this WEEK in GADGET News
Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXIX: Gemsta's Vaino knock-off
If the Vaino "ultraportable" seemed a little too... well, aspirational, the style mavens at Engadget have dug up a netbook that will certainly correlate with both your awesome sense of style and your self-identification as an OG (that's "original gemsta"). Dug up by some eagle-eyed KIRF-hunters at 2009's Shenzhen International Netbook Industry Fair & Forum, this guy sports an 8.9-inch display, an Intel Atom (Z515 / Z520 / Z530), 1GB RAM, up to 64GB storage, 3G, WiFi, SD card slot and more. We don't have a street date yet for you, but the price should be about 2000 yuan (that's about $294). And the best part? You won't have to worry about these guys stealing your thunder. One more pic after the break.
[Via PMP Today]
Continue reading Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXIX: Gemsta's Vaino knock-off
Filed under: Laptops
Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXIX: Gemsta's Vaino knock-off originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Researchers use Bluetooth to track festival goers, make fun of their 'hippie dancing'
A team from the University of Ghent in Belgium is lacing the site of this year's Rock Werchter festival -- Brussel's equivalent of Woodstock '97 -- with Bluetooth scanners (36 total, they cover a range of 30 meters each). While you're rocking out to the likes of Bloc Party and Mastodon, the researchers will be tracking your every movement, whether it be to the mosh pit, the beer tent, or the Job Johnny. As you've probably assumed, the researchers are primarily looking for ways that retailers can monitor customer flow (read: sell you more crap) although there are certainly going to be results applicable to the world of law enforcement. Of course, this is Bluetooth: you always have the option of disabling it on your phone, and if you don't they'll only be able to discern your MAC address. Besides, if you're not doing anything illegal, you have nothing to fear from the surveillance state -- right? And if you are up to no good, well, that's why they invented the Dazer Lazer.
Filed under: Cellphones
Researchers use Bluetooth to track festival goers, make fun of their 'hippie dancing' originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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hExistentialism
Astraware updates
Does the iPhone really have any competition?
Engadget Podcast
Docs To Go coming to the Palm Pre
Brighthand - Impacts of the New Nokia-Intel Partnership Could Be Significant
The Engadget asks how would you change the Palm Pre?
Audible recommendations at PalmDiscovery
5-inch Android-powered Archos Internet Media Tablet landing in September
Just under a month ago at Archos' Paris reveal, we were somewhat dismayed that an Android-based device didn't show up... officially, at least. We were told to expect more information about a Google-powered unit this September, but it looks as if said wait has been hacked considerably. According to The Inquirer, Archos has informed it that a 5-inch internet media tablet loaded with Android will be unveiled on September 15th, a date that certainly jibes with prior information. The handheld will boast Google's sauce underneath with a layer of Archos applications on top, and while the Windows 7-equipped Archos 9 PCTablet (pictured) is expected in October, this here device should hit shelves a few weeks prior. In related news, the briefing also included word that Archos was working on a few "telephony products," which is just barely enough to get you simultaneously excited / hot and bothered.
[Via TrustedReviews]
Filed under: Handhelds
5-inch Android-powered Archos Internet Media Tablet landing in September originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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How would you change the Palm Pre?
You knew it was on deck, and at long last, here it is. Your one and only shot (okay, so maybe that's a gentle stretch) to tell the world -- and Palm, since it's a part of the world -- exactly what you think about the Pre. Since going on sale to the general public just under a month ago, some analysts have suggested that some 300,000 or so units have been moved. We're quite confident that at least some of that bunch have their eyes peering at this here post, so we'd like to formally ask for your opinions in comments below. Is there anything you'd like to see changed on Palm's Pre? Is the build quality up to snuff? Is webOS everything you thought it'd be (and more)? Is the QWERTY keyboard doing it for you? Do you wish it supported something that it doesn't? Unleash your wrath below -- we'll keep your true identity a secret. Maybe.
