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Hasselblad slaps some wood, $10,000 price tag on Sony's new A7
Let's imagine you've already crashed a Rolls Royce into a pool, flown to the moon and bought that "I Am Rich" iPhone app. What else are you meant to do with your cash? Well, thankfully, Hasselblad is willing to take around $10,000 off your hand in exchange for the Hasselblad Solar. In every other respect, this camera is just a re-badged Sony A7, currently priced at $1,700, albeit clad in a fancy wooden body. Bargain, wouldn't you say?
UK retailer Argos tries to undercut the Hudl with £100 Android tablet
UK supermarkets carrying their own branded tablets is apparently a thing now, and Argos has joined Tesco with its launch of the 7-inch MyTablet. Though the £100 price trumps the £119 Hudl, the tab is decidedly more budget, featuring a 7-inch, 1,024 x 600 screen, dual-core 1.6-Ghz CPU, 2-megapixel camera and Android 4.2.2. Hudl, meanwhile, rocks a quad-core 1.5Ghz CPU and 1,440 x 900 screen. Also, unlike Tesco's in-house styled offering, MyTablet appears to be a rebadge, though we can't put our finger on the manufacturer. Argos told the BBC that it'll be affordable to its tween target market at that price, explaining that "kids find it hard to share." We won't argue with that logic, but we reckon parents should be more willing to spend the extra £19, given the difference in specs.
Origin PC joins the 11-inch, rebadged gaming laptop party, outs the EON 11-S
Last week may have drawn to a close, but the march of Clevo news continues. On the heels of Maingear announcing an 11-inch gaming notebook, Origin PC is throwing its own ultraportable into the ring: the EON 11-S. Though this is a new model for the company (the smallest laptop it's ever sold, in fact), it's not quite fresh to us: this is the same exact Clevo-made notebook Maingear unveiled two days ago, only re-badged under Origin PC's brand and available in a wider range of colors. As far as performance goes, then, that means you can expect Ivy Bridge processors, a 2GB NVIDIA GT 650M GPU, Optimus graphics-switching technology and a battery rated for 6.5 hours of runtime. In Origin PC's case, the laptop starts at $999 (compared with $1,099 for Maingear), though you'll have to head over to Origin's site for a breakdown of what specs you'll be getting at that lower price. (Spoiler alert: adding an Ivy Bridge CPU instantly bumps the price to $1,294.)
Maingear's Pulse 11-inch gaming laptop has designs on M11x mourners
Gamers who'd been eyeing up an Alienware M11x may have been rightly irked when the 11-inch form factor was yanked off shelves. Fortunately, Maingear is stepping in with a laptop that slots an Ivy Bridge CPU into equally compact hardware. The Pulse 11 has an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlit display, supports up to 16GB of dual-channel DDR3 RAM while packing HDMI-out 1.4a, USB 3.0 and THX TruStudio Pro sound. Graphics-wise, there's an NVIDIA GeForce GT650M with 2GB RAM for fragging your enemies, and an Intel GMA HD GPU for fragging your spreadsheets. The hardware will begin shipping on June 3rd, with prices starting from $1,099 for a Core i5, 8GB RAM and a 320GB HDD.
Leica rehashes Panasonic's Lumix Fz150 as the V-LUX 3, because 'image' matters
Leave it to Leica to rebrand a recent Panasonic camera, tack on its iconic red dot and then likely charge a premium. Such is the case with its "new" V-Lux 3 digital superzoom, which is essentially its take on the venerable Lumix FZ150 we spent some hands-on time with back in August. To recap, this shooter features a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, Leica's DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5 - 108 mm f/2.8 - 5.2 ASPH lens (that's 25 - 600mm for you full-frame buffs), 1080p AVC HD video recording at up to 60fps with stereo sound and an a77-like 12fps continuous burst mode (albeit using manual focus). On back, you'll find an articulating 3-inch LCD loaded with a 460K pixel resolution and a 0.2-inch EVF, both of which feature nearly 100% frame coverage. While there's no word price, you can surely expect the V-Lux 3 to cost a few Benjamins more than its Lumix counterpart when it hits shelves in January. Hey, at least you can say it's a Leica, right?
