Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table

Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table:

Just when we thought those pesky scientists had stopped messing with the Periodic Table, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry goes and ratifies another two. The pair of elements were discovered in partnership between the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the States. Element 114 has taken on the spell-check-worrying nomenclature Flerovium (Fl), while 116 becomes Livermorium (Lv). Eagle-eyed readers will notice that both take a name from the labs where they were discovered, the former named after Georgiy N. Flerov and the latter after Ernest O. Lawrence -- both atomic pioneers in their respective countries. The official names will get their first official publication in July's edition of Pure and Applied Chemistry. We guess those textbook makers will be rubbing their hands in glee at all those revised editions it'll sell next term.
[Image courtesy of the BBC / Talkback Thames]
Continue reading Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table

Livermorium and Flerovium take a seat at the Periodic Table originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modkit Micro on Kickstarter

Modkit Micro on Kickstarter:
Our friends at Modkit are running a new Kickstarter campaign for their excellent Modkit Micro software.

[... ] Microcontrollers are no longer just for engineers — anyone can now pick up an Arduino board at their local Radioshack! Now that microcontrollers are even easier to find and buy, they should be just as easy to interact with and program. Modkit Micro works to make microcontrollers accessible to anyone, regardless of their particular background or skill set.

Modkit Micro is a graphical programming environment for microcontrollers that supports a growing number of popular microcontroller platforms including Arduino and Wiring boards. It makes it easy for almost anyone (perhaps especially those with no programming background) to get started using microcontrollers, just by dragging and dropping blocks on their screen to write the firmware.
That part is already pretty neat, but what's really great about Modkit is that it isn't trying to be a substitute for "real" programming in source code. When you're ready to go deeper, Modkit allows you to go "under the hood" to directly view and edit the code that it generated for you. If you'd like early access to try out Modkit, we'd encourage you to support their project— they're opening up the next round of access to supporters this month.







Link:
Modkit Micro on Kickstarter

Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors offer custom tuning, look great with your smoking jacket

Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors offer custom tuning, look great with your smoking jacket:

Logitech's got just the thing for that $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket. The new Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors are "engineered to your exact needs for fit, look and sound." The wood-paneled in-ear monitors utilize UE's Personal Reference Tuning Box to adjust the output mix of lows, highs and mids. Your two grand also gets you 26 dB of passive noise isolation and a cable that promises to reduce tangling. The new RewardTag offer, meanwhile, offers up rewards for kind souls who happen to find and return your pricey pair. The Personal Reference Monitors will be available in select retail locations at the beginning of next month. PR after the break.
Continue reading Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors offer custom tuning, look great with your smoking jacket

Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors offer custom tuning, look great with your smoking jacket originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google World Wonders Project takes you to Earth's treasures in glorious Street View vision (video)

Google World Wonders Project takes you to Earth's treasures in glorious Street View vision (video):

Google has already been taking us to exotic locations through Street View, but now it's hoping to enshrine the most famous places on Earth through the World Wonders Project, one car (or trike) at a time. A total of 132 sites, ranging from natural landmarks like Yosemite to much more synthetic constructions like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, have both an on-the-ground view as well as 3D renderings, videos and loads of history from UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund, among others. The educational bent is so conspicuous that Google is offering up some of the content in downloadable bundles for schools along with the usual web-based look. All of it promises a much more fascinating, hands-on approach than a dry textbook, and it's a unique way of bringing encyclopedic knowledge to an era of Chromebooks and the cloud.
Continue reading Google World Wonders Project takes you to Earth's treasures in glorious Street View vision (video)

Google World Wonders Project takes you to Earth's treasures in glorious Street View vision (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub

XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub:

Fans of XBMC who've wanted their HTPCs to replace the higher-end components of a home theater setup, like Blu-ray players and higher-end receivers, are having their wishes fulfilled through a completely reworked sound system. AudioEngine, as it's called, can processevery stage of audio encoding and decoding, even with 7.1-channel formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. As the code uses more precise floating point math, the improvements can bolster heavily compressed audio and allow for upmixing from stereo to a native surround format. Sound should sync more closely to video and avoid any jarring interruptions from system sounds, too. The AudioEngine update is still limited to experimental nightly builds of XBMC, so don't be surprised if something goes awry, but it's slated as part of the main development track and should be a boon for just about any XBMC media junkie before long.

XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PowerA unveils MOGA Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on

PowerA unveils MOGA Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on:

PowerA's best known as a company that crafts controllers and accessories for console gaming systems, but at E3 this year the firm is announcing its first foray into the mobile space: a Bluetooth controller for Android. Called the MOGA, its got dual analog sticks and shoulder buttons, along with a fold-out, spring-loaded center portion that holds phones of all sizes in place while you get your game on -- not unlike Gametel's controller we saw at CES. The front of the device is glossy black plastic, while the rear is swathed in rubber, with ribbed portions on the grips to keep it firmly in hand.

Gallery: PowerA Moga Bluetooth game controller press shots

A companion app, available for free through the Google Play store, is also a part of the Moga experience. Called the MOGA Pivot app, it scans your phone for games compatible with the controller, lists them, and lets you launch them direct from the app. Not only that, it'll periodically update the games list as new games are acquired and it'll download patch kits automatically for existing games as they become compatible with the controller. Additionally, it's got a store (powered by Google Play) that'll let users download new compatible games, and titles in the Play Store will have a badge to let folks know which games work with Moga. Currently, the company has 14 games on board -- including Duke Nukem 3D, Virtua Tennis Challenge and Sonic CD -- and are in talks with some other big publishers, so more titles will be supported in the coming weeks and months. We got a sneak peek at the MOGA ahead of E3 and talked with the folks from PowerA about their newest bit of kit, so join us after the break for our impressions.

Gallery: PowerA Moga Bluetooth game controller hands-on

Continue reading PowerA unveils MOGA Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on

PowerA unveils MOGA Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 16:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS throws up two more Computex teasers, hints at dual-OS and dual-side devices (video)

ASUS throws up two more Computex teasers, hints at dual-OS and dual-side devices (video):

After the rather vague teaser from three days ago, ASUS is back with two new videos to highlight its surprises at Computex next week. The first one comes with the tag line "All-in-one is no longer in one," with the money shot being the Windows 8 logo and the Android mascot showing up on two water droplets after they separated. This dual-OS and possibly dual-body concept reminds us of the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid that never really materialized on the market (at the time of publishing this article, Lenovo's product page still embarrassingly says "This laptop is not available to purchase yet"), so we certainly hope ASUS won't fall into the same pit with its upcoming mysterious product.
The second teaser, titled "When two sides unite," features a suspended cardboard with "Tai" printed on the left of the white side, and "Chi" on the right of the black side. After a finger smears a dot of paint on the "i" on both sides, the cardboard starts spinning to show a flickering image of "Tai Chi." Our money's on a laptop with a dual-side touchscreen on the lid (the smearing being the hint for touch input), thus saving the need of extra mechanical parts to make a convertible device (and out goes the Eee Pad Slider). Ultimately it depends on whether the cost of such double-sided displays like LG's would be feasible for ASUS to realize this idea; or worse yet, this could be just a matter of slapping two display panels back to back à la Samsung SCH-W999, which might not make sense when you take both weight and cost into consideration. Well, we shall find out the truth in a few days. Check out the video clips after the break.
Continue reading ASUS throws up two more Computex teasers, hints at dual-OS and dual-side devices (video)

ASUS throws up two more Computex teasers, hints at dual-OS and dual-side devices (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft confirms upgrade path and pricing for Windows 8: $14.99 for those buying new PCs

Microsoft confirms upgrade path and pricing for Windows 8: $14.99 for those buying new PCs:

We've just gotten a thorough look at the Windows 8 Release Preview, and Microsoft has now also finally confirmed what the upgrade path will look like for those buying PCs before the OS is officially released later this year. The company will be rolling out a Windows Upgrade Offer in no less than 131 markets starting June 2nd, which will let anyone who buys an eligible Windows 7-based PC also purchase a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $14.99 -- that offer will be valid through January 31st, 2013. Upgrade offers for those who already own a Windows 7-based PC will also be announced in the "coming months," but that's unfortunately as much as Microsoft is saying about those at the moment.

Microsoft confirms upgrade path and pricing for Windows 8: $14.99 for those buying new PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000

How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000:

More Info

• Our $1,000 HTPC build from 2009
• The one from 2006
• Something completely different

This is an auspicious year for building an HTPC or indeed any type of sub-$1,000 rig. Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors are about to exert a nice downward pressure on last year's finest, despite the fact that Sandy Bridge still holds up well for many people's needs -- and much the same can be said of AMD's Llano APUs following the arrival of Trinity. In fact, thanks to the market's regular churn, the HTPC parts we look at after the break could easily fall below their $1,019 total bill before you even pick up your screwdriver. (Okay, so we went slightly over $1,000. It's a free country.)
On the other hand, you'd have to be mildly loopy to drop serious cash on a PC that's solely for media consumption. Times have changed since our last build in 2009, and they're unrecognizable compared to the time before that. These days, even ARM-powered smartphones can handle 1080p in and out, nettops with Blu-ray drives can be had for $500 and even totally silent fanless HTPCs are available for around $1,000 (albeit with very modest specs). From that perspective, this might actually be a terrible time to persuade people that spending a grand on a plain old home-built HTPC makes sense -- and that's why, after the break, we're not even going to try.
Continue reading How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000

How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's shopped, this new app will be able to tell by the pixels

It's shopped, this new app will be able to tell by the pixels:

At Poynter, Craig Silverman writes about FourAndSix, a new photo forensics tool now in beta. The idea is to create tools that "sniff out digitally altered images." Two of the people behind it: Kevin Connor, former VP of product management for Adobe Photoshop, and digital image forensics expert Dr. Hany Farid. (via Erin Siegal)