Monday, November 29, 2010
Storage Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 USB 3.0 SSD reviewed, hits ludicrous speeds
Australian Senate passes bill to split Telstra in two, pushes National Broadband Network closer to reality
The future of Australian's Labor Party-backed National Broadband Network is looking much brighter today. The Senate voted in favor of an A$11 billion bill for Telstra's copper network that also has the Telecom company (and former government-owned entity) splitting into both a retail group and a wholesale network group. The House of Representatives will weigh in on Monday, with all signs pointing to passage there as well. The opposition party and its A$6.3 billion proposal? A lost packet.
Keepin' it real fake: 'MacBook Pro' runs 'OS X,' dodges questions on 'legitimacy'
Oh, sure -- we've seen a litany of knockoff MacBook Pro units, but how's about one that actually ships with OS X? As the level of nerve skyrockets towards infinity, an unnamed manufacturer in an unnamed section of China seems to be hawking a lookalike MBP with Snow Leopard onboard -- a feat that even Psystar couldn't achieve for long. As the story goes, around $466 buys you a 14-inch machine with a paltry 1.66GHz Atom D510 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and NVIDIA's Ion 2 graphics platform. Oh, and a glowing Apple logo on the lid. Unfortunately, the dodgy specifications list seems somewhat reluctant to "admit" that "OS X" is actually loaded on, but it's there. Trust us. We think.
Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs start to seep out, 2GHz quad-core i7-2630QM coming to HP dv7
Intel's Core i7-2630QM chip has made the leap from the company's roadmap onto its first spec sheet, courtesy of HP's dv7. We've come across a provisional component list for an update to HP's gaming laptop, which includes the 2GHz quad-core CPU as the star of its show. Now, of course, neither HP nor Intel has said anything official on the matter, but Laptoping has also been snooping around and found listings at online retailers for laptops from Gateway and Lenovo also offering the still unannounced part. It's not exactly a secret that Intel intends to blow the bloody doors off CES 2011 with its Sandy Bridge processor line, but it's reassuring to see vendors looking eager and ready so far in advance of the launch date -- it should mean no shortage of choice when Paul Otellini finally steps to the stage and makes things officially official.
Modified radar gun identifies suicide bombers up to ten meters away
William Fox of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and John Vesecky, his colleague at UC Santa Cruz, are working on a modified radar gun that can identify suicide bombs worn under the clothing. To do this, they cataloged the most common arrangements of looped wires used to construct "suicide vests," and developed software that can identify the radar cross-section of each. So far, results have been pretty good: according to New Scientist, "telltale factors in the polarisation of the reflected signals" allowed them to correctly identify volunteers dressed as bombers up to ten meters away, roughly eighty-five percent of the time. Of course, even with a success rate this high, such a system would be prone to kicking up false positives. In order to minimize this, the devices would have to combined with other technologies, such as smart surveillance camera systems and infrared imaging.
Pirate Bay founders lose appeal: jail time reduced, fines raised
It's been a while since the four Pirate Bay founders lost their case in a Stockholm district court -- April 2009, to be more precise. The verdict was of course appealed, but alas, it was not to be. A Swedish appeals court has upheld the original ruling but changed the sentencing. Three of the quartet have had their jail time reduced: Fredrik Neij gets ten months, Peter Sunde eight months, and Carl Lundstrom four (Gottfrid Svartholm was too ill at the time of the hearing; his "criminal liability" will be determined later, according to BBC News). The fine, however, has been upped from the original 30 million kronor to 46 million (US $6.4m). That's seriously going to cut into their Black Friday shopping plans, but hey, we know a great way to pick up the Adobe suite. Well, maybe not.
Infinitec Infinite USB Memory Drive review
Woow Digital's The One tablet cooks up Tegra 2 with Gingerbread just in time for Christmas
Digital Storm's liquid-chilled gaming PC includes 4.6GHz Core i7-980X, equally chilling price
Cost-conscious consumers can opt for two lesser systems, with a $4,390 build being equipped with a Core i7-950 and the $3,899 unit creeping by with only a single GTX 460 GPU
Canadian thieves steal $1 million in Sony PlayStation goods, couldn't wait any longer for GT5
Crime doesn't pay, folks, but sometimes you have to be at least somewhat amused by the shenanigans of those who operate beneath the law. Workers at a shipping facility in Brampton, Ontario discovered on Monday that a trailer containing $500,000 worth of Sony goods was stolen. Apparently whatever measures they took to prevent a recurrence were insufficient, because the very next day a second trailer went missing containing even more PS3 and PSP games and hardware. The first truck looks something like the above, with Nebraska plates, while the second is an XTRA Lease model with Ontario tags. If you see either don't tarry -- call Kevin Butler immediately.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
AMD's Bobcat APU benchmarked: the age of the Atom is at an end
Sony Internet TV with Google TV ripped apart, messy Intel internals exposed
Mobee Magic Charger review: wirelessly juice up your Apple Magic Mouse
Toshiba's newest hard drive is designed for 24/7 rugged use
Monday, November 15, 2010
ASUS' Sandy Bridge motherboards are pretty, come with Bluetooth and USB 3.0 as standard
Apple says tomorrow is 'just another day that you'll never forget,' teases iTunes announcement
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
AAXA busts out its bright little XGA M2 projector
CE-Oh no he didn't!: NVIDIA chief calls Galaxy Tab 'a large phone,' can't wait to show you some real tablets
iOS 4.2 reportedly delayed, iPad WiFi issues to blame
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Mac OS X 10.6.5 update available now
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bluetooth-enabled meds to enter European bloodstreams
NEC develops thin, flexible and 'practical' Organic Radical Battery
NEC Develops Organic Radical Battery for Practical Use -- High performance battery compatible with IC Cards and wearable terminals
Tokyo, November 5, 2010 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced today the development of a thin and flexible Organic Radical Battery (ORB) (*1) that is significantly more reliable and produces 1.4 times (*2) more output than existing units.
These prototype ORB maintain nearly full capacity (*3), even after repeated charge-discharge, due to anodes that feature the same carbon material as lithium-ion batteries. The new ORB also produce 1.4 times more output than existing units due to the development of new highly conductive cathodes. Furthermore, these ORB are the size of a coin, 0.7 mm thin, and boast a capacity of 5mAh.
The prototype ORB enables more than ten consecutive flash firings approximately twenty thousand times, and facilitates continuous high luminance LED flash emission, which is difficult to perform on compact double-layer capacitors. Moreover, the ORB is suitable for next-generation ubiquitous terminals that require flexibility and high output, including IC Cards, wearable terminals and flexible electronic paper.
Characteristics of the technologies are as follows:
1. Anodes made with carbon / high reliability
ORB anodes feature the same carbon material used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, rather than the thin metallic lithium film used with conventional ORB. As a result, the new ORB are approximately 1/10 the cost of existing units and exhibit comparable reliability to commercially available rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in repeated charge-discharge cycle testing (*4).
2. 1.4 times higher output enabled through new composite cathodes
A highly conductive nano-composite cathode was developed by converting solid organic radical material into a gel and uniformly compounding it with carbon materials. As a result, the output per battery with a capacity of 5mAh increased to 7kW/L, 1.4 times the level of conventional units.
Research and development was partially carried out by the "Basic Technology Development for Fiber Materials Having Advanced Functions / Development of Battery Components to Enhance Performance and Functionality" project, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), as well as the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
These technologies will be exhibited at NEC's "C&C User Forum & iEXPO 2010" held on 11 - 12 November 2010 at the Tokyo International Forum (Yurakucho).
Tokyo, November 5, 2010 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced today the development of a thin and flexible Organic Radical Battery (ORB) (*1) that is significantly more reliable and produces 1.4 times (*2) more output than existing units.
These prototype ORB maintain nearly full capacity (*3), even after repeated charge-discharge, due to anodes that feature the same carbon material as lithium-ion batteries. The new ORB also produce 1.4 times more output than existing units due to the development of new highly conductive cathodes. Furthermore, these ORB are the size of a coin, 0.7 mm thin, and boast a capacity of 5mAh.
The prototype ORB enables more than ten consecutive flash firings approximately twenty thousand times, and facilitates continuous high luminance LED flash emission, which is difficult to perform on compact double-layer capacitors. Moreover, the ORB is suitable for next-generation ubiquitous terminals that require flexibility and high output, including IC Cards, wearable terminals and flexible electronic paper.
Characteristics of the technologies are as follows:
1. Anodes made with carbon / high reliability
ORB anodes feature the same carbon material used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, rather than the thin metallic lithium film used with conventional ORB. As a result, the new ORB are approximately 1/10 the cost of existing units and exhibit comparable reliability to commercially available rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in repeated charge-discharge cycle testing (*4).
2. 1.4 times higher output enabled through new composite cathodes
A highly conductive nano-composite cathode was developed by converting solid organic radical material into a gel and uniformly compounding it with carbon materials. As a result, the output per battery with a capacity of 5mAh increased to 7kW/L, 1.4 times the level of conventional units.
