October 30, 2007, 10:18 PM CT
Most Complex Silicon Phased Array Chip in the World
UC San Diego electrical engineers have developed the world's most complex "phased array" -- or radio frequency integrated circuit. This DARPA-funded advance is expected to find its way into U.S. defense satellite communication and radar systems. In addition, the innovations in this chip design will likely spill over into commercial applications, such as automotive satellite systems for direct broadcast TV, and new methods for high speed wireless data transfer.
"This is the first 16 element phased array chip that can send at 30-50 GHz. The uniformity and low coupling between the elements, the low current consumption and the small size - it is just 3.2 by 2.6 square millimeters - are all unprecedented. As a whole system, there are a number of a number of firsts," said Gabriel Rebeiz, the electrical engineering professor from the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering leading the project. The work was done by two graduate students, Kwang-Jin Koh and Jason May, both at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE) at UCSD. Rebeiz presented the new chip at DARPA TEAM Meeting, August 28-29, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. Additional details of the chip will be submitted to an academic journal later this year.
This chip - the UCSD DARPA Smart Q-Band 4x4 Array Transmitter - is strictly a transmitter. "We are working on a chip that can do a transmit and receive function," said Rebeiz.........
Posted by: Ryan Read more Source
Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:19:22 GMT
A player that knows what you need
Well, it's fall 2007, so the much-anticipated Yamaha BODiBEAT MP3 Player should arrive in limited release any day now. If you're a workout nut or want to become a person who embraces exercise, BODiBEAT is going to blow your socks off (and your wallet out).
Unlike your iPod, BODiBEAT is loaded with workout management features. It analyzes your playlist by beats per minute and then matches songs to the speed of your workout. There are four music modes: "free workout" that matches music to your pace , "fitness" for optimal aerobic exercise, "training" for serious runners, and "music" for chillin' and listening whenever, wherever.
There are a ton of great benefits to this technology. Me? Well, I'm addicted to my iPod, I'm a control freak about my music, I love to exercise, and my very thrifty solution is FitPod's weekly download available via iTunes and at FitPod.com.
Price: $300. Learn more and view the demo at Yamaha.
Posted by: Sarah Read more Source
Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:40:50 GMT
Talk about new Nikon digcams
Nikon released a dizzying lode of cameras at the end of the summer-eight new Coolpix models, as well as two new high-powered digital SLRs, the D3 ($5000) and D300 ($1800). If you want to learn more about the technology behind these new offerings, Nikon has posted a pair of podcasts at its Web site in which host Mark Ellwood and photography expert Steve Heiner discuss the new introductions and then dig deep into the workings of Nikon's latest high-priced DSLRs.
Posted by: John Mello Read more Source
Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:28:29 GMT
Grin and snap it
Face recognition is all the rage these days in digital cameras, but Sony appeared to have taken the technology to the next level with its "smile shutter." The technology is supposed to detect when someone is smiling in a scene and automatically snap a photo of them. When I heard about the feature, I confess I was skeptical. Nevertheless, it tickled my curiosity. While I haven't been able to get my hands on a Sony model, like the DSC-T200, with the feature, Ed Baig over at USA Today has and wrote about it today.
"Smile shutter worked but not perfectly," he scribbles. "To be sure, I captured a lot of handsome smiles. But the camera missed a number of smiles, too, or took a picture when the subject wasn't fully in the frame."
Like many a novelty, smile shutter's luster may tarnish quickly.
"More often than not, I'd recommend exiting the smile shutter scene mode altogether," Baig noted. "That's because whenever the smiley icon appears in the LCD, you won't be able to manually take a picture by pressing the shutter button. I missed out on a few promising family pictures by not changing the scene mode quickly enough."
Posted by: John Mello Read more Source
Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:40:16 GMT
Secure, Portable Storage
Let's face it, flash drives are really convenient. However, if your flash drive falls into the wrong hands, so does your data. What's a paranoid geek to do?
Enter the Ironkey, sold by ThinkGeek. In addition to having up to 4gb of storage, it's encrypted on-the-fly with 128bit AES. When you stick the drive into a Windows computer, you have to enter the device password. If you fail the password entry 10 times, the crypto chip becomes permanently inoperative.
The Ironkey is also physically hardened against tampering. The insides of the flash drive are filled with epoxy, making it unlikely that someone could get in without damaging something. Exceeds US government standards for being waterproof. Sweet!
