smartech

CES 2010 is over, but that as a fact doesn’t mean release frequency of Pineview-based netbooks has necessarily slowed down. On the contrary, it  probably grown even more lately. And one that already made its way out, with no a price tag mentioned, is FIC’s Atom N450 SVE00, a 10.1-inch netbook which sports Windows 7 OS, running Intel’s latest 1.66GHz Atom CPU, together with 1GB of RAM, either 500GB HDD or 32GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA connectivity, and last but not least, WiMax support. Impressive lineup, isn’t it?

[via Akihabara News]

Looks like we have a new joiner at the soon-to-be-crowded tablets arena. This time, it’s the X9 from DigitalRise China, which offers a 10.2-inch multitouch display (tablet,you know) along a decent lineup within, that includes an Atom N270 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 1.3mp webcam, a 160GB hard drive, 3G connectivity, WiFi, GPS and the latest-greatest Windows 7 OS. It’s already up for pre-orders, in case you have an import or distribution company, but be sure you’ll be the first to know when it gets available for individuals. This way or another, it would cost you a whopping $780 at the moment, so hold your breath for couple weeks more.

[PMP Today]

Digital Cube is one of those companies that still believe in media players, that’s for sure. And despite the growing popularity of tablet/slate machines, we hear a lot about lately, it just rolled out yet another audio-video device, i-Station T9, and seems quiet ready to turn it live in the coming months. With no price or shipping dates available, the new bud sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 LCD screen, and actually handles any common codec files you can think of (like DivX, XviD, H.264, WMV, and MKV), including high-def formats. It boasts an HDMI output and packs both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, for third-party usage. Battery life is claimed to deliver up to 20 hours of music playback or half the time while watching videos, and that probably applies on all four colors offered.

[via iMP3]

Korean giant LG is ready and set to release a new hard-drive based media player, with a 500GB storage, somewhere around April of this year. It’s called XF2 Art Cinema, able to pump 1080p vids and 5.1 audio, whenever connected through the integrated HDMI out, and once there, display movie subtitles at any given LCD platform. You can play MPEG 1/2/4, h.264, Xvid, DivX, FLAC, WMA, AC3, WMA, PCM, ADPCM, LPCM, AC3 (5.1ch) and MPEG-1 layer 1/2/3, FLAC, MPEG-2 Layer 1/2, AAC and more, but the highlight is that you can actually take it with you wherever you go. Make sure you have 270,000 won (about $240) to shell out this one.

[via Akihabara News]

It’s up to you to decide how to call MSI’s new dual-screen device, whether it’s a netbook, a smartbook, an E-Reader, a tablet, a MID, a courier, you name it, it’s your call – but one thing’s for sure – you want it and so do we! It’s still a prototype and no one can really tell when or where it would get a “Go”. It packs dual 10-inch displays (one on each side), both include capacitive multitouch screens, with pretty fast respond. There’s no official name for this one at the moment, but it runs a Windows 7 Home Premium platform with all the pomp and innards involved, like a virtual keyboard control, an ebook reader, 1.86 GHz Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB SSD storage and finally, two USB ports. You will hear about it a lot more, but until then, hit the break and watch the show. 

[via pocket-lint]

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Coby is one of the very few companies to introduce a new media player at the CES 2010 show in Vegas. They had one back in last year’s show and the have another, this year. The latest, which looks quiet impressive and resembles Creative Zii, is Coby’s MP837 player that packs a 3-inch touchscreen (with a very responsive display), along a revamped interface, 22-hour battery life, slick black body and wide range of formats support, including OGG, FLV, H.264 and Xvid. No word about price or availability at this point, but engadget has a video that proves our word. Check it out after the jump.

[via DAPreview]

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Care for one more tablet device? the kind that packs a 7-inch touchscreen and runs an Android 2.0 platform inside? in that case Compal would like to have a word with you. The reason, if you haven’t heard, is the company’s new Tegra-powered tablet, that recently introduced at the CES show in Vegas (by Nvidia) and looked like it has no problems playing any 1080p files, “stutter-free”. At this early stage, it would be hard to figure how much will it cost or when will it start shipping, but till then, bare in mind it packs a WiFi connectivity, along SIM card slot and microSD expansion, tucked with a non-friendly resistive touchscreen and an HDMI port to pump vids out.  More on that, later.

