Hasta La Gadget!

With a couple exceptions, we hadn’t heard much about Lenovo’s Windows 8 plans until now. Okay, it teased the IdeaPad Yoga back at CES, and recently unveiled the business-friendly ThinkPad Tablet 2. But surely the company wasn’t going to stop there, right? Hardly. Lenovo just announced the IdeaTab Lynx, an 11.6-inch laptop / tablet hybrid aimed at mainstream consumers. Like so many other products with this form factor, it runs a dual-core, Clovertrail-based Atom processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and either 32 or 64GB of solid-state storage, depending on the configuration you choose. Unsurprisingly, the detachable keyboard dock has a built-in 6,800mAh battery of its own, which promises to double the tablet’s runtime from eight hours to 16. In this case, though, the machine benefits from Lenovo’s keyboard know-how, so as small as the 1.45-pound dock is, it still offers an AccuType layout similar to what you’d find on Lenovo’s bigger notebooks.

Detach the tablet from its dock and you have a 1.4-pound tablet that measures 9.45mm thick. That 11.6-inch, 400-nit screen is of IPS caliber, so the viewing angles should be decent if you attempt to use it outdoors or watch movies from an odd angle (say, with the screen dipped forward on an airplane tray). Poke around the device and you’ll find micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports, along with a microSD slot for external storage. It also has a 2-megapixel webcam up front for video chatting, though interestingly, there’s no camera module on the back side. The dock, meanwhile, adds two full-sized USB 2.0 ports. According to Lenovo, the Lynx will be available in December, starting at $600 for the standalone tablet. (The keyboard dock will be a $150 add-on.) Until then, we’ve got some early hands-on photos below, along with the usual spate of press shots.

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx: an 11.6-inch Windows 8 hybrid arriving in December for $600 and up

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx: an 11.6-inch Windows 8 hybrid arriving in December for $600 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo was first out of the gate with a form-shifting Windows 8 machine when it unveiled the IdeaPad Yoga at CES. Now the company’s back with a convertible for its business customers, the ThinkPad Edge Twist. In many ways, it’s a convertible in the most conventional sense of the word: unlike the Yoga, whose screen folds all the way back, the Twist has a 12.5-inch display that can swivel all the way around and fold down into tablet mode. As a member of the Edge family, in particular, it blends design elements from Lenovo’s business and consumer lines, with metal accents, rounded edges, an island-style keyboard, a magnesium frame and, of course, that signature soft-touch finish.

Stealing the show is that 12.5-inch, 350-nit, Gorilla Glass-coated display, which uses IPS technology for wider angles. On the inside, the Twist runs your choice of a Core i5 or i7 processor, with up to 8GB of RAM and either a 128GB SSD or a 7,200RPM hard drive (320GB or 500GB). Battery life, meanwhile, is rated at up to seven hours. At 3.48 pounds, it’s heavier than some larger-screened Ultrabooks, but at least that 0.79-inch frame makes room for a full-sized Ethernet jack. (It also has a memory card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, mini-HDMI output and a mini-DisplayPort.) As for business-friendly features, the laptop offers TPM and can be configured with an optional 3G radio. Look for it on October 26th, starting at $849. Until then, enjoy those hands-on shots below.

Continue reading Lenovo announces ThinkPad Edge Twist, a business-oriented convertible coming this month for $849

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

Lenovo announces ThinkPad Edge Twist, a business-oriented convertible coming this month for $849 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but we had the opportunity to get our hands on the LG Optimus G… again. This would make the excursion lucky number four for Engadget, but this one is a touch on the unique side since it’s heading directly to Sprint at some point in the not-too-distant future. Here’s what we knew up until today: like the Korean versions, this particular flavor of the G — also known as the LS970 — will feature a 13MP rear camera (AT&T’s will only sport an 8MP module), and otherwise carries the same set of features such as a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 32GB internal storage, 2,100mAh battery and 4.7-inch 1280×768 True HD IPS PLUS display. Much like it did on the Motorola Photon Q, Sprint has elected to keep its carrier-specific branding off of the device (it’s doing this so the handset can make its way to the network’s prepaid brands with relative ease), but we were disappointed to see that the SIM card is once again embedded and not accessible without taking the entire phone apart. Aside from these cosmetic differences there’s not much that sets it apart from the international models — something that is a pleasure to see, instead of the standard carrier practice of tweaking OEM designs to their own whimsy.

The performance expectations set by the Korean Optimus G seem to be met here, with the 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor running the show. Despite the G using a custom build of Ice Cream Sandwich (which will be upgraded to Jelly Bean soon, according to Sprint), we were highly satisfied with how quick everything was during our time with the device — it truly acts and feels the same as its overseas counterpart. The downside that you’ll find with Sprint — as you might imagine — is Sprint’s infant LTE network; customers getting this phone in a city not blanketed by the next-gen network will find themselves frustrated with lackluster EVDO speeds. To get a closer look at the Now Network’s flavor of the Optimus G, go below to see a full gallery of images and then head past the break for a video tour.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Continue reading LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on (update: video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint, LG

LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Believe it or not, what you’re looking at above is a set of headphones — let’s explain. It’s no secret that Skullcandy has been working to improve its tattered repertoire with headphone junkies for the past two years. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to hear generally favorable opinions about its Jay-Z-endorsed Roc Nation Aviators ($150), and the company has apparently taken notice. Aiming to build on the success it’s had blending sunglasses with headphones, it’s now ready to let loose a “smaller sibling” into the lineup — and we’ve been able to get an exclusive first look and listen.

Without further ado, say hello to the Navigator. Priced at $99, it features a similar aviator-esque style to Jay-Z’s model, albeit in a petite on-ear package — we’d say the design direction this time is even better looking, too. The cans have collapsible earcups with flat earpads and metal construction (just like you’d find on sunglasses), with a faux leather-wrapped headband and a flat tangle-resistant cable (detachable) which houses an iDevice-compatible three-button remote and microphone. Skullcandy is being light on technical details at the moment, but we do know that the headphones will come in a choice of black or black with blue lenses earcups. Interests piqued? The Navigator will officially land at Apple stores tomorrow, where they’ll be an exclusive offering until the end of the month — in the meantime, join us past the break for our initial impressions.

Continue reading Skullcandy unveils Navigator on-ear headphones, we take a first listen to the Aviator’s petite “sibling”

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

Skullcandy unveils Navigator on-ear headphones, we take a first listen to the Aviator’s petite “sibling” originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TomTom just released it’s Android navigation app on Google Play to the robot-toting hordes, some three years after its iOS version debuted. Unfortunately, quite a number of newer smartphones, like the Galaxy S III, aren’t yet compatible, due to a current resolution limitation of 800 or 854 x 480 (WVGA or FWVGA). That didn’t deter us from wanting to take it for a spin anyway, so we took our old Galaxy S out of mothballs — and there’s no place better to sample a GPS maker’s wares than rural France, which has endless tiny tracks criss-crossing the countryside. To see how we made out, head past the break for the rest of the story.

Continue reading TomTom Navigator hits (some) Android devices, we go hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

TomTom Navigator hits (some) Android devices, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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