| WD's 1TB VelociRaptor HDD gets reviewed: substantial gains, moderate price Apr 17th 2012, 00:28  Western Digital has expanded its line of desktop-grade VelociRaptors to include a 1TB model that's available now for $310, but those kidding themselves with that whole "250GB is enough" thing can get in for as little as $160. Top-level specs include a 10,000RPM spindle rate and a SATA 6Gb/s interface housed within a 3.5-inch heatsink -- useful for lessening the burden of the drive's thermal output on the rest of the machine. Storage Review's tests reveal that sequential read and write transfer speeds top out around 206MB/s, thermal dissipation is excellent with low power consumption, and that random access has improved compared with it's 600GB predecessor. They consider the new HDD to be a "very appealing value proposition" and "a blend of high performance, storage, capacity, and low cost." Hot Hardware discovered virtually identical numbers with their tests, but wasn't quite as forgiving when it comes to the cost-per-GB versus 7200RPM hard drives. However, they call this VelociRaptor the "fastest HDD yet" at "nearly double the capacity of previous" model. You can find even more stats and impressions to chew on at the sources below. Continue reading WD's 1TB VelociRaptor HDD gets reviewed: substantial gains, moderate price WD's 1TB VelociRaptor HDD gets reviewed: substantial gains, moderate price originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Storage Review, Hot Hardware, PC Perspective, Legit Reviews | Email this | Comments | | DJI multi-rotor aircraft with Ruling live video feed controller hands-on (video) Apr 16th 2012, 23:45  Well that's a mouthful. Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations was on hand at NAB today to demonstrate its new hex-rotor aircraft, designed to provide photographers (and videographers) with a low-cost tool for capturing aerial images. The vehicle we saw today, coined Spreading Wings S800 (its rotors retract for storage) is a fairly straightforward multi-rotor aircraft, save for a couple pretty slick enhancements. Even more impressive, however, was DJI's Ruling, a "ground control terminal" that enables you to adjust not only aircraft direction and elevation, but also the camera position, complete with a live video feed as captured by a Sony NEX-5N mounted on a multi-axis camera gimbal. The camera mount is designed to maintain a stable image regardless of the craft's position -- once it's fixed on a subject, it will adjust to retain the pre-selected angle. The Ruling controller is very much still a prototype, with a yet-unpolished military green plastic housing and a built-in LCD. There's also dual joysticks -- one on the left to adjust the camera platform, and a second on the right to control the aircraft itself, letting you climb, descend and turn in every which way with a flick. The duo was very responsive during a brief demonstration, making calculated movements with what looked to be precise accuracy. The video feed was interrupted slightly by the multitude of wireless connections littering the Las Vegas Convention Center airwaves, but reps were still able to verify framing and adjust position -- the aircraft itself never faltered, with a maximum range of 10 kilometers (5km for the video feed, in ideal conditions). The Spreading Wings S800 is available for pre-order now and is expected to ship next month for roughly $8,500. That clever live video controller will cost you another pretty penny, however, with an estimated $5,000 price tag and a TBD ship date. You'll want to take a closer look in the video after the break. Continue reading DJI multi-rotor aircraft with Ruling live video feed controller hands-on (video) DJI multi-rotor aircraft with Ruling live video feed controller hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Must See HDTV (April 16th - 22nd) Apr 16th 2012, 22:39  Eureka
One of the better sci-fi shows of late begins its final season on Syfy tonight as we take our final trip back to Global Dynamics' favorite research facility. We'll try not to let knowing it's all coming to an end soon dampen our enjoyment.
(April 16th, Syfy, 9PM) Parks & Recreation
Originally conceived as a spin-off of The Office, Parks & Recreation had a rough start but has now surpassed the originator of its mockumentary style. It comes back form a brief midseason break this week, and not a moment too soon. All we're saying is, if Aziz ansari really did work in a small-town Indiana parks & rec, we'd get in on the ground floor of any new startup he founded.
(April 19th, 9:30PM, NBC) Frozen Planet
The Discovery / BBC quest to the actual ends of the Earth wraps up this week with a final, and somewhat controversial, episode focusing on climate change. It's probably impossible to top Planet earth, but what we've seen of this nature documentary has put it above the recent Life series on our lists. Of course, another option is to snag the David Attenborough-narrated BBC version this week instead. Your choice.
(April 22nd, 8PM, Discovery -- $34.99 on Amazon) Continue reading Must See HDTV (April 16th - 22nd) Must See HDTV (April 16th - 22nd) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
