(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Lenovo has shaken up its slightly uptight ThinkPad image with a relatively bold new direction aimed at small businesses: the ThinkPad Edge line has gloss, silver touches, and no optical drive in the 13-inch laptop, and uses AMD or Intel ULV processors.
With the 13-inch ThinkPad Edge going on sale starting January 5, we have been playing around with one here at the offices to give it a good solid hands-on. Though the starting price is $579, our $899 version has 4GB of RAM, a U7300 Intel Core 2 ULV, and a 320GB hard drive.
Covered in glossy black plastic on the outer lid and a somewhat cheap-looking silvery edges, the Edge has an appearance much closer to an IdeaPad. The overly flat and slick lid was a little much for us, and the inner lid's overabundance of matte plastic surrounding the 13.3-inch LED screen gave it a somewhat budget look. But the Edge is a budget machine, so we forgive it.
In another new wrinkle, the Edge comes
... Read more
(Credit:
Blackfire Research)
Wi-Fi speakers have made some appearances over the last few years, in the form of prototypes and high-priced novelties. Finally, San Francisco-based Blackfire Research will release the Wi-Fi speakers we've been waiting for.
When the SmartSpeaker launches this summer, consumers will be able to stream audio, including Internet radio and movies, from Wi-Fi-enabled cellphone and computers.
Software for the speakers is still in development and will be available for the iPhone, Zune, Palm, Android, iPod Touch, and Blackberry by the time of launch.
Ravi Rajapakse, CEO of Blackfire Research, became interested in audio at the age of 12, when he built his first speaker. But despite extensive experience in speaker engineering, he faced difficulties streaming audio over a packet-based Wi-Fi protocol.
After years of research and the help of several Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Ravi succeeded in building proprietary technology that he plans to apply to the greater speaker market.
He created the BearClaw Smart Amps, amplifiers that attach to regular speakers and enable them to operate over Wi-Fi. Blackfire is working ... Read more
(Credit:
Helium)
We first drooled over the LG Watch Phone at CES 2009, but as we have yet to see signs of it in the U.S., we have to make do with gadgets like this Bluetooth Wristband Communicator from Helium Digital.
The HDBT-990 is not even a watch, but you can use it to receive calls with incoming caller ID, vibration alerts, and even A2DP audio streaming (though you'll probably risk annoying your neighbors). It has up to 4 hours of talk time and 160 hours of standby time, and promises noise-cancellation, as well. It'll be available in February for around $87.
(Via iLounge)
Pick your color (as long as it's black or red).
(Credit: Lenovo)Lenovo's ThinkPad brand has been successful and durable, but also a bit staid. The company's recent announcements on the ThinkPad Edge brand and the compact X100e are attempts to shake up the landscape a little for professionals, and for those who desire Netbooks in the corporate world.
Starting at $449, the X100e doesn't feature an Intel Atom processor--rather, you have your choice of AMD Athlon Neo (single or dual-core) or Turion dual-core CPUs. Notably, this is the first ThinkPad to use an AMD processor.
A full-size raised keyboard, similar to the design in the new Edge line, features slightly concave keys for more comfortable typing. The build is sturdy, and the X100e comes with a standard suite of ThinkPad professional software.
Other features include ATI Radeon 3200 HD graphics, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 display, three USB ports, 802.11n, and optional Bluetooth/3G. Oh, yes: it also comes in black or racy red.
The X100e is currently advertised on Lenovo's Web site, ... Read more
(Credit:
GameSpot)
Bayonetta is an over-the-top action game and the latest from developer Platinum Games. Publisher Sega has tread carefully with Bayonetta by moving it out of the way of the holiday 2009 steamroller (Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2, etc.). Now, as part of the first wave of 2010 games, it has a chance to pick up new fans and maybe even soak up some of those electronics retailer gift cards that have become a popular generic gift item.
We've been seeing the game pretty regularly and have had the retail version for some time now. Here are our final thoughts:
Jeff:
Odds are you won't play anything like Bayonetta all year. While that may seem like a bold claim just one week into 2010, Bayonetta is by far one of the most bizarre, over-the-top, challenging, and entertaining games we've played in a while. Some may find the title's action similar to that of the Devil May Cry series (which isn't a bad thing), but Bayonetta feels more accessible. Though ... Read more
BMW's M Power app is actually quite useful.
(Credit: BMW)BMW has launched the M Power iPhone app, the Bavarian automaker's second free application to promote its brand. However, unlike its previous offering, this app is actually sort of useful.
The M Power app measures vehicle acceleration using your iPhone's (or iPod Touch's) built-in accelerometer. After securing the iPhone (via a windshield mount or just tossing it in a cup holder), the app will measure 0-60 mph times other user-customizable speeds in mph or kph. The app will also measure forward and lateral G-forces for users who want to take a spin on a skidpad. Users can also unlock different skins on BMW's Web site to customize the look and feel of the app.
Although branded with the BMW M badge, the M Power app will work for any car that you can fit an iPhone into. Unlike my favorite paid iPhone accelerometer-based speed computer, Dynolicious, BMW's app doesn't look like it will calculate your vehicle's ... Read more
The Technocel T360 has some ho-hum features.
(Credit: Technocel)Technocel just announced the T360, a Bluetooth headset that blends in with all the rest. Yep, the T360 is your basic cheap headset, with a design and feature set that won't win it any awards. Still, there's something to be said for a headset that retails for under $40--the T360 is available starting January 30 for $39.99 MSRP. It has 5 hours of talk time and 150 hours of standby time and includes multiple ear gel sizes for a better fit. We haven't had a chance to test its call quality, obviously, so you're on your own with that for now.
A robot out of Malaga, Spain, can recognize tunes and suggest similar melodies you might like.
(Credit: EFE/Jorge Zapata)A musically gifted robot out of Spain promises to identify a song when you hum it, whistle it, strum chords on the guitar, or play the piano. It can then classify the tune according to musical style and suggest similar songs you might like. In addition, it can determine whether a singer is male or female and group pieces accordingly.
The robot, apparently a Lego Mindstorms NXT, is one of a series of musically inclined bots being created at the University of Malaga to make and manage musical content.
In addition to the song-recognizing robot, the Malaga researchers developed a system that uses augmented reality technology to create a virtual piano keyboard. This method can also be applied to the bars of a xylophone.
The feature could prove useful for music teachers, who would have greater reach to students and venues lacking an instrument of their own, Isabel Barbancho, an associate professor of communications engineering ... Read more
While many have been fixated on when Apple will announce a new tablet product, The Wall Street Journal says it has found out when the device will actually be available to customers.
Sources have told the Journal that a 10- or 11-inch touch-screen tablet computer will begin shipping in March. Another source says that there are at least two different finishes for the device that Apple is either still deciding on or perhaps planning to charge different prices for each.
Though there's been a lot of speculation about the tablet, there are no confirmed details yet. Industry observers are anticipating a late January announcement (January 27, according to AllThingsD) of a slate-style computer that could be used as a touch-screen e-reader and video display with wireless access for around $1,000.
Pantech P9020
(Credit: FCC)While we were getting ready to say good bye to 2009, the FCC approved what looks like a new Pantech messaging phone. The P9020 has yet to be announced, but it appears to have a touch screen plus a QWERTY keyboard, 3G HSDPA compatible with AT&T, a music player, Bluetooth, GPS, and more.
Not much else is known about it, and it'll likely have a much different name than the generic "P9020," but it certainly looks like AT&T is keeping its messaging phone trend alive this coming year.
(Via PhoneScoop)
