Hasta La Gadget!

Stoked about the gigabit speeds your new 802.11ac WiFi router is pumping out? One group of scientists hailing from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and universities in the US, Israel and China isn’t so impressed, having generated a wireless signal clocking in at 2.56Tbps. Proof of the feat was published in Nature Photonics, which details their use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) to make the magic happen. Current wireless protocols alter the spin angular momentum (SAM) of radio waves to hold info, and by combining both methods the team was able to pack eight data steams into a single signal, resulting in the mouth-watering number noted above. The best part is, applying different levels of OAM twist to SAM-based transmissions theoretically allows an infinite number of streams per signal, meaning seriously increased bandwidth without the need for additional frequency. So far the wireless tests have only been conducted over a measly 1m, but the scientists reckon it’ll work at distances up to 1km and that the concept could also be used to boost speeds in existing fiber-optic cables. As with many scientific advances, it’s unlikely hardware capable of such speeds will be available any time soon, so 802.11ac will have to suffice… for now.

New wireless transmission tech hits 2.56Tbps, leaves WiFi feeling inadequate originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system may not be the most popular on the market, but the software giant is constantly tweaking things to make the smartphone operating system better. A new version of Windows Phone is being worked on right now, and version 7.8 will bring a new start screen that looks interesting. The video here is from Microsoft’s Ben Rudolph and shows a Nokia Lumia 900 running Windows Phone 7.8.

Rudolph notes that this is a “VERY early” build of Windows Phone 7.8. The implication is that some features of the screen or perhaps the layout could change. The Start Screen has all the tiles we’re used to seeing on Windows Phone, and each tile can be resized between small, medium, or large as the user sees fit.

Users can resize any of the tiles on the screen, including the tiles that lead the main functions of the phone such as making phone calls. If you want to see more of what the new Start Screen will be like when the latest version of the operating system is available, check out the video below. Rudolph also mentions that there are new apps coming for Windows Phone users soon, including the arrival of Audible, Words with Friends, and Draw Something.

Windows Phone 7.8 Start Screen shown off on video is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ford hasn’t offered any photographs of the 2013 F-150 SVT Raptor off-road truck, but it is talking about some of the new features and updates that the 2013 model will get. One of the key updates for off-road fans is that the 2013 Raptor will offer industry exclusive bead lock capable wheels to help improve grip in low traction conditions. The new stock wheels are made from forged aluminum.

The bead lock upgrade has to be done after the purchase. The 2013 model also get new HID headlamps and it will also get Sync with MyFord touch. These new features are in addition to the upgrades the Raptor received last year including triple-bypass Fox Racing Shox, Torsen front differential, and a front mounted camera.

Ford will also offer a new color on the Raptor called Terrain. The color is supposed to be Earth-tone and remind people of camouflage. The Raptor will be available with voice-activated navigation system using the 8-inch dash screen and a rear camera is available. The truck carries over with the exclusive 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 411 hp and 434 pound-foot of torque mated to a six speed automatic transmission. Pricing is unknown at this time.

2013 Ford SVT Raptor to get updates is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Futeko has proudly introduced its latest creation in the form of the Bluetimes Smart TV. Priced at £57.99 (approx. $90), this media player runs on the Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system. The Futeko Bluetimes Smart TV is powered by a Cortex A9 Amlogic 8726 processor, a 4GB of internal memory and a Mali400 GPU chipset. Other features include Ethernet, WiFi and access to Google’s Play Store. [Futeko]

If you’re a fan of Dell’s XPS 13 but want something a little bigger with extra connectivity, the newly announced XPS 14 and 15 might just be for you. Both laptops have seen a redesign that sees the chassis’ making use of aluminium while giving the models a much needed thinner profile, and you can expect to see the latest internals with Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors and optional discrete NVIDIA graphics.

The base model of the XPS 14 will come with a 400-nit brightness 1600×900 display, an Intel Core i5 processor with HD 4000 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. Just about everything can be configured, so you can bump the CPU up to a Core i7, the RAM up to 8GB, add in NVIDIA’s GT 630M GPU, and swap out the standard hard drive for a 512GB SSD at the top end. Ports for the laptop includes two USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and an SD card slot. Overall thickness isn’t too bad at 0.81-inches, and all in all it weighs around 4.6lbs.

The XPS 15, meanwhile, adds in an optical drive and a few additional ports, but thickness increases to 0.91-inches and weight to 5.79lbs. The base configuration comes with a Core i5 processor, NVIDIA GT 630M GPU, 6GB of RAM, 1920×1080 display and a 500GB hard drive with a DVD optical drive. The maxed out XPS 15 includes a quad-core Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GT 640M graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage plus a 128GB mSATA, and a Blu-ray drive.

Both the XPS 14 and 15 are available to order starting from today. The XPS 14 pricing starts from $1,099, while the XPS 15 will start at $1,299. If you spec out both models to their maximum, expect the price to hit a cool $1,999. If you’re in the UK, the XPS 14 starts from £1,049 while the XPS 15 starts at £1,149.

Dell unveils new XPS 14 and XPS 15: Hands-on is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.