| MacUpdate Weekend Sale | :This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. Painter 12 retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. Painter Lite has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013. |
Amazon's Lovefilm service in the UK has signed a deal with BBC Worldwide to continue offering BBC content to its customers through Lovefilm Instant. The announcement comes at the same time as the Lovefilm app reaches Sony Bravia televisions, as well as news that it will also stream 11 original TV series test pilots from Amazon Studios.
Amazon Studios has revealed a set of pilot shows that it will produce, in its first efforts to create exclusive video content for its streaming services. The six comedy pilots will be shown on Amazon Instant Video, with the responses of viewers helping company management decide which shows to greenlight for a full series run.
Hybrid Audio LLC late Tuesday joined in a spate of recent lawsuits by suing Apple, Dell and HTC. The Tyler, Texas-based complaint accuses all three of violating a patent for processing MP3 songs using a tree-structured array. The lawsuit claimed that Apple's iPad, iPhone 4, iPod nano, iTunes and MacBook Pro all violate the patent; Dell's Adamo, Alienware, Inspiron, Studio and XPS systems have been similarly named, as have its Aero smartphone, the Streak tablet and HTC's Evo 4G.
With the premium Adamo XPS notebook discontinued and the more recent introduction of XPS notebooks, Dell has rebranded its lineup for greater simplicity. According to Engadget, there will be only three core brands, including Inspiron, XPS and Alienware. Each will be aimed at users who require different performance levels, with Alienware being the top-rung offering.
Dell has stirred controversy by quietly posting an inaccurate Dell versus Apple comparison section for its notebooks. The Texas PC builder tries to show that its desktops and notebooks are better values than Apple's lineup and pits the Zino HD against the Mac mini, the Inspiron 560 against the 21-inch iMac, and the Studio 15 and 17 against similarly sized MacBook Pros. For the portables, it claims Apple is charging more than twice as much for "similar" specs.
PC maker Dell has teamed up with Threadless to offer custom designs from the clothing label on notebook lids. The original graphics can be chosen from Dell's Design Studio, and there are 11 designs currently available. New designs will be added in the future as well.
Dell staked out its claim in high-speed PCs in the past few days with at least two of its systems getting brand new processors. In an overview of the Alienware M11x, the company's Pearce Clune revealed that the 11-inch gaming ultraportable will replace its Core 2 Duo with Intel's new ULV i3, i5 and i7 processors next month. All three should be significantly faster than the existing options and may help with battery life.
Dell has inadvertently revealed plans for a new touchscreen notebook, the Studio 15 Touch, as evidenced by its online catalog and printed flyers. Little is offered in the way of technical specs, but the basic system includes a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Windows 7 Home Premium preloaded onto the 320GB hard drive, along with a $999 price.
Dell today is holding an event to launch new computers and handheld devices at CES; expected are Core i5 notebooks and the Streak, an Android tablet. Updates are available in reverse chronological order after the jump.
Boinx Software has released BoinxTV 1.5, updating its live-video production software. The software allows users to produce Live TV broadcasts via a Mac, with live-to-disk, live-to-Internet and live-to-stage options. It supports producing studio shows, podcasts, sports events, interviews, sermons and concerts and can manage multiple camera feeds.
Dell today quietly slipped the Studio 17 Touch into its lineup as its first touchscreen notebook. The 17-inch system adds multi-touch input and carries Dell's own suite of touch apps, such as its photo browser. Most of the design remains the same and is treated as a desktop replacement and media center hybrid with a 2.1-channel JBL speaker system and HDMI output.
Dell as part of its special event today upgraded its Design Studio edition notebooks with two design lineups. A Major League Baseball set gives most Inspiron, Mini and Studio notebooks a custom lid with artwork featuring a team logo. "Classic" versions put the logo in small form with a textured solid color; "Fan" versions have a large logo, while "Die-Hard" covers nearly the entire lid with logo-themed graphics.
PC maker Dell and online music service Napster have come to an agreement that will see the two offering Inspiron and Studio models in Germany, the UK and the US with preloaded content from Napster's music service. Through the agreement, these models will include 60 MP3s of the buyer's choice as well as 12 months of unlimited music streaming from Napster's service. Dell estimates it should save buyers at least the $60 for the individual tracks.
Dell today backed its Alienware updates with the addition of Intel's mobile Core i7 processor as an option to three of its self-labeled systems. The Studio XPS 16, Studio 15 and Studio 17 all have the choice of either the 1.6GHz or 1.73GHz quad-core processors as a build-to-order upgrade. The high speed choice boosts the price of a Studio 15 to $999, while the larger Studio 17 to $1,099 and the lone Studio XPS update to $1,249.
Dell this morning kicked off its first-ever offerings of fast-ship PCs. Offered under the FastTrack banner, the systems can't be customized but ship by the next business day, eliminating the delay of two weeks or more that often accompanies ordering a system from Dell. The approach is based on the popularity of Dell's custom-order configurations and should be continuously refreshed to mirror what customers actually want.
