Windows Vista to be delayed yet again?
Filed under: Desktops, LaptopsGivenMicrosoft's recent woes -- the company seems to be under attack by everyone from Wall Street analysts to Google -- thelast thing the company needs is a rumor that Windows Vista won't be available by its recently revised January launch date. But that'swhat Redmond is getting hit with today, in the form of a research note from Gartner, which predicts a delay until atleast June for the consumer version of the program. According to Gartner, the new OS is "too complex" to beready by January. Microsoft has responded by saying that Vista is on target to make the launch. Gartner also says thata delay until the spring is "nowhere as bad" as the slip from fall to January, which will result in aVista-free holiday season. Somehow, we suspect that beleaguered PC makers hoping for a sales bump from Vista upgradesmight have a little trouble taking solace from that argument.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dell rounds out their Latitude line with budget D520
Filed under: Laptops Itmight not be as snazzy as its older brothers, the D620 and D820, but Dell's new LatitudeD520 manages to squeeze a 1.83GHz Core Duo processor intoa $699 laptop (after $200 instant savings), for what looks to be one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on thatprocessor short of a five finger discount. The laptop is even fairly svelte for a budget unit, measuring 1.4-inchesthick and weighing 5.24 pounds. Otherwise, the base configuration is pretty weak, with a 14.1-inch XGA display, 512MBof RAM, a 40GB HDD, and a 24X CD-ROM, along with the WiFi trimmings of the Centrino spec. For $120 more you can upgradeto a 15-inch SXGA LCD, and it shouldn't be that hard to bump the ram and HDD with a little bit of part hunting, sothere's still hope for making a decent system out of this thing without breaking the bank.[Via MobileWhack]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sony's FJ, FE, and SZ get spec bumps
Filed under: LaptopsLook likeSony's giving their European laptop releases some spec bumps to fend off the summer slump. The most interesting is theFE line's new FE20, with Sony's new 2nd genX-black display (aka XBRITE, some of the nicest laptop displaysmoney can buy), which finally addresses its most typical complaint with an anti-reflective surface layer, and alsothrows in some extra brightness with a dual lamp backlight; the FJ line's new FJ3 gets a dual layer DVD burner, 1GBDDR2 SDRAM, and a 100GB drive; the SZ seriesgets the SZ2 with the upgrades are the least exciting, and from what we can tell they'll just have a version with a2.16GHz T2600 Core Duo chip, which is already available as an upgrade on the Sony Style configurator. Keep an eye outfor these in the states sometime in the near future (with different names, of course).[Via MobileWhack]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Professors banning in-class laptop use
Filed under: LaptopsIn yet another signthat Luddism is alive and well in academia (remember Lakehead University's silly WiFi ban?), theAssociated Press has picked up on a disturbing "trend" of professors banning laptops in their classrooms.Unlike the WiFi brouhaha, which revolved around fears that the wireless signals might be dangerous, keeping laptops outof the lecture hall is seen as a way of forcing students to pay attention. The AP article cites several law schoolprofessors who have enacted the ban, including one whose inspiration came while serving as an expert witness in atrial, when he realized the court stenographer wasn't absorbing any of the content that he/she was transcribing. If youask us, not only does this policy fail to address the root of a problem -- hey Prof, try making your classes moreinteresting if you want people to pay attention -- but considering what students are paying for a higher educationthese days, they should be allowed to lug a mainframe and three monitors to class if that's how they like to get theirlearnin' done.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Becks loses two Bimmers to laptop-toting thieves
Filed under: Laptops, TransportationFor everyhundred or so stupid criminals that we feature on these pages, there are a few just asbrilliant as their contemporaries are dim: look at the international group of hardware pirates who managed to build their ownversion of Japan's NEC Corp, or the laptop-toting thieves who succesfully stole not one, but two, ofsoccer football star David Beckham's BMW X5 SUVs by hacking the keyless-entry systems. In the last sixmonths, the Real Madrid star and Mr. Posh Spice has seen two of his $60,000 vehicles lost to geeky criminals, with themost recent GTA occurring while Becks dined at a mall in Spain.Apparently thieves armed with a particular model's security schematics can jack into the car's PC and run software thatdumps out the necessary codes for breaking the encryption, allowing them to unlock the doors, start the engine, and insome cases, even disable built-in tracking devices. Yeah, we're kind of impressed, but let's see these fancy criminalsuse their high-tech lockpicks to "hack" the cold, hard steel of our "Club LX."[Via Left Lane News]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Apple initiating a "silent" recall of batteries?
Filed under: LaptopsSo PCSIntel is reporting that Apple's effecting a"silent" recall and replacement of first and second week MacBook Pro batteries (which start with the serialnumbers W8607 and W8608) due to such symptoms as failure, power cutoffs, mis-reporting of remaining power, andunresponsiveness to status polling. You know, the usual for a 1.0 product. We didn'thear either way from Apple PR (yet -- we'll let you know if we do), but a quick call to Apple support -- whichaccording to PCSIntel should have yielded a quick blanket-return of any part with a serial that started as stated above-- yielded no recommendation for return. In fact the support rep we spoke with researched it and told us he had nodocumentation or instructions to initiate any such blanket return on MBP batteries -- which we're told is why it's a"silent" recall. So that doesn't necessarily mean the batteries from the first and second weeks aren't(often) defective, or that Apple isn't necessarily silently recalling them, but, well, it kind of goes without sayingthat if your new system is having problems you'll be giving them a call no matter what you read here or anywhere else.[Via The Apple Core]Update: Apple's Director ofProduct PR called to let us know that there's no such recall of MBP batteries they're aware of -- so take that how youwill. We'll take that as "there's no such recall of MBP batteries they're aware of."Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Intel's Eduwise low-cost PC revealed
Filed under: LaptopsThe freaktastic, not-so-altruistic battle between Negroponte, AMD, VIA and Intel to bring low-costPCs to developing nations just hotted-up with the formal unveiling of the Eduwise by Intel CEO Paul Otellini at theWorld Congress on Information Technology. The $400 device announced a few months ago inBrazil, sports "light-blue accents" and "snaps shut like a purse" -- perfect for students andteachers on a tight-budget with a sense of flair -- runs Windows or Linux, and ships pre-loaded with special softwareallowing students and teachers to interact through shared presentations and test administration over the Eduwise'sbuilt-in WiFi. The Eduwise will be available "next year" via the usual outlet of PC manufacturers who'll nodoubt tweak this reference design a bit. Of course, Intel had to take the spotlight opp to blast a shot across the bow of the $100OLPC with Otellini saying, "nobody wants to cross the digital divide using yesterday's technology." Yeah,nor should they have to harvest a kidney to avoid crossing the classroom for a little one-on-one, eh? Man, we haven'tseen this much selfish generosity since Atlas shrugged.[Via Sagags]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Acer releases quite familiar TravelMate 3020 series
Filed under: Laptops After unseating Toshiba at thenumber three spot among world notebook manufacturers, what's there left for Acer to do on their path to world domination? Why, re-releasing afour month old laptop with the exact same specs and a brand new paint job, of course. Acer has announced theirTravelMate 3020 series, which copies exactly the specs of January's 1-inch thick 3010 series (1.66-2.16GHz Core Duo processors, 12.1-inchWXGA screens, 802.11a/b/g, external DVD burner), but adds an iBook paint job. The notebooks should be available now, andstart at around $1650 in the low-end.[Via EngadgetChinese]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Acorn Computers to be reborn as laptop maker
Filed under: LaptopsIf you're a Britof a certain age, the name Acorn probably has as much resonance for you as Commodore or Amiga does for us Yanks. No,it's not because you're a squirrelwatcher (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's because of Acorn Computers,the pioneering manufacturer of the late 70s and early 80s, which quit the computer business in the 90s. Now, accordingto reports, Acorn is set to be reborn as notebook vendor. The revived Acorn will launch next week with four laptops,ranging from a 12-incher to one with a 17-inch display. Rather than running Acorn's old RISC OS, however, the new boxeswill be fairly convention Windows XP laptops, and will come bundled with Star Office.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

