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Google's Pixel 7a falls to a new all-time low at Amazon
Other Pixel products, like the Buds, are also on sale.
Intel details its first Arc A-series GPUs for laptops
After years of research and development, Intel's first batch of new Arc GPUs are finally ready for consumers, starting with the Arc 3 which will be available on retail laptops in April.
Samsung confirms when you can buy Galaxy Tab S6, Watch Active2 and more
Samsung announced a bunch of new products over the summer, including the Galaxy Tab S6 and the second iteration of its Galaxy Watch Active. Now we know when to expect them, and how much they'll cost.
Sony made a Walkman for 'Final Fantasy XV' fans
Final Fantasy XV is about to make it's long, long anticipated debut tomorrow, so get ready for the hype (and merchandising). We've already seen a FF XV branded Audi A8, of all things, and Sony has now revealed a limited edition Final Fantasy XV Walkman, headphone and portable speaker. The A-Series Walkman with Hi-Res audio support comes with etched pixel versions of Noctis and Co. on the back, special icons and a fancy box. It starts at 33,880 yen ($300 or so) for the 16GB model.
AMD ships its extra-efficient 7th-generation processors in PCs
While Intel is busy revamping its laptop processors, AMD is focused on the desktop side of personal computing. The chip designer has started shipping its 7th-generation A-series processors in desktop PCs, starting with machines from HP and Lenovo. The CPUs are based around as many as four Excavator cores, rather than the coveted Zen cores you've heard about lately, but that should still get you a lot of performance per watt. If you believe AMD, its 35- and 65-watt processors deliver the kind of speed that previously took over 90 watts -- the A12-9800 is about as fast in a general computing benchmark (PCMark) as Intel's Core i5-6500, and roughly twice as fast in graphics (3DMark) if you're relying on integrated video.
Maingear welcomes AMD A-Series APUs to its F131 and X-Cube desktop PCs
In a move to make its desktops more palatable to the masses, Maingear is bringing AMD's integrated A-Series APUs to its F131 tower and X-Cube desktop PCs. Upon learning the news, we took a peek at the manufacturer's website and found a customizable X-Cube available with a $649 starting price, which compares favorably to its $939 Intel counterpart. Unfortunately, the company has yet to update its website with AMD customization options for the F131. Regardless, we're told that shoppers can expect to find both standard and Black Edition options for AMD's chips, the latter which should appeal to overclockers. To scope out the company's latest gear, just hit up the source link below.
Lenovo intros ThinkCentre M78 with AMD A-Series APU and a starting price of $449
There's never a bad time for computer makers to update any part of their extensive PC lineup, and today marks Lenovo's turn to introduce a new tower as part of its voluminous M Series. With the addition of this ThinkCentre M78, the Chinese outfit is touting the adoption of AMD's hot-off-the-press A-Series processors as one of the desktop's main features, plus there's also the inclusion of four USB 3.0 ports, the ability to add up to 32GB of DDR3 memory and support for as many as three monitors simultaneously -- all of which, according to Lenovo, make for a very "reliable PC with powerful performance, a high level of security and energy efficiency." Better yet, perhaps, is the ThinkCentre M78's decent starting price point of 449 bucks, with units expected to start shipping this month from Lenovo's own website and other third-party retailers.
AMD FX-4130 delivers 3.8GHz quad-core on a budget, A-Series chips get even cheaper
If you're building a starter desktop to get ready for school, you'll be glad to know that AMD is squeaking just a little more value for the dollar out of its processors. The new quad-core FX-4130 takes a 200MHz hop forward from its predecessor to a 3.8GHz base speed, and ramps up to 3.9GHz if it's feeling frisky. While it's thirstier than the earlier FX-4100 at 125W of maximum power draw, the unlocked chip's $112 retail cost is a potential sweet spot for those tailoring a system to a strict price. Anyone willing to trade overclocking support for yet more of a savings will be glad to know that AMD has been slashing the prices of its Fusion-based A-Series chips at the same time: the across-the-board cuts bring even the 2.9GHz A8-3850 down to $91. No breaks exist here for the performance crowd, alas, but AMD's new proposition might be just the excuse needed to build that budget Windows 8 PC.
