Archive for May, 2011

Lenovo’s LePad gets torn apart

Posted in Lenovo by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Lenovo’s LePad finally showed up in China back in March. Nothing in the states, though we may see it eventually under a new name. And since we can’t have the tablet on our shores, here is the next best thing. An autopsy that splays it’s parts every which way, hopefully done with sanitized and clean instruments, so as not to cause infection. Not that that matters when your insides are all outside.

This teardown comes from IMP3. There aren’t many surprises, but it’s always fascinating to see under the hood. The LePad has a 1.3GHz Snapdragon chipset with Adreno 205 integrated graphics and an internal 27Wh battery. It’s also packs in Toshiba flash memory and a Wolfson audio processor.

Star Trek Salt and Pepper Shaker Set

Posted in Sci-Fi by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

This Star Trek Salt and Pepper Shaker Set will make any meal a little extra geeky. They are ceramic versions of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Shuttle. Now all we need is squeezable dispensers shaped like Khan. You know, for Khan-diments.

These will cost you just $14.99 at the Star Trek Store. The Shuttle and the Enterprise stick together thanks to magnets and separate easily when you need to use them. These are the voyages of the salt ship Enterprise..

Noise Reducing Drapes

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Humans are noisy creatures. Depending on where you live, it might be hard to get some peace and quiet and relax. Are you tired of construction crews down the street making noise? Motorcycles and Hot-Rods giving you a headache? Well, these drapes can help.

These Noise Reducing Drapes feature triple weave yarn which blocks out 99% of the light, and up to 40% of the noise. They also serve as thermo sensitive coverings, which means that they will keep the room cooler in hot climates. So they will keep things quiet, even if they do cut off all of your light. Just $69.95.

MSI announces Smart Touch AIO-Wind Top AE2070

Posted in MSI by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

MSI has released its new touch model, the Wind Top AE2070. It’s a 20-inch, multi-touch LCD screen with MSI proprietary Wind Touch 4 smart user interface and includes software that allows you to connect to social networks. The 20″ screen supports resolutions up to 1600 x 900.

Other features include two 3W speakers with SRS Premium Sound, along with Intel 2nd generation Dual-core Processor G620 and Intel HD Graphics 2000. Hardware upgrade options include the Intel Core i3 CPU or NVIDIA GeForce GT540M high-performance graphic card.

Facebook and Video Chat Apps Coming to BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted in Facebook by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Playbook users have some new toys to play with. Rim has officially announced that a dedicated Facebook app for the BlackBerry Playbook is on the way. The app has been optimized for the PlayBook’s 7″ display and will let users view and add friends using the grid view of profile pictures. You can also view profiles with photos and videos, Facebook chat, view and interact with the news feeds, and of course tell the world about your Likes and Comments.

You can also upload photos directly from the PlayBook to Facebook. Book to Book as it were. It sounds like one of the best Facebook app choices available yet. BlackBerry has also announced a Video Chat for the BlackBerry Playbook app, with support for One-Click Video and Voice over WiFi Calls, Incoming Call Notifications, a picture in picture function and a friends list. Both apps will be available tomorrow May 3rd as an over-the-air update. They sound great.

Consumer Reports says that the white iPhone 4 is not thicker

Posted in iPhone by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

The white iPhone is always making drama. We have followed it’s twisted and sorted saga for awhile now and we thought it would stop now that the device is available. But no. The latest drama surrounding the white iPhone 4 is in regards to it’s thickness.

Consumer Reports is now disputing claims that the white iPhone 4 is thicker than its black counterpart. Using calipers, they claimed both color iPhones were about 0.37 inches. It went so far as to try three cases and said that all three fit just fine.

HTC Trophy could hit Verizon on May 5

Posted in HTC by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Verizon’s long-delayed and long awaited version of the HTC Trophy might just finally show up this week. We hope. A new rumor has the Windows Phone 7 device shipping on May 5, though the rumor didn’t specify a price or explain why it was delayed from the April 15 date on the Verizon roadmap.

The device features a 3.8-inch 480×800 screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon chip, and a five-megapixel camera. Verizon’s edition might have dual-mode CDMA and GSM but we know it will ship with Microsoft’s NoDo update for copy-and-paste text and other upgrades. Software changes include Slacker Radio and a My Verizon Mobile account app.

Nokia Launches A New Pink N8 Smartphone

Posted in Nokia by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Are you bored with your N8? Need a color boost? Something girlie? Well, this is your lucky day. Nokia has added another color to the Nokia N8. The Nokia N8 Pink. Aside from the feminine color, it has the same specifications as the N8.