Research and development was partially carried out by the "Basic Technology Development for Fiber Materials Having Advanced Functions / Development of Battery Components to Enhance Performance and Functionality" project, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), as well as the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
These technologies will be exhibited at NEC's "C&C User Forum & iEXPO 2010" held on 11 - 12 November 2010 at the Tokyo International Forum (Yurakucho).
BIAC's C71 EV has hot-swappable battery packs and a questionable sense of style
Electric cars hold the potential to eliminate your monthly gasoline bill, but if you want to go more than 100 miles or so at this point you'd better plan to make a bunch of lengthy pit-stops along the way. There are various solutions, like the Volt's on-board generator or Nissan's offer to replace your Leaf with something a little more traditional for long weekend trips into the country. But, to us, battery swapping seems like the best plan. Better Place is the leader in this space but BAIC, the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company, is showing off its own solution, the charmingly named C71 EV that looks like what might happen if a SAAB and a Toyota spent a crazy night together in Shanghai. It's a $45,000 car with a 60Ah floor-mounted battery pack that can be swapped in just five minutes, each delivering 150km (93 miles) of range and can naturally be charged by more traditional means (a plug) should you not be in such a hurry. The car is said to be available sometime next year, but we've heard that one before.
Elecom claims first Bluetooth 3.0 mouse, performance improvements sure to be palpable
Apple 4.2 ios coming this Friday. :))
We knew it was coming, and now we're hearing from MacStories (and their source at AT&T, who was probably wearing a trench coat and fedora) that iOS 4.2 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad will roll out beginning this Friday, November 12, at 10AM PST. Of course, in order to take advantage AirPlay we'll have to see an update to iTunes as well, which is good because iTunes 10.1 is rumored to be coming tomorrow at some point. But that ain't all! It seems that the website of note for Mac stories has been hearing from devs that references to AirPrint have been disappearing from online documentation in the iOS developer center, leading to speculation that Mac OS X 10.6.5 (also rumored to hit tomorrow) will not have the ability to print wirelessly after all. We can't speak to the veracity of all these claims, but we're pretty sure we can look forward to a new OS for our Apple handhelds before the week is over.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
NVIDIA promises 'fastest DX11 GPU on the planet' very, very soon (video)
Nobody will be too shocked to hear NVIDIA expects its next flagship GPU to be the fastest that's ever been, but few will have guessed it'd also be one of the company's coolest and quietest. In the first public teasing of its next-gen graphics card (which is almost certain to bear the GeForce GTX 580 name tag), NVIDIA has revealed a new vapor chamber cooling system, which reminds us of Shuttle's ICE CPU cooler -- basically, water sealed within the chamber gets boiled by the hot elements (a copper plate in NVIDIA's case), which forces it to transfer heat away to the bits that are being cooled by the fan, where it chills out and recycles itself back to the boiling plate. The end result, according to NVIDIA, is about seven decibels less vroom relative to the GTX 480, along with lower operational temperatures. Besides that, the company's Tom Petersen also showed off an impressive tessellation demo and the first public display of Call of Duty: Black Ops gameplay, which was powered by this as yet unannounced GPU. Skip past the break to see it all on video.
Ferrari World - Formula Rossa F1
Primul parc tematic Ferrari din lume este situat in Abu Dhabi, pe insula Yas. Acoperisul rosu cu argintiu, cu o suprafata de peste 200.000 mp, al acestei structuri neobisnuite este fixat cu ajutorul unor placi din Ultramid®, materialul plastic produs de BASF. Cel mai mare si impresionant acoperis metalic faltuit din lume a fost dezvoltat, fabricat si instalat de compania Interfalz din Oranienburg.
Acoperisul Ferrari World Abu Dhabi este format din panouri individuale din aluminiu, taiate direct din role chiar in cadrul locatiei. Acestea au fost imbinate si fixate in timpul instalarii utilizandu-se placi de fixare fabricate din materialul Ultramid A3WG10 produs de BASF, (o poliamida 66 foarte rezistenta, ranforsata cu fibra de sticla). Placile de fixare din plastic patentate, striate, inlocuiesc predecesoarele lor din metal, optimizand comportamentul la frecare sau glisare de la capatul placii. Ele imbunatatesc in mod semnificativ caracteristicile de izolare ale acoperisului, prevenind formarea puntilor termice – cum e cazul in Abu Dhabi, unde temperaturile sunt foarte ridicate, sau a celor reci, care pot compromite termoizolarea cladirii.
Sistemul de fixare din plastic, format din doua componente si dezvoltat de Interfalz in colaborare cu BASF include si o functie suplimentara: fixeaza panourile de aluminiu de stratul izolator inferior, pastrand distanta constanta intre acestea. Acest lucru se realizeaza cu ajutorul unei placute sudate de placa de fixare, care se fixeaza de capatul ancorei, fabricat tot din Ultramid. Dupa ce ancora autoforanta din Ultramid este impinsa spre stratul izolator si fixata prin insurubare de sub-structura, placa de fixare se insurubeaza in capatul ancorei. Fixarea prin aceasta metoda contribuie la stabilitatea si rigiditatea sporita a intregii structuri, asigurand in acelasi timp posibilitatea compensarii tolerantelor pe durata instalarii si permitand miscarea panourilor de aluminiu ca raspuns la dilatarea termica.
“Instalarea in locatie necesita o rezistenta mare, incasabilitate si rigiditate a capatului de ancora proiectat de BASF cand se paseste pe acesta. Intregul sistem trebuie sa fie foarte rezistent si usor de instalat de catre muncitori in toate santierele de constructii din intreaga lume”, a explicat Heyung Meyer, Managing Director, Interfalz.
In plus, sistemul de fixare din plastic este rezistent la temperaturi inalte si, avand un coeficient de conductivitate termica de λ = 0.37, ofera caracteristici de izolare mult mai bune decat cele din aluminiu utilizate anterior (valoare λ de peste 200 W/mK).
Ferrari World
Acoperisul Ferrari World Abu Dhabi este format din panouri individuale din aluminiu, taiate direct din role chiar in cadrul locatiei. Acestea au fost imbinate si fixate in timpul instalarii utilizandu-se placi de fixare fabricate din materialul Ultramid A3WG10 produs de BASF, (o poliamida 66 foarte rezistenta, ranforsata cu fibra de sticla). Placile de fixare din plastic patentate, striate, inlocuiesc predecesoarele lor din metal, optimizand comportamentul la frecare sau glisare de la capatul placii. Ele imbunatatesc in mod semnificativ caracteristicile de izolare ale acoperisului, prevenind formarea puntilor termice – cum e cazul in Abu Dhabi, unde temperaturile sunt foarte ridicate, sau a celor reci, care pot compromite termoizolarea cladirii.
Sistemul de fixare din plastic, format din doua componente si dezvoltat de Interfalz in colaborare cu BASF include si o functie suplimentara: fixeaza panourile de aluminiu de stratul izolator inferior, pastrand distanta constanta intre acestea. Acest lucru se realizeaza cu ajutorul unei placute sudate de placa de fixare, care se fixeaza de capatul ancorei, fabricat tot din Ultramid. Dupa ce ancora autoforanta din Ultramid este impinsa spre stratul izolator si fixata prin insurubare de sub-structura, placa de fixare se insurubeaza in capatul ancorei. Fixarea prin aceasta metoda contribuie la stabilitatea si rigiditatea sporita a intregii structuri, asigurand in acelasi timp posibilitatea compensarii tolerantelor pe durata instalarii si permitand miscarea panourilor de aluminiu ca raspuns la dilatarea termica.
“Instalarea in locatie necesita o rezistenta mare, incasabilitate si rigiditate a capatului de ancora proiectat de BASF cand se paseste pe acesta. Intregul sistem trebuie sa fie foarte rezistent si usor de instalat de catre muncitori in toate santierele de constructii din intreaga lume”, a explicat Heyung Meyer, Managing Director, Interfalz.
In plus, sistemul de fixare din plastic este rezistent la temperaturi inalte si, avand un coeficient de conductivitate termica de λ = 0.37, ofera caracteristici de izolare mult mai bune decat cele din aluminiu utilizate anterior (valoare λ de peste 200 W/mK).
Ferrari World
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi este cel mai mare parc de distractii acoperit din lume si isi va deschide portile in luna octombrie a acestui an. Complexul este amplasat langa circuitul de Formula 1 din Abu Dhabi, recent construit, iar acoperisul sau este inspirat din formele unui Ferrari GT. Parcul ofera peste 20 de atractii, printre care cel mai rapid montagne russe, un cinematograf, muzee si sali de expozitii, precum si multe activitati interactive in jurul unor teme precum Ferrari, viteza si Italia.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
PiMP Daily Dose 5/11: Dead Space 2, Def Jam Rapstar Hulkamania, MoH Sequ...
Foarte interesante prezentatoarele de stiri. Daca ar fi si la noi asa. :)
NASA a decis, vineri, să renunţe la lansarea spre Staţia Spaţială Internaţională (ISS) a navetei Discovery, în noiembrie, după o serie de încercări ratate din cauza unor defecţiuni la rezervorul extern al vehiculului spaţial, relatează AFP.NASA va încerca să lanseze naveta Discovery după sfârşitul lunii noiembrie, potrivit unui purtător de cuvânt al agenţiei spaţiale americane.
