Samsung exec admits 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better viewing angles

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/16/samsung-15-inch-series-9-viewing-angles/

When we reviewed the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, we found very little to complain about, save for the narrow viewing angles and the fair-weather trackpad. Turns out, Samsung at least agrees with the first part. Raymond Wah, VP of PC product strategy, told a group of reporters, "We can make improvements in terms of the viewing angle." That's not surprising, given that Samsung's homegrown 15-inch display doesn't currently make use of the same IPS-like PLS technology as the panel used in the 13-inch Series 9. It would seem, then, that it's occurred to Samsung to develop one, though company reps declined to say when we might see a 15-inch Series 9 with such a display in tow.

For now, anyway, the outfit is giving itself some credit for the laptop's relatively dense 1600 x 900 pixel count (and rightfully so!). Interestingly, Wah's comments come at a time when MacBook Pro rumors are starting to flow fast and furious, and a Retina display is looking like a fair possibility. As to whether Samsung will ever produce a 4K laptop display of its own, Wah declined to comment, but he did note that right now there isn't enough content optimized for that higher resolution, and that such screens would be costlier to produce. Until all that changes, we have to admit we're pretty pleased with the Series 9's resolution too -- after all, anything's better than plain old HD.

Samsung exec admits 15-inch Series 9 could benefit from better vi! ewing an gles originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/google-docs-research-tool/

Google has already brought a pile of new fonts and templates to Google Docs this month, and it's now back with another fairly big new feature. Open a document today and you'll find a new Research tool on the side of your page (which can be toggled on and off), offering the ability to search for any topic and get results without having to leave the document you're working on. Those results can include images, quotes and other basic information that's delivered right in the sidebar -- and, of course, the usual search results that you can open in a new tab or window if you want to dive deeper on a subject. Hit the source link below for all the details on how to use the new tool, or simply fire up a new document to try it out for yourself.

Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/haswell-based-windows-8-ultrabook-shown-off-at-idf-2012-in-brazi/

Intel's been playing the slow tease with its Haswell microarchitecture as far back as 2008. But today, we finally have a glimpse at what devices running that 22nm core might look like. Shown off at IDF 2012 down in Sao Paulo, the company's Brazilian prexy, Fernando Martins, was photographed brandishing a Windows 8 Ultrabook powered by that next-gen CPU, replete with touchscreen functionality. While it remains to be seen if such hands-on features will make it into the final consumer product, this reference design does at least tip us off to a potential form factor. When those chips do make their official market debut, you can expect a line of svelte laptops that will reportedly consume 20x less power and last up to ten days on standby. That'll make for some nice computing kit, for sure. Now you just have to endure the wait. Hop on past the break for a closer look at this work-in-progress.

Update: A spokesperson for Intel reached out to let us know that the device above is not, in fact, running a Haswell core. The Ultrabook in Martins' hands is actually an Ivy Bridge reference design.

[Thanks, Henrique]

Continue reading Haswell-based Win! dows 8 U ltrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon: The Ultralight, Semi-Rugged Carbon Fiber Ultrabook [Ultrabooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910216/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-the-ultralight-semi+rugged-carbon-fiber-ultrabook

Tablets may be the next big thing in mobile computing, but don't count out ultrabooks just yet. At least not until you've given Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Carbon—a feather-weight, carbon fiber workhorse a closer look. It's tough, it's light, and you don't have to be an office drone to crave it.

The X1 Carbon it the latest addition to Lenovo's popular X1 series. Despite a spacious 14-inch screen, the X1 Carbon tips the scales at a scant three pounds—making it the lightest rig of its size—thanks to its carbon fiber roll cage. The screen displays at a native 1600x900 resolution. The system supports up to 8GB of integrated DDR3, runs 64-bit windows 7 Pro, and has that Intel Ivy Bridge goodness you've been hearing so much about.

I had a brief moment to handle the X1 Carbon at a recent press demo and I have to say, it's impressive—three pounds on the nose for a system this robust and a screen this large feels like cheating. There's a full Thinkpad keyboard here that's spill resistant and backlit. And the display isn't just big, it's matte, which only Samsung had standard previously. Most impressive, though, was the overall build quality. If the MacBook Air is a porcelain doll, the X1 Carbon is a G.I. Joe strapped with Kevlar.

The X1 Carbon reportedly gets up to 10 hours of battery life, which should translate to nearly a full day of real-world usage. But even if it doesn't, its Rapid Charge feature means it can get back to 80-percent capacity with just 30 minutes of outlet time. Handy when you're stuck in a terminal on a 45 minute layover with a quickly fading laptop.

Other key features include the 720p front-facing camera and Dolby Home Theater v4—good for Skype meetings with your supplier in Boise. The camera employs face-tracking software to follow your movements, so you don't have to sit rigidly front-and-center, while the Dolby system ensures that the mic picks up your voice while filtering out background noise. The X1 Carbon also features 3G connectivity for when you can't find an open Wi-Fi connection.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, although it seems like Lenovo may be making it an online exclusive.

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Here's the Brand New AMD Processor that Could Power Your Next Laptop [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910303/heres-the-brand-new-amd-processor-that-could-power-your-next-laptop

You didn't think AMD was going to let Intel get all the cool new processor attention with Ivy Bridge, did you? AMD's latest and greatest is now: Trinity. It's runs fast, cool, efficiently, and packs some terrific graphical tricks.

To put it simply, Trinity is about graphics. The chip packs a significant CPU upgrade, of course—by 29 percent, AMD claims—but they say the real muscle comes with the built-in GPU. The Radeon HD 7000, stuffed onto the same silicon, provides GPU acceleration for a huge swath of applications you're probably using every day. This frees up CPU power, and allows CPU and GPU to tag team heavy software to squeeze as much performance out of your laptop as possible. The first batch of Trinity chips will be topped off by the A10-4600M, with four CPU cores, a base clock speed of 2.3 Ghz, and 4 MB of L2 cache. AMD's also dropping a super thin and efficient (you might say ultra) model, the A10-655M, which will power new tinybooks with two cores at 2 Ghz and a 4 MB L2 cache.

AMD's teamed with developers to make sure programs like Photoshop, Handbrake, VLC, WinZip, and every major browser get a swift kick in the ass from Trinity's graphical guts, along with beefed up HD video playback. The GPU acceleration uses an open standard, too, so you can bet AMD is pushing more devs to team up.

It's an interesting approach—AMD is essentially ceding the CPU war to Intel as pointless, with the presumption that GPU acceleration is going to matter more in the long run. A war they can win, having absorbed the Radeon mojo. We'll have to wait until independent benchmarks come in to see whether Trinity delivers what AMD's promising, but it's an exciting way to think about computing, and one it's sort of betting the farm on.

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