Archive for May 14th, 2009

Of all the things we are inclined to take for granted, the weary exhalation of air that is commonly referred to as a “sigh” easily tops our list (other things that we take for granted: our mother’s love and Laser Pink Floyd at the planetarium on Saturday nights). But not Instructables member mkontop, however: this guy is clearly fascinated by the theory, practice, and ramifications of sighing, even going so far as to build a device that not only monitors his breathing and measures his sighing, but then goes on to store the corresponding amount of exhaled air in a box nearby. To what end, you ask? Perhaps you can ask Marcel Duchamp next time he’s in town. Hit that read link to build one for yourself, but not before peeping that video after the break.

Continue reading Arduino-based ‘sigh collector’ is clever, pointless

Arduino-based ‘sigh collector’ is clever, pointless originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We just caught sight of one low-cost Dell monitor headed for Hong Kong a few days ago, and it looks like the company has now rolled out another three for folks over here, including the widescreen P2210 model, and the old school E190S and E170S 4:3 models. Each of those meet the usual EPEAT Gold and Energy Star requirements, and Dell also goes one step further by using halogen-free laminates and a chassis composed of 25% post-consumer recycled plastics. Of course, they’ll also get the job done spec-wise, with the 22-inch widescreen model boasting a 1,680 by 1,050 resolution along with VGA, DVI and DisplayPort connections, while the 17 and 19-inch 4:3 models dial things back to 1,280 x 1,024 and VGA only. Good enough? Then you can grab any one right now for $110, $130 or $240.

Filed under: Displays

Dell rolls out budget, eco-minded P2210, E190S, E170S monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s been right around a century since Intel has provided any sort of hard evidence that Larrabee (a next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU) was more than a figment of anyone’s imagination, but thanks to a die shot throw up Will Ferrell-style at the Visual Computing Institute of the Saarland University, we’d say the speculation is definitely back on. Intel’s Chief Technology Officer, Justin Rattner, was responsible for the demo, but when PC Perspective pinged the company to inquire further, it suggested that the image we see above may not necessarily be indicative of the final shipping product, but that Larrabee was “healthy and in [its] labs right now.” Sweet, so how’s about a date in which that statement changes to “in shipping machines right now?” Hmm?

[Via PC Perspective]

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops

Intel shows Larrabee die shot in Germany, speculators go berserk originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hey, remember the $199 Impulse TNX-9500, the “world’s cheapest laptop?” Yeah, it was just the beginning. Say hello to the iUnika Gyy, which manages to shave its price down to €130 ($176) by using a slower 400MHz MIPS processor and ditching that costly XP license for Linux. Yeah, it’ll run like a dog. On the other hand, just like the Impulse there’s something delightfully appealing about a el-cheapo laptop that weigh just 1.5 pounds, and if the company manages to produce its promised €160 ($220) solar-powered version, we could totally find ourselves picking one up on a whim. We’ll see — it’s due in July. One more pic after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish; images courtesy of hoyTecnología]

Continue reading iUnika Gyy netbook weighs 1.5 pounds, will cost $176

Filed under: Laptops

iUnika Gyy netbook weighs 1.5 pounds, will cost $176 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s been quite awhile since we’ve seen a major recall surrounding volatile laptop batteries, but it looks as if HP is the company bringing the topic back to the forefront. Announced today, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard, has issued a voluntary recall of about 70,000 Li-ion batteries. Reportedly, these cells can “overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers,” and so far, the firm and CPSC have received two separate reports of batteries that have overheated and ruptured, resulting in — wait for it — “flames / fire that caused minor property damage.” For a look at what units are affected, head on past the break — oh, and if you’re reading this on an HP lappie right now, go ahead and grab the fire extinguisher just in case.