Prevăzută iniţial pentru luni, lansarea navetei Discovery de la Centrul spaţial Kennedy, din apropiere de Cape Canaveral (Florida), a fost amânată deja de mai multe ori, din cauza unor defecţiuni ale sistemului de presurizare de la bordul navetei.
De această dată, inginerii americani au identificat o defecţiune la sistemul electronic care controlează unul dintre cele trei motoare criogenice ale navetei.
Acesta va fi cel de-al patrulea şi, totodată, ultimul zbor din acest an al navetei Discovery, cel mai vechi dintre vehiculele din flota spaţială americană, care are la activ 39 de misiuni spaţiale.
O altă lansare către ISS este prevăzută pentru sfârşitul lunii februarie 2011, fiind vorba de ultima lansare a unei navete americane înainte de retragerea din circulaţie a acestora, la 30 de ani de la primul zbor al lor.
Cei şase astronauţi de pe Discovery - printre care se află şi o femeie - trebuie să livreze în cadrul acestei misiuni de 11 zile modulul multifuncţional Leonardo, adaptat pentru a putea fi ataşat permanent de ISS, cu scopul de a oferi un volum suplimentar de stocare. Modulul va permite efectuarea unor experimente ştiinţifice la bordul ISS, în domeniul fizicii fluidelor, ştiinţei materialelor, biologiei şi al biotehnologiei.
Discovery îl va transporta la bordul ISS şi pe Robonaut 2, primul robot umanoid care va ajunge în spaţiu şi care va ocupa un loc permanent la bordul avanpostului orbital.
În cala navetei se vor afla piese de schimb, vitale pentru operaţiunile de întreţinere a Express Logistics Carrier 4, o platformă din exteriorul ISS pe care sunt stocate echipamente voluminoase.
După retragerea din circulaţie a navetelor americane - Discovery, Atlantis şi Endeavour -, care se va produce probabil în 2011, SUA va depinde de capsulele ruseşti Soyuz pentru transportarea astronauţilor americani pe ISS, până la intrarea în funcţiune a capsulelor americane Orion, prevăzută pentru 2015.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Bernie Mac Uncut Milk n Cookies
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008) better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley as The Original Kings of Comedy.
After briefly hosting the HBO show Midnight Mac, Mac appeared in several films in smaller roles. His most noted film role was as Frank Catton in the remake Ocean's Eleven and the titular character of Mr. 3000. He was the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001 through 2006, earning him two Emmy AwardBooty Call, Friday, The Players Club, Head of State, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride, Soul Men, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. His other films included starring roles in
Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the solid organs, but had said the condition was in remission in 2005. His death on August 9, 2008 was caused by complications from pneumonia.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Anual «tocăm» 2.000.000.000 € pe produse fast-food
Românii nu se sfiesc să dea bani grei pe shaorme, hamburgeri şi aripioare picante.Românii sunt înnebuniţi după produsele de tip fast-food. Potrivit estimărilor pieţei, într-un an, “tocăm” două miliarde de euro pe hamburgeri, aripioare picante şi shaorma.
Cei mai câştigaţi sunt, fireşte, proprietarii restaurantelor de profil. Numai încasările lanţului KFC România - operat în sistem de franciză de o firmă a omului de afaceri Puiu Popoviciu - au depăşit 24 de milioane de euro în primele şase luni ale acestui an, potrivit unor date citate de ziarul Gândul. Suma e cu 12,8% mai mare decât cea din perioada similară a anului trecut. Practic, românii au consumat zilnic produse pregătite după reţetele Kentucky Fried Chicken în valoare de peste 130.000 de euro.
Din cele circa două miliarde de euro cheltuite anual de români pe produse de tip fast-food, potrivit estimărilor pieţei, shaormele ocupă 10% din total.
Tehnologia Kinect, în magazine din 4 noiembrie
Microsoft rebotezează proiectul Natal și lansează Kinect
Gigantul Microsoft a lansat atacul împotriva consolei Wii, a celor de la Nintendo, și a prezentat tehnologia Kinect pentru consolele Xbox, care va permite controlul jocului video cu ajutorul mișcărilor corpului și a vocii, potrivit Wall Street Journal.
Interesant nici o telecomanda doar o camera care te scaneaza.
Gigantul Microsoft a lansat atacul împotriva consolei Wii, a celor de la Nintendo, și a prezentat tehnologia Kinect pentru consolele Xbox, care va permite controlul jocului video cu ajutorul mișcărilor corpului și a vocii, potrivit Wall Street Journal.
Interesant nici o telecomanda doar o camera care te scaneaza.
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