Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 tested in every way imaginable

Lenovo's 15.4-inch IdeaPad Y530 has been around the block a time or two, but if you've been putting off a buy as you wait for someone to test this puppy out good-fashion, your day has arrived. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware have abused (in a good way, of course) the Y530 in pretty much every way possible, even straining the Core 2 Duo CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M to see how they fared in gaming scenarios. Critics were particularly wowed by the display's crispness and overall stability of the machine -- not once during the gauntlet of tests did this bugger crash or weep under pressure. Of course, serious gamers should probably look elsewhere, but those scouting a do-it-all laptop at a sub-$1,000 price point should definitely dive into the read link below.

Windows Vista SP2 RC may be in the hands of testers as we speak

Sure, the big hubbub's been Windows 7 (give us some time and we'll figure out how to install it on a toaster!) but Microsoft is betting that quite a few folks will be stranded in Vistaland (Vista Town? Vista Village? The dreaded Vista Flats?) for some time to come, and they'll need provisions -- like blankets, candles, water, and service packs. According to Tech Arp, Windows Vista SP2 RC is meeting testers sometime this week as an escrow build, which means that the public could see this thing as soon as early Q2 this year. You've been warned...

T-Mobile dude promises more 'G series' phones this year

In an interview with FierceWireless, T-Mobile USA's senior VP of engineering and operations (and newly-minted chairman of 3G Americas' board) Neville Ray has slipped a couple juicy morsels in the process of talking up his carrier's ongoing 3G rollout. Besides mentioning that T-Mobile wants to double its 3G footprint in 2009, Ray says that "we will be launching more G series phones and other products... in the coming weeks and months." If we had to guess, this probably (hopefully) has something to do with that HTC Sapphire we've seen floating around lately. What's more, you'll see T-Mobile start to ramp up peripheral support this year -- gotta monetize that multi-billion-dollar network somehow -- with a modem launch. All told, these guys still have a long way to catch up in the 3G race with Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint -- but if you want bleeding-edge Android stuff, looks like they'll continue to be your best bet for a while.

Another Pre hands-on video with Palm's VP of design

Man, we can't get enough Peter Skillman -- check out this 25-minute Pre hands-on demo Palm's VP of design did at CES. Sure, there's some overlap with what we saw Matias Duarte demo during the announcement and the shorter Skillman video we saw yesterday, but there's also some stuff that slipped under the radar -- like the Touchstone's "gecko feet" in action at 1:48, a kinda-sorta unboxing at 2:29, an impressive email / IM / SMS multitasking demo at 12:10, and a peek at the video player at 20:09. Skillman also confirms that the Pre will do MMS, but video recording capability and Touchstone pricing remain a mystery. There are also some friendly iPhone and BlackBerry comparisons -- amusingly, he asks for a phone from the audience so he can show off the comparatively higher quality of the Pre's screen and gets a little flustered when handed the super-high-density BlackBerry Bold. Whoops! Overall, though, it's interesting to see Petey Skillz basically just use the Pre for so long -- he throws quite a bit at it, and it never seems to hiccup or slow down, which is definitely encouraging. Video after the break.

VAIO P spotted and unboxed in the American wild

Sure, we were certainly rocking Sony's littlest VAIO in various locations across these United States, but the things have been taking their time in finding their way to the hands of our fellow gadget lovers. After finally starting shipping on Wednesday they're now starting to show up on the doorsteps of lucky folks around the country, with AdamW at HappyAssassin the first to give one the domestic unboxing treatment -- also performing a bonus little comparo with his friendly neighborhood Aspire One. Adam indicates that installing Linux is next on his to-do list, which sounds quite tasty to us.

GigaPan Epic imager released, your party photos will never be the same

You may have heard about that absolutely giant (1,474 megapixel) photo taken of the Inauguration using a Canon G10 and a GigaPan Imager. Well, today the company's launched the GigaPan Epic for commercial sale. It works with most point-and-shoots, and composes a single photograph from many (the inaugural photo was 220) shots. A robotic mount attached to the camera automates the process of taking all of those images, so you don't need to worry about missing any of the details. The GigaPan Epic is available now for $379, and a GigaPan Epic 100 for larger point-and-shoot models is expected "soon." Full PR after the break.

[Via Photography Blog]Launch of "Epic" Signals New Era of Panoramic Images

GigaPan Delivers High-Res Panoramas for Point-and-Shoot Cameras with NASA Technology

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GigaPan Epic, launched today, empowers experienced and novice photographers to capture detailed panoramas with almost any point-and-shoot digital camera. Powered by out-of-this world technology from the NASA Mars Rover, GigaPan makes it easy and fun to create giga-pixel panoramas.

Professional freelance photographer, David Bergman, took his first GigaPan panorama of President Obama's inaugural address, an Epic shot seen around the world. The sweeping image of the new President addressing millions of Americans has such phenomenal detail that by zooming in it is possible to recognize individual faces. Millions have visited GigaPan.org to find themselves in the crowd.

"I knew that this was an important picture, and the story I wanted to convey was the sheer size of the crowd. No single lens could have captured the scene at that quality," said Bergman. "I couldn't have done it without GigaPan."

The GigaPan Epic is so easy to use, Bergman was able to capture this historic shot the very first time he used it. The Epic includes fully integrated software and works seamlessly with GigaPan.org. Everyone can capture the same incredibly detailed images right out of the box. The GigaPan Epic, complete with the GigaPan Stitcher software, is available now at http://www.gigapansystems.com for $379.