[via Gizmodo]

It’s really hard to figure out what exactly are you holding in your hand these days, whether it’s a media player or maybe a phone, smartphone, “superphone”, etc. And Viliv wasn’t making it easy on us either, in that matter. Therefor we were a bit in the dark when first read about the company’s P3 PMP device. Now we know, it’s a multimedia player, back then we weren’t sure, but that’s why you have the CES show to straight things up, isn’t it?  And although we still can’t tell when this thing goes upon sale and how much will it cost, we do know it sports a 3.7-inch 800 x 480 AMOLED display, paired with a strong 800MHz Cortex A8 processor and storage up to 32GB. The 1.7mm thin device also offers a microSD slot expansion at the bottom, next to a 720p TV-output, and optional T-DMB and DAB tuners within. The model that was spotted in Viliv’s booth included an Android platform but it would run a Windows CE dual-boot OS as well. Until then, stay tuned. Hands-on video right after the break.

[via engadget]

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We haven’t heard much from Cowon lately. In fact, we’ve heard nothing from them since last December. But that as a fact doesn’t mean the Korean corp wasn’t active at all – look, they just rolled out a MID (sigh) – and it’s a 4.8-inch with 1024 x 600 touchscreen LCD, running a Windows 7 platform, powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Atom processor. It’s a bit bulky, and a thick bezel surrounds the frame. The chassis is made of silver brushed metal, housing four buttons, two on each side. There are stereo speakers bundled within, along Ethernet port and single TV output – but that’s about what the company was willing to share at this point. Stay tuned for more.

Update: Turns out Cowon’s W2 MID will eventually make official debut on January 25th with that 4.8-inc WSVGA screen, along a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1GB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 x USB ports Battery at 10/7 hours (audio/video) and either 60GB or 80GB capacities at your choice. Retail price is at 599,000 to 739,000KRW, respectively (about $530 to $660).

[via DAP Review]

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This isn’t the best year to find new media players at the CES show in Vegas. Still, if you look closer, you just might see a few, hidden, while walking down the halls. One of them, which looks quiet similar to the Cowon S9, is iRiver’s 3.5-inch K1, also known as “Smart HD”, which may give you a sense of what it can play, besides the usual batch of formats we all know. Screen resolution is at 480 x 320 and the PMP itself boasts a DMB TV tuner,along WiFi, web browser, a built-in mic and integrated FM tuner. Internet support is definitely the trigger that caught our attention here, but mind you, it can also be used as a mini e-book reader, out of the box, the moment it comes out in South Korea at the end of the month. No price or US release info at the moment.

Update: It looks like iRiver’s K1 PMP will go live initially in Korea only. It will be offer in variant flavors, including the basic 8GB version, priced at ₩229,000 (about $205), while a DMB mobile TV tuner add-on will run for ₩279,000 (about $250) and the 16GB model for ₩299,000 (about $265). In case you’re into the full fledged pack with WiFi, DMB tuner and 16 gigs of storage, the K1 will cost you ₩349,000, or $310 US dollars.

It looks great, it sports a 10-inch capacitive display, runs a powerful Tegra 2 chipset and called Harmony. That’s pretty much what we  know about MSI’s new Android tablet that recently showed up at the CES show in Vegas. The platform is actually an Android 2.1 and the slate is literally tagged as an E-book machine.  It has both WiFi and 3G WWAN connectivity included, and apparently, wants to be “your office to go” solution.  Check out the videos we’ve added half past the break.

