[Via PMPToday, thanks Brian B.]
Keepin' it real fake, part LXXXIX: V503 apes old school Archos
[Via PMPToday, thanks Brian B.]
Xbox 360 Arcade finds a shelf in the wild
[Thanks, Paul A.]
Continue reading Xbox 360 Arcade finds a shelf in the wild
Cross MP3 Player keeps the faith
[Via CNET]
Continue reading Cross MP3 Player keeps the faith
1979 Buick Riviera gets pimped, Atari-style
[Via CarDomain Blog]
Continue reading 1979 Buick Riviera gets pimped, Atari-style
IBM rolls out "Mainframe Gas Gauge" for servers
Continuing its push into greener computing, IBM today announced the launch of its so-called "Mainframe Gas Gauge," which promises to let its server customers monitor their exact energy consumption in real time. What's more, IBM also announced that it'll begin publishing typical energy consumption figures for its z9 mainframe systems, following a recent EPA report that advised server makers to do just that. That data will be collected from some 1,000 servers around the world (a process that actually began in May), each of which employ sensors to monitor actual energy and cooling statistics, giving IBM enough info to determine the average watts per hour consumed and the total watts per unit. Individual server users will also get weekly reports on their machines' energy consumption in addition to the real time data, and they'll be able to make use of a new "Power Estimator Tool" to help them determine the most efficient means of expanding their server farms.[Via Slashdot]
High school study shows love for Apple, P2P music sharing
In today's episode of "no surprises here," we look at a recent study published by Piper Jaffray & Company which attempts to take an intimate look inside the minds of high schoolers across the US. As you'd probably expect, none of the results were all that shocking. When asked about MP3 players, some 82-percent of those that already owned some form of DAP stated that it was an iPod, which was slightly up from last fall. Additionally, 64-percent of those surveyed admitted to downloading music illegally, which may actually be an (ever-so-slightly) positive figure considering that the percentage actually dropped from 72-percent in 2006. As for the iPhone, just 3-percent of students claimed that they owned one, but nearly 10-percent stated that they were looking to pick one up "within the next six months." [Via CNET, image courtesy of MSN]
A veritable gaggle of AT&T rumors (hint: red iPhone?)
Read - "Deep red" iPhone
Read - Sony Ericsson Z750a, K850a
Read - LG Prada, Samsung BlackJack II, Motorola Z9
Futuristic headband knows when you've had too much PC
For those who just can't call it quits, a team of researchers at Tufts University has developed a head adornment which can determine when you've been overly stressed, bored or simply numb to the world around you when using your computer. The crew is studying functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology, which "uses light to monitor brain blood flow as a proxy for workload stress a user may experience when performing an increasingly difficult task." The band itself utilizes "laser diodes to send near-infrared light through the forehead at a relatively shallow depth," after which it can purportedly judge how intense one's workload is (or isn't). 'Course, we'd guess the most of us wouldn't need a machine to tell us that, eh?[Via InformationWeek]
Sony Reader PRS-505 (second gen) hands-on: we're in love
- Numerous display improvements, including:
- Significantly faster refresh rate. It's still not instant, but it's definitely at or near the short threshold of a real paper page turn, which is a VAST improvement from the ~1 second refresh of the PRS-500.
- The ghosting is largely (but not entirely) gone.
- Contrast also seems improved (but could definitely use a lot more work).
- Grayscale has gone from 4 shades to 8.
- Did we mention how much the un-Sony-like mass-storage mode warmed our jaded (and occasionally Mac-using) hearts? Just place your (compatible) files anywhere on the MSC drive, the reader will find and index them.
- Internal memory has increased from 64MB to 192MB. (The SD slot isn't SDHC, though.)
- It's far thinner and flatter -- now 0.3-inches at its thinnest, compared to the 0.5-inch thick 500.
- The physical design seems far simpler and consolidated, with a lot fewer buttons / slots etc. on the edges (actually, none), with everything important on the top and bottom of the unit.
- Moving the page forward / back buttons to the right side, away from the spine of the cover. (Those buttons are also a little better laid out, and more clearly identified.)
- The 1-10 buttons have been moved from the bottom up to the side, next to their corresponding numbered menu options. (Essentially, where these buttons belong.)
- Startup is near instantaneous from "off" (standby); you can also easily skip pages with the 1-10 buttons.
- Leather binding has subtle magnetic clasps that provide a little stickiness when closed.
Gallery: Sony Reader PRS-505 (second gen) hands-on: we're in love
PS3 firmware update coming to boost Blu-ray functionality
[Via HighDefDigest]
Will you help Engadget energize education (and pwn the Blogger Challenge leaderboard)?
That being said, our work here is far from done. Team Engadget Energizes Education is currently in fourth place on the technology leaderboard (down from a peak of second) and still needs over $20,000 to meet its goal. So even if you think that there are better causes to give to, or you're cynical about so-called "skimming" of administrative fees (incidentally, DonorsChoose does give you the option to waive any overhead and allocate 100% of your gift towards the project), we're still hoping that you'll donate just a few dollars if only because you like what you read here every day. Think of it as an optional subscription fee that goes to a worthy cause instead of even more redundant gadgets for us. We have until October 31st to raise as much money as possible, so if you can find it in your heart to help out the littlest less-fortunate this holiday season (Halloween), we'd really consider it a personal thanks and a mitzvah as well.
Microsoft patent app shows off new user interface for mobiles
Continue reading Microsoft patent app shows off new user interface for mobiles
Asus intros G2K, A7K, and F7K gaming laptops
It looks like gamers not wanting to be tied to their desks will soon have a few new options to consider from Asus, which is apparently set to release no less than three new gaming-minded laptops. At the head of the pack is the company's latest G2 model, the G2K, which boasts a 17.1 -inch 1440 x 900 display, along with a 2.0GHz Turion 64 X2 TL60 processor, 2GB RAM, a 200GB 7200 rpm hard drive, and ATI HD2600 graphics with 256MB of dedicated memory, among other fairly top-end features (not to mention the usual matching backpack and mouse). Further on down the line, the company's new A7K model boasts many of the same specs, with the exception of a slightly slower 1.8GHz Turion 64 X2 TL56 processor, while the F7K opts for a 1.9GHz Turion 64 X2 TL58 processor and ATI HD2400 graphics. No word on a price for any of them, but they're apparently all set to officially launch sometime this month.
[Via PC Launches]
[Via PC Launches]
IP Innovation sues Red Hat, Novell for patent infringement
Well, would you look at this. Not even a week after Steve Ballmer insinuated that Red Hat users owe Microsoft money for using its patents, IP Innovation has filed a lawsuit against the firm (along with Novell) in the accurately nicknamed "patent troll magnet state (that'd be Texas)." The firm, which also threw a lawsuit Apple's way earlier this year, is claiming that both entities have infringed on the very same patent. As if that weren't enough, Groklaw's digging found that the plaintiff is actually a subsidiary of Acacia, which just so happened to hire on two prior Microsoft execs in the months leading up to this filing. If you're interested in feeding your desire to conjure up some sensational conspiracy theory even further, feel free to grab your coffee and hit the read link.[Via Digg, thanks Ziemowit P.]
Polar offers up RS800G3 multisport training system
Polar's RS800, which was originally introduced last September, is getting one-upped this fall by the RS800G3 multisport training system. Essentially, this acts as a GPS upgrade to the wristwatch, which "enables athletes to measure speed and distance for a variety of outdoor sports." The entire system now consists of the RS800 wrist unit, Wearlink W.I.N.D. heart rate transmitter, ProTrainer 5 software and the G3 GPS Sensor, and those who already plunked down for the watch last year can purchase the G3 GPS sensor separately. The sensor itself packs a SiRFstarIII chipset, is water resistant and can last around 15-hours on just a single AA battery. Price wise, athletes (or athletes to-be) can pick up the entire RS800G3 bundle for $499.95, while the standalone G3 will run you $139.95.[Thanks, SK]
