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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Parallel computing is normally reserved for supercomputers way out of the reach of average users — at least at the moment, anyway. Adapteva wants to challenge that with its Parallella project, designed to bring mouth-watering power to a board similar in size to the Raspberry Pi for as little as $99. It hopes to deliver up to 45GHz (in total) using its Epiphany multicore accelerators, that crucially, only chug 5 watts of juice under normal conditions. These goliath speeds currently mean high costs, which is why they need your funds to move out of the prototype stage and start cheap mass production. Specs for the board are as follows: a dual-core ARM A9 CPU running Ubuntu OS as standard, 1GB RAM, a microSD slot, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Ethernet and a 16- or 64-core accelerator, with each core housing a 1GHz RISC processor, all linked “within a single shared memory architecture.”

An overriding theme of the Parallella project is the openness of the platform. When finalized, the full board design will be released, and each one will ship with free, open-source development tools and runtime libraries. In addition, full architecture and SDK documentation will be published online if-and-when the Kickstarter project reaches its funding goal of $750,000. That’s pretty ambitious, but we’re reminded of another crowd-funded venture which completely destroyed an even larger target. However, that sum will only be enough for Adapteva to produce the 16-core board, which reportedly hits 13GHz and 26 gigaflops, and is expected to set you back a measly $99. A speculative $3 million upper goal has been set for work to begin on the $199 64-core version, topping out at 45GHz and 90 gigaflops. Pledge options range from $99 to $5,000-plus, distinguished mainly by how soon you’ll get your hands on one. Big spenders will also be the first to receive a 64-core board when they become available. Adapteva’s Andreas Olofsson talks through the Parallella project in a video after the break, but if you’re already sold on the tiny supercomputer, head over to the source link to contribute before the October 27th closing date.

Continue reading Insert Coin: The Parallella project dreams of $99 supercomputers

Filed under: Misc

Insert Coin: The Parallella project dreams of $99 supercomputers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Rugby Pro, Galaxy Express, and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 have all been added to the AT&T 4G LTE family with a beastly wave of Android goodness. These devices have all appeared in one form or another in the past, here coming with their most powerful set of features and builds ever for AT&T’s ever-growing LTE connectivity environment. The Samsung Galaxy Note II will likely be the most noted device of the family, taking the original Galaxy Note (also on AT&T’s LTE network) and boosting its greatness with a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor and a massive 5.5-inch display.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II will be coming to AT&T with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as well as HD Super AMOLED display technology and AT&T-specific software additions. You’ll find the Samsung Galaxy Note II working and looking essentially the same as it is on every other carrier around the world, this being part of Samsung’s new initiative to keep a solid single experience for each hero device they produce from the Galaxy S III forward.

This set of releases includes the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet as well. This device has VPN access for secure business use, a giant 7000 mAh battery for super-long uptime without the need to charge, and Samsung apps galore like Media Hub, Smart Remote (for your HDTV), and AllShare Play. Check our full review of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 right this minute to see the device in its wi-fi-only form.

The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro is a hardcore device made with 810g military specifications. It’s waterproof, shock resistant, and dust proof as well. You’ve got a 4-inch display thats WVGA resolution and Super AMOLED for ultra brightness, and you’ve got a 5 megapixel camera on the back with the ability to record 720p video. This device also includes full device encryption and EAS corporate email support as well as Enhanced Push-to-Talk functionality when the service is launched. This device is a next-generation version of the original which we took a peek at in our Samsung Rugby Smart Review.

Finally there’s the Samsung Galaxy Express a device with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 2000 mAh battery, 5 megapixel camera on its back. The Galaxy Express as well as the rest of the devices here will be available from AT&T “in the coming months” – we’ll be getting pricing and release dates soon, very soon!

AT&T 4G LTE expands with four new Samsung smart devices is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

An ABC investigation has found what you might have suspected all along; if you leave your iPad with airport security, a TSA agent might just keep it for himself. More »

If you’ve got a collection of videos up on YouTube right this minute that you’d just love to have in a folder in your secure harddrive back home in their original format, Google has just answered your prayers today. In another lovely update to their Takeout menu, the Data Liberation Front has added the ability for users to download the videos they’ve uploaded to YouTube back down in their original format: “your videos in. your videos out”.

This update does not allow you to download just any ol’ video you find on YouTube – that’s not the situation in the least. Instead it’s an expansion of your ability to keep your own videos that you yourself uploaded. You can now download the videos that you uploaded to your own account – before you were only able to download individual transcoded videos, now you’ll get the most basic original format, just what you uploaded.

Download your own YouTube videos galore through this Takeout portal.

This is all part of a larger initiative that’s got Google working to allow you to download, keep, and/or delete the files and information that you’ve added to their systems and servers. The Data Liberation Blog has shown off a whole lot of different ways for you to download your Google-stored data in a variety of ways, not lead of all with the Takeout system. Google Takeout is a place where you can download data from Google+, Buzz, Contacts, Google Drive, Knol, Picasa, Google Voice, YouTube and more!

What do you think about Google’s Data Liberation Front initiative? Is it enough to convince you that you’re not part of a Big Brother type situation where Google swallows your soul with every click? You can download your information, but the internet may never let go – even if it’s not Google – always remember that!

Google now allows original quality YouTube video downloads is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today, Tim Cook made his first major apology as the CEO of Apple. It probably won’t be his last. Despite the obvious knee-jerk reaction regarding the Maps debacle, it’s actually interesting that this particular scenario is yet another example of humans having extraordinarily short-term memories. It’s the same reason that whatever game we most recently saw is the “best or worst ever.” (Packers v. Seahawks 09.24.2012, I’m looking at you.) In truth, Apple has a fairly solid history of ingesting pride in the iPhone era, when it surged headfirst into the realm of serving consumers in a way that it never had before. And moreover, hearing Cook apologize isn’t something that should be mocked or berated; one can only hope that more companies of all shapes and sizes develop a policy of listening and reacting. Allow me to explain.

Continue reading Editorial: Apple apologies actually aren’t that infrequent, and that’s okay

Filed under: Cellphones, Apple

Editorial: Apple apologies actually aren’t that infrequent, and that’s okay originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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