‘Dark silicon’ used to boost smartphone battery life
Adopting a new, highly automated and reconfigurable approach to hardware acceleration, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have come up with a way to harness the unused silicon real estate in smartphones – the so-called “dark silicon” – as special-purpose processors dynamically optimized to perform the most common tasks in an efficient way…
Continue Reading ‘Dark silicon’ used to boost smartphone battery life
Tags: Android,
Dark Silicon,
Efficiency,
Electronics,
Low-power,
Processor,
Prototype,
Research,
Smartphone
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New amps and effects units outed by Roland
With over a million sales notched up, Roland has announced that the next generation of Cube amplifiers is ready to be let loose. The Cube XL series is available in four sizes, starting at the practice 15W version right up to a gig-worthy 80W model. The amps all feature a host of tones and effects and an auxiliary input to allow a portable music player to provide backing tracks. Features on offer from the new range include amp modeling, channel-switching and a strange-sounding power squeeze function. Roland has also unleashed a couple of BOSS guitar effects pedals – one that offers the player pitch control and voice harmony possibilities and the other squeezing some tube amp sounds into a palm-sized stomp box…
Continue Reading New amps and effects units outed by Roland
Tags: Amplifiers,
BOSS,
Guitar,
Guitar Effects,
Roland
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Near infrared light to help researchers hunt for cancers
Cancer is an insidious disease, paying no heed to when, where or whom it might strike. But scientists continue to wage a war against it, hoping to claim the ultimate prize – a cure. Latest research from chemists at the University of Florida suggests a new technique using near infrared light could help scientists to view and photograph lysosomes – sac-like structures within cells – that are linked to cancer and other diseases…
Continue Reading Near infrared light to help researchers hunt for cancers
Tags: Cancer,
cancer tissue,
Disease,
Infra-red,
Medical
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Researchers unveil prototype implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis
End-stage renal disease, or chronic kidney failure, affects more than 500,000 people per year in the U.S. alone, and currently is only fully treated with a kidney transplant. That number has been rising between five to seven percent per year and with just 17,000 donated kidneys available for transplant last year the waiting list currently exceeds 85,000, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network. Those who can’t secure a kidney for transplant are left reliant on kidney dialysis. An expensive and time consuming process that typically requires three sessions per week, for three to five hours per session, in which blood is pumped through an external circuit for filtration. In a development that could one day eliminate the need for dialysis, researchers have unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney…
Continue Reading Researchers unveil prototype implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis
Tags: dialysis,
Health,
Implant,
kidney,
Prototype,
renal failure
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All-electric Ford Focus to use liquid cooled/heated lithium-ion battery system
One of the downsides of the lithium-ion battery systems used in electric vehicles is that their performance, reliability, safety and durability can be negatively affected by extreme temperatures. When the all-new Ford Focus Electric debuts later this year in the U.S. it will be powered by a lithium-ion battery – no news there. What is interesting, however, is that the battery system will use cooled and heated liquid to regulate battery temperature, which should extend battery life and maximize driving range. ..
Continue Reading All-electric Ford Focus to use liquid cooled/heated lithium-ion battery system
Tags: Cooling,
Electric Vehicles,
Ford,
Heat,
Liquid,
Lithium-ion,
Thermal
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Immersion’s new haptic effects solution heads for Toshiba’s Libretto w100
Are you the sort of person who loves touch screen technology but yearns for the mechanical feel and security of a real keyboard? You may be interested to hear that Toshiba’s Libretto w100 dual touch-screen mini notebook will be the first device to hit the market that incorporates Immersion Corporation’s TouchSense 2500 solution that provides touch feedback effects when hitting keys. The haptic effects help to minimize the chance of mis-keying, provide immediate tactile response and allow you to get all touchy and feely at the same time…
Continue Reading Immersion’s new haptic effects solution heads for Toshiba’s Libretto w100
Tags: Haptics,
Toshiba,
Touch Screen
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Sun, dust, music, desert and a free solar powered cellular network
Burning Man, the popular desert music festival, is this year featuring a free, solar powered cellular network for the duration of the festival which winds up on Monday. The open source software, OpenBTS (Open Base Transceiver Station) is a low-cost replacement for traditional cell networks. It allows mobile phones to connect to each other if they’re all within range of the transceiver, or to connect with any other phones with Internet connection. It utilizes a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) to create a GSM air interface on any standard GSM mobile phone. The founders of Burning Man, which began this week in Black Rock City, Nevada, have decided to trial the system by allowing the 50,000 or so attendees free access to the network.
..
