Last month, it was rumored that Apple put in a huge order for various carbon fiber parts from a Japanese carbon fiber manufacturer. Of course, we weren’t really sure exactly what Apple had in mind with these carbon fiber components, other than they’ll probably be used for upcoming mobile devices. More news about the relationship today says that Apple and the carbon fiber manufacturer have actually been in a partnership for several years already.
This probably means that Apple is really interested in carbon fiber, and it’s likely we’ll see some of their future products bear the ultra-lightweight material at some point. Apple already has a carbon fiber patent that they filed in 2007, which details a different weave pattern than traditional carbon fiber.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about carbon fiber being used on mobile products. Motorola has been doing it with their DROID RAZR series, which features an iconic weave pattern on the back of their devices. While Apple probably won’t use the same pattern, we’re interested as to how it’ll look on future Apple products.
If Apple does end up implementing carbon fiber in its products, it’s guaranteed that it will bring a completely new level of quality to the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook lineup. Not only will they be lighter, but they’ll be more durable and rugid than ever before, which would be a much-welcomed change from the glass structure of the iPhone.
It’s time to jump back in to the Acer universe with Windows 8, Microsoft’s next-generation operating system set for release later this month with none other than the S7 series Ultrabook. The Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook is a “razon-thin” notebook working with a 10-point touchscreen and a 3rd generation Intel Core processor right out of the box. This device – or set of devices, as it were, starts at just .47 inches and weighs as little as 2.29 pounds – that’s tiny!
The Aspire S7 Ultrabook series has up to 12 hours of battery life with a second optional battery and works with solid state drives for next-generation computing. You’ve got the choice of several different setup options including more than one choice for your most-wanted Intel Core processor from the 3rd Generation – Ivy Bridge. This device has existed as a Windows 7-toting release for a very brief period before this new iteration as well.
You’ve got 4GB DDR3 dual-channel memory onboard, Intel HD Graphics 4000 with 128MB of dedicated system memory and support for Microsoft DirectX 11. This setup also includes triple independent display support for you multi-display users. The main display is an 11.6-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio. You’ve got 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 micro-HDMI out with HDCP support, 1 headphone/microphone-in jack, and one DC-in jack for your AC adapter for power.
With Windows 8 inbuilt and a 10-point touchscreen display backing it up, this generation of Intel-toting Acer Ultrabooks will be catching the eye of many a creative individual as well as the business minded, not to mention the on-the-go computing individual. With an entirely minimalistic looking all-silver-colored metal design and no-nonsense setup, the Aspire S7 will be a real competitor in the Windows 8 Ultrabook market space.
This device will start at MSRP $1,299.99 with a Core i5 processor inside – the i7 processor build will be MSRP $1,699.99, and both models will be available on October 26th. Also of note: the lids of these devices will be covered with either aluminum or white Corning Gorilla Glass 2 – hot stuff! You’ll also be glad to know that you’ll have the ability to pull back the display 180 degrees and even switch the orientation of the display for sharing – interesting stuff!
The folks at Vizio have brought forth their first serious effort in the Windows universe with a couple of notebooks and this device we’re reviewing today: the Vizio All-in-One PC. This machine has a giant, massively impressive display, wireless keyboard, trackpad, remote control, and external subwoofer that compliments the whole entertainment-ready machine quite nicely. Could it be that Vizio hit a home run their first time out in the park?
Hardware
This device comes in two iterations – there’s a 24-inch display model and a 27-inch display model, both of them with Full HD 1080p resolution under the hood. The display is, as Vizio should very well be expected to present, both extremely bright and readily sharp. The display has a 1.3 megapixel camera with microphone sitting right up top – this camera is ready to bring you basic video chat right out of the box.
The base of the computer has two SRS Premium Sound HD speakers in it, hidden from view entirely in the black bit under the silver metal top. Along with the subwoofer that sits separate from the main unit, you’ve got 2.1 sound that does not disappoint – you’ll not only have the sound you need to play games and watch videos on your own, you’ll be able to use this computer for a home entertainment system if you wish as well – it’ll definitely fill your apartment, that’s for certain.
On the back of the base of the main unit you’ve got three USB 3.0 ports, eSATA port for your external harddrives galore, and an ethernet port for wired internet. You also get two HDMI inputs so you can connect your gaming console and your cable box – or whatever other HDMI-capable devices you’ve got on hand – smartphones, tablets, anything your heart desires! The side of the base also has an SD card port, headset port (headphones and mic compatible), another USB 3.0 port, and a power button. Note the location of the power button, because if you don’t know it’s there, you’ll never be able to find it.
On that note, have a peek here at how minimalistic the design of this unit is. The only buttons you’re able to see are on the wireless keyboard and remote control – everything else is hidden. The Vizio design team took the desire of the modern market to gravitate towards Apple’s minimal silver designs and made a real effort to make it really Vizio-specific.
The keyboard presents a new look at what’s been hashed and re-hashed a thousand times over the past several years. Vizio flattened everything out, made the keys rather gigantic, and let the slight bezels between the keys be the only tactile notification that your fingers are on one key or another. The back of the keyboard – and the back of the rest of the accessories – are a soft-touch plastic so you’ll have a comfortable experience when you’re picking them up or using them on your lap.
The Wireless touchpad has a collection of multi-touch abilities that, while they’re certainly not perfectly tuned at the moment, present a high note for the future with Windows 8. With the next generation of Microsoft operating systems, this Vizio computer will be prepared with this lovely touchpad and the ability to update the software that makes it work whenever changes are needed. For those of you used to using a mouse with a desktop computer, you’ll need some getting used to with this accessory to be sure – its important to note that there’s no basic mouse included in the package – so get prepped!
The remote control or “Wireless Remote” that comes with this device is perfectly simplistic and comforting to hold and use. In combination with the other accessories and the keyboard’s ability to access online support at a single press, you’ll be good to go for whatever activities you’re hoping to do with the unit. That’s the Vizio V-Key up in the left hand corner, a single press bringing you in to Vizio’s ever-changing support webpage and guide.
The display, again, brings on 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and under the hood you’ve got a 3rd generation Intel Core processor – have a peek at the readout below this paragraph for the build information on the unit we’ve got here. You’ve also got NVIDIA GeForce dedicated graphics, NVIDIA Optimus technology included for automatic switchable graphics abilities, and a choice of build if you’re not wanting to pick up just the most basic model. You can upgrade to quad-core, decide between i3, i5, or i7 Intel Core architecture, and update your memory and hard drive as well!
Software
You’ve got Windows 7 onboard right out of the box, and you’ll be ready to go for Windows 8 whenever you’re ready to make that jump. Vizio created this device – and the rest of their first-wave party of PCs and notebooks – to be prepared for the Windows 8 wave. This is a Microsoft Signature machine – that means, and I quote, “a clean system; no bloatware, no junk, no compromises.”
If you want the software that normally comes on a PC, you’ve only to download it – you can find the vast majority of your favorites by hitting the V-key in the upper left-hand corner of your keyboard – simple! Also of course you still need a few extra bits to keep you safe from evil, so Microsoft Security Essentials comes with the system, inside to keep you safe from viruses and spyware. You’ve got 90 days of Microsoft Corp. technical support right out of the box as well.
System – VIZIO CA24
Manufacturer
Vizio
Product Type
Desktop
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
Quanta XV1
Processor
Intel Core i5-3210M
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.50 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
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
AMI 1.02
What’s interesting about the entertainment aspect of this machine is that because Vizio wanted to not only come correct with a high quality display, but a unique experience as well, they made it possible for you to use the display even when the PC isn’t turned on. You do not need to turn the whole machine on just to use the display for your 3rd party machines – game consoles, satellite boxes, and HD devices of many kinds can make use of this ability.
Performance
Have a peek at our standard benchmark results here, coming straight from your best buddy Geekbench. Note that this computer has run exceedingly well for us during the whole review process, no complaints outside the obvious odd amount of time it took to get used to the touchpad in place of a mouse. The keyboard, mouse, and wireless controller all synced up with the computer in an instant and we had no connectivity problems at all. The wireless internet connection was also a bonus, with your ability to connect via ethernet appearing just for you hardcore wire-lovers it seems.
Benchmark Score – VIZIO CA24
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6264
7654
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11263
Memory
Memory performance
5550
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
4097
Wrap-up
This machine is surprisingly great. It’s only surprising that it’s great because Vizio is relatively new to the PC business – it’s not as if they’ve not been in the hardware business before, because they definitely have – but what a surprise it is to find them succeeding in their first effort in the Windows-toting universe. This machine is a perfectly legitimate all-in-one for your everyday Windows user, and as always, you’ll want to head to the store to give it a whirl before you purchase.
When you do test this machine out for yourself, pay close attention to how the monitor sits on the base, how you’re able to adjust it, and how well you like the wireless accessories. You’ll have absolutely nothing bad to say about the speaker system or the display, that’s for certain. This machine is available now in a variety of configurations, starting at around $800 – check it out!
The Velo is still a bit of a pie-in-the-sky project but I’d totally be down with it if they made a few in real life. Designed to reduce the “problems” associated with biking – namely collisions and mapping – the bike/microprocessor system is fully electric and connects with your smartphone to perform some very interesting tricks.
