One problem with conventional ROVs is that while their propellers are plenty strong enough to kick up columns of silt from the sea floor, they typically lack the power to effectively navigate in strong currents, which limits where and how well they can survey a given area. But this new underwater explorer sidesteps both of these problems by skittering around the sea floor like a crab.
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Ubuntu Mobile isn’t new; Canonical has already done much to promote its efforts to break into the smartphone mobile software space. But today the company is launching an Indiegogo campaign to fund the development of its first own-branded Ubuntu mobile hardware, the Ubuntu edge. The Edge is a smartphone that hopes to be more than that, by replacing a desktop PC as well.
The $32 million campaign to fund the Edge’s creation is a fixed funding project, which means it’s all or nothing, and it has to achieve its goal within the next 31 days in order to be successful. Canonical needs to raise over $1 million per day to meet its target, that means, and for a high concept device that costs $600 per unit in pre-order backing on day one, or $830 per device after that. That’s going to be no easy feat.
But what Canonical wants to build isn’t just an Ubuntu-powered smartphone – it’s a “low-volume, high-technology platform, crowdfunded by enthusiasts and mobile computing professionals” designed to “accelerate the adoption of new technologies and drive them down into the mainstream,” according to Canonical’s project page. This is about making a gadget for the tinkerers and builders who make gadgets for the everyday world, and its price tag and ambitious design reflect that.
The Edge is an experiment in truly converged computing, turning the smartphone into the central nervous system of a full desktop PC, resulting in a self-described “superphone.” It’s wrapped in a metal outer casing, with a 4.5-inch 1280×720 screen that’s designed not to provide the greatest pixel density, but instead better dynamic range and colour accuracy. The screen is covered by sapphire glass, and the Edge will have the “fastest available” multi-core mobile processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with a battery designed to push life to the limits. There’s a dual-LTE chip inside for wide-reaching wireless range, too.
On the software side, the Edge combines Ubuntu Mobile with full Ubuntu desktop, and can even boot to Android for a truly converged computing experience. It sounds pretty amazing, and mobile nerds everywhere are no doubt already drooling about this right now, or will begin salivating as soon as they find out this thing is real.
Of course, it’s not real yet, and needs $32 million to become a reality, which is a tall order. But Canonical is a company with a solid track record, and this is an exciting project that’s sure to excite the early adopter community. Whether or not that’ll provide enough momentum to help Canonical push the needle forward on mobile computing remains to be seen – but it’s already accrued nearly $20,000 in a very brief time, so there’s clearly a healthy amount of early interest.
The Gateway team this week brings on not just a new set of desktop machines for students and families, but a set of Gateway NE Series notebooks as well. This series starts at 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) and ramps up to a 17.3-inch (1600 x 900 resolution) Ultrabright LED-backlit display, these models both working with the latest in Intel and AMD processors backed up by up to 8GB of DDR3 dual-channel memory. And the whole lot runs Windows 8 too, of course.
This line of notebooks brings on two built-in stereo speakers with full HD audio support. They’ve each got HD webcams to send your image out unto the earth as well, rounding out this system of student-friendly web chat with a full-sized keyboard and dedicated keypad.
ALong the edges of these notebooks you’ll find one USB 3.0 and a set of two USB 2.0 ports. There’s a full-sized HDMI port for video out to HD displays, while most models work with a real-deal super-muli DVD drive with M-DISC READY for what the company calls “proven permanent archival quality data.”
There’s a Gateway NE5 model coming in first with a 15.6-inch display that’ll be measuring in at just 1.0-inch thin. There’s also a Gateway NE7 with a 17.3-inch display at just 1.36 inches thin, this larger model starting at $449.99 USD while the smaller starts at $379.99 USD, while the full line works with a one year limited parts and labor warranty.
Gateway NE notebooks slim down and power up with Haswell is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
If someone says developers’ conference, you’re likely to think about Apple and Google. These tech titans hold yearly conferences, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference and Google’s I/O. Both companies have used these events to not only talk about software and the […]
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As a wannabe science nerd I’ve always been fascinated by oscilloscopes, wave generators, and sensors of all types. Sadly, because of my inability to add simple figures (even with a calculator) nobody ever let me play with their lab equipment. That’s about to change.
Red Pitaya is a Slovenian-born sensor system that can turn any computer into a real lab-quality tool. To be clear, you have to be pretty smart to use it but, out of the box, the board acts as an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, waveform generator, and a frequency response analyzer. The group responsible is also building an open source “app store,” called the Bazaar, where users can grab programs to use with the board.
It has a dual core ARM Cortex chip on board and features two analog inputs and two analog outputs as well as four lower-speed I/O ports. It supports Ethernet and includes a Micro SD slot.
Clearly this is some hacker-grade stuff and if you don’t know what you’d do with a Red Pitaya you’re probably not the right market. However, given the $299 price tag and unique functionality, it would be definitely interesting for, say a hackerspace or educational environment. They are looking for $50,000 and have already raised $6,000 and, I suspect, there will be quite a bit of demand for this thinger. It’s rare to see something this powerful available for, what I assume, is a pittance so it may be worth picking up a few, if only so you can finally get your hands on a darn oscilloscope.
As if there were any question about who held the modern-day astrophysics badass crown, the first trailer for Neil deGrasse’s Tyson’s reboot of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series looks absolutely incredible.
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This week the folks at Gateway have brought back some heat in a collection of laptops and desktops for the 2013 business year. This new collection brings Haswell Intel Core processors as well as some ever-so-slightly thinned-down bodies in the notebook line while the desktop machines amp up largely on the inside – then there’s the Gateway One ZX, an all-in-one for students in a big way. Unassumingly simple looking, the lot of them.
Also included in this weeks gush of releases from the company, Gateway KX Series displays bring 19.5-, 21.5, 23-, 24- and 27-inch screens bring tilt capabilities from -5 to 25 degrees each. These models work with IPS, VA or TN panels while the whole lot work with three-year parts and labor warranties – and the lot of them starts at $99 this week. The desktop line exists in the Gateway One ZX, Gateway DX Series, and the compact Gateway SX Series.
The smallest of this collection exists in the Gateway SX Series and works at “a third of the size of standard desktops” with third-generation (not 4th) Intel Core i3 or AMD A Series processors and as much as 8GB DDR3 dual-channel memory. You’ll find a massive 8 USB 2.0 ports on this machine’s body if you’d like as well. This compact line starts at $529.99 USD.
The Gateway DX Series brings on features tuned for families and students looking for movies and videos as well as games. This is the entertainment beast, not so much for massive video processing and hardcore rendering – not that you couldn’t try, of course. Here you’ve got 4th generation (Haswell) Intel Core i5 or AMD A Series processors with up to 10GB DDR3 dual-channel memory and 1TB hard drives. You’ll find this series bringing on two USB 3.0 and up to 10 USB 2.0 ports depending on your specific model choice. This line starts at $398 USD and sits well inside the “mini tower” universe.
In the Gateway One ZX all-in-one desktop line you’ll find a lovely 21.5-inch Full HD Ultrabright LCD powered by a Intel Pentium Processor G2030 processor and 4GB DDR3 dual-channel memory. This unit is aimed squarely at the school-faring crowd and is suggested for use with “casual gaming” and student work galore. Inside is a 1TB hard drive, an optical drive (they’re not dead yet!) and built-in 2.5W stereo speakers with 2.1-channel surround sound support and high-def audio. This unit comes in at $529.99 in its most base configuration.
Gateway One ZX all-in-one joins DX and SX desktops reboot is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Next time you feel like complaining about the Wi-Fi on your flight being slow, just remember it could have been worse. Much worse.
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