Dell this morning has launched a new, relatively thin-and-light portable that nonetheless promises to be fast. The Studio 14z is the first notebook in the Studio line to drop the optical drive and does so in the name of both size and weight: unlike the 15 or 17, the 14z measures 1.2 inches at its thickest point while also weighing 4.3 pounds. A 14-inch, LED-backlit, 1366x768 display contributes to the thinness as well as to battery life that can run as long as 6.75 hours with an optional 8-cell battery.
Dell this morning said it had added a WiMAX choice for three of its higher-end home notebooks. The Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 will all have a $60 or less upgrade that offers 4G speeds on either the Clearwire or Sprint 4G networks in Atlanta, Baltimore and Portland. In peak conditions, this lets the portables connect at up to 13Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream. Typical speeds are still faster than 3G with downloads between 2Mbps and 4Mbps.
As promised, Dell today made its Studio One 19 all-in-one desktop available in the US. The 18.5-inch system in US trim starts at $699 and has slightly better performance than the Japanese version launched in March. A 2.5GHz Pentium dual-core, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and GeForce 9200 integrated video serve as the baseline in the system, which is more consciously designed as a lower-priced alternative to an iMac.
Dell today slipped out a quiet but significant update to its Studio 15 notebook. The new version switches from a standard 16:10 ratio screen to a 15.6-inch, 16:9 display with a minimum 1366x768 resolution capable of playing 720p video without losing screen real estate. LED backlighting is also now standard even on the base model and both lengthens the battery life and improves the screen's color performance.
Dell today unveiled the company's first all-in-one PC to bear the Studio badge. The Studio One 19 is more consciously fashionable than the XPS One and has the same basic "hanging" design concept as the iMac. Like the Studio Hybrid, though, Dell lets users customize the Studio One's colors (here the outer frame and wireless input devices). It centers on an 18.5-inch display with a 16:9 ratio, 1366x768 resolution that optionally supports multi-touch input for media playback as well as image, music and video editing.
Dell today unveiled a limited run of its 15.4-inch Studio notebook, appropriately named the Studio 15 Special Edition. Compared to the standard Studio 15s, the Special Edition gets an LED-backlit display and a Black Vapor exterior paint scheme. Technically, the Special Edition is available in three separate trims with various levels of equipment. All share a 2.0GHz Intel Pentium dual core CPU and Intel's integrated 4500MHD graphics processor, while the display has a 1440x900 resolution, a step up from the regular Studio 15's 1280x800 resolution.
Dell is using Singapore as the first venue to offer its upgraded Studio 15-series notebook, the Studio 1555. It sports a new LED-backlit, 15.6-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1366x768 resolution. The notebook offers the first application of ATI's newest mid-range graphics chip, the Mobility Radeon HD 4570, with a dedicated 512MB of video memory.
A new page on Dell's support site has revealed that the PC maker's Studio 15 notebook will soon be available with a new, yet unreleased graphics card from ATI first announced at CES, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570. The support page lists a support driver for the new GPU as well as the existing GMA 4500MHD processor, both dated as of Tuesday, for a new notebook model called the Studio 1555. This suggests the new HD 4570 GPU will be offered as an option on the new notebook.
Dell today held an early, low-key launch for its promised Studio XPS notebooks. The 13-inch Studio XPS 13 and 16-inch Studio XPS 16 are both treated as Dell's new upscale competition against the MacBook and come with a new black-and-silver trim as well as new, edge-to-edge display and a revamped keyboard unlike the company's other models.
Dell Malaysia has quietly become the first recipient of the Studio 14, the company's first sub-15-inch Studio model. The new design puts a 14-inch, 1280x800 display with an LED backlight into the more upscale design of the series and is customizable with any of seven different lid colors. comes with relatively fast parts that include a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. The system is nonetheless relatively minimal in graphics with the previous-generation GMA X3100 for video.
Dell today fought to regain a reputation as one of the most eco-friendly PC builders by launching a new effort to reduce the impact of its packaging. The company hopes to reduce the total amount of boxing and other material it uses by about 20 million pounds, or the financial equivalent of $8 million, from now through 2012. Computers in particular should drop about 10 percent of their packing material and will have as much as three quarters of their packaging made recyclable over the same four-year period.
Dell today quickly seized on Intel's Core i7 debut by launching two new systems, including one completely new line. The Studio XPS upgrades the regular Studio desktop with features friendly to gamers and high-end media with Core i7 processors and dedicated video as the baseline. They further exploit the new Intel hardware with three memory sticks that both up the minimum storage and also the available bandwidth.
Dell's plans to relaunch into MP3 players have been shelved in what may be a permanent cancellation, according to claims made by the Wall Street Journal late Sunday [subscription required]. Alleged sources say that at least one miniature player scheduled to launch alongside a media jukebox and sharing suite from Zing has been delayed past its original fall target while the software alone goes ahead. The unnamed device is currently postponed "indefinitely" and so may not be released at all, the reported insiders note.
A design decision from HP could lead much of the notebook business to making small 16:9 aspect ratio displays, according to alleged tips from manufacturers. The American PC builder is purportedly set to focus much of its energy on portables with 13- to 13.9-inch LCDs in the significantly wider proportions starting from the fall, pulling much of the industry with it by making the extra-wide displays common. The shift is said to be prompted by the lower price of making 13-inch screens versus 14-inch equivalents with the same ratio.
Hoping to do the same for its towers what it did with the Studio Hybrid mini PC, Dell today launched two new entries to the Studio line for desktops. The Studio Desktop and narrower Studio Slim Desktop both have a sleeker, glossy black design and make features standard that are left out of the similarly-shaped Inspiron line and are suited to home theaters, including HDMI video out and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) input. Blu-ray combo and full burner drives are also available.
Dell's XPS line will begin its transition into the Inspiron Studio series later this year, images posted on NotebookReview indicate. The Dell slides show the the XPS 1530 ending in November, with two new notebooks being released around the same time: the Studio XPS 13 and Studio XPS 15. This would confirm reports from earlier this month that Dell will be restructuring its brands, re-introducing the XPS as a trim option in the Inspiron Studio category to consolidate the labels.
Applying the same touch that it did to earlier Inspirons, Dell today has introduced Mike Ming Edition Studio notebooks. Both the 15- and 17-inch models now have both the "Bunch O Surfers" and "Sea Sky" looks on their rear lids from the since phased-out models but also three new patterns that reflect the tattoo-like work of their namesake New York City-based artist.
Dell is phasing out its distinct XPS line in favor of its regular brands, the company has revealed today. While not explicitly saying it will discontinue the XPS label outright, the name will now be folded into the Inspiron and Studio systems as a high-end trim level. The stylized Studio line will effectively replace the XPS for most purposes, Dell's worldwide marketing chief Mark Jarvis says. The official doesn't provide a motivation other than to suggest the move is part of "brand consolidation" that trims the number of labels at Dell.
Dell tonight leapt into the mini desktop business with the Studio Hybrid. The system is described as the company's "first step" in eco-friendly PCs and uses notebook components to dramatically reduce both its size and power draw; where a tower uses a 300-watt supply, the Hybrid uses well under 65 watts and is 80 percent smaller than even a mini tower, the company tells Electronista. The company also promises that the system "leaves the Mac mini behind" with the option of a Blu-ray drive for HD video, HDMI video out, an 8-in-1 card reader and the choice of a TV tuner.
Dell has often enforced a hard split between its entry-level (Inspiron) and high-end (XPS) home notebooks, but that distinction is blurred with the Studio series: the new line should in theory be the best of the breed with the more upscale design and performance of the XPS but the customization normally reserved for Inspirons. The Studio 15 achieves many of these goals, though whether it can lead its class or simply fair well among fellow Dell PCs can be found out in Electronista's full Studio 15 review.
Electronista has just received Dell's new Studio 15 notebook for testing, and it's clear from the outset that the system will be a decided step up from not just the Inspiron line but also the XPS M1530 reviewed just a few months ago while offering features and performance that simply haven't been an option for much of the gaming-oriented XPS system's lifespan.
IK Multimedia has launched the Total Guitar & Bass Gear Bundle, featuring a collection of 5 analog-modeled Amp and FX plug-ins. Aimed at both studio and live use, the package includes Amplitube 2, Ampeg SVX, Amplitube Jimi Hendrix, Amplitube Metal and Amplitube X-GEAR. All plug-ins conform to AU, VST and RTAS standards. The complete bundle translates to over 150 'ultra realistic' gear models, 51 stomp boxes, 26 Preamp models, 11 Power amps, 11 mics, 33 cabinets and 23 rack effects.
Autodesk has acquired the assets of Green Building Studio (GBS), further consolidating the market for Mac-based architecture software. GBS' web service will soon join the Autodesk product family, while the GBS team will continue selling, training, and supporting architects as they use the GBS web service to design carbon neutral buildings today and in the future. Autodesk also plans to continue support for the Green Building Studio web service and carbon neutral building design training. The gbXML schema will remain an open industry standard, and the GBS web service will continue to be available to any other BIM software.
Dell on Thursday officially took the wraps from the Studio. The line borrows design cues from the XPS but is priced and styled more closely to the budget Inspiron line and is pursuing the same mid-range, design-conscious audience as Apple and Sony. It comes in a relatively wide array of designer colors: users can pick a gray model with one of four colors for the trim or else have the entire lid given colors as bright as orange or purple. The portables also have more upscale features out of the box, such as HDMI video out, external SATA on some models, and faster overall processors and video chipsets.
Dell's unnamed mini desktop has been given a title as well as early specifications, courtesy of a new leak being spread by Engadget. Now referred to as the Studio Hybrid, the desktop uses a color wrap-around Plexiglas shell instead of the bamboo on show for one version and is now known to use an Intel platform; whether or not it uses Atom or a Core 2 chipset is unclear. The system will also have video support enough for HDMI video out and 4GB of memory, and should come with Wi-Fi.
Dell's next new PC line should bridge the gap between the Inspiron and the high-end XPS line, says new leaked documents obtained by Engadget. The Inspiron Studio will visually mimic the XPS M1530 but add the customization options of the Inspiron 1525 line, extending from the multi-colored lid options to a new set of palmrest art prints designed by artist Mike Ming. The look is intended to take the Inspiron upscale while leaving the existing Inspiron lineup to budget systems.