MacBook rumor twofer
Filed under: LaptopsSo at the time of this writing, if you were to visit http://www.apple.com/ipod/, you'd be greeted not with the iPod page, but the page shown above with the conspicuous MacBook hardware breadcrumb -- not MacBook Pro. Eh, these things happen, but compound that with the fact that MacRumors is reporting that stores are supposedly receiving new window displays marked "do not open until Tuesday, May 9th" means we could be perilously close to a new product launch -- care to guess which? We'll keep you posted.[Via MacRumors, thanks Luis]Update: ThinkSecret is now reporting they've also independently confirmed a Tuesday launch date for the MacBook, and that it will be thinner than today's iBook, available in black and white, and cost slightly more than the low end models. Curiouser and curiouser.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

HP Compaq nc6400 series around the corner?
Filed under: LaptopsWe've gotten a couple reports now of HP Compaq's supposedly internally delayed nc6400 series, but by the looks of the declaration of ISO conformity document outlining certain part numbers on their site, they're drawing close to launch. Supposedly to be equipped with a 14-inch widescreen (which is a departure from their 4:3 nc4200, pictured right), Core Duo processor, dual layer DVD burner, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, EV-DO, Bluetooth, and media reader, it sounds like they might be onto something with this one. We'll keep you posted.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Pipeline: Pundits pick on the UMPC
Filed under: Cellphones, Features, Gaming, Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCsWelcome back to The Pipeline, a weekly feature where we dig through the mainstream media and see what the pundits, prognosticators and and pencil pushers have been discussing over the past week.Last week, the media piled on the Nintendo Wii, more or less agreeing that the name left just a little something to be desired. This week's target: Samsung's Q1 UMPC, which went on sale today. As much as we'd like to say somebody actually liked the Q1, the mini-tablet was panned across-the-board, from The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who called it "so deeply flawed in key respects that it amounts to little more than a toy for techies," to BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom, who commented that "buyers would do better to step up to an ultralight laptop or down to a PlayStation Portable or a handheld media player." Elsewhere in the media, WNYC radio's Leonard Lopate sat down with Giles Slade, author of "Made to Break," to trace the history of product obsolescence from Henry Ford to Steve Jobs (what, you thought it was an accident that your iPod dies just as a hot new model hits the stores?). Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times checked out the "Into the Pixel" exhibit of video game art, while that city's LA Daily News, checked out the celebs at the star-studded Helio launch, including Milla Jovovich and Chloe Sevigny. We assume the glitterati showed up largely for a chance to get a free Kickflip, though we suspect most of them could afford the phone, even at its $250 price tag. The New York Times: A big question unanswered by a tiny PCThe Wall Street Journal: Two tech leaders aim for bold new portable, but miss the markThe Washington Post: Turning a miniature into a lightweightAP - Tiny PC carries a small load of annoyancesBusinessWeek - An itsy bitsy problemWNYC - Made to breakLos Angeles Times - The fine art of the video gameForbes - Helio heats up handheld lifestyleLos Angeles Daily News - Hello, HelioPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Computer Bed: making telecommuting even easier
Filed under: Desktops, Misc. Gadgets, LaptopsWe're not sure if The Computer Bed could support the weight (or even footprints, for that matter) of our three monitors, desktop tower, photo printer, speakers + sub, flatbed scanner, and plethora of input devices, but if you've got a sparser setup and not a lot of space at your pad, this convertible desk/bed may be just what you've been looking for. Described as a "modern Murphy Bed," the multifunction product features gas pistons so your gear doesn't tumble around during the twice-daily conversion process, and also serves as a low-cost space heater at night by positioning you directly above your toasty equipment. At almost $2,500, The Computer Bed seems a bit pricey for a few pieces of unfinished wood and a twin-sized mattress that is most likely not Tempurpedic, but considering that you probably don't have the proper tools in your cramped little apartment to build your own, this may be the only solution.[Via Real Tech News]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Intel renames next-gen dual-core chips "Core 2 Duo," unveils quad-core Tukwila
Filed under: Desktops, LaptopsIntel's been busy in the realm of multi-core processors lately, first unveiling their quad-core replacement for the Itanium Montecito, named Tukwila, and today -- taking a page out of MC "2 Legit 2 Quit" Hammer's book -- renaming the next-gen mobile Merom and desktop Conroe dual-core chips "Core 2 Duo." What's more, the company announced that another version of the processor will be released for performance junkies, called, not surprisingly, "Core 2 Extreme." As for Tukwila, the deets on this server-targeted chip came to light thanks thanks to a little digging by Real World Technologies, who found a set of slides that Intel recently presented on the topic at a conference in Asia. According to RWT, Tukwila will run at an estimated 40 gigaflops, sport 6MB of L3 cache for each core, and feature other additions that IT-types will likely be into, including an on-die FB-DIMM memory controller and Common Systems Interconnect (CSI) router. First called "Tanglewood" and scheduled for a 2007 rollout, Tukwila will now be released in 2008 and go head-to-head with other enterprise offerings from Intel and Sun, probably making it an exciting year for those aforementioned IT-types.Read- Core 2 Duo [Thanks, Dave Z.]Read- Tukwila [Via The Register]Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Apple Computer prevails over Beatles' Apple Corps
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Portable AudioThe long and winding road of the Apple v. Apple battle appears to have finally come to an end, as a British judge has decided the case in favor of the American computer company. In the most recent episode, Apple Corps, the record label owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison, had sued Apple Computer, saying that the iTunes Music Store violated an earlier settlement in which Apple Computer had agreed not to sell music. However, Apple Computer argued that the iTunes service only sold data, and the judge agreed, and told them so. "I find no breach of the trademark agreement has been demonstrated," he said. "The action therefore fails." Steve Jobs commented that he was glad that the battle was over, and added, "we have always loved the Beatles, and hopefully we can now work together to get them on the iTunes Music Store." You mean, you'll be selling Beatles data, right Steve?Update: If you'd like to pore over it, the full legal decision has been posted by The Times. In the decision, the Judge says a key factor in ruling for Apple Computer was the fact that "for Computer to cross into Corps' territory with its mark it would have to have indicated, by its use of the mark, that Computer was the source or origin of the music. ... The ownership of the rights is always attributed to the correct person within the ITMS and in the track information on any downloaded track."[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Apple to show off "new iBook" this Wednesday
Filed under: Laptops While we have yet to receive any kind of official confirmation that Apple will be rolling out the MacBook this week, another piece of the puzzle just fell into place. According to this announcement on Apple's web site, the company will be holding a free seminar in New York this Wednesday to show off the "new iBook," which is touted as a "go-anywhere digital solution" and "the most affordable iBook ever." So, is Apple going to stick with the iBook moniker, or is this just a head fake, to be replaced by MacBook by Wednesday? Regardless, it certainly looks like the company will be unveiling a new consumer laptop no later than Wednesday, and will invite the public to check it out.Update: Thanks to everyone who pointed out that this is a previously scheduled event and that someone at Apple is apparently recycling year-old text that refers to the current iBook line (which is hardly "new"). Of course, if Apple really does go ahead and announce the MacBook tomorrow, as previously rumored, we really do have to wonder what they're going to show off at CompUSA on Wednesday.[Thanks, Jakob]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toshiba Qosmio G35 with HD DVD to launch this week for $3K
Filed under: HDTV, Laptops, Media PCsAfter showing it off for close to six months, Toshiba is finally ready to drop the Qosmio G35, the company's first laptop with a built-in HD DVD drive. Toshiba is expected to show off the box at E3 today, and will begin selling it on its web site later this week for about $3,000. In addition to its HD DVD player, the G35 includes a 2GHz Core Duo processor, two 100GB drives, 1GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB. The 10-pound portable features a 17-inch display, and comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sony adds Core Solo, Celeron options to SZ notebooks
Filed under: LaptopsSony has just announced several new configurations for its SZ series of VAIO notebooks, the VGN-SZ91 and -SZ81, which add Intel Core Solo and Celeron processor options to the Core Duo procs already available. Both 13.3-inch models sport 1,280 x 800 WXGA displays, but the SZ91 incorporates a thinner LCD that lobs off a few millimeters of thickness compared to the SZ81. Battery life is also slightly better on the SZ91, with a claimed 7-hours of juice in Pentium-equipped models, which is about an hour more than the SZ81 supposedly can muster using the same processor. Other than these relatively minor differences, the features on both laptops are basically the same, with integrated graphics (GeForce Go 7400 available for extra), from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, 802.11a/b/g, PCMCIA/ExpressCard slots, and options for Bluetooth 2.0, FeliCa support, and a fingerprint reader. Sony will drop both models on the 13th of this month, with the SZ81 starting at $1,343 and the SZ91 at $1,486.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Samsung Q1 UMPC sold out at Best Buy
Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCsDespite its $1,100 price tag and nearly universal panning by critics, the initial stock of Samsung Q1 UMPCs sold out within 24 hours of appearing on Best Buy's web site this weekend. Of course, we don't know how many units Samsung allocated for the initial sales period, but we suspect it was a pretty small number. After all, there are few better ways to hype a product than to announce that it's sold out, and prospective buyers will have to wait a while before they can buy one. Yeah, we fell for it, too. But we're still not about to click on that "Add to Cart" button.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Alienware's SLI-enabled 19-inch mALX and 17-inch m9700 laptops
Filed under: Gaming, LaptopsAlienware unveiled two new SLI-enabled gaming laptops today, one 19-incher with a slick color-shifting paint job, and another that may be the first 17-inch notebook on the market with two graphics cards. As far as features go, both machines sport almost identical specs to the other SLI models we've seen: XP-powered AMD Turion 64 processor, two 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX cards, anywhere from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, WiFi (Bluetooth optional), 4-in-1 card reader, and your choice of hard and optical drives. Available for preorder immediately, the 19-inch mALX starts at $4,500 ($500 less than Voodoo's similar Envy u:909) while the 17-inch m9700 (pictured after the break)  goes for $2,000 and up.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Three from HP: dv2000 and v3000 laptops, tc4400 tablet
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCsYou could say that we're a bit "lappy happy" today (ugh, that was terrible), as we have two more notebooks -- and one convertible tablet -- from HP to show you, to join the Toshiba Qosmio, Sony VAIOs, and pair of Alienwares we brought you earlier. Both 14.1-inch laptops are replacements for previous HP models -- the redesigned dv2000 (pictured, left) replaces the dv1000 in the Digital Entertainment Center line and the Compaq Presario v3000 (pictured, right) puts the v2000 out to pasture -- with the main upgrades coming under the hood, where each model now offers you a choice of Celeron Duo or Core Duo processors from Intel or the Mobile Sempron or Turion 64 X2 from AMD. Also rocking Core Duo (in three flavors: 1.83GHz, 2.0GHz, or 2.16GHz) is the Compaq tc4400 tablet, which sports a 12.1-inch XGA display with digitizer, integrated graphics, 512MB to two gigs of RAM, 60GB, 80GB, or 100GB hard drive, WiFi, PC Type I/II and SD card slots, and the usual assortment of inputs and outputs. The tablet, which you can peep after the jump, will be available on May 22nd for an undisclosed sum of money (but it's safe to assume that it'll be more than the $1,550 Pentium M-sporting tc4200), while the Intel-based notebooks will ship this month -- with the AMD models following shortly after -- all starting at around $1,049 after rebates and junk.Read- dv2000 and v3000Read- tc4400Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

