Jan 02

Creative sheds some hype on Zii ‘stem cell computing’

Posted in: processor, Today's Chili

Pretty big talk, Creative, for such a mysterious product. According to information gleaned from an email that’s making the rounds, Zii is “revolutionary” — in fact, it’s about to change everything you know. Everything. The company says they’ve invested over 10 years, over one billion dollars, and 10,000 man-years (that’s a lot of men! and years!) on “stem cell-like silicon that is able to grow and multiply into different solutions and ecosystems,” which will “better lives beyond our imagination.” Has your mind been blown yet? No? Just wait until you “discover incredible recession-friendly business opportunities that enable you to thrive and prosper.” Just what we need in the midst of these turbulent times. Of course this begs us to ask the question: if life as we know it is over, couldn’t they have spent a little time coming up with a name other than Zii? And might there be a better place to announce this epoch-making discovery than booth #30651 at CES?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: ,

Creative sheds some hype on Zii ‘stem cell computing’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
Jan 02

Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale

Posted in: Today's Chili

Here’s a tip for everyone who hasn’t made the jump to solid state: try to be nice to your disk drive. Brendan Gregg from Sun’s Fishworks team wanted to see the effects of vibrations on his disk array, so he proceeded to shout at it. On video. Yeah, we bet that’s pretty embarrassing for the drive in question, and what results is a sharp spike the number of I/O operations that take over 5ms to complete. Moral of the story? Yelling at your computer isn’t going to make it run any faster. How about next time we see how it reacts to Ozzy, Mozart and warm, gentle nuzzles? We’ve placed video of Gregg’s sadistic hardware taunts after the break.

[Via Slashdot]

Continue reading Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale

Filed under:

Video: Shouting at disk drive causes high latency, low morale originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jan 02

Intel Atom coming to larger notebooks?

Posted in: HP, intel, intel atom, IntelAtom, NVIDIA, processor, Today's Chili

Why does Intel have to be so darn stubborn? First it insists on only bundling the Atom processor with their own graphics (simultaneously breaking poor NVIDIA’s heart), and then there’s whole thing where it restricts the CPU to netbooks under 10.2-inches. But like all good things, this too might someday come to an end. According to Gadget Mix, HP is currently negotiating with the chipmaker with the intent of using the processor in notebooks 13-inches and larger. This isn’t without precedent — the Dell Mini 12 is Atom powered, after all, and there is certainly a market for folks who only need a notebook for web browsing and productivity apps — but we’ll see if people are willing to sacrifice performance without gaining portability.

Filed under:

Intel Atom coming to larger notebooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Jan 02

Ford offers Lincoln ‘Park Assist’

Posted in: Today's Chili
(Credit: Ford Motor)

A new feature from Ford Motor will allow drivers to let their car do the steering when faced with a parallel parking space, the company announced Tuesday.

This latest car gadget, which Ford calls Active Park Assist, works slightly differently than the park assist feature on Toyota’s self-parking Lexus….

Originally posted at Planetary Gear

No Comments
Jan 02

Game Boy Pocket fitted with backlit screen, one man’s life now complete

Posted in: hack, homebrew, mod, nintendo, Today's Chili

You know what they say — if you can’t buy it, mod it. Michael “Bibin” Moffitt’s backlighting job on this Game Boy Pocket is a case in point. Unwilling to shell out the dough for a Game Boy Light on eBay (but more than willing to destroy two old LCDs in pursuit of his mad dream), this guy removed the reflective layer and adhesive behind the handheld’s display (“almost as hard as reasoning with a rabid PlayStation 3 fan,” he writes) and built a backlight out of an LED, some perspex, and a diffusive layer. That’s it — now our man is playing Donkey Kong, in the dark, in all its monochromatic glory, and with no noticeable change in battery life. Hit the read link for plenty of naked GBP pics.

Filed under: ,

Game Boy Pocket fitted with backlit screen, one man’s life now complete originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jan 02

Nokia N96 Gets Huge Firmware Update

Posted in: mobile, nokia, smartphone, Today's Chili

Nokia_N96.jpg

Nokia has quietly released a major firmware update for the American version of its N96 smartphone, IntoMobile reports. Normally we don’t report on firmware revisions for specific handsets. But this is a big one, improving everything from overall stability and responsiveness to the camera’s image quality, Bluetooth compatibility, and the handset’s auto-lock feature.

