What's new on SlashGear.com

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• ASUS Eee Pad Transformer walkthrough [Video]
• Sony CEO takes potshots at “burning” iPads
• SlashGear Science Week In Review
• How Apple Can Become the Next Gaming Giant
• iPhone 5 8MP camera tipped after Sony CEO slip
• HTC reconfirms Honeycomb Flyer update (whenever Google lets them have it)
• Verizon iPhone Most Acquired Handset in February

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer walkthrough [Video] Posted: 02 Apr 2011 02:15 PM PDT ASUS’ Eee Pad Transformer shot from me-too tablet to potential must-have slate earlier this week, as the company showed what it could achieve by thinking a little laterally from the omnipresent iPad. In a second video from the Eee Pad Transformer launch event, the Android tablet’s custom app suite gets a walkthrough, complete with remote desktop support allowing you to bring your PC or Mac homescreen on the move. The remote access app is part of the ASUS “MyCloud” suite, which also supports content streaming from the bundled web-storage every Transformer buyer will get. In the demo, ASUS showed a Windows 7 notebook being wirelessly controlled from the Honeycomb slate, though it will also work for OS X based Macs and even, supposedly, other Android devices. There’s plenty of other functionality on show in the video below. More on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer in our hands-on report from earlier in the week, while details of pricing and availability are here and here. [vms 1c050cd7731794e231bd] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Eee Pad Transformer landing this week in Taiwan ASUS Unveils Eee Pad Transformer: Tablet/Notebook Running Android Honeycomb ASUS Eee Pad Transformer at Best Buy Soon for $400 ASUS Eee PC T101MT gets tutorial video; still no launch date LG E900 Windows Phone 7 Handset Gets Video Walkthrough

Sony CEO takes potshots at “burning” iPads Posted: 02 Apr 2011 01:07 PM PDT It’s not just accidentally confirming that Apple is using Sony CMOS sensors, presumably for the iPhone 5, that CEO Howard Stringer has been doing; the outspoken exec also spent some time taking pot-shots at his rivals. On stage with the WSJ‘s Walt Mossberg at an event earlier this week, Stringer cautioned an iPad owner in the audience to “be careful it doesn't burn you if you wave it around” in what was seemingly a bizarre reference to Apple devices overheating. As the for iPhone and iPad CMOS components, Stringer feigned bemusement as to why the Japanese company would empower Apple’s products. “Why would I make Apple the best camera?” he pondered, suggesting that the irony “always puzzles me.” Unsurprisingly, the implications of Stringer’s supply suggestions have met with stony Sony silence. A company spokesperson declined to comment, while Apple couldn’t be reached for comment. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sony Takes Wraps Off Computerless DVD Recorder Sony BWU-200S 4x Blu-Ray Burner Sony and Apple sued by Japanese couple over laptop battery Sony DRX-810UL Blizzard Announces WoW: Burning Crusade Collector’s Edition

