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Monday, June 04, 2012

Acer introduces Windows 8 all-in-one U Series at Computex 2012 (update: hands-on video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/03/acer-announces-windows-8-all-in-one-u-series-at-computex-2012/

Acer just introduced two Windows 8-equipped U Series all-in-one desktops here at Computer 2012 in Taipei -- the 27-inch Aspire 7600U and 23-inch Aspire 5600U. The 7600U features a 64-point capacitive multitouch tilt and swivel display and is only 3.5cm (1.38 inches) thick, while the 5600U is billed as "the thinnest AIO available" (no numbers specified). Both system feature HD visuals and Dolby Home Theater Surround sound, but the company isn't ready to share any other details on specs.

We spent a brief minute with the larger 7600U and witnessed its ability to tilt 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal and then swivel from landscape to portrait mode -- turning it into the world's biggest e-book reader. There are two USB ports and a DC power connector in the back, two USB ports, audio in / out and an SD-card slot on the left side plus a slot-load Blu-Ray drive on the right edge. Check out the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video and the obligatory PR.

Gallery: Acer Windows 8 all-in-one U Series hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Acer introduces Windows 8 all-in-one U Series at Computex 2012 (update: hands-on video)

Acer introduces Windows 8 all-in-one U Series at Computex 2012 (update: hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III coming to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular this month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-us-carrier-launch-att-verizon-sprint-t-mobile-uscc/

Official is as official does... right? In a bid to one-up the Galaxy S II's launch here in the States, Samsung has just announced that five carriers will soon have their own customized versions of the Galaxy S III. And by "soon," we mean "beginning in June." AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular are all in line to take part, with exact pricing and availability to be announced by each of the five carriers in the coming weeks. We are, however, told to expect on-contract prices as low as $199, and it sounds as if all five variants will keep the same 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display.

Naturally, S-Beam, S-Voice, Smart Stay and Android 4.0 (with TouchWiz) will be onboard, with Qualcomm's 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 at the heart of each matter. We're told to expect 2GB of RAM across the board, with Gorilla Glass 2.0 guarding against your clumsiness. Moreover, we're reminded of the mythical Pebble Blue hue (which will be available alongside Marble White), with a removable 2,100mAh battery and 16GB / 32GB capacity options. Looking to learn more? There's a bit left just beyond the break, but the real deets will be pouring out in the weeks ahead from the carriers themselves.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S III (Marble White and Pebble Blue)

Update: AT&T has added a preview page, check the more coverage link for details

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III coming to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular this month

Samsung Galaxy S III coming to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of! feeds.

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Intel claims chassis design breakthrough could mean cheaper Ultrabooks, eventually

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/intel-chassis-design-cheaper-ultrabooks/

If your heart says Ultrabook, but your bank says ultra broke, this may be welcome news. Intel claims to have had a breakthrough in chassis design that might point prices of the slim line laptops in a southerly direction. Using existing plastics, and some internal rearrangement aka "structural reduction analysis," the chip maker says it's found a way to make housings that are of equal strength and quality as existing ones. As the materials are widely available already, there isn't the extra cost associated with new materials, or expensive machined aluminum. Reuters reports that this could equate to savings between $25 and $75 per PC. The processor giant will share the new design with current partners so that it can find its way onto real-world devices, some time next year. Plenty of time to fill up the piggy bank while you wait then.

Intel claims chassis design breakthrough could mean cheaper Ultrabooks, eventually originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/amd-radeon-hd-7750-900Mhz/

The original Radeon HD 7750 won plaudits for its low-wattage performance and $109 price tag, but now AMD's decided to put out an additional version with 100MHz more clock whizz. The new card also happens to be called the Radeon HD 7750, and it'll sit alongside its doppelganger on the shelves of the world's computer stores just daring you spot the difference. How will you do that? By checking if it requires a separate power supply: the original 7750 was powered entirely through the PCIe slot, limiting its power to 75W and hence its clock speed to 800MHz, while the new one accepts additional power to deliver slightly more grunt and stay ahead of looming competition from NVIDIA. XFX has already jumped aboard with the 7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation priced at $115 after a rebate, and AnandTech says other vendors will follow suit. So, unless you're totally out of power jacks, you know what to look for.

Image courtesy of Newegg.

AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/asus-taichi-notebook-tablet/

Two displays in one tablet? Yes you can. ASUS' new TAICHI series packs displays on both the front and the rear, letting you use the device in a variety of configurations. In 'notebook' mode, you can use TAICHI with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. Once you close the lid, however, it's stylus time. TAICHI includes Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7 processors, 4 gigs of RAM, SSD storage, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, FHD/Super IPS+ displays and, naturally, dual cameras. Despite the display duo, both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch configurations are reportedly as thin and light as the Zenbook line. Both variants will offer 1920 x 1080 pixels on each side, and displays can be used independently, so you can even share the device with a friend -- with completely different content on each LCD.

We spent a few minutes with the 11.6-inch version at ASUS' launch event at Computex today, and while the device we saw was clearly an early prototype, it functioned as described and looked quite polished, so this certainly isn't merely a concept at this point. The touch panels were very responsive, and quite bright, even at their lowest setting. The rear LCD had visible backlight bleed around the top and bottom, which we of course don't expect to see on production samples. Despite the thin design, there's no shortage of connectivity options -- the left side of the device (in tablet mode, at least) packs a power button, lock toggle, mini VGA, USB 3.0 and power ports, while the opposite panel includes a headphone jack, a second USB 3.0 port, micro ! DVI, a v olume up/down switch and a rotation lock button. There's no pricing and availability just yet, but you can see it in action right now -- our hands-on video is waiting just after the break.

Gallery: ASUS TAICHI hands-on

Continue reading ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video)

ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's VAIO T13 Ultrabook coming to the US this month with Ivy Bridge in tow, prices start at $800

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/sonys-vaio-t13-ultrabook-coming-to-the-us-this-month-with-ivy-b/

After Sony teased its first Ultrabook at CES, what happened next was a bit anti-climactic: it was announced for the European market... with last-gen, Sandy Bridge processors. Now, though, the company is back with two pieces of good news: the 13-inch VAIO T13 is headed to the US as well, and will pack Intel's latest Ivy Bridge CPUs after all. (If you were expecting the 11-inch T11, it looks like it's not being sold in the states.) As a refresher, the T13 is fashioned out of brushed silver aluminum, has a 13-inch (1366 x 768) display and weighs approximately 3.5 pounds -- a tad heavy for a 13-inch Ultrabook. On the bright side, that .71-inch-thick chassis makes room for a healthy selection of ports, including USB 3.0 and 2.0, HDMI, Ethernet, VGA and an SD slot. The one amenity you won't find? A backlit keyboard.

Even more interesting is the cost: if you think Sony products rest too heavily on brand cache, the T series starts at $800, about as low as Ultrabook prices have fallen so far. At the entry level, it comes with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive combined with a 32GB solid-state drive for faster boot-ups -- pretty typical specs for the money. Willing to spend more? You can max out with a Core i7 CPU and 256GB SSD. Expect it to hit shelves sometime this month, and for now feel free to peruse those glossy press shots below.

Gallery: Sony VAIO T13

Continue reading Sony's VAIO T13 Ultrabook coming to the US this month with Ivy Bridge in tow, prices start at $800

Sony's VAIO T13 Ultrabook coming to the US this month with Ivy Bridge in tow, prices start at $800 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corning unveils slim, flexible Willow Glass (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/corning-unveils-slim-flexible-willow-glass-video/

That is not plastic in the image above, it's glass. In particular it's a sheet of Corning's new 100-micron-thick Willow Glass, a new ultra-thin and flexible substrate for LCDs and OLEDs. The extreme thinness of the glass should lead to lighter, svelter devices, but it also means that shape is no longer a barrier for design. In fact, Corning expects Willow Glass will eventually lead substrates to be manufactured "roll-to-roll" instead of "sheet-to-sheet" -- similar to how newspapers are printed. Even though the glass as thin as paper (literally) it doesn't give up its patented Corning toughness. Though, we wouldn't subject this to the same sort of abuse that the more brolic Gorilla Glass is built to withstand. Willow will start showing up in smartphones first, but the company is already looking into additional applications, such as solar cells and lighting. For more, check out the video and PR after the break.

Continue reading Corning unveils slim, flexible Willow Glass (video)

Corning unveils slim, flexible Willow Glass (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile brings Samsung Galaxy S III to stores on June 21st

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/t-mobile-samsung-galaxy-s-iii/

T-Mobile US isn't letting Verizon bask in the spotlight for too long, as it just announced that June 21st will be the magic date it begins offering the Samsung Galaxy S III in stores. From what we can tell, this particular flavor of the device has seemed to escape a good chunk of carrier influence, with the traditional home button model staying intact. As we've been expecting, the GSIII will come in 16 and 32GB models (price is still an unknown at the moment, though $200 and $250 respectively seems to be the popular choice so far), run on a Snapdragon S4 dual-core CPU clocked at 1.5GHz and offer an impressive 2GB RAM. It doesn't appear that T-Mo will be allowing pre-orders through official retail channels, but you can sign up for a reminder by going to the link below. But don't worry if you forget to do that -- we'll keep you posted on all the updates no matter what.

Continue reading T-Mobile brings Samsung Galaxy S III to stores on June 21st

T-Mobile brings Samsung Galaxy S III to stores on June 21st originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/marvell-unveils-all-in-one-802-11ac-wifi-chip-for-mobile-devices/

Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFC Less is more, right? Marvell has announced a new 802.11ac-enabled chip that includes NFC and Bluetooth, all in one. The Avastar 88W8897 is geared at mobile devices and aims to compete with Broadcom's own chipsets, wich are already being sold inside "5G Wi-Fi" routers. Marvell's attempts to cram in those extra connectivity options does, however, make it a more attractive option for phone manufacturers. The dual-stream config will mean its bandwidth peaks at around 900Mbps -- Broadcom's offerings can reach up to 1.3Gps. Marvell humbly suggests that its own chip would also be at home in larger devices, including ultrabooks and tablets. The company also claims that it's up 50 percent smaller than rival chip combinations that offer similar functionality and -- perhaps crucially -- costs 75 percent less. The chip also throws in Location Engine, a WiFi-based feature that works to augment indoor positioning. Consumer products are promised to arrive sometime next year, which should mean plenty of time to map out your home and office in preparation.

Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/lenovo-u310-and-u410-ultrabooks-available/

We're no strangers to Lenovo's new IdeaPads, having seen them at CES, but now the relatively cheap (and chunky) Ultrabooks are available to purchase. The starting price seems to have inflated slightly since January, with the 13.3-inch U310 base model going for $749 and the 14-inch U410 starting at $799. If size and weight are your prime concerns, be advised that even the smaller U310 comes in at 1.7kg (3.74 pounds) and 18mm (0.7 inches) thick. The 14-incher takes the Ultrabook definition to its limit at 1.9kg (4.18 pounds) and 21mm (0.83 inches) thick. Both are available with Ivy Bridge processors up to Core i7, as much as 1TB of storage, plus optional 32GB SSD cache drives and NVIDIA discrete graphics. Look to buy them starting today at retailers in the US and UK as well as direct from Lenovo's website at the source link.

Continue reading Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749

Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/sprint-galaxy-s-iii-arrives-with-google-wallet-on-june-21/

The hubbub of carriers eager to sell Samsung's quad-core beauty ain't stopping. This time, it's Sprint's turn, announcing that its version of the NFC-capable, 4G-connectable Galaxy S III will arrive Google Wallet-friendly and ready for your retail therapy starting June 21st. Two-year contracts are priced at $200 for the 16GB version and $250 for the 32GB option, although the latter will be web-exclusive. Pre-orders will start from June 5th -- in both Pebble Blue and Marble White options. Sprint gives you the hard sell right after the break.

Continue reading Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI unwraps Slider S20 hybrid tablet with Windows 8 (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/msi-unwraps-slider-s20-hybrid-tablet-with-windows-8-hands-on/

MSI is well-known for showing tablets at Computex -- it even showed what amounts to the same tablets at two different shows. It's certainly shaking things up this year, however, with the Slider S20. We've seen hybrid tablet PCs before, but the Windows 8-toting S20 has a fairly slick tilting mechanism that locks the 11.6-inch touchscreen at an angle, turning the slate into a pseudo-laptop right on the spot. MSI is only willing at this early stage to mention a few key details, but it's promising at least one Slider S20 variant with a properly speedy low-voltage Ivy Bridge chip as well as 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI and USB 3.0. Our friends at Engadget Spanish got an early look and found the tablet a bit chunky with a so-so display, but also thought that it looked like a "robust" design. Check our overseas companions' first impressions for more, and know that the Slider S20 is expected to reach Europe in September at €899 ($1,121) in its full Ivy Bridge glory along with a lower-powered model at €799 ($996).

MSI unwraps Slider S20 hybrid tablet with Windows 8 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, June 03, 2012

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/02/lg-launches-13-inch-x-note-z350-ultrabook-laptop-intel-core-i7/

Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/03/agility-4-ssd-ocz-announced-in-stock-at-150/

SSD makers often try to wow us with raw MB/S, but OCZ is talking up "enterprise-level" reliability, ops per second, and throughput equally with its new SATA III 6Gbps Agility 4. The 64GB / 128GB / 256GB / 512GB drives -- with Marvell-built Indilinx Everest 2 controllers -- have middling max read/write throughput of 400 MB/s and 48,000 IOPS / 85,000 IOPS, respectively. But with Indilinx Ndurance 2.0 technology and no data compression, they claim that the NAND memory will last "well beyond" the manufacturer's specs -- without backing that up with actual figures. Prices seem steep at Amazon next to the competition, but could drop when they hit the streets in volume. So, if you're after an all-rounder instead of a sprinter, check the PR after the break.

Continue reading Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150

Agility 4 SSD from OCZ announced, already in stock at $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday, June 02, 2012

ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/01/itu-ultra-hdtv-3d-tv-standards/

The ITU has stayed busy, as we mentioned earlier it met to hammer out standards for UHDTV (Ultra High Definition TV), and also recently announced a new set of recommendations for 3DTV. On the 3D front it focused on standardization for delivering video in both 720 and 1080 line formats, digital interfaces used for studio production and methods to evaluate quality based on picture quality, depth and comfort levels. As far as UHDTV which is still quite a bit further off, the group has decided the term will cover both 4K and 8K (aka Super Hi-Vision) resolution video, as multiples of the existing 1080p standard. That means Quad Full HD (QFHD, or 3840x2160 resolution) and Digital Cinema 4K resolution (4096x2160) both fall under the umbrella of 4K (check the aspect ratios to see where the "missing" pixels went, or have a listen to this week's podcast. After the break we've got a video with Study Group Chairman Christoph Dosch discussing the future possibilities of both 3DTV and UHDTV, as well as press releases with a few extra details.

Continue reading ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video)

ITU lays out recommendations on 3DTV, Ultra High Definition TV standards (video) originally appeared! on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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