denz Techtronics » gadgets

New Sony VAIO Z Ultraportable Revealed

admin_denz — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:28:08 +0000

Ever since 2008, every year that passed we saw the introduction of a new VAIO Z series ultra-thin notebook model, and with the latest of these units, the 13.1-inch VPCZ21. Taking a look at the new VAIO Z, the first thing one notices is just how thin and light Sony’s ultra-portable really is, the chassis measuring only 17mm in depth (about 0.66 inches), while the whole notebook weights just 1.2Kg (or 2.6 pounds). In order to achieve such a thin profile and low weight design, Sony’s designers had to resort to all sort of tricks, like the use of a single sided motherboard or to a fold-out RJ45 port, while the chassis is made out of fiberglass and reinforced with aluminum.

Thanks to these high-quality materials, the entire notebook feels surprisingly sturdy and should be able to survive the abuse road warriors will put it through. With the standard 1600×900 resolution panel which fits the 13.1-inch display quite nicely and also features a special anti-glare coating for improving legibility in direct sunlight. Under the hood, users can find a selection of Core i5 and Core i7 processor topping with the Core i7-2620M which features dual computing cores and a 2.7GHz base frequency (up 3.4GHZ in Turbo mode). This can be paired with up to 8GB of system memory, 256GB of storage space via two SSDs in RAID 0 and graphics is provided by the integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics core. The powerful configuration is seconded by a wide range of connectivity features, such as 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, optional 3G, USB 3.0 and HDMI ports as well as Intel Wireless Display 2.0 support.

Like most of you surely know by now, the USB 3.0 port used for the VAIO Z is also employed for connecting an external dock using a Light Peak interface (this actually uses light to transmit data, not copper wires as is the case of Thunderbolt). When the Power Media Dock is connected to the VAIO Z, this adds a slot loading optical drive, a second USB 3.0 port, as well as HDMI, and VGA video outputs. The latter are driven by an AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics card with 1GB of video buffer included the dock, and enable the VAIO Z to support up to four independent displays simultaneously.

New USB 3.0 Link Device without PCs

admin_denz — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:48:59 +0000

SuperSpeed USB 3.0 has already gained speed, but it may gain even more of an advantage once the USB 3.0 Promoter Group finishes their latest pet project. The most recent iteration of the Universal Serial Bus standard and has a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 5 Gbps (4.8 Gbps). It has already gained native chipset support on some motherboards and has more or less made it into every recent desktop and notebook. Still, there is always room for improvement, and the USB 3.0 promoter group intends to prove, and live up to, this mantra.

Apparently, what the group now wants is to make the specification even more versatile by removing the need for a PC. What this means is that, with the USB On-The-Go (OTG) spec, any electronic devices with USB connectivity will be able to directly link to each other. This will mostly benefit such things as phones, cameras and other items that have their own user interfaces, while flash drives and other storage units will, obviously, not be able to do much on their own.

OTG and Embedded Host Devices, which need fast synchronization or streaming of rich data, will, likewise, draw great benefits form this technology. The USB OTG 3.0 and Embedded Host supplement will, as a bonus, come with power saving benefits and have backwards compatibility with USB OTG 2.0. What remains is to see how long products with this capability built into them will take before finally making their debut in force.

Acer TravelMate 8481 professional notebook unveiled

admin_denz — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:55:41 +0000

While it has not yet been released, it appears that a certain mobile computer from Acer did fall under the eye of those that were able to divine the price it will sport once it does show up. Acer might not exactly be going through its best year, but this doesn’t mean it has any plans of backing down and fading into obscurity, tablet disruptions or no. It is still among the top five PC makers after all.

For those that want a reminder, it was not long ago reported that the company lost its place as third greatest international PC supplier to Lenovo. Still, Acer seems to be taking these lows with stoicism, not shrinking away from going ahead with its laptop plans.

One of those plans involves the TravelMate 8481, a laptop aimed at professional and one whose existence was discovered almost a month ago. It so happens that some new information concerning it has emerged, down to the price that prospective buyers will need to pay, in the UK at least.

Basically, when Acer starts shipping it, something that is set to occur in August, 2011, it will carry the price of £699 (excluding VAT). The professional mobile computer has, as main piece, an Intel Core-series central processing unit. NVIDIA graphics are present and, thanks to the Optimus graphics switching technology, the discrete GPU automatically takes over for the CPU’s built-in HD 3000 whenever needed.

Acer made sure that 8 GB of RAM are available to support intensive tasks, while storage space is provided by either a hard disk drive (320 GB) or a solid state drive (64 GB). What’s more, the company threw in an USB 3.0 connector, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n Wi-Fi, plus a 14-inch display with a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels (HD). Finally, all the hardware is packed inside a magnesium-aluminum frame with an anti-shock mechanism for the HDD, plus dust protection and metal hinges.

New TravelMate Timeline Notebooks by Acer

admin_denz — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:49:54 +0000

Acer has just announced two new notebook models in the TravelMate Timeline series, which are based on Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors and are designed to offer an extended battery life with no-compromise performance. Users have the option of choosing between several second generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which can be paired with as much as 8GB of DDR3 system memory as well as with an optional Nvidia-built discrete graphics card.

This replaces the on-die Intel HD 3000 GPU when graphics intensive tasks are being run by dynamically switching between the two cores thanks to Nvidia’s Optimus technology. As far as storage is concerned, the two TravelMate Timeline laptops can be equipped with a standard HDD with up to 750GB worth of space, which can be seconded by an additional 128GB SSD unit to boost their performance (Acer hasn’t stated is Smart Response is supported or not).

The rest of the notebook configuration includes 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and optional 3G connectivity, one USB 3.0 port, HDMI and VGA video outputs, a fingerprint reader, a TPM module, as well as support for Intel’s Wireless Display technology. All of these are housed inside a magnesium-aluminum enclosure designed to uniformly distribute all external forces and withstand extreme pressure, which is paired with metal alloy display hinges and a so called DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) suspension mechanism for the HDD.

Depending on the model chosen, the TravelMate Timeline 8573 and 8473 sport either a 14-inch or a 15.6-inch display built by LG, which features a frameless design and 1366×768 resolution. According to Acer, the battery used for the 8×73 laptops can work up to eight hours without a recharge. Both of the mobile computers announced today by Acer can be used with the ProDock station which increases the number of I/O connections available.

The New Asus’ Ultra-Thin Notebook

admin_denz — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:16:19 +0000

Revealed for the very first time at the Computex 2011 fair, Asus’ MacBook Air competitor, the ultra-thing UX21 notebook is going to have a starting price of less than $1000 US. While the notebook’s final pricing hasn’t been shown yet, the Commercial Times publication states that Asus is aiming to set the MSRP for somewhere between 80 to 90 percent of the cost of Apple’s MBA.

In addition to the lower cost, the UX21 also features improved hardware when compared to the MacBook Air as it’s powered by Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processors. Users can opt for quite a few low-voltage CPU models, starting with the not-yet-released 1.7GHz Core i5-2557M and going to the 1.8GHz Core i7-2677M. All of these processors have a TDP of 17W, dual processing cores, 3 or 4 MB of Level 3 cache memory and support both the Hyper-Threading and the Turbo Boost technologies.

The fast Intel CPUs can be paired with 64GB or 128GB SATA 6Gbps solid state drives, and Asus claims that the notebook can resume from a sleep state in just two seconds. All around the edges of the UX21, users will find one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, a mini-DisplayPort as well as a mini-HDMI connector. The UX21 display measures 11.6-inch is diagonal and is LED back-lit.

All of these are housed inside a thin and light anodized aluminum uni-body chassis that measures no more than 17-inch at its thickest point. The keyboard and touchpad were also designed to accentuate the style of the unit, as the former comes with all aluminum keys, while the latter is made out of glass. The Asus UX21 ultra-thin notebook is expected on September 2011.

World’s Thinnest 15-Inch Notebook by Dell

admin_denz — Sat, 28 May 2011 06:36:21 +0000

Dell just introduced what the company claims to be the slimmest 15.6-inch notebook on the planet, the XPS 15z, which is powered by Intel’s second-generation Core processors and also features Nvidia discrete graphics. The XPS 15z is the first model to be released in a series of thin and ultra-powerful Dell notebooks that will continue from where Adamo has left off.

Dell’s new notebook is available with both Core i5 and Core i7 Intel processors, starting from the Core i5-2410M CPU model, that features two processing cores and a 2.3GHz base frequency, and going all the way up to the 2.7GHz clocked i7-2620M. The standard Dell configuration pairs this processor with 4GB of system memory and a GeForce GT 525M discrete graphics card with 1GB of video buffer, but users can also opt for installing 8GB of DDR3 memory and/or for a 2GB version of the 525M.

The rest of the specs list includes a 7200RPM hard drive, a slot load DVD burner, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 802.11 A/G/N and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity, and an 8-cell battery pack. Along the edges of the notebook, Dell has placed a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port, HDMI 1.4 and mini DisplayPort video outputs and a 9-in-1 card reader. The XPS 15z packs a 15.6-inch display with a 1366×768 resolution, but for $100 more users can opt for a Full HD panel with 300-nit brightness.

HP TouchPad is being teased on BestBuy

admin_denz — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:11:35 +0000

One of the most media tablets that have been the talk for months is HP TouchPad and it looks like prospective buyers may finally see the end of their waiting, now that a teaser page has emerged on BestBuy. While some tablets have been made available, officially anyway, others have been revealed for just as long but not yet sent out. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is one of the former types, although it is so scarce it may as well not be on sale at all.

Meanwhile, the HP TouchPad is one product which has been known to be in the making for a fairly long time but still hasn’t debuted. In the meantime, possible customers can get reacquainted with the hardware capabilities of this webOS-loaded product. Measuring 9.7 inches, it is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz CPU (central processing unit).

Two webcams are present, as is Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Beats Audio, USB 2.0 and, of course, touch support for the display panel (capacitive). Speaking of the 18-bit color screen, it measure 9.7 inches in diagonal and has a native resolution of 1,024 x 600 pixels. What remains is to see if HP manages to get the webOS slate up and running rampant on the consumer market during the month of June or later. Either way, it will have the advantage of uniqueness by virtue of its software platform.

No related posts.

Google Chromebook Netbook by Acer

admin_denz — Sun, 15 May 2011 10:06:15 +0000

Discussing about Chrome OS netbooks has been in existence for quite a long time, but it looks like the first wave of actual devices is ready at last, as made official by Google itself, not just each product’s maker. Netbooks may have been out and about for years, but Google created a new type of such entry-level systems when it began work on Chrome OS.

Basically, the company came up with the idea of a mobile computer that lacks actual built-in storage (save for what the OS needs). This is because the Chrome OS, modeled to look like a browser, has all tasks happen in the cloud, online as it were. Samsung has already formally unleashed the Series 5 line, and it looks like Acer has also completed development of a device.

A dual-core Intel Atom processor lies at the heart of it all, while the display is an 11.6-inch CineCrystal HD widescreen LCD, with LED backlighting. Dual-band WiFi and an optional world-mode 3G module ensure wireless connectivity from anywhere. Other specifications include a pair of USB 2.0 ports, support for high-definition audio, a noise canceling microphone, an HD webcam and a 4-in-1 memory card.

Finally, input is done via a fully-clickable trackpad and a full-size Chrome keyboard, while an HDMI output lets one stream media to an auxiliary monitor or HDTV. All have a weight of 1.34 kilograms and are kept running by a battery that can last for up to 6 hours on a single charge. What remains is to see how well these newcomers sell in a market that has already started to decline under the pressure of tablets.

New Transformer Tablet by ASUS

admin_denz — Sun, 01 May 2011 13:02:48 +0000

Even if some might not have expecting it, it looks like a certain tablet with a detachable keyboard ended up quite popular, to the point where it sells out almost as soon as it became available for shipment. Those paying any sort of attention to the happenings on the tablet market might be aware of a certain piece of information.

