Hasta La Gadget!

Here in New York at Acer’s Global press event, the company’s talking touch. Lots and lots of touch. It’ll be introducing a veritable smorgasbord of equipment as the minutes roll on, but it’s kicking things off with its Windows 7-based Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, a device we’ve seen before. For all intents and purposes, this is Acer’s version of the Toshiba Libretto W105 (or that far-flung ASUS concept we saw at CeBIT 2009), boasting a pair of glossy touchscreens and no hard specifications to speak of. Naturally, you won’t find a keyboard here — rather, a virtual one will emerge from the secondary panel. There’s also a fairly slick media management system that’s obviously gesture based — some real potential there. We’ll be digging for details surrounding a price point and release date, but for now, have a gander at the image above and just imagine how it could revolutionize your life.

In related news, the company also teased its new Clear.fi media sharing system. As the story goes, it’s a cloud-based system that’s designed to play multi-format content over multi-platform devices, enabling any number of gadgets to talk to one another in order to make content visible and shareable with any other device. So far, it looks as if that could apply to movies, games, photos and music, but it’s a single-house affair for now. So long as there’s a router and a WiFi connection nearby, any Clear.fi-enabled device should be able to share, search and consume.

Update: The full PR is now after the break, and we’ve gone hands-on with the device right here! We’ve also scored the specifications — she’s running Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and is equipped with an Intel Core i5-480M / 560M / 580M CPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, a pair of 14-inch multitouch displays (1366×768 resolution), integrated Intel HD graphics (128MB RAM), VGA / HDMI outputs, an inbuilt microphone and a S/PDIF interface. There’s also a 320/500/640/750GB hard drive, Acer’s CrystalEye webcam (1280×1024 resolution), 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0+HS, integrated 3G WWAN, gigabit Ethernet, a four-cell battery and a total weight of 6.18 pounds. Closing things out, there are a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 jack and a one-year warranty.

Continue reading Acer reveals Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, Clear.fi cloud-based media sharing system

Acer reveals Iconia dual-screen laptop / tablet, Clear.fi cloud-based media sharing system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best looking Lenovo IdeaPad ever? Yep, that’d be the U260. Not since the IdeaPad U110 has Lenovo’s consumer line been home to a really striking laptop, but the U260’s leather-like palmrest, magnesium-aluminum alloy lid and bottom cover change all that. We got a chance to check out the new 12.5-inch laptop a few days ago, and came away seriously impressed with not only its contrasting black and brown aesthetic but its build quality. The entire .7-inch thick frame feels solid and the curved keys, which are similar to those on the U160, are especially delightful. Unfortunately, the model we got to see didn’t have the glass trackpad that we’ve heard about, but our review unit should be here sometime soon. Until we get to put the system’s Core i3-380UM processor and 4GB of RAM to the test, hit the gallery below for a few hands-on pictures of it and some crazy platinum, diamond-encrusted U160 that Lenovo brought along.

Lenovo IdeaPad U260 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a month after pushing out a smaller duo of gaming laptops, Maingear has now revealed an entirely new line catering to mid-range gamers. The Alt-15 and Alt-17 both start right around the magical $1,000 point, and moreover, both rely on NVIDIA’s graphics-switching Optimus technology to conserve battery life when you don’t need the GPU pegged. The Alt-15 is a 15.6-incher with a Core i5 or Core i7 Mobile processor, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 425M (1GB), up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, an optional Blu-ray drive, your choice of an HDD or SSD, Windows 7, a fingerprint reader, HDMI / VGA outputs, a USB 3.0 socket (plus a trio of USB 2.0 sockets) and a $1,049 base price. The bigger, beefier Alt-17 gets away with a 17.3-inch LCD (1080p) and most of the same specifications as listed above, though you’ll see a starting tag that’s $50 more. Hit the links below if you’re up for a little customization.

Continue reading Maingear targets mid-range PC gamers with Alt-15 and Alt-17 laptops

Maingear targets mid-range PC gamers with Alt-15 and Alt-17 laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netbooks might no longer be the sexy must-have accessory they once were, but maybe having Jolicloud’s custom Linux-based OS on board will sway people to give this one a second look. Yes, the Jolibook that we so recently saw for the first time is about to make its retail debut, with the UK getting the first opportunity to spill some cash on it. Netbook News reports the precise levy will be £279 ($443), while the Wall Street Journal has word that the whole shebang could start as early as tomorrow. That price is, as promised, competitive, but it’s not quite cheap enough to attract buyers all by itself — Jolicloud will have to hope its OS is as good in long-term use as it’s looked in brief glimpses so far, in which case this 10.1-incher shouldn’t have much trouble justifying its cost.

Jolibook to cost £279 in the UK, could be with us tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, we know AMD’s busy showing off its Atom killer, but there’s still a little life left in Intel’s netbook stalwart, which has been harnessed to its fullest in Dell’s screen-flipping Duo tablet / netbook. And the good news is that we apparently won’t have to wait too long to see that zany concoction out in the real world. Well placed sources have informed CNET that Dell intends to release the Inspiron Duo at some point next week, potentially on November 23rd, while pre-sale information should be dished out later this week, alongside Microsoft’s announcement of a new store opening. Things are moving along nice and swiftly, it would seem.

Update: And just to fan those flames of desire a little more, the Duo has shown up in Microsoft’s latest cloud computing advert. See it after the break.

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo tablet could be with us next week

Dell Inspiron Duo tablet could be with us next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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