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MSI's Wind12 U230 flaunts AMD Athlon Neo X2 chip, Windows 7 OS, stress-free keyboard

by Tim Stevens posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 9:26AM

Don't call it a netbook. MSI's latest sits just out of the low-end category with its 12.1-inch, 1,366 x 768 resolution screen, roomy "ergonomic de-stress" keyboard, and 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2, a chip that should best Intel's Atom offerings of the same spec -- at least slightly. A mere four hours of battery life is also decidedlynon-netbooky, but beyond that the usual suspects are here, including a 1.3-megapixel webcam and 160GB hard drive. It weighs in at 2.9lbs and will be running Windows 7 Home Premium (a genuine copy, MSI seems proud to point out) whenever it ships. We'd guess soon.

[Via electronista]

Helix Wind launching wind-powered cellphone tower trials in US and Africa

by Laura June posted Oct 1st 2009 at 12:52PM

Helix Wind, a company that produces some very distinctive-looking wind turbines, is getting ready to start new trials in the US and Africa. These trials will involve testing the vertical wind turbines as a source of power for cellphone towers in areas where they may be off the grid, and carry much higher operating costs. The turbines should produce enough energy to power the cellphone towers, and pay for themselves within about six months. The trials are set to start at the end of the month with local Nigerian provider Eltek NSG as a main participant.

[Via Inhabitat]

MSI's longevous Wind U110 ECO available now for $400

by Darren Murph posted Sep 21st 2009 at 5:31PM

We'll be frank -- discovering that MSI's Wind U110 ECO didn't boast an ATI GPU as we'd originally heard really put a damper on things, but still, a 9-cell battery that promises up to 15 hours of life on a single charge is hard to ignore. Granted, we have all ideas that real-world figures will pull up well short of that, but it should still outlast the vast majority of rivals currently on the market. If you've forgotten the specs, here's a rundown: 1.6GHz Atom Z530 CPU, Windows XP Home, GMA500 graphics, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel camera, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 ports and a 4-in-1 card reader. If you've no interest in waiting 'til October 22nd, this one's readily available at NewEgg for $399.99.

Gallery: MSI's longevous Wind U110 ECO available now for $400

MSI ships 12.1-inch, Athlon Neo-equipped Wind U210

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2009 at 5:24PM

MSI's Wind U210 has certainly been making the rounds, but it has yet to plant its feet firmly on US soil. Until today, obviously. Checking in at 3.2 pounds, this 12.1-inch netbook is equipped with a larger-than-usual 1,366 x 768 display, AMD's 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB hard drive and a 6-cell battery that's reportedly good for four hours of usage. The rig's also packing an ATI Radeon X1250 in the graphics department, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, HDMI output, three USB 2.0 sockets, a VGA port and a 4-in-1 multicard reader. For those interested in buying a Vista-equipped machine just a month before Windows 7 swoops in to save the day, both Amazon and NewEgg would be more than happy to make your wallet $430 lighter.

Gallery: MSI ships 12.1-inch, Athlon Neo-equipped Wind U210

Continue reading MSI ships 12.1-inch, Athlon Neo-equipped Wind U210

Video: 12-inch MSI Wind U210 gets a thorough going over

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 14th 2009 at 11:06AM

As long-time Engadget readers know, there is nothing so riveting, or for that matter so wildly sensual, as a laptop unboxing in a foreign language. That's why we're proud to present you with this video of an MSI Wind U210 being unboxed and manhandled as only the kids at BlogEee can do it: en Francais! But that's not all, they give it a pretty thorough going over as well (with a more than extensive gallery to boot). As far as looks go, this is pretty much a typical Wind: plastics are identical to the U100, and while small details may differ "the resemblance is still striking." Even though not a "netbook," the site ranks the 12.1-inch laptop rather high on the portability scale -- after all, it is only 1.46 inches longer and 100 grams heavier than its precursor. But what are you waiting for? Hit the read link for all manner of philosophical musings on things like USB and audio in / out placing on the device. But not before peeping the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: 12-inch MSI Wind U210 gets a thorough going over

Baryonyx to build largest offshore wind farms in the US, power massive data centers

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 8:27AM

Uh oh Mr. Pickens -- looks like you've got some competition down in Texas. With the aforesaid energy baron scraping plans to plant 687 massive wind turbines in Texas' panhandle, Baryonyx has stepped in to do the honors via a slightly different project. Just this past week, Baryonyx won a bid to create a pair of sizable offshore wind farms that Jerry Patterson -- Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office -- says "could be the biggest offshore wind farms in the nation." Additionally, another lease was granted for a prospective wind energy development in the panhandle, and now the company is eager to get going on the green energy gigs. The best part of this whole plan involves that actual purpose of the turbines; aside from providing juice for grids, they'll also be used to energize forthcoming Tier 4 server farms, with a minimum of 750 megawatts of power being pumped to two coastal areas all the while. Ma Earth would be proud.

[Via CNET]

Read - Baryonyx announcement [PDF]
Read - Patterson announcement [PDF]

GE's Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace

by Darren Murph posted Jul 15th 2009 at 9:46AM

Judging by the company's recent infatuation with energy-efficient LED lighting solutions, we're not at all surprised to see General Electric launching a daunting initiative that aims to cut homeowner energy consumption to zero by 2015. The so-called 'Smart Grid' is part of the Net Zero Home Project, which combines solar and wind energy (for on-site power generation) along with specialized appliances that can "communicate with utilities to participate in utility-run demand-response programs." In other words, these intelligent devices can turn themselves down or off when no one's around in order to shave peak-time consumption, and the in-your-face nature of always knowing exactly how much juice you're wasting should also encourage conservation. Of course, we have all ideas that a Smart Grid-certified home will run you quite a bit more than you're willing to pay, but hey, Ma Earth deserves it -- doesn't she?

[Via CNET]

T. Boone Pickens scouting new home for $2 billion wind farm

by Darren Murph posted Jul 8th 2009 at 3:04PM

It's true that everything really is more colossal in Texas, but unfortunately, it seems as if the planet's largest wind farm won't be adding to the collection. Just over a year after energy baron T. Boone Pickens announced plans to plant 687 gigantic wind turbines in Texas' panhandle, he's now scraping those intentions and actively looking for a new location to energize. The problem lies in the difficulty of getting 4,000 megawatts of power from Texas to the power distribution system, and now he's being forced to find a massive plot of land that's closer to said channels. There's no word yet on where Mr. Pickens is looking, but considering that even his garage isn't large enough to house the turbines (which have already been ordered, mind you), we'd guess that he'll settle on a new tract in short order.

Microsoft reportedly bans netbooks with hybrid storage systems, MSI's Wind U115 caught in the middle

by Darren Murph posted Jun 6th 2009 at 5:41PM

We've never been fans of Microsoft's ability to put hard limits on netbooks with Windows XP; it's this fact alone that has kept the entire sector from moving forward in terms of specification advancement. Though, we'd probably wager that MSI is even more livid, as bit-tech has reportedly learned that the company's Wind U115 will soon be yanked from store shelves. The reason? The machine's hybrid storage system, which puts Windows XP on an SSD and allows other applications and media to be loaded on the HDD. Oddly, the netbook is still for sale on MSI's webstore, and just a few days ago we saw NEC unveil a hybrid netbook over in Japan. Please Microsoft, reconsider -- do it for love, do it for justice.

Read - MSI Wind U115 on sale
Read - bit-tech report

Video: MSI Wind U115 for sale in Japan, UK

by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 22nd 2009 at 1:31PM

MSI's Wind U115, the huggable, lovable, notable, and ultraportable hybrid SSD/HDD is now available to faithful readers in the UK and Japan. It's been spotted making the rounds on the Interwebz in the £450 - £500 (approx. $675-$750) range. A bit pricey for a 10-inch netbook, sure, but perhaps the Atom Z530 processor, 6-cell battery, and 720p video playback will make it worth your while. You have been making some irrational decisions lately -- but we'll talk about that later. Hands on video after the break.

