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LG's flagship LED TV with onboard camera

LG announced a pair of five-figure TVs already, one OLED and another 4K, but among models mortals can afford, its flagship 2013 series of LED-based LCD TVs is the LA8600.

Unlike last year's LM9600 flagship, the LA8600 will forgo a full-array local dimming backlight in favor of an edge-lit variety. While that seems disappointing from a videophile perspective, it's worth noting that the LM9600 was among the worst-performing full-array LED TVs we'd ever tested.

Available in a 60- and 55-inch size, it will feature all of the latest tricks including an onboard, retractable camera. LG initially told … Read more

Check out the impossibly thin bezel on LG's LM8600 TV

LG has a number of new features in 2012--namely the upgraded Magic Motion remote, nonexistent bezels, and 3D gaming--all of which reside in the new LM8600 LCD.

As we predicted, slim bezels are in this year, and the LM8600--part of LG's Cinema Screen range--features a bezel less than 5mm thin. While some reports have it at 1mm, LG has confirmed to CNET that the edge-lit LED Cinema Screen bezels are all 5mm; a 1mm bezel is reserved for the company's OLED TV.

LG was one of the first companies other than Apple to use a one-sheet-of-glass design, and … Read more

HP announces 15 new printers for consumers and small businesses

HP held its annual Imaging and Printing Conference in Shanghai today, where the company announced plans to build out its business imaging division with 13 new printers designed to grease the workflow for small to midsize businesses. Along with hardware announcements, HP also unveiled new consumer features like ePrint Wireless Direct that lets users print with a smartphone without the need for an Internet connection; an advanced HP Printer Control app (PDF) for iOS devices; and a twist on HP ePrint called SocialID, which lets you assign a custom e-mail address that makes it easier for multiple users to print in the cloud.

One of the new product offerings you'll see soon is the HP LaserJet M275 (PDF), a multifunction printer with new TopShot Scanning that's essentially the reverse of 3D printing: the scanner bed can capture a 3D image of any object placed on the top-mounted tray.

This workhorse laser targets SMBs, so it can only hold up to 150 sheets of paper, but it also features ePrint and is fully compatible with Apple AirPrint so you can output images and documents directly from your iOS devices.… Read more

Sony extends Vaio laptop warranty for Nvidia glitch

Sony said that a small percentage of Vaio laptops with Nvidia graphics chips may experience problems and the company offered to provide an extended warranty to cover the cost of repair. This follows similar statements by Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.

Nvidia first disclosed the problem with its graphics chips in July 2008, saying at the time that graphics processors manufactured with a certain material set were failing in the field at a higher than normal rate.

In a Sony eSupport USA notice dated August 3, the company said: "Sony, in cooperation with Nvidia, has been looking into any possible effect to Vaio notebooks with Nvidia graphic processors. Until recently we had not identified any Vaio models that were affected by this issue."

The statement continues. "However, after closely monitoring the situation, Sony has now determined that a very small percentage of Vaio computers with the Nvidia graphics chips may experience this issue. These PCs may exhibit distorted video, duplicate images or a blank screen due to a failure of the Nvidia graphics chip." … Read more

Nvidia's past drives reports about Apple

A report claiming that Nvidia has been ousted from Apple laptop designs has gained prominence quickly because the graphics chip supplier is still dogged by past problems.

"The word is that Nvidia is out of Apple designs," according to a June 26 report from technology Web site SemiAccurate. The report has been cited widely with varying degrees of credence given to it.

"When I say out, I mean on the Nehalem-based Macs," Charlie Demerjian, the author of the report, said in a phone interview Monday, referring to future laptops from Apple that will be based on … Read more

Intel to release new midrange chips Monday

Update on August 10 at 11:00 p.m. with official Intel pricing:

Existing Q9550 drops from $530 to $316. Pricing for new processors: Q9650 priced at $530, Q9400 at $266, E8600 at $266, and E7300 at $133.

The Xeon X3660 is reduced from $530 to $316.

Intel says it plans to roll out a bevy of midrange processors, all built on its new 45-nanometer manufacturing process, on Monday. Game computer vendors, among others, are expected to follow suit with new machines.

The Core 2 Quad Q9650 heads the list of updated chips, according to Intel. It has a core … Read more

Sony laptop among first to combine Intel and Nvidia graphics

Intel or Nvida? You decide. An upcoming Sony notebook will be one of the first to have the capability to switch between Intel Centrino 2 and Nvidia graphics.

Intel's new Centrino 2 technology features what the chipmaker calls "switchable graphics" to save power. When the laptop is plugged in, it uses the higher-performance--and more power-hungry--Nvidia or AMD-ATI graphics. On battery, the system runs on Intel's 4500 series integrated graphics, which uses less power.

Sony lists the graphics system as "Hybrid Graphics" with a "Dedicated Hybrid GPU Switch" based on the Nvidia 9300M … Read more

As shares tumble, Nvidia faces minor meltdown

Nvidia is in the throes of a minor meltdown. Its share price is collapsing as it grapples with widespread product defects, a resurgent Advanced Micro Devices, and a weak market.

It all started when Nvidia released a statement on July 2 saying it would take a $150 million to $200 million charge to cover the costs for repair and replacement of defective graphics silicon in notebook PCs. Though Nvidia didn't name any names, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and Lenovo, among others, use Nvidia graphics chips in their notebooks.

Then on Thursday, July 3, shares plunged $5.54, or just over 30 … Read more

Laptop heralds Intel Centrino 2 mobile gaming

Germany-based Cizmo is offering an Intel Centrino 2-based gaming laptop that shows what's in store for mobile gamers this summer.

Intel's newest crop of Centrino 2 Montevina mobile processors are slated for a July 14 rollout and will include the Extreme X9100 processor: the first Penryn-class mobile processor to break the 3.0GHz barrier.

The Cizmo 17-inch CX1730M can be configured with an Intel X9100 Extreme processor running at 3.06GHz. A key feature of Intel X-class mobile processors is that they are designed to be overclocked.

The CX1730M can also take an Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX graphics chip.

Memory based on the new DDR3 standard is also offered. DDR3 SDRAM can be hooked up to Intel's faster 1066MHz front-side bus. Currently, Intel's front-side bus--which carries data between the processor and other silicon--runs at 800MHz.

Other specifications for the CX1730M include Intel's newest PM45 chipset. Intel stated last month that initially only the PM chipset--for discrete (standalone) graphics chips--would be available. The GM version with Intel integrated graphics will arrive in August. … Read more