Sep/100
Efika MX Smartbook now on sale for an exceedingly unattractive price
Ah, ha! If you’ll recall, we happened upon a Lenovo-branded netbook of sorts back in June, but curiously enough, Freescale and Pegatron components were powering the thing. Now, it seems that yet another flavor has emerged as the Efika MX Smartbook. Frankly, we aren’t too sure this thing fits into the ’smartbook’ category (given the comparatively spacious 10-inch display), but we are sure that the $349 price point is borderline absurd considering the wealth of decent netbook options at or below that very MSRP. At any rate, those still interested should know that there’s an 800MHz i.MX515 processor under the hood along with 16GB of NAND Flash, an MMC / SD card slot, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, a 1,024 x 600 resolution panel and enough oomph to power through HD video, supposedly. Tap that source link if you’re looking to take a risk, but we’d probably recommend against it.
Efika MX Smartbook now on sale for an exceedingly unattractive price originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep/100
Buffalo serves up USB-powered portable 3D Blu-ray player in Japan
Stuck with an ODD-less netbook or laptop, but can’t quite shake the urge to watch a Blu-ray Disc on your next flight? If you call Japan home (or you know a good importer), Buffalo has just the solution. The BP3D-PI6U2-BK measures 137- × 147- × 20mm, and the operation is pretty simple. Just wrangle an XP / Vista / Windows 7-equipped PC, locate an open USB socket, blow out the dust (optional, but highly recommended) and plug this guy in. Best of all, the unit also supports the boatload of 3D Blu-ray titles that are bound to show up over the coming months, but the privileged of being prepared doesn’t come cheap — it’ll land later this month for ¥28,500 ($338).
Buffalo serves up USB-powered portable 3D Blu-ray player in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
ASUS Eee PC 1215N review
About nine months ago ASUS released its 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N to much fanfare. It was the first “netbook” to pack NVIDIA’s Ion platform and a desktop-class Atom processor. Translation: it absolutely wrecked regular netbooks (and even other Ion netbooks) on the graphics and performance battlefield. Indeed, the 1201N blurred the lines between netbook and regular laptop, but we ultimately knocked it fairly hard for not lasting longer than 2.5 hours on a charge — it was dubbed a “netbook” of course.
Our apologies for the brief history lesson, but it’s actually quite important in understanding why ASUS’ second generation of the 1201N is such a big deal. The 1215N has a Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA’s Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires the GPU to be running the entire time and saves battery power. The $500 rig (though we’re seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still on the pricey side for a “netbook,” but promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and a 250GB hard drive. So, does the 1215N correct all the wrongs of the 1201N and live up to the “netbook powerhouse” title that ASUS has given it? And more importantly can it compete with some of the newer thin and light laptops, like the Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, and we’re assuming you want to as well in our full review after the break.
Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1215N review
Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1215N review
ASUS Eee PC 1215N review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Toshiba’s Tegra 2-powered Android Smart Pad to be called Folio 100?
A Smart Pad? That’s just Toshiba’s product category, according to Netbook Italia’s latest post on the tablet (it’s previously shown off some apparent imagery). The publication has published new renders — including a dock peripheral — and some purported specs. Here’s what’s being said: Android 2.2, NVIDIA Tegra 2 (both of which we’ve heard in other whispers), a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen, 16GB internal memory, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3G, SD and MMC card readers, HDMI and USB 2.0 ports, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and a 1020mAh battery with a battery life of up to 7 hours with mixed use (browsing and video playback). Software-wise, it’s got Opera mobile browser, Flash 1.0, an e-book reader, and some office applications. The doubting Thomas in us still remains hesitant until Toshi gives the official word, but nothing here seems too crazy for the tablet mania most companies seem to have this year. One thing’s for sure, its claimed official name — Folio 100 — is a few degrees to close to some bad memories of ours.
Toshiba’s Tegra 2-powered Android Smart Pad to be called Folio 100? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
ASUS prepping Eee PC 1015PN/PME versions with new dual-core Atom
ASUS prepping Eee PC 1015PN/PME versions with new dual-core Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
ASUS prepping Eee PC 1015PN/PEM versions with new dual-core Atom
Update: ASUS has gone and made the 1015PEM official. Well, it did for a while, page seems to have been yanked. See the Notebook Italia coverage for confirmation of the specs.
ASUS prepping Eee PC 1015PN/PEM versions with new dual-core Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Sony’s Netbox streams Netflix, YouTube and other internet stuff for $130
We can’t say there’s a real shortage of streaming, set-top boxes on the market, but that doesn’t mean we won’t welcome Sony’s addition with open arms. Not to be confused with a netbook or a nettop, the Netbox streams Sony’s Bravia Internet services — YouTube, Netflix, DailyMotion, etc. — as well as supports a “wide range” of video formats including DivX and MKV. Although it’s got 802.11n WiFi baked in, the rather compact box has an Ethernet port around back as well as an USB jack on the front for hooking up an external hard drive for watching any of your legally-downloaded (obviously!) videos. Sadly, when we got to check out the Netbox earlier today it wasn’t connected to a network — go figure, with all those connectivity options — but the software was up and running, and we got to take a peek at the remote app on an Xperia X10. Fret not, the free app will be available for the iPhone and other Android phones. Look, we’d understand holding out for a BRAVIA with Google TV, but all in all for $130 we wouldn’t blame you for heading off to Sony right now and picking one of these little guys up.
Gallery: Sony Netbox SMP-N100
Sony’s Netbox streams Netflix, YouTube and other internet stuff for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Acer ‘ZGA’ Chrome OS netbook starts popping up in Google bug reports
Some more interesting stuff on the Chrome OS hardware front has started to pop up courtesy of Google’s own Chromium OS bug reports. Multiple references have been made to a mysterious Acer ZGA machine, which we have on good authority is also referred to generically as Google’s “dogfood device” in bug reports — dogfood referring to the practice of using your own products before you unleash them on the world. Even more interesting, someone actually managed to post a syslog of the machine, which is running an Atom N455 processor, has a 8GB SanDisk pSSD-S2 drive, sports a webcam, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, an ambient light sensor (for screen dimming, or possibly a backlit keyboard), and a Synaptics touchpad. Synaptics makes all sorts of touchpads, but is best known for its higher-end innovations, such as the MacBook-style clickpads found in the HP Envy series. Of course, all of these specs could change, or this machine could be merely in as a test bed for Chrome OS, and not planned for market — like Microsoft is using its ASUS prototype with Windows Phone 7 — but a July 26th mention of a “PVT run” (Product Verification Test) could point to this machine being almost ready for actual production.
[Thanks, Mark P]
Acer ‘ZGA’ Chrome OS netbook starts popping up in Google bug reports originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Dell ships 10.1-inch Inspiron Mini 1018 to Europe, heading elsewhere soon
Looking for yet another Mini 10 netbook? How’s about one with a curvaceous chassis modeled after the Inspiron R series? Dell’s just pushed out the Inspiron Mini 1018 across the pond, offering a £279 ($434) starting price along with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, a 10.1-inch WSVGA (1,024 x 600) resolution display, Windows 7 Starter, 1GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11n WiFi, a 250GB hard drive, inbuilt webcam and a fresh coat of Obsidian Black paint. It’s available now for those in the correct region, but the outfit has already stated that it’ll be shipping to other lands “soon.” Stoked, aren’t ya?
[Thanks, iamnotjamesh]
Dell ships 10.1-inch Inspiron Mini 1018 to Europe, heading elsewhere soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Android-booting Acer Aspire One D255 extensively demoed, yet far from loved on video
Acer’s just told us that it has “no imminent plans” to bring the dual-booting Android and Windows XP Aspire One D255 stateside, and after seeing an in-depth video (no, really it’s 14 minutes long!) of the 10-inch netbook in action we can’t say we’re all that upset about the news. Yep, the NetbookNews team snatched up a light blue version of the new netbook in Taipei, and though they were impressed with the thin design and included case, they had less positive things to say on the software end. Not only is the Windows XP desktop ridden with crapware, but the Android implementation is still half baked. Similar to the first generation Acer Aspire One D250, the Android 2.1 interface is really only good for searching the web and checking e-mail since it doesn’t have access to the Market. Of course, we urge you to sit back and watch the lengthy hands-on video after the break to make your own call on this $299 lappie, but ultimately, we’re assuming you’ll have the same question as us: Acer, how’s that Chrome OS netbook coming along?
