Last year Canon showed to the world its largest CMOS sensor, but for whatever reason, Canon seemed more concerned with showing off its engineering prowess than finding a use for the giant 8-inch CMOS sensor. Fortunately, the super-powerful snapper has found its way into the 105-centimeter Schmidt Telescope at the University of Tokyo’s Kiso Observatory. The sensor’s size makes it a perfect fit to record in low-light; capturing the wonders of the universe in 0.3 lux at 60 fps. The University will premiere footage from the experiment, possibly with nibbles, after September 19^th.

SOURCE via Canon

HP’s webOS may just be the ideal tablet operating system to put Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android to shame, but then again it’s getting a permanently stagnant market, and well, Android’s here to save the day, great thing about being open source.

The CM Team has decided that your fire sale TouchPad may be better off running Android. You know, from a long-term perspective. All jesting aside, the crew has been pounding the pavement on a new (and vastly improved) CyanogenMod 7 for Android, with this build providing functional WiFi, access to the Android Market, audio (albeit a bit fast) and an operational accelerometer.

There’s no code being released just yet — the team’s still working to cull the aforesaid Hamsterdance effect — but you can catch a sneak peek of everything in action just above.

SOURCE via liliputing

The long, winding and increasingly mind-numbing battle between Samsung and Apple has taken yet another turn, this time in Australia, and it’s the other way round.According to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung feels that the iPhone and iPad 2 both “violate a number of wireless technology patents held by Samsung.”

Spokesman Nam Ki-yung stated the following: “To defend our intellectual property, Samsung filed a cross claim for Apple’s violation of Samsung’s wireless technology patents.” The suit is being filed just days / weeks before a ruling will decide on whether the Galaxy Tab 10.1 can be legally sold Down Under, and in related news, Samsung is also appealing a recent ruling back in Germany. If ever the world needed an out-of-court settlement… this one will be so huge.

SOURCE via Wall Street Journal

If this hodgepodge of sorta, kinda official confirmation is to be believed, Windows Phone users can look forward to deeper integration of voice command functionality built-in to the Apollo update. Nokia US’ CEO, Chris Weber, first spilled the speech recognition beans in an interview with VentureBeat back in early August, referring to the tech as a killer WP feature.

Now, a report over on ZDNet backs up that leaked info with resume tidbits from former MS Windows Phone / Mobile Communications team members that had a hand in creating the so-called “Voice-Compose” and “Read-Aloud” features for native email clients– even tipping us off to a possible Windows 8 and WP 8 convergence.

There’s also mention of MS’ lower-end mobile OS splitting into two separate versions — Tango1 and Tango2. We know what you’re thinking. It’s hard to get excited about far-off OS updates when we’re still waiting on Mango’s release. Still, it’s good to know Ballmer and co. aren’t just resting on their Windows laurels.

SOURCE via zdnet

Intel reps just can’t resist whispering about their 2012 Core i-series. AnandTech is reporting a claimed 60 percent boost in 3DMark Vantage scores from the next-gen integrated graphics compared to Sandy Bridge, which could well put an end to Intel’s frame-rate humiliation at the hands of AMD’s A-series APUs. The bragging also extended to Quick Sync, which is “privately” said to deliver video encoding at twice the current speed. However, these claims only relate to the top tier of the Ivy Bridge range and they skirt around the key battlegrounds of raw CPU power and pricing — which is precisely where we suspect AMD’s FX series will bring the ruckus.

SOURCE via Anandtech

Microsoft just revealed a little info about the future functionality of Windows Store at Build 2011. In keeping with its mantra of making Windows 8 a one-size-fits-all affair, the Store will be home to both Metro-style apps (useful for tablets and desktops alike) as well as traditional Win32 programs. The outfit is hoping for this to provide more visibility for the programs that we all grew up on, and so long as the categorization is under control, we’re all for it.

Not surprising, given that there’s “no overlay” here. Whatever you see, it’s “all Windows.” The company’s playing up its flexibility for coders, with a full spate of supported coding options explained in graphical detail just after the break. Read more…

Artist Jonathan Brand likes working with a variety of mediums, but he is wildly skilled when it comes to handling paper. Brand is also a fan of the 1969 Ford Mustang. Combining his passion for both in a way that only a skilled artist can, Brand has set about the task of building the full-scale Ford entirely out of paper. Not just the shell, mind you, but every single item on the original car will have been born from a tree.

So far, the Brooklyn, New York artist has completed the engine, a wheel and tire, and one of the doors. The accuracy he can achieve in this medium is amazing, and we are eagerly awaiting the day when he folds that last piece and the whole thing comes together. We’re guessing it’s going to be a while, but we’ll be waiting. While you’re waiting, check out Brand’s work in more detail at his website.

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