Continue reading 70,000 HP laptop batteries recalled due to fire hazard

Filed under: Laptops

70,000 HP laptop batteries recalled due to fire hazard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

In the mood for a netbook, are we? We’ve recently been hepped to reviews of two of Sammy’s latest, and thought you might wanna take a look. The 10.1-inch, 2.8-pound N120 “isn’t the smallest or lightest,” according to Liliputing, but it is thin, light, and it does have some of the “best sounding speakers” the reviewer has ever heard on such a beast (though your mileage may vary). Battery life is described as “excellent,” and the touchpad? “A step up” from the NC10, apparently. On the other hand, you are going to pay a bit more (like, somewhere near $50 more) than a similarly kitted Eee PC 1000HE. And how about that N310? That depends — is $479 too much for one of the most “attractive and compact” 10-inchers on the market? For $10 less, Laptop points out, you can get double the battery life in the form of the (admittedly rather rough ’round the edges) Samsung N110. But “if style is at the top of your mobile computing list,” the the reviewer continues, this guy is worth a look. And that isn’t the half of it — peep the links below for the full, unexpurgated reviews.

Read: Samsung N120 review
Read: Samsung N310 review

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung’s N120 and N310 netbooks get reviewed, embraced originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Two years in, we still can’t say with any level of definitiveness or authority what exactly Sony’s Rolly is, but here’s what we can say: it’s still hanging around. After catching wind of a somewhat innocent Sony Insider report (which was seemingly misunderstood / misreported elsewhere) that the curious music maker was being canned in the US, we contacted Sony directly to sort things out. From Sony to you: “There is no truth to these reports at this time.” ‘Nuff said, yeah?

Filed under: Portable Audio

Debunk: Sony has not discontinued Rolly in America originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

A few retailers went ahead and put the Sigma DP2 up for pre-order back in March, but it looks like the camera is now finally officially available to own in the UK — and, judging from some of those aforementioned retailers, at a few places in the US as well. Those in the UK can expect to pay £599.99 for the camera, which updates the DP1 with a new 41mm f/2.8 lens and Sigma’s improved TRUE II processing engine, while folks in the US will apparently have to pay $699 retail (although at least some places still seem to be listing the $649 pre-order price). Interestingly, Sigma will also apparently be offering the older DP1 alongside the DP2 for the time being, although it’s not clear how long it’ll continue to do so.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

14-megapixel Sigma DP2 camera now officially available originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Inventor Graham Hawkes has been building deep sea exploration vessels for about 20 years. His newest submarine — called the Deep Flight Super Falcon — has a set of wings with a span of 10 feet, giving the 20 foot vessel a distinctly bird-like appearance. Hawkes has been working on the Falcon for several years, and it’s just now ready to make its first deep sea journey. The battery-powered vessel is twenty feet long, can carry two people, and cruise depths of up to 1,500 feet at a speed of about 7 miles per hour. The winged vessel is extremely agile because of its animal-like shape, and researchers at Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are optimistic about it potential for studying and following exotic, mysterious sea creatures such as super sharks and the ever-elusive giant squid. The Super Falcon is set to fly around Monterey Bay from June 19th to July 17th, and will be on display to the public when not in use. Check out the video of the Falcon after the break.

Continue reading Deep Flight Super Falcon winged submarine readies deep sea exploration in San Francisco

Filed under: Transportation

Deep Flight Super Falcon winged submarine readies deep sea exploration in San Francisco originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Polish_students_take_building_light_shows_to_the_next_level’; Our friends at Engadget Polska caught this video of a giant lightshow — a nerdworks, if you will — put on by a group of students at Wrocław University of Technology. This is not the first time we’ve seen such a display, nor is it a first for this particular group, who call themselves Projekt P.I.W.O. — but it is one of the best (and longest). The ten minute show includes much classic geekery — Pong, Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Michael Jackson. Yes, that’s right: Michael Jackson. Check the video after the break.

[Via Engadget Polska]

Continue reading Video: Polish students take building light shows to the next level

Filed under: Displays

Video: Polish students take building light shows to the next level originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments