Puzzlecluster is a Brilliant Idea, Turns Dead Phones into a Super Computer

Puzzlecluster is a Brilliant Idea, Turns Dead Phones into a Super Computer

Sometimes a concept isn’t exactly defined by a physical gadget, but rather a conglomerate of moving parts. In the case of the Puzzlecluster, the modularity idea goes to a new level, as old phone parts gather together and make a supercomputer.

The company behind Puzzlephone has created something called Puzzlecluster, a scalable supercomputer. It all involves the old processor modules of the Puzzlephone devices, that are repurposed to make a toaster-like computer work, as shown in the diagram above. With so many different smartphone CPUs combined, the cluster will become a powerful PC. Imagine combining last year’s Snapdragon 801 with this year’s Snapdragon 810 something in the middle of next year.

I’m sure that will give any PC enough juice for many midrange tasks. The device even accepts battery modules from the Puzzlephone, in order to keep the device going. The product isn’t exactly meant for homes, since the Puzzlecluster is more of a research device, a data analysis PC, or a rendering farm, server or an in house cloud service product. We compared the initial unit to a toaster, but the final model could be sexier.

And to top it all, it will also be eco-friendly, reducing the waste.

Microsoft Lumia 935 , 31 MP Camera

Microsoft Lumia 935 Rendred by Ryan Smalley, Looks Svelte, Packs 31 MP Camera

Microsoft Lumia 935 is a new cameraphone, a concept rendered by Ryan Smalley from Seattle, USA. This is supposed to be a flagship phone with a Pureview camera and a pretty svelte model.

It integrates a 31 megapixel main Pureview camera and a front 8 megapixel selfie shooter. The design involves a nearly bezel-free screen and a dual texture polycarbonate case. This model’s camera offers optical image stabilization and high res zoom. The front camera comes with a wide angle setup, for extra clear and wide selfies. Upfront, the Microsoft Lumia 935 integrates a display suited for a flagship.

We’re talking about a 5.5 inch Quad HD display and in case you’re wondering, all this technology fits within a 6.9 mm thick package. This model solves all of the problems of the Lumia 930 and the Lumia 1020, as well as the Lumia 1520, so it may as well be the next big Windows 10 flagship. Great work Ryan!

Macintosh With a Fresh Concept: Macintosh Meets iPad Air

Back to the Roots of the First Macintosh With a Fresh Concept: Macintosh Meets iPad Air

The Macintosh is a piece of computing history and it must be celebrated as such. What better way to do it, than give it a facelift, like the one shown below. Created by the guys of Curved.de, this new and improved Macintosh is inspired by the iPad Air.

The basic idea behind this project is a series of components from the current MacBook Air, combined with an 11 inch screen. The screen is a touch-based one, but there’s also mouse and keyboard input available. The facelift Macintosh of 2015 comes with a 128 GB SSD storage, 4 or 8 GB of RAM and the CPU is the latest Core i7 from Intel. The case of the device is made of high quality aluminum, the same one used for Macbooks, iPhones and iPads.

The back of the Mac concept includes a lit up Apple logo. In the place of the 3.5 inch disk slot, you will now find a slot for SD cards, the FaceTime camera, as well as speakers and a mic. Curved/Labs’ concept offers support for all WiFi and Bluetooth standards, USB 3.0, Lightning and there’s even a built in battery. Even a gold color case was thrown in for good measure. Funky, right?

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Microsoft Lumia 1280

Microsoft Lumia 1280 is a Basic Polycarbonate Phone, With Pretty Strong Specs

Microsoft Lumia 1280 is very basic phone, that theoretically would make an interesting low end device or midranger, but apparently, it’s a pretty high end affair. It uses a 5 inch Full HD display, with ClearBlack technology, while under the hood there’s a 2.2 GHz Snapdragon processor.

We’ve also got 3 GB of RAM inside, 16 to 128 GB of storage and a microSD card slot. The Lumia 1280 concept is a dual SIM unit, but there’s also a single SIM version. It comes with dual stereo speakers, a 3600 mAh battery and a 12 megapixel Pureview camera at the back. There’s a 5 MP selfie shooter integrated into the front and Windows 10 as the OS. When I said the design was basic, I meant it feels like a regular rectangular phone, fit into some sort of rounded plastic case.

The designer behind this project is called Flow Scratcher on Google+ and he made the concept in Inkscape. I’m really curious about the back side of the phone, but maybe we’ll get to see it later on. In the meantime, know that there are on screen controls for Windows 10, not capacitive ones

Sony Xperia Curve

Sony Xperia Curve Channels the Best in Lumias and Samsung Galaxy S Attempts Over the Past Years (Video)

Jermaine Smit has a very cool new concept phone ready, one that he calls theSony Xperia Curve. It’s like he took the best out of the Microsoft Lumia devices from the past years and also added some of the latest Samsung DNA in the mix, with the side curves and all.