SlashGear Science Week In Review Posted: 02 Apr 2011 12:13 PM PDT This week in science: a very different kind of “mystery meat”, the climate dangers of contrails, and and artificial leaf that does more than make your office look nicer. And robots: a robot that puts the “personal” in PC, a robot that can build other robots, and a robot that makes paper airplanes (but is not a slacker). Also, fighting fire with electricity, a floating solar power plant and T-Rex’s new cousin. Stay tuned! Plastic Made From Mystery Meat Since Mad Cow disease made it clear that using old meat and bone meal (MBM) as animal feed was a really really bad idea, millions of pounds of the stuff are ending up in landfills. Scientists, presenting research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, have proposed a new use for the nasty stuff. The ground up animal slurry can be used to make partially biodegradable plastic, which uses less petroleum. Then, when the material is mixed with ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), it creates a very durable material with the bonus of being partly biodegradable. And any of the infectious agents in the material would be removed during manufacture. Okay, but don’t ask me to eat off of it. [via American Chemical Society] Clouds, Contrails and Climate The air travel industry has been under fire for the carbon emissions generated by planes and their possible impact on the climate, but carbon emissions might not actually be the biggest climate problem associated with air travel. According to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change, the clouds, or contrails generated by planes may have the biggest impact. Over time, the clouds produced through contrail water vapor evolve into “contrail cirrus” clouds, losing their linear features and looking more like naturally occurring cirrus clouds. The problem is that though low-altitude clouds cool the planet by reflecting sunlight, high altitude clouds such as cirrus are insulating and cause more warming. Though these aircraft-generated clouds suppress the formation of natural cirrus clouds, partially offsetting the impact they make, they are still the largest contribution to climate related to aircraft. One upside is that if we can find a way to change the cloud formation caused by aircraft, the impact would be seen immediately. [via Wired] Artificial Leaf Could Provide Cheap Power to the Developing World Scientists at the 241st Meeting of the American Chemical Society released details on a new design, an advanced solar cell married with fuel cells. Instead of transforming sunlight into stored sugars for a plant's metabolism, the artificial leaf uses the energy to transform water into hydrogen and oxygen for later combustion. Daniel Nocera, the MIT chemist responsible for this amazing piece of technology, said: “Nature is powered by photosynthesis, and I think that the future world will be powered by photosynthesis as well in the form of this artificial leaf.” Researchers claim that this device could power a home in the developing world. Wired UK reports that the scientist has negotiated with Tata Group of India to produce a power plant smaller than a car. Should we think of that like an artificial tree? Nocera said, "One can envision villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology." The deal is slated to wrap up late 2012. The fuel cell technology sounds a bit similar to the Bloom Energy Server we wrote about recently. A commenter on our story expressed skepticism that big power companies would ever let something like this come to light. Here’s hoping he’s wrong about that, and that the spread of information and easy access to it will make it harder for things like this to be squashed. [via Kevin Fubar, SlashGear] Fighting Fires – No Water Needed In more news from the recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a new application of an old technology could aid in fighting fires – sans water. The device is a backpack with a wand attached, which shoots a beam of electricity into flames. The electricity can snuff out the fire, or at least make fighting it easier. Ludovico Cademartiri, Ph.D., and his colleagues in the group of George M. Whitesides, Ph.D., at Harvard University, “described a discovery that could underpin a new genre of fire-fighting devices, including sprinkler systems that suppress fires not with water, but with zaps of electric current, without soaking and irreparably damaging the contents of a home, business, or other structure.” The concept of using electricity to control flames is around 200 years old, but there has not been much research done to develop the technology. But now, researchers have connected a 600 watt amplifier to a wand, and used it to beam electricity into flames reaching one foot or higher. In the tests, the flames were quickly snuffed out over and over again, using only electricity. It appears that carbon particles, or soot, is the key to this phenomenon. Soot particles can become easily charged, and respond to the electric field, making the flames unstable. “Combustion is first and foremost a chemical reaction – arguably one of the most important – but it’s been somewhat neglected by most of the chemical community,” said Cademartiri. “We’re trying to get a more complete picture of this very complex interaction.” This could potentially be used remotely, when firefighters cannot easily get to the flames, and the researchers note it is best used in tight spaces. And best used with caution, since 600 watts could do quite as much damage to a person as it would to the flames. [via TreeHugger] Offshore Solar Power Plants In more environmental news, Australian solar power company Sunengy is partnering with India’s Tata Power to build a floating solar power plant off the shore of India. Sunengy, whose mission is “To bring viable and affordable solar power to the world,” produces Liquid Solar Arrays or LSAs. The LSA uses traditional Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) technology, consisting of a lens and a small area of solar cells that tracks the sun throughout the day. Since the LSA floats, it doesn’t need expensive supporting structures. The lenses submerge in bad weather, and being on the water has the additional benefit of cooling the solar cells, increasing their life-span and efficiency. Construction of the pilot plant in India will begin in August, and Sunergy plans to go into full production sometime after 2012. Here is the LSA in action. [via TreeHugger] T-Rex’s new cousin, or at least, his cousin’s jawbone Palaeontologists have identified a giant predatory dinosaur, similar in size and stature to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The dinosaur is named Zhuchengtyrannus (meaning “Tyrant from Zhucheng”) magnus, and was probably about 4 meters (13 feet) tall, 11 meters (36 feet) long, and weighed 6000 kg, or 6 1/2 tons. The palaeontologists have only found some skull and jaw bones, so the actual size is estimated. However, the bones are only a few centimeters smaller than the largest T. rex specimen. The bones were found in the city of Zhucheng, in the Shandong province of eastern China. The dinosaur ran on strong back legs, with puny front limbs, just like the T. rex. The Zhuchengtyrannus is different from other tyrannosaurines because of some unique features in the skull. Scientists found a piece of lower jaw containing seven partly to fully erupted teeth, and another piece of jaw bone containing eight teeth. The bones were found in a quarry which contains one of the largest concentrations of dinosaur bones in the world. Read the full paper here. [via BBC] And now for the robots… iMobot Intelligent, Reconfigurable Modular Robots The iMobot robots are small modules that link together like a chain to form larger robotic modules. The modules have two joints at the center which can rotate 180 degrees. The robots have four degrees of freedom, so they can stand themselves up, roll end over end, stack themselves, and inch along like a caterpillar. And, they are going to be available commercially soon. See them in action: And read the full story here. [via SlashGear] Robotic surgical instruments make tiny paper airplanes From Shane McGlaun, SlashGear: I guess considering that these little robot tools can be used to fix hearts and other critical parts of the human body I shouldn't be surprised that the things can fold tiny little paper airplanes, but I am. I had no idea these tools had so much dexterity. This isn't what bored docs get up to just to stay warm in surgical suites; this is how Dr. James Porter shows off how precise his fancy da Vinci robot really is. I am impressed Dr. Porter, but can it make an origami swan? [via SlashGear] Reeti puts the “personal” in personal computer If you’ve ever wished that your computer was more personable, and could maybe even have a conversation with you, Reeti might be just what you’re looking for. From Chris Davies: The desktop companion is both a PC, a webcam and a telepresence 'bot, capable of streaming live video from his webcam eyes, responding to touch thanks to various embedded sensors, and making facial expressions. Inside is a 1.8GHz dual-core Atom CPU paired with NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics, a 500GB hard-drive, WiFi b/g/n, ethernet, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, digital audio outputs, Blu-ray, and more, running Ubuntu with some custom robotics tools preloaded. Hooked up to a display, keyboard and mouse, and you can use REETI as your regular desktop. Your normal PC probably doesn't have cheeks that light up in various colors depending on mood, a head that can turn and track people in 3D (or be remotely controlled by an iPad app), or respond and track sound and key commands. REETI is also capable of reading out RSS, Facebook, Twitter and other sources, or acting as a robotic receptionist to welcome people to your business. See the cute little guy in action: [via SlashGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear SlashGear Week in Review – June 23rd She blinded me with Steins of Science (and beer) Engineers burn off sewage using rocket science SlashGear TV Week in review Episode 1 DIY OS X Multitouch table built for science fair

How Apple Can Become the Next Gaming Giant Posted: 02 Apr 2011 10:21 AM PDT Apple has proven itself in the technology industry. It delivers some of the best computers in the world, it has the top smartphone, and its tablet is setting the benchmark by which all other devices are judged. All that has combined to make the company one of the most financially successful firms in the world. A key component in the success of Apple's mobile products has been games. The company's App Store is filled with outstanding titles, including Angry Birds and Tiny Wings, that captivate audiences across the globe. But there's another important result of the success of those games: Apple's iPhone and iPad are stealing mobile gaming market share from companies like Sony and Nintendo. Although some might not want to put Apple on the same level as Nintendo and Sony in the gaming market, I think it's impossible not to do so. Apple is a provider of products that millions are playing games on. And the time has come for everyone to stop ignoring that fact. The only issue is, those critics can't necessarily believe that fact until Apple does as well. The company has acknowledged that games are popular on iOS, but it hasn't gone much further. It seemingly believes that games are a key component in its App Store strategy — nothing more. But perhaps the time has come for Apple to do more than just offer an App Store. As a hardware company that has witnessed its many products take out the competition with ease, it's now time for Apple to double down on gaming, and become a key player in the living room gaming space. Luckily for the company, it can do so with ease, thanks to the Apple TV. The only issue is, it can't use the Apple TV in its current form. The company would need to deliver a new version of the device that delivers more capability (especially storage) and perhaps most importantly, access to its App Store. The future of the gaming business is in downloads. People don't want to head down to GameStop to buy a game when they can get a title for cheaper by downloading it to their respective device. Apple can appeal to that desire now, thanks to its App Store. It's a major advantage. The device itself can be one of two things: it can be designed for the casual gamer, or Apple can make a device that appeals to both the casual and hard-core gamers among us. In either case, I think the console would be a hit. As I wrote on these pages recently, I believe the PlayStation 3 is the best entertainment device in the living room. But it didn't earn that by simply offering games. It boasts a Blu-ray player, online-gaming functionality, streaming content, and more. It's a full-fledged entertainment platform. I believe Apple can deliver the same experience. And the best part is, it's practically there already. It has the streaming content, it offers movies, and it has a digital-delivery system in the App Store. The only major element it's missing is gaming. Given Apple's history of developing hardware, I think the company could come up with something special. And if it can follow the same path it has in the past, there's no reason to think its console won't top Sony's as the best in the business. Relevant Entries on SlashGear New Giant NES Controller – Bigger and more functional Apple extends trademark to hand-held gaming devices Why aren’t more games on the Mac? Valve co-founder speaks out Apple to dedicate a portion of today’s Town Hall meeting to gaming? EA Games preview Need for Speed & SimCity at Apple events

iPhone 5 8MP camera tipped after Sony CEO slip Posted: 02 Apr 2011 01:39 AM PDT Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer has apparently let slip the camera hardware specifications of the iPhone 5, Apple’s fifth-generation smartphone. Speaking to Walt Mossberg this week, 9 to 5 Mac reports, Stringer discussed the impact of the Japanese earthquake on CMOS sensor production at the company’s Sendai plant. “Our best sensor technology is built in one of the affected factories” he said, “those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn’t that something? They buy our best sensors from us?” Back in April 2010, reports surfaced based on analyst checks that Apple was looking to Sony for an 8-megapixel camera for the fifth-gen iPhone. The same report accurately predicted the 5-megapixel upgrade for the iPhone 4. Sony does not currently supply Apple with camera sensors, with OmniVision providing the CMOS for the current iPhone. Last November, Apple was tipped to be using an 8-megapixel OmniVision sensor for the iPhone 5, though there have been persistent rumors that Apple was looking to move away from the supplier and to another source. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sony CEO takes potshots at “burning” iPads Sony DSC-T2 – A whopping 4GB of internal memory! Slip-In Cup Holder – Organize your cabinets in one step iPod touch 3G with camera revealed by new case? 4th-gen iPhone to get 5MP camera; 7-inch Apple Tablet tipped for Jan 2010

HTC reconfirms Honeycomb Flyer update (whenever Google lets them have it) Posted: 02 Apr 2011 01:28 AM PDT HTC has been promising a Honeycomb update for the HTC Flyer from the start, but recent talk of Google limiting access to Android 3.0 had left some would-be tableteers concerned that the 7-incher might be stuck with Gingerbread. HTC assured us that would not be the case at the time, but it bears repeating, and so they’ve taken to Twitter to reiterate that “we will be offering a Honeycomb upgrade when it’s made available.” The company’s decision to launch with Gingerbread – heavily reskinned with a new version of HTC Sense, just as the eventual Honeycomb upgrade will be – was believed to be a time-saving move, to allow the company reach the market quicker. HTC is expected to announce a further two, larger slates – potentially at its press event later this month – running Honeycomb out of the box, but they are not believed to launch until around Q3. In light of recent talk of Google “playing favorites” with those OEMs who leave Android unmodified, though, HTC’s comment that the upgrade will be released “when [Honeycomb is] made available” could suggest that Google has been holding back the OS out of dissatisfaction with how HTC is skinning it. The search giant is believed to be prioritizing those hardware partners who leave Android stock. [vms c00c2d31982567235c55] [via Netbooknews] Relevant Entries on SlashGear HTC Flyer 7-inch tablet due March, plus two slates in June? Google preparing LG-made Nexus Tablet, blocking 3.0 slate updates, tips insider HTC Flyer official video hits YouTube 1m HTC Flyer orders tipped as pen-slate interest tentative Google Keeping Android 3.0 Honeycomb Closed For Now

Verizon iPhone Most Acquired Handset in February Posted: 01 Apr 2011 04:39 PM PDT We like comScore they provide good data and shed light into the real world market statistics of the mobile industry. Today they released their latest data from the comScore MobiLens service, which reports key trends in the mobile industry using a three month average. Highlights of their survey of 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 24.8 percent market share. Not surprisingly, Google Android led among smartphone platforms with 33.0 percent market share. The report also points out that the Apple Verizon iPhone was the most acquired handset in February. As far as OEM’s (original equipment manufactures) go during the past three month’s Apple saw the largest percentage gain going from 6.6% to 7.5% market share. All but Samsung took a slight dip over the past few month’s (chart 1). Keep in mind that chart showing OEM market share includes feature phones as well as smart phones. The report also points out some key data points about smart phone platform market share for the past three month’s. 69.5 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in February 2011, up 13 percent from the preceding three-month period. Google Android grew 7.0 percentage points since November, strengthening its #1 position with 33.0 percent market share. RIM ranked second with 28.9 percent market share, followed by Apple with 25.2 percent. Microsoft (7.7 percent) and Palm (2.8 percent) rounded out the top five. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Verizon iPhone 4 moved buttons means AT&T bumpers won’t fit Verizon iPhone 4 pre-ordering closed; first handsets already shipping Apple Unifies Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 in New Advertisement Verizon iPhone 4 advert: the wait is almost up [Video] Verizon iPhone – New pre-order details available

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