Hasta La Gadget!

After the IFA show in Berlin a few weeks ago, it’s clear that 3D is getting a big push by some powerful players in consumer electronics. Unfortunately, you won’t find many editors around here chompin’ at the bit to replace their new Full HD flat screens for a 3D-capable one… and we’ve seen the demos! Now a Commercial Times report has HP and Dell signed on with Wistron to produce 3D laptops — Lenovo and Sony are still negotiating. Of course, we’ve already seen desktop systems powered by NVIDIA’s GeForce 3D Vision solution. And rumors have swirled in the past regarding a possible HP laptop using 18.4-inch 3D panels developed by Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) and a Wistron-developed 3D laptop solution based around NVIDIA’s Vision technology. Thing is, if 3D isn’t that compelling on screens 40-inches and above, how’s it going to woo consumers at this size?

Read — HP and Dell
Read — 18.4-inch 3D laptop
Read — Wistron 3D laptop

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

HP and Dell working on 3D gaming laptops? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For years now, Voodoo PC’s fearless leader (that’d be Rahul Sood) barely went a month without teasing this or that, or better yet, introducing the new hotness. In terms of cutting-edge design, these guys were at the front of the class. And then came the HP tie-in, along with the worry that the Voodoo name (and “DNA”) would eventually be swallowed whole. After dishing out a smattering of VoodooDNA machines under the HP label, Rahul and his company went radio silent. In fact, we haven’t heard a peep from Mr. Sood for nine whole months, and we really began to wonder what was going on when HP issued the new Envy 13 and Envy 15 with nary an official hint of Voodoo’s fingerprints.

Now, at long last, Rahul has emerged from hiding, and he’s got a story to tell. In short, Voodoo is still alive and well, but it’s certainly not the same company that shocked the world with its ENVY m:790 laptop in late 2004. In fact, Rahul’s been working on some pretty unorthodox projects, ranging from healthcare (okay?) to futuristic stuff for HP’s Innovation Program Office. In a lengthy letter to the world, he explains that the initial push to get Voodoo completely underneath HP’s wings was done in order to give Voodoo access to global partners, and in turn, to ship its products to every corner of the world. When speaking about the Envy 13 / 15, he proclaims that HP’s own laptop team simply lifted ideas from Voodoo prototypes and designed them internally; the truth is that Voodoo didn’t design either machine, it only influenced them. The removal of the “VoodooDNA” tagline — according to Rahul — has to do with “the overall design language, the target market, and the fact that [Voodoo] wasn’t directly involved in the design.”

In the end, Sood admits that there’s still a chance you’ll see another Voodoo-branded machine in your lifetime, but he also confesses that it has transitioned from a desktop and laptop company to “something beyond.” He also makes clear that he hasn’t forgotten about his promise to change the future of desktop gaming, and that new products from HP will continue to boast Voodoo’s fingerprints. Typical Rahul — it just wouldn’t be a formal conclusion without a tease or two, now would it?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Voodoo’s Rahul Sood emerges from hiding, gives us all the low-down originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s this snazzy new device from HP? A tablet? A photoframe? The new DreamScreen is perhaps more appropriately something between the two. HP is referring to it a smart screen–a photo frame with the power of a netbook.

The device weighs 4.4-pounds, has a 800 x 400 widescreen and runs an ARM processor. There’s 2GB of memory built into the device, 802.11 b/g connectivity, and a card reader.it’s compatible with Windows 7 and Vista, lets you check Facebook updates, and makes it possible to stream music from Pandora.

Sound like an Apple Tablet-killer? The device has no touchscreen, rather it relies on controls built into the display. The DreamScreen comes in 10.2- and 13.3-inch models, for $249 and $299, respectively.

HP has combined sleek, brushed metal and colorful, fluttering butterflies into a new collection of designer notebooks that will hit stores later this year.

With a new 13-inch and 15-inch laptop that pack in some powerful specs in a slim body, the company took a shot at the ultra-thin notebooks category. The new slim laptops will carry the the ‘Envy’ brand and are targeted at road warriors and executives who want a full-sized notebook without the heft.

Separately , HP also showed a new netbook design from Vivienne Tam on the catwalks at the New York Fashion Week. HP has a long-standing partnership with Tam who designed an earlier version of the HP Mini netbook.

Over the last year, the ultra-thin notebooks category has caught on among PC makers.  Apple created a stir with the MacBook Air, a laptop introduced in January 2008 and cleverly presented as slim enough to fit inside a manila envelope.  Earlier this year, Dell released the Adamo, a notebook with a 13.4-inch display, 1.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2-GB memory and 128-GB solid state drive for prices starting at $2000.

Envy 13 has HP hopes to beat those specs. The  $1700 Envy 13 has a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 3GB RAM and 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU. It will come with a 250GB hard drive and and an external DVD-RW drive

At 3.74 pounds, the Envy 13 is heavier than the MacBook Air’s 3 pounds but lighter than Adamo’s 4 pounds. Still for an ultra-thin that little extra weight on the Envy comes as a surprise and can be annoying.

Though HP has dropped the ‘Voodoo’ brand from these laptops, the PCs carry the Voodoo legacy forward in looks and design. The brushed metal look, subtle etchings around the keypad and the square edges are very reminiscent of the HP 13.3-inch Voodoo Envy laptop released last year.  But that also means a sense of deja vu–there’s nothing in here to surprise potential buyers.

What is new is the optional Slim Fit extended life battery, a neat slab of power that snaps on to the bottom of the Envy 13 and doubles the standard seven-hour battery life.

The $1800 Envy 15 is heavier at 5.18 lbs and come with Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB memory and a 15.6 inch display.

The two laptops are expected to be available starting October 18.

Separately, the company showed off a ‘digital clutch’ at Vivienne Tam’s fashion show at Bryant Park in New York. The HP Vivienne Tam digital clutch is expected to be available in spring 2010.

Check out more photos the Vivienne Tam digital clutch

See Also:

• HP Mini 5101 Netbook Review
  
• Greenpeace Activists Vandalize HP Headquarters
• HP Firebird 803 With Voodoo DNA Review
  

Top Photo: HP Envy 13/HP

The Mini 110 isn’t quite the cutting edge of the netbook space at this point, but HP’s found a pretty enticing way to refresh it: a new designer version by Tord Boontje. At first glance it looks like just another intricate pattern printed on the lid, but it’s actually a brand new process called “HP Imprint 3D” which adds layers and depth to the design — you’ll have to see it in person to really get a vibe for it, though you probably know right now if you’re the sort of person to be swayed by high-end lid etching in your netbook purchases. The good news is that unlike the large premium HP commanded for the original Vivienne Tam model, the Tord Boontje is a mere $399.

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje pairs high design with the same old same old originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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