The Nokia N8 packs in a 12 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and a Xenon flash. It will record HD video in 720p and also has HDMI out. Other features include a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, 16GB of built in storage and a microSD card slot.

Samsung Sliding PC 7 now available for pre-order for $649

Posted in Samsung by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

Remember the Samsung Sliding PC 7 from earlier this year? It’s a Windows 7 tablet computer with a slide out QWERTY keyboard, giving you the best of both worlds with something between a tablet and a netbook.

The Samsung Sliding PC 7 is now on Amazon for pre-order for $649, though we don’t know when it will actually ship. Some features include a 10.1 inch 1366 x 768-resolution touchscreen tablet plus a full slide out keyboard, and it runs Microsoft Windows 7 and has an Intel Atom Z670 CPU.

IKEA Solvinden Solar-powered Table Lamp

Posted in Lamps by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

If you are environmentally conscious and are looking for a new table lamp, here is a good one. The new IKEA Solvinden solar-powered table lamp is powered by three rechargeable AA batteries and a solar charger, which can brighten anyplace for around four hours.

Not bad considering that this is not attached to the grid. If you like what you see and the colors match your drapes, the IKEA Solvinden Solar-powered table lamp is just $19.99. It is at IKEA of course.

Epson Stylus Photo R2000 Photo Printer

Posted in Printers by Conner Flynn on May 2nd, 2011

If you are looking to print some actual photos instead of just keeping them on your devices, then check out the Epson Stylus Photo R2000. It’s a new A3+ high-gloss photo printer that boasts efficiency and versatility with high-capacity cartridges.

This photo printer uses Epson’s UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 pigment ink, in conjunction with Epson’s Advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head, allowing it to produce high quality prints. Other features include Wi-Fi, USB and Ethernet connectivity. It will be available this month for $499.99.

Dell’s 17-inch Precision M6600 workstation laptop hits the UK early

Posted in Dell by Reuben Drake on May 2nd, 2011

Dell’s latest laptop was supposed to arrive on May 10th, and that might turn out to be the date for the US, but the company’s UK outlet has the M6600 available today. The 17.3-inch laptop offers options like a multitouch display with stylus functionality, a 2.5GHz quad-core Core i7-2920XM CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, up to half a terabyte (2x 256GB) in solid state storage, and NVIDIA Quadro 4000M graphics.

If those sound good to you, prices start at £1,549 ($2,590). The configuration above will cost you £4,714 ($7,880). Nice. If you have the money.

Time Inc. and Apple to offer free iPad downloads to print magazine subscribers

Posted in Apple by Reuben Drake on May 2nd, 2011

Good news for magazine readers. Time Inc. has made a deal with Apple to allow print magazine subscribers to access the company’s iPad editions for free. Starting this week, those who subscribe to print versions of Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Time will be able to download the iPad versions at no cost, directly within the magazines’ apps, as it should be.

iPad users still won’t be able to purchase exclusively digital subscriptions to Time Inc.’s publications. Time wants to incorporate digital subscriptions to its iPad model, but negotiations have hit some snags, mostly due to how Apple shares subscriber data. Publishers claim to need that data to apply the TV Everywhere model to magazines, but Apple says that the subscriber information should only be shared on an opt-in basis. It doesn’t seem like they will agree anytime soon.

LG Revolution Press Shot Spotted

Posted in LG by Conner Flynn on May 1st, 2011

The latest shots of the LG Revolution show a date of May 25, 2011, so we can surmise that Verizon will release it on that day. That is not a new strategy, HTC and Samsung have also used launch or release dates in press image screenshots, and LG has done it before as well. Then again, you never know. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Revolution would be either the second or third 4G LTE phone to be released. The Thunderbolt is already out, the Droid Charge has been delayed and the Droid Bionic has been pushed back too. The Revolution is a single-core device with WVGA resolution, which might make it less attractive to some, but it does include Netflix for Android which is a bonus.

Motorola XOOM Camera Connection Kit

Posted in Motorola by Conner Flynn on May 1st, 2011

So how do you connect your camera to your Motorola Xoom and transfer your photos? Motorola today has announced a way to do just that with the wire shown above. The Motorola XOOM camera connection kit.

The device lets you easily and quickly transfer photos from your digital camera to your XOOM tablet using any available USB port. You can purchase the Motorola XOOM camera connection kit for just $19.99.