Part of the Sony DNA is kept here, but those curved edges sure look swell. The smartphone features a 5.2 inch curved AMOLED display, 3 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 810 processor. All of these sound like realistic specs for the Sony Xperia Z4, by the way. We’ve got 32 or 64 GB of storage, and a 21.9 megapixel back camera, plus a 4.9 MP selfie shooter. The handset has IP67 protection, being waterproof and dustproof at the same time.

It has no flaps and its USB connection will be cut when water is detected, which sounds like a pretty smart solution to the waterproofing problem. The main camera has a dual LED flash and there are also JBL front speakers included in the mix here. I have a feeling this Xperia Curve render is better than what Sony has to offer with the real Xperia Z4. Also, nice color choices for the device’s case, including blue, gray, beige and silver.

The Xperia Curve shows a smarter way to include curved screen edges and more discrete than the LG prototype at CES 2015 or the Galaxy Note Edge.

Two New Lumia Renders: One for Business and a 41 MP Cameraphone

Two New Lumia Renders: One for Business and a 41 MP Cameraphone

Sent to us by Stijn Van Brummelen, the following Microsoft Lumia concepts are very interesting and appealing. They are destined for two entirely different segments: the business man and the cameraphone enthusiast. Let’s start with the business Lumia concept:

The first model goes all out when it comes to productivity, even including a kickstand, so you can start doing your Excel and Word stuff easily on the go. This is a 5 inch AMOLED Full HD smartphone, with a Snapdragon 810 processor inside and 2 GB of RAM. It also has a microSD card slot, 16 GB of storage and a 12 megapixel Pureview shooter, as well as an 8 megapixel front camera.

The OS here is Windows 10 and we’ve got 4G connectivity, Qi charging, DLNA, Mirror Link, Here Drive+, Office, Cortana, NFC and WiFi, so everything we need is in place. And then comes the second model:

Also unnamed and meant for hikers and the like, this unit focuses on navigation features and its very potent camera. It packs a 41 megapixel Pureview shooter, a 5.5 inch Full HD screen and a Snapdragon 810 processor, as well as 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The design is rather basic for a Lumia cameraphone and the camera bulk is actually quite decent. The OS is Windows 10 and we’ve got an 8 MP selfie cam, plus a front and rear speaker.

Multimedia powerhouse? Yes sir! What names would you suggest for these phones? Maybe something like Lumia 940 for the first one and a Lumia 1040 for the second?

Early Stages of Desktop Android OS Rendered

Early Stages of Desktop Android OS Rendered

There’s an interesting community on Google+ that’s called Android Desktop OSand those guys are working together to put in place a version of Android for the desktop.  Its cofounder going by the name of Michael Jordan has rendered a potential look for the Android desktop platform.

If you check out the community you may get some very cool wallpapers to use on your devices, by the way. Michael details the core behind this desktop OS, claiming that behind it stands Skyhook, which is a main hub. Developers will be able to use it and create software for it easily. This version of Android will run on X86 devices easily and apparently it will be able to turn a Ouya into a PC at some point.

Skyhook is meant to get rid of fragmentation on Android devices and also get rid of confusion. Lollipop already started with the purpose to deliver the same experience on the TV, watch, car, tablet and phone, but what about PCs? In the meantime, other ways to get Android on PC have appeared, like the Andromium project.

There are two guys you should keep an eye on: Jason Serilei Dragunov and Michael Jordan, who have been working many hours a day for the past years, to create the missing link between Android an a Core i7 PC, for example.

What do you think so far?

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Design Features Rotating Camera, Cool New Stylus

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Design Features Rotating Camera, Cool New Stylus

It appears that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the topic of concepts more often than the Galaxy S6 lately, as confirmed by the render below. Created by Sunny Gandhi, this model takes some design cues from previous models.

This is an ultraslim phablet, with a rotating camera, that sports a dual tone flash and a powerful sensor, probably a 20 megapixel one from Sony. The Galaxy Note 5 is made of metal, has very narrow bezels and a brand new stylus with a proeminent edge. It also keeps the trademark Home button and its profile looks quite nice. We expect this model to come at IFA 2015, complete with a microUSB 3.0 port or maybe a Type C one, fingerprint scanner and pulse sensor.

Since there’s a powerful rotating camera in the mix, that can borrow its high resolution to the facade, it might as well include an iris scanner, don’t you agree? If I were Samsung I’d also use the sensitive camera for other purposes, like sensing the pulsations of the capillaries in the eye and face to measure the pulse and blood pressure using the same cool camera.