Hasta La Gadget!

Remember last year at CES 2010 when Lenovo made a huge scene with the tablet / netbook U1 Hybrid, which ran Windows when docked and Lenovo’s Skylight Linux in tablet mode? And then Lenovo killed Skylight in favor of Android and put everything on hold? Well, it’s back — and we just got some serious hands-on time with production-ready Chinese versions of what’s now being called the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid with LePad tablet. Things have substantially changed for the better in the past year and since we saw a pre-pro model last month — in addition to Lenovo’s skinned version of Android 2.2 (called LeOS, sigh), there’s now a newer 1.3GHz Snapdragon in the LePad and an 1.2GHz Intel Core i5-540UM in the U1 base, with an optional i7 available. Switching from Windows to Android just requires disengaging the latch on the base — the flip to Android is basically instantaneous, while getting back to Windows takes a few seconds. The U1 base is much nicer than the unit we played with last year — it’s been restyled and features a chiclet-style keyboard and dimpled trackpad. Best of all, the LePad now features a 10.1 1280 x 800 capacitive multitouch display, instead of the floppy resistive unit we saw last year. Both pieces are pretty thin individually, but docked up it makes for a pretty chunky laptop — but you are getting two machines for the price of one.

Now for the bad news — the LePad will run for about $520 when it arrives in China this quarter, but the full U1 kit will run $1300. There’s also no US availability or pricing right now — and Lenovo told us the U1 won’t hit the States until it runs Android 3.0, so we could be waiting months while the company reskins the OS. And we might have to wait even longer for Lenny to retool the LePad to meet that supposed dual-core CPU requirement — but then, it’s already been a year. We can wait a little longer, we suppose. You know, for love. Video and PR after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo LePad tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid return with Android 2.2 in tow

Lenovo LePad tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid return with Android 2.2 in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The brand we know and love for staying on the cutting edge can go dedicated high end HiFi the old fashioned way too — Onkyo announced a new lineup of elite HiFi separate components is for those who know that you only need two speakers for great sound. The trio is made up of the $1,499 C-7000R CD player, the $1,699 P-3000R pre-amplifier, and the $2,499 M-5000R power amplifier — which only leaves the speakers for you to source elsewhere. You have to be a true audiophile to appreciate the specs in the attached press release, but it’ll be very easy to fall in love with the retro styling when these show up at select dealers later this month.

Continue reading Onkyo’s latest HiFi stereo separates go retro

Onkyo’s latest HiFi stereo separates go retro originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s CES banners have been unfurled around the Las Vegas Convention Center here and one of them has a particularly alluring, and particularly skinny, phone to show us. The above image of half a touchscreen handset (more closeup photography of which you’ll find in the gallery below) shows a Sony Ericsson brand and what looks like a 3.5mm headphone jack — the latter of which would suggest that this phone is no more than six or seven millimeters thick. Even more enticing is the promise of “more entertainment at the touch of a button,” suggesting some processing and graphics firepower contained within as well — could it be SE’s answer to the dual-core LG Optimus 2X? We get the feeling we’ll love this thing whatever the hell’s inside it.

Update: Closer investigation of the imagery has led us to believe this is probably the Anzu / X12 that we first saw back in November. That device’s claim to fame was a 4.3-inch display allied to a “very, very thin” profile.

Sony poster at CES shows unannounced, extremely slim-looking phone (update: probably the Anzu) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that Roadmate 9055 that popped up in the FCC’s database back in September? Looks like Magellan’s using CES to officially launch it. Listing for $299.99 here in the States, this monstrous 7-inch navigator packs a WVGA touchscreen, Bluetooth and a lifetime supply of free traffic updates. It’s preloaded with maps of the 50 US states, Canada and Puerto Rico, not to mention six million points-of-interest, loads of content from the AAA Tourbook Guide (including Diamond ratings and descriptions for US and Canada), and a roadside assistance feature that provides your precise location in case you need to tell it to some fine man or woman on the other end of an emergency call. If you’re more of an argonaut, the Explorist 310 handheld navigator is likely more your speed. This one’s retailing for $199.99, and it includes a 2.2-inch color display, a rugged, waterproof enclosure, a SiRFstar III GPS chipset and a slew of features catering to the outdoor navigation market — things like waypoint creation, a premium, preloaded World Edition map, active tracking, and track summary. There’s also 500MB of user-accessible memory (for adding extra maps), and we’re told that two AA batteries can power it for an astounding 18 hours. So, where’s life planning to take you?

Magellan reveals Roadmate 9055 and Explorist 310 GPS units originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You don’t need us to tell you that phones are posing a huge threat to the dedicated navigation device market, but Garmin isn’t giving up without a fight (or without hedging its bets). It just announced its nüvi 2400 series of “large format” PNDs, with 5-inch screens and a wealth of features. Standouts include voice control and some serious routing capabilities based on “trafficTrends” and “myTrends,” which are exactly what they sound like. Prices start at $250, with all the features available but except for traffic and free map updates. At the $350 mark you can get lifetime map and traffic, traffic adapter . The whole line should be out in Q1 of this year.

Continue reading Garmin’s nuvi 2400 pairs a 5-inch screen with voice control, isn’t a phone

Garmin’s nuvi 2400 pairs a 5-inch screen with voice control, isn’t a phone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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