Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens

Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens:

Google's fast-track approach to updating Chrome gives a different theme to each update: last time, it was all about visual acuity. For the just launched Chrome 22 stable version, the focus swings to gaming. Web apps can now lock in the mouse control for first-person shooters, simulations and other 3D content that needs the full attention of the pointer during play. Not keen on action games through the browser? There's still some fine-tuning in place for those who live on the cutting edge, including Windows 8 users and Retina MacBook Pro owners. The update may already be sitting on your computer if you're running Chrome; if not, you can get your gaming-friendly fix (and the security notes) through the source links.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software

Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fruit salad trees with six different fruit-bearing branches grafted on them

Fruit salad trees with six different fruit-bearing branches grafted on them:


The Fruit Salad Tree Company of Emmaville, NSW, Australia sells trees that have up to six different fruit-bearing branches grafted on them.

* Stone fruits which grows peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and peachcots

* Citrus which grows a winter and summer orange, mandarins, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangelos and pomelos

* Multi-apples only

* Multi-nashi fruit only

The Fruit Salad Tree can be grown in the ground as for normal fruit trees, or in pots for those people with very limited space. Instead of having numerous different trees with more fruit than your household can consume there is only one tree with all of the fruits ripening naturally over a period of months. There can be more than one variety of an individual fruit on a tree, thus extending the picking time.

Fruit Salad Tree Company

(via Kottke)

Apple A6 investigation shows highly customized dual-core, triple-GPU layout

Apple A6 investigation shows highly customized dual-core, triple-GPU layout:

There's been a significant mystery lingering around the A6 processor found in the iPhone 5, even as it became clearer that Apple was veering further than usual from the basic ARM formula. A microscope-level inspection by Chipworks and iFixit is at last identifying the key elements of the 32nm, Samsung-assembled chip and revealing just how far it strays from the beaten path. The examination confirms earlier suspicions of a dual-core design with triple-core graphics -- it's how that design is shaped that makes the difference. Apple chose to lay out the two processor cores by hand rather than let a computer do the work, as most ARM partners do. The procedure is expensive and slow, but also gives the A6 a better-optimized design; it explains why the chip is noticeably faster than much of its competition without needing the brute force approaches of higher clock speeds or extra cores. Some mysteries remain, such as the exact PowerVR graphics that are at work, but it's evident Apple now has the design talent and resources to speed up mobile devices on its own terms rather than wait for off-the-shelf layouts like the Cortex-A15.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Apple A6 investigation shows highly customized dual-core, triple-GPU layout originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keep Debates Productive with "Plussing" [Communication]

Keep Debates Productive with "Plussing" [Communication]:

Keeping a debate or argument productive isn't easy. Often when emotions are running high and you're defending (or attacking) an idea it's easy to get off track. It's not impossible to manage, and as 99u points out, the film studio Pixar uses a structured conflict technique they call "plussing" to keep things on the level. More »

Mechanical Donkey Kong game tests your barrel-jumping skills, patience

Mechanical Donkey Kong game tests your barrel-jumping skills, patience:

We've seen quite a few NES mods in our day, but we can't say we've ever seen one hooked up to anything quite like this. Built by DIY-er Martin Raynsford, this contraption / work-of-art makes use of an Arduino (naturally) to relay signals from the NES controller to the Donkey Kong screen brought to life above, which was constructed with near pixel-perfect accuracy out of laser-cut parts. As Raynsford points out, though, things are still a bit limited in the game's V1 state. There isn't much of an actual "game," for starters -- just Mario stuck in the middle with a never-ending loop of barrels / ball bearings that you can jump over. A second version is planned with a greater degree of control, but we're guessing the video for it won't be quite as hypnotic as the one after the break.
Continue reading Mechanical Donkey Kong game tests your barrel-jumping skills, patience
Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Alt

Mechanical Donkey Kong game tests your barrel-jumping skills, patience originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 camera gets tested in Iceland, panorama and low-light comparison with iPhone 4S included

iPhone 5 camera gets tested in Iceland, panorama and low-light comparison with iPhone 4S included:

Sure, we tested the iPhone 5's camera in the well-lit streets of New York City, but if you're wondering how Apple's latest functions when used primarily as a shooter, TREK has a pretty remarkable look. Photog Austin Mann and a few of his closest pals took a pair of iPhone 5s to Iceland following launch weekend in a bid to test the unit's durability, capability and image quality next to the 4S. After two days of geyser spray and admitted "drops in mud," the uncovered 5 seemed to be a-okay, and when it comes to output from the sensor, that's worthy of praise as well.
The low-light capabilities of the 5 are perhaps the most impressive upgrade compared to the 4S, with much less noise seen in shots from the former. He also gushed over the panorama mode, which admittedly churned out some pretty seamless results of the Icelandic countryside. As for shutter speed? That too has been "significantly" improved over the 4S. He interestingly noted that Snapseed was acting a bit wonky with iOS 6, but one has to wonder how much smoothing will be done by the Nik team now that Google's calling the shots. Hit the source link below for the full rundown, comparisons included, and a video that shows how the iPhone 5 reacts after sunset.

Gallery: iPhone 5 shooting landscapes in Iceland

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile

iPhone 5 camera gets tested in Iceland, panorama and low-light comparison with iPhone 4S included originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Designer spends 600 hours creating jaw-dropping Lego masterpiece

Designer spends 600 hours creating jaw-dropping Lego masterpiece:

Taking more than 600 hours to create over two years, this mind-blowing contraption has been dubbed 'the most insane Lego machine ever built.'

The astonishing contraption took 600 hours to build (Picture: YouTube/ akiyuky)

Created by brick-building genius Akiyuki, the visionary has taken Lego construction to another dimension.
The machine, put together in the construction fanatic's living room, has been designed simply (or pointlessly) to transport miniature balls across over 101ft at a rate of one ball per second.
Section one: The ball factory (Picture: YouTube/ akiyuky)

Simply named the Lego Great Ball Contraption, its design and construction are of a rather more complicated nature.
The magnificent Lego device features 17 unbelievably detailed modules all linked together to effortlessly guide the mixture of footballs and basketballs around the course.
The machine has been built to transport 500 balls across 101ft (Picture: YouTube/ akiyuky)

Beginning in the ball factory, two items at a time are placed in plastic pots before being sent to the zigzag stair section of the gadget.
Other sections of the course include the balls being fired into mini basketball nets, riding along a train track, sent zooming around various fairground attractions and being transported in a digger.
The video has attracted 70,000 hits online (Picture: YouTube/ akiyuky)

While the machine took two years to build, it took the just two days for the video of the finished product to go viral.
It has already racked up over 70,000 hits on video-sharing website YouTube receiving thousands of likes.
One amused user joked: 'This is how the lottery should work'
While another added: 'Completely useless. I love it.'

VIDEO: Watch the jaw-dropping Lego masterpiece in action

Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?

Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?:

Whether you think they're infamous or merely a signature piece of Apple design, there's no doubt most of us have been exposed the company's iconic white earbuds. Along with the latest batch of iPods and the iPhone 5, Apple announced the replacement for those dreaded earphones, a pair of 'buds called the EarPods. Given that these are bundled with new iDevices (also sold as a standalone for $29), it's hard not to think that the folks at Cupertino are drinking some sort of spiked Kool-Aid, claiming these rival headphones that cost hundreds more. While reviewing the likes of the iPhone 5, we also gave the EarPods a listen to find out whether or not they're just an over-engineered set of 'buds. You'll find our detailed verdict after the break.

Gallery: Apple EarPods review

Continue reading Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 review

iPhone 5 review:

Thinner. Lighter. Faster. Simpler. The moment the iPhone 5 was unveiled we knew that it was checking off all the right boxes, folding in all the improvements and refinements people have been demanding over the past year -- yet plenty of folks still went to their respective social networks to type out their bitter disappointment. iPhone upgrade ennui seemed to be sweeping the nation, a sentiment that appeared to quickly dissipate when it came time for people to vote with their wallets.
The iPhone 5 is here -- or will be soon, anyway -- and it's every bit the device that people were asking for when the iPhone 4S came out. Its new design has less mass yet leaves room for a larger display and LTE wireless, all while increasing battery life. In nearly every respect, this is an upgrade over the 4S that came before, though it arrives almost a year later than many had hoped. Is it too late to keep pace with the rapidly iterating Android offerings, or is it so good it was worth waiting for? The answer lies below.

Gallery: iPhone 5 review

Continue reading iPhone 5 review
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

iPhone 5 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion Power Breakthrough Near At Sandia Labs?

Fusion Power Breakthrough Near At Sandia Labs?:
An anonymous reader writes "An achievement that would have extraordinary energy and defense implications might be near at Sandia National Laboratories. The lab is testing a concept called MagLIF (Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion), which uses magnetic fields and laser pre-heating in the quest for energetic fusion. A paper by Sandia researchers that was accepted for publication states that the Z-pinch driven MagLIF fusion could reach 'high-gain' fusion conditions, where the fusion energy released greatly exceeds (by more than 1,000 times) the energy supplied to the fuel."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images)

Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images):

What do you see when you look through a Lensbaby? Well, take a gander for yourself -- that image just above was shot with the company's new Spark. The $80 selective-focus optic is available for Canon and Nikon mounts, and brings f/5.6 shooting with a 50mm focal length, and, of course, that trademark Lensbaby bokeh. We caught up with the new lens at Photokina, and unlike many of the cameras we've seen so far, we were permitted to shoot some sample images.
Snapping with any Lensbaby takes a fair amount of practice and patience, but the Spark is designed to simplify the process somewhat, with an interior barrel that prevents you from venturing too far past the focal plane, along with a more straightforward design -- simply frame your shot, focus and bend the lens towards your subject to blur out any other elements in the scene. Calculating exposure with the Spark can take some work, so we tweaked and cropped our sample images just a bit -- besides that, what you see is what you get, so click through our gallery below to see the Spark, shot by another Spark. So meta.

Gallery: Lensbaby Spark hands-on and sample images

Filed under: Cameras, Peripherals

Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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