Canon unveils new PowerShot A-Series cameras, brings image stabilization to its entry-level
Thought Canon was done with the point-and-shoot updates after refreshing its ELPH lineup last month? Think again, as the company is updating its PowerShot A-Series shooters with six new models in a variety of colors. All the cameras pack a 16-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide angle lens and can take 720p video. First up is the A4000 IS, which brings image stabilization, 8X optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD for $200 later this month. The A3400 IS and A2400 IS make their debuts in March, and bring the same image stabilization as the 4000, but have a lesser 5X optical zoom. Additionally, the 3400 packs a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and costs $180, while the 2400 gets a smaller non-touchscreen 2.7-inch LCD and retails for $150. Meanwhile, the A2300 has the same specs as the 2400, minus the image stabilization, and will cost ten bucks less than its brother when it drops next month. Finally, the PowerShot A1300 and A810 each come with 5X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD when they debut in April, with the A810 priced at $110 and the A1300 available for $120.
AMD updates Fusion A-Series chips, offers overclockers two new options
Just in time for the holidays AMD is fleshing out its lineup of Fusion A-Series APUs. The chips, which only got official in June, already saw their laptop-loving Llanos get a minor spec bump. Now their desktop brethren are catching up. The two stars, though, are clearly the A6-3670K and A8-3870K, which feature unlocked CPU and GPU clocks for the avid overclockers out there. Both are 100W quad-core parts with 600MHz Radeon graphics cores, but the A8 runs its CPU at 3GHz while the A6 starts at a more modest 2.7GHz. The 3870K also has the edge in GPU cores -- packing a grand total of 400 to the 3670K's 320. Head on after the break for the complete PR and all the nitty gritty details of the latest AMD APUs.
AMD updates A-Series APUs, gives laptop Llanos modest spec bumps
AMD released its A-Series APUs almost six months ago, and since then it's seen Intel update the A-Series' Sandy Bridge counterparts. So, it's about time for the Llano laptop lineup to do the same, and the refresh has come in the form of seven spiffy new APUs. At the high end, there's the quad-core A8-3550MX clocked at 2.0 GHz with Radeon HD 6620G graphics to supplant the older A8-3530MX chip. On the low end, the 1.9GHz dual core A4-3305M with Radeon HD 6480G graphics joins AMD's A4-3300M. It's a minor update all around, with most models seeing a 100MHz boost in turbo frequency over existing A-Series APUs. If you're itching to dig a little deeper into all the fresh Fusion silicon, you'll find what you're looking for at the links below.
Toshiba's quad-core Satellite L750D goes on sale for $699 as one of the first available Llano laptops
When AMD came clean with its Fusion A-Series platform, the outfit was quick to admit that some manufacturers have already started slipping these hybrid CPU / GPU chips into their spankin' new PCs. Still, at this early stage we still haven't spotted many of 'em -- if anything, we have a better idea what's on tap for later this summer. But here we have the Toshiba Satellite L750D-ST4N01, the first available Llano-packing notebook we've seen since the A-Series' launch. At $699, this 15.6-incher might seem like a forgettable system with its 4GB of RAM, 640GB 5400RPM hard drive, 1366 x 768 panel, and three USB 2.0 ports. Heck, Toshiba barely even gave the L series lip service when it announced a slew of laptops last week. But, what makes this seemingly ho-hum machine special is that it packs AMD's mid-range quad-core A6-3400M chip and an AMD Radeon HD 6520G graphics core -- a combination that adds just $10 to the cost over a similarly configured Satellite L755-S5258 with a dual-core Core i5-2410M processor and integrated Intel graphics. The L750D isn't for you? The deluge of A-Series systems hasn't even begun yet, friends. And while the jury's still out on real-world battery performance, this should make it crystal clear that if nothing else, AMD is taking no prisoners when it comes to pricing. [Thanks, Eric]
HP upgrades 11 Pavilion and ProBook laptops to AMD Llano APUs
Llano laptops are like buses. You wait two years for just one to arrive and then eleven come out at once. Yep, AMD's long-awaited hybrid CPU / GPU has finally gone official today and HP is wasting no time in introducing laptops harnessing its Accelerated Processing powers. On the consumer side, the Pavilion dv (dv4, dv6, dv7) and g (g4, g6, g7) series are both getting in on the action, with the dv models touting fancier additions like Beats Audio and CoolSense as justifications for their dearer pricing. For the more demure or business-oriented AMD fans, ProBook laptops of both b (6465b, 6465b) and s (4535s, 4435s, 4436s) varieties are also getting A-series processor options. Pricing starts out at $600 on the dv line and $450 for the g series, with both expected to ship in July, whereas the ProBook models will be a bit more punctual and arrive on June 27th, provided you have at least $519 to splash out. Ful PR after the break.
AMD's Fusion A-Series chips official: 10.5-hour battery life, DirectX 11 graphics, and USB 3.0 support (video)
AMD's Llano platform has been on our radar for more than two years, and finally, the company has come clean with its latest class of hybrid CPU / GPU chips, officially dubbed the Fusion A-Series. Unlike the low-power flavor of Fusion accelerated processing units already on the market, these 32-nanometer APUs were designed with desktops and mainstream laptops in mind, taking direct aim at Intel's Core 2011 processors with the promise of superior processing and discrete-level graphics, and 10-plus hours of battery life. Aside from the assorted performance and battery life claims the company is making (much more on that in a moment), what this means is that as far as laptops go, AMD is completely stepping away from the standalone-CPU-plus-GPU paradigm. But, the company will still make dedicated Radeon cards, which can be coupled with an APU for a 75 percent boost in graphics performance -- a setup AMD is calling "Dual Graphics." All told, these chips measure just 228 square millimeters. To put this in context, check out the gallery of hands-on shots below, featuring the A-series next to a standalone CPU, discrete graphics card, and, for the sake of scale, the kind of low-power Fusion chip introduced back at CES. A-Series-equipped PCs are already shipping, and AMD says we can expect to see at least 150 of them this year. That sounds promising indeed, but we've still got lots of technical details to rehash. Head on past the break for the full spill on what these APUs pledge to do, along with a video of AMD senior product marketing manager Raymond Dumbeck showing off some A-series laptops in action. %Gallery-124351%
AMD Llano quad-core APUs and Zambezi octa-core CPUs get priced, the former listed inside an HP dv6
Don't mistake the relative quietness from AMD on the APU front for inactivity. Ever since announcing the first shipment of its Llano Accelerated Processing Unit in April, the company's been working behind the scenes to ramp up availability to OEMs, and somewhere along the supply chain a gracious soul has been found who's leaked the bulk pricing for those chips. The new quad-core A Series processors start off at $110 for an A6-3450 and max out at $170 for an A8-3550P, but there's also mention of octa-core FX processors, which will weigh in at $320 a piece and reputedly compete with Intel's 3.4GHz Core i7-2600K. The latter are built around AMD's Bulldozer modules (wherein one module counts for two cores) and look to be the manifestation of the company's Zambezi CPUs, which could come without an integrated graphics processor as is available on the Llano and the rest of AMD's Fusion line. Just to whet appetites further, we've also come across an HP dv6 on an obscure German retail site, offering a 1.6GHz A6-3410MX APU, 6GB of RAM, and a most reasonable €590 price. There's obviously no promised delivery date, but this should be the first of many such appearances in the coming days as we build up towards Computex 2011. Something tells us AMD won't be holding back when the Taipei electronics show gets started. [Thanks, Shashwat and Vygantas]
Sony bumps out E, S, and A series Walkmens, and no, you probably can't have one
Sony Japan has just outed 12 new Walkmen models in the E, S, and A series. First up, the entry-level E series devices include the NW-E050, which includes a choice of 2GB or 4GB of storage, and the similar NW-E050K which boasts an external speaker. The five models of the S Series include the 8GB NW-S754, the 16GB NW-S755, the 32GB NW-S756, and the NW-S750K which comes with a cradle additionally. Finally, the high end A Series models include the 16GB NW-A855, the 32GB NW-A856, and the 64GB NW-A857, and all of them boast a 2.8-inch OLED screen with a 240 x 400 resolution. The E Series start at $95 and the S Series will start at $160, and both will be available in the beginning of October, while the A Series will be available at the beginning of November and start at $280. Unfortunately, there's no word of availability of these bad boys anywhere outside of Japan for now. Sony's promotional video is below.
Gigantic ASUS periodical reveals and specs numerous new laptops
Curious what's inside a new ASUS laptop? Then Notebook Review has the treat for you -- earlier this month, forumite David took the time to download the company's massive 108MB ASUS World Magazine PDF and laid out the spec sheets for not one, not two, but a veritable smörgåsbord of potent portables. There's 36 in all; we've told you about some of them before, to be sure -- but others are getting solid specs for the first time, and there are even a few diamonds in the rough. Enough chit-chat, on with the show! U-series: Otherwise known as ASUS' Bamboo Collection, the U-series laptops were highlighted at CES, where we discovered they would have Core i5 CPUs and USB 3.0 support. Well, that's not the whole story. They've also all got NVIDIA Optimus auto-switching graphics between an onboard Intel GMA HD and the GeForce 310M 1GB. Oh, and forget Core i5 -- these machines support processors all the way up to the 2.66GHz Core i7-620M. Highlight: The U30JC, with a combo Blu-ray drive and a chiclet keyboard that won a iF Product Design Award. UL-series: ASUS for "UnLimited," you can read UL as "ultra low," as in Intel's ultra low voltage (ULV) processors that provide 8+ hours of battery life and let these notebooks stay cool despite being under an inch thin. We saw the UL80JT sport NVIDIA Optimus at CES and got hands-on with the Optimus-equipped UL50VF; now, the UL30JT now has it as well. Highlight: That same UL50VF, with an estimated 12+ hours of battery life. More after the break -- save pricing and availability, unfortunately -- or feel free to hit up the source link to download the entire electronic magazine for yourself. %Gallery-89273%
Fujifilm gets official with 2010 FinePix digital camera lineup
Remember that smattering of new FinePix cameras that leaked late last month? Turns out that Fujifilm had a bunch more in store that were missed, and we're bringing the whole lot to you tonight. We suspect this is just the beginning of the pre-PMA rush, so we won't waste any time getting to the nitty gritty -- here's what you need to know about each of the new models, with the full releases waiting for you after the break. FinePix AV100 ($99.95 / March): 12 megapixel CCD sensor, 2.7-inch rear LCD, Fujinon 3x optical zoom, ISO up to 3200, black / silver color options, 720p movie mode, optional HD player kit, panoramic mode, AA battery power FinePix AX200 ($109.95 (February): 12 megapixel CCD sensor, 2.7-inch rear LCD, Fujinon 5x optical zoom, ISO up to 3200, black / silver color options, 720p movie mode, optional HD player kit, panoramic mode, AA battery power FinePix F80EXR ($299.95 / April): 12 megapixel CCD sensor, 10x wide-angle optical zoom, 3.0-inch rear LCD, 720p movie mode, face recognition, pet detection, 22.9mm thick, black color option, dual image stabilization FinePix HS10 ($499.95 / April): Megazoom design, Fujinon 30x optical zoom (24 - 720mm equivalent on a 35mm camera), triple image stabilization, 1080p movie mode, mini HDMI output, 1000fps Super High Speed movie mode, AA battery power, 3.0-inch rear LCD, JPEG / RAW support More after the break.%Gallery-84264%
Sony NW-A845 Walkman slips into European hands, too thin to be noticed
There's an old saying that the Japanese keep the best to themselves, but not this time. Sony's finally man enough to let go of their "slimmest ever Walkman," the NW-A845, to our European cousins. Apart from the obvious (and ever-so-useful) fresh injection of Latin-based languages, we're not seeing much difference with the almighty Japanese version (NW-A840) from September: 7.2mm thin, 2.8-inch of OLED goodness, 29 hours of marathon listening and premium EX earphones. Unlike the buffet in Japan though, there'll only be one "Falcon Black" 16GB model of unknown price for Europe, available for grabs in February.
Canon debuts A3100 IS, A3000 IS, A495 and A490 low-end shooters
It might not be glamorous, but if a $110 camera is all you can afford -- or all you'd trust your kid with -- then it suddenly becomes of utmost importance. The new crop of A-series cameras fits such a bill, with the 12 megapixel, 4x zoom, optical image stabilized PowerShot A3100 IS in the "high end" at $180, followed by the 10 megapixel A3000 IS at $150; 10 megapixel, 3.3x zoom A495 at $130; and similarly specced A490 at $110. The differences between the A495 and A490 are muddled, outside of color choices and fewer scene selections. The Two A3000 cameras sports 2.7-inch screens and recharageable lithium-ion battery packs (a first for A-series cameras), with the A490 units going for 2.5-inches and trotting out the AAs. All four shooters should be out sometime in late February. %Gallery-81500%
