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• Fusion Micro mod weds PSP and GameCube hardware, but battery won't last the honeymoon
• Print your own blood vessels, no need for red toner
• McConnel's Robocut mower verges on obscene (video)
• Review score review
• HP's 7-inch TouchPad Go surfaces on a website that isn't selling it
• Chinese Meizu MX quad-core smartphone gets priced and spec'd
• Samsung moves to block iPhone 5 in Korea, expands its anti-Apple offensive
• Qantas testing iPad in-flight entertainment, still won't compare to flying Soul Plane
• Arduino-modded stoplight makes the bestest server monitor you'll see this week
• Game over: Telstra won't be Gingerbreading the HTC Desire after all
• Play Wii games on your Android tablet via network streaming (video)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi gets US pricing, 16GB model starts at $469
• Pantech Breakout finally does just that, available from Verizon starting September 22nd
• Arduino brings the (new) goods to Maker Faire New York, welcomes ARM into the fold
• Stable release of Chrome 14 out now, brings a few upgrades for Lion users
• The Electree: finally, a bonsai tree that uses solar power to charge your gadgets
• Brainlink lets you control your toy robots, Roombas, before they control you (video)
• Keiji Inafune: handheld consoles don't need to fear the smartphone... yet
• Scientists attempt to give spark of life to all-synthetic metal cells
• Researchers use wireless network to monitor breathing, could save lives
• Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up
• RealVNC demos BIOS-based server at IDF 2011 (video)
• Iomega's TV with Boxee (Box) hitting Europe by 'by mid-October,' or so it says
• LG unveils Optimus Q2 QWERTY slider, slated for Korean launch next week
• Editorial: Reed Hastings' Netflix spinoff isn't about DVD success, it's about hedging the stream
• OWC unleashes Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD, peps up your 2011 MacBook Air
• Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi shipments arrive at Best Buy, will go on sale this week
• Netflix spins DVD-by-mail service off into Qwikster, says it's 'done' with price changes (video)
• Reading Rainbow roaring back with RRKidz iPad app, 'disruptive' ebook technology in tow
• How would you change Dell's XPS 15z?
• Sony's SMP-N200 player set to take on Roku, Apple TV for $99 next month
• Inhabitat's Week in Green: sun-powered homes, retro robots and a solar laptop chipset
• Mr Fussy mods Samsung Galaxy S for inductive charging, without frazzling warranty (video)
• Netflix abruptly yanks unavailable streaming movies from 'saved' view
• Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8
• Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens
• 'What Was There' project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality
• Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over
• Lego's augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video)

Fusion Micro mod weds PSP and GameCube hardware, but battery won't last the honeymoon Posted: 19 Sep 2011 11:05 AM PDT It may not be the first console we've seen modded and squeezed into portable clothing, but we've got to admire the sheer pluck of cramming all the GameCube's goodnesss into PSP hardware. Modder Ashen, also responsible for the stockier GameCube Fusion, has managed just that, with some heavy-duty adjustments and modifications. The Fusion Micro is a fair bit chunkier than the original PSP, mainly due to the fan and heat sink behind all that busy hardware. Other modifications include an extra analog stick on the right to mimic the GameCube controller and two card slots for games and emulation. Despite this impressive engineering, however, it won't stand up to extensive plays; this unholy union of Nintendo and Sony can only squeeze out about two hours of gaming from its 5000mAh battery. Click on after the break to see Zelda in action, alongside a full break-down of the controls and modifications. [Thanks Ashen.]

Print your own blood vessels, no need for red toner Posted: 19 Sep 2011 10:46 AM PDT Barely 24 hours after we told you about printing your own bones, the franken-science continues with the announcement that blood vessels are next on the body-parts-you-can-print list. Unsurprisingly, you'll need more than just regular toner if you want to start printing your own at home, but pioneering work by application-oriented research organization Fraunhofer has claimed to have cracked it by adding some good old 'two-photon polymerization' into the mix -- yeah, obvious once you know. The added photon special sauce is what makes the printed synthetic tubes biofunctionalized, which in turn enables living body cells to dock onto them -- we're guessing that's important. Sounds cute, but how long until we can start printing whole people -- Weird Science, anyone? Show full PR text Blood Vessels from Your Printer Press Release 13.09.2011 Researchers have been working at growing tissue and organs in the laboratory for a long time. These days, tissue engineering enables us to build up artificial tissue, although science still hasn't been successful with larger organs. Now, researchers at Fraunhofer are applying new techniques and materials to come up with artificial blood vessels in their BioRap project that will be able to supply artificial tissue and maybe even complex organs in future. They are exhibiting their findings at the Biotechnica Fair that will be taking place in Hannover, Germany on October There were more than 11,000 persons on the waiting list for organ transplantation in Germany alone at the beginning of this year, although on the average hardly half as many transplantations are performed. The aim of tissue engineering is to create organs in the laboratory for opening up new opportunities in this field. Unfortunately, researchers have still not been able to supply artificial tissue with nutrients because they do not have the necessary vascular system. Five Fraunhofer-institutes joined forces in 2009 to come up with biocompatible artificial blood vessels. It seemed impossible to build structures such as capillary vessels that are so small and complex and it was especially the branches and spaces that made life difficult for the researchers. But production engineering came to the rescue because rapid prototyping makes it possible to build workpieces specifically according to any complex 3-D model. Now, scientists at Fraunhofer are working on transferring this technology to the generation of tiny biomaterial structures by combining two different techniques: the 3-D printing technology established in rapid prototyping and multiphoton polymerization developed in polymer science. Successful Combination A 3-D inkjet printer can generate 3-dimensional solids from a wide variety of materials very quickly. It applies the material in layers of defined shape and these layers are chemically bonded by UV radiation. This already creates microstructures, but 3-D printing technology is still too imprecise for the fine structures of capillary vessels. This is why these researchers combine this technology with two-photon polymerization. Brief but intensive laser impulses impact the material and stimulate the molecules in a very small focus point so that crosslinking of the molecules occurs. The material becomes an elastic solid, due to the properties of the precursor molecules that have been adjusted by the chemists in the project team. In this way highly precise, elastic structures are built according to a 3-dimensional building plan. Dr. Günter Tovar is the project manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB based in Stuttgart. When we caught up with him, he described the latest work: »The individual techniques are already functioning and they are presently working in the test phase; the prototype for the combined system is being built.« When ink becomes an artificial vessel system You have to have the right material to manufacture 3-dimensional elastic solids. This is the reason why the researchers came up with special inks because printing technology itself calls for very specific properties. The later blood vessels have to be flexible and elastic and interact with the natural tissue. Therefore, the synthetic tubes are biofunctionalized so that living body cells can dock onto them. The scientists integrate modified biomolecules – such as heparin and anchor peptides – into the inside walls. They also develop inks made of hybrid materials that contain a mixture of synthetic polymers and biomolecules right from the beginning. The second step is where endothelial cells that form the innermost wall layer of each vessel in the body can attach themselves in the tube systems. Günter Tovar points out that »the lining is important to make sure that the components of the blood do not stick, but are transported onwards.« The vessel can only work in the same fashion as its natural model to direct nutrients to their destination if we can establish an entire layer of living cells. Opportunities for Medicine The virtual simulation of the finished workpieces is just as significant for project success as the new materials and production techniques. Researchers have to precisely calculate the design of these structures and the course of the vascular systems to ensure optimum flow speeds while preventing back-ups. The scientists at Fraunhofer are still at the dawn of this entirely new technology for designing elastic 3-dimensionally shaped biomaterials, although this technology offers a whole series of opportunities for further development. Günter Tovar acknowledges »we are establishing a basis for applying rapid prototyping to elastic and organic biomaterials. The vascular systems illustrate very dramatically what opportunities this technology has to offer, but that's definitely not the only thing possible.« One example would be building up completely artificial organs based on a circulation system with blood vessels created in this fashion to supply them with nutrients. They are still not suited for transplantations, but the complex of organs can be used as a test system to replace animal experiments. It would also be conceivable to treat bypass patients with artificial vessels. In any event, it will take a long time until we will actually be able to implant organs from the laboratory with their own blood vessels. This is a project that the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam, Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart, Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, Germany and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Mechanics IWM in Freiburg, Germany are all participating in. They are exhibiting a large model of an artificial blood vessel printed with conventional with rapid prototyping technologies and samples of their current developments in Hall 9, Stand D10 at the Biotechnica Fair.

McConnel's Robocut mower verges on obscene (video) Posted: 19 Sep 2011 10:24 AM PDT Woe betide any Appalachian tiger swallowtails who get caught up in this ungodly four-foot flailhead. Moving to higher ground won't save them either, because Robocut's 40hp Isuzu diesel engine and high grip tracks can chew up 55-degree slopes without ever pausing to contemplate. The bargain price? £40,000 ($60,000) plus extra for antihistamines. Apocalyptic video after the break.

Review score review Posted: 19 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT See that above? That number in the scorecard? That's the last one of those you'll be seeing on Engadget. (The last one for a while, at least -- "never say never" and all that.) Review scores were added to the Engadget way of doing things back in July of 2010 and, since then, they've had an overwhelming effect on how our reviews are read and perceived by you, our dear readers. We write our reviews and do our best to have the text within them speak to each and every one of you, but as we've learned those numbers truly only help very few of you. So, as you may have noticed, review scores on Engadget are dead. Join us as we explore why. Memories: a look through the Review Cards that were... Hardware A review score is a number, a single digit (we never did cover something worthy of a pristine 10) that gives a final, conclusive rating of the overall quality of a given device. That number is how nice that device looks, how well it performs, how heavy it is, how healthy its battery is, how much fun you can have with it and, of course, how much it costs. A review score takes all that information and more, the subjective and the innate and the substantially complex plus the objective and the concrete and the easily comparable, and tries to rank it against the entire galaxy of other devices that may or may not compete directly or indirectly with it. More than that, the system attempts to scale an already established number based on the relevance of the device it was assigned to today. That's of course because a review score never changes -- it never expires, has no shelf life, but is still distinctly perishable. Products that were deserving of a 8 or 9 last year probably wouldn't receive the same score today. Those numbers are stale. Performance A review score attempts to take a couple-thousand words worth of exposition that deeply analyzes the many and myriad features of a given device or service and boil all that down to a single digit. It does an incredibly poor job of it. Take the Samsung Chromebook Series 5 review, for example. That's been one of our most controversial scores of late (we gave it an 8/10) -- and for good reason. What you have is a device that is well built, nice looking, affordable, and offers exemplary battery life. It's also a device that, at its core, runs nothing more than a web browser and is only useful when it can find a solid connection. Do you need more than a web browser? If so, what a horrible idea for a device! This thing is like a 2, or maybe a 3. Do you do everything in a browser anyway, and live an always-connected lifestyle? Well, then this thing is awesome! Give it an 8, maybe a 9, and go play some Angry Birds in Chrome and stop worrying about trivial things like file systems and operating systems, man. Anyone who took the time to read the review, the whole review, to delve through to the conclusion, learned that for themselves. Anyone who just looked at the score and had already made up their mind whether a Chromebook is for them either felt fully vindicated or fundamentally wronged. Their ultimate feeling depended of course on which of the two groups described in the last paragraph they fell within. It's this nature of review scores, an inability to add qualifications based on the mindset and opinions of the reader, that make them not long for this world -- at least not our world. The replacement Don't worry, we know. You're busy. We're busy too. (Really, really busy.) You don't always have the time to read the full review and we know you want a quick way to at least get the gist of the thing. So, we're introducing the Bottomline. This is a 140 character conclusion that will deliver the essence, the finely distilled flavor of the review in an easily palatable dose. Will it deliver every nuance of the full review? Absolutely not. That's why we still write the full review. There will also be links over to Amazon on items that are listed over there, where you're free to dig in and peruse the specifications, peek alternatives to a given device and maybe read some feedback from folks who have already purchased one. Wrap-up Quite simply: you can't summarize every detail of a full product review with a number -- even if you add two or three or four numbers split into categories or take those numbers and add decimal points. Abstract them as stars, crystals, slices of delicious apple pie or some other funny little graphic and it's just a different spin on the same old game. That game does a disservice to the full review, to the device being reviewed, and most importantly to you, the reader. You deserve to be better informed and not to be lured into making an instant judgement based on a digit. So, review scores are being reborn on Engadget. We're going to keep investigating ways to recognize top-tier devices, to highlight those gadgets that clearly step above and beyond the rest, but the Bottomline is here now and it's here to stay. Yes, you still can't capture everything about a device in 140 characters, but you can sure do a hell of a lot better than with one digit.

HP's 7-inch TouchPad Go surfaces on a website that isn't selling it Posted: 19 Sep 2011 09:38 AM PDT You're still not any closer to being able to buy one, but HP's mysterious 7-inch TouchPad has now gotten a bit less mysterious. After turning up at the FCC under the TouchPad Go moniker in August, the device has now shown up for some less-than-flattering pictures on the Chinese ZooPDA forums -- you may have heard of some other complications that happened in the interim. As you can see, this model packs the same 4:3 aspect ratio as the standard TouchPad, as well as most of the same internals -- the notable exceptions being both front and rear-facing cameras, and what appears to be an NFC chip (conveniently mentioned in a spec list printed on the back of the unit). This particular unit also has a removable back cover, which appears to provide access to the battery and a SIM card slot, although it's possible that's simply a result of its prototype status.

Chinese Meizu MX quad-core smartphone gets priced and spec'd Posted: 19 Sep 2011 09:19 AM PDT The trickle of Meizu MX news continues: we're on target for a late September release in China, with a price tag of ¥4,999 ($780 converted) for the 32GB quad-core brute and ¥3,999 ($625) for its less monstrous dual-core 16GB sibling. Both phones are powered by A9 processors, although it's not yet clear if the quad-core chip is same as the Samsung engine in the PlayStation Vita. The 4.3-inch screen will be qHD and overall thickness will stay within the 10mm (0.4-inch) threshold. No doubt we'll have the full low-down from Engadget Chinese as soon as it launches.

Samsung moves to block iPhone 5 in Korea, expands its anti-Apple offensive Posted: 19 Sep 2011 09:01 AM PDT Well, since Samsung couldn't get an early peek at the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, the company has simply decided to take a page from Apple's playbook. A senior exec told The Korea Times it plans to file a request to block the sale of the upcoming iOS handset in its Korean homeland the moment the device is announced. According to the Times, the anonymous exec said it would leverage its wireless technology patents and demand that Apple either remove the telecommunications features -- turning the iPhone into an iPod touch -- or simply be banished from the Korean market. The knock-down-drag-out war between the two companies has only seemed to escalate in recent weeks, as Sammy has taken a much more combative and offensive approach. We can only hope the two get tired of divvying up the globe and declare a draw in this game of patent Risk.

Qantas testing iPad in-flight entertainment, still won't compare to flying Soul Plane Posted: 19 Sep 2011 08:40 AM PDT It's official: we're naming 2011 the "Year of In-Flight Entertainment." Starting next month, Qantas will join the throngs of airlines giving passengers more to chew on than honey-roasted nuts, with its Q Streaming experience. The system, which will supply one iPad per passenger, is set to run from the end of October through December and will eventually grow to include other WiFi-enabled devices. While Qantas is claiming "me first" bragging rights, saying it's the "first airline in the world to trial this wireless streaming product," we've definitely heard of similar in-flight entertainment systems stateside -- hello American Airlines. An unsurprisingly boastful press release awaits you after the break. Show full PR text Qantas customers first in the world to experience new inflight entertainment system Sydney, 15 September 2011 In a world first, Qantas will next month trial the very latest technology in in-flight entertainment (IFE) on board a domestic aircraft. Q Streaming will allow all customers travelling on a dedicated aircraft during the trial the ability to stream inflight entertainment content to individual tablets supplied by Qantas whilst inflight. Customers travelling on the aircraft will also be able to watch Qantas's in-flight entertainment on their laptop computer, smartphone, tablet or other WIFI enabled device later on in the trial. "We are very pleased to be the first airline in the world to trial this wireless streaming product." said Executive Manager Customer Experience Alison Webster. The initial six week trial of the IFE product will be on board a B767-300 and will run from the end of October through to early December this year. Following the trial, Qantas will assess opportunities for the application of Q Streaming across both the domestic and international fleet. Q Streaming utilises cutting edge wireless technology that enables customers to connect to the Qantas on demand IFE system, with their WIFI devices, providing Qantas customers with a greater variety of choice from a wide range of content.

Arduino-modded stoplight makes the bestest server monitor you'll see this week Posted: 19 Sep 2011 08:21 AM PDT Keeping an eye on your server health isn't the most romantic of pastimes. That's what compelled modder mkanoap to build a computer-free monitoring system that was as cheerily simple as Xymon's red-yellow-green symbols. His solution? Install an ethernet-enabled Arduino into a stoplight and mount it on the wall of the office. On one hand, the cubicle creativity factor just has to be commended, but on the other, we're guessing it's not an entirely selfless endeavor -- it's not exactly enthralling answering those system status calls, you know? Anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps can click our source link, which includes details of where to acquire a stoplight without a stealthy, nighttime, screwdriver-assisted jaunt to your nearest intersection.

Game over: Telstra won't be Gingerbreading the HTC Desire after all Posted: 19 Sep 2011 08:01 AM PDT If you're on Australia's Telstra network and you're still clinging to hope of an OTA Gingerbread update for your beloved HTC Desire, then now it's officially time to let go. For a while it looked like Telstra might opt for a smart workaround to the old handset's lack of memory, but now the operator's update page makes it clear that it has fallen in line with the wider HTC stance: Android 2.3 just isn't viable on this device, unless you're prepared to go off-piste with the developer build or an unofficial ROM. [Thanks, Jack]

Play Wii games on your Android tablet via network streaming (video) Posted: 19 Sep 2011 07:40 AM PDT In case you haven't met him already, Obiwan222222 represents the minimalist alternative to hardcore modding. He's already shown us Wii games running on the PSP and iPod Touch, and now he's pulled off the same trick on his Asus Transformer. It's all done with network streaming: he loads up Super Mario Galaxy 2 on his PC using the open-source Dolphin emulator and then transmits it to his tablet via the Splashtop HD remote desktop app for Android. He also throws in an Xbox 360 controller to make things look more confusing than they really are. We'd obviously worry about lag with this type of setup, but the video after the break makes it look just about playable.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi gets US pricing, 16GB model starts at $469 Posted: 19 Sep 2011 07:21 AM PDT Samsung's latest Android Tab has already gotten the in-box hands-on treatment from the blue shirts at Best Buy, but now we have official word on pricing for the 8.9-inch WiFi-only model, set to hit stores as soon as Thursday. Willing to settle for the 16GB flavor? Get ready to hand over $469 to take one of these slim slates home, or pull out another Benjamin to double capacity to 32 gigs -- that beefed-up model will run you $569. You'll also get Android 3.1 Honeycomb with "the freedom of TouchWiz," a 3 megapixel camera on the rear with 2MPs up front, and a dual-core 1GHz processor. Check out our Tab 8.9 hands-on, or hit up the source link for the full feature rundown from Sammy. [Thanks, Kevin]

Pantech Breakout finally does just that, available from Verizon starting September 22nd Posted: 19 Sep 2011 07:02 AM PDT Adding to Verizon's ever-expanding selection of LTE phones, Pantech's Breakout will be its first sub-$100 LTE handset, sneaking into the mix at $99.99 on a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. After an in-the-wild spot, the Breakout finally looks set to arrive on September 22nd -- a date that may sound pretty familiar. For the price, it still packs that LTE punch, and the ability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to ten devices. Compared to its pricier Verizon stablemates, the Thunderbolt and the Droid Bionic, the Breakout has a smaller 4-inch screen, but runs on a respectable 1GHz processor. There's also a 5 megapixel camera at the back capable of 720 HD video capture, and a VGA cam up front. LTE for less -- it's here. Show full PR text Verizon Wireless To Launch Pantech Breakout BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and HAUPPAUGE, NY - Verizon Wireless and Pantech today announced the Pantech Breakout™ will be exclusively available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Sept. 22. The Pantech Breakout smartphone, brought to market by Personal Communications Devices, LLC (PCD), shines with super-fast downloads packaged in a slim and attractive design. Customers will have access to custom Pantech widgets and can share media files between Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled devices by using the Net Media app on their Pantech Breakout. Additional features: Powered by 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G mobile broadband coverage areas Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread 1 GHz processor 4-inch capacitive touch display (480 x 800) Support for Google™ Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Search™ and Google Maps™, as well as access to more than 250,000 apps available to download from Android Market™ 4G LTE mobile hotspot supporting up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices Virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring SWYPE™ technology for quick and easy typing of messages and emails 5-megapixel autofocus rear-facing camera with HD video capture up to 720p VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth® 3.0 support includes headset, hands-free, object push, advanced audio distribution (stereo), audio/video remote control, file transfer and phonebook access 8 GB pre-installed microSD™ Pricing and availability: The Pantech Breakout will be available on Sept. 22 in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Customers that purchase a Pantech Breakout smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Arduino brings the (new) goods to Maker Faire New York, welcomes ARM into the fold Posted: 19 Sep 2011 06:45 AM PDT When Arduino unveiled a boatload of new products on Friday, we could have taken the easy route, posted the PR and called it a day. But, since the crew happened to be in town for Maker Faire, with a few folks from Atmel (makers of the AVR chip at the heart of the open source MCU) in tow, we figured why not go straight to the source. Arduino founder Massimo Banzi gave us a look at the company's latest offerings: the ARM-powered Arduino Due, the low-cost Arduino Leonardo, and aptly-named Arduino WiFi, as well as a peek at some of the group's upcoming plans. Keep on reading after the break for the juicy details. Arduino at Maker Faire New York 2011 The Leonardo is essentially a simplified Uno with the USB controller integrated into the processor. When it starts shipping in late October it should cost as little as $20. The Leonardo also trades in the full-sized USB port for one of the micro variety, which will eventually become standard on all Arduino boards. The WiFi, also shipping in October, is a shield that adds 802.11 connectivity to your projects. But, unlike most other WiFi shields out there, the Arduino branded version is open source from top to bottom. Hackers are even free to modify the firmware to add features and protocols. The Due is roughly the size of the Mega 2560, but swaps the 16MHz, 8-bit processor found in your standard issue Arduino for a 96MHz Cortex-M3. Predictably, the Due is a much more capable development platform, and could easily replace multiple AVR-based Arduinos in products like DIY Drones' UAVs. The Due isn't expected ship till at least November in large quantities, but preview boards are currently being handed out to select developers. We also got a glimpse at the upcoming Arduino Robot System, codenamed Lottie Lemon. The system was actually designed by a pair of 17-year-old RoboCup champions from the Complubot robotics team. The two-tiered Tinker Kit-compatible bot has a pair of Arduino chips powering it that can be programed independently: one in the base to pilot the two-wheeled machine and another on the removable top board for interacting with sensors and output devices. The Arduino team is hoping to get the kit out the door for under $100 by January, but we're hoping they land a little sooner -- this is one thing we're definitely gonna ask Santa for. The company is also moving forward on the software front. The Arduino IDE has finally hit 1.0, and a new version that can compile code for different chip architectures (including ARM) should be out by year's end. Massimo was already talking up the next-gen system though, that would leverage Nokia's QT framework and a plugin system to expand its capabilities and offer developers a more professional solution for building Arduino-based products. It's an exciting time for the open source community and we're sure that the Italian company has even more thrilling things planned for the future that it wasn't quite ready to spill the beans about yet. Show full PR text Atmel and Arduino Collaborate on AVR and ARM-based Development Platforms See the latest platforms based on Atmel products in the Atmel-sponsored Arduino Pavilion located in Queens, New York, September 17 and 18 Listen to Atmel Open Source Community Manager Eric Weddington present "Open Source AVR Toolchain Past, Present and Future" at 2:00 pm PT on September 17 and 18 in the 'Make Live Stage' at the Maker Faire San Jose, CA, September 16, 2011 - Today at the BUILD conference, Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions, and Arduino, the leading open-source electronics prototyping platform and community, announced they are collaborating on several development boards using Atmel AVR and ARM-based microcontroller (MCU) products. The new easy-to-use Arduino boards use several Atmel products including the Cortex-M3-based SAM3U MCU, ATmega32U4 and AVR UC3 MCUs. Arduino is an open-source, community-based prototyping platform that offers accessible hardware and well-documented software to electronics enthusiasts. The community encompasses artists, designers, students, kids, hobbyists and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Committed to offering the shortest learning curve, Arduino has developed several boards featuring Atmel's AVR and ARM-based MCUs leveraging its complete, flexible software and hardware environments. Atmel and Arduino will be demonstrating several platforms in the Atmel-sponsored Arduino Pavilion including: Arduino Leonardo. Based on the Atmel ATmega32u4, it is a low-cost Arduino board which includes a simpler circuit as the Arduino UNO board. The software on the board includes a USB driver that can simulate a mouse, keyboard and serial port. In addition, the bootloader includes a serial port and USB mass storage driver. Arduino Due. The newest board to Arduino's collection, the Arduino Due is based on an Atmel Cortex-M3-based microcontroller, also known as the Atmel SAM3U ARM-based MCU. This MCU can run up to 96MHz and will be available to the Arduino community by the end of 2011. Arduino WiFi. This board is for hobbyists interested in WiFi applications. Arduino WiFi includes an add-on module using the Atmel AVR MCU and an H&D Wireless module that provides developers with a powerful WiFi interface. "Arduino is a grass roots community that has been working with Atmel AVR products since its inception," said Massimo Banzi, founder of the Arduino Community. "We are thrilled to use Atmel's ARM-based products for the first time in our latest development platforms. The new boards, based on the Atmel SAM3U ARM-based MCUs, include a complete, flexible eco-system that provides our community of developers with access to the most sophisticated, yet easy-to-use platforms for designing innovative and fun electronics devices," Banzi concluded. "We are excited to be a sponsor of the Arduino Pavilion at the Maker Faire," said Alf Egil-Bogen, chief marketing officer, Atmel Corporation. "The Arduino community reaches a large group of university and hobbyist communities focused on developing new designs. We've seen this community grow from grass roots to a well-established organization of true enthusiasts and hobbyists. We are excited to work with Arduino on a variety of different projects in the future." About Arduino Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. For more information, visit the website at www.arduino.cc. About Atmel Atmel Corporation (Nasdaq: ATML) is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with complete system solutions focused on industrial, consumer, communications, computing and automotive markets. © 2011 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel®, Atmel logo and combinations thereof, AVR® and others are registered trademarks, and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Stable release of Chrome 14 out now, brings a few upgrades for Lion users Posted: 19 Sep 2011 06:23 AM PDT The very latest software goodness from Google has arrived, with Chrome hitting its 14th iteration (celebration, anyone?). This one gives Mac OS X Lion users a little something extra, with access to overlay scrollbars within the browser. Chrome can also can also upsize itself now -- accessible with a tap of the full-screen button or the more conventional Ctrl+Shift+F. The new web audio API gives developers the ability to add fancy sound effects and adjustments, whilst native client is an open-source addition; though this only supports apps in Chrome's web store, it allows C and C++ code to be executed within the browser. Google adds that there's been the usual bug clear-out, with the whole thing benefitting from a bit more polish -- gotta keep up with those pesky web apps! If you're already running Chrome, the automatic update should have kicked in, and new users can nab the download from the source below. If it's good enough for Gaga... [Thanks, Michael]

The Electree: finally, a bonsai tree that uses solar power to charge your gadgets Posted: 19 Sep 2011 06:01 AM PDT So you're tres green chic with your solar-charging jacket, and that Ralph Lauren backpack keeps your gadgets energized even off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. But what about stylish photovoltaics for your home, dear earth-friendly aesthete? We humbly submit the Electree, by French designer Vivian Muller. Shaped like a bonsai tree, each of its 27 leaves is a solar panel that helps charge a 13,500mAh battery. A concealed USB connector and A/C outlet will feed your gadgets while minimizing unsightly wires, and rotatable branches let you customize the look. Muller's looking for 400 presales to make the Electree a reality: for early birds, the price is €269 (about $370). If this sounds like the sort of thing you'd put on your windowsill, hit the source link to commence with the purchasing.

Brainlink lets you control your toy robots, Roombas, before they control you (video) Posted: 19 Sep 2011 05:38 AM PDT Let's be frank for a minute -- we need to gain control of our robots before they get control of us, so why not start with the robots you've already got taking up space on your shelves at home? At this year's Maker Faire in New York, BirdBrain Technologies showcased a way to hijack your toy robots, Roombas and other bits of home electronics: the Brainlink System. The forthcoming little triangle hooks up to your existing technology, letting you program commands, add sensors to the device and generally teach it new tricks. The company's chief robot designer, Tom Lauwers, showcased the technology on a Robosapien, a TV and a Roomba, the latter of which you can see in the video after the break. Brainlink lets you control your toy robots, Roombas, before they control you

Keiji Inafune: handheld consoles don't need to fear the smartphone... yet Posted: 19 Sep 2011 05:20 AM PDT Yeah, we know that the whole mobile-gaming-is threatening-dedicated-gaming thing has been done to death, but when some of the industry's software MVPs start weighing in on the matter, well... that's when our ears perk up. Nintendo has made clear that it's shunning smartphones as a gaming platform, and now it's Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune's turn to windmill into the argument. Speaking with our sister site Joystiq, he opines that the two worlds aren't set to eclipse each other just yet, illustrating it wonderfully through the medium of simile: "I think it's very similar between cellphone cameras and professional digital cameras. You don't use a smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work." Hard to knock the underlying logic, but it's pretty tough to pretend that handset gaming isn't seriously denting handheld gaming. For the full spiel, be sure to give that source link a tap.

Scientists attempt to give spark of life to all-synthetic metal cells Posted: 19 Sep 2011 04:59 AM PDT Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it can't; at least that's what a Scottish research group is hoping as it attempts to create reproductive synthetic cells made completely from metal. At this stage, the idea of sentient metallic life remains a distant sci-fi dream, but researchers at the University of Glasgow have already birthed iChells -- inorganic chemical cells. These bubbles, formed from the likes of tungsten, oxygen and phosphorus, can already self-assemble, possess an internal structure, and are capable of the molecular in-and-outs expected of its biological counterparts. Researchers are still tackling how to give these little wonders the ability to self-replicate, and possibly evolve -- further cementing our doom post-Robot Apocalypse. Check out our future synthetic overlord's first steps in a video after the break.

Researchers use wireless network to monitor breathing, could save lives Posted: 19 Sep 2011 04:16 AM PDT When Neal Patwari and his team of researchers developed a wireless network capable of seeing through walls, we assumed they were simply looking to cultivate their Alastor Moody-like superpowers. Turns out, they had far more important things on their minds. Patwari and his colleagues at the University of Utah have now penned a new study in which they demonstrate how their motion detecting technology could be used to monitor breathing patterns, as well, potentially enabling doctors to keep closer track of patients with sleep apnea or babies susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). To do this, Patwari reclined on a hospital bed and surrounded himself with 20 wireless transceivers operating at a frequency of 2.4GHz, as pictured above. He then timed his breathing at about 15 breaths per minute (the average rate for a resting adult), which he measured with his array of nodes and a carbon dioxide monitor. The engineer ultimately found that his system's algorithm could accurately measure respiration within 0.4 to 0.2 breaths per minute -- a relatively low error rate, since most monitors round off to the nearest full breath. Patwari says this development could offer a non-invasive and low-cost alternative to the devices used in most hospitals, and hopes to implement his technology into at-home baby monitors, as well. He acknowledges, however, that it will likely take at least five years before any of that happens -- so don't hold your breath. Full PR after the break. Show full PR text Catching a Breath – Wirelessly NONINVASIVE METHOD TO WATCH FOR SIDS, HELP SURGERY PATIENTS Sept. 19, 2011 – University of Utah engineers who built wireless networks that see through walls now are aiming the technology at a new goal: noninvasively measuring the breathing of surgery patients, adults with sleep apnea and babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Because the technique uses off-the-shelf wireless transceivers similar to those used in home computer networks, "the cost of this system will be cheaper than existing methods of monitoring breathing," says Neal Patwari, senior author of a study of the new method and an assistant professor of electrical engineering. While he estimates it will be five years until such a product is on the market, Patwari says a network of wireless transceivers around a bed can measure breathing rates and alert someone if breathing stops without any tubes or wires connected to the patient. "We can use this to increase the safety of people who are under sedation after surgery by knowing if they stop breathing," he says. "We also envision a product that parents put around their baby's crib to alert them if the baby stops breathing. It might be useful for babies at risk of SIDS." The American Academy of Pediatrics says there is "no evidence that home monitors are effective" for preventing SIDS. Since 2005, the group has opposed the use of breathing monitors to prevent SIDS, but has said they "may be useful in some infants who have had an apparent life-threatening event," including some combination of apnea [abnormal interruptions in breathing], color change, limpness and choking or gagging. "The AAP recognizes that monitors may be helpful to allow rapid recognition of apnea, airway obstruction, respiratory failure, interruption of supplemental oxygen supply, or failure of mechanical respiratory support," the group states. In addition to other possible uses, Patwari wants to conduct research with doctors to test his method as an infant-breathing monitor, and, if it proves useful, develop it as a medical device that would need federal approval. He also says it may be useful for adults with sleep apnea, which causes daytime fatigue and impairs a person's performance. SIDS monitors now on the market include FDA-approved medical devices that measure heart rate and respiration and are connected to babies with wires, electrodes and-or belts. Other monitors, which are non-medical and over-the-counter versions, detect a lack of sound, or use mattress sensors to detect a lack of movement. Patwari says that with the new method, "the patient or the baby doesn't have to be connected to tubes or wired to other sensors, so they can be more comfortable while sleeping. If you're wired up, you're going to have more trouble sleeping, which is going to make your recovery in the hospital worse." Some opposition to SIDS monitors is based on a fear that parents will depend on monitors instead of following other, more effective medical measures, including always placing babies on their backs to sleep, keeping redundant bedding and soft objects out of the crib, and not having babies share a bed with adults. Yet many parents want monitors too. The AAP acknowledges "distribution of home monitors continues to be a substantial industry in the United States." New Uses for Wireless Technology Wireless technology has become pervasive, from wireless phones to wireless networks linking home computers. In 2009, Patwari and then-graduate student Joey Wilson showed how a couple dozen wireless transceivers – devices that transmit and receive radio signals – could be used to literally see through walls to detect the location of a burglar, people trapped by a fire or hostages held captive inside a building. They formed a University of Utah spinoff company, Xandem Technology LLC, which is commercializing the wireless networks for use as motion detectors for burglar alarm systems, to help police locate hostages and even to alert out-of-town, vacationing parents if a crowd of teenagers is partying at their home during their absence. Patwari's new study points out pros and cons of adding wireless detection of breathing to the motion-detecting capability. "A search and rescue team may arrive at a collapsed building and throw transceivers into the rubble, hoping to detect the breathing of anyone still alive inside," Patwari and colleagues write. "Police or SWAT teams may deploy a network around a building to determine if people are inside." "On the other hand, the ability to measure breathing from a wireless network has privacy implications," they add. "We have shown previously that a network deployed around external walls of a building can detect and track a person who is moving or changing position. If this system can also detect and monitor a sleeping person's breathing, it would have additional utility for eavesdroppers or thieves." The Study: Using Wireless Transceivers to Detect Breathing Because of efforts to patent the new use of the wireless breathing-detection technology – which has been named BreathTaking – Patwari is posting his study on the online scientific preprint website ArXiv this week before submitting it to a journal for formal publication. Patwari conducted the study with Wilson; Sai Ananthanarayanan, a postdoctoral electrical engineer; Sneha Kasera, an associate professor of computer science; and Dwayne Westenskow, a professor of anesthesiology and research professor of bioengineering. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. In a new study, Patwari showed a network of 20 wireless transceivers placed around a hospital bed could reliably detect breathing and estimate breathing rate to within two-fifths of a breath per minute based on 30 seconds of data. This is different than using wireless transmitters to relay measurements from conventional breathing monitors. The motion of the chest and abdomen during breathing impedes the wireless radio signals crisscrossing a bedridden patient, who in the study was Patwari himself. Each of the 20 transceivers or "nodes" can transmit and receive to the other 19, meaning there can be up to 380 measurements (20 times 19) of radio signal strength within a short period of time (the transceivers transmit one after the other). The study was conducted in a clinical room used for research at the University of Utah School of Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology. Patwari reclined on a hospital bed and listened to a metronome to time his breathing so he inhaled and exhaled 15 times per minute – about the average breathing rate for a resting adult. His breathing was measured two ways: by the experimental wireless network, and by a carbon dioxide monitor connected to his nostrils by tubes. It calculated breathing rate by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled with each breath. Patwari also tested the wireless network with no one in the hospital bed. The study found the wireless network could measure breathing within 0.4 to 0.2 breaths per minute, an insignificant error rate given that most breathing monitors round to the nearest breath per minute, he says. If a bedridden person or baby moves, the wireless system detects the movement but cannot measure their breathing at the same time. To decide if someone is breathing or not, the wireless system uses a computer algorithm – basically, a set of formulas. Patwari says his algorithm squares the amplitude or loudness of the signal on each link between nodes, then averages it over all 380 links. A number larger than 1.5 indicates breathing has been detected. Patwari also measured how many nodes were required to measure breathing accurately. The minimum was 13 nodes or transceivers, while the rate of incorrect breathing measurements fell to zero when 19 nodes were used. The study also showed the height of the nodes around the hospital bed didn't significantly affect breathing measurements. Patwari plans more research on whether different or multiple radio frequencies might detect breathing better than the one 2.4 gigahertz frequency used in the study. He also wants to test whether the system can detect two people breathing at the same rate but not in sync – something that might make it possible to design a system that could detect not only the location of hostages in a building, but the number held together.

Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up Posted: 19 Sep 2011 03:01 AM PDT All good things must come to an end, and likewise with this year's Tokyo Game Show which wrapped up yesterday. Despite the PS Vita's dominance and the lack of newly-announced hero hardware at the show, we were still able to keep ourselves entertained with the odd peripherals here and there, alongside some very interesting exhibits both at TGS and the Amusement Machine Show next door -- head past the break to humor yourselves. Alternatively, feel free to catch up on our TGS coverage while you're here (we have a list after the break as well), and don't forget to check out our awesome buddies over at Joystiq for even more gaming news. Tokyo Game Show 2011 wrap-up Nintendo launching 'Misty Pink' 3DS handheld on October 20th Nintendo 3DS to add 3D video capture, upgraded eShop and more Nintendo 3DS slide pad add-on is official, ships December 10th in Japan We're live from the Tokyo Game Show 2011! Sony PlayStation Vita debuts in Japan on December 17th, partnering with NTT DoCoMo for 3G Sony announces bucketload of PlayStation Vita launch games, teases PSP downloads for UMD lovers Sony shows off PlayStation Vita's initial setup process and user interface (video) Nintendo 3DS extended slide pad add-on, first hands-on PlayStation Suite SDK beta coming in November, offering new games in spring 2012 PlayStation Vita's slick augmented reality demoed in Reality Fighters, we go hands-on (video) PlayStation Vita's Torne app pulls in live TV streams served up from a PS3 Razer unveils arcade fightstick prototype at TGS, looks to gaming community to hammer out the details Visualized: PS Vita in eight unlikely colors, mockup game cards chill on the sidelines Sony PlayStation Vita battery life: as little as three hours on a charge ViviTouch haptic technology hands-on: electroactive polymer giving a 'high definition feel' X:Martial Duel is a mannequin equipped with various sensors to help improve martial arts hit accuracy, especially in the groin area. More coverage on ITmedia. Neurowear Necomimi, a pair of kitty ears controlled by your state of mind. A response test game at the Amusement Machine Show.

RealVNC demos BIOS-based server at IDF 2011 (video) Posted: 19 Sep 2011 02:16 AM PDT VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is one of the of oldest remote desktop solutions around, and while its RFB (remote framebuffer) protocol can require a little more bandwidth than the competition, it's long been praised for its broad cross-platform support and elegant simplicity. Last year, RealVNC teamed up with Intel to incorporate a bona fide VNC server (using hardware encryption native to vPro chipsets) into the oldest bit of PC firmware -- the BIOS. As such, you can securely control a remote computer's BIOS, mount a disk image, and install an OS from the comfort of your living room halfway across the globe. The future is now -- you're welcome. Take a look at RealVNC's IDF 2011 demo in the gallery below and our hand-on video after the break. RealVNC BIOS-based server Dante Cesa contributed to this report. See more video at our hub!

Iomega's TV with Boxee (Box) hitting Europe by 'by mid-October,' or so it says Posted: 19 Sep 2011 01:31 AM PDT Forgive our skepticism, but when your product has missed its original ship date by over half a year, we aren't believing anything until we see it. Or, should we say, our colleagues in Europe see it. Iomega's Olivier D'Eternod -- Head of Product Marketing for EMEA -- was recently on-hand at IBC in Amsterdam, and he was quoted over at Intel's blog as saying that the 'TV with Boxee' would be "available in Europe by mid-October." For those who can't remember last week (let alone January), here's a bit of a refresher -- the company actually demoed its own version of the Boxee Box at CES, and promised then that it'd be out in February. Since? Radio silence. If all goes as planned, though, consumers in Germany, UK, Sweden, Spain and France should see it in around four weeks, with Holland, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland and Portugal in line behind 'em. He also hinted at a future where "access to premium content" was available, but smartly suggested that the company "bring this one to market first" before looking too far forward. Smart man.

LG unveils Optimus Q2 QWERTY slider, slated for Korean launch next week Posted: 19 Sep 2011 12:27 AM PDT LG's fleet of Optimus handsets got slightly larger yesterday, with the announcement of the Optimus Q2 -- a follow-up to that LU2300 QWERTY slider we saw last year. Powered by a 1.2GHz Tegra 2 processor, this forthcoming device runs on Android 2.3, boasts a spacious, four-inch, IPS-based LCD with 700 nits of brightness and features a five-megapixel rear camera, along with a VGA front-facing shooter. The Korean manufacturer added that the Q2 will be about a tenth of an inch thinner and 0.35 ounces lighter than its 3.5-inch predecessor, and that it will ship with a wider keyboard. LG is expected to launch the handset in South Korea next week, though pricing and plans for a wider release remain a mystery. Head past the break for the full, translated PR. Show full PR text LG Electronics, thin and lightweight QWERTY smartphone dual-core 2011-09-19 LG Electronics the ease of use, further volunteer opening night performance design will showcase a full QWERTY smartphone. LG Electronics LG from next weekend, to be released exclusively through yupeulreoseureul 'Optimus Q2' which caused a frenzy last year, a QWERTY smartphone 'Optimus Q' is the successor. After changing the perception of a full QWERTY smartphone, and ease of follow-up model for the response from the spread of a highly reflecting consumer demand for the inconvenience of traditional QWERTY smartphone has greatly improved. 'Optimus Q2' 4-inch WVGA display with IPS-grade form of a horizontal slide, be doing a combination of the QWERTY keyboard, though, the entire thickness, 12.3mm, weight 147g thin and light. In particular, compared to existing products thickness 2mm, weight 10g reduces the country's thinnest, lightest and most of the same family for sale, more spacious keyboard layout is easier to enter. 1.2 gigahertz (GHz) dual-core processor, the brightest of the existing 700 smartphone knit (nit, luminance units) of the IPS display, gingerbread and the operating system to mount the high performance is achieved. Also, apply touch-sensitive front panel buttons, highlight the clean, elegant design and black / white, two species will be released. In addition, up to 22 times faster compared to Bluetooth to implement the 'Wi-Fi Direct (Wi-Fi Direct)' support, authentication and ease of content sharing between devices, 5.0 megapixel camera and video call front camera, was mounted only. LG Electronics nayoungbae MC (Mobile Communications) is responsible for Korea, "one step further with a full QWERTY smartphone QWERTY chulsihae 20-30 hit the preferred customer focus," said "as a distinctive design and performance of the predecessor, will lead the success story," he emphasized.

Editorial: Reed Hastings' Netflix spinoff isn't about DVD success, it's about hedging the stream Posted: 18 Sep 2011 11:19 PM PDT If you've just casually glanced over the mass reactions to Reed Hastings' decision to split the DVD-by-mail business of Netflix into its own brand and company, you've probably been duped into thinking that it's the second questionable move that the world's most famed movie delivery service has made this year. But is it? Is a man who turned a red envelope into a symbol of near-immediate gratification really a moron? Did he really just bury the company he worked tirelessly to create? I highly, highly doubt it. Knee-jerk reactions are always fun to watch, but they're rarely on-point. As with most things in life, the truth usually resides somewhere in betwixt the extremes. And in the case of Qwikster -- the DVD-by-mail service that precisely no one asked for -- the truth is hiding in exactly the place that Reed said it'd be: the future. Aside from apologizing for not being vocal enough during this year's sudden price hike, Netflix's CEO also made clear that his company was "evolving rapidly," and his goal from here on out is to move "too fast," if anything. So why, might you ask, did Reed just make a 180-degree turn, slam down the pedal and throw his entire DVD business in reverse? Because that's exactly what needs to be done. Creating a completely unmemorable web address with a totally unmotivated mantra reeks of idiocy -- and failing to grab the Qwikster Twitter handle from an apparent stoner just has to be intentional -- but it all seems to make a bit more sense when you're proactively ridding your company of a business that will do nothing but nosedive in the years to come. Like it or not, physical DVD distribution isn't an area that most sane folks would categorize as "primed for growth," particularly not when bumped up against streaming. Netflix admitted in October of last year that it was now "primarily a streaming company," so the shrill sound of shock resonating around the tech universe today is a bit hard to grok. Did we all really forget the direction Netflix was already moving in? All that happened with the introduction of Qwikster was a scorching beeline towards the end result: a thriving business devoid of physical movie delivery options. Of course, everyone's seemingly focused on how much of an annoyance this is for customers in the here and now, and I can't readily disagree. Having two separate movie queues, two separate charges and two separate rating libraries sounds like a heck of a lot more work. But that's exactly the point. Take a closer look at what Reed is aiming for here: if he's "moving quickly," there's at least a sliver of a chance that Netflix is proactively separating itself from a dying business (DVD-by-mail), while leaving the namesake on a business that has huge growth potential (global streaming). It also gives Netflix proper the ability to focus solely on hammering out better content deals for customers, pushing for earlier access to new releases and perhaps even landing deals that would've been impossible with the DVD business still along for the ride. The truth of the matter is that Netflix could continue to run a profitable by-mail movie business for years. Maybe even a decade. And they'll certainly give GameFly a run for its money in the game-by-mail segment -- a segment that isn't nearly as ready to be dominated by streams just yet. But in a way, Netflix is was competing with itself as well as Redbox, and it's undoubtedly spending gobs of money on fuel, distribution centers, postage, ruined discs and leftover coasters -- spend that'll be increasingly harder to justify as broadband becomes more ubiquitous, more content is primed for streaming and more of these things hit the bargain bin at Walmart. Think of it this way: if Reed's forecasting a future where it no longer makes sense to continue the pursuit of a by-mail DVD business, how would he rather say goodbye? Flushing half of Netflix away and dealing with the backlash? Or quietly shuttering an awkwardly named website no one was particularly enthralled about from the get-go? And then there's the stuff we simply can't know about. I'm surmising that Netflix is on the precipice of locking down a few streaming deals that'll have everyone smiling. Reed knows good and well what you want -- you want more new content available for Watch Instantly, and you want more television shows to appear in a more timely manner. I'd wager that he's working on it. Hard. And by getting the laggard of the bunch off of his mind (and onto that of Andy Rendich), he's in a much better position to accelerate the service that everyone actually cares about. Fast forward five years, and I'll bet that hardly anyone's clamoring over Qwikster at all. And what of Netflix's relatively quiet investments in content discovery? There's a better-than-average chance that Reed's algorithm makers are betting that they can figure out what you'll be into before you can, and from there, it can offer up material you would've never have thought to look for -- regardless of the source. And then there's the assumption that Reed loathes listing a DVD on his site that isn't available for instant streaming; split the sites, and the problem vanishes... depending on perspective, of course. What really happened here is quite simple: Reed Hastings just put a gun to the side of his DVD-by-mail business and pulled the trigger. Given that he aimed for the ankle, though, it'll probably take a while for it to completely bleed out. But hey -- proactively putting a fading business out of its misery sure beats bleeding for it on the balance sheet.

OWC unleashes Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD, peps up your 2011 MacBook Air Posted: 18 Sep 2011 10:22 PM PDT So, you've got a 2011 MacBook Air, and you say its SSD's read / write speeds are letting you down? Well, Other World Computing would be happy to quell your woes with its SandForce-equipped Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G. The company's latest storage upgrade steps things up from its 3Gb/s versions, promising to get your tasks zooming with consistent speeds of "over 500MB/s" (achieved by utilizing the '11 Air's SATA Revision 3.0, 6Gb/s bus). The 120GB variant will set you back a wallet-thinning $350, while 240GBs will cost you a whopping 600 bones -- hey, no one ever said performance like this comes cheap. They're available now from OWC, and you'll find full details in the PR past the break. Show full PR text OWC Announces Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G--Industry's First 6Gb/s Solid-State Drives For 2011 Apple MacBook Air Delivers Over 3x Faster Performance and Up to 4x Greater Capacity than Factory SSD Options September 15, 2011 Woodstock, IL -- Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today the industry's first 6G SSD upgrade for the 2011 Apple MacBook Air 11.1" and 13.3"models. The new OWC Mercury Aura™ Pro Express 6G SSDs combine award-winning SandForce® technologies and Tier 1/Grade A Toggle Synchronous NAND to deliver data rates that are more than 3x faster and capacities that are up to 4x greater than factory available SSD options. Currently available in two sizes--120GB and 240GB--the new 6Gb/s SATA 3.0 Revision models continue OWC's position as the only alternative to factory SSD options for the 2010-2011 MacBook Air. 3G speed models from OWC are also available in capacities of up to 480GB. The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G offers 2011 MacBook Air owners a cost-effective SSD upgrade path that delivers higher performance, functionality, and reliability over the factory installed SSD. Because the Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD is SATA Revision 3.0 (6Gb/s) compatible, it can take advantage of the 2011 MacBook Air's built-in 6Gb/s SATA data bus to deliver peak, sustained data rates over 500MB/s, versus the factory installed SSDs, which are limited by SATA Revision 2.0 (3Gb/s) capability. No Slow-down with Repeated Use While ordinary SSDs initially offer fast read/write performance; they experience significant write speed degradation over repeated usage. Independent simulation tests conducted by leading drive performance experts like MacPerformanceGuide confirm OWC Mercury SSD's ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling technologies are able to eliminate virtually any reduction in data transfer speeds over heavy, long-term usage without dependency on less-than-effective OS TRIM management. Up to 100X Greater Data Protection Utilizing SandForce DuraClass™ technology, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G provides an increase of up to 100X in data protection, compared to ordinary SSDs and leading enterprise-class hard disk drives. By combining the highest level of Error Correction Code (ECC) and SandForce RAISE™ (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) technology, along with 7% over provisioning, the Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G provides RAID-like data protection and reliability without loss of transfer speed due to parity. "As the first and only SSD alternative to factory installed options in Apple's 2010 and 2011 MacBook Air models, the Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G sets the bar high. We're extremely excited to offer this model which completely eclipses any factory installed SSD and gives MacBook Air users the leading performance our Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSDs have been delivering to MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, and PC owners," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "Our new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G models enable 2011 MacBook Air owners to unleash substantially higher performance capabilities that are otherwise unrealized and limited by the factory drive." OWC's new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G leverages the proven success of its previously released 3G model. 2010-2011 MacBook Air owners seeking maximum storage/backup capacity can replace their factory installed SSD with up to 8x greater capacity offered by the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 3G SSD. Available in capacities up to 480GB, the 3G model SSD also delivers up to 68% faster performance in real world use. Pricing, Availability Compatible with 11.1" and 13.3" 2011 MacBook Air models, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G is available now from Other World Computing as well as through select retailers. Both models include 7% over provisioning, Toggle Synchronous NAND and a three-year warranty. The 120GB version has an MSRP of $349.99 and the 240GB version has an MSRP of $599.99. For more information on the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD for 2011 MacBook Air line, including reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Express Industry's Most Comprehensive SSD Line for Macs and PCs The new Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G model joins OWC's existing line of performance-leading, world record-breaking '3G' (3Gb/s) and '6G' (6Gb/s) Mercury SSDs available for nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade in capacities from 40GB to 480GB starting from $87.99. For more information on the complete OWC Mercury SSD line, including expert benchmark reviews, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/. For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/ About Other World Computing (OWC) Other World Computing (OWC) has been providing quality hardware products and support to the computer industry since 1988 and features one of the largest online catalogs of computer, iPod®, iPhone®, and iPad® enhancement products through its e-commerce portal www.macsales.com. As a member of the Apple Developer Program, OWC also provides extensive US based technical support for Macintosh users around the world as well as Internet access via www.fastermac.net and www.owc.net OWC's industry awards and recognition include: Crain's Chicago Business 2009 and 2011 "Fast 50" List of 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the Chicago Area; Inc. 5,000 "Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America" honoree 2007-2010; Reseller Ratings Elite Member 2009 & 2010; Better Business Bureau Top Rating of A+ 2010-2011; Reflex Packaging Commitment to Excellence Recycling Award 2009; Computerworld Magazine Top Green-IT Companies for 2008; and McHenry County Economic Development Corporation 2008 Business Champion Award. In March 2010, OWC's corporate campus was designated as LEED® Platinum by the Green Building Certification Institute (http://eshop.macsales.com/green/index.html). Platinum is the highest achievable LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program level, which began in 1998. Out of more than 14,000 LEED projects engaged worldwide since the program's inception, OWC is one of less than three hundred to achieve the Platinum standard. In September 2010, OWC's headquarters earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® rating for building operations that perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. ### OWC is a registered trademark; and OWC Mercury SSD is a trademark of New Concepts Development Corporation. SandForce is a registered trademark and SandForce Driven is a trademark of SandForce, Inc. Apple, Mac, MacBook, MacBook Air, PowerPC, iPod, iPhone, and iPad are the trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respectful owners.

Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi shipments arrive at Best Buy, will go on sale this week Posted: 18 Sep 2011 09:59 PM PDT See that there? That's a Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi, and after months on end of mystery, it seems as if the wait to procure one in the US of A is just about over. Shipments are arriving at Best Buy stores across the nation, and according to our sources, they'll be stocked and ready for purchase starting September 22nd. We're still waiting to hear back on a retail price, but those who'd like to hazard a guess can extrapolate from those UK figures. So, did your Tuesday plans just get made? Update: Select stores may be ushering them out on the 22nd, while others will be force to wait until the 25th. As for pricing? It's "listed" at $399.99, but we've certainly seen Best Buy placeholders be wrong before. Update 2: Samsung chimed in with official pricing. The 16GB model will sell for $469, with the 32GB flavor costing $100 more.

Netflix spins DVD-by-mail service off into Qwikster, says it's 'done' with price changes (video) Posted: 18 Sep 2011 09:33 PM PDT Over on Netflix's official blog, company head Reed Hastings has announced in a surprisingly humble blog post and video (embedded after the break) that it's splitting the DVD-by-mail business away into a new venture dubbed Qwikster. While the recent price changes already split the cost for each service, when this takes effect in a few weeks it will result in two different websites, two different sets of movie ratings and queues, and two different charges on customer's bills. He admits two separate sites may make it more difficult to manage a presence on both, but says dropping the need for compatibility between the two will enable new features to balance that out. Another change? Netflix Qwikster (is there anything good about that name?) is getting into video game rentals, available for an extra charge similar to the existing Blu-ray disc option. While the blog post blames a lack of communication for much of the backlash (and obviously cancellations), it's about to become very clear that Netflix is "primarily a streaming company." Also mentioned is "substantial" additional streaming content coming in the next few months. Whatever the company calls itself, charges, or changes on its website, if Netflix wants to talk its way back into subscriber's good graces, starting with something new to watch is the way to do it.

Reading Rainbow roaring back with RRKidz iPad app, 'disruptive' ebook technology in tow Posted: 18 Sep 2011 08:39 PM PDT LeVar Burton may best be known 'round these parts for his role in Star Trek, but he'll soon be known as the guy who made childhood reading relevant again. It wasn't that long ago that today's up-and-coming adults were soaking up all sorts of useful knowledge during their summers, glued to a PBS station and doing their darndest to climb inside of mum's CRT television. And now, their kids will be doing likewise -- but with an iPad. Burton has plans to produce an educational RRKidz iOS app that enables readers to "explore topics of interest in a multimedia-rich environment, with voice-over-enhanced children's books, familiar videos of Burton at real-life places, and games." In order to do so, he's planning a "disruptive" technology that'll bolster a conventional PDF book with basic animations, voice-overs and games "in a matter of hours." There's no specific time table on a release, but we're guessing Burton's moving along as usual pace: Mach 5.

How would you change Dell's XPS 15z? Posted: 18 Sep 2011 07:23 PM PDT It's the slickest mainstream machine to emerge from Round Rock in years, and outside of the short-lived Adamo XPS, it might just be the most beautiful Dell laptop from the past decade. It's the XPS 15z, and it's winning the hearts of folks who were previously dead-set on HP's Envy line. We obviously found favor with our review unit, and we're pretty sure the company has managed to move quite a few of these things. If one (or more) ended up on your doorstep, here's your chance to speak out. Are you satisfied with the keyboard design? How's the panel treating your retinas? That hardware configuration living up to your needs? Would you offer the next one in a multitude of hues? Go ahead and get crafty in comments below -- maybe that whole "Design Studio" thing will bleed over to here.

Sony's SMP-N200 player set to take on Roku, Apple TV for $99 next month Posted: 18 Sep 2011 06:22 PM PDT The successor to Sony's underappreciated Netbox was introduced at IFA recently, and now the company has revealed pricing for the SMP-N200 in the United States. It'll be on sale for $99 in October, and updates the old box with support for 3D, live streaming content and other unspecified new features. The original featured then-impressive support for local media playback and streaming, but does the Blu-ray-less wonder does it have what it takes in 2011? If it has a UI refresh and access to comparable sources thanks to Sony's now streamlined Video Unlimited / Music Unlimited media approach then this could play well as a one-two punch with a connected PC, phone or tablet. We'll find out next month, check out the details after the break or our hands on pics from CEDIA here. Show full PR text SONY TRANSFORMS ANY TV INTO A SMART TV WITH SMP-N200 STREAMING PLAYER The First 3D Streaming Set-Top-Box Also Delivers Live Content with Greater Control SAN DIEGO, Sept. 14, 2011 – Sony Electronics today announced availability for the next generation, SMP-N200 Streaming Player to market. Adding 3D*, live content streaming, and other features that were previously unavailable on the original Streaming Player. The versatile set-top box delivers a robust line-up of connected services through a variety of connection options, including composite, component, HDMI and WiFi; which gives consumers the ability to upgrade ANY television to a connected television in just seconds. Originally announced recently last month at IFA, in Berlin, and named among the top 10 new products at the show, the SMP-N200 begins hitting store shelves in the U.S. in October for around $99.99. "The Streaming Player is ideal for consumers who want to upgrade to a connected television, but are happy with the TV they currently have," said Charles Speidel, vice president of Sony's Home Audio and Video Group. "Whether using it in the family room or on a secondary television in the house this new set-top-box offers access to the full complement of streaming content available from Sony, without committing to the cost of a new Bravia." Compact and stylish to complement any decor, the second-generation Streaming Player uses Sony technology to boost the quality of streaming content for the TV screen. View movies, TV shows, videos and photos on the big screen instead of a PC monitor or listen to music on-demand through a home speaker system with just some clicks of the remote control. With a robust line-up of online movies in HD and 3D, internet radio options and the full array of Sony Entertainment Network (including the Sony 3D Experience), the Streaming Player brings the best of connected television to any screen. The SMP-N200 also has DLNA capability which allows users to connect and control a network of devices and enjoy music and videos stored on other devices, including a PC or tablet. In addition to the remote control that is included, a free download of the Sony Media Remote app is available for iOS and Android devices, and gives users the option of using a smartphone to control their SMP-N200 Streaming Player. *Requires a 3D TV

Inhabitat's Week in Green: sun-powered homes, retro robots and a solar laptop chipset Posted: 18 Sep 2011 05:17 PM PDT Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week Inhabitat shined a light on the future of high-tech architecture as we brought you 20 stunning sun-powered homes that are getting ready to battle it out in this year's Solar Decathlon - including Team New York's prefab Roof Pod, Canada's TRTL solar shell house, and China's Y Container home. We also brought you exclusive photos of the recently unveiled 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero, while the Empire State Building soared to new heights as it achieved LEED Gold certification. In other NYC news, we covered an underground park in the Big Apple which is to be illuminated entirely by fiber optics. Vincent Callebaut also unveiled plans for an incredible self-sufficient skyscraper for Taiwan, and we learned that scientists are planning to build a fake volcano for climate change research. It was also a hot week for energy-generating tech as Intel unveiled a solar laptop chipset that can be powered by a desk lamp and MIT developed a tiny kinetic generator that can produce 100 times more power than previous devices of its kind. Meanwhile, Google invested in the power of pig poop and researchers rolled out a new inexpensive, powerful, and lightweight jelly battery that could one day power laptops and electric vehicles. Energy infrastructure also got a boost as a UK competition showcased six designs for next-generation power pylons, and New Mexico announced plans to build an entire city for the sole purpose of testing green technologies. In other news, this week we spotted several pulse-pounding electric vehicles: a streamlined carbon fiber jet ski and an incredible mirrored motorcycle. We also went back to the future with a look at Nike's new pair of LED studded kicks, and we spotted a slick set of retro robots made from salvaged materials. Finally, we shared a bevy of tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle -- check out these seven gadgets that can improve your health and five ways to green your home entertainment system.

Mr Fussy mods Samsung Galaxy S for inductive charging, without frazzling warranty (video) Posted: 18 Sep 2011 04:37 PM PDT It's not hard to find a good inductive charging smartphone these days, but German IT student Qian Qin absolutely had to have the feature on his Galaxy S Plus. What's more, it needed to be just right: no voiding of the warranty and no unsightly protrusions. So, instead of bumping his gums, he went out and purchased a Palm Pre back cover and a Touchstone dock for €30 ($40), ripped the charging circuit out of the Pre cover and stuck it into the Samsung's cover, then finally soldered a wire from the circuit to the micro-USB port (plus another wire to the microSD slot for 0V). Job done. At first, the mere mention of a webOS device gave us a twinge of sadness, but then the video after the break cheered us right up again -- you can tell within the first six seconds that this guy is a pure OCD perfectionist. You'll also find more detailed instructions at the source link, and they should work equally well for the original Galaxy S too.

Netflix abruptly yanks unavailable streaming movies from 'saved' view Posted: 18 Sep 2011 04:02 PM PDT Netflix's website has suddenly changed (again), removing any queued Watch Instantly titles that aren't currently available from view. Previously they entered the saved section of the queue, keeping a slot full and occasionally indicating when the movie would be licensed for viewing again. A blog post published after the fact suggests inactive titles on the list made things complicated (but not too complicated for the DVD queue, where the saved list remains), and that while they're invisible, they're not deleted and will still reappear when (if) a title is available to stream again. Users hugging the 500-item limit in their queue still have those ghost titles taking up a slot, although we're told that will be fixed in the next few days. If you want to see the list again just to go over it or queue them on disc, Hacking Netflix indicates FeedFliks (one of our favorite alternative queue management sites along with InstantWatcher) is still able to show your expired titles -- for now. Just a bit of advice for Netflix: If you're trying to show some appreciation to the millions of customers you expect to stick around through Q3 despite higher prices and an uncertain content licensing future, making arbitrary and unannounced changes to the way we access our data is the wrong way to do it. As it is, we're forced to wonder if this move is less about streamlining and more about hiding the amount of titles that are going offline lately or in the near future.

Switched On: The great slate debate of Windows 8 Posted: 18 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Just as Windows Phone 7's "touch-only" interface threw away the past to create a streamlined, more approachable experience, Microsoft is creating a "touch-first" experience for Windows 8 that has more in common with its new phone software than previous versions of Windows. This "Metro-style" UI will be able to run on virtually any modern PC, with screens from 10- to 30-inches and above. The touch interface will be only occasionally relevant on desktops, though, more so on laptops. Where it's obviously meant to shine is on pure slates -- will consumers really flock to Windows 8 for such slates, though? The software and hardware -- to say nothing of Microsoft's cloud services -- have come a long way. Let's give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and say that the company will create a first-rate tablet experience in the absence of legacy Windows applications. That represents a significant improvement from the state of the Windows tablets as it has existed since the dawn of the Tablet PC. The thinness and longer battery life of both laptops and slates have also improved considerably as well since those days. Particularly with access to ARM processors, it wouldn't be surprising to see Windows 8 slates match the razor-like profile of the iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1... or whatever the state-of-the-art is when Windows 8 ships. One question, though, is whether Windows 8 tablets will be price-competitive with such devices. Today, it's easy to find Windows laptops that cost less than $500, but it's difficult to find a Windows slate that costs that much. For example, the 8.9-inch HP Slate 500 sells for $799, near the top end of many Honeycomb tablets or the iPad line. And the 11.6-inch Samsung Series 7 slate starts at $1,099. Manufacturers will probably be able to get more price-competitive using ARM processors versus today's Intel chips, but there is the Windows license fee to consider. And the other question is, since one of Windows 8's advantages is continued support for traditional productivity apps like Photoshop and Office, how many consumers would purchase a pure slate when they can also use the PC for productivity tasks better suited to a keyboard and mouse experience? For all of Microsoft's touch optimization, Windows 8's link to backward compatibility pushes consumers away from slates as much as a user interface miscue, at least in my estimation. Why? Because a Windows 8 laptop simply provides better value, and there's no question that "price" and "value" will come into play outside of "mobility." In contrast to Apple, which has drawn a line in the sand (or is it the highway?) between the more capable "trucks" of its Mac line and the "cars" of its iPad line, Windows 8 includes a free "truck" with every "car"; buying a slate is like sealing off the cargo area. Of course, Windows 8 PC manufacturers will be able to include integrated keyboards (like the Samsung PC 7 or ASUS Eee Pad Slider), or ones that dock (like that on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer), or connect via USB or Bluetooth. The former, however, adds significantly to the thickness of a tablet while the latter two mean there's an extra accessory to lug around. Portable netbooks saw some success as the "second" PC, but they were cheaper than Windows 8 tablets will probably be for some time. And even so, their fortunes faded competing against the iPad and larger budget notebooks. As simple as its user interface may be, the iPad wouldn't have been a success had consumer computing usage not shifted more to its strengths or surfing the web, consuming media (especially video), lightweight games and other casual apps. Microsoft may not ultimately care what shape atoms take around a Windows 8 license. But the desktop dichotomy that Switched On observed in June remains true. It may not make sense to try and create a fully featured Office or Photoshop to a native slate interface. Perhaps these apps, like Windows itself, must start over. But to fully realize the promise of a "no-compromise" tablet -- at least in terms of the functionality that Windows brings today -- Microsoft and other Windows app providers must move more sophisticated app functionality from the idyllic rolling hills that once provided the backdrop of the Windows XP traditional GUI, to the rigid urban grid of Metro. Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

Tiny infrared LEDs could find a home in ultra-thin multitouch screens Posted: 18 Sep 2011 02:14 PM PDT A company called Osram Opto Semiconductors has created a new infrared LED that can be used in conjunction with detectors to create ultra-thin touchscreens. We've seen infrared used in touchscreens before, most notably in Microsoft's Surface and recent e-readers from Barnes & Noble and Kobo. But, Osram's solution is complex enough to work in a multitouch tablet, while being as space-saving zForce. At only 0.45mm tall the diodes and sensors can easily be crammed into a bezel around a screen and sip just 35mW during regular use. Now the company just has to convince someone to put the tiny IREDs in their products.

'What Was There' project adds a pinch of history to augmented reality Posted: 18 Sep 2011 01:01 PM PDT So, it works as such. You dig up ancient photos -- a few generations prior, or even a few decades ago -- scan 'em in, and tag them to their rightful place on Google Maps. Then, folks who visit the 'What Was Here' project website or download the iOS app (all linked below) will be able to see what kind of world they'd be living in if Uncle Rico's time machine actually worked. 'Course, the initiative needs you, you and you to participate if it's to be dubbed a success, so we'd recommend using whatever's left of your weekend to contribute. And then send your mum a "thinking of you" letter using the very map you're improving. Who said retro had to be retro, anyway?

Sony releases XBA balanced armature headphones, eleven times over Posted: 18 Sep 2011 12:34 PM PDT This dizzying array might seem like overkill, but Sony's premium "Experience Balanced Armature" (XBA) 'phones are carefully targeted at different price points and types of listener. You've got the entry-level XBA-1 containing a single full-range driver. Add a woofer for bigger bass and you get the XBA-2. The XBA-3 also squeezes in a tweeter for high-freq perkiness, while the XBA-4 rounds it all off with a super woofer. Each pair also has a smartphone twin with inline controls, denoted by the iP suffix. Finally, there's a trio of single-driver specialists: the noise-cancelling XBA-NC85D, the sporty XBA-S65 with basic waterproofing for sweat and rain, plus the Bluetooth XBA-BT75. It's unclear when these will hit our hemisphere, but we're looking at a November release in Hong Kong and Taiwan with prices ranging from 3,000 to 14,000TWD ($100 to $475) depending on the model. Need more detail? We have product pics and info slides below courtesy of our bros at Engadget Chinese. Sony XBA headphones Sony XBA headphones info slides

Lego's augmented reality at IDF, eyes-on (video) Posted: 18 Sep 2011 11:53 AM PDT It's not as cool as Chipzilla's other augmented reality project, but at least this one exists out in the real world. Present at branded storefronts, the camera-based AR tech uses image recognition on Lego boxes to superimpose their brick-ladden contents in fully animated form. New at IDF was the second generation of the already existing product, which despite being functionally identical to its predecessor, has now been miniaturized thanks to second generation Core processors. Ready to see it in action? Peep the gallery below and the video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. Lego augmented reality at IDF 2011 See more video at our hub!

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