The Daily tech news: April 20th 2010

Please aages in the future. SlashGear The Daily tech news: April 20th 2010 April 21, 2010 at 12:01 AM It's only Tuesday, and this week already f33ls like a rollercoaster. And it's probably not going to slow down any time soon. Either way, it gives us enough juice to get through the day, and we can't ask for anything more than that, now can we? In tonight's edition of the Daily Slash, we've got Seesmic adding some goodies to their Android app, a man's pinky getting stolen, and an expensive phone. And then in the dredge 'net, there's a camera < > that takes one for the team, the iPhone HD won't have a removable battery, either, and the App Store sees the cartoon light. The Best of R3 Media Seesmic V1.3 Adds a Widget and Geotagging: There are a lot of Twitter applications available in the Android Marketplace. It's probably one of the most popular applications to develop. And, while there's a few good ones out there, Seesmic is one of the best. And, with its update to version 1.3, it gets even better. Now the application features a widget to add to your homescreen, geotagging your tweets, and the ability to pick the way you retweet the cool stuff. [via Android Community] Man's Pinky Stolen Along With iPad: Apparently, and we might be wrong, the iPad is a tablet that's in demand. Just ask two thugs who accosted a man leaving a Denver-based Apple Store after purchasing an iPad for a colleague. Yeah, it wasn't even his iPad! As he made it to the garage parking area, the two men grabbed the bag, which had its strings tied around his hand, and pulled the bag away from the purchaser's grip. Along with it? The skin off his pinky finger. [via Everything iPad] Ulysse Nardin Chairman is Too Expensive: But, we can't say that it doesn't feature a ton of awesome features. For example, it's rocking some version of Android, it's got a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, and it has an amazing 32GB of internal memory for good measure. Oh, and it features a kinetic power system, which can power your phone up to 30 days on standby, and provide up to 8 hours of talk time. It also features things like 22K gold, anodized aerospace aluminum alloy, and sapphire crystal. Still, $49,500 seems a bit steep. [via SlashPhone] The Dredge Net The BeetleCam Gets Mauled by Lions for the Greater Good: We're not exactly sure what the greater good might be in this case, but we've got to say it. Either that, or we think that maybe the BeetleCam may just be a cool idea, wasted on wheels. The BeetleCam is designed to carry a Canon 400D DSLR into the places where walking just wouldn't be a good idea. You know, like next to male elephants, or a lion pride. Of course, lions (and elephants) don't like things racing towards them with lights flashing, so you won't be surprised to hear that the little robotic vehicle got mauled and dragged into the bushes. But, at least they got cool footage. And, of course, there's a next generation BeetleCam in the works. [via MAKE] iPhone HD Gets Dissected and You Still Can't Remove Battery: Yes, the iPhone HD got leaked, and a certain site managed to get their hands on it and have their way with it. And, while that's all well and interesting, one of the things to take home and write about is the fact that a small tab right next to the battery says "Authorized Service Providers Only." Which means that you won't be able to get the back off your iPhone HD and remove (and replace) your battery on your own. So, if that's something you were counting on, go ahead and check it off the list. [via Engadget] NewsToons Finally Allowed Into the App Store: The simple fact that Apple's iTunes Store is a closed system isn't a big secret to anyone. And, while their draconian acceptance rules seem to be thought up on the spot sometimes, we don't have much room to judge or point fingers. It is their environment, anyway. But, we've got to wonder why a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist like Mark Fiore was originally banned. Oh, but now it's available. The app is called NewsToons and you can download it right now, if that's something you're into. It is political satire and goofy comic strips about the latest political stories, so if you're in the mood for a laugh while on the go, this may be the perfect way to achieve it. [via App Advice] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Xbox 360 USB storage update arrives today AT&T Employees Blocked From Vacationing in June Microsoft Pink leaks again: April 20th Verizon launch? [Update: & Vodafone!] HTC EVO 4G Makes an Appearance in Sprint Inventory System SlashGear Guns N' Roses feud reportedly turns nasty Apple Posts $3.07 Billion Profit in Second Quarter 2010 April 20, 2010 at 5:30 PM Looks like bad news can't keep Apple down — not that recent events really had much of an impact on the second quarter 2010 financial results, but let's face it: it wouldn't have mattered much. Apple managed to post some impressive numbers this afternoon. In fact, it's the best non-holiday quarter the company has ever posted. So, that's pretty noteworthy. Apple reports that they've posted a $3.07 billion profit over a collected $13.5 billion in revenue in the fiscal quarter of 2010. That's just January to March, for the record. Percentage wise, that means Apple profits were up 90% while revenue went up 49%. As for those Macs? Sales went up 33% over last year, with a total number of 2.92 million units sold. As for the iPod, sales were actually down by one point, with "only" 10.89 million units sold. And then there's the iPhone, which adds up to an increase of 131% with an additional 8.75 million units sold. Pretty impressive numbers, and we're sure that Apple is still sitting pretty high in their Cupertino offices. And, we can see why they'd be thrilled by their current business model. Now, we just have to wait for the impact of the next iPhone, and we'll probably get to repeat all of this next quarter. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple posted record Quarterly Revenue and Earnings Apple reports 50% surge in Q1 profits, doubling of iPhone sales, Macs up 33% AMD boasts record Q1 revenue Toshiba HD-DVD cull prompts 95% profit crash Apple Q109 results best ever: $1.21bn in profit Nintendo Wii Classic Controller Pro Available Right Now April 20, 2010 at 5:05 PM It's been over a year since Nintendo announced the Nintendo Wii's Classic Controller Pro, and since then, it's been only sold over in Japan. But, those in the United States got a glimpse of hope back in January, when Nintendo announced that the Controller Pro would be available in April, 2010. Well, sure enough, Nintendo has indeed kept their word, and the Wii Classic Controller Pro is now officially available. And, in proper Nintendo fashion, they've managed to make sure that you've got some options at your disposal. The Controller Pro comes in white or black shades, and it is available right now from Amazon. The Pro version of the controller features four shoulder buttons for easy access, and the controller is ergonomically designed for a better, more comfortable grip while playing. Best of all though, the Controller Pro is compatible with more than 460 Wii, WiiWare, and Virtual Console titles, so this would definitely be a great addition to your Wii's arsenal. You can also pick up the Controller Pro with a limited edition bundle of Monster Hunter Tri, if that's your thing. The price of the bundle is $59.99 and it can only be found on Amazon as of now. The price for the Wii Classic Controller Pro by itself is $19.99. [via I4U News] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nintendo Classic Controller PRO for Wii announced Nintendo sends out SNES controllers for the Wii The Nintendo Controller Backpack Hori Classic Controller ! for Wii is GameCube-ish Classic controller for the Wii Microsoft Zune HD2 Seen at Microsoft Experience? April 20, 2010 at 4:21 PM At least we can say that this isn't the first time the Zune HD2 has been rumored about. Because, let's face it, if you've got something as thin as this, you'll need some kind of other story to support it. Luckily, we've got that in this situation. According to a report over at Zunited, apparently a director and blogger got a chance to see the new Zune HD, along with a few pieces of other Microsoft tech. The person in question, James Gunn, got the chance to attend Microsoft's "The Microsoft Experience," and while he was there, he got to peek the latest and greatest in Microsoft toys. The most notable is what he called "the new Zune." Now, there was a new Zune HD that just got released, you know — the 64GB model. And, that could very well be what Gunn witnessed, especially considering he doesn't give any further details. But, we'd wager that Microsoft said something along the lines of "new," and perhaps Gunn is of the mind to know what exactly is new on the market. Gunn also noted his time spent with Project Natal, and the fact that he also saw a new Microsoft tablet, which, apparently, is a lot like the iPad. From what we heard yesterday, we don't know if that would be the HP Slate. Of course, he also got to see the new Microsoft phones, so that's probably Windows Phone 7, and not the Kin One or Kin Two. This doesn't necessarily mean that a new Zune HD, the Zune HD2, is coming, but it's just another rumor to pile up. And we'd be willing to be that they'll be piling up pretty quick over the next few months. [via Zunited] Relevant Entries on SlashGear The big 'M' with a bold new Zune Microsoft announces XNA game development for the Zune More Hands-On Zune Photos Zune HD AV Dock and other accessories