So, how about that MacBook launch?
Filed under: LaptopsAs recently as yesterday, the rumor mill was turning with discussions of the MacBook, Apple's Core Duo-based successor to the iBook, which was said to be coming today. However, yesterday also brought us the first inklings of a "delay" (can an unconfirmed, rumored event actually be delayed?), via AppleInsider. Today, ThinkSecret joined the delay party, and reported that due to "supply issues," the launch was postponed at the "last minute," and the new laptop won't show up until next Tuesday. We suspect that Apple never planned to launch it today in the first place; after all, the company doesn't like to share the limelight, and launching today would have forced it to vie for coverage with the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo. Still, we can't help but feel sorry for anyone who shows up at tomorrow's CompUSA seminar on the "new iBooks" -- not to mention the poor schlub who actually has to push last year's models as the "go-anywhere digital solution." ("MacBook" design by William W from our WWJD 3 contest.)Read - AppleInsiderRead - ThinkSecretPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Five new Compaq business laptops from HP
Filed under: LaptopsBecause we know that you can never get tired of reading laptop specs, we have five more HP models to drop on you, including the waif-like 12-inch nc2400 (pictured) which weighs in at a mere 2.8-pounds. All five of these Compaq-branded notebooks are targeted at business users, and all but the 15.4-inch (WXGA or WXSGA+) nx7400 series -- which can also be equipped with a Celeron M -- sport one of several Core Duo or Solo flavors. Graphics here range from integrated (the 12.1-inch nc4400) to ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 (14.1-inch, WXGA or WXGA+ nc6400) to an ATI Mobility FireGL V5200 card available in certain configurations of the15.4-inch nw8440 series. All these machines offer WiFi and a minimum of 512MB RAM and a 40GB HDD out of the box, with some models sporting extras like a fingerprint reader, 7200RPM hard drive, and LightScribe dual-layer DVD burner. No prices are known for the nc2400 or the nc4400, which are coming on May 22nd, but the other models are available immediately with prices starting at $1,549 for the nc6400, $740 for the nx7400, and $1,599 for the nc8400 series.Read- nc2400Read- nc4400Read- nc6400Read- nx7400Read- nc8440Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sony goes viral with Vaio... "tomorrow"
Filed under: LaptopsLooks like Sony's trying to get all viral on us -- or maybe they're really launching a new Vaio or two "tomorrow," or maybe maybe the site is referencing yesterday's new Vaio SZ updates, but they forgot to take it down. Either way if you point your browser to their "Vaio new" site, some cryptic imagery blows through and asks "New from Sony Vaio / Can it surf in Alaska?" Perhaps their Vaio laptop group are just testing the waters for viral marketing, or perhaps they posted this page a little early (or we're all a little late, and they never took it down), but yesterday and today it reads "come back tomorrow for more," and nothing's yet changed in the flash file titled vaio_summer.swf. Yeah, so what if we're curious. We love Sony laptops, so sue us.[Thanks, William]Update: They're changing it alright -- now it asks if you're camera shy. Stay tuned, we're in for another curiosity-piquing campaign that'll probably yield, well, a laptop of one kind or another.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dell shows pics of next-gen gaming boxes
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops If you thought you had to be at E3 to check out Dell's new gaming boxes, we've got some good news for you: Dell has launched a web site to show off the prototype models, the cleverly named XPS Next Generation Gaming Desktop and the previously revealed XPS Mobile Entertainment Concept laptop. The bad news? Dell's Flash-heavy teaser site for the boxes provides little in the way of real specs (unless you consider a statement that the desktop will include "some of the latest processors, graphics capabilities and performance hard drives" enough info). The site does, however, show off some of the desktop's external features, including an aluminum case, a choice of LEDs in 7 different colors, and -- woo hoo -- a stabilizing fin. No specs on the laptop either, natch, but we already have the goods on that one. We're not sure if Dell plans to bring either of these to market, or if they're just eye candy designed to attract gamers to existing products, like the M1710 notebook. However, we expect the desktop to show up in some form, if only so that Dell can try to say that the company's home-grown, Intel-based gear is as good as the AMD stuff they picked up from Alienware -- which, at this point, may be the whole point of keeping the XPS line alive in the first place.[Thanks, Templedog]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

