nano
Latest
VIA Nano X2 low power, dual-core chip gets official
VIA has officially announced its Nano X2 low power dual-core chip. The chip comprises two of VIA's 64-bit Isaiah architecture cores, found in previous single-core Nano CPUs. The processors come with native 64-bit software support, VIA's PadLock hardware security features, and VT CPU virtualization technology. The new Nano X2 chips are compatible with VIA's previous processors, including the Nano, C7, C7-M, and Eden, facilitating easy upgrades. The VIA Nano X2 processors are already currently available for OEMs, with systems featuring the chips expected in the first quarter of this year. Full press release is after the break
Apple patent describes touch gestures on iPod nano
Could "no-look" touch gestures be coming soon to the iPod nano? Recently discovered by ipodnn, a 2009 patent application by Apple shows that it is looking into letting users control their devices using no-look gestures that only require a touch-sensitive surface, like a trackpad, and not necessarily a graphic interface as Apple currently employs on the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Diagrams filed with the patent application show different methods that owners could use gestures on their devices, such as a single tap to play and pause media playback, a double tap to skip forward tracks or a triple tap to skip backwards to previous tracks. This would allow users to still control their device if they were unable to interact directly with the graphical interface we have all become so familiar with. This has been one of the main concerns with the nano switching over to a no-button touchscreen, so a good solution along these lines would be quite helpful. Of course, I imagine that all of you guys have gotten used to calling your friends using only your nose, so learning gestures to control your iPod or iPhone shouldn't be too difficult in comparison! [via ipodnn]
Periodic table blasted onto a single human hair using ions, human reportedly wants his hair back
We've seen the Torah inscribed on a surface the size of a pin, and the atomic pen making inroads into even more impressive feats, but tiny writing never ceases to amaze us. Now, it seems, the entire periodic table of the elements has been scribed onto a single hair -- that of Martyn Poliakoff, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. The project involved magnifying the hair under an electron microscope, and 'writing' on it with ions using an ion beam writer to imprint the entire table of elements onto the hair. As you'll see in the video after the break, the results are quite impressive albeit very small.
iPod nano hack nixes an app, can't add your own yet
We're still a ways off from living our dream iPod nano watch scenarios, but here's a small step in the right direction. As the story goes, on a flight home James Whelton booted up an iPod nano with a modified SpringBoard plist file that "removed" an app from the screens and replaced it with a blank space. What does this mean? Not much at this point, but it could provide a pathway to further hacking, jailbreaking, and yes, writing and installing those dream apps that make this a great wrist accessory. Video proof after the break.
Researchers find weak point in lithium-ion batteries, suggest better nanowires could be the answer
We've seen countless attempts to build a better lithium-ion battery, but there's been far fewer research efforts devoted solely to figuring out why lithium-ion batteries don't last longer. A team of scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been doing just that, however, and they're now sharing some of their findings. The main culprit, they say, are the nano-sized wires made of bulk tin oxide used in the batteries, which can expand and deform considerably over time, eventually rendering the battery useless. What's more, while the research was focused primarily on examining the cause of battery aging, the researchers do naturally have a few suggestions on how to improve them -- namely, to replace those wires made of bulk tin oxide with finer tin oxide nanowires. As lead scientist Chongmin Wang explains, that would effectively amount to winding together "thinner wires rather than making one thick rope," which is of course easier said than done. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Nano watchband includes bottle opener
Picture, if you will, the following. It's a hot summer day. You're hanging out doing some yard work with your iPod nano strapped to your wrist when you reach for a cold bottled beverage. That's when the moment of horror strikes: you have no bottle opener. You have nothing which with to pop open that wonderful refreshment. All you have is your iPod nano wristwatch. Okay, that's probably not a common scene for most of us, but apparently the creators of the Richard Tracy nano watch strap have been there. This wristband for the iPod nano features a leather strap and laser-cut anodized steel adapter to hold the nano firmly in place. But since the steel adapter could be in any shape, really, they tooled it into the shape of a bottle opener. I guess if you're going to wear an iPod nano watch strap, a little extra versatility is a good thing. [Via ThinkGeek]
iPod nano review -- as a watch
iPod nano watchbands -- they're everywhere! Seriously, ever since Steve Jobs said that an unnamed Apple board member jokingly planned to wear the new nano as a watch, we've seen all shapes and sizes of wristbands designed to put the diminutive media player on your wrist, ranging from the super-basic to the super-silly to the super-amazing. But hold up -- yes, we thought the new nano was a great little media player when we first reviewed it, but why hasn't anyone talked about what it's like to wear one as your watch? Is replacing your current timepiece with the nano's 1.5-inch 240 x 240 multitouch display actually a good idea? We took the nerd-bullet for you and wore one for a week to find out -- read on! %Gallery-107721%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: of electric tractor unicycles, garbage-powered garbage trucks, and luminous nanoparticle trees
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week we were blinded by the light as researchers unveiled a way to transform city trees into luminous streetlights using gold nanoparticles. We also showcased a mesmerizing paper LED structure shaped like a tree at Tokyo Designers Week, and speaking of stellar architecture, check out this stunning star-shaped Taiwanese tower topped with a built-in wind turbine. In other news, strap on your rollerblades and hang tight - from the Department of Questionable Transportation comes the FlyRad, an insane electric unicycle that pulls you down the street at 25 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the city of Toronto is doing their part to preserve the environment by rolling out a fleet of garbage trucks that can be powered by the very waste they collect. Finally, the University of Rhode Island signaled a bright future for efficient transportation as they unveiled four designs that could tap the United States' 2.7 million miles of roadways for solar energy. This week we also looked at several new applications for futuristic manufacturing technologies - a dutch designer has pioneered a way to create 3D printed shoes that fit feet perfectly, and researchers have found that activated carbon cloth is a quicker picker-upper for toxic waste. Finally, with the holidays on their way, this week we rounded up our top ten green gadget gifts for 2010!
Keepin' it real fake: iPod nano doesn't need a logo, thank you
To be honest, this took a little longer than expected. The above faux iPod nano is a pretty decent copy, lookswise, anyway. While we don't know its name or full specifications, we do know that it comes in both 1.5 and 1.8-inch touchscreen varieties (presumably resistive). It apparently has both an external speaker and an SD card reader. We don't know where you'll ever find one or how much it's likely to cost, but if you do track these down, we'll take one in that gray color, please.
Transparent material developed that's twice as strong as Kevlar, infinitely weirder
Scientists in Israel have developed a transparent material with "the hardest organic nanostructure known to man," according to Discovery News. Based on artificial proteins similar to (and simpler than) the beta-amlyoid proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, and covered with transparent nanospheres, the new material is very, very strong: in order to cut it, a diamond-tipped probe would have to apply twice the pressure it would take to cut Kevlar. Researchers see it being used for anything from bulletproof armor to reinforced steel -- but don't throw out your old body armor yet! It could be years (if not decades) before this comes to market.
H2O Audio's Amphibx Grip waterproof armband keeps your new iPod nano, shuffle dry
Yep -- the same folks that enabled your iPod nano 5G to become an underwater camera have just created yet another underwater armband for Apple's latest. H2O Audio's Amphibx Grip is specifically designed to keep the latest iPod nano and iPod shuffle shielded from the harmful, oftentimes fatal effects of liquid, promising a "100 percent watertight and secure seal that provides waterproofing up to 12 feet." We're told that the ClearTouch Window allows for full operation of touchscreen and button controls, and if you're wondering, the company would be more than happy to sell you a set of waterproof earbuds to go along with it. Check it right now for a penny under $60. Michael Phelps would.
iPod nano built into Dreamcast VMU
I saw the new iPad nano for the first time this weekend, and though I knew it was small, of course, I was surprised by just how small it was. Despite the tiny little touchscreen, it really is about the size of the old shuffle. In fact, it's small enough to fit inside one of the old Visual Memory Units from the Sega Dreamcast. Unfortunately, the original controls don't work, and because the nano doesn't actually run any apps, you can't play anything even resembling the old VMU games that the extra controller units used to play in conjunction with the old console. But it is a nice little case for the new nano, and of course, it's just dripping with nostalgia. You can find more information and pictures on the maker's website, which is in Japanese. Don't be fooled by the Sega or Sonic pictures, either -- that's the just the nano's photos app showing off. Very cool, though -- I look forward to seeing even more places to install the nano's tiny little touchscreen.
iPod nano modded into Dreamcast VMU, magic meets nostalgia (video)
The iPod nano iWatch? That's so last week. Apple's sixth-gen PMP has found a far better home in one fellow's old Dreamcast VMU (Visual Memory Unit). It takes a bit of work to get the 1.5-inch screen and headphone outlet aligned just right, but when it's all said and done, you get one of the best and quickest homages to old school gaming around. And hey, it also acts as a big plastic fortress to protect your touchy music player. Video after the break.
How to: Turn your old watch into a nanowatch
Sure, you could just buy a "carrying solution" for the new square iPod nano, but where's the fun in that? Wired shows you how to turn your old wristwatch into a nanowatch -- just take the old strap off, and use the nano's clip to attach it all together. Of course, it depends on your old watch strap, but even if yours doesn't work quite as well as the one that Wired uses, I'm sure a weekend with some Crazy Glue and a few spare parts would probably do it right. Brian Chen is exactly right -- Apple should totally get behind this nanowatch thing. Add some apps and a camera to the nano's little square touchscreen, and that'd turn it into the real Dick Tracy product. I think it'll take a while (Apple likely doesn't want to fragment the iOS line too much too quickly), but I think that, as more applications pop up for a small touchscreen device like this, we might eventually see Apple unlock a little more possibility with it.
Incipio Linq keeps the iPod nano watch craze going with $25 'carrying solution'
Did you find the iLoveHandles iPod nano wrist strap a little bit too restrained? Never fear, Incipio has served up this new Linq case, which swells up the 6th-gen nano with an ostentatiously rugged shell, a velcro strap, and a couple of daring new color options. Whether you're a fan of baby pink or macho blue, there will be a Linq... just for you. Damn, you can build a whole advertising campaign around that. Anyhow, this new take on the iWatch concept will be available early next month for $25 with additional straps setting you back another $10. Or you can just buy a real watch -- the choice, as always, is yours.
Apple spawns new accessory line: nano watch straps
The success of the iPods, iPhone and iPad have been a boon for Apple and accessory makers. Shortly after each product's introduction, a small but highly competitive cottage industry of cases, sleeves, stands and so on emerges. Now, the new iPod nano's unique design has many manufacturers thinking the same thing: wristwatch. The nano is small, light, square-ish and features a touch screen. When popped into a strap accessory like the Linq by Incipio, it looks good! The Linq will be available in five colors when released (grey, black, pink, blue and white), though a release date and pricing information are unavailable as of this writing. It looks nice and the iPod seems well-protected, but I wouldn't want a wire going from my wrist to my ears all day. But that's just me. [Via Oh!Gizmo]
iLoveHandles turns nano iPods into oversized watches
What happens when Apple introduces a square-shaped new iPod and adorns it with an analog watch face for a lock screen? A whole new cottage industry sprouts up, whereby entrepreneurial types dust off old and mostly worthless watch straps, cut out an iPod nano-shaped compartment in them, and charge you $19.99 for the privilege of turning your tiny PMP into a somewhat bulky wristwatch. The saddest part about this is that we've got a feeling they might be on to a winner here.
iPod nano (2010) splayed open in the name of miniature science
What, you didn't think iFixit would stop at just disassembling the new iPod touch, did you? The all-new nano has also been sat atop the workbench, handed a bottle of hard liquor, and told to close its eyes and count to 120 million. The 6th-gen device weighs in at 67 percent of the volume of its precursor, with a slightly thicker body and that integrated clip on its back. Its 240- x 240-pixel display offers a 220ppi density, which, within Apple's ranks, is bettered only by the Retina Display on the fourth generation iPhone and iPod touch devices. Regrettably, just as with those two machines, the 2010 nano has its front glass, LCD and touchscreen assembly fused together. One handy bit of news here is the battery size, which at 105mAh is what you might call paltry, but still doubles up the 2010 shuffle's 51mAh. All in all, the conclusion from this dissection is that the new device feels more like a shuffle with a screen than a miniaturized nano, which, when you look at the form factor, makes all sorts of sense. More at the source.
iPod nano code hints at possible video playback
It may not be anything more than a bit of excess or leftover code, but it looks like there's at least a hint of some possible video playback capabilities lying deep in the code for the new iPod nano (the internal settings property list, to be specific). As discovered by Erica Sadun over at TUAW, that includes options for things like TV subtitles, captions and alternate audio, and even a fit-to-screen option -- for the perfectly square aspect ratio of the nano's screen, perhaps? Of course, there doesn't seem to be an option to actually make video watchable on a 1.5-inch screen.
Apple replaces 5K nano batteries in Japan
Back in 2008, reports of fires that were caused by overheating batteries in first generation iPod nanos caught the attention of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (MEI). In turn, MEI ordered Apple to replace defective units. Apple conceded and launched a replacement program in August of 2010. Since then, according to the Mainichi Daily News, Apple has replaced over 5,000 batteries. The MEI reported that Apple replaced 5,527 batteries in August, up from 232 in July and 62 in June. The jump is attributed to changes Apple made to the program's Web page, which made it easier for customers to find pertinent information. Apple has stated that the defective batteries overheat only in "very rare cases," but it has not revealed how many of the targeted units -- first generation iPod nanos sold in Japan between September 2005 and September 2006 -- have been sold. The new iPod nano looks super, but I've always been partial to the design of the original model. It felt like a big Andes Mint. And for the record, mine never got too hot. [Via AppleInsider]
