Showing posts with label Gadgets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gadgets. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Raspberry Pi - the £15 computer


David Braben explains the raspberry PI scheme designed to give a £15 computer on a stick to every child. He is talking to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones

Monday, August 15, 2011

For all Gadgets+.Net Micro fans .Net Gadgeteer is now available...
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/297


Description
FEZ Spider Starter Kit is the first commercially available .NET Gadgeteer-compatible kit. it includes everything necessary for educators, hobbyists and even professionals. Embedded development is fast & easy (FEZ) thanks to .NET Micro Framework, .NET Gadgeteer and the numerous GHI value added features such as WiFi and USB Host.
The kit includes:
FEZ Spider Mainboard is a .NET Gadgeteer-compatible mainboard based on GHI Electronics' EMX module. This makes FEZ Spider Mainboard the most feature-full .NET Gadgeteer compatible device in the market. It contains all of .NET Micro Framework core features and adds many exclusive features, such as USB host, WiFi and RLP (loading native code). All these features combine to provide a rapid prototyping platform.

Key Features:
  • 14 .NET Gadgeteer compatible sockets
  • Configurable on-board LED
  • Configuration switches.
  • Based on GHI Electronics EMX module
    • 72MHz 32-bit ARM7 processor
    • 4.5 MB Flash
    • 16 MB RAM
    • LCD controller
    • Full TCP/IP Stack with SSL, HTTP, TCP, UDP, DHCP
    • Ethernet, WiFi driver and PPP ( GPRS/ 3G modems) and DPWS
    • USB host
    • USB Device with specialized libraries to emulate devices like thumb-drive, virtual COM (CDC), mouse, keyboard
    • 76 GPIO Pin
    • 2 SPI (8/16bit)
    • I2C
    • 4 UART
    • 2 CAN Channels
    • 7 10-bit Analog Inputs
    • 10-bit Analog Output (capable of WAV audio playback)
    • 4-bit SD/MMC Memory card interface
    • 6 PWM
    • OneWire interface (available on any IO)
    • Built-in Real Time Clock (RTC) with the suitable crystal
    • Processor register access
    • OutputCompare for generating waveforms with high accuracy
    • RLP allowing users to load native code (C/Assembly) for real-time requirements
    • Extended double-precision math class
    • FAT File System
    • Cryptography (AES and XTEA)
    • Low power and hibernate support
    • In-field update (from SD, network or other)
  • Dimensions: W 2.25" x L 2.05" x H 0.5"
Power
  • Supply voltages are regulated 3.3Volt and 5.0Volt DC.
  • Low power and hibernate modes
  • Active power consumption 160 mA
  • Idle power consumption 120 mA
  • Hibernate power consumption 40 mA
Enviromental:
  • Operating temperature: -20 to 65°C
  • RoHS compliant /Lead-free compliant
Most EMX software features are GHI exclusive, see software documentation for details.
For more information about .NET Gadgeteer visit:
http://www.netmf.com/gadgeteer/



Monday, June 20, 2011

Withings Blood Pressure Monitor for iOS


Withings users not satisfied with only being able to share their weight with the world can now add blood pressure and heart rate to the mix. This iPhone-connected blood pressure monitor made its first appearance at CES, but you'll finally be able to order one of your own today. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, the $129 accessory costs three to four times as much as off-the-shelf blood pressure monitors, but integrates well if you're looking to pair it with your Withings scale for a complete vitals management solution. Results can be sent to health sites like Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, or directly to your doctor. Care to see how it works? Join us past the break for a hands-on look at the monitor, including a video comparison with the in-store vitals machine at our neighborhood Kmart.

Update: Withings wrote in to let us know that the blood pressure readings in the video below were likely inflated because we were talking, though we do appreciate the concern you've already expressed in the comments.


Source: Engadgets

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Comcast Cable Show Features 1Gbps Cable Modem Speed

As promised, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts treated Cable Show 2011 attendees to a quick demo of the company's latest and greatest tech earlier today. The presentation consisted of the new Xfinity TV platform with all its cloud processing and internet content from Facebook and others, as well as a speed test running on a Comcast cable modem that broke through the 1Gbps speed barrier on the production network. There's no word on when home users might see such speeds but the company promised to "keep up the pace as the internet continues to evolve" -- let's hope that extends to the increasingly restrictive 250GB bandwidth cap. The demo of new DVR software also went off without a hitch, appearing to run smoothly and showing off a vision of "cloud processing" that speeds up search, personalization and recommendations in the program guide by handling them at the head end instead of on the box itself. We're still waiting to get our hands on the RF remote and see if the experience is just as smooth ourselves, but for now you can get a taste in the 17 minute video embedded above.
Source: Enadgets

Thursday, June 9, 2011


Ice Tube Clock kit
This is our first clock kit design, made with a retro Russian display tube!
  • Cool glowing blue tube with 8 digits, PM dot and alarm on/off indicator
  • Adjustable brightness
  • Alarm with volume adjust
  • Precision watch crystal keeps time with under 20ppm (0.0002%) error (< 2 seconds a day)
  • Clear acrylic enclosure protects clock from you and you from clock
  • Battery backup will let the clock keep the time for up to 2 weeks without power
  • Selectable 12h or 24h display
  • Displays day and date on button press
  • 10 minute snooze
  • Integrated boost converter so it can run off of standard DC wall adapters, works in any country regardless of mains power
  • Great for desk or night table use, the clock measures 4.9" x 2.9" x 1.3" (12.5cm x 7.4cm x 3.3cm)
  • Completely open source hardware and software, ready to be hacked and modded!
Complete kit comes with a 110/220V 9VDC power supply (a $1 plug adapter from your local hardware store will allow it to be used worldwide), all components including PCB, vacuum fluorescent tube, backup battery and a clear acrylic enclosure. Assembly is required! This kit is made of through-hole components but is best built by someone with previous soldering experience as there are many parts and steps.
For assembly

Spy Shots: Dell’s 7-Inch Tablet Has a Slide-Out Split Keyboard





What the tablet world needs is innovation, and from these newly uncovered spy pics, it looks like Dell is the one stepping up with a design that’s unlike any other.
Rather than copying the look and feel of the iPad as so many other tablet manufacturers have done, Dell has apparently pinpointed one of the iPad’s weakest characteristics and improved upon it: its keyboard.
In these pictures (somehow obtained by Engadget), notice the split keyboard that’s not on this little 7-inch tablet’s touchscreen, but it’s part of a slide-out keypad that gives each of its users’ thumbs an easy shot at quick typing.




We’re getting a feeling of déjà vu here. Isn’t this design getting precariously close to those failed tablets of five years ago that Microsoft and Intel codenamed “Project Origami?” Some of those Ultra-Mobile PCs’ split keyboards were arranged on either side of the screen, and some even had slide-out keyboards.
Maybe Dell figures the reason those Origami PCs didn’t succeed was because they were underpowered, their touchscreens didn’t work well, they were too big, heavy and overpriced — not because their keyboards weren’t good.
Back to the present, Dell presented this prototype in both black and white finishes, and each had a rear camera which we hope has better quality than the iPad’s. Beyond those specs, there’s precious little info about when we might see this tablet design hit the marketplace, if ever.
Still, perhaps copycat manufacturers might want to take a look at this design rather than creating yet another Apple-esque slab. What do you think, commenters? Is this throwback to the past an improvement on the iPad and all the other tablets that look just like it?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Panasonic CF-U1 Rammer Test

Panasonic CF-U1 is one of my favourite toughbook. Following a amazing article on engadgets about Rammer test on these devices.

It must be getting pretty difficult at this point for Panasonic to come up with new ways to show just how tough its Toughbook line of devices are, but it looks like the company's still got a few surprises in it, as evidenced by a new video that pits its Toughbook CF-U1 handheld against a Rammer. As you can probably guess, the Toughbook pictured above manages to pass the test easily, but there's also another surprise in store at the end -- head on past the break to see for yourself. Of course, Panasonic didn't let an opportunity for a bit of cross-promotion slip by -- it also shot the video on a Panasonic GH1.