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Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 teased by FCC, launching with 9.7-inch display this month?
Lenovo's been hard at work with various Android phones and tablets so far this year, and here's yet another one that's just popped up in FCC's database. Dubbed the IdeaTab S2109 (or S2109A-F, to be specific), we're told by a reliable source that 'tis an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet assembled by Foxconn, and it'll come with a 9.7-inch, 4:3 IPS display (supplied by Chi Mei), a TI OMAP chip and four powerful SRS-ready speakers as featured on the beefy K2010. The above diagram suggests said slate has a microSD slot accessible from the outside, and if you take a closer look at the product label, you'll see that the device requires a whooping 2.5A input at 5V, which means it'll come with a 12.5W adapter -- a lot higher than many tablets' maximum consumption at 10W (including the new iPad) or below. Here's hoping that this is an indication for a faster charge time.As for availability, we heard that this S2109 will launch at some point this month, though our shy friend didn't specify which market it'll debut in -- the FCC document lists Germany, Canada, US, India, Russia, Turkmenistan, Mexico, Chile, Japan and China. If Android on a 4:3 screen sounds like your cup of tea then stay tuned for more news.
Samsung, Sharp, Hitachi and others settle LCD panel price fixing consumer class action for $539 million
'Tis the season for settling antitrust lawsuits, folks. Earlier this month, Sharp, Samsung, Hitachi and other LCD panel producers settled out their price fixing lawsuit with direct purchasers (read: TV and computer monitor manufacturers) for $388 million. So the story goes, the companies colluded to assure higher prices on LCDs sold between 1999 and 2006. Now, those same seven companies have settled up with indirect LCD purchasers -- aka the folks buying TVs and PCs -- to the tune of $539 million. Samsung, Sharp and Chimei are dishing out the lion's share of settlement dollars at $240 million, $115 million and $110 million, respectively, with the other companies kicking in between $2.8 and $39 million for their (allegedly) anti-competitive ways. Of course, the settlement isn't final until it receives the court's blessing, but you can see what the judge will likely be rubber-stamping at the source below.
Apple adds third supplier of iPad 2 touchscreen components
Chimei Innolux Corp. is joining TPK Holding Corp. and Wintek Corp. as the third provider of touch panel sensors for the Apple iPad 2. Chimei will begin supplying the panels next month, Bloomberg said. TPK and Wintek will still be the primary suppliers of the touch panels, but Chimei's contribution will help Apple meet the growing demand for its popular tablet device. Demand for the iPad 2 is "amazing," Apple's spokesperson Trudy Miller said. The tablet device flew off retail store shelves when it launched earlier this year, and demand has been high ever since. Despite being available in several retail channels including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, the iPad 2 is still difficult to find in stores, and the wait time for online orders is still 2-3 weeks. Incidentally, this deal with Chimei will help solidify Apple's position with Foxconn, the primary assembler of the iPhone and iPad. Chimei was formed last year when Foxconn-owned Innolux Display merged with Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. and TPO Displays Corp.
7-inch iPad tattle churns through Taiwanese rumor mills
The 7-inch iPad rumors are suddenly hot and heavy. In the last few weeks, we've seen a series of reports claiming that Apple was working on a smaller iPad (or bigger iPod touch?) set for release between the end of 2010 or early 2011. A DigiTimes piece, sourcing its own "analyst," claimed that the device would be making a jump to the Cortex A9 processor core, 512MB of RAM like the iPhone 4, and a 1,024 x 768 pixel IPS panel -- the same resolution as the 9.7-inch iPad giving the new model a better pixel density. Now we've got Taiwan's Economic Daily News saying that Chi Mei will join LG in supplying the new 7-inch IPS panels with AUO joining Sintek to provide the digitizer. EDN also claims that either Compal or Pegatron may join Foxconn in the assembly. Remember, even with hints of a new iPad model in Apple's own code this is all just rumor for now. Besides, we're still waiting for those Xbox 360 Blu-ray drives that the Economic Daily News assured us were coming in Q3 of 2008.
One Shots: A pirate's life for me
Arguably one of the more popular things to do in EVE Online along with blowing people into smithereens, manipulating the markets, or good old-fashioned mining, is scanning down wormholes. With the chance at goodies -- whether via resources or making off with someone else's resources -- wormholes have also proven to be profitable. Today, we have a very short note, but a graphically pretty screenshot from Mal Iss of [Los Chupacabras]. With that said, he apparently wasn't content with just regular bragging rights, so he decided to capture a picture of his pirate expedition and email it in to us. The note attached read only "piracying a Chimera in a wormhole... YARRR!!!" Hope they had insurance. From large to small, we love to see MMOs of all styles and sizes. If you'd like to show off your favorite game and give others a glimpse into one of the things that you think makes it cool, why not send in a One Shots image? All you have to do is email it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're looking at. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-85937%
LCD price fixing investigation reaches $860 million in total fines, Chi Mei latest to 'fess up
It's not every day we get to cite an official US Department of Justice news release, so it's with a certain glee that we can announce the US taxpayer was last week enriched by another $220 million courtesy of the not-so-fine folks who swindled him out of that money in the first place. Joining the ignominious ranks of LG, Sharp, Hitachi and Chungwa Picture Tube, Taiwanese manufacturer Chi Mei is refunding the US state for the pecuniary impact of its collusive practices, which were primarily related to keeping prices artificially high and profits proportionately inflated. US companies directly affected by these ignoble activities include HP, Dell and Apple, but don't you worry, AT&T has already started the inter-corporation scuffle, with Nokia piling on for good measure. Man, it almost seems like crime doesn't pay.
Commercial Times: Palm "smartphones" delayed to end of year (updated with Palm's response)
Here's a murky report flushed from the bowels of rumor-dom that's sure to get investors into a tizzy as information and misinformation spreads. The Commercial Times, with its hit-or-miss record of rumor mongering is reporting that Compal Communications, "will be forced to postpone its shipments of smartphones to Palm from mid-year to the end of the year." It goes on to say that, "Palm's two smartphones will be delayed as Compal is waiting for Qualcomm's new chipset solutions that will enable better performance." Now, before you panic, keep a few things in mind. First, the article never specifically mentions the Pre which Palm has emphatically stated (just 3 days ago) is on track for launch in the first half of 2009. Also, DigiTimes which is re-reporting the rumor from the original Chinese-language source claimed last week that Chi Mei, not Compal, was doing the Pre assembly. Also note that Palm has stated that the Pre uses a TI OMAP processor making the Qualcomm quote a bit dubious. Our take? This rumor's bunk, at least as it applies to the Pre. We'll be getting a statement from Palm just as soon as they awake.[Thanks, Herman M.]Update: Palm just followed up with us on this, stating that there is "No change in our previously announced plan to have the Pre available in the first half of 2009." Phew!
Palm Pre to be assembled by Chi Mei Communication Systems, fairies
Information about Palm's hotly anticipated Pre just keeps slowly trickling out... today, we hear that Taiwanese OEM Chi Mei Communication Systems will have the honor of assembling the smartphones. The company's not one of the largest out there, but it also manufactures phones for Motorola. This info comes to us courtesy of DigiTimes, so make of it what you will, but they also say that production could begin as early as March. Considering that it's March now, well... we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?[Via Brighthand]
Chi Mei Optoelectronic votes "no" to cutting LCD production
With practically every other flat-panel maker out there cutting back production like it's going out of style, it's no shock that rumors were a-flowin' that LCD maker Chi Mei Optoelectronic would soon be following suit. After suffering a $125 million loss in Q3 and facing a grim Q4, the outfit has proudly proclaimed that it has zero intentions of shutting down factories or otherwise lowering production in order to counter the slump. 'Course, CMO did trim output by around 20% last quarter, but in an official filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange, it clearly stated that it currently had "no plans to close factories as reported by the media." So, what exactly is it doing? Encouraging employees to take unpaid vacations. Interesting.[Image courtesy of UberGizmo]
CMEL shows off 1mm-thick 25-inch HD OLED panel
Call us crazy, but we're thinking the OLED battle is totally on. With the novelty of Sony's XEL-1 behind us and the lust for bigger screen sizes completely consuming our minds, we're drooling at the mere thought of a 25-inch OLED panel that checks in at just 1-millimeter thick. Taiwan's Chi Mei EL was caught showing off the long-awaited display at the FPD International exhibition in Japan (last year's image shown), where it explained to onlookers that the marvel featured a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 and was capable of displaying 16.7 million colors. Regrettably, there was no mention of an expected release date, but we'll be watching at CES 2009 just in case (one of our) wildest dreams come true.[Via OLED-Display]
Chi Mei tosses in an Xbox 360 with its LCD HDTVs
Enticing consumers to pick up a new HDTV by throwing in a fairly attractive bonus is quite an antiquated (but still incredibly effective) trick, and it seems as if Chi Mei is resorting to such tactics to move its 42- and 50-inch 1080p LCD HDTVs. Reportedly, the group is bundling the aforementioned sets with Xbox 360s during the 2008 Taipei Game Show, but we've no idea if it plans on keeping the promotion alive after January 28th comes and goes. Now, if only there were an HD DVD add-on thrown in, we might consider ourselves sold.
CMO's 42-inch 1080p LCD: $1,665 now in Europe, Q2 US
Look out Westinghouse and Vizio, Taiwan's Chi Mei has a new 42-inch, 1080p LCD TV looking for market share at the low-to-mid end of the big panel LCD spectrum. Shipping now in Taiwan and Europe, model DTL-742E500 is expected to make its US premier sometime in Q2 -- about the time we expect their 47-inch Quad HD LCD to ship. Their new set swaddles a Faroudja DCDi scaler and Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) panel with a 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500cd/m2 brightness, 176-degree viewing angle, 6.5-ms response, and 2x HDMI inputs among a healthy collection of in and outs. Expected to pop at your local big box for right around $1,665 or less by the time it arrives. [Via Akihabara News]
Chimei gets into iZ3D game with 22-inch LCD
We've been seeing this iZ3D stuff around -- you know, that low-impact 3D display technology which almost actually works, two high claims in the notoriously lame 3D tech circle. Well, now Taiwan's Chimei is busting out what looks to be the first 22-inch LCD sporting that iZ3D spec. Unfortunately, that's about as much info as we've got on the display, other than the 140 degree viewing angle, but we can tell you that Chimei isn't just stopping here: it's planning a whole line LCD displays of the computer and television varieties for the North American market in '07, and with Chimei's success in the Taiwan and European markets, we might be seeing some good, friendly competition on our retail shelves this year.Read - Aving.netRead - DigiTimes
