Hasta La Gadget!

We often assume that Ultrabooks scarcely have any room to budge on the inside, and that’s usually true. An iFixit teardown of ASUS’ Zenbook Prime has proven that there’s always an exception to the rule. Looking at a UX32VD with the same base layout as the UX31 we reviewed, the repair outlet finds that the upgraded Zenbook has both embedded and removable RAM: provided owners are still willing to perform some surgery, they can upgrade past the 4GB of included memory on their own terms. The repair team is a bit dismayed that there’s a 5,400RPM hard drive spinning near the mini SSD — how very 2011 — but notes that it’s equally swappable by those who want something faster. Whatever you think of the fully pieced-together ASUS PC, it’s apparent there’s a reward for those willing to take it apart.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS Zenbook Prime faces teardown, affords a little expansion in an even smaller space originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iFixit  | Email this | Comments

Samsung has just announced some superfast new chips and they might one day power an iPhone. More »

Those goggles you see above aren’t for stylish looks while playing dodgeball — they’re the keys to a potentially important discovery about short-term memory. Duke University‘s Institute for Brain Sciences found that subjects playing catch with goggles simulating strobe lights were noticeably better at memorizing information during tests, even a full day after playtime was over. It’s not hard to see why: with a limited amount of time to see that incoming ball, participants had to more vividly remember brief scenes to stay on top of the game. We don’t yet know if there’s any kind of long-term boost, so don’t get your hopes up that strobe lights are the shortcuts to permanent photographic memory. Still, the findings suggest that frequent nightclubbers might be on to something… or, at least, have a better idea of where they left their keys the morning after.

[Image credit: Les Todd, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences]

Filed under: Wearables, Science

Strobe lighting goggles shown to improve short-term memory, all-night ravers feel validated originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist  |  SpringerLink  | Email this | Comments

Nikon’s D4 is currently the only belle at the XQD ball, and until now, Sony was its only memory suitor. However, Lexar’s just arrived with a new line of cards to compete for the D4’s affections. The Fremont-based company says it collaborated with Nikon to build the PCI Express-based memory, and that they’ll hit the market sometime in the third quarter of 2012 — with no mention of specs or prices so far. Unfortunately, that means we don’t know how Lexar’s offerings will stack up against Sony’s H-series or S-series cards already on the market. That said, while you wait for more details about Lexar’s new cards, feel free to check out the lovely data the D4 will be putting on ’em when they arrive.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Storage

Lexar XQD memory cards announced, will duel with Sony for Nikon D4’s attention originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Nikon Rumors  |  Lexar  | Email this | Comments

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) just deflated the size of a bit down to a solitary nanometer — the length of an organic molecule. The international research team managed it by first embedding a magnetized iron atom into a molecule made up of 51 atoms, then taking advantage of so-called memristive and spintronic properties. By applying a current, they flipped the atom’s magnetic charge, altering the resistance of the molecule as well — which they subsequently measured, storing a bit. Compared to a typical magnetic drive which needs 3 million atoms per bit, a device made this way could theoretically store 50 thousand times as much data in the same size — and would be an all-electric device, to boot. If the research ever pans out, a terabyte magnetic drive could turn into a 50 petabyte solid state unit — hopefully ready in time for all those 4K home movies you’ll need to store one day soon.

Filed under: Storage, Science

Researchers store memory bit on a lone molecule, could pave the way for petabyte SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Register  |  KIT  | Email this | Comments