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The new iMac comes with Thunderbolt ports

The 3.2GHz Core i3 iMac on which I am typing this post is now an old, lumbering dinosaur thanks to an update by Apple. The new iMacs use nothing but Core i5 and i7 processors, pack new graphics chips, HD cameras and not one but two (on the 27-inch model) Thunderbolt ports.

The line now maxes out with a 3.1GHz quad-core Core i5 in the 27-inch iMac (the “slowest” model has a 2.5GHz quad-core Core i5). Graphics processors run from the AMD Radeon HD 6750M (512MB) up to the AMD Radeon HD 6970M (1GB), and you get one or two Thunderbolt ports depending on the size of your machine. These ports also act as a way to hook up an external display with a Mini DisplayPort cable (up to 30 inches at 2560 x 1600 pixels).

You also get the HD FaceTime camera already seen in the new MacBook Pro. I don’t really care for this as it benefits other people when they get to see my stubbly, haggard face in hi-def. I’d rather that they bought new HD computers instead.

Otherwise, things remain the same: 4GB RAM, 1TB hard drives on all but the baby of the bunch, SD slot, FireWire 800, 4 x USB and so on.

Prices run from $1,200 up to $2,000, with the 27-inch 2.7GHz quad-core i5 — the replacement for my machine — at a sweet $1,700.

I shall hopefully show more resolve than I did when upgrading from my perfectly good iPad 1 this weekend. For those weaker souls, the new iMacs are available now.

iMac product page [Apple]

See Also:

• New Aluminum iMac: Details

Okay, so it’s not quite 8K video, we’re not there yet, but the Adler Planetarium and its brand new Grainger Sky Theater are about to show us what 64 megapixel images look like on a big screen. Described as the “largest single seamless digital image in the world,” the picture inside the planetarium will come from 20 projectors hooked up to 45 computers processing data, and should provide the most lucid and captivating view unto our universe that one can get without actually exiting the Earth’s atmosphere. The new show kicks off on July 8th, having been put together with aid from NASA and IBM among others. Jump past the break for the full press release.

Continue reading Chicago’s Adler Planetarium to start projecting 8K by 8K images from this July, put cinema screens to shame

Chicago’s Adler Planetarium to start projecting 8K by 8K images from this July, put cinema screens to shame originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ideum has taken the wraps off the latest addition to its growing family of multitouch tables, with the release of the MT55. The table, originally announced late last month, boasts a handsome 55-inch LCD display, which beams LED-backlit graphics in 1920×1080 HD resolution. As with its predecessors, the MT55’s screen comes coated with a 5-mm layer of sturdy, tempered glass, and sits atop a pedestal made of aluminum and steel. Within that pedestal lurks an Intel Quad Core i7 CPU, with 4GB of RAM, a pair of 250GB SATA hard drives, and an NVIDIA Quadro 600 video card. The system runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, and comes packed with GestureWorks multitouch software for both Flash and Flex. The MT55 also features an integrated Bose Audio system, and can support up to 32 simultaneous touchpoints — not quite as many as the 50 that its 100-inch counterpart can handle, but definitely enough to enthrall any class of 4th-graders on a field trip to the museum. Stroll on past the break to see the full press release and a video of the MT55 in action.

Continue reading Ideum releases MT55 HD multitouch table for hands-on museum-goers (video)

Ideum releases MT55 HD multitouch table for hands-on museum-goers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For years, consumers have been able to shoot slow-motion videos — mostly with the help of Casio’s line of slightly gimmicky point-and-shoots. But Fastec’s TS3Cine aims for a more discerning customer — the kind of videographer who might spice up a promo or short with some slow-mo action. Unlike Casio’s cameras, which cut the resolution to little more than thumbnail-size as you crank the frame rate, the TS3Cine does 720p video at 720fps, and 1280 x 1024 at 500fps. It’s only when you further slow down the video (up to 20,000fps) that the image size starts to shrink. This camera also has a badass design, pairing a DSLR-like body with a gargantuan 7-inch WVGA LCD that effectively eliminates the need for an external monitor. Pros have their choice of a C-Mount, F-Mount, and optional SL-Mount, and can upgrade to a 256GB SSD for a cool two grand if the standard 128GB one isn’t roomy enough. It also has Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports, HDMI-out, support for an external power source, and a removable battery. Can’t afford the $29,900 price tag? If you’re in the Boston area, at least, you can rent it for $625 a day, a price that includes a tripod and two batteries — enough juice for up to six hours of shooting. Head on past the break for a sample video clip and a tour of this beastly camera in action.

Continue reading Fastec’s DSLR-sized TS3Cine does 720p at 720fps for $30,000

Fastec’s DSLR-sized TS3Cine does 720p at 720fps for $30,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another year, another chance for Nintendo to deliver what it’s alternately denied and teased since day one — a successor to the Nintendo Wii capable of displaying games in high resolution. Will Nintendo finally make it happen? Multiple totally anonymous sources say yes: they told Game Informer, IGN and Kotaku that just such a system will debut at E3 2011 in June, possibly with a teaser of some sort next month. While the ninja moles didn’t provide many hard details — mostly just the typical iffy claim that the system will wipe the floor with competitors in terms of speeds and feeds — they told IGN that it will support 1080p resolutions and be backwards-compatible with games for the Wii. Naturally, we’ll believe it when we see it… so here’s hoping we see it fairly quickly.

Wii HD rearing long-rumored head at E3 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq, NeoGAF  |  Game Informer, IGN, Kotaku  | Email this | Comments