Posted by: Dameon Welch-Abemathy Read more Source
Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:19:05 GMT
No iPod hacking for you
Via TUAW - Quoted - "But even before his upload finished, we're told, his ISP showed up, with a takedown notice in hand. Apple had somehow found his site, had contacted his ISP, and let them know that it would be against copyright law for him to upload that code to the Internet."
Posted by: Zinzi Read more Source
Fri, 14 Sep 2007 05:28:47 GMT
With the HP iPAQ 614c and 914c
Probably the only French I know is "Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" But I had no problem understanding this:
Le premier le iPAQ 614c devrait avoir les caracteristiques suivantes :
- Windows Mobile 6 Professionnel
- 12 touches + Roue Navigation un peu à la mode iPOD
- Ecran 2.8 pouces d'une resolution de 240x320 (Ecran Tactile)
- Connectivite 3G & WIFI
- GPS Integre
- APN 3 Mega Pixels
Le second le iPAQ 914c devrait quand à lui avoir les caracteristiques suivantes :
- Windows Mobile 6 Professionnel
- Clavier alphanumerique (Look Blackberry)
- Ecran 2.46 pouces d'une resolution de 320x240 (Ecran Tactile)
- Connectivite 3G & WIFI
- GPS Integre
- APN 3 Mega Pixels
....because specs are universal! But if you still need help, here's what smartphonefrance.info was trying to say about the new HP iPAQ 914c and iPAQ 614c (when you reduce the text to its bare essentials):
The new HP iPAQ 614c runs on Windows Mobile 6 Professional (PDA Phone), features a unique touch-driven interface, a 2.8" portrait QVGA display, 3G and WiFi connectivity, integrated GPS, and a 3 megapixel camera.
The new HP iPAQ 914c also runs on WM6 Pro, and also benefits from the same connectivity, GPS, and camera feature set as the 614c. It has a landscape 2.46" touch-display and has a QWERTY thumbboard.
Posted by: Rico Mossesgeld Read more Source
Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:29:04 GMT
Coffee Table to Run iTunes Connection
A company "Savant" are set to build a coffee table powered by Apple to run iTunes at home.
The idea is that from the coffee table on can use a 40" touchscreen that is fully integrated with iTunes.
The table is powered by a Mac hidden in the table. It will access a user's music, photos, movies and provide home automation functions. From the coffee table one can select to show movies, photos and other video on a home theater system, or can run music and pipe it through the home using a home audio system.
This is similar to what was announced by Microsoft except that the Apple innovation connects a table to iTunes.
Not sure I like the table, maybe it might be made available in a selection of furniture some of which may be more appealing than the table shown.
Posted by: Elwyn Jenkins Read more Source
Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:27:34 GMT
Tetris Puzzle
It's funny how serendipitous looking at gadgets can be. While reading a
dead tree edition of Wired, I came across this cool little game:
Connect Four meets Tetris! Looks cool. Unfortunately, I can't find a place (in the US, anyway) that sells this game. I did find an online shop or two in the UK. But I did find something a bit better that is available: a dead tree edition of Wired.
Kind of reminds me of the Rubik's Cube except taking it apart and putting it back together is the trick, instead of a shortcut to solving the damned thing.
Posted by: Dameon Welch-Abemathy Read more Source
Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:22:57 GMT
Airwash Waterless Washing Machine
It looks like soon we may be able to rid ourselves of the water-guzzling washing machines in our homes. The Airwash Waterless Washing Machine takes "dry-cleaning" to a new level. Instead of immersing a clothing item in water the Airwash cleans clothes using negative ions, compressed air and deodorants to clean clothes.
What is not clear is how honey dropped on my tie is going to be cleaned. I suppose there will still be times when I will have to spot clean a clothing item to get rid of organic materials.
However, in the "smart" (read that as "green" or environmentally friendly) home, any appliance that can be used to reduce the use of water in a household is to be welcomed. I can see an Airwash Machine installed in my bedroom, but other items will still need to be cleaned in the washing machine. Perhaps the Airwash Machine could cut the amount of "water washing" I do in half; that would still be a great saving.
This Airwash Machine is not available so we will have to wait a little longer before we see this in reality in our bedrooms.
Posted by: Elwyn Jenkins Read more Source