Here is how it works: First a digital camera is attached to the Epic, a small robotic mount that automates the picture taking process. Next, the hundreds or thousands of resulting images are downloaded to a computer and the GigaPan Stitcher software automatically combines them into a panorama. Then the GigaPan.org Web site makes it easy to post GigaPan panoramas for sharing with a global community, and the GigaPan Viewer allows people to zoom in and out to explore the panoramas in detail.

"Today we are offering the general public breakthrough high-resolution imaging technology that is the result of years of research by scientists at NASA and Carnegie Mellon University," said Henry Hillman Jr., Founder, President and CEO of GigaPan Systems. "The potential applications for the Epic are limitless. The GigaPan.org site already features more than 10,000 panoramas, and our beta users have taken fantastic panoramas not only of President Obama's Inauguration, but of Yankee Stadium, Chicago skylines, Hawaiian landscapes and thousands of extraordinary images."

GigaPan Panoramas Around the World
High-resolution images captured with the beta version of the GigaPan Epic have already been displayed in exhibits around the world and online at the GigaPan.org Web site.

The City of Chicago's new tourism Web site, http://www.explorechicago.org, features enormous GigaPan panoramas of Chicago. As part of the launch of the new website, millions of visitors to Chicago's O'Hare airport will see an exhibit of 30-by 10-foot mural-size giga-pixel GigaPan photographs of iconic Chicago locations, including the skyline, Millennium Park, and the CME Group Financial Trading Floor. Photography instructor and multimedia artist Jennifer Gooch was one of the GigaPan beta users invited to take GigaPans of Chicago, and her work will be on display in the exhibit.

Alpha version of Intel's Moblin OS released for brave netbookers

It's been nearly a year since we were first confused about what this whole Moblin thing was going to be, but now here it is released to the wild, roaming about in alpha form and looking to find a home for itself in your netbook. If you haven't been following along, Moblin is a custom flavor of Linux that Intel has been whipping up for installation on devices using its chips, particularly the Atom but Core 2 processors as well. It's based on Fedora and, as of this release, is confirmed to work on Acer's Aspire One and Dell's Mini, though Eee peeps can check it out too -- so long as they don't mind living without WiFi. Mind you, this is still a very early version and there's a ways to go before a final release, so feel free to sit this round out if you're not into the whole bleeding edge thing.

India's $10 laptop coming February 3rd, take that Negroponte

Get ready, India's $10 laptop is set for its first unveiling on February 3rd. Ok, so it's not quite $10... $20 actually, but that's far better than the $100 some were estimating. It's also much better than the $200 per OLPC XO deal that Negroponte wanted to reportedly charge the Indian government more than 2 years ago -- an offer rejected by officials with a promise to young Indians to do it better and for less. According to some reports (we can't find anything official), the laptop will feature 2GB of memory, WiFi, fixed Ethernet, expandable memory, and consume just 2 watts of power. The Devil's in the details, they say, but with any luck, India will be swimming in cheap silicon within the next 6 months if the project can keep to schedule... that's a big IF.

Colorsonic concept MP3 player turns your tunes into groovy colors, man

MP3 players with screens that show pretty colors are certainly nothing new, but Rhea Jeong's Colorsonic concept is something rather different. It's a little donut-shaped device that lacks a proper display, instead lighting its sections up to represent different types of music tagged using software at home -- think Shuffle meets mood ring. You could drop all your Sabbath and miscellaneous metal on black, Green Day and various faux-punk on green, and your Clannad and other soothing tunes on a nice dreamy blue. Then, just touch that section of the player and let the music flow. The thing even has storage for two impossibly small Bluetooth earbuds (shown below) that can nestle within the center (aka the Munchkin/Timbit zone). While we generally hate being teased by fanciful concepts as much as you, but this one was developed as part of an internship at Samsung, meaning there might just be a chance it could come to fruition. Sorry, colorblind folks, you'll have to stick with other oddly shaped ways to play your tunes.

Ecobee's eco-saving, WiFi-enabled Smart Thermostat now available for order

When we first heard about Ecobee's Smart Thermostat last October, it claimed the device could recoup its $385 price tag within the first 12 to 18 months of use. Whether or not that's the case, you can now find out for yourself. The WiFi-enabled home automation tool, complete with ZigBee expansion slots, is now available to order online from the company's website. The upfront cost includes the $35 access fee for first year of use. Now how long must we wait until someone throws an emulator on this thing?

NASA investigates problems with Mars Spirit rover

They've manged to make it to the five-year mark despite a few considerable bumps in the road, but it looks like one of the Mars rovers has once again hit a snag, and NASA is now furiously trying to sort out the problem. Apparently, the issue first arose earlier this week when Spirit reported that it had received its driving commands but didn't move. Things were then further complicated later in the day when Spirit failed to record its daily activities, and it seems to have been all downhill since, with the rover unable to even locate the sun in order to reorient itself. What's more, while they're still trying to run some diagnostics to pinpoint the problem, NASA engineers say that the troubles could possibly be caused by cosmic rays hitting the rover, which we all know can only lead to one thing.... zombie rovers.

Samsung's 4Gb chip promises 32GB DDR3 memory modules for PCs and laptops

Oh Samsung, you and your world's firsts. We like to tease but your latest breakthrough is truly notable: the world's first 4Gb (bit, not Byte) DDR3 DRAM PC memory chip based on relatively frugal 50-nm processes. Two things here: 1) the new chips consume 40% less power than previous DD3 memory modules, and 2) the chips pave the way for 32GB (Byte, not bit) DIMM modules. The first modules will come in capacities of 16GB (containing 32 of the new 4Gb chips) for servers, 8GB DDR3 DIMMs for desktops, and 8GB SO-DIMMs for laptops. When, is the question Samsung fails to answer. The question to you is this: you're not still buying full-spec'd DDR2-based laptops are you?

Windows fanperson revs up "Release Windows 7 Now" campaign

It's no secret that the Windows 7 beta that's creeping about the world is generating a lot of excitement -- people want this OS, like, now. To that end, Kelly Poe of Nashville, Tennessee has started up a "Release Windows 7 Now" campaign to get Microsoft to move its behind a little faster. It hasn't gained that much steam yet -- as of this writing, he's only collected 153 votes -- but hey, you just never know, right? Right.

Samsung seems pretty proud of world's highest density DRAM chip

Those of you who actually keep track of which outfits are on top of others in terms of density (yeah, all 8.4 of you) have a new winner to document, as Samsung has just announced the development of the planet's highest density DRAM chip. By utilizing 50 nanometer technology, Sammy has concocted a four gigabit DDR3 DRAM chip, and if it has its druthers, the low-power device will be used in data centers and servers the world over. The module can be produced in 16GB registered dual in-line memory modules (RDIMM) for servers, as well as 8GB unbuffered DIMM (UDIMM) for workstations and desktop PCs, and 8GB small outline DIMM (SODIMM) for laptops. If dual-die package technology is tapped into, the new device can scale as high as 32GB, though Samsung is careful not to mention just how much you'll have to pay for this stuff.

Hey Sony, where's the 1.86GHz VAIO P for America?

We already asked this question with "1.6GHz" in place of "1.86GHz," but seriously Sony, is there some sort of weird embargo on high-speed chips to America that we aren't aware of? While we Yanks have exactly one CPU option for the newly released VAIO P (that'd be the 1.3GHz Atom), those in Japan can order up the VGN-P90S with a 1.86GHz Atom Z540 processor. Of course, it's a ¥15,800 ($174) option over the baseline Z520, but an option nonetheless.

Acer confirms plans for Linux, SSD-equipped 10-inch Aspire One netbooks

It wasn't making any promises on launch day, but Acer has reportedly now confirmed that it will indeed be offering both Linux and SSD options on its new 10-inch Aspire One netbook, though you won't be able to get either option right out of the gate. Expectedly, the Linux distribution on tap is Linpus Linux, and it looks like the only SSD option will be a 16GB drive -- no word on pricing for either, unfortunatly. There's also no firm word on a released date, though it'll apparently be some time after the mid-February roll out of the Windows XP-equipped model.

Intel said to be prepping eight-core Xeon for launch next month

Nothing's official just yet, but Macworld is reporting that Intel will be rolling out an eight-core Xeon processor at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco next month, marking the company's first foray into octa-core processors, and paving the way for 16-core systems using two of the chips. Unfortunately, there aren't many more details than that, with the only other word being that it'll be a 16-thread processor, and be manufactured using a 45-nanometer process. As Macworld notes, however, it does seem likely that the processor in question is the Nehalem-EP seen on the roadmap above, which is based on the Tylersburg platform -- the first product of Intel's throw-a-dart-at-a-map naming scheme.

Philips' 56-inch Cinema 21:9 HDTV gets showcased on video

Philips' groundbreaking Cinema 21:9 HDTV looked so curious when it launched a fortnight ago that we actually questioned its authenticity. Clearly, this beauty is for real. Pocket-lint was lucky enough to be on-hand for its unveiling in London, and it hosted up a nice video showing off the 56-inch beast in action. The black bars you've grown used to detesting were indeed gone, and while Philips wouldn't dole out any hard specifications, we are told that it boasts five HDMI sockets, a Spring release date and an estimated £3,000 ($4,276) price tag. Vid's after the break, per usual.

Acer uncages AMD-powered Ferrari 1200 ultraportable

Wow, has it really been almost a year since Acer's Ferrari 1100 ultraportable was released from the garage? Believe it or not, the proper successor to the aforesaid machine is just now getting its inspection sticker, and it's apparently planning to hit the streets of Britain in the near future. The Ferrari 1200 arrives with an elegant LED-backlit 12.1-inch panel, a carbon fiber cover, a unique ventilation design that "echoes the exhaust pipes of F1 cars" and an "anodized-metal touchpad that resembles the brake and acceleration pedals of a Ferrari car." Corny? Sure, but it's good to know you aren't paying a premium for a logo and nothing more, right? At any rate, you'll also find a bundled BT wireless mouse, an optional Xpress VoIP phone, WiFi module, an AMD Turion X2 Ultra CPU, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a SATA HDD and a fingerprint reader for good measure. Mum's the word on pricing / availability, but we'd bank on "expensive" and "soon."

Google launches Measurement Lab to monitor the tubes, expose meddling

There's not exactly a lack of internet measurement tools out there, but there's none quite as ambitious as the new Measurement Lab (or M-Lab) just launched by Google, along with a little help from the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute and the PlanetLab Consortium. While it's apparently just now getting up to speed, the tool will eventually let individuals and researchers of all sorts poke and prod the internet to their heart's content, measuring performance, and exposing attempts by telecoms to meddle with network traffic and clamp down on things like BitTorrent or Skype. Those efforts will be facilitated by 36 servers in 12 locations across the U.S. and Europe that Google will be opening up early this year, and all data collected using M-Lab will be made publicly available for other researchers to expand upon. Complete details are available at the link below, although Google seems to be having some bandwidth troubles of its own with the M-Lab site at the moment.

