AMD has just rolled out two new additions to its line of Embedded G-Series APUs, combining Fusion -based processing with reduced power consumption. Both the T40E and T40R rock the same 64-bit x86 Bobcat CPU cores and DirectX 11-capable GPUs we’ve already seen in previous G-Series incarnations, but AMD says the pair can operate using thirty-nine percent less power than its cousins. The single core T40R boasts a thermal design power (TDP) rating of just 5.5 watts, while the dual core T40E offers a TDP of 6.4 watts. The two applications are designed for compact fanless systems, including kiosks and mobile industrial devices, though Axiomtek is apparently planning on incorporating the new APUs in a new Pico-ITX consumer PC, as well. Full PR after the break. Continue reading AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs AMD announces new, more energy efficient Embedded G-Series APUs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome desktop, promises independence from local storage
May 23, 2011 No Comment
Chromebooks a tad too mobile for you? Sensing the market is at last ready for Google’s web-based OS, Xi3 decided to ship the ChromiumPC, an updated version of the modular, Chrome-based desktop it trotted out as a concept last year. The computer (also known as the 5 Series) has a processor module and two I/O ones — a design whose promise is that installing a different operating system should be as easy as swapping out that first board. And, cheekily, the company expects it to go on sale July 4th, a day when Chromium owners can “declare their independence from the built-in obsolescence of other computers.” Got that, folks? Your mature operating system and local storage are useless. No word yet on pricing, so here’s hoping Chrome isn’t a moot point or anything by the time we find out. Full PR after the break. Continue reading Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome desktop, promises independence from local storage Xi3 modular PC reborn as Chrome desktop, promises independence from local storage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on)
May 23, 2011 No Comment
We’ve seen panorama add-ons for the iPhone before , but Kogeto’s offering is quite a bit more pocketable than other crowd-funded solutions. The Kogeto Dot snaps onto an iPhone 4 in your choice of pastel colors, and catches 360-degree video when placed face down. It’s got an accompanying iOS app that will un-distort the video for sharing, or even broadcast it on the net in real time. We got to check out a prototype, and though there’s still some residual distortion at this point in time, we’re assured that it’ll all get straightened out if and when the project meets its funding goal. Interestingly (and annoyingly), this implementation requires your iPhone be held perpendicular rather than upright, making previewing a capture virtually impossible until after you’ve stopped the recording, which seems unnatural to us. Combine that with a minimum Kickstarter pledge of $98 to secure one of your own, and suddenly the less-portable and lower-degree alternatives start sounding a little more attractive. If you’re still interested, hit the source link below and get in on the action. Promo video after the break. Gallery: Kogeto Dot iPhone 4 panoramic camera hands-on Continue reading Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on) Kogeto Dot brings bite-size panoramic video recording to iPhone 4 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Smartphone buyer’s guide: the best phones for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more!
May 23, 2011 No Comment
The world of smartphones changes mighty quickly, and if you blink, you’re bound to miss the latest and most delectable devices. That’s where we come in, to provide timely roundups of everything your friends expect you to know, along with the insight that you crave. To bring you up to speed, in our December buyer’s guide , at first blush you might have thought we were doing an overview of the best Android phones on the market. That’s because of our 16 highly-esteemed handsets, a whopping 13 of them had Google’s operating system at the core. As you’ll see, the landscape has changed somewhat, and these new contenders that have come out swinging. We’ve broken down this buyer’s guide by mobile carrier, each including the best handset money can buy, our favorite QWERTY alternative, and the most well-rounded budget phone available (with $79 as the absolute ceiling). For smaller US providers, we’re providing a single selection, though we’re confident it’s a good one. You’ll definitely be presented with some difficult choices, but that’s merely a testament to the abundance of stellar phones that aggressively compete for your dollar. With that said, let’s dive in — it’s roundup time. Continue reading Smartphone buyer’s guide: the best phones for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more! Smartphone buyer’s guide: the best phones for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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How does a self-driving car know where it’s going? By using a map, of course — preferably a self-generated one. In yet another video exemplifying breakneck golf-cart-like speeds , the ZMP RoboCar shows us that it doesn’t need a driver to know where it’s going. At least, not the second time it goes there. After a few minutes with a fleshy friend behind the wheel, the autonomous automobile can safely steer itself around curves, roundabouts, and fountains. It may not be able to keep pace with Google’s tire-squealing, automated Prius , but at least we know it can see where it’s going. ZMP RoboCar ditches driver, creates own map (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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While we’re still awaiting pneumatic tubes that can whisk us to our destinations, elevators have been gaining a few IQ points. For example, they can be voice-activated or recognize an ID badge and route riders to their floors, meaning fewer seconds staring uncomfortably until the doors open. But they can also track workers’ comings and goings, and bosses at Philadelphia’s Curtis Center can program elevators to deliver specific employees directly to them. Not coincidentally, intelligent lifts can also ensure executives rarely have to ride alongside the hoi polloi — a feature Bank of America, for one, paid for but says it doesn’t use. The Wall Street Journal seems to worry this is the end of elevator democracy, but we support anything that reduces our time trapped in small metal boxes. Smarter elevators sort riders, stand ready to enforce social hierarchies originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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You’ve probably already seen the leaked pictures of the Droid 3, but what you really want to know is what’s going on underneath that chrome trim. TechnoBuffalo claims to have the inside scoop and it sounds like the latest landscape slider from Motorola is packing a number of nice improvements. According to a tipster the screen has been upgraded to a 4-inch qHD panel and inside is one of those fancy dual-cores all the cool phones are rockin’ these days — presumably of the Tegra 2 variety like its Droid X2 cousin. As spied in the photos it also has a new 5-row keyboard layout and front facing camera for video calls, while the rear-facing shooter is getting bumped to 8 megapixels. There is one disappointing, but not entirely shocking, detail though — the Droid 3 will lack LTE. We can’t confirm these specs, but they’re perfectly logical assumptions and raise no alarms and no surprises. Droid 3 details leaked: dual-core processor, 4-inch qHD screen, no LTE? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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It has not been a good year for Sony, which was affected both by the massive earthquake in March and the PSN outage that spanned from April into May. There couldn’t be any doubt that those things would have a drastic impact on the company’s bottom-line, and it’s now taking the time to give investors an idea of just how big an impact that could be — even though the financial issues lie largely elsewhere. Sony is set to announce its full financial report for its fiscal year this Thursday and, to soften the blow, estimates have been revised steeply downward. Previously Sony predicted a
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It seems natural selection has finally caught up with the Entourage Edge. When we first reviewed the combination touchscreen/E Ink “dualbook,” we wondered whether its neither-fish-nor-fowl design would catch on — especially priced at $500. That price dropped substantially with its successor, the Pocket Edge , but neither device truly found its feet, in part because of a lack of applications and no updates beyond Android 1.6. And now comes word that the Edge store has officially closed, with customers having until May 27 to download any purchased content. It all points to RIP for the Edge family, and Good E-Reader claims to have recent confirmation from the company. In its goodbye message Entourage steers users toward the Amazon app store, where it notes “you will now have access to a lot of Android Apps that Google would never give us access to.” Obvious bitterness aside, the team reportedly has a new device in the works, this time in the typical slate model. [Thanks, Roy] Entourage shuts down Edge content store, devices reportedly discontinued originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The thinnest 15-inch laptop “on the planet” is coming tomorrow, costing a measly $999, according to the Wall Street Journal . In a profile of Dell’s recent history and forthcoming plans in the consumer electronics market, the financial paper twice makes reference to an ultrathin, $999 laptop that is set to launch on Tuesday of this week. Pairing that intel with the abundance of leaks surrounding the slinky 15.6-inch XPS 15z — including a Michael Dell tweet promising it’s ” coming soon ” — leads us to the conclusion that we’ve finally gotten ahold of the price and date for Dell’s next big thing. Interestingly enough, the WSJ article goes on to say that Dell had canned a similar set of slim laptops earlier in the year, which might give us greater hope for the quality of the 15z — it survived where others didn’t. Other disclosures in the piece include a quote from Michael Dell, saying that he “didn’t completely see” the tablet boom coming, which might explain why sales of his company’s Streak tablets have been low enough to be described as “immaterial.” There’s also a discussion of the abortive Zing music service and related MP3 players that never were, but you’ll have to hit the source link to learn more about them. Dell XPS 15z coming tomorrow for $999? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 06:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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