Filed under: Cellphones
How would you change the Palm Pre? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 3GS Jailbreak [Apple]
Hey, the iPhone 3GS has been jailbroken, through what looks like a web exploit. Warning: We haven't tested this because we're playing with fireworks. Use at your own risk. [Make It Rain via BBG]
Captain Piccard unveils Solar Impulse HB-SIA solar-powered plane
You might have seen solar-powered planes before, but few of them come with as much world-changing ambition as the Solar Impulse. Launched in 2003, the project aims to demonstrate the viability of renewable energy sources by being the first to perform a manned flight around the globe using only solar power. The technology is nothing to scoff at, as the 200-foot wingspan features 12,000 photovoltaic solar cells bringing power to four electric motors. Captain Bertrand Piccard, one of the key men behind this project, is best known as one half of the first team to circumnavigate the world in a balloon in 1999. He hopes, together with partner André Borschberg, to repeat that achievement in Solar Impulse's next iteration, the HB-SIB, in 2012. Make it so, guys.
[Via Gizmag]
Filed under: Transportation
Captain Piccard unveils Solar Impulse HB-SIA solar-powered plane originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Pegasus Open 50 Sailing Log: Weather [Summer Funnology]
Philippe Kahn describes the weather before the race.I took a serious look at the weather. What a mess! In 11 crossings I have never seen such messy weather patterns in the usually very predictable Pacific.
July 1st, 2009
The weather chart says it all. Instead of one beautiful strong, stable high pressure centered somewhere 800 nautical miles from San Francisco, there are now 10 different weather systems playing with each other. Yes, climate is changing! This makes it all the more interesting for the Transpac. We start Sunday the 5th at 1 PM out of Long Beach, California. I'd love to celebrate the 14th of July or Bastille Day in Honolulu watching the sunset by Diamond Head. But a lot has to happen before that!
The Pacific has been highly unusual over the last 30 days. In particular, sea level pressure has averaged below normal off the California coast and much below normal over the central Pacific, northwest of Hawaii. This pattern has resulted in a weak Pacific high, ridged in a north-south orientation.
That means that the wind has been a right-shifter along the California coast and weakened the strong North Westerlies that are typical of the first two days of Transpac. But, things may be changing fast.
My bet is that by the end of the week we will see consolidation of the high given the trends on the 500mb chart and as a consequence a more typical, fairly windy race. But it could go either way!
The Boat will make it to Long Beach this evening. The delivery team is making good progress.
Our goal for this race is the double-handed Transpac record. Last year we established a new double handed record from San Francisco to Hawaii. This year we start from Los Angeles.
Just two of us: Mark Christensen, VP of Engineering and myself, Chief tinkerer at Fullpower and 2250 nautical miles of open ocean between the start and Diamond Head!
Sailing Team:
Philippe Kahn
Mark "Crusty" Christensen
Boat Project management:
David Giles, Zan Drejes, Bruce Mahoney,
Onshore Pegasus Racing team:
Zan Dredjes, David Gilles, Bruce Mahoney, Mark Golsh, Jana Madrigali, Seth Larkin
Online Presence:
Caleb Dolister, Peter Spaulding, Arthur Kinsolving, Joe Dolister
Sailor's food:
Bonnie Willis
July 2nd,2009
Now we are running routes and the different forecasting models are very different as you can see from the chart. Wildly different. In fact I don't believe any of them. The great news is that the weather on the Pacific is settling. The upper level blockages are dissipating and we may be in for a more classic July North-East Pacific weather pattern.
I have to confess that I have been arguing with myself as to the playlists for the soundtrack during the next 8 days. Lots of deBussy, ravel, Faure and of course Iz!
The boat will make it to Long Beach today and I will post some pictures soon.
Philippe Kahn founded Borland, invented the Camphone, and decodes human motion. He's also a fellow outdoorsman, splitting time skiing Tahoe and sailing in Santa Cruz. He'll share his Transpac 2009 sailing race with us live from the Pegasus Open 50.
