ViewSonic has recently added a few new items to their current lineup of available products. The latest include the VNB132 and VNB141 ViewBooks as well as the VPC190 all-in-one desktop computer.

In terms of features;

ViewBook VNB132

• 13.3-inch WXGA backlit display (1366 x 768)
• 1.2GHz Intel Celeron SU2300 ULV processor
• 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
• 320GB hard drive
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 4-cell battery

ViewBook VNB141

• 14-inch WXGA backlit display (1366 x 768)
• 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 processor
• 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
• 250GB hard drive
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 6-cell battery

VPC190 All-in-One Desktop PC

• 18.5” Color TFT Active Matrix LCD (1366 768)
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom D510 processor
• 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 160GB hard drive
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Price wise, you can expect to pay $649, $829 and $629 for the VNB132, VNB141 and VPS190 respectively. All three models are currently available.

Products [VNB132] and [VNB141] [VPS190]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

According to the rumor mill, the clamshell styled Viliv N5 is going to be available for purchase as of this May. According to the details, which come courtesy of Pocketables, “the plan right now is to release the Viliv N5 in May.” In other words, nothing official has been announced as of yet.

In terms of the Viliv N5 and what it has to offer. Well, feature wise it has a 4.8-inch WSVGA touchscreen display, a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and is running Windows 7. Additionally, due to the clamshell design, the N5 also comes sporting a QWERTY keyboard, albeit a small QWERTY keyboard.

Honestly I am not sure about these style of devices, I was able to mess around with the N5 during CES for a few minutes and for me the small keyboard is a device killer. I am in the mind set that if the keyboard is not large enough to touch-type is is not as useful. Personally on a device with a 4.8-inch display I would feel better served by a virtual keyboard, or the ability to pair it with a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard for the occasional typing. That said, my personal feelings regarding the keyboard aside, the Viliv N5 appeared to be a very nice device when I was able to check it out.

Read [Pocketables] Via [CrunchGear]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Those planning to purchase an Asus notebook or netbook in the future can expect to see a few less items included in the box. That items that will be missing—a printed user manual and a recovery DVD.

“ASUS is devoted to creating environment-friendly products/packaging to safeguard consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the environment. In order to reduce the use of substances harmful to the environment, the EeePC and notebook product package does not come with the notebook support DVD. For system recovery, use the F9 recovery function instead.”

This seems to make sense, especially in the case of the Eee PC’s that do not even have a built-in optical drive. I would imagine that not having a recovery DVD will anger, upset or confuse some but at the same time it always puzzled me a little to include one with an Eee. Either way, moving forward, Asus owners will be able to view the complete user manuals online and should use the F9 key to aid in any recovery efforts.

Read [Asus] Via [EeeUser Forums]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

MSI has recently introduced yet another notebook/netbook, it is the Wind12 U230 and is powered by an AMD processor and available in two versions—the U230-033 and U230-040. To begin with, this gets that notebook/netbook description because it falls right in the middle with a 12.1-inch WXGA (1,366 x 768) display.

But whether or not this is technically a netbook is not the issue because the U230 seems to be a capable little device.

Feature wise you can expect 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 8022.11 b/g/n, a 6-cell battery, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, built-in card reader and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card. Additionally, the U230 comes sporting Windows 7 Home Premium.

In terms of the different models, they U230-033US comes with an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor with a 250GB hard drive, and the U230-040US comes with an Athlon X2 L335 processor and a 320GB hard drive.

In terms of pricing, the U230-033US is up for $429.99 while the U230-040US is priced $50 higher at $479.99. Finally, both models of the MSI Wind12 U230 can be found with Newegg.

Read [MSI] Product (via Newegg) [Wind U230-033US] and [Wind U230-040US]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

So LG has this super skinny, super nice looking netbook, its the X300 and it is going to be available beginning later this month. Unfortunately this is one of those times that we here in the US are going to be a little disappointed because the LG X300 netbook is not headed here, at least not at first. Instead LG has chosen to release it in Asia and then the Middle East and South America.

Feature wise, to begin with the skinny part comes in regards to the 0.69-inch thickness. Otherwise the LG X300 netbook comes sporting an 11.6-inch display, 2.0GHz Intel Menlow processor, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and is running Windows 7 Home Premium. Other perks of the LG X300 include built-in 3G connectivity and that it can handle up to 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD and ships with a spare 2-cell battery. Yes, spare 2-cell battery. Finally, it weighs in at 2.14-pounds and will be available in either shiny white or light brown.

No word yet on pricing, of course March is not all that far away to wait, assuming you live in one of the areas that LG is planning to make the X300 available.

Read [LG] Via [Gizmodo]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Lenovo has recently added another notebook into the available category. This time it is the IdeaPad Y460 and it is priced at either $999 or $1,199 depending on the configuration you choose.

In terms of what you can expect to get for your money. The $999 model comes equipped with a 14.0-inch LED backlight (1366 x 768) display, 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, dual-layer DVD recorder, 6-cell battery and Windows 7 Home Premium 64.

Moving up the the $1,199 model you will see a few bumps in specs which include a 2.40GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 500GB hard drive and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card.

Both models are currently available for purchase and are noted as being able to ship within 13 business days.

Product [Lenovo] Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

It looks like the Sony Vaio M netbook has been revealed, and unfortunately for Sony it was not revealed by them. But putting that aside, its out in the open and with that comes a complete set of specs.

Overall the Sony Vaio M netbook is pretty close to the existing Vaio W series but putting that aside, here is what you can expect to see in a Vaio M netbook;

• 10.1-inch LED backlight display (1024 x 600)
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 250GB 5400rpm hard drive
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Built-in webcam

Additionally the Vaio M series netbooks look to be available in both black and white. As of now we are still missing a release date and pricing.

Read [NotebookReview.com] Via [SonyInsider]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This week, Microsoft will show off some projects in development to employees at the Microsoft Research showcase in Redmond.  The employee-only event will show off new directions for the company that the rest of us may see in the years to come.  One such project involves Microsoft’s fun Surface product and making it mobile.

We’ve all seen those giant pressure sensitive Surface tables capable of recognizing objects that are placed on it and take appropriate actions such as downloading images off a camera or syncing a mobile phone.  You can find these fun tables in hotels (like the Hard Rock in Vegas), and in stores (like AT&T retail shops).  Now it looks like Microsoft is working on a way to remove the table while perserving the Surface experience.

Mary Jo Foley over at ZD Net found a Microsoft web page with these details:

“Our goal is to bring Microsoft Surface experience to mobile scenarios, and more importantly, to enable 3D interaction with mobile devices. We do research on how to transform any surface (e.g., a coffee table or a piece of paper) to Mobile Surface with a mobile device and a camera-projector system. Besides this, our work also includes how to get 3D object model in real-time, augmented reality and multiple-layer 3D information presentation.”

Unfortunately, the link is broken now but shows that Microsoft is paying attention to arguably it’s most exciting project in a long time.  The Surface has always shown such promise and bringing that experience to any flat surface would be a compelling offering.  We’ve seen attempts that promise almost hardware-free computers but the tech always seems distant.  Perhaps Microsoft can be the one to shepherd this through to consumers.

I’ve been calling for a Surface Phone for years based on the chord that Microsoft hit with Surface.  Maybe a tablet based on Surface wouldn’t be too bad either.

Read [ZD Net]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Today, HP unveiled their latest super-thin multitouch enabled convertible tablet.  The polarizing tablet form factor (people seem to love it or hate it) has been a mainstay in the HP line with limited success.  HP looks to tilt this product to the medical and sales arenas.  The convertible tablet behaves both like a traditional laptop or swing the screen around and use the unit as a tablet.

The new 2740p tablet is HP’s first multitouch unit.  This means users can pinch, double tap and swipe, just like iPhone users on the screen.  Fingers can be used as an input device or a stylus pen.  The screen measures 12.1” diagonally.

The 2740p isn’t just a pretty face, though its aluminum case it is that, it also meets the military spec for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude and high temperature.  Tough, touch and good looking?  Nice going, HP.

The website says the product is not yet avaialbe (coming soon!) and pricing has not yet been announced.

Product page: [HP]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yesterday we learned that Dynamism was soon going to begin selling the Viliv S10 Blade here in the US. In fact they have the S10 Blade listed as “available soon” in seven different configurations. But what they did not tell us was the pricing, well, aside from that it will be starting at $699. Thankfully though, that is what the Internet and leaks are for. The information comes by way of an enterprising UMPC Portal commenter who did some research with Froogle. Anyway, pricing is as follows.

• $699 - 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, 60GB hard drive, Windows XP Home
• $797 - 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, 32GB SSD, Windows 7 Home Premium
• $889 - 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, 32GB SSD, 3G, Windows 7 Home Premium
• $857 - 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, 64GB SSD, Windows 7 Home Premium
• $949 - 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530, 64GB SSD, 3G, Windows 7 Home Premium
• $987 - 2.0GHz Intel Atom Z550, 64GB SSD, Windows 7 Home Premium
• $1,079 - 2.0GHz Intel Atom Z550, 64GB SSD, 3G, Windows 7 Home Premium

Of course, this should go without saying, but these prices are unofficial which means they could change.

Product [Dynamism] Via [UMPC Portal]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

ViewSonic has recently rolled out a new addition to their ViewBook lineup of notebook PC’s. The latest model is the VNB131 ViewBook Pro which is featuring a 13.3-inch display. It also comes as the first (by ViewSonic) ULV notebook or more specifically, it has a ULV SU7300 Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Other features of the VNB131 ViewBook Pro include a 1280 x 800 resolution, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 1.3-megapixel webcam, built-in card reader, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DVD drive, HDMI, VGA and Windows 7 Home Premium. Price wise, the ViewBook Pro is going to retail for $949.

Read [Lewis Wire]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Tablet, or convertible style PC’s are pretty trendy right now, and one of those is the Viliv S10 Blade. Well, the good news here is that it looks like the S10 Blade will soon be available for those in the US.

