Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The FCC gave us a clue that Vizio's first-ever PCs would be shipping soon, and the company is now spilling a few beans more directly. Although the official statement is still short on many of the details we've been hoping to know, Vizio is promising that the line will launch before June is up. As a refresher, the normally home theater-focused company is planning to go all-out despite being the new kid on the block, going with a trio of mid-size laptops as well as two sizes of all-in-one desktops that rely on Magic Trackpad-like input to draw attention. Mum's the word on whether or not the 10-inch tablet will be part of the June arrivals, although there's unconfirmed talk that Walmart will carry at least some of the lineup and trigger some jealousy in the 2012 Vizio TVs across the aisle.

Gallery: Vizio PCs and tablets @ CES

Vizio PCs officially launch in June, home theaters look on with envy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've been in the market for a new laptop, you've done the wise thing in waiting until now to buy: both Intel and AMD are putting the finishing touches on their newest mobile chips, which means a torrent of fresh notebooks is on the way. (Power users can already pick up a gaming machine or desktop replacement running one of Intel's new quad-core CPUs.) For the widest selection, we suggest waiting until mid-June or so, but in the meantime, we present you three of the best laptops money can buy right now. Enjoy, and do stick it out, if you can, for the inevitable Ivy Bridge refreshes. But if you must pull the trigger immediately, jump down past to the break to read our summertime suggestions.

Continue reading Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: laptops

Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well hello there again, Gigabyte X11. Hot on the heels of yesterday's leak, Gigabyte's just made its 11.6-inch X11 laptop (or is that an Ultrabook?) official. At 975g (2.15 pounds) it claims the title of "lightest notebook on earth" -- and weighs even less on Mars. Design-wise, you're looking at a 16.5mm (0.65 inches) to 3mm (0.19 inches) thin Macbook Air-like body made of real carbon fiber (!) with an aluminum hinge. Under the hood you'll find unspecified third generation Intel Core processors (read Ivy Bridge), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Mobile Intel HM77 Express chipset with Intel HD Graphics 4000, a 128GB SSD, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

Ports include power, USB 2.0 and mini DisplayPort on the left side plus microSD, combo audio and USB 3.0 on the right. While the specs also mention gigabit Ethernet, there's no sign of it anywhere in the press shots. The display is a 1366x768-pixel LED-backlit affair dotted with a 1.3 megapixel webcam. A chiclet keyboard, buttonless trackpad and 4730mAh 7.4V Li-ion polymer battery (likely sealed) complete the package. There's no word on availability, but prices will range from $999 to $1299 with Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional in tow. Expect more information when we get our hands on this sexy beast at Computex next week.

Update: Our colleagues over at Engadget Chinese just got to spend some time with this svelte black slab. Take a look at the gallery below and hit the break for the hands-on video.

Gallery: Gigabyte X11 hands-on

Gallery: Gigabyte X11 press shots

In addition, Gigabyte's announcing two 14-inch laptops -- the U2442 and U2440 -- which feature third generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. Unfortunately, we're still busy drooling all over the X11 gallery, so we'll direct you to the full PR after the break for the complete details.

Andy Yang contributed to this report.

Continue reading Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on video)

Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Intel first unveiled its grand plans for Ultrabooks at last year's Computex, many of the fireworks were consciously reserved for Ivy Bridge-based variants in 2012 -- well, they're here. This year's show in Taipei will show off the third generation of the skinny, MacBook Air-inspired platform, and Intel is toughening up the design requirements in the process. The thickness requirements are the same as last year, at 18mm for systems with screens under 14 inches and 21mm for bigger machines, but high-speed ports are now mandatory to get that coveted "Ultrabook" label and the full marketing weight of Intel's $300 million Ultrabook Fund: if a PC doesn't have either USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, it's out of the running. Intel also wants security built-in, rather than optional, as well as guarantees that a system is quick and responsive when it's fully awake. Not that this would be terribly hard with the low-voltage Ivy Bridge processors launching at the same time, mind you.

Just to reinforce the importance of it all, Intel is noting that the flood of Ultrabooks is about to pick up in a big way as the category hits the mainstream. We were promised 75 Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks this year in a presentation back at CES; that number's now up to 110, 30 of which will be Windows 8-friendly touchscreen models and another 10 opting for the convertible tablet route. At least some of those lightweight portables should pop up at Computex next week, and you can be sure we'll be investigating as many of them as we can to see just how well Intel's partners have advanced the game.

