Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite media streamer says hello to the FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/netgear-digital-entertainer-elite-media-streamer-says-hello-to-t/

Netgear returns with the Digital Entertainer Elite network media streamer taking an early peek from cover to go through its paces at the FCC test center. Two years after the EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD, the EVA9000 model adds support for a 3.5-inch SATA internal HDD, 802.11n and more to its predecessor’s lengthy list of features. The leaked spec comparison after the break reveals AVI, XviD, DivX and h.264 decoding returning plus Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, MKV, TS, M2TS file support that should chew through any HD files you’ve got and then some. Why wait for an official announcement, shipping date or price? The FCC already had its fun, so check out the PDFs for a full manual plus pictures inside & out, then once this box hits the stage at CES just pretend like you never saw it with the cover off.

[Pictures via AVSForum]

Continue reading Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite media streamer says hello to the FCC

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite media streamer says hello to the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s X360 ultraportable reviewed: cheaper than competition, but not as good

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/samsungs-x360-ultraportable-reviewed-cheaper-than-competition/

If Apple’s Macbook Air is the poster-child for “form-over-function,” and Lenovo’s X300 its utilitarian cousin, Samsung’s X360 falls somewhere in between on the 13.3-inch wafter-thin ultraportable family tree, serving as another solid, though somewhat underwhelming choice according to TrustedReviews‘ full write-up. It’s not as thin as the Air, but is slightly lighter while still feeling reasonably durable, and with a full complement of ports certainly has the edge in terms of utility. It also manages to be a bit more visually appealing than the X300, is blessed with a “superb” keyboard (which we liked, too), and the five hours of battery life in real-world usage impresses as well. But, it’s hampered by a disappointing 1280 x 800 glossy screen and an under-performing 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU. The thing is popping up at online retailers a bit cheaper than we’d expected (we found one for about $150 lower than Samsung’s indicated $1,899 MSRP), but, in the US at least, might just be priced a little too close to its proven competitors to make it a serious contender over here.

[Thanks, Simon W]

Filed under: Laptops

Samsung’s X360 ultraportable reviewed: cheaper than competition, but not as good originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 WARP system to allow for DirectX 10 CPU acceleration

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/windows-7-warp-system-to-allow-for-directx-10-cpu-acceleration/

We’ve already heard that Microsoft plans to make use of GPU acceleration in Windows 7, but it looks like the company is also going to be doing its part for the GPU-less out there, with the OS’s new so-called WARP system promising to allow for DirectX 10 acceleration using nothing more than a plain old CPU. Among other things, that’s apparently being done to avoid a recurrence of the Vista-capable debacle that happened last time around, when some systems that were said to be capable of running the OS were, in fact, anything but. According to Microsoft, WARP (or Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform) will work with as little as an 800MHz CPU, although it says it’ll work better on multi-core processors with SSE 4.1. To really put it to the test, Microsoft apparently even went so far as to run a few Crysis benchmarks with the system, and managed to clock in a blistering 7.36 fps frame rate at 800 x 600 on a Core i7-equipped PC, which is actually slightly better than what Intel’s current integrated graphics were able to eek out.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Windows 7 WARP system to allow for DirectX 10 CPU acceleration originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China’s QiJi i6 supports Android, Windows Mobile, lust in one package

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/chinas-qi-i6-supports-android-windows-mobile-lust-in-one-pack/

For now, Android’s got about as much enterprise support as a Sidekick (well okay, a little more, but not much) — so that’s got to be keeping G1s out of the hands of throngs who are too tied-down to Exchange, Notes, or some equally stuffy piece of server-side software to be able to make the switch. China’s QiJi feels your pain, which is where the company’s surprisingly okay-looking i6 comes into play: the handset supports both Android and Windows Mobile, although you can’t dual-boot — you’ve got to choose one and run with it until you decide to install the other. It packs a 624MHz processor, 256MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, a trackball, and — in lieu of a QWERTY slide — an on-screen Chinese keyboard with stylus support that we haven’t seen before. Android, we love ya and all, but until you go through puberty, this multi-platform support is just about the best thing we’ve ever heard.

[Thanks, zsx]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

China’s QiJi i6 supports Android, Windows Mobile, lust in one package originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI unveils a slew of new netbooks and one lonely nettop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/msi-unveils-a-slew-of-new-netbooks-and-one-lonely-nettop/

It looks like MSI has been pretty busy lately. We got a good look at the MSI Wind U120 about a week ago, and now the company’s back with a slew of new machines and we have plenty of details for you to savor. Most notably, the U115 is a 10-inch netbook featuring the Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1-2GB memory, and a hybrid SSD / hard drive storage system. The solid state drive (being smaller and theoretically faster) is meant to contain the OS while the hard drive is to be used for data. The U110 is basically the same as the U115, except it only ships with 1GB memory and there is no SSD included. Also introduced were the U150 (sadly enough with no specs, besides the fact that it also ships with both HDD and SSD storage) and the WindBox, an Atom N270-based nettop designed to be VESA-mounted to the back of your monitor. The WindBox should be available Q1 2009 for around €300. Keep reading after the break for a complete rundown of all the specs.

Read – MSI WindBox Revealed
Read – MSI unveils new netbooks, unusual storage systems

Continue reading MSI unveils a slew of new netbooks and one lonely nettop

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

MSI unveils a slew of new netbooks and one lonely nettop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Linux hits the iPhone!

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/28/linux-hits-the-iphone/

We knew this day would eventually come, but somehow we’re still misting up a little — Linux has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Dev Team member planetbeing is the mastermind in charge of bringing everyone’s favorite open-source OS to Apple’s handhelds, and while it’s a little rough around the edges (read: no touchscreen drivers, sound, or WiFi / cell radio support), it’s definitely the first step on the road to hacking nirvana. The team is hard at work, and it even sounds like they’re thinking about porting Android in the near future (!), so hit the read link to try it out and lend a hand if you can — or just head on past the break for a quick vid of the port in all its text-scrolling glory.

[Via iphone-dev.org; thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Linux hits the iPhone!

Filed under: Cellphones

Linux hits the iPhone! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UMich VIVACE Hydropower System Makes Energy From Slow Currents [Hydropower]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/I0MVzzKvjjo/umich-vivace-hydropower-system-makes-energy-from-slow-currents

A new hydropower prototype from the University of Michigan could end up using even slower river and ocean currents to generate energy. VIVACE, which stands for Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy, can generate power from as little as 2 knots, making it more useful than most turbine and water mill systems out there, which need an average of 5 to 6 knots to operate efficiently.

The system works by harnessing “vortex induced vibrations,” the thrumming caused by the flow of liquid or air over rounded objects. A cylinder placed underwater is subject to the current and starts to vibrate as liquid sticks and creates eddies on the object’s opposite side. It’s the same scientific principle that caused the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940.

“For the past 25 years, engineers—myself included—have been trying to suppress vortex induced vibrations. But now at Michigan we’re doing the opposite. We enhance the vibrations and harness this powerful and destructive force in nature,” said VIVACE developer Michael Bernitsas, a professor in the U-M Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Just a few cylinders could possibly power an anchored ship or a lighthouse. An array of VIVACE cylinders about the size of a running track could produce energy at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour and power about 100,000 houses. U of M is now working on possibly deploying a pilot project in the Detroit River within the next 18 months. [UMich via Gizmag]

UMich VIVACE Hydropower System Makes Energy From Slow Currents [Hydropower]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/I0MVzzKvjjo/umich-vivace-hydropower-system-makes-energy-from-slow-currents

A new hydropower prototype from the University of Michigan could end up using even slower river and ocean currents to generate energy. VIVACE, which stands for Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy, can generate power from as little as 2 knots, making it more useful than most turbine and water mill systems out there, which need an average of 5 to 6 knots to operate efficiently.

The system works by harnessing “vortex induced vibrations,” the thrumming caused by the flow of liquid or air over rounded objects. A cylinder placed underwater is subject to the current and starts to vibrate as liquid sticks and creates eddies on the object’s opposite side. It’s the same scientific principle that caused the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940.

“For the past 25 years, engineers—myself included—have been trying to suppress vortex induced vibrations. But now at Michigan we’re doing the opposite. We enhance the vibrations and harness this powerful and destructive force in nature,” said VIVACE developer Michael Bernitsas, a professor in the U-M Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Just a few cylinders could possibly power an anchored ship or a lighthouse. An array of VIVACE cylinders about the size of a running track could produce energy at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour and power about 100,000 houses. U of M is now working on possibly deploying a pilot project in the Detroit River within the next 18 months. [UMich via Gizmag]

Toshiba unveils 16GB microSDHC card of its own

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/26/toshiba-unveils-16gb-microsdhc-of-its-own/

SanDisk was first out of the gate with a 16GB microSDHC card, but Toshiba’s just two months behind with the announcement of its iteration. Slated for mass production in January of 2009, the capacious SD-C16G should provide plenty of room for your EMF albums and that Rage Against the Machine discography. In related news, Tosh also introduced the soon-to-come SD-F16G and SD-F08G, 16GB / 8GB Class 6 SDHC cards that should handle even the quickest of cameras when they launch over the next few months. No prices to chew on just yet, but we’d wager they’ll be competitive.

Filed under: Storage

Toshiba unveils 16GB microSDHC card of its own originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fedora 10 goes live: your download awaits

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/26/fedora-10-goes-live-your-download-awaits/

Just six short months after Fedora 9 hit the tubes, in flies Fedora 10 to give you something new to tinker with over Thanksgiving break. The latest iteration of the Linux-based OS bundles in OpenOffice 3.0 and touts a “wide range of improvements in areas such as virtualization management, networking, boot time and security.” Don’t mind us, though — you can delve as deep as you like in the release notes while your download progresses.

[Via PC World]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Fedora 10 goes live: your download awaits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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