According to Dynamism, the Viliv S10 Blade is going to retail beginning at $699 and is currently listed as being “available soon.” Of course, depending on configuration that price is going to increase a bit.

Feature wise the S10 Blade is offering a 10.1-inch HD LCD with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Other features include either a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 or a 2.0GHz Intel Atom Z550 processor as well as up to 64GB of SSD storage, built-in 3G and Windows 7 Home Premium. Additionally, the S10 Blade is noted as having a battery that will offer up to 10 hours.

As far as what you will get for that $699 price tag, that particular model comes with the 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive and Windows XP Home.

Other standard features includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a built-in webcam, a built-in card reader, 2 USB 2.0 ports, mini USB, VGA-out and video-out.

Product [Dynamism] Via [UMPC Portal]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Many Windows 7 users are complaining about the severe loss in battery life in their notebooks after only a few weeks. Cases like a previous battery life of two hours cutting down to 30 minutes or less are common. Other cases involve their notebook actually telling them they need a new battery after upgrading to 7, even though Vista said it was fine. Many complaints similar to those above have been put onto Microsoft’s TechNet forum; and Microsoft has decided to investigate into this problem.

So far, Microsoft’s only reasoning for these problems is compatibility issues with its hardware. A spokesman from Microsoft states that it might be a problem in communication between the BIOS and Windows as that is where 7 gets all of its data on battery life. Other than that though, no official cause has been found. But Microsoft did state that as soon as one was found, they would update the community on their TechNet forum.

Be sure to check back for more information regarding this issue.

Read [PhysOrg]

Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Acer won’t play that.  According to DigiTimes, Acer Taiwan President Scott Lin says he won’t follow Apple down the rabbit hole to tablet computer land.  Instead, he says the company will focus on ultra-thin notebooks.

Lin reportedly explained the while creating a tablet is child’s play for Acer, creating the ecosystem around it is Apple’s forte and is not easily repeated.  Lin hinted other companies will try to duplicate the hardware, but will fall short in software.  Therefore, Acer will focus on what it does best notebooks and ultra-thin notebooks. 

Lin noted he expects the iPad not to draw sales away from his product line.  He believes the iPad will draw from a very different customer base than those that seek Acer products.  It will be interesting to see if Apple can convert netbook buyers or even notebook buyers into iPad buyers or if Lin is correct and they’ll pull from a different base.

Read: [http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100201PD208.html] 

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

A pair of recently announced Lenovo notebooks are now available for sale, which means interested customers can head on over to the Lenovo website and grab either the G560 or G460.

Just to recap the specs and mention the official pricing.

For the most part, both models are pretty close and they both come with starting prices of $799 and free standard shipping.

Spec wise they both offer a 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 5400RPM hard drive, dual-layer DVD drive, Intel HD graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium 64.

The difference here comes in the size of the display, which is 14.0-inches on the G460 and 15.6-inches on the G560. Both however offer a resolution of 1366 x 768.

As of this posting, the G460 is noted as being ready to ship within 13 business days, with the G560 noted as 17 business days. Basically, you will not be getting either right away, but you can at least place your order.

Product [Lenovo G560] and [Lenovo G460] Via [Laptoping] and [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

We have seen the price of the Dell Adamo drop in the past, most recently it was lowered by $500 which put it around the $1,500 price point. But that is not the case anymore as Dell has once again lowered the price, putting it a just under the $1,000 mark. And yes, by just under the $1,000 mark I do mean that it is priced at $999. But hey, that was another big price drop so for those that may have been holding out for a Dell Adamo but were scared away by the high price, now may be a good time to commit to purchase. That said, if you plan on making any upgrades you can expect to pay around the $1,799 price point.

As far as what you will get for your $999. Well that model is dubbed the Admire and comes with a 13.4-inch 16:9 HD WLED display, 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, full-sized keyboard with back-lighting and is running Windows 7 Home Premium.

Product [Dell] Via [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple’s announcement of the iPad has created quite a stir.  Many of us have had the time to reflect on how we might use or not use the new tablet.  For a look at two opposing views, I asked our editor Robert Nelson to point/counterpoint with me.

Are you going to get one?

JG: I dont’ think I’ll be getting an iPad.  The device is neither my smartphone nor a laptop I can bang out “work” on.  I just don’t need an entertainment device that is bigger than my iPhone.
Robert: Am I going to get one? I am slightly upset that I cannot place my order, or even a pre-order yet.

The iPad is neither smartphone nor laptop.  Debate.

JG: And that is the problem.  Apple is really good at taking a popular existing product and making it remarkable.  They’ve deviated this formula with Apple TV and now again with the iPad and it might suffer similar consequences.  They are trying to find a third screen and beyond my smartphone, laptop and HDTV, I don’t need one.
Robert: And that is the reason I want one. I like my smartphone, both the HTC Hero and iPhone 3GS that I use, but there are times when I want to surf on something bigger and do not need or want to use a netbook or laptop. That is where the iPad will fit in. I do agree with JG though, this is not a case of Apple taking an existing product and making it better. Honestly this is not the most appealing tablet right now, but it has the apps.

Are we seeing the future of Mac computers?

JG:  The only thing that makes sense to me, other than Apple is out to Kindle-bust, is this is how they see the future of computers.  Forget the desktops/laptops, Apple could be creating computers that are on the go.  The keyboard intro’d on day one starts to lead me toward that idea.  Now maybe thats an idea that could stick, a tablet that is your primary home computer but we’ll need to see more peripherals and ports for that to happen, right?
Robert: I hope not. Personally I still use a desktop (iMac) for my primary computing needs. But at the same time could see this replacing my netbook or even a regular laptop, well it could replace them assuming at some point Apple will allow us to run multiple apps.

There was a lot of talk about Apple as a mobile company.  Just how mobile is the tablet?

JG: I’ve got issues here.  When I am mobile, 95% I am after specific answers, so I grab my phone and get it.  When I am in my car and my kids ask for the 987th time, “are we there yet”, my iPhone gets handed back and serenity is restored.  For plane trips, my phone (along with a battery backup case, like the one from Energizer) is pulled out for games and movies.  It does all these things OK.  Not amazing, like the iPad would but OK.  Plus, I already have the smartphone with me that can do the job.
Robert: I think it will be mobile enough for my needs. As far as around the house use, the iPad will be lightweight and small enough to easily use, say, while lying in bed. As far as being on-the-go, I am certainly not going to be running around the store carrying an iPad like I would my iPhone, but at the same time it would be nice for my kids in the back seat, or my to distract my wife from my crazy driving. I could also see this being added to a gear bag in addition to my netbook, after all its only an extra 1.5 pounds. So, yes, I guess its mobile enough—at least for me.

No Flash means no Hulu

JG:  Right now, there is no Flash on the iPad.  Adobe seems steamed about it as they have been over the exclusion on the iPhone.  Without Flash many of today’s sites, such as Hulu, means we can’t access them.  As an entertainment device without Hulu is frustrating.  Won’t the JooJoo have Flash?
Robert: Flash and Hulu, little loss for me. I would say that people put far more desire into getting Flash support than needed. Sure there are times when I would like to have it, such as when I am trying to follow a link to something, but those are rare for me. No offense to all the Hulu fans, but there are plenty of other ways I can entertain myself.

Summary
Just because Robert and I don’t agree doesn’t mean that the iPad will win or lose.  We recognize that the product was only demo’d briefly and there are tons of things we don’t know about.  Apple has a pretty good way of building enthusiasm before launch and we expect that will happen again.  The question is, will it be enough to entice you.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

In a nice partnership, Evernote has announced that they have partnered with Sony and will have their software pre-installed on VAIO computers.

“We’re thrilled to be working closely with the VAIO Business Group of Sony to bring Evernote to millions of individuals worldwide,” said Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote.

Those purchasing a VAIO computer with Evernote will not only have access to the software, but also a few extra features that are not available on any other Evernote for Windows computer.

The additional features include the ability to create a WebCam note and for customers that purchase a VAIO model that feature the Quick Web Access functionality, they will be able to have that quick launch browser launch with Evernote Web Clipper for quicker clipping and saving.

As far as availability, the Evernote equipped VAIO models will begin to show up in stores in the Spring of 2010.

Read [Evernote Blog]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Back in December we here at Gadgetell, along with HP ran a contest that was offering an HP Envy 15 notebook to one lucky (and deserving) person. That contest is long since over, but it seems that the winner was never properly announced here on the site.

So, a little late, and without any further adieu, a big congrats goes out to Sergio Molina. You can see his winning entry above, and also feel free to check out his YouTube Channel for some more cool videos.

And in addition I also wanted to send out a big thanks to everyone else that entered. I will say that we had lots of great entries and picking a winner was not an easy task.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Active Media Products announced a new SSD to their line up, a 128GB member of the SaberTooth ZX family.  Quieter and faster than a HDD, the Active Media Products drive will add more storage and speed to applications.  The drive is available now for $379 at Amazon.

The SaberTooth fits slots for 1.8-inch HDDs. It uses a parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) ZIF interface, and supports PIO mode 6 and Ultra DMA mode 6. SaberTooth ZX is compatible with most netbooks that use 1.8” PATA ZIF hard drives.  The manufacturer says the SSD is capable of sequential read speeds up to 80MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 38MB/sec.

Active Media Products says the advantages of moving to an SSD are many, including:

• Substantially faster bootup and application load speeds compared to default netbook HDDs;
• Consume far less power than HDDs, which means you’ll enjoy longer battery life and greater productivity
;
• Lighter weight than an HDD;
• No moving parts;
• Completely silent operation;
• Produce less heat than an HDD
• More rugged and reliable than an HDD
.

Active Media Products SaberTooth line features 32GB, 64GB and now 128GB models.  The company features a SSD selector guide to help users find the right SSD for their device. 

Product page: [Active Media Products]  SSD selector: [Active Media Products]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

USB 3.0 so far is till in the beginning stages of being rolled out.  There are some companies such as LaCie, Seagate and Western Digital already producing USB 3.0 external drives.  For the most part, however, it has been difficult to find a computer with hardware for the updated spec, with companies just now announcing computers with USB 3.0.  Now, HP is claiming the role of the first PC manufacturer to actually ship computers with native USB 3.0 support.

HP has announced that it’s Envy 15 laptops will be the first computers to ship with USB 3.0.  It won’t be a selling point for many people, though there are some early adopters out there who would want the 5Gbps transfers USB 3.0 can provide.  HP also plans to equip it’s EliteBook line with USB 3.0 within the next two weeks.  As of now, it’s not clear what the upgrades will cost the end user, though it should be safe to assume the upgrade will not be cheap.

USB 3.0 does off a number of improvements over 2.0, including the faster speeds and it is able so supple more energy to connected devices.  That means it will be able to power more power-hungry devices or charge others faster. The speed and power would be great for those who might want to use larger, external SSDs, or who want to power their phone (or other device) faster without having to use the AC adapter.  Hopefully the hardware for USB 3.0 can come down in price fast enough for it to become the standard for USB sooner rather than later.

Read [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Acer has announced a recall of over 22,000 laptops due to a major overheating problem.  The computers have a defect in the microphone wire beneath the palm rest, which can lead to short circuiting and overheating. In some cases the overheating was severe enough to cause the external casing to show signs of melting.

The affected models are the Acer AS3410, AS3410T, AS3810T, AS3810TG, AS3810TZ and AS3810TZG. They were sold between June and October of last year. If you have one of the above models you can call 1-800-571-2237 for more information or go here and type in your unit’s serial number. Acer claims they are also sending out emails to affected customers.

European customers were notified back in October but the company has now decided to expand the recall to the U.S. as well.

Read [PCWorld]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

For most people, when they think about laptops, portability is a big factor.  You want to be able to move your laptop without having to carry it in some huge bag, or worry about breaking yourself or the laptop.  For some reason, the Asus NX90Jq seems to defy that logic, with one of the largest, most ridiculous laptops I’ve seen at CES this year.

The laptop is made for a great audio experience, hence the large bezel of speakers around the screen that are certified by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower.  It has an “intuitive DJ-like multimedia control” with dual trackpads.  It can fit dual trackpads thanks to the huge 18.4-inch screen and the aforementioned speakers around it. 

It does look to pack some good power, as well.  The NX90Jq comes equipped with an Intel Core i7, Nvidia Geforce G1 335M with 1GB VRAM, up to 12 GB of RAM, and up to 1280 GB of storage via dual HDDs.  The screen is a full 1080p as well, so it should provide a good experience for just about everything you can think of, if you can get past the size and design.

A special thanks goes out to Energizer for supplying the Gadgetell crew with Energi To Go battery packs, which allowed us to keep our gadgets charged on the run and focus more on finding good stuff at CES and not having to worry about sitting next to a power outlet. For more information on the Energi To Go battery packs you can visit EnergiToGo.com or visit them on Twitter at @energitogo.

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Way back in the South Hall at CES, a small booth with Taiwanese gentlemen has a special laptop running Windows 7.  What makes this laptop special is the USB-connected overlay that sits over the screen, rather crudely.

The overlay is USB and allows multi touch control of the PC.  All mouse functions can be handled via touch.  Surprisingly, giving the crude overlay, it worked extremely well.  Controlling the laptop was super easy, no problems with fat fingers or double tapping.  It all worked and worked with ease.

No word on if they are producing this as a product or hoping to sell to an OE.  Presumably, this could be size for a brands screen size and sold as an aftermarket item.

Company site: [Elan

A special thanks goes out to Energizer for supplying the Gadgetell crew with Energi To Go battery packs, which allowed us to keep our gadgets charged on the run and focus more on finding good stuff at CES and not having to worry about sitting next to a power outlet. For more information on the Energi To Go battery packs you can visit EnergiToGo.com or visit them on Twitter at @energitogo.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This is something I didn’t see coming at CES.  We all were waiting for the tablets, eReaders, and 3D TV’s, but this was a bit more of a surprise.  Samsung announced their protoype 14-inch notebook with a transparent OLED screen.  Right now, this is the largest transparent OLED display yet.

When shut off, the screen has a 40% transparency which is high compared to the industry average of below 25%.  The thing is though, is that I don’t understand what good your going to get out of this device. I personally would get distracted by anything moving behind my see-through laptop and thus annoyed.

While the idea is good and all, I don’t see much practicality to it.  No benefits except for the cool factor and even that will only last until you see your friend flipping you the bird behind your screen. That aside it is a very beautiful prototype. I hope it stays that way if it ever becomes commercialized.

Read [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

During CES Unveiled, which took place last evening, we were able to get a few minutes seconds to check out the recently announced Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid that Hunter mentioned yesterday. All things considered, the IdeaPad U1 looks pretty sweet, but that was on the show floor with the excitement of everyone hovering and surrounding. It will be interesting to see what happens when this comes to market, of course that is not until June 1, 2010.

I can say that the switch between operating systems (or modes) when you dock or undock the tablet portion seemed pretty smooth. At least smoother than I expected. The other important item, thee keyboard seemed to be of a nice size and layout, but that is really hard to say because its not like they let me take it for a test spin or anything.

So while we are waiting for June 1, keep reading and check the live images below. Also, try and keep an eye out because I plan to try and check this out again, and possibly get a few better images.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

This morning, Lenovo kicked off the smartbook category with its 10-inch Skylight. The first smartbook utilizes a 1GHz Snapdragonprocessor that allows it to do impressive things when compared to an Atom processor. This thing is smaller than many smartphones, weighs less than 2 pounds, can keep going for about 10 hours, and play HD video while in a web browser. Big news for what looks like a netbook.

The Skylight uses a Linux-based operating system that is heavily focused on internet use. It has 20GB of built in storage with up to 2GB of internet storage. Skylight’s desktop is focused on these web based gadgets that will bring you straight to sites such as YouTube, Amazon MP3, or Facebook.

Right now, the price is set at $499. But AT&T might lower the price when combined with a data plan. Whatever the cost, Lenovo plans to begin shipping in April.

Read [Electronista]

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Lenovo has announced a device that we can look forward to seeing in Vegas these next couple of days. It’s titled the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid and it tries to satisfy the needs of an indecisive person in the midst of this tablet “revolution.”

As you can see from the above picture, the device serves mainly as a notebook. However, if you are feeling daring, the screen can detach from its base and serve as a tablet. What is really cool is that when the device is “docked” as a notebook its run by a CULV Intel Core 2 Duo processor and runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

However, once you transform into tablet mode, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor 16GB SSD boots Lenovo’s customized Skylight Linux interface.

I’m kinda skeptical as to how this device will handle the OS switch. If you have to reboot every time you detach, that won’t fly with me. Essentially, you are booting two different computers when you power this device which can get tricky if done wrong. We will just have to wait and hopefully get a sneak peek during the next couple of days at CES.

Read [Engadget]

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It seems the closer we get to CES, more and more people can’t hold their tongues. And now, Logic Buy has given some details (only names for some) on 13 new laptops/desktops. Now, when we say some we mean really not that much but still something. So here goes.

1. 14-inch HP Pavilion dv4i. A brown Windows 7 laptop with a fingerprint reader and webcam. - about $785. (See, really not much more then a name)
   
2. 10-inch Mini 210. It comes in either black, silver, red, or blue. Features a new Intel N450 “Pine Trail” processor, Windows 7 Starter Edition, flush display, island style keyboard, 5-in-1 card reader, integrated Webcam, and up to a 250GB hard drive. - around $280.
   
3. 10-inch Mini 210 HD edition. It will come in your choice of either black, silver, red, or blue. It will be sporting a new Intel Pine Trail platform (a 1.66GHz N450 CPU to be exact) with GMA 3150 graphics. The Mini will also ship with Broadcom’s Crystal HD video playback chip. The rest of the details are identical to the Mini 210. - around $330.
   
4. 10.1-inch Compaq Mini CQ10. Features include an Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor with GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB DDR2 RAM, and either a 3/6 cell battery. Other details include 802.11b/g WiFi and up to 250GB of hard drive space. - about $260
   
5. HP Pavilion Elite HPE-110t. A red, micro-tower design desktop PC. The only details so far include a Pocket Media Drive bay, DVI, HDMI, and VGA ports, and MediaSmart 3.0. - price listed as $685
6. HP Pavilion Elite HPE-150t. The full name is HP Pavilion Elite HPE-150t Quad-core Desktop PC but Logic Buy doesn’t provide any more details on the processor other then whats in the title. Otherwise, this desktop is identical to the 110t above. -coming in at $785
7. HP Pavilion Elite HPE-170t. This one is a little more exciting then the previous two. Same sleek red chassis with a micro-tower design. But this one has a Quad-core, i5/i7 CPU, up to 8GB of memory, and a 460W PSU. The rest of the known details are identical to the above two. - priced at around $985
8. HP Pavilion Elite HPE-180t. This one has an i7 CPU in it, GeForce GTX 260 1.8GB graphics, and everything else mentioned in the rest of the Elite series above. - around $1,085
9. HP Pavilion p6370t. This included, the rest are just names.
10. HP Pavilion Slimline s5300z.
11. HP Pavilion Slimline s5310t.
12. HP Pavilion Slimline s5370t.
13. HP Pavilion Slimline s5380t.

So HP isn’t very good at keeping secrets it seems. Though they managed to hold out everything but a name on the last five, we got a decent amount of specs on the other eight. But I guess they couldn’t leak everything with CES just around the corner. We’ll have more soon.

Read [Engadget ]

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The FCC has revealed yet another device, and this time its the Gateway EC18T convertible tablet. Unfortunately, like all FCC listings we are still not sure when this will be available for purchase, but given this listing and the leaks that we originally saw back in October it appears like that release date may be coming up.

Anyway, the Gateway EC18T looks like it will be featuring a 1.2GHz SU2300 Core 2 Duo processor, GMA 4500MHD graphics and an 11.6-inch display. Other details note that it will have support for up to 8GB of RAM and 500GB of storage.

Given those specs, it looks like it may be a nice option to consider once available—of course that just depends on the final price.

In addition to being sold as the Gateway EC18T, it looks like we will see the same model further branded by Acer as the Aspire Timeline 1420P and also under the Packard Bell name.

Read [FCC (PDF link)] Via [New Netbook Reviews] and [Engadget]

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There had been rumors before but now we have solid proof on a new Asus Eee Tablet. The T101MT is going to at least have a 10” display as the name says and will basically be a larger version of Asus’s T91MT. It is also confirmed to have multi-touch support as was perceived before. Other than that though, the only thing else we have learned is that it will have 802.11n Wi-Fi built in. We can assume, though, that it will use Intel’s Pine Trail platform and probably a 1.66GHz Atom N450.

With the multi-touch support, it is nearly certain that the tablet will sport Windows 7 as the OS. The FCC filing doesn’t show any hints of a release date but because CES is only 2 weeks away, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this there. I have a feeling that January 2010 will be known as the dawn of the tablet PC. With CES coming and Apple hosting their January 26th event to unveil a big release I expect tablets to be the big feature.

Read [Electronista]

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Finally! A tablet that is more then just a rumor! No speculations, no rumors. Just confirmed specs from the company itself. What a relief.

The company in question is Notion Inc. And they have confirmed a 10.1-inch (I know! Exact dimensions!!), Android OS running tablet. Probably the coolest part of this new tablet, besides the obvious reason of my excitement, is the technology behind the display. It is made by a company called Pixel Qi and is a combination of E Ink and LCD screens. This hybrid has benefits of low power usage and the absence of glare plus color benefits you usually don’t get with E ink screens. So no more worrying about sitting with the sun behind you.

Some of the features of this tablet are Wi-Fi, 3G, 1GB RAM, 16 or 32GB flash storage options, and USB charging in addition to the typical power adapter. It will weigh less than 1.7 pounds, be powered by an NVIDIA chip in the Tegra family, and be priced for under $400.

The only thing they didn’t share with the world, is the name or a release date; but hey, we can live without a name and we might get a release date at CES in a couple of weeks.

I’m sure it was obvious in my writing that I was excited about the all-out release of this tablet. You don’t realize how annoy it is to sift through rumors and decide which ones to report on and which to ignore. And there are so many tablets rumored (Apple, Dell, and Asus to name some recent ones), with hardly any that we have pictures of (JooJoo), that when something like this comes around I get excited.

Read [Mashable]

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As a sit here with my laptop nearly burning my leg, it’s stories like this that scare me. A one year old Dell Mini proceeded to growl like an angry chihuahua as its owner unplugged it and placed in on the wooden floor. For only a few minutes the Mini would hiss, sizzle, and smoke leaving a hole in the casing and a scorch mark on the wooden floor. Its owner, a lady name Hannah, describes the event:

I heard a loud popping sound and the room immediately filled with smoke while the laptop hissed and sizzled. It died down, I pushed it with my foot, and it started hissing again. There is a large scorch mark on my floor. It goes without saying, I am glad the laptop was not on my couch …or in an airplane.

Lucky for Hannah, Dell paid for her to send her newly melted laptop back for inspection. They also sent her a brand new laptop with better specs. No cause of the battery malfunction has been determined.

Read [Geek.com]

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A week or so ago, we reported on the rumored Asus Eee Pad. What we knew then was rumored size range and that’s about it. Well now, Netbooknews claims to have many sources reporting that is pretty much confirmed that the tablet will have full multitouch capabilities.

Other specs include the fact that it will not be running Windows CE, and it will probably be running on NVIDIA’s Tegra platform, possibly Tegra 2. Tegra 2 is being slated as having a CES launch as well as the Eee Pad. Since that is within three weeks now, I’m not sure what more we are going to learn until then. So we will just have to wait.

Read [Engadget]

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There has been a lot of tablet talk lately. And most have been slated for release in 2010. But we haven’t really looked to the future in terms of tablets. Like, tablets are the future; so what’s the future of the future?

Well Nicholas Negroponte, head of the OLPC, hopes it to look like this. OLPC’s XO-3 is Negroponte’s $75 dream that he himself admits probably won’t happen. But it’s always a good idea to dream these things up, maybe someone else will make it. It is a very cool and innovative idea. What the XO-3 is, is an 8.5x11-inch multitouch tablet, with a backlit display, and made on a semi-flexible plastic. It would use less than a watt of power to keep the 8 gigahertz processor and a Pixel Qi screen powered. This thing is also conceptualized to be half the thickness of the iPhone with an included camera on the back.

Unfortunately, most of this design is based on technology that is not here yet. So if OLPC does decide to take this commercial, they will have to wait for technology to catch up. Let’s just hope they don’t have to wait as long as James Cameron had to to make Avatar.

Read [Engadget]

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Acer is one of the major sponsors of the 2010 Winter Olympics along with the 2012 Olympics as well. And to subtly show their support, they are selling the Acer Timeline 1810TZ with the Olympic-rings on the lid.

The 1810TZ is considered by Acer to be an ultraportable laptop. Sporting a 11.6-inch screen, 3GB of ram, and a full size keyboard all for $580. So not too bad when it comes to laptop if your comfortable with Acer’s. Other specs of this Olympic runner are a dual-core Intel CULV processor, 802.11b/g Draft-N, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, webcam, mic, Windows 7, and some pretty colors to go with it.

So if your looking for a laptop to watch the schedule of the next series of Olympics unfold, why not just buy this one. Plus, you can show it off to your friends too. All they have is a funky Q, or “HP.” Woo… You’ve got the Olympic rings. What now.

Read [Acer]

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Continental has joined the elite ranks of Virgin America, American, United, even the illustrious AirTran and have made the decision to offer WiFi on itsflights.  The new service will begin rolling out before summer 2010.  Continental will use Gogo Inflight Internet as the WiFi provider.

Interestingly, Gogo offers different rates depending on the device you are using.  For example, laptop users will pay $4.95 for flights up to 1.5 hours, $9.95 for a single flight between 1.5 and 3 hours, and $12.95 for a single flight over 3 hours.  Mobile device users can opt for a $7.95 plan that covers a single flight, no time limit.  A 24 hour pass is available, as is a 30 day pass.

While usually misers, we don’t think these prices are ridiculous.  Inflight WiFi is finally here.  Hooray!

Read [Jaunted]

Photo credit: Jaunted

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Well with Apple heading the way in the tablet rumor department, it is fair game that Dell throws its ring into the hat as well.

According to Pocket-lint, Dell will be showing the world its new, 5-inch tablet at CES. The tablet will run on Android OS and be released in the UK early in the coming year. Dell of course, had nothing to say but the classic no-comment:

Dell continually develops and tests new products that extend the mobile experience. We have not made any product announcements and do not comment on speculation, rumour, or unannounced products

Dell has shown us in the past that it can make products that meet Apple’s standards with a lower price. This is evidenced in the new Inspiron Zino HD which closely resembles the Mac Mini. Let us hope it can continue that trend.

Read [Pocket-lint]

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So lets see, in one corner we have the rumored Apple Tablet, in another corner we have the newly renamed JooJoo, and a rumored Dell tablet to be revealed at CES in another. The market for tablets has just exploded in the last few months. And as evidence, we have another to add to that list.

Digitimes released a statement saying that Asus is planning to add another computer to its Eee-line. Called the Eee Pad, it will feature a 4 to 7-inch screen and offer a combination of tablet PC and MID functions. They also stated that this has been inspired by the rumored Apple Tablet.

If this is true or not, I’m not sure but I guess it can’t be all bad. As much as some of us would like it, a world where the only tablet was the Apple one or the JooJoo would be a bad one. Monopolies are not good for technology as we would never see any advance in it. So with all the tablet rumors/releases we are going to see in the next few months, just remember, it’s good for us.

Read [Digitimes]

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Its time for another giveaway here on Gadgetell, and as you will see, this one is just a little different than our last. That said, we do have to thank HP. But with that out of the way, the contest is for a brand new HP Envy 15 notebook and will run from today (November 30) through December 13.

In terms of the notebook, again, it is an HP Envy 15 and here are some bullet points that should get you excited.

• This is HP’s fastest consumer notebook and the world’s thinnest, lightest quad-core notebook PC.
• It offers maximum speed and mobility with the upcoming Intel Core i7 Processor and up to 16GB of DDR3 1066 MHz system memory with four SODIMM memory slots.
• Versatile storage options include the ability to add two solid-state drives in a RAID-0 configuration to improve the overall speed of the ENVY 15 while providing ultimate disk performance.
• A choice of two 15.6” HP Brightview high-resolution LED backlit displays, including the Full High Definition LED HP Ultra BrightView Widescreen Display with up to 300 nit, provides the best display experience for a notebook in this class.
• But this beauty is also a beast. Envy features the new Intel Core i7 processor which delivers ultimate mobile performance for the most demanding tasks from video editing to intense games. A 15.6” diagonal Brightview widescreen display and ATI Mobility Radeon™ 4830 discrete graphics processor produce the clearest, brightest visuals for viewing Blu-Ray5 and 1080p content.

This contest is also a little more involved, and will require more than just a simple comment or tweet but at the same time it should also be lots more fun. In short, its time to create a video! Here is a list of the guidelines that you will need to keep in mind.

• Videos may be SD or HD, live-action, or animation, and must be under 100 MBs in size.
• Videos must clearly answer the question “What do you want the new HP Envy to do for you?”
• Videos must be posted to YouTube, and announced on Twitter with the hashtag #HPEnvy and @gadgetell
• Due to this video contest being run on multiple blogs, entries are limited to a single submission on one blog only.
• All content must be owned by entrant.
• Anything depicting violence, bodily harm (including cigarette smoking), profanity, nudity or explicit sexual content, or unlawful activity, including underage drinking, binge drinking, or gambling is not permitted in any video submission.

Finally, this one is only open to US residents.

Product [HP Envy 15] Images [HP Envy 15 on Flickr]

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