Toshiba plans to release fuel cell-based battery charger by end of March

Toshiba's finally ready to enter the fuel cell market, or at least it's saying as much. The company announced this week that it'll release a direct methanol fuel cell-based (DMFC) battery charger this fiscal quarter, before the end of March. Toshiba also said it'll launch DMFC packs for cellphones and laptops in the following fiscal year that begins in April. Details are pretty scant at the moment, and given the technology's past track record, we wouldn't be surprised if it missed the upcoming deadline. Here's hoping our skepticism is unfounded.

Virgin Mobile Helio Ocean 2 unboxed, scheduled for launch with Britney Spears

It looks like the world had better (finally) get ready for Virgin Mobile's Helio Ocean 2 -- not only have unboxing shots of the long-awaited set surfaced today, a Virgin press release hyping the company's sponsorship of Britney Spears' Circus tour casually mentions that it'll be launched alongside Brit's big comeback. "Select fans" will be given Ocean 2s to capture and share images and videos from each show using the phone's blogging, email, and social networking features, so we're guessing that means we'll be seeing a launch before the tour kicks off in March -- and with units out in the wild already, it could be as soon as a couple weeks on February 12. Check all the unboxing shots at the read link -- it looks pretty slick, even if it is way late to the game.

Seemingly real Windows Mobile 6.5 screenshots trickle out of leaky internet faucet

A fine fellow over at the xda dev forum has posted some screenshots of what is purportedly Windows Mobile 6.5 -- and well... they look plausibly real. They're pretty Zune-ish (though maybe slightly less so than the last ones we saw), and also pretty good looking. There's still no info on when we can expect 6.5, though rumors have it that it'll be at MWC. Check some more photos (including the honeycomb app launcher and IE mobile) after the break. Hey Grey Crowned Crane, how're you doing?

[Via Gadgetmix]

Negroponte raps about OLPC 2: 'designed as if we were Google'

Well, our interest was certainly piqued by that OLPC XO-2 mockup that surfaced yesterday, and now the Guardian is saying that the hardware development will take place open source. This is certainly fitting with the company's idealistic ethos, and it'll be interesting to see what other companies bring to the table as the reportedly $75 dual-screen device gets closer to real reality. "The XO-1 was really designed as if we were Apple," Nicholas Negroponte says in the interview. "The XO-2 will be designed as if we were Google - we'll want people to copy it. We'll make the constituent parts available. We'll try and get it out there using the exact opposite approach that we did with the XO-1." He let a few details slip too, saying that it will be dual touchscreen, with one of the displays featuring a touch-sensitive, force-feedback, haptic keyboard. When asked how he feels about the possibility that other companies might profit from all this hard work developing the laptop of tomorrow? "I wouldn't complain." Class act, that one. Bravo.

iPod / iPhone CES pavilion sells out in record time, quadruples to include Mac products -- goodbye, Macworld?

Damn, it hasn't even been a month since Apple's final Macworld Expo appearance, and it already looks like the show's in trouble -- the CEA just announced that its iPod / iPhone-centric iLounge Pavilion sold out just a week after being announced, and that it's quadrupling in size to include Mac-specific products and retailers as well. That means there's going to be 18,000 square feet of CES solely dedicated to the Apple ecosystem, and without the draw of an Apple product announcement to bring the press to Macworld, it's going to be pretty tough for it to attract the top-tier companies and product launches it needs to survive in the face of the CES juggernaut. We'll see how this plays out -- we've got a feeling next year's Macworld is going to be dramatically different.

P.S.- Regardless of what happens, we still think it's really unlikely that Apple itself comes to CES -- why would it ever want to share the spotlight?

2010 INTERNATIONAL CES iLOUNGE PAVILION SELLS OUT IN RECORD TIME; SPACE QUADRUPLED TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMER DEMAND

2010 CES iLounge Pavilion to Feature Largest Display of iPod, iPhone and Mac Technologies in Show History
Arlington, Va., January 29, 2009 – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today announced that the iLounge® Pavilion, a unified iPod®, Phone® and Mac® exhibition area at the 2010 International CES®, has quadrupled in size since its official launch last week. The iLounge Pavilion, co-sponsored by CEA and iLounge.com, will feature manufacturers and retailers of iPod and iPhone accessories, related products and services, and based on requests from vendors, will now grow to include leading Mac developers and retailers as well. Owned and produced by CEA, the 2010 International CES, the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology, is scheduled for January 7-10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We have received an incredible response from companies interested in exhibiting in the iLounge Pavilion at the 2010 International CES," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. "In fact, the original space allocated for the pavilion sold out in less than one week – a CES show record - and we've quadrupled the space to accommodate the overwhelming demand. This exciting new CES Pavilion brings momentum to the consumer technology industry and reinforces the International CES as the global hub for the latest innovative technologies."

"Leading Apple developers and retailers are excited to have such an outstanding stage at the 2010 International CES," said Jeremy Horwitz, editor-in-chief, iLounge. "Whether they're showing off iPod accessories, iPhone applications, or the latest and coolest new Mac products, they know that they'll find the world's largest audience at this great new pavilion."

