Hasta La Gadget!

We’re here at Computex’s pre-show event to get some hands-on time with a few new products. As expected many tablets are present, and one such device is Gigabyte’s S1080 Windows 7 tablet, which we almost mistook as Viewsonic’s Viewpad 7. Here you have a 14.94mm-thick chassis housing a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD, along with an Intel Atom N570, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 320GB hard drive (2.5 inches, 5400rpm, SATA). Other tidbits include a USB 2.0 port, USB 3.0 port, SD card reader, RJ-45 jack, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and 3.5G modem. All of this boil down to an 895g (32oz) package.

If the S1080 doesn’t interested you, then maybe its accompanying multimedia dock will. Like similar offerings from competitors, Gigabyte’s version adds stereo speakers, VGA output, three USB 2.0 ports, and audio line-in to the tablet. But the real zinger here is the front-loading optical drive, which is a rare sight on docking stations these days. Oh, and if the built-in 4,000mAh battery isn’t enough for you, there’s also an optional 2.700mAh battery bar that hooks onto the bottom of the tablet. Expect the S1080 to hit US markets in June for around $700, with the yet-to-be-priced dock to follow later on in the summer (or you could just fly to Taiwan in July to pick one up).

Gigabyte announces S1080 Windows 7 tablet with USB 3.0 and optical drive dock originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 May 2011 03:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For professional photographers, every second counts when downloading images on a deadline — especially when you throw enormous HD video files into the mix. With the $50 Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader, photogs now have a fast transfer option to compliment their pricey high-capacity CF and UHS-I SDXC cards, theoretically enabling downloads at up to 500MB per second (though current cards max out at one-fifth of that). You’ll need to have a USB 3.0 port and high-speed flash to take advantage of faster transfers, though the reader is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 and older cards — you’ll even be able to use that 32MB CF that came bundled with your DSLR. And what about appearance? Lexar Director of Marketing Jeff Cable sums it up: “It looks similar to our older card reader, the USB 2.0 reader, except that it says USB 3.0 right here on the front.” Bam!

Continue reading Lexar dual-slot CF / SD reader packs USB 3.0, downloads cards six times faster (video)

Lexar dual-slot CF / SD reader packs USB 3.0, downloads cards six times faster (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 04:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look closely at that picture. See that Type-A USB jack? The one with the blue stripe sandwiched between the round AC jack (with its green light) and VGA and HDMI ports? Yeah, that’s Sony’s Thunderbolt implementation according to a trusted source. A bit of digging reveals that the “Ultimate Mobile PC” teased by Sony above is actually the same VAIO Hybrid PC leaked by Sony Insider back in March said to feature an external dock with one USB 3.0 jack, HDMI, Ethernet, AMD Whistler discrete graphics, and a Blu-ray Disc writer. Naturally, the dock attaches to the VAIO’s Thunderbolt jack.

What we’re trying to get our heads around, however, is Sony’s choice for a USB connector instead of the Mini DisplayPort used by Apple’s dual-channel 10Gbps Thunderbolt implementation. The decision to go USB was first brought to our attention by site Gula Digital. We’ve long known that Sony would be a Light Peak partner in some capacity. And the decision to go USB certainly echoes those first prototype interconnects demonstrated by Intel that combined a hybrid USB 3.0 connector with an optical interface and electrical connection to carry power. We also like the idea of being able to connect a USB 3.0 hard disk without first attaching an adapter. What troubles us, though, is a statement made by the USB Implementers Forum last summer expressing reservations with Intel’s proposed interconnect:

“USB connectors are not general purpose connectors and are not designed to be used in support of other technology applications or standards or as combo connectors.”

Perhaps Sony has worked out a licensing arrangement with the USB-IF? We don’t know. But we’re told that Sony’s Thunderbolt implementation is definitely using a USB connector and definitely not using Mini DisplayPort. But we’ll wait until this thing ships before complaining about Thunderbolt fragmentation too loudly.

Sony’s Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain (web)site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For a purportedly doomed manufacturer of magnetic storage, Seagate sure is spinning some interesting ideas these days — last year, we got modular, upgradable cables, and now the company’s testing external hard drives that don’t need pesky wires to function. According to filings, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite not only plays the network-attached-storage card with built-in 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, it’s also got a 3.7V battery inside its case… making the product’s name somewhat apt, don’t you think? According to a leaked description, Seagate’s also planning a companion iOS app called “GoFlex Media” to let your iDevices stream content directly from the device. Mind you, none of that means you won’t be able to dock with your Satellite the old-fashioned way — FCC docs also mention a USB 3.0 cable that delivers data and power simultaneously.

FCC reveals Seagate GoFlex Satellite, a WiFi-capable battery-powered external hard drive originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 May 2011 13:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’ve been on the hunt for the biggest, fastest hard drive around, it seems your options are expanding. I-O Data just introduced the HDCA-UT3.0K external hard drive, which offers USB 3.0 support and 3TB of storage, which, as the company notes, makes it an ideal companion for TVs with a USB recording mode. Struggling to resist the charm of its blue LED and the possibility of owning more storage than you’ll ever need? Look for it in mid-May with a price of ¥26,400 ($324).

I-O Data’s HDCA-UT3.0K drive offers USB 3.0 and 3TB of storage originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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