smartech

So far, we’ve seen plenty of tablet machines getting announced during last year’s spell, some sports multi-touch screens, some don’t. But one thing we haven’t spotted in any of them, is Intel’s Pine Trail platform that keeps showing up these days in many netbooks specs time and time again. That’s why we were a bit surprised to find that Haleron’s slick iLet slate includes one – Atom N450 processor, that is. But the Mio iLet is not just a CPU stellar, it also boasts some great components inside, amongst you can track a 10-inch 1024 x 600 multitouch display, paired with a 160GB HDD, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, optional 3G connectivity, GPS antenna and bigger hard drive, for extra $50/$75/$260 bucks, respectively – while basic pack starts at $419 only. And to spice things up, you also get, for that starting price, a Windows 7 system to speed the touch. Shipping starts in about a week from now.

[via lilliputing]

The King of Pop is dead, but his legacy is live N kickin’, and it seems like it’d get even bigger as time goes by. One company that has recognized Jakson’s extremely attractive merchandising potential is Sony Japan that recently announced it would release a limited edition This is it! package of the king that suppose to include a slim PS3 console, boasting a 120GB storage and a nifty Blu-ray drive. This special pack – a result of the collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Japan – is set to go live on January 27, either in Black or White colors, priced at Â¥33,500 (about $361), nothing a fan can’t afford these days.

[via SCEJ]

Lenovo strikes with some interesting stuff at this early stage of the year. The latest, is the company’s stunning ARM-based smartbook, called Skylight. It’s a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 720 display device that offers a new stylish approach that we haven’t seen out there before. For this reason, it’s priced above the average at $499, but offers nice specs lineup which includes a fast 1GHz ARM Snapdragon processor, together with 20GB of flash storage, 2GB of cloud storage, plus an 8GB miniSD card. Furthermore, you get a 1.3 megapixel camera, 2 X USB ports, WiFi, 3G connections and battery with up to 10 hours of continuous work time. The rounded clamshell design looks stunning and the weight is just under 2 pounds, which grants a more convenient portability to this new Skylight machine. According to Lenovo, shipping suppose to begin somewhere around April, as buyers will enjoy a variant of 18 widgets and web apps, already preloaded inside, amongst you’ll find Facebook, Twitter, Gmail Youtube and more. Introduction video tucked with some PR words, after the jump.

Update: We’ve added another video of Lenovo’s new Skylight UI, courtesy of engadget.

[via Gizmodo]

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So Google has finally launched the most anticipated Nexus One, and if you happen to live in one of the following 4 countries – the US, UK, Singapore or Hong Kong – you can get it right away from Google’s website, priced at $529.99 without a contract or merely $179 including a T-Mobile two year plan (in the US). Other people will have to wait at least until Spring 2010, when it believes that Google will be adding more countries to its smartphone lineup. The phone itself is an HTC brand, coming with a 3.7-inch 800×480 AMOLED display, which regretfully doesn’t support multi-touch at the moment, although Google says it’s not an hardware issue but a software tweak and it’d consider adding screen gestures capabilities in the future. Besides that, you get a fast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,paired with a 5 megapixels camera including an integrated LED flash that can shoot MPEG-4 video and have it uploaded directly to Youtube. Additionally, this 11.5mm thick device has a built-in compass, GPS, WiFi, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, a multicolored LED under the trackball, an accelerometer for landscape view and two mics, positioned on front, for complete noise cancellation. It runs all common frequencies and compatible with HSDPA 7.2Mbps, UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900), HSUPA 2Mbps and of course, GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). The 1400mAH battery inside is claimed to provide 5 hours of 3G browsing and 7 hours of 3G talk time, while storage wise, you receive only 512MB of internal flash along with a 4GB micro SD card, expandable up to 32GB. See the full specs here.

Moving forward with the details, the Nexus One packs Google’s “latest greatest” Android 2.1 platform – also known as Eclair – which crams some nifty stuff inside, like the voice recognition feature that works throughout the entire UI and activates almost any feature in the phone. That way, you can use your voice to write SMS messages and notes (speech-to-text), or tell the Google Earth search engine where should it go. Other than that, Google has implemented a Cooliris technology into the Nexus One gallery app, so you get 3D visualization whenever looking at images in landscape mode. It has a lot of widgets to offer, such as weather and news RSS, and the smartphone’s homescreen customization is interactive and houses 5 panels to store your apps and shortcuts. Stay tuned. Video is right after the break.