First, there’s collision avoidance that offers haptic feedback when you’re about to slam into something. The bike also works with your smartphone for built-in mapping and “drive by wire” control of your brakes and transmission. The creators hope to offer ubiquitous computing built-in for “data sensing, real-time intelligent tracking systems, dynamic routing, and social integration.”
The founder, Jack Al-Kahwati is an former Sikorsky and BAE engineer, which I suspect means that soon he’ll be able to add carbon fiber wings to this thing and make it fly you over traffic.
I saw these guys at the NYC Maker Faire and was really excited to see a svelte electric bike. Little did I know that these things were going to be far cooler than I imagined. The plan is to launch a Kickstarter in the next few months but a prototype is working now and the team is building out more features.
Again, it’s still early to call it, but it’s definitely an ambitious and cool hardware project.
When Microsoft has a new product they want to make perfect before release – all of their products, that is – they work with a testing model they call dogfooding. With dogfooding, they feed themselves the product, the product here being Windows 8, before they send it out as a final iteration. An update from Patrick O’Rourke of Microsoft IT revealed this week how they deployed Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 to their staff well before they did to the general public to test the builds in real world situation on the regular.
With this update we learn that Microsoft is confident enough in their products to test them on their own staff – that’s something that not just Microsoft does, but it does instill a sense of confidence and trust no matter who says it. They noted that they also used a forum called “//pointers” for early adopters which thrived due to users who not only wanted to get help working with Windows 8, but wanted to help others in the online community as well. With a release like this based even in part on a community that’s willing to help itself, Microsoft has a winner on its hands.
It was reiterated that some of the most important points that were tested again and again nearly endlessly were Security, User Experience, and Support. The support element appeared to never have been a problem as not just Microsoft was able to work easily with early adopters, but early adopters were able to easily help one another as the software was tested. The user experience was pushed from the installation process to the assurance of software compliance to data migration – and that’s all right at the start of the experience.
Microsoft has been clear that they mean business in security with Windows 8 with Trusted Boot – made in an effort to protect the boot process specifically from malware. DirectAccess has been updated with validation of virtual smart cards using Trusted Platform Module chips – complicated stuff – and Measured Boot for the testing of the health of any Windows 8 machine at startup. BitLocker is also at the center of the security world in Windows 8, with a new feature called Network Key Protector Unlock able to unlock a drive when the machine you’re suing is plugged into your corporate network.
Business owners should here be confident that their adoption of Windows 8 across their network will have a massive amount of support both inside the software and from Microsoft itself right from the start. This news bit was made more to assure IT users that they’ve tasted the food first before they send it to the restaurant, so to speak, and that it’s more than safe – it’s tasty.
The newest iPhone model on the market, that being the iPhone 5, has been revealed this week as working with essentially the same rotational vibrator that the original iPhone did – this a break back from the iPhone 4S which used a different unit. What’s been shown here is the fact that though the Verizon iPhone 4, then the iPhone 4S in all iterations, had a new vibration motor that was slightly less intense than the original rotator. Now with the iPhone 5, according to iFixit, it’s back in with the old.
The simple reason for this – basically without a doubt, that is – is the fact that the iPhone 4S’s vibrator was slightly larger than the rotational motor used in the original iPhone. This linear oscillating vibrator didn’t need to be tiny at the time because the iPhone 4S had room for it. Now with the iPhone 5 needing to be significantly smaller overall, it was time to kick the big lump out.
The folks at iFixit show both models above, with the iPhone 5′s vibrator (here from the original iPhone 4 – pre-Verizon) in blue and the original iPhone’s vibrator hovering above it like the one deadly eye of Sauron. Of course this little difference means next to nothing for most smartphones, tablets, and everything larger, but with the iPhone 5 packed so tight as it was, this little difference makes an impact. There’s also the power factor.
The larger vibrator simply does not vibrate with the same power that the smaller one does. With the smaller vibrator working with a motor that flings a piece of metal around for hardcore sound and movement, this older design just buzzes better. Let us know if you notice the difference once you’ve got the iPhone 5 in your hand – after having used an iPhone 4S for an extended period, of course.
The Apple product universe is such at the moment that every little detail is analyzed down to the makeup of the tablet casings – and now that makeup has been touted as changing drastically in the near future. The Japanese news source known as Macokatara has let it be known that sources speaking from their own carbon fiber production company have had Apple ordering “large” samples of their product very recently. Apple also recently had a patent granted for “carbon composite mold design” which includes a process for mass-producing carbon fiber molds – and a Reinforced Device Housing patent as well.
