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Spotify signs an exclusive podcast deal with filmmaker Ava DuVernay
The Oscar-nominated director's Array collective will work with Gimlet Media on a variety of shows.
Drobo's USB-C drive array is tailor-made for your new PC
You haven't had a whole lot of options for very high-capacity external drives on computers with USB-C ports. How are you supposed to archive the video projects from your MacBook? Drobo wants to help: it's launching the Drobo 5C, a five-bay self-managing drive that, unsurprisingly, plugs into your system's USB-C port. You won't gain a speed advantage over a USB 3.0 box (it averages 250MB per second if your drives are fast enough), but that's not the point. This is about giving you future-proof storage that you can upgrade at any time. As with other Drobos, you just have to swap in a new disk if you're running low on space or encounter a failure. There's no need to shuffle files or configure a RAID array.
Pelican Imaging's 16-lens array camera coming to smartphones next year
After yesterday's news about Nokia investing in Pelican Imaging's plenoptic camera system, it was hard not to feel impatient about exactly when this technology might arrive in real, commercially available smartphones. Well, we have an update on that front: although the company's CEO, Chris Pickett, wouldn't tell us which OEM(s) he's been talking to, he did say that his product is currently being trialed by device manufacturers and is scheduled to be part of at least one new smartphone launching in 2014. Now, this next bit is pure speculation on our part, but given that carrier testing alone can take six months, and we're already nearly halfway through 2013, this strongly implies that a hardware deal has already been inked -- which means next year could potentially bring the biggest news in smartphone cameras since the eternally underappreciated Nokia PureView 808. Speaking of which, Pelican Imaging also has some intriguing things to say about what could happen if its array camera was paired with Nokia's PureView technology -- read on for more.%Gallery-187379%
Nokia to invest in 'array' mobile cameras that use small lenses to capture big images
If the name Pelican Imaging rings a bell, it's possibly because we covered the company's array imaging camera prototype back in 2011. The technology uses multiple lenses that are relatively tiny in terms of how much space they take up in a mobile device, but which work together to capture an image of the same quality as a much larger camera -- just as array telescopes replace the need for one huge telescope. Now, it appears we weren't the only ones taking an interest, because Nokia's investment wing has revealed to Bloomberg that it's been watching the startup since 2008 and is currently planning to invest in it. Bo Ilsoe, of Nokia Growth Partners, describes Pelican's technology as "on the cusp of being commercialized" -- so who knows? One day, a future Lumia might house 41 megapixels, image stabilization and the voodoo known as plenoptics. In the meantime, there's a video after the break which sort of explains how the technology sucks in enough data to allow for focus to be adjusted after a picture is taken -- a trick which also sounds rather familiar.
Age of Wushu explains battle arrays
If you're going to be taking part in group combat in Age of Wushu, you need to know about battle arrays. Despite the name, these are not organizations of various battles that serve as an index of information. Rather, they're a type of buffing formation that players can enter to improve a group's overall effectiveness in conflicts. A new article on the official site goes into detail about how battle arrays work and what players can do to maximize their effectiveness. Arrays vary in strength and scope, with the simplest array requiring only three players to execute. There are six arrays in the game without any school requirements and several more in individual schools, allowing for a variety of group-wide buffs that provide several effects in combat. And if one of the people in the array happens to be a skilled Weiqi player, arrays only get better. To get a clearer picture of these group-based buffs, dive into the full article.
Boost Mobile announces Samsung Galaxy Rush with Android 4.0, available late September for $150
Boost Mobile is in New York City today to take the wraps off of its new fall lineup, and in addition to the Galaxy S II 4G, it'll be joined by the Samsung Galaxy Rush, a small (but slightly souped-up) smartphone that sports Android 4.0. Noteworthy specs include a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, 768MB of RAM, a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen and a 3-megapixel camera. While built-in storage is limited to just 4GB, users will find a microSD slot for expansion. The phone also sports a rather healthy battery, which weighs in at 1,750mAh. According to Boost, the Samsung Galaxy Rush will hit stores in late September for $150.%Gallery-163186% Additionally, Boost Mobile is also unveiling the Samsung Array, a feature phone with a sliding QWERTY keyboard. You'll see it hit stores on September 4th for $60, and you can sneak a peek of it after the break.
G-Technology crashes NAB with portable, Thunderbolt-equipped RAID arrays
The Thunderbolt goodness just keeps on rolling out at NAB. G-Technology just announced it will be adding support for the high-speed connection to its line of RAID devices for those who spend their days chopping up HD video. The first batch of products will hit in either Q3 or Q4 and start with the company's smaller arrays in the four to eight-disc size. A prototype of a four-drive model can be seen in the photo above, which rep Pete Schlatter described to us as "the sweet spot" in terms of portability and storage. Sure, calling an eight drive array "portable" sounds like a stretch, but don't forget: these are designed to be paired with laptops and carried by people editing video on the go -- you know, guys with giant cases of equipment and biceps to match.
Pelican Imaging's prototype array camera could make your pictures better, phones thinner (video)
If you want to look for life on another planet you don't build one radio telescope that's miles wide, you build a bunch of smaller ones and create an array out of them. As it turns out that basic idea works for capturing visible wavelengths as well. It's called a plenoptic camera, using an array of very small lenses that, when combined, can create an image as good as a larger one. Pelican Imaging is largely interested in the slim factor this kind of system could offer, potentially allowing for thinner phones, but this could also open the door to some interesting effects. Check out the video after the break for an example of the dynamic aperture control this sort of setup can allow, where you can change the focal plane of an image after it was taken. Given the small size of the array here you probably couldn't do anything too crazy, like take a picture through a tree, but the days of poorly focused cameraphone shots might finally be at an end -- whenever this actually comes to market.
Data Robotics offers Drobo / Western Digital combos at deep discounts
If you're having a tough time picking a storage solution, the Drobo folks may have just made your choice a lot easier. Starting today, the company is offering the first-ever bundles of its much-loved drive array with Western Digital GreenPower SATA hard drives in 2TB and 4TB configurations at a pretty deep discount. Besides knocking $50 off the price of a standalone Drobo (reducing the cost to $449), the 2TB and 4TB versions will clock in at $749 and $1075 apiece, giving you a savings of up to $528. The deals require a mail-in rebate, and you can still add any type of drive you want. Hit the read link for all the info, and for the love of all that's sacred... start backing up!
Battleship Mtron: the absurdly fast SSD RAID array
Listen, we know you think your RAID setup is pretty snazzy, and, truth be told, it probably makes our rig look silly by comparison. However, in the computer world, there's always someone out there with a bigger, nastier system -- and we've just spotted one of the nastiest of them all. Next Level Hardware is a site that specializes in putting outrageous setups to the test, and this time they haven't disappointed with their benchmarks on the Mtron 16GB SSD (reportedly the fastest SATA drive in the world). Oh, did we mention the test was on a RAID 0 array of nine drives? Dubbed the "Battleship Mtron," the sickening collection of hardware blazed past the competition (a WD Raptor, less stacked Mtron RAID setups), delivering mind-boggling data swaps like copying a 1GB folder in four seconds. You read that right: four seconds. Like where this is headed? Truck over to the test page and peep all the stats... seriously, it's upsetting.[Thanks, David]
Leave the glue at home: concept phone lets you bejewel by grid
Picture this doomsday scenario: you've gone and covered the screen of your phone with stylish hearts and esses, only to discover that the design just doesn't fit your mood anymore. With classic methods of bejeweling, that puts you in a bit of a pickle, seeing how your phone's now covered with a nice, thick layer of glue separating the sparkly stuff from the shell of the handset. It's all good, though -- with his new concept, designer Nils Siegel pictures a world where you can change your phone's gems as quickly as... well, popping out and plugging in a couple hundred tiny squares. A fun task? Not necessarily, but in the scheme of things, it's probably cheaper than buying a new phone for every mood change.
Drobo review
Anyone who's ever futzed with a drive array on the fritz or tried to upgrade their large home storage system knows the plight well -- disks will eventually fail and/or run out of space, and when they do, neither scenario is particularly pleasant for a RAID user. (Trust us, we have the horror stories to prove it.) Even though the Data Robotics Drobo isn't ready to take the place of your NAS, if you've been looking for a simple, convenient, reliable method of keeping vast amounts of data in one spot, this may be the way to go. We've been fortunate enough to have a Drobo of our own to fool around with for the past few weeks, and we're pretty excited about how it's gone. Read on for our thoughts.%Gallery-3644%
The skinny on the Drobo storage array device
While not quite a robot as we here at Engadget typically think of them, there's no doubt that Data Robotics's Drobo storage array / external enclosure is making some interesting propositions with this new storage device. Here's everything the storage-minded need to know about the company and its forthcoming product: The device will come drive-free, and cost $700. It will launch in the summer. It does not use RAID of any kind. Instead, it uses pooled virtualized storage. Unlike RAID 5, which requires 3+ drives of the same size, users can add disparate SATA (I or II) drives of any size. The storage pooling impact is estimated as the size of the largest drive. So if your largest drive is 500GB, that will be the maximum amount of space lost from the storage pool for redundancy. With four 1TB drives you would get 3TB addressable storage, and ~2.7TB after formatting. The device can address an infinite amount of storage, limited only by file systems and drive capacities. All drives are hot swappable; new drives are instantaneously available. The device is block-aware and makes use of a "virtual hot spare", meaning that if a drive is pulled or lost and there's enough free space on the drives, data will be double-copied and made redundant again. Data has corruption protection as well; if data is corrupt on one drive, the device will intelligently find another copy of the data which is not corrupt. For lack of necessity, the device does not support FireWire 400 / 800 or eSATA; its internal data speeds are not fast enough that those interfaces would benefit performance. The device will only format NTFS and HFS (PC and Mac); it may be updated to support other file systems. It features NVRAM and a battery backup so even non-journaled file systems will be protected against corruption during loss of power. It will monitor drive health by its own system of metrics, and pre-emptively predict drive failures. Data Robotics plans to launch higher capacity Drobos with more drive bays. There will also be an open API for interfacing with the Drobo. Hopefully that should answer a few questions about this thing -- got any more? We'll and find out. So, kinda high price aside, you as stoked about this thing as we are?%Gallery-2507%
Ontrack reveals RAID data recovery secrets
Kroll Ontrack, purveyors of data recovery, give a glimmer of hope to those with wrecked RAIDs in Tom's Hardware Guide's 7-page explanation detailing their step-by-step process, including preventative measures, proper handling tips, different types and levels of damage, and an overview of various Ontrack recovery methods.They stress the obvious solution to make a habit of defragging and backing up your data, however if it weren't for the irresponsible / lazy demographic, Ontrack would be counting their food stamps. They also encourage potential data-loss victims to stay calm, as freak-out sessions oftentimes yield impulsive and regretful decisions for data that might be recoverable. "In 2005, Kroll Ontrack processed 50,000 recovery cases. Ontrack was able to complete 40% of incoming orders successfully right away. The remaining 60% had to be taken to the clean room, where 75% of data recoveries were successful." The stats sound promising if you're in need of a serious data resurrection, and as long as you're willing to cough up a good chunk of your savings. [Via Slashdot]
Hitachi Maxell 1TB SVOD optical disc cart
Good morning, kids. Are you ready for the optical disc format of the day? It's Hitachi Maxell's 1TB stacked volumetric optical disc (SVOD) array, comprised of rather thin DVD-size discswith DVD-size capacities: 9.4GB total storage each on two 92µm thick data layers. Yeah, we know, we promised a terabyte; well, watch and learn. These polycarbonate discs may be too thin to be manufactured from typical plastics, but they can be stacked in an optical array 100 tall, and 6.5 x 13.3 x 16.1cm (2.5 x 5.2 x 6.3-inches) in size. Even though Hitachi Maxell wants to make the terabyte carts relatively cheap at ¥40,000 (about $340 US) and claims there are consumer applications, don't toss that HD DVD player just yet. It's pretty easy to realize why optical arrays are really of only limited utility for the end-user; if these should ever be popularized, we'd imagine it would serve first as data archival medium for businesses before you'd ever outfit your rig with, like, the high def optical disc system, dude.[Thanks, Andrew]