Intel to show third-gen Ultrabooks at Computex, makes USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt a necessity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, Gigabyte teased us with the promise of a new bantam laptop, the X11, that would be the "lightest notebook on earth." Today, it appears the good folks at Pocket-lint have taken a bit of the wind out of the company's sails by posting a plethora of press pics of the new machine for all the world to see. Naturally, we can't say for sure that this is the forthcoming X11, but whatever it is, it's a slim little black beauty that looks to be right at home with the MacBook Airs and Ultrabooks of the world -- it's got a wedge-shaped silhouette and a modicum of external connectivity (one USB socket and one DisplayPort). Want to see more of it's ebony exterior in advance of tomorrow's official announcement? Head on down to the source link for the full spill.

Press pics of Gigabyte's X11 lightweight laptop reportedly pop up online originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're seeing rear cameras on smartphones and tablets get better all the time; what about at the front? OmniVision might have that side tackled through the OV2722, a 1080p-native CMOS camera sensor. It won't allow for magnum opuses of photography like the company's own 16-megapixel behemoth, but it's just big enough and thin enough (at 3mm deep) to give a serious upgrade to the 720p-or-lower front cameras that prevail today, including webcams on Ultrabooks. The new sensor is both thinner and better in low light than an earlier iteration, so we'll hopefully see fewer instances of blurrycam self-portraits and video calls. The OV2722 is in mass production now for unnamed clients, although we're worried that the resolution jump will show us a little too much detail in that chat with Aunt Mildred.

Continue reading OmniVision's OV2722 sensor promises 1080p tablet video chats, probably more than you wanted to see

OmniVision's OV2722 sensor promises 1080p tablet video chats, probably more than you wanted to see originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Remember that Compal franken-gadget reference design we saw at CES? Well, something quite similar looks to be heading to Computex and thence to market, courtesy of Chinese manufacturer CZC Tech. The company has loaded up its Transformer-style 13.3-inch U116T with Ivy Bridge and HD 4000 graphics, the world's favorite resolution, 4GB RAM and a choice of SSD capacities. On the connectivity front you'll get one each of USB 2.0 and 3.0, a memory card slot, audio jacks, SIM slot and an optional fingerprint scanner for people who don't like sharing. What's more, all that technology is housed in the display component -- the detachable keyboard itself will apparently only add an extra battery. On the software side, CZC is promoting Windows 7 alongside a bit of future-proofing, which means the only thing left to discover is the price, availability and whether this device will have anything like the astonishing lightness of that fiber glass Compal.

The CZC U116T: it's an Ultrabook, it's a hybrid and it's hopefully coming to Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The pace of netbook launches has visibly slowed between the dual-pronged pressures of tablets and ultrabooks, and at least for Americans, it's about to get a lot slower. A Toshiba executive has warned that there aren't any plans to bring more netbooks to the US; the NB510's presence at CES this year is now as close as Yankees will get to any more Atom-powered notebooks from the outfit. Instead, all of Toshiba's enthusiasm for ultraportables in the country will be spent on Ultrabooks like the Portege Z835. It's a sad day for those who like their computers tiny, especially as it hikes the minimum price for a super-light Toshiba laptop to $800, but it's hard to ignore a rapidly declining market. We also imagine that Toshiba will gladly steer you to one of its Excite tablets if you're looking for the basics in a small shape.

Toshiba bows out of netbooks in the US, sees Ultrabooks as the wave of the future originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gigabyte is clearly hoping to carve out a name for itself in a very crowded ultraportable space; it sent us word of a media event for a new X11 laptop in its native Taipei on May 31st, just a few days ahead of Computex. The PC designer claims that the X11 will be the "lightest notebook on Earth," a pretty audacious claim considering the featherweight competition. Most of the braggadocio, we suspect, is rooted in the choice of material: Gigabyte is promising rather ominously to "conquer the 6th element," and unless it's financing the sequel to a Luc Besson movie, we're reasonably sure the firm means extra-light carbon fiber. Other details are scarce, including whether there's any relation to the U2442 Ultrabook due this summer. We'll know in just over a week.

Gigabyte to unveil X11 on May 31st as lightest laptop ever, spooks us with talk of 'sixth element' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's far from official, but from the looks of things, an update to Dell's Latitude line may be incoming. According to Dutch site Tweakers.net, the outfit's 14-inch refresh, bearing model number 6430u, will purportedly sport a 1366 x 768 display, dual-core i3, i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processor and measure in at a slightly chunky 20.9mm thick. For the business-minded types that it's being aimed at, this enterprise-ready Ultrabook will also run Intel's vPro platform, giving IT departments worldwide easy access for data management and remote wipes, in addition to supporting a smartcard reader and an optional fingerprint scanner. As for its SSD innards, the unit should be available in configurations up to 256GB with a maximum of 8GB RAM allotted. Since this fella exists in a grey zone for now, there's no official pricing or release date to speak of, though rumors do point to a June bow. Check out the source below for a translated take on this pre-release kit.

Dell Latitude 6430u: an Ultrabook tailored for suit-and-tie types originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was only a matter of time before ASUS refreshed its line of Ultrabooks with Intel's new Ivy Bridge chips, but the truth is, the company needed to improve a little more than just the CPU model number. If you recall, the Zenbook UX31 ushered in a modern metal design and unbeatable speed, but our enthusiasm waned after spending a week with the flat keyboard and temperamental touchpad.

Well, friends, it looks like Chairman Jonney Shih and co. were listening: the outfit is about to bring four of its leaked Zenbook Prime laptops to the US. These include the 11-inch UX21A, which you see up there, along with the 13-inch UX31A, UX32A and the UX32VD -- essentially, the UX31A with discrete graphics. Though different configurations are bound to vary, they all bring retooled, backlit keyboards, refined trackpads and, of course, Intel's third-generation Core processors. And while the lower-end UX32A is stuck with 1366 x 768 resolution, every other model -- yes, even the tiny UX21A -- will be offered with a 1080p IPS display.

In general, ASUS isn't ready to talk availability for these four models, and has not given any indication as to how much the UX21A will cost (it did reveal tentative prices for the other three). So these aren't shipping products you can buy just yet, but luckily for us, we got the chance to spend a few days with the UX21A. While we're holding off on calling this a review -- we need a price and final, production-quality unit for that -- we're good and ready to share our early thoughts. So what are you waiting for? Meet us past the break where photos, benchmark scores and detailed impressions lie in waiting.

Gallery: ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A preview

Continue reading ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A preview

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First the rumor mill revealed ASUS had plans to refresh Ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge and 1080p IPS displays. Then the company confirmed the news itself when it brought some new Zenbook Prime laptops out for a demo and promised they'd go on sale in ASUS' native Taiwan. Now we've got some splendid news for our readers here in the US: those fresh ultraportables are making their way stateside too... eventually. ASUS just confirmed it's bringing four models to the states: the 11-inch UX21A, the 13-inch UX31A / UX32A and the UX32VD. What's the difference between the UX31A and the UX32A, you ask? It all comes down to storage: the UX32A uses hybrid hard drives, while the UX31A packs an SSD. Meanwhile, the UX32VD is nearly identical to the UX31A except that it packs an NVIDIA GT 620M GPU.

As rumored, the lineup includes Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processors, with 1920 x 1080 IPS displays offered even on the 11-incher. (If you don't need that kind of pixel density, 1366 x 768 displays will be available as well.) Another thing they all have in common: ASUS has tweaked the touchpad and re-tooled the keyboard, making the pitch 12 percent deeper. Also, the keys are now backlit, for what that's worth.

Tentatively, ASUS is saying the 13-inch variations will start at $999 with Ivy Bridge (that lone $799 13-inch model comes with a Sandy Bridge CPU). Still no word on pricing for the smaller UX21A, though we know it will be offered in two flavors: one with Core i5 and a 128GB SSD, and one with Core i7 and an optional 256GB drive. Of course, ASUS is careful to warn that these prices are subject to change, though we're presuming they're at least in the same ballpark as what you'll ultimately pay. Additionally, ASUS isn't saying when, exactly, these models will be available, but it's obvious that Intel needs to formally unveil its remaining Ivy Bridge CPUs before these laptops can see the light of day. We'll hit you back with more details as we receive them, but in the meantime head over to our preview of the UX21A for hands-on photos, benchmark scores and detailed impressions.

Gallery: ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A

Gallery: ASUS Zenbook UX31A

Gallery: ASUS Zenbook UX32A

ASUS bringing Zenbook Prime UX21A, UX31A, UX32A and UX32VD to the US, prices start at $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In case you haven't noticed, we've gotten multiple opportunities to talk shop with Samsung executives over the past couple days. After we finished grilling the R&D team on higher-res displays, we sat down with the designers behind the latest Series 9 Ultrabooks, and they surprised us by whipping out a late-stage prototype -- aka, a glimpse at what these laptops might have been, were it not for a little extra hemming and hawing and at least one executive veto. You know what they say: a picture tells a thousand words, and we've got quite a few embedded below for your viewing pleasure. If you're obsessed with minutiae like the keyboard backlighting color, however, follow past the break for more on all those rejected design ideas, and feel free to let us know in the comments which ones you would've preferred.

Gallery: 2012 Samsung Series 9 prototype hands-on

Continue reading Visualized: What the new Samsung Series 9 could have looked like

Visualized: What the new Samsung Series 9 could have looked like originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the chassis at all feels like a negative. I exaggerate, of course, but the proverbial race in the laptop world is hardly about price; it's about thinness. Intel's unstoppable quest to plaster the Ultrabook term as far and wide as possible has led to a change in the way consumers are viewing portable machines, and Apple's devilishly thin MacBook Air certainly played a role, too. What we're left with is a very curious priority list, and I'm wondering if too many OEMs have stopped to wonder if the "obvious" is indeed the "right."

I'll be the first to confess that I love the look of thin. Samsung's Series 9 and Acer's Aspire S5 might just be two of the sexiest machines to ever be built, and Dell's original Adamo was primarily of interest due to one thing: its jaw-droppingly thin frame. But there's some saying about putting form before function that seems to apply here, particularly when keying in on battery life. I've no doubt that the marketing and research teams for PC makers far and wide understand the realities of the market place, and perhaps the average consumer really doesn't need more than four to six hours of life on a single charge. Five years ago, squeezing that much life from machines under an inch thick would've required some sort of wizardry that exists only in a rarely visited corner of West Hollywood. But today, I'm a dreamer. And I'm dreaming of a laptop with "all day battery life" -- something that could be screamed from the rooftops, and honestly, something that could probably be accomplished tomorrow if our laptop options weren't on such a diet.

Continue reading Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?

Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Acer made something of a splash when it trotted out its Timeline Ultra series of Ultrabooks at CES; those waves are just now hitting the shore with a full-on release in the UK under a tweaked Aspire M5 name. Both the 14- and 15-inch models are now known to be packing Intel's Ivy Bridge-era third-generation Core processors, and the "dedicated" video we heard about in January is NVIDIA's Kepler-based GeForce GT 640M, which we saw in the Timeline Ultra M3. Either new PC is still under 20mm (0.8 inches) thick with the option of an SSD, like the M3, but slapping the M5 badge on top means a much narrower display bezel, a backlit keyboard and other more upscale touches that show where your money's going. Picking the 15-inch model adds an optical drive along with a keypad for number-crunching. Mum's the word on exact specs and that all-important pricing, but those questions will be answered by the time the M5 hits British shops in mid-June. Now all that's left is to know when the new Aspire reaches the other side of the Atlantic.

Continue reading Acer ships Aspire M5 Ultrabook to UK in June, Ivy Bridge and Kepler chips in tow

Acer ships Aspire M5 Ultrabook to UK in June, Ivy Bridge and Kepler chips in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Itching for the details of AMD's latest Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)? Then get ready to scratch: Trinity has arrived and, as of today, it's ready to start powering the next generation of low-power ultra-portables, laptops and desktops that, erm, don't run Intel. The new architecture boasts up to double the performance-per-watt of last year's immensely popular Llano APUs, with improved "discrete-class" integrated graphics and without adding to the burden on battery life. How is that possible? By how much will Trinity-equipped devices beat Intel on price? And will it play Crysis: Warhead? Read on to find out.

Gallery: AMD reveals Trinity APU

Continue reading AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yes, that laptop you see up there is called the ThinkPad X1 and yes, it's the successor to the X1 we reviewed around this time last year. But, folks, this isn't your typical refresh. The X1, once a 13-inch system, has grown up into a 14-inch ultraportable, now being marketed as an Ultrabook. Despite gaining an inch in screen real estate, though, it manages to be both thinner and lighter than its predecessor: 3.0 pounds and roughly 18mm (.71 inches) thick, down from 3.7 pounds / .84 inches. (As the name suggests, carbon fiber is the secret ingredient.) Chances are, you won't have the luxury of comparing the two systems side by side, but coming from someone who reviewed the original, we can assure you the difference is noticeable, even going off of sheer muscle memory. That bodes well for people picking up the X1 for the first time.

But those aren't the only changes the X1 has undergone. Lenovo also bumped the resolution from 1366 x 768 to 1600 x 900, and made some subtle tweaks to the backlit, spill-resistant keyboard. 3G connectivity is also a major selling point, though that was an optional feature last time around, too. As you could've guessed, it packs an Ivy Bridge processor, coupled with Intel's vPro management technology and (we assume) integrated graphics. Like the last-gen model, it makes use of Lenovo's RapidCharge tech, which allows the notebook to re-charge up to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes. Unfortunately, though, the company's staying mum on battery life claims for the time being. Another teensy detail we don't know? Price. So far, we only know it'll go on sale sometime this summer. Until then, though, check out some teaser shots below, along with a short hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon hands-on

Gallery: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Continue reading Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a 14-inch Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, optional 3G and a 1600 x 900 display

Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a 14-inch Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, optional 3G and a 1600 x 900 display originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just in case you thought NEC was done with its PC updates this week, the Japanese PC builder has thrown its hat into the Ultrabook ring with a unique contribution of its own. The LaVie Z has a 13.3-inch screen like your garden variety ultralight, but it weighs just 2.2 pounds through a new lithium-magnesium alloy shell about half the weight of the aluminum that some companies love to use. Unfortunately, that weight and the slim frame are about all we know so far: NEC isn't providing any internal specifications, possibly because it's waiting on Ultrabook-ready Ivy Bridge chips. Even so, if you're hanging around Japan and want the lightest possible laptop you can get at a 13-inch screen size, the wait until the planned summer release will feel like an eternity.

NEC's 13.3-inch LaVie Z Ultrabook weighs just 2.2 pounds, brings lithium-magnesium into your life originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fujitsu started announcing its new summer lineup yesterday, unveiling two new Lifebook LH series laptops with Ivy Bridge under the hood. The company is back today with more Intel third-gen goodness and a new super-light notebook, all of which will start shipping in Japan on May 17th. Up first is the Lifebook UH75H, which we glimpsed at CeBIT back in March, and Fujitsu has wasted no time in giving it the "world's thinnest Ultrabook" distinction. The UH75H has a 14-inch display, measures a super-thin 15.6mm at its thickest point and weighs 3.2 pounds (1.44 kg). Its little brother, the UH55H, packs a smaller 13.3-inch screen, and both will be available in red or silver.

There's also a new ultraportable, the Lifebook SH76H, which weighs just 1.34 kg (2.95 pounds) and is 16.6mm at its thinnest, though that sleek profile doesn't prevent it from offering an integrated optical drive. Fujitsu says this Lifebook will last almost 14 hours on a charge, about an hour longer than previous models. Like all SH machines, the SH76H has a 128GB SSD.

Next on the announcement agenda are three new media-centric all-in-ones from the ESPRIMO FH family: the FH56, FH77HD and FH98M. All include a new "Quick TV" feature for launching the built-in TV viewer with the press of a button. Finally, there's the new 15.6-inch Lifebook AH78HA, the first notebook to include "nanoe" air purification for minimizing "fungi, smells, mold and allergens." That's making some pretty big assumptions about the cleanliness of your living space, but can't hurt, right?

To accompany those new systems, Fujitsu is offering a new "My Cloud" feature that works with the company's FlashAir SD cards to wirelessly transfer media from a camera to a PC. My Cloud will also incorporate voice recognition to organize albums in My Photo Museum. Get all that? Good. Check out the presser below the break for the full lowdown.

Continue reading Fujitsu outs new Lifebook laptops and an Ivy Bridge-packing Ultrabook

Fujitsu outs new Lifebook laptops and an Ivy Bridge-packing Ultrabook originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HP's spent the afternoon here in Shanghai to share some details about its latest products and strategy, and to our delight, there was one session dedicated to "Style Meets Function," during which Vice President of Industrial Design Stacy Wolff talked about his design philosophy and design goals for the current market. Most notably, we learned that some of HP's latest laptop designs were based on the work of its research centers from 11 different cities, and the company isn't afraid of admitting that it used consultants for an outside perspective as well.

Despite Stacy's upbeat presentation and interesting stats (apparently these days men have a boring color preference, from first to fourth favorite: black, gray, blue and white), the inevitable question popped up: One lady expressed her concern that the brand-spanking-new Envy Spectre XT reminded her of the MacBook Air a lot, so she wondered if HP's ever worried that Apple might sue.

Stacy kept his initial reply pretty brief:

"I would go back to the TC1000 [Tablet PC] from about 10 years, and that's a tablet. I think if you look at the new Spectre XT, there are similarities in a way, not due to Apple but due to the way technologies developed. Apple may like to think that they own silver, but they don't. In no way did HP try to mimic Apple. In life there are a lot of similarities."

As always, we wanted more from the horse's mouth, so we grabbed hold of Stacy right after the session and had a little chat over this topic -- you can see the full and surprisingly candid interview after the break.

Gallery: HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity

Continue reading HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity

HP on laptop design similarities with Apple's: it's a struggle as we drive to simplicity originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We actually have one more EliteBook to introduce, and this time it's an Ultrabook. The EliteBook Folio 9470m is ready to sidle up next to the Folio 13, HP's first business-grade Ultrabook, as a higher-end option. The 14-inch Folio is thin and light, starting at 3.6 pounds, but the 0.75-inch chassis makes room for an impressive collection of ports, including USB 3.0, Ethernet, DisplayPort and VGA. Since this Ivy Bridge laptop is balancing its Ultrabook identity with a business classification, it features an embedded TPM security chip, a smart card reader, security lock slot, full volume encryption and a security screw. Pricing starts at $1,149, and HP will begin shipping in October. Skip past the break for the presser, and check out our hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: HP EliteBook Folio hands-on

Gallery: HP EliteBook Folio

Continue reading HP unveils second business Ultrabook, the EliteBook Folio

HP unveils second business Ultrabook, the EliteBook Folio originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What's that? You're hungry for more HP laptops? Good! Because we're not nearly done yet! The company just expanded its line of Ultrabooks from two to five, and that's not even counting this guy. And, the company also plans to sell so-called Sleekbooks -- essentially, thin-and-light laptops that don't quite meet Intel's criteria for Ultrabooks. So what goodies to we have in store? First up, there's the 13.3-inch Envy Spectre XT, whose all-metal body looks nothing like the glass-class clad Envy 14 Spectre we reviewed earlier this year. As with its big brother, the major selling point here is design -- in this case, a 3.07-pound machine with a 14.5mm-thick profile. As for specs, you can expect an Ivy Bridge CPU, paired with a 128GB SSD and a battery rated for eight hours of runtime. Like the other Ultrabooks in HP's stable, it makes room for a USB 3.0 port, HDMI and an Ethernet jack, and similar to other Envys it comes with full copies of Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements, along with a two-year subscription to Norton Internet Security. We're told the warranty on this Envy is one year, not two, but users owners do get a dedicated customer support line, for what that's worth.

Gallery: HP Envy Spectre XT hands-on

Gallery: HP Envy Spectre XT

Moving on, HP's Envy-branded Ultrabooks and "Sleekbooks" will be available in 14- and and 15.6-inch screen sizes in each category, though the Ultrabook configs are naturally Intel-based, while the Sleekbooks will pack Intel or AMD chips. With the Sleekbooks, too, you can also choose optional discrete graphics if there's an Intel processor inside. (The AMD versions have "discrete-class" graphics, which is really just a nod to the all-inclusive design of AMD's application processing units.) If you go for the Sleekbook, you'll also get up to nine hours of battery life; with the Intel-based Ultrabooks, that rating is eight or nine hours, depending on whether you opt for the 14- or 15-inch version. Of course, the Intel-based models are also home to various Intel-branded technologies, including Rapid Start, Identity Protection, Smart Response and Smart Connect.

Gallery: HP Ultrabook / Sleekbook hands-on (14-inch in black/red; 15-inch model in black/white)

Gallery: HP Envy Ultrabooks and Sleekbooks (2012)

One thing that won't change is the industrial design: both the Ultrabooks and Sleekbooks will be offered in black and red. Both Ultrabooks are available today, starting at $750 for the 14-inch model and $800 for the 15-incher. The 14-inch Sleekbook is on sale today, too, starting at $700, though the 15-inch version doesn't debut until June 20th, at which point it'll start at $600. As for that Spectre XT, it'll start at $1,000 and is expected to land June 8th. Until then, we've got a mix of photos, along with starting specs after the break.

Continue reading HP unveils Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook, other thin-and-lights in various sizes

HP unveils Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook, other thin-and-lights in various sizes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 22:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If Sony's German site is to be believed, then it's safe to say the outfit's had a change of heart recently. According to a revealing spec sheet on the website, there's now a T13 Ultrabook model with one of Intel's latest chips on board. Just last week, Sony announced the Euro-bound T13 would be sporting a last-gen Core i3-2367M CPU, but the recent finding shows an i5-3317U variant (you know, the one on Sammy's Series 9) could be in the works. Still, it's unknown whether this Ivy Bridge-packing VAIO would replace its Sandy Bridge sibling or if it's just going to be a complete different offering. We'll have to wait and see.

VAIO T13 Ultrabook could be coming with Ivy Bridge, according to Sony's German site originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Samsung's latest Series 9 Ultrabook is certainly a beautiful piece of engineering, but really, what's the fun in purchasing a new laptop with yesterday's internals? Fortunately, users won't need to make that compromise, as the company has now outed a refreshed version of the computer that's complete with Ivy Bridge internals. The move follows Samsung's recent reveal of the Series 7 Gamer laptop, but as you'd expect, components in the Series 9 are geared more toward efficiency than performance. At its heart, you'll find a dual-core 1.7GHz Core i5 3317U CPU (which has yet to be announced), Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the HM75 Express chipset. While its internal storage remains the same, with a 128GB SSD, its memory has received a pleasant bump up to 8GB. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for those who want to own the very latest, we invite you to stay tuned.

[Thanks, Brooks]

Samsung teases Series 9 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, leaves availability in the ether originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Finally escaping its plate glass prison at CES, Sony's unveiled its first Ultrabook, the VAIO T13 and T11. It's set for release next month and currently packing a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3-2367M processor (no third-generation processor just yet), within a 323mm-thick frame that weighs in at around 1.6kg for the 13-inch version. Storage is a hybrid of a 320GB HDD and 32GB SSD, which promise to juggle fast start-up times with capacity, while a HD web cam beams out from above the 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) display; no word on the res of the 11-incher. There's 4GB of DDR3 memory with Intel's own HD Graphics 3000 on the side and Sony reckons you'll be able eke out up to nine hours from its SSD model. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI output, and USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. Interested? Then hit up the full gallery of Sony's new Ultrabook below, with a press release thrown in after the break for good measure.

Gallery: Sony VAIO T13 ultrabook

Update: Sony's PR team has clarified that the laptops announced today are intended for the European market in particular. That means you'll have to stay tuned for pricing and availability details specific to the US and other regions.

Continue reading Sony announces its first Ultrabooks, the VAIO T13 and T11, for the European market

Sony announces its first Ultrabooks, the VAIO T13 and T11, for the European market originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 03:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Generally, a new optical disk drive is nothing to write home about, but how about one that's specifically purposed for tablets and Ultrabooks? That's the pitch Samsung is selling for its SE-218BB DVD / CD writer, which the company claims is the world's thinnest external ODD -- because what better to go with your svelte computing devices than more pluggable doohickeys? Cynicism aside, Samsung says this $60 add-on is just 14mm tall, "18 percent thinner than conventional DVD writers" and eight percent less weighty than its standard DVD ODD. The bus-powered unit connects via USB, and it'll work with Macs, PCs and devices running Android 3.1 and up. Oddly fascinated? The drive is currently on sale worldwide if you're willing carry it along with you. You'll find full details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet

Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A few days ago, HP accidentally listed the unannounced Envy 4 and 6 on a support page within its American website. Fast forward to today, and the company's Chinese site is following in similar footsteps -- though, this time around exposing a couple more details. HP's online shop in China shows a total of six different Envy 4 models, starting with the 1005tx / 1019tx, followed by the mid-level 1004tx / 1021tx and ending with what appears to be the higher-end Ultrabooks: Envy 4-1006tx and 1021tx, which are both priced at 6,299 yuan (around $1,000). As expected, the pair sitting at the bottom of the pile is the lesser-specced of the bunch, revealing an Intel Core i3-2367M CPU, while the top-shelf machine (1021tx) is listed as sporting a Core i5-2467M. Taking into consideration all the recent leaks, it's now only a matter of time before Meg Whitman & Co. make these 14-inch skinny laptops an "official" reality. Until then, those living in China can try and pre-order one of these by pointing your browser toward the source link below.

HP Envy 4 shows up for pre-order on HP's China site, priced as low as 5,499 yuan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've already seen spec sheets suggesting that ASUS's 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch Zenbooks are being fattened up for a major update, but now Engadget Chinese has glimpsed the new devices in their cold aluminum flesh. Tentatively called Zenbook Primes, or the UX21A and UX31A respectively, they both have 1920 x 1080 IPS panels with a matte finish and excellent viewing angles (please, ignore the dumb 1024 x 768 screen-saver in the pic, it doesn't do it justice). Judging from the fact that ASUS refused to let us go hands-on in case we identify the internals, we can be pretty confident that these beauties are running on next-gen ULV Ivy Bridge processors, which -- unlike their more powerful brethren -- have yet to be formally announced. We asked if there'd be room for discrete graphics, such as one of NVIDIA's new Kepler mobile GPUs for Ultrabooks, and were told that "anything is possible." Responses were equally vague when it came to global availability, because apparently the devices are awaiting clearance from Intel. All we know is that they should be out in Taiwan in June, likely with similar price tags to their predecessors.

ASUS Zenbook Primes with 1080p IPS panels and probable Ivy Bridge CPUs are real, coming to Taiwan in June originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks? Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too.

[Thanks, Tyler]

AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available 'soon' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You know what ASUS' Zenbooks needed, right? Like, even more than a cushier keyboard or Ivy Bridge refresh? The Malibu Beach House treatment, obviously. For those of you in dreary 'ol Blighty waiting for an Ultrabook with tropical coloring (but no sequins), take note: ASUS is going to start selling its candy-colored, oh-so classy Zenbooks in the UK. Specifically, that includes the 13-inch UX31 in hot pink, and the 11.6-inch UX21 in Rose Gold. Both will be available by the end of April, with the UX31 available through PC World and Curry's, and the UX21 through Littlewoods and Argos. Find the PR below, and pay no mind to the lady editor behind the curtain doing a facepalm.

Continue reading ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well

ASUS to sell pink and gold Zenbooks in the UK, where good taste is alive and well originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Distro Issue 36 lands with The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, the New York International Auto Show, Ultrabooks and Nikon's D4 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Intel says 75 Ultrabooks in the pipeline with 3rd-gen HD 2500 and 4000 GPUs

Intel says 75 Ultrabooks in the pipeline with 3rd-gen HD 2500 and 4000 GPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Western Digital ships 7mm HDD for Ultrabooks, losing down pavement cracks

Western Digital ships 7mm HDD for Ultrabooks, losing down pavement cracks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Micron ships RealSSD C400 mSATA SSD into slender Ultrabooks

Micron ships RealSSD C400 mSATA SSD into slender Ultrabooks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) laptop review

Samsung unveils redesigned Series 9 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399

Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9

Before there were Ultrabooks, there was the Samsung Series 9. When it arrived on the scene last year, measuring .64 inches thick, weighing 2.8 pounds and packing a blazing SSD, it seemed to offer Windows users the closest thing to a no-compromise experience -- provided, of course, they were willing to pony up the requisite $1,649. As it turns out, the Series 9 was great -- memorable, even -- but not without flaws. It lacked an SD slot, the trackpad was jumpy and the display resolution topped out at a humdrum 1366 x 768.

A year later, Samsung is back with a second-generation laptop that promises to correct all of these shortcomings, and ushers in an even thinner, even lighter design. Make that two laptops: Sammy's selling a 15-inch Ultrabook, too. And truly, there's nothing quite like it: nothing quite this thin, with this large a screen. (Consider for a moment that it measures just .08 inches thicker than the new 13-inch Series 9, which is already thinner than most other Ultrabooks on the market.) As always, though, luxury doesn't come cheap. The 15-inch Series 9 will cost $1,500 when it ships at the end of this month (the 13-inch version is available for an also-pricey $1,400, though we haven't gotten to take that model for a spin yet.) Ultimately, then, are the Series 9's elegant aluminum design and 1600 x 900 matte display enough to justify the premium you'll pay over other Ultrabooks? And does the 15-inch version offer long enough battery life to match its larger size? Let's find out.

Gallery: 15-inch Samsung Series 9 review (2012)

Continue reading 15-inch Samsung Series 9 review (2012)

15-inch Samsung Series 9 review (2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Intel 313 SSDs bring improved caching to ultrabooks, desktops, life in general originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Acer's Aspire Timeline Ultra notebooks made their first appearance at CES, these 14- and 15-inch laptops seemed like little more than the successors to Acer's TimelineX series. Thin-and-light laptops, complete with optical drive and some likely reasonable prices. While there's no mistaking that DVD burner and mainstream screen size, we now know a few things we didn't then: the 15-inch version you see up there packs NVIDIA's next-gen Kepler graphics... and Acer's calling it an Ultrabook.

Acer's branding that there Ultra M3 as an Ultrabook because it's less than 20mm (.8 inches) thin, but given that 15-inch display, numpad, optical drive and graphical horsepower, it's hard to think of this as anything other than a mainstream laptop. If you accept Acer's marketing scheme, though, this is the first so-called Ultrabook to ship with discrete graphics. (We're expecting to see more -- many more -- of these.) As of this writing, at least, we don't have a confirmed price, though Acer has said the pricing for the Ultra series should align with current TimelineX notebooks (which is to say, we're hardly expecting this to be a $1,500 machine.) Until we know for sure, it'll be hard to say how sweet of a deal this is, but that doesn't mean we can't talk about what it actually does. How does the performance stack up against regular 'ol 15-inch laptop? Does it pummel your garden-variety Ultrabooks like you'd expect it to? Join us past the break where we break down exactly what this 'tweener can do.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 review

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 review

Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and U410 undress for the FCC's czars originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four

Novatech Ultrabook range goes to nFinity, well, at least four originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.