MSI's Primo 81 is a 7.85-inch tablet with the same display as the iPad mini (hands-on)
It doesn't seem fair to call the MSI Primo 81 a KIRF iPad mini. Sure, it looks a helluva like Apple's smaller tablet, but it wouldn't be accurate to call it an imposter either. What we have here is a 7.85-inch Android slate that actually uses the same IPS, 1,024 x 768, LG-made display as the mini, putting it a step above a knockoff, if you ask us. In addition to those shared viewing angles, the Primo 81 has nearly identical dimensions, and it's almost as thin too (7.8mm thick vs. 7.2 on the mini). Even the matte finish is similar to the iPad's, and the build quality isn't bad either, even if it isn't quite on par with what Apple has to offer. As it happens, the Primo 81 isn't headed to the US, so the specs might be irrelevant to you, but in case you're tuning in from overseas, this thing runs Android 4.2, powered by a quad-core Allwinner A315 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 3,500mAh battery. No word yet on price or an on-sale date, unfortunately. In the meantime, we've got hands-on shots of that below, along with the similarly specced Primo 93, which takes after the iPad 4 with a 9.7-inch screen. With rubber accents on that one, though, you'd hardly mistake it for an Apple product.
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Gigabyte PC revamps include game-ready Ultrabooks, AMD A4-based tablet (hands-on)
Gigabyte loves to pull out all the stops at Computex, and this year is no exception: the company just unveiled 11 (mostly) new laptops and tablets. According to a brochure on hand at the computer maker's demo table, the emphasis is chiefly on slimmer portables with both Haswell-era Core processors and some dedicated graphics firepower. The P34G and P35K Ultrablade models are equally 0.83 inches thick, but pack gaming-friendly GeForce GTX 760M (P34G) and 765M (P35K) video. More pedestrian Ultrabooks get a boost as well: both the touchscreen U24T (pictured above) and the non-touch U24F wield a mid-tier GeForce GT 750M. If you don't mind bulkier laptops, the Q2546N, Q2556N, U35F, P27K and P27W scale from the GeForce GT 740M through to the GTX 770M while allowing for more storage and Creative Sound Blaster audio tuning.
The tablet updates aren't nearly as extensive. Most of Gigabyte's energy centers on the 10-inch Slate S10A, a spin on the S1082 with an AMD Temash-based A4-1200 processor that delivers up to 14 hours of battery life. Other refreshes are even subtler: the 11.6-inch U21M convertible is similar to the U2142, while the dockable S1185 returns virtually unchanged outside from a new Padbook nickname. Release dates and prices aren't immediately available for any of the new systems, unfortunately, but you can peek at a few of the fresh models in our hands-on photos just below.
Zach Honig and Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, AMD, Intel
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Seagate ships 5mm Laptop Ultrathin hard drive to ASUS, Dell and more
Western Digital may have been quick to release a 5mm hard drive, but it doesn't have a lock on the category: Seagate is entering the fray by shipping its own slim disk, the Laptop Ultrathin. Like its rival, the drive stuffs as much as 500GB of conventional, rotating storage into SSD-like dimensions ideal for Ultrabooks and some tablets. It even costs the same $89 as its WD counterpart, although we're more likely to find the disk built into our next PC than pick one up as an upgrade. Both ASUS and Dell have chosen the Laptop Ultrathin for new models, and we suspect they won't be alone.
Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Storage, ASUS, Dell
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Source: Seagate
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ARM unveils Cortex-A12 CPU and Mali-T622 GPU in expectation of a mid-range boom
Few trend-spotters would disagree with the following prediction from ARM, but it's worth laying it out anyway: Of the 300 million mobile devices sold in 2010, the majority cost over $400. Within the next two years, however, these "crazy money" products (as a spokesperson described them) may represent just 25 percent of the total mobile market -- still huge in absolute terms, since almost two billion phones and tablets are forecast to be sold in 2015, but a distinct minority relative to entry-level and mid-range options.
In an effort to convert these expectations into an even taller heap of gold, ARM just announced a new mid-range core, the Cortex-A12, which is designed to replace the aging Cortex-A9 while offering a 40 percent boost in performance. This gain will likely come with the added advantage of better battery life, since the Cortex-A12 will initially be fabricated at 28nm instead of 40nm, and will be offered to manufacturers alongside a new Mali GPU (the Mali-T622) and video engine (Mali-V500) that promise further power savings of their own. The Cortex-A12 will also support big.LITTLE configurations, allowing it to be installed alongside Cortex-A7 cores that will take over for low-effort tasks in order make further power savings. Big.LITTLE hasn't really blown us away so far, at least not on the Octa-core Galaxy S 4, but its wrinkles may well have been ironed out by mid 2014, which is when the Cortex-A12 is due to land. Check out the PR for more technical details on each component.
Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
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Acer announces Orbe: a wireless storage hub for its cloud service (update: hands-on photos)
On stage at Acer's press event at Computex 2013 in Taipei, wrapping up a day of new Ultrabooks, tablets and smartphones, it revealed the Orbe, a new storage hub that connects to AcerCloud. You'll be able to tap into 2TB of storage with the curiously-shaped device, which will connect to... yep, Ultrabooks, tablets and smartphones -- something that's particularly useful given the cloud service's relatively recent update allowing any Android or iOS device to connect. Unfortunately we have yet to dig up any more specs on the device, but you can take a closer look at the hardware in our hands-on photos below.
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
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How would you change Motorola's Atrix HD?
Back in the day, the spec list for Motorola's Atrix HD made for impressive reading. After all, the $99 handset shipped with a 720p display, Ice Cream Sandwich, 8-megapixel camera and AT&T LTE. While its real-world performance couldn't match our hopes, the low price more than compensated for our gripe that it couldn't hold its own against the Galaxy S III or One X. We're fairly sure plenty of you out there bought this handset, so it's to you we ask: what parts of this phone's design to you love, what parts do you loathe and what, if anything, would you change?
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Acer announces the Liquid S1: a 5.7-inch smartphone with a near-stock Android experience (hands-on)
Acer
keeps the product announcements coming here at Computex, adding a new
(and big) Android phone to its new Ultrabooks and Windows tablets. The
Liquid S1 arrives with a 720p 5.7-inch display, matching ZTE's Grand Memo
in screen size, and marking Acer's first contribution to the
five-inches-and-over smartphone club. The phone is bound for Asia and
Europe (no US release is planned for now), and it comes appropriately
equipped with twin SIM-card slots. There is, however, no LTE radios,
something that Acer admits will be arriving in its smaller Android
devices first.
Other notable specs include a
Mediatek quad-core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of memory to aid Android
4.2. It's worth noting that the UI here, like we've seen from Acer in recent years, is largely a stock one, both in functionality (the two-finger drag-down menu for settings toggles is here, take that HTC One!)
and looks, although there's some additions to the software that we'll
outline later. We've managed to get some playtime with the device ahead
of its big reveal at Acer's press event, so check out our (literally)
earth-shaking first impressions and hands-on video after the break.
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Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook refreshed with a WQHD screen, S3 gets a total makeover (hands-on)
It was a year ago at Computex that Acer unveiled the Aspire S7, a skinny sliver of a thing that turned out to be one of our favorite Ultrabooks of 2012. Now, 12 months later, the company is unveiling... the Aspire S7. A much-improved S7, to be precise. Going into the second half of the year, there's only to be a 13-inch version (the 11-incher's been discontinued), and it has much the same industrial design, with a lightweight chassis and Gorilla Glass lid. The difference is that it will now be offered with a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, which will be standard in certain regions, like Europe. (Elsewhere, a 1080p IPS panel will continue to be the base option.) As you'd expect, Acer's upgraded the S7 to Haswell CPUs (Core i3, i5 and i7), but it also squeezed in a bigger battery -- 47Wh, up from 35Wh. Between that bigger cell and new chipset, Acer is rating the battery life at seven hours, which, if true, would correct one of the OG model's biggest shortcomings. Rounding out the list, Acer moved the mics to the front, and also updated the cooling system with the promise of less fan noise.
Meanwhile, Acer thoroughly revamped the mid-range S3 Ultrabook so that it looks more like the S7. The main differences are that this has no Gorilla Glass on the lid, and the entire machine is noticeably heavier (1.67kg vs. 1.3). Part of the reason for that chunkier shape is that it will be offered with beefier components, including optional NVIDIA GT735M graphics and a 1TB hard drive (you can also get it with an SSD). Additionally, the S3 steps up to Haswell CPUs, along with a 1080p IPS touchscreen -- the same kind that the S7 had when it first launched. Design-wise, as we said, it looks like the S7, particularly with the lid shut, and it's now made from one piece of aluminum, instead of several. The keyboard looks different from the S7's, though, and is also a bit clackier, for whatever reason. In Europe, at least, the Aspire S7-392 will start at €1,450, and the S3-392 will go from €999. Both will arrive in July. No word yet on US pricing. For a closer look, check out our hands-on photos and video, both embedded after the break.
Update: US pricing for the S7 will start at $1,400 and go up to $1,700, depending on the configuration.
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Acer Iconia W3 official: the first 8-inch Windows 8 tablet launches this month for $379 (hands-on)
It looks like the promise of smaller Windows 8 tablets has been fulfilled, and Acer's revealed its plans for a smaller form factor. Yep, we heard word of (and even peeked at listings
for) the 8-inch Iconia W3, but it's been unveiled in earnest here at
Computex 2013, weighing just over a pound and measuring under half an
inch thick. Acer's promising around eight hours of battery life, while
that smaller screen can still beam out 720p video playback on its 1,280 x
800 display. Better still, Acer has added in a full version of Office
free with the tablet which should go well with the optional full-size
keyboard accessory (69 euros, around $90) -- one that apparently mirrors
those found on Acer's 13-inch notebooks. On the tablet itself, there's
front- and rear-facing two-megapixel cameras, plus connectivity through
Bluetooth 4.0 and micro-USB.
The Iconia W3
also houses Intel's dual-core 1.8GHz Atom Z2760 processor, one we've
already seen on larger Windows 8 slabs, and will have either 32 or 64GB
of internal storage, with an additional 32 gigs of space possible
through microSD expansion. A built-in micro-HDMI port should also ensure
displaying content on larger screens is relatively painless, although
the tablet does lack the plethora of ports found on its bigger brothers,
like USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt. The Iconia W3 will be priced at 329 euros
for 32GB and 379 euros for 64GB -- Acer US confirms that the tablet will
arrive at $379 but haven't confirmed which capacity just yet. It will
go up for pre-order tomorrow at Amazon, Microsoft's retail stores and
online Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples and Walmart, with a retail
launch before the end of June. Before then, though, we've already got to
grips with the world's first 8-inch Windows 8 tablet. Check out our
impressions right after the break.
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New Acer smartphone, tablet appear ahead of Computex press conference
Acer's got a variety of hardware on display at its Computex press conference venue, including a TBA smartphone and tablet. The handset appears to be quite large -- it's definitely of the phablet variety, though it's unclear exactly what size the display is. The device on stage is running the stock Jelly Bean OS. The tablet, for its part, is at least seven inches -- possibly larger -- and running the latest version of Android as well. Acer's press conference begins in just a few minutes, and we expect to have plenty more details to share then.
Update: The slate on stage looks remarkably similar to the Iconia A1, which made its debut last month in NYC. Acer is keeping attendees at a distance, so we can't confirm for sure, but the resemblance is clear even from a few feet back.
Update 2: And the phone is called the Liquid S1 -- we've got all the details and a hands-on here.
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Apple reportedly has two labels signed for radio service, may reveal it at WWDC
Apple's long-rumored internet radio service didn't materialize as quickly as some thought, but we're getting a sudden rush of hints that it may be close at hand. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal both claim that Apple has just signed a music licensing deal with Warner, giving it two out of the big three labels it needs to start streaming -- Universal being the first, Sony being the holdout. Despite lacking one of the necessary deals, Apple is reportedly optimistic that it could unveil the radio feature as soon as WWDC. We're not counting on any music news from Apple execs when they take the stage next week, but it's good to be prepared... you know, just in case.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Apple
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Source: New York Times, Wall Street Journal
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LG announces Korean availability for 55 and 65-inch 4K TVs
A few folks have already picked up LG's 84-inch monster Ultra HD TV, but most videophiles are looking for something that'll actually fit in their living room. Thankfully, the firm is prepared for those buyers too, and is now taking pre-orders for its 55 and 65-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs. Korean customers with money to burn can pick up the 55-inch set for 7.4 million Won (about $6,541) and the larger variant for 10.9 million ($9,635). Hardly cheap, but comparable to the competition and definitely an affordable alternative to LG's $20,000 display. Check out LG's official (machine translated) announcement at the attached source.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG
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Source: LG
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Refresh Roundup: week of May 27th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile
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The Weekly Roundup for 05.27.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
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Switched On: BlackBerry's depressing keyboard trends
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
In a March interview, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, whose company's smartphone ambitions led to his vacating a board seat at Apple, claimed that he didn't use either an Android phone or iPhone. Rather, he uses a Blackberry, citing his affinity for its keyboard despite a number of Android models released over the years integrating physical thumb keyboards.
RIM devices had keyboards even before they had email; the feature was part of the BlackBerry's predecessor, the RIM Inter@ctive Pager. Indeed, tactile feedback was so valued by the company that it tried to integrate it into the touchscreen with the BlackBerry Storm. In reviewing that phone for The New York Times, David Pogue noted, "A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like an iPod without a scroll wheel." Imagine such a thing.
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PSA: Yahoo Mail Classic shuts down June 3rd
Yahoo's been on a bit of a warpath lately, shuttering old services and streamlining existing ones -- the firm classic email interface, slated to discontinue tomorrow, June 3rd, is the latest to get the axe. We knew this was coming, of course, but its more than a mere visual update: users who choose to upgrade to the new interface will have to agree to Yahoo's updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Yahoo's own help documentation points out why this matters, explaining that the new ToS includes "the acceptance of automated content scanning and analyzing of your communications content, which Yahoo users to deliver product features, relevant advertising and abuse protection."
Nothing new for Gmail users, but a change worth consideration. The company says users can opt out of contextual advertising or otherwise dodge it with a desktop email client, but will still need to accept the new ToS to continue using Yahoo Mail. Mostly par for the course, but if you're concerned about privacy, you can read up on the changes for yourself at the attached source link.
Filed under: Internet
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Yahoo
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LG Optimus L9 II, T-Mobile branded F6 appear on Twitter
Android lover on a budget? LG just might be prepping a few new phones in your price bracket. Pictures obtained by @evleaks show a follow up to the firm's Optimus L9 smartphone as well as a mysterious F6 handset with T-Mobile branding. The Twitter-based source doesn't have a lot of detail on either device, but a sticker on the L9 II suggests that the phone is bound for European markets. Interested in taking a peek? Check out the links below.
Filed under: Cellphones, LG
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Source: @evleaks (Twitter) (1), (2)
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The After Math: Internet trends, Apple TVs and Samsung's Finnish triumph
Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages.
The launch of the Xbox One may be behind us, but we still have plenty of numbers to crunch. Speaking of ones, this week we saw a record-setting auction for an old Apple 1, a multi-tabbed refresh of our inbox and the release of Mary Meeker's annual Internet Trends Report. Add to that some big names taking the stage at D11, an anti-graffiti drone and a rather bizarre-looking harp, and you have this week's After Math. Join us after the break for the digits.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Google
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Inhabitat's Week in Green: bike-powered generator, world's largest wave farm and a DIY lightsaber
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
What would you give for a working lightsaber? This week Inhabitat reported that a laser hobbyist created an awesome (but totally dangerous) DIY lightsaber that can burn through wood. In renewable energy news, Scotland announced plans to build the world's largest wave farm, and an ingenious inventor created a bike-powered generator hidden inside his patio furniture. On the consumer tech front, Apple announced plans to produce a new line of Macs in Texas, and Intel is set to release its new Haswell chips, which could boost laptop battery life by 50 percent. Scientists discovered Arctic plants that have come back to life after being frozen for 400 years, while ninth graders conducted a science experiment to show that plants don't grow as well near wireless routers. And Ukrainian carpenter Valerii Danevych carves functioning watches -- including the gears -- entirely from wood.
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MSI refreshes its GT and GE gaming laptops, teases a new 14-inch model (hands-on)
MSI's had a busy couple weeks: first it started selling a pair of laptops with AMD chips inside, and then it unveiled a flagship notebook with Haswell. Now, to complete the trilogy, the company's refreshing the other models in its range. Starting with the GT series, the existing GT70 and GT60 are both getting a quad-core, 3.2GHz Core i7-4200MQ CPU with a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX780M GPU or a 3GB GTX770M. Though the chipsets are the same, however, the 17-incher makes room for more robust internals, including a max of 32GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD paired with up to three 128GB SSDs arranged in a RAID 0 setup. The 15-inch version, meanwhile, tops out at 16GB of RAM with a single 128GB SSD and 1TB hard drive. If 8.6 or even 7.7 pounds is too heavy for your tastes, you might prefer the slim GE series, where both the 15- and 17-inch models weigh in at less than six pounds. In exchange for a lighter design, of course, you get slightly inferior specs: a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX765 GPU, 750GB hard drives, 8GB to 12GB of RAM and six-cell batteries, compared with a nine-cells on the beefier GT models. For what it's worth, though, most configurations have the same 3.2GHz Core i7 processor. Additionally, the GE notebooks have been refreshed with backlit keyboards, but you still won't get the full rainbow effect as on the GTs. All are available now. In the US, at least, starting prices are as follows: $1,500 for the GT70 and GT60, $1,400 for the GE70 and $1,000 for the GE60.
Finally, MSI is also showing off a 14-inch model, the GE40, which has an altogether different industrial design than the other GEs, with small red lights on the lid meant to look like devil's eyes. (Or wings. Whatever.) At 4.4 pounds and 1.14 inch thick, it's an obvious competitor to the Alienware M14x. No word yet on pricing or availability, but MSI has preliminarily said it will boast a 2.9GHz Core i7-4702MQ CPU, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M GPU, 8GB of RAM and a battery rated for three hours. The screen will be a 1,600 x 900 non-IPS panel with an anti-glare matte finish. Storage-wise, you're looking at a 128GB and 750GB SSD, or just the 750-gig HDD. Again, MSI hasn't said when it'll ship, but for now we've got hands on-photos of the GE40 (and those other machines, too) after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, Laptops
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BLU Amour phone comes with crystal home button, gender stereotypes
BLU Products: we like your value-packing smartphones, but we have to talk. Your just-shipped Amour is leaning a little too heavily on female stereotypes with its Swarovski zirconia home button, quilted back and luxury-themed take on Android 4.0. We'd rather you focus on the quite respectable budget phone inside. For $159, customers are getting a real bargain: there's a 4-inch WVGA screen, a dual-core MediaTek chip, dual SIMs with unlocked 3G, a 5MP rear camera and a front VGA shooter. That kind of bang for the buck can appeal to frugal buyers of all kinds, not just those replacing an HTC Rhyme.
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Source: BLU Products
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LG Optimus F3 for Sprint shows up in deep purple, predicts mild summer
We already saw a rendered image of the LG Optimus F3 break cover. Now we can get slightly better look at the entry-level Android offering, in a purple hue that's reportedly heading to Sprint. There's nothing to suggest any advance on the reported 4-inch WVGA display, 2,460mAh battery and Jelly Bean (4.1.2) specifications. Pretty much the only other aspect to become clear is the textured rear. We're not reading too much into the June 24th date on scree, but if it does turn out to be mostly sunny in Chicago that day, we'll for sure pay more attention next time.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
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Source: evleaks (Twitter)
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CBS acquires all of TV Guide Digital
TV Guide Digital has fared well between its web portal and mobile apps, but part-owner CBS thinks there's a lot of potential locked away. Enough so, in fact, that CBS is taking over TV Guide Digital by acquiring Lionsgate's remaining 50 percent stake in the venture. The media giant now has full control of both TVGuide.com and the TV Guide Mobile apps, both of which are folding into CBS Interactive's Technology, Games and Lifestyle division. CBS mostly hopes that the deal will make it a font of wisdom for channel surfers -- it sees TV Guide Digital's rapidly growing audience and programming knowledge as complements to TV.com. We don't yet know how the acquisition will affect the TV Guide properties themselves, but we'd expect more than just the status quo.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD
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LG Optimus F7 for US Cellular leaks through company documents
US Cellular isn't just looking to spice up its device roster with the ATIV Odyssey. We've obtained documents that point to LG's upper mid-range Android smartphone, the Optimus F7, also reaching the carrier in the near future. Outside of the unintrusive branding on the back, it's a very straightforward port: the F7 should still carry its 4.7-inch qHD screen, LTE data, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera. The materials we've seen make no mention of launch details, although we're not expecting either a long wait or a high price.
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
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