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Showing posts from June 1, 2011

Sony unveils Japan-only 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle with Tales of Xillia

In the market for a new PS3 but find the portable version a little out of your price / taste range? Then you might consider Sony's just-announced  Tales of Xillia  X Edition, which bundles everyone's favorite RPG of unwavering convictions with a 160GB limited-edition console. The rig comes in the standard charcoal black, adorned with metallic red and gold artwork featuring characters from the series. It will also be Japanese-only for now, though  Tales  die-hards can always have it exported, if you're willing to go above and beyond the MSRP of ¥37,980 ($470). The set goes on sale September 8, giving you plenty of time to consider trading up your Michael Jackson  This is It  pack. Joystiq Sony

Intel's convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on (update: video)

Just before Intel's keynote at Computex, we decided to stop by at the chip maker's busy booth to see what it has up its sleeves. Luckily, we spotted a couple of Keeley Lake proof-of-concept convertible laptops, which are here to demonstrate what can be achieved using Cedar Trail processors. As you can see, the 12.1-inch screen sits on a swivel hinge, thus allowing users transform this fairly slim laptop into a tablet within seconds. Oh, you can also use the built-in Wireless Display technology to stream some sweet HD action over the air, provided that you have compatible devices. Alas, Intel says there are no commercial plans for this particular device, so hopefully someone will pick up this design. Update:  We now have a quick video of Keeley Lake after the break. Enjoy! Intel's convertible Keeley Lake concept laptop shows off Cedar Trail, we go hands-on

Xbox 360 250GB Kinect bundle dropping to $299.99 ahead of E3? (update)

The image above is not a mockup. What you're looking at is a screen grab from the Video Game section of Target's online storefront proudly touting "free shipping" on a  $299.99  Xbox 360 250GB console with Kinect bundle. Unfortunately, your pulse-quickened click will be met with the existing $399.99 price tag at checkout. So what's going on here? Are retailers gearing up for price drops on the 250GB Kinect bundle ahead of E3 or did Target's arts and charts department just make a mistake? E3 Expo kicks off June 7th, so it won't be long until we find out either way. Update : Target says the items was "mispriced" and has updated it with the $399.99 price tag.  Cheap Arse Gamer Target 108 Leave A Comment

NASA's new cooling pump doesn't need moving parts, set to chill out in space next month

It's pretty easy to cool down an overheating desktop computer with an extra fan, but what do you do if there's no air? That's the hurdle NASA's engineers are hoping to clear with a new prototype pump that the agency unveiled last week. The pinkie-sized instrument relies upon a technology known as electrohydrodynamic (EHD)-based thermal control, which uses electric fields to inject coolant through small vents on a thermal cold plate, before moving the extra heat to a radiator and spreading it far away from any temperature-sensitive areas. With no moving parts, the lightweight cooler uses only about half a watt of power and can be sized to work with small electric components or lab-on-a-chip devices. The challenge is to make sure that the pump can survive the vibrations of a rocket launch, though NASA will put it to the test during a rocket mission on June 9 and in 2013, when an EHD thermal cold plate will be placed on the  International Space Station . 

Intel Smart Connect and Rapid Start technologies unveiled, coming by the holidays

As part of its keynote at Computex today, Intel unveiled a pair of new sleep-related technologies, though funnily enough, neither of them is particularly boring. Smart Connect checks up periodically on web apps you have open while your computer is in sleep mode -- meaning that email clients and in-browser web apps like Twitter and Facebook will update themselves without the need for you to flip the computer on in full. Updates will be ready and waiting for you when you get back. Rapid Start is a new hibernation mode that can resume within 5 to 6 seconds and can remember your computer's state with  zero  power. Though, admittedly, the zero-power operation doesn't look like it can be maintained for too long, the hibernation itself can keep your computer going for up to 30 days. Pretty neat stuff. It's all coming to Sandy Bridge laptops with Windows 7 soon, with widespread availability promised by the holidays.

ViewSonic equips 24-inch V3D245wm-LED monitor with built-in 3D emitter

The "ultimate 3D monitor?" Likely a stretch, but who are we to argue with a stalwart like ViewSonic? All jesting aside, those looking to finally bite on the 3D value proposition can get ready to do so, as the 24-inch V3D245wm-LED monitor packs a built-in 3D emitter, an HDMI 1.4 input, 1080p resolution, 120Hz scanning rate, two millisecond response time and a brain-melting 20,000,000:1 "maximum contrast ratio." For those looking for something a bit more bantam, the PLED-W200 is also being (re)introduced here atComputex, claiming to be the planet's first WXGA pico projector. 'Course, we got an early peek of this very unit back at CES, but hopefully we're one step closer to actually seeing this one ship. Sadly, the outfit's not dishing out pricing or release dates, but hopefully both will be revealed shortly.

Nokia X7 and E6 Symbian Anna phones start shipping into obsolescence

While we eagerly await Nokia's first Mango device, millions of others (we're told) have been patiently anticipating shipments of the first Symbian Anna smartphones. Well, today's the day, good sir. Nokia just loosed its 4-inch X7 media slab and E6 portrait QWERTY with 326ppi display into the shipping lanes. Look for the E6 worldwide while the X7 will skip the US carriers (as expected) targeting the friendlier Symbian climates of Europe, Eurasia, China, India and other countries around AsiaPac. Huzzah? Nokia Conversations

Intel shows off Oak Trail-based Android Honeycomb tablets, confirms Android Market support

At a time when ARM and Android are dominating the mobile computing world, Intel's only just starting to catch up with some green robot-friendly prototypes, like these Oak Trail-based 10-inch tablets at Computex 2011. Starting from the left we have the Intel Green Ridge, Foxconn F150, Quanta QXZI, an unnamed Compal device, Intel Marco Polo 2, and Intel Carrot. Sadly, Intel wouldn't give the names of the ODMs behind its own reference tablets, so your guess is just as good as ours. With the exception of the Gingerbread-powered Foxconn slate, these were all running on Honeycomb 3.0.1 OS -- well, we say running, but just barely. As you'll see in our hands-on video after the break, most of the devices were struggling to keep up with the launcher animation, and needless to say, Intel wasn't keen on letting us test video playback on them. We also noticed that Android Market was missing on the prototypes, but Intel assured us that it'll be available on the final products,

Sony promises global PSN restoration by week's end, except in some parts of Asia

It looks like Sony's long, PSN nightmare is finally coming to an end -- almost. Today, the company announced that it will restore PlayStation Network and Qriocity services in the Americas, Europe andmost of Asia by week's end. The only exceptions are Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, where users will have to await further details before regaining full access. Speaking to the  Wall Street Journal , spokeswoman Yuki Kobayashi added that Sony is in the process of finalizing an agreement to protect credit card owners in these three countries, where authorities have taken a particularly cautiousapproach to the data breach. This means that the company won't see global restoration by the end of May, as previously hoped, but Kobayashi said the plans were delayed simply because Sony needed more time to fully secure its infrastructure (sound familiar?). PlayStation Blog Wall Street Journal

MSI WindPad 100A, 110W, and 120W hands-on at Computex 2011 (video)

What's this? It looks like the MSI WindPad 100A that we discovered at CES and the WindPad 110W that we first saw at CeBit decided to make an appearance on the show floor here at Computex 2011. Only this time around they brought a new friend along to the party -- namely the MSI WindPad 120W. To refresh your memory, the WindPad 100A is a 10-inch NVIDIA Tegra 2-equipped tablet running Android (Gingerbread here in Taipei, but potentially Honeycomb in the future) while the 110W uses AMD'sBrazos platform paired with Windows 7. The Windpad 120W shares the same exact 10-inch chassis as the 110W but swaps AMD's Fusion APU for an Intel Cedar Trail-based chipset together with a tasty serving of WiDi and HSPA wireless. We still have no information about availability or pricing, but for now we invite you to check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on videos. MSI WindPad 100A, 110W, and 120W hands-on at Computex 2011

Android 2.1 update now available for AT&T Xperia X10

Sure, all your friends are rocking Android 2.3. But hey, quit complaining AT&T Xperia X10 owners, everyone knows that Eclair is way better than vanilla Froyo. Sony Ericsson Blog

Samsung's new AMOLED production line should help ease smartphone display shortages

AMOLED displays may be in relatively short supply nowadays, but Samsung is doing its best to bridge the gap. Today, the company's Mobile Display unit announced that its 5.5th-generation AMOLED production line is now open, some two months ahead of schedule. The line uses glass substrates that are substantially larger than those found in its existing factories, allowing Samsung to increase output, while lowering costs. This increase in production comes in response to growing demand for the Galaxy S II and an AMOLED market that, according to  DisplaySearch, should triple in value this year to $4.26 billion. For now, the production line is focusing on smartphone displays, since that's where demand is growing fastest, but will eventually turn its attention to tablet PC displays, as well. The new factory assembling the displays can currently churn out about three million screens per month, but is capable of ramping that up to 30 million, at full capacity. No word yet on when it will

Thermaltake Level 10 GT modded to the high heavens, shows off spacious interior (hands-on)

We'll readily admit that Thermaltake's Level 10 GT case isn't for everyone. Its exeskeleton-emulating protrusions don't exactly blend in well with living room decors, and the company seems to like it that way. Computex 2011 has been the  victim  host to a whole bevy of customized Level 10 GTs, which exhibit a love for all colors in the rainbow and a fascination with the humble LED light. Underneath the aesthetic excesses, however, you'll find a practical and very roomy case that'll happily serve as the fashion-challenged home to your next super rig. 200mm fans spin almost inaudibly, individual hard drive enclosures make hot-swapping storage a doddle, and as you'll see in the gallery below, all the mods feature retractable headphone hangers. What will they think of next? Thermaltake Level 10 GT hands-on and mods at Computex

Nokia lowers devices and services outlook for Q2, increasingly confident about first Windows Phone in Q4

You know what happens when you tell the world that you're abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone? Right, Symbian sales dry up. No matter how many times you boast about plans to sell an additional 150 million new Symbian devices, and no matter how long you commit to supporting Symbian devices, the OS is essentially dead to developers and consumers alike. So, we're not surprised to hear that Nokia just lowered its devices and services outlook for Q2 of 2011. The updated guidance calls for devices and services net sales to be substantially below the EUR 6.1 billion to EUR 6.6 billion expected in Q2 due to lower than expected average selling prices on lower volumes. It also sees margins drifting below the expected range of 6 percent to 9 percent due to lower than expected net sales -- Nokia expects its non-IFRS operating margin to be "around  breakeven ." As a result, Nokia is also pulling back its annual targets for 2011 and will provide further updates as its situation b

Apple to unveil iCloud, iOS 5 on Monday, June 6

Had some doubts that Apple was heading skyward? Those lingering concerns can now be put to rest. Apple has confirmed that it will be announcing iCloud on June 6th, what it's calling an "upcoming cloud services offering." That will be part of the keynote for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, known to the cool kids as WWDC. This is, of course, where everyone has come to expect new iPhones to come to light, but this year we're thinking the focus will be more on software, and indeed Apple's event notice indicates that the big highlights will be Mac OS X Lion and the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5. This is a decidedly non-Apple way to announce something big like iCloud, making us wonder what other surprises Steve Jobs will have for us at the event -- yes, he'll be kicking things off. Apple

MTM Snap project lets you build your own CNC machine so you can build more stuff

It may not be quite capable enough to let you build your own Weighted Companion Cube, but those looking to try their hand at a DIY CNC milling machine won't likely find many more straightforward options than the MTM Snap. Built by Jonathan Ward of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, the machine itself is constructed from some high-density polyethylene parts milled on a ShopBot (which simply snap together as the name suggests), and it's controlled by an Arduino board that lets you operate it from any Mac, Windows or Linux computer. Unfortunately, you can't simply buy a kit and piece it all together, but Jonathan's made all of the plans for building your own available, and says it shouldn't cost you any more than $700 from start to finish. Head on past the break for a video of the finished product in action. Make Arduino Blog ,  MTM Snap