Preview - Motorola Atrix 4G

Motorola literally dropped a bombshell when they unveiled the Atrix 4G two days ago at CES 2011 in Las Vegas. This is a mammoth of a device. The announcement will leave the other manufacturers clobbering for better features in their phones. As with the Droid series and the Razr before that, Motorola seems to have  hit the jackpot once again. There is no doubt that this device will see tremendous sales as there is no other offering from other companies that can match is spec-wise for at least 6 months making it somewhat a tech enthusiasts dream device. Hit read more for the full article and new pictures and videos!

Video - Gaming on the laptop dock powered by Motorola Atrix 4G!

The Motorola Atrix is definitely one of the more impressive devices to launch at CES this year, but we've been wondering how stable that laptop dock is -- if the phone is prone to falling out it's really not much use at all. Well, worry no more -- we just watched a Moto rep boot up Need For Speed: Shift on the phone while docked up, and in addition to playing the game normally, he flipped the whole rig all the way over to show off how tightly the phone is docked while playing the game using the phones built-in accelerometer!

Placebos work -- even without deception

For most of us, the "placebo effect" is synonymous with the power of positive thinking; it works because you believe you're taking a real drug. But a new study rattles this assumption. Hit read more for details.

Racetrack memory closer to reality - 100 times more memory in your devices!

IBM researchers today revealed a previously unknown aspect of key physics inside Racetrack memory -- a new technology design which stands to improve memory capabilities within mobile phones, laptop computers and business-class servers. This new class of memory could enable devices to store much more information - as much as a factor of 100 times greater - while using much less energy than today's designs. Hit read more for details.

Nokia N8 earns its fashion wings, fills in for DSLR on magazine cover shoot

There's really no higher compliment a cameraphone can receive than when a professional team of photographers is blown away by the results they're able to achieve when using it, so Nokia's N8 gets a well-earned tip of the hat for shooting the December / January cover of South African photography mag PiX. In the team's own words, "we wanted to show that it is not the hardware that makes a good photographer but rather the technical execution of an idea" -- very true, we think, but it obviously doesn't hurt when you know your way around Photoshop and you're using just about the best-equipped camera on the smartphone market today. See the pretty stunning final result (and the making-of video) after the break. 

Motorola announces Atrix 4G with 1GHz Dual Core Tegra2, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage and much more!

Motorola Android flagship was named ATRIX 4G and labeled as the gadget to usher in a new era of mobile devices. I am not sure about the new era, but it certainly turns a new page. It is one of the first Android smartphones with Nvidia Tegra2 inside (a dual core processor of 1GHz for every core). Specifications are quite impressive and this gadget will be a benchmark for the first part of 2011. So meet 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of in-built memory coupled with microSD memory cards of up to 32 GB. For the first time an Android powered phone gets a qHD resolution (quarter HD or 960х540) screen. It boasts 4″ and offers a picture similar to that of Apple iPhone. The handset also has an HDMI jack to support 1080p video playback on external devices and all these features were shown during the press conference. Hit read more for details about many of the other features of this device!

Nanopore DNA sequencing technique promises entire genome in minutes!

Those vaguely affordable DNA tests that promise to tell you just how likely you are to be stricken by some horrible and unavoidable genetic affliction in the future? They only look at a tiny fraction of the bits and bobs and bases that make up your genetic code. There's a race on to develop a quick and inexpensive way to sequence a human's entire genome, a process that costs thousands of dollars now and takes ages but, via the technique under development at Imperial College London, could be done in a few minutes for a couple of bucks in 10 years. Hit read more for details.

BenQ rumored to debut 10.1-inch R100 Android tablet in early 2011

Chances are that we'll find out for sure next month at CES, butPC World has it on authority that BenQ will be throwing its hat into the overcrowded Android tablet ring early next year. Hit read more for details.

Microsoft plans Windows for tablets

The market was agitated by a report from Bloomberg, which claimed that CES will be used to launch a tablet version of Windows, also available for devices with ARM processors. We don't know any technical details and Microsoft initially planned to adapt Windows 7 for tablets, but it didn't happen. Hit read more for details.

Nikon patent app details lens with manual and electronic zoom

For those who've attempted to shoot video on a conventional DSLR, they've most likely ran into one problem in particular: zooming. It's fairly difficult to manhandle a D3S under ideal circumstances, but try holding it steady while also keeping a firm grip on the zoom and focus dials. Without a camera rig, it's essentially impossible to get anything more than novice captures, complete with oodles of blur and more Jellyvision than you could shake a butter knife at. If all goes well, the next Nikkor lens you purchase may make the aforementioned tragedy just another comical part of history. Hit read more for details.