This news doesn’t mean that Apple will soon be working with the same weaves we see on the backs of the Motorola DROID RAZR family of devices. It doesn’t mean that we’ll be seeing changes to the exteriors of Apple products in the future because of their makeup. Instead it means that, if it’s all true of course, Apple products will be getting rougher and tougher and lighter, too!
Apple always makes a point to increase the overall greatness of each product rather than focusing especially hard on one-upping any other product on the market. If one takes the iPhone 5 and compares it spec-by-spec to the competition, you’ll find a display that’s smaller than some and a body that’s not the thinnest in the universe – but the final word is that the smartphone sold 5 million units in its opening weekend. That’s a weekend of sales to people who purchased the device solely on the looks, and promises its creator made.
Here with a new carbon fiber-toting makeup for the casing in perhaps not the future iPhone, but the iPad and the MacBook Pro amongst others, you’ll find another single element in a larger puzzle. It’s not out of the question that Apple would be looking into futuristic concoctions for their products here in 2012, not out of the question at all. Expect advanced casings for your larger Apple hardware in the next few years – expect them!
NOTE: Apple has also recently posted a Senior Carbon Engineer job in Japan as well. Time to get carbonized!
The world seems to have gone a little Kickstarter crazy lately, with new and interesting projects popping up all the time on the crowd-funding site. It seems that things have gotten a little out of hand though, as Kickstarter has announced that it will be implementing a few new rules those hoping to get a project funded need to follow. The new rules were announced in a Kickstarter blog post titled “Kickstarter Is Not a Store,” so right away we get an indication of the problems Kickstarter is facing.
Obviously, one of the biggest issue is that many people pledge money thinking they’re buying a product, when really they’re helping fund the development of that product, and that development process may end in failure. To counteract this notion that backers are buying a product, Kickstarter now requires that all projects have a “Risks and Challenges” page. It’s there that project creators have to talk about the risks associated with their project, letting potential backers better determine if the project in question will ever see the light of day.
The next new rules only apply to hardware and product design projects, but they’re big rules nonetheless. Staring immediately, product simulations are forbidden, meaning that creators can no long show video of what their product could potentially do. Instead, Kickstarter says that products “can only be shown performing actions that they’re able to perform in their current state of development.” Creators can no longer show renders of their product too, and have to show images of the current prototype instead. That one is pretty big, considering that all of the images we saw of OUYA during its Kickstarter campaign were renders.
Finally, hardware and product design Kickstarters can no longer offer multiple quantities of a reward. Kickstarter has put this rule in place to combat the implication that products seen on the site are “shrink-wrapped and ready to ship.” All of these rules have gone into effect already, so Kickstarter obviously wanted to get them on the books as fast as possible. Have a look at our timeline below for more posts on Kickstarter!
The next-generation LG Optimus G has been shown off once again before its full launch which will almost certainly be taking place extremely soon – here in a video spot from Korea. This video advertisement shows the device being worked with and played with by a set of happy customers and appears to fit rather well in their hands as they make use of its ultra-powerful processor. Inside you’ll find the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor we’ve had a peek at just weeks ago and up front you’ll be jamming with a massive 4.7-inch display.
This device works with 1280 x 768 True HD IPS+ across its 4.7-inch screen and will be popping up with 2GB of RAM under the hood. LG is bringing the fire this time around with a styling not unlike the LG Intuition with its rubbery back and simple black outline but brings with it a smartphone-sized experience. Qualcomm will be holding this device up as a hero as well as it’s the first to be coming to the market with its 1.5GHz quad-core architecture.
This device’s advertisement video spot shows off how the device works with 4G LTE and an ultra-powerful camera, likely 8 megapixels or larger. What we’ve heard thus far on the camera front as a possibility is a 13-megapixel shooter on the back, but we’ll know the full truth only when the device is officially unveiled! For now we’ve only to watch and enjoy the device as a fun experience without specification confirmation.
Check the timeline below to see more information on the LG Optimus G before it pops up in full motion soon and very soon!
We’re here at Nintendo’sWii U event in New York City where the gaming outfit’s prexy Reggie Fils-Aime just announced US pricing and release details for the console, as well as it’s own unique TVii service. And now that those important tidbits have been squared away, it’s time to focus on the hardware. Yes, you may have seen the Wii U console many times before, but the House that Mario built‘s been notoriously stingy about giving media access to a non-tethered unit. Well, the time has come to see nearly every facet of this next-gen contender. As you’ll note in the gallery below, the only area the Big N wouldn’t let us photograph is this Premium version’s backside. For whatever reason, the company doesn’t want those ports shown, but we can tell you what they consist of: AC adapter, AV multiout, sensor bar, HDMI out and what looks like two ports for USB. Undecided on whether you should be placing that pre-order right about now? Then take a tour of this onyx pair and see if it changes things any.
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