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Thursday, January 05, 2012

drag2share: LG reveals Z330 / Z430 Ultrabooks, P535 / A540 laptops and 3D-enabled V300 all-in-one PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/lg-ces-2012-z330-z430-ultrabook-p535-a540-laptop-v330-desktop/

Woo, boy. The Ultrabook flood has officially begun, and LG's marching into CES with a fresh pair of the things. Four new laptop models and an all-in-one PC will be making their way to Vegas, with the Z330 and Z430 Ultrabooks leading the way. The P535 and A540 take a more traditional approach, while the V300 steps in as a 23-inch AIO for those who still haven't found solace in mobility. If you'll recall, we'd actually heard about a few of these last month, but now the company's getting official with the parts within. The Z330 -- which looks a little too much like something else we've seen making the rounds -- will house a Core i7 processor, a 13.3-inch HD display, an SSD and an enclosure that weighs but 2.66 pounds. The 14-inch Z430 is outfitted similarly, sitting in a 19.9mm chassis and boasting a metallic cover with a "gyro-brush line finish." The 15.6-inch P535 gets a Core i7, GeForce GT 630M and a wide-angle display, while the A540 grabs a GeForce GT 555M and a glasses-free 3D display. Closing up the loop, the revised V300 gains a 1080p Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) 3D panel, which should entice just about one in every eight hundred average Joes you know. The whole lot is expected to ship in Q1, but pricing remains a mystery.

Continue reading LG reveals Z330 / Z430 Ultrabooks, P535 / A540 laptops and 3D-enabled V300 all-in-one PC

LG reveals Z330 / Z430 Ultrabooks, P535 / A540 laptops and 3D-enabled V300 all-in-one PC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Fujifilm updates F, S and HS lines of superzoom cameras ahead of CES bonanza

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/fujifilm-updates-f-s-and-hs-lines-of-superzoom-cameras-ahead-of/

Fujifilm

We hope you like cameras, cause Fujifilm has more digital shooters than you can possibly keep track of. We'll have to wait to get our hands on the company's latest until next week, but it was kind enough to send over some PR ahead of time. On the superzoom front we're looking at the FinePix HS30EXR and HS25EXR, a pair of 16-megapixel cams with half-inch CMOS sensors and 30x (24mm-720mm) optical zoom lenses. Both also sport three-inch tilting LCDs and can capture full 1080p video at 30 frames a second. If resolution can take a backseat to speed, then you're free to shoot clips at 320fps. Both will be landing in March for $500 (HS30) and $400 (HS25). But we're not done yet -- a sextuplet of other magnification focused devices await after the break.

Gallery: Fujifilm CES 2012 superzoom cameras: HS30EXR, HS25EXR, F770EXR, F750EXR, F660EXR, SL300, S4200, S4500

Continue reading Fujifilm updates F, S and HS lines of superzoom cameras ahead of CES bonanza

Fujifilm up! dates F, S and HS lines of superzoom cameras ahead of CES bonanza originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Lenovo's ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook targets the business set with discrete graphics and 1TB in storage, arrives in Q3 for $849

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/lenovos-thinkpad-t430u-ultrabook-targets-the-business-set-with/

While plenty of companies will spend CES showing off their first Ultrabooks, Lenovo is already going back for seconds. The outfit just announced the ThinkPad T430u, a more business-focused follow-up to the IdeaPad U300s we reviewed back in November. More than anything, though, what has us intrigued is that it packs optional NVIDIA graphics, making this the first so-called Ultrabook we've seen with a dedicated GPU. Add in a 14-inch (1366 x 768) display, up to 1TB of hard drive storage and a modest six hours of rated battery life, and it sounds more like a full-fledged laptop than an Ultrabook. Semantics aside, with a starting price of $849 this could be a tempting deal for businesses looking to outfit their employees with something portable, well-performing and inexpensive. Not to mention, it might just be a worthy competitor to the HP Folio, our favorite business-centric Ultrabook at the moment. Just make sure IT can wait patiently -- the T430u isn't slated to go on sale until Q3 of this year.

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad T430u

Lenovo's ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook targets the business set with discrete graphics and 1TB in storage, arrives in Q3 for $849 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Fujifilm brings DSLR-like X-S1 camera to the US for $799

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/fujifilm-x-s1-camera-launches-in-us/

Look familiar? That's Fujifilm's latest X-series camera, the X-S1, which launched as the XS-1 in the UK for £699 ($1090) in November. Now the company has moved the dash one character to the left and priced the DSLR-like superzoom at $799.95, with a late-January ship date. We were expecting something slightly different after images of a rumored X cam appeared earlier this week, but this is all we're getting at the high-end -- for now, at least. The X-S1 includes a fixed 26x manual zoom lens with a range of 24-624mm and a variable maximum aperture of f/2.8-5.6, with a 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor behind -- the same size found on the rangefinder-like X10. The lens is quite versatile, allowing you to capture subjects both far away and incredibly close -- it can focus on objects as near as 1 centimeter from the lens in Super Macro Mode. On the rear, you'll find both a 1.4-million-dot, 0.47-inch EVF and a 3-inch 460k-dot tilting LCD -- a heads-up sensor automatically switches to the EVF as you get near.

Sports shooters will appreciate the seven-frames-per-second high-speed mode at full resolution, or 10 fps at six megapixels. And as you'll expect with any high-end cam, there's 1080/30p video capture on board with stereo sound and H.264 encoding, along with RAW stills and full manual control, with a dedicated mode dial up top. Unfortunately, due to the camera's smaller image sensor, ISO sensitivity isn't on-par with larger DSLRs -- the native range extends from ISO 100 to 3,200, though you can jump up to ISO 12,800 when shooting "small" resolution JPEGs (which you aren't likely to do). We're holding out hope that Fuji's rumored cam will make a surprise appearance at the company's CES press conference, but for now, this will have to do. Full details are in the PR just past the break.

Gallery: Fujifilm X-S1

Continue reading Fujifilm brings DSLR-like X-S1 ! camera t o the US for $799

Fujifilm brings DSLR-like X-S1 camera to the US for $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Volvo unveils XC60 plug-in hybrid concept, claims it's 'superior to all existing hybrids'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/volvo-unveils-xc60-plug-in-hybrid-concept/

Svelte plug-in hybrids? Practically a dime a dozen. What aren't, however, are their more boxy SUV brethren -- but that hasn't stopped Volvo from creating the concept that lays before you. Beginning with a gutted XC60, the company's fitted a turbocharged gasoline four cylinder good for 280hp up-front, and a 70hp electric motor powering the rear. Combined they produce 350 horses which scuttle the 3,300 pound crossover from 0-60MPH in a relatively scant 5.8 seconds. Yet, when not in the mood for outright performance, it can be set to run in "Pure" electric mode via a button press on the dash, enabling hypermilers everywhere to eke out 35 miles of electric motoring from its 12kWh battery pack. After depleting that, it'll take three and a half hours to top up while tethered to 220V, or a seven and a half hours over 110V. Eager to know when the 50MPG, 600 mile range beast makes the jump from concept to reality? So are we, but until we learn more at the Detroit auto show, we've embedded PR alongside a video after the break, and a source link with a bevy of more pictures below.

Continue reading Volvo unveils XC60 plug-in hybrid concept, claims it's 'superior to all existing hybrids'

Volvo unveils XC60 pl! ug-in hy brid concept, claims it's 'superior to all existing hybrids' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Logitech outs C920 HD webcam, lets you Skype with your mates in 1080p

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/logitech-c920-hd-webcam-skype-on-sale/

If you were impressed by Logitech's C910 back in June, you may want to take a gander at the newly unveiled HD Pro 920. While it's the first webcam to offer 1080p video chatting with the latest version of Skype, the C920 can also capture 1080p video while offering 720p for Windows Live Messenger. You'll be able to upload your full-HD clips and 15MP shots at warp speed at the hands of H.264 advanced compression technology -- making those YouTube uploads that much faster. Internally, the C920 implements Logitech's Fluid Crystal Technology, Carl Zeiss optics and a 20-step autofocus. For audio capture, two mics are position on either side of the shooter for stereo recording. If you're looking to snag one, it'll set you back $100 starting this month. But for now, peep the gallery below and all the details in the PR after the break.

Gallery: Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920

Continue reading Logitech outs C920 HD webcam, lets you Skype with your mates in 1080p

Logitech outs C920 HD webcam, lets you Skype with your mates in 1080p originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Samsung's bringing three new displays to CES: commence throwing your money at the screen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/samsungs-bringing-three-new-displays-to-ces-commence-throwing/

The biggest show of the year is just a few days short from arriving in the Nevada desert and it's time for the big boys to show off the attention-grabbing objects of desire. Samsung's setting mouths watering at the sight of three new displays: two monitors and a HDTV/monitor that's gonna hate to sit in your office. The Series 7 HDTV is a 24-or-27-inch display with a built-in HDTV tuner so you can flip between that spreadsheet / football game. There's WiDi and MHL gear inside too, so you can stream content from your computer, cellphone or tablet and will set you back $600 when it arrives in March. The Series 7 Smart Station will appear on shelves the same day, costing $50 less but missing the HDTV tuner and WiDi unit.

For the serious screen lover, the Series 9 is a 27-inch premium monitor that's packing a plane line switching panel with a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 and MHL, so those spreadsheets can go from smartphone to display in seconds. Of course, that teeth-whitening resolution comes at a price: it'll cost you $1200 when it also arrives in March.

Gallery: Samsung CES 2012 Monitor Lineup

Continue reading Samsung's bringing three new displays to CES: commence throwing your money at the screen

Samsung's bringing three new displays to CES: commence throwing your money at the screen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Apple grabs a third of all-in-one PC sales for Q3 2011

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/apple-imac-third-of-all-in-one-pc-sales-for-q3-2011/

Apple managed to sell more all-in-one PCs that any other manufacturer in Q3 of 2011, with its iMac range claiming just under a third of the 14.5 million all-in-ones sold worldwide. According to DisplaySearch's estimates, people are still buying into the big screened monoliths, with the overall market growing by 39 percent. Lenovo claims second place with a 22.7 percent market share thanks to a strong showing in China, while the beleaguered HP bagged third with 21.4 percent. The research firm also suggested that there's plenty of space for more all-in-ones, with the potential to reach over 23 million by 2014. Looks like it's not all about the Ultrabooks -- at least, not just yet.

Apple grabs a third of all-in-one PC sales for Q3 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Elan: 'Apple's paying us $5 million for multitouch patents'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/elan-apples-paying-us-5-million-for-multitouch-patents/

Remember the longstanding patent punch-up 'twixt Cupertino and Elan Microelectronics? No? Well, Taiwan's Elan said that Apple infringed two of its multitouch patents, which the ITC disagreed with -- the judge stating he found no infringement and therefore no cause for an outright ban on sales of iDevices. Now, in a rather strange twist, and perhaps just to extricate itself from the case completely, The Haus of Tim is paying $5 million to Elan in an out-of-court settlement. Aside from the relatively paltry sum of cash, the settlement also allows the companies to cross-license each other's relevant patents -- a deal which might arguably serve Elan better than it serves Apple.

Elan: 'Apple's paying us $5 million for multitouch patents' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Qualcomm's Snapdragon GameCommand app ready to take on TegraZone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/qualcomms-snapdragon-gamecommand-app-ready-to-take-on-tegrazone/

Didn't think Qualcomm was going to just sit around and let NVIDIA have all the fun, did you? The latter company's launch of TegraZone -- an app portal designed to show off mobile games that work best when using the Tegra 2 dual-core SoC -- appears to have inspired the competition, as Qualcomm announced the debut of its dedicated Snapdragon GameCommand app today. The idea is pretty much the same: the app, accessible on phones and tablets, will essentially be a marketplace that offers Snapdragon-optimized games (such as Qualcomm's GamePack selection) as well as some exclusive content. The app will make its official entrance on the Android Market on January 10th, but will only be available in North America until "a later date." Texas Instruments, you're up next. Head to the press release for more details.

Continue reading Qualcomm's Snapdragon GameCommand app ready to take on TegraZone

Qualcomm's Snapdragon GameCommand app ready to take on TegraZone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Acer Iconia Tab A200 arriving January 15 for $330, Ice Cream Sandwich coming mid-February

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/acer-iconia-tab-a200-arriving-january-15-for-330-ice-cream-san/

After slipping not-so-quietly through the FCC, we knew it was only a matter of time before Acer's Iconia Tab A200 went on sale here in the US of A. Well, we just got word it'll go on sale January 15th starting at $330 -- not too shabby for a 10-inch tablet on the brink of an Ice Cream Sandwich update. According to Acer, the tablet is shipping with Honeycomb (version 3.2, to be exact), but should be getting that ICS upgrade in mid-February, about a month after it goes on sale. To be clear, that $330 price gets you 8GB of storage; the 16GB version will set you back an extra twenty bucks. Either way, it has a microSD slot for expansion, NVIDIA's dual-core Tegra 2 SoC, a modest 2MP front-facing camera, a 1280 x 800 display and a battery rated for up to eight hours of runtime. If all that sounds rather ho-hum, remember that this is still one of the only tablets with a full-sized USB 2.0 port for moving files on and off the device.

Gallery: Acer Iconia Tab A200

Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A200 arriving January 15 for $330, Ice Cream Sandwich coming mid-February

Acer Iconia Tab A200 arriving January 15 for $330, Ice Cream Sandwich coming mid-February originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/broadcom-first-gigabit-speed-802-11ac-wireless-chipset/

Good news for people who love fast things: Broadcom is sliding into CES with its first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chips, all based on fifth-generation WiFi technology. For those unaware, 5G WiFi is aimed at handling higher-bandwidth services like HD movie streaming, and the company claims that they're three times faster and up to six times more power efficient than similar 802.11n solutions. Broadcom's family of 5G WiFi solutions includes the BCM4360, BCM4352, BCM43526 and BCM43516, and the whole lot is being sampled now with its most trusted partners. As for consumer availability? Mum's the word at the moment, but you can dig into the nitty-gritty just past the break.

Continue reading Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well

Broadcom introduces first gigabit-speed 802.11ac chipset, wishes 802.11n well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Google TV officially switching to ARM, Marvell Armada 1500 CPU to lead the charge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/05/google-tv-officially-switching-to-arm-marvell-armada-1500-cpu-t/

After all the rumors including word that Intel was backing away from its Atom CE4100 CPU it's finally official: Google TV is moving from x86 to ARM, and Marvell is letting everyone know its Foresight platform has been selected to power the next generation of Google TV hardware. The Armada 1500 dual-core CPU at its heart promises PC-like performance with cellphone-like power management and support for Blu-ray 3D, video encoding / decoding and upscaling. enabling fanless smart TV products built on the package like this demo box seen above. Marvell Co-founder Weili Dai considers this as an opportunity to fundamentally change the relationship between content producers and consumers, a lofty goal for the second round of products after a lackluster market response to the initial effort.

Of course, there are some early signs that this hardware switch could be just what the doctor ordered, like the fact that similar hardware powers the OnLive Microconsole, and likely lurked in the heart of the Vizio Google TVs we observed with inbuilt OnLive capabilities last year. Beyond the lower heat and power requirements this chip may be able to do it all for less money -- something we're sure $99 Revue buyers can appreciate. Check out the press release after the break for a few more details, we'll wait to find out more about the new partners and hardware before jumping on the Google TV 2.0 hype train along with Eric Schmidt.

Continue reading Google TV officially switching to ARM, Marvell Armada 1500 CPU to lead the charge

Google TV officially switching to ARM, Marvell Armada 1500 CPU to lead the charge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Crazy Rumor: Google Is Working On A 7-Inch Tablet Priced To Beat The Kindle Fire (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-nexus-tablet-2012-1

nexus tablet

A few weeks ago, Google chairman Eric Schmidt let it slip that the company had plans to market "a tablet of the highest quality" within the next six months.

That led to a lot of speculation, but Google refused to clarify Schmidt's statements.

Now DigiTimes is reporting that the so-called Nexus tablet will be a 7-inch device running Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It'll also be priced to compete with Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire.

DigiTimes' sources from Google's supply chain say the tablet could be ready by this April.

The DigiTimes report feels a bit wishy-washy to us since Google's Taiwan office denied knowing anything about a Google-branded tablet, so we're treating it as a major rumor. Plus, DigiTimes has a very hot and cold record when it comes to reports like this.

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Wednesday, January 04, 2012

drag2share: Roku unveils Streaming Stick, squeezes box into MHL dongle

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/roku-unveils-streaming-stick-squeezes-box-into-mhl-dongle/

The latest innovation from Roku CEO Anthony Wood and his squad? After reducing the size of its players to a mere hockey puck, it has now managed to fit all the necessary hardware into this tiny dongle, that plugs into the HDMI port of MHL-compatible HDTVs. Mobile High-Definition Link ports, were intended for users to hook up their mobile phones simply for control and charging all-in-one, but also powers this unit which packs WiFi and all into one tiny package and can even be controlled by the TV's remote. Now, HDTV manufacturers can build TVs that function as dumb displays without it, but become smart TVs featuring the Roku experience we've become accustomed to just by plugging one in. The other benefit? No more obsolete smart TV hardware when the updates stop flowing. While Roku has a decent track record in this regard, if you ever need a more powerful unit, it's a lot simpler to swap out a simple dongle (expect a good/better/best pattern for functions like gaming, etc., following the player line) to add features than changing an entire HDTV.

Best Buy's Insignia-branded line is the first scheduled to take advantage with pack-ins when the stick debuts in the second half of the year, although it will work with TVs from other manufacturers (Samsung, Toshiba, etc.) that meet the spec, but we don't figure the big boys will be willing to sacrifice their existing smart TV platforms very quickly. We're told the price (it will be available both as a standalone and pack-in) should be in a similar range to current Roku players, which the company also announced it has shipped 2.5 million of to date. Check after the break for the press release and one more pic of it floating suggestively near an HDTV.

Continue reading Roku unveils Streaming Stick, squeezes box into MHL dongle

Roku unveils Streaming Stick, squeezes box into MHL dongle originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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