detailed, pric! ed Microsoft Zune runs on Vista Nintendo 3DS Launching in October April 20, 2010 at 4:01 PM Right now, you should chalk this one up for what it is: an unconfirmed rumor. But, if UK industry sources are to be believed, then it looks like the newest mobile gaming console from Nintendo, the 3DS, will actually see store shelves months before originally believed. Although, we're still positive that it's going to launch in Japan first, so that means it could be some time next year before it sees shelves elsewhere. Also, we're still expecting to hear more about Nintendo's 3DS come this June, during E3. Until this moment, it was believed that some time in March, 2011 would peg the release of the 3DS in the United States. However, according to some executives that can't be named, it looks like Nintendo is aiming for an October release. That would be a good move on Nintendo's part, as it would put them in a three month advance to Christmas. That is a full five months before the originally expected launch, and we've got to say that we're a bit surprised. Not only is Nintendo expected to announce the 3DS in June at E3, but Microsoft is also scheduled to showcase their Project Natal, which is also launching this holiday season. So, will Nintendo's glass-less mobile gaming console beat out Microsoft's own motion-controlled gaming hardware? We'll have to wait and see. [via CVG] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nintendo Wii price-drop to $199.99; New Super Mario Bros. Wii on Nov 15th Nintendo DS Lite: The Light way of Gaming Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass gets October release date Gizmodo claims iPhone launching on Monday October 18th Nintendo Wii took off running further Creative D100 and D200 Outed for Your Wireless Pleasure April 20, 2010 at 3:32 PM There's something to be said about going wireless. It's a lifestyle we can't wait to embrace, and these speakers are going to help us get there. Well, they would be if we were in Singapore, that is. Creative have just pulled the curtain off their D100 and D200 wireless speakers, and we're hoping just as much as the company itself that they'll help "usher in a new era in pure music listening." We're not even sure what that means, exactly, but we're excited about it nonetheless. And, while the D100 and D200 are taking the shining spot for now, they're being launched with a pair of other speakers: the ZiiSound D5 which costs $290, and the Inspire S2 2.1 speaker system for $145. The D200 is the smaller, cheaper sibling to the ZiiSound D5, with the same components and same sound as the more expensive version, but it only costs $110. And then the D100 ranges in there for $65, and it's being labeled as a wireless boombox, because it can also be powered by four AA batteries, for all your travelling, shoulder-carrying needs. All of them are high performance Bluetooth supported wireless speakers that support the apt-X codec, with the exception of the D100. However, perhaps in a trade-off, the model will feature a range of colors to include black, green, pink, and blue. The ZiiSound D5 and Inspire S2 are available right now in Singapore, but all four of the wireless speakers should be made available in stores some time in July. But, which stores and where exactly you'll be able to get them is up in the air. [via Pocket-Lint] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Huawei D100 Router transforms 3G dongle into WiFi network ASUS EeeNAS D200 video & GUI gallery Creative Sound Blaster WoW headsets now shipping Creative unveils Sound Blaster Wireless Headset for World of Warcraft Creative Zen – Creative launches a newer, smaller PMP Microsoft Project Natal Found in the Wild Again April 20, 2010 at 3:07 PM Yes, these images do show that the Project Natal unit is, indeed, somewhere outside of a Microsoft bunker. But, that doesn't necessarily mean that this is the final, final product model. Indeed, this could be a prototype, again. But, nevertheless, it isn't in a Microsoft bunker, and these images are apparently coming from someone who was sent a model to test. In Italy. Lucky them. According to the report, the individual in question was sent the Project Natal unit to test the equipment's voice recognition. There's no word on how that's going, because we're all too busy looking at the images. As you can see for yourself, we get to see what looks like a Project Natal main unit, and then some paperwork consisting of the Quick Start Guide, and an instruction manual. Good stuff to stare at, if you ask us. What's noteworthy, is that there is apparently a motorized tilt mechanism, one of which that users aren't supposed to mess with, because they might break it. Interesting. Also, something we're not all that surprised about, it seems that Project Natal will need to be plugged into the wall for power. The best part might be the speech recognition, though, as there are commands, apparently, for things like "Turn on the Xbox 360″ and "Go to Facebook." There's not much else to go on here, so just go ahead and take a gander at the images. That's what we're doing. At least until June 13th, when we'll finally get some more official action shots. [via Destructoid] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Microsoft Project Natal launch details leak Microsoft Project Natal prototype caught in wild Project Natal unlikely to be backward-compatible with existing 360 games Rumor claims Nintendo turned down Project Natal tech Project Natal confirmed for 2H 2010 by game publisher SDHC Flash Memory Performance on Canon EOS 1D Mark IV April 20, 2010 at 11:31 AM Digital SLR cameras generally save their images to one of two different types of memory card: the majority support CompactFlash (CF), while others such as Nikon's D3000 and the Canon Rebel XS write data onto Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. The latter are inexpensive and favorable for their smaller form factor and better physical contact surface instead of fragile pins. Some DSLRs, however, have dual card slots, such as the Canon Digital EOS 1D Mark II N or the Nikon D300s. Last time around, we reviewed number of UDMA-6 high performance CompactFlash cards on the world's fastest DSLR, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, and we promised to put some Class-10 SDHCs through the same tests. That day has come, so read on to find out how Class 10 SDHCs stack against UDMA-rated CF on the Mark IV. Introduced about a decade ago, the multi-media card (MMC) based SD card has evolved from Standard 1.1 (SD), 2.0 (SDHC) to 3.0 (SDXC) slowly but surely, with capacity and speed improving from 2GB with a minimum sustained read/write speed of 2.2 MB/s to a whooping 2TB of storage space at a maximum transfer speed of 104 MB/s. While we have not seen such cards on the market with that capability, Version 4.0 is already in development and intends to reveal the full potential of SDXC, tripling data throughput up to 300MB/s. So far, devices supporting the standard are limited and only one DSLR is known to support it, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i. Though SanDisk has recently shipped a slower-speed Ultra II SDXC 64GB, the speed is fairly basic at 15MB/s. However, Toshiba showcased its first SDXC memory card at CES 2010 earlier this year with read and write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 35MB/s respectively. With video recording on DSLRs becoming increasingly popular – and not requiring much faster – write-speeds – SDXC is an interesting prospect both in terms of capacity and ability to boost performance when needed. If you have prior experience with SDHC, you've probably guessed that backward compatibility for the SD format can be a hassle. Unlike CompactFlash, where cards supporting improved standards are often backward compatible, SD can be more reluctant to play along. Your host devices must support the newer standard, and it's often been our experience that mismatching such standards could cause permanent damage to the storage card. SDHC read and write performances For this review, we repeated the same tests previously performed on the CompactFlash cards to record time consumed to write data onto the same camera and computer – Canon's EOS 1D Mark IV and a Mac Pro with a 1TB Western Digital Black Caviar HDD – with six Class-10 SDHC candidates from SanDisk, PhotoFast and Lexar Media. The SDHC reader used to calculate read speed was the SanDisk ImageMate All-In-One media reader with an advertised maximum speed of 30 MB/s read and 27 MB/s write respectively. Lexar Professional 133x 8GB SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 20MB/s, $60 PhotoFast 4GB SLC SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 22MB/s, $69** PhotoFast 32GB MLC SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 18MB/s, $179 SanDisk Extreme 8GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $50 SanDisk Extreme 16GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $99 SanDisk Extreme 32GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $190 Pricing based on Amazon online. **Manufacturer pricing. From our last test, we've seen that top-tier CompactFlash cards could reach 58MB/s on the Mark IV; disappointingly, though, the camera performed around 3 times slower with the SDHC cards. Results are fairly consistently among the cards, data generally being written at 20MB/s with the exception of the 32GB PhotoFast, which trailed around 5MB/s behind the pack. Oddly, while read benchmarks are normally significantly faster than write rates, the SDHCs on test performed just slightly faster than their write speeds. Again, no significant