Hasta La Gadget!

Every CES there’s something so alluring that we can’t help going back for seconds (or thirds). This year it happens to be the Motorola Atrix, which is undoubtedly our gadget of the show, and which Myriam already put together an in-depth hands-on for. We’ve been using every excuse we can to swing past Motorola’s booth “on our way” to other stuff on the show floor, and we finally broke down and went in for another hands-on. Check out our video walkthrough after the break, which hopefully should help explain the transition the Atrix can make from phone to desktop to laptop to set-top box. And please excuse our enthusiasm.

Continue reading Motorola Atrix: another look (video)

Motorola Atrix: another look (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Azpen shows off dual, dual-boot Windows / Android tablets (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the Xoom tablet and three 4G phones, Motorola had a powerful array of products at CES 2011. But its new laptop dock is what impressed this CNET editor the most.

Originally posted at CES 2011

Following its purchase of am/pm just over a year ago, convenience store chain Family Mart has completed negotiations to take over its subsidiary’s 120 Kansai region branches from March. Following the Tokyo area Family Mart is preparing now to switch Kansai and Kyushu stores to its own brand from the next fiscal year, as part of a nationwide adsorbing of am/pm into the Family Mart chain.

[Image courtesy of jpellgen on Flickr.]

Up till the takeover Family Mart actually had more branches overseas than in Japan due to aggressive expansion in Asian territories like Taiwan and Thailand. However, its aims are set on domestic rivals and now has a combined number of nearly 10,000 stores with the new purchase. In terms of sales and market share it still trails Lawson and Seven-Eleven, which also both have more stores, leading to assumptions that indeed strength of numbers is paramount.

Convenience stores are known for their eponymous convenience of course, as well as their ubiquity. They are indeed seemingly everywhere but how important are individual brands to average consumers? Despite their attempts to create brand identities and differentiate themselves — e.g. Family Mart’s range of MUJI products, Mini Stop’s popular summer ice creams — do we really pay that much attention to which chain we are buying our snacks in? Will am/pm be missed?

Well, along with all the other things that happened this year at CES, Bang & Olufsen announced a new cooperation agreement with Intel. What does that mean to you, the consumer? Not terribly much, on the outside — B&O products have carried Intel chips in the past, but this marks the first time the two companies have had an official relationship, and should mean we’ll be seeing refreshes of B&O products every time Intel brings forth new chips. And that’s always great news, isn’t it? Hit up the source link for full, flowery quotes from reps at both Intel and Bang & Olfusen. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen announce chip co-op deal with Intel

Bang & Olufsen announce chip co-op deal with Intel originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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