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Facebook Groups now supports 250-person chat rooms
If your Jimmy Neutron Facebook Group has felt a bit dull, that's probably because the social media giant didn't allow members to jump into a giant, early '00s-style group chat Well, Facebook plans to gradually roll out a new feature that will allow Groups to launch specific sub-chats up to 250 members. Not only that, groups can start audio or video calls with up to 50 members.
Toshiba's AC100 8-hour Android smartbook plays 1080p video on a 1GHz Tegra 250 processor (update: video!)
We wouldn't fault you for thinking that's a first generation ASUS Eee PC what with that iconic fingertip pose and all. But Toshiba's AC100 is a very modern take on the ol' Atom-based netbook idea. For starters, this super slim smartbook runs Android 2.1 on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 250 SoC (built around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor) capable of about 8 hours of browsing and video playback (and 7 days standby) before needing a recharge. It's also packing a 32GB SSD, 512MB of DDR2 memory, 802.11n WiFi, optional 3G data, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and an HDMI jack beneath that 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 pixel display. As for software, the AC100 ships with Documents to Go for editing MS Office docs, an email client with POP3, IMAP, and Exchange support, an Opera Mobile browser, and a Tosh media player which should support HD 1080p video playback if it's taking full advantage of that Tegra 2 silicon. Too bad Toshiba is being quiet about the pricing and availability 'cause this little guy has us intrigued. Update: Netbooked got its hands on with the Japanese Dynabook AZ twin and received confirmation that it'll ship in Japan in August for between ¥40,000 and ¥50,000 (about $438 to $548). Video after the break.%Gallery-95912%
Acer's Aspire One D250, 751h now on sale in North America
Acer's 11.6-inch, WXGA Aspire 751h-1192 and 10.6-inch, WSVGA D250-1042 are nothing new around these parts, but now the company's officially priced the units and put up the "on sale" sign. Looks like both models are sporting the corner-placed VGA port as well as the usual netbook specs like a 160GB HDD, up to 2GB RAM, a three or six cell battery, 802.11b/g, GMA 950 integrated graphics, webcam, and Windows XP Service Pack 3. Both have a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, but the 751h can swap it out for a 1.22GHz Atom Z520 instead. The larger screen portable's also got a multi-gesture trackpad and a slightly heavier body -- 2.75 pounds vs. 2.44. Starting prices are $298 and $380 for the D250 / 751h, respectively, with your choice of Diamond Black, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue or Seashell White for colors. Full press release after the break.
Seattle P-I: Wii on November 19, $250; did they slip? [update 2]
Just before the Japanese press event started in earnest, an article surfaced at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that declared the Wii would launch November 19 at $250. Chat rooms and forums exploded as gamers debated the legitimacy of the story, which listed the New York Times as its source. Since no one could find the information anywhere else -- not on Reuters, the AP, or the NYT itself, we called both the New York Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to attempt to verify the story. Though we could not reach anyone at the NYT, we did speak with the city desk at the Seattle P-I, and they verified that the story was indeed pulled from the NYT's wire and that it was not altered by the Seattle publication. Less than an hour later, the link disappeared from the main business page -- though the article was still available via direct link and still listed as the "most read" on the RSS feed. Minutes later, even the direct link disappeared, and was replaced with the following information:The page you have requested was not found. The link is either incorrect or the page no longer exists. If you believe there is a problem, please send a message to newmedia@seattlepi.com.Did the Seattle P-I slip up and release the information early? Since the article disappeared, we will be reproducing it almost in its entirety after the jump. Please note that we are not claiming credit for this article -- we are just working to bring you the most accurate news possible.[Update 2: Apparently the article reappeared. Once the cat's out of the bag .... However, as of 2:15 Eastern, the headline has not reappeared on the business page at the Seattle paper. We are working to compare the copy to see if changes have been made. Also fixed coding error.]