performance differences were observed among the cards. As we found in our last review a UDMA card can help in clearing out the DSLR's frame buffer, managing up to 30-31 frames before hitting the wall. Take the 32GB version of SanDisk's Extreme Pro CF and Extreme SDHC 30MB/s for comparison. The former held 31 frames and took 10.33 seconds to clear; the latter only managed 27 frames but took as much as 25.17 seconds to clear. To put the numbers into perspective, it extends buffer depth by adding four frames more in continuous burst mode and writes 2.5x faster to clear the queues onto the card and be ready for the next burst. In addition, if you're accustomed to formatting your memory card before you start shooting – as you should, allowing your camera to initialize the file system and help prevent write errors – you would have to wait longer with the SDHC cards. The Mark IV camera formatted the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash in 1.4 seconds but took up to 5.1 seconds on the Extreme SDHC card. If your priority is camera performance, taking uninterrupted still images of action sequences, you would want to stick with UDMA enabled CompactFlash, preferably a mode 6 card. Our tests show that, right now, DSLRs and card reader compliant with the UDMA standard write and read data far better than with SDHC. Having fast media storage allows for quicker image access, both for capture as well as when formatting. However, with HD video recording increasingly a standard feature for today's DSLRs, video cinematographers would probably prefer the largest media available, such the upcoming SDXC cards with an outrageous 2TB on offer. Take the Mark IV video recording rate for example: at 5.5MB/s Full HD recording, it would fill a 64GB card in 192 minutes. That's fine for short interviews, but you'd probably need to pack a few cards to record, say, a short-feature film. Still, for now at least, CompactFlash is ahead of the memory card competition in term of raw ! performance. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Canon Update on Mark III AutoFocus's Snafu – Houston, we don't have a problem Rob's Update on the Blue-Dot EOS-1D Mark III autofocus issue ATP Launch High-Speed 4GB SDHC Card for Prosumer Cameras! Canon VIXIA HD camcorders get 24Mbps bit-rate recording update Canon reveals five new VIXIA HD camcoders for CES 2009 E Ink next-gen displays get video demos April 20, 2010 at 11:29 AM E Ink have carved quite a niche for themselves providing displays for the majority of big name ereaders – they supply Amazon and Barnes & Noble, among others – and have been showing off some of the tech they reckon will hold off rival panels like LCD, Pixel Qi and mirasol. The Red Ferret Journal grabbed some eyes-on time with the new prototypes, including a monochrome panel with twice the contrast of current-gen e-ink screens. Video demo after the cut As well as being more readable than current panels, the next-gen screen also supports faster refresh rates. That's not enough for smooth video, at least not currently, but it's good enough for the animated content you can see in the first video below. E Ink also have a new, toughened display which they reckon is almost indestructible. That's being targeted at textbooks for academic environments, where users are expected to be slightly less cautious with how they treat their ereader. No word on when we can expect these panels to show up in production hardware, nor what they might add to the price of your average Kindle, nook or Alex. Next-gen E Ink panel: Near-indestructable E Ink display: Relevant Entries on SlashGear ASUS announces new high-end LCD displays Tritton external USB video cards offered at Best Buy Nanovision MIMO UM-710 & UM-730 USB displays: Video Unboxing InFocus announces new thin LCD displays with big screens Symbian^4 UI video demos emerge: 12 months of hard work ahead MAINGEAR eX-L 15 gets Core i5/i7 update April 20, 2010 at 11:09 AM MAINGEAR's eX-L 15 notebook is eight months old, so the company has dragged it back into the lab and given it an upgrade-style polish. The new version packs the latest Core i5 and Core i7 processors, while out goes the eX-L 15's original GeForce GTX 260m graphics, to be replaced by the newer ATI Radeon HD 5870 1GB GPU paired with some different display resolution options. In fact the standard display is now the a 1,600 x 900 16:9 15.6-inch panel, and there's a new 1920 x 1080 option. Otherwise there's eSATA, FireWire, four USB 2.0 ports, VGA, HDMI and DVI, as well as S/PDIF, a webcam and a separate numeric keypad. The new version is cheaper – at least at the entry level – than the machine it replaces, too, and where the basic eX-L 15 previously kicked off at $1,899, the new version starts at $1,599. The Full HD display is an extra $95, you'll pay at least $144 for a Core i7-620M upgrade, and switching the standard 250GB 7,200rpm HDD for an SSD is at least $323.75. Press Release: MAINGEAR Unleashes Revamped eX-L 15 Gaming Notebook 15" notebook gives gamers the world's fastest mobile graphics performance to date Kenilworth, New Jersey – April 20, 2010 – MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils the eX-L 15, the fastest 15″ HD gaming notebook on the market. Featuring DirectX 11 graphics courtesy of the ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics adapter, and resolutions up to 1920×1080 and an LED back-lit screen, the eX-L delivers killer graphics and performance. Processing Power – eX-L15 can be configured with 45nm quad-core processors for blazing fast performance or the all new 2010 Intel Core i5 and i7 32nm processors for enhanced battery life. Visual Feast – eX-L 15 packs the world's fastest mobile GPU in the ATI Radeon 5870 with a crystal clear 1080p LED backlit screen providing the most brilliant resolution for today's hottest games. And enjoy a complimentary 30-day, ZERO dead pixel warranty free of charge. Connectivity, Security, and Expandability– Featuring DVI, HDMI, and S/PDIF audio out, the eX-L 15 gives users enhanced connectivity capabilities to bring movies, games, and music onto a larger monitor and sound system. Additional connection features include eSata, Firewire, 4 USB ports, and a webcam. Cooling Capabilities – To combat an overheating lap, MAINGEAR implemented a dual heatpipe cooling design for both the CPU and GPU with Artic Cooling thermal paste. Additional Advanced Features – eX-L 15 offers gamers a dedicated number pad easing the transition between gaming on a desktop and notebook. "The eX-L was designed for maximum performance in a portable package," said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR. "With the DirectX 11 performance of the Radeon HD 5870, we're not only able to provide that performance, but do it with exceptional visual quality for today's and tomorrow's hottest titles." Consumers can purchase the eX-L 15 at MAINGEAR's Web site http://www.maingear.com/custom/laptops/exl-15/ or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR). The base price for the eX-L 15 is $1,599 and comes with MAINGEAR's premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with a 1 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country. Relevant Entries on SlashGear MainGear has new 4GHz SkullTrail based Desktops – faster than the Flash Maingear Shift supercomputer adds ATI HD 5970 to options list MAINGEAR hops on 3D bandwagon, Prelude 2 features GeForce 3D Vision Maingear SHIFT gets Fermi video card option MAINGEAR mX-L 13.1-inch notebook Nissan Leaf EV pre-sales kick off today April 20, 2010 at 10:33 AM Nissan's Leaf may not be the most aesthetically pleasing all-electric car, but it's looking set to be the first one in a long time to go on sale in the US. The company is contacting those would-be buyers in the US who signed up for more information, telling them that – as of later on today – they'll be able to put down a $99 refundable deposit to buy or lease a Leaf of their own. Unlike hybrids, which pair electric motors with traditional gas or diesel engines, the Leaf is entirely electric and requires regular charging from an AC point; of course, the benefit is that it won't itself put out any emissions. It's priced at $25,280 after a $7,500 federal tax credit, though certain states have other rebate plans you might be eligible for. Leasing, meanwhile, begins at $349 per month. Once the early reservation people have had their say, general deposits will be taken from May 15th. The pre-order phase for the Leaf kicks off in earnest come August 2010, while the car itself isn't expected to begin rolling onto buyers' drives until December this year, with broader availability in 2011. [via Autoblog] Relevant Entries on SlashGear An Xbox Car by Nissan and Microsoft Leaf rolls out new medium format cameras : Leaf AFi‐II and Leaf Aptus-II camera backs Nissan makes a minivan with a microwave Nissan dealers to use ICP Solar Battery Chargers Nissan SUV gets robot treatment Panasonic TT-CC10W Skype webcam for HDTVs hits Japan April 20, 2010 at 10:08 AM It may look a little like Project Natal, but this lengthy webcam is actually Panasonic's Skype camera for their latest HDTVs. The Panasonic TY-CC10W is intended to use with select Viera models, bringing 720p HD video and active noise cancellation audio to the sets for straightforward video conversations. Panasonic reckons the system will appeal to grandparents and other tech-phobic users, who might find a notebook too much hassle and a standalone Skype phone unnecessarily indulgent. Plugging it in – via USB 2.0 – adds an new Skype option to the HDTV's on-screen menus, and you can browse contact lists and add new