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ThinkPad X201's official maintenance manual reveals new models' specs
That X series refresh we've been waiting on from Lenovo seems to have become imminent as the company's website has published the latest version of its maintenance manual, which now includes the models X201, X201s, X201i and X201si. The X201 will come with Intel CPU options ranging all the way up to the 2.66GHz Core i7-620M -- a true powerhouse with 4MB of cache that is already available on T410 and T510 models -- while the slimmer X201s will plump for the lower-volted Core i7-640LM, clocked at a reputable 2.13GHz but also consuming 10W less power than its chunkier sibling. The X201i and X201si will likely prop up the pseudo-affordable part of Lenovo's range with Core i3-330M parts. And oh yes, touchpads are now an option -- not being excited about this upgrade, however, is not.
Nokia N8-00: first Symbian^3 handset with 12 megapixel camera, 720p video, and HDMI leaked in summer roadmap?
Nokia's already tipped its hand for the year Twenty Ten by publicly stating its intent to deliver a sleeker, more attractive, and faster Symbian UI; fewer nags; and at least one Maemo handset before the year is done. What we've been missing though, are the details. While we still don't have the complete story, it is beginning to take shape according to alleged leaks received by Tom's Guide. First up is a new naming convention, something already telegraphed by Nokia's Xseries launch and Cseries trademark. According to the French language site, Nokia will end the use of monikers like XpressMusic or Classic as it simplifies around the following five ranges: C: voice-centric handsets. X: targeting youth, entertainment. E: business focused. N: high-end. S: limited editions. Tom's Guide claims to be privy to 14 new models, a few of which it spilled the beans on today. Click through for the gossip.
Sony Walkman X-series gets much needed browser update
At this point, it's hard to quantify the effect that Sony's v1.10 software update will have on Sony's X-series Walkman: the firmware's only now hitting the intertubes. But the simple fact that it's only feature-point says, "displaying and navigating Web sites will be improved," should be enough for X-series owners to give it a go. Japan's Impress AV Watch provides some insight into improvements that include faster page load times, improved scrolling speeds, and more faithful page renderings to the originals. The update also apparently adds a link to Microsoft's Bing search engine as well as the ability to search local music folders. Now get to it buster, that 3-inch OLED DAP's not going to update itself.
Samsung X Series withstands human weight test, other hands-on impressions
We suppose we asked for it when we called the new X Series plastic "cheap" to Samsung's face, but we got some wild build quality trust in return when the Samsung guy stood on his laptop for us. So, the plastic feels cheap, but at least it'll hold up under (considerable) pressure, and the matte palm rest is certainly an improvement over the glossy overload of the competition. Upon closer inspection we're still not really feeling the design of these laptops, and the port layout feels a little haphazard, but at least everything's there and there's no garishness to complain about. The X120's side-button trackpad is a bit of a disappointment, though all three laptops do support multitouch for the all important two-finger scrolling. But enough blabber, check out the laptop standing stunt on video after the break!
Nokia X6 confirmed to sport a capacitive display, we can finally exhale
Ladies and gentlemen, our long, global nightmare is over. Alright, that's a significant overstatement -- but Nokia's lack of capacitive adoption has unquestionably hurt opinion of its 5800 and N97 models, the first to use its touch-ready S60 5th Edition platform. Happily, afterdawn.com is reporting -- and we've been able to independently confirm -- that the X6 will indeed be using a capacitive display, something that we suspect will significantly improve usability if you're not interested in using a stylus (or plectrum, as the case may be) to navigate your way through the interface. For the record, Samsung's already proven that S60 5th is totally doable with capacitive tech on its i8910 HD, so we're sure Nokia's going to be able to pull this off with aplomb -- the real question might be whether this signals a wholesale abandonment of resistive across the range. Since resistive's cheaper, we wouldn't be surprised to see it continue to hang around on the low end for some time to come, but at least we've now got the choice. Sadly, it's too late to save the N900's screen -- but now that Maemo's made the bold leap into GSM telephony, maybe we'll see some worthy capacitive action the next time around.
Nokia rumors: Xseries is XpressMusic successor, new Nseries touchphone in '09?
German site NokiaPort has rounded up a nice little cache of juicy Nokia details that it says is culled from "official information from Nokia, confirmed rumors and reputable sources of information," and while we can't personally vouch for most of what we're seeing here, it's all sounding reasonable enough -- and with Nokia World right around the corner, we figured this would be a grand opportunity to lay it out and see how the chips fall. First up, Cseries and Xseries are said to be presented at the show, with the first Xseries model being an upgraded version of the just-launched 5530 XpressMusic with 3G thrown in, probably spelling doom for the 5800 -- in other words, Xseries is very likely a wholesale rebranding of the XpressMusic line, which totally makes sense. Speaking of touchscreens and Nokia branding, the site says that we'll see another touchscreen Nseries model to keep the N97 company before the year's out, followed by Eseries' first S60 5th Edition model in 2010. Coincidentally, they've got a part of a supposed new touch model pictured on the site (see above), though we're not clear on what we're seeing. In the Maemo department, the N900 is likely to be the only Maemo 5 device for the better part of the year, though there's apparently a mysterious N920 already making the rounds in the Espoo campus. As technologies go, xenon flashes are apparently on the outs with Nokia -- better hang onto your phones, N82 owners -- while capacitive screens should start to take hold. Samsung has already proven that S60 works just fine and dandy with a capacitive display on the i8910, so we're stoked to see where Nokia takes it. Finally, OMAP3 cores are said to be working their way into the lineup following a Cortex A8-based introduction in the N900; Nokia has historically lagged its competition as processing power goes, so it'll be great to see them start to match up with the Pres and the iPhones of the world -- at least as far as raw computational might goes, anyhow. [Thanks Hermann S., image via Eldar Murtazin]
Nokia throws "Xseries" into the ring, too?
You know the saying "where there's smoke, there's fire"? Yeah, well, this is kind of like that, except its.. uh, "where there's Cseries, there's Xseries." Stay with us: on Saturday we reported that Nokia had filed for a trademark on the "Cseries" name, ostensibly for a new line of smartphones, MIDs, or netbooks to complement its existing Nseries and Eseries lines. Now it seems the intriguing-sounding "Xseries" is in the mix, too, thanks to details coughed up by the EU's Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market. This particular mark was filed in Switzerland, but something tells us they don't just plan on selling some crazy new line of devices in the Alps, if you know what we're saying; like the Cseries, though, the question of what the Xseries is exactly remains to be answered.[Via digitoday, thanks Pasi]
Sony OLED Walkman on sale now
Well, we can think of at least one 13-year-old kid who'll welcome this next bit of gadget news: it looks like Sony's OLED Walkman is now on sale over at the Sony Style site. As previously guesstimated, the 16GB model is moving for a cool $299.99, and the 32GB model is priced at $399.99. Order today from Sony and it ships tomorrow, or order from Amazon and it ships on July 3rd. Either way, it's time to start counting out your pennies.
Sony's OLED Walkman shipping on May 10th in UK?
Considering that Amazon UK's first estimated ship date for Sony's OLED Walkman proved incorrect, we're a bit hesitant to believe this one. That said, the e-tailer has seen fit to post up an actual date rather than a vague window of time, so maybe it knows a bit more than Joe Six Pack this go 'round. At any rate, you can now pencil in May 10th over in the UK, with the NWZX1060B (32GB X-Series) priced at £283 ($395). Don't bet the farm on it or anything, but who knows what magic could happen if we all cross our fingers in unison.[Via SonyInsider]
ComponexX throws its wires into the ring, hopes to link up your home cinema
At this point, you're probably already locked into a certain cable manufacturer, but if you're open to changes in life, why not have a look at ComponexX? The wiring newcomer is aiming at the highly competitive low-end, bargain-priced market, with the X Series, Pro Series and Xtreme Series comprising the company's new offerings. Within those families, you'll find all sorts of cables including HDMI, S-Video, component, Toslink, DVI, FireWire, USB 2.0, coaxial, subwoofer, etc. From what we've seen, the prices really are pretty good, but it'll probably take stickers beyond comprehension to get you to stop surfing over to Monoprice.
MSI unveils ultra-thin X-Slim 320, fits snugly into manila envelope
MSI has unveiled the 13.4-inch X-Slim 320 (is that you, U300?), which at 1.98cm and about 2.87 pounds puts it just a teensy bit lighter and thicker than its Cupertino-born doppelganger, and comes with either a 4 or 8 cell battery that lasts up to 10 hours. The company provides no specs in its presser, but our cohorts at Engadget Chinese were at an MSI pre-CES event and report that we're looking at a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1366 x 768 resolution, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.5G network card, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, VGA output, and an all-in-one card reader, and according to Crave it might be using the NVIDIA Ion platform. It's coming second quarter of 2009 for about $800 -- we'll see it for ourselves later this week.[Via Engadget Chinese]Read - MSI press releaseRead - Crave report
Lenovo's ThinkPad T, SL, W, R, and X-series are popping for retail
Sitting up nice and pretty on Lenovo's US store front are none other than Lenovo's newest lineup of ThinkPad notebooks. The site breaks down if you try to custom configure and order anything at the moment but it's good to see the 12.1-inch X200, 12.1-inch X-series tablet, SL, R, T, and W-series of laptops readying themselves for take-out. [Thanks, Salman and Spencer]Read -- Full lineupRead -- X200
