Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Apple's all-new MacBook Pro packs new NVIDIA GPUs, glass trackpad

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420733674/

Filed under: Laptops

Oh, don't act so surprised. A refresh of Apple's long-in-the-tooth MacBook Pro line was pretty much the only sure thing slated for today's event, and Apple certainly delivered. As for looks, you probably know the score by now: chiclet keyboard, Air-inspired aluminum stylings, and a glossy screen that's flush with a new iMac-like black bezel (there's no non-gloss option for the purists out there). What's new is confirmation of a multi-touch glass trackpad, which suspiciously rids the computer of a single mouse button and adds some new gestures like app switching. Apple's also put in some effort on slimming down the computer, bringing it down to a mere 0.95-inches thick (though at 5.5 pounds it's a hair heavier than the original), but much of the real excitement happens under the hood. There's a new internal structure, that rumored "brick" of aluminum that helps Apple make the new Pro thin, strong and leaves room for the real goodies: the specs. Apple's using NVIDIA's new 9400M GPU + chipset 1-2 punch for integrated graphics, supplemented by 9600M GT switchable discreet graphics chip for heavy lifting, and pumping out those graphics over a Mini DisplayPort connector, if you'd like to supplement the LED backlit screen. As expected there's an SSD option, with drive accessible underneath the battery. The 15.4-inch base model retails for $1999, with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and both GPUs. Step up to $2499 and you get a faster CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB HDD. The 17-inch MacBook Pro comes in a similar configuration with a 2.6GHz processor, starting at $2799, but sans the redesign and GPU love. Hit the jump for a breakdown of the configurations.

Gallery: Apple's new MacBook Pro

Gallery: New MacBook Pro Official Pictures

Continue reading Apple's all-new MacBook Pro packs new NVIDIA GPUs, glass trackpad

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Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-on

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420798570/

Filed under: Laptops

We just got our grubby, oily hands all over this pristine, all glass and aluminum MacBook. We sullied it on your behalf, but our initial impressions mostly positive: it's small, incredibly, ridiculously solid feeling, and we actually don't hate the all-clicking trackpad much at all. (If your thumb muscle memory makes you click at the bottom where the button used to be, it works and feels pretty much the same.) Of course, the glare of the glass screen is a MAJOR issue for us, and will be pretty much forever. There's just no way we'll be able to love it, so our eyes will be peeled for after-market add-ons to cut that down a bit. But in terms of the rest, it's pretty clear this is the best MacBook -- and best mainstream consumer laptop -- Apple's made to date.

Gallery: Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-on

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Apple 24-inch Cinema Display hands-on

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420798569/

Filed under: Displays

Sure it may not look like much, but we're confident there's more than a few cats and kittens out there who want to get their hands on Apple's new 24-inch superstar. As usual, the screen looks painfully crisp. Check the gallery below for a number of views!

Gallery: Apple 24-inch Cinema Display hands-on

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KDDI shows off cellphone-linked e-paper display

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420826802/

Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

KDDI (smartly) doesn't seem to be ready to go all Foleo / Redfly-like, but it apparently does see some benefit in a cellphone companion of sorts, and it's now showing off a considerably different spin on the idea that relies simply on a stripped-down e-paper display. Even more unconventionally, the setup makes use of good old IrDA to transfer images from the phone to the display (a 13.1-incher built by Bridgestone) which, when combined with the inherent slowness of the display itself, adds up to a page refresh time of 12 seconds. It is still in prototype form though, so there's at least a chance that a few of those seconds will get shaved off by the time it's released, and an equally decent chance that it never actually sees the light of day.

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Canon EOS 50D review roundup

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420846564/

Filed under: Digital Cameras

If you skipped over the EOS 40D in anticipation for the next best thing, and you don't feel like liquidating your kid's college fund in order to procure the EOS 5D Mark II, the EOS 50D has likely been blinking fiercely on your radar. The intarwebz as a whole had a chance to sit down and scrutinize the decidedly mid-range DSLR, and overall, impressions were pretty positive. For starters, just about everyone felt that it was more than a worthy addition to Canon's line, citing "a significant number of refinements to a proven design," a fantastic VGA LCD monitor and expectedly great image quality. Critics also found an improved interface, improved white balance and an ISO setting that was perfectly acceptable up to 3,200 (and 6,400 in a pinch). For DSLR newcomers, the 50D is a pretty safe bet; the only question comes in when trying to decide whether to upgrade from the 40D. Our take? Save the loot and spend it on some decent glass.

Read - PhotographyBLOG
Read - TechRadar
Read - PhotoReview
Read - CNET

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Sony Ericsson's 8-megapixel C905 makes sweet love to the FCC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420962029/

Filed under: Cellphones

So what do you think they take pictures of in an FCC lab when they've got an 8-megapixel cameraphone handy? Oh, come on -- you know the technicians lucky enough to fiddle with fresh gadget after delicious, fresh gadget as they burn through specific absorption rate paperwork engage in a little extracurricular activity from time to time. Our guess, honestly, is that they probably snap that scary apparatus that looks like a human head made out of gelatin and MMS it to their daughter with a message like "look what I found in the ditch, honey!" Of course, that prank only works once before little Julie figures out what daddy's up to, then all hell breaks loose as she tips off the gadget blogs that there's an unannounced Sony Ericsson on the way. Yeah, the C905. Thanks, Julie.

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Lenovo launches ho hum $399 H210 desktop PC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/420983138/

Filed under: Desktops

As you very well know, Lenovo's entirely more associated with rock solid laptops than desktops of any stature, but that's not stopping the outfit from dishing out a new tower today for under four bills. The H210 sports a glossy black finish, Lenovo's VeriFace facial recognition technology (which bites, by the way) and a feature dubbed File Management to "save critical data on a special system partition in the event of system failure." As for specs, you'll find your choice of Intel's dual-core E2200 or the Core 2 Duo E7200, between 2GB and 4GB of RAM, 500GB / 640GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD writer, Intel's GMA3100 graphics set and a bunch of software you'll probably find more annoying than useful. It's available now for those somehow enthused starting at $399.

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