[Pegasus on Gizmodo, Pegasus]
Sneak peek at Meizu M8's new user interface
Heads up, Meizu fanboys! We just got a sneak peak at the M8's new UI (said to be dropping in August when the handset gets its firmware update) and you know what? It looks like a UI. Pretty k-rad, right? Check out the other two face-melting pics after the break, if you dare.
[Via Meizu Me]
Continue reading Sneak peek at Meizu M8's new user interface
Filed under: Cellphones
Sneak peek at Meizu M8's new user interface originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pentagon's Robot Hummingbird Christened "Nano Air Vehicle" [Robots]
The Pentagon's wacky sci-fi department DARPA has been working on robotic hummingbird-based drones to serve as miniature spies. They're not nearly as agile or adorable as real hummingbirds, but DARPA is well on their way to achieving that dream.
Program manager Todd Hylton is aiming for "an approximately 10-gram aircraft that can hover for extended periods, can fly at forward speeds up to 10 meters per second, can withstand 2.5-meter-per-second wind gusts." Right now, though, the teeny robobird can only fly for about 20 seconds at a time. But with some hard work, some day we will produce a robotic hummingbird that will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. Wait, is fear the right word? [Wired]
Happy Independence Day
Pegasus Open 50 Tour: This is How a Race Sailboat Works (Part 1) [Summer Funnology]
The official Gizmodo raceboat, the Pegasus Open 50, was originally rigged for reliability for global cruising. Going from CA to HI in a race requires more power. Here's a tour of the tech in the rigging, hull material and sails.
The video work is less than terrible, sorry, but hey, its a sailboat. I'm just trying to help you get your sea legs
Philippe Kahn founded Borland, invented the Camphone, and decodes human motion. He's also a fellow outdoorsman, splitting time skiing Tahoe and sailing in Santa Cruz. He'll share his Transpac 2009 sailing race with us live from the Pegasus Open 50.
[Pegasus on Gizmodo, Pegasus]
Woman Shot During "Violent Armed Robbery" at Apple Store
Palm Addict
Ogo CC-10 throws time-tested formula to the wind, goes portrait QWERTY
We haven't heard a solitary peep out of IXI Mobile in a hot minute, even though its Ogo line -- once a member of Cingular's lineup -- had found some niche popularity among teens and the deaf community. We'd even thought they'd gone into R&D hibernation, actually, but apparently not -- they're innovating. They're innovating so much, in fact, that they've innovated themselves right out of the landscape clamshell form factor that made the Ogo famous. This Inventec-sourced CC-10 we just spotted in the FCC looks more Centro than Ogo, though all of the original's features -- notably strong IM and social networking support -- carry on through to the new model. At any rate, we can say that IXI doesn't intend to break back into the North American market -- at least not with this exact unit, anyway -- since GSM 1900 and Bluetooth are the only features it bothered testing.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Ogo CC-10 throws time-tested formula to the wind, goes portrait QWERTY originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Should We Be Excited About the Archos9 Windows 7 Tablet Netbook? [Tablets]
We already knew pretty much everything about the Archos9 tablet netbook running Windows 7, but with nobody sure what kind of touchscreen the thing uses, we're left to wonder if we'd want anything to do with a resistive-touchscreen tablet.
Crave got a little hands-on with the svelte Atom-powered Archos9, and without even thinking about it, published their post calling it a fairly accurate capacitive touchscreen. That makes us happy: Tablets, especially a little guy like this 9-incher, need as accurate tracking as they can muster. Archos's previous "tablets," the Archos 5 and 7, used mushy resistive touchscreens that worked okay but are firmly last-gen right now, and we're excited to see a slick capacitive interface with the highly-touchable Windows 7 OS.
Yet in Archos's press release for the Archos9, they list the screen as resistive. Now we trust Crave, and we believe that they (like the rest of us) can tell the difference with each finger press. So what's the story here? Crave doesn't seem to have any idea; all the documentation says resistive, but it certainly didn't feel that way to them. This may seem like nitpicking, but it might be a dealbreaker for us. Handwriting recognition is far worse with resistive screens, they can only pick up one signal at a time (so multitouch is out), and the screens themselves are often much muddier or washed-out looking than capacitive.
So help us out, Archos. We want to like this thing, we really do, but we'd like to know what we're dealing with first. Anyway, full presser below. [Crave]
ARCHOS REDEFINES MOBILE COMPUTING WITH ITS TABLET PC
New Ultra-Thin and Ultra-Fast ARCHOS 9 PCtablet Delivers Full PC Computing, Video Conferencing and Access to Media on a Full Touch Screen Handheld Device.
DENVER, CO – July 2, 200Your browser may not support display of this image. 9 ARCHOS is leading the innovation charge in the MiniPC market with the introduction of the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet. This new PCtablet combines the performance of a high-end PC with breathtaking design, excellent ergonomics and an astonishing touch interface. It gives PC users an entirely new way to work, stay connected and enjoy the Web and digital media on an ultra-thin and extremely fast full touch-screen tablet.
The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet is the ultra portable PC; extremely thin, just 0.63", and ultra lightweight, less than 22.29 oz. The ARCHOS 9 pushes the boundaries of style and function.
With a full touch-sensitive 9" screen, users can enjoy a comfortable computing experience. The resistive screen allows emails and documents to be composed easily via a built-in virtual keyboard. The innovative optical trackball and buttons allows easy navigation on screen, and provides an uncompromised PC experience.
The ARCHOS 9 features the new Z515 Intel® processor, Microsoft Windows 7® Operating system and an integrated multimedia platform that uses WiFi 802.11b/g connection and Bluetooth 2.1 for extremely fast computing anywhere, anytime.
Additional software includes Microsoft Office®, Web TV & Radio, video conference, antivirus, parental control, photos and movies edition applications and more.
The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will be available this fall, 2009.
Upgrading the SSD in a Netbook Makes a Difference [Storage]
Netbooks are netbooks. Usually based on Intel's Atom chipset, and generally not that fast. What you gonna do? Well, I upgraded the SSD in my Hackintosh. Not just to bump the drive from 32 to 128GB, but for SPEED.
The drive is one of few things easily upgradable on these devices. On the Dell Mini 9, its a matter of removing two screws on the back plate, and two screws that hold the drive in place (which, if you've never seen a netbook SSD drive before, looks more like a RAM module.) The 64 and 128MB modules take up the space reserved for the WWAN card, so don't go that route if you have WWAN.
While I was able to restore my Mac OS X Time Capsule backup, it wouldn't boot til I used the DellEFIbootmaker (allows you to boot into the drive you just restored) and then ran DellEFI to restore the partition to a bootable condition. Oh, the Leopard install process which you use to restore won't read off of a Time Capsule, so you have to copy the restore file to a USB drive before hand. Anyhow, none of this is the point.
Look at how much faster the writes are, especially the random ones. The only sacrifice you end up with is a bit of big block read performance.
It's a bit of a shame the stock SSDs had these compromises in the first place, though. If you're buying a netbook, its worth checking the forums for results like these on the models you're interested in, and perhaps buying a low capacity stock model, and upgrading to an aftermarket drive later. (The Super Talent drive I tested wasn't cheap, though, at $200 for the 64GB model and $380 for 128GBs.) Kind of ridiculous next to the cost of a $200-$300 netbook, I admit. *shame*
One other thing to consider: The runcore SSD upgrades for netbooks have little microUSB ports on them, so you can load up and back up files/images from another machine. Handy for Hackintoshing, for sure, but I think they top out at 64GB, taking up only a single wide form factor.
[Super Talent Dell Mini 9 SSD]
