Western Digital VelociRaptor Duo is an extreme Thunderbolt HDD

The Western Digital (WD) VelociRaptor name originally came from WD’s line of high-performance hard drives which are pro-summer/enthusiast version of drives typically used in servers etc. Instead of rotating at 7200rpm, those drives could spin at 10,000rpm, which made data seek times much better.

The Western Digital VelociRaptor Duo is an external Thunderbolt case that contains two such drives, and the combined maximum capacity is 2TB (2x1TB).  Each VelociRaptor Duo box has additional Thunderbolt connectors so that users can “daisy-chain” drives to add additional capacity or simply connect more Thunderbolt devices. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Western Digital Velociraptor VR600 hard drive, WD 2go app now supports Dropbox,

Samsung’s dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on

See that? It’s not your daddy’s flip hybrid tablet — it’s the new dual-display laptop prototype from the fine people at Samsung. The body of the notebook is certainly in the vein of a MacBook Air or ultrabook, with slim metal slides that taper off into a point. The palm rests, meanwhile, are a brushed metal, with black chiclet-style keys above. On the bezel above the screen is a camera.

The magic, however, doesn’t happen until you close the thing, turning on a display on the hood. Yep, it’s yet another attempt to capitalize on Windows 8’s dual-nature. Inside, you’ve got a fully functioning laptop and outside you’ve a touchscreen tablet that, yes, utilizes everyone’s favorite proprietary stylus, the S-pen, and there’s also a rear facing camera on the outside. Perhaps it’s all that functionality packed inside, but this prototype is certainly heavier than your standard ultrabook, and unlike most systems, a lot of that weight is located in the display — we’re sure there’s a fair amount of internals located up there.

This being a prototype, the Samsung rep we spoke with had no clue on what such a device might cost or when it might come to market — or even if this thing will ever see the light of day, so don’t get your dual-hopes up just yet. The hybrid was sitting right next to the 2,560 x 1,440 Series 9 prototype we recently scoped out and in front of a wall of concepts that explore the brave new world of elastic form factors to their fullest. Check out a video and some notes on the other devices after the jump.

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Samsung’s dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie readies Galaxy S III Juice Packs, coming very soon

If you thought Mophie was planning to keep its smartphone Juice Packs exclusively Apple-based — we’d have probably agreed with you. But then we got to take a look at this pair of cases crafted for Samsung’s Galaxy S III. Yep, the battery-packing cover (which looks likely to fit all the current iterations) promises to give “over double the battery life” of your un-augmented handset. This was just a brief peek — but expect the (as-yet unpriced) cases to appear in stores around the end of October, early November.

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Mophie readies Galaxy S III Juice Packs, coming very soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamago Telephoto Kitchen Lens Timer Review: Not Telephoto, Can’t Tell Time [Lightning Review]

Sure, your phone has a timer. But using a dedicated kitchen timer is nice—no grease on the touchscreen, for one thing. So how about a charming timer shaped like a camera lens? Can it “Bring Your Cooking Into Focus”? More »

Dawnguard PS3 may not see release as problems persist

PS3 owners have been waiting, some more patiently than others, for their version of Dawnguard to arrive. Skyrim’s first DLC has been available on PC for a while now and Xbox 360 for even longer, but Bethesda delayed the PS3 version earlier this month because it wasn’t satisfied with the expansion’s performance. Unfortunately, it looks like those problems with Dawnguard on PS3 aren’t going away, and in a new statement, Bethesda seems to hint that the PS3 might miss out on a release entirely as a result.


Bethesda doesn’t say flat out in the statement that Dawnguard PS3 has been canceled, but it sure sounds like the studio is struggling in a big way. The studio also points out that even if it manages to get Dawnguard working properly, it will still probably go through this with future content releases such as Hearthfire, which heads to Xbox 360 next week. Have a look at Bethesda’s statement in full:

Earlier in the month, we provided an update on Dawnguard’s status for PS3.

It’s been a few weeks, and we wanted to make sure everyone knows where we’re at with Dawnguard. Skyrim is a massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources, and things get much more complex when you’re talking about sizable content like Dawnguard. We have tried a number of things, but none of them solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good for everyone. The PS3 is a powerful system, and we’re working hard to deliver the content you guys want. Dawnguard is obviously not the only DLC we’ve been working on either, so the issues of adding content get even more complicated. This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content.

We wish we had a more definitive answer right now. We understand the frustration when the same content is not available on all platforms. When we have an update, we will certainly let you know. We deeply appreciate all the time and support you have given us, and we’ll keep doing our best to return that.

So, it appears that the fate of Dawnguard on PS3 is currently up in the air. There is some reason to hope though – when asked on Twitter if the expansion was playable in its current state on PS3, Bethesda VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines responded by saying “Yes, it’s just doesn’t perform well in all scenarios. Some folks would be fine, some would not.” He followed up by pointing out that “every save game is different.” That’s been a big problem for Bethesda on PS3, so it isn’t a surprise that the studio is going through it again with Dawnguard.

Perhaps Bethesda will still get all of the kinks worked out? That’s what a lot of people are hoping for, but the studio has been trying to fix the PS3 version of Dawnguard for a number of weeks now, so things are starting to look a little bleak. Stay tuned to SlashGear for more information, as we’ll have it for you once Bethesda gives more details on the situation.


Dawnguard PS3 may not see release as problems persist is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


More Samsung Galaxy Stellar details spill, September 6th launch appears likely

More Samsung Galaxy Stellar details spill, September 6th launch appears likely

More details about the Samsung Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE, Verizon’s upcoming budget offering, are now surfacing from the midst of the carrier’s internal systems. Our source has confirmed that the Stellar is now expected to launch on September 6th, and has provided some documentation that reveals the vast majority of the phone’s spec sheet. Starter Mode once again gets mentioned here — according to the docs, it’s a “new, simple way to interact Access apps and control device settings with ease.” As far as specs go, these docs back up the details leaked on Best Buy’s website earlier: Android 4.0, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 3.2MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing cam and 800 x 480 WVGA display. Additionally, Amazon Kindle, Audible and Zappos apps are mentioned, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and 4GB internal storage. Dimensionally, the phone will weigh 4.73 ounces and measures 121.92 x 63.75 x 11.94mm (yes, that last measurement is for thickness). Given the lower-end specs, the Stellar likely won’t launch to a grand amount of fanfare — especially if the $100 price point is accurate. Check out our gallery below to see a few more images of the crucial docs.

As a sidenote, many of the images will have creatively blurred-out sections in order to protect the identity of our source.

[Thanks, Anonymous!]

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More Samsung Galaxy Stellar details spill, September 6th launch appears likely originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP’s Open Source WebOS Code Has Arrived. Will Anyone Actually Use It? [WebOS]

There’s almost no reason for any normal person to get excited about the beta release of open source WebOS, but for those of us who still can’t come to grips with the fact that Palm’s stunted mobile OS was an abject failure, there’s still a faint beacon of light to soothe the soul. More »

Acer Aspire M3 touch Ultrabook hits Windows 8 arena

Over in Berlin at IFA 2012, the folks at Acer have revealed their next-generation Ultrabook lineup by the name of Aspire M3 touch. This lineup improves on their Ultrabook offerings thus far with a 10-point touch display optimized for Windows 8. The Acer Aspire M3 touch is just 22mm thin and weighs in at 2.3kg, toting with it a frameless 15.6-inch display with full touch capabilities.

Inside you’ll find a next-generation NVIDIA GeForce GT640M GPU, the first in an Acer Ultrabook, and a 3rd Generation Intel Core processor besides. You’ll also get Dolby Home Theater v4 audio enhancements working with what Acer calls “premium” speakers – hard hits and big beats on the way! This unit also has battery power that Acer rates at a full day of productivity and entertainment unplugged.

The Aspire M3 touch has a lovely dark casing made of aluminum alloy and works with a chiclet keyboard including full QWERTY and numeric keypad as well. You’ve got an oversized touchpad for precision control aside from your touchscreen, and the whole device is, again, so thin that you’ll want to bring it everywhere. This unit works with Acer Instant Connect so you can reconnect to access points you’ve got saved up in just 2.5 seconds, and Acer Green Instant-On so you can resume from sleep mode in 1.5 seconds.

This unit is one of several revealed – or presented again – at IFA 2012 in Berlin. Have a peek at our Acer tag portal as well as our portal for IFA and stay tuned as the devices keep popping up left and right! ALSO NOTE: Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but we’ll have it all up for you soon as we can!

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keys
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frara
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Acer Aspire M3 touch Ultrabook hits Windows 8 arena is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


The Awesome $5-Billion Airborne Laser Is in The Boneyard, Never to Fire Again [Weapons]

Despite being a total success, the USAF’s Airborne Laser was killed by the Pentagon back in December 2011. Now she’s resting wrapped in her death shroud with the rest of planes in “permanent storage” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. More »

Open webOS beta will become available to developers today

Just like that, HP is making good on its promise to release Open webOS in beta. The code is available today under the Apache 2.0 license, and is landing slightly ahead of schedule (HP long ago said the software would arrive in September). All told, the beta release is comprised of 54 components, totaling more than 450,000 lines of code. As you’d expect, too, the desktop build incorporates all the elements released so far on Ubuntu. The software also includes an ARM emulator, running db8, node.js and other services. Other highlights: the System Manager now supports applications, including key ones like Calendar and Contacts. Many third-party Enyo apps are supported too, HP says. Been waiting all these months to get your coding on? Hit up the source link below for more information. And if necessary, keep refreshing: as of this writing, the code hasn’t hit HP’s servers, but it should very soon.

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Open webOS beta will become available to developers today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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