Toshiba’s Wipe HDDs render data useless when you get online in a strange place
April 13, 2011 No Comment
Self-encrypting drives are hardly new , but that doesn’t mean researchers aren’t still looking for ways to give those IT folks behind the curtain more ways to lock down sensitive intel. Toshiba just launched a line of self-encrypting HDDs that will “invalidate” the data — essentially, rendering it useless — when the laptop connects to an unknown host. IT departments can also use Toshiba’s so-called Wipe Technology to scrub a machine before tossing it, or encrypt the drives every time someone powers down. The company won’t be peddling these directly to consumers, of course, and in fact, Tosh is planning on shopping them around not just for laptops, but multifunction printers and point-of-sale systems, too. They’ll come in five sizes, ranging from 160GB to 640GB, and will all run at 7,200RPM. And Tosh says it’ll work with OEMs to help them customize the conditions that will trigger a data lockup. It’s too soon to say what laptops will pack this technology, though the company is clearly moving quickly — it’ll start showing off samples this month and will ramp up mass production by late June. Continue reading Toshiba’s Wipe HDDs render data useless when you get online in a strange place Toshiba’s Wipe HDDs render data useless when you get online in a strange place originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope — a collaboration with NASA that explores high-resolution photos and 3D renders of the cosmos — was already pretty cool, but Redmond upped the ante to incredible with the addition of a Kinect depth camera at MIX 11. Using a piece of software created with the company’s upcoming Kinect SDK for Windows , Microsoft gave us a virtual tour of Earth and the surrounding stars, guided by a deep-voiced narrator holding the whole world in his hands. Of course, you’d already know that if you watched the video above, so what are you waiting for? Oh, and we’ve got more MIX video on the way, so stay tuned. Microsoft’s Kinect navigates the universe thanks to Windows SDK (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sharp’s new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought
April 13, 2011 No Comment
At its “Spectacularge” press conference today Sharp announced its new 70-inch LC-70LE732U is the largest LCD HDTV on the market . It sports Quattron four color pixels, full LED backlighting, Netflix, CinemaNow, Vudu Apps and DLNA access among its list of features, but no 3D. That will probably be remedied by at least one of the three additional models of 70-inch LCDs Sharp says it will ship this summer but in the meantime we’re just enjoying a throwback to the heady days of 2006 when consumer LCDs were last found in this size range. Interested parties with enough green to cover the $3,799 MSRP should be able to order these at their local retailers, while the rest can gawk at the specs in the press release after the break, or the hands-on pictures we’ll have up shortly (the one above is from CES .) Continue reading Sharp’s new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought Sharp’s new 70-inch LCD HDTV is definitely bigger than the one your friend just bought originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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When a leaked document strongly suggests that Intel’s upcoming Panther Point chipset will support USB 3.0, AMD’s not going to take that cheery news lying down. Not even a day later, the underdog chip maker has confirmed that its A75 and A70M Fusion chipsets will support the standard protocol, which claims speeds ten times faster than USB 2.0. No word on when that’ll happen, or whether AMD will beat Chipzilla to market — but if nothing else it can brag about being first out of the gate with an official plan. Huzzah! AMD beats Intel to the punch, confirms USB 3.0 support in future chipsets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Traffic alerts on GPS devices may be old hat at this point, but there’s obviously still plenty of room for improvement, and IBM now says it’s managed to do just that with its new “Smarter Traveler” traffic prediction tool. Developed with the help of UC Berkeley’s transportation group and the California Department of Transportation, the tool relies on predictive analytics software, GPS monitoring and sensors already on the roads to not only offer alerts, but build a model of each person’s usual commuter route. Once the system is trained a bit, commuters are able to check out what’s effectively a forecast of their entire route before they even leave the house, rather than simply be alerted to traffic problems before it’s too late to avoid them. Head on past for the complete press release, and a quick video explanation of how it works. Continue reading IBM shows off Smarter Traveler traffic prediction tool IBM shows off Smarter Traveler traffic prediction tool originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson’s Android bootloader unlocking site goes live, modders rejoice
April 13, 2011 No Comment
As promised , Sony Ericsson has just flipped the switch for its Android bootloader unlocking service, meaning those with an unbranded Xperia device from 2011 and onwards — Play, Arc, Neo, and Pro so far — will be able to try out custom ROMs and other dirty mods with ease. All that’s required here is your phone’s IMEI number, which in return gives you the unlocking key to go with the Android SDK’s fastboot program — all will be clear once you’ve read the instructions at the source link. But remember: SE does warn that this service may void your warranty if all goes pear-shaped, so just be careful, won’t ya? Sony Ericsson’s Android bootloader unlocking site goes live, modders rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Grace Digital’s rugged Eco Terra iPhone dock: because nature’s too quiet for you
April 13, 2011 No Comment
“I’m on a boat.” Continue reading Grace Digital’s rugged Eco Terra iPhone dock: because nature’s too quiet for you Grace Digital’s rugged Eco Terra iPhone dock: because nature’s too quiet for you originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Windows Phone adds multitasking, deep phone integration, and sensor access to dev platform
April 13, 2011 No Comment
We knew it was coming , and today at MIX 11 , Microsoft showed off its developer platform for the next version of Windows Phone, which developers will be able to get their hands on for free in May. The new application platform adds: Multitasking for background processing, audio and file transfer, and fast app switching Deep phone integration, allowing apps to leverage Live Tiles Access to the camera and sensors via the Motion Sensor Library, letting apps to control device hardware Microsoft hopes this will allow developers to make even more creative and engaging apps. To get our juices flowing, it’s showing off demos of new app concepts from Skype , Spotify , Layar , Qantas, Amazon Shopping, and Kik Messenger. Check out the press release in the source link below. Developing… Windows Phone adds multitasking, deep phone integration, and sensor access to dev platform originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A lot of portable PC power cells last for only four or five hours, after which you’ll find yourself chained to a wall socket. Good thing there are external batteries to keep us in current when a plug’s nowhere to be found, and Tom’s Hardware has done some benchmarking on a slew of such devices so you’ll know which one’s suited for you. A Dell Vostro 3300 and an Inspiron Mini 10 running Windows 7 were used to put packs from Amstron, Brunton, Digipower, Electrovaya, Energizer , Lenmar, PowerTraveller and Tekkeon through some real-world paces — we’re talking word processing and web surfing, not fragging and film editing. So if you’re in the market for a mobile power unit, hit the source link and get the down and dirty on which external battery’s best. External batteries benchmarked, the portable juice is loose originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iRobot agrees to provide US Navy with bomb disposal and recon bots in a deal worth up to $230 million
April 13, 2011 No Comment
iRobot may still be best known as the creator of the homely Roomba vacuum-cleaning drone, but savvy readers will know the company’s endeavors span a pretty broad range of robot-related activities. One of those has now borne fruit in shape of a multiyear agreement with the US Navy for the provision of “portable robotic systems” that can identify and dispose of explosives while also performing a bit of reconnaissance work in their spare time. The announcement doesn’t tell us the particular model(s) or number of bots that will be provided, but there is clarification to say that iRobot will be responsible for providing spares, repairs, training, and accessories along with the hardware, with the total revenue for the company potentially swelling to $230 million over the full course of the contract, which lasts through 2015. Our guess is that the ” throwable ” robot shown off a couple of weeks back would be a good candidate for this task, though we doubt it’ll be thanking us for endorsing it for such perilous work. iRobot agrees to provide US Navy with bomb disposal and recon bots in a deal worth up to $230 million originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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