Continue Reading Sun, dust, music, desert and a free solar powered cellular network
Tags: Cellphone,
Cellular,
Linux,
Mobile Phone,
Network,
Open Source
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New tech allows ‘memory materials’ to store multiple memorized shapes
They’re known as smart materials, memory materials or shape memory alloys, but it all boils down to the same thing: materials that hold one shape, but then take on another at a certain temperature. Such substances have been around for decades, but now researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo have taken them to a new level. Using a patent-pending process, they can embed multiple shape memories in one object – in other words, while memory materials can presently take on only two shapes, going from one to the other at just one temperature, using the new process they could take on several shapes at several temperatures. The Multiple Memory Material Technology (MMMT) is said to work with virtually any memory material…
Continue Reading New tech allows ‘memory materials’ to store multiple memorized shapes
Tags: Memory,
Metamaterial,
Smart
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The Rydeen GCOM701 tablet/GPS navigation hybrid device
Integrated silicon solutions company, Marvell along with Rydeen Mobile Electronics have announced the Rydeen GCOM701, a new Android™ tablet. The GCOM701 features built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth capability, removable memory, a front-facing camera and easy connectivity for jump drives, along with an internal microphone and speaker, enabling the use of Internet-based communications services such as Skype. A 7 inch TFT touch panel with 800×480 pixel resolution, which also provides ability to surf the web, read e-books and view photos or videos. Whilst on the road, the GCOM701 functions as a portable navigation device, including four million points of interest. The 7.4 volt battery provides considerable standby time and 6 hours of operational time. ..
Continue Reading The Rydeen GCOM701 tablet/GPS navigation hybrid device
Tags: Android,
GPS,
navigation,
Tablet
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Nanotube sheets could lead to stealthier submarines
Two years ago, Chinese scientists coated one side of a flag with a thin sheet of nanotubes, then played a song using the flapping sheet-coated flag as a speaker. It was a demonstration of flexible speaker technology, in which nanotubes can be made to generate sound waves via a thermoacoustic effect – every time an electrical pulse is sent through the microscopic layer of nanotubes, it causes the air around them to heat up, which in turn creates a sound wave. Now, an American scientist has taken that technology underwater, where he claims it could allow submariners to detect other submarines, and to remain hidden themselves…
Continue Reading Nanotube sheets could lead to stealthier submarines
Tags: Acoustic,
Nanotubes,
Sound,
Speaker,
Stealth,
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Underwater,
University of Texas
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Samsung’s tilting lens full HD camcorder saves aching arms
Tilting LCD screens that let users keep an eye on the action when holding a camcorder up high or down low are pretty much standard nowadays, but they don’t help reduce the arm and wrist fatigue that results when holding the device in such positions. The new HMX-T10 camcorder unveiled by Samsung at IFA 2010 does, however, by featuring a Slanted lens that tilts 20 degrees to allow users to keep their desired subject in frame, while holding the camera in a more comfortable position…
Continue Reading Samsung’s tilting lens full HD camcorder saves aching arms
Tags: Camcorder,
IFA 2010,
Lens,
Samsung,
Tilting
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Philips debuts the Airfryer – crispy fries without the fat
Fried food without oil… is such a thing possible? According to Philips electronics, the answer is yes. Philips recently unveiled their Airfryer at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, where we were on hand to check the device out. It’s still early to be making any sweeping statements, but this product could have a huge impact on the developed world’s obesity epidemic…
Continue Reading Philips debuts the Airfryer – crispy fries without the fat
Tags: Consumer Electronics,
Cooking,
Food,
IFA 2010,
Philips
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ViewSonic reveals 7-inch Android tablet
Somewhere between what we’ve come to know as a tablet computer and a smartphone sits ViewSonic’s new Viewpad 7. You might already guess from the name that this portable tablet with phone functionality sports a 7-inch touchscreen display. It runs on Android 2.2, has both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, and cameras at the back and front. The device is currently on show at ViewSonic’s stand at IFA 2010 in Berlin, but for those not lucky enough to be in Germany this week, here’s a brief summary of what’s on offer…
Continue Reading ViewSonic reveals 7-inch Android tablet
Tags: 3G,
Android,
IFA 2010,
MicroSD,
Smartphone,
Tablet,
Viewsonic,
Wi-fi
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Localized heating could be the key to mass-producing graphene nanocircuits
Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have documented a major breakthrough in the production of nanocircuitry on graphene, a material that many envision as the successor of silicon for our electronics needs. Using thermochemical nanolithography (TCNL), the team found that the electrical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be easily tuned to reliably produce nanoscale circuits in a single, quick step…
Continue Reading Localized heating could be the key to mass-producing graphene nanocircuits
Tags: Electronics,
Engineering,
Georgia Tech,
Graphene,
Nanoscale,
Nanostructures,
Nanowires
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Reducing your power bill with Microsoft’s Hohm
For a lot of people, the electricity bill is an unwanted piece of paper printed with angular graphs and big dollar signs, but with the rising cost of power in today’s energy-conscious society it’s becoming more important to understand exactly what all those lines and numbers mean. Microsoft’s Hohm website aims to make sense of the jargon by providing personalized data on consumers’ home energy consumption, and offering recommendations on how to save energy and reduce those bills. ..