HP's Compaq nc2400 ultraportable notebook reviewed
Filed under: LaptopsYou may have missed that Compaq nc2400 ultraportable business laptop among the slew of notebooks we reported on yesterday, but according to Laptop magazine, those on a budget looking to travel light should probably give the 3.6-pound (with battery) model from HP a second look. You can't really expect stellar performance or a satisfying gaming experience from an ultraportable that starts at only $1,600, and benchmarking indicates that even with the fastest available Core Solo processor (the 1.2GHz U1400), this model may falter when attempting any serious multitasking. On the plus side, battery life seems to be very good, clocking in at almost six hours with the standard six-cell battery and about nine with an optional nice-cell model. You also get a combination DVD reader / CD burner, fingerprint scanner, and built-in accelerometer to lock the drive heads in the event of a fall, but unfortunately no trackpad (just the nub) or extras like 3G and Bluetooth connectivity (WiFi is still present of course). All-in-all, if you don't mind the relatively pokey processor and integrated graphics, and are fairly adept at navigating a computer using just the pointing nub, then the nc2400 seems like a pretty good way to shave some pounds from your travel gear.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LG's dual-core, super-slim 14-inch XNOTE T1 laptop
Filed under: LaptopsHere's another dual-core ultraportable to add to your drool-list (probably just due to its looks): LG's latest superslim XNOTE laptop, the 14.1-inch T1. Unfortunately you'll probably never see this piano black, 21.5-millimeter thick notebook over here in the States, which is a shame considering how many features they managed to cram into just a 4.2-pound package, most notably a dual-layer DVD burner, 5-in-1 media card reader, plus Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g. Performance, though, is nothing to write home about, with the low end L2300 1.5GHz Celeron Duo processor, integrated graphics, and pokey 4200RPM 60GB or 80GB PATA drives probably making this model a non-starter for gamers or serious multitaskers. For simple web browsing, emailing, or DVD watching on-the-go, however, the 512MB to 2GB of RAM and optional 1,440 x 900 WXGA+ screen should prove more than adequate.[Via Core Duo News]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Webaroo - Download The Web to your Laptop
Webaroo software sorts online content into "Web Packs", which can be downloaded to a laptop and viewed offline. Do webmasters have a choice about their copyrighted content being used in such a manner?

Laptop Educator - Gary Stager
PC pioneer, Gary Stager has worked in the challenging field of computer education for over fifteen years. He has the distinction of setting up the first laptop schools in Australia.

The Ultraportable M4000 WideNote from Sharp
Sharp is not one of the better known brands in the world of laptop computers. However, the M4000 WideNote with it's gorgeous screen and elegant form factor, is a quality ultraportable worthy of greater recognition.

Affordable Laptops - Lenovo Launches 3000 Series
After steering the Thinkpad ship on a safe and steady course for the past year, Admiral Lenovo is ready to embark on a new notebook voyage with the release of the 3000 series.

Premium Sheen Replacement Laptop Screens from ScreenTek
ScreenTek's PixelBright service can transform your dull laptop display into a crisp, glossy screen.

Mobile Gaming Par Excellence
The Dell XPS M1710, with its 2.16 GHz dual core processor and nVidia Go 7900 GTX graphics chip, makes an excellent choice for laptop gamers.

EduWise
Processor titan Intel, recently unveiled an ambitious plan to manufacture a line of cheap $400 laptops for educators.

The March of the Linux Penguins
Installing a linux operating system on your laptop is now much easier thanks to Werner Heuser's Tuxmobil.

Serial ATA Drives for Laptops
Today's laptop hard drives are getting faster and more spacious, boasting spindle speeds of around 7,200 RPM, and an impressive 160 GB of storage capacity.

Hoag K-Max Optical Guitar
I'm sure this has been out for a while, but this is the first time I've ever seen an optical guitar. Apparently, this thing detects string vibration optically rather than magnetically, which means...

Kowon LCD DMB Glasses: Definitely Not for Porn
Kowon is now shipping personal TV glasses that create a 32-inch screen 6 feet in front of the viewer. While these things have historically caused all sorts of pukiness, these glasses apparently work...

E3 2006: Eye of Judgement Camera
This is the Eye of Judgement CRAAAAW&mdash;you know, because it looks like a claw. This monstrosity of a device is actually a PS3 camera peripheral for the Eye of Judgement game. The game itself is...

E3 '06: Team Kotaku Brings Gaming Noise, Funk
Don't miss Kotaku's on-the-scene coverage of E3 '06, with stories like these polished, possibly collectable gems:&bull; Kotaku's E306 Mini-Guide: Day 1&bull; Our up-to-the-minute image gallery...

Seiko Kinetic Scubamaster "Stingray" Reviewed (Verdict: Hotness)
It may not be the most high-tech watch out there, but Seiko makes a good diver and this is no exception. This watch has a kinetic movement, which is a quartz movement powered by the motion of your...

Blown Up Mac Gets Man a G5
Man wants a G5. Man begs online. Man gets $5,000. Man blows up Mac. Cyber-begging: when you're too lazy to work. &nbsp;Comment on this postRelated: USB NES ControllersRelated: Apple Begins...

E3 2006: Wii Peripherals And Hands-On Gameplay Impressions
One of the first things Team Giztaku spotted at Nintendo's booth at E3 this morning was the Wii Zapper, under glass in the peripherals case&mdash;no Duck Hunt announcement sadly, and there weren't...

Man Stuff - The Best of Uncrate
This week at Uncrate: We help our lady friends launch Outblush, the new shopping blog for women. Rabid soccer fans demand we find them the 2006 World Cup match ball. We mount a 50" plasma on the Alu...

E306 Clips: Novint Falcon
We had a talk with Bill Anderson of Novint Technologies, maker of the upcoming force feedback Falcon controller/interface. It's come a long way from a year ago, and it's grown a ball.How it works:...

E306 Clips: Xbox 360 Gesture Recognition
GestPoint has some cool gesture recognition going on with two of the upcoming Xbox 360 Eye-Toy cameras. Using two instead of one, they can detect motion in 3d space, in a sort of Wii-controller like...

Plasma Art DVD
Too cheap to spring for art, but found the money for a 42" Plasma? Get the Art Plasma Vol. 2 DVD and turn your giant entertainment screen into an electronic masterpiece. Impress both your fancy-pants...

E3 2006: Saitek Round-Up
We got a chance to talk to the folks at Saitek about their upcoming products. They have the Eclipse II keyboard, GM3200 Laser Mouse and the Pro Flight Rudder Pedals. Get the full scoop after the...

iSee 360 Hands On
Scenario: A bartender feeds drink after drink to an ATO employee in order to pry the iSee 360 from his plastered hands. The result?It's about as heavy as it looks, but let me tell you the screen...

Inno Video Review
The folks at MobilityToday recorded a video review of the Pioneer Inno, the latest in portable XM radio goodness. Mobility Today Video Review - Pioneer Inno [MobilityToday]&nbsp;Comment on...

Republican iPod
Fellow patriots, what better way to celebrate your conservative heritage than with a Chinese-made MP3 player designed by a hippie in Cupertino and containing hours and hours of stolen martial music...

LG XNote T1: Slim and Trim to the Max
The LG XNote T1 is a 14.1-inch Core Duo laptop that claims to be the world's thinnest at just 21mm. Bringing the war of cellphone thinness to notebooks, LG has really compressed the thickness of this...

VW's Automated Parking Garage
When we first saw these two photos of the Volkswagen's storage facility in Wolfsburg, Germany, we thought this was an artist's rendition for some sort of science fiction movie. It's not. This is an...

Booth Babes Then and Now
If you were worried that there wouldn't be any more booth babes at E3, well, the babes are still there, they're just covering up a little bit more this year because of the recent prudishness that has...

Remote Control Jammer
TVs are everywhere, and sometimes there's even one showing something that you'd like to watch, but then along comes a bartender or someone you live with who changes the channel at the most...

Phoenix 1000: Submerge Yourself in Luxury
As the superrich try ever harder to impress each other, submarines are the next frontier, and personal luxury subs are all the rage right now, where the undersea boats are approaching the size of...

Stun Gun Shoe Stops Sleazeballs
Here's another product for all of our female readers who are tired of tactless men ruining their nights on the town. A concept shoe named the Electric Cinderella Shoe looks like an everyday,...

Abit IL-80MV: First HDMI-Equipped Motherboard
Here's a quick peek into the near future, where Universal Abit is first up with an HDMI-equipped motherboard. The Abit IL-80MV also supports Intel's newest Core 2 Duo chips, and has dual SATA 3.0Gbps...

Buy a Notebook, Get a Free TiVo Series 2
Such a deal: get a free TiVo if you buy an Intel Centrino-based notebook from CompUSA. It's a 80GB Series 2 TiVo box they're giving away, and it also includes a free TiVo wireless adapter.Product...

The Compass Coat Guides You to Safety
From the "now-why-didn't-I-think-of-that" department comes the compass coat, a coat that houses an integrated compass, lest you get lost in the woods again. It was designed as part of a research...

Little/Big Mouse: World Cup USB Twin
Even if you're not crazy about soccer, the World Cup USB Twin has a split personality that's just downright useful, converting from a tiny road-warrior mouse to a desktop-sized unit in a snap. Just...

Virtual Reality with 100 Million Pixels
You've heard of virtual reality, but not like this: a $4 million 10-foot by 10-foot room that surrounds you on all six sides (four walls, ceiling and floor) with 100 million pixels, more than any...

Fifth Avenue Apple Store Opening on May 19
Gather 'round loyal consumers, there's a new Apple Store opening in just a few days. That's right, on May 19, Apple is hosting the grand opening of its flagship retail store on Manhattan's Fifth...

Panasonic Developing HDTV Camcorders with SD Memory
Panasonic says it's working on a way to record HDTV images on SD cards, following the trail it has already blazed with its P2 solid-state memory cards for its DVCPRO HD line of professional-level...

YouTube: Mobile Video Uploads
Our friends and colleagues at sister site Lifehacker tried uploading a video to the YouTube video sharing service via a cellphone, and they tell us it worked beautifully. YouTube just rolled out the...

Reviewed: Thomas Pink Commuter Shirt (Verdict: Skip the Commute)
Purveyor of high fashion for men, Thomas Pink is introducing what it calls the Commuter Shirt, a $140 classic men's dress shirt available in blue and white with a few extras thrown in to help the...

NAVIsis Turns Regular Monitors Into Touch Screen Monitors
The Korean company NAVIsis has developed a technology that can transform any old regular monitor into a touch screen monitor of sorts. Their EZ-Canvas is a pair of sensors that you attach to the...

Skype for Mac Now a Universal Binary
You Mac users are a demanding bunch, so it's nice to see companies support the new Intel-based Macs, even if it took them several months to get with the program. Skype is showing new Intel Mac users...

E3 2006: Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
This keyboard made its debut at CES back in January, but since then it has gotten quite a makeover with some new fantastic features. The Tarantula has added complete macro functionality. Any kind of...

Improved HD Format for Camcorders
Sony and Panasonic have finally figured out a way to get content from high-definition camcorders onto DVDs without going to Blu-ray. Create another new format. Yes, if you aren't already confused...

iRiver E10
iRiver is supposed to release the iRiver E10 6GB HDD portable music player in Korea on April 28th. The iRiver E10 features a 1.5 inch color screen, FM tuner, voice recorder, photo viewer, video player, impressive 32 hour battery life and for all thi...

Ferrari Learning Laptop
Oregon Scientific offers a Ferrari branded learning Laptop for kids. This racing red Learning laptop is for children 5 and older. The kids play and learn essential 1st and 2nd grade skills while practicing fundamental keyboard skills. 60 Activities ...

A Cheaper UMPC is Coming From Samsung?
Apparently Samsung will also offer a more affordable UMPC later this year. Samsung just introduced the Sens Q1 UMPC in Korea with a whopping $2,000 price-tag. There are also some reports that put the price for the Q1 at $1,200. Not sure which one w...

New BMW iPod Interface
BMW announces a new iPod interface for their cars. The new BMW Interface for iPod will be available for owners of the new BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sports Wagons as well as the 5, 6, and 7 Series. It will also be available for the new M5 Sedan and M6 ...

MobiNote Hipper 100 MP3 Mood Creator Egg
MobiNote announces the Hipper 100 MP3 Mood Creator. The egg-shaped (how timely) MobiNote Hipper 100 speaker creates illumination effects based on music. Via USB mp3 players can be connected to the MobiNote egg. OTG support allows the Hipper 100 to p...

Woodi CA-C360
Korean mp3 player company Woodi has another cool and compact media player on the start - the Woodi CA-C360. The Woodi CA-C360 has a 1.8 inch color screen and measures only 39x54x11mm and weighs 34g. This small portable media player plays mp3, wm...

Spam Goes into this Colorful Spam Cube Over Here
Fighting Spam is a noble cause. Spam Cube is offering a hardware gadget in the shape of a cube to make fighting spam easy for everyone. The 4.5" cube connects to your network and automatically filters spam emails. Via toolbar buttons in Outlook...

