Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Networking
Steve Ballmer himself first dropped word of this one earlier this month, but Microsoft has now finally gotten official about its new cloud computing operating system, and its name: Windows Azure. What’s more, the OS is apparently just one component of Microsoft’s larger Azure cloud computing platform, which will eventually be fully rolled out alongside Windows 7, and will encompass Microsoft’s existing Live services, SQL services, and .NET services, among other things. If that’s got you excited, you can find plenty more details at the link below, and even a few SDKs ready for downloading.
[Via Pocket-lint]
Microsoft gets official with Windows Azure cloud OS, platform originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Gaming
Hard to believe, nay, mind-boggling, that two full years after Nintendo launched the Wii in America we’re still looking at shortages. In the midst of “economic turmoil,” no less. Back in April, Reggie Fils-Aime proclaimed that he was “passionately upset” about the difficulty consumers were having in finding Wii consoles, and now that yet another holiday season is upon us, it’s clear that he’s made some changes. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, he admitted that Wii production was up from 1.6 million units per month (during this time last year) to 2.4 million units per month (now), though he wouldn’t go so far as to say you’d have an easy time finding one. In fact, he stated that “once you see [a Wii console] on the shelf, you ought to buy it.” Also of note, those still scouting a Wii Fit may be in luck, as the Big N could decide to ship more units to America rather than Europe now that the greenback is gaining strength versus the euro. Good luck hunting — we’d recommend you start looking, um, yesterday.
[Via GameDaily]
Read – Reggie Fils-Aime interview
Read – Analyst’s take Wii Fit shipments
Nintendo cranking on Wii production for the holidays, still making no promises originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Displays
AUO is never one to rest on its laurels when it comes to displays of all
shapes and
sizes and, if its latest batch is any indication, it looks like it’s not showing any signs of letting up. One of the stand-outs here is a 15-inch multi-touch panel which, like the company’s 8-inch model, has all the necessary multi-touch technology built onto the panel itself, and is able to recognize light pens in addition to fingers (it’s also rolled out new 4.3-inch and 12.1-inch models for good measure). As if that wasn’t enough, AUO has also taken the wraps off a new borderless 2.2-inch display (pictured above), which it hopes will soon find its way into a whole host of cellphones and portable media players, as well as 2.8-inch display that can also double as a fingerprint scanner, a 24-inch LCD that promises to display 3D images without glasses, a slightly larger 8.9-inch version of its curved display and, lastly, a 6.5-inch 800 x 480 display with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. No word of any actual products set to use the displays, of course, but they’ll apparently all be on display at the FPD International Forum in Yokohama, Japan later this week.
[Via Electronista]
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Filed under: Peripherals
Well, wouldn’t you know it? That PlantSense prototype we peeked around this time two years ago has seemingly found the fundage to start up production, and at long last the revamped product is available for you to purchase. Now christened EasyBloom, this USB stake sensor analyzes important data when stuck in soil for 24 hours, after which it uploads the data to your PC (via USB) for determining whether or not a flower / tree / etc. should be planted there. Additionally, it can “diagnose what is wrong with an ailing plant,” and it can even dole out a recommended list of which plants would be suitable for your environment. Sure, $59.99 may seem like a lot of green to toss out for something such as this, but it sure beats purchasing new flora every fortnight after you murder yet another round.
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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Once more it looks like Johns Hopkins has taken humanity a step closer to full-blown Borg-hood. A research team at the school has created water-soluble electronic materials that spontaneously assemble themselves into wires some 10,000 times smaller than a human hair, for potential uses that include regulating cell-to-cell communication, re-engineering neural networks, repairing damaged spinal cords and transforming individuals into cybernetically enhanced drones. The researchers also point out that the self-assembly principles used to create the nano-scale wires are based on those of beta-amyloid plaques (which have been associated with Alzheimers), so the research may someday lead to a better understanding of the disease. This is definitely good news, but we can’t help but think that once we’ve been assimilated into the hive mind Alzheimer’s will be the least of our concerns.
[Via TG Daily]
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