Continue Reading Reducing your power bill with Microsoft’s Hohm
Tags: Consumption,
Electricity,
Energy,
Energy-saving,
Hohm,
Microsoft,
Power,
Wifi
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Review: mTrip iPhone app uses augmented reality
(AP)
AP – The new iPhone application mTrip is a travel guide and then some: It uses the latest in smart phone technology to make it easier to stay on track in a foreign locale.
Dubai police chief calls BlackBerry a spy tool
(AP)
AP – Worries about spying by the U.S. and Israel spurred plans to sharply limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s police chief said in comments that suggest a tough line in talks with the smart phone maker.
Dell’s enterprise challenge remains after 3Par
(AP)
AP – Dell Inc. doesn’t have to start over in its quest to become a significant purveyor of technology for businesses after losing a multibillion dollar bidding contest for an obscure data-storage maker.
Able to unplug from work while you’re on vacation?
(Ben Patterson)
Ben Patterson – Fighting the urge to check your work e-mail while you’re on holiday doesn’t exactly qualify as the worst problem in the world; after all, it’s pretty nice to have a job at all in this tough economy, right? Then again, the pressure to hang onto a job seems to be driving more and more connected workers to stay plugged in even while they’re trying to tune out.
Mobile users still wary of being found, survey says
(Ben Patterson)
Ben Patterson – Feel the need to “check in” on Foursquare or Facebook every time you saunter into a restaurant, browse the goods at your neighborhood grocery store, or cram into a rock concert? Well, if you, you’re still in the minority — and you’re also probably a guy below 40 — according to the latest research.
Summary Box: iPhone app with augmented reality
(AP)
AP – THE APP: Available for the iPhone, mTrip is a travel guide and more. It uses the latest in smart phone technology to help travelers stay on track.
Dell cedes data-storage maker 3Par to HP
(AP)
AP – Dell Inc. is walking away from a bidding contest with rival Hewlett-Packard Co. for data-storage maker 3Par Inc.
Samsung tablet makes Euro debut
(Appolicious)
Appolicious – The Samsung Galaxy tablet arrived at a Berlin trade show this week (pricing and availability to follow soon) and the early buzz by people who handled the gadget was positive. Several other Android-based tablets will follow soon, as this AndroidApps.com piece points out.
Twitter tops 145 million registered users: CEO
(AFP)
AFP – Twitter has over 145 million registered users and more people are using mobile devices to access the microblogging service, according to co-founder Evan Williams.
Samsung GalaxyTab brings new life to Android
(Appolicious)
Appolicious – This was a big week for the mobile OS wars, with previews of upcoming Android tablets emerging in the days leading up to the IFA event in Germany. Just before the conference kicked off, however, Steve Jobs debuted a redesigned line of iPods, along with an updated iTunes that features a social network.
Bug found with Automator and iTunes 10
(Macworld.com)
Macworld.com – As youâre aware, Apple just released iTunes 10. With that release has come some changesâboth expected and not so.
iOS Bigger than Linux and Android Combined [STATS]
(Mashable)
Mashable – According to the latest numbers from Net Applications, iOS is the third most popular platform on the Internet, surpassing Linux and Android combined.
Shoot photos and upload fast to Facebook with SayCheeze iPhone app
(Appolicious)
Appolicious – I’m not sure I’d necessarily say the process of shooting a photo with your iPhone and then opening your Facebook app to upload it is a particularly stressful one, but I suppose if you’re looking to cut down on the extra step, SayCheeze might just be for you.
Security Program Automatically Tracks Down Missing Patches
(PC World)
PC World – Secunia has updated its Personal Software Inspector (PSI) with the ability to silently download and apply patches from multiple vendors soon after their release. PSI 2.0 is now available in an open beta test,
Disk Storage Still Bouncing Back, IDC Says
(PC World)
PC World – The market for enterprise disk storage systems grew strongly in the second quarter, continuing to recover from a slump brought on by the economic slowdown of 2008 and 2009, research company IDC said on Friday.
