Ex-Seagate CEO joins startup Vertical Circuits, learns secret of the silver, gadget-shrinking ooze

Bill Watkins, the oft-outspoken former CEO of Seagate, has thrown his support behind tech startup Vertical Circuits, who claim to have an uncanny knack for shrinking gadgets with the power of voodoo -- or rather, a patented silver ooze, but we prefer our theories. The goo works as a replacement for gold wires to connect vertically stacked chips, cleaning up the internal cable clutter and leaving more room for better processor, bigger batteries, larger displays, or just a tinier form factor. Right now the focus is on stacking flash memory, but the group says they can use the same technique for processors and other chips. At this stage, there's no product or partnership to show for it, but if they're as good as they say, we hopefully won't have to wait long to see the fruits of their labor.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds, Laptops, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Ex-Seagate CEO joins startup Vertical Circuits, learns secret of the silver, gadget-shrinking ooze originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 May 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Quantum PI's nanoTrek sensors pick up vibration and motion your Wiimote could never dream of

Quantum PI has just built the first motion sensor chip to use "quantum tunneling," which sounds theoretically unsafe, but we'll follow along. The nanoTrek sensors are classified as NEMS (Nano Electric Mechanical Systems) as opposed to the "bulky" MEMS sensors that can be found everywhere from the Wii to the iPhone. nanoTrek's sensing area is a mere 50 x 50 microns, and its sensitivity is 5 to 10 times greater than MEMS chips. There are all sorts of boring industrial applications to such a sensor, but we're looking forward to the not-too-distant-future when we can be completely disappointed by a brand new version of Super Monkey Ball.

[Via The Inquirer]

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets, Gaming

Quantum PI's nanoTrek sensors pick up vibration and motion your Wiimote could never dream of originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Video iPhone to feature iMovie App?

Apple rumors seem especially rampant in this year's run-up to the Worldwide Developers Conference. With all the fuss focused upon a rumored 10-inch device that fits somewhere in between Apple's MacBooks and iPod touch, these poor ol' iPhone rumors just can't get any attention. Riiight. The latest has BusinessWeek offering further testimonial that video recording will be heavily featured in the summer release of the 3.0 firmware and presumed third generation iPhone. According to a source familiar with Apple's plans, the next iPhone will make shooting video super simple and feature an iMovie App that enables on-phone editing and uploads direct to YouTube. If true it would certainly be a welcomed update for first and second gen iPhone users and something we'd expect Apple to tout loudly as a major new feature on a new device or two sporting beefier cameras.

[Via MacRumors]

Filed under: Cellphones

Video iPhone to feature iMovie App? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 May 2009 03:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Apple mulling price cuts, developing netbook competitor?

Sure, Apple just posted a record quarter of earnings, but it's been taking a beating lately on the price issue -- not only have cheap netbooks become the hottest category in the market, Microsoft's Laptop Hunters commercials have reignited the Apple tax debate. That appears to have the wheels in motion in Cupertino: AppleInsider says the MacBook and iMac lines are soon to be bolstered with lower-cost options that should take some of the bite out of Redmond's marketing. That's certainly interesting, but here's the real noise: according to AI, the low-cost machines are just an interim solution while Apple preps a new tablet line to take on netbooks directly without making any of the design sacrifices Steve Jobs has repeatedly pooh-poohed. Wild -- but it jibes with those recent whispers about a Verizon / Apple meetup and those reports that Quanta's busy building something with a 10-inch display. So -- cheaper Macs in the short term, crazy-insane iPhone tablet / MID thing riding a unicorn sometime later. You believe any of that?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Apple mulling price cuts, developing netbook competitor? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

iPod nano GPS hack ensures that you and your MP3s make it home safely

We've seen iPod hacks run the gamut, from the useful to the just plain absurd, but no matter how rough around the edges such a project may seem, we always get a kick out of the ingenuity and hard work involved. Today's DIY wonder comes from a cat named Benjamin Kokes, who's using his engineering chops to put together a GPS peripheral for the iPod nano. As the project stands right now, he's taken a reference board sporting a Nemerix GPS and written a screen driver for it, allowing it to do its thing on the handheld. Apparently, all this bad boy is capable of doing right now is finding a satellite and displaying your latitude and longitude -- but we'd like to see your old nano do that! Hit the read link for the whole, sordid tale in geek-tastic detail, or to speak with the developer if you'd like to give this a shot your own self. Tell him Engadget sent you.

[Via Technabob]

Filed under: GPS, Portable Audio

iPod nano GPS hack ensures that you and your MP3s make it home safely originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed

	Windows 7 RC 7100 making its way to OEMs, a torrent tracker near you It seems a little early in the game to be talking Windows 7 release candidates, but that's just the way we like it.		Nikon's D5000 DSLR (and its articulating display) shipping April 27th Oh, goodie goodie! Merely ten days after the D5000 was formally introduced to the world, we're now being told that Nikon's first DSLR with an articulating display will be shipping in three short days.
	Microsoft Surface setup impressions: "filled with mind-bogglingly frustrating usability issues" Microsoft's Surface has been shipping out to corporate customers for a year now, but we haven't heard much about the backend setup of the $17,000 table.	Other news of import Video: Blade Runner starring the iPod shuffle and Kindle 2 Redrock Micro Hybrid Cinema Rigs turn DSLRs into filmmakers Army's multimode death ray knocks out IEDs, vehicles, whiners
	China Blue HD players revealed, second stage of the format war is officially on China's alternative to Blu-ray finally has some hardware to show off, with players from TCL and Shinco making their debut this week.		T-Mobile Germany website indicates May launch for Cupcake It's not exactly a huge surprise considering that the Cupcake-powered HTC Magic is confirmed to be coming out May 5th.
Myvu Crystal review Philips Prestigo SRT9320 color touchscreen remote ready for preorders, shipping someday		Finland ready to rock LTE at "lower cost" 1800MHz Ericsson ready to shell out heroic Sony Ericsson cash infusion if necessary HTC Touch Pro2 gets thoroughly handled overseas

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Keepin' it real fake, part CC: HiPhone Nano N3+ is crazy beautiful

Yes, KIRF number two hundred is a special affair. The HiPhone Nano N3+ is one of those knockoffs that transcends the category and is just plain awesome all on its own. We can't vouch for its performance or build of course, but the N3+ clamshell is part iPhone, part RAZR, and part iPod, with a little bit of Star Trek: TNG attitude thrown in for good measure. Seriously, though guys: we weren't kidding when we hinted (told you) that this would be a perfect birthday gift. June 15th. Think about it. Oh, and Happy 200th KIRFday, Engadget! One more glorious shot after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CC: HiPhone Nano N3+ is crazy beautiful

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin' it real fake, part CC: HiPhone Nano N3+ is crazy beautiful originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch