We’ve known little of the genetic sequences of our precursors, despite having found many examples of their remains: the requirement for two strands in traditional DNA sequencing isn’t much help when we’re usually thankful to get just one. The Max Planck Institute has devised a new, single-strand technique that may very well fill in the complete picture. Binding specific molecules to a strand, so enzymes can copy the sequence, has let researchers make at least one pass over 99.9 percent of the genome of a Siberian girl from roughly 80,000 years ago — giving science the most complete genetic picture of any human ancestor to date, all from the one bone you see above. The gene map tells us that the brown-skinned, brown-eyed, brown-haired girl was part of a splinter population known as the Denisovans that sat in between Neanderthals and ourselves, having forked the family tree hundreds of thousands of years before today. It also shows that there’s a small trace of Denisovans and their Neanderthal roots in modern East Asia, which w
e would never have known just by staring at fossils. Future discoveries could take years to leave an impact, but MPI may have just opened the floodgates of knowledge for our collective history.
Month: October 2019
The wonderful mistakes of Far Cry 3
As our own Ludwig Kietzmann once wrote, Ubisoft’s Far Cry 2 is at its best when your best laid plans go catastrophically wrong – when craftily assassinating a single target goes haywire and becomes a blood-soaked, bullet-ridden assault on an entire army. While I was only able to experience a tiny slice of the Far Cry 3 single-player campaign, I can happily report, at the very least, that things can definitely still go wrong. Gallery: Far Cry 3 | 6 Photos 6 +2 
As Jason Brody, I saunter through a small, somewhat ramshackle island town. The Ubisoft guide walks me through the basics, pointing out that my map isn’t working properly because a nearby radio tower is blocking the signal. Seeing as how maps are kind of important for getting around, the radio tower seems like a logical first destination.After briefly attempting to drive a jeep up a narrow, hillside path, common sense prevails and I hoof it to the tower. Ascending the huge, entirely unsafe-looking structure – bent rails, missing steps and all – I finally reach the top and rip an electronic scrambler from the tower’s wiring. This reveals a section of Far Cry 3’s overall map, not unlike the way towers work in Assassin’s Creed. After briefly taking in the beautiful tropical scenery around me, I peruse my map to see what catches my eye.As in Far Cry 2, I’m literally surrounded by potential objectives. The most tantalizing is an enemy outpost. As my guide explains, these camps are controlled by enemy factions. By taking out all the hostiles within, I can capture it, thereby turning it into the new home of a friendly faction. Doing so would grant me a new fast travel location and a base where I can resupply and purchase new weapons. Sounds easy enough.I notice a hang glider near the outpost on my map, which sounds like the perfect way to approach a camp full of thugs that will kill me on sight. I zoom down to the ground on a convenient zip line and make my way to the hang glider, which is guarded. Who guards a hang glider? Anyway, I manage to eliminate the first guard with a well-placed arrow to the skull. The kill is quiet, but still noticed by the remaining soldier. A hastily loosed arrow misses him by a mile, as do four of the six shots in my pistol. Note to would-be assassins: Aim is not rock-solid in Far Cry 3. It’s unstable and it waivers – human, in other words.Hang glider acquired, I sail through the sky toward the outpost. Noticing a rocky cliff to the right, I veer to the side and ditch my glider mid-air, landing expertly. I only lost half of my health and, surely, only snapped a tendon or two. The overhead view of the camp was worth it, though, as I pull out my camera and survey the entire operation. Each enemy I spy through the lens is permanently marked, giving me a tactical edge in the coming confrontation. Perched on my rock, I easily take out the overwatch with the bow and arrow. I take a moment to think “this is all going really well!” as I draw a bead on the next soldier … only to shoot wide and send an arrow flighting directly through his line of sight (remember that human aim I mentioned?). My brilliant plan crumbles as he sets off the alarm. The entire camp turns to face me and, somewhere, jeeps full of reinforcements are closing in.The rest of it is just a hazy succession of sirens, SMG fire, wasted medical supplies and an errant grenade I tossed at my own feet. One pile of bodies and two smoking jeeps later, I manage to dispatch every foe and the base is mine.After replenishing my supplies – and buying a silencer for my SMG, for all the good it will do me – I check out the bulletin board in my newly acquired base of operations. It seems a bandit has taken over a local farm and someone wants me to take revenge. The only catch is that I have to honor the local tradition in doing so, which means I have to kill him with a knife.Sounds easy enough.
Star Wars Episode II and III 3D re-releases officially dated for theaters in September and October 2013
Bef
ore Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace came back to the theaters earlier this year converted for 3D, the plan was to bring the other five movies to theaters one at a time each year, but that has apparently changed. At the Star Wars Celebration VI event in Orlando (where we first found out about the Blu-ray release two years ago) Lucasfilm announced that Episodes II and III in 3D will be released in theaters back to back in fall of 2013, arriving September 20th and October 11th, respectively. Missing so far from the announcement? A reason for the back-to-back release or any word on Blu-ray 3D plans. In lieu of more details, although it means Attack of the Clones will come back later in the year than Phantom Menace did, with any luck this accelerated schedule is a good omen for the original trilogy’s return. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what magic can be worked with those older film and special effects elements, however IGN apparently found an early preview of the Episode II 3D footage to be promising. [Thanks, Rachael] Show full PR text STAR WARS 3D CONTINUES WITH EPISODES II AND III August 27, 2012 Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith to be theatrically released in 3D back-to-back in September and October, 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox have announced the official release dates for the 3D theatrical launch of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Attendees at the closing ceremony for Star Wars Celebration VI, the franchise’s massive fan event, learned that the epic movies that chronicle the rise of the Galactic Empire will be released back-to-back, with Episode II hitting theaters on September 20, 2013 and Episode III arriving soon after on October 11, 2013. With its deeply detailed worlds and engulfing action, Star Wars is perfectly suited for the immersive 3D theatrical experience. Episode II and III deliver such captivating locales as the gleaming clone hatcheries of rain-swept Kamino, and the fiery lava planet of Mustafar as well as spectacular action sequences like Yoda’s unforgettable debut as a lightsaber duelist, the explosive space and ground battles of the Clone Wars, and the dramatic showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous 3D conversion was undertaken by Prime Focus, the global visual entertainment services company. With their proprietary View-D™ process, Prime Focus transformed Episode II and III into 3D with the utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological consideration and artistic intentions.
WRUP: AFK getting married
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, “What are you playing this week?” — otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we’re up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you’re playing, too!Oh, hi. I wasn’t expecting anyone here today — we’re closed. Closed for business. Yes sir, no WoW Insider today. Just a ship on autopilot until the next sunrise.Why? Oh, you know, someone here at WoW Insider’s just “AFK getting married.” That’s a pretty big deal. And while none of us were actually invited to the wedding (nah, whatevs, that’s cool, I didn’t want to go anyway), we did want to take the day off and pretend that was the reason. So yeah, this wedding here is kind of cool. And it’s happening … I don’t know, somewhere in the Upper Midwest? Also there are puppets here? I don’t know, I may just have had too many mimosas. Congratulations, Adam. *pops champagne*Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) /afk getting marriedAllison Robert (@AllisonRobert) Some last-minute beta work, and then casting a critical eye at my banker on the live servers and deciding what stays and what goes. Also, ruing the day I threw out some Vicious Gladiator pieces to make space, because I got the hankering to transmog back into them and now they’re out of the game. Sad beartree is sad.Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) Likely writing, and working on a side project that doesn’t actually involve writing for once! I believe we’re also fiddling around raiding on Sunday, although what we’ll be doing … well, I’ve no idea yet.Chase Christian (@madsushi) I’ll be playing Path of Exile, a Diablo clone that’s still in beta. I’ve been having fun so far, though it is very deep and complex.Chase Hasbrouck (@alarondruid, @alaronmonk) Adam wins the thread. I’ve got family coming for the weekend, and they’re sleeping in the room where my desktop is set up, so very little screen time for me. I just finished playing through Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions with my son, so I might pick up the newer one for his birthday.Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb) I’ll be doing some late summer spring cleaning and otherwise taking care of business IRL, but if I have time, I want to run Binding of Isaac a few times and see if I can defeat the game with ???. I also need to do some spring cleaning on my WoW characters ahead of Mists of Pandaria, getting rid of old reagents and gear I don
‘t want to keep for transmog purposes, moving stuff to void storage, that kind of thing.Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives) The baby has restricted how much I can use the laptop, so maybe I’ll work on some unfinished console games. Kingdoms of Amalur, Arkham City and Mass Effect 3 spring to mind. Fox Van Allen (@foxvanallen) Certainly not doing anything that will trump getting married, so why bother?Joe Perez (@lodurzj) Matticus is going to help me shake off my FPS rust in Counter Strike: Global Offensive this weekend. If nothing else I make really awesome bait.Lisa Poisso (lisapoisso) Remember those auctions I talked about needing to get around to putting up last week? This week, I guess I gotta log in my banker and see what sold … /sigh Not a fan of banking and auctioneering.Matt “Matticus” Low (@matticus) Wallin’ people and getting unbelievable headshots in Counterstrike: GO. WHOO!Megan O’Neill (@slowpoker) Beta LFR or dungeons if no LFR. On live, probably doing 5-man achievements with guildmates to get their Volcanic drakes. (Heading South appears to be a popular last-getter.)Michael Gray (@writegray) Now that the Humbling River is 4 weeks old, it’s time to cast a critical eye toward all that pregnancy weight I put on. Which is like, a lot. So I’m going to start excavating a patch of land with a good old-fashioned shovel to build a new office space and figure the exercise will be good for me.Olivia Grace (@oliviagrace) I can’t take Adam on, but AFK Gamescom!Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel) Local carnival. Mists. Pirate Fluxx. Making sacrifices to the weather gods so that this heatwave ends.The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can’t get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you’re playing this weekend!
My BMW Remote app ready to Play with Android
Stateside and overseas iOS users with a predilection for remotely controlling high-end German autos have had nearly a half year’s worth of smug to lord over their Android counterparts. Not so anymore, as BMW’s spreading the love and making its Remote app available now for that Google-led contingent on the Play store. The car maker hasn’t updated this iteration with any additional perks, preferring instead to keep the user experience consistent and giving drivers of BMW Assist-enabled vehicles the same ability to remotely lock doors, adjust the A/C, blow the horn or trigger the car’s lights from afar. The app also includes a maps feature for locating your lost ride (fear not privacy paranoiacs, it’s only accessible while the ignition is turned off) and an option to import favorited places from Local Search. Sure, it’s a nice olive branch for car owners that once felt left outside the gates of vainglory, but we’ll reserve our excitement for mobile-operated ovens. Now that’s luxury at its best. Show full PR text Smart vehicle control. Multifunctional My BMW Remote app now also available for smartphones with Android operating system. 31.07.2012 Munich. The My BMW Remote app is now available for smartphones running the Android operating system, too. The application can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store (Android Market), and offers all the same functionalities as the iPhone version first brought out in autumn 2010. My BMW Remote allows users to operate all manner of functions in their BMW from outside the vehicle, without even having to be nearby: “Remote Door Lock & Unlock” allows the car to be locked and unlocked from a smartphone. “Climate Control” makes it possible to control the interior temperature by adjusting the auxiliary ventilation and heating settings, and programming the systems by timer. With “Horn Blow” for sounding the horn and “Flash Light” for briefly switching on the exterior lights, users can trigger acoustic and visual signals to help them find their vehicle in crowded car parks, for instance. · If the car is out of sight and hearing distance but within a radius of up to 1,5 km, the “Vehicle Finder” function is able to display a map on the smartphone screen showing the way to the vehicle’s location. This function is only available when the ignition is switched off, thereby making it impossible to track the vehicle’s movements. Finally, using Google Local Search, users are able to import points of interest (POIs) from their smartphone into the vehicle’s navigation system via the message list. “By extending our My BMW Remote app to Android devices as well, we are responding to the recent rapid spread of this operating system,” explains Dr Eckhard Steinmeier, Head of BMW ConnectedDrive. “Google Android is the fastest-growing software platform for smartphones and tablets, so we are now delighted to be able to offer our customers the remote app functions on this operating system, too.” Both My BMW Remote apps can be used in conjunction with a valid BMW Con
nectedDrive contract in all current models equipped with BMW Assist. The range of functions may vary depending on the model, year of manufacture and destination market. Customers receive detailed information regarding this when downloading the application.
