Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Acer Iconia Smart hits the FCC, readies to smack AT&T with 1024 x 480 screen?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/26/acer-iconia-smart-hits-the-fcc-readies-to-smack-atandt-with-its-4/

Acer promised a 4.8-inch, 1024 x 480 tabletphone would arrive in April 2011, and April's nearly through -- but don't cross off the Acer Iconia Smart yet, because that brushed aluminum frame has just materialized at our favorite government institution. Yes, the FCC laid eyes on radiation test reports for the Android 2.3 device, which reveal that the quad-band GSM handset is headed to both Canada and the US. Given that the North American version only has 850, 1900 and 2100MHz 3G frequencies, it sounds like a lock for AT&T. Inside, you'll find a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, 512MB each of ROM and RAM, an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, a 2 megapixel front-facing cam, micro-HDMI output capable of 720p, a 1500mAh user-replaceable battery and all the usual 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS trimmings you'd expect. Now, Acer, how about a new release date?

Acer Iconia Smart hits the FCC, readies to smack AT&T with 1024 x 480 screen? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFCC &! nbsp;|&n bsp;Email this | Comments

Read More...

Sony teases 'Freestyle Hybrid PC' tablet slider and next-gen ultra-portable laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/27/sony-teases-freestyle-hybird-pc-tablet-slider-and-next-gen-ult/

We're not sure how this slipped past us at the Sony Android tablet event, but turns out the electronics giant also teased a couple of interesting VAIO laptops. First up is a "Freestyle Hybrid PC" that slides between tablet mode and laptop mode -- very much like the Samsung Sliding PC, but with a seemingly slimmer bottom-half sans trackpad (though we can just about spot a pointing stick on the keyboard). No word on specs, prices, or availability here, but you may recall our proven tipster mentioning a 9.4-inch screen and a $799 launch in the fall. Could this be it? We shall see.

Also shown alongside is a swanky "Ultimate Mobile PC" -- pictured after the break -- with a hint of USB 3.0 and HDMI on a slim body, but again, there's not much else to go with this slide. Hey, at least we now know it's time to start saving up for these bad boys.

Continue reading Sony teases 'Freestyle Hybrid PC' tablet slider and next-gen ultra-portable laptop

Sony teases 'Freestyle Hybrid PC' tablet slider and next-gen ultra-portable laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News  |  sourcePC Watch  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Qik Video Connect gets Android and Apple users seeing eye-to-eye

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/27/qik-video-connect-gets-android-and-apple-users-seeing-eye-to-eye/

EVO and MyTouch 4G owners have been able to enjoy the virtues of video calling via Qik for some time, but Skype's latest acquisition is finally letting a few more phones in on the action. Qik Video Connect now works with some devices running Android 2.1 and up, iPhones, iPad 2s and any iPod Touch with a camera -- letting Apple fanboys and Android apologists speak face to face over 3G, 4G, and WiFi with the device of their choosing. It's not the first app to do cross-platform video calling, but it is the only one with Qik's video mail and video sharing services. The catch? It's only currently available on ten Android handsets, though dev teams are "busy getting Video Chat ready on additional phones." Let's hope they work quickly.

Qik Video Connect gets Android and Apple users seeing eye-to-eye originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 02:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Tech Crunch  |  sourceQik  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

LG brings flicker-free Cinema 3D to computer monitors, Excel will never be the same

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/27/lg-brings-flicker-free-cinema-3d-to-computer-monitors-excel-wil/

LG D41P and D42P 3D montiors
LG is bringing its Cinema 3D tech to computers with the new D41P and D42P families of monitors. The 1920 x 1080 displays range in size from 21.5-inches to 25-inches and feature the company's FPR (Film Pattern Retarder) coating that ditches the heavy active shutter glasses used by many other manufacturers for the lighter passive variety. Both monitors also sport a 5ms response time, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a 2D conversion feature -- perfect for whipping up Word docs in eye-popping 3D. Pricing is still up in the air, but the D41P and D42P lines are available in South Korea now and a global rollout will begin in June, with Europe next in line for some flicker-free 3D fun. PR and one more image after the break.

Continue reading LG brings flicker-free Cinema 3D to computer monitors, Excel will never be the same

LG brings flicker-free Cinema 3D to computer monitors, Excel will never be the same originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Monday, April 18, 2011

Some MacBook Airs sporting faster blade SSDs, probably from Samsung

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/some-macbook-airs-sporting-faster-samsung-blade-ssds/

When Apple released its redesigned MacBook Air in October 2010, much was made of the switch to flash storage using a custom-built Mini PCI Express form factor SSD drive. It took a few weeks but these SSDs would ultimately be released as the commercially available Toshiba Blade X-gale SSD module, model TS128C. Now we're seeing user reports showing MacBook Airs equipped with a second, even faster SSD with a SM128C part number -- the "SM" hinting at its presumed Samsung manufacturing origins. Samsung's SSD manages up to 260MBps read and 210MBps write speeds compared to Toshiba's 210MBps read and 185MBps write performance. Of course, it's hardly unusual for Apple to multi-source components. And a recent decision to source parts from Korea's Samsung would have been a smart move to keep just-in-time supply lines fully stocked following the spate of disasters in Toshiba's home country of Japan. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any way of confirming which SSD you're about to purchase without cracking open the retail box and running the OS X System Profiler. Good luck with that.

Some MacBook Airs sporting faster blade SSDs, probably from Samsung originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumor Forums  |  sourceAnandTech  | Email this | Comments

Read More...