[via phandroid]

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Lenovo has really given a thought lately to what bring us geeks out and make us extremely excited whenever approaching new gadgets. And clearly, the company has spent a lot of time and budgets when it first came up with the idea of creating a product that combines a laptop and a tablet under one single hood. Well, the product is now officially out and youm can call it IdeaPad U1 Hybrid. It looks both innovative and stylish at the same time, and packs a 11.6-inch laptop with a detachable multitouch display that turns the screen into a nice portable tablet, running Lenovo’s proprietary Skylight Linux platform and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, paired with a 16GB SSD and that nice looking multitouch slate. The entire pack, including the tablet and the laptop together, weighs only 3.8 pound and boasts a CULV Intel Core 2 Duo processor , lining up with a chicklet-style keyboard, a 128GB SSD, a big integrated touchpad and Windows 7 Premium preloaded onboard. Price wise, it would cost you $999 from the moments it gets released, somewhere in June. Vids and PR right after the break.

[via engadget]

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Nothing much to share at this point, but Dell has revealed a new slate/tablet device at its keynote speech at CES in Vegas. Designed like a business smartphone, and some would say it is one considering the SIM slot it boasts, the new Reddish device  includes an Android platform preloaded inside, and a 5-inch touchscreen on top. There’s also an integrated 5MP camera at the back and three clickable buttons on the right – Home, Back and (maybe) apps. Furthermore, up the hill, it houses three additional buttons which looks like ON/OFF, camera and volume support. We’ve also spotted a built-in mic and Bluetooth, but that’s all we have for now.

Update1: engadget guys were lucky to sit around the table with Dell’s representative who was kind enough to give a quick tour and show them Dell’s new mysterious slate in a snap. From first impression we’re guessing it’s an Android 1.6 platform that runs inside, but quiet positive there’s a nice numpad add-on included in the keyboard and a tiny face camera right on front. We’re not sure whether it’d be called Mini 5 or codename Streak, but color us impressed from the way it performed. Vid and thumbs, after the break.

Update2: Turns out it’s a 5-inch mid, boasting 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen,along integrated WiFi and 3G WWAN connectivity. It runs Android 2.0 (Eclair) instead of that 1.6 flavor and seems to endure a dual-LED flash 5mp camera behind and a 1,300mAh battery within. We’ve added another video after the break, courtesy of Slashgear and some Vietnamese chaps.

Update3: The Tinhte team has taken Dell’s Android-based Mini 5 slate/mid to a teardown session, and guess what they’ve found under the hood – a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, two microSD slots, integrated SIM card with 3G radio and a 1,530mAh battery, stronger than expected. Dissecting video after the break.

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Lenovo definitely shows a lot of creativity at this year’s CES show in Vegas. And just in case you were thinking the Chinese would likely settle with their latest good-looking Skylight, think twice, because the way it looks, there’s a lot more down in their sleeves. Hence the first one in this session, is the IdeaPad S10-3 which Lenovo completely revamped and stuffed inside a beautiful 10-inch screen, paired with an Atom N470 CPU, nice chicklet-style keys, a 3-cell battery (optional 6-cell) and premium chassis design that weighs only 2.4 pounds and attractively priced at $399, or 20 bucks less at Amazon’s online store. The second, and more interesting between these two, is the IdeaPad S10-3t tablet netbook which packs a stunning 10-inch swivel screen that boasts a Natural Touch interface plus a highly responsive accelerometer. It would cost you a bit higher, $499 to be accurate, but you will also receive Windows 7 Home Premium and 6-cell Lithium-ion battery, both bundled in the pack. The engadget guys had their hands on it so get a glipse, after the break.

[via engadget; wired]

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Not sure whether it’s a new trend or not, but we’ve already seen Samsung’s MyFit storming out to the pond, and now it’s Philips’ turn to get the spot. It’s a fitness MP3 device called Activa and it would tell you when to start a calories-burn activity and when to stop. The body is relatively tiny and packs either 4GB or 8GB flash storage inside, but most importantly, it would match your music playlist with the phase of your workout. As for debut, check April 20 in your diaries, 130 bucks with your banker and PR after the jump.