contacts directly from the UI. The Panasonic TY-CC10W is expected to go on sale come June 11th; Panasonic have not confirmed pricing, but AV Watch expect it to be around 18,000 yen ($194). That's expensive for a webcam (especially one that will only work with your Viera HDTV, not if you plug it into a computer), but the company are obviously counting on people spending the extra for ease of use. [via AV Watch] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Panasonic KX-TG9000 cordless Skype phone Japan finally getting Skype for the PSP Panasonic unveils new LCD HDTVs in Japan Panasonic Japan unveils new G2 HDTV line Panasonic DMC-GH1 1080p Hybrid hits Japan April 24th Socle sPad A11 tablet platform should fast-track iPad rivals April 20, 2010 at 9:18 AM Apple's iPad is on the market (in the US at least), rivals from Notion Ink, Toshiba, HP and others are expected sometime this year; if you're a manufacturer and want a tablet of your own then you need all the shortcuts you can get. SoC manufacturer Socle Technology have pitched up with GlobalFoundries 65nm chipset, a! n ARM Mali 3D GPU and full 1080p HD hardware decoding in their sPad A11 Design and Development platform. More complete and more powerful than Apple's A4, so Socle say, the sPad A11 supports Android and other Linux platforms complete with 3D graphics and multitasking. There are also onboard camera, Bluetooth, WiFi and memory controllers, and Socle already have a software reference design to go with the hardware. Unfortunately they're not using the newer 28nm GlobalFoundries Cortex A9 chips, but as we've seen in the past ARM's Mali GPUs are certainly capable of pushing out the high-def media many tablet users are looking for. We're all for more challenges to the Tegra/Apple A4/Atom paradigm, especially if, as Socle suggest, the tablet platform will be more competitively priced and quicker to deploy. [via DigiTimes] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung's iPad rival coming 2H 2010 Apple rumored to be working on another larger tablet, possibly based on Mac OS X iPad dropping March 26th; "special gift" for store campers? ASUS' iPad-rival tablet strategy includes multiple models this year MSI Tegra tablet coming 2H 2010 for $500 Apple iPad WiFi + 3G in-store April 30th April 20, 2010 at 8:58 AM Apple have confirmed that preordered iPad WiFi + 3G units should arrive with buyers on April 30th, though the company's online store currently lists a May 7th expected delivery date. The press release also says that Apple's retail stores should have stock of the WWAN-enabled iPad in, though not until 5pm on the 30th. As with the WiFi-only models, there will be three versions of WiFi + 3G iPad. Starting price is $629 for the 16GB iPad – a $130 premium over the non-3G – while 32GB and 64GB units will be $729 and $829. 3G service itself is provide by AT&T in the US, with 250MB for $14.99 and unlimited data for $29.99 per month. Interestingly there's no minimum contract and activation/management is all handled on the iPad itself. For more on the iPad, check out the full SlashGear review. [via Everything iPad] Press Release: iPad Wi-Fi + 3G Models Available in US on April 30 CUPERTINO, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today announced that the Wi-Fi + 3G models of its magical iPad(TM) will be delivered to US customers who've pre-ordered on Friday, April 30, and will be available in Apple retail stores the same day starting at 5:00 p.m. iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch(TM) user interface. iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.6 pounds–thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook–and deliver up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music, and up to nine hours of surfing the web using a 3G data network.* Apple retail stores will offer a free Personal Setup service to every customer who buys an iPad at the store, helping them customize their new iPad by setting up their email, loading their favorite apps from the App Store, and more. US Apple retail stores are also hosting special iPad workshops to help customers learn more about this magical new product. Pricing & Availability iPad is available in Wi-Fi models in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available on April 30 in the US for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad is sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores, most Best Buy stores, select Apple Authorized Resellers and campus bookstores. AT&T is offering breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management. iPad will be available at the end of May in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Apple will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders for iPad on May 10. *Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple iPad accessory delays lengthening Apple iPad Keyboard Dock won't ship until mid-April Apple Store down: iPad incoming iPad UK launch April 24th says! Apple Store employee Apple iPad up for preorder now Google Chrome OS netbooks $300-$400 says Schmidt April 20, 2010 at 8:29 AM Google CEO Eric Schmidt has revealed new details regarding the upcoming Chrome OS based netbooks, including some of the thought processes behind the development of the web-centric platform and what price tags he expects to see hardware land with. According to Schmidt, "the price points you should think about are the current netbook pricings which are 300 dollar, 400 dollar price points," figures he points out that are led by manufacturers and are predominantly derived from the cost of processors, glass and other components. Video after the cut However, while Chrome OS carries no software cost, there is an associated price in bringing software up to speed. Schmidt admitted that even Google "found applications that were part of our business; operations, sales, accounting so forth" which they had to translate into the "perfect web app." As for why Google decided to get into the netbook OS business, Schmidt says that, rather than just search, the company is all about information and sharing, something that traditional software can't manage in the same way. Google intend to use their GData protocol hooked into their webapps, and are planning for the point – 5 or 10 years down the line – where mobile devices like smartphones are just as capable as traditional desk-bound hardware, with users swapping data via the cloud. [via TechRadar] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Google Chrome OS & Android "may merge closer"; CEO Schmidt opposed development Google tablet runs Flash & Chrome browser tips Schmidt Google Chrome OS announced: on netbooks by 2H10 Google Chrome OS release in next 7 days? Eric Schmidt resigns from Apple board Henge Dock for MacBook unveiled April 20, 2010 at 7:44 AM When it comes to working for a notebook all the time many people end up wishing they had a larger screen, full size keyboards, and a different mouse. You can add these things to your notebook but removing them each time you need to take the notebook with you can be a pain. Docking stations for Windows machines are prolific, but MacBook users don't have that many options. A new line of docks for MacBook notebooks have debuted called Henge Docks. The docks let you slip the MacBook into the dock on its side. Docks are made for black and white plastic MacBooks, 13-inch MacBook Pro unibody, 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 17-inch MacBook Pro models. Each dock offers USB, Ethernet, audio cable, and some versions have Firewire cables. The docs use the MacBook MagSafe Power adapter and Apple Mini DisplayPort or DVI adapters for video out. Docks start at $59.95 and are available now. Relevant Entries on SlashGear MacBook Touch mockups from a fan Supposed new MacBook Pro pic with touchscreen trackpad: looks fake Nexus One Car Dock Finally Gets A Face Shot [update] Macbook Pro and MacBook refreshed with Penryn Apple's new USB SuperDrive is only useful if you have a MacBook Air Acer picks AMD CPU for Aspire One 521 April 20, 2010 at 7:36 AM AMD and Intel are the two big processor makers on the market. Intel has much more market share and tends to make the better performing, but more expensive CPUs. AMD makes CPUs that may give up performance to Intel, but cost much less to purchase. Many notebook makers are moving to AMD parts for some of the more budget-oriented machines. Acer is reportedly getting a new Aspire One 521 notebook ready for the market sporting an AMD V105 single core processor at 1.2GHz. The CPU in question is part of the AMD Nile line reports Liliputing and has 512KB of L2 cache. The machine will support DDR3 memory and only needs 9W of power at full tilt. The machine will reportedly have Radeon HD 4225 graphics and will use the M880G chipset. The machine will be the first ultraportable from Acer with an AMD CPU inside. There is no word on an expected launch date for the machine. Relevant Entries on SlashGear AT&T 3G Acer Aspire One 10.1-inch hitting Costco May 11th Acer Aspire One Pro 731 and Pro 531 tipped Acer issues Aspire X1200 HDMI hotfix 10-inch Acer Aspire One! just $399? Acer Aspire 5738DG 3D notebook breaks cover Leica V-Lux 20 gets official April 20, 2010 at 7:24 AM Last week the Leica V-Lux 20 digital camera was leaked with a photo of the new camera turning up online. We were able to dig up a few specifications for the camera despite the fact that only the one image was leaked at the time. Now that the camera is officially official, we have all the specs you can want. The V-Lux 20 has a focal length of 25-300mm and a 12.1MP sensor. The camera is a point and shoot, so a wide range of automatic settings are included. It can record movies in 720p HD resolution and GPS tagging for video and photos is available. The camera will ship with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 for image editing. The camera has a full range of automatic settings, but those wanting to play with manual settings can also adjust aperture and shutter speed to their liking. Continuous shots can be made at up to 6fps for 15 photos on internal memory or 100 photos using a SD card. The camera support SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. The rear LCD is a 3-inch TFT unit. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Leak of Leica S System, 13 images with S2 Digital SLR and Lenses Leica limited "Titanium" D-Lux 4 imminent Leica M8.2 Digital Rangefinder Camera gets Official Release Leica X1 and M9 get premature previews Leica to release new S Digital SLR System, packs 35MP S2 DSLR with nine new lenses to come Corsair debuts Flash Survivor GTR flash drive April 20, 2010 at 7:12 AM Corsair has been offering its line of Flash Survivor flash drives for a while now. The claim to fame for the series is a robust aluminum case that is water resistant and durable. The company has unveiled its latest model for the line called the Flash Survivor GTR. The new model can be had in 32GB and 64GB capacities. The drive promises to survive submersion in up to 200M of water. Corsair still builds the drive to resist shocks and repeated drops. The new GTR is speedy too with read speeds of up to 34MB/s and write speed of up to 28MB/s. Wear leveling technology is used to extend the life of the drive. Pricing and availability for the GTR drives is unknown. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Corsair releases their Flash Survivor Corsair drops new 64GB Flash Survivor USB drive Flash Survivor 32GB by Corsair – Unboxing and Pics Corsair Survivor gets! put to the test Corsair's Flash Voyager 16GB USB Flash Drive Slurpee, snacks, and video games now at 7-Eleven April 20, 2010 at 7:01 AM When I was a kid, we had a number of 7-Eleven stores in my area. They were all bought out and left the area taking their Slurpee machines with them, it was tragedy. It's great to be able to get your gas, Slurpee, snacks, and all sorts of other gear in one location. Gamers can now add video games to the list of items that they can purchase in 7-Eleven locations. The company has announced that it will be selling pre-owned video games in a new Gamers Factory selection at discount price. The titles will all cost under $20 with price points of $9.99, $14.99, and $19.99 depending on the game. The program was trialed in 600 stores back in November and is now available in 3,000 locations around the country. Each location can carry up to 96 game titles for the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and PSP. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Pastor holds rally to burn video games, music Nissan makes a minivan with a microwave No link found between teen violence and violent video games Harvard Researchers look into the effects of violent video games on children PSP 2.71 Firmware Cracked 70-inch Newsight 3D display needs no glasses April 20, 2010 at 6:51 AM We don't have a ton of details, but a new and large 3D display has turned up in Japan at the Finetech Japan 2010 show. The big news for the display isn't that it's 70-inches, other 70-inch 3D displays have already been announced. The big news here is that the 70-inch screen needs no glasses to view 3D content. The display is said to use parallax barrier technology. This tech lets the viewer see 3D images by dividing the image into repeating segments that are integrated by the naked eye into 3D images. The parallax barrier is fixed to a commercial LCD display in a precision assembly process reports DigiTimes. This is good news; I still think 3D TV in homes won't really catch on until you don't need glasses. Relevant Entries on SlashGear World Largest 3D LED display is 180-inch AUO set to produce 65-inch 3D panels in 2H 2010 CES 2009: GeForce 3D Vision ads a new dimension to PC gaming Alioscopy demo 40-inch 3D glasses-free TV Vuzix announces new Wrap 310 widescreen video glasses VIA unveils ARTiGO A1100 DIY PC kit that is barely larger than a cell phone April 20, 2010 at 6:39 AM There are small form factor PCs and then there are really (really) small form factor PCs. VIA has definitely unveiled one of the latter class of machines today with its new ARTiGO A1100. The tiny PC has a chassis that fits into the sub-liter category. As you can see in the image above, the little machine is barely larger than your average mobile phone. Despite its small size, it crams in some nice hardware. The machine uses a 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor combined with a VIA VX855 media system processor. The PC measures in at 5.7″ x 3.9″ x 2″ and has a gob of connectivity on the rear of the computer. The machine has front and back panel IO ports along with HDMI and VGA out. A gigabit Ethernet port is integrated along with five USB ports, three audio jacks, and optional WiFi connectivity. The tiny little PC would make a mean HTPC at a retail price of only $243 with the fits ten buyers getting the machine for $199. Relevant Entries on SlashGear VIA Technologies announces the Via ARTiGo A2000 mini-server The Cell Zone VIP 007 James Bond phone, an unworthy name for an ugly phone Strap Ya's sol! ar cellphone charger Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger Apple iPad delay blamed on screen bottleneck April 20, 2010 at 6:22 AM When Apple announced the international launch of the iPad would be delayed, many cried foul. At the time Apple announced that the iPad would be delayed in shipping outside the US it only said demand was higher than expected. Bloomberg reports that new details that are surfacing point to the delay being because of supply issues. Specifically the yields on the 9.7-inch touchscreen are said to be poor. The screens are reportedly currently being sourced from LG Display Co, Samsung Electronics, and Seiko Epson Corp reports Bloomberg. Analyst Andres Rassweiler from iSuppli said in an interview with Bloomberg, "We understand that the yields on the display have been low and that they're creating a production bottleneck. That they have been doing it for the iPhone for some time is great, but once you go to 9.7 inches, it is a much more complicated process." Apple offered no official comment on the delay or screen shortage issue. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Wintek fingered as cause of iPad delay Apple rumored to be looking to OLED screen for next iPad iPad shortage after "unspecified production problem" tips analyst BenQ looks to color eReader rather than iPad clone Apple iPad PowerVR SGX graphics confirmed Acer Aspire 1825PTZ convertible ultraportable gets unboxed April 20, 2010 at 6:14 AM You might recall that last month we talked a bit about the new Acer 1825PTZ. The machine is a convertible ultraportable notebook with a touchscreen and some other cool features that is yet to be officially released. If you were intrigued by the convertible tablet machine, you can check out the unboxing of it over at NewGadgets.de. In case you missed the machine, the first time around the 1825PTZ has an 11.6-inch capacitive touchscreen, 1.3GHz Pentium SU4100 CPU and 3GB of RAM. It also boasts 250GB of storage and runs Windows 7 Home Premium. The machine is said to cost the equivalent of $942 here in the US, but we are hoping it's cheaper than that when it finally lands here. At that price, I don't see the machine doing that well in the market. Check out the unboxing video below. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Acer Aspire 1825PT and 1825PTZ Are 11.6-Inch Capacitive Touchscreen Netbooks Acer Aspire 1820PT Timeline multitouch Win7 ultraportable gets official Acer Aspire Timeline 1820p multitouch Windows 7 tablet ! leaks Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T shows up in wild Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T ultraportable: netbook style, CULV hardware Apple rumored to be looking to OLED screen for next iPad April 20, 2010 at 5:59 AM Here we go again, the iPad hasn't even launched globally, and already speculation about the next version mounts. A new rumor floating around claims that Apple is looking to an OLED screen for the next generation iPad. I have a hard time buying this rumor. OLED screens that are small enough for smartphones aren't so expensive right now. However, when you move into OLED screen sizes that will work for netbooks and the iPad or other tablets they get much more expensive. I don't see in the next year that an OLED screen in the 10-inch size will be cheap enough to make it work for the iPad. The rumor comes from a source in the component industry according to DigiTimes. The second-generation device is said to be launching next year, but no specific date is offered. The source claims that OLED panel costs will drop by 2011 making them cost effective for devices like the iPad. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple rumored to be working on another larger tablet, possibly based on Mac OS X Apple's Tablet Seems More Real Every Day BenQ looks to color eReader rather than iPad clone Apple eying LG OLED for iPhone, touchscreen netbook, more? Apple iPad PowerVR SGX graphics confirmed Game piracy costs Nintendo 45% of Euro DS game sales April 20, 2010 at 5:53 AM Nintendo are blaming rampant piracy for a 45-percent drop in European DS game sales, pointing to so-called "magicom" or "R4″ cartridges – which bypass copy protection and allow downloaded game ROMs to be played on the handheld – as the primary cause. The hacks have previously been a significant issue in Japan, but have more recently spread to Europe; Italy, Spain and France are particular hotspots, apparently. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has already said that the company intends to "enhance the ability to combat piracy in Europe through both legal and technological means", predominantly through developing consoles that won't play pirated titles, but it seems they'll also have to challenge attitudes toward game ownership. "Everybody is using [magicom]," one gamer is quoted as saying, "and I don't feel like I am doing something particularly wrong." [via Kotaku] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nintendo and Intel chatting it up about new console? Nintendo talks 3DS, gives no new insights Rumor – Wii Zapper to be bundled with new Zelda game Nintendo talks about Wii Fit shortage Nintendo financial report out: $3.92bn in sales Sharp AQUOS DX3 HDTVs with Blu-ray burners onboard outed April 20, 2010 at 5:37 AM Sharp Japan has announced their latest range of HDTVs, the AQUOS DX3 series, with screen sizes ranging from 32- to 52-inches and each packing an integrated Blu-ray recorder. The Sharp AQUOS LC-52DX3, LC-46DX3 and LC-40DX2 all support Full HD 1080p resolution on screens measuring 52-, 46- and 40-inches respectively, together with 2m:1 contrast ratios, ethernet and BD-LIVE support. Meanwhile the AQUOS LC-32DX3 has a 1,366 x 768 720p HD display, but keeps the same 2m:1 contrast and network connectivity. It gets two HDMI ports – the larger models have three – together with analog RGB, VGA, USB and other video connections. The network hook-up can be used for streaming DLNA media around the home, and there's also support for Japan's various TV widget and internet streaming content services; we're guessing Sharp would switch that to things like Netflix should they bring the new DX3 range to the US. A single dual-layer Blu-ray can record up to 36hrs of 1080p content, and there's a simple EPG for managing scheduling. No word on pricing as yet, but the 32DX3 will arrive on May 20th and the rest of the models on June 10th. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sharp launches G-Series AQUOS LCD TVs Sharp AQUOS A-Series HDTVs hit Japan New Slim Line Sharp AQUOS for Gaming IFA 2007 – Sharp prompt gasps with 20mm LCD TV Sharp LX-Series HDTVs with 2m:1 contrast Lenovo ThinkPad L Series is greenest to date April 20, 2010 at 5:15 AM Lenovo has announced the newest entrants to its ThinkPad range, the L Series, and according to the company they're the greenest notebooks on the market. Packing Intel Celeron, Core i3 and Core i5 processors together with either a 14-inch 16:9 display on the L412 or a 15-inch 16:9 display on the L512, the range kicks off at $649 but offers up to 8hrs of runtime. Graphics are either courtesy of Intel's integrated chipset or an ATI Mobility Radeon chip, while there's also optional 3G/4G wireless thanks to a universal Gobi 2000 module (supporting Sprint, AT&T and Verizon). Four USB 2.0 ports, a combo eSATA/USB, DisplayPort and VGA are standard, as is a multitouch-capable trackpad, and OS is Windows 7 with Lenovo's own tweaks for speedier booting and shut-down. As for those earth-friendly claims, Lenovo say the new machines use up to 30-percent recycled content, such as old office water bottles, to make LCD covers, palm rests and other casing components. They're also 40-percent more energy efficient than the generation of machines they replace. On sale from mid-May 2010, $649 gets you a Celeron P4500 with 160GB HDD and 1GB of RAM. Press Release: New Lenovo ThinkPad L Series Laptops Help Businesses "Do More, Save More" Highest Amounts of Recycled Content and Enhanced VoIP Web Conferencing RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – April 20, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today is introducing a new Series of ThinkPad – the L Series. Designed for business, government and education customers, the ThinkPad L412 and L512 laptops feature high performance with the latest Intel processing technologies, military tough durability and strong web conferencing features in an affordable laptop starting under $700. Additionally, the laptops are the greenest on the market by integrating the highest amounts of post consumer recycled content. Business-Focused Performance The laptops come with technologies students and employees need to be productive in their daily work, like: • Choices of the latest Intel Core i3 and i5 processors with Turbo Boost and Hyperthreading technology • 16:9 HD antiglare displays on the 14-inch L412 and 15-inch L512 • Choices of Intel integrated or ATI Mobility Radeon graphics • 3G/4G wireless connectivity options with Gobi 2000 module support for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon • Multitouch touchpads • Up to 8 hours of battery life1 • Expansion with 4 USB ports/1 powered, combo eSATA/USB port, support for DisplayPort and VGA • Windows 7 with Lenovo Enhanced Experience featuring up to 57% faster bootup and shutdown2 The laptops also have the enterprise features businesses and IT administrators require such as global availability, image stability, a three year battery warranty and docking. They also include ThinkVantage Technologies tools like Access Connections to make the computing experience more productive for users. The L Series laptops pass the tough test for withstanding the wear and tear of the office or the rigor of the field to give users long term value. They meet eight different military specification tests for high and low temperatures, vibration, altitude, dust and more. "Today more than ever before, customers are looking to get more out of their PC technology," said Dilip Bhatia, executive director, ThinkPad Product Marketing, Lenovo. "We designed the new L Series to give users the most important features for being productive like cutting-edge processing performance, long battery life and a VoIP-optimized design without sacrificing the reliability and durability ThinkPad is known for." Expanded Green Footprint Lenovo continues to expand its emphasis on green design with the L Series. The laptops use up to 30 percent post consumer content from office water jugs and used IT equipment in parts like the LCD cover, palm rests and top/bottom case. The L512 laptop contains 18 percent post consumer content (PCC) total, making it the industry's highest amount of PCC in a laptop.3 Each L Series laptop saves the equivalent of 10 plastic water bottles. Overall, Lenovo has used 42 million gross pounds of PCC since 2005 in Think-branded products. Also, as part of the lifecycle design process, the laptops meet Energy Star 5.0 for high energy efficiency and are rated EPEAT Gold in the U.S. for their environmental attributes. The laptops are 40 percent more energy efficient than previous ThinkPad laptops, and users can deploy Lenovo's Power Manager software tool to monitor and adjust their power settings. Additionally, the laptops are shipped in nearly 100 percent recycled packaging that can simply be thrown into a customer's recycling bin. Lenovo has committed to packaging reduction, recently reducing packaging material by 20 percent of yearly volume, saving an additional 10 paper coffee cups per box shipped. Tailored for Web Conferencing The L Series laptops are tailored for an excellent voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) experience. First, they offer the full range of connectivity options, from Ethernet and Bluetooth to WiFi, 3G and 4G. The laptops are equipped with a high resolution camera that works well in low lighting conditions, like for conferences in hotel rooms. The camera even white balances automatically so conferences are more life-like. A digital-array microphone with echo cancellation let users conduct conferences even in noisy rooms. The speakers are placed directly underneath the screen and above the keyboard for rich sound quality. Hardware audio control keys – speaker mute and audio mute – are conveniently located to the left of the keyboard for easy access. And by pressing the shortcut Function + F6 hotkey combination, users can navigate a simple software interface to modify VoIP settings. A Powerful Learning Platform Built to withstand the heavy daily use in K12 and higher education, the ThinkPad L Series laptops are equipped with the technologies to get students through the school day. Beyond providing education-focused PC technology, Lenovo is committed to improving learning and increasing operational efficiency at all levels of academia through the Education Research Initiative (ERI). ERI joins hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and researchers from schools across the world to evaluate and quantify how technology can systemically improve education. As part of this research, the ThinkPad L Series will be deployed at institutions for student learning while promoting instructional innovation and data-driven decision making for faculty and administrators. Pricing and Availability4 The ThinkPad L412 and L512 laptops are available starting in mid-May through www.lenovo.com and business partners. Pricing for models starts at approximately $649. For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook. About Lenovo Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo's business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group's acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com. 1With 9 cell battery. 