If you thought the beast that was the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon was never going to see the light of day – that light being the open market – you were wrong! This lovely amalgamation of gaming coolness is up for sale now for $1,699 USD and will be available wherever fabulous Lenovo products are sold this week. Have a peek at the hands-on looks we’ve gotten with this device right this minute!
Is this monster worth the monstrous price it comes attached with? The device itself is one massive display that you can mount on your wall or sit flat on a table – or on a carpeted floor if you’re all about the cross-legged way of going about things. When you’ve got it all set up (when you’ve got it turned on, that is), you’ll be playing a collection of uniquely tuned games made specifically for this interface.
You’ll find Monopoly – the real deal! – Draw Race 2, Raiding Company, Air Hockey, and a whole heck of a lot more! Each of these games are either built-in to the PC or will be available for download in their full form for free. Not that you’ll be worrying about the cost of a piece of software after you’ve dropped the $1,700 USD you’re spending on this device, but it’s nice to know how simple it’ll all be.
Inside you’ve got a 27-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display optimized for not just 10-finger touch, but a collection of accessories that come with the machine as well. Paddles for air hockey, game pieces for board games, and a unique 6-sided die that the computer can read with ease!
The most basic model you’ll be working with has a 3rd-gen Intel Core i5 processor with NVIDIA GeForce GT620M graphics and 2GB of memory. Along with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, you’ll be blowing up the finest of next-generation touch-friendly games. You’ll be given a stand to set the Horizon up if you wish, and higher-powered versions of the machine are in the pipeline – stay tuned for more!
A couple of months ago we found out about Instashare, an app that lets you transfer files from an iOS device to an OS X computer and vice versa. Filedrop is a lot like Instashare, but it has a couple of significant features that make it seem like the better of the two. The best part? Filedrop is also free.
Like Instashare, Filedrop lets you wirelessly transfer files between two computers as long as both are in the same local network, without the inconvenience of setting up shared drives. The great thing about Filedrop is that it works with both Windows and Macs; soon the developer behind it will also release iOS and Android versions of the program as well. Aside from transferring files, Filedrop also lets you stream photos and audio files from one device to another. This feature is great for impromptu presentations or other instances where you don’t necessarily want to leave a copy of a file on another computer.
Here’s proof of Filedrop’s cross-platform compatibility:
You can download Filedrop from its official website. For larger file transfers, you’ll be better off just using a flash drive. If you want to keep your files synced between devices, then you’ll be better off with a cloud service like Dropbox. But for quick sharing and copying I reckon Filedrop is better than either of those long term options. I for one can’t wait for its mobile apps.
Dell has pulled the wraps off a new notebook computer called the Latitude 3330. This notebook is specifically designed to be an affordable, manageable, and secure solution for schools and small business users. Dell says the machine is appropriate for both educational use in the classroom and productivity for business users.
The machine features an anodized aluminum lid behind the display for good looks and a solid feel. The machine is 21 mm thick and weighs in at 3.43 pounds making it easy to carry from class to class and between office and home. Swappable battery options promise 10 hours of battery life for all day use.
The machine is also Energy Star 5.2 compliant and EPEAT registered. Dell says that the new machine builds on its previous success with the Latitude 2120 notebook computer. The 3330 notebook is available with a variety of processors including Core i3, i5, and Celeron parts.
The notebook has a 13.3-inch anti-glare LCD with the native resolution of 1366 x 768. The notebook also has an integrated microphone and HD resolution web cam. Storage options for the machine vary, but Dell says that storage will be in the form of high-performance SSHDs offering large storage capacity and fast boot time. Connectivity options include VGA output, HDMI, dual USB 3.0 ports, and an optional USB dock is available. The 3330 will launch in late April starting at $419.
When it comes to computer gaming one of the most important peripherals for the gamer is the mouse. A mouse with too much or too little sensitivity can be very difficult to use during intense gaming sessions. Thankfully, there are a huge variety of gaming mice on the market today allowing the PC gamer to choose the mouse perfectly suited their needs. Another new mouse is set to launch from Gigabyte called the Aivia Uranium.
The mouse promises a battery life of up to 70 hours on a pair of AA batteries. These aren’t old-fashioned throwaway AA batteries, though presumably you could use those throwaway batteries in a pinch. This mouse uses a pair of rechargeable AA batteries that are charged by plugging the mouse into the included Ghost Macro Station that doubles as the wireless receiver.
That Ghost Macro Station also has a very interesting OLED monochrome screen integrated into the front. That screen gives the gamer details such as how the battery charging is going, the DPI setting for the mouse, and the current wireless frequency. The screen can also be used for customizing macros on the mouse.
One of the most important aspects of any gaming mouse is the sensitivity. That’s where things get a bit murky, so far we don’t know the exact sensitivity but odds are we’re looking at 5600 at least dpi. The mouse is also expected to feature 10 programmable buttons and multiple onboard profiles. The LED lighting system the mouse will also be color adjustable. The mouse is expected to launch in June with pricing unannounced. I’d wager we’re looking at over $100.
We first got word of the Lenovo C540 all-in-one back back in November of last year, however it wasn’t until January when we saw a complete set of details and some pricing. That news came during CES and while that was a few months back, the C540 has only recently begun shipping. Lenovo has the C540 listed as being both affordable and family friendly. Further touting the C540 as having a complete set of entertainment features and a space saving design. Well, over the course of the past week we have been using the C540 all-in-one for our daily computing needs and you can read on to see how it stands up to those claims.
Hardware
Lenovo has these built out with a 23-inch display at 1920 x 1080, running Windows 8 and powered by an Intel Pentium G2020 processor. The model we tested had the processor clocked at 2.9GHz and with Intel HD Graphics 2500, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Hardware specs aside, the system itself has a decent overall look, albeit with a bezel that is a bit on the shiny side. Basically, that is just to say that you can expect to see dust, fingerprints and other smudges. Certainly not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.
The setup itself is straight forward and easy. Aside from the 23-inch display, the C540 has a webcam sitting front and center on the top along with the power button towards the bottom on the left side of the system. In total there are six USB 2.0 ports — four on the back and two on the left hand side of the system. Also on the left side (above the power button) you will find the headphone and microphone jacks as well as a memory card reader. Rounding out the ports on the back and you have the power jack, HDMI and Ethernet. The system also has Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity.
Basically, just what you need and all in easy to access locations. The system itself is on the thin side and looking from the front, would appear to be nothing more than a regular monitor. The good part here is that as the C540 is an all-in-one — there is no tower needed. Another item worth noting is a DVD drive which can be found on the right-hand side. Otherwise, Lenovo ships the C540 with a USB keyboard and mouse and has the system sitting on a stand that swivels allowing you to adjust the viewing angle a bit.
Software
The Lenovo C540 is running a 64-bit edition of Windows 8, which means it will bring an experience that will be familiar to many. The basics are all included which means when you first get up and running you will find tiles for goodies such as your mail and calendar as well as people, photos and more. There is also a live tile for the weather as well as tiles for SkyDrive, Games, Camera, Music and Video.
Aside from the basics that you will find on just about an Windows 8 system, Lenovo has also added a few goodies of their own. We will leave the bloatware argument aside and instead simply note how these include some Lenovo specifics such as PowerDVD 10 and the slightly more important items such as the Lenovo System Recovery. Rounding out the software are some third party apps such as an Amazon app as well as a Kindle, Evernote and cloud storage app. The cloud storage app is SugarSync and it gets you started with 5GB for free.
Performance
Speaking in terms of performance, the system was able to handle our day to day needs with ease. Granted, quite a bit of that involved little more than a web browser, text editor and some basic image work. Of course, the key here is who the Lenovo C540 is aimed at — the average home user. In that respect, we have to say the C540 should be able to live up to your needs.
System – LENOVO 10110
Manufacturer
Lenovo
Product Type
Desktop
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Motherboard
LENOVO INVALID
Processor
Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G2020 @ 2.90GHz
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.89 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
2
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
3.00 MB
Memory
4.00 GB DDR3 SDRAM 666MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
LENOVO I0KT24AUS
Taking this a step further and the play time experience was just as solid. That is to say we found no issues with some light gaming along with music and video streaming. Shifting over to the technical side, lets get into what the benchmarks look like for the Lenovo C540. These were done using Geekbench and the results are sitting below.
Benchmark Score – LENOVO 10110
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
5292
6621
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
9346
Memory
Memory performance
5365
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
4248
Wrap-Up
Bottom line here, the Lenovo C540 all-in-one seems to be well suited for the intended audience. That is to say the average home user that wants something powerful enough for day to day use. Of course, the good looks and relatively slim design only go to further that thought. The model as configured is priced from $500 and can be found with a variety of online retailers with prices through the $500 range. Also, as one would expect with desktop computers there is always the option to upgrade. In this case, Lenovo has options for faster processors, more RAM and even additional storage. Needless to say, based on what we have tested — we think this ‘as tested’ model will be just fine for the majority of users.
I’m a huge fan of movies and I like watching my favorite flicks on the big screen in my media room and on my computer screen. One thing that always bothers me about watching widescreen movies are the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. There are a few projector screens and other products on the market today that have a special aspect ratio eliminating those black bars.
AOC has just announced a new 29-inch computer monitor that uses the 21:9 super widescreen aspect ratio that will eliminate black bars on your favorite movie content.
The display is called the Q2963PM and it has a native resolution of 2560 x 1080. The LED-backlit screen claims a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000,000:1 (which doesn’t really mean much) and a brightness rating of 250 cd/m2. It also features dual three-watt speakers.
The display supports picture-in-picture, and has multiple inputs including DisplayPort, D-sub, HDMI, and DVI. The screen is good for more than watching movies though with the wide aspect ratio bringing the benefits of multiple monitors into a single space-saving device.
While it’s not inexpensive compared to standard 16:9 aspect ratio monitors, it’s the best priced 21:9 display on the market so far, with a retail price of $499(USD). The AOC Q2963PM display is available over on Amazon now.
If you were thinking that Leap Motion’s motion control experience was only going to be created as a stand-alone experience, you might need to think again. Today HP has announced a relationship with Leap Motion, this deal showing up thus far as a bundled Leap Motion Controller existing with several HP products through the future. Can you imagine motion control coming with your desktop products as a matter of fact from here on in?
You’ll find that with Leap Motion aboard, HP will become one of the most unique options for PCs in the near future. The models HP and Leap Motion are speaking about thus far will come with Airspace right out of the box. Airspace is Leap Motion’s application store where a wide range of bits and pieces can be found – gaming, education, art, music, productivity, and a whole lot more!
At the moment, HP and Leap Motion have shown their intent to include the Leap Motion Controller itself in a range of products, but have not named any specific desktops or notebooks (or anything in-between) that will be working with this deal. We’re expecting specific models to be named in the near future. Stay tuned to the HP tag portal and click out a search for Leap Motion to see which hardware comes up first!
Outside of this HP deal, you’ll be seeing the Leap Motion Controller available for $79.99 USD very, very soon. This piece of hardware is available for pre-order now for that same price and we’ll be taking additional peeks at it soon! Take a peek at the timeline below for more information on Leap Motion!
Cooler Master has announced a new gaming keyboard that has those clicky mechanical keys that gamers know and love. Clicky keys are also favored by touch typists thanks to nice tactile feedback and the fact that the clicky clacking can drive your cubicle mates insane. The new gaming keyboard is called the QuickFire Stealth.
At first glance, it looks like one of those strange keyboards with no symbols on any of the keys. It actually has symbols on every key, only they’re on the front edge of the keys rather than the tops. That’s actually a pretty interesting idea because it means your fingers won’t be constantly rubbing against the letters and numbers so they’ll never wear off, but you can still tell which key is which. The mechanical switches also promise incredibly long life with over 50 million keystrokes guaranteed.
The gaming keyboard has four different types of Cherry MX mechanical switches available, ranging from strong resistance with force feedback to very low resistance with linear feedback. The QuickFire Stealth keyboard can be purchased directly from Cooler Master right now for $89.99(USD).
Sony is getting ready to step up its retail footprint in an effort to sell more products and better compete with Apple and its highly successful retail presence. Sony has announced that it will be reopening three newly remodeled Sony Stores around the country. Sony also plans to open up new Sony Gallery experiences over the next several months.
Sony recently launched its Sony Store in the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto California. Sony will be reopening the doors to three additional concept stores located in Miami, San Diego, and Orlando using the same style and experience offered in Palo Alto. Sony says that with its three remodeled stores reopening that it now has eight Sony Stores in the United States.
Rather than opening new retail stores in multiple areas, Sony is also going to be launching freestanding Sony Galleries. The Sony Gallery will show off a curated assortment of Sony’s best products in a smaller store footprint. The first Sony Gallery is opening this week in San Diego at the Westfield UTC Mall.
The Sony Gallery appears to be a curtained tent-style display in the center court area of the mall. Additional Sony Galleries will be coming next month and will be located in New Jersey and San Francisco. Sony plans to place additional galleries and other shopping centers around the country. The galleries will include TVs, cameras, computers, and audio products.
The machines are just about to take over the planet now that computer scientist Tom Murphy has presented a paper on the possibility of video games being beaten by robots. It’s not quite that simple, but in essence, it’s time for Progress Quest to take hold. Presented at SigBovik 2013, what you’re about to see is a set of programs: LearnFun and PlayFun – the first watches you play the video game, the second takes the information and beats the video game much more efficiently than you can.
What you’re seeing here is none other than Murphy himself taking a whopping 16+ minutes to not only explain the entire concept of both LearnFun and PlayFun, but a cool Mario Bros demonstration as well. Just the first level of Super Mario Bros, one of the most played video games of all time due to its in-box inclusion with the original Nintendo Entertainment System, is included for demonstration. You’ll see Murphy beat the first level, the machine learn from him, and the machine play.
This video shows how not just Mario Bros, but a wide variety of video games could technically be learned and beaten with the computer and by the computer. As the original NES system is just a miniature computer – ancient by today’s standards – it’s really only a matter of reading the button presses and pressing them at the right time. It’s not only limited to those one-possibility games either, this system could be expanded even to the randomly-generated worlds of today.
Now we’ve just got to amp up the power a bit and let this beast loose in the online worlds of WoW and whatnot. I know good and well I’ve sniped my own fair share of robots in Team Fortress 2 already. Bring on the Nintendo bots! PlayFun, you’re mine!
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