Basically, a certain tablet known as the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer was scheduled for sale last April 26, 2011. Considering the underwhelming performance of the Motorola XOOM, some might not have had very high hopes for this new device. Apparently, whatever fears existed were baseless, as something quite unexpected, to some at least, happened.

Mostly, the Eee Pad Transformer sold out, on Amazon at least, almost immediately after it was put up for order. It may be that the way it went from In Stock to Out of Stock in minutes was just a glitch or some such on Amazon’s part (unlikely though it may be), seeing as how the listing says the device has not yet been released. However, BestBuy does have the ASUS tablet up for order, at the same price, although, true enough, it seems to be the only US retailer to still have models on sale.

Of course, given the general IT company caution, it is unclear which factor between limited supply and consumer demand really caused this rapid sell-out. No doubt the price tag of $400 ($399.99) is playing an important role in the appeal that the Transformer seems to have. For those that want a reminder, the slate is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 SoC and has 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB (or 16 GB) of Flash storage and all the connectivity (LAN+Wireless) and I/O options (webcam, USB, HDMI) one would expect.

Basic Info on Buying your New Laptop

admin_denz — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:01:53 +0000

Laptops are small mobile computers that are light and portable enough to fit on your lap. They weigh usually in the range of 4 to10 pounds depending on the materials, size and other factors. When compared to the PC Desktop, the portable laptops are different on the basis of peripherals and weight. A typical portable laptop computer has a weight of four to five pounds. Some bulkier laptops range in their weights from six to seven pounds as they may have a CDROM/DVDROM or a floppy drive.

Laptops operate typically on a single battery and function similar to their desktop counterparts as the basic components of laptops and desktop computers are same. Laptops have liquid crystal (LCD) displays and uses different RAM modules. A portable notebook or laptop is provided with a pointing stick or touch pad and built-in keyboard as an input device. You can also plug in an external mouse. The power consumption and noise are less compared to a desktop. Unlike desktops, laptops can be run on batteries also.

Osborne 1 was the first available portable computer in 1981 for commercial use. This portable computer weighed about 24 pounds and was available at a price of about 1800 dollars. Later IBM launched ‘Kaypro’ in 2000, which had a LCD display of 25 lines and 80 characters, a removable keyboard and a floppy drive of 3.5 inches.

The following are the different types of laptops. Ultra-Mobile PCs are small in size and portable. Ultra portables have LCD screen of about 12 inches or less, weighing about 3 to 5 pounds. Thin-and-light Laptops typically weigh about 4 to 6 pounds and have a screen size of 12 to 14 inches. Mainstream Laptops have a screen size of about 14.1 inches to 15.4 inches and weigh about 5 to 7 pounds.

Laptops have proven to be useful in many ways. While on the move, from students to business executives, software professionals and housewives have found laptops to be beneficial. Laptops are available across a wide range of brands, models, sizes, styles and prices. As the innovative laptops have increased in demand, leading notebook manufacturers such as IBM, HP-Compaq, Dell, Acer, Sony and Toshiba are offering sophisticated laptops with innovative features and designs. As the demand for laptops has increased, you should be careful when choosing a laptop. You can look for reviews on laptops from online sources and the manufacturers also provide the information on the various models available with details of prices, specifications and ratings on their websites.

Laptops have to be chosen based on the features such as Portability, Price, Screen size, speed, memory, upgradeability, hard drives, batteries and hardware. You can go for a laptop with a better screen resolution of 1024 x 768 XGA or 1280 x 1024 SXGA. For getting best performance in terms of speed, laptops can be chosen having memory capacities of 128MB, 256MB, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, depending on your use of application. For occasional typing and web surfing, a laptop with a memory of 256 MB RAM is sufficient. You need to also check for lithium batteries as they offer longer life. Other peripherals such as standard floppy or DVD drives are required. Though laptops are expensive than desktop computers for similar configurations, the price tag is not big when compared to the functions they offer.