Read - MSI Wind U115 Hybrid Unboxed
Read - MSI Wind U115 Hybrid now shipping in UK

Continue reading Video: MSI Wind U115 for sale in Japan, UK

Ionic cooling system adapted for laptop use, scalded legs cautiously rejoice

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2009 at 7:41AM

To be totally candid, we can't even utter the word "ionic" without thinking of Sharper Image, but the concept here actually seems like one that just might benefit the public at large... or at least those of us forced to cook our upper legs on a daily basis. San Jose-based Tessera, in cooperation with the University of Washington, has adapted an ionic cooling system for use in everyday laptops. The magic elixir consists of two electrodes, one of which is used to ionize air molecules such as nitrogen, while the other acts as a receiver for those molecules. According to reports, this method can extract around 30 percent more heat from a lap burner than the traditional "fan and more fans" approach. Still, a major obstacle remains in terms of ensuring that the electrodes remain reliable throughout the life of a laptop, but if Tessera has its druthers, some form of the system will be commercialized next year.

MSI Wind U200 gets official, handled in Taipei

by Thomas Ricker posted May 14th 2009 at 6:14AM

Oh hey, guess what else Engadget Chinese got hands-on with today? The MSI Wind U200 that leaked yesterday. Official specs on the Wind U100 followup are just like we said: 12-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel LED-backlit display, Celeron ULV SFF 723 processor, GMA 4500M graphics, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and 250GB disk, and 1.4-kg with 3-cell battery. Still no pricing or release but we're sure that Computex (kicking off June 2nd) will change all that.

MSI Wind U123 netbook now being stocked by US retailers

by Ross Miller posted May 5th 2009 at 5:16AM

If you've been waiting the edge of your seat for MSI's Wind U123, sit back and relax for now. The 10.2-inch WSVGA netbook's now officially either stocked up or available for pre-order from online US retailers, with all the usual accoutrements: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280, integrated graphics, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, card reader, 802.11g/n, 6 cell battery, and Windows XP Home. All are priced between $350 and $380, with Frosty Computers so far being the only option so far for customization. Color options are red and blue, and if that doesn't suit you well, may we suggest any of the other dozens of netbooks with the exact same spec sheets?

[Via Portable Monkey]

Read - Newegg
Read - Amazon
Read - J&R
Read - Frosty Computers

MSI debuts Atom N280-equipped Wind U100 PLUS netbook

by Darren Murph posted Apr 21st 2009 at 10:57AM

Frankly, we're beginning to wonder just how many iterations of the Wind U100 MSI can dish out before it's forced by riots and a bombardment of Molotov cocktails to come forward with a completely revamped Wind netbook. At any rate, today the company has just unveiled its U100 PLUS, a familiar looking fellow with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, a hamstrung 945GMS chipset, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics, up to 2GB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 10-inch LCD (1,024 x 600), 160GB hard drive, 4-in-1 multicard reader, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets, an optional 6-cell battery (3-cell is standard), WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Crazily enough, MSI asserts that users can see upwards of 7 hours of use with the standard battery, which is easily one of the most unbelievable statements we've heard in the past 4.32 hours. Per usual, pricing and availability will come in due time.

[Via iTech News]

Continue reading MSI debuts Atom N280-equipped Wind U100 PLUS netbook

MSI's Wind Top AE1900 all-in-one PC comes to US at $529

by Darren Murph posted Apr 20th 2009 at 1:00PM

MSI's eco-friendly Wind Top AE1900 has already been formally introduced and spotted over in Hanover earlier this year, but the outfit notorious for withholding price and availability information until the last possible moment has finally let loose those very details. The 18.5-inch all-in-one PC is available with an Atom 230 or 330 CPU, a 1,366 x 768 resolution touchscreen, integrated GMA950 graphics, 2GB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, 4-in-1 multicard reader, dual-layer DVD writer, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and audio in / out sockets to boot. Two configurations are available (both are shown after the break), with the lesser of the two going for $529.