Secret Windows 8 Weapon: Kinect Built Into Your Laptop

The Windows release of Kinect is coming up in a couple days, but for most people that won’t be a major event: the Kinect they have is sitting on their TV or in a drawer, waiting to be taken out for an impromptu Dance Central 2 party. Of the 10 million Kinects out there, the only ones connected to computers are the ones being fiddled with by the various hackers and students making science projects out the things.

But according to the Daily, Microsoft is hoping to remedy this particular situation by building Kinect sensors right into your laptops. TechCrunch alum Matt Hickey got to handle a pair of prototypes, which were confirmed to be official, not just one of the many experiments that hide within Microsoft’s various lairs.

Unfortunately the laptops were not ready for their debut and no pictures seem to have been permitted. But they are described as netbook-like, with a number of smaller sensors instead of a webcam, and what could be an IR LED at the bottom of the screen.

The inclusion of depth-sensing cameras on a laptop is an interesting idea, and if they can drive the price of the sensor array down, it might become a standard feature. Microsoft has clearly also been focusing on miniaturizing the Kinect hardware, as the bulky original would seem somewhat out of place on a petite netbook. Whether this smaller sensor set has the same capabilities as the larger isn’t clear and wasn’t discussed.

A smaller Kinect would also suggest that Microsoft’s next console, rumored to have Kinect built in, is nearing readiness. While many gaming industry insiders have discounted the idea that the next generation of consoles will be announced this year, the rumor mill says otherwise.

View full post on TechCrunch » Gadgets

Red Hat RHEV pressed into action

Red Hat has released the third version of its Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization RHEV virtualization software package, which includes improvements that would make it suitable for larger deployments, and a new console for self-provisioning.

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Comcast expands IPv6 services into four more states

Comcast continues to extend its leadership role in the adoption of next-generation Internet services with the news that it has expanded its production IPv6 deployment into four more states — Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey — over the past six weeks.

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Google readies Google+ for push into the enterprise

Google looks close to unleashing Google+ on the enterprise.

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Aperture: A Triumph of Science Is A 21 Minute Look Into The Labs Behind The Portal Testing Chambers

Cue Yanni intro music. Enter Aperture Laboratories documentary. Proceed to lose the next 21 minutes of your life. Sorry.

Aperture: A Triumph of Science isn’t your fanboy look at Portal. Hells no. This is mildly entertaining, mildly informative look into the facility best known from the Portal games. There’s a bit of Easter eggs, a few Black Mesa references and a healthy dose of Aperture Science stickers (available from ThinkGeek, btw) But the video is as long and fictional as a History Channel documentary so clear your schedule and mind accordingly. [via Kotaku]

View full post on TechCrunch » Gadgets

Keeper of leaked HTC ROMs disappears into the ether

Can’t say we didn’t see this coming. Word around the campfire was that the infamous 911HTC (née 911Sniper) blog that scored leaked HTC ROM after leaked HTC ROM had itself become the target, and tonight it’s gone dead. The site itself redirects to Google.com, and its pages to Google 404s, though the ROMs still live on on their external hosting pages.

A shame, since we do love leaks around here. But at the same time, not surprising — HTC takes its intellectual property seriously (as well it should). And the flip side of that is that leaked test ROMs can be fraught with danger, as evidenced by the recent bricking of HTC ThunderBolt’s running one of these unofficial radios.

Oh, well. The game goes on, folks.

Via @LordG33k

View full post on Android Central – Android Forums, News, and Help

NASA astronauts to fly Orion spacecraft into deep space

NASA announced plans to build a spacecraft that will fly astronauts into deep space, going as far as near asteroids and even Mars.

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Software update turning users’ brand new Notion Ink Adam tablets into bricks

To say the Notion Ink Adam Android tablet has taken the long way to reaching customers would be quite the understatement. It’s been mired in controversy while at the same time being hailed by some as the second coming of tablets. And after more than a year in development, it’s finally shipped and is getting into the hands of paying customers.

And that’s where the problems being. (Or continue, depending on who you ask.) Reader J writes in to tell us his story. The deal is you’re prompted to update the software the first time you turn on the tablet. J’s on-screen keyboard was acting up, so he runs the update, hoping that would clear things up.

And now he has the brick you see above. And he’s not alone. Bricks are happening, and Notion Ink is aware of it, sending this e-mail:

Hi!

Greetings from Notion Ink!

First of all, we would like to Welcome you to the Notion Ink Family!

We understand and share your excitement about you receiving your Adam.

Secondly, a couple of our family members who received the Adam already, reported to us that they faced some issues in updating their device.

So, as a precautionary measure, we would advice you to refrain from updating your Adam until we investigate this matter and contact you with an official update regarding this matter.

In case you need any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at support@notionink.com.

Warm Regards
Notion Ink

So if you’re the proud owner (at least for now) of a Notion Ink Adam tablet — stay away from the update, and we’ll bring back more word when we get it. Thanks, J!

Software update turning users' brand new Notion Ink Adam tablets into bricks posted originally by Android Central

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Hot e-reader sales will continue into 2011, Gartner says

Gartner projects continued hot e-reader sales despite increasing competition from media tablets like Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet.

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Start-up transforms unused desktop cycles into fast server clusters

When you consider technologies that make corporate IT more efficient by improving utilization of computing resources, VMware and its x86 virtualization software may be what that comes to mind.

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