smartech

Miniaturization, is not an easy job. When Apple introduced the slim MacBook Air, last week, we noticed a slenderized design from the outside, but inside hardware had some major modifications as well. One of this interesting changes, came from the ultra mini Core 2 Duo processor figure. It is a combination of Intel 65 nanometer Merom architecture with an 800MHz bus, molded into a new, smaller chip package.

[via gizmodo]

It’s here, rise and shine, the new MacBook Air, world’s thinnest laptop ever made. We all been waiting for this one, and Apple delivered big time. With a super light, super thin and super glowing look, the MacBook Air features:

• Display: 13.3″ LED backlit, TFT glossy widescreen.
• Built-in iSight camera.
  
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor at 1.6 or 1.8GHz.
• Memory: 2GB RAM 667MHz DDR2.
• Storage: 1.8″ 80 GB 4200 rpm hard drive, or SSD 64 GB optional (for extra 1300$).
• Micro-DVI adapter.
• WiFi integrated AirPort Extreme.
• Trackpad with a multi-touch support (like the iPhone).
• Intel GMA X3100 Graphics processor, 144MB RAM.
• Height: 0.4-1.94 cm
• Width: 32.5 cm
• Depth: 22.7 cm
• Weight: 1.36 kg
• Battery life: 5 hours.

Macworld’s opening day answered all our anticipations, with 5 major announcements from El Stivo. The keynote introduced us as follows:

• iTunes Movie Rentals Service.
• iPhone & iPod Touch Firmware Updates.
• Time Capsule.
• Apple TV Take Two.
• MacBook Air.

It’s not that we were strangers to most of the new announcements, on the contrary, most of them already leaked weeks before, and you could read about it in this blog. Lets view some of them in a nutshell:

iTunes Movie Rentals Service

As we already posted, a week ago, Apple teamed up with all major film studios, such as Paramount, Lions Gate Entertainment, Walt Disney, Miramax, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and more, to bring the top movie titles into iTunes, and to enable users renting a film directly from their iPhones or their iPod touch devices, for 3.99$ per 24h.

iPhone & iPod Touch Firmware Updates.

iPhone - As we reported several weeks ago, Apple officially announced on Firmware update 1.1.3 which includes:

• GoogleMaps application is able to pinpoint your location.
• SMS can be send to multiple people, at once.
• Bookmark add-on for web sites.
• Re-arrangement of home screen icons.
• Video chaptering.
• Music lyrics display.

iPod Touch - This one wasn’t known to us up till yesterday. Apple released some new add-ons to the Touch players. The new update features Mail program, Maps, web clips, stocks, weather and notes. BUT, this is not a free update, this one will cost you 20$.

Time Capsule

To make it simple, this is a wireless backup server. To make it complicated, it is a full Airport Extreme base station with 802.11n wireless and a server grade hard drives that enables to backup all Leopard OS Macs in your network. The Time Capsule comes in 2 configurations:

• 500GB for $300.
• 1TB for $500.

Apple TV Take Two

The major improvements in Take Two TV is that it requires no computer, renting movies is much easier and you can have them in HD Dolby 5.1 format. The Take Two edition supports audio, video and photo browsing threw Flickr. To upgrade your Apple TV to a Take Two version, you will have to update the software. It is free of charge and will be available in 2 weeks.

MacBook Air

This is the big one, that everyone was expecting to hear about. MackBook Air goes live with the title of the thinnest notebook on earth, just 4mm (!). It features:

• 13.3″ screen display with ambient light sensor.
• A black keyboard with a LED backlit.
• A multi-touch pad (like the iPhone).

Further details will be available in the next posts.

With the growth of information movability, we all need a portable hard drive to carry with us on the go. The new Seagate D.A.V.E portable hard drives are distinguished from other similar products, by enabling wireless connection from any laptop or cell phone, threw WiFi or Blootooth technologies. Despite the limited 60GB storage capacity, this is definitely a cables saver. Price and availability are unknown for the moment.

[via slashgear]

The new advanced sound system from Logitech is another step in turning your computers into a complete home entertainment system. The Z Cinema is an advanced surround machine, equipped with a unique three-amplifier design, two-way satellite speakers and an 8-inch subwoofer.  The new SRS TruSurround HD technology delivers high performance surround sound quality, without the need for rear speakers. The bundle includes a Media Center remote, to give your PC a complete home theater experience, along with a Windows(R) Media Center button, to enhance your Media Center functionality. The Z Cinema is expected to be available, both in Europe and the U.S, at the end of this month, with a  price tag of $299.99 .

[via Aving]

So far, a large number of MID/UMPC devices have been introduced at the CES 2008. This time, it is Asus turn to unveil its latest, the R50A. This device is another advanced UMPC machine, equipped with the top-notch technology. Check out some of the features:

• Display: 5.6″ TFT LCD touchscreen (1024 x 600).
• Processor: Intel Silverthorne 1.3GHz, with Intel Menlow platform.
• Memory: 1GB
  
• Features: Webcam, Microphone, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, external speaker, global positioning system, 3G/3.5G connectivity, fingerprint reader.
• Dimension: 200 x 85 x 20 mm 520g.

[via gmp3]

LG joined the UMPC celebration at the CES, by announcing on a new MID/UMPC machine. The new LG device features the new ultra mobile Menlow platform from Intel, along side the new 1.33GHz 45nm Silverthorne processor. Price is expected to be around 1000 Euros.

Specifications:

• Display: 4.8″ WVGA TouchScreen (1024 x 600).
• Memory: 1GB RAM.
• Storage size: 40GB HDD (1.5″).
• OS: Windows Vista
• Processor: Silverthorne 45nm, 1.33GHz on Ultra Mobile Intel Menlow platform.
  
• Features:  HSDPA, BlueTooth 2.0, WiFi, sliding keyboard,
• Size:148 x 92 x 29 mm 590g.
  

 [via gmp3]

Is the new iRiver Wing UMPC reminding you something? Well…If you thought about the Asus Eee PC, you guessed right. As we mentioned, the huge impression (and sales) of the Eee ultra mini PC, made other companies reconsider their line of products. The iRiver WING is a WiFi enabled portable device with a 4″ touchscreen and 4GB of flash storage. It runs Windows CE Pro and equipped with a full QUERTY keyboard. Other features include web browsing, emails, FM radio, VOIP support and SD expansion.

[via gizmodo]

It seems that many manufacturers got envy with the enormous success of the Asus Eee PC and wanted to have one of their own. The new UMPC series, from Kojinsha, is equipped with AMD Geode processor, 7″ 1024×600 resolution and a GPS navigation system. More info will be revealed at the CES show and I’m guessing we will see more of those during 2008.

[via gmp3]

If you’re the kind of people who like to modify their surrounding, this product is a must. A company, named Skinit, revealed some new designed coverings for your routers. Yes, you’ve heard that right, ROUTERS. Those who happened to have D-Link DIR-655, DIR-625, DIR-615, DGL-4500, DGL-4300, DGL-4100 or DIR-624 router models, can log into the company’s web site, choose their favorite skin model, or design their own, for $14.99. Honestly, i can’t figure out how i lived without this thing, up till now.

[via engadget]

As you all probably know, Asus Eee Pc is one of the coolest gadgets and one of the hottest products in people’s wish list. Being so popular, Asus decided to extend the package, and developed 4 special designated accessories for the Eee. The list includes:

• Noise-isolating headphones.
• Compact 1,000dpi resolution mice.
• International power adapter.
• Extending batteries of 4 or 6 cells.

Update: according to DailyTech, Asus will reveal a new Eee PC, with larger 8.9″ LCD screen, at the CES show, next week. We also learn, that the new device has an integrated WIMAX technology and it will feature the new Intel Menlow notebook platform, which includes a 45nm Silverthorne processor that provides ten times power saving efficiency, compared to the first Eee PC generation.

In one word - WOW !!!

[via engadget]

We already mentioned that Asus Eee PC is a huge success, as we read that the Taiwanese manufacturer is shipping 20,000 units of the mini device every month. Now we hear about this cool new modification that turns the Eee PC 7″ display into a really magnificent touch screen. If you happened to have one of those Asus miniatures, all you have to do is order from eBay (or else) a 60$ car touchscreen, install it on your Asus Eee, and VOILA. The touch works great, with fingers or attached stylus, specially if running with XP OS.

Update: Asus has shipped 350,000 Asus Eee PCs in one quarter, exceeding the company’s estimations.

[via engadget]

PC WORLD ranked the top 15 biggest tech disappointments of 2007, and guess who’s no.1 in the list - Well…there’s no need to be a genius to figure out that Microsoft Windows Vista is the “winner”.

According to the magazine, despite the cool Aero interface, the efficient integrated security and parental controls, the OS isn’t delivering the excitement that was expected from 5 years of development system. The vista is slower than the XP, it requires some hefty hardware modifications and isn’t compatible with many nowadays drivers. This flaws brought many users to keep distance from the software or to downgrade back to Windows XP.

In this competition, Vista managed to “defeat” candidates like Facebook Beacon, Internet Security, Microsoft Zune and Office 2007, on its way to be nominated as #1 Tech Disappointment of the year.

[via pcworld]

The new Toshiba Qosmio G40 is not just another notebook stud, it is the first laptop to include HD DVD-RW drive - pretty neat isn’t it?

Toshiba was the first company to announce on HD DVD-RW drive for notebooks, on June this year. Now they released this multimedia laptop, equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2Ghz, Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphic card, 17″ WUXGA screen, 2x 200GB HDDs, HDMI out, WiFI, Gigabit LAN, 4GB of memory, HDTV tuners and more. Price should be around $3,530.

[via engadget]

This tentative idea can be really cool. M++Card, is a business card concept with a USB extension…I guess no one will throw your card away anymore, and it will get the most attention from all the cards in the pile. Also, it could come with some uploaded marketing brochures and information about your company.

So all the Brains: On your marks -> Get set -> GO !!!

[via gizmodo]