Panasonic announces 10-inch Let’s Note J9 laptop in Japan

Panasonic Japan has announced a new compact laptop, the Let’s Note J9 series. Specwise, this one’s got a 1366 × 768 resolution, 10.1-inch LCD, a 2.53 GHz Core i5 CPU, up to 6GB of DDR3 RAM (with 2GB coming standard), and a 128GB or 160 GB SSD. Other than that, the J9 boasts three USB ports, and HDMI out. A 3G model with an Intel Core i7 CPU, and a 256GB SSD will also be available for purchase online in Japan. There’s no information on pricing yet, but hit the source link to see some hands-on shots of the laptops.

Panasonic announces 10-inch Let’s Note J9 laptop in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Startup Plans Pocketable Dual-Screen E-Reader

Just seven months after unveiling the Entourage eDGe, a device that somewhat awkwardly combined an e-reader and a LCD screen, Entourage is gearing up to launch a pocket-sized version.

The original dual-screen eDGe has a 9.7-inch E Ink screen on the left half and a 10-inch touchscreen LCD on the right. That means you could use it as an e-reader, a notepad or as a netbook–or all at the same time. In practice, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

The Pocket Edge will have folding, book-like body with a six-inch black-and-white E Ink screen on one side and a seven-inch color LCD touchscreen. It will still run the Android operating system, says The Digital Reader.

Entourage is planning a 3G edition of the Pocket Edge for Verizon and a separate, Wi-Fi-only model.

The original Entourage eDGe made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Then, e-readers and netbooks were two of the hottest consumer electronics products. Entourage tried to combine the two and birth the eDGe. But the Frankensteinish device suffered from some major problems.

For starters, the eDGe was just too big and heavy. The 10-inch screen size meant that it couldn’t easily be whipped out and used to read e-books on the train or browse web pages on the road. The device’s weight, about twice that of the iPad, put a strain on the arms if it was held up for more than 15 minutes.

The eDGe ended up as a device too big to be an e-reader and, without a keyboard, too uncomfortable to be just a netbook.

The Pocket Edge hopes to correct some of those problems. In terms of tech specs, it will have features similar to the bigger version. It will come with a USB port, a micro SD card slot, a  camera and a non-removable battery.

Along with the smaller screen, the changes mean that the Pocket Edge will be lighter, about one pound, compared to the three pounds of the original.

What’s disappointing to hear though is that the Pocket Edge will use the older Vizplex version of the E Ink screen and not the new Pearl E Ink display that’s in the latest Kindle and Sony e-readers. The Pearl has a much better contrast and for e-reader enthusiasts the older technology in the Pocket Edge is likely to be a disappointment.

It’s also indicative of why the eDGe didn’t become a hit the first time around. If the device is mediocre e-reader and a passable netbook, consumers have little incentive to buy a half-baked device that’s doesn’t offer the best of either worlds. Instead, they are better off getting a Kindle or a Nook that does one thing very well and using a netbook or a tablet for their other computing needs.

Entourage hasn’t said how much the Pocket Edge will cost but the device is expected to ship in late October. So far, the word is it will be cheaper than the $500 original model.

Check out more photos of the new Pocket Edge below.

The Pocket Edge Combines an E Ink and LCD Screen.

The Pocket Edge has a USB port and a micro SD card slot.

See Also:

Photos: Nate Hoffelder/The Digital Reader


Linspire on MeeGo Tablets This Year

linpus-slate.jpg
MeeGo’s tablet version is slated to drop later this year, but unlike everyone else, it will not be running Android. Rumor has it Linspire, the Linux guys that were on the early Acer Aspire netbooks, wants to be on board.

MeeGo has released a netbook already, but is expected to release the Lite Tablet Edition version later this year, according to Linpus.

The Linspire-MeeGo tablet will likely support touch-based input methods and gestures. Linpus will be creating touchscreen-specific apps to run on MeeGo, such as an eReader, maps, mail, a browser, and a media player. Linpus will also include a contact manager.

Pricing and availability information (beyond fourth quarter 2010) was not available.

via Liliputing

Sony Offers Slim External Blu-ray

SonyBDX-S500U.jpg

Sony is announcing its first slim, portable, external Blu-ray Disc rewritable drive today, for use with notebooks, netbooks, and desktop computers. The BDX-S500U writes BD-R discs at up to 6x speeds and dual-layer BD-R discs at up to 4X speeds. That means you can record a 25GB disc in about 20 minutes. To get 6X recording speed, you’ll need to use 6X compatible BD-R media. One 25GB Sony blank BD-R disc comes in the box.

Also included with the drive is CyberLink’s Media Suite 8 for capturing, authoring, editing, backing up, and viewing high-definition content, and playing back Blu-ray Disc movies (including 3D Blu-ray movies). The drive will be available later this month, and the price hasn’t yet been given.

Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet stars in another film

We’ll freely admit how smitten we are with Dell‘s concept, the Inspiron Duo. While it’s supposedly coming to retail by the end of the year, it’s so special that every time we spy new photos or video footage of it, we watch joyfully. Of course, Intel doesn’t need to watch from afar, as demonstrated in a new video — they simply asked Dell’s Inspiron Product Marketer, Dave Zavelson to show it off on film. The Duo, in case you’ve been hiding under a rock since before IDF, is a 10-inch netbook with a swivel screen which enables you to use it as a sort of tablet… you know, those things that everybody’s cranking out these days. It also boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU and Windows 7 Home Premium. Regardless, we still haven’t heard any pricing or definite availability info yet, but the video is below.

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet stars in another film

Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet stars in another film originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Pixel Qi’s 3Qi display?

Yeah, Pixel Qi’s 3Qi display is a wee bit more niche than your average superphone, but we just know a handful of you DIYers out there took the plunge on this one. Mary Lou Jepsen’s pride and joy went on sale back in July, offering crafty modders the chance to swap their lackluster netbook panel for an E Ink slayer. We were personally thrilled with the results, but we still saw a few things that could’ve been ironed out given the time, money and technical insight. If you’ve also taken the leap, we’re oh-so-curious to know how you would redesign the dual-mode 3Qi. Make it sharper? A higher resolution? A different size? Something else entirely? No walls allowed here — get creative down in comments below.

How would you change Pixel Qi’s 3Qi display? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC expands Valuestar 3D lineup with two new desktop PCs; laptops say LaVie

We’ll have to assume NEC managed to free Willy and that its first 3D venture was a success, as the company’s just revealed a brand new set of stereoscopic screens, one of which is actually not part and parcel of an all-in-one PC. NVIDIA’s 3D Vision kit (with active shutter glasses) and a 23-inch, 1920 x 1080 120Hz monitor accompany this Valuestar L, with a 2.93GHz Core i7-870 processor, GeForce GT 330 GPU, 8GB of memory, 1TB of storage and Blu-ray 3D drive in an attractive white case. There’s also a similarly-sized Valuestar W 3D all-in-one with a 2.53GHz Core i5-460M and GeForce GT 330M graphics, a digital TV tuner, half the memory, a 1.5TB drive and a passive, polarized display. If you’re not interested in wearing glasses while chained to a desk, of course, you could always consider the new LaVie Light netbook, newly refreshed with a dual-core Intel Atom N550. And yes, we know we made a horrible pun. Sometimes we just can’t help ourselves.

NEC expands Valuestar 3D lineup with two new desktop PCs; laptops say LaVie originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Augen’s 10.2-inch GenBook 108 goes on sale at Kmart for $190

Didn’t get in on one of those $199 netbook closeouts earlier in the year? If you’re willing to deal with Android (an Android that lacks bona fide Android Market access), you can redeem yourself right now. Augen‘s 10.2-inch netbook, dubbed the GenBook 108, is now on sale through Kmart, offering a 1024 x 600 resolution display, an 800MHz ARM11 processor, 256MB of DDR2 memory, 802.11b/g WiFi, an SD / MMC card slot and a 2100mAh battery. The whole shebang weighs just 1.8 pounds, and Augen even throws in a (p)leather carry case, a USB cable and a 93 percent full-size keyboard. Get in on the fun for just $189.99 — but you may want to read about our disappointment with the outfit’s Gentouch 78 and $99 netbook before carelessly pulling the trigger.

[Thanks, Nick]

Augen’s 10.2-inch GenBook 108 goes on sale at Kmart for $190 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS busts out dual-core Eee PC 1015PEM netbook

ASUS has just introduced the Eee PC 1015PEM, its first 10-inch netbook with a 1.5GHz dual-core Intel Atom N550 CPU. Specwise, it boasts an up to 350GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi. It comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Starter Edition, with prices starting at $349. The ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM is available today, in red, blue, pink, black, or white.

ASUS busts out dual-core Eee PC 1015PEM netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keepin’ it real fake: the affordable, off-contract Nokia Booklet 3G you’ve been waiting for, maybe

It may not be the most timely KIRF we’ve seen, but it looks like folks that were taken with the Nokia Booklet 3G’s design but not its high, on-contract price will soon have the device they’ve been waiting for — sort of. While its 3G-ness is still in question, this as yet unnamed netbook does pack a 10.1-inch, 1,024 x 600 display, along with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a non-removable battery, and “maybe” an HDMI output. Still no word on an exact price or release date, but M.I.C Gadget expects it to be “at most” 2,000 yuan, or just under $300.

[Thanks, Chris]

Keepin’ it real fake: the affordable, off-contract Nokia Booklet 3G you’ve been waiting for, maybe originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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