Jan 13
Apple unveiled its new Mac Pro computer a while back and it went on sale in the US last month. The new Mac Pro has a very interesting design that … Continue reading
Jan 13
Creating rich, lush computer-generated images is no mean feat, and one of the most fundamental aspects is light and shade. This video explains how programmers and designers tackle that crucial problem.
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Jan 12
As Microsoft ramps up their outlay of Windows 8.1, a system which takes a variety of Windows 8 parts that needed improvement and … improves them, there’s chat of a … Continue reading
Jan 11
Some say that the future of data storage lies in cloud computing. But until high-speed Internet access is available on a global scale, we’ll still need ways to store data locally. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of bulky external hard drives and USB sticks we had paper-thin flash devices instead? Industrial designers Aditi Singh and Parag Anand think so, which is why they came up with dataSTICKIES.
Singh and Anand dream of dataSTICKIES as paper-thin flash memory devices. They based their concept on graphene, a carbon allotrope that exists in layers that are only one atom thick. Aside from being insanely thin, graphene is also durable and conducts electricity well. In theory at least, it can be used to make electronic devices that are way better than the ones that we have today, including data storage devices.
Singh and Anand imagine dataSTICKIES would be like sticky notes. You could write on them and stick them to practically any object. They even thought of a foolproof way to connect the concept device to computers. Instead of traditional connectors, dataSTICKIES would simply stick to a transparent data transfer surface located in a practical position, such as along the perimeter a monitor or on the back of a mobile device. You won’t even have to worry about running out of “ports” because you can stick multiple units on one data transfer surface.
Like sticky notes, dataSTICKIES would also make it easier to associate data with the physical world. For example, you could use posters with tear-off strips of dataSTICKIES to distribute vast amounts of information. Or spam. Or malware. Okay I’m starting to hate that poster idea.
Singh and Anand’s concept was honored at the 2013 Red Dot Design Award. It’s certainly a great idea, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing anything like it soon. Stick a browser on your computer and head to the dataSTICKIES website for more on the concept.
[via Gadgetify]
Jan 10
SlashGear’s Best of CES 2014
Posted in: Today's ChiliCES 2014 is drawing to a close, and it’s time for SlashGear’s choices for the best of the best at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. This has been a particularly exciting … Continue reading
Jan 10
A few days ago we found out that some, if not all SD cards actually contain computers. At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Intel unveiled an offshoot of those flash devices. The Edison is a computer that looks like an SD card and can be read by SD card readers.
The Edison has an x86 dual-core 400Mhz Quark processor as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. It also has LPDDR2 RAM and flash storage, though Intel has not yet revealed how much of either is in the tiny computer. It runs Linux by default but can be loaded with “multiple operating systems to run sophisticated high-level user applications.”
Intel made Edison as part of its bid to stay relevant in the emerging class of wearable devices, but the company also said that the Edison can be used in pretty much any project that needs a low-power and small computer, similar to Arduinos and the Raspberry Pi.
As you saw in MAKE’s video, Intel collaborated with Rest Devices to create prototype smart gadgets for parents, all of them powered by the Edison. The onesie monitors a baby’s “respiration, skin temperature, body position, and activity level”…
… and can supposedly trigger this baby bottle warmer to activate when the baby is awake and hungry…
…or help this coffee mug inform parents about their baby’s status using embedded LEDs.
Intel also promised that Edison “will be compatible with accessible developer tools used by the maker community”, although it did not yet provide a release date or price for the computer. With its size and capabilities I highly doubt that it will be as cheap as the Raspberry Pi, but I’m sure lots of tinkerers are still keen to get their hands on one.
Jan 09
I’ve become a bit jaded by the fact that most of the 4k TVs and computer monitors that I have seen cost thousands of dollars. I am in the market for a new TV, but you won’t catch me spending over $1800 or so and I want a big screen for my money too. One of the nice surprises at CES 2014 has been some reasonably priced 4K TVs from Vizio and other companies that normal folk can actually afford.
An impressively low cost computer monitor supporting full 4K resolution has now been unveiled by Dell. The company has announced that its P2815Q 28-inch computer monitor will have a native resolution of 3840 x 2160. It will be available globally on January 28.
The monitor will feature an Anti-glare TN display, DisplayPort, HDMI 1.4 port, and several USB ports. It will support 1.073 billion colors and have 170-degree viewing angles. The brightness is rated at 300 cd/m2.
The big thing here is that the display is going to sell for $699(USD). At that price I am sure that Dell will coax a lot of people into moving to 4K resolution.
It’s nice to see a large high resolution monitor at an affordable price, and I’m sure 4K prices will only continue to decline.
Jan 09
According to Griffin, its PowerMate knob and button gained a “dedicated user base.” I don’t know whether that’s one thousand or one million users, but apparently that base is dedicated enough that Griffin was compelled to release an update to the PowerMate Bluetooth, which now connects to OS X 10.8+ computers via NFC. Just kidding. It uses Bluetooth. I was testing you. You passed.
Out of the box, you can use the PowerMate Bluetooth to adjust the volume or mute your Mac. It also has preset controls for iMovie and Garageband. But it also comes with a companion software where you can add commands for various programs and manage multiple units. Griffin also gave a few instances where the device was hacked. People used it as a MIDI controller, as a gaming display and an audio visualizer. Mike Flaminio checked out the PowerMate Bluetooth at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES):
The PowerMate Bluetooth will be available this summer for $60 (USD). Honestly I think the Palette will get you more bang for your buck, but if you really want a wireless setup then the PowerMate Bluetooth may be what you’re looking for.
[via Griffin]
Jan 08
There are programs and services that can store your passwords for various websites and type them in for you. But if you set a login password for your computer, you better remember that or you’re screwed. Or you can fund Jonty Lovell’s invention. Lovell came up with a small USB device that can reset the login password of Windows computers.
Lovell simply calls it the Password Reset Key. It works with computers running Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. To use the key, set your computer to boot from USB, plug the device in and restart your computer. You’ll then see a fairly understandable interface, which you can check out at 0:27 in the video below.
Lovell is well aware that his device can be used in unethical ways. Speaking with CNET, Lovell said that his invention is a testament to the “inherent insecurity of the Windows password system.” He even revealed how you can protect yourself from his invention: use disk encryption.
Lovell is currently raising funds for the Password Reset Key on Kickstarter. A pledge of £8 (~$13 USD) gets you a copy of the software, which you can install on any USB drive. Pledge at least £10 (~$16 USD) and you get a key-shaped 1GB drive with the password reset software pre-installed on it.
[via CNET]
Jan 08
Now I know what you’re thinking. Most personal computers available today are already modular. That’s true, but what Razer wants to do is to make swapping computer components as easy as replacing the batteries on your remote control.
Project Christine has a base station with a number of slots with proprietary connectors. To build your PC, you just plug in the components to the base. But instead of dealing with fragile chips and odd-looking doodads, Project Christine’s CPU, RAM, GPU, storage drives and other parts will each have its own container.
Each container will be labeled and it will be able to connect to any slot or slots on the base station. No cables, no fragile connectors and no need to figure out which part goes where. In other words, the modules work like USB devices. Project Christine will also have an LED touchscreen that shows the status of its modules.
This means even non-techies can assemble, maintain and customize their own rigs. If you want more storage, then fill the slots with storage drives. Project Christine can have up to five storage drives, one SSD and four HDDs, with the latter configurable to a RAID 5 setup. If you want multiple GPUs, by all means slot them in. The computer can have up to a quad-SLI setup for its graphics cards. Same goes for repairs. Busted power supply? Swap it out. No need to open a dusty case.
The tradeoff here is probably going to be the price of the components, especially if Razer monopolizes the distribution of the modules. But even though it has not released any estimates, the company has a proposal to make upgrading Project Christine easy on the wallet: a subscription service. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan mentioned this idea in his interview with Gamespot. Skip to 4:00 in the video below to him talk about it.
Subscription-based hardware? I can’t decide if that’s brilliant or stupid. Will it also cover repairs? How fast will Razer release module versions of computer parts? Do upgrades to computer parts even come at a steady pace? What if you subscribe and nothing awesome comes out in a year?
I do however love the idea of a foolproof yet infinitely upgradeable computer, and I get what Razer is doing here. It’s taking a page from Apple’s books: make beautiful and easy to use hardware, then charge a premium for it and control the upgrade path.
Upgrade your browser and head to Razer for more on Project Christine.
[via Gamespot]
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