The International RoboGames 2011: Robots Made of Metal Compete for Medals Made of Gold - The 8th annual RoboGames attracts teams from around the world to compete in 60 different events - from dancing androids to fire-breathing combat robots and autonomous cars to soccer playing droids.
The San Francisco Bay Area has long been a rich playground where hard working cogs in the startup machine wrestle valiantly in their cubicles with the coding questions of the ages. 51 weeks out of the year, it's humdrum workday solving the world's technology problems. And then there's week 52 - RoboGames week.
You can feel a little spark of excitement on Twitter, a slight increase in breathless posts on Facebook and internet forums around the world. There's an increase in business from electronics retailers, hardware manufacturers, and every so often howls of frustration or triumph coming from labs, fabs and unassuming garages. Post doctoral researchers in Indonesia have already got their airline tickets, while machinists in the UK fondle their ratchet sets and stare blankly out into distance, plotting and planning. The ears of DIY blacksmiths in the hinterlands of Texas perk up. Lego-devouring adolescents in California program their robots for the Junior classes.
It's RoboGames Time! Dancing androids, autonomous vehicles, 220 pound combat robots, and even bartending bots will stun a live audience with their dexterity and lethalness. Teams will be competing for gold, silver, and bronze medals against their colleagues from around the world. Fans and their families get their seat cushions ready and their engineering bloodlust activated.
Largest Hungarian Theater Chain First to Screen Previews in 3D – Without Glasses: iPont International Features First-Ever Auto-Stereoscopic, Multiview Movie Trailers in Palace Cinemas
iPONT International, a creator, converter and distributor of glasses-free 3D, and Palace Cinemas, the largest cinema chain in Hungary, will screen 3D movie trailers without the need for 3D glasses -- giving movie-goers the first-ever opportunity to preview movies in 3D while in the lobby.
Beginning November 25 at the Palace Cinema West End in Budapest, Hungary, movie-goers will be able to see autostereoscopic movie trailers from MegaMind, Tangled, Tron and Narnia on a 65-inch 3D display. Timed to coincide with the Hungarian premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the trailers can be viewed from virtually any angle.
“To be able to walk up to a screen and see the action just pop right out at you – without glasses – is spectacular,” said Glen Harper, Sales Director of iPONT International. “We believe that once movie-goers get a taste of this experience, they’ll want more.”
Cell Phone Radiation: We Know the Dangers, What are the Solutions? Ann Louise Gittleman Ph.D. has a Master Plan for Safety - ZAPPED a new book by health expert, Ann Louise Gittleman Ph.D. is the first comprehensive, step-by-step guide to protecting yourself from everyday exposure to hazards like cell phone radiation. Award-winning author, nutritionist, and First for Women magazine columnist Ann Louise Gittleman combines the best of energy medicine with the latest scientific research in a user-friendly plan designed to safeguard you and your family.
In 2005, Ann Louise Gittleman was diagnosed with a benign tumor of the parotid, one of the salivary glands located just below the earlobe. It's a very rare tumor most often caused by ionizing radiation from X-rays, which she hadn't been exposed to. But, she had been addicted to her cell phone, and on it constantly, for years.
In 2008, researchers in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that individuals who kept their cell phone against one side of their head for several hours a day were 50 percent more likely to develop parotid tumors.
Unfortunately, like most Americans, she was under the false assumption that cell phones and other household electronics were safe. Now, she knows better. And it is even more crucial to be aware of the danger to children. …»Continue Reading!
Sony Ericsson Launches Foursquare Page for Sony Ericsson Tennis - Sony Ericsson has recently launched a Foursquare page for Sony Ericsson Tennis fans. By following Sony Ericsson Tennis on Foursquare, fans can unlock tips and information about women's tennis and the WTA. The page was launched in late October and announced on the Sony Ericsson Facebook page.
Foursquare is an application that encourages people to explore new locations and rewards people with virtual badges and even discounts or special offers. Foursquare engages with mobile customers and those on the go who like to share what they are doing. Customers are rewarded for their loyalty by checking in. Used as a fan engagement channel, Foursquare also enables fans to check in at their favorite sporting events where they can share tips about their experience and read feedback to see what others say.
The WTA and Sony Ericsson Tennis' Foursquare page will be offering exclusive tips for and around the 56 WTA tournaments each year. Recently Li Na, Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova recommended the tip "Try the Pevonia Hand Treatments at the spa" at Nikko Bali Resort and Spa, while they were in Indonesia for the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Future rewards will also include the opportunity to get VIP treatment at key events such as the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida.
LG Electronics (LG), a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announced LG-GM730, its newest handset in LG's smartphone line-up, which makes advanced smartphone features easy to use. This, the first smartphone to use new version of Windows Mobile OS integrated with LG's advanced 3D S-Class User Interface, will be on display at the Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona from February 16-19.
LG Electronics steps forward to the smartphone market making statement that users don't have to outsmart to their smartphone.
The LG-GM730 is the newest phone among LG's easy-to-use smartphones line-up to come. The company has recently signed a special contract with Microsoft, allowing them to be the first manufacturer of a phone with the new version of Windows Mobile. On top of Windows Mobile, the LG-GM730 will provide LG's dynamic, direct and intuitive S-Class User Interface.
"The combination of Windows Mobile and our new 3D S-Class User Interface will make the LG-GM730 the most functional and easiest to use smartphone ever created," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. "This phone is a springboard for us. We will launch a number of smartphones this year; most of them will follow this same winning formula."
Built-around a 3D cube layout, S-Class User Interface provides four customizable home screens. The simple flick of a finger instantly turns the cube from one side to the next. S-Class User Interface eliminates nested menus wherever possible, providing more direct access to features and applications. Even setup for e-mail is simplified, requiring just one click. Internet Explorer 6.0 enhances the web experience.
The LG-GM730 also incorporates LG's signature style, with a slim, seamless profile and smooth, stylish rounded edges. At just 11.9 mm it is the perfect on-the-go. Despite its small size, it still manages to pack in all the essential productivity software, with room to spare.
More technical specifications will be announced soon and the LG-GM730 will be available for purchase in the first half of 2009.
To see LG's innovative products and technologies in person, visit LG's booth at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in Hall 8 of Fira de Barcelona. Please visit mwc.lge.com for more information.
On June 9th, 2008 HP announced that the award-winning HP Blackbird 002 will be available in an exclusive configuration at Amazon.com, Newegg.com and select Best Buy, Circuit City, J&R and Micro Center retail stores and online shops this summer...
This is the first time HP Blackbird 002 will be available in retail stores, making it more accessible to consumers and allowing them the chance to experience it up close and personal. The retail configuration will include the cutting-edge design and performance elements that set this machine apart from other desktop PCs in its class. The retail displays will include video demonstrations of the system and offer live game play.
Since its introduction, the HP Blackbird 002 with Voodoo DNA has attracted accolades for features including the ability to handle extreme computing challenges, from next-generation games to demanding professional applications, as well as its isolated thermal chambers, tool-free accessibility, and cable-free hard drive installation. Recognized for its ground-breaking design, the HP Blackbird 002’s attention-getting shape combines a stylish sensibility and cool practicality.
“While Blackbird has been well-received online, we know there is a large segment of consumers who crave a hands-on experience before making a purchase decision,” said Mike Perkins, vice president and general manager, Voodoo Business Unit, HP. “We are introducing the HP Blackbird 002 to a new audience and anticipate a fantastic response to this one-of-a-kind fragging machine.”
This is Video review of Computer Shopper magazine Associate Editor Matthew Murray on the HP Blackbird 002 With Voodoo DNA, a new High-End Desktop and Gaming PC well have a look...
The HP Blackbird 002’s exclusive retail configuration is priced at $3,299, and includes:
* Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q9450 * Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 * Quiet, liquid cooled CPU * NVIDIA nForce SLI motherboard with RAID support * Dual SLI NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT graphics cards with support for Microsoft® DirectX 10 * 4,096 MB Corsair Dominator system memory with DHX technology * 500 GB 7,200 rpm SATA hard drive * Five internal, hot-swappable hard drive bays * 7.1 onboard HD audio * Concealed USB, FireWire® and audio ports, plus 15-in-1 memory card reader * 900 watt power plant * One-year HP limited warranty and toll-free phone support
On June 29, a list of availability dates and retail locations will be available at www.hp.com/go/bbretail. Customers can also continue to purchase and configure the HP Blackbird 002 online at www.hp.com/voodoodna or via phone by calling +1 877 776 4752.
Complete Technical Specifications: Motherboards: * EVGA 780i * Asus Maximus Formula X38
Processor: Intel® Core™ Micro architecture
* Up to SSE 3 support * Energy efficiency optimization * Thermal cut-outs to mitigate damage from system overclocking
Configurations: * Intel® Core2™ Duo 2.66GHz [E6750]; 4MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Duo 3.0GHz [E6850]; 4MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Duo 2.66GHz [E8200]; 6MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Duo 3.0GHz [E8400]; 6MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Quad 2.40GHz [Q6600]; 8MB of L2 cache; 1066 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Quad 2.66GHz [Q9450]; 12MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Quad 2.83GHz [Q9550]; 12MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB * Intel® Core2™ Extreme Quad-Core 3.0GHz [QX6850]; 8MB of L2 cache; 1333MHz * Intel® Core2™ Extreme Quad-Core 3.0GHz [QX9650]; 12MB of L2 cache; 1333MHz
Four DIMM slots supporting up to 4 GB of main memory 256-bit-wide memory architecture
Graphics and Displays: Two Doublewide, 16-lane PCI Express graphics slot with one or more of the following graphic cards installed:
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 GT with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM, supports Dual-Link DVI * NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX, with 768MB of GDDR3 SDRAM supports Dual-Link DVI (available with liquid cooling) * NVIDIA GeForce 8800 ULTRA, with 768MB of GDDR3 SDRAM supports Dual-Link DVI (available with liquid cooling)
* ATI RADEON HD3870 XT, with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM, supports Dual-Link DVI (available with liquid-cooling) * ATI RADEON HD3870 X2, with 1GB of GDDR4 SDRAM, supports Dual-Link DVI
Supports both ATI Crossfire and NVDIA SLI multiple graphic card configurations Four slots to support NVIDIA SLI or ATI Crossfire configurations with two PCIe graphics cards Dual-link DVI ports support up to 2560 by 1600 pixels. Support for analog resolutions up to 2048 by 1536 pixels at 85HZ DVI to VGA adapter included Dual-display support for extended desktops and video cloning modes
Physics * AGEIA PhysX™ 100 Series PCI-E Accelerator Card
Networking Two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) ports that can support jumbo frames with low latency on gigabit connections
Storage Flexible RAID capabilities
Five independent Serial ATA hard drive bays Up to 5TB of internal storage using drives with the following capacities:
* Hard drive bays 1 – 5 can be configured with the following drives o 160GB 10,000 rpm SATA (Western Digital Raptor) o 320GB 7200 rpm SATA o 500GB 7200 rpm SATA o 750GB 7200 rpm SATA o 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA
Two Super multi-drive, slim slots with Lightscribe (DVD+/-R/RW+/-DL)
* Writes DVD-R discs at up to 16x speed * Writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 4x speed * Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed * Writes CD-R discs at up to 40x speed * Writes CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed * Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
A single 5 1/4 bay for Blu-ray and HD DVD-ROM Super multi-drive with LightScribe BD-R/RE SL/DL read and write compatible
* CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW/RAM, +R/RW, +/- R DL * CD Family, DVD-ROM read compatible * HD DVD-ROM/R read compatible
Electrical and environmental requirements * Line voltage: 100-120V AC or 200-240V AC (wide-range power supply input voltage) * Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz single phase * Current: Maximum of 12A (low-voltage range) or 6A (high-voltage range) * Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C) * Storage temperature: -40° to 116° F (-40° to 47° C) * Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing * Maximum altitude: 10,000 feet
Peripherals and audio Back panel: * One PS/2 mouse port * One PS/2 keyboard port * Two eSATA ports * One IEEE1394 port * LCD screen (for diagnostics and status) * LCD back light button (some boards only) * SPDIF out and optical out port * Two RJ-45 (Gigabit Ethernet) ports (number depends on MB) * Four USB 2.0 ports (number depends on MB)
Top panel: * 15 in 1 multi-card reader * One IEEE1394 port * Two USB 2.0 ports * One 1/8" microphone jack * One 1/8" headphone jack
Features * Speaker and Headphone connections: Stereo to 7.1 (Line Out via three 3.5mm mini jacks) * Flexijack: Line In / Microphone In / Digital Out / Digital I/O via shared 3.5mm mini jack * Auxiliary Line level Input: 4-pin Molex connector
Expansion slots * 3 PCIe x16 slots (The two blue PCIe x16 slots operate with a full compliment of 16 PCI Express lanes, while the third white slot operates with only 8) * 1 PCIe x1 slot * 2 PCI v2.2 slots
Operating System and Software * Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate * Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Security * Grisoft AVG Professional (1 year base for all models) * Grisoft AVG Professional (2 year upgrade available) * Grisoft AVG Internet Security (2 year license available
Productivity * Adobe® Reader® * Microsoft® Office Pro 2007 * Microsoft® Office Small Business Edition 2007 * Microsoft® Office Basic 2007
Media Software * CyberLink PowerDirector * CyberLink Power2Go * CyberLink DVD Play * CyberLink Label Print
Supplemental Discs * Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Installation DVD * Driver and Applications Recovery DVD
Size and weight * Height: 598.64 mm (23.5 inches) * Width: 266.96 mm (9 inches) * Length: 557.23 mm (22 inches) * Weight (full configuration): 72 pounds (32.659 kg)
About HP HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com. Soure: HP Press Release
