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Friday, February 12, 2010

Sony VAIO Z Series (VPCZ114GX/S) review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/sony-vaio-z-series-vpcz114gx-s-review/

If you had any doubt that Sony marches to the beat of its own drum, the 13-inch VAIO Z Series is all the evidence you need. While other laptop manufacturers are unleashing dozens of CULV ultraportables in the $800 to $1,000 range, the $2,009 Z Series is a three-pound, inch-thick machine with the specs of a workstation: a speedy Intel Core i5 processor, dual SSDs, 4GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics and an optional Blu-ray drive. It sounds and looks glorious, but can the Z manage more than three hours of battery life or handle some gaming without turning into a space heater? Or does it totally blow the caps off the budget ULV laptops on the market and make it worth the $1K premium? We've been using the oh-so-pricey and attractive laptop for the last few days, so hit the break for our full review.

Gallery: Sony VAIO Z Series review

Continue reading Sony VAIO Z Series (VPCZ114GX/S) review

Sony VAIO Z Series (VPCZ114GX/S) review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo's AMD-based G455 and G555 make thrifty Stateside debut

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/lenovos-amd-based-g455-and-g555-make-thrifty-stateside-debut/

China may have gotten its hands on the G455A model a touch earlier, but Lenovo hasn't kept its US-based loyalists waiting too long, as today it's announcing the forthcoming availability of a pair of new additions to its G series. Sadly, the Chinese vendor hasn't furnished us with spec sheets as yet, though we can be safe in assuming the G455 and G555 will differ primarily in their screen sizes (14 versus 15 inches), and with 16:9 screen ratios advertised, they're also likely to share the 1366 x 768 resolution of the Chinese G455A. Athlon II and dual-core Turion II processor options will be available for both, with ATI Radeon HD Mobility graphics also noted, though the DirectX 10 reference means they'll be from the older 4xxx series. Still, these machines are clearly intended for the value segment -- with both becoming available in March for $449 -- and look likely to be Lenovo's answer to those looking for the basic functionality of a netbook married to a more generously proportioned screen.

Lenovo's AMD-based G455 and G555 make thrifty Stateside debut originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel to be part of Nokia's MWC press conference -- a new Booklet, or something more?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/intel-to-be-part-of-nokias-mwc-press-conference-a-new-bookle/

Well, this is interesting -- Intel just sent us an invitation to Nokia's press event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. We're told that the two companies will update us on the "latest developments" from their relatively new relationship, before Nokia launches into its solo presser directly afterwards. That could mean pretty much anything from a ho-hum Atom N450 refresh of the Booklet 3G to a fire-breathing Moorestown Maemo 5 phone, so we're obviously extremely curious to see what goes down -- our money is on the more conservative side of things, since we're thinking Intel just wants to have a presence at MWC, but we do love to be surprised.

Intel to be part of Nokia's MWC press conference -- a new Booklet, or something more? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this the Nokia N98, or the twisted brainchild of a Sidekick fanatic?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/is-this-the-nokia-n98-or-the-twisted-brainchild-of-a-sidekick-f/

There's no shortage of reasons why we should throw this render in the trash. First is the simple fact that it's a render at all, and we all know how extraordinarily talented the world's artistically-inclined phone fanboys and girls are. Second, we're hearing that this is known as the N98, which runs counter to other rumors (and retail evidence in the X3 and X6) that Nokia is moving to a one-letter, one-digit naming convention across its smartphone range. Third, this looks like a straight-up cross between a Sidekick 2008 and a Sidekick LX 2009 (save the tilt-up display, of course). All that said, we can't help but feel that a device exactly like this makes sense for Nokia's high-end, multimedia-savvy Symbian range -- a proper successor to the N97 that might clear up some complaints like the off-center spacebar.

Anyhow, rumor has it the so-called N98 features a 4-inch touchscreen (likely capacitive, considering the precedent set by the X6) with 32GB of internal storage and a launch date in time for holiday 2010 at around €450 ($617) -- and we're even seeing an HDMI logo silkscreened on the side, too. This actually mixes pretty closely with another recent rumor that says we can expect an N8 model this Summer with a 3.5-inch capacitive display, 12 megapixel sensor, and Symbian^3, so an alternate possibility is that we're actually looking at that N8 here. Either way, if any of it is real, it could see a debut anywhere between MWC next week and Nokia World later in the year -- but admittedly, our fake-o-meter's reading pretty high on this one until we see an announcement. Nokia fans: is this what you're looking for in a next-gen device?

Is this the Nokia N98, or the twisted brainchild of a Sidekick fanatic? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Mini 5: we have it (update: new pics and video!)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/dell-mini-5-we-have-it/

That's right! After all those quick and dirty appearances, we've finally got our own Dell Mini 5 (aka "Streak" or "M01M") prototype for a more in-depth look. Got a question about this mysterious beast? Drop us a line here and we'll try to answer all your queries in our forthcoming impressions post.

Update: We've just added a bunch of new pics!

Update 2: And now we have a quick video after the break. You're welcome.

Gallery: Dell Mini 5 in-depth hands-on