Archive for December 5th, 2009

Previous reviews haven’t been all smiles, but we’re finally able to pick up Nikon’s Coolpix S70 and see for ourselves. On form factor alone, it’s a pretty alluring build — even the faux leather front is tastefully done. While the tap-to-focus feature is a nice addition, we’re less enthused about the OLED screen’s viewing angles when outside — and seeing as we’ve go no other way to see the memories we’re framing, that’s pretty disappointing. We’re still putting it through its paces before we dole out full impressions, but in the meantime, enjoy our unboxing and hands-on photos.

Nikon Coolpix S70 unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Twoddler lets your toddler twitter and summon the Fail Whale #cute

Twoddler lets your toddler twitter and summon the Fail Whale #cute originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, it may not exactly be the computer everyone’s been pining for, but those that have dreamed of an ARM Cortex-A8-based computer on a SODIMM module now finally one to call their own. That comes in the form of Direct Insight’s new TRITON-TX51, which outdoes the Nokia N900 with an 800GHz Cortex-A8 processor, along with Freescale’s i.MX515 system-on-a-chip, 128MB DDR400 RAM, 128MB of NAND flash, and a touchscreen controller that can drive screens at resolutions up to 1,280 x 768. You’ll also get some other things nice to have on a computer like a 10/100 ethernet controller and a USB 2.0 interface, and even a reasonably capable PowerVR graphics engine that can do OpenGL ES 2.0 and hardware 720p decoding for MPEG-4/H264 video. Look for this one to land sometime next month for €150 (or just over $220).

Direct Insight debuts SODIMM-sized, ARM-based computer-on-a-module originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t freak out or anything. But all that time you spent building a DIY in-wall USB charger may have been for naught. Of course, you’ve gained a useful learning experience and potentially gotten a lesson in the dangers of electricity, but you could have simply ordered this TruPower UCS outlet from FastMac, which packs the same two USB charging ports as the DIY outlet, along with two standard power outlets for your other power-hungry devices. Best of all, it only costs the same ten bucks that the DIY option would have set you back, but it looks like it won’t start shipping until sometime early next year.

$10 USB power outlet leaves no plug behind originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Onion turns us on to new, better devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Mintpass Cube MP3 player features plenty of style, few capabilities

Mintpass Cube MP3 player features plenty of style, few capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well. NVIDIA has to be loving this. Intel has announced today that not only is its Larrabee graphics chip delayed, that chip which promised to usher in a new era of post-GPU computing, but that it’s been downgraded to a “software development platform.” Intel isn’t even saying what that “software development” will be aimed at, though we have to assume it would be some future version of the hybrid GPU / CPU chip. As to when the kit itself might arrive is anybody’s guess, Intel is merely saying “next year.” Meanwhile we can look forward to Intel’s first example of a GPU / CPU hybrid in the upcoming Pineview Atom processor, which kicks those lackluster integrated graphics to the curb and moves everything onto the CPU. Who knows if that will be enough to quell the NVIDIA’s quiet takeover of the higher-end netbook space with its ION graphics, but with Intel’s current track record in the graphics space, we doubt it.

Intel’s Larrabee graphics processor delayed, downsized to mere software development platform originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily roundup: here’s what you might’ve missed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best of the rest from the Physics arXiv this week:

INTEGRAL – A Status Report

Living Tissue Self-Regulation as a Self-Organization Phenomenon

Ex-Vivo Detection of Neural Events Using THz BioMEMS

Sample Genealogies and Genetic Variation in Populations of Variable Size

Critical dynamics of Decoherence

Gigapan’s Epic camera robot is an interesting beast, and calling it a niche device would be understating things rather dramatically. We had the opportunity to take an Epic 100 for a spin earlier this year, and we’re guessing that a few of you adventurous photographers have managed to pick one up since. If so, we’re curious to know how you’re enjoying things. Are you satisfied with the panoramic results? Is it snappy enough? Versatile enough? Any modifications you’d like to make if you were leading up the redesign? Toss your thoughts in comments below, cool shutterbug?

How would you change Gigapan’s Epic camera robot? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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