TiVo Wins Patent Lawsuit Against EchoStar
It was said that this lawsuit could kill TiVo if lost. The good news is that TiVo won $73 Mio. of the $87 Mio. they were suing for. Shares of TiVo jumped 20% on the news. Apparently TiVo has sold 190,000 TiVo boxes so far and lost $650 million in it...

NEC 20.1 Inch WSXGA+ Resolution LCD Monitor
NEC announces the LCD2070WNX 20.1" WSXGA+ LCD Monitor in Japan. NEC already introduced it in Europe earlier this year. WSXGA+ is a wide resolution format with 1680Ă—1050 pixels. The NEC MultiSync LCD2070WNX features 5 picture modes (standard, t...

Xbox 360 Premium for $399.99 Online - Finally!
Best Buy is doing it! They are offering the Xbox 360 Premium without any bundled accessories or games for the original price of $399.99 online. It is now mid-April and finally we have apparently enough inventory of Xbox 360 consoles that a store lik...

iAlertU MacBook alarm software available in beta
Filed under: Laptops We've been seeing posts and vids (and getting tips) on a program called iAlertU all week, but were a little skeptical of software that claims to use the tilt sensors and camera in your MacBook Pro for triggering an alarm if someone tries to snatch your lappie. Skeptical, that is, until a beta version of the application was released today,. While feedback so far indicates that the code is still pretty buggy, the program seems to actually work, with users generally pleased about the overall operation (for the five minute usage limitation of the beta, anyway). Developer Slapping Turtle says that once all the kinks are worked out, a non-time limited version will be available for $10, which seems like a good deal once key features are implemented -- most importantly, headphone jack and other overrides, because even the most dim-witted thief may somehow stumble upon the "force restart" key combo in mid-heist.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Vista successfully installed on a Mac
Filed under: Desktops, LaptopsIt was only a matter of time,but hey, for those closely monitoring the progress of Windows on Macs, it looks like peeps on the OSx86 Project forumshave fully done the deed with Vista on aniMac. We're not going to get into the nitty gritty right here and now, but it sounds like the trick is to get Vistato stop trying to kill the OS X partition when installing with Boot Camp -- an urge in theinstaller that seems to be kept at bay by taking out the 200MB EFI partition. But if you're the type of person howwants to go for the gold and not just read about this stuff (which you probably are if you've gotten this far), wesuggest actually looking into this a little further before knocking around partitions on your Mac just to get a betaMicrosoft operating system up and running, mkay?[Thanks, Mike and Jon]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Acer and Webaroo to deliver the Web on a laptop... sort of
Filed under: LaptopsToday a startupcalled Webaroo is expected to announce a deal with Acer to sell laptops preloaded with a 40GB snapshot of the"essential web." In addition to storing relatively permanent information for offline search, the system willalso refresh itself automatically when connected to the internet, allowing for updated "Web Packs" featuringcontent related to headline news and sports among other specialized subjects. While we agree that much of the web is"redundant" and "junk," we're still not too keen on the idea of turning over more than half ourlaptop's disk storage to someone else's idea of "essential," especially in an age when always-on connectivityvia EV-DO, WiFi, etc. means we're almost never offline.  (Where was this service in 1998? Wait -- where was our40GB hard drive in 1998?) But we'll wait to see if Engadget makes the cut before passing final judgement,eh? Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Qosmio G30 coming to Japan in May, with HDMI output
Filed under: HDTV, LaptopsYes, it's another Japan-onlyshipping announcement from Toshiba (thanks a lot guys; what are we, chopped liver?). This time, the company is boastingthat the Qosmio G30, the first HD DVD-equipped laptop, will hit thedomestic market next month, for a retail price of about ¥400,000 (about $3,400). Specs are still the same as we'veseen before, with the biggest addition being word that the laptop will support HDMI output. That fills in at least onemissing piece of the G30 puzzle, namely, if you're going to hand over more than $3K for a laptop just because it has anHD DVD drive, you had darn well better be able to use that drive to pump out some HD onto a bigger screen than thelaptop's 17-inch display. (Not that it matters to us, since we have absolutely no idea when we'll see one of these inthe US.)Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Laptop thieves targeting SF hot spots
Filed under: Laptops, WirelessThis story sounds a little like an urban legend -- sort of like those tales of crooks finding laptops in car trunks via Bluetooth that surface every couple of months -- but the San Fran Chronicle insists it's true: according to the paper, laptop thieves are targeting WiFi hot spots such as coffee shops. The thugs aren't just snatching the computers of anyone foolish enough to take a biobreak and leave their ThinkPad or PowerBook unattended -- in some cases, they've actually gone so far as to grab laptops from people while they're actually using them, and stab them if they resist. (ok, the Chron's only identified one stabbing victim -- but do you really need more than one to creep you out?) According to the Chron, San Fran's coffee shops have seen a spike in laptop thefts, and city cops expect to see as many as 70 laptops stolen by the end of the year, up from just 18 in the early WiFi days of 2004. Of course, once SF is completely WiFi'd, laptop users will be able to spread out just about everywhere, which could lead to more thefts -- or make things harder for thieves, as users ditch coffee shops to work in more secure locations like bank vaults and police stations. Better get that latte brewing, sarge!Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fujitsu's Loox P70S, T70S, and T70S/V ultra-portable PCs
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs So what do you do to followup the launch of both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc machines? Drop a couple of ultra-portables into the mix, naturally. No, not ultra-mobile PCs, Fujitsu's talkin' ultra-portable with their latest P70S (pictured), T70S and T70S/V line-up. First up, the P70S which pumps an Intel Pentium M753 (1.20GHz) processor to drive XP Tablet PC Edition on that 8.9-inch display. Rounding out the specs is a 30GB disk, 512MB of RAM in lightweight 990g (2.18-pound) package. The T70S, meanwhile, foregoes the touchscreen but brings a bit more power to the show with a Pentium M773 (1.30GHz) CPU, 512MB RAM, 10.6-inch 1280 x 768 screen, DVD-burner, 60GB disk, and Intel 915GMS video card. The T70S/V then gives the same specs but throws in an external digital (DMB we think) TV tuner for Japan. All-in-all, just a modest bump in specs from what they delivered last year in the T70K/T models. Picture of the T70S/V after the break. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toshiba Portege M400 Core Solo tablet reviewed
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs With all the talk about UMPCs, it's good to see that manufacturers haven't abandoned good, old-fashioned, full-featured tablet PCs. And Toshiba's Portege M400, first unveiled at CES, looks to be one of the first of a new generation of tablets packing a 1.83GHz Core Duo processor, optional internal DVD burner and hard drive capacity up to 80GB, at a street price starting at about $1,700 (or about what a Samsung Q1 is probably going to cost once you add all the accessories needed to provide equivalent functionality). PC Magazine took a good look at the new tablet (using an early 1.67GHz Core Solo model), and found that it ran smoothly -- and coolly -- enough to handle office applications, DVD viewing and apps like Photoshop. The 1024 x 768 display was sharp, and the keyboard, while slightly smaller than full-size, was comfortable. The biggest downside: a sluggish response when switching the display from portrait to landscape. Then again, that's not something you're likely to need to do all that often, so if you're looking for a (relatively) affordable, solid tablet, this one (or the Core Duo version, due out shortly) could be worth a look.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NEC Japan's twenty-six new laptops and all-in-one desktops
Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Media PCsIf there were ever any doubts as to our complete and total dedication to you, dear reader, let them bedispelled here and now, as we've just trudged through page upon page of horrible machine translation to bring you therelevant deets and specs on no less than 26 new computers from NEC -- for the Japanese market! This cornucopia ofhardware comes in both laptop and all-in-one, media-centric desktop flavors, and can be further divided into theirrespective series: the LaVie 15.4-inch L, T, and 12.1-inch A laptops, and Valuestar W/X, L, and R desktops. More specifically, the W lineupcome in four different configurations (VW970/FG, VW900/FH, VW770/FG, VW700/FG), with displays ranging from to 20 to32-inches, either a 2.8GHz Pentium D or 3.06GHz Celeron D processor, and RAM and hard drive capacity ranging from 512MBto 1GB, and 400GB to 800GB, respectively, while the only X model, the 20-inch, 2.80GHz VX780/FD, seems to differ fromthe W's in that it utilizes a tower configuration and sports a nVidia GeForce video card (all the rest of the desktopsfeature integrated graphics). For pics and details on the rest of the desktops and all of the notebooks, keep onreading after the jump...Meanwhile, the slimline, detached CPU L series comes in seven different varieties (VL970/FG, VL700/FG,VL590/FG, VL570/FG, VL500/FG, VL370/FD, and VL300/FD), with 17 or 20-inch monitors, 2.8GHz Pentium D, 3.06GHz CeleronR, or hyper-threaded 2.93GHz Pentium processors, 512MB or 768MB of RAM, and hard drives ranging from 250GB to 400GB.Finally, at least as far as the desktops are concerned, the three members of the R series (VR570/FG, VR500/FG, VR300/FG) seem like younger siblings to the W/X models, as they all sport just a 17-inch screen,but still pack some good processing power with either those Celeron D's or HT Pentium 4's from the L series, and alsorock just 512MB of RAM and a maximum hard-drive capacity of 400GB. Many of these all-in-ones, as well as most of thenew laptops, come with TV tuners, remote controls, DVD burners, and the always-important VIIV certification.Incidentally, NEC also announced that PC's with built-in HD-DVD drives will begin shipping in the fall.On the portable side, the LaVie L series consists of eight models (LL990/FD, LL900/FD, LL790/FD,LL770/FG, LL750/FD, LL700/FD, LL570/FD, LL370/FD), with either a 1.60GHz Celeron M, 1.73GHz Pentium M, Mobile Sempron3100 , or Turion 64 Mobile processor, 80GB, 100GB, or 160GB hard drives, and 256MB to 1GB of RAM. Like the all-in-onemodels, gamers will find nothing worth their time, as the video here is also powered by rather unexciting integratedgraphics.To round things out, the LaVie T comes in 1.6GHz Celeron M (LT900/FD) or 1.73GHz Pentium M(LT700/FD) flavors, sport 100GB or 160GB hard drives, and both come standard with with 512MB, upgradable to 2GB (aswith most of the other new models). The sole member of the A family, the LA500/FD, can only muster a pokey 1GHz CeleronM chip, 80GB hard drive, and 512MB of RAM, but its claimed 5-hour battery life completely schools the rest of today'sannounced lappies, with one even advertising less than an hour of juice.All of the new machines will beavailable by the end of the month (released on either the 14th or 21st, specifically), in Japan only. Oh, and if youwant prices on all twenty-six of these, well, you're gonna have to do the conversions yourself -- so maybe ourdedication to you isn't as complete as we originally claimed.Read-Valuestar W/XRead-Valuestar LRead-Valuestar RRead-LaVie laptopsRead-Desktop specsRead-Laptop specsPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kensington laptop dock first to feature startup's multiple-monitors-over-USB tech
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Laptops, PeripheralsAlthough we're pretty sure that many of youwouldn't agree with Newnham Research CEO Michael Ledzion's assertion that "connectinga graphics card to a PC is hard, and expensive," you might still be interested in his company's technology forconnecting multiple displays to a PC through a standard USB connection, which will debut in a Kensington laptop dock inJune. The Cambridge, England-based startup is able to achieve this rather amazing feat through a hardware renderingengine call NIVO, which can either be built directly into a monitor or incorporated into other peripherals, and whichuses proprietary compression algorithms to deliver video up to 1280 x 1024 at 75Hz. As you could probably guess, thistechnology isn't designed for gaming -- the company suggests using it to display "largely static images" --although it's supposedly capable of HD playback, which is something we'd definitely like to see firsthand.[Via ExtremeTech]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toshiba's Qosmio F30 and Dynabook SS MX, CX, TX, and AX laptops
Filed under: LaptopsToshiba blasted us with a heapof new additions to their Dynabook and Qosmio line-up of laptops today. Let's start with the QosmioF30/695LS Core Duo T2300 (1.66GHz) which features a bright 15.4-inch, 1280 x 800 (WXGA) LCD to check the teevee pumpedout those integrated analog and digital terrestrial TV tuners. The F30 also features 160GB of storage for TV recordingfun, up to 2GB RAM, nVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, fingerprint scanner, shock protection, andharmon/kardon's bass reflex speaker system already spotted on the G35. Next up is the new 1.9-kg Dynabook SSMX/395LS which also packs a Core Duo T2300 but delivers on a 12.1-inch WXGA LCD with 80GB disk, a dual-layer DVDburner, 512MB RAM, and 802.11a/b/g WiFi and goes 5.2-hours on a single charge. The compact, 2.5-kg Dynabook CX/875LSoffers a 14.1-inch WXGA display and Core Duo T2300, harmon/kardon's speakers, and dual-layer DVD burner we've seenbefore. Rounding things out are the "high-grade standard" TX/880LS and budget AX/40LS which both offer15.4-inch displays with the TX going Core Duo T2300 and 120GB disk while the AX manages to slip-in Celeron M 370 anddual-layer DVD burner on the cheap. Looks like all the models will be shipping no later than the 28th of this month.Big snaps of the SS MX and F30 after the break.[Via Akihabara News]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sharp's Mebius PC-AE50M for the unwashed
Filed under: LaptopsWhat's this, today Sharpannounced a single new computer!? Not the 40-plus from Sony, or 26 from NEC,or even paltry 5-and-changefrom Toshiba, just one, the Mebius PC-AE50M. Not onlyare they bucking the shotgun announcement trend engulfing us, the new Mebius also loads-up a non-Core Duo, 1.80GHz AMDSempron 3000 . Whoa Sharp, you go cowboy. The 2.8-kg Mebius PC-AE50M (that name just rolls, eh?) can bring up to 1.5GBof RAM and 60GB of disk and features a 15-inch, 1024 x 768 LCD, 802.11b/g WiFi, CD-R/RW & DVD-ROM drive, and UVradiation coating to keep palm-gunk from polluting the case. Rejoice o ye defiled brethren, rejoice!Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The rest from Sony: updates to F, F-TV, H, V, S lines
Filed under: Desktops, LaptopsNow that we've got Sony's brand spankin' new Vaios out ofthe way, we can move on to the rest of the 40-odd models the company announced in Japan today, most of which representspec bumps to existing boxes. Most of the Vaio laptop lines,including the multi-hued F, F-TV and S series getCore Duo processors (or Core Solo for the lower-priced models). Most also get that coveted "Windows VistaCapable" sticker, which you can proudly display until you can actually run Vista. The F-TV model also gets a newdisplay with improved brightness and darker blacks, along with an enhanced sound system. Meanwhile, the desktop V and H(shown above) lines get processor bumps (up to a P4 641 at 3.2GHz on one model) , analog and terrestrial digital tuners,and new LCDs with resolutions up to 1366 x 768. The 20-inch version of the LCD also includes DVI-D for HD input. So, howdoes this add up to over 40 new and updated models? Well, if you add up all the display and processor permutations (and,of course, the different colored cases on the F series and V displays), you'll hit a number up around there. But unlessyou're a Japanese retailer or hate your job so much that you'll do almost anything else to avoid it, we suggestskipping that exercise.Read - V/H SeriesRead - F/F-TV/S SeriesPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Switched On: Boot Camp - The Miffing Manual
