Category: Cool

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From Engadget: PowerA unveils MOGA Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on

PowerA unveils Moga Bluetooth controller for Android devices, we go hands-on

PowerA’s best known as a company that crafts controllers and accessories for console gaming systems, but at E3 this year the firm is announcing its first foray into the mobile space: a Bluetooth controller for Android. Called the MOGA, its got dual analog sticks and shoulder buttons, along with a fold-out, spring-loaded center portion that holds phones of all sizes in place while you get your game on — not unlike Gametel’s controller we saw at CES. The front of the device is glossy black plastic, while the rear is swathed in rubber, with ribbed portions on the grips to keep it firmly in hand.

A companion app, available for free through the Google Play store, is also a part of the Moga experience. Called the MOGA Pivot app, it scans your phone for games compatible with the controller, lists them, and lets you launch them direct from the app. Not only that, it’ll periodically update the games list as new games are acquired and it’ll download patch kits automatically for existing games as they become compatible with the controller. Additionally, it’s got a store (powered by Google Play) that’ll let users download new compatible games, and titles in the Play Store will have a badge to let folks know which games work with Moga. Currently, the company has 14 games on board — including Duke Nukem 3D, Virtua Tennis Challenge and Sonic CD — and are in talks with some other big publishers, so more titles will be supported in the coming weeks and months. We got a sneak peek at the MOGA ahead of E3 and talked with the folks from PowerA about their newest bit of kit, so join us after the break for our impressions.

 

from Engadget

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From Engadget: Copper-nickel nanowires from Duke University could make ubiquitous printable circuits

Nanowires

Nanowires, although they’re building steam, still have to overcome the not-so-small problem of cost — they often have to use indium tin oxide that’s not just expensive, but fragile. Duke University has developed copper-nanowire films that could remedy this in style. The choice of material is both a hundred times less expensive to make than indium and is much more durable. It’s flexible, too: if layered on as a coating, the nanowires would make for considerably more viable wearable electronics that won’t snap under heavy stress. The catch, as you might suspect, stems from the copper itself, which doesn’t conduct as much electricity as indium. The nickel will keep your copper electronics from oxidizing faster than the Statue of Liberty, however. Any practical use could be years away, but further successes from Duke could quickly see printable electronics hit the mainstream power and power our dreams of flexible displays.

from Engadget

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From Ars Technica: Organic hydrogel outperforms typical carbon supercapacitors

Hydrogels come in a variety of forms, based on the materials that are mixed with water.

Supercapacitors complement batteries in energy storage and delivery schemes both large and small, as they can provide quick bursts of power. They already help Honda’s fuel cell vehicle FCX accelerate. But supercapacitors hold less energy per volume than a typical battery, so they have limited storage capacity.

Changing the electrode material can boost the capacitance, thus improving the energy density. Yi Cui and Zhenan Bao of Stanford University have made a hydrogel (water-based gel) using a conducting polymer. When used as electrodes in a supercapacitor, the new material has a capacitance about three times greater than a typical carbon supercapacitor. It’s also cheap to build and operate.

Typical supercapacitors are made from two closely spaced, porous carbon electrodes that charge and discharge quickly. Negative ions from the electrolyte collect inside the pores in the positive electrode, while positive ions gather in the negative electrode. That ion separation stores energy as a potential difference between the two electrodes.

from Ars Technica

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From Ars Technica: Faster than your router? Verizon doubles FiOS speeds to 300Mbps

Internet access as fast as a superhero.

Verizon today said it will double its highest FiOS Internet speeds to 300 megabits per second. That’s faster than any cable offering, and faster than many of the wireless routers powering our homes. (If only FiOS was available in more places…)

The new speeds will be available in June, and offer a big boost to both upload and download times across most FiOS service levels. The biggest increase percentage-wise comes in the 50Mbps tier, which will triple to 150Mbps, as you can see in this chart provided by Verizon:

The vast majority of existing Verizon customers will be eligible for the upgrades. Unfortunately, Verizon may be stopping any major expansions of its FiOS infrastructure, so if cable and its 100Mbps max speed is your best option today it will likely stay your best option. But for existing customers, Verizon will provide free equipment upgrades (including faster routers) when necessary.

from Ars Technica

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From Geeks are Sexy Technology News: New Mini-Episode of Doctor Who Written by Kids

In January, BBC Learning, working with Blue Peter, ran their Script to Screen 2012 competition that challenged children aged 9-11 to write a script for Doctor Who with an Olympic theme in the comedic fantasy that is the Doctor Who style, and, of course, some Doctor Who tropes.

The winners are credited in the episode as “The Children of Ashdene School”. It’s actually a rather funny little script, especially considering it came from young uns. It’s also a wonderful little extra for the Doctor Who fans who just need something new from Doctor Who whenever they can get it. 😉

[Via The Uniblog Facebook page and io9]

 

from Geeks are Sexy Technology News

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From Engadget: LG Display debuts five-inch Retina Display killer with 1080p HD resolution and 440ppi pixel density

LG Display 1080p cellphone display

Smartphone displays are becoming larger in size, and along with that, we’re seeing a nice trend that’s bringing greater pixel density. While LG Display’s newly-announced 1080p HD mobile display isn’t the most pixel dense that we’ve seen — a distinction that belongs to Toshiba — the five-inch panel is more appropriate for consumer applications and boasts an impressive pixel density of 440ppi. Its 16:9 aspect ratio was designed with HD content in mind, and the LCD technology isn’t anything to sneeze at, either: it’s a variant of IPS known as Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS), which is said to boast wide viewing angles, fast response times and improved brightness efficiency. Best yet, it seems that consumers won’t have long to wait before the panel works its way into consumer technology — the five-inch HD display is set for availability during the second-half of this year. To learn more of the Retina Display-shattering deets, you’ll find the full PR after the break.

 

from Engadget