Visualized: the coolest desktop chassis at Computex, literally
Having a gadget encased in ice is always a cool stunt (pun intended), but Fractal took one step further by using blocks of ice cut out of a Swedish river, and then have them shipped all the way to Computex in Taiwan. Apparently that’s how Scandinavians roll. As for the actual products, frequent desktop builders may have already heard of Fractal for its silent, minimalistic chassis, which recently made their way to the US market. While we didn’t get a chance to check out how quiet the live machines were, the cases’ build quality was surprisingly solid for their prices, and we were also impressed by the attention to detail on damping noise wherever possible. Hit the source link below to check out Fractal’s Define, Arc, and Core series cases.
Visualized: the coolest desktop chassis at Computex, literally originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers
We’ve heard of turning yesterday’s lunch into tomorrow’s electricity, but a new energy converter coming out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory harnesses the power of a different type of hot waste. The as-of-yet unnamed thermal waste-heat converter has the potential to cool electronic devices, solar cells, and computers while generating electricity from excess heat. Its creators see the new conversion process being used to reduce the massive amounts of heat generated by petaflop computers. The converter employs up to one thousand tiny cantilevers attached to a one square inch surface (e.g. a computer chip) to produce between one and ten milliwatts of electricity — admittedly a very small amount of energy. However, it’s creators are quick to point out that a slew of these converters could generate enough power to perform small tasks in the heat-generating device — things like sensing when a server room gets too hot for comfort. Sure it’s a small step, but if they can get this stuff to save our future babies from cooking, we’re all in. Full PR after the break.
ORNL energy harvester turns heat waste into electricity, converts hot machines into cool customers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard sheds its skin, feels better without it
There’s no denying the ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard looks fantastic, and The Tech Report didn’t spare praise for its military-grade components or five-year warranty in a recent review, but the publication also reports that the standout feature — that component-cooling “Tactical Jacket” — may hurt more than it helps. The plastic shroud has been re-dubbed “Thermal Armor” since our last run-in, but that doesn’t change the result: ASUS doesn’t ship the primo slab with a dedicated cooling fan, so component temperatures can actually go up ten degrees Celsius when wearing the shroud with a system under heavy load. Of course, cooling depends on a number of factors, but we were hoping the Sabertooth’s unique coat would be a positive one. Back to the drawing board.
ASUS Sabertooth P67 motherboard sheds its skin, feels better without it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 May 2011 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Visualized: Google searches around the globe
You’ve already seen Android activations mapped around the globe over time, now how about some Google search volumes? Using WebGL and different color crayons for each language, the coders at Mountain View have put together the above Search Globe, which presents a single day’s worth of Google queries in a beautiful, skyscraper-infused visualization. Jacking yourself into the source link below (your browser can handle WebGL, right?) will let you twist and turn the model world for a closer exploration of global Google use. And if you get tired of that, there’s an alternative map showing world populations over 1990s — that’s available at the second link.
Visualized: Google searches around the globe originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 19:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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GE’s new phase-change based thermal conductor could mean cooler laptops — literally
It’s no secret: if your laptop sits atop your lap for an extended period of time, you’re going to get burned — okay, so maybe not burned, but you’re definitely going to feel the heat. Luckily GE has been working (under contract for DARPA) on a new phase-change based thermal conductor that promises to cool electronics twice as well as copper, at one-fourth the weight. The breakthrough means big things for those of us who’d like to make babies one day, but we doubt that’s why DARPA’s shelling out the big bucks — the new material functions at 10 times normal gravity, making it a shoo-in for on-board computing systems in jetliners. Using “unique surface engineered coatings” that simultaneously attract and repel water, the new nanotechnology could mean not only lighter, cooler electronics, but also an increase in computing speeds. Goodbye scrotal hyperthermia, hello cool computing! Full PR after the break.
Continue reading GE’s new phase-change based thermal conductor could mean cooler laptops — literally
GE’s new phase-change based thermal conductor could mean cooler laptops — literally originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Droid 2 R2-D2 page now live, nerds everywhere shed tears of delight
Recipe for win — 1 part newest Android phone, the Droid 2, and 1 part Star Wars’ most memorable character, R2-D2. Mix well, prepare for the onslaught of people like me who will do just about anything to throw our money at you so we can have one. And to tease us until we explode, Verizon has gone live with the R2-Droid2 teaser page.
Taking a cue from the X, it looks like this page has some locked content as well. The site says to follow R2 on Twitter to unlock details, @droidlanding. Why would anyone want to worry about unlocking content on a phone’s launch page? Two words — Jedi Training. We’re following, you guys follow too, and whoever gets portions unlocked first has to tell the rest of us — deal? [Verizon] Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Posted originally at Android Central
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Samsung’s latest Vibrant commercial is another winner
Because one commercial for its Galaxy S line of carrier branded phones wasn’t enough, Samsung has put out another Hollywood style production for the T-Mobile Vibrant (maybe you’ve read our review?). It’s great — this is what commercials should be like, and 100 percent hairy palm free (ewwww) this time. Check it out after the break.
Posted originally at Android Central
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