Update1: And looks like Adobe is now jumping on Google’s bandwagon by demoing its Flash 10.1 beta on a Nexus One superphone. Check it out after the break.

Update2: Well, what do you know, the European version of Nexus One, apparently supports multitouch capabilities out-of-the-box, while US devices don’t. We’re not so sure why, but as someone suggested, the trigger for the abyssal differences might be the fact that Apple has a US Patent on multitouch which doesn’t apply on European countries. Maybe. Google says it’s carefully reviewing this issue at the moment.

Update3: Different from what has been reported, Google’s Nexus One seems to be incompatible with “n” draft wireless connectivityand official specs state it supports only 802.11b/g WiFi frequencies. We’ll have more about this soon.

Update: You knew it had to happen sooner or later, did you? No? then get this – iFixit guys have taken Google’s Nexus One on a mission and disassembled it into small pieces of technology craft. See the results here and after the break.

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It’s been a while since we last heard from Samsung anything about new media players coming out. But hey, CES 2010 is only two days ahead and that’s probably the best time to announce the release of new products. Actually, there are two: the first, an 8GB device which answers the name MyFit and suppose to target fitness junkies with integrated sensors that detect fat and stress, along a built-in accelerometer and a slew of apps to ensure your health is well (including pedometer and My Coach). The second, which boasts 16GB of internal storage is called Ice Touch, packs 2-inch AMOLED screen and a body, made of tempered glass. It supports wide range of multimedia formats, including HD content and lossless audio and runs a brand of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI called Sweep. Price and availability for both players are yet to be determined.

Update: We’ve added a short preview video of the Ice Touch after the break (courtesy of engadget).

[via engadget]

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It’s Samsung’s turn to officially come out and introduce its latest Pine Trail Atom N450 lineup (although we’ve already seen the N220 across the pond) which includes the N210, N220, N150 and NB30 netbooks – all to include Intel’s Atom N450 processor, together with a a 10.1-inch anti-reflective display and a very unique mark-and-scratch resistant casing , to protect your netbook from dirt and smudges. Other than that, what makes this new series so special is the battery life, that somehow manages to surprise with long working life for every single charge. The N210 and 220 versions are claimed to reach 12 hours of “connected mobility”, while the NB30 will get you up to 11 hours and the N150 “only” 8.5 hours. Three out of the four netbooks don’t have an integrated hinge at the far end of the chassis, but the N150 does have one. as the NB30 is the only machine that includes HDD protection sensor and a water-resistive coat (up to 50cc) – just in case, you know. PR announcement after the break.

[via Newswire]

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Korean company Viliv, that already proved us it can release great MIDs and UMPCs, jumps on the PMP bandwagon with the latest HD5 which suppose to make an official appearance at CES 2010 in just few days. Until then, from the sparse details we found, it seems the HD5 player will pack a 5-inch touchscreen display (800 x 480 resolution), hiding underneath 8, 16, or 32GB of storage, SDHC expansion, a DMB/DAB tuner and an HDMI port that can upscale your video library up to 1080p. This slick 13mm device will presumably run Windows CE inside, but don’t count on it at this point. Stay tuned.

Update: We’ve added a quick hands-on video coming straight from CES 2010, courtesy of engadget. Check it out after the break.

[via gmp3]

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Toshiba’s NB series is one of the best you can find today in the netbooks category, no doubt, and to be sure you’d still get the latest technology available, the company has updated its lineup with the new Mini NB305 edition, which already showed up online and suppose to hit the street on January 12 with full size keyboard and and 11 hours of battery life. Yes, it packs an Atom N450 processor inside, but also includes a 250GB hard drive along a 10.1-inch backlit LED display, 1GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth V2.1, that 6-cell battery with 11 hours longevity and only 2.6 lbs weight. Toshiba will offer this netbook in two major configurations, as the first one comes with a chiclet keyboard and a premium design, available either in brown, white or blue and runs for $400, while second alternative has a black flavor and regular keys that will cost you only $350. In any case, both variants will house Windows 7 Starter, pre-installed, together with Media Controller and RealTime visual search app. Full specs after the break.

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Freescale is already staring eyes towards the CES show, which goes live this coming weekend, and the way things look, there’s plenty of stuff that worth waiting for. In a nutshell, the semiconductor giant surprises with a 7-inch smartbook reference design that fits well the Smartbook Tablet gender, only with a lot more to offer. Make no mistake, it’s a sort of a prototype that Freescale wishes to develop with its OEM partners, and the list of components is admittedly, very impressive, still you should give it at least six month before it gets – this way or another – official. The most attractive thing in here is the price which stands right below the $200 mark and digging into the specs, it ain’t so much at all, considering the fact it has a 1GHz i/MX515 chipset, paired with ARM Cortex A8 processor that seats together with 1,024 x 600 touch display (and ambient light sensor), 512MB of DDR2 RAM, optional 3G WWAN module, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3mp camera on top, and 3-axis accelerometer support. You get between 4GB to 64GB of internal storage, expandable with a microSD, while battery suppose to work all day long at 1,900mAh. And whether you’re fond of portable devices or not, Freescale’s machine offers (for extra $50) an optional docking station fully equipped with QWERTY keyboard and identical color lot – Now that’s definitely something we’d like to have our hands on. Stay tuned for more, images and PR details are just after the slot.

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Well, well what do we have in here…Looks like Acer just joined the rapidly growing Pine Trail family, with yesterday’s announcement of Aspire One AO532h netbook, which boasts that same Intel Atom N450 processor in a slick 10-inch display body. For the record, we’ve already heard about it only few weeks ago when a list of new Acer machines abruptly emerged from the company’s driver page – but this time it’s official. And looking at the new device, gives you the feeling that Acer has tossed a more updated design inside, although it kept this traditional up-to-date lineup which includes Intel’s GMA 1350 graphics, paired with 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, Windows 7 Starter and a 4,400 mAh 6-cell battery, providing 10 hours of life. Care for price and availability? It would cost ya only $299 when it becomes available in the coming weeks. The full PR is right after the break, and there’s nothing else to say besides: Good job Acer.

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We would like to wish all of our readers a very happy, peaceful and inspiring New Year

Think of getting a new media player? The kind that would both play your HD content and give your bank manager a reason to smile? iToos M6HD might be the right solution, as the Chinese PMP breaks into the market moments before 2009 ends, with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 TFT display and an HDMI output that will pump your 1080i videos on your LCD TV. It houses 4GB of internal storage with an SD card expansion, it has an FM radio tuner, but boasts a wide range of codecs support (including H.264 and MKV). And for the best part, it would cost ya only $58.50 (kind of).

[via Akihabara News]

It looks like Asus wants to make it harder and harder to decide which netbook should be better for us to buy. And after the company already announced the 1005P/1005PE Pine Trail netbooks which suppose to be released somewhere around mid-January, it now releases for pre-orders the Eee PC 1001P that boasts exactly the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, but includes only Windows XP preloaded inside, instead of the popular newcomer, Windows 7 Starter. Besides that single core Atom processor, the new portable clamshell-style machine will also include a 10.1-inch 1024 × 600 display, along Intel’s GMA3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a 0.3-MP webcam, WiFi, Mic and a 4400 mAh battery. Amazon.de has it listed for your pre-orders at €249 (about $360) and shipping is set to the 3rd week of 2010. No signs for US appearance at this point.

Update: Looks like Amazon US finally adds the Asus 1001P to its netbook listing with that same specs mentioned up, for $339.99.

[via Netbooknews.de]

So, Samsung finally gets its Pine Trail version out to the market, as the N220 Atom N450-based netbook surprisingly shows up in France with a fair specs lineup that includes a 10.1-inch display along Intel’s GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 250GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth, a built-in webcam and a 6-cell battery inside. Operating system? You’ve guessed right, it’s Microsoft’s Windows 7 Starter, preloaded into that green glossy flavored machine, and price accordingly, around 350 euros, or about $500 when it lands Stateside.

[via I4U]

We wouldn’t bother you with yet another Chinese Atom-based N280 netbook that packs a 10.1-inch display, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, WiFi, 3G WWAN connection, 3-cell battery and a built-in webcam, if it wasn’t for that stunning brushed-metal plate that covers the Sheng T108 netbook, spotted in Shenzhen only few days before. Yes, it looks very similar to HP’s 2133 machine that was first introduced over a year and a half ago, but price wise, it should cost a lot less money, when this thing becomes available across Asian markets.

[via shanzai]

Truth is that holidays season can be very boring, tech wise, but here’s something that might catch your eye during this time of quiescency, as latest news apparently indicate the first netbook to include Google’s Chrome OS platform will presumably boast some nifty specs inside like NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset for graphics handling and Arm-based processor, instead of Intel’s popular Atom flavor. Other than that, the rumor suggests it would pack a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 720 resolution with multi-touch display(!), along 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, an integrated webcam and 3G connectivity module. Battery is claimed to offer 4 or 6-cells versions while buyers will be able to pick an optional GPS system as part of the deal, which suppose to be very attractive and stand at somewhere below $300. Stay tuned for a lot more to come.

Update: We hear that Google will be selling those netbooks directly. More on that, hopefully soon. Still, no official confirmation from Mountain View to these rumors.

[via Netbook News]

We’re not so sure you had that new MyRacer PMP included in this year’s holidays list, but just in case you’re still in a hunt for last moment gifts, Korean’s Lisse H10 officially gone live, with a crisp 5-inch 1,280 x 720 display and a set of ordinary specs, amongst you can find 16GB of storage, FM tuner, an HDMI output, microSD slot expansion, built-in mic and wide range of formats support, like MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, and FLAC audio files, or AVI (Xvid / DivX), WMV,ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MPG, MP4, VOB, SMI video files, or JPEG, BMP, and GIF images. Regretfully,both price and release date are still missing, so you might consider buying it for the next holidays season.

[via Move Player]

Details scarce at the moment, but HP officially joins the Pine Trail pond, with its latest Mini 210 netbook which has recently appeared on various online retailers, like eCost, and suppose to replace the previous and popular Mini 110. From what we know, the new 210 version is expected to go live in five different color variations, matte silver with pattern, matte black with pattern, sonoma red, pacific blue or solid black, and suppose to include a 10.1-inch flush glass display, along that trendy 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, the new Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 160 or 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n wifi connection, 5-in-1 card reader, 3-cell/6-cell battery and Windows 7 Starter edition preloaded inside – all priced at $321 for basic package and up to $399 with some optional upgrades. Stay tuned.

Update: Turns out the Mini 210 wasn’t the only Pine Trail netbook that HP has issued. And besides that Mini 210 we’ve mentioned in here and the 5102, released to premium users, the company has also announced the Mini 2101 and the Compaq 201, both to include 10-inch displays, Island style keyboard and Broadcom Crystal HD accelerators. However, while the Mini 2101 is priced at $399 and packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Starter, its sibling, the Compaq 201 runs for only $229, but has the good old Atom N270 processor,paired with 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Starter. Design wise, they all look the same, except the colors. PR notes after the break.

[via Logichp]

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Call it recession, or maybe old fashion, but some companies, like Averatec, have apparently decided to skip Intel’s Pine Trail bandwagon at the moment, and walk with those good old N270 chaps, at the time where other brands already showing off their latest Atom N450 ware, upon request. So for all of you conservative users out there, Averatec’s HS-105 netbook can be the right solution before 2009 ends. Besides its impressive design, you get yourself, for a non-disclosure price, a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, paired with Intel’s integrated 945GSE graphics, a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 display, 2GB of RAM, 1.3MP webcam and either 160GB or 250GB storage drives at your choice. Availability is considered enigma at this point, we hope to get the missing parts before an Atom N800 goes live.

[via Akihabara News]

For a start, we’d like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the readers who washed themselves in the Pine Trail rain we’ve been pouring over their heads lately. At this point, it’s just hard to ignore the flow of devices that sprout out with Intel’s new platform planted deep in their bowels – and looking at the growing list, it ain’t going to stop. And if you’ve been asking yourself where exactly is MSI in that Atom N450 flood, you’re only few words from getting the dope – as the Chinese corp announces its decent representant, a 10.1-inch Wind U160 netbook, that carries an MSI chop. It suppose to make a debut at the CES, in January, with that same Pine View processor we just mentioned and a good looking lid on top – I mean seriously, where did they take that stunning hinge from, Sony Vaio or what? In any case, the company claims for a 10 hours battery and a $350 starting price, when this thing goes live – so lets hope.

Update: We’ve added the hands-on video, taken out of the CES show, courtesy of engadget. As you can see, the Wind U160 comes with a Windows 7 Starter edition which handles a 250GB hard drive, 6-cell battery, a chicklet keyboard and 1GB of RAM – all priced for $399. Sony Vaio, watch behind you.

[via engadget]

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