Android-booting Acer Aspire One D255 extensively demoed, yet far from loved on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
CVS to sell $100 Sylvania netbook and $179 e-reader this fall, Tylenol not included
Watch out Kmart, CVS is getting its very own $100 smartbook and $180 e-reader and there’s nothing you can do about it! We’ve gotten a hold of some marketing materials which confirm that this fall your neighborhood drugstore will be stocking a Sylvania netbook running Windows CE and a color e-reader. There aren’t too many details on the little laptop itself, although we can only guess that the thing will be very similar to many of the other cheap smartbooks we’ve seen lately. Oh, it does claim to be able to stream video / YouTube, but we’ll believe it when we see it play Bieber’s Segway escape without freezing up. There are a few more details on the 7-inch LookBook e-reader after the break, but it will pack 512MB of storage space, a full keyboard and will have access to Kobo’s e-book store. Seems like some good old cheap tech to us, but we’re willing to bet that more than a few CVS shoppers will be tempted to throw one of these into the basket along with the deodorant and shampoo.
Continue reading CVS to sell $100 Sylvania netbook and $179 e-reader this fall, Tylenol not included
CVS to sell $100 Sylvania netbook and $179 e-reader this fall, Tylenol not included originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Samsung shows off portable, HTIB 3D Blu-ray player options and the biggest LED 3DTV yet
We had no idea that the Blu-ray players Samsung showed off at CES would just be the first of a steady stream rolling out this year, and today in New York it’s showing off the latest set of 3D capable hardware — many of which have already shown up on retail shelves. The $499 BD-C8000 is the first portable Blu-ray player that can handle the new 3D discs; while the 10.3-inch screen is 2D only, it folds WiFi, 1GB of memory, HDMI 1.4, a 3 hour battery and all of Samsung’s DLNA and widget technology into its very netbook-looking shell for you to take somewhere that has a 3D-ready display. Though that’s already shipping on Amazon, we’ll have to wait until October to see the $1,799 HT-C9950W 7.1 home theater in a box system, specifically designed (& priced) to match those ultra-thin 9000 series displays (and their sweet touchscreen remotes). Speaking of LED edge lit 3DTVs, Sammy also mentioned it’s ready to ship the biggest of the bunch with the 65-inch UN65C8000 (compare that to Panasonic’s 65-inch VT25 plasma) which missed the original July launch projection but is already popping up at a few sites for pre-orders at a price as much as $1,500 below its $5,999 MSRP.
While those fill out the high end of the product line, more frugal buyers of course have the option of selecting older models that are dropping in price, but there are a few new displays and players (that we’ve seen before) for them too. Samsung’s finally officially launching the 50-inch PN50C490 we saw last month that does 3D on a flat panel display in 720p for less than $1,000. Right now, taking it from 3D capable to 3DTV is still an expensive proposition, but we’ll wait and see if any new promotions throwing in the starter kit — updated with a few new Blu-ray 3D exclusives including Dreamworks Animations’ How to Train Your Dragon and two IMAX 3D flicks, Shrek series coming soon — for free turn lookers into purchasers. Check the gallery for more pictures and the press release after the break for more specs and pricing information.
Samsung shows off portable, HTIB 3D Blu-ray player options and the biggest LED 3DTV yet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
HP rolls out Mini 5103 business netbook with optional touchscreen, SSD
HP rolls out Mini 5103 business netbook with optional touchscreen, SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Jolicloud 1.0 now ready for your downloading delight on Windows or bootable USB
Tariq Krim’s app-based cloud OS has been a long time coming, but it’s finally freely available for download — just grab a 16MB installer and you too can join the Jolicloud. We’ve been impressed more than once by the responsive netbook operating system which can boot in seconds flat, and now that it’s got touchscreen support and a streamlined Windows dual-boot installer all for the bargain price of free, it’s definitely worth a try. Give it a spin at our more coverage link, and let us know if it improves your life in any meaningful fashion. If your keyboard is inexorably intertwined with Windows, however, don’t fret; a little penguin tells us a tablet PC version is also on the way.
Gallery: Jolicloud 1.0 press screens
Jolicloud 1.0 now ready for your downloading delight on Windows or bootable USB originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 review
An 11.6-inch laptop with a Core i7 processor. Does the Lenovo IdeaPad U160 really need more of an introduction than that? Believe it or not, the ultrathin laptop you’re peering at above isn’t much larger than a 10-inch netbook, but instead of packing underpowered parts (ahem, Atom) its got one of Intel’s most powerful ultra-low voltage processors. For $1,149, the U160 is meant for highly mobile power users, but also those with a portable fan and a bag that can fit a few extra laptop batteries. We’ll explain it all in our full review after the break.
Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad U160
Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad U160 review
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Aug/100
Page-turning ‘Macallan’ UI will hit a Windows 7 tablet this year (video)
There’s not much to your average prototype Windows 7 tablet — just a netbook running the vanilla OS with a touchscreen instead of keyboard — but if you’ve been wondering why you might care to buy one, just get a load of this Macallan UI. Developed by a third-party firm named UI Centric specifically for Windows tablet devices, it features a clean, finger-friendly interface capable of Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight, and uses the crowd-pleasing page flip gesture for multitasking functionality. Perhaps most importantly, however, UI Centric claims it will actually appear on a real slate — come Q3 2010, a “major manufacturer” will debut the first Macallan-topped device. We’re curious to see how it (and a bottle of fine scotch) will stack up against September’s ExoPC. Video after the break.
Continue reading Page-turning ‘Macallan’ UI will hit a Windows 7 tablet this year (video)
Page-turning ‘Macallan’ UI will hit a Windows 7 tablet this year (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Ballmer on iPad: ‘they’ve sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold’
Poor guy can’t catch a break. Talking to analysts today about the world of tablets, Steve Ballmer put on a brave face about his lack of a strong competitor to the iPad, saying of Windows 7 products in the works with third parties: “They’ll be shipping as soon as they are ready.” Unfortunately, Apple’s iPad looms large, with Ballmer stating that “they’ve sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold.” Perhaps more revelatory, Steve likened the tablet challenge to the situation Microsoft faced when the netbook started out as a Linux product, mentioning that part of their chore is “tuning Windows 7,” in addition to working with hardware partners. Obviously Microsoft is down, not out, when it comes to tablets, but will a few million iPads be their eventual demise or the impetus they need to succeed? Tune in next week someday for the thrilling conclusion!
Ballmer on iPad: ‘they’ve sold certainly more than I’d like them to have sold’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
ASUS Eee PC 1018P and 1015PE review
You’d think after running into ASUS’s next generation Eee PC 1018P and 1015PE over five months ago at CeBIT, our excitement may have waned for the stylish netbooks. Oh, but it’s actually the opposite, and when the brand new netbooks arrived last week, we grabbed the X-Acto knife (safely, of course) and eagerly unboxed them to see if the aluminum clad little laptops were as svelte as we’d remembered them. Sure, the $350 1018P and 1015PE have standard netbook internals (an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Starter), but without a doubt they’re some of the best quality netbooks ASUS has made in quite a while. Hit that read more link for an in-depth look at these two, and to see if they’re all we had hoped for and more.
Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1018P review
Gallery: ASUS Eee PC 1015PE review
Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1018P and 1015PE review
ASUS Eee PC 1018P and 1015PE review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Onkyo busts out HDMI-connected 10.1-inch picture frame
To cut a long story short, Onkyo’s LPF10M01 is basically a netbook’s screen sans (most of) the netbook. 10.1 inches of LED-backlit LCD get covered in a 1,024 x 600 pixel array and are backed up by 250 nits of brightness and a 500 to 1 contrast ratio. The big selling point here is the inclusion of an HDMI input — still something of a rarity in picture frames — which sidles up alongside a USB port, SDHC and Memory Stick card reader, and 512MB of integrated memory. We’re fancying the flexibility of using it as a secondary display or as part of some truly minimalist desktop environment, but doubt many will be won over by the austere 140 degree horizontal viewing angle, which narrow down to a zany 110 on the vertical axis. Anyhow, it launches on August 6 in Japan for around ¥19,800 ($227).
Onkyo busts out HDMI-connected 10.1-inch picture frame originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100
We aren’t saying your nifty new netbook can actually handle the stresses of playing back a Blu-ray Disc, but if your USB-equipped laptop has the oomph, Plextor has a new device to bring the spoils of BD to your previously lackluster machine. The new PX-B120U is a USB-powered BD-ROM drive, which not only plays back Blu-ray flicks but also burns DVDs and CDs of the blank variety. The standout feature, of course, is the ability to function entirely off of USB power, with no extra AC cabling needed. Furthermore, the device can be converted into a living room player when connected to the forthcoming PlexMedia, and while we wouldn’t expect a wealth of extras, the $99.99 MSRP is shockingly tempting.
Continue reading Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100
Plextor ships PX-B120U USB-powered Blu-ray drive for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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