Intel’s Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge CPU spotted inside an HP dv6 in Singapore
December 27, 2010 No Comment
HP’s disregard for Intel’s officially scheduled Sandy Bridge launch continues today, with the news that Singaporean malls are already stocking Pavilion dv6 laptops with the new Core i7 silicon lurking within. It’s the same quad-core i7-2630QM chip that popped up on a dv7 spec sheet not too long ago — it runs at 2GHz by default, but dynamic overclocking and disabling of cores can take that up to the 2.8GHz mark. Keeping it company inside HP’s 15.6-inch laptop are 4GB of RAM and AMD’s Radeon HD 6570M GPU. The entire machine is described as indistinguishable, in terms of construction, from HP’s current crop of dv6s, leaving the precious internals to justify a price of 1,899 Singapore dollars (about $1,460). [Thanks, Wayne] Continue reading Intel’s Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge CPU spotted inside an HP dv6 in Singapore Intel’s Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge CPU spotted inside an HP dv6 in Singapore originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Samsung Vibrant and Fascinate get Froyo in Canada, hopefully with fewer bugs this time
December 27, 2010 No Comment
A quick gander at Samsung’s Canadian support site for the Galaxy S line reveals that two Android 2.2 updates are currently available: one for the Vibrant — offered by Bell, Virgin Mobile, and SaskTel — and one for the Fascinate as sold be Telus. This all follows just a few days after Sammy had to pull the Vibrant’s Froyo update on word that it seemed be killing the internal microSD storage, so hopefully, this build will be just a little more drama-free. Oh, and Samsung had originally said that Telus Fascinate owners would be waiting until next year to upgrade their units, so it’s pretty neat that they were able to rein that in a bit and get it pushed at the tail end of ’10. So have fun, Canadians — you’ve beaten your friends with T-Mobile Vibrants and Verizon Fascinates to the punch on this one, and we encourage you to lord it over them at every opportunity. [Thanks, Robert B. ] Samsung Vibrant and Fascinate get Froyo in Canada, hopefully with fewer bugs this time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Ancient acoustic engineers used stucco, drugs, and architecture to rock and confuse audiences
December 27, 2010 No Comment
It’s always fun when scientists discover new stuff about really old cultures, especially when it has to do with getting weird and rocking out. Recent research suggests temples built around 600 A.D. in Palenque, Mexico were designed with projection rooms that shot the sound of voices and instruments 300 feet away with the help of stucco-coated surfaces. 1600 years before that , in the Peruvian Andes, a pre-Incan society in Chav
Continue reading …42-inch Nexus S stomps into Best Buy, terrifies shoppers and demos interactive Gingerbread UI (video)
December 27, 2010 No Comment
This isn’t Google TV , though we can see why you’d ask. No, this monster is merely the world’s largest fully-functional Nexus S handset. Presently on display in a Best Buy store in San Carlos, California, the enormous Android is equipped with a 42-inch multitouch screen, rigged to a real Nexus S that does all the processing. There’s a working camera, internet access and the whole Android 2.3 user interface to explore, though it does look a mite difficult to navigate in the video below. Did we mention there’s a video? Stop reading, hit the break, and get on with the show! Continue reading 42-inch Nexus S stomps into Best Buy, terrifies shoppers and demos interactive Gingerbread UI (video) 42-inch Nexus S stomps into Best Buy, terrifies shoppers and demos interactive Gingerbread UI (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nokia N900 mixed with Gingerbread, baked at 425 degrees for 16-18 minutes (video)
December 26, 2010 No Comment
Running Android on the Nokia N900 has been an ongoing theme for the better part of the past year — and with hardware designed from the ground up to be both hackable and high-end, we’d expect no less. Indeed, Android 2.3 is the latest victim of an N900 sneak attack, and impressively, core components like messaging already seem to be working — likely thanks to the fact that hackers had already gotten pre-2.3 builds rock solid . What’s even more impressive, though, is how smooth and generally non-janky everything seems to be — smooth enough so that you might be able to do this as your daily driver if Maemo 5 is starting to wear thin for you. Nokia might not approve, but then again, we don’t approve of the N9 still not being announced… so yeah, tit for tat, as it were. Continue reading Nokia N900 mixed with Gingerbread, baked at 425 degrees for 16-18 minutes (video) Nokia N900 mixed with Gingerbread, baked at 425 degrees for 16-18 minutes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …NeuroSky sticks EEG sensors in a golf visor, sells it to Japanese athletes (video)
December 26, 2010 No Comment
NeuroSky’s mind-reading headsets haven’t exactly revolutionized modern user input — they just measure midichlorian count and control an app or three — but the company’s definitely moving towards products that the general public can take seriously. This BrainAthlete system, for instance, first graced Tokyo Game Show 2010 as an ugly sweatband , but has since graduated to this handsome golf visor cap, which merely measures an athlete’s brainwaves as they play rather than promise brain control. The idea is that trainers can analyze the data in real time, and potentially find strengths and weaknesses in their charges’ state of mind. The 40,000 yen (about $483) went on sale in Japan early this month, and promises to find stateside availability in the first quarter of next year. Plenty of time for you to figure out how you’re going to get one onto your opponent ‘s head. Video after the break. Continue reading NeuroSky sticks EEG sensors in a golf visor, sells it to Japanese athletes (video) NeuroSky sticks EEG sensors in a golf visor, sells it to Japanese athletes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Nissan Leaf rates you against other drivers, creates a high score list for hypermilers
December 26, 2010 No Comment
Xbox Live and the Achievement system kind of reinvented the high score list, letting you compete against your friends even when you’re roaming solo through a stark, barren wasteland. It looks like Nissan is doing much the same with the Leaf — but minus the bloatflies and the supermutants. As the cars are now rolling out to eager owners we’re learning more about just what its Carwings system can do and another neat trick is the “Regional Rankings” page, where one driver’s driving efficiency is rated against others in the area. There are bronze, silver, and gold medals up for grabs but, if you cover the thing with speed tape and only commute downhill, you might just be awarded the platinum award. What does that get you? Why, a little picture of a trophy, of course. What were you expecting? Nissan Leaf rates you against other drivers, creates a high score list for hypermilers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
The forumites at NeoGAF were chatting it up all evening, and sure enough, it’s true — starting this morning, you can reserve a Nintendo 3DS by dropping a stack of change at any GameStop store. How high you’ll have to pile the coin seems to depend on the location, as a New York employee wanted us to deposit $50, even as an Arizona store said we’d only need to bankroll a modest $25. Not that it much matters, as either way your money will go directly towards the as-yet-undetermined ( likely $300 ) purchase price. Should your local GameStop fail to recognize the autostereoscopic handheld’s impending availability, just kindly ask them to consult their computer, find the SKU field, and type in the magic numbers “020132.” Then, painstakingly wait until March to claim your prize. Nintendo 3DS pre-orders begin at GameStop, still no official US price originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
There may be plenty of robots out there able to avoid or overcome obstacles, but we can’t say we’ve seen too many that are actually able to use obstacles to their advantage. That’s the claim to fame of this so-called HRP-2 robot built by researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , however, which is able to detect objects around it and discern how they can be used to help it with a specific task — like leaning on a table to help balance while kicking a ball, for instance. As New Scientist points out, whether intentional or not, the end result is a robot that behaves remarkably like an elderly person — see for yourself in the video after the break. Continue reading HRP-2 humanoid robot learns to use obstacles to its advantage HRP-2 humanoid robot learns to use obstacles to its advantage originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Stereoscopic copy-paste finally brings that clone tool into the third dimension (video)
December 26, 2010 No Comment
With the right software anybody can be photo editing guru, eliminating redeye, removing unsightly blemishes, and maybe adding an image of Godzilla lurking in the background just for fun. However, if you’ve been unlucky enough to try to do the same in 3D you know just how distinctly unsatisfying that experience can be. Maybe not for long. Thanks to NewScientist we just caught a glimpse of an October presentation made by Swiss engineers Joren van Baar and Wan-Yen Lo called “Stereoscopic 3D Copy & Paste.” It is, basically, exactly what it sounds like, tools that let you define various objects and planes on a stereoscopic image, similar to how you might grab a shape with the magic wand tool, and then duplicate it and move that shape around on both parts of the 3D photo. The software handles re-creating shadows, automatically tackling occlusion too, and while the results aren’t perfect, particularly if you’re trying to change perspective or partially occlude an object behind something that’s transparent, it certainly trumps trying to do it by hand. Check out the video below and take a moment to be thankful that you didn’t have to buy gifts for all those kids above. Continue reading Stereoscopic copy-paste finally brings that clone tool into the third dimension (video) Stereoscopic copy-paste finally brings that clone tool into the third dimension (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …