Thunderbolt

As we get ready for CTIA 2011 next week, it's worth revisiting some Android devices announced two months ago at CES to see where they are today. While most of the phones and tablets have started trickling out to their respective carriers, some have yet to receive a launch date.

The most prolific Android announcement was the Motorola Xoom, which went on to win CNET's Best of CES award. Loved by critics, particularly because it offered features missing from the iPad, it would no doubt be a runaway hit, right? Not quite.

Unfortunately the sticker price was slightly higher … Read more

In the last few years Apple has been releasing systems with an advanced Mini DisplayPort connection for monitors that allows for some advanced options such as using an iMac as an external display. This port has been adopted throughout Apple's line of Mac systems because it offers high-resolution video handling as well as other options like audio support for connecting to television systems.

In a recent knowledgebase article on the DisplayPort connection, Apple describes how to identify whether or not your system has a DisplayPort connection, noting the port's geometry as well as the symbols used to identify … Read more

Verizon announced today that its first 4G smartphone, the HTC Thunderbolt, will be available starting March 17 for $249.99 with a two-year contract.

Announced at CES 2011, the Thunderbolt has been one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year so far, as it's the first phone to take advantage of Verizon's LTE network, which promises download speeds of 5Mbps to 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps to 5Mbps.

The smartphone can be used as a mobile hot-spot capabilities for up to eight devices and comes preloaded with several 4G-optimized apps, including EA's Rock Band, Gameloft's Let's Golf, Tunewiki, and Bitbop. CNET also confirmed with Verizon that the Thunderbolt will be able to do simultaneous voice and data over 3G.

In addition to the 4G capabilities, the Android 2.2 device features HTC Sense, a 4.3-inch WVGA touch screen, a kickstand, an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording, and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video calls. The smartphone is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has 8GB of onboard memory, as well as preinstalled 32GB microSD card. … Read more

Camera and copier maker Canon chimed in with support today for Intel's Thunderbolt technology, the first major consumer electronics company after Apple to back the new standard.

Thunderbolt, formerly known by its codename Light Peak, is a new connection technology that combines high-speed data transfer and high-definition video on a single cable. Running at 10Gbps, Thunderbolt can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds.

Apple has already adopted the technology--its newest MacBook Pros come with Thunderbolt ports--and is a technical collaborator with Intel. The announcement by Canon--which references "video creation"--marks the second major … Read more

One of the questions I've been peppered with since the iPad 2 announcement was whether I was going to replace my first-generation iPad for the new one. The answer for me is yes, since it's part of my job to live with these gadgets so I can understand their strengths, weaknesses, and appeal. But for most original iPad owners, I'm guessing they'll be holding out for version 3.

Why's that? The real big change is less about the external redesign as much as what's inside. New are things like a snappier processor and built-in … Read more

On today's show, we visit the horror that is the We Dare game for Wii (really!? REALLY!?), celebrate the expected disappearance of content spam from Google search results, and geek out on the details of Thunderbolt. Plus, bigger ads on HuffPo that might not be a bad thing, the Xoom rooted in two hours flat, and Computer Love! --Molly

Intel's long-awaited Light Peak technology, now known formally as Thunderbolt, is finally available on its first consumer device, and the company unveiled more details about when it will show up elsewhere.

First unveiled at the Intel Developer Forum back in 2009, the data transfer tech promises to replace a handful of ports with one that can handle more tasks and do them faster.

Code-named Light Peak, the current copper-based generation of Thunderbolt boasts 10Gbps data transfer speeds between computers and devices--that is, twice the speed of current USB 3.0 throughput. Future iterations of the specification are expected to … Read more

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

Google launches Recipe View to help you whittle your ingredient lists

Disney purchases Togetherville, a social network for children

Google makes a small change to its algorithm to push "content farm" links farther down in search results

Intel unveils its ThunderBolt data transfer technology, formerly code-named Light Peak

Angry Birds will fly on Windows Phone 7 in April

Bing extends Facebook's Like feature across its search results

Facebook breaks up with the Breakup Notifier app

This week, we got hit by Intel's Thunderbolt, a new high-speed data-connection technology that promises transfer speeds double those of current USB 3.0 and extends that swiftness across several devices simultaneously.

Formerly called Light Peak, the long-awaited technology is available now on Apple's new MacBook Pros, which are shipping with a Thunderbolt port as a standard feature. Yesterday, Intel also revealed more details about when we'll see Thunderbolt in other consumer devices.

Thunderbolt currently runs with a top speed of 10Gbps, though it promises to one day top 100Gbps in data throughput when it moves from copper wire to optical fiber. USB's ubiquity means it's not going anywhere just yet, and Intel has also said it plans to support USB 3.0 in future chipsets alongside Thunderbolt.

Still, all this talk of speed and port consolidation has us wondering just how electrified (if at all) you're feeling about Thunderbolt's official arrival. Will it affect your gadget-buying habits in the near future? Vote in our poll, and be sure to share any additional thoughts in the comments section. … Read more