ExtremeTech

Xbox One? More like Xbox None: MS blew the Xbox 720 reveal on every conceivable level

Joel Hruska — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:53:12 +0000

Microsoft could've done a worse job of launching its next-generation console: It could've included midget jousting, a 19th century minstrel show, and featured Steve Ballmer rising, naked, out of a giant vat of whipped cream.

Kinect for the Xbox One: Sensor revolution or marketing hype?

David Cardinal — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:44:13 +0000

Microsoft's new Kinect is clearly a big upgrade over the original model, but the marketing hype surrounding it has already started to outrun the technology powering it.

Xbox Reveal: Xbox 720 is now the Xbox One, with 8-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and Kinect 2.0

Grant Brunner — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:40:14 +0000

Today, Microsoft unveiled its brand new video game console dubbed the Xbox One. With a powerful 8-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive, this new Xbox is a beast. Unlike Sony, Microsoft had no qualms showing off the hardware, so now we know more about the Xbox One than we do the PS4 in some ways. Sadly, there was no mention about used games or always-on demands.

Xbox 720 vs. PS4 vs. PC: How the hardware specs compare

Sebastian Anthony — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:28:59 +0000

Tomorrow, Microsoft will finally unveil the Xbox 720. Not only will we find out its real name (the money seems to be on Xbox Infinity), but more importantly we will find out how the Xbox 720's hardware stacks up against the PS4 and gaming PCs. Merely comparing hardware specs is incredibly naive, though -- to find out why, read on.

Teenage girl creates tiny device that could charge a smartphone in 20 seconds

James Plafke — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:20:41 +0000

When you're out all day, it's a huge pain to charge your mobile devices. Even if you remember to bring a charger and get lucky enough to find a free electrical outlet at a coffee shop, you still have to sit there for around an hour or so to get a full charge. 18-year-old high school student Eesha Khare invented a tiny device that could potentially charge a phone in around 20 to 30 seconds.

Cold fusion reactor independently verified, has 10,000 times the energy density of gas

Sebastian Anthony — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:43:18 +0000

Against all probability, a device that purports to use cold fusion to generate vast amounts of power has been verified by a panel of independent scientists. The cold fusion device being tested has roughly 10,000 times the energy density and 1,000 times the power density of gasoline.

NASA funds 3D food printer, to combat hunger in space and on Earth

Graham Templeton — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:10:02 +0000

The space agency recently awarded a $125,000 grant to a project aimed at 3D printing food for astronauts, and while the space agency's main concern is efficient food storage for long-haul space flights, creator Anjan Contractor hopes his technology could help people here on Earth get access to the volume and variety of food they need.

New wireless network world record: 40Gbps over 1km, using EHF 240GHz

Sebastian Anthony — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:17:11 +0000

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have successfully transmitted 40 gigabits per second over a one-kilometer (0.62 miles) wireless link. The technology, dubbed Millilink, is the same speed as the fastest commercial fiber optic links, and could represent a major breakthrough for carrier backbones, broadband internet access in rural areas, and ultra-fast last mile access for customers who haven't had fiber rolled out to their house.

High-quality inkjet-printed graphene circuits: One step closer to foldable computers

Sebastian Anthony — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:20:30 +0000

Researchers at Northwestern University have devised a new method of creating large volumes of high-quality graphene, and then printing flexible graphene patterns with an inkjet printer that are 250 times more conductive than previous attempts.

Company develops new fiber-reinforced wood, concrete ink for 3D printing

James Plafke — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:41:39 +0000

A San Francisco-based company, Emerging Objects, has created new 3D printing materials that aren't just the standard plastic, but composed of wood, concrete, and even salt.