Lesance GSN801GAW gaming laptop packs 18.4-inch LCD, oodles of ugly and serious muscle
October 15, 2010 No Comment
Is it actually possible to construct an 18.4-inch gaming laptop that isn’t unsightly? Our bets are on no (unless HP’s Envy line creeps up a bit in size), but as your mum always proclaimed, it’s the beauty on the inside that truly counts. Following in the footsteps of Eurocom’s frighteningly similar X8100 Leopard , the Lesance GSN801GAW packs an 18.4-inch display (1920 x 1080 resolution), a potent quad-core 1.73GHz Core i7 940XM Extreme Edition CPU, 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory and your choice of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M (2GB) or two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870′s in CrossFire. There’s also a Blu-ray burner, 160GB worth of SSD (in a RAID 0 configuration), USB 3.0 sockets, Windows 7 Home Premium, an ExpressCard slot, multicard reader, HDMI / DVI output, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and an inbuilt webcam. Naturally, an ideal runtime is but 1.5 hours, and it weighs just over a dozen pounds — if neither of those tidbits faze you, it’ll be topping out soon in Japan for
Continue reading …Garmin’s $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units
October 15, 2010 No Comment
Looking for an avenue to join millions of others in geocaching, eh? We know, there’s hardly a better way to spend a weekend than by playing a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek, and Garmin’s right there with us. If you, like it, are stuck in Kansas with nary a Jayhawk game in sight, this here pebble is the answer to all of your boredom woes. The Chirp is a wireless beacon that’s designed to work with any compatible wireless-enabled Garmin handheld (the Oregon , Dakota and the recently announced GPSMAP handhelds are mentioned by name), and once you’ve set it up to cooperate with your device, it’ll automatically transmit program coordinates so other cachers can find each stage of your multicache — it’s touch-and-go in its simplest form. The whole thing measures just 1.3- x 0.9-inches, weighs under an ounce and can be had for just $22.99. So yeah, good luck sticking to Segway polo with an offer like that. Continue reading Garmin’s $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units Garmin’s $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nintendo patent application describes a grocery list app, takes the DS shopping
October 15, 2010 No Comment
If your pocket or purse makes room for a smartphone there’s a good chance you’ve started managing your shopping lists digitally. Nintendo , however, is trying to make an ever-greater case for taking your DS with you instead, and if instant trading of content with strangers isn’t enough incentive, maybe tracking groceries is. Nintendo of America has applied for a patent describing an “in-store wireless shopping network using hand-held devices.” Those devices are, of course, game systems, and the images with the patent app all show a DS being used to track needed quantities of such exciting items as milk, eggs, and salsa. The picture below gives an idea of what the interface might look like, talking to a database of items and their locations to give shoppers an idea of where to find things in the store. Net result? Planning your route becomes a thrilling strategy game — or at least keeps you from getting lost in the supermarket, ensuring you can continue to shop happily. Continue reading Nintendo patent application describes a grocery list app, takes the DS shopping Nintendo patent application describes a grocery list app, takes the DS shopping originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Canon’s prosumer line just got a little better, with the 18 megapixel, 1080p recording 60D hitting stores and, now, getting recommended reviews. Photo Blog and Camera Labs have weighed in so far, and both have positive conclusions, most notably regarding that movie mode. The camera will kindly record in 1080p24 in addition to 1080p30, but the autofocus while filming is panned, called “fairly useless” thanks to only happening when you half-press the shutter button, and then taking a few seconds to figure things out — but that’s just like the EOS 7D and T2i . Overall the 60D scores highly and easily bests the 50D it replaces, but the real competition is Nikon’s D7000 , which interestingly is busting out at retail already, offering a similar price point, similar capabilities, and a magnesium alloy chassis, versus the plastic one on the Canon. How will they compare? We’ll just have to wait for the next round of reviews to find out. Continue reading Canon’s 60D impresses reviewers, but a challenger approaches (video) Canon’s 60D impresses reviewers, but a challenger approaches (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Hammacher Schlemmer’s tablet-controlled ‘Emotive Robotic Avatar’ captures your heart, nest egg
October 15, 2010 No Comment
Yeah, it’s almost time for the holidays, and smart busy-bodies are already checking items off their shopping lists. For that special someone, consider the most outrageously overpriced plastic toy we’ve ever seen. $65,000 buys you this “Emotive Robotic Avatar” from Hammacher Schlemmer , a little servo-actuated guy that can wave its arms around and go from looking happy (above) to evil (below). It’s all controlled by a tablet PC with a 30 foot range that receives a real-time video feed, as we saw when we checked this guy out at the Toy Fair earlier this year , back when he was called Quasai. As shown in the video after the break, the “operator” can even speak through the robot, which will pitch shift his or her voice, a trick sure to give your children nightmares. If that doesn’t work, just tell ‘em you blew their college fund to buy the thing and they’ll have to get work study jobs. That ought to send the shivers up their spines. [Thanks, Evan] Continue reading Hammacher Schlemmer’s tablet-controlled ‘Emotive Robotic Avatar’ captures your heart, nest egg Hammacher Schlemmer’s tablet-controlled ‘Emotive Robotic Avatar’ captures your heart, nest egg originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Lexmark intros Genesis all-in-one printer with camera-based scanning, we go eyes-on
October 15, 2010 No Comment
You’ve probably seen quite a few flatbed scanner bars in your lifetime, but the $400 Lexmark Genesis printer doesn’t have one of those — it’s got a 10 megapixel digital camera with a fish-eye lens that produces nigh-instant images. 750 milliseconds after you close its front-facing scan bay, the CMOS sensor generates a preview on the 4.3-inch color touchscreen, and 2.2 seconds after that, it’s got a full 4800 x 1200 image saved on your USB-connected computer or winging its way across 802.11n WiFi. The company’s calling the system FlashScan, and the raw speed was definitely impressive when we saw it in San Francisco this week, even though other parts of the print system left something to be desired. The printer uses special algorithms to translate the fish-eye image back into a flat sheet and reproduces text quite well, but the twin RGB flashes it fires to reproduce color didn’t always do an accurate job, and we were disappointed to find a number of features (including some obvious oversights like image rotation for copies) weren’t accessible via the touchscreen. It does have a number of neat web apps for completely untethered use, however, including the ability to scan right to Evernote and Photobucket, and Lexmark told us it’s working with a number major photo hosting services, Twitter, Facebook and Box.net to let Genesis users directly upload. See it in action on video after the break, along with the full press release. Continue reading Lexmark intros Genesis all-in-one printer with camera-based scanning, we go eyes-on Lexmark intros Genesis all-in-one printer with camera-based scanning, we go eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Best Buy’s been a naughty retailer again by letting some people purchase Nikon’s D7000 a few days ahead of its proper retail launch. Of those lucky buyers, a couple inevitably chose to document the unboxing experience and consequently we now have two videos awaiting you after the break, detailing just how neatly that black and gold box is arranged. The actual contents will hardly surprise you — a neck strap, LCD protector, all the usual cables, plus an 18-105mm kit lens with soft pouch and petal-shaped hood are all present and accounted for — but the thrill is in seeing the D7000 itself emerging from its plastic wrappings. You may do so just past the break. Continue reading Nikon D7000 sold at Best Buy a little early, gets unboxed immediately Nikon D7000 sold at Best Buy a little early, gets unboxed immediately originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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If you have even the slightest inclination towards Mysophobia then please, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. A Stanford University study found that if you put a virus on a touchscreen surface then about 30 percent of it will make the jump to the fingertips of anyone who touches it. From there it goes into the eyes, mouth, or nose — whichever face-hole is in most urgent need of a rub. And just to drive the point home, the Sacramento Bee adds this little nugget from an unspecified British study: “Mobile phones harbor 18 times more bacteria than a flush handle in a typical men’s restroom.” Eww. You know, sometimes it’s best not to know how the sausage is made. Shocker! Cellphone touchscreens are dirty originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Based on breathless reports we’re seeing on Twitter and in the XDA-Developers’ forums, it would appear that Samsung has just pushed out the official Android 2.2 Froyo update for its Galaxy S as promised . Our Nordic friends are the first to report seeing the build I9000 JPM update in the latest version of Samsung’s Kies PC software. It’s early days though, so do let your fellow i9000 owners know how it goes in the comments below. [Thanks, Gustav F.] Galaxy S Android 2.2 Froyo update begins to trickle out originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 05:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Of all the things that could potentially be roboticized, we can’t say a curtain would be high on our list — but then again, we’re not hardware hacker Niklas Roy. In an attempt to create a “little piece of privacy,” Niklas developed this curtain that can watch passers-by outside (with the aid of a surveillance camera) and automatically follow them along the window to block their view inside. Of course, as Niklas notes, a sentient curtain does also have the unfortunate side effect of actually attracting the very passers-by it’s trying to guard against — such are the perils of innovation. Head on past the break to check it out in action, and hit up the source link below for all the necessary details to build your own. Continue reading Robotic curtain tries to guard your privacy, save on fabric (video) Robotic curtain tries to guard your privacy, save on fabric (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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