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is it! HP’s long awaited tablet officially announced. It actually came up during Steve Ballmer’s CES keynote event and immediately became “hot”, but this way or another, it’s way too early and we’re still missing a lot. And even though this is just a prototype slate and we are few months away from seeing it out, we’re more than sure this cool multi-touch gadget is something ‘ya all would probably want. It runs Windows 7 to handle it and a Kindle reader software, but as we’ve seen from Microsoft’s CEO, you can even play with it Frogger. There’s more of it few scrolls after, including a mysterious video teaser and an image of Ballmer. Stay tuned.

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We’re not used to such big players, the kind that recently announced by Aluratek at the CES show in Vegas, but that’s probably the fun part of discovering new gadgets, isn’t it? Well, maybe, depends who you’re asking and how portable it is. This one, the 8.9-inch Cinepal media player, doesn’t look so handy, especially when it’s hard to determine whether it’s a digiframe, a tablet, a PMP or just an e-reader. The answer probably falls somewhere in between. Anyway, you can get it next month for $179, that will grant you 4GB of internal storage, together with an SD / SDHC expansion slot, a 6 hours of battery time and wide range of codecs compatibility, including DivX DRM, AVI, VOB, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MKV, MP3, WMA and JPEG files support. It would also run your 720p video files wherever you go, but frankly, we can’t imagine ourselves taking it for a journey or a quick short walk. PR stuff after the jump.

[via laptopmag]

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Remember the Mini 5101 that HP released 6 months ago to target high-end customers with business related aspirations? Turns out it’s not alone – as a matter of fact it has a new twin brother that carries the title Mini 5102. The latest, which belongs to the growing Pine Trail family, packs inside an Atom N450 processor along a 10-inch display, offered with a WSVGA or WXGA panels. But as a premium portable device, one can guess it boasts a lot more than usual. What else is new? We’re talking about a Broadcom HD video accelerator, added to the pile, while keyboard is at 95% from the regular one. Besides that you can toss inside any possible operating system available, either it’s FreeDOS, SUSE Linux, Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter/Premium editions. Battery wise, you can choose between 4-cell and 6-cell flavors, but the most attractive alternative, marked as optional, is that super cool capacitive (multitouch) touchscreen which turns that netbook into a tablet (well, not exactly, but you know what I mean). It ain’t going to be cheap, boys and girls, but we still can;t tell how much and when. PR words added after the break.

Update1: Apparently, the Mini 5102 cover is made out of a stunning brushed aluminum plate and the chassis hides an optional handle for ‘A-grades’ students. Checkout the hands-on video the good people at engadget just shared.

Update2: We’ve added another video from the CES show that demos HP’s touchscreen netbook capabilities, this time with a snapdragon and Android platforms running inside. Check it out right after the break.

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It’s not a party without Dell, you know it, we know it and the guys at Dell apparently know it, as well. And that is probably the reason why the company just rolled out an Atom N450-based Inspiron Mini 10 lineup, available on Dell’s online page for $299, joining the growing batch of netbooks to include the Pine Trail platform as part of their specs. True, we’ve already seen it last month when Dell proudly announced the Mini 10 new design and features, but today, it gets official. To recall, for that very competitive price -offered, you receive a 10-inch netbook, tucked with a full fledged keyboard, a 9.5 hour battery, built-in GPS, an integrated HDTV receiver, an optional TV tuner and a powerful Broadcom Crystal HD graphics accelerator. Pick a color and ride into the future.

[Dell]

We’ve already seen that Eee PC 1008P, coated with alligator patterns upside down, back in December 2009. At that time, we were told it would be branded as a “Seashell 2″ edition, but now, when it’s officially out, we know for sure it’s a Pine Trail netbook, packing Atom N450 processor inside. Designed by Karim Rashid, the hot pink/coffee brown machine runs a Windows 7 Home Premium under a 10.1-inch hood, which also hides within 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, Intel’s GMA 3150 graphics, 1.3MP camera, and a cool swappable 3-cell battery, providing up to 6 hours life. Both price and availability are yet to be determined. Meanwhile, you can take a look at the rusty Brown flavor right after the break.

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