Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, January 09, 2012

drag2share: Lenovo quietly outs the IdeaPad U300e, a $799 Ultrabook with a hybrid hard drive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/lenovo-quietly-outs-the-ideapad-u300e-a-799-ultrabook-with-a-h/

We thought we'd seen everything Lenovo had to show here at CES. We thought wrong. In a tour of the company's showroom / trailer today, we spotted that gray laptop up there, hiding amid the X1 Hybrid, T430u Ultrabook and S200 netbook. That, friends, is the IdeaPad U300e, a cheaper, lesser-specced version of the U300s we reviewed last fall. Check our gallery below: it has the same aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboard and sprawling trackpad, though the ports appear to have played musical chairs. The only differences? For one, we're seeing the U300e (top, above the U300s) adds an Ethernet jack, something the U300s is missing. More importantly, though, the U300e costs $799, not $1,200, and instead of an SSD it sports a hybrid drive pairing a 500GB HDD with 32GB of flash storage -- essentially, the same setup you'll find in the $800 Acer Aspire S3. We're also told it'll run "next-generation" Intel processors, though Lenovo's stopping short of calling it Ivy Bridge, which Intel has yet to reveal. Not a bad deal, though we might still prefer the new U310, which has the all-important SD slot the U300s was missing, but still costs a hundred bucks less than this here U300e. Disagree with us? The U300e is expected to go on sale this month.

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad U300e

Lenovo quietly outs the IdeaPad U300e, a $799 Ultrabook with a hybrid hard drive originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Hands-on Toshiba's 55-inch 4K glasses-free 3DTV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/hands-on-toshibas-55-inch-4k-glasses-free-3dtv/

You remember that Toshiba glassess free 4K 3DTV we told you about? Well, we got a chance to catch up with it at a Toshiba CES event and we're happy to say it doesn't suck. Not only is the 4k mode down right breathtaking, but the autostereoscopic 3D technology has come a long, long way since we saw a demo of a prototype last year. Up to nine people can enjoy 3D on the local dimming 55-inch LED 3DTV, but the optimal number is four or less. There is an almost invisible camera in the base of the set that tracks your face and there can be circles and arrows displayed on screen that help you move to the absolute best spot -- wish all TVs made it so easy to find the sweet spot. On display was a production model for outside the US, but our slightly different version is expected in Q1 2012 for more than most have ever paid for a TV (~$10k).

Gallery: Hands-on Toshiba's 55-inch 4K glasses-free 3DTV

Hands-on Toshiba's 55-inch 4K glasses-free 3DTV originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Maingear says it will offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970 in its Shift, F131 and Vybe desktops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/maingear-says-it-will-offer-the-amd-radeon-hd-7970-in-its-shift/

When AMD announced its latest flagship, the Radeon HD 7970, we knew it was fast and efficient (because reviewers said so!), but gamers were told they'd have to wait until the new year to try it themselves. Now, precisely on schedule, the card is available for purchase, and we're starting to hear word of systems that will be refreshed to include the 28nm card. Maingear just said that it will offer the 7970 inside its Shift and F131 desktops, followed by the Vybe at some later date. If you recall, the card has a 925MHz engine that can be overclocked to 1.1GHz, 2,048 stream processors and an unusual 384-bit memory bus serving 3GB of GDDR5 -- not to mention, it's capable of a mere 3W power draw in "long idle" mode. Need even more of a recap on how awesome this card is? Find the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Maingear says it will offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970 in its Shift, F131 and Vybe desktops

Maingear says it will offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970 in its Shift, F131 and Vybe desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Marvell shows off ARM-powered Google TV, looks a lot like Google TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/marvell-shows-off-arm-powered-google-tv-looks-a-lot-like-google/

Tonight at CES Unveiled Marvell gave us a peek at the future of Google TV with this tiny box, running the latest version of the software on one of its recently announced Armada 1500 ARM processors. It was controlled by a standard Logitech Revue keyboard/trackpad combo, and we couldn't really get a feel for any potential performance differences but the box was sitting there, fanlessly, cheaply and efficiently doing its thing. We'll probably know more about the actual hardware you'll be able to buy in the future tomorrow, but for now you can peep a few more pics of this reference box in the gallery.

Gallery: Marvell QDEO Google TV

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Marvell shows off ARM-powered Google TV, looks a lot like Google TV originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Gigabyte intros S1081 Windows slate and T1006M netvertible, both packing Cedar Trail

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/gigabyte-intros-s1081-windows-slate-and-t1006m-swiveltop-both-p/

Intel told us to expect next-gen netbooks from a throng of manufacturers, but for some reason it forgot to mention little ol' Gigabyte. Perhaps that's why the Taiwanese manufacturer is being slightly standoffish when it comes to detailing its two new 10-inch slates, which both run on unspecified variants of Cedar Trail and have equally unknown launch dates and prices. What we do know is that the T1006M is a convertible tablet that sports 1366 x 768 densely packed pixels, a USB 3.0 port and what appears to be an optional 3.5G modem -- specs that are already familiar from our recent encounter at the FCC. Next comes the S1081, which is a straightforward Windows 7 business slate like its $680 predecessor and comes with a choice of HDD or SSD storage, an optical trackpad for extra "precision," USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI outputs, plus the same optional multimedia dock. Rest assured that we'll track these newcomers down on the CES floor to fill in the blanks and judge how well they stand out, now that the quiet trail has become a highway. Until then, feel free to read on for the press release -- which also reveals that the Booktop T1132, Booktop M2432 and P2532 gaming notebook are all heading to the US market.

Continue reading Gigabyte intros S1081 Windows slate and T1006M netvertible, both packing Cedar Trail

Gigabyte intros S1081 Windows slate and T1006M netvertible, both packing Cedar Trail originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Smartphones and tablets to get MicroUSB 3.0 ports, just in time for it to seem old

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/smartphones-and-tablets-to-get-microusb-3-0-ports-just-in-time/

Is it impatient to wonder why our phones' MicroUSB ports are still just measly USB 2.0? The USB Implementers Forum just acknowledged the omission at CES, but said we'll have to wait until the end of 2012 or even the start of 2013 before we see the new standard reach handsets and tablets. It also warned that transfer speeds will be nowhere near the port's raw 5Gbps capability, maxing out at something like 800 megabits instead. The main reason for the upgrade might actually be faster charging, since 3.0 can transfer more power, but with other port standards and even wireless charging gaining ground, it's hard not to regard this as a year too late. Make it a host port, however, and that might be a different story.

Smartphones and tablets to get MicroUSB 3.0 ports, just in time for it to seem old originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, January 08, 2012

drag2share: Acer's Aspire S5 Ultrabook Is the Ultra-Thinnest—For Now [Acer]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874100/acers-aspire-s5-ultrabook-comes-in-as-the-ultra+thinnest

Acer's first Ultrabook, the Aspire S5, also happens to be one of the first of what will certainly be a tidal wave of Ultrabooks announced at CES this year. It's just 15mm thick at its largest point, and weighs in at less than 3 pounds. But it's probably only going to hold that "world's thinnest" title for a few hours until the Ultrabook floodgates open. Tick tock.

One of the ways it manages to stay so thin is with what Acer is calling a "Magical I/O port panel" which drops down just below the hinge, exposing an HDMI, USB 3.0 and 20Gbps Thunderbolt-which will probably be a recurring theme this year.

An Intel Core processor (likey an Ivy Bridge given the Thunderbolt port) and an SSD provides power saving benefits, while the Acer Green Instant ON feature promises almost instant resumes from sleep. And by instant, they of course don't mean instant, but a respectable 1.5 seconds.

It's also got Acer's Always Connect functionality, which ties into their new AcerCloud service. It takes a three prong approach to syncing media and files across devices, including features called clear.fi Photo, clear.Fi Media, and AcerCloud Docs. The company says that Microsoft will provide this for windows and Google will do the same for Android (and Apple obviously already does as well), but that Acer will "take care of the in-between." Whoever that is.

The Aspire S5 will be available sometime in the second quarter of this year, with pricing to be announced. And Acer also confirmed-not surprisingly-that they'll be following up with Windows 8 ultrabooks in the second half of the year. [Acer]

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drag2share: Acer Aspire S5 Hands On: Ultrabooks Are About to Get Really Good [Ultrabooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874122/acer-aspire-s5-ultrabooks-are-about-to-get-really-good

The first generation of Ultrabooks was rushed out. Everything felt unfinished. Not the Aspire S5. Even though Acer's last Ultrabook attempt, the S3, was very middle-of-the-pack, the S5 looks like it's going to be good. It feels absolutely nothing like the S3. Where the S3 was plasticy, and overall cheap-feeling, the S5 is heavy duty and complete.

The aluminum body is a little heavier than we're accustomed to in an Ultrabook, but that's a little bit because it's coming in at a larger size. The 13" screen seems to handle color better than the S3, which had the same resolution (1366x768)—though that might be a function of the super-dim room the hands-on models were in.

The keyboard and trackpad are also much improved. The S3 was very, very functional, but felt cheap. The S5 retains that functionality, but now feels polished. We'd have to use it on an everyday basis, but this might be the best feeling non-Apple trackpad.

The power-open, magical IO-port-housing bay in the back of the S5 is very cool, but you can't help but wonder about durability. Also, it's a little like power-operated doors or curtains or anything: yeah, great, luxurious, but when I'm in a rush, I'm probably not going to want to wait for it to open to get at those ports.

The S5 looks and feels and should perform great. But the takeaway is that even the middle of the pack competitors from last generation are bringing the heat this year. Cheap-ass, netbook-wannabee Ultrabooks should be a thing of the past very soon, giving us—finally—a broad selection of top-tier of ultraportables.

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drag2share: Acer Iconia Tab Hands On: One Tasty Ice Cream Sandwich [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874128/acer-iconia-tab-hands-on-you-might-actually-start-wanting-an-android-tablet-soon

OK, Acer got our attention with this one: a 1080p screen and quad-core chip behind the scenes. If this is the future of Android tablets, well, giddy up!

The Iconia feels lighter than the Transformer Prime, and its rubberized body gives it a more durable feel too—like you can set it on a rough table and not worry about it. There's minimal lag to the ICS interface, and Acer's select-wheel addition to Android isn't overly intrusive either. We loaded up a bunch of games and tested again, and the 1GB of RAM kept everything running smoothly.

Then there's the screen. It looks great (we saw Transformers and a few games looking gorgeous), but not sooo much more than what you'll on the Transformer Prime or the iPad 2—especially considering that most of the content you're streaming onto a tablet these days isn't going to be 1080p.

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drag2share: Thermador's Freedom Stove Is the Biggest Ever Way to Cook with Magnets [Cooking]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874139/thermadors-freedom-stove-is-the-biggest-ever-way-to-cook-with-magnets

Induction cooking is pretty freaking great—your food is extremely precisely heated using magnets instead of say, fire. Now, if you've got some serious cash, Thermador has a giant magnetic stove that'll powerboost your kitchen.

tThe Freedom—$4,950 and arriving in July—has plenty of space for an array of pots, pans, and trays. Thermador will sell a spectrum of ferromagnet-coated cookware, which can be arranged however you please, because there aren't any preset burners like your lame old traditional stove. The Freedom also sports a touchscreen control for heat intensity and timing, which ironically operates more smoothly than most tablets. [Thermador]

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drag2share: Hands-On the Lenovo X1 Hybrid Laptop That Quasi-Runs Quasi-Android [Laptops]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5874143/hands+on-the-lenovo-x1-hybrid-that-quasi+runs-quasi+android

I just got some mitts-on time with Lenovo's new notebook, the X1 Hybrid. What's interesting about it is that it can boot into a battery-doubling low-power mode that runs off of a snapdragon processor and custom software based on a certain kernel we all know.

They're calling it Instant Media Mode (IMM). They won't say it's running Android, because it's not officially Android. But don't kid a kidder, kid, I know Android when I see it. It's based off of the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) kernel. It'll never have Android Market or official Gmail apps or anything, but if you're the crafty type I'm sure you can find a way to download Android apps from the interwebs.

Does this thing make any sense? A laptop that turns into an out-dated Android tablet? Uhh, not really. I guess one could argue that if you wanted your battery to last forever so you could just watch movies on a flight around the world maaaaybe. But I'm not buying it, and I'm betting you won't either unless you've always wanted to run crippled Gingerbread on a ThinkPad for some reason. It'll be available Q2 starting at $1,600.

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drag2share: ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/activevideo-networks-cloudtv-h5-links-up-with-siri-brings-voic/

So you ignored the same old design and moderately bumped specs, plunked down your plastic and picked up an iPhone 4S -- presumably on the allure of Siri. Well, that bodiless, digital lady helper's about to work her concierge magic on your cable TV. ActiveVideo Networks plans to demo an implementation of its CloudTV H5 apps platform -- including iVOD, amongst others -- to bring voice navigation to living rooms via your set-top box. After routing a user's requests over a cellular network, the company's servers do the heavy lifting and deliver the intended content and search results all supposedly in the time it would take to use a remote control. We'll be sure to get some up close and personal time with this voice-based interface at CES this week and let you know how it all pans out.

Continue reading ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes

ActiveVideo Network's CloudTV H5 links up with Siri, brings voice control to set-top boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/acer-aspire-timeline-ultra-hands-on/

Acer Asprire Timeline Ultra

Ultrabooks aren't necessarily just for those that want tiny ultraportables -- Acer also thinks the mainstream consumer is going to be keen on the extended battery life and slimmer profile afforded by Intel's latest mobile platform. The Aspire Timeline Ultra series is an extension of the beloved Timeline... line, in the 14- and 15-inch sizes that attract the vast majority of buyers. We went hands-on with the two larger Ultrabook models which you can check out in the galleries below.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra hands-on (14-inch version)

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra (15-inch version)

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on

Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra series hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/marvells-classroom-3-0-initative-armada-smile-plug-computer-ces-2012/

All together now -- "Aww!" Marvell has just outed its Classroom 3.0 initiative here at CES 2012, with the star attraction being the cutie above. That's an Armada-powered plug computer known as SMILE, hailed as the "first plug development kit designed to turn a traditional classroom into a highly interactive learning environment." The device is capable of creating a "micro cloud" within a classroom, with the entire environment able to be controlled by the instructor. The hardware's being launched in tandem with an expanded One Laptop Per Child partnership, with the OLPX XO 3.0 trumpeted as the perfect companion product. It's capable of serving up to 60 clients at once, and it's based on Arch Linux for ARM; there's even a 5V Li-ion battery for back-up -- you know, in case that rambunctious kid of yours pulls the power. It'll be hitting kiddies and teachers alike this Spring, but there's nary a mention of price.

Gallery: Marvell SMILE Plug Computer

Continue reading Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Comp! uter

Marvell's Classroom 3.0 includes Armada-powered SMILE Plug Computer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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drag2share: Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/parrot-unveils-ar-drone-2-0-with-720p-hd-camera-autonomous-vide/

If you'll recall, it was just yesterday that we spied the Parrot's AR.Drone 2.0 banners here at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the run-up to CES, followed today by a leak of what appeared to be the official press release. So, it's not like the cat -- or in this case quadricopter -- wasn't already partially out of the bag, but now at least, it's officially, well, official. The new Drone touts much improved 720p HD video-recording capability, a revamped app with updated flight controls and features, along with revised hardware and reinforced hulls. We recently spent a few minutes with the smartphone-controlled UAV, so head on past the break for our brief impressions and a quick video overview.

Gallery: Parrot AR.Drone2.0 (hands-on)

Continue reading Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on

Parrot unveils AR.Drone 2.0 with 720p HD camera, autonomous video-recording, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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