News Archive for 08/10/08
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LG on Thursday unveiled the KC780, confirming earlier reports of the slim slider phone with a built-in 8 Megapixel camera and 2.4 inch widescreen LCD. LG advertises a Schneider-Kreuznach lens, which it says enhances clarity and sharpness of images. Also present in the camera are face and smile detection features, which puts the focus of the image on people's faces. The camera can also be configured to fire when a subject smiles, while a Beauty Mode removes subtle blemishes from a subject's face.
Klipsch has debuted a new line of speakers, the Icon V series, born out of collaboration with Best Buy. The new speakers include the VF-35 and VF-36 floorstanders, VB-15 bookshelf, VC-25 center channel, and VS-14 surround models. The slim solid black cabinets and simple exterior give the speakers an understated aesthetic appearance. The new X-Tractrix tweeters are claimed to offer a smoother dispersion pattern and wide sound presentation, while still horn-loaded for use with standard A/V receivers.
A Circuit City webstore listing is showing a new HP notebook, the 17-inch Compaq Presario CQ70. The previously unannounced notebook PC is part of HP’s expansive CQ70 range, and uses Intel’s Pentium dual core processor rated at 2GHz along with 3GB of DDR2 memory. Graphics for the 1440x900 resolution display come via the integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics processor.
Shuttle PC has recently introduced its newest mini-desktop, the X2700N to the United States market. Like many netbooks, the small PC uses Intel‘s 1.6GHz Atom CPU paired with an onboard GMA 950 graphics processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM memory. Wireless Internet access comes via a standard 802.11b/g card. The PC’s standard 80GB hard drive comes preloaded with the Foresight Linux operating system, while a DVD burner is optional.
A new Navigon portable GPS system is expected to come to market in the next few weeks, as it has been spotted undergoing testing at the FCC on Wednesday. The new unit, to be dubbed the Navigon 5100 max, is expected to include Bluetooth connectivity, a 4.3-inch screen and text-to-speech capability. A lifetime traffic update service is also to be part of the feature-set, along with Zagat ratings for restaurants stored in the point-of-interest database.
A photo of a new, upcoming MacBook Pro has been leaked online, a report claims. The model is described by Engadget as part of an upcoming refresh, and said to be based on a rumored "brick" manufacturing process, in which notebooks would be formed out of a single block of metal, using water and lasers to carve out details. This would potentially have a number of benefits for Apple, including greater durability and a reduced need for seams and screws.
Electronics retail chain Best Buy on Wednesday announced the launch of its Blue Label range of products that have been developed based directly from consumer feedback. The retailer takes the input from its customers and works with hardware manufacturers to deliver what the customers want. Thus far comprised of just a pair of laptops based on feedback from customers about what their "ideal laptop" would include, the 13.3-inch HP Pavilion dv3510nr and 14.1-inch Toshiba E105-S1402, the Blue Label line is set to expand. Both notebooks are available exclusively through Best Buy.
Chipmakers Broadcom and Qualcomm are taking their fight to court yet again, as a Wednesday report has the former filing a patent misuse complaint in federal court against the latter. This is the latest development in the ongoing legal battles that date back to 2005 over mobile phone technology licensing between the two wireless device chipmakers. Broadcom claims Qualcomm’s misuse of patents allows it to collect double the royalties it is entitled to, hurting the wireless industry and its consumers. The filing was made in a San Diego, California US District Court on Tuesday.
BenQ on Tuesday unveiled its newest digital camera, the DC C1060, which features a 10-megapixel sensor and 3X optical zoom when recording 720x400 videos in 16:9 format or 640x480 videos at 30fps in the Motion JPEG format. For added grip and an upscale look, BenQ equipped the DC C1060 with a leather grip, while users view and frame photos via a 2.7-inch LCD screen. The digital camera also sports an ISO setting of 3200 for use in low-light environments.
Netflix on Wednesday announced it would make begin charging its subscribers an extra $1 and related tax for access to its Blu-ray movie library. The change is set to take place starting on November 5th, with Netflix citing the extra cost of Blu-ray movies compared to those on standard DVD as the reason for the change. Previously, users could pick either DVD or Blu-ray movies as part of their regular monthly rates, which begin at about $5.
Motorola today quietly revealed its third major Windows Mobile smartphone update in the form of the Moto Q 11. The handset serves as a alternative to the Q 9 that drops the earlier phone's 3G link, keeping to quad-band GSM and EDGE in this particular version. In exchange, the new model gets Wi-Fi that boosts speeds above 3G and fills in coverage indoors. Motorola says it has struck a deal with Boingo to automatically link up with the provider's hotspots.
Joining with Acer, Lenovo and Toshiba, ASUS on Wednesday became the latest to unveil its first notebooks specifically capable of using Sprint's new Xohm service. The 14.1-inch F8Va-C2WM is billed as the true mobile WiMAX system of the collection but carries a comparatively high-end 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive that amount to a $1,599 price point.
EMI is planning to launch an online music store of its own rather than just depend on outside stores, a claim from the Financial Times says [registration required]. The record label began developing the store earlier this year and will let users buy music and videos directly from EMI's site. Formats, pricing and a launch date are still unknown, though at least a small amount of content will be free. EMI was also one of the first major labels to accept unprotected formats.
Kingston Technology says it is shipping a new USB flash drive, the DataTraveler 150. The drive is available solely in a 32GB capacity, and is distinguished by its bright orange coloring and a removable cap which can attach to its rear while in use. Though it supports Windows Vista and its ReadyBoost memory expansion technology, the 150 is also compatible with Windows XP and 2000, Mac OS X 10.3 or better, and versions of Linux past v2.6. It is on sale for $139.
Super Talent on Tuesday announced the release of a line of mini PCI-Express SSD memory for use in the ASUS Eee PC lineup that includes the Eee PC 701, 702, 900, 901, 903, 905 and 1000. Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities, the three SSDs read data at 40MB per second and write back at 15MB per second while also offering a quick way to upgrade the maximum built-in 20GB of storage of the supported Eee PC netbooks. Each PCIe SSD memory card can be had in either NAND MLC or NAND SLC versions.
Lenovo says it has added an option for Intel's long-range wireless technology, WiMAX, to several of its ThinkPad notebooks. The computers are specifically intended to coincide with Sprint's new Xohm WiMAX service, and include variants of the X301, T400, Sl300 and SL500. The option will become available on the W500, W700, SL400 and X200 later this year, and plans are in the works for the IdeaPad Y530.
Acer on Wednesday announced the launch of its first notebooks that support Sprint's 4G Xohm WiMAX network, which officially debuted just over a week ago in Baltimore. The Acer Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 are identical in pricing and specs, with the exception of the latter’s 1366x768 16-inch LCD over the former’s 1280x800 14.1-inch display. The pair will use Intel’s combined WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, which is part of the Intel WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 Series. Either new notebook will also use the same 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 3GB of RAM, with graphics processing handled by the onboard Intel GMA 4500MHD.
Toshiba helped kick off a special event for Sprint's Xohm service by launching its first official WiMAX-equipped notebook. The 13.3-inch Satellite U405 now has one of the 4G adapters built-in and so can pull roughly 2Mbps to 4Mbps most anywhere in Baltimore and other cities soon to get the 4G-level wireless access. Toshiba's implementation also uses Intel's "Echo Peak" adapter to include Wi-Fi without adding to the system's bulk.
Despite four years on the market, Motorola's RAZR V3 is still the best-selling cellphone in the US, the NPD Group says. While exact market share isn't published, the researchers put the clamshell design above the second-place iPhone 3G as well as the BlackBerry Curve, LG Chocolate and BlackBerry Pearl in the top five. The RAZR earns its position primarily through its sheer availability, as the device sells through nearly all major and minor carriers in the US and is often available for free or at a low price on a contract.
Rapidly spreading economic deterioration is likely to have a severe impact on the growth of cellphone sales next year, according to estimates published today by analysts. UBS technology researcher Maynard Um is one of the most conservative and now says the phone industry will grow at just half the rate in 2009 as estimated earlier, with shipments moving upwards by just three percent versus an earlier six percent prediction. Um dismisses claims that phones are less likely to be affected and says there should be a direct link between poorer economies and reduced spending on phones.
Intel today said it was concerned its patents might be at risk as a result of AMD's manufacturing split. The former company licenses its x86 chip architecture and other key technologies to AMD and has "serious questions" about whether those licenses will be honored if AMD's division into design and manufacturing companies is approved, according to Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy.
Razer today officially released a pair of keyboards aimed at its characteristic gaming crowd. The Arctosa is its first real budget gaming keyboard and is shaped similar to the Lycosa but sheds the backlighting, USB, and audio output jacks that lift the price of the earlier input hardware. It continues to use the short-travel keys and macro programming features and claims to wipe out the "ghosting" effect that hinders movement when using the WASD key layout in many first-person shooter titles. Razer ships the Arctosa in November for $50 with either silver or black lettering on its black keys.
Quickly following the American launch, Telus on Wednesday also said it would be one of the first to carry the BlackBerry Storm in Canada. Its version is an exact match for the Verizon model and includes both CDMA plus EVDO Revision A for Telus' own network as well as the quad-band GSM plus EDGE and single-band HSPA that let the device roam on world networks. The GPS mapping, 1GB of internal storage plus microSDHC and 3.2-megapixel camera likewise port over to the Canadian edition.
Verizon and RIM today at last formally introduced the American version of the BlackBerry Storm, RIM's first touchscreen phone and Verizon's most direct competitor to the iPhone. The handset centers on a 3.25-inch, 480x360 display which includes a unique physical "click" to partly recreate a physical button press. In Verizon guise, the smartphone is also special for its inclusion of both EVDO Revision A for cellular data as well as single-band HSPA, giving it 3G access on some networks outside of North America. Calling is also available on CDMA and quad-band GSM/EDGE.
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