Hasta La Gadget!

Found along the sidelines of Panasonic’s CEATEC booth, the AX series Ultrabook is a foldable hybrid that will be arriving in Japanese stores later this month. Ready to launch with Windows 8 (both standard or Pro) built-in, the Ultrabook houses a 11.6-inch touch display at the ever-popular 1,366 x 768 resolution, although it feels a little on the thick side, and is unmistakably Panasonic in its styling. Connectivity options are legion, with two USB 3.0 ports on the right edge, accompanied by HDMI socket. On the other side, there’s an SD card reader, ethernet, power, mic and headphone ports. The hinge seems suitably solid, and while that touchscreen isn’t the most attractive we’ve seen on Windows 8 hardware, the keyboard felt pretty similar to existing business laptops and our fingertips had plenty of space. Otherwise, we were left to play with a Japanese iteration of Windows 8, which seemed nice and responsive in both tablet and notebook setups, although our playtime was limited.

The AX series will launch in Japan on October 26th in three different permutations, starting with an Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.7GHz or 1.8GHz, and a Core i7 at 1.9GHz. There’s 4GB of memory and a 128GB SDD in all three, while the hybrid bucks the trend by offering a removable battery, with both the faster Core i5 and the Core i7 models coming with an extra cell bundled in. That top-end processor will also arrive with connectable projector for business types. Check out our brief hands-on after the break, or hit the source for the full list of specs.

Continue reading Panasonic shows off foldable Windows 8 Ultrabook hybrid, launches October 26 (hands-on)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Panasonic shows off foldable Windows 8 Ultrabook hybrid, launches October 26 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As most of you already know, Microsoft is planning to open a bunch of temporary stores to support the launch of Windows 8 and Surface. ZDNet is reporting that most of these 32 retail locations will be opening across the US and Canada on October 26, the same day that Windows 8 is set to go on sale. Microsoft looks like it will taking the fight to Apple with these temporary retail locations too, opening these stores near Apple’s own stores in many places.

ComputerWorld says that in all, Microsoft is opening 29 out of its 32 temporary stores in the same mall or center as an Apple store. That probably won’t make Apple very happy, but then again, these stores are only temporary, and will shut down sometime after the holiday season ends and the (expected) Windows 8 rush dies down a bit. Still, Apple can expect some stiff competition from Microsoft throughout the holiday season.

That’s especially true if Microsoft sells Surface at these stores, which, given the fact that Surface is being teased on the websites for the temporary retail locations, seems likely. Microsoft has said in the past that it will only sell Surface through its retail stores and website, so if Microsoft has managed to generate enough buzz around Surface, then these stores should see a lot of traffic while they’re open.

The opening of these seasonal locations is going to double the amount of Microsoft stores across the US and Canada, so Microsoft is definitely anticipating a big holiday season. It’s good that Microsoft will be prepared, but we’re wondering if the demand will be there once Windows 8 and Surface launch. We will find out soon enough, so stay tuned.

Microsoft stepping on Apple’s toes with temporary retail locations is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Back at Computex, Acer announced the Aspire S7 series — the company’s third line of Ultrabooks, and the first of the bunch to sport touchscreens. At the time, we were told they’d go on sale once Windows 8 started shipping and sure enough, Acer just sent out a press release confirming they’ll be available October 26th, the day Win 8 officially launches. Prices will start at $1,200 for the 11-inch model (the S7-191), but you’ll pay either $1,400 or $1,650 for the 13-inch version (S7-391), depending on which configuration you choose.

For those who missed the initial June reveal, the laptops all have 1080p IPS screens and backlit keyboards. The 13-inch model in particular has a display that can lie completely flat. Another key difference: the 11-inch version has an aluminum lid, while the 13-incher’s is fashioned out of Gorilla Glass. Whichever you choose, the S7 comes with a USB to Ethernet adapter, a micro-HDMI to VGA dongle and a carrying case — a first for Acer. They also make use of Acer’s TwinAir cooling technology and are set up to work with AcerCloud, the company’s free online storage service, which you can use with mobile apps on iOS and Android.

Inside, the SSDs are all arranged in RAID 0 configuration, which means you can expect the kind of absurdly fast I/O speeds we recorded on the Aspire S5. (The lack of redundancy in that RAID 0 setup also means you might want to be extra vigilant about backing up your stuff.) The battery life is rated for six hours on both models, but the 13-inch version will be available with an external cell that can supposedly double the runtime. Meanwhile. RAM is fixed at 4GB, and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics are the standard. All told, just the kind of specs you’d expect on a high-end Ultrabook.

Again, these will ship on October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the smaller 11-inch model. In the meantime, we’ve got a few additional specs after the break, and you can always revisit our hands-on from Computex if you want to re-live the magic of a crowded press conference.

Continue reading Acer’s Aspire S7 Ultrabooks coming October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the 11-inch version

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

Acer’s Aspire S7 Ultrabooks coming October 26th, starting at $1,200 for the 11-inch version originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got a look at Fujitsu’s Arrows Tab at CEATEC last year, and the 10.1-inch tablet is making an appearance yet again — this time running Windows 8 rather than Android Honeycomb. Exact specs were MIA, but the slate sports a front-facing camera along with a rear-facing shooter, plus a micro-USB port and a microSD card slot. Rather than the shiny plastic backing we saw last year, this device has a slightly textured, metallic finish, and it sports much sharper corners than the earlier version’s more curved design.

A booth worker did confirm that the Arrows Tab is waterproof like last year’s model, and while he wouldn’t provide exact availability, he said the tablet will launch within the October-November time frame. Last year’s Arrows Tab F-01 LTE debuted on NTT DoCoMo, and given Japan’s penchant for hydrophobic gadgets, it’s safe to say that the device will be targeted at this country in particular. Head past the break for a quick video hands-on.

Continue reading Fujitsu Arrows Tab shows up at CEATEC with Windows 8 in tow (video)

Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu Arrows Tab shows up at CEATEC with Windows 8 in tow (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well look at that: one minute we’re in the middle of summer, and then October is suddenly here the next. Let’s jump into the Evening Wrap-Up, shall we? Today we heard that Apple may begin sending out invitations to its rumored iPad Mini reveal event on October 10, and we were impressed by the leaked specifications for an upcoming BlackBerry 10 phone called Aristo. The Kindle Paperwhite started shipping to excited readers across the country today, and we found out that the Android remote wipe is still roaming around out there.

Apple and Verizon have admitted to (and fixed) an issue with iPhone 5 that makes data charges go through the roof, while Apple was busy blocking in-app ads for digital stores other than the App Store. A recently discovered Twitter security flaw allows the less favorable people of the world to steal your account, and we found out today that one of The Pirate Bay’s founders is still in jail without any charges. User adoption of Windows 8 seems to be lower than it was for Windows 7, and we caught wind of a new rumor that claims the next Nexus phone could be right around the corner, along with a new version of Jelly Bean.

Mark Zuckerberg visited Russia today to talk about setting up a Facebook research center there, and a particularly funny glitch was seen telling former MobileMe users that their free iCloud storage wouldn’t expire until 2050. There were a couple different team ups today, with Samsung and Peel coming together to offer interactive content during the upcoming presidential debates, and NETGEAR and Qualcomm joining forces to offer a new developer program. The US Navy has helped a team of scientists at Indiana University come up with a particularly scary new bit of malware, while Ten One Design announced the new Pogo Connect Bluetooth 4.0 stylus.

Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition has officially hit 4 million sales, and things aren’t looking too good for the ultrabook. The new MSN portal is taking some design cues from Windows 8, and Netflix has added its “Just For Kids” section to its iPad app. A Google buyout of Viewdle is said to be closing soon, and our old friend the CD turned 30 years old today. Finally tonight, we have a review of the new Vizio All-in-One PC by Chris Burns, so be sure to check it out! That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up – enjoy the rest of your night everyone!

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: October 1, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.