The iLounge Pavilion, originally floored with 4,000 net square feet of exhibit space which sold out in the first week following the launch, has increased to 18,000 net square feet. Exhibiting companies in the 2010 CES iLounge Pavilion, which will be housed in the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 2, include Griffin Technology, Mobis Technology, Pro Clip USA, Scosche, Incase Designs, Incipio Technologies, iSkin and GelaSkins.

Video: Pandora hardware prototype demoed

We've seen Pandora (in various build states) doing a few things on video in the past but we have never -- and we mean never -- seen it playing a Sonic the Hedgehog game. Actually, what we're looking at is a nearly complete prototype of the hardware, and though the unit is still admittedly in rough-around-the-edges prototype form, it's good to know the project is progressing (and should be welcome news for all those people that pre-ordered way back in October). Near the end of the video there's an epic struggle between the pint-sized console and the hands that would seek to enslave it. Trust us: you don't want to miss this one, guys.

Super Talent unloads 32GB / 64GB SSDs for ASUS Eee PC S101

If your prior budget forced you to select an ASUS Eee PC S101 with just 16GB of succulent SSD storage space, Super Talent has the cure. The outfit has just introduced three new solid state drives made specifically for the aforementioned netbook, all of which tout 90 MB/sec maximum sequential read speeds and up to 55 MB/sec write speeds. You can select from the FPM16RSE (16GB), FPM32RSE (32GB) or the FPM64RSE (64GB), though you'll have to guess on the prices of the first two. As for the big daddy? It'll run right around $169.

Samsung Propel Pro in the wild, caught on camera

More spy shots from the net, eh? This latest set shows what's purported to be the Propel Pro, an update to Samsung's QWERTY that launched last October. There's a more streamlined interface under the screen, including a new optical joystick that according to Boy Genius Report's source is "worthless." The Windows Mobile 6.1 device also sports 3G and a camera of unknown quality, although we expect to at least match its 1.3-megapixel predecessor. Mum's the word on price and availability.

Toshiba rolls out four new Satellite Pro S300-series laptops

Toshiba sure seems to love a quiet, conservative business laptop, and for good reason -- the last thing you need in the offices of middle America is a sudden dash of color causing a "wig out" as bad as anything you'd experience on a tab of Beige Sunshine. Certainly not bucking this trend, ol' Tosh has just added four more 15.4-inch widescreen Satellite Pro S300 series notebooks to its roster. Both the S300-EZ1511 and S300-EZ1512 sport an Intel Pentium T3400 processor, 1GB memory, and a 120GB hard drive. Selling for $529, the former sports integrated GMA 4500M graphics and Vista Home Basic, while the later is going for $579 with GMA 4500MHD graphics and Vista Business. Moving on up the ladder, $649 will land you the S300-EZ1513, which sports an Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, 160GB hard disk storage, 1GB memory and GMA 4500MHD graphics. Lastly but certainly not leastly, the S300-EZ1514 comes to the table with a Core 2 Duo T6570 processor, 2GB of memory, GMA 4500MHD graphics and a 160GB hard drive. This bad boy will set you back a cool $699.

Wasabi DX modchip lets you hack the 'unhackable' Wii, dream the impossible dream

Well, it wouldn't be Thursday without another way to, er, "upgrade" your Wii. In this case, we're proud to present to you the Wasabi DX. Like many a drivechip, this one promises to hack the "unhackable" Wii, sporting plug and play installation on your console's (DMS, D2A, D2B, D2C, D2C2, D2E, epoxy D2E, or D2nothing / D3) drive. The firmware is stored in flash and can be upgraded from DVD, or downgraded (if you ever need to do that) from a backup on the chip itself. Like Wasabi's previous offering, drive read speeds are limited to 3x, which might effect some games, but you were probably expecting that anyways. Pretty exciting, huh? No word on pricing or availability yet, but the company says to expect all that "soonish."

Lenovo Buys Mystery Startup Company

Lenovo has acquired a secretive startup called Switchbox Labs that was cofounded by a former Microsoft Windows executive, the PC maker announced Wednesday.

Lenovo said Switchbox is developing "new consumer technologies," but details about its projects are largely a mystery. Its development work will continue at Lenovo, which said it hopes to integrate the company's technology in future products.

Switchbox cofounders Michael Sievert, Robert Dickinson and Blake Ramsdell have joined Lenovo's ranks. Sievert has been made a senior vice president and will report to Lenovo CEO William Amelio. He previously worked as corporate vice president of Windows marketing at Microsoft and also held senior positions at AT&T Wireless and E-Trade Financial.

According to Sievert's biography on Microsoft's Web site, Sievert was responsible for the worldwide introduction of Windows Vista in 2006 and 2007.

"Switchbox Labs is doing some interesting work, and we are pleased that Switchbox and Mike are joining Lenovo," Amelio said in a statement. The startup is based in Seattle.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Lenovo could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lenovo has been incorporating new technologies in its products to help it reach out to new customers. It recently added instant-on technologies to its IdeaPad S10 netbook and launched a ThinkPad W700DS laptop workstation with two screens. The company also launched the IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one PC with a remote control that doubles as a Wii-like motion-based controller.

IPhone Apps Round-up: The Sporting Life

The moment the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers settle matters on Sunday at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, we enter a blighted period for sports fans. The basketball and hockey seasons are deep into their dog days with the playoffs to far away to think about, baseball players haven't reported for spring training yet, and the only football on the docket is the execrable Pro Bowl--an all-star game that even the all stars hate participating in. Truly, the month of February is a grim time for our nation's sports pages.

And yet, several new additions to the App Store promise to see sports fans through this barren stretch with an oasis of information about their favorite sports and teams.

Prolific app maker GP Apps has spent the past few days ramping up its team-specific iFan offerings for folks with a college basketball jones. The iFan app offers the latest news, scores, and schedule information tailored to your favorite team. Just append the name of your school at the end of iFan--iFanNorthCarolina, say, if your a die-hard Tar Heel, or iFanUCLA if you need to know about all things Bruin. By my count, there are more than 50 iFan apps tailored to schools from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, and SEC conferences; GP Apps also makes conference-specific trackers as well. Each iFan app costs US$1.

Shane McCafferty is also targeting specificity-loving sports fans with a five-pack of applications all focused on a lone sport. The Back Pages apps feature offerings for Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and soccer. Each of the $1 apps offer headline news related to their particular sport.

Finally, fans of other sports can turn to a pair of programs from iApp Ventures. Horse Racing Live delivers horse-racing headlines directly to any iPhone or second-generation iPod touch while Nascar Live offers to do the same for stock-car racing. Horse Racing Live costs $10 while Nascar Live costs $5.

Other apps of interest that were recently updated or added to the App Store include:

Palringo Instant Messenger , from Palringo: The latest update to the free instant-messaging app lists how far contacts are from you in addition to listing the name of their current location.

Cooliris , from : Version 1.3 of the free photo and video search tool adds Flickr and Picasa support as well as performance and stability improvements.

PocketPhonics , from Apps in My Pocket: The $3 app uses animated graphics, sound, and touch to teach children to read via phonics; a free lite version is also available for download.

The Scene , from FiveBG's: The free application finds bars and clubs near your current location as well as a feed of local activities.

ControlPad , from Tienshiao Ma: The $3 utility turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a wireless trackpad and keyboard that can work with OS X, Windows, and Linux machines.

RandPass , from DW:design: The free utility is a random password generator that can create passwords up to 30 characters long.

Hitachi H001 with 3D display leads up KDDI au's Spring 2009 lineup

So KDDI's latest lineup of new phones features the usual array of 8.1 megapixel cameras, wide VGA displays, one-seg TV tuners, and teleporters, but one particular handset stood out: Hitachi's Wooo H001. The dual-hinge flip's claim to fame -- well, besides the bizarre color scheme -- has to be the stereoscopic IPS display that presumably uses the same parallax barrier method shown off by the carrier late last year. The phone will happily serve up 3D-ified versions of various UI elements and mobile TV content, and when you start to get woozy (or Wooozy, as it were), just flip a switch and you're back to the reassuring flatness you're used to. It'll launch in three colors in April, and naturally, you'll have to be in Japan to get it.

Projectiondesign debuts F32 1080p projector for "harsh environments"

We're not quite sure what the folks at Projectiondesign consider to be a "harsh environment," but it seems a pretty safe bet that their new F32 projector should at least be able to hold up in even the dustiest conference rooms, and deliver a full 1080p image to boot. If that's a bit more than you need, the company has also just rolled out similar SXGA+ or WUXGA models, which boast 4100 or 3800 ANSI lumens, a 7,500:1 contrast ratio, and the usual full complement of ports, including dual HDMI inputs. Just don't plan on lugging any of 'em around too far, as they each weigh in at close to 30 pounds. Pricing, as you may have guessed, appears to be on a need to know basis, though all three are apparently shipping now.

Palm touts its gaming roots, Pre conspicuously missin

Hey, Palm, you know when isn't a good time to brag about your rich, time-honored tradition of gaming software stretching back some ten-plus years? Right before the release of webOS and the Pre, a device you've straight-up told us isn't intended for games -- that's when. A lighthearted post on Palm's official blog today waxes poetic about the top Palm OS game downloads on Handango and mentions a few favorite classics from around the blogosphere, but here's the thing: unless Palm wants to get serious about bringing entertainment to the Pre, this just rubs salt in our TurboGrafx-16 emulator-craving wounds. The TI-sourced OMAP3430 underneath the Pre's skin is more than capable of knocking console-quality games out of the park, so we'll just have to twiddle our thumbs for a few months and see how this plays out; at the end of the day, it might simply be a question of how open Palm ultimately wants to get with its SDK.

Cigarette lighter camera shows there's nothing more patriotic than espionage

Sure, Lady Liberty and a bald eagle are great symbols of American freedom, but they're also perfect covers for keeping tabs on your friends. Ajoka's cigarette lighter video camera discreetly records 640 x 480 or QVGA in AVI format at 30 frames per second and supports microSD up to 8GB. It's got a lithium ion battery for 6 hours of filming and is charged via USB. Best of all, it's still a working lighter -- perfect for cheering up your favorite band's love ballads and simultaneously bootlegging the performance. Your local spy shop can order these wholesale for $150 apiece.

Toshiba readies three 1080p Camileo camcorders for Europe

We can't say with any level of certainty why Toshiba chose to announce its new Camileo after CES and before CeBIT, but whatever the reason, we're sure it's a good one. Introduced today over in Germany are three new camcorders, all of which boast simple controls for the technologically challenged and easy uploading to YouTube. The whole lot captures in gorgeous 1080p, and they all feature a handy HDMI output for showing off clips as soon as you snag them. The higher-end Camileo P30 arrives with 128MB of internal storage, an SD card slot, a 3-inch LCD monitor and a 5x optical zoom; the H20 steps down to a 2.5-inch display, while the S10 remains mostly mysterious. As for the bits that matter most, the S10 and P30 will be available early next month for €149 ($197) / €199 ($263), respectively, while the H20 can be snapped up now for €249 ($329).

