Evsion Lab

Aptina producing cellphone image sensor that shoots HD video

It sounds like your camera phone's video capabilities may get exponentially more awesome in the near future. Aptina -- a division of Micron that manufactures one out of every three sensors for mobile phone cameras -- has announced the high resolution 5 megapixel MT9P013. There are better sensors out there already, but this one will also be able to record 720p HD video at 60 frames per second, and 5-megapixel video at 15fps. The sensor is going into production in January of 2009, according to Aptina, so it shouldn't be too long before we start seeing much better quality amateur films out there in the world.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Aptina producing cellphone image sensor that shoots HD video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm axes an undisclosed amount of employees, sort of blames itself

My, my -- how's this for truth in advertising? Palm InfoCenter has confirmed with a Palm spokesperson that the flagging outfit will be laying off an undisclosed amount of employees as the economy worsens and the firm attempts to keep that final nail from being slammed down on its coffin. According to the spokesperson, the company will undergo a certain amount of restructuring (sound familiar?) that will "result in company reductions in the US and internationally." Incredulously, the statement also included this gem: "The global economic downturn continues to dampen demand for consumer goods around the world, and the impact on the economic environment is worsened by our maturing Centro line and the length of time it is taking to ramp our new Windows Mobile products." We won't say for sure that it's actually taking some of the blame here, but it sure sounds like it. Now, if only it would take charge of its future...

[Image courtesy of DayLife]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm axes an undisclosed amount of employees, sort of blames itself originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tiny Wiimote “projector” is not nearly as impressive as it sounds on paper

This image is not necessarily one we are thrilled about having projected upon our walls, but we are pretty fond of anything in miniature. This 2.25-inch Wiimote is actually a semi-ingenious mini-projector which projects an image (yes, only one) from Super Mario Kart when its button is pressed. When you order you'll get a random choice of one of the six possible images, each less exciting and more pointless than the next. They're available from ThinkGeek now for $6, which is maybe worth the roughly one minute of amusement you (or your cat) will get out of the thing.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Tiny Wiimote "projector" is not nearly as impressive as it sounds on paper originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Did Get the Memo, Right? Here’s a Better Way to Book Meetings

This post is part of Mashable’s Startup Review series, which highlights great unsung startups. The series is made possible by Sun Startup Essentials.

Company Name

Bookmeetingroom.com

20-Word Description

A tidy and useful ‘Web 2.0′ SaaS application designed to simplify the management of meeting rooms in the office environment. Niche and Nice!

CEO’s Pitch

Using our online meeting room manager, you can check the availability of any meeting room in your office and make a booking in real-time using a web browser. Organising meetings made easy.

Imagine the simplicity of using an online room scheduler to book a meeting room from your desk rather than having to locate a meeting room coordinator and have them check availability and reserve on your behalf. Typically the larger the organisation the more time can be taken up in the organising a room for a meeting. With bookmeetingrooom.com staff will be able to see with one quick glance which rooms are available from where ever you are. It’s a fantastic facility for anyone who schedules meetings and those who have to attend them.

Mashable’s Take

Fortunately, it’s been a few years since I worked in an office big enough that booking meeting rooms was required. But if I still did, a service like bookmeetingroom.com would make a lot of sense. It’s a web-based application for managing meeting rooms, allowing employees to see a calendar for all of an office’s available conference space and make bookings.

While booking meetings is a seemingly simple task, Bookmeetingroom.com takes just about everything into consideration, like allowing companies to maintain meeting rooms in multiple buildings across different time zones, with reports built in for administrators to see how their workspaces are being utilized. Like other software-as-a-service business models, pricing is based on the number of meeting rooms being maintained and the number of users accessing the system.

If an app for managing meeting space sounds like overkill, you’ve probably never worked in a company where booking meeting rooms becomes a political affair and you wind up huddled in a janitor’s closet. (or maybe I’ve just had some really bad jobs in the past …). The alternatives are typically either a system based on Outlook/Microsoft Exchange’s scheduling features, or just having a receptionist maintain a list of who has what rooms booked.

In any event, bookmeetingroom.com has found a nice niche with a nicely executed web-based product. It seems a bit like something 37Signals should’ve come up with.

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

How would you change Apple’s unibody MacBook / MacBook Pro?

Now that you've had well over a month to toy with Apple's latest MacBook and MacBook Pro, we're just dying to know what your impressions are. Has the glass trackpad turned you off (or just turned you off to every other trackpad on the planet)? Is the inability to order the MBP with a matte display still grating your nerves? Are you happy with the performance? Is your "S" key randomly popping off at the most inopportune times? You just spent a load of cash on what essentially amounts to a first-generation product -- you've every right to make your voice heard. Do just that in comments below.

Filed under: Laptops

How would you change Apple's unibody MacBook / MacBook Pro? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NXE creating HDMI headaches for UK Xbox 360 owners?

The path to Netflix-enhanced glory hasn't been entirely trouble free for everyone, this time it's posters on AVForum noticing a distinct lack of audio on Xbox 360s connected to their HDTV by HDMI. So far suggested solutions for the afflicted include plugging in the hard drive while the system is on, or waiting several minutes before switching the monitor to HDMI, and repeating them every time the system is started. It's not the first time we've heard of UK-centric HDMI weirdness, any of you hearing a whole lot of nothing while gaming (that's not attributable to hard drive installs)?

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment

NXE creating HDMI headaches for UK Xbox 360 owners? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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sWaP watch phone likely won’t change your opinion of watch phones

While watch phones have gotten a tad more "wearable" in recent years, they still haven't exactly caught on like some folks may have thought they would in their younger, jetpack-filled visions of the future, and we're going to go out on a limb and speculate that this new so-called sWaP watch won't change that situation. As far as watch phones go, however, this one looks to be fairly capable, with it packing a SIM card slot to let you easily hop onto your cell network of choice, a 1.3 megapixel camera, 128MB of built-in memory, a T-Flash card slot to add up to 2GB more, and even an included Bluetooth headset to avoid the embarrassment of actually talking into your watch. You'll have to pay a bit of a premium for this particular slice of a future that might have been though, with the device sporting a price tag of £249, or roughly $370.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables

sWaP watch phone likely won't change your opinion of watch phones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ShareThis, AddThis. Tomato, Tomatoe. Which Blog Plugin Rules Them All? (OWAs)

This article is part of the Open Web Awards, an open, international contest for the best websites and services.

So far, voting in the Blog Plugins category is neck and neck between two services with very similar functions: ShareThis and AddThis. The two plugins make it easy for your blog’s readers to bookmark your site and submit it to social news sites like Digg and Reddit. Several other plugins that help publishers increase page views and engagement are still in the running though. Here’s a quick look at the 10 finalists:

AddThis – Plugin for bookmarking your blog posts and submitting them to social news sites. Recently acquired by Clearspring.

Apture – Links specific words or phrases on a web page to multimedia content like music, video, and Wikipedia entries.

CommentLuv – Lets commenters attach a link to their most recent blog post to their comments.

Leevigraham – Developer of several popular plugins for features like polls, multi-language support, and custom forms.

Ninja Zoo – Plugin for selling your own custom designed products.

Outbrain – Lets users rate blog posts and suggests similar content from your blog and elsewhere.

Plista – Shows similar stories or products.

ShareThis – Lets your readers bookmarks posts and share with friends. Also provides analytics on their sharing habits.

Snap – Adds a “preview” function to the outgoing links on your blog.

Zemanta – Automatically adds links, pictures, and tags to your blog posts.

VOTE OFTEN: One Vote Per Category Per Day

Now it’s time to vote for your favorite blog plugin in the first of two voting rounds. You can vote for one company per day until midnight on November 30th.

Mashable Open Web Awards

Feel free to embed this widget on your own blog or website by clicking the “Grab This” button! For a timeline, rules and information on our 100 blog partners, please visit the Open Web Awards site.

Top Tip For Nominees

You got through? Congratulations! Did you know you can create a custom version of our voting widget above to post to your company blog or website? Just visit the Open Web Awards Widget Creator and check the box to preset a category or company. This means your fans only need to enter an email address to vote - simple!

Start Canvassing for YOUR Candidate!

Want others to vote for your favorite site? Of course you do! Why not leave a comment here and on any of our international partner blogs encouraging other readers to add their support? The more you promote your candidate across these blogs, the more likely it is for your site to proceed to the finals!

OWA Sponsors Love The Web

The Open Web Awards is made possible by our sponsors. By supporting the Open Web Awards, these companies reward and encourage innovative web technologies. We can’t thank them enough for sharing our passion: building great web companies.

Platinum Partner

“PartnerUp brings small business and social networking together to create a community where entrepreneurs find the people, resources and information to grow their businesses.”

Gold Sponsors

“iStockphoto is the world’s leading image market and a revenue-sharing social network. Browse 3.5 million images and videos starting at $1 or become a contributor.”

“With Quintura’s advanced visual-based search and analytics solution, content publishers can increase site usage while creating new ad revenues”

Prize Sponsor

“Infinite and Instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products, most of which are produced within 24 hours.”

5 Must Have Tools for Web Working Moms

Jessica Smith is Chief Mom Advisor of MomForce.com and Chief Mom Officer for Wishpot.com. She chronicles her experiences as a mom and virtual executive at JessicaKnows.com.

More and more moms are leaving the nine-to-five corporate grind and finding themselves working virtually from home in order to spend more quality time with their children. These balance-achieving moms need to stay productive, flexible, and as stress-free as possible what with carpooling the kids, making dinner, and advancing their careers.

As a mom who works virtually myself, I’ve tried out my share of productivity and communications tools. Now I’m going to share with you the five I can’t live without:

Google Apps

I use GMail to manage five different accounts related to the different projects I’m working on. I use Google docs to collaborate with other moms for event planning, project execution, and information capture. And Google calendar is a life saver when scheduling meetings because it plays nice with just about any calendaring platform out there. The bonus? Now that I have a T-Mobile G1, I cut out the step of a daily sync because Google’s Android platform syncs “over the air.” Meaning, I can focus on my child, the dishes, my clients, the mom communities, etc. instead of trying to remember the last time I synched my BlackBerry.

Remember the Milk

As a busy mom, every second counts. Fleeting ideas and phone calls can happen unexpectedly and sometimes at the most distracted part of my day (erm…that would be every part). Remember the Milk is a task list tool that I also use to capture those ideas, jot a quick note, or write down a few words to jog my memory later.

Using the Gmail Remember the Milk Add-on, this nifty little tool now lives within my Gmail screen. Handy and unintrusive, I don’t have to open any extra windows to get what’s in my head on that list. Literally, within seconds, it’s captured and saved. And with my hectic life? Every second counts. Alternatives to Remember the Milk include Jott and Evernote.

Twitter

Seems like more and more moms are on Twitter every day. So it was no surprise when the moms’ twitter streams made headlines recently after a Motrin ad rubbed many moms the wrong way. However, a lot of moms, like me, use Twitter as a way to keep up with current events, parenting resources, and developing friendships. And more moms than you might think are using Twitter as a professional networking tool. I’d even argue that I use Twitter stream as a blog reader that sees more action than my Google Reader.

Want to find moms on Twitter?

- Use Twitter Search with the search term mom, baby, or other keyword like baby sling, preschool, etc to find other like-minded moms on Twitter.

- Sign up for the Twitter Moms Ning group to connect and share with other Moms on Twitter and find new ones to follow.

- Look for a link to the mommy blogger’s Twitter profile on your mommy blogs.

Facebook

Sure, I’ve connected with childhood chums on Facebook as far back as elementary school on this ever-popular (some might even say THE most popular) social networking site. However, I also use it as an effective way to make important announcements about projects I’m working on, sharing resources I’ve found helpful with other moms, and discovering new blogs and websites to read and explore further.

The Notes application makes it easy to share my feed with those that might not be avid blog readers and the Groups function lets me make new connections within various niches of interest. I’ve even designed my own flair with the logos of the companies I work with. Facebook can be a total time waster, but if used properly it can be a valuable tool.

Feeling overwhelmed? Start with these mom-friendly Facebook apps:

- Add your blog, support your favorites and discover new ones with Blog Network.

- Support your favorite charity or express your passion for a cause with the Facebook application Causes.

- Escape from preschool TV show line-up and be entertained by taking your friends quizzes or making up your own with the Quizzes app.

YouMail

This is a neat application that works with your cell phone’s voicemail. A lot of people will find this useful, but moms especially. I know there are some times when because of a yapping puppy and a tired, cranky preschooler, I just can’t get to the phone. With YouMail, not only can I set up different voicemails depending on who the caller is, I can also see who left a voicemail in my email. This, with the ability to forward a voicemail by email to some else, helps me prioritize and therefore makes me productive.

Plus, it takes Caller-ID to a whole different level, by showing me not just the number but the location, too. Working virtually, I get calls from all over the country, so this feature is very useful when taking time zones and the appropriate time to return a call into consideration.

Living a balanced life as a full-time mom and a virtual executive isn’t easy and it’s certainly not without stress. But I’ve found that using a few key tools consistently, makes for a more productive and therefore, more successful outcome both with my family and my career.

What are your must have tools?

Jessica Smith has successfully brought her 8 years of marketing and business development experience home with her, literally. She is Chief Mom Advisor and the woman behind the idea for MomForce.com, Chief Mom Officer for Wishpot.com, and works with big brands including Walmart and Ford. Jessica offers a personal glimpse into her life as a mom and virtual executive at JessicaKnows.com. Her specialties include creating buzz and community for companies that target moms through new media. She has also been recently tapped as one of the 50 Most Influential and Powerful Women in Social Media as #23. Jessica enjoys the best of both worlds, motherhood and career, at home in the DC Metro area with her husband and young son. You can find her on Twitter as @jessicaknows.

Image courtesy of iStockPhoto, iofoto

DARPA enlists IBM to build computer brain as smart as a cat

Researchers have long been trying to model actual brains in order to build a better computer "brain," and it looks like IBM is now getting a helping hand from none other than DARPA in its attempt to create one that it hopes will one day have the intelligence level of a cat. To that that somewhat unnerving end, DARPA is pouring $4.9 million into a project that'll include five universities and scientists of all stripes, who will work together to create an artificial brain that behaves like a real one right down to the neuron level. As the BBC reports, the researchers are describing this latest initiative as a "180 degree shift in perspective" from previous efforts, as they're now seeking an algorithm first and problems second, as opposed to starting with an objective and devising an algorithm to achieve it. As for DARPA's ultimate goal, well, that's still a bit of a mystery, though let's just say we won't be surprised if future robots start to become very easily distracted.

[Via Daily Tech, image courtesy Mack J, Truth and Beauty Bombs]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

DARPA enlists IBM to build computer brain as smart as a cat originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How a Tweet Lead to a Phone Call From Shaq

As we reported yesterday, Shaquille O’Neal is on Twitter, and it’s definitely the real Shaq. But two days ago as a few people started discovering The Big Aristotle’s account, not everyone was convinced.

Bryant Blount (aka lord_b) was one of the doubters after first hearing about @THE_REAL_SHAQ on a sports website. The back and forth between the two ultimately lead to an unforgettable phone call for a sports fan, and perhaps proves once and for all that Shaq is the coolest star athlete on the planet.

After first hearing about Shaq’s presence on Twitter, Blount decided to follow him. A few hours later, much to Blount’s surprise, Shaq followed him back. Skeptical, Blount tweeted “shaq has requested to follow me…boy is he gonna be disappointed.”

A bit later, he added “still 30% skeptical about shaq tweeting…will continue to investigate and report back with any new findings.” Low and behold, Shaq responded at 1am (the guy doesn’t appear to sleep based on his tweets), “LORD B, DNT B SKEPTICAL, ITS ME GIMME A NUMBER I WILL CALL U.”

The Call

Since Blount’s Twitter account is private, he decided to go ahead and post his phone number. Blount explained to me what happened the next day at work. “I was just doing some stuff at work and tweeted ‘waiting for the big Aristotle to enlighten me’. Then a blocked number came up on my phone and I answered. It definitely sounded like Shaq,” he told me. A bit starstruck, the two chatted for “3 or 4 minutes” about Twitter, the “fake” Shaq, and Blount’s hometown – New Haven, CT – where Shaq apparently used to play basketball with some people.

Is Shaq Really That Cool?

After the conversation, Shaq tweeted “I just talk to my good friend lord b, hes cool, im a invite him to a game , him and his family.” Of course, all of this was simply amazing to Blount, who tweeted, “@THE_REAL_SHAQ Big ups to shaq for making my life with that call. you can see why the big fella needs so many nicknames–he’s mad cool.”

Expanding beyond 140 characters, Blount told me “I just thought it was amazing that Shaq was tweeting and really direct. A lot of [athletes] have blogs, MySpace, and Facebook, but Shaq on Twitter is pretty crazy because a lot of people are hearing him. I was never a huge Shaq fan, but one of the things he said was ‘I’m a regular guy just like you.’ I think he’s a great guy and a great person, you can just tell.”

What’s Next For Shaq on Twitter?

Kathleen Hessert, who manages Shaq’s online marketing, commented on our post yesterday: “Shaq is a joyful person and a riot to be around. He not only gets attention but actually attracts people - he’s magnetic and genuine. That’s why I recommended that he twitter. Frankly it suits him and he’s one of a select few who actually do care about his fans. He’s learning twitter on the run and tomorrow I’m showing him how to respond@ to a fan.”

Sure enough, today saw Shaq make his first reply to a follower. The big man is clearly enjoying himself on the service, and while it might be more of a testament to his personality than the virtues of Twitter, it’s remarkable to watch.

ASUS Eee PC 1002HA hands-on and video: looks a lot like the S101

The folks over at Laptop have gotten some quality face time with a pre-production model of ASUS' 10-inch Eee PC 1002 HA, and they seem to like a lot of what they're seeing. It boasts stylings reminiscent of both the Eee PC S101 (trackpad) and the 1000H (keyboard), and as such is basically a hybridized version of the two, though the test model "wouldn't power on" so we can't got much further than that. We do however, know that it'll house a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, and that it'll have a two-cell battery which ASUS claims will give users five hours of juice (though that sounds pretty suspect to us). The Eee PC 1002 HA is expected to ready to roar on the first of December for $499, but if you simply can't wait until then to have a look at it, hit the read like for more photos and a really, really interesting video.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS Eee PC 1002HA hands-on and video: looks a lot like the S101 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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