Filed under: Desktops, Features, LaptopsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, anddigital entertainment:"All right! Listen up, maggot! Welcome to Fort Dragg. I am your CommandingMicrosoft Office-er Sgt. Pepper! How do you like that for trademark infringement, Apple Corps? I bet you came heretoday because you wanted to serve your computer company by beta testing Boot Camp? Well, let me tell you something. Itain't gonna be easy, you puke!"Over the next 50 minutes, I will become your father, your mother, yourApple Specialist, your third-tier tech support person, and your best friend! Your heart may belong to Apple but yourbutt belongs to me! Your precious vendor won't support other operating systems, so you better be quicker than aFireWire 800 port, because if you ain't, you just may blow your disk up with your laser mouse."Youcome here as a sack of rotting apples unfit to touch a scroll ball! But I will tear down your hard drive intopartitions until you cry. You will feel the burn like a driver CD. You will break like compatibility with classic Macapplications. Your identity will be so far gone that Spotlight won't be able to find it. Remember, there is no WindowsME in 'team.' If you can reset your system clock, you will leave with a time-killing, dual-booting, PC game-runningmachine! Do you hear me!?""Sir! Yes, sir!""You look me straight in the iSight when you talk to me. Is that understood, maggot, or do I have tocreate a Keynote presentation for you?""No, sir! Cinema-quality effects that animate text,graphics and slides are not necessary, sir!""Louder, maggot! Whattsa matter? You install thevolume limiter on your iPod?""SIR! NO, SIR!""Now, you're gonna have tounderstand a few things before you engage the enemy. The enemy will do anything it can to kill your morale. It willshow its flag whenever you try to boot it. The enemy is not beyond using viral agents. The enemy will not shy fromspying on your personal information. The enemy is not human. It cannot understand us, at least not without softwaresuch as Mediafour's MacDrive. And the strongest among us have been known to cower with a three-finger salute whenconfronted with its fearsome Blue Screen of Death. War is Dell."You there, hiding in front of theglass!""Yes, sir?""You are uninstalling a program and the enemy offers toremove DLLs that are no longer needed! Do you agree to it?""Sure, sir. I don't see whynot.""Well, look who stepped out from behind the Genius Bar! You stupid maggot! You're as slow asPhotoshop under Rosetta; I've seen Automator scripts smarter than you! You never trust the enemy! Now drop and give me20 right-clicks!""But, sir, my MacBook Pro has no right mouse button!""40right clicks! If I wanted to look at something full of hot air, I'd have bought me a G5! Now DROP before I use thisiPod HiFi to knock you into the middle of the Macworld 2007 keynote!"All right, now! I want this groupto disappear like application in Exposé. March through the steps needed to install XP on your Mac. March! And Iwant to hear that marching song as you do it! Mac OS Ten-Hut!""PC vendors had their say!Vista missed the holiday!I don't know but I've been toldLeopard's master will reach gold!XP is whatwe will tame!Virtual PC is so lame!Sound off! Menu bar!Sound off! Taskbar! 1-2-3-4. Weare… Dual Corps!"Ross Rubin is director of industryanalysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPDGroup and a contributing editor for LAPTOP. Views expressed in Switched On are his own. Feedback is welcome at fliptheswitch@gmail.com.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toshiba Matsushita Display intros world's thinnest 12-inch LCD
Filed under: Displays, LaptopsJust when you were feeling pretty smug with your new super-slim ultra-portable laptop, Toshiba MatsushitaDisplay comes along and introduces the world's thinnest 12-inch LCD panel, which will be seen on notebooks much hotterthan yours in a few months. Ranging from 2.9- to 4.5-millimeters thick, the new LED-backlit TFT display manages a 1280x 800 WXGA resolution and 300cd/m2 brightness, packed into a light 183-gram design. TMD, a joint venture between twoJapanese electronics giants, says that the display is already in production, although there is no mention of anyspecific products that will see the new tech, nor any info on when these presumed products would hit stores.[Via Akihabara News]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Averatec's AHI UMPC concept device
Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCsWhatdo you get when you mix one part OQO, one part Sidekick, and add a touch of UMPC? Apparently you get Averatec's new AHI concept device, that's what. Expected to belaunched this fall for as little or as much as €500 or €900 ($600 or $1,090 US) depending on options,Averatec's aiming to launch their device with XP, a touchscreen (which we assume will take advantage of Microsoft's Touch Pack UMPC suite),WiFi, GPS, 3G data, and a six hour battery life in a 7.3 x 3.5 x 1.3-inch 24 ounce package. So yeah, basically thisdevice might single-handedly solve just about every complaint the UMPC community (and we) have: price, battery life,keyboard, and wireless data. We'll believe it when we see it though, so keep your eyes out for Averatec this fall.[Via The Reg, thanks to everyone whosent this in]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Averatec 7100 series laptops: lightest 17-inchers available
Filed under: LaptopsIf you like it big andlight (but not too powerful) then listen up son, 'cause Averatec just announced their 7100 series of laptops said to bethe lightest 17-inch widescreen infotainmentlaptops available. Ok, considering all those 20-inchersdropping lately, they're not that big, but at 7.2-pounds and just an inch-thick they manage to pack in a1.8GHz AMD Turion 64 ML-32 processor, dual-layer DVD/CD burner, up to 100GB disk, 2GB DDR RAM, 802.11b/g, and a healthydose of USB, FireWire, PCMICIA, PC Express, and memory card slots for expansion in addition to that 1440 x 900 pixeldisplay supported by an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M graphics card. These Microsoft Windows Vista Capable machines may not be themost powerful on the market, but at street prices from $849 to $1,199 (depending upon config) they're worth a look forthe budget minded.[Via MobileTechReview]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Clio NXT unleashed on Duke University... kind of
Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops, Tablet PCsIt'sbeen almost a year since the Clio NXT was supposed to ship -- so long ago in fact, that we sensethe dull fog of disinterest descending upon you. See, the Clio NXT was (is?) the successor to the cult 1998-releasedWinCE laptop/tablet which is said to feature Windows CE.NET 5.0 (yes, CE), a 10.4-inch, 800 x 600 touchscreen LCD with180-degree pivot, 802.11 WiFi, 64MB SDRAM / 64MB Flash ROM, near full-size QWERTY keyboard, and smattering ofconnectivity and expansion options including SD card slots, PCMCIA, USB, a headphone jack, mic, and video out. Well,out of the blue this morning we received a press release stating that Duke University's Fuqua School of Business willserve as "beta site" for the NXT and Data Evolution's other CE computing device, the Cathena ultra-lightlaptop. That's it -- no price (although we last heard $999 for the NXT), no expected start to this beta program letalone revised ship date... nothin'. In a market now flooded with reasonably priced tablets, UMPCs, and dirt cheap laptops, we're feeling, well, a bit jadedourselves.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments