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Lenovo to split into Lenovo Business Group and Think Business Group, effective in April
Lenovo's done pretty well since its acquisition of IBM's personal computer business in 2005, but in an internal e-mail earlier today, CEO Yang Yuanqing admitted that despite some attempt, the Lenovo brand is still only playing well in the mainstream and low-end markets; whereas the Think brand is his company's best asset in the high-end market, and that it is the only brand that can compete with Apple in the high-end market. For the sake of better brand positioning and better efficiency, Yang announced in the same e-mail that his company will split into two new groups: Lenovo Business Group (LBG) and Think Business Group (TBG). Effective from April 1st, LBG will be headed by Senior Vice President (Mobile Internet Digital Home) Liu Jun to focus on mainstream consumer and business desktops, laptops, and tablets, as well as smartphones and smart TVs. On the other side of the fence, TBG will be led by Senior Vice President (Product Group) Dr. Peter Hortensius to better establish the business-friendly Think brand in the consumer market, as well as continuing to stay ahead of the game in the global commercial business. Yang also pointed out that the recently created enterprise business team and workstation team will be part of TBG. It'll be a while before we see the fruit of Lenovo's restructure, but it'll sure be interesting to come back to this in a year's time. Alas, we're now further away from ever seeing a ThinkPhone.
Battery maker Ener1 files for bankruptcy, tied to Think Global's bumper
Nobody was that surprised when EV maker Think Global drove off into the Chapter 11 sunset, but now it's towed an even bigger company along with it. Ener1 invested heavily in Think and also manufactured the lithium-ion batteries for its cars, but all it got in return was a lethal $69 million hole in its balance sheet. The company was de-listed from Nasdaq last month and now it's seeking bankruptcy protection to restructure $81 million in debts. If it fails to get its finances in order, organizers of the 2014 Winter Olympics may need to look for another power source.
IBM's THINK Exhibit invades NYC, aims to inspire (video)
Leaving the confines of a Manhattan apartment, Lincoln Center has the uncanny ability to make one feel dwarfed. Home to the performing arts and haunt to New York City's glitterati, the landmark received the IBM makeover as part of the company's THINK exhibit -- an interactive installation designed to weave the story of technology as it applies to the fabric of life, achievement and change. The first thing that catches the eye is IBM's sparkling 123-foot long, 12-foot high LCD wall lining a tunnel leading into the bowels of the NYC landmark. The "living" wall thrives off the surrounding environment, visualizing traffic patterns and analyzing corresponding air quality from nearby Broadway. It also shows the solar potential of every rooftop in the city, financial transactions and the amount of water leaking from the main aqueduct. As the event's producer Lee Green simply put it, the idea behind the set up is to "delegate understanding" to "intrigue and inspire" even the least technologically-inclined. %Gallery-135243%
Taiwan's revised LUXGEN7 SUV offers THINK+ computer, defends itself from thieves
Tired of the ho hum amenities within your luxury SUV? Us too. Luckily for affluent drivers in Taiwan, the THINK+ in-car computer situated within the comfy confines of the LUXGEN7 MPV offers plenty of innovation. First, the vehicle boasts an anti-theft seat feature that pinches the driver's seat up against the steering wheel -- some would call it old-fashioned frustration, but we'll just stick with "brilliant." Moving right along, an intelligent powered tailgate can be configured as a means to prevent collisions in tight spaces. The whip also has four visual assistance systems that include 360 degree surveillance, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and a night vision enhancement system. At a price comparable to other luxury SUVs on the US market (around $25,800 to $35,400), there's just one convenience missing that Taipei's taxis seem to already have: unchecked television access.
Dell teases lithe new laptop to stimulate our gadget senses (update: CEO says XPS 15z)
Mmmm, there's nothing like some shots of a slim new PC to get our gadget senses all tingly, and Dell's done just that via a new video. Posted on its Facebook page today, Round Rock's latest laptop -- which likely claims XPS lineage -- is looking lean and clean, with a couple of USB 3.0 ports and lattice-work speaker grilles. There's not much more to say, so we'll let the vid speak for itself. Enjoy. Update: Michael Dell did it again! We just caught the CEO tweeting "Dell XPS 15z Coming soon!" and linking to the same video after the break. Looks like someone doesn't get the idea behind teasers. To be fair, though, you can actually see the moniker at about 8 seconds into the clip.
Think City's EVs get priced... sort of
Apparently a $34,000 price tag isn't exclusive enough for you to nab one of the first 100 Think City electric vehicles -- fancy that! The aforementioned sticker is meant only for normal retail versions of the green-machine, a version that just so happens to not truly exist in any meaningful form. To be one of those lucky 100 bringing home the first available Think City vehicles, you'll have to cough up a decidedly heftier chunk of change -- $41,695 to be exact. In addition to these inaugural models, Think City is adding another set of prices for lucky folks living in Indiana (the first state to acquire these cars), where the normal production electric eco-transports are apparently selling for just $30,050. 'Course, all this scrutiny over MSRPs is apt to be for naught when gas creeps up to six bucks a gallon, but hey, that would never happen in our lifetime. Right?
IBM looks back on 100 years of history, finds plenty to be proud of (video)
Want to know who the self-confessed "mother of the motherboard" is? Or why every piece of organically farmed, tenderly loved food at your local Trader Joe's has a barcode on it? Or perhaps you're curious to learn more about how millions of airline reservations can be made around the world with unfailing reliability? All those queries have their answers in IBM's self-congratulating videos after the break. Commissioned as a celebration of the company's upcoming 100th birthday, they chronicle some of its more notable moments in the global spotlight. Our favorite little nugget of discovery was finding out that testing for the IBM Personal Computer included the question, "would it run Pac-Man?" -- conclusively proving that the foremost reason for the PC's existence is, and has always been, gaming.
First Think City electric vehicles delivered to Indiana government, Leslie Knope calls dibs on all of 'em
Headed to Pawnee, Indiana anytime soon? Don't lie, it's a place that survives in only two places: your mind, and NBC's studios. The only "Pawnee" in proximity of the Hoosier State lies in Illinois, but it's cool, we can still pretend. After hearing that Think was planning to hawk its City electric vehicle in the Big Apple this year, it looks as if Indiana's government will actually be first to acquire it. Fitting, though, given how Think's primarily manufacturing facility is parked in Elkhart, IN. The first 15 City EVs -- described by the company as "all-electric, zero-emission cars designed in Scandinavia for fleet applications and urban commuters" -- have hit the ground running, delivered to the Department of Administration to be used principally by the Department of Natural Resources in the state's park system. Naturally, Ron Swanson was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony with a mind to swipe one for his own personal use, but once he learned of Think's plans to finally roll out retail distribution in select US cities in the second half of 2011, his conscience got the better of him. Phew.
Think City electric car gets bigger American batteries for bigger American roads
The electric Think City has been targeting an American release for well over two years now but, like many EVs, those dates just kept on 'a slipping. Now the cars are finally starting to hit the colonies and, as a reward for the wait, we're receiving models with more powerful batteries. The cells are supplied by Indiana-based Ener1, a new lithium-manganese pack that offers 25kWh. Those cells are said to double the car's previous expected range, up to 100 miles from 50, yet still recharge in a scant four hours -- if you're using a 240v plug. The folks at Green Car Advisor managed a maximum of 68mph in the two-seater and, driving in a decidedly non-eco-minded way, managed 43.5 miles with 38 percent left, giving an estimated 75 miles for those with leaden right foots. That, at least, is promising, and while a $28,000 MSRP is rather a bitter pill, it's a good bit cheaper (though smaller) than the Nissan Leaf. And don't forget that Uncle Sam would be happy to knock at least a few grand off of that price, too.
Lenovo to launch new ThinkPads, probably on April 22
Those wily social media hounds over at Lenovo are at it again, this time teasing us with a crossword puzzle relating to a new "ThinkPad Series" of machines. Referencing our handy, and so far wholly accurate, leaked slide from February shows that the only Think-branded laptops not yet revealed are the midrange L series. Positioned to replace the aging R models, the L400 and L500 are expected to slot in as bulkier alternatives to the premier T-label ThinkPads. This puzzle tells us that whatever the new computers, they'll be firmly focused on energy and resource efficiency, and for an extra bit of PR kick, they are likely to be announced on Earth Day 2010, which just happens to be this April 22nd. Let's wait and see what Lenovo does to justify the name change and grab for green attention, eh?
Think to start selling City electric vehicle in New York, other locales this year
Talk about a revival story. Recently saved from the brink of disaster, Think Electric is back in a big way. Fittingly announced around the New York Auto Show, the company has revealed that it will begin selling its Think City -- one of the planet's first highway-capable electric vehicles, it'll have you know! -- in New York and "other select cities" later on in 2010. Think's currently working in conjunction with the US Department of Energy's local Clean Cities chapters to make it happen in the Big Apple, but exact details (you know, like an on sale date and MSRPs) are nowhere to be found. Considering this company's position just six months ago, though, we'll take whatever progress we can get.
Think Electric returns from the brink, begins production of Think City two-seater
Norway's Think Electric may have managed to attract some backing from GE in early 2008, but it looks to have quickly ran out of cash after that, and was forced to completely shut down its operations about a year ago. Well, kids, dreams do come true -- or production lines can be started again, at least -- and after securing some funding earlier this year, the company has now announced that its two-seat Think City electric vehicle is now back on track for a release by the end of the year. That initial production run will apparently consist primarily of 2,300 cars that have already been pre-ordered in Europe, but Think Electric says it also plans to begin selling the car in the U.S. sometime next year, and license its electric power train to other automakers looking for a readymade option.
Tetris players found to have greater brain efficiency, thicker cortex and better hair
You just knew all that Tetris playing you did as a kid yesterday was good for you, huh? A new study published by the big thinkers at Mind Research Network has found that "practicing Tetris" can actually improve brain efficiency and lead to a thicker cortex in other areas of the tabula rasa. In short, the study was done in order to show that the brain can change with stimulation, and that "a challenging visuospatial task has an impact on the structure of the cortex." Of course, this is far from the first published report to use the quarter century-old title as its testing tool, but it's certainly one of the best for getting your mum and pop to believe gaming really is good for the gord. Hit up the read links below for all the details -- you know they'll be firing off questions when you hit 'em with this.[Image courtesy of BumpyBrains]Read - Tetris study [PDF]Read - Press release
Electric Think City car sets sights on North American launch
You totally thought that "Think" operation you heard about last summer was nothing more than yet another electric car dream that would never see reality, didn't you? Turns out, the endeavor could be more successful than anyone originally imagined, and if all goes to plan, the Think City should hit US shores later this year. Beyond that, the company is assuming that it "could be selling as many as 50,000 units in two or three years," and with pump prices soaring and a sticker of around $25,000, we don't have much reason to doubt that. The 110 miles-per-charge vehicle, which touts a top speed of 65MPH and reportedly meets all US / European safety standards, would likely be assembled in Southern California (at least, ones sold over here), but we've no idea if swarms of Think dealerships will start popping up after all this goes down.[Via International Herald Tribune]
GE invests in electric vehicle-maker Think, battery-maker A123Systems
It looks like electric vehicle-maker Think and battery manufacturer A123Systems have each gotten a pretty big shot in the arm courtesy of GE, which has announced that it's investing in both companies with the goal of making "electric transportation practical and affordable." For Think's part, it'll be receiving some $4 million from GE, which'll apparently be used at least in part to get its TH!NK Ox electric five-seater (pictured above) out the door (t's already in production in Norway). A123Systems, on the other hand, has signed a commercial supply agreement with Think to supply it with Nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries, and it's already received a hefty $20 million from GE (which it's now doing some joint research with). That's all apparently only part of GE's grander plans, which it describes as nothing short of "efforts to enable global electrification of transportation." Be sure to hit up the appropriate link below for a video of some of what Think has in store.Read- GE Press ReleaseRead - DN.no, Think video[Via Autoblog Green, thanks Gunnar]
Targeted muscle reinnervation enables your brain to control prosthetic limbs
If you're suddenly overcome with an eerie feeling of déjà vu, fret not, as this idea has certainly been brainstormed before. As scientists aim to make prosthetic limbs more user-friendly, a certain physiatrist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and professor at Northwestern University has developed a technique that enables artificial arms to react directly to the brain's thoughts. The process, dubbed targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), works by rewiring residual nerves that once carried information to the now-lost appendage to the chest; when the person thinks to move their arm, the chest muscle contracts, and with the help of an electromyogram (EMG), the signal is "directed to a microprocessor in the artificial arm which decodes the data and tells the arm what to do." Currently, "only" four movements are possible after the procedure, but studies are already in full swing to determine if TMR could be used to bless future patients with an even fuller of range of motion.[Image courtesy of ScienceDaily]
Think hoping to deliver web-enabled electric car
Wee electric cars such as the one pictured to the right aren't exactly uncommon, but if Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums can get his dreams to pan out, his version of the urban green car may actually gain some serious traction. Reportedly, the firm has garnered upwards of $78 million from Silicon Valley and European investors who see promise in the carbon-neutral whip, and moreover, in changing the way we all buy and interact with our cars. Ideally, Think will only sell its vehicles online, which would reduce overhead dramatically, and will equip the cars with WiFi in order to become "a rolling computer that can communicate wirelessly with its driver, other Think owners, and the power grid." Notably, Think plans to "to sell the car but lease the battery as a way to overcome one of the biggest conundrums of electric automobiles," and while nothing is set in stone, the "City" could arrive in select locales as early as 2009.[Via Slashdot]
Isolator: Think Again
We recently mentioned Freeverse's Think, a little utility for helping you concentrate on one task by hiding away all the other windows besides the foreground application. Apparently somebody else liked the basic idea, but didn't quite like Freeverse's somewhat involved execution and so has whipped up a similar but more stream-lined utility called Isolator. Isolator sits in your menubar and, like Think, will isolate the windows of the foreground application by hiding all the others and bringing up a solid color shade over the desktop (though you can adjust the transparency of the shade and even set it so you can sill access the desktop icons). You can also set a hotkey to turn Isolator on and off (F8 by default). I like the idea of a menubar utility of this sort, but if there's anything I don't like about Isolator, it's that when you turn it off the applications it hid are still hidden.Isolator is a free download, but the developer is requesting donations.[Via MacApper]
Think 1.0
Applications that offer 'full screen' modes are all the rage now a days. The idea is that if you run one application in full screen mode you won't be distracted by all those other things that fight for your attention on your Mac.The good people at Freeverse are savvy to this, but they figured why bother creating individual applications with a full screen mode when you can create an app that'll let any app have a full screen mode of sorts. Thus Think was born.Think has a very cool Illumination Panel that allows you to pick from any of your currently running applications. As soon as you pick an app, Think throws up a backdrop (the color is up to you, though it defaults to black) that covers up the rest of your desktop (on your main monitor as well as any secondary monitors you might have) though the Dock remains visible. Think goes one step further and displays the icon of the currently focused app in its Dock icon, just in case you forget.It is obvious that Freeverse spent some time thinking about this application. Now, what would you expect to pay for such an application? If you said nothing, not only are you cheap but you're also correct! That's right, Freeverse is giving this gem away (Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later is required).Check out the gallery below for some screenshots. %Gallery-1471%
Apple Matters does the math on Think Secret's accuracy
I'll admit to being just as interested in what Apple has up their sleeve as the next guy, but I've always harbored a chip on my shoulder towards the rumor sites. The constant 'anonymous' sources who wind up all too often being as clueless as they are nameless have always irked me, and James R. Stoup at Apple Matters decided to take Think Secret, one of the largest rumor mongers out there, to task to see just how accurate they've actually been.Mr. Stoup did the math that was a long time coming and surveyed Think Secret's reports on Apple products between January 05 - September 06. You should really check out the results, as he did a bang-up job detailing everything he found, but to summarize: James found that Think Secret's accuracy can get pretty black and white; either they nail it or they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a wrecking ball. He also discovered some patterns in terms of which kinds of products Think Secret typically nabs correctly, concluding that they have a fairly good batting average with Mac hardware and iPods, but their 'inside scoops' on software tend to represent that aforementioned wayward wrecking ball.Take a look at James' post for the real (and thorough) details of his findings, but don't think he's trying to bash the rumor gurus, Think Secret or otherwise. After all, what Apple fan doesn't hold at least some place in their heart for rumors of what shiny new thing Apple might have coming up? I think James' investigation should serve at least as a reminder that rumors are exactly that: rumors, and not much more. One is merely rolling the dice when reading these sites and building up hopes of a fancy new [insert name here] or a product revision.With that said, we'll be sure to stay on top of the latest gossip to make sure y'all can decide whether the latest iPhone or media center rumors could be worth that extra wait.