2Improvement claim is based on testing Windows® 7 L412 and L512 against non-configured system. The L Series laptops have been optimized. Actual times and their relative improvements vary by model, with an average boot and shutdown improvement of up to 57%. Improvements may vary according to the exact configuration of the system and may degrade over time depending on other software installed or changes made to system settings. Lenovo optimization does not impact any essential services or software features. 3According to the EPEAT registry as of 4/20/2010. 4Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Lenovo ThinkPad X300 ultralight laptop leaked ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC reviewed, opinion: great! Lenovo ThinkPad X200 to get CULV Lenovo ThinkPad T61p mobile workstat! ion unveiled Want Widescreen On Your ThinkPad T60? You Got It! ASUS Eee PC 1018P caught in wild: USB 3.0 and 18mm thick April 20, 2010 at 4:47 AM Of the new netbook models ASUS unveiled at CeBIT last month, the most interesting has to be the Eee PC 1018P. Toting not only Intel's latest Pine Trail Atom N455 and N475 processors, the netbook has Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity along with the promise of 10hrs runtime. TechInStyle.tv have got their hands on the 1018P, and the brushed aluminum chassis certainly doesn't let down the high-spec guts. You can clearly see the bright blue USB 3.0 ports on the side, and they're right next to a flap-down ethernet port similar to the space-saving design Sony used on their VAIO X. It seems a shame to only VGA rather than HDMI display connectivity, though given the Eee PC 1018P lacks anything like NVIDIA's Ion GPU it would be wasted anyway. Back at CeBIT we were told the 1018P would come with integrated 3G, though there's no word on whether that will be a standard-fit feature. However we do know about there being 1-2GB of RAM, a 250GB to 500GB hard-drive, 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display and WiFi b/g/n together with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (3.0 is optional). No word on pricing at this stage. [via EeePC.IT] Relevant Entries on SlashGear ASUS Eee PC 1018P spotted at CeBIT: Atom N455/N475, USB 3.0 & Bluetooth 3.0 ASUS Eee PC 1018P, 1016P and 1015P netbooks leak ahead of CeBIT 2010 ASUS Eee PC 1015P Seashell an! d 1016P Diary detailed: 14hrs battery life apiece Intel Atom N455 and N475 quietly debut Hands-on with ASUS' S102 voice-recognition Sat-Nav Ford SYNC AppLink adds in-car voice control to Android & BlackBerry apps April 20, 2010 at 4:31 AM Ford have been gradually squeezing more functionality into their SYNC in-car computing platform, and now they've joined up the dots between the Nuance speech-recognition system added earlier this year and the smartphones Ford drivers are carrying. The new Ford SYNC AppLink – which will be first available on the 2011 model year Fiesta – will hook up to Android and BlackBerry handsets and allow for voice-control of applications updated for compliance with the company's new APIs. Initially, that will include Pandora, a Twitter app and a streaming radio app. As well as Pandora internet radio, Stitcher "smart radio" and Orangatame's OpenBeak app for Twitter there'll be other apps that hook into the SYNC system, and of course there'll still be voice control over the standard in-care entertainment. Compatible software will also be able to respond to steering wheel controls, meaning there'll be less of a need to take your hands off the wheel. Ford expect the official API to go public later in 2010, along with example apps and full documentation, at their SYNC Mobile Developer Network. After the Fiesta, it'll be rolled out to all SYNC-enabled vehicles in their range, and they also plan to add iPhone compatibility as well. Create a voice UI for your application using the in-vehicle speech recognition system. Write information to the radio head display or in-vehicle touchscreen Speak text using text-to-speech engine. Use the in-vehicle menu system to provide commands or options for your mobile application Get button presses from the radio and steering wheel controls. Receive vehicle data (speed, GPS location, fuel economy, etc.) Press Release: SYNC APPLINK TO LAUNCH ON 2011 FIESTA, MAKING FORD FIRST TO DELIVER VOICE CONTROL OF SMARTPHONE APPS · Ford will first offer SYNC® AppLink, a downloadable software program, on the 2011 Fiesta, allowing owners to access and control AndroidTM and BlackBerry® smartphone apps with voice commands and vehicle controls · Pandora internet radio, Stitcher "smart radio" and Orangatame's OpenBeak are the first SYNC-enabled mobile applications · Ford to create SYNC developer community with launch of new "Mobile Application Developer Network" (www.syncmyride.com/developer), giving developers a pathway to partner with Ford on SYNC-enabled applications · Ford's platform approach with SYNC is poised to harness smartphone app development and mobile web access; apps expected to be a $4 billion industry by 2012; analysts predict the mobile device to become the No. 1 source for Internet access by 2015 SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2010 – Customers have spoken — asking for safe, convenient access to their smartphone apps while in the vehicle – and Ford is responding by announcing the new SYNC AppLink software that will allow hands-free voice control of popular smartphone apps. SYNC AppLink, a downloadable software upgrade, will be released for 2011 Ford Fiesta owners with the award-winning SYNC communications and infotainment system later this year, allowing drivers hands-free control of apps on their Android or BlackBerry smartphones via voice commands and vehicle controls. Ford will introduce AppLink on all SYNC-equipped vehicles next year, as well as provide interoperability with iPhone and other smartphones. "The growth in smartphone mobile apps has been explosive, and Ford has worked hard to respond at the speed of the consumer electronics market," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford's Connected Services Organization. "SYNC is the only connectivity system available that can extend that functionality into the car. AppLink will allow drivers to control some of the most popular apps through SYNC's voice commands and steering wheel buttons, helping drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road." The Android MarketTM and BlackBerry App World™ are among the leading growth markets for mobile apps. The new SYNC AppLink will seamlessly integrate apps using the vehicle's voice and user interface controls, including buttons on the steering wheel, increasing eyes-on-the-road and hands-on-the-wheel time. The first SYNC-enabled apps available later this year include Pandora internet radio, Stitcher "smart radio" and Orangatame's OpenBeak app for Twitter, with additional apps on the way. Updated versions of each app, incorporating the SYNC application programming interface (API), will be available through Android Market and BlackBerry App World for customers to download. Built-in, Beamed-in and Brought-in: The SYNC App Ecosystem From its introduction, Ford has been building an ecosystem of available SYNC apps, continuously improving the consumer experience. · Built-in apps, including Vehicle Health Report and 911 Assist™, are downloaded and installed directly on the in-car SYNC operating system · SYNC apps like Traffic, Directions & Information rely on beamed-in, or "cloud-based," information. Drivers access the Ford Service Delivery Network, a network of data centers providing turn-by-turn directions, business searches, and on-demand news, sports and weather information, through a simple voice-connection using their cell phone. · SYNC AppLink represents the third category of the ecosystem, brought-in apps, leveraging apps installed on a user's smartphone, such as Pandora, Stitcher and OpenBeak Studies show mobile app development – a niche market just three years ago – is expected to blossom into a $4 billion industry by 2012. Sites serving specific mobile operating systems, such as Android and BlackBerry OS, have experienced massive growth, with analysts predicting the mobile device will become the No. 1 source for Internet access by 2015, surpassing the home computer. Ford and SYNC will answer the consumer demand by offering the only platform available for drivers to safely control their mobile devices and applications in the car. Leveraging SYNC's safer voice commands and steering wheel controls, drivers are able to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. "Brought-in" apps residing on a consumer's smartphone also eliminate the need for yet another piece of hardware to be installed in the car which only serves to add cost and complexity. Customers will be able to download SYNC-enabled mobile apps through the same app store interfaces currently used. As SYNC-enabled versions of existing apps are released into the app stores, users will be prompted to download the latest version upon connection. Also, as developers grasp the notion that the vehicle interior has opened to them, a new dimension of apps designed from the outset to maximize the unique in-car environment will follow. Opening the door to developers To facilitate future SYNC-enabled app development, Ford has also activated a new developer network on its SYNCmyride Web site (www.syncmyride.com/developer). Interested developers can find a link to submit innovative ideas, and sign up for the latest information and news about the SYNC application programming interface (API) and software development kit (SDK). The package will allow developers to modify existing applications and create all-new apps that can successfully interface with SYNC. Working with trusted partners, Ford is completing beta-testing on the SDK. Once beta-testing is complete, a broader release of the development tools is planned for later this year. Initial reports have been positive, with one of Ford's development partners creating a SYNC-enabled version of its app just three days after receiving the development tools. "We're very pleased by the rapid development time and positive feedback we've seen from our first partners," said VanDagens. "We want to encourage all developers to visit our site and submit ideas, helping us tap into the global pool of innovation and creativity." Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ford Sync to add convergence between your car and music player Nuance and Ford team to bring natural speech tech to Sync platform Microsoft equipped 1 Millionth Ford with SYNC Hyundai to fit Microsoft voice-command in cars by 2010 Ford offers free SYNCMyPhone app for SYNC users ASUS ROG Crosshair IV Formula motherboard pairs AMD CPUs with dual-channel DDR3 2000MHz RAM April 20, 2010 at 4:18 AM ASUS has been on a roll with its high-end motherboards lately, and the new Republic of Gamers Crosshair IV Formula doesn't look to break that pattern. Designed for AMD's processors – including the new Phenom II X6 hexacores – the 'board is the first in the world to pair them with support for dual-channel DDR3 2,000MHz memory; there are also two USB 3.0 ports, six SATA 6GB/s and three SATA 3GB/s connectors. AMD's reputation for making overclock-friendly chips should also get a boost, with the ROG Crosshair IV Formula having both ASUS' Core Unlocker – which activates any dormant cores in the CPU – and Turbo Key II for automatically ratcheting up the core frequency. There's also GameFirst, which prioritises network traffic for online gaming and supposedly reduces lag. Connectivity includes two FireWire, three PCIe 2.0 x16 slots supporting ATI CrossFireX, twelve USB 2.0 ports and support for HD audio thanks to integrated SupremeFX X-Fi. No word on pricing or specific availability at this stage, however. Press Release: Powerful Features and Design Make The New ASUS ROG Crosshair IV Formula Irresistible to Gamers The World's First Motherboard to Support Dual Channel DDR3 2000MHz on AMD Platforms The brand new Crosshair IV Formula from ASUS Republic of Gamers, or ROG, ups the ante for everyone with an interest in gaming. Hardcore hobbyists stand to benefit from a wealth of indulgent performance upgrades to better their odds of domination, while mainstream gamers can expect a new look on what makes the pastime so thrilling. Core principles behind the conception of the Crosshair IV Formula include meticulous attention to detail and listening to community feedback. With an eye-catching design, the Crosshair IV Formula boasts ROG Connect for instant tweaking and monitoring of gaming rigs, a user-friendly overclocking interface Turbo Key II and proprietary ASUS technologies Core Unlocker and GameFirst. All these guarantee tremendous success with top-line gaming PCs, as the new board offers exhilarating foundations to build upon. Those bent on ruling the game have just found the new motherboard to beat—resistance is futile. All Aboard the Gaming Express The Crosshair IV Formula deploys the latest chipset architecture from AMD, opening up the most current performance CPUs on the market. Enabling processors to come into their own is exactly what a good motherboard does, and the new Crosshair achieves this in several ways—not least ROG Connect, a built-in overclocking engine that maximizes benchmark scores by tuning and monitoring from a remote PC via USB, like a notebook. This way users can overclock while benchmarking, so all resources remain available to better performance. ROG Connect also serves as an in-depth monitoring tool—gearheads can easily obtain readings to see the effects mods such as overvolting have on their system. Numerous performance features Unlock CPU Potential ASUS and Republic of Gamers are proud to announce Core Unlocker, an exclusive technology praised by worldwide media, to inject great value and performance into gaming setups. It's well known many CPUs come with multiple cores deactivated during fabrication, and Core Unlocker brings those back to life. Users simply have to press one button on the board and the AMD CPU placed in the socket goes through a physical scan in search of dormant cores. Dual core CPUs can become triples or quads in minutes, with obvious computing horsepower benefits. Naturally, the more cores available the bigger the overclocking threshold—gamers everywhere rejoice. Turbocharged Performance Speaking of thresholds, the Crosshair IV Formula comes with the latest version of Turbo Key II, an auto-tuning routine that lets users engage, sit back, reap the benefits then rule their game with untold confidence. Turbo Key II runs extensive overclocking automatically, detecting hardware tolerances and testing them to ensure stability. The excellent thermal design of the new Crosshair IV Formula means there's quite a lot of envelope pushing to be done safely, guaranteeing impressive gains. Once more, all users need to do is press the O.C button on the board and let the technology take it from there. Game with the Flow Multiplayer has become the norm, and gamers demand smooth connections to deliver uninterrupted action. The reality, however, is that many still don't enjoy optimized broadband, which is why ASUS has conjured GameFirst. This smart solution works with the board's networking pipeline to prioritize bandwidth, eliminate lag and lower latency. GameFirst sets priorities straight Gaming applications get top access to resources on the hardware level—so online play becomes faster, more fluid and infinitely less frustrating. At the same time, other applications can work in the background without draining speed from mission critical needs. GameFirst and ROG Connect up close Grounded in Ability Storage comes in the form of six SATA 6GB/s and three SATA 3GB/s, ample room for growth and saving all the newest and biggest game titles. Also, the Crosshair IV Formula includes two USB 3.0 ports, which are much faster than USB 2.0 in every way. There's also HD audio from integrated SupremeFX X-Fi, fully EAX 4.0 compliant and ready to make those intense engagements roar with clear surround sound. Thoughtful, relevant features that promote fun and satisfying gaming—look no further than the new Crosshair IV Formula from ROG. Specifications Model ROG Crosshair IV Formula CPU AMD socket AM3 Phenom™ II /Athlon™ X4 /Athlon™ X3 /Athlon™ X2 processors Chipset Latest AMD chipset System bus Up to 5200 MT/s HyperTransport™ 3.0 Memory 4 x DIMM, dual channel, up to 16GB DDR3 1866 (OC)/1600(OC)/1333/1066MHz Expansion 3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots (@ dual x16, triple @ x16, x8, x8) with ATI CrossFireX™ technology 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 2 x PCI 2.2 Storage 6 x SATA 6Gb/s with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 1 x SATA 3Gb/s 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s LAN Marvell Gigabit LAN Audio SupremeFX X-Fi 8-channel audio built-in with EAX 4.0 support USB/ IEEE1394a 2 x USB 3.0, 12 x USB 2.0 (7 at back I/O, 5 onboard) 2 x 1394a ports (1 at back I/O, 1 onboard) Software Kaspersky antivirus 1 year license Features ROG Connect, GameFirst, Core Unlocker, Turbo Key II, MemOK!, CPU Level Up, SupremeFX X-Fi built-in , Extreme Tweaker, iROG, Loadline Calibration, Voltiminder LED Form Factor ATX, 12" x 9.6" (30.5cm x 24.4cm) Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details. ### About ASUS ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with a broad product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's home and office users. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Asus has some new X48 motherboards ASUS ROG Crosshair III Formula motherboard for Phenom II CPUs Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi-AP @n green motherboard features Energy Processing Unit ASUS add WiFi-N, quick-boot Linux to P5E3 motherboard Asus offers pics of new Rampage III Extreme mainboard Apple request iPhone prototype back; share price dips then climbs again April 20, 2010 at 4:07 AM All that was needed to bring the iPhone HD escape to a close was an attempt by Apple to bring the beast back into their cage; with the arrival of a formal request from the Cupertino company's general counsel, that's finally happened. Gizmodo have received a letter from Bruce Sewell, a senior vice president at Apple, saying "It has come to our attention that Gizmodo is currently in possession of a device that belongs to Apple. This letter constitutes a formal request that you return the device to Apple." The letter goes on to request a pick-up address where the lost prototype can be found. Apple don't confirm that the handset is, in fact, their next-gen device of course, leaving open the possibility that the hardware that has caused so much furore over the past few days is not the same device as Steve Jobs is expected to reveal come late June. Still, the fall-out is likely to be significant not only to the engineer who lost the device, but to Apple's share price. Interestingly, having dipped yesterday, that price is now climbing once again. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Pricing and the Future of the iPhone Refurbished iPhone – Get yours now for $100 off the original price Ewdi unboxes his new Apple iPhone! iPho! ne price drop – Why is everyone so upset? Foxconn engineer commits suicide after losing iPhone 4G prototype 37064