Laptop display comparison awards top marks to Lenovo

It's not exactly the most extensive round-up, but photographers looking for suggestions on a laptop to pair up with their DSLR would do well to check out Rob Galgraith's latest comparison, which takes a look at the late-2008 MacBook Pro, the Dell Mini 9, and a pair of Lenovos (the W700 and T60). Not so surprisingly, he didn't have too much positive to say about the MacBook's switch to a glossy-only display, but other than that, he found that it mostly held up against its predecessor. It apparently wasn't able to match up against the two Lenovo offerings, however, which came in at number one and two in both color accuracy and viewing angle tests. The W700, in particular, proved to have color accuracy "on par with a fine desktop display," a feat enabled in no small part by its built-in calibrator. He was also especially impressed by the Dell Mini 9, which actually beat out the MacBook in terms of color accuracy, but fell a bit short in viewing angle tests. The fact that it also fits nicely in a DSLR bag certainly doesn't hurt things either. Hit up the link below for the complete breakdown.

URC's PSX-2 iPod dock enables control via universal remote

These days, it's pretty tough to find an iPod dock that differentiates itself from the crowd. Then again, Universal Remote Control isn't your average iPod accessory maker. Designed specifically for the custom install crowd (but aimed at anyone who appreciates tight home integration) is the PSX-2 Personal Server. Put simply, this doodad enables users to control their iPod like never before by providing users a method of "exploiting all of the iPod's features, including some obscure and rarely-used ones," with any ole IR remote. The device provides "hundreds of discrete IR codes that cover virtually every iPod function, and even functions that aren't available on the iPod itself, such as commands for each of the iPod's EQ settings and the ability to perform alpha searches." Sure, it'll set you back $399, but that's a small price to pay for giving your universal remote one more reason to hang around.

School district encourages new technology in classroom

The Davis School District spent yesterday teaching teachers and others in the district how to use new technology to better reach students in the classroom.

Roger Martin, the district's technology director, says one tool it's now using is the personal response system. It's a small keypad that lets teachers ask a question and students respond by texting the answer. It's graded instantly, so a teacher knows right away if the students understand a subject.

The district also is encouraging teachers to use podcasts, digital cameras, blogs and other tools for learning that students relate to.

Martin says another program allows students to save their work on a hard drive at school and then access the files when doing homework by logging on from anywhere with an Internet connection.

T-Mobile launches new Shadow today alongside Nokia 7510

It always brings joy to our hearts to see a new UMA-compatible device come into the market, and T-Mobile's revised Shadow from HTC certainly fits the bill. In fact, it's being launched today as the very first Windows Mobile device to support HotSpot calls over WiFi, joining BlackBerrys and a handful of dumbphones on the support list. Speaking of HotSpot dumbphones, the stylish 7510 flip is also hitting shelves today with changeable faceplates, a trick semi-hidden external display, and 2 megapixels of Pulitzer-caliber shooting power around back in addition to the WiFi radio. Nab the Shadow for $199.99 and the 7510 for $49.99, both on contract after rebates.

AMD has no plans for Geode successor, retirement party

You know that low-power Geode processor that powered a-many of OLPC XOs? Better stock up now, 'cause AMD isn't planning a proper successor. In the words of spokesman Phil Hughes: "There are no plans for a follow-on product to today's available AMD Geode LX products, but we expect to make this very successful processor available to customers as long as the market demands." Pretty straightforward if we should say so ourselves, but it'll be kind of weird with just VIA and Intel holding down the low-power CPU fort. According to Dean McCarron, president for Mercury Research, the Geode was "a nice niche market for [AMD]," but considering the current market, the chip maker is being forced to focus its efforts on fewer devices. It's been real, Geode -- way to go out on top.

T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 review

Along with the Pearl, the Curve series represents the kinder, gentler side of BlackBerry; it's the side that appeals to consumers without sacrificing power, and from time to time, it's the side that's even been known to show some sex appeal. The Curve 8900 really takes that sex appeal to the next level, delivering one of the most drop-dead gorgeous phones ever to grace a corporate boardroom -- and it just so happens that T-Mobile USA's the first American carrier to deliver it, so we've taken the opportunity to put it through its paces. Does it out-Bold the Bold? Head on over to Engadget Mobile for the full

Microsoft sez next-gen Zune hardware / software is still "on track"

Given just how shaky the economy as a whole has been of late, Microsoft's sour news in relation to the Zune isn't quite as shocking as it might be otherwise. That said, plenty of outlets publicly voiced their concern for the future of the line, but now Microsoft has hit back with assurance that everything's still moving ahead according to plan. In a recent interview, Adam Sohn, the Zune's director of marketing, said rather defensively that "every time anything comes up, there is a set of people who pull a Chicken Little and say, 'The Sky is Falling. Zune is dead.' " He continued by stating rather outrightly that Microsoft was "still on track to deliver the next generation of Zune innovation in software and hardware," noting that the planning was "fast and furious" and that "progress" would be delivered this calendar year. Welp, that settles that, huh?

i465 to be first Motorola iDEN phone with QWERTY

A year ago, "innovation" and "iDEN" were two words we wouldn't dare use in the same sentence -- but in the age of i9s and 8350is, the landscape has changed just a bit. That's not to say we'd dare consider switching from CDMA or GSM to the old-school PTT airwaves, but hey, it's good to know the Nextels and Mikes of the world are still getting theirs in 2009. This year should see the release of the Motorola i465, the very first iDEN Moto to score a QWERTY keyboard -- and no, it's not Windows Mobile or anything fancy like that. Instead, it seems they'll be taking the low-tech route by grafting a full keyboard onto a dumbphone, a strategy that's really caught on with many of the world's carriers in the past year as they've looked to boost messaging revenue with cool, affordable phones geared toward a younger segment. It's got Bluetooth 2.0 and a lowly VGA cam, but other than that, specs, release dates, and target carriers are all a mystery to us -- so if you're in that curious group of folks who text and push-to-talk like monsters and can't tolerate anything out of Waterloo, keep your eyes peeled.

Verizon touts 1 million BlackBerry Storms sold to date

Well, it looks like the BlackBerry faithful have come out in full force to snag "Verizon's best-selling device," after all. Despite RIM's nightmarish "new reality," of half-baked firmware and broken dreams, Verizon has made it known that the latest 'Berry has grown to a full 1 million units sold between the November 21st launch and the end of January. Apparently the ever-leaking updates have kept enough people satisfied with the keyboardless device to reach this milestone, so we'll just keep our fingers crossed that the updates don't stop flowing and this powerhouse becomes the titan it has the potential to become.

F-22s Deployed To Guam and Okinawa

This story first appeared in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

In the fourth and largest F-22 deployment so far, a squadron of the U.S. stealth fighters has shifted from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to Andersen AFB, Guam.

Another 12 fighters from Langley AFB, Va., flew to Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan, earlier this month.

The first F-22 deployment was from Langley to Elmendorf, the second was from Langley to Okinawa and the third was from Elmendorf to Guam. All were temporary single squadron moves to test the new aircraft’s logistics and reliability and — in the last two moves — to participate in the rotation of units to the western Pacific Ocean.

Moving the F-22s to non-U.S. bases, like Kadena, which belongs to Japan, is considered risky because intelligence gathering can be conducted from both the island and from ships in the area. Of particular concern are electronic and signals intelligence (sigint) that might be gathered by the extensive Chinese merchant fleet, according to senior U.S. intelligence officers. Russian Tu-95s with sigint capabilities recently flew close enough to Guam to create an operational stir.

U.S. officials say the two units are part of an ongoing rotation of forces to ensure security and stability throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In case of a military emergency in Asia, U.S. fighters from Hawaii, Guam, Alaska and Kadena would shift to forward bases in Japan, South Korea or Singapore. Then additional aircraft from the continental United States would shift to the intermediate bases, ready for further deployment.

A Rare Glimpse Inside FCS Armor

The vulnerabilities, components and processes used to make armor are rarely discussed with reporters, or the general public. Keeping those things secret saves soldiers lives. So when the Army’s testing community rolled out the service’s top armor scientists and allowed us glimpses of the facilities used to make armor as part of our FCS tour at Aberdeen Proving Ground they sent a very clear message of the importance they attach to this enormous program.

After a briefing by two top Army materiel scientists, the group of reporters trudged in to a large room that looked like a cross between a package wrapping station for a small mail-order company (big rolls of flat and bubbly plastics) and an enormous art studio, with several giant presses and kilns dominating the structure. Everyone’s heard of ceramic armor and Kevlar, but few have seen the seemingly ordinary stuff that helps make armor really effective. The two scientists had laid out on a big metal table more than a dozen samples of various armor components. One mat roughly the size of a dinner table mat looked like woven glass fibers. There was a roll of something that felt and looked remarkably like magnetic tape. Of course, there was a ceramic substance that had been shattered in some sort of ballistic test. Next to it was a big thick wad (maybe three inches thick) of surprisingly light aluminum.

Ernie Chin, from the Army Research Laboratory, told us that some armor variants involve ceramics or other materials bonded to metal matrices (of which there were several examples including one that looked a lot like a honeycomb), perhaps with layers of glass, plastics or other more exotic materials. “The whole point is, how do we put all this together,” he said.

All these materials had apparently been used in the search to create the “B” armor for FCS. They are using what is called B-1 armor now and plan to come up with two more variants, using B-3 as the main armor once the FCS vehicles make it to LRIP in fiscal 2013.B-1 provides, a very careful public affairs officer told me, protection roughly equivalent to the Chobham armor on the Abrams tanks. The next variants should be much lighter and provide even greater protection.

After peering knowingly at all this stuff, we headed out by bus to the real world, where we saw battered evidence of the progression the scientists have marched along with the testing community. Past a guarded (and very tall) gate, out past very uninhabited portions of Maryland wetlands and forests we rolled past a few battered-looking MRAPs to a very large set of armored targets for ballistic projectiles.

These included early versions of the FCS armor that were bolted on to an aluminum inner hull, a fact that Col. Gregory Martin, chief of the Army’s J-8 director’s initiative group, told us was “revolutionary” because it would allow armor to be swapped on vehicles as the armor is improved instead of the current state of the art which only allows so-called appliqu� armor to be put on top of the existing stuff. The scientists talking us through these test targets said all the armors and the improvements made to them had performed well or extremely well. Of course, we couldn’t expect them to share the exact vulnerabilities and performance characteristics of the armor, though several of us tried…

One of the wow moments during the initial armor briefing came when the Army’s top armor researcher, Chris Hoppel, told us that the modeling they do on exactly how and why armor performs during a test would occupy a personal computer for about one year. Using various government supercomputers, the Army can get the job done “overnight.”