Hasta La Gadget!

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Last week’s Switched On discussed some of the challenges the Flip camcorder faced trying to grow in the marketplace, an effort abruptly scuttled by an indifferent Cisco. But while Kodak, Sony and others are now poised to fill the Flip void, no competitor exactly matched Flip’s combination of simplicity and sharing. With point and shoot cameras, camcorders, traditional MP3 players and standalone GPS units in decline, the jury remains out on how long portable electronics can fight the smartphone, but Flip’s success taught the industry some valuable lessons that may have relevance going forward.

Continue reading Switched On: A legacy from the Flip side

Switched On: A legacy from the Flip side originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Micro Four Thirds form factor may be a compelling choice for those seeking portability with affordable prices and notable quality, but there’s no doubt that many folks are still loyal to the conventional DSLRs. If you’re one such Olympus fan who’s concerned about the fate of the larger E-series lineup, fret not: Akira Watanabe, head of product development, reassured PCPOP that the E-series models are here to stay because of their unique features, though his team’s still pondering over the idea of replacing the budget triple-digit line (like the E-620) with the PEN series, as suggested by his colleague previously. But shifting the focus back to PEN, Watanabe teased that his crew’s developing some MFT lenses to boost the portfolio, though little is revealed other than that these will cater users who have specific photographic needs. Very intriguing indeed — maybe some fisheye and tilt-shift love?

Olympus still loving E-series DSLRs, but teases new Micro Four Thirds lenses to confuse you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the ultra-thin Lenovo ThinkPad X1 we detailed just a few hours ago? The document that dished those secrets also mentioned an “X Slate,” which made us wonder if Lenovo’s LePad was finally hitting the states… but This is my next seems to have stumbled across a grander piece of technology than that oft-delayed slate. According to a presumably leaked company presentation, Lenovo’s planning to release an Android 3.0 tablet this July with a giant raft of specs — a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 IPS capacitive multitouch panel, a Tegra 2 processor, up to 64GB of storage, front and rear cameras, a full-size USB 2.0 port, mini-HDMI out, a genuine SD card reader and up to 8 hours of purported battery life in a package about 14mm thick and weighing 1.6 pounds.

What’s more, it will reportedly have an optional dual-digitizer with “true pen support” and an optional keyboard case, possibly aping ASUS’s recent Slate and Transformer tablet input mechanisms by allowing for both simultaneously. There’s also apparently plenty of software support for the business-minded, including IT integration as well as anti-theft and remote wipe options, and all this will apparently start at the competitive price of $499 — assuming these documents are legitimate and still valid. You see, they look a little preliminary for a slate supposedly sampling in just a couple of months, and there are contradictions here and there, such as the mention of a 1080p display in one slide, and some watermarks from 2009 in others. Still, Lenovo, if you’re indeed producing a tablet today, we’re liking its proposed specs — don’t suppose we can get a Tegra T25 chip while you’re at it? Find a few extra renders and plenty of slides at our source link.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet leaks out with Honeycomb, IPS screen, optional stylus and keyboard folio? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The scientific community has spent a decade exploring ultrasound as a means of breaking through the blood-brain barrier — a layer of tightly-packed cells that surround the brain‘s blood vessels, making it difficult for doctors to deliver chemotherapy and other treatments to cancer patients. Thus far, though, most ultrasound-based techniques have relied upon complex and often costly equipment, including MRI machines and infusion pumps. But researchers at a startup called Perfusion Technology think they may have come up with a less invasive, more cost-effective alternative — a new headset designed to deliver low-intensity ultrasound therapy to the entire brain over the course of extended treatment periods. This approach differs markedly from most other methods, which typically target smaller areas of the brain with high-intensity ultrasound doses. As with most other potential breakthroughs, however, Perfusion’s technique still needs to undergo some major testing. The company has already conducted several tests on animals, but the last time a similar method was tried on humans, many subjects ended up suffering from excessive bleeding. And that doesn’t sound good at all.

Startup’s headset will bathe your brain in ultrasound, might help fight cancer, too originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday’s speculation has turned into today’s fact. The ultraslim Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is most definitely real, coming soon, and just so happens to be packing some fancy new battery technology as well. This intel comes straight from Lenovo’s own servers, where a highly informative PDF (intended for reseller partners, but accessible to all) dishes the dirt on the upcoming laptop. The X1’s “slice” battery won’t be user-replaceable, but what you lose in flexibility will be made up for in sheer performance gains, as Lenovo is touting it’ll last three times as long as a normal battery and will recharge 2.5 times faster than previous ThinkPad cells. That’s thanks to some fanciness named RapidCharge that will revitalize the X1 to 80 percent within 30 minutes. The presentation slides show the X1 right alongside Lenovo’s latest Edge models, the E420s and E220s, as part of “a new generation of ThinkPads,” and given that both of those are now shipping, the ultraslim, but still unannounced, X1 can’t be far behind. Finally, just for some added intrigue, we’ve also spotted mention of an “X Slate” within the document — any ideas as to what that might look like?

[Thanks, Alexandr]

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 confirmed, faster-charging integrated battery detailed

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 confirmed, faster-charging integrated battery detailed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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