More Samsung Galaxy Stellar details spill, September 6th launch appears likely
More details about the Samsung Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE, Verizon’s upcoming budget offering, are now surfacing from the midst of the carrier’s internal systems. Our source has confirmed that the Stellar is now expected to launch on September 6th, and has provided some documentation that reveals the vast majority of the phone’s spec sheet. Starter Mode once again gets mentioned here — according to the docs, it’s a “new, simple way to interact Access apps and control device settings with ease.” As far as specs go, these docs back up the details leaked on Best Buy’s website earlier: Android 4.0, a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 3.2MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing cam and 800 x 480 WVGA display. Additionally, Amazon Kindle, Audible and Zappos apps are mentioned, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and 4GB inter
nal storage. Dimensionally, the phone will weigh 4.73 ounces and measures 121.92 x 63.75 x 11.94mm (yes, that last measurement is for thickness). Given the lower-end specs, the Stellar likely won’t launch to a grand amount of fanfare — especially if the $100 price point is accurate. Check out our gallery below to see a few more images of the crucial docs. As a sidenote, many of the images will have creatively blurred-out sections in order to protect the identity of our source. Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE details | 4 Photos 4 +1 [Thanks, Anonymous!] Verizon owns Engadget’s parent company, Verizon Media. Rest assured, Verizon has no control over our coverage. Engadget remains editorially independent.
LG preps 21:9 aspect ratio EA93 and WQHD EA83 series IPS LCD monitors for debut at IFA 2012
It’s tradeshow season and as is its custom, LG is bringing monitors packed with its latest and greatest display technology to show off. Just announced ahead of IFA 2012 are the EA93 and EA83 IPS LCDs, with the former aimed at entertainment / multitasking and the latter targeting graphics, video and photography pros. The EA93 is a 29-inch 21:9 aspect ratio ultrawidescreen (2560 x 1080) display with a thin bezel designed to immerse the viewer in the content. It can handle a 4-way split screen and connections via DVI Dual Link, DisplayPort, or HDMI with MHL
support. The 27-inch EA83’s claim to fame is its 2560 x 1440 WQHD resolution that brings four times the pixel count of 1280 x 720 panels and 99 percent Adobe RGB accuracy. There’s no word on the price tag for either of these, but they should start shipping in November. Show full PR text LG UNVEILS PREMIUM IPS MONITORS PERFECT FOR BOTH GRAPHICS PROFESSIONALS AND ENTERTAINMENT ENTHUSIASTS With 21:9 Cinematic Screen and WQHD Resolution, New IPS Monitors from LG Offer Enhanced Multitasking and Superb Multimedia Performance BERLIN, Aug. 28, 2012 -– LG Electronics (LG) unveiled two new premium IPS monitors today at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin, the EA93 and EA83. The EA93 is designed to enjoy variety of entertainment and the EA83 is specifically crafted to handle graphics-intensive applications. The most noticeable feature on the EA93 is the cinematic screen, a 21:9 display –- the same ratio used in real movie theaters –that works as a superb solution for home entertainment and multitasking. The EA83 lets consumers take advantage of Wide Quad High Definition (WQHD) resolution (2560×1440 pixels). WQHD offers ample screen real estate for power users looking to multitask and provides one of the widest color spaces available. The monitor accurately reproduces 99 percent of the Adobe RGB color palette, providing graphics experts with a superior level of imaging quality. “Through continuous innovation of our IPS monitors, we are raising the user experience to a whole new level for home entertainment and graphic professional use,” said J.J. Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the IT Business Unit at the LG Home Entertainment Company. “The EA93’s immersive 21:9 cinematic screen and the EA83’s advantages when it comes to advanced graphics applications make these newest monitors compelling additions to our premium IPS monitor line-up.” Ideal Multimedia and Multitasking Solution The 29-inch EA93 boasts 2560 x 1080 resolution, and since the aspect ratio is identical to that of a typical movie theater screen, contents are shown just the way they were intended. But it isn’t only the size of the screen that makes the monitor so adept with multimedia, the EA93 accurately captures 100 percent of the defined sRGB color space, and the monitor delivers 300nit brightness for higher quality, more lifelike colors. Put simply, IPS technology plus a cinematic screen is the ideal combination for entertainment. The extra-wide screen is also useful in work situations, helping to improve productivity. The 4-Screen Split feature can divide the display into four segments, transforming the monitor into an advanced multitasking tool. The additional Dual Link-up function allows two devices to connect to the monitor simultaneously. Sharing files from two devices at the same time — a PC and a smartphone — has never been easier. Graphics Powerhouse The EA83 was designed to be a comprehensive monitor solution for filmmakers, photographers, designers, and other graphics experts by providing a combination of superior resolution and lifelike colors. The WQHD (2560×1440 pixel) high resolution IPS monitor provides vivid picture quality while featuring one of the widest color spaces in its category. Expressing colors not available within sRGB, the EA83 is able to display 99 percent of the Adobe RGB color space and gives graphics professionals the exact colors they’re looking for. LG’s innovative IPS monitor is capable of producing images that are practically identical to their real-life counterparts. The EA83 ships with software and hardware color calibrators, enabling graphics professionals to ensure that the screen always displays the most accurate and natural colors. Visitors to IFA will be able to experience both the EA93 and EA83 IPS monitors first-hand at the LG Electronics stand in Hall 11.2 of Messe Berlin.
OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 4.3 squeeze textures to the limit, bring OpenVL along for the ride
Mobile graphics are clearly setting the agenda at SIGGRAPH this year — ARM’s Mali T600-series parts have just been chased up by a new Khronos Group standard that will likely keep those future video cores well-fed. OpenGL ES 3.0 represents a big leap in textures, introducing “guaranteed support” for more advanced texture effects as well as a new version of ASTC compression that further shrinks texture footprints without a conspicuous visual hit. OpenVL is also coming to give augmented reality apps their own standard. Don’t worry, desktop users still get some love through OpenGL 4.3: it adds the new ASTC tricks, new visual effects (think blur) and support for compute shaders without always needing to use OpenCL. All of the new standards promise a bright future in graphics for those living outside of Microsoft’s Direct3D universe, although we’d advise being patient: there won’t be a full Open GL ES 3.0 testing suite for as long as six months, and any next-generation phones or tablets will still need the graphics hardware to match. Show full PR text Khronos Releases OpenGL ES 3.0 Specification to Bring Mobile 3D Graphics to the Next Level Next generation mobile applications to benefit from richer 3D feature set and enhanced portability August 6th, 2012 – Los Angeles, SIGGRAPH 2012 – The Khronos™ Group today announced the immediate release of the OpenGL® ES 3.0 specification, bringing significant functionality and portability enhancements to the industry-leading, royalty-free 3D gr
aphics API (application programming interface) that is used on the majority of the world’s smartphones and tablets. OpenGL ES 3.0 provides access to state-of-the-art graphics processing unit (GPU) functionality with portability across diverse mobile and embedded operating systems and platforms. OpenGL ES 3.0 is backwards compatible with OpenGL ES 2.0, enabling applications to incrementally add new visual features to applications. The full specification and reference materials are available for immediate download at http://www.khronos.org/registry/gles/. “OpenGL ES 3.0 draws on proven functionality from OpenGL 3.3 and 4.2 and carefully balances the introduction of leading-edge technology with addressing the real-world needs of developers,” said Tom Olson, chairman of the OpenGL ES Working Group and director of graphics research at ARM. New functionality in the OpenGL ES 3.0 specification includes: * multiple enhancements to the rendering pipeline to enable acceleration of advanced visual effects including: occlusion queries, transform feedback, instanced rendering and support for four or more rendering targets; * high quality ETC2 / EAC texture compression as a standard feature, eliminating the need for a different set of textures for each platform; * a new version of the GLSL ES shading language with full support for integer and 32-bit floating point operations; * greatly enhanced texturing functionality including guaranteed support for floating point textures, 3D textures, depth textures, vertex textures, NPOT textures, R/RG textures, immutable textures, 2D array textures, swizzles, LOD and mip level clamps, seamless cube maps and sampler objects; * an extensive set of required, explicitly sized texture and render-buffer formats, reducing implementation variability and making it much easier to write portable applications. The OpenGL ES working group at Khronos expects to update the OpenGL ES Adopter’s Program to provide extensive conformance tests for OpenGL ES 3.0 within six months, enabling implementers of the specification to gain access to source code for Conformance Tests and to use the OpenGL ES trademark on products that pass the defined testing procedure. This ensures that conformant OpenGL ES implementations provide a reliable, cross-platform graphics programming platform. Khronos Releases OpenGL 4.3 Specification with Major Enhancements The Khronos Group today announced the immediate release of the OpenGL® 4.3 specification, bringing the very latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API. OpenGL 4.3 integrates developer feedback and continues the rapid evolution of this royalty-free specification while maintaining full backwards compatibility, enabling applications to incrementally use new features while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms. The OpenGL 4.3 specification contains new features that extend functionality available to developers and enables increased application performance. The full specification is available for immediate download. Khronos Releases ATSC Next-Generation Texture Compression Specification Content developers to benefit from smaller, lower bandwidth textures with higher quality and wider