Sponsored
Engadget News |
- Alcatel-Lucent's FP3 network processor routes at 400Mbps, handles 70,000 simultaneous HD streams
- CyanogenMod 7 on the Nook Color hands-on (video)
- Delkin intros 64GB SDXC card, claims to be the fastest with 45MBps write speeds
- Art Lebedev's Optimus Mini Six enters production, Popularis unsurprisingly delayed
- OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law
- Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video)
- Google Talk video chat finally available over T-Mobile 3G and 4G (video)
- iRiver's MX100 Android tablet spotted in China? (video)
- MSI formally unveils 14-inch CX480 laptop, stops short of naming a price
- Andy Hertzfeld, 'former Macintosh wizard,' designed the Google+ Project
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G up for pre-order from Verizon, finally
- Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers
- RFID tags let you share waterpark photos on Facebook without leaving the lazy river
- Porsche ACC InnoDrive handles all the pedals, takes the lead out of your foot
- Ubuntu demonstrated running on Galaxy Tab 10.1, summarily dubbed 'Tabuntu' (video)
- NC State discovery finds optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, ResNet admins do a double take
- OCZ's RevoDrive 3 X2 review roundup: SSD melts faces with 1.5GBps read and 1.2GBps write speeds
- The Elliptical Machine Office Desk: putting the 'commute' back in 'telecommuting'
- ThinkPad Tablet shown off with keyboard-laden folio cover, could ship within a month
- HP tempts webOS early adopters to buy a TouchPad with $50 rebate
- Kaz Hirai to become Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, leave Andrew House with tough CEO gig
- Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case
- Angry Birds lands on Windows Phone 7, ready to explore the third ecosystem
- Skype gets Congressional approval, will help Representatives stay in touch with the common people
- Google unveils Swiffy: turns high maintenance Flash animations into HTML5
- Oregon engineers roll out cheaper, less wasteful solar cells with inkjet printer
- Office 365 ditches the beta tag, ready to take on Google Apps
- Silver-ink pen freestyles handmade circuitry, paves way for flexible displays
- Facebook Likes, hires iPhone jailbreaker 'Geohot'
- Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149
- MoviePass wants to be Netflix, but for theaters
- World of Warcraft Starter Edition lets you reach lvl 20 for free, Night Elf Mohawk still only available to Mr. T
- Google+ invite received, we go hands-on
- RIM scraps 10-inch PlayBook to focus on QNX-powered superphone?
- Apple Thunderbolt cable, Promise RAIDs now available to get your 10Gbps interconnect on
- Google starts highlighting content creators, will never forget that music blog you had in college
- Why is European broadband faster and cheaper? Blame the government
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V gets reviewed, deemed one of the best super-zooms around
- SEI creates new porous Aluminum-Celmet, makes rechargeable batteries last longer
- Ericsson takes LTE-Advanced next-level, notches 1Gbps downloads in testing
| Alcatel-Lucent's FP3 network processor routes at 400Mbps, handles 70,000 simultaneous HD streams Posted: 29 Jun 2011 11:20 AM PDT  Looks like the world wide web is seeing a few upgrades this week. Shortly after NC State announced a new methodology for routing fiber optic connections more quickly, in flies Alcatel-Lucent with a shiny new network processor to make things even faster. The FP3 that was announced this week promises a "fourfold increase in performance over the fastest IP network available," supporting 400Gbps transmission speeds while cutting power consumption by up to 50 percent. The chip's been demonstrated to the powers that be this week, and it's reportedly designed to "address tomorrow's demand for ultra-high performance public and private IP networks." How so, you ask? A sole FP3 could handle 70,000 simultaneous HD video streams or 8.4 million simultaneous retail cloud sessions, and quite frankly, could make the 100 Gigabit Ethernet standards that were used to look like old hat. But hey -- who's kvetching about that? Alcatel-Lucent innovation delivers a faster, smarter and greener network experience FP3 network processor first to support 400 Gigabits-per-second data speeds; no compromise on service quality Paris, June 28, 2011 - Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext and NYSE: ALU) today announced a new network processor that delivers a fourfold increase in performance over the fastest Internet Protocol (IP) networks available today. By supporting 400 Gigabits-per-second (G) transmission speeds, the FP3 processor opens up new possibilities for bandwidth-intensive services, applications and content, while cutting power consumption by up to 50 percent. The FP3 processor is being demonstrated today and will be commercially available in Alcatel-Lucent's service router portfolio in 2012. The first of a new generation of IP routing technology, the FP3 processor is designed to address tomorrow's demand for ultra-high performance public and private IP networks. For example, a single FP3 processor could handle 70,000 simultaneous High Definition video streams or 8.4 million simultaneous retail cloud sessions. "Alcatel-Lucent brings a wealth of experience and technical skill to the challenge of putting the next generation of silicon into their service routers," said Simon Stanley, Founder and Principal Consultant of Earlswood Marketing Limited. "The same engineers have moved through 10G to 100G and now to 400G. The result is a chipset which delivers the versatility of a programmable network processor and a massive increase in speed, without compromising on deep touch services." Alcatel-Lucent is the first company to develop 400G technology for IP networks, helping to accelerate the adoption of 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GE), which was standardized in 2010, while providing a clear path for higher speeds in future. According to a recent forecast by Dell'Oro Group, 100GE port shipments from 2010 through 2015 are predicted to grow in excess of 200 percent annually. Basil Alwan, president of Alcatel-Lucent's IP Division, said: "This technology puts us a generation ahead of today's fastest IP core routers. And, it's not just moving bits, but generating revenue and creating value for service providers and their business, residential and mobile customers. By making networks faster, smarter and more environmentally sustainable, Alcatel-Lucent is enabling the continuous innovation of consumer and business devices, content and applications that increasingly depend on service provider networks." "Alcatel-Lucent is showing its technology roots, recently with lightRadio™ for the wireless market and now with the FP3 400G network processor for IP routing," stated Michael Howard, Co-founder and Principal Analyst Carrier and Data Center Networks, Infonetics Research. "I'm impressed that any company could develop such a high capacity network processor, solving 400G in the electrical domain before the industry solves 400G for lightwaves. This 400G chipset is a generational advance that will improve router 100GE density/cost and will attract the eye of service providers." Alcatel-Lucent has also taken an industry leadership role by driving an "ecosystem" of semiconductor partners including Samsung Semiconductor, NetLogic Microsystems, Micron, GSI Technology, Cypress and Broadcom to deliver complementary components that support the transition to ultra-fast, low power networks with deterministic performance. FP3 - Technical Capabilities * Industry's first 400G network processor * Supports IP routing with full range of business, residential and mobile edge services * Accelerates time to market for high-density 100G line card designs * Highly integrated design reduces overall memory requirements * Granular power management in 10G increments reduces overall power consumption by up to 50 percent per bit * Leverages existing 40nanometer manufacturing process to reduce risk * FP-3 based line cards for the 7750 SR will be commercially available in 2-port 100GE, 6-port 40GE, and 20-port 10GE configurations in 2012 FP3 and the High Leverage Network Alcatel-Lucent's vision of the High Leverage Network™ (HLN) is focused on addressing the exploding demand for broadband capacity and services, making it easier for service providers able to capitalize on the new demands of an always-on world. The FP3 network processor plays an important role in this vision, enabling service providers to increase capacity, reduce costs and develop new revenue opportunities. The fourfold increase in performance, with no compromise on service quality will allow service providers to use their networks to deliver new broadband services, content and applications with improved reliability, more sustainably. The FP3 processor will be at the heart of Alcatel-Lucent's high-performance IP service routing portfolio, from metro to edge to the core of the HLN architecture. FP3 and the 400G Ecosystem In order to deliver a fourfold improvement in speed, reduce power consumption and avoid compromising on service scale and quality, the FP3 processor requires predictable or deterministic access to memory at unprecedented speeds. In addition to developing its own technology solutions, Alcatel-Lucent is driving semiconductor industry leaders including Samsung Semiconductor, NetLogic Microsystems, Micron, GSI Technology, Cypress, Broadcom and others to push the envelope of innovation on high-speed DDR (double data rate), RLDRAM (Reduced-latency Dynamic random access memory), CAM (Content Addressable memory) and QDR (Quad Data Rate) memory and memory access, enabling the industry to accelerate adoption of 100G speeds and beyond. Partner quotes "To achieve this amazing speed, the standard 40nm libraries needed to improve. Working side-by-side with Alcatel-Lucent's development team, Broadcom created over 100 custom 40nm libraries to meet Alcatel-Lucent's cutting-edge design specifications", said Asad Khamisy, Broadcom Vice President of Engineering. "Our Premier Custom IC Program is ideal for Alcatel-Lucent's incredibly talented engineering team to shatter performance barriers and create a unique, highly differentiated product." "As the IP and market leader in SRAMs, Cypress is excited to contribute to the ground-breaking 400Gb/s FP3 network processor from Alcatel-Lucent," said Dana Nazarian, executive vice president of Cypress's Memory Products Division. "This industry-first product is an excellent example of companies investing collaboratively over multiple years to advance the state-of-the-art in networking. The industry-standard QDR SRAM, defined in the QDR consortium, and available from multiple vendors, remains the critical memory technology for next-generation systems with huge throughput requirements." "Our work with Alcatel-Lucent processor architects and designers is paying great dividends," says Lee-Lean Shu, President and CEO of GSI Technology. "When we started on FP2-based projects we didn't know how far this could go. Now, with our SigmaQuad-IIIe teamed with the FP3, we can see even greater things on the horizon." "Close partnerships are essential to the process of developing truly breakthrough systems," said Brian Shirley, Vice President of Micron's DRAM Solutions Group. "This is particularly true in the networking space, where every component is pushed to the edge, and every picosecond is critical. Alcatel Lucent has maintained leadership in high-performance networking by successfully establishing these critical alliances, enabling ideas to move to market in faster cycles. Micron is proud to be Alcatel Lucent's partner in networking DRAM. The new 400GE processor highlights the power of Micron's new RLDRAM® 3 memory technology and the benefits of tight collaboration in delivering such a stunning new performance mark to the industry." "We congratulate the Alcatel-Lucent team on the achievement of the industry's first 400G network processor, and we are pleased to continue our-long standing collaboration on multiple generations of products," said Ron Jankov, president and CEO at NetLogic Microsystems. "The close working relationship between our engineering teams has enabled both companies to further innovate and optimize our respective silicon for higher performance, seamless interconnectivity and lower power consumption." About Alcatel-Lucent's Service Routing Portfolio At its introduction in 2003, the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) set a new benchmark in the industry with 10G network processing and 20G per slot performance. Since then, the platform has evolved through new generations of silicon and line cards, providing outstanding investment protection for its customers. With the FP3 network processor, the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 SR again raises the industry benchmark with 400G network processing and 200G per slot performance. More than 100,000 Service Routing systems are in use at more than 400 service providers in over 100 countries. In 2010 Alcatel-Lucent's IP Division reported revenues of €1.46Bn, representing 24 percent growth compared to 2009. To learn more about this innovation: Join the Alcatel-Lucent webcast June 28, 10am EST at: external link http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?p=irol-eventDetails&c=234389&eventID=4136614 Or, visit the Alcatel-Lucent FP3 website at: www.alcatel-lucent.com/fp3 |
| CyanogenMod 7 on the Nook Color hands-on (video) Posted: 29 Jun 2011 11:00 AM PDT  See, $250 ($200 on sale) buys you a gorgeous 7-inch 1024x600 pixel capacitive IPS panel with excellent contrast and viewing angles, an 800MHz TI OMAP 3621 CPU, a PowerVR SGX 530 GPU, 512MB RAM, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, 8GB of built-in storage, an accelerometer, and a microSD card slot -- all wrapped in an attractive 12mm thin package. Sure, there's no 3G radio, no camera, no microphone, no ambient light sensor, and no haptic feedback, but despite its lower-end specs, the Nook Color just begs to be turned into a full blown Android tablet. And that's just what we did, by installing CyanogenMod 7 on Barnes & Noble's color reader, complete with Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) and the full suite of Google apps. Take a look at our screenshots gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video and impressions. We'll let the video above speak for itself, but the takeaway here it that CyanogenMod 7 on the Nook Color is surprisingly fast and pleasantly functional. Everything works pretty much as expected with remarkably little (if any) lag. Surfing the Web is snappy for an 800 MHz tablet and includes Flash support -- the CPU even handles 720p video decoding without drama. For an extra dose of irony, we installed the Kindle and Nook apps. Both work, but there are some bugs, and the latter won't support some of the interactive content that's normally readable on the Nook Color, like The Elephant's Child. Regardless, we'd have no qualms lending the hacked tablet to non tech-savvy friends. The steps required to install CyanogenMod 7 on the Nook Color are reasonably simple and are outlined in the source links below -- just follow the instructions in the YouTube videos (there's one for PC users and one for Mac users). Happy modding! |
| Delkin intros 64GB SDXC card, claims to be the fastest with 45MBps write speeds Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:40 AM PDT  We have a sneaking suspicion we've written this post before. Oh wait, we did -- sort of. Months after taking a victory lap to flaunt the world's fastest SDHC card, Delkin is back, this time with a superlatively speedy SDXC in tow. The 64GB Elite633 card promises read and write speeds of 95 MBps and 45 MBps, respectively -- that compares with 95MBps and 80MBps for the company's 32GB SDHC. With a price of $539.99, of course, it wasn't exactly intended for those of you who are too lazy to dump some 17,000-odd photos onto a hard drive. Rather, it'll come in handy for the enthusiast crowd, especially folks with a penchant for high-def and 3D video. As for the rest of you casual shooters, we're quite partial to a game we like to call, "How much camera could I get for that $540?" Fastest 64GB Secure Digital UHS-I Card in the World |
| Art Lebedev's Optimus Mini Six enters production, Popularis unsurprisingly delayed Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:20 AM PDT  We were a bit skeptical when we heard that the notoriously delay-riddled Art Lebedev Studio would be releasing a follow-up to its Optimus Mini Three keyboard this year, but it looks like the Mini Six is moving ever closer to reality. Yesterday, the company unveiled new images of the USB-powered peripheral, confirming that it's in "early production" and slated for release later this year. True to its name, the latest addition to the Optimus family features six LCD shortcut keys, though pricing and precise availability remain a mystery. As for that pricey Optimus Popularis keyboard we saw exactly a year ago, its release has been delayed until 2012 -- which, in Lebedevese, means "anytime within the next decade." In the meantime, you can feast your eyes on an extra image of the Mini Six, waiting for you after the break.  |
| OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT  |
| Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video) Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.  It's been a year since we last heard about Social Bicycles (SoBi), the bike sharing concept that has potential to revolutionize the way we rent, ride, and lock bikes. Now the New York-based startup is working on a very promising second prototype, and is turning to Kickstarter for funding. The new version is still a few weeks out (that's a rendered version in the image above), but we pedaled over to SoBi HQ in Brooklyn to take a look at the first model, which is already far more efficient than systems we've seen implemented in Europe and select US cities, including Denver. Both versions feature a main rear-mounted lock unit, containing a U-lock, rear wheel immobilizer, GPS tracking chip, GSM modem, and a hub dynamo electrical generator. The new version's unit will be much more compact, two-thirds lighter, and will include an integrated solar panel for keeping the electronics powered up even when the bike isn't moving. SoBi interfaces with a mobile app, which lets you locate and unlock unreserved bikes around the city (you'll use your PIN to control the lock during the reservation period). Users pay a monthly fee to subscribe, which will include an hour of free riding each day. The system implements a clever financial incentive to have bikes returned to strategically located hubs, charging a fee for users who prefer to leave bikes elsewhere, then offering the same amount as a credit for riders who rent that bike and return it to a hub. Because the SoBi will be a rental service and you won't be buying a bike to own, early supporters will receive a future credit in exchange for a Kickstarter donation. Donations of $50 or more also include a slick AR-enabled t-shirt, which displays a "3D" model of the bike on your mobile device. Jump past the break for a hands-on with the first Social Bicycle, and a behind-the-scenes look at the company's shared workshop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Previous project update: Air Guitar Move for iPhone, our last Insert Coin project, has exceeded its funding goal of $25,000, thanks to a record-setting $20,000 donation from Red Bull. There's still 11 days remaining, so head over to Kickstarter for your own motion-sensing guitar pick. |
| Google Talk video chat finally available over T-Mobile 3G and 4G (video) Posted: 29 Jun 2011 08:33 AM PDT  [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] |
| iRiver's MX100 Android tablet spotted in China? (video) Posted: 29 Jun 2011 08:13 AM PDT  iRiver has spent the past couple of years testing the e-reader waters, but the company may now be ready to plunge into the deeper end of the pool, with its first Android tablet. A blogger in Korea recently spotted the slate, believed to be the seven-inch MX100, during an iRiver event in China. According to the source, it's powered by a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird core, runs on Android 2.2 Froyo and is equipped with 802.11b/g/n WiFi -- not exactly cutting-edge stuff, but at least it's not Bubble Yum-flavored. There's been no official confirmation from iRiver yet, nor do we have any details on pricing or availability, but you can head past the break to see a semi-recent commercial from LG U+, in which the MX100 makes a brief cameo around the 0:15 mark. |
| MSI formally unveils 14-inch CX480 laptop, stops short of naming a price Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:49 AM PDT  We know, we know -- many of you just want to see some Llano laptops already, but that doesn't mean the flow of Sandy Bridge systems has run dry. MSI just formally outed the CX480, a brushed metal 14-incher it showed off at Computex a few weeks back. It's unclear to what extent you'll be able to configure it, but you will, at least, find multiple versions with either a Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2410M CPU. Otherwise, this 4.9-pound guy packs an NVIDIA GeForce 520M card with 1GB of video memory, HDMI and VGA output, a six-cell battery, a dedicated backup button, an "optional" USB 3.0 port, and a 5400RPM hard drive ranging in size from 320GB to 640GB. Without a price, of course, it's hard to say how sweet of a deal this is, though with that "summery" color palette, we're sure it'll pop up in the usual e-tailers well before back-to-school season gets into full swing. MSI Debuts Dazzling CX480 Multimedia NB |
| Andy Hertzfeld, 'former Macintosh wizard,' designed the Google+ Project Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:24 AM PDT  Google+ looks... a little different. Almost as if it didn't even come from Google. And those drag-and-drop circles? Luscious. Turns out, there's a reason for everything, and he goes by Andy Hertzfeld. According to an investigative piece put up by Wired, Andy's actually credited as being the "original Mac guy," responsible for software and user interface design while working for Apple between 1979 and 1984. He picked up a new role at Goog in 2005, but according to the report, "he had previously felt constrained because its design standards didn't allow for individual creativity." That all changed with Emerald Sea, a diddy that would eventually become known as the search giant's most ambitious foray yet into the wide world of social networking. It's bruited that Andy was given the freedom to go wild whilst designing Google+, and it shows -- the interface throughout is about as intuitive as one could ever hope. 'Course, it takes more than good design to seal a project, but there's no doubt that this is one heck of a start. The rest of the story? Tucked away in that source link, just south of here. |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G up for pre-order from Verizon, finally Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:01 AM PDT  |
| Nokia 700 'Zeta' caught in spyshots, ready to give mobile makeovers Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:43 AM PDT  Though no other phones were pictured, the spec sheet (shown below) brought attention to three other Symbian offerings on the roadmap: the Nokia 701 Helen has the best specs of the bunch with 8 megapixel camera and 3.5-inch ClearBlack display; there's the Nokia 600 Cindy with NFC, 5 megapixel shooter, and 3.2-inch AMOLED; also, we've likely seen the Nokia 500 Fate already leaked as the N5. There's no indication on when (or if) we can expect any of these phones to hit the market, but it looks like Mr. Elop is intent on keeping his promise. More photos after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]   |
| RFID tags let you share waterpark photos on Facebook without leaving the lazy river Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:22 AM PDT  Great Wolf Lodge Debuts Social Media First For Waterpark Industry Great Wolf Connect allows direct Facebook photo sharing through RFID technology GRAND MOUND, Wash., June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Great Wolf Resorts® (NASDAQ: WOLF), North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, is debuting a new technology that's a social media first for the industry. Great Wolf Connect, launching first at Great Wolf Lodge® - Grand Mound, allows guests to link the radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in their waterpark wristbands with their Facebook accounts to automatically share photos from photo-friendly Paw Posts throughout the resort. This new use of RFID technology will allow guests to have photos taken, which are then automatically posted to their Facebook page throughout their visit. Capturing this instant "wish you were here" moment was a challenge in the past with guests not bringing the necessary technology into the waterpark. "Family vacations are what memories are made of, with photos lining the fronts of refrigerators and pages of albums for years," said Steve Shattuck, Corporate Director of Communications at Great Wolf Resorts. "Today, our guests use Facebook as both a virtual post card