In addition, the latest N96 firmware update adds compatibility with Nokia’s Mail on Ovi service, which lets owners sign up for new e-mail accounts directly from their devices. The revision also addresses a long list of specific bug fixes. The new N96 firmware update is now available via the Windows-based Nokia Software Updater.

No Comments | Tags: ,
Jan 02

Toyota Developing Solar Car: Report

Posted in: Environment, hybrid, solar, Today's Chili, Toyota

Toyota_1X_AutoblogGreen_1.jpg

Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a solar-powered vehicle as an alternative to its popular hybrid Prius and Camry models, the Associated Press is reporting.

Toyota, which also builds luxury-themed Lexus cars, is developing the program in two stages. First, the automaker is working on a method to power a car partially from built-in solar cells, and then recharged via electricity generated from solar panels on the roofs of homes, according to The Nikkei, a leading business daily in Japan. Later, the next step will be to develop a version that’s totally powered by solar cells mounted on the car. In both cases, production models are still years away.

Today, Toyota uses solar panels at its central Japan plant to produce some electricity, according to the article. “The solar panels on the roofs add up in size to the equivalent of 60 tennis courts and produce enough electricity to power 500 homes,” Toyota said in a statement. “That reduces 740 tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil.” (Image credit: AutoblogGreen)

No Comments | Tags:
Jan 02

Man improves, adds a dose of trademark infringement to single-wheeled skateboard concept

Posted in: Today's Chili
Man improves, adds a dose of trademark infringement to single-wheeled skateboard concept

Did you like the idea of Ben Smither’s single-wheeled, self-balancing scooter but wished the thing looked a little less… utilitarian? Check out John Dingley’s one wheeled self-balancing skateboard project, aka “The No Snowboard,” aka “The Hot Wheel.” It was inspired by Smither’s earlier creation and likewise relies on a single go cart racing slick in the center spun by a (slightly more powerful) 420W electric motor, but adds a lovely wooden surface and racing decals to the top, improving the look immensely. The rider leans in either direction to get the thing going (as demonstrated in motion below) and the slight curvature of the tire allows for turning just like you would with a normal skateboard. Right now maximum speed is a somewhat pedestrian 7 mph, but Dingley estimates that a Segway-matching 12 mph is possible with better gearing. We can’t wait for the inevitable self-balancing scooter racing series.

[Via Instructables]

Continue reading Man improves, adds a dose of trademark infringement to single-wheeled skateboard concept

Filed under:

Man improves, adds a dose of trademark infringement to single-wheeled skateboard concept originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jan 02

Vuzix to unveil new, less cool-looking HMD at CES

Posted in: Today's Chili

Looks like we’ll all get our first good look at Vuzix’s newest head-mounted display — the Wrap 920AV — at CES in a few days. They’re apparently very similar to the company’s previous offering, though they boast a totally fresh appearance. Vuzix promises that the optics have been improved and will offer a better viewing experience, but we don’t have any other specifics about the device yet. We’ll definitely check them out in Vegas, but we have to say: the Geordi La Forge look was way better than the new wrap-shades, guys.

Filed under: ,

Vuzix to unveil new, less cool-looking HMD at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jan 02

Ace Computers promises $999 CableCARD HTPC at CES 2009

Posted in: HTPC, Today's Chili

HTPCs may still be a niche market, but getting one equipped with a CableCARD for under a grand could do great things for adoption. Little-known Ace Computers will reportedly debut such a rig at CES, and the machine will be known as the LMS 250. It’ll be made available in a few configurations, one of which includes a triple-core AMD Phenom X3 and one that houses an Intel Core 2 Duo E7300; the former will be built around AMD’s Maui entertainment platform, while the latter could quite possibly be the last to use Intel’s own impossible-to-understand Viiv technology. Prospective customers with fatter wallets can upgrade the baseline rigs with a Blu-ray burner, but even the $999 edition will include 2GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, internal ATI Digital Cable Tuner and between 8 and 12 USB ports. Sadly, we’re not tipped off on a release date, but hopefully we’ll learn of that — along with many other delicious, heart-healthy tidbits — in just a few days.

Filed under: ,

Ace Computers promises $999 CableCARD HTPC at CES 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,