flexibility August 6th, 2012 – Los Angeles, SIGGRAPH 2012 – The Khronos™ Group today announced the immediate release of the royalty-free, Adaptive Scalable Texture Compression (ASTC™) LDR extension specification, defining a new, highly flexible texture compression scheme for developers using both the OpenGL® ES and OpenGL® 3D graphics APIs. ASTC is an exceptionally efficient compression technology which allows encoding of for a wide variety of texture formats at bit-rates of 8 bits per pixel to below 1 bit per pixel. ASTC is published as a Khronos extension, KHR_compressed_texture_astc_ldr, which is available from t he Khronos website at http://www.khronos.org/registry/gles/. “ASTC enables deep reductions in GPU memory bandwidth and application memory footprint,” said Tom Olson, chair of the OpenGL ES working group. “This new technology offers a huge step up in image quality compared to the leading existing formats.” ASTC was developed under the cooperative process at Khronos and enables the size of textures images used in 3D games and applications to be significantly reduced while being downloaded and stored – saving memory size, access bandwidth and significantly reducing application size. Aras Pranckevičius from game engine provider Unity 3D said: “ASTC is awesome! Texture compression that is higher quality, lower bitrate and with more control than any existing compression formats? Yes please!” ASTC supports monochrome, luminance-alpha, RGB and RGBA formats, as well as X+Y and XY+Z formats for surface normals, and provides the flexibility for any format to be encoded at any bit rate. Uniquely, the encoding method is chosen independently for each block of pixels in the image, so that the coding adapts dynamically to most efficiently represent the image region-by-region. Advanced fractional-bit encoding and dynamic tradeoffs between the different types of data in each block means that ASTC outperforms all currently available texture compression schemes in image quality, and GPU power consumption, while processing compressed textures.
WD announces new My Passport for Mac and My Book VelociRaptor Duo drives
WD (part of Western Digital Corporation) today announced a pair of new storage products for Mac. The My Book VelociRaptor Duo (starting at USD$899.99) is billed as the fastest My Book external hard drive system ever released by WD, while the latest in the My Passport (starting at $99.99) portable line adds both capacity and a USB 3.0 interface to the venerable portable drives.The My Book VelociRaptor Duo (above) is indeed a monster, matching two 1 TB 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor hard disk drives with twin Thunderbolt ports. As noted in a recent press event, the drive offers SSD-like data transfer speeds of up to 400 MB/s, and multiple My Book VelociRaptor Duo drives can be daisy-chained without impa
cting data transfer speeds.The drive can be configured at RAID 0 to maximize speed and capacity, or as RAID 1 to provide instant mirroring of content. Some of the RAID 0 speeds one can expect include transferring a 22 GB full-length HD movie in less than 65 seconds or over 2000 5 MB photos in less than 33 seconds. The drive is user-serviceable, with a top door that reveals two easy-install trays.The much more portable and affordable My Passport portable hard disk drives (below) have added USB 3.0 for use with MacBook Pro and MacBook Air devices that feature the interface. WD has also added a 2 TB version ($199.99) of the My Passport drive to the line, providing significant capacity and speed in a portable hard disk.
Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30PM ET
It’s Monday, which means it is time for you to listen into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to mp3 at 5:30PM. Please be a part of it by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participating in the live chat too. NBC News app for Xbox 360 brings streamin
g show clips to the console US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub Sky’s Now TV service hits Xbox, beckons you forth with 30 day free trial Google Play Music app updated for Google TV, Play video content now streaming to Chromebooks Netflix inks deal with Weinstein Co.-owned Radius-TWC, films coming to watch instantly next year TV Guide Mobile relaunches for iOS with a new look, links to streaming video and social networks Hulu launches redesigned site with bigger artwork, ‘tray-style format’ of suggested shows Star Wars Episode II and III 3D re-releases officially dated for theaters in September and October 2013 4K, 84-inch ‘ultra’ HDTV from LG is ready to start shipping now in Korea, worldwide next month ITU approves NHK’s Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly Must See HDTV (August 27th – September 2nd) Online video chat by Ustream