and a photo album. With technology we already had in place, we were able to make sharing one step easier." Built by Fish Technologies, Great Wolf Connect uses the RFID technology imbedded in the waterpark's wristbands, which also serve as guests' room keys and in-house charge accounts. After check-in, guests can register their wristband at the Great Wolf Connect kiosks and link it directly to their Facebook account. Then, at five Paw Posts located throughout the resort, guests simply scan their wristband and smile for the digital camera at each spot. That photo - or a general photo of each attraction - and a caption are then automatically posted on the guests' Facebook wall. "Guests have been asking us for photo sharing functionality for quite some time. Great Wolf Connect allows us to expand our technology infrastructure in a way that enhances their stay," said Great Wolf Chief Information Officer Rajiv Castellino. "In Grand Mound, we've already seen our guests embrace this new experience. And as guests see others capturing memories at the Paw Posts, they're trying it out for themselves, too." The Paw Post locations include the most popular photo opportunities throughout the resort, including the resort's signature Tipping Bucket as well as a full view of the of the waterpark from an elevated balcony inside the waterpark, the Great Clock Tower in the lobby, the statue of Sprinkles the Bear outside Bear Paw Sweets & Eats(TM), and Pixi's Perch, part of the MagiQuest® game. |
| Porsche ACC InnoDrive handles all the pedals, takes the lead out of your foot Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:59 AM PDT  |
| Ubuntu demonstrated running on Galaxy Tab 10.1, summarily dubbed 'Tabuntu' (video) Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:35 AM PDT  |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:11 AM PDT  |
| OCZ's RevoDrive 3 X2 review roundup: SSD melts faces with 1.5GBps read and 1.2GBps write speeds Posted: 29 Jun 2011 04:41 AM PDT  Read - Hot Hardware Read - AnandTech Read - Tom's Hardware Read - PC Perspective Read - The SSD Review |
| The Elliptical Machine Office Desk: putting the 'commute' back in 'telecommuting' Posted: 29 Jun 2011 04:08 AM PDT  |
| ThinkPad Tablet shown off with keyboard-laden folio cover, could ship within a month Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 AM PDT  |
| HP tempts webOS early adopters to buy a TouchPad with $50 rebate Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:29 AM PDT  WebOS hopefuls -- especially owners of a Palm Pre, Pixi or their Plus variants -- you there? HP's TouchPad launch is a few days away, and the company's seeking to entice loyalists with a $50 mail-in-rebate on the new slate in the US and Canada. You've got until July 31st to make good on the deal, and all it'll take is proof that you own one of the aforesaid phones. Still need help deciding? We've heard that a visit to Walmart might score you some hands-on time while you're stocking up on bulk toilet paper. Hit that source link below for the full details straight from Ruby and Co. |
| Kaz Hirai to become Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman, leave Andrew House with tough CEO gig Posted: 29 Jun 2011 01:47 AM PDT  |
| Razer trots out Transformers 3 Edition DeathAdder, Vespula and laptop case Posted: 29 Jun 2011 01:31 AM PDT  Razer rolls out Transformers 3 Collector's Edition Gaming Suite Metal on metal carnage, explosions, destruction. That's what's going down when the righteous Autobots clash with the ruthless Decepticons in the epic finale to the cinematic extravaganza that is the Transformers trilogy. To commemorate such a momentous occasion, Razer, the world's leading high-end precision gaming brand, in collaboration with Hasbro, famed toys maker, unleash the exclusive Transformers 3 Collector's Edition gaming suite. The gaming suite is headlined by Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Shockwave: four legends crafted and transmuted into four uniquely designed Razer DeathAdder mice to give you unparalleled gaming performance while evoking the heart-pumping excitement and robot wonder of the Transformers universe. Also included in the gaming suite is a dual-sided Razer Vespula mouse mat, with one side representing the Autobots with a speed-enhancing surface, the other of the Decepticons with a control-enhancing surface, to showcase your favored allegiance as you annihilate opponents with your preferred style of swiping. And finally, an exclusive laptop case designed by Razer, available in the four iconic colors of these Transformers, delivers a sleek and eye-catching storage solution for your gaming on the go. |
| Angry Birds lands on Windows Phone 7, ready to explore the third ecosystem Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:52 AM PDT  |
| Skype gets Congressional approval, will help Representatives stay in touch with the common people Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:04 AM PDT  |
| Google unveils Swiffy: turns high maintenance Flash animations into HTML5 Posted: 28 Jun 2011 11:11 PM PDT  |
| Oregon engineers roll out cheaper, less wasteful solar cells with inkjet printer Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:18 PM PDT  It looks like the push to turn the inkjet printer into the next great manufacturer of solar cells has found another proponent in a team of engineers at Oregon State University. That group of resourceful researchers claims to have created the world's first "CIGS solar devices with inkjet printing," thus giving birth to a new production process that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent. CIGS (an acronym for copper, indium, gallium, and selenium) is a highly absorbent and efficient compound, especially suited to creating thin-film solar cells. The team has used inkjet technology to pump out a CIGS ink with an efficiency of five percent, and a potential efficiency of 12 percent; apparently enough to produce a "commercially viable solar cell." Unfortunately, the group has yet to announce plans to bring the ink to our desktop printer -- so much for that backyard solar farm. Full PR after the break. Inkjet printing could change the face of solar energy industry CORVALLIS, Ore. – Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy. Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way for the first time to create successful "CIGS" solar devices with inkjet printing, in work that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent and will significantly lower the cost of producing solar energy cells with some very promising compounds. High performing, rapidly produced, ultra-low cost, thin film solar electronics should be possible, scientists said. The findings have been published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, a professional journal, and a patent applied for on the discovery. Further research is needed to increase the efficiency of the cell, but the work could lead to a whole new generation of solar energy technology, researchers say. "This is very promising and could be an important new technology to add to the solar energy field," said Chih-hung Chang, an OSU professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. "Until now no one had been able to create working CIGS solar devices with inkjet technology." Part of the advantage of this approach, Chang said, is a dramatic reduction in wasted material. Instead of depositing chemical compounds on a substrate with a more expensive vapor phase deposition – wasting most of the material in the process – inkjet technology could be used to create precise patterning with very low waste. "Some of the materials we want to work with for the most advanced solar cells, such as indium, are relatively expensive," Chang said. "If that's what you're using you can't really afford to waste it, and the inkjet approach almost eliminates the waste." One of the most promising compounds and the focus of the current study is called chalcopyrite, or "CIGS" for the copper, indium, gallium and selenium elements of which it's composed. CIGS has extraordinary solar efficiency – a layer of chalcopyrite one or two microns thick has the ability to capture the energy from photons about as efficiently as a 50-micron-thick layer made with silicon. In the new findings, researchers were able to create an ink that could print chalcopyrite onto substrates with an inkjet approach, with a power conversion efficiency of about 5 percent. The OSU researchers say that with continued research they should be able to achieve an efficiency of about 12 percent, which would make a commercially viable solar cell. In related work, being done in collaboration with Greg Herman, an OSU associate professor of chemical engineering, the engineers are studying other compounds that might also be used with inkjet technology, and cost even less. Some approaches to producing solar cells are time consuming, or require expensive vacuum systems or toxic chemicals. OSU experts are working to eliminate some of those roadblocks and create much less costly solar technology that is also more environmentally friendly. New jobs and industries in the Pacific Northwest could evolve from such initiatives, they say. If costs can be reduced enough and other hurdles breached, it might even be possible to create solar cells that could be built directly into roofing materials, scientists say, opening a huge new potential for solar energy. "In summary, a simple, fast, and direct-write, solution-based deposition process is developed for the fabrication of high quality CIGS solar cells," the researchers wrote in their conclusion. "Safe, cheap, and air-stable inks can be prepared easily by controlling the composition of low-cost metal salt precursors at a molecular level." |
| Office 365 ditches the beta tag, ready to take on Google Apps Posted: 28 Jun 2011 09:29 PM PDT  We know what you're thinking -- you like the idea of Google Apps, but the Mountain View crew kind of creeps you out. Well, don't worry, Microsoft has your back. After making its beta debut last year, Office 365 is officially ready to spread its wings and offer its productivity web app wares to the business-minded masses. For $6 per-user, per-month small businesses get access to Microsoft Office Web Apps, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync video conferencing and can take advantage of the suite's integration with WP7 once Mango lands. Larger, enterprise plans start at $10 per user while adding support for desktop Office products and Lync VoIP solutions as you climb the pricing ladder. Really there's not much more to say except, check out the full PR after the break. Microsoft Launches Office 365 Globally World-class collaboration tools are now available for businesses large and small. NEW YORK - June 28, 2011 - Today, at media events around the world, Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Microsoft Office 365, the company's newest cloud service. Office 365 is now available in 40 markets, and it brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service, at a predictable monthly subscription. The service was introduced in beta last year with enthusiastic response and, in a few months, more than 200,000 organizations signed up and began testing it. Businesses using Office 365 are already reporting impressive results and reducing IT costs by up to an estimated 50 percent while boosting productivity. Today, more than 20 service providers around the globe also shared plans to bring Office 365 to their customers this year. Bell Canada, Intuit Inc., NTT Communications Corp., Telefonica S.A., Telstra Corp. and Vodafone Group Plc, among others, will package and sell Office 365 with their own services for small and midsize businesses. "Great collaboration is critical to business growth, and because it's so important, we believe the best collaboration technology should be available to everyone," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "With a few clicks, Office 365 levels the playing field, giving small and midsize businesses powerful collaboration tools that have given big businesses an edge for years." A Game Changer for Businesses of All Sizes Office 365 is available in a wide range of service plans designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, ranging from the largest to the smallest. With Office 365, people can stay on the "same page" using instant messaging and virtual meetings with people who are just down the hall or across the world. They can work on files and documents at the same time and share ideas as easily as they can share calendars. Office 365 gives people new ways to work together with ease, on virtually any device. Microsoft Office applications are at the heart of Office 365. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook and other Office applications connect to Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Lync to deliver a world-class solution for communication and collaboration. "When I saw Office 365, I knew this was the way businesses would work in the future," said Elia Wallen, owner of fast-growing temporary housing provider Travelers Haven. "With Office 365, I'm going to save $100,000 a year and cut 30 hours of work a day across my 35 employees, but most importantly, my team is going to be able to work together better - no matter where they are." More stories from businesses that have tried Office 365 are available at http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies. Office 365 Partners Microsoft is building a massive partner ecosystem around Office 365, including systems integrators, software vendors, resellers and other partners. Today, that ecosystem is expanding as the company partners in new ways with market-leading service providers. These companies will package Office 365 with their own services - from Web hosting and broadband to finance solutions and mobile services - and bring those new offerings to millions of small and midsize businesses globally. "Our partners represent some of the best-known, most-trusted brands in their local markets," said Kurt DelBene, president, Microsoft Office Division. "Our customers will be able to rest easy knowing their cloud services are backed by Microsoft and some of the greatest service providers in the world." About Office 365 Office 365 offers a range of service plans for a predictable monthly price from $2 to $27 per user per month. With Office 365 for small businesses, customers can be up and running with Office Web Apps, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and an external website in minutes, for $6 (U.S.) per user, per month. These tools put enterprise-grade email, shared documents, instant messaging, video and Web conferencing, portals, and more at everyone's fingertips. Office 365 for enterprises has an array of choices, from simple email to comprehensive suites to meet the needs of midsize and large businesses, as well as government organizations. Customers can now get Microsoft Office Professional Plus on a pay-as-you-go basis with cloud-based versions of the industry's leading business communications and collaboration services. Each of these plans comes with the advanced IT controls, innovative security technologies, 24/7 IT support and reliability customers expect from Microsoft. Availability Office 365 for small businesses and Office 365 for enterprises are available now. Businesses can try Office 365 for free for 30 days by signing up at http://www.office365.com or from their local Microsoft partner. Follow Office 365 on Twitter (@Office365), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/office365) and the Office 365 blog at http://community.office365.com for the latest information. |
| Silver-ink pen freestyles handmade circuitry, paves way for flexible displays Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:51 PM PDT  |
| Facebook Likes, hires iPhone jailbreaker 'Geohot' Posted: 28 Jun 2011 07:49 PM PDT  |
| Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149 Posted: 28 Jun 2011 07:01 PM PDT  |
| MoviePass wants to be Netflix, but for theaters Posted: 28 Jun 2011 06:15 PM PDT  Here's a scenario: you'd love to see the latest blockbuster, but aren't willing to fork out a month's wages to do so. Cue MoviePass, a startup seeking to make life cheaper (fiscally, not emotionally) for repeat cinema moviegoers. The $50 subscription allows for "unlimited" cinema screenings, provided you're okay with a few caveats: 3D or IMAX screenings incur a $3 surcharge, and you'll be limited to one flick per day. Tickets must also be purchased on a partner website, netting you a coupon code that's exchanged for stubs in-theater. Not the most elegant solution, but the reliance on paper prevents folks from re-watching or double-dipping while inside. If that sounds just a bit too jovial for you, the company's also considering a chopped-down $30 plan, which would impose a four movie limit each month. It's launching as a trial this weekend in San Francisco, so if you've nothing better to do, give it a go and let us know how it works out. |
| Posted: 28 Jun 2011 05:29 PM PDT  |
| Google+ invite received, we go hands-on Posted: 28 Jun 2011 05:06 PM PDT  Those who have spent any time at all on Facebook will find it nearly impossible not to draw comparisons upon logging in. Let there be no question: Google is going after the world's largest social network -- and it's doing so in a big way. The page is constructed around a familiar content stream populated with content from your friends' updates and posts -- things like links, photos, and location updates. The "Circles" feature comes into play in the stream, offering users the option of sending posted content to specified groups or making it public for all the world to see.  Perhaps to emphasize the importance of content, the stream shows shared items in a much larger format than on Facebook, particularly when media is added. We think this is nice for now, but as friends lists grow, we're sure to expect a lot more scrolling. Updates refresh on the page automatically, and are instantaneously able to be commented on and shared with other lists. The familiar Facebook "Like" button has, not surprisingly, been replaced by Google's soon-to-be-ubiquitous Plus One button. Pretty much every time something happens on the service, Google will pop up a red notification on the top tool bar and send you an email, just in case you weren't paying attention. There's a list of other content streams located along the left side of the window: toggle between streams from different groups or access a chat client eerily similar to the one present in Gmail. This pane also includes an abbreviated friends list and a Twitter-like suggestion list, but also contains an ad for the site's mobile version. The top bar, meanwhile, boasts the obligatory search field and shortcuts to the homepage, photos, your profile, notifications, settings, and your other Circles.  Google is really looking to set itself apart from the pack with its "Circles" feature (that it has denied in the past). You see, Google lets you create groups, or, "Circles," to which you can add and remove contacts. This means that you can separate your work buddies from your drinking buddies -- or, "epic bros" as Google suggests categorizing them. Google's also tapping into its many algorithms to suggest contacts to be added to Circles, much like it does with emails in Gmail -- though you can still add contacts directly by email address should you so desire. The process of creating new Circles and physically dragging contacts into them is quite dynamic -- we're definitely impressed with the interface.  Plus' "Hangout" feature has its sights firmly set on Skype's multi-user video chat. Once the plug-in is installed, clicking the button will deliver a note to your followers' stream letting them know that you're "hanging out." Clicking the button triggers a Skype-like window with the faces of those you're chatting with. Whoever has the floor appears in the main window -- and like the aforementioned service, it allows for text chat along the side. Unsurprisingly, the feature also offers YouTube integration, letting users collaboratively watch videos and create running commentaries in the chat -- or verbally using that new Google Voice Search tech. We should mention that we are talking about Google here, so there's also an obvious push for the mobile version of Google+ as well. No one should be particulary surprised that Android is the first mobile OS to be getting a crack at the service -- there's already an available in the Market. We've been told that there's an iPhone version of the app also on the way (though for the time being, iPhone users can access the page through mobile Safari). The "Huddle" group-messaging feature -- one of the biggest selling points of the mobile version -- doesn't seem quite ready for prime time, either. When news of Google Plus' arrival broke today, we called the service an "all out assault on social networking." After playing around with it for a bit, we believe that our previous description seems even more apt. Past services like Buzz have suffered from a half-baked approach to the space, but Google has clearly pulled out all of the stops this time. With direct shots at some of the leading market software in the form Facebook and Skype, Google is in a position to extend its search dominance to other realms. As usual, the company has created a smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable experience. However, now comes the hardest part: convincing people that they need another social network in their lives, because without friends, you're just hanging out by yourself. |
| RIM scraps 10-inch PlayBook to focus on QNX-powered superphone? Posted: 28 Jun 2011 04:28 PM PDT  |
| Apple Thunderbolt cable, Promise RAIDs now available to get your 10Gbps interconnect on Posted: 28 Jun 2011 03:56 PM PDT  Was it really four months ago that Intel and Apple took the curtains off of Thunderbolt I/O? The MacBook Pro and iMac lines have since been refreshed with the interconnect, but early adopters haven't had much more than a fancy port to stare at. Thankfully, Apple's $49 T-bolt cable is finally available as your ticket to the 10Gbps superhighway. Apparently, it quietly hit Apple's web store this morning along with some fresh Promise Pegasus RAID enclosures ($1k for 4TB up to $2K for 12TB) to support it. All of the peripherals appear to be in stock and ready to ship; so if you've been eagerly waiting to make use of that extra port, now's your chance. |
| Google starts highlighting content creators, will never forget that music blog you had in college Posted: 28 Jun 2011 03:30 PM PDT  Google has a lot of pictures of people. Google also indexes a lot of content written by people. Ponder those two facts for just a moment and you'll come upon the search giant's Next Big Thing: highlighting authorship. Now, with a little markup magic, Google can not only track you but track what you wrote online, tying it all together so that search results written by you pop up with a picture of you, linked back to your Google Profile. It's a great way to highlight who's up to what online but, if you're not into it, opting out is as easy as doing nothing. Don't add that markup and you're free to keep musing about Muse to your heart's content without those words ever corrupting future vanity searches. Right now the program is rolling out to a select few in a pilot program, but look for it to embrace more personalities in the coming months. |
| Why is European broadband faster and cheaper? Blame the government Posted: 28 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT If you've stayed with friends who live in European cities, you've probably had an experience like this: You hop onto their WiFi or wired internet connection and realize it's really fast. Way faster than the one that you have at home. It might even make your own DSL or cable connection feel as sluggish as dialup. You ask them how much they pay for broadband. "Oh, forty Euros." That's about $56. "A week?" you ask. "No," they might say. "Per month. And that includes phone and TV." It's really that bad. The nation that invented the internet ranks 16th in the world when it comes to the speed and cost of our broadband connections. That's according to a study released last year by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission. It's not surprising that we lag behind such hacker havens as Sweden (number one worldwide, according to the study) and Finland (number seven), nor densely-populated Asian nations like Japan and South Korea (numbers three and four). But the U.S. also trails countries that are poor by European standards: Portugal is just ahead of us in 15th place; Italy is number 14. (The full rankings are on page 81 of the study.) By most measures, the U.S. has been losing ground. The UK, which traditionally lagged in international broadband rankings, is now number eleven, Germany, which has been slow to move to the most-recent DSL and fiber technologies, is number twelve. I wanted to find out why we're doing so badly. So earlier this year I went to the UK and Netherlands under the aegis of the Washington-based Center for Investigation and Information to learn why broadband in those countries is so much better than ours. The project was funded by the Ford Foundation. (In April, my colleagues and I produced the first version of the story for the weekly PBS newsmagazine Need to Know; you can see that report here. Later this year, we hope to produce additional reporting for two NPR programs.) We went to the Netherlands because it has one of the world's most advanced and fastest-growing fiber-optic networks. We visited homes there that get 100 mbps service in both directions -- they can upload as fast as they download -- as well as TV and phone for under $100 a month. We chose the UK because it's racing ahead in global rankings. Over the past decade, average speeds increased by 25 percent between 2009 and 2010, while prices have tumbled. Broadband service comparable to what we get here in the U.S. is available for less than $6 a month. And no, there isn't a zero missing there. Six bucks a month. So, what's the difference? Our reporting suggests a one-word answer: Government. Not government spending. The UK's administration hasn't invested a penny in broadband infrastructure, and most of the network in the Netherlands has been built with private capital. (The city government in Amsterdam took a minority stake in the fiber network there, but that's an investment that will pay dividends if the network is profitable -- and the private investors who own the majority share of the system plan to make sure that it will be.) The game-changer in these two European countries has been government regulators who have forced more competition in the market for broadband. The market in the UK used to be much like ours here in the U.S.: British homes had two options for broadband service: the incumbent telephone company British Telecom (BT), or a cable provider. Prices were high, service was slow, and, as I mentioned above, Britain was falling behind its European neighbors in international rankings of broadband service. The solution, the British government decided, was more competition: If consumers had more options when it came to broadband service, regulators reasoned, prices would fall and speeds would increase. A duopoly of telephone and cable service wasn't enough. "You need to find the third lever," says Peter Black, who was the UK government's top broadband regulator from 2004 to 2008. Starting around 2000, the government required BT to allow other broadband providers to use its lines to deliver service. That's known as "local loop unbundling" -- other providers could lease the loops of copper that runs from the telephone company office to homes and back and set up their own servers and routers in BT facilities. BT dragged its feet and very few firms stepped up to compete with the telephone giant. "The prices were too high," Black says. "There were huge barriers to entry. The processes were long and drawn out." When Black was named Telecommunications Adjudicator in 2004, he fought on two fronts to break the BT logjam. First, he used his own experience as a former employee of the telecom giant to push for change from the inside. When that wasn't enough, he used the bully pulpit provided by his government post to embarrass BT in public. He publicized the company's failure to meet goals. Reporters loved the story of the government regulator holding the giant firm's feet to the fire. "Embarrassment works, you know?" he laughs. When Black started work, only 12,000 British homes had multiple broadband providers. By the time he stepped down in 2008, about 5 million did, and today the number's closer to 6 million. "That's about a 500-fold increase in less than ten years," he says. You can see evidence of the UK's competitive market on the streets of London: Broadband providers splash ads across bush shelters and train stations, touting prices that seem outrageously low by U.S. standards. Post offices sell broadband service; so does Tesco, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains. Those providers target their offerings to users' needs. If all you plan to do is check you email every now and then, try TalkTalk's plan that goes for £3.25 a month (under $6). If you're a gamer and low latency is a key factor, buy a more expensive plan from Demon. (Bonus: Their customer service people are trained geeks who won't repeatedly insist that you reboot your computer and modem before moving on to help solve the problem.) Some London homes now have a dozen or more broadband providers. Competition is spurring technological improvements. BT and its dozens of competitors realize that they're already pushing old-fashioned copper wires to the limit, and that speeds will increase only if homes are connected to fiber-optic cables. So right now, a consortium of competitive broadband providers is negotiating with BT for the right to use the phone company's poles and underground ducts to build their own fiber-optic network. What's good for Britain is bad for America? America's AT&T and Verizon are members of that consortium, pushing for faster service for British broadband users. Both firms back more competition in the UK and across Europe and fight to take market share from incumbent telephone companies there. Yet both firms say the same policies they support in the UK would be a mistake here in the U.S. (You can see my questions to the firms here and here. AT&T's response is here, while Verizon's is here.) Verizon told me in its written statement that it flat-out opposes the kind of local-loop unbundling that's reduced prices and increased speeds in Britain "for competitive reasons". Those regulations are "bad public policy and bad news for consumers", Verizon says, which "only benefit a few big phone companies, and those companies do not pass their savings on to consumers." Verizon also claims that "those competitors do not invest in their own networks". Broadband industry insiders in the UK beg to differ. AT&T takes a different tack: The firm says it supports competition, but notes that, "There is no 'one-size fits all' regulatory regime" that will work worldwide. AT&T cites two main differences between the UK and U.S. markets: First, more U.S. homes have the option of buying broadband service from cable companies. Second, the U.S. is more spread out -- the technical term is that those "loops" are longer. But again, the facts in the UK suggest otherwise. Many homes in Britain's largest city -- London -- have cable access, but cable prices have fallen alongside that of DSL service. Meanwhile, the size of the U.S. may be a red herring. Most of the region between Boston and Washington is as densely populated as most of Europe and the UK. So is the California coast between San Francisco and San Diego. And so is the region of the Midwest centered on Chicago. Those areas are home to about a quarter of all Americans. In other words, we live in a big country, but a lot of it is relatively empty space. The argument that the U.S. is too spread out is nonsense, according to Herman Wagter, one of the Netherlands' most prominent evangelists for next-generation broadband. He thinks there's something else going on in Verizon's and AT&T's opposition to competition at home: They're afraid of it. Standing next to an Amsterdam canal, Wagter used a historical analogy: Those canals were built and operated by private firms, he says. When they were built, they helped Amsterdam become the world capital of commerce and finance. But after a hundred years or so, a new technology -- railroads -- was proving itself to be more efficient. The new transportation system was helping Holland's neighbor to the west, the UK, race ahead of the Netherlands. When Dutch entrepreneurs petitioned to build a train, the owners of the canals "were screaming murder". "They were saying, 'Oh, we can accelerate the boats a little bit, and convey a little bit more if you need more capacity'," Wagter says. The canal owners said the new railroads would "take away their business, and it was absolutely forbidden, and government shouldn't interfere." Wagter says it's fortunate that the Dutch government at the time didn't listen to those arguments. Whether or not U.S. officials will make the same decision when it comes to next-generation broadband, he says, is "a matter of political will." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V gets reviewed, deemed one of the best super-zooms around Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:34 PM PDT  |
| SEI creates new porous Aluminum-Celmet, makes rechargeable batteries last longer Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:08 PM PDT  Quick: What costs hundreds of dollars and dies after four hours? If your answer included anything portable and tech-based -- you guessed right. In fact, most of our magical and exciting gadgetry has less-than-stellar means of holding a charge, but a recent breakthrough by Sumitomo Electric Industries could change all that. Employing the same process used to create Celmet (a NiMH component), researchers at the R&D company managed to coax aluminum into being a bit more receptive. The resulting Aluminum-Celmet has a whopping 98 percent porosity rate, leaving the Li-ion gate wide-open for a flood of electrical juice. And unlike its nickel-based brother, this piece de porous non-resistance has a steep corrosive threshold that could soon help power a line of high-capacity, small form rechargeable batteries. Production is already underway at Osaka Works, with SEI hoping to speed adoption of these franken-batts into our mass consuming mitts. Technical-jargony PR release after the break. June 24, 2011 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., having newly developed its porous aluminum "Aluminum-Celmet," has set up a small-scale production line at Osaka Works (1-1-3 Shimaya, Konohana-ku, Osaka) to accelerate development efforts toward mass production of the new material. Aluminum-Celmet (x40)Celmet is a porous metal made from nickel or nickel chrome alloy. The porous metal manufacturing process comprises electro conductive coating to plastic foam, followed by nickel plating and plastic foam removal by heat treatment. Celmet's features include high porosity (up to 98%), considerably higher than other porous metals, such as nonwoven metal fabric and foam metal; it also features a three-dimensional mesh-like structure that forms interconnected, open and spherical pores. Moreover, it is easy to process the porous metal into various shapes by cutting and stamping. These features lead to favorable filling, retaining and current-collecting performance, when used with an active material. As such, Celmet has recently been adopted as a positive electrode current collector in hybrid vehicle nickel-hydrogen batteries. We have recently succeeded in developing porous aluminum Aluminum-Celmet, using processes similar to those used for producing nickel Celmet. In addition to sharing the high porosity feature of Celmet, Aluminum-Celmet offers lightness (the specific gravity of aluminum is about one-third that of nickel) and greater electrical conductivity (or low electrical resistivity, less than half that of nickel). Furthermore, Aluminum-Celmet offers excellent corrosion resistance. These features make it suitable for use in lithium-ion and other secondary batteries operating at high charge/discharge voltages, for which Celmet made from nickel is not suitable. Aluminum-Celmet can also be used for current collectors in capacitors. In-House Assessment of Aluminum-Celmet Applications Aluminum-Celmet can be used to improve the capacity of lithium-ion secondary batteries and capacitors. The positive electrode current collector in a conventional lithium-ion secondary battery is made from aluminum foil, while the negative electrode current collector is made from copper foil. Replacing the aluminum foil with Aluminum-Celmet increases the amount of positive active material per unit area. Sumitomo Electric's trial calculations indicate that in the case of automotive onboard battery packs, such replacement will increase battery capacity 1.5 to 3 times. Alternatively, with no change in capacity, battery volume can be reduced to one-third to two-thirds. These changes afford such benefits as reduced footprint of home-use storage batteries for power generated by solar and other natural sources, as well as by fuel cells. In conventional capacitors, both positive and negative current collectors are made from aluminum foil. Use of Aluminum-Celmet instead improves the capacity and reduces the footprint, as with lithium-ion batteries. We will direct our efforts toward improving Aluminum-Celmet for commercialization and mass production for lithium-ion battery and capacitor current collector applications. * Celmet is a trademark or registered trademark of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. |
| Ericsson takes LTE-Advanced next-level, notches 1Gbps downloads in testing Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:40 PM PDT  Of course, these test results are taking advantage of 60MHz available bandwidth, as opposed to the global max of 20MHz and the US standard of 10 . If we'd like to see speeds of such magnitude, we'll have to come across more spectrum somewhere, and soon; Ericsson hopes to have the first phases of LTE-Advanced ready to bump up our network speeds by 2013. At that point, "faux G" will take on a whole new meaning, won't it? Full PR and video after the break. LTE Advanced: mobile broadband up to 10 times faster June 28, 2011 -Ericsson demonstrates LTE Advanced over the air in a mobile environment -More than 10 times faster than today's commercial LTE networks -Based on commercial hardware compliant with 3GPP Release 10 -Commercial operation expected to start in 2013 Consumers in Sweden were the first in the world to experience commercial LTE services. Today, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) demonstrated the next step of LTE, known as LTE Advanced, to the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS). The demonstration, held in Kista, Sweden, featured speeds more than 10 times faster than those currently experienced by LTE consumers in Sweden. The system, based on commercial hardware, was operating on a test frequency provided by the PTS. This enabled Ericsson to demonstrate LTE Advanced functionality such as carrier aggregation of 3 x 20MHz (60MHz aggregated) over the air in a mobile environment for the first time. Mr. Urban Landmark, Head of Spectrum Department of Swedish regulator PTS, says: "Sweden is in the forefront when it comes to usage of mobile broadband. Sweden was both early with licensing of harmonized spectrum in the 2.6GHz and 800MHz bands, and the first country in the world where LTE was commercially deployed. The demonstration today indicates that mobile broadband technologies continue to evolve rapidly." LTE Advanced will further enhance the speed and capacity that will be needed in the Networked Society in the years to come. The technology is compliant with the 3GPP Release 10 global standard. Recently, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) also selected LTE Advanced as one of the technologies that fulfills International Mobile Telecommunication's criteria. The first stages of LTE Advanced are expected to be in commercial operation in 2013. "Ericsson encourages all regulators to allocate harmonized spectrum as early as possible," says Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson. "The next step of LTE enhances the current service offering, performance and data speed even further. It provides operators with the opportunity to capitalize further on their existing infrastructure. Once again, Ericsson is committed to supporting operators' needs as expectations and requirements for mobile broadband services increase." The enhancements introduced with LTE Advanced include carrier aggregation and extended multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) functionality. From a user perspective, this means that information can be retrieved and sent much faster, even when the network is congested. This, in combination with the faster speeds, improves the user experience significantly. The demo system was based on Ericsson's multi-mode, multi-standard radio base station, RBS 6000. Live traffic was streamed between the RBS and a moving van from which network performance could be monitored. In the demonstration, 60MHz of aggregated bandwidth was used, compared to the 20MHz maximum that is currently possible using LTE. In the downlink, 8x8 MIMO was used. In 2010, the technology's first year of operation, the number of users with access to LTE networks rose from 0 to 150 million people. Ericsson supplied the majority of these commercial LTE networks and has signed contracts with six of the world's top seven operators ranked by 2010 global revenues. Ericsson is the prime driver of open standards and has had a greater impact than any other player on the LTE specifications released to date. Ericsson expects to hold 25 percent of all essential patents for LTE in the industry. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Engadget News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment