour accuracy and high level of picture details the monitor features an ultrafast 2ms response time, 16:9 widescreen, Full HD 1080P, and scanning rate at 120Hz. The V3D245 supports the latest HDMI 1.4 input for future proofing realistic 3D content and fully supports current mainstream 3D devices. With the built-in SRS Premium Sound, the V3D245 is the ultimate 3D monitor.

The PLED-W200 – the world's first WXGA pico projector: pocket-sized projector ideal for slipping into a laptop bag or purse for taking presentations and entertainment on the go. At 200 lumens, with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and display resolution of 1200x800 WXGA, the PLED-W200 packs the world's highest lumen and resolution counts into a CD player-sized device. It weighs only 420g and boasts long-lasting LED light technology of up to 20,000 hours. Teamed with integrated 10w speakers and a SD/USB card reader, users can present and enjoy everything from image slideshows to presentations in a PC-free environment.


The VFM851 – ultra-thin digital photo frame: amazing design combined with high picture quality. Able to be battery powered offering a cordless experience it has 800x600 screen resolution, supports formats such as MJPEG, MPEG2, MPEG-4 and comes with USB ports (for SD/SDHC/MMC).

The ViewSonic HD camcorder series: The new ViewSonic Camcorder HD series provide a lot of advanced features normally found in professional camcorders but at a fraction of the price. With a 10MP image sensor and 12X optical zoom, these HD camcorders capture great detail even at 200 feet away. And with a 60fps high-definition video available, the ViewCam HD series is perfect for sports and other action shots. The camcorder's innovative advanced Manual Focus System lets you select what subject to focus on by simply tapping on the touch screen, ensuring what you want to be focused on is captured in detail.

Intel Smart Connect and Rapid Start technologies unveiled, coming by the holidays

Posted: 30 May 2011 11:54 PM PDT

As part of its keynote at Computex today, Intel unveiled a pair of new sleep-related technologies, though funnily enough, neither of them is particularly boring. Smart Connect checks up periodically on web apps you have open while your computer is in sleep mode -- meaning that email clients and in-browser web apps like Twitter and Facebook will update themselves without the need for you to flip the computer on in full. Updates will be ready and waiting for you when you get back. Rapid Start is a new hibernation mode that can resume within 5 to 6 seconds and can remember your computer's state with zero power. Though, admittedly, the zero-power operation doesn't look like it can be maintained for too long, the hibernation itself can keep your computer going for up to 30 days. Pretty neat stuff. It's all coming to Sandy Bridge laptops with Windows 7 soon, with widespread availability promised by the holidays.

NASA's new cooling pump doesn't need moving parts, set to chill out in space next month

Posted: 30 May 2011 11:17 PM PDT

It's pretty easy to cool down an overheating desktop computer with an extra fan, but what do you do if there's no air? That's the hurdle NASA's engineers are hoping to clear with a new prototype pump that the agency unveiled last week. The pinkie-sized instrument relies upon a technology known as electrohydrodynamic (EHD)-based thermal control, which uses electric fields to inject coolant through small vents on a thermal cold plate, before moving the extra heat to a radiator and spreading it far away from any temperature-sensitive areas. With no moving parts, the lightweight cooler uses only about half a watt of power and can be sized to work with small electric components or lab-on-a-chip devices. The challenge is to make sure that the pump can survive the vibrations of a rocket launch, though NASA will put it to the test during a rocket mission on June 9 and in 2013, when an EHD thermal cold plate will be placed on the International Space Station. Start your countdown clock and blast past the break for a full press release.

[Thanks, Kevin]
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NASA is Making Hot, Way Cool

The more advanced the electronics, the more power they use. The more power they use, the hotter they get. The hotter they get, the more likely they'll overheat. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what typically happens next: The electronics fry.

In the world of electronics, thermal control is always one of the limiting factors -- particularly in space where there is no air to help cool down electronic components.

However, Jeffrey Didion, a thermal engineer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and Dr. Jamal Seyed-Yagoobi, a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Ill., have collaborated to develop a technology that may overcome current limitations. They have formed technical partnerships with the U.S. Air Force and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to address the thermal-control concerns.

Called electrohydrodynamic (EHD)-based thermal control, the technology promises to make it easier and more efficient to remove heat from small spaces -- a particular challenge for engineers building advanced space instruments and microprocessors that could fail if the heat they generate is not removed.

"Today, higher-power computer chips are available, but they generate too much heat," said Didion, who is leading the technology-development effort also involving Matthew Showalter, associate branch chief of Goddard's Advanced Manufacturing Branch, and Mario Martins of Edge Space Systems, an engineering company specializing in thermal systems in Glenelg, Md. "If I can carry away more heat, engineers will be able to use higher-power components. In other words, they will be able to do more things."

The project, a joint activity between NASA Goddard and its partners, received support from the Goddard Internal Research and Development (IRAD) program, which funds the development of promising new technologies that could advance NASA's scientific and exploration goals. It is being demonstrated in June on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket mission, which also is flying the Small Rocket/Spacecraft Technology (SMART) platform, a microsatellite also developed at Goddard. This new microsatellite measures about 16 inches in diameter and was specifically designed to give scientific users less expensive access to space.

The main objective of the EHD demonstration is showing that a prototype pump can withstand the extreme launch loads as the rocket lifts off and hurtles toward space. Should it survive the vibration, the technology will have achieved a major milestone in its development, Didion said. It will mean that it is at or near operational status, making it a viable technology for use on spaceflight instruments.

"Any electronic device that generates a lot of heat is going to benefit from this technology," said Ted Swanson, assistant chief for technology for Goddard's Mechanical Systems Division. This could include everything from sensors flown in space to those used in automobiles and aircraft.

No Moving Parts

The technology promises significant advantages over more traditional cooling techniques. Unlike current technologies used today by instrument and component developers, EHD does not rely on mechanical pumps and other moving parts. Instead, it uses electric fields to pump coolant through tiny ducts inside a thermal cold plate. From there, the waste heat is dumped onto a radiator and dispersed far from heat-sensitive circuitry that must operate within certain temperature ranges. "Its architecture, therefore, is relatively straightforward," Didion said. Electrodes apply the voltage that pushes the coolant through the ducts.

"The advantages are many," he added. "Without mechanical parts, the system is lighter and consumes less power, roughly half a watt. But perhaps more importantly, the system can be scaled to different sizes, from larger cold plates to microscale electronic components and lab-on-a-chip devices."

In addition to flying the technology on the sounding rocket mission, the EHD development team will fly a prototype EHD cold plate as an experiment on the International Space Station in 2013. "This effort will demonstrate the long-term operation of an EHD thermal-control system," Didion said.

Lab-on-a-Chip Devices

In the meantime, the team is continuing its work to further advance EHD, Didion said. The team is working with Goddard detector engineer Timothy Miller to develop EHD pumps in microchannels that are etched onto silicon wafers. They plan to further experiment with other substrate and composite materials as well as special micro-fabrication techniques and coatings to create smaller, more robust EHD pumps.

These multifunctional devices could be used as stand-alone, off-the-shelf components ideal for quick-turnaround spacecraft -- a capability that particularly interests the Air Force -- or as units embedded within the walls of the electronic device.

The next step is placing the technology on circuit cards, with the ultimate goal of scaling it to the chip level where the ducts would be no larger than 100 microns (0.0039 inch), or about the width of a human hair. "The point is that you want to place the thermal-control unit closer to the source of heat," Didion said. "This would be a lot more efficient at eliminating waste heat."

Xbox 360 250GB Kinect bundle dropping to $299.99 ahead of E3?

Posted: 30 May 2011 10:24 PM PDT

The image above is not a mockup. What you're looking at is a screen grab from the Video Game section of Target's online storefront proudly touting "free shipping" on a $299.99 Xbox 360 250GB console with Kinect bundle. Unfortunately, your pulse-quickened click will be met with the existing $399.99 price tag at checkout. So what's going on here? Are retailers gearing up for price drops on the 250GB Kinect bundle ahead of E3 or did Target's arts and charts department just make a mistake? E3 Expo kicks off June 7th, so it won't be long until we find out either way.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Intel's convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on (update: video)

Posted: 30 May 2011 09:55 PM PDT

Just before Intel's keynote at Computex, we decided to stop by at the chip maker's busy booth to see what it has up its sleeves. Luckily, we spotted a couple of Keeley Lake proof-of-concept convertible laptops, which are here to demonstrate what can be achieved using Cedar Trail processors. As you can see, the 12.1-inch screen sits on a swivel hinge, thus allowing users transform this fairly slim laptop into a tablet within seconds. Oh, you can also use the built-in Wireless Display technology to stream some sweet HD action over the air, provided that you have compatible devices. Alas, Intel says there are no commercial plans for this particular device, so hopefully someone will pick up this design.

Update: We now have a quick video of Keeley Lake after the break. Enjoy!

Intel's convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on

Sony unveils Japan-only 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle with Tales of Xillia

Posted: 30 May 2011 09:20 PM PDT

In the market for a new PS3 but find the portable version a little out of your price / taste range? Then you might consider Sony's just-announced Tales of Xillia X Edition, which bundles everyone's favorite RPG of unwavering convictions with a 160GB limited-edition console. The rig comes in the standard charcoal black, adorned with metallic red and gold artwork featuring characters from the series. It will also be Japanese-only for now, though Tales die-hards can always have it exported, if you're willing to go above and beyond the MSRP of ¥37,980 ($470). The set goes on sale September 8, giving you plenty of time to consider trading up your Michael Jackson This is It pack.

MSI brings sub-$300 Enjoy 7 and Enjoy 10 Gingerbread WindPads to Computex, we go hands-on

Posted: 30 May 2011 08:36 PM PDT

MSI has snuck a couple of new tablets into Computex, which we've naturally dug up, dusted off, and covered in fingerprints. The WindPad Enjoy 10 is a 10-inch Android Gingerbread slate with relatively humble specs -- 1024 x 768 resolution, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, and a 27.3WHr battery -- but also a very modest asking price of $299. It comes with a 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 (single core) processor that's said to be able to play back 1080p video, and at least one of the dual 2 megapixel cameras should be able to record in 720p as well. Its smaller sibling, the Enjoy 7, spans 800 x 480 pixels across a 7-inch expanse and has a smaller 17.3WHr battery, but is otherwise identical. We're promised an even lower price point for this smaller tablet, with both Enjoy models expected to begin mass production in July and hit the States in earnest either that month or soon thereafter. Releases in Europe and other nations are also planned shortly after the US gets a first bite of these intriguing Gingerbread concoctions.

MSI specifically pointed out to us that it preferred Android 2.3 over 3.0 for its broader compatibility and better stability. Alas, neither slate is licensed to access the Android Market, but the pre-production units we looked at had an APK installer on board and MSI promised to figure out a workaround to let you obtain apps. It wasn't terribly clear how that'd be done, but at least the company has it in mind. As to build quality, the 795g Enjoy 10 felt great in the hand, its curvy and thin body proving easy to handle. We can't really comment on the actual construction as what we were shown were early pre-production mockups designed to just give us a taste rather than the full enchilada. Weighing in at 395g, the Enjoy 7 features a similar penchant for curviness and, on a less happy note, glossiness. Both are smear magnets with a high sheen finish on the front. The metal backs are more demure, though. Check out the Enjoy 10 on video after the break.
MSI WindPad Enjoy 7 and Enjoy 10 hands-on

N.B. We were at first told the resolution on the 10-inch Enjoy 10 was 1024 x 600, but the spec sheet more accurately identifies it as 1024 x 768. Given the screen's 4:3 size ratio, that makes a lot of sense -- just pretend we said 768 instead of 600 in the video above.

Intel reveals skinny Ivy Bridge 'Ultrabooks,' Moore's Law-defying Atoms

Posted: 30 May 2011 08:00 PM PDT

Intel took the opportunity at Computex to update the tech-loving world on its processor plans, and it looks like those whispers we heard about low power and an accelerated Atom roadmap were spot on. Executive VP Sean Maloney didn't divulge specific TDPs but did confirm that we could look forward to reduced power consumption and sleek designs in 2012. The Intel exec declared that new class of PC, dubbed "Ultrabooks," will make up 40-percent of the market by the end of 2012. These machines, powered by the 22nm Ivy Bridge, will be less than 0.8-inches thick and start at under $1,000 -- which sounds just like the lines we were fed about CULV chips back in 2009.

Maloney also confirmed that, going forward, the Atom line would be getting a die shrink every year, as opposed to every two. The upcoming, 32nm Cedar Trail will usher in the new Moore's Law-smashing era with promises of a 10 hour battery life and weeks of standby, and will be succeeded by 22nm and 14nm models. Intel even talked up Medfield, it's Atom variant designed specifically for smartphones and tablets, and showed off more than 10 tablets based on the Oak Trail-flavored Z670. With AMD merely a fading blip in the company's rearview mirror it looks like Chipzilla is gunning for all those ARM-touting manufacturers. Check out the full PR after the break.
Intel's Computex 2011 keynote
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Intel's Maloney Talks Mobile Growth, Industry Opportunities at Computex

New Roadmaps Across Intel® Core™ and Atom™ Processor Families to Usher in Next Wave of Laptops and Connected Mobile Devices

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Intel defines new category of mainstream thin and light mobile computers, called Ultrabook™.

Intel aims to shift 40 percent of consumer laptops to the Ultrabook™ by end of 2012.

Separately, Intel is accelerating the Atom™ processor roadmap to a one-process-generation per year cadence to enable a wider range of optimized solutions for multiple market segments.

Intel highlighted its next-generation, fanless netbook platform, codenamed "Cedar Trail," a range of new Atom processor-based tablets available today, and a "Medfield" tablet reference design for sub-9mm designs, weighing less than 1.5 pounds and supporting a choice of operating systems.

COMPUTEX, Taipei, May 31, 2011 – Intel Corporation Executive Vice President Sean Maloney today said that by the end of 2012, 40 percent of the consumer laptop market segment will encompass an emerging new breed of no-compromise computers, called "Ultrabook™," which will increasingly combine best-in-class performance, improved responsiveness and security in thin, elegant form factors.

During the opening keynote speech at Computex, one of the world's largest technology trade shows, Maloney provided further details on the significant changes Intel is making to the Intel® CoreTM processor roadmap to enable this new category. He also reiterated Intel's push to accelerate the pace of innovation for Intel® AtomTM processor-based system-on-chips (SoCs) for netbooks, smartphones, tablets, and other companion devices.

"Computing is taking many forms," said Maloney. "Technology innovation is a catalyst, and we believe the changes Intel is making to its roadmaps, together with strong industry collaboration, will bring about an exciting change in personal computing over the next few years."

The "Ultrabook™"

Intel's vision is to enable a new user experience by accelerating a new class of mobile computers. These computers will marry the performance and capabilities of today's laptops with tablet-like features and deliver a highly responsive and secure experience, in a thin, light and elegant design. The Ultrabook™ will be shaped by Moore's Law and silicon technology in the same way they have shaped the traditional PC for the past 40 years.

Maloney described three key phases in the company's strategy to accelerate this vision, which begins to unfold today with the company's latest 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM processors. This family of products will enable thin, light and beautiful designs that are less than 20mm (0.8 inch) thick, and mainstream price points under US$1,000. Systems based on these chips will be available for the 2011 winter holiday shopping season and include the UX21, ASUS* Ultrabook™. ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih joined Maloney on stage to showcase the company's new ultra-thin laptop based on the latest 2nd Generation Intel Core processor.

"At ASUS, we are very much aligned with Intel's vision of Ultrabook™," said Shih. "Our customers are demanding an uncompromised computing experience in a lightweight, highly portable design that responds to their needs quickly. Transforming the PC into an ultra thin, ultra responsive device will change the way people interact with their PC."

Building on the latest 2nd Generation Intel Core technology, Maloney outlined the next generation Intel processor family codenamed "Ivy Bridge," which is scheduled for availability in systems in the first half of 2012. Laptops based on "Ivy Bridge" will bring improved power efficiency, smart visual performance, increased responsiveness and enhanced security. "Ivy Bridge" is the first high-volume chip based on Intel's 22 nanometer (nm) manufacturing technology that uses a revolutionary 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate announced in May. Maloney also highlighted complementary USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt™ technologies which are part of Intel's ongoing work to drive the PC platform forward.

Following "Ivy Bridge," planned 2013 products codenamed "Haswell" are the third step toward achieving the Ultrabook™ and reinventing the capabilities of the laptop in ultra thin and light, responsive and more secure designs. With "Haswell," Intel will change the mainstream laptop thermal design point by reducing the microprocessor power to half of today's design point.

Accelerating the Intel® Atom™ Processor Roadmap

Maloney highlighted key milestones and additional details on upcoming generations of Intel Atom processor-based platforms for tablets, netbooks and smartphones. The Atom processor will outpace Moore's Law, accelerating from 32nm through 22nm to 14nm within 3 successive years. Having a cadence of a new-process-generation every year will result in significant reduction in transistor leakage, lower active power and an increase of transistor density to enable more powerful smartphones, tablets, and netbooks with more features and longer battery life.

Reaching its 100 million-unit milestone this month, Intel is preparing its next-generation netbook platform, codenamed "Cedar Trail." "Cedar Trail" is the first netbook platform based on Intel's 32nm technology, and will enable ultra-thin, fanless designs with new capabilities such as Intel® Rapid Start technology which provides fast resume, Intel® Smart Connect Technology which enables an always updated experience even during standby, Intel® Wireless Display and PC Synch, which let users wirelessly update and synchronize documents, content and media across multiple devices. In addition, the new platform is expected to enable more than 10 hours of battery life and weeks of standby. "Cedar Trail" will support leading operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows*, Google Chrome* and MeeGo*.

In addition, Maloney showcased more than 10 tablets, running on three different operating systems, that are available today based on the Intel Atom processor Z670. The platform already has more than 35 design wins since its launch in April, with several convertibles, sliders and other innovative designs on shelves now and more coming through the rest of the year.

Maloney also discussed "Medfield," Intel's first purpose-built 32nm platform for smartphones and tablets. "Medfield" has been optimized for both low power and high performance and will deliver long use-time, rich media and gaming, and advanced imaging capabilities. To illustrate this point in tablets, Intel showcased a "Medfield" design running Google Android* 3.0 ("Honeycomb") for the first time. In production later this year, the platform will enable sub-9mm designs that weigh less than 1.5 pounds for tablet designs in market the first half of 2012. It will support a range of operating systems including Android and MeeGo.

According to Maloney, "The work Intel is doing with the Intel® Atom™ processor roadmap, coupled with the significant changes we are making to our Intel® Core™ processor roadmaps, will continue to enhance Intel's ability to deliver complete hardware solutions with a choice of software platforms across a full spectrum of computing -- from back-end servers that power the cloud to the billions of devices that access the cloud."

The Cloud's Rapid Expansion

More people and devices connecting to the Internet will lead to unprecedented growth in cloud-based services for storage, synchronization and entertainment, according to Maloney, and Intel is poised to grow with it. He said that one new Intel-based server is needed for roughly every additional 600 new smartphones or 122 new tablets connecting to the Internet. He also reiterated the company's "Cloud 2015" vision of a world of interoperable "federated" clouds that allow enterprises to share data securely across public and private clouds; "automated" networks that allow the movement of workloads between servers in the data center for better utilization and energy efficiency, and "device-aware" clouds that know what types of applications, commands and processing.

In closing, Maloney stressed the critical role of the Taiwan IT industry in the next transformation of computing. He called for collective innovations that will lead the industry into the next era as computing takes many new forms and becomes ever more pervasive and affordable. "The Taiwan IT industry will be instrumental in realizing this vision," said Maloney.

More information about today's announcements is available at www.intel.com/newsroom/computex/index.htm

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

Intel, Intel Core, Atom, the Intel logo and Ultrabook are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. * Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

NTT DoCoMo exhibits on-the-fly speech translation, lets both parties just talk (video)

Posted: 30 May 2011 07:19 PM PDT

The race to smash linguistic barriers with simultaneous speech-to-speech translation is still wide open, and Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo has just joined Google Translate and DARPA on the track. Whereas Google Translate's Conversation Mode was a turn-based affair when it was demoed back in January, requiring each party to pause awkwardly between exchanges, NTT DoCoMo's approach seems a lot more natural. It isn't based on new technology as such, but brings together a range of existing cloud-based services that recognize your words, translate them and then synthesize new speech in the other language -- hopefully all before your cross-cultural buddy gets bored and hangs up. As you'll see in the video after the break, this speed comes with the sacrifice of accuracy and it will need a lot of work after it's trialled later in the year. But hey, combine NTT DoCoMo's system with a Telenoid robot or kiss transmission device and you can always underline your meaning physically.

CNC mill and Sixaxis controller make beautiful DIY music together (video)

Posted: 30 May 2011 06:38 PM PDT

CNC controlled by Sixaxis
Have you ever thought to yourself, "my CNC mill is pretty cool, but I really want to make it more awesomer"? Well, first, "awesomer" totally isn't word, and second, have we got a hack for you! A reader wrote in to the DIY hub Adafruit to show off his CNC being operated by a PS3 Sixaxis controller -- mimicking features found on high-end machines that allow you to trigger jobs from a distance and manually control the mill. Best of all, it's a pretty simple mod that uses a program called QtsixA to map the gamepad as a keyboard and mouse, allowing you to interact with a Linux box running EMC2, which is used for controlling the mill, lathe, plasma torch, or a number of other fun and dangerous tools. Check out the video after the break.

Robot Ruby solves Rubik's Cube in 10.69 seconds, still can't beat humans (video)

Posted: 30 May 2011 05:46 PM PDT

There are a few robots smart enough to solve a Rubik's Cube in seconds flat, but a group of students at Swinburne University of Technology think theirs may be the fastest on Earth. Their bot, named Ruby, recently mastered the puzzle in just 10.69 seconds, including the time spent analyzing the cube. To achieve this feat, the device scanned the toy with a webcam before its software processed the images to crank out a solution. According to the university, Ruby's 10-second mark smashes the current world robot record of 18.2 seconds, unofficially making it the fastest cube-solving machine on the planet. But Ruby still has a long way to go before it catches Feliks Zemdegs -- a 16-year-old Australian who solved a Rubik's Cube in 6.24 seconds and continues to carry the torch for all of humanity. Twist and turn your way past the break for the full PR and a video of Ruby in action, as well as a clip of Zemdegs showing us how the pros do it.




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Robot Ruby breaks Rubik's record

The world's fastest Rubik's Cube-solving robot has been developed by students at Swinburne University of Technology.

The robot, named Ruby, can solve the scrambled puzzle in just over 10 seconds, including the time taken to scan the initial status of the cube.

It was built from scratch by six students as their final year project for the double degree in Bachelor of Engineering (Robotics and Mechatronics)/Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Software Engineering).

"Ruby works by scanning each face of a scrambled cube through a web cam. It then uses a software algorithm to develop a solution which is fed to the high-speed robot through a real-time embedded control system," said Professor Chris Pilgrim, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies.

"The students' combined expertise in robotics and software engineering enabled them to construct a robot with a fast computer vision-tracking system capable of very high precision movements and timings."

The team comprised identical twin computer whiz kids David and Richard Bain, Daniel Purvis, Jarrod Boyes, Miriam Parkinson and Jonathan Goldwasser.

They are applying to have Ruby's Rubik's-solving skill recognised by Guinness World Records. The current human world record for single time on a 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube is held by Feliks Zemdegs who had a best time of 6.24 seconds at the Kubaroo Open 2011.

As at October 2010, the world's fastest Rubik's Cube solving robot, the Cubinator, was able to solve a scrambled Rubik's Cube in 18.2 seconds.

The robot will be on show at Swinburne's Open Day on 21 August.

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5 review

Posted: 30 May 2011 05:00 PM PDT

You like video games, right? If you're the type that takes game-playing more seriously than your average Joe, the PX5 might have caught your eye when we previewed this headset at CES this year. Now they're available for purchase, and we've been playing our hearts out, cans on ears. Is this gaming headset worth shelling out $250 for? Hit the review and find out!
Turtle Beach Earforce PX5 gaming headset hands-on preview


Overview / Setup


Although this headset can be used on either PS3 or Xbox 360, PSN issues meant we did most our testing on the Xbox 360. Inside the box you'll find the headset itself (boom mic attached), a mini-USB cord, a pair of AA batteries (phew!), an optical cable, the base station, USB power adapter and the 360 game chat cord. There's also a set-up guide and a sheet indicating what each of the 8 presets does. Once you've got all that, linking the headset up to your console is as simple as powering and connecting the base station to the Xbox. And once you power on the headset, you'll need to choose between PS3 and Xbox mode by holding down the power button for two seconds.

Gameplay


It would be pointless to review a gaming headset and not mention how they actually felt on our heads after long periods of playtime, right? We logged quite a few (read: too many) hours playing games like Halo: Reach, Halo 3, COD: MW2 and Black Ops and came to the realization that these cans are among the most comfortable we've ever put over our ears. The PX5 offers superior comfort, as the head-piece and ear cups are packed with soft padding that fits around and doesn't crush your ears. They'e so comfy we rarely had to adjust the headset, even after long periods of play-time.

And how they sound? The PX5 sounds incredible. Depending on what preset you use (bass + treble boost was our favorite), gunshots pierce your ear drums, footsteps become very distinguishable (Search and Destroy, anyone?) and you can actually hear where your enemies are in addition to being able to see them. The presets can be accessed by pressing the designed button found on the left earcup, and there's a main button to quickly jump back to the default setting. It's sort of difficult to put into words how well these things sound, but we'll say this: if you have the cash and are in need of a series set of gaming cans, the PX5s should be near or at the top of your want list.

Software / Bluetooth


One of the main features embedded within the PX5 is the ability to customize each of the eight available presets that Turtle Beach provides. Downloadable software is required to create and customize your own presets, but only after creating a username / password on the company's site (blergh). We had a few problems with the software -- it's only available on Windows and frankly, it's not as user-friendly as we'd hoped. Sure, there's plenty of clickable buttons and toggles, but using this software might be on the difficult side if you're not audio-savvy. We created our own custom preset and downloaded it to our headset, but after testing we weren't impressed. We just dragged a bunch of sliders up and down, but the lack of ability to preview our work was frustrating and made the whole thing almost seem pointless. The software has limited user functionality and appears somewhat half-baked, so we recommend sticking with the eight presets that come pre-programmed with your purchase.

If you'll recall from our preview, the PX5 has a Bluetooth channel for PS3 game chat or pairing up with your cellular device to listen to music or take calls while you mindlessly hop through portals. We linked up the cans with our iPhone 4 and used the Beaches as a wireless, Bluetooth headset. Music sounded crisp, our ears were filled with a solid balance of bass and treble, and range was more than acceptable. The PX5 make a somewhat decent pair of wireless headphones, if you're into that sort of thing.

Wrap-up


After spending hours and hours gaming with Turtle Beach's latest creation, we can confidently say the company has outdone itself. The headset's build-quality is better than most of its competitors, and again, the PX5s are super-comfortable to wear -- even for long periods of time. Five minutes after you get your head in the game, you'll realize why they cost $250 bucks. Sure, the price is a bit steep and we could live without the ability to customize presets, but if you're looking to make a solid investment that'll last you through the next 15 iterations of Modern Warfare, look no further than the PX5s.

LG V300 does multitouch, 3D, all-in-one

Posted: 30 May 2011 04:38 PM PDT

A show as packed to the walls will shiny new technology as Computex could surely benefit from a few space saving devices, like, say, this new all-in-one from LG. With the high-end configuration you'll get a second generation Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics, a 750GB hard drive, 8GB of RAM, and a Blu-ray player all packed inside the system's slender 1.8-inch thick frame. The V300's multitouch 23-inch Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR)-enabled display offers up 3D with the aid of polarized glasses. The AIW is set for a Korean launch in July, followed by trips to Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. No word on if or when it'll hit desks in the States, but at least you won't have to find much room on your desk when it does.
Show full PR text
LG V300 Offers Convenient 3D with
the Power of 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

SEOUL, May. 31, 2011 –- LG Electronics (LG) will be unveiling its first all-in-one PC which will feature the innovative Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR) display, found in its popular CINEMA 3D TVs. The LG V300, developed in partnership with Intel, will be unveiled at Computex 2011, Asia's largest IT exhibition, in Taipei from May 31 to June 4.

The LG V300 will come with an impressive list of features including 2nd Generation Intel Core processors, 3D FPR display, In Plane Switch (IPS) screen technology that creates a stunning 178-degree viewing angle and a triple camera system for superb multitouch capability.

"The combination of the newest Intel Core processor and the FPR display in the LG V300 is going to create a new level of performance and viewing experience in a PC," said J.J. Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the LG Electronics PC Business Unit. "With millions of homes now using their PCs as entertainment hubs, marrying the best from the computing world with the best from the display world was the next natural
step in the evolution of the PC."

"2nd Generation Intel Core processor paves the way for great all-in-one systems like LG Electronics new V300. " said Mooly Eden, Vice President and General Manager of Intel PC Client Group. "The V300 combines LG Electronics' display technology with 2nd Generation Intel Core's great performance and built-in visuals to create an awesome PC experience. "

Better 3D, No Discomfort
The 23-inch 3D Full HD LED monitor on the LG V300 offers vivid and crisp 3D images with less crosstalk and flicker. And because FPR does not require glasses to sync with an emitter, heavy shutter-type glasses are a thing of the past. Instead, the LG V300 comes with two sets of lightweight polarized glasses for a more comfortable and enjoyable 3D experience. Furthermore, the viewing experience on previous 3D displays was
negatively affected by non-perpendicular viewing angles. This problem has largely been eliminated with the LG V300's IPS technology, which allows for an impressive 178-degree viewing angle. The system operates a Color Shift configuration that accurately renders colors and images for viewers not directly facing the screen.

Minimalism Is In
LG's engineering team reduced the thickness of the LG V300's active display to a mere 44.65mm, which is up to 65 percent slimmer than other leading models. This focus on reducing unnecessary bulk was then incorporated into LG's concept of minimalism. With a wireless keyboard and mouse, the design requires only a single power cable, eliminating clutter and tangled cords. The end effect is a sleek, clean appearance that
fits elegantly into any interior décor.

An Enhanced Multi-touch Experience with a Triple Camera System
With three individual camera sensors to provide a more accurate multi-touch functionality, LG's new PC brings a higher level of precision to the touch screen experience. The user interface has also been optimized to be as intuitive as possible, and the interface itself is supported with easy-to-use applications. The final result is a smooth yet sophisticated multi-touch interaction between the LG V300 and the user, free from ghosting and glitches.

The LG V300 also includes full support for Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) to enable sharing of data between devices as well as Intel's Wireless Display, also known as 'Wi-Di' to wirelessly stream content to a TV. LG V300 will launch in Korea in July followed by markets in Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Linus Torvalds releases Linux kernel version 3 to celebrate 20 years of penguin-powered computing

Posted: 30 May 2011 04:09 PM PDT

It's been nearly twenty years since Linus Torvalds let loose Linux on an unsuspecting world, and yesterday he finally updated the open source OS kernel to version 3.0. This third iteration, currently named 3.0.0-rc1, comes 15 years after 2.0 first hit the web and brings driver support for Microsoft Kinect -- a move that should have visions of sugar plum fairies (or maybe just Android avatars) dancing in hackers' heads. Also included is code optimized for AMD's Fusion and Intel's Ivy and Sandy Bridge silicon, and some updated graphics drivers, too. Despite these tasty new treats, Torvalds is quick to point out that this new release is an evolutionary change and unleashing the big three-oh was all about moving into a third decade of distribution, not about overhauling the OS. There's still work to be done, as it is a release candidate in need of refinement, but curious coders can grab the latest Linux at the Kernel.org source link below.

Japanese scientists create giant metal cilium, relief for Voltron's giant metal lungs (video)

Posted: 30 May 2011 03:44 PM PDT

Why would a group of researchers develop a table full of rods that mimic the movements of microscopic hairs? It's a fair question, and Keio University's Yusuke Kamiyama certainly doesn't offer up much in the way of real world applications for such technology. He is, however, happy to demonstrate the cool functionality of the metallic cilium, which appear to drift around as though underwater, until coming into contact with an external stimuli. The rods react to touch by congregating near the area of contact, with movements executed by biometal rods that communicate with an external PC. Scientists hope that research from the project will be useful at some point, but in the meantime, at least we know where to turn if we get a major mucus blockage. Video after the break.

NGP to be less 'investment heavy,' more 'affordable'

Posted: 30 May 2011 03:16 PM PDT

After years of losses in its PS3 division, it's no surprise that Sony's not attempting a fiscal encore. Just the opposite, in fact. Massaru Kato, Sony's Chief Financial Officer, stated recently that the upcoming NGP handheld won't be as "investment heavy" as previous platforms. What does this mean? Sony probably won't pour cash into developing new semiconductors just for its new handheld, and will instead opt to build NGP hardware with off-the-shelf and readily available components. This could translate to competitive pricing versus Nintendo's 3DS (we hope), but it's all quiet on the pricing front at Sony HQ. That's liable to change at E3 next week, but regardless we'd rather not have to wait four years just to hear Yoshida's good news again.
at 11:41 AM

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