Pour one out for the Tevatron particle accelerator, because it’s shutting down today
October 1, 2011 No Comment
The eyes of the physics community are collectively fixed upon Illinois today, where, later this afternoon, researchers at Fermilab will shut down the Tevatron particle accelerator… for good. That’s right — the world’s second-largest collider is being laid to rest, after a remarkable 25-year run that was recently halted due to budgetary constraints. Earlier this year, Fermilab’s scientists and a group of prominent physicists pleaded with the government to keep the Tevatron running until 2014, but the Energy Department ultimately determined that the lab’s $100 million price tag was too steep, effectively driving a nail through the accelerator’s subterranean, four-mile-long coffin. First activated in 1985, the Tevatron scored a series of subatomic breakthroughs over the course of its lifespan, including, most notably, the discovery of the so-called top quark in 1995. Its groundbreaking technology, meanwhile, helped pave the way for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider , which will now pursue the one jewel missing from the Tevatron’s resume — the Higgs boson. Many experts contend that the collider could’ve gone on to achieve much more, but its ride will nonetheless come to an inglorious end at 2PM today, when Fermilab director Pier Oddone oversees the Tevatron’s last rites. “That will be it,” physicist Gregorio Bernardi told the Washington Post . “Then we’ll have a big party.” Pour one out for the Tevatron particle accelerator, because it’s shutting down today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now
October 1, 2011 No Comment
Well, after the termination of 50 Cent’s alignment with Sleek , it was only a matter time before the rapper’s SMS Audio company filled the void. (After all, how do you know your cans are quality if they haven’t been endorsed by a man who was shot nine times and survived.) We don’t know when the wireless SYNC by 50 headphones will arrive or how much they’ll cost, but you can bet the part-time actor and entrepreneur will be making the rounds , trying to sell us on the 40mm driver, 50-foot range, “professionally tuned digital EQ” and noise cancellation. While the integrated music controls are nice, our favorite feature might be the ability to connect four sets of SYNCs to the same source. Check out the gallery below and a few choice specs from the data sheet after the break. Gallery: SYNC by 50 Continue reading Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now
October 1, 2011 No Comment
Well, after the termination of 50 Cent’s alignment with Sleek , it was only a matter time before the rapper’s SMS Audio company filled the void. (After all, how do you know your cans are quality if they haven’t been endorsed by a man who was shot nine times and survived.) We don’t know when the wireless SYNC by 50 headphones will arrive or how much they’ll cost, but you can bet the part-time actor and entrepreneur will be making the rounds , trying to sell us on the 40mm driver, 50-foot range, “professionally tuned digital EQ” and noise cancellation. While the integrated music controls are nice, our favorite feature might be the ability to connect four sets of SYNCs to the same source. Check out the gallery below and a few choice specs from the data sheet after the break. Gallery: SYNC by 50 Continue reading Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins… now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Chinese rip-off merchants have been crafting N9s since before the handset even existed and by now they’re pretty good at it. This latest bogie comes in at just $64 — way cheaper than a genuine budget smartphone — but it still manages to pack in dual SIM slots, a mock iPhone UI and a resistive touchscreen that gives you the ergonomic pleasure of pressing everything three times. Sure, we have a few misgivings about the lack of functioning apps and the blurry 1.3MP rear camera, but then even the N-Man himself has the occasional phony moment . Update : We switched the pic to show you the iOS version, rather than the mock Sense variant depicted earlier. Yes, it seems you do get a choice. Keepin’ it real fake: Chinese Nokia N9 makes but minor sacrifices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 26, 2011: Last week we heard the rumor that Sprint would be launching the BlackBerry Curve 9350 on October 2nd, and we’ve finally received the official confirmation . The device will be hitting stores tomorrow for $80 with a two-year contract. [ PhoneArena ] The Motorola Photon WiMAX, referred to as the Photon 4G in the US, is now making its way to Japan as KDDI announced the launch of the device this past Monday. [ Motorola ] Verizon Wireless launched the Pantech Jest 2 this week, which is a feature phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [ Verizon Wireless ] The Samsung Galaxy Y is now listed as “coming soon” on O2′s website, which makes it the second carrier to announce upcoming availability in the UK. The actual date of release, however, is still unofficial. [ O2 ] Softbank (Japan) looks ready to land the ZTE Lord V882, which appears to be an Android device running on Gingerbread, and comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 3.8-inch LCD at WVGA resolution and a 5MP camera. [ LandofDroid ] NTT DoCoMo and Orange have teamed up to offer the Sharp AQUOS SH80F, which features dual 8MP stereoscopic cameras and claims to be the world’s first Android device capable of converting 2D content into 3D in real time. It’ll first be launched in France on October 6th and will follow to other European and Asian countries shortly after. [ Softpedia ] Maybe Microsoft Canada just assumed nobody actually reads terms and conditions, because the company outed the names of a few upcoming Windows Phones in the T&C for a developer contest: the Nokia Sabre and a duo of Samsungs named the Yukon and Wembley. The Nokia Searay was also named in the list, indicating the Sabre is a second device running on Mango. [ Nokia HDBlog (translated) ] In preparation for its Windows Phone debut, Nokia is also rumored to be featuring a new voice navigation system with 3D maps, according to some leaked marketing materials. [ WinRumors ] Here’s a rendering of the HTC EVO Design 4G, also known as the Kingdom or Hero S. [ Pocketnow ] Samsung may have a midrange device coming soon to AT&T’s lineup as a complement to the Galaxy S II. We’ve already seen the I857 pass through the FCC and show up in a leaked roadmap, and now it appears to have been dubbed the Doubletime, according to uncovered Cellebrite records. [ Pocketnow ] Also appearing in Cellebrite records are the HTC Vigor (PH98100), Motorola Droid HD (XT912), and the Samsung Nexus Prime (SCH-i515). [ Droid-Life ] Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Datel’s latest controller for the Xbox 360 is inducing waves of nostalgia, with a curious LCD display channeling the ghost of the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU . The Turbofire EVO also packs in button mapping and fine-tune rumble options alongside third-party controller staples like turbo button settings. These can all be tweaked through the 1.7-inch screen, with extra custom profiles available if you connect the proudly unofficial controller to a PC. Check the video after the break and if a baked-in display presses your buttons, it’s available now direct from Datel. Continue reading New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Datel’s latest controller for the Xbox 360 is inducing waves of nostalgia, with a curious LCD display channeling the ghost of the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU . The Turbofire EVO also packs in button mapping and fine-tune rumble options alongside third-party controller staples like turbo button settings. These can all be tweaked through the 1.7-inch screen, with extra custom profiles available if you connect the proudly unofficial controller to a PC. Check the video after the break and if a baked-in display presses your buttons, it’s available now direct from Datel. Continue reading New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Just two months to go, and gamers of the Sony persuasion can get their thumbs-on the PS Vita . While we were getting comfy with the available list of this PSP successor’s dos and don’ts , out comes further info to rain on our anticipated PlayStation Suite parade. According to a report from ASCII , game downloads over 3G connections will be limited to a max of 20MB. What does that mean for you, prospective buyer? Well, kiss that 500 – 600 strong library of PSP titles goodbye, and say hello to a catalog of minis. Sure, you could always hook up to some decent WiFi to purchase and play those old favorites uninterrupted, but that kind of defeats this portable’s on-the-go design. Rest assured, this download cap could still change before the handheld launches in the US and UK . And anyway, you didn’t think you were going to get far on that three to five hour charge, now did you? Sony PS Vita caps 3G downloads at 20MB, encourages extensive mini play originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Future SpaceX rockets will set you down gently after your long commute (video)
October 1, 2011 No Comment
Elon Musk’s space ferries will one day require nothing so prosaic as parachutes to soften their landings. Instead, SpaceX’s latest ‘Dragon’ design will rely totally on rocket boosters for the final leg of its descent. In fact, take that notion and triple it: it’s intended that each of the Dragon’s three sub-sections will be able to return to earth separately under boost power, making the system 100 percent reusable. Check out the slick animation after the break and then see this for a dose of reality. Continue reading Future SpaceX rockets will set you down gently after your long commute (video) Future SpaceX rockets will set you down gently after your long commute (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung announces the Series 7 all-in-one, its first desktop for the US market
October 1, 2011 No Comment
There must be something in the water: first Toshiba decides to give this all-in-one thing a whirl and a few months later, Samsung’s jumping on the bandwagon, too. The company just added a desktop to its Series 7 lineup, making it Sammy’s first all-in-one for the US market. It’ll be available in two configurations, but either way you’re in for a 23-inch, 250-nit display with 1080p resolution and support for two-finger gestures. Other specs include four USB 2.0 ports built into the base (along with one of the 3.0 persuasion), a 1TB 7,200RPM hard drive, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 3.0 and dual four-watt speakers. And, depending on which config you choose, you’ll get either a 2.6GHz Core i3-2120T CPU and 6GB of RAM or a 2.7GHz Core i5-2390T processor with 8GB of memory. Sadly, both models cap the graphics off with Intel’s integrated option, which means this may or may not be the right choice for game-loving Samsung fans. Look for them on October 10th for $999 and $1,199, depending on the model. Oddly, the company isn’t issuing a press release until Monday (we’ll update this post when we see it) but for now, skip past the break for one extra pic. Continue reading Samsung announces the Series 7 all-in-one, its first desktop for the US market Filed under: Desktops Samsung announces the Series 7 all-in-one, its first desktop for the US market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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