HP's 3115m is the Pavilion dm1z rebadged for the business set, starts at $429
You've seen that laptop before. You know you have. Stumped? Okay, here it is. HP just announced the 11.6-inch 3115m for the business market and it is, for all intents and purposes, a rebadged Pavilion dm1z being marketed to a more buttoned-up kind of customer. For starters, it looks just like the newly redesigned dm1, flush trackpad and all. A dual-core AMD E-450 APU, 1366 x 768 display, Beats Audio and battery rated for 11.5 hours come standard. At the entry level, you'll also get a modest 2GB of RAM and 320GB 5,400RPM HDD. Oddly, 5,400RPM drives are as good as it gets here, whereas with the dm1 7,200RPM disks are the gold standard and you can even upgrade to an SSD. IT guys might prefer the this one, though, because it comes with HP's Keyed Cable lock and a Computrace Pro module for tracking and remotely wiping lost or stolen laptops (you'll need to activate this feature yourself). It'll go on sale in the Americas on November 11th with a starting price of $430 -- a thirty-dollar premium over the dm1z. Glossy press shots below -- you know, in case you need a refresher on what this thing looks like. %Gallery-137819%
Motorola XPRT available now on Sprint for $129.99 on contract
It took eight months, but Sprint has launched the Motorola XPRT, a rebadge of the Droid Pro that Verizon's been shilling since November. Since the Now Network is late to the game, it lowered the price to $129.99 on contract -- $50 less than what Big Red customers had to pay when the phone was brand new. (Then again, Verizon has since slashed the price to $149.99, or $99.99 if you buy online.) To recap, the XPRT is a portrait QWERTY handset with a 1GHz processor, 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen, and a 5 megapixel camera running Android 2.2 with Motoblur layered on top. And, like Verizon's version, it has a dual-mode CDMA / GSM chip making it ripe for worldwide roaming. We know, you've seen this phone before, but for what it's worth, if you've been holding out for an Android device with a portrait QWERTY keyboard on Sprint's network, the XPRT is one of just two options (the other being the lower-end Samsung Replenish).
Quanta's 7-inch Android tablet dummy spotted at CES
In case you're not already sick of tablets, here's another one that we spotted at a small Taiwanese booth at CES. Sure, this Anadem Q07 -- a rebadged Quanta device -- was just a dummy, but even this could easily beat the lot of cheap Android slates in a beauty contest. Encased within the chrome bezel and silver body will be a 7-inch 800 x 480 display (which is slightly underwhelming), along with a Samsung S5PV210 processor -- essentially the Hummingbird chip but in a different package -- underclocked to 800MHz, but still capable of handling 1080p video playback. There's not much else on the spec sheet, but we did see a micro-USB port, HDMI mini connector, microSD slot, SIM card slot, and stereo speakers on the Q07. Naturally, you'll hear from us when we stumble upon this Froyo tablet again. %Gallery-113477%
MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch Monitor2Go hands-on at CES 2011 (video)
We just happened upon MMT's Monitor2Go at CES's ShowStoppers event here in Vegas, and... well, it's a Mimo monitor, but huge. The new version -- which is expected to ship in a few months here in the US for $279 -- lacks the number pad that was on last year's model. That one was aimed primarily at accountants on the run, whereas this DisplayLink-equipped version is aimed at everyone else. You can catch up on all of the specifications and such here, but the actual display felt satisfactorily light, the swiveling hinge was rock solid and the screen itself was acceptable for a secondary solution. The low resolution won't dazzle anyone, and it's certainly no replacement for a legitimate monitor, but it's definitely easier to lug around than a new ST2220T. Head on past the break for a quick video demonstration. %Gallery-113149%
MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch USB Monitor2Go given a $279 price
Both DisplayLink and MMT seem pretty darn proud to be revealing the 15.4-inch Monitor2Go here at CES, but in reality, this unit has already been around the block. If you'll recall, the Field Monitor Pro was first spotted a few weeks back, and now MMT is introducing a rebadged version in Vegas. The good news, however, is that we finally have a price to pore over: $279, and it'll ship to consumers later this quarter. For those that missed last month's slip, this fold-up monitor can be used alongside any machine (PCs are green-lit, Mac support is in beta) with a USB port, offering a 1280 x 800 screen resolution and a number pad to boot. Of course, since DisplayLink is behind the pixels, up to six screens can be daisy-chained off of a host computer's single USB port to create a massive video wall -- something we strongly encourage, of course. %Gallery-112226%
CSL's $500 Spice Mi700 DroidPad runs Froyo, looks awfully familiar
Seen this fellow before? Look closer. Seeing any similarities? For all intents and purposes, CSL's new Spice Mi700 DroidPad is just a rebadged Viewpad 7 / Camangi FM600, and given that CSL was also responsible for manufacturing the JooJoo, we'd say these guys know a thing or two about building a tablet. The device ships with Qualcomm's 600MHz MSM722, stock Android 2.2 (Froyo), the same nasty widgets that ship on FM600, a total lack of Flash support and no access to paid apps via the App Market. There's also a 3 megapixel camera on the rear, a VGA webcam on the front, WVGA capacitive touchpanel (7-inch), inbuilt WiFi / WWAN / Bluetooth, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's said to be available starting this month for $500, but early reviews aren't exactly giving it two thumbs up -- crank 'er down to $250 and we suspect those views will shift.
Leica V-Lux 2 looks like an FZ100, shoots like an FZ100, costs a lot more than an FZ100
Continuing today's series of rebadged Panasonic shooters, let us welcome the Leica V-Lux 2. As we noted yesterday when we spotted and photographed what was still unannounced hardware, this camera is pretty much a standard issue FZ100, only outfitted with a red dot logo and more highfalutin marketing language. Let's not let that detract from what's an appealing shooter, however: a 14 megapixel CMOS sensor can be brought 24 times closer to the action thanks to a superzoom lens, while an 11fps burst mode and 1080i video recording will cause a few of your DSLR-sporting buddies to look on in envy. Moreover, given the FZ100's sterling reputation, there should be little doubt the V-Lux 2 will be a similarly pleasing piece of kit -- although after seeing the £675 ($1,053) price tag for this October, we find ourselves asking a familiar question, why the massive markup, Leica? Update: Like its brethren the D-Lux 5, Leica's already priced this V-Lux 2 for stateside release -- it'll run you the tidy sum of $849 when it ships this October. Yes, we know, not much of an improvement. %Gallery-102821%
Leica slaps D-Lux 5 badge on Panasonic LX5, hitches up the price (update)
What has a 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor capable of 10.1 megapixel stills, a 3.75x DC Vario-Summicron lens, and 720p AVCHD Lite video? The Panasonic LX5? Why yes, it does, and so does this carbon copy that Leica just unveiled, the D-Lux 5. Much as with the identikit LX3 and D-Lux 4 before them, the new 5 models share pretty much everything apart from brand name, accessories bundled in the box, and that all-important price tag. If you opt for the red circular logo above, you'll have to dish up £630 ($983), whereas the LX5 -- which was criticized for being pricey at launch -- can now be had for around £355 ($554). Feel free to peruse our gallery of D-Lux 5 shots below while pondering the "value" on offer here. Update: We just got word that Leica's already priced the D-Lux 5 for a stateside release -- find it for the slightly-more-reasonable-but-not-quite price of $799 when it ships this October. %Gallery-102818%
Leica quietly showcases D-Lux 5, redesigned X1 and rebranded DMC-FZ100
We're tucked away in Leica's high-brow design preview event here in Köln, and while it appears that the vast majority of those in attendance showed just to boast about their suit, we're strictly here for the gear. That being said, let us be the first to formally introduce you to the now-official D-Lux 5 rangefinder. Or, sort of official D-Lux 5. Unlike the M9 'Titanium' -- which the company spent a solid two hours boasting about -- the D-Lux 5 (a rebranded / tweaked LX5?) has been given nothing but a passing glance of affirmation, though we're anticipating a more formal release with specifications and the like tomorrow. Leica aficionados have likely been hearing whispers of this beaut for the past dozen months, but at long last, the unicorn has apparently transformed into a Gypsy Vanner. Though, still a mysterious one. In case that's not exactly your cup of million-dollar tea, it appears that Panasonic's DMC-FZ100 -- deemed the world's best megazoom by critics back in August -- has been reborn as a Leica, though the shell doesn't appear to have changed at all. Of course, we've seen Leica pull this rebranding trick before, but we're sure the so-called V-Lux 2M is far superior in some way that we've yet to be informed about. Rounding out the round of mystique is the gently refashioned X1, which was seen sporting a far more luxurious casing compared to the original. Feel free to drown yourself in the images below, and keep it locked right here for more as we hear it. %Gallery-102818% %Gallery-102820% %Gallery-102821%
TWC rebadges Sprint Overdrive, offers it as IntelliGo mobile 3G / 4G hotspot
And then, there were three. Three ways to snag an Overdrive, that is. Months after Sprint issued the original 3G / 4G mobile hotspot, Clear came along and introduced a rebadged version of the same thing. Now, Time Warner Cable (who is also in cahoots with Sprint and Clear) is following suit by tossing its logo on the all-too-familiar device and christening it the IntelliGo. Functionally, it's the same as ever -- there's a built-in battery that'll provide 3G / 4G mobile internet to a smattering (read: five) of nearby devices via WiFi, a microSD slot and USB connectivity. The difference here, though, is that it'll run you $49.99 on a two-year contract, and the fee will "vary by region." Speaking of regions, it'll be available wherever Road Runner Mobile is offered, which means Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii and Kansas City for now.
Dulin's Books rolls out PocketBook 360, 301+ ereaders in the US
Upstart company you've never heard of suddenly selling not one but two ebook readers in the US? Yeah, these are rebadge jobs, but at least one of 'em -- the PocketBook 360 -- is a slightly new variation on a theme. From the looks of it, this one is a new / different version of an ereader most recently seen under the Mentor brand, and packs a 5-inch Vizplex display, 512MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for expansion, a Linux-based OS, your choice of black or white color options and, of course, support for a full range of ebook formats (including EPUB). The company's PocketBook 301+, on the other hand, is seemingly the same model seen as the Foxit eSlick and Hyper Gear ereader, and includes the same EPUB support, along with a slightly larger 6-inch Vizplex display, and some expanded media playback and game options. Look for it to set you back $275, while the PocketBook 360 runs $240. If neither of those suit you, an additional, stylus-equipped Boox model is also promised "soon" -- and, of course, is mighty familiar.
Kohjinsha rebrands mbook M1, calls it the PM series UMPC
Hey, remember that cute little mbook M1 that was all the rage earlier this year? Yeah, you're looking at it again, only this time it's sporting a cleaner look and a Kohjinsha badge. The rebranded UMPC gets powered by a 1.1GHz Atom N510 CPU and also features 512MB of RAM, a 16GB SSD, 4.8-inch LCD (1,024 x 600), 1.3 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, a microSDHC expansion slot, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a headphone jack. It doesn't appear to tout any sort of inbuilt WWAN, though the included battery should last for right around seven hours before petering out. The only problem? That Texas-sized ¥59,800 ($647) price tag, which should do a commendable job of hindering widespread adoption. [Via Pocketables]
Audioholics peels back the lids on the current crop of ICEpower-based amplifiers
Typically devoid of fancy lights, knobs, and switches, amplifiers typically don't get a lot of marketing hype; heck, most people who own a receiver aren't even aware of the amplifier section. Bang & Olfusen's Class D ICEpower switching amplifiers wrinkle that a bit -- the compact footprint, light weight, energy efficiency and impressive specs are enough to make the newer technology marketable as, well, new. Sadly, from Audioholics' examination of many samples, it also looks like the newness stopped there and several manufacturers have slapped crazy price tags on an essentially "reference design" implementation. There's plenty of good technical info about the test bench performance of these amps in the link, but with several happy ICEpower users it's hard to say that the subjective performance is unsatisfactory; the wide price range for essentially the same amp is what's troubling. If nothing else, let it serve as a cautionary tale of not falling for the latest thing just because it's the latest thing -- when you're shopping for an amp, take your ears along with your wallet.
Gateway goes netbook in Singapore with the LT1001G, an Acer rebadge
Now that Acer's Aspire One is on top, there's really little shame in rebadging the popular netbook with everyone's favorite cow-themed computer brand and shipping it on over to Singapore, which is what Acer-owned Gateway has apparently done with the LT1001G. Details are slim, but specs are pretty standard, with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD. It'll retail for $688 Singapore dollars (about $458 US), and is accompanied by a few other low and high-end laptops to help mark the company's re-emergence in Singapore after splitting nearly eight years ago -- we'd say we're looking forward to seeing the netbook in the rest of the world, but we pretty much already have.[Via Netbook Era]
Sylvania's g netbook MAGNI gets detailed: it's a rebadged Wind
Back in July, we heard that Sylvania (of all companies) would be bringing a few more netbooks into the world, and sure enough, that g netbook MAGNI that was hinted at earlier this year will be making its red carpet debut in time for the holidays. Based on information gathered in an interview with Paul Goldenberg, Managing Partner of Digital Gadgets (the company that sells under the Sylvania brand), the 10-inch netbook will be nothing more than a rebadged MSI Wind with a 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, an Intel Atom CPU and your choice of either Windows XP or Ubuntu Remix. Pricing and battery size details have yet to be determined, but given how easy it is to search for both of those tidbits in relation